How to Build a Backyard Kennel

? How to Build a Backyard Kennel? By Kimberly Mathis The most important thing, about building a backyard kennel, is what size, what strength and what features are needed for your dog. What is a backyard dog kennel? A backyard dog kennel is a small, fenced – in area used to contain your dog. It is an area used to keep your dog safe and contained while outdoors. It is not recommended that your dog stay in the kennel permanently. In fact, dog psychologists recommend that you allow your dog time inside as well. What size do you need? Well, what size is your dog? If you have a small dog, you won't have to build a big yard. The larger the dog, the bigger the yard. A yard has to be big enough for your dog to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. A dog will not soil the area where he eats. This is very important because if you have a large dog and you put him in a small kennel, he has nowhere to eat and do his business. The size of your dog, also, depends on how strong you need to make it. You also need to ask yourself â€Å"How long is my dog going to stay in this kennel? † As I mentioned before, it is not a good idea to make the kennel your dog's permanent home. It causes anxiety in your dog. It also causes behavioral differences in your dog. Okay, let's get started. First, you will need to get supplies. Now most of the supplies can be bought at a local feed store or a local hardware store. You will need the following: Wooden Support Poles. You want these poles to be 6 ft high and at least 4 inches at the base. Unless you have a big dog, then you want to go taller with the posts. We don't want the dog to jump out of his cage and cause a unpleasant mess. U-nails is also required. These will help hold your fence in place. You will also need fencing. The experts prefer you to use portable metal fencing. You will need a gate for your kennel. This gate needs to be heavy and with a latch. That way your pooch can't push it open and escape. Finally, you will need a hammer and a screwdriver. Next, you will need to measure out where you are going to put this kennel. You need to make sure that it is big enough so your dog can run around yet not so big it inhibits your whole yard. Then you go and buy your materials. Remember that your yard is outside and should be able to withstand the forces of nature. Pick your spot. Make sure that there is shade and sunlight. A grassy yard is a good thing. It helps recycle the dog's urine and feces well. You also want to make sure that when it rains, it isn't going to fill up with mud and puddles. These can cause serious problems for your pet. Make your fence. Put your posts in the ground approximately 2 feet down and 4 foot apart. After you put in your posts, you want to put the dirt in around them and pack them down well. It will help your fence stay sturdy and strong. Now you are ready to attach the fence. You will attach your fence by using the U-nails. The experts say to use 3 per post. You are almost finished now. The last thing you want to do is attach your gate. Now to attach the gate, you have to make sure that it will close†¦. that was a little humor†¦. I would be the type to put a gate on and it not close properly. The gate should have a latch on it. You want to screw the hinge onto a post. Check that the gate swings easily. I cannot express how important it is that the latch work. I actually have a backyard dog kennel that was built almost exactly like the one I am describing. There is no latch on the gate. This creates a problem. My dog manages to push the concrete bricks, that are holding the gate shut, out of the way. With a latch, I wouldn't be having this problem. I have stated previously that I have a backyard kennel made almost exactly like the one I described. I found that it doesn't work very well. I have a wolf breed type of dog and she digs out from under the fence. My suggestion would be to lay concrete down and make sure the fence is in the concrete. Also, with a large breed dog, you will want to make sure that it is high enough so your dog will not crawl out of it. We have had that problem as well. I searched for different sites to help me write the best description of a backyard kennel and found only one. It is apparent that most sites do not recommend putting your pet outside in an enclosure. I, personally, am one that doesn't find anything wrong with it. I tried to let my dog inside and she ate my house. She likes being outside. Unfortunately, she likes to be UNDER our house and that is not acceptable. So we built her a dog yard with house and a porch and a canteen area. She is living the life of dogs out there and doesn't seem to like it. She is constantly figuring ways to escape and go under our home and into our duct system. I refuse to put air conditioning in her house. We have a state-of-the-art dog house that is under a perfect shade tree. The only solution, that I could come up with is that I am going to have to install concrete around the fence line. I am hoping that it works and keeps our dog in her yard. I did my essay on this subject in hopes of finding out what we did wrong. Unfortunately the only thing I see that we did wrong was making it her permanent home. I really didn't learn a lot about this but it was a fun and informative subject. This is how to make a backyard dog kennel. http://www. ehow. com/about_4568749_backyard-dog-kennels. html

Course notes Operations management

A lot of things we do, activities such as analyzing, does not add value. Inventory Is a big non-value added activity, If you have two Items (toasters) where one has been there for long and the other Is fairly new. As a customer you want the new one. As a manager for the store, the old one costs more because you have to store it. Exercise: What is the input, what is the transformation and finally the output? Accountants: the transformation Is they are doing audits, financial statements etc.The Input Is raw data and the output is audited financial statements. Telecommunication companies: the transformation Is transmission of data, the Input is data and the output is data as well. System example: Restaurant Objectives: make money essentially, fast food or exclusive? Elements: tables, servers, waiters, wine experts, chefs etc. Input: customers Transformation: you feed the customers In an environment they find agreeable. Output: satisfied customers Feedback: Are we making money? They also use Customer satisfaction services.Restaurant Political, Legal: permits, alcohol permits, hourly wages, is tips Included? Economical: Price of food, price of dollar. Social: what type of food people eat. Technological: systems to communicate with the kitchen, ordering or reservations through internet. Ecological: recycling. Example: Strategic, tactical and operational decisions. Strategic: what type of cuisine? The limit, how many tables for which demand? Tactical decision: what type of employees should I recruit? Operational decisions:

Poems, American Culture and Values Essay

The poems â€Å"America† written by Allen Ginsberg and Langston Hughes’ â€Å"I, Too† are two of the most controversial pieces in American Literature. The two poems acquire such attention because of the subject they discussed and the points and issues they presented. Ginsberg’s â€Å"America† and â€Å"I, Too† by Hughes tackled values and ethics that is deeply embedded in the American Culture. They integrated in their writings issues about racism and various social problems that has plagued the American system, and has characterized American way of life. However, although the two poems raised identical issues, the manner in which they were presented was different. Furthermore, the prevailing emotion from the two poems was different as Ginsberg work showcased raged, anger, hatred and hopelessness to the system while in Hughes work hope for better future for things is evident. The poem America is conversational in tone and discusses the grievances and disappointments of the writer to the existing American System during that time. Ginsberg is a member of a group called the Beat Writers and the rage he expressed in writing the poem is the organization’s manifestation of hatred to the State of American Culture (Foster, 1992). As one reads the poem he may found himself lost to the illogical manner of presentation of different ideas of the poem. This hopeless illogical way of presentation, mirrors the hopeless and illogic state of American Culture. He even pointed out the insanity of American society going to war such as the â€Å"cold war†. He expressed the ridiculousness of the country, bragging itself as the â€Å"home of the free†, but is in the forefront of oppressing various countries and minority groups. All in all, Ginsberg presented irritations and frustration and how people have lost their individuality with the advent of mass media and technology. On the other hand, Hughes â€Å"I, Too† provided a different view of the social problems present in American Culture. The primary topic is oppression of minorities particularly the isolation of African Americans and whites. The use of â€Å"I† was empowering since it discusses separation and segregation of the American Culture. It iterates that African Americans are also citizens of America and should be treated equally with whites. Unlike the poem America, I, Too states that although the author understand and knew the current social dilemma he is not worried. Hughes stated that the society is slowly realizing the problems at hand, and thus soon everything will turn out write. He does not complain and instead patiently wait for the day that everyone will recognized them as part of America and eventually see how wonderful and beautiful they are as an integral part of the country. As Ginsberg’s work presented hopelessness to the present system, Hughes poem is a picture of great expectations as he viewed a better society for the American people. References Foster, E. H. (1992). Understanding the Beats. South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press.

Hospital Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospital Budgeting - Essay Example Favorable variance implies that the actual result exceeded or just equals the budgeted result in the desired direction. For example, if supplies usage is less than the budgeted the variation is favorable because it results to material savings. On the other hand a variance is said to be unfavorable if the actual result is more than the budgeted result in the wrong direction (adverse). For example, if the total wage rate exceeds the budgeted wage rate the variance is termed unfavorable, since more cash outlay is involved than the planned cost (Drury, 2007). Variance can be used to analyze the performance of different firms in the same industry such as hospitals among themselves through a standard rate. Where, it can either be represented in percentage or discrete values. In health sector variance is used to measure the extent of efficiency in utilizing health facilities. It also reveals areas that need further investigation depending on the level of deviation from the expected and the relevant range that is acceptable in the health sector. Variations within the accepted range imply that projects or operations are running on as expected. It is the managers concern that the departmental salaries were higher than the expected in this scenario. The possible causes of salary variance includes: increase in wage rate this would have resulted in adverse salary variance. Also, hike in wage rate might have resulted from hiring extra health worker due to unexpected epidemic within a given season. If for the past period the hospital has experienced high number of patients beyond the planned capacity thus calling for the need to work for overtime hours and recruiting more health workers. From the general principles employment terms overtime hours are paid at a premium. This are greatly inflated our salary expedition beyond the departmental control. Another possible cause of inflated wage cost is the presence of idle time payment. The total idle time in the current period migh t have doubled as compared to the previous financial year. This will negatively influence our total salaries expenditure thus creating large deviation from the budgeted labor cost. The department also may have suffered from the effect of government regulation raise basic wage rate in health sectors. To comply with such rules the hospital might have been forced to raise it basic wage rate to all staffs thus increasing the total wage cost against the budgeted wage cost (Drury, 2007). The second variance of concern was the supplies, which was adverse on the budgeted cost. Supplies variance rises as a result of total deviation of the actual result from the budgeted material cost. Supplies variance could have resulted from materials such as drugs evaporation resulting to reduction in stock thus falling to cure the expected number of patients. This will imply that cost for the evaporated drugs was the total variation from the budgeted. Another cause for this variation could have resulted from an increase in material price. Following the changes in exchange rate, material price rose from the standard cost thus making it expensive to acquire the required supplies (Drury, 2007). This change in price resulted in a change in the total material cost thus recording a negative material variation. In addition, the material usage on patients might have increased by almost double thus reducing the total no of patients from the planned allocation. Supplies variation may also emerged from the

Task 5 PROBABILITY, STATISTICS, & QUANTITATIVE PROBLEM Essay

Task 5 PROBABILITY, STATISTICS, & QUANTITATIVE PROBLEM - Essay Example Therefore cost subsequent to discount is x-0.1x=0.9x. Hence the cost before and after tax is X=0.9x. Company B; let the cost prior to discount be represented by y. Company B wont award discount if y≠¤20. Hence cost subsequent to discount is y. We end up with the equation y= given y≠¤20. Incase y exceeds 20, company B will award 20% discount for any amount more than 20 dollars. The amount more than 20 dollars is y-20.discount is 20/100 of (y-20) =0.2x-4. The cost y subsequent to discount is given by 0.8x+4. Hence the cost before and after tax is connected by y=x given x≠¤20, y=0.8x+4 given y>20 Company A: The cost prior to discount is not more than 20 dollars. Systems of equations to be solved are x=0.9x, y=x and y=y .it implies that x=y=y. therefore x=0.9x hence dividing both sides by x we get 0.hence solution to the systems is x=o, y=0 and z=0. It implies that incase purchases are more than 20dollars, the two companies’ offers are equal if they do not purchase at all. Incase x inclines from 0 to 20 company’s A offer is better as they give10% discount and no discount is given by company B. Company B: The cost prior to discount is more than 20 dollars. Systems of equations to be solved are y=0.9x, y=0.8x+4 and y=y meaning 0.9x=0.8x+4 which gives us 0.1x=4 hence x=40. Y=0.9Ãâ€"40=36 and y=y=36. The solutions to this system is therefore x=40, y=36 and y=36. It implies that incase purchases are more than 20dollars, the two companies’ offers are equal if the amount prior to discount is 40dollars.if 20

Argumentative paper on why Gun Control law should stay the way it is Essay

Argumentative paper on why Gun Control law should stay the way it is - Essay Example Many may argue that this will lead to an increase in the occurrence of such cases but on the contrary, if the students are taught how to handle the arms such as guns responsibly, they ought to access and carry them for their safety (Valdez, Angela & Ferguson 2012). This means that if students are allowed to own and carry their guns to their respective campuses, they will feel secure and comfortably learn. Another rampant case is that of sexual harassment (Bjorklund & Ruth 2013). This does not happen to the female gender only but also the male gender. When an individual fall a victim to such a case, it becomes easier to defend one-self when having a gun and also the know-how to handle it without basically killing the attacker. A student who has a gun, when he or she is attacked can put minor injuries on the attacker so as to scare him or her away. By doing this, students will be able to protect themselves against murder and any other illicit

Reading notes Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading notes - Article Example For instance, doctors and lawyers do have diversified codes that suit their fields, but a professor from a business school tends to embrace the claim by Milton Friedman that maximization of profits is the major responsibility or intention of any business. The third outcome of learning is the revelation that there are clear-cut differences between medicine and practicing management. They argue that there is no professional body that is self-regulating and has the chance to monopolize anyone’s entry into the profession. The verbatim phrase from the book is as below stated; More so, it has revealed that it is not necessary for leaders or individuals to have an MBA to be successful leaders in the society. A good example is Bill Gates who has several doodles without any formal training in the same field or related field. The sentence from the book in verbatim is: â€Å"The value of the MBA is that one has successfully completed the rigorous and formal process of learning the critical and analytical thinking required of

Comparison of Poem Annabel Lee to my poem New Beginnings Essay

Comparison of Poem Annabel Lee to my poem New Beginnings - Essay Example The most prominent example could be read in all stanzas, with the constant repetition of the name Annabel Lee. It is also a ballad because it gives the subject of the author a mystical air, with the mention of words such as angels, demons and heaven. The tone of the poem Annabel Lee expresses a variety of powerful emotions, usually deep and dark. One can feel and sense a strong degree of grief, melancholy and hopelessness written throughout the poem. An illustration of such can be seen in the 5th and 6th line of the 4th stanza, which reads: â€Å"That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee†. The author conveyed words which are charged with all these powerful feelings so that it can have a sort of emphatic effect upon the reader, and also that the reader may emotionally understand and connect with the author. The poem’s diction is very intense and deep. It uses numerous words that reveal the author’s depth of thought and feeli ngs. By using these words, the author then makes use of them in varied figures of speech like that of metaphors. The expression of each word came out with much strength of delivery that it provokes the imagination of the reader to see what it is that the author is expressing through his written words. With regard to the syntax of the poem Annabel Lee, the author shifted from the normal English syntax in favor of a more poetic syntax. The use of poetic syntax helps increase the expression of emotional, psychological and spiritual impact to the reader. The poem Annabel Lee has the tendency to leave a thought or feeling briefly in a line, providing a pause, as to give it a sense of melodrama. This is how most of the lines go about throughout the poem, which gives the poem an ethereal aura. As for the rhyme scheme in Annabel Lee, much use of rhyming has been made to give it a lyrical effect, and this would make the work different from that of a prose. Such lyrical effect would make this poem a ballad. The constant repetition of the name Annabel Lee serves a purpose, which is to make emphasis on the subject of the poem, as well as to emphasize the other words that can rhyme with it. Every stanza in the poem has words in the end of each line that rhymes with the line after the one that precedes it. As for the meter characteristic of the poem Annabel Lee, the poem has a structure, of which the first and second stanzas have six lines, the third stanza having eight lines, the fourth stanza having six lines as well, and the seventh and eight stanzas having seven lines. Edgar Allen Poe used a mix of anapestic and iambic meters. Anapestic meter means  two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable, which makes the words seem as if they have a fast paced movement, while iambic meter means two syllables which are composed of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, which is usually the usual pacing of a person doing a casual conversation. The use of such meter characteristics gives the poem a sense of story-like movement and pacing, as much as it gives it a sort of life of its own. The poem New Beginnings has certain similarities to that of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee. While it seems simple in language and makes use of the more contemporary casual English language, a reflection of the Romantic style is visible, through the use of words that invoke deep and intense emotions. Also, there are some interesting distinctions

Nursing and the healthcare skills and qualifications Essay

Nursing and the healthcare skills and qualifications - Essay Example ient care and patient needs in such a way that it shows the respect of the healthcare provider for the personal, social, and political beliefs of the patient. By doing so, the healthcare provider will be able to administer the proper healthcare services to the patient and also earn the patients trust and loyalty due to the respect that has been shown for his or her beliefs in life. It is important to remember that a nurse must first and foremost, be conscious of the people around her and the patient. Being on the front line of patient care, a nurse will often find himself or herself spending more time speaking to the patient and his family members than the primary care physician ever will. As such, the nurse is in a unique position to facilitate the speedy recovery of the patient and also help ease the anxiety of the family. Oftentimes, the family members and patients will be anxious, afraid, embarrassed or distressed about their health situation, so they need a professional who can show them the respect, sensitivity,and empathy that they require throughout the time of the patient in the hospital. By doing so, the nurse will be able to help ease the psychological stress that everyone in the family is undergoing. Basically, being a nurse is a social job. It requires the nurse to be able to communicate effectively with family members. Putting them at ease whenever necessary and ensuring that she or he can help bridge the communication gap that often transpires between the patient, family members, and the doctor in charge. Sometimes, it is a thankless job, but the reward for the nurse comes at the end when the patient gets better and finally goes home to his family. Keep in mind that modern day nurses now hold a position of importance in the patient care community that rivals that of the doctors. The evolution of the job description has changed so much since the time of Florence Nightingale that nurses today no longer just sit by the sidelines, awaiting

Physics Coursework Essay Example for Free

Physics Coursework Essay This systematic method was followed in the experiment to ensure accuracy and precision. Firstly fill a Pyrex beaker with 250 ml of water after washing the beaker. Construct the circuit as shown in figures 5 and 6 securing the thermistor with crocodile clips. I will use a mild abrasive paper to clean metal oxides from the connections to ensure there is not sufficient oxide build up to affect results. It is essential to make sure the thermistor is positioned centrally near to the thermometer suspended from the retort stand. The voltmeter should be set to measure voltage between 0-2V, which should give a sufficient scale. The stirrer speed should then to be set to ensure sufficient stirring but does not create a whirlpool effect. Then turn the hot plate on and begin taking temperature and voltage measurements at every 2i C. It is necessary to ensure that the experiment is conducted in a controlled manner and the thermometer is read with the users eyes looking directly at the reading in a level plane thus preventing parallax errors. The readings should be taken from 20-80 i C and recorded. After this random readings should be taken to find the temperature according to the calibration curve and then the actual temperature should be found using the thermometer and the readings compared. Results Table: Temperature i C Potential Difference/ V Run 1 Potential Difference /Random Measurements I heated the water using the normal apparatus in the standard way. Using Calibration curve 2 (reasoning explained later) I was able to use the voltage read out to work out the temperature of the water. At: Potential Difference /V Calculated Temperature From Calibration / i C Actual Temperature /Analysis: I have achieved all of the following results using the equipment stated. The two calibration curves have the general logarithmic properties as generally expected when using this set up. Firstly, I feel it necessary why I have discounted one calibration curve. Firstly I have not ignored the results from run 1, they are perfectly reasonable and fair. The only reason to have a slight reservation about the first set of the results came about when inspecting the equipment after the first experiment. It came to my attention that around the battery a rust/ acid layer had formed on the connections of the battery pack. This was then swapped for an identical battery and pack to produce the results for run 2. Run 2 gave similar results but there were far less anomalous points on the graph and nearly all points fell on the line. I believe the slight corrosion on the battery may have produced these slightly anomalous points on run 1. Also a major reason for choosing run 2 as the calibration curve is that on the random measurements the predicted temperature fell within i 2. 0i C, which I considered a good result. The gradient on both graphs are fairly balanced in that moving on down the curve the gradient did not decrease rapidly unlike the typical calibration curve described in Figure 4. This will be discussed in the overall evaluation of the sensor. Evaluation: The experiment has thoroughly tested the sensor and has proved that it is capable of doing the job what it is intended to do but some improvements need to be made. The gradient of the calibration curve is such that even at the upper limits of the sensor it has a relatively good resolution in that it can distinguish between temperatures like it did at the lower limits of the sensor. The thermistors published response time is 1. 2 seconds. It did respond very quickly to temperature change however, this fast change may not be needed in such a large volume of water that will not change temperature very quickly at all. In a hot water tank also there would not be a stirrer like in my experiment (which I felt it necessary to use to calibrate the thermistor) and thermal equilibrium would not be reached and therefore if the sensor were to be used in a hot water tank it would be necessary to consider the best position for the sensor. Alternatively a number of thermistors could be positioned all over the tank and the average temperature taken. Run 1 was not a failure, it simply showed systematic drift. The same trend was shown as in Run 2 however; the curve was closer to the X- axis. To conclude this project, I believe I have fulfilled my aim and have designed a sensor to measure the temperature inside a domestic hot water tank. The sensor may have to be re-engineered slightly to cope with the un-uniform heating inside the tank as described above. I also believe that for the sensor to work a battery would not be suitable as a power source. The battery would loose energy over time and for this sensor to work it is calibrated on the assumption that the batterys energy is not lost over time. Therefore giving a false temperature reading meaning that the sensor is rendered useless. It would be more suitable to use an adaptor from the mains converting the alternating current to direct current and also stepping down the voltage. In the lab I used a battery however, simply to test the sensor and this experiment has proves successful and shown that the thermistor could show the user the temperature of hot water inside a tank with sufficient resolution between 20-80i C. Instrumentation Coursework David Burgess 12 RJF Page 1 of 9 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge Influence of Al3+ addition on the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge: Comparison of single and multiple dosing patterns Mariam Touati Abstract In this research, single and multiple dosing of Al3+ were used to study the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge (AS). It was found that in the single Al3+ dosing condition; sludge flocculation is improved but sedimentation is declined. Adding the same amount of Al3+ during multiple dosing attained a similar reduction in turbidity. Interaction energy had a major role during single dosing conditions, whereas multiple dosing was mostly effective in reducing EPS content; this is regarding the differences in the performance of flocculation. Introduction The widely most used process for wastewater treatment is the activated sludge (AS) system. The water quality of the sewerage is affected in a large way by the solid-liquid separation in the system, which depends efficient sludge flocculation and sedimentation. 70% 90% of the secondary clarifiers in the AS systems however have encountered solid-liquid separation issues. Two of the main causers of these issues are the reproduction of filamentous bacteria and deficient sludge flocculation. Dosing of flocculants is one of the most effective solution to poor flocculation performance. Cations act as flocculants when added to wastewater and ease flocculation. High cation concentration helps improve biological flocculation. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) consist of polysaccharides, proteins, humic compounds, and other cellular ingredients. EPS is considered an important component of AS flocs. They play a major role in maintaining AS flocs structure and function. In most of the cases, dense, strong, and large flocs are desirable for AS settling and compaction. AS flocs have microorganisms in addition to organic and inorganic particles ingrained in the EPS, and the suspended solids accumulate into them. By bridging with multivalent cations, EPS is able to bind to the microbial cells, which are likely to have an influence on the EPS content in the system. An increase in monovalent cations in the AS declines sludge properties and damages floc, while addition of multivalent cations improves sludge flocculation. It was found that, compared to monovalent and bivalent cations, trivalent cations help improve flocculation performance of the AS under both wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and laboratory conditions. In the present study, Al3+ was added to AS systems according to single and multiple dosing patterns, and a concentration gradient was set under single dosing conditions. The research objectives were as follows: To investigate the influence of Al3+ dosage on AS flocculation and sedimentation. To determine the more efficient dosing pattern. To reveal the mechanisms governing the influence of Al3+ on AS flocculation and sedimentation. Material and methods AS cultivation The AS used in this study was cultivated in two parallel sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) numbered R-S (single dosing) and R-M (multiple dosing), and each had a working volume of 4 L. The following steps were taken: Each reactor was supplied with a paddle mixer, which operates at 100 rads/min, and that is to prevent the AS from settling. To maintain the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the range of 2-3 mg/L, air was added. sludge retention time (SRT) was controlled around 10 d. The temperatures were kept at 22  ±1à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °c in the reactors. The SBRs were working at a cycle time of 12 h, and 2 cycles were performed each day. The time used for filling, aerating, settling and decanting was 20, 640, 40 and 20 minutes respectively. Both the influent and effluent volumes per cycle were maintained at 2 L. Tap water was used to synthesize the artificial wastewater. Glucose, NH4Cl and KH2PO4 were used as sources of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) respectively. The relative proportion of chemical oxygen demand (COD), N and P (COD: N: P ratio) in the influent was maintained at 100: 5: 1, with the COD concentration at 700  ± 30 mg/L. Al3+ dosing test Single dosing test The AS in reactor R-S was cultivated without adding Al3+ in the influent. 500 mL of AS sample were added into 5 identical 250 mL beakers, each receiving 100 mL, to which a different Al3+ dosage was added. The Al3+ dosages were 0.125, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 meq/L, respectively, in beakers designated as S-0.125, S-0.5, S-1.0, S-1.5, respectively. No Al3+ was added into beaker S-0, which was the blank control of the experiment. All of the Al3+ in the single dosing test was added once. At 50 rad/min for 5 min then 117 rad/min for 5 min, the samples were mixed. Multiple dosing test In this test, Al3+ at a concentration 0.1 meq/L was added to the influent of reactor R-M and introduced to the reactor in each operation cycle. The mixing pattern was in accordance with single dosing test. EPS extraction protocol A 25-mL sample of AS suspension was centrifuged at 6000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant that was carefully collected was bulk solution. A NaCl solution with the same conductivity as the AS sample was prepared; then it was applied to re-suspend the AS material in the tube. Immediately, the AS suspension was oscillated by a vortex mixer for 1 min and then sheared using an ultrasonication instrument at 0.4 W/mL for 30 sec. The suspension was centrifuged at 4000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant was collected as LB-EPS. The AS sample left in the tube was re-suspended to its original volume of 25 mL with the NaCl solution, and then oscillated for 1 min and sheared at 0.5 W/mL for 1 min. Subsequently, the suspended sample was centrifuged at 4000 g for 15 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, from which the supernatant collected was TB-EPS, and the AS sample left in the tube was the pellet. The final step, the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS extracted were filtrated through a 0.45 micro-meter cellulose acetate membrane. Analytical technique The total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS were determined using a TOC/TN analyzer. The Al3+ concentrations in the bulk solution were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. After settling for 30 min, 100 mL of AS suspension were suctioned and transferred into a graduated cylinder for measuring the SVI. The turbidity of the supernatant was measured. The total interaction energy of AS was measured and calculated. Results and discussions Basic characteristics of the AS system Influence of Al3+ on AS interaction energy Single dosing According to the total interaction energy curves of the single dosing test, the energy barrier and Al3+ concentration are inversely proportional, as in, the energy barrier decreased as the Al3+ concentration increased. Comparison between single and multiple dosing patterns Multiple Al3+ dosing compressed the double electrical layers through charge neutralization. In addition to zeta potential, other factors also had an effect on AS flocculation, which reimbursed the relatively weak zeta potential reduction following multiple Al3+ dosing and ultimately equilibrated the effluent turbidities. Other factors contributed to the lower turbidity related to multiple Al3+ dosing. These observations suggested that the investigation should not be restricted to zeta potential only, and that the total interaction energy should also be taken into consideration. Multiple Al3+ dosing can promote AS flocculation by compressing the double electrical layers. It was found out that clarifying how dosing patterns affects flocculation performance in terms of total interaction energy is relatively difficult. To evaluate the influence of Al3à ¾ on AS flocculation, the role of EPS, besides that of interaction energy, must be examined. Influence of Al3+ on the EPS content Single dosing test High EPS content could worsen sludge flocculation. Sludge flocs become denser and more compact with Al3+ addition. LB-EPS play an important role in the formation of AS flocs But, an excess of LB-EPS might have a negative effect on the bonding of cells and could deteriorate the floc structure, eventually causing undesirable solid-liquid separation. EPS and supernatant turbidity decrease as Al3+ dosage increased. High LB-EPS content may result in high water content in the sludge flocs, leading to worsened sludge compactness and increased floc porosity, all causing poor flocculation The addition of Al3+ was found to lighten AS flocculation by counteracting the negative effect of LB-EPS. Al3+ reduces the suspended solids in the supernatant and improves effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Both the LB-EPS and TB-EPS contents that were extracted in the multiple dosing test were much lower than those extracted in the single dosing test. Which means that in the multiple dosing test, Al3+ augmented effectively the densification of sludge through the ion bridging effect. Single dosing of Al3+ shown greater effect on the interaction energy, whereas multiple dosing of Al3+ reduced the EPS content more effectively. The eventual flocculation performances achieved by the two dosing patterns were equal. Al3+ distribution characteristics in the AS Distribution characteristics As the single dose increased the Al 3+ concentration found in the sludge increased as well. Because of Al 3+ high charge valence and solubility, almost all of it dosed constrained with the sludge. Therefore, no Al 3+ was found in the bulk solution. The amount of negative charges in different sludge components is in the following sequence: pellet > TBEPS > LB-EPS. No Al3+ could be detected in sludge components other than the pellet when the single dosage was less than 0.125 meq/L. When equal amounts of Al 3+ was added during single and multiple dosing, the Al 3+ accumulations in the sludge were similar, the Al 3+ spreading in different sludge components were different. As seen in figure 2. Al3+ could be detected in the bulk solution in the multiple dosing test, but not in the single dosing test. According to all these findings, it was concluded that the bonding capacity between Al 3+ and the sludge was different with the dosing pattern. Single dosing Single Al3+ dosage and the amount of Al3+ in the pellet are directly proportional, as the first increased the second increases as well, respectively. This caused an increase in the sludge flocs density and a decrease in the content of suspended solids, which leads to the improvement of effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Pellet Al 3+ concentration has an essential positive effect on sludge flocculation. The time for the reaction between multivalent cations and the AS is critical to flocculation performance. The decrease in the sludge surface charges declined due to the increased Al3+ accumulation in the pellet. Influence of Al3+ on AS settleability Single dosing A higher single dosage of flocculant could increase the nucleation rate and the amount of small aggregates, and through the bridging function, it strengthen the interaction energy among the organics on the sludge surface. Comparison between single and multiple dosing EPS content has a significant effect on sludge settleability. Both sludge flocculation and sedimentation were enhanced by multiple additions of Al3+. Al3+ achieved floc densification by the constant recognition of the sludge structure as well as removing water. The key difference between the two dosing patterns was the variation in the reaction time. Engineering significance In case of the failure of AS flocculation and/or sedimentation in waste water treatment process (WWTP), a solution could be to add flocculants only once. Multiple dosing, which is continuous addition of flocculants in WWTPs, extends the reaction time and at the same time promotes flocculation and sedimentation performances. Therefore, it is preferable that the concentrations of multivalent cations in the pellet, in a practical operational procedure, be continuously monitored and observed; where as soon as these concentrations decrease, low concentration of flocculants must be added continuously, in order to maintain the flocculation and sedimentation of the sludge. Conclusion Sludge flocculation and turbidity elimination ware enhanced when the single dosing increased, whereas sludge sedimentation deteriorated. Better sludge sedimentation was accomplished with multiple dosing, even though there was no big difference in the reduction of turbidity between single and multiple dosing. Regarding reducing the interaction energy barrier, single dosing was more adequate, while in terms of decreasing the EPS content, multiple dosing was more effective.

The Learning Development Program Should be Retained :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Learning Development Program Should be Retained The local community college cancelled the Learning Development Program (L.D.C.) in the summer of 1999. This program was designed to assess and implement learning deficiencies in potential new students. The academic subjects covered were General Math, English and Reading. It had been determined in the late 1980s that a large number of incoming students were inadequately prepared in these subject areas, and were not able to enroll in the lowest level courses. Assessment test scores confirmed this observation. As a consequence, the college began a program graded on a pass-fail basis, designed to bring these students up to speed. The cancellation of this program should be reviewed, and some instructional alternative must be offered in its place. At this time, students are either rejected for admission, or admitted and then fail their English and math classes. The case for removing the L.D.C. classes rests on two issues: a lack of student interest and a lack of classroom space. Enrollment began to drop after 1997, when a new alignment of supervisory personnel occurred. Students were not made aware of the potential benefits to themselves, and were not prepared for the rigors of college-level work in such areas as English and math. The administration maintained that adequate alternatives were being offered. Further, it was argued that the economic factor of providing for instructors and instructional materials for the small numbers of students enrolled in L.D.C. classes did not make sense. One alternative available for failing students involves tutoring programs for English and math. These are "drop in" labs where those students struggling in the subject areas can come and receive help from a qualified faculty member. For many this service is all that is required. Yet, other students cannot succeed in the "drop in" labs, which often are noisy, and where individual attention is limited. The college can then request a special tutor. This would involve one-on-one instruction. The cost factor here, touted by the administration as of the utmost importance, spirals upward. It is difficult to understand this kind of budgeting, where another program containing indeterminate costs supplants one program that was successful in the past. The second issue concerns a lack of classroom space. A multi-use classroom was designated as the Academic Support Center in 1995-1997.

Acutrim :: Research Paper Essays

Acutrim Acutrim is a stimulant which has two effects on the body. It is a decongestant and an appetite suppressant. The active ingredient in Acutrim is a compound called phenylpropanolamine. Its is an FDA approved, nonprescription appetite suppressant to be used with a weight loss program. The drug is initially effective in controlling excessive eating (unc-clos.tierranet.com/phenylpropanol.htm). Acutrim acts similarly to its chemical cousin amphetamine. The phenylpropanolamine acts on the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls the appetite, by increasing the amount of serotonin-- the chemical that affect mood and appetite. This decreases the appetite and increases the feeling of being full. Like all stimulants, it increases heart rate and blood pressure (www.phys.com/b_nutrition/02solutions/08diet/phenylprop.htm & www.clos.net/aaceobesity.htm). This supposedly can assist weight loss by increasing weight loss by about an additional five percent by taking 25 milligrams thirty minutes before eating three times a day, or by taking 75 milligrams of a slow-release formula every morning (unc-clos.tierranet.com/phenylpropanol.htm). When used as part of a diet plan, it may help you lose about an extra one-quarter of a pound each week. But the effect will only last for the first month of your diet. After that, the drug has no effect on weight loss. The weight loss may not be permanent, especially after the drug is discontinued (www.phys.com/b_nutrition/02solutions/08diet/phenylprop.htm). The most common side effects of Acutrim and the active phenylpropanolamine are nervousness, sleeplessness, throbbing heartbeat, irritability, headache, sweating, dry mouth, nausea and constipation (www.healthsquare.com/pdrfg/pd/monos/acutrim.htm).. It is seriously dangerous to take this medication while taking any antidepressant in the chemical family called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO), such as Nardil, Marplan and Parnate. If you are being treated for high blood pressure, depression, or an eating disorder, or if you have heart disease, diabetes, or a thyroid disorder, do not take Acutrim unless you will be monitored by your doctor. This product should not be given to children under the age of twelve (www.phys.com/b_nutrition/02solutions/08diet/phenylprop.htm). Although Acutrim’s utility for weight loss has been recognized for many years, however the research and medical findings confirm the theory that the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine is not an safe or permanent means of weight loss. An article by Andrew Jenkins in The Journal of Physical Education briefly describes one of the dangers

New Cuban Cuisine :: Cuban Food

Includes Recipes New Cuban Cuisine The Cuban style of cooking is simple in concept but complex in flavor. Much Cuban food owes its heritage and tradition from Africa and neighboring, Caribbean cultures. However, there are two distinctive styles of cooking: "the classic" whose techniques and ingredients have been in use for a long time across the island, and "the new," labeled nuevo Cubano, which adds a variety of herbs and spices from other cuisine and emphasizes presentation. For example, the province of Oriente, in eastern Cuba, is well known for its contribution of spicier and more robust dishes to the cuisine of the island due to the influx of Haitian and Jamaican immigrants to the island beginning in the 1790's. In the states, Cubans, too, have opted to choose hot peppers, like blazing scotchbonnets and serranos, to prepare recipes such as black bean salsa. Cubans who arrived in the United States in the late 50's and 60's had to make some adaptations to their cooking. Many markets did not carry the vegetables, fruits or cuts of meat that they were accustomed to using in their island kitchens. Lard and olive oil, which are generally used in Cuban cooking, had to be replaced by other cooking oils. Lard was too difficult to find and olive oil was too expensive; a substitute had to be found. Cooks started using vegetable oil, which was readily available and affordable. Nowadays, safflower and canola oils have become more preferable because they are healthier. Many items are now also available in low-fat versions. The consumption of salt has too been cut back thanks to low- sodium products. Many Cubans in exile, such as my neighbor, Roca Beiro, a professional caterer whom I had the opportunity to interview, informed me that many Cubans have cut down on the starches they consume and that they try to follow a healthier diet. Due to the lack of time in their day to day life, many buy products, such as black beans, because preparing them from scratch is very time consuming. In addition, Cubans have added more salads to their diet, use less sauces, and prepare fewer potajes (stews). They have also adapted more American foods into their daily life since their children are exposed to them at school and through their acquaintance with endless chains of fast food restaurants in their communities. For example, breakfast in Cuba usually consists of cafà © con leche and tostada (coffee with milk and Cuban toast).

Reproductive Health in Nursing Essay

Reproductive Health Bill was introduced by Congresswoman Bellaflor J. Angara -Castillo is also known as  ³Reproductive Health Care Act of 2002 ´,assembled at Senateand House of Representatives of the Philippines, and now known as House Bill 5043 of 2008. It ¶s been years since the bill was approved in the senate, due to some churchconflicts, biomedical ethical issues and some scientific research conflicts. Today thereare still lots of Filipino citizen who are now fully aware about this bill and why this billwas imposed.Before I write this reaction paper I had to read the Bill twice and read somearticles, reaction and comments in the internet I had read books and research which isrelated to reproductive health, sex education and Bioethics, for me to fully understandwhat was the RH bill all about and the reason of the creation of this bill.Poverty, the main problems that the Philippine is facing today and they say thatthe primary factors that lead to poverty is due to overpopulation, the Philippines has apopulation of 64,318,120 in 1990. Today the population is ballooning and estimated toover 94 million according to latest census and the top 12 th  country having the mostpopulation. The population is growing by about 2 percent a year, giving the Philippinesone of the world ¶s highest population-growth rates.This is one of the reasons of the creation of the Reproductive Health bill to give asolution to poverty by eradicating the overpopulation problem, by implementing familyplanning, sex education and prevent the sexually transmitted disease.

Competitive strategies government policies Essay

The current and expected government policies and regulations including taxes and regulations in place to address issues related to externalities. Traditionally the government policies towards the environment and taxes, has control measures for regulation and legislation. Through your government, the policies are designed to achieve more efficient use of the resources that are made available to the consumers. To promote a substitution between the resources that is present and provides an incentive from the government policy. While the government refuses to introduce environmental taxes so the current taxes are valuing the environment with the understanding of the fundamental problem in setting taxes for the state of Wisconsin. Citizens of the State of Wisconsin, and neighboring states such as Illinois, Indiana and Iowa subscribes to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It does not matter how big the crises are related and they are, they derive from the same underlying problem and most just want attention. Looking at what has happen in the world this year alone has made the newspaper industries more popular than ever before. Some citizens have stop subscribing because the news is just to devastating to read and then watch on television. Looking at the current policies and regulatory landscape it has been found that many of the existing FCC policies were created just to address the issues that where inherent by the state. Taxes reduce the output and raises prices, this alone might have an adverse effect on the consumer. Producers might be able to pass on the tax to the consumer if the demand of the good is inelastic and as the end results the tax many only have a marginal effect in reducing the demand and finial output of the amount of papers that would be delivered each day. As a reminder recent studies show that the current history status of competing newspapers is but not excluding about 100 cities, despite the substantial efforts to protect the consumers from a variety of different stories that will be published. American has to remember the first amendment is freedom of speech. If there is a story to be told then please expect to read about it, even if it is not all completely true.

Personal Response on Sexual Identity Essay

However, this has been an awakening although I do possess much about basic knowledge for my age in sexual issues there was still much I did not know (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). I grew up a Christian and certain high values were set my siblings and I, so high that moral values are predictable to assume on the subject of sex. Although I possess a European background my parents are primarily German-American. My siblings and I were with the ideas of spirituality is more important than religious views. However, this does not mean that we did not have set restrictions; never feeling shame or perfect knowledge of sexuality. That is why when wrapping up the last chapter of the text I realized that my sexual decisions were a positive influence and my family as-well-as myself. Prior to taking this course I unknowingly forgot some areas of my sexuality involving myself and my husband. When became married I took for granted our sexual relationship and forgot to nurture it along with our relationship. However, I was reminded that even being in a good relationship changes as-well-as our needs in that relationship. Developing and growing as a couple can avoid problems that can occur over years of neglect. Realizing, through reading the text information, taking care of our sexual needs instead of turning away from them brought both my husband and I closer together and improved our sexual relationship (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Multiple sexual accounts of problems that concern couples were given in the text, which helped to improve upon and apply in my own relationship. One of those examples was Situational Ethics and the philosophy of Joseph Fletcher. This is a theory that I find most agreeable when supporting sexual behavior. The idea of supporting people because we love them or have experienced love for him or her makes sense. So by completing this course it has offered me a new perspective in critical thinking and value system in relation to sexuality. Also the material covered has assisted in becoming more aware in my son’s own sexuality and how to proceed in properly supporting a healthy sexual relationship of his own (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Another important understanding is how the environmental and historical influences have shaped my life and ideas in my sexual experiences. It is my belief that both the environment and history brings important affects in molding our views as individuals on sexual orientation. The historical point of view influences how individual view sexuality, also it includes how he or she was reared by his or her parents. The historical and sexual viewpoints are different from one parent than another because of his or her own rearing. Therefore, certain sexual aspects were more acceptable for me when they were new for my parents to deal with. Case-in-point during my generation being a homosexual has become much more accepted by society than during my parent’s generation, and premarital sex was definitely prohibited. However, as a growing and mature individual I could develop my own ideas through experiences and knowledge, judging for myself what sexual preference I wanted to choose. Also there is the genetic predisposition, which contributes to the outcome and direction in which my sex is determined. So when adding the time, genetic predispositions, social environment, the way my parents reared me, and day-to-day environment influences together an individual will find the formula of a person’s sexual rientation. However, even with all of these pieces coming together to create a person’s sexual orientation none of them completely determine a person’s sexual choice. The determination of my gender identity was preset by my parents giving me the chromosomes XY, gave me an anatomic appearance of a female. Also being reared in a hetero environment had an influence in becoming a female as well. So the relation to the masculinity-femininity continuum is that I posses both traits fem inine and masculine. In some situations I tend to carry myself as a caring and soft-spoken female, is typical for feminine behavior. On the other hand I express more masculine attributes like aggressiveness and self-reliance, which is typical for masculine behavior. Both add in the development in determining and sustaining my gender identity. The biological perspective by the way was inherited from my parents and aided in the development of the characteristics in becoming a woman, gender role of nurturing and caring individual, and maternal tendencies in taking care of my child. Then the psychological perspective according to my mother to which she insists that I was a normal girl with particular behaviors toward feminine toys and clothes. As a final point, the social environment offers an insight into the typical social role of an American woman, which was predetermined at birth by my social surroundings (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Attraction and love, the effects it has on a relationship is phenomenal and with whom the relationship involves can determine its outcome. Case-in-point my husband and I have nurtured and grown as a couple from a relationship to a marriage. Of course there are many aspects of love and attraction in one’s life and I think that the three most important components are Physical attractiveness, Similarity, and Reciprocity. When looking or meeting a perspective partner the first thing, I experience physically attraction, then similarity to make sure we have common interest, then reciprocity because I tend to express myself openly when a person is in agreement with me. Overall I have already experienced these characteristics in relationships for example the relationship I am currently in and any in the future. I think each phase is significant and reflect the process to which my relationships will develop (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Furthermore, sexual dysfunctions are another course subject that I found interesting. Although, it is a delicate matter to most individuals I believe that dysfunctions should be addressed immediately by a doctor. People tend to postpone addressing issues concerning sexual dysfunctions when treated by a doctor it could become more manageable or cured. The reason for the lack of professional help in this area that people experience a feeling of shame, or uneducated in on the issue of sexual dysfunctions, there is however one very interesting sexual disorder I want to address the Orgasmic disorder. A man generally experiences an inability to delay an orgasm, which means he cannot control early ejaculation as for a women she experiences anorgasmia, is the lack of an orgasm even when stimulated. The Orgasmic disorder is a disorder in which being informed as much as possible is necessary to both partners and should my partner or I ever experience this kind of sexual disorder then we can acknowledge the disorder and seek treatment. Should this problem persist then my partner and I shale seek additional medical help in its prevention. However, the textbook offered knowledge in identifying and solving this problem by listing instructions to which a person may stimulate him or her prior to sexual intercourse or masturbation. Of course as men began to age he tends to experience complications from orgasmic disorders and this can lead to problems in a relationship. Moreover, if or when these dysfunctions occur many solutions are available such as talking to a medical doctor and seeking counseling to deal with the emotional stress of this disorder. Dealing with these problems in advance can improve a sexual relationship and offer a chance of a lasting marriage (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). When taking this course I first thought, it was unnecessary because I was confident and knowledgeable about my own sexuality.

The Role of Italian Government in Managing their Finance and Economy

There are many insights and studies already conducted with respect to the government system of each nation. Studies were also made to observe how particular governments run the economy of the respective states. Such aspects that include the financial organization of a country, infrastructure programs, foreign policy are some of the most important issues that directly affect the economy of a specific state. Moreover, the form of government is also critical in evaluating the total progress and status of a nation. There are instances that the form of government has direct relation with how well the economy is being run by the ministers and officials of the concerned nation. Italy has very interesting issues with regards to government policies that is being applied throughout the whole nation. In addition to that, Italy is a nation that has experienced various economic turnabouts that did affect the lives of its citizen. It can also be noticed how the government handled these issues and run the Italian economy.Government Regulation on Media in America One of the interesting facts and issues that are all about Italy is when the government implemented decentralization in running the economy. There are lots of advantages being decentralized in running a government rather than being centralized in the various organization structures and bureaucracy. On the other hand, it would do more harm to the economy of a nation once decentralization is not properly managed. The Italian government had decisions leading to these type of management wherein there would be more power being given to municipalities and provinces in running their respective territories. Italy once was a country that is centralized and such moves to amend the strategies in running the government will sure have numerous flaws, evidently because the new system is not yet fully absorbed by those that will be affected by such changes. The idea of decentralization came from the pressures being applied by the regions in the national government of Italy that are considered to be wealthy enough to support their own expenditures and services to the electorate. Such demand to shift the government framework to federalism is being pushed through since the government failed to deliver such service developments adequately to all of its territory. It is also undeniable the influence of these advocates to federalism since the government should have out rightly silenced all of these political pressures. The law that provided the outline for this modified system of government leads the country to various issues and disputes that need to be resolved. According to the Bassanini law (Piperno, 2000), such shift into federalism will provide a new era of how the government will run the economy of the country with a more balanced approach considering the regions, provinces and municipalities involved. Under this framework, more authoritative powers will be given to regions, provinces and municipalities with regards to the strategies on administering their respective local economy. However, according to the law, the national government can still hold authority on decisions that is of national interests. Such limitation is provided in the law to oversee the local authorities in administering their official functions. In addition to that, the law has set limits on the powers given to the local government entities such as any provision or ordinances should foster cooperation among local authorities, and promoting full accountability and responsibility in the decisions being made by the concerned local officials. This also includes the autonomy given to local units in collecting and managing taxes for their respective territories. Such introduction of local monetary collection system and management has further strengthened the power of local officials to collect taxes and dues form their citizens. The table below describes the amount of shares from different government levels. Share of different levels of government on total public sector revenue and expenditure (Piperno, 2000) Central Government Local Government Social Security Agencies Year Revenues Expenses Revenues Expenses Revenues Expenses 1980 59. 1 42. 6 6. 1 27. 1 34. 7 30. 1 1981 59. 7 42. 9 6. 8 30. 4 33. 26. 5 1990 61. 6 47. 4 7. 7 27. 6 30. 6 24. 9 1991 61. 7 47. 0 7. 9 27. 7 30. 3 25. 1 1993 61. 6 50. 1 9. 3 24. 5 29. 0 25. 3 1994 60. 2 47. 7 10. 7 25. 6 29. 0 26. 5 1995 59. 5 48. 6 12. 3 24. 6 28. 1 26. 7 1997 56. 9 40. 6 10. 7 26. 7 32. 3 32. 5 As seen on the table, the local government has increased revenues from the year 1980 up to 1997. This effect was caused by the continuous empowerment of the national government to the local municipalitie s to collect taxes for their respective regions. A significant increase of approximately 5% in the revenue collection was observed and the decrease in the revenue collection under the national government was due to the decentralization process that is being pushed by the officials of the Italian government. These numbers are expected to continue its trend as the advocacy for local government empowerment carry on to its full extent. Legislation made this financial decentralization implemented in the whole structure of the taxpayers to be shared with the national government. The local authorities also ventured to an enhanced system of putting taxes into the petrol industries to improve the tax collection scheme government as stated in their revised revenue distribution law. The local government also made substantial increase on the percentage of taxes being collected to its citizen and the industries to enable them to cover the administration’s expenditures and the budget deficit they have. As a result, many regions in the northern part of Italy made their corresponding local budgets better that before these decentralization measures were implemented. On the other hand, little effect was observed on the lower classes of municipalities and regions due to the limited resources with respect to the people and industries they have in their regions. Thus, there are still adverse effects as observed in these mentioned low income regions. With regards to the Italian government’s effort to administer the whole country, the laws in the land made it clear about all the interventions and systems in the economy. Knowing the structure of a particular government is essential because this is adds up to the bureaucratic control and distribution of services to the populace. This would also provide hints on how the economy is greatly affected by this form of government organization. The Italian government structure consists of the central government, regions, provinces and municipalities. In the present system, the national government holds a tough authority to regional governments. One particular example is that the central government still classifies laws and ordinances that the regions should implement even the regions were given powers to formulate their own legislation measures. The national government can reject regional-made laws that they think would not bring good to the entire nation. There have been conflicts between the central and regional government and when these disputes were brought to the courts, the judicial system always favored the side of the national government. Regional governments were introduced in the Italian government framework only in the 1948 Constitution. (Piperno, 2000). This government entity were provided under the constitution legislative and administrative authorities in the fields of high importance like in agriculture, health sector, tourism industry, transportation departments and other relevant aspects in their respective territories. There were five regions that were established under the same constitution. Before the fiscal decentralization law, regions do not have autonomy in their taxation system and were supported by the national government in their expenditures. For example, the financial support for the health centers in the region comes from the national treasury only, since they do not have money to finance their own health units. Provinces, on the other hand, possesses only limited duties in the former constitution or before the decentralization take effect. There are also situations when provinces did not have any substantial role in administering their corresponding municipalities particularly in those big municipalities and the metropolis. For the other municipalities, their control is mostly seen to take effect in terms of governance and support to the little municipalities and through proper management in rural areas. Municipal governments are mainly responsible for the basic services needed by the people such as potable water systems, domestic waste disposal systems, and other usual necessities of its citizens. With the aid of new legislations, these municipalities were given more powers and privileges such as the rights to vote for their municipal head and the independence in tax collection system. With these new constitutional rights, any municipality can benefit on the taxes it collect and as a result, more funds can be used to spend on the basic services for the populace. On the other hand, the primary weak spot of this approach is that it may create imbalance between rich and poor municipalities since there would be less income for those who have limited collections but with higher expenditures compared to the richer municipalities. Because of that, each municipality needs to find new strategies to strengthen their fiscal situation to maintain a well balanced budget. The table below shows the distribution of revenues in the municipality level form the specified years covered by the statistics made by the central statistics office in Italy. As shown in the statistics above, municipalities then depends their finance on the central government like in the year 1970 until they were given new tax measures including tax autonomy in the year 1972 but only took its significant mark in the year 1996. Other aspects of the Italian government’s approach in running the economy reflects on some of the key issues like freedom from foreign interventions, political system, banking systems, transportation sectors, real properties, education, culture and other essential concerns. As a member of the European Union, the Italian government is bounded to follow the laws formulated by the union. However, Italian people will only be prosecuted by the Italian court and the laws of the land, and not on the laws of the union. Italy has more than 2 electoral parties making it more divisive in terms of policies being implemented by the ruling party. Such scenario made the government very unstable because of disagreements even between the members of the ruling coalition. Such problems were added further by accusations of corruption of the leaders and the increasing foreign debt of the country. The banking system in Italy is also greatly affected by the policies being implemented by the Italian government. The banking sector can also be a gauge to measure the economy of a particular country. With regards to the Italian banking system, it is still stable in terms of being part of the European Union which uses Euro as the currency. Since Euro currency is very strong compared to the other currencies, this carries the economy of Italy. Another factor is that the government has no control or intervention over the banking system, making it more independent against any influence that government leaders may bring. With all of the bad scenarios in the political system of Italy, the country still provides great attraction for business investors because of its various provisions to make Italy a better choice in the business climate. The Italian government also ventured into privatization of government owned and controlled corporations. These move by the government provided private firms to own and manage these enterprises and pursue upgrades in the service it gives to the Italian people. The government also has more savings since they do not have to spend public funds to run these corporations. Having said all of these information on how Italian government run their economy, it can be said that the economic growth of Italy depends greatly on the people who are positioned in vital areas of government structures like mayors, governors, legislators and the primary head of the country. These persons hold sensitive positions that dictate the nation’s policies and direction toward progress and continuous advancement with the rest of the world. Corrupt leaders will only add to the problems the country is facing. Italy needs responsible people who would think first the welfare of the nation before themselves. These dedicated people will surely deliver good output for the continuous progress of their nation, Italy.

China and Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

China and Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example The greater part of FDI in China has originated from other areas of Asia excluding Japan, Hong Kong which is a self governing region of china has the largest record, however the dominance of Hong Kong is illusory in that much of the FDI is from elsewhere, in fact the stock listed as Hong Kong source FDI in China is just Chinese domestic investment round tripped through Hong Kong. Additional FDI in China listed as Hong Kong in origin is in actuality from a variety of western countries and Taiwan that is sited in China via intermediaries. Unfortunately, published records do not exist to point out exactly how much FDI in China that is supposedly from Hong Kong is in fact attributable to other countries. Foreign Direct Investment in its characteristic structure is described as a company from one country making a physical investment in another country for example building a factory (Allen et al 2005). The definition can also encompass investments made to purchase lasting interests in business ventures operating outside the economy of the shareholder. Over the past decade, the direction of foreign direct investment (FDI) in to and from Taiwan has experienced spectacular changes. Whereas the flow of FDI at best languished, the outflow ascended to extraordinary heights, with 20% of annual growth rate. Seeing that the international competitiveness of labour intensive industries in Taiwan reduced, they have shifted from offshore to cheaper labour cost places (Buckley & Mark 2002). Through this process the mainland especially china, has grown to become the preferred destination for Taiwanese FDI nevertheless considerable flows have also gone to the Americans and to Europe, a detail which h as often been disregarded. Meryll Lynch China (ML China) has been the most striking due to its outsized collection of cheap labour, its export advertising strategy which has shared favourably with Taiwan's returns in export-oriented FDI (Allen et al 2005); and the unique customs, language and family association links connecting ML China and Taiwan. Even though Taiwanese FDI in China was formally made acceptable in 1991; ever since 1978 China's policy of drawing flows of FDI had a substantial impact of ML china. In addition some sources report that even before 1991, Taiwanese capital has been moving indirectly to ML china via Hong Kong (Buckley & Mark 2002) An imperative issues concerning Taiwanese FDI in ML China, on the other hand is long term maintainability. Due to the size ( most are small scale) of several of these venture projects and their repeatedly low value added and fundamental technology, they are not in line with ML China's current main concern of increasing the quality of inflows of FDI. This great share of small scale low technology ventures in ML China powerfully contrast to the sizes of Taiwanese FDI projects in other destinations which on average own considerably higher personified technology and possible valued added (Chow 2002). The China Japan Link The current developments in the economic trends have seen Japan and China emerge as the East Asia newly industrialized economies (NIE's) of the region. Other economic powers in the region include Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore and are united in an alliance called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Parental Role in Juvenile Delinquency Research Paper

Parental Role in Juvenile Delinquency - Research Paper Example   Failure of parents to assert themselves not just as role models, but also as disciplinary figures within the family structure culminates in complete failure of a child (Tyler 785). Anna Tyler’s â€Å"Teenage Wasteland Short Story† is an excellent illustration of this scenario. In this book a parent, Daisy, fails to raise her son appropriately, instead opting to transfer this responsibility to a tutor, leading to his failure at school and eventual escape from home (Tyler 786). Tyler’s book confirms the imperative role that a parent should play, by motivating a child, executing appropriate disciplinary measures and establishing a positive relationship based on affection and trust, all in the effort of guaranteeing a smooth transition from childhood to adulthood. Based on research conducted by Fletcher, Steinberg, and Williams-Wheeler (769-772), children that have positive relations with their guardians, have a high likelihood of disclosing information concernin g their struggles with troubling issues. As a result, they would consult their parents for solutions, before the problem escalates. Additionally, such constructive parent and child relations most likely exist within families where parents depict warmth and offer support to the children. This is, however, not the case in Anne Tyler’s short story â€Å"Teenage Wasteland†. The teenage character, Donny, is completely unmotivated performing poorly in his academic work. When Daisy, Donny’s concerned mother, notices the poor grades she employs a private tutor named Cal, in order to help him improve his grades (787-789). For a responsible parent, the most logical step would have been to question Donny about his performance, in order to establish the cause of the problem and find out how she could help. Shifting parental responsibility to someone else is neither a reflection of affection nor support. Another negative relationship is that between Cal and Donny since he ac ts more like a friend than an adult figure. Further, Cal does not motivate Donny to perform better or to make responsible decisions. Because of the absence of a constructive relationship between Donny and his role models, coupled with the latter’s failure to adhere to proper success guidelines, the teen’s performance deteriorates further and his bad behavior worsens. Based on research conducted by Stattin and Kerr (1072-1079) parents’ self-confidence inspires children to have higher self-esteem, since they believe that if their parents can achieve something, then they are capable of doing the same. Additionally, when parents assert themselves as firm and capable of handling situations, this also encourages children to rely entirely on them. Clearly, this is not the case in â€Å"Teenage Wasteland†, since Daisy lacks confidence in her parenting capabilities.  

Managing human resources in business context Case Study

Managing human resources in business context - Case Study Example Although intense rivalry between the top brands is important to be taken care of, the emphasis for tobacco manufacturers should now be on dealing with the people. Anti-Smoking campaigns, new laws and the gaining public awareness about the harms of smoking is decreasing the annual consumption of cigarettes. This is definitely a de-motivating feature for the company and its employees. However the thing tobacco industry has kept going in its favour is the addictive nature of cigarettes. This fact however presents the company with serious corporate social responsibility issues and therefore British American Tobacco should keep these issues in mind when developing a new human resource management strategy as proposed in this paper. British American Tobacco is the most globalization brand in the world. The brand has millions of diverse customers across the globe, with access to over 180 markets globally, and makes the best quality tobacco products. The brand commits its customers to always be indulged in principles of corporate social responsibility, a practice kept running through out the group. (http://www.British American Tobacco.com/) With the exception of the Chinese state tobacco monopoly, UK holds the 3 of the top 5 tobacco companies within its boundaries. Philip Morris leads the market with 18% share, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO follows with 11%, while Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher hold fourth and fifth position in the global tobacco pie. The missing third spot belongs to Japan Tobacco. Cigarette and Tobacco Pie Share in UK Market share In UK, the cigarette and tobacco market is predominantly captivated by Gallaher and Imperial Tobacco; the two firms enjoy an 80% hold in the market. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO has its manufacturing facilities in UK but exports most of its production. (Cullum and Pissarides, 2004) (Action on Smoking and Health, Fact sheet no.18) Rank Brand Name % share of UK cigarette market Manufacturer 1 Lambert & Butler KS 13.5 Imperial Tobacco 2 Benson & Hedges Gold 7.3 Gallaher 3 Mayfair King Size 7.1 Gallaher 4 Richmond Superkings 6.6 Imperial Tobacco 5 Richmond King Size 4.9 Imperial Tobacco 6 Marlboro Gold King Size 4.4 Philip Morris 7 Regal KS 3.5 Imperial Tobacco 8 Royals King Size Red 3.4 BAT 9 Superkings 3.3 Imperial Tobacco 10 Silk Cut Purple 3.2 Gallaher Top 10 UK cigarette brands: 2004 Recent Developments at BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO Recently, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO has strengthened its position in the Tobacco world market with different moves. As per the most recent developments, to expand their reach farther, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO is in process of acquiring small firms internationally so as to have extended access to the markets, and to have stronger position at the same. The group is also quite close to the completion of purchasing House of Prince (HoP).

Molecular Therapeutics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Molecular Therapeutics - Essay Example Later in 1970, the mechanism of prostaglandin biosynthesis was demonstrated to involve the formation of bicyclic peroxides or endoperoxides as the initial product of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxygenation. Prostaglandin endoperoxides were successfully isolated and the name 'cyclooxygenase' came into existence as a term that describes the enzyme that is responsible for this complex biochemical transformation (Lawrence et al 1999; Hamberg and Samuelson 1973). According to Lawrence and his colleagues (1999), the chemical process catalysed by cyclooxygenase; the conversion of arachidonic acid, (which is known to be the precursor to prostaglandins), to Prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) involves the enzymatic removal of the 13-pro-S-hydrogen, giving rise to a Pentadienyl radical with maximal electron density at C-11 and C-15. Trapping of the carbon radical at C-11 with Oxygen produces a peroxyl radical, which when added to C-9 generates a cyclic peroxide and a carbon-centred radical at C-8. The double bond at C-12 become re-inforced by the C-8 radical, generating the bicyclic peroxide and an allylic radical with maximal electron density at C-13 and C-15. The carbon radical at C-15 is trapped with oxygen to form a peroxyl radical, which is reduced to prostaglandin G2. Cyclooxygenase came t... Prostaglandins were shown to be involved in a wide array of physiological and pathophysiological responses such as pain, inflammation, homeostasis, regulation of renal function and maintenance of the mucosal integrity of the stomach wall (Remmel et al 2003), their inhibition therefore spells the anti-inflammatory and analgesic utility of NSAIDs and also their adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal toxicity and bleeding. However, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs happen to be the most widely used drugs in the treatment of pain and inflammation, their therapeutic effects was seen to stem from their ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase induced prostaglandin synthesis, which was also their major source of adverse side effects. The dilemma that ensued was how to separate the pharmacologic value of these drugs from the adverse effects. In the course of the search for a specific inhibitor of the negative effects of prostaglandins, which could spare the positive effects while reducing the adverse effects, it was discovered that depending on the structure of the cyclooxygenase enzyme involved in their synthesis, prostaglandins could be separated into two groups (Green 2001). This led to the discovery of two different cyclooxygenase isozymens encoded by two genes with different protein pattern and distribution (Remmel, 2003; Lawrence et a 1999; Ouellet, 2001) with Cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) constitutively expressed in most cell types, including platelets while COX-2, though not found in healthy tissues of the body, was induced in response to proinflammatory and proliferative stimuli (Ouellet et al 2001) essentially in response to cytokines, endotoxins, mitogens and at times growth factor (Herschman, 1996) . Available body of evidence, therefore showed that the

MAcro R Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MAcro R - Assignment Example National Statistics charged with the mandate of reporting the rate of unemployment in United Kingdom reports that; the mean rate of the unemployment rate is 7.70 percent from the period of the year 1971 until 2013. The greatest unemployment rate was 12.0 percent reported on May 1984, and the lowest rate of the unemployment was 3.4 percent reported in November 1973 (Trading Economics 2013). In the United Kingdom, the calculation of the unemployment rate measures the number of persons actively searching for an occupation as a percentage of the entire workforce (National Statistics 2013). Moreover, National Statistics reported that there were 2.89 million of unemployed people in UK down from 18.000 reported on March to May 2013. These statistics clearly indicates that the unemployment rate has been declining day by day in United Kingdom. This is as a result of the government effort through which it established policies intended to succumb unemployment among other issues affecting UK eco nomy. From the use of Microeconomic principles, there may be a host of causes of unemployment in UK. ... The main reasons for frictional employment in U.K are because information is not always perfect and it always takes time for people to find work. The next common form of unemployment is the structural unemployment, which occurs due to a mismatch of skills in the labour market. There are three main reasons for this form of unemployment namely occupational immobility, geographical immobility and technological change. Occupational immobility refers to the difficulties in learning new skills applicable to a new industry. Many people fail to access information relevant in assisting them gain a competitive advantage in the job market. With the changes that occur everyday in organizations the job market continues to become more demanding, unfortunately many unemployed people either lack the knowledge of what they need to get the jobs or lack the finances to advance their skills. Geographical immobility that refers to the difficulty of working in certain areas because of issues of transport and movement is another common cause of unemployment. For example, there may be job in London, but accommodation and living conditions compared to the place one lives may be difficult to afford. For other people, it is difficult to leave their families in search for employment. Change in technology may also lead to unemployment. This is so because firm can lay off some of its labour force since it is possible to perform a similar amount of work with the help of technology and maintain a smaller work force. Changes in the economy are also likely to lead to unemployment as some firm may have to close down after economic changes make it impossible for them to continue operating (Snower 1997) Other causes of unemployment are when people

Dq-Sheila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dq-Sheila - Essay Example Qualitative research is categorized as studies conducted in order gain an understanding of phenomenon based on their environment and their interaction with the environment. Another important feature of this research is that those conducting the study have to make their own effort to collect as well as analyze data. These studies are based on observations so the researcher has to himself visit the settings in order to observe constructs and their behaviors (Tracy, 2013). This form of research is conducted for inductive purposes. This means that this type of research helps in developing theories as well as hypothesis that is used in further researches. For example a study was conducted by Heslehurst et al. in which the researchers tried to understand the perception of healthcare practitioner’s regarding ways through which maternity services can be further developed (Heslehurst, 2011). For this study the researchers personally interviewed 30 participants and they identified that maternity services can further be developed in order to counter obesity among pregnant women by increasing communication between private and public healthcare organizations. There are major differences in the characteristics of both qualitative as well as quantitative researches. The quantitative ones are objective in nature and the qualitative ones are subjective and the quantities ones try to answer the question of how strong is the connection between environment and the phenomenon, while the qualitative ones only focus on why the phenomenon occurred and the definition of the phenomenon. The quantities ones focus on identifying whether the theory developed through qualitative research is true or false. The outcomes of the study in quantities are based on statistical tools, while in qualitative study the outcome is interpreted by the researcher. For example a quantitative study was conducted by Van den Broeck et al. in

Importance of reserch and development to an innovative company Assignment

Importance of reserch and development to an innovative company - Assignment Example With reference to the context, it can be observed that Exxon Mobil Corporation from the United States has comprehensively introduced R&D management into its business process. With due consideration to the aspect, the paper intends to discuss about the ways in which Exxon Mobil makes use of R&D in its business operational process to obtain an edge over its market competitors. Exxon Mobil is one of the leading multinational and publicly traded oil and gas companies of the world having its headquarters in Irving, Texas, United States. It was created in the year 1999 after the merger between Exxon and Mobil and is recognized as a decedent company of Standard Oil founded by John D. Rockefeller. In serving the local communities with oil and gas along with other petrochemicals, Exxon Mobil has been able to expand its business operations on a global basis. Consequently, it has been able to achieve certain milestones which can be identified as the business segments of Exxon Mobil has expanded overseas within a very short span of time. Furthermore, in expanding business to overseas, Exxon Mobil has been capable to possess 31 refineries of oil. With the help of the final products produced in these refineries, Exxon Mobil is serving 21 countries with their products. Contextually, with the help of the sustainable performances in the recent years, Exxon Mobil has ach ieved the status of being the number one corporation in the USA according to Forbes Global 2000 list of the year 2012 by increasing its organizational revenues and profits (Forbes, 2012). Moreover, for surviving in the competitive marketplace, Exxon uses innovative and modern technologies in order to develop an aggressive and advanced operational process for serving the customers. In accordance with the aspect, it is observed that Exxon Mobil has introduced R&D management into its operational process (Exxon Mobil, 2012). R&D management can be defined as the management

Direct Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Direct Democracy - Essay Example Direct Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens can directly participate in the decision-making process. (Direct Democracy Campaign, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Daniel B. Jeffs, founder, The Direct Democracy Center, states that the problems are due to the Government being too large and too dangerously powerful. He firmly believes that elected representatives are corrupted by a deeply flawed system that seduces them with money and power to gain and remain in office, or seek higher office and that in this process it has disenfranchised the overall electorate. Finally, he states that this system needs to be altered in such a way that it will override the practice of selective democracy by factions and vested interests. The solution according to him lies in nonpartisan elections and government with more democracy. In this age of communications and information technology, the Constitution should be amended so as to establish direct democracy by means of secure voting networks connected to voter's homes. All elections would be conducted over the voting networks. In this proposed system the elected representatives would be nonpartisan, highly qualified professional government managers. To keep it honest, with no more government than we need, well-informed voters should decide matters of taxation and public policy. And the collective judgment of our fellow citizens (which could be trusted because the direct democracy voting networks would require voters to be truthfully informed) would know what is best for all of us. (Daniel B. Jeffs, The Direct Democracy Center). The advantages of Direct Democracy are that first, it would remove the barrier between the electorate and the government. Secondly, in Representative Democracy the voter has to vote for one party or the other with no guarantee of either party addressing the issues facing the voter, on the other hand in Direct Democracy the voter will be voting on each issue separately. Thirdly, decisions will always be that of the people rather than that of a few politicians. Fourthly, it encourages people to be more proactive in the political process, this results in a more deterministic future for the voter. Fifthly, it curbs the power of the elite. Sixthly, the practice of elected representatives following the diktats of party leaders and civil servants to the detriment of the voter will cease. Seventhly, quid - pro - quo transactions between the elected representatives and the rich and powerful pressure groups will cease altogether. Eighthly, thorny and uncomfortable issues which elected represen tatives would do anything to avoid, will be addressed by this system. Ninthly, there would be control on governmental tendencies running towards the dictatorial. And finally, the system of Direct Democracy is more democratic. (Direct Democracy Campaign). The disadvantages of Direct Democracy are that: first, all citizens must be actively involved on all issues all of the time. For very large population groups, it might become well nigh impossible to do so. Secondly, the public generally gives only superficial attention to political issues and is thus susceptible to charismatic arguments. Thirdly, the decision of all or most matters

Closed-book vs closed-notes quiz Essay Example for Free

Closed-book vs closed-notes quiz Essay 1. This is a closed-book, closed-notes quiz. No reference material (including assignments and labs) will be permitted for use during the quiz session. 2. The quiz contains the following types of questions: * Short essay type 3. Place your answers in the space immediately following each question. Quiz Questions 1. What does MAO define? Defines how long a business can be without system or applications before having adverse effects on the mission of the business. 2. Define CSFs for a BIA. The success of recovering critical systems or application necessary in an event that interrupts the services of the business. 3. List four of the seven steps for a contingency plan based on the NIST 800-34 standard. Develop a BIA, develop a recovery strategy, preventive controls identified, test the plan and train individuals. 4. What is the objective of a BIA? To identify the critical and non-critical resources of a business. 5. In the seven domains of an IT infrastructure, list three things that should be included as CBFs. The System/Application Domain, The LAN Domain, and the WAN domain. 6. List at least two differences between BCP and a DRP plan. A BCP covers all units of the business while the DRP covers functions of the IT department only. A BCP contains strategy and incidents to be included and the DRP contains recovery steps and procedures. 7. Describe and list four elements of a BCP. Identify critical equipment necessary for the business mission. Identifying critical personnel necessary for the business to return to normal operations of the business. Conduct a BIA, determine the impact on the business if systems were unavailable. Maintenance and updating of the BCP as changes are made to the network. 8. What does a BCP program manager do? What are his or her duties? Take the leadership role as they are responsible for writing the BCP and conducting the BIA. 9. Describe and list two of the commonly used teams for a BCP. BIA- which is the business impact analysis- The impact a disruption of service would have on a business. DRP- Disaster recovery plan- plans to recover from a disaster resulting in a loss of business systems necessary for the business to operate normally. 10. Describe at least one element that would be in a recovery phase of a BCP plan. An Alternative site to set up business operations in the event of a lost site due to a disaster.

US Global Financial Crisis: Timeline of Causes and Effects

US Global Financial Crisis: Timeline of Causes and Effects Introduction: The global financial crisis of 2008-2009 began in July 2007 when a loss of confidence by investors in the value of securitized mortgages in the United States resulted in a liquidity crisis that prompted a substantial injection of capital into financial markets by the United States Federal Reserve, Bank of England and the European Central Bank. In September 2008, the crisis deepened, as stock markets worldwide crashed and entered a period of high volatility, and a considerable number of banks, mortgage lenders and insurance companies failed in the following weeks. Scope The crisis in real estate, banking and credit in the United States had a global reach, affecting a wide range of financial and economic activities and institutions, including the: Overall tightening of credit with financial institutions making both corporate and consumer credit harder to get; Financial markets (stock exchanges and derivative markets) that experienced steep declines; Liquidity problems in equity funds and hedge funds; Devaluation of the assets underpinning insurance contracts and pension funds leading to concerns about the ability of these instruments to meet future obligations: Increased public debt public finance due to the provision of public funds to the financial services industry and other affected industries, and the Devaluation of some currencies (Icelandic crown, some Eastern Europe and Latin America currencies) and increased currency volatility, Background In the years leading up to the crisis, high consumption and low savings rates in the U.S. contributed to significant amounts of foreign money flowing into the U.S. from fast-growing economies in Asia and oil-producing countries. This inflow of funds combined with low U.S. interest rates from 2002-2004 resulted in easy credit conditions, which fueled both housing and credit bubbles. Loans of various types (e.g., mortgage, credit card, and auto) were easy to obtain and consumers assumed an unprecedented debt load. As part of the housing and credit booms, the amount of financial agreements called mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which derive their value from mortgage payments and housing prices, greatly increased. Such financial innovation enabled institutions and investors around the world to invest in the U.S. housing market. As housing prices declined, major global financial institutions that had borrowed and invested heavily in subprime MBS reported significant losses. Defaults and losses on other loan types also increased significantly as the crisis expanded from the housing market to other parts of the economy. Total losses are estimated in the trillions of U.S. dollars globally. While the housing and credit bubbles built, a series of factors caused the financial system to become increasingly fragile. Policymakers did not recognize the increasingly important role played by financial institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds, also known as the shadow banking system. Some experts believe these institutions had become as important as commercial (depository) banks in providing credit to the U.S. economy, but they were not subject to the same regulations. These institutions as well as certain regulated banks had also assumed significant debt burdens while providing the loans described above and did not have a financial cushion sufficient to absorb large loan defaults or MBS losses. These losses impacted the ability of financial institutions to lend, slowing economic activity. Concerns regarding the stability of key financial institutions drove central banks to take action to provide funds to encourage lending and to restore faith in the commercial pape r markets, which are integral to funding business operations. Governments also bailed out key financial institutions, assuming significant additional financial commitments. Cause Of The Financial Crisis Various causes have been proposed for the crisis, with experts placing different weights upon particular issues. The proximate cause of the crisis was the turn of the housing cycle in the United States and the associated rise in delinquencies on subprime mortgages, which imposed substantial losses on many financial institutions and shook investor confidence in credit markets. However, although the subprime debacle triggered the crisis, the developments in the U.S. mortgage market were only one aspect of a much larger and more encompassing credit boom whose impact transcended the mortgage market to affect many other forms of credit. Aspects of this broader credit boom included widespread declines in underwriting standards, breakdowns in lending oversight by investors and rating agencies, increased reliance on complex and opaque credit instruments that proved fragile under stress, and unusually low compensation for risk-taking. The abrupt end of the credit boom has had widespread finan cial and economic ramifications. Financial institutions have seen their capital depleted by losses and write downs and their balance sheets clogged by complex credit products and other illiquid assets of uncertain value. Rising credit risks and intense risk aversion have pushed credit spreads to unprecedented levels, and markets for securitized assets, except for mortgage securities with government guarantees, have shut down. Heightened systemic risks, falling asset values, and tightening credit have in turn taken a heavy toll on business and consumer confidence and precipitated a sharp slowing in global economic activity. The damage, in terms of lost output, lost jobs, and lost wealth, is already substantial. Beginning with failures caused by misapplication of risk controls for bad debts, collateralization of debt insurance and fraud, large financial institutions in the United States and Europe faced a credit crisis and a slowdown in economic activity. The crisis rapidly developed and spread into a global economic shock, resulting in a number of European bank failures, declines in various stock indexes, and large reductions in the market value of equities and commodities. Moreover, the de-leveraging of financial institutions further accelerated the liquidity crisis and caused a decrease in international trade. World political leaders, national ministers of finance and central bank directors coordinated their efforts to reduce fears, but the crisis continued. At the end of October a currency crisis developed, with investors transferring vast capital resources into stronger currencies such as the yen, the dollar and the Swiss franc, leading many emergent economies to seek aid from the Inter national Monetary Fund. Ultimately, looking for a cause of the current financial crisis, it is critical to remember that organizations failed to do a number of things: Truly adopt an enterprise risk management culture. Embrace and demonstrate appropriate enterprise risk management behaviors, or attributes. Develop and reward internal risk management competencies, and Use enterprise risk management to inform management decision-making in both taking and avoiding risks. Enterprise risk management to be effective must fundamentally change the way organizations think about risk. When enterprise risk management becomes part of the DNA of a companys culture, the warning signs of a market gone astray cannot go unseen so easily. When every employee is part of a larger risk management process, companies can be much more resilient in the face of risks. It is an important lesson to learn now, before the cycle renews itself and businesses find themselves facing the next cycle of business failures, lapses in risk management and shortcomings in governance. The cycle does not have to repeat itself as it always has in the past. Enterprise risk management is an important key to preventing it. Enterprise risk management, when designed and implemented comprehensively and systemically, can change future outcomes. When it is practiced fully, enterprise risk management does not just help protect businesses from setbacks, it enables better overall business performance. Effects Of The Financial Crisis Economic Effects And Projections Global Aspects A number of commentators have suggested that if the liquidity crisis continues, there could be an extended recession or worse. The continuing development of the crisis prompted fears of a global economic collapse. The financial crisis is likely to yield the biggest banking shakeout since the savings-and-loan meltdown. The United Kingdom had started systemic injection, and the worlds central banks were now cutting interest rates. Regulatory Proposals And Long-Term Solutions A variety of regulatory changes have been proposed by economists, politicians, journalists, and business leaders to minimize the impact of the current crisis and prevent recurrence. However, as of April 2009, many of the proposed solutions have not yet been implemented. These include: Ben Bernanke: Establish resolution procedures for closing troubled financial institutions in the shadow banking system, such as investment banks and hedge funds. Joseph Stiglitz: Restrict the leverage that financial institutions can assume. Require executive compensation to be more related to long-term performance. Re-instate the separation of commercial (depository) and investment banking established by the Glass-Steagall Act in 1933 and repealed in 1999 by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Simon Johnson: Break-up institutions that are too big to fail to limit systemic risk. Paul Krugman: Regulate institutions that act like banks similarly to banks. Alan Greenspan: Banks should have a stronger capital cushion, with graduated regulatory capital requirements (i.e., capital ratios that increase with bank size), to discourage them from becoming too big and to offset their competitive advantage. Warren Buffett: Require minimum down payments for home mortgages of at least 10% and income verification. Eric Dinallo: Ensure any financial institution has the necessary capital to support its financial commitments. Regulate credit derivatives and ensure they are traded on well-capitalized exchanges to limit counterparty risk. Raghuram Rajan: Require financial institutions to maintain sufficient contingent capital (i.e., pay insurance premiums to the government during boom periods, in exchange for payments during a downturn.) A. Michael Spence and Gordon Brown: Establish an early-warning system to help detect systemic risk. Niall Ferguson and Jeffrey Sachs: Impose haircuts on bondholders and counterparties prior to using taxpayer money in bailouts. Nouriel Roubini: Nationalize insolvent banks. Reduce mortgage balances to assist homeowners, giving the lender a share in any future home appreciation. Timeline Of Events Predecessors Mar-2000 Dot-com bubble peak Jan-2001 First Cut in Fed Funds rate for this cycle (from 6.5% to 6.00%) Stock market downturn of 2002 Jun-2003 Lowest Fed Funds rate for this cycle (1%) Late 2003 Lowest 3mo T-bill rate for this cycle (0.88%) 2003-2004 Prolonged period of low Fed Funds and positively sloped yield curve Jun-2004 First increase in Fed Funds rate for this cycle (from 1% to 1.25%) 2003-2005 Period of maximum inflation of the United States housing bubble 2004-2006 Slow rise in Fed Funds rate with positively sloped but narrowing yield curve Feb-2005 Greenspan calls long-term interest rate behavior a â€Å"conundrum† Jun-2006 Fed Funds reach peak for this cycle of 5.25% Oct-2006 Yield curve is flat Events Of 2007 March, 2007 Yield curve maximum inversion for this cycle August, 2007: Liquidity crisis emerges September, 2007: Northern Rock seeks and receives a liquidity support facility from the Bank of England October, 2007: Record high U.S. stock market October 9, 2007 Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) 14,164 Events Of 2008 January, 2008: Stock Market Volatility February, 2008: Nationalisation of Northern Rock March, 2008: Collapse of Bear Stearns June 27, 2008: Bear Market of 2008 declared July 1, 2008: Bank of America buys Countrywide Financial July, 2008: Oil prices peak at $147 per barrel as money flees housing and stock assets toward commodities September, 2008: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 September, 2008: Troubled Assets Relief Program September, 2008: Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers September, 2008: Federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac September, 2008: American International Group#Federal Reserve bailout September, 2008: Merrill Lynch sold to Bank of America Corporation September, 2008: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs confirmed that they would become traditional bank holding companies September, 2008: partial nationalization of Fortis holding October, 2008: Large losses in financial markets world wide throughout September and October October, 2008: Passage of EESA of 2008 October, 2008: Icelands major banks nationalized November, 2008: China creates a stimulus plan November, 2008: Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) touches recent low point of 7,507 points December, 2008: The Australian Government injects economic stimulus package to avoid the country going into recession, December, 2008 December, 2008: Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal erupts December, 2008: Belgium government resigns as a result of Fortis nationalization Events Of 2009 January 2009: Blue Monday Crash 2009 January 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama proposes federal spending bill approaching $1 trillion in value in an attempt to remedy financial crisis January 2009: Lawmakers propose massive bailout of failing U.S. banks January 2009: the U.S. House of Representatives passes the aforementioned spending bill. January 2009: Government of Iceland collapses. February 2009: Canadas Parliament passes an early budget with a $40 billion stimulus package. February 2009: JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup formally announce a temporary moratorium on residential foreclosures. The moratoriums will remain in effect until March 6 for JPMorgan and March 12 for Citigroup. February 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama signs the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law. February 2009: The Australian Government seeks to enact another economic stimulus package. February 2009: 2009 Eastern European financial crisis arises. February 2009: The Bank of Antigua is taken over by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank after Sir Allen Stanford is accused by U.S. financial authorities of involvement in an $8bn ( £5.6bn) investment fraud. Peru, Venezuela, and Ecuador, had earlier suspended operations at banks owned by the group. February 23, 2009: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the SP 500 indexes stumbled to lows not seen since 1997. February 27, 2009: The SP index closes at a level not seen since December 1996, and also closes the two month period beginning January 1 with the worst two month opening to a year in its history with a loss in value of 18.62% March 2, 2009: The SP index finishes the first trading day of March with a drop of 4.7%, the worst opening to a March in NYSE history. March 6, 2009: The UK Government takes a controlling interest in Lloyds Banking Group by insuring their debt. March 8, 2009: United States bear market of 2007-2009 declared March 18, 2009: The Federal Reserve announced that it will purchase $1.15 trillion in U.S. assets ($750 billion in mortgage backed securities, $300 billion in Treasuries, $100 billion in Agencies) in a bid to prop up liquidity and lending to spur economic growth. The markets initially rallied on the news, however concerns began to grow regarding long term devaluation of the U.S. dollar and subsequent inflation. March 23, 2009: In the United States, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, and the Treasury Department jointly announce the Public-Private Investment Program to leverage $75-$100 billion of TARP funds with private capital to purchase $500 billion of Legacy Assets (a.k.a. toxic assets). June 3, 2009: The Australian Government announces that the Australian economy did not show negative growth for two consecutive quarters, and thus has not officially entered recession. Literature Review The financial crisis motivates the below literatures to express their views from different angles, the below section highlights the main points for each: 1. Josà © De Gregorio: Inflation targeting and financial crises ; Governor of the Central Bank of Chile, Colombia, Bogota, 28 May 2009. Financial stability must be preserved with an adequate regulatory system. Agencies must analyze the strength of institutions, while central banks must evaluate the systems overall stability. Regulators and central banks must closely cooperate and work in the effort of maintaining the integrity of the financial system. Regulating specific institutions is not enough, because interconnections exist that could derive in a systemic crisis. The current crisis proves that the regulatory scope must encompass every agent with a systemic importance. So a proper macro-prudential regulatory system is needed. A first set of instruments has to do with capital adequacy. However, this is not enough, and it is no trivial to judge the soundness of the financial system by its capital and leverage levels. Higher levels of capital will certainly have to be required in the future, particularly as banks gradually assume higher levels of risk. Central banks must strengthen and perfect the models with which they carry out their stress tests. They should take into account the interconnections within the financial system and detect vulnerabilities opportunely. It is important to allow securitization, but establishing incentives for both credit screening and monitoring of payments to remain at the banks and that the process of transferring credit risk away from individual institutions balance sheets does not escape the authoritys eye. The current crisis should not become a hindrance to financial development, but a sign of alert in favor of prudence and rigor when assessing the innovations. 2. George Provopoulos: Reflections on the economic and financial crisis; Athens, 18 May 2009. The key priority among policy makers is to bring back economic growth and help bring about prosperity for everyone. The policy response should also be of a dual nature, one part of which involves a short-run response and the second part of which involves a medium-term response. In the short run, whatever is feasible should be done to support economic recovery. In the medium term, is the preparation to pursue a credible exit strategy from the extraordinary policy interventions while developing an effective framework for financial supervision. The short-term, response will help pave the way to recovery. The second, medium-term, response will help ensure that organizations do not experience a similar crisis in the future. 3. Rakesh Mohan: Global financial crisis causes, impact, policy responses and lessons , London, 23 April 2009. The ongoing global financial crisis can be largely attributed to extended periods of excessively loose monetary policy over the period 2002-04. Very low interest rates during this period encouraged an aggressive search for yield and a substantial compression of risk-premia globally. Abundant liquidity in the advanced economies generated by the loose monetary policy found its way in the form of large capital flows to the emerging market economies. All these factors boosted asset and commodity prices, including oil, across the spectrum providing a boost to consumption and investment. The ongoing deleveraging in the advanced economies and the plunging consumer and business confidence has led to recession in the major advanced economies. 4. Jean-Claude Trichet: The global dimension of the crisis: Japan, Tokyo, 18 April 2009. The current crisis has shown that there is a need for more rigorous regulation of the global financial system. Such regulation needs to meet two fundamental requirements. First, it needs to prevent the excessive risk taking that we have been observing in financial markets over the past years and that led to the creation of asset price bubbles and large imbalances in the global economy. At the same time, it needs to create an environment that is conducive to sustainable growth for economies in the long run. The international community has swiftly reacted to the need for greater coordination of policies and regulation of international financial markets National governments have in addition undertaken an unprecedented concerted fiscal expansion to stimulate demand and foster confidence in economies. Governments have also decided on a broad set of measures to support the banking sector and strengthen the stability of the international financial system. These measures include the injection of new capital, guarantees on bank debt and deposits, as well as large-scale schemes that aim at coping with the issue of impaired assets. 5. Ben S Bernanke: Four questions about the financial crisis Atlanta, Georgia, 14 April 2009. The current crisis has been one of the most difficult financial and economic episodes in modern history. There are tentative signs that the sharp decline in economic activity may be slowing. A leveling out of economic activity is the first step toward recovery. 6. Philipp Hildebrand: Developments in the current financial crisis, Berne, 2 April 2009. The financial market turbulence, which began some 20 months ago, has grown into the largest and most complex crisis since the 1930s. The real world economy is now feeling the full force of this financial crisis; its a very difficult period, although there are a few signs that the global economy could possibly be close to the cyclical trough. However, the route to recovery is unlikely to be straightforward, and the downside risks to growth remain considerable. Lucas Papademos: How to deal with the global financial crisis and promote the economys recovery and sustained growth, Brussels, 26 March 2009. The severity and duration of the current economic and financial crisis is partly a consequence of the reduced confidence in the prospects of the economy and the soundness of the financial system. The recovery of the economy also hinges on the restoration of consumer and business confidence that can contribute to the revival of spending and investment, and the return to normality in financial markets and the banking system. The rebuilding of trust will depend on ability to appropriately combine the policy actions needed to address the immediate challenges with the necessary reforms for establishing an economic, financial and institutional environment that is conducive to sustainable long-term growth. 8. Jean-Claude Trichet: What lessons can be learned from the economic and financial crisis?; Paris, 17 March 2009. The global economy was hit in mid-September 2008 by an unprecedented abrupt loss of confidence. It was perhaps the first time in economic history that a single negative event was able, within a few days, to have a simultaneous and negative effect on all private economic agents in every economy, industrialized and emerging. Public authorities, executive branches, and central banks must do all they can to regain, preserve and foster confidence among households and corporations to pave the way for sustainable prosperity. This calls for actions to be measured. Confidence of households and corporations today depends crucially on their trust in the capacity of authorities to preserve the soundness and sustainability of fiscal positions in the years to come. Confidence of economic agents today depends equally on their trust in the determination of central banks to preserve price stability. It is essential to achieve this balance between the measured audacity of todays non-conventional decisions and the credible determination to ensure a path that is sustainable in the medium and long term. Exaggerated swings without perspective would delay the return of sustainable prosperity, because they would undermine confidence, which is the most precious ingredient in the present circumstances. 9. Lucas Papademos: Tackling the financial crisis policies for stability and recovery ; London, 11 February 2009. To presume better regulation, more effective supervision and longer-term stability-oriented macroeconomic policy would suffice to eliminate the cyclical features of the financial system and the build-up of financial imbalances in the future. Market participants have an important role to play and self-interest in addressing some of the revealed weakness in the financial system, and in strengthening market discipline. What policy-makers can do, and should aim at, is to ensure that the macroeconomic policies and the regulatory framework designated do not exacerbate cyclical fluctuations, and that, when financial imbalances and market excesses emerge and are identified, the appropriate tools to address them in an effective manner should be used. 10. Hervà © Hannoun: Long-term sustainability versus short-term stimulus: is there a trade-off? , Kuala Lumpur, 7 February 2009. There are two stylised types of policy response to the global crisis: stabilization and stimulation. A measured stabilisation policy accepts the fact that the adjustment is inescapable while it endeavours to mitigate the pain and promote an orderly adjustment. In contrast, stimulation policies, pushed to the extreme, seek a stimulus that would be large enough to, so to speak, eliminate the adjustment period a goal that would obviously be illusory. It is a legitimate goal of policy to mitigate the macroeconomic recession and slow the spin of the negative feedback loop. However, expansionary policies that fail to take the crisis of confidence sufficiently into account run the risk of becoming ineffective beyond the very short term. To restore confidence in a sustainable way, policy actions should be embedded in a credible longer-term perspective and pay due attention to their effects on the expectations of economic agents. The crucial actions are to develop consistent medium-term policy frameworks, plan sufficiently in advance for how current policies will be unwound when normal conditions return, and develop a consistent approach to macro financial stability. Together, these measures would ensure that short-term policy actions do not sow the seeds of tomorrows boom and bust episodes. 11. Philipp Hildebrand: The global financial crisis analysis and outlook, Zurich, 5 February 2009. Only a careful investigation of the responsibilities is likely to point to ways in which financial system, and ultimately economy, can be made more resilient once this crisis has been overcome. Financial markets react to incentives, and these incentives were misplaced in the past. It is in power to start lobbying for clearly defined and risk-limiting conditions. 12. Jean-Claude Trichet: Remarks on the financial turmoil Brussels, 8 December 2008. Measures to address the challenges posed by the current conditions in the financial markets. In addition avoiding the reoccurrence of a similar crisis in the future. However, measures taken by public authorities can only go so far. The banking sector needs to also do its part by committing to reactivating the interbank market, resuming their intermediation role and implementing the necessary reforms aimed at strengthening the resilience of the financial system in the long term. 13. Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo: The financial market crisis, uncertainty and policy responses , Madrid, 21 November 2008. Uncertainty translated into a severe under-appreciation of the risks associated with certain classes of financial instruments and institutions. More recently, with the intensification and broadening of the market turmoil, uncertainty has further increased and developed into a pervasive phenomenon affecting a wide range of markets, assets and financial sectors. Systemic uncertainty may potentially undermine the foundations of our financial systems, which are in turn essential for the orderly functioning of economies. 14. Christian Noyer: Some thoughts on the financial crisis Tokyo, 18 November 2008. Economic and financial forces are at play and recent events are the consequences of such forces. Policy makers, have a very critical role to play to try and ensure that such qualitative remain aligned with facts and reality. 15. Lars Nyberg: Challenges following the current crisis Santiago, 6 November 2008. The crisis will most likely redraw the global financial landscape in various ways. And even if the recent measures taken by governments and central banks have improved market conditions somewhat, it is far from certain that the crisis will be over any time soon. What will come out at the other end of the crisis is also still much too early to tell. The financial industry and the responsible authorities have to make certain that the costs of the prevailing financial turbulence are kept as low as possible. 16. Christian Noyer: A review of the financial crisis Paris, 7 October 2008 (updated 15 October 2008). To address all the questions and challenges that this crisis has raised: these include the role of credit ratings agencies, the management of risk, market infrastructures, the scope of financial regulation and the question of remuneration.. Pay structures should not encourage short-termism or, as was the case, excessive risk taking. 17. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi: Some thoughts on the international financial crisis , Milan, 20 October 2008. There are some time-honoured lines of action which relate to the prevention of crises, namely better regulation and supervision, in particular at the international level, and more effective crisis resolution mechanisms. One new point for consideration that has emerged from this crisis relates equally to ethical, social and political aspects. This should be solved both by governments, so that decision-making mechanisms can be adopted which allow the abovementioned problems to be overcome in a crisis, and also by the financial sector itself, which must clearly draw some lessons from recent events. In a market economy, maximizing profits and shareholders interests are a priority for management. They permit the efficient allocation of resources within the economy. However, when a sector such as the financial sector is of systemic importance to the functioning of the economy and is prone to instability, the objective function must be broader. It is a problem of rules, incentives and individual responsibility.