Cost

Introduction Recently the basis of utilizing antiretroviral treatment for South African citizens suffering from AIDS has been use of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), which consists of two nucleoside formulations along with either a non nucleoside formulation or a protease inhibitor provided concurrently to persons suffering from Aids on a continuing mainstay.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Cost-effectiveness of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More HAART is considered to be more effective to reduce HIV progression and morbidity in relation to other analogues like nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NTRI) [1]. However, constantly mounting pressure on clinical service monetary allocations makes it necessary that clinical service technology shows not only wellbeing and effectiveness but in addition cost efficacy. Financial analyses bring ab out details regarding cost effectiveness through contrasting the cost and gains of a single medical service project to the cost and/or advantageous of an agenda that it is at the end targeting to substitute. Although highly active antiretroviral treatment is currently popular therapy for people suffering from AIDS in South Africa, insufficient proof was documented regarding its cost efficacy before its extensive utilization. Furthermore, as it has of late been proposed that the guideline for financial analysis should be dynamic and needs to proceed prior to technologies has become reference healthcare policy [2-5] instead of a single event, the study aims to examine the cost efficacy of HAART in South Africa. Methods Study modeling A Markov modeling comprising 38 twelve-month durations was utilized in simulating the progression regarding HIV scourge and in estimating the cost, effect and cost efficacy [4, 6] of highly active antiretroviral treatment alternative [7]. The design of th e Markov modeling was based on frameworks earlier utilized in approximating the cost efficacy of HAART [8, 9]. Markov states were developed as per the CD4 numbers, which offer evidence upon which cost efficacy of AIDS therapy is modeled. Cost efficacy was examined through dividing the cost variance with the variance that occurs in health results, that is, quality adjusted life year (QALY) or life year (LY) added between the HAART and No-HAART alternatives in producing incremental cost efficacy ratios (ICERs) [5]. Probabilistic simulations (Monte-Carlo) evaluation was developed based on an imaginary sample of 2000 AIDS patients (1000 in HAART cohort and 1000 in No-HAART cohort) who were aged 18 when they entered the Markov modeling, thus enabling investigation on the impacts of indecision regarding the various variables.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The simulations we re carried out numerous times to enable representation of a number of various medical events during evaluations. The reference cost of No-HAART treatment, time of HAART therapy impact and the consumption weightings were stated to be mainly â€Å"possible† values, in combination to lower-and-upper boundaries, instead of one-point approximates, in a quest of describing more practical events [3, 10]. A more potential value was set equivalent to documented average value while lower and upper boundaries were set at 0.95 confidence levels. The Markov modeling comprised 4 health conditions: 200=CD4350 cell/micro liter, 50CD4200 cell/micro litre, AIDS and Death. Patients entered the Markov model at the health condition 200=CD4350 cell/micro liter. After each cycle, patients’ HIV state either remained unchanged, advanced or reversed. Figure 1: Health conditions (see rectangles) and transiting probability (see arrows) comprised in Markov modeling (arrow indicates direction of p ossible transition) Therapy impacts (transiting probability) Overall effect of therapy on HIV progressions were evaluated utilizing examinable data from South Africa. Information on ART naive patients who commenced using HAART and who in addition had 200=CD4350 cell/micro liter formed part of the cohort. For patients getting HAART treatment, HIV progressions were examined utilizing data from 1000 patients who enrolled for ART therapy over the research duration. HAART effect on HIV progressions were examined utilizing details on 1000 patients who commenced full antiretroviral treatment. Follow-ups for such patients were expurgated during their final visit and/or death, and comprised information prior to treatment, as therapy adjustments at this period would have no impact on progression probability. The uncertainty to die was accounted not only for the concerned age-adjusted death degree in the sample but also for the threat of receiving AIDS [5]. For the sake of this study, a patien t in the two cohorts who passed on during treatment duration was deemed to have passed on because of an AIDS based circumstance. However, this can over approximate the death cases linked to HAART, since a larger percentage of death cases are expected to be non-AIDS-based in this cohort [9, 11].Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Cost-effectiveness of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Antiretroviral unresponsive people suffering from AIDS are regarded to be having an enhanced first reaction to therapy in relation to people who have earlier been introduced to antiretroviral [2, 3, 9]. Thus, the model comprised transiting probabilities from one health state to another (see table 1). Because individual follow ups were uncensored when a patient progression along the Markov cycles, the modeling absolutely integrates succeeding therapy malfunction and adjustments du ring treatment. The first and succeeding pair of transiting likelihoods in each therapy was computed by classifying patients as per their initial health status, 12 months and during 24 months after commencing therapy. A patient who passed on during the 12 months was added to the death state while a patient who had opportunistic disease or whose final HIV based condition was over  ½ a year prior to the expected time, were grouped as per their CD4 amount during the event (200=CD4350 cell/micro liter, 50CD4200 cell/micro litre). The CD4 counts during each period were approximated utilizing linear regression between the prevailing counts and counts after the specified time period. In case no CD4 values were found after this period, the CD4 counts were approximated to be the number prior to this period, as long as the value was determined during the first quarter of that period [12]. Finally, since the period of the impact of HAART is greatly not known, in the basic evaluation it was p resumed that extra medical effects of HAART were assumed to be for 60 months with a least and optimum period of 24 and 96 months, in that order. However, the extra cost of HAART in relation to No-HAART treatment was presumed to be separate from medical impact and to prolong up to either the modeling stopped or a person passed on, whichever came early, so as to create conventional estimates of cost efficacy [13, 14]. Table 1: Yearly transiting probability based on a group of persons suffering from AIDS who were listed for therapy in South Africa To state From state 200=CD4350 50CD4200 AIDS Death 200=CD4350 # 0.21 (0.18-0.24) # 0.20 (0.15-0.35) 50CD4200 # # 0.45 (0.35-0.55) 0.25 (0.15-0.35) AIDS # # 0.40 (0.3-0.5) NB: all people entered the Markov model at the health condition CD4†¹ 200. # Indicates residual probabilities. All row probabilities add up to one. Also values exclude yearly age-adjusted likelihood of passing on. Transition probability Changeover prob ability based on Markov modeling is needed in specifying all necessary transitions of Markov conditions (see arrows in fig.1). For the HAART modeling, movement probability as well as 0.95 confidence interval (CI) is approximated based on Kaplan result maximum approximations of survival representing 1000 participants under antiretroviral for the initial 4 years of the study [7, 8].Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Changeover probability for the No-HAART modeling was gotten from a domestic ordinary history group encompassing 1000 ART unresponsive participants. The probability of transiting from 200=CD4350 to 50CD4200 is 0.21, probability of transiting from 50CD4200 to AIDS is 0.45, probability of transiting from AIDS to death is 0.4, probability of transiting from 200 =CD4350 to Death is 0.2, and that of transiting from 50 CD4200 to Death is 0.25. Treatment cost The cost to treat people suffering from HIV with HAART treatment depended on approximates gotten from the South African Potential Evaluating System-AIDS Health Financial research [14]. The research approximated the HIV treatment requirements that were needed by more than 13 000 people suffering from AIDS in 9 hospitals in South Africa, comprising the resources attached to related diseases. Resource approximates were the associated with basic individual costs gotten from an earlier research [12]. This cost was in addition combined with approximates of the social service cost linked to various phases of HIV [15], implying that such an evaluation was carried out based on South African public monetary view. The costs to treat people using HAART were approximated as the cumulative costs to treat people with HAART plus the costs to treat HIV related complications. Discounted per case life-time cost were 2,232,614 for No-HAART against 8,131,018 for HAART. The discounted incremental cost (ICER) per QALY added was 10,533. The ICER value was less than per life year added and fairly greater after discounting costs at 3%. No additional cost was added to this assessment. In the basic evaluation, cost was discounted at 3% in a year but medication impact remained undiscounted, as per the current South African policies, apart from the sensitivity assessment [6, 7]. All documented expenditures were based on 2008 data [12]. Table 2: Total costs of HAART treatment in 2008 (US dollars) and utility weightings based on HIV condition [ 12]. 200=CD4350 50CD4200 AIDS Death Cost 500 750 1500 0 SE 100 150 300 – Utility 0.85 0.70 0.50 0 95% CI 0.80-0.90 0.65-0.75 0.45-0.55 0 CI = Confidence Interval SE = Standard error Quality of life Currently, only a few utility weightings are available to people suffering from AIDS. The most appropriate information was generated from a cohort comprising 249 Canadians suffering from HIV utilizing the health utility indexes mark II [12]. However, except for the fact that such information was generated for Canadian individuals, it was only evaluated utilizing multivariate modeling, implying that absence of variations in documented weightings between these two cohorts could be described using elements like before therapy background, period of the last HIV associated situation, threat class or opportunistic diseases. The Mark II comprises of a health condition categorization method and a corresponding pair of utility weightings [12, 13]. The categorization method has seven measures, consisting of mobility, pain and healthcare. The utility weighting was computed through requesting 1000 Canadians to respond to a visual-analogue scale and through scoring the responses using standardized gable value. Sensitivity evaluation Basically, the greatness of the ICERs measured against their compound variables, and therefore the certainty level that may be associated with the basic cost efficacy approximate, can be examined utilizing sensitivity evaluation [4, 15]. In this study, 1-way sensitivity evaluations were carried out on different elements, comprising the extra costs associated with HAART in order to emphasize their significance to determine cost efficacy. This was attained through varying the number associated with one element (for example cost of HAART) while leaving all other numbers in the modeling process constant, and through analyzing the succeeding variation in ICER value. Elasticity, which measures the effect of adjusting various paramet ers on the ICERs, was in addition computed for some elements like the ICER’s % change against a % change in the variable. Overall, a higher elasticity means an enhanced importance of the variable to determine cost efficacy. Negative elasticity is linked to a decrease in the ICER, that is, an increase in cost efficacy, while positive elasticity indicates that the ICER value increased, implying a reduction in cost efficacy. Analysis/Results In this study evaluation, the cumulative cost, life years and QALYs for people who did not use HAART for 38 years was 2232614, 90 and 1964, in that order (see table 3), and for people treated with HAART, the cost, life years and QALYs linked to therapy was 8131018, 115 and 2524 respectively, implying that the cost for treating individuals and impacts were boosted by approximately 36.3 per cent and 22.1 per cent, in that order, generating an ICER value of 238543 for one year added. Approximately 24 % of the cost of highly active antiretrovira l treatment was due to the costs to provide HIV drugs. Adjusting life years in the health conditions resulted to an ICER value of 10533 in each QALY added (Table 3). Also the cost per case amounted to $138 for participants under HAART and $250 for patients not under HAART. The mean cost of each patient case amounted to $267. 71% of patients led to a mean weighted cost amounting to $162 per case. The cost of each patient treated amounted to $622. The percentage for each case cost associated with treatment varied between 4-34% for patients under HAART. The total yearly cost for HAART including cost of drugs amounted to $438 in a year whereas the highly active antiretroviral therapy cost totaled to $162 in a year. Second phase was twice the cost of first phase, amounting to $952 in a year. The cost of checking CD4 and drug costs amounted to approximately $25 in each quarter. The cost in each Markov state has been computed through multiplying health service use and per case costs. HAART cost was greatest for patients bearing 50CD4200 during the initial 12 weeks under HAART, amounting to $548 not including cost for dead patients. Cost remained steady, but shifted to more than $340 in every year period after which second-phase medication was included. No-HAART cost in the 50CD4200 and 200=CD4350 classes amounted to $250 (undiscounted) and to $223 with discounts using an overall discount factor of 22. Table 3: Cost, impact and cost efficacy of HAART in relation to No-HAART Life years QALYs Costs Incremental cost/LY Incremental cost/QALY No-HAART 90 1964 2232614 HAART 115 2524 8131018 238543 10533 Difference 25 560 5898404 Incremental value cannot directly match because of the error of rounding off Sensitivity evaluation The outcomes indicated that the ICER values were slightly elastic to a one percent increase of the per year probabilities of HIV advancement and fairly elastic upon increasing the cost of HAART (with a sensitivity of 0.68). However, additional evaluation indicated that the ICER values were highly elastic to increasing rate of discounted cost (with a sensitivity of -7.1) and also sensitive to a discount of treating impacts per year at 1% (with a sensitivity of 10.7). The ICERs were in addition highly elastic to the presumption about the time and costs provided that HAART prolonged in having an incremental impact, the ICERs declined to about 238543 in each life year added. Furthermore, when the probable time-periods of the effectiveness of HAART were extended to six years from five, the ICERs declined to about 229070 in each life year added. Discussion This study aims at approximating the cost efficacy of complete AIDS healthcare comprising HAART based on principal costs, use, Life years and life adjusted quality years data derived from an extensive group in an industrializing nation setup. This research has initiated some improvements to reference Markov model concepts that have been use in industrialized natio n HAART cost efficacy analyses such as the development of subway nations in capturing the quickly reducing use and mortality within the initial months of HAART treatment, and the availability of a Markov modeling state that reflects the stringent concept of HAART provision in South African general HAART policies. The Markov model has in addition initiated the idea to capture the main cost-determiner of healthcare via transition cost, which is gained as a patient transits to death from Markov states. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses have acquired statistics indecision with 95/100 confidence interval regarding life-time cost, results and ICER. To conclude, the outcomes generated in this study indicate that HAART is a fairly cost efficient technique to treat people suffering from HIV in relation to No-HAART. However, decreasing the costs associated with HAART would considerably enhance cost efficacy and permanent information regarding the comparable efficacy of HAART is needed so as to completely validate the outcomes of this study. References Drummond M, Sculpher J, Stoddart G. Methods for Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programs. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2005. Drummond M, McGuire A. Economic Evaluation in Health Care – Merging theory with practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001. Miners A, Sabin C, Trueman P, et al. Assessing the cost-effectiveness of HAART for adults with HIV in England. HIV Medicine. 2001; 40(2): 52-58. Briggs A, Sculpher M. An Introduction to Markov Modelling for Economic Evaluation. Pharmacoeconomics. 1998; 13(4):397-409. Bozzette S, Joyce G, McCaffrey F, Leibowitz A, Morton S, et al. Expenditures for the care of HIV-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. N Engl J Med. 2001; 344: 817–823. Gold R, Siegel E, Russell L, Weinstein C. Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996. Fox-Rushby J, Cairns J. Economic Evaluation. Oxford: Oxf ord University Press; 2005. Stoll M, Class C, Scuttle E, Graf M, Schmidt R. Direct costs for the treatment of HIV-infection in a German cohort after introduction of HAART. European J Med Res. 2002; 7: 463–471. Torres R, Barr M. Impact of combination therapy for HIV infection on inpatient census. N Engl J Med. 1997; 336: 1531–1532. Donaldson C, Mugford M, Vale L. Evidence-based Health Economics: From effectiveness to efficiency in systematic review BMJ Books, London; 2002. Freedberg K, Losina E, Weinstein M, Paltiel A, Cohen J, et al. The cost effectiveness of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV disease. N Engl J Med. 2001; 344: 824–831. Sendi P, Bucher C, Harr T, Craig B, Schwietert M, et al. Cost-effectiveness of highly antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients: SWISS HIV Cohort Study. 2009; 13: 1115–1122. Badri M, Maartens G, Mandalia S, Bekker L, Penrod J, et al. Cost-Effectiveness of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa. P LoS Med. 2006; 3(1). Beck E, Kennelly J, McKevitt C, Whitaker L, Wadsworth J, et al. Changing use of hospital services and costs at a London AIDS referral centre. AIDS. 1994; 8: 367–377. Beck E, Mandalia S, Williams I, Power A, Newson R, et al. For the NPMS Steering Group Decreased morbidity and use of hospital services in English HIV infected individuals with increased uptake of anti-retroviral therapy 1996–1997. AIDS. 1999; 13: 2157–2164. This coursework on Cost-effectiveness of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa was written and submitted by user Krish Sullivan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Cost

Divergence of Hungarian and Finnish Languages

Divergence of Hungarian and Finnish Languages Geographic isolation is a term commonly used in biogeography to explain how a species might diverge into two distinct species. What is often overlooked is how this mechanism serves as a major driving force for many cultural and linguistic differences among different human populations. This article explores one such case: the divergence of Hungarian and Finnish. Origins of the Finno-Ugrian Language Family Also known as the Finno-Ugrian language family, the Uralic language family consists of thirty-eight living languages. Today, the number of speakers of each language varies immensely from thirty (Votian) to fourteen million (Hungarian). Linguists unite these diverse tongues with a hypothetical common ancestor called the Proto-Uralic language. This common ancestral language is posited to have originated in the Ural Mountains between 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. The origin of the modern Hungarian people is theorized to be the Magyars who resided in the dense forests on the Western side of the Ural Mountains. For unknown reasons, they migrated to western Siberia at the beginning of the Christian era. There, they were vulnerable to the onslaught of military attacks by eastern armies such as the Huns. Later, the Magyars formed an alliance with the Turks and become a formidable military power that raided and fought throughout Europe. From this alliance, many Turkish influences are evident in the Hungarian language even today. After being driven out by the Pechenegs in 889 CE, the Magyar people searched for a new home, eventually settling on the outer slopes of Carpathians. Today, their descendants are the Hungarian people who still inhabit the Danube Valley. The Finnish people split off from the Proto-Uralic language group approximately 4,500 years ago, traveling west from the Ural Mountains to ​the south of the Gulf of Finland. There, this group split into two populations; one settled in what is now Estonia and the other moved northward to modern-day Finland. Through differences in region and over thousands of years, these languages diverged into unique languages, Finnish and Estonian. In the middle ages, Finland was under Swedish control, apparent from the significant Swedish influence present in the Finnish language today. The Divergence of Finnish and Hungarian The diaspora of the Uralic language family has led to geographic isolation between members. In fact, there is a clear pattern in this language family between distance and language divergence. One of the most obvious examples of this drastic divergence is the relationship between Finnish and Hungarian. These two major branches split approximately 4,500 years ago, compared with Germanic languages, whose divergence commenced an estimated 2,000 years ago. Dr. Gyula Weà ¶res, a lecturer at the University of Helsinki in the early twentieth century, published several books about Uralic linguistics. In Finland-Hungary Album (Suomi-Unkari Albumi), Dr. Weà ¶res explains that there are nine independent Uralic languages that form a language chain from the Danube valley to the coast of Finland. Hungarian and Finnish exist on the polar opposite ends of this language chain. Hungarian is even more isolated due to its peoples history of conquering while traveling across Europe toward Hungary. Excluding Hungarian, the Uralic languages form two geographically continuous language chains along major waterways. Coupling this vast geographic distance with several thousand years of independent development and vastly differing history, the extent of the language diversion between Finnish and Hungarian is not surprising. Finnish and Hungarian At first glance, the differences between Hungarian and Finnish seem overwhelming. In fact, not only are Finnish and Hungarian speakers are mutually unintelligible to each other, but Hungarian and Finnish differ significantly in basic word order, phonology, and vocabulary. For example, although both based on the Latin alphabet, Hungarian has 44 letters while Finnish has only 29 in comparison. Upon closer inspection of these languages, several patterns reveal their common origin. For example, both languages employ an elaborate case system. This case system uses a word root and then the speaker can add several prefixes and suffixes in order to tailor it for their specific needs. Such a system at times leads to extremely long words characteristic of many Uralic languages. For example, the Hungarian word megszentsà ©gtelenà ­thetetlensà ©ges translates to a thing that is almost impossible to make unholy, originally coming from the root word szent, meaning holy or sacred. Perhaps the most significant similarity between these two languages is the relatively large number of Hungarian words with Finnish counterparts and vice versa. These common words generally are not exactly alike  but can be traced to a common origin within the Uralic language family. Finnish and Hungarian share approximately 200 of these common words and concepts, most of which concern everyday concepts such as body parts, food, or family members. In conclusion, despite the mutual unintelligibility of Hungarian and Finnish speakers, both originated from a Proto-Uralic group that resided in the Ural Mountains. Differences in migration patterns and histories led to geographic isolation between language groups that in turn led to the independent evolution of language and culture.

PGCE Mathematics; Made to Measure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PGCE Mathematics; Made to Measure - Essay Example However, with time, research and unbiased techniques of teaching, girls perform just as well, if not better, than boys’ performance in the traditionally boy-oriented subjects. My focus in this report is avoiding the findings of the Ofsted report of 2012 of the increase in the number of underachievers with age, considering my current age group of students between 5-8 years. Following the concept of mathematics as a science, there has been a tendency of students avoiding the subject. However, recent trends have suggested an increase in the number of students studying the subject. The reasons behind the growing interest in mathematics are the topic of discussion in this study with a particular interest being in the GCE and A level mathematics. The roles played by the teacher, student, and government influencing the rapid mathematics students’ numbers are subject to observation (Hill, Rowan, & Ball 2005: 379). The participation of students does not automatically translate in the grades in school, but it has been noted that the younger students perform better compared to the elder students. Economic, social, political, environmental, as well as self-oriented variables, determine the popularity of mathematics in the UK, as with other regions of the world (Askew, Brown, Rhodes, Wiliam, & Johnson 1997: 2). The uptake in the students taking mathematics has not had its challenges. Students who take up mathematics as a newfound interest do not necessary mean they excel in the study. Effective teaching of students has to account for the indifference between students, especially in the case of scholarly abilities. Types of students, categorically underachievers, average achievers, and overachievers need different teaching techniques with respect to effective lesson planning (Ofsted 2008: 8). Most practises where the teacher assumes the majority of students in the class determine a teaching strategy. Assuming that an

Macbeth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Macbeth - Assignment Example After the king is dead, Macbeth utters these words to show how deeply he is moved by his death. Macbeth shows how much he loved the king and how his life was just perfect when the king was alive. If he had died before the king’s departure he wouldn’t have been alive to see him fall – such an emotional stir it creates in the minds of the listeners! The reason for this ‘love’ for the king simply dripping from his words is because Macbeth is now afraid, that Macduff knows it was him who killed the king. So to show his utmost devotion and servitude for the late king, he uses this concealed treacherous love bloom in the hopes of ridding himself of the stench of king’s blood. Such equivocation doesn’t really have two meanings, it is nothing but deceit, an artful lie to let the world know how much Macbeth loved the king. It is words like these that help evil geniuses like Macbeth build an honest repute with fraudulent methods. Macbeth was a general in King Duncan’s army it would have been so foolish of him to have openly criticized the king or to openly challenge him. His equivocal words like the quote above helped him to rank higher from Thane of Glamis to Thane of Cawdor and then to become the king of Scotland. In this last quote Macbeth gives his reason for not killing Banquo when he is talking to the murderers. The equivocation is in the sense that he is addressing murderers yet his intent is to share it with Banquo. Killing a man doesn’t really require killing him with one’s own hand. The better option is to get someone else do the job, this way there is always enough doubt to get away with the murder. Macbeth uses words such as â€Å"could† and phrases like â€Å"yet, I must not†. This is classic equivocation, deceit to let thanes know that he had all the resources to kill Banquo but he didn’t as they both share common friends (enough reason

American Woodmark, Corp Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Woodmark, Corp - Assignment Example The company sells its products via a strong network of dealers and distributors directly to renowned builders, such as, The Home Depot and Lowe’s. The organization conducts its operations through 9 manufacturing facilities, which are located in Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Arizona, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Operations are also managed through 9 services centres situated across the country. American Woodmark Corporation has been listed in the 200  Best Small Companies List, published by Forbes in 2001, 2002 and 2003. It was also ranked among the best companies by Business Weeks  100 Hot Growth Companies  list, in the year 2002. The company is immensely proud of the growth that they have achieved over the course of the company’s life and are even more proud of the fundamental performance principles, which have helped it to occupy the position that it is enjoying presently. The company has offered the best value to its customers and has also bee n the premium supplier to builders, home centres and distributors. The company has managed to achieve a high employee satisfaction level by offering them a friendly working environment. They have also been regarded by their shareholders as the best investment that they have made. Harmonizing these objectives is certainly a steep challenge, but the company has handled the challenge prudently, since its inception. It is just an additional reason behind the fact that American Woodmark is known to be the market leader in the industry that it operates (American Woodmark Corporation, 2014a). The leadership panel of American Woodmark Corporation consists of visionary leaders, who occupy key positions and ensure the fact that the organizational performance is in complete alignment with the organizational objective and that the operations which are being conducted are in compliance with the ethical code of conduct. Till date, the leaders have always

Internet Use and Child Development

Internet Use and Child Development Internet Use and Child Development Rapid changes in technology nowadays is painting a message of cyber advantage for all ages of the human beings be it in the business, work, home and even in school. When the basics of communications has proliferated in 1970s with the initial introduction of television, the people did not opt to have this technology of entertainment, rather it was a huge market for all ages as programs being air suits several audiences in the populace. Many programs were catered for entertainment like movies, news and even children programs such as cartoons and educational episodes. Throughout the time that television has been in the ages since it was in the users, the development of enhanced communications as well developed over time. This communication development caters the voice and video signals that can be aired via networks of communications structures established and for the purpose repeating signals in order to reach farthest its customers. Among the development of this data signal will be ut ilized in the world wide web called internet. In this internet, it was necessary that interface between person and machine interaction is catered through computer. The computer now has its historical roots that it was like, the trend when television was first introduced, that it was almost necessary for each household to have computers. Computers then become one of the most important gadgets in the lives of the family as it can be useful in several ways like news locally and internationally, communications in the social media where barriers like distant boundaries is no longer a hindrance, and interactive programs that help education as learning tool through interactive design websites in the internet. Internet is defined according to this research will focus on the advantage of internet bombarded with educational and informative materials and most are interactive that supports child development in terms of their social development, cognitive enhancement and improve mathematics and improved commuication skills. Concepts and study research results published in the internet will be utilized to provided evidences on the advantage of internet for child development. Internet interactive programs that supports social development of the children Interactive programs are those sites that provides educational information that would need the reaction from the persons like clicking a choice or if the media screen is a touch screen. Accordingly, interactive in the internet sites mean â€Å"clicking a link and accessing text,† (Sessoms, 2008, p.90). In this research article, Sessoms (2008) provided a comparison for the differences between traditional and new technology enhanced instruction. Accordingly, the traditional is called Web 1.0 which are teacher-centered instruction, single-sense stimulation, single-path progression, single-media, isolated work, information delivery, passive learning, reactive response and isolated, artificial context. On the other hand, the New called Web 2.0 are student-centered instruction/learning, multisensory stimulutation, multipath, multimedia, collaborative work, informative exchange, active/exploratory/inquiry-based learning, proactive/planned response and authentic, real-world context (S essoms, 2008, p.90). The interactive portion of the learning process, it was the position of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in 1999 stating that â€Å"used appropriately, technology can enhance children’s cognitive and social abilities† and that â€Å"developmentally appropriate software offers opportunities for collaborative play, learning and creation,† (Children Now, 2007, p.5). Further, the Children Now (2007) included in its claim that the National Parents Teacher’s Association (PTA) also has the position stated in 1983, â€Å"computer technology increasingly is a prerequisite to effective participation in an information-oriented societyas computer technology will be an integral part of their lieves as well as of their careers, (p.6). It is basic that in every home, computer connected to the world wide web or internet is necessity. With this, Subrahmayan, Kraut, Greenfield and Gross (2001), shared their report findings that â€Å"majority of the homes (68.3%) had both a televesion and a computer,† (p.12) In the research earlier of Subrahmayan, Kraut, Greenfield and Gross (2000), they recognized the effects on social development and relationships that â€Å"home computers not only can influence children’s cognitive and academic skills, but can also shape children’s social interactions and development,† (p.131). In these social interactions an development, Subrahamanyan et al (2001) found out in their research that â€Å"frequent game players actually meet friends outside school more often than less frequent players according to Coldwell, Grad Rhaiti in 1995),† (p.17). From all those research that supports social development of internet among children, Jackson, vo Eye, Biocca (2003) reported that there is â€Å"few studies and inconsistent findings render uncertain whether using internet has any influence on children’s social outcomes.† However, this was refuted by Johnsons (2010) in its discussion that stated in the findings â€Å"various use of Internet in various contexts were positively related to social development,† (p.40). Internet and cognitive enhancement and improve mathematics Cognitive development in the child is an impressive phenomenon according to Guavin (1998) that â€Å"..relies on some inherent human ability to develop intellectual and social skills adapted to the circumstances† (p.84). The ability to develop intellectual and social skills usually occurs during the childhood days of the human being, particularly during the early childhood. Children with exposure to internet as a form of education has an academic performance higher contrary to those childre which are not exposed to internet (Subrahmanyan et al, 2001, p.16). From this point of view, Bostrom Roache (2009) defined cognitive enhancement as the â€Å"amplification or extension of core capacities of the mind through improvement or augmentation of internal or external information processing systems,† (p.1). This is related to the article published in Virginia Department of Eduction on Children and the Internet in June 2007. According to the article written after the interview conducted by Dr. Zheng Yan the relative advantage of internet on cognitive enhancement is that â€Å"a text-rich environemnt ..that can facilitate a game-like leraning environemtn, which is highly motitvating and interesting to student† which will encourage learning. Though internet is rich-text environment, Dr. Yan further informed that the â€Å"students increasingly use visualization, which can relate to mathematics and science as much as creative writing.† With this information, the children absorbed those information in an interactive way like in a game. â€Å"Gaming has the potential to have a different kind of cognitive impact than traditional learning,† Dr. Yan informed additionally. Internet improved commuication skills among children Since the internet is full of intext fronting a deskstop, the children is forced to familiarize with those words in the screen. Familiarizing those words will help the children’s learning of the ability to communicate but not only on the words itself but as well as the ability to manipulate the words appearance in order to make it better to understand to ones audience like putting and highlighting colours are some of the improved communication skills in the internet. According to Hatch (2011), computers have been specifically usefultext can be made larger larger so it can be seen easier, and also read aloud for deaf students,† (p.7). This statement is one of the relative advantage of internet for communication skill development among its users – the children. As it offers a lot of things to be manipulated like inserting some emoticons which is a picture of a mood of the children like happy, sad and angry. The absence of sounds in this communication sometimes are p ositively understood because the diction of saying it does not affect the gravity of words being said. This is evident in the research article of Hatch (2011) as stated, â€Å"estimated that approximately 95% of students with disabilities between the ages of six and eleven are able to receive their education in regular classrooms (ATTO),† (p. 7). Further, there are other relative advantage that the internet improved the communication skills of the children as informed in Hatch (2011) article, â€Å"communicating with and navigating through social media sites is exposing them to an array of skills allows for these children to be just as technology proficient as their more wealthy counterparts (thaindian.com),† (p.12). The internet has become the equal playing field for both poor and wealthier children because they both access the same sites and thus this do not make the poor child left behind in terms of technology becaues everything can be surfed in the internet. Look ing further in the communication skills development of children brought about by the internet, the increased in learning and relative academic performance as stated by Subrahmanyan et al (2000) now is accessible and will not prevent anyone from reading it and reflect it in academics. Conclusion It is evident that technology anywhere else in the world can be found in the internet. The internet then is the avenue that can be utilized in order to develop the childrens ability and relative advantage to develop social interactions, cognitive and mathematic learning and improve communication skills. These relative benefits of the internet available to the children has been proven to be positively improving them in these areas and not only in these areas but as well as their capability to know more and do more. Knowing more will eventually help children to effectively address some issues in life that may have been found sometimes prior to internet was imposible to access. Work Cited Bostrom, N Roache, R. â€Å"Smart Policy: Cognitive Enhancement and the Public Interest.† Future for Humanity Institute. (2009). Web. 11 Nov. 2014. Children Now. â€Å"The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers’ Learning: A Review of the Research and Recommendations for the Future.† 2007. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Gauvin, M. â€Å"Cognitive Development in Social and Cultural Context.† American Psychological Society. December 1998. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Hatch, K. E. â€Å"Determining the Effects of Technology on Children.† University of Rhode Island. [emailprotected] May 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Jackson, L.A., vo Eye, A. And Biocca, F. â€Å"Children and Internet Use: Social, Psychological and Academic Consequences for Low-Income Children.† Psychological Science Agenda. American Psychological Association. December 2003. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Johnson, G. M. â€Å"Internet Use and Child Development: Validation of the Ecological Techno-Subsystem.† Educational Technology Society. 2010. 13 (I), 176-185. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Johnson, M. M. â€Å"Internet Use and Child Development: The Techno-Microsystem.† Australian Journal of Educational Development Psychology. Vol. 10, 2010. Pp32-43. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. Sessoms, D. â€Å"Interactive Instruction: Creating interactive learning environments through tomorrow’s teachers.† International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning. 4(2). 86-96. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., Krauf, R. And Gross, E. F. â€Å"The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and Development.† The Future of Children. Children and Computer Technology. Vol. 10. No, 2. Fall/Winter 2000. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., Krauf, R. And Gross, E. â€Å"The Impact of Computer Use on Children’s and Adolescents’ Development.† Applied Developmental Psychology. 2001. Pp 7-30. Web. 11 Nov. 2014 Yan, Zheng. â€Å"Children and the Internet.† Information Brief. Virginia Department of Education, Division of Technology Human Resources. June 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2014

Lynching and Women: Ida B. Wells Essay -- History Historical Essays

Lynching and Women: Ida B. Wells Emancipated blacks, after the Civil War, continued to live in fear of lynching, a practice of vigilantism that was often based on false accusations. Lynching was not only a way for southern white men to exert racist â€Å"justice,† it was also a means of keeping women, white and black, under the control of a violent white male ideology. In response to the injustices of lynching, the anti-lynching movement was established—a campaign in which women played a key role. Ida B. Wells, a black teacher and journalist was at the forefront and early development of this movement. In 1892 Wells was one of the first news reporters to bring the truths of lynching to proper media attention. Her first articles appeared in The Free Speech and Headlight, a Memphis newspaper that she co-edited. She urged the black townspeople of Memphis to move west and to resist the coercive violence of lynching. [1] Her early articles were collected in Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phas es, a widely distributed pamphlet that exposed the innocence of many victims of lynching and attacked the leaders of white southern communities for allowing such atrocities. [2] In 1895 Wells published a larger investigative report, A Red Record, which exposed how false or contrived accusations of rape accompanied less than one third of the cases documented around 1892. [3] The statistics and literature of A Red Record denounced the dominant white male ideology behind lynching – the thought that white womanhood was in need of protection against black men. Wells challenged this notion as a concealed racist agenda that functioned to keep white men in power over blacks as well as white women. Jacqueline Jones Royster documents the... ...english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/lynching/lynching.htm>. [3] Tabulating the statistics for lynchings in 1893, [in A Red Record] Wells demonstrated that less than a third of the victims were even accused of rape or attempted rape. [4] Royster. Southern Horrors and Other Writings (30). [5] Brown states, â€Å"Southern white men [had a compelling urge] to avenge even a hint of impropriety that encroached on their ownership of white women’s virtue† (21). [6] From Royster’s explanation of white men’s justification for lynching (32). [7] Women in History. [8] From George Washington University’s webpage on Anna Julia Cooper, under the â€Å"Social Activism† section.

Long Term Financing Paper Final

Running head: Long-Term Financing Long-Term Financing University of Phoenix Online Introduction to Finance and Accounting MMPBL-503 James R. Sullivan November 3, 2008 Long-Term Financing An established company is considering expanding its operations, and to achieve their business objectives, the company will require additional long-term capital financing. Long-term financing involves debt or equity instruments with greater than one-year maturities, and the cost of this long-term capital can be calculated using either the Capital Asset Pricing (CAPM) or Discounted Cash Flows (DCFM) Model. The organization will have to compare and contrast the Capital Asset Pricing Model with the Discounted Cash Flows Model. The skill of comparing and contrasting financial options will help evaluate and organize the debt/equity mix and dividend policy. The organization must then decide what type of long-term finance alternatives will most likely benefit. Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Discounted Cash Flows Model Capital Asset Pricing Model is a linear relationship between returns on individual stocks and stock market returns over time (Block & Hirt, 2005). One use of CAPM is to analyze the performance of mutual funds and other portfolios (CAPM, 2008). Although, more than one formula exists for the CAPM, the most common is referred to as the market risk premium model presented below (Block & Hirt, 2005): r = Rf + beta (Km – Rf) Where: r is the expected return rate on a security Rf = the risk free rate of return (cash) B = beta coefficient, or historical volatility of common stock relative to market index Km = is the return rate of the appropriate asset class The market risk premium formula assumes that the rate of return or premium demanded by investors is directly proportional to the perceived risk associated with the common stock. Beta measures the volatility of the security relative to the asset class. The equation is saying that investors require higher levels of expected returns to compensate them for higher expected risk. This formula can be thought as predicting a security’s behavior as a function of beta: CAPM says that if a person knows a security’s beta then they know the value of (r) that investors expect it to have (see graph below) (CAPM, 2008). [pic] More volatile stocks will have a beta coefficient greater than 1. 0, whereas less volatile stocks will have a beta less than 1. 0. If the risk free rate of return (Rf) and average market return (Km) are considered fixed, then the required rate of return for company stock can be calculated for the required rate of return. As an example, if the market risk premium (Km – Rf) is 6% and a risk free rate of return (Rf) is 4%, then the required rate of return would equal 10% for B = 1 and 16% for B = 2. The Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCFM) is another standard way of determining the cost of equity. It assumes that a firm’s current stock price is equal to the present (discounted) value of all expected future dividends from the investment (Utility Regulation, 2008). Modern financial theory contends that the price of a firm’s stock is the present value of the future cash flows discounted at an appropriate interest rate (Freeman & Gagne, 1992). To calculate the current stock value, calculate the present value of future dividends and growth in the value of the stock at some future date. The discount rate used for this present value calculation is the weighted average cost of capital for the firm. Both the CAPM and DCF models involve applying data from a single or group of companies, to evaluate the current stock value of a single company. CAPM is more objective and complicated, and requires more calculation and data from the market. DCF is more subjective and simplified. One such DCF assumption is that future dividends will grow forever at a constant rate. Since this assumption is not always true, the DCF method gives a more qualitative estimate of the cost of capital. Limitations of CAPM includes, model uncertainty, it is difficult to know for sure if the use of the model is theoretically correct. Input uncertainty, is another limitation, it is difficult to estimate the appropriate risk premiums accurately (CAPM limitations, 2008). Limitations of the DCF model include miss growth options, options to expand and options to redirect (DCFM, 2008). Debt/Equity Mix Debt/equity mix is a financing strategy used by companies to help fund the business or other investments. Most companies use a combination of both in order to ensure stability and to keep long-term cost down. Debt is the borrowing of money from other lenders such as finance companies and banks. â€Å"Corporate debt has increased dramatically in the last three decades. † (Block & Hirt, pg. 468) Other forms of debt include issuing bonds and leasing. Debt has become a common item on balance sheet for many companies, including those just starting out. Debt financing allows companies to finance without having to sell stock or bring in more partners. The major benefit for debt financing, unlike with equity financing, the owner retains full ownership of their business. Bringing in more partners or stockholders in a company causes the loss of primary ownership and possibly the loss of the reason the company was created. Equity is another form of financing. Equity is also used by large and small companies. Equity is financed by other people. With equity financing the initial owner/borrower has a greater risk of losing their company to the partners that have become involved. On the other hand the borrower in an equity finance loan has flexibility on repayment terms and the form of repayment (ie. cash, stock, bonds or services). However, most major corporations have a mixture of debt and equity with making sure they do not have to much leverage in either one. The formula for figuring out what a company’s debt-equity ratio is: (Block & Hirt) Debt/Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities Shareholders’ Equity Dividend Policy A company’s dividend policy is up to the company and the profits that are made. If the company is just starting out they may not want to pay dividends to their stockholders. A beginning company may want to reinvest any earnings that are made in order to help the company expand. â€Å"In choosing either to pay a dividend to stockholders or to reinvest the funds in the company, management’s first consideration is whether the firm will be able to earn a higher return for the stockholders† (Block & Hirt, pg. 547). When deciding on a dividend policy the stockholders preference must be considered. The stockholder may or may not want to receive dividends and may only have concern with the value of their investment at relinquishment time. If expanding a business the dividends that are normally sent out will possibly be lower to help cover the cost of expanding. The expansion may also cause the dividends to increase. Some investors care about he future earnings and the increase that may occur because of the expansion and earnings increase. Characteristics and Costs of Debt and Equity Instruments The purchasers of equity instruments have the rights to vote on issues, gain ownership and future earnings of the business. Examples of equity instruments are common stock, preferred stock and retained earnings. Ask Dr Econ, 2008) Common stock is a form of equity instruments, advantages are the common stockholders will share in the company’s profitability, does not have to repay investment, dividends, and the votes can influence management. The disadvantages of common stock, the vote may dilute the management’s interest in the corporation’s growth, and the non-management stockholders can increase in the vot ing power, and the maximum risk falls on the investor. (Raymond, 2002) The cost of common equity is important as â€Å"the ultimate ownership of the firm resides in common stock† (Block & Hirt, 2005). The cost of issuing new common stock is expressed as: Kn = D1 / (Po – F) + g D1 = First year common dividend, Po = Price of common stock, F = Flotation selling costs, g = Constant growth rate in earnings (Block & Hirt, 2005) Preferred stock is another form of equity instruments, advantages are stocks offers stipulated dividend on an annual or semi-annual basis, preference rights over common stock and dividend payments and liquidating distributions. The dividends can accrue at a certain rate and paid on a cumulative basis. The disadvantage â€Å"includes a subordination of dividends to be paid on common stock and limitations on the use of corporate fund to the extent that pre-established dividend payments. † (Raymond, 2002) The cost of issuing new preferred stock is: Kp = Dp ( Pp – F) Where Dp = Preferred dividend, Pp = price of preferred stock, and F = Flotation selling costs. (Block & Hirt, 2005) Retained earnings are equivalent to â€Å"past and present earnings of the firm minus previously distributed dividends† (Block & Hirt, 2005). In order to convince shareholders that earnings will equal larger dividends and equity later, it is important to calculate the present value of projected future cash flow. The equation for cost of retained earnings is equivalent to the cost of existing common stock Ke = D1 / Po + g This can be used to reacquire outstanding treasury stock at market price. The cost of retained earnings does not include the flotation or sales cost associated with new issues of common or preferred stock. (Block & Hirt, 2005) Debt instruments are requires a fixed payment with interest, examples are bonds, government or corporation and mortgages. Ask Dr Econ, 2008) Bondholders do not gain ownership, paid before other expenses, less risky and not entitle to future profits in the business. (Raymond, 2002). Disadvantages include potential restrictions on operations, limitations on the use of working capital† (Raymond, 2002). Bond financing includes the zero-coupon rate bond and the floating rate bond. T he cost of debt is measured by the after-tax cost of debt and must be calculated as follows: Kd = Yield (1 – t) where Yield = yield to maturity and t = tax rate The yield to maturity of a bond is dependent on a number of variables: annual interest payment, principal payment, bond price and years to maturity. The yield to maturity for a bond can be calculated using a bond table, or using the equation below: Y' = annual interest payment + (principal payment – bond price) / years to maturity) (Block & Hirt, 2005) Evaluation of Long-Term Financing Alternatives Organizations have several opportunities for  alternative long-term financing to help the organization expand and grow, raise capital depleted by inflation and to supplement insufficient funds generated internally by the organization. Debts for organizations have risen over the past three decades. Organizations are faced with the task of continuing to raise capital to cover the organization’s debts. Organizations can use bonds, stocks, leasing and other options as options for long-term financing Bonds Most large organizations use corporate bonds for long-term financing. â€Å"The bond agreement specifies such basic items as the par value, the coupon rate, and the maturity date† (Block & Hirt, 2005). The initial value of a bond is the bond’s par value or face value. The interest rate on the bond is the coupon rate. The fluctuation of interest rates in the market affect the coupon rate of the bond after the bond has been issued. The ending date in which repayment of the principal of the bond is due is the maturity date. The bond agreement or indenture is the legal document that covers the bond from issuance to repayment. Organizations can put up a secured bond offering such as a mortgage agreement, where specific assets are promised to bondholders should they default on the bond or choose an unsecured, or debenture bond offering which doesn’t specify a specific asset. Stocks Common stock is on way an organization can secure long-term equity financing. Common stock is issued at a price per share to relatives, friends and investors. The funds are used by the organization to help the organization grow. The organization can issued to stockholders as dividends to show a payback on the capital investment. The remaining funds after the organization pays out dividends become retained earnings for the organization and are reinvested back into the organization. Individuals who have ownership in the organization can hold preferred stock. Preferred stock holders are repaid first should the organization file for bankruptcy. Leasing Organizations can lease assets instead of financing them. Leasing can give an organization that is short on funds or is not credit worthy enough to borrow funds a way to obtain assets. Leasing an asset is generally more expensive than purchasing the asset. By leasing assets, the organization reduces cash outflow so they can use those funds for other ventures. Organizations can lease assets such as furniture, equipment and land. The organization can choose a Capital Lease agreement where the organization purchases the asset at the end of the lease period. Organizations in a higher tax bracket can take advantage of a depreciation write-off tax advantage by purchasing an asset and leasing the asset to another organization in a lower tax bracket. Other Alternatives Organizations can use Factoring to borrow capital. The factor generally charges higher interest rates than banks. Factors generally review credit history, but the organization may still be able to borrow due to the quality of the organization’s collateral rather than their project projections. Conclusion Expanding a company can be a big step and many plans must be laid out and consider before the final decision can be made. Cost is the biggest factor that must be considered when expanding. The second factor to consider is who or how the cost is going to be covered. Most companies consider there finance options. Financing option that should be considered include taking on more debt, issuing bonds, and selling stock. With these options the interest rate, the selling price of the stock and how much of the company they would like to give up all must be considered when choosing an option. The better option would be to do a mix of all of the financing options to keep the balance sheet leveled, and the company in good financial standing. References Ask Dr Econ. (2008) † Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco:What are the differences between debt and equity markets? † Retrieved October 31, 2008 from http://www. frbsf. org/education/activities/drecon/answerxml. cfm? selectedurl=/2005/0510. html Block, S. B. , & Hirt, G. A. , (2005). Foundations of Financial Management (11th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill. Capital Asset Pricing Model, (2008). Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. moneychimp. com/glossary/capm/htm. Capital Asset Pricing Model

European Colonization on Africa essays

European Colonization on Africa essays Back in early African history, Europeans colonized and infiltrated African civilizations in order to make a profit and to be known as a superior nation. By doing this, European colonists messed up the traditional African lifestyle. Africans were willing to let the colonists join them, but the Europeans went too far when they took over governments and tried to rule over the Africans. This colonization led to many problems in Africa, that still affect modern day Africa. First of all, the problem can only be explained about where the colonists were located. According to the European Colonization map, it shows that France and Great Britain ruled most of the Northern Part of Africa. France and Great Britain ruled other parts of Africa in the South, but not nearly as much as up North. Meanwhile, Germany Portugal, and Belgium ruled most of the Southern part of Africa. Now, to talk about the Government of Africa, Ill have to explain the two different types of governing. There was direct rule (French) and indirect rule (Great Britain). The difference between these two different types of governing was that indirect rule was when a local chief or leader ruled the colony, but was used as just a messenger from a higher power of authority. In this case, the British. The British would make the laws for the ruler to enforce, and he would do it. In the case of direct rule, the country that colonized the country, ruled it. The French ruled their colonies in Africa and enforced their own rules, rather than let a local leader do it. In African civilizations, indirect rule worked better for the Africans because they were able to keep their old traditions and not have to adapt to new ones. In the French colonies, Africans had to convert to French in order to be considered French. If they were considered French, then they could run for politics and be considered as an equal to a French person. ...

sustained development essays

sustained development essays The term sustained development was used first time in 1983, when United Nations made a special report titled Our future. The idea of this development is rather simple and clear is has to support a better quality of everyones life, today and for generations to come. The definition is following: sustained development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It sounds very nice, but it is not so easy to achieve four objectives have to be met at one time: a.) social progress which recognizes the needs of everyone it means that all people should gain the benefits of increasing prosperity, and environment which should be safe, clean, without pollution. b.) effective protection of the environment people should do everything what is possible to eliminate the pollution, climate change, in order to protect human health, wildlife, landscapes, historic buildings. c.) prudent use of natural resources people make to be sure, that they use non-renewable resources (like oil, gas) in efficient way and also that alternative sources of energy are developed to replace them when it will be indispensable. d.) maintance of high and stable levels of economic growth and unemployment everyone would be able to share in high standards of living, greater job opportunities. It means, that world needs high quality goods and services that consumer are able to pay for. To obtain this plan it is necessary to have workforce that is good educated and skilled. It also means, that world needs investors and infrastructure to support them., Sustained development is essential in todays world. The need for development is as great as ever, and it will pay back in the future. Nowadays there are many people whose income is less than 1 $Us a day, uncoun ...

Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Dissertation Example Based on the discussion of the results of these statistics, a few recommendations like improved customer relations, improved the additional amenities, improved supply chain management and other retail management methods, following government guidelines like PPG6 and Town Centre Partnerships. Chapter 1 - Research Introduction 1.1. Chapter Introduction : 1.2. Research Scenario: 1.3. Aim and Objectives of the Research : 1.4. Research Questions and Hypotheses: 1.5. Scope of the Research: 1.6. Research methodology: 1.7. Research Organization: 1.8. Chapter conclusion: Chapter 2 - Literature Review 2.1. Introduction: 2.2. The Retail scenario: 2.3. Impact of globalisation: 2.4. Retail changes in UK and Cyprus: 2.5. Impact of changes on small supermarkets: 2.6. Steps to recover the Town Centres / small supermarkets : 2.7. Chapter conclusion: Chapter 3 – Research Methodology 3.1. Introduction: 3.2. ... Primary data processing and data presentation 4.3. Descriptive statistics of the Research data: 4.4. Histogram and Tally analysis: 4.4.1. Histogram and Tally analysis of questions towards customers: 4.4.2. The Histogram and Tally analyses of the questions towards retail owners: 4.5. Correlation analysis: 4.6. Chapter Conclusion: Chapter 5 – Discussion and Recommendation 5.1. Discussion based on statistical Analysis: 5.2. Recommendations: Chapter 6 - Research Conclusion Chapter 1 - Research Introduction 1.6. Chapter Introduction : This chapter introduces the research concept in terms of the research background and the scope of the research work. The aim of the research, main research question, research hypotheses are introduced to give an in depth understanding of the purpose of this research. Finally the pattern of organizing this research work has also been given. 1.7. Research Scenario: During the past decades the shopping trends among people have changed tremendously. The p eople who were purchasing from market towns have started their shopping in out of town large super markets. This transition from traditional shopping to shopping under globalized and monopolized conditions was quite noticeable during the transitional period in the UK from 1950’s. The concept of supermarkets (all under one roof) was emerged that, indeed, provided greater variety, accessibility and choice of products to potential customers. The phenomenal growth of out-of-town supermarkets because of changing lifestyles of people all across the world (this will be elaborated in chapter one) compelled British government to conduct its own survey in September 1998 on nine market town locations in Britain to know the impact of these new supermarkets on small businesses and markets in

Self reflectio on the module of acoounting information system Essay

Self reflectio on the module of acoounting information system - Essay Example Skills Learned From closer assessment of my personal and professional skills, it is apparent that the following skills were developed from the course: analytical skills, critical thinking, and intellectual growth from increased inputs on AIS concepts and theories, comprehension skills, the ability to interpret and apply required tasks and activities, and increased understanding of financial and accounting operations of an organization, among others. Further, skills to enable me to comply with the needed follow through in the module are likewise improved: prioritization of tasks or time management, problem-solving skills, introspection and even decision-making skills. The given lectures do not only provide the required explanation for terms being the subjects of discussion; but more importantly, learning goals are identified and illustrations are provided to guide and enhance learning skills. For instance, the topic on transactions processing gave students the lay-outs for sales or re venue cycle, as well as other cycles such as the purchasing, payroll and fixed asset cycle. These lay-outs assisted students in understanding the theories through visual representation of elements and interactions among stakeholders: managers, different departments, and external institutions (suppliers, government, and customers). I realized, however, that there were some topics which are generally difficult to understand given the nature and level of complicated concepts that were presented. For example, the topic on IS auditing was a fairly difficult topic that aimed to provide concepts in the most concise form. It, however, was successful in providing a general overview of the audit techniques and steps from a student’s perspective. Both critical and analytical skills are improved in this phase. I realized that for students who developed a deeper interest in the subject would need to make additional research or undertake additional courses on that topic alone. The topic on security and control is an interesting, relevant and contemporary issue that is highly important in terms of applicability to global organizational settings. Due to the technological developments accorded by the internet age, various organizations that opted to implement electronic applications (such as online banking, selling transactions through electronic business, and delivery of health care) need to be serious about awareness on this subject. My interpretative, analytic and application skills are enhanced as the subject of security breaches are closely studied. The topic on recovery procedures and control measures are most useful to inform me on the critical aspects of ensuring security in various phases of the operations in the organization, not only in information technology, but in other areas such as personnel, physical lay-out and structure, among others. It is my personal belief that other topics were fairly presented in a very generalized manner with the objective of pr oviding the necessary information that could be sourced from these: supply chain management, logistics and competitive advantage. These concepts should be discussed in more detail in other management courses like marketing. Another subject that is felt to have a wide range of complex topics and sub-topics is the area of systems development that presented other equally