Borohydride Reduction

John Heger CMY 211 Lab Section 13 11-30-2011 Borohydride Reduction of Vanillin to Vanillyl Alcohol Introduction: The purpose of this lab was to reduce vanillin to vanillyl alcohol. This lab report recaps the procedure and results of the lab. The chemical process studied in this lab was reduction, the process of reducing the number of bonds to oxygen and increasing the number of bonds to hydrogen. Other chemical processes included in the lab were recrystallization, melting point, and extraction.Procedure: Preparation of Vanillyl Alcohol 2. 5 mmol of vanillin were dissolved in 2. 5 mL of 1 M NaOH solution in a 25 mL Erlenmeyer flask. The flask was swirled to produce a homogeneous yellow solution. The flask was swirled in an ice-water bath for 1-2 minutes and the solution was cooled to approximately 10Â °C. 1. 95 mmol of NaBH4 was added while the solution was constantly swirled. It was added in three to four portions over a period of 3 minutes. The solution was allowed to stand undistu rbed for 30 minutes at room temperature.After the time period, the flask was cooled in an ice-water bath and 3 M HCl was added dropwise with swirling. HCl was added until the pH of the solution was distinctly acidic to pH paper. The solution was gently cooled and the side of the flask was gently scratched with a glass rod to induce recrystallization. The crude product was suction filtered using a Buchner or Hirsch funnel and was washed with three small portions of cold water. The crystals were allowed to air dry for several minutes while suction continued to eliminate excess water.The crude product was recrystallized from ethyl acetate. The dried crystals were weighed and a melting point was obtained. Results: Table 1: Experimental Data Table Initial Mass of Vanillin| 0. 3843 g| Final Mass of Vanillyl Alcohol| 0. 2467 g| Melting Point Range of Vanillyl Alcohol| 75-90Â °C| Percent Yield| 63. 99 % yield| Discussion: The purpose of this lab was to reduce vanillin to vanillyl alcohol. The mechanism of the lab involved reduction. Sodium borohydride was used to reduce the aldehyde on the vanillin molecule, which left the oxygen with a negative charge. Feature Article Relative Rates:Â  Free-Radical BrominationHCl then reacted with the negative oxygen on vanillin, and the oxygen then became protonated, which made another alcohol on the benzene ring. The melting point range obtained for vanillyl alcohol was between 75-90Â °C. The actual melting point was 115Â °C, which was approximately 25 degrees higher than the experimental values. The reason for this melting point difference can be attributed to impurities that developed throughout the procedure. The percent yield from the original sample was 63. 9%. A decent percentage of the original sample was lost throughout the reduction process of vanillin to vanillyl alcohol. Conclusion: Vanillin was reduced to vanillyl alcohol which obtained a melting point of 75-90Â °C. The percent yield from the original sample was 63. 99%. The mechanism involved the reduction of vanillin to vanillyl alcohol, which increased the number of bonds to hydrogen and decreased the number of bonds to oxygen by the reduction of a carbonyl.

Internal Control Essay

Question 1 a) Select two companies where inadequate internal control have resulted in disastrous effects on the organisation or exposed it to heavy losses. Research the facts of the failure and report on the facts and the losses suffered. In your report, include suggestions for changes to operations (internal controls) that could have prevented the final outcome. Where could you find a list of these internal controls and how are they documented? Examples of companies include: Coles Myer Ltd and the Yannon affair Barings Bank (1995) AWA Case (1992) Integral Energy (2003) Australian Museum-theft of zoological specimens (2003) Argonaut Resources (2011) Each report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required. b) Select two companies that have experienced recent corporate governance failures. Research the facts of the failure and report on the facts and the losses suffered. In your report, give suggestions on the Corporate Governance principles that should be implemented and that could have prevented the failure. Examples of companies include: ABC Learning (2008) Storm Financial (2009) Strathfield (2009) One-Tel HIH Independent Insurance (UK) Commander Communications (2008) EzyDVD (2009) Clive Peters Beechwood Homes Australian Discount Retail (Crazy Clarks’, Go-Lo, Sam’s Warehouse) (2009) Queensland Health Department (2011) Parmalat (Italy) Each report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required. Question 2 a) In your own words explain Internal Control within an organisation, and state the major objectives of a system of internal control to management? b) List and briefly explain the five components of an entity’s internal control structure. Question 3 a) Define Corporate Governance and its application in the corporate world and discuss the need for Corporate Governance. b) Look up the Annual Reports for two of the following companies and comment on the appearance, structure, content, and usefulness of the Corporate Governance and Sustainability section of the report. How does it meet the current principles of Corporate Governance? Companies include: Banks: ANZ, CBA, NAB, Westpac, Bendigo Resources: BHP, RIO Tinto, Woodside, Santos Financial services: Macquarie Group, Perpetual, QBE Health care: Sonic, Resmed, CSL Retail: Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Metcash, Harvey Norman Property: Centro, Stockland, Westfield Property Trust, WRT Family business: Westfield, Harvey Norman, News Corporation Interesting: Fairfax, James Hardie, Qantas, Telstra Your report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required.

Home Is Where by Ligaya Fruto

The girl sat tensely on the edge of the Consulate bench, her face carefully devoid of expression. The bird-of paradise pattern was gaudy on her aloha shirt, the thong sandals looked slovenly on her feet, and on her head, riding the loose curls, was perched a big hibiscus flower. Her hands were tightly fisted in the pockets of her old jeans as she listened to the older woman seated before the passport clerk’s desk. She looked at the woman, then at the clerk, with one eyebrow slightly raised. Too many movies, the clerk thought amusedly as he listened to the older woman talk. He smoothed the passport application that she handed him and read: Benita Medina Sales, born in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, in 1908. On the back, in the space for names of persons to accompany the passport applicant, he read: Lucille Sales, born in Wailoku, Maui, Territory of Hawaii, on June 14, 1931. ‘Your daughter is going to the Philippines with you, Mrs. Sales? † the clerk asked. â€Å"Of course she is going with me. † The woman said, turning to the girl on the bench. The girl looked back at her, and the two locked stares for a long moment while the clerked fidgeted with the papers. She gave these to the clerk and the latter leafed through them with some interest. He glanced quickly at the woman as a copy of divorce decree appeared in the batch. He checked the names on both documents, then studied the remaining papers. A frayed certificate showed the old Philippine Commonwealth seal, and next to this were two thick photo copies of the girl’s birth certificate. â€Å"You can see I was born here,† the girl spoke up. â€Å"I am an American citizen. I cannot go to the Philippines. I will not go! † â€Å"Oh yes you are going,† the mother’s voice shook a little. You are coming home with me. † â€Å"This is my home,† the girl said. â€Å"I am an American citizen. I will live here all my life. † â€Å"You are a Filipino,† the mother’s face flushed, then paled. â€Å"Your father and I are Filipinos. You and I are going back to our country. We are going home. † Home, the girl thought, and her hand moist inside her pockets. Where was it? For her it was here, where the roads wound between the mountains and the sea, where the breeze was cool while the sun was hot, where flowers grew by the roadside and never seemed to die, such ws the continuity of the earth’s ichness. The sea was gentle, the lawns were smooth, and the people . . . At the thought of her friends, the girl’s young face worked a little. She did not know what the Philippines looked like. She had no idea of the people. Her mother said that they were her own people, but she felt no kinship. â€Å"I will not go,† she thought desperately. â€Å"I will not go to the Philippines, I am an American citizen. The Philippines is so far away, and those who come from there have such terrible things to say about the war. I won’t go. My mother can’t make me go. The woman looked at the girl, and a dull ache began to throb in her temples. What an unnatural child, she thought sadly. She seemed to feel no love of home at all. She herself never stopped thinking of it: fields of rice glistening to the sun: tobacco plants maturing in the heat: nipa houses hidden in bamboo groves. The people talked her language. They are the same fresh fish from the creeks and cooked carabao meat in the animal’s blood. They worked in the fields. At night they gathered about the looms, the women weaving and listening to the talk of the men. That was home, where one could belong and not feel like a stranger who, just passing through, must leave a fee of toil and heartbreak, then pass over still more foreign roads. The clerk looked first at the mother, then at the daughter wondering idly what thoughts kept them silent. â€Å"How long have you been here? † he asked the woman. â€Å"Nineteen years,† she replied. â€Å"I came with my husband in 1928. He worked for an experimental station. † â€Å"Did you live in Maui just before Lucille was born, sixteen years ago? Why are you going back to the Philippines now? The clerk asked with some interest. The woman clasped her handbag. She glanced at her daughter, then turned to the clerk, her paler face flushing a little in embarrassment. â€Å"I have always wanted to go back,† she said softly. â€Å"And now that my husband and I . . . Besides, I have the money . . . † The clerk nodded understandingly. He took up the batch of papers before him and examined the divorce decree. Extreme mental cruelty, it said, and a smile almost escaped him. The phrase somehow seemed absurd. He looked at the woman with overt interest, wondering what type of a man she had married. Perhaps a man with some education, for it was plain that the woman had schooling. He noted the sureness of the handwriting on the application form. Her speech, too, was not the pidgin English that most plantation folk employed. â€Å"The women here. † The woman burst out, as though in spite of herself. â€Å"Ah the women here . . . † Her face showed her disdain. She remembered with acute suffering the young bride who had accompanied her husband to this land fo promise, and the almost unbearable homesickness which had made adjustment not only to a new husband but to new surroundings so pitifully difficult. She recalled to the loss of first one child and then another and at the coming of Lucille. Lucille was her last child, the only one who had lived. Staring at the divorce decree, she thought of her husband’s infidelities. She thought of them not too much as separate experiences but as haziness piled upon haziness in protective merging. Through many years of such unhappiness, she had clung to one bright hope –the hope of going home some day. It might take five years, she told herself then, or ten –even twenty. But eventually she would go home. And now here was this child frustrating her. This was a strangeling she had nourished in her bosom. She spoke a jargon which she, her mother, barely understood. She dressed like a boy, behaved like a hoyden. She chewed gum all day long, sang and danced without restraint, went to endless movies. And now she flaunted her American citizenship as though that were important. Her nose was short, her hair was black, and her skin was the clear brown of her mother’s and her father’s skin. The mere fact of birth in a strange place did not make her a citizen of that place. Or did it? This is not your country, she had told her again and again. You were only born here. I shall take you at last to the place to which you and I belong. A country like this and yet not quite like this. You will see, she had said, you will notice the difference when we get there. Sometimes she thought the girl was interested, but then something would happen –a glimpse of the sea beyond the park perhaps, or a plumeria tree in full bloom –and the girl’s jaw would set in stubborn resistance and she would say that here, in Hawaii, she had been born and here she would remain. This is my home,† she would repeat, â€Å"I am not going away. † The same resistance was in her daughter’s eyes now. The line of her jaw was hard, and her lips, carelessly rouged, were pressed together. â€Å"How long will it take before I get my passport? † the woman asked, turning to the clerk. â€Å"Oh, perhaps two hours,† the clerk replied, checking the papres. à ¢â‚¬Å"we need three copies of your pictures. Oh, here they are,† and he detached the pictures from the sheaf of papers. He smiled and looked at the girl. The fighting, stubborn expression had been caught accurately by the camera. â€Å"You still want your daughter included in your passport? † he asked the woman, more to tease the girl than to get an answer. â€Å"Of course, she is coming with me –if I have to drag her aboard ship! † â€Å"I won’t go,† said the girl, raising her voice, the line of her jaw taut. â€Å"You can’t make me go. I will go back to my father. He will not send me away and I. . . † She stopped as her mother rose from her seat and took a step toward her. Defiance hardened in the girl’s eyes as she stared up her mother, â€Å"I am an American Citizen, I tell you,† she said, breathing hard, flinging her words sharply against her mother’s anger. She opened her lips to say more when a slap, ringing swift, fell across her mouth. â€Å"You! † the woman cried, her face so pale it was frightening. â€Å"You, you. . . † she repeated, her lips trembling so that the words couldn’t take shape. She raised her hand once more, then dropped it, slowly crumpled in her chair, sobs suddenly and tearingly shaking her body. The girl stared at her mother aghast. She could not –she would never –understand all this.

Finance and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Finance and Management - Essay Example This involves the value of raw materials, the work in progress and the finished goods ready for sale. It is the work of the cost accountants to place all costs under consideration so that they are able to determine the value of all inventories (Martin & Wolf, 2008). Cost accounting system has a function of bringing maximum efficiency in an organization. Cost efficiency would ensure that direct material costs, labor and manufacturing are identified and cost controls performed well. This is done by calculating all these costs, adding them up and calculating the cost per unit. Cost accounting systems also facilitates the decision-making systems in any form of organization. The decisions made are both long-term strategic and short-term decisions. In decision making estimated costs are compared to the actual costs and this is only applicable in organizations, which undertake budgeting as one of their strategic objectives (Martin & Wolf, 2008). Product costs are major components of any pro duct manufacturing system. Product costs are traced all the way from the costs of manufacturing up to the point when production is complete. When the company uses the throughput method costs are traced from the least cost methods all the way to the product cost, on the contrary the activity-based method would trace the cost of the product from the highest amount to the least product cost. There are four major costing methods:- Throughput method, direct costing method, full absorption costing method and the activity based costing method (Martin & Wolf, 2008). Throughput method was developed to complement the constraint theory, the method only charges direct material costs to the product cost with the other remaining costs being expensed in the process. The method is simple since it involves the subtraction of direct costs from the sales and there we have our product costs. This method is not recognized for external reporting since it does not provide proper matching as defined by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), this is despite the fact that it provides rich data for internal reporting (Martin & Wolf, 2008). The other method is the Direct or variable method. Here capitalization if done on only variable manufacturing costs with the other costs being expensed in the period when they are incurred. This method is not also recommended for external reporting since like the throughput method it does not follow the matching principle as per the GAAP. Full absorption method also referred to as the full costing method applies all the manufacturing costs to the product hence the costs do not become expenses until all the goods are sold and therefore the method adheres to the GAAP principles in a bigger way. This method is therefore useful for external reporting by most companies. It is frequently used for internal reporting as well (Martin & Wolf, 2008). Activity based costing is the most modern approach and it is used mainly in product costing. This p roduct cost method was devised to help in the determination of accurate product costs a challenge that is rampant in the operations of most companies. This method quantifies the costs by firstly tracing the costs to their respective activities and thereafter in the second phase, the costs are traced to the products that use the activities. This method is based on the fundamental claims that activities in normal occurrences consume resources and the

Justification of CSR to Key Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Justification of CSR to Key Stakeholders - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in his statement, Friedman asserts that the business of the company is the business of the enterprise. In saying this, he attempted to show that corporate social responsibility is not desirable at all. Moreover, he argued that the only CSR of a company is to maximize profit and any use of its resources for the benefit of the other stakeholders is a waste of resources by the management. However, there are several ways in which corporate social responsibility can be justified to the key stakeholders of the company as outlined below. One of the ways in which CSR can be justified to stakeholders is on the benefits that accrue to the consumer before they are eventually transferred to the company. CSR enables the company to provide quality products to customers. The products are also measured in their right quantities, appropriately packed and are fairly priced. In doing this, companies observe corporate social responsibility to their consumers. On the other han d, benefits are accrued to the firm in the form of customer loyalty and increased demand for the products produced by the company. CSR to the customers translates into increased sales in the long run. Secondly, CSR to the suppliers also benefits the company. Companies regularly deal with many suppliers hence the need to observe CSR with these suppliers. One way of doing this entails offering fair chances in tender allocation, prompt payment and also avoiding default in payments. The emergent benefits can be used to justify the need for CSR in any business. One of the advantages of this is that a firm can receive goods on credit from the supplier due to the good relationship attributed to CSR. Also, the providers tend to offer quality supplies to their best customers and hence the business would immensely benefit. Notwithstanding, the market is likely to receive services from providers at a subsidized rate when it observes corporate social responsibility towards them. In this light, there is a need for any business to be socially responsible to its suppliers.

Communication and Relational Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Relational Dynamics - Essay Example Relational maintenance is one thing I have learned that I would use in future. Instead of drawing apart from people who I will come close to in the workplace, I would rather maintain the relationship. Discussion on managing dialectical tensions has enhanced my understanding of my communication style. In the face of tension and confusion, I have learned how to go to one side by denying the other. Balancing is another way I can manage tensions; by partially responding to both parties. Recalibration can also help to avoid any opposition from one party. Reaffirmation is yet another way that relates to being positive about a situation. These ways have enlightened me how I can respond to tensions in different circumstances.I am going to use metacommunication as a way to resolve conflict in a more constructive manner. We can resolve the conflict between my coworker, and I through this. What I like most in this discussion are the characteristics of relationships. It is interesting how relati onships turn out to be. You can be romantically involved with someone you will end up marrying you, but it reaches a point where disagreements come in making the relationship to come to an end. They keep on changing and are affected by culture. The least liked discussion was of the types of relational messages which I did not grasp how they occur. I suggest the topic on types of relational messages should be done individually to enhance my understanding and feature in YouTube for easier access.

Technologies For Students With Disabilities Assignment

Technologies For Students With Disabilities - Assignment Example Nowadays, such students can take great benefit from assistive technologies varying from high technology tools to simple and usable low tech gadgets. The main purpose of such tools and technologies are to assist students with disabilities to give up to their full potential, increasing their self-confidence and motivation to learn and prosper. Simple and easily usable tools for students will learning disabilities include:†¢ Tape Recorders: Students with any sort of memory disabilities can use a tape recorder to help themselves to memorize more quickly and efficiently.†¢ Calculators: Calculator makes complex calculations easy for students who are not goofing with math.High tech tools and latest technologies which could assist students will disabilities include:†¢ Software that can read aloud written text†¢ Speech recognition software that converts verbal text in written text†¢ Grammar correctors that can edit spellings and tenses for students who are weak in gra mmar and tenses. These tools and technologies, specially designed to help disabled students do not cost much and are easily available for a very reasonable price. Such technologies are important for these students because they reduce the dependency need of these students on someone. The skills of the students are polished, as they get the self-confidence that they can finish things on their own. Students are also motivated and they become more comfortable in adjusting to the class environment

New Federalism in USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New Federalism in USA - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that the congress is an important body in the new federalism. The success of the statutory federalism depends on its restraint not to overuse its powers. It is because of the lack of restraint that the courts come in to limit the congressional powers. This can however prove to be less effective. For example, in Brady’s bill, the congress can use its spending powers to achieve the same purpose that it had intended to achieve by using the statute. Similarly, in the case of Lopez, the congress had intended to use the Gun Free School Zones Act to make it criminal possessing guns near the school periphery. The congress could use the commerce clause in this instance to link this law to the interstate commerce. It is for this reason that Ferejohn states that the judicial mechanisms used to regulate congress are blunt tools. Under the commerce clause, as stated the congress has the power to regulate all economic activities that involve the different states. This cl ause gives the congress broad powers over all the commercial interests of the nation. The commerce clause has brought in a lot of debate on the powers of the congress and whether the courts can limit the same powers. This report makes a conclusion that the new federalism has made significant progress in the politics of the United States of America. However, it has been faced with what seems like a tug of war between the congress and the federal government. The judiciary through case law, solves the disputes that may come in. The devolution aspect of the new federalism has greatly shaped the economy of many states as the federal government provides block grants to the states. These block grants are meant to solve various social issues in the states.

Associated British Foods plc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Associated British Foods plc - Case Study Example It grows sugar from beets in the UK and Poland, and owns and operates cane plantations in Zambia and Swaziland in Africa and in Guanxi Province in China. The company also produces bioethanol from wheat and cane production waste, and sells animal feeds and feeds microingredients to farmers in over 40 countries. ABF's revenues increased 13% to 6.8 billion in line with operating profit, which increased by 11% to 622 million in 2007. These accomplishments reflect the company's presence in high-growth markets such as China, India, Latin America, and Africa. Despite the strength of the sterling having an adverse effect on financial figures, the increases reflect good management and operating performance. The company is active in the search for alternative bio-fuels at a time of rising petrol prices, allowing ABF to benefit from and take advantage of the increasing demand for environment-friendly energy sources. The value of the profit margin was calculated from the adjusted profit before tax amounting to 613 million whilst total sales amounted to 6,800 million. The profit margin for the year is slightly lower than the previous year's figure of 9.36% from profits of 561 million on sales of 5,996 million. The profit margin went down slightly because of losses from currency transactions when translating non-sterling revenues to sterling revenues. Since the sterling is stronger than other currencies, most especially the U.S. dollar in which some of the company's revenues are recorded, the amount of sterling that could be earned for each dollar would be slightly lower than if the dollar were strong. Non-UK sales (3,547 million) were over half the total sales. According to the financial statements, operating costs were much higher this year than last year. This was explained in several places of the report as due to the number of acquisitions spent this year, resulting in higher employee expenses for example. The total number of employees in Europe, Middle East, and Africa went up from 4,917 in 2006 to 37,084 in 2007 because of acquisitions in these regions. Asset Turnover = 1.97 times The asset turnover was calculated using the sales figure of 6,800 million and the total capital employed of 3,460 million. This means that every 1 invested in the company's assets returned sales of 1.97 or almost twice the invested capital. This figure gives an indication of how well the company utilised its assets. In the absence of comparative figures with other companies, this figure does not signify much. However, the asset turnover in 2006 was much higher at 2.1 because the company had higher margins and lower assets (valued at 4,579 million) before the company went on an acquisition spree that increased the total capita

Identify Unnecessary Services from a Saved Vulnerability Essay Example for Free

Identify Unnecessary Services from a Saved Vulnerability Essay Nmap/Zenman is an application that allows users to scan networks to see what ports and services are open. It can be used by network security to find holes in their networks and plan what to do with them or it can be used by hackers to scan other networks to get a clear look at a networks topology and map out where everything is and plan for an attack. In this case, we have a scan of our network at Corporation Techs and need to look at what services that we have and make a decision on whether or not we should keep or get rid of them. According to the scan we have, we have a bunch of difference services that we use. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is how our employees sent their mail. Post Office Protocol (POP) is the services on how we receive them. These are both important in any business so they could send and receive messages so I would not recommend closing them. As I look through more services that we have on our network, I notice that we have Sophos installed on our app server. Sophos is a company that works in anti-virus software. They been in business for a few years and to my knowledge they do a good job. However in this case we have enough anti-virus software and our network is very stable. Matter of fact, the scan also shows that we have other IDS and other services that will protect this network. I believe that Sophos is a good service but it is unnecessary at this time so I would suggest removing this. My plan for removing unnecessary services is simple. Go though our network to see we have and have not been using and make a list of services that are necessary to keep this network working. Any services that do not make the cut, gets cut.

A Ratio Analysis Of WH Smith

A Ratio Analysis Of WH Smith As a public limited company majority of the funds available for WH Smith to operate at any point in time is provided by owners in form of share capital and several forms for capital reserves and retained earnings. But for the purpose of this analysis, share capital will be referred to as funds provided by owners, which was  £35million for both 2008 and 2009. However it is important to note that the total equity increased from  £161m in 2008 to  £188m in 2009. The main reason for this was in increase in the retained earnings from  £329m in 2008 to  £365m in 2009. FUNDS PROVIDED BY CREDITORS Non -current liabilities (including trade and other payables, tax obligations, bank overdrafts and borrowings and short-term provisions) added up to  £303m in 2008 and  £281m in 2009, while non-current or long-term liabilities amounted to  £24m in 2008 and  £25m in 2009. Thus, total liabilities and accrued payments reduced from  £327m in 2008 to  £306m in 2009. This is largely due the fact that  £25m bank overdrafts were drawn in 2008 while no overdrafts were drawn in 2009. This means WH Smith is relying mainly on retained earnings and share capital as the major source of cash for the business year. PROFITABLITY Profitability measures the profit margin of the business (WH smith) in a financial year. In this analysis however, the profitability of WH Smith will be calculated and compared for the 2008 and 2009 financial years by relating pre-tax profit as a percentage of sales; and also pre-tax profit as a percentage of fixed asset. This can be represented using the formula below: CONCLUSION WH Smith has improved its profit margin by a small percentage of 0.5% in 2009 from 5.62% to 6.12% as a result of more sales in higher margin categories such as confectionery and books. This means that out of  £100 sales the company made  £5.62p in 2008 and  £6.12p in 2009. Fixed assets generated 4.57% more profit in 2009 than in 2008, which signifies a more efficient use of capital and fixed assets. Thus we can conclude that the company is being managed well despite stiff competition from other large companies such as Borders and the prevailing economic circumstances. GROWTH Turnover Increase total sales reduced from  £1352m in 2008 to  £1340 in 2009 Profit after tax increased from  £59m in 2008 to  £64m in 2009 Total fixed assets reduced from  £247m in 2008 to  £232m in 2009 CONCLUSION From the above point we can conclude that total sales and total fixed assets have reduced considerably between 2008 and 2009, whereas, profit after tax has increased. This signifies that WH Smith is not focused on growth at the present (due to the prevailing economic conditions), rather they are focused on consolidation and profit maximization (which in essential in the survival of any business especially in the short run). This was done by getting rid of unused or unnecessary fixed assets e.g. properties, plants and equipment was reduced from  £177m in 2008 to  £163m in 2009 and utilizing the available resources efficiently. TRADING PERFORMANCE The performance analysis of any company does not carry adequate validity without making reference to the performance of other companies in the same sector, because a comparison of its performance must be measured against that of its competitors. Trading performance is calculated by using the gross profit as a percentage of share holders funds: Earnings per share for 2008 and 2009 were 35.3p and 41.3p respectively. Please refer to page 9 of the financial statement for details. CONCLUSION In an industry where demand and sales are greatly influenced by consumer income and demographics, the performance of WH Smith will depend largely on the marketing strategy and their ability to offer specialized products at lower prices. In 2008 WH smith had a return on share holders fund for 2008 was 47.20% while it was -1.93 for Amazon.co.uk ltd for the same year. At the end of the financial year, earnings per share went up 17% from 35.3p to 41.3p LIQUIDITY Current ratio also known as the working capital ratio measures the amount of cash available to a business in form of stock and creditors and is referred to as the working capital. WH Smith has been able to increase its level of liquidity from 0.8 in 2008 to 0.93 in 2009. This increase could be attributed to an increase in the bank balance from  £22m in 2008 to 47m in 2009 however, not a large proportion of resources were tied up in stock during the same period as inventories only increased by  £4m from  £147m in 2008 to  £151m in 2009. However, WH Smith was able to increase its ability to meet short-term obligations and settlement of a major proportion of their current liabilities. It is important to note however that the ratio of current assets to current liabilities is still less than 1, this means that WH Smith still needs to improve on these figures further by reducing the total current liabilities or increasing their total current assets. Although it is widely believed that a reasonable current ratio should fall between 1.5:1 and 2:1, given the prevailing economic conditions in this period, we can safely conclude that WH Smith is doing exceptionally well. Also, the liquid ratio reveals that a large amount of resources are tied up in liquid form, which could affect the companys performance in the long run if the sales is not improved upon. SAFETY Gearing Gearing measures the relationship between a companys capital employed and its long time liabilities. It gives us an idea of any companys ability to pay back its long term liabilities. However, the acceptable gearing ratio for most companies is 50%, but the lesser the better. It is calculated as follows: WH Smith has been able to reduce the gearing of the business 1.81% from 14.90% to 13.29% and the gearing ratio for both 2008 and 2009 is almost at zero, this means that WH Smiths propensity to generate profit and returns on capital employed is high. Therefore, shareholders can expect some dividend at the end of the business year. Also, the business will not have to struggle to service long term liabilities (e.g. loans with interest) especially in bad years. EFFICIENCY This is also known as return on capital employed and is used to measure how effective a business has used its available resources to generate profit within a certain period. It is usually represented by the formula below: It can be deduced from the above figures that WH Smith has been able to use their fixed assets more efficiently in 2009 than in 2008 by 3.3%, despite the reduction in the total amount from  £247m to  £232m. Although the efficiency of the total assets has hardly improved in the same period, with the difference being 0.7%, the most noticeable increase in efficiency is that of fixed assets which has increased by 3.3%. CONCLUSION In the year ending 31 August 2009, WH Smith recorded a total (including non-book sales) turnover of  £1,340m which was lower than  £1,352m recorded in the previous year. Pre-tax profit increased from  £76m in 2008 to  £82m in 2009. And also, earnings per share increased from 35.3p in 2008 to 41.3p in 2009 Total sales reduced to  £1,340m from  £1,352m in 2008 (where like for like sales dropped 5%, travel sales grew by 8% and high street sales also dropped by 5%). Whereas, WH Smith has improved its profit margin by 0.5% in 2009 from 5.62% to 6.12%. This improvement in gross profit margin was enhanced by tight cost control and a reduction of the total fixed assets. WH Smith has also been able to increase its level of liquidity from 0.8 in 2008 to 0.93 in 2009. This increase could be attributed to an increase in the bank balance from  £22m in 2008 to 47m in 2009. Although a substantial amount is still tied up in stock, which could be a problem in the future. Therefore, WH Smith needs to come up with sale strategies that will quickly clear up the stock. In 2009 however, WH Smith was able to increase its ability to meet short-term obligations and settlement of a major proportion of their current liabilities. Although, WH Smith still needs to improve on these figures further by reducing the total current liabilities or increasing their total current assets. WH Smiths propensity to generate profit and returns on capital employed is very high with gearing being reduced by 1.81% from 14.90% to 13.29%, and also, the gearing ratio for both 2008 and 2009 is almost at zero, this means that shareholders can expect some dividend at the end of the business year even in bad years (Dividend per share increased to 16.7p in 2009). Also, the business will not have to struggle to service long term liabilities (e.g. loans with interest) especially in bad years. Finally it is worthy of note that WH Smith has been able to employ their fixed assets more efficiently in 2009 than in 2008 by 3.3%, despite the reduction in the total amount from  £247m to  £232m. RECOMMENDATIONS WH Smith is doing very well given their financial performance in the past year despite the prevailing economic circumstances. It is important to note that a large proportion of WH Smiths profit in the 2009 financial year was generated from the travel business (which includes outlets in train stations, airports, highway service stations etc.) where total sales increased by 8% driven mainly by new business wins and acquisitions. Therefore, WH Smith should focus on setting up more travel shops in areas not yet covered. Competition to sell the highest number of bestsellers is tough, as high-street bookshops are being undercut on price by supermarkets and online booksellers. Publishers appear to be offering supermarkets and online booksellers the highest discounts on their highest-profile books, allowing lower prices to be offered in these outlets. -Isla Gower ed. 2008, marketing report, pg1 Another important area that WH Smith should focus on is the online book sales, which makes companies like Amazon.co.uk ltd a major competitor. Although WH Smith already sells books online, there should be more marketing and promotion in this area, which would eventually lead to a market expansion if harnessed properly. Also, the digitization of books through the use of e-books has made remote downloads and print-on-demand possible, and this has remarkably reduced the cost of production and can easily put booksellers such as WH Smith out of business.

Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri The process of analysis for this English Extended Essay on Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri was definitely a journey where in I discovered and learnt a lot. When I was assigned this project, initially I was a little apprehensive about how to execute this extended essay. My teacher gave me a good briefing about the entire process which I had to follow for the execution of this analysis. I began by reading the novel in its entirety several times. Every time I read the different stories in this novel, it was like going on a new literary journey altogether. The realistic presentation of the characters by the author brought in life to them and at a point I no longer felt that I was a mere reader but transcended into the stories with the characters and played a mute spectator. Post having sufficient understanding of each story, I made note of the thematic aspects of each story, the stage setting and how this helped in portrayal of the mindset of each characters. I employed literary analytical aspects of thematic analysis, language analysis, stage setting analysis to give an in-depth analysis of the novel Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. In the concluding part of this extended essay, I wound up by indicating the effect of the stories on the readers and why the readers could relate to each character as this is an important aspect of story narration and effective engagement of the reader. Introduction: The Interpreter of Maladies reflects the trauma of self-transformation through immigration which ends up being an attempt in futility as resultantly there is a series of broken identities that form multiple anchorages. Lahiris stories present the futile diasporic struggle to keep hold of culture as primary characters that of her stories create new lives in foreign cultures. Relationships, language, rituals, and religion all help these characters maintain their culture in new surroundings even as they build a hybrid realization as Asian Americans. But the lack of harmony and happiness ultimately makes the attempt a futile experience. Interpretation of Maladies brings to the forefront many complex issues with identity confronted by the Diaspora community. The book has the tales and experiences of first and second generation immigrants who are Indians, as well as a few tales comprising involving ideas of otherness among Indian communities. The stories focus around the complexities of several relationships, communication and a feeling of a loss of identity for individuals in diaspora. Despite where the tale takes place, the major players struggle with the similar feelings of exile and the struggle between the dual worlds by which they feel torn apart. The stories essentially deal with the always shifting lines between gender, sexuality, and social status within a diaspora. Whether the player in the tale is a homeless woman belonging to India or an Indian male pupil in the United States, all the characters show the effects of displacement in a diaspora. The characters in her stories dwell with a sense of dissatisfaction on account of their personal lives and experiences. The settings, narration, the mindsets of the characters and the interaction characters have with each other assist the readers in comprehending their plight and the futility of the situation. Findings and Analysis: Interpreter of Maladies: Jhumpas thematic presentation of futility in the Interpreter of Maladies is somewhat subtle yet effective. The setting is just about perfect with the character placement effectively facilitating the futility in their relationships and aspirations. The Central characters in this tale are Mr. and Mrs. Das and the tour guide Mr. Kapasi. The writer through the interactions of the Das couple with their children Tina, Bobby and Ronny present to us the fact that their relationship with their children lack perfection and to a great extent seems futile as the children do not seem to obey their parents and Mr. and Mrs. Das seem more of sibling to their children than their parents as they are constantly squabbling among themselves. Mrs. Das is evidently not interested in the relationship which seems futile to her and the very fact that she describes Mr. Kapasis job as an interpreter of maladies as a romantic one leads Mr. Kapasi to fantasize about her which eventually turns out to be a futile e xercise. An aspect which does not fail to draw attention of the reader is the instance when the Das couple are engaged in an argument as to who would take Tina to the bathroom is indicative of each one desire to shun responsibility. Here, a sense of futility is existent in the parental relationship the couple share towards their children. Jhumpa has utilized the lack of communication as an aspect to present the futility of the relationship all the characters are dwelling in. Mr. Das is presented as a character always buried in his guide book while Mrs. Das hides her inner self behind her sunglasses. Mr. Kapasi is trapped in a loveless futile marriage spending lonely nights drinking tea by himself. The futility of the relationship the Das family is in is very evident in the action of Mrs Das especially when she fails to offer puffed rice which she was gorging on by herself. The element of family sharing a meal fails to be present. This action of Mrs. Das indicates indifference and an underlying sense of hostility towards her spouse and children. The relationships they share is thus understood as being a futile relationship. Mr Kapasi reveals the futility of his existence as he is working as an interpreter feels that his job is a failure as he is a scholar of many languages. The dissatisfaction he experiences in the job of an interpreter leads to a sense of futility within him. Futility is further expressed by the character when he states that the job of an interpreter was taken to pay of medical bills of his son who had contracted thyroid. His sons death made his sacrifice of sorts a futile effort. Mr. Kapasis fantasy ride commences with Mrs. Das. It becomes very evident to Mr. Kapasi that the Das Couples relationship lacks charm and harmony and is futile. He begins to fantasize about Mrs. Das when she admires his job as that of an interpreter. His fantasy leads to a peak when he and Mrs. Das are conversing while staring at the nudity depicted in the form of temple carvings. The sensuality of the situation is well created by the writer by placing her characters in a setting which is erotic leading to temptation but futile desires. He decided to begin with the most obvious question, to get to the heart of the matter, and so he asked, Is it really pain you feel, Mrs. Das, or is it guilt? This quote appears towards the end of the story where Mrs. Das reveals the fact that Bobby is the son of a friend of Mr. Das whom she was intimate with while her husband was away. Mr. Kapasi questions her about her feeling and Mr. Kapasi makes one final interpretation. Mr. Kapasi feels that Mrs. Das desires absolution and not questioning, relief and not reflection. She and Mr. Kapasi are both lonely but the fact that they have differences keeps them apart thus making the possibility of a relationship futile. Revelation leads to futility. The revelation made by Mrs Das about the legitimacy of her child to Mr. Kapasi was the blow which tarnishes the fantasy of Mr. Kapasi. For a short spell of time, Mr. Kapasi was on an imaginative trip which proved baseless and futile as he failed to accept the person who he was daydreaming about to have a scandalous past as such. The revelation of Mrs. Das proves her infidelity further shattering the image of the Das family proving the fact that the relationship is more of an arrangement than a bonding of love. The writer has aptly used setting to bring all her vital characters in the scene and weaving a storyline in a natural way facilitating the flow of human emotions at their various moment of interaction. The writer crafts every character in a natural and believable manner leading us to realize the fact that there are several relationships where people are bound together for the sake of fulfilling an arrangement commenced to fulfill a certain purpose but the lack of depth and gravity of the relationship proves the relationship to be a futile on as in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Das and their relationship, Mr. Kapasi and his profession as an interpreter and a tour guide and his fascination for Mrs. Das which later on sours as he learns about her real self. With regards to being in India, Mr. and Mrs. Das fail to connect with the country India as their home but have a tourists perspective which is very evident when Mr. Das snaps away a picture of the starving peasant instead of helping him. When Bobby is need of help when surrounded by monkeys, Mr. Das is excited about the picture he clicks instead of immediately helping the boy. This indicates a lack of understanding and connection with each other and the country they are in which they understand as being home. Thus the trip too can be safely understood as being an exercise in futility. The camera of Mr. Das is symbolically employed by the writer to present the fact that Mr. Das view the world through his camera and in not in direct touch with reality. The camera proves to be an obstruction and proves to be a futile aspect blocking Mr. Dass chance to view the real world devoid his camera. Interpreter of Maladies is a story with a setting and dialogues which may not be larger than life but is as close and real as life could be though the writer presents her work as a fictionalized account of her imagination and creativity. A Temporary Matter: In this tale, the writer in all clarity wishes to point out that lack of trust and deceit in a relationship makes the existence of that relationship futile. The futility of the relationship of Shukumar and Shoba is visible to the reader as the play the game wherein they reveal to each other their secrets. We the readers learn that the element of deception is predominant and this causes the relationship to be extremely strained and leads to a point of deterioration and a point of no return. The couple indulges in lying to each other and the lies have been with selfish motives in mind. They avoid bring in discomfort to each other and their selves by indulging in not speaking the truth. They have lied to each other, and the lies have been selfish ones-told not to spare the others feelings but to allow the person telling the lie to escape some discomfort or sacrifice. The sanctity of their marriage to a good extent is at stake and to a large extent they do not seem to care about this fac t. The sweater incident reveals to the reader that they lie about petty issues. Shukumar had returned the sweater to get some money which he could use in order to get drunk to the core. The couple drifting apart commenced after the loss of their baby and the began to care less for each other and this is revealed by the fact that they have been lying unceremoniously. They no longer connect with each other emotionally and this indicates the fading of their relationship. When Shoba displays the fact that their sorrow was on account of a deceptive game, she is following a pattern which is established. All through the week of electricity cuts, Shoba can be seen attempting to reach out Shukumar. But in truth, she is working out her final separation from Shukumar. During the same time frame, the game that seems to be putting them together also displays a past filled with lies. Matters have hardly been as they seemed between these two individuals. To add to this, readers understand early in the tale that Shoba has always been the person to plan way ahead and that she maintains a separate bank account. Readers are left to think as to whether the pattern of deception will end or increase beyond repair. The story indicates a shift decisively towards a happy finale when, on the fifth evening, the writer declares, They had survived a difficult time. Shobas silent behavior that particular evening has been disrupted as the calm after a storm. But that understanding is as misleading as Shobas pattern of conduct has been. We, the readers, like the character of Shukumar, have been given complex signals and only understand at the end which set of aspects was reliable. The stage setting adds to the realm of this tale. To depict futility of the relationship of the protagonists, the writer places the Bradford couple as neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Bradford are neighbors of Shoba and Shukumar. Shoba and Shukumar often witness them strolling by, holding arm in arm, on their path to the bookshop on the second night of the power cut or failure. The Bradfords appear to be a happily married pair and as such make provision of a contrast to the main lead pair i.e. Shoba and Shukumar. The writer specifically mentions that the Bradfords kept a card of sympathy as a goodwill gesture in Shoba and Shukumars mailbox when their baby was lost. The light and dark stage setting present a realistic scenario where the reader can identify with the inner feeling of the characters. As the primary characters have their conflicts within their selves and with each other, the lightning assists in quick identification of their inert feeling. Here the writer, I opine has very meticulously employed the element of light and darkness to reveal the thought, apprehensions and turmoil of the characters making the presentation of the entire story line noteworthy. You went to answer the telephone in the other room. It was your mother, and I figured it would be a long call. I wanted to know if youd promoted me from the margins of your newspaper. Instead of looking for clues about her future husband or finding something of earth-shattering importance, she looks to see if she is making up the little details of Shukumars life. Again, it is clear that the little things mask the greater realities. Alienation further triggers of futility of the relationship. Shoba and Shukumars grief has led them to withdraw from each other. Until the nightly power outages began, they avoided each other. Shoba leaves for work early each morning, returns late, and often brings home extra work to occupy her evenings and weekends. When Shoba is home, Shukumar retreats to his computer and pretends to work on his dissertation. He has put the computer in the room that was to be the nursery because he knows that Shoba avoids that room. She comes in briefly each evening to tell him goodnight. He resents even this brief interaction, which Shoba initiates only out of a sense of obligation. Shoba and Shukumar do not attempt to comfort or support each other. Each withdraws from the relationship, and they endure their grief as if they were two strangers living in a boardinghouse. An important aspect to be noted about this story is the fact that the writers tone in presentation of this tale of grief, tragedy and deception is in totality neutral. This neutral tone is essentially employed to by the writer as the writer, I believe desires the readers form their own individual perspectives of each character and decide who and why they wish to empathize with. This style of presentation makes provision for an unbiased formation of a point of view on the part of the reader facilitated primarily by the writer. Many a times, writer tend to shadow their narrative with their personal and judgmental opinion which I believe that the writer here has refrained from doing so making this an exemplary work of art. Mrs. Sen: Mrs. Sen, the titular character of Lahiris story demonstrates the power that physical objects have over the human experience. This aspect is employed by the writer to display a sense of futility in the thoughts and existence of the titular character. During the entire story, Mrs. Sen is preoccupied with the presence or lack of material objects that she once had. Physically though Mrs. Sen is there where she is but mentally or rather emotionally she seems to be dwelling in another world, a world of the past. Whether it is fish from her native Calcutta or her special vegetable cutting blade, she has the tendency to cling to the material possessions that she is accustomed to, while firmly rejecting new experiences such as canned fish or even something as mundane as driving a car. At home that is all you have to do. Not everybody has a telephone. But just raise your voice a bit, or express grief or joy of any kind, and one whole neighborhood and half of another has come to share the news, to help with arrangements This moment illustrates that Mrs. Sen is referring to her neighborhood at home as a much more closely-knit community than that of the area where Eliot lives. Here she uses a slightly superior attitude when referring to her culture as opposed to Eliots, which helps her remain confident about staying true to her Indian roots while she physically lives in a different place. Lack of the ability of the central character of Mrs. Sen to transcend successfully and accept her new world presents the futility of the situation. Mrs. Sen being homesick is certainly understandable given her meaningless social life, her reflective nostalgic feeling deepens the situation to such an extent that she fails to relate to the individuals she meets in America and the eventually end up as no barrier to her acclimation. The person selling fish at the market fails to immediately address her as Mrs. Sen but he surely reserves special fish for her. The man of the law does not book her but just asks her questions after her car accident does not indict her. The writer presents all characters in the story as people who make life easy for her and facilitate the process of her settling down comfortable in America. But Inspite of all this, Mrs. Sen fails to settle in to any degree, drapes herself always in saris, serving to the mother of Eliot, Indian canapà ©s and putting aside com pletely the prospect of learning to drive. By conducting her life differently through recollected tales imprinted on her her saris, and her aerograms which are grainy, Mrs. Sen deliberately stays away from any kind of assimilation through the empowerment of material objects and what they mean to her. In this tale, 11-year old Eliot commences living with Mrs. Sen a professors wife after school. Mrs. Sen who is the caretaker cuts and makes meals as she tells Elliot tales of her past life in Calcutta, thereby assisting in crafting of her identity. Like A Temporary Matter, this stale is full of lists of produce, catalogs and recipes with descriptions. Stress is placed on ingredients and the mode of preparation. Other aspects are definitely emphasized as well, such as Mrs. Sens collection of saris which are multicolored brought in by her from India. The The entire storyline rotates around Mrs. Sens customary practice of purchasing fish from a seafood market locally. This fish helps in reminding Mrs. Sen of her house back and holds great importance to her. But reaching the seafood market needs driving, a skill that Mrs. Sen has failed to learn and is not interested in learning either. Towards the finale of the story, Mrs. Sen tries to learn to drive to the market without her better h alf but this attempt leads to a car accident. Eliot soon stops living with Mrs. Sen after this. Conclusion: To conclude with, I am of the conviction that Jhumpa Lahiri, the Pulitzer prize winner for this literary work of art The Interpretation of Maladies has undoubtedly excelled in creating a work of literary expression which presents human emotion and interaction in its rawest form. This makes each story believable and close to the readers heart. She has very well employed the human emotion of sorrow in most of the stories as this I believe is one emotion which every individual can deeply identify with and relate to. Her characters such as that of Mrs. Sen, Shoba, Sukumar, Mrs Das and the others are very realistic as they are presented as ordinary humans with issues which every other individual deals with. The added aspect to this realistic presentation is the fact that her characters are primarily migrants finding it hard to get acquainted to a European culture and are being confronted with culture issues and discrimination. She has woven a beautiful story line in each story and the rea ders are drawn enigmatically into her world and her style of storytelling which is essentially different in a unique way than their contemporaries. The stage setting employed in each story differs and is highly apt to the story complementing the story and presenting the characters in a comprehensive way. The Temporary Matter, Mrs. Sen, Interpretation of Maladies etc. has stage setting which make the story realistic and not deviate the attention of the writer. This is an important aspect which can be understood in her works. The language employed by the writer to present her characters is another vital aspect. The language is simple and precise without being dramatic. More importantly the body language of the character plays vital part in communicating the essence and the feeling within the characters. Each story of hers has message or a theme which is learnt by the reader in the process of acquainting himself in her stories. Her bring out themes of deception, love, tragedy, discrimination in a manner most beautiful and subtle.

Math Perceptions of Taiwanese and American children Essay -- essays re

Article Critique The objective of this article critique is to review and evaluate several empirical studies which have examined mathematics perception cross-culturally. The main study that focuses on examining mathematics perception cross-culturally is a study that was done in 2004 by Dr. Yea-Ling Tsao. In this study, researchers proved that Taiwanese students consistently score higher in cross-national studies of achievement than American students. Several other studies were done that also support this theory. Therefore, the main purpose of this article critique is to evaluate Tsao’s study in order to properly assess both the validity of Tsao’s design and the inferences drawn from the study. This critique will also show that, while different studies were done at different times, researchers still have come up with one consistent hypothesis: American students are constantly scoring below the national average in academic testing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order for Tsao to complete her study, she came up with specific research questions and hypotheses for her study. The study done in 2004 was to determine why is it that Chinese students are constantly amongst the top scorers in cross-national studies of achievement and American students are constantly below the national average. Dr. Yea-Ling Tsao gives an example early on in her article about how different studies have shown that American students are consistently performing poorly on tests of mathematics and science. She also gives an example of how in a recent national study of mathematics achievement, American students in the middle school grades were performing lower than the national average in problem solving, geometry, algebra, calculus, and other areas of mathematics. In contrast, Japanese students from the same grade level had significantly higher average scores.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this study, Dr. Yea-Ling Tsao is trying to understand the reasons for the different perceptions of mathematics of Taiwanese children compared to American children. Tsao is concerned in taking a deeper look at the cross-cultural differences in mathematics perception and attitudes of younger children. Those tested were 21 students in Denver, Colorado, and 37 students in Taipei, Taiwan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher’s main concern in the study was to determine if attitudes and beliefs ... ... from. All of the studies that were analyzed were given to young subjects. While we do need the relevancy of young children, we also need to see the effect of the parent and care-givers of the young children. As we all know, most thoughts and perceptions of children stem from their parent’s thoughts and perceptions. That is why it is absolutely vital for researchers to first study how children are taught and who better to show this than their parents. Works Cited Stevenson, Harold W., Lee, Shin-ying & Stigler, James W. (1986). Mathematics Achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and American Children. Science, New Series, Vol. 231, No. 4739, 693-699. Stevenson, Harold W., Chen, Chuansheng & Lee, Shin-ying. (1993). Mathematics Achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and American Children: Ten Years Later. Science, New Series, Vol. 259, No. 5091, 53-58. Stigler, James W., Lee, Shin-Ying & Stevenson, Harold W. (1987). Mathematics Classrooms in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. Child Development, 58, 1272-1285. Tsao, Y. (2004). A comparison of American and Taiwanese Students: Their Math Perception. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 31, 206-213.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Courage and Strength in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Mar

The Courage and Strength in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque As I enter my last week as a twenty-year-old, I find myself nostalgically looking back on the past two decades while wondering what life has in store for me over the next two. Where will I be in twenty years? What will I have accomplished? Where will I be living? Will I be married? Have chil†¦ wait a minute, no, that one will have to wait a few more years. These questions have all passed through my mind at one point or another over the last few weeks, but I realize that they are really quite a luxury. Paul, the narrator of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, never had the opportunity to lean back from his desk and daydream about what the next twenty years of his life had in store for him. He was busy dodging bullets and artillery shells, trying to stay alive on Germany’s Western Front during World War I. Paul and I are united on the grounds of age and nothing more, yet somehow, while following him through his service in the War, I feel connected to him. After finishing the novel, I ruminated on this idea for some time and eventually came to the conclusion that the connection I feel with Paul is a mixture of empathy and envy. I empathize with him because he put down the pen and took up the rifle in service of his country, just as I would do if called upon. I envy him because he exudes the qualities of a brilliant soldier, meticulous narrator, and man of faith even in times of mortal danger, especially in times of mortal danger. In the midst of the worst bombardment he has yet to face, Paul shines his brightest by illuminating in vivid detail not only the hellish onslaught unfolding around him, but also the intr... ...helling becomes a wonderfully connected verse of one soldier’s struggle to preserve himself against all odds. What more can be said about Paul? Soldier, narrator, believer, he is the embodiment of each, and would not be complete as one or two without being the third. I do not envy his situation, but rather his ability. I hope I never have to experience the modern-day equivalent of his service, but I admire the courage and strength he pours into duty. Seeing what he went through makes me wonder if my generation would be capable of standing up to fight if we were called upon as he was. Would we persevere as he did? Would I? I believe the answer is yes and that is why I empathize with him nearly a century later: as one young man to another. Works Cited Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A.W. Wheen. New York: Ballantine, 1982.

Indigo Airlines

While the other airlines in the industry purchased rivals, flew different models of planes and tried to offer costly services, Indigo stuck to single model planes with a reputation of being a no frills airline. Indigo has stuck to operating the world’s largest selling single-aisle aircraft, the Airbus A320. This has helped the airlines to not just survive the economic slump in the industry but infact to post profits year-on-year end. Capacity utilization of IndiGo airlines fleet The utilization rate of IndiGo is around 16hours a day which is infact one of the highest in the industry. Thus even without using too many airplanes, the airlines can provide its ferrying service to a larger number of people. On an average its passenger loads have been around 90%. High seating Capacity of aircrafts Indigo operates a fleet of 62 aircraft and has been expanding its fleet rapidly. Even though the number of aircrafts are lesser than some other airlines, it offers higher seating capacity as most of its aircrafts are 180 seaters rather than the standard 60 – 70 seater aircrafts of most airlines. Indigo’s fleet is approximately 6. 5% of India’s combined fleet but it serves a market share 27%. Young fleet of aircrafts One of the strengths of Indigo Airlines is its fuel efficient young fleet of aircrafts as compared to other airlines. A young fleet of aircrafts has ensured increased service levels, high operational efficiency and low maintenance costs. Indigo recently bought 100 new A-320 jets from Airbus. Such volume purchases have helped Indigo in cutting its cost by availing volume discounts. Superior technology The consistent use of superior technology has helped Indigo achieve its USP of on-time performance. By making use of technologies such as ACARS Aircraft Communications Addressing And Reporting System), an automatic message is triggered from the aircraft to control centre and the departure time recorded immediately. Similarly during landing, this technology sends of an automatic message to the control centre which immediately records its arrival time. This has helped the airlines monitor and maintain strict on-time schedules. Excellence in operations Indigo has be en able to sign favorable contracts with engine, airframe and other critical component manufacturers securing warranty claims against defects. This has enabled indigo to minimize technical snags and enjoy superior operational efficiency. Owing to this Indigo has also been able to bring down its maintenance costs. Superior customer service One of the greatest strengths of Indigo airlines is the superior service it offers to its customers. The airline has the highest 95. 3 per cent on-time performance record and the lowest number of complaints per passenger. It offers unique services such as step-less stairs (walking ramp), web check-in, booking capability on handheld devices and automated real-time flight status on handheld devices. Human resources Another strength that Indigo airlines enjoys is its excellent management of human resources. It has a single central training program which gives training to its employees on functional skills, soft skills as well as leadership qualities. With a very robust system of internal promotions and flexibility in horizontal movement across the company, the airlines has seen zero or almost negligible attrition rate over the past server years. Tie-up with hotels Major hotels like Sarovar hotels etc have tied up with Indigo Airlines in order to provide a packaged service to customers. This type of bundling of services has created a value addition to customers who wish to sync their travel times and accommodation timings in order to receive the best deals at reasonable costs. This has in-turn increased the customer base for both the airline as well as the hotels. Superior brand image Good advertising and marketing strategies have increased Indigo’s brand recall and have helped in creating a superior brand image. With very high operational excellence, cost control, great experience, lowest cancellations Indigo enjoys a superior reputation amongst its customers, difficult for the competitors to replicate. Its unique advertising and marketing efforts have also helped in this regard. Weaknesses Easily Imitable Since Indigo has not concentrated too much on providing a differentiated experience with no-frills and on-time being their central theme, this is imitable by other players in the industry and thus a possible threat to its position as a cost leader. Limited number of International Routes Indigo Airlines operates on a limited number of international routes. This restricts the options and choices for international travelers. Only about 14% of its total fleet flies international. This is very low compared to its rivals and the general industry standard for airlines. International routes is an untapped segment where Indigo has not ventured too much into yet. Restricted Services In an attempt to operate as a low-cost airline, Indigo does not operate in many routes where the profit margins are below their set standard. This in turn in-conveniences many passengers. Also, the no-frills element of their services leads to other passenger inconveniences such as cramped seats, lower comfort during travel, non-refundable flights and higher charges of excess baggage.

Pacific oil company Essay

The Pacific Oil Company went into negotiations with Reliant Manufacturing, and its goal was to sign a more long-term agreement. Pacific assumed that the new contract would be signed with no major hurdles or objectives, and that the dominant point of negotiation would be price. Jean Fontaine, who is the marketing vice president for Pacific Oil, went into a negotiation process with Reliant. Jean started the process several years before Reliant Manufacturing’s contract was up, hoping to beat her competition to the lower price offers and leave with a contract extension of 5 years. Unfortunately, Jean did not properly research her client’s needs or adequately project what the outcome might be. Because of this, Pacific Oil Company was not prepared to address the concerns and requests that Reliant brought up during the negotiation. Though both parties wanted to move quickly toward signing a contract, Pacific Oil Company elongated this process because it did not have a thorough negotiation strategy that included a contingency plan or best alternatives. Pacific oil also neglected to draw out its best alternatives or bottom line in advance. Staying on the Same Page in Business Negotiations Pacific believed that other elements of the contract might be discussed, but that no dramatic changes would be expected. Because of Pacific’s lack of strategic planning, they wasted valuable time, money, emotional stress and energy. They also risked losing other opportunities that could have been more favorable for them. Adding to the problem was Pacific’s assumption that Reliant would sign a new contract quickly. Because of the time and money spent on traveling and negotiating back and forth, and the potential need for new technology development, which would be based on the contract’s outcome, Pacific Oil Company became increasingly desperate to finalize a contract with Reliant. As a result, Reliant obtained the advantage needed to make more demands during negotiations. Additionally, Reliant was aware of Pacific Oil’s dependence on its business, and took full advantage of these opportunities.

Jack and Jill Twisted Story Essay

The sun was setting in Ville ville, and Jack and Jill were off to a party. They were so pumped for this party; they decided to go to the Hill hill to get some magic moon water to drink at the party. The hill was not very steep, it was very humble, but the problems isn’t with the hill it is with the magic moon water, if taken at the right time, you will be cursed and turn into specks of dust. The water they got made them the best partiers on the planet, and the water that they were to drink was to make them the best partiers for eternity. The water was in many puddles in around the hill, if the water forms and the moon perfectly pass over it while you take it you’re safe. So as the stride up the hill as the day became night, it was about 7:00pm and the party wasn’t ‘till 11:00pm. They were starting to get worried that they might not make it to the party. While they were going up the hill, Jack staggered down the hill and broke his crown. Now they’re going to miss the magic moon water time and the party. Jack had tripped over a rock that maybe formed the people who failed to take the water on time and turned into specks of dust. Jill came rushing to see what was wrong, but she told him that he was being pathetic and that they were going to buy him a new crown from the costume shop on their way to the party. Jack ended up falling into one of the magic moon water puddles, so Jill had to pull him out of there before he turned into specks of dust. While Jill tried to pull him out, she struggled, because she’s trying to pull out a 125 pound guy who was stuck in a hole. Then later after a long time of Jill trying as much as she could to pull him out, the moon passed over and Jack was slowly turning into a small speck of dust, and Jill was standing there betwixt and unsure about what to do to help him. Jill collapsed to the ground and was trying not to roll down the hill, but she slipped on some water, and then started to roll down the hill stopping at the bottom of the hill crippled because the impact of the crash had crushed all the bones in her body, and she died a slow and painful death from all the internal bleeding and the pain.

In a Mans World

In John Steinbeck’s, Chrysanthemums, he generalizes the spirit of a woman and delivers to the audience her thoughts and underlying emotions of being a woman in a â€Å"man’s world. † The chrysanthemums reflects Elisa’s character and her dreams of being free to grow, make decisions, free to travel, make her own money and most of all the desire to be attractive. Elisa feels closed in and secluded from the rest of the world, just as Steinbeck describes the atmosphere at the introduction of the story, â€Å"The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world† (192). Feeling weak and powerless, Elisa unconsciously demonstrates the characteristics of masculinity in order to assimilate into a world not of a woman. For instance, she dresses in clothes that are too big for her feminine features and wears her husband’s huge hat which covers her soft womanly features. Therefore, all of her tools and gardening were, to her, considered â€Å"powerful† and strong. In lines 27-29, Elisa is clearly mimicking the power displayed the men talking in the shed (her husband and two men) â€Å"She looked down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then. Her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful† (193). Elisa’s deepest passion is to be strong and powerful. In line 29, the chrysanthemums are described as â€Å"too small and easy† as it seemed to Elisa, though, resembling her own self-image. She exhibits control in the presence of her husband, not to appear diminutive. As she responds to her husband’s comments (â€Å"You’ve got a strong new crop coming. †) regarding her chrysanthemums, she straightens her stance and condescendingly tells him that her chrysanthemums will be strong soon â€Å"Yes. They’ll be strong this coming year† (193). Being a woman is most difficult in life. For Elisa, being treated as the complete opposite of how she wishes to be treated is what frustrates her. However, she is a woman, and the fact that she responds with innate appropriateness is what frustrates her the most. Henry (her husband) tells her that he wants to take her to dinner and a show in the Salina’s, which clearly surprises her, he jokes about taking her to see fights and she responds to him as any woman would â€Å"Oh no. I wouldn’t like fights† (193). Elisa doesn’t realize her husband is being sarcastic in that particular suggestion â€Å"Just fooling, Elisa† (193). Henry feels because she is a woman she won’t be interested or perhaps he is suggesting that she appears to be too masculine, checking to see if she is still womanly. Elisa is also frustrated with her abilities underestimated, as Henry noted her excellent garden, he commented â€Å"I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big† (193). She perceives this comment as if he is saying to her that she cannot multi-task â€Å"Her eyes sharpened. â€Å"Maybe I could do it, too† † (193). When the stranger is at her home he tells her that the road is no good life for a woman, Elisa is offended by this because she feels as if she is just as capable as he is of living on the road and sharpening scissors and repairing pots as he does â€Å"You might be surprised to have a rival some time. I can sharpen scissors, too. And I can beat the dents out of the little pots. I could show you what a woman might do† (197). Elisa’s hopes of going out into the real world are implied to the stranger when he tells her of a customer who loves chrysanthemums and she agrees to give him some for his customer. The chrysanthemums become symbolic of her hopes, â€Å"I’ll put them in a flower pot, and you can take them right with you† (196). The pot that the chrysanthemums are placed in is described as â€Å"a bright new pot† symbolizing a new life. As the stranger was leaving with her chrysanthemums, she reiterated to him to keep the sand damp so the plants wouldn’t die, in other words, take care of her. As he left, she said good-bye to her life and assumed a brighter direction â€Å"that’s a bright direction, there’s a glowing there (197). Realizing how many undesirable relationships she’s had or maybe the impassionate marriage she is in, Elisa reflects on her need to be desired as she explains to the stranger the meaning of â€Å"planting hands† â€Å"Everything goes right down into your fingertips. You watch your fingers work. They do it themselves. You can feel how it is. They pick and pick the buds. They never make a mistake† (196), then she emphasizes â€Å"Your fingers and the plant. You can feel it. When you’re like that you can’t do anything wrong. † (196). The stranger knew what Elisa was saying to him, so he tried to tell her of how he felt, but the pride in her took over and she did not let him finish, only to assume what he was going to say to satisfy herself. Admiring herself in the mirror, Elisa wonders how attractive she is in the eyes of a man. Her interlude, so to speak, with the stranger made her feel attractive, sexy even. She became exited about her new â€Å"spirit† and dressed in her nicest garments, fixed her hair and put on lipstick. With a feeling of revival, Elisa waits for her husband on the porch with a new inspiration to become more than a â€Å"woman. † Wearing her emotions on her face, Henry approaches and notices the difference in his wife, â€Å"Henry stopped short and looked at her. † Then he responded with words of affirmation â€Å"Why-Why, Elisa. You look so nice! † (198). â€Å"I mean you look different, strong and happy. † (198). Elisa clearly stated that she only felt strong and did not say she was happy. Her strength is what she relied on and her new journey on the road is what revived her soul. Elisa found that the stranger who desired her and took some part of her with him had threw her (her chrysanthemums) out on the road. She then knew that changing her life wouldn’t be so easy, yet she wouldn’t give up. She will have wine with her husband to remove the tension of her marriage and maybe pursue intimacy, which she is clearly missing, and she will maybe attend a fight as if it that will make her feel like a new woman â€Å"Do any women ever go the fights? (199). When Henry tells her that women go, she changes her mind, because she would not be the first or only woman at the fights. The wine that they’ll have at dinner will definitely help her to forget about her day and her life for the time being. Elisa feels as if she’s missed out on a real life. Being a woman in her days has been hard for her, sheltered, sexually repressed and minimal limitations as a woman has been mentally tormenting. Trying to stay strong has took a toll on her and the chrysanthemums that she raises every year, stronger and stronger, longer and longer, gives her hope for a better year just like them. The buds or years of her life have been picked off and cut down, but she has managed to grow them back strong. Elisa feels as if time is running out for her and her frustrations and profound sorrow over takes her and she can no longer hold back her tears â€Å"She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly-like and old woman† (199).

Why was the Nile River Important for the Rise of Successful States in Essay

Why was the Nile River Important for the Rise of Successful States in North Africa - Essay Example Scholars from the modern world have to piece together what they can find in order to make educated guesses about what happened before history books started to be written. One factor seems to be significant in several quarters of the world in early human history and that is the existence of particular regions that ideally meet the needs of human society. River deltas have been established as the earliest recorded locations of major civilizations in ancient times, such as the Persians, the Greco-Roman civilization, the Indians, the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese (Sherman, 2003). Archaeologists believe that human beings first shifted from a nomadic, hunter gatherer lifestyle, to a more settled, agriculture based lifestyle in regions that were fed by great river systems. The nutrients from fresh water rivers were gathered over millennia and over time they created fertile plains which were ideal for growing crops. As early humans learned to plant and harvest crops, rather than just gat her fruits and seeds that grew in the wild, they soon developed technologies like irrigation and long term storage facilities. The Nile provided a constant the supply of water so that the planted fields were irrigated, and food became plentiful. Cities grew up to store this food, and with increasing food surpluses humans gained the ability to have specialized professions. People were no longer living from hand to mouth, having to hunt or gather the next meal every day, because stored grain provided a certain security. New skills and trades developed in these cities, and the region around the Nile is one of these great early centers of human development. Much of the land in central and northern Africa is marginally habitable, with many areas of mountain and desert. The long river bank of the Nile provides the possibility of regular water supply and the development of trade between towns from the interior right to the edge of the Mediterranean. Land travel was difficult and slow in an cient times, and so the navigable waters of the Nile were like an ancient highway, allowing goods, people and ideas to be transported back and forth. The great Egyptian civilisation was highly dependent on the Nile as a channel of communication as well as a source of water for all human needs. Two great commodities were also available in the Nile region: vast quantities of clay, and also the reeds that could be soaked, fermented, and made into papyrus. So it was that the Nile provided the basics for writing, first using clay tablets that had marks pushed into them with a sharp, wedge-shaped implement, giving mankind the early cuneiform writing format. The tablets could be baked in the sun, making them a more permanent record. The disadvantage of clay is that it is heavy and it breaks easily. The invention of papyrus for writing on was an important technology that facilitated the transfer of ideas through scrolls that were passed along ancient trade routes. In the two millennia befor e the common era, the people living along the river Nile, and around its delta, were much more advanced than all of Northern Europe, thanks to the way that they learned to make use of the natural commodities that were available in this particular geographical context. It would be impossible to imagine the glorious ancient Egyptian civilization without the impact of the river Nile. The great monuments that exist even today such as the pyramids and the ancient town ruins would not have been possible without the availability of the slave workers, a great many of whom who came from central Africa and were transported in barges down the Nile towards the coastal region. Many of the stone quarries that provided the raw materials for building were also located upstream. It

Product Differentiation and Cost Reduction as Booster of Companys Sale Dissertation

Product Differentiation and Cost Reduction as Booster of Companys Sale - Dissertation Example A primary source is a data obtained by the first-hand interview, observation, filling with questionnaires among other many sources. Secondary source, on the other hand, is the data that is originally collected and published by another researcher for other purposes. Voice recording, video and images determine the qualitative of the collected data while figures, statistics and measurement determine the quantitative of a collected data. Observation, carried out on a traffic jam, which can involve manual counting of the cars, is a source of data. Information from insurance companies is important since in the company's information about the car insurance is available. Interviews will be conducted on the different location from which important information, which may be, was not obtained in other sources will be available. For qualitative data, images of the cars can take. Conduct industries dealing with the cars spare part is also since if the number of cars increases in the location the demand of the spare part due to wear and tear increases.Distribution of questionnaires to the literate people provide information on the increase of the cars or decrease, and this can assist in getting relevant data on whether the step being taken by the company is productive. As research encompasses Mercedes Benz Company and focuses on its product over the others, therefore the data collected mostly should be from the mortars having t he product or any website with relevant information about the product.

Breack Even Point Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Breack Even Point - Coursework Example The breakeven point is also taken into consideration by the management for finalising the marketing budget and other vital expenses for a particular month, quarter or year. Breakeven analysis is also necessary for new entrants to determine the total capital requirement for starting a business. In reality, majority of the companies need approximately 18 months to reach a point from where they can start making profit. Until then, the company needs extra capital (working capital) to run the business. Breakeven analysis is one such vital tool that assists in understanding when the business will start generating profit, how much extra working capital should be arranged and how much money should be allocated for marketing and other vital activities. The given project will attempt to discuss breakeven analysis in depth to understand how it is conducted, what are the factors that should be used while determining the breakeven point. The concept will be discussed with help of a numeric exampl e so one can understand the real life application of this analytical tool in the decision making process. â€Å"Breakeven point is the point of zero profit† (Hansen, Mowen & Guan, 2007, p.591). In simple words it can be said that breakeven point is a sales volume at which the revenue earned by a firm equals the cost incurred within a specific time period. While developing the business plan for a new venture, the management takes into account different types of costs that will be incurred in the business process. The management then decides the profit margin on the products and hence the final selling price per unit is determined. Considering the total cost as well as the selling price per unit, the management determines the minimum sales so that the company can pay for all the expenses without making any profit. There are two commonly used approaches to determine the breakeven point; it can be

How do Game Technologies affect the living world nowadays in different Essay

How do Game Technologies affect the living world nowadays in different category compared to the past and the near future - Essay Example Just like other computer technologies, this field also keeps on improving year after year in terms of speed, graphics, logical and skills requirements. Games have great effects on their users and these factors have been impacting the societies since their invention. Some of the effects of gaming technologies in the past, as well as predicted effects in the future will be discussed in the paper. The current trends and effects of the gaming technologies will also be discussed. 2. Gaming Technologies in the Past The gaming technology initiated in the 1970s and has seen remarkable response from the customers ever since. Kooijmans provided the information that Nintendo was one of the pioneers in the gaming industry; they were known to sell 3 games every second from the year 1983 to 1995. This figure meant that every teenager in the world possessed one of their games. The first generation of computers was based on geometrical shapes, slower motion of objects and limited quality of sound ef fects, for example PONG and Pacman. The technologies were limited in those days since gaming technologies have always made use of the prevailing technologies in the market. Only one or more objects screen could be controlled by the player. 2.1 Impact on Health Gaming technologies were considered to be a occasional source of entertainment, whereas other activities included outdoor activities and sports. Media and gadgets had not taken over the society; rather they were used as means to get work done. Gaming technologies had limited features, controls and possibilities that were soon conquered by the user. The limited nature of entertainment played a role in the technology staying as a source of entertainment, and not becoming a addiction. The situations and graphics were not very close to reality. The sound effects also did not participate in making the whole experience addictive. Due to the lack of addiction, individuals spent less number of hours in playing games, thus no health is sues became evident among the users in those times. 2.2 Impact on Social Skills Gaming technologies in the past were not available on a variety of gadgets which limited its usage and impact on the user’s lifestyle. The immobility of the gaming technologies helped the individual to maintain his personal relations and outdoor activities. People were still socially active and would participate productively in discussions. 2.3 Impact on Aggression Level The aggression level in gaming technologies was not a matter of concern till the 1980s and 1990s when Nintendo and Sony PlayStation launched new generations of games, respectively. Earlier, the games mainly involved the journey of a character to a certain place, coupled with minor barriers. The games were not known to have any element of aggression in them. On the contrary, Gardner used classic games, like Mario Bros, to help in the psychotherapy of children in activities like motor coordination, foresee and handle matters on the basis of past experiences etc. These games would not be chosen for clinical purposes if they had high levels of aggression in them. 2.4 Impact on Education There is no significant role of the gaming technologies in the field of education in the early years of the invention. 3. Impact of Gaming Technologies in the Current Times The advent of innovative technologies has improved games to a great extent as the game developers can incorporate greater

Is There a Relation Between Art and Class Essay

Is There a Relation Between Art and Class - Essay Example Let us consider the facts. The United States of America has long been a part of the caste system of the world. But unlike other cases, the American caste is easy to discern and determine. There are only 3 classes of Americans in our society which are identified as the â€Å"lower, middle and upper† classes of society. For each type of class, there is a specific lifestyle and social portrayal that becomes imprinted in the minds of the people because of the way mainstream media subconsciously plants these ideas and images in our heads. Although the social classes in the United States are not openly discussed nor widely tacked in mass media, it is still covered by the artists such as painters and photographers who have a keen eye not only for the composition of a photograph but also for its deeper meaning. That is why the discussion of social class occasionally comes up at art shows and the like. Photos such as Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother, which depicts a migrant worker at re st at a migrant camp in Nipomo, California, has often been used to depict the struggle of the middle and lower class in the country. It is described by many as the embodiment of the aftermath of World War 2 in the United States. It is viewed as depicting â€Å"... both social documentary and the populist politics of the great depression† (Stein, 345). With the image of the Migrant Mother in mind, get a clearer example of how art serves to be an indirect commentary of the times that we live in and the existing social classes.  

Environmental Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental Studies - Assignment Example c) Ice and gas are two different elements with different qualities. It so happens that their age would also differ depending on their qualities. d) 2.53 years younger. e) It is smallest at the bottom of the core. This is because it is exposed to elements. STEP 2 b) Very reliable c) 160.73 and 28.1 years ago respectively STEP 3 10. Carbon dioxide and temperature are directly proportional 11. CH4 is more closely correlated with temperature. This is because it is lighter than CO2. 12. They are inversely proportional 13. 199.81 and 594.65 14. CO2 = 289.76 – 189.23, which is 100.53. CH4 = 273.4 – 197.37, which is 76.03 A combination of effects of the Antarctic, Southern Ocean, processes in the tropics and in the Norther Hemisphere, where the primary sources of methane are located, had a big influence. The close correlation between CO2 concentration and Antarctic temperature indicates that the Southern Ocean played an important role in causing the CO2 increase. However, the similarity of changes in CO2 concentration and variations of atmospheric methane concentration suggests that processes in the tropics and in the Northern Hemisphere, where the main sources for methane are located, also had substantial effects on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Part 3: Hypothesis Activity The time period with extremely elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, combined with the rings has a big influence on the patterns of increasingly hot summers and increasing torrential storms in the two cities.