Financial Analysis

Financial Analysis Financial Analysis-XACC/Accounting Essay Financial Analysis XACC/280 Anthony Issakhan Financial Analysis Comparing a minimum of two years of financial data is needed to make a financial analysis of a company against their competitor. In this paper I will be making a comparison of two companies, Coca Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc.. As this research paper was finalized, the financial analysis contradicted my previous thoughts and showed Coca Cola as the prime investment option. Further information provided in this paper will lay out the details found doing this research of why Coca Cola Company is the better option. When comparing companies it is necessary to identify key properties in both, to identify who the stable companies are. Investing money into a company is a big commitment and knowing its position is critical. Profitability, liquidity, and solvency are used in this process to determine the health of the companies that are being compared. Detailed financial documents will provide all the information needed to calculate the health of these companies. In order to document a company’s vertical and horizontal analysis, it is required to see what trend the company has had over the years. A ratio analysis is used from the liquidity, profitability, and solvency through analyzing this data. This will provide an educated prediction of what the company might do in the future, which will help determine if it would be a good investment or not. Financial Dictionary defines liquidity as â€Å"the measure for a company’s ability to meet short-term obligations using its liquid assets†. In other words, liquidity is a number expressing the ability of a company paying their short-term debts. This number is expressed as a percentage or ratio of current liabilities. Liquidity can be calculated into a ratio by dividing the current cash by current liabilities. This number is sometimes referred to as the current ratio. The importance of this ratio is that it shows the ability of the company to cover short-term debts if something bad happens. This number will help tell potential investors if the company is in a healthy position or not. Per Investopedia.com, â€Å"The higher the ratio, the larger the safety margin the company has to cover short-term debts†. The ability for the company to produce money from product, as well as their efficiency to do so, can also be considered liquidity ratio. Another determining fac tor of liquidity is when a company has trouble receiving payment on receivables. For PepsiCo Inc., in order to get the liquidity ratio we use the formula Current Ratio = Current Assets divided by Current Liabilities. To use this formula, retrieve the data from the balance sheet and input them into the appropriate place. Current ratio of PepsiCo Inc.: Current Ratio 2005 = 10,554 (current assets) à · 9,406 (current liabilities) = 1.12 = 1.12:1 Current Ratio 2004 = 8,639 (current assets) à · 6,752 (current liabilities) = 1.28 = 1.28:1 Coca Cola Liquidity Ratio: Current Ratio 2005 = 10,250 (current assets) à · 9,836 (current liabilities) = 1.04 = 1.04:1 Current Ratio 2004 = 12,281 (current assets) à · 11,133 (current liabilities) = 1.10 = 1.10:1 Total Assets from cash and cash equivalents 2005: 4,701 (cash and cash equivalents) à · 29,427 (total assets) = 0.1598 = 15.98% Total Assets from cash and cash equivalents 2004: 6,707 (cash and cash equivalents) à · 31,441 (total assets) = 0.2133 = 21.33% Percent of current assets in 2005: 10,250 (current assets) à · 29,427 (total assets) = 0.348 = 34.8% Percent of current assets in 2004: 12,281 (current assets) à · 31,441 (total assets) = 0.392 = 39.2% Now to find increase or decrease between the two years: 10,250 (total current assets 2005) à · 12,281 (total current assets 2004) = 0.835 = 83.5% From 2004 to 2005 there is a 83.5% decrease. Now subtract the 2005 from 2004 and there is a 16.5% decrease in total current assets. 9,836 (total current liabilities 2005) à · 11,133 (total current liabilities 2004) =

The majority of the World’s population now lives in an urban area. Critically evaluate the impact of this change both globally but also for the countries of the South. The WritePass Journal

The majority of the World’s population now lives in an urban area. Critically evaluate the impact of this change both globally but also for the countries of the South. Introduction The majority of the World’s population now lives in an urban area. Critically evaluate the impact of this change both globally but also for the countries of the South. Introduction Urbanisation is inevitable change   The relationship between urban change and urban povertyUrban environmental concerns: a case study of Bangkok, ThailandConclusion   ReferencesRelated Introduction UN-Habitat Report ‘State of the World’s Cities 2008-2009’ pointed that, more than half of the world’s population are people who live in the cities. Over 90 percent of urban growth is occurring in the developing world. Asia will retain the majority of the world’s urban population, account for 63 percent by 2050. During the next two decades, the urban population of the world’s two poorest regions- South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa- is expected to double. A number of Asian countries, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, also have very high rates of urbanisation; by 2020, Indonesia is expected to have five mega cities: a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people, and by 2025, its level of urbanisation will reach 68 percent. This global phenomenon is the result from the process of urbanisation. The trend and pace of urbanisation is compounded with various factors and marked by regional disparities. The primary factor is natural population growth, whereas another factor is the combination of rural-urban migration, infrastructure development, and other powerful socio-economic and political processes, including globalisation which drives urbanisation across worldwide (Williams, 1983). Urban growth is the rate of growth of an urban population. It is different to urbanisation which is the process by which there is an increase in proportion of a population living in places classified as urban: the movement from a rural to urban area. Population growth and city size are underpinning urban growth; which is integrated and dynamic process bringing parts into a whole. The data from UN-Habitat can be implied that half of the world’s population will be settle in urban area, especially cities. This trend led to urban transition or urban change that much involve with the scale and rate of urban growth, global economy and development issue. This essay will define the characteristic of urbanisation; examine its changing trend in both positive and negative impacts that resulted from this change. It will also critically evaluate the important urban issue that should be addressed firstly on a case study of Bangkok, Thailand, then conclusion. Urbanisation is inevitable change     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. This term is defined by the United Nations as a movement of people from rural to urban areas with population growth equating to urban migration (United Nations, 2004). Urbanisation is inevitable for development and rural to urban migration can serve as a form of poverty alleviation, provided governments support and facilitate the initiatives of the migrants in both the place of origin and destination. Owing to improvement in transport and better communication, rural to urban migration is no longer a one-time move by and entire family to an unfamiliar destination. This improvement also facilitates contacts by migrants with their place of origin and circular and return migration. As countries develop, rural to urban linkages tend to become stronger (UN-HABITAT, 2003). Small cities and towns can play an important role in regional development and be tter population distribution, it governments support local initiatives by developing basic infrastructure and services. Rapid urbanising countries are spread across the world, and represent a wide range of social, economic and geographical contexts. It resulted in term of urban growth which is attributed to both population growths; refers to natural growth and rural and urban migration, and city growth; refers to infrastructure improvement and city size expansion (Henderson, 2002). Urbanisation contributes to sustained economic growth which is critical to poverty reduction. The economics of scale and agglomeration in cities attract investors and entrepreneurs which is good for overall economic growth. Cities also provide opportunities for many, particularly the poor who are attracted by greater job prospects, the availability of services, and an escape from constraining social and cultural traditions in rural areas. However, urban population growth does not always ensure urban economic growth. The urban poor are often rely on the informal sector for their survival and therefore undertake casual or uns killed labour, or even unregistered and illegal work (Amis, 2004). This weakens their rights and benefits, and constrains their capability to escape poverty. The relationship between urban change and urban poverty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A number of Asian countries have very high rates of urbanisation; 15.4 percent of total population lived in urban areas in 1950 and will have increased to 49.7 percent by 2025 (Asian Study Centre, 2010). The mega-urban regions of Manila and Jakarta have a number of population over 21 million each, while Bangkok has more than 10 million.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Population density can help ensure lower per capita costs for delivery of basic services and easy access to information. Citizens may find it easier to mobilise around shares problems and pool resources to find solutions (Overseas Development Institute, 2008). Urban centres provide economic advantages and job opportunities. Urbanised countries tend to have higher incomes, more stable economies and institutions and are better able to withstand external economic shocks and volatility. Unfortunately, the global economic downturn is seem to increase the number of jobless in the urban migrants who have involved in unskilled labour firm or unregistered and illegal work. There are also pressing environmental concerns associated with urbanisation, evidenced in most of the world’s energy is consumed by urban settlements. Moreover, they are also generates the bulk of the waste in urban areas. It can be said that urban refers to a context, not a specific area or sector; urban issues are multi-sectoral and require integrated approaches that address a wide range of human needs for people living in urban settlements. It has special relationship between urban growth and poverty in term of development (Asian Development Bank, 2004). Urban change has some particular features. Firstly, the scale of change is unprecedented. Secondly, the rate of change is rapid. Finally, the nature and direction of change is more dependent on the global economy; the capitalist context (Sassen, 2001; Yeung, 2000). It can be said that urban change is resulted by urbanisation; which is driven by globalisation. Many of these factors are obviously related. Urban change refers to a context, not a specific area or sector; urban issues are multi-sectural and require integrated approaches that address a wide range of human needs for people living in urban settlements. It can be cause of urban trend; which is linked to some particular aspects of development both socially and economically as following: Unemployment; a large number of workers in developing countries, including a high proportion within urban areas, operate within the informal sector, which often entails casual or unregulated labour that can be illegal or even dangerous (Amis, 2004). The global economic downturn is in creasing the number of jobless worldwide and the urban poor are likely to be affected (DFID, 2009). Social exclusion; urban poor face social exclusion on various levels. The marginalisation stemming from status as a slum dweller may be compounded by discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, and HIV status. The specific groups such as street children and HIV/Aids are particularly vulnerable (UNICEF, 2002). Climate change and the environment; poor people living in cities in developing countries often live inadequate areas such as flood-prone or water-logged areas and are vulnerable to losing their houses due to rising sea levels or natural disasters. Some live without access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation and faced the environmental pollution (IIED, 2009). These urban trends is challenge to urban development, it offers the chance for greater focus on the urban context. This challenge is heightened by the fact that adequate responses to urban change impacts are likely to depend on strong and committed local government and communities. Urban environmental concerns: a case study of Bangkok, Thailand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The urbanisation process is an important force driving to urban growth in Southeast Asia region. It seems to have been accompanied by excessively high levels of concentration of the urban population in very large cities. Thailand is estimated to be about 43 percent urbanised by 2006, and will have 50 percent of the population living in urban areas by the year 2015 (NESDB, 1998). Bangkok is a megacity which has grown rapidly in its 200 years. As in many developing countries, economic development has been accompanied by severe environmental and social problems. Bangkok’s path of urbanisation has focus on economic development almost exclusively on Bangkok, which has grown as a primate city to more than 30 times the size of the next most substantial urban centre (BMA, 2009). Its growth related to uncontrolled urban growth both in term s of the spread of the city and of successive changes in land use within it. There has been little form al planning (Roachanakanan, 1999). Ongoing environmental degradation and increasing pollution detract from the quality of life of urban Thai people. Urban environmental concerns are also spreading well beyond Bangkok to the broader Bangkok region and other urban areas. There is also a lack of capacity and often initiative to undertake the needed analysis, mobilisation, and action to tackle these emerging problems. With the ongoing focus on economic development at the local level, this situation can be expected to worsen (Poungsomlee and Ross, 1992). Cities can be view as systems involving people’s interactions with one another and with the built environments they have created. The built environments interact with the natural ecological processes of their sites. Intervention in one part of a system inevitably affects other parts. This analysis will divide the impacts into two parts, firstly: the impact on nature; and lastly: the impact on city people. Due to the growing population, demands for water, food, housing, energy, clothing, and consume goods are increasing alarmingly. Rapid population growth not only lesson available calorie supply from food per person but also risks the present food production with pollution (Brookfield and Byron, 1993). The production of these needs water and creates more pollutants. Many Western companies produce their products in Bangkok because of more flexible environmental law and cheaper production costs. This puts extra pressure on the environment of Bangkok. Of critical importance are problems associated with waste water, air quality, and solid waste. Public health is increasingly threatened by declining environmental conditions, especially air pollution in urban centres, about 39 percent of Bangkok residents suffer from respiratory diseases, a rate that is seven times higher than in rural areas (NESDB, 2005). Only about 60 percent of urban solid waste is disposed of to a high standard, with even a smaller proportion being properly handled in the urban fringe areas (BMA, 2009). In the area of waste water, while vast slums have been spent on treatment plants in cities throughout the country, virtually none are operational. Linked to the underperformance of city planning is neglect of managing the built environment in most Thai municipalities, severely affecting quality of life and overall public health and safety. Public participation in decision making is an important urban trend in Bangkok. Due to urban environmental issue, there has not been strong tradition of public participation in the decision-making process at any level. However, with the advert of the new Constitution in 1997, there are explicit provisions for public input into the local decision-making process, especially in managing the local environment and resources. While there is now a strong constitutional and legal basis for civic participation, the reality is much weaker. On the positive side, through the recent â€Å"Small-Medium-Large† programme, community-level planning is being introduced for the first time as a means of better integrating grassroots input into the development process. However, coordination within the municipal development plans is not being encouraged as funding is going is going directly to villages, bypassing the local administrative planning process.    Conclusion      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The important force underpinning the changing pattern; described as population growth and city expansion, is driven by globalisation process. Rapid changes are spread across the world, and represent a wide range of social, economic and geographical contexts, especially the developing countries. Southeast Asia region is the significant model of urban growth, it has very high rate of urbanisation resulted in many megacities such as Manila and Jakarta which have a number of population over 21 million each whereas Bangkok has more than 10 million inhabitants. Overpopulation problem has been address to urban concern in some megacities, especially urban environmental issue in Bangkok. Ongoing environmental degradation and increasing pollution are directly affected to Bangkok residents. This put greater pressure on the environment of Bangkok. The critical problem brings about the relationship between people and city, and making them to be one system: intervention in one part of a system inevitably affects other parts. Linked to the underperformance of city planning is neglect of managing the built environment in most urban residents affected quality of life and overall public health and safety. The important trend due to urban environmental issue in Bangkok is increasing public participation in decision-making. With the adoption of the 1997 Constitution and the 1999 Decentralisation Act (amended in 2001) made possibly change to greater public participation. However, the question still ongoing due to increasing concern on good governance of local authority. References Amis, P. (2004) â€Å"Regulating the Informal Sector: Voice and bad Governance†, In Devas, N. (ed.), Urban Governance, Voice and Poverty in the Developing World. London: Earthscan. Asian Development Bank (2004) City Development Strategies to Reduce Poverty. Manila: Asian Development Bank. Asian Studies Centre. (2010) Urbanisation in Southeast Asian Countries. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Brookfield, H. and Byron, Y. (1993) South-East Asia’s Environmental Future: The Search for Sustainability. Tokyo: United Nations University Press. Department for International Development (2009) Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future. DFID 2009 White Paper. Henderson, V. (2002) â€Å"Urbaization in Developing Countries†. The World Bank Research Observer, 17 (1): 89-112 International Institute for Environment and Development (2009) Climate change and the urban poor: Risk and resilience in 15 of the world’s most vulnerable cities. London: IIED. Poungsomlee, A. and Ross, H. (1992) Impacts of Modernisation and Urbanisation in Bangkok: Preliminary Report. Bangkok: Mahidol University. Roachanakanan, T. (1999) Bangkok and the Second Bangkok International Airport: Politics of Planning and Development Management. PhD thesis, Australian National University. Overseas Development Institute (2008) Opportunity and exploitation in urban labour markets. Briefing Paper No.44. London: Overseas Development Institute. Sassen, S. (2001) â€Å"Cities in the global economy†, In Paddison, R. (ed.), Handbook of urban studies. London: Sage Publications. United Nations Children’s Fund. (2002) Poverty and exclusion among urban children. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre. United Nations. (2004) World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision. New York: United Nations. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. (2003) Promoting the Positive Rural-Urban Linkages Approach to Sustainable Development and Employment Creations: The Role of UN-HABITAT. Paper presentation on FIG Regional Conference, 2-5 December 2003, Morocco. Williams, L.S. (1983) â€Å"The Urbanization Process: Toward a Paradigm of Population Redistribution†. Urban Geography, 4 (2): 122-137 Yeung, Y. M. (2000) Globalization and networked societies: urban-regional change in Pacific Asia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. BMA Statistic Profile http://203.155.220.118/info/Stat_search/frameENG.asp accessed on 02/04/2011 National Economic and Social Development Board nesdb.go.th/Default.aspx?tabid=92 accessed on 02/04/2011

Critical Review of The literature. Honey dressing versus paraffin Essay

Critical Review of The literature. Honey dressing versus paraffin tulle gras following toenail surgery - Essay Example Honey has been a well known alternative medicine all around the globe. Ever since the beginning of early informal medicine, Honey has already been recognized in connection with its healing capabilities and the fact that it has certain characteristics which provides a certain level of ease especially when it comes to healing wounds. The elements making up honey have been found to be one of the strongest substances that could easily heal wounds and rather tone down the effects of infection or possible problems that may occur during the recovery period. On the other hand, a paraffin tulle gras dressing is known for its capability to stop bleeding and aid in the process of helping blood coagulate to protect an open wound. Having a soothing feel due to the existence of air holes that allow air to pass through the dressing and become a natural aid of healing, this dressing had been repeatedly recognized in medicine as the most effective tool for wound recovery procedures. In a concise presentation, it could be said that this introduction was comprehensive enough to provide a good sense of what the research is going to be about and how it is actually about to take the proper picture of what the study is all about. This introduction suffices the need of the primary information that the readers require of. As mentioned by Farina, â€Å"a concise discussion of the different elements makes a research more effective than that of the introduction of the different factors considered in the study through the use of a lengthy description of the entire research† (33). In the study being analyzed herein, the comparison between paraffin tulle grass and that of the honey dressing shall be seen. Through identifying the different elemental factors used by the researchers of the study and seeing how much they have fared in the process of examining the matter concerned. This critical analysis is expected to provide a better sense of what the study is all about and how it

Short paper-Communication Skills in the Practice of Medicine Essay

Short paper-Communication Skills in the Practice of Medicine - Essay Example The ability to communicate effectively has an implication in patient care. Some medical organizations has determined that the most frequent reason for complaints among patients against physicians is poor communication. Thereby, certain community groups have identified communication skills as essential component in medical practice and medical training. In order to provide a systematic approach and continuity to effective communication. The following information are recommended: 2. Case Models through Independent Community Based Inputs: Case presentations and teaching models should be critically examined to rule our unrecognized personal, cultural and professional biases and barriers. There are so many factors and skills that a medical professional and a patient can use to communicate with each other. One thing that a patient is looking at to most doctors is the trust they can acquire through effective explanation of all procedures and the trust they could get from the nurses on how effective they could deliver the health care services necessary for them to feel good from any diseases. Effective communication involves continuous process between doctors and doctors; doctors and nurses; doctors and patients; patients and nurses. Set skills are essential in order to implement it with confidence. Normally, the process starts with interviewing the patient by introducing self (doctor) and by simply doing an interactive line of questioning to the patient and assessment of the nature of complaint. At times, doctors can depend on facilitation movements specially for patients whos language is not the doctors language but the danger of merely relying on facilitation could be detrimental as this may cause incorrect diagnosis. Facilitations are done through eye contact, posture, gesture or even silence. Doctor to doctor communication varies from one another depending on the nature of the patients disease.

Final Paper African Americans Essay Example for Free

Final Paper African Americans Essay Through out history there has been a struggle for African Americans to be accepted in our society. An African American endures many more disadvantages than most white people. The media and other sources have made blacks to look the same and has portrayed them in a certain light that may not be fitting to all blacks. There are many misconceptions that people have of blacks. Many people and organizations have had a part in bringing equality and fighting for equal rights for black people. African Americans have been at a huge disadvantage in America from the beginning. Unlike many other minority groups in America, African Americans in many cases were brought here by force and not by there own will. (000000) The first African Americans came to America in the seventeenth century and were immediately forced to work for Whites. After much turmoil and even a civil war Blacks were finally given there freedom with the Emancipation proclamation signed and ratified in 1863. Even after the proclamation some blacks were still enslaved and freed blacks had little to no opportunity. The struggle continued into the next century as blacks finally received the right to vote with the ratification in of the 15th amendment. The 20th century contained a world filled by a segregated America between whites and blacks through jim crow laws that existed that restricted blacks from interacting with whites. With a history like that it is no wonder that African Americans still have disadvantages in our modern day. America today is known as the country of opportunity. Although there are many opportunities out there it seems that there are more opportunities for some groups more than others. Many companies and corporations still use race as a indicator for hiring employees. In one study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, people with common black names were less likely to be called back for an interview based on there application alone then black people with common white sounding names. Job applicants with white sounding names needed to send out ten applications to get one call back while applications with common black names needed to send out about fifteen to get one reply. (Francis, www. nber. org/digest.com). The research was done withe resumes of the same qualifications. It is easy to see that Black people are constantly bombarded by inequality in the work force. If there were inequalities just based on names of applicants just imagine the inequality when employers actually see the race of the applicants. Black Americans have been stereotyped for years and continue to be today. The media is one great source of portraying African Americans in certain roles. African Americans are portrayed as criminals, drug dealers and sex offenders in many instances. Many Africans are outraged at how they are portrayed in the media. Protest groups such as the Young African Americans Against Media Stereotypes have done what they can to show there stance on stereotypical media portrayal. Majority of the time you see a young African-American male in the media he is singing, rapping, scoring a touchdown, dunking a basketball or committing a crime( http://www. yaaams. com/) Many stereotypes about black people are incredibly false. Many people still think that black people are only good at certain things like music and sports. This is a very false belief and black people have contributed heavily to all different sorts of fields. Many vital inventions that we use on an everyday bases were invented by black people. The dust mop, pencil sharpener, typewriter, and elevator were all invented by black people. (http://www. black-network. com) Our society would not be what it is if it were not for Garret Morgan, the young Black man who invented the traffic light. http://www. infoplease. com/spot/bhmcensus1. html.

A New Journey - Original Writing :: Papers

A New Journey - Original Writing A journey begins with a step, a voice, a vision or a loved one. My journey first began with a cry, unknowing what the future beholds, but in the end, I found myself at a destination which I did not visualise. A destination that was not meant to be. An end that became a new beginning. "Please don't do this to me, Ma." I said with a shaky voice. Already annoyed, my mother said, "I just can't afford it, okay?" "But what about my future? If I don't go to college, I won't even have one." "You know something? You are selfish. All you care about is yourself. Have you ever thought about my position? I don't have a job. I don't have a stable income. And you know what your father is doing about this? Nothing. Don't talk to me about this now." She said as she walked away. I followed her to the kitchen, unwilling to give in. "I'm selfish? You're the one who is selfish! Now all you think about is Gary. I'm your daughter! I came first! I'm supposed to be number one!" I shouted. My vision began to blur as a film of tear coated my eyeballs. "Why are you doing this to me, Ma? Every time you come home, all you do is talk to Gary. You know I'm alone. You know I don't have friends. And now I've lost you. I might as well be dead." I grumbled. "You are just so bloody stubborn! Go on. Go hang yourself." She ended the conversation with such hurtful words. With uncontrollable tears streaming out of my eyes, I ran into my room and slammed the door hard. I took out my journal and put in writing everything that had just happened. As I was doing so, I thought about my father; I hate him. It is his fault all this had happened. It was his cruel gesture that caused this mess. How is it that he had the heart to do

Structural Functionlism Theory

In any political system are structures that have different functions to ensure an effective and smooth running of things in that particular political system. This is why this essay will discuss the problems faced by opposition political parties in Zambia using the structural functionalist theory. First it will explain what structural functionalism is, then it will define structures, functions, a political party and an opposition party then before giving the conclusion it will discuss the problems faced by opposition parties in Zambia.Johari (2011) defines structural functionalism as a means of explaining what political structures perform what basic functions in a political system, it is a tool of investigation. Macions and Gerber (2010:14) states â€Å"this approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole and by this society evolves like organisms†. According to Johari (2011:73) â€Å"fu nctions deal with the consequences involving objectives as well as processes of the patterns of action, Structures refer to those arrangements within the system which perform the functions.For example the police are a structure within the political system that have a function of maintaining peace and order. â€Å"In the concept of functions, three basic questions are involved- what basic functions are discharged in any given system, by what instruments those functions are performed and under what conditions the performance of these functions are done†,(Ibid). Merton (1957:51) says â€Å"functions are those observed consequences which make for the adaptation or re-adjustment of a given system and dysfunctions those observed consequences which lessen the adaptation or adjustment of the system†.A political party is a body of men united for promoting the national interests on some particular principles in which they are all agreed. It is also defined as a group of men prof essing the same political doctrine. These parties perform a lot of functions. Political parties unite, simplify and stabilise the political process. They seek to widen the interests they represent and harmonise interests with each other. They provide a link between the government and the people. Easton (1965) adds on â€Å"political parties seek to educate, instruct and activate the electorate†.That is they perform the job of political mobilisation, secularisation and recruitment. Usually in a political system the government is under the control of a political party. If a political party does not have control of the government but have seats in the parliament then it is an opposition party which means it opposes the government. An opposition party carriers with it all the functions of a political party. Opposition parties are there to check the smooth running of government, in other words they offer checks and balances to the government.In Zambia’s political system are different structures that perform different functions that affect the opposition parties. Among these is the legislature that comprises of the president, cabinet ministers and members of parliament also known as the national assembly. Its function is to make laws that benefit the society as a whole. When a bill is read in the national assembly it has to be supported by the majority of the house in order for it to become a law. Mainly the opposition reject bills that they find not suitable for the society.But of late in Zambia the president has appointed opposition members of parliament to save as cabinet ministers in government which leads to some of them being expelled from their respective political parties. This affects the opposition because â€Å"a party is supposed to form a government based on its own ideology†, (Ibid), therefore when the opposition members of parliament are brought into government they need to adopt and adapt to the ruling party’s ideology hen ce disadvantaging the opposition when it comes to decision making in the national assembly.The Media is also another structure involved with the dissemination of information to the society. According to Almond and Powell (1966) a political party needs to communicate with the electorate. Every time opposition parties receive coverage in an article, have their face on television or their voice on radio, they assume that they increase their chances among potential voters. In Zambia however instead of the media being one of the means of popularity exposure for opposition parties, it tends not to give them enough time because of the media being influenced by government.Zambian Economist (accessed on 17. 12. 13) states â€Å"if the press was free we would for example expect high degree of information compared to a government controlled media†. Hence this becomes a problem for the opposition. The Judiciary has a function of enforcing the law and making sure the rule of law is observ ed. The Zambia Reports (accessed on 9. 12. 13) states â€Å"UPND chairperson for Tourism and Culture Ephraim Belemus said Acting Chief Justice Chibesakunda was compromised and her continued stay at the helm of the Judiciary had proved costly to the justice system of the country†.From this quotation we can tell that in Zambia the opposition political parties have been shut from making meaningful contribution to the nation. This absence of effective participation in the political process is a very serious limitation that Zambian opposition parties face. The executive is in charge of implementing the law and is headed by the president. When a law is made in parliament it has to be ratified by the chief executive officer who happens to be the president.In some cases and in a democratic nation per say the president ratifies laws that are not in favour of the opposition for example in Zambia as the Electoral Institution for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (accessed on 10. 12. 13) r eports â€Å"in May 1996 the Zambian constitution was amended, a presidential candidate needs to be Zambian by birth† this disadvantaged the opposition parties present then like UNIP and its president Dr Kenneth Kaunda is not Zambian by birth.Having discussed the problems of these structural functions on the opposition political parties, it is important that we also discuss how these problems can be improved. To start with the legislature, being a law effecting body Sisson and Snowis (1975) states â€Å"the involvement of the legislature in the making of the law must be considered their central and most fundamental function†. In this case both the opposition and the ruling parties need to participate effectively because the end results should not only benefit a particular party but the society as a whole.â€Å"Modern or modernising societies assume that the legislative institutions ought to serve as auxiliaries in the mobilisation of public support for policies† , (Ibid), as such members of parliament (MP’s) including opposition MPs should be funded to develop their constituencies. The media should be free from any form of corruption or any limitation, government if anything should invest in the media so as to allow it disseminate quality information to the nation at large. Unlike The Zambian situation were the Zambian Economist (accessed on 17. 12. 13) on March 17, 2013 referred to the Zambian media as a â€Å"corrupt media†, the media should bebias free, it should also give the opposition parties just as much attention as it gives the ruling party to allow the opposition share their views about government proceedings and its policies to allow them penetrate to all parts of the nation. The media plays a big function in the popularisation of the parties that wish to form a government in the future. For example the Post Newspaper is seen to have played a big role in the coming into power of the Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) becau se it made the party popular to the nation through its publications when the PF was in opposition.The Judiciary is a mechanism for the resolution of disputes and Zambia being a democratic country the judiciary should be able to provide the opposition with legal support. Under the separation of powers, the judiciary does not make laws it’s the work of the legislature neither does it implement the law which is the work of the Executive rather it interprets the law and applies it to the facts of each case. According to Garner (1952) â€Å"justice means punishment to the wrong doer†. The major task of the judiciary is to ensure equal justice under the law.Ball (1971) states â€Å"The judges may be nominated by the head of state†, this does not mean the judges work for the head of state or the president they work to ensure that there is fair justice within the society. â€Å"The decision of the courts contribute the element of ‘legitimacy’ to the output s of the government. Thus it becomes essential that the behaviour of the courts must not be obstructive or destructive so that the smooth running of the organisation becomes a problem†, (Ibid). Therefore the judiciary needs to be as independent as possible, this would allow free participation of the opposition in the political process.The Executive as its very name indicates, the first and foremost function of the executive is to run the administration of the country. In accordance with Johari (2011) the maintenance of internal peace and order should be the principle function for which the government should be established. For this purpose the executive keeps the police force that acts under its command, it should maintain defence forces to serve the country against external aggressions. The executive’s concern should be to formulate national policies for domestic as well external purposes.All these functions of the Executive should benefit the society as well as opposi tion political parties, for example since the police force is under its command the opposition should be provided with the police service when they go to hold their rallies and campaigns. In conclusion, opposition parties in Zambia are faced with many structural functional problems some of which have been named in the discussion above, members of the opposition political parties are being lost to the ruling party to benefit their desire of having the overall decision making, and legislative work is purely dominated by the ruling party.The media is a very important tool of investigation in the political process in that it provides the society of the happenings around if it is restricted to publish certain information by the government, society will have no means of knowing the wrongs of government making it difficult for opposition parties to provide checks and balances. The judiciary is heavily monitored by the ruling party giving no freedom to opposition parties to effectively part icipate in the political process. The Executive is also biased in the implementation of the law.

Case Vignettes in Acid-Base Balance Essay

Choose three of the four vignettes and BRIEFLY answer the questions that follow. Normal Levels of Substances in the Arterial Blood: pH 7.40 + 0.05 pCO2 (partial pressure of carbon dioxide) 40 mm Hg pO2 (partial pressure of oxygen) 90 – 100 mm Hg Hemoglobin – O2 saturation 94 – 100 % [HCO3-] 24 meq / liter Vignette #1: A 14-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis has complained of an increased cough productive of green sputum over the last week. She also complained of being increasingly short of breath, and she is noticeably wheezing on physical examination. Arterial blood was drawn and sampled, revealing the following values: pH 7.30 pCO2 50 mm Hg pO2 55 mm Hg Hemoglobin – O2 saturation 45 % [HCO3-] 24 meq / liter Questions: 1. How would you classify this girl’s acid-base status? 2. How does cystic fibrosis cause this acid-base imbalance? 3. How would the kidneys try to compensate for the girl’s acid-base imbalance? 4. List some other causes of this type of acid-base disturbance. Vignette #2:  A 76-year-old man complained to his wife of severe sub-sternal chest pains that radiated down the inside of his left arm. Shortly afterward, he collapsed on the living room floor. Paramedics arriving at his house just minutes later found him unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. CPR and electroconvulsive shock were required to start his heart beating  again. Upon arrival at the Emergency Room, the man started to regain consciousness, complaining of severe shortness of breath (dyspnea) and continued chest pain. On physical examination, his vital signs were as follows: Systemic blood 85 mm Hg / 50 mm pressure Hg Heart rate 175 beats / minute Respiratory rate 32 breaths / minute Temperature 99.2o F His breathing was labored, his pulses were rapid and weak everywhere, and his skin was cold and clammy. An ECG was done, revealing significant â€Å"Q† waves in most of the leads. Blood testing revealed markedly elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels of cardiac muscle origin. Arterial blood was sampled and revealed the following: pH 7.22 pCO2 30 mm Hg pO2 70 mm Hg Hemoglobin – O2 saturation 88 % [HCO3-] 2 meq / liter Questions: 5. What is the diagnosis? What evidence supports your diagnosis? 6. How would you classify his acid-base status? What specifically caused this acidbase disturbance? 7. How has his body started to compensate for this acid-base disturbance? 8. List some other causes of this type of acid-base disturbance. Vignette #3: An elderly gentleman is in a coma after suffering a severe stroke. He is in the intensive care unit and has been placed on a ventilator. Arterial blood gas measurements from the patient reveal the following: pH 7.50 pCO2 30 mm Hg pO2 100 mm Hg Hemoglobin – O2 saturation 98% [HCO3-] 24 meq / liter Questions: 9. How would you classify this patient’s acid-base status? 10. How does this patient’s hyperventilation pattern raise the pH of the blood? 11. How might the kidneys respond to this acid-base disturbance? 12. List some other causes of this type of acid-base disturbance.

Power And The Glory - An Un-Holy Priest Essays - Free Essays

Power And The Glory - An Un-Holy Priest Essays - Free Essays Power And The Glory - An Un-Holy Priest Power and the Glory - An Un-Holy Priest There is uncertainty as to why Green chose to have the priest in his novel, The Power and the Glory, be such an appalling person. Normally, one thinks of a priest to be the holiest being among all people on this earth. This belief is not proven to be true, however, in this novel. In Christianity, you learn that priesthood is one of the closest things to purity and Godliness that exists on this earth. They dont engage in sexual relationships, and they certainly dont do anything that is against the law. In The Power and the Glory, however, the priest, lovingly known as the whisky priest, does the opposite of these regulations. Firstly, he is an alcoholic. In this time, alcohol was an illegal substance, yet the priest still takes part in drinking it. It seems that almost every situation in which the priest is involved throughout the book, he drinks. In the very beginning, when he first meets Mr. Tench and gets alcohol, all the way through the end when he is arrested and killed for being caught with Brandy. The next subject matter that gives me confusion about the priest is his relationship with Maria. He had sex with her, and she had his child. This is something that among priests is absolutely unheard of, and it bewilders me that the whiskey priest would be involved in such things. The reason the priest was being searched for is because religion was outlawed. Anyone who was found practicing religion was to be put to death. One would think that all the priests would declare their belief in God, and would be willing to die for him. The whisky priest ran from confrontation about his being a priest, and instead, died for alcohol. Throughout the book, I tried to think of the priest as a good man, because most are. The contradiction of his behavior and his beliefs, however, seems like Greene was trying to make his readers think otherwise. An exact reason is not known as to why Greene chose to make this character the way he is, one can only guess. My presumption about the alcoholism is that the priest was so afraid of being caught because of his religion, that alcohol was a way out for him. It made him feel at ease and carefree. Although some might think that the priest should know better than to get involved with alcohol, perhaps he was so overwhelmed with emotion, that drinking seemed to be the only thing he could do to keep from going insane. As far as the priests relationship with Maria goes, I think that may have just been a one time fluke. He is a man, and men have hormones that sometimes take control of them and make them unable to think rationally. All of the shocking things that the whiskey priest did caused much confusion to me and most likely to the other readers as well. The most coherent explanation I can come up with to these questions about the priests behavior, is that we are all human. When God sent us to this planet, he knew that we were not faultless. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone sins, even priests. After all, they are human too.

Moving America Forward Aims to Improve Truckings Reputation

Moving America Forward Aims to Improve Truckings Reputation Kevin Burch, head of the â€Å"America Advances Through Trucking† initiative, is leading a movement to boost public perception of the trucking industry. Today trucking faces capacity challenges and a public image problem that Burch believes can be counteracted by executives and drivers taking pride in what they do. According to Burch and John D. Schulz, Contributing Editor at LogisticsManagement.com,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Trucking needs to improve its national image, which Burch says has deteriorated from its ‘Knights of the Road’ persona from the 1970s when drivers were hailed for their service to other motorists in distress on the highways.  But sometime after that, the industry’s image suffered through tales of drug use by drivers, the perception of unsafe and fatigued drivers and the fear of automobile drivers to share the road with 18-wheelers.†Burch is convinced that putting a visible public face on trucking is a big part of rehabilitating the reputation of truckers nationwide.  As a grassroots industry with connections to nearly every community across the country, truckers are well-positioned to carry the message that their work is essential and their drivers are well-trained.A recent speaker at the 29th annual meeting of the North American Transportation Employee Relations Association, Burch advocates for executives and drivers- from individual carriers to Owner-Operator Independent Driver associations- to share the load of boosting trucking’s public presence in Congress and in the wake of potentially restrictive government policies.If nearly half of all Americans know someone who works in the trucking industry, which holds 70% of the freight hauling market, the potential for growth and progress is pretty compelling!

Digital Technologies Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Digital Technologies - Article Example Digital technology is a novel field focusing on computational thinking and creating an awareness platform for digital systems. It entails creating a number of solutions to day to day out problems digitally (Weber & Dixon, 2007). The concepts surrounding this term include software, hardware, data and the manner of its delivery to the external parties. Commonly, they will exist as pictures, diagrams, and symbols. In addition, it comprises a series of steps that when followed in the order presented, solve the task at hand. Digital technologies in the wider scope explore the usage of information systems in place to meet their needs. These needs range from entertainment, communication and information want. It is also inevitable to work with other people in the community to organize these ideas and data using information systems and disseminate it for the consumption of the entire community via the cyberspace.The methodologies involved in the collection of the data will include: the use of questionnaires and interviewing persons who have had hands on digital libraries. Further, the research seeks to delve more into reviewing secondary sources readily available on the internet, journals, and books to form the basis for continuing this project. The consequent realization of the application will amount to a better and more improved digital library system. That will address the current loopholes in our libraries and accommodate the ever changing needs of the consumers in this day and age.

Causes and impacts of the War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Causes and impacts of the War of 1812 - Essay Example remained neutral. In 1805, the British defeated a combination of French and Spanish fleets near Cape Trafalgar, confirming its status as the world’s most powerful naval power. The main strength of the French, on the other hand, lay in its strong ground forces. Since the two opponents could not directly pit their strengths against one another, they resorted to economic strangulation methods. This was the first reason why Britain resorted to unfair maritime practices. The second reason was the perception that the American merchant marine was unfairly benefiting greatly from the European war, while also growing at a rapid pace thus posing a threat to Britain’s naval dominance and its commercial shipping (Harney). The British Orders in Council of 1807 decreed that all neutral ships should pass through British ports. France’s Berlin decree of 1806, and Milan decree of 1807 proclaimed Britain as commercially isolated, and condemned neutral nations whose ships adhered to the British decree. America perceived that both countries were disregarding its neutral rights, but British maritime practices were opposed more because Britain controlled the seas (Gateway New Orleans). Impressment refers to the right to search for deserters of a nation’s armed forces. Britain started stopping and searching American ships for British deserters – an act looked upon as a breach of sovereignty. American displeasure was exacerbated by the arrogant power entrusted by the British to their naval officers whereby they made unilateral, on-the-spot judgments about the nationality of any man on the boarded vessel Britain resorted to impressment because an increasing number of its sailors were deserting the navy due to discouraging factors like poor food, hard work and excessive discipline and preferring to work in the American merchant marine that itself faced a shortage of sailors and could afford to offer British deserters a wage treble of what