Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Choices for Capital Structure for Firms Undergoing Merger Essay

Choices for Capital Structure for Firms Undergoing Merger - Essay Example The essay "Choices for Capital Structure for Firms Undergoing Merger" discusses the importance given to the propositions made by Modigliani and Miller when there are instances, such as mergers and acquisitions between two companies, which require raising new capital or reshuffling the existing capital structure. The understanding of the propositions presented by Modigliani and Miller reveals that there are four different outcomes which resulted from continuous research conducted in the late 50s and early 60s. At the beginning, Modigliani and Miller presented the first proposition which established that in the presence of certain conditions the choice of the capital structure of a firm, which comprises of proportions of debt and equity, does not have any impact on the overall value of that firm. The next proposition, which is the second one, puts forward the idea that the extent to which a firm leverages its business does not affect the WACC (weighted average cost of capital) of that firm. In other words, this idea proposed that the cost of capital, i.e. the equity based capital, is directly related to a linear function to the capital structure of the firm, i.e. the debt to equity ratio. The third theorem or proposition established that whatever may be the dividend policy of a firm, the market value is not affected by it. Lastly, the fourth proposition holds that the shareholders of a firm are not interested in the financial policies of their firm. Therefore, think of the firm as a gigantic tub of whole milk... The understanding of the propositions presented by Modigliani and Miller (1958) reveals that there are four different outcomes which resulted from continuous research conducted in late 50s and early 60s (Modigliani and Miller 1958, Modigliani and Miller 1963). At the beginning, Modigliani and Miller (1958) presented the first proposition which established that in the presence of certain conditions the choice of the capital structure of a firm, which comprises of proportions of debt and equity, does not have any impact on the overall value of that firm (Villamil 2006, Modigliani and Miller 1958). The next proposition, which is the second one, puts forward the idea that the extent to which a firm leverages its business does not affect the WACC (weighted average cost of capital) of that firm. In other words, this idea proposed that the cost of capital, i.e. the equity based capital, is directly related in a linear function to the capital structure of the firm, i.e. the debt to equity ra tio. The third theorem or proposition established that whatever may be the dividend policy of a firm, the market value is not affected by it. Lastly, the fourth proposition holds that the shareholders of a firm are not interested in the financial policies of their firm (Villamil 2006, Modigliani and Miller 1958). In order to explain the concepts underlying the propositions, Miller (1991) presented a simple example for the purpose of explaining the same. As per Miller (1991), â€Å"Think of the firm as a gigantic tub of whole milk. The farmer can sell the whole milk as it is. Or he can separate out the cream, and sell it at a considerably higher price than the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Emerging Technology and Its Implications Essay Example for Free

Emerging Technology and Its Implications Essay With the increasing attention being accorded to climate change in the mainstream media these days, there is also an increased attention being given to technological solutions to assist in combating the problem. While such solutions are admirable in that they go above and beyond the usual calls for recycling and the purchase of ‘green’ products – which have been proven to be of trivial impact upon the large scale flaws in systems of production and consumption that characterize industrial modernity – not all of them should embraced uncritically. It is only by subjecting every proposal to save the planet to scrutiny that we can determine a truly sustainable future. One of the ideas that has been receiving increasing currency in environmentalist discussions are large scale planetary ‘technofixes’ collectively referred to as geo-engineering or planetary engineering. These include mirrors in space designed to reflect excess amount of sunlight, artificial trees designed to suck carbon out of the atmosphere, and managed release of sulfates into the atmosphere, and many, many other epic plans to manipulate the ecological fabric of our planet.   Here’s the rub: The term geo engineering is a rather questionable one, as it implies that it has the same kind of empirical or mathematical certainty as engineering when it doesn’t. It smoothens over many of the bumps and curves that characterize our problems and demand creative solutions. In effect, planetary salvation becomes as easy as building a tunnel into a hill or a bridge across a river, when in fact our collective understanding of the systemic impacts is far less than the geo engineering promoters would have us believe. One might as well call it ‘planetary experimentation.’ While the potential benefits proposed are of an epic magnitude, this magnitude would also apply to the potential consequences. Take for example a proposal to suck carbon dioxide into the planet’s oceans by seeding it with iron deposits. Many, including the Scientific Steering Committee of the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) have observed that this has the potential to worsen ocean acidification and lead to catastrophic results for marine ecology: The oceans are complex, dynamic, unpredictable and already vulnerable †¦ We need   [to] build their resilience, not undermine it [not] quick fixes to this global problem that may [cause far more long-term harm] than good. (Gjerde) Additionally, the historical track record of large scale intervention in the name of environmental concern has never been very good to begin with, asserts Alex Steffen of Worldchanging: â€Å"From damming rivers to fighting forest fires to eliminating pests †¦ efforts have †¦ in hindsight [been] so overrun with unintended consequences as to become full-blown disasters, often †¦ worse than the original problems . [And the] cost of errors [increase] with the magnitude of the attempted solution.† (Steffen) Geo engineering is essentially a ‘silver bullet’ solution, one which reduces the political will to creatively retrofit our present lifestyles in such a manner as to be sustainable and environmentally sound, while still being able to enjoy the luxuries of post-industrial advancements. In essence, the tools for a greener world are already here and their downsides are negligible in the face of overwhelming benefits both environmental and societal. In any case, discussion over geo engineering merely provides a distraction from mustering the political will necessary to effect true change. It provides climate change skeptics a justification for political indifference to redressing our present way of life: Why opt for better designed cities, fuel efficient vehicles and profound infrastructural rethinking when we can merely ‘erase’ the effects of our problematic systems? One’s stance on geo engineering is not a question of whether you are a techno utopian or a complete Luddite. However, there is a major distinction to be made between technology that is transparent in agenda, collaborative in nature, and egalitarian in application as well as easy to remedy and technology that is centralized, expensive and difficult to reverse. Between â€Å"Star Wars†    a missile defense system saddled with so much corruption that does nothing to provide for homeland security and nuclear power – a promise of perpetual source of energy whose failures wreaked massive consequences – we ought to regard geo engineering with suspicion: dangerous until proven safe. Geo engineering is unnecessary. â€Å"Fixing† the planet in such a manner is turning a blind eye to the way we live: it shows a lack of innovation and political courage that is necessary to the bright green future.   Works Cited Stiles, Lori. â€Å"Space Sunshade Might Be Feasible In Global Warming Emergency.† NASA Earth Observatory. 3 November 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2006/2006110323537.html Bentley, Molly. â€Å"Guns and sunshades to rescue climate.† BBC News. 2 March 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4762720.stm Gjerde, Kristina. â€Å"Hold back the geo-engineering tide.† BBC News. 11 December 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7133619.stm Romm, Joseph. â€Å"Rule three of offsets: No geo-engineering.† Grist Magazine Online. 27 July 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from:   http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/7/27/144848/844

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Violence in Schools Essay -- School Violence Crime Safety Education Es

Violence in schools is a problem that Americans have had to face at an ever increasing rate. Instead of fistfights, the issues are fatal, like school shootings. Violence is nationally defined as a physical force used to injure, damage or destroy (Guralnik, D., 1997, P.1490). In the past decade, students are using more than physical force. They are using deadly weapons to injure or kill their peers and authority figures, and to destroy school property. Safety is considered to be the freedom from danger and injury damage (Guralnik, D., 1997, P.1181); in other words, freedom from violence. Schools must ensure students and parents that above adequate measures -especially the three most successful- will be provided to make sure schools are safe. Violence has always been an issue among youths in the United States. Until recently, violence and aggression in American schools, in contrast to the more generic topic of youth violence, was not a focus of extensive scholarly research (Gottesman, R., 1999, P.357). It is an utter horror that the violence occurring on the streets has slowly made its way into the classroom. The 1997-1998 school year served as a dramatic wake-up call that guns are accessible to teens and they will use them to kill. Prior to the 1990s the general public rarely discussed or were affected by school related violence. It seemed to be expected in certain parts of the country-urban areas- but was never thought to reach to suburban and rural schools. Starting in late 1997, a chain reaction of appalling incidents spread from state to state. Following each tragedy was increased media attention and public awareness to this growing issue. Endless images of weeping parents and children were seen on every news... ...fe Havens. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 46. Wallace, J., Fravil, K., and Behre, W., (1997). Social Work. School Social Workers and School Violence: Personal Safety, Training, and Violence Programs, 43, (3), 223-231. Gaustad, J. (1994). The Fundamentals of School Security. How Can Attitudes and Behaviors Be Changed to Make Schools Safer?., 2, (132), 98-99. Simmson, B. (1994). School Violence to School Safety. School Psychology, 23, (2), 236-256. Sandell, A. (2000). Alex 2000. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from the World Wide Web: http://www.juicycerebellum.com/debate2.htm. Dwyer, K., Osher, D., and Warger, C. (1998, August). Early warning, timely response: A guide to safe schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 29, from the World Wide Web: http://cecp.air.org/guide/earlywarning.htm.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Love’s Bond – Robert Nozick

Love’s Bond – Robert Nozick In this writing assignment I will be giving a detailed interpretation on Robert Nozick’s writing, â€Å"Love’s Bond†. First I will give an explanation on Nozick’s account of the nature of love. Secondly, I will explain why Robert Nozick believes that in love there is no desire to trade up to another partner. Lastly, I will also explain why he says that it is incoherent to ask what the value of love is to an individual person. The nature of love according to Nozick is the desire to form a â€Å"we† with the person you feel romantic love for, the desire to become one with the loved one.When two individuals are mutually in romantic love with one another, they both desire to form a â€Å"we† with each other. Once two romantic partners form a â€Å"we† they subconsciously agree to make life decisions together because now they are one and what affects one affects the other equally. Any type of life e vent good or bad that affects one person affects the other person equally because once they form a â€Å"we† they are like one. Nozick explains that when two individuals form a â€Å"we† they share a new identity.According to Nozick this new formation completely takes over of the individuals and they become something new, something transformed in a way. This desire to form a â€Å"we† with another is something magnificent and great. He explains that, â€Å"the desire to share not only our life but our identity with another marks our fullest openness. To Nozick, forming a â€Å"we† is a really big deal. Forming a â€Å"we† is a complete transformation of what a person used to be when they were and individual. According to Nozick, when a person is in love, they do not have desires to trade up to a different partner.Nozick says, â€Å"In the view of a person who loves someone romantically, there couldn’t be anyone else who was better as a par tner. † This quote gives support to his idea that a person in love would not desire to trade up. The person in love does not believe in their heart that anyone could be better than the person they are in love with. According to Nozick the thought of trading up to a different partner would not even cross the mind of a person who is in love. Nozick goes on to explain that a person in love might sometimes want to make a few changes on their mate; however, this does not imply that the person in love wants a different mate.Nozick believes that a person in love loves very specific qualities in their mate. For this reason, even if a person in love wanted to make their loved one better this would not mean they want a different person. To the person in love â€Å"no other person could have precisely those traits; therefore, any imagined person will be the same mate (perhaps) somewhat changed, not somebody else. † Nozick believes that when a person is in love, they love the very specific ways that their partner radiates a specific traits, not the trait itself.They love the person, â€Å"for his or her own particular and non-duplicable way of embodying such general traits, a person in love could not make any coherent sense of his â€Å"trading up† to another. † According to Nozick a person who is even considering trading up is a person who is no longer in love. He does not feel that the thought of trading up is a thought that an individual in love could even think about. Nozick feels that it is incoherent to ask what the value of love is to an individual person because there is no individual when you form a â€Å"we†; there is this new identity.Like the example that was given in class regarding the sperm and egg, once the sperm and the egg have joint, you do not ask how the sperm is doing because it no longer exist. In the same way it does not make sense to ask the value of love to an individual because the individual no longer exists on ce the â€Å"we† is formed. According to Nozick when two individuals join and form a â€Å"we† this new identity completely takes over and creates a new shared identity. To Nozick, it would be completely irrational to even think of the person of an individual and to ask what the value of love is to them.It is something that is just not possible when a person has formed a â€Å"we† with another. In conclusion, I have given my complete interpretation on Robert Nozick’s writing, â€Å"Love’s Bond†. I have explained to the best of my knowledge the nature of love, the reason why in romantic love there is no desire of trading up, and lastly why it is incoherent to ask what the value of love is to an individual. Works Cited 1. Nozick, Robert. â€Å"Love's Bond. † Philosophical Perspectives on Sex & Love. New York: Oxford UP, 1995. 231-39. Print.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Applying the Results and Conclusion Essay

In the research process, applying the results and conclusion is an important process that answers the underlying question of the study. The results are the findings of the study. Depending on what the study was about and how it was conducted, the results could vary and may determine what exactly was found and how it should be applied. The conclusion is a summary of the findings and this is where the researcher developed his or her theory and tries and proves what it is that they were trying to find out. â€Å"The teen birth rate has been steadily falling for years, but it still remains the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized countries.† (â€Å"Facts About Teen Pregnancy,† 2014). As of May 2014, the state of Texas is ranked number three of fifty-one states in the United States with the highest number of teen pregnancies and number five in teen birth deliveries. Although the numbers have steadily decreased since its peak in the 1990’s, Texas is still considered to be one of the states with the most teen pregnancies preceded by New Mexico and Mississippi. â€Å"In 2010, some 614,000 pregnancies occurred among teenage women aged 15–19, for a rate of 57.4 pregnancies per 1,000 women that age. This marks a 51% decline from the 1990 peak and a 15% decline in just two years, from 67.8 in 2008, according to â€Å"Facts About Teen Pregnancy† (2014). In the state Texas, sex education is not a required subject and researchers attribute this fact along with racial and ethical backgrounds to the problem of teen pregnancy. This problem is costing taxpayers 1.1 billion dollars a year in health care. So, this problem is not only affecting the families, it is affecting the entire community. To collect data for this study the researchers used the Secondary Data Collection process. Secondary data collection is simply gathering data from documents, records and reports of others. â€Å"Texas birth records and population projections were used to simulate pregnancy rates  among women ages 15-19 years from 2005 to 2015† (â€Å"Teen pregnancy in Texas: 2005 to 2015.,† 2012). The data was appropriate because it consisted of recorded facts and records that were taken by accredited sources. In protecting the right of the subjects, the researchers did not disclose any names, medical information, or any other form of personal information where the subject could be identified. This study was conducted on the number of pregnancies and births of women ages 15-19 and the focus was on the numbers not the specific people. To support the reliability and validity of the study researchers used the Scatter Diagram. â€Å"The scatter diagram graphs pairs of numerical data, with one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship between them. If the variables are correlated, the points will fall along a line or curve. The better the correlation, the tighter the points will hug the line† according to â€Å"Teen pregnancy in Texas: 2005 to 2015.† Based on historical rates of natural increase, sexual experience among racial and ethnical groups was used to present the numbers. The data was analyzed after being collected and explored. The gathered information was compared with the information from other states and the result was Texas was ranked number three when it came to teen pregnancies and births in the United States. The analysis procedures were app ropriate because the researcher had to have other statistics from other states to compare with the Texas statistics. Analyzing recorded facts and records was simply an action of comparing the numbers with other states and finding that some were higher and some were lower. This process help the researcher determine in what order each state was listed in teen pregnancies. The two types of data collected were the quantitative data and the qualitative data. The quantitative data gave information that could be converted into numbers. In other words, the subjects were counted and other information, except their age and the fact that they were pregnant or had given birth, was excluded. The qualitative data would be the information that was not disclosed such as the names and the ages. Qualitative research focuses on gathering of mainly verbal data rather than measurements. It is important to gather one or both forms of data to give more insight to the research. Depending on what the research is about, one or both method of data collection can be used. In conclusion it was found that the state of Texas is among the states with the highest number of teen pregnancies and  births. The pregnancies were attributed to lack of sex education, racial and ethnical backgrounds, economic status, and the rise in teen sexual experiences. It proved that the Hispanic race attributes the majority of the teen pregnancies followed by African Americans. Not only is Texas ranked number three and five with teen pregnancies and births, Texas is ranked number one in repeated births among teen mothers in the United States. The pregnancies are costing taxpayers 1.1 billion dollars a year. It is a proven fact that this is a problem that not only affect the families it affects the whole community. The strengths of this study are the fact that the problem is being recognized so that a solution can be found. Because of the awareness of the situation, legislature can began to generate a plan to control teen sexual habits. If this is accomplished, fewer pregnancies will occur. The limits to the study are that it did not include the opinions of the teen women. I feel that if the insight of their situation was given a better idea of controlling the situation could be formed. In order to solve this problem, I feel that the teen young women should give their story and the stories should be compared to find a/the common ground. Once the common ground is found, a better solution could be introduced to control the situation. â€Å"Changing population characteristics in Texas and differences in sexual activity and contraceptive failure among racial/ethnic groups indicate that teenage pregnancy will not continue to decline in the coming decade† (â€Å"Teen pregnancy in Texas: 2005 to 2015.,† 2012). Now that the quantitative data has been collected a researched more qualitative data should be gathered. References Facts About Teen Pregnancy. (2014, July). About Health, 1(1), 1-2. Retrieved from http://pregnancy.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/a/Teen-Pregnancy.htm Teen pregnancy in Texas: 2005 to 2015.. (2012, July). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1(1), . Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/23642480_Teen_pregnancy_in_Texas_2005-2015

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Professionalism in Environmental Public Health

Professionalism in Environmental Public Health Abstract This paper is aimed at discussing various competencies of environmental health workers. These people have to act as researchers, educators, leaders, and policy-makers. Thus, they need to possess expertise in such areas public health sciences, research, and policy-making in order to find practical application to their skills.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Professionalism in Environmental Public Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, they should well-developed leadership and communicative skills in order to cope with their most important duties. These competencies are vital for protecting the health of community members. These are the main aspects that should be taken into account by these professionals. Discussion Environmental public health can be related to various fields of human activity; for instance, one can speak about agriculture, the use of water, prevention of disease, manufacturing, construction, and so forth (Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, 2009, p. 78). Furthermore, one can argue that people, working in this field, can have in-depth expertise in various areas of science such medicine, biology, chemistry, or physics. Nevertheless, one can say that there are certain competencies that these professionals should possess several importance competencies in order to cope with their tasks effectively. In particular, close attention should be paid to the following aspects: 1) profound knowledge of public health sciences; 2) ability to transform research findings into policies and programs; 3) excellent analytical and research skills; 4) leadership, and 5) well-developed communication skills that are needed for the interaction with various representatives of the general public. These standards can be explained by the fact that environmental health workers should play various roles. In particular, they should act as researchers, educators, and even regu lators. On the whole, these competencies are critical for ensuring the wellbeing of the public. When discussing the work of public health inspectors, researchers point out that a certain health problem can be attributed to various factors that can often interplay with one another. For instance, one can mention that people, who have asthma, can be strongly influence by such aspects as water and air quality, weather, stress, and so forth (Portier, 2011, p. 4).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, one can say that environmental health professional should understand different ways in which environment can affect individuals and groups. This is why researchers believe that environmental health professionals should take an interdisciplinary approach to various problems (Gochfeld Goldstein, 1999, p. 36). This requirement is important at the time such aspects as scienc e, technology, and medicine become increasingly interconnected (Gochfeld Goldstein, 1999, p. 36). This is why these people should be knowledgeable in such areas epidemiology, demography, statistics, or ways of preventing various diseases many of which are chronic. This is the first standard that should be met by these people. Furthermore, it is important to remember that environmental health professional should be able to evaluate various risks to the wellbeing of the public (Gerding Price, 2012, p. 31). For example, these people should be able to assess the efficiency of current programs that are supposed to reduce air and water pollution. Additionally, they should determine whether current policies or regulations are properly reinforced by the state (Gerding Price, 2012, p. 31). Thus, one has to speak about the competency in gathering and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data on the basis of which one can reach certain conclusions (Kyle et al. 2006). Without this ski ll, these professional can hardly bring any improvements into the life of a community. In some cases, environmental health workers have to see the relations between various phenomena. For example, they can look at health records while conducting air pollution research (Thurston et al, 2009, p. 45). In this way, they can determine the causes of various diseases or assess the effectiveness of environment protection programs. This is why research and analysis skills are important for these professionals. Another aspect that should not be overlooked is the ability of environmental health workers to develop policies and programs that can better protect the wellbeing of humans, animals, and nature in general. There are many cases showing that they often cooperate with legislators and regulators (Blake, Corso Bender, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Professionalism in Environmental Public Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, one can mention that environmental agencies objected to the drilling in Marcellus Shale since this practice can pose a threat to the health of local population (Goldstein, Kriesky Pavliakova, 2012, p. 483). Furthermore, these people should form alliances with groups that also promote the reduction of environmental risks. Additionally, he/she should be able to identify the steps that should be taken in order to address environmental risks (Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, 2009, p. 83). Thus, one can argue that environmental health workers should understand the goals and interests of different stakeholders, for instance, the residents of the community, governmental organizations, manufacturing companies, environment protection agencies, and other stakeholders. Moreover, they need to understand how economic, social and legal institutions can ensure public health (Jackson Malloy, 2011, p. 35). Therefore, they should develop programs and polici es on the basis of their findings and analysis. In turn, if they cannot do it, their work will not find practical application which is probable the most important criterion for every professional. So, the cooperation between environmental health workers and regulators is a critical component. It is also important to remember that environmental health professionals often have to act as educators. For instance, they can raise people’s awareness about the existing risks to the wellbeing of individuals (Sarisky, 2009, p. 20). These people have to interact with policy-makers, medical workers, legislators, and other people who may want to know more about the environmental problems. One of the most challenging tasks is the interaction with children. They need to know about the presence various pollutants in food, water, air, and so forth (Sattler, 2008, p. 329; Coopwood, 2009). Thus, one should say that environmental health workers should have well-developed communication skills. Wi thout them, they will not be able to make convincing arguments. These are some of the main aspects that can be identified. It should also be taken into account that these professionals cannot cope with their duties without being able to act as leaders. This issue is particularly important at those moments when it is necessary to respond to environmental disasters (Logue, 1996, p. 1207). Under such circumstance, they have to take initiatives and overcome various challenges as quickly as possible. The competencies identified in this section correspond to various roles played by environmental health workers who are responsible for identifying risks and minimizing them.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion These examples indicate that environmental health workers should possess different competencies. First of all, these individuals should have in-depth expertise in different sciences that can throw light on various aspects of public health. Furthermore, they should also act as researches, who gather information, analyze data and evaluate the effectiveness of different programs. More importantly, they need to interact with various stakeholders such as regulators, medical workers, teachers, and many other people. Furthermore, they play the role of educators by raising people’s awareness about different environmental risks. Finally, in some cases, they need to display leadership qualities in order to address different challenges. The competencies described in this paper are vital for protecting the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Reference List Blake, R., Corso, L., Bender, K. (2011). Public health department accreditation and environmental public health: a logical collaboration. Journal Of Environmental Health, 74(3), 28-30. Coopwood, T. (2008). Engaging young people in childrens environmental health protection through CARE. Journal of Environmental Health, 71(1), 64-5. Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors. (2009). Continuing Professional  Competencies. Toronto: CIPHI. Gerding, J., Price, J. (2012). Public health performance management: opportunities for environmental public health. Journal Of Environmental Health, 74(8), 30-31. Gochfeld, M., Goldstein, B. D. (1999). Lessons in environmental health in the twentieth century. Annual Review of Public Health, 20, 35-53. Goldstein, B., Kriesky, J., Pavliakova, B. (2012). Missing from the Table: Role of the Environmental Public Health Community in Governmental Advisory Commissions Related to Marcellus Shale Drilling. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(4), 483-486. Jackson, R., Malloy, T. (2011). Environmental Public Health Law: Three Pillars.  Journal of Law, Medicine Ethics, 34-36. Kyle, A., Balmes, J., Buffler, P., Lee, P. R. (2006). Integrating Research, Surveillance, and Practice in Environmental Public Health Tracking. Environmental Health Perspectives, 114(7), 980-984. Logue, J. N. (1996). Disasters, the environment, and public health: Improving our response. American Journal of Public Health, 86(9), 1207-10. Portier, C. (2011). Comprehensive environmental public health. Public Health  Reports, 126(9), 1-6. Sarisky, J. (2009). The Environmental Public Health Performance Standards: strengthening the nations environmental public health infrastructure and improving environmental health practice. Journal Of Environmental Health, 71(10), 20-21. Sattler, B., Davis, A. D. B. (2008). Nurses role in childrens environmental health protection. Pediatric Nursing, 34(4), 329-39. Thurston, G. D., Bekkedal, M. Y. V., Roberts, E. M., Ito, K., Arden Pope (2009). Use of health information in air pollution health research: Past successes and emerging nee ds. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 19(1), 45-58.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Risk assessment of hazardous materials

Risk assessment of hazardous materials Introduction Risk assessment is a procedure that we always carry out on daily either unknowingly or knowingly. The main purpose of this paper is examine how risk assessment is done at home or in working setting especially when we handle hazardous materials.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Risk assessment of hazardous materials specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is recommended that the storage and handling of inflammable and hazardous materials must be done with care and caution; otherwise it can prove to be fatal. Some of the procedures for carrying out risk assessments for personal safety have been outlined in the rest of the paper, mainly touching on three tasks. The first task is that of painting. Paints are some of the hazardous materials people handle on a daily basis. In particular, oil based paints have been proven to be flammable and hazardous to human beings. Before using these paints it is important for t he user to carry out thorough risk assessment to ensure that health and safety precautions are in place at home, especially where children and pets are involved (Berman, 2001). The following measures must be observed; the first step is to make sure that paint is kept in a sealed container to prevent air from getting into the container. Secondly, It is appropriate to pour out a little amount of paints in another container to make sure that there are no paint drops from the container to prevent any spillage or dropping on to the surface (Kunreuther Patrick, 1991). Thirdly, the remaining paints must be properly stored in a sealed container and kept away from children or pets. Incase the paints has been taken from the original container, the new container must be properly sealed and marked so as to prevent any accidental use by somebody else. It has been proven that dried out paints can potentially cause fire (Berman, 2001). The second task is that of changing car oil. When changing ca r oil it is also important to protect yourself and your home environment from any spillage. The correct risk assessment should include the following tasks. First; check out whether there is any leakage from the tank so as to avoid any spillage. Secondly; in case of any spillage on the ground it is important to remove that oil together with soil (Kunreuther Patrick, 1991). For any spillage on the ground or solid surfaces, the spillage needs to be soaked with absorbent materials like fibers or sawdust which will be collected into a separate container. Thirdly; while changing oil from the car, it is paramount that the car is properly parked on a level area to avoid it going forward or backwards.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fourth, while handling oil, one is advised to wear protective clothing and safety glasses to prevent oil from getting in the eye. Fifth, the discarded oil must be poured into a proper container and kept or dumped in proper waste area where children and pests cannot get to. The third task is disposing of hazardous materials which are common in most work settings. Clinical wastes are extremely dangerous and are often referred to as ‘biohazard’ because they contain contaminated substances and infectious materials that are harmful to human beings (Watfa, 2007). In relation to the disposal clinical waste, it is recommended that personal health and safety measures are followed. Most clinical waste such as needles, syringes, drugs or body fluids are harmful both to human bodies and the environment. This requires proper measures for risk assessments which include the following; first; it is important to put all the clinical wastes in a properly marked container, different colored bags or bin that have been labeled. The handler must wear globes to avoid any toxic or contaminated material from getting into the skin. S econdly; when cleaning the clinical work areas, one must use proper detergents and sanitizers and other recommended bleach solution to sterilize the work place after the disposal of the wastes (Reis et al, 2006). The cleaner must also wear protective clothing to prevent the skin from getting into contact with the wastes. Thirdly, there must a properly designated area for keeping the waste materials from the clinic practice where nobody can get access to. Only the designated and properly trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to handle such materials. Fourth, there must be a special vehicle for transporting such materials from the clinic practice to the designated dumping places. The persons handling such materials must also keep personal hygiene by wearing protective clothes and wash their hands with proper detergents to avoid contacting or spreading any viral infections to other people (Reis et al, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Risk as sessment of hazardous materials specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The environmental experts argue that every organization must provide an adequate space for storing hazardous materials and wastes. In relation to bio-hazardous wastes, Sullivan Krieger argue that there must be a clear separation between ‘human and hazardous materials’. In addition, the areas where wastes are being processed must separate from the ordinary work setting. It is also important that all staff, patients and visitors do not come into contact with clinical wastes (Sullivan Krieger, 2001). In conclusion, this paper has largely focused on the need for carrying out every risk assessment when it comes to handling hazardous materials. By and large, it is important that every body should observe personal health and safety when dealing such materials or cleaning equipments either at home or work place. This is meant to prevent the worker or user from personal a ccidents, cross contamination or even contracting viral Reference List Berman, A. J. (2001). The healthy home handbook: Eco-friendly design. London: Frances Linco Kunreuther, H., Patrick, R. ( 1991). Managing the Risks of Hazardous Waste. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 33(3) Reis, P., Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (2006). Understanding health care facility safety. Oakbrook Terrace, Ill: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Sullivan, J. B., Krieger, G. R. (2001). Clinical environmental health and toxic exposures. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Watfa, N. T. (2007). Safety in the Use of Chemicals at the Workplace, in Chemical Safety: International Reference Manual (ed M. Richardson). Weinheim, Germany: VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Biography of Joel Roberts Poinsett

Biography of Joel Roberts Poinsett Joel Roberts Poinsett was a scholar and traveler whose skills as a diplomat were relied upon by five consecutive American presidents in the early 1800s. Today we remember him not because he was taken so seriously by presidents from James Madison to Martin Van Buren, or because he served as a congressman, an ambassador, and in the cabinet as secretary of war. We also overlook that he helped keep his birthplace, South Carolina, from leaving the Union 30 years before the Civil War, during the heated politics of the Nullification Crisis. Poinsett is mainly remembered today because he was a devoted gardener, and when he saw a plant in Mexico that turned red before Christmas, he naturally brought samples back to raise in his greenhouse in Charleston. That plant was later named for him, and, of course, the poinsettia has become a standard  Christmas decoration. An article about plant names in the New York Times in 1938 stated that Poinsett probably would be disgusted with the fame that has come to him. That may overstate the case. The plant was named for him during his lifetime  and presumably, Poinsett did not object. Following his death on December 12,  1851, newspapers published tributes that did not mention the plant for which hes now remembered. The New York Times, on December 23, 1851, began  his obituary by calling Poinsett a politician, statesman, and diplomatist, and later referred to him as a substantial intellectual power. It wasnt until decades later that the poinsettia was widely cultivated and began to achieve enormous popularity at Christmas. And it was in the early 20th century that millions began unknowingly  referring to Poinsett while remaining unaware of his diplomatic adventures 100 years earlier. Poinsetts Early Diplomacy Joel Roberts Poinsett was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 2, 1779. His father was a prominent physician and as a boy, Poinsett was educated by his father and private tutors. In his teens, he was sent to an academy in Connecticut administered by Timothy Dwight, a noted educator. In 1796 he began studies abroad, attending, in succession, a college in England, a medical school in Scotland, and a military academy in England.   Poinsett intended to pursue a military career but his father encouraged him to return to America and study law. After engaging in legal studies in America, he returned to Europe in 1801 and spent most of the next seven years traveling through Europe and Asia. When tensions between Britain and the United States heightened in 1808, and it seemed war could break out, he returned home. Though apparently still intent on joining the military, he instead was brought into government service as a diplomat. In 1810 the Madison administration dispatched him as a special envoy to South America. In 1812 he posed as a British merchant to collect intelligence on events in Chile, where a revolution sought independence from Spain. The situation in Chile became volatile and Poinsetts position became precarious. He departed Chile for Argentina, where he stayed until returning to his home in Charleston in the spring of 1815.   Ambassador to Mexico Poinsett became interested in politics in South Carolina and was elected to statewide office in 1816. In 1817 President James Monroe called upon Poinsett to return to South America as a special envoy, but he declined.   In 1821 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served in Congress for four years. His time on Capitol Hill was interrupted, from August 1822 to January 1823, when he visited Mexico on a special diplomatic mission for President Monroe. In 1824 he published a book about his journey, Notes on Mexico, which is full of gracefully written details about Mexican culture, scenery, and  plants. In 1825 John Quincy Adams, a scholar and diplomat himself, became president. No doubt impressed by Poinsetts knowledge of the country, Adams appointed him as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett served four years in Mexico and his time there was often fairly troubled. The political situation in the country was unsettled, and Poinsett was often accused, fairly or not, of intrigue. At one point he was labeled as a scourge to Mexico for his presumed meddling in local politics. Poinsett and Nullification He returned to America in 1830, and President Andrew Jackson, whom Poinsett had befriended years earlier, gave him what amounted to a diplomatic mission on American soil. Returning to Charleston, Poinsett became the president of the Unionist Party in South Carolina, a faction determined to keep the state from seceding from the Union during the Nullification Crisis. Poinsetts political and diplomatic skills helped to calm the crisis, and after three years he essentially retired to a farm outside Charleston. He devoted himself to writing, reading in his extensive library, and cultivating plants. In 1837 Martin Van Buren was elected president and convinced Poinsett to come out of retirement to return to Washington as his secretary of war. Poinsett administered the War Department for four years before again returning to South Carolina to devote himself to his scholarly pursuits. Lasting Fame According to most accounts, plants were successfully propagated in Poinsetts greenhouse, from cuttings taken from the plants he brought back from Mexico in 1825, during his first year as an ambassador. The newly grown plants were given as gifts, and one of Poinsetts friends arranged for some to be exhibited at an exhibition of plants in Philadelphia in 1829. The plant was popular at the show, and Robert Buist, the proprietor of a nursery business in Philadelphia, named it for Poinsett. Over the following decades, the poinsettia became prized by plant collectors. It was found to be tricky to cultivate. But it caught on, and in the 1880s mentions of poinsettia appeared in newspaper articles about holiday celebrations at the White House.   Home gardeners began to have success growing it in greenhouses 1800s. A Pennsylvania newspaper, the Laport Republican News Item, mentioned its popularity in an article published on December 22, 1898: ... there is one flower which is identified with Christmas. This is the so-called Mexican Christmas flower, or poinsettia. It is a small red flower, with long highly decorative red leaves, which blooms in Mexico about this time of year and is grown here in greenhouses especially for use at Christmas time. In the first decade of the 20th century, numerous newspaper articles mentioned the popularity of the poinsettia as a holiday decoration. By that time the poinsettia had become established as a garden plant in southern California. And nurseries devoted to growing poinsettia for the holiday market began to flourish. Joel Roberts Poinsett could never have imagined what he was starting. The poinsettia has become the largest selling potted plant in America and growing them has become a multi-million dollar industry. December 12, the anniversary of Poinsetts death, is National Poinsettia Day. And its impossible to imagine a Christmas season without seeing poinsettias.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

AB Volvo within the last three years (2014, 2013, and 2012) Research Paper

AB Volvo within the last three years (2014, 2013, and 2012) - Research Paper Example †¢ In order to evaluate the potential of investing in a business, the first step is to evaluate the profitability of the business by determine how the business has performed based on its recent history. †¢ The analysis will involve digging into financial reports for AB Volvo within the last three years (2014, 2013, and 2012). The financial factors to consider in the analysis will determine the business’s current net worth, its sales and expense trends and identify the company’s strengths and weaknesses. o The company’s budgets and tax returns since 2012 o An analysis of the company’s balance sheet to determine a list of current assets, liabilities and net worth o An analysis of the current accounts receivables o Analyzing the cash flow projections o Analyzing the profit and loss statements †¢ The analysis will also consider an evaluation of ratios that are key to making investment decisions. The ratios will evaluate the performance activity, liquidity, financing, and activity within AB Volvo: †¢ Performance Activity o Book Value Per Common Share o Cash Return On Assets o Vertical Analysis o Dividend Payout Ratio o Earnings Per Share o Gross Profit Margin

Friday, October 18, 2019

Chinese Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chinese Popular Culture - Essay Example The wealthy had the opportunity to invest in the property markets and the rural households acquired partial property rights that allowed them to accumulate wealth in the form of consumer durables. These reforms introduced discrepancies in the distribution of wealth. The Urban household had a greater opportunity to accumulate in the form of financial assets. Rural household, on the other hand, has had limited access to financial instruments and hence owning a house of lower value than their urban counterparts have. Even within the urban areas, the benefits of reform from property rights have not been shared equally. The distribution of housing wealth contributes about two-thirds of the overall housing inequality in China (Luigi Tomba, 4). The rural poor cannot afford the prices of house in an urban setting. The Urban poor as well cannot access modern housing units because due to the rent effects resulting from the methods of house acquisition. The middle class can afford apartments in urban centers. The apartments are highly subsidized with prices that bear little relationship with market values. For instance, in northern Beijing, Chaoyang District, Hopetown is one best example of a quarter developed because of the property rights reforms. The residential area is home to most of the middle-class members of the public in Beijing. This group of middle-class dwellers represents a social identity of persons who have the ability to afford home ownership. In the PRC, the wealthy members of the society are not well educated. This leads to the need to acquire educational credentials to enhance their social status. Since 1999, higher education has been expanded, especially in expensive executive programmes. The wealthy are having access to higher education. The middle class has higher regard for education because it a symbol of high social status are a post-communist class that has managed to accumulate wealth through handwork and quality education credentials that made them access to well paying jobs. At the Hopetown estate, the majority of the residents are the middle class of educational affluence with well paying jobs-the salaried population. The middle class is also composed of rich entrepreneurs that were co-opted by the Communist Party (CCP) with constitutional amendments to embrace capitalists. The poor have limited access to education. The decentralization the fiscal system in China has increased the dependence of the poor in th e rural regions on their own resource base to access education. The local

Warhol - Contemporary Notion of Authenticity and Authorship Essay

Warhol - Contemporary Notion of Authenticity and Authorship - Essay Example The essay "Warhol - Contemporary Notion on Authenticity and Authorship" examines the contemporary notion of the authenticity and authorship and the figure of Andy Warhol. The comment draws the attention of the masses that they do not have to go to their screens to watch Andy Warhol. This is because whatever they saw was the real and famous Pop artist. Through this comment, he identifies himself with his era and culture suggesting that nothing is perfect. Warhol is very much interested in the surface of things and not their deeper attributes. This is a depiction that words have no meaning and the appearance of something is enough to give all the necessary information about it. Therefore, Andy Warhol alludes that there is instant disclosure of information about something when one considers the superficial qualities. There is a lot of reasoning in this statement. To start with, Andy Warhol refutation of depth is a criticism against the rich and legacy of novelty. This comment can also b e a tool of defence of Warhol that elicits interests of the audience to differentiate what is genuine from the unreal. Andy Warhol’s pieces of art flourished in television and screens. He was a legend in filmmaking and paintings. Through his mastery of art, Warhol could paint different items from shops and supermarkets. Warhol used silkscreen techniques to produce duplicate images of the items. Some of the famous paintings comprised of Marilyn and Campbell Soup which demonstrate well application of artistic prowess.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Neoliberal Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neoliberal Globalization - Essay Example As the research stresses there is a great difference in â€Å"being free to conduct a wisely-planned activity to gain both tangible and intangible outcomes† and â€Å"not to be under control†. Seemingly, those two aspects are mixed, and as the result the global situation is far from being perfect. The issue of freedom is closely intertwined with the topic of neo-liberalism. The present paper aims to review the issues of the neo-liberalism and worldwide integration and conclude if the positive outcomes will be possible in case neoliberal worldwide integration continues its movement without any changes applied to its current outlook. According to the paper findings despite the fact the key features of worldwide integration were widely implemented many decades ago, this definition appeared recently in 1970th. The story of international cooperation and trade turns back to even thousands years ago. However, that issue was mostly about trade. Nowadays, being global is rather the necessity. Of course, trade is a powerful instrument of enrichment, moreover, if it is about its international feature. However, even being a consequent element, trade is not the only one in the elements’ list of worldwide integration. In addition to trade, political achievements, religious features, economic successes, and scientific innovations are the important elements of global cooperation. Moreover, it is impossible in the current situation for this or that society to stay beside the global way of things, unless the situation is about a tribe somewhere deep in the jungle.

Setting up for urology procedure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Setting up for urology procedure - Essay Example To properly set up the theatre, the nurses and doctors should work together. The surgery room for the urology procedure needs to have all the equipments ready. This indicates that every item needs to be readily available in the room to avoid the doctors and nurses from running around trying to get the equipments once the procedure starts. The equipment also needs to be placed in a place that is within reach for the surgeons. This will facilitate running of the procedure efficiently. Surgeries are usually timed and it is important that all the equipment required be easily accessed by the surgeons with assistance from the nurses. The people chosen to set up the theatre for the urology procedure should have adequate knowledge of the procedure and what is expected of them. This means that not everyone in the hospital can be tasked with setting up the theatre because some of them may not have the required knowledge. When setting up the theatre, the people involved are encouraged to ask questions in case they need clarifications. This helps to avoid mistakes that may take place in the theatre during a procedure. Mistakes in the theatre pose a great risk to the patient, doctors, surgeons and the nurses involved. The individuals setting up the theatre should ensure that there is enough space to accommodate the patient, surgeons, assistants and all the equipments. Space also helps to facilitate easy movement in the theatre (Dasgupta, Fitzpatrick, Kirby & Gill 2010). Analysis of a situation also needs to be conducted (Ely & Scott 2006). This helps to understand why things happened as they did. In the event that a mistake happened, this process helps to understand why it did and the ways that it can be avoided in future situations. After setting up the theatre, it is important for the process be evaluated (Quinn & Hughes 2007). This means that the nurses or the leader of the surgery can check to make sure that all the set

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Neoliberal Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neoliberal Globalization - Essay Example As the research stresses there is a great difference in â€Å"being free to conduct a wisely-planned activity to gain both tangible and intangible outcomes† and â€Å"not to be under control†. Seemingly, those two aspects are mixed, and as the result the global situation is far from being perfect. The issue of freedom is closely intertwined with the topic of neo-liberalism. The present paper aims to review the issues of the neo-liberalism and worldwide integration and conclude if the positive outcomes will be possible in case neoliberal worldwide integration continues its movement without any changes applied to its current outlook. According to the paper findings despite the fact the key features of worldwide integration were widely implemented many decades ago, this definition appeared recently in 1970th. The story of international cooperation and trade turns back to even thousands years ago. However, that issue was mostly about trade. Nowadays, being global is rather the necessity. Of course, trade is a powerful instrument of enrichment, moreover, if it is about its international feature. However, even being a consequent element, trade is not the only one in the elements’ list of worldwide integration. In addition to trade, political achievements, religious features, economic successes, and scientific innovations are the important elements of global cooperation. Moreover, it is impossible in the current situation for this or that society to stay beside the global way of things, unless the situation is about a tribe somewhere deep in the jungle.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Hand Washing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hand Washing - Literature review Example Petersburg, Russia. ?METHODS.Prospective surveillance of HH compliance, nosocomial colonization, and antibiotic administration was performed from January until June 2000. In February 2000, alcohol?based hand rub was provided for routine HH use. Eight weeks later, a quality improvement intervention was implemented, consisting of review of interim data, identification of opinion leaders, posting of colonization incidence rates, and regular feedback. Means of compliance, colonization, and antibiotic use were compared for periods before and after each intervention. ?RESULTS.A total of 1,027 events requiring HH were observed. Compliance was 44.2% before the first intervention, 42.3% between interventions, and 48% after the second intervention. Use of alcohol rose from 15.2% of HH indications to 25.2% between interventions and 41.5% after the second intervention. The incidence of nosocomial colonization (per 1,000 patient?days) with Klebsiella pneumoniae was initially 21.5, decreased to 4. 7, and then was 3.2 in the final period. Rates of antibiotic and device use also decreased. ?CONCLUSIONS.HH may have increased slightly, but the largest effect was a switch from soap and water to alcohol, which may have been associated with decreased cross?transmission of Klebsiella, although this may have been confounded by lower device use. Alcohol?based antiseptic may be an improvement over current practices, but further research is required. Girou, E., Loyeau, S., Legrand, P., Opein, F., & Brun-Buisson, C. (2002). Efficacy of handrubbing with alcohol based solution versus standard handwashing with antiseptic soap: randomised clinical trial. BMJ, volume 325, p. 362 Objective: To compare the efficacy of handrubbing with an alcohol based solution versus conventional handwashing with antiseptic soap in reducing hand contamination during routine patient care. Design: Randomised controlled trial during daily nursing sessions of 2 to 3 hours Setting: Three intensive care units in a Fre nch university hospital Participants: 23 healthcare workers Interventions: Handrubbing with alcohol based solution (n=12) or handwashing with antiseptic soap (n=11) when hand hygiene was indicated before and after patient care. Imprints taken of fingertips and palm of dominant hand before and after hand hygiene procedure. Bacterial counts quantified blindly Main outcome measures: Bacterial reduction of hand contamination. Results: With handrubbing the median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination was significantly higher than with handwashing (83% v 58%, P=0.012), with a median difference in the percentage reduction of 26% (95% confidence interval 8% to 44%). The medianduration of hand hygiene was 30 seconds in each group. Conclusions: During routine patient care handrubbing with an alcohol based solution is significantly more efficient in reducing hand contamination than handwashing with antiseptic soap. Mody, L., McNeil, S., Sun, R., Bradley, S. & Kauffman, C. (2003). Int roduction of a Waterless Alcohol?Based Hand Rub in a Long?Term–Care Facility. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, volume 24, number 3, pp. pp. 165-171 ?OBJECTIVE.To examine the impact of introduction of an alcohol?based hand rub on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance and hand colonization of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a long?term–care facility (LTCF). ?METHODS.Two floors of an LTCF participated. Ward A used the hand rub as an adjunct to

Monday, October 14, 2019

Absolute Time Essay Example for Free

Absolute Time Essay Instructions (Q 7-Q 16): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. â€Å"Life is not just party and pleasure; it is also pain and despair. Unthinkable things happen. Sometimes everything turns upside down. Bad things happen to good people. Some things are beyond control, such as physical disability and birth defects. We cannot choose our parents or the circumstances of our birth. So if the ball bounced that way, sorry. But what do we do from here; cry or take the ball and run? That is a choice we have to make. On a clear day, there are hundreds of boats sailing in all different directions in a lake. How come? Even though the wind is blowing in one direction, the sailboats are going in different directions. What is the difference? It depends on the way the sail is set, and that is determined by the sailor. The same is true of our lives. We cant choose the direction of the wind, but we can choose how we set the sail. We can choose our attitude even though we cannot always choose our circumstances. The choice is either to act like a victor or a victim. It is not our position but our disposition that determines our destiny. It takes both rain and sunshine to create a rainbow. Our lives are no different. There is happiness and sorrow. There is the good and the bad; dark and bright spots. If we can handle adversity, it only strengthens us. We cannot control all the events that happen in our lives, but we can control how we deal with them. Richard Blechnyden wanted to promote Indian tea at the St. Louis World fair in 1904. It was very hot and no one wanted to sample his tea. Blechnyden saw that all the other iced drinks were doing flourishing business. It dawned on him to make his tea into an iced drink, mix in sugar and sell it. He did and people loved it. That was the introduction of iced tea to the world. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, we can react responsibly or resentfully. Human beings are not like an action which has no choice. An action cannot decide whether to become a giant tree or to become food for the squirrels. Human beings have choices. If nature gives us a lemon, we have a choice: either cry or make lemonade. † 7. â€Å"We cannot choose our parents or the circumstances of our birth† – by this statement what does the author mean? (a) Some things do not take place according to our choice (b) There are certain things in which we do not have any reach (c) Some things in this world are pre-determined. (d) All of the above Ans. (d) 8. By what the author tells us that choice is ours? (a) We can cry (b) We can take the ball and run away (c) We can either cry or can take the ball and run away (d) None of the above Ans. (c) 9. The opposite of the word ‘victor’? (a) Loser (b) Winner (c) Victim (d) Warrior Ans. (a) 10. What determines our destiny? (a) The way that we normally think and behave, that shows what type of person we are (d) The position we hold (c) Our being a winner (d) All of the above Ans. (a) 11. The best title for the above passage could be – (a) Right Choice (b) Pre-determination. (c) Choices defines our lives (d) Life is all about making the right choices Ans. (d) 12. According to the author, what still can be chosen if not everything in life? (a) Circumstances (b) Attitude (c) direction of life (d) None of these Ans. (b) 13. On what has the author emphasized? (a) Destiny (b) Choice (c) Action (d) All of these Ans. (b) 14. By the example of Blechnyden’s Iced Tea which message does the author give? (a) Choice is ours (b) Destiny is pre-determined (c) We have fix actions; we can not do beyond that (d) None of the above Ans. (a) 15. What does actually strengthen us? (a) Making choices (b) Handling adversity (c) Determining destiny (d) Working beyond capacity Ans. (b) 16. The synonym of ‘flourishing’ is – (a) Spoiling (b) Drowning (c) Booming (d) Hiding Ans. (c) 17. During a 5-day festival, the number of visitors tripled each day. If the festival opened on a Thursday with 345 visitors, what was the attendance on that Sunday? (a) 345 (b)1,035 (c)1,725 (d) 9,315 Ans. (d) 18. Which of the following has the least value? (a) 0. 27 (b) 1/4 (c) 3/8 (d) 11% Ans. (d) 19. Which year did the same number of boys and girls attend the conference? (a) 1995 (b) 1996 (c) 1997. (d) 1998 Ans. (a) 20. Which two years did the least number of boys attend the convention? (a) 1995 and 1996 (b) 1995 and 1998 (c) 1996 and 1997 (d) 1997 and 1994 Ans. (a) 21. Examine the following three statements : 1. Proceesed meat is a perishable food 2. All perishable foods are packed in sealed tins 3. Sealed tins sometimes to do not contains processed meat Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements? (a) Sealed tins always contain perishable food (b) Processed meat is sometimes not packed in sealed tins (c) Proceessed meat is always packed in seald tins. (d) Non-Perishable foods are never packed in seald tins Ans. (c) 22. Production of Rice and Wheat (In millions of Tonnes)| | Year| Rice| Wheat| Percentage of Wheat to Rice| 1950-51| 20. 58| 6. 46| 31. 4| 1960-61| 34. 58| 11. 00| 31. 8| 1970-71| 42. 22| 23. 83| 56. 4| 1980-81| 53. 63| 36. 31| 67. 7| 1990-91| 74. 29| 55. 14| 74. 2| 1994-95| 81. 81| 65. 77| 80. 4| 1995-96| 79. 62| 62. 62| 78. 6| The above table indicates the performance in India in rice and wheat production from 1950-51 to 1995-96. Which of the following conclusions arrived at from the above table would be valid? 1. Record production of rice as well as wheat has been in 1994-95 2. The ratio of wheat to rice production seems to have steadily increased over 16 years 3. Wheat has not been popular among the Indian population before 1980. 4. India became self-sufficient in rice and wheat only after 1990. Select the correct answer using the codes given below Codes: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (c) 3 and 4 (d) None Ans. (a) 23. A father left a will of Rs. 35 lakhs between his two daughters aged 8. 5 and 16 such that they may get equal amounts when each of them reach the age of 21 years. The original amount of Rs. 35 lakhs has been instructed to be invested at 10% p. a. simple interest. How much did the elder daughter get at the time of the will? (a) Rs. 17. 5 lakhs (b) Rs. 21 lakhs (c) Rs. 15 lakhs (d) Rs. 20 lakhs Ans. (b) 24. What will Rs. 1500 amount to in three years if it is invested in 20% p. a. compound interest, interest being compounded annually? (a) 2400 (b) 2592 (c) 2678 (d) 2540 Ans. (b) 25. What is the area of the largest triangle that can be fitted into a rectangle of length aâ‚ ¬? laâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ units and width aâ‚ ¬? waâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ units? (a) lw/3 (b) (2lw)/3 (c) (3lw)/4. (d) (lw)/2 Ans. (d) 26. Which of the following is inCorrect? (a) An incentre is a point where the angle bisectors meet. (b) The median of any side of a triangle bisects the side at right angle. (c) The point at which the three altitudes of a triangle meet is the orthocentre (d) The point at which the three perpendicular bisectors meet is the centre of the circumcircle. Ans. (b) 27. How long will it take for a sum of money to grow from Rs. 1250 to Rs. 10,000, if it is invested at 12. 5% p. a simple interest? (a) 8 years (b) 64 years (c) 72 years (d) 56 years Ans. (d) 28. Rs. 5887 is divided between Shyam and Ram, such that Shyamaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 9 years is equal to Ramaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 11 years, compounded annually at the rate of 5%. Find the share of Shyam. (a) 2088 (b) 2000 (c) 3087 (d) None of these Ans. (c) Directions (Q 28-Q 32): Study the following information carefully to answer these questions. Eight members A, B, C, 0, E, F, G and H belonging to three families X, Y, Z go for weekend outing in three different cars I, II, III. Four out of the eight members are females. Members of any one family travel in different cars. Each car has at least one male and one female member. Each family has at least two members. A belongs to family Y and he travels in car III. D is wife of E and they travel in cars I and II respectively. H is son of B, who is wife ofG, and they belong to family Z. C is daughter of F, who is wife of A. C travels in car II. G does not travel with F. 29. Which of the following groups of persons travels in car I? (a) 0, F,G (b) D,E,G (c) D,G, H (d) D, F, H Ans. (d) 30. Which of the following members of families Y and Z travel in different cars? (a) F,G (b) C,G (c) F,H (d) None of these. Ans. (a) 31. Which of the following groups of persons is a group of all females? (a) B,D,G (b) A,B,C (c) B,E,F (d) None of these Ans. (d) 32. Which of the following members of families X and Y travel in the same car? (a) C,F (b) D,F (c) C,0 (d) F, E Ans. (b) 33. When a student weighing 45 kgs left a class, the average weight of the remaining 59 students increased by 200g. What is the average weight of the remaining 59 students? (a) 57 kgs (b) 56. 8 kgs (c) 58. 2 kgs (d) 52. 2 kgs Ans. (a) 34. Three math classes: X, Y, and Z, take an algebra test. The average score in class X is 83. The average score in class Y is 76. The average score in class Z is 85. The average score of all students in classes X and Y together is 79. The average score of all students in classes Y and Z together is 81. What is the average for all the three classes? (a) 81 (b) 81. 5 (c) 82 (d) 84. 5 Ans. (b) 35. The average of 5 quantities is 10 and the average of 3 of them is 9. What is the average of the remaining 2? (a) 11 (b) 12 (c) 11. 5 (d) 12. 5 Ans. (c) 36. A stairway 10ft high is such that each step accounts for half a foot upward and one-foot forward. What distance will an ant travel if it starts from ground level to reach the top of the stairway? (a) 30 ft (b) 33 ft (c) 10 ft (d) 29 ft Ans. (d) 37. Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 120 degrees greater than each exterior angle. How many sides are there in the polygon? (a) 6 (b) 8 (c)12 (d) 3 Ans. (c) 38. A and B are two points with the co-ordinates (-2, 0) and (0, 5). What is the length of the diagonal AC if AB form one of the sides of the square ABCD? (a) units (b) units (c) units (d) units Ans. (b) 39. The average weight of a class of 24 students is 36 years. When the weight of the teacher is also included, the average weight increases by 1kg. What is the weight of the teacher? (a) 60 kgs (b) 61 kgs (c) 37 kgs (d) None of these Ans. (b) 40. The average of 5 quantities is 10 and the average of 3 of them is 9. What is the average of the remaining 2? (a) 11 (b) 12 (c) 11. 5 (d) 12. 5 Ans. (c) Instruction (Q. 40-Q 43): Four question given below are based on the following information. Answer the questions after reading the information carefully. (i) Nine friends A, B,C, D, E, F, G, H, and I are sitting on a bench in the classroom. (ii) ‘C’ who is at immediate right of ‘D’ is third to the right of ‘E’. (iii) ‘B’ is at one end. (iv) ‘H’ is nearest neighbour of ‘F’ and ‘G’ (v) ‘F’ is third to the left of ‘B’ (vi) ‘A’ is at immediate left of ‘F’ 41. Which of the following statement is correct on the basis of above order of sitting? (a) D and H Have three people sitting between them. (b) ‘B’ is fourth to the right of F. (c) ‘I’ is at immediate left of A. (d) E and C are Neighbours. Ans. (a) 42. Which of the following groups of friends is sitting at the left of ‘C’? (a) BIG (b) AFH (c) EID (d) BAG Ans. (c) 43. Which of the following is at the other end i. e. other that that end on which ‘B’ is sitting? (a) G (b) H (c) I (d) E Ans. (d) 44. Who is sitting exactly in the middle of the bench? (a) H (b) C (c) A (d) G Ans. (c) 45. A 400 meter long train crosses and 800 meter long platform in 1 min 20 sec. What is the speed of the train? (a) 48 km/hr (b) 60 km/hr (c) 72 km/hr (d) 54 km/hr Ans. (d) 46. If the root of equation px2 + qx +r = 0 is double of the other root, which one the following is correct? (a) 2 q2 = 9 pr (b) 2 q2 = 9 (c) 4 q2 = 9 r (d) 9 q2 = 2 pr Ans. (a) 47. A takes 4 days and B takes 5 days to finish a job. If both of them work together on the same job, what proportion of the work is done by A? (a) 4/9 (b) 5/9 (c) 6/9. (d) 7/9 Ans. (b) 48. The 3rd term of a Geometric progression is 36 and its 6th term is 288. Its 8th term will be: (a) 784 (b) 576 (c) 1152 (d) 2302 Ans. (c) 49. In a two digit number, the sum of the digits is 8. If 54 is subtracted from this number, its digits interchange themselves. What is the product of the digits of the number? (a) 7 (b) 12 (c) 16 (d) 0 Ans. (a) 50. The difference between simple interest and compound interest on certain amount for 2 years at the same rate of interest is Rs. 18. If the rate doubled, what will be the difference? (a) Rs. 9 (b) Rs. 36 (c) Rs. 72 (d) Rs. 27 Ans. (c) 51. A dog is tied to a pole by a long chain. Keeping the chain fully stretched, the dog moves along a circular path covering 132 m, subtends an angle of 90 degree at the centre, Neglecting the portion of the chain used in typing, find the length of the chain. (a) 70 m (b) 78 m (c) 84 m (d) 88 m Ans. (c) 52. A merchant buys same quantities of two types of toys – one at the rate of 3 toys for Rs. 10 and the other, at the rate of 5 toys for Rs. 20. At what price he must sell all the toys so that he has no profit and no loss in the transaction? (a) 8 toys for Rs. 30 (b) 3 toys for Rs. 11 (c) 5 toys for Rs. 18. (d) 8 toys for Rs. 22 Ans. (b) 53. Find the equation of a line whose intercepts are twice of the line 3x – 2y – 12 = 0 (a) 3x – 2y = 24 (b) 2x – 3y = 12 (c) 2x – 3y = 24 (d) None of these Ans. (a) 54. The difference between the compound interest and the simple interest on a certain sum at 12% p. a. for two years is Rs. 90. What will be the value of the amount at the end of 3 years? (a) 9000 (b) 6250 (c) 8530. 80 (d) 8780. 80 Ans. (d) 55. Vijay invested Rs. 50,000 partly at 10% and partly at 15%. His total income after a year was Rs. 7000. How much did heinvest at the rate of 10%? (a) Rs. 40,000 (b) Rs. 40,000. (c) Rs. 12,000 (d) Rs. 20,000 Ans. (b) 56. The average weight of a class of 24 students is 36 years. When the weight of the teacher is also included, the average weight increases by 1kg. What is the weight of the teacher? (a) 60 kgs (b) 61 kgs (c) 37 kgs (d) None of these Ans. (b) Instructions for the following Question: Read the following information to answer the question given below. The following conditions have been decided for the selection of Research Assistants. The candidate must: (i) Be less than 35 years of age. (ii) Be graduate in Psychology, Education or Commerce or Postgraduate in any other subject. (iii) Secure 50% marks in entrance examination. (iv) Secure A or O grade in Interview. (v) Have passed a certificate course in Methodology Research. (vi) Have recommendation of any one lecturer. If a candidate fulfills all the conditions, except (a) (i), but if he is registered for Ph. D. , his case is to be kept in waiting list. (b) (iii), but if he has secured 45% marks in entrance examination and O grade in interview, his case is to be referred to the Dean. (c) (v), but if he has qualified certificate course in Statistics, his case is to be referred to the Head Of Department. You have to decide in each of the following cases that what is the possibility of selection of the candidate? If the information is not sufficient to take any decision then your answer will be ‘data inadequate’. This information has been given to you as on 15. 12. 1996. 57. Raman has secured 60% marks in graduation with commerce subject. He has got specialization in certificate course in Methodology Research and he also has the recommendation from the lecturer under whom he is registered for Ph. D. His date of birth is 9. 12. 61. He has secured 68% marks in entrance examination and got A grade in interview. (a) Will not be selected. (b) Data inadequate (c) Will be selected. (d) Will be kept in waiting List. Ans. (d) 58. ’ means ‘–’; ‘–’ means ‘x’; ‘x’ means ‘+’ and ‘+’If ‘ 80 – 40 + 20 = ? ’, then 40 ? 120 means ‘ (a) 80 (b) 120 (c) 60 (d) 0 Ans: (d) 59. A businessman makes a profit of 20% on the sale of leather. If he were to add 10% artificial matter to the leather, by what percent would his profit increase? (a) 25% (b) 60% (c) 40% (d) 45% Ans. (b) 60. In a team, eight boys play Chess. The remaining boys, who represent 7 times the square root of the strength of the tem, play Mouth organ. What is the strength of the team? (a) 36 (b) 16 (c) 64 (d) 100 Ans. (c) 61. Cost price of 15 Computers is equal to the selling price of 20 Computers, then the loss percent would be (a) 25% (b) 20% (c) 30% (d) 45% Ans. (a) 62. How many natural numbers between 1 and 900 are not multiples of any of the numbers 2, 3, or 5? (a) 240 (b) 250 (c) 270 (d) 300 Ans. (a) 63. The age of a man is three times the sum of the ages of his two sons. Five years hence, his age will be double of the sum of the ages of his sons. The father’s present age is (a) 40 years (b) 45 years (c) 50 years (d) 55 years. Ans. (b) Instruction (Q 62-Q 63): In the two questions given below, a statement followed by two arguments I and II has been given. You have to decide which argument is strong and which one is weak? Give your answer as: (a) If only argument I is strong; (b) If only agreement II is strong; (c) If neither argument I nor argument II is strong; (d) If both argument I and argument II are strong. 64. Statement: Should freelance work programme be stopped at private companies? Argument: I. Yes, the mutual interaction of the employee and office environment helps in overall quality of work. II. No, such demand comes from that group only who don’t have any idea of work loads and pressure. Ans. (d) 65. Statement: Should usage of pesticides in agriculture be banned in India? Agriculture be banned in India? Arguments: I. Yes, because pesticides pollute the environment and are also harmful for the ecology. II. No, the safety of crops is not possible without these and food products will become very expensive due to lack of food production. Ans. (d) 66. If the numbers representing volume and surface area of a cube are equal, then the length of the edge of the cube in terms of the unit of measurement will be (a) 3. (b) 4 (c) 5 (d) 6 Ans. (d) 67. In a group of travelling in a bus, 6 persons can speak Tamil, 15 can speak Hindi and 6 can speak Gujrati. In that group none can speak any other language. If 2 persons in the group can speak two languages and one person can speak all the three languages, then how many persons are there in the group? (a) 21 (b) 22 (c) 23 (d) 24 Ans. (d) 68. A boat which has a speed of 5 km/hr in still water crosses a river of width 1 km along the shortest possible path in 15 minutes. The velocity of the river water in km/hr is (a) 1 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) v41 Ans. (a) 69. When three coins are tossed together the probability that all coins have the same face up, is (a) 1/3 (b) 1/6 (c) 1/8 (d) 1/12 Ans. (c) Directions (Q 68-Q 72):,Study the following arrangement carefully and answer the questions given below: H93P$KE%4FR I [emailprotected] ©*N8VJ 70. If all the symbols and numbers are dropped from the above arrangement, which of the following will be the fourteenth from the right end? (a) M (b) K (c) W (d) E Ans. (d) 71. What should come in place of the question mark (? ) in the following series based on the above arrangement? _PK% RUW M5Q ? (a)  ©N8. (b)  ©N15 (c) 15*15 (d) 6*8 Ans. (a) 72. How many such numbers are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately preceded by a letter and immediately followed by a symbol? (a) None (b) One (c) Two (d) Three Ans. (b) 73. Which of the following is the seventh-to the left of the twentieth from the left end of the above arrangement? (a) U (b)S (c)M (d)N Ans. (a) 74. How many such consonants are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately followed by a number but not immediately preceded by a number? (a) None (b) One (c) Two (d) More than three Ans. (d) 75. Left pan of faulty weighs 100gram more than is right pan. A shopkeeper keeps the weight measure in the left pan while buying goods but keeps it in the right pan while selling his goods. He uses only 1kg weight measure. If he sells his goods at the listed cost price, What is his gain? (a) 200/11% (b) 100/11% (c) 1000/9% (d) 200/9% Ans. (a) 76. Societies have been increasing in complexity from folk to industrial. Under this circumstances, according to you social control is more likely to be invested in (a) family (b) school (c) state (d) religious structures Ans. (c). Instructions (Q 77-Q 86): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. â€Å"The big difference between the ideas of Aristotle and those of Galileo and Newton is that Aristotle believed in a preferred state of rest, which any body would take up if it were not driven by some force or impulse. In particular, he thought that the earth was at rest. But it follows from Newton’s laws that there is no unique standard of rest. One could equally well say that body A was at rest and body B was moving at constant speed with respect to body A, or that body B was at rest and body A was moving. For example, if one sets aside for a moment the rotation of the earth and its orbit round the sun, one could say that the earth was at rest and that a train on it was travelling north at ninety miles per hour or that the train was at rest and the earth was moving south at ninety miles per hour. If one carried out experiments with moving bodies on the train, all Newton’s laws would still hold. For instance, playing Ping-pong on the train, one would find that the ball obeyed Newton’s laws just like a ball on a table by the track. So there is no way to tell whether it is the train or the earth that is moving. The lack of an absolute standard of rest meant that one could not determine whether two events that took place at different times occurred in the same position in space. For example, suppose our Ping-Pong ball on the train bounces straight up and down. Hitting the table twice on the same spot one second apart. To someone on the track, the two bounces would seem to take place about forty meters apart, because the train wood have traveled that far down the track between the bounces. The nonexistence of absolute rest therefore meant that one could not give an event an absolute position in space, as Aristotle had believed. The position of events and the distance between them would be different far a person of the train and one on he track, and there would be no reason to prefer one person’s position to the other’s. Newton was very worried by this lack of absolute position, or absolute space, as it was called, because it did not accord with his idea of an absolute God. In fact, he refused to accept lack of absolute space, even though it was implied by his laws. He was severely criticized for this irrational belief by many people, most notably by Bishop Berkeley, a philosopher who believed that all material objects and space and time are an illusion. When the famous Dr. Johnson was told of Brekeley’s opinion, he cried, â€Å"I refute it thus! † and stubbed his toe on a large stone. Both Aristotle and Newton believed in absolute time. That is, they believed that one could unambiguously measure the interval of time between two events, and that this time would be the same whoever measured it, provided they used a good clock. Time was completely separate from and independent of space. This is what most people would take to be the commonsense view. However, we have had to change our ideas about space and time. Although our apparently commonsense nations work well when dealing with things like apples, or planets that travels comparatively slowly, they don’t work at all things moving at or near the speed of light. † 77. Consider the following statements: 1. Newton is a firm beliver of both absolute time and a preferred state of rest 2. Aristotle believer in absolute time 3. Newton believes in absolute time 4. Galileo believes in a preferred state of rest (a) 1 Only (b) 1 2 (c) 2 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 4 Ans. (c) 78. According to the author, what is the need of space? 1. To set an absolute standard of rest 2. To determine rest and motion. 3. To determiner whether two events taking place at the same time takes place in the same space also 4. To determine the defference between time and space (a) 1 2 (b) 1, 2 3 (c) 3 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 4 Ans. (c) 79. According to Aristotle- (a) Position of events and distances between them an different (b) Space is nonexistent (c) All nonexistent bodies have absolute rest (d) None of the above Ans. (a) 80. From the passage what can we infer? (a) There is no rest (b) There is rest (c) There is absolute rest (d) There is no absolute rest Ans. (d) 81. What seems contradictory in Newton’s laws? (a) Newton’s concept of Absolute God. (b) Concept of Absolute space (c) Concept of rest (d) None of these Ans. (b) 82. Who discards material objects and space and time? (a) Newton (b) Aristotle (c) Barkeley (d) Galileo Ans. (c) 83. Consider the following statements according to the information provided in paragraph three? (a) On Barkeleys opinion, Dr. Johnson had no remarks (b) Dr. Johnson criticized Barkeley vehemently (c) Dr. Johnson accepted Barkeley’s view (d) Dr. Johnson was indifferent Ans. (b) 84. â€Å"The interval of time between two events can be measured unambiguously. †-this implies- (a) Absolute space (b) Absolute time (c) Both Absolute time and absolute space (d). Neither absolute time non absolute space Ans. (b) 85. The term â€Å"unambiguous† means? (a) Clean and proper (b) Perfect (c) Confusing or not difined (d) Well difined Ans. (c) 86. What does the author openion in the passage? (a) Time is completely separated and independent from space (b) Time and space and interdependent (c) Time is dependent on space and not vice-versa (d) Space is dependment on time and vice-versa Ans. (a) 87. A sum of money invested for a certain number of years at 8% p. a. simple interest grows to Rs. 180. The same sum of money invested for the same number of years at 4% p. a.simple interest grows to Rs. 120 only. For how many years was the sum invested? (a) 25 years (b) 40 years (c) 33 years and 4 months (d) Cannot be determined Ans. (a) 88. How long will it take for a sum of money to grow from Rs. 1250 to Rs. 10,000, if it is invested at 12. 5% p. a simple interest? (a) 8 years (b) 64 years (c) 72 years (d) 56 years Ans. (d) 89. Rs. 5887 is divided between Shyam and Ram, such that Shyamaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 9 years is equal to Ramaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 11 years, compounded annually at the rate of 5%. Find the share of Shyam. (a) 2088 (b) 2000 (c) 3087 (d) None of these Ans. (c) 90. An equilateral triangular plate is to be cut in to n number of identical small equilateral triangular plates. Which of the following can be possible value of n? (a) 196 (b) 216 (c) 256 (d) 296 Ans. (c) 91. Find the area of the sector covered by the hour hand after it has moved through 3 hours and the length of the hour hand is 7cm. (a) 1. 77 sq. cm (b) 2. 38. 5 sq. cm (c) 3. 35 sq. cm (d) 4. 70 sq. cm Ans. (b) 92. Left pan of faulty weighs 100gram more than is right pan. A shopkeeper keeps the weight measure in the left pan while buying goods but keeps it in the right pan while selling his goods. He uses only 1kg weight measure. If he sells his goods at the listed cost price, What is his gain? (a) 200/11% (b) 100/11% (c) 1000/9% (d) 200/9% Ans. (a) 93. Societies have been increasing in complexity from folk to industrial. Under this circumstances, according to you social control is more likely to be invested in (a) family (b) school (c) state (d) religious structures Ans. (c) 94. Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 120 degrees greater than each exterior angle. How many sides are there in the polygon? (a) 6 (b) 8 (c) 12 (d) 3 Ans. (c) 95. In the following question, the student’s clinical judgement is assessed: A 28 year old woman with one child has taken anti-thyroid drugs for 6 months for thyrotoxicosis. She has a friend who has been successfully treated with radioiodine. She finds she frequently forgets to take her drugs and wants to stop them to have radio-iodine treatment. 1. She should be told that because of her age radio-iodine is best avoided. 2. The problems associated with radio-iodine should be discussed with her. 3. Surgery as a possible alternative should be discussed with her. 4. She should be advised that some form of further treatment is required. 5. You should find out more about her friend’s treatment. (a) 1 only (b) 2, 3 4 (c) 1 5 (d) 1, 2 3 Ans. (b) 96. In a certain store, the profit is 320% of the cost. If the cost increases by 25% but the selling price remains constant, approximately what percentage of the selling price is the profit? (a) 30% (b) 70% (c) 100% (d) 250% Ans. (b) Directions for the following questions from Question No 97 to Question No 100: The following passage in this section is followed by questions based on the content of the reading passage. Read the passage carefully and chose the best answer to each question below. â€Å"But man is not destined to vanish. He can be killed, but he cannot be destroyed, because his soul is deathless and his spirit is irrepressible. Therefore, though the situation seems dark in the context of the confrontation between the superpowers, the silver lining is provided by amazing phenomenon that the very nations which have spent incalculable resources and energy for the production of deadly weapons are desperately trying to find out how they might never be used. They threaten each other, intimidate each other and go to the brink, but before the total hour arrives they withdraw from the brink. † 97. What is the synonym of the word, confrontation? (a) Being face to face (b) Involving in a clash (c) Fair relationship (d) None of the above Ans: (a) 98. What is the crux of the passage? (a) Mans soul and spirit can not be destroyed by superpowers. (b) Mans soul and spirit are immortal. (c)Mans safety is assured by the delicate balance of power in terms of nuclear weapons. (d) Human society will survive despite the serious threat of total annihilation. Ans : (d) 99. The phrase Go to the brink in the passage means (a) Retreating from extreme danger. (b) Declare war on each other. (c) Advancing to the stage of war but not engaging in it. (d) Commit suicide. Ans : (c) 100. What is the author’s opinion? (a) Nations in possession of huge stockpiles of lethal weapons are trying hard to avoid actual conflict. (b) Huge stockpiles of destructive weapons have so far saved mankind from a catastrophe. (c) Mankind is heading towards complete destruction.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Contribution Of Emile Durkheim Study Of Society Sociology Essay

Contribution Of Emile Durkheim Study Of Society Sociology Essay Durkheim (1858-1917) who devoted himself to the scientific study of sociology is widely regarded as a pioneer in French sociology. It is known that Emile Durkheim inherits some of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencers ideas and developed a systematic sociology both in theory and methodology (Moà ±ivas, 2007, p. 18). However, some of his works have been questioned and criticized. In order to examine the contribution of Emile Durkheim to the scientific study of society critically, one should consider Durkheims groundbreaking works including: The Division of Labour (1893), Rules of Sociological Method (1895), and Suicide (1897), all of which reflect a popular topic about individualism and a new social regulation in modern industrial society (Barnes, 1920, p. 4).This essay will first describe Durkheims notion of social facts which run through as a principle concept in his sociology. It will discuss its characteristics as well as importance, and then introduce Durkheims methodological appro ach to study social facts. The essay will move on to explore Durkheims contribution to the social sciences through the use of examples which include his study of The Division of Labour and Suicide. In addition, limitations will be mentioned when examine his works. This essay will argue that in spite of some criticism both in theories and methods. The overall contribution of Durkheim remains one of the peaks in modern sociology. Second, social facts are external from individuals. Durkheim rejects Comtes opinion to unify social science with other scientific disciplines and try to treat it independently. He argues that social facts are different from those assumptions in peoples mind and regular acting such as drinking or sleeping in everyday life. As a result, one could distinguish a kind of conduct and thought out of biology and psychology and classifies it into the particular category of sociology (Allan, 2005, p. 102). Casteel (2009) considered this as an important issue to Durkheim that complete Comtes project and establish sociology as its own academic discipline. Besides, such externality also reflects on continuum and social facts are kind of objectivities that prior to individuals, but individuals are born into them and enact them, thus social facts could be observed and measured by statistics (McCormack, 1996). However, Lukes (1973, p. 11) argues that Durkheims concepts about externality is ambiguous . For example, collective consciousnesses, which defined as a kind of similar and general perspectives and emotions such as religion that could react on people in an indirectly way that without crystallized forms. As is regarded as a social fact, it should be outside and independent from individuals. Nevertheless, Durkheim explained that collective consciousnesses are derived from most individuals in a society as a group mind thus failed to support his notion about externality. Thirdly, social facts have external coercions on individuals. It limits the choices of individuals and if individuals try to go against them, they may likely to get resistance by certain external constraint power such as public laws. Additionally, those coercive powers are not only administered by social organization but also potential moral awareness which called social currents (Harrington, 2005, p.28). However, Durkheim failed to distinguish the power of coercion and prestige. For examples, the power of public law which administered by institutions composed on individuals not only by means of the acceptance of legitimacy, but also fear of sanction. On the other hand, beliefs may probably constraint individuals through prestige or moral obligation (Lukes 1973, p. 13). Moreover, it is argued that Durkheim neglects the reaction from individuals on social facts. Some critics who challenged Durkheims theory believe that individuals could have the capability of creation on social facts (Casteel, 2009). In his book The rules of Sociological Method, Durkheim highlights the importance of study social facts as well as the methods to study them. He accepts Comtes idea that every social phenomenon should be studied as a thing within the context of society. Due to its objectivity, one could use positive approaches to observe, experiment, compare and analysis social phenomenon in favour of finding the sociological laws, demonstrating the normal and pathological as well as speculating the future development of society (Craib, 1997, p.30). In Durkheim methodology of social science, he stresses the importance of looking at society scientifically and discovering the formations (collective consciousnesses etc.) as well as functions (social cohesion, change etc.) of social facts and how they have effects on individuals within the scope of society (Brown, 2008). Emirbayer (1996) point out that Durkheim has rejected metaphysics and uses statistical methodology and comparative strategy (p. 264) to explore the correlations and casual relations among a number of systematic and connected variables by collecting and interpreting evidences. Durkheim has exercised his theory and methodology in two of his major works: The Division of Labor and Suicide. In The Division of Labor, Durkheim argues that there have other approaches to integrate the society beside religion. One of them is the division of labor, which he regarded as a powerful evidence of how social bonds transit from collective consciousness to division of labor (Brown, 2008). Durkheim highlights the functional interdependence of different individuals or units of the society which could be explained by the term of solidarity (Allan, 2005, p. 122). In the division of labor, he illustrates two kinds of solidarity: mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. He compared primitive society and modern society using the organismic approach to explore how individuals maintain solidarity. In primitive society where there is low productivity, individuals are automatically bond together by the collective consciousnesses, an external uniform beliefs imposed on individuals . On the other hand, organic solidarity exists in modern society. Spencer enormously influenced Durkheims Division of Labor. Spencer believes that society was stimulated by the fundamental force of population growth, which changes the way of society to distribute production and wealth (Jones, 205, p. 345). Durkheim developed his evolutionary and organism doctrine. According to Barnes (1920, p. 240), for Durkheim, social evolution is characterized by a decrease in this repressive and mechanical type of social cohesion or solidarity and by a corresponding increase in the development of individual consciousness and personality. That is, with a dense growth of population as the determinant cause of raised intensive division of labor, individuals are more interdependent on diverse contribution of others to perform a cooperatively function instead of the dominance of collective conscience (Sirianni, 1984). Brown (2008) points out that individualism becomes more important than the collecti ve to maintain social solidarity and represents the characteristic of modern society. It is apparently Durkheim provide a sociological platform which benefits to interpret social process. However limitations could probably exist in his theories as well as methodology such as the cause of the division of labor and the interpretation of its effects. Tarde (citied in Lukes, 1973, p. 304) suggests that Durkheims opinion on the division of labor only concern the social internal problem without international relationship. Meanwhile, the division of labor could also result from variety of creation instead of population density. Moreover, Merton (1994, p. 22) argues that in Durkheims presentation of social evolution, he diminished the effectiveness of civil law in primitive society and common interest in the modern society in order to give prominence to main power of cohesion : collective consciousnesses and the division of labour, in mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity respectively. As a result, a precise relationship between solidarity and law may not be obtained. Finally, in the conclusion of his work, he personally regard the society as pathological due to the lack of social regulations that do no match the level of the division of labor and excessive individualism during transition, it is likely to push the society into anomie as well as increase the suicide rate (Mutchnick et al., 2009). In another significant book Suicide Durkheim explained a popular moral phenomenon in the 19th society. Suicide can be defined as every case of death which results directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act, accomplished by the victim himself which he knows must produce this result (Lukes, 1973, p. 202). Durkheim first considered suicide is a private action but also as a matter of a social fact that exists external to each individual in the society. Thus, the statistics of suicide could reflect diverse outside forces through which one could access to the origins of the weakness of the society as well as solution to those problem. Then he theoretically categorizes different but general social causes of individual suicide and draws its effect by deduction approach. There are four forms of suicide respect to two levels of imbalanced social forces: integration and moral rule (Thompson, 1982). Firstly, it is regarded that egoistic suicide is the consequence of excessive individ ualism. In a deteriorated society, individual who integrate less with others and act on their own interest is likely to act egoistic suicide. By contrast, altruistic suicide is result from excessive conformity, Durkheim stats that suicide becomes ones obligation. It often happens in modern societies among civilized people who sacrifice themselves in order to save others such as military (Durkheim, 1979). The other two kinds of suicide are classified into the group of moral regulation. Durkheim again divided the situation that people tends to conduct anomic suicide into four aspects of crisis: decline in the capability of social organizations to instruct peoples lives; rapid social transformation; wealth no longer satisfied people and unbalanced marriage. Finally, Durkheim view fatalistic as the product of rigid but strong moral norm which often committed by slaves (Jones, 1986). It is suggested that if examine Durkheims work critically, one may noticed flaws in his notion of Suicide (Gane, 1988, p. 152). First, one may question whether such phenomenon causes by external force such as society but shared awareness from individuals. However, Durkheim defends it by the term of conscience collective which is also a kind of a social fact and points out the strength of linking morality to discover social laws (Craib, 1997, p. 32). Secondly, Lukes (1973, p. 202-206) argues that his classification of suicide form has limited the causes and types. Moreover, Durkheim concerned the causes of suicide only with social facts and rejected the relationship between suicide and personality in terms of psychology, physic as well as alcoholism. Additionally, the subject of suicide is more like to exist in disordered societies thus lead to an unbalanced research which prone to the theory of pathology. As a result, the contribution of suicide to sociology is actually restricted. However, Thompson (1982) states that regardless the shortages, Durkheim work of suicide is an essential contribution because they effectively combine sociological theory with empiricism to explain social phenomenon. Durkheim suggests that the study of suicide could reveal the connection between social members which closely go with the original subject of social bond in sociology. Moreover, by examining suicide could help one to discover the law of sociology and thus give a direction of the development of society (Lukes, 1973, p. 193). In the research, he related series of common characteristics of the society as social facts to suicide rate statistics and draw a general conclusion that particular social environment and current could lead to a growth of suicide rate. For example, insufficient economy growth and social mode changes generate a remarkable suicide rate in the 19th century of European. Aimed at solving this problem, Durkheim also proposed to strengthen the backbone of econ omy and support individuals with the sense of belonging (Lukes, 1973, p. 220). In conclusion, this essay explored Durkheims main works in sociology. As one of the founder of professional sociology, Durkheim identified social facts thus built the dimension as well as the skeleton of sociology. Based on previous work, he formulates a systematic methodology to discover the social laws by observing and comparing the relationships between different variables. Durkheim further applied his methodology and theory into his work of The Division of Labor and Suicide. He discovered the procedure by which individuals socially integrate into society, and provide different types to explain the relationship between people and society. Although there are certain indistinct interpretation in terms of concepts and correlations, Durkheims work is considered to have significant to the scientific study of society. Word count: 2105