A Nutshell Solitary Word Is A Basic Human Right - 1430 Words

Feminism in a nutshell solitary word is: equality- a basic human right that has been the basis of every social movement throughout history and history to come. In one way or another, every ethnicity, race, and gender has been oppressed in some form. All of the â€Å"-isms† have fought to shed light and bring about change to these â€Å"lesser† groups. Feminists are no exception. Feminism has many branches: radical feminism, cultural feminism, liberal feminism, anti-porn feminism, pro-sex feminism, third-wave feminism, womanism, and many more. However to keep this paper readable in a sitting or two, we’ll focus on first and second wave feminism including important figure heads, projects or social events, goals of each group, when they happened, and who opposed or criticized these groups. First-wave feminists main goal was to gain the right to vote- a right supposedly reserved for every citizen of the United States. According to Rachel Fudge, first-wave feminism wa s not just about suffrage, but it was also about â€Å"securing women’s right to participate as full citizens†. This crusade could be considered the most well known trend in feminism and the most widely â€Å"acceptable† or less negatively viewed by society (at least today). If one was asked today if they are in favor of women’s suffrage- if they even know what the damn word means- there is a high probability that they would be all for it, but that was not always the case. In the year of 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention was held.Show MoreRelatedAn Outline of Thomas Hobbes Social Contract1395 Words   |  6 Pagesopinion, not untrue) view on humanity. In a nutshell, he believed that humanity was born evil and needed society and law to keep it in order. Hobbes wrote that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man. In this state any person has a natural right to do anything to preserve his own liberty or safety, and life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. He believedRead MoreBiblical Models of Servant Leadership13223 Words   |  53 PagesMODELS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP Introduction There are basic attitudes which we see in the lives of those whom God called to servant leadership in the Bible. These include a serving attitude where the leader sees his[1] primary responsibility to those whom he leads as to serve and develop them to fulfill their God-given mandate. The leader serves by putting on a redeeming attitude, like Moses and Joshua. In other words he takes responsibility for those he leads, recognizing needs and reachingRead MoreThe Effect of Electronic Journals on Scholarly Communication Essay10786 Words   |  44 Pagesdistribution, can be done either by the editor or by a part-time editorial assistant. However there is also the potential to streamline this process even further. Because the texts are electronic, it is a relatively simple matter to write software or word processor macros that assist in the conversion process. Should editors choose this route, the slot normally associated with editorial assistants can be eliminated altogether. (10)Further savings can be had by lowering the aesthetic standards ofRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 PagesVIEW Strategic Human Resource Management Taken from: Strategic Human Resource Management, Second Edition by Charles R. Greer Copyright  © 2001, 1995 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Pearson Education Company Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 Compilation Copyright  © 2003 by Pearson Custom Publishing All rights reserved. This copyright covers material written expressly for this volume by the editor/s as well as the compilation itself. It does not cover the individual selections herein that

Adolf Hitler Was Fundamental To The Nazi State Between

Adolf Hitler was fundamental to the Nazi State between 1933 to 1939. From his consolidation of power to the start of World War II, Hitler played a crucial role in nearly every aspect of Nazi Germany: its politics and internal administration, culture, military, and international relations. However, Hitler’s involvement in the German economy was limited and he neglected overseeing the daily governance of the state. Nonetheless, as the absolute dictator of Germany, his programs and policies set a determined course for the Nazi State. Essentially, the will of Hitler became the driving force and the sole embodiment of the Third Reich, as encapsulated by Bullock, ‘No other man played a role in the . . . history of the Third Reich remotely†¦show more content†¦Thus, through the principle of Fuhrerprinzip, ultimate authority rested with Hitler and extended downwards, enabling him to initiate a process of Gleichschaltung throughout the Nazi state. Hitler’s role in politics and internal administration between 1933 to 1939 was crucial to the Nazi state. Despite wielding absolute power, Hitler exercised it limitedly and infrequently, distancing himself from the daily decisions of the state, as supported by Albert Speer, Hitler’s personal architect, ‘I would often ask myself, did he really work?’ Hitler’s unwillingness to regulate a controlled system of government resulted in competition among the political and social elite as they formulated policy to what they believed to be Hitler’s will. This is demonstrated in a speech made by Werner Willikens in 1934, State Secretary in the Food Ministry, who proclaimed, ‘it is the duty of everybody to try to work towards the Fuhrer along the lines he would wish.’ As a result, the existence of government bodies whose regulatory and civil functions overlapped and clashed with each other lead to chaos and incoordination among the upper ec helons of the state. However, Hitler’s reluctance to personally initiate decisions does not compromise his significance and entail that he was, as Mommsen claims, ‘a weak dictator’ who ‘was influenced in the strongestShow MoreRelatedPolitical Ideologies During The Twentieth Century1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe twentieth century, unlike any other before it, saw dramatic changes in many different areas such as science, technology, politics, religion, and society. One of the most important changes was the increasing amount of wars. People have died in wars since the very beginning, but in the twentieth century wars began to generate much higher body counts both among armies and civilian populations, being terminal and causing a drastic amount of casualties. Furthermore, in the twentieth century, two opposingRead MoreHitler vs. Gandhi1721 Words   |  7 PagesGandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in the small western Indian state of Porbandar under the name Moha ndas Karamchand Gandhi (Ghandis Life) . When Gandhi was finished with high school, he entered a small Indian college, the Samaldas College at the University of Bombay (Mahatma). After beginning his education here, however, he decided he disliked and traveled to the University College London, leaving his wife and infant son (Ghandis Life). It was while attending school in London that heRead MoreAdolf Hilter Was Not Born A Monster Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesAdolf Hilter was not born a monster, he was molded into one. Hard to believe that this man that had cause so much harm didn’t rise from the gates of hell. A man that had no remorse for his action and genuinely thought he was doing good for his people, a man that prosecuted and murdered millions for his belief of the greater good, his belief of the superior race, a man that inflicted fear into the whole world. The German people unaware of the atrocities that was occurring in the outskirts of theirRead MoreEssay on Fas cism as a Single Doctrine1075 Words   |  5 Pagesperiod between the two world wars. Fascism was seen very much as a revolt against modernity, against the ideas and values of the Enlightenment and the political creeds that it spawned. It emerged most dramatically in Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, yet fascist elements can also been detected in Portugal under the dictatorship of Salazar, in Spain under Franco and in Argentina under Peron. Indeed it can be said that the Fascism that emerged under Hitler and MussoliniRead MoreThe Horrors of the Holocaust967 Words   |  4 PagesWho put them through all of this? Adolf Hitler. Of course you have heard of this terrible incident in our history. But, do you really know what happened and who Hitler was? The main points of the holocaust are Hitler, his hatred towards Jews, the â€Å"superior† race and how so many lives were lost in concentration camps. First off, Adolf Hitler was the son of Klara and Alois Hitler. Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany nicknamed Der Fà ¼hrer (German for The Leader). He was born April 20, 1889, in BraunauRead MoreThe Rise Of Nazism And The Holocaust1668 Words   |  7 Pagesaltering the course the world takes. Adolf Hitler is one of these individuals. Hitler, the figurehead of the Nazi regime that led Germany to World War II, and instigated one of the most infamous genocides in history, the Holocaust. The impact Adolf Hitler had on history, namely, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust is a lso due to a favourable set of circumstances that without them Hitler himself would not have been enough. There is no denying that Hitler was not ‘Charismatic’, a leader that broughtRead MoreModern Existentialism : Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche And National Socialism1510 Words   |  7 PagesFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) was one of the most influential philosophers and intellectual thinkers of the 19th century. He is considered one of the founders of modern existentialism, and his works have influenced various philosophers such as Martin Heidegger and Georges Bataille. His works often ran perpendicular to conventional beliefs of his time, and was received in numerous respects. Nietzsche really did not care who you were, or what it was, he had a criticism on almost everythingRead MoreAdolf Hitler as a Terrorist - 12592 Words   |  11 PagesAdolf Hitler as a Terrorist Name Institution Adolf Hitler as a Terrorist Adolf Hitler, the famous Germany dictator and leader of National Socialist German Workers Party, commonly referred to as the Nazi Party, lived between April 20, 1889 and April 30, 1945; almost exactly fifty-six years. For the first thirty years of his life, he was an obscure failure; becoming a local celebrity almost overnight before becoming a man around whom the whole world policy revolved when he became Germany’sRead MoreThe Holocaust Was An Appalling Event1557 Words   |  7 PagesQ#1 The holocaust was an appalling event everyone was horrified to learn had transpired throughout the Second World War. Only after the camps began to be liberated by the Allied forces was when the truth of the situation was divulged to the public, and the Germans saw the consequence of their ignorance. That was the initial belief, anyway, but as time progressed history and research shows that the majority of ordinary Germans were aware of the evolving horror of Hitler s Holocaust. Germans wereRead MoreThe Cause And Effect Of The Holocaust1811 Words   |  8 Pagesthere was one event that deeply influence the world and the Jews today, it was the Holocaust. Holocaust, a term that people use to describe the horrible event that happened during World War II which kill millions of innocent citizens. The Holocaust started at January 13, 1933, when Hitler became the leader of Germany. It continued until the V - E Day, which happened on May 8, 1945. 6 million Jews, and 5 million non-Jews were k illed during the Holocaust. The causes and effect of the Holocaust was Hitler’s

Citizen Journalism vs. Mainstream Media Free Essays

Citizen journalism is news that comes from the larger public and not well- known and legitimate news agencies like, The Washington Post or The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Citizen journalism can be most recognized in the form of blogs or wiki sites. 15211 is a citizen journalism site that is based in Mt. We will write a custom essay sample on Citizen Journalism vs. Mainstream Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now Washington which is a small part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The title of the blog relates to the blog because it is the zip code for Mount Washington residents. The blog discusses current events that are going on in the Mount Washington area only; the site masters are completely open to criticism and understand that not everyone agrees or likes what is being discussed. A mainstream media outlet close to Mount Washington is the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This newspaper discusses everything from sports to local news to country wide and international affairs. Although there is an opinion section in the paper, it is not all opinion based like a blog. Also, newspapers provide other things than just news whether it is informative or opinionated; it also provides coupons for state wide stores and allows their audience to connect to other websites such as job search sites. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette provides a wide range of informative topics to appeal to a wide range of publics. Since newspapers are losing their appeal to the newer generations they must start finding new ways to attract people to read and subscribe to their publication. Although many publics in today’s society prefer mainstream media to citizen journalism, there are many pros to blogs and wiki sites. For instance the blog, 15211 is targeted to a specific public (audience) which are the people of Mount Washington, a small part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as it says in the about us section. Having a target audience allows for more freedom to write about anything related to that topic and not receiving many contradictory statements or backlash opinions. Although most blogs have a targeted audience, backlash comes with the territory and one of the things that 15211 says is, â€Å"Sometimes you’ll like what you read, other times you won’t. That is the point of a blog and we intend to keep true to the medium. We know that our opinions may not be yours and vice versa, but we respect the fact that you’re here†¦. † This allows more people to openly express their opinion and respond to the opinion of the creator without feeling judged. Another upside to citizen journalism is that it is very easy to share and connect with the site and the other followers. On the 15211 home page they have a tiny box in the middle of the page that allows you to share or bookmark the site to 11 different social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google Bookmarks. On the site, the blog creators also allow people to view a live Twitter comment feed on the website so that they don’t have to have Twitter to view the comments people are making about the blog posts. Citizen Journalism good at sharing information and allowing others to participate in the discussion, but being completely opinionated and specific on one topic is not always a good thing. On negative thing about citizen journalism is that they mostly only apply to specific publics/audiences and although the internet has many different blogs and wiki sites that attract all people, it still doesn’t cover everyone, especially older generations who are against the change in the way that we view and access our information. Being able to expand to just more than one specific public might help increase the recognition just like mainstream media is. Another down side to citizen journalism is that it is all opinionated and although people like the freedom of expressing their opinion, people like facts and information that they can definitely rely on to right. After researching the 15211 site, citizen journalism seems to be on the rise and more accessible than ever with social networking and bookmarking sites. All in all it seems as though it is becoming new way for people to express themselves without having to reveal too much about themselves like on Facebook. It also allows internet surfers to read only what they want and what they connect and agree to the most. Citizen journalism is becoming very popular and with the way technology is growing and expanding it only seems like this form of journalism will become even larger among the future generations. How to cite Citizen Journalism vs. Mainstream Media, Papers

Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball free essay sample

If you’ve been a fan of Modern Baseball since the Sports EP, you know the band is quite fond of writing about high school stories and girls with hoodies, the kind of lyrics you’d get tattooed on your 16-year-old self. Contrary to popular assumptions, the new album, titled Holy Ghost, is far from the normal bands creations. Before Holy Ghost was born, Brendan Lukens announced that because of his anxiety and depression, the band would be forced to cancel their Australian tour. Fortunately, these experiences Lukens endured helped create the powerful lyrics and music featured on the album. Jake Ewald also experienced a great deal of loss around the time of creating the album. Rather than sulking in self-pity and depression, the band drew the courage to create the album, which features 11 songs cornering their journey towards healing. The album is split between Ewald beginning the first 6 tracks and Lukens on the remaining 5. We will write a custom essay sample on Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ewald illustrates the difficulty of loving between distances in â€Å"Wedding Singer† and â€Å"Note to Self† suggesting he would rather be with someone who’s not physically with him (â€Å"Where I want to be still seems a thousand miles away/But pretending we feel safe right here gets harder everyday†). The distance between him and someone he loves is enough to tear him apart in â€Å"Mass.† Lukens begins his part of the album with the transformations he has made in his life in the previous months, admitting that he feels most safe when he’s alone in â€Å"Breathing in Stereo.† The lyrics Lukens creates seem to be his subconscious thoughts, constantly questioning his own statements. Yet he grows throughout the album, displaying this in â€Å"What if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  stating that he won’t wait for anyone anymore. The album is concluded with the most powerful message that Lukens and the band is â€Å"not just another face.† The album as a whole is most definitely the strongest piece of art Modern Baseball has released due to the rawness of the experiences that created the music.

Enzymes Lab Report Revised Sample

Enzymes Lab Report Revised Paper Activation energy is the lowest amount of energy needed to begin a chemical reaction (Campbell and Erect, 2008). Few biochemical reactions could take place quickly enough to satisfy the metabolic needs for living organisms without the aid of enzymes (Helms et al. , 1998). Biological enzymes used in cells are seen in the form of proteins. These catalysts have complex structures including one or more polypeptide chains which are folded in specific shapes to contain an active site, which is the area a substrate will bind to the enzyme. A substrate is a molecule which the enzyme will act upon and change (Helms et al. 1998). The substrate which is bonded to its specific enzyme is known as an enzyme-substrate complex, and the results of the Atlantic action between the enzyme and substrate change the substrate to the product(s) of the reaction (Campbell and Erect, 2008). The active site of an enzyme is specific for the substrate. According to Campbell and Erect, when the substrate enters th e active site the shape of the enzyme will change very minutely to better fit the substrate in the active site. The very tight fit between the substrate and the active site is called an induced fit (Campbell and Erect, 2008). This induced fit or conformational change is another reason why the activation energy is lowered during the chemical reaction (Garcia-Viola et al. , 004). The enzyme that is being tested throughout this experiment is the enzyme catecholamine. According to Helms et al. , catecholamine is found in a few fruits and vegetables and is responsible for the inside of the fruit or vegetable turning brown when exposed to air. The brown color is a result of the cathode oxidation and conversion to Benzedrine. The Benzedrine forms chains that are the structural centerpieces of the brown and red pigments that cause the fruit to darken. We will write a custom essay sample on Enzymes Lab Report Revised specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Enzymes Lab Report Revised specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Enzymes Lab Report Revised specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The activity of catecholamine is based on some environmental factors (Helms et al. , 1998). The purpose of this experiment is to test some of these environmental factors such as temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration in order to find out what effects each have on the efficiency and productivity of the enzyme. Hypotheses Temperature The null hypothesis is that the temperature of the system will have no effect on the enzymatic activity. The alternative hypothesis is that an increase in the temperature of the system will increase the amount of enzymatic activity. H The null hypothesis is the pH of solution will have no effect on the enzymatic activity. The alternative hypothesis is the enzyme used will have an ideal PH. A solution with too high or too low pH will cause a decrease in the amount of enzymatic activity observed. Enzyme Concentration The null hypothesis is enzyme concentration will have no effect on the enzymatic activity. The alternative hypothes is is an increase in enzyme concentration will increase the enzymatic activity. The converse will also be true. Substrate Concentration The null hypothesis is the substrate concentration will have no effect on the enzymatic activity. The alternative hypothesis is an increase in substrate concentration will increase the amount of enzymatic activity. Materials and Methods: To test the effect of temperature, three test tubes were labeled 10, 24, 50, and filled with 3 ml of a phosphate buffer of pH 7. One test tube was placed in an ice bath, one was left at room temperature, and the final test tube was placed in a heated beaker of water. The three solutions were allowed to sit for ten minutes, in order to allow the chilled test tube to reach ICC and the heated solution to reach at least ICC. Two new test tubes were then filled with potato juice, and two more were filled with Cathode. One of each of these solutions was placed in the ice bath and the heated beaker respectively. After ten more minutes, ten drops of cathode was added to each of the tubes containing the buffer solution of pH 7. Room temperature cathode was then added to tube 24, the chilled cathode was added to tube 10, and the heated cathode was added to tube 50. Ten drops of potato juice was then added to each of the test tubes. The test tubes were then allowed to stand for five minutes with each mixture being shaken every two minutes. The mixtures were then observed and the intensity of the color of each solution was recorded. PH In order to test the effects of pH level on enzyme activity, seven test tubes babbled pH 4, pH 5, pH 6, pH 7, pH 8, pH 9, and pH 10 were filled with 3 ml of a buffer of the same PH. Ten drops of cathode was then added to each solution. The test tubes were covered with Paraffin, and then inverted several times. The solutions were allowed to stand five minutes, being mixed each minute. The solutions were then observed and the intensity of the color of each solution was recorded. Enzyme Concentration In order to examine the effects of enzyme concentration on the cavity of the enzyme, first, four test tubes were labeled A, B, C, and D respectively. These test tubes were filled in alphabetical order using a pipette with 3 ml plus 20 drops, 3 ml plus 15 drops, 3 ml plus 10 drops, and 3 ml of pH 7 phosphate buffer. In addition, O, 5, 10, and 20 drops of potato juice were added to the test tubes respectively. Following the addition of these substances, 10 drops of cathode was placed in each test tube, and then covered with Paraffin. Each test tube was inverted 4-5 times, and allowed to stand for 3-4 minutes while mixing the contents of each tube once every minute. The reaction in each tube was observed and the color intensity in each was recorded. Substrate Concentration In order to test the effects of substrate concentration on enzyme activity, eight test tubes labeled 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, and 48 were filled with 5 ml of a phosphate buffer of pH 7. Each tube had additional 47, 46, 44, 40, 32, 24, and 16 drops (one tube had no additional drops respectively. Each tube had drops of cathode added with respect to the numbered label (test tube 1 had 1 drop of cathode, test tube 16 had 16 drops, etc. ). After these solutions were mixed, each tube was covered with Paraffin and inverted 3-4 times. The film was removed from the tubes and 30 drops of diluted potato juice was added to each, covered tit Paraffin again, inverted 3-4 times, and allowed to sit at room temperature uncovered. The tubes were observed and the intensity of the colors in each tube was recorded. Results: Tablet: Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity Test Tube Temp. F Solution Color intensity 10 ICC 24 ICC 50 520 c In table 1, the effect of temperature on enzyme activity is shown. Attic, test tube 10 showed medium color intensity. At ICC, test tube 24 showed a high level of color intensity. At 520 C, test tube 50 showed the lowest level of color intensity. Tablet: The effect of pH levels on enzyme activity in solution. In this case, the addition of+ indicates a more intense color. Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity pH of Solution Color Intensity 4 5 6 7 8 9 In table 2, the effect of pH on the enzymatic activity in solution is shown. As pH rose for the solution, the color intensity rose as well, until a pH of 8 was reached. In between pH of 8 and pH of 9, the color intensity dramatically dropped. At pH of 10, no color was recorded for the solution. Table 3: The effect of enzyme concentration on enzyme activity based on the intensity of the color of solution. In this case, the addition of + indicates a more intense color. Intensity of Color in Different Enzymatic Concentrations Brown/Yellow + Brown ++ Red/Brown +++ In table 3, the intensity of color in different enzymatic concentrations is shown. In test tube A, which contained no enzyme, no color was recorded. As the concentrations of enzyme in solution increased in the sequential test tubes (B, C, and D respectively), the color intensity also increased from a light brown/yellow color, to a dark reddish/brown color. Table 4: A qualitative observation of the effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity Effect of Substrate Concentration on Enzyme Activity Amount Buffer (ml) Amount Cathode (drops) 5 + 47 drops 2 5+46 drops 5+44 drops 5 + 40 drops 16 5 + 32 drops 5 + 24 drops 32 5+ 10 drops 5+ 0 drops 48 In table 4, the effect of the substrate concentration in solution on the enzymatic activity is shown. In test tube 1, a very limited amount of substrate was added, which showed no change in color. In the sequential test tubes, color intensity gradually rose as the concentration of substrate increased from two drops to forty-eight drops. Discussion: In this study, the optimal temperature for catecholamine was found to be ICC. If the temperature is lower or higher than the enzymes optimal temperature, the productivity of the enzyme will decrease (Helms et al. , 1998). At a certain point in temperature increase, the protein becomes denatured (Campbell and Reese, 2008). In this study, the alternative hypothesis stating an increase in the temperature of the system will increase the amount of enzymatic activity was accepted. The rapid motion of the substrate molecules running into the enzyme molecules more often at higher temperatures may be the reason why increasing temperature is effective (Campbell and Erect, 2008). The breaking down of the secondary and tertiary protein structure of the enzyme are different forms of demutualization. The temperature being too low results in the enzymatic reaction being slower as well (Campbell and Erect, 2008). H Catecholamine was found to have the greatest amount of activity in solution of pH eight. If the solution an enzyme is in becomes too basic or acidic than the enzymes optimal pH, it will be less productive and the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein will be denatured (Helms et al. , 1998). The alternative hypothesis is the enzyme used will have an ideal PH. The study shows that a solution with t oo high or too low pH will cause a decrease in the amount of enzymatic activity observed. The alternative hypothesis was accepted by this portion of the study as well. A solution with too high or too low pH will cause a decrease in the amount of enzymatic activity observed. Most enzymes prefer an optimum pH between 6 and 8 (Campbell and Erect, 2008). This suggests each enzyme adapts to its environment for the best results possible (Campbell and Erect, 2008). Enzyme Concentration Increasing the amount of enzyme present increases the rate at which the action is taking place (Helms et al. , 1998). The increased concentration of enzyme in solution also caused the productivity of catecholamine to have increased until there was not enough substrate to bind with the catecholamine enzyme. The experiment showed that the most concentrated solution with enzyme produced the most intense color change. Thus, the alternative hypothesis stating that an increase in enzyme concentration will increase the enzymatic activity was accepted by the experiment. Substrate Concentration At a certain point when there is not enough substrate, the enzymes will not aka the reaction go faster. If you instead increase the amount of substrate present, the reaction speed will also increase (Helms et al. , 1998). The increased amount of substrate present caused the enzyme to be more productive as well. This occurred until the catecholamine reached its maximum efficiency and the solution became saturated with substrate. At this point, the increased productivity plateau and leveled off. The maximum efficiency of the enzyme was determined to be when 16 drops of cathode were put into test tube number 16. Once again, the alternative hypothesis was accepted by this experiment, which showed an increase in substrate concentration will increase the amount of enzymatic activity. This study is beneficial due to the vast number of enzymes that are required for life.

Gone With The Wind essays

Gone With The Wind essays I read a lot and I have many books that I like, but one of my favorites is Gone With The Wind. It is written by Margaret Mitchell. Book tells a story about a woman called Katie Scarlett OHara and there are also two films based on the book. Main characters are Katie Scarlett OHara, the eldest of three O'Hara daughters, her sister Susan Eleanor (Suellen) and Caroline Irene (Carreen), their parents Gerald and Ellen, Melanie, Ashley Wilkes, Charles Hamilton, Frank Kennedy and last but not least Rhett Butler. At the beginning Scarlett lived with her parents, she was most popular girl at neighbourhood and her biggest problem was how to dress up next day. But the war started and all men went to enlist. Scarlett married to Charles Hamilton, but after two month Charles died of pneumonia. After two years in Atlanta, Scarlett came back to home, Tara was dirty and damaged, but standing, because it was used as a Yankee headquarters. Scarlett finds out that her mother died, and so she was the only one that the family can depend on, because his father Gerald wasnt himself anymore: he thaught that Ellen is alive. Then she vows her famous line, "As God as my witness I will never be hungry again." In 1865 the war is finally over, but Scarlett needed 300$ for taxes of Tara and she had to marry to Frank Kennedy. But their marriage was quite short, because Frank was killed. After it, Scarlett married to Rhett Butler. Rhett was the only one, who really loved Scarlett the way she was. As Melanie died, Scarlett realized, that her love for Ashley never existed, and that she really loves Rhett. She rushed home to tell him, but it was too late. The book told that land is the only thing that lasts and the only thing worth fighting for. It told also about relationships, civil war in America and civilization gone with the wind. ...

Teenagers would not undergo cosmetic surgery Essay

Teenagers would not undergo cosmetic surgery - Essay Example For example, invention of computers have made people lethargic and has led them to develop different physical conditions like obesity, heart problem, hypertension, back pain etc. Moreover, instead of becoming the masters of technology, human beings have become slave to it. Their capacity to have patience and lead a ‘natural’ life has decreased to a great extent. Hence, instead of making a proper and positive use of scientific advancements, people are taking disadvantage by either using it in wrong way or by overusing it. The most striking example of misuse of scientific advancement is the field of ‘plastic surgery’. Plastic surgery is being misused so much that the main intention of it, which is to correct the deformities in human beings, has gone for toss. What is more concerning is the fact that not only adults but even adolescents have become a victim of misuse of plastic surgery. The media driven world has created havoc in the lives of teenagers and has driven them to take drastic steps in an effort to ‘look’ like their celebrity idols (Freund 225). The cosmetic and TV industry, by showing a false picture of cosmetic surgery, has gripped the teenage mind so strongly that teenagers are going for surgeries without even making efforts to understand the dangers related to it (Freund 225). Hence, it is high time for parents, doctors and counselors to create awareness among teenagers and adults, about the uselessness and life threatening results of cosmetic surgery, by bringing the ‘reality’ in front of them and making them realize that success and happiness depends on the strength of their mind, soul and heart, and not on the way they look. Right to look good Every person desires that he should look good and have a shapely body. The desire to look beautiful, shapely and attractive is more strong and prominent among girls. The desire for beautiful and perfect body not only comes from desire to look like their id ols but also from a desire to ‘fit in’ socially (Lukash 1). Aiming to look beautiful and attractive is not bad at all. According to plastic surgeon Frederick Lukash, it ‘does’ matter how one looks, as looks contribute a lot in acceptance of person by the society (p.1). Physical appearance has become one of the most important aspects of success in life. Good looks increase the possibilities of social acceptance, career growth, getting love in life, and interacting with people without having any inferior complex about looks. Good physical appearance gives great confidence and that is the reason people keep their bodies clean, look tidy, join gyms, spend a lot on wardrobe and try different diets (Lukash 1). People are always in search of different means to look beautiful and to enhance their physical appearance. However, most of the methods help in changing just the outer appearance of the body. Hence, for those people who desire to look great and modify their body structure not just temporarily but permanently, plastic surgery has proved to be a boon. Plastic surgery is encouraged by people who think that everyone has a right to look good because people’s look affects not only their physical appearance but also their emotional and psychological state. Improving confidence Beautiful looks are mostly hereditary in nature. People with beautiful parents are born with beautiful physical features which enhances their looks.

Journal Assignment on Protest Art Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal on Protest Art - Assignment Example On the other hand, Crile so aligns the theme of her work to the unraveled scandal of brutish human rights violation in Abu Ghraib prison. Hers has assured having captured the actual scenes of grave physical, psychological, and sexual violence as in ‘Arranged: Naked Mound of Flesh’, ‘Crouching in Terror’, and ‘Obscene Intimacy’ in which each naked slim subject possesses both literal and abstract paleness under a smudged white complexion to stress an amount of innocence with shame, frailty, and defenselessness of character as opposed to a darker background of doom with men in full uniform, conspicuously in far greater authority. (2) In his abstract proposition, Alsoudani reveals how a mind would feel towards a concrete encounter of war in its most destructive form. Working the similar pieces with charcoal and pastel to enhance representation of severe disorder, the audience may be drawn to magnify that distorted images are symbolic of a heightened moment of disaster. Smoke and ashes clouding the transitory human figures impact an approach to perceive the concept of destruction that eventually leads to fading whereby the living elements, as in the soldiers, lose their distinguishable features which should have been so vivid prior to the state of chaos.

Cpk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cpk - Term Paper Example By so doing, CPK will improve its margins since it will have streamlined the pizza menu alongside other critical issues. With the economy favoring the restaurant chains, CPK has options to weigh, which include selling itself. With such options at sight, the company’s directors have allowed the management to come up with strategic alternatives like changing the capital structure, merging, or acquiring other companies in the same industry. However, investors must be warned that such strategies are not a guarantee for good performance in future. Some few years ago, CPK suffered from low sales because most pizza consumers opted to cook at home. Having realized that, the company launched a call center where customers would call to make orders with free delivery. In addition, the company increased its wine varieties and the catering program. Since it owns most of the pizza restaurants in the US, CPK prefers to lease a huge proportion of its property in places where it is located. Su ch a strategy has assisted it avoid huge debts. As a premium pizza company in the US and around the world, CPK has to categorically select its best positions. Strategies, as discussed above, are an indicator that the company acknowledges the existing competition, changes in customer preferences, global issues, and environmental changes. Through such attributes, the company has adopted some strategies to accommodate customer preferences for instance launching a call centre, which makes it possible for customers to make orders instead of cooking at home. Some strategies are purely meant to help the company maximize profits. Managing a series of CPK restaurants can be a hectic task. For this reason, the management made a unique decision by leasing out some of the restaurants under its name to reduce costs attached to management and thus maximize on profits. Strategies are helpful to any organization. They

Spider-man

Spider-man Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). Lee and Ditko conceived of the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben as an ordinary teenager, having to deal with the normal struggles of youth in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter. Spider-Mans creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his own invention which he called web-shooters, and react to danger quickly with his spider-sense, enabling him to combat his foes. When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a teenage high school student to whose self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness young readers could easily relate.[1]:210 Unlike previous teen heroes such as James Buchanan Bucky Barnes and Robin, Spider-Man did not benefit from being the protege of any adult mentors like Captain America and Batman, and thus he had to learn for himself that with great power comes great responsibility a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story, but later retroactively attributed to his guardian, the late Uncle Ben. Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of which is titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled but outgoing college student to married high school teacher to, in the late 2000s, a single freelance photographer, his most typical adult role. He is now a member of an unofficial splinter group of the Avengers, one of Marvels flagship superhero teams. In the comics, Spider-Man is often referred to as Spidey, web-slinger, wall-crawler, or web-head. Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes. As Marvels flagship character and company mascot, he has appeared in many forms of media, including several animated and live-action television shows, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films starring actor Tobey Maguire as the friendly neighborhood hero. Spider-Man was named Empire magazines fifth-greatest comic-book character.[2] Spider-Man has been adapted to television many times, as a short-lived live-action television series, a Japanese tokusatsu series, and several animated cartoon series. There were also the Spidey Super Stories segments on the PBS educational series The Electric Company, which featured a Spider-Man (played by Danny Seagren) who did not speak out loud but instead used only word balloons. Spider-Mans first cartoon series ran from 1967-1970. It became known famous for its catchy theme song, which begins, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can From 1978-1979, Nicholas Hammond starred as Peter Parker in the live-action television series The Amazing Spider-Man. Two Spider-Man cartoons aired on television in 1981: the syndicated series Spider-Man which ran for one twenty-six episode season, and the more popular Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which aired on the NBC network for three seasons (ultimately totaling twenty-four episodes). hand appears shooting a web to save a citizen in the Third season X-Men Episode Phoenix Saga 5 Child Of Light, This episode aired just months before The web-swingers longest-running show, Spider-Man, which ran five seasons from 1994-1998, totaling 65 episodes, on Fox Broadcastings afternoon programming block, Fox Kids (in this series, Spider-Man was voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes in the English version, and by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese dub, who later played Venom in the Japanese dub of Spider-Man 3). That series continued as Spider-Man Unlimited the following year. A small reference is made to Spider-Man in the X-Men: Evolution episode On Angels Wings, when Angel is seen reading the Daily Bugle, the place Spider-Man/Peter Parker usually works. In 2003, MTV aired a 13-episode Spider-Man CGI series based loosely on the film continuity, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, developed by Mainframe Entertainment. Peter Parker made a cameo in the Fantastic Four: Worlds Greatest Heroes episode Frightful. Johnny Storm hires him to make him look good it, no one let him state what his name was so Johnny Storm refers to him as photographer guy. Johnny Storm also stated he was freelance. A new series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, premiered on March 8, 2008. In its first season it received critical acclaim and rocketed to the top of the ratings. Spider-Man/Peter Parker is voiced by Josh Keaton. * The original Spider-Man cartoon theme song has been covered and reinterpreted by numerous musical acts, including The Mr. T Experience, Ramones, Aerosmith, Michael Bublà ©, Moxy Frà ¼vous and Tenacious D. The 2002 and 2004 movies have featured buskers performing the song; Jayce Bartok and Elyse Dinh respectively. * In 1972, Buddah Records released Spider-Man: From Beyond The Grave, a rock musical story LP record with an included wordless comic strip for listeners to follow. Kingpin appears as the villain and Doctor Strange guest stars. * In 1975 Ramsey Lewis released a single titled Whats the Name of this Funk? (Spider Man) [sic].[14] * In 1975 Marvel Comics and Lifesong Records released an album entitled, Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero. It contained songs of various styles altered to elucidate certain moments and feelings of Spider-Mans origin, such as No Ones Got a Crush on Peter and Peter Stays and the Spider-Man Goes interspersed with narration clips by Stan Lee. * In 1979, German singer Peter Griffin had his first hit with a song called Spiderman. * In 1983, Muse Records released Woody Shaws jazz version of Spider-Man Blues, based on the television theme, on Shaws Setting Standards album. * In 1992, the Italian rock band 883 made it onto the European charts with a song called Hanno ucciso luomo ragno (They Killed Spider-Man) from an album of the same name, describing how after the death of the superhero, the streets are being overrun by gangs of stressed accountants in double-breasted suits.[15] * In the 1993 Wu-Tang Clan song Protect Ya Neck, Inspectah Deck raps the lyric Swingin through your town like your neighborhood Spider-Man in his verse. * In 1994, Joe Perry of Aerosmith wrote and performed the theme song for the Fox Kids Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He is a noted fan of Spider-Man. * In 1998 Michale Graves wrote the song Spider-Man (aka The Spider-Man Song aka Spider-Man Save Me) while still in The Misfits. It is yet to be officially released, although he has played this song live in every band hes played in since. On his 2006 solo release, Return to Earth, Michale again mentions Spider-Man in the song Butchershop. * The 2003 Weird Al Yankovic album Poodle Hat has a track entitled Ode to a Superhero. It is a parody of the Billy Joel song Piano Man, and recounts the events of the 2002 film. * In 2004 Nelly performed a song called Spida Man, on his double album Sweat/Suit. * A soundtrack album and score was released with each of the two Spider-Man films. The two soundtracks were mainly songs thematically linked to the film, performed by popular rock acts. Both soundtracks included hit singles (notably Hero by Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott, Bother by Corey Taylor (of Stone Sour and Slipknot), and Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional. The two scores were composed by Danny Elfman. * For the second Spiderman film, Michael Bublà © recorded a big band version of the Spider-Man theme. * Danish pop group, Aqua, mention Spider-Man in the chorus of their single, Cartoon Heroes. * In his 2005 album, Lost and Found, Will Smith uses the theme music from the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon series in his song Here he Comes. This song was produced by DJ Jazzy Jeff. * In their 2005 album Animetal Marathon VII, Japanese heavy metal band Animetal cover the opening of the 1970s tokusatsu adaptation. * In his 2006 album, Kingdom Come, Jay-Z raps Peter Parker: Spider-Man, all I do is climb the charts. * J-pop singer DJ Ozma heavily dedicates Spider-Man in his 2007 single Spiderman. The music video for song features a club full of dancers wearing black Spider-Man masks and a man dressed in a white Spider-Man suit. * There is an underground song called Crank Dat Spiderman. In this song Spider-Man is a sexual action in which the male ejaculates in his hand and throws it into the females face like Spider-Mans web. * The British indie pop band Los Campesinos mention Spider-Man in their song entitled Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats. * On the song Candy Land from Insane Clown Posse Member Violent Js album The Shining rapper Esham references Spider-Man.

Shopping is a Pastime for Women Essay -- Womens Clothing Clothes

SHOPPING IS A PASTIME Women’s clothing does not bite, but every guy I know seems to think it does. If it’s hanging on a rack or sitting patiently in a store for someone to handle, poke, or prod, it’s dangerous. Other adjectives— provided kindly by my guy friends—include â€Å"expensive,† â€Å"a waste of time,† and â€Å"unnecessary,† proving that men just don’t know anything about shopping and what it means to women. Combing through racks of clothing and looking for the cutest outfits may take hours, but many girls feel great satisfaction in doing so. Whenever my friends and I are bored, one of us will usually exclaim, â€Å"Let’s go shopping!† We all get excited and prepare for an intensive day-long outing, usually going to as many clothing stores as we can possibly carry ourselves, or until our wallets become weightless and our plastic gets maxed out. The idea of shopping is social and fun to us. While guys will usually walk into a store (even with friends) and rush to find what they need, girls will often hover around merchandise just to enjoy and inspect it. If we don’t buy anything and only browse for a whole day, simply looking at new things is a pleasurable experience and evokes happiness. Beyond clothing, the wonders of accessories, shoes, and interesting home dà ©cor excite our senses and spending possibilities. For others—typically men—the idea of getting off the couch and out of the house incites complete agony. When my younger brother hears the suggestion of shopping, he yells, â€Å"I HAVE A STOMACH ACHE. I CAN’T GO!† (unless, of course, you mention Best Buy or Micro Center). When my boyfriend hears it, he sternly says, â€Å"Mary, don’t make me sit in some chair for three hours like last time.† (Oops!) Shopping evokes... ...t turns out it was on the OTHER SIDE of the store, exactly where my guy friend said it WASN’T. If I hadn’t asked, we would have been there all night. Although I don’t believe guys will ever truly appreciate shopping and the obsession many women have with it, I do think that many have come to terms with the issue. It’s common for my guy friends to not drop their jaws if my friends and I blow a few hundred dollars in a single day on only clothing . . . especially after we point out their latest and most expensive electronic purchase. As Adams, (the design director for NBBJ Retail Concepts) states, â€Å"the woman is the decision-maker (229),† and therefore, is the primary shopper between the two sexes. Works Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"The Science of Shopping.† 1996. The Text-Wrestling Book. Eds. Donna LeCourt, et al. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendal/Hunt, 2005. 222–231.

Home Depot Analysis

Home Depot – 2010 Financial Report For fiscal year ended January  30, 2011 (â€Å"fiscal 2010†), Home Depot reported Net Earnings of $3. 3  billion and Diluted Earnings per Share of $2. 01 compared to Net Earnings of $2. 7  billion and Diluted Earnings per Share of $1. 57 for fiscal year ended January  31, 2010 (â€Å"fiscal 2009†). The results for fiscal 2010 included a $51 million pretax charge related to the extension of our guarantee of a senior secured loan of HD Supply, Inc. (the â€Å"HD Supply Guarantee Extension†). The results for fiscal 2009 reflected the impact of several strategic actions initiated in fiscal 2008. These strategic actions resulted in store rationalization charges related to the closing of 15 underperforming U. S. stores and the removal of approximately 50 stores from their new store pipeline, business rationalization charges related to the exit of our EXPO, THD Design Center, Yard birds and HD Bath businesses (the â€Å"Exited Businesses†) and charges related to the restructuring of support functions (collectively, the â€Å"Rationalization Charges†). These actions resulted in pretax Rationalization Charges of $146 million for fiscal 2009. The results for fiscal 2009 also included a pretax charge of $163 million to write-down our investment in HD Supply, Inc. Additionally, fiscal 2009 included earnings of $41 million from discontinued operations, net of tax, for the settlement of working capital matters arising from the sale of HD Supply. Home Depot reported Earnings from Continuing Operations of $3. 3  billion and Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations of $2. 01 for fiscal 2010 compared to Earnings from Continuing Operations of $2. 6  billion and Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations of $1. 5 for fiscal 2009. Excluding the HD Supply Guarantee Extension charge from their fiscal 2010 results, and the Rationalization Charges and the write-down of their investment in HD Supply from their fiscal 2009 results, Earnings from Continuing Operations were $3. 4 billion and Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations were $2. 03 for fiscal 2010 compared to Earnings from Continuing Oper ations of $2. 8 billion and Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations of $1. 66 for fiscal 2009. Net Sales increased 2. 8% to $68. 0  billion for fiscal 2010 from $66.   billion for fiscal 2009. Home Depot’s comparable store sales increased 2. 9% in fiscal 2010, driven by a 2. 4% increase in their comparable store customer transactions and a 0. 5% increase in their comparable store average ticket to $51. 93. Comparable store sales for their U. S. stores increased 2. 5% in fiscal 2010. In fiscal 2010, Home Depot focused on the following four key initiatives: Customer Service: Home Depot’s focus on customer service is anchored on the principles of taking care of their associates, putting customers first and simplifying the business. The roll out of their Customers FIRST training to all store associates and support staff in fiscal 2009 has brought simplification and focus across the business, and they repeated and refreshed the Customers FIRST training during fiscal 2010. The Customers FIRST program is part of their ongoing commitment to improve customer service levels in their stores, and they continued to see the benefit of this training in improved customer service ratings for fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009. Also in fiscal 2010, Home Depot completed the deployment of their FIRST Phone, a new hand held device that provides multiple functions such as inventory management, product location and mobile checkout. The core purpose of this new device is to reduce tasking time for their store associates to allow them more time to focus on customer service. Home Depot ended fiscal 2010 with more than half of their store payroll allocated to customer facing activities rather than tasking activities. They have a customer facing store payroll target of 60%, and they believe they will achieve that by 2013. Product Authority: Our focus on product authority is facilitated by our merchandising transformation and portfolio strategy, including innovation, assortment and value. In fiscal 2010, we made significant progress on our merchandising tools in the U. S. that helped us manage markdown and clearance activity and better control inventory. Our inventory turnover ratio was 4. 13 times at the end of fiscal 2010 compared to 4. 06 times at the end of fiscal 2009. Additionally, we continued to form strategic alliances and relationships with selected suppliers to bring a number of proprietary and xclusive brands across a wide range of departments. Productivity and Efficiency: Home Depot’s approach to driving productivity and efficiency starts with disciplined capital allocation focused on building best-in-class competitive advantages in information technology and supply chain, as well as building shareholder value through higher returns on invested capital and total value returned to sh areholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. At the end of fiscal 2010, they completed the roll out of their Rapid Deployment Centers (â€Å"RDCs†) and now have 19 RDCs that serve 100% of their U. S. stores. Also during fiscal 2010, they repurchased 80. 9  million shares for $2. 6 billion, and on February  22, 2011 Home depot announced a six percent increase in their quarterly cash dividend to 25 cents per share. Interconnected Retail: Home Depot’s focus on interconnected retail is based on the view that providing a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels will be a critical enabler for future success. Their multiple channel focus is allowing them to greatly expand their assortment of merchandise, and they are making the investment to build these capabilities, including the roll out of â€Å"buy on-line, pick-up in store† next year. Home depot is committed to having a best-in-class website, and during fiscal 2010 their site was named as a Most Improved Website for customer satisfaction by Foresee, a leading customer satisfaction analytics firm. Home Depot opened eight new stores in fiscal 2010, including one relocation, and closed three stores, bringing our total store count at the end of fiscal 2010 to 2,248. As of the end of fiscal 2010, a total of 272 of these stores, or 12. 1%, were located in Canada, Mexico and China compared to 268 stores, or 11. 9%, at the end of fiscal 2009. Home Depot generated approximately $4.   billion of cash flow from operations in fiscal 2010. They used this cash flow along with cash on hand to fund $2. 6 billion of share repurchases, pay $1. 6  billion of dividends and fund $1. 1 billion in capital expenditures. At the end of fiscal 2010, Home Depot’s long-term debt-to-equity ratio was 46. 1% compared to 44. 7% at the end of fiscal 2009. Their return on invested capita l for continuing operations (computed on net operating profit after tax for the trailing twelve months and the average of beginning and ending long-term debt and equity) was 12. 8% for fiscal 2010 compared to 10. % for fiscal 2009. This increase reflects the impact of the Rationalization Charges which they included in their operating profit for fiscal 2009. Excluding the Rationalization Charges, their return on invested capital for continuing operations was 12. 7% for fiscal 2010 compared to 11. 1% for fiscal 2009. Week 2 Activity Ratios of Home Depot vs. Lowe’s One key to profitability is how well a company manages and utilizes its assets. Some ratios are design to evaluate a company’s effectectiveness in managing assets. Of particular interest is the activity, or turnover ratios, of certain assets. The greater the number of times an asset turns over, the higher the ratio the fewer assets are required to maintain a given level of activity (revenue). Given that a company incurs costs to finance its assets with debt (paying interest) or equity (paying dividends), high turnovers are usually attractive. |Receivable Turnover | |Year |2009 |2010 |2011 | |Home Depot |68. |63. 9 |53. 9 | |Lowe’s |0. 0 |0. 0 |0. 0 | Receivable Turnover ratio is calculated by dividing a period’s net credit sales by the average net accounts receivables. The receivables turnover ratio provides an indication of a company’s efficiency in collecting receivables. The ratio shows the number of times during a period that the averages accounts receivable balance is collected. The higher the ratio, the shorter the average time between credit sales and cash collection. As we can see above, Lowe’s has zero receivables, which can be translated to no credit sales. |Inventory Turnover | |Year |2009 |2010 |2011 | |Home Depot |4. 21 |4.. 19 |4. 34 | |Lowe’s |4. 0 |3. 72 |3. 63 | Inventory Turnover is an important measure for a merchandising company. The ratio shows the number of times the average inventory balance is sold during reporting period. It indicates how quickly inventory is sold. The more frequently a business is able to sell, or turn over, its inventory, the lower its investment in inventory must be for a given level of sales. The ratio is computed by dividing the period’s costs of goods sold by the average inventory balance. The denominator, average inventory, is determined by adding beginning and ending inventory and dividing by two. A relatively high ratio, as in the case of Home Depot compare to Lowe’s, usually is desirable. A high ratio indicates comparative strength, perhaps caused by a company’s superior sales force or maybe a successful advertising campaign. However, it might also be caused by a relatively low inventory level, which could mean either very efficient inventory measurement or stock outs or lost sales in the future. Comparing the two industries, we can conclude than Home Depot turns over their inventory a bit faster than Lowe’s. Asset Turnover | |Year |2009 |2010 |2011 | |Home Depot |1. 73 |1. 62 |1. 73 | |Lowe’s |1. 48 |1. 43 |1. 41 | Asset Turnover is a broad measure of asset efficiency. The ratio is computed by dividing a company’s net sales or revenue by the average total assets available for use during a period. The denominator, average assets, is determined by adding beginning and ending total assets and dividing by two. The asset turnover ratio provides an indication of how efficiency a company utilizes all of its assets to generate revenue. Also, it shows how many sales dollars are generated for every dollar invested in the company’s assets. Lowe’s had relatively lower asset turnover than Home Depot because their recent investment in PP&E has not yet reached their potentials. Home Depot is a financially sound company and performs well when compared to its competitors. Based on current business conditions and the potential growth opportunity facing Home Depot, we feel that the bottom line will continue to grow at a healthy rate above the competition in the near future. We believe that the relatively low levels of debt, slightly wider margins, and lower costs make Home Depot an attractive investment for the long run. Shares of Home Depot are currently trading at $33. 92 to what we believe is gaining momentum in the market. This increase is possibly derived from the market’s belief that better than predicted growth will be seen from expansion into foreign markets, specifically China. Week 4 Home Depot – Accounting Policies The retail industry, in general, presents a very competitive market with high price competition and low product differentiation. Although almost any retailer, from supermarkets to superstores, can offer home improvement items at a competitive price, the home improvement industry currently provides a great opportunity for differentiation in regards to the types of services home improvement retailers offer. To successfully maximize sales and increase revenues in the home improvement industry, retailers such as Home Depot must successfully combine product variety, quality and price and specialized services. As discussed earlier, Home Depot has adopted a business strategy based on these key factors. Consequently, as we look at Home Depot’s overall financial results, it is necessary to focus on key accounting policies adopted by the company to measure critical factors and risks. In the â€Å"Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition† of The Home Depot, Inc 2011 Annual Report (www. omedepot. com), management identified three major areas as areas of critical accounting policy and discussed the adoption of four different accounting pronouncements. In addition to the four recently adopted accounting pronouncements identified in the management’s discussion, The Home Depot identified four other major accounting policy change s in it’s â€Å"Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements†. Specifically, The Home Depot adopted four different accounting pronouncements in regards to service revenue recognition, vendor allowances, goodwill amortization and stock based compensation. The three critical accounting policies, as identified by The Home Depot management refer to the treatment of merchandise inventories, self insurance and revenue recognition. Merchandise Inventory policy is specifically addressed by The Home Depot management in â€Å"Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition† and is assessed in two different ways. Approximately 93% of total inventory is valued at the lower of cost or market utilizing FIFO under the retail inventory method with the other 7% valued under the cost method. The Notes section of the Financial Statements accounts for the two different methods. According to the Notes, the 7% of inventory valued under the cost method was due to inventory policy of certain subsidiaries and distribution centers. In addition, The Home Depot, Inc. takes a physical inventory count on a regular basis at each store to verify that inventory amounts in the merchandise inventory section of the Consolidated Financial Statements are accurate. Lastly, in regards to merchandise inventory, the company does account for possible inventory shrinkage or swell based on historical results and industry trends. Self Insurance accounting policy for Home Depot addresses it’s treatment of â€Å"losses related to general liability, product liability, workers’ compensation and medical claims†. The total liability is estimated on the total cost incurred as of the specific balance sheet date and is not discounted. The estimate is based on â€Å"historical data and actuarial estimates†. The company also explains in it’s Management Discussion that they ensure estimates of liability are as accurate as possible by having both management and third-party actuaries review the estimates on a quarterly basis. Revenue Recognition is the third critical accounting policy identified by The Home Depot management. Revenue recognition at the Home Depot follows the industry norm of recognizing revenue when the customer takes possession of the merchandise or, if a customer makes payment prior to take ownership of the merchandise, Home Depot records the sale as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet until the sale is finalized when the customer takes possession of the paid merchandise. Additionally, because The Home Depot also provides a variety of services through their installation and home maintenance programs, they also recognize service revenue at the time when the service is completed and also record any customer pre-paid service revenue as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet. Week 5 Internet The internet has completely changed the way companies communicate and market to their prospects. Home improvement businesses in the U. S report that the ways they have traditionally generated leads (i. . yellows pages, direct mail, print media, tv and radio) aren’t working like they use to. In fact, 85% of all products and service inquiries now start online and 97% of U. S internet users gather shopping information online and of those more than half characterize their behavior as ‘Shop Online, Purchase Offline. ’ The convenience of online shopping and the ability to make price comparisons on the internet has completely changed retail trends in the p ast decades. Even though most people tend to shop for building materials by visiting physical locations, still Home Depot cannot ignore e-commerce because people increasing buy items of nearly any kind online. Home depot being the largest home improvement retailer is expanding in the online channel aggressively and targeting it as a major growth opportunity. Home depot made it’s biggest e-commerce investment over the last two years since it started internet sales in 2001. According to research, 45% 0f the 9. million consumers who visited Home Depot’s website on average in any given week said their next step was a trip to a Home Depot store, which translates to about 225 customers a day per location. However, e-commerce for the home improvement industry is an underleveraged opportunity. A lot of people think of home Depot as a place you go on a Saturday, or when you do window treatment or carpeting. As such, they can do a better job online for things like branded power tools and repl enishable items and also offer delivering services for those items. Home Depot’s operating cost will decrease if customers interacted through the use of the internet due to the folllowing: †¢ Online customers are used to doing their own shopping without any salesperson assistance; therefore the cost of the salesperson would be eliminated as such. †¢ The range of products that can be offered through the website can be far greater than what one could find at Home Depot’s location, thereby giving customers a clear reason to prefer the internet. These are all advantages that Home Depot can benefit from as a result of the internet. As with the advantages, there are also disadvantages (issues) that Home Depot needs to put into consideration and work diligently to address them. The foremost of these issues are lack of site maintenance and lack of integration between the e-commerce site and the corporate back-office systems. As such, Home Depot must work through these issues in detail in order to arrive at the true cost-benefit for an e-commerce.

About the Perseid Meteor Shower

About the Perseid Meteor Shower The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best-known showers in the year. Its one of the great astronomy events of Northern Hemisphere summer and Southern Hemisphere winter. It begins in late July and extends halfway through August, peaking around August 11 or 12th. When conditions are good, you might be able to see dozens of meteors per hour. It all really depends on the weather and what part of the meteor stream Earth moves through each year. Also, the viewing is best when theres no interference from the Moon, although you can still see the brighter meteors as they flash through the sky.   This year (2017) the peak of the shower occurs not long after full moon, so its light will wash out the view of the dimmer meteors. You will likely see a few bright meteors during this time, but dont buy into the hype about the best, the brightest shower.   Its hype and probably clickbait. Do your viewing armed with reasonable expectations and you will be rewarded (unless its cloudy).   What Causes the Perseids? The Perseid meteor shower is really material left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. It passes through our part of the solar system every 133 years. As it travels, this icy dirtball leaves behind tiny grains of ice, dust, rock, and other debris, similar to a messy tourist scattering debris from an automobile. As Earth makes its trip around the Sun, it passes through this debris field with some spectacular results, which we know as the Perseids. As Earth moves through the stream - which can stretch across 14 million to 120 million kilometers of interplanetary space -   its gravity interacts with the particles and spreads the stream out. As the comet passes by, it releases new bursts of particles, constantly refreshing the supply of material that will eventually collide with Earths atmosphere. The stream changes constantly, and this affects future Perseid meteor shower events. Sometimes Earth passes through rather thick areas of the stream, and that results in a heavy meteor shower. Other times, it traverses a thin part of the stream, and we dont see quite so many meteors.   Although there are many meteor showers annually, such as the Leonids, Lyrids, and Geminids, to name a few, the Perseid shower is the most reliable, and can be very spectacular if conditions are right. How it looks depends on several factors - ranging from whether the Moon is nearby (and bright enough to wash out the view) - to what part of the stream Earth encounters. The stream is not uniformly thick with particles, so some years the supply of materials might be less than others. In any given year, observers see anywhere from 50 to 150 meteors an hour on average, increasing at times to around 400 to 1,000 per hour.   The Perseid meteor shower, like other meteor showers, is named after the constellation from which it appears to radiate:  Perseus  (named after a Greek mythological hero)  which is located near Cassiopeia, the Queen. This is also called the radiant, since that is the direction the meteors seem to travel from as they streak across the sky. How Do I View the Perseid Meteor Shower? Meteor showers are easier to view than many other astronomical objects or events. All you need is a fairly dark location and a blanket or lawn chair. Always make sure you have a jacket handy, even if you live in a warm weather climate. Viewing late at night and early in the morning can expose you to some chilly temperatures. It may be useful to have a star chart  to help you locate Perseus, and other constellations while you’re watching, but it’s not a necessity. The shower is active from mid-July each year  when Earth enters the outer edges of the Swift-Tuttle stream.  The best viewing time varies but is often between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. around the 12th of August. The actual peak time ranges from the 9th to the 14th and then tapers off after that. For August 2017, the best viewing time is after midnight early in the morning of August 12th. There will be some interference from the Moon, which will be just past full. But, you should still be able to see the brightest ones. Also, start watching a few nights before and continue a few nights after; Perseids happen for nearly three weeks. Find a good, safe viewing area where you can get a clear view of the sky. Arrive early to set up, and  give yourself time to adjust your eyes to the darkness. Then, just sit (or lie) back, relax, and enjoy the show. Most of the meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, and streak across the sky. As you gaze, make note of the colors of the meteors as they streak through the sky. If you see bolides (larger streaks), note how long they take to traverse the sky  and notice their colors, too. The Perseids can be a very rewarding observing experience for anybody - from younger children to experienced stargazers.   Edited and expanded by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Thank You, M’am Essay Essays

Thank You, M’am Essay Essays Thank You, M’am Essay Paper Thank You, M’am Essay Paper Indirect word picture is when the writer makes the reader utilize his ain judgement to make up ones mind what a character is like. In â€Å"Thank You. M’am† . by Langston Hughes. Mrs Jones was described as a big black adult females with a big bag. She was decoded as really austere by keeping him tightly and stating â€Å"Pick up my pocketbook† ( Hughes 86 ) . Besides an illustration from the short narrative was when â€Å"Mrs Jones stopped. jerked him around in forepart of her. set a half Nelson about his cervix. and continued to drag him up the street† ( Hughes 86 ) . In â€Å"Thank You. M’am† . by Langston Hughes. the writer uses indirect word picture to demo Mrs Jones’ attitude and personality in the short narrative. Mrs Jones visual aspect and personality is revealed by utilizing indirect word picture. For illustration. â€Å"She was a big adult females with a big bag that had everything in it but a cock and nails† ( Hughes 86 ) . This quotation mark describes the visual aspect of Mrs Jones by stating she was a big adult females. This means that she was a really prepared and was really organized. â€Å"Now here. take this 10 dollars and purchase yourself some bluish suede shoes† ( Hughes 86 ) . This shows that she is really sort hearted even thou she appeared mean. She really had trust in him non to steal anything and so gave him 10 dollars. about like a wages. By utilizing indirect word picture. you are able to happen Mrs Jones visual aspect and personality in the narrative without the writer straight stating you!

Grant Wood, How Painting Influenced his Life Essay

Grant Wood, How Painting Influenced his Life - Essay Example The essay "Grant Wood, How Painting Influenced his Life" discovers the art of Grant Wood. He began with painting advertisements and flyers in order to maintain a stable but low source of income and then moved on to sketching and painting home dà ©cor, overseeing stain glass making and other such jobs. With time, he began to absorb larger influences within his life and one of the first of such influences was regionalism; Wood associated himself with the regionalism that prevailed within the Midwest and took to painting themes concerned with rural American backgrounds, homes and people, ‘in an aggressive rejection of European abstraction.’ Wood was extremely influenced by the repression faced by the rural people in America at the time and felt their pain probably because he belonged to a similar background; thus his American Gothic, one of the most renowned paintings after Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Munch’s The Scream, reflected his personal ideals and brought him immediate recognition. The painting depicts a man and a woman, dressed in 19th century American clothing that the rural or working class wore; the man is holding a pitchfork in his hand symbolizing the hard work and laborious effort that one had to use in order to earn their daily bread. The countenances of both the man and the woman speak for the artist excellently as they display the frustration and annoyance, along with stress and tension that the couple have been bearing throughout their lives, and know that they have to continue this way. in order to sustain each other. The couple interestingly however is a man and his daughter, and not a married couple, further suggesting the difficult lives that people at the time lived that they could not even get their daughters married. For this particular piece of work, Wood has stated that his influence lies in Eldon, a place in the southern part of Iowa, where one can still find a number of gothic styled buildings and architecture with pointed roofs and medieval windows. The house in the background of his painting has been inspired from one such home in southern Iowa and the atmosphere that it adorned also provided him the influence to imagine the kind of people that might have lived within that house. Wood was extremely interested in studying the nature of the working class and the same may be seen in the detailing of the clothes in his painting as he took every care in order to depict the life of a true family living in the era of gothic life. Wood himself has also stated that his influences arise from northern renaissance paintings and that his technique could be traced to a number of such European paintings. (European Traditions in Grant Wood) Though an American, Wood heavily loved the severity with which European artists made their work; he travelled to Europe a few times in order to adopt the Impressionistic style of art as well as adorn his art with surrealistic touches. While he was in Paris, he was g reatly influenced by Seurat’s work entitled Un Dimanche a la Grande Jatte and Wood’s Dinner For Threshers displays a resemblance to Seurat’s work. He experimented with his work a great deal after returning to America and began to develop his own style instead of trying to be like a European artist; he made contemporary paintings, influenced by images around him for example his mother, to whom he dedicated Woman with Plants. Many of his paintings have also emerged from the pain that he felt due to the historical

Is Facebook Response for our Loneliness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Facebook Response for our Loneliness - Essay Example During her last days, she looked for companionship from fans whom she met through Internet sites and fan conventions. When news of her death got out, she was the subject of over 16,000 posts on Facebook and more than 800 tweets. In â€Å"Is Facebook Making Us Lonely,† published in the May 2012 edition of The Atlantic magazine, Stephen Marche looks at the phenomenon of Facebook and how it affects our relationships as human beings. In a similar way to most of us, Vickers’s network of communication had increased yet decreased at the same time. Many of us can be easily accessed but yet we live in isolation. In recent years, technology has moved us to a way of life (technology) that we wholesomely rely on. In the extreme, several miles of fiber-optic cables were installed between the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and New York Stock Exchange in order to increase the speed of transmission during trading by three milliseconds (Marche 2012). But, in spite of absolute and instant c ommunication, we can suffer from loneliness. The more the new socializing modes, the less of an actual society exists. The more the connection, the lonelier we become. As of last year, Facebook had over 800 million users and revenue in excess of $3 billion (Marche 2012). The company further aims to be the largest internet IPO ever. Although it is the first site to have more than a trillion page views in a month, the way in which it is used is causing harm to its users without them knowing (Lushing and Atwan 45). Even Facebook’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, who is one of the youngest billionaries in the world, experiences loneliness like the rest of us. As can be seen in the film The Social Network, his loneliness is evident when he sends a friend request to his ex-lover and then waits for a response while refreshing the page (like many of us have desperately done). Unlike the Friends circle in Google+, which suggests that people only include his or her real friends, Facebook has c reated a cyber world that includes people with whom we have never interacted. This depicts the interference that Facebook has brought about in relationships—it promotes the isolation that it was designed to overcome. Many people thought that Facebook was developed as a solution to people suffering from loneliness. This innovation seemed to be a solution at the time; however, recent studies show that loneliness rates in American have significantly increased. Additionally, isolation has increased unhappiness in the U.S. To understand the real effect social media forms have caused, we need to realize there is a difference between loneliness and being alone. Being alone is a beautiful thing. On the other hand, loneliness is a sad thing; it is also a psychological condition. Analyzing data from Dutch twins in 2005 showed that they both had similar genetic conditions as they did psychological problems (Marche 2012). Nonetheless, loneliness is difficult to explain. The UCLA loneline ss scale is the best tool to measure the loneliness of a person. Studies using the scale have shown that loneliness is increasing rapidly within a short time. A leading American study shows about 20 percent of Americans suffer from loneliness (Marche 2012). Single people suffer from loneliness more than married couples who are confidants. Another study found that active believers who perceived God as helpful and nonfigurative were less lonely than those who saw God as wrathful. Due to increased rates of loneliness there is a fear of an epidemic across Europe, as suggested by health experts. Loneliness and bein

Travel marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Travel marketing - Essay Example This is exactly one of the objectives that informs this current report. From a face look there is no doubt that significant changes in the consumer behavioral patterns and stiffening threats posed by competitors are at the very core of this downward slide. Over the years the company’s principle of standing on the aisle of low-cost fares that includes the exemption of meal options onboard and other luxuries services have steadily lost their usefulness the failure to immediately recognize these indicators are the result of the decline that is currently taken place in the company. As a response, the company adopted a deliberately policy of segmenting the European market on a number of indices based on mainly income level and lifestyle. A cardinal objective of this report will be to highlight the operational environment of the company so as to gauge how effective and plausible its marketing strategies are. In a more narrow sense the goal is to identify where it stands with regards to the success of its advertisement campaigns within the framework of identifying its internal strengths that have the capacity to propel it into greater market heights in the phase of the stringent competition from other players in the industry. The advent of globalization with its attendant stiff necked competition has put players in the transportation industry; particularly those operating in the airline enterprises are now exposed to a new breed of challenges which require a strategic restructuring of policies that will enhance their ability to remain competitive. Among other things new campaigns are geared towards the enhancement of a standard level of customer loyalty. Robust marketing strategies have become an integral part of this new drive. Conscious of this, players in the industry have now brazed themselves up to respond to the new aggressive standards; this means that at the heart of all what needs to be done is to critically reassess

Clinical Research Industry Issues Essay Example for Free

Clinical Research Industry Issues Essay Services in the business sector becomes troublesome when customers seem to act too superior when dealing with the company’s employees (Bassett 25). Companies which disseminate excellent customer service definitely excel in the market (Bassett 26). There are plenty of physicians who run out of patients to treat, and still, there are a lot of patients who search for the right physicians (Rizzo Sindelar 968). Physicians enter into a competitive market within the consumer population by trying to put the best medical practices forward in the market of consumer population (Rizzo Sindelar 968). These medical practices are what make the physicians stand out among the patients (Rizzo Sindelar 968). Patients may decide to seek the services of a different physician due to relocation reasons (Rizzo Sindelar 968). Patients also may change the physician that they are seeing due to the fact that their previous physician is not able to disseminate the quality level of services that the patients are seeking (Rizzo Sindelar 968). Wider government services are of no use to be implemented as aid to pharmaceutical operations if the pharmaceutical industry would not adjust its degree of services to public needs (Olson 304). The pharmaceutical industry needs to work hand in hand with other health care provider companies so that it would be able to improve its services to the public (Olson 304). The pharmaceutical industry needs to work more closely with physicians in order to better improve its services. The pharmaceutical industries would be able to obtain advice from physicians regarding the following matters: Clinical Research Industry Issues 3 1. The rampant illnesses that patients possess. 2. The common types of medications that patients are prescribed to. With this information gathered by the pharmaceutical establishments from physicians, the pharmaceutical establishments may be able to provide better services to the patients. Literature Review 2. Ethical And Policy Issues In Research Involving Human Participants It is of utmost importance that the welfare or well-being of the human participants be given consideration when conducting a research (Jones 97). It is required that every researcher declare the progress of his/her report to a research study agency as outlined in a particular research’s ethical guidelines (Jones 97). 3. Research Involving Persons With Mental Disorders That May Affect Decision- Making-Capacity Researches on the origins of mental disorders refer to neurobiological elements as their causes (Walsh, Green, Matthews Puerto 43). Sixty one percent of the participants that have been studied on these researches unanimously states that a person with a high level of mental illness inherits the illness from a mentally ill parent (Walsh, Green, Matthews Puerto 43). 4. Bias In Pharmaceutical Sponsored (Funded) Clinical Trials Clinical Research Industry Issues 4 The pharmaceutical industry may become biased when sponsoring clinical trials. They may actually tamper with the results of the clinical trials to make it appear that the participants are sick even when they are not, just to increase the pharmaceutical industry’s sales. 5. Relationship Between Clinical Investigators And The Pharmaceutical Industry At times, the executives of the pharmaceutical industries bribe the clinical investigators in order to tamper with the results of the clinical trials. This is an unethical and legally violating event that takes place sometimes 6. Corporate Hand In Clinical Trials And Their Contracts With Medicine Academia The corporations usually consult the medicine academia for sources and aid in order to facilitate their clinical trials at the highest level of quality. Clinical Research Industry Issues 5 References: Bassett, G. (1992). Operations Management For Service Industries : Competing In The Service Era. Westport: Quorum Books. Rizzo, J. A. Sindelar, J. L. (2002). Optimal Regulation Of Multiply-Regulated Industries : The Case Of Physician Services. Southern Economic Journal, 62: 968. Walsh, J. , Green, R. , Matthews, J. Puerto, B. B. (2005). Social Workers’ Views Of The Etiology Of Mental Disorders: Results Of A National Study. Social Work , 50: 43.

School Readiness: Literature Review

School Readiness: Literature Review School Readiness The heart and core of this paper is the increased emphasis on School Readiness. The paper would define the integration, Cognition and Emotion with conceptualization of Childrens functioning at School level Entry. The character of work and society in the United States is changing. The technological nature of the information-based economy is placing increased emphasis on the active role of the individual in seeking out and applying knowledge in diverse ways. The workplace and the classroom increasingly require ready access to information and analytical and creative thinking skills that allow for self-regulated learning through goal setting, strategy use, and self-monitoring. Indeed, some see the ability of our educational institutions to enhance thinking skills and produce self-regulated learners as having broad implications for the future role of the United States in the global economy and the ongoing viability of the democratic process (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, 1999; Presidents Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997). PART I Problem Statement From the standpoint of research on learning, the growing emphasis on thinking skills and self-regulation signals the need for increased understanding of the ways in which young children become active seekers and appliers of knowledge (Lambert McCombs, 1998). High levels of motivation and self-regulation are clearly associated with academic achievement independent of measured intelligence (Gottfried, 1990; Skinner, Zimmer-Gembeck, Connell, 1998). The developmental origins of motivation and engaged learning during early childhood, however, are less well known. Parents involvement, peer-group influences, and school characteristics have all been shown to influence motivation and engagement (e.g., Eccles, Wigfield, Schiefele, 1998; Grolnick Ryan, 1989; Ryan, 2000). But childrens characteristics associated with engagement in learning, particularly those related to brain development, have been less well studied. Part II Analysis of Policy Approaches Recent advances in developmental neuroscience indicate the rapid growth and modification in infancy and early childhood of brain areas that subserve self-regulation, including emotion, memory, and attention (Nelson Luciana, 2001). An important next scientific step in the study of self-regulation and engaged learning is the examination of implications of this rapid change and its determinants for functional outcomes, such as the adjustment to school (Byrnes Fox, 1998). To this end, I detail a central role for emotionality and emotion-related functioning in neurological development and childrens adjustment to school. I conclude by suggesting that influences on emotionality can influence the development of neurological interconnections among structures underlying emotion and higher order cognition. As such, these influences on emotionality are particularly relevant to the design and implementation of early compensatory educational programs to promote childrens school readiness (see Nelson, 2000b) and can assist in the ongoing construction of an empirical foundation on which to erect social policy designed to meet Americas foremost educational goal: ensuring that all children enter school ready to learn (Lewit Baker, 1995; Zigler, 1998). However, although my focus is on the development of self-regulation abilities as an aspect of school readiness, only by keeping in mind that readiness is a multidimensional construct involving family, peer, school, a nd community levels of influence will the value of the neurodevelopmental perspective on self-regulation become apparent. Ecologically minded thinkers on readiness focus on transactional, systemic models of influences and seek to define processes at multiple levels (S. L. Kagan, 1990, 1992; Meisels, 1996; Pianta Walsh, 1996). Within this developmental transactional approach, the study of emotionality provides an excellent framework for arraying multiple influences on readiness. Part III- (Recent Legislation) Whether defined as the regulation of emotion in appropriate social responding or the regulation of attention and selective strategy use in the execution of cognitive tasks, self-regulatory skills underlie many of the behaviors and attributes that are associated with successful school adjustment. Researchers have long considered intelligence to be a key predictor of success in school. Indicators of self-regulation ability, however, are independent and perhaps equally powerful predictors of school adjustment. Much of the literature on school readiness points to the importance of self-regulation (Grolnick Slowiaczek, 1994; Normandeau Guay, 1998; Wentzel, Weinberger, Ford, Feldman, 1990). Clear relations between achievement and the percentage of time that students are engaged in academic activities have been demonstrated both in elementary and in preschool regular and special education classrooms (Carta, Greenwood, Robinson, 1987; Greenwood, 1991). Emotionality and regulatory aspects of measures of temperament have also been implicated in school achievement in both regular and special education classrooms. Children who are temperamentally less distractible and exhibit more positively valenced and moderate levels of emotional intensity are rated by their teachers as being more teachable and achieve at higher levels academically than do children without these characteristics (Keogh, 1992; Martin, Drew, Gaddis, Moseley, 1988; Palinsin, 1986). As well, aspects of social and cognitive self-regulation, such as those implicated in friendship and social interaction skills (Ladd, Birch, Buhs, 1999) and in perceived control over learning (Skinner et al., 1998), point to a key role for childrens self-regulatory ability in the transition to school. Further, data from the National Center for Education Statistics survey of kindergarten teachers ratings of child characteristics considered to be essential or very important to being ready to start kindergarten indicate teachers predominant concern for regulatory aspects of childrens behavior (Lewit Baker, 1995). In particular, it is noteworthy that 84% of teachers endorsed that children need to be able to communicate wants, needs, and thoughts verbally, 76% endorsed the idea that children need to be enthusiastic and curious, and 60% endorsed that children need to be able to follow directions, not be disruptive of the class, and be sensitive to other childrens feelings. In contrast, only 21% of teachers endorsed the need for children to be able to use a pencil or paintbrush, and only 10% and 7%, respectively, endorsed knowing several letters of the alphabet and being able to count to 20 as being essential or very important to being ready to start kindergarten. In addition, in a survey conducted by the National Center for Early Development and Learning, 46% of a nationally representative sample of kindergarten teachers indicated that over half the children in their class lacked the kinds of abilities and experiences that would enable them to function productively in the kindergarten classroom (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, Cox, 2000). This suggests that many children are arriving at school without effective self-regulation skills. Overall, the results of these teacher surveys clearly indicate that kindergarten teachers are concerned with childrens regulatory readiness for school activities rather than with more strictly cognitive and academic aspects of readiness. The surveys suggest that teachers are concerned with being able to teach; that is, they are concerned with the capacity of each child to be attentive and responsive and to become engaged in the classroom. Development of Regulation Despite growing interest in self-regulation and evidence for its direct relevance to school readiness, individual differences in self-regulation and the relation of these individual differences to functional outcomes, such as the adjustment to school, have not been studied. The developing cognitive skills that, in part, form the basis for self-regulated learning are generally referred to as executive or metacognitive skills. Executive function is a construct that unites working memory, attention, and inhibitory control for the purposes of planning and executing goal-directed activity (Bell, 1998; Lyon Krasnegor, 1996; Zelazo, Carter, Reznick, Frye, 1997). That is, the construct combines basic cognitive processes within a goal-directed executive that marshals resources toward a desired end state. Normative developmental study of executive function, usually in cross-sectional designs with a battery of neuropsychological assessments, indicates an age-related maturational developmental course for the construct and its component processes (Krikorian Bartok, 1998; Luciana Nelson, 1998; Welsh, Pennington, Groisser, 1991). These findings support the idea that the emergence of behaviors indicative of cognitive processes involved in executive function are dependent to some extent on the development of the prefrontal cortex at ages approximately congruent with school entry (Gerstadt, Hong, Diamond, 1994; Luciana Nelson, 1998). As well, the finding that executive ability and general intelligence are only moderately correlated (Krikorian Bartok, 1998; Welsh et al., 1991) further underscores that executive regulatory skill is an independent contributor to the school-adjustment process. Clinical examination of frontal lobe damage has indicated that frontal dysfunction, depending on t he exact location of the deficit, leaves specific cognitive abilities and general intelligence largely intact but greatly impairs planning, self-monitoring, attention, and responsiveness to impending reward or punishment (Damasio, 1994; Eslinger, Biddle, Pennington, Page, 1999; Tranel Eslinger, 2000). A longitudinal study of the development of one aspect of executive cognition, referred to as effortful or inhibitory control has demonstrated it to be an antecedent of the internalization of norms of conduct in young children (Kochanska, Murray, Coy, 1997). When examined by a multimethod measure defined as the ability to inhibit a predominant response when instructed to engage in a subdominant response (i.e., to be told to wait to eat a cookie or to unwrap a present), effortful control has been shown to increase with age, to be stable, and to become increasingly coherent. As well, several characteristics of children and parents have been associated with the construct of effortful control. Childrens capacity for focused attention in infancy and maternal responsiveness to children, as well as parental personality characteristics such as dependability, prudence, and self-control, have been associated with variation in effortful control (Kochanska, Murray, Harlan, 2000). Similarly, maternal responsiveness in infancy, as assessed by a measure of the affective synchrony of the mother and child in face-to-face interaction, has been identified as a precursor of effortful control at age 24 months. Most notably, however, the interaction of mother–child affective synchrony with child negative emotionality appears to be a highly salient predictor of self-regulation. In particular, the impact of affective synchrony in mother–infant interaction on the development of effortful control is large for children exhibiting high negative emotionality in infa ncy. The effect of affective synchrony on effortful control for infants not characterized by negative emotionality is substantially smaller (Feldman, Greenbaum, Yirmiya, 1999). The role of negative emotionality in early intervention to prevent grade retention is of strong interest. Grade retention appears to be a well-intentioned educational practice that frequently has deleterious consequences for childrens academic and social success in school (Shepard Smith, 1989). In spite of evidence indicating adverse outcomes associated with its use, the practice persists, and effective programs to prevent its occurrence are needed. The continued use of grade retention as a remedial strategy seems to reflect the lack of alternative solutions when teachers have concerns about the academic progress, maturity, and general school readiness of individual children. To the extent to which grade retention is dependent on interrelations among childrens social, emotional, and cognitive adaptation to school, it may be that early compensatory education interventions that specifically address social and emotional functioning can prevent its occurrence. Future Directions Examination of emotionality within early intervention to promote school readiness and prevent grade retention provides a useful model for evaluating the role that programs to enhance social and emotional competence might play in preschool education. The study of emotionality suggests that a particularly promising direction for early intervention efforts may be the implementation in preschool and early elementary school of programs that combine interventions focusing on social and emotional competence with early compensatory education. Such programs would provide an exceptionally strong model for the promotion of school readiness and school success. As noted above, several early compensatory education interventions have demonstrated cognitive benefits to program recipients. Several school-based programs to enhance social and emotional competence have also demonstrated benefits to childrens social competence (see Eisenberg, Wentzel, Harris, 1998, for a review). An interesting area in which programs focusing on social competence interface with more cognitively oriented programs is problem solving related to the development of executive cognitive functioning. A particular example of the executive cognitive problem-solving approach to the promotion of prosocial behavior and social competence is the Promoting Alternative Thinking Skills (PATHS) curriculum, an intervention curriculum with demonstrated benefits to young childrens social competence, emotion regulation, and problem-solving skills in the early elementary grades (Greenberg, Kusche, Cook, Quamma, 1995). The neurobiological approach to early childhood education and school readiness is premised on the idea that the school classroom represents a distinct context within which specific regulatory demands are made of children. Children are expected to adapt to a socially defined role for which they may or may not have been previously socialized. Differences among children in the capacity for regulation within this environment, as well as differences in supports for childrens self-regulatory attempts both within and without this environment, are important to conceptualizations of readiness that view the transition to school within an ecological framework (Meisels, 1996; Pianta, Rimm-Kaufman, Cox, 1999). From the foregoing, it can be seen that a focus on childrens characteristics in the development of readiness does not preclude study of the influences of parents, schools, and communities. On the contrary, when viewed from the ecological contextual perspective that drives much of the resea rch on child development, it necessitates their inclusion. Researchers concerned with readiness over the past two decades have rightly moved from static child-focused conceptions of readiness embodied in academically oriented standardized tests of ability or aptitude. An exclusive focus on childrens cognitive skills and abilities in the assessment of readiness has proved to be of limited benefit (Pianta Walsh, 1996). This fact has rightly led researchers to seek alternative definitions for and determinants of readiness. This recognition of readiness as a socially constructed phenomenon has led to a broadening of the research base to include a focus on schools and teachers and the development of educational policies geared toward maximizing childrens potential for success in school (Graue, 1993; NAEYC, 1990; Willer Bredekamp, 1990). Continued efforts to foster readiness with an eye toward the neurobiology and psychophysology of childrens emotionality and regulation may be particularly likely to yield long-term benefits. In this, measures of biologically based processes can serve as both predictors and outcomes in the evaluation of programs to promote readiness and success in school. Programs to foster regulation can use physiological and neurocognitive measures to identify individuals at high risk for poor school outcome because of negative emotional reactivity. Treatment Ãâ€" Risk interactions can be specified that can increase the precision with which intervention effects on outcomes are estimated. Although-brain imaging techniques are perhaps not currently usable with children younger than seven years of age because of features of the assessment, magnetic resonance imaging and perhaps, under certain conditions, positron emission tomography could be used, along with physiological and neurocognitive assessments, as outcome measures of the efficacy of preschool interventions. Programs could demonstrate efficacy through assessments of behavioral outcomes and underlying neurobiology and physiology. As in the studies by Fox et al. (2001) and Davidson and Rickman (1999), which indicated change over time in emotional reactivity and EEG measures of frontal asymmetry, intervention studies might demonstrate change in frontal asymmetry and emotionality in response to curricula designed to reduce stress, foster emotional competence, and enhance attention, working memory, and other components of cognitive self-regulation. As noted by Nelson (1999), neuroscientific measurement techniques and knowledge of neural plasticity and human development are now sufficiently advanced to inform the conceptualization and evaluation of interventions to promote competence and foster resilience. PART IV Conclusion In conclusion, the neurobiological approach to the study of readiness can now supplant nativist or idealist conceptions of readiness that focus exclusively on maturation. The maturational view, primarily associated with Arnold Gessell (1925), posited that readiness comes about through the gradual development of abilities that facilitate learning: being able to sit quietly, to focus on work, to attend, and to follow directions. Certainly, there is some maturational component to the neurodevelopmental view of readiness; however, the traditional maturational view has been fully supplanted by an epigenetic conception of relations between nature and nurture (Elman et al., 1996). Indeed, the ideas that fostered the replacement of the traditional maturational view with an epigenetic conception of development were clearly in place in Gesells time, most notably in the work of Myrtle McGraw (1946/1995). Although any explicitly maturational view is and always has been unsuitable as a theoretical basis for child study, the child characteristics important for readiness that such a view purports to explain remain vital to the construct. In their modern form, however, these characteristics are now tethered to a comprehensive and ecologically sensitive framework relating neurobiological and behavioral research. Behavioral scientists, educators, and policymakers studying readiness and school adjustment should be aware of this. To this end, I have attempted to propose a conception of readiness that maintains a focus on relevant aspects of child functioning in a way that is theoretically and empirically well established and that has demonstrated or demonstrable links to family, peer, classroom, school, and community influences on readiness and school achievement.