Finance for business decision Speech or Presentation

Finance for business decision - Speech or Presentation Example As such the role of external auditors, regulatory agencies as well as credit rating agencies become critical because they need to highlight the information which may be detrimental for the interests of the shareholders. The overall role of the external monitors therefore should be up to taking care of the fact that the firm reports all the relevant and pertinent information which may have an impact on the decision making ability of the investors. The case of Enron is considered as one of the leading examples where the external monitors of the firm failed to carry out their responsibilities. The Enron was finally liquidated and the investors lost their money owing to the fraudulent accounting practices of the firm which went unnoticed by the firm’s auditors as well as external agencies. (b) Suppose that you decide to invest $1,308.25 in four equal quarterly instalments, at the same rate of 9.2% p.a. compounding quarterly. The first instalment is invested immediately. What is the accumulated value at the end of one year? The differences between the two investment choices are due to the compounding. In first investment, whole amount is invested whereas in second investment, it is converted into an annuity and is invested with compound interest. The second option yielded higher accumulated value because of the impact of the annuity. (a) Francine wishes to invest in a 5-year corporate bond that pays coupons semi-annually. The bond has a face value of $1 million and pays half-yearly coupons at a rate of 4% p.a. Suppose that her required rate of return on this investment is 6.5% p.a. How much is she willing to pay for this bond? The market price of the bond is higher than the value of the bond at Francine’s required rate of return. Since the bond is selling at discount therefore she should not invest into this bond at this market price. Lamb Limited plans to set aside $28,000 at the end of each year in order to accumulate $100,000

Project Management 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Management 2 - Essay Example ts should have a MSc degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or a related field, they should have at least ten years relevant experience in leading technology applications, manage and operation of a research program, They should have knowledge of next generation sequencing strategies and methods working with molecular diagnostics of plants as well as animal pathogens. The one who gets to qualify for the job should also be knowledgeable in the following fields of study namely; application of genomic tools in a wide range of issues, molecular biology methods of research, tools of molecular biology and technology of bioinformatics. Adaptability is necessary for one to get the job. They should be ready to learn and adapt to new technology and methods that will enhance program effectiveness and learning. They will be working in a multicultural multiracial environment and they will be expected to respect and work effectively and efficiently with their colleagues. They should be have the ability to coordinate ,organize and see to completion technical activities of research platforms, they should have excellent people and organizational skills, have a good mastery of English both written and spoken and lastly they ought to be computer

The Structure of the Kidney: Causes of Kidney Disease

The Structure of the Kidney: Causes of Kidney Disease The structure of the kidney The kidney is surrounded by the renal capsule and split into 3 sections, the medulla, the cortex and then the renal pelvis. Each kidney is supplied with oxygenated blood, by the renal artery and removes deoxygenated blood via the renal vein. Once the kidneys carry out their filtration mechanism, they empty their waste product, down the ureter. The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney and over a million of these are found within each kidney allowing it to carry out its function. Notice how it spans across the different kidney sections. (i) The juxtaglomerular apparatus is the main filtration of blood occurs in nephrons and this is where the glomerulus and Bowmans capsule interact. (ii) The mesengial cells are found closely associated with the filtration part of the juxtaglomerular apparatus and their position links with their role in causing inflammation in glomeruli. (iii) The Podocytes are also found near glomerular capillaries and these may fuse together and influence the filtration of the glomerulus, causing Hodgkins disease. This disease is a type of swelling due to the diversion of accumulating products, which are not filtered and so deposited to other parts of the body. Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a type of kidney disease; where by filtration of the blood is disrupted. It is mainly associated with the glomeruli in the kidneys, becoming inflamed (NHS Choices 2009) and there can be different types of the disease which may be proliferative or non-proliferative. The main cause of the disease is not precisely known but, there are many possible explanations. The most common explanation for proliferative GN is due to an immune system response, where inflammatory cells like platelets or macrophages become trapped in the glomeruli (Couser 1999). Here they circulate and accumulate, initiating a mechanism that leads to inflammation of the glomeruli (Couser 1999). This is the mechanism for the most common form of proliferative GN, known as Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (DAmico 1987). This is when IgA proteins, which fight infections, build up within the glomeruli and therefore inflammation (Geeky Medics 2010). Another immune system response involves antibodies interacting with antigens, formed by the glomerular basement membrane, which can also trigger inflammation (Watson and Royle 1987). Another possible explanation for proliferative GN is infection-related, following invasion by bacteria of the Streptoccoci strain (Ryan and Ray 2004), which targets the skin or pharyngeal tissue (Watson and Royle 1987). This results in post-infectious GN which can also be associated with other infections like bacterial endocarditis or HIV (Mayo Clinic 2009). In addition, it is also suggested that vasculitic disorders, like Wegeners Granulomatosis can result in crescentic GN (Geeky Medics 2010) (Figure 4). Crescentic GM In Wegeners Granulomatosis, blood vessels become inflamed, having an effect on the filtration rate of the glomerulus and leads to the formation of crescent shaped scars. Non-proliferative GN can be idiopathic, such as membranous GN, or may just simply be genetically linked like focal segmental GN (Geeky Medics 2010). When looking at GN (mainly proliferative) we need to also consider the mesengial cells (Figure 3, ii). GN can be recognised by an increase in the number of mesengial cells and their intracellular contents (Churg 2006). They rapidly multiply, increasing the thickness of this layer and press against the glomerular capillaries (Churg 2006) (Figure 5). Histology of proliferative GN As the mesengial cells multiply, they increase in number and compress against the glomerular capillary and contribute towards the glomerulus increasing in circumference. Taken from (Churg 2006). In some cases, the mesengial cells may even invade the glomerular capillaries and sit in between the filtration part of the nephron, made up of endothelial cells and the basement membrane (Figure 6) (Churg 2006). Hence, the basement membrane appears split, disrupting renal filtration and therefore resulting in a certain type of GN, known as membranoproliferative GN (Hope et al. 1993). A Normal Glomerular Capillary Proliferation of the mesengial cells leads to invasion between the epithelial cells and the basement membrane, disrupting glomerular filtration and leading to GN. Taken from www.uncnephropathology.org/jennette/ch1.htm The glomerular capillaries are also where proteins from the immune system may be trapped between the basement membrane and the epithelial cells, which accumulate and form humps in the glomerular capillary walls (Churg 2006), resulting in membranous GN (Hope et al. 1993). Specifically in crescentic GN, which is infection related, there is an increase in epithelial cells which compress the glomerulus and causes scars, described as crescent shaped (Malvinder 2008) (Figure 4). However there can be milder forms of GN, with the most common being minimal change GN, caused by the fusion of podocytes (Hope et al. 1993) (Figure 3, iii). When looking at post-infectious GN, we find that it is normally the group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus bacteria which causes infection (Watson and Royle 1987) and brings about acute post-streptococcal GN (APSGN) (Duvuru 2010). The activity of this bacterium is thought to be associated with the accumulation of streptococcal antigens, binding to the immune antibodies, which are then deposited on the glomerulus basement membrane (Field et al. 2010) (Figure 7). APSGN (Arrows show where the antigen-antibody complexes have been deposited.) As the antigen is bound to the antibodies, it prevents the antibodies from inflicting a defence mechanism and leads to modification of the glomerular basement membrane (Field et al. 2010). There are many signs and symptoms associated with GN, which can vary between the different forms of GN, but there are common symptoms that are found in all types. As the glomeruli are obstructed, filtration is reduced and allows for blood to leak into the tubules and therefore this blood passes out into the urine (Watson and Royle 1987). The urine may also be described as cloudy and this is due to proteinuria. This is when excess serum proteins are passed out, in the urine (Nordqvist 2009) due to the impaired filtration mechanism (Field et al. 2010) . This excess serum may also be linked with symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which are also associated with GN (Unanue 2011). The urine may also be described as, haematuria, where red blood cells are lost, triggering anaemia in GN sufferers (Watson and Royle 1987). Another common symptom is swelling, as there is a diversion of accumulating products, which are not filter, to other parts of the body (Hicks 2009). Symptoms related to respira tory problems such, a sore throat or skin rash would be more significant in post-infectious GN due to streptococci bacteria infecting the pharyngeal tissue and the skin (Feldon et al. 2010). Another common symptom is hypertension, caused by salt and water preservation and therefore activation of the renin-angiotensin system (Field et al. 2010) (Figure 8). The Renin-angiotensin (aldosterone) system (RAS) As there is an accumulation of water and salt, the circulating volume also increases and activates RAS. RAS then vasoconstricts blood vessels, causing an increase in blood pressure, which is a symptom of GN. Diagnosis of GN, tends to be via Urinalysis, in order to find the presence of blood and proteins in the urine (Haggerty 2002). Also a blood test can be taken and if there is an accumulation of waste products, such as creatinine or urea-nitrogen then this can indicate GN (Haggerty 2002). The blood can also be checked for anti-streptolysin titre, due to reactions by streptococci bacteria and another indication of GN (Brunner and Suddarth 1990). Otherwise a much simpler swab of the throat could be used to detect the streptococcal infection, which is used widespread (Hicks 2009). A final diagnostic evaluation is by carrying out a renal biopsy in order to view the inflamed glomeruli and accumulation of cells surrounding the glomerular capillaries (Brunner and Suddarth 1990).These tend to be the most common diagnostic procedures but investigations can be made by means of other methods, like in radiology, where a renal ultrasound is used (Hope et al. 1993). Treatments on GN sufferers can range and depends on the type of GN that they suffer from, but the main aim of treatment is to promote kidney function and reduce symptoms of GN (Hicks 2009). By simply getting plenty of rest, until the urine becomes clear and levels of nitrogenous waste products regularize, can encourage the regain of renal function and a reduction of the other symptoms associated with GN (Hope et al. 1993). Another treatment used is by regulating the diet and fluids of the GN sufferer, for example, by placing restrictions on dietary proteins and compensating for fluid loses by drinking plenty of fluids (Hope et al. 1993). It has been predicted that drugs which block the Angiotensin II receptors or ACE inhibitors may be a form of treatment, for reducing the effects of GN, but this is still being investigated (McMillan 2010). As there are different forms of the disease, different drugs may be used to treat each form, for example in GN caused by immune response, corticos teroids or immunosuppressant may be used, but this is not a definite treatment for GN (McMillan 2010). Treatment of vasculitic disorders like Wegeners granulomatosis, can be a form of treatment, which found that plasma exchange can be used to minimise the effects of immune antibodies which lead to the development of GN (Casian 2011). Current novel methods being researched, investigate pathological mechanisms of GN, to possibly produce a drug to reverse this mechanism. One interesting study identified that the voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.3 was found in the glomeruli and tubules of rats, with GN (Hyodo et al. 2010).They suggest that Kv1.3 targets and restrain memory T cells, which act like an immune response by recognising foreign bodies (Hyodo et al. 2010). After using a Kv1.3 blocker drug, they found that the rats produced less proteinuria and their glomeruli had less scarring (Hyodo et al. 2010). The study concluded that this Kv1.3 could be the cause of GN and could be a useful finding to potentiate a cure for GN in humans, which is still being investigated (Hyodo et al. 2010). Another study suggested that kidney disease may be linked with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which are growth factors that are important in the regulation on kidney function (Suh et al. 2011). As they interact with binding sites found in the epithelial cells, this study investigated whether polymorphism of the gene for BMP, may play a role in GN (Suh et al. 2011). The study concluded that mutations in this gene may cause children to become susceptible to IgA nephropathy, which is currently being investigated and could mean a possible treatment mechanism (Suh et al. 2011). One other study investigated the presence of myleoperoxidase-associated anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) and anti-glomerular basement antibodies (anti-GBM Ab) as a possible cause of the crescent shaped scars in rapid progressive GN (RPGM), but this is also still being investigated (Nakabayashi et al. 2011). To conclude GM, is a diverse renal disease, which can be acute or chronic in terms of its causes and consequences. The disease is still being thoroughly investigated today as no definite treatment has been found. Word count 1.498

The First Amendment Essay -- essays research papers

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to assemble peacefully, and to petition the Government for e redress of grievances. The first and inargueably the most significant of the amendments to our Constitution is the First Amendment. The amendment that established our freedoms as citizens of our new confederation. The First Amendment insured, among other things, freedom of speech and of the press. Since the establishment of these rights, they have often been in question. People have debated over, "What is too much freedom?", and "When is this freedom not enough?" I believe that these rights were established to protect the people, and as a society, we must try to determine whether they are. One of the major organizations that exercises free speech is the press. The press has coined the phrase, "It is the people's First Amendment right to know." This first example best relates to a situation we have now; that of national crisis. The press has the right to release information to the public, but they must use judgment in what they release. Certain news that they might release could put people in danger, therefore taking away the right of all people to be safe. For many years, the idea of the press telling too much has been made fun of. In popu...

Hip Hop Nationalism

Hip hop is a form of art that has been popular for the past twenty years. Although people in recent years often mistake rap music as vulgar and ill-mannered, the hip hop community continues to provide a great way to channel emotion and soul into their music. In his article, â€Å"The State of Rap: Time and Place† Jeffrey Louis Decker illustrates the black nationalism within the hip hop community by exploring how Black Nationalism can be accounted for within the hip hop music. Before hip hop was introduced into the American culture, the black community felt as if their place of origin was Africa. This was the time where the black community romanticized their own politics (Decker 2008, 54). Garveyism, introduced by Marcus Garvey, sparked the early Black Nationalist movements. During the Black Nationalist movement it promoted an array of black pride which later provided great inspiration for upcoming hip hop artists who â€Å"rapped† to their audience the struggles of the everyday black individual. The styles of artists later became more â€Å"Afrocentric† which meant that the music revolved around expressing self worth. Artist such as Afrika Bambaataa introduced his style of music to the world having his music known as the earliest form of hip hop. As for women, they were interested in promoting the idea that they were from â€Å"Mother Africa†. Women hip hop artist were fascinated by the idea of black women liberation, so most of them started to incorporate those ideas in their verses. There are rap songs that promote the militant â€Å"Nation of Islam† which later became known as the Black Panther Party. As more injustices occur to the black community, hip hop music became a pedestal to voice their opinions. For example, when Rodney King was brutally beat by the LAPD on March 3, 1991 (Decker 2008). The whole Rodney King incident consequently gave Ice Cube inspiration for his album Death Certificate. Hip hop artists are usually not involved in politics but are most strongly involved in the cultural politics which tie to the working and urban poor blacks. Eventually hip hop artists later regarded themselves by the name â€Å"hip hop nationalists†. In the sixties, self proclaimed hip hop nationalist rapper Paris debut his album, The Devil Made Me Do It, which sent a message on how he plans on building the black nation. From his tracks â€Å"Panther Power† to â€Å"The Hate That Hate Made†, Paris made sure that his audience knew he associated with the Black Panther Party. During 1988, hip hop marked a landmark on rap music history ever since MTV promoted their hip hop program called â€Å"Yo, MTV Raps! † and within the same year a hip hop group, Public Enemy, released their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which gave the black nationalist its first publicized expression for two decades. The multiple times the black community was socially mistreated, hip hop artists continued to voice their opinions. I believe hip hop is great to voice an opinion and promote self worth. Ordeals such as the Rodney King case sparked a huge outrage within the black community. Decker mentions in the article that during the Rodney King trial, the white officers from LAPD have been acquitted by an all-white jury charged for the brutality of Rodney King (Decker 2008, 55). Ice Cube was called in for an interview, yet he declined because of the ties he has made with the black community. Situations such as the Rodney King trail provided a lot of social tension between whites and blacks. Decker claims that many of nation-conscious rappers, like Ice Cube, try to sustain their ties to the black community which their music is a part of. Hip hop artists who rap about Black Nationalism are needed because it uncovers the truth about how whites often mistreat blacks. Rapping is a way to express one's opinion and also give perspective. Rappers such as Paris capture their perspective in their lyrics they have in his album, The Devil Made Me Do It. The music that is promoted by the rappers offer the black population self worth. At the time, the moral of the black population had been at an all time low considering that blacks were most of the time given the shorter end of the stick. Small aspects living became more tiresome to deal with. Being that many of the African descent were slaves, the white population often slandered blacks as if they were animals. However, as hip hop music was introduced, it allowed many black individuals become proud that they were from the â€Å"Nation of Islam†. Mainstream hip hop music often produces music that does not represent what the true intensions of rap music. The style of rap music has made it easy for one to voice their opinions. The art of rap has been around ever since the Black Panther Party decided to utilize black nationalism in their verses. I believe that it was important for the black community to promote hip hop music because it allows one to fully deliver their opinion while at the same time promote self worth. Particularly for the black community, I find it as a great way to inform the youth about the real world injustices their ancestors once lived in. By speaking up, they promoted social equality simply by having the guts to say what is on their mind. By understanding other's point of view, maybe we all can comprehend others in different ethnic groups.

Lab Report on Effect of Enzymes Essay

ntroduction The enzyme catalase is present in cells in order to speed the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is a toxic chemical to the human body. When hydrogen peroxide is broken down, the end products are Water (H2O) and Oxygen (O2). In this report, the reaction of catalase to hydrogen peroxide is being tested. Furthermore, the effects of temperature, concentration, and pH level on this reaction are being considered. We hypothesize that he experiments will show that Catalase speeds the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, and the oxygen will produce a larger bubbling effect in the solutions where the optimum conditions for enzymatic activity are present. These optimum conditions should be in warm temperature, high concentration, and high pH levels. First, the reaction of catalase to hydrogen peroxide is tested with no additional factors. Then, to study the effect of temperature, three ranges of temperature are introduced in the second experiment. Next, to study the ef fect of concentration, three different levels of catalase are studied in the third experiment. And finally, to study the effect of pH, solutions with three levels of hydrogen concentration are tested in the fourth experiment, again with hydrogen peroxide and catalase. Methods Experiment 1: To test the catalase-hydrogen peroxide reaction with no additional factors, we marked three test tubes to the 1 cm and 5 cm marks. Catalase was added to the 1 cm mark of test tube 1 and test tube 3, while test tube 2 was filled to the 1 cm mark with water. Hydrogen peroxide was added to the 5 cm mark in test tube 1 and test tube 2, while a sucrose solution was used to fill test tube 3. All test tubes were mixed and we waited 20 seconds for bubbling. Test tube 1 represented the experiment, while test tube 2 was the negative control for hydrogen peroxide, and test tube 3 was the negative control for the catalase. Experiment 2: To test the  effect of temperature on enzyme activity, the solution created in test tube 1 of the previous experiment was recreated in three separate test tubes. Test tube 1 was placed in an ice bath. Test 2 was placed in warm water. Test tube 3 was placed in boiling water. Experiment 3: To test the effect of concentration, three separate test tub es were set of to have three different concentrations of the reactant (catalase), while the substrate was consistent across all three test tubes. Test tube 1 was filled in the same fashion as test tube 1 in the first experiment. Test tube 2 was then filled to 2 cm with catalase and then to 7 cm with hydrogen peroxide. Test tube 3 was filled to 3 cm with catalase, and then to 8 cm with hydrogen peroxide. Experiment 4: Finally, to test the effect of pH Level on enzyme activity, three test tubes were again created. The concentration of catalase and hydrogen peroxide are again the same as in test tube one in the first experiment. However, 2 cm of water adjusted to different pH levels were added. In test tube 1, 2 cm of water with pH of 3 is added to the 1 cm of catalase and 4 cm of hydrogen peroxide. In test tube 2, 2 cm of water adjusted to the pH adjusted to 7 was added to 1 cm of catalase and 4 cm of hydrogen peroxide. In test tube 3, 2 cm of water adjusted to the pH adjusted to 11 was added to 1 cm of catalase and 4 cm of hydrogen peroxide. Discussion The discussion section includes your interpretation of the results and provides the answer to the research question described in the introduction. Specifically, discuss whether or not your hypotheses were supported. Also, include a comparison to previous studies, discuss the limitations of your study (briefly), and detail unexpected findings. Finally, summarize your conclusions and discuss the significance of your results in a broader context. Use the appropriate tense as described above. References The references section is a list of all references cited in the text. Arrange references alphabetically according to author name, not chronologically. The name of the journals containing the cited papers should be written out in full. Town/city and country names should be provided for non-journal references. Each article reference should be given as in the following example: Alfano J.R., Collmer A. (2004) Type III secretion system effector proteins: double agents in bacterial disease and plant defence. Annual Review Phytopathology, 42, 385–414. Books or other non-serial publications which are quoted in the references must be cited as follows: Gage J.D., Tyler P.A. (1991) Deep-sea Biology: A Natural History of Organisms at the Deep-sea Floor. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK: 504 pp. Lester R.N., Hasan S.M.Z. (1991) Origin and domestication of the brinjal eggplant, Solanum melongena, from S. incanum, in Africa and Asia. In: Hawkes J.G., Lester R.N., Nee M., Estrada N. (Eds), Solanaceae III: Taxonomy, Chemistry, Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; London, UK: 369–387.