Overweight Risk Essay

In the United States, increasing use of sugar in foods has led to an increase in obesity levels. Many manufactured foods have sugars that have been added. These include jams, jellies, yogurt, peanut butter, soups, candy, bars, soft drinks and many other snacks. The National Health and Nutrition examination survey indicated that the United States population has decreased its intake of fat but increased its intake of sugary and energy giving foods, while the incidence of obesity has increased (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2006). The implication here is that there is a greater likelihood of developing obesity with the consumption of sugar than with the consumption of fat. The sugar, when consumed by humans is stored as glycogen. When this glycogen becomes excessive it is converted to fats which when in excess results in the high fat deposits common in obesity. Artificial sweeteners have various advantages over sugar and these make them the preferred choice for individuals who want to avoid the health risks of natural sugar. To begin with, sugar substitutes do not have the problem of lactic acid production, consequently tooth decay is not a health hazard associated with sweeteners. The sweeteners do not undergo the fermentation process like natural sugars. The difficulty of regulating blood glucose levels is easier to manage using artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners allow the individual with diabetes to enjoy a great variety of foods while maintaining close control of their sugar intake. Further, some of the artificial sweeteners even though they have a small amount of energy calories, are slowly metabolized. This means that the levels of blood sugar have some degree of stability over time and so the danger of frequent build up of glucose is overcome. Reactive hypoglycemia is common when foods with high glycemic indices are eaten. Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition where excessive insulin is produced when glucose has been rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This results in levels of glucose in the blood falling between the required amount for brain function (WHO Technical Report, 2006). Artificial sweeteners general have low glycemic indices making them a better alternative. Despite the advantages associated with artificial sweeteners, those are certain side effects that have led to controversy concerning their use. Some of the claimed side effects include headaches, behavior changes, seizures, cancer and respiratory difficulty as well as dermatological problems. The safety of artificial sweeteners use is a great bone of contention because many studies have findings that differ greatly, with some studies concluding that sweeteners are ‘safe at any dose’ while others conclude that sweeteners are ‘safe in all conditions’ (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Generally, most people are of the view that when sweeteners are used in moderation, the risk of adverse effects is minimal. The more important issue of risk-benefit ratio is however, still unclear. Several studies show that weight-loss is not an effect which can be directly associated with artificial sweeteners . On the contrary, people using artificial sweeteners may increase weight. This is because the knowledge that one is reducing calories intake by using artificial sweetener may cause them to ‘compensate ‘ and thus eat foods that have high energy values resulting in weight gain rather than weight loss (De Noon, 2005). Sucralose is an artificial sweeteners about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is produced when sucrose has three of its hydroxyl groups removed and replaced with three chlorine atoms. It is commonly found in chewing gum, baked goods, frozen desserts and is usually absorbed only minimally by body and leaves the body without any changes occurring to it (Renwick et al, 2000). Sucralose has been approved by the FDA and much of the controversy associated with it has more to do with marketing than with safety. Its marketing slogan makes it appear as though it really is a sugar where in actuality it is a raffinose, a carbohydrate made up of three different sugar molecules. Saccharin was created from derivatives of toluene. Its sweetness was discovered as is the case with several other sweeteners. The substance is also made form phthalic anhydride. It is about 300 to 500 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used in toothpaste, dietary beverages and foods. It however has a bitter aftertaste which is minimized through blending it with sweeteners (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Reports from a study that associated saccharin with causation of cancer of the bladder led to controversy surrounding the use of saccharin. Some countries like Canada banned the product while the USA was considering an FDA ban. Further research however, revealed that it could not be dangerous to human beings, causing the threat of an FDA ban to be lifted (Pizzorno et al, 2005) Aspartame, a white, odorless, crystalline powder whose derivatives are aspartic acid and phenylanine is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be utilized as a table sweetener or it can be used in frozen desserts, changing gum, gelatins and beverages. It however has the shortcoming of reacting with other flavors of food resulting in a taste that is slightly different from sugar. Aspartame undergoes metabolism to form the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It has considerably low energy values. Safety tasting of the sweetener however resulted in findings that showed that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. The sweetener was however, FDA approved following deliberation and results o a study done in Japan (Whitmore, 1996). There has been debate on the value of extrinsic sugar to the health of an individual. Extrinsic sugar enhances the taste of food but as it does so it also increases the amount of calories resulting in negative effects to the health of an individual. The nutritional advice by the United Nations following a report compiled by two of its agencies (Food and Agriculture organization, FAO, and World Health Organization (WHO) ) is that free sugars should account for only as much as 10% of the total intake in a diet that is considered to healthy. The free sugars in this case include simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) that manufacturers add to foods, as well as those added by consumers themselves and cooks. It also includes sugars that occur naturally like fruit juices, syrups and honey (WHO technical report, 2007). The report goes on to recommend a range of between 55% and 75% of carbohydrates for total energy intake (WHO technical report, 2007). The food industry generally favors artificial sweeteners or natural sugar sweeteners. This is because of the high profit margin realized with the use of artificial sweeteners as they are more cost effective than both corn syrup and sugar. The sweeteners however should be used by consumers with great caution to ensure that the sweeteners do not end up becoming more of a health hazard than a means of achieving good health. References DeNoon J,2005, Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight? Overweight Risk Soars 41% With Each Daily Can of Diet Soft Drink,Reviewed by Charlotte Grayson Mathis MD, WebMD Medical News

Soccer Masidlale Programme

IntroductionDue to past and current rumours regarding spur, the participation of Spur being a part of a CSR programme will help the businesses ROI. By looking at uplifting the community it should allow for consumers to feel they should contribute to this effort. This should in the end increase Spurs return on investment. Spur being involved with a CSR initiative should allow for the employee buy in of the business. This should ultimately create a positive atmosphere as well as a positive work environment for all employees. This in the end allowing for consumers to feel more welcomed when intending on buying from Spur.Secondary Research30 000 children have so far been reached by the CSI (Corporate Social Investment) program sponsored by Spur: The Spur Soccer Masidlale Programme (what it does): †¢ Essential Life skills are taught to the children. †¢ Disadvantaged areas are the focal point for this programme and to so this initiative will help uplift these areas. †¢ Children in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth are supported by this initiative. †¢ Sport is used as their CSR programme which enables them to uplift the community.200 players of mixed boys and girls take part from 10 local schools and each child receives a Spur branded soccer kit which they can keep afterwards. †¢ The reason Spur has used sport as their initiative, is that it is seen as a â€Å"metaphor for life†. A life skills programme is run alongside the soccer initiative and this teaches the children skills needed for life. The children are equipped further than that upon the sports field. This addresses the socio-economic issues of poverty as it is making it more aware to members of the public, encouraging them to participate in their initiative. This also shows that Spur wants to uplift the community and prove that they want to give back to the community using sport and equipping them with the necessary skills for life. The Spur Foundation'The Spur Foundation was established on International Mandela Day, 18 July 2012, with a donation of R670 000 by the Spur Corporation, resonating with the '67 minutes' theme of Mandela Day, and the founding of the Spur family in 1967. The Foundation aims to uplift and improve the lives of South African families, especially children, in line with its core value of generosity and Ubuntu' The foundations motto is ‘Nourish, Nurture, Now!' This is used to support disadvantaged communities by providing them with education and help fed them. It also provides the basic necessities and amenities for all the children. â€Å"Fill a tummy, feed a mind†.The Full Tummy Fund initiative was launched by the same foundation in 2016 and is used in order to help aid children's development during their first 2000 days, focusing primarily on their education and nutrition.As stated from the previous socio-economic issue, Spur wants to carry on reaching out to the poverty stricken areas that are in dire need of assistance and help by assisting with the nourishment of their children and to educate their youngsters. With the Spur Foundation initiative in place, this will help these disadvantaged areas by providing the children with the proper nutrition that is needed and provides education to them, therefore allowing them to uplift their community and be innovative. This ultimately will improve Spurs image and make customers feel more obliged to support them as they will want to be a part of the foundation to help those in need. These initiatives are relevant to my topic as they provide external information that will be beneficial to my hypothesis and will prove that by Spur conducting CSR it will have a positive impact upon their ROI.By Spur conducting CSR it does good as it will:'Doing good can also be great for business; a growing body of research indicates that a socially responsible company can expect an increase in sales, profitability and value. Having a well-defined and active CSR initiative can help a company achieve the following: †¢ Attract and retain qualified personnel †¢ Enhance employee engagement †¢ Increase customer loyalty, sales and profitability †¢ Bolster community goodwill †¢ Safeguard corporate reputation' †¢ Bring customers back to the business, especially after recent incidents. As stated above, by Spur being involved in multiple CSR initiatives it will create a good name for the business and create customer loyalty as consumers will want to have shown that they are interested in what Spur wants to achieve. This will not be seen immediately but word of mouth will develop and over time Spur will experience more support from members of the public. As more customers are willing to help Spur uplift the community more capital is generated thus allowing for Spurs return on investment to break even and go further allowing for their initiatives to reach further than that of what they have now and perhaps come up with new initiatives. Similar reasons as to why businesses such as Spur should be involved with a CSR programme: 1. You will have satisfied employees: -this meaning that the businesses employees will be proud of the organization they are working for thus bringing a good name for the business internally which then gets spoken about externally creating a positive image towards the business in this case Spur. 2. By conducting CSR you will create satisfied customers: -from past records it has shown that by a business conducting CSR it will improve the customer's attitude towards the business. If this is gained, the customer will undoubtingly come back to the business and buy the businesses products or services and on top of it, the customer will be less willing to go to another brand. 3. There will be a positive Public Relation: -CSR will provide an opportunity to share positive stories. This will benefit companies as it is a free form of advertisement. Businesses will not have to fret about having to pay for advertisements. Free publicity is thus generated and is spread by word of mouth. 4. There will be a reduction in costs: -a CSR programme doesn't have to cost money, if it is being conducted properly. Steps for a company to reduce costs are as follows: †¢ Have a more efficient staff hire and retention system. †¢ The implementation of energy saving programs. †¢ The management of potential risks and liabilities more effectively. †¢ As said by investing more into the traditional marketing way of word of mouth. 5. Business opportunities are created: -as we know a CSR program is to be pen and allow for an outside orientated approach. The business must have constant communication between all its stakeholders (customers, suppliers and other important parties).the reason for this communication is that you will then be the first to know of opportunities that your business can be a part of. 6. There is a long term future for the business: -this means that as a business you are looking at the long term results of the CSR programme and also the businesses continuity. Many large corporations generally refer to this as the shaping of a more sustainable society. These few extra reasons further support the fact that CSR will create a positive brand image for Spur and allow for a greater desire for them to want to carry on as it will certainly provide them with free marketing strategies thus allowing for more profit that can possibly be used to further invest in their CSR initiatives. Primary ResearchBar graph representing all answers that were answered either agreeing with questions asked or disagreeing.As seen in the above graph, many of the candidates that volunteered to answer the questionnaire have all agreed with many of the questions. In the questions it is noticed:Question 1:-Most volunteers agreed that by Spur conducting a CSR program it will be beneficial for the business as it will most definitely create a good name for the business.-Volunteers did disagree however saying that the market will not increase as of experiences from the past involving Spur and that has now spread rumours.-In Secondary research, we see that a business will create a good name for themselves by being involved in a CSR initiative. They believe that spread of mouth about Spur will help increase their market share.Question 2:-Seen again, all volunteers agree that branding has a huge impact upon the business as they could possibly lose customer loyalty, their brand will not be recognised or trust amongst the consumers towards the business is lost.-Customer loyalty is massive when it comes to a business functioning correctly. If the business has no customers there are no funds to allow the business carrying on with the path that they are o n.Question 3:-All volunteers have reacted in saying yes that a CSR program will address a current socio-economic factor and it will resolve that matter.-We all know that by a business addressing a current socio-economic factor; it will help in the long term as it will benefit those factors and improve them. -Many volunteers have replied in the same way saying that by businesses conducting CSR they will uplift the communities and therefore improve the standards of living of all people invested in their initiatives.Question 4:-All volunteers have approved in saying that they would most definitely be proud of their business if the business were to conduct CSR.-We know that if the employees of our company are happy with the business and are proud of it they will be more motivated to work and staff morale will increase thus bringing in more profits towards the business as more work is then done. -Most have responded in saying that they want to be a part of something that they know will uplift and benefit the community. They will be proud that the business is willing to take time out to benefit the community and uplift our standards of living.Question 5:-Most volunteers agree that most businesses conduct CSR because it is a free marketing system for their brand to be noticed by external stakeholders. People will be drawn to the fact that the business (Spur) is conducting CSR and will then therefore want to help the business achieve their goals by buying from them and supporting them. – Few volunteers disagreed saying in the long run this CSR initiative is more expensive than advertising. Some believe that it should involve passion and emotion. -We learned that in the Secondary research that CSR is a free form of advertising for the business and we all know that advertising fees are expensive so businesses us CSR initiatives to their advantage.Question 6:-All agreed in saying that Spurs CSR initiatives will improve the standards of living if they carry on. -Some have mentioned that perhaps more effort is needed in order to make more of an impact. They may believe this as there is many people suffering in disadvantaged areas and perhaps Spurs initiatives need to be expanded in order to care for even more people.Question 7:-All have agreed that it would be more beneficial if they were to know that Spur conducted a CSR program thus making them want to help in the initiative. -Communication is key in a business as if there is no communication members will not know what beneficial work they are involved in.Question 8:-Few have answered in saying that Spurs initiatives will have an impact upon society but most lean to saying no as they would need to increase their efforts to make a really large effect. – Volunteers who agreed said that every bit counts, this will not ultimately uplift the community but as said every little bit does count when uplifting the community. -For majority to have said no, it could possibly also mean that there is no communication from the business to the external market in saying that they do conduct CSR initiatives and to so many are unaware as to what spur des and are not willing to wanting to support.Question 9:-Most volunteers have agreed that businesses should conduct CSR to benefit the community. Yes it is a free way to market the business but the community is the main focus and this is what the whole point of a CSR initiative stands for.Three volunteers have replied saying no and the reason is that a CSR program is expensive and it could possibly disadvantage the business. -The main focal point of CSR is to benefit the community and the planet as well as making a profit, so in a sense the business is saving money by conducting CSR as they do not have to pay for advertisements. This money however can be used to further more improve their CSR initiatives or perhaps invest into new initiatives.Question 10:-Majority of the volunteer answers agreed saying that the â€Å"Fill a tummy, Feed a mind† initiative should only focus on children. They agree in saying that children are most in need as they have no control over their current situation thus need the support that Spur id offering them. Although they did add ideas in saying that Spur should extend the time period of this project for the children as they say that 2000 days is not enough for the children as it is only five years. -Volunteers did disagree with the initiative and say that they should not only focus primarily on children. Many people are in dire need of education, life skills and food as our economy is so poor so therefore they should have access to it as well. Volunteers added as well that it is also quit taxing on the business as 2000 days is quite a long time to look after a child, not just one but many. -For a business it can be quite taxing to their profits especially when they are providing for more than 20 000 children. Although it can be quite taxing perhaps in some cases Spur can be flexible in allowing to extend the 2000 days' time period especially if they are in dire need and have no assistance. This Primary Research has furthermore proven that the CSR initiatives undertaken by Spur are beneficial to the business as a whole. It will help benefit the business from marketing strategies through to eradicating bad stigma about past incidents which have brought the Spur franchise name down. This will help the business be recognised and allow for more consumers to feel more encouraged to support Spur.ConclusionsThe Primary research as well as the Secondary research helps prove that Spurs involvement with its CSR initiatives does have an impact upon their business which ultimately will improve their ROI. We see in the primary research that many of the volunteers feel that if the business is willing to give back to the community and are willing to help, consumers will feel more encouraged to help support the businesses and help uplift their community as well as looking at the possible opportunity to uplift the nation as a whole (in the long term). In order for Spur to possibly improve their CSR they can look at: †¢ The practice of transparency towards its consumers and their employees. Make it part of their organisational structure. Inform the larger community about all ventures of the business. This will help consumers understand everything that is being conducted within Spur. †¢ Encourage innovation within the business as well as the community. This will allow for new ideas for the business and new ideas for the business to get itself involved with.

Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dilemma - Essay Example He should not receive anything of economic value other than those required or allowed by law because it might influence him in the discharge of his duties as a public official. His actions do not represent the greater good. He is the only one benefiting from the gifts that he receives. Locke would have addressed the problem of the Mayor by saying that he believes that there is no harm in accepting the gifts given to him. He will perceive the Mayor as one who has a conscience and will be guided by his sense of goodwill, so much so that he will not let the gifts affect the discharge of his duties. The answer of Locke differs from one’s opinions because one is more aware of the growing incidence of graft and corruption in government nowadays. One believes that the college instructor is pursuing her doctorate degree at the expense of the student’s learning. She is only concerned about her welfare and does not take into consideration what effect it has on the students. Her actions do not represent the greater good. As a professor, she has a responsibility to enrich and enhance the students’ learnings. She should at least exert an effort to improve her lectures and keep it updated. If Locke were to address this problem, he would say that it is but natural for the professor to act that way because each individual is driven by self-interest. Locke might say that the professor is just doing that because he is protecting his self-interest and that it does not do any harm to the students anyway. Locke’s ethics is different than mine because Locke seems to always look at the good side of every individual. He thinks that persons do not mean any harm to anybody. One considers the decision of Todd and Edna to have a child to solve their marital problems is the worst solution to their problem. Having a child will not solve Edna’s drinking problem and Todd’s employment problem. Edna’s drinking problem will have a bad effect on the baby. On

Low Voltage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Low Voltage - Essay Example As the meter displays voltage in the Root Mean Square form, otherwise known as RMS, the eventual result must be multiplied by √2 to give peak value (Vpeak = Vrms X √2). The mulitmeter can then be set to DC voltage so that the voltage can be calculated at points A, B, C, and E in relation to point D. In this report, these results will be displayed and discussed in the results section. The voltage recorded at A (Vad) can be put up against the calculated peak value of (Vxy peak). In perfect circumstances, these results should end up being the same, except point A was reduced due to a drop in the voltage current across the rectifier diodes. The voltages in the terminals of the transistors and across the 1â„ ¦ resistor (this is the voltage between A & C, Vac) are then measured. The results of this were then taken down and will be shown in the results section further down. The mains power is then switched off and the "Collector Link" was disconnected. Also, the multimeter was set to a DC current measurement. After performing this, the power can then be turned back on and the transistors collector current (Ic) is measured. This is only possible through connecting the multimeter between the two exposed pins that make up the Collector Link. The power is then turned off one more time and the Collector Link can be reconnected; however, the Base Link is still connected this time. After this, the power can be turned on once again on and the transistors base current (Ib) can be measured. This is done through connecting the multimeter between two exposed pins that make up the Base Link. At this point in time, these values are taken down and the Base Link connection can finally be restored. In this setup, the currents for the emitter and transistors collector are virtually the same. The results section shows that the power supply load current is exactly the same as the current used for the transistor

The Ethics of Selective Reproduction Research Paper

The Ethics of Selective Reproduction - Research Paper Example The ethical concerns touch on several issues, most of the complex and risky. For instance, there was the 1980s attempt to eliminate or least reduce neurological disorders of Parkinson’s by transfer of fetal brain tissues2. The attempts are yet to materialize. Scientific feats that were thought impossible before have been achieved with persistent research and trial. This has been observed in the successful cloning of non-human animals3.   Eugenics refers to the attempt to improve the human gene pool. Different mindsets have agreed on the same definition of the term although not everyone has the same idea of what counts as eugenics4. One of the aspects of eugenics that is a source of ethical concern is the significance of parental choice in the matter. Given the fact that parents have the free will to choose what kind of a child they want, it loses state enforcement of coercive methods5. Liberal eugenics leaves room for misuse by both reproductive health providers and parents. Whereas this looks like a state of coercion to some people, others believe that the nature of services provided in eugenics cannot go without the free will and choices of parents. Wilkinson states that, â€Å"But other people think that some procedures which prospective parents can choose, such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), with embryo testing and the subsequent disposal or donation of unwanted embryos, are clearly cases of eu genics, even where events are entirely a matter of parental preference and there’s no state coercion at all†6   Despite the bad image the term eugenics had from the Nazi era, the present meaning and context of the term can be argued to be a moral and ethical position. Unlike the Nazi eugenics that involved mass murder of targets that ranged from assorted ethnicities to children with disabilities by the State, today’s eugenics does not compromise the lives of citizens at all7.

Jim Boeheim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jim Boeheim - Essay Example Born in 1944, James Arthur Boeheim or famously known as Jim Boeheim is currently serving the men’s basketball team at the Syracuse University as the Head Coach (Waters, 2013). Having a huge experience in the field of sports and leadership, Boeheim has made the Orange team of the Syracuse University into the NCAA Tournament 30 times. Boeheim also guided the team for final four match appearances in 1987, 1996, 2003, and 2013 and the NCAA championship in 2003 (SyracuseUniveristy, 2014). Not only this, he has also guided the Syracuse men’s basketball team to nine ‘Big East’ regular season championships and five Big East Tournament Championships. Because of his strong coaching experience and his effective leadership skills, Boeheim is currently the second on the Wins List of Men’s NCAA Division I Coaches (Pitoniak, 2011). The 880th win of Boeheim was earned in 2012, surpassing the total of Dean Smith’s wins of 879. These wins are calculated for a head coach at a single school for his most wins (Baker, 2010). Boeheim has also served the United States men’s basketball team, during the World Championship of FIBA 1990, FIBA 2006, Summer Olympics in 2008, FIBA World Championship 2010, and the Summer Olympics of 2012 (Baker, 2010). He has also served as the chairman of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Committee during the period 2009 to 2012. He has the honor of being President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). In September 2005, in recognition to his remarkable achievements  Boeheim was included in the Basketball Hall of Fame  in the field of basketball (Pitoniak, 2011). Jim Boeheim has guided the Orange team through various tournaments, both national and international and has brought home many titles (Pitoniak, 2011). It is because of his strong leadership skills and capabilities that the Orange team of the

Terrorism 5.4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Terrorism 5.4 - Essay Example In the early history of terrorism, to be killed by invaders meant there was a great reward waiting for you in heaven as presented by suicidal martyrdom. This dates back to thousands of years in most religions and societies. Terrorism against an enemy can therefore be viewed as an act of religion. However it is viewed as crime against humanity by the victims of an attack. In the modern terrorism, it has been a tool used by both sides of colonial conflicts mainly in the mid-20th century. The frequency of religion based terrorism gained roots in the last 20 years of 20th century hence becoming more and more frequent. There is also another kind of terrorism today that brings about destruction to industrial and agricultural systems. This can be termed as economic terrorism. The underground mass transit system is a vulnerable place for a suicide bomb attack. This is because in these subways there is life and vibrancy especially during week days when people are scrambling to get to work on time. The number of commuters that could potentially lose their lives is alarmingly high making it a possible threat. The international airports area also poses a potential site for terrorism. This is because of the many inbounding and out bounding flights every day. This gives a chance to any terrorist who would want to bomb the area by strapping it to his body. The aircraft may also be skyjacked and be forced to land in a country to the terrorists. The terrorist may also fire indiscriminately and throw grenades to the thousands of people in the airport. Terrorists may also target large public areas like the major university which contains a big number of students, the convention center that attract tourists and the campus football stadium that holds a large number of football fans. This can be done by sneaking in the bomb amidst the large masses of people or throwing grenades. They could also execute it by kidnapping some of the students. Another possible

The effects of revaluation Chinas currency to the us and China economy Essay

The effects of revaluation Chinas currency to the us and China economy - Essay Example Furthermore, in order to avoid feud with international institutions like the IMF and WTO as well as some trade partners, Chinese officials said that before they begin to change the value of their currency, a long-term stability would be needed in order to avoid dislodgment in their economy (Sanford 2005). Chinese officials have announced a new exchange rate on July 21, 2005. This review of literature will focus on the implications of the undervalued Yuan to China and U.S. as well as its other trade partners and the effects of a revaluation to the economy of China and U.S. 1. China’s total foreign currency reserves have amounted to $346.5 billion, currently the worlds’ second largest after Japan. This reflects the strength of Chinas exports and its ability to attract foreign investment. As a result, some of Chinas trading partners claim that their trade deficits are aggravated by the undervalued yuan. An example of this is China’s part in the contentious U.S. trade deficit wherein China is accounted for 21 per cent of the US total trade deficit (Taylor, 2006). Some experts claim that once the Chinese currency revaluation and appreciation; market forces will drive the currency upwards, thus lessening the trade gap. The current situation and value of the Chinese currency is similar to the Japanese yen in the early 1980s. Japan was accounted for half of the USs trade deficit during the 80s. The 1985 "Plaza Accord" forced the yen to rise against the dollar. 2. The undervalued yuan brought major incursions of capital both from domestic and foreign speculators. Local companies are using the current economic situation wherein Chinas capital market remains closed, to divert their export earnings back to China, a different event after so many years of limiting their Yuan holdings. Foreign currencies are also flowing in through the black market.

HSA 535 WK& DB2Tracking Vaccine Preventable Diseases Coursework

HSA 535 WK& DB2Tracking Vaccine Preventable Diseases - Coursework Example The vaccine is recommended for children of the age of 11 and 12 years in order to boost their immune system before they become sexually active. Additionally, young people who do not get vaccinated at the teenage should get vaccinated where young women should be vaccinated through the age of 26 and the men through the age of 21 in order to boost their immune system. Immunizations should be taken seriously because they reduce the number of infections and the number of people visiting the clinic. Georgia’s vaccination rate for children has been said to have reached the near record lows. Despite the infants being immunized, there are other under-immunized children and adolescents, as well as, adults which has made them to miss the opportunity of protecting themselves from diseases such as Influenza, pneumococcal disease and Hepatitis B. To increase the number of children and adults vaccinated the government has introduced a policy, even in school where the school going children have to be vaccinated before getting admission. Awareness has also been created to reduce the number of infections caused by vaccine able diseases. I agree with this position because it is important for people to understand the need and significance of immunization. By so doing, they will ensure that the preventable diseases are taken under control. Human papilloma virus immunization in both young adults and adolescents is vital and a cohort study would help the researcher in realizing the number of people who visit the clinic; thus understanding levels of immunization each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The cohort study would also help in the identification of issues of concern, while at the same time monitoring the effects of large –scale intervention; thus, helping in addressing vaccine safety issues. Lastly, the study may be issue to

Interpersonal Relations in Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Interpersonal Relations in Management - Essay Example Creting idel imges of me nd the outer world is wht describes my personlity. I therefore, live in the present, nd reject who I m t the moment while concentrting who I wnt to be. Since it is impossible to rech the idel, I do not perceive the world s it is nd often disppoint in life. I my thus describe myself s nve person, but lso the one who enjoys life nd sees everything in the best colors. My ego-self is constntly judging nd rejecting its rising stte nd trying to fit itself into certin idel. It is not just being where it is nd llowing itself to unfold freely. s result, it does not understnd where it is for it is invested in being somewhere in prticulr, being certin wy, or in stisfying prticulr idel. nd even if this idel is tken from spiritul techings, the sme mechnism of ego ctivity is in opertion. Trpped in the ego-self, I do not trust tht Being myself will tke me where I need to go. 2. Second, nd eqully importnt, is the bility nd willingness to be tem member, plying dily roles in such fshion tht the whole is lwys greter thn the sum of it's prts. It must be recognized nd ccepted tht no tem is ever stronger thn the wekest member, so tht ech member must be ssigned to mke full use of tlents possessed. 3. 3. Third, tht ll individuls re equl nd tht ech nd ever one must fully recognize tht equlity nd with full cceptnce of the other, but tht we re ll humn beings; ech with our own prticulr weknesses nd strengths; so tht in full tem fshion one's strengths re emphsized nd weknesses re minimized. 4. Finlly, there is the mtter of "fir ply" nd honesty in never ending episode tht is lwys dpted to one's dily life nd the conditions tht emerge in specil situtions. Trustworthiness derives lmost solely from honesty nd fir ply, nd it is the most bsic requisite for success in democrcy. Vlues, beliefs nd spirtions Grown-up person is the one with bunch of experience over his/her shoulders who is conscious nd determined of certin principles nd priorities in life nd who hs come to self identity through the pth of mistkes nd often disppointments. person usully becomes more responsible in ctions nd stedy in opinions when becoming prent. Coming up to the comprehension of importnt notions in life which identify one's personlity prent tries to tech the child most of success, freedom, honesty, intimcy or rcism. However, the child due to his/her individul fetures will identify this issues on his/her own; the prent's obligtion is only to outline the understnding of these concepts so tht they would be their unflinching beliefs nd priorities when mking decisions or stnding behind the choice.I remember myself being child nd remember my vision of these issues. It hs gretly chnged s I becme older nd now I would do my best now so tht my child chooses the pth of life giving miss to my mistkes. First I would li ke to give n dvice regrding the perception of Success. ll my life I reched for success nd found myself decent cndidte to

Celebrity Worship Essay Example for Free

Celebrity Worship Essay About celebrity worship Good morning, everyone! Today my topic is about celebrity worship. Do you worship any celebrities? I think the answer will probably be yes. Nowadays most of us have their own idols. Whether the people of our affections are movie stars, athletes, or politicians we are hungry for information about them. We want to know what they are saying, what they are wearing, where they are going and whom they are with. Moreover, we mock their actions and want to become one of them who are often portrayed as beautiful, clever and rich. I think this is â€Å"celebrity worship†. And it is not only teenagers’ right; many adults also admire celebrities. But what drives our endless fascination with celebrity worship? The following some aspects may give the answer to the question. First of all, to some degree celebrity worship is a kind of belief. In this transient world, nothing seems to be unchangeable. People must find something to worship so that they will not lose themselves. Therefore, they admire celebrities, consider celebrities as good examples of their own lives and want to become as famous or wealthy as celebrities are. Secondly, some people consider the fascination with celebrities as a substitution for real life. There are many problems in our daily life, so people focus on celebrities’ life to avoid their own problems. They see celebrity worship as a kind of entertainment. In this way, they can relax themselves. What’s more, celebrity worship is a symbol of fashion especially for teenagers. If they do not want to be out-of-date, they believe that they should have an idol. As celebrity worship becomes increasingly crazy today, people begin to be concern about the impacts of it on our daily life. To some degree, celebrity worship can be unhealthy. If we pay too much attention to these famous people, we may do some crazy things that may hurt others or ourselves. For example, it was reported that a young girl from LiaoningProvince committed suicide just because her mother refused to buy her a CD of her idol. Another famous example is about a 28-year-old girl called Yang Lijuan. She became a huge fan of Andy Liu 13 years ago. From that moment, the only thing she cared about in her life was to meet her idol. She quit school, wrote letters, and spent many years watching the stars music videos. She even made public attempts to get close to him, two times in Hong Kong and once in Beijing, but every time was disappointed. The girls father was a 68-year-old retired middle school teacher who supported the entire family with his pension of 1,900 yuan per month and her mother was unable to work due to poor health. Her parents tried to persuade her to give up, but after their efforts failed, her father decided to help his daughter realize her dreams at any cost. The family borrowed money and went to Hong Kong again in order to meet the girl’s idol. Finally, the girl fulfilled her dream. However, her father became furious after he was informed that his daughter would not get a chance to spend enough time to talk privately with the star about her feelings for him. He jumped into the sea in an early Monday morning while his wife and daughter were still asleep. What a great tragedy it is! In addition, some experts say that celebrity worship can decrease a persons self-esteem because the endless admiration and yearning for a life and lifestyle that are out of reach may lead to ones feelings of isolation and inadequacy. However, some other experts take different views of it. They believe that for some celebrity worship may be unhealthy, while for most of people, it is can actually improve our lives. This is particularly true when the people of our affections set a good example that helps us strive to achieve our own ideals. If you idolize someone for their accomplishments, and these accomplishments make gains in your own life, then admiring a celebrity can have a positive effect on your ambition, or even on your mental health. In my opinion, celebrity worship is a kind of fact, whether it is good to us depends on how we treat it. We should have a reasonable attitude towards it. In our transient world, we need to find a goal for our life. In this sense, we may look up to celebrities as role models. But we should remember that they are just ideals. We should not mock their actions all the time. We need to find our own way to get our perfect life. In a word, if we worship a celebrity, we should choose the right people and the right way. That is all. Thanks for your attention.

Advantages Of Outsourcing ICT In An Organization Information Technology Essay

Advantages Of Outsourcing ICT In An Organization Information Technology Essay This is a report about Tescos company ICT outsourcing and knowledge management. In the following paragraphs two questions are going to be answered and analyzed according to the information existing in Tescos case and also strategic managements theory. Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organizations as an approach to strategic management. Access the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organization such as Tesco. The huge amount of competion and the global economic crisis that organizations have to face nowadays have made Information Communications Technology outsourcing a really attractive management tool in order to cut expenses in non-core activities, specific in overheads of Information Technology departments. By deciding to outsource, there would be a lot of benefits but also a number of risks associated with it. It is important for a decision maker to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT outsourcing, before making the decision to outsource. Outsourcing ICT has to do with the whole information science, helping the business field. It is about networks, web design, programming, online shops etc. Network services is the most common ICT services activity that is being outsourced and that outsourcers who do not comply with contract has the most influence on ICT outsourcing inherent risks. The Technology of information and communication is growing fast and the vendor business has to be updated and synchronized with the era of 2010. So it would be far easier for them to sell their products and serving their customers in every possible way. For a company that has to deal with so many products from soap to bread it would be more difficult to take the risk and create their own Information and communication department from scratch and keep It upgraded while their whole business is running. The result of this difficulty is to outsource ICT specific in Tescos case to Trilogy Company. The advantages of outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. ICT is vital to Tesco. Every aspect of their operation is controlled or monitored by ICT stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods, and so on. ICT is essential to the running of a modern store. It is used for planning, monitoring, auditing and communicating between store operations. For example, when an item has its barcode read at the checkout, the system not only logs the price onto the till, but also logs the financial transaction between Tesco and the customer and the fact that the stock has been reduced by one item. On the distribution side, instructions from the mainframe computer are sent directly to forklift truck operators at depots by radio links. This shows the integration of departments by using ICT. All stores are connected to the mainframe at Head Office via the Tesco Network. Another advantage of Outsourcing ICT from a business perspective is that organizations are realizing that owning and operating their own IT infrastructure no longer makes sense. The cost of that is much bigger and the results are never guaranteed. This coupled with the common resource lack make outsourcing a viable alternative. It is important for organizations to adopt the right approach in order to reap the benefits of outsourcing. They should demand the following from any ICT company they are going to cooperate. Selectively outsource specific ICT functions in stages Grow into a mutually beneficial relationship Gradually leverage on the benefits of outsourcing Continuously review performance and make adjustments Have Technical support from experienced system engineers Gain confidence and in-house acceptance before outsourcing more functions With the right approach and the suitable outsourcing of ICT the organizations will manage to stay high at the competitive edge in the market. Serving the customers in the best way and surprise them with new ways of purchasing their products (for ex. via online-shops) will keep their loyalty and the margin will be for both sides. A big company like Tesco has many sub-stores, some in the same country and some abroad. The communication between them and the line the company sets everywhere should be established well. ICT helps with this area and it was the primary reason that chain branches use ICT. In summary outsourcing ICT for a company such as Tesco is important for increasing the ability to reach the goals of the company, reduce human risks, saving time, helping the company to stay competitive and minimize the operating costs. The Disadvantages of Outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. As it was already mentioned above, the outsourcing ICT has also disadvantages that raise the risk the company has to take. For example, At times, it is more cost-effective to conduct a particular business process, rather than outsourcing it, not that much in IT but maybe if the upgrade the company wants to make is small and the fee the ICT Company asks is big. When you begin to outsource your business processes, you might find it difficult to manage the offshore provider when compared to managing processes within your organization. In case, your outsource ICT service provider becomes bankrupt or goes out of business, your organization will have to immediately move your business processes in-house or find another outsourcing provider The employees in your organization might not like the idea of you outsourcing your processes and they might express lack of interest or lack of quality at work also outsourcing can create potential redundancies for your organization, a lot of employees may lose their jobs. Your outsourcing provider might not be only providing services for your organization and maybe the quality of the service isnt always guaranteed, especially in low-price agreements. Since your provider might be catering to the needs of several companies, there might be not be complete devotion to you and your company something that couldnt happen if you owned the ICT department. In outsourcing, you may lose your control over the process that is outsourced and dont be able to fix something in time because you are not in charge of this field. Outsourcing, though cost-effective, might have hidden costs, such as the legal costs incurred while signing a contract between companies and you might also have to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the contract signed. There can be several disadvantages in outsourcing, such as, renewing contracts, misunderstanding of the contract, lack of communication, poor quality and delayed services amongst others. The disadvantages of outsourcing give organizations an opportunity to think about what they are stepping into. However if you find a reliable outsourcing partner you probably wont experience any of these disadvantages of outsourcing.

Impact of Informality on Consumption

Impact of Informality on Consumption Abstract By using a simple model, it will be analyzed the impact that informality has in the amount of consumption of the workers during their life cycle. This paper deals with the interconnections of under-reported earnings, savings and old-age pension. The workers sampled for this analys have been divided into three groups: 1. Low income emloyees, 2. Higher income employees who declare all incomes, 3. Employees who under-report their incomes .In this paper the analysis is based on two pension models: the model that calculates pension in conformity with the incomes (proportional model) and the basic model, whose objective is poverty reduction for the â€Å"third age†. The major result is as follows: Given the fact that the basic pension system favors employees that under-report their incomes and the fact that the impact of informality is greater in the basic system than in the propotional pension system, the application of basic pension system in the Albanian might be problematic. KEY WORDS: informality, pensions, proportional model, basic model, Albania Introduction There are many examples around the world, how different countries have adapted their pension system in comformity with the important changes they are experiencing. However what works well in a country does not necessarly work well in an other country. Pension reforms should be in accordance with the economic, political and social characteristics of the country. The issue referring to the appropriate scheme to be implemented in Albania has been the concern of the governments. . In such circumstances, when the â€Å"Pay-As-You-Go† system is failing every day, the problem of a reform seems as urgent as it is necessary. Pension systems have been one of the serious issues, which all Albanian governments have been facing. They have been a constant source of criticism from international bodies and are one of the schemes that aggravate the state budget a lot, therefor impeding the development of the Albanian economy (Treichel, 2001) As a result of a misconception of this scheme since the beginning, the current system has generated high evasion and informality, distorting effects on the labor market and not providing a long term solution for the pensions. The main problem has to do with the amount of contributions and incentives to pay these contributions. Using a simple model, it will be given an idea about the impact that informality has in the amount of the workers consumption during their life cycle. For this reason two pension models have been analyzed: the model that calculates pension in conformity with the incomes and the basic model, whose objective is poverty reduction for the â€Å"third age†. Augusztinovics, (2005) concludes that increasingly social tensions can be reduced by e replacing the pension system related to incomes with a basic pension system. Given that this topic presents a great complexity and at the same time is so current and present in our daily lives, it would be interesting to treat it in order to provide an alternative for solving such a so sharp problem. 2Proportional pensions In recent years, the Hungarian Economists of the Academy of Sciences have conducted a series of empirical studies regarding pension systems, especially in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The assumptions used in their model, have a lot in common with the Albanian reality. According to (Simonovits, 2008), the assumptions of the model are: †¢ The population is taken unchanged †¢ The young population is active in the labor market †¢ Every elder person has retired Consequently, R is the number an employee working years and S, the years of an individuals’ retirement. Dependency rate, expressed as the ratio of pension years to those of work, is marked with ÃŽ ¼ = S / R. Although, the difference between the contribution rate of employers and employees is clear in the current pension system clear, in this analysis, this difference is not taken into account. The total salary, which represents the total cost of the work, is marked by w. Individual contribution, paid to the pension system, is calculated at the rate t, of the total reported salary. Health insurance contributions and income tax impacts have been left out of the model. To be closer to the Albanian reality, it is assumed that the rate of employed persons who declare their exact income, are not directly related to the pension system. The system is suposed in equilibrium; the revenues of the system are equal to its expenditures. The scale of the informal economy in Albania is one of the highest in the Central and Eastern Europe countries. The informal economy is assumed at 34 percent according to (Schneider, Buehn, Montenegro, 2010). For this reason, it is foreseen to classify the employees in three different groups: 1. Low income emloyees, who are marked with (U) It is presumed, that employees who do not fully declare their income are part of the second group. For this group, it is made the following subdivision: 2. Higher income employees who declare all incomes, who are marked with (P) 3. Higher income employees who under-report their incomes, who are marked with (N) The frequency of these employees is: Æ’U, Æ’P and Æ’N. These frequencies are positive numbers, the amount of which shall be equal to 1. Considering all the employment as a unit, the number of employees is marked by 1. In special cases it may occur that one of the frequencies is equal to 0, as it is the case of economies where informality is in very low levels near 0. In this model, it is assumed that pensioners receive their pensions, in proportion to the income declared, which are marked with *, (t*, is the rate of the contribution to the system). The current income of workers according to salary levels, are: wP = wN and wU. While the benefits from the system during the retirement period, are: bP* and bN* =bU*. Based on the above assumptions, the benefits are commensurate with the income declared; bP* = ÃŽ ²* wP and bN* = ÃŽ ²* wU, where ÃŽ ²* is the replacement rate of the pension system related to income (proportional). As it is observedou, wU represents the minimum wage and any potential changes will affect the overall level of formal employment. This problem will not be considered, because of the complexity that it presents. In the following equations are presented: total real income (WP) and the total income declared (WU). WP = (Æ’P + Æ’N)wP + Æ’UwU and WU = Æ’PwP + (Æ’N+ Æ’U)wU Since the system is in equilibrium, then, t * WU = ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ² * WU. Consequently, subsequent connection between the contribution fee (t *) and the replacement ratio is: ÃŽ ²* : t* =  µÃŽ ²* It is assumed that those who declare all the incomes do not save for theretirement period, as they believe that the replacement ratio is sufficiently high. In contrast, people who do not report their total incomes, are supposed to save for the retirement, that hidden amounts. In some cases these rates may be even lower than the rate of social security system, which would make them save for their whole lifetime. So the saving rate is marked with ÏÆ', which is: 0 and the annual savings are: ÏÆ'(wP wU). It is assume that the hidden savings during the R years of work are used for consumption Ï (wP wU) during the S retirement years. For comparative reasons the level of consumption is analyzed during two stages of life (work and pension). This analysis will provide a more complete picture throughout the whole life cycle, of the consumption during the work period, which is labeled â€Å"youth consumption† and the consumption during retirement, which is labeled â€Å"elderly consumption†. Based on the above equations, â€Å"youth consumption† would be: cP* = (1 – t*)wP ; cN* = (1 – t*)wU + (1 – ÏÆ')(wP – wU) ; cU* = (1 – t*)wU While the â€Å"elderly consumption† would be dP* = bP* ; dN* = bU* + Ï (wP – wU) ; dU* = bU* Basic pension system Some researchers (Augusztinovics Kà ¶llÅ‘, 2008), (Kollo, 2008), (Kertesi G., Bonn 2003) consider the replacement of the proportional pension system with a basic pension system as a way to reduce the increasing social tensions. Since the goal of this system is the reduction of poverty during the â€Å"third age†, it is assumed that it is given a definit benefit b0 which is funded by a consumption tax rate à ®. Each individual pays his/her taxes proportionally after spending money for consumption and for mathematical simplicity it is assumed that the basic benefits are net. Pensions obtained from this system are: One of the innovations that this model offers is the assumption which does not take into account the possibility of consumption tax evasion, in contrast to the case of non-payment of pension contributions. The implementation of this model faces with some difficulties in our country, such as problems with the informal economy (tax evasion) and the indirectly calculation method of VAT. In the model analyzed there is no total savings and total consumption is equal to total income. Based on the equation that shows the dependency ratio, the tax equation is as follows: The decreasing contributions, tw finance only the reduced pensions of employees. , pra For comparative reasons, it is assumed that the total costs of pensions are invariable. This assumption is clearly expressed in the following equation: By substituting à ® from the previous equation to the new equation the following formula is obtained: Consequently, the reduced contributions will be as follows: In order for the contribution to be a positive rate, it should be assumed that: . So, The â€Å"youth consumption† is: ; ; While the â€Å"elderly consumption† is: ; ; As it can be noticed from the above equations, consumption and benefits of employees who declare all their incomes has decreased, while consumption and benefit of employees with low incomes and workers that under-report their incomes have increased in comparison with the proportional pension system. 4The Albanian Case For study reasons it is worth presenting a numerical simulation. In the above mentioned models are used features of Albanian pension system. Based on the Albanian legislation for social security, the working years that an employee must have to obtain a retirement pension, are 35. Consequently, R = 35 years. According to official data from the World Bank (2012), the average of life expectancy for the Albanian population is 77 years. By subtracting from this age the average age of the entry into the labor market, which is 22 years (qualified employees, as well as unqualified have been considered as), it is concluded that the average number of years spent in retirement for every Albanian, is S = 20 years. Dependency rate, which represents the ratio of average years spent in retirement, with the average years spent in work, is ÃŽ ¼ = S / R = 20/35 = 0.57. The calculation of incomes is attained based on the data on employment and average salary for each sector of the economy. It is assumed that: †¢ All employees of public and private sector and non-agricultural privat sector are classified as employees with high average incomes. †¢ For purposes of analysis, the informal economy is assumed at 34 percent according to (Schneider, Buehn, Montenegro, 2010). So, 34 percent of private sector employees do not declare their real incomes. †¢ Employees of the agricultural sector are assumed as employees with low income. Based on the above assumptions and on the (INSTAT, 2014) data the distribution of workers by sector is: Æ’U = 0.49 , Æ’P = 0.39 , Æ’N = 0.12 According to INSTAT data (2013), the average salary in the public sector is 52,150 ALL (Albanian lek), the average of high salary in the private sector is 97,000 ALL and in the agriculture sector it is assumed that the salary is equal to the minimum wage 22,000 ALL. Based on these data, the income distribution is: wP = 4.4 dhe wU = 1 While the average stated salary is: WU = 2.326 So, the average salary declared, based on the above analysis, is: 2.326 x 22’000 = 51’172 ALL. This indicator has a outcome close to the average salary of 52’150 ALL declared in Albania. It is assumed that the amount of benefit in the basic system is equal to half of the benefit of the pension system related directly to income. b0 = tWU/ 2 µ Also, it is assumed that the worker that does not declare his/her real income, saves half of the money, ÏÆ' = t/2, which, Social Security, would make the employee save from the income that are not declared. Table no 1: The Key Indicators Source: Author Calculations 4.1Basic Model The distribution as per basic assumption is: Æ’P = 0.39, Æ’N = 0.12, Æ’U = 0.49 In the table below have been presented the characteristics of both pension systems that are being analyzed Tabel no 2: Characteristics of pension systems Source: Author Calculations The above characteristics are calculated in the case of Albania, where the contribution rate paid to the social security, is 21.6 percent for the proportional pension system. As it can be observed from the above data, when moving from a proportional pension system to the basic pension system, the contribution rate paid to the pension system is halved. A consumption tax at the rate of 9.2 percent is added to the basic pension system in contrast to the proportional pension system. Refering to the calculations, there is a significant difference regarding the replacement ratio between the two pension systems. In the proportional pension system the value of this ratio is 38 percent, which is reduced to 18.9 percent in the basic pension system. We see the impact of two pension systems to the amount of consumption for the three groups taken into consideration. Table no 3. Consumption amount Source: Author Calculations By analyzing the above results, it can be observed that: †¢ The â€Å"youth consumption† is the highest in three groups on the basic pension system compared with the proportional pension system. †¢ As expected, the â€Å"elderly consumption† with low income at basic pension system is higher than the consumption of the other system. Characteristic of the basic pension system is the support for people with low incomes. †¢ The â€Å"elderly consumption† with high incomes at the proportional pension system compared with the consumption at the basic pension system is about 50 percent higher. †¢ A weakness in the basic pension system is that it favors the group of pensioners who under-report their incomes. 4.2Full reporting of incomes The analys of the â€Å"ideal case† where all employees report all their income, although it seems utopian, it is worthwhile analyzing. Division of employees according to the declaration is: Æ’P = 0.51; Æ’N = 0; Æ’U = 0.49 Table no 4. Characteristics of pension systems Source: Author Calculations The rate of contribution to the proportional pension system is 21.6 per cent, as it was in the case of the basic model. As observed from the above table, the characteristics of the basic pension system, has changed in the â€Å"ideal case† compared to the basic model. The rate of contribution in the â€Å"ideal case† decreased at 10.7 percent compared with 10.8 percent in the basic model. While the tax rate has increased to 11 percent from 9.2 percent in the basic model. Changes in the ratio of replacement are negligible. We see the impact that the two pension systems have to the consumption quantity of the three groups who have been analyzed. Table no 5. Consumption amount Source: Author Calculations By analyzing the results above, we can say that: †¢ The â€Å"youth consumption† and the â€Å"elderly consumption† have not changed for the proportional pension system for both cases. †¢ Into the basic pension system there is a reduction in the consumption quantity at the young age and a very small increase in the consumption during the â€Å"third age†. †¢ So, the basic pension system is more sensitive toward informal economy than the other pension system that is taken into consideration. 5Conlusions The elementary model.has already been analized. Finally, by analyzing the cases discussed above, it can be concluded that: The consumption and benefits of employees who report all their incomes has decreased in the basic pension system compared to the proportional pensions system. The consumption and benefits of employees with low incomes and those of the employees who under-report their incomes increased in the basic pension system compared to the proportional pensions system. The basic pension system favors employees that under-report their incomes. The impact of informality is greater in the basic pension system than in the proportional pension system. So, in the Albanian reality the application of basic pension system might be problematic.

Stanhope and Raleigh in R.C. Sherriffs Journeys End :: Sherriff Journeys End Essays

Stanhope and Raleigh in R.C. Sherriff's "Journey's End" Journey’s End is a well received play written in 1928, by R.C Sherriff. The play is set in a trench system, which were used during most of the Great War. In the play we get an insight into a fascinating relationship between a Junior officer, Raleigh, and the commanding officer, Stanhope. The relationship shows us some effects of the war and it has many ups and down which are well portrayed. During this essay I will comment about the ever changing relationship between young Raleigh and Stanhope. Commanding officer Stanhope is the company commander and is therefore under constant pressure, as he had to make tactical decisions and is also responsible for the welfare for a number of officers. Stanhope is considered as one of the best infantry commanders, ‘ He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got’, Osborne (Pg 4). Stanhope forms a strong bond the officers, he is seen as hard working and passionate, ‘His commanded this company for a year – in and out of the front line. He’s never had a rest. Other men come over here and go home again ill, young Stanhope goes on sticking it, mouth in, mouth out’, Osborne (pg6). Stanhope particularly forms a strong bond with Officer Osborne, Stanhope has been involved in war activities since the war started and we see that during this time Stanhope has grown a close relationship with Osborne, and sees him as an ‘Uncle-figure’. Numerous times we see that Stanhope refers to Osborne as, ‘Uncle’. The character of Stanhope also shows the dread and stress of war, we learn of commander Stanhope drinking vice, often he is reduced to endless bottles of whisky to revert from the stress of war, it shows how badly men were affected. His problem with drinking is seen to a large extent, the reason why the relationship between himself and Raleigh is never stable and is continually changing. His drinking problem is highlighted throughout the play, ‘ Drinking as a fish as usual’, (pg 4). He is seen as a workaholic, ‘ I’ve seen him on his back all day with trench fever – then on duty all night’, (pg 6) and it seems as of he is not coping well at all, ‘ Lost control of himself; and the he – sort of - came to – and cried’, (pg 6). Raleigh is a young officer, drafted out from England into commander Stanhope’s infantry. Raleigh is a very inexperienced soldier, having just been transported from England and the prospect of being one of Stanhope’s officers is a momentous boost to his fragile confidence.

The Tower Of London Essay -- essays research papers

The Tower of London The Tower of London, the oldest fortified palace in Europe, was built by William the Conqueror in the late 1000's. It has served as a fortress, prison, palace, and the final resting-place of many people ("Tower of London" Encarta 1). Its history is full of amazing and horrific stories of life and death. To truly appreciate this magnificent group of structures a look must be taken into its history through it's architecture, uses, and those held in the prisons and dungeons. The Tower Of London is not actually one tower, it is a group of 13 towers located on 7.5 hectares of land known as Tower Hill ("Tower of London" Encarta 1). To the south of the tower is the Thames Rivers, which used to feed a moat that was drained in 1830. The general shape of the tower is a square with two lines of defensive walls surrounding it. The outer wall is defended by six towers on the river face, and there are two semi-circular bastions at the northeast and northwest corners (Tower of London Virtual Tour 3). The original tower, also known as the White Tower, is flanked by four turrets (Encarta 1). By looking carefully at the architecture of the tower you can see the painstaking workmanship put into every little detail. The group of thirteen towers collectively known as the Tower of London has five areas, which are especially interesting. One such tower was...

Dyslexia :: essays research papers

DYSLEXIA AND THE PHONOLOGICAL MODEL Over one hundred years ago, in November 1896, a doctor in Sussex, England, published the first description of the learning disorder that would come to be known as developmental dyslexia. "Percy F.,... aged 14,... has always been a bright and intelligent boy," wrote W. Pringle Morgan in the "British Medical Journal," "quick at games, and in no way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has been--and is now--his inability to learn to read.† (Sec 3) In that brief introduction, Morgan captured the illness that has intrigued and frustrated scientists for a century. In 2000 as in 1896, reading ability is taken as a substitute for intelligence; most people assume that if someone is smart, motivated and schooled, he or she will learn to read. But the experience of millions of dyslexics, like Percy F., has shown that assumption to be false. In dyslexia, the relation between intelligence and reading ability breaks down. Early explanations of dyslexia in the 1920s, held that defects in the visual system were to blame for the reversals of letters and words thought to typify dyslexic reading. Eye training was often prescribed to overcome these alleged visual defects. Later research has shown, however, that children with dyslexia are not unusually prone to reversing letters or words and that the deficit responsible for the disorder is related to the language system. In particular, dyslexia reflects a deficiency in the processing of the distinctive linguistic units, called phonemes that make up all spoken and written words. Current linguistic models of reading and dyslexia now provide an explanation of why some very intelligent people have trouble learning to read and performing other language-related tasks. Over the past twenty years, a consistent model of dyslexia has emerged that is based on phonological processing. The phonological model is consistent both with the clinical symptoms of dyslexia and with what neuroscientists know about brain organization and function. To understand how the phonological model works, one first has to consider the way in which language is processed in the brain. Researchers theorize the language system as a hierarchical series of modules or components, each devoted to a particular aspect of language. At the upper levels of the hierarchy are components involved with semantics (vocabulary or word meaning), syntax (grammatical structure) and discourse (connected sentences). At the lowest level of the hierarchy is the phonological module, which is dedicated to processing the distinctive sound elements that constitute language.

Introduction to the Human Body Level 3

Anatomy and Physiology Introduction to the Human body Introduction The human body is such an interesting machine, the way it is structured and how it works is educational. There is so much to learn about the human body and up until today scientists are still under going medical research. There are a lot of questions people would like to know about how their body works. The report will include the following structures: †¢ Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) †¢ An Organelle †¢ The cell membrane It will also evaluate the functions of the following structures: †¢ The cell †¢ Body tissue Body system Findings 1. 1Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) 1. 2An Organelle 1. 3The Cell Membrane 2. 1 The Cell 2. 2 Body Tissue 2. 3 Body System 3. 1 Ultrasound 3. 2 Gastroscopy 3. 3 Similarities, benefits and risks of the two procedures 4. 1 Cloning 1. 1 Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a molecule, which passes down information, required for the growth, development and reproduction of an organism. It is passed from adults to their childre n (offspring). DNA is found inside the nucleus of the cell and due to there being a lot of DNA molecules inside a cell; each molecule must be tightly packed.This then becomes a chromosome. DNA found in the cell nucleus is referred to as nuclear DNA, a human’s complete set of nuclear DNA is called its genome. A genome consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes; these chromosomes together consist of 3. 1 billion bases of DNA sequence. DNA consists of chains called nucleotides. Theses are made up of three parts: a phosphate group, a sugar group and one of four types of nitrogen bases. The four types of nitrogen bases found in nucleotides are: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). The order or sequence these bases come in, is due to that specific strand of DNA .Each ladder in the DNA is made of two-linked bases. Only (A) and (T) can link together and (G) and (C) can link together. Adenine and Guanine are purines. Purines are double ringed structures. Cytosine and Thymi ne are singled ringed structures and are known as pyramidines. Each DNA sequence that contains instructions, to make a protein, is known as a gene. DNA is used to make proteins in a two-step process. Enzymes read the information in a DNA molecule and then transcribe it into an intermediary molecule called messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA), or mRNA.Next the information in the molecules is translated into the â€Å"language† of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. (Appendix i) 1. 2 An Organelle An organelle is a discrete structure within a cell, as chloroplast or acentriole. It is characterised by having specialised functions, a usually distinctive chemical composition and an identifying molecule structure: often found in large numbers in aparticular cell. Organelles have specific roles to play in how cells work. Some organelles are separated from the rest of the cell by lipid bi-layers similar in structure to the cell membrane.An example of an organelle is ri bosomes. The function of ribosomes is the assembly of proteins, in a process called translation. Ribosomes do this by catalysing the assembly of individual amino acids into polypeptide chains; this involves binding a messenger RNA and then using this as a template to join together the correct sequence of amino acids. (Appendix ii) 1. 3 The Cell Membrane All cells are surrounded by a cell membrane, and its primary purpose is to keep the contents of the cell all together. Cell membranes are like many other organelles of a cell because they exist for a specific job.This job is to monitor and control everything that enters and leaves the cell. The cell membrane is made up of lipid molecules called phospholipids. These molecules all have one polar head and two hydrocarbon tails according to cellupedia. There are three main classes of lipid molecules, which make up a cell membrane. These classes include phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol. The particular amount of these lipids vari es across different membranes. The cell membrane is mobile and moves along â€Å"groves† which are set paths the membrane follow.Membranes are composed phospholipids, proteins and carbohydrates arranged in a fluid mosaic structure. The phospholipids form a thin, flexible sheet, while the proteins float in the phospholipids sheet and the carbohydrates extend out from the proteins. (Appendix iii) 2. 1 The Cell A cell is the smallest unit of living matter. All living things including plants and animals are made up of cells. Cells are made of atoms, which are the smallest units of matter. There are many different kinds of cells. All cells have a â€Å"skin† called plasma membrane, protecting it from the outside environment.The cell membrane regulates the movement of water, nutrients and wastes into and out of the cell. Inside of the cell membrane are the working parts of the cell. At the centre of the cell is the cell nucleus. The cell nucleus contains the cell’s DN A, the genetic code that coordinates protein synthesis. In addition to the nucleus, there are many organelles inside of the cell, small structures that help carry out the day to day operations of the cell. Organelles are groups of complex molecules that help a cell survive. There are many functions that the cell has to carry out: molecule transport, reproduction, energy conversion and many more.I have chosen to discuss reproduction as one of the cells functions. Reproduction One of the main purposes of human beings and living creatures is to survive. To be able to do this the cells must be able to reproduce. Reproduction allows a species of cells to increase its population and have a higher competitive advantage. Second, sexual reproduction can help introduce genetic variation into specie which can be beneficial in the long run. Example of this might be the difference in looks between individuals. Cells can reproduce in two ways, mitosis and meiosis.In mitosis, the resulting daughte r cell is an identical clone of the original cell. Mitosis is mostly used by somatic cells (cells of the body). Meiosis however, is the form of sexual reproduction and only occurs in gametes (reproductive cells). Mitosis If an organism is to live and grow up it must reproduce. Cell division serves an important role in organisms’ health and growth. Cell division begins with interphase, when the cell replicates all of its genomic and cytoplasmic material and prepares for division. After the cell enters the 4-phased mitosis.To see the similarities between mitosis and meiosis see appendix. (Appendix IV) 2. 2 Body Tissue Body tissue is a layer of cells that perform a function. Different types of tissues have different structures that are specific to that function. Tissues can be held together by a sticky coating called an â€Å"extracellular matrix†. The Latin word for tissue is derived from the verb texere, â€Å"to weave†. The major tissue types in the human body: †¢ Connective †¢ Muscular †¢ Nervous System †¢ Lymphatic The type of tissue that has been selected is muscle tissue. Muscle TissueMuscle tissue contains a number of microfilaments composed of actins’ and myosin, which are contractile proteins. There are three types of tissue: Cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle and visceral (smooth) muscle. Cardiac muscle is found in the heart. The cells are joined to one another by intercalated discs which allow the synchronisation of the heartbeat. Skeletal muscle is attached to the bones by tendons. Skeletal muscle is striated muscle. Unlike cardiac muscle, the cells are not branched. Visceral muscle is found in: the arteries, the bladder, the digestive tract and in many other organs.Visceral muscle contracts slower than skeletal muscle, but the contraction can be sustained over a long period of time. (Appendix v) 2. 3 Body System There are 11 systems in the body they are as follows: The Circulatory system Digestive system Endocrine system Immune system Lymphatic system Muscular system Nervous system Reproductive system Skeletal system. (Appendix VI) The system that has been selected is ‘The Reproductive System’. Reproductive System Females have sex organs of: ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina. Whereas the males sex organs are: vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate and the penis.In the reproductive system a female needs a male to fertilise her egg. There are two types of sex cells known as gametes, the male gamete is sperm and the females’ gamete is the egg. The females’ vagina has several functions: used for sexual intercourse, the pathway that the baby comes out at childbirth, as the route for the menstrual blood (period) to leave the body from the uterus and for a tampon to be used during the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle lasts for around 28 days, during this cycle a egg is released from the females’ ovaries once every month and goes down the fa llopian tubes to be fertilised.If the egg does not get fertilised it dries up and two weeks later leaves the body through the vagina, which causes the female to have her period. A period is forms of blood and tissue from the inner lining of the uterus. A period can last anything up to 5 days or longer. Females will not have a period until they have started puberty; puberty usually starts when females and males are aged around 11-14. If the male and female sex cell are fertilised the egg that is released will not dry up and the female will not have a period. The egg will then make its way to the uterus and grow into a foetus. Appendix vii) 3. 1 1st diagnostic procedure- Ultrasound Ultrasound is a non-invasive technique that may be used during pregnancy for finding out the sex of the foetus and whether there is more than one foetus, ultrasound also identifies the measurements of the foetus. The sonographer, is the person who carries out the procedure, she or he can usually tell you ho w many weeks old your foetus is. The mother usually has an ultrasound twice in nine months, the first at 3 months and the second at 5 months. Usually at the second scan you will be able to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.Ultrasound can find any complications or problems that the baby might have during the pregnancy. They put a cold gel on the mothers’ bump and press the transducer across the bump to see inside of the belly. Having experienced this procedure confirms that ultrasound is a very accurate method of confirming all of the above. (Appendix viii) 3. 2 2nd diagnostic procedure- Gastroscopy Gastroscopy is used if a person is suffering problems, such as severe heartburn or indigestion. An individual may then be required to have a Gastroscopy. It is a diagnostic procedure that allows doctors to look at the upper part of the digestive system.The doctor uses a tiny camera on the end of a flexible tube which is called an endoscope. It is then fed down your throat and down through the tube that carries your food to your stomach which is called oesophagus. It is then into your stomach. Once in place the camera shows the image onto a screen for the doctor to diagnose any problems. It usually takes between 5-20 minutes to perform the procedure. It is usually performed at an outpatient department, which means you can go home the same day. You should not eat anything for six hours before the procedure as the stomach needs to be empty. (Appendix ix) . 3 Similarities, benefits and risks of the two diagnostic procedures The two diagnostic procedures are only similar in a few ways. When both procedures are performed you get to leave the hospital the same day. Both procedures take no less than 5 minutes and no longer than 20 minutes. There should be no pain in either of the procedures performed. However, Ultrasound does not have any risks whereas Gastroscopy has a few risks. Some of the benefits of having an Ultrasound are: †¢ There are no needles or injections and the procedure is painless †¢ Ultrasound imaging uses no ionizing radiation Causes no health problems †¢ Gives a clear picture of soft tissues, that do not show up in an x-ray †¢ There are no risks Some of the risks for having a Gastroscopy are: †¢ The individual may have a sore throat for a day or two afterwards, this is caused if the endoscope scrapes your throat †¢ Small risk that the endoscope could tear your stomach which is known as perforation †¢ Risk of chest infection or pneumonia is slightly higher than normal †¢ When the endoscope is removed your likely to gag or rench (Appendix x) 4. 1 Cloning This is the topic which has been selected to discuss.There are 4 types of cloning: Recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. People are most familiar with reproductive cloning when it comes to talk about cloning. Reproductive Cloning Reproductive Cloning is a technology used to generate an animal that has the same DNA as an existing animal or a previous existing animal. Scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus has been removed. The DNA from the reconstructed egg must be treated with chemicals or electric current in order to stimulate cell division.This process is known as â€Å"somatic cell nuclear transfer†. Once the cloned embryo reaches a suitable stage, it is then placed into the animals’ uterus where it continues to grow until birth. Scientists have bee cloning animals for many years since 1952; hundreds of cloned animals such as sheep and cows exist today. Scientists are hoping to be able to use cloning by generating tissues and organs to use for transplants. To do this the patient waiting for a transplant, would have DNA extracted from their body. This would then be inserted into an enucleated egg.After the DNA starts to divide, embryonic stem cells that can be transformed into a tissu e would then be harvested. The stem cells would then be used to generate an organ or tissue, which is a genetic match to the patient Reproductive cloning is contentious as it seeks to create a duplicate of an existing animal. Until the birth of Dolly the sheep in 1996, there was doubt that this would work in mammals, but now some scientists are trying to clone a human. Many ethical arguments against human cloning are caused by misconceptions.Many people seem to think that clones will have the same sort of characteristics and personalities as the person from which they were cloned. Also some people seem to believe that clone will be both physically and behaviourally the same as the donor. Many people also believe that cloning would lead to the loss of individuality however; cloned people have their own personality that is dissimilar from whom they were cloned according to the House Judiciary Committee. Signature: Date:

Supply and Demand and Cell Phones

Damita Nix 1/15/2012 CTU Online ECON202-1201B Phase 1 Individual Project1 Instructor Olanrewaju Abstract This paper will explore the world of two particular types of cell phones that are identical with minor features. I will be demonstrating skills in using the tools of economics for decision making for the firm operating in the market economy to include supply and demand, elasticity of demand, consumer behavior and utility maximization, and the costs of production both short-run and long-run. I will also be demonstrating the ability to clearly present views in written and/or oral expression. On the web, I will research additional information about the A-Phone and the Pomegranate. The task below also requires me to draw graphs of supply and demands increases and decreases. When the task is complete you will have learned about the demand curve of an A phone, a clear understanding on what happens to the price and quantity supplied, equilibrium, and effects on government interventions with cell phones. Title: Cell Phones Part I Draw the demand curve for the A-Phone. Explain how the graph, price, and quantity demanded  will change if the following occurs: * There is an overall increase in income. There is an overall increase in income and people believe that the Pomegranate is now better than the A-Phone. * The price of the A-Phone goes up  when a flaw is found in the Pomegranate. * A new type of walkie-talkie has an unlimited range and is basically free. * It is discovered that there are health concerns when using cell phones. * There is a baby boom. * The price of the A -Phone and the Pomegranate both go up. Price P1 P2 P3 Demand Q1 Q2 Q3 Quantity What happens to the supply of cell phones if the market price goes up? Part II Explain what happens to the price and quantity supplied and how it reflects on a graph if the following occurs: * It becomes more expensive to produce cell phones. * More cell phones are being produced with the same amount of inputs. * Walkie talkies are popular because of the new technological change mentioned above. * Another company starts producing cell phones, and now there are  3 producers in the market. * People think the price of cell phones will go up in the future. PriceSupply P1 Q1 Quantity Part III Draw a graph which shows the equilibrium price of cell phones. Explain what the graph is showing. When the new manufacturer introduces the Robo cell phone to the market, how does that effect the equilibrium price if the Robo is basically the same as the other cell phones? ————- Part IV As the public’s dependence on cell phones continues to grow, the cost of the phones may be decreasing, but the stronghold that  telecommunication companies have on the public in regards to contracts and climbing fees is alarming. Additionally, all cell phone companies charge about the same prices, and the consumers do not have much choice in substituting providers. Consumers appear to need some controls in this regard, and the government decides to step in. * What is the effect of government intervention in the cell phone market? Make sure that you use graphs to illustrate your point. * Is this a good thing for consumers? On the other hand, the government sees the increase in cell phone use as an opportunity to make some additional revenue, and it decides to tax  service  providers. * Who is really paying the tax? * Illustrate your conclusion on a graph. * Do you think that there is a free market for cell phone users? Why or why not? References

Econometrics Project

Personal Consumption Expenditures, Personal Income, and CPI 1980 – 2011 April 24, 2010 Abstract The goal of this paper is to estimate the relationship between personal consumption and personal income among all Americans over the past 30 years. The data includes annual records for the four variables between the years 1980 and 2011. I have analyzed this data using the Ordinary Least Squares Method and ran a regression analysis in order to observe the relationship between my variables.In my model, I have used Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) as my independent variable, while the dependent variable is Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita. As well, I included two explanatory variables in my model which are the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and a Coincident Index. The model finds a positive relationship between personal consumption expenditures and personal income. It also shows that inflation is positively related to the independent variable of personal consumption.H owever the model demonstrates that there is an insignificant relationship between personal consumption and the Coincident Index. We can conclude that personal income has an effect on personal consumption and that there is a positive correlation between these two variables. Therefore, in general, we can assume according to this model that as personal income increases, personal consumption also increases. 1. Introduction Our economy is an ever-changing system that is affected by an infinite number of factors. Some of these factors include personal consumption, personal income, and inflation.I have chosen to look at how these factors may influence one another within the American economy. More specifically, I have chosen to research the influence of income, inflation, and the Coincidence Index on Americans’ consumption expenditures. I believe that individuals’ consumption expenditures may vary based on two main factors: A change in these individuals’ income and a ch ange in inflation. Many believe that as income increases, people will have more and will therefore spend more money and consume more.Some research suggests that larger household wealth is associated with higher personal consumption (Slacalek, 2009). In terms of inflation, some theories suggest that as prices rise and rates of inflation create uncertainty for the future, people will lower their consumption expenditures (Springer, 1977). However, since prices are higher, the total Personal Consumption Expenditures may still increase along with inflation. 2. Theory and Hypothesis In March, 2011, personal income increased by 0. 5 percent, while personal consumption expenditures for Americans increased by 0. 6 percent (Cohen, 2011).Based on this information, it can be concluded that the percentage increases for these variables increased nearly proportionately. I believe that this is not just a coincidence and that these variables actually share a relationship. Although this data is only for one month of one year, I hypothesize that this relationship would stay true if these statistics were to be taken over a period of several years. I believe that as Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita increases and individuals make more money, that people will spend more and consume more, meaning that PCE would increase.Since people would be making more money I expect that since they are more capable of spending money that they will indeed spend and consume more. I also theorize that CPI will have an effect on personal consumption. CPI, which is an indication of inflation, is an increase in prices in an economy relative to the money available in that economy. Since inflation means that you must pay more for the same goods, I hypothesize that as inflation increases, and prices rise, people will spend less, and therefore PCE will decrease. I also theorized that as the Coincident Index increases, PCE would also increase.This is because I believe that if the Coincident Index, w hich describes current economic conditions, goes up, then people will consume more while economic conditions are better. 3. Empirical Model and Data Using a multiple regression model, I estimated the relationship among my time-series data in order to learn more about my hypotheses. C = ? 0 + ? 1 *RDPI + ? 2*CPI + ? 3*CI C = -3. 540 + 3. 339(RDPI) +6. 888(CPI) +2. 315(CI) + ei Where: C= Personal Consumption Expenditures RDPI= Real Disposable Income: Per-Capita CPI= Consumer Price Index (Inflation) CI= Coincident IndexUsing Tinn-R, I came up with the following results. The Coefficients for this model are as follows: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) (Intercept) -3. 540e+03 3. 383e+02 -10. 466 3. 49e-11 *** RDPI 3. 339e-01 3. 903e-02 8. 555 2. 68e-09 *** CPI 6. 888e+00 3. 061e+00 2. 250 0. 0325 * CI 2. 315e+00 4. 713e+00 0. 491 0. 6271 As can be observed through these results, the t-values for both RDPI and CPI are greater than |1. 96|. Therefore, both of these variables are statist ically significant and consequently have an effect on Personal Consumption Expenditures.However, the t-value for the coincident index is not statistically significant, which means that we cannot conclude that it affects consumption. It can be assumed through this regression model that as personal income increases by 1 unit, consumption increases by 3. 339 units. As well, as PCE increases by one unit it can be assumed that PCE will increase by 6. 888 units. Therefore, I can conclude that my hypotheses regarding the relationship between consumption and income and consumption and inflation are accurate according to me regression model. However, these results may vary if other factors were to be considered in my model.As well, the results may be slightly off due to including the insignificant factor, the coincidence index. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, I have found the majority of my hypotheses to be true. I have found that both Personal Income and Inflation have an effect on Personal Co nsumption Expenditures and that both income and inflation have a positive relationship with consumption. However, based on my model, the Coincident Index does not share a relationship with PCE. I believe that this hypothesis of mine may be incorrect because the economic conditions of an conomy may not play a significant enough role on individuals’ consumption expenditures in order for this model to show that a relationship exists. Further research would need to be conducted in order for me to examine this relationship more closely. For example, other factors such as personal saving may influence personal consumption as well. In order to gather more clear and accurate results in the future, I would conduct more models, using more economic variables related to consumption in order to see what other potential factors may influence Personal Consumption Expenditures.References * Amadeo, Kimberly. â€Å"How Inflation Affects Your Life – The Impact of Inflation on Prices and Treasury Bonds. † US Economy and Business – US Economic Indicators – US Economic News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.