10 Facts for a Dissertation in Finance and Accounting

10 Facts for a Dissertation in Finance and Accounting To write an excellent dissertation, you are required to have an in-depth understanding of whatever subject matter you intend to discuss, be it finance or accounting this rule is no different. The first step to kick-start your dissertation is getting a clear view of finance, accounting and the relation between both concepts, and these matters will be explored below. Finance involves the aspects of raising money for a reason. In business terms, financial management is concerned with the methods in which funds are raised for a business and how they are invested.   Accounting, in its turn is related to the collecting, analyzing and presenting financial information in a way that helps stakeholders make more effective financial decisions. So in layman terms, finance and accounting is the process of raising money and investing it in business. Accounting provides clear means of communicating or understanding how these funds were invested and returned. All this helps to make better investment decisions in the future. In this article you will find interesting and valuable information about finance and accounting, usage of which will help you form general understanding of the matter. 10 Interesting Facts on Finance and Accounting Accounting originates from a French word. The term accounting like most English words has its origins from a foreign language and in this case, the French language gave a birth to the term. Accounting comes from the French word ‘Compter’ which means to count, counting or keeping scores. Luca Pacioli is the father of accounting. Luca Pacioli was an Italian mathematician who believed in the importance of keeping tabs on a business’s credit and debit activities. To educate the public on how important this was, he wrote the first accounting textbook, ‘Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita’ which described how to keep account of assets, expenditures, and liabilities in 1494. This book set the tone for the use of ledgers and balance sheets in the field of accounting. Ancient Mesopotamia was home to the world’s first accountants. Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia to be precise has been credited as the cradle of civilization for a couple of reasons and accounting is one of them. In Mesopotamia, the need to keep tabs on temple spending and earnings as well as tax collection led to the development of tax books, bookkeeping, and accounting as a whole. Historians also believe that the art of writing which was first developed in Mesopotamia also developed from a necessity to perform some bookkeeping activities. Financial Accounting is a field in the accounting profession. The field of accounting is divided into multiple areas of study which a practicing accountant can seek a degree in. Some of the more notable subsets of accounting include: financial accounting, management accounting, and auditing and tax accounting. Financial accounting consists of organizing and reporting an organization’s financial information to the public for the use of investors and government agencies. The World’s first financial institution was built in Italy. Finance and accounting have gained a lot from the efforts of the early Italian mathematicians and statisticians and one of these gains is the first bank ever created. The Monte de Paschi di Siena which was built in 1472 takes the enviable position of becoming the first financial institution and bank ever built by man. It was founded by the magistrates of Siena to serve as a ‘mount of piety’ which is basically a pawn broking organization. Currently, Berkshire Hathaway is the biggest financial service institution regarding revenue as it generates $210billion annually. The concept of a share market traces its origin to Ancient Rome. Although the exact moment the stock market got its inception is still disputed, finance scholars agree that the earliest known share market was in ancient Rome. During the Roman Republic era, there were ‘Societates publicanorum’ organizations which took up the financial responsibility of a certain event in the city. In 1602 the founding of the Dutch East Indian Company has been credited as a key point in the formation of a share market because precisely for this event legal rules, regulation and a particular market structure were introduced. Income statement and the statement of financial position serve different purposes. The statement of financial position is a snapshot of the makeup of a business’s wealth at a particular time while income statements are concerned with the flow of capital over a period of time. Both concepts are related to one another, though, an income statement is the link between the statement of financial position at the beginning and the end of a financial reporting year. Finance and accounting play a significant role in law enforcement. Forensic accounting is a field of accounting that places its emphasis on enforcing the law through the research and cross-checking of the financial position of suspected individuals and organizations. Forensic accountants work directly with law enforcement and make careers in the biggest enforcement agencies globally. Financial accounting is guided by both local and International Standards. To practice in the field of finance and accounting, one must have received a higher education degree. A At the same time, higher education is not enough to perform duties of the professional accountant. In the majority of countries accountants need to be additionally licensed and enter particular unions, establishing working standards, which are formed at the international level but can be changed according to the local peculiarities. The first certified public accounting exam was incorporated in the US. In 1896, the state of New York encountered the importance of having a unified level of understanding on the subject of accounting by all accountants. To ensure this was possible, the first certified public accounting exam was enlisted to certify practicing accountants. Here we come to the end of the first article in the series of tutorials that cover dissertation writing on the subject of finance and accounting. For further reading, it is recommended that you go through the other articles in the series for they will provide directions such as 20 topics for a dissertation in finance and accounting to help you come up with topics as well as a guide on making a dissertation in finance and accounting. Also, you can visit our dissertation writing service which is always available online. References: Sangster, A. (2010). Using Accounting History and Luca Pacioli to put relevance back into the Teaching of Double Entry. Accounting, Business Financial History, 20(1), pp.23-39. Lin, S. and Yang, Y. (2016). Is Other Comprehensive Income Reported in the Income Statement More Value Relevant? The Role of Financial Statement Presentation. Journal of Accounting, Auditing Finance. Macve, R. (n.d.). Fair Value vs Conservatism? Aspects of the History of Accounting, Auditing, Business and Finance from Ancient Mesopotamia to Modern China. SSRN Electronic Journal. Chen, H. Jiang, Y. and Lin, Z. (2010). The Role of International Financial Reporting Standards in Accounting Quality: Evidence from the European Union. Journal of International Financial Management Accounting, 21(3), pp.220-278. Howieson, B. and Hancock, P. (1995). Accounting for Risk in Financial Instruments: A Review of Accounting Standards. Managerial Finance, 21(1), pp.26-42. Previts, G., Walton, P. and Wolnizer, P. (2010). A Global History of Accounting, Financial Reporting and Public Policy. 1st ed. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Lyon, B. and Verhulst, A. (1970). Medieval Finance. A Comparison of Financial Institutions in Northwestern Europe. The Economic History Review, 23(2), p.420.

Effects of Discrimination Essay Example

Effects of Discrimination Essay Example Effects of Discrimination Paper Effects of Discrimination Paper The potential effects of discrimination Describe the potential effects of discrimination Effects include isolation, possible exclusion, situations where self-esteem and confidence can be damaged. Forms of discrimination are gender, age, disability, sexuality, race, culture, religion ,poverty, education, personal features and English Is not first language. Discrimination against any child regardless of their needs can make them feel isolated and different to other children. Very often children with special needs have a very difficult time trying to fit in with other children especially if they are in a busy school. All children can be mean to one another and not mean to. They should be helped to understand that everyone is different and how this is good. Explain to other children â€Å"we are alike but different. † There are four areas of potential for the effect discrimination has Physical- Signs of poor health may manifest. self harming, attempting suicide, cutting, etc. Bullying might become physical and other types of abuse this is more likely in older children. Emotional Emotional signs are a little more harder to see as some children put on a front to avoid having to admit they are being discriminated against, old children may exclude themselves from the group being quiet and emotionally fragile. Social lack of friends, social exclusion, older children not having no one to talk to about interests or plans for now and the future. Being treated as though someone doesnt belong left out and not involved in tasks/games. Could lead to more emotional harm, physical harm, intellectual harm, etc. Intellectual Not wanting to learn, withdrawing from places of learning, avoiding school/ missing classes . Not wanting to be around others

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S Essay

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S - Essay Example The irony is that consumption of drugs has been on the increase, criminals are making more money from their annual turnover ranging from $ 400 to 500 billion. According to a confidential report from U.K. Government, only 20 percent out of 700 tons of Cocaine and 500 tons of Heroin illegally produced is being seized by enforcement forces. Supply being plentiful, prices are reported to be ruling low at $ 70 per gram today as against $ 184 in 1990. (Glenny 2007) This report is not alone. Similar observations. abound in the other Governmental reports and NGO studies Therefore the study gains significance in the wake of such reports to examine strengths and weaknesses of the Governments' policy initiatives towards interdiction and eradication of drugs. More so, because of opinions advocating legalizing the drugs besides the fact that policy initiatives focus on eradication of poppy cultivation without offering viable alternatives to the farmers concerned. The President rolls out National Drug Control Strategy for each year incorporating three key strategies namely (1) Stopping the Use before it Starts; (2) Intervening and Healing America's Drug Users; and, (3) Disrupting the Market. The Drug Budget for FY 2008 is $12.961 billion short of $0.167 billion from last year though it is compensated by additional request for $ 266 .1 million for emergency spending in Afghanistan.(National Drug Control Strategy). The Rand Report 2005 says that every year 16 million Americans forming 7 percent of the country’s population above the age of 12 consume about $60 billion worth of illegal drugs. And invariably the surveys on Americans have reveled that â€Å"drugs’† is one of the major ten problems of the country. ... (Caulkins P et al 2005 p 13) About 3 million drug consumers are affected by serious drug related problems and about 17,000 people have died due to problems illicit drug use in the year 2000 as against 20,000 in the year 1990. In 2003, 28,723 people have died for the same reason. (McVay) President's Drug Policy of Feb 2007 says that contrary to the reports in many quarters that drugs abuse has not been checked, performance records show a positive trend towards drugs control for the past six years ever since the present incumbent took office. As against the targeted reduction of drug abuse by 10 percent within 2 years and 25 percent within 5 years, administration claims to have achieved 11 percent and 23.2 percent respectively. And this was achieved by strategic benchmarking of each month's consumption. Figures beyond five years are even higher and in terms of number of youth who gave up drug use, it is 840,000. The lessons learnt during the last six years of the President's first of its kind National Drugs Control Strategy evidence that a sound policy can bring out results. Demotivating young users, identifying chronic consumers, maintaining vigil against steroid use for performance enhancement, and monitoring the use of other drugs such as Marijuana, Methamphetamin e, Amphetamine, pain relievers like OxyContin have been the features of the broad spectrum strategy of drugs control. Basically these will fall under the key elements of the above said prevention of drug use before its commencement by the potential users, intervention and healing of the people already on drugs, and disruption of the market for illegal drugs with the sole aim of reducing drugs consumption in the

XMGT Checkpoint Wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XMGT Checkpoint Wk2 - Essay Example This essay stresses that the main, crucial commonality of these values is that the standards of conduct that arise out of these values constitute the ground rules of ethics. It is through this commonality that the element of decision making is easily taken. Further more, these five values have a commonality in that all of them act as a multi-level filter through which decisions are processed. For example, being trustworthy needs to be complemented with the virtue of being caring. Equally, affirming to fairness/justice needs to be complemented by the state of accepting responsibility for one’s actions or inaction. Above all, the five values help individuals detect situations, which help them uphold their moral principles in life. This article has a personal view. Some of the author's organization values include honesty, integrity, reliability, dependability, attention to work, and cooperation. Honesty is being able to speak facts. Integrity is that quality of upholding high morals principles. Reliability talks of the ability of being able to be ‘relied on’. Dependability is someone who is dependable especially when it comes to tasks. These are the five crucial values that I have taken into consideration as per the ethics required. However, there are no major differences between organization values and my personal values since they correlate in some of the areas. This is true because when ethical scandals hit in an organization, it emerges that certain individuals in the organization have allowed their own personal values to interfere and infect the organization.

Documentary Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Documentary Review - Essay Example As expounded in the documentary, it is evident that the overdependence on one person as the overseer of all processes in the production of bottled water paves way for the occurrence of errors in the bottled water industry. In connection with this, it is evident that the plastic used in bottling water is made out of materials that leak chemicals into the water. Thus, with such leakage of chemicals as well as errors achieved in the process of manufacturing water affect the health of human beings. Disposition of the used bottles is also one of the contributing factors for pollution in the world. Lots of bottles are everywhere; that is, on land and in water bodies. Such bottles hamper with the ecological system, as a result, lead to the death of other living organisms such as marine fishes. Additionally, it is evident that a lot of resources have been wasted in the name of bottling water. The money used in purchasing the materials for the bottles, the manufacturing process of the plastic bottles, transportation of water from one region to another, and the chemicals included in the water cost the production industry a lot of money. A significant amount of money is also used in managing the mess created by the end use of the bottles. Thus, it is advisable for the industries associated with the production of bottled water to stop wasting resources and advocate consumption of natural

Oligopolistic Market Model and Oil Prices

Oligopolistic Market Model and Oil Prices Executive Summary The report is prepared to explain how oligopolistic market model is the best model to relate to the current increase in the price of Oil. The Oil petroleum Organization is analyzed deeply which clearly depicts the oligopoly style of marketing by the members of OPEC. It has also examined by lot of research and based on recent reports that the OPEC tries to influence the oil prices by controlling the supply of oil production with the consent of all the members and tries to fix the oil prices in order to gain heavy profits. OPEC works on the same rule as followed by oligopoly market structure and hence clearly indicates its relation to each other and is best example of oligopoly market style. 1.0 Introduction The Oligopoly market structure is the market which has few producers and large number of buyers which gives these producers an advantage to control the market. According to (Scholasticus, 2010), the buyers have very less alternatives and do not have enough knowledge about the market. The producers inflate the prices of their goods to attract more customers by reducing prices leading to deflated price level.ÂÂ   Based on Scholastics writing in one of its articles, the producers have perfect knowledge of the consumers but consumers do not have any information about the producers or their act of influencing the prices has a negative effect on national economy. 2.0 Discussion 2.1 Features of Oligopoly Market There are few producers and large number of buyers. The producers deal in differentiated products. (Jayasuriya, 2011, p. 87) One of the producer or firm become the leader of the group and makes others to agree or dominates them to fix the prices which results in price leadership. The competition in an Oligopoly market is intense and both price and non-price methods are used to attract more customers. For example in lot of advertisements, producers mention We will not be beaten on price. The price will be matched with the competitor selling price (Labs S. S.) In Oligopoly market, firms or producers get together to share a market and decide on prices. Because of an uncompetitive market structure, they enjoy heavy profit by raising the prices or lowering the prices to attract more customers resulting in entry barriers to this market. (Labs S. S.) According to recent study by Stanley St Labs., the competition is very different in oligopoly as compared to other markets forms. In other markets, it is violent because of the high competition to gain the market share but in oligopoly, the firms are interested to gain the market share by collaborating to earn heavy profits. Firms are mutually interdependent which means if one firm changes its prices, it will affect the sales of other firms. 2.2 Kinked Style Demand Curve According to (Stewart Rankin, 2008, p. 141), the oligopoly market structures have kinked demand curves and the demand curve for the product has two sections called inelastic and elastic section. demand curve.png Kinked Demand Curve The elasticity of demand depends on the amendments of rival companies price or service output. The assumption made here is that the all the companies would want a considerable market share along with heavy profits: There is no increase of price by one particular firm. This is elastic demand. There would be an adverse impact on the total revenue of the company. In a situation where the rival company reduces it prices in order to maintain its market share, it would be an inelastic demand curve. Due to reduction in prices again, this would impact the total revenue of the company. The Price warsÂÂ  between the firms does not benefit anyone but it benefits the consumers in fact. (ecoteacher) Based on the above graph, we state it faces kinked style demand curve because of these reasons: It shows price rigidity. It controls the market segment. Leader decides the market Price and others agree to it. It results in Mergers/cartels and collusion to control market. Producers decide on prices with the consent of others. It has Horizontal and Vertical Integration. 2.3 Few Industry examples given by Economists teachers society of South Australia are: The grocery market in Australia is oligopoly which is dominated by Woolworths and Coles. They have lot of stores in Australia and have an extensive distribution system across Australia. It is difficult to compete with these firms as it requires huge investment to gain the kind of market share as they have. The Automobile Industry is a form of oligopoly market. The world Oil production market or Oil refining is also another oligopoly dominated by the seven sisters multinational oil companies like BP, Shell, and Exxon. The telecommunications market in Australia was initially aÂÂ  monopoly but as new telecom service providers started operating, it resulted in a group of few giant telecom providers competing for a greater market share. 2.4 INTRODUCTION OF OPEC According to the OPEC Organization, OPEC is the intergovernmental organization (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) consisting of 12 oil producing and exporting countries across America, Asia and Africa continents. The members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates Venezuela. (About Opec, 2011) A report (OPEC organization, 2011) states that it was formed on September 14, 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq, by five Founder Members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. It was registered with the United Nations Secretariat on November 6, 1962 (UN Resolution No 6363). OPEC organization (2011) indicates their principal objectives as: To develop and maintain the petroleum policies for the Members Countries to safeguard their interests. To ensure the stability of the prices in the international oil markets to eliminate the unnecessary price fluctuations To provide a regular supply of petroleum to the nations while expecting a fair return on the petroleum industry investment. 2.5 OPEC: Oligopolistic market model TheÂÂ  Organisation of Petroleum Exporting CountriesÂÂ  orÂÂ  OPECÂÂ  is an oligopoly market which is dominated by the Arab oil producers as they hold the maximum amount of oil refineries which gives them an opportunity to dominate others and decide on prices. Cartel is another name for an oligopoly of producers of a commodity. (About Opec, 2011) The Members of OPEC tries to influence the world oil prices with the consent of all and they set the production quotas and become an effectiveÂÂ  cartelÂÂ  by restricting the sales. They deeply analyse the current market situation and anticipate future demand and supply to see various fluctuations of prices in the markets. After analysing the market scenario, they decide to raise or lower the oil production as agreed by all the members to maintain price stability and make the oil available for consumption. (corporation, 2003-2011) According to (Oil :Crisis and Collusion, 2011), OPEC was organized with the purpose of manipulating the oil prices by controlling oil supplies to the market. It controls approximately 80% of the worlds oil reserves and 40% of the worlds production among their 12 member states. As discussed earlier, it is dominated by Gulf States who can easily turn the taps on and off when required to influence the market prices. Even when the economy was facing an issue of recession, it did not have any effect on oil industry and were still making heavy profits. Hence, we can say that OPEC does play an important role in making decision of oil supply to the market which may affect the oil prices in a greater extent. The members have larger number of oil reserves and can increase or decrease the production or supply whenever they want. As they very well know that all the developing and developed nations wants oil and has almost become the necessity of life like food in todays lifestyle, so they try to earn as much as they can by controlling the prices with the kind of power they hold in their hands. However, we may say that OPEC has oil reserves and cannot produce more oil as they do not have any more oil reserves as overestimated by us. There can be lot of other reasons as well which may give rise to the oil prices like any commodity price fluctuation due to the demand and supply effect. (Savage, 2008) 2.6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Oligopoly Market Structure The cost of a service of product in under oligopolistic tend to be lower in comparison to that of a monopolistic firm, but more than a competitive market. There is stability in pricing; however the prices would lead to reduction if any other firm reduces. This will impact the profitability of the companies giving a benefit to the customer. As there are barriers to join oligopolies, it gives the firms cost advantages. This is because they would cater to mass production. Consequently it encourages having highly competitive production processes which than improvises the service delivery. (William Boyes, 2008) 3.0 Conclusion To conclude, we can say that OPEC is an oligopoly form of market structure where few nations who have oil reserves decide on the current production and supply of oil with each other consent which directly influences the price of oil. Hence, oligopolistic market structure model explains the behaviour of oil industry and its effects on the market prices. In a recent report (corporation, 2003-2011) states that United States, Canada, Mexico, Russia and China also produces oil and are expected to reduce the need for gasoline in future through its improved techniques and research and development in other forms of energy which will also reduce the affect of dominance of OPEC on the price of oil.

Essay --

Intercultural relationships are sites where cultural differences, power, privilege, and positionality are negotiated, translated, and converted. Intercultural relationships explain the action of two cultures intermingling with each other. Cultural appropriation is a form of intercultural interaction that involves a person using someone else’s culture in his or her own way. Cultural appropriation often results in the commodification, decontextualizing, depoliticizing, and the erasure of traditions and cultural significance. It is simply not enough to state that the political context of cultural symbols is important. When people use cultural symbols out of historical context it makes cultural traditions trivial. The â€Å"unquestioned sense of entitlement that white Americans display towards the artifacts and rituals of people of color exists too. All â€Å"appropriation† is not merely an example of cultural sharing, an exchange between friends that takes place on a level playing field† (Bedi). One type of cultural appropriation is â€Å"culture jamming†, it is a term usually used to engage in opposition to an understood appropriation of public space, or as a reaction against social conformity. While most culture jamming focuses on critiquing political or advertising messages, some people use this tactic in a more positive, musical form of jamming that brings together artists and activists to create new forms of cultural production. These cultural interactions are effected by many influences. Cultural space for example influences the mindset of both others and us. Cultural space is the â€Å"communicative practice that construct meanings in, through and about particular places† (Sorrells). Cultural space is what determines how you dress in a r... ...fferent music and surrounding cultures. All of the members within the group had different perspectives allowed for framing, inquiry, and position. We all engrossed ourselves in dialogue and found that we understood the appeal for each music type. This activity promotes an emphasis on intercultural praxis to create not only an environment for co-existence, but also promote multiculturalism. Multiculturalism includes action. Action, is the last step of intercultural praxis, it uses all of the other steps to form a clear understanding of communication to actually change the world we live in. The final action for this assignment was a fun activity to promote understanding and develop communication skills. Intercultural praxis helps people of different backgrounds and value systems to understand through communication how to navigate challenging everyday conflicts.

Learning Style Inventory

The two personality inventories that my cousin and I took part in measure the five factors that most psychologists use in studying the personality of the individual. However, each test was administered by a different group and found on a different website. Both tests provide a set of questions that measure what are considered to be the five basic dimensions of one’s personality: extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Collectively, these dimensions are called the Big-5 dimensions. The first test is found on the website http://test.personality-project.org/. According to the website, the personality survey had two main objectives. The first is, â€Å"to find out more about these five dimensions of personality.† The second objective is, â€Å"To take part in and further the use of the internet as a collaborative and data collection tool.† Furthermore, the questions in the test were taken from International Personality Item Pool. The descriptions of each of the basic dimension were derived from the work of John Johnson. The participant was asked to rate the phrases that describe people’s behavior depending on how accurate they describe him. In addition to measuring the big-5 dimensions, the test also included items about one’s musical preferences and cognitive ability. There were a total of 60 questions about the big-5 dimensions and an additional 26 about musical preference and cognitive ability. Upon comparing my results of the test to that of my cousin, I found out that of the five dimensions measured, we differed significantly in only one dimension, extraversion. My cousin is considered to be more of an extravert than I am. In fact, he scored very high in the said dimension. On the other hand, out of 100, I only rated 34. He is considered to be highly sociable, energetic, and outgoing. My score, on the other hand, is seen as average. According to the description given, I am neither a loner nor a social butterfly. In other words, there are times I prefer to be around other people enjoying their company but there are also times that I prefer to be alone. For the dimension of agreeableness, we both were rated high, meaning, we both possess a strong interest in other people’s needs. As both our reports said, â€Å"You are pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative.† For conscientiousness, both my cousin and I scored high. This high score indicates that we set our goals and aim to achieve these goals. Likewise, we are both considered to be hard-working and reliable. With regards to the dimension of emotional stability, both of us scored high which indicates that we are calm and not easily rattled or stressed. Furthermore, it says that we remain unaffected by intense situations. For the last dimension, openness, both my cousin and I scored average. According to our reports, this meant that we are not purely conventional nor are completely radical. In other words, we enjoy certain traditional things but are somewhat open to venturing out to unfamiliar things as well. The second personality inventory we took measure the same personality dimensions as the first. The test is available to anyone through the website: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/. There are a total of 48 items in the test. The participant is asked to rate their agreement with a given statement about themselves from a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 meaning complete disagreement and 5 meaning complete agreement. These items will see how the participant perceives himself to be like. My results in this test did not differ much from the first test. The main difference was that in this test, I scored low in openness to experience. In this test, I found out that I am conventional. In the earlier test I was neither conventional nor the opposite. For the other dimensions, my scores were very similar to the first. Basically, the test told me that I am well-organized and reliable. Also, it said that I am neither reserved nor particularly social. Furthermore, my results indicated that I was considerate of the feelings of other people and that I remain calm even in tense situations. On the other hand, the results of my cousin in this test remained consistent with his earlier test. As such, in this test, our differences lie in the dimensions of extraversion and openness. This test revealed that he was highly sociable and that was neither conventional nor complex. As for the dimensions of conscientiousness, agreeableness and emotional stability or neuroticism, our scores did not differ significantly indicating that we shared such personality traits. I learned several things from taking the two tests. First, it was able to tell me certain things about my personality. I discovered that I should not consider my self as completely unsociable for I do have the capability to mingle and enjoy my time with other people. I have long seen myself as being a loner but the tests have shown me that I indeed have it in me to enjoy the company of other people. Secondly, taking the test made me realize that indeed people who are alike tend to stay together. I am very close to my cousin. With our results being very similar, I realized that it was because we were very much alike in certain areas. Finally, the tests gave me a glimpse as to who I am. Although I know that the results do not sum up who I really am, I am glad to gain even just a faint idea as to who I really am. Reference: John, O (2003). The big-5 personality test. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 29 October 2007 from: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/. Revelle, W. (n.d). Internet Personality Inventory Survey. Northwestern University. Retrieved 29 October 2007 from: http://test.personality-project.org/.   

Using a Black Light to Collect Insects at Night

Using a Black Light to Collect Insects at Night Entomologists use black lights, or ultraviolet lights, to sample and study nocturnal insects in an area. The black light attracts night-flying insects, including many moths, beetles, and others. Many insects can see ultraviolet light, which has shorter wavelengths than light visible to the human eye. For this reason, a black light will attract different insects than a regular incandescent light. If youve ever seen a bug zapper, one of those lights people hang in their backyards to keep mosquitoes at bay, youve observed how UV light attracts a lot of insects. Unfortunately, black lights do not work well to attract biting insects, and bug zappers harm more beneficial insects than pests. Blacklight sampling can be done one of two ways. The black light can be suspended in front of a white sheet, giving flying insects a surface on which to land. You can then observe the insects on the sheet, and collect any interesting specimens by hand. A black light trap is constructed by suspending a black light over a bucket or other container, usually with a funnel inside. Insects fly to the light, fall down through the funnel into the bucket, and are then trapped inside the container. Blacklight traps sometimes contain a killing agent, but can also be used without one to collect live specimens. When using a black light to collect insects, you should set up your light and sheet or trap just before dusk. Make sure the light faces the area from which you want to attract insects. In other words, if you want to draw insects from a wooded area, position your light between the trees and the sheet. Youll get the greatest diversity of insects if you set up a black light at the intersection of two habitats, such as at the edge of a meadow adjacent to a forest. Use forceps or an insect aspirator (sometimes called a pooter) to collect insects from the sheet or trap.

Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill

Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill A farmer, writer, and inventor, Jethro Tull was an instrumental figure in English agriculture, pushing to improve age-old agrarian practices by applying science and technology.   Early Life Born in 1674 to well-to-do parents, Tull grew up on the family’s Oxfordshire estate. After withdrawing from St. John’s College in Oxford, he moved to London, where he studied the pipe organ before becoming a law student. In 1699, Tull qualified as a barrister, toured Europe, and got married.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Relocating with his bride to the family farm, Tull eschewed law to work the land. Inspired by agrarian practices he saw in Europe - including pulverized soil around evenly spaced plants - Tull was determined to experiment at home.   The Seed Drill Jethro Tull invented the seed drill in 1701 as a way to plant more efficiently. Prior to his invention, sowing seeds was done by hand, by scattering them on the ground or placing them in the ground individually, such as with bean and pea seeds. Tull considered scattering wasteful because many seeds did not take root. His finished seed drill included a hopper to store the seed, a cylinder to move it, and a funnel to direct it. A plow at the front created the row, and a harrow at the back covered the seed with soil. It was the first agricultural machine with moving parts. It started as a one-man, one-row device, but later designs sowed seeds in three uniform rows, had wheels and were drawn by horses. Using wider spacing than previous practices allowed horses to draw the equipment and not step on the plants. Other Inventions Tull went on to make more â€Å"groundbreaking† inventions, literally. His horse-drawn hoe or hoe-plow dug up the soil, loosening it for planting while also pulling up unwanted weed roots. He mistakenly thought that the soil itself was the food for plants and that breaking it up allowed the plants to take it in better. The real reason that you loosen soil for planting is that the act allows more moisture and air to reach plant roots. Coinciding with his theory on the way plants fed, he also believed that you should till the soil while the plant is growing, not just during planting. His idea that plants grow better with tilled soil around them, though, is correct if not his theory on why. Tilling around plants reduces weeds competing with the crops, allowing the desired plants to grow better. Tull also improved designs of the plow.   These inventions were put to the test, and Tull’s farm thrived. Even spacing; less seed waste; better aeration per plant; and less weed growth all increased his yields. In 1731, the inventor and farmer published The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation. His book was met with opposition in some quarters - especially his mistaken idea that manure didnt help plants - but eventually, his mechanical ideas and practices couldnt be denied to be useful and work well. Farming, thanks to Tull, had become a bit more rooted in science.

Pygmalion and Metamorphoses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pygmalion and Metamorphoses - Essay Example he knows it, loves the more.†Ã‚  After that, the sculptor wished for his sculptor’s mortality from Venus, his wish was granted, and they lived happily ever after. Bernard Shaw’s play ‘Pygmalion’ is based on Ovid’s famous myth Pygmalion. Shaw’s portrayal of his protagonist Professor Higgins is very similar to that of Ovid’s Pygmalion i.e. both despised women for their vices. However, the situation changes for Professor Higgins when Eliza walks in to his life who was a common flower girl with a cockney accent. Professor Higgins takes up the challenge of transforming Eliza in to a proper society woman although unknowingly he was making Eliza exactly like his dream woman as it is also observed in the case of Pygmalion himself. In the play Higgins mother, Mrs. Higgins’s character can be interpreted as the symbolic representation of Venus in the myth because both the women characters act as a buffer in instigating the culmination of love as observed in the case of Pygmalion as well as Professor Higgins. Mrs. Higgins’s character bears similarities with the goddess because in the play she hides Eliza from the professor when he hurts her feelings and then makes him realize his mistakes. Moreover, like Venus, she was able to decipher his son’s feelings for Eliza without any confession from him and she takes it upon herself to bring the two together. Just like Venus who also grants Pygmalion’s wish for Galatea’s mortality although he does not asks for her mortality aloud but it was their in his heart. Just as Pygmalion Professor Higgins, also falls in love with Eliza while transforming her into his dream woman though he does not wants to accept it at the time. However once she leaves him he realizes his mistake and he sets himself against getting her back. Although it is observed that Shaw does not gives the play a proper ending since no details are stated about Eliza coming back yet it is perceived that they do have a happily ever after. Hence,

Obligations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Obligations - Case Study Example In five different examples we shall try to explain complexity of issues that they cover. According to US Senate "obligation is an order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period." (US Senate reference glossary) Bravo Shearing Ltd (BSL) are manufacturers of tube cutting machinery and have advised in Tube World their latest tube shear at 980.000 Laurel and Hardy Ltd (LH) are manufacturers of welded stainless steel tubing and on seeing the advertisement request further information from BSL, who send a brochure complete with price list. On the price list the shear is listed is listed at 900.000. L&H dispatch a letter stating that they wish to purchase the shear for the list price. BSL have now contacted L&H and advised them that the price in the list is incorrect and that the correct price is 980.000 L&H insist that they have a contract at 900.000 Commercial ads are not considered valid offers, same as general price lists. Obligational offer is document which is obligational for the seller of the product. "There are also obligations in other normative contexts, such as obligations of etiquette, social obligations, and possibly the obligation to spell words correctly" (Law Dictionary and Research guide). On the other hand, if price list is sent specifically on request of potential customer requesting the offer for specific product, than it can be considered as valid offer, and at that moment mailer of the offer or price list has become obligatory document. Therefore, L&H has right to buy tube shear for 900.000 EXAMPLE 2 Dispute L&H have made an offer to PW Metals for the sale of 500 lengths of tube at a price of 1.85/meter. PW Metals have faxed back asking if L&H "may accept a price of 1.80/meter."L&H did not respond, and a week later sold the material to Premier Ltd. PW Metals have now contacted L&H requesting a delivery date for the tubes. Solution PW Metals are right when claiming that they have valid contract for delivery of 500 lengths of tube at price of 1.85/meter, unless that date of validity expiration has been clearly stated on the offer that has been sent by L&H, AND that validity period has expired on the moment when PW requested delivery date for the tubes. The fact that PW Metals asked for price reduction does not have any effect on the validity of previous offer. EXAMPLE 3 Dispute L&H have made an offer by fax machine for 100 lengths of tube to Whitehouse Stockings Ltd (WSL) at 2.30 pm on Monday, 19th of November. After consideration WSL decide to take up the offer and fax back an acceptance at 5.12 pm on the same day, and place a copy of the acceptance in the post that night. Unknown to the either party the fax acceptance falls down a gap in the desk behind the fax machine and is not seen by anyone at L&H. The following morning L&H sell the 100 lengths to Pentagon Steel and there will be no replacements available for several months. At 10 am the post is opened at L&H and they notice the acceptance, upon which they advise WSL of what has happened. WSL claim that they