Finance Issues during the First Five Years of a New Company Essay

Finance Issues during the First Five Years of a New Company - Essay Example Accumulated losses of the first 3 years have only been neutralized in the last accounting period for which actual results are available. Consequently, the company has never declared a dividend and does not even forecast one for the first year of forecasted business results. Â  2. The Gross Margin has improved from 18.75% in 2004 to 21.57% in 2005. The forecast Gross Margin for 2006, at 22.92% is only slightly higher than the latest achievement of 2005. However, fuel costs, which are significant for a business such as that of PDS is forecast to rise to 26.04% of revenue, as against 25.49% in 2005 and 25% in 2004. It appears that PDS is not able to secure protection against a major inflation driver into its business contracts. However, PDS has been able to reduce variable labor expenses from 56.25% of revenue to just 52.94% in 2005 and expects the trend to continue with a forecast of just 51.04% in 2006. These are significant productivity gains in a challenging human resources environment. Similarly, staff salaries are forecast to remain constant in 2006 compared to 2005, though net profits will more than double. Â  3. Leased capacity utilization has improved very significantly during the past five years, considering the remarkable rise in revenues. However, depreciation at less than 5% of the gross block in vehicles seems to totally inadequate. The depreciation reserve is entirely inadequate and distorts the profitability picture, including the basis for taxation. Â  4. Though the debenture loan and bank overdraft show plenty of scope for gearing compared to the Gross Block, the company does not have any immovable fixed assets.

Brain-Imaging Techniques for Cognitive Functions Analysis

Brain-Imaging Techniques for Cognitive Functions Analysis Using examples of fMRI, explain how researchers use brain-imaging techniques and discuss what, if anything, these techniques can tell us about cognitive functions. Here is introduced the method of fMRI, how imaging data is gained and at what cost is involved in getting it. Further to this the experimental designs are discussed and how these might add to the toolbox available to the experimental psychologist. A study will be looked at, which has used fMRI imaging to add to the existing knowledge and psychological theories that exist around memory. Last of all some areas of concern are looked at as the structure-function data will continue to grow and expand. Before the use of imaging methods, such as that of fMRI and PET scanning, as Naish (2010) points out, it was possible to discover whether certain parts of the brain were responsible for certain cognitive functions. There were problems with this, often relying on accidental legions meant the more than one function could be damaged or it produced inconsistent findings. Lack of clear resolution resulted in the patient being tested through their life to only discover the underlying neurological damage after death. Kaye (2010) highlights a common critique that the current use of imaging techniques does not provide cognitive psychologists with much. The simple structure-to-function mapping does not improve our understanding of cognitive theories. This has been challenged in Henson’s (2005) review of Tulving (1985) ‘remember’ or ‘know’ memory experiment with the use of fMRI methods. Still, it is important to explore the way that imaging methods work for cont inuing psychological understanding. MRI and to an extent also PET imaging works based on the idea that when a cognitive task is being undertaken both glucose and oxygen will be carried to those area(s) of the brain, which requires it significantly over than that of resting or less activate areas (Johnsrude and Hauk 2010). The imaging technique is sensitive to that increased blood flow and that according to Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) this is used to study the functioning of the brain. This is often known as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF): alongside this the level of oxygen that is left in blood can also be looked at known as the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast, as deoxyhaemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin produce different magnetic fields (Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Although there are some methodological problems with this, such as the lag between neural processing and increased blood flow, it is argued that with the correct design and computer analysis such problems can be dealt with (Henson, 2005). Function al MRI over PET is less intrusive in the sense that more participants can be involved, be studied over a longer time and it is generally easier to maintain. This is due to PET requiring the participant being injected with a radioactive substance which because of health issues rules out who can take part and how many times each participant can undergo PET imaging (Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Functional MRI has become the choice of many experimental psychologists. Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) also highlight other issues that make fMRI difficult, but not impossible, the first that the machine itself makes a lot of noise to the extent it can cause hearing damage, it can be constricting and participants cannot move their heads while imaging is taking place. Those with anxiety issues, for example, will find fMRI studies very difficult to take part in but when participants move their heads computers can adjust the images to match up with earlier ones and ear plugs can be worn. Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) present two types of experimental design. Subtractive designs such as that used by Klein et al (1995, cited and explored by Johnsrude and Hauk 2010) is based on the assumption that [cognitive] tasks can be broken down and by adding an additional task between two tasks, the extra load can be subtracted from the two tasks. This allows the extra task to be measured and Klein et al (1995) followed this design. Using native English speakers who later in life learned French, these participants were asked in either language to either repeat the heard word or create a synonym for that word. Speech perception and production would always have to be used, but when asked to create a synonym it would also involve semantic association and word retrieval (cited by Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Klein et al (1995) subtracted speech perception and production, allowing them to solely study semantic association and retrieval. They found activation in the prefrontal cortex, perhaps indicating the importance of this region in processing word meaning and response selection. Further to this activation in the basal ganglia in the French synonym task which is linked to motor action a previous known process. The second type of design is that of correlations which Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) highlight as examining the relationship between a presented stimulus or behavioural response along with the associated brain activity. They are relatively simpler than subtractive designs avoiding the interpretation or subtraction of tasks. For example, cognitive states can be examined so signal change in one area can be predictive of activity somewhere else in the brain. If the two areas correlate it could be assumed they are part of the same neural network for the cognitive function either directly or through another region. In this case it is not simple structure-to-function but rather exploring the areas of the brain that are required to perform one cognitive task. Adding or reducing theoretical components to such cognitive tasks. It could be argued that subtractive designs look for differences within known theoretical connected functions, whereas correlational designs look for explorative patterns without assuming such a strong known function-to-structure relationship. Henson (2005) distinguishes between two types of imaging inferences the first function-to-structure deduction and the other structure-to-function induction. The first inference is that of deduction, if one condition activates area one and the second condition activates area two it would be possible to assume that these two different conditions activate different areas within the brain. It does not matter which areas of the brain are activated only that there is a qualitative difference. In terms of function-structure mapping at the psychological function level according to Henson (2005) the only assumption is that the same psychological function (or task) will not give rise to different activation patterns within the brain. For function-to-structure induction the areas of the brain activated are important for each presented condition. Henson (2005) goes on to explain for each presented condition the same area of the brain is activated which can lead to experiments which conditions use the same area of the brain to explain that a certain area of the brain has more than one function but can operate differently depending on the processing task. Rather than there being a disassociation that you would find in deduction there is an association, Henson (2005) argues that in most cases the null hypothesis, therefore has to be accepted, although at the same time this could suggest the abilities and/or limitations of that area of the brain thus results in limitations of that cognitive ability and task. Through psychological manipulations it can be shown that there is a reliable regional dissociations (Henson, 2005). One experiment as mentioned above is that of the remember/know memory experiment that also uses function-structure deduction. The importance of this fMRI study is that it takes psychological theory and determines what the processes are occurring. This experiment presented by Henson (2005) and others is based around the argument that there is either a single-process model such as that presented by Donaldson (1996, cited by Henson, 2005) or a dual-process. Using Tulving (1985, cited by Henson, 2005) participants are asked to indicate if they have seen a stimulus previously and whether they think this because they remember the encounter (remember) or they just think the stimulus seems familiar (know). It was found that within the remember condition the left hemisphere was more responsive while the in the know condition other regions such as the right prefrontal cortex were more activated. The conclusion is that the imaging data support a dual-processing model over the single-process model. Functional MRI imaging was helpful here as behavioural findings could not agree and the debate was in part helped by imaging data. Both deduction and induction results in the function-structure mapping according to Henson (2005). It is important to follow the logic of Henson that imaging data is useful within itself for providing another dependent variable, such is the case if reaction time is being recorded alongside imaging data, that imaging data would provide additional information such as right/left activation of the motor cortex (Henson, 2005). This might not be relevant in all contexts, still it can provide information which could be necessary to the research if that research included or required such information. This is described as function-structure mapping. Henson (2005) argues that the systematic function-structure is an assumption, for deductive areas of the brain to perform certain functions whereas for induction a strong sense of systematicity is necessary. In this case there may be a function that depends on co-activation with at least one, perhaps more regions. In this case a network is what is being observed activated within a condition. Through subtraction analysis, it allows for this test of a ‘neural network’ and McIntosh (1999, cited in Henson, 2005) the function of the area or region of the brain depends on its interaction with other regions (Henson, 2005, referred to this as hot-wiring). Adding to this there might be an activation of a region or area which does produce suppression of other areas or regions. Nelson (2005) calls for the redundancy of networks, to summarize this within a brain damaged patient, it might be that although the function-structure mapping is incorrect for this person. There might be a d ifferent function-structure mapping present. Henson (2005) counter-argues for this position to say that if through trial to trial or from many experiments, it would not be observed that there are reliable or reproducible activations. Most psychologists are also content with the idea that there is a hierarchy of abstraction of functions. For example, visual perception occurs within a region which is divisible into sub-functions. Where colour, form perception and motion perception can occur (Nelson, 2005). However, there is agreement that there needs to be a one-to-one mapping or function-mapping before one can infer structure to function. Henson (2005) calls this the structure-to-function induction, the usefulness of this approach or paradigm will have to stand up by its success or failure. Henson (2005) further argues the fMRI is a recent invention, the computer mapping even so, with such new areas of technology it has to prove itself to be of benefit. So even if mapping critics have a point it will perhaps be years before the value of imaging technique come to be very useful. Currently they can be useful, though by using existing completing cognitive theories which can be settled using imaging data with caution. For Henson (2005) imaging data simply comprise another dependent variable along with behavioural data that can be used to test competing theories. Imaging can determine the circumstance under which a tactile stimulus produces activity in the visual cortex give clues about the mechanisms of sensory integration that are not provided by behavioural data alone (Henson, 2005). There are criticisms of using imaging data, one produced by Coltheart (2004, cited in Henson, 2005) that understanding the hardware does not mean that we then reach an understanding of the neuro software. Henson (2005) argues that it does provide information on performance and on the distribution of the processes while the software is performing. To finally say that once you have the performance data, through behavioural data, the knowledge of the hardware this then can tell you something about software (Henson, 2005). Henson (2005) argues that neuroimaging data can be informative to the experimental psychologist, although there is perhaps too much excitement around such data. No other technique comes close to this ideal of measuring brain activity, if we assume that ideal is measuring activity simultaneously the activity of many individual neurons, we currently are not there but MRI is the best that we currently have. This is still a developing technology, it may in future years wit h advances it can become something quite special. Functional MRI is a relatively safe method and it can be used to replace the more traditional method in the Neuropsychology of relying on accidental brain legions to discover the link between psychological function and structure. The two methods mentioned above, that of subtractive and correlational designs allows for the more traditional dissociations along with associations of areas or regions of the brain. Although fMRI does not study the neural activity directly it is currently one of the best methods for studying activity at levels of relatively high resolution. Still fMRI is relatively new and the computing software more so, so it is likely that in years to come these technologies will improve. This is not to say that such imaging should be a replacement for more traditional methods, above the example of the Remember/Know experiment imaging extends or made clear the already present psychological models. The mainstay of cognitive psychology is behavioural data and imaging should be used alongside. To what Henson argued that imaging data as another dependent variable. This is to say that it won’t always be appropriate to use imaging data still there is excitement about imaging data and as it improves it will become yet another useful tool in the experimental psychologist toolbox. Word count: 2204 References: Naish, P. (2010) Perceptual Processed in: Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive psychology’ ed, The Open University, Milton Keynes Kaye, H. (2010) Foundations of cognitive psychology in Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive Psychology’ ed, The Open University, Milton Keynes. Johnsrude, I. S. and Hauk, O. (2010) Neuroimaging: techniques for examining human brain function, ed in: Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive psychology: methods companion, The Open University, Milton Keynes. Henson, R. (2005) What can functional neuroimaging tell us the experimental psychologist? The quarterly journal of experimental psychology, Issue 58A, pp. 193-233 Lewis Karl Flood

Leadership And Management Essay -- Business Management

Leadership and Management Leadership and Management are two very important positions to have for anyone in an organization. Both of these positions come with a great deal of responsibilities; however, they both serve two different purposes and responsibilities in an organization, along with a different sent of guidelines. This paper will differentiate between Leadership and Management, give two recommendations to create and maintain a healthy organizational culture and give two examples to support the recommendations. Discussion Leadership is a wonderful quality for anyone to have because not everyone possesses leadership qualities and skills; however, a person can learn to have leadership qualities if he or she has the desire. A good leader has many excellent qualities such as; a leader has followers, knows how to encourage the workers, can get results by implementing strategies, can create a vision for the company, and communicates the vision clearly. These are not the only qualities a leader must have but they are some of the most important qualities a person must have in order to be successful in a leadership position. "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." Druker, Peter F. Retrieved Dec. 14, 2005 from http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/leadership-quotes.html. Another excellent quote about leadership is "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while the y do it." Roosevelt, Theodore. Retrieved Dec. 14, 2005 from http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/leadership-quotes.html. Management is a very important position as well. Management takes a great deal of ski... ...he daycare center was forced by state regulations to close the doors immediately because of many code violations found on numerous occasions. Monitoring is very crucial in all aspects of business because of the state and legal guidelines, which by ignoring these will result in a company failing completely. Conclusion There is a difference between management and leadership but that does not mean that one is less important than the other. However, it takes an excellent leader and manager to be able to fulfill the Leadership and Management role successfully for the benefit of the company and his or her people in all aspects of the business fields. Therefore, every company, big or small, must have people whom they can depend on, whole heartedly, who can fulfill the Leadership and Management positions without worrying about negative outcomes or costly legal issues.

Manifest Destiny Essay

Manifest Destiny is defined as â€Å"a belief that it was God’s will that Americans spread over the entire continent, and to control and populate the country as they see fit.† Many expansionists conceived God as having the power to sustain and guide human destiny. It was white man’s heavy burden to conquer and Christianize the heathen and savage land. While the positive side of Manifest Destiny was a surge of enthusiasm and energy from the white settlers for pushing West, the negative side was the belief that the white man had the right to destroy anything and anyone — namely Indians — who got in the way. Tracing the path of Manifest Destiny across the West would highlight mass destruction of tribal organizations, confinement of Indians to reservations, and full blown genocide. The dark side of Manifest Destiny revealed the white man’s belief that his settlement of the land and civilization of its native peoples was preordained. While the whites were occupying the land, they decimated the Indian population, causing many tribes to flee their relentless onward push, or try to compromise with treaties and agreements. One such tribe to fall victim to the white encroachment upon their territory was the Nez Perce of North Western Oregon. The Nez Perce agreed to an 1855 treaty that guaranteed the tribe most of their traditional homeland in the Wallowa Valley of northeast Oregon to try to accommodate the white people who were beginning to invade their lands. Unfortunately, gold was soon discovered upon the Nez Perce land and the settlers wanted a larger portion of that land. The resulting 1863 treaty was agreed to by some tribal chiefs, but not all. Those who refused to sign were given an ultimatum in 1877, and rather than risk war, the non-treaty Nez Perce chiefs–Joseph, Looking Glass, White Bird, Toohoolhoolzote, Bald Head–decided to move their people onto the smaller remaining section of the reserva tion, towards Fort Lapwai. Look more:  manifest destiny essay There were nearly 800 of the Nez Perce–men, women and children–and a herd of about 2,000 Appaloosa horses on the trek. On the way to Lapwai, things fell apart. A few young warriors were goaded into taking revenge on several whites who had killed tribal members in the past, and the U.S. Army retaliated by attacking the Nez Perce at White Bird Canyon, Idaho. Giving up the attempt to move to the reservation, the Nez Perce chiefs resolved to  flee to the east and seek out their Crow allies in Montana. When the Crow tribes showed them no friendship and tried to steal their horses, the Nez Perce set off for Canada. They almost made it, but the U.S. Army caught up with them and defeated them 45 miles shy of the border. Although the Nez Perce were one of the welcoming tribes that met Lewis and Clark, their kind efforts led to revenge, misunderstanding, deceit, greed and death. Another tribe which was victimized by the United States were the Cupeà ±os. The Cupeà ±os were a small tribe, one of the smallest Native American tribes in Southern California. It was unlikely that they ever numbered more than 1,000 at a time. They once occupied a territory approximately 10 square miles in diameter in a region of the San Luis Rey River in the valley of San Jose de Valle. Before 1810, the Cupans had very little contact with outsiders — Spanish or otherwise. They had lived on their land for countless generations, their land including the medicinal hot springs and the village called Cupa. Unfortunately for the Cupenos, the pioneers who trekked West through the southern route, took a trail which trespassed upon their territory. To add insult to injury, American officials in San Diego concluded that a reasonable source of revenue would be taxation upon the Indians of the back country. The Cupans were assessed a $600 tax that with great resentment was finally paid by the villagers. By the late 1800’s the hot sulfur springs found on the Cupa territories were becoming very popular and attracting visitors from Los Angeles and San Diego. The popularity of the destination and the growing California population began the events which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Cupans from their homeland. Four years after California became a state, a land survey commission was formed, and cattleman Juan Jose Warner claimed 47,500 acres of what is now Warner Springs. Warner Springs makes up the majority of the Cupan homeland. The property was later purchased by former California Governor John Downey in 1880. Downey then filed a lawsuit — later pursued by his heirs after  his death — claiming title to the land and demanding eviction of the Cupenos from the property. The Cupas argued before the courts that Mexican law, as well as the peace treaty that ended the war between Mexico and the United States, ensured Indian rights and precluded the hostile takeover of their land. They argued to no avail. The California courts agreed with Downey and in 1901 the United States Supreme Court affirmed the judgment ordering removal of the Indians. President Rutherford Hayes, prompted by the Supreme Court holding, declared the Indians â€Å"trespassers† and ordered the tribe relocated to Pala, California, just beyond the Palomar Mountains where a 10,000-acre reservation had been established. Pala was a Luiseno reservation then, not Cupa. This act marked the first time in U.S. history that two distinct Indian tribes were herded together in one reservation. This was a blemish upon a nation that prided itself on leading the world into the 20th Century and the cultural and political renaissance that accompanied such a transition.

Biology 3.3 Dna Structure

3. 3 & 7. 1 DNA Structure Worksheet 1. Draw and label the structure of a simplified single nucleotide, including sugar, phosphate and base. 2. Complete the table below to show the pairings of the bases in DNA: Purine| Pyrimidine| Adenine| Thymine| Guanine| Cytosine| 3. Where would one find the base uracil? RNA, it replaces thymine 4. In the space below, draw a single strand of three nucleotides, naming the bonds between them and showing the correct relative position of these bonds. The sequence of these bases makes up the genetic code. The red linesrepresent covalent bonds.They are read in groups of three called triplets. These triplets arethen used to send instructions in the cell: to switch genes on and off. 5. Define the term double helix. The term double helix is two strands of DNA that twist around each other. Anti-Parallel 6. In the space below, draw a section of DNA, showing two anti-parallel strands of three nucleotides. Label the bonds which hold the bases together as well a s the correct complementary base pairs. Also include the 3’ and 5’ linkages (and ends), and the distinction between purines and pyramidines. . Explain the relevance of the following in the double-helix structure of DNA: a. Complementary base pairing Complementary base pairing is when G only bonds with C and T only bonds with A and these are found on each strand of the double helix b. Hydrogen bonds Hydrogen bonds between the bases hold together the strands of DNA c. Relative positioning of the sugar-phosphate backbone and the bases The relative positioning of the sugar-phosphate backbone are on the outside and the bases are on the inside of the double helix 8.In the space below, draw the structure of a simplified nucleosome, including the H1 linker and histone proteins. 9. Nucleosomes allow the DNA to be supercoiled. a. What is the approximate length of the DNA strand in one chromosome? The length is (length of 1 bp) (number of bp per cell) which is 2 meters. b. During which phase of the cell cycle is DNA most likely to be supercoiled? Prophase c. Outline how nucleosomes help regulate transcription. 10. Distinguish between unique or single-copy genes and highly repetitive sequences: Single-copy genes| Highly-repetitive sequences| . 5% of genome makes polypeptides. Each codon (mRNA) (3 bases) codes for one amino acid. 3% codes for ‘on/off' gene switches. Within each eukaryotic genes there are:Exons (coding regions)Introns (non-coding regions which are edited out)  Ã‚  Every gene has a ‘switch', for example a skin cell will turn off unnecessary genes so it does not perform the wrong activity (e. g. producing blood)  | Makes up about 5% – 45% of the genome. Once called junk DNAAlso known as satellite DNA, each repeated sequence can be 5-300 base pairsHRSs are used in genetic fingerprinting.This is because they accumulate mutations rapidly| Not all of the base sequences in DNA are translated. Highly repetitive base sequences ar e not translated. They consist of sequences of between 5 and 300 bases that may be repeated up to 10 000 times. They constitute 5-45% of eukaryotic DNA. Single-copy genes or unique genes are translated and constitute a surprisingly small proportion of eukaryotic DNA. 11. Distinguish between introns and exons in eukaryotic genes. Exons (coding regions) Introns (non-coding regions which are edited out)