Key Quotes from A Wrinkle in Time

Key Quotes from 'A Wrinkle in Time' A Wrinkle in Time is a favorite fantasy classic, by Madeleine LEngle. The novel was first published in 1962 after LEngles manuscript was rejected by more than two dozen publishers. She theorized that the book was too different for publishers to grasp, especially since it was a science fiction story with a female protagonist, almost unheard of at the time. It also includes a good deal of quantum physics, and it wasnt entirely clear at the time whether the book was written for children or adults. The story focuses on Meg Murry and her brother Charles Wallace, their friend Calvin, and the whereabouts of the Murrys father, a brilliant scientist. The three are transported through space by three supernatural creatures, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which, via a tesseract, explained to Meg as a wrinkle in time. Theyre drawn into a battle against the evil creatures IT and the Black Thing. The book is the first in a series about the Murry and OKeefe families. Other books in the series include A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Here are some key quotes from A Wrinkle in Time, with some context included. Quotes But you see, Meg, just because we dont understand doesnt mean that the explanation doesnt exist. Megs mother responding mysteriously to Megs question about whether there is an explanation for everything. A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points... Mrs. Whatsit explaining the basic concept of the tesseract. This resonates for Meg, who is brilliant at solving math problems, but clashes with teachers when she doesnt arrive at the answers in the way they want her to. She believes early in the novel that finding a result is the important thing, not how you get there. Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. This describes the battle between goodness/light and darkness/evil, in an instance where light triumphs. As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls. Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers. This is a description of the evil planet of Camazotz, and how all of its citizens are controlled by the Black Thing to think and behave the same way. Its a glimpse of what life on Earth may come to be unless the Black Thing can be defeated. Youre given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you. Mrs. Whatsit tries to explain the concept of free will to Meg, by comparing human life to a sonnet: The form is pre-determined, but your life is what you make of it. Love. That was what she had that IT did not have. This is Megs realization that she has the power to save Charles Wallace from IT and the Black Thing, because of her love for her brother.

How Are AP Exams Scored

How Are AP Exams Scored SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re studying for an AP exam right now or are thinking about taking an AP class in the future, you might be wondering: how are AP exams scored? In this post, we'll break down the scoring process, all the way from the raw scores you earn on the multiple-choice section and essays to how you get a final score on a scale of 1-5. Knowing how AP exams are scored can help you do your best on them- especially if you want a perfect 5! The AP Scoring Scale Each AP test is given a score from 1 to 5.According to the College Board (the group that administers AP tests), these numbers translate in the following ways: 5: Extremely Well Qualified 4: Well Qualified 3: Qualified 2: Possibly Qualified 1: No recommendation Any score that's 3 or higher is considered a passing score, though some colleges only accept 4s and 5s for credit. (See AP’s college database for specific policies at each university.)Getting a 5 is especially desirable because, for most exams, it puts you in the top 10-20% of scorers. See our list of AP classes for more info on passing rates. Your 1-5 score is a scaled score,converted from a composite score.Your composite score is calculated from the total number of raw points you earned from your correct multiple-choice answers and your free response. It’s a bit confusing, but we will guide you through the process! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. How Are AP Tests Scored? The majority of AP exams consist of two sections: multiple choice and free response. On some exams each section is weighted equally, whereas on others one section is worth slightly more. You can look up the specifics for each exam on the officialAP courses pages. The multiple-choice section is graded by a computer. There are no deductions for incorrect or blank answers, so your raw multiple-choice score is simply the number of questions you get correct. The free-response section is graded during the annual AP Reading held in the first two weeks of June. The AP Reading is basically a huge convention. Tons of teachers and college professors gather to grade thousands and thousands of student-written responses for each exam. This is why you don't get your AP scores until July even though you take the test in May:the written portion of your exam isn't graded until mid-June. After that, the College Board has to calculate the composite score and final scaled score for each exam, equating the test so the scores stay even from year to year. (For example, they want to make sure a 3 on the AP US History exam means the same thing from one year to another, even if one version of the test turned out to be more difficult for students.) (Side note:There is a good chance that an AP teacher at your school goes to the AP Reading each year. It can be interesting and helpful to talk to them about what happens at the convention, how quickly free responses are scored, and the best and worse free responses they’ve seen. These are answers that will vary a lot from subject to subject but could ultimately be helpful to you!) This is a picture from the English Literature Reading from this blog post over at AP Central. It's worth taking a look at if you are curious about what the AP Reading is like! Each free response is given a "holistic" score, meaning it's evaluated for its overall effectiveness or correctness. Typically, points aren’t deducted for the occasional small error, such as a spelling or grammar mistake. Most tests grade their free responses between 1 and 9, with 1 being least effective and 9 being nearly perfect. Your raw free-response score is the total of the scores you get for each response. How to Get a Scaled AP Score Between 1 and 5 After your multiple-choice section is graded by a machine and your free response is graded by a human, your essay and multiple-choice scores are combined to give you a composite score. This score is just a way of combining the two section scores so that they are weighted correctly. For example, for AP English, multiple choice is worth 45% and free response is worth 55%. Often, composite scores are between 0 and 100, or 0 and 150. The composite score is then converted to a number on the scaled score range 1-5. This means that for each scaled score, there is a range of possible composite scores that could earn it. For example, a 5 could be any composite score between 0 and 150 on one exam. Since scaling varies year to year, there are no exact cutoff numbers for scores for AP tests, and the College Board does not release detailed scoring data. Furthermore, you will not see what your composite score was on your AP score report- you'll only get the final number between 1 and 5. However, many teachers, prep books, and websites have come up with formulas to predict the scaled score for each AP test, which can help when you are grading your practice tests and trying to come up with a target score. Scoring Example: AP English Language and Composition As we've seen, AP test scoring is not exactly straightforward. To help clarify the process, we will walk through a scoring example using the most popular test, AP English Language and Composition. Also known as the class in which you annotate every. Single. Thing. Here are the basics of the AP English exam: it has 55 multiple-choice questions, worth 45% of your score, and three essays, worth 55% of your score. Each essay is graded between 1 and 9. Before we get into the scoring example, remember that this guide is an estimation since score conversions can vary year to year based on test difficulty. While it's impossible to precisely predict an AP test score before you get your score, you can still get an idea of how the process works. Step 1: Add Up Your Correct Answers to Get Your Raw Scores There are 55 multiple-choice questions on the AP English exam. Let's say you get 40 right, get eight wrong, and leave seven blank. Your raw multiple-choice score would be an even 40 points. Out of the three essays, let's say you earn the following scores from the graders: 4, 7, and 8. This gives youa total raw essay score of 19 (4+7+8). Step 2: Convert Your Raw Scores to a Single Composite Score Now, this is the tricky part in which we will convert each of those raw scores to a single composite score between 0 and 150. The maximum converted essay score is 82.5, or 55% of 150. The maximum converted multiple-choice score is 67.5, or 45% of 150. To figure out your composite score, use this formula: (Multiple Choice Raw Score x 1.23) + (Essay Raw Score x 3.05) = Composite Score In this example, your multiple-choice composite score would be 49.2, and your essay composite score would be 57.95. Thus,your total composite score would be 107 (rounded down). Step 3: Use the Chart to Estimate Your Scaled Score The last step is easy. Use the chart below to estimate your final AP score (on a scale of 1-5): Composite Score (0-100 or 0-150) Scaled Score (1-5) 104-150 5 92-103 4 76-91 3 50-75 2 0-49 1 As you can see, your score of 107 would earn you a 5- but just barely! Again, these numbers are estimates and will shift from year to year based on test difficulty. Since 107 is just over the mark of 104, it's possible that in some years it could net you a 4 instead of a 5. What About Scoring Other AP Tests? We’ve learned how to score an AP English Language and Composition exam. However,you can’t use this exact same process for every AP test. Most AP tests have slightly different section weights and question totals, so the scoring formulas are different. For example, AP Calculus AB has fewer multiple choice questions (45), more free responses (six total), and weighs each section at 50%. Each AP subject is a unique challenge ... and has its own scoring formula. So how can you figure out how the AP tests you are taking are graded? First, if you’re taking the AP class for the test you want to take, ask your teacher if he or she has a formula for converting practice test scores to scaled scores. Most AP teachers have a formula they use with their students for practice exams. If you’re not taking the class or your teacher doesn’t have a formula, either find a prep book for your specific test or search online. Remember that all formulas are estimates. Soif you really want a 5, you shouldn’t aim for the lowest possible composite- you should aim for perfection, or very close. That’s the only way to guarantee you'll get a 5 on test day. On the other hand, if you just want to make sure you pass, try to aim for a 4 so that even if you make more mistakes than you're hoping to, you’ll still get at least a 3! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. What’s Next? Curious about the benefits of taking an AP Exam? See our in-depth guide about what AP tests are and why you should take them. Also studying for the SAT? Get tips from our resident 1600 full scorer, and check out how to improve a low SAT Math score. Studying for the ACT instead? Get tips on the essay, read a guide to the daily ACT question, and learn how you can score a perfect 36. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

New Product Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

New Product Development - Essay Example example with technological development new types of DVD players are in idea generation process which will play high capacity Forward Versatile Disc or FVD of around 6 gigabyte capacity (Grewal, 2008, p. 308). Sometimes too many ideas are generated which needs to be evaluated and then screened which are not very promising one for the company. The Idea screening process of the foremost U.S motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson is known as â€Å"The Wall of Fire† who screens different ideas to choose the best out of the development opportunities called â€Å"The Swirl† (Karol, Nelson, 2007, p. 118). The ideas which are screened in the idea screening process are forwarded for the concept development and testing of the screened idea. Ideas can be very beneficial for the company in many cases for which proper testing of the concept is required for its feasibility study. In automobile industry Tata Motors conducted a market research in order to find the gap in the market fo r its fall in the market share of truck during the year 1998 to 2000. It showed that consumers want a to have a car like vehicle but it can perform like a truck which can carry heavy weights for different purposes (Kumar, 2007, p.29). After concept testing the marketing strategies like the description of the target market, distribution channels, pricing policy, advertising, marketing mix strategies and profit in long run are evaluated and managed. For example Unisys identified the need of the customers.

Professionalism in Environmental Public Health Essay - 1

Professionalism in Environmental Public Health - Essay Example environment, governing authorities and other civil organizations are spearheading projects aimed at mitigating the effects of environmental pollution. Individuals involved in implementation of these mitigating measures are called environmental public health workers. Like any other career field, environmental health workers are expected to perform their duties in a professional manner. This essay evaluates on the aspect of professionalism in environmental public health. Concepts appraised in professionalism include competency, education and ethics. The essay extrapolates on how each of the concepts mentioned contributes towards professionalism in environmental public health. In contemporary workplace settings, professionalism remains an inherent requirement of all employees. Typical workplace settings like healthcare institutions require all workers to follow simple guidelines while executing their respective duties. These simple guidelines aim at enhancing achievement of an institution’s mission and vision objectives. From a theoretical perspective, professionalism involves application or adoption of character patterns within a work place in order to direct one’s effort towards achieving high-quality productivity (Nagel, 2011). In the context of environmental public health, workers within this field deals with ensuring safety of the public. This means that members of the public trust employees of environmental public health to safeguard their lives in relation to environmental aspects. In most cases, the manner in which these workers relate with people in their work determines the public’s attitudes towards all environmental health workers. This means that health workers should maintain a sustainable and professional demeanor while dealing with members of the public. Therefore, professionalism is a paramount quality of individuals within the public health sector (Nagel, 2011). Continued education is instrumental in enhancing professionalism of workers

The Importance of Truth-Telling Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Truth-Telling Essay Telling the truth is something that comes up for the majority of us in childhood. It is considered impolite to lie and when a lie was told, or you were untruthful, it was often considered a reflection of your parents’ moral attitudes. Unfortunately, we all seem to have been taught differently the exact nature of a truth or lie and the right or wrong way to use that information. In To Lie or Not to Lie? – The Doctor’s Dilemma (2007), the topic of truth versus lies by doctors specifically, is discussed. While I believe it is important for doctors to be truthful in their dealings with patients, the 5 W’s need to be explored: what and to whom is truth, how and when are doctors choices for truth-telling determined and why it is important for them to tell the truth to their patients. Truth: â€Å"conformity to fact or reality† according to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, does not appear in society to be that concrete. From childhood we were taught about the importance of truth with the consequences of our actions meted out if we were not truthful. Often our understanding of this subject was not the same as †Johnny’s† next door and we were left with this confusing amalgamation, forced to gage for ourselves on a situational basis how much was lie or truth in any given statement. Society’s opinion on this topic therefore is varied based on our own individual ethics developed over the years. Doctors, held to far higher standards than the rest of us, are forced to play ‘God’ with their patients, although the Uncertainty principle â€Å"suggests that there is no certainty in health care, therefore no ‘absolute truth’ to reveal. ‘Truth-telling can never be achieved. † (Tuckett, 2004, p. 500). In his determinations a doctor â€Å"must be careful to distinguish the notion of ‘truth’ as ‘the way things really are’ (so-called objective truth) from that of ‘truth’ as ‘the way a person believes things to be’. † (Tuckett, 2004, p. 508). TRUTH-TELLING 3 The Importance of Truth-Telling The American College of Physicians Ethics Manual influences decision making by doctors via principles. Although these principles â€Å"do not provide ordered rules, these principles can help doctors and other health care workers to make decisions when reflecting on moral issues that arise at work. † (Gillon, 1994, p. 184). Respect for Autonomy, one of these guiding principles used in most of the decisions with long term disabilities or terminal illnesses, acknowledges a â€Å"persons right to hold views, to make choices† and to take actions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shahidi, 2010, p. 590). Medical Ethics are in place to create a balance between all versions of ‘truth’ and provide structure for the relationship between doctor and patient, as well to provide guidance for the doctor and protect the rights of the patient. Because truth is not black and white like we sometimes wish to think the doctor can use this framework to foster an honest and trusting relationship with his patients. The consequences can be long lasting if the truth is not told to patients in a timely fashion or in its entirety. Illness can get away from you quickly with no chance to turn back the clock or simply the chance to make amends to facilitate a peaceful exit. Doctors deceiving patients, whether by omission or by using semi-truths, erodes trust in that relationship (Tuckett, 2004). By not being honest with a patient diagnosis they may cause the patient undue hardship as according to Mitchell, †Patients with false information or no information about their condition may unintentionally mislead other physicians involved in their treatment† (Shahidi, 2010, p. 592). Lying also strips â€Å"the patient’s ability to be autonomous and fails to show respect for persons. † While â€Å"truth-telling maintains the competent patient’s status as an adult†. (Tuckett, 2004, p. 505). TRUTH-TELLING 4 The Importance of Truth-Telling. Maintaining the patients welfare should be the primary goal of a doctor while he is determining exactly just how to address the truth-telling. One of the principles under medical ethics is ’above all do no harm’. The long lasting consequences of choosing which ‘truth’ to tell could call into question this principle. We have determined that truth is not as cut and dried as we would like it to be, but there still needs to be a focus on honesty, truthfulness, and full disclosure with doctors and their patients. Our health is a joint effort, and we need to be able to rely on and trust our medical professionals to let us know what really is happening. I believe that the least amount of harm in the long run would be in telling the complete truth, however I understand that we are all different and our situations are different and it then stands to reason that the solutions will all be different as well. By keeping in mind the who, what, where, when, why and even how, I think the acquisition of this information would give the best answer to each truth-telling situation.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Essay -- Biology

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate and is the immediate supply of energy for biological processes. The ATP consists of an organic nitrogenous base, Adenosine, which is one of the four bases found in a DNA strand, it also consists of a ribose sugar with three phosphates joined by high energy bonds. The energy itself is stored in the form of high-energy chemical bonds; this energy is released on hydrolysis, i.e. by the reaction with water, in a similar way peptide bonds are hydrolysed in proteins. ATP is adapted to is highly suited to its function and role within living organisms as it is easily broken down and is thus a store for immediate energy; it is also a small molecule and can easily move around cells and through membranes. The production of ATP is usually associated with two principalities including respiration and mitochondria. It is common knowledge that respiration, which happens in all living organisms, produces energy and is expressed by the equation of: Glucose + Oxygen Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy Respiration can be, aerobic, occurring in an oxygenated environment or anaerobic, occurring in oxygen lacking environments. The latter producing 2 molecules of ATP and the former producing between 36- 38 ATP molecules. The energy released from the respiration of glucose is used to add inorganic phosphate to ADP, producing ATP. This is achieved by glycolysis, krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation which are cumulatively known to be involved in aerobic cellular respiration. As we shall see, this process makes use of co-enzymes such as ADP and Dehydrogenases such as NAD+. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of a cell and involves the production of 2 molecules of pyruvate which occurs when glucose undergoes phosphorylation, lysis and then oxidation, yielding pyruvate and 2 molecules of ATP along with 2 molecules of reduced NAD. In aerobic respiration only the reduced NAD generated here enters a mitochondrion and goes into the electron transport chair where it is used to generate 6 molecules of ATP. Hence, the net ATP produced from glycolysis are 8 molecules of ATP. The next stage is krebs cycle which occurs in the matrix of the mitochondria, the resulting product from oxdative decarboxylation of pyruvate is progressively degraded by as series of reactions involving four dehydrogenations, two decarboxylations and ... ...P the hexose would not be formed and none of the compounds would be produced, thus the plant would not exist. ATP is used in active transport in plants, similar to the kidney in humans. The absorption of minerals, such as nitrates & phosphates require ATP, which are present in root hair cells. These nitrates and phosphates are used in protein and chlorophyll synthesis as well as synthesis of DNA, ATP and NADP, which are essential to the plants growth. However, the mineral salts which are carried in solution by the symplast or apoplast pathway need to cross the endodermal barrier, which is impermeable. They cross the endodermal barrier by active transport and continue their journey in solution as ions in the xylem. In conclusion, ATP is adapted to its function and is probably one of the most important molecules in biological processes; it is produced in the mitochondria but is used all over the human body and is equally important in plants, where it is produced in the thylakoids. ATP is essential for survival as it allows the growth of autotrophs and thus supports all the food chains in the world, and also is important in maintaining and controlling the human internal environment.

Managerial Economics

P7. 6 Optimal Input Mix. The First National Bank received 3,000 inquiries following the latest advertisement describing its 30-month IRA accounts in the Boston World, a local newspaper. The most recent ad in a similar advertising campaign in Massachusetts Business, a regional business magazine, generated 1,000 inquiries. Each newspaper ad costs $500, whereas each magazine ad costs $125. A. Assuming that additional ads would generate similar response rates, is the bank running an optimal mix of newspaper and magazine ads? Why or why not? No, the bank is not running an optimal mix of newspaper and magazine ads because the optimal combination would occur when MPn / Pn = MPm / Pm ? newspaper output: 3,000 / 500 = 6 and magazine output: 1,000 / 125 = 8. Therefore, amount spent on newspaper ads attracted 6 inquiries while amount spent on magazine ad attracted 8 inquiries. So to run an optimal mix of newspaper and magazine ads, the bank has to run more magazine ads and/ or fewer newspaper a ds. B. Holding all else equal, how many inquiries must a newspaper ad attract for the current advertising mix to be optimal? For the current advertising mix to be optimal, MPn / Pn = MPm / Pm therefore, to increase the newspaper output from 6 to 8, Find: MPn / 500 = 8 *500 ? MPn = 4,000 *500 So inquiries generated by newspaper ads would have to increase from 3,000 to 4,000. P7. 7 Marginal Revenue Product of Labor. To better serve customers interested in buying cars over the Internet, Smart Motors, Inc. , hired Nora Jones to respond to customer inquiries, offer price quotes, and write orders for leads generated by the company’s Web site. During last year, Jones averaged 1. 5 vehicle sales per week.On average, these vehicles sold for a retail price of $25,000 and brought the dealership a profit contribution of $1,000 each. A. Estimate Jones’ annual (50 workweek) marginal revenue product. oJones’ marginal revenue product can be found by the number of cars sold and the profit of each sale. MRPL = MPL * MRQ ? MRPL = (1. 5 * 50) * ($1,000) = $75,000 (Vehicles sales p/week * workweek) * (profit contribution) B. Jones earns a base salary of $60,000 per year, and Smart Motors pays an additional 28 percent of this base salary in taxes and various fringe benefits.Is Jones a profitable employee? oNo, Jones is not a profitable employee because her cost to be employed is $76,800 ($60,000 base salary + 28% of taxes and fringe benefits) and her marginal revenue product is only $75,000. Therefore, MRPL ($75,000) < PL ($76,800). This means that even though Jones brings in $75,000 additional profit it costs Smart Motors $76,800 to have her which means she brings $1,800 of marginal loss to Smart Motors. P7. 8 Optimal Input Level. Ticket Services, Inc. , offers ticket promotion and handling services for concerts and sporting events.The Sherman Oaks, California, branch office makes heavy use of spot radio advertising on WHAM-AM, with each 30-second ad costing $ 100. During the past year, the following relation between advertising and ticket sales per event has been observed: Sales (units) = 5,000 + 100A – 0. 5A2 ?Sales (units) / ? Advertising = 100 – A Here, A represents a 30-second radio spot ad, and sales are measured in numbers of tickets. Rachel Green, manager for the Sherman Oaks office, has been asked to recommend an appropriate level of advertising.In thinking about this problem, Green noted its resemblance to the optimal resource employment problem studied in a managerial economics course. The advertising/sales relation could be thought of as a production function, with advertising as an input and sales as the output. The problem is to determine the profit-maximizing level of employment for the input, advertising, in this â€Å"production† system. Green recognized that a measure of output value was needed to solve the problem.After reflection, Green determined that the value of output is $2 per ticket, the net marginal revenue earned by Ticket Services (price minus all marginal costs except advertising). A. Continuing with Green's production analogy, what is the marginal product of advertising? **Marginal Product measures additional output from one more unit of the variable input. ** oMPA = MS/MA = ? Sales (units) / ? Advertising (OR ? Q/? A) = 100 – A B. What is the rule for determining the optimal amount of a resource to employ in a production system? Explain the logic underlying this rule. The rule for determining the optimal amount of a resource to employ is: MRPA = PA (see slide 17) MPA * MRQ = PA (see slide 9) The above equation turns to: ?Q/? A * ? TR/? Q = ? TC/? A ?Q’s cancel each other out and the equation turns to: ?TR/? A = ? TC/? A This leads to Marginal Total Revenue (MTR) = Marginal Total Cost (MTC), which means the inflow = outflow. C. Using the rule for optimal resource employment, determine the profit-maximizing number of radio ads. oUsing the above equatio n MPA * MRQ = PA ? (100-A )* $2 = $100 $200-2A = $100 ? $100= 2A ? A=$50 P7. 9 Net Marginal Revenue.Crane, Poole & Schmidt, LLC, is a successful Boston-based law firm. Worker productivity at the firm is measured in billable hours, which vary between partners and associates. Partner time is billed to clients at a rate of $250 per hour, whereas associate time is billed at a rate of $125 per hour. On average, each partner generates 25 billable hours per 40-hour workweek, with 15 hours spent on promotion, administrative, and supervisory responsibilities. Associates generate an average of 35 billable hours per 40-hour workweek and spend 5 hours per week in administrative and training meetings.Variable overhead costs average 50 percent of revenues generated by partners and 60 percent of revenues generated by associates. A. Calculate the annual (50 workweek) net marginal revenue product of partners and associates. For Partners: oMRPP = MPP * MRQ ? MRPP = ($25 * 50) * ($250* 100% – 5 0%) = $156,250 (Billable hrs * workweek) * (rate billed * % overhead cost) For Associates: oMRPA = MPA * MRA ? MRPA = ($35 * 50) * ($125* 100% – 60%) = $87,500 (Billable hrs * workweek) * (rate billed * % overhead cost) Each marginal hour of effort by partner brings the firm $250 in revenue – $125 ($250 *50%) of variable costs, so a partner has a net marginal revue of $125 p/hr. ?Each marginal hour of effort by associate brings the firm $125 in revenue – $75($125 *60%) of variable costs, so a partner has a net marginal revue of $50 p/hr. Both of these reflect the marginal value of service output. B. If partners earn $175,000 and associates earn $70,000 per year, does the company have an optimal combination of partners and associates? If not, why not? Make your answer explicit and support any recommendations for change. Comparing partners marginal revenue products with their salary shows MRPP = $156,250 ; $175,000. This means that partners bring $18,750 ($175,000 -$156,250) marginal loss to the firm. oComparing associates marginal revenue products with their salary shows MRPA = $87,500 ; $70,000. This means that associates bring $17,500 ($87,500-$70,000) marginal profit to the firm. Therefore to help move the company to an optimal combination where profit is maximized, they will have to either reduce the number of partners or have a small increase in the number of associates.This can be done by expanding the number of associates until MRPA = $70,000. After this is done we can recalculate the MRPP to see if it has increased. If the new MRPP = $175,000, no other change needs to be made. Chapter 7 Power Point Problem Stereo Receivers. Do-It-Yourself, Inc. , sells budget-priced stereo receivers, in both kit and fully-assembled forms. Customers who assemble their own receivers benefit from the lower kit price of $100 per receiver. â€Å"Full-service† customers enjoy the luxury of an assembled receiver, but pay a higher price of $150 per re ceiver.Both kit and fully assembled receiver prices are stable. The company has observed the following relation between the numbers of assembly workers employed per day and assembled receiver output: Number of workersFinished receivers 00 18 214 318 420 521 A. )Construct a table showing the net marginal revenue product derived from assembly worker employment. Number of WorkersFinished receiversMarginal Product of Labor (MPL)Net Marginal Revenue Product of Labor (NMRPL) (1)(2)(3)(4) = (3) x $50 00N/AN/A 188$400 146$300 3184$200 4202$100 5211$50 B. )How many assemblers would Do-It-Yourself employ at a daily wage rate of $120? oDo-It-Yourself would employ 3 workers since from the table above, three workers NMRPL is $200 which is greater (;) than the $120 they would pay in wages. C. )What is the highest daily wage rate Do-It Yourself would pay to hire four assemblers per day? oTo hire four assemblers per day, the highest daily wage rate Do-It-Yourself should pay is $100 since thatâ€⠄¢s the NMRPL for the fourth worker. Managerial Economics Q1. In a country, the velocity of money is constant. Real GDP grows by 5% per year, the money stock by 14% per year, and the nominal interest rate is 11 per cent. What is the real interest rate? A. 1 The following is provided in the question GDP growth rate (Y)- 5% Money Stock growth rate (M)-14% Nominal Interest Rate- 11% Velocity Of Money- Constant Real Interest Rate = Nominal interest rate – Inflation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Fisher Effect By the quantity equation we have; M . V = P. YThe Quantity theory of Money assumes that V is constant and exogenous. Inflation= Change in the Money Growth- Change in the GDP Growth Using the above values Inflation= 14% – 5% = 9% Thus; Real Interest Rate = 11%- 9%= 2% Therefore the real interest rate is adjusted for inflation. Q. 2 Suppose a country has a money demand function (M/P)d = kY, where k is a constant parameter. The money supply grows by 12% per year, and real income grows by 4% per year. (a) What is the average inflation rate? b) How would inflation be different if real income growth were higher, say 6%? Explain. (c) Suppose, instead of a constant money demand function, the velocity of money in this economy was growing steadily, say by 2% per annum because of financial innovation. How would that affect the inflation rate? Explain. A. 2 The Money demand function (M/P)d = kY, where M/P = Real Money Balances k= money people wish to hold for each rupee of income and k= 1/V (a) Average Inflation Rate 12%- 4%= 8% b) If Y=6%, then Inflation is 12% – 6 %= 6% Inflation depends upon changes (in this increases) in the Money Supply and Real Income, which is given by the quantity theory of money. So if the money growth rate is greater than the real income growth rate it results in Inflation. In the (a) the money growth rate was 12% whereas real income growth rate is 4% so the Inflation rate is 8%, whereas in (b) the real income growth rate has increased to 6% and hence the inflat ion has rate has changed and decreased to 6%. c) The Velocity of money is not constant in this case as assumed in the Quantity theory of money. V=2% The Inflation would now therefore be determined as follows- Inflation rate = Change in Money Supply + Change in Velocity – Change in Real Income Inflation rate = 12% + 2% – 4%=10 % The Inflation in this case is highest and is equal to 10%, this is because the growth rate of money supply is greater than real income growth rate and also because the V is not a constant and hence the a unit of the money is being used 2% more.

Political Risks in International Marketing

Assessing the political environment is an important part in any business decision. Laws and regulations passed by either local, regional and central government bodies can affect foreign firms' operations. Also, firms are comfortable assessing the political climates in their home countries. However, assessing the political climates in other countries is still problematic. Classification and description of political risks When doing international business, the manager may face several types of financial risks.The major types of financial risks are commercial risks, political risks, exchange rate risks, and other such as inflation-related risks. Thus, political risks are non commercial risks. Political risks are any changes in the political environment that may adversely affect the value of a firm's business activities. Political risks may occur in any nation, but the risks vary considerably between countries. We may distinguish two types of classification of political risks. A classifi cation based on the characteristic of political risks and a classification or categorization based on the local government actions or control.Classification based on the characteristics of political risks Characteristics refer to as the facts that are inherent to each political risk. In other terms, their uniqueness or what make them different from one another. There are three types of such characteristics: ownership risks, operating risks, and transfer risks. Ownership risk In which the property of the firm is threatened through expropriation, confiscation or domestication. Ownership risk exposes property and life. The triad will be explained in the second classification. Operating risk  In which there is interference with the firm operations.The ongoing operations of the and/or the safety of its employees are threatened through changes in laws, environmental standards, tax codes, terrorism, armed insurrection or wars, and so forth. Transfer risk  In which the government interf eres with a firm's ability to shift funds into and out of the country. Classification based host country actions We can distinguish two types: political risks out of the government control and political risk induced by the government. Political risks out of government control. There are risks or events arise from nongovernmental actions, factors that are outside the government responsibility.There are  wars, revolution, coup d'etat, terrorism, strikes, extortion, and kidnappings. They all derived from some unstable social situation, with population frustration and intolerance. All these risks can generate violence, directed towards firms' property and employees. We may also have the case of  externally induced financial constraints and externally imposed limits on imports or exports, especially in case of embargoes or any economic sanctions against the host country. Political risks induced by the government These risks constitute some laws directed against foreign firms. Some go vernment-induced risks are very drastic.There are expropriation, confiscation and domestication. Expropriation  is the seizure of foreign assets by a government with payment of compensation to the owners. In other terms, it is involuntary transfer of property, with compensation, from a privately owned firm to a host country government. Expropriation may generate some funds for the owners. However, procedures to get paid from the government are sometimes protracted and the final amount remains low. Furthermore, if no compensation is paid, conflicts may erupt between the host country and the country of the expropriated firm.For instance, the relations between U. S. and Cuba acknowledge such situation, since Cuba does not offer compensation to U. S. firms that have their assets sized. 3(*)  Also, expropriation can refrain other companies from investing in the concerned country. Confiscation  is another type of ownership risk similar to expropriation, except compensation. It is in voluntary transfer of property, no compensation, from a privately owned firm to a host country government. In confiscation, firms do not receive any funds from government. Thereby, it represents a more risky situation for foreign firms.Some industries are more vulnerable to confiscation than others because of their importance to the host countries and their lack of ability to shift operations. Sectors such as mining, energy, public utilities, and banking have been targets of such government actions. Domestication  offers to governments a subtle control over the foreign investments. There is a partial ownership transfer and companies are urged to prioritize local production and to retain a large share of the profit within the country. Domestication can negatively impact the international marketer activities, as well as that of the entire firm.For example, if foreign companies are forced to hire nationals as managers, poor cooperation and communication can result. If domestication w as imposed within a short time span, poorly trained and inexperienced local managers would head the firm operations with possible lost of profits. Other government actions-related risks  are less dangerous but more common such as  boycott, sabotage. When facing shortage of foreign currency, government, sometimes, attempts to  control the movement of capital  in and out of the country. Often,  exchange controls  are levied selectively against certain products or companies.Exchange controls limit importation of goods so that firms might be confronted with difficulties in their regular transactions. Severe restrictions on import  can be a motive for foreign corporate to shut down. Governments may also raise the tax rate applied to foreign investors in order to control them and their capital. Government may implement a  price control system. Such control uses to derive from a sensitive political situation. For example, social pressure may result in a kind of price standa rdization for particular sectors like food, transportation, fuel, and healthcare.Political risks like arms conflicts, insurrection may affect all firms in the country equally. For that reason they are called  macro political risks. Unlike, nationalization, strikes, expropriation may affect only a handful and specific firm, they are named  micro political risks. Impact of some political risks Some negative effects of political risks on firm are summarized in the following table. Table 1. Holistic table summarizing the major political risks and their effects on firms TYPES| IMPACT ON FIRMS| Expropriation| Loss of future profits| | | Confiscation| Loss of assets| Loss of future profits| | | Campaigns against foreign goods| Loss of sales| | Increased costs of public relations efforts to improve public image| | | Mandatory labor benefits legislation| Increased operating costs| | | Kidnappings, terrorists threats, and other forms of violence| Disrupted production| | Increased security costs| | Increased managerial costs| | Lower productivity| | | Civil wars| Destruction of property| | Lost sales| | Disruption of production| | Increased security costs| | Lower productivity| | | Inflation| Higher operating costs| | Repatriation| Inability to transfer funds freely| | | Currency devaluations| Reduced value of repatriated earnings| | | Increased taxation| Lower after-tax profits| | | Source, Ricky W. Griffin, International business, 2005, page 73 In long run, and depending on the severity of the risks, action taken by government may decrease income and be detrimental to the host country economy. Strong political risks that are deeply rooted in the country governance habit might be barriers to foreign investment and country prosperity. What is going on in West Africa?

Pre Civil War DBQ essays

Pre Civil War DBQ essays From 1861 to 1865 our nation faced a national crisis. The American Civil War devastated the nation, and tried to put an end to the many disputes that trouble the United States of America. The Civil War had many different causes, but three of those stand out above the rest. The three reasons that were important to laying the groundwork for the Civil War were abolitionism, The Dred Scott Decision, and The Kansas-Nebraska Act. One of the major causes of the Civil War was abolitionism. The rise of slavery in the early 1800s caused increased tension among the southern slave owners and the northern elite. The Southerners believed that the slaves they owned were better off than the northern wage slaves and that the southern society was superior. The slave owners also believed that the slaves were like children that needed to be taken care of until their death. Obviously, the northern elitists disagreed with the southerners arguments and began the abolitionist movement. The abolitionists used the horrible stories of the lives of slaves to sway the people to the ideals of anti-slavery. Abolitionists called the slave owners sinners and claimed that they were immoral humans. The slave owners stated that they were just using slaves industriously, because the nation depended on cotton. This was true, because the northerners did depend on the southern cotton. The southerners were also very upset at the accu sations of their immorality, because they believed that the slaves made their society superior and stable. William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society and published a newspaper called the Liberator, which bashed southern ideals and talked of anti-slavery. Frederick Douglas was another widely known abolitionist. Douglas gave speeches around the country about what it was like being a slave. These personal accounts converted many to the abolitionist move ...

Answers to Questions About Plurals

Answers to Questions About Plurals Answers to Questions About Plurals Answers to Questions About Plurals By Mark Nichol Here are DailyWritingTips.com readers’ queries about plural usage, and my responses. 1. Is staff singular or plural? Staff can be either singular or plural, though the singular form is preferred: â€Å"The staff is encouraged by the new policy† is correct. â€Å"The staff are encouraged by the new policy† is also correct but is better rendered â€Å"The staff members are encouraged by the new policy.† â€Å"Staff members are encouraged by the new policy,† however, has a slightly different connotation; when staff is preceded by the, the implication is that the opinion is one of consensus. Without the, it’s assumed that the conclusion is based on a sampling, though that distinction would be clearer if the sentence read, â€Å"Some [or many, or another qualifier] staff members are encouraged by the new policy.† 2. â€Å"Is shingles referring to the disease, not the roof covering singular or plural?† Shingles or any similar condition (hives, measles, mumps) should be referred to with a singular verb: â€Å"Shingles is more common in adults than in children.† If that seems awkward, you could write, for example, â€Å"Contracting shingles is more common in adults than in children.† 3. I am confused about something, specifically singular and plural usage when writing about music groups. For instance, I might write about the fictional music group Music Band: â€Å"At last night’s concert, Music Band was awesome!† I have been told it is more correct to say, â€Å"At last night’s concert, Music Band were awesome!† Which is more correct? Isn’t was more correct when referring to the band as a whole? And yet, almost every instance I’ve seen uses were instead of was, which just doesn’t sound right to me. In American English, the verb should be consistent with the form of the name. Plural-style names (â€Å"the Beatles†) take plural verbs, and singular-style names (â€Å"the Who†) take singular verbs. In British English, both forms take a plural verb. (This post discusses these usages and the convention for references to sports teams.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?Latin Plural Endings7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Ancient chinese civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ancient chinese civilization - Essay Example From the novel The Three Kingdoms, we see that the Chinese society around that period greatly valued loyalty as a strong virtue that bounded together two or more people who had the same ambitions and mission. Loyalty was so important during this age such that there were vows which were cited either in secrecy or at a very serene place. The first instance when loyalty was displayed was when the three brothers came together in fraternity to bind themselves in a code of honor that greatly guided their future actions and also kept them strong even when they were on the brink of dying. The oath was a very important symbol of unity and loyalty to one another as their words suggested i.e. â€Å"we three Lui Pei, Kuan Yu and Chang Fei, though of separate birth, now bind ourselves in brotherhood, combining our strength and purpose to relive the present crisis (Lo Kuan-Chung & Moss Roberts, page 9)†. Loyalty was basically what the leadership in China was based on. Every leader throughout the novel, the three kingdoms, demanded that of all their subjects as there was always an imminent attack on them by those who were dissatisfied by the leadership. We see those loyal to the throne being treated well and showered with gifts so that they continue being loyal and expose those they suspected of disloyalty. Disloyalty was a serious offence not tolerable in the Chinese society during this period and any slight sign of disloyalty normally led to nothing less than execution. This punishment as if not severe enough, would be followed by the execution of the ‘traitor’s’ whole house hold. There are many cases where this was evident, for instance in the case where Ts’ao Ts’ao realized of the plot to kill him, he first apprehended Ping and tortured him for days. Thereafter he went on to arrest the other six conspirators, including Tung Cheng. They were all executed together with their household (women and children alike) bringing the