Science Investigatory Project Essay Example for Free

Science Investigatory Project Essay Abstract The pineapple is one of the leading products in the Philippines, as it thrives in tropical climates. However, the pineapple peelings have low commercial value and are therefore merely thrown away, contributing to the Philippines waste problem. This study entitled â€Å"Saccharification of Pineapple Ananas comosus peelings through Dilute Acid Hydrolysis† was conducted to know the concentration of sugar content which can be used for other purposes like bioethanol. Three samples were used, each sample was composed of two trials; S1T1 (60 degree Celsius for 30 min. ), S1T2 (60 degree Celsius for 60 min.), S2T1 (70 degree Celsius for 30 min.), S2T2 (70 degree Celsius for 60 min.), S3T1 (80 degree Celsius for 30 min.), S3T2 (80 degree Celsius for 60 min). The phenol- sulfuric acid method was used to determine the concentration of sugar content present in the substrate. The test revealed that the dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way and can saccharify pineapple peelings based on the standard curve. However, the temperature and time was found out that they both have no significant difference in yielding greater concentration of sugar as what as the statistical analysis revealed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann Whitney U-test. INTRODUCTION Background of the study Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit which are coalesced berries. Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation. It can be grown as an ornamental, especially from the leafy tops. Some sources say that the plant will flower after about 24 months produce a fruit during the following six months while others indicate a 20-month timetable. Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned or juiced. It is popularly used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and infruit cocktail. The popularity of the pineapple is due to its sweet-sour taste containing 15% sugar and malic and citric fruit acids. It is also high in vitamin B1, B2, B6 and C. Its protein-digesting enzyme bromelain seems to help digestion at the end of a high protein meal. In the Philippines, pineapple leaves are used as the source of a textile fiber called pià ±a. The pineapple is a herbaceous short-lived perennial plant which grows to 1.0 to 1.5 metres ( 3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall. The plant only produces one fruit and then dies. Commercially suckers that appear around the base are cultivated. It has 30 or more long, narrow, fleshy, trough-shaped leaves with sharp spines along the margins that are 30 to 100 centimetres (1.0 to 3.3 ft) long, surrounding a thick stem. In the first year of growth the axis lengthens and thickens, bearing numerous leaves in close spirals. After 12 to 20 months the stem grows into a spike-like inflorescence up to 15 cm long with over 100 spirally arranged, trimerous flowers, each subtended by a bract. Flower colours vary, depending on variety, from lavender, through light purple to red. The ovaries develop into berries which coalesce into a large, compact, multiple accessory fruit. The fruit of a pineapple is arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction, thirteen in the other, each being a Fibonacci number. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple) Saccharification is the process of breaking a complex carbohydrate into its monosaccharide components. It is the hydrolysis of carbohydrates such as cellulose and starch. It increases hydrolysis rates by reducing product inhibition of enzymes and reduces tank usage by combining the processes into one (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saccharification) Phenol Sulfuric Acid Method is an example of a colorimetric method that is widely used to determine the total concentration of carbohydrates present in foods. A clear aqueous solution of carbohydrates to be analyzed is placed in a test tube, then phenol and sulfuric acid are added.The solution turns a yellow- orange color as a result of the interaction between the carbohydrates and phenol. The sulfuric acid causes all non- reducing sugars to be converted to reducing sugars so that this method determines the total sugar present. This method is non- stoichemetric and so it is necessary to prepare a calibration curve using a series of standard known carbohydrate concentration (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenol-sulfuric acid method). Dilute Acid Hydrolysis is a process of hydrolyzing lignocellulosic materials by subjecting dried lignocellulosic material in a reactor to a catalyst comprised of a dilute solution of a strong acid to lower the activation energy of cellulose hydrolysis and ultimately obtain higher sugar yields (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilute acid hydrolysis). Statement of the Problem This study aims to saccharify pineapple Ananas comosus peelings through dilute acid hydrolysis. Specifically, the study attempts: 1. To know whether the dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way of yielding concentration of sugar from pineapple peelings; 2. To determine whether the temperature has an effect on the concentration of sugar; 3. To determine whether the length of time of reacion can affect the concentration of sugar that will be obtained. Hypothesis: 1. The dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way of yielding a greater concentration of sugar. 2. The higher the temperature of the solution, the greater the concentration. 3. The longer the time of reaction, the greater the concentration of sugar that will be obtained. Significance of the study On average, 435,000 metric tons of pineapples are produced annually in the Philippines, which is one of the country’s leading commercial fruit products. However, there are a lot of unused excess parts of the pineapple, notably the peelings, which are considered as waste and contribute to the country’s garbage problem. This study aims to utilize pineapple peelings as a substrate for Saccharification process through dilute acid hydrolysis. By means of this, the concentration of sugar present in this biomass can be determined which can be use for other purposes and for other studies such as producing bioethanol or even biofuel. Scope and Limitation This study is limited to the use of pineapple Ananas comosus peelings as a substrate for the saccharification process. The peel samples were bought from the market. The experiment was conducted at Chemical Engineering where the chemicals and other laboratory materials were obtained located at University of the Philippines at Los Baà ±os, Laguna from November to December 2010. The study focuses only on the determination of the concentration of sugar present in the pineapple peelings. Definition of Terms Absorbance- is defined as the ratio of the radiant flux absorbed by a body to that incident upon it. Glucose- is called as a simple sugar or monosaccharide Saccharification the process of breaking a complex carbohydrate (as starch or cellulose) into its monosaccharide components Spectrophotometer- consists of two instruments, namely a spectrometer for producing light of any selected color (wavelength), and a photometer for measuring the intensity of light. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a clear, colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is very corrosive. Sugar- is a term for a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose characterized by a sweet flavor. In food, sugar almost exclusively refers to sucrose, which primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet. Standard curve- is a quantitative research tool, a method of plotting assay data that is used to determine the concentration of a substance. It can be used in many biological experiments.

Tesco Retail Business Analysis

Tesco Retail Business Analysis Tesco is one of the largest food retailers in the world, operating around 2,318 stores and employing over 326,000 people. As well as operating in the UK, it has stores in the rest of Europe and Asia. It also provides online services through its subsidiary, Tesco.com. The UK is the companys largest market operating under four banners: Extra, Superstore, Metro and Express. Tesco sells approximately 40,000 food products in its superstores, as well as clothing and other non-food lines. The companys own-label products are at three levels, value, normal and finest. Own brand accounts for approximately 50% of sales. As well as convenience produce, many stores have gas stations. The company has become one of Britains largest petrol independent retailers. Other retailing services offered in the UK include Tesco Personal Finance and Tesco.com. Tesco Personal Finance is a joint venture with the Royal Bank of Scotland. It has over 3.4 million customers, and provides various financial products and services. The company has operations in the rest of Europe, including the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Turkey. In Asia, the company operates in Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Tescos Republic of Ireland business operates in the region of 82 stores, and around 60 stores in the Hungarian market. Tescos Polish operations include former HIT operated stores. It operates around 66 hypermarkets and supermarkets in this country. In the Czech Republic and Slovakian markets, Tesco operates 22 and 23 hypermarkets respectively. Tesco also operates stores in Asia, including Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The company operates 64 stores in Thailand and 28 stores in the South Korean Market, while in the Taiwanese and Malaysian markets it has three stores in each nation. HISTORY: Tesco was originated in the markets of Londons East End, where in 1914, war veteran Jack Cohen began to sell groceries. The brand name of Tesco first appeared on packets of tea in the 1920s. Tesco was an amalgamation of the initials of T.E. Stockwell, a partner in the firm of tea suppliers, and the first two letters of Cohen. The first Tesco store was founded in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware. Following the success of self service stores in the US, Mr. Cohen opened the first Tesco self-service store in St. Albans in 1948. Gradually the business expanded from stores to supermarkets, and by the early 1960s, Tesco had become a familiar household name, selling household goods and clothing. In 1974, the company set up petrol stations at its major sites, selling fuel at competitive prices. In 1979, the companys annual turnover reached  £1 billion for the first time. In the 1990s Tesco continued to tighten its grip on the UK with more store openings and an aggressive marketing campaign in an attempt to overtake Sainsburys as the UKs leading grocer. In 1992, the company launched is slogan every little helps, followed by the Tesco Value range in 1993. This was followed by the launch of the Tesco Club card scheme in 1995, helping Tesco to overtake rival Sainsburys as the UKs largest food retailer. 1996 saw the retailer introduce its first 24-hour store while it also expanded overseas opening shops in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. In 1997 Tesco appointed Sir Terry Leahy as chief executive. Tesco.com was launched in 2000 and the supermarket continued to expand its range of products, which now includes clothes, electrical and personal finance products. In 2004 Tesco entered the broadband market. Two years ago, in 2006, the retailer announced ambitious plans to open stores in the US under the name Fresh and Easy and funded by existing resources. Tesco now operates in 13 countries. Today it reported that group sales were  £51.8bn in the year to February 23 2008. Pre-tax profit rose to  £2.8bn. In 2008 the retail giant took its conquest of the UK one step further by buying up some rival Somerfield stores on remote islands in Scotland, giving Tesco a presence in every single postcode area in the country. As it stands there is only one postcode in the UK in Harrogate in North Yorkshire which does not have a Tesco. MAJOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK, operating around 2,318 stores worldwide. Its Products and services include: ENVIORMENTAL ANALYSIS What Is an Environmental Analysis? Environmental analysis is relatively qualitative and involves the identification of and analysis of environmental variables, which affect the business. Definition: Environmental Analysis Environmental analysis for a business looks at the factors inherent in a businesss environment that may have some impact thereof. This type of analysis is relatively qualitative and involves the identifying, scanning, analyzing and forecasting of the environmental variables. Some frameworks of environmental analysis have received large amounts of attention in the world of business management literature, such as SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis. Why Environmental Analysis? Environmental analysis will help you understand what is happening both inside and outside your organization and to increase the probability that the organizational strategies you develop will appropriately reflect your organizational environment. Three Levels of Organizational Environment In order to perform an environmental analysis, you must thoroughly understand how organizational environments are structured. For purposes of environmental analysis, you can divide the environment of your organization into three distinct levels: internal environment, operating environment, and general environment. COMPETITORS ANALYSIS What Is a Competitors Analysis? Competitive analysis is the practice of analyzing the competitive environment in which your business operates (or wishes to operate), including strengths and weaknesses of the businesses with which you compete, strengths and weaknesses of your own company, demographics and desires of marketplace customers, strategies that can improve your position in the marketplace, impediments that prevent you from entering new markets, and barriers that you can erect to prevent others from eroding your own place in the market. Definition: Competitors Analysis Competitors Analysis also called competitive analysis, the process of identifying the performance and marketing strategy of competitive brands or products in the marketplace. In order to plan an effective marketing strategy, marketers need to know about the competitive environment and to find out all they can about competitors products, prices, communication channels quality, and service so as to determine areas of competitive advantage and disadvantage. Why Competitors Analysis? Some businesses think it is best to get on with their own plans and ignore the competition. Others become obsessed with tracking the actions of competitors (often using underhand or illegal methods). Many businesses are happy simply to track the competition, copying their moves and reacting to changes. Competitor analysis has several important roles in strategic planning: To help management understand their competitive advantages/disadvantages relative to competitors To generate understanding of competitors past, present (and most importantly) future strategies To provide an informed basis to develop strategies to achieve competitive advantage in the future To help forecast the returns that may be made from future investments (e.g. how will competitors respond to a new product or pricing strategy? Questions to ask What questions should be asked when undertaking competitor analysis? The following is a useful list to bear in mind: Who are our competitors? What threats do they pose? What is the profile of our competitors? What are the objectives of our competitors? What strategies are our competitors pursuing and how successful are these strategies? What are the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors? How are our competitors likely to respond to any changes to the way we do business? ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING OPERATION What Is an Analysis OF THE MARKETING OPERATION? Marketing Operations is the function responsible for marketing performance measurement, strategic planning and budgeting, process development, professional development, and marketing systems and data. Definition: Analysis OF THE MARKETING OPERATION The purpose of the Marketing Operations function is both to increase marketing efficiency and to build a foundation for excellence by reinforcing marketing with processes, technology, metrics, and best practices. Marketing operations enables an organization to run the marketing function as a fully accountable business. Marketing operations is about performance, financial management, strategic planning, marketing resource, and skills assessment and management. Why Analysis OF THE MARKETING OPERATION? The marketing operations plan is designed to identify where we are as a district now and where we are going. It is a usable planning document that reviews the past years production and identifies strong points and problem areas. The operations plan is designed to accomplish the following: Stimulates thinking to make better use of available resources Reduces crisis management Assigns responsibilities and schedules work Improves communications within the command Coordinates and unifies efforts Facilitates control, monitoring, and evaluation of results Provides source marketing information for current and future reference Facilitates progressive advancement toward a goal ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING STRATEGIES What Is an ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING STRATEGIES? Marketing strategy is a method of focusing an organizations energies and resources on a course of action which can lead to increased sales and dominance of a targeted market niche. A marketing strategy combines product development, promotion, distribution, pricing, relationship management and other elements; identifies the firms marketing goals, and explains how they will be achieved, ideally within a stated timeframe. Marketing strategy determines the choice of target market segments, positioning, marketing mix, and allocation of resources. It is most effective when it is an integral component of overall firm strategy, defining how the organization will successfully engage customers, prospects, and competitors in the market arena. Definition: ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING STRATEGIES Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. A marketing strategy should be centred on the key concept that customer satisfaction is the main goal. Why ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING STRATEGIES? A marketing strategy can serve as the foundation of a marketing plan. A marketing plan contains a set of specific actions required to successfully implement a marketing strategy. For example: Use a low cost product to attract consumers. Once our organization, via our low cost product, has established a relationship with consumers, our organization will sell additional, higher-margin products and services that enhance the consumers interaction with the low-cost product or service. A strategy consists of a well thought out series of tactics to make a marketing plan more effective. Marketing strategies serve as the fundamental underpinning of marketing plans designed to fill market needs and reach marketing objectives. Plans and objectives are generally tested for measurable results. A marketing strategy often integrates an organizations marketing goals, policies, and action sequences (tactics) into a cohesive whole. Similarly, the various strands of the strategy , which might include advertising, channel marketing, internet marketing, promotion and public relations can be orchestrated. Many companies cascade a strategy throughout an organization, by creating strategy tactics that then become strategy goals for the next level or group. Each one group is expected to take that strategy goal and develop a set of tactics to achieve that goal. This is why it is important to make each strategy goal measurable. Marketing strategies are dynamic and interactive. They are partially planned and partially unplanned. PESTLE ANALYSIS OF TESCO: POLITICAL Following the European Integration and Free Trade Agreements, the market has opened up for British Companies to invest in Eastern Europe. Tesco already has 60 Hypermarket store in Hungary. Lidl is uncompromisingly fighting to maintain its market share with an aggressive pricing strategy. ECONOMIC the Retail sector is fairly recession prawn and also very sensitive to changes in interest rates. Since the events of September 11th the world economies have suffered heavily, stocks plummeted and prices are at all time lows. The world economy is however, now on the up post September 11th. Consumers are optimistic and the retail industry is once again booming. SOCIAL changes in consumer taste and lifestyle represent both opportunities and threats for the industry. Opportunities in terms of new market and consumers, however, there are added threats in terms of alternative established Swedish national retailers (foreign company bias). TECHNICAL Changes in retailing methods as such clothes sales via the Internet is now a common place in retailing. Paperless operation, the management and administration of the company are undertaken on IT systems, which are accessed through secure servers; provide flexibility in the running of the business. As Sweden is at the forefront of technological advancement with national companies like Ericsson, Tesco would enjoy the comprehensive logistics and distribution channels already in place. LEGAL National legislation for health and safety both in terms of consumer rights and also in terms of production of own natural renewable resources for making clothes. ENVIRONMENTAL The renewable source of resources used in production, namely cotton and wool are environmentally friendly. The threats are in terms of legal consequences for livestocks in terms of health and safety. TESCOS STRATEGIC OPTIONS: GENERIC STRATEGIES: Generic Strategies are characterised by an individual retailers response to the industry structure. For a giant retailer, such as Tesco, to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage they should follow either one of three generic strategies, developed by Porter. The first strategy of cost leadership is one in which Tesco can strive to have the lowest costs in the industry and offer its products and services to a broad market at the lowest prices. This strategy will be based on the Tescos ability to control their operating costs so well that they are able to price their products competitively and be able to generate high profit margins, thus having a significant competitive advantage. If Tesco uses another strategy of differentiation, than it has to try to offer services and products with unique features that customers value. Tesco will be able to create brand loyalty for their offerings, and thus, price inelasticity on the part of buyers. Breadth of product offerings, technology, special features, or customer service are popular approaches to differentiation. The last strategy of focus can be either a cost leadership or differentiation strategy aimed toward a narrow, focused market. In pursuing a cost leadership strategy Tesco focuses on the creation of internal efficiencies that will help them withstand external pressures. Therefore, it appears reasonable to think that Tesco will have frequent interactions with the governmental/regulatory and supplier sectors of the environment MARKET OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTATION Strategy frameworks and structuring tools are key to assessing the business situation. Risk and value trade-offs are made explicit, leading to concrete proposals to add value and reduce risk. Explicit plans for action, including effective planning need to be developed by Tesco as the strategic alternative. From the generic strategies discussed above, Tesco is likely to employ two strategic options that are also likely to be primary market objectives of focus on market development though partnerships and diversification through new product development. Market Development Strategy: Joint Developments and Strategic Alliances By entering new markets like China and Japan it can serve as a key growth driver of the companys revenues and expansion strategy. Tescos interests in Japan are likely to continue growing in due course, as Asian markets are showing an increase in consumer spending and increased trend towards retailing. These new markets are also demographically high opportunity markets. In the case of Tesco, one of the suggested strategic options is in international alliances with the local retailers in Asian markets. It will be considered as a method of development and may be formed to exploit current resources and competence. By entering into joint ventures or partnerships, in order to gain a larger economy of scale and larger market presence, Tesco will draw on the extensive local knowledge and operating expertise of the partner whilst adding its own supply chain, product development and stores operations skills to deliver a better shopping experience to customers. However, given the huge scale, potential and complexities of these markets, Tesco may feel that being the first mover is not necessarily an advantage. The success of the partnership will be related to three main success criteria: sustainability, acceptability and feasibility. Sustainability will be concerned with whether a strategy addresses the circumstances in which the company is operating. It is ab out the rationale of this expansion-market development strategy. The acceptability relates to the expected return from the strategy, the level of risk and the likely reaction of stakeholders. Feasibility will be regarded to whether Tesco has the resources and competence to deliver the strategy. CONCLUSION The success of the Tesco shows how far the branding and effective service delivery can come in moving beyond splashing ones logo on a billboard. It had fostered powerful identities by making their retailing concept into a virus and spending it out into the culture via a variety of channels: cultural sponsorship, political controversy, consumer experience and brand extensions. In a rapidly changing business environment with a high competitors pressure Tesco have to adopt new expansion strategies or diversified the existing in order to sustain its leading market position in an already established retailing market. The company must constantly adapt to the fast changing circumstances. Strategy formulation should therefore be regarded as a process of continuous learning, which includes learning about the goals, the effect of possible actions towards these goals and how to implement and execute these actions. The quality of a formulated strategy and the speed of its implementation will therefore directly depend on the quality of Tescos cognitive and behavioural learning processes. In large organizations as Tesco strategy should be analysed and implemented at various levels within the hierarchy. These different levels of strategy should be related and mutually supporting. Tescos strategy at a corporate level defines the businesses in which Tesco will compete, in a way that focuses resources to convert distinctive competence into competitive advantage.

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens :: essays research papers

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens "My main object in this story was, to exhibit in a variety of aspects the commonest of all the vices: to show how Selfishness propagates itself; and to what a grim giant it may grow, from small beginnings"- Charles Dickens about the purpose of his novel: Martin Chuzzlewit (130)"Because the selfish man sees no common interest or bond between himself and the rest of his world he is free from moral compunction, free to construct a false self, mask, rà ´le, or persona, and at pains to protect his real self from the encroachments of a hostile world." - Joseph Gold (131)"Any kind of imagination separated from its material or emanation becomes a Spectre of Selfhood"- Blake (134) 12/20/96Selfishness Versus Goodness and Hypocrisy Versus CandorIn his book, Joseph Gold gives us a rundown on how selfishness embodies itself throughout Martin Chuzzlewit. He analyses likely symbols in the book, which gave me more of an insight and a new perspective that helped me vie w the main characters and their transformation in a different setting. Selfishness and hypocrisy mark their victims with false shells and distorted personalities and lead them to believe in their superiority over mankind. This renders them incapable of experiencing anything real and leave them fumbling after false truths, while taking advantage of the pure at heart. This seems to be the essence of what Gold wants to communicate with his analysis.Pecksniff is the hypocrite who shuns no one when it comes to him making a profit. Unconscious of his inability to self-reflect or perhaps proud of his exalted virtuousness, Pecksniff is the epitome of righteousness, as Gold explains; he is in the book to display the extreme and helps clarify America’s role as a "national Pecksniff". Through him do Thomas Pinch and Martin Chuzzlewit the Elder finally open their eyes to their own lesser vices; Pinch’s naà ¯ve behavior changes after confronted with the real, or should I say false shell of, Pecksniff, while Chuzzlewit Sr. sees parts of himself in Pecksniff and is at the same time reminded of true virtue, honesty and human interdependence through Thomas Pinch. Gold goes thoroughly into an analysis of the paradigm between Jonas and the Book of Jonah, both characters fleeing from their own selves; it isn’t until they accept the wale, as Sairey Gamp puts it, signifying Jonah’s return to God in the whale’s stomach, that they can reach self-fulfillment.

Teens and Sex - Sex in the New Millinium :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Sex in the New Millinium    References to sexuality and sexual activities seem s to surround the American public in everything we do. Movies, music, the Bible, religion and politics are all related to sexuality and sexual activities in one way or another.    MTV, the first 24-hour music network, has been structured around youths ranging from the age of 12 to 34. In fact 28% of their viewership is under the age of 18. You ask why bring MTV into something sexual? Well, the music videos shown tend to center their theme on gender portrayal sand sexual or violent content. Women are portrayed as passive characters and sexual objects. 81% of the videos that contain violence also contain sexual imagery. Some videos that contain certain lyrics and actions about sexuality and sexual behavior can encourage a na†¹ve child to do something that they should not be doing. So why do producers keep making videos that are so harmful to our youth? They do this because sexual imagery increases the appeal of the music videos. Certainly, the language of music videos includes a variety of symbols and images.    For any individual, regardless of sexual inclination, to embrace the vague sexual desires is to claim a nature that God never intended for us. On the other hand, to make sharp distinctions among human beings, in terms of à ¾homosexuals and heterosexualsà ¾, is underestimating how permanently self-referential and self-absorbed our society is. How does the church feel about sexuality? A individual is not born à ¾gayà ¾ or à ¾straightà ¾ they are born à ¾maleà ¾ or à ¾femaleà ¾. The church of the 90à ¾s has accepted the gay community for whom they are and what they believe in. However, they feel that God did not create them with these ideas in mind. The gays just acquired them from society.    Something that I came across time and time again as I researched sexuality was what is the main influence on someone that helps them decide their sexuality and their sexual actions? Through research, it seems as though our society is convinced that parents and the educational system must interact with young children and teach them about sex. By instilling strong morals and values in our children, parents feel that they will make the à ¾rightà ¾ decisions when it comes to anything sexual. But who is the one to decide what is à ¾rightà ¾ and what is à ¾wrongà ¾.

Death Penalty in Philippines Essay

During Spanish colonial rule, the most common method of executions were shooting by the firing squad (especially for treason/military crimes, usually reserved for independence fighters) and garrotte (a notable case would be the Gomburza). A prominent example is the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, who was executed by firing squad on the morning of December 30, 1896. In 1926, the electric chair was introduced, by the United States colonial government. This made the Philippines the only country besides the United States to employ this method. The last colonial-era execution took place under Governor-General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. in February 1932. There were no executions under Manuel L. Quezon, the Commonwealth’s first President.[2] 1946 to 1986 The capital crimes after regaining full independence were murder, rape and treason. Notable cases includes Julio Gullien, executed on for attempting to assassinate President Manuel Roxas, or Marcial â€Å"Baby† Ama, electrocuted at the age of 16 on October 4, 1961. â€Å"Baby† Ama became a subject of a famous 1976 film Bitayin Si baby Ama. Totally, 51 people were electrocuted until 1961. Another famous death penalty case was of former powerful Governor of Negros Occidental Rafael Lacson and 22 of his allies, condemded to die in August 1954 for murder of a political opponent.[6] Ultimately, Lacson was never executed. Executions number climbed under President Ferdinand Marcos. Ironically, Marcos himself was sentenced to death in 1939 for murder of his father’s political opponent, although he was accquited during appeal. A well-publicised triple execution took place in May 1972, when Jaime Josà ©, Basilio Pineda, and Edgardo Aquino were electrocuted for the 1967 ab duction and gang-rape of the young actress Maggie dela Riva. Under the Marcos regime, drug trafficking also became punishable with death by firing squad. A notable execution was that of drug trafficker Lim Seng, whose death in December 1972 was broadcast on national television. Future President and then Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, GeneralFidel V. Ramos, was present at the scene. The electric chair was used until 1976, when execution by firing squad eventually replaced it as the sole method of execution. During the Marcos regime, however, countless more people were summarily executed, tortured, or simply disappeared for opposition to his rule. neutrality is disputed After Marcos was deposed in 1986, the newly-drafted Constitution limited the application of the death penalty to a certain few crimes. This in effect meant that it was totally abolished, making the Philippines the first Asian country to do so. Reinstatement and moratorium President Fidel V. Ramos promised during his campaign that he would support the reintroduction of the death penalty in response to increasing crime rates. The new law, drafted by Ramos, restored capital punishment by defining â€Å"heinous crimes† as everything from murder to stealing a car. This law provided the use of the electric chair until the gas chamber (chosen by the government to replace electrocution) could be installed. The first execution by lethal injection took place under Ramos’ successor, Joseph Estrada, following on a personal appeal by his spiritual advisor, Bishop Teodoro Bacani. Estrada called a moratorium in 2000 to honour the bimillenial anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Executions were resumed a year later. Estrada’s own successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was a vocal opponent and also approved a moratorium, but later permitted executions and denied pardons. Second abolition On 15 April 2006, the sentences of 1,230 death row inmates were commuted to life imprisonment, in what Amnesty International believes to be the â€Å"largest ever commutation of death sentences† Capital punishment was again abolished via Republic Act No. 9346, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 24 June 2006. The bill followed a vote held in Congress earlier that month which overwhelmingly supported the abolition of the practice . The penalties of life imprisonmentand reclusion perpetua (indeterminate sentence, 30-year minimum) replaced the death penalty. Critics of Arroyo’s initiative called it a political move meant to placate the Roman Catholic Church, some sectors of which were increasingly vocal in their opposition to her rule. Aftermath President Arroyo controversially pardoned many prisoners during her presidency, including a 2009 pardon for all remaining felons convicted for the 1983 assassination of former Senator and opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. Methods The Philippines was the only country aside from the United States that used the electric chair. Until its first abolition in 1987, the country reverted to using death by firing squad. After re-introduction of the death penalty in 1993, the country switched to lethal injection as its sole method of execution.

Health Care in United States Essay

The United States, as a leading developed country, is very attractive to many foreigners. Everyone dreams of coming to the United Sates to study or work. However, they are concerned about their health care while stay in the United States. The health care system in the United States is problematic. It is so extensive and complicated that it is almost impossible for the government to make everyone satisfied. Reformation of health care occurred many times in the history. President Bill Clinton tried to overhaul the health care system and failed. Before Clinton’s failure it had been Carter’s. Before Carter’s it had been Nixon’s. The health care system in the United States has several major problems. Among all of them, insurance policy is the core issue. The Unites States is the only developed country, except for South Korea, that does not provide healthcare for all of its citizens (Farrell). According to the research, there are still 50.7 million people uninsured, which is 16% of the United States population (about one in six people), or the combined population of 25 average-sized states, such as Oklahoma, Connecticut, Iowa, Mississippi, and Kansas (Parker-Pope). The main cause is that the price for health insurance is too high. Many people are not able to pay insurance premiums and over these years the situation has been getting worse and worse. During the past eight years, insurance premiums have nearly doubled, resulting in health insurance moving farther out of reach for millions (Farrell; Klein). Despite millions of people cannot afford medical insurance; the government do not have a solution. The government now only pays two kinds of insurance. Medicare is a program set up for senior citizens (65 or older). Most of them retire and do not have any income sources. Therefore the government offers them insurance. Medicaid is established for the disabled or those with low income. However, the criterion of qualifying low income is incomplete and farfetched. Those two programs were originally set for great purposes; now they are associated with many frauds. For example, federal authorities announced on May 2 they had arrested 107 health care providers, including doctors and nurses, in several cities and charged them with cheating Medicare out of $452 million (Matthews). Medicaid is just as bad, or worse. New York City has been a huge problem for Medicaid with one former official suggesting that 40% of NYC’s Medicaid payments are â€Å"questionable.† The New York Times reported that a Brooklyn dentist had filed 991 claims in one day (Matthews). These two kinds  of government support have many problems, and while there is benefit to those really in need, a major overhaul is needed. Generally, despite Medicare and Medicaid, there are two ways to get insured. One is employer-based which the employers pay premiums for employees. In that sense, employees do not have opportunity to choose their own health plan. The employers choose for their workers. Once one looses his or her job, the insurance plan automatically become invalid and one has to pay for his or her own premium. Due to this reason, many people are bonded to their current jobs. However, if one does not have a job or has a part-time job that the employers do not pay for premium because of shortage of working hours, one has to purchase his or her insurance plan. Individual plans can be quiet very expensive, especially for families. Statistics showed that Americans spend more than any other country in the world. In 2005, per capita, or per person spending on medical insurance was $6,697 (Klein). Medical insurance is so costly that it takes up ten percent of an average American’s annual income. The U.S. spends a higher percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare than other industrialized countries. In 2003, it was 15%, versus an average of 8.6% in the OECD nations (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group of major industrialized countries). Federal spending on healthcare in 2005 alone totaled $600 billion, a massive one-quarter of the federal budget. (Farrell). Although Americans spend so much they are still not receiving an equivalent amount of care. Approximately one-third (31%) of adults and a little more than one-half (54%) of children do not have a primary care doctor (Appendix A). Americans pay for advanced equipment in the hospital but only 30% of them report that they can access a doctor on the very day they need one, as opposed to 41% of Britons and 55% of Germans. A full 67% of Americans , more than in any other country, say it is difficult to get care on nights, weekends, or holidays and resort to the emergency room, where care is costlier and, if one’s injury is not grievous, less efficient (Klein). The waiting time is often too long and the treating time is too short. In the United States health care system, laws and regulations play essential roles within it. Supposedly, the PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is going to lower the insurance premium and make health plans affordable, reduce overall health care costs by making services available to  the 32 million who currently can not afford insurance (Amadeo). Now, only 49% of adults are receiving recommended preventative care and screening tests according to guidelines for their age and sex (Farrell). On the one hand, increased coverage would enable more people to receive preventative care. However, on the other hand, increased coverage may move the cost up rapidly because many people will receive preventative care and testing who, fortunately, find out they didn’t have that critical illness. However, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) found that additional testing, such as cancer screening and cholesterol tests, will lead to higher net medical spending (Amadeo). Therefore, if the expenditure is up, the tax must be raised to compensate the gap in between. Especially to those do not want to purchase insurance or are not qualified for Medicare or Medicaid, they would have nightmares. They will be assessed a tax of $95 (or 1% of income, whichever is higher) in 2014. It increases to $325 (or 2% of income) in 2015, and $695 (or 2.5% of income) in 2016 (Amadeo). Last but not least, the statistics conducted by Department of Health and Human Services demonstrates that National health-care spending per person will rise from $7421 in 2007 to estimated $13,100 in 2018 ( The Staff of The Washington Post)(Appendix B). The spending is almost doubled. The CBO also predicted that about four million people, 1.2% of population would end up paying more taxes to the government than paying their own insurance premium (Amadeo). As the health care gets more affordable, the pharmaceutical companies are going to give up enormous parts of their profit to make up the â€Å"doughnut hole† (a gap in prescription drug coverage) which is included in Medicare part D. Approximately extra $84.8 billion would be paid to fix the doughnut hole. Moreover, in 2013, medical-device manufacturers and importers will pay a 2.3% excise tax. Indoor tanning services already pay a 10% excise tax (Amadeo). This could discourage those businesses from hiring new employees, which is going to be a major problem in the future. Abortion is legal in the United States and there is a heated debate about it. An estimated 48 million babies have been aborted since 1973. Approximately 24% of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion (Abortion Statistics). Abortion contradicts to God’s word and it is immoral. In Job 10:8-12, â€Å"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk †¦Ã‚  and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit†. God clearly stated that abortion is not pleasing in His eyes. God also included in His great ten commandments: â€Å"You shall not murder.† Abortion is definitely considered murder. Psalm 127:3, â€Å"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him†, suggests that children are gift from God. God also indicates that kids are wonderful in Psalm 139:13-16. â€Å"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.† Therefore, abortion is inappropriate in the current health care law. In PPACA, the United States government is paying for birth control in order to reduce the abortion rate. Contraception is anti-life and unnatural; it also carries high risks. Contraception prevents people who might benefit humanity from being born (Summary of the arguments against contraception). Contraception is a personal choice that the government should not use taxpayers’ money to co-pay the prices. In this way, PPACA, the health plan passes by President Obama is unconstitutional. The government does not have the right to force citizens to buy insurance or to share the cost of birth control. To put all into a nutshell, the health care system in United States now is very costly and needs some major changes in regards to insurance policies and the budgets. Currently, the United States owes 16 trillion dollars to other countries, mostly to China. Health care is a major component for it. There are millions of people do not have primary care doctors and do not receive any treatment when sick. God bless the United States so much that most people do not need to worry about food or shelters. However, the government still needs to pay close attention to those do not have any form of health care. Instead of only trying to make to the goal with a band-aid approach, the government actually needs to think through the original problems with the system.

Basic Guide to PBL

Differential diagnosis List out the differential diagnosis as u can (Some pre-reading will help) -State the positive history, state the negative history -Dif dig can be added or deleted as more triggers are revealed 4. Further history -Based on the dif dig, discuss the further questions to support or rule out your dif dig 5. Learning Issues Now discuss learning issues to be done, and list down on the board Finally discuss expected findings if possible 6.Physical Examination -Briefly discuss the PEE to perform, the normal findings and the expected outcome for ACH of the dif diagnosis -SEE questions will come out in similar fashion so treat this seriously to score in exam Make sure to do ALL of this before moving to trigger 2.. Trigger 2 1. Physical Examinations -Now compare the findings in the trigger with the previously discussed PEE in trigger 1 -Discuss each signs and its pathologically (SEE questions) -Note down learning issues along the way -Rule out or add dif dig 2.Investigatio ns -Briefly discuss the Investigation to order and the expected outcome for each of the if diagnosis -Be systematic and group your investigations (Blood ‘X, Imaging, urine IX etc) -Name each ‘X, the reason to order the ‘X, normal value(if possible) and expected result. -SEE questions will come out in similar fashion so treat this seriously to score in exam Trigger 3 1. Investigations -Compare the findings with previously discussed IX in trigger 2 -Discuss normal value and try to interpret the data (SEE question) -Note down learning issues along the way -Rule out dif dig 2.Diagnosis – by this time, the accurate diagnosis should have been made. Do the ethicalness of the disease as learning issue (very important in SEE) 2. Management -Outline your management of this patient before proceeding to trigger 3 (SEE questions) 3 basic steps of Mix (a) Identify the cause – Egg. The diagnosis may be stroke but u need to find the cause of the stroke through furthe r IX (b) Treat the disease – Non-pharmacological/ Pharmacological/Surgery/Radiation therapy (c) Prevent the complications -Acute Xx -Chronic Xx Trigger 4 1 .Management -Compare the management in the trigger with the mix in your discussions -Do learning issue on mix that u do not understand Classes, pharmaceutics, pharmacological and mode of action is more than enough -Ignore the doses -If possible ask the tutor or other doctors what are the type of drugs used by SUMS b)Surgery and radiation therapy -Know the procedure(brief) and possible complication 2.Prognosis and Rehabilitation -Briefly discuss about the prognosis of this disease -Outline your rehabilitation plan 3. Summarize -Summarize the whole case and the important points that u have learned in this Pl – Do as if u r doing a case summary after a clinical presentation (Clinical question) AY