Interview With Special Education Teacher Essay

What she finds to be the most satisfying part of her job is when a parent is involved in their child’s education. This involvement and investment helps the student succeed. Unfortunately, there are many parents who don’t return calls or attend meetings, which really hinders the child’s ability to grow since they are not receiving the same support in the home as in the school. She also mentions how great of a staff she works with in her building. This ranges from speech therapy, hearing/ vision assistance, the counseling office, social workers, the career  center, reading services and numerous teachers. The staff has been meeting as a team for the entire ninth grade this school year because they have found that this class has many emotional needs. It is wonderful that there is a group of dedicated people who truly care for the students they work with. The most frustrating issue she and her team have faced this year is not only the common core curriculum and Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) mandated by New York State, but also the lack of attendance of many of the students. The staff calls Child Protective. Services (CPS) or Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) program and takes students to court, but there are no concrete threats. The students know that there is no real consequence for not attending school besides failing. Unfortunately, Niagara County does not take the parents to court as Erie County does. It is unfortunate not to be able to hold the parents accountable for their own child’s education and essentially their well-being. Her advice to those starting out in the education field is to be prepared to work hard for less pay than most other fields. However if it is your passion, love it and live it. The students are the pay, is what she said. There are students that truly appreciate the teacher and to see them enter ninth grade and grow to be successful twelfth graders makes her smile. She is still in contact with many of her students and some even ask her for help in college courses. Parents of past students remain in contact, also. It is nice to know that one person can make a difference in the lives of many students and families, alike. Her main advice would be enter the field and don’t get defeated by all the political issues. It will be hard work, but very rewarding work.

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper University of Phoenix Online Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes CJA/473 LeDetra Jones October 01, 2012 Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Today the public became more concern about youth crime rising within the community. The public also believes that some of juvenile delinquents do not belong behind bars whereas others do. In the concern of the juveniles who do not belong behind bars the public started creating community outreach programs, intervention, and prevention programs.These programs create an environment for the youth to understand the consequences of their actions, responsibility, and help. This paper will be examining two juvenile diversions, interventions, and prevention programs, which are Island Girl Power and Inafa' Maolek. The following will be addressed in the paper: How do they work to reduce juvenile crime (Based on analysis). Programs major goals, objectives, and core beliefs? Who are the key participants? Services provide d?Which program is most effective at reducing crime and why? How programs reduce juvenile crime and major goal, objectives, and core beliefs The Inafa'Maolek is Guam's only organization that dedicates exclusively to peacemaking, especially in settling disputes such as mediation, restorative justice, and conflict resolution training of all ages (Inafa'Maolek, 2010). The trainings conducted by Inafa'Maolek helps establish peer mediation programs in more than 30 public schools ranging from elementary to high schools.These special programs currently in schools include Date Rape Workshops, Bullying Workshops, and Hate Crimes Workshops. The organization provides programs to all sectors in the community, including senior citizens (Manamko) as well as DYA families. The heart and souls of its work focuses on mediating conflicts, many referred by Superior Court Judges (Inafa'Maolek). Island Girl Power is a program on Guam that works to Empower, Encourage, and Inspire young ladies to make posi tive lifestyle choices. This program believes that if the island works together to empower, ncourage, and inspire the young ladies of Guam to make a positive lifestyle choice by promoting positive male and female role models it helps to prevent the abuse and neglect in the families for generations to come (Blaz, 2009). Island Girl Power is a local program, taken, and expanded from a national program Girl Power. Its prevention program focuses on offering young ladies a variety of classes, activities in hopes of expanding their goals. It is a safe place where people can volunteer at their leisure and is expanding into the community through volunteers and center willing to offer classes (Blas, 2009).This program is a clubhouse more like and located in Dededo, GU. Their hours of operations are from Monday through Friday 8a. m. -5p. m. , and Saturdays 9a. m. -3p. m. This clubhouse offers many activities such as dancing, self-defense, and big sister club, etc. The reason this club focuses on young ladies is that it helps them to gain self pride, become wiser, and make smarter choices in life. Young ladies are usually self conscious about themselves and rebellious than males. They are more vulnerable to the outside world once they step into it.While the two organizations/clubs works in many ways of preventing and interventions juvenile delinquency, here are the clubs/organizations major goals, objectives, and core beliefs of what it can provide for the community as well as juveniles. The mission statement for the Inafa'Maolek is a conflict resolution organization dedicated to reducing violence related litigations and foster peace and harmony in schools, Workplaces, and communities (Inafa'Maolek, 2009). The vision statement for the Inafa'Maolek is that it will enhance peacemaking and reduce violence related litigation through advocacy, mediation, and education (Inafa'Maolek, 2009).The mission statement for the Island Girl power is that we want the girls to know just h ow special they are here at Island Girl Power! We believe that each girl can create a positive change in her life. If every girl makes it her goal to do her best, how can go wrong? We want to give girls ages seven to 14 a safe and enjoyable place to learn and play (Blas, 2010). By making the girls wiser to the world around them girls will make smarter choices in life- and maybe even help a friend. By accepting all girls, regardless of the income or status, we help bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots (Blas, 2010).When a girl joins a club it means so much to them, the acceptance, and the pride they feel when they are part of a group is irreplaceable. We as an organization help girls understand the importance of community service by showing them the example of the wonderful people who volunteer to create a place just for them (Blas, 2010). The clubhouse goal is to decrease the incidence of teenage pregnancy, suicide, sexual, and substance abuse. These problems are the mo st serious challenges facing our girls today. We know that we cannot change the island overnight, but we can make it better -One girl at a time! Blas, 2010). The two organizations help juvenile delinquents/youths in the community to improve themselves to make wiser decisions and to give a sense of direction to where they should be in the future. Knowing that the organizations/clubs are do their best to provide the community with the proper services to help the children to become better helps the people to get over that there are other outlets for their teens. With major goals, objectives, and core beliefs here are the key participants of the programs and the services the programs provide.The key participants of these programs and services provided The key participants of these programs are teens in intervention, juvenile delinquents, teens in prevention (joining so they do not commit the crime), and teen volunteers. These key participants help the organizations to better understand teens nowadays. Juvenile delinquents in the early days probably have committed more serious crimes than teens today. There was not enough services provided to the teen besides, juvenile correction facilities. The community is very limited on the help needed for their children, and some are forced to look elsewhere that type of help.Because the key participants are teens whether trouble or just interested in the program, there are services that the programs for them. The services that Inafa'Maolek provides are one, peace theater- where teens perform a situation and how to bring instead of conflict. Second, mediation- where two parties meet privately to work out a solution. Third, restorative justice- RJ sessions provide a context within which people can take responsibility for their actions, restitution are made to victims, offenders are reintegrated, and harmony are restored to a community. Fourth, conflict coaching (Inafa'Maolek, 2009).These are the main services that this program provides, other services include; volunteering in schools, socializing with other teens, restore the community, and helping others who need help. The services that Island Girl Power provides are encouraging girls on their personalities, social skills, looks, and abilities to please other rather than develop their own interests and aspirations. Island style dance classes so that they can learn about who they are and where they come from. Self-defense classes so that young ladies have that skill to protect themselves or another against harm.Occasional classes in Gef Pago as well as the big sister service where an older girl will help guide the younger ones. Of the services provided by the two programs the most effective program to reduce juvenile crime would be Inafa'Maolek. Most effective program The reason for this decision is the Inafa'Maolek provides services and outcomes used to for schools and became very popular to teens, the government, other programs. It also provides more se rvices than other treatment programs or organizations on the island. There are no other program that provides these services than Inafa'Maolek.It has shown that when teens take these sessions it guides them into becoming better person not only them but for his or her families. Conclusion In conclusion, as the community starts to see more troubled teens/delinquents these organizations/programs are ready to fight these behaviors to make them a better person. These programs were created to help the children because they are the future leaders and so forth. By understanding what drives them to commit these crimes is a mystery and why these programs try to bring all teens and their families to help one another.

Paramedic Essay

â€Å"People don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care.† –John C. Maxwell I am attending Fortis College to become a paramedic. I want to become a paramedic not only to make a difference, but to help others in their time of need. I think of this degree as a passion not just a career. As a paramedic there is always room for continuing your education. You learn from your co-workers and the runs you go on. As early as 1500 B.C. there has been some kind of EMS. In those days it was a Good Samaritan act and completely voluntary. Moving up the time line in 1767, the Greeks and Romans took soldiers off of the battlefield by chariots. In the same time period a chief physician in the Napoleon’s army, Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey, started the first pre-hospital system used to triage and transport injured soldiers from the battlefield to aid station. In 1865-1869 the first ambulance service was started in the United States. Interns of the hospital used horse drawn carriages made specifically in taking the sick and injured to the hospital. And modern day today, there are many ambulance companies including fire houses and private ambulances. As knowledge of science and the anatomy of humans grows the knowledge of what paramedics can do grows. I have experience in the fire and EMS world. I was an explorer at the Fairfield Township Fire Department in Fairfield Township, Ohio. I was an explorer for four years. In that four years I did ride-a-longs, scenarios, and class room training. We also did competitions with other departments. In my last year at the department I interviewed and obtained the position of captain of the explorer program. The first year that my explorer post did competitions that I was attending, we placed 2nd overall and placed in 3 competitions; of those 3 I was involved in 2. This was a very exciting time of my life. I also attended the week long Fire/EMS academy at Hocking College as an explorer. I learned a lot from both programs. In conclusion, I can’t wait to start my career at Fortis College. I am excited to further my knowledge in the EMS field. Upon graduation at Fortis College, I plan to work as a paramedic at a private ambulance company and in the ER of a hospital, to only further on as a care flight medic in Columbus.

PMI analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

PMI analysis - Essay Example Another negative thing I learnt is that life is filled with things that try to reduce our success. E.g. economic recession, business competition and sickness. Trust and cooperation are the most important things that leaders use to make their employees feel sale. Unfortunately, these are feelings, and not everyone has them. Simon gives a story of captain Williams, who ran through bullets in an ambush to save lives. It is not often that we meet people who are willing to endanger their lives to save others. It is interesting also to note that great leaders are always willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. As much as they are concerned about making profit they are equally concerned about the people under their leadership. Great leaders can also make people safe, and this improves overall productivity within the organization. Trust and cooperation are very important aspects that every employee should possess. However, trust and cooperation are not instructions but rather feelings. It will take the actions of a great leader to make people under his leadership feel safe and in turn wins their trust and

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 13

Psychology - Essay Example From among the known brain functions, this paper chooses to discuss memory and how it can be improved through the reading of newspapers. Unlike the other sources of news and information that are used at intervals, newspaper reading is a daily activity and thus expected to work better in enhancing memory, which some psychologists say can be done through frequent repetition (Anderson, 1976). Three distinct types of memory are set in the psychology literature: sensory, short-term and long-term memory. Memory is considered sensory when people see more than they can actually report (Baddeley, 2000), suggesting that information is received through the senses and emotions rather than through the brain. Consequently, it involves a memory span of only a few hundred milliseconds and a capacity of only about 12 items (Anderson, 1976). As such, this type of memory degrades quickly. There is a similar limitation in capacity for short-term memory although the duration extends up to a minute. As for long-term memory, it can store much larger quantities of information for prolonged periods of time, sometimes even for a whole life span. This type of memory can either be declarative or procedural, which differ in the way the mind processes information. It is declarative when, like sensory memory, information is received based on sensations, emotions and personal associations regarding time or place, while it is procedural when memory functions well because of repetition (Snowden, 2001). Whatever the types of memory people are prone to, many studies show that memory functions can be improved through rehearsal and repetition. This means that people with sensory and short-term memory can store information for long-term purposes if they receive it repeatedly and they are forced to retrieve the information for daily use (Baddeley, 2000). Not all psychologists share this view,

Your Rights in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Your Rights in the Workplace - Essay Example Most of these individuals have problems affiliated with their work environment, which they wish to address, allowing them to operate efficiently and effectively in their places of work. For instance, I have come across situations whereby some people are not selected for certain jobs just because of their race or because they have some form of disability. In other instances, employers tend to promote having fewer skills to address certain positions and leaving the qualified candidates without work. Some individuals are forced to work for long hours without being awarded overtime, while others are denied leave to take care of their loved ones. I believe also that when most employees are laid off, they are unaware as to whether they have any rights to claim their jobs back or seek unemployment for the time they have been unemployed. Furthermore, some workers do not know whether they have rights to evaluate the jobs offered to them and request better policies. These kinds of unjust pract ices in organizations are inappropriate and the law condemns them. Based on the diverse malpractices that organizations embark on, which subject employees to hardships in the workplace, it is ideal to note that these issues prevail because a large number of employees are unaware of the legal approaches they should follow to cope with such situations. Most employers also take advantage of these situations without wanting their employees to understand the laws that safeguard their interests in the workplace.

Project management as a process of planning, arranging, motivating, Essay

Project management as a process of planning, arranging, motivating, and controlling resources - Essay Example Change management takes into consideration the critical analysis on dimensions of change, Kotter 8 stages model, psychology of change, personal and structural power, need of planning and what are the reasons for the failure of the change management. Risk management deals with managing the risk which is associated with project. This paper will mainly focus on identifying different types of risk and the key factors in managing risk, different ways to manage risk and describing the risk management process. In terms of team building, the main focus will be on the process of team building, identifying the different roles required in a team and identifying the methods of team management. All these approaches will lead to project management in order to accomplish a successful project and therefore to produce a specific result in the organisation. Change Management Organisational change management is a framework for administrating the effect of new business processes and the change in the or ganizational structure within an enterprise. It is an approach to shift teams and individuals from present to required future state. It refers to part of project management process where project changes are formally introduced and accepted. The goal change management is maximisation of benefits and minimisation of impact of change on workforce without distraction (Sharma, 2006, pp.23-30). The process of change management can be summarised from the following change management diagram, (Source: Sourcingmag, 2012) Critical Analysis of Dimensions of Change There are two dimensions of change management namely organisational dimensions and individual dimensions. Organisational change is motivated by business survival, potential competitive advantage, improved efficiency and external factors. The external factor like introduction of new policies or economic downturn might compel a company to change from existing state. Most of the organisational changes are created internally. All level of managers can initiate change. For instance, middle level manager can plan to reduce cost, frontline managers may apply new technology and senior managers may amalgamate the company with other organisation. Individual resistance to change depends on the organisational culture, security, economic factors and individual characteristics such as personalities, perceptions and needs. People with high need for security resist change because it intimidates secured feeling. Changes in job tasks create fear in workers when their pay is linked to productivity. They also have fear of not being able to learn a particular task. Such fear is known as the fear of the unknown (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2007, p.459). Kotter’s 8 Stage Model Kotter eight stage model provides eight processes to evade common problems that trouble even simple change efforts in an organization. Skipping a step or making a crucial mistake within the step can have a crippling effect on the success of change initiative. The eight stages can be summarised as follows: (Source: Ivey Business Journal, 2008) Establishing a

Rise and Growing Role of Multinational Enterprises Coursework

Rise and Growing Role of Multinational Enterprises - Coursework Example A veritable explosion in e-based connectivity since 1995 as well as the emergence of a completely new global Information Technology outsourcing industry has resulted to the networking of service and product providers globally (Heshmati, Sohn, and Kim, 2007:116). Consequently, hastily expanding trade in both goods and services is becoming an increasingly powerful engine in driving the dynamics of growth and development to a global state. This paper will account for the rise and growing role of multinational enterprises form the Asia Pacific in the global economy and particularly in Europe. Aims of Chinese multinationals in international business strategies When it comes to the global economy, no nation is self-sufficient. Each needs involvement at different levels in trade in order to sell what it produces and acquire what it lacks as well as produce more efficiently in some economic sectors than its trade partners. As conventional economic theory supports, trade promotes economic eff iciency through the provision of a wider variety of commodities, regularly at a lower cost, notably because of specialization, economies of scale, and the related logical advantages (Rudman, 2006:149-151). Documented evidence asserts that international trade is a subject of contention because it can sometimes be a disruptive economic and social force as it changes the conditions of wealth distribution within a national economy, predominantly due to changes in prices and wages. As of this moment, a small group of developing countries is transforming the global economic landscape. Led by China, Japan, India, and Brazil, these expanding economic powers pose a variety of challenges and opportunities for European economic interests and leadership of the global economy. Chinese hesitant stance suggested the precise nature of global flows and the impacts are still poorly understood. The rise of Chinese investment in European nations differs from earlier waves of investment from the United States and thereafter from Japan. A huge number of Chinese firms are heading abroad to become globally competitive instead of going to exploit advantages developed at home. With this aspect, according to European policymakers, Chinese investors resemble in behavior Korean multinationals (Feenstra and Wei, 2010:517). While in Africa and in Latin America, many Chinese investments are seeking to secure energy resources, those into Europe or North America are more likely to be in search of a market or strategic assets. Direct Chinese investment among European countries is still relatively insignificant. However, over the last past few years, it has and still is showing a clear upward movement. The EU, according to some sources, accounted for merely one per cent of Chinese outbound M&A in terms of value between 1999 and 2005. Numerically, he Greenfield investment projects outpace acquisitions despite the fact that many of these tend to be minimal. Greenfield investments wise, although th e amount of venture in European projects funded by China increased by 500 per cent since 2000, it commenced from a low base thus remains modest. A report released by the French Agency for International Investments (AFII) pointed out that, Chinese firms accounted for a mere 0.5 per cent of all manufacturing projects and 0.9 per cent in job creation in Europe between 2002 and 2005. The growing role of China in the European market accounted for 1.2 per cent of Greenfield investments over the period between 2004 and 2006 (Tang, 2010:5-7).

Group effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group effectiveness - Essay Example If the new approaches were adapted, then the group would have worked harmoniously. Respect for each other’s opinions should have been present. The work load should have been assigned fairly and not randomly decided by the self-appointed leader, who wanted to get all the credit, although all he did was to assign the jobs that have to be completed. 2) There were several factors that contributed to one’s satisfaction in being a member of a group. First of all, from the very start the goal of the group was established. Although each one has a goal of his own, a common objective was arrived at by the group. The roles of each member were very clear from the beginning. Each one was assigned a role which best fits his qualifications. There were rules that served as guidelines for the group. There were differences of opinions during the meetings but everyone was ready to listen to what one has to say. Respect was always present. Even if there were some disagreements, it was resolved politely, without any violent reactions from the group members. The decision was a group decision and not a decision made by only one person. 3) To further improve one’s communication skills, one has to learn to listen to other people’s opinions without having to be judgmental. One should realize that there is a time to speak and a time to listen. To be more effective in working with a group, one must know what he can contribute to the group by knowing his qualifications and capabilities. A win-win solution should always be the focus of decision-making. An evaluation of how one contributed to the group goals and how the group achieved its goals must be in place. Another way of improving one’s communication skills is to learn how to get the right message in the proper manner. One’s ideas must be clear and simple to be better understood by the other

American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

American Literature - Essay Example The narration rises above the scope of an ordinary tale that deals with the power of Nature over man, as it depicts the ambivalent relationship between man and Nature in a manner comparable to other American works like The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and Moby Dick by Herman Melville. London employs a strict and effective economy of words and terse plot construction to produce a powerful story replete with multiple layers of meaning. Though the unpredictable aspects of Nature play a major part in the devastation of the protagonist, the presence of a wild dog that accompanies him on his journey brings in many contrasts. The most significant among them is between the man’s estrangement from his own instincts that causes his death and the uninformed yet natural instincts of the beast that helps it survive. The characterization of the man is done deftly through references to his attitude to the excruciating cold which he understands to be fifty degrees below zero, but is in fact seventy five below zero. London describes that the absence of the sun or the tremendous cold did not make an impression on the man. It was not because he was used to it, as he was a newcomer to the place and it was his first winter. â€Å"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination† (London). He understood the extreme cold temperature on practical terms only, and was trying to deal with it logically, taking for granted the man-made equipments which he hopes would protect him from the powers of Nature. The first three paragraphs deal judiciously with the characterization of the man as a self-willed person unwilling to pay heed to the warnings and obstacles that were trying to stop him from his immediate objectives. The plot unravels through the man’s point of view and shifts between the present and the past. He was aiming to reach the left fork of Henderson Creek, where he expected to meet his companions in a mining camp. He discarded the

American Paradox, The US Iranian relations during the Shah of Iran Essay

American Paradox, The US Iranian relations during the Shah of Iran. The paradox between the US policy against the dictato - Essay Example However, there was a lot of discontent among the people of Iran due to his dictatorial attitude. Shah’s regime collapsed in 1979 during a period known as the Iranian or Islamic revolution. The Islamic revolution brought monarchical rule in Iran to an end. The Iranian Revolution took place in 1979, 1many analyst explain that during this time about eight million people, approximately one-fifth of the whole of Iranian population, took to the streets to demonstrate about the still-formidable regime of Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. After the victorious triumph of the revolution, it became evident that the powers affiliated with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni had gained control in the post-revolutionary struggle for power, the grand party that had managed to overthrow the Shah`s regime had begun to collapse. Consequently, progressive support for the new regime decreased to a very dedicated core base that comprised a division of clerical establishments, the middle class, and the urban poor enabling the new regime to combine its powers. 2 The recent history of the Iran an Islamic Republic is outstanding in its steady disintegration in the extent and capacity of public support for the regime. At the end of the twentieth century, Iran was a nation of frustrated hopes. The revolutionaries had pledged to reverse the course of dependent economic development, which favored economic growth and compensating a few well connected families that had been pursued by the Pahlavi regime. The revolutionary regime, promised to establish an economically developed and independent Iran in which the fruits ofthe economic growth and prosperity were to be added with equity and social justice. Civil liberties as well as the rights of citizens to petition their Government through the formation of voluntary association and political parties were to assured. The Government and the society were to become morally upright through piety and strict compliance with the dictators of Islam. 3â€Å"Sho rtly after the revolution, in search of self-sufficiency, the Iranian government nationalized a vast proportion of Iran’s large scale industries, as well as banking and insurance.† 4Iran`s economy had been deteriorating due to the country`s population. The country’s population has doubled, reaching approximately 64 million people, which is approximately 30 million above the population during the Shah`s regime. The population exploded as a result of the clerical elites who reintroduced the child marriage, and discouraged contraceptives after the revolution. Iran`s population is already expanding to the present regime which has caused even a more devastating consequences for the future. Relations between the United States and Iran during the reign of Shah were pleasant. During the reign of President Eisenhower in the United States, Moscow asserted that the United States supported a coup by Shah. 5â€Å"The United States had been pictured as actively intervening in Iranian affairs and as the inspirer of the attempted coup by the Shah.† This was contrary to the move of supporting freedom worldwide that the United States had taken after the Second World War. 6â€Å"The United States policy during that period was based on a policy of containment-an effort to contain the influence of communism.† Despite embarking on the policy of ‘

Role of Financial Institutions and the Central Bank in Kenya Essay Example for Free

Role of Financial Institutions and the Central Bank in Kenya Essay Briefly explain role of the following Financial Institutions in the economic development of Kenya: a) Kenya Industrial Estates: Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) Limited was established in 1967 as a subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) with a major role of promoting indigenous entrepreneurship by financing and developing small scale and micro enterprises. KIE Limited was established to facilitate development and incubation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) countrywide by establishing industrial parks, providing credit and business development services (BDS) in a sustainable manner. The services offered by KIE include; * Development of Industrial Estates and Provision of MSMI Incubation Services Kenya Industrial Estates LTD provides serviced workspace through construction of industrial estates/incubators in fast growing business centres. These facilities provide entrepreneurs with specific services to nurture and encourage growth of their enterprises to sustainable levels. Apart from flexible and affordable workspace, the enterprises within the incubators are able to access financial support for machinery, equipment and working capital, shared utility services, management and technical assistance including skills upgrading, marketing, accounting, legal, secretarial services and internet and networking. New industrial estates are being developed in fast growing urban centres and Special Economic Zones as identified in the Vision 2030 * Financial Support Services Credit Facilities: KIE provides affordable medium to long-term finance to MSMIs for the purchase of machinery, equipment and working capital, either for start-ups, expansion, modernization or rehabilitation focusing on priority sectors identified in Vision 2030. Special Credit Facilities for Marginalized Areas: This product is availed in marginalized areas with favourable terms and conditions. Top up Loan Facilities: This is a product targeting the existing KIE clients (loanees, mortgages and tenants) who have/had good credit record and have potential for growth and wish to acquire additional capital or financial assistance Bid Bond Facility: A bid bond is issues as part of a bidding process by the surety to the project owner, to guarantee that the winning bidder will undertake the contract under the terms at which they bid. KIE charges for this service at a negotiable rate. Performance Bond Facility: For this product, KIE has set aside funds in a commercial bank to facilitate performance bid bond facility to its A Rated Clients Industrial Shed Rehabilitation: This facility is for mortaged industrial workspace where the mortgagee can access credit facilities to rehabilitate or expand and modernize their workspace * Business Advisory Services To ensure success and growth of its incubatees, KIE LTD has set up business solution centre’s which provide entrepreneur capacity building training, mentoring and consultancy services, preparation of feasibility studies, business plans, business counseling, needs assessment, project implementation/supervision/monitoring, technology selection services, marketing support, rehabilitation, expansion and repositioning/modernization. Facilitating Inter-Firm linkages This programme involves facilitation of linkages between the small, medium and large-scale enterprises mainly to enable technology transfer. KIE facilitates improvement of technology and standards of the MSMIs through equipment upgrading, apprenticeship training and provision of working capital. District Business Solutions Center The KIE LTD District Business Solution Centre’s (DBSC) support the government strategy to revitalize the SME sector and thus the economy as articulated in the new sessional paper No. 2 of 2005 on Development of Micro and Small Enterprises of Wealth and Employment Creation for Poverty reduction The Private Sector Development Strategy Paper (PSDS) The districts in focus are considered the milennium districts and include, Muranga, Meru South, Bondo, Siaya, Bungoma, Suba, Kilifi, Turukana and Garissa. Business SME solution centre’s are facilities that are set up to offer platforms from which entrepreneurs can develop business ideas into profitable business ventures run and owned by individuals. It also provides breeding grounds for existing business for growth and take-off. b) Industrial Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC):ICDC is the pioneer Development Finance Institution (DFI) established in 1954, to acilitate economic development of Kenya through provision of medium and long-term financial solutions. * It provides equity solutions to entrepreneurs through Joint ventures and Strategic partnerships to promote and encourage private sector investment and entrepreneurship for job and wealth creation. * ICDC also seeks to grow existing businesses and promote establishment of new ones through provision of corporate and wholesale loans at competitive rates and also through asset financing. * ICDC also provides Management and Advisory Services to corporate institutions. The Services offered include: * Corporate Secretarial * Share Registration * Internal audit c) The Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC): AFC is a wholly owned Government Development Finance Institution (DFI), established in 1963 initially as a subsidiary of the Land and Agricultural Bank. In 1969, it was incorporated as a full – fledged financial institution under the Agricultural Finance Corporation Act, Cap 323 of the laws of Kenya. It was then tasked in assisting in the effective and peaceful transfer of land to indigenous farmers, as well as injecting new capital to farm owners to spur development. After successful implementation of this task, AFC was further reconstituted in 1969 to assume a wider mandate by taking over the functions of the Land and Agricultural Bank of Kenya. Today AFC remains the leading Government Credit institution mandated to provide credit for the sole purpose of developing agriculture. This role is crucial given that Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy where 80% of the Kenyan population which is rural based relies on agriculture as their main support system. AFC provides subsidized loans e. seasonal crop credit, water development loan, cash crop loan, horticulture and floriculture development loan, machinery loan, agribusiness loan, livestock and fisheries development loan, the vuna account loan, stawisha group loan and the school based to assist individuals, groups and corporation wishing to engage in agriculture as a business with finances to enable them start, grow and profit from this ventures and to grow the Kenyan economy while creating employment opportunities to the youth and the rural folk.

How did Pterosaurs Move on the Ground?

How did Pterosaurs Move on the Ground? The locomotive manner of pterosaurs is a matter of intense dispute in the scientific community. The way that these prehistoric creatures traversed the ground is continually being contested. Did pterosaurs walk how we imagine them to have; on all fours in a semi erect posture, or did they only walk on their hind legs, or on all fours and completely prone? If, in fact, they did walk on all fours, would the feet have been in line with the hands, or would the hands be splayed out much farther than the feet? Because the method of pterosaur locomotion is widely disputed, scientists rely on footprint identification in order to determine if the tracks that they are studying do actually belong to a pterosaur. Unfortunately, even this is a contested issue, as some scientists cant even agree on which tracks belong to which prehistoric creatures. These are all issues that are disputed by scientists, but there does seem to be some common consensus when multiple seemingly conflicting scientific fi ndings are synthesized. The general perception of pterosaurs today is one that is possibly incredibly flawed because of theories about them from the early nineteenth century. Soemmerring confused a juvenile Pterodactylus with what he believed to be the skeleton of a deviant bat in 1817 and Cuviers identified pterosaurs as reptiles in 1812. These ideas have persisted until the modern day so that most people cannot shake the image of a pterosaur as a large, scaly, bat-like creature that walks around on all fours in a semi-erect fashion (Padian, 1983). While this is a possible form of locomotion, there are numerous arguments to the contrary. One of the first writings on pterosaur locomotion on land was Wm. Lee Stokes Pterodactyl Tracks from the Morrison Formation published in 1957. Stokes found a track of nine footprints that he attributed to a pterosaur that he named Pteraichnus Saltwashensis. Since pterodactyls are naturally found near bodies of whatever, its not out of the question that these tracks would belong to one. Stokes claims that the imprint of the manus shows the unique wrist and hand of a pterodactyl and that the imprint of the pes shows the unique V-shape and sharply pointed heel that corresponds unmistakably to that of a pterodactyl. He says that all of this is proof that at least one pterosaur was quadrupedal. Despite the evidence that Stoke says confirms that the creature that made these tracks was a pterosaur; this is one of the most disputed claims in the theory of the ground-level locomotion of pterosaurs. Many scientists believe that these tracks were not made by a pterosaur, but instead by a crocodilian creature. This is a distinct possibility because the tracks of pterosaurs and crocodilians are commonly confused for one another. In The Fossil Trackway Pteraichnus: Not Pterosaurian, but Crocodilian, Kevin Padian and Paul Olsen claim that the tracks that Stokes attributes to Pteraichnus Saltwashensis are more likely the product of one of the four species of crocodilian known to have inhabited that area. They say that the pes is not unique to pterodactyloids, as crocodiles also exhibit four toes and a V-shaped heel. Also, they claim that the manus does not consist of four digits, but five, even though the impression of all five is not clearly preserved. Another distinguishing feature is that crocodiles are plantigrade and therefore the heel print would be visible, as it is in these tracks. This is opposed to the digitigrade nature of pterosaurs, which would cause the heel print to be excluded from the footprint. Padian and Olsen claim that the manner of movement that the footprints represent is completely different than the kind that Stokes claims created them. Stokes suggested that the depth of the depression created by the manus was due to a large wing knuckle. Padian and Olsen argue that this is not the case, and that the depression was actually caused by the force of the step and the incompetence of the substrate that led to the creation of the fossilized track. One of Padian and Olsens points is refuted in Terrestrial Locomotion of the Pterosaurs: A Reconstruction Based on Pteraichnus Trackways, published in 1997 by S. Cristopher Bennett. Padian and Olsen claim that by using Bairds method, they were able to determine that the length of the body that made the tracks was too long to be that of a pterosaur, but long enough to be a short crocodile. Bennetts refutation of this point rests on the idea that Bairds method was intended to be used on tracks created simultaneously and that this was not the condition under which the tracks in contention were created. Whether this refutation is credible or not is of little importance. Padian and Olsens assertion that the Pteraichnus tracks were actually created by a crocodilian, and that they back it up with plausible scientific hypotheses, casts enough doubt on Stokes original claim to make these tracks inadmissible in determining how pterosaurs moved on land. The primary reason for the possible mistak e that these crocodilian tracks were created by a pterosaur, according to Padians 1983 paper, A Functional Analysis of Flying and Walking in Pterosaurs, is that Owen suspend[ed] the principles of comparative anatomy [and drew] spurious comparisons between pterosaur structures and those of lizards and crocodiles [as well as] misrepresenting the work of H. von Meyer, the German authority on pterosaurs. This paper offers an in depth analysis of the way a pterosaur would move on land based entirely on its bone structure. Padians primary subject of analysis is a Pteranodon, which he claims, among other things, was an active flyer, meaning that it flapped its wings. Padian claims that a pterosaur would walk upright on two legs as opposed to any form of quadripedal motion. He compares pterosaurs to both birds and bats throughout the paper. He attempts to show that the attributes that pterosaurs share with either birds or bats, or both of them, would prevent a pterosaur from being capable of quadrupedal locomotion. Padian says that the forelimb of the pterosaur was adapted entirely for flying and not for quadrupedal walking. The humerus bone of the forearm was adapted for the type of movement that facilitated a down-and-forward flapping motion, since Padian claims that pterosaurs were active flyers, and not for the rotation of the humerus that would protract the forearm to facilitate terrestrial walking. Moving down the arm, the elbow joint in birds, bats, and pterosaurs are what allow for rotation. In bats, this allows for quadrapedal walking but, in both birds and pterosaurs, it has hindered articulation to the extent of turning their limbs into pulley-like hinges with a wide arc of movement possible in only one plane (Padian 1983, 227). Padian claims that the differences in the shape of humeral heads in pterosaurs were even more restrictive in the pterosaurs range of motion than it is in birds. The delto-pectoral crest in pterosaurs was pronounced and twisted along the axis of the shaft, whi ch caused the deltoideus muscle to actually reverse the rotation of the humerus that was initiated by the pectoralis muscles as the pterosaur made a downward stroke while in flight. This reversal in rotation prohibited the forelimb from being moved into the proper position to facilitate its placement on the ground and therefore any form of quadrupedal locomotion. Ultimately, Padian asserts, the structure of the forelimbs of pterosaurs prevented them from walking quadrapedally. They were incapable of parasagittal movement over the ground because of restrictions imposed on them from their bone and muscular structures. The structure of the hind legs of pterosaurs that are included in Padians argument for a bipedal pterosaur is equally as important as the structure of the forelimbs. Padian bases his argument on a pterosaur thats wing was not attached to its hind legs and the idea that despite the relatively small size of the legs of a pterosaur when compared to the rest of its body and specifically its forelimbs, it would still have been able to, and in fact been solely capable of, bipedal locomotion on its hind limbs. Padian reconstructs the pelvis and hip joints of a pterosaur to show that certain elements of its anatomy would prevent it from bending forward in a way that would enable quadrupedal locomotion. He says that there are two girdles surrounding the point where the femur is inserted into the hip that restricts the degree of rotation of the leg so that it would be impossible to move in any way other than bipedally. Padian uses a Pteranodon as his case study for a pterosaur with an extremely large upper body and a relatively small lower body that is still able to walk on the ground. He says that the reason the forelimbs are so large is because the mass of the Pteranodon necessitated expansive wings to provide the appropriate amount of lift while airborne. The size of the wings, though, is not correlated to the size of the legs. The surface area of the wings needed to increase at a rate of L^3/L^2 when compared to the size of the body. The disproportionate lengthening of the wing afforded a greater relative area that allowed the Pteranodon to achieve flight. On the other hand, the Pteranodons legs are not restricted to the same ratio. The legs can be, and are, significantly smaller than the body that theyre supporting without compromising the Pteranodons terrestrial locomotive abilities. In fact, the size of the Pteranodons hind limbs in relation to the size of the rest of its body is comparable to the relationship between the hind limbs and bodies of all other pterosaurs. Padian compares the bone structure of the hind limbs of pterosaurs to the bone structure of the hind limbs in modern birds. He says that, like in birds, the tibia is the main load-bearing bone in the leg. He claims that the femur had a position that ranged between slightly above horizontal to about forty-five degrees below it and that this orientation allowed for the tibia to move on a parasagittal plane. This essentially means that pterosaurs moved on the ground like most other bipedal dinosaurs. Padians ultimate claim is that pterosaur hind limbs were designed for bipedal, digitigrade, locomotion when they were moving on the ground. He even suggests that it was possible for pterosaurs to achieve high rates of speed on the ground. S. Christopher Bennett is another proponent of the upright, bipedal form of terrestrial locomotion among pterosaurs, but only among the larger pterodactyloids. He exams the acetabulum of Anhanguera, Pteranodon, and Dsungaripterus in A Pterodectyloid Pterosaur Pelvis from the Santana Formation of Brazil: Implications for Terrestrial Locomotion, published in 1990, and determines that its strongest part is the anterior wall. He suggests that the strength of this anterior wall allows for upright bipedal locomotion because the acetabulum becomes a downward facing component of the anatomy. This downward orientation allows for a large area of contact for the head of the femur and, therefore, the weight of the body of the pterosaur can be supported in an upright position. Bennett refutes three arguments that are often leveled against bipedal locomotion in pterosaurs. He says that the femora bone could, in fact, have been brought underneath the body of the pterosaur, which is demonstrated by AMNH 22569. Secondly, that the hind limbs of the pterosaurs had straight femurs with distinct, inturned heads, mesotarsal ankles without a calcaneal tuber, and a foot with elongated metatarsals. Finally, he argues that the preservation of pterosaurs, in a position with their hind limbs splayed to the sides, a position that has caused many scientists to claim that theyre incapable of bipedal locomotion, is a false supposition. He notes five specimens that were preserved with their hind limbs on one side of the body, and argues that the splayed nature of the other specimens is due to greater hip flexibility in pterosaurs. Bennetts inclusion of the fossilized remains of pterosaurs in his argument for bipedal locomotion among the larger pterodactyloids is particularly convincing. He makes up for one of the key elements that Padians argument was missing, in that he actually gives concrete physical evidence to support his argument instead of supposed anatomical construction and the type of movement that that structure would or would not allow. One thing that Padians analysis of the terrestrial movement of pterosaurs lack is the actual fossilized track that a pterosaur made. While the supposed structure of the bones may lead one to believe that Padians claims are accurate, there are numerous pterosaur tracks that indicate a quadrupedal form of locomotion among pterosaurs. The majority of the studies included in this paper have focused on larger pterosaurs, and mostly on the Pteranodon. This particular pterosaur shares a large amount of its anatomy with modern birds and it makes sense that, from an analysis paying the majority of its attention to this pterosaur, they would all seem to be bipedal. There is evidence in other fossils, though, that would say otherwise. Pterosaurs, depending on the kind they were, were either bipedal or quadrupedal. Bennetts refutation of Padian and Olsens crocodilian diagnosis of the Pteraichnus tracks contains very valid points concerning the way that pterosaurs could have possibly walked in a quadrupedal manner. He says specifically that rhamphorhyncoids, the earlier variation of pterosaurs, as well as small pterodactyloids were quadrupeds with plantigrade pedes (Bennett, 1997). He says that the model he constructed of Pterydactylus and that, along with other detailed studies and manipulations of other three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur specimens, the limb and girdle joints would have easily allowed for the range of motion necessary for a pterosaur to achieve a quadrupedal walking motion. Bennett cites the Pteraichnus saltwashensis tracks as being representative of a quadrupedal pterosaur, which was disavowed earlier in this paper. He validly examines the tracks of Pteraichnus stokesi that were discovered in the Sundance Formation of Wyoming as well as pterosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic of France. These trackways show manus and pes prints that are clearly pterosaurian. This indicates that there were certain species of pterosaur located in these areas that were quadrupedal. All of Bennetts are based on the principle of identifying the tracks as pterosaurian based on the structure of the manus and pes. Another piece of research that proves that quadrupedal locomotion was present in pterosaurs is First Record of a Pterosaur Landing Trackway, published in 2009 by Jean-Michel Mazin, Jean-Paul Billon-Bruyat, and Kevin Padian. The tracks that they are examining are clearly the landing pattern of a pterosaur because they originate with two pes prints and then continue on in a walking pattern. They claim that the stance of the pterosaur was erect because the pedes tracks are placed almost directly below the hip joints. After the first impression of the pedes, the second impression includes both pedes and manus impressions. The impressions of the manus are splayed out wider than pes, which is the generally accepted idea of how a pterosaur would ambulate. The tracks, not only created by a flying creature, are located in the Late Jurassic site known as Pterosaur Beach, which is a place universally agreed upon to contain unquestionable pterosaur tracks. Therefore, the landing pattern and subs equent tracks, that clearly show quadrupedal locomotion, prove that at least some pterosaurs moved in this way on the ground. The debate surrounding the terrestrial locomotion of pterosaurs can be broken down into many categories and subdivisions. Its clearly that one form of locomotion, whether it be bipedal, quadrupedal, plantigrade, digitigrade, erect, semi-erect, or any other distinction, cannot be used to define every single pterosaur that ever existed. This is similar to the idea that one form of locomotion cannot be used to describe every dinosaur that ever existed. There is variation between species of pterosaurs. The larger pterosaurs seem to be generally more bird-like and more inclined to quadrupedal locomotion. The Pteranodon, specifically, almost definitely was a biped. Its wing structure was the most similar to that of a bird (Padian, 1983), and its two hind limbs were more than sufficient for bothing locomotion and launching off from the ground in order to initiate flight. Smaller pterosaurs, on the other hand seem to be more similar in locomotive method to the general perception of how pterosaurs moved, in a kind of quadrupedal crawl. The tracks found at Pterosaur Beach, and if actually created by a pterosaur, those of Pteraichnus saltwashensis, prove that at least some smaller pterosaurs were quadrupedal. In conclusion, any attempt to define the entire order of Pterosauria as quadrupedal or bipedal is an exercise in futility. The larger pterosaurs, such as Pteranodon, were bipedal, which is apparent based on their wing and leg structures. They would have been unable to move their forelimbs into a position that would allow them to place them on the ground and the mobility of their hind limbs allowed only for bipedal locomotion. Smaller pterosaurs, such as Pteraichnus stokes, were definitely quadrupedal in terms of locomotion since there have been numerous tracks found confirming this idea. Works Cited Bennett, S. (1990). A Pterodactyloid Pterosaur Pelvis from the Santana Formation of Brazil: Implications for Terrestrial Locomotion. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 10(1), 80-85. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4523298 Bennett, S. (1997). Terrestrial Locomotion of Pterosaurs: A Reconstruction Base on Pteraichnus Trackways. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17(1), 104-113. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4523790 Mazin, J., Billon-Bruyat, J., Padian, K. (2009). First Record of a Pterosaur Landing Trackway. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 276(1674), 3881-3886. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30245351 Padian, K. (1983). A Functional Analysis of Flying and Walking in Pterosaurs. Paleobiology, 9(3), 218-239. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2400656 Padian, K., Olsen, P. (1984). The Fossil Trackway Pteraichnus: Not Pterosaurian, but Crocodilian. Journal of Paleontology, 58(1), 178-184. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1304743 Sà ¡nchez-Hernà ¡ndez, B., Przewieslik, A., Benton, M. (2009). A Reassessment of the Pteraichnus Ichnospecies from the Early Cretaceous of Soria Province, Spain. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 29(2), 487-497. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20627057 Wm. Lee Stokes. (1957). Pterodactyl Tracks from the Morrison Formation. Journal of Paleontology, 31(5), 952-954. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1300563 Drug Abuse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Research Proposal Drug Abuse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Research Proposal BACKGROUND STUDY Drug abuse is a cause of concern to all nations around the world either in developing countries and undeveloped countries and in both cases the most affected are the youth,. Due to the rapid increase in drug related crime and drug abusers in Asian countries, the establishment of effective countermeasures for demand and supply reduction are a pressing issue. And if they are all left out to be addicted to dangerous narcotics, it can lead to all social ills like road accidents, high crime rates, unplanned pregnancies, school dropouts and many more which may result in fracturing the moral fibre of the country and eventually the nation will be without prominent future leaders. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of a country as a whole. According to Scorzelli JF, (2009) despite the heavy punishment of death imposed by the Malaysian government for whoever is caught in drug possession, within the last five years, the Malaysian drug abuse problem has escalated. This has led to the increase in social ills like HIV/AIDS which is contracted by the use of IV-Heroin. He continued to state that 93.7% of people caught in drug possession are male aged between 20-29 years of age. This clearly shows that our youth are in dire need of thorough drug and peer education. The National Anti-Drug Agency has been on track to get rid of the drug problem in Malaysia by 2015. When interviewed by the New Straits Times (2010, February) the director-general Datuk Abdul Bakir Zin has pointed out that they have helped out around the country to bring addicts to their rehabilitation centre. He has said that the centre spends around RM 300 million which is their annual budget which is nearly spent on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of addicts and enforcement operations. Addicts are kept for two years and they are released but some of them go back to their bad habits. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Drug abuse has led to an alarming increase of social ills in the society like HIV/AIDS contraction , road accidents and many more which have resulted in the collapse of the moral fibre of the nation. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. Huge police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing. Criminal gangs and mafia underworlds develop with the money from drugs. However the main target should be the user. Families and counsellors need to talk to children and people at risk. The fact that the youth is the most affected especially in Malaysia poses a great concern because the youth are the future leaders of tomorrow. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The specific study of the study is to find ways and methods to educate the people of Malaysia especially the youth about the dangers posed by the abuse of drugs. This initiative itself can lead to positive results such as reduced number of drug abusers therefore leading to a low numbers of social ills such as HIV contractions and crime. There should be a diversion programme for drug abusers which can be institutional or community based. RESEARCH QUESTIONS To justify this study, the researcher will investigate the following matters: How many cases of illicit drugs were registered from 2006 to 2011 in Malaysia How individuals are affected psychologically, physically and economically by the abuse of drugs Does the government play a role in reducing the problem of drug abuse? SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Generally the study of drug abuse phenomenon that is widely occurring in Malaysia will be an endeavour in promoting a much healthy lifestyle that is a drug -free society. Drug-free society means a lot to a country of about 28,310,000 people. It means less crime such as road accidents, thefts and murders, less HIV AIDS positive, less people in the narcotics rehabilitations centre and more manpower in order to bring Malaysia towards becoming a fully developed country. By understanding the main source of the problems, we can all move together to cure as well as to prevent further advance of this spreading illness in our community. The Malaysian psychiatric association (July 6 2006) has cited that when pregnant women abuse drugs there may be foetal abnormalities especially when the pregnancy is early. These deformities may cause the mother to dump the baby, a crime which is currently on the rise in Malaysia. If the drug was used late in the pregnancy may become dependent on opiates, and may later show withdrawal symptoms after delivery. The United Nations Aids (2010) on their report have pointed out that an estimated 170,000 injecting drug users (IDUs). In those users most of them share the needles therefore there is increased spread of the diseases such as HIV/AIDS because likely they do not sterilise such needles. Moreover, this study will reveal most of things behind these drug abuse cases, therefore will significantly boost the awareness of the community about the cases of drug abuse in this country simultaneously contribute in reducing such cases in community. SCOPE OF THE REPORT We undertook the task of reviewing all studies describing the impact of drug abuse at Kuala Lumpur. The population of interest includes injection drug users, and non-injection drug users of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, because these groups of individuals have been identified as having a biological risk of exposure to addictive drug use, including deadly exposure (via injection drug use) to blood-borne via sharing of straws or pipes used to administer drugs (non-injection drug use). Data from questionnaires are analyzed separately, as they different substantially form interview data, and because their drug-related risk factors are quite different and not elaborated further. Another goal is to examine the influence of study methodology on study findings, particularly because the descriptive data may be strongly influenced by sampling methods, and because study design may affect associations between various characteristics and drug use. Since the brand data collection was carried out using information collected from various associations, access to each data was time consuming. We also do not have any compiled data of approved unregistered drug users making the task very complicated. Such database may be hard to acquire as most drug users choose to stay in the dark as they know there is a capital punishment for such a crime. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION Drugs A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body Abuse To use something to bad effect or for a bad purpose Addict A person who is addicted to a particular substance Rehabilitation Restore to former privileges CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction In the literature review we compare and contrast studies done by other people and we note how different they are from ours. We have read journals, books and articles in Science Direct. In this chapter we are able to expand our knowledge on how other writers view the issue at hand. We have displayed various ways of the data we found, either by citing using the APA format, images and tables. 2.1 Literature Review By the year 1983, the problem of drugs was declared a national emergency by the Malaysian government. Everyone convicted of trafficking and those caught with the drugs depending on the amount of drugs they had in their possession were sentenced to death, those were some of the ways the government was trying to solve the problem but if someone was convicted of only for possession of drugs he/she was put in a rehabilitation centre for 2 years. Once realised from the centre, the individual has one year of probation were he or she has two urine tests a month. Drug, taken from Cambridge Dictionaries Online, falls into two categories which are medicine and illegal substance. In the medicine category, the word drug means any natural or artificially made chemical which is used as a medicine while in the category of illegal substance, drug means any natural or artificially made chemical which is taken for pleasure, to improve someones performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it. The latter meanings actually portraying the main interest in this study which is the action of drug abuse, which by the same source, abuse means to use or treat someone or something wrongly or badly, especially in a way that is to your own advantage. This unhealthy phenomenon is actually a worldwide crisis and can bring along a great impact in ones life, consequently a community, and then will affect the growth of a country. Some said that this crisis is the same age as humankind. It is in our nature that we like to consume things that bring us pleasure and being in the state of euphoria. However, we must first consider the side effects of the consumption of such substances. There was enormous number of researches that had been carried out in order to suppress or banish this crisis all over the world. There are ups and downs for the trends of the drug abuse cases but it had never been ceased completely. Kuala Lumpur as a busy place, most of the inhabitants need drugs to cope with the fast life. These drugs can be addictive substances such as heroine, alcohol, and ecstasy pills. The research by the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (2006), showed that the brain is affected by the consumed drugs. The left part of the brain is affected is called the reward pathway. Continued use of drugs short-circuits the reward pathway and that how addiction starts. The brain will then need more and more large quantities of the substance taken over time. The brain chemistry is altered at this point, therefore behavioural patterns starts here. Drugs like cocaine can lead to permanent damage, death and even addition. From the article adapted from RECOVERY NOW website on cocaine effects, it is stated that there are two different categories of cocaine effect. These effects are said to be long termed and short termed .Regardless of how many times a person uses cocaine even once! heshe experiences short-term cocaine effects which includes increased blood pressure, mental alertness, increased heart rate, decreased appetite and increased body temperature .The long term effects appear after increased periods of use. Long term effects include irritability, mood disturbances and restlessness. Marijuana is also one of the most commonly abused drug and according to the American Council For Drug Education they describe it as a mild hallucinogen with some alcohols depressant which results in bronchitis, emphysema and bronchial asthma. They also continue to stress that marijuana leads to reduction of learning ability which is one of the reasons why most students who smoke marijuana end up performing badly at school as it limits the capability to absorb information as it is highly addictive. In an addiction state a person engages in a compulsive behaviour, even when faced with challenging life situations. Taking a look at the fast life in Kuala Lumpur a lot of challenges are faced by the youth there, these include unemployment, loss of a loved one or poverty. These situations can cause you to excessively use drugs to suppress such hurt felt within. The National Anti-Drug Agency (New Straits 12 February 2010) has used over RM 300 million annually to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate addicts. They are trying to achieve the goal for a drug-free Malaysia in 2015 and drug-free Malaysian schools in 2012. The director of the agency Datuk Abdul Bakir Zin has mentioned that there is an alarming rate of drug abusers on the increase. The agency successfully rehabilitated 11 395 addicts in 2009 but only 51% of the addicts are clean now. That shows that the drug addicts do not have enough out of rehab education. B.Vicknasigngam, M.Mazlan, K.S Schotchfield , M.C Chawaski(2009),stated that heroin and injection drug are the major public health risk cases recorded in Malaysia. Furthermore they continue to state from their findings, between the year 1998 and 2006 individuals close to 300 000 individuals were registered as persistent drug abusers in Malaysia. In between the years 1998-2006 heroin was the main primary drug abused around 62.6% of those were registered. And this caused a main concern for the Malaysian government as it lead to increase in social ills like road accidents and also the rise in HIV contraction as the drug abusers shared the same needle hence the spread of the virus was induced. Despite the Malaysian strict law on use of illegal drugs people still continue to use the illegal drugs and have even gone to an extent of making it into a business to finance their lifestyle. The law clearly states that any person found in possession of at least 15 grams of heroin, 200 grams of cannabis is presumed. The National Drug Agency, Malaysia in 2006 around 22,811 drugs users was recorded and 12,430 of whom were repeat offenders. They also stress that the total number of drug users recorded for the period of 1998-2006 is 300,241 people which constitutes to 1.1% of the Malaysians population. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction The introduction highlights the data collection methods which were used to gather information which enabled us to reach our conclusion. One of the vital aspects we looked into was the validity and reliability of the data collection methods that we decided to use. In our research we found that the ideal data collection methods that we can use are the questionnaire and interview for analysis Questionnaires are very cost effective when compared to face-to-face interviews. This is especially true for studies involving large sample sizes and large geographic areas. Written questionnaires become even more cost effective as the number of research questions increases. Questionnaires are easy to analyze. Data entry and tabulation for nearly all surveys can be easily done with many computer software packages. Nearly everyone has had some experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not make people apprehensive and they reduce bias. The researchers own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or visual clues to influence the respondent. When a respondent receives a questionnaire in the mail, he is free to complete the questionnaire on his own time-table. Unlike other research methods, the respondent is not interrupted by the research instrument. Some of the reasons why questionnaires are widely used as data collection method in reports and projects in the fact that the responses are gathered in a standardised way so questions are more objective, certainly more so than interviews, generally it is relatively quick to collect information using questionnaires and information can be collected from a large portion of a group. For our research a questionnaire, written both in English and Malay consisting of A3 size pages was sent to different agencies/organizations which were requested to answer it. The main contents of the questionnaire included; Prevention of drug abuse Outline organizations handling drug abuse problem Institutional treatment programmes for drug abusers Outline drug control laws Interviews are also one of the most convenient ways of data collection for reports projects and investigations as they provide first hand information from the correspondent. The interview is also flexible in the since that follow up questions can be asked, also clarity of the question can be made if the respondent does not understand. Even though it has overwhelming advantages one of its major problems maybe that the correspondent may feel like shy to give out information and in that case the interviewer can solve the problem by assuring the correspondent that whatever he/she is being interviewed for will be considered confidential at all costs. For our research, interviews were conducted with the relevant agencies/organizations. Firstly we set an appointment with them and informing them of our objectives.

Comparison of the theories of feminism

Comparison of the theories of feminism Feminism has a movement has gained momentum in recent pasts to the extent that there are a number of gender gains the world over. The theories of feminism are categorized into five, some of which are distinct and other closely related. These are: Liberal Feminism, Socialist Feminism; Radical Feminism; Post-Modern Feminism; and Multicultural feminism. However, this paper zeroes down on two, namely Liberal and Radical feminism, in an attempt to show the contribution that feminism has made (or continues to make) in the contemporary social analysis. Liberal Feminism Some of the proponents of this category of feminism include Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Betty Friedan and Rebecca Walker. Liberal feminism is an individualistic form of feminism because it is generally based on womens ability to assert their equality through their own actions and choices. This is what Eleanor calls faith in rationality (Eleanor, 1996). Accordingly, the starting point for promoting such equality is based on individual interaction between men and women and that women can change their circumstances. Liberal feminism looks at the personal interactions of men and women as the starting ground from which to transform society into a more gender-equitable place. The issues important t to liberal feminists include reproductive rights and abortion access, sexual harassment, voting, education, fair compensation for work, affordable childcare, affordable health care, and bringing to light the frequency of sexual and domestic violence against women. The basic tenet of liberal feminism is that it is anchored on legal and political reform as a means to ensuring equality between men and women. This, according to them, is tailored on looking at the government through lobby groups to bring about legislative changes that promote gender equity. This brings about social and economic equity. Susan Wendell, citing the work of Mackinnon (1987) () says that contemporary feminism is committed to major economic reorganization and considerable redistribution of wealth, since one of the modern political goals most closely associated with liberal feminism is equality of opportunity which would undoubtedly require and lead to both. Liberal feminists argue that all people are equal and that rationality in correcting class differences should be the way to go. How then does this contribute to social analysis? It does so by seeing the oppression of women as not structural feature of capitalistic economic system. Further, the concept of education as a means to changing womens status quo has had remarkable gains in recent times. Additionally, the ongoing debate and actions in the world concerning expansion of women participation has fundamentally centered on inclusiveness into the socio-economic as well as the political mainstream, Radical Feminism Using Mackinnon, (1987:16), Eleanor observes that that radical feminism is not one form of feminism, but simply feminism unmodified. Therefore, many others forms of feminism was only a response to male psyche modification of feminism as it were. (Eleanor, 1996) Feminism in its radical sense has it that society is a patriarchy that primarily oppresses women thus radical feminists seek to disband patriarchy. In this, they recognize that womens oppression is the fundamental oppression. They further assert profoundly that sexism is at the heart of patriarchy especially in the family. Willis (1981), for example, in an essay Lust Horizons: Is the womens movement pro-sex argues against making alliances with the political right in opposition to pornographyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In a way they in this sense, echo the Marxist belief that if women wanted to deal with the shackles of patriarchy, then they must deal with the issue of reproduction. (Willis, 1981) According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, most radical feminists do not universally argue for the criminalization of pornography or objectification of women, but rather that in the absence of patriarchy, the public demand for such materials would drastically decrease as a much smaller percentage of the population would be aroused by viewing womens oppression and degradation Conclusively, radical feminism is anchored on total restructuring if society an extreme view which would call for severing relationships with men, that is ending heterosexual relationship with me. Radical feminists seem to believe that the way to deal with patriarchy and oppression of all kinds is to address the underlying causes of these problems through revolution. Q2. Cognitive Theory of Social comparison in explaining Crowd behavior at a large (50,000+) sporting events Introduction A crowd can be defined in a number of ways but the widely accepted definition of crowd is that of large groups of individuals in the same physical environment, sharing a common goal. Usually such individuals act in a different way than when they are alone. (Reading, 1996): In a football match scenario, understanding the behavior of the crowd can be grounded on cognitive theory of social comparison. This theory as advanced by Festinger (1952), asserts that people tend to compare their behavior with others that are most like them. Muss and Thulman (1986) using the ideas of Festinger gives a more specific assertion by saying that people, when lacking objective means for appraisal of their opinions and capabilities, compare their opinions and capabilities to those of others that are similar to them. In the process, they attempt to correct any differences found. Basis on this social comparison theory may explain crowd behavior in a football match in the following ways: Common Stimulus between crowd participants According to Muss and Thulman (1986), one of the social comparisons theory implications is group formation. This according to them happens to the extent that self evaluation can only be accomplished by means of comparison with other persons. Festinger attributes this to the fact people in a crowd are driven by the desire to belong to the group. In other words, they tend to move to a group which belongs to them and which share their opinion and who have almost similar ability. For instance, it is common to see football fans that support a particular team more interested in being within the physical boundaries of their fellow supporters or those who share in their fantasy. Imitational behavior Using Festinger ideas, Muse and Thulman (1986) explains that the existence of a discrepancy in a group with respect to opinions or abilities will lead to action on the part of members of that group to reduce the discrepancy This should explain some behaviors in a football match setting, including one person starting to sing and the others who support the same team following swiftly. Other examples would include, booing a player, usually started by one person and followed swiftly by others. A more propounding illustration is such crowd behavior in an event of a stampede. Usually people will tend to run to one direction regardless of if the cause of fear is genuine or not, as long as the one of their own signals them to do so. Q3. Use sociological theories or concepts to help explain Listening to music on a portable music device Introduction It is common today to see people across all ages and gender alike carrying and listening to music through portable devices publicly. This happens when they are in the office, driving, reading and even walking among others While there should be a number of theories that can explain this phenomenon, system theory, does that at best in trying to justify the tight schedules that the contemporary society puts on people and the dilemmas therein. In so doing it zeroes on multitasking as the issue or as a prime causality to this. System theory System theory may be traced back to the ideas of George Hegel (1770-1831), who saw the world as operating within the push of different poles, in the process creating a conflict which negates a solution for the functioning of the whole system. Hegel imagined that the world was controlled by two opposing poles pulling towards opposite direction. He called one pole the thesis and the opposing side the antithesis. According to him, these two struggle to create an agreed position he called the synthesis, which interestingly also come to create the thesis, the antithesis and the cycle goes on and on. In a way, one would argue that this corresponds directly to the conflict theory, but for the purposes of looking at the phenomenon as a response to holistic demands, the perspective is tied to system theory. (Pippin, 1989) Notably, the person who qualified system theory as we know it today (within a structural functionalism paradigm) is Von Bertalanffy is a book titled General system theory: Foundations, Development, Applications in 1968. He, as a biologist, endeavored to employ organismic knowledge to use the word system to describe those principles which are common to a general system. In the book, he says that there exist models, principles, and laws that apply to generalized systems or their subclasses, irrespective of their particular kind, the nature of their component elements, and the relationships or forces between them. It seems legitimate to ask for a theory, not of systems of a more or less special kind, but of universal principles applying to systems in general System theory is based on the belief that for a system (a being, an entity, an organization among others) to work sufficiently, all the parts of that system must be in order, and that there is interrelatedness of the parts. To qualify this theory in understanding the portable music system public use phenomenon, it is important to relate it to the numerous issues that todays human responds to, within the confluence of multitasking and not able to respond to other demands of life. Therefore, listening to portable music while responding to other systems, not only works to perpetuate interrelatedness of demands of today but also in satisfying his/her needs.

Sport Utility Vehicle Essay -- Vehicles, Cars and Trucks

For as long as there have been roads to drive on, Americans have had a love affair with their cars and trucks. Ever since consumers became interested in car design and styling in the 1920s, the car manufactures have invested in innovation to quench the thirst of the American car buyer (Pauwels, Silva-Risso, Srinivasan, and Hassens, 2004, p. 143). When I was young, September was the time of year when the car manufactures showcased the new models, generating excitement and of course new sales. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new breed of vehicle was introduced, the sport utility vehicle (SUV). This was a marketing term for vehicles similar to the station wagons of the 70s but built on a truck chassis. These vehicles were perceived as rugged and capable of being used off road. Since they were considered trucks, they were less regulated as cars and had poor fuel economy. Nevertheless, these vehicles grew in popularity due to their versatility and low gas prices at the time. However, gas prices in the United States increased in the summer of 2003 before declining in the fall of the year to levels that prevailed in the spring of 2003. Gas prices began another increasing trend in January 2004, which lasted through May of that year before beginning to moderate once again. The average per gallon price reached in May 2004 was 39.1 percent higher than the May 2003 average, and the May 2004 average was 22.5 percent higher than the average price reached in September 2003 (United States Department of Energy, 2011) A reasonable expectation is that increases of this magnitude in gas prices would motivate consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicle for their transportation needs. The trend during the 1990s in the United States had been char... ...data reported year over year sales decreases for full size SUVs. Examples of their reporting includes a decrease of sales for Ford Expedition of 33.6%, Cadillac Escalade down 16.3%, and Chevrolet Tahoe down 11.9% (Healey, & Eldridge, 2004, pp. 10). Today, with gas prices hovering between $3 and $4 per gallon, the customer demand for SUVs has moved from full-sized SUVs to the more fuel midsized and crossover economical models where miles per gallon is significantly higher than models sold in 2003, generally offsetting the increases of gas prices. In general, this hypothesis test along with the supporting data validated that there was a correlation between the price of gas and the sales of full-size SUVs by way of increased manufacture price incentives. This correlation could have been used to direct corporate strategies for future models in the SUV market class. Sport Utility Vehicle Essay -- Vehicles, Cars and Trucks For as long as there have been roads to drive on, Americans have had a love affair with their cars and trucks. Ever since consumers became interested in car design and styling in the 1920s, the car manufactures have invested in innovation to quench the thirst of the American car buyer (Pauwels, Silva-Risso, Srinivasan, and Hassens, 2004, p. 143). When I was young, September was the time of year when the car manufactures showcased the new models, generating excitement and of course new sales. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new breed of vehicle was introduced, the sport utility vehicle (SUV). This was a marketing term for vehicles similar to the station wagons of the 70s but built on a truck chassis. These vehicles were perceived as rugged and capable of being used off road. Since they were considered trucks, they were less regulated as cars and had poor fuel economy. Nevertheless, these vehicles grew in popularity due to their versatility and low gas prices at the time. However, gas prices in the United States increased in the summer of 2003 before declining in the fall of the year to levels that prevailed in the spring of 2003. Gas prices began another increasing trend in January 2004, which lasted through May of that year before beginning to moderate once again. The average per gallon price reached in May 2004 was 39.1 percent higher than the May 2003 average, and the May 2004 average was 22.5 percent higher than the average price reached in September 2003 (United States Department of Energy, 2011) A reasonable expectation is that increases of this magnitude in gas prices would motivate consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicle for their transportation needs. The trend during the 1990s in the United States had been char... ...data reported year over year sales decreases for full size SUVs. Examples of their reporting includes a decrease of sales for Ford Expedition of 33.6%, Cadillac Escalade down 16.3%, and Chevrolet Tahoe down 11.9% (Healey, & Eldridge, 2004, pp. 10). Today, with gas prices hovering between $3 and $4 per gallon, the customer demand for SUVs has moved from full-sized SUVs to the more fuel midsized and crossover economical models where miles per gallon is significantly higher than models sold in 2003, generally offsetting the increases of gas prices. In general, this hypothesis test along with the supporting data validated that there was a correlation between the price of gas and the sales of full-size SUVs by way of increased manufacture price incentives. This correlation could have been used to direct corporate strategies for future models in the SUV market class.

The Lottery :: essays research papers

'Controversy and Conflict Hits the Lottery';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The short story 'The Lottery'; by Shirley Jackson is very well known because of the tradition of the village. Tradition is a big point issued to the people throughout their lives. The title 'The Lottery'; sounds as if something good is being given away. As you know after reading the story, that isn't the case at all. The tradition the village faces is very controversial. The tradition of the lottery is taken in many different ways, because it is unexamined. In particular, the conflict of the story can be seen in the contrast between Old Man Warner and Tessie Hutchinson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lottery is an annual event which takes place in the village. It takes place on the day of June 27. Everybody gathers on this date in the middle of the square for the drawing of the lottery. To the townspeople this event is like any other event happening in their town, such as a dance, club, or even a holiday program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Summers, the head of the lottery, has to gather the information of all the households the night before to make the list for the following day. He has to mix the papers up with the one with the black dot on it in the box. The head of the household picks the paper from the box to seen if their family drew the dot or not. This event takes just a few hours to accomplish. The losing family then has to draw to decide who will lose in the household. The person who draws the dot will then get stoned to death. This is a ritual for the townspeople each year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are people who agree and disagree with this annual event. The older people in the town are accustomed to this event; therefore, it is easier for them to understand it. The others who disagree are the younger people in the town. The controversy of this annual event will always be their. There are people that will and will not get accustomed to someone dying each year in their town. I can see how people are upset with this tradition. It is not a tradition I would want my town to be known for. It is hard for people to grow into an event with such a dramatic ending. The people of the town who are accustomed to it are the older folks.

Affirmative Action Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of affirmative action is to ensure equal opportunity for minorities. But it has strayed from its original intent and has become largely a program to achieve not equal opportunity but equal results. It is a system of quotas forced upon American businesses and working class by the federal government. A law which forces people to look at race before looking at the individual cannot promote equal opportunity. Affirmative action continues the judgement of minorities by race; it causes reverse discrimination, and contradicts its purpose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is not creating a colorblind society. In fact it continues the judgement of minorities according to race. Affirmative action forces employers and colleges to lower the standard for minorities. It also is demeaning to minorities who want to be judged by their actions, not their skin color.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When companies are hiring or promoting, or when a college decides which applicants to accept, many are unable to judge by merit alone. They are required by law to make race a deciding factor in their decisions in order to meet the mandated quotas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is also demeaning to most minorities. It makes them feel as though the government views them as having less ability than others. It also forces minorities to be compared to their own race instead of the overall population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason why affirmat...

Corporate Strategies to Hedge Commodity Price Risks Applying

Table of contents List of abbreviationsIII List of figuresIII List of tablesIII 1Introduction1 1. 1Problem and objective1 1. 2Structure of this paper1 2Background Information2 2. 1Definitions of fundamental terms2 2. 2Commodity price risk in different firms2 3Explanation of derivatives3 3. 1Options3 3. 2Futures4 3. 3Forwards6 3. 4Swaps6 4Hedging strategies with derivatives7 4. 1Hedging with options7 4. 2Hedging with futures7 4. 3Hedging with forwards8 4. 4Hedging with swaps8 5Pros and cons of hedging strategies with derivatives8 5. 1Pros and cons of options9 5. Pros and cons of futures9 5. 3Pros and cons of forwards10 5. 4Pros and cons of swaps10 6Practical example of corporate commodity price risk hedging10 6. 1Introduction on firm's practical hedging strategy10 6. 2Analysis on this strategy11 7Summary12 Appendix13 Appendix 1: Amounts outstanding of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives by risk category and instrument——in billions of US dollar13 Appendix 2: Derivatives fi nancial instruments traded on organized exchanges by instrument and location——in billions of US dollar14 Bibliography15 Internet Source16 List of abbreviations CHClearing HouseIMInitial Margin MBMargin Balance MM NMaintenance Margin No OTCOver The Count VM YVariation Margin Yes List of figures Figure 1: Structure of this paper2 Figure 2: P of each option position4 Figure 3: Flow chart of marking-to-market process5 Figure 4: P of each future position6 Figure 5: Hedging model on fuel oil of Air China11 List of tables Table 1: Summary for 4 option positions4 Table 2: Summary for future positions6 Table 3: Summary for 4 derivatives9 1Introduction 1. 1Problem and objective The risk of commodity price is a ferocious topic in corporate operation.Corporate profit is equal to total revenue minus total cost. For firms, because of the high volatility on commodity price, their inputs and outputs relating to commodity are unpredictable. As a consequence corporate profit will be imm ensely volatile, which will possibly lead the firm to go bankruptcy if no any preventive actions are taken. For example, producers of commodities probably need to assume unexpected losses, when the price of outputs goes down or the price of necessary raw materials goes up. The situations are similar to wholesale buyers, retailers, exporters and even governments.Volatility of commodities price has great impacts on corporate daily operation. The objective of this term paper is to introduce derivative hedging strategies for corporate managers to reduce or even eliminate future unpredictability, mainly from the perspectives of the role commodity price risks play, what the typical derivative instruments are, where and how to apply these different derivatives in terms of hedging principles thereof, and both advantages and disadvantages when applying each derivative in real business transactions. 1. Structure of this paper Firstly, this term paper highlights problems existing in real world . Secondly, it introduces advanced derivatives theory that can be applied to solve these problems. Thirdly, specific details on the theory will be presented, including explanation, application, as well as pros and cons of each derivative instrument. Then, an example is analyzed to show how companies apply derivatives to hedge commodity risks practically. Last is a summary of this term paper. Following figure shows the body of this paper. 2Background Information 2. Definitions of fundamental terms In financial markets derivative is a contract or security whose value is derived from the value of other more basic underlying variables . One of its most important functions is hedging. In corporate operation, hedging is to secure the companies against potential loss caused by variable risks that arise in international market, such as the commodity price risks. In this paper, commodity means any tangible goods or raw materials that may be sold or traded in the markets, such as energy, gold , or agricultural products. 2. Commodity price risk in different firms Volatility of commodities price influences firms’ daily operation significantly. Producers of commodities, such as farms, oil producers, mining companies, face price risk on output. Wholesalers and retailers, face price risk during the time period from buying from suppliers and selling to customers. Exporters, face the same price risk as well as currency exchange risk. And governments face price and yield risks generating from tax revenues that depend on firms’ operational conditions. 3Explanation of derivativesDerivatives are traded in exchange-traded markets and over-the-counter markets. (See recent derivatives transaction status in appendix 1 and appendix 2. ) Notably, exchange-traded derivatives are default risk free and liquid. However over-the-counter traded derivatives are the opposite. 3. 1Options An option is the contract that gives the buyer the right but not obligation to buy (call option ) or sell (put option) an underlying asset at a predetermined price (exercise price) for certain quantity during a fixed period of time (maturity).The buyer of the option pays a particular amount of money (option premium) to the seller to buy a right whereby he can decide whether or not to exercise this option, simultaneously the seller has the obligation to perform if the buyer exercises the option. European options only can be exercised on expiration day, and American options can be exercised at any time before maturity. The buyer of the call option is named long call, while the seller of the call option is named short call. Similarly, the buyer of the put option is named long put, while the seller of the put option is named short put.In commodity market, underlying of commodity option is a commodity, such as oil, wheat, or gold. Commodity options are both exchanges-traded and OTC traded. Following figure shows P of each option. Following table is the summary for these 4 option po sitions. Table 1: Summary for 4 option positions Market price expectationMaximum profitMaximum lossBreakeven point Long callupunlimitedoption premiumexercise price + option premium Short calldown or stableoption premiumunlimitedexercise price + option premium Long putdownexercise price – option premiumoption premiumexercise price – option premium Short putup or stableoption remiumexercise price – option premiumexercise price – option premium Source: author’s own. 3. 2Futures A future is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of asset at a specified time period in the future for a certain price. Normally there are two types of futures, commodity futures whose underlying are commodities and financial futures whose underlying are financial assets. They are highly standardized, regulated, and traded in exchange markets with highly liquid and default risk free property. Because of the marking-to-market process, at maturity the settling price is the spot price at expiration date with profit gaining or loss paying from a margin account, which indirectly makes the effective bargain price equal to the predetermined price in the future contract. Notably, to ensure high liquidity of futures, marking-to-market process plays a significant role. The following figure shows the marking-to-market process. Generally there are two alternative ways at maturity to settle futures, either by cash or by actual delivery of underlying, which is clearly defined by futures exchange.Following figure and table show the details of a future. Table 2: Summary for future positions ?Maximum profitMaximum lossBreakeven point Long positionunlimitedexercise pricespot price + cost of carry Short positionexercise priceunlimitedspot price + cost of carry Source: author’s own. 3. 3Forwards A forward contract is a customized and over-the-counter agreement to buy or sell an asset at a specified time in the future for a specified price, where a long position has the obligation to buy and a short position has the obligation to sell. Compared with futures, no marking-to-market process are required.Counterparties can negotiate with each about the parameters of the contract. As a result, a firm who wants to make forward contract needs to find the counterparty by itself. 3. 4Swaps A swap is a customized and over-the-counter agreement to exchange a series of specified assets periodically in the future. Normally the counterparties of a swap contract are a large institution such as a bank and a company. Basically, we can view a swap as a complicated forward. Except currency swaps, counterparties just need to pay the differences between the cash flow they should exchange. Because swaps are bespoken as a result they are less liquid.There are commodity swaps, interest rate swaps and currency swaps. Interest rate swaps is an agreement of two counterparties to change fixed interest and floating interest on predefined nominal pr incipal in the future periodically. Commodity swaps normally vary tremendously among different markets. In a currency swap, counterparties change same value of different currencies in inception and termination, where the exchange rate of the tow currencies depends on the negotiation of counterparties. 4Hedging strategies with derivatives This chapter will focus on the principles of hedging strategies on commodities. . 1Hedging with options If a trader wants to procure a commodity with high volatile price, he can buy a commodity call option to hedge the price risk of going up. Similarly, if a company wants to sell a commodity product, it can buy a long put to hedge the price risk of going down. In practice, because investors want to bet more precisely on the future price of the underlying, and hedgers with long positions want to save option premiums, a few combinations of options come out, such as a long call and a short put with identical parameters except the different strike price . 4. 2Hedging with futuresWhen the objective of a commodity trader wants to neutralize the price risk as far as possible, usually he will choose to take a position on a future on commodity. A hedger who already owns a commodity asset or doesn‘t own right now but will at some future time expecting to sell it in the future without assuming any price risk, he can apple future hedging strategy to enter into a short position to become a short. Likewise, a hedger who has to buy a certain commodity asset in the future and wants to lock in spot price immediately, he can apply a future to enter into a long position to become a long. . 3Hedging with forwards The principles of hedging strategy with forwards are similar with futures'. Whether to use futures or forwards depends on different requirements. Generally, financial assets investors who need high liquidity prefer to choose futures, while commodity investors such as producers who need high customization prefer to choose forwards. 4 . 4Hedging with swaps When investors want to hedge risks of interest rates, currencies, or commodities, they can use swaps. In gold swaps, counterparties change fixed lease rate with variable lease rate.In swaps on base metals, counterparties change fixed metal price with average price of near dated metal future. In oil swaps, counterparties change fixed West Taxes Intermediate (WTI is a benchmark in oil price) price with average price of near dated WTI future. 5Pros and cons of hedging strategies with derivatives The following integrated summary of these derivatives depending on pervious analysis makes systematic comparisons. (The options here are exchanged-traded European options) Table 3: Summary for 4 derivatives SUMMERY OF DERIVATIVES FOR GENERAL TYPES OptionsFuturesForwardsSwapsTypes of contractstandardizedstandardizedcustomizedcustomized Settlementscash and deliverymost cash and few deliverydeliverydepends on individuals Trading marketExchange tradedExchange tradedOTCOTC Liqu idityhighhighlowlow Marketing-to-marginnorequirednono Time of settlementmaturitydailymaturityperiodically Initial investmentoption premiuminitial margin nodepends Default risk assumed byClearing houseclearinghouseBoth partiesBoth parties ProsDefault risk free & liquiditycustomization & no initial investment Consinitial investment & inflexibledefault risk for both party & illiquidity Source: author’s own. . 1Pros and cons of options The pros of options are obvious. Firstly, they have no risk to assume more loss than premium but have possibility to get unlimited potential profit. Secondly exchanged-traded options are highly liquid and OTC traded options are flexible. However, the cons of options are also explicit, such as the difficulty to decide when to enter into a long position.Because buying an option needs to pay option premium, if the spot price cannot go above (for a long call) or go below (for a long put) the breakeven point the hedger will suffer a loss, and depends on statistics the possibility of a long position to lose is about 66%. 5. 2Pros and cons of futures It definitely makes sense for most companies whose majors are in businesses but not professional in forecasting the price of commodities price volatility, which can make them pay more attention on their core competences instead of fearing about volatile price.Nonetheless, taking neutralized strategies make hedgers give up the possibility of both profit and loss. Moreover, instead of hedging risks by companies, shareholders can hedge themselves according to their preferences. Additionally, if other competitors of the same industry don’t apply hedging strategies, in fact, it is the hedging company itself that assumes risks, because competitive pressures are the same for other all competitors but different for the hedging company its own. 5. 3Pros and cons of forwards Basic pros and cons have been listed in the table in front of this chapter.Generally, compared to futures, the most explicit pro is that forwards are highly customized and therefore the con is that they are hardly liquid. 5. 4Pros and cons of swaps Basic pros and cons have been listed in the table in front of this chapter. Gernally, compared to futures and forwards the most precise pros is that both counterparties could reap benefits from a swap, such as in a currency swap where a firm with a low rate may get a cheaper loan as other firms with high rates, and the counterparty may get a payment as compensation.However the corresponding cons is that counterparty may need to pay commision to intermediary, because it is difficult to find an appropriate counterparty by itself. 6Practical example of corporate commodity price risk hedging 6. 1Introduction on firm's practical hedging strategy Air China is an airline company, whose cost of fuel oil occupies 44. 75% of total revenue in 2008. To hedge the fuel oil price risk, Air China bought a call option with strike K1, meanwhile sold a put option with st rike K2, where K1