Thursday, December 26, 2019

Acute Health Effect Definition

An acute health effect is the effect caused by the initial exposure of a hazardous chemical on a human or animal body. When a hazardous materials acute health effect is listed, the effects are generally severe and dangerous adverse effects, but subside after the exposure stops. In contrast, chronic health effects persist following exposure, even if the exposure stops. Acute health effects typically appear immediately or shortly after exposure and occur after relatively high exposure to a hazardous substance. Examples of Acute Health Effects Common examples of acute health effects include: Allergic reactions (including anaphylactic shock)IrritationRashes or dry skinBurnsDermatitisMetal fume feverLethal Concentration (LC)LC50Hearing loss Note dermatitis may also occur as a chronic health effect. Lethal concentration is the amount of a substance that is immediately dangerous to life and may cause death. LC50 is the concentration of a substance that causes death to one half or 50% of test subjects.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Issue With The Death Penalty - 1555 Words

The Issues with the Death Penalty The death penalty is a very controversial subject for everyone, especially in the US. Some people think that it should be abolished and others think that it should stay a part of the government’s form of punishment. People think that the death penalty is a good way to deter crime because it should scare the person who is committing the crime. Some also feel that keeping the death penalty will cut down on government costs. The opposing side believes that the crimes would happen with or without the death penalty around. The different methods bring up many other issues as in are they humane or are they inhumane. Another argument they bring up is what is killing someone for killing someone teaching? An issue that come with the death penalty is, is it moral? Most find it not to be moral. Is there another way to teach that killing is not okay? But then, the death penalty is a cheaper route to go. Keeping a person in prison for 25+ years, people’s tax money is paying for the criminal to have 3 meals a day, medical help if needed, and a bed and place to sleep. So in some cases the criminal is living better off in prison than they were out of prison. What is the death penalty? The death penalty is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime, like rape or murder. All of the states have different reasons to why someone would get the death penalty, but the one that occurs the most is murder. The governmentShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of The Death Penalty1795 Words   |  8 PagesWhen people hear the word death, it evokes many emotions; fear, sadness, uncertainty, the terror of the unknown. But, that hasn’t stopped anyone from enforcing the death penalty. Electrocution, Lethal Injection, Hangings, the Gas Chamber and the Firing squad are only a few types of execution methods practiced by the government over a prolonged time period. Some may think these sound like types of torture methods. Not humane ways to end a person s existence for unspeakable criminal acts. ( add moreRead MoreDeath Penalty: A Controversial Issue727 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The death penalty has been an issue of controversy, causing many states in America to repeal it and call it inhumane. However, the truth is that many citizens are strongly divided on the issue and have strong opinions on whether the death penalty should indeed be kept and reinforced or whether it should just be abolished altogether. When analyzing this issue from a sociological perspective, conflict theory is best used as an argument against the death penalty. This sociological conflict theory isRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Complex Issue924 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is a complex issue with many different opinions and viewpoints. Deciding whether a person should be punished by death is not a trivial ordeal nor should it be treated as such. How do you know when a crime is punishable by death or not? â€Å"A popular bumper sticker says, ‘We kill people to show people that killing people is wrong’† (Carmical). This slogan misses the idea that the death penalty does not chastise peop le for killing, but for murder. Murder is the purposeful action ofRead MoreEthical Issues On Death Penalty1864 Words   |  8 PagesPaper: Ethical Issues On Death Penalty It is surprising to me how many people are actually pro capital punishment. For those who aren t too sure what capital punishment really is, it is the execution of a criminal who is legally convicted of a capital crime (i.e. murder). Even though the death penalty is the best way to punish criminals of their heinous crimes, I believe it is unethical because it is inhumane and hypocritical, it s way too costly, also, most criminals put on death row have psychologicalRead MoreDeath Penalty : A Controversial Issue2199 Words   |  9 Pages2014 Death Penalty When it comes to the topic of the death penalty, most of us will readily agree that it’s a controversial issue. On the one hand, many argue that the death penalty is cost effective. On the other hand, others say that capital punishment deters crime. In my own view, I don’t believe that the death penalty is cost effective or deters crime; capital punishment should not be given as a punishment for criminals who have committed first degree murder In my judgment the death penaltyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Controversial Issue2057 Words   |  9 Pages It’s no secret that the death penalty is a very controversial issue in the United States. The death penalty has been around for centuries, but so has the movement to abolish it. Does the death penalty really need to be abolished? or are people just too sensitive to the issue? Origin The death penalty dates as far back as the eighteenth century B.C. The Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon established the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also a part of HittiteRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Controversial Issue1171 Words   |  5 PagesThe death penalty is a very controversial topic worldwide. People are either for the death penalty, or against it, and there is usually no changing their mind by introducing arguments that are contrary to their opinion. The death penalty debate is not a new one, â€Å"capital punishment [has been] practiced since colonial times despite persistent debates† (Jost). However, it was around the 1960s when countries began to abolish, or strictly restrain the death penalty (Jost). The death penalty has existedRead MoreEthical Issues Either for or Against the Death Penalty1403 Words   |  6 Pagesthere has been much controversy on the having juveniles charged with the death penalty for their actions.R ecent research into the costs of the death penalty in Florida revealed the state is spending as much as $1 million per inmate just for incarceration and appellate costs.Which in much cases is not at the economic reach of most states.Trial costs would add substantially to the states total. Florida has over 400 inmates on death row. By taking these inmates through this process it is much less expensiveRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is One Of The Most Controversial Issue1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe death penalty is one of the most controversial issues. It is an important issue because each side is very significant and they each have strong views. The five main points that will be discussed in this paper are; deterrence, loss of innocent lives, bias, retribution, and quality of the attorney. Both sides will be discussed; reasons to support the death penalty, and reasons not to support the death penalty. For the first point; deterrence, supporters of the penalty say that the death penalty Read MoreControversial Issues Regarding Juvenile Death Penalty2052 Words   |  9 PagesOne of the most controversial issues in the rights of juveniles today is addressed in the question, Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles? For nearly a century the juvenile courts have existed to shield the majority of juvenile offenders from the full weight of criminal law and to protect their entitled special rights and immunities. In the case of kent vs. United states in 1996, Justice Fortas stated some of these special rights which include; Protection from publicity, confinement only

Monday, December 9, 2019

Microsoft Merger and Acquisitions Case In Nokia

Question: Discuss about theMerger and Acquisitionsfor Case of Microsoft Acquisition in Nokia. Answer: Introduction In the present business scenario, the strategy of unit and rule is more followed than divide and rule. Today, the companies are coming together to join hands so that the resources could be utilized to the optimum level (Anderson, Havila, and Nilsson, 2012). In a merger and acquisition deal, two or more companies are consolidated to bring into existence a single entity. Merger and acquisition strategy can be quite handy for the companies operating in the same industry to get competitive advantages. In the recent years, the merger and acquisitions have increased rapidly, which is evident from the fact that in the year 2015 total merger and acquisition deals announced worldwide were $4.4 trillion. This was straightaway 42% higher than 2014 (Lam, 2016). In the context developed above, the discussion in this paper has been extended to the analysis of the effects of merger of Microsoft with Nokia. Microsoft announced acquisition of Nokias assets in the year 2013 for $7.90 billion. This paper addresses the synergy gains or losses and other effects of the merger on Microsoft. Synergies Arising from the Merger It is often seen in the merger and acquisitions deals that the buyer pays premium or extra charge over and above the value of net assets acquired in a merger deal. This premium or extra charge is paid for synergy gains that the buyer expects to reap out from that merger deal (Karenfort, 2011). Thus, synergy can be inferred to be the additional value created as a result of combining the operations of the two companies together. The synergy created by the merger could be financial and/or operating (Gaughan, 2013). The financial synergy is manifested in the increased debt capacity, improvement in the liquidity, tax benefits, and improved overall financial performance of the resulting company after merger. On the other hand, operating synergy is manifested in the economies of scale, reduced competition, and enhanced goodwill in the market (Gaughan, 2013). In the current case of Microsoft and Nokia merger, the evaluation of synergy has been made by analyzing the financial performance of the Microsoft pre and post merger. The facts and figures for pre acquisition period that relate to the period before the year 2014 have been analyzed as below: Table 1: Financial Performance of Microsoft before Merger $ Million 2010 2011 2012 2013 Average Revenues 62,484.00 69,943.00 73,723.00 77,849.00 70,999.75 Cost of operations 12,395.00 15,577.00 17,530.00 20,249.00 16,437.75 Gross margin 50,089.00 54,366.00 56,193.00 57,600.00 54,562.00 Gross margin ratio 80.16% 77.73% 76.22% 73.99% 77.03% Net margin 18,760.00 28,071.00 22,267.00 21,863.00 22,740.25 Net margin ratio 30.02% 40.13% 30.20% 28.08% 32.11% EPS 2.13 2.73 2.02 2.61 2.37 (Microsoft, 2016) Table 2: Financial Performance of Microsoft after Merger $ Million 2014 2015 Average Revenues 86,833.00 93,580.00 90,206.50 Cost of operations 27,078.00 33,038.00 30,058.00 Gross margin 59,755.00 60,542.00 60,148.50 Gross margin ratio 68.82% 64.70% 66.76% Net margin 22,074.00 12,193.00 17,133.50 Net margin ratio 25.42% 13.03% 19.23% EPS 2.66 1.49 2.08 (Microsoft, 2016) From the data presented in the table-1, it could be observed that the company was maintaining an average gross profit ratio of 77.03%. The revenues of the company were growing at a study pace. The average revenues earned by the company in the period of four years from 2010 to 2013 amounted to $70,999.50 million (Table-1). Further, the company was making healthy profit margins at a percentage of 32.11%. However, immediately after the acquisition of the Nokias assets, there was observed a downfall in the companys profitability. The gross profit margin reduced from 73.99% in the year 2013 to 68.82% in the year 2014 and it further went down in the year 2015 to 64.70%. It may be noted that the company was able to increase its sales after acquiring the assets from Nokia in the year 2013. The sales revenues increased from $77,849 million in the year 2013 to $93,580 million in the year 2015. Though, the company achieved growth in the revenues, but the gross margins went down, which indicates increase in the cost of operations. The increase in the cost of operations is a clear indication that the company did not receive economies of scale from the acquisition of Nokias assets. Thus, there was no operational and/or financial synergy for Microsoft from the acquisition of the assets from Nokia. The companys profitability was affected adversely from this merger deal, which is evident from the deterioration in the net margin. As against the average net profit margin of 32.11% in the four years preceding the acquisition, the company could maintain only 19.23% net margin in the two years after the acquisition. Further, the ESP of the company was down to $1.49 in the year 2015 from as high as $2.61 in the year 2013. Considering the bad financial performance in the post acquisition period, the company admitted that the merger deal with Nokia was the biggest failure (Keizer, 2015). Test of Merger Theory The merger theory believes that the aggregate value of two separate firms is always lower than the combined value when those two firms are merged. This implies that the aggregate market capitalization value of Microsoft and Nokia would be lower than the market capitalization value of Microsoft after merger with Nokia. The theory of merger is based on the premise that the two firms operating separately would not be able earn equal to the earrings of the firm created by merging those two firms. The theory states that this enhanced value is created as a result of synergy emerging from the merged operations. However, not all the merger and acquisitions deals gets succeed. In the case of Microsoft acquiring assets of Nokia, the test of this theory of merger is being carried out as under: Table 3: Evaluation of the Merger Impact Before Merger (2013) After Merger (2014) Impact Microsoft Nokia assets Total Monthly average price (Yahoo Finance, 2016) 26.77 - 36.60 No of shares 8,375.00 - 8,299.00 Market Capitalization 224,198.75 *9,442.00 233,640.75 303,743.40 70,102.65 *Note: In computing market value before merger for Nokia, the assets that are under acquisition have been considered. Therefore, the market value of Nokia has been taken as the market value of its assets under acquisition that is $9,442 million (Microsoft, 2015). From the above figures, it could be observed that the market value of Microsoft increased by $70,102.65 immediately after the acquisition of the Nokias assets. However, this acquisition was a failure for the company, but still the market value increased substantially after the finalization of the acquisition deal. From this situation, it could be inferred that this was a short term speculative effect on the stocks price of the company which laid increase in the market capitalization in the year 2014 as compared to the year 2013. Evaluation of Failure of Merger The results of merger and acquisition could be negative if the process of merger and acquisitions is not handled strategically. In the absence of strategic approach towards merger and acquisitions, the companies have been seen facing complete failure. As per the study conducted by Coopers and Lybrand, there are five major factors that affect the success and failure of the merger and acquisitions (Milnerltd.com, 2014). These five factors are detailed post acquisition integration plans, clarity of acquisition purpose, good culture fit, high degree of target management, and knowledge of target and its industry. Among these five factors, Coopers and Lybrand regarded the post acquisition integration plan as the most crucial (Milnerltd.com, 2014). In the current case being analyzed in this paper, Microsoft had failed sustaining the acquisition of Nokias assets in the merger deal. The company could not capitalize on this merger deal due to absence of clarity in the objectives of acquisition and post acquisition integration plan. Though this merger deal the company tried to enter into the new market leaving its core field operations unfocused. Further, post revelations of the failure of merger, it was observed that lack in clarity of acquisition purposes and adequate planning for integration were also the reasons for failure of the merger (Milnerltd.com, 2014). The merger and acquisition decisions are very sensitive to the market; therefore, the management should be cautious in drawing out such decisions (Milnerltd.com, 2014). Preparing a detailed merger plan including analysis of the future trend is a prerequisite to go for merger and acquisition deal. In the current case, Microsoft could not analyze the future trend of mobile industry appropriately, which caused failure of the companys merger with Nokia. The financial performance started affecting adversely as soon as the company acquired assets from Nokia. The acquisition was made in the last quarter of the financial year 2013 and in the year 2015, the company wrote off $7.10 billion as the cost of merger (Keizer, 2015). Conclusion The discussion in this paper revolves around the issues governing the merger and acquisitions in the corporate world. The main focus area of this paper is to highlight the synergy in the context of merger and understand the factors the cause failure of the merger and acquisition deals. For this purpose, the case of Microsoft and Nokia merger has been analyzed in this paper. Microsoft acquired assets of phone division of Nokia for an amount of $7.10 billion in the year 2013. Though, the company was expecting to benefit at the big scale from this deal, but it could not sustain it for a longer period. Finally, in the year 2015, the company announced admitting the fact that it failed in the merger with Nokia. References Anderson, H., Havila, V., and Nilsson, F. 2012. Mergers and Acquisitions: The Critical Role of Stakeholders. Routledge. Gaughan, P.A. 2013. Maximizing Corporate Value through Mergers and Acquisitions: A Strategic Growth Guide. John Wiley Sons. Karenfort, S. 2011. Synergy in Mergers Acquisitions: The Role of Business Relatedness. BoD Books on Demand. Keizer, G. 2015. Microsoft writes off $7.6B, admits failure of Nokia acquisition. [Online]. Available at: https://www.computerworld.com/article/2945371/smartphones/microsoft-writes-off-76b-admits-failure-of-nokia-acquisition.html [Accessed on: 05 December 2016]. Lam, B. 2016. 2015: A Merger Bonanza. [Online]. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/2015-mergers-acquisitions/423096/ [Accessed on: 05 December 2016]. Microsoft. 2015. Annual report of Microsoft for 2015. [Online]. Available at: https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar15/download-center/index.html [Accessed on: 05 December 2016]. Microsoft. 2016. Investor Relations Annual Reports. [Online]. Available at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/annual-reports.aspx [Accessed on: 05 December 2016]. Milnerltd.com. 2014. 10 steps to Success in Merger and Acquisitions. [Online]. Available at: https://www.milnerltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/10-Steps-to-Success-in-Mergers-Acquisitions.pdf [Accessed on: 05 December 2016]. Yahoo Finance. 2016. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Historical Prices. [Online]. Available at: https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=MSFTa=06b=01c=2012d=07e=31f=2014g=m [Accessed on: 05 December 2016].

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Construction of Me free essay sample

How many people can say that their entire life was split in half at three years old? Unfortunately, a surprising number of people can most likely relate. Divorce rates have skyrocketed and traditional family styles have been altered. I am a child of divorce, a blended family, and a double lifestyle. Having the foundation of your family ripped apart at the seams can be a traumatic experience, and so can the aftermath of learning to adjust to a life including multiple lifestyles and new family members.I have experienced growing up in two separate homes with different values, restrictions, traditions, and parenting styles. I know the benefits of only being grounded half the time because my transgression only offended one parent, the glory of two Christmases, or the expansion of my amazing family. Conversely, I also know the effects of a life where your parents can’t so much as handle being in the same room together, the constant negativity towards the other parent, and my late night emotional breakdowns. We will write a custom essay sample on The Construction of Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My past and background has shaped who I am today, and because of these unexpected life changes, I emphasize the significance of personal strength. My mother is very supportive, involved, and consistent. She has always involved herself in my extra-curricular activities, school business, and personal affairs. Her controlling manner delivers frequent stress and worry, and often is blanketed upon me as well. My mother has endured many struggles in her life and she has proved to be one of the strongest people I know. She and I both have experienced family tension and loss. Her second marriage was full of unhealthy deception, drama from within our circle of relatives, and was concluded with the departure of my stepdad from a fatal accident. These trials in my past have painted scars that will never disappear but have molded the skin of my personality and strength that I take pride in. My father is very strong, demanding, and carefree. Throughout my life he has slightly stepped back from the involvement in my activities, but still hasnt left my side. He never pressures stress upon me, however my home can sometimes be an uncomfortable mess of dysfunction. He remarried when I was in the middle of my second grade year, and through this marriage I gained two more siblings, and later a third. Growing up with a blended family had all the perks of childhood play and innocence, but also the disadvantages of arguments, discipline, and the actual blending part. Despite the stains of occasional unhappiness, the majority of my childhood memories took place in the backyard of that one story house with all my giggling siblings and smiling parents. My dad was the tough one, the no nonsense or emotion kind of person. I wanted to be my father’s cowgirl who didn’t cry, so I tried to shape my personality to avoid all emotion. My family is severed but I am whole. I am scarred but breathing, and damaged but strong. My character was constructed from the experiences of pain and joy that were bestowed upon my youth. I may be empty in understanding the reasons for my pain, but I am fully lit with the delight and joy my new and consistent families bring me. My story doesnt define who I am, it only defines where I came from. I am not a heartbroken child like divorce, I am not a lonely and empty vessel like a separation, and I am not a hollow darkness like death. I am a mess of triumph and trial. I am afraid of car accidents, confrontation, fighting, and tears. I am confident in leadership, advice, and inner strength. I am a warrior, and I am fighting for happiness. I am not my past experiences, but those experiences have made me, and that is my identity.