Technical Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Technical Paper - Case Study Example Moreover, there are some limitations associated with the SIEM such as number of events per second to be generated, based on the logs being generated from the system and pulled by the SIEM agents Firewall. (2007). Vulnerabilities in network security are regarded as the â€Å"soft spots† that are evidenced in every network. These vulnerabilities exist in the network as well as individual devices that constitute the network. HTTP, FTP, and ICMP are not secure essentially. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and SYN floods are associated with the inherently vulnerable structure upon which TCP has been designed Various types of network equipment such as firewalls (Agnitum outpost persona firewall pro 2.0.2004), switches, routers; all have security weaknesses that must be acknowledged and safeguarded against. Those include the following weaknesses: Network administrators or network engineers are required to understand the configuration weaknesses and accurately configure their computing and network devices to counteract the common configuration weaknesses. This common problem occurs upon turning on JavaScript in web browsers which enables attacks by means of hostile JavaScript whilst accessing untrusted sites. Some complications also take place due to IIS, Apache, FTP and Terminal Services. Significant security problems come about because of misconfigurations of the equipment itself. For instance, misconfigured routing protocols, certain access lists or even some SNMP community strings can open up large security holes. The unauthorized discovery and mapping of systems, services, or vulnerabilities is referred to as Reconnaissance. It is also known as information gathering and it commonly manifests before an actual access or denial-of-service (DoS) attack. Reconnaissance is rather comparable to a thief casing a neighbourhood in search of vulnerable homes to break into, like easy-to-open doors, windows left

Personal and Professional Ethic Essay Example for Free

Personal and Professional Ethic Essay List 2 examples of legal issues affecting healthcare and describe how you determined your choices to be legal issues. 2. Give 2 examples of ethical issues affecting healthcare and describe how you determined your choices to be ethical issues. 3. Give 2 examples of moral issues affecting healthcare and describe how you determined your choices to be moral issues. 4. Describe the impact your own personal ethics may have on your practice as a healthcare professional. 5. List 3 ideas that you have for keeping your personal and professional ethics separate: . How does diversity (ethnic, social and cultural) play a role in providing patient care for your chosen profession? Unit 9 Project Questions: Part II (NOTE: you may need to refer to chapter 3 and/or Unit 2 for this section) 7. What is the name of the professional organization related to your chosen career? (NOTE: a list of professional organizations can be found in the Code of Ethics and Professional Organizations module in the Reading section of Unit 2) 8. How will your professional Code of Ethics help to guide you in making decisions on-the job? NOTE: a link to your Code of Ethics can be found in the Code of Ethics and Professional Organizations module in the Reading section of Unit 2) 9. How does your professional Code of Ethics differ from the American Medical Association Code of Ethics? 10. Does your professional organization offer a credentialing exam for your career? If so, what is the name of the credential you can receive after passing the exam? 11. For most allied health professionals, a certification can be preferred but is optional. Why is this? 12. Name two healthcare professionals in which a license would be required to practice.

The Criticisms On Agency Theory And Its Application Finance Essay

The Criticisms On Agency Theory And Its Application Finance Essay Introduction Issues on corporate governance, business ethics, decision making and risk-taking are the normal issues being faced by all types of corporations, both old and new. One of the main assumptions why such issues are often encountered by majority of companies and institutions can be attributed to the conflict of interests and the misalignment of corporate goals among those in the managerial position and the common shareholders. According to Moldoveanu, M Martin, R. (2001), in many cases, the application of right managerial decisions, which are considered the lifeblood of any organization, are not being practiced and applied therefore causing inefficiencies on the part of the company and its people. There is always a separation in terms of control and ownership in all corporations. However, this separation is what almost always causes conflict and is most often the root cause of all other problems and issues in the organization. Ideally, the design or framework of a corporation is well-defined in a way that control and ownership of the companys assets are clearly identified and distinguished among the people within the organization. In a usual company setting, control over a corporations assets is delegated to the people assigned in the managerial posts while the ownership of company assets is being handed over to the companys shareholders. Therefore, both the managers and shareholders within the organization are responsible and accountable for each of their deliverables and assigned functions (Moldoveanu, M Martin, R., 2001). Given that both the shareholders and managers perform very specific and highly-critical functions in an organization, it is but natural for the two to develop a specific kind of relationship. The development of this kind of relationship is indeed critical for the success of the corporation. Nevertheless, out of this manager-shareholder relationship also stems the many issues and problems which often result or cause negative impact on the corporations assets. This special kind of relationship that exists between the shareholders and the managers is called an agency relationship. In a typical corporate set-up, managers are given the right to control and manage the assets of the company which are owned by the shareholders. The function of the managers is therefore highly significant as their decisions and moves may potentially cause a positive or a negative impact on the company and its total assets (Economy Professor, 2004). However, failures on the part of the managers are quite common given the structure and framework of most corporations which interfere with the proper decision making and task-delegations of most people on the managerial posts. According to Moldoveanu, M Martin, R. (2001), two of the most common failures of professional managers nowadays are a.) failures due to honest miscalculations and errors which are beyond the managers control and b.) failures related to a managers integrity and selfish motives. These kinds of managerial control failures are what cause extreme damage on the companys valuable assets. Hence, in order to safeguard the company from these potential threats and damages often caused by managerial failures, the shareholders find a less-riskier way of protecting company assets which are usually facilitated by a shareholder via a reward punishment method. The purpose of the rewards punishment method is to provide incentives for every properly executed managerial output. Other methods are also employed and utilized by the shareholders which are intended to protect the company assets such as the monitoring, assessing and checking on the decisions of the manager. Aside from incentives, sanctions are also given to the managers in order to align their interests and decisions based on that of the shareholders (Moldoveanu, M Martin, R., 2001). As in the case of any corporation, this manager-shareholder relationship exists and is most commonly referred to as the agency relationship. This paper on The Criticisms on Agency Theory and its Application on Corporate Governance is aimed at providing a detailed discussion of the agency theory, its history and basic concept, how it is currently being applied and manifested in many modern corporations nowadays and how this theory concept has been abused and improperly utilized by many corporations nowadays. A specific focus will also be allotted on the various criticisms on this particular theory and why its focus on merely two stakeholders: the managers and shareholders, is highly criticized by many people, specifically, other stakeholders involved in the organization. Moreover, this paper will answer how this criticism was justified and how in a way, the agency theory negatively affects proper corporate governance. To be more specific, this paper on The Criticisms on Agency Theory and its Application on Corporate Governance aims to answer the following questions: What is the agency theory? How did the agency theory begin and evolve? What is the role of the agency theory in corporate governance? What are benefits and advantages of adopting the agency theory in a corporation? What are the threats and disadvantages of adopting the agency theory in a corporation? Why is the agency theory being criticized with its focus on merely two stakeholders: the managers (agents) and shareholders (principal)? How does the agency theorys focus on merely two stakeholders: the managers (agents) and shareholders (principal) negatively affect corporate governance? How does this criticism affect other stakeholders within an organization, apart from the managers and the shareholders? A. Agency Theory: The Concept and its Beginnings According to the Economy Professor (2004), the agency theory originated in the year 1970s. This theory basically refers to the relationships that exist between the so-called owners of corporate assets and the so-called controllers of corporate assets. In simple terms, the agency relationship refers to the corporate relationship that exists between the shareholders and the managers within an organization. The agency theory also pertains to the firms view on its network of people resources. This theory states that a special kind of corporate relationship is formed when one person or a group of persons (known as the shareholders) decide to hire an individual or a group of individuals (known as the managers) to provide some service or work for them. Moreover, the agency relationship also occurs when the shareholders assign or delegate some decision-making tasks to the managers (Economy Professor, 2004). But aside from the shareholder-manager relationship, other forms of agency relationship may also exist in a corporation like for instance, the stockholder-debtholder relationship. Generally however, agency relationships are mostly used to refer to the shareholder-manager relationship. In many textbooks and journals, the agency theory is also being referred to as the principal-agent theory simply because it is a type of relationship that involves a principal or a shareholder and an agent or a manager (Economy Professor,2004). Moldoveanu, M Martin, R. (2001) further defined clearly what occurs in an agency relationship. They stated that in an agency relationship, the shareholder or the principal is the one who hires and accepts the services of a manager or the agent based mainly on the latters capabilities, professional competencies, decision-making ability and knowledge. Normally, the principal hires the agent because the former believes in the capabilities of the latter to increase and safeguard the assets of the company. Since the principal or the shareholder is the owner of those company assets, he or she will not hire an agent or manager who is not capable of increasing or protecting the assets of the company. Once the principal hires the agent to be in-charge of the company assets, the principal must automatically transfer his or her decision rights to that asset over to the agent (Moldoveanu, M Martin, R., 2001). The transferring of decision rights from the principal to the agent is vital in order for the latter to take full accountability, control and management over that asset. If there was no transferring of decision rights over to the hired agents, issues and problems stem from it which cause a negative impact not only on the relationship between these two stakeholders but also on the agents capacity to deliver the expectations of the principal (Donaldson, L. Davis, J., 1991). According to Lupia, A. (2001), the delegation of decision rights and power from the principal to the agent is highly important for an agency relationship to work. In the concept of the agency theory, the principal is known to be the person who performs the delegation process. The principal is the one who passes over the authority over the assets, specifically the power and authority to decide, to another person. The agent on the other hand is the one who acts as the recipient of the authority and power being delegated by the principal. When the full transferring or delegation of rights and authority is already transferred to the agent, then the agent already has the full accountability over the company assets. The agent is then subjected to either a sanction or an incentive depending on his management over the assets. According to Donaldson, L. Davis, J. (1991), various types of schemes are usually devised by the principals in order to prevent huge corporate losses due to managerial failures or the agents failure to deliver the shareholders goals and interests. Some of these schemes include financial rewards through the form of benefits and compensations which would greatly motivate the agents to achieve their company goals and align themselves with the interests of the shareholders. This has been an effective corporate strategy which proved to motivate agents to perform their managerial roles better (Donaldson, L. Davis, J., 1991). B. The Role of the Agency Theory in Corporate Governance According to Donaldson, L. Davis, J. (1991), the role of the agency theory in the modern corporations of today is quite important. Essentially, the concept of agency theory is both stewardship and shared ownership. Donaldson, L. Davis, J. (1991), states that the concept of shared ownership in the agency theory is what pushes and drives the managerial executives (agents) to perform beyond the top managements expectations. The idea that the professional managers are co-owners of the companys most valued assets is what drives them to perform better their management functions. Aside from their liability and accountability over the company assets, the idea that these managerial executives are co-owners themselves of the company assets is what makes them more concerned and involved in the nitty-gritty of the corporate process and their own functions. This therefore maximizes the shareholder returns which benefit all stakeholders within the corporation. Moreover, the agency theory encompasses the concept of stewardship. The agents or the professional managers act as the stewards of the company and its assets. Their decisions and their ability to successfully deal with various corporate issues and concerns as well as their ability to increase the value of corporate assets is what makes the managers good stewards of the business or the company (Donaldson, L. Davis, J., 1991). The capacity therefore of the agency theory to maximize shareholder returns by simply motivating the managers or the agents to perform their management functions better is what makes this theory quite useful in corporate governance. Moreover, the role of the agency theory in corporate governance involves a number of important elements which facilitate the effective governance and management of a corporation. One of which is exercise and practice of the decision rights. According to Moldoveanu, M Martin, R. (2001), the agency theory is what strengthens and allows for the proper exercise of the decision rights of the principals over the company assets. Since technically, the principals are the owners of the assets and they are the ones assigned at delegating the power and decision-making authority over to the agents, their rights must still be protected. This decision right comes in three types: a.) the principals right to create, initiate and implement a specific decision and b.) the principals right to authorize or give consent and approval to a specific decision and c.) the principals right to punish or reward an agent based on the results or outcome of a specific decision the latter has made. On the other hand, the agency theory also puts emphasis on the managerial rights that should be utilized and exercised by the agents. These management-decision rights include: a.) the agents decision right to propose, initiate or suggest a specific course of action or decision and b.) the agents decision right to counter, resist or veto a specific course of action or decision (Moldoveanu, M Martin, R., 2001). The agency theory also acts as the initiator and motivator of the punishments and rewards system in an organization. The agency theory states that the concept of incentive (rewards) and sanctions (punishments) is possibly the best form of motivation among all stakeholders, not merely the managers or the agents. Moldoveanu, M Martin, R. (2001) states that managerial incentives usually come in two types: a.) incentives for observable and obvious efforts exerted by the agent or the manager which usually come in the form of monetary or financial rewards such as bonuses, stock grants or salary increases and b.) incentives for observable and obvious efforts exerted by the agent or the manager which usually come in the form of non-monetary rewards, acknowledgement and other privileges. Given all these functions, the agency theory indeed performs a significant role in any organization in terms of safeguarding and increasing the companys most valued assets as well as motivating its stakeholders, specifically its agents or managers to go perform beyond top managements expectations given that their roles, functions and rights are clearly identified by the agency theory. C. The Benefits and Advantages of Adopting the Agency Theory One clear benefit of adopting and utilizing the agency theory within an organization is its ability to maximize the potentials and use of a particular agent. While the agents are clearly motivated to perform or even go beyond their managerial roles, the ultimate benefit is still being experienced by the shareholders as it is their assets which are being maximized. Although oftentimes, when the shareholders return on investment is quite high, all stakeholders also benefit out of it in the form of great financial rewards such as salary increases and bonuses (Sanchez, A.V., n.d.). The increase in shareholder returns and the value of the companys assets is one clear benefit and aim that the agency theory brings in to any corporation that is why its utilization is still very much applicable in the set up of modern corporations. In simple terms, the agents and the principals as well as other stakeholders within the organization directly benefit out of this company financial gain (Sanchez, A.V., n.d.). Another benefit in the adoption of the agency theory in corporations is the maximum utilization of the agency cost or the cost incurred by the shareholder by hiring the agent or the manager. Given that typically, an agent performs quite a number of critical roles including the important function of decision-making, the cost incurred by the company in hiring the agent is therefore justified by the amount of work or services accomplished by the agent for the company. This clearly benefits the shareholders as their agency costs can also be considered an investment for the further growth of company assets (Sanchez, A.V., n.d.). On the part of the agents, the application of the agency theory is also beneficial as it offers the application of the concept of maximum utility. The concept of maximum utility denotes a maximization of their potentials and skills which they have provided the company. In a way the end benefit is still clearly leaning towards the company. Nevertheless, the maximization of the managers skills and potentials also directly benefits him or her as an agent (Sanchez, A.V., n.d.). D. The Threats and Disadvantages of Adopting the Agency Theory According to Mallin (2007), the agency theory can possibly result into a number of threats or disadvantages in an organization. One of these disadvantages is the opportunistic view of the managers or the agents in the corporation. For instance, there were many instances when the agents (managers) took advantage of their power and used it for their own selfish interests. Apparently, some agents do not act in accordance to the interests and goals of the shareholders. Most of the time, the agents are tempted to use their power and decision-making advantages to pursue their own selfish interests and not act in behalf of the principals or shareholders of the company. Moreover, the agents may have a totally different view of what their roles or functions are supposed to be which may be far from what was defined by the shareholders. For instance, some agents or managers may avoid risk-taking which the shareholders consider essential in order to effectively increase the value of a corporate asset. Also, agents or managers have the tendency to avoid making decisions, especially those decisions which are entirely needed to properly govern the corporation. When this happens, the clash between these two stakeholders begin which is another disadvantage brought about by the agency theory (Mallin, 2007). Information asymmetry is also a common problem in the application of the agency theory. This happens when the amount or load of information accessed and received by the agent varies from that of the shareholder. When this happens, it results into an unbalanced amount of corporate knowledge or information between the two which may put either of them at a disadvantage. Also, the gaps in corporate knowledge or information may cause confusion or misunderstanding between these two important stakeholders. As a result of this, conflicts arise between the managers and the shareholders which hinder both of them from performing their distinct functions in a corporation (Mallin, 2007). The Criticisms on the Agency Theory: Why this theory focuses on merely two stakeholders: the managers (agents) and shareholders (principal) The agency theory, coined and popularized in the 1970s, has long been an existing concept and theory that people in the past centuries have been thinking of adopting. It was however only in the 70s that this concept was already adopted by many companies around the world. The popularity of the application and use of the agency theory only commenced when corporate governance became a more difficult and complicated task to do. When the corporations began to expand, more and more clients and employees became part of both the external and internal stakeholders of the company. An implication of this was the tasks became more difficult to manage that the owners of the corporation needed additional people to offer special work or services for them. This then resulted to the birth of the demand on hiring agents (Mallin, 2007). These agents, according to Mallin (2007), were recruited and hired based on their professional competencies, skills, talents and the ability to make decisions. The owners or the shareholders (principals) are the ones directly hiring these agents to offer special services them that would further grow or benefit the corporation. Moreover, Mallin (2007) asserted that the complications brought about by the increase in demand of the services offered by a corporation and an upsurge in the number of its clients, brought about the need to separate control and ownership in a corporation. Most of the time, shareholders or owners of a company are too busy to perform and attend to the important details in a corporations daily operations. The amount of work and responsibility that these owners need to perform are way too much that they need to add more employees to handle them. This therefore resulted into a separation of control and ownership in the company, with the shareholders performing the ownership function while the managers performing the control function. According to Mallin (2007), when the shareholders or principals start performing the ownership function, thats when they begin to make the agents and other stakeholders in the company more accountable and responsible in their tasks and functions. The command and directives come straight from them which would then have to be managed by those under them. When this happens, the shareholders would have a direct control over the business or the corporation just as owners should have. Accountability increases over the shareholders capacity to function as owners of the corporation and its most valuable assets. On the other hand, direct control over the corporations daily operations is exercised by the professional managers assigned by the shareholders. Full control and accountability rests on these individuals which make their functions highly critical in a corporation. These professional managers are concerned with the nitty-gritty of the daily affairs of the corporation as well as the handling of the people under them. Also, they are in charge of increasing the value of a corporate asset which puts more pressure on the functions that they perform in the corporation (Mallin, 2007). Hence, the focus of the agency theory is basically to put emphasis on the importance of the functions that both the principals (shareholders) and the agents (managers) perform or play in the success of corporate governance. This explains the main reason why most corporations nowadays exercise or apply the agency theory in their business framework. Also, the corporations found it to be very significant to maintain the healthy relationship between the principals and the agents as it is only then can they manage the various issues that corporations normally face. Moreover the distinct advantages of applying the agency theory are tremendous, such as the maximum utilization of the companys agents and the increase of the companys most valued assets, that it led many corporations to apply the agency theorys principles in their businesses. Nevertheless, Mallin (2007) argues that one of the most popular criticism against the agency theory is its focus on merely two stakeholders: the agents and the principals. According to corporate analysts, it is not healthy for a corporation to focus on merely two stakeholders and neglect all the other stakeholders that also play key roles in the organization. In the long history of corporate governance, it has been proven to be true that the agency theorys focus on the principal-agent relationship has caused many threats and disadvantages as well to the organization. For one, these two stakeholders cannot properly operate or function without the presence of other key constituents or stakeholders within the organization. Other key stakeholders such as the managers subordinates, suppliers and the investors also perform highly significant functions in the corporation which cannot be ignored or neglected. The seemingly unfair and unbalanced focus of the agency theory on only two stakeholders have been for a long time resulting into negative impacts in the organization which was justified through the perception of other stakeholders on the unequal distribution of power in the organization. The unequal distribution of power and privileges within the organization, mostly focused on only the principals and the agents, is what makes other key stakeholders feel deprived and unimportant in the corporation (Eisenhardt, K., 1989) When this happens, these other stakeholders like for instance the investors and suppliers may be tempted to take away their loyalty on the corporation and move to its competitor. This then places the corporation into a threatening situation as its key stakeholders know much confidential information about the company. F. The Stakeholder Theory versus the Agency Theory The many issues confronted by many corporations through the utilization and application of the agency theory in their corporate governance resulted into many negative impacts on the part of other stakeholders involved in the corporation. For one, these stakeholders namely the employees, investors, suppliers, communities, subsidiaries, the media and the government and other internal and external constituents that the corporation usually deals with, are not given sufficient attention and privileges compared to the shareholders and the managers. This is because in the agency theory, the focus is merely on the shareholder-manager relationship or the principal-agent relationship and not so much on other stakeholders. In order to avoid these kinds of issues on the part of other stakeholders, another theory was created which was the stakeholder theory. In essence, the stakeholder theory states the importance of addressing the needs and emphasizing the functions and roles of other relevant key stakeholders in the organization in order to effectively govern the corporation (Donaldson, T. Preston, L., 1995). Moreover, the stakeholder theory presents the first step to divert the attention from merely two stakeholders: the shareholders and managers, to other stakeholders such as the investors, suppliers, communities, media, political associations and the general public at large whom the corporation directly affects or influences (Donaldson, T. Preston, L., 1995). The stakeholder theory also gave a strong emphasis on the importance of identifying the corporations internal and external stakeholders. This is because any corporation would not be able to stand in itself and operate by itself without the aid of other key stakeholders which the corporation serves or which help the corporation achieve its organizational goals. In other instances, even the competitors can also be considered part of the organizations stakeholders (Donaldson, T. Preston, L., 1995). The usefulness of the stakeholder theory compared to the agency theory is that the former has a clearer, wider view and concern with other people outside of the managers and the shareholders. The stakeholder theory puts more emphasis on their importance as a corporate entity and in a way helps the corporation properly position itself as well, especially in the community where it operates (Donaldson, T. Preston, L., 1995). The stakeholder theory states that by identifying the internal and external stakeholders of a corporation, the interests of the corporation would be balanced among the interests of the other key stakeholders. The corporation therefore would not appear selfish or apathetic to the community and the general public at large because its organizational goals and principles are hinged from the best interests and common good of all its stakeholders, not just the managers and the shareholders. The stakeholder theory also paints a good view of the corporation to other stakeholders as it appears concerned and ready to serve the general public at large. Also, the application of the stakeholder theory implies that the corporation acknowledges that its decisions have either a positive or negative impact on the stakeholders in general. This makes the stakeholders therefore feel important being part of the corporation as its concerned and needs are acknowledged by the corporation where they belong compared to the agency theory which only highlights the contributions and roles of merely two stakeholders: the managers and shareholders. (Donaldson, T. Preston, L., 1995). Conclusion The agency theory in corporations is a useful and widely-used theory that has in itself a lot of distinct advantages and disadvantages to the corporation. Its focus on the important functions of the principals (shareholders) and the agents (managers) is what led to its popular application in corporate governance. For many decades, the use of the agency theory has benefitted many corporations as it aimed to strengthen the relationship between the principals and the agents whose main functions are considered the lifeblood of the corporation. Also, the agency theorys emphasis on the maximum utilization of the agents resulted into tremendous increases in the value of the corporations assets and the corporations maximization of the agency costs they incurred out of hiring the services of these agents or professional managers. Nevertheless, while the agency theory application resulted into many benefits and advantages, it also brought it certain negative impact and disadvantages in the corporations. For one, it resulted into conflicting interests between the managers and the shareholders. The shareholders often seem to have a hard time influencing the managers with their own organizational goals, while the latter focuses on pursuing his or her own selfish interests in the organization. Second, the lack of focus of the corporation on other relevant stakeholders brought forth more disadvantages in the organization as the other stakeholders felt unimportant and neglected in the corporation. This issue has therefore given birth to another theory called the stakeholder theory which balances out the unbalanced treatment and view of the agency theory on the other relevant stakeholders in the company by stating the important roles and functions of other key stakeholders which the corporation directly influences and affects as well.

Production Context of Bye Bye Blues :: Anne Wheeler Bye Bye Blues Essays

Production Context of Bye Bye Blues In his essay on the historical fiction film, Leger Grindon writes: "History is no more than a useful device to speak of the present time. The historical film indulges its contact with the immediate and generally refuses the past its distinct and foreign character" (Grindon 189). It is exactly this distinct character, however, that director Anne Wheeler hoped to capture in her 1989 film Bye Bye Blues. In an interview taken during the film’s production, Wheeler explained: "I’m trying to present history as it was, not as we hope it was" (Hays 9). With Bye Bye Blues, Wheeler has created more than simply what Grindon purports the historical fiction to be; her film captures much of the detail of life on the Canadian home-front during the Second World War. Wheeler does, however, weave into the film a deeper message about the role of the woman in society, which, ultimately, speaks directly to the audience of the 1990’s. While Bye Bye Blues is factual, the film does not d epict history entirely as it happened. This is not to say that Wheeler has overtly classified the forties as a period of triumph for feminists the world over, for she has not. Much of Bye Bye Blues is indeed authentic. "Wheeler has said time and again in interviews that stylistically, she likes to keep things as realistic as possible" (Hays 9). This is evidenced by the manner in which Wheeler tackles her subject; the film treats the events of the past with subtlety. "The overall impression left by accounts of life on the home-front is of ... boredom and ... deprivation punctuated by moments of terror" (Klein 10). Had the director exaggerated the events of the war, even on the home-front, she would have sacrificed some of the film’s realism. Instead of glorifying the war and over-dramatizing events like the return of Daisy’s husband, the story is presented in a straight-forward and unsentimental manner. Wheeler presents problems that are true-to-life, such as Daisy being unable to afford new shoes for her son . And certainly the events the film addresses are historically accurate: Japan did invade Singapore at the end of 1940, taking enemy soldiers hostage as prisoners of war (Snyder 267). During the war, women were left to fend for themselves and their children, without knowing whether their husbands were dead or alive, let alone where they could write to them (Vickers 25).

Ap Bio Lab One: Osmosis and Diffusion

Meghann Kiphart AP Biology Lab Report Number One Mrs. Irvine Introduction: Because all molecules have kinetic energy and are constantly in motion cells go through a process called diffusion. Diffusion is the movement if molecules from an area of higher concentration to and area of lower concentration. This process with continue to occur until an equilibrium is reached. Osmosis is a different and unique kind of diffusion. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a permeable membrane. The phrase â€Å"permeable membrane† means that the membrane will only allow specific molecules through such a water or oxygen.In Osmosis water will travel from an area of higher water potential or an area of lower water potential. Hypothesis: I think that in this lab, osmosis and diffusion will occur between the solutions of different concentrations until a equilibrium is reached and there is no movement of water. Materials: EXERCISE 1A: Diffusion The materials include a 30-cm piece of 2. 5-cm di alysis tubing, 15-mL of the 15% glucose/1% starch solution, 250-mL beaker, distilled water, 4-mL Lugol’s solution, and string. EXERCISE 1B: Osmosis The materials used include 25-mL of these solutions: distilled water, 0. M sucrose, 0. 4M sucrose, 0. 6M sucrose, 0. 8M sucrose, and 1. 0M sucrose, scissors, string, a balance, six 250-mL cups, and six 30cm strips of dialysis tubing. EXERCISE 1C: Water Potential The materials that were used included 50mL of distilled water, 0. 2M sucrose, 0. 4M sucrose, 0. 6M sucrose, 0. 8M sucrose, and 1. 0M sucrose, six 250mL cups with lids, 4 potato cores for each cup, a balance, and paper towel. EXERCISE 1D: Calculation of Water Potential from Experimental Data This exercise required a calculator and a pencil. Procedure: EXERCISE 1A:Soak the dialysis tubing in water before you start the experiment. Tie off one end of the tubing to form a bag like structure. Through the open end of the bad, place the starch solution in to the bag. Tie off the o ther end of the bag to secure the substance inside. Make sure to record the color of the solution in Table 1. 1. Next you’re going to text the starch solution for the presence of glucose. Record the results in Table 1. 1. Fill a 250ml cup about 2/3 of the way full with distilled water. Add 4ml of Lugol’s solution into the distilled water. Record the color of the solution in the Table 1. . Put the bag in the cup full of the solution. Allow the bag and cup to stand over night. The next day record the final color of the solution in Table 1. 1. Finally test the liquid in the cup and in the bag for the presence of glucose. Record the final results in Table 1. 1. EXERCISE 1B: Get six strips of presoaked dialysis tubing and create a bag like was shown in exercise 1A. Pour 25mL of the six solutions into each of the six bags. Tie off the other end of the bags. Rinse each bag gently with distilled water and dry the outside of the bag with a paper towel.Weigh each bag and record the results in Table 1. 2. Put each of the six bags into the cups with the six different solutions. Let stand over night. The next day remove the bags from the water and carefully dry the bags with paper towel. Weigh each bag and record them in Table 1. 2. Gather the other lab group’s data to be able to complete Table 1. 3. EXERCISE 1C: Pour 50mL of the solutions into a labeled 250mL cups. Using a cork borer, cut the potato into 24 cylinders. (4 potato cores x 6 cups = 24 potato cores altogether) weigh the mass of each set of 4 potato cores.Record the data in Table 1. 4. Put 4 potato cores into each solution cup. Cover the cup with a lid to prevent evaporation. Let stand overnight. Remove cores from the cup and dry them with a paper towel. Then determine there combined weigh in groups of 4 (from the same cup). Record the results in Table 1. 4. Calculate the percentages changes in mass. Collect the class data and determine the class change in mass. EXPERIMENT 1D: Determine the solute, pressure, and the water potential of the sucrose solution. Then, graph the information that is given about the zucchini cores. Questions:EXPERIMENT 1A: 1. Which substances are entering the bag and which are leaving the bag? What evidence supports the answer? Distilled water and IKI are leaving and entering. Glucose is able to leave the bag. 2. Explain the results that were obtained. Include the concentration differences and membrane pore size in the discussion. Glucose and small molecules were able to move through the pores. Water and IKI moved from high to low concentration. 3. How could this experiment be modified so that quantitative data could be collected to show that water diffused into the dialysis bag?You could mass the bag before and after it is placed into the solution. 4. Based on your observations, rank the following by relative size, beginning with the smallest: glucose molecules, water molecules, IKI molecules, membrane pores, and starch molecules. Water molec ules, IKI molecules, Glucose molecules, membrane pores, and starch molecules. 5. what results would you expect if the experiment started with a glucose and IKI solution inside the bag and only starch and water outside? The glucose and IKI would move out of the bag and turn the starch and water solution purple/ blue.The starch couldn’t move inside the bag because its molecules are too big to pass through the membrane of the tubing. EXERCISE 1B: 1. Explain the relationship between the change in mass and the molarity of sucrose within the dialysis bags. The solute in hypertonic and water will move into the bag. As the molarity increases the water moves into the bag. 2. Predict what would happen to the mass of each bag in the experiment of all the bags were places in a 0. 4M sucrose solution instead of distilled water. With the 0. 2M bag, the water would move out. With the 0. M bag, there will be no net movement of water because the solutions reach equilibrium. With the 0. 6M-1. 0M bags the water would move into the bags. 3. Why did you calculate the percent change in mass rather then simply using the change in mass? This was calculated because each group began with different initial masses and we would have different data. All the groups need consistent data. 4. A dialysis bag is filled with distilled water and then places in a sucrose solution. The bag’s initial mass is 20g and its final mass is 18g. Calculate the percent change of mass, showing your calculations. 18-20)/20) x 100 = 10% 5. The sucrose solution in the cup would have been hypotonic to the distilled water in the bag. EXPERIMENT 1D 1. If the potato core is allowed to dehydrate by sitting in the open air, would the water potential of the potato cells decrease or increase? Why? It would decrease because the water would leave the cells and cause the water potential to go down. 2. If a plant cell has a lower water potential then its surrounding environment and if pressure is equal to zero, is the cell hypertonic or hypotonic to its environment?Will the cell gain water or lose water? It is hypotonic and it will gain water. 3. The cup is open to the atmosphere, what is the pressure potential of the system? The pressure potential is zero. 4. Where is the greatest water potential? In the dialysis bag. 5. Water will diffuse out of the bag. Why? It is because the water moves from the area of high water potential to an area of lower water potential. 6. What effect does adding solute have on the solute potential component of the solution? Why? It makes it more negative 7.Consider what would happen to a red blood sell placed in distilled water: A) which would have the higher concentration of water molecules? Distilled Water B) which would have the higher water potential? Distilled Water C) what would happen to the red blood cell? Why? It would leak, because it would take to much water. Conclusion: In Exercise 1A the data collected helped tell which molecules can and can not m ove across a cell membrane. IKI, we know because of its color change, was able to move across a membrane. Starch, although, is too large to move across a membrane.Glucose was able to move freely, along with the water, across the cell membrane. In 1B, it was proven that water moves faster across the cell membrane then sucrose. The water moved to help reach equilibrium between the 2 solutions. The sucrose molecules are too big to move across the membrane as fast as water can. In experiment 1C showed that the potatoes contained sucrose. The sucrose in the potato raised the solute potential, which lowered the water potential. The cup of distilled water had a high water potential water moves down the concentration gradient, causing the potato cores to take on water.

Four Circles Model Essay

The Stages of Systemic Change by Beverly L. Anderson By analyzing where they are an the continuum of educational change, stakeholders can see where they still may need to go. At first I didn’t see the magnitude of the change. I thought if we just did better what we had always done, we would be OK. Then I realized we had to do something totally different, but I didn’t know what. Gradually we began trying some new approaches. One change led to another and another and another like dominos. I started to see what people meant by systemic change. A new energy and excitement surged among its as hope grew and the cloudy vision of what we wanted became clearer and clearer. -Principal of a restructuring high school Administrators across the United States are recognizing that the education system needs fundamental changes to keep pace with an increasingly complex global society. Yet, the deeper we get into the process of change, the more confused we can become. We need some sense of what to expect and what direction to take. Seeing the patterns of change can be difficult; stakeholders in a system tend to see change primarily from their own perspective. Often teachers may not understand what is seen by administrators and parents, nor do administrators or parents see change from a teacher’s perspective, or from each other’s. To give stakeholders an aerial view of the shifts occurring in educational systems, the matrix â€Å"A Continuum of Systemic Change† defines six developmental stages and six key elements of change (see fig. 1). A composite of experiences in systemic change from across the United States and at all levels of education, the matrix provides stakeholders with a common vantage point for communicating and making decisions about change. Stages of Systemic Change Six stages of change characterize the shift from a traditional educational system to one that emphasizes interconnectedness, active learning, shared decision making and higher levels of achievement for all students. Although Figure 1 displays the six developmental stages as linear and distinct, change is unlikely to follow a linear path. An education system will seldom be clearly at one of these stages but will usually experience â€Å"Brownian motion,† going back and forth from one stage to another on the path toward an ideal situation. The six stages are: Maintenance of the Old System: Educators focus on maintaining the system as originally designed. They do not recognize that the system is fundamentally out of sync with the conditions of today’s world. New knowledge about teaching, learning, and organizational structures has not been incorporated into the present structure. Awareness: Multiple stakeholders become aware that the current system is not working, as well as it should, but they are unclear about what is needed instead. Exploration: Educators and policymakers study and visit places that are trying new approaches. They try new ways of teaching and managing, generally in low-risk situations. Transition: The scales tip toward the new system; a critical number of opinion leaders and groups commit themselves to the new system and take more risks to make changes in crucial places. Emergence of New Infrastructure: Some elements of the system are operated in keeping with the desired new system. These new ways are generally accepted. Predominance of the New System: The more powerful elements of the system operate as defined by the new system. Key leaders begin envision even better systems. Key Elements to Change As schools. districts. and states move through the six developmental stages. six elements of the education system seem to be particularly important. Monitoring these six elements can help us understand an education system’s progress. Vision: The vision that people have of an education system and what it should accomplish must change in order for the system to change. Through the stages of development, the number of people from different groups who agree on the shape and purpose of the new system increases. Public and Political Support: As the vision develops and is translated into practice, the support of the public and of the political leadership at all levels of the system must grow. Such support involves a deepening understanding of the what and why of the changes needed. The inclusion of diverse populations appears to be critical in building support. Networking: Building networks that study, pilot, and support the new vision of the education system is essential in establishing lasting systemic change. These networks typically do not rely on the existing bureaucratic structure. They frequently use computers, newsletters, conferences, and personal communications to link people of similar roles across existing organizational lines. Teaching and Learning Changes: Teaching and learning based on the best available research on how people learn is at the core of the new system. Closely related is the perspective that all students need and can learn the higher-level skills of understanding, communication, problem solving. decision making, and teamwork. If changes do not occur in teaching and learning, all the other changes have little value. Administrative Roles and Responsibilities: To achieve change in the classroom, administrative roles and responsibilities need to shift at the school, district, and state levels from a hierarchical structure of control to one of support and shared decision making. Policy Alignment: State and local policy need to be aligned around the beliefs and practices of the new system, particularly in areas related to curriculum frameworks, instructional methods and materials, student assessment practices, resource allocation, and the inclusion of all types of students. Making simultaneous changes in all six elements requires conscious planning. The process is akin to remodeling a building while people are still using it; redesign and reconfiguration need to be carefully staged to keep the building functional. Using the Matrix The matrix â€Å"A Continuum of Systemic Change† is proving particularly valuable in three ways. Educators are using it to: 1. Develop a common language and conceptual picture of the processes and goals of change among diverse stakeholders. Once stakeholders can see the issues and perspectives of the others. hey are better positioned to take actions that will support and enhance others’ specific situations. One of the nation’s earliest and largest restructuring efforts, Re:Learning, used frameworks similar to this matrix to develop common understandings and to engage multiple stakeholders in discussions about the goals and strategies of systemic change. 2. Develop a strategic plan for moving forward on systemic change. Once systemic change is under way, people often feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. A matrix such as this one can be used to specify what steps to take next. For example, state mathematics and science curriculum directors used the matrix at a national conference to analyze their own state’s progress on systemic change. Many found that they were moving along reasonably well with the vision, the policy realignment, and the shifts in administrative roles, but changes in classroom teaching were small, and public support was lagging. They realized these areas needed special attention if the full system was to change. 3. Develop an ongoing assessment process to support and encourage deep, quality change. The matrix can provide the basis for deciding the focus of an evaluation, the type of data to collect, and the modes of analysis and reporting. An organization funding changes in science instruction based its evaluation tool on the matrix. In another state, districts and communities used the matrix to evaluate their progress in redesigning arts education. For systemic change to occur, all aspects of the system must move forward. A physician doesn’t say, â€Å"Well, I guess I won’t worry too much about that heart problem. The rest of the body seems fine. † By adapting this matrix to their own systems, educators can help stakeholders rise above their singular viewpoints to a more comprehensive perspective of the changes occurring. By nurturing all aspects of the education system, we can bring about the systemic change that will transform education. Beverly L. Anderson is Executive Director of InSites, 1877 Broadway, Suite 405, Boulder, CO 80302. She formerly directed the Re:Learning systemic change initiative at the Education Commission of the States.