Lab report on pineapple and jello Essay Example

Lab report on pineapple and jello Paper This specificity is due to the shapes of the enzyme molecules. Pineapples Pineapples lush, tropical sweetness is reason enough to enjoy it any way you can, but this fruit also contains vitamin C and manganese. This fruits most promising nutritional asset, though, may be broomball, a natural enzyme found in both the fruit and the stem. Most of the pineapple consumed in the United States is canned (in the form of juice as well as fruit), but fresh pineapple is much more flavor, and , despite its tough bristly shell, is easy to prepare. The fruit probably first grew wild in parts of South America and then spread to the Caribbean, where Columbus encountered it. By 1600, early European explorers had carried pineapples as far as China and the Philippines. In the 18th century, pineapples were taken to the Hawaiian Islands, eventually becoming the major fruit crop. Hawaiian pineapple producers were the first to can the fruit. Broomball The pineapple plant contains protein-digesting enzymes called, as a group, broomball. In the health world, these enzymes are regarded as useful in reducing muscle and tissue inflammation (hence the joint pain and wound-healing possibilities), as well as acting as a digestive aid. In the cooking world, on the other hand, broomball is regarded as the enemy of the gelatin dessert. If you use fresh pineapple in gelatin, the enzyme eats the protein and the gelatin will not gelin fact broomball is measured in units called GAL., or gelatin digesting units. The classic kitchen trick for getting around this pineapple-gelatin incompatibility is to cook the pineapple, thus reducing the power of the broomball. We will write a custom essay sample on Lab report on pineapple and jello specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lab report on pineapple and jello specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lab report on pineapple and jello specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Recipes that would highlight the benefits of broomball start with fresh pineapple (which has two to three times the amount of broomball as canned pineapple does), and is then subjected to as little heat as possible. Broomball is used in meat dendrites, in hill-proofing beer, manufacturing recorded cereals, in certain cosmetics, and in preparation to treat edema and inflammation. Gelatin Gelatin, a familiar, ingredient in cooking, is obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, and ligaments of animals. As a result, it contains protein called collagen ( a primary component of joints, cartilage, and nails), and various amino acids (histamine, lysine, Lucien, thyrotrophic, and valise, to name a few). Remember: amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Gelatin has long been a key ingredient for providing support for jelled deserts, salads, frozen drinks, and soft candies such as Gummy Bears. In fact, the word gelatin is derived from the Latin gelatin, meaning stiff or frozen. ) Scientists have been studying gelatin for centuries. It has no smell or taste of its own, adapting to whatever it is added to. During the Napoleonic Wars, the French, desperate for nutrition SOUrces during the English blockade, reportedly first turned to gelatin as a source of protein (albeit a weak one). Gelatin began its long run as a popular consumable, however, in the offs, when it was first developed and then heavily promoted as a commercial product by Charles Knox, founder of the Knox Gelatin Corporation. In addition to its famous giggly food uses, gelatin with its flexible, dissociable structure is also used to manufacture capsules (both hard and soft-gel) to hold medications, vitamins, and other dietary supplements. It also has a range of industrial and medical engineering applications: Gelatin is an ingredient in film coatings, medical devices such as artificial heart valves, and in specialized meshes used to repair wounds, to name a few. Collagen About one quarter of all the protein in your body is collagen. It is a major structural material that forms molecular cables to strengthen the tendons and silent sheets that support the skin and internal organs. Bones and teeth are made by adding mineral crystals to collagen. Collagen provides structure to our bodies, protecting and supporting the softer tissues and connecting them with the skeleton. But, in spite of its critical function in the body, collagen is a relatively simple protein. Collagen from livestock animals is a familiar ingredient in cooking. Collagen is a protein, and like most proteins, when heated, it loses all of its structure. The polymer molecule unwinds. Then, when the denatured mass cools down, it soaks p all of the surrounding water like a sponge, forming gelatin. Lab 1 Objective: What form of pineapple juice contains enzymes that digest protein? Materials: For each group For entire class For every 3 groups 1 envelope Knox gelatin 4 test tubes water 1 test tube rack pineapple juices (below) 1 spoon Measuring cup ml) disposable pipettes hot plate to heat H2O ml graduated cylinder ml graduated cylinder Marking pen Procedure: 1 . Number and label the test tubes 1-4 and use the initials of a group member to identify your group. 2. Find 2 other groups and prepare 1 package of gelatin n the measuring cup using ml of boiling water and 30 ml of cold water. Stir well with a spoon until the gelatin is dissolved. 3. Place 3 ml of the designated pineapple juice into each test tube. Use a separate pipette for each type of juice. Failure to do so may result in mixing of the juice types and inaccurate results. Tube 1: water only Tube 2: fresh pineapple juice Tube 3: Canned pineapple juice Tube 4: Concentrated pineapple juice (thawed) 4. Add 10 ml of gelatin mixture to each test tube. Shake well to ensure proper mixing and place your samples in the refrigerator overnight using a test tube rack. . On Day 2, check the contents of each test tube for solidification of the contents and record your observations. Lab 2 Objective What effect does temperature have on an enzyme? For each group For entire class For every 2 groups 1 envelope Knox gelatin 6 test tubes water 1 test tube rack pineapple juices (below) 1 spoon 1 (1 ml) disposable pipette 100 ml graduated cylinder ml graduated cylinder Marking Pen Hot plate 1. Prepare the Knox gelatin by mixing 1 package of gelatin in the measuring cup using ml of boiling water and 30 ml of cold water. Stir well with a spoon until the gelatin is dissolved. 2. Number the test tubes from 1-5. Label the remaining test tube as ART (room temperature). 3. Each group will be assigned their own temperature gradient ranging from ICC 100 C. Each group must record the test tube numbers and the corresponding test temperatures for each test tube. Record the temperature of the room for the temperature for the ART test tube. 4. Next, add 3 ml of pineapple juice to each test tube. 5. Then heat each test tube to the appropriate temperature as assigned. Leave the test tube ART at room temperature. (HINT: start with all the test tubes in cool water in a glass beaker water bath. Gradually increase the temperature withdrawing the numbered test tubes in ICC increments in order as the appropriate temperature level in the bath is reached. 6. After the test tubes have been pulled from the water bath, add 10 ml of Knox gelatin (prepared in step 1) to each test tube and mix well. 7. Finally, place the test tubes in the refrigerator overnight. 8. On day 2, check each test tube for solidification or liquidity of the contents and record your observations. Objective Lab 3 What effect does pH have on enzyme activity? 1 envelope Knox gelatin 3 test tubes goggles apron (1 ml) disposable pipettes water 100 ml graduated cylinder 10 ml graduated cylinder MM HCI MM Niacin pineapple juice the gelatin is dissolved. 2. Label 1 test tube A for acid, 1 test tube B for base, and the last test tube C for control. 3. Place ml of pineapple juice into each of the labeled test tubes. Transfer 1 ml of base, 1 ml acid, and Mil of water into the appropriate test tubes of pineapple juice. HINT: Use a different pipette for each test tube to avoid contamination. 4. Add 10 ml of gelatin mixture to each test tube. Mix well, being careful to not get any of the acid or base on your skin. . Refrigerate the test tubes overnight and on day 2 check each test tube for solidification or liquidity of the contents. Record your observations. Enzyme Pre-Lab Questions: Directions: Read the background material provided to you. Using this material, your notes, and text, answer the following questions. 1. By definition, what is an enzyme? 2. (a) Describe what happens when a protein denatures. (b) Is the denatured protein still able to function? 3. (a) What is the name of the enzyme we are using in this lab? (b) What fruit is it found in? 4. (a) What is the protein we are using in this lab? B) For this lab, what is our food source for the protein? 5. In your own words, describe what happens to collagen when it is heated. 6. Read the procedure for Enzyme Lab 1. Make a hypothesis regarding which of the four juices (water, fresh pineapple juice, boxed juice, concentrated juice) will be solid and which will be liquid when you examine your results on Day 2. 7. Why is water used as a juice in Enzyme Lab 1? 8. Read the directions for Enzyme Lab 2. Make a hypothesis as to the nature of the contents of each test tube at Day 2; which test tubes contents will be solid and which will be liquid? 9. Why do you hypothesize this? 10.

Artist practice essays

Artist practice essays Discuss how theories about art influence the practice of artists and/or art critics and/ or art historians. Artists practices over the years have been greatly influenced by the theories of art movements as well as their social, cultural and historical context. Salvador Dali and Man Ray were similar in the way that both wanted to shock or confuse the audience. Both artists were influenced by modernism and surrealism. They intended to surprise, outrage and shock their audience with radical practices while presenting them with ideas of the irrational world. Man Ray was also affected by theory of Dadaism, which was a response to the world gone mad due to the atrocities of ww1. Exposed to Cubism at the 1913 Armory Show, the artist soon incorporated those stylistic elements in his work. Later on in his life Man Ray decided to join the surrealist movement where he played with the notions of originality and redefined the meaning of vision. Much of his work was developed for its shock value. Salvador Dali however was part of the surrealist movement, which grew principally out of the earlier Dada movement. Dalà ­ worked from a subjective frame using his Paranoid Critical Method to enter alternate levels of reality, in which his perceptions were particularly different from everyday reality. Surrealism inherited its anti-rational sensibility from Dada, but was lighter in spirit. Like Dada, it was formed by emerging theories on our perception of reality, the most obvious influence being that of the subconscious mind. Through his experiences of the world in the Spanish Civil War and communism, Dalis art practice was developed further. Dali had also managed to pursue personal interests in Cubism and Futurism, which all assisted in creating his dream-like photographs. Later on in the late 1930s, Dali switched to painting in a more academic, mimetic style under the influence of the Renaissan...

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Letter of CreditAssess the place of Letters of Credit in the International commercial arena What is International Finance Management? The international financial management of a trust/company is concerned with management of its funds which reflects how efficiently the company is managing its funds. The overall objective of all business is to secure funds at low cost and their effective utilisation in the business for a profit. The funds so utilised must generate an income higher than the cost of procuring them. Here it is to be noted that all companies need both long-term and short-term capital. The finance manager must therefore keep in view the needs of both long-term debt and working capital and ensure that the business enjoys an optimum level of working capital and that it does not keep too many funds blocked in inventories, book-debts, cash, etc. The capital structuring and average cost of capital for the company should also be examined.[1] Financial analysis is analysis of financial statements of a company to assess is financial health and soundness of its management. "Financial Statement analysis" involves a study of the financial statements of a company to ascertain its prevailing state of affairs and the reasons therefore. Such a Study would enable the public and investors to ascertain whether one company is more profitable than the other, and also to state the causes and factors probably responsible for this[2]. Letters of Credit In a document, the bank agrees to honor a draft drawn on the importer, provided the bill of lading and other details are in order. Obviously, the local bank will "not issue a letter of credit unless it feels the importer is creditworthy and will pay the draft. The letter of credit arrangement pretty much eliminates the exporter's risk in selling goods to an unknown importer in another country. Illustration of a Confirmed Letter The arrangement is strengthened further if a bank in the exporter's country confirms the letter of credit. A New York exporter wishes to ship goods to a Brazilian importer located in Rio de Janeiro. The im ­porter's bank in Rio regards the importer as a sound credit risk and is willing to is ­sue a letter of credit guaranteeing payment for the goods when they are received. Thus, the Rio bank substitutes its credit for that of the importer. In fact, the deal is mutually between the Rio bank and the New York exporter- the beneficiary of the letter of credit,. The exporter may wish to work through her bank, because she has little knowledge of the Rio bank. She asks her New York bank to confirm the Rio bank's letter of credit. If the New York bank is satisfied with the creditworthiness of the Rio bank, it will agree to do so. When it does, it obligates itself to honor drafts drawn in keeping with the letter of credit arrangement.[3] Thus, when the exporter ships the goods, she draws a draft in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit arrangement. She presents the draft to her New York bank and the bank pays her the amount designated, assuming all the conditions of shipment is met. As a result of this arrangement, the exporter has her money, with no worries about payment. The New York bank then forwards the draft and other documents to the Rio bank. Upon affirming that the goods have been shipped in a proper manner, the Rio bank honors the draft and pays the New York bank. In turn, it goes to the Brazilian importer and collects from him once the goods have arrived in Rio and are delivered. Trade Facilitation Rather than extending credit directly to an im ­porter, the exporter relies on one or more banks, and their creditworthiness is sub ­stituted for that of the importer. The letter itself can be either irrevocable or revoca ­ble, but drafts drawn under an irrevocable letter must be honored by the issuing bank. A revocable letter makes sure for an arrangement for pay ­ment of cash. However we cannot guarantee that the draft will be paid. Most letters of credit are irre ­vocable, and the process described assumes an irrevocable letter. The three documents described- the draft, the bill of lading, and the letter of credit- are required in most international transactions. Established procedures ex ­ist for doing business on this basis[4]. Process of the Letter of Credit transaction and the problems associated with enforcement of parties’ rights in a conflict situation.    Expansion and Contraction    Countertrading In addition to the documents used to facilitate a standard transaction, more customized means for financing trade. One method is the countertrade. Countertrade agreement is where the selling party accepts payment in the form of goods as opposed to currency. When exchange restrictions and other preclude payment in hard currencies, such as dollars and yen, it may be to accept goods instead. These goods may be produced in the country .But this need not be the case. Countertrading is nothing more than anything.-l needs to be mindful that there are risks in accepting goods in lieu of a hard facts. Quality and standardization on receipt may differ from what was there. There may be volatility in prices, if indeed a viable market exists at all. All the method involves risk, countertrade associations and consultants, together other infrastructure, have developed to facilitate this means of trade. Factoring . The factor assumes the credit risk, so the exporter is assured of being true. The typical fee is around 2 percent of the value of the overseas shipment. But receivable is collected, a cash advance is possible for upward to 90 percent a shipment's value. For such an advance, the exporter pays interest, and this is   and above the factor's fee. Most factors will not do business with an exporter . less the volume is reasonably large, say at least $2 million in annual transactions,   Also, the factor can reject certain accounts that it deems too risky For accounted are accepted, the main advantage to the exporter is the peace of mind that credit   entrusting collections to a factor with international contacts and experience. Forfeiting Forfeiting is a means of financing trade which resembles factoring. An expo who is owed money evidenced by a longer-term note, as opposed to sell the note to a financial institution at a discount. The discount reflects I length of time the note has to maturity as well as the credit risk of its drawer usually the note is for 6 months or longer and involves larger transactions. An institution would not engage in forfeiting a $9,600 note but might if it were $180,000. [5]    Expansion abroad is undertaken to go, into new markets, acquire less costly pro ­duction facilities, and secure raw materials. Foreign investment different from domestic investment, as there are a number of reasons left behind that. Taxation is different, and there are risks present in po ­litical conditions. A company faces three types of risk in its foreign operations: translation exposure, trans ­actions exposure, and economic exposure. Changes in exchange rates cause translation exposure and its change in accounting income and balance sheet statements. Transactions exposure relates to settling a particular transaction, like open account credit, at one exchange rate when the obligation was booked at another. Economic exposure has to do with the impact of changing exchange rates on the existing balance sheet of a foreign subsidiary and on the expected future repatriated cash flows. Two frameworks were presented for measuring the degree of eco ­nomic exposure. The first aggregated the indi ­vidual exposure coefficients for all balance sheet items.[6] The second measured the degree of net exposure for expected future cash flows. This was net of any natural hedge, where local cur ­rency margins adjust naturally to offset a change in exchange rates. A natural hedge de ­pends on the degree to which prices and costs are globally determined or domestically deter ­mined. A relationship can be plotted between the value of repatriated cash flows and the ex ­change rate. The direction of the line and its steepness tells us whether or not we are hurt if the foreign currency appreciates (depreciates) in value and the degree of exposure. Net expo ­sure is that which remains after any natural hedge.[7] Using several protective devices, a company can protect against any net exposure. If the expo ­sure is short-term in nature, it can adjust intercompany accounts in what is known as an operating hedge. For longer-term exposure, it can undertake a hedge by financing in differ ­ent currencies. The major sources of interna ­tional financing are commercial banks, discounted trade drafts, Eurodollar loans, and in ­ternational bonds. The last includes Eu ­robonds, foreign bonds, floating-rate notes linked to LIBOR, currency-option bonds, and multiple-currency bonds. Eventually, we can see that there are currency hedges, may include, futures contracts, forward contracts, currency swaps, cur ­rency options etc. For the first, one buys a forward contract for the exchange of one procedure for another at a specific future date and at an exchange ratio set in advance. For this protection, there is a cost that is determined by the difference in the forward and spot exchange rates. Currency futures contracts are like forward contracts in function, but there are differences in settlement and other features. Currency options afford protection against "one-sided" risk. Fi ­nally, currency swaps are an important longer-term risk-shifting device.    There are several theories provide a better understanding of the relationship be ­tween interest rates, inflation, and rate of exchange. Purchasing power parity is the idea that a basket of goods should sell at the same price internationally, after factoring into account ex ­change rates. Relative inflation has an impor ­tant influence on exchange rates and on rela ­tive interest rates. Interest-rate parity suggests that the difference between forward and spot currency exchange rates can be explained by differences in nominal interest rates between two countries. Three principal documents are involved in international trade. The draft is an order by the exporter to the importer to pay a specified amount of money either upon presentation of the draft or a certain number of days after pre ­sentation. Translation Exposure Translation exposure relates to the accounting treatment of changes in exchange rates. State ­ment of the Financial Accounting Stan ­dards Board deals with the translation of for ­eign currency changes on the balance sheet and income statement. An American company must determine a func ­tional currency for each of its foreign sub ­sidiaries under those mentioned rules, If the subsidiary is a stand-alone op ­eration that is integrated within a particular country, the functional currency may be the lo ­cal currency; otherwise, it is the dollar where high inflation occurs the functional currency must be the dol ­lar regardless of the conditions given.    The functional currency used is important because it determines the translation process. Moreover, translation gains or losses are not reflected in the income statement, but rather are recognized in owners' equity as a translation adjustment. The fact that such ad ­justments do not affect accounting income is appealing to many companies. If the functional currency is the dollar, however, this is not the case. Gains or losses are reflected in the income statement of the parent company using what is known as the temporal method. In general, the use of the dollar as the functional currency re ­sults in greater fluctuations in accounting in ­come, but in smaller fluctuations in balance sheet items than does the use of the local cur ­rency. Let us examine the differences. Differences in Methods With the dollar as the functional currency, bal ­ance sheet and income statement items are cat ­egorized as to historical exchange rates or as to current exchange rates. Cash, receivables, lia ­bilities, sales, expenses, and taxes are trans ­lated using current exchange rates[8], whereas in ­ventories, plant and equipment, equity, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at the historical exchange rates existing at the time of the transactions. This differs from the situation where the local currency is used as the functional currency; here all items are translated at current exchange rates. To illustrate, a company we shall call Richmond Precision Instruments has a sub ­sidiary in the Kingdom. At the first of the year, the exchange rate is 8 to the dollar, and that rate has prevailed for many years. During the year however, it declines steadily in value to 10 to the dollar at year end. But the rate of exchange comes to 9. It shows the balance sheet and the income statement for the foreign subsidiary at the beginning and at the end of the year and the effect of the method of transla ­tion.    The oppo ­site would occur in our example if the liso in ­creased in value relative to the dollar. We see that there is substantially more change in total assets when a local functional currency is used than when a dollar functional currency is employed. In our example, sales are adjusted by the average exchange rate that prevailed during the year for both accounting methods. For column 4, local functional currency, all cost and expense items are adjusted by this exchange rate[9]. For the last column, dollar functional cur ­rency, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at historical exchange rates whereas the other items are translated at the current average rate. We see that operat ­ing income and net income are larger when the local functional currency is used than when the functional currency is the dollar. For the latter method, the translation gain is factored in, so that net income agrees with the change in re ­tained earnings from 12/31/xl to 12/31/x2. W e see that this change is $845 - $750 = $95. In contrast, when the functional currency is local, the translation adjustment occurs after the in ­come figure of $111. The adjustment is that amount, - $176, that, together with net income, brings the liability and net worth part of the balance sheet into balance. This amount then is added to the sum of past translation adjust ­ments to obtain the new accumulated transla ­tion adjustment figure that appears on the bal ­ance sheet. As we assume past adjustments total zero, this item becomes - $176. Thus, the translation adjustments far in two methods are in opposite directions. Shot the liso increase in value relative to the data the effect would be the reverse of that illus ­trated: Operating income would be higher. Implications Because translation gains or losses are not re ­flected directly on the income statement; it supported operating income tends to fluctuate when the functional currency is local when it is the dollar. However, the balance sheet items is increased, o the translation of all items by the current change rate. Because many corporate fives are concerned with accounting FASB No. 52 is popular, as long as qualifies for a local functional currency ever, this accounting method also has its backs. For one thing, it distorts the sheet and the historical cost numbers over, it may cause return on asset and other measures of return to be less.    RISK MANAGEMENT AND WEALTH MAXIMISATION    Here the techniques for managing financial risks, in particular those that arise more prominently in the context of international finance are being discussed. The above discussion of the impact of risk on the value of the firm gives rise to a very important and interesting question: what should be the attitude of the firm's management regarding firm-specific risks? It appears that since these risks are diversifiable, they are not "priced" by the investors, that is, they do not affect the expected rate of return demanded by the investors- the discount rate. Why then should the firm spend resources to insure against these risks? Even if certain risks are systematic in the sense that they affect almost all firms adversely, it is not clear hedging such risks necessarily adds to shareholder value.[10] Risks can be hedged only at a cost since the party to whom the risk is transferred will demand compensation for bearing the risk. Thus, while it is true that increase in energy costs will ha ve an adverse impact on almost all firms, in an efficient market, the compensation that has to be paid for bearing this risk would just equal the increase in the value of the firm resulting from eliminating this risk; on balance the firms’ shareholders will neither rain nor los[11]e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Risks arising out of fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices are pervasive, It is, they affect most firms; however they affect different firms in different ways and are therefore idiosyncratic.[12] Finally, even if the irrelevance argument is not found to be convincing, the well-known Modigliani-Miller analysis of a firm's optimal capital structure offers another argument against hedging. In a world of no taxes, no transactions costs and no information asymmetries, they demonstrated that a firm's financing policy does not matter as long as it does not affect its investment policy. If some shareholders are unhappy with the particular debt-equity structure adopted by the firm, they can achieve whatever leverage they de ­sire by trading on their own account. The same argument can be extended to hedging risks such as ex ­change rate risks. A firm which exports to the United States and has dollar receivables can hedge these with forward sales of dollars against rupees; but if its shareholders can achieve the same result on their own (by taking similar but smaller positions in the dollar-rupee forward market), hedging by the firm will add no shareholder value. If capital markets are perfect, individual investors, in particular a firm's share ­holders can replicate any financial strategy adopted by the firm. In such a world active risk management policy cannot add value. In practice, we find that firms do expend considerable amount of resources- managerial time and money- in an attempt to hedge firm-specific risks. For instance, they avoid highly risky investment projects, purchase insurance against product liability suits, enter into forward contracts in foreign ex ­change, and specific commodities and so forth. Is there a rationale for these actions? In addition to the "irrelevance of unsystematic risks" or "shareholders can do it themselves" arguments against hedging, it has also been argued that since financial markets are efficient, it makes little difference in the long run whether and what kind of risk management posture a firm adopts. This means that with efficient markets it would not matter in the long run whether a firm follows an active hedging policy, a purely passive strategy of hedging all risks at all times, or a policy of no hedging at all. Note however that the hypothesis of efficiency of financial markets is far from firmly established. If active risk management by a firm adds shareholder value it must be (i) because it alters the firm's cash flow in a way which is beneficial to the shareholders even after meeting the cost of hedging and (ii) the firm can achieve this at a lower cost than what the shareholders would have to incur if they did it on their own. This is possible in the presence of some capital market imperfections which are assumed away by the Modigliani-Miller theorem. With reference to the valuation equation, hedging can increase shareholder wealth both by influencing future cash flows and by reducing the discount rate at which these cash flows are discounted. In general it is true that the former effects stronger though there can be circumstances under which hedging can reduce the expected return investors demand from a particular firm[13]. One of the most cogent arguments for hedging by the firm has been presented by Froot et al (1994). They not only provide a rationale for hedging as such but also put forward an explanation as to why selec ­tive or discretionary hedging rather than 100 per cent hedging might be an optimal policy under certain conditions. The main thrust of their argument can be summarized as follows: Firms enhance shareholder wealth- create "corporate value"- by making good investments. "Invest ­ments" here means not only physical plant and equipment but also RD, product development, mar ­ket investments such as advertising and promotion and so forth.[14] THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKET The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of a vast financial market straddling national boundaries enabling massive cross-border capital flows from those who have surplus funds and are in search d high returns to those seeking low-cost funding. The phenomenon of borrowers, including governments, one country accessing the financial markets of another is not new; what is new is the degree of mobility d capital, the global dispersal of the finance industry, and the enormous diversity of markets and inst which a firm seeking funding can tap.    THE LETTER OF CREDIT MECHANISM   In such a case, the opening bank "accepts" the draft and it becomes A Banker's Acceptance: The exporter can get immediate payment by discounting the accepted draft either with the opening bank, o with his own bank or by selling the acceptance in the market'. Financing is thus provide* by the bank which discounts the draft or by a money market investor who buys the acceptance. (With sigh drafts, the importer's bank may provide credit to the importer as a part of their ongoing business relationship). To cater to the wide variety of transactions and customers, different types of letters of credit have evolved. A Revocable L/C is issued by the issuing bank and contains a provision that the bank may amend or cancel the credit without the approval of the beneficiary. An Irrevocable L/C cannot be so amended or cancelled without the exporter's prior approval. A Confirmed, Irrevocable L/C contains an extra protection; in addition to the issuing bank's commitment, a Confirming Bank adds its own undertaking to pay provided a] conditions are met. The confirming bank (which may be but need not be the same as the advising bank will pay even if the issuing bank cannot or will not honor the exporter's draft. A Revolving L/C is use when the exporter is going to make shipments on a continuing basis and a single L/C will cover several shipments. A Transferable L/C permits the beneficiary to transfer a part or whole of the credit in favor of one or more secondary beneficiaries. This type of L/C is used by trader exporters who act as middlemen on recourse basis. The ultimate holder of the notes than presents them to the bank at which they are pay ­able, as they fall due.[15] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer. Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the availing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. For a five year deal, for example, repayable by ten semi-annual equal installments, LIBOR rate applicable for 2.75 years would be used. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor[16]. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary. The whole transaction can be processed quite fast. Many Forfeiters claim that they take no more than two days after the exporter presents all the proper documents. Buyers' Credits are a form of Eurocurrency loans designed to finance a specific transaction involving import of goods and services. The importer works out a deferred payment arrangement with the lending bank which the bank treats as a loan. [17] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term (one to five years) funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer.[18] Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the analyzing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary.    Bibliography A.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Articles/Books/Reports Kraus, M.W.; Keltner, D. (2008), "Signs of Socioeconomic Status Barro, Robert (1979) "On the Determination of the Public Debt", Journal of Political Economy, Vol 87, pages 940-71. Barro, Robert (1999) "Notes on Optimal Fund Management", Harvard University, May2006 Dornbusch, Rudi (2001) 'A Primer on Emerging Market Crises', MIT, January. Leong, Donna (1999) " Fund Management: Theory and Practice", HM Treasury Occasional Paper. Boushey, Heather and Weller, Christian. (2005) â€Å"What the Numbers Tell Us.† Pp 27-40. Demos. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cases Lucas, Robert and Nancy Stokey (1983) "Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy in an Economy without Capital", Journal of Monetary Economics 12, pp. 55-93. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Legislation Missale, Alessandro (1997) "Managing the Public Fund: The Optimal Taxation Approach", Journal of Economic Surveys Vol 121 No.3.

Sarbanes-Oxley Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sarbanes-Oxley - Research Paper Example Oxley. The scenario that led to the implementation of this act was the number of corporate accounting ignominies including that of Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine Systems, and WorldCom etc. According to the US government record, the definitions including ‘Appropriate State Regularity Authority’, ‘Audit’, ‘Audit Committee’, ‘Audit Report’, ‘Board’, ‘Commission’, ‘Issuer’, ‘Non-Audit Services’, ‘Person Associated With a Public Accounting Firm’, ‘Professional Standards’, ‘Public Accounting Firm’, ‘Security’ and ‘State’ shall apply to this act (Public Law 107-204, 2002). It consist of11 sections which is constituted by provisions from additional corporate board responsibilities to criminal penalties and provides for the Securities and Exchange Commission to oversee the implementation of the law. The need of ensuring the existence of an ethical workplace is not only to implement a moral conduct within the firm but also to procure whatever advantage that the firm may achieve when there is a belief among the potential consumers and employees that the company is ethical. Creation and gradual implementation of a proper code of conduct is a method that is commonly adopted by managers to ensure an ethical workplace. ... The Securities and Exchange Commission which was supposed to implement the act created a new agency called Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to review matters regarding accounts of all public companies (cited in The University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2002). The sole intention of the act was to prevent fraud and scandals within the corporate so that the nation’s security markets and economy remain strong. Corporate are entitled to submit clear and accurate financial reports and it defines the interaction between external auditors and audit committees. There are severe penalties and punishments if a violation of the law is detected. As Kuschnik (2008) points out, the section 302 of the act provides that CEO and CFO of the companies must certify and approve the authenticity of the financial reports of their company. Planning is the key part of making the data of the company compatible with the law. It is significant for taking future steps freely and to discuss the project with the auditors and the audit committee. The planning phase is where varying opinions can be put into consideration and a commonly accepted resolution can be formulated. Planning can be executed in a sequential pattern. Staffing has to be done in order to carry out the compliance process. The task should be divided into portions that can be completed in a limited time framework. Selection of a recognized framework for testing and business systems and procedures also prove to be cogent. Examine risk-tolerance and impacts of a possible control failure on an organizational level. Complete outsourcing, co-sourcing, direct lining or utilizing existing staff can be used to completing the process. The key advancement that resulted from the act was enhanced investor confidence and more

Motivation and job performance of employees Essay

Motivation and job performance of employees - Essay Example We also try to identify some flaws in the ideas and implementations in the ways organisation carry out the motivation, performance appraisal and reward system. Organisations have failed to realise that employee’s needs are not consistent and numerous factors are not taken into consideration before some of these factors actually contribute in demotivating employees. The analysis hopes to prove that rewards are not directly responsible for employee motivation and motivation is essential for job performance and that rewarding employees is not in the organisations best interest. According to Bono and Judge (2003) the standard and quality of work carried out by employees usually depends on the level of motivation and commitment. The biggest asset any organisation has is its employees mainly because these are the individuals who make the difference when it comes to highly successful organisations and not so successful ones; this applies to both senior and junior employees. The relationship which exists between employer and employee in terms of driving the business forward has been largely based on the employers ability to motivate his employees to excel in their various departments within the organization ( Linder, 1998). Burr and Cordery (2003) suggest that motivation plays a critical role in job performance of employees; organizations are constantly inventing new ways through which motivation can always be maintained at its highest, since it has a direct effect on employee attitude towards work. The heart of any work force lies with its employees, so it is imperative performance catalyst be introduced however and whenever seems fit. The blind side of motivation is that it tends to assume that motivation is predominantly based on rewards or benefits which are gained by employees who perform satisfactory. In the past organizations have laid emphasis

Brazil Facts Essay -- Brazil

Brazil Introduction You probably heard of Brazil but, do you know much about it? Brazil is a beautiful place or country, in South America. It’s great for tourists’ sites; it has amazing land features, and especially cool culture and history. Brazil has a tremendous amount of nature and folktale. Brazil was found actually, over 8,000 years ago. The Portuguese were the first European settlers to arrive there. The journey was led by Pedro Cabral who began in the 1500s. When they finally got there they found Native Americans living there. They were around the seven millions. Now over the thousands of years Brazil has literally transformed into modern day. Brazil is the Federal Republic of Brazil. Brazil is in South America and is the largest country there. It’s the fifth largest country in the whole world. Brazil may be the fifth largest country but, it’s the sixth largest nation or population. The population in Brazil is 186 million and the life expectancy for men is 68 years old, for women its 76. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI gave Brazil to Portugal. Then in 1762, Rio De Jan...

Problem in Diastereoselectivity

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the stereochemical outcome of a reaction. A second chiral center is being formed in this experiment and two diastereomeric compounds are created. Table of Reagents: Safety Precautions or Hazards: †¢Do not place pipettes in paper trash. Must be thrown away in the broken glass container †¢Take caution when adding HCl. †¢CO2 evolution may be vigorous so be sure to vent funnel. †¢Never directly heat ethanol over hot plate, use water bath. †¢Conc. H2SO4 is highly corrosive Equations for all Reactions: Mechanism(s):Experimental Procedure: Part A: 1. Add a magnetic stir bar, 2g of benzoin, and 20 ml of absolute ethanol in a 125ml Erlenmeyer flask. 2. While stirring, (do not turn on the heater) carefully add 0. 4 g (10. 6 mmol) of sodium borohydride portion-wise to the mixture over 5 minutes. After the addition is complete, stir the mixture for another 15 minutes at room temperature. A white precipitate will for m. 3. Cool the flask in an ice-water bath and decompose the excess sodium borohydride by first adding 30 mL of water followed by the careful and dropwise addition of 2 mL of 3M HCl.The HCl addition should be done quite slowly, no more than about 3 drops per minute (maybe 10-15 minutes total time). The mixture may foam uncontrollably if the acid is added too quickly. If the foam reaches the 100 mL mark on the flask, stop adding HCl until the foaming subsides. 4. When the HCl addition is complete, add another 10 mL of water and stir the mixture for 15 minutes. 5. Collect the white precipitate by suction filtration. Wash the product diol with water on the suction funnel (about 150 mL) and allow the product to air dry on a filter paper. Safely store the product in your drawer until next week. . The filtrate should be placed in the aqueous acidic waste container. It contains water, B(OH)3, HCl, and ethanol. 7. Then, record the mp when the sample is completely dry (mp ~136-137 ? C). Disca rd filtrate in the organic waste container. 8. Record the IR spectrum and compare it to the spectrum of the starting benzoin, noting the absence of the carbonyl-stretching band. Your product should be completely dry before going on next week to the next reaction. Part B: 1. Dissolve 1 g (4. 67 mmol) of the diol in 15 mL of anhydrous reagent grade acetone in a 50 mL round bottomed flask fitted with a stir bar. . Add 2 mL of acetone dimethyl acetal (2,2-dimethoxypropane). Immediately stopper the flask and cool it in an ice bath. 3. Remove the stopper and add 12 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid. (Caution: conc. H2SO4 is highly corrosive). 4. Carefully replace the stopper and continue to stir the cooled flask for 20 minutes. 5. Then, transfer the cold reaction mixture to a separatory funnel. Rinse the reaction flask with two 25 mL portions of diethyl ether and add the rinses to the separatory funnel. Carefully add 30 mL of Na2CO3 solution to the separatory funnel.Swirl the funnel gen tly before inserting its stopper. (Caution: CO2 evolution may be vigorous. ) Insert the stopper and immediately invert the funnel and vent it by opening the stopcock. With the stopcock open, swirl the funnel again to complete the neutralization of the acid and evolution of CO2. Close the stopcock. Position the funnel upright and remove the stopper. 6. Drain off the lower aqueous layer and extract the remaining organic layer with two-30 mL portions of water and then one 30 mL portion of saturated sodium chloride solution. 7.Transfer the organic layer to an Erlenmeyer flask and dry the solution over Na2SO4. DECANT the dry solution into a round-bottomed flask and evaporate the solvent on a rotary evaporator (rotovap). Your TA will explain to you how the rotovap works. 8. The aqueous layer should be placed in the aqueous basic waste container. 9. Scrape your crystalline product out of the round-bottomed flask. Dry. If your crystals are sticky, your TA will assist you by washing with ice -cold pentane. Record the mp and IR of your product. Be sure to calculate a yield for steps 1 and 2 and an overall yield.Results and Observations: I noticed that it was very hard to get the solid substance out of the erlinmeyer flask without rinsing several times. I do not believe this gave me abnormal results or is a cause for skewed yield. In part A I got a melting point of 122*C and collected 1. 427g of product. In part B I got . 4857g of product. My melting point was 49*C and there was no IR taken because the machine was down. Product Data: The product in part A is officially called erythro-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediol. It has a melting point of ~136*C. It has the chemical formula of C14H14O2 and molecular mass of 214. 64 g/mol. The product in part be is officially called meso-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-diphenyl-1,3-dioxolane. The melting point for this is ~57*C and has a molecular weight of 254. 329 g/mol. Its chemical formula is C17H18O2 . Discussion of Results: My yield was decent but b ecause of the lower than normal melting points I’ve determined that my product is not as pure as I’d like it to be. Also, I am without an IR spectrum of my product in part B so I cannot analyze my own chemicals stereochemistry. Percent yield and mp: MP part A: 122*C MP part B: 49*C % yield A: % yield B: % yield Overall: