Thursday, December 26, 2019

Tear Gas - What to Do If You Are Exposed

Tear gas (e.g., CS, CR, Mace, pepper spray) is used to control riots, disperse crowds, and subdue individuals. It is intended to cause pain, so exposure to it is not fun. However, the effects of the gas usually are temporary. You can expect relief from most of the symptoms within a couple of hours of exposure. This is a look at how to prepare for a potential encounter with tear gas, with tips on how to respond. Symptoms of Tear Gas Exposure stinging and burning of the eyes, nose, mouth, and skinexcessive tearingblurred visionrunny nosesalivation (drooling)exposed tissue may develop a rash and a chemical burncoughing and difficulty breathing, including a feeling of chokingdisorientation and confusion, which may lead to panicintense anger The disorientation and confusion may not be totally psychological. In some cases, the solvent used to prepare the tear gas may contribute to the reaction and may be more toxic than the lachrymatory agent. What to Do Tear gas usually is delivered in the form of a grenade, which is fitted onto the end of a gas gun and fired with a blank shotgun cartridge. Therefore, you may hear shots being fired when tear gas is used. Dont assume you are being shot at. Do not panic. Look up when you hear the shot and avoid being in the path of the grenade. Tear gas grenades often explode in the air, delivering a metal container which will spew gas. This container will be hot, so do not touch it. Do not pick up an unexploded tear gas canister, since it could explode and cause injury. The best defense against tear gas is a gas mask, but if you dont have a mask there are still steps you can take to minimize damage from tear gas. If you think you might encounter tear gas you can soak a bandana or paper towel in lemon juice or cider vinegar and store it in a plastic baggie. You can breathe through the acidified cloth for several minutes, which should give you sufficient time to get upwind or reach higher ground. Goggles are a great thing to have. You can use tight-fitting swim goggles if chemical safety goggles arent available. Dont wear contacts anywhere you might encounter tear gas. If you are wearing contact lenses, immediately remove them. Your contacts are a loss as is anything else you cant wash. You can wear your clothes again after you wash them  but wash them separately that first time. If you dont have goggles or any sort of mask, you can breathe the air inside your shirt, since there is less air circulation and therefore a lower concentration of the gas, but that is counterproductive once the fabric becomes saturated. First Aid First aid for eyes is to flush them with sterile saline or water until the stinging starts to abate. Exposed skin should be washed with soap and water. Breathing difficulties are treated by administering oxygen and in some cases using medication that are used to treat asthma. Medicated bandages can be used on burns.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Pollution Of The San Joaquin Valley - 1298 Words

The Water In The Valley. If the water is contaminated by the airborne pollutants, whether by depositing through direct water surface contact or by depositing on land and being carried to water bodies through run off, the residents will face problems. Once in the water, these pollutants can cause the fish to poison people upon consumption, or the fish could die out. Harmful algal blooms could occur; the water will become contaminated and unsafe to drink. This might seem like an exaggeration but in the San Joaquin Valley, the threat is very real. One might say that the people of the San Joaquin Valley may depend on water more than people elsewhere. The residents need water more because many of them depend on having enough water for their jobs, not just for their consumption. Being one of the top agricultural industries, the San Joaquin Valley residents need to have plenty of water for their industry of choice, whether is be for watering their crops or keeping the cows food (grass) ali ve, to ensure that they will be able to bring in profit to the valley and be able to feed themselves and their families. One of the reasons why the San Joaquin Valley is highly susceptible to water contamination is because of agriculture pesticides such as the nitrogen-based fertilizer called â€Å"nitrate.† Nitrates, once they ve entered the body, are converted to â€Å"nitrites† (Basic Info. About Nitrate in Drinking Water). 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Accounting Decision Making Largest Gas and Electric Retailer

Question: Discuss about the Accounting Decision Making for Largest Gas and Electric Retailer. Answer: Introduction Genesis Energy Ltd Genesis Energy Ltd, formerly known as Genesis Power Ltd is an electricity and electricity generation, LPG and natural gas retailing company. It is a diversified energy company and it provides services through Customer Experience Business. It generates electricity through several groupings of natural gas, electricity, trade and assets. It is deemed as New Zealands largest gas and electric retailer, supplying energy to more than 650,000 customers across New Zealand. It focuses on keeping and attracting valuable commercial, residential and industrial customers throughout the country. For thermal generation throughout the country, it has two modern gas fired and two coal or gas fired generating units. In terms of capacity, the Huntly Power Station has the largest one (Genesis Energy Ltd, 2015). The main motive of the company is to appropriately meet the demands of all their customers and for this; it assists them effectively through a customer care center and generates energy at the lowe st cost possible. It also aims to enhance the value of its excess thermal generation capacity during scenarios of higher prices of electricity. Performance evaluation It can be observed from the annual report of Genesis Energy that it reported net profit of $104.8 million in 2015 that is significantly higher than $49.2 million in comparison to 2014. Due to such profits, the company was satisfied that it could pay the estimated final dividend of shareholders amounting to $80 million. It can also be seen that in 2015 there was a decline of $2.3 million in the current assets of the company in comparison to 2014. The reason behind such was because of reduction in inventories and cash. Furthermore, the current liabilities of the company also increased due to excess borrowings by the company. It also depicted an EBITDAF of $344.8 million in the financial year 2015 that is higher than that of $307.8 million in 2014. The reason behind such satisfactory financial performance is because of regular attention towards capital expenditure debts and costs. In terms of net debt, the company witnessed a three percent decrease in the net debt amounting to $937.2 mi llion as at 2015 (Genesis Energy Ltd, 2015). AGL Energy Ltd From more than 175 years of experience, AGL Energy Ltd provides, solar PV, electricity, gas and related products and services to around 3.7 million customers across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. It is one of the leading integrated energy companies of Australia and the largest ASX listed developer, operator and owner of renewable energy generation in the country. It aims to provide customers with affordable and secure energy but not compromising with the needs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the last years, it has initiated a vertical integration plan by giving more attention to electricity. Due to such plan, it can now concentrate on 10000 MW capacities also. Its widespread power generation portfolio comprises of intermediate and peaking generation plants, spread across renewable sources as well as traditional thermal generation including wind, hydro, solar, landfill gas and biomass (AGL Energy Ltd, 2015). It also invests in and operates producti on and development tenements, natural gas exploration and storage facilities. Performance analysis It can be observed that the wholesale market operations, key generation assets and portfolios of customers portrayed a powerful underlying profit outcome. This depicts that the company focuses on driving value and operational execution through cost and margin discipline at a similar time as the company develops. The operating EBIT of the company increased from $1004 million to $1126 million in 2015 (AGL Energy Ltd, 2015). A major highlight of the company depicts that the regulatory revenues were affected by variations in many significant items including the expenses of assets impairment of main upstream gas and Macquarine Generation Acquisition. The profits of the company increased in the year 2015 in comparison to 2014 which portrays a significant enhancement. Due to such increment, even the expenses of the company gradually increased. Taking into consideration the current assets and liabilities of the company, it can be seen that in 2015, current assets amounted to $3459 million th at is potentially higher than that of $3411 million in 2014. Similarly, the current liabilities of the company also enhanced due to greater borrowings that is from $45 million in 2014 to $443 million in 2015 (AGL Energy Ltd, 2015). In terms of cents, the dividend per share also increased from 63 in 2014 to 64 in 2015. Both the fixed assets and issue share capital also witnessed a growth in 2015. Analysis of the trend Profitability ratio AGL Energy Ltd. Return on Assets Return on Assets is a profitability ratio that indicates the manner in which the assets are utilized (Choi Meek, 2011). From the above computation it is projected that ROA of AGL has declined and this is attributed due to improper performance and utilization of the assets. Net profit margin The net profit margin indicates the profit earned by the company. It highlights the performance in terms of profit. However, it is seen that the net profit margin has declined and this is attributed to addition of new items in the financial statements that have impacted the profit capacity (Christensen, 2011). Genesis Energy Limited Return on Assets The ROA of Genesis has increased indicating that the assets were utilized in an effective hence, a strong increment is witnessed. It is a positive scenario for the company and stresses that the management is performing in an effective manner. Net profit margin The ratio has shown a sudden jump and hence proves that the company has made commendable profit. In comparison to AGL Ltd it has outperform. The strong jump in profit is owing to sharp increase in net income. Liquidity AGL Energy Ltd Current ratio When it comes to liquidity, current ratio is vital as it provides an indication regarding the skill of the company to honor the obligations. The standard ratio is 2:1 (Deegan, 2011). However, in the case of AGL, the ratio has declined and strikes a liquidity issue. This is due to strong increment in current liabilities. Quick ratio Quick ratio is a better representation of the liquidity as it excludes stock and hence it represents that the company can repay the amount without locking in the stock. Standard ratio is 1:1 and the company is just close to it. It denotes a strong liquidity of the company (Kaplan, 2011). Genesis Energy Limited Current ratio Just like AGL Ltd, the current ratio of Genesis has dropped and this can be cited due to high increment in the current liabilities. The ratio is not close to the base ratio and hence, is a high alert for the management. Quick Ratio As per the computation of quick ratio it can be seen that the company is striving to achieve the base ratio and its beneficial for the company in terms of liquidity. Hence, it has shown better ratio as compared to AGL ltd. Solvency Ratio AGL Energy Ltd Debt Equity Ratio The Debt ratio indicates the proportion of debt that is utilized in the company. Higher debt ratio is dangerous for the company because the claims of shareholders will be more (Davies Crawford, 2012). The debt equity ratio of AGL Energy Ltd has dropped indicating less stress on debt and is close to 0.50 which is the ideal ratio. The company has an optimum combination of equity and debt. Equity ratio The equity ratio denotes the reliance on the factor of equity. From the ratio it is observed that the equity ratio has enhanced which is positive news for the company. As per Graham Smart (2012) higher level of equity ratio is beneficial for the company. Genesis Energy Ltd Equity Ratio Genesis energy Ltd has low debt equity ratio and has increased marginally in 2015. It is to be noted that it has more reliance on equity and utilizes a very low level of debt. It can enhance the ratio till .50 so as to use the optimum debt ratio. However, AGL Energy Ltd utilizes the equity and debt in an optimum manner. As per the general notion, an increasing or higher level of equity ratio is best for the company. Genesis has an equity ratio of above 0.50 which is positive in nature (Brigham Daves, 2012). A slight fall can be witnessed in the ratio owing to a drop in the level of total assets. Market performance AGL Energy Ltd Market performance Earnings per share in 2014 96.9 Earnings per share in 2015 96.4 Dividend per share in 2014 63 Dividend per share in 2014 - 64 Genesis Energy Ltd Market performance Earnings per share in 2014 4.92 Earnings per share in 2015 10.49 Dividend per share 6.6 Dividend per share - 8 The market performance of a company is vital because an investor peep to this numbers when it comes to evaluating the company (Brealey et. al, 2011). The Earnings per share of AGL Energy Ltd has declined marginally while the EPS of Genesis has shown a great bounce. In this scenario, Genesis has outperformed. On the other hand, dividends of both the companies are satisfactory and project a strong performance. But, it needs to be noted that the dividend of Genesis has shown better growth. Recommendation In the light of the above discussion it can be said that the result of both the companies are satisfactory and stresses on the strong fundamental factor. But, while recommending it can be said that Genesis has shown remarkable results and is striving for better results. The annual report clearly indicates that it I focus more on development that has enhanced its level. From profitability to market performance it can be said that it has better performances as compared to AGL Energy Ltd. As per the trend, the investment in Genesis will fetch more returns as compared to AGL Energy Ltd. Conclusion The above report clearly stresses on the fact that there is a cut throat competition between AGL Energy Ltd and Genesis Energy Ltd. However, the above report shows that Genesis is better placed in the market and the evaluation is an evidence of that. The selection of Genesis for investment will prove to be profitable as the company is showing rapids signs of development. Further, the expansion mode of Genesis is another factor that needs to be taken into consideration. However, AGL needs to concentrate on few ratios to have a better show. References AGL Energy Ltd 2015, AGL Energy Ltd Annual Report and accounts 2015, viewed 30 August 2016, https://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/AGL Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Allen, F 2011, Principles of corporate finance, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Brigham, E. Daves, P 2012, Intermediate Financial Management , USA: Cengage Learning. Choi, R.D. and Meek, G.K 2011, International accounting, Pearson . Christensen, J 2011, Good analytical research, European Accounting Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 41-51 Davies, T. and Crawford, I 2012, Financial accounting, Harlow, England: Pearson. Deegan, C. M 2011, In Financial accounting theory, North Ryde, N.S.W: McGraw-Hill. Genesis Energy Ltd 2015, Genesis Energy Ltd 2015 Annual Report and accounts 2015, viewed 30 August 2016, https://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/GNE Graham, J. and Smart, S 2012, Introduction to corporate finance, Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Kaplan, R.S 2011, Accounting scholarship that advances professional knowledge and practice, The Accounting Review, vol. 86, no.2, pp. 367383.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Schizophrenia Essay Example

Schizophrenia Essay If the phobias and depression are the common colds of psychological disorders, chronic schizophrenia is the cancer. About 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia, joining the millions who have suffered one of humanity’s most dreaded disorders. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder, in which a person loses contact with reality by experiencing grossly irrational ideas and distorted perceptions. Schizophrenia typically first strikes during adolescence or young adulthood; it knows no national boundaries and it affects the two sexes about equally.This paper intent to: (1) understand what schizophrenia really is; (2) know causes of schizophrenia and; (2) aware how an individual can be schizophrenic.II. BackgroundA. Understanding Psychological DisorderImagine yourself living hundreds or thousands of years ago. How might you have accounted for the behavior of a James Oliver Huberty? To explain puzzling behavior, our ancestors often presumed that strange forces—the movements of stars, godlike powers, or evil sprits—were at work.   â€Å"The devil made him to do it,† you might have said. The cure might have been to get rid of the evil force—by exorcising the demon or even by chipping a hole in the skull to allow the evil spirit to escape. Until the last two centuries, â€Å"mad† people were sometimes caged in zoolike conditions or given â€Å"therapies† appropriate to a demon. Disordered people have been beaten, burned, and the clitoris cauterized. They have had their own blood removed and replaced with transfusions of animal blood (Farina, 2002).a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Medical PerspectiveIn response to such brutal treatment, reformers such as Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) in France insisted that madness was not demon possessed but a disease that, like other diseases, we could treat and cure. For Pinel, treatment meant boosting patients’ morale by talking with them and by providing humane living conditions. When it was later discovered that an infectious brain disease, syphilis, produced a particular psychological disorder, people came to believe in physical causes for disorders and to search for medical treatments.Today, Pinel’s medical perspective is familiar to us in the medical terminology of the mental health movement: A mental illness (also called a psychopathology) needs to be diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital. In the 1800s, the assumption of this medical model—that psychological disorders are sicknesses—provided the impetus for much needed reform. The â€Å"sick† were unchained and hospitals replaced asylums.Equating psychological disorders with sickness does, however, have its critics, among them psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. Szasz believes that mental â€Å"illnesses† are socially, nor medically, defined. When, for many years, Soviet psychiatrists diagnosed dissident citizens as â€Å"psychotic,† they were using medical metaphors to disguise their contempt for these people’s political ideas. Szasz concludes that in North America, too, mental health practitioners have too much authority in today’s society. When they demean people with the label â€Å"mentally ill,† their parents may begin to view themselves as â€Å"sick† and therefore give up taking responsibility for coping with their problems. Many critics respond similarly to the idea that alcohol abuse, overeating, gambling, and sexual promiscuity are addictive diseases— purely uncontrollable compulsions that require sympathy and treatment. As we well see, labels can be self-fulfilling fables.Despite such criticisms, the medical perspective survives and even gains renewed credibility from recent discoveries. Genetically influenced abnormalities in brain chemistry have been linked with two of the most troubling psychological disorders, depression and schizophrenia, both of which are often treated medically.Those who accept Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective agree that psychological disorders are sicknesses that have diagnosable and treatable causes. However, they insist that these causes may include psychological of traumatic stress such as that caused by raped and combat.II. DiscussionA. Understanding the cause of SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is not only the most dreaded psychological disorder but also one of the most heavily researched. Some important new discoveries link schizophrenia with biological factors, such as brain abnormalities and genetic predispositions.Schizophrenia is one of the most heavily researched psychological disorders. Several factors have been proposed as causes of schizophrenia, from biochemical imbalances in the brain to faulty family relationships and socioeconomic environment. Although a great deal of interesting research has been carried out, to date no single factor has been isolated as the c ause of schizophrenia.a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brain AbnormalitiesRecent advances in the measurement of brain structure and function have set the stage for comparing normal individuals with those suffering from schizophrenia. One brain-imaging technique, computer-assisted tomography, or CT scan, uses many low-energy X-rays of the living brain taken at a number of different points and integrated into pictures by a computer. Studies using this technique show that many individuals with schizophrenia have enlarged brain ventricles, compared to normal persons. Some researchers believe a link sexists between the enlarged ventricles and the lower frequency of alpha waves observed among individuals with schizophrenia.b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetic FactorsA popular line of research in recent years has been the search for a genetic link in schizophrenia. Several approaches to the study of genetic relationships have been used. Overall, results of this research are consistent with a genetic basis for the disorder. For example, identical twins are more likely to share schizophrenic diagnoses than fraternal twins, whether the twins are reared apart or together. The greater the severity of schizophrenia, the more pronounced this relationship is. Furthermore, children whose parents both have schizophrenia are three times more likely to develop the disorder than are children with only one parent with schizophrenia, whether children are reared with their parents or not. Children who are reared by an adoptive parent with schizophrenia but whose biological parents are normal do not have higher rate of schizophrenia (Kestenbaum, 2001). The most convincing evidence for a genetic relationship comes from research showing a characteristic defect on chromosome 5 among family members who have some types of schizophrenia (Sherrington, 2000).Naturally, scientists wonder whether people inherit a predisposition to these brain abnormalities. The evidence strongly suggests that some do. The 100-to- 1 odds against any person’s is being diagnosed with Schizophrenia become 10-to-1 among those who have an afflicted identical twin. Although there are only a dozen such known cases, it appears that an identical twin of schizophrenia victim retains that 50-50 chance whether they are reared together or apart.Adoption studies confirm a genetic link (Gottesman, 2001). Children adopted by someone who develops schizophrenia are unlikely to â€Å"catch† the disorder. But adopted children do have an elevated risk if a biological parent is diagnosed with schizophrenia.The genetic contribution is beyond question. But the genetic role is not so straightforward is beyond question. But the genetic role is not as straightforward as the inheritance of eye color. After all, about half the twins who share identical genes with a schizophrenia victim do not develop the disorder. Thus, behavior geneticists Susan Nicol and Irving Gottesman (2001) conclude that some people â€Å"have a gene tic predisposition to the disorder but that this predisposition by itself is not sufficient for the development of schizophrenia.†III. ConclusionSchizophrenia sufferers must not be condemned but need assistance from their love ones. The most common psychosis is schizophrenia, which usually appears first in childhood or adolescence. There are several types of schizophrenia, with symptoms ranging from excited and sometimes aggressive behavior to complete withdrawal into stupor. Contrary to popular belief, a schizophrenic does not have a â€Å"split personality†; this notion may have developed from the fact that episodes of the illness may be separated by periods of completely normal behavior. Many psychiatrists believe there is an organic basis for schizophrenia—that it is only partly psychogenic or not psychogenic at all—and that it may be hereditary.