You are currently working in a mid-tier accounting firm. In an engagement meeting with a client, the management of your client is concerned that the audit tests that you perform will disrupt operations. Your client has recently implemented a data warehouse and the management suggests that you draw the data for analytical reviews and substantive testing from the data warehouse instead of the operational database. The management points out that operational data are copied weekly into the data warehouse and all data you need are contained there. Outline your response to the management’s proposal and mention any concerns you might have. (10 marks, maximum 300 words)You are currently working in a mid-tier accounting firm. In an engagement meeting with a client, the management of your client is concerned that the audit tests that you perform will disrupt operations. Your client has recently implemented a data warehouse and the management suggests that you draw the data for analytical reviews and substantive testing from the data warehouse instead of the operational database. The management points out that operational data are copied weekly into the data warehouse and all data you need are contained there.

Outline your response to the management’s proposal and mention any concerns you might have. (10 marks, maximum 300 words)

Based on data from a statistical abstract, only about 20% of senior citizens (65 years old or older) get the flu each year. However, about 28% of the people under 65 years old get the flu each year. In the general population, there are 12% senior citizens (65 years old or older). (Round your answers to three decimal places.)

(a) What is the probability that a person selected at random from the general population is senior citizen who will get the flu this season?


(b) What is the probability that a person selected at random from the general population is a person under age 65 who will get the flu this year?


(c) Repeat parts (a) and (b) for a community that has 93% senior citizens.

(d) Repeat parts (a) and (b) for a community that has 48% senior citizens.

Norb and Gary are entered in a local golf tournament. Both have played the local course many times. Their scores are random variables with the following means and standard deviations.

Norb, x₁: μ₁ = 115; σ₁ = 14
Gary, x₂: μ₂ = 100; σ₂ = 8

In the tournament, Norb and Gary are not playing together, and we will assume their scores vary independently of each other.

(a) The difference between their scores is

W = x₁ − x₂.

Compute the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the random variable W. (Round your answers to one decimal place.)

(b) The average of their scores is

W = 0.5x₁ + 0.5x₂.

Compute the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the random variable W. (Round your answers to one decimal place.)

(c) The tournament rules have a special handicap system for each player. For Norb, the handicap formula is

L = 0.8x₁ − 12.

Compute the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the random variable L. (Use 2 decimal places.)

(d) For Gary, the handicap formula is

L = 0.85x₂ − 5.

Compute the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the random variable L. (Use 2 decimal places.)

Can anyone considerably dumb down what this abstract is telling me? I feel like reading this is like reading Latin to me. Can someone help me break down what is being said. Thank you so much.

Methyltransferase Set7/9 regulates p53 activity by interacting with Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)

Numerous studies indicate that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a mammalian nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ )-dependent histone deacetylase (HDAC), plays a crucial role in p53-mediated stress responses by deacetylating p53. Nevertheless, the acetylation levels of p53 are dramatically increased upon DNA damage, and it is not well understood how the SIRT1–p53 interaction is regulated during the stress responses. Here, we identified Set7/9 as a unique regulator of SIRT1. SIRT1 interacts with Set7/9 both in vitro and in vivo. In response to DNA damage in human cells, the interaction between Set7/9 and SIRT1 is significantly enhanced and coincident with an increase in p53 acetylation levels. Importantly, the interaction of SIRT1 and p53 is strongly suppressed in the presence of Set7/9. Consequently, SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of p53 is abrogated by Set7/9, and p53-mediated transactivation is increased during the DNA damage response. Of note, whereas SIRT1 can be methylated at multiple sites within its N terminus by Set7/9, a methylation-defective mutant of SIRT1 still retains its ability to inhibit p53 activity. Taken together, our results reveal that Set7/9 is a critical regulator of the SIRT1-p53 interaction and suggest that Set7/9 can modulate p53 function indirectly in addition to acting through a methylation-dependent mechanism.

p21waf1/cip1 | posttranslational modifications | tumor suppression

I think because there are so many names and players, and being unfamiliar with the terms, it's hard for me to understand.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. I will gladly give a good rating.

Abstract
On September 20, 2016, Santosh Renjit, Senior Vice President of Ebroo Clothing Company, sat in his office
pondering the new capital budgeting proposal for setting up a product line of branded shirts. As per
standard company practice, he was required to evaluate the capital budgeting project using the traditional
Net Present Value (NPV) approach and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) criterion and present his findings to
the management committee meeting scheduled for the next week. Santosh wondered whether this new
proposal would turn out to be a good investment for his company, which was looking to deploy funds in NPV
positive projects.

Introduction
Atop Santosh Ebroo’s desk was a capital budge5ng and investment proposal – a new product line of branded
shirts that the committee was considering for launch. As the head of the finance department, Santosh was
required to work along with his team on a detailed capital budgeting analysis and present the findings to the
management committee for their approval. As per standard company practice, each capital budgeting and
investment project was evaluated using the traditional Net Present Value (NPV) approach and the Internal
Rate of Return (IRR) criterion for determining whether the company would undertake the project or not.
budgeting traditional Net Present Value (NPV) approach and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) criterion. What would be
the basis for calculating the after-tax opera5ng cash flows for the capital project? How would he arrive at
the depreciation and working capital requirements for computing the NPV? What would be the basis for
calculating the terminal year cash flows? With all these questions in mind, Santosh decided to focus on the
proposed capital budgeting project for the next few days.

Indian Retail Market
The Indian retail market is at the cusp of a sweet spot driven by strong GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
growth, benign inflation, and rising per capita income and purchasing power of consumers. Currently, the
retail industry accounts for more than ten percent of the Indian Gross Domestic Product and approximately
eight percent of employment. The industry is expected to nearly double, from US$600 billion in 2015 to
US$1 trillion by 2020, driven by income growth, urbanization, and attitudinal shifts (Indian Terrain Annual
Report, 2015–16). It has been es5mated that, by 2030, the Indian apparel market, in particular, is expected
to grow at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of approximately 10–12%, backed by increasing
affordability on account of an increase in disposable incomes, an increase in aspirations, and a shift from
unbranded to branded products by the burgeoning middle class. This trend is likely to be further
accentuated by the rise of e-commerce companies that enable shopping from anywhere, thereby leading to
increased penetration in small cities and towns (Indian Terrain Annual Report, 2015–16).

Company Background
Ebroo Clothing is a small, privately-owned clothing company based in New Delhi, India. It was founded in
1995 by Sumit Ebroo, a retired executive. Since then, the company has grown steadily by catering to middle
to low income consumers in the Delhi-national Capital Region (NCR). The company recorded a stellar
growth of 50% in its sales during the last financial year of 2015–16. With a healthy operating margin ratio
and low leverage levels, the company had been able to grow its profits at a CAGR of 25% during the last 10
years. With a good brand name and healthy financial metrics, the company was now looking to expand its
footprint to new product lines catering to middle to high income customers.

Project Investment Proposal Details
The project is estimated to be of 10 years duration. It involves setting up new machinery with an estimated
cost of as much as INR 500 million, including installation. This amount could be depreciated using the
straight line method (SLM) over a period of 10 years with a resale value of INR 15 million. The project would
require an initial working capital of INR 20 million with cumulative investment in net working capital to be
maintained at 10% of each year’s projected revenue. With the planned new capacity, the company would be
able to produce 240,000 pieces of shirts each year for the next 10 years. In terms of pricing, each shirt can
initially be sold at INR 1,300, which takes into account the target segment and competitor pricing. The
project proposal incorporates an annual increase of 3% in the price of the shirt to compensate for
inflationary impact. With regards to the raw material costs and other expenses, the project estimated the
following details:
• Raw material cost for manufacturing shirts at INR 400 per shirt, slated to rise by 5% per annum on
account of inflation.
• Other direct manufacturing costs at INR 125 per shirt with an annual increase of 5% per annum on
account of inflation .
• Selling, general, and administrative expenses (including employee expenses) at INR 35 million per annum,
expected to increase by 10% each year.
• Deprecia5on expense on the basis of SLM.
• Tax rate is assumed to be 25%.

Funding
For funding of the expansion project, the promoters agreed to infuse 50% in the form of equity with the rest
(50%) being financed from issue of new debt. Based on the current credit position and market scenario, new
debt can be raised by the company at 12% per annum. Cost of equity was assumed to be 15% by Santosh.
He reckons the requisite discounting rate or weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for NPV and IRR
calculations may be determined with the help of these assumptions.

Demand Scenario
Although the project proposal estimates a maximum annual production of 240,000 shirts, Santosh would
like the capital budgeting analysis to be done under two demand scenarios: Optimistic and Expected. The
likely annual demand estimated under each scenario is as follows:
Scenario Annual Demand
Optimistic: 240,000 shirts
Expected: 200,000 shirts

Your Mandate

I. On the basis of the financial information given in the case, calculate the after-tax operating cash flows,
NPV, and IRR under the Optimistic and Expected scenarios. Clearly specify the calculations applied.
II. Based on your analysis, what recommendation would you make on whether the company should
undertake the project or not? Clearly specify the decision based on both the NPV and the IRR criteria.

Kindly write a one page summary of the content below including important details. Thank you.

Abstract Representing the 60 trillion cells that build a human body, a sperm and an egg meet, recognize each other, and fuse to form a new generation of life. The factors involved in this important membrane fusion event, fertilization, have been sought for a long time. Recently, CD9 on the egg membrane was found to be essential for fusion [1], but sperm-related fusion factors remain unknown. Here, by using a fusion-inhibiting monoclonal antibody [2] and gene cloning, we identify a mouse sperm fusion related antigen and show that the antigen is a novel immunoglobulin superfamily protein. We have termed the gene Izumo and produced a genedisrupted mouse line. Izumo −/− mice were healthy but males were sterile. They produced normal-looking sperm that bound to and penetrated the zona pellucida but were incapable of fusing with eggs. Human sperm also contain Izumo and addition of the antibody against human Izumo left the sperm unable to fuse with zonafree hamster eggs. Identification of Izumo To identify factors involved in sperm–egg fusion, we used a monoclonal antibody, OBF13, against mouse sperm that specifically inhibits the fusion process [2]. The antigen was identified by separation of the crude extracts from mouse sperm by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent immunoblotting with the monoclonal antibody. We named the antigen ‘Izumo’ after a Japanese shrine dedicated to marriage. The identified spot was analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), and ten peptides that were 100% identical to a part of the sequence listed in the RIKEN full-length database were found. The registered DNA sequence was confirmed by sequencing after polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (RT–PCR) with total RNA prepared from the testis. A human homologue was found as an unverified gene in the NCBI database. The gene encodes a novel immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF), type I membrane protein with an extracellular immunoglobulin-like domain that contains one putative glycosylation site (Fig. 1a). Mouse Izumo was shown to be a testis (sperm)-specific 56.4-kDa antigen by western blotting with a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant mouse Izumo (Fig. 1b). Izumo was also detectable as a 37.2-kDa protein by western blotting of human sperm with anti-human Izumo antibody (Fig. 1c). Izumo was not detectable on the surface of fresh sperm. Coinciding with the fact that mammalian sperm are incapable of fertilizing eggs when ejaculated and that fertilization occurs only after an exocytotic process called the acrosome reaction, both mouse and human Izumo became detectable on sperm surface only after the acrosome reaction (Fig. 1d, e). This would probably be because Izumo is not localized on plasma membrane of fresh spermatozoa but is hidden under plasma membrane and accessible after the acrosome reaction, as occurs with CD46 on mouse sperm [3]. Figure 1 Identification and characterization of Izumo. a, Izumo is a typical type I membrane glycoprotein with one immunoglobulin-like domain and a putative N-glycoside link motif (Asn 204). b, Izumo was detected exclusively in testis and sperm by western blotting. The tissues examined are, from left to right: brain, heart, thymus, spleen, lung, liver, muscle, kidney, ovary, testis and sperm. The arrowhead indicates mouse Izumo protein. c, Western blotting analysis of human Izumo protein from human sperm. The arrow indicates human Izumo protein. d, Immunostaining of Izumo in sperm from an acrosin-promoter-driven transgenic mouse line that has enhanced green fluorescent protein in the acrosome. Izumo was not detected in fresh sperm with intact acrosomes expressing EGFP (indicated by green arrows), but was revealed on acrosome-reacted (non-green fluorescent) sperm (stained red, shown by white arrowheads), when stained with the polyclonal antibody against mouse Izumo. e, Human sperm were also stained with polyclonal anti-human Izumo antibody (red). Acrosome-reacted human sperm (stained green with anti-CD46 antibody) were reactive to the antibody against human Izumo but the same antibody did not react to acrosome-intact (CD46-negative) sperm. Scale bar, 10 mm. 40 ANNUAL REPORT OF OSAKA UNIVERSITY—Academic Achievement—2004-2005 Establishment of Izumo-deficient mice To address the physiological role of Izumo in vivo we generated Izumo-deficient mice by homologous recombination. An Izumo targeting construct was designed to replace exons 2–10 with a neomycin-resistant gene (neor ). Both the targeting event in D3 embryonic stem cells and the germline transmission of targeted genes were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. In the homozygous mutant mice, the full-length messenger RNA and the Izumo protein were not detected. Because the disruption of a gene can cause a concomitant increase or decrease in some related genes, we examined CD46, sp56, CD55, CD147, and ADAM2, which were reported to be involved in sperm–egg interactions. We could not find a significant change in these protein levels in sperm after the deletion of Izumo gene. The fecundity of Izumo-deficient males Izumo −/−mutant mice were healthy and showed no overt developmental abnormalities. Izumo -/- females demonstrated normal fecundity. Izumo +/− males also showed normal fertilizing ability. However, Izumo −/− males were sterile despite normal mating behaviour and ejaculation, with normal vaginal plug formations. After observation of 28 plugs, nine pairs of Izumo −/− male and wild-type females were kept for another 4 months but no pregnancies were observed. In at least four different cases of gene knockouts that resulted in male sterility attributed to impaired zonabinding ability, the sperm also failed to migrate into the oviduct. However, disruption of Izumo did not cause any defect in sperm migration into the oviduct (data not shown, and there was no reduction of sperm motility in Izumo −/− sperm motility was measured 120 min after incubation by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA; mean; s.e.m.=81.7±7.7% in Izumo +/− sperm and 77±8.9% in Izumo −/− sperm)). The sterile nature of Izumo −/− sperm was shown in the in vitro fertilization system (Fig. 2a). The impaired fertilization step undoubtedly followed zona penetration because sperm penetrated the zona pellucida and accumulated in the perivitelline space of the eggs (Fig. 2b). Fusion ability in Izumo-deficient sperm Syngamy can be considered to occur to two stages: binding of the sperm plasma membrane to that of the egg, and actual membrane fusion. Izumo −/− sperm were capable of binding to the plasma membranes of eggs whose zona pellucida had been mechanically removed [4] (Fig. 2c). In this system, the Izumo +/− sperm incubated for 2 and 6 h fused to eggs in approximate ratios of 4.5 and 6 sperm per egg, respectively, but no Izumo −/− sperm fused with eggs (Fig. 2c). Sperm can not fuse with eggs unless the former have undergone the acrosome reaction. To verify the acrosomal status of Izumo −/− sperm, we stained the sperm accumulated in perivitelline spaces with the MN9 monoclonal antibody, which immunoreacts only to the equatorial segment of acrosomereacted sperm [5]. The staining indicated that the Izumo −/− sperm had undergone the acrosome reaction (Fig. 2b) but failed to fuse with eggs. Development of eggs after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with Izumo-deficient sperm Because no offspring were fathered by Izumo −/− male mice, it was unclear whether the defect was limited to fusion or extended to later developmental stages. To address this question, we used ICSI to insert Izumo −/− sperm directly into the cytoplasm of wild-type eggs and bypass the fusion step. Eggs injected with Izumo −/− sperm were successfully activated and the fertilized eggs were transplanted into the oviducts of pseudopregnant females. The eggs implanted normally and the resulting embryos developed appropriately to term with rates similar to those of heterozygous mice. Human Izumo is also involved in sperm-egg fusion Sperm–egg fusion is known to be less species-specific than sperm–zona interaction. For example, human sperm can not penetrate the hamster zona pellucida but they can fuse with zona-free hamster eggs, and this system (zona-free hamster-egg sperm penetration test) has been used for the assessment of human sperm fertility. We first examined the contribution of mouse Izumo in a zona-free hamster-egg sperm penetration assay. As indicated in Fig. 3a, the mouse Izumo was essential not only in the homologous fusion system but also for heterologous fusion with hamster eggs. Similarly, when the anti-human Izumo polyclonal antibody was added to the incubation mixture, no fusion was observed, whereas the sperm treated with control IgG fused with eggs at an average of 5.9±0.7 sperm per egg. The total numbers of eggs observed were 23 and 29, respectively (n=3). These results indicated that human Izumo is involved in the fertilization process in human sperm (Fig. 3b). Rescued fertility of Izumo-deficient male by transgene The phenotypes of gene knockout mice are not always related Figure 2 Male infertility caused by Izumo disruption. a, In vitro fertilization of sperm from Izumo +/−and Izumo −/−mice. Unlike Izumo +/−, the eggs inseminated with Izumo −/− sperm had many sperm on their zona pellucida, owing to the failure of sperm–egg fusion that probably leads to the absence of zona-reaction to lessen the sperm-binding ability of the zona pellucida. b,Upper panel, accumulation of many sperm in the perivitelline space of the eggs recovered from the females mated with Izumo −/− males. Lower panel, sperm in perivitelline space labelled with acrosome reacted, spermspecific monoclonal antibody MN9. c, Fused sperm stained by Hoechst 33342 preloaded into the egg. The arrowheads show the fused sperm. to the disrupted genes but are sometimes caused by disruption of a neighbouring gene. To examine whether the phenotype was directly derived from the lack of Izumo on sperm, we performed a rescue experiment by crossing Izumo −/− mice with transgenic mouse lines generated to express Izumo by using the testis-specific calmegin promoter [6]. The sterile phenotype was rescued with the transgenically expressed Izumo on mouse sperm (Fig. 4). Discussion In the search for sperm surface proteins that function in sperm–egg plasma-membrane binding and fusion, various candidates such as DE, CD46, equatorin, Sperad and SAMP32 have been reported. ADAM family proteins are given the most attention for their possession of a putative fusion peptide (ADAM1) and disintegrin domain (ADAM2 and ADAM3). None of the mice possessing disrupted ADAM1a, ADAM2 and ADAM3 show a significant defect in the ability to fuse with eggs [7-9], but do show an impairment of sperm–zona binding ability. Similarly, CD46 disruption does not diminish fusion [3]. In contrast, CD9 on the egg surface is essential for the fusing ability of eggs [1] and some indications for the involvement of the binding of integrins to CD9 are postulated in reference to sperm–egg fusion. However, the disruptions of the most probable candidate integrin α6β1 cause no major influence on the fusing ability of eggs. Thus, for several years, postulated fertilization mechanisms were repeatedly changed as a result of gene disruption experiments. This suggests that the essential nature of the candidate gene must be judged after observing the phenotype of the gene-disrupted mice. In this context, Izumo is the first sperm membrane protein shown to be essential for fusion. It is not yet known whether sperm Izumo interacts with egg CD9, as occurs with placental IgSF protein PSG17; neither do we know why the localization of Izumo after acrosome reaction is not limited to the 41 Osaka University 100 Papers : 10 Selected Papers ANNUAL REPORT OF OSAKA UNIVERSITY—Academic Achievement—2004-2005 Figure 4 Transgene to express mouse Izumo under the control of calmegin promoter. a, The locations of primers A to E were indicated in this figure. b, lane 1; Izumo +/− mouse with intrinsic Izumo, lane 2 and 3; Izumo −/− mouse with transgenically expressed Izumo and Izumo His-tag, respectively. c, Litter size obtained by mating male mice with C57BL/6 wild-type mice. The group numbers are equal to those shown in b. The numbers in parentheses indicate the numbers of matings. References 1. Miyado, K. et al., Requirement of CD9 on the egg plasma membrane for fertilization. Science, 287, 321-4 (2000). 2. Okabe, M. et al., Capacitation-related changes in antigen distribution on mouse sperm heads and its relation to fertilization rate in vitro. J Reprod Immunol, 11, 91-100 (1987). 3. Inoue, N. et al., Disruption of mouse CD46 causes an accelerated spontaneous acrosome reaction in sperm. Mol Cell Biol, 23, 2614-22 (2003). 4. Yamagata, K. et al., Sperm from the calmegin-deficient mouse have normal abilities for binding and fusion to the egg plasma membrane. Dev Biol, 250, 348-57 (2002). 5. Manandhar, G. & Toshimori, K., Exposure of sperm head equatorin after acrosome reaction and its fate after fertilization in mice. Biol Reprod, 65, 1425-36 (2001). 6. Ikawa, M. et al., Calmegin is required for fertilin alpha/beta heterodimerization and sperm fertility. Dev Biol, 240, 254-61 (2001). 7. Cho, C. et al., Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta. Science, 281, 1857-9 (1998). 8. Nishimura, H., Cho, C., Branciforte, D. R., Myles, D. G. & Primakoff, P., Analysis of loss of adhesive function in sperm lacking cyritestin or fertilin beta. Dev Biol, 233, 204-13 (2001). 9. Nishimura, H., Kim, E., Nakanishi, T. & Baba, T., Possible Function of the ADAM1a/ADAM2 Fertilin Complex in the Appearance of ADAM3 on the Sperm Surface. J Biol Chem, 279, 34957-62 (2004). equatorial segment where fusion initially takes place. All we can say now is that continued study of this protein’s function will undoubtedly lead to a fuller understanding of the cell–cell fusion process in fertilization and perhaps in other somatic systems such as muscle cells or trophoblasts. The finding not only provides insight into the enigmatic fusion mechanism but also promises benefits in the clinical treatment of infertility and the potential development of new contraceptive strategies

I need a Critical Analysis of Article Optimal decision making using cost accounting information.

Abstract:

The primary objective of this paper was to compare the results of using four

di. erent cost accounting systems (traditional cost accounting, activity-based costing,

direct costing, and throughput accounting) in a resource-constrained production

environment in order to make two categories of decisions that managers

frequently use cost accounting information to make. The research design includes

a survey of manufacturing managers to determine what decisions cost accounting

information is used to make, and a simulation model to determine the results of

the decisions. In addition, the results of the four cost accounting models are

compared with a linear programming solution. The study found that the throughput

accounting model in all cases made the same decision as the linear programming

model, but the other three cost accounting systems generally produced

suboptimal results. Our conclusion is that for a cost accounting system to provide

information for optimal decisions, it must (1) be aware of production constraints,

and (2) not use allocated costs.

Business, Government and society,,,

Article:

Diageo; Study Finds Self-Regulation of Alcohol Advertising is Working:

ABSTRACT:

the FTC found that the "current 70 percent baseline standard has helped to ensure that alcohol advertising is not disproportionately directed to those below the legal drinking age, as recommended by the Surgeon General's Call to Action [to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking]."

2010 AUG 28 - (VerticalNews.com) -- A study conducted by CAMY, the Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth, released earlier this week, found a dramatic reduction in the exposure of youth to alcohol advertising in magazines. From 2001 to 2008, exposure dropped by an impressive 48%, demonstrating that the industry's practice of self-regulation and commitment to advertising exclusively in publications with an audience that's at least 70% age 21 or older is working. CAMY's study also found that there is virtually no alcohol advertising in publications with under-21 readership greater than 30%.

Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Diageo stated: "This study conducted by CAMY - one of the most outspoken opponents of the beverage alcohol industry in this country - confirmed what we already know to be true: self regulation works and fewer people underage are being exposed to alcohol advertising today than ever before."

CAMY's study is consistent with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) most recent inquiry into alcohol advertising. The FTC found "high levels of compliance" with the alcohol industry's voluntary placement standard that advertising materials should be placed only where 70% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 years of age or older. In that report, the FTC said it was not recommending a change in the 70% 21+ demographic standard. Further, the FTC found that the "current 70 percent baseline standard has helped to ensure that alcohol advertising is not disproportionately directed to those below the legal drinking age, as recommended by the Surgeon General's Call to Action [to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking]." (FTC Report, p. 27, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/06/alcoholrpt.shtm)

There has been considerable study of the impact of alcohol advertising but no study has been able to demonstrate that alcohol advertising causes underage drinking. More than a decade ago, Diageo proactively moved to restrict its advertising to publications in which 70% of the audience is age 21 and older. In 2003, the Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. also adopted the 70% standard.

Smith continued, "Underage drinking is a complex problem, and one that cannot be cured - or caused - by advertising. At Diageo, we have zero tolerance for underage drinking, and that's why we abide by one of the most stringent marketing codes in the industry. If we have any chance of ending underage drinking - and I believe we do - we all need to work collaboratively toward a solution-oriented approach. Research has conclusively proven that the most effective deterrent to underage drinking is parents talking with their children about alcohol."

CAMY, formerly affiliated with Georgetown University and now with Johns Hopkins University, has published numerous reports critical of industry self-regulation. However, some of CAMY's over-reaching methodology has itself been criticized by authoritative organizations, including the Federal Trade Commission. (FTC Report, p. 32-33, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/06/alcoholrpt.shtm)

Keywords: Advertising, Diageo, Economics, FTC, Federal Trade Commission.

This article was prepared by Marketing Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, Marketing Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Were Spyke and Wide-Eye bad products? Justify your answer. Do you think these products were marketed in objectionable or misleading ways? Explain your answer. If you were in charge of marketing Spyke and Wide-Eye, what approach would you have taken to promote the products, while mitigating the adverse publicity associated with them? Do you believe there is a need for government to place more restrictions on alcohol advertising? Why or why not? If so, what limits are needed and how would any restrictions that you propose meet the Central Hudson guidelines?

Abstract 2. Mann JR and McDermott S. Are maternal genitourinary infection and pre-eclampsia associated with ADHD in school-aged children? J Atten Disord 2011;15(8):667-73.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that maternal genitourinary infection (GU) infection is associated with increased risk of ADHD. METHOD: The authors obtained linked Medicaid billing data for pregnant women and their children in South Carolina, with births from 1996 through 2002 and follow-up data through 2008. Maternal GU infections and pre-eclampsia were identified on the basis of diagnoses made during pregnancy, and cases of ADHD were identified on the basis of diagnoses made in the child's Medicaid file. RESULTS: There were 84,721 children in the data set used for analyses. Maternal genitourinary infection was associated with significantly increased odds of ADHD (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.23-1.35). Pre-eclampsia was also associated with increased risk (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07-1.32). Children whose mothers had both GU infection and pre-eclampsia were 53% more likely to have ADHD, compared to those with neither exposure. When we examined specific infection diagnoses, chlamydia/nongonococcal urethritis, trichomoniasis, urinary tract infection, and candidiasis were associated with increased risk of ADHD, whereas gonorrhea was not. DISCUSSION: Maternal GU infection appeared to be associated with increased risk of ADHD, and based on the findings it was concluded that further research is needed to describe the mechanism(s) underlying the association.

The authors report “pre-eclampsia was also associated with increased risk (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.07-1.32” of ADHD. Based only on this statement, which of the following is most likely NOT responsible for this observed result?

Abstract

This study investigated associations between working memory (measured by complex memory tasks) and both reading and mathematics abilities, as well as the possible mediating factors of fluid intelligence, verbal abilities, short-term memory (STM), and phonological awareness, in a sample of 6- to 11-year-olds with reading disabilities. As a whole, the sample was characterized by deficits in complex memory and visuospatial STM and by low IQ scores; language, phonological STM, and phonological awareness abilities fell in the low average range. Severity of reading difficulties within the sample was significantly associated with complex memory, language, and phonological awareness abilities, whereas poor mathematics abilities were linked with complex memory, phonological STM, and phonological awareness scores. These findings suggest that working memory skills indexed by complex memory tasks represent an important constraint on the acquisition of skill and knowledge in reading and mathematics. Possible mechanisms for the contribution of working memory to learning, and the implications for educational practice, are considered.

Citation:Gathercole, S. E., Alloway, T. P., Willis, C., & Adams, A. M. (2006). Working memory in children with reading disabilities. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 93(3), 265-281.

Dataset:

-  Dependent variable (Y): Reading - reading skills of the 6 to 11 year olds
-   Independent variables (X):
    - Verbal - a measure of verbal ability (spelling, phonetics, etc.)
    - Math - a measure of math ability
    - Work_mem - working memory score

Data screening:

Accuracy

Assume the data is accurate with no missing values. You will want to screen the dataset using all the predictor variables to predict the outcome in a simultaneous multiple regression (all the variables at once). This analysis will let you screen for outliers and assumptions across all subsequent analyses/steps.

Outliers

a. Leverage:
    i.  What is your leverage cut off score?
    ii. How many leverage outliers did you have?



b.  Cook's:
    i.  What is your Cook's cut off score?
    ii. How many Cook's outliers did you have?
    


c.  Mahalanobis:
    i.  What is your Mahalanobis df?
    ii. What is your Mahalanobis cut off score?
    iii.    How many outliers did you have for Mahalanobis?
    


d.  Overall:
    i.  How many total outliers did you have across all variables?
    ii. Delete them!

Hierarchical Regression:

a. In step 1, control for verbal ability of the participant predicting reading scores.
b.  In step 2, test if working memory is related to reading scores.
c.  In step 3, test if math score is related to reading scores.
d.  Include the summaries of each step, along with the ANOVA of the change between each step.

Moderation:

a. Examine the interaction between verbal and math scores predicting reading scores.
b. Include the simple slopes for low, average, and high math levels (split on math) for verbal predicting reading.
c. Include a graph of the interaction.

Case Abstract: Company ABC, an AE, constructor and construction management firm, recently assigned Bob Ironside to turn a major coal fired generating station project around. Currently at 36 percent construction completion, the project is shifting from an emphasis on civil and structural work to bulk production. Cooperation of the owner, the multi-prime contractors, and strong labor unions is cach vital for performance improvement. The analysis of this project involves: 1) identification of significant external influences on the project organization, 2) probing the work operations and coordination requirements, 3) determining the organization problems, 4) recommending a revised structure, and 5) setting priorities for action. Plant description: The Blue River Project consists of two coal fired generating stations, each with a capacity of 600 MW (e). The identical units occupy a new site in western state. The remote location makes access for both men and materials very difficult; wet weather during five months of the year further increases this difficulty. The unit includes the latest equipment, instrumentation and air quality control technology. Major features making up the plot plan include: the coal handling facilities, the water treatment building, the cooling towers, the waste disposal area, the switchyard, the power block, and the air quality control system equipment. Construction facilities erected by Company ABC include construction offices and warehouses, change houses, laydown areas, and fabrication shops for each of the crafts. The topography of the area required large quantities of earthwork to develop the site of approximately 150 acres. This limits the area available for construction material staging, fabrication, and preassembly. The general arrangement concentrates mechanical equipment on the ground and mezzanine floors of the turbine building. The turbine generator and the control room occupy the top floor of this totally enclosed building. Major mechanical equipment includes pumps, heat exchangers, and compressors. The owner and regularity requirements have increased quantities in the piping and electrical systems to approximately 1.25 times normal values. The instrumentation systems involve advanced solid state technology which requires specialized installation techniques and a controlled storage environment. uilding. The turbine generator and pumpsheat exchangers, and comp r building Chanical equipment includes imately 1.25 times normal the piping and clectrical sys. c hnology which requires sp Yard features at the Blue River project make up a substantial work scope. This includes the automated coal handling system, the switchyard, water treatment buildings, limestone processing and storage facilities, and a series of ponds for soil waste disposal Owner Background: The owner of Blue River, an investor-owned electric utility, is growing rapidly because of a steady eight percent load growth in its service area. Company policy directs active owner involvement in engineering, procurement, and construction for major projects such as Blue River. This results in owner assignment of a large project staff, including both engineering and construction personnel. The owner's engineering group reviews all specifications and drawings for the project and frequently requires extensive changes to Company ABC's standard design practices. The owner's team also includes a project control group which imposes its facilities- based system for project monitoring and reporting on Company ABC. Another plant in the state recently experienced a failure in one of the high pressure piping systems. This has increased state inspection activities. As a result of concerns that the state licensing agency and the boiler insurance company might not approve the plant, the owner recently expanded its quality assurance group and revised the project QA manual to substantially increase inspection, testing, and documentation requirements. The aggressive public utility commission in the state encourages a high level of owner involvement. Recently this regularity agency has excluded portions of the new plan costs from an electric utility's rate base because it concluded that these costs resulted from mismanagement of the project. This has a severe impact on the utility's financial performance and cost of the capital. The state is also known for very stringent environmental protection. The responsible regularity agency forces electric utilities to immediately adopt advances in air and water pollution control equipment, regardless of the impact on engineering or construction activities currently underway. Company ABC Background: years old. The Engineering Dively from the engineoort groups are one manage Company ABC enjoys a national reputation as highly qualified engineer and constructor, based on over 50 years of experience. Coal fired units, such as Blue River project, make up a large portion of Company ABC'S workload. The Engineering Department dominates Company ABC, a newly implemented project management group draws managers exclusively from the engineering departments. In conjunction with the implementation of project management, several home office support groups are energetically attempting to extend their influence over site activities. Project control, accounting, and materials management are examples. Company ABC specializes in force account construction of power plants, a large majority of the field supervisors and managers came up through the craft ranks. The construction department includes regional construction managers, responsible for numerous projects within a geographic area. Blue River Project Background: The owner engaged Company ABC as Architect Engineer and Construction Manager for the project. Company ABC planned to use a standard design for the Blue River units. Although specific equipment details and owner preferences always require some change, the Project Engineer was confident that the basic design, used successfully on several prior units, would meet project requirements. However, during both the conceptual and the detailed engineering, two impacts prevented this. First the new requirements of the environmental regulatory agency added major equipment components and systems to the project. Second the owner's engineering and operations personnel insisted on implementing their own design preferences. Examples included instrumentation systems, air quality control systems, and solid waste disposal systems. Many of these changes upgraded manufacturing and installation requirements substantially from industry practice. These impacts resulted in a substantial addition to both the design engineering staff in the home office and the resident engineering staff at the site. All specification and drawing releases are late. Experience of the utility President in transmission line and substation construction resulted in an insistence on fixed-price contracts. Company ABC manages the work of the 12 major contractors on the site and approximately 30 smaller contractors. Most of the contractors are structured to correspond with industry specialty contractor organization, such as boiler erection, mechanical equipment, and installation. The piping and the electrical contractors work over all plant areas, others concentrate on specific regions of the project. Low production and productivity during the first 12 months of construction led to a substantial revision of the budget just before Bob arrived. The cost estimate increased over $50 million and the schedule extended over 4 months. The unit rates and installation rates in the current budget are approximately 25 percent higher and 20 percent higher, respectively, than industry norms. Based on experience during the civil and structural work, Company ABC and the owner are monitoring the project on a major milestone basis. Changes in design requirements and site conditions have resulted in a large backlog of change orders for each of the contractors. Processing and execution of these changes require an average of 12 weeks cach because of the low delegation of authority in the owner's organization. The owner awarded the contracts in its name, with Company ABC designated as Construction Manager. Several of the contractors now claim that, at minimum, the large volume of changes and the refusal to extend the schedule have developed a condition of constructive acceleration. Several major suppliers of materials and equipment for the project are unable to meet schedules for engineering information and material delivery. Materials pace several segments of the job, this has required intense expediting and work around schedules. Organization and Operations The site uses an area organization, with separate Construction Superintendents assigned for the boiler area, the turbine building, and the yard. Within each area, contractor teams manage the work of individual contractors Each team consists of a contract manager, construction supervisors, engineers, planners, and contract administrators. The business management, project control, and engineering segments located in Owner's Head Office strongly influence the contract management platform. The dual reporting in the matrix segments of the organization causes biased decisions. The Company ABC site organization consists of 200 non-manual personnel. Bob has never seen greater than 100 for a project of this type. Contractor organizations total 250 non-manual and 600 craft. The Company ABC staff resulted from unfettered growth in an effort to solve the problems in supporting and managing the construction. Each functional group manager sincerely believes that his segment is understaffed to perform the assigned tasks. The three Area Superintendents (the boiler area, the turbine building, and the yard) cach conduct weekly coordination meetings. They attempt to plan and monitor construction activities on an area basis, but experience difficulty in obtaining adequate data from the control group. Also, the functional managers responsible for engineering and materials, citing excessive workload, are reluctant to allow their representatives to attend these meetings Although Company ABC provides major shared construction facilities, such as construction air and water, many duplicated facilities now crowd the Blue River site. Access to the structures is severely restricted by the extensive site work underway. Cranes from the multiple contractors crowd the limited staging areas available to the structures. Contractors frequently complain regarding restrictions to material flow both within and between the various areas of the project. Morale is very low. The contract management teams and the contractors are extremely frustrated by their inability to solve the problems restraining construction. Because of prior problems with quality, safety, and contract administration, along with severe owner criticism, line managers have adopted a "zero risk" approach to construction. No one makes a decision without "touching bases" with all managers whose area of responsibility may be affected. The owner insists on involvement in detailed decisions and retains approval for all changes influencing cost, schedule, quality, or safety. Several good construction supervisors have left; others are very frustrated. The piping, electrical and HVAC contractors have each encountered serious quality problems, resulting in substantial rework requirements. The owner's QA(Quality Assurance) group maintains that this indicates a strong need for greater involvement by both the owner and Company ABC in the contactor's quality programs. Recently implemented quality requirements establish additional inspection hold points for all welding operations. Project Status Serious cost and schedule problems jeopardize completion of the project. The current transition from civil and structural work to mechanical and electrical installation is proving extremely difficult. The mobilization of each new contractor highlights engineering and materials problems, along with contractor difficulties. Both Company ABC and owner inspectors continue to identify frequent quality problems with the work of the new contractors. Bob's Experience and Approach: Bob has never had a bad job. A graduate engineer, he worked his way up through the ranks of construction supervision, with extensive experiences with each of the major construction crafts. He is big, blunt, and very bright. He insists on performance and places high demands on both himself and his subordinates. His prior two projects, similar to Blue River, each faced severe problems but finished within schedules and budgets. On these jobs, Bob gained respect of all organization involved because he was uniformly tough and demanding, and he always placed project priorities first. Other managers in Company ABC attribute Bob's success to his forceful style and question the long term consequences of his extreme short term demands on subordinates.

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*What information would each of these solutions yield?