Endangered Species

Imagine a world without rhinoceroses, or cheetahs, or elephants, or humpback whales, or whooping cranes, or passenger pigeons, or Carolina parakeets, or ivory-billed woodpeckers….

Actually, it is easy to imagine world without the last three on that list. They are already extinct. Extirpated. Gone forever.

As we enter the 21^st century, the human population continues to rise. Many of you may recall a time when there were only 4 or 5 billion people on the Earth. Now there are over 7 billion, and by 2020 there will be 8 billion. And we all need natural resources to survive—sources of food and water and raw materials. We all need land. We all need energy.

Because of those needs, we continue to encroach on other living creatures, different species that collectively form the biodiversity of life on Earth—the variety and richness of life.

This week, we are exploring efforts to restore and sustain that biodiversity in one place; Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Africa. Most large mammals were killed off across the region during 35 years of civil war. Now they are making a comeback, and scientists are documenting it. In fact, in this week’s Critical Thinking activity, you will be participating in that process, as a citizen scientist.  

For our discussion this week, let us each imagine an African savanna ecosystem without one of the animals currently living there. To do this, go to the Gorongosa National Park Field Guide (Links to an external site.) and select a mammal or bird pictured there. Click on its picture for a brief overview of the animal; you may want to supplement that information with additional online research. When you have completed your research, answer the following questions:

1. What animal did you choose?
2. What is its preferred habitat?
3. What food does it eat?
4. What animals prey on it?
5. What might be different about the savanna if your chosen animal were to go extinct? How might its extinction affect plants and animals of the savanna, and or the savanna landscape?
6. What arguments can you offer as to why this animal ought to be protected?

As you discuss the different animals that you have researched as a class, consider interrelationships between your animal and the animals your peers have chosen, along with the different reasons that students have identified for protecting the biodiversity of Gorongosa. Are some animals more valuable to the savanna than others? Are some reasons for preserving biodiversity more valid than others?

Your post must be formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing & APA (Links to an external site.).

Your initial posting should be 250-500 words and must be submitted by Thursday, midnight, of this week.

What does it mean to be intelligent? What part is intellect, and what part is emotion?

Aristotle's Challenge: "Anyone can become angry - that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - this is not easy." Nicomachean Ethics

You can take the last part of this quote as a definition of emotional intelligence: "to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way" -- that is emotional intelligence. How to hold back your emotional impulses. How to read another person's feelings. How to handle relationships smoothly. People skills, as opposed to skills with things and ideas. And you can learn it.

Even if you argue that IQ is genetic, that it can't be changed, you can change how well you deal with things emotionally. You can learn how to do better with your emotions, and with other people. Emotional intelligence is your passion for anything, your self-control, your tact, your persistence, your motivation—basically, your ability to work your emotion into whatever will help you get to where you want.

Why would you want to be more emotionally intelligent?

1. It helps you.  It's for your own personal, individual benefit. You get a better chance in life if you can act and interact with emotional intelligence.
2. It helps us.  Our society, our world, desperately needs people to behave with emotional intelligence.  As a culture - American culture, or even as a world society - are we doing okay?  In the book you’ll start reading right away, Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman talks about the fabric of society unraveling - and he brings it down to how people are using, or misusing, their emotions with one another.

__________________________________________________________________________

This week's discussion has 3 parts:

1. Write in detail about one of these three options:

• Identify a time when a better use of emotional intelligence could have averted a catastrophe—but didn’t. Describe the experience.
• Identify a time when your own better use of emotional intelligence would have made your life better. Describe the experience.
• Identify an important decision which MUST use emotion to be made properly. Explain why.

2. Using Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence (quote and properly reference, please), discuss how and why emotional intelligence is crucial for human well-being. Your initial post should be at least 150 words long.

In 6 sentences discuss how should Kevin Clearing proceed at this point?

Kevin Clearing is the engineering manager for the Verdant County Road Commission (VCRC). VCRC has primary responsibility for maintaining the safety of county roads. Verdant County's population has increased by 30% in the past 10 years. This has resulted in increased traffic flow on many secondary roads in the area. Forest Drive, still a two lane road, has more than doubled its traffic flow during this period. It is now one of the main arteries leading into Verdant City, an industrial and commercial center of more than 60,000 people. For each of the past 7 years at least one person has suffered a fatal automobile accident by crashing into trees closely aligned along a 3 mile stretch of Forest Drive. Many other accidents have also occurred, causing serious injuries, wrecked cars, and damaged trees. Some of the trees are quite close to the pavement. Two law suits have been filed against the road commission for not maintaining sufficient road safety along this 3 three mile stretch. Both were dismissed because the drivers were going well in excess of the 45 mph speed limit. Other members of VCRC have been pressing Kevin Clearing to come up with a solution to the traffic problem on Forest Drive. They are concerned about safety, as well as law suits that may some day go against VCRC. Clearing now has a plan -- widen the road. Unfortunately, this will require cutting down about 30 healthy, longstanding trees along the road. Clearing's plan is accepted by VCRC and announced to the public. Immediately a citizen environmental group forms and registers a protest. Tom Richards, spokesperson for the group, complains, "These accidents are the fault of careless drivers. Cutting down trees to protect drivers from their own carelessness symbolizes the destruction of our natural environment for the sake of human 'progress.' It's time to turn things around. Sue the drivers if they don't drive sensibly. Let's preserve the natural beauty and ecological integrity around us while we can." Many letters on both sides of the issue appear in the Verdant Press, the issue is heatedly discussed on local TV, and Tom Richards presents VCRC with a petition to save the trees signed by 150 local citizens.

In 6 sentences discuss how should Kevin Clearing proceed at this point?

The Food and Drug Administration advises people against eating fish with mercury concentrations exceeding 1 part per million (ppm). Researchers wonder if the average mercury content of large-mouth bass in a certain state exceeds the limits and, thus, make such fish inedible.

They randomly sample large-mouth bass from randomly selected lakes in this state and record the amount of mercury in each fish. A p-value of 0.005 was obtained from a hypothesis test. Which of the following is a correct conclusion based on this p-value?

Sulfur dioxide affects human health when it is breathed in by irritating the nose, throat, and airways to cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a tight feeling around the chest. The effects of sulfur dioxide are felt very quickly and most people would feel the worst symptoms in 10 or 15 minutes after breathing it in. Those most at risk of developing problems if they are exposed to sulfur dioxide are people with asthma or similar conditions (Australian Government, Sulfur dioxide (SO2) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.).

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has set a standard that sulfur dioxide (SO2) should not exceed 75 parts per billion (PPB) over a one-hour period. Fortunately, the United States has done a good job at reducing sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere.

To determine if the average SO2 of cities in the United States is less than 75 ppb, a random sample of 41 cities in the United States was taken. The average SO2 levels of the 41 cities was = 30.5 ppb.

(Note: the data used in this example is a bit old. SO2 levels have actually decreased more since these data were collected!)

What is the variable of interest?

Billingham Packaging is considering expanding its production capacity by purchasing a new​ machine, the​ XC-750. The cost of the​ XC-750 is $2.79 million.​ Unfortunately, installing this machine will take several months and will partially disrupt production. The firm has just completed a $47,000 feasibility study to analyze the decision to buy the​ XC-750, resulting in the following​ estimates: bullet

•​Marketing: Once the​ XC-750 is operational next​ year, the extra capacity is expected to generate $10.00 million per year in additional​ sales, which will continue for the​ 10-year life of the machine.

•​Operations: The disruption caused by the installation will decrease sales by $5.02 million this year. As with​ Billingham's existing​ products, the cost of goods for the products produced by the​ XC-750 is expected to be 69% of their sale price. The increased production will also require increased inventory on hand of $1.05 million during the life of the​ project, including year 0.

• Human​ Resources: The expansion will require additional sales and administrative personnel at a cost of $1.91 million per year.

• ​Accounting: The​ XC-750 will be depreciated via the​ straight-line method over the​ 10-year life of the machine. The firm expects receivables from the new sales to be 15% of revenues and payables to be 11% of the cost of goods sold.​ Billingham's marginal corporate tax rate is 35%.

a. Determine the incremental earnings from the purchase of the​ XC-750.

b. Determine the free cash flow from the purchase of the​ XC-750.

c. If the appropriate cost of capital for the expansion is 9.6%​, compute the NPV of the purchase.

d. While the expected new sales will be $10.00 mmillion per year from the​ expansion, estimates range from $8.10 million to $11.90 million. What is the NPV in the worst​ case? In the best​ case?

e. What is the​ break-even level of new sales from the​ expansion? What is the breakeven level for the cost of goods​ sold?

f. Billingham could instead purchase the​ XC-900, which offers even greater capacity. The cost of the​ XC-900 is $4.07 million. The extra capacity would not be useful in the first two years of​ operation, but would allow for additional sales in years 3 through 10. What level of additional sales​ (above the $10.00 million expected for the​ XC-750) per year in those years would justify purchasing the larger​ machine?

a. Determine the incremental earnings from the purchase of the​ XC-750.

Calculate the incremental earnings from the purchase of the​ XC-750 below​ (with vs. without​ XC?750):  ​(Round to the nearest​ dollar.)

What three characteristics may you observe as you vary the type of EM waves? (Start from the top.)

1. _______ measured in _______

2. _______ measured in _______

3. _______ measured in _______ which is equivalent to 1.6 X 10^-19 Joules.

Good to know.

Electromagnetic waves occur in a continous spectrum based on their wavelength.

EM waves of a particular range of wavelengths are given names such as infrared and visible.

Unlike mechanical waves such as sound or earthquake waves, EM waves can travel through empty space.

EM waves are used for communication with satellites and for observing the Earth from space.

Sunlight is made up of EM waves

What are the differences between the different types of electromagnetic radiation?

1. _______

2. _______

3. _______

Which has a longer wavelength - visible or infrared radiation? _______

Which contains more energy - visible or infrared radiation? _______

Which has a higher frequency - visible or infrared radiation? _______

About how fast do all EM waves move? _______

Do EM waves transmit energy or mass? _______

Part C

Tour of EMS

“What Are Electromagnetic Waves?”

EMR is the abbreviation for electromagnetic radiation which is described as a spectrum because it consists of a wide variety of waves which vary in wavelength, frequency and energy. But all forms travel at the speed of light (usually represented as “c”) which is _______ kilometers per second in a vacuum.

“Radio”

How are radio waves generated? _______

They are divided into _______ .

List a variety of their uses. _______

“Microwave”

Creating microwaves is due to the invention of the _______ which is a_______ capable of generating power at microwave frequencies.

Radar which stands for _______ , takes advantage of microwaves’ short wavelengths to isolate objects.

Compare and contrast radio waves and microwaves. _______

What is heat? _______

How does a microwave oven warm food? _______

“Infrared”

This part of the spectrum is also called _______

This type of radiation comes from _______.

Can you “see” infrared radiation? _______

If you set in the sun and perspire it is because of _______ .

How is infrared radiation used in communication? _______

“Visible Light”

Is the portion of the EMR spectrum to which the human eye neurologically responds.

How hot must a light bulb filament be to omit white light? _______

_______ are the building blocks of light.

“Ultraviolet Light”

If you sit in the sun and get burnt it is due to _______ .

List some uses of ultraviolet light. _______

“X-rays”

Was discovered by_______ in _______ .

Why are they called X-rays? _______

List some uses of x-rays. _______

“Gamma Rays>

List two sources of gamma radiation on Earth. _______

List some uses of gamma rays. _______

1- Block Codes consist of a combination of a sequence code and a mnemonic code:

True

False

2- Business process reengineering efforts sometimes fail because

a- Employees will never accept change

b- Management gets too involved in the process

c- Management support can never overcome employee resistance

d- Management is too optimistic regarding its expectations from its implementation

3- RFIDS allow firms

a- Track inventory more effectively

b- Eliminate the use of databases

c- Reduce the costs of ERP systems

d- all of the above

4- Which of the following is not a concern of the financing process?

a- Minimizing an organization's borrowings

b- Projecting cash flows

c- Optimizing an organization's cost of capital

d- Effective cash management

5- The financial accounting cycle ends with

a- The production of financial statements

b- Development of cash forecasts

c- The production of an adjusted trial balance

d- The production of a post closing trial balance

6- Which of the following statements best describes a business process?

a- it is an economic event in the life of an organization

b- it is an activity that increases and/or decreases dollar amounts on the financial statements

c- it is a collection of activities in an organization that creates value

d- The nature and type of processes might vary from industry to industry

7- Performance reports are

a- Reports that show any exceptional conditions in an organization

b- Transaction listings

c- Reports that compare budgets with actual performance

d- never presented in an exception format

8- Why do firms like Walmart and Proctor & Gamble create supply chain partnership?

a- Supply Chains make database designs more efficient

b- These firms are chain stores, and they need supply chains

c- Supply Chains allow the firms to be more independent

d- Supply chains make inventory management more efficient

9- Well-designed output reports are characherized by all but which of the following?

a- They are usefull

b- They are conveniently formatted

c- They never include graphs

d- They are easily identifiable

10- Business organizations are recognizing the value of sales data and are purchasing software solutions to gather, maintain, and use these data to provide better service and promote customer loyalty. These software solutions are called

a- Sales data management solutions

b- Customer relations data solutions

c- Customer relationship management solutions

d- none of the above

11- One distinguishing feature of organizations in the professional service industry is the difficulty in measuring the quantity and quality of their output

True

False

12- Effective cash management is not an objective of the financing process

True

False

13- The human resources management process is the same thing as the payroll process

True

False

Audit Observation and Recommendation:

Corporation X associates are required to abide by the organization’s formal Code of Business Conduct & Ethics (the Code). To ensure all employees are aware of the Code and their obligations under it, Corporation X requires all associates to acknowledge receipt of the Code. A global email was sent to all associates on July 1 informing them of their obligation to read and acknowledge the Code. Associates were instructed to complete and return acknowledgments by December 1. Our audit testing indicated the following relative to the acknowledgment process:

-As of March 1, fewer than 50 percent of associates had completed and returned acknowledgments.

-Follow-up procedures have not been performed by human resources (HR) or department management to date.

-There is not a formal policy indicating actions to be taken if and when associates do not return acknowledgments.

-No disciplinary actions have been taken regarding associates who have not completed acknowledgments of the Code to date.

Improving the acknowledgment process will help Corporation X demonstrate compliance with external regulations requiring a Code of Ethics. It will also help to ensure all associates are aware of their responsibilities and obligations to the organization under the Code. We recommend management enhance the acknowledgement tracking process to ensure all associates acknowledge receipt of, compliance with, and understanding of the Code. Policy and procedures need to be developed and implemented to take appropriate action when associates do not respond. Disciplinary action should be taken if associates refuse to complete and return acknowledgments, as required by policy.

Management Response:

Associates who have not acknowledged the Code as of March 24 will be sent a reminder notification the week of April 3 informing them of the requirement to acknowledge the Code. A report of all associates who continue to be delinquent in acknowledging the Code will be provided to the applicable HR liaison for review and follow-up the week of April 17. The HR function will partner with the department business heads of delinquent associates to obtain the necessary acknowledgments. A final report will be generated the week of April 24 to determine the remaining associates who have not acknowledged the Code. A verbal warning will be issued to all associates who have not acknowledged the Code by April 24 and a written warning will be provided to associates who have not acknowledged the Code by April 30.

Accountability: Jane Doe

Responsibility: John Smith

Implementation Date: March 24

1. What attributes are adequately addressed by the observation as presented? Please list the portion of the observation that you feel adequately addresses each observation attribute.

2. Do you feel the observation, as presented, adequately addresses all the suggested observation attributes? Why or why not?

3. What might you suggest to improve the observation?

1, Which of the following is NOT a role of Hydrochloric acid in the stomach? There may be more than one correct answer - select all that apply.

Group of answer choices

activate salivary amylase

unraveling/ "denaturing" proteins

hydrolysis of proteins

digestion of polysaccharides

activate pepsin

2, The standard used to estimate the average daily amount of a nutrient considered adequate to meet the 97% of the needs of most healthy people is the

Group of answer choices

DRI.

UL.

AI.

RDA.

3,The standard that is used to estimate the average daily amount of a nutrient required when an RDA cannot be established is the

Group of answer choices

EAR.

AI.

UL.

4, Healthy diets are associated with a lower risk of some diseases, while obesity is correlated with an increased risk of some diseases. Of the following, which disease(s) is/are associated with BOTH a reduced risk due to healthy diet and an increased risk due to obesity. Select all that apply.

Group of answer choices

heart disease

stroke

diabetes

cancer

respiratory disease

5, The DV (Daily Value):

Group of answer choices

is an average of the RDA for different age/gender populations for a specific nutrient

is the level at which a nutrient becomes toxic

is the intake level for a nutrient at which the needs of 50 percent of the population will be met

is based on a 4000-kcalorie per day diet and take only macronutrients into account

6, I prepare a meal that has 50 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat, and 25 grams of protein. How many kilocalories are in my meal?

Group of answer choices

390 kilocalories

340 kilocalories

765 kilocalories

850 kilocalories

7, Select all the correct ways to finish this sentence: Essential nutrients...

Group of answer choices

can be made in the human body.

must be obtained from food.

are the most important nutrients.

may be made in the body, but in insufficient amounts.

8, Most absorbtion of digested nutrients takes place in the

Group of answer choices

liver

lymph

pancreas

stomach

colon

mouth

small intestine

9, According to research, which of the following is the most influential when it comes to food choice?

Group of answer choices

Advertising

Peer and family influence

Education

Convenience

Health considerations

Taste – especially foods high in fat and sugar – and texture

10, Comparing the bloodstream and the lymphatic system

Group of answer choices

both share a role in transporting nutrients to the body

the blood is where digestion takes place while the lymph is where digestive enzymes are synthesized

both have identical vessels

the lymph absorbs nutrients while the blood delivers them