Author: chris

Explain the negative impacts of hydroelectricity.

Your response must be at least 200 words in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced. Paraphrased and/or quoted materials must have accompanying in-text and reference citations in APA format.

The next step in the research process is immersing oneself in the empirical literature on your research topic to determine the extent to which your research question (identified in Module 1) has been addressed. To this end, please use the Trident University Online Library to conduct a literature search on your research topic.

Remember, your goal is to discover the extent to which a knowledge gap exists with regard to your specific research question. Locate five peer-reviewed journal articles that present studies relevant to your topic, and synthesize these into a four-page paper that summarizes the “current state of knowledge” with regard to your research question. Note specifically,

1. Study findings relative your research question (Drug Addiction and Criminal Behavior)(positive, negative, and inconclusive)
2. Any additional questions left unanswered by these studies
3. How addressing your research question would help to fill a knowledge gap (should your research question fall short of this, you may need to propose an alternative one)
4. The specific population to which your study will apply (and ultimately, your study’s targeted sample)

• You are expected to consult the scholarly literature in preparing your paper; you are also expected to incorporate relevant background readings.
• Your paper should be written in your own words. This will enable me to assess your level of understanding.
• In order to earn full credit, you must clearly show that you have read ALL required background materials.
• Be sure to cite your references in the text of all papers and on the reference list at the end. For examples, look at the way the references are listed in the modules and on the background reading list.
• Proofread your paper to be sure grammar and punctuation are correct and that each part of the assignment has been address clearly and completely.

In this course, you have learned that social policies are formulated to solve social problems considered important by a mass of voters, media, and political actors. Social policy is but one solution to the problem—not necessarily the most rational, effective, or socially just. Social policies are human creations and, as such, can be changed. In this paper you will analyze a social policy as a tool for social justice.

Research one social welfare policy using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet.

Analyze the policy and address the following:

The social problem addressed by the policy

1. What is/are the problem/s to be solved in the most fundamental terms?
2. What is the history of the problem/s in the United States?
3. What are the various theories about the causes of the problem/s? Based on this, what do you think is/are the most important causes/s of the problem/s?

The policy objectives, value premises, expectation, and target populations

1. Policy objectives—overt and covert objectives: What are the stated objectives of the policy? In your judgment, what are the covert objectives of the policy?
2. What are the values underlying the policy objectives? What values are revealed by the overt and covert objectives?
3. What did the policymakers expect would be the result of the policy?
4. Target segments of the population at whom policy is aimed: Discuss the direct target of the policy in terms of size and other demographic characteristics. Who are the indirect targets of the policy?

Effects of the policy

1. Intended effects: What effects did the lawmakers intend?
2. Unintended effects: What effects did the lawmakers not foresee?
3. Distinguish between short-range (less than five years) and long-range (over five years) effects of the policy.

Implications of the Policy

1. Changes in the distribution of material resources: Are there any changes to the distribution of material resources, including income and other tangible benefits, as a result of the policy for direct or indirect target groups?
2. Changes in distribution of services, rights, and statuses: Are there any changes in services, rights, or statuses as a result of the policy?

Alternative Policies

1. What alternative policy/policies would more effectively address the social problem discussed in the policy analysis while advancing social justice?

 

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with scientific terminology and current issues in oceanography, and to strengthen your written communication skills through critical reading and critical analysis of a recent oceanography article.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading Critically and Writing Critical Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

Critical reading means more than just skimming the subheadings an article or highlighting terminology. Critical reading means taking the time to think carefully about what is being said in an article. It involves identifying key ideas like the author’s argument, the evidence being used to support it. Critical reading means that you do not take what you read as absolute fact; instead, you analyze and evaluate the credibility of the article.

 

 

 

Critical reviews are based on specific criteria used to evaluate the article. Your goal in a critical review is to highlight some of the key points of the article, but not necessarily summarize the entire article. Some opinion is used in critical reviews, but it is opinion that is educated by your knowledge and experience with the topic. All opinion in a critical review should be substantiated and supported with evidence from the article and possibly from other sources.

 

 

 

 

 

The Writing Assignment

 

 

 

 

For this writing assignment, you will choose and read ONE of the articles listed below. These articles come from Scientific American, a magazine that presents scientific research to the popular science audience. Look at each of these articles and decide which one most interests you. If the links below do not work for you (likely, if you are trying to access them off-campus), a PDF of each article is posted to the Canvas Assignments page for W1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Kitty is Killing the Dolphins Meltdown in the North

 

 

 

Reviving Dead Zones Storm of the Century

 

 

 

The Oceans Invisible Forest The Threat of Silent Earthquakes

 

 

 

 

 

Once you have finished reading ONE article from the list above, you will write a researched, critical review of the article in an organized, coherent essay that addresses the following writing prompts:

 

 

 

 

• The Problem: What problem does this article seek to explain and solve? Why should someone care enough about that problem to read this paper? What are the implications of the problem to the average world citizen?

 

• The Science: What is the “science” of the article? How were data obtained? What data and observations are discussed? What oceanography technology is described in the article? How does the “science” of the article support the author’s argument?

 

• Organization: How is the text organized? Is the publication organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy? Is the author’s argument repetitive?

 

• Presentation: How did the author use graphics and figures to convey their topic? Do you think these figures were effective? What was the most compelling figure of the article? Why was this particular figure most relevant to the article?

 

• Conclusions: What are the articles main conclusions? Do you agree with these conclusions? Can you think of other ways to solve, research, or investigate the problem?

 

This article review should not be a simple summary; you should think about what you read and write a cohesive discussion of the research article that addresses the questions above. To answer the questions, you should integrate at least two (2) outside, primary sources (in addition to the article you chose) and cite them in MLA format both in- text and in a Works Cited. These should be sources beyond your module content and textbook. Do not directly copy sentences from texts, scientific papers, or other sources without proper citations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources forWriting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please review the “Writing Assignments” portion of the syllabus for important guidelines on all course writing assignments. Also review these resources for help with the research component of this assignment:

 

 

 

 

• The Writing Process (UWC Resources)

 

• How to Write a Thesis Statement (IU Resource)

 

• Writing Introductions and Conclusions (UWC Resources)

 

• Sentence Structure and Style (UWC Resources)

 

• How to Recognize Plagiarism (IU School of Education Resource)

 

• Evaluating Electronic Information Sources (UWC Resource)

 

 

 

 

 

 

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue OWL Resource)

 

 

 

 

 

Formatting Criteria

 

 

 

 

 

Your critical review should meet the following formatting criteria:

 

 

 

 

• A minimum of 750 words and a maximum of 1000 words. This is 2-3 pages of double-spaced text. Use the word count tool in your word processor to be sure you have the correct amount of text.

 

• Incorporation of the Scientific American article that you chose (linked on the first page of this assignment) and at least two (2) other quality sources: your choices for additional sources must reflect an understanding of the characteristics of quality primary sources.

 

• Resources must be cited both in-text and in a Works Cited section at the end of the essay. If you do not have a citation format that you are familiar with (such as APA), use MLA format for the in-text and works cited.

 

• Demonstration of critical thinking: (1) showing that you understand the writing assignment and its goals and (2) showing that you can apply the concepts and ideas discussed in your article and sources to compose an understandable essay.

 

• Proper English grammar and spelling. If you are unsure of your grammar and spelling, please utilize the campus

 

Writing Center. The UWC offers some resources on grammar at this link.

 

For this assignment, you create a list in MS Excel of a few of the people coming to your graduation party. If you work ahead within this week, you can post questions about this assignment on the Questions for the Professorpage under Course Home or by another method if suggested by your instructor and still be able to submit your assignment on time.

You will be merging the data into a Word document in Week 5 so the layout of your data is very important. You need each data value in its own column. For example, the first name, last name, address, city, state, etc., should each be in its own column (as shown in the example below). By organizing your data in this manner, you can reuse the data in many different ways and in any order that you want. You can also sort the data by any column you want—last name, zip code, city, etc. It also makes it possible to export the data to a database if you so choose.

1. Layout your Excel spreadsheet following the example below. Make your columns as wide as you need to show all the information for that column by double clicking on the line between the columns or dragging the line between the columns. Cell I1 had the Wrap Text on the Home ribbon in the Alignment group turned on due to the length of the title.

The columns are: Fname (first name), Lname (last name), Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, E-mail, and how many total people are coming with this person.

2. Fill in information for at least 5 people you want to invite; make up the data for privacy purposes. Use correct capitalization.
3. Sort your information by the last name (Lname).
4. MS Excel is a great help with calculations which are completed using formulas. Remember, by typing an equal sign (=) into a cell, you are preparing MS Excel to do a formula calculation. Refresh your memory on the use of formulas from this week’s readings in the textbook and the online lectures. Using MS Excel formulas such as AutoSum or =SUM(your range), add the number of guests attending the event in Column I for planning purposes. Share any questions about this or anything else in the Problems and Solutions area.
5. Save the file as lastname_eventlist.xlsx. You will use this file again for a Mail Merge in Week 5.
6. Delete the unused worksheets by right clicking on them one at a time and choosing Delete.
7. Rename Sheet 1 to Event List by double clicking on the Sheet tab and typing in the new name. Right click on the tab and change the color of it to a color of your choice.
8. Share any insights or challenges you had while creating this spreadsheet.

Remember to respond substantively to two other students and to the instructor. For this assignment, you can respectfully share comments about layout, formatting, column widths, how to create any other formulas and what you might use them for, as well as other possible uses for MS Excel.

 

1. Conduct an audit of the following safety management system elements at your organization, or an organization with which you are familiar and have access to the required information:

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ELEMENTS     ANSI/AIHA Z10 SECTIONS
1. Occupational Health and Safety Management System     3.1.1
2. Occupational Health and Safety Policy     3.1.2
3. Responsibility and Authority     3.1.3
4. Employee Participation     3.2
5. Review Process, Assessment, and Prioritization     4.1, 4.2
6. Risk Assessment     5.1.1
7. Hierarchy of Controls     5.1.2
8. Design Review     5.1.3
9. Management of Change     5.1.3
10. Procurement     5.1.4
11. Monitoring and Measurement     6.1
12. Incident Investigation     6.2
13. Audits     6.3
14. Corrective and Preventive Actions     6.4
15. Feedback to the Planning Process     6.5
16. Management Review     7.1, 7.2

Below you will find some suggested sources for the objective evidence to support your evaluation:

Documents: Organizational safety manuals and instructions, safe operating procedures, and job hazard analyses
Records: E-mails or letters from management to employees, safety meeting minutes, mishap logs, audit reports, OSHA citations, inspection reports, risk assessments, and training records.
Interviews: Management personnel, supervisors, and employees
Observation: Walk through some workplaces to observe conditions for yourself.

2. For each management system element, discuss the objective evidence you found (or were unable to find). Evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s implementation of each element against available reference sources and best practice information. Use the following five-tier evaluation scheme to rate each element:

World Class: OHS performance
Strong: Conforming/complete, may have minor gaps with action plans
Moderate: Scattered non-conformances need to be addressed, positive trends/major elements in place
Significant Non-Conformances Exist: Still needs focus
Major Effort Required: Major or systemic non-conformances exist

3. If an element is found to be less than World Class, provide recommendations for improvement. Be sure to use appropriate scholarly reference sources to support your recommendations.

4. Conclude the audit report with a summary of the overall status of the organization’s safety management system.

Must be a minimum of seven pages and a maximum of 10 pages in length, not including the title, abstract, and reference pages.
A minimum of five professional references sources must be used.

You are an industrial hygienist for a major pharmaceutical company. The CEO has contacted you regarding a new product line that will be produced in your facility. The new product involves the handling and use of an engineered nanomaterial. To date, your company’s health and safety program has not had to address any safety concerns associated with handling and use of these materials.

Using the Centers for Disease Control document in the attached files as your authoritative source, prepare a three- to five-page “white paper” that provides an overview of engineered materials and includes a discussion of the following:

background and industry overview of engineered nanomaterials,
exposure control strategies,
nanotechnology processes and engineering controls,
hazard control evaluations,
health hazards associated with exposures, and
conclusions and recommendations

As you prepare your paper, keep in mind that this should be a high-level overview that is understandable to all employees in the organization: from upper management to production workers.

ou have just been hired as the Assistant Director of Labor Relations for a 400-bed hospital, employing nearly 3,000 employees, of which 800 are registered nurses. The hospital is the largest hospital in the town of 102,000, competing with two other hospitals for scarce healthcare talent. You watch anxiously as the not-for-profit facility on the east side of town is under pressure from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)-Healthcare to unionize based on wages and staffing ratios. You have been asked by the Chief Labor Counsel for your opinion on the next course of action for the hospital. Since your hospital is a non-profit healthcare institution, it is important to know the guidelines that not-for-profit organizations may encounter versus for-profit companies.

In a paper, address the following:

1. Determine the key federal rules and regulations that must be known by managers before the organizing is attempted by the SEIU.
2. Discuss the impact on profit and not-for-profit organizing efforts and consideration.
3. What rules must the hospital consider when providing access to employees regarding their right to meet to organize?
4. Compose a strategic plan to prepare managers for a potential organizing attempt by the SEIU.
5. Address how these work related laws affect both employers and employees. Provide specific examples and recommendations within your plan.
6. Conclude your paper with a recommendation if the hospital should look into organizing with SEIU and justify your reasoning.

Support your paper with a minimum of three resources, which may include your required text. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

Length: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Johnson: Estate Planning to Reduce Tax Liability
“Roth” retirement plans are encountered with increasing frequency among estate planning clients, especially since (beginning in 2010) the availability of Roth “conversions” was extended to high-income individuals.
Naming the “right” beneficiary for a client’s retirement plans is always a very important step in creating an estate plan. Failing to name the right beneficiary for a traditional retirement plan can cause loss of the “stretch” life expectancy payout for the benefits, and the resulting acceleration of income taxes (loss of deferral) can be financial detrimental.
Some planners mistakenly conclude that naming the right beneficiary is less important for a Roth plan than for other plans, because the Roth distributions are income tax free. Therefore if the benefits are “dumped” out of the Roth plan shortly after the client’s death due to a faulty estate plan there is no great harm, because there is no acceleration of income tax.
This idea is mistaken. The stakes are actually even higher with a Roth plan simply because distributions from the Roth plan are tax-free. Thus the longer the assets can accumulate inside the Roth plan, the more tax-free income the client and his beneficiaries will receive. If the benefits are “dumped” out of the Roth plan shortly after the client’s death due to a faulty estate plan, then that future tax-free investment growth is gone forever.
When a traditional retirement plan gets distributed immediately after the client’s death due to a faulty estate plan, the financial damages are a little speculative. It’s true the income tax has been accelerated when it could have been deferred, but the beneficiaries would have had to pay that tax sooner or later anyway so maybe they are not really harmed so much. But when an account that was supposed to generate tax free distributions over the beneficiary’s entire lifetime gets distributed prematurely, the damage is severe. Just compare the value of that tax-free life-long stream of payments with the present value of an investment fund that will generate taxable income forever and see the difference.
The moral is: Proper estate planning is even more important for Roth accounts than for traditional plans!
A.    Johnson’s problem
Johnson wants to leave some of his assets to charity, some to his wife, and some to his children. He has some assets in a traditional retirement plan, some in a Roth plan, and some in “outside” (nonretirement) investments. Which asset should he leave to which beneficiary?
Chart 1, “Choosing a Beneficiary for the Retirement Plan,” suggests that all three of these classes of beneficiary are “tax-favored” for the traditional plans:

Chart 1: Choosing a Beneficiary for the Retirement Plan
There are basically six possible choices of beneficiary for a traditional retirement plan, three of which are “tax-favored” and three of which are not tax favored. See details next page L
A
TAX-FAVORED BENEFICIARIES    B
UN-TAX-FAVORED BENEFICIARIES
1
YOUNG INDIVIDUAL(S)
(or a “see-through trust” for  young individuals)       1

OLDER INDIVIDUAL(S)
(or a “see-through trust” for  older individuals)
2
YOUR SPOUSE    2
A TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF  YOUR SPOUSE
3
A CHARITY (or CHARITABLE  REMAINDER TRUST)    3
YOUR ESTATE
NOTE: This chart is about income taxes only. It does not cover estate taxes or generation-skipping taxes. The fact that a beneficiary is (or is not) income-tax-favored does not mean you should (or should not) leave retirement benefits to him/her. Leave the benefits to the person you want to leave the benefits to. Just be aware in choosing your beneficiary that some beneficiaries will receive greater after-tax value from those benefits than others.
The same chart applies to Roth IRAs and plans EXCEPT that charity is not a “tax-favored” choice for a Roth IRA or plan.
KEY TO THE SIX-WAYS CHART
Box A-1: YOUNG INDIVIDUAL(S) (or a “see-through trust” for young individuals). Young individuals get the benefit of long-term tax deferral using the “life expectancy of the beneficiary” payout method. This is no advantage, however, if the beneficiary does not take advantage of the method (because he/she needs or wants the money immediately). Also, a lump sum distribution may be more advantageous than the life expectancy payout method in some cases. A see-through trust for young individual beneficiary(ies) gets the same long-term deferral individuals do; however, not every trust qualifies for this treatment.
Box B-1: OLDER INDIVIDUAL(S). Older individuals (or a “see-through trust” for the benefit of one or more older individuals) can also use the “life expectancy of the beneficiary” payout method, but receive less advantage from it because of their shorter life expectancy.
Box A-2: THE SURVIVING SPOUSE. A surviving spouse who inherits a retirement plan from his or her deceased spouse can elect to treat an inherited IRA as his/her own IRA, or roll over any inherited plan to his/her own IRA or other eligible plan. This means the spouse can defer distributions until he/she is age 70½, then withdraw benefits using the Uniform Lifetime Table (which is much more favorable than the Single Life Table); and name his/her own designated beneficiary for benefits remaining at his/her death, allowing further deferral.
Box B-2: TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SURVIVING SPOUSE. A trust for the spouse, even if it qualifies as a “see-through trust,” must withdraw benefits from the deceased spouse’s plan over the single life expectancy of the surviving spouse (at best). Unlike the surviving spouse him/herself, a trust for the spouse’s benefit can NOT roll over the inherited benefits, can NOT defer distributions until the surviving spouse reaches age 70½, can NOT use the Uniform Lifetime Table, and can NOT extend deferral (after the surviving spouse’s death) over the life expectancy of the next generation. Thus, leaving benefits to a trust for the spouse may result in income taxes’ being paid much sooner, and at a higher rate, than leaving benefits to the spouse outright.
Box A-3: CHARITY (or CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST). A charity or charitable remainder trust is income tax-exempt, thus pays no income tax on any retirement benefits.
Box B-3: YOUR ESTATE. Usually, the reason benefits end up being payable to the participant’s estate is that the participant failed to complete a beneficiary designation form for the plan. The participant’s estate does not qualify for “life expectancy of the beneficiary” payout method, is not income tax-exempt, and often is in a higher income tax bracket than family members. Thus, generally “my estate” is not a good choice of beneficiary. However, there are cases in which the estate IS a good choice of beneficiary; consult with your estate planning attorney.