Fiber Research

1.     CheckPoint: Fiber Research

·         Due Date: Day 4 [Individual] forum

·         Visit http://www.americanheart.org and click on the Heart & Stroke Encyclopedia link. Click on the F in the alphabetical listing, and then click on Fiber.

·         Read about fiber in the online encyclopedia.

·         Read the article, Fibers, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease, at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/95/12/2701.

·         Write a 200- to 300-word response answering the following questions:

o    What is the function of fiber in the body?

o    What are some examples of food sources of dietary fiber?

o    What is the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?

o    What are the fiber recommendations for children versus adults, according to the article?

o    What did you learn about fiber that you were not aware of prior to reading this information?

·         Format your paper according to APA standards.

            Fiber in the body helps reduce blood cholesterol, can help lower the risk of heart disease, and gives you a feeling of fullness which can help with weight management.  Fiber can also help prevent constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.  It has also been linked to prevention of some cancers such as colon or breast cancer.  Fiber can come from a variety of sources such as whole wheat, oatmeal, cornmeal, brown rice or bulgur.  Neither soluble nor insoluble fiber is absorbed into the blood stream; however, soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid while insoluble fiber does not.  Fiber recommendations for children from the pediatric community say that children use the ‘age plus five’ rule.  This means that a five year old child should consume ten grams of fiber per day.  Once a person reaches adulthood then a diet that consumes around 25 grams of fiber per day is recommended. 

            After reading the article I found a few things about fiber I did not know before, but the one thing that stood out was how whole grains become refined grains.  You get refined grains by removing the bran and germ of the kernel and grinding the endosperm into flour or meal.  The enriching process does add back some vitamins but no dietary fiber. 

Human Digestion

1.     CheckPoint: Human Digestion

·         Due Date: Day 5 [Individual] forum

·         Complete the Human Digestion activity located at http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/axia/sci241/sci241-digestivetract.html.

·         Describe, in 200 to 300 words, the path food follows through the digestive system and how digestion occurs in each of the following parts of the digestive system. 

·         Include descriptions of other organs or components of the digestive system, including:

o    Large intestine

o    Mouth

o    Small intestine

o    Stomach 

·         Post your response.

            The digestive system starts with food entering the Mouth.   Teeth and tongue then grind the food into bits while the salivary gland reduces it into a soupy mess called a bolus.  This process is generally quick and only takes a few minutes.  The bolus then enters the pharynx and onto the esophagus.  The esophagus stops at the stomach which contains acids that turn it into a semi-liquid mass called chime.  This process can take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the size and texture of the food.  Food then enters the small intestine where bile from the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas breaks down the food further removing nutrients and vitamins.  The food travels through the three sections of the small intestine called; duodenum, jejunum, and ileum while nutrients and vitamins get absorbed. It generally takes three to five hours to travel the twenty feet through the small intestine.  The sphincter separates the small intestine from the large intestine.  The food goes through the sphincter into the large intestine where it continues its absorption of nutrients and vitamins.  Food then passes past the colon and exits the body through the anus.   The journey through the large intestine can take up to twenty-four hours.  

Debits and Credits

1.      CheckPoint: Debits and Credits

·         Resource: Fundamental Accounting Principles, p. 74

·         Post your answers to Quick Study questions 2-3, 2-4, and 2-5.

C5

Define debits and credits and explain their role in double-entry accounting. Debit refers to left, and credit refers to right. Debits increase assets, expenses, and withdrawals while credits decrease them. Credits increase liabilities, owner capital, and revenues; debits decrease them. Double-entry accounting means each transaction affects at least two accounts and has at least one debit and one credit. The system for recording debits and credits follows from the accounting equation. The left side of an account is the normal balance for assets, withdrawals, and expenses, and the right side is the normal balance for liabilities, capital, and revenues.

A1

Analyze the impact of transactions on accounts and financial statements. We analyze transactions using concepts of double-entry accounting. This analysis is performed by determining a transaction’s effects on accounts. These effects are recorded in journals and posted to ledgers.

QS 2-3

Linking debit or credit with normal balance

C5

Indicate whether a debit or credit decreases the normal balance of each of the following accounts:

                       

a. Office Supplies	Credit
b. Repair Services Revenue	Debit
c. Interest Payable	Credit
d. Accounts Receivable	Debit
e. Salaries Expense	Credit
f. Owner Capital	Debit
g. Prepaid Insurance	Credit
h. Buildings	Credit
i. Interest Revenue	Debit
j. Owner Withdrawals	Credit
k. Unearned Revenue	Debit
l. Accounts Payable	Credit

                       

QS 2-4

Analyzing debit or credit by account

C5 A1

Identify whether a debit or credit yields the indicated change for each of the following accounts:

                                   

a. To increase Store Equipment	Debit
b. To increase Owner Withdrawals	Debit
c. To decrease Cash	Credit
d. To increase Utilities Expense	Debit
e. To increase Fees Earned	Credit
f. To decrease Unearned Revenue	Debit
g. To decrease Prepaid Insurance	Credit
h. To increase Notes Payable	Debit
i. To decrease Accounts Receivable	Debit
j. To increase Owner Capital	Credit

QS 2-5

Identifying normal balance

C5

Identify whether the normal balances (in parentheses) assigned to the following accounts are correct or incorrect.

a. Office supplies (Debit)	Correct
b. Owner Withdrawals (Credit)	Incorrect
c. Fees Earned (Debit)	Correct
d. Wages Expense (Credit)	Incorrect
e. Cash (Debit)	Correct
f. Prepaid Insurance (Credit)	Correct
g. Wages Payable(Credit)	Correct
h. Building (Debit)	Correct

Risk Assessment

2.     Assignment: Risk Assessment

You are a member of the Genericville City Council. A proposal has been brought forth to use the insecticide spray, Malathion. Currently, the council is split on its decision, and your vote will determine whether Malathion can be used in the city.

·         Read Risk Assessment of Malathion in Appendix B.

·         Create an outline of the risk of using Malathion according to the four steps of risk assessment presented in Ch. 4 Figure 4.1 of Visualizing Environmental Science.

·         Hazard identification

·         Dose-response

·         Exposure

·         Risk characterization

Decide your vote for the city council based on your outline.

·         Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that presents your evaluation of the risk of Malathion based on your outline. Explain the reasoning for your vote based on the four steps of risk assessment. Consider any relevant political, social, and economic aspects involved.

·         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Malathion is a pesticide that is widely used in agriculture, residential landscaping, public recreation areas, and in public health pest control programs such as mosquito eradication. In the US, it is the most commonly used organophosphate insecticide. Malathion is classified by US EPA as having “suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity.” Carcinogenicity is defined as any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer. They based this classification on examining liver tumors that develop in mice and rats at excessive doses. The Agency has also determined there is potential for inhalation exposure to adults and children if using ultra low volume (ULV) aerial applications such as we would for mosquito control.

Malathion is of low toxicity but absorption or ingestion results in its metabolism to Malaoxon. Malaoxon is the oxygen analog of Malathion and is even more lethal when exposed to a human body. There is a potential risk of drinking water contamination through ground or surface water. According to EPA model predictions and monitoring studies, Malathion and its degradate Malaoxon will most certainly reach drinking water sources which will then be ingested by the local residents. Chlorination phase of water treatment will turn any Malathion present in the water to Malaoxon. Acute exposure to extremely high levels of Malathion over a prolonged period of time can cause body-wide symptoms that could include skin and eye irritations, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, excessive sweating, seizures and even death.

There is also an exposure risk to mammals, birds and insects that eat grass for sustenance. The data indicated Malathion may be highly toxic to bees and other agricultural insects. Bees are already endangered and have been proven as a ecological need in order to pollinate our crops which are already overtaxed by our population growth. There is also a risk to some aquatic organisms such as the fish in the river near where we will be spraying the insecticide. The exposure risk to both Malathion and Malaoxon increases in toddlers if aerial spray is carried to any hard surfaces such as playgrounds.

The biggest factor to consider is the potential illness and fatality assessment. Currently, without using any methods of removal of the mosquito population, we can expect up to fifty cases of illnesses with around two fatalities from West Nile infected mosquitoes. According to a Florida Study using the same pesticide (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2005, Section 3), if we use the Malathion pesticide, we can expect as many as ninety cases of Malathion-related illnesses with up to four fatalities. That is an eighty percent increase in illness cases and one hundred percent increase in fatalities by using Malathion pesticide versus exposure to West Nile carrying mosquitoes. While mosquitoes can carry other harmful diseases West Nile is among the most lethal diseases known to be carried and transmitted by mosquitoes.

There is also the mosquitoes themselves to consider. The mosquitos, for the most part, are nectar feeders. The females generally only feed on human blood while developing eggs. While they may seem at the present time to be pests, we are always discovering new information about the world around us. Once upon a time bees where considered a pest, a pest that stung and can cause death in individuals with an allergy. Now we know they are an essential part of our ecological system without which we would all most certainly suffer extreme food hardships if eradicated.

After careful consideration from both sides of the issue, while the risk is undoubtedly low as to the exposure or untimely illness or death by Malathion or even Malaoxon exposure, my vote will have to be against using Malathion to control the mosquito population. I feel there are other ways to protect the citizens of Genericville and its tourists against any potential disease carrying mosquitoes without the necessity of eradicating the mosquito population which may upset a delicate balance in our ecosystem that we are yet unaware of.

Dictionary.com (2009) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Carcinogenicity Retrieved Nov 2009.

EPA (July 2006) http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/REDs/malathion_red.pdf Retrieved Nov 2009

Regulations.gov (Sept, 2005) “Overview of Malathion Risk Assessment” Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0348 http://www.regulations.gov Retrieved Nov 2009.

Wikipedia.com (Oct 2009) “Malathion” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion#cite_note-12 Retrieved Nov 2009

Wikipedia.com (Oct 2009) “Mosquito” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitoes Retrieved Nov 2009

Conservation and Preservation

CheckPoint: Conservation and Preservation

Both conservation and preservation activities are currently part of all national forest management programs. The Bridger Teton video discusses one controversy between those who want to harvest the resources of one section of the forest in an environmentally friendly way (conservation) and others who believe it should be left in its original state (preservation).

         View the Ch. 2 Bridger Teton VLR located under the Week Two Materials section of your student Web page.

         Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following:

o    Provide a brief summary differentiating conservation and preservation.

o    Do you believe humans can harvest forest resources in an environmentally friendly way, or, should national forests be left in their natural state in which resources are not used to benefit humans?

o    To which side are you inclined?

o    Provide specific examples from the Bridger Teton video as you defend your position.

Conservation is defined as the effort to limit human use on natural environments while preservation wishes to eliminate human use altogether. I think humans can learn to harvest resources in an environmentally friendly way. We are meant to live in harmony with our environment. That does not necessarily mean we can not touch or use the plants and animals around us. This means we need to be conservative on the damage we do and not abuse the world we have. I believe we should, as higher intellectual beings, use every precaution to save our environment and look for alternative ways to get the things we need to survive. This culture has become very materialistic, always looking to get more than the next guy. This has caused us to be abusive in our quest for more. We need to step back and see the damage we are leaving in our wake in our quest and learn to be more conservative, more thankful for what we already have. I do not think our situation is so dire as to cut off using all natural resources but we definitely need to conserve.

Unfortunately I was unable to hear the video due to complications with my computer so I am unable to provide specific examples from the video.

Implicit Association Test

1.     CheckPoint: Implicit Association Test

·         Complete the Harvard-Hosted Implicit Association Test (IAT) using the following instructions. The test should take about 10 minutes to complete.

o    Navigate to the Project Implicit^® home page at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ and click Demonstration.

o    At the IAT home page, click on the Go to the Demonstration Tests link.

o    At the Measure Your Attitudes page, find and click on the I wish to proceed link.

o    You will be prompted to select a test. Take one of the following IAT tests:

·         Race IAT

·         Arab-Muslim IAT

·         Native IAT

·         Asian IAT

·         Skin-tone IAT

·         Post a 200- to 300-word summary that answers all of the following questions:

o    What was the result of your IAT? Do you think that the test produced valid results in your case?

o    In your opinion, is it difficult to accurately measure prejudice? Why or why not?

o    Describe other measurements sociologists utilize to calculate prejudice.

            I decided to take the Race IAT test, it is the test I was most interested in taking.  I wanted to see if a test like this would say the same thing as the truth.  My result “Your data suggest little to no automatic preference between European American and African American.” This is undoubtedly true.  In my case the test gave results that were true.  After taking the test I do not see how it would be fair if the results said something that was not correct.  It was not at all easy to hit the correct keys when you had two different categories to classify at the same time and even more difficult when it was reversed.  If you are not paying very close attention to what key you are hitting it would be very easy to hit the wrong key and then be classified as having a prejudice you may not actually have.  I was slower when classifying four categories into two keys and even slower when two of those categories reversed. 

            I think you can accurately measure prejudice but not with a test like this.  Prejudice most manifests when individuals think no one else is watching.  That is when we show our true selves.  Any test that would be publicized would, in my opinion, never give accurate results. 

            Other than the Harvard IAT test, sociologists use the Likert Scale which is a series of open-ended questions, to determine prejudice. 

             

Gathering and Evaluating Information

1.     CheckPoint: Gathering and Evaluating Information

·         Resource: Finding, Evaluating, and Utilizing Credible Information; Bias, Rhetorical

Devices, and Argumentation; the University Library Interactive Tutorial; the Center for

Writing Excellence; and Appendix D

·         Complete the University Library tutorial.

·         Log on to your student Web site.

o    Click on the Library tab.

o    Select the University Library.

o    Under Library Services, click View the Research Tutorial.

o    Choose Complete the University Library Interactive Tutorial.

o    Follow the prompts to complete the tutorial.

·         Consider the steps you must follow to complete a general search for reliable

sources.

·         Follow those steps to locate five to eight sources for your research paper. At least three of these sources must come from the University Library.

·         Determine what makes each source credible or not credible. In addition to the steps you must follow to determine the credibility of a source, be aware of any biases or fallacies in the materials.

·         Explain what information you think you can use from each source.

·         Format your sources according to APA guidelines.

·         Complete Appendix D.

·         Post Appendix D as an attachment.

Axia College Material

Appendix D

Strategies for Gathering Information

Source (Formatted using APA style guidelines)	What makes the source credible or noncredible?	What information can you gather from this source?
Rawlins, Michael D. (Sep. 2009).  "pharmacology"   The Oxford Companion to Medicine. Stephen Lock, John M. Last, and George Dunea. http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t185.e382 Retrieved Sept. 2009, from Oxford reference Online database	The site is a credible source, Oxford Reference Online.  The article included three physicians with background information to lend credibility to the article sources.	This article has a ton of information about Pharmacology, which is the study of the effects of chemicals on living body’s.  All ranging from history of pharmacology to drug action to therapeutics.
Ayo, J,  Agu, H,  Madaki, I (2005). Food and drug interactions: its side effects. http://swtuopproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=53484a3eb2f15385d466b1ca19cb13/MuseHost=www.emeraldinsight.com/MusePath/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0170350404.html  Retrieved Sept 2009, from Emerald database.	I find this a credible site, since it has three authors all in the field of study the article is about, published by a company with its own database in the university website.  All sources are cited well and completely.	This article will be helpful in making correlations between drug interactions and food intake.  And many reference sources to investigate for more information.
Anonymous, (Mar 2009). Pharmaceuticals; Studies from V.J. Wirtz et al provide new data on pharmaceuticals. http://swtuopproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=5a3f439d8e950cca71f5675497ae5a0/MuseHost=proquest.umi.com/MusePath/pqdweb?index=9&did=1651166631&SrchMode=2&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253930650&clientId=13118 Retrieved Sept 2009, from ProQuest database.	Since this website only simplifies a study already published, I find this information credible.  It is up to date and published in a well-known magazine.	This information can give me some statistics on people’s knowledge of the drugs they already take.
Prsecription Drugs and Their Potentially Adverse Effects, (Nov 2003). http://www.worldhealth.net/news/prescription_drugs_and_their_potentially/ Retrieved Sept 2009	The credibility of this source is sketchy.  It is published by a well known and respected source, although, there is no author list, it is also over five years out of date, and the link for further reading can not be found.	This website has some statistics which could be useful in my article.
ONDCP, Prescription Drugs Facts and Figures, http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/DrugFact/prescrptn_drgs/rx_ff.html Retrieved Sept 2009.	Although this article has no listed author or created date, I found it on the Office of National Drug Control Policy website.  That alone I feel makes this a credible source.	This article has an abundance of information on different types of drugs, their side effects, and treatment.  Also there is several studies quoted along with many external links and sources cited for further referencing.
Rohrlich, J, (Aug 2009) Eight Prescription Drugs with Truly Alarming Side Effects, http://www.minyanville.com/articles/GSK-lly-BMS-CEPH/index/a/23818 Retrieved Sept 2009.	The article seems credible.  It is up to date and published in an online magazine devoted to money and life issues.	This article is exactly the information I have been looking for.  It is a list of some drugs and how they can cause more harm than good.
CIWMB (May 2009) Pharmaceutical Drug Waste, http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/hhw/pharmwaste/ Retrieved Sept 2009.	This is an article created and found on the California state website.  Although there is no author listed this is still a credible site since it’s a government site.	This article tells the hazards of disposal of pharmaceutical drugs and what they are doing to the environment.
MNT (Aug 2008), Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters, Says Prescription Drug Harm Growing, Drug Testing, Approval And Marketing Flaws, Adapted from original press release.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117052.php   Retrieved Sept 2009.	I find this a credible sources since it is located on a medical website and it discusses medical information.	This site gives me some more interesting information on harmful effects along with the original press release site for further resources and information.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/990301ap/1239.html  - Herbal Remedies: Adverse Effects and Drug Interactions

http://www.scribd.com/doc/299546/Herbal-Medicines-The-best-way-to-cure  - herbal medicines author shriram Sharma Acharya. 

Financial Statements

1.       Assignment: Financial Statements

·         Write a 350- to 700-word paper describing a balance sheet, an income statement, a retained earnings statement, and a statement of cash flows. How does a company use these financial statements to make future business decisions? Use and define the following terms in your paper when explaining how a company uses the information on the statements:

o    Assets

o    Comparative statements

o    Liabilities

o    Stockholder’s equity

·         Format your paper according to APA standards.

·         Post your paper as an attachment.

Balance sheet - A quantitative summary of a company's financial condition at a specific point in time, including assets, liabilities and net worth. The first part of a balance sheet shows all the productive assets a company owns, and the second part shows all the financing methods (such as liabilities and shareholders' equity). also called statement of condition.

A balance sheet is a summary of the financial condition at any point in time.  It includes all assets, liabilities and your net worth.  Your check book would be an example of a balance sheet.  It shows your income (assets), bills (liabilities) and how much you have left (net worth). 

Income Statement - Financial document showing a company's income and expenses over a given period (like one fiscal year). Also known as the Earnings Statement or Statement of Operations. The "bottom line" of the income statement is the company's earnings for the period.

An income statement shows your assets and liabilities over a period of time.  Your bank statement would be a good example of an income statement.  It shows all income and all outgoing for the month.
statement of retained earnings - A financial statement that lists a firm's accumulated retained earnings and net income that has been paid as dividends to stockholders in the current period. Also called retained earnings statement.

A statement of retained earnings is the income which is paid to stockholders during any given period.

Cash Flow Statement - Financial document detailing the exchange of cash between a business and the outside world. The flow is categorized as:

• flow "in" from Operations
  (cash the company made by selling goods and services)
• flow "in" from Financing
  (cash the company raised by selling stocks and bonds)
• flow "out" to Investing
  (cash the company spent investing in its future growth)

Each of these flows can actually flow both ways. Investors like to see that the company can cover its spending with cash from operations, without having to turn to financing. The cash flow statement also has to reconcile the net effect of these flows with the difference in its cash holdings at the beginning and end dates of the reporting period.
A cash flow statement shows the flow in and out from all goods and services, stocks and bonds and investing for any given reporting period.
Asset - Any item of economic value owned by an individual or corporation, especially that which could be converted to cash. Examples are cash, securities, accounts receivable, inventory, office equipment, real estate, a car, and other property. On a balance sheet, assets are equal to the sum of liabilities, common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings.From an accounting perspective, assets are divided into the following categories: current assets (cash and other liquid items), long-term assets (real estate, plant, equipment), prepaid and deferred assets (expenditures for future costs such as insurance, rent, interest), and intangible assets (trademarks, patents, copyrights, goodwill).

An asset is anything of value that is either cash or can be converted to cash. 

Comparative statements - Financial statements which follow a consistent format but which cover different periods of time. Useful for spotting trends.

A comparative statement is a form that covers different periods of time in order to help spot patterns.

Liabilities - Plural of liability. A liability is a financial obligation, debt, claim, or potential loss.

A liability is anything that still costs you money, such as a bill or any items that could cause a debt.

Stockholder’s equity -

A company's common stock equity as it appears on a balance sheet, equal to total assets minus liabilities, preferred stock, and intangible assets such as goodwill. This is how much the company would have left over in assets if it went out of business immediately. Since companies are usually expected to grow and generate more profits in the future, most companies end up being worth far more in the marketplace than their stockholders' equity would suggest. For this reason, stockholders' equity is of more interest to value investors than growth investors. also called book value.

            A balance sheet is a summary of the financial condition of your company at any point in time.  It includes all assets, liabilities and your net worth.  An asset is anything of value that is either cash or can be converted to cash.  A liability is anything that still costs you money, such as a bill or any items that could cause a debt.  Your net worth is how much income you have after subtracting your liabilities.  Your check book would be a good example of a balance sheet.  It shows your income (assets), bills (liabilities) and how much you have left (net worth).   An income statement shows your assets and liabilities over a period of time.  Your monthly statement from your bank would be a good example of an income statement.  It shows all income and all outgoing for the month.  This could also be called a comparative statement, which is a form that covers different periods of time in order to help spot patterns.  By combining multiple bank statements for several months you have a comparative statement which allows you to compare months to help you spot patterns in your spending and income.  A statement of retained earnings shows the changes in a company’s retained earnings in any given reporting period.  Retained earnings are the portion of income which is kept by the company often given to stockholders as dividends.  Stockholder’s equity is the value of a company’s assets minus liabilities, stock and intangible assets.  Basically what a company is worth if it goes out of business right away.  This is what value investors are interested in more than growth investors. A cash flow statement shows the flow in and out from all goods and services, stocks and bonds and investing for any given reporting period.  Each of these can be used to make future business decisions, either individually or in tandem.  These reports give you a clear picture of all your assets and liabilities for any period in time.  With this information you can see what trends develop.  Once you see patterns in your spending and income you can then develop future plans for expanding or enhancing your business.  Seeing patterns in your reports can also help you trim in places where you see that you are spending too much money.