The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison Research Paper

The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison - Research Paper Example Contrary to the misconception back in 1960s, it is wrong to believe that deaf individuals to have more capability of committing violent crimes and sexual deviances simply because several studies revealed that not all deaf individuals will aggressively respond to social isolation or minimal communication to other people (Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999). Likewise, Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005) noted that there were several authors who over-represented the number of inmates with hearing loss that were held prisoners in country jails or the state prison cells (Zingeser, 1999; Jensema, 1990). The authors also considered the significance of the research topic. Upon investigating the previous research studies that were conducted by other researchers concerning the deaf offenders (Miller & Vernon, 2002; Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999), the authors strongly suggested the need to compare and contrast the degree and types of violent o ffenses that were made by the deaf and hearing prison population because of the high incidence of psychiatric misdiagnoses due to lack of familiarity with deafness. According to Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005), there were quite a lot of previously available research studies that carefully examines the different patterns behind the offending behaviors made by deaf individuals and those without hearing problems. However, most of these studies were conducted using limited sample sizes which could somehow distort the actual research findings and analysis. As part of increasing the accuracy of the research study findings and analysis, the authors examined 99 deaf inmates with severe-to-profound hearing loss among the total of 133,680 inmates throughout the state of Texas back in 2001 (Miller, Vernon, & Capella, 2005). Review of Literature In any types of research study, the authors should provide a clear literature review that clearly identify and compare the different types of criminal and non-criminal offenses made by prisoners with and without hearing problems, discuss how the variables and key terms are clearly defined, and examine the research strategies that

How multi agencies work together Essay Example for Free

How multi agencies work together Essay There are many agencies that we work with to help with children and young peoples development. When we look at behavioural development, social interactions and speech development all these agencies link together. We use nursery transition days to help the child settle into their new environments and arrange intake visits and meetings with the school for a smoother transition. Social services is used if we have any concerns of a childs well being so then police and a designated social worker would also be involved. The health team are always on hand to help if any families need support with parenting or any development issues. They will then offer parents appropriate courses such as nurturing. At Playgroup we can point in the right direction of any help needed such as our family intervention officers who go into the family homes and will discuss any problems families may have. We run a language and play session which families are invited to where they can enjoy some one to one time with their child to do various activities that will enhance development and build parents confidence too. We have various teachers who can give us support too that work within flying start that can give advice on childrens development and help observe children if we feel there are any problems. Also we can offer one to one support to children if they need it as many of us have had relevant training through senco. We work with health visitors on a daily basis as they are in the same building as us. They give us all relevant information on new children due to start and if there are any concerns with children already with us. We would discuss any issues we have with any children to the designated health visitor of the child as they have all relevant information on that child. Sogs assessments are a good way to see if a child is lacking in any developmental stage and these are used to determine if any outside agencies are called in to discuss anything further. We have also worked closely with social services and have attested child protection conferences. These help us understand what is going on with the child in their home environment and will help us understand if there have been changes in the childs development at Playgroup too. We are able to keep all information confidential and it is only available to the relevant people involved. All staff are made aware of any children that are put on the child protection  list and all staff have their child protection training updated so we are aware of what we do if we are unsure of a childs well being.

Essay examples --

When considering the numerous types of interactions between humans and computers that occur on a daily basis, from simple data entry and clerical work to high level programming and graphic design, they all require people to physically input information into the machine and receive some sort of visual or audio output. This, in fact is the primary goal when referring to input and output devices; to transfer information from a person’s mind into the computer and to then have the computer relay the results of said input. The difficulty in the transferring of information from the human brain into a computer lies essentially within the input device. The majority of input devices which are commonly in use today are simply not substantial enough to allow users to convey information to a computer at a sufficient rate. This problem has lead to the exploration and development of numerous new input devices. This paper will speak to these new input devices and how they, along with their corresponding output device, will allow the average computer user to decrease the latency between the human mind and the computer. With current technologies employed by the average computer user, the most common method for transmitting information from a human into a computer is through two simple devices, the keyboard and the mouse. These specific input methods, while convenient and nearly universal, are limited by the speed at which a human can operate them with their hands. To use typing as an example, it is reasonable to assume that anyone who works in the field of computer science or any of the various related industries knows how to use a keyboard to enter text into a computer. However this method of information transfer has its upper limits. Assumi... ...ices still suffer from the same limitations as the keyboard, namely that they are both limited by the speed and dexterity of the human hands. The computer mouse operates in a two dimensional world, generally manipulating two dimensional data such as text editors, internet browsers, and email applications. Nonetheless, there is a large portion of the computer industry which operates with various three dimensional applications. It is with these types of applications that gestural interaction becomes of greater value. Once such method of interaction that has received considerable attention in recent years is 3D spatial interaction where users’ motions are tracked in some way so as to determine their 3D pose (e.g., position and orientation) in space over time. This tracking can be done with sensors users wear or hold in their hands or unobtrusively with a camera.

The Big Bang(personal Account) (tragedy) :: essays research papers

The Big Bang   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My lesson about playing with fire was a hard one learned. That one summer day so long ago was one of the longest days in my life. The morning was a normal one. The afternoon was when things started to heat up. That night was one I thought would never end.That morning was one just like any other summer day. The sun was bright and warm. We also had family in from Colorado. My Aunt and Uncle were there with my two cousins. They were planning on staying with us the entire summer. My parents had just installed a 4 1/2 foot above ground swimming pool for all of us to enjoy that summer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That afternoon every body was up and busy doing their own things. My brother and I were out in the neighborhood playing with our friends. When we came home for lunch my dad asked us to unload his truck and put everything in the shed. My parents, aunt and uncle were leaving to go out for the evening. They were leaving us in the care of my cousins who are several years older than us. After we had lunch and my parents had left, my brother and I started to unload the truck. I grabbed the first load and headed for the shed. I was in the shed putting things away for about ten minutes. My brother was still not back there with another load. I went around the front of the house looking for him when I saw a flash. As I reached the driveway I saw my brother just as he was throwing another match on the driveway. When the match hit the concrete a flare of fire leaped up about five foot and was gone just as fast as it appeared. I immediately forgot about unloading the truck and joined my brother. He explained to me how it worked. He handed me a five-pound can of gunpowder and told me to pour a small pile out on the driveway. After I did and back away he tore out another match from the pack, struck it and threw it on the pile of powder. Again the flash leaped from the driveway. We continued this way, with me pouring and him throwing the match, until we were down to the second to last match. We had to figure out a way to continue before we were out of matches. The Big Bang(personal Account) (tragedy) :: essays research papers The Big Bang   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My lesson about playing with fire was a hard one learned. That one summer day so long ago was one of the longest days in my life. The morning was a normal one. The afternoon was when things started to heat up. That night was one I thought would never end.That morning was one just like any other summer day. The sun was bright and warm. We also had family in from Colorado. My Aunt and Uncle were there with my two cousins. They were planning on staying with us the entire summer. My parents had just installed a 4 1/2 foot above ground swimming pool for all of us to enjoy that summer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That afternoon every body was up and busy doing their own things. My brother and I were out in the neighborhood playing with our friends. When we came home for lunch my dad asked us to unload his truck and put everything in the shed. My parents, aunt and uncle were leaving to go out for the evening. They were leaving us in the care of my cousins who are several years older than us. After we had lunch and my parents had left, my brother and I started to unload the truck. I grabbed the first load and headed for the shed. I was in the shed putting things away for about ten minutes. My brother was still not back there with another load. I went around the front of the house looking for him when I saw a flash. As I reached the driveway I saw my brother just as he was throwing another match on the driveway. When the match hit the concrete a flare of fire leaped up about five foot and was gone just as fast as it appeared. I immediately forgot about unloading the truck and joined my brother. He explained to me how it worked. He handed me a five-pound can of gunpowder and told me to pour a small pile out on the driveway. After I did and back away he tore out another match from the pack, struck it and threw it on the pile of powder. Again the flash leaped from the driveway. We continued this way, with me pouring and him throwing the match, until we were down to the second to last match. We had to figure out a way to continue before we were out of matches.

Ester Hydrolysis

The Equilibrium Constant of an Ester Hydrolysis Reaction Abstract: The results from this experiment show four different Kc equilibrium constants of: . 1522 for bottle two, . 1853 for bottle three, . 2094 for bottle four, and . 2678 for bottle five. The average Kc value came out to be . 2037 for all four bottles. Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to determine the equilibrium concentrations of an organic acid, an alcohol, an ester, and water in four bottles with varying measurements of each compound in of the four solutions.Once the concentrations are determined, one is then to discover the Kc, equilibrium constant, of those solutions by dividing the concentrations of alcohol and acid by the concentrations of ester and water. Methods/Procedure: First begin by mixing up and standardizing a 500mL solution of NaOH to titrate. For each of the six bottles, measure the directed amounts of ester, water, alcohol, and HCl. The bottles of different solutions will be left to come to equilibrium for two weeks.Once the NaOH is standardized, the solutions in the bottles have come to equilibrium, and a molarity is calculated, use the molarity of NaOH to discover how many mols were used to neutralize the solutions in each bottle. Once all of the calculations are complete, use an ICE chart to discover the mols of ester, water, acid, and alcohol at equilibrium to then calculate the Kc for each bottle. After a Kc has been calculated for all bottles, the last step is to determine an average Kc for all of the solutions. Calculations/Results: Grams of KHP needed: 7mol x 35ml x 1molKHP x 204gKHP1000ml x 1 x 1molNaOH x 1molKHP=5. 00gKHP Grams of NaOH: .7molNaOH x . 500L x 1mol 1L x 1 x 40g~14gNaOH Mass of dish: 1. 80g Mass of bottle 1: 17. 1145g Mass of HCl 1: 4. 8778g Mass of NaOH 14. 0g Mass of bottle 1A: 17. 3521g Mass of HCl 1A: 5. 2319g Mass of dish: 2. 0097g Mass of dish and KHP: 6. 0548g Mass of KHP: 5. 0378g mL of NaOH used to neutralize KHP: 1. 36. 90mL 2. 30. 80mL 3. 36. 40m L g of KHP: 1. 5. 0378g 2. 4. 2074g 3. 4. 9722g Molarity of NaOH: .6690M| 6689M| Avg M: . 6688M NaOH| 5. 0378gKHP x 1molKHP x 1molNaOH x 1 x 1000mL1 x 204. 2g x 1molKHP x 36. 90mL x 1L=. 6686M mL of NaOH used: 1A: 6. 20mL – 24. 90mL = 18. 70mL| 1: 17. 00mL| 2: 60. 54mL| 3: 58. 60mL| 4: 45. 55mL| 5: 40. 75mL| Ethanol: Water:Ethyl Acetate: Density: . 7893g/mL Density: . 9982g/mLDensity: . 9003g/mL Molar Mass: 46. 07g/molMolar Mass: 18. 02g/molMolar Mass: 88. 11g/mol mL of solutions in each bottle: Bottle #| 3M HCl (mL)| H2O (mL)| Ester (mL)| Alcohol (mL)| 1| 5. 00| 5. 00| 0| 0| 1A| 5. 00| 5. 00| 0| 0| 2| 5. 00| 0| 5. 00| 0| 3| 5. 00| 1. 00| 4. 00| 0| 4| 5. 0| 3. 00| 2. 20| 0| 5| 5. 00| 2. 00| 2. 00| 1. 00| Bottles 1 and 1A M HCl: 17. 00mLNaOH x . 6688molNaOH x 1 molHCl x 11 x 1000ml x 1molNaOH x . 005LHCl=2. 27MHCL x . 005L= . 01137molHCl .01251 molHCl Average mol HCl of bottles 1 and 1A: (. 01251mol + . 01137mol)/2 = . 01194molHCl Mol NaOH for bottles 2-5: .6688MNaOH x 1L x 60 . 54mLNaOH1L x 1000mL x 1= . 04049molNaOH .03919molNaOH .03046molNaOH .02725molNaOH Density of HCl: 5. 2319gHCl x 11 x 5. 00mL=1. 046g/mLHCl Grams of HCl and H2O: 1. 046gHCl x 5. 00mLH2O1mL=5. 230gHCl+H20 Grams of HCl: .01194molHCl x 36. 54gHCl1 mol HCl= . 4352gHClGrams of HCl and H2O – Grams of HCl: 5. 230gHCl+H2O – . 4352gHCl = 4. 794gH2O from 5. 00mL of HCl in bottles 1-5 Grams of H2O made + grams H2O given for bottles 2-5: 4. 794gH2O + 0. 00mLH2O x . 9982gH2O/mL = 4. 794gH2O 5. 792gH2O 7. 789gH2O 6. 790gH2O Grams to mols of H2O for bottles 2-5: 4. 794gH2O x 1molH2O1 x 18. 02gH2O= . 2661molH2O .3214molH2O .4322molH2O .3768molH2O Mols of ester for bottles 2-5: 5. 00mLester x . 9003gester x 1mol ester1 x 1mL x 88. 11gester= . 05109mols ester .4087mols ester .02248mols ester .02044mols ester Mols of acid for bottles 2-5: 60. 54mLNaOH x 1L x . 688molNaOH x 1molacid1 x 1000mL x 1L x 1molNaOH x 1= . 04049molacid .03919molacid .03046molacid .02725molacid Total mols of acid – mols HCl for bottles 2-5: .04049mol total acid – . 01194mol HCl = . 02855mol organic acid . 02725mol organic acid . 01852mol organic acid .01531mol organic acid Mols of alcohol for bottle 5: 1. 00mLalcohol x . 7893galcohol x 1 mol alcohol1 x 1mL x 46. 07galcohol= . 01713mol alcohol Ice Charts for bottles 2-5: ESTER (mol)| WATER (mol)| ACID (mol)| ALCOHOL (mol)| I: . 05109| . 2661| 0| 0| C: -. 2855| -. 02855| -. 02855| -. 02855| E: . 02254| . 2376| . 02855| . 02855| ESTER (mol)| WATER (mol)| ACID (mol)| ALCOHOL (mol)| I: . 04087| . 3214| 0| 0| C: -. 02725| -. 02725| -. 02725| -. 02725| E: . 01362| . 2942| . 02725| . 02725| ESTER (mol)| WATER (mol)| ACID (mol)| ALCOHOL (mol)| I: . 02248| . 4322| 0| 0| C: -. 01852| -. 01852| -. 01852| -. 01852| E: . 00396| . 4137| . 01852| . 01852| ESTER (mol)| WATER (mol)| ACID (mol)| ALCOHOL (mol)| I: . 02044| . 3768| 0| . 01713| C:-. 01531| -. 01531| -. 01531| . 01531| E: . 00513| . 3615| . 01531| . 03244| Kc for bottles 2-5: Kc=. 0 2855[. 02855]. 0254[. 376]= . 1522 .1853 .2094 .2678 Avg Kc: .1522 + . 1853 +. 2094 + . 2678 = . 8147 .8147/4 = . 2037 Discussion: A known error in this experiment with this data is the mass of hydrochloric acid measured for bottle 1. The mass was below 5 grams (4. 8778g) which threw the calculations off. To compensate for the poor data, an average of the two masses of hydrochloric acid was taken, and then the number of moles was found to get a better approximation of what the number of moles should be. Another possible error in this experiment was not having adequate time for the solutions to equilibrium completely.If the solutions had not fully reached equilibrium the equilibrium constant would be off for whichever solutions, if not all, that had not come to equilibrium. The Kc values were all approximately one tenth off of each other. In theory, the Kc values should all be the same which indicates that there is a high probability that the solutions had not fully reached equilibri um. In conclusion, the results would have been closer and more exact had the solutions had more time to come to equilibrium as well as if the mass of hydrochloric acid was closer to where it should have been.

Francis Cabot Lowell Invented the Power Loom

Francis Cabot Lowell Invented the Power Loom Thanks to the invention of the power loom, Great Britain dominated the global textile industry at the turn of the 19th century. Hampered by inferior looming machinery, mills in the United States struggled to compete until a Boston merchant with a penchant for industrial espionage named Francis Cabot Lowell came along.   Origins of the Power Loom Looms, which are used to weave fabric, have been around for thousands of years. But until the 18th century, they were manually operated, which made the production of cloth a slow process. That changed in 1784 when the English inventor Edmund Cartwright designed the first mechanical loom. His first version was impractical to operate on a commercial basis, but within five years Cartwright had improved his design and was weaving fabric in Doncaster, England. Cartwrights mill was a commercial failure, and he was forced to relinquish his equipment as part of filing for bankruptcy in 1793. Britains textile industry, however, was booming, and other inventors continued to refine Cartwrights invention. In 1842,  James Bullough and William Kenworthy  had introduced a fully automated loom, a design that would become the industry standard for the next century. America vs. Britain As the Industrial Revolution boomed in Great Britain, that nations leaders passed a number of laws designed to protect their dominance. It was illegal to sell power looms or the plans for building them to foreigners, and mill workers were forbidden to emigrate. This prohibition didnt just protect the British textile industry, it also made it nearly impossible for American textile manufacturers, who were still using manual looms, to compete. Enter Francis Cabot Lowell  (1775 to 1817), a Boston-based merchant who specialized in the international trade of textiles and other goods. Lowell had seen firsthand how international conflict jeopardized the American economy with its dependence on foreign goods. The only way to neutralize this threat, Lowell reasoned, was for America to develop a domestic textile industry of its own that was capable of mass production. During a visit to Great Britain in 1811, Francis Cabot Lowell spied on the new British textile industry. Using his contacts, he visited a number of mills in England, sometimes in disguise. Unable to buy drawings or a model of a power loom, he committed the power loom design to memory. Upon his return to Boston, he recruited master mechanic Paul Moody to help him recreate what he had seen. Backed by a group of investors called Boston Associates, Lowell and Moody opened their first functional power mill in  Waltham, Mass., in 1814. Congress imposed a series of  duty tariffs  on imported cotton in 1816, 1824, and 1828, making American textiles more competitive still. The Lowell Mill Girls Lowells power mill wasnt his only contribution to American industry. He also set a new standard for working conditions by hiring young women to run the machinery, something nearly unheard of in that era. In exchange for signing a one-year contract, Lowell paid the women relatively well by contemporary standards, provided housing, and offered educational and training opportunities. When the mill cut wages and increased hours in 1834, the  Lowell Mill Girls, as his employees were known, formed the  Factory Girls Association  to agitate for better compensation. Although their efforts at organizing met with mixed success, they earned the attention of author  Charles Dickens, who visited the mill in 1842.   Dickens praised what he saw, noting that: The rooms in which they worked were as well ordered as themselves. In the windows of some, there were green plants, which were trained to shade the glass; in all, there was as much fresh air, cleanliness, and comfort as the nature of the occupation would possibly admit of.   Lowells Legacy Francis Cabot Lowell died in 1817 at the age of 42, but his work did not die with him. Capitalized at $400,000, the Waltham mill dwarfed its competition. So great were the profits at Waltham that the Boston Associates soon established additional mills in Massachusetts, first at East Chelmsford (later renamed in Lowells honor), and then Chicopee, Manchester, and Lawrence. By 1850, Boston Associates controlled one-fifth of Americas textile production and had expanded into other industries, including railroads, finance, and insurance. As their fortunes grew, the Boston Associates turned to philanthropy, establishing hospitals and schools, and to politics, playing a prominent role in the Whig Party in Massachusetts. The company would continue to operate until 1930 when it collapsed during the Great Depression. Sources Green, Amy. Francis Cabot Lowell and the Boston Manufacturing Company. CharlesRiverMuseum.org. Accessed 8 March 2018.Yaeger, Robert. Francis Cabot Lowell: Brief Life of an American Entrepreneur: 1775-1817. Harvard Magazine. September-October 2010.Lowell Mill Girls and the Factory System, 1840. GilderLehman.org. Accessed 8 March 2018.

Free Essays on Global Strategy At General Motors

General Motors’ international expansion is being driven by a belief that emerging markets offer the greatest potential for future demand growth. GM is not alone in this belief. Not only are many other automobile firms pursing a similar expansion strategy, but so are firms from a wide range of industries. Although GM has long had operations overseas, until recently these took second place in the company’s Detroit-centric view of the world. Now GM is recognizing that to compete successfully in emerging markets, it is no longer enough to transfer outdated technology and designs from Detroit. It must build a globally integrated corporation that draws on centers of excellence wherever they may be in the world to engineer global cars and state-of-the-art production systems. For all of its economic benefits, though, the trend toward greater integration is clearly causing worry within GM’s units. They fear that an ability to respond to local market needs may be lost in t he process.... Free Essays on Global Strategy At General Motors Free Essays on Global Strategy At General Motors General Motors’ international expansion is being driven by a belief that emerging markets offer the greatest potential for future demand growth. GM is not alone in this belief. Not only are many other automobile firms pursing a similar expansion strategy, but so are firms from a wide range of industries. Although GM has long had operations overseas, until recently these took second place in the company’s Detroit-centric view of the world. Now GM is recognizing that to compete successfully in emerging markets, it is no longer enough to transfer outdated technology and designs from Detroit. It must build a globally integrated corporation that draws on centers of excellence wherever they may be in the world to engineer global cars and state-of-the-art production systems. For all of its economic benefits, though, the trend toward greater integration is clearly causing worry within GM’s units. They fear that an ability to respond to local market needs may be lost in t he process....

Essay on Diet of Japan

Essay on Diet of Japan Essay on Diet of Japan Diet of Japan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Japanese legislature. For information on Japanese food, see Japanese cuisine. "Kokkai" redirects here. For the Sumo wrestler from Georgia, see Kokkai Futoshi. "The Diet" redirects here. For the Beetle Bailey animated short, see The Diet (cartoon). National Diet of Japan å› ½Ã¤ ¼Å¡ Kokkai | The 174th Ordinary Session | Type | Type | Bicameral | Houses | House of Representatives House of Councillors | Leadership | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Takahiro Yokomichi, DPJ since September 16, 2009 | President of the Councillors | Satsuki Eda, DPJ since August 7, 2007 | Structure | Members | 722 480 (House of Representatives) 242 (House of Councillors) | House of Representatives Political groups | Democratic Party (311) Liberal Democratic Party (118) Komeito Party (21) Communist Party (9) Social Democratic Party (7) Your Party (5) People's New Party (3) Independents / Others (6) [1] | House of Councillors (or Chancellors) Political groups | Democratic Party, Shin-Ryokufukai, People's New Party and New Party Nippon (118) Liberal Democratic Party (81) Komeito Party (21) Communist Party (7) Social Democratic Party (5) Japan Renaissance Party (4) Independents (5) Vacancies (1) [2] | Election | House of Representatives Last election | August 30, 2009 (45th) | House of Councillors (or Chancellors) Last election | July 29, 2007 (21st) | Meeting place | National Diet Building, NagatachÃ… , Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo | Website | House of Representatives - official website House of Councillors - official website | Japan | This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Japan | | Constitution[show] * Constitution (history) Emperor[show] * Emperor (List) * Akihito * Imperial Household Agency National Diet[show] * House of Representatives * House of Councillors Government[show] * Prime Minister (List) * Naoto Kan * Cabinet * Ministries Judiciary[show] * Judicial system Prefectures[show] * Prefectures * Governors (list) Elections[show] * Elections * House of Councillors * 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 * House of Representatives: * 2003, 2005, 2009, Next Political parties[show] * Major parties * Democratic * Liberal Democratic * Third parties Foreign relations[show] * Foreign policy * Foreign relations Others[show] * Fiscal policy * Human rights * Political extremism | Other countries  · Atlas Politics portalview talk edit | The National Diet of Japan (å› ½Ã¤ ¼Å¡, Kokkai?) is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors (or Chancellors). Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally responsible for selecting the Prime Minister. The Diet was first convened as the Imperial Diet in 1889 as a result of adopting the Meiji constitution. The Diet took its current form in 1947 upon the adoption of the postwar constitution and is considered by the Constitution to be the highest organ of state power. The National Diet Building is located in NagatachÃ… , Chiyoda, Tokyo. Contents[hide] * 1 Composition * 2 Powers * 3 Activities * 4 History * 5 See also * 6 References * 7 External links | [edit] Composition See also: Elections in Japan and List of members of the Diet of Japan The houses of the diet are elected under a parallel voting system. This means that the seats to be filled in any given election are divided into two groups, each elected by a different method; the main difference between the houses is in the sizes of the two groups and how they are elected. Voters are also asked to cast two votes: one for an individual candidate in a constituency, and one for a party list.

Human reproduction system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human reproduction system - Assignment Example These increase the amount of calcium in the muscle cells which are in turn responsible for the contraction of the uterus. Aside from helping with contractions, the increased levels of this hormone in both mother and child foster feelings of attachment and affection. On the other hand, another hormone prolactin works together with oxytocin during pregnancy to produce and release breast milk, respectively. It increases during labour with the highest level occurring during birth and remaining high as the mother breastfeeds. Beta-endorphin and adrenaline are other hormones that help in child birth. Adrenalin helps in labor as it gives the mother energy to push. It also prevents the rise of oxytocin when the mother feels anxiety, tension or fear during labour. Similarly, beta-endorphin can be considered an innate painkiller and is released when the body feels pain so that natural childbirth and breastfeeding are bearable for the mother. It also helps in releasing prolactin during labour so the mother’s breasts are ready for the new born. (Hormones in Labour 2012) Magon, N and Kalra, S 2011, ‘The orgasmic history of oxytocin: Love, lust, and labor’, Indian Journal of Endicronology and Metabolism, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. S156-S161. Available from NCBI [September

Responses to the problem Of road accident deaths in Ireland Essay

Responses to the problem Of road accident deaths in Ireland - Essay Example Currently, Ireland has the third highest road and highway fatality deaths throughout the world and much of this has to do with how the law has been regulating the speed limit. The speed for traveling motorists is extremely high and concretes the growing problem of accidents taking place on the highways (RTE News 2006). Furthermore, the research that the National Safety Council has gathered shows that the majority of the problems are necessarily due to any lack of help from law enforcement, but rather from the civilians themselves. Research has proven that if more motorists would be willing to not drink and drive, buckle up, and refrain from speeding there would be far less fatalities on the highways, rural roads, and urban roads within the country of Ireland (RTE News 2006). Queensland Government spent $1.4 million on a media campaign of graphic TV advertisements last April 2006, ahead of the Easter Road Safety period. These advertisements show graphic images of maimed bodies and mangled car wrecks (King, 2006). The speed limit for vehicles towing trailers, caravans, etc.,is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for trucks (over 3.5 tonnes)and single deck buses is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for double deck buses is 65 km/h (Ireland, 2006). Random Breath Testing "Last year in NortThis test is only possible if there has been a road traffic offence, incident or the police suspect that the driver is drunk. FACTS The Positives "Last year in Northern Ireland, there was the lowest death rate in 50 years and certainly a huge amount of that is due to the fact that we did introduce shock advertising in 1994 and we have continued with

The relevance of Mutual Funds & their development over time Literature review

The relevance of Mutual Funds & their development over time - Literature review Example Whereas no legal definition exists for the phrase â€Å"mutual fund†, it is regularly used to refer only to those combined vehicles mostly under regulation and that the general public can buy. Mutual funds are at times known as â€Å"registered investment companies† or â€Å"registered companies†. It is important to note that hedge funds cannot be called mutual funds since they primarily cannot be bought by public (Bogle, 2010). Open-ended funds-these are funds that are accessible for subscription and therefore can be redeemed on a constant basis. These types of mutual funds are usually accessible for subscription all through the year and hence investors can trade the units at NAV correlated prices. Open-ended funds lack a fixed or a definite maturity date and one of the key aspects of them is liquidity. Close-ended funds on the other hand are funds that have a defined or definite maturity period such as 3 to 6 years. Close-ended funds are thus open for subscription for a particular period at the point of first launch. Normally, these funds are usually listed on a renowned stock exchange (Northcott, 2009). Interval funds-these funds merge the aspects of close-ended and open-ended funds. Interval funds can be traded on stock exchanges and are usually open for redemption or sale at preset intervals on the existing NAV. The following are types of funds that are on the basis of investment objectives. These include; Equity/growth funds-these funds invest a main part of their corpus in stocks and represent the biggest class of mutual funds. Nevertheless, there are numerous kinds of equity funds since there are several various kinds of equities. Equity funds can be categorized on the basis of either the size of the firms invested in or the manager’s investment style. They can be classified as value, growth and blend. Value in this case may

Training and Development Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Training and Development Task 2 - Essay Example The manager gives feedback at every stage of the performance management process. The report focuses on developing an improved performance management process for construction supervisors and laborers of a mid-sized construction company operating in five states in the northeastern United States. This is the planning stage in the performance management process which set the performance standards or expectations for the laborers or supervisors in the construction company in the USA (Rolstadas, 2012). Utilization of resources by the construction supervisors like explaining the project requirements to the workers, locate the work zone, delegate work, plan the workers task and efficiently allocate the resources available. The performance must be measurable and adequate information should be gathered on the output of performance which should be assessed on the basis of cost, time, quality, quantity, nature of performance and the methods used in productivity (De Waal, 2013). Observation should be practiced in the performance evaluation process in a routine manner. It deals with evaluation of employee performance and providing instant behavioral feedbacks to the workers. The supervisors can obtain additional information about the performance of the workers which would be beneficial for performance appraisal. Coaching enable workers to gain important skill based knowledge from their mentors which increases the productivity of the organization. By following the coaches’ guidance, workers can discover skills that they were never aware of. Feedback helps in two way communication between the employee and the supervisor evaluating their performance. It helps in providing guidance which results in increased retention as workers feel motivated and encouraged by the continuous assessment given to them for improvement (Hatry, 2013). Observation

7.9 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

7.9 - Case Study Example Industry Analysis is necessary as industries performance vary differently (Dash 138). And the main purpose of industry analysis is to analyze the market and economic forces that affect an industry’s profit potential (Bensoussan and Fleisher 95). Planet Intra is led by an international team of professionally qualified and experienced group of people with backgrounds in consulting, technology, international management and customer relationship management (CRM). They are the real strength of the company and they have been able to ensure uninterrupted successful journey of the company. The company operates globally. Planet Intra has established four offices across the world. The offices in Tokyo, London, and Windsor and Mountain View locations are the main channels to fulfill the global demand of EIP solutions and services. Value Added Resellers (VARs) are consulting firms and other system integrators who work as channel partners. They have contacts within the industry with the large corporations and SMEs and they are main source of revenues for the company as well. The heavy reliance of VARs may affect revenue stream. Currently, the VARs are charging 40 percent commission on per referral and there is no assurance that they continue with the current level of commission or they may increase their commission demand. The implications of this business relationship are that the VARs may require 60 percent commission on per referral and this would directly affect revenue and profit of the company. The company may focus on the non-cyclical or traditional industries. The industries such as oil and gas, health care and service sector may be considered as potential clients for the company. The chances of demand reduction in such sectors are marginal and the companies prefer to invest in their technology-intensive and

Training and Development Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Training and Development Task 2 - Essay Example The manager gives feedback at every stage of the performance management process. The report focuses on developing an improved performance management process for construction supervisors and laborers of a mid-sized construction company operating in five states in the northeastern United States. This is the planning stage in the performance management process which set the performance standards or expectations for the laborers or supervisors in the construction company in the USA (Rolstadas, 2012). Utilization of resources by the construction supervisors like explaining the project requirements to the workers, locate the work zone, delegate work, plan the workers task and efficiently allocate the resources available. The performance must be measurable and adequate information should be gathered on the output of performance which should be assessed on the basis of cost, time, quality, quantity, nature of performance and the methods used in productivity (De Waal, 2013). Observation should be practiced in the performance evaluation process in a routine manner. It deals with evaluation of employee performance and providing instant behavioral feedbacks to the workers. The supervisors can obtain additional information about the performance of the workers which would be beneficial for performance appraisal. Coaching enable workers to gain important skill based knowledge from their mentors which increases the productivity of the organization. By following the coaches’ guidance, workers can discover skills that they were never aware of. Feedback helps in two way communication between the employee and the supervisor evaluating their performance. It helps in providing guidance which results in increased retention as workers feel motivated and encouraged by the continuous assessment given to them for improvement (Hatry, 2013). Observation

Statistical and Quantitative Methods in Business Coursework

Statistical and Quantitative Methods in Business - Coursework Example However, for the purpose of bringing uniformity in the analysis, only 30 questionnaires were selected out of the correctly filled questionnaires for each company on random basis. The survey questionnaire comprised of two sections; the first section included demographic attributes of the respondents, whereas the second consisted of four statements relating to performance, innovativeness, service quality and relationship marketing of the company under consideration. Each statement in the survey questionnaire was required to be responded on the basis of a five point Likert scale, which is as follows: Upon reviewing the literature available on the subject of organizational performance and its determinants in retail sector, there are a number of variables identified. Most of the researchers and authors have regarded organizational performance as a dependent variable. Following is a review of relationships identified between organizational performance and various factors. It has been stated that organizations which are able to bring innovation in their business processes are able to improve their performance. In this regard, Hult and Ketchen (2001), Garg et al. (2003) and Wu et al. (2003), found that there is a positive relationship between innovativeness and organizational performance. The quality of services delivered by organizations to their customers is also regarded as an important factor in influencing the performance of those organizations. In their study of service organizations operating in Malaysia, Ramayah, Samat and Lo (2011) have found that performance of service organizations has a positive relationship with service quality. The concept of relationship marketing relates to the creation and improvement of relations by an organization with its the customers (Jobber & Fahy, 2006). Shaker and Basem (2010) in their study found that the relationship between relationship marketing and organizational performance. On the basis of conceptual model

Voltammetric Methods for Trace Analysis of Chromium Essay Example for Free

Voltammetric Methods for Trace Analysis of Chromium Essay Voltammetric methods of analysis, which have been used since the invention of polarography in 1922, witnessed a serious decline in use and was even threatened with extinction with the development of Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) in the mid-1960s (Bond, 1980, pp. 2-3). The remarkable detection limits of AAS, coupled with its ability to determine almost all the metallic elements, was beyond the reach of classical polarography, which had come to be regarded as a very unattractive technique due to its clumsy instrumentation. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in the electroanalytical techniques during the past years, mainly as a result of the appearance of vastly improved, commercially available instrumentation which has taken full advantage of the electronic revolution. In parallel with the instrumental developments, there have also been accompanying advances in the theoretical aspects of electroanalytical techniques with the development of, for example, ax, pulse and stripping techniques. As a consequence, voltammetry is now established as an extremely versatile, sensitive, rapid and inexpensive analytical technique which has found applications in most areas of analytical chemistry. The fundamental principles of polarography are described by Bond (1980), though he recounts developments in polarographic techniques that have led to the renaissance and widespread adoption of voltammetry. Over the last 15-20 years, there has been a revolution in the existing data regarding the distributions and chemical behavior of trace elements in natural waters. This revolution has been brought about by the realisation that any analytical methodology has to account for the risks of contamination as well as analyte losses involved during the sampling and sample handling steps. Thus clean techniques have been developed and adopted for the collection, preservation, storage and analysis of water samples for trace analysis. This, coupled with the advent of extremely sensitive techniques, has resulted in concentrations of trace elements in seawater being shown to be factors of 10 to 1000 times lower than those previously accepted (Donat, et al. , 1995, p. 247). This in turn has led to a demand for more accurate data to be generated at lower concentrations. The focus of this paper is to discuss voltammetric methods for the analysis of one of the biogeochemically important trace metals in natural water: chromium. Voltammetric Methods AAS (especially Electrothermal AAS) techniques are generally regarded as the ultimate methods of detection for ultra-trace analysis because of the detection limits attainable by these techniques. However, in the form of Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV), voltammetry offers a technique that, in specific cases, can rival these techniques with respect to detection limits, reproducibility and ease of operation. The extreme sensitivity of ASV is due to the analyte preconcentration step inherent to the technique, whereas the spectrometric techniques rely on a prior analyte preconcentration step. Another advantage that ASV offers is that it can speciate the analyte species on the basis of their lability in the natural medium (Florence, 1986) The high sensitivity of ASV allows for the determination of metal speciation in natural waters without the necessity of external pre-concentration. ASV involves two steps: deposition step, which is an internal pre-concentration, during which a negative potential is applied at the mercury drop (i. e. the working electrode) and the metal ion is reduced to the metal which dissolves in the mercury drop forming an amalgam, followed by the stripping step, during which a positive-going potential scan causes re-oxidation of the metal in the amalgam. Thus, the amalgamated metals are stripped out of the mercury electrode and give rise to anodic peak currents, whose heights are proportional to the ASV-labile (i. e. ASV-measurable) metal species (Willard et al. , 1988, p. 719). The applicability of ASV is contingent on the metal to be determined being soluble in mercury to form an amalgam. This requirement severely limits its widespread application in environmental analysis and ASV has remained more or less confined to the determination of Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn. In this respect, the applicability of ASV is very restrictive, in contrast to the capability of AAS or ICP techniques, which are readily applicable for the determination of most of the elements in the Periodic Table (Willard et al. , 1988). In parallel with ASV, Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CSV) techniques have also been used for trace element analysis. Until relatively recently, this technique was viewed as the mirror image of ASV (Wang, 1985). In classical CSV, the analyte species is electrolytically preconcentrated as an insoluble Hg species on the electrode by the imposition of a relatively positive, constant potential during the deposition stage. The applied potential results in the formation of Hg22+ ions on the electrode surface. Analyte species capable of forming insoluble Hg compounds react with the Hg22+ to form an insoluble film on the surface of the electrode. During the stripping stage, a negative potential scan is applied on the electrode, resulting in the reduction of this insoluble compound to Hg0 and the original analyte ion. The faradaic current resulting from this reduction forms the analytical signal. In this preconcentration mode, CSV is applicable to the analysis of mainly anionic species and has been used for the analysis of halides, cyanide, sulphide and a variety of organic compounds (Wang, 1985). The applicability of CSV has now been extended to the determination of metallic species following considerable research into a new, non-electrolytic method of preconcentration during the last decade. This preconcentration method is based on the observation that many organic compounds exhibit surface active properties that are manifested by their adsorption from solution onto the surface of a solid phase. Adsorption has been regarded as an undesirable adverse effect in polarography for a long time but enhancements in polarographic waves had been observed and attributed to adsorption since the early days of polarography (Bond, 1980). Pihlar et al. (1981) were the first to exploit adsorption of the dimethylglyoxime complex of Ni on the Hg electrode for the preconcentration of Ni before its stripping. Since then, procedures for the determination of a large number of trace elements have been developed and applied to environmental samples. Wang (1989) provides excellent review on the development, potentials and applications of CSV, which contains a detailed treatment of the fundamental principles of CSV, the mechanisms of complex adsorption and of the stripping step. The principle behind the new method is very simple: under optimized solution conditions, the analyte (generally metal ions) reacts with an added ligand to form a complex which is adsorbed on the surface electrode during the preconcentration stage. This complex is then reduced during the stripping stage, which consists of the application of a negative potential scan on the electrode. During the stripping stage, the reduction process producing the peak current may be due to the reduction of the metal ion, the reduction of the ligand or the simultaneous reduction of both the ligand and the metal ion. The selectivity of the method is determined by the judicious choice of the complex-forming ligand and, since the reaction between the ligand and the analyte is usually dependent on the oxidation state of the analyte species, speciation analysis is generally achieved (Wang, 1985). A comprehensive review of ligands used in, and metals determinable by CSV is given by (Paneli, 1993). It can be conceived that with the choice of a proper ligand, any metallic species should be amenable to CSV determination, opening up the whole Periodic Table to this extremely sensitive, selective and inexpensive analytical technique. The reduction of the ligand can be used for the determination of metals which are reduced at very negative potentials. It is no wonder therefore that so much activity has been channeled towards the search for new ligands for CSV of trace metals in environmental samples. Almost two decades after the technique was first used for the determination of nickel, there is some continuing debate as to the name of the technique. Since the adsorption phenomenon is utilized for preconcentration of the analyte species, the technique has also been referred to as Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry, (AdSV), as well as Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (AdCSV), whereas many workers simply refer to it as CSV based on the direction of the current flow during the reduction. Following a discussion on the pros and cons of the different names used for the technique, Fogg (1994) reached the conclusion that the term cathodic stripping voltammetry with adsorptive accumulation would be more informative. However, he acknowledged that the term cathodic stripping will continue to be used. In contrast to the analytical methods, electrochemical methods for trace metal analysis are very fast and require relatively simple and inexpensive instrumentation. If the complexing ligand is chosen such that the reaction occurs selectively between the ligand and the analyte in a given oxidation state, speciation is achievable without lengthy separation steps and the preconcentration inherent to the technique precludes the need for a potentially contaminating preconcentration step (Wang, 1985). The whole analytical procedure can generally be carried out within the confines of a clean bench, which is a major asset in trace analysis. The fact that the material adsorbed on the mercury electrode is readily accessible for instantaneous reduction during the stripping stage leads to the flow of a large current, which is the analytical signal. Hence high sensitivities, i. e. , extremely low detection limits, can be achieved. In CSV, detection limits in the sub-Â µg/L level are routinely achieved using preconcentration times of 1-3 min (Wang, 1985). All these assets make CSV potentially the most appropriate technique for environmental, and, specifically, natural water analysis. Voltammetric Analytical Methods for Chromium Chromium occurs principally in nature as the extremely stable mineral chromite, FeO. Cr2O3. In most soils and bedrocks, it is similarly immobilized in the trivalent state; however, the environmental concentrations of chromium are significantly in excess of the natural mobilization of the element by weathering processes. This is because chromium and its compounds have widespread industrial applications, resulting in large quantities of the element being discharged in the environment (Bowen, 1979). The chromium concentrations encountered in natural waters are very low; concentrations vary from 0. 1 to 0. 3 Â µg/L in seawater and from 0.3 to 6 Â µg/L in unpolluted surface waters (Bowen, 1979). The study of the chemical speciation of chromium in natural waters has been a topic of great interest for 40 years. The speciation studies have almost exclusively focused on the distribution of chromium between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) (Fukai, 1967, p. 901). Polarographic methods for the analysis of chromium have long been established but the detection limits do not permit their application to natural waters. However, it was during the polarographic study of Cr in supporting medium containing EDTA and nitrate ions that an important observation was made by Tanaka and Ito (1966). These authors found that the Cr polarographic waves were unusually high in this medium and attributed it to the catalytic re-oxidation of an intermediate Cr(II)-EDTA complex by nitrate ions. Golimowski et al. (1985) were the first to recognize the role of adsorption in the polarographic determination of Cr in the presence of DTPA as supporting electrolyte. They showed that the Cr-DTPA is adsorbed on Hg whereas Cr-EDTA is not, hence the notion that DTPA is more suitable than EDTA for the polarographic determination of Cr. Golimowski et al. (1985) exploited the adsorption of the Cr-DTPA complex for the preconcentration of the analyte at a Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode and thus published the first CSV method for chromium. DTPA was used as the complexing ligand and the catalytic effect of nitrate ions was used for enhancement of the reduction currents. In what would be the first application of a voltammetric technique for the determination of chromium at levels prevalent in natural waters, they reported a detection limit of 20 Â µg/L for a 2-min deposition time. The superiority of this analytical method vis-a-vis the non-electrochemical methods was unquestionable. The CSV method provided not only the required detection limit, but it did so without the need for any separate sample pretreatment steps (Golimowski et al. , 1985). However, Golimowski et al. (1985) failed to consider that the sensitivity of Cr(III) was less than that of Cr(VI), although this observation had already been made by Zarebski in 1977. These authors also failed to observe that the response of Cr(III) was transient (see below). According to Golimowski et al. (1985) therefore, the method was applicable for the determination of total chromium and they claimed success in its application for the determination of chromium in river, lake, sea and rain water. Given the view of Golimowski et al. (1985) regarding the applicability of the DTPA method for the determination to Cr(III), Torrance and Gatford (1987) made a very thorough study of the CSV of the Cr-DTPA complex and confirmed that the responses of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were indeed different. They found that the Cr(VI):Cr(III) response ratio was 14:1 at 0. 1 Â µg/L and 1. 2:1 at 1 Â µg/L of Cr respectively. These authors also found that with both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) there was a kinetic effect that produced a decrease in peak current with time; this decrease was more severe for Cr(III), with a decrease of 15% in the first 5 min after the addition of DTPA. Therefore it was concluded that Cr(III) and Cr(VI) cannot be determined in a solution unless all Cr(III) is oxidized to Cr(VI). They achieved this by heating the sample solutions with bromine water and attained detection limits of 0. 023 Â µg/L Cr as Cr(VI) (Torrance and Gatford, 1987). Scholz et al. (1990) also confirmed that the DTPA method works reliably only for Cr(VI) and proposed that, for the speciation of chromium, total chromium be determined as Cr(VI) after prior conversion of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) by uv-irradiation. Cr(VI) only was determined after a prior step in which the Cr(III) was removed from solution by coprecipitation with AI(OH)3. Cr(III) could then be obtained by difference. The use of DTPA as the complexing ligand in the determination of chromium was further studied by Boussemart et al. (1992), who devised and optimized a method for the speciation of chromium in natural water. These authors observed that the sensitivity for Cr(III) was about 70% of the Cr(VI) sensitivity. They also found that the response for Cr(III) was transient, disappearing completely in about 30 min. They therefore devised a method whereby the CSV peak current was recorded under optimized conditions immediately after the addition of DTPA to the voltammetric cell. The peak current at this time would be equivalent to the response due to Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Then, after 30 min (when the Cr(III) was believed not to be responding), they carried out a determination of Cr(VI) by a Cr(VI) standards addition. The concentration of Cr(III) was estimated from the initial response of Cr(III) plus Cr(VI). Thus, they reported a detection limit of 0. 1 nM (ca. 5 ng/L) for a 2-min deposition time. Although they used this method for the speciation of Cr in natural water, it is deficient in that the Cr(III) can only be estimated (Boussemart et al. , 1992). Apparently, these authors failed to consider the findings of Torrance and Gatford (1987) regarding the differing ratios of Cr(VI):Cr(III) responses at different concentrations as well as the rapidly decreasing response of Cr(III). The rate of decrease of the Cr(III) response is such that by the time the solution is purged and the first voltammetric run completed, there already is a substantial loss in signal. If, as is normal practice, voltammetric runs are carried out in triplicate and, as proposed, a deposition time of 2 min is chosen, it would be impossible to quantify the initial response due to the Cr(III). However, this method is very useful because it enables total Cr(VI) to be determined without any sample pretreatment step. Probably having realized the deficiencies of the above method, Boussemart and van den Berg (1994) later published another method for the determination of Cr(III) in natural water. In this case, the Cr(III) was preconcentrated by adsorption on silica. The adsorbed Cr(III) was later released by converting it to Cr(VI) by uv-irradiation and this Cr(VI) was determined by CSV, with DTPA as the complexing ligand. Conclusion From the discussion above it can be seen that analytical methods with the required sensitivity for the speciation determination of chromium in natural water can be based on electrochemical techniques with better attainable detection. Additionally, the electrochemical techniques generally involve less sample pretreatment and are faster and cheaper to perform. For these reasons, electroanalytical methods are preferable for the determination of chromium. Of the stripping techniques discussed, the method based on DTP A seems best suited to the determination of Cr(VI) in natural water, because Cr(III) does not respond. However, the difficulty faced in determining Cr(III) is a major drawback. Considering the methods described above, the complete speciation of chromium would need the complete oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) or the physical separation of the Cr(III) species as done in the methods by Boussemart and van den Berg (1994), or Scholz et al. (1990). These pretreatment steps are lengthy and are potentially likely to introduce analyte losses as well as contamination in the analytical method. The incorporation of sample pretreatment steps seems to be contrary to the spirit of electroanalytical techniques where excellent sensitivity coupled with simplicity and minimal sample handling is lauded as the great asset of the technique. The complete speciation of chromium could in principle be achieved without any need for sample pretreatment by the use of two different complexing ligands, for example, DTPA for Cr(VI) only and then cupferron or 2,2-bipyridine for total chromium (Cr(III) plus Cr(VI)). The difference between total chromium and Cr(VI) would then be equivalent to Cr(III). However, adoption of such a speciation scheme has apparently not yet been investigated, probably because it would entail undesirable additional time and costs (costs and purification of additional chemicals etc. ) in the overall process. References Bond, A. M. (1980). Modern Polarographic Methods in Analytical Chemistry. New York: Marcel Dekker. Boussemart, M. , van den Berg, C. M. G. , Ghaddaf, M. (1992). The determination of the chromium speciation in sea water using catalytic cathodic stripping voltammetry. Anal. Chim. Acta, 262, 103–115. Boussemart, M., van den Berg, C. (1994). Preconcentration of chromium (III) from seawater by adsorption on silica. and voltammetric determination. Analyst, 119, 1349-1353. Bowen, H. J. M. (1979). Environmental Chemistry of the Elements. Academic Press. Donat, J. R. , Bruland, K. W. (1995). Trace Elements in the Oceans, in Salbu, B. and Steinnes, E. (Eds. ), Trace Elements in Natural Waters. CRC Press. Fogg, A. G. (1994). Adsorptive stripping voltammetry or cathodic stripping voltammetry? Methods of accumulation and determination in stripping voltammetry. Anal. Proc. , 31, 313-317.

Comparative Study of the Banks in Nepal

Comparative Study of the Banks in Nepal A well-structured financial sector is of special importance for the economic growth in both developed and developing countries. The commercial banking sector should be well organized and efficient for the growth of an emerging economy. Commercial Banks which forms one of the backbones of the financial sector are the intermediary link in facilitating the flow of funds from the savers to investors. By providing a means of mobilizing domestic savings and proficiently channeling them into productive investments, they lower the cost of capital to investors and accelerate the economic growth of a nation. No underdeveloped country can well progress without setting up a sound system of commercial banking system.  [1]   Nepal is an agrarian based economy with a GDP of $ 33.26 billion  [5]  . Nepalese banking industry has considerable changes over past decades because of liberalization, deregulation, improving information technology and globalization. The financial sector liberalization resulted in the entry of new firms in the market, which also added more pressure on competitiveness of individual banks; deregulation widened the scope of activities and expanded the banking activities; advancement in technology resulted into new methods to perform banking activities. Furthermore, the banks, these days, are entering into non-banking markets while other financial institutions are entering into the banking markets that have conventionally been served by the banks. These changes have altered the structure and market behavior of Nepalese banking industry. Currently there are 26 commercial banks out of which 6 are joint venture banks, 63 development banks and 77 financial institutions in Nepal. At present there is only one international bank operating in Nepal which is Standard Chartered Bank Limited. It started operation in Nepal since 1987 as a joint-venture operation and today it is a part of Standard Chartered Group having an ownership of 75% in the company and 25% shares owned by the Nepalese public. Nepal after its commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) during its accession in 2004, has allowed foreign banks to make their foray in Nepal to do only wholesale banking  from Jan. 1, 2010. Initially before the agreement with WTO (GATS), the Central Bank regulation allowed foreign shareholders to acquire maximum of 51% shares. Later the regulation changed which allowed foreign ownership of 75% and the recent regulation of 2010 allows 100% foreign ownership (i.e. allows a local entity to be a branch of a foreign company) in the banking industry. Entering of foreign firms is likely to generate benefits to financial sector as well as the economy as a whole (Chau HB, 2003). The effects can be seen mainly through an increase in efficiency and technological advancements as mentioned above. Over the past decade, the Nepalese banking industry has been doing well and has a number of new firms entering into the market. However, there is only one foreign bank and 6 joint-venture banks in the banking sector, though the government has liberalized the financial sector and allowed foreign banks to have 100% foreign ownership. With limited number of foreign banks in Nepal, it is still unclear whether entering of foreign banks, including joint venture, helps to improve overall performance of banking sector as well as to spillover some benefit to domestic banks in Nepal. Objectives To answer the key question above, there are two objectives of the research paper: To measure and analyze the performance of three types of banks namely domestic bank, joint-venture bank, and foreign bank and to explain the variation in performances of these banks. To identify whether the entry of foreign banks, including joint venture, banks would be beneficial for domestic banks which still dominate the financial market in Nepal. 1.3. Scope and limitations of the Study This study will only focus on three types of banks, i.e. domestic bank, joint-venture bank, and foreign bank, and it will offer an insight on the advantages of foreign banks in Nepal. Furthermore it will provide the reasons pertaining to variations in performance of the banks. The main limitation in this study is that there is only one foreign bank in Nepal till date, so the interpretation of the performance of the foreign bank in Nepal could be restricted to some degree. 1.4. Research Methodology This section develops research methodology to reach the objectives of the study. The banking sector in Nepal will be divided into three groups, namely foreign owned banks; joint-venture banks, and domestic banks. For this research, foreign-owned banks will be classified as those which have started a branch or subsidiary in the host country where the share of foreign bank ranges from 51% to 100% while joint venture banks will be classified as those in which foreign investors own the total equity of 50% or less and domestics banks are those which are purely owned by the Nepalese. The foreign owned banks are separated from joint-venture banks in this study because these two types of banks tend to have different operational management, resulting in their different performance. The research methodology is composed of both quantitative and qualitative analysis. First, the qualitative approach is applied to examine the structure and development of financial sector in Nepal during 2000-2010. The financial policy, especially competition-restriction regulation in Nepalese banking sector is also reviewed, mainly through official documents from central bank and international organization. Then the quantitative approach is developed to measure the performance and efficiency of banking sectors in Nepal. This is done by conducting various financial indicators of three types of banks in Nepal namely foreign bank, joint venture banks and domestic banks. Comparison of the indicators among these three types of banks over the past decades will provide the clear analysis of different performance between foreign-owned and domestic banks. The indicators can be grouped into four aspects, namely profitability; operational costs; staff productivity; risk prevention. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Profit Margin (Net Profit/Total Income) Profit margin is very useful when comparing  companies in similar industries. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors. Profit margin is  displayed as a percentage; a 20% profit margin, for example, means the company has a net income of $0.20 for each dollar of sales. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Return on Asset (Net Profit/Total asset) ROA figure gives investors an idea  of how effectively the company is converting the money  it has  to invest into net income. The higher the ROA number, the better, because the company is earning more money on less investment. For example, if one company has a net income of $1 million  and total  assets of $5 million, its ROA is 20%; however, if another company earns the same amount but has total assets of $10 million,  it has  an ROA of 10%. Based on this example, the first company  is better at converting its investment into profit. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Return On Equity (Net Profit/Equity) The amount of net income  returned  as a percentage  of shareholders equity.  Return on equity  measures a corporations profitability  by revealing how much  profit a company generates  with the money shareholders have invested.  Ã‚  Higher The ROE better the company. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Interest Rate Spread (Interest Earning Ratio-Interest Expense Ratio) The difference between the average yields a financial institution receives from loans and other interest-accruing activities and the average rate it pays on deposits and borrowings. The greater the spread, the more profitable the financial institution is likely to be; the lower the spread, the less profitable the institution is likely to be. Risk prevention Risk Prevention à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Capital to Risk Weighted Assets (CRAR) Total Capital/ (RWAs) This ratio is used to protect depositors and promote the stability and efficiency of financial systems around the world. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Core CRAR = Tier I Capital / RWAs Tier one capital is that which can absorb losses without a bank being required to cease trading. This measures the capital standard of the bank à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Adjusted CRAR = (Total Capital Net NPAs)/(RWAs Net NPAs) This relates to the bankâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ability to sustain the losses due to risk exposures is the bankâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capital. The intermediation activity exposes the bank to a variety of risks. Staff productivity Staff Productivity à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Profit per employee (Net Profit/ No. of Employee) This helps to measure how productive the employees are in the bank by calculating profit generated by every employee. Higher the figure better for the company. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Net Income per employee (Net Total Income/ Number of Employees) This also helps to measure income generated by every employee in the company Operational costs Overhead Expense à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Overhead expense/total income The accurate accounting and allocation of over-head expenses are very important factors in calculating the true cost of the company Operating Expense Ratio à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Operating Expense/ Net Income The Operating Expense Ratio is usually viewed as a measurement of management efficiency.   This is because management usually has greater control over operating expenses than they do over revenues. In addition to analyzing different performance between foreign-owned and domestic banks, this study further analyze whether entering of foreign banks helps to improve efficiency of domestic bank. This is done by (1) Structured interviews with managers of central bank and commercial banks. Specifically, the interview will provide detailed analysis on which factors do help to improve performance of domestic banking sector in Nepal; could foreign-owned banks influence performance of domestic banks; and which channels do foreign-owned banks influence domestic banks, and (2) by â‚ ¬Ã…“Granger causality testâ‚ ¬? between domestic bank performance and foreign bank performance. This will be done on profitability, staff productivity and operational costs. 1.5. Organization of the study There will be five chapters in the study. Chapter 1 provides introduction, objective, scope and limitation, and methodology of the study. Chapter 2 reviews relevant theoretical and empirical literature on foreign bank penetration and domestic bank performance in both developed and developing countries to lay the groundwork for developing analytical framework and methodology in examining the impacts of foreign bank penetration on domestic bank performance in Nepal. Chapter 3 examines the structure and development of financial sector in Nepal as well as financial policy over the past decades. The results of banking performance are shown in this chapter. Chapter 4 discusses the impacts of foreign banks to domestic banks, both qualitative and quantitative. Chapter 5 provides conclusion and policy inferences. Chapter 2 Literature Review This section reviews relevant theoretical and empirical literature on foreign bank penetration and domestic bank performance in both developed and developing countries. This is done in order to lay the groundwork for developing analytical framework and methodology in examining the impacts of foreign bank penetration on domestic bank performance in Nepal. Penetration of foreign bank can come in different forms, such as branch offices, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or strategic partnerships. Branch offices, for instance, are an integral part of the parent company, that is, they have no capital of their own. Subsidiaries, however, are their own corporate entities, which are fully owned by the parent company. Similarly, joint ventures are separate corporate entities owned jointly by more than one parent company. Finally, foreign banks may establish a strategic partnership by buying a majority stake of an already existing domestic bank. Weller Scher (1999) The main difference between the various operational forms of foreign banks is their regulatory treatment. The regulatory treatment of the banks differs amongst domestic banks, joint-venture banks and foreign owned banks. Although there are different forms of foreign bank penetration, foreign owned banks are defined as those in which foreign investors own more than 50% of the total equity. Okuda and Rungsomboon, (2004). Decree on Foreign Banks, Phillip Fox 2006, distinguished foreign banks as Foreign Bank Branches (FBB), Foreign Invested Banks (FIB) and Joint Venture Banks (JVB). FBB is a dependent subsidiary of a foreign bank, for which the foreign bank has provided written guarantee that it will be responsible for all obligations and undertakings under FBB. A 100% FIB is established as a separate legal entity with capital being contributed from only foreign entities. Amongst the foreign investors, there must be a â‚ ¬Ã…“parent bankâ‚ ¬? and it must hold more than 50% charter capital. A JVB is established as a separate legal entity, with capital being contributed from one or more foreign banks and domestic banks. Capital is not divided into shares. In JVBs, the capital contribution rate by the foreign bank(s) is capped at 50% of the capital of the bank. The regulations and supervision of financial sector in a host country are crucial in affecting the penetration of foreign banks. Over the past decade, most of the banks throughout the world have started standardizing their policies relating to financial sector according to Basel committee (Basel II Basel III)  [7]   Although Basel system has been introduced and regulations and supervision of banking sectors began to be standardized, regulations relating to competition within the banking sector, which influence the penetration of foreign bank and market structure of banking sector, vary significantly across countries and regions. According to Barth, Caprio and Levin (2001), there are three key aspects of the regulations relating to competition within the banking sector, namely 1) Limitations on Foreign Ownership of Domestic Banks determine (whether there are any limitations placed on the ownership of domestic banks by foreign banks); (2) Limitations on Foreign Bank Entry determine (whether there are any limitations placed on the ability of foreign banks to enter the domestic banking industry) and (3) Entry into Banking Requirement determine (whether there are specific legal submissions required to obtain a license to operate as a bank). The restrictions on overall bank activities and ownership vary from country to country. The research on Regulation and Supervision of Banks around the World by Barth, Caprio and Levine (2001) mentions that there are two measures of the size of a countryâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s banking industry. First measure is total bank assets as a percentage of GDP and the other is the number of banks per 100.000 people. . Both these measures show substantial variation across countries. Countries like Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, and United Kingdom have very high total bank assets as a percentage of GDP whereas United States and Asian countries are much lower. However the number of banks per 100,000 people is not much different in the countries mentioned above. The table clearly shows that the countries in ASEAN region have higher restrictions on banking activities and ownership in comparison to countries like New Zealand and United States. The regulations are different in each country and do not match even if the countries are in the same region. But Professional supervision per bank is lower in developed countries like United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom whereas developing counties have higher no. of supervision per bank. According to the research the highest restrictions on overall bank activities and ownership are imposed by countries like Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and lowest restrictions by New Zealand then Germany, Austria and United Kingdom. In countries like New Zealand and United states the government ownership of banks is zero percent whereas India, Bangladesh has very high percent of government-owned banks. Although the regulations on banking competition vary, over the last decades, restrictions on foreign bank penetration have been relaxed as part of financial reform and foreign bank penetration increased substantially in many countries. This could be because the host country expects the positive impacts of increased foreign bank penetration in the host countryâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s banking system. Trade agreements have also played a major role in liberalization of market entry for foreign banks as financial services are required for international trade, production and investments. Governments usually support flow of foreign investment and this has been evident especially after various financial crises. Many countries in Southeast Asia started liberalizing foreign investment after the Asian financial crisis. The Asian crisis appeared to have catalyzed the liberalization of FDI restrictions in the banking sector across several ASEAN countries. Chau H.B (2003) A number of empirical studies analyze the impacts of foreign bank entry on domestic financial sector in a host country. The impacts can be grouped into three aspects. Firstly, foreign banks promote efficiency (competition and new technology) in domestic financial sector. A larger foreign bank presence can improve the competitiveness of the banking sector. Greater competition is advantageous for many reasons: to enhance the efficiency of financial services; to stimulate innovation; and to contribute to stability. It can also widen access of qualified borrowers to financing, which may increase aggregate lending and so enhance growth. A competitive and well-organized banking system can also improve the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission by tightening the link between policy rates and deposit/lending rates. (BIS paper No. 23) Foreign banks also help in availability of funds and acquisition of consumer-marketing skills. Chau (2003) In addition, foreign bank entry introduces new technology; financial services and advanced management skills, which existing domestic banks lack. The new technology and skills introduced by foreign banks include new financial products, advanced IT technology, and sophisticated bank management techniques. These are expected to contribute to lower operational expenses, amplified profitability, and better bank risk management. Forced by market competition, domestic banks may emulate the new financial products and management skills. Okuda Rungsomboon (2004). The presence of foreign bank also improves the corporate governance structure of the domestic banks. This includes breaking down the family-controlled structure and improving the decision making process. Chau H.B (2003) Unite and Sullivan (2001) has found that increase in foreign bank entry narrows the interest rate spreads and also reduces operating expenses. Foreign banks induces domestic banks to be more efficient, the increased competition forces domestic banks to take in less creditworthy customers and foreign participation induces domestic banks to spend more on improving their operations. However, Okuda Rungsomboon (2004) found that the entry of foreign banks is expected to negatively affect the operations of domestic banks but overall performance is likely to progress in the long run. Secondly, the entry of foreign banks is associated with reallocation of loans. Findings suggest that foreign banks improves credit access for many credit-worthy firms but some firms with positive net present value without opaque information will have difficulty obtaining loans. More developed countries, such as the U.S., Japan, and those in the European community, argue that Less Developed countries should allow foreign banks to enter into their economies. By increasing competition, foreign bank entry may boost the supply of credit and improve efficiency. Gormley (2006) Foreign banks are comparatively less likely to lend to â‚ ¬Ã…“soft informationâ‚ ¬? firms, and more likely to lend to â‚ ¬Ã…“hard informationâ‚ ¬? firms. â‚ ¬Ã…“Soft informationâ‚ ¬? refers to information that cannot be easily publicly verified by a third party. â‚ ¬Ã…“Hard informationâ‚ ¬? on the other hand refers to credible and publicly verifiable information, such as a foreign firmâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s authentically audited balance sheets, or government guarantees. Mian(2003.) The loan portfolio of foreign banks consists of only credible clients which mean that the chances of default are very less. The domestic banks will be compelled to give loans to non-credible clients because the credible clients will be mostly handled by foreign banks. This will have greater chances of loan defaults for domestic banks. Thirdly, foreign banks are geographically spread relative to domestic banks; therefore they are less affected by adverse shocks in the domestic country. Both foreign and private domestic banks have similar low probabilities of being assisted by the government in times of difficulty but foreign banks are considerably more likely of being bailed out by their parent bank. For example, if the local subsidiary in a developing country of a foreign bank runs into trouble, it may get an injection of new capital from its parent bank to bail it out. This access to liquidity directs to a lesser deposit cost for foreign banks. Furthermore, foreign banks have access to advanced technology, outside resources and expertise which facilitates them in providing better service than the domestic banks. However, there might be some drawbacks that make the foreign banks perform worse than domestic banks in the host country. Firstly, a large foreign banking existence could mean that information available to host country supervisors can be reduced and the decision-making and risk management shifts to the parent bank. The delisting of the equity of local partner on the local exchange removes an important source of market intelligence for the foreign bank. In addition, if the integrated firmsâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ equities are delisted in the local market, host country controllers can also lose access to key foreign bank decision-makers. Secondly, a country might be more exposed to shocks due to foreign banks presence. External events which affect the parent bank will affect the branches or subsidiaries. The factors that determine exposure to such external shocks, whether it is greater with onshore foreign banking as compared to traditional cross-border bank lending, and the propositions for regulatory and supervisory policy also demand further investigation. Lastly Accounting Standards could also be a problem for foreign banks unlike the domestic banks which have clear set of accounting standards set within its organization. There is a need for transparent and reliable accounting and financial reporting but for foreign banks; usually parent banks and their foreign subsidiaries often have different accounting standards, which can lead to discrepant financial balances, even when they are based on the same financial information. This might lead to complexity in comparison between international financial statements which could raise doubt in the reliability of banks financial statements. Differences may occur in different tax treatment, deferred taxes, valuation and accounting of repos, amortization of goodwill, treatment of past due loans and from provision and inflationary accounting adjustments. Moreno and Villar (2005) Comparative Study of the Banks in Nepal Comparative Study of the Banks in Nepal A well-structured financial sector is of special importance for the economic growth in both developed and developing countries. The commercial banking sector should be well organized and efficient for the growth of an emerging economy. Commercial Banks which forms one of the backbones of the financial sector are the intermediary link in facilitating the flow of funds from the savers to investors. By providing a means of mobilizing domestic savings and proficiently channeling them into productive investments, they lower the cost of capital to investors and accelerate the economic growth of a nation. No underdeveloped country can well progress without setting up a sound system of commercial banking system.  [1]   Nepal is an agrarian based economy with a GDP of $ 33.26 billion  [5]  . Nepalese banking industry has considerable changes over past decades because of liberalization, deregulation, improving information technology and globalization. The financial sector liberalization resulted in the entry of new firms in the market, which also added more pressure on competitiveness of individual banks; deregulation widened the scope of activities and expanded the banking activities; advancement in technology resulted into new methods to perform banking activities. Furthermore, the banks, these days, are entering into non-banking markets while other financial institutions are entering into the banking markets that have conventionally been served by the banks. These changes have altered the structure and market behavior of Nepalese banking industry. Currently there are 26 commercial banks out of which 6 are joint venture banks, 63 development banks and 77 financial institutions in Nepal. At present there is only one international bank operating in Nepal which is Standard Chartered Bank Limited. It started operation in Nepal since 1987 as a joint-venture operation and today it is a part of Standard Chartered Group having an ownership of 75% in the company and 25% shares owned by the Nepalese public. Nepal after its commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) during its accession in 2004, has allowed foreign banks to make their foray in Nepal to do only wholesale banking  from Jan. 1, 2010. Initially before the agreement with WTO (GATS), the Central Bank regulation allowed foreign shareholders to acquire maximum of 51% shares. Later the regulation changed which allowed foreign ownership of 75% and the recent regulation of 2010 allows 100% foreign ownership (i.e. allows a local entity to be a branch of a foreign company) in the banking industry. Entering of foreign firms is likely to generate benefits to financial sector as well as the economy as a whole (Chau HB, 2003). The effects can be seen mainly through an increase in efficiency and technological advancements as mentioned above. Over the past decade, the Nepalese banking industry has been doing well and has a number of new firms entering into the market. However, there is only one foreign bank and 6 joint-venture banks in the banking sector, though the government has liberalized the financial sector and allowed foreign banks to have 100% foreign ownership. With limited number of foreign banks in Nepal, it is still unclear whether entering of foreign banks, including joint venture, helps to improve overall performance of banking sector as well as to spillover some benefit to domestic banks in Nepal. Objectives To answer the key question above, there are two objectives of the research paper: To measure and analyze the performance of three types of banks namely domestic bank, joint-venture bank, and foreign bank and to explain the variation in performances of these banks. To identify whether the entry of foreign banks, including joint venture, banks would be beneficial for domestic banks which still dominate the financial market in Nepal. 1.3. Scope and limitations of the Study This study will only focus on three types of banks, i.e. domestic bank, joint-venture bank, and foreign bank, and it will offer an insight on the advantages of foreign banks in Nepal. Furthermore it will provide the reasons pertaining to variations in performance of the banks. The main limitation in this study is that there is only one foreign bank in Nepal till date, so the interpretation of the performance of the foreign bank in Nepal could be restricted to some degree. 1.4. Research Methodology This section develops research methodology to reach the objectives of the study. The banking sector in Nepal will be divided into three groups, namely foreign owned banks; joint-venture banks, and domestic banks. For this research, foreign-owned banks will be classified as those which have started a branch or subsidiary in the host country where the share of foreign bank ranges from 51% to 100% while joint venture banks will be classified as those in which foreign investors own the total equity of 50% or less and domestics banks are those which are purely owned by the Nepalese. The foreign owned banks are separated from joint-venture banks in this study because these two types of banks tend to have different operational management, resulting in their different performance. The research methodology is composed of both quantitative and qualitative analysis. First, the qualitative approach is applied to examine the structure and development of financial sector in Nepal during 2000-2010. The financial policy, especially competition-restriction regulation in Nepalese banking sector is also reviewed, mainly through official documents from central bank and international organization. Then the quantitative approach is developed to measure the performance and efficiency of banking sectors in Nepal. This is done by conducting various financial indicators of three types of banks in Nepal namely foreign bank, joint venture banks and domestic banks. Comparison of the indicators among these three types of banks over the past decades will provide the clear analysis of different performance between foreign-owned and domestic banks. The indicators can be grouped into four aspects, namely profitability; operational costs; staff productivity; risk prevention. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Profit Margin (Net Profit/Total Income) Profit margin is very useful when comparing  companies in similar industries. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors. Profit margin is  displayed as a percentage; a 20% profit margin, for example, means the company has a net income of $0.20 for each dollar of sales. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Return on Asset (Net Profit/Total asset) ROA figure gives investors an idea  of how effectively the company is converting the money  it has  to invest into net income. The higher the ROA number, the better, because the company is earning more money on less investment. For example, if one company has a net income of $1 million  and total  assets of $5 million, its ROA is 20%; however, if another company earns the same amount but has total assets of $10 million,  it has  an ROA of 10%. Based on this example, the first company  is better at converting its investment into profit. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Return On Equity (Net Profit/Equity) The amount of net income  returned  as a percentage  of shareholders equity.  Return on equity  measures a corporations profitability  by revealing how much  profit a company generates  with the money shareholders have invested.  Ã‚  Higher The ROE better the company. Profitability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Interest Rate Spread (Interest Earning Ratio-Interest Expense Ratio) The difference between the average yields a financial institution receives from loans and other interest-accruing activities and the average rate it pays on deposits and borrowings. The greater the spread, the more profitable the financial institution is likely to be; the lower the spread, the less profitable the institution is likely to be. Risk prevention Risk Prevention à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Capital to Risk Weighted Assets (CRAR) Total Capital/ (RWAs) This ratio is used to protect depositors and promote the stability and efficiency of financial systems around the world. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Core CRAR = Tier I Capital / RWAs Tier one capital is that which can absorb losses without a bank being required to cease trading. This measures the capital standard of the bank à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Adjusted CRAR = (Total Capital Net NPAs)/(RWAs Net NPAs) This relates to the bankâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ability to sustain the losses due to risk exposures is the bankâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capital. The intermediation activity exposes the bank to a variety of risks. Staff productivity Staff Productivity à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Profit per employee (Net Profit/ No. of Employee) This helps to measure how productive the employees are in the bank by calculating profit generated by every employee. Higher the figure better for the company. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Net Income per employee (Net Total Income/ Number of Employees) This also helps to measure income generated by every employee in the company Operational costs Overhead Expense à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Overhead expense/total income The accurate accounting and allocation of over-head expenses are very important factors in calculating the true cost of the company Operating Expense Ratio à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Operating Expense/ Net Income The Operating Expense Ratio is usually viewed as a measurement of management efficiency.   This is because management usually has greater control over operating expenses than they do over revenues. In addition to analyzing different performance between foreign-owned and domestic banks, this study further analyze whether entering of foreign banks helps to improve efficiency of domestic bank. This is done by (1) Structured interviews with managers of central bank and commercial banks. Specifically, the interview will provide detailed analysis on which factors do help to improve performance of domestic banking sector in Nepal; could foreign-owned banks influence performance of domestic banks; and which channels do foreign-owned banks influence domestic banks, and (2) by â‚ ¬Ã…“Granger causality testâ‚ ¬? between domestic bank performance and foreign bank performance. This will be done on profitability, staff productivity and operational costs. 1.5. Organization of the study There will be five chapters in the study. Chapter 1 provides introduction, objective, scope and limitation, and methodology of the study. Chapter 2 reviews relevant theoretical and empirical literature on foreign bank penetration and domestic bank performance in both developed and developing countries to lay the groundwork for developing analytical framework and methodology in examining the impacts of foreign bank penetration on domestic bank performance in Nepal. Chapter 3 examines the structure and development of financial sector in Nepal as well as financial policy over the past decades. The results of banking performance are shown in this chapter. Chapter 4 discusses the impacts of foreign banks to domestic banks, both qualitative and quantitative. Chapter 5 provides conclusion and policy inferences. Chapter 2 Literature Review This section reviews relevant theoretical and empirical literature on foreign bank penetration and domestic bank performance in both developed and developing countries. This is done in order to lay the groundwork for developing analytical framework and methodology in examining the impacts of foreign bank penetration on domestic bank performance in Nepal. Penetration of foreign bank can come in different forms, such as branch offices, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or strategic partnerships. Branch offices, for instance, are an integral part of the parent company, that is, they have no capital of their own. Subsidiaries, however, are their own corporate entities, which are fully owned by the parent company. Similarly, joint ventures are separate corporate entities owned jointly by more than one parent company. Finally, foreign banks may establish a strategic partnership by buying a majority stake of an already existing domestic bank. Weller Scher (1999) The main difference between the various operational forms of foreign banks is their regulatory treatment. The regulatory treatment of the banks differs amongst domestic banks, joint-venture banks and foreign owned banks. Although there are different forms of foreign bank penetration, foreign owned banks are defined as those in which foreign investors own more than 50% of the total equity. Okuda and Rungsomboon, (2004). Decree on Foreign Banks, Phillip Fox 2006, distinguished foreign banks as Foreign Bank Branches (FBB), Foreign Invested Banks (FIB) and Joint Venture Banks (JVB). FBB is a dependent subsidiary of a foreign bank, for which the foreign bank has provided written guarantee that it will be responsible for all obligations and undertakings under FBB. A 100% FIB is established as a separate legal entity with capital being contributed from only foreign entities. Amongst the foreign investors, there must be a â‚ ¬Ã…“parent bankâ‚ ¬? and it must hold more than 50% charter capital. A JVB is established as a separate legal entity, with capital being contributed from one or more foreign banks and domestic banks. Capital is not divided into shares. In JVBs, the capital contribution rate by the foreign bank(s) is capped at 50% of the capital of the bank. The regulations and supervision of financial sector in a host country are crucial in affecting the penetration of foreign banks. Over the past decade, most of the banks throughout the world have started standardizing their policies relating to financial sector according to Basel committee (Basel II Basel III)  [7]   Although Basel system has been introduced and regulations and supervision of banking sectors began to be standardized, regulations relating to competition within the banking sector, which influence the penetration of foreign bank and market structure of banking sector, vary significantly across countries and regions. According to Barth, Caprio and Levin (2001), there are three key aspects of the regulations relating to competition within the banking sector, namely 1) Limitations on Foreign Ownership of Domestic Banks determine (whether there are any limitations placed on the ownership of domestic banks by foreign banks); (2) Limitations on Foreign Bank Entry determine (whether there are any limitations placed on the ability of foreign banks to enter the domestic banking industry) and (3) Entry into Banking Requirement determine (whether there are specific legal submissions required to obtain a license to operate as a bank). The restrictions on overall bank activities and ownership vary from country to country. The research on Regulation and Supervision of Banks around the World by Barth, Caprio and Levine (2001) mentions that there are two measures of the size of a countryâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s banking industry. First measure is total bank assets as a percentage of GDP and the other is the number of banks per 100.000 people. . Both these measures show substantial variation across countries. Countries like Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, and United Kingdom have very high total bank assets as a percentage of GDP whereas United States and Asian countries are much lower. However the number of banks per 100,000 people is not much different in the countries mentioned above. The table clearly shows that the countries in ASEAN region have higher restrictions on banking activities and ownership in comparison to countries like New Zealand and United States. The regulations are different in each country and do not match even if the countries are in the same region. But Professional supervision per bank is lower in developed countries like United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom whereas developing counties have higher no. of supervision per bank. According to the research the highest restrictions on overall bank activities and ownership are imposed by countries like Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and lowest restrictions by New Zealand then Germany, Austria and United Kingdom. In countries like New Zealand and United states the government ownership of banks is zero percent whereas India, Bangladesh has very high percent of government-owned banks. Although the regulations on banking competition vary, over the last decades, restrictions on foreign bank penetration have been relaxed as part of financial reform and foreign bank penetration increased substantially in many countries. This could be because the host country expects the positive impacts of increased foreign bank penetration in the host countryâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s banking system. Trade agreements have also played a major role in liberalization of market entry for foreign banks as financial services are required for international trade, production and investments. Governments usually support flow of foreign investment and this has been evident especially after various financial crises. Many countries in Southeast Asia started liberalizing foreign investment after the Asian financial crisis. The Asian crisis appeared to have catalyzed the liberalization of FDI restrictions in the banking sector across several ASEAN countries. Chau H.B (2003) A number of empirical studies analyze the impacts of foreign bank entry on domestic financial sector in a host country. The impacts can be grouped into three aspects. Firstly, foreign banks promote efficiency (competition and new technology) in domestic financial sector. A larger foreign bank presence can improve the competitiveness of the banking sector. Greater competition is advantageous for many reasons: to enhance the efficiency of financial services; to stimulate innovation; and to contribute to stability. It can also widen access of qualified borrowers to financing, which may increase aggregate lending and so enhance growth. A competitive and well-organized banking system can also improve the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission by tightening the link between policy rates and deposit/lending rates. (BIS paper No. 23) Foreign banks also help in availability of funds and acquisition of consumer-marketing skills. Chau (2003) In addition, foreign bank entry introduces new technology; financial services and advanced management skills, which existing domestic banks lack. The new technology and skills introduced by foreign banks include new financial products, advanced IT technology, and sophisticated bank management techniques. These are expected to contribute to lower operational expenses, amplified profitability, and better bank risk management. Forced by market competition, domestic banks may emulate the new financial products and management skills. Okuda Rungsomboon (2004). The presence of foreign bank also improves the corporate governance structure of the domestic banks. This includes breaking down the family-controlled structure and improving the decision making process. Chau H.B (2003) Unite and Sullivan (2001) has found that increase in foreign bank entry narrows the interest rate spreads and also reduces operating expenses. Foreign banks induces domestic banks to be more efficient, the increased competition forces domestic banks to take in less creditworthy customers and foreign participation induces domestic banks to spend more on improving their operations. However, Okuda Rungsomboon (2004) found that the entry of foreign banks is expected to negatively affect the operations of domestic banks but overall performance is likely to progress in the long run. Secondly, the entry of foreign banks is associated with reallocation of loans. Findings suggest that foreign banks improves credit access for many credit-worthy firms but some firms with positive net present value without opaque information will have difficulty obtaining loans. More developed countries, such as the U.S., Japan, and those in the European community, argue that Less Developed countries should allow foreign banks to enter into their economies. By increasing competition, foreign bank entry may boost the supply of credit and improve efficiency. Gormley (2006) Foreign banks are comparatively less likely to lend to â‚ ¬Ã…“soft informationâ‚ ¬? firms, and more likely to lend to â‚ ¬Ã…“hard informationâ‚ ¬? firms. â‚ ¬Ã…“Soft informationâ‚ ¬? refers to information that cannot be easily publicly verified by a third party. â‚ ¬Ã…“Hard informationâ‚ ¬? on the other hand refers to credible and publicly verifiable information, such as a foreign firmâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s authentically audited balance sheets, or government guarantees. Mian(2003.) The loan portfolio of foreign banks consists of only credible clients which mean that the chances of default are very less. The domestic banks will be compelled to give loans to non-credible clients because the credible clients will be mostly handled by foreign banks. This will have greater chances of loan defaults for domestic banks. Thirdly, foreign banks are geographically spread relative to domestic banks; therefore they are less affected by adverse shocks in the domestic country. Both foreign and private domestic banks have similar low probabilities of being assisted by the government in times of difficulty but foreign banks are considerably more likely of being bailed out by their parent bank. For example, if the local subsidiary in a developing country of a foreign bank runs into trouble, it may get an injection of new capital from its parent bank to bail it out. This access to liquidity directs to a lesser deposit cost for foreign banks. Furthermore, foreign banks have access to advanced technology, outside resources and expertise which facilitates them in providing better service than the domestic banks. However, there might be some drawbacks that make the foreign banks perform worse than domestic banks in the host country. Firstly, a large foreign banking existence could mean that information available to host country supervisors can be reduced and the decision-making and risk management shifts to the parent bank. The delisting of the equity of local partner on the local exchange removes an important source of market intelligence for the foreign bank. In addition, if the integrated firmsâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ equities are delisted in the local market, host country controllers can also lose access to key foreign bank decision-makers. Secondly, a country might be more exposed to shocks due to foreign banks presence. External events which affect the parent bank will affect the branches or subsidiaries. The factors that determine exposure to such external shocks, whether it is greater with onshore foreign banking as compared to traditional cross-border bank lending, and the propositions for regulatory and supervisory policy also demand further investigation. Lastly Accounting Standards could also be a problem for foreign banks unlike the domestic banks which have clear set of accounting standards set within its organization. There is a need for transparent and reliable accounting and financial reporting but for foreign banks; usually parent banks and their foreign subsidiaries often have different accounting standards, which can lead to discrepant financial balances, even when they are based on the same financial information. This might lead to complexity in comparison between international financial statements which could raise doubt in the reliability of banks financial statements. Differences may occur in different tax treatment, deferred taxes, valuation and accounting of repos, amortization of goodwill, treatment of past due loans and from provision and inflationary accounting adjustments. Moreno and Villar (2005)