Literature Review †Mnes, International Business and Country Risk Essay

Introduction This review is written to give readers a understanding of the meaning of Country risk Management, International Business and Small and Medium sized Businesses. When business or institutions engage in international lending or cross-border exposures, they undertake not only the customary risk but also country risk, which is the risk associated with the economic, social and political conditions within a foreign obligator’s home country/jurisdiction. Therefore the understanding of Country Risk Management is of importance. International business is a term used to describe all commercial transactions of private and governmental institution on sales, investments, logistics, and transportation that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary. In the world the importance of international Business keeps growing. This review will provide information on what the meaning is of international Business and it will give the reader a better understanding of International business, the driving forces of International Business and explain about the restrictions that play a role. Regarding Small and Medium sized enterprises. This will give readers a view on in what accept they operate which companies are considered SMEs and what role they play in the world. This will also show you the difference between SMEs and MNEs. Country Risk Management When you look at the definition of Country Risk Management, it refers to taking account of the possibility that economic and political conditions, or an event in a foreign country, could adversely impact an institution’s or business in that country. The institutions that works in those countries in international lending or having other cross border exposure are vulnerable to country risk and you have to take that as a country risk manager in account. â€Å"Country risk is not limited to an institution’s international lending operations; rather because their other on balance sheet activities and as well as off balance sheet exposures also contain country risk.† [5] When looked at businesses or institutions that outsource internationally, such as electronic data processing, electronic banking or any consultancy/management services, with overseas parties that are involved, this also carries country risk. Institutions are indirectly exposed to country risk as a result of their exposure to domestic entities that have significant cross border exposures, these institutions are not required to take into account such exposures in their formal country risk management process. However, such indirect country risk assessment pertains to credit risk management and banks are expected to give due consideration to this aspect while taking an exposure on such domestic entities. Institutions can exercise little direct influence on the country risk they are exposed to. This distinctive nature of country risk necessitates that banks having significant cross border risk exposure should have adequate country risk management framework. The term â€Å"country† in country risk management should be widely interpreted to include different jurisdictions or economic entities. For example, when you look at China, you should treat the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taiwan as separate jurisdictions / economic entities in their country risk management processes. [6] â€Å"Country risk can be broadly classified into sovereign, transfer/convertibility and contagion risk. * Sovereign risk denotes a foreign government’s capacity and willingness to repay its direct and indirect (i.e. guaranteed) foreign currency obligations. * Transfer/Convertibility risk arises if changes in government policies, or any event, result in a barrier to free conversion or movement of foreign exchange across countries. Under such conditions, a borrower may not be able to secure foreign exchange to service its external obligations. * Where a country suffers economic or political problems, leading to depletion of its foreign currency reserves, the borrowers in that country may not be able to convert their funds from local currency into foreign currency to repay their external obligations. Contagion risk refers to the possibility that any adverse economic or political factor in one country has an impact on other countries in that region. â€Å" International Business International business is a term used to describe all commercial transactions of private and governmental institution on sales, investments, logistics, and transportation that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary. Private companies mostly do such transactions for beneficial reasons; governments also do them for profit and also for political reasons. International Business is not a new phenomenon, trade across the globe is as old as business itself. Today, every nation has increasing number of companies buying and selling goods in the international market place. A number of developments around the world have helped to fuel this activity. â€Å"Some of the major forces driving International Business are – LPC Movement, MNCs, Technology, World economic trends, regional economic integration, Transportation and communication improvements, product development costs, competition†. [3] International Business has gained wide popularity, because of the growing rate of multinational enterprises. During the last-three decades, the field of modern International business began to develop. Today, it has become a separate field of study in the management courses. The reasons to study this subject are, because almost all of the large enterprises in developed countries are international in character. Due to the economic liberalization and globalization, immense international business opportunities have been created. In most companies the manager needs to have knowledge about international business for managing complexities and understanding the various factors. Now a days public policy issues are very often related to international trade, investment and finance. There is no country that can neglect the foreign trade sector, when drawing up its economic policies. In business rules are highly diverse and unclear within International business. There are many languages and differences in culture, varied financial climate, patriotism hinders, multiple currencies and taxation system, integrative approach to study, product planning & development according to foreign markets, multiple & unstable marketing environment. Control of business activities is within International Business is difficult. International business is a wide concept and it encompasses a varied activity that makes its scope even wider. With the advent of the LPG Movement, the global Market place has shrinked and became one platform for conducting market activities, creating a wide range of operations and activities under its. There are several forces that restricts international business crossing the borders of the nation is not an easy task, as one has to face many barriers on various fronts. â€Å"Some of the restricting forces of IB are – Management Myopia, National Controls, High Investment required, Trade Blocs, Exchange Instability, and Technological Piracy†[3] International Business is an extension of domestic business. Today, all types of business enterprises are inspired to carry on business across the globe. Both IB & DB are similar in some ways, such as Business whether domestic or international, involves buying and selling of goods and services, Profit is the main objective of every business, whether domestic or international, Both in domestic as well as IB success depend upon satisfying the customers, Building goodwill is another common objective of both the business, Research and development for product improvement and adaption is necessary in both businesses, Business concepts, processes and principles are universally applicable, and the marketer’s task is same in both.[3] Small and medium sized enterprises Institutions recognize small and medium enterprises also known as SMEs, as companies whose personnel numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation â€Å"SME† is used in the European Union and by international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Small enterprises outnumber large companies by a wide margin and also employ many more people. SMEs are also said to be responsible for driving innovation and competition in many economic sectors. [2] There is also an important variation of called a multinational enterprise also known as MNE. That is a company that has a worldwide approach to markets and production with operations in more than one country. An MNE is often called multinational corporation (MNC) or transnational company (TNC). Well known MNCs include fast food companies such as McDonald’s, Burger King etc., vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Toyota, consumer electronics companies like Samsung, LG and Sony, and energy companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. Most of the largest corporations operate in multiple national markets. Areas of understanding within MNE of within this topic include differences in the legal systems, political systems, economic policy, language, accounting standards, labor standards, living standards, environmental standards, local culture, corporate culture, foreign exchange market, tariffs, import and export regulations, trade agreements, climate, education and many more topics. Each of these factors requires significant changes in how individual business units operate from one country to the next. [2] The conduct of international operations depends on companies’ objectives and the means with which they carry them out. The operations affect and are affected by the physical and societal factors and the competitive environment. Conclusion This review tries to give readers a better understanding on â€Å"Country Risk Management†, â€Å"International Business† and â€Å"Small and medium sized enterprises†. In addition, information from previous publications that are related is used to strengthen the topics that are being discussed. The paper starts with the definition of explaining the known understanding of Country Risk Management and continues explaining International Business and Small and medium sized enterprises. This shows you what importance these subject have and what role they play on multinationals and for you working in multinationals Source: [1]http://www.ncr.org.za/pdfs/Literature%20Review%20on%20SME%20Access%20to%20Credit%20in%20South%20Africa_Final%20Report_NCR_Dec%202011.pdf [2]http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf [3] http://www.gurukpo.com/admin/bookpdf/57.pdf [4]http://www.uscib.org/docs/international_business.pdf [5] http://www.sbp.org.pk/bsd/2004/Anex-C3.pdf [6]http://www.amcm.gov.mo/rules_and_guidelines/laws/bank/En_Av_08_2008.pdf [7]http://www.prenhall.com/behindthebook/0131738607/pdf/CKR_Why_We_Wrote_This_Book.pdf

Are BHA and BHT bad for you? Essay

The foods we consume can have different kinds of compounds in them that we didn’t know about. These compounds added to the foods we eat are not always detectable. For instance certain compounds can be listed on the nutrition label and we can’t even taste or see them. Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene, also known as BHA and BHT, are both phenolic compounds that are added to certain foods in order to preserve fats and oils. Even though these compounds are used to preserve the foods we eat, how do we know that BHA and BHT aren’t bad for us? Even though BHA and BHT have minimal negative effects, they are outweighed by many beneficial attributes and are not bad for us. Knowing what these compounds are made of, what their functions are, and how they work will help in answering this central question. Even though BHA and BHT both have the same function, they have different characteristics. â€Å"BHA is a mixture of the isomers 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxya nisole and 2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, also known as BOA.† The molecular formula of BHA is C11H16O2. BHA can be a yellow tainted or white waxy solid and can have an aromatic odor. BHT â€Å"also known as 3, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene; methyl-di-tert-butylphenol; 2, 6-di-tert-butyl-para-cresol,† has a molecular formula of C15H240. BHT physically looks like a white powder. Even though BHA and BHT are used for the same things, BHA is more stable at higher temperatures than BHT so it is used more. There are other antioxidants that can be used like NDGA but they are more expensive than BHA and BHT. BHA and BHT can be found in certain foods or can be found in certain food packaging. BHA and BHT do not have to be directly put into food and products to work. They can be placed in the packaging of food and will have the same effect. These compounds have not only been used to preserve food, but animal feed and some cosmetic products as well. Without BHA and BHT the foods we eat and products containing fats and oils would not be preserved as long as they could be. The use of BHA and BHT enables us to consume foods for a longer period of time. These compounds are antioxidants. â€Å"Oxygen reacts preferentially with BHA or BHT rather than oxidizing fats or oils, thereby protecting them from spoilage.† BHA and BHT are placed either in or inside the packaging of foods so the oxygen reacts with these compounds instead of reacting with the food which in turn will spoil it. In a sense BHA and BHT slow down the oxidizing of fats and oils because eventually most food expires or goes bad and becomes inedible. BHA and BHT are also â€Å"fat soluble and are incompatible with ferric salts.† Since BHA and BHT prevent the fat and oils in food from spoiling, they also prevent the fat and oils in some cosmetic products from spoiling. In addition to preserving cosmetics BHA and BHT are also used in certain pharmaceuticals to be prevented from oxidizing. BHA and BHT can be found in many different kinds of food products. They can be found in â€Å"breakfast cereals, snack food, chewing gum, vegetable oils, shortening, potato flakes, granules and chips, enriched rice, and candy.† BHA and BHT can be found in certain cosmetics like lipstick, lotion, and moisturizers as well. These compounds are also placed inside the packaging of foods. Sometimes when opening a snack or box of food there is a little white package that says â€Å"DO NOT EAT† or â€Å"THROW AWAY† on it. It is usually a white or clear substance inside. Those packages are silica gel, which are similar to BHA and BHT because they are all used in preserving foods, except silica gel is not used in foods and is not safe to consume. BHA and BHT compounds are also found in rubber and petroleum products, and animal feed. Sometimes you can see if a food or product contains BHA or BHT when reading the nutrition label. On the nutrition label sometimes it will say â€Å"BHT has been added to the packaging.† Foods and products that contain fats and oils in them can benefit from BHA and BHT so they can be preserved and therefore used for a longer period of time. BHA and BHT aid in other things relating to the prevention of food and products from becoming rancid due to the oxidization of the oils and fats. â€Å"BHT also prevents oxidative rancidity.† BHA and BHT preserve the color of foods and products as well. When foods or products containing fats and oils become spoiled, their color can change. For example when cereal goes bad it can become stale and moldy which will change its color. BHT and BHA also help maintain the odors of foods and products. When a food becomes rancid it can develop a bad smell. When milk spoils you can tell just by taking the lid off that it instantly has a sour smell. BHT and BHA also help preserve the flavor and taste of foods. After a food has been spoiled, in most cases it has a rancid taste and is not enjoyable or even edible. With BHA and BHT the color, odor, and flavor of foods are being maintained for a longer period of time. BHA and BHT help preserve our foods and products so they are safe to ingest and use in minimal amounts. Even though these compounds have been in many of our food and cosmetic products for a very long time, you can’t help but wonder if they are really safe to come in contact with. â€Å"BHA and BHT were given, generally recognized as safe, GRAS, status and no additional studies were required.† Even though these compounds are considered safe, the amounts in which we receive them are limited. Just because BHA and BHT preserve our foods does not mean we can use mass amounts of them in our foods and packaging to prolong the oxidization process. â€Å"The FDA limits their use in food either alone or in combination with other antioxidants to less than or equal to 0.02% of the total fat and oil content.† BHA and BHT can only be used in these limited amounts enforced by the FDA. It is impossible to ingest or come in contact with too much of BHA and BHT because manufacturers add them is such small amounts. If BHA and BHT were not safe to be used in products and product packaging, the FDA would have banned their use by now. BHA and BHT have been used since 1958 and are still being used today. These compounds are not dangerous to use but have been linked to minor health effects in humans. Lots of animal toxicology has been done with these two compounds, but there have only bee n few records of human reactions to BHA and BHT since its use. â€Å"In 1973 Fisherman and Cohen reported on seven patients with asthma, vasomotor rhinitis with or without nasal polyps, or the combination, who were suspected of intolerance to BHA and BHT.† Even though these patients had these health effects when taking BHT and BHA the details were not given as to why BHA and BHT were considered the reason for these complications. Also another study similar to this was conducted but the same results were not achieved which has proven it inconsistent. â€Å"There are no published reports of BHA or BHT challenges resulting in well documented, reproducible asthmatic responses.† Even though it was found that seven patients had asthma, it cannot be directly related to the ingestion of BHA and BHT. In a different study done in 1975 it was found that after giving patients a total dose of 17 mg of BHA and BHT, they developed recurrent urticaria which is also commonly known as hives. â€Å"Six of 47 tested to BHA reacted, and 6 of 43 reacte d to BHT; it is unclear whether these were the same six patients.† Even though BHA and BHT could have been the cause of urticaria in these patients, it is a very small number of people who reacted to it this way and is not recurring. This does not prove that BHA and BHT are harmful and will always cause people to get hives when ingesting or coming in contact with these compounds. â€Å"Delayed hypersensitivity contact dermatitis through a variety of occupational or medicinal exposures is well documented, but not common.† Skin irritation has been related to BHA and BHT intake but only from very minimal experiences. Urtcaria resulting from these compounds is not common and is not documented as a direct relation to one another. Even though these concerns have resulted from BHA and BHT use, it is not proven to be the cause of these effects on humans The only main concern of BHA and BHT is their carcinogenicity. Carcinogenicity is something that has a tendency to cause cancer in humans. Animal tests using BHA and BHT â€Å"have shown to be cancer promoting and cancer inhibiting.† In some tests BHA and BHT had prevented tumors from developing in mice, and in others the BHA and BHT promoted the development of tumors in mice. Determining whether these compounds promote or prevent cancer in humans depends on various aspects. â€Å"The time of administration, type of carcinogens already present in the body, and the target organ affected,† are a few things that would determine whether it promotes or prevents cancer from arising in humans. Even though the carcinogenicity of these compounds is unsure, the use of them was not prohibited. Any kind of chemical compounds can have suspected negative effects on humans. Even though BHA and BHT have had minor effects, their benefits significantly outweigh those effects. The main benefit of BHA and BHT is of course to preserve food and products for a longer period of time. These compounds can aid us in other ways as well. â€Å"BHA and BHT exhibit anti-microbial activity against several common food pathogens and viruses.† Without BHA and BHT it would be a lot easier for our food products to develop viruses and pathogens that can get us sick. By keeping the food from spoiling longer, these compounds also prevent the development of these pathogens and viruses. This in turn â€Å"helps retain vitamin E in food which otherwise gets destroyed when fat content is oxidized.† Vitamin E helps prevents free radicals from damaging our body tissue. These free radicals can even harm our organs and cells too. Vitamin E also helps us to build a stronger immune system so we won’t get sick as easily from bacteria or develop viruses. Lastly vitamin E is also essential to our body’s formation of red blood cells. BHA and BHT can help us obtain more vitamin E which is necessary for our health. These compounds can enable us to receive so many mor e benefits that vitamin E has by retaining the vitamin E in our foods. â€Å"The oxidization of fat, which occurs in the absence of BHA and BHT, produces peroxides which are definitely carcinogenic and mutagenic.† Carcinogenic peroxides can promote cancer and mutagenic peroxides can cause mutations in our cells. These peroxides can be extremely detrimental to us. So in other words, without BHA and BHT these dangerous peroxides would be produced that are harmful to us. The benefits of BHA and BHT are tremendous and outweigh the small possible negative effects of these compounds. Knowing about the different compounds present in your food and products is important. Just because you can’t see or taste them doesn’t mean that they are not there. BHA and BHT were created to help the preservations of food and products containing fats and oils. These compounds are essential in the prolonging of our use of these certain foods and products. Without BHA and BHT we would not be able to improve shelf life of food and the use of products. Even though BHA and BHT were somewhat connected to asthma and urticaria (hives), they were not declared the direct cause of those conditions. The only concern of BHA and BHT was its carcinogenicity which is unsure due to the confusion and mixed results of its animal testing on mice. The human benefits to BHA and BHT are great ones considering how it is only administered in very minimal amounts. BHA and BHT protect us from pathogens, viruses, and peroxides that can harm us. These compounds enable us to retain more vitamin E which promotes healthier body functions. BHA and BHT have been used for over 50 years. They are not dangerous and have not caused any detrimental effects to humans. We will continue to use BHA and BHT and receive their great benefits.

Team Building without Time Wasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Building without Time Wasting - Essay Example Arising from a variety of reasons, team members are not able to travel expeditiously to distant locations for organizational meetings or participate in distant projects. The reasons of hurdles generated in the process pertaining to inaccessibility to crucial and critical information sources, emotional and financial costs associated traveling to remote locations for business purposes, time lost during traveling or recovering from traveling. This is the reason why organizations working in partnerships are increasingly resorting to the development of virtual teams to work collectively across borders of nations without having to travel. In this way, much of the time and money lost due to traveling can be saved and work can be proceeded with at a fast pace because of online ease of communication. Organizational culture refers to the norms and regulations regarding information flow shared leadership and cross-border collaboration between organizations. Organizational norms and values which emphasize on collaboration, respect and encourage people working across cultures are seen to demonstrate successful teamwork and team building. Such organizations keep information sharing and criticisms constructive (Davidson, et al., 2002, p.102). The organizational culture sets the basic standards with regards to how it must operate and sets certain standards with regards to the ways in which team members can behave while working together. This can be particularly true for the technologically advanced, non-hierarchical and adaptive organizations which can be very effective in nurturing a team building and team working culture in the organization. The success of the virtual teams in organizations depends largely on the way organizations impede or fosters trust between itself and the partner organization. It is crucial to treat the partner organization as equal and eligible to have access to all its information.

Themes of the stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Themes of the stories - Essay Example The family of Aoyagi, the beautiful girl, lived alone deep in the forest far from the eyes of human beings. During Tomotada’s journey in a winter season is the only occasion that the family is seen by a mortal. Little do we know that the three are not human beings but trees. Only after the marriage between Aoyagi and Tomotada is when we decipher that Aoyagi was a tree after she concedes the truth to her husband before her death. Moreover, we later find out that even the parents were not human as Tomotada’s second journey to the home of Aoyagi’s parents reveals the humble aboard had disappeared and in its place stumps of three trees, a young and two old trees. Consequently, Aoyagi’s body disappeared in a strange manner when she was dying as it dissolved into the ground. Consequently, the themes of uncanny and paranormal can be deciphered from the story of Aoyagi. The strangeness of a human form being a tree hardly strikes Tomotada’s mind when he sets his eyes on Aoyagi and also when she dies and eventually disappears on the floor. The ancient Japanese culture was not characterized by strange beings and thus this proves to be a paranormal instance that seems very unreal in the eyes of the courageous samurai. Uncanny is a theme, which represents an occasion when an individual or an object can be familiar yet unrecognizable and strange at the same time. The bravery of Tomotada in fighting for Aoyagi shows a tale of courage and love. The samurai shows great courage when he sets to travel to Hosokawa Masamoto on a private mission at the tender age of twenty in a season characterized by heavy snow and wind. These weather conditions would have put his life at risk. Due to the extreme weather, he takes refuge in Aoyagi’s home, only for him to encounter the beautiful girl. He eventually falls in love with herrl and asks her parent’s for her hand in marriage. According to the Japanese culture, a samurai was not supposed to marry without the

Pharisees and Sadducees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharisees and Sadducees - Essay Example The Pharisees were the flag bearers of the Mosaic law (The Torah). They also fought with Judas Maccabeus for the cause of religious freedom. It is said that they increased in numbers and had considerable clout during the Roman period, and as a result they became the most popular party. A number of Pharisees gave stress on the formal aspects of religion but didn't pay much heed to the spiritual (cf. Matthew 23). Nevertheless they do believed in the existence of angels, demons, the resurrection of the body, and the existence of heaven and hell (Acts 23:7-8). They had a very firm belief that they are the chosen people by God and are the keepers of the Law and the Messiah would come to them one day. According to the 'Random House Dictionary of the English Langauge' 'Sadducee' is a member of an ancient Palestinian sect that differed from the Pharisees chiefly in interpreting the bible literally, rejecting oral laws and traditions, and denying an afterlife and the coming of the Messiah. It is believed that the term possibly derived from the founder, Zadok. They were the leading party of the rich, wealthy, aristocrats and the priestly class. They also indulged themselves in diplomacy and making foreign relations. The Pharisees socially were common people, the figure of authority in them was the 'Disciples of the Wise' they had a selective attitude to Hellenism, as regarding their attitude to hasmoneans they were opposed to usurpation of monarchy, they believed in free will, angels and afterlife, they believed in Sophisticated scholarly interpretations of the Bible, written Torah and also advocated application of priestly laws to non-priests. In contrast to them the Sadducees came from the background of Priests and aristocrats, the figure of authority in them were the priests, they were for Hellenism, opposed usurpation of priesthood by non-Zadokites , they advocated free will but didn't believe in angels and afterlife. They had a Literalist attitude towards the Holy Bible but didn't believe in the oral Torah, they laid emphasis on priestly obligations. The Pharisees as well as Sadducees followed the Luni Solar Calendar. Within the ministry of Jesus the Pharisees had many confrontations with him, as their beliefs were entirely opposed to what the Jesus preached. Jesus openly violated many of their oral laws. "He mixed freely with tax collectors and sinners, making Him ceremonially unclean (Luke 7:39). He ate and drank with them, and was called a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34). He ate with ceremonially unclean hands (Luke 11:38). He broke their Sabbath laws by healing people, and gleaning corn to eat (Luke 13:14, Matthew 12:1-2). He forgave peoples' sins, which to the Pharisees was blasphemy (Luke 5:21). He also freely criticised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and self righteousness (Luke 11:37-52). In the Pharisees' eyes, Jesus was guilty of law breaking and blasphemy. The idea of Jesus criticising them was an outrage (Luke 6:11). They also saw Him as a threat both to their popularity and their authority over the people (Luke 13:17). Because of this they plotted to kill Him. Throughout His min istry they questioned Him, trying to catch Him in His answers in order to hand Him over to the Roman Governor (Luke 11:53)." (Retrieved from 'The Law and the Sabbath' http://www.lastdays.org.uk/jesuspha.html 15 January 2009)

Importance of psychology in nursing and how gender plays a role Dissertation

Importance of psychology in nursing and how gender plays a role - Dissertation Example With its over-arching knowledge and general applicability to various discourses, psychology has been successful in having an impact on the profession of nursing as well. The profession of nursing entails, â€Å"the use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems and to achieve the best possible quality of life whatever their disease or disability until death† (Glasper & Richardson, pp. 95, 2006). As obvious from this definition, nursing is inevitably related to psychology and its inferences since it does not only deal with humans (patients) but also has a critical impact on how nurses deal with different patients, as well as on the element of care and strategies that focus on the stimulation of quicker recovery. Thus, in all aspects, psychology and nursing are highly interrelated with one affecting the performance of the other. However, there is more to it than just the element of care and its psychological underlying themes. What is particularly interesting, especially in the light of modern advancements in career planning and professional motivations is the issue of gender in nursing. Recently, what was considered to be only women’s profession, first of prostitutes and nuns and later on, by the virtue of Florence Nightingale, of decent educated and cultures young women, is now profession of young men. In specific, there has been a significant rise in number of male nurses in the past decade globally. Interesting to note; however, are the differences and similarities between these trends and behaviors of caring and treating the patients by male and female nurses individually (Miers, 2000). In this regard, this paper will attempt to discover these differences and trends and identify response patterns particular to each of them. Brief analysis of the literature indicated research of Kalisch & Kalisch (1987) who put efforts to explore change in the image of nurs ing profession all along the passage of time. In specific, concise description of their hypothesis is that perception of the female nurse as Angel of Mary in late 19th century evolved into that of Girl Friday prevalent in 1920’s. Subsequently, during World War II, the nurses played the role of Heroines followed by their image as Wives and Mothers in 1950’s and from mid 1960’s until 1980’s, they confronted their perception as sex objects (Kalisch & Kalisch, 1987). However, since after 1980s, the image of female nurses has changed radically. Nowadays, society look at the nurses as middle-aged, Caucasian, overworked and female representatives of the society. In addition, one can come across many reasons to evaluate how the femininity in the perception of nursing has accentuated. Specifically, nursing came about as a popular profession for women who wanted to step outside their homes and work. Therefore, since the very beginning, society perceived it as a fem inine profession. Several other researchers (Miers, 2000) noted that during the World Wars, this gender divide became all the more visible as the women took up the care-giving role and supported their male counterparts who went and fought in the battle. On the other hand, men were also discouraged as they confront rejection while acquiring admission in nursing schools.

Impact of the Black Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Impact of the Black Death - Essay Example It is also believed that the plague might have been carried away to the west up to Constantinople by the fighting Mongols during the late 1340s. After this, it is also believed that the Genoese traders might have been infected and spread the disease further to Europe ports in the north. After two years, approximately the whole of Europe and some parts of North Africa states were infected by this dreaded disease. It is believed medieval doctors might have proposed that a miasmatic vapor was the primary causal infection and improper balance in our blood fluids. This includes the black bile, phlegm, yellow bile and blood. The body humor imbalance is believed to have been caused by the ominous astrological alignments. The Jews were murdered as the scapegoats due to the spread of this disease. Some people believed that the plague was a punishment from God for the human wickedness and they roamed the whole country flagellating themselves to show the atonement act. The reader is guided by eight themes in the plague’s medical perspectives. These perspectives are either modern or medieval. This discusses the impact the plague had on cities, society, the art of time and individuals. An annotated timeline tries to explain specific dates and events of this disaster. Furthermore, nine illustrations have been used to show how the artists represented impacts of the plague on the society and individuals. There are about twelve primary documents most of which have never been translated to English, are sorted from eyewitnesses in Damascus, Constantinople, Prague, Germany, Italy and England. There is a glossary that has been provided to enable readers familiarize themselves with historical and medical terms such as peasant’s revolt of the 1381, verjuice, and bacillus. Lastly, it is followed by an annotated bibliography which is divided by topics. Actually, this work of art is fully

Musical Jersey Boys Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Musical Jersey Boys - Assignment Example The performance had its share of light and dark moments, where if on the one side these boys manage to carve out a space for themselves as astute and talented performers, yet, they are unable to get rid of the dark shadow of the mafia linkage and poverty that defined their urban background. The play encapsulates the life and times of the group, packaging and presenting it as a nostalgic remembrance of something moving and enrapturing. The show happened to be crisply fast paced, punctuated by more than ample moments of urban humor and laughter, which indeed imparted a tinge of lightness to an otherwise moving plot having its share of dark and grim moments. They much liberal exploitation of music made the play a much lighter and invigorating experience and the fast pace combined with a comparatively lighter tonality added to its overall appeal. The play allowed for an assemblage of perspectives, as it is narrated from the point of view of varied members of the Four Seasons group. This multiplicity of viewpoints is immaculately used in the play to weave the story of the ascendance of a group of four boys born and brought up amidst urban squalor and crime to the dizzying heights of fame, as they moved the hearts of millions of fans and music lovers. The struggle of these four boys justified by the success they achieved is movingly presented to the accompaniment of soundtracks from Frankie Valli and his band the Four Seasons. The hits like â€Å"Big Boys don’t cry†, ‘Dawn† and â€Å"Walk like a Man† imbued the theatre with a stimulating and palpitating sense of harmony, showcasing the golden hits that made these boys a rage amongst the music lovers of all ages and times. All the actors did do a remarkable job, bringing an emphatic and earnest charm to all the four characters that signified their appeal and immense following. One also does need to praise the musical abilities of most of the

Landscape design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Landscape design - Essay Example We have civilization because we are able to distort the natural environment for our benefit. Functional landscapes are those that necessitate few resources in order to be maintained. The landscaping boom of the twentieth century in rural and urban environments altered the land through the use of supplementary resources. "Currently, we frequently select plants that are not highly adapted to dry climate regions and need regular care and attention to perform well" (ATTN). Since the onset of Conservation campaigns of the 1980s, we are quickly finding that the most functional landscapes are those whose native state has remained intact. The native species and their particular interactions with water, light, and soil in Mediterranean climates are those that landscape architects are returning to now, for their inherent ability to succeed in arid or semi-arid environments with relatively little rainfall. The ability to design functional landscapes around the parameters of native environments is the landscaper's role in sustainability. In order to be considered functional and sustainable, design concepts in both rural and urban areas should be guided by bioregionalism. Bioregionalism is the idea that life species native to specific regions or microclimates are those suited to the given environment. The coupling of those life systems and its environment creates a self-sustaining ecosystem and necessitates no use of additional resources. The scientific concept of bioregionalism is used in practice for landscape architects and known as green landscape design. Green landscape design is a sub-discipline of landscape design. Like green building, it is setting a new, more environmentally friendly standard for its parent field. The field generally emphasizes the use of native plants to restore or maintain natural habitats and the healthy functioning of ecosystems. (Kravitz 2006) The methods taken at the initial planning stages determine the forthcoming sustainability of the areas altered. Responsible techniques taken at the design stage will ensure that while alterations in landscape take place, it is with little or no detriment to the land's natural state. During this architectural conception, the landscaper must endeavor to maintain the integrity of the natural ecosystem. A benefit of returning landscapes to their natural states is that few natural resources are needed. Watering and supplemented nutrients like mulch and fertilizers are kept to a minimum. This principle encompasses a landscape designer's use of xeriscaping, turfgrasses, hardscaping, plant location, and plant selection. Soil nutrition and water conservation are part of the bioregion to consider. Designers reconstruct landscapes using their natural biology. The ability to maintain constructed landscapes with minimal additional resources is the concept of a sustainable/functional environment. Xeriscaping Xeriscaping is an ideal technique within Mediterranean climates and its microclimates. The process is carried out by using drought tolerant plants. The potential in xeriscaping evolves from the choice of flora. The use of drought tolerant plants conserves water; these are often the native species that occur within the arid Mediterranean climate. In this, xeriscaping is dually advantageous. Less water is needed for

The Popol Vuh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Popol Vuh - Essay Example They have cut a tree for certain structural additions in the hut. Zipacna met the four hundred boys and offered to take the log to their hut all by himself, straightaway to the mountain-top. The boys were alarmed at his physical strength and instead of expressing gratitude, hatched a conspiracy to kill him. They were so jealous of his physical prowess. They decided to dig a hole and throw him there. After digging up to some depth, the boys requested him to go down on the plea that they were unable to dig further to remove the dirt. He responded to their request and went deep, but realized that he would be killed and he dug another hole beside, for his safety. When the hole was deep enough, they engaged him in some futile conversation and at the appropriate time, the boys pushed the wooden log into the hole and believed that it was the end of Zipacna. As soon as the boys saw the ants swarming over the hole, they thought ants were enjoying the meal of the decayed flesh of Zipacna. Zipa cna outsmarted them in that area also, and misled them. He â€Å"cut the hair of his head and chews off his nails† (Orozco n. p.) to feed the ants. ... behavior of Zipacna of helping the four hundred boys is repaid by improper behavior by the four hundred boys, by hatching a plan to kill him, and how this time, Zipacna repays them in the same coin by pulling down their hut to finish them all. The boys suffer for the evil deed and paid with their lives and died an inglorious death. On the first reading, this story does not seem to possess any hidden meaning. However when properly decoded and the true interpretation is made, one can come to the conclusion â€Å" that the ancient Maya were able to derive an orbital period value for the Earth tropical year to an extreme level of accuracy, and also a value for the time cycle that captures recurring synodic conjunctions between the Earth and Mercury.† (Orozco n. p.)They explained the harmony in the calendar system. The story is a metaphor of how to track successive Earth-Mercury conjunctions. The mention of four hundred boys is a significant number. Zipacna represents one solar yea r. Four hundred boys represent four hundred days. Their waiting period above the ground to put the pole into the shaft indicates a four hundred day correction. So, one should approach the mythological stories of the Mayans with the knowledge that they are based on scientific truth, and the results obtained are mathematically correct. The details in the Popol Vuh story have a distinct astronomical accuracy and the mysticism articulated in the story is verifiable though scientific calculations. The leap years come in calculations once in 4 years. It has the impact on the tropical year of Planet Earth and will have repercussions on its accurate value about its duration; therefore corrections of one day to the formula governing the leap year once in 128 years are necessary. The accuracy of the

Dear Board of Directors Essay Example for Free

Dear Board of Directors Essay Upon implementing a Broad Differentiation strategy, Andrews Company desired to have highly demanded products in each of the market segments, hold the majority market share compared to our competitors and increase the value of our firm by the year 2021. We believed that this strategy could get us to that point and we have successfully done so. The start up of Andrews Company proved to be more difficult than anticipated due to high costs in marketing and RD, investing in automation of sensors and due to our decision to take out most of our loans in the early stages of our product, leading to negative profits for the first two years. However, Broad Differentiation lucratively brought Andrews market share up to 30.93% outweighing the competition (Exhibit 1). Andrews Company will continue to implement this strategy with the goal to hold high demand, continue cutting costs with total quality management initiatives and by reevaluating our capacity and production issues, which will be discussed throughout the course of our analysis. Research and Development Proper allocation of funds towards research and development proved to be of high importance, allowing customers to have access to better-quality products. Andrews Company effectively adjusted each product to their proper ideal spot on the perceptual map by using the segment centers and ideal spot offsets annually. This allowed Andrews to gain optimal market demand, leading to us being able to charge a higher price than competitors later on, thus obtain higher profit among other initiatives. Our high demand was essential in offsetting the costs associated with investing in marketing and promotional budgets, buy/sell capacity and automation of products. Marketing By investing insistently in promo and sales in all the market segments, we were able to increase accessibility and market demand. It was Andrews’s goal to have our products be in the minds of customers of all types and charge a premium for our excellent designs. Another advantage Andrews had over our competitors was that we forecasted at our potential market share, rather than our actual, based on the presumption our customers will be loyal to our brand and we would continue to invest in marketing expenditures. Once we feel comfortable that we hold enough market share, we can then start to cut costs in this department. Finances Monitoring spending and Andrews finances was perhaps the most vital part of our success. In the earlier years of our company we took out large quantities of long-term debt to help finance investment in automation and lowering the cost of producing sensors. Each year Andrews experienced a steep increase in sales, while variable costs gradually increased (Exhibit 2). The extra debt we took out early on we believe to have assisted with the dramatic increase in profits each year (Exhibit 3). One thing Andrews could have done to also assist with the increase in profits was to issue stock, which would have helped raise more capital to invest in capacity capabilities. However, we felt that issuing stock would have diluted the price. We successfully raised our stock price to $281.95 by the end of 2021 (Exhibit 4). A 723% increase from the start of 2014. Production A barrier for further success of Andrews Company was production versus capacity. While production was upwards of 18,000+, capacity only resulted in roughly 11,000. Each year we gradually invested more and more in automation and capacity due to our rising profits, which allowed us to improve our margins (Exhibit 5). We should have properly invested in capacity in the earlier rounds to help bridge the gap between capacity and production. However, Andrews’s strategy was to focus on correctly adjusting our products on the perceptual map to their ideal spots and we planned to never invest so much so that this could not happen. TQM and Human Resources In 2017, Andrews met labor demands and we paid our employees a higher rate than competitors. This tactic was able to put some of the other employees in competitive firms to go on strike for several days, resulting in a higher market share and a better reputation among customers and potential employees. Andrews also spent money each year on training employees for a maximum of 80 hour and recruiting spend of about $4.5 million each year, increasing our productivity index to 129.9% by the end of 2021. At the beginning of 2016, Andrews made an executive decision to invest in total quality management. Of a budget of $4 million, we allotted $1.5 million in 2016 and 2017, then another $600 thousand in 2018. After this amount was spent, we would have seen diminishing returns and opted to cap out at $3.6 million. The substantial investment allowed us to reduce labor and material costs, while increasing demand, thus allowing us to steadily increase profits each year, especially during this three-year span when competitors did not spend enough in TQM. The Future of Andrews Andrews Company will continue to use its method of broad differentiation in the upcoming years and plans to issue stock in order to help with investing in capacity issues that we’ve had in the past. We will continue to spend on marketing, research and development and compensating our employees adequately in order to keep our high market share. Distinguishing our products will continue to be of the utmost importance, offering clientele a superior design. Appendix

Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors

Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors: Alcohol and Nutrition One of the most vital organs in the human body is the liver. The liver is the organ responsible for a variety of essential functions that is necessary for optimal health and well-being of a person. It is tasked with detoxifying your body from all the substances that circulates in the bloodstream coming from foods, medications and by-products of cellular processes. The liver is also responsible for other functions such as creation of bile and red blood cell composition. It can be said that a healthy individual needs to have a healthy functioning liver as well. Due to its numerous functions, the liver is also one of the organs of the body that is most commonly injured as well. Chronic liver disease is a condition wherein the liver is not able to carry out its functions for an extended period of time (i.e., 6 months or more). When your liver is subjected to a lot of stresses and harmful substances, problems with its functioning can occur and render it unable to carry out its vital functions. The most commonly mentioned factors related to the existence of chronic liver problems is poor diet and alcohol abuse. Problems with the functioning of the liver can contribute to the existence of a lot of other conditions that is harmful to your health since the substances that it is supposed to clear from your body are not eliminated. Nutrition and Chronic Liver Problems The food that you take contributes to meet your body’s need for energy to help you with activities of daily living. However, it has been found through numerous researches that the type of diet you take also can contribute to the existence of problems with your liver, injuring it and impairing its functions. Fatty liver is one of the most common causes of chronic liver diseases and is brought about by intake of foods that is high in fat and cholesterol content. These foods are those that are usually found in fast foods and are rich in sodium and sugars as well. Included in this would be foods that are deep fried in animal fat such as French fries and chicken, dairy products that are non-fat and processed and canned meat products. Apart from causing fatty liver, these foods are also pointed out to be the source of obesity, heart conditions. Alcohol Intake and Liver Injury Alcohol is another factor that has been linked to the development of chronic liver disease. This is because alcohol in itself is seen as an oxidizing agent, meaning that alcohol can cause the cells within your liver to dry, and easily get injured. When this happens, inflammation can occur in your liver. Imagine this happening on a long-term basis, and you will see that the liver gets repeatedly injured, resulting in a condition known as cirrhosis. In this case, the liver gets scar tissues in areas repeatedly injured, rendering these areas non-functional. This can result in the liver’s inability to detoxify your body of the substances you take that can harm the cells of your body. So, if you want to have a normal and healthy functioning liver, it is essential that you choose your diet very well and keep your alcohol intake to low or moderate levels if you really can’t avoid it totally. References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2009.03.019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gut.41.6.845 http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-62703-047-2_38 Maintaining Optimal Cognitive Health Through Diet The cognitive abilities of an individual is found to be on a continuous growth and development throughout the lifespan. This finding contrary to the previous notion that your cognitive abilities experience a decline as you age. This is because there are previous studies showing that decline in cognitive functioning occurring with age is mostly due to the existence of problems such as dementia, or other neurological condition like stroke. However, the growth of your cognitive capacities does not happen if conditions that are related to the overall functioning of your body are not conducive for it. It means that when you do not necessarily take care of your cognitive health, a decline may occur unless you take measures to delay or stop it from happening. Over the years, there are a number of researches that have been made in this area and these studies have turned out with findings that one of the ways to maintain and promote optimal levels in cognitive functioning is through managing the foods that you take. Nutrition is essential to overall functioning of your body and even cognitive health. If your diet is high in foods that contains essential fatty acids, nutrients and other vitamins, this can contribute to cognitive health. This not only increase your cognitive health but it can also prevent other chronic health conditions from occurring such as hypertension and strokes. Certain types of diet that are considered to be highly conducive in maintaining and promoting optimal health are the DASH and Mediterranean diets. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a plan that is usually given to people who have hypertension. This is primarily composed of lists of foods that the person with hypertension can take and how much they are allowed to have in order to stop the progression of hypertension if they already have it, or to stop hypertension from occurring if they are at high risk for its development. Since this diet decreases the intake of salt, fat, and refined carbohydrates in the overall intake, it is also used for adoption in other people with other health conditions such as heart diseases, obesity and stroke. In a study conducted in the US, it has been seen that individuals who adopted the DASH diet have been seen to have lower blood pressures. This can be useful in prevention of cognitive decline since an effective blood circulatio n to your brain is also related to your blood pressure. When you have a blood pressure that is within the normal limits, then your blood is able to flow more efficiently, increasing the delivery of essential nutrients and oxygen to your brain and contributing to overall cognitive health. Another diet that has been found to be helpful in maintain and promoting optimal cognitive health is the Mediterranean diet. This diet has been followed by people from the Mediterranean such as the people from Spain, the Greeks and those who are living in the Mediterranean islands. It is rich in foods that are rich in essential fatty acids such as peas and lentils, fish and olive oil that is essential for cognitive health and functioning. Also, this diet is rich in fruits and bread using mostly whole grains and other unrefined sources of carbohydrates that are important in ensuring that the vessels and nerves in the brain remain healthy and disease free. The maintenance and promotion of optimal cognitive health is not essentially hard, if you know the necessary steps to take in its promotion. And, with it, always remember that prevention of any cognitive problems is way so much better than finding a cure for it! References: Gardener H, Wright CB, Gu Y, Demmer RT, Boden-Albala B, Elkind MS, et al. Mediterranean-style diet and risk of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death: the Northern Manhattan Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94:1458–64. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-013-0070-2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nure.12040 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718338 Bach-Faig A, Berry EM, Lairon D, Reguant J, Trichopoulou A, Dernini S, et al. Mediterranean diet pyramid today. Science and cultural updates. Public Health Nutr. 2011;14:2274–84. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997798/ Vitamin D and Its Benefits Vitamin D is probably one of those that are underappreciated for all its worth. Over the years, it was only usually related to or referred to its use in helping the absorption of calcium from your bloodstream to be deposited into your bones. This was probably the only function of this vitamin that you know, but it does more than that. Apart from helping calcium in your diet to be absorbed into your bones from your bloodstream, there are numerous other uses that Vitamin D can play in your body. Vitamin D Helps Maintain Immune System Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver has found that maintaining high levels of Vitamin D in your bloodstream can help maintain immune function and help you prevent from contracting infections such as colds and other common infections. Vitamin D Helps Reduce Your Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Vitamin D is usually found in your blood stream and is activated when you are exposed to sunlight. Therefore, the more you are exposed to healthy levels of sunlight, the more Vitamin D is activated and conversely, more of it is found on your blood stream. Studies have revealed that people who live in tropical areas where they are more exposed to sunlight have lower risks for the development of multiple sclerosis throughout their lifetimes. Vitamin D Is Essential in Maintaining Cognitive Functions A European study involving 3000 males between the ages of 40 and throughout the continent has shown that increasing vitamin D levels in the blood stream has helped the respondents maintain optimal level of functioning in their brains even later on in their lives. This means that having higher levels of this vitamin in your blood stream can help reduce your risk for developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions resulting in the decline of your cognitive functioning. Other Uses of Vitamin D As mentioned in the previous sections, Vitamin D has a lot of uses. Apart from those that were mentioned above, it can also help you maintain a healthier body weight and decrease your risk for obesity. This is seen in a research conducted by the Medical College of Georgia in the United States. It can also help in managing asthma and its symptoms. In a study that was conducted among over 600 children in Costa Rica by the Harvard Medical School, it has been found that those who were found to have high blood levels of Vitamin D have decreased episodes and severity of their asthmatic attacks. Moreover, increased level of Vitamin D is also found to reduce the likelihood of development of rheumatoid arthritis in women who are over the age of 40. Vitamin D has also been found to have a protective function in those who are being treated for cancer via radiation therapy. This is supported by a study conducted by experts in the field of radiology in the New York City Health Department. Vitamin D is also seen to decrease the risk for cancer development when it is maintained on a high level in the blood stream. This is regardless of the individual’s age and nutritional status. Vitamin D is also shown to help individuals with tuberculosis recover faster, decrease the risk of heart attacks and play a vital role in overall muscular health. References: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71. Vitamins and minerals Vitamin D UK National Health Service. Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention: Strengths and Limits of the Evidence U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Accessed October 20th 2013. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997213000402?np=y Key to Cardiovascular Health: The Role of Tea and Flavonoids For the longest time, a number of research papers has shown how coffee and other caffeine-containing products has been related to existence of a number of health problems. Caffeine containing products such as coffee, chocolates and tea have been linked to the incidences of heart problems, heart burn and ulcers, and other health conditions. You may probably be one of those who were told by their doctors that they need to lay low on their coffee because of this. It may have even been hard for you because you need coffee or other source of caffeine for your day to start properly. But this will soon come to an end, since there are studies done that can prove this notion otherwise. One of the substances that has been found by research studies to contribute to your health is tea. Both black tea and green tea are found to contain high levels of flavonoids. These flavonoids are believed to improve your vascular health by improving the general health of blood vessels that are responsible for controlling the flow of blood into the other parts of your body. Also, these flavonoids are also suggested to contribute to dilation of blood vessels, further improving blood circulation and oxygen and nutrient supply and delivery to other parts of your body. In studies done, it has been seen that flavonoids are also responsible for decreasing the risk of the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition wherein the fat and cholesterol often found in your diet gets deposited along the vessel walls and thickens and hardens in there, causing a disruption in blood flow. The presence of atherosclerosis has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and ev en stroke since it causes blood to flow more slowly, increase chances of clot formation and deprives your cells of the essential oxygen and nutrients needed for its overall functioning. There is also consistent number of data showing that one of the ways in which flavonoids contribute to general cardiovascular health is through certain mechanisms such as the enhancement of the status of the substance nitric oxide in your bloodstream. High levels of nitric oxide in your blood stream is responsible for the improvement of your endothelial functioning. This substance is consisted by both nitrogen and oxygen atoms and is seen to contribute to reducing the risk of inflammation of the blood vessels, improve functioning of the cells and acts to regulate cellular processes. Apart from the known benefits that flavonoids can have in terms of your cardiovascular status, it also has been found to have other health benefits too. The intake of green tea has been seen and is used to control body weight, reduce body fat content and control the risk of obesity. Tea and flavonoids are also seen to reduce cellular damage due to oxidation process that increases your risk for cancer development. It can also help to reduce incidences of inflammation, formation of clots, and reduce the risk for development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Yes, tea and flavonoids can have all these health benefits but it is also wise to keep its intake in moderation because anything taken in excess in never good for you and your body. References: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15678717 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837049 www.proactivehearthealth.net/Nitric_Oxide.html http://cardiohealthresearch.com/nitric-oxide/ The Benefits of Food to the Brain The human brain is a complex and dynamic organ of the body. Your brain is responsible for all other processes taking place inside your body, whether you are aware of it or not. Your brain is not just responsible for cognitive and psychological processes, it also has something to do with your body’s physiologic processes as well. The healthier your brain is, the healthier functioning it can have and the better general health and well-being you can achieve. Brain health can be achieved through proper diet, exercise and good lifestyle choices. One of the most important aspects of brain health maintenance and development is feeding it with the right vitamins and minerals that it needs to be able to carry out its normal processes. When your brain is being fed with the right nutrients, its physiologic processes are better and more effectively carried out, improving its overall functioning. One of the benefits that you can have because of this is the positive influence it exerts in your brain’s metabolism of the energy coming from the food you take in. Proper metabolism of energy in your brain can help contribute to a more effective neuronal functioning, signal transmission between your neurons, and plasticity in synaptic activities (or the capacity of your brain to cause an increase or decrease in the strength of the synapses in response to time). This can affect how your brain maintains your mental health and your cognitive functioning. Food has a direct influence on the long and short term effects on your brainâ€⠄¢s neuronal plasticity. Food, being a source of both fuel and essential substance that your body needs to maintain and promote optimal cellular process is therefore important for your brain functioning. For the longest time, diet, has been studied in terms of how it affects the manner in which a person’s brain functions. It has been seen to exert an influence in the evolution of the brain and in improving its capacity as well. The manner in which you feed yourself and the choice of food you take is therefore important to consider if you want to maintain and promote optimal brain health and cognitive functioning. Essential fatty acids, specifically DHA which usually found in sources of protein such as meat products, dairy, fish and poultry and its products is helpful in synaptic functioning and in maintenance of cognitive functioning, decreasing the risk for the development of conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and also other mental health problems as well. The use of DHA on your body, however is reversed when you prepare your food in a manner that is high in trans fat such as cooking it in animal fat like deep-frying. Other food sources such as vegetables, lentils and fruits and whole grain are also linked to their positive effect in terms of maintenance of the health of nervous tissues. Staying away from alcohol can also have a positive impact on your brain health and cognitive functioning since alcohol has been found to exert an oxidative effect, accelerating the manner in which the cells and tissues in your brain degenerates and die, therefore affecting your cogni tive health negatively. References: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/11000/Diet_and_cognition___interplay_between_cell.21.aspx http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/ http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/nutrition/brain-food-nutrition.php

Relationship Between Plankton and Ocean Currents

Relationship Between Plankton and Ocean Currents Gabriel Vallim PLANKTON AND OCEAN CURRENTS Plankton, from Greek it means wandering Plankton can be considered all organisms that come with ocean currents. This does not necessarily mean that all don’t have movement. Many of them have the ability to move, but can’t overcome the chains, and because of that they only has vertical movements and don’t define its horizontal position in the ocean. Plankton can be plants or animals and it has an important role in the fish food chain and other sea life, and also for human beings. The plankton organisms are very important because they are the base of marine food chain, and also because phytoplankton is the largest source of oxygen to the atmosphere, to the photosynthesis. These organisms have different sizes: from 2 microns (protozoa) to a few meters (some species of jellyfish), and are distributed from the surface to deep water. Importance of the Plankton Plankton is very important for life on Earth. Phytoplankton produces much of oxygen that people and other animals need to survive. Plankton is also a big source of food. Zooplankton feed on the phytoplankton. Fish and other large animal, feeds the zooplankton. As an example we have the whales, which keep the plankton through their filters, present in their mouths. Plankton doesn’t have the ability to overcome the ocean current. This is why the plankton is a group of extremely vulnerable to marine pollution organisms, since they can’t move to a location with better environmental conditions. Thus, some plankton organisms are important indicators of environmental quality of the marine regions. Types of Plankton 1) Phytoplankton > is Plankton formed from plants. These organisms are often not the size of a cell. A diatom, for example, which is a type of unicellular algae, is a common form of phytoplankton. The plants belonging to the plankton occupy the upper layers of the ocean because of light presence and then perform photosynthesis to produce energy and release oxygen gas. Different from most land plants, phytoplankton does not need roots, stems or leaves, because they can absorb water and nutrients directly from their environment. 2) Zooplankton > is Plankton formed from animal organisms. Some of these organisms are very small, as crustaceans’ miniature and protozoa. Others, such as jellyfish, are larger. Some fish and shellfish, early in his life, are eggs or small larvae. These eggs and larvae are also zooplankton. In the phytoplankton and zooplankton, bacteria and fungi float on the waters of the planet. These bodies can also be considered plankton. Ocean Currents The ocean currents are water flows that occur in the oceans and regulate the climate. Some streams are perennial, or is always flowing in a given direction at a given point. Ocean currents have their origin in the movement of winds at the surface and by the movement of Earths rotation. It starts in the tropics and at high latitudes and circulates oceans and seas carrying large bodies of water and debris, affecting marine life. They are divided into cold and warm currents, and have particular characteristics, such as temperature, salinity, color, density and marine life. The warm currents originate in the Intertropical Zone, leave the tropics toward the Polar Regions, while the cold currents, originate in the Polar Regions, and move in the opposite direction, towards the Equatorial Zones. An example is the Humboldt Current, which reaches the coast of Chile, creating a marked aridity in the region, and interferes with the fishing activity. They carry with them moisture and heat also interfering in marine life and, consequently, having a direct influence on the balance of the oceans and seas. It is considered the most important and enigmatic phenomena of the oceans due to its influence on climate regions and also for holding an important transportation work and spread of plant and animal species. The formation of ocean currents is because of the union of some factors of nature, such as difference density of water, by the difference in temperature and salinity. The currents tend to move the higher density areas to low density areas; action of the winds and movement of the Earths rotation (mainly influences towards some currents). Ocean currents can influence the climate, for example, contribute to the formation of deserts, such as the Humboldt Current with the Atacama Desert and the Benguela current with the desert of Namibia and Kalahari . From a biological point of view, the currents contribute to the spread of animal and plant species by the various areas through which they pass. The Humboldt Current, for example, contributes to the coast of Peru and Chile be one of the richest areas in the world of fish, due to the large amount of marine plankton that it transports. Major Ocean Currents Atlantic Ocean Coast of North America The Labrador Current (cold), the Gulf Stream (hot); Coast of Central America current West Indies or South equatorial current (hot); Coast of South America Falkland or Malvinas Current (cold), Brazil Current (warm). Pacific Ocean Coast of North America: Current California (cold); Coast of Central America: North Equatorial Current (hot); Coast of South America: Current Humboldt or Peru Current (cold). The worlds major ocean currents are the Gulf Stream, which moves in the south to north along the east coast of the USA and then in Europe, the current of Brazil, which moves in the north-south direction along the Brazilian coast, the current Humbolt, which moves by the Pacific Ocean and is related to the events effect El Nià ±o, and the chain of Bengal, which moves in the west to east toward the Indian Ocean. Ocean currents can be classified according to the temperature of where form in: warm currents are formed in the equatorial zones (current of Guinas, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and the South Equatorial); cold currents that form in the polar regions (current Labrador, Humbolt, the Falklands, Bengal and the Antarctic Circumpolar). Ocean Current influences on climate North America The Labrador Current (cold) influences the temperature of the northeast coast of North America, making the climate of that region presents very low temperatures, causing the freezing of waters in the port of New York. The Gulf Stream (hot) originates in the West Indies; lard much of the east coast of North America, warming the climate in the Gulf of Mexico. By having hot water favors the evaporation contributing to increased rainfall in the Gulf region. South America South America also receives influence of ocean currents as the Humboldt Current (cold), also known as the Peru Current. This ocean current rises near Antarctica therefore carries the cold temperatures of the area where it originates. The low temperature of the Humboldt Current prevents evaporation, leaving the relative humidity of air low, causing the formation of a mass of dry air, contributing to formation of the dry climate of Chiles Atacama Desert to Peru. Ocean Currents and Economy Ocean currents also influence the economy of many countries. Peru is one of the worlds fish producers because of the influence of the Humboldt Current , because when reaching the Peru Coast found warm waters and brings out the nutrients carried by the current, attracting many shoals and directly helping the fishing industry of that country. Humboldt Current has a negative influence on the north coast of Chile and Peru, and is responsible for the formation of the Atacama Desert and transforms large areas in wastelands by water stress present in the area caused by the action of this ocean current. The areas bathed by sea warm currents, such as the Brazilian coast and the Gulf of Mexico, have high rainfall which favors the development of various agricultural crops and other economic activities. Relation between Plankton and Ocean Currents The meaning of Plankton in Greek refers exactly to what it is: a wandering, or specie that don’t have root and move to a place to another one. The Ocean Currents influences this movement transforming regions on rich environment and others on poor environment, as it takes nutrients to one place to another. By this movement it is possible to determine if the water portion is rich in nutrients or not, depending on the plankton find on it. Human activities and preservation As always, humans are requested to rethink their activities and what they are doing to preserve the environment. Sometimes a region is poor in plankton simply because the water doesn’t have quality. In the past, human thinks that nature will last forever, but nowadays they realize that nature is giving its answers†¦ we can see this by nature catastrophes seeing all long the world. We need to preserve the nature for the future generation, and as a Blue Planet, water is our main resource that needed to be conserved.

Overcomming Obstacles in Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathebane :: Kaffir Boy Mark Mathebane

Overcomming Obstacles in Kaffir Boy    In the book Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathebane there are many obstacles that Mark the   protagonist has to overcome. The first of his problems was to get through school in his poor South African ghetto. The second was to achieve his goal and receive a tennis scholarship to an American college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mark’s father is one of the major antagonist, he was opposed anything to do with Mark getting an education in a school. He was a very traditional man and he didn’t like anything that had to do with the â€Å"white man†. He thought it was nonsense to get a whiteman’s education and he wouldn’t provide the money that was necessary to get Mark through school. Mark was helped through this situation by his Mother who was the person who wanted Mark so desperately to attend school. She decided to go against Mark’s Father and send Mark to school. She then had to get a job which was illegal for her to do so because she didn’t have the required pass from the South African government. With the little money that his mother made and some money that his grandmother gave him he was   able to pay for his schooling or at least some of it. He often was without the required materials like a school uniform and books. This then resulted in Mark being beaten at school. These beatings became so intense and often that Mark thought about dropping out of school. His Mother helped him decide that he should stay in school because she knew that an education was the only way out of their life of poverty. Through the support of Mark’s Mother and grandmother Mark found success in school. He almost always was ranked in the top of his class and received scholarships to continue on in school. At the end of Mark’s schooling he receives a job offering in South Africa for him to work as a   manger of the company, he decides to accept this job for the time being because his family needed the money to send his brothers and sisters to school. Mark end up successfully making it through school and ending up being one of the top in his class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second major conflict in the book was that Mark wanted to get a scholarship to an American college.

Analysis of To His Coy Mistress :: To His Coy Mistress, Andrew Marvell

"To His Coy Mistress" is a very interesting poem. The main plot of the poem is about this guy that tries to pick up a girl for the night. The poem does not tell about the setting. I assumed that it was in a bar, because of the way he talked to her and that is where most guys go to pick up a girl for the evening. We see this poem through the eyes of the guy, by doing this Marvell gives a look into his mind and what he is thinking. This helps to bring the reader into the poem. It allows the reader to get into his mind as the poem goes along. We begin to see the guy develop his words more and more until eventually by the third stanza he is pretty desperate. In the first stanza we see the guy begin to make a move. He begins to tell her all these sweet lines about how he could spend eternity with her. For instance, he says on line 11, "My vegtable love should grow vastar than empires, and more slow;...." In these two lines he is trying to tell her how his love will grow more and more everytime he sees her. He will love her until the end of time. A few lines later he continues to talk about his everlasting love. He begins to divide his love up between her body parts. He promises to her that he will dedicate a hundred years to her eyes. Then he tells her that he would dedicate two hundred to each breasts. That last line about the breasts I thought was pretty funny. Here you begin to see how his mind begins to shift toward sex. He begins to shift his thoughts from her eyes to her body. He is very nonchalant about it. After the comment about her breasts he says and thirty to the rest. I can just see this guy talking to her. He puts a little e mphasis on the breasts comment, and then I picture him mumbling, "oh yea....and thirty thousand to the rest." The guy is only out for one thing, and that is sex. He is trying to be smooth about it, but in the next stanza we begin to see his patience giving out. In the second stanza we begin to see the guy's personality shift.

Jade Stadium Redevelopment (project management) Essay -- Business and

Jade Stadium Redevelopment (project management) Introduction The redevelopment of Jade Stadium, formally Lancaster Park, has been a project in development for a number of years. It is interesting to view the processes and changes in approaches to reach compromises, that have occurred in the lead up to this project especially with the stage the redevelopment is at now, (near completion). The emphasis placed upon planning and funding has had a huge impact to not only the time frame for completion of project but at a more basic stage of whether the redevelopment would even go ahead. The information used for this review dates back only as far as January 99, but even by that stage several years work had gone into pushing and lobbying for an improved, upgraded multi purpose stadium in Christchurch. Articles giving detail to the development process, the stages of development and the politics involved in the redevelopment of Jade Stadium are taken from January 20 1999, until the October 13 2000. The majority of articles are news items taken from Christchurch’s major newspaper, ‘The Christchurch Press’. Not all information present in the articles was relevant to the review topic of, the redevelopment of jade stadium, and so this is the reason for the use of several articles, to gain enough knowledge on the topic area. Temporary and Unique The jade stadium project is one of a temporary nature. Although it may be a long and drawn out process there is definitely a definite start (realisation of a need for a revamped stadium) and finish (completion of construction and closure). With respect to the jade stadium project, those dates have constantly changed. Originally set for an early 2000-start time, that date was changed several times until finally settled for October 2000 and estimated to take 18 months to complete. A deadline that they are currently on track to meet. Like any other project, Jade Stadiums redevelopment was a unique venture, not only in its actual design, ownership and the way in which the revenue to fund the project was produced but also in the actual use of the stadium. Being a rugby and cricket facility with ground breaking technology in the form of the new drop in pitches, an invention first tried by grounds staff two years ago. The stadium revamp unlike the new Wellington stadium will be done on the existi... ...point of view or side of the story, and that in general all articles relating to the redevelopment of jade stadium, held a more positive slant or position towards the development and the development team. The key points contained within the review begin with defining the uniqueness and temporary nature of a project and how jade stadium is a one off major project. The revenue provided to support such an expensive project comes from a wide and varying plane, with the use of a business plan one of the most important tools in the development of Jade Stadium. It can be noted that a great deal of importance was placed upon the planning phase in order to do it once and do it right. And that the project followed the basic project life cycle model. References Currie, S. (1999). The Jade Board. The Press, 20 January, 1996, p 34. McGoldrick, B. (2000). What about a total Jade upgrade? The Press, 26 August, 2000, p 10. Scanlon, G. (2000). $43m plea for Jade Stadium. The Press, 7 April, 2000, p 1. Tutty, K. (1999). Progress on stadium plans. The Press, 6 August, 1999, p 22. Tutty, K. (2000). Jade Stadium access settled for five years. The Press. 14 October, 2000.

Discuss the value of chemistry in society

For some time in the modern world, and especially subsequent to the events of September 11th, there has been a wave of concern regarding chemistry and its potential destructive powers. There are many people who hold a fearful attitude towards the chemical industry and its products. This is because the threat of chemical and bio-chemical weapons is very real and is a negative aspect of the business. Also it is often deemed environmentally unfriendly and unsafe for the nearby public. However it is far wider believed that the pros outweigh the cons massively. To display this I have produced a case study on Glaxo Smith Kline. Read this Practice Test Chem 105 Background Glaxo Smith Kline, based in the UK, is one of the pharmaceutical industry leaders, with an estimated seven per cent of the world's pharmaceutical market and declare a global quest to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. This shows just how people based the company is despite its huge size. GSK is also involved in four major therapeutic areas – anti-infectives, central nervous system (CNS), respiratory and gastro-intestinal/metabolic. In addition, it is a leader in the important area of vaccines and has a growing range of oncology products and treatments. The company also has a Consumer Healthcare section comprising over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, oral care products and nutritional healthcare drinks, all of which are among the market leaders. Employees and Employment GSK GSK has over 100,000 employees worldwide. Of these, over 40,000 are in sales and marketing, the largest sales force in the industry. Over 42,000 employees work at 104 manufacturing sites in 40 countries and over 16,000 are in R;D. R;D is based at 24 sites in seven countries. The company has a leading position in genomics/genetics and new drug discovery technologies. The GSK R;D budget is about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.4bn. Implications This shows that the industry is a great employer for many job types, including lab technicians, researchers, doctors, I.T. staff, biologists and others. It also employs testers for development of drugs and measure side effects on human patients. This is where much of the development money goes as the patients are only willing to be test subjects for quite large fees due to the potentially harmful side effects. Health and Safety GSK They take health and safety really seriously as GSK. Because a lot of the work that goes on involves highly flammable organic solvents, no heating is done with naked flames (there is only one Bunsen burner in the entire plant, and that is used by the glass blower for shaping pieces of glassware.) In the research labs heating will be done using electric mantles or electrically heated oil baths. However, in the ‘scale-up' plant, where large volumes of soluble materials are used, even electrical heating is not allowed because of the danger of sparks. Instead they heat vessels by passing a pre-heated liquid through an outer jacket around the vessel. No mobile phones or any electrical equipment are allowed inside in case they generated sparks which could ignite any flammable vapours. In the corridors outside the research laboratories there are emergency showers for people to use in the event of a chemical spillage and Hazard warnings are displayed everywhere. All chemicals have hazard-warning labels. Most pieces of equipment have warning labels on them. Details of every experiment were displayed where the experiment was carried out. A full risk assessment is done on any process before it is carried out. If any particularly hazardous materials are being used, a notice is displayed on the outside of the lab and entry is restricted to authorised personnel. In school we sometimes wear gloves when using chemicals. At GSK gloves are used routinely. There are various grades of gloves to chose from, depending on the nature of the chemicals being used. The different grades are colour coded. The researcher has to specify which gloves to use in the risk assessment. Implications These near perfect safety precautions go a long way to proving that the chemical industry is really very safe and does not pose as much danger to the public as is often thought by many people. With the help of modern technology and careful planning the industry, it has become safer than many school science classes! Drug Development GSK GSK spends millions of pounds each year on research and development. It costs something in the region of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½450,000,000 to produce a new medicine. The process of developing a new medicine takes about 10 years. Research usually begins with genetic research, which identifies the proteins involved in the disease. Then thousands of compounds will be tested to see if they react with the protein involved in the disease. This process is highly automated, using compounds stored in the automated chemical store. From this the best compound is identified. This will be the compound, which reacts best with the protein. This will not yet be good enough to be used as a therapeutic drug though. It may be too soluble to stay in the body for long; it may be too insoluble to get into the blood stream. It may be toxic, or have other characteristics that make it unsuitable for use as a drug. The next step is to modify compounds structure so that it has as near perfect properties as possible. For example, to make the compound less water-soluble so that it stays in the body for longer, large organic side groups could be added to the structure. (When penicillin was first discovered it was extremely water-soluble so was very quickly passed out of the body in the urine. Because penicillin was in such short supply it had to be recovered from the urine and recycled!) Once a suitable compound has been found the next problem is to scale up production from milligram's to grams then to kilogram's At this point the drug will need to be tested on living tissue (cells, not usually whole animals) So far this process will have taken 4-5 years. Scaling up production has lots of difficulties associated with it. Reactions that work well on a milligram scale may not work on a 20 kg scale. There may be difficulties associated with weighing, heating, stirring, transferring, cooling and purifying. Ways of solving all these difficulties have to be found. The drug will then enter the clinical trials stage. At first it will only be tested for side effects in a few healthy volunteers. It will then be used in trials in patients with the disease. If successful the drug will then be licensed for use and made generally available. Even after this point the drug must be monitored. Implications There is a massive amount of money being poured into the chemical industry by investors. This is good for the stock market and the global economy, the employees of the company and the public who will need the developed drugs. It is a very safe system and those who are put at risk do so by their own admission. The testers are paid quite large lump sums for testing if the drug has any side effects and are usually young healthy men and women at university or college. Very little testing on animals is being carried out any more. There is testing on animal tissue, but this is done on a very small scale and animals are rarely harmed. This is a great step for the industry, which for some time has been beset by animal rights groups protesting their actions. Also the time taken for the drug to be developed is good for job stability for the researchers and developers who are needed far beyond the initial stages of production. Environmental Issues GSK All solvents are collected in large containers under the benches of each lab. When these are full they are taken away and dealt with in a way appropriate to the particular solvent. All waste from the labs is treated as being contaminated and is incinerated. The ash from this is disposed of in landfill sites. Potentially a very large volume of water would be put into the local sewage system. To avoid overloading the system, GSK have installed a recycling system where the water that passes through condensers is reused in a closed system. This also of course saves water. There are no sinks in any of the labs so that nothing can be poured away like is practiced in schools. They are very environmentally friendly. Implications This is great for the environment as nothing is thrown away. It is all dealt with carefully and the industry is becoming far more eco-friendly than in the past. Conclusion From my case study of Glaxo Smith Kline I have found that the industry is in reform. It is becoming far safer and there are many less ethical issues than ever before. Animal testing is low and the environment is finally being preserved. The industry is good for the economy and employs many people from college and university graduates to product test subjects. The pros of chemistry in society far outweigh the cons and this is illustrated perfectly in Glaxo Smith Kline.

Globalization and Social Inequality

Introduction Social inequality is an issue that is much debated today within the social sciences, as well as other disciplines. Although very few would deny that social inequality exists and has always existed in human societies, it is not always clear through what mechanisms it manifests itself, along what lines it progresses, and how we can make life better for those affected by global inequalities. The question remains whether or not the world that we live in today is more equal than what people have experienced in the past. Although some might argue that Western development brings with it more equal rights, it is doubtful that this is actually the case. In recent years, we have witnessed a phenomenon called globalization which is, in short, a â€Å"widening and deepening of the international flows of trade, capital, technology and information within a single integrated global market (Petras and Veltmeyer 2001, p11).† Globalization has brought with it significant changes in the way peop le and nations relate to one another. In many cases, it has created new patterns of inequality, as well as reinforced old ones. The purpose of this paper is to investigate some of the effects of globalization and critically analyse them. I will argue that currently we do not live in a more equal world and neither are we moving towards greater equality. Rather, I argue that, through globalization, inequalities are exacerbated due to capitalism and the unequal flow of markets. This paper will look at how inequalities have evolved over the last two hundred years, why they have occurred, and how the pattern of inequality looks like today. Kaplinsky (2005, p 28) and Jolly (2005) note that as early as 1776, economists such as Adam Smith became preoccupied with the issue of poverty and its consequences on inequality. During the 18th and the 19th century in England it was well-known that for every handful of rich aristocrats there were hundreds or even thousands of poor people. With the advance of industrialization, poverty only deepened (Jolly 2005). Karl Marx illustrated the problem perfectly by outlining the issue of the bourgeoisie owning the means of production, while workers sell their labour for minimal wages. Petras and Veltmeyer (2001, p 128) also stress that historically, a minority ruling class have used coercion and social institutions to control exploited people. Until the present day, this situation has not changed very much. Moreover, during the past decades, the disparities between the global North and South have become more and more evident, partly due to globalization. The movement of capital and trading agreements have mostly benefitted the developed countries, while the developing ones are forced to create economies that cater to the needs of the West. As Birdsall (2005, p 2) notes, â€Å"global markets are inherently disequalizing, making rising inequality in developing countries more rather than less likely.† This shows that we are not moving towards a more equal world. Moreover, even wealthy countries, such as the U.S. experience growing poverty rates within their own borders (Dillon 2010). Dillon (2010, p 60) stresses that â€Å"economic inequality has in fact grown since the late 1980s, as has the gap between the highest and the lowest income groups,† while Butler and Watt (2007, p 112) even call poverty rates in the U.S. â€Å"extreme.† It is evident from these accounts that unfortunately, unless measures will be taken, inequality will increase and dreams of an equal world are moving farther away. The reality is that we live in an unequal world. There is an abundance of social issues that are caused by widespread inequality. Discrimination today manifests itself through the lines of class, gender, race, age, nationality, and other factors. Due to length limitations, this paper mostly focuses on economic inequalities. These are especially poignant when we look at the way people live in underdeveloped countries. This is a direct consequence of colonialism and the quest of the Western world to expand and develop their economic system. However, the expansion of the markets rewards only those who have more assets, such as financial and human capital (Birdsall 2005, p 3). Also, poor nations cannot attract investment and diversification, without a stable middle class and economic institutions. Consequently, the price of their exports declines and they fail to grow (Birdsall 2005, p 3). This is just an example of how globalization reinforces inequality. If markets are let to operate f reely, as they do today, the world will become more unequal. Underdeveloped countries have not become more equal since interaction with the West has intensified. Beer and Boswell (2002, p 31) also stress that â€Å"disproportionate control over host economies by transnational corporations increases inequality by altering the development patterns of these nations.† Although some might think that international corporations can improve a developing country’s economy, this is not necessarily true. It is evident then, that the path that is nowadays advocated by many here in the Western world, does not serve the purpose of a more equal world. On the contrary, it exacerbates global inequalities. The causes of growing inequality in today’s world are diverse and often not very easy to identify. However, the main cause might be the capitalist system that has spread internationally, oftentimes to the benefit of few and the exploitation of many. Trade between rich and poor nations creates patterns of dependency and unequal exchanges, leading to high income inequalities between the two (Beer and Boswell 2002, p 33). Despite the current emphasis on trade agreements and flows of trade that increasingly deepen, time and time again it has been stressed that this process creates inequalities and is detrimental to developing countries. In addition, the markets often fail. Some notable examples are the financial crises in Mexico, Thailand, Korea, Russian, Brazil and Argentina that took place in the 1990s (Birdsall 2005). Also, when a recession hits, the lower classes are the most affected. In turn, this leads to even greater inequalities between the rich and the poor. There are many mechanisms through which capital and the markets contribute to a less equal world in our present time. Investment often causes disparities between foreign and domestic sectors. Also, international corporations usually do not reinvest profits in the local economies. Governments in developing countries adopt policies that prevent the lower classes from moving upwards, while at the same time they encourage the formation of a â€Å"managerial elite (Beer and Boswell 2002, p 33).† For those concerned about equality, it is alarming that neither foreign investors nor local governments fully understand the consequences of their actions. If this kind of policies will keep being implemented, levels of inequality will certainly increase. As Petras and Veltmeyer (2001) note, the politics of the Western Right are also at fault for the direction towards which we are heading. They say that the Right engages in â€Å"class warfare† through privatization and the concentr ation of power in the hands of few (Petras and Veltmeyer 2001, p 148). Thus, social institutions, as well as economic policies serve the interests of wealthy corporations. The focus of present neoliberal politics is not to decrease income disparities, but to increase the wealth of the few. Staying on the same course guarantees that the world will become less and less equal. I have argued that we do not live and a more equal world. On the contrary, the globalization of markets has had a negative impact on the livelihoods of many. The effects of capitalism had started being seen a long time ago. Income disparities always existed between those who own the means of production (the bourgeoisie) and the workers that work in their factories. The income gap between the lower class and the upper class increased steadily with time. In addition, global exploration and colonization has led to even greater disparities between the West and the colonies. Under the current system, developing countries find it almost impossible to reach the same level of wealth and stability as Western countries. However, even developed countries have growing poverty rates within their own borders. These rates have been increasing over the past years, while the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. The world is becoming a less equal place. The free flow of markets and an unregu lated capitalist system are mainly to blame for income inequalities. Poor nations have become dependent on rich nations and economic crises affect lower classes the most. With both corporations and national governments driven by profit, no one looks at the long-term effects that trade has on inequality. Moreover, the rise of neoliberal politics in the West encourages the maintenance of the same pattern of increased inequality and dependency. Despite the optimism of some, the truth is that globalization, as it is occurring today, is only increasing disparities between classes, between nations, and between the global North and South. The evidence shows that the world is at least as unequal as it was two hundred years ago. Current economic policies will only serve to make it less and less equal. If drastic measures are not taken soon, there is little hope that our world will become a more equitable place. References Butler, T. and Watt, P. 2007. Understanding Social Inequality. London: Sage. Beer, L. and Boswell, T. 2002. The resilience of dependency effects in explaining income inequality in the global economy: a cross national analysis, 1975-1995. Journal of World Systems Research, 8(1), pp.30-61. Birdsall, N. 2006. Rising inequality in the new global economy. International Journal of Development Issues, 5(1), pp.1-9. Dillon, M. 2010. Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, concepts and their applicability to the twenty-first century. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Jolly, R. 2005. Global inequality in historical perspective. WIDER (World Institute for Development Economic Research) Angle, 2. Kaplinski, R. 2005. Globalization, Poverty and Inequality: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Cambridge: Polity.