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Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Effects of Globalization on the Future of Turkish Economy

Introduction Globalization has had a lot of impact on the world in various aspects, which include exchange of cultures, development of language, faster spread of information and international financial and economic growth. This paper will analyze the economic and business effect of globalization on Turkey as well its position in the global economy.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Effects of Globalization on the Future of Turkish Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The economy of the Republic of Turkey is primarily driven by the services and industrial sectors but still the agricultural sector plays an important role, and it accounts for 30 percent of the state’s employment. Privatization undertaken by the government has led to the minimization of government’s participation in basic sectors like industry, financial and transport and communication. There are several emerging industries l ike automotive, construction and electronics, which contribute significantly to the economy. The government has been implementing different monetary and fiscal policies after the financial crisis of 2001. From the turn of the 21st century, Turkey has consistently enjoyed a period of uninterrupted economic growth; varied reforms have been under implementation as part of the requirements of joining European Union. Turkey’s economy has benefited from its geostrategic location of being at a point between Middle East and Europe; this makes Turley a strategic location for transit of petroleum and gas. Turkey demonstrated that it can weather any economic storm when it overcame its domestic fiscal meltdown in 2001. Following the economic turmoil in 2001, Turkey implemented several stability and structural reforms, which eliminated various macroeconomic policies that were deemed unsuitable for economic stability. The economic growth rate of Turkey has been steady from 2001 to 2006, an d it was comparably higher than that of most countries in the EU. Turkey is favorable to foreign investment, and it is considered as a country of opportunity. It is worth mentioning that Turkey’s economy can be a heavy casualty in the event of global financial crisis; the economy of the country can be affected by three main factors namely: collapse in the external demand of its commodities, distress in international capital markets and uncertainties in the global economy (Alp and Elekdag 3).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Preliminary Hypothesis The preliminary hypothesis is that globalization has had its share on the unstable condition of the Turkish economy thus leading to a possibility of future crisis on the same. This hypothesis will lead to conduction of a study case on the Turkish economy in a bid to justify it. Sources of Information In order to gathe r as much information as possible on the topic, the sources of information need to be diversified. In addition to the study books, other books such as The Global Crisis and the Turkish Economy by Ercan Uygur will be used. Journals and other periodicals on topics related to the topic of study will also be used for reference. Lastly, electronic sources, including web pages and electronic magazines will be used to acquire information on the topic. Overview of Essay on Turkey’s Economy For a long time, the economy of Turkey experienced a high and stable growth until in 2008 and 2009 when it suffered a severe blow as a result of the global financial crisis (The Economist 1). This affected the key indicators of the Turkish economy, including inflation rates and employment opportunities just to mention a few (Uygur 12). This paper will therefore look at how the effects that came about and globalization will affect the economy of Turkey. An analysis of the expected changes in the Tur kish economy within the next five years will also be made. In order to make an assessment of how the Turkish economy has responded to the global crisis and effects, this paper will explore the changes that have taken place in the monetary and fiscal policies (Alp and Elekdag 17). This will then be used as a measuring tool to forecast the position of the Turkish economy within the next five years. In conclusion, the measures and strategies to be put in place in order to stabilize the Turkish economy will be recommended (Hill 19).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Effects of Globalization on the Future of Turkish Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current Economic Situation in Turkey The economy of Turkey has been on the decline for the last three years from 4.3 percent in 2007 to 3.0 percent in 2009. Employment has also increased to a high of 9.4 percent. This slow growth rate was necessitated by the decrease in domestic credit and skyrocketing interest rates of domestic saving aimed at curbing inflation. The external financing of Turkey’s massive deficit has been hampered due to the reduction of capital inflows and global financial crisis. Turkey’s macro environment is increasingly becoming complicated for the banks due to weakening growth of the economy and the volatilities in the financial market. The main risk that needs to be addressed in the banking sector is asset quality, which is deteriorating at an alarming rate. The banking sector has witnessed default in loan payment and credit cards. The underestimation of asset quality have also made the loan books of many Turkish banks to remain untested via a full economic cycle hence making them vulnerable and victims of abrupt increases in interest rates. Turkey has been undergoing various economic problems and restructuring. There was the foreign debt crisis that was experienced in 1979, which prompted liberaliz ation of the economy in 1980. In 2008, Turkey was hit hard by the global financial crisis which prompted the government to reduce interest rates and implement various economic stimulus programs, which were aimed at lifting the budget deficits. Capital Inflows Insufficient capital inflows and reduced domestic savings are and will be the key determinants of the prosperity of the Turkey’s economy. The current economic structure highly depends on capital inflows for growth, and this brings up the question of whether or not the capital inflows will continue into the future. This is one of the dilemmas regarding the Turkey’s economy that needs to be addressed (Uygur 5). The major adjustment that is needed to bring to an end the effect of global crisis in Turkey is to eliminate the global imbalance, but still it can be impossible since it is this global imbalance that has been the engine of capital inflows that drive the economy. Turkey has heavily benefited from the capital inflows. Making this adjustment will come at a substantial cost, especially if capital inflows are to be slowed. It would imply that countries like Turkey would have to receive limited or less capital than what it received in the period 2002-2007.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Failure by these adjustments to materialize will lead to the continuation of the global imbalance and hence putting into serious risk currencies like the dollar and sterling pound, and this will in turn precipitate chaos in the global payment system which will have an adverse effect on international trade and capital inflows. This may lower the economic growth rate for the global economy in short and medium term (Uygur 51). Turkey’s Economic Forecasts According to the Medium-Term Program (MTP) forecasts which were published recently and according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook for the period 2009-2012 forecast which are illustrated by table 1 below, MTP based its assumption on the fact that global economic growth rate and rate of capital inflows are instrumental in predicting the future of Turkey’s economy. The forecast by the two institutions, the IMF and MTP are unanimous on the fact that Turkey’s economy is likely to decline in the period 2009-201 2 when it is juxtaposed with 2002-2007. Table 1 (Uygur 52) From the above forecast, it is evident that the economic growth rate of Turkey will fall below the average growth rate of developing countries as well as below that of the global economy unlike in the period 2002-2007 where the economic growth rate of Turkey was nearly equal to that of developing countries but above that of the global economy. Other optimistic projections in respect to the global economy are increased in investment rate while unemployment will remain at an average of 14 percent (Uygur 53). From the above projections, Turkey will not make an adjustment in the above parameters, but it will likely pursue an unsustainable growth strategy only on the medium term. The strategy will succeed but only for a particular period of time, unless there is no global investment. The inflation ratio in Turkey will depend on the global inflation (Uygur 54). Globalization and Turkey’s Economy It has been proven from the past crises that Turkey’s economy is vulnerable to the whims of international economy and in the event of collapse in the global economy, the Turkish economy becomes affected. This is because a collapse of the global economy will lead to a situation of the contraction in the demand of Turkish exports, which is the major contributor to the country’s economy as well as the collapse of the country’s assets. Turkey’s integration into the world economy and emergence of foreign direct investment as a core component of the Gross Domestic Product is gaining momentum but Turkey has not maximized gains from these two factors, it has not utilized foreign direct investment over the inflows of capital. These are among the changes that need to be effected in order to steer Turkey’s economy forward. Just like other emerging markets, Turkey faces problems like defining its exchange rate regime, the problem of eliminating inflationary milieu and minimizing of poli tical uncertainties. These are the obstacles that Turkey needs to address in order to attract direct foreign investment as well as to integrate itself into the global economy (Aguilar and Gita 74). Globalization enabled Turkey to borrow a lot of money to make it finance trade deficits as well as to fill the financial gap between savings and investment. However, growth strategies that are financed by debts are not sustainable. The liberalization of the financial markets in Turkey has experienced the effects of financial globalization. The country has been frustrated by its policy of liberalization and deregulation of financial markets, which have led to deficits in the public sector and high debt volume. After the weakening of the economy in 2009, Turkey has speedily recovered from it and in 2010, it recorded high economic growth rate as compared with the G20 countries where it belongs. No financial institution failed, and inflation rate was well managed. The main concerns, if the pa ce of economic growth rate is to be maintained are inflation and deficit in the current account. There are also the expectations that there will be a lot of pressure on the government to tighten the fiscal policies and the central bank will as well be under pressure to increase the interest rates. To curtail the ever increasing capital inflows, the central bank must be in a position to lower the interest rate and simultaneously increase the reserve threshold for both foreign and local banks. This policy did not materialize, and the banking sector has been forced to reverse its decision and increase the interest rates. Capital inflows have become a menace in the Turkish economy, and this threatens the monetary strength; the continued increase in capital inflows has made the monetary conditions of the country to be weak and loose. Raising the reserve requirement has demonstrated no tendency of slowing down consumer lending. It is predicted that if the developed economies, particularly the United States of America increase their interest rates, Turkish external finance will diminish. The current account market also needs to be addressed. Though the country has solid public finances, there are notoriety and abnormality in its current account crisis, which is a sign of economic flaws. Among the austerity measures that needs to be implemented for future economic prosperity include making amendments to the high minimum wages and trimming unregistered sectors of the economy as well as increasing market economy, which can reduce operational and consumer costs (The Economist 1). With the political and economic fragility and uncertainty witnessed in the Arab region following the current series of uprisings, it is imperative that Turkey revives and repairs its trade relations with the European Union, which is the primary market for its exports. Turkey suffered some losses following revolutions in the Arab spring, for example, it had several of its construction contracts c anceled in Libya, and its deals with Syria have been stopped or left unconcluded (The Economist 1). Structural Reforms to be implemented to Strengthen Future Economy Turkey has realized a microeconomic stability due to the implementation of the reform program. For the future of Turkish economy and to foster its potential economic growth, the government needs to implement various structural reforms to make the economy flexible and allow individual firms to react immediately to the incentives. Among the important changes that need to be made are: Inflation Inflation has been a chronic problem in Turkey’s economy just like in any other global economy. Inflation had minimized the country’s economic growth rate. A fall in the rates of inflation leads to uncertainties in all sectors of the economy as well as undermining the macroeconomic stability of a country. The government, therefore, needs to develop effective counter-inflation policies. Low rates of inflation led to an accelerated global economy in the 1990s, and lower inflation rates resulted in the financial turmoil witnessed in Turkey in 2001-2002. Lower inflation leads to flexibility in the exchange rates and realistic interest rate. In the recent time, Turkey has witnessed a decrease in inflation that is associated largely to fiscal consolidation achieved in the country. The government needs to keep inflation in check to enhance the credibility of its monetary policy. Consequently, government’s commitment to curb any rise in inflation will enhance the credibility of its policy-making and fiscal policies, in particular (IMF 1). Minimizing inflation will help in moderating the consumer prices and especially in the provision of services. Fiscal Policies Failure by the government to stem from fiscal imbalance has led to the inflation problem. It is therefore, necessary for the government to effectively manage its fiscal situation in order to end any future economic crisis, minimize inflati on and restore macroeconomic stability. The government, furthermore, needs to meet and maintain its surplus target to reduce debt burden of the country. The current country’s high public debt is considered to be a result of short-term interest rates and foreign currencies. The reduction of the country’s debt ratio will enhance its debt profile hence reducing vulnerability to ever dynamic global interest and exchange rate volatility (IMF 1). It is imperative for the government to have a strong fiscal policy that will enable it to strengthen its economic growth while minimizing the distorting aspects of a country’s tax system. Structural Reforms It is evident that the economic growth rate of the country is growing at a steady and sustainable rate. The government’s duty is to further increase the economic growth rate without triggering any inflationary pressure. This will enhance individual incomes, which will result in the reduction of poverty. The governme nt needs to implement various structural reforms that can make the economy stable, flexible and market force oriented. Though the government has been traditionally implementing these structural reforms, for example, free market and reforms in the banking sector, in financial sectors and in regulation of business, still the tightening of these reforms and introducing others will make the economy effective. Among the reforms that need to be implemented are in the business and investment environment to make the country favorable to foreign investment, privatization of government assets to enhance competition and reduce the burden state sector and other banking reforms (IMF 1). The labor market needs to be reformed. This will assist in reducing obstacles to formal employment, and this will enable firms to move from informal to the formal sectors of the economy. Positive forecasts have continued to raise the profile of Turkey. There is a projection by analysts of a growth of five percent for the coming three years, which has enabled Turkey to attract a lot of investors. The country was rated as BB+ in 2010 by the Moody’s, an international rating agency due to the faster recovery of its economy, increased market confidence and enhanced market finance. There is growing investor nervousness caused by the poor performance of the Istanbul stock exchange. This has prompted the majority of the investors to move their investments to countries like Germany and Poland where the economic growth is healthy. There is a need, therefore, to revamp the country’s stock exchange to attract investors. To deter short-term investments flaws in investment, the central bank has extremely reduced its lending rates and consumption by rising reserve demands and reducing interest rates. This policy has proven controversial and more so it has never addressed its intended purpose (Champion and Parkinson 1). The resilience of Turkey’s financial markets was overshadowed by d ecreased global demand and reduced international capital flows, which adversely affected the economy of the country. The OECD has predicted Turkish economy to be one of the fastest growing with a projected estimate of 6.7 percent between 2010 and 2017. This is illustrated by the graph below. (Invest in Turkey 1) Conclusion A country can only benefit from the globalization of economy if its macroeconomic policies are strong and there exists liberalized market and sound monetary system, in particular. Globalization has made the management of economies easier as well as difficult and hence countries should exercise caution when designing and implementing economic policies. Turkey has enjoyed a period of considerable success in creating a liberalized economy, consequently, making its economy open for international competition. To realize stable economic growth and sustainability, Turkey has devised export oriented economic strategy based on the real and reasonable exchange rate (Alp an d Elekdag 4). Just like in other countries, structural reforms in Turkey will speed up the country’s economic growth. Turkey is among the few countries that suffered heavily from the global financial crisis but managed to come out of it without much damage at a time when other countries were seriously affected. The long-term economic prospects of Turkey is slowly increasing but still there is a lot of demand for reforms in the labor market, raise in education spending, transparency in handling and spending public finances and credibility in monetary policy. These are necessary for the country to maintain a steady economy. The economic growth rate of Turkey is primarily driven by financial, retail and construction sectors and its banking sector is stable but it is only the consumption of the country that is low. Works Cited Aguilar, Mark and Gita, Gopinath. â€Å"Emerging Market Business Cycles: The Cycle is the. Trend,II† Journal of Political Economy 115.1 (2007): 69â €“102. Print. Alp, Harun and Elekdag, Selim. â€Å"The Role of Monetary Policy in Turkey during the Global Financial Crisis.† International Monetary Fund, 2011. Web. Champion, Marc and Parkinson, Joe. â€Å"Turkey’s Economy Surged 11% in Quarter.† The Wall Street Journal, 2011. Web. Hill, Charles. (2007). International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Print. IMF. â€Å"Turkey’s Economy: A Future Full of Promise.† International Monetary Fund, 2005. Web. Invest in Turkey. â€Å"Economic Outlook.† Invest, 2011. Web. The Economist. â€Å"The Turkish Economy Overheating.† The Economist, 2011. Web. Uygur, Ercan. â€Å"The global crisis and the Turkish economy.† Third World Network, 2010. Web. This term paper on The Effects of Globalization on the Future of Turkish Economy was written and submitted by user Ahmad Mann to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Social Justice Wrays Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice

Social Justice Wrays Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice Introduction The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Wray’s essential aspects of Biblical Law and Justice in light of what it offers religious educators for the classroom study of justice. A large portion of the Bible has been dedicated to the issue of law and justice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Justice: Wray’s Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, religious educators who teach about justice in classrooms today must go back to the Bible and look at biblical legal codes and justice. Justice has become a matter of concern for many people in modern societies. Nevertheless, it is a concept that is socially constructed, meaning that it is subject to contextual interpretation. Various Interpretations of Biblical Laws and Justice Wray has conducted an extensive study on the subject of social justice and suggests that students taking any course on law or social justice must go back to the origins of these laws and justice, in this case the Bible. He maintains that biblical laws and justice should be taught in the classroom in a bid to tackle some of the prevalent issues affecting modern societies, including laws, prohibitions and injunctions (Wray, 2011, p. 161). Indeed, the quest for social justice has been highlighted by many social philosophers for many centuries since the emergence of enlightenment and industrial revolution. The industrial revolution and the emergence of capitalist economies gave rise to social decay and the erosion of social values as most people were subjected to hard social and economic conditions.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The world is divided between the haves and the have-nots. In theory, social justice is an attempt to address the question of equity and fair distribution of income and resources. The theory of justice implies that people should be treated equally (Miller, 1999). The concept of social justice is widely used today to refer to the fair distribution of resources amongst the members of the society. For many centuries, this concept has been applied in various societies, but it is evident that even today discrimination of the poor from the market economy still continues (Miller, 1999). However, regardless of what has been researched, written or formulated as part of our social policies, justice is far from being realized. Perhaps it can be argued that humanity have rejected the origins of these laws and regulations and came up with mere philosophies that does not address the real problems. The best model for social justice is in the Bible which in Borg’s view is the foundation for political and personal transformation. Any attempt to fight for social justice must be based on the word of God because the Kingdom of God is the heart of jus tice (Borg, 2003). Borg also argues that although the American society promotes the principles of individualism, all humans are part of a wider social-economic, political, cultural, and faith systems that promotes social lives in the community (Borg, 2003). Borg goes back to the biblical account to show God’s passion for social and political justice. He maintains that Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God in the New Testament is all about justice (Borg, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Justice: Wray’s Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Similarly, views have been expressed by O’ Donohue who states that the biblical concept of justice is intrinsically connected to human relationship. He argues that God demands for justice that does not appear in abstract, but the kind of justice that exists within our human lives. True justice emer ges from the relationship between humanity and God and fellow humanity. It starts with the individual then moves on to society (O’ Donahue, 1977). This is the line of argument that Wray has followed. In his view, biblical law and justice should be the main text for students studying social justice and other law related courses. The most important part of these texts is that which deals with Torah on the Old Testament and the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. These texts contain the golden rules upon which we derive our mannerism and ways of treating other people. The purpose of the biblical laws was originally given to regulate human behavior in a manner that was intended by God from the beginning (Wray, 2011). Consequently, these laws have become the cornerstone for legal codes that governs modern civilized societies. This is not to say that the modern societies are perfect. But regardless of their levels of civilizations crime, injustices and immoralities are still the o rder of the day. We still have many cases of rape, murders, theft, slandering, corruption, fraud, and lying, even as the bible prohibits such behaviors.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Our jails and prisons are full of people have been locked up for going against these laws. These laws have governed the world since the days of ancient Israel when they were first given to control humans but their behaviors are still the same (Berger, 2007). This does not imply that these laws are ineffective. In fact, they are still unique and effective if applied appropriately. Wray laments that most religious educators and preachers do not discuss biblical justice with the laws of Israel. This means that one cannot teach about observing the laws without first developing a relationship with the lawgiver, who is God. For instance, treating other people fairly, defending the poor and the weak can only demonstrate the existing covenant relationship with God. The Four Assumptions of Biblical Laws and Justice Wray also outlines four main assumptions connected to the interpretation of the biblical laws and justice (Wray, 2011). The first assumptions that are commonly held by many people purports that the Ten Commandments were given by God and therefore God’s people are obliged to abide by these rules and regulations. In Wray’s view, the ten commandments should be treated like’ formulaic prohibitions’ that controls human behaviors and legalizes how the community needs to relate with each other (2011, p.162). He continues to suggest that the interpretation of the law should not be confined to the Ten Commandments only, but should include the entire Torah including other 600 laws. However, there are divergent views concerning the interpretation and practice of Torah (biblical laws from genesis to Deuteronomy) between various Christian denominations and other world religions (Wray, 2011). The second assumption suggests that when one breaks these laws then they are subjected to punishment which in Wray’s view has given birth to retributive justice. The interpretation of this concept has brought lots of complications to the understandi ng of crime and punishment, commonly referred to in the bible as an eye to eye. Wray claims that biblical laws are divided into two areas, the apodictic laws which include the Ten Commandments which in most cases are prohibitory nature. He argues that this group of laws does not contain any elements of punishment attached to them, rather they were meant to deter the offenders from committing the offence. In other words, they are precautionary or preventive rather curative. They are unique and different from any other laws found in Ancient Near Eastern regions (Wray, 2011). However, Wray indicates that the second type of the laws can be grouped as casuistic because they are more of case laws which were common in the Ancient near eastern societies and commonly used in court cases in even in those days. From his assessment of these two types of laws, Wray concludes the entire Torah were specifically give to the Children to regulate their devotion to God and control how they behave towa rds their human beings (Wray, 2011). According to Wray, the third assumption supports and advocates for Golden rule. This rule suggests that we should treat others fairly and then expect the same in return. He argues that the Golden Rule promotes justice and fairness in the society. It addresses the notion of fairness and justice and especially to the weak, oppressed and poor. While the fourth assumption purports that justice is about caring for those people in the society who are less fortunate, socially disadvantaged and marginalized (Wray, 2011). Conclusion This paper has attempted to evaluate Wray’s paper which suggests that the essential aspects of biblical law and justice must be taught to classrooms for those studying justice and law related a subjects. Social justice is still a major concern for many societies and the solution is to go back to the basics. The author argues that justice is socially constructed; meaning that its interpretation differs from one society t o another. Wray argues that the biblical laws upon which our modern legal code and social values are based were originated given by God to govern human behaviors and regulate how they relate with God and fellow humanity. Therefore, true justice must start with the individual’s close relationship with God and then be reflected and translated back to the society. This implies that our view and practice of justice must begin with the individual person and stream down to the society. Furthermore, it supports the argument that religious educators must teach the individual students to change their own views and attitudes as individuals before they can go out there and transform the rest of society. Reference List Berger, R. M. (2007). What the heck is social justice? Sojourners Magazine, 36(2), 37. Borg, M. (2003). The kingdom of God: The heart of justice. In The heart of Christianity. pp. 127-148. San Francisco: Harper Collins. Miller, D. (1999). Principles of social justice. Camb ridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. O’Donahue, J. (1977). Biblical perspectives on justice. In Haughey, J. (Ed). The faith that does justice. pp. 68-112. New York: Paulist Press. Wray, T. J. (2011). What the Bible really tells us: The essential guide to biblical literacy. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Communing with God (Meditation and contemplation ) Essay

Communing with God (Meditation and contemplation ) - Essay Example Meditation is more of a response to something like after reading a passage in the Bible. Meditation is to study God’s Word and to think of ways in which it can be applied in one’s day-to-day life. Literally, meditation is defined as: "the act of meditating; continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation; transcendental meditation; devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection."1 Contemplation, on the other hand, is defined as: "the act of contemplating; thoughtful observation; full or deep consideration; reflection: religious contemplation; purpose or intention; prospect or expectation."2 Meditation is more of a response to something like after reading a passage in the Bible. Meditation is to study God's Word and to think of ways in which it can be applied in one's day-to-day life. Contemplation is more of reflecting without necessarily using any reading material. It is an act of deep, thoughtful thinking that leads to a renewed mind and heart.3 Th ese two terms often come together and are usually associated with prayer.The Christian faith has prayer as one of its major pillars. One has to communicate with God and vice versa. Humans talk to God in prayer and God talks to humans through the Bible. It is in this manner where meditation and contemplation enter in. Through this exercise, man learns discipline, calmness and a sense of security. Through constant mediation and contemplation, one becomes more "spiritual" and "holy."The Buddhists also practice meditation. This is done to discipline the mind and the body. Yoga is "a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle."4 Both the Christians and the Buddhists believe that by subjugating the body through meditation and contemplation, one is able to reach a higher level of spirituality. Why is there a need to subjugate the body and make it submit to one's mind Father Rolheiser's book5 leads the reader to the reason why humans need to commune with God. It also serves as a guide to those who are aspiring to be spiritual. According to Rolheiser, every healthy Christian should possess the four essentials of living such as: "private prayer and private morality; social justice; mellowness of heart and spirit; and community as a constitutive element of true worship."6 We are always "restless, dissatisfied, frustrated, and aching. We are so overcharged with desire that it is hard to come to simple rest. Desire is always stronger than satisfaction."7 About two years ago, I was so depressed and downcast because my mother was lying in the hospital bed for almost a month without any sign of recovery. The doctors kept telling us that if she would cooperate, she could get better. Sleepless nights had really affected me and I became irritable, impatient and irrational. In order to avoid further damage to my relationship with my siblings, I decided to "go away" for a while. I drove some 100 miles from the hospital, stayed in my mother's house and just literally "kill time." When news came that my mother was already in comma and would pass away any moment, I had the urge of going back to her side immediately. However, deep within me is a prompting that even if I get near her that very moment, I could not reverse anything. So I attended a church prayer meeting, listened carefully to the preacher and silently meditated on God's Word. As I sat still in silence, I felt a certain calmness that I have not experienced for a long time. There was this sense of peace

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S Term Paper

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S - Term Paper Example This paper offers contemporary analysis of the recent tendencies in American market for consumer loans. The research clearly shows that the situation in the market is gradually improving, considering the growth in consumer loans provided. Consumer purchases just like the entire consumer behavior, is a complex one. Businesses as well as academicians have been focusing on this behavioral pattern for quite some time. In the post crisis situation the business houses also need to have fair knowledge of consumer’s income. In the post crisis situation where most countries are still recovering from economic downturn, consumers are experiencing low disposable income. The effects of credit crunch of 2007 fails to die down as organizations may not be able to finance sufficient credit and this is likely to have an effect on consumer credit. Clearly after the global financial crisis US economy has suffered a loss in mortgage markets. The credit situation has been deeply influenced by financial crisis. Bad debts as a result of easy availability of credits have culminated into a crisis. Financial crisis was just an outcome of accumulating debt. During the economic times in 2005 consumer spending was at such a rate that savings had landed on zero. Post crisis consumers are increasing their savings rate. Although still much in wide usage consumers are trying to make less use of credit cards. In recent times banks have made some recovery and lending is again taking place. They are mainly supplying student loans.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 67

Journal - Essay Example On the contrary, reading books encourage readers to slow down and think about what is being communicated by the author. Consequently, there is a relationship that is formed between the reader and the author. Moreover, the reader is able to empathize with characters in novels which make them able to understand other people’s feelings and thoughts. Therefore, Paul suggests that reading novels and other printed reading materials can make people smarter and better social beings. In order to make her readers take the matter seriously, Paul opens her article with a statement made by Gregory Currie, a professor of philosophy at the University of Nottingham in the New York Times. This background establishes that the argument Paul is about to present is worth delving into. Right on the second paragraph, the author shows that the professor’s claim contradict what studies show, making the article more intriguing and interesting. Throughout the article, Paul cites examples which validate her claims. She maintains a serious and passionate tone as she explains the importance of the subject matter at hand and why readers should also consider her arguments in the same

Friday, November 15, 2019

Economic Growth of China

Economic Growth of China Introduction This paper provides summarizes of FDI in China in the past decade until 2009, It describes the overview of the Economic growth, the sources and the benefits and costs to China and foreign companies. Moreover, the paper analyses the potential impact of China to compare with other countries. This paper covers four main ideas: Firstly, there is the definition of FDI and how there are different between the direct and indirect investments. Secondly, to analyze the benefits that China will receive from FDI and case study of Hewlett-Packard. Next, how Economics China has been growing fast from 1999 to 2008 and how inflow FDI has effected to GDP growth. Finally, the last part is summary of benefit in China. What is FDI The International Monetary Fund defines foreign direct investment (FDI) as an investment that allows an investor to have a significant voice in the management of an enterprise operating outside the investors own country. For example, General Motor decided to reduce the cost of production in United State; therefore, GM invested money to build new factory in different countries such as China, Thailand and Malaysia. However, the host country has to have an equity stake at least 10 per cent or more for the voting power of the operation in a foreign country. There are two types of investments which are the direct investment such as bonds, stocks and buildings and the indirect investment such as new technologies, capital, processes, products, organizational technologies and management skills. Both investments have advantages to Chinas Economic and foreign investors. China has the population more than 1.3 billion people (1,330,044,605 as of mid-2008), and is the worlds largest number of the population. China has become the largest recipient of FDI in the third world, absorbing nearly half of total foreign investment in developing countries since 1992 (The Economist, 1999). Between 1999-2008, China had received the FDI inflows about US$ 58.52 billion which is equal to 7.32 per cent of direct investment with non-financial. At the end of 1978, Deng Xiaoping who was Chinese communist leader had new policy opening its economy for foreign firms to increase investment (Kahal, 2001). The government policies were set up for new joint ventures in special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Xiamen, Guangdong, and Shenzhen and coastal cities such as Fujian, Beijing, and Shanghai. The government also offered special incentive policies for FDI in these SEZs. As Tian said ‘The significant of Dengs policy initiatives is to make full use of market mechanisms, or re-link with the global market system, domestically as well as internationally. From this result, China has become a new market for foreign investors to encourage FDI inflows. In 2008, as shown in figure 1, China has a high of FDI inflow about US$ 92.4 billion or about 23.5 per cent of Economic growth. Non-Financial Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Inflows between 1999-2008 Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Number of projects 16,918 22,347 26,139 34,171 41,081 43,664 44,019 41,473 37,871 27,514 Growth (%) -14.6 32.1 17.0 30.7 20.2 6.3 0.8 -5.8 -8.7 -27.3 Utilized FDI ($ billion) 40.3 40.7 46.9 52.7 53.5 60.6 60.3 63.0 74.8 92.4 Growth (%) -11.3 1.0 15.2 12.4 1.5 13.3 -0.5 4.5 13.6 23.5 General Economic and Financial Indicators between 1999-2008 (All figures are in billions of RMB or percent unless otherwise indicated) Main Indicators 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 GDP 8,967.7 9,921.5 10,965.5 12,033.3 13,582.3 15,987.8 18,321.7 21,192.4 25,730.6 30,067.0 Growth (%) 7.6 8.4 8.3 9.1 10.0 10.1 10.4 11.6 13.0 9.0 How does China get the benefit from FDI? To analyze the benefits of FDI into China; There are several opportunities for foreign invertors such as low cost and productivity of labour, natural resources and opening policy. China is the worlds largest population in the world and has a high level of labour with low salaries which can reduce the cost of production for foreign companies. In addition, this chance can create of employment opportunities and learn high technology skills. For example, Hewlett-Packard which was the first Sino-American high-tech joint venture in the Chinas electronic industry built in June 1985 in China (Lou, 2000). HP offered a long-term partnership, to maintain in the four modernizations and technological transfer and invested US$6-$7 million a year in the research and development center to provide professional service and support for its clients in China (Lou, 2000). From this investment, local communities would have knowledge transfers, technology spillovers and inflow of the capital. Moreover, MNCs in China give more benefits and higher rates such as bonuses, salaries, wages, and insurances because they are larger and more productivity than domestic companies or small companies. FDI transfers high technology skills to Chinese for increasing quality of production methods. How many of investment is Economic Growth? During 1999-2008 periods, Chinas FDI increased from US$ 40.3 billion to US$ 92.4 billion and the percentage of real GDP growth also become increasing from 7.6 per cent to 9 percent at the same time. However, the number of projects by foreign firms had dropped from 41,473 in 2005 to 27,514 in 2008 because of Economic crisis such as the Asian financial crisis, increasing fuel price and unemployment rate. Top 10 Origins of Non-Financial FDI Country/Region of Origin Amount Invested 2007 ($billion) Amount Invested 2008 ($billion) Year-on-Year Growth (%) Hong Kong 27.7 41.0 48.1 British Virgin Islands 16.6 16.0 -3.6 Singapore 3.2 4.4 39.3 Japan 3.6 3.7 1.8 Cayman Island 2.6 3.2 22.3 South Korean 3.7 3.1 -14.8 United States 2.6 2.9 12.5 Western Samoa 2.2 2.6 17.5 Taiwan 1.8 1.9 7.0 Mauritius 1.3 1.5 12.1 FDI is significant element in Chinas reform and economic growth. Thats mean inflow FDI increasing effect to the volume of GDP growth. In 2008, as shown in figure 3, Hong Kong that was the highest top 10 origins of non-financial FDI inflows, received the capital of investment from foreign enterprises about US$ 41 billion and gained more 48.1 per cent from last year (Cheng and Kwan, 2000; Gao, 2005). Conclusion China has become the largest market of FDI among developing countries because of opening trade policys Deng. It has been increasing of the capital inflow by foreign firms, even though economic world is slowly growth. Indeed, foreign investors bring the beneficial opportunity on Chinas economy such as technology transfers, productivity spillovers, employment opportunities and Economic growth. Reference Cheng, K.L. Kwan, Y.K. (2000), What are the determinants of the location of foreign direct investment? The Chinese experience, Journal of International Economics, vol. 51, pp. 379-400. Ford, M. (2008), Adoption of Quality Practices in a Multidivisional Environment: a longitudinal Study, Quality Management Journal, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 7-16. Kahal, S. E. (2001), Business in Asia Pacific: text and cases, Oxford University Press, Oxford [England]. Luo, Y. (2000), Guanxi and business, World Scientific, Singapore. Rosenberg, M. (2008), China Population The Population Growth of the Worlds Largest Country. About.com Guide. Available from: http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/chinapopulation.htm [Accessed: December 10, 2009]. Tian, X. (1996), Chinas open door policy in development perspective, Canadian Journal of Development Studies 17, vol. 1, pp. 75-95.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Process Journal :: Papers

For our set text we were given the play Mrs Warrens Profession. For our choice of scene we chose scene four, the last act because the scene contains the right amount of characters for our group of four. Also the ending scene is the climax of the entire play and is full of action, we felt that the last scene was complete with comedy and romance, tension and emotion and our group felt that this scene would hold the audiences attention well. In staging the set text scene we needed to show the office environment, so we used two tables and a few chairs as in the stage instructions, and we used props such as books and papers, and a pen in an ink holder to show the time that the play was set. We were only allowed five lighting changes in total, so our group decided to keep the lighting the same to allow for more in our devised scene. The warm, yellow light suited the topics being discussed at the beginning of the scene, going to Italy and beauty and romance, but if we had unlimited changes I would have had the lighting slowly change to a harsher less yellow light when I entered, to show trouble and set the mood, and then again when Frank and Praed left to increase the tension. When we first read through the set text, we played around with different elements of the characters, emphasizing areas and changing voices and tones of voice, and exaggerating characters to then point of humour. This was in order to explore my character fully and find out as much as I could about my interpretation of how Mrs Warren thought and acted. From this and exploring the text thoroughly I found that my character, Mrs Warren was a strong character and firm in her

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Blood Test

How to Quickly and Easily Understand Your Blood Tests Without A Medical Degree The Simplified Patient Reference Guide By Ronald J. Grisanti D. C. Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty The author, Ronald Grisanti and publisher, Busatti Corporation have made their best effort to produce a high quality, informative and helpful book. The author and Publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the contents of this program. They accept no liability of any kind for any losses or damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly, from using the information contained in this book. This book is not intended for use as a source of any legal or medical advice. The Publisher wants to stress that the information contained herein may be subject to varying international, federal, state and/or local laws or regulations. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen. How to Quickly and Easily Understand Your Blood Tests Without A Medical Degree Copyright  © 2004 Busatti Corporation All right reserved worldwide Busatti Corporation and Ronald Grisanti own all right, title, and interest in this publication. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email, without permission in writing from the Publisher. 2 About the Author Dr. Ronald Grisanti is a practicing chiropractic physician since 1981. In addition to earning his doctorate in chiropractic medicine, Dr. Grisanti is a Board Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist and Board Certified Sports Physician. He is presently completing his Master’s Degree in Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport. In addition, Dr. Grisanti has had extensive training in Functional Diagnostic Medicine and frequently consults with patients suffering with difficult to diagnose health problems like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety, acid reflux and other challenging health conditions. His admirable success record has earned him the title, â€Å"Your Medical Detective. † Dr. Grisanti has discovered that many health problems can be successful treated once the underlying cause has been found. He is known for his tenacity and strong will to find the root cause of a patient’s health problem. In 2001, with his ever-growing love for research, Dr. Grisanti launched his weekly medical report titled, â€Å"The Grisanti Report† and has written over 400 articles on a host of medical conditions. His weekly reports have gained worldwide attention and are now read in over 40 countries around the world. His list of subscribers has grown into the thousands. Just recently, Dr. Grisanti launched his exclusive membership site called YourMedicalDetective. com. Dr. Grisanti invites you to take a tour of his new site. Go to www. YourMedicalDetective. com 3 This site gives you exclusive, in-depth information and tools to help you and your doctor track down the real cause of your health challenges and solve them. Dr. Grisanti would like to thank you for purchasing his digital book titled â€Å"How to Quickly and Easily Understand Your Blood Tests Without A Medical Degree. † I believe you will benefit from a book that finally makes sense out of your blood chemistry results. Take care and enjoy the book. 4 Table of Contents Glucose Sodium Potassium Magnesium Chloride Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Creatinine BUN/Creatinine Ratio Uric Acid Phosphorus Calcium Albumin Calcium Albumin Ratio Globulin A/G Ratio Alkaline Phosphorus SGOT/AST and SGPT/ALT GGT LDH Total Protein Iron Ferritin Triglycerides Cholesterol LDL Cholesterol HDL Cholesterol Cholesterol/HDL Ratio CO2 White Blood Cell Count Neutrophils Monocytes Lymphocytes Eosinophils Basophils Red Blood Cells Hemoglobin Hematocrit Platelets Reticulocyte Count MCV MCH T3 T4 T7 T3 Update TSH Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) 5 Comprehensive Blood Test Guide Don't you just hate when you get your blood test back and you have absolutely no idea what all those numbers mean on a standard chemistry profile? Well now you can use this book to help you understand your test a bit better. GLUCOSE Glucose: This is the chief source of energy for all living organisms. A level greater than 105 in someone who has fasted for 12 hours suggests a diabetic tendency. If this level is elevated even in a non-fasting setting one must be concerned that there is a risk for developing diabetes. This is an incredibly powerful test and can predict diabetes ten years or more before one develops the strict definition of diabetes which is levels greater than 120. Common Causes of Glucose Increase: Diabetes, poor carbohydrate utilization, syndrome X Less Common Causes of Glucose Increase: Cerebral lesions, uremia, pregnancy, intracranial pressure, cushing's disease, hyperthyroidism, chronic nephritis, infections, first 24 hours after a severe burn, pancreatitis, cerebral lesions, uremia, early hyperpituitarism Common Causes of Glucose Decrease: Fasting Hypoglycemia Clinical Note: LDH will frequently be decreased or in the low normal with Fasting Hypoglycemia, however, LDH will almost ALWAYS be decreased with Reactive Hypoglycemia Less Common Causes of Glucose Decrease: liver damage, pancreatic adenoma, addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency), starvation, late hypopituitarism Carcinoma of islet tissue Clinical Adult Range: 70-115 mg/dL Optimal Adult Range: 85-100 mg/dL Red Flag Range 250 mg/dL Clinical Notes: Order Glycohemoglobin (HGB A1C) with serum glucose values above 160 and to monitor diabetics under therapy Nutrition Tip: Thiamine Defi ciency has been linked to increase in glucose levels 6 SODIUM Sodium: This element plays an important role in salt and water balance in your body. A low level in the blood can be caused by too much water intake, heart failure, or kidney failure. A low level can also be caused by loss of sodium in diarrhea, fluid or vomiting. A high level can be caused by too much intake of salt or by not enough intake of water. Clinical Adult Range: 135-145 Optimal Adult Range: 140-144 Red Flag Range 155 mmol/L Common Causes of Sodium Increase: Nephritis (kidney problems), dehydration, hypercorticoadrenalism (increased adrenal function) Clinical Notes: Water Softeners have been linked to cause an increase in sodium Common Causes of Sodium Decrease: Reduced kidney filtration, diarrhea, Addison’s disease, adrenal hypo-function POTASSIUM Potassium: This element is found primarily inside the cells of the body. Low levels in the blood may indicate severe diarrhea, alcoholism, or excessive use of water pills. Low potassium levels can cause muscle weakness and heart problems. Clinical Adult Range: 3. 5-5. 0 Optimal Adult Range: 4. 0-4. 6 Red Flag Range 6. mmol/L Common Causes of Potassium Increase: Adrenal hypo-function, cortisol resistance, acidosis, ongoing tissue destruction Common Causes of Potassium Decrease: Diarrhea, diuretic use, kidney problems, adrenal hyperfunction Less Common Causes of Potassium Decrease: Anemia, overdosage of testosterone, hereditary periodic paralysis, hypertension Nutrition Tip: Excessive licorice consumption has been linked to lower potassium levels 7 MAGNESIUM Magnesium: This important element is found in the arteries, heart, bone, muscles, nerves, teeth. Clinical Adult Range: 1. 7-2. 4 Optimal Adult Range: 2. 2-2. 6 Red Flag Range 1. 6 mg/dL Common Causes of Creatinine Increase: Kidney Problems, Gout Clinical Note: If Creatinine is 1. or higher in a male over the age of 40, Prostate Hypertrophy MUST be ruled out Less Common Causes of Creatinine Increase: Renal Hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, congestive heart failure, urinary tract infection, dehydration Clinical Note: Suspect early nephritis ( kidney disease) if creatinine is between 2-4 mg/dL. Suspect severe nephritis is creatinine is between 4-35 mg/dL Common Causes of Creatinine Decrease: Amyotonia congenita BUN/CREATININE RATIO BUN/Creatinine Ratio: increased values may indicate catabolic st ates, dehydration, circulatory failure leading to fall in renal blood flow, congestive heart failure, acute and chronic renal (kidney) failure, urinary tract obstruction, prostatic enlargement, high protein diet. Decreased values may indicate overhydration, low protein/high carbohydrate diet, pregnancy Clinical Adult Range: 6-10 Optimal Adult Range: 10-16 Red Flag Range 30 Common Causes of BUN/Creatinine Ratio Increase: Kidney problems Less Common Causes of BUN/Creatinine Ratio Increase: Catabolic states, prostatic hypertrophy, high protein diet, dehydration, shock Common Causes of BUN/Creatinine Ratio Decrease: Low protein/high carbohydrate diet, pregnancy 10 URIC ACID Uric Acid: Uric acid is the end product purine metabolism. High levels are seen in gout, infections, high protein diets, and kidney disease. Low levels generally indicate protein and molybdenum (trace mineral) deficiency, liver damage or an overly acid kidney. Clinical Female Range: 2. 4-6. 0 mg/dL Clinical Male Range: 3. 4-7. 0 mg/dL Optimal Female Range: 3. 0-5. 5 mg/dL Optimal Male Adult Range: 3. 5-5. 9 mg/dL Red Flag Range 9. mg/dL Common Causes of Uric Acid Increase: Gout, kidney problems, arteriosclerosis, arthritis Les s Common Causes of Uric Acid Increase: Metallic poisoning (mercury, lead), intestinal obstruction, leukemia, polycythemia, malignant tumors, drug diuretics Common Causes of Uric Acid Decrease: Chronic B-12 or folate anemia, pregnancy Less Common Causes of Uric Acid Increase: Salicylate and atrophine therapy Nutrition Tip: If the uric acid is low with a normal MCV and MCH, a molybdenum deficiency may be present PHOSPHORUS Phosphorus: Phosphorus is closely associated with calcium in bone development. Therefore most of the phosphate in the body is found in the bones. But the phosphorus level in the blood is very important for muscle and nerve function. Very low levels of phosphorus in the blood can be associated with starvation or malnutrition and this can lead to muscle weakness. High levels in the blood are usually associated with kidney disease. However the blood must be drawn carefully as improper handling may falsely increase the reading. Clinical Adult Range: 2. 5-4. 5 Optimal Adult Range: 3. 2-3. 9 Red Flag Range 5. 0 mg/dL Common Causes of Phosphorus Increase: Parathyroid dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, excessive phosphoric acid in soft drinks. Important Fact: Children will have an increase in Phosphorus due to normal bone growth. In addition, people with fractures will usually reveal an increase. Less Common Causes of Phosphorus Increase: Bone tumors, edema, ovarian hyper-function, diabetes, excess intake of vitamin D Common Causes of Phosphorus Decrease: Parathyroid Hyper-function, osteomalacia, rickets 11 Less Common Causes of Phosphorus Decrease: Diabetes, liver dysfunction, protein malnutrition, neurofibromatosis, myxedema Nutrition Tip: Phosphorus is frequently decreased with diets high in refined sugars Clinical Note: Suspect Vitamin D deficiency with low levels of calcium, phosphorus and increased levels of alkaline phosphorus Clinical Note: Phosphorus is a general indicator of digestive function. Consider hypochlorhydria when phosphorus is below 3. 0 and total serum globulin is greater than 3. 0 or less than 2. 4 CALCIUM Calcium: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is involved in bone metabolism, protein absorption, fat transfer, muscular contraction, transmission of nerve impulses, blood clotting, and heart function. It is highly sensitive to elements such as magnesium, iron, and phosphorous as well as hormonal activity, vitamin D levels, CO2 levels and many drugs. Diet, or even the presence of calcium in the diet has a lot to do with â€Å"calcium balance† – how much calcium you take in and how much you lose from your body. Clinical Adult Range: 8. 5-10. 8 Optimal Adult Range: 9. 7-10. 1 Red Flag Range 12. 0 mg/dL Common Causes of Calcium Increase: Hyperparathyroidism Less Common Causes of Calcium Increase: Tumor of the thyroid, hypervitaminosis (excess Vitamin D), multiple myeloma, neurfibromatosis, osteoporosis, ovarian hypo-function, adrenal hypo-function Clinical Note: Serum protein influences calcium levels. Calcium goes up with increased protein and goes down with decreased protein Common Causes of Calcium Decrease: Hypoparathyroidism, pregnancy, hypochlorhydria, kidney dysfunction Less Common Causes of Calcium Decrease: Vitamin D deficiency, diarrhea, celiac disease, protein malnutrition, chemical/heavy metal toxicity, HPA-axis dysfunction Clinical Fact: Poor intestinal fat absorption may be suspected with low levels of calcium, bilirubin and phosphorus Nutrition Note: Pancreatic enzyme deficiency may be suspected with low levels of calcium, triglycerides and increased levels of LDH 12 Clinical Note: Circadin rhythm abnormality should be a primary consideration with calcium levels either above or below normal ALBUMIN Albumin: The most abundant protein in the blood, it is made in the liver and is an antioxidant that protects your tissues from free radicals. It binds waste products, toxins and dangerous drugs that might damage the body. Is also is a major buffer in the body and plays a role in controlling the precise amount of water in our tissues. It serves to transport vitamins, minerals and hormones. Lower levels are seen in poor diets, diarrhea, fever, infections, liver disease, kidney disease, third-degree burns, edemas or hypocalcemia. Clinical Adult Range: 3. 0-5. 5 Optimal Adult Range: 4. 0-4. 4 Red Flag Range 90U/L Common Causes of GGT Increase: Biliary obstruction, alcoholism, cholangitis/cholecystitis (bile duct and gall bladder inflammation) Clinical Note: If GGT is greater than 150 U/L with a serum bilirubin of over 2. 8 mg/dL, strongly suspect biliary obstruction. Seek immediate medical attention Clinical Note: If GGT values are five times igher than the clinical range suspect pancreatitis Less Common Causes of GGT Increase: Brucellosis, hepatitis, mononucleosis, bacterial and viral infection, malignancy, congestive heart failure biliary. Nutrition Note: Low levels of GGT may indicate a B-6 deficiency. Additional Clinical Notes: Food allergy/sensitivity is a very common finding with biliary dysfunction LDH Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH): LDH is an enzyme found in all tissues in the body. A high level in the blood can result from a number of different diseases such as hepatitis, anemia etc. Also, slightly elevated levels in the blood are common and usually do not indicate disease. The most common sources of LDH are the heart, liver, muscles, and red blood cells. Clinical Adult Range: 60-225U/L Optimal Adult Range: 140-200U/L Red Flag Range ;250U/L Common Causes of LDH Increase: Liver/biliary dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, tissue inflammation, tissue destruction, malignancy anywhere in the body, several types of anemias Clinical Note: LDH will frequently increase with low thyroid function Clinical Note: LDH is frequently increased with birth control usage 16 Nutrition Note: Decrease LDH may indicate reactive hypoglycemia. (Check glucose) TOTAL PROTEIN Total Protein: This is a measure of the total amount of protein in your blood. Total protein is the combination of albumin and total globulin and is affected by the albumin and total globulin. A low or high total protein does not indicate a specific disease, but it does indicate that some additional tests may be required to determine if there is a problem. Clinical Adult Range: 6. 0-8. 5g/dL Optimal Adult Range: 7. 1-7. 6g/dL Red Flag Range 8. g/dL Common Causes of Prote in Increase: Dehydration, â€Å"early† carcinoma, multiple myeloma (should be correlated with serum protein electrophoresis) Less Common Causes of Protein Increase: malignancy, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis Common Causes of Protein Decrease: Protein malnutrition, digestive inflammation (colitis, gastritis) Less Common Causes of Protein Decrease: hypothyroidism, leukemia, adrenal hyper-function, congestive heart failure Nutrition Note: If protein and calcium are found to be on the low side of the optimal range suspect poor protein absorption. Additional Nutrition Notes: Decreased protein, cholesterol and SGPT may indicate fatty liver congestion IRON Iron: The body must have iron to make hemoglobin and to help transfer oxygen to the muscle. If the body is low in iron, all body cells, particularly muscles in adults and brain cells in children, do not function up to par. If this test is low you should consider getting a Ferritin test, especially if you are a female who still has menstrual cycles. Clinical Adult Range: 40-150ug/ml Optimal Adult Range: 50-100ug/ml Red Flag Range 200ug/ml Common Causes of Iron Increase: Hemochromomatosis, liver dysfunction, iron therapy, pernicious and hemolytic anemia Less Common Causes of Iron Increase: cooking with iron utensils 17 Common Causes of Iron Decrease: Pathologic bleeding (especially in geriatric population), iron deficiency anemia Less Common Causes of Protein Decrease: chronic infections, kidney and liver problems Nutrition Note: Increased iron with decreased hemocrit (HCT) suggests intrinsic factor deficiency Clinical Notes: An iron evaluation is not complete without ordering Ferritin (see below) FERRITIN Ferritin: This test is considered the â€Å"gold standard† in documenting iron deficiency anemia. Low levels below 25 indicate a need for iron. High levels may an inflammatory disorder, infections, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease Clinical Male Adult Range: 33-236ng/mL Clinical Female Adult Range (before menopause): 11-122ng/mL Clinical Female Adult Range (after menopause): 12-263ng/mL Optimal Male Adult Range: 20-200ng/mL Optimal Female Adult Range (before menopause): 10-110ng/mL Optimal Female Adult Range(after menopause): 20-200ng/mL Red Flag Range 500ng/mL Common Causes of Ferritin Increase: Iron overload, hemochromatosis Less Common Causes of Ferritin Increase: inflammation, liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis Common Causes of Ferritin Decrease: Iron deficiency nemia Less Common Causes of Ferritin Decrease: Free radical pathology Clinical Notes: Serum ferritin greater than 1000 suspect hemochromatosis Clinical Notes: Iron overload and/or hemochromatosis are silent and can result in cirrhosis of the liver, bacterial infections, dementia, arteriosclerosis, diabetes and stroke Nutrition Note: Doctors specializing in chelation have found a correlation with increased iron and arteriosclerosis. TRIGLYCERIDES Triglycerides: These are fats used as fuel by the body, and as an energy source for metabolism. Increased levels are almost always a sign of too much carbohydrate intake and hyperlipidism. Decreased levels are seen in hyperthyroidism, malnutrition and malabsorption. 18 Clinical Adult Range: 50-150mg/dL Optimal Adult Range: 70-110mg/dL Red Flag Range 350mg/dL Common Causes of Triglycerides Increase: Hyperlipidism, diabetes, alcoholism Less Common Causes of Triglycerides Increase: Hypothyroidism, early stages of fatty liver Common Causes of Triglycerides Decrease: chemical/heavy metal overload, liver dysfunction, hyper thyroid function Clinical Notes: Resistive exercise training has been found to be effective in lowering elevated triglycerides CHOLESTEROL Cholesterol: Group of fats vital to cell membranes, nerve fibers and bile salts, and a necessary precursor for the sex hormones. High levels indicate diet high in carbohydrates/sugars. Low levels indicate low fat diet, malabsorption, anemia, liver disorders, carbohydrate sensitivity. Cholesterol values below 140 are considered one of the four OMINOUS signs. Clinical Adult Range: 120-200mg/dL Optimal Adult Range: 150-180mg/dL Red Flag Range 400mg/dL Common Causes of Cholesterol Increase: Early stages of diabetes, fatty liver, arteriosclerosis, hypothyroidism Less Common Causes of Cholesterol Increase: biliary obstruction, multiple sclerosis, pregnancy Common Causes of Cholesterol Decrease: Liver dysfunction, chemical/heavy metal overload, hyperthyroidism, viral hepatitis, free radical pathology Nutrition Note: Increased cholesterol levels have been found to be lowered y the amino acid methionine Clinical Notes: Cholesterol level below 130 is considered an Ominous sign Clinical Notes: If cholesterol is above 220 with a SGPT below 10 suspect liver congestion/fatty liver LDL CHOLESTEROL LDL Cholesterol: LDL is the cholesterol rich remnants of the lipid transport vehicl e VLDL (very-low density lipoproteins) there have been many studies to correlate the association between high levels of LDL and arterial arteriosclerosis. 19 Clinical Adult Range: 50mg/dL Clinical Adult Female Range: ;55mg/dL Optimal Adult Male Range: ;55mg/dL Optimal Adult Male Range: ;60mg/dL Red Flag Range 3. 0) may indicate intestinal parasites LYMPHOCYTES Lymphocytes: elevated in acute and chronic infections. Decreased in viral infection and immune deficiency Clinical Adult Range: 20-40 percent of total WBC Optimal Adult Range: 25-40 percent of total WBC Red Flag Range 55 percent of total WBC 22 Common Causes of Lymphocytes Increase: Chronic viral or bacterial infection, Childhood diseases (measles, mumps, chicken-pox, rubella, etc. ), HIV, Hepatitis Less Common Causes of Lymphocytes Increase: Chemical/heavy metal toxicity Common Causes of Lymphocytes Decrease: Active infections Clinical Notes: Suspect a viral infections when the lymphocytes increase to a point that either equal or exceeds the neutrophil level EOSINOPHILS Eosinophils: Elevated in allergic conditions, skin diseases, parasitic diseases Clinical Adult Range: 0-7 percent of total WBC Optimal Adult Range: 0-3 percent of total WBC Red Flag Range 55 percent of total WBC Common Causes of Eosinophils Increase: Allergic condition (asthma), food sensitivities, parasitic infection Less Common Causes of Eosinophils Increase: Chemical/heavy metal toxicity, Hodgkin’s disease, ovarian and bone tumors BASOPHILS Basophils: Elevated in Infections Clinical Adult Range: 0-2 percent of total WBC Optimal Adult Range: 0-1 percent of total WBC Red Flag Range 2. 0% Common Causes of Reticulocyte Count Increase: Internal bleeding Common Causes of Reticulocyte Count Decrease: Vitamin b-12, B-6 and folic acid anemia MCV Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) The MCV indicates the volume occupied by the average red blood cell Clinical Adult Range: 81. 0-99. 0cu. microns Optimal Adult Range: 82. 0-89. 9cu. microns Red Flag Range 95. 0cu. microns Common Causes of MCV Count Increase: Vitamin B-12/Folic Acid Anemia Common Causes of MCV Count Decrease: Iron anemia, internal bleeding Clinical Notes: If the MCV is ;89. 9 and the MCH is ;31. 9, suspect Vitamin B-12 or folic anemia. This should be confirmed with a serum or urinary methylmalonic (vitamin B-12) and a serum or urinary homocysteine (folic acid and vitamin B-6) Clinical Notes: If iron, ferritin are normal and MCV, MCH, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are all decreased, suspect a toxic metal body burden MCH Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) The MCV indicates the volume occupied by the average red blood cell Clinical Adult Range: 26. 0-33. 0micro-micro grams Optimal Adult Range: 27. 0-31. 9micro-micro grams Red Flag Range 34. 0micro-micro grams Common Causes of MCV Count Increase: Vitamin B-12/Folic Acid Anemia Common Causes of MCV Count Decrease: Iron anemia, internal bleeding 26 Clinical Notes: If the MCV is ;89. 9 and the MCH is ;31. 9, suspect Vitamin B-12 or folic anemia. This should be confirmed with a serum or urinary methylmalonic (vitamin B-12) and a serum or urinary homocysteine (folic acid and vitamin B-6) Clinical Notes: If iron, ferritin are normal and MCV, MCH, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are all decreased, suspect a toxic metal body burden T3 T3 (Tri-Iodothyronine): T-3 is a thyroid hormone produced mainly from the peripheral conversion of thyroxine (T-4) Clinical Adult Range: 22-33% Optimal Adult Range: 26-30% Common Causes of T3 Increase: Hyperthyroidism Common Causes of T3 Decrease: Hypothyroidism T4 T-4 (Tetra-Iodothyronine): T-4 is the major hormone secreted by the thyroid gland. Clinical Adult Range: 4. 0-12. 0mcg/dL Optimal Adult Range: 7. 0-8. 5mcg/dL Common Causes of T4 Increase: Hyperthyroidism Common Causes of T3 Decrease: Hypothyroidism, anterior pituitary hypofunction T7 T7 (FTI-Free Thyroxine Index) FTI is an estimate, calculated from T-4 and T-3 uptake. Clinical Adult Range: 4. 0-12. 0mcg/dL Optimal Adult Range: 7. 0-8. 5mcg/dL Common Causes of T7 Increase: See T-3 uptake Common Causes of T3 Decrease: See T-3 uptake T-3 UPTAKE T-3 Uptake T-3 uptake measures the unsaturated binding sites on the thyroid bindng proteins 27 Clinical Adult Range: 22-36% Optimal Adult Range: 27-37% Red Flag Range 39 percent of uptake Common Causes of T-3 Uptake Increase: Thyroid hyperfunction Less Common Causes of T-3 Uptake Increase: Kidney dysfunction, salicylates toxicity and protein malnutrition Common Causes of T3 Decrease: Thyroid hypo-function TSH TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): is used to confirm or rule out suspected hypothyroidism when T3, T4, T7 are essentially normal and clinical signs suggest hypothyroidism Clinical Adult Range: 0. 4-4. 4mlU/L Optimal Adult Range: 2. 0-4. 0mlU/L Red Flag Range 10. 0mlU/L Common Causes of TSH Increase: Thyroid hypofunction Less Common Causes of TSH Increase: liver dysfunction Common Causes of TSH Decrease: Thyroid hyper-function, anterior hypofunction Clinical Notes: The axillary temperature (underarm) will frequently be

Friday, November 8, 2019

Charlemagne and the Battle of Roncevaux Pass

Charlemagne and the Battle of Roncevaux Pass Conflict: The Battle of Roncevaux Pass was part of Charlemagnes Iberian campaign of 778. Date: The Basque ambush at Roncevaux Pass is believed to have taken place on August 15, 778. Armies Commanders: Franks CharlemagneUnknown (large army) Basques Unknown (possibly Lupo II of Gascony)Unknown (guerilla raiding party) Battle Summary: Following a meeting of his court at Paderborn in 777, Charlemagne was enticed into invading northern Spain by Sulaiman Ibn Yakzan Ibn al-Arabi, wali of Barcelona and Girona. This was further encouraged by al-Arabis promise that the Upper March of Al Andalus would surrender quickly the Frankish army. Advancing south, Charlemagne entered Spain with two armies, one moving through the Pyrenees and another to the east passing through Catalonia. Traveling with the western army, Charlemagne quickly captured Pamplona and then proceeded on to the Upper March of Al Andalus capital, Zaragoza. Charlemagne arrived at Zaragoza expecting to find the citys governor, Hussain Ibn Yahya al Ansari, friendly to the Frankish cause. This proved not to be case as al Ansari refused to yield the city. Facing a hostile city and not finding the country to be as hospitable as al-Arabi had promised, Charlemagne entered into negotiations with al Ansari. In return for the Franks departure, Charlemagne was given a large sum of gold as well as several prisoners. While not ideal, this solution was acceptable as news had reached Charlemagne that Saxony was in revolt and he was needed to the north. Retracing its steps, Charlemagnes army marched back to Pamplona. While there, Charlemagne ordered the citys walls pulled down to prevent it from being used as a base for attacking his empire. This, along with his harsh treatment of the Basque people, turned the local inhabitants against him. On the evening of Saturday August 15, 778, while marching through Roncevaux Pass in the Pyrenees a large guerilla force of Basques sprung an ambush on the Frankish rearguard. Using their knowledge of the terrain, they decimated the Franks, plundered the baggage trains, and captured much of the gold received at Zaragoza. The soldiers of the rearguard fought valiantly, allowing the remainder of the army to escape. Among the casualties were several of Charlemagnes most important knights including Egginhard (Mayor of the Palace), Anselmus (Palatine Count), and Roland (Prefect of the March of Brittany). Aftermath Impact: Though defeated in 778, Charlemagnes armies returned to Spain in the 780s and fought there until his death, slowly extending Frankish control south. From the captured territory, Charlemagne created the Marca Hispanica to serve as a buffer province between his empire and the Muslims to the south. The Battle of Roncevaux Pass is also remembered as the inspiration for one of the oldest known works of French literature, the Song of Roland.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Childs mind Essays

Childs mind Essays Childs mind Paper Childs mind Paper It is a proven fact that her proportions could never be humanly possible to achieve. If she were the actually life size, she would stand an incredible seven feet tall, with body measurements of a 37inch bust, 20inch waist, and 25inch hips. If she could stand, despite her huge, heavy bust, Barbie could not play sport or even walk. She is supposed to be a young teenage girl but does her exaggerated measurements and perfect features portray the right image to impressionable seven year old girls? Another major factor in todays society is violence. It seems that everywhere we look violence attacks us. We see it in the streets, back alleys, schools, and even at home. The last of these is a major source of violence. In many peoples living rooms there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television, and the children who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violence with devastating effects. Much research has gone into showing why children are so mesmerized by this glowing box and the action that takes place within it. Research carried out by both universities in North America and the U.K. show that it is definitely a major source of violent behaviour in children. The research proves time and time again that aggression and television viewing go hand in hand. The truth about television violence and children has been shown. Some are trying to fight this problem. Others are ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Still others dont even seem to care. However, the facts are undeniable. The studies have been carried out and all results point to one conclusion: Television violence causes children to be violent and the effects can be life-long. The information cant be ignored. Violent television does affect children. In California, a seven year old boy sprinkled ground up glass in the meal his family was to eat for dinner. When asked why he did it he replied that he wanted to see if the results would be the same in real life as they were on television. This is certainly a startling example of how television can affect a childs mind.  In yet another piece of research, children who watch a lot of violent television were compared to children who dont. The results were that the children who watched more violent television were more likely to agree that its acceptable to hit someone if youre mad at them for a good reason. The other group learned that problems can be solved passively, through discussion. Fixing these problems is not easy. There are many factors that have to be considered and people convinced. These problem will, no doubt, never go away and continue to get worse as the years go by. However, there are measures that can be taken to prevent the children from ever being exposed to such things. After all, what will the world be like when todays youth is running the world?

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Gettier Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Gettier Problem - Essay Example Gettier’s argument says that it is possible that a person believes in something that is justified as well as wrong at the same time. One flaw is that Gettier’s argument can lead us to cynicism because it is evident from our everyday lives that it is hardly the case when something is justified by satisfactory evidence that fulfills all philosophical rules of relevant evidence. Gettier wrote his 1963 paper refuting the ‘Justified true Belief’ JTB. If Gettier’s paper is considered true than JTB nullifies but the following example exposes cracks in Gettier’s paper. S knows that P if and only if; ïÆ'Ëœ S believes P ïÆ'Ëœ P is true ïÆ'Ëœ S is justified in believing P ïÆ'Ëœ And P causes S to believe in P This example excludes the example of Gettier. And doesn’t believe in something as a given fact, for instance if there is a group of people and one person out of the group happens to be Brazilian, the above example cannot give me the position to state that I know that someone out of this group is a Brazilian since this fact will not be my cause for knowing. In his paper, is justified true belief knowledge of 1963, Edmund Gettier raised a problem which he argued and viewed in the traditional knowledge theory. Many attempts by a number of epistemologists have failed, for example, Thomas Paxson and Keith Lehrer put across a theory, which utilized the defeasibility argument to attempt solving the Gettier problem (Lehrer and Paxon 225- 237). In my opinion, Gettier’s problems possibly cannot be beaten of defeated on the basis of principles because in order to understand these problems one has to consider the premise of these problems as true, as it will explained later in this paper that Gettier only plays with the justification and the truth. And it is evident that there is a very fine line between the justification and the truth. Moreover, there is always a certain level of truth to be accepted by a prudent person. For instance, if we all agree to the fact that a billiard ball is round, the question is, is it really round in shape? Students of physics might know that when things are observed at molecular levels, the shapes and boundaries of objects are very different from what they were previously considered. So a billiard ball might not be exactly round at a very fine microscopic or atomic level. Similarly if we Gettier’s problems are considered a law or considered sufficient enough to define knowledge th en the shape of the earth can be figured out by a bowling ball. For instance it is a common observation that a bowling ball is considered heavy and it is common sense that earth is holding all forests, water, land and mountains, and is also a very heavy object. Now the bowling ball is round in shape, therefore we can conclude that the earth is also round in shape. I believe that it satisfies Gettier’s problem but this is infect a terrible logic, there is no relevance between the two objects. If only such premises are considered then earth would be shaped like a washing machine because a washing machine is heavy too. One of the many objectives of epistemologists is to come up with a theory of knowledge that specifies the necessary conditions for knowledge. Traditionally, scientists have only agreed to three of these conditions, and they include p is true, s believes in p, and s has a justification to believe in p. according to the theories, if the theories satisfied the condit ions then one could say that s knows p. but then Gettier came along with his arguments. In his arguments, he proposed to counterarguments to the traditional conditions, where the theory

Friday, November 1, 2019

Effective Leadership Traits Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Leadership Traits - Assignment Example The leaders should avoid panicking even though the situation does not work according to their expectations. Effective leaders should always work hard to assure their teams that everything is in control and that challenges always expected, but the most imperative thing is to focus on the main goal of the organization (Wart, 2012). The workers imitate their leaders; therefore, calm leaders will make workers calm and keep them working for better performance. Â  According to Wart (2012), effective leaders should be committed to performing their duties such as motivating their team and leading by example. A responsible leader sets the organizational goals and communicates them to their team. They build the capacity of the workers to pursue those goals by providing them with appropriate resources and motivating the workers to pursue organizational goals. Responsible leaders mobilize the organizational resources for the achievement of organizational goals and helping the workers to develop their careers and achieve self-fulfillment (Morse et. al., 2007). Therefore, effective leaders should have concern for both the organization and the workers by ensuring they grow together. Â  A leader is someone who has a vision of what the organization intends to achieve within a specified period both in the long-run and in short-term (Wart, 2012). There is a vacuum of knowledge between the leader and his or her team until that leader shares the vision with the team members. Effective leaders should be able to disseminate the knowledge they have to their team in a clear and concisely in order to enable them to move in the same direction.