Thursday, October 31, 2019

Connections in Middle Eastern Music and Religion Research Paper

Connections in Middle Eastern Music and Religion - Research Paper Example The use of music in the Jewish theory made profound success as a means of attracting youths into the synagogues. This led to creation of folk, jazz and rock forms of music. Jewish women participated in music either as composers or cantors and brought new dimension on ancient view points of the Jewish religion. The role of sacred music led to greater flowering of the music theory, which had been initially thought to be immoral .Middle eastern Jewish folks majorly used the maqam system, which was Arabic classical music (Randel, 550). (Isaacson, 185) notes that when individuals think about Jewish music, what comes into their minds are hymns, holiday songs, and prayer settings that are associated with synagogues. Modern cantors acquire their nusach in sacred music schools from 19th and 20th century cantor educators such as Katchko and Baer. Word painting was carried out by cantor, who learned different modulates, one after another. Two cantors chanting similar prayers using the same nusa ch created contrasting emotional responses in formation of the song. They also employed the use of Scarbova or Misinai, that meant anonymous; unattributed folk melodies. These melodies were well versed by the members of the congregation and in fact believed to descend from Moses in Mount Sinai. Scarbova Is Latin for Sacred. Songs were the essence of tradition and culture and comfort of hearing them had strong ties to the Jewish religion. Traditionally Yiddish music was played by use of string instruments.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 20000 words

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan - Dissertation Example E-government is the short form of electronic government, also known as the â€Å"e-gov† and has a number of other names in digital government, the online government, and even transformational government. E-government discusses the manner in which government makes use of the exchange of information and services that are pertinent with regards to the citizens, individual businesses, and other governmental agencies to name a few. E-government thus takes care of information and communications technology, which in this paper we will call as ICT. All these processes are carried out to ensure that there is improvement within the processes, efficiency is achieved, public services are better managed and delivered and there are plenty of tasks that are done in the right manner as far as processes of democratic governance are concerned. Thus to add to the same discussion, we see that the E-governments encompass a number of different models including the Government to Citizen, also known as the Government to Customer, Government to Business and lastly Government to Government. However, to coin the most significant of these activities that E-government does in the related scheme of things, we see that E-government increases efficiency between the tasks ensure there is convenience all around and there is a better accessibility factor related to the provision of basic public services. Hence the interaction between the private sector and that of the public sector is also improved as a result of the very same.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Importance of English in the Current Job Market

Importance of English in the Current Job Market The present paper seeks to analyze the current Job market scenarios and the importance of role of English in it and how IT is bridging the gap between the two. Out of the major job markets of the world, majority are from the countries where English is the main language or efforts are being made to make it one of the main language or efforts are being made to make it one of the main languages. It would not be wrong to say that English can be great GDP improving factor for a country in the current times. Now having been accepted universally by the doyens of industry the fact about the importance of English, the most logical question which comes to mind is the ease of use and the access to the stuff related to literature and language of the English. This is being facilitated by IT with its treasure of informational tools and portals. On one hand It is teaching and training people in English language and on the other hand giving the trained and skilled people access to the best of job ma rkets of the world which otherwise wouldnt be possible to find conventionally. The Economy of India is the eleventh largest in the world by nominal GDP[1] and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) Following strong economic reforms from the post-independence socialist economy, the countrys economic growth progressed at a rapid pace, as free market principles were initiated in 1991 for international competition and foreign investment. Other studies underscore that the Indian recovery has probably been the fastest among world markets, and confidence levels have also risen in tandem. The quarterly Employment Outlook Survey by Manpower, a world leader in the area of workforce solutions, says that Indias hiring outlook is the most optimistic among the 36 countries and territories included in the report, which is for the April-June 2010 quarter. No doubt that the Indian economy has been treading an exceptional growth path since the last decade. Being the least hit of all economies, the Indian economy has really survived the storm of global financial crisis. Rating agencies like, Moodys, have stated that the strong performance is a resultant factor of renewed growth between India and China. According to a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce Industry (Assocham), the Indian economy will create 87.37 million new jobs by 2015. The study was released in March by the secretary of the Planning Commission, which gave the projections an official seal of approval. According to Assochams survey, the most significant growth will come from the manufacturing sector, which will add 32% (27.88 million) of the new jobs. Trade will be next with 24.24 million jobs, following construction with 15.13 million. Tourism-related employment, information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS), and financial services will also grow. Taking the leading indicators of India economy into consideration, it suggests that the India economy will definitely continue to improve in a steadfast pace. The ongoing interest rates, exchange rate, stock market index indicate that the economic conditions have been let loose for a considerable time period and should be managed in a manner that the business confidence index improves. The Indian economy has been propelled by the liberalization policies that have been instrumental in boosting demand as well as trade volume. The growth rate has averaged around 7% since 1997 and India was able to keep its economy growing at a healthy rate even during the 2007-2009 recession, managing a 5.355% rate in 2009 (India GDP Growth). The biggest boon to the economy has come in the shape of outsourcing. Its English speaking population has been instrumental in making India a preferred destination for information technology products as well as business process outsourcing. Globalization in India has allowed companies to increase their base of operations, expand their workforce with minimal investments, and provide new services to a broad range of consumers. One of the major forces of globalization in India has been in the growth of outsourced IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The last few years have seen an increase in the number of skilled professionals in India employed by both local and foreign companies to service customers in the US and Europe in particular. Taking advantage of Indias lower cost but educated and English-speaking work force, and utilizing global communications technologies such as voice-over IP (VOIP), email and the internet, international enterprises have been able to lower their cost base by establishing outsourced knowledge-worker operations in India. However, the service sector is greatly expanding and has started to assume an increasingly important role. The fact that the Indian speaking population in India is growing by the day means that India has become a hub of outsourcing activities for some of the major economies of the world including the United Kingdom and the United States. Outsourcing to India has been primarily in the areas of technical support and customer services. India is a vast country with different languages in different parts of the country. These regional languages differ from each other so much that it is not possible to communicate with people of other regions without a common language. Further, India is growing on all fronts whether it is social or economic angle. India is on the road to become a strong and prosperous nation in the world. India is trying to maintain a good foreign policy. For all this, there is need of a common language i.e., English. It is this language which is understood almost all over the region in addition to national language of Hindi, all schools and colleges teach English and mostly have it as a medium of instruction. In todays world, we have to get knowledge of advanced technologies and all kinds of branches of Science. There is an urgent need of such a common language which can be understood by youth all over India and the language in which all data and information is available. It is English only which can be rightly selected as the language to be studied by all of us from the very primary level. This language is a store house of social and political knowledge. Hence, study of English language is of great importance for a developing country like India. Without knowledge of this language, our technicians, mechanics and engineers cannot progress. Today, USA and other countries have made tremendous progress in the field of science and technology. In space technology, we are no match to them. The world is making progress in these fields at a terrific speed. To increase and encourage more research work in Science and Technology, we have to study all these subjects in detail. And for this the importance of English cannot be denied. Our own regional languages do not have the depth and capacity to understand and co relate all these technological developments and as such, cannot served the purpose to keep pace with the fast growing world outside. Most of the best books on all such subjects are available in English language only. We cannot translate it all in our own regional languages, therefore, knowledge of English can only prove to be a blessing. Some subject like Science, Mathematics and technology books must be taught in English only. This fact is being realized now by those who had opposed teaching in English few years ago. They now know that we have not been able to prosper like other countries of the world due to keeping ourselves away from English. It is this language which can uplift us not only within our own country but throughout the world. We will be no less than anybody in the world with knowledge of English. English in India is a legacy from the British who colonized the country and their language permeated through some of the most important parts of society: the government, the media, the education system, the legal system, and gradually the social sphere as well. India is a vast nation and in terms of number of English speakers, it ranks third in the world after USA and the UK. An estimated 4 percent of the population use English and even though this may seem like a small number that is about 40 million people. This small segment of the population controls domains that have professional and social prestige. It is certainly considered instrumental in terms of having access to information from all over the world and as a key factor for professional success, but it is also very much a part of the educated middle and upper class persons life especially of the youth in India. The Education System: In higher education English is the premier prestige language. Careers in any area of business or commerce, or within the government, or in science and technology require fluency in English. It is taught in schools ranging from the most elite private schools to small government schools because only this language is an acceptable medium of communication through the nation. A 2008 report by software lobby group Nasscom, have shown only 10-15% graduates are employable in business services and only 26% engineers in technical services due to educational deficiencies. English in India has, indeed, come far from its original uses in the colonial times when it was mostly used as the language of the government. Nowadays, English has spread into many new domains, also the more personal ones, such as the family and friendship. English has, also, acquired new functions, including the self-expressive or innovative function. Today, in fact, it is hard, almost impossible to think of English as it is used in India only simply as another foreign language. In the domains of education, government and employment English shows itself, without doubt, as the most preferred medium. The Future of English in India The language has already been well established in the country and has acquired its own independent identity. With the number of foreign investors flocking to India and the growth of outsourcing, English has come to play a key role in professional relationships between foreign and Indian companies. Familiarity with the differences between American and British English has definitely grown as much business communication is carried out according to the language style with which a client is comfortable. Now we go back and examine what would have happened had Hindi been the national languages, and with English sidelined. Many foreign companies would have come to India even if it was a Hindian nation, but in the absence of a sound knowledge of English, India would have been just been a trade hub, not something where development would take place. Indian companies would not have been able to export as much. India would not have become a development centre for the other nations. We would NOT have been recognised as a nation with huge, economic and quality human resource.We would not have been able to interact much with the world outside. IT companies, telecommunication companies, and other companies would not have decided to come to India. We would not have had Indian companies in these fields make their global footprint. Even now there are many countries which offer much cheaper labour than India, but the reason India became a outsourcing hub was because India managed to strike a very g ood balance between cost and quality. In fact this is very similar to what globalisation is currently doing in Africa. Given the current lack of exposure for technology in India, the lack of English knowledge would have only made it worse. The Indian education system places strong emphasis on mathematics and science, resulting in a large number of science and engineering graduates. Mastery over quantitative concepts coupled with English proficiency has resulted in a skill set that has enabled India to reap the benefits of the current international demand for IT. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers, As the economy expands, Indias job recruitment market is also expected to grow in line and double at Rs 2,000 crore in the next five years, a top industry official said. The growth in Indias economy has helped bring about a tremendous growth in the manufacturing, banking and services sectors in the country. The job recruitment market here is set to grow at 20 per cent per annum and touch the Rs 2,000 crore mark in five years from the present Rs 1,000 crore, Esource Indias Managing Director Nitin Deveshwar told PTI here. To improve the job quotient for the jobseekers in the burgeoning economy, they need to keep themselves abreast with the latest trends in the dynamic market.This gap is shortened by the various mode of teaching is also taught through internet enabled websites.There are various web sites which can enhance the skill sets of the potential job seekers to the required level. Now as the English is the default language of the majority of web users, it also takes the usage of English to the new level thereby developing a typical web-enabled Glossary and lingo.It has also been observed that writing e-mails and in various social networking sites where people pour out their feelings ,improves their English writing capabilities. There have been various prestigious Government sponsored projects going on to improve the skill-sets of the teachers in Indian universities and its affiliated colleges. And one among them is National Mission on Education through ICT sponsored by MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource and Development).This pilot project has been started primarily to impart the best teaching practices of the premier Indian Institutes like IITs to their counterparts of not so famous and prominent colleges and universities of the country.The author has had the privilege to attend couple of workshops taught by one the best IIT Professors through ICT (Information and Communication Technology).As these workshops are attended by the teachers from length and breadth of the country, it is natural that the mode of communication is in English. When these best practices are taught to the students , it improves the skills and makes them more marketable in the growing job market. There are various job portals where after the completion of the required education, the job seekers can apply to find suitable jobs. E-recruiting remains as an important tool linking recruiters and employers with potential employees; however, e-recruitings role in the big picture is evolving.E-recruiting plays an important role in linking recruiters and employers with candidates they otherwise wouldnt have known existed. There are plenty of online job sites. One should focus on the sites that are related to ones profile and interests in order to optimize the job search efforts. Various online job sites are Naukri.com, timesjobs.com, monsterindia.com, jobsahead.com etc. a first good step in a career search is to apply for a job through search firms and online job sites. Increasingly, companies rely upon these and other online job resource databases and search firms to advertise opportunities and to solicit available labor resources. Many companies have up-to-date websites where a job applicant can contact the companys human resource department and search the job opportunities listed. Contacting the human resource department by email is also an acceptable way to inquire about a position. A typical job portal has broadly following parts: S.No. Name Description 1. Employer Login Employers can advertise their jobs, can peruse the already uploaded resumes of various candidates. Besides this the employers can also put advertisements about their organizations on these portals. 2. User login Prospective job seekers can upload their resumes under their own login id and passwords and can update it at the required times. 3. Search of Jobs by Company Name Jobs can be searched by company name. 4. Search of Jobs by Location Jobs can be searched by the location (City-wise) 5. Search of Jobs by Category Jobs can be searched by category-wise e.g- Automobile, Software, Pharma etc. 6. International Jobs Jobs can also be searched Country-wise 7. Resume services Helps the prospective job seekers in the development of resume. 8. Jobs on SMS Job that matches the detailed profile and preferences already mentioned in the profile. This is a free service provided by many portals. The user has only to sms a number through his mobile and he gets back the matching job to his skills.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Electronic Forms of Expression :: Internet Technology Communication Essays

Electronic Forms of Expression The confusion of new forms of media can be overwhelming. For those of us who grew up with the Internet, it may not be all that difficult to grasp its concepts and to tackle its nuances; but for those who grew up with print, the transition between the two could be exhausting. The concepts in new forms of electronic expression are in their developmental stages—still trying to find a dynamic equilibrium between mimicking print and inventing new ways of performance. Electronic media are trying to take advantage of their unique characteristics, while not proving to be too tedious for the audience to understand. Janet Murray explores the virtual swamp of electronic media conventions in her chapter entitled â€Å"From Additive to Expressive Form,† in Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. Electronic forms of expression are still in a sort of primordial ooze phase, still clinging on to the life forms that previously inhabited the area, but trying desperately to create an evolutionary creature that is nothing like what a tourist in the area may have seen. In this case, the entire world has access to this digital environment. Murray’s claim is that â€Å"digital environments are encyclopedic† (83), or rather that we have the world at our fingertips: Since every form of representation is migrating to electronic form and all the world’s computers are potentially accessible to one another, we can now conceive of a single comprehensive global library of paintings, films, books, newspapers, television programs, and databases, a library that would be accessible from any point on the globe. It is as if the modern version of the great library of Alexandria, which contained all the knowledge about the ancient world, is about to rematerialize in the infinite expanses of cyberspace. (84). The Internet has encyclopedic capabilities that surpass any previous knowledge collecting endeavors. The pages that we move through seem almost infinite, offering different perspectives and intersecting accounts. These qualities lend a feeling of omniscience to the surfer. â€Å"The limitless expanse of gigabytes presents itself to the storyteller as a vast tabula rasa crying out to be filled with all the matter of life† (84). Filling this â€Å"limitless expanse† is not without complication. â€Å"The reality is much more chaotic and fragmented: networked information is often incomplete or misleading, search routines are often unbearably cumbersome and frustrating, and the information we desire often seems to be tantalizingly out of reach† (84).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Legs by Post Essay

1.Who are the protagonists of this case? For what are they trying to solve / what decision are they trying to make? The protagonists of this case are Elizabeth Preis and Dickon Addis. Together they started a London-based mail-order business called Beautiful Legs by POST. They are trying to raise  £110,000 within the next month in order to mail out 20,000 catalogs each in January and February. In order to solve this, Preis and Dickon must find investors to fund the next phase of growth for their company. They need to know what the response rate would be, what the average size per order would be, and what percent of initial customers would reorder. Would they be able to rise the financing that they needed in order to stay on track? How could they get more free publicity? (Page2 of case) Answering these questions could help determine if Beautiful Legs by POST could be a feasible business. 2.Use the People-Opportunity-Context framework to evaluate this opportunity. People like Elizabeth Preis, Director of Marketing, and Dicken Addis, Director of Finance and Operations are worth being invested in. They both have experience The opportunity involved in Beautiful Legs by POST is the advantage of finding a gap in the marketplace for mail order in Europe. After market research they found that the gap was specifically in the U.K. Starting their business in this location gives them a competitive advantage of being one of the first companies in mail order. Another opportunity involved with tights is that they are a replenishment item that requires regular purchases. The analysis from Market research indicates clearly that there is a customer segment who wants to buy through mail-order, so business opportunity exists. People like Dicken Addis, Director of Finance and Elizabeth Preis, Director of Marketing are worth enough to be invested. They have valuable experience in their respective fields and also business plan shows that they understood the product. Competitive advantage being the 1st one in mail-order Break-even analysis and cash flows are convincing

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Macroeconomics Unit 8 Assignment Essay

Question: 1. Using aggregate demand, short-run aggregate supply, and long-run aggregate supply curves, explain the process and causes by which each of the following economic events will move the economy from one long-run macroeconomic equilibrium to another. In each case, explain the short-run and long-run effects on the aggregate price level and aggregate output. a. There is a decrease in households’ wealth due to a decline in the stock market. A decrease in household wealth means lower purchasing power. The consumer reduces their consumption leading to a decline in the demand which shifts to the left from D1 to D2. As a result, in the short run both the output and aggregate price level fall as depicted by S1. A continued shift in the demand curve to the left, from D1 to D2, leads to reducing price and increasing supply which causes the supply curve to shift from S1 to S2. The long run equilibrium aggregate output and prices will remain constant. In the long run aggregate supply curve shifts to the right from S1 to S2 and the aggregate demand curve also shifts to the right from D1 to D2. The equilibrium aggregate output remains constant while the aggregate prices fall. The long equilibrium aggregate remains constant. b. The government lowers taxes, leaving households with more disposable income, with no corresponding reduction in government purchases. With the taxes lowered and the income still maintained, the consumers have more purchasing power. The demand for goods and services will therefore increase and shift from D1 to D2 resulting in an increase in aggregate prices and real GDP. In the long run real GDP is constant. In the short run the aggregate supply will shift to the left as aggregate demand increases and shifts to the right. In the long run aggregate prices will shift upwards while real GDP remains constant. In the long run both the demand and supply curves get new slopes. The aggregate demand curve shifts to the right while the supply curve shift to the left. Aggregate prices rise and real GDP remains constant. 2. An economy in a hypothetical country is in long-run macroeconomic equilibrium when each of the following aggregate demand shocks occurs. What kind of gap—inflationary or recessionary—will the economy face after the shock, and what type of fiscal policies, giving specific examples, would help move the economy back to potential output? a. A stock market boom increases the value of stocks held by households. The short run aggregate supply curve shifts to the right from SRAD1 to SRAD2. Aggregate prices and real GDP increases and equilibrium shifts from E1 to E2. This will lead to inflationary gap. In the long run supply is fixed which leads to an increase in aggregate prices causing the inflationary gap. The government can control this by contractionary policies such as borrowing from the public. This inflationary gap can be solved by inflationary control such as discretionary or countercyclical fiscal policy which changes the federal government spending or taxes. b. Anticipating the possibility of war, the government increases its purchases of military equipment. The increase in purchases of the military equipment means an increase in demand. With the increase in demand in the short run, the demand curve will shift from SRAD1 to SRAD2 with an alternative increase in price. The price level increase leads to the demand reducing in the long run from SRAD2 to SRAD3. This causes cost-pull inflation whose remedy is inflationary policies. The economy will face an inflationary gap. Policy makers could use contractionary fiscal policies to move the economy back to potential output. The government would need to reduce its purchases of nondefense good and services, increase taxes or reduce transfers. c. The quantity of money in the economy declines and interest rates increase. As quantity of money rises in the economy and interest rates increase, the demand for goods and services declines as shown by the shift from SRAD1 to SRAD2. This happens as consumers can afford to buy more expensive items. The priority changes as customers try to save more money. In the long run, everyone has more money and demand rises again as shown by the shift in the curve from SRAD2 to SRAD3. This leads to a demand-pull inflation which can be solved by inflationary policies. The economy will face a recessionary gap. Policy makers could use expansionary fiscal policies to move the economy back to potential output.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Future of Early Education Importance of Preschool

The Future of Early Education Importance of Preschool Did you know that  Forbes.com reports that the Department of Education has awarded almost $250 million in an effort to ensure that development of early education programs, preschool, continue to best serve children from low- and moderate-income families? This is one example of the Presidents long-standing plan to offer free, universal pre-school for these families. However, President Trumps latest budget for 2019 education appears to be reducing funding   for schools. As we know, in President Obamas 2013 State of the Union address he unveiled his plan for universal Pre-K or pre-kindergarten education for four-year-olds. His plan would guarantee kids whose household income is at or below 200% of the poverty line a free pre-K education with local schools and local partners, and their teachers would have the same training as K-12 teachers. In addition, the programs would offer many of the benefits of private school pre-kindergarten programs, including small class sizes, high adult-to-child ratios, and assessment of the programs provided. The program would also expand the number of full-day kindergarten programs available. Unease in Regards to the Future of Early Childhood Education However, despite these advancements, there is unease as a result of the new leadership of our nation coming; many people are unsure about the future of early childhood programs. Betsy DeVos has been chosen by President Donald Trump to take on the role of Education Secretary, and her position on pre-school funding is not clear; the same can be said for the President. As a result, there are some who are uncomfortable with the uncertainty, and the latest budget developments are not alieviating fears.   Why Pre-Kindergarten is So Important While many private schools offer high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and full-day kindergartens, providing enriching educational opportunities for children under age 6, many children who attend public schools, particularly children living in poverty, do not have access to these programs. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 28% of 4-year-olds were enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program in the 2011-2012 school year, which represents an increase over the 14% of four-year-olds who did so in 2002. Yet, pre-kindergarten programs are critical to children’s long-term success, and experts at NIEER have documented that children who have been enrolled in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs enter kindergarten with better vocabularies and more advanced pre-reading and math skills than children who don’t have access to these programs. Kids enrolled in pre-k programs aren’t just learning how to recognize letters and numbers; they are also learning critical social skills and the importance of working independently in the classroom. Through high-quality pre-k programs, they develop the confidence to take on more advanced classroom work. Many children struggle with social skills and behavioral problems in kindergarten, and many children are even kicked out of kindergarten. Pre-kindergarten programs are essential in teaching kids the social skills they need for later grades, not just the academic skills. Pre-K Benefits Last a Lifetime The benefits of pre-kindergarten education last well beyond kindergarten. According to research conducted by NIEER, there are amazing long-term economic benefits from early childhood education for children in poverty. For example, life-time earnings of some children increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the economics benefits of these programs outweigh the costs by a factor of up to 16 (in some programs). In addition, such programs show that participants have lower crime rates and decreased rates of welfare dependence as adults, so the benefits of early childhood education can last a lifetime. According to the White House Fact Sheet on Obama’s educational plan, children from low-income families are less likely to have access to pre-kindergarten programs, and middle-class families also struggle to afford private pre-school programs, yet these programs are critical to children’s long-term school success. Children from low-income families who are not reading at grade level by third grade are six times less likely to graduate from high school. According to the Fact Sheet from the White House, only 60% of American children have access to full-day kindergarten programs, yet these programs are also essential to teaching children skills critical skills for later academic success. Pre-kindergarten programs are a promising way to reduce adult poverty in this country and to provide the essential skills workers need as adults. Working with at-risk children in the primary or middle school years may be too late, and while private schools offer high-quality pre-school and early education programs, research studies have documented the need to expand these programs to state-funded programs across the country. Article updated by Stacy Jagodowski

Monday, October 21, 2019

Essay on Crimes Assault

Essay on Crimes Assault Essay on Crimes: Assault Hate, Bias, and Stranger Crimes What is hate crime? Hate crime are considered misdemeanors and sometimes a felony because it is a violation of the law which is committed against any person or property because of their ethnicity, gender, age, disability, or religion. These crimes are similar to discrimination. Some examples of hate crimes are threats of violence because of a characteristic feature of a person, graffiti on someone’s property, any physical assault because of a person’s race. Bias crimes are similar to hate crimes except that the crimes that are being committed are mostly verbal. Crimes that are in this category include sexist or racist jokes told in public, verbal insults towards a person of color, or even defaming emails sent to a student cultural organization. Stranger violent crimes are crimes that mostly occur everywhere. These crimes include drugs, gangs, cultural values, regional values, personality and instincts. Stranger violence tends to occur in certain geospatial locations kn own for wherever unruly people are jammed together. When an environment has lack of space, violence tends to erupt. Because hate crimes and bias crimes are defined similarly, stranger violent crimes are much more different. The different types of stranger crimes are seen on a daily basis for most people. These crimes don’t include judgment or bias towards other people. In fact, stranger crimes are crimes that are don’t towards other people for the fulfillment of another person. For example, when a robbery is done, it happened only because it was for a person’s satisfaction. Different to bias and hate crimes, these crimes are made to intentionally hurt another’s feelings. The effect that hate and bias crimes have amongst a person is stronger than any violent crime. Discriminating someone makes hate and bias crimes, while stranger crimes are made less on a personal issue. An emotion effect takes place when a hate and bias crimes occur, while physical effects are made by stranger crimes. When a person commits hate and bias crimes, they leave emotional distress amongst the victim. This happens because

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Vought F4U Corsair in World War II

Vought F4U Corsair in World War II The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a noted American fighter that debuted during World War II. Though intended for use aboard aircraft carriers, the F4U experienced early landing issues that initially prevented its deployment to the fleet. As a result, it first entered combat in large numbers with the U.S. Marine Corps. A highly-effective fighter, the F4U posted an impressive kill ratio against Japanese aircraft and also fulfilled a ground-attack role. The Corsair was retained after the conflict and saw extensive service during the Korean War. Though retired from American service in the 1950s, the aircraft remained in use around the world until the late 1960s. Design Development In February 1938, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics began seeking proposals for new carrier-based fighter aircraft. Issuing requests for proposals for both single-engine and twin-engine aircraft, they required the former be capable of a high top speed, but have a stall speed of 70 mph. Among those who entered the competition was Chance Vought. Led by Rex Beisel and Igor Sikorsky, the design team at Chance Vought created an aircraft centered on the Pratt Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. To maximize the power of the engine, they selected the large (13 ft. 4 in.) Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller. While this significantly enhanced performance, it presented problems in designing other elements of the aircraft such as the landing gear. Due to the propellers size, the landing gear struts were unusually long which required the aircrafts wings to be redesigned. In seeking a solution, the designers ultimately settled on utilizing an inverted gull wing. Though this type of structure was more difficult to construct, it minimized drag and allowed for air intakes to be installed on the leading edges of the wings. Pleased with Chance Voughts progress, the U.S. Navy signed a contract for a prototype in June 1938. Chance Vought XF4U-1 Corsair prototype during tests at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), Langley Research Center at Hampton, VA, in 1940-41.   NASA Langley Research Center Designated the XF4U-1 Corsair, the new aircraft quickly moved forward with the Navy approving the mock-up in February 1939, and the first prototype took flight on May 29, 1940. On October 1, the XF4U-1 made a trial flight from Stratford, CT to Hartford, CT averaging 405 mph and becoming the first US fighter to break the 400 mph barrier. While the Navy and the design team at Chance Vought were pleased with the planes performance, control issues persisted. Many of these were dealt with by the addition of a small spoiler on the leading edge of the starboard wing. With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the Navy altered its requirements and asked that the aircrafts armament be enhanced. Chance Vought complied by equipping the XF4U-1 with six .50 cal. machine guns mounted in the wings. This addition forced the removal of fuel tanks from the wings and an expansion of the fuselage tank. As a result, the XF4U-1s cockpit was moved 36 inches aft. The movement of the cockpit, coupled with the aircrafts long nose, made it difficult to land for inexperienced pilots. With many of the Corsairs problems eliminated, the aircraft moved into production in mid-1942. Chance Vought F4U Corsair GeneralLength: 33 ft. 4 in.Wingspan: 41 ft.Height: 16 ft. 1 in.Wing Area: 314 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 8,982 lbs.Loaded Weight: 14,669 lbs.Crew: 1PerformancePower Plant: 1 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney R-2800-8W radial engine, 2,250 hpRange: 1,015 milesMax Speed: 425 mphCeiling: 36,900 ft.ArmamentGuns: 6 Ãâ€" 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsRockets: 4Ãâ€" 5 in High Velocity Aircraft Rockets orBombs: 2,000 lbs. Operational History In September 1942, new issues arose with the Corsair when it underwent carrier qualification trials. Already a difficult aircraft to land, numerous problems were found with its main landing gear, tail wheel, and tailhook. As the Navy also had the F6F Hellcat coming into service, the decision was made to release the Corsair to the U.S. Marine Corps until the deck landing problems could be resolved. First arriving in the Southwest Pacific in late 1942, the Corsair appeared in larger numbers over the Solomons in early 1943. Marine pilots quickly took to the new aircraft as its speed and power gave it a decisive advantage over the Japanese A6M Zero. Made famous by pilots such as Major Gregory Pappy Boyington (VMF-214), the F4U soon began to rack up impressive kill numbers against the Japanese. The fighter was largely restricted to the Marines until September 1943, when the Navy began flying it in larger numbers. It was not until April 1944, that the F4U was fully certified for carrier operations. As Allied forces pushed through the Pacific the Corsair joined the Hellcat in protecting US ships from kamikaze attacks. F4U Corsair attacks Japanese ground targets on Okinawa, 1945. National Archives and Records Administration In addition to service as a fighter, the F4U saw extensive use as a fighter-bomber providing vital ground support to Allied troops. Capable of carrying bombs, rockets, and glide bombs, the Corsair earned the name Whistling Death from the Japanese due to sound it made when diving to attack ground targets. By the end of the war, Corsairs were credited with 2,140 Japanese aircraft against losses of 189 F4Us for an impressive kill ratio of 11:1. During the conflict F4Us flew 64,051 sorties of which only 15% were from carriers. The aircraft also saw service with other Allied air arms. Later Use Retained after the war, the Corsair returned to combat in 1950, with the outbreak of fighting in Korea. During the early days of the conflict, the Corsair engaged North Korean Yak-9 fighters, however with the introduction of the jet-powered MiG-15, the F4U was shifted to a purely ground support role. Flown throughout the war, special purpose-built AU-1 Corsairs were constructed for use by the Marines. Retired after the Korean War, the Corsair remained in service with other countries for several years. The last known combat missions flown by the aircraft were during the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras Football War.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Aspects of Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aspects of Psychology - Essay Example t on emotions. If the emotions were to be further classified as positive and negative emotions it may be said that my weekend was great. However I must recognise the role played by the people and situations in eliciting the emotions I expressed. For example, although my Friday began on a high note with a lot of expectation the misplacement of a bag threatened the day until friends stepped in supportively and with understanding were able to tolerate my negative emotions. I find the link in my emotional expressions to various theories explaining the origin and function of emotions in humans. For example James-Lange’s theory posits that physiological arousal in emotional expression is a result of stimulus from events around an individual and the expression is the conscious interpretation of the experience. This was expressed on Saturday when events seeme to work against my expected plan (Coon, 2009). Cannon-Bard in his theory on the other hand proposes that simulteneous emotional and physiological responses are caused by stimuli in the environment. I was surprised at the power of emotional support from people close to me because more than once in the three days it was able to restore me from negative emotions when things seemed not to favor me. The deloay of the bus elicited great anger that physiologically made me cry at the feeling of being let down and also letting down a friend. It may not be possible to explain with all theories but the theory by Schachter and Singer cannot be ignored because of its role in emotional classification. Although emotional and physiological responses are simultenous it may not be easy to manage them unless they are classified based on the arousal agent. This is best described in the diary from the notes indicated against each emotional response because I believe that the activities (stimuli) were responsible for the emotions. This is because of the subconscious and occasionally conscious cognitive appraisals I made from the events unfolding around me as put in the Lazarus theory. In overall assessment of aspects of my emotional expression in the three days can be best classified as cognitive, physiological and behavioral (Brannon, 1999). This classification may help shade more light on the exact meaning in the emotions, whether negative or positive. The table below summarizes a few of them: Emotion Cognitive Physiological Behavioral Joy When things were very pleasurable usually from positive surprises Shade tears I tended to talk a lot or simply whistle a tune or Anxiety Positively when I anticipated interesting experience Negatively when I anti

Friday, October 18, 2019

Technical Definition and Description Assignment

Technical Definition and Description - Assignment Example â€Å"The suspension system isolates the vehicle from the shocks, bounce and vibrations due to irregularities of road surfaces. The automobile chassis is mounted on the axles through some form of springs. The spring oscillates due to the road shocks. A damper is provided with the spring to restrict the shocks. The damper is also known as shock absorber. The spring and damper collectively called a suspension system. So the suspension system acts as a filter for shocks.† (Suspension System) Very few people realize the importance of shock absorbers, shock absorbers mainly absorb the shocks produced on bumpy roads, suspension is solely responsible for controlling shock absorbers, suspension also controls the steering of a car giving the driver immaculate control. A weak suspension system can easily cause fatal accidents; suspension also controls the control arm which will be demonstrated in the following diagram. (How Car Suspension Works) Suspension system not only controls the s teering but it also controls the brake system, imagine the extent of damage a delayed brake can cause, this can easily be prevented by ensuring that the suspension system is in the best of conditions. There are several suspension kits available in the market but a lot of research is required before buying one. This again goes to show the importance of a suspension system. It is extremely important to regularly maintain a suspension system; a good suspension system makes road bumps and discomfort easier to deal with. A car with a poor suspension system will experience wear and tear much faster than a car with a decent suspension system. Vehicle noise is another factor which troubles several drivers; this again can be prevented by taking care of the suspension system. A car which has a lack of adequate shock absorbers will automatically start making irritating noises, a good suspension system will prevent all these problems from occurring, it will also prevent the unnecessary wear and tear of vehicle tires. To understand how a suspension system works it is extremely important to understand vehicle dynamics, magnitude, direction and vertical acceleration are three very important concepts, we would not require suspension should the roads be absolutely flat but roads these days are anything but flat. A small bump on the road is more than enough to cause fatal accidents; the following diagram will explain how the whole suspension system works. (How Car Suspensions Work) Road isolation allows the driver to driver smoothly even on rough roads, the energy on the roads is absorbed without causing much oscillation, road holding is another very important function, road holding ensures that there is contact of the tires with the road which is very important. The weight of the vehicle is minimized from side to side, so road holding is also very important. Cornering is the next important concept under suspension, it is important to know how a vehicle travels on a curved path , a centrifugal force directly acts upon the center of gravity of a car allowing it to travel on curved paths, the main goal of cornering is to shift the weight of the vehicle so that it can easily move on curved paths, all these important aspects are a part of

Colonialism and culture in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Colonialism and culture in Latin America - Essay Example Most of the Colonialism is done by Spain, Portugal and some is done by France. The Highest GDP per capita income is from Argentina, which is $ 13,153 and lowest is recorded by Haiti, which is $1,6141. In this discussion, colonialism and culture of Argentina would be discussed specifically to address the emerging questions in the Latin America about the society. Barton and L. Tedesco said in the year 2004: "Political crisis in Argentina and Venezuela, social mobilization in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, and state failure in Colombia. This is the Latin American political landscape at the beginning of the twenty-first century. There are currently few countries in the region that can be described as increasingly stable; the cases of Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay may be the exceptions that prove the rule in this regard, although they are not without their internal divisions and conflicts. This lack of stability can be explained to a large extent by the considerable social, political and economic upheaval that took place across the region during the last quarter of the twentieth century"(p. 1). Argentina is the second largest country in the South America area vise, it is one of the Latin American republics that appeared as a result from the fall of Spanish colonial empire in the early nineteenth century, it was actually a movement that was started and led by Creole merchants and assisted by rebel irregulars in rural areas that brought the separation of Argentina from the Spanish empire, the separation appeared in two different phases, the first took place in 1810 and the second in 1816. The country had faced almost 50 years rivalry and after that in the earlier nineteenth century it had started to appear as a super power with beef exports as a principal economic activity, the country by then had started practicing every economic activity. About discussing the identity of the people of Argentina, most of them belong to three different groups, the first one were Creoles, the African slaves brought in by the Spanish empire, many of them have disappeared now, or perhaps mixed in whites, the second group consists of Italians, it is claimed that Argentina is the second homeland of Italians, the third most important group appeared in Argentina is the Jewish group, at the time of Spanish conquest so many of the Jews were also the part of immigrants in 1880s. Today more than 90 percent of the people in Argentina are professed to be Roman Catholics, there are other religions followed as well, such as Judaism, Muslims. The modernizing Argentina came in view when it started educating its people, as written in Facundo: "But the state of primary education is what gives the most complete idea of the culture of that time. No city of the Argentine Republic has distinguished itself more than San Juan in its diligence to expand education, nor has any other obtained more complete results. The government, not satisfied with the capability of the province's men to carry out such an important duty, in 1815 ordered that a person combining competent training with great morality be brought from Buenos Aires." (Ross, 2003: 89) The above-mentioned sentences can show the importance of the Buenos Aires, which is perhaps the biggest city in Argentina

I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down - Essay Example Choat family live in Meecham’s house having been given the lease agreement by his son. Upon arrival at the house, Meecham is amazed that somebody is living in his apartment. In a bid to own back his house, he takes up events to prove this point. When Meecham learns that Mr. Choat dislikes dog barks, he get a dog from an old friend and allows it to distract Choat. The drama that unfolds regarding the dog leads to it death. When Choat rests thinking that he has solved the problem, the true nature and the inspiration Meecham has to get rid of Choat from his compound (Gay). It becomes evident when he brings on a dog sculpture in place of the dead dog. Meecham’s son knows his father is affected psychologically after the death of his mother. The reason he recommends Meecham to stay in a nursing home is to keep the society at peace. Meecham is a kind of a man who rests at nothing until he achieves set goal. The work is a masterpiece well recorded and executed. The play has a simple plot bringing out the encounters vividly. Simple as it is the title is spelled out in every other line that precedes the story (Gay). Meecham wants his house back but in reality, nothing brings him joy anymore on earth. Everything else seems to oppose his will to live. It is evident in the work when he plays a song â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I hate to see the sun goes down..† He hates death yet he is willing to go that path to prove he wants his home back. Understanding the law and the presence of the police, Meecham desires to use that route to get the attention of his son to allow him get back the house. The efforts are fruitless. On the other hand, Meecham’s son persuades him to go back to the nursing him with the promise of getting the home back. It does not dampen his spirit (Gay). It drives him into a state of insanity because the incidences that seemed a fight for a better life back were proved by death.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Effect of Investor Sentiment on Cross Sectional Stock Returns Case Study

Effect of Investor Sentiment on Cross Sectional Stock Returns - Case Study Example Competition among them leads to a balance in which prices equal the reasonably inexpensive value of expected cash flows, and in which the cross-section of predictable returns depends only on the cross-section of systematic risks. Even if some investors are irrational, classical theory argues, their strain are offset by arbitrageurs with no momentous impact on prices. In this paper, we present evidence that investor sentiment may have major effects on the cross-section of stock prices. Investment sentiments with in the stock market and the effect of investor emotions on stock returns are certainly the first issue that investors should consider. At the outset, investing is an act of faith, a willingness to postpone present consumption and save for the future. Investing for the long term is central to the achievement of optimal returns by investors. Unfortunately, the principle of investing for the long term-eschewing funds with high turnover portfolios and holding shares in soundly managed funds as investments for a lifetime- is honoured more in the breach than in the observance by most mutual fund managers and shareholders. (Arbel, 1983 44) The term second-hand information refers to information that has been collected from public sources and manipulated or simply reported again by a public news source. Prior research documents the existence of abnormal returns upon the announcement of secondhand information in the form of analysts' recommendations published in a variety of business periodicals. These abnormal returns generally are found to be short-lived. Explanations of the abnormal returns associated with second-hand information include the fact that the market may be inefficient; that second-hand information increases attention focused on the company; that it increases the volume of trading, putting price pressure on the company's stock; and that it provides new information about the company's future prospects or reduces uncertainty associated with previous reports about the company. The objective of this study is to provide additional evidence on the impact of secondhand information on stock prices. We examine a source of information heretofore untested in the finance literature: stock purchase recommendations contained in the widely read weekly business periodical Barron's. The different sources of information in Barron's allow us to examine additional explanations of the impact of second-hand information. We also explore the impact of firm size on the stock price reaction to the disclosure of second-hand information. Literature Review The results provide additional evidence that second-hand information has an impact on stock prices. Consistent with prior studies of other sources of second-hand information, the results show that Barron's recommendations have a substantial impact on stock

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Palladium Doors Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Palladium Doors - Case Study Example The cost associated with the chosen alternative has also been shown. The projected Gross Profit and Net Profit figure have also been reflected here. The study will reflect the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company. It will highlight the analysis of the Political, Environmental, Social, and Technological environment of the operational market in which the company is operating. Problem Statement Palladium Door, Inc. is one of the privately owned producers of different commercial and residential garage doors. In its product line, the company manufactures both insulated and non insulated cables, steel garage doors, supplies, rollers, springs and the side roller tracts. The company wanted to increase the sales by 36 percent in the year 2004. Robert Hawly, the director of sales & marketing, was concerned that whether the present distribution strategy which was used by Palladium would be able to achieve the goal. Although the company has shown a steady growth from p ast 10 years, but the market share of Palladium was only 2.6 percent. The senior executives of the company were made to believe that this sales goal was justified and would help the company in attaining a large sales volume for the preservation of its buying position with the suppliers. During its growth period, Palladium has even exceeded the industry growth. Three new plans have been chosen for the achievement of the company’s goal. There are four different point of views related to the marketing decisions. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis will help to analyze various organizational issues (Mintzberg et al., 1998; Ansoff, 1965). It is a traditional method for making strategic plans (Dickson, 2002; Glaister & Falshaw, 1999). The SWOT analysis will help in selecting the best strategic option followed by the decision making after understanding the inter relationship between the company and its respective environment (Pahl & Richter, 2009; Ferrel & Hartline, 2010). Strengths 1. When Palladium was in its growth stage, it had a sales growth which was even higher than the industry growth. This is a significant strength of the company which has helped it to achieve a remarkable position in the market. 2. The company has a good partnership associated with the exclusive dealers. The exclusive dealers are responsible for almost 70 percent of the company’s sales. This will help the company to achieve the targeted sales goal. 3. The company is one of the biggest steel door manufacturers. Weaknesses 4. Although Palladium has shown a steady growth from past 10 years but the market share of the company was only 2.6 percent. 5. The company had only 50 additional dealers in previous 10 years. This was counted as one of the weaknesses of the company. Opportunities 6. Palladium has high opportunities by expanding its operations in the North West and West markets, where the houses build are aging. 7. There exists low brand awareness in the market where Palladium operate s. This gives the company an opportunity to attract the customers who are not brand conscious. 8. Palladium has the opportunity to extend the total number of exclusive dealers which

Effect of Investor Sentiment on Cross Sectional Stock Returns Case Study

Effect of Investor Sentiment on Cross Sectional Stock Returns - Case Study Example Competition among them leads to a balance in which prices equal the reasonably inexpensive value of expected cash flows, and in which the cross-section of predictable returns depends only on the cross-section of systematic risks. Even if some investors are irrational, classical theory argues, their strain are offset by arbitrageurs with no momentous impact on prices. In this paper, we present evidence that investor sentiment may have major effects on the cross-section of stock prices. Investment sentiments with in the stock market and the effect of investor emotions on stock returns are certainly the first issue that investors should consider. At the outset, investing is an act of faith, a willingness to postpone present consumption and save for the future. Investing for the long term is central to the achievement of optimal returns by investors. Unfortunately, the principle of investing for the long term-eschewing funds with high turnover portfolios and holding shares in soundly managed funds as investments for a lifetime- is honoured more in the breach than in the observance by most mutual fund managers and shareholders. (Arbel, 1983 44) The term second-hand information refers to information that has been collected from public sources and manipulated or simply reported again by a public news source. Prior research documents the existence of abnormal returns upon the announcement of secondhand information in the form of analysts' recommendations published in a variety of business periodicals. These abnormal returns generally are found to be short-lived. Explanations of the abnormal returns associated with second-hand information include the fact that the market may be inefficient; that second-hand information increases attention focused on the company; that it increases the volume of trading, putting price pressure on the company's stock; and that it provides new information about the company's future prospects or reduces uncertainty associated with previous reports about the company. The objective of this study is to provide additional evidence on the impact of secondhand information on stock prices. We examine a source of information heretofore untested in the finance literature: stock purchase recommendations contained in the widely read weekly business periodical Barron's. The different sources of information in Barron's allow us to examine additional explanations of the impact of second-hand information. We also explore the impact of firm size on the stock price reaction to the disclosure of second-hand information. Literature Review The results provide additional evidence that second-hand information has an impact on stock prices. Consistent with prior studies of other sources of second-hand information, the results show that Barron's recommendations have a substantial impact on stock

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Individual Study Guide Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation Summary Essay Example for Free

Individual Study Guide Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation Summary Essay Complete the simulation, Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing, located on the student website. Write a 1,050- to 1,450-word summary in which you address the following for each of the three major phases in the simulation: The situation Your recommended solutions, including why Your results Summarize the different marketing components addressed in this simulation by answering the following questions: What is the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services? Is the repositioning of the product in the simulation as you had expected it to be? Explain why or why not. What is the effect of the product life cycle on marketing? What effect did the product life cycle have on the product in the simulation? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.Complete the simulation, Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing, located on the student website. Write a 1,050- to 1,450-word summary in which you address the following for each of the three major phases in the simulation: The situation Your recommended solutions, including why Your results Summarize the different marketing components addressed in this simulation by  answering the following questions: What is the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services? Is the repositioning of the product in the simulation as you had expected it to be? Explain why or why not. What is the effect of the product life cycle on marketing? What effect did the product life cycle have on the product in the simulation? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Development As Freedom A Review Sociology Essay

Development As Freedom A Review Sociology Essay The author conceptualizes development as the gap between an exclusive concentration on economic wealth and a broader focus on the lives we can lead (p.14) emphasizing that the theory of development goes well beyond wealth accumulation and gross national product growth. The chapter examines the relationship between development and freedom, the way in which freedom is a component of development and an extensive view of freedom encompassing both opportunities that people have and processes that allow for freedom of decisions. The main arguments of the author is that development should be assessed by freedom of accessibility to factors such as social opportunities, health care, clean water, economic security, civil rights and political freedom. Lack of accessibility means unfreedom. Development therefore should mean that people can live the lives they want to live and precisely, how can a nation say in all entirety that it has freedom when its citizens cannot afford the very basic necessities of life or fulfill the rights they are entitled to? Sen goes on further to compare different views of poverty in both developing and developed nation by analyzing freedoms through values, poverty and inequality, income and mortality, markets and freedom, tradition and culture. The author sees the process of development beyond economic growth or physical and human capital and concludes by linking the understanding of a broad view of the development process to the substantive freedoms of people. Sens write up contains intriguing views but he hasnt mentioned what justifies his classification into these freedoms i.e. experience of developing countries, factual historical evidence or how far freedom has progressed within each context he identified. His definition is quite different from Rapleys in which Rapley describes development as more concerned with flexibility and adaptability (Rapley 2007 pp 5) and so raises a question. Can development be measured only by individual happiness without economic growth and stability? Happiness, in my opinion is geared more towards Rapleys definition and should be adapted into the process of economic growth. Willis, K. (2005) Theories and Practices of Development. London. Routledge. p. 32-42. Willis chapter 2 of theories and practices of development analyses development theories and practices and how these theories were attached to the economic, social and political theories that developed in Europe from the 18th century. Williss interpretation raises some interesting facts about historical development of theories and she divides her study into various theories. The classical economists such as David Ricardo, an advocate of free trade and Adam Smith, in his famous book, Wealth of Nations responded to the trade focus of economic policy at that time (p.32) when trade was a major factor of economic growth. Here, protectionist measures such as high tariffs were highly used by merchants. Willis goes on to say Adam Smith was not in favour of this form of regulation and that it was harmful to the countrys economic growth. Instead, greater focus on production and division of labour which will be regulated by the invisible hand of the market (p.33). The Great depression of the 1930s and other economic happenings gave rise to Keynes argument of the free market not necessarily a positive force but government intervention in the promotion of economic growth while postwar reconstruction period was a time to reflect on the economic crises that occurred at that time and provide solutions to their re-occurrence. This led to the creation of the Bretton woods institutions to assist in the promotion of stable economic growth within a capitalist system (p. 36) Willis describes the linear stages theory and makes emphasis on Rostow, the American economist and political theorists stages of Economic growth to development. Here, development was seen as a state where a large number of the population could afford to spend largely on consumer products and development was viewed as modern, moving from agricultural societies to an industrial economy. While she tries to decipher early theoretical ideas, Willis has not made clear linkages between some of these theories and how they have come to evolve in economic debates and discussions over time. Chang, H., and Ilene G. (2004) Reclaiming Development from the Washington Consensus, Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, 27(2), 274-291. The fundamental of this article is to correct the notion that there is no alternative to the Washington Consensus. The authors argue that neoliberal policies have failed to achieve their goals in developing world (p. 274) and so discuss the major development myths for justifying neoliberal policies that have been harmful to developing world and perhaps as a complacency to the reader, possible alternatives to these policies. These myths, evaluated individually, describe how these policies have lacked credibility. Myth 1; In contrast to the neoliberal policy success, the reality is that the policy has not promoted its main aim of economic growth. Myth 2; Developed countries gained success through free market policies whereas records claim they relied upon interventionist policies for development. Myth 3; Only neoliberal policies can succeed in todays global environment whereas in fact there is evidence of continuing institutional and policy divergence across national boundaries (p. 277) Myth 4; Discipline imposed by international institutions to keep them honest whereby placing policy making authority in the hands of these organizations. Myth 5; The East Asian model cannot be replicated when in fact most developed countries utilized this model. Myth 6; Developing countries should imitate the Anglo American model of capitalism which fared poorly in the economic boom of the 1990s. The authors went ahead to put forward alternative policies for faster economic development which includes the financial system providing adequate finance quantities for investment projects at appropriate prices, enforcing strict laws on new foreign loans incurred by domestic borrowers, defocusing on budget balance and maximizing FDI potentials to promote economic and industrial development in developing countries While arguing for these policies, it will be sensible to note that economies are different and there can be no best practice policy that everyone should use (Chang 2003). Policies for development should not be fixed but depend on stages of development of a developing nation and other factors such as resource capacity, economic, political and social conditions. Pender, J. (2001) From Structural Adjustment to Comprehensive Development Framework: Conditionality Transformed? Third World Quarterly, 22 (3), 397-411. Pender reviews how the World Banks approach to development has changed over decades and brought about important shifts to its conditionality approach. In the light of new changes between the 90s and today, the World Bank formulated a Comprehensive Development Framework, based on a relationship of partnership to replace its erstwhile structural adjustment lending (p. 397). The author examines why the World Banks perspectives of development changed through different periods; In the 1980s to early 90s, GDP was used as a measure of development as the Bank was mostly concerned with rapid economic growth and sustenance for least developed countries (LDC) and the adoption of policies such as restriction of state spending, controlling inflation, commodity exports and privatization as factors to achieve development. The 1990s drew lack of confidence in these policies and there were strong doubts about its competence judging from the success of the Asian Economies that developed rapidly without the World Banks policy prescriptions. This informed the Bank to change its 1980 view about minimal state role in development and that growth by itself is not enough (p 401). Thus in 1990, a formulation of an approach based on both labour intensive growth and widespread provision of basic social services (p.401). In spite of these alterations, there were criticisms that the Bank reforms were not aiding Africas growth but rather, increasing stagnant economies through the implementation of the Banks policies. According to Pender, the Bank lost confidence in its policy framework in early 1995, with the Asian miracle and LDCs failure and was forced to critique its own policies and re-orientate. This modification was experimented between 1995-1997 with improvements in the understanding of economic development and poverty reduction as the central focus. The author gives clear informed views of the process of policy change within the World Bank at different times but fails to analyze the impact of this new focus of poverty reduction and its success to the development of todays third world countries. Chang, H. (2003) Kicking away the ladder. Development Strategy in Historical Perspectives. London, Anthem Press. Chapter 1. Changs analysis centers around one question, How did the rich countries really become rich? He uncovers some myths about developed countries developmental experience and argues that developed countries did not develop through the same policies that they recommend to the developing world. This pressure from developed countries to the developing world to adopt a set of good policies that they adopted when they themselves were developing is faced with criticisms because historical evidence suggests otherwise and goes on to say that they are trying to hide the secret of their success (p. 2). Some of these policies include liberalization of trade, privatization, restrictive macroeconomic policies and deregulation but facts show that most of the developing countries used export subsidies and industry protection, industrial policies that the WTO disapproves in the present world. The USA and UK were examples of ardent users of these same policies frowned at in contrast to the free trade policies and free market they preach. Chang quotes List, the German economist that Britain was the first country to perfect the art of infant industry promotion which is the principle behind most countries journey to success (p. 3). He argues that developed countries, while alleging to recommend good policies to developing countries are actually trying to kick away the ladder of their own economic development. A conclusion is drawn on some methodological issues of David Ricardos neoliberal policies to Friedrich Lists infant industry argument that while developed countries preach Ricardo to developing nations, they actually pursued Lists policies in the past. Although Chang did not confront and compare works of economic historians e.g. L.E Birdzells How the West grew rich in relation to his How did the rich countries really become rich to identify similar or different conclusions, his examination of historical materials to reach important and interesting conclusions is a contribution that is immensely valuable to the current debates on development that will evidently challenge contemporary policies and enrich development theory.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Jellyfish Venom :: Jellyfish Marine Life Essays

Jellyfish Venom Almost anyone who has ever spent time near or in an ocean has been warned about being stung by jellyfish. Jellyfish have been ascribed a reputation as dangerous, often lethal animals. The exact actions of jellyfish toxins are not well understood, and the true danger presented by jellyfish is often exaggerated. This paper will attempt to answer several questions about jellyfish and venom. It will discuss what toxins make up jellyfish venom and the method in which these toxins are delivered. The effects of jellyfish venom on the human body will be discussed, including the possible action of these toxins at a cellular level. Finally, first aid and treatments for jellyfish envenomations will be described. Background The marine creatures commonly known as jellyfish are members of the phylum Cnidaria. Of the four classes of cnidarians, jellyfish come from both the Hydrozoa and Scyphozoa classes. Most jellyfish are schphozoids, while the Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) is a hydroid. As cnidarians, jellyfish possess two tissue types: endoderm and ectoderm, in addition to a single cell layer of jelly-like mesoglea between the endoderm and the ectoderm (Russell 21). Jellyfish exhibit radial symmetry and have tentacles with stinging cells known as cnidocytes. They range in size from a few millimeters up to a bell size of two meters across, with tentacles up to thirty-six meters long. Typically less than five percent of a jellyfish’s body is "solid organic material" (Halstead, Poisonous 96-97). Jellyfish have reproductive cycles that involve a sessile polyp and a free-living medusa state. The polyp is asexual, while the medusa is sexual (Williamson et al. 121). P. physalis actually consist of colonies of many small organisms. A single Man-of-War contains both polyp and medusal stage organisms, with several different types of polyps and medusae in a colony (Halstead, Poisonous 94-95) Jellyfish populations exhibit seasonality in their choice of habitats. Most jellyfish prefer temperate and warm water. P. physalis prefer open waters and move with the wind, tide, and currents. Scyphozoas are found in all seas of the world. These jellyfish prefer shallow water such as bays and estuaries but also inhabit open ocean (Halstead, Poisonous 94-97). They usually live in the warm or temperate waters favored by coral (Halstead, Poisonous 115). Jellyfish are most abundant in coastal areas during warm summer months, but are present along the shore at other times of year (Halstead, Poisonous 97). Likewise, in Australia, the largest numbers of jellyfish are found along shores during the summer months of November through April, with peak numbers occurring in December.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Sentence Structure :: essays research papers

Independent Clause (IC) An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence. Example: Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz. (IC) Dependent Clause (DC) A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. Often a dependent clause is marked by a dependent marker word. Example: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . . (DC) Dependent Marker Word (DM) A dependent marker word is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it into a dependent clause. Example: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, it was very noisy. (DM) Some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while. Connecting dependent and independent clauses There are two types of words that can be used as connectors at the beginning of an independent clause: coordinating conjunctions and independent marker words. 1. Coordinating Conjunction (CC) The seven coordinating conjunctions used as connecting words at the beginning of an independent clause are and, but, for, or, nor, so, and yet. When the second independent clause in a sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction: Example: Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, but it was hard to concentrate because of the noise. (CC) 2. Independent Marker Word (IM) An independent marker word is a connecting word used at the beginning of an independent clause. These words can always begin a sentence that can stand alone. When the second independent clause in a sentence has an independent marker word, a semicolon is needed before the independent marker word. Example: Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz; however, it was hard to concentrate because of the noise. (IM) Some common independent markers are: also, consequently, furthermore, however, moreover, nevertheless, and therefore. Proper Punctuation Methods This table gives some examples of ways to combine independent and dependent clauses and shows how to punctuate them properly. IC. IC.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to the store. I didn't buy any bread. IC; IC.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to the store; I didn't buy any bread. IC, CC IC.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to the store, but I didn't buy any bread.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Importance of Muhammad for the Success of the Arab Conquests Essay

When considering the question of the Prophet’s success in the Arab Conquests there are various factors that must be taken into consideration. These factors shape the success, give reason for the rapidity of the spread and illustrate why Arabia was so responsive to his message. Factors such as the state of Arabia and its pagan tribes, recent historic events and the dissatisfaction of the peoples, shape this drastic and historic change in the area. Arabia was in a constant state of war due mainly to the power struggle between the Sasanian and Byzantine empires; the emperors spoke different languages and believed in other religions than their peoples. There was little loyalty and it did not much matter to the folks under which rule they lived. The lack of community, a sense of unity between the various tribes in Arabia and multiple wars were predominant factors that made way for the imminent success of Muhammad in the Arab Conquests. From the time of the Prophet’s first re velation in 610 to the death day of the Prophet in 632, Arabia had undergone a drastic and, for such time limitations, incredible changes. Starting with the geographical aspects it must be elaborated in context how the state of Arabia, the birthplace of Muhammad, was functioning and what its beliefs were pre-Islam. It must also be mentioned that in comparison to the rest of the Middle East, Arabia was considered fairly primal. It lacked any form of government or state policies as every clan was totally independent and had its own rules and leaders, called Shaykh. Such leaders acted as mediators to disputes and needs of the tribe. The tribes mostly lived off pasturage as opposed to agriculture, excluding the harams that were implemented on travel routes, in oasis and in junctures to neighbouring areas. These served as a common point for economic, social and political trade, as well as worship. Arabia was home to various pagan tribes, including the Banu Hashim into which the prophet was born, spread over the area in no apparent kind of structure. Thus, it is fair to say that Arabia was a socially and culturally less developed area than the rest of the Middle East. Secondly, Arabia was subject to numerous power struggles, which fragmented it severely. From local tribal wars, to clashes between Yemeni, Nabatean and Roman kingdoms (sixth century BC – 271 AD ) to finally the main exhaustion of the region in the early seventh century – wars  between Sasanian and Byzantine empires. Only the rise of Mecca in the late sixth century as a centre for economic trade and pilgrimage, could establish a semi treaty between the leading tribe called Quraysh, Byzantines and Bedouins to ensure safe passage of goods, which was beneficial to all. Mecca won recognition as a commercial and political influence in Arabia. However, most of Arabia was still home to incompatible Bedouin communities, which opposed each other in political, social and religious views. This resulted in many conflicts and portrayed, once again, Arabia as a torn and unstable area. Having illustrated the state of Arabia, it portrays â€Å"a world waiting for a guide† around the time of the rise of Islam. A new form of existence, social trend and way of life was to be largely appreciated by rivalling tribes. The main documents of Islam, which emerged or deal at the time of the Prophet, include the Qur’an, a divine revelation of God’s words through the angel Gabriel to Muhammad himself around 610 and the hadiths, traditions and sayings of and about the Prophet. In 613 Muhammad first started to publicly preach and attracted early converts of mostly socially and economically weakened classes to whom this monotheistic message offered salvation from the falling order in Mecca. The sheer force of Muhammad’s inspiration and beauty of speech, as he was illiterate, seemed to persuade people as well as raise universal opposition. Muhammad and his followers shortly became a threat to the Quraysh clan whose pagan religions were challenged by his message, that there was one God only. Muhammad was still able to preach, protected by his uncle Abu Talib and his tribe the Banu Hashim and flourished as a leader of the community. The Quraysh declared Muhammad as a madman and discredited his preaching, boycotting his motions. When it became apparent that his word was no longer considered reliable and that he was not gaining more converts, Muhammad was in search of a political base that could shelter him and his followers from the attacks of ridicule and harassments. This base would act as a home for the community. The Prophet’s forceful and leading persona was attractive to solve Medina’s anarchic feuding. The year 622, after the pledge of al-‘Aqaba to defend Muhammad, is known as the most dramatic event in Muslim history and the first year in the Islamic calendar. This year marks the hijra, the migration and the entry  into a community of Muslims. Due to no existing leadership or effective rule in Medina and through the portrait of an â€Å"Arab Elite† most communities wanted to pertain to, as this included fiscal and job protection advantages, remaining pagans learned Arabic and soon converted to Islam. Jewish clans that rejected the Qur’an and Muhammad as a Messenger of God were either executed or forced to exile, their properties taken into claim. Not only had Muhammad, in 10 years, managed to attract a large amount of converts, but he had also created a base for his Brotherhood, called the umma. Here, the fellow Muslims shared the same beliefs and they were given clear structure by the five pillars of Islam. The Zakat, almsgivings, were a way for everybody to assume responsibility for their brothers within the community and support the less fortunate. In addition, Muhammad changed social norms by giving the patriarchal family a greater importance and rewarding women and children with more rights. Furthermore, he implemented rules for fair business transactions. Thus, Medina was an exemplary state, which prided itself with patriarchal values and a confederation for political and economic legislations. The Umma brotherhood integrated individuals, clans, cities, disparate peoples and ethnic groups into a community under a common law and political authority. Creating this Muslim community, consisting of the early followers muhajeruun and Medinan converts ansar, and a monotheist religion alongside Judaism and Christianity was a vital accomplishment, which marked Muhammad as a man of great influence and importance for the Arab Conquests. Having established a foundation for Islam, Muhammad proceeded with spreading Islam throughout Arabia. At the battle of Badr in 624, the Prophet’s army attacked an important Meccan caravan and claimed victory. The battle described as â€Å" a sign of divine favour† , earned Muhammad a renowned reputation around Arabia and marked an important defeat of Mecca since the hijra. This was succeeded by two more battles, Uhud in 625 and Khandaq in 627, which both had rather positive outcomes in extending his influence and eliminating further Jewish clans. Finally, at al-Hudaybiya, in 628, while Meccans intercepted Medinan pilgrims, a truce between Muhammad and the Quraysh was established enabling Muslims to pilgrim to the Ka’ba. This was  the first sign of recognition of defeat by the Meccans. Merely two years later, in 630, Muhammad gained complete rule over Mecca without resistance and managed to claim the Ka’ba as the holiest shrine of Islam. Through his divine revelations, his preachings and his persuading character, Muhammad was all around respected and worshiped as the Messenger of God. He made his â€Å"religious visions operate in the body of a whole society† enabling a complete social habitual change in Arabia. Through tactic moves such as the hijra, the building of the first Muslim confederation in Medina and the Islamization of larger parts of Arabia he laid out the first step for Islam. Needless to say that without his effective leadership, it seems unthinkable that the communities of Arabia would have been able to act in such unison. Muhammad did not only perform as a religious messenger but also as a political leader, unifying the tribes and clans under one belief and a set of rules. He formed such a powerful bond between the umma that even after his death in 632, the Muslim Caliphates continued to spread Islam and conquered virtually the entire Middle East, parts of southern Spain, India and Northern Africa. Muhammad’s enormous influence in the success of the Arab Conquests and as the Messenger of God in the rise of Islam is indisputable. Bibliography 1.A History of Islamic Societies – Ira M. Lapidus 1988 2.A History of the Arab Peoples – Albert Hourani 1991 3.The Arab Conquests – Kennedy 4.What do we know about Muhammad – Patricia Crone 10 June 2008 5.Muhammad and Jenghiz Khan – Khazanov 1993

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Explain the Rationale for the Existence of Supplier Induced Demand in Health Care

EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF SUPPLIER INDUCED DEMAND IN HEALTH CARE AND EXPLORE THE EXTENT TO WHICH EMPIRICAL WORK HAS BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH ITS EXISTENCE Introduction: In the traditional market, consumers decide how much to consume and suppliers decide how much to supply and prices coordinate the decisions. For perfect competition it is assumed inter alia that there is: perfect information so that individuals are fully informed about prices, qualities etc; a lot of buyers and sellers; no single buyer or seller that has influence on the price. But health care market falls short of the perfect market paradigm as it is dogged by many phenomena that cause it to fail (Arrow 1963). One such phenomenon is supplier-induced demand (SID), whereby health care providers, usually physicians, exploit their information advantage over patients in order to induce patients to utilize more healthcare services than they would if they were accurately informed. The phenomenon of SID tends to take an important place within social debates because it has an impact on health care expenditures, health status and the allocation of income between patients and physicians (Labelle et al 1994). Therefore, it has attracted considerable attention in the health economics literature since Roemer (1961), who observed a positive correlation between the number of hospital beds available and their use leading to the observation, ‘a bed built is a bed filled’, sometimes referred to as Roemer’s Law. Although a variety of empirical tests of SID have been reported in literature, researchers disagree on the definition of and tests for SID. The validity of the results from the tests is controversial. Therefore there is no consensus on the development and implementation of public policy based on these results (Labelle et al 1994, p349). Indeed, Doessel (1995, p. 58) observed that this area of research can be described as a theoretical and empirical quagmire. After defining the terms, this essay is going to explore and explain the theoretical rationale, the empirical evidence and policy implications for the existence of SID. The argument will be summed up in the conclusion. Health Care Market and SID A market is a shorthand expression for the process by which households’ decisions about consumption of alternative goods, firms’ decisions about what and how to produce, and workers’ decisions about how much and for whom to work are all reconciled by adjustment of prices. Health care comprises services of health care professionals, which are addressed at health promotion, prevention of illnesses and injury, monitoring of health, maintenance of health, and treatment of disease, disorders, and injuries in order to obtain cure or, failing that, optimum comfort and function (quality of life) (Worldbank website). In health care market there is: a few buyers and sellers; asymmetry of information therefore violation of consumer sovereignty; allocation of resources by physicians and not price mechanism etc. Therefore patients face a dilemma in translating their desire for good health into a demand for medical care. This requires both information and medical knowledge, which they usually do not have. There is no definitive and widely accepted definition of SID. In literature, the definitions range from positive and value free (Fuchs 1978) to normative with negative connotations (Folland et al 2001, p. 04). McGuire (2000, p504) says that SID ‘exists when the physician influences a patient’s demand for care against the physician’s interpretation of the best interest of the patient’. Labelle et al (1994, p. 363) point out the need to incorporate in the definition of SID both the effectiveness of the agency relationship and the effectiveness of the induced services. This me ans that inducement can give rise to ‘good’ or ‘bad’ outcomes for patients depending on its clinical effectiveness, e. g. f a doctor persuades a patient to undertake more treatment where the patient would otherwise have opted for a less than clinically effective package of care. Rationale for the existence of SID: The theoretical analysis of SID is based upon the assumption that doctors maximise their utility subject to income and inducement. Dranove (1988, p 281) argues that under certain conditions the physician will have an incentive to recommend treatments whose costs outweigh their medical benefits. SID involves a shift of the demand curve, such that as supply ncreases, demand also increases (Fig. 1). In practice the exact demand curves themselves cannot be measured. Only the equilibrium points (A, B, C and D) of the overall market can be observed. If the supply of doctors increases from Q1 to Q2 (Fig. 1a), then the fee payable decreases from P1 to P2. But if SID exists (Fig. 1b), as the number of doctors increases from Q1 to Q2 the doctor would keep shifting the demand curve from D through to D3 in order to maintain or increase income. Fig. 1: Graphical representation of competing hypotheses The potential for SID to arise is shaped but not guaranteed by a number of characteristics of the health care market including: information gaps and asymmetries which encourage patients to seek medical advice and delegate decision-making to doctors; potential weaknesses in the agency relationship and the impact of clinical uncertainty on the decision making processes of doctors. Systems for financing, organising and paying for medical services also influence doctor and patient behaviour. The asymmetry of information between user and provider is the most fundamental peculiarity of health care, and the source of the most serious failures of market processes during resource allocation. Informational asymmetries may also invalidate the assumption of â€Å"consumer sovereignty† which underlies evaluative policy assessment in much of economics. Patients will often be relatively poorly informed compared with their doctor about their condition, treatment options, expected outcomes and likely costs. Unlike other professional services, information asymmetry is most pronounced in health care markets. Many researchers have tested the hypothesis that more knowledgeable patients should be resistant to SID and that they should therefore make less use of medical care. Surprisingly these studies have consistently found that knowledgeable patients frequently use more care [Bunker and Brown (1974); Hay and Leahy (1982) and Kenkel (1990)]. The institutional responses to information asymmetry are professionalisation, self-regulation, and the development of an agency relation between individual transactors and between the professions and society collectively. Agency relationship is formed whenever a principal (patient) delegates decision-making authority to another party, the agent (doctor). Ill-informed consumers are protected, by provider advice, from consumption of unnecessary or harmful services (inappropriate or poor quality) and also from failure to consume needed services. If this agency relationship were perfect, doctor would take on entirely the patient’s point of view and act as if he/she were the patient. All consumption choices made for the patient by the provider would be made so as to maximize the patient’s (and ultimately society’s) utility function. Health care providers do not always act as perfect agents for their patients. Their recommendations are sometimes influenced by self-interest, or the interest of the organization for which they work. This imperfect agency arises because the doctor (agent) performs a dual role — the same person who provides advice about a treatment usually provides and receives payment for that treatment. Hence, demand is no longer independent of supply; the agent can shift the demand curve to any position (Fig. 1b). The demand curve (Figure 1a), assumes that independent consumers of care are not directly influenced by suppliers in their decisions to use care, or alternatively that if such direct influence exists, its level is determined external to the market process itself. On the other hand, it has been shown that in spite of the presumed physician influence over the patient, the physician cannot predict the level of patient compliance (Goldberg et al 1998). Therefore it is doubtful how much influence the physician wields over the patient when it comes to SID. Traditionally doctors’ behaviour is controlled by a professional code- â€Å"Hippocratic oath†. Financial self-interest on the part of the physicians is only one of the causes of imperfect agency. Another very important cause is the failure of physicians to understand or accept patients’ preferences regarding the impact of health status on utility and provide this information to the patient (Labelle et al 1994). The target income theory posits that as the number of physicians has increased, they have induced additional demand to get a particular income, e. g. y increasing the volume and variety of tests and procedures. This is in contrast with conventional economics where increasing supply lowers the price for the consumer. The target income is determined by the local income distribution (Rizzo and Blumenthal, 1996). A professional service like Health care is inherently heterogeneous and nonretradable. A monopolistic competitor selling a nonretradable service set s a quantity to maximize profit and unless there is some cost to inducement, a physician or dental practitioner pursuing net income would induce demand to an infinite extent (Gaynor 1994). However, physicians prefer not to induce demand and only do so if they are compensated by adequate gains in income. The utility maximisation of physicians is limited by disutility of discretion, i. e. either the physician’s internal conscience (Evans 1974; Mcguire and Pauly 1991) or as a result of a reputation process by which doctors who excessively induce demand are punished through future reductions in true patient demand (Dranove 1988). SID can arise when clinical uncertainty causes provision of ‘unnecessary’ or ‘wasteful’ medical services even if doctors act in the perceived interests of their patients. If a doctor inadvertently underestimates a patient’s ability to pay for the cost of medical procedures, the level of care recommended might exceed that which the patient would have nominated. However, some analysts maintain that doctors’ responses to clinical uncertainty can give rise to SID fully consistent with the patient’s interests rather than self-interest (Richardson and Peacock 1999, p. 9) e. g. use of diagnostics in excess of ‘standard’ levels in the event of diagnostic uncertainty. Institutional and regulatory arrangements influence how medical markets work. They create incentives or disincentives for doctors (and patients) to behave in ways that could engender SID. For example, the cost-bearing and financing aspects of the doctor’s service are largely borne by third parties (i. e. governments and private insurers). As a consequence, typically neither the consumer nor the provider carefully considers the price or cost of the service supplied. This can influence the extent and form of SID. Other arrangements that can promote SID include: the system of payment for doctors (i. e. ee-for-service, capitation or salaried); the effect of medical indemnity arrangements on the adoption of ‘defensive medical practices’ by doctors; and the form of monitoring of doctor treatment practices. The link between physicians and pharmaceutical companies can also promote SID. Big pharmaceutical companies approach physicians and â€Å"ask† them to prescribe specific drugs to patients in exchange for a reward, such as free holidays. For example, in 2002 drug firms spent nearly $9. 4 billion on marketing to American doctors (The Economist 15th Feb. 2003). As a result, physicians are illing to prescribe extra medicines that are unnecessary and provide no benefit to the patient. Moreover, these drugs favoured by the physicians and produced by big companies might be more expensive than others with equivalent effectiveness However, one major criticism of the SID model is that it focuses on only one price– the nominal fee level–while ignoring access costs. If increased supply reduces travel time and office waits, the total cost of care has fallen even if fees remain constant. Secondly, the SID theory carries an implicit assumption that the extra services are unnecessary. An alternative view is that few situations in medicine are clear-cut and a broad range of indications is consistent with generally acceptable practice. Empirical evidence of SID Several indirect hypotheses and empirical tests have been carried out but due to the lack of a rigorous theoretical model and the presence of econometric and measurement problems, results concerning the existence of SID still remain controversial and inconclusive. SID is not easy to measure and interpret because of the difficulty of separating out induced from un-induced demand, supply changes from demand changes and SID from other factors influencing demand (e. . income, insurance coverage, health status). However, there is clear evidence that physicians who are paid on fee-for-service basis can adjust the number of services in response to limitations on the levels of fees (Rice, 1983), but such responses are not automatic and health economists don't have a good understanding of what contextual factors are i mportant in predicting such responses. Nevertheless, the potential for such responses means that inducement is an important factor to consider in policy development. To test for SID early studies looked at changes in utilisation compared to increases in physician/population ratio. The hypothesis underlying the tests is that, in response to an increase in the doctor/population ratio (i. e. competition), doctors will seek to induce demand or raise their fees so as to maintain their incomes. Cromwell and Mitchell (1986) demonstrated a significant demand inducement for surgical procedures with overall rates of surgery increase by about 0. 08% for each 1% increase in surgeon supply. Rice’s (1984) found that 10% decline in physician reimbursement led to a 6. 1% increase in intensity of medical services and a 2. 7% increase in intensity in surgical services. However, a similar study found mixed responses to fee changes across procedures (Labelle et al 1990). Another technique used for testing SID is to examine the effect of changes in doctor supply on doctor compared with patient initiated visits. Assumption here is that if SID exists, increases in doctor numbers would lead to an increase in doctor-initiated visits (that is, an income maintenance response test). Tussing and Wojtowycz (1986), using this technique, found that areas with more GPs were associated with much larger proportion of return visits arranged by doctor, i. e. a strong relationship to support SID. On the other hand, doing a similar experiment, Rossiter and Wilensky (1983) found only very small inducement effect. This approach to investigating the presence of SID effects (increasing physicians and increasing utilisation) fell somewhat out of favour when Dranove and Wehner (1994) found that, according to the standard methodology among SID theorists, an increase in the number of physicians resulted in an increase in childbirths. Recent studies have looked at physician behaviour in response to fee reduction, e. g. Yip (1998) found that physicians compensate for income losses due to public price reduction by increasing volume. Medicare fee cuts lead to increased amounts of heart surgery enabling physicians to recoup 70% of lost revenue. Gruber and Owings (1996) found that a 13% reduction in fertility rate in the US in 1970-1982 led to an increase in caesarean sections and reduction in the less profitable vaginal births. Between 1971-1981, the number of GPs per capita in Winnipeg, Canada increased by 56%. Remarkably, however, real gross income per physician remained virtually unchanged during the period. GPs simply increased the number of contacts with existing patients – so much so that their average revenue actually increased (Roch et al 1985). On the other hand, in Norway, Grytten and Sorensen (2001) compared a salaried group of physicians with another one that was compensated by fee for service. Neither of the two groups of physicians increased their output as a response to an increase in physician density. In UK, dentists are paid on a fixed fee-for-service basis. Supplier income can only be increased by increasing utilisation. Therefore, testing for the existence of SID in dentistry has involved looking for a positive correlation between dentist density and utilisation of dental care. Birch (1988) concluded that a positive correlation between the number of dentists per capita and the treatment content per visit provides sufficient (but not necessary) evidence for the existence of SID, in a fee-regulated market environment. Other researchers [Manning and Phelps (1979); Grytten et al (1990)]  found similar correlations. Sintonen and Maljanen (1995) found that individual and general inducement appeared to have considerable effect on utilisation, but no systematic connection with supply conditions (dentist/population ratio). This was interpreted to indicate that some dentists, regardless of the market situation, have adopted individual inducement. However, there are alternative explanations for a positive correlation between dentist density and the utilisation of medical services: permanent access demand on the market for medical services due to price regulation; demand decisions by rational patients (the opening of new practices, particularly in rural areas, reduces the average time and transport costs, and the average time spent in the waiting room also falls); reversed causality where physicians set up shop in high demand regions (Zweifel 1981 p216). Policy Implications of SID: SID is of great importance to the policy maker because it threatens the basic market paradigm and severely undermines economic recommendations about market policy. There are differing interpretations of policy significance of SID. According to Carlsen and Grytten (2000), policy makers can compute the socially optimal density of physicians without knowledge of SID. Yet most analysts look at SID from the perspective of manpower and reimbursement policy for purposes of cost containment. They do not consider its contribution to the health status of patients. The impact of SID on equity, distributional issues and the net social benefits is usually ignored (Labelle et al 1994). The issue of SID raises another major controversy of whether adequate control over resource allocation to and within healthcare is best achieved through the demand side or through regulatory controls on the supply side (Reinhardt 1989, p. 339). Indeed, due to problems with moral hazard and SID, insurers use demand-side incentives (e. g. co-insurance and deductibles), as well as supply-side incentives aimed at providers (e. g. aying physicians through salary or capitation). An example of policy implications of SID to manpower planning is when a government wishes to attract physicians to rural areas, and it does so by paying rural doctors more than those in urban areas. This could precipitate SID within urban practices, hence nullifying the government’s intention. Direct regulation of the supply of physicians—by mandating that all new graduates spend a c ertain number of years in rural communities, for example —might have some advantages, although this may well affect the number and quality of medical students. For facility planning purposes, Roemer’s Law has the fundamental implication that there is no external â€Å"demand† standard, based on observed utilisation, from which â€Å"needed† levels can be inferred. Providers will themselves determine use on the basis of available capacity inter alia. SID means increased demand by patients, which raises costs of care. If it exists, then the policy maker may wish to provide for control of supplier behaviour by mandating evidence-based medicine: cost-effectiveness evaluation of new interventions, medical audits etc, all of which encroach on clinical freedom. Use of provider payment mechanisms like salaries for doctors, global budgets, and case payments could help. However, Ferguson (2002) argues that overall, demand curve for medical care slopes downward, and that supplier-induced demand is overrated as a policy concern. Conclusion: This essay has explained the rationale for the existence of SID and has explored its policy implications and empirical evidence of its existence. There is arguably sufficient evidence to accept that SID can occur. Even Hippocrates himself realised that as in all things mercenary (in health care it is â€Å"fee-for-service†) there is no such thing as pure altruism. Indeed, the Hippocratic oath is an admission to the potential for pecuniary self-interest and abuse of sacred trust. Imperfect agency and clinical uncertainty are the main causes of SID. If SID is pervasive, there could be a variety of economy-wide impacts, e. g. it could increase health expenditure without a commensurate improvement in health outcomes. Therefore, it has important implications for the health policy process. Strong support for SID hypothesis was found in the UK dentistry. Otherwise, there is no robust evidence on the likely magnitude of SID. Although inconclusive, most studies suggest that where SID arises, it is small both in absolute terms and relative to other influences. However, it is still worth considering SID-attenuating arrangements say in the case of physician reimbursement policy. As there are a number of fundamental and seemingly irresolvable methodological and data problems associated with trying to assess SID, definitive evidence of its existence most likely will remain illusive. References: 1. Arrow, K. J. (1963). Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Medical Care. American Economic Review 53: 941-973. 2. Birch, S. (1988). 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Amsterdam: North-Holland ———————– P- fees for ServiceQ- supply of doctors S- supply curve of servicesD- demand curve for services P2 P1 Q1 Q2 D C A S1 S P3 P1 P2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 D D2 D1 D3 S1 S B (a) No SID(b) With SID D