Are The Barriers Of Evidence Based Policy Making Much...

Are the barriers to evidence-based policy making much smaller than most critics suggest? Word count: 3038 Introduction â€Å"Policy research puts the spotlight on the variables that indicate relationships of social problems and other variables that public policy can manoeuvre† (Weimer and Vining, 2011, p. 25). Therefore, it is understandable that a better-educated and informed public that is present nowadays is more concerned about governments doing ‘the right thing’. Likewise, there is more and more scepticism about government interventions, especially when they inherit monetary spending (Davies et al., 2000, pp. 1–2). These are only a few reasons why in the field of policy making evidence became a substantial part. According to the vast amount of literature and the importance assigned to this topic from governments globally, one could think we have arrived in a â€Å"scientifically guided society† (Lindblom, 1990, pp. 213–214), (Nutley and Webb, 2000, p. 13). The purpose of this essay is to answer the question, if the barriers to evidence-based policy making are much smaller than most critics suggest. For this reason, a short introduction and the current debate about evidence-based policy will be given in the first instance. Secondly, known barriers of evidence-based policy making like timing or resources and ways to overcome them, will be presented. Based on these findings a concept that explains the claim that the barriers of evidence-based policymaking (EBP) are much smallerShow MoreRelatedPharmaceutical Industry Pricing Models Essay3586 Words   |  15 Pagesthe sense that that it is fundamentally based in research and development (RD) but is also a manufacturing industry. Like other industries within the health sector, elements of it are engaged in health service delivery, as it becomes increasingly involved in the advising of appropriate use of its products. It is a segment of the health industry that is respected worldwide for its introduction of new products and is at the cutting edge of some of the most exciting areas of high technology, includingRead MoreAgricultural Trade Policies During The European Union2976 Words   |  12 Pages Agriculture has been one of the flagship areas of European collaboration since the early days of the European Community (EC). Agricultural trade policies in the European Union (EU) can be divided into roughly two parts: production support via the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and External Trade Barriers via tariffs and quotas set against non-member states. When the principles of the â€Å"Common Market† were decided in late 50s, France insisted on a system of agricultural subsidies as its price forRead MoreGlobalization: A Western Perspective3291 Words   |  14 PagesWashington consensus, often interchangeably used with neoliberal policies, has become a rod of dissatisfaction among anti-globalization. In theory, neoliberal policies seek to industrialize Latin America through western ideas and structure under the policy of â€Å"one size fits all†. Late development theory states that not all development will follow the same path as their predecessors. Each country a ccounts for its own history, culture, trajectory and variables for development. Globalization while itRead MoreBreaking Through the Glass Ceiling2084 Words   |  9 Pagesin 23 countries selected by the author, were held by women. In the countries of Eastern and Central Europe this progression could be explained by policies to support working mothers, and in some other industrialized countries - by women’s movements. However, within certain professions, women often still had to occupy lower and less paid positions than men. If in the last decades there has been a real progress in women’s professional employment, in managerial positions women still stand for a veryRead MoreHarmonization of International Accounting Standards: Advantages Disadvantages, Obstacles Solutions3944 Words   |  16 Pagesand circumstances.   National accounting standards can be modified as situations change, and policies can be implemented without consent of all the nations involved in an international accounting system.   (Diaconu 2007) I have outlined some of the advantages and disadvantages that could possibly arise from implementing a harmonized international accounting standard.   Now I will examine some of the barriers that prevent harmonization from proceeding.   Many countries have different accounting methodsRead MorePreschool Programs And The Universal Preschool2914 Words   |  12 Pagesyear–olds, and focus on school readiness. The term universal preschool means that preschool programs are available to any child in a given state, regardless of family income, children’s abilities, or any other factors (Colker). Like Kindergarten in most states, the concept of the Universal Preschool Movement is to have a voluntary program, unlike compulsory elementary. Universal preschool would make preschool programs available to any child in a given state, regardless of family income, children’sRead MoreThe Aurora Scheme Run By Leadership Foundation For Higher Education3997 Words   |  16 Pagesthe implications of the Aurora scheme on her own organisation within literature that focuses on gendered aspects of leadership and examines women-only mentoring programmes. Most importantly, the assignment will argue that the Aurora scheme is a mentoring intervention focused on the level of individual participants rather than the level of the organisation. As such, it has not really made any impact on how the author’s institution constructs leadership and positions women leaders within its structuresRead MoreSo Far International Monetary Fund (Imf) Has Been Failed to Curve Corruption, Reduce Public Spending and Develop Macroeconomic Policies4014 Words   |  17 Pagesâ€Å"So Far International Monetary Fund (IMF) Has Been Failed to Curve Corruption, Reduce Public Spending and Develop Macroeconomic Policies.† What is IMF? The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created in 1944 at a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and are now based in Washington, DC. Now it is an organization of 188 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainableRead MoreEssay about Agency Problem26370 Words   |  106 Pageswith the conventional wisdom about investment barriers segmenting global investors and how cross-listings overcome those barriers cleared the way for newer wisdom about informational problems and agency conï ¬â€šicts, and how ï ¬ rms could overcome weaknesses in corporate governance by listing on, and thus â€Å"bonding† to, overseas markets with stronger regulatory oversight, stringent reporting and disclosure requirements and investor protections. Critics have challenged the viability of the bonding hypothesisRead MoreWomen Entrepreneurs: a Critical Review of the Literature12149 Words   |  49 PagesWithin this frame, existing studies of women business owners are classified and examined according to four themes that appear to be most prominent. These four themes are (1) Women business owners’ characteristics and development; (2) Women’s motives for starting and leading a business; (3) Women’s leadership styles and management strategies in small business; and (4) Barriers and conflicts encountered by women business owners. The article argues that further study and critical analysis is required

First Modern Revolution 3d Printing, Now A Days Is...

Three dimensional (3D) printing, now a days is taking the world by tempest. President Barack Obama as of late said that 3D printing innovation can possibly make a huge change in the way we make practically everything. News and exploratory productions have named it the as second modern revolution. 3D printing is used to be restricted to assembling littler things, for example, mugs, model autos, or firearms. A few, nonetheless, imagine 3D imprinting on a more stupendous scale. Research organizations and structural firms are creating innovation that may permit the manufacture of entire structures, or huge segments thereof, by printing not long from now. This, they trust, will be executed by the business all in all, essentially lessening the†¦show more content†¦The material and exact technique for application will shift contingent upon the thing being printed and the innovation being used. For instance, 3D printers use plastic, paper, elastic, and metal, among different materia ls; these materials are included by spraying, expelling, or altering them set up with a laser or beam. The deciding result is a three dimensional item as outlined by the computerized model. 2. Developments for the Construction Industry Expanding on the general idea of 3D printing, innovators are taking a shot at innovation that they trust will make it conceivable to print entire structures. Presently such innovation is nascent, with advancement to a great extent being made at colleges and creative structural firms. Driving the charge in the United States is Behrokh Khoshnevis, a designing teacher at the University of Southern California. Khoshnevis has built up a specific emphasis of 3D printing called Contour Crafting. Contour Crafting is executed with a Contour Crafter – an extruder associated with a PC controlled gantry on rails. The rails are put on either side of an establishment, and the extruder, moved by the gantry, then applies layers of speedy setting concrete. The solid is connected in order to shape empty dividers, and extra cement is added to fill the divider in differing sums relying upon whether the divider is loadbearing. The Contour Crafter is additionally ready to introduce conduits for pipes and electrical wiring,

My Life as a High School Student Free Essays

My name is Mercedez JaNae Jordan and I am from Chicago. I am a very outgoing and passionate. I have been through a lot of obstacles in my life. We will write a custom essay sample on My Life as a High School Student or any similar topic only for you Order Now I am taking this class to graduate on time and move forward in my life pursue my dream today. When I was little I my brother was almost kidnapped was a surreal and life learning. When I seen my brother being taken I was little but I still ran to save him. It thought me that you can never be too sure of a person and to always be careful who you invite into your life. When I was about seven my mother and my father divorced and it hurt a lot of people and me of course. That taught me that nothing last forever also love isn’t always true happiness. When I seen my father leave the feeling was bitter sweet because my mom was relieved and you could see her happiness in a long time but also because my father was no longer there to lean on. The last life surprise was my brother moving to California when I was like 13, I was so close to my brother it was sad to see him leave but it was the best for him. My brother needed a new start because he didn’t understand the value of him mistakes but he was my best friend so he no longer in my life was so surreal. I have seen a lot of things in my life that a lot of people will never see in theirs. I am 18 years old and have a lot of hopes and dreams and plan to accomplish every single one of them. How to cite My Life as a High School Student, Essays

Advanced Particle Systems Engineering for Drug -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theAdvanced Particle Systems Engineering for Drug. Answer: Introduction Concomitant with the advancement in science and technology, a plethora of changes have occurred in terms of the application of certain particles in varied domains. The medical and pharmaceutical industry has witnessed rigorous modifications in terms of wide scale utilization of particles in nanometer (10-9 m) range termed as nanoparticles. In the nanomedicine field, nanoparticles application has gained prominence recently and offers hope in the detection, diagnosis and treatment for various diseases. It has offered hope in the early detection of certain life threatening diseases thereby aiding in subsequent treatments for providing holistic remedy to the situation. Targeted drug delivery is also a possibility amongst the diverse application encompassing diagnostic imaging and differentiation. Large surface-to-mass ratio in addition to increased surface modification sites that renders it with improved drug or bioactive delivery efficiency makes these nanoparticles suitable for targete d drug delivery and is ever expanding (Lin, 2015). Background and Significance Technological breakthrough has widened the horizon for the application of nanoparticles in the medical and pharmaceutical sector. Types of nanoparticles such as polymer, liposome, micelles, silica, metallic particles, and carbon materials all have diverse applications in the medicine and pharmaceutical sectors. High encapsulation of drug or bioactive molecules apart from shielding negative charge of cargo and targeting delivery through ligand-receptor interaction accounts for the improved efficiency in drug delivery. In this respect, mention may be made about the quantum dots that have been found to exert their impacts in nanoparticle based drug delivery system that holds the potential for the enhancement of existing drugs efficacy and paves the way for novel therapies development. Beneficial effects of quantum dots have been evident in mitigation of drug toxicity, improvement of bioavailability, and increase in circulation times. Further, release of controlled drug and its targeting has also been achieved through nanoparticle based drug delivery through use of quantum dots. Additional therapeutic benefits area attained through utilization of properties related to phtothermal therapy and magneto-transfection (Probst et al., 2013). It has been seen that quantum dots acts by means of generating energy in the form of photon of light where the variation in colors occur depending on the energy levels. Recent research has showed that development of biodegradable polymeric vesicles as a mean of nanocarrier system for the purpose of multimodal bio imaging as well as anticancer drug delivery have paved the way for treating life-threatening conditions. An emulsion-evaporation method was utilized in a research study for the encapsulation of inorganic imaging agents comprising of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanaoparticles, busulfan anticancer drug, zinc sulfide quantum dots that is manganese doped into the polymeric compound of PLGA vesicles. In vitro investigation of PLG A vesicle demonstrated its drug delivery capacity through release of busulfan (Ye et al., 2014). Thus, the quantum dots cellular uptake mechanism consisting of three key stages involving endocytosis, sequestration in early endosomes and ultimately traslocation into later endosomes or lysososmes may be held responsible for accentuating the organ targeted drug delivery in case of nanotechnology. Role of Quantum Dots nanoparticles in organ-targeted drug delivery The diverse roles of the nanoparticles have been reported across various literatures owing to the varied properties each of them possess. Pertinent study has laid focus on elucidating the functioning of brain due to negatively charged structures of proteoglycans and sialoglycoconjugates. In this effort, the quantum dots have garnered much attention. The results confirmed that quantum dots have immense potential of acting as vehicle for trafficking proteins into the cells in the brain. Neuronal uptake of green fluorescent protein (GFP) through administration of a histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein to the hppocampal sites affirmed this observation (Walters et al., 2015). Further, the wide range application of quantum dots may also be witnessed through the light of the carbon quantum dots usability. Research has provided empirical evidences in favor of the diverse array of applications concerning the carbon quantum dots in fields of biosensing, bioimaging, nanomedicine and other s. In nanomedicine, the drug delivery system is of significance and carbon quantum dots play vital roles in generating holistic results. Controlled drug release in addition to function as drug carriers and fluorescent tracers are the potential functions of carbon quantum dots. This was backed by evidence received from study in which it was shown that carbon quantum dots when loaded with anticancer drug named doxorubicin was capable of controlling the release of the drug in HeLa cells. Further, it was observed that carbon quantum dots functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomers accounted for rendering longer circulation time in the physiological systems prior to targeting of the selected tissues in attaining localized therapy (Lim, Shen Gao, 2015). Again, relevant study has brought to the forefront that grapheme quantum dots when conjugated with albumin nanoparticles lead to enhancement in the bioavailability as well as sustained drug release property in case of in vitro pancreatic cancer cells. Improved efficacy of the drug delivery system was also noted for the bioimaging technique as an effective vehicle for drug delivery (Nigam et al., 2014). Simultaneous drug delivery targeting alongside cellular imaging has been highlighted in study concerning the folic acid targeted Mn:ZnS quantum dots that revealed promising effects in terms of theranostic applications. Heightened capacity of binding affinity and internalization of the nano carrier towards the overexpressed folate receptor cells was noted through chitosan encapsulated quantum dots functionalization with folic acid (Bwatanglang et al., 2016). Thus, the nanoparticles accounted for giving the quantum dots unique functional abilities that in turn facilitated the organ targeted drug delivery. Limitations and Safety concerns The multitude of benefits associated with quantum dots based nanoparticles has lead to the widespread application of it in the context of medicine and pharmaceutical sectors. However, unlike any other technological interventions, quantum dots have their own potential limitations. There remains possibility of having surface defects for quantum dots that in turn might influence the recombination of electrons. As a result blinking might take place in case of the quantum dots and causing deterioration of the quantum yield of the dots. Moreover, conjugation of quantum dots with other molecules makes it difficult for drug delivery due to increase in size of the particle thereby impeding the biological functions of the quantum dots (Karakoti et al., 2015). Thus, the drug targeting function of these particles may be impaired to some extent. Safety concerns in relation to the use of quantum dots have been a vital issue. Toxicity associated with quantum dots has been alarming as the coatings may be cytotoxic as ut might be damaging to cells. Moreover, it has been cited in study that in case the core of quantum dots are compromised, it might pose threats of toxicity due to the metallic core itself or because of the dissolution of the core. Undesirable changes might set in because of erosion of the shell. Metabolism and degradation within the cell because of quantum dots remains unraveled, while other studies have confirmed its accumulation within the spleen, liver and kidney (Hofmann-Amtenbrink, M., Grainger, D. W., Hofmann, 2015). Conclusion Despite the limitations and safety concerns, the potential benefits and advantages linked to nanoparticles such as that of quantum dots cannot be denied and offer scope for future exploration. Investigations must be carried out focusing on the detailed mechanisms that govern the Quantum Dots application in organ-targeted drug delivery. Efforts must be streamlined to mitigate the limitations and safety concerns as much as practicable. References Bwatanglang, I. B., Mohammad, F., Yusof, N. A., Abdullah, J., Hussein, M. Z., Alitheen, N. B., Abu, N. (2016). Folic acid targeted Mn: ZnS quantum dots for theranostic applications of cancer cell imaging and therapy.International journal of nanomedicine,11, 413. Hofmann-Amtenbrink, M., Grainger, D. W., Hofmann, H. (2015). Nanoparticles in medicine: current challenges facing inorganic nanoparticle toxicity assessments and standardizations.Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine,11(7), 1689-1694. Karakoti, A. S., Shukla, R., Shanker, R., Singh, S. (2015). Surface functionalization of quantum dots for biological applications.Advances in colloid and interface science,215, 28-45. Lim, S. Y., Shen, W., Gao, Z. (2015). Carbon quantum dots and their applications.Chemical Society Reviews,44(1), 362-381. Lin, W. (2015). Introduction: nanoparticles in medicine. Nigam, P., Waghmode, S., Louis, M., Wangnoo, S., Chavan, P., Sarkar, D. (2014). Graphene quantum dots conjugated albumin nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging of pancreatic cancer.Journal of Materials Chemistry B,2(21), 3190-3195. Probst, C. E., Zrazhevskiy, P., Bagalkot, V., Gao, X. (2013). Quantum dots as a platform for nanoparticle drug delivery vehicle design.Advanced drug delivery reviews,65(5), 703-718. Walters, R., Medintz, I. L., Delehanty, J. B., Stewart, M. H., Susumu, K., Huston, A. L., ... Dawson, G. (2015). The role of negative charge in the delivery of quantum dots to neurons.ASN neuro,7(4), 1759091415592389. Ye, F., Barrefelt, ., Asem, H., Abedi-Valugerdi, M., El-Serafi, I., Saghafian, M., ... Hassan, M. (2014). Biodegradable polymeric vesicles containing magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots and anticancer drugs for drug delivery and imaging.Biomaterials,35(12), 3885-3894.

Hamilton An American Musical free essay sample

â€Å"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a wh**e† become a smashing Broadway success? By combining brilliant, historically accurate lyrics with rap, six-part harmonies, and strong hip-hop influences. â€Å"Hamilton: An American Musical,† written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, has taken Broadway by storm. While I have yet to see â€Å"Hamilton† on stage, this Grammy-winning album is superb both by music industry and Broadway standards. Listening to the album, you feel like you are sitting in a theater watching the hit show being performed. The rapping is understandable and brilliant, the harmonies are tight, and the entire album radiates that magical Broadway energy. â€Å"Hamilton† takes you on a musical historical journey. Alexander befriends Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), who gives him advice: â€Å"Talk less, smile more/Don’t let them know what you’re against or for.† Issues facing the newly established United States are discussed through Cabinet rap battles. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamilton: An American Musical or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Commentary in â€Å"Burn† and â€Å"The Room Where It Happens† surmise what actually happened over 200 years ago and discuss the end results in a beautiful storytelling manner. â€Å"Hamilton† allows you to reimagine history as though the Founding Fathers had rapped their ideologies and emotions. Since I haven’t seen the show but simply heard the wonderful music telling the story, let’s talk about the lyrics. The lyrics are tightly worded poetic masterpieces containing historical gold nuggets. They don’t just recite historical facts; they mine all the emotions that can be found in Hamilton’s story. It feels like you are standing right alongside him as he works his way from a poor orphan to a principled leader trying to establish economic sovereignty for our country. But perhaps the best part of the lyrics isn’t just what is said, but all the underlying themes Miranda masterfully crams into this more than two-hour-long story. From the idealized American dream to the poor underdog shaping history through hard work, Miranda paints this Founding Father as a relatable role model. It’s a powerful and moving story about a little known Founding Father whose economic policy established strong roots that have helped generations of Americans to prosper. Miranda also comments on our inability to control what legacy we leave. Alexander asks, â€Å"Legacy. What is legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.† And Aaron Burr sings, â€Å"History obliterates in every picture that it paints, it paints me and all my mistakes.† As Hamilton and Burr discover, â€Å"You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.† But I believe Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rendition of Alexander Hamilton’s story portrays these individuals as honestly as possible.

The road interpretation of the woman Essays

The road interpretation of the woman Essays The road interpretation of the woman Essay The road interpretation of the woman Essay Essay Topic: The Heart Of a Woman The Road Throughout The Road, Corm McCarthy draws a very heavy line in the sand between giving up and persevering. Very often, this line in the sand adheres to strict gender lines: while women are shown to give up in one form or another, the father and son who struggle down the post-Apocalyptic road tell themselves, This is what the good guys do. They keep trying. They dont give up 0. After closer reading of the text, reveals that not giving up is not always the lesser of two evils. McCarthy places an emphasis on the mothers body as a vessel of creation, the only form of creation in a world filled with death and destruction: Always so deliberate, hardly surprised by the most outlandish events. A creation perfectly evolved to meet its own end. A few nights later she gave birth in their bed by the light off Darrell lamp. While she labors to create a child, however, Her cries meant nothing to [the father] (54): as a man, he does not identify with this labor-as-creation . In fact, there doesnt even seem to be a memory of creation once the mother is gone. When the father and son find the charred remains of a roasted baby, the boy asks, Where did they find it? because, in a male-centric world, they are capable only of scavenging canned goods and old shoes (200). The idea of someone creating the baby is an alien one too boy who has grown up only in the ravaged landscape that is now the world. Throughout the novel, the father closely associates his wife with the world-as-it-was, a green and verdant pre-apocalyptic landscape: In dreams his pale bride came to him out of a green and leafy canopy. Her nipples peculated and her rib bones painted white. Since she embodied a time of bliss, nevertheless, not only does the wife and mother have no place in the new world of death and deprivation, but even her recollection is out of place: He mistrusted all of that. He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril and all else was the call of language and of death 0. For individual women who are ill-fated enough to survive on the road, their figures, once vessels of conception, become assets: Behind them came wagons drawn by laves in harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a supplementary consort of activates ill clothed against the cold and fitted in dog collars and yoked to each to each (92). In order of importance, they hold less value than goods of war but more value than activates, male sex slaves. In fact, when the mother calmly discusses her own suicide, she correctly predicts these occurrences: Sooner or later they will catch us and they will kill us. They will rape me. They are going to rape us and kill us and eat us and you wont face it (58). In some ways, her brutal acceptance of the world-as-it-has-become is much braver than the fathers Im-sure-everything-will-be-fine-when-we-get-to-the-coast brand of denial. Her willingness to murder her own child to protect him from one of the cruelest worlds in recent literature stands in direct opposition to the father, who, when finally faced with the decision, says, l cannot hold my son dead in my arms. I she says, They say that women dream of danger to those in their care and men of anger to themselves. But I dont dream at all. My heart was ripped out of me the night he was born so dont ask for sorrow now. There is none . Though she brought her child into the world, she knew the world was no place for either her or him, a fact that the father looks back on with some bitterness. Despite the fathers vicious remembering of his wife, however, it is eventually revealed that he feels a certain responsibility for her death: In his dream she was sick and he cared for her. The dream bore the look of sacrifice but he thought fervently. He did not take care of her and she died alone somewhere in the dark and there is no other dream nor other waking world and there is no other tale to tell . In fact, he even goes so far as to say, Hed come to see a message in each such late history, a message and a warning, and so this tableau of the slain and the devoured did prove to be . Only a man who feels a certain level of guilt for the way things have turned out could possibly see a message and a warning in a setting such as this.

Undecided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Undecided - Essay Example According to Foucault, achieving control over the individuals is one of fundamental motives in exercising discipline. Attaining power also acts as a means of transforming the behavior of subjects. Detainees get essential services from their closets and do not have the freedom to interact (Foucault, 2008). Foucault also elaborated the effects of discipline given the control that it attracts on subjects. He related discipline and control to the Panopticon designed by Bentham. The Panopticon was an effective structure in conducting day and night surveillance of prisoners without their awareness. The structure had several prison cells surrounding a high observation tower, with masked windows to hide the surveillance unit officers. It was challenging to realize the presence of any light inside the tower to keep prisoners guessing. The masking of tower’s windows would hide anyone inside. Control, according to Foucault, is achievable from discipline instilled and is the center of att aining power over subjects. The design was to keep the prisoners unaware of any surveillance going on in the tower, at any time. The design of the Panopticon gained dominance in design of most present day prisons. The effectiveness of the design in enabling observation of prisoners, while they remain unaware, was the main reason for its adoption. Current security measures as the observation cameras also use the same design in surveillance. Panopticism is an avenue of achieving power over the conduct of humans and an avenue where exercise of power takes place. The Panopticon is a representation of the modern society utilizing discipline and punishment. Although Foucault appreciates the freedom of members of any society, he maintains that control and examination are vital for institutions and governments to undertake as an avenue of control. Directed by M. Scorsese and adapted by L. Kalogridis in 2010, Shutter Island is an American masterpiece thriller movie that attracted a plausible number of viewers. The movie setting is in 1954 and it features investigative roles by Teddy Daniels. Shutter Island is a facility for the criminally insane, converted from its former function as a fortress used by Civil War fighters. Daniels has long experience in investigation given his role throughout the Second World War. Daniel’s role is to find out the loss of a patient from the facility on the Island. The patient, Rachel Solando, was under medication at the hospital of the mentally insane. The investigator has to perform against several constraints including denied access to crucial documents at the facility that would be important for the investigation. The facility management does not cooperate with Daniels and the mission turns challenging from the beginning. Their mission faces many distractions including the great storm that separates the two, Daniels and Chuck Aule, his partner. They find it stressful but do not stop at that. Their investigation skills are super b to allow them access shocking information about the facility’s illegal operations. Although Daniels is on a mission to investigate the case of a disappeared patient at the facility, he has other interests as well. He holds the belief that he may find credible information surrounding the horrible death of his wife, at the medical facility. The chief at the prison, Dr. Cawley, holds exceptional authority to command what favors him most. This further complicates the whole process of investigation. The

Portfolio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio Analysis - Essay Example The indifference curve can be used to reflect investor attitude or risk by refloating an investor’s preference. The plot of many indifference curves shows the different options that an investor would take. However, from the indifference map, the best option is to take the option that is highest that any other indifference curve. b. Selection of a suitable portfolio Indifference curves are not just used to display the risk aversion factors of an investor; in fact, the indifference curve can be used to select a suitable portfolio in terms of risk and return (Yin and Zhou, 2004). As already stated, the indifference curve is a plot of the risk and return preferences of an investor, therefore, to select the most suitable portfolio, an investor can utilize the mean-variance theory. The mean-variance theory of portfolio selection is derived from the indifference curve, where the map of the different indifference curves for an investor is plotted together (Maharakkhaka, 2011). From th e plot of the indifference curves, the transitive preferences of an investor can be determined, which refers to the selection of the best preference curve as chosen by an investor. From an analysis of the transitive preferences, it is evident that the highest preference curve is the one that should be selected by the investor. From the indifference curve, the investor can determine the highest possible indifference curve, which, combined with the other indifference curves, gives the mean-variance portfolio or the most efficient portfolio in an investment. 2. Correlation and Co-variance a. Correlation and Co-variance The relationship between two variables can be measured or determined in different ways, but the commonest way is the determination of the correlation and covariance of the two variables. A number of variables are sometimes related in some way or another, either the occurrence of one variable affects the occurrence of the other variable, or the does not affect the working of the other variable. The covariance refers to the type of relationship that two variables have, meaning that it shows whether two variables have a positive or negative relationship. In this case, a positive relationship refers to the fact that one variable moves in the same direction as the other variable. Conversely, the correlation between two variables incorporates another dimension, the extent to which two variables are related. In addition to the covariance angle of determining whether variables are positively or inversely related, the correlation also shows the extent to which the variables are inversely or positively related. b. Covariance, Correlation, and Portfolio risk As already stated, the correlation between two variables is determined by the movement of one variable in relation to the movement of the other variable. In the investment market, diversification is a good practice, since it ensures that an investor does not lose an investment in case of a catastrophe or loss in market value. A positive correlation between assets means that one asset will move in the exact same way as another asset. In investment, stocks with low or negative correlation are used to reduce portfolio risk since when one asset falls; the other asset

Passion in Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Passion in Life - Essay Example Without passion for something, life becomes dull and drab. However, the insertion of passion in such a life will brim it with energy and power. Similarly, a lack of passion in a relationship makes it dull and boring. Many people confuse ambition with passion. Passion is the driving force behind the work that an individual does to achieve the goals and ambitions in his life. Passion is a mix of truth, authenticity, enthusiasm and depth. The complex and yet simple nature of this uncontrollable and unbridled emotion is such that it just cannot be faked. Any act lacking sincerity, emotion or enthusiasm just will never be able to exist in the world of the passionate. Passion exudes its own unique energy. Passion is what gives a person solace while doing what they feel so strongly about. A person becomes infatuated with certain things in life, but if there is no passion in it, the act starts to feel too monotonous. The person will eventually get fed up of it and consider all the time spent on it as wasted. However, if the very same thing is done with passion, it embraces one for life. I also a passion in my life and I deeply wish to accomplish it. I have come to realize that the driving force behind everything that I do is the intense desire to give my family a life void of strain and one that promises a better future. Everything I do is now based on this simple thought.

Harmonisation of Accounting Standards

Harmonisation of Accounting Standards Accounting Standards are the reliable statements of best accounting practices issued by recognized expert accountancy bodies relating to various aspects of measurements, treatments and disclosures of accounting transactions and events, as related to the codification of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This report presents harmonization of accounting standards, a brief history, and the achievements so far and some challenges faced by the organizations such as the International Accounting Standard Committee (IASC) that are pursuing harmonization of accounting standards. 1.0 ACCOUNTING HARMONIZATION: Many authors have put together different definitions for accounting harmonization in various ways. It would seem not an easy word to define, as neither the European Commission nor other organs of the commission have explicitly defined the concept of accounting harmonization (Christopher Nobes, 1992). Some have even complicated the whole concept, by attempting to substitute harmonization with standardization, as if to mean that the process is the same, rather than making it more compatible. In practice, harmonization of accounting tends to mean the process of increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds for the degree of variations (Nobes, 1992). This can be accepted to be the most suitable definition of the concept. Harmonization of accounting standards has become a highly demanded issue of discussion and debate among accounting professionals around the globe. Accounting Standards are the authoritative statements of best accounting practices issued by recognized expert accountancy bodies relating to various aspects of measurements, treatments and disclosures of accounting transactions and events, as related to the codification of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These are stated to be the norms of accounting policies and practices by way of codes or guidelines to direct as to how the items, which make up the financial statements, should be dealt with in accounts and presented in the annual accounts. In fact, such statements are designed and prescribed to improve and benchmark the quality of financial reporting. They bring about uniformity in financial reporting and ensure consistency and comparability in the data published by enterprises. These are aimed at furnishing useful info rmation to different users of the financial statements, such as shareholders, creditors, lenders, management, investors, suppliers, competitors, researchers, regulatory bodies and society at large(Shil et al. 2009). The process of harmonization gives the global community a single entity. The diversity of stockholding doesnt matter today if the accounting system can generate general purpose financial statements in real sense. Thus, along with the process of globalization, the awareness of investors in capital markets has increased manifold and the size of investors is multiplying. Foreign institution investors (FIIs) are investing in significant volumes globally, as also are several Indian companies through GDRs (Global Depository Receipts) and ADRs (American Depository Receipts). Hence, the need for harmonization of accounting standards has been strongly advocated globally in order to faster the economic decision-making process(Shil et al. 2009). Wallace, et al (1997) argue that the mission for international harmonization of reporting practices cannot be as easy as looking at a cash flow statement, where you identify different ways of categorizing cash flows, alternative formats of presenting cash flows from operating activities and just many other differences. In addition, several issues such as: the bad debts provision; valuing marketable securities; and the treatment of long-term contracts, can be considered specific and given particular treatment. The role of the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) for example is to issue accounting standards in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as a standard setting body in the UK for the purposes of Section 256(1) of the UK Companies Act 1985 and in Northern Ireland for the purposes of Article 264(1) of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.(Mccallig et al. 2010). 1.1 The Need for Harmonization The increased globalisation of capital markets has resulted in a need for international accounting standards. In an increasingly globalised world, it is clear that financial statements of companies operating under different accounting management systems are not easily comparable. This has led to the need and development of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) whose stated objective is the development of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"a single set of high quality, understandable, enforceable and globally-acceptable International Financial Reporting Standards (Mccallig et al. 2010) This harmonization is needed due to the globalization of businesses and services and an increase in cross-border investments and borrowings(Zeff 2011). Some of the benefits of harmonization are: It ensures reliable and high quality financial reporting and disclosures in certain cases; it can prove to be crucial to the economic and financial development of a country. It enables a systematic review and evaluation of the performance of say multinational companies having subsidiaries and associates in various countries wherein each country has its own set of GAAP. It makes the comparison of the performance of a company against its domestic and international peers easier and more meaningful. It adds to the international credibility of a company. It is a precursor for accessing international capital markets which can, in turn, reduce the capital cost and consequently, improve the performance of a company. It provides a level playing field where no country is advantaged or disadvantaged by its GAAP. (Mogul 2003) Additional benefits of a global financial reporting framework that can be achieved through harmonization are numerous and can include greater comparability of financial information for investors, greater willingness on the part of investors to invest across borders, lower cost of capital, more efficient allocation of resources; and even higher economic growth not only for companies and organizations but for governments also. 2.0 IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES The most fundamental of obstacles to achieving uniform practice is the size of the present differences between the accounting practices of different countries. Using the different types of classifications of accounting systems used in different countries, there are several significant differences even within the equity class, let alone between that class and the other. These differences go to the root of the reasons for the preparation of accounting information(Nobes 2001). Still, there are a couple of strong variants of accounting practices (say, for example, US GAAP, UK GAAP, IAS etc.) over the world existed and practiced simultaneously. These variants are working as threats towards harmonization of accounting practices. However, the profession has also witnessed some improvements in recent years in the process of global convergence putting some ray of hope. International and even local standard setting bodies have come up with projects of harmonization and in most of the cases became successful. The day is not far away when we will observe that accounting world is controlled and guided by a single set of standards giving it a status of legal discipline in true sense(Shil et al. 2009) Implementation challenges at the international and national levels of the objectives of an improved and harmonized reporting system being achieved are still evident. For example the question of how the IASB should cope with the Securities and exchange commissions (SEC) eventual decision to adopt, converge to, or continue to study International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as the financial reporting framework to be used by U.S. issuers? The process of mutual convergence between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, which has been an avowed policy of both the IASB and the FASB since 2002, will surely not extend beyond the terminal dates of the major projects currently heading toward completion.37 Countries that have signed on to IFRS, as well as the leadership of the IASB, believe that the time is nigh for the SEC finally to decide whether to commit to IFRS, or not. If it does not, the IASB must consider the consequences of an IFRS world without the United States. Considering that the U.S. capit al market is still the largest and most important in the world, and the SEC is the worlds most respected securities market regulator (Zeff 2011). 3.0 CONCLUSIONS A significant number of entities and countries around the world have adopted International Financial reporting Standards (IFRS) as their basis for financial reporting, often initially regarding these as a means of improving their quality of information on corporate performance. The benefits of adopting IFRS have been extended to include winning the trust investors, greater willingness on the part of investors and companies themselves to invest across borders, lowering of capital costs to companies, more efficient allocation of resources; and even higher economic growth not only for companies and organizations but for governments also. On the overall one can argue that this approach to financial management can greatly impact the global economy as a whole.

The Maori Culture Essay -- Zealand Religion Spiritual Essays Papers Na

The Maori Culture Introduction The following paper examines the history and religion of the ancient Maori people. It is my belief that exploration of traditional belief systems and ritualistic practices will lead to a greater understanding of the Maori culture in present-day New Zealand. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the Maoris’ unique perception and spiritual connection with their natural environment. Brief Maori History The Maori, â€Å"Children of Heaven†, are the indigenous people of New Zealand. It has been thought that Polynesian navigator Kupe, discovered New Zealand in 950 AD, and named the island Aotearoa, â€Å"Land of the long white cloud†.1 The Maori migrated to New Zealand from the tropical islands of Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The long voyage was made possible by the Maoris’ ability to use the stars, birds’ flights, cloud patterns, and the water’s color to guide their canoes to shore.1 Upon arrival, the Maori settled into various tribes (Iwi) and sub-tribes (Hapu) across the island.3 In order to adapt to the cool, damp climate and rough terrain of New Zealand, the Maori created durable shelter and clothing. They resourcefully utilized the wood and flax fibers from the abundant forests to build homes and weave clothing.4 The Maori tribes were able to evolve and flourish as a result of hunting and agriculture. The relative isolation of the island enabled the Maori to develop a rich, unique culture.5 Thus, the Maori culture was able to resist crumbling under European colonization in 1769. Regardless of the Europeans’ incessant fight for land ownership, the Maori persisted in viewing that the land as â€Å"Mother Earth’s placenta† and not belonging to anyone.3 It is remarkable that the Maori withstood... ... belong to humans; rather the humans belong to the land.3 The perspective that humans play a small role in the universe’s movement is a humbling thought. The Maori live their lives as human beings, while allowing nature to live its life. As seen above with the seasonal rituals, the Maori have a deep understanding, reliance, and respect for nature. It is their brothers’ that bring the seasonal weather changes and the life cycles that result. Thus, the Maori view the variable climate of New Zealand in a deep, meaningful light. Bibliography http://www.geocites.com/TheTropics/Shores/9338/culture.htm 1 http://www.crystalinks.com/maori.html http://travel-by-mouse.com/page.asp?PageID=151&LangID=2 5 http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/new_zealand/about_destin/maoritanga.html 6 http://www.ace.net.au/darkmoon/kiwipag.htm 7 http://www.hakoke.com/wheel.html