The Baroreceptor Reflex and the Diving Reflex - 547 Words

The baroreceptor reflex and the diving reflex are both two great mechanisms that incorporate both the nervous system and cardiovascular system working together. The nervous system is connected through a series of vessels throughout the human body. The circulatory system is one of the bodies most important mechanisms that helps carry and transport nutrients and oxygen through blood circulation to help digest foods, fight off diseases, and keep the body at homeostasis. The nervous system is basically an extended system of the brain. Every action that the brain thinks, relays it through the nervous system to the specific body part to perform that action. Nerves send information from and to the brain to help regulate and operate organs and muscles in the body. Now how these two systems operate together can be described and explained through information about the baroreceptor reflex and diving reflex. The baroreceptor reflex is a homeostatic mechanism in the body which helps regulate a st able blood pressure. The way that the baroreceptor reflex works is that it provides a negative feedback loop so that when blood pressure increases, the reflex causes the heart rate to decrease in return decreasing blood pressure. When there is increased blood pressure, the carotid arteries and aorta stretches causing the baroreceptor reflex to increase it’s action potential generation. These action potentials are sent to the medulla oblongata through nerves in the body, and as a result,Show MoreRelatedChanges Of The Cardiac System1932 Words   |  8 Pagessystolic pressure is added to two thirds of the diastolic pressure. This gives us an accurate measurement of how much cardiac output by total peripheral resistance there is at one point and time. The mean arterial pressure is then monitored by baroreceptors that act to control blood volume, heart rate, stroke volume, and blood flow due to diameter of arterioles and veins (Sherwood, 374-380). The cardiac systems have many differing measurements to ensure proper function and response to situations

Paganism In Christianity Essay - 3102 Words

Religions across the globe have their own distinctive rites and rituals, idols, traditions, and values. Each have in common a desire to explain something unexplainable by common wisdom, or attributing some aspect of life to some higher power. Many religions have at their heart etiological stories, which explain some sort of natural phenomenon through the physical manifestation of their deity or deities. From high winds and thunderstorms to love, fertility, and the sun, such religions focus on the physical world in this life. Other religions try to explain the quot;nextquot; life or the afterlife. These religions usually give a moral code to live by, with stricter adherence to this code offering a better afterlife.†¦show more content†¦They, too, had their heavens and hells, deities and demi-gods. In short, each religion differs somewhat, but they all have similarities as well. Many stories in several classical religions share common themes or events. There are a great many similarities between stories of Babylonian, Greek, and Christian origin. An example of a shared event would be quot;the floodquot; story. Each of these religions tries to explain the reason of a severe flood, which historians have found actually occurred in their shared region. Christianity eventually replaced the quot;oldquot; religions, mostly by means of the spread of the Holy Roman Empire. There were many who opposed being converted, but after the remaining members of these religions realized that failure to convert meant you were a heretic, which meant death, the job of converting was much easier. Even then, some people did not want others telling them how to worship. They had their rituals and customs-they didnt want new ones. This sentiment was conveyed to the leaders of the Roman Churches, who quot;bentquot; their rules and procedures to fit these pagan rites and rituals. A good way to convert someone is to make him or her feel like its the same religion. This is how Christianity has become riddled withShow MoreRelated Beowulf, Christianity, and Paganism Essay963 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf, Christianity, and Paganism The poem Beowulf is a renowned story that displays many different surroundings and religious beliefs. Some may believe the story of Beowulf portrays pagan beliefs or customs and others believe that the poem is more in agreement with Christian ethnicity. The author of Beowulf uses both Christian and pagan elements in the poem to define the heroic warrior, Beowulf, and the evil dragons. After reading Beowulf the author clearly shows how Beowulf is a man whoRead MoreEssay on Beowulf (Christianity vs. Paganism)689 Words   |  3 PagesChristianity vs. Paganism In the story of Beowulf, there is a noticeable struggle between Christianity and Paganism, and the characters personal battle between the two. Throughout the story the characters display actions that lead towards Paganism and Christianity. Contrary to Pagan belief Beowulf is seen as the epitome of good and beneficent to all of mankind. In Beowulf, the people showed their faith and love in God, however due to horrific events, paranoia caused them to look for a quickRead MoreEssay about Beowulf (Christianity vs. Paganism)664 Words   |  3 Pages Christianity vs. Paganism nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the story of Beowulf, there is a noticeable struggle between Christianity and Paganism, and the characters personal battle between the two. Throughout the story the characters display actions that lead towards Paganism and Christianity. Contrary to Pagan belief Beowulf is seen as the epitome of good and beneficent to all of mankind. In Beowulf, the people showed their faith and love in God, however due to horrific events, paranoia causedRead MoreRome : End of Paganism And Dawn of Christianity Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pagesthe city changed. The city changed so much that now if you don’t look closely enough, you might think the city was always under the Christian influence. Even though the current city is under the church its beginnings were not at all related to Christianity. The old legend tells the reader that two brothers, Romulus and Remus, found the city. In reality group of people settled in the seven hills and the population grew and the Roman population came about (Trauman). From there on the city went underRead More Christianity and Paganism in the Epic of Beowulf Essay1800 Words   |  8 PagesChristianity and Paganism in Beowulf The story of Beowulf shows the effect of the spread of Christianity in the early Danish paganistic society that values heroic deeds and bravery above all else. The mythical creatures that Beowulf kills with his supernatural strength make the story into an epic celebrating the life of a great hero. However, blending in among Beowulfs triumphs against the three key creatures, we also see Christian virtues being instilled upon the listeners. The goodRead MorePaganism and Christianity in Beowulf Essay examples1414 Words   |  6 Pagesto pay a visit to Grendel because he seeks more vengeance and revenge. Beowulf also wants a souvenir because he takes Grendel’s head to King Hrothgar. Beowulf is not a representative of God in this situation because seeking revenge is wrong in Christianity. Beowulf also wanted Grendel’s head as proof that he killed the monster. In this way, Beowulf could boast about the event without having people accuse him of lying. After finishing hi s last task, Beowulf returns home gift-laden and is glorifiedRead MoreHow Christianity and Paganism Coexisted in Beowulf Essay634 Words   |  3 Pagesand pagan beliefs, and how they were able to coexist at the time. In the poem, Christianity is shown though the understanding of symbolism to create the ideas of Christianity. The â€Å"Song of Creation† is made famous in Beowulf as the first Christian reference in a poem. The poem make Hrothgar and his Herot hall be portrayed as God and Heaven. Hrothgar takes the role of a Godly figure due to his belief in Christianity. Herot hall is a symbol of Heaven thorough the way it was built. Lines 460-65 tellRead MoreThe Christianity Of Christianity From A Pagan Society867 Words   |  4 Pagesthe development of Christianity from a Pagan society to Christianity. This development is mentioned in Bede’s work Ecclesiastical History of the Christian People. He discusses kings who helps bring the faith of Christianity to a rise. Paganism does exist even if Christianity began to rise. Bede suggests there is variations in England due to paganism existing and Christianity is trying to arise. Variations are involved in Paganism at a time when it is dominant over Christianity. By the time of PopeRead MorePaganism Essay1136 Words   |  5 PagesPaganism What is Paganism? Paganism is the oldest religion known to humanity. The word paganism is derived from the Latin word paganus, which means country dweller or civilian, and pagus which means village. People who choose the Paganism religion, believe in more than one god, also known as Polytheism. However, you will still find Pagans who are monotheistic which means believing in one god, and atheistic who are disbelievers and non-religious. Most believers of Paganism find PaganismRead MoreReconciling Ingrained Traditions with Newly Emerging Christianity1203 Words   |  5 Pagesintermingling of Christian and pagan elements did not shy away from praising Christianity and condemning polytheism. For Bede, the emergence of Christianity created a civilized Britain different from the violence that was inherent in the pagan past. Even though the two authors presented Christianity positively, the frictions between the emergence of Christianity and the pre-existing pagan customs was apparent. Therefore, as Christianity spread the people often slipped back into pagan practices eliminating

The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Free Essays

In Search of Goal Do you think looking forward and trying to change a bad situation into a good one for having a better life is a wrong decision? The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a novel written by Sherman Alexie. The novel is about Arnold Spirit; everyone calls him Junior. He is a teenage boy with a tough life who lives with his family in poverty on a Spokane Indian reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. We will write a custom essay sample on The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or any similar topic only for you Order Now He hates living in poverty and wants something better for himself. â€Å"I feel like I might grow up to be somebody important. An artist†(6) he claims. His living conditions are horrible; he studies in a school with a lack of resources. He considered the different aspects of moving to Reardan, he struggled about leaving the Rez. In the end Junior decided to leave the Rez and make a better life for himself. He must go somewhere else, somewhere that people have hope. In order to get a decent education he made the difficult decision to transfer to the privileged white school in the town of Reardan. Leaving the Rez for a better life had a negative impact on Junior’s relationship with Rowdy. Junior and Rowdy were friends for a long time. â€Å"He is my best human friend and he cares about me† (16), â€Å"Rowdy has protected me since we were born† (17). Rowdy was the most important person in Junior’s life. By leaving the Rez, Junior lost his friend. When Junior told Rowdy about leaving the Rez he got mad, he hauls off and punched Junior in the face and told him, â€Å"Don’t touch me, you retarded fag† (52). Rowdy was angry with Junior; he thought Junior betrayed him by making this decision. Junior was upset about what happened he felt guilty that their relationship was ruined. â€Å"I knew that my best friend had become my worst enemy†(53). In sum, Junior lost his best friend Rowdy because of the decision that he made for a better life. In addition to losing his old friend making new friends at Reardan was hard and slow. When Junior arrived in Reardan he was scared. He didn’t know what was going to happen with the other students. He was wondering what he was doing in a racist white school. Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo? I felt that Roger had kicked me in the face. That was the most racist thing I ‘d ever heard in my life† (64) He tried to protect himself when he hit Roger, and he didn’t understand why Roger didn’t try to hit him back. He was scared about the decision that he made. Arnold was the center of attention and this feeling made him uncomfortable, â€Å"They stared at me like I was B igfoot or a UFO† (56). Most of the students rejected him, they called him names like â€Å"Chief† â€Å"Squaw Boy† â€Å"Tonto†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (64). It was the loneliest time of his life; â€Å" I just walked from class to class alone; I sat at launch alone; during PE I stood in the corner of the gym and played catch with myself† (83). He thought that he could make friends, but Reardan students didn’t want him in their school. He felt really lonely. As a result, Arnold was lost because everything in Reardan was different from the Rez; he knew that it would be hard for him to find his place in the racist school of Reardan. Although he had a lot of external problems with his new life style in Reardan, it was nothing compared to the internal conflict he suffered. Toward the end of the novel Junior was faced with an abundance of death among his family and friends. After the death of his grandmother, sister and his father’s best friend he was sad, and felt that all the bad things that happened to his friend and family were his fault. As a result he felt helpless and stupid: â€Å"I was mad at God† (171). â€Å"I was so depressed that I thought about dropping out of Reardan. I thought about going back to Wellpinit. I blamed myself for all of the death. I had cursed my family. I had left the tribe, and had broken something inside all of us, and I was now being punished for that† (173). He carried the guilt of his sister’s death; â€Å"I had killed my sister. Well, I hadn’t killed her. But she only got married so quickly and left the Rez because I had left the Rez first. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people. It was all my fault† (211). He took on the burden of responsibility for the death of his sister; she was killed in an accident when she was drunk; what happened to her wasn’t Junior’s fault. As result, he was terrified of losing his father, â€Å"Please God, please don’t kill my daddy† (203). Then Junior got some guidance from his father and some words of encouragement from his mother, and Junior began to understand that he made the change in his life for the better. Junior wasn’t the reason her sister died, but he had inspired her to follow her dreams as well. The upshot of all this is that, Junior’s decision about leaving the Rez and moving to Reardan for a better education was tough. He faced lot of problems; he felt lonely because of losing his best friend, and afraid of death of his tribe and family. Although he suffered from the entire bad things that happened to him, it was the best decision that he had made for his life. â€Å"I realized that I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness. There were millions of other Americans who had left their birthplaces in search of a dream† (217). Work cited Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, 2009. Print. How to cite The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Essay examples

Sad Daughter free essay sample

Both Polonius and the speaker from â€Å"To A Sad Daughter† are struggling with the concept of letting go of their daughter and both love their daughter. Polonius is not ready to let go of his daughter. As no mention has been made of Ophelia’s mother; we must assume that Ophelia is the predominant female figure for him in his life. He looks at Laertes as his heir, typical in his time, also evidenced by the fact that it seems that they have talked about Ophelia and Halmet’s relationship. He looks after his daughter and cares for her in his own ways. Although his bawdy advices to Ophelia when he asks her about her and Hamlet’s relationship may seem harsh, it may also be taken as a sign that Polonius is not ready to let go of his daughter. Every parent struggles to let their kids gain their independence but Polonius has not yet realized that his daughter is ready to have a relationship with some male other than her family members. We will write a custom essay sample on Sad Daughter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He not only fears that Ophelia might ruin her reputation and therefore ruin the family’s reputation, he also fears that if he has to acknowledge that Hamlet has â€Å"My lord, he hath importuned me with love/ In honourable fashion† as Ophelia claims then he must let go of Ophelia and trust someone else will take care of her as he and Laertes have tried to do. Polonius not letting his daughter take risks, although selfish at times, shows that he doesn’t want his daughter to do something she regrets, and thinks to take care of her so she doesn’t have to be burdened and he refuses to acknowledge that she can take care of herself because she seems to be the â€Å"baby† of the family. Meanwhile the speaker in â€Å"To A Sad Daughter† although he acknowledges that he is sad to let his daughter go, he actually will. Another gender role is shown in the first few lines of the first stanza where the reader actually thinks that he is talking about a son because of the reference to the pre-dominantly male sport of hockey. However, soon we learn that she is his daughter. The speaker, like Polonius, gives his daughter advice on life. Shocked that she is not taking risks in her life he is telling her to go out an be tempted by the sirens, which seems odd as sirens represent death. Polonius who is not even ready to acknowledge his daughter can make decisions for herself is way different from the speaker who thinks that if she never takes risks she will never life to its fullest. Because he loves her so much, the speaker knows that he must let her off to the world and trust that she will come back to him.

The Truth About Ballet free essay sample

The bloody Band-Aids, knotted lamb’s wool, rosin stained pointe shoes, twinkling tiaras, overused nail clippers, pristine tutus, ripped tights, dirty canvas slippers, salty sweat and tears: these are the coals of my heart. Dancing is the flame. Maybe it’s an addiction, maybe it’s a necessity, but no matter what it is, it is my passion. Nothing compares to the feeling of lacing up a pointe shoe, adorning a neat bun, fluffing a tutu, stretching one last stretch, taking a deep breath then stepping into the spotlight. A dancer’s final moments in the wing never change, yet somehow they are never the same. The adrenaline rush pushes her to dance differently than she has in any rehearsal. She can feel the friendly admiration each pair of eyes generates, creating an echoing eerie yet energetic silence. The stares permeate the skin and flow into the bloodstream, heart and body. We will write a custom essay sample on The Truth About Ballet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Grande jetes are more extended, the developpes higher, every pirouette quicker, and each port de bras more fluid. Together the movements depict an ever escalating story like never before. A spectator witnesses a miracle every time a dancer takes the stage. The years of training, the hours of rehearsal, the passion developed by a devoted individual are displayed in a perfectly unique sequence. The choreography tells the story of star crossed lovers or lovers denied or sugar plum fairies dancing in one’s head. Every story, even the darkest one, is told in the most elegant fashion. The art is breathtaking and fascinating, yet also extraordinarily deceptive. The blistered toes, the deformed body, the strict teachers, the painful stretches, and the perseverance of a determined dancer make the passion so unbelievable. The hard work that goes into learning the basic technique makes filling the movement with individual flair rewarding. A dancer pours all she has into the movemen t, making even the most mundane movements distinctively hers. Devoting one’s self to the painful hobby, ballet, in the hopes of expressing one’s emotions through dance, is a challenge many do not take. The determination of a dancer overpowers the suffering that grace necessitates, and makes every step magical. The dancer hides the pain, learns to live with it, and dances from the heart. The strict perseverance ballet dictates makes the action more than an ordinary hobby; ballet evolves into a lifestyle. It is common to see a ballerina dance down the aisles of Shop Rite, mark steps while sitting in class, penchee when picking objects up or use the excuse â€Å"Sorry, I have rehearsal.† Ballet technique may only be â€Å"taught† in the studio, but the passion that validates the technique is learned and integrated outside of rehearsals. However, the daily life of a ballerina is nothing compared to performance day. Performance provides a sensation of pure em powerment and freedom. As a dancer steps off the stage, her heart pounding and a satisfied smile on her face, she knows this is why she endured the intense classes; this is why I persevered this feeling of perfection that flows through my veins.

The eNotes Blog FOR SALE DraculasBirthplace

FOR SALE DraculasBirthplace Heres something you wont find in Craigslists classifieds The writing desk at which Bram Stoker created the bloodcurdling modern myth of Dracula will soon be up for auction. Looking at the ornate desk today, which seems so fitting as the gothic setting for the creation of perhaps the most chilling book in English literature, its hard to believe it was salvaged from near ruin not very long ago. Yes, this artifact, like all good curiosities, has its very own story After Stoker completed Dracula in 1897, he gifted the writing table to his good friend JSR Phillips, editor of the Yorkshire Post. According to an article in that same newspaper, the desk was later passed down at Phillips death to his son ER Phillips. Unfortunately, the younger Phillips wife so disliked the relic that she banished it from the house to rot in the garden for years. It was the Phillips son Guy, grandson of JSR, who saved the desk from complete ruin by taking it with him to London. But though he knew the history of the Dracula desk, Guy then left it behind in that London apartment when he moved away. Its next owners, the Brodericks, had no knowledge of its famous origins until they received a note from Guy Phillips later, explaining its history and hinting at its dark powers. I loathed the Dracula desk. But it is a fact that after leaving it behind, I and my family suffered misfortune after misfortune. I had two coronaries and my wife died suddenly of a stroke. Even after receiving the note, the Brodericks almost relegated the desk to destruction, casting it off to their neighbors the Yulls. At this point, the desk was in such bad shape that Mrs. Yull very nearly cast it off to a bonfire. It was only saved by her husband, who insisted it be put in his study and used as his computer desk. Interestingly, it was at the Dracula desk that Yull wrote his first book, a novel about Nazi fascination with the occult. Eventually, the antique made its way into caring hands. As of today the desk has been restored to more than its original glory by master furniture artist Mark Brazier-Jones, whose restorations can be found at none other than The Louvre and The Victoria Albert Museum. He explains his reimagining of the Dracula desk below. Even as a new desk, in its day, this was a modest item of furniture, a place for a man to work, and yet possessing a noble honesty.  I wanted to keep the desk complete and intact, to save all its scars and broken varnish, this history alive with its gnarled texturesI decided to attach, via callipers and clasps the necessaries to regain functionality.   To this I have also embroidered imagery appropriate to the great mans inspirations and imaginings.   I visualize Stoker sat pen to paper contemplating a moonlit rose garden, breathless milk white cleavage and blood soaked lace.   All the fixtures and fittings I have created are in bronze and burnished steel. He has also leather lined two secret compartments I have devised (the position of which will only be revealed to the final owner of the desk) The face panel of each drawer is acid etched through to copper and nickel layers.   The effect is to subtly represent a misty tableau of Whitby Abbey by moonlight, surrounded by gravestones and bats.   Over these drawer fronts are five bronze handles, each one different.   On the lower left, a bat, to the lower right, a savage hound (in Stokers book Dracula arrived in Whitby as a giant dog).   The three upper drawers consist of scrolling rose thorns and buds. The interiors are lined in deep buttoned blood red velvet.   The baroque rose motif is used again where they seem to crawl up and across the table top frame giving the feeling time has stopped like an overgrown grave. So, gone is the humble and battered desk of Stokers time, replaced by an ornate piece of art that certainly lives up to the gothic nature of its history. Hopefully some of the desks mysterious powers remain intact beneath all those coats of varnish, least of which is its uncanny ability to escape bonfires and garbage heaps. The Dracula desk can be yours, courtesy of the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction for a mere $60,000 to $80,000. Look for it on sale between December 15th-16th. Happy Halloween eNoters!

Finnc nd Growth Strtgy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Finnc nd Growth Strtgy - Essay Example Of cours ths findings dpnd on th sctor nd th typ of M& tht ws don. Mny fctors ply n importnt rol in th furthr succss of th compnis, nd th on, myb th most importnt cn b th knowldg nd bility to crt vlu ftr. Mrgrs nd cquisitions, two forms of rstructuring, rprsnt both strtgic opportunitis nd thrts for compnis, s ownrship chngs hnds. Mrgrs nd cquisitions crry on stting nw rcords in both volum nd siz. cquisitions probbly r not th quickst wy to grow comprd to othr options nd, from th prspctiv of top mngrs, thy r stimulting nd oftn finncilly rwrding. Howvr, by most ccounts, cquisitions r pron to filur, with som hving disstrous consquncs. Studis of th short-trm ffcts of M&s point out tht M&s gnrt vlu, vn though most of this vlu ccrus to th trgt firm. Rsrch in th US nd UK indicts tht th shrholdrs of th trgt firms xprincd gins of btwn 16% nd 45%. cquiring firms' shrholdrs, on th othr hnd, xprincd bnorml rturns rnging from -1.1% to 7.9%. Th combind firms' bnorml rturn ws btwn 1.8% nd 3.5%. (S Jnsn & Rubck 1983; Frnks & Hrris 1989; Bchr 2000; Mulhrin & Boon 2000; Kohrs & Kohrs 2000; ndrd t l. 2001.) Th long-trm ffcts of M&s in th US nd th UK hv bn xmind xtnsivly (S grwl, Jff & Mndlkr 1992, Brns 1984, Frnks, Hrris & Titmn 1991, Grgory 1997, Knndy & Limmck 1996, Limmck 1991, Lodrr & Mrtin 1992, Loughrn & Vijh 1997, Mitchll & Stfford 2000, Ru & Vrmln 1998). Ths studis, lthough criticisd th mthodology, ll indict tht th shrholdrs of th cquiring firms in most instncs los vlu. Th ngtiv typicl rturns wr s high s -20%. Th crtion of ngtiv typicl rturns holds tru spcilly whn th mthod of cquisition ws othr thn by mns of tndr offrs. Th min rson for M& to tk plc is xpctd synrgis, mngril hubris, nd promising solution of gncy problms. Synrgis r th prim motivtion for th bid nd s rsult for th trgts nd th biddrs tht shr th wlth gins. lthough most bidding compnis mk th sttmnt bout th potntil synrgis from th mrgrs nd cquisitions, frquntly th forcstd bnfits r not obtind. This cn b rsult of ovr optimistic forcst by th bidding mngmnt or simply th fct tht th mrgr for inititd for nothr rson, such s gncy problms. So ths thr tkovr motivs hv diffrnt outcom on th wlth crtd ftr mrgrs nd cquisitions. If synrgy is th primrily motiv for th mrgr, thn th trgt's nd biddr's shrholdrs should gin nd th distribution of wlth should only dpnd on th brgining powr of th biddr nd th trgt. If th scond motiv tks plc nd it mns tht gncy problm is worsning, th min slf-intrst of th biddr's mngmnt is th prim rson for th mrgr or cquisition. In such cs, mngrs just focus on growth rthr thn on th shrholdrs' vlu. For xmpl, Conyon nd Murphy (2002) show tht for th UK, siz (nd not th prfomnc) is th min dtrminnt of th mngril slris. This fct cn xplin why mngrs r so tmptd to us fr csh flow to furthr build th mpir tht hopfully will rsult in highr slris nd bonuss. No wondr tht ftr such circumstncs, th totl vlu ftr mrgrs nd cquisitions ctully gos down. Mngrs who r ggrvtd by prsonl intrsts, (.g. mximiz th siz of th firm nd thir fild of control) r mor pron to sk out lrg, wll known compnis s cquisition trgts - nd usully ovrpy in th bidding procss. This is n doubtful motiv for th cquisition of rltivly smll nd unknown privt compnis. Th cquisition of privt compny mor sily fits th motiv of mximiztion of shrholdr wlth. nd th third motiv of M& cn b th

I has a dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I has a dream - Essay Example The â€Å"I has a dream† ad was a picture of a man with his back turned facing the opposite direction and the words â€Å"I has a dream† written in bold letters below the picture. To the bottom on one side was a small extract added to the picture that spoke out against Ebonics. The use of this historical appeal made famous by Martin Luther King was meant to gain the attention of those who saw the ad and needless to say, it did just that (Rickford 82). The argument behind the as was that the African American race had fought so hard to get where it was, and the use of Ebonics by the children would only serve to undermine this achievement. The ad meant to theorize the question â€Å"What if Dr. King had not been as articulate as he was? Would his message still have the same impact that it did?† This was shown by the screwed up version â€Å"I has a dream†. The man in the picture was also dressed in regalia that looked similar to Dr. King so as to bring this point across. The ad was meant to illustrate the immense impact that type of language used could have on an audience and convince them to encourage their children to speak proper English and reject Ebonics (Rickford 82). The phrase â€Å"I have a dream.† Can be considered to one of the most popular catch terms in the world and Martin Luther King is a man who generated a lot of respect especially from the black community and thus the use of his message was meant to bring the point across about the need for proper speech. There are other parts of the ad apart from the phrase and the depiction of a man similar looking to Martin Luther King that was used to bring the message across as well. One of these is the fact that the man in the ad has his back facing the audience (Rickford 89). This can be seen as a symbol of progression (or lack of it) as it brings out the message that Ebonics was a

Juan Francisco Manzano, Autobiography of a Slave Assignment

Juan Francisco Manzano, Autobiography of a Slave - Assignment Example The inhumane punishments and oppressive events narrated in the biography and the orthography and unorthodox syntax in the original manuscript and the mysterious â€Å"disappearance† of his work during his lifetime all bear the scars of slavery. He started documenting his life events at the request of his mistress. This was possible since she had already taught him how to read and write. His original work never surfaced since. Juan Francisco Manzano lived in isolation as he was never allowed to play with other black children, but he led a relatively comfortable life and enjoyed some â€Å"freedom† as he was treated as a white child. Sometime later, Manzano worked as a slave where he almost lost his life. â€Å"I was putting the sugarloaf comes in one of the sheds toward †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. It was a huge piece of the roof with several beams that fell behind me, hitting the black Creole, Andres.† From the shock I fell through to the filter house below us,† (Manzano, pg. 99). The filter house was a large low building with a dark and an almost airless interior. Andres, unfortunately, did not survive as his skull was crushed, and the eyes almost popped out. Later on, rumors would reach Manzano’s second prompting him to urge young master Pancho to speak to his mother on Manzano’s behalf and get him from Dionisio where he worked in the sugar farm. This happened without much ado and he went to have  a  great life worth  enough food to eat. He was also bought a hat and some shoes something that was very new to him (Manzano, pg. 101). Although he was still a young buy, he would not go out to play with the other children even after such comfort. â€Å"I sank into such depression that I did not emerge from my sorrowful despondency, even after I saw all the children engrossed in games or when they called,† (Manzano, pg. 101) At the age of nineteen, Manzano took a certain pride of everything he did. His

Developing a Management Plan for Type 2 Diabetes

Developing a Management Plan for Type 2 Diabetes A long term condition (LTC) is defined as an incurable syndrome. However, some LTC can be managed through medication (Goodwin et al 2010) whereas for others, it can be managed by healthcare providers facilitating health promotional support to patients in order to self-manage their conditions effectively (examples, maintaining healthy diet and physical activities) (Hutchison Breckon 2011). Additionally, for this assignment I will use a case study to discuss my experience about caring for a patient with type 2 diabetes in the hospital. The discussion will include the identified problems to support patients’ needs, the nurses’ contributions to promote patients’ health and well-being as well as the benefits of working alongside with a multidisciplinary team. According to Goodwin et al (2010) type 2 diabetes is also known as insulin resistance. The syndrome is when an individual body lacks the ability to produce sufficient insulin or the body is incapable of controlling enough blood glucose level. It is categorised as a LTC because it is incurable. Nonetheless, it can be managed depending on the individual’s conditions needs such as healthy food and regular activities, or a combination of medications and a healthy lifestyle (Diabetes UK 2012). According to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2010) Guidance on Professional Conduct, the patient’s identity will be maintained confidential and an anonymous name (Jane) will be used. Jane 65, who has had type 2 diabetes for about two years, was suffering from kyphosis on her back. As she has not been on pharmaceutics’ therapy since her diagnosis, she was advised to maintain her weight within an ideal range. However, Jane has not been able to gain control over her weight (73 kg). She lives alone and has no close family members but she has a good relationship with her neighbours and friends. I met Jane while on placement on an aging admission ward. She was admitted via Accident and Emergency department (AE) to an elderly ward referred by her General Practice (GP) with elevated blood glucose (11.5mmol) which was making her feel weak and was also giving her severe headaches, tiredness and recent weight gain (73.6kg). While she was admitted to AE, her hyperglycaemia was s tabilised with a dosage of metformin (500mg) (8.0mmols) prior to her transfer from AE to the elderly ward. Bakris (2011) suggested that nurses should carry out a comprehensive assessment on patients with type 2 diabetes as this will support the nurse to identify and address issues that can prevent and reduce problems that may affect the patients with type 2diabetes. Diabetes UKÂ  (2012), also recommended that a patient’s risk can be recognised if healthcare professionals could aid an in-depth assessment. This includes; blood glucose level, Hba1c, blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. The rationale behind the assessment is to support healthcare professionals to make an appropriate individualised care plan considering the patient’s preference (Diabetes UK 2012). To classify any interrelated problem, the nursing assessment was to look at Jane’s medical history before the admission and to observe what her current condition looked like. The nurse along with the author admitted Jane and prior to carrying out the assessment they introduced themselves to the patient. To obtain Jane’s consent, a full detail of the information about the process was explained to her (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2010). Jane’s vital signs presented a blood pressure of 138/80 mmHg, heart rate 84, respiratory rate 16 and temperature 36 degree centigrade. While examining Jane’s nutritional assessment, her MUST stool height was (1.62cm), weight 73.6kg, and waist circumference 88cm. It was identified that she had a BMI of 27 giving her a score (0). In addition to Jane’s assessment, her fasting glucose level was stable 6-7 mmol/litre her foot showed normal to sensation, no sign of lesions on toenails and skin. From Jane’s screening, the underlying cause for Jane’s hyperglycaemia is an increased BMI 27, this indicates overweight as (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2010) recognised. Overweight is when an individual has more fat than normal in their body. However, an athlete with muscle mass or someone with swollen legs (oedema) could be overweight due to an increase in BMI (Heath Sturdy 2009). According to Nazarko (2008) an individual with a BMI 25-30 is considered to be overweight. BMI is the most common evidence-based tool used to analyse normal weight, overweight or obese in hospital when patients come for admission. It is calculated by dividing an individual’s body weight kilogram by the square of body height (NICE 2006). Waist circumference is also a reliable tool used to recognise overweight and obesity as it provides information with regards to the distribution of excess body fat in a person’s abdomen (NICE 2006). Nevertheless, BMI has some weakness; it is not suitable for individuals with excess body fat or muscle mass as it does not differentiate between excess body fat and muscle mass (Heath Sturdy 2009). Diabetes UK (2012) argued that using BMI alone to calculate a patient’s height and weight would not identify overweight or obesity. However, the combination of BMI and waist circumference will help classify an overweight or obese person, and for this reason Jane’s waist circumference was measured because it is the best way to measure abdominal fat distributed around her waist as suggested by Diabetes UK (2012). Regardless BMI and waist circumference screening tool was used to classify Janes’ overweight, however, according to Ashwell et al (2012) studies have proved waist to height ratio screening tool a better way of identifying overweight or obesity in adult than BMI and waist circumference. As a result nurses should consider using waist to height ratio as a screening tool to recognize overweight or obese patients with diabetes. This is because the tool measures the ratio of an individual waist to his or her height (Ashwell et al 2012). Jane’s height and weight was measured using stadiometer and clinical scale, nevertheless, the use of stadiometer to measure Jane’s height was comparatively weak (BAPEN 2010). Jane is a 65 year old woman with a small kyphosis on her back and according to Hirani Aresu (2012) the result for an elderly with this condition may impair their actual height resulting to false reading. This is because some people grow older with distort height like kyphosis, this as such will result in the individual to losing his or her real height. Kyphosis is a deformity of an individual’s back which can lead to hunched back due to a deviation of a spinal curvature from its normal shape (Kado et al 2013). Therefore the use of demispan measure tool could be an evidence based practice to consider when a patient’s actual height is distorted. As a result this might have worked for Jane as she has a small kyphosis on her back and the NMC (2010) emphasized that nurses should use their clinical knowledge, skills and judgement to classify factors that could impair individual’s height. Consequently, Jane’s hypoglycaemia is partly dependant on her overweight; therefore the main nursing intervention that needs to be targeted is Jane’s weight loss as it will lead to long term benefit for her. This is because overweight can cause hypoglycaemia, overweight is also associated to inadequate exercise and unhealthy eating behaviours considered to be primary factors contributing in the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes and if not well managed, it could also lead to other complications such as obesity, heart attack or stroke (Diabetes UK 2012). As a result an effective weight management can improve Jane’s wellbeing using nursing problem solving approach. According to Barrett et al (2010) nursing problem solving approach is about understanding the individual as a whole person. Therefore, using the problem solving approach means nurses have to link the individual’s illness to factors that could affect their disease. These involve psychological, emotional, social environment, spiritual and time and if there’s any of these identified then it should be addressed as they form part of the individual’s well-being (Wade 2009). Knol et al (2006) states depression is common in people suffering from type 2 diabetes. Knol et al (2006) also recognised that thirty seven percent of those people with a medical history of depression are prone to have type 2 diabetes. Evidently, Jane during her initial assessment mentioned that she had little knowledge on dietary due to lack of motivation and her dietary history reveals having unhealthy food such as ready meals and dessert while away with friends. Consequently, this has had an impact on her psychological wellbeing. She also recognised excesses carbohydrate intake and her normal dinner meals consist of pasta whereas during the day she often has rice with homemade sauce as well as walking exercise 10-15 minutes twice in a week. However, the nursing team worked with Jane to determine if Jane’s overweight was caused by her not complying with her dietary advice, as a result she agreed that a referral to a dietician and diabetes specialist nurse was her concern and this was made to deliver meal plan as well as maintain her physical activity. This is the best practice as suggested by NMC (2006) that nurses must work together with their patient to ascertain the patient’s understanding about risk associated with overweight. This is because if Jane’s food pattern is left unattended it may lead to further ill health problems such as obesity, stroke and heart disease (Thomas 2008). The United Kingdom Progressive Diabetes Study (UKPDS 1990) recognised the majority of people with type 2 diabetes have ill health complications associated with their long term condition. In addition to this, the role of the dietician is to identify problems relating to an individual’s nutritional status and once identified the dietician working in partnership with the individual will then formulate meal plan that adapt to the person’s needs and preferences (British Dietetic Association 2012). Department of Health (2005) emphasised that nurses should empower patients with long term condition so that the individual is capable to manage and live with their disease effectively. NICE (2008) also suggested this method of approach as the best practice as it helps the individuals to manage their condition. According to Thomas (2008) weight loss through dietary can be defined as a reduction of less food intake to that of the energy used by an individual. Therefore the dietician along with the nursing team main target was how Jane would lose weight through dietary behaviour change and in order to achieve this she was seen a day after her admission. The initial approach considered was the motivational interview based on providing a solution to a suitable diet. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative patient centred approach in a form of supporting a person’s motivation to encourage and empower patients’ behaviour change (Resnicow Mcmaster 2012). This is to maintain the patient’s autonomy based on his or her needs for their condition and that any decision made is eventually up to the patient (Resnicow Mcmaster 2012). Jane agreed having a motivational interview and had the opportunity to discuss her dietary plan with the main focus on the types of food she likes as mentioned above. In order for Jane to have an appropriate balance diet, the dietician and the nursing team worked with Jane by setting a realistic goal. This is because for an individual to lose weight involves time and encouragement to achieve his or her goals effectively and therefore the best practice is setting an appropriate goal that suits Jane (Thomas 2008). It was difficult to set a short term goal for Jane as she was unable to maintain weight loss due to lack of motivation and therefore a long term goal was set with smaller intake of caloric food so that Jane could gradually lose weight and also improve her glycaemic control (Diabetes UK 2012). Jane was offered the importance to a strict diet and she was provided food such as fish, vegetables, low starchy food per day; a reduction of low sugary food was put in place. She was also encouraged to drink two litres of water daily. Her daily food intake was recorded to meet her dietary care plan needs as (Lang Froelicher 2006) recommended. Moreover, Jane during her admission was subjected to weight monitoring and repeating her ‘MUST’ screening progress for any changes in her BMI (BAPEN 2010). Jane following a regular monitoring, on her fifth day on admission was still considered overweight; however, evidence shows a minimal improvement of 900gms weight loss. A risk of any physical complications of diabetes was low and no episode of hyperglycaemia. Her symptom of severe headaches and tiredness was now resolved and she was more excited to go home. Following Jane’s outcome of her dietary care plan, if Jane can be convinced to increase her physical activity her need for hypoglycaemic drug will be minimised. This is because the combination of dietary and an increase in physical activity on a regular basis is recommended to be more effective for an individual to achieve weight loss in a long term goal (NICE 2006). As such Jane’s care plan was reviewed with the nursing team prior to discharge and from her assessment it was recognised that she does not need a psychological referral but to improve her knowledge with regard to her type 2 diabetes so that she can self-manage her diabetes successfully. Even though Jane was suffering from kyphosis, physically she was fit to increase her physical activity and following the discussion how significantly an increase in exercise can have positive effect on glucose management, Jane agreed to walk each day in the mornings 20 – 25 minutes. After reviewing Jane’s dietary and physical options, a discussion about the need to continue metformin helped to improve her glycaemic control; therefore she was prescribed 500 mg twice a day. Metformin is an oral drug to lower glucose level in the blood. Jane will benefit from taking metformin as it is associated to weight loss this will prevent her from gaining more weight (NICE 2009). Other oral anti-diabetic agent such as thiazolidinedious and sulphonyureas were not recommended due to an increase of body weight caused by these agents. Prior to discharge Jane was informed about the importance of community nurse. The nursing team liaised with the community nurse for a regular monitoring of Jane’s glucose level as well as her weight. NMC (2010) highlighted that consent must be given to Jane before involving a community nurse thus it is the right of an individual to confidentiality and consequently is a must for a nurse to respect this. To sum up, Jane’s dietary plan did not make much significant changes in her weight, however, on discharge she was educated to continue recording her daily food and drinks intake, regular exercise, to closely monitor glucose level for symptoms of hyperglycaemic or hypoglycaemia. Further information about getting support from educational programme such as DESMOND was discussed with Jane. She was also given information leaflets which were easy to read as supporting interventions to help increase her knowledge about how to self-manage her diet.

Intestinal Neoplasia Model Essay examples -- Biology,

The mammalian intestinal tract is structurally a tube that is divided into two segments: the small and large intestine. The inner wall consists of a simple epithelium called mucosa, which is responsible for the processing and absorption of nutrients (Sancho et al., 2003; Barker et al., 2008). The small intestine epithelium is folded into finger-like protrusions, called villi, directed toward the lumen; the valleys are invaginations into the sub-mucosa and are known as the crypts. In the large intestine, the mucosa lacks villi, and the crypts invaginate deep into the sub-mucosa. There are four distinctive, differentiated cell types in the mucosa to mediate the functions of the intestinal epithelium: enterocyte (EC), goblet cells (GC), enteroendocrine (EE), and Paneth cells (PC) (Radtke and Clevers, 2005; Barker et al., 2008). ECs are absorptive, and the others have secretory function. The epithelium renews its cells after every 4-5 days and is fueled by proliferative stem cells residi ng at the bottom of the crypt. In mammals, swallowed food passes through the esophagus to the stomach, where food accumulates and digestion proceeds; it then moves to the small intestine for nutrient absorption and later to the large intestine for further nutrient, water and electrolyte absorption. Finally, it reaches the rectum and anus for excretion (Thompson and Malagelada, 1981). Like mammalian intestine, Drosophila intestines also have similar tissue architecture and physiological function (Rubin, 2007). Developmentally, both the mammalian gut and Drosophila midgut are of endothelial in origin (Kedinger et al., 1987; Tepass and Hartenstein 1994). They comprise an epithelial monolayer of columnar or cuboidal cells called enterocytes. To maximize i... ...gle (E blast cell) lineage, is made of 20 cells arranged to form a tube with a central lumen. Each of these cell pairs forms an intestinal ring (II-IX int-rings). The most anterior intestinal ring (int ring I), is made of four cells. The apical surfaces of the intestinal cells carry numerous microvilli. In C. elegans, intestine carries out multiple functions that are executed by distinct organs of higher eukaryotes. The primary function of intestinal cells seems to be digestive since they secrete digestive enzymes (e. g. cysteine protease, endodeoxyribonuclease) into the lumen and take up processed material and nutrients. Intestine also seems to be a large storage organ since it contains a large number of assorted storage granules (White J., 1988)). The intestinal contents are excreted to the outside via a rectal valve that connects the gut to the rectum and anus.

A World Class E-Government: Singapore

E-government refers to the transformation of the business of the government such as processes, operations and transactions that is driven by the information technology. This can happen both internally (streamlined government administration procedures for greater efficiency and effectiveness) and externally (simplified, enhanced government-client interaction via online connections) (Tan, Pan & Lim, 2007). Singapore is a small country with a population of about four million with a small market and limited natural resources. Although Singapore’s position as an information gateway in the region has lead it to become a global hub which is attractive to many Multinational National Companies (MNC) (Chan & Al-Hawamdeh, 2002). Singapore is a leader in the electronic governance that has invited worldwide recognition. Singapore’s e-government offers 98% of all government services are provided online for businesses and the community. It is one of the first countries to have the Civil Service Computerization Program (CSCP). The above mechanism was followed by the e-Government Action Plans. These involved implementing as many public services online as possible, adding value to the e-services and providing a one stop service via the internet. Singapore has launched a iGov2010 plan in the aim of bringing the government a greater efficiency by integrating the back end processes of the government ministries and organisations. As per Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) it improves efficiency in terms of utilizing less time, effort and material resources while maintaining a constant level of output. There are two portals offered by the government of Singapore which are namely for the citizens and the businesses. The portal offered for the citizens is known as the eCitizen Portal which is the single entry point for the community to access the services provided by the government and private corporations. The portal is to be accessed by the SingPass which is given to the citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. It is the single online user identification called the Singapore Personal Access. Through this system they can access their own confidential information. Also through the e-portal the community can post any thoughts on issues they are currently facing. For example the extensions of the smoking ban or the country’s national climate change strategy. The portal offered for businesses involves the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS). This is an one stop portal for government registrations and licenses required to conduct business in Singapore. Through this portal the applicant needs to complete only one integrated form for multiple licenses. The system provides consolidated online payment mechanisms for one-time payments for multiple license fees. This system has lead the processing time a business license to reduce from 21 days to 8 days saving businesses more than $2. million annually. Therefore the implementation of IT in the government has lead to an increase in effectiveness and efficiency in providing services to businesses. Another example of such is provided by Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) where the unprocessed tax returns accumulated in the Singapore income tax department resulted in administrative backlogs and dissatisfaction among taxpayers. The e-filing system in the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has lead to greater efficiency in the department and the use of back-end infrastructure to incorporate taxation calculations and regulations has improved its effectiveness. Question 1: Explore the two portals. What are the benefits to both the community and businesses? In Singapore, citizens have quickly warmed up to the e-Government services. Activities such as renewing road taxes and e-filing of income tax returns over the internet are now common among the community (n. a. , 2006). The main benefit for the community is the lessened administrative burdens they have to go through for payments, renewals and other services. The e-Government would lead to an improved quality of information with a reduction in the process time. It would also result in cost reduction for both the community and the ministries. These improved service levels would lead to efficiency where the community operating with the e-Government would be satisfied (Corsi, Gumina & Ciriaci, 2006). Another benefit that is enjoyed is the ability for the citizens to use their mobile phones to interact with the government services. There are many services offered by the e-Government in Singapore that is compatible with the hand held device. For example Housing Development Board and IRAS. Another benefit provided is the use of SingPass to access the individuals own MyeCitizen account. Having this unique SingPass would enable the privacy and confidentiality of the citizens. The users can personalise the portal and they have a variety of channels to choose from such as MyTravel, MyKids and MyCareer. Lastly the ability of the citizens to voice out their opinions is a great benefit for both the government and the citizens. Businesses have also benefited by the services provided by the e-Government. It is an increased efficiency and convenience to deal through the online platform. The offering of the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) allows the applicant to complete one integrated form for multiple licenses. The website provides the applicants with step by step guide which makes it trouble-free for the business to apply for licenses. By the OBLS the processing time of applications were reduced from 21days to 8days. This would be an efficient approach for the business where they can concentrate on other parts of starting up the business without a delay from the government authorities. Question 2: According to the chapter, there are six stages in the transformation to e-government. Which do you think Singapore is in? Why? In order for a transformation of a traditional government to an fully functional online government, there are six stages that are to be completed. These factors are explained in Wong (2000). Stage one is information publishing/dissemination which involves providing information on individual govermental departments by seting up their own website. It allows the community and businesses to choose from a range of services and contact for further assistance. By this activity the, the government departments would be able to reduce the number of phone calls customers need to make in order to clarify requests. Stage two is the â€Å"official†two-way transactions where the customers are able to submit personal information and conduct monetory transactions with individual departments through secure websites. At this stage customers should be convinced about the departments ability to keep the information private. Stage three is the multi-purpose portals. It involves integrating different departments. A portal allows the customers use a single point of entry to send and receive information and to process monetory transactions across many departments. Stage four is the portal personalisation where the customers can customise portals with their desired features. The goverment needs a much more sophisticated web programming that allows the interfaces to be user-manipulated. By the personalisation activity, the government can have a clearer read on the customer preference for electronic versus non-electronic service options. Stage fiveinvolves the clustering of common services where the customers now view the once-diparate services as a unified package through the portal. They tend to recognise group of transactions rather than than the group of agencies. Therefore the government will cluster the services along common lines to accelerate the delivery of shared services. Stage six involves the full integration and enterprise transformation. This is the stage where all departments across the government is integrated with technology. It would bridge a shortened gap between the front and back offices. Singapore’s e-government is in stage six in the Deloitte’s transformation model. E-government in Singapore has carried out Action plans since year 2000 regarding the accessibility, integration and providing value added services with one-stop service via the internet. There iGov2010 plan was launched in 2006 which involves bringing the e-government to a greater level of efficiency. This is to accomplished by back end processes across the entire government’s ministries. Question 3: What could other governments learn from the example of Singapore?  Despite the differences in Singapore and other styles of governments, there are things a country can learn from Singapore’s e-government experiences. Singapore has enjoyed political stability since independence in 1965 and the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been in government throughout that period. Due to the one party government system, there has been little or no disruption of policy implementation, which has enhanced the effectiveness of the delivery mechanism of public services. This stability has created well-organized institutions that help all stakeholders to adopt e-Services. Investments and master plans have leaded the success story of Singapore. For an instance in 2005,, the Singaporean government introduced a master plan to tackle security issues. S$38m (? 12. 3 million) will be invested in this plan to ensure a secure online environment. Incentives for tax-payers who submit tax declarations electronically, extensions of deadlines for those who are willing to declare their incomes electronically and lower fees for people who apply for their passports online are some incentives given by the government to promote e services and thereby an e governance. The social strengths of Singapore have been demonstrated by an educational system that produces a well-educated workforce to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Not only developing its own pool of local talents, Singapore also recruits foreign talents to work in both the public and private sectors. Time saving, convenience and actual monetary savings are the main drives to pull e-Users to e-Services. In conclusion, one country cannot be a model of another country. But any country can be inspired by another. Singapore is a good example for other countries to open doors toward the success.

Financial Analysis †Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi

Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi Introduction Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) are two leading banking institutions based in the capital city of United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report comprises of a financial analysis of both banks while taking into consideration financial information in the past three financial years, i.e. 2009, 2010 and 2011. The financial analysis presented in this report includes, profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, leverage ratio and solvency ratios of the two banks. Overview of the Banks Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was founded back in the year 1997 with the mission of conducting its operations in accordance with the Islamic principles as laid down under â€Å"Shariah Law† (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Bloomberg, 2013). Nationa l Bank of Abu Dhabi was founded in the year 1968, and since then it has earned a great reputation not only in the region, but also in other parts of the world. Today, National Bank of Abu Dhabi is regarded as the largest financial institution in Abu Dhabi as far as its lending operations are concerned (National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; Bloomberg, 2013). Financial Analysis Following is a comprehensive analysis of the financial position and performance of the companies selected in this report: Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios are determined in order to evaluate profitability of a business concern. Profitability ratios generally include, gross margin, operating margin, return on equity, return on investments, return on capital employed, etc. (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Following profitability ratios have been dete rmined for the banks selected for analysis in this report: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Return on Equity 1.51 % 12.62 % 13.48 % 14.77 % 15.27 % 14.05 % Return on Investment 0.12 % 1.36 % 1.55 % 1.53 % 1.74 % 1.45 % Net Profit Margin 7.26 % 43.68 % 44.31 % 60.72 % 61.16 % 56.96 % Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013). The return on equity has increased significantly from 2009 to 2010 for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. The reason behind this substantial increase is the improvement in the bank’s earnings in 2010 and onwards. Moreover, since there is comparatively lower increase noted in total equity of the bank, and therefore, resulted in higher return on equity in 2010 and 2011. Similarly, for National Bank of Abu Dhabi the ratio has shown improvement from 2009 to 2010, but declined in 2011. The reason be hind these fluctuating trends noted in return on equity for National Bank of Abu Dhabi is fluctuations in net income during the past three years. Similar to the trends noted in return on equity for the two banks in the past three years the return on investment for the two banks showed similar trends. Also, net profit margin also followed similar patterns for both banks. Due to significant increase in revenues of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the net income increased considerably, the impact of which has been ultimately depicted in the net profit margin during 2010 and 2011.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Liquidity Ratios The liquidity ratios determine the ability of a company to meet its short term borrowing obligations through its internal current sources. Liquidity ratios generally include current ratio, quick ratio, cash ratio and net working capital ratio (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). Following are the current and cash ratios determined for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi for the past three financial years, i.e. 2009, 2010 and 2011. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Current Ratio 0.25 0.30 0.33 0.28 0.32 0.33 Cash Ratio 0.17 0.21 0.23 0.13 0.09 0.11 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) As can be observed in the table above, there is no major difference noted in the current ratios of the two banks over the period of past three years. The current ratios of both banks have improved from 2009 onwards due to significant improvements noted in the current assets of both banks and a comparatively lower increase in the current liabilities, particularly short term borrowings by the ba nks. On the other hand, cash ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has shown a similar trend in the past three years, whereas for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the ratio has been observed as fluctuating during the past three years. In 2010, the cash ratio of the bank reached at its lowest point in the past three years, due to fall in cash and cash equivalent reserves.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leverage Ratio The leverage ratio, such as debt to equity ratio, determines the extent to which a business entity’s operations and activities are reliant on debt financing as compared to equity financing. In other words, it also shows the extent of debt over equity in a business’ balance sheet (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). The gearing ratios for the two selected banks in this report are determined as follows for financial periods 2009, 2010 and 2011: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Gearing Ratio 1.44 0.58 0.79 0.58 0.94 0.74 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) The gearing position of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has shown consistent fluctuations over the past three financial years. As for instance, in 2009, the gearing level of the bank is seen at its highest level due to increased preference for debt financing of banks operations rather than opting for equity financing. This situation changed significantly in 2010 due to a comparatively higher increase in equity of the bank as compared to increase in debt. However, the situation changed once again in 2011 due to significantly higher increase in debts of the bank in contrast to the increase in equity. On the other hand, gearing situation for National Bank of Abu Dhabi is completely opposite. The gearing level of National Bank of Abu Dhabi increased from 2009 to 2010 and then declined in 2011; the reason being about a 100 percent increase in debts of the bank and a low increase in equity level. In 2011, total debts slightly declined due to which gearing ratio also came down in comparison with the previous year. Solvency Ratios Solvency ratios determine the ability of a business enterprise to survive in future (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). Following are the solvency ratios determined for two banks for the past three financi al years: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Debt to Assets Ratio 0.92 0.89 0.88 0.90 0.89 0.90 Cash Flow to Debt Ratio 0.40 0.76 0.42 17.72 7.21 8.38 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) The debt to assets ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank can be observed as declining during the past three years, but with small differences. The primary reason behind this decline is that the bank’s assets have increased, not in proportion to the increase in debt, which shows that there is less increase in assets due to debt. Similarly, for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the ratio declined from 2009 to 2010, but improved in 2011. The reason for the decline is same as has been noted in case of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. On the other hand, cash flow to debt ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank increased in 2010, but came to the same level in 2011 as it was in 2009. The primary factor, which has resulted in fluctuation in this ratio, has been operating cash flows of the bank. On the other hand, cash flow to debt ratio for National Bank of Abu Dhabi has been noted as significantly lower than that of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Moreover, the ratio has declined from 2009 to 2010, but slightly improved in 2011. The sharp decline in 2010 is due to significant increase in total debts of the bank. Conclusion From the financial ratio analysis of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s financial statements for the financial years 2009, 2010 and 2011, it has been observed that there are varying trends and patterns in the past three years for both banks as far as their financial performance is concerned. The profitability ratios for the two banks have revealed that Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has performed much better, as indicated by significant improvement in net income, as compared to National Bank of Abu Dhabi. On the other hand, the liquidity positions of the two banks have remained more or less similar in the three years period under consideration. As far as leverage positions of the two banks are concerned, it is concluded from the analysis that both have shown volatility in this respect. As has been noted, there is no particular pattern is followed in maintaining a certain gearing level by both banks. Moreover, the overall gearing level for both banks remained at high levels from 2009 to 2011, due to high levels of debt financing. Lastly, the review of solvency position of both banks concluded that the debt to assets ratio for both banks remained at the same level in the past three financial years, primarily due to the fact that the increase in debt and increase in assets for both banks remained proportionately similar. However, significant differences have been noted in cash flow to debt ratios as there have been significant differences in the operating cash flows of the two ba nks. Reference List Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. (2010). Annual Report 2010. Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. (2011). Annual Report 2011. Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Bloomberg. (2013). Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB:Abu Dhabi). Bloomberg. Web. Bloomberg. (2013). National Bank Of Abu Dhabi (NBAD:Abu Dhabi). Bloomberg. Web. Helfert, E. A. (2001). Financial Analysis Tools and Techniques: A Guide for Managers. New York: McGraw-Hill. National Bank of Abu Dhabi. (2010). Annual Report 2010. Abu Dhabi: National Bank of Abu Dhabi. National Bank of Abu Dhabi. (2011). Annual Report 2011. Abu Dhabi: National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Siddiqui, S. A. (2006). Managerial Economics And Financial Analysis. New Delhi: New Age International Publishers.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X essays

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X essays Martin Luther King and Malcolm X - Two Views, One Cause Many black authors and leaders of the sixties shared similar feelings towards the white run American society in which they lived. Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, and Stokely Carmichael all blamed the whites for the racism which existed. However, they agreed that it was up to the black society to end this problem. Using the black society, each of the authors had their own idea of how racism could be stopped. Unfortunately, for some, such as Malcolm X, this involved the use of violence, while others, such as King, favored the non-violent approach. This paper will focus, for the most part, on Malcolm X and King because they are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Perhaps their different approaches of violence and nonviolence stem from their original opinions of how capable the whites are Not all of the whites involved in the problem of racism supported it. Some were actually trying to help fight for the blacks. Unfortunately, it took Malcolm X a long time to figure that out. Malcolm's paper, "The Ballot or the Bullet," makes that clear. In his paper, he is constantly criticizing whites as a whole. He does not consider, even for a moment, that a white could actually support equality for all men. "Usually, it's the white man who grins at you the most, and pats you on the back, and is supposed to be your friend. He may be friendly, but he's not your friend" However, in a later work of his, "1965," one can see that Malcolm was learning to accept whites as possible allies. I tried in every speech I made to clarify my new position regarding white people - 'I don't speak against the sincere, well meaning, good white people. I have learned that there are some. I have learned that not all white people are racists' (367). ...

Short Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Short - Essay Example Their original rationale does not fit any more and their activities too have been altered as the world economy has grown (Krueger, 1998). Nevertheless, Bretton Woods institution did play a leading role in the restructuring of international relations in the post -war period. Exchange rates in the pre-war period were used to secure competitive advantage in the mercantilist world (Crockett, 1999). Current account payments were subject to severe restrictions. The International Capital Mobility evolved because the Great Depression discredited gold standard orthodoxy and the financial markets became unpopular. The attachment to gold was identified as the causes of economic calamity. Financial products and markets became closely regulated. Maintaining high employment was considered more important than preserving the value of currency (Obstfeld, 1998). The current account payments were to be progressively liberalized. These changed attitudes led to the establishment of the Bretton Woods Institutions. The basic idea with which this institution was promoted was to promote cooperation and humanitarian goals. The two architects had different goals and objectives right from the beginning. While White intended to favor incentives designed to create price stability within the worlds economies, Keynes wanted a system that encouraged economic growth (O’Hara). Hence, even before the plan was launched, there were compromises made from both sides although the final plan was largely American in nature. It was obligatory for each of the member country to adopt a monetary policy that maintained the exchange rate of its currency within a fixed value in terms of gold. IMF would bridge temporary imbalances of payments. The planners at Bretton Woods favored a liberal system relying primarily on the market with the minimum barriers to the flow of private trade and capital. It was believed that the fundamental cause of the two world wars lay in economic

HRM- BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HRM- BMW - Essay Example BMW’s move shows that management is not the lone representative of a business; it is bigger than that- there are lessons to be learned and given from and by everyone involved. A cohesive business is a successful one, and a company can only be cohesive when all levels of employees believe that they can speak up and make a difference. The more people who can get involved in the process, the more it will be an accurate reflection of the company and community’s true set of standards and complementary goals. #3 I believe that both employees and managers would think the new policy is fair. The only potential obstacle may be that employees or the public might see the move as a calculated response to media pressure due to recent corporate scandals involving inflated executive bonuses. However, as the case states, â€Å"BMW has been discussing its compensation practices for months, and claims its announcement has nothing to do with a larger debate about public accountability of executives† (BusinessWeek, 2011). The linked bonus program shows a link between management and employees in the company, and an expansion of vertical communication that will, I believe, make the line workers feel more valued and responsible, thus increasing their productivity as well as their company loyalty. REFERENCE BusinessWeek Case (2011).

Visual Communication in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Visual Communication in Business - Essay Example ed institutions like prisons, which serve a broader purpose in the society and hence aught to be guided by humane and ethical considerations, rather then being subjected to purely monetary targets and objectives. The very fact that the private corporations work for purely profit motives renders them incapable of being allowed to run the prisons or any other institution that is basically expected to adhere to welfare objectives and rehabilitation goals, even at the cost of incurring some losses. A realistic comprehension of this complex idea can be facilitated by the usage of various approaches to visual communication like charts and graphs, maps and cartoons and illustrations. It is imperative to understand that there exist primarily two ethical approaches pertaining to the institution of prisons. There is one school of thought that holds that the prisons should have a deterrent effect on the criminals and antisocial elements and hence the prisons should be stringent in their approach towards prisoners, so far as the availability of basic facilities is concerned. There is one another school of thought that is more contemporary and humane in its approach and holds that the prisons are the places that give the criminals a chance to pay their debt to the society. Such thinkers believe that prisoners should not only be provided with the basic amenities and health facilities in the prisons, but must also be extended the opportunity for rehabilitation and assimilation into the public mainstream in the form of vocational courses and counseling facilities. This approach is not only human, but is also in line with the current shift in the public values throughout the world. Now, if the private corporations are allowed to run the prisons, they will certainly desist from extending such facilities to the prisoners as this will not only increase the overall cost of running the prisons, but will diminish the net profit.The main reason for the enhanced interest of the state and the federal governments in the privatization of the prisons is an overcrowding of the government run prisons. This raises the curiosity of any vigilant citizen as to why the private corporations are interested in running the prisons The answer is simple. In the last two decades, running the prisons in the US has become a big industry that has a massive scope for growth and there is no dearth of corporations that are interested in extracting their share of booty in this lucrative business. Infact the gross revenues of the private prison industry exceeded well over $1 billion in the year the year 1997.

Oversea Study Agent in China Essay Example for Free

Oversea Study Agent in China Essay 1.0 Introduction As China’s refrom and opening up, foreign exchange increasing day by day. Studying abroad craze after another. More and more people chose to accept foreign advanced education. This report is small scale survey on experiences with the services of oversea study agencies, which in order to inform readers some informations about oversea study agencies, let them have a more comprehensive understanding of these agents. First, some basic overviews of oversea study agent such as what is the oversea study agent, the history and development of these agencies, the role and characteristics of oversea study agencies, will be described in this report. Then it also show some main problems of oversea study agencies, which include some illegal phoenomenons, professionalism of employee is low and regulatory mechanism is not perfect. Legal system is not perfect and the lack of high-quality personnel as the causes of problems followed by. At last the recommendation and conclusion will be illustrated. 2.0 Procedures This paper is after a group discussion and arrangements. Five education agents are investigated through telephone consultation, internet search, etc. They are Golden Oriental, Jin Gillette, Mei Grabrel, CIEC World Famous Studio to study vertical and horizontal, Zhong Rui in Shanghai. There are also some views reference by authority report. 3.0 Findings 3.1 Some basic overview of oversea study agent 3.1.1 What is oversea studying agencies Oversea study agent is a intermediary for students to studying abroad to other countries that provide school students application and visa application assistance and services. Everywhere in the world exist this industry. In China the first countries to ratify the legal service agencies to study abroad is very high, the first practitioners of the business background needed to be engaged in education institutions, so the first batch of approved institutions most comprehensive university with some formal or large state government departments, only two company are private institutions, Jin Gillette in Beijing and Zhong Rui in Shanghai . And the choice of this two institutions are engaged in their education both at the same time quite strong behind the enterprise groups as the background. Second and subsequent access to qualified institutional conditions in the application than the first batch of great relaxation, an increase of more institutions, but are required to be registered within the legal institutions. 3.1.2 The role of oversea study agent First, providing professional guidance to reduce the personal trouble. This is the most important role of education agents. The current situation is that most people and institutions of education abroad do not quite understand the situation, the role of intermediaries is to use the relationship with foreign educational institutions, combined with national policies to individuals and schools to study the national situation, to apply for admission, handle Visa and other relevant information and advice. Procedures for many students, if they apply the words of ordinary people, not only spend more time, and error-prone, with the help of an intermediary, you can greatly reduce such problems. Second, providing legally qualified schools. It is understood that there are two types of foreign registered schools, one is teaching institutions, although another category called the school, but in fact is the company, and such registration requirements of the companys relatively loose, the more difficult for teachers and teaching quality assurance. Chinese government prohibited foreign institutions and educational service agencies engaged in recruiting activities on their own in, requiring direct intermediary service organizations and educational institutions with foreign universities signed a cooperation agreement and submit the location of the relevant provincial education administrative departments for the record, but also requires foreign school to provide the Embassy of China in the internationally renowned certification other than the institutions. The goal is to prevent a number of international universities and the poor quality of some multinational companies fraud in China. Therefore, the study intermediary agreements with foreign institutions of higher learning in schools is actually a constraint, so as to ensure the quality of teaching in schools and individual rights. Then, to help design individual study plans. Study abroad is a new way of learning in China, so most Chinese people find it difficult to design their own study plan. There arise a phenomenon that many people have chosen wrong counties, wrong school or wrong professional. The losses are difficult to be measured by money. Study intermediary with resources, according to consumer expertise, interests and financial ability to provide consumers with a most appropriate and most effective way to study. In addition, there is a balance the function of oversea study agencies for market supply and demand. As with other products in the market, study abroad market also has a supply and demand balance. The difference is that, as the case involves foreign students, consumers are poorly understood, the role of intermediaries is that the students grasp the situation told the consumer market, and guide consumers in different countries and schools to filter, so that the education market and a balanced supply and demand. 3.2 Problems of oversea study agencies It is report that â€Å"Golden Oriental† has the trap of going abroad, 15 students trapped in Germany. A parents said the Golden Oriental is a German training center in Qingdao, the main business is to recruit students to learn German. Enrollment in the center, forward to introduce registration of students and parents to learn the language here, must we go through the exit of the relevant procedures. This fully demonstrates the agency of studying abroad at this stage still exit some problems. 1. Some illegal phenomenon First, unauthorized business in the studying intermediary. Without the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security issued a permit to study intermediary services, without the approval of the administrative department for industry and commerce registration, engaging in business activities of education agents. In Beijing there are still some people who employ by the three no company (no license, no office, no charge certificate) to the embassy in front of students engaged in activities of intermediary services around by some foreign embassies. These illegal intermediary agencies in profits, driven by the illicit in intermediary services. Second, there is a linked management phenomenon. Linked management is some of the illegal gain qualification in legal education agents affiliated companies access to the following qualification to the legitimate operations of those features. There are some study intermediaries authorized by the parent company of illegally engaging in a branch or branches of intermediary business, the umbrella agency to act as illegal. Finally, some foreign companies do illegally business in China. State expressly that foreign investment institutions in the country engaged in the study can not be mediated. But there are still some companies as the representative of the foreign school or under the banner of the Office of foreign schools in China to enroll students. 3.2.2 Professionalism of employee is low It is understood that practitioners who have the correlated educational background in the study abroad agency are less than 50ï ¼â€¦. Management has not issued specific standards for employees in certificates, but no appraisal system. Most of the intermediarys employees are recruited from the community, by the agency after a simple training to induction, a considerable number of other employees in the state organs or institutions of workers retire, there officers aging. Therefore, the variation in levels of professional and reduce the agencys service quality and effectiveness of the service extensively restricted. 3.2.3 Regulatory mechanism is not perfect At current situation, it has not specifical laws and regulations on the study abroad agency to regulate behaviours they have. At the same time, the management of policies from different departments, regulatory agencies is not clear. It is a more complex work to supervision and management the intermediary services for studying abroad. Too few managers, industry and commerce, are also responsible for public security, there is busy. Three units of the joint action, they often stay in the rectification movement style, and they can not do more frequent, thorough and meticulous work, so that the management is difficult to place. 3.3Causes of the problems 3.3.1Legal system is not perfect Currently, the state has not the development of social intermediary organizations and the general considerations of unified planning, there is no national authority in charge of social intermediary organizations and coordination of departments, to study abroad agency management and macro-control weaknesses still exist. Government lack of studying abroad Pan strictly regulate intermediary management, law degree is not high. Market economy is the legal economy, study abroad agency to rely on laws and regulations to locate and act. However the legal management of oversea study agencies has a far way from the establishment of socialist market economy. 3.3.2The lack of high-quality personnel Oversea study agency is a strong professional service, foreign language level requirements high. Thus, requiring that their employees must have a high quality of cultural knowledge, good professional service and knowledge of international practice. However, there are talents in this area obviously can not keep up the situation and development needs: the quality of personnel is not high, the shortage of professionals. 4.0 Recommendation At present, more and more people choose to go abroad, the oversea study agent play an important role in China. However, there are still exit the problems which mentioned above. So some measures must be taken such as effectively strengthen the supervision and management of education agents’waste, further improve the advertising review and investigation, to increase the intensity modulation of employees’ education and training, improve relevant laws and regulations to standardize and restrain intermediary acts. 5.0 Conclusion Whit the boom of study abroad set off, oversea study agency has become an indispensable institution to student. It provide professional guidance, provide legally qualified schools, help design individual study plans and so on. However, there are still some problems that can damages the interests of consumers. When people choosing the oversea study agencies, both advantages and disadvantages should be considered. Whit the sound of legal system and the development of market economy in China, problems in the intermediary agencies of study abroad will be solved. Their business will be more and more standardized. 6. Reference Gousheng Li, 2006-10-29, Study abroad at one’s own expenses intermediaraes’problems and countermeasures. Junrong Yan, 2001-12-4, Education agents, you play what role http://baike.baidu.com/view/864680.htm http://www.runsky.com/homepage/study/abroad/news/userobject1ai413028.html

Geostrategic Importance of Indian Ocean

Geostrategic Importance of Indian Ocean The Indian ocean region had become the strategic heartland of the 21st century, dislodging Europe and North East Asia which adorned this position in the 20th centurythe developments in the Indian Ocean region were contributing to the advent of a less Western centric and a more multi-polar world. -Donald L. Berlin, Head of Security Studies, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii The Growing Importance of IOR The Indian Ocean has emerged as a critical maritime space in the Asia-Pacific littoral in view of the transformed strategic, security and economic significance of the region. The Indo-Asia-Pacific region is the greatest maritime-littoral space that has the largest concentration of population, resources, developing economies, congested sea lanes, and contested territorial spaces. It is thus significant in a geo-political, geo-economic and geo-strategic sense  [1]  . The Indian Ocean is home to many choke points, such as the Straits of Hormuz, Straits of Malacca, Lombok and the Sunda Straits. Any disruption in traffic flow through these points can have disastrous consequences. The disruption of energy flows in particular is a considerable security concern for littoral states, as a majority of their energy lifelines are sea-based. Since energy is critical in influencing the geo-political strategies of a nation, any turbulence in its supply has serious security consequences. Given the spiraling demand for energy from India, China and Japan, it is inevitable that the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and choke points of the region have become strategically important for these countries that they are extremely sensitive to their security  [2]  . The Indian Ocean and the states on its littoral are of significant and growing importance. The region contains 1/3 of the worlds population, 25% of its landmass, 40% of the worlds oil and gas reserves. It is the locus of important international sea lines of communication (SLOCs). The region is home to most of the worlds Muslim population as well as India, one of the worlds likely rising powers. The Indian Ocean also is home to the worlds two newest nuclear weapons states, India and Pakistan, as well as Iran, which most observers believe has a robust program to acquire nuclear weapons  [3]  . The Oil Factor The Indian Ocean has seen intense maritime activity for the past 600 years, primarily for trade. While centuries ago, the motivation was for silk and spices, today it is for oil. Persian Gulf contains 65 per cent of the worlds proven reserves and accounts for more than half of the worlds oil exports and almost all of Asia-Pacifics imports. Due to growth in global economy the world wide demand for oil imports from the gulf is expected to grow and this fact is most critical while considering geo strategic significance of Indian Ocean. Despite efforts by nations to diversify sources, disruption of oil supplies is bound to impact severely on national economies leading to inflation and widespread unemployment. The US, Europe, China, Japan, India and most of Southeast Asian nations  are heavily reliant on oil from the Gulf. In his State of the Union address in Feb 2006, President Bush said that the nation was addicted to oil. U.S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2.2 million bbl/d during 2006, accounting for 17 percent of the US total net oil imports  [4]  . The importance of energy to India, China and Japan is also extensive. At current levels of consumption, the oil import dependence of India is expected to reach 82.2 percent by 2010 and 91.6 percent by 2020. In the case of China it will be 61 percent and 76.9 percent, while for rest of South Asia it will be 95.1 percent and 96.1 percent respectively  [5]  . Sea Lines of Communications(SLOCs) The economic development of a state is closely linked to its trade and energy supply. Since most of the trade of the Indian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs form the lifeline of these countries. According to World Bank estimates, in 1999 the world seaborne trade was pegged at 21,480 billion ton-miles; it is expected to reach 35,000 billion ton-miles in 2010, and 41,800 billion ton-miles in 2014. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Report, Review of Maritime Transport 2000, notes that world sea-based trade recorded its fourteenth consecutive annual increase, and Asias share of imports and exports was 26.1% and 18.8 % respectively  [6]  . To a military analyst, the SLOCs are related to the maritime instruments of power, and maritime geography becomes the pivot on which forces must be deployed. To a politician, on the other hand, SLOCs signify the state of relations with countries located along the sea route traversed, while for an economist it is just the shortest and most economical travel distance between two destinations. Similarly, for some nations multilateral cooperation on SLOC security may mean a perceived intrusion into aspects of sovereignty. Thus the security of sea lanes requires comprehensive strategies encompassing differing perceptions and national interests of concerned states  [7]  . The Indian Ocean is home to important SLOCs and maritime choke points. A large volume of international long haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa and Europe transits through this ocean. Some of the primary items transported are energy products mainly oil and gas. Disruption in energy lifelines can also arise from patterns of trade flows. Imports to South Asia from West Asia utilize the Strait of Hormuz. According to EIA estimates, the Strait recorded a transit volume of 15.4 million barrels of oil per day in 1998. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz practically cuts off Gulf supplies to the East altogether and also affects the West considerably. Similarly, the closure of the Straits of Malacca, through which nearly 9.4 million barrels of oil per day flow (according to the EIA), can seriously threaten the economies of Southeast Asia and the energy intensive economies of China and Japan. Due to the geostrategic importance of Malacca Straits to almost all the South and Southeas t Asian countries, any maritime contingency in this traffic congested region would have profound security ramifications. Since most of the trade of the Indian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs are critical to these countries as well as to major energy consuming nations such as US, Europe, China and Japan. Exports from West Asia utilize the Strait of Hormuz. Equally strategically located are the eastern straits, Malacca, Sunda and Lombok-Makasser. One-third of the worlds trade and almost all of East Asias oil amounting nearly to 9.4 million barrels of oil per day pass through these straits. Protection of the sea-routes through the Indian Ocean becomes a strategic priority for many states. America thus has maintained a massive military presence in the region, poised to do whatever necessary to maintain the choke points and the flow of regions essential energy supplies to the rest of the world. The stakes are so high that Pentagon has now drawn up plans to annihilate Irans military capability in three days  [8]  . Strategic Importance of IOR for Extra Regional Forces United States of America. For almost 200 years the British exercised predominant military power in the Indian Ocean by establishing bases at key choke points and along critical sea lines. In the 1960s however British Government decided to drastically cut the British presence east of Suez. During the succeeding years the Indian Ocean became a distinct area attracting international attention due to inter and intra state instabilities in the states bordering the region , prominent being the Iran-Iraq war. In reaction to this instability both the superpowers started deploying naval forces on a regular basis in the Indian Ocean to ensure their energy security  [9]  . The dramatic event of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, led to US establishing its naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean to react quickly to a situation threatening access to the oil resources in the region. This was the beginning of the so called super power rivalry in the IOR. Successive US administrations have followed u p these developments with a vigorous search for facilities across Indian Ocean and have met with considerable success in getting such facilities in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia , Kenya and Singapore. Their base in Diego Garcia is however the key element in providing the US capability to act at relatively short notice in the region  [10]  . By the end of 1980 US established a Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) at Diego Garcia. On 01 Jan 83 RDJTF was converted into full fledged strategic command and was named the Central Command (CENTCOM). Hundreds of B 52 bomber flights were flown by US from this base during 1990-91 war against Iraq  [11]  . Russia. The initial deployment of Soviet Navy in the Indian Ocean was governed by need for a reciprocal arrangement with littoral states that would assist its attempt to break through Western containment of its long southern flank. Soviets developed their facilities in Ethiopia and South Yemen close to Bab-al- Mandeb  [12]  . In 1979 the Soviets signed an agreement with Vietnam for a 25 year lease of base at Cam Ranh Bay close to Malacca straits. Russian government continued the lease of Cam Ranh Bay primarily for SIGINT activities in South China Sea. At the end of 25 year period, Russia decided to withdraw from Cam Ranh Bay. Its presence in other erstwhile bases is also on the decline. Australia. Vital to Australias economic well being is the security of maritime trade, particularly in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The worlds principal trading blocs, USA, EU, Japan/Korea/China/East Asia, comprise mercantile trading nations dependent on Middle East oil to sustain their economies. Australias economy is tied to these principal trading blocs  [13]  . Besides straddling vital sea-lines for naval and commercial mobility Southeast Asia has always provided Australia the strategic defence-in-depth for its security. Post-Cold War, Australia rushed to forge new security bonds in the sub region to augment its existing Five-Power Defence Agreement (FPDA) with Malaysia and Singapore. This caused apprehensions, but its proactive stance and especially its leadership role during the 1999 East-Timor crises  demonstrated a commitment to the sub-region. However, the perception of Australias pro-West character since the beginning of the 20th century has led to Islamic fun damentalists targeting its interests. Its interests thus converge with that of other concerned powers to combat non-state maritime threats in Southeast Asia. Japan. Japans proactive role in Southeast Asia is vital for its global status and economic interests, since the sub-region is the source and transit of its energy lifeline. Primarily due to this reason, it is averse to Chinese domination in the South China Sea  [14]  . Despite its potent maritime forces however, Japan has been unable to assist the sub-region to secure the sea-lines against nontraditional threats due to the constraint posed by Article 9 of Japanese Constitution, which does not permit its military to have a collective security arrangement. Japans commitment to Southeast Asia has thus been limited to financial and technological assistance for navigational safety and prevention of pollution. Japan is now actively considering a Constitutional review to break free from the legal handicap, including in terms of collective-security. This would make Japan more militarily assertive and enable it to safeguard its vital security interests in Southeast Asia. Natural Resource Wealth The Indian Ocean is known to contain natural resources, the significance of which has yet to be fully determined  [15]  . Other than the oil in the gulf, the Indian Ocean holds 65 per cent and 31 per cent of worlds strategic raw minerals and gas respectively. Large occurrences of hydrocarbons are being trapped in the offshore deep bedrocks of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Australia. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and deep sea polymetallic nodules are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Bay of Bengal is known to hold an immense wealth of resources in terms of fossil fuels, minerals and fish stocks. The discoveries of huge gas reserves in the Krishna-Godavari basin has added to the known potential of the area. The AN island chain itself is known to bear substantial hydrocarbon reserves. It is only a matter of time that offshore platforms, similar to those at the Bombay High, would sprout in these waters. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from   Russia,  Japan,  South Korea, and  Taiwan  also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for  shrimp  and  tuna. The endangered marine species include the  dugong,  seals,  turtles, and  whales  [16]  .