Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing - Essay Example 13). Both definitions focused on the term being a philosophy or an orientation designed by management where the important elements for success and profitable financial performance of a firm is anchored in satisfying the needs of the target market or the potential customers – more than competitors do. Analysis of the Concept The marketing concept could be closely evaluated using an organizational example: Coke versus Pepsi. Bhasin (2010) described in his article that â€Å"the marketing concept proposes that the success of the firm depends on the marketing efforts of the company and in delivering a better value proposition as   compared to its competitors in its own target market† (Bhasin, par. 1). Coke’s marketing strategy is to provide customers with a product that has been envisioned to be timeless, not restricted in boundaries, applies to all ages and generations and is able to captivate and satisfy the thirst and refresh its clientele.

The factors that affect success in learning English as a second Essay

The factors that affect success in learning English as a second language - Essay Example Though many ESL teachers may be fluent in several languages besides English, they generally aren't fluent in all of them, and the language background of an ESL class can be diverse. Therefore, explanations usually must be made in basic English, teaching the child or adult at first in simple ways with a lot of demonstration, pictures, and repetition, to understand English, to read it, and to speak it." (Ellis-Christensen. n.d.). It is doubly important for ESL teachers to have considerable mastery of the English language so that they will be able to meet the required standards necessary to impart the best knowledge to their students, especially as their classes advance into grammar discussions. ESL teachers should be able to focus on the most common problems of ESL students so as to help them more effectively and guide them on how to speak and write fluent English. As ESL teachers take up advanced studies, they learn some of the more common mistakes expected from certain language groups such as the tendency for many Asian languages to omit the pluralization of word endings. Some language groups don't need a specific order in sentences, Ms. Ellis-Christensen relates. Most students are even unfamiliar with the English alphabet. Therefore, it is important that ESL teachers are flexible, have considerable expertise in teaching the English language, and are quick to adapt to the learning styles of their students (Ellis-Christensen. n.d.). ESL teachers must continue to strive to learn more English teaching skills. The British Council (http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/transform/teachers/uk-courses-qualifications), claims that "UK training providers offer a range of high-quality pre-service and in-service qualifications for English language teachers, as well as many degree-level and short courses on aspects of English language teaching." Basic skills training are offered for trainee teachers, teachers in the early years of their career, or experienced teachers who are beginning to teach English. Developing skills are offered to more experienced English teachers while Specialist skills are made available for highly experienced teachers who are taking on more specialist, expert roles (The British Council. n.d.). It is obviously important for teachers to have a certain degree of skills in terms of mastery of teaching the English language, especially when it comes to dealing with students who do not speak English as their first language. Teachers need to come up with creative lesson plans that will not only make it easier for their students to grasp the many nuances of the English language but also make learning an interesting experience for them. Teaching Strategies Mr. Kenneth Beare from About.com sums up the best English language teaching strategies in three very practical ways (Beare. n.d.). His first advice is to "keep it simple." He says, "One problem that teachers often encounter is that of trying to do too much, too quickly;" and that "the best way to approach teaching is to choose just one use or function, and focus on that specific point." Mr. Beare's next advice is to "slow down and use easy vocabulary." He explains, "Native speakers are often not aware of how quickly they speak. Most teachers need to make a conscious effort to slow down when speaking. Perhaps more importantly, you need to become aware of the type of

Horizontal Integration And Conglomerate Diversification Marketing Essay

Horizontal Integration And Conglomerate Diversification Marketing Essay 1: Define and distinguish between the following pairs of grand strategies: Horizontal integration is a grand strategy based on growth the acquisition of similar firms operating at the same stage of the production-marketing chain. (Pearce, p. 218) Vertical integration is the grand strategy based on the acquisition of firms that supply the acquiring firm with inputs or new customers for its outputs. (Pearce, p. 220) Horizontal integration acquires more entities within the same level of the supply chain where vertical integration acquires entities up and down the supply chain to control the entire production and distribution process from raw materials to final consumer. Conglomerate diversification is the grand strategy that involves the acquisition of a business because it presents the most promising investment opportunity available. (Pearce, p. 221) Concentric diversification involves the acquisition of a second business that benefits from access to the first firms core competencies. (Pearce, 221) Concentric diversification seeks synergies between its acquisitions where conglomerate diversification does not. Newell Rubbermaid is an example of a large conglomerate that has begun to look for more concentric diversifications in the last 10 years divesting businesses that are not good fits for the overall portfolio. Product development is the growth strategy that involves the substantial modification of existing products that can be marketed to current customers. (Pearce, p. 216) Innovation is a grand strategy that seeks to reap the premium margins associated with creation and customer acceptance of a new product or service. (Pearce, p. 216) Innovation is truly difficult to make profitable. It requires a significant amount of research, time, and financial resources. Many more companies practice product development and use the term innovation. Joint venture is a grand strategy in which companies create a co-owned business that operates for their mutual benefit. (Pearce, p. 230) Strategic alliances are contractual partnerships where the companies involved do not take an equity position in one another. (Pearce, p. 232) Strategic alliances can be between companies with similar customer bases that can benefit from each others resources such as a distribution network. Joint ventures are much more complicated and longer term. Each entity has rights and ownership into one common business. This is much more common when US firms begin to do business in countries like China and Mexico. 2: What are three ways a firm can incorporate the advantage of speed in its business? Speed to market, or rapid response to customer requests has become a major source of competitive advantage in the global market. We live and work in an environment where everyone wants everything now. The customer has an unmet need and does not want to wait for your firm to provide a product that meets their need. This can be an important market strategy if the firm in question can quickly adjust products or processes to meet the customers needs fast. First, customer responsiveness. All customers have dealt with frustrations related to delays or slow service. The same holds true from business to business. Quick response with useful solutions, information, and products can become the basis of a competitive advantage especially if the firm can consistently deliver faster than the competition. Second, product development cycles. There are automotive companies that have worked to streamline product development taking a new product from concept to production within less than 9 months. Todays marketplace thrives on newness, and products may only last for a year or two from launch to grave. Being efficient at product development is a key strategy. Third, speed in delivery or distribution. Firms that can get you what you need, when you need it (even when its tomorrow) will have a competitive advantage. A key example of this is the Batesville Casket Company. Funeral homes across the country do not stock all designs and styles of caskets, yet they can meet with a client at 5pm on one day and have their exact custom order delivered before noon the next day anywhere in the country. This is done through an intricate network of distribution centers that stock one of everything. When one item is pulled from the distribution center, manufacturing begins to make the replacement. 3: How does market focus help a business create competitive advantage? What risks accompany such a posture? Market focus allows some businesses to compete on the basis of low cost, differentiation, and rapid response against much larger businesses with greater resources. Focus lets a business learn its target customer in greater detail and develop personal relationships that will differentiate the smaller firm or make it more valuable to the target customer. Market focus may also be an advantage because it will reduce the number of competitors in a market. For example, if your firm sells and delivers floral bouquets, you may compete with large global firms like 1800Flowers or FTD. By focusing on the needs of the local market that the large firms have ignored, your firm may be able to gain an advantage over the larger firms. The risk of market focus is that you attract major competitors that have waited for your business to prove the market. They let you be the guinea pig, and now that the market seems to be agreeable, they will swoop in and begin taking customers and market share. Your firm may also risk being bought out or taken over by a larger firm that wants to expand and fill out its portfolio. The greatest risk is assuming that it is focus alone, and not some combination of price, differentiation, or rapid response that is creating the businesses success. 4: When would multi-industry companies find the portfolio approach to strategic analysis and choice useful? Portfolio approaches provide several contributions to strategic analysis by corporate managers. First, they allow for the transfer of competitive advantage of professional management across a broad array of businesses. They help convey large amounts of information about diverse business units and corporate plans in a simplified format. They illuminate similarities and differences between business units and help convey the logic of corporate strategies for each business with a common vocabulary. The portfolio approach simplifies priorities for sharing corporate resources across diverse business units that generated and used those resources. They provide a simple prescription that gives corporate managers a sense of what they should accomplish and a way to control and allocate resources between them. (Pearce, p. 283) Multi-industry companies would find this approach useful when it is not clear which business provides the greatest revenue or generates the largest market share or financial gains for the company. The portfolio approach is a systematic way to compare common criteria across all businesses in the portfolio. Case Study Exercises: 1: How would you describe VWs new advertising strategy? Volkswagens new advertising strategy is to regain American interest in the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen held strong market position in the 1970s based on the success of the VW Beetle and Transporter. Sales were strong until the introduction of the VW Rabbit in the US in the early 1980s. The Rabbit was popular but known to catch fire or have other mechanical problems, giving the Rabbit and VW a reputation for poor quality. After severely declining sales in the 1990s, Volkswagen hired Crispin Porter and Bogusky to completely rebrand the Volkswagen in 2006. Crispin had a strong history of creating memorable marketing and advertising campaigns that turned around several major US brands like Burger King and MINI. Crispin started the strategy by defining the new target market, and determining what the perception was in the 18-30 yr old male audience. Crispin Porter and Bogusky used a strong web based campaign to attract the target audience, and added enough edge and controversy to get people of all demographics talking about Volkswagen. The strategy of using the web and a German dominatrix type blonde named Helga that the user could interact with on the GTI website, gained in popularity but offended and alienated woman who were also VW customers. Many believed the campaign degraded or looked over women as a target market. The strategy worked for a short period of time but was unable to overcome the mixed product message that Volkswagen was sending with offerings ranging from expensive luxury cars to econo-friendly hatchbacks. Now, four years later, VW Americas is still struggling to improve sales and gain market share. 2: What appear to be DHLs most important competitive advantages? Are they best suited to a mature industry or a growth industry? Which way would you characterize the U.S. parcel market and the global parcel market? DHLs most important competitive advantages are its global presence, strong parent company financial support, and willingness to have face to face relationships with its customers. DHL holds a commanding 40% market share in Europe and Asia, but struggles to gain over a 7% market share in the US. This is primarily because the competition, FedEx and UPS, have spent decades and billions of dollars building delivery networks and infrastructures and huge economies of scale. DHL wants to become the next FedEx or UPS in the United States in order to further strengthen their overall global footprint. In order for DHL to continue to be successful in the future, they have to be successful in the US. DHL has a strong global delivery system but lacks in US domestic delivery. This became most evident in November 2008 when DHL ceased all US domestic shipping operations. The US parcel market is a mature market because over the past 40 years the market has developed a structure and market leaders that are serving the needs of nearly all customer groups. This market saturation and duration do not leave a lot of room for a new start up to gain any ground. The US geographic is much more spread out than DHL is use to dealing with in Europe. This dynamic adds complexity and requires a larger structure to manage. DHL is much better suited to a growth industry than a mature industry. A growth industry has the opportunity for many competitors to develop the market at the same rate without one being at a disadvantage over any others. DHL has a strength in developing relationship with customers that works well in a growth market, where relationships are key to expanding the market. 3: What does eBays corporate or multi-business strategy for the twenty-first century appear to be? Ebays corporate business strategy is to be a company that provides services for all the kinds of activities that people perform on the internet: trade, communicate, shop, search, and entertain. (Pearce, p. 299) Investors, however, are struggling to see Ebay as more than an online auction site. Over the past 5 years, Ebay has purchased what seems to be a hodge podge of companies with little common connection. PayPal seemed to be a logical fit, as a means to facilitate buyers and sellers on the Ebay auction site. But, Skype and others seem to be farther stretches for the investment community to understand. If you look at ebay as a company that is in business to facilitate trade then the acquisitions make more sense. Time will tell if the online auction giant can gain the trust of the investment world and change their mind about who Ebay is and what it does. Strategic Management Plan: 1: Using one (or a combination) of the 15 grand strategies outlined in the text, write long-term objectives for your selected company that exhibit the seven qualities of long-term objectives: Acceptable Flexible Measurable Motivating Suitable Understandable Achievable. In order to increase value creation for shareholders, Cooper Tire and Rubber Company will improve global cost structure and increase targeted profitable growth. Global Cost Structure Sourcing and LCC Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 35 45 % of Manufacturing in LCC à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meet Demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lower Global Cost Structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce Complexity Short Term Goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ramp Up CKT 6 million tires (China) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expand at CCT +2 million tires (China) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offtake agreement with Mexico à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offtake agreements at other locations Long Term Goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analyze expansion of existing LCC facilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identify and evaluate potential JV partners à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analyze Greenfield options in LCC Manufacturing Cost Reductions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 10 15 % reduction in addressable cost base à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue with high quality manufacturing Programs to achieve à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Process efficiency improvements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Complexity reduction and management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Automation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distribution Targeted Profitable Growth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Total Company = 6 to 7% CAGR à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Net Sales = > $3.6 billion > 60.9 million units Programs to achieve North America Channel Alignment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Grow in all Channels, Growth not equal in all channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Continue Support of Independent Dealers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Align organization and strategy to each channels needs Asia Grow TBR and PCR Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focus TBR on Tier 2 and 3 Products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to develop retail sales à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focused growth in fleet sales Passenger Car Radial (PCR) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build in areas with greatest car parks (east coast) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shift production used for export sales to domestic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Elevate the brand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to develop retail sales Europe Focused Growth Targeted approach with resources geared toward priorities Existing Cooper Strengths PLUS Brand focus Highly focused sales by product segment Greater channel focus 2: In 2 pages or less, describe the grand business strategy or strategies that you will select to seek sustained competitive advantage. Why did you select this strategy or strategies? Cooper Tire Rubber Company has chosen to use new product development and joint venture as grand strategies to seek competitive advantage in the global replacement tire industry. Product Development is used to prolong the product lifecycle or build on the reputation of the brand. Cooper Tire plans to do strengthen this as a strategy by adding resources and enhancing regional technology centers in Asia and Europe. Additional organization of resources into continuous product and process improvement teams through the use of LEAN and Six Sigma techniques will aid the product development process. Cooper must also modify the research structure to improve research knowledge base. Advanced Technology and Shelf Technology combined with computer modeling and simulation will help with a focused development effort leading to fewer iterations and faster product development. Cooper can also utilize external resources by leveraging vendors and academic institutions to provide innovations and technological advancements in tire construction and materials. By applying a stage gate process, Cooper will enhance decision making process, and align it with global goals. Joint Ventures occur when two or more capable firms lack a necessary component for success in a particular competitive environment. Cooper Tire has a strong market share in the US and looks to continually expand into new global markets. Cooper Tire has two active joint ventures in China. Coopers joint venture allows them easier entry into the Chinese domestic market while creating a supply in a low cost country. The Chinese replacement tire market is increasing at a 17% year over year rate, which is a great expansion opportunity for Cooper. As Cooper uses the joint ventures for the production of tires, they are also focusing on building retail distribution in areas with greatest car park (along Eastern coast). These strategies will help to expand the Cooper business and global market share.

Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer

The Damaging Effects of Acid Rain Modern society is becoming overwhelmed with great amounts of pollution from cars, factories and an overabundance of garbage. The immense amounts of sulphur dioxide emitted into the air causes high levels of acid in the atmosphere. When this sulphuric acid is absorbed into moisture in the air, poignant rainfalls can be damaging to the external environment. Acid rain is destroying the world=s lakes, air and ecosystem. Acid rain is killing lakes and decreasing the number of inhabitants in these fresh water bodies. Acid rain causes an ample deduction in the pH levels in the water. At a neutral level the pH in water should be close to seven, yet in these acidic water bodies the pH levels can be as low as four. These pH levels of four contain more than ten percent acids than that of normal rain and one thousand times more acid than neutral water. Each decade the pH levels of lakes around Ontario have become ten times more acidic. The high acid levels cont ained in lakes also causes a decrease in the number of fish dwelling in these lakes. Also Aacid produces chemical changes in the blood of the fish, and their basic body metabolism is altered@ (Howard & Perley, 1980, p. 24), and can cause deformities in these inhabitants. They have twisted and arched backbones, flattened heads and strangely curved tails. In pH levels of four there is little left in the lakes besides rock bass, pumpkinseed and lake herring. Affected fish are also in danger of becoming sterile, which would put the species at risk of becoming extinct. As with sulphur dioxide in rain, mercury is also discharged into the water. There is a direct connection between the mercury rich lakes as there is with those with high acidic levels. This metal becomes concentrated in the blood and tissues of fish. Acid rain causes traumatic effects in natural lakes and rivers. Acid rain causes air quality to deteriorate. As in water, acid rain causes the pH levels in the air to decrease. The sulphur dioxide, which diffuses into the air, mixes with moisture causing the pH levels to drop from the normal level. Again, the normal level is somewhere around seven, yet in some acidic air masses the levels can be as low as three. These lowered pH levels form a photochemical smog in the atmosphere.

Guava Leaves Extract for Skin Infections

Guava Leaves Extract (Component in making soap) treatment for acne [Bathing Soap] Chapter I: Background of the study: Nowadays people are focusing in herbal plants especially those who are common in the environment. One of the example is the guava plant (Psidium guajava Linn). Based on research this plant is good for healing and treating wounds and other skin infections. So in my research I wan't to make a bathing soap out of it, cause I know that it is effective. People, researchers, scientists were focusing to medicinal plants.They want to prove that there are plants that are more effective against diseases especially in skin. This study refers to a plant that can be made into a bathing soap and improves its quality while using this plant (guava leaves). I want people to handle easily in treating their skin disorders. Instead of boiling the leaves, now it’s easy to apply. Boiling takes much time. Statement of the Problem: I stated that Guava leaves extract is good for skin. Based on my research, it has many constituents that is good for skin. It answers the following questions: * Is there any constituents of guave leaves that is good for skin? What are those? * It can really treat skin disorders/ Acne? Hypothesis: * Guava leaves is good treatment for acne. * It has many components or constituents. * Constituents that is good for skin disorders, especially for acnies. Significance of the Study: You can make a bathing soap with guave leaves extract as treatment for acne. This plant is very common to our environment, and aside of its avaibility; it is easy to cultivate. It contains many components for healing skin disorders. Scope and Limitation: The study of guava leaves and getting their extract is often useful.It has the ability to treat, cure, disinfect skin disorders and capable of being a herbal plant for acnes. Definition of Terms Astringent- antiseptic properties Decoction- infusion of fresh leaves used for wound cleaning and skin to prevent infec tion and to facilitate healing. Good for skin disorders. Volatile- a substance that changes into a vapor at a relatively low temperature. Eugenol- oily liquid from doves. (C10H12O2) Cloves- aromatic spice from the dried flower bud of a tropical tree. Tannin- a brownish or yellowish substance found in plants and used in astringents.Saponins- soap from plants; any group of chemical substances extracted from plants that form a soapy lather mixed with water and are used to make soap and detergent. Amydalin- resin used in paints and adhesives. Resin- yellow or brown color and organic substance from plants. Malic Acid- acid from fruit; a colorless crystalline solid found in fruits such as apples. (C4H6O5) Aldehydes- organic compound; a highly reactive organic compound produced by the oxidation of an alcohol and having a CHO group especially the acetaldehyde. Ash- the powdery substance that is left when omething has been burnt. Guava: Scientific Name: Psidium Guajava Chapter II: Review Rel ated Literature: Database File for: GUAVA (Psidium guajava) Main database Common name Botanical name Ethnic uses Conditions Actions PLANTIMAGES Photos WEBRESOURCESGUAVA Product Search Medline Abstracts USDA BARC DB HEAR Info Purdue Info W? TROPICOS DB Ethnobotany DB Phytochem DB GRIN DB USF DB ITIS DB Plants DB Raintree'sRainforestMission Home Page Company Mission Philosophy Plant Harvesting Plant Images Rainforest Products Rainforest Gallery Rainforest Facts Article Section Rainforest LinksOther Links Print Brochure Print Order Form Contact Us Search Site Privacy Policy Conditions of Use Free Service EspanolPortuguesDeutschItaliano Francais Norsk Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Psidium Species: guajava Common names: Guava, goiaba, guayaba, djamboe, djambu, goavier, gouyave, goyave, goyavier, perala, bayawas, dipajaya jambu, petokal, tokal, guave, guavenbaum, guayave, banjiro, goiabeiro, guayabo, guyaba, goeajaaba, guave, goejaba, kuawa, abas, jambu batu, bayabas, pichi, posh, enandi Part Used: Fruit, leaf, bark From The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: GUAVAHERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS Main Actions Other Actions Standard Dosage stops diarrhea depresses CNS Leaves kills bacteria lowers blood pressure Decoction: 1 cup 1-3 kills fungi reduces blood sugar times daily kills yeast constricts blood vessels kills amebas promotes menstruation relieves pain fights free radicals reduces spasms supports heart Called guayaba in Spanish-speaking countries and goiaba in Brazil, guava is a common shade tree or shrub in door-yard gardens in the tropics. It provides shade while the guava fruits are eaten fresh and made into drinks, ice cream, and preserves.In the richness of the Amazon, guava fruits often grow well beyond the size of tennis balls on well-branched trees or shrubs reaching up to 20 m high. Cultivated varieties average about 10 meters in height and produce lemon-sized fruits. The tree is easily identified by its distinctive thin, smooth, copper-colored bark that flak es off, showing a greenish layer beneath. Guava fruit today is considered minor in terms of commercial world trade but is widely grown in the tropics, enriching the diet of hundreds of millions of people in the tropics of the world.Guava has spread widely throughout the tropics because it thrives in a variety of soils, propagates easily, and bears fruit relatively quickly. The fruits contain numerous seeds that can produce a mature fruit-bearing plant within four years. In the Amazon rainforest guava fruits are much enjoyed by birds and monkeys, which disperse guava seeds in their droppings and cause spontaneous clumps of guava trees to grow throughout the rainforest. TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USESGuava may have been domesticated in Peru several thousand years ago; Peruvian archaeological sites have revealed guava seeds found stored with beans, corn, squash, and other cultivated plants. Guava fruit is still enjoyed as a sweet treat by indigenous peoples throughout the rainforest, a nd the leaves and bark of the guava tree have a long history of medicinal uses that are still employed today. The Tikuna Indians decoct the leaves or bark of guava as a cure for diarrhea.In fact, an infusion or decoction made from the leaves and/or bark has been used by many tribes for diarrhea and dysentery throughout the Amazon, and Indians also employ it for sore throats, vomiting, stomach upsets, for vertigo, and to regulate menstrual periods. Tender leaves are chewed for bleeding gums and bad breath, and it is said to prevent hangovers (if chewed before drinking). Indians throughout the Amazon gargle a leaf decoction for mouth sores, bleeding gums, or use it as a douche for vaginal discharge and to tighten and tone vaginal walls after childbirth.A decoction of the bark and/or leaves or a flower infusion is used topically for wounds, ulcers and skin sores. Flowers are also mashed and applied to painful eye conditions such as sun strain, conjunctivitis or eye injuries. Centuries ago, European adventurers, traders, and missionaries in the Amazon Basin took the much enjoyed and tasty fruits to Africa, Asia, India, and the Pacific tropical regions, so that it is now cultivated throughout the tropical regions of the world. Commercially the fruit is consumed fresh or used in the making of jams, jellies, paste or hardened jam, and juice.Guava leaves are in the Dutch Pharmacopoeia for the treatment of diarrhea, and the leaves are still used for diarrhea in Latin America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. In Peruvian herbal medicine systems today the plant is employed for diarrhea, gastroenteritis, intestinal worms, gastric disorders, vomiting, coughs, vaginal discharges, menstrual pain and hemorrhages, and edema. In Brazil guava is considered an astringent drying agent and diuretic and is used for the same conditions as in Peru.A decoction is also recommended as a gargle for sore throats, laryngitis and swelling of the mouth, and used externally for ski n ulcers, and vaginal irritation and discharges. PLANT CHEMICALS Guava is rich in tannins, phenols, triterpenes, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids, lectins, vitamins, fiber and fatty acids. Guava fruit is higher in vitamin C than citrus (80 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of fruit) and contains appreciable amounts of vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin – a dietary fiber.The leaves of guava are rich in flavonoids, in particular, quercetin. Much of guava's therapeutic activity is attributed to these flavonoids. The flavonoids have demonstrated antibacterial activity. Quercetin is thought to contribute to the anti-diarrhea effect of guava; it is able to relax intestinal smooth muscle and inhibit bowel contractions. In addition, other flavonoids and triterpenes in guava leaves show antispasmodic activity. Guava also has antioxidant properties which is attributed to the polyphenols found in the leaves.Guava's main plant chemicals include: alan ine, alpha-humulene, alpha-hydroxyursolic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, alpha-selinene, amritoside, araban, arabinose, arabopyranosides, arjunolic acid, aromadendrene, ascorbic acid, ascorbigen, asiatic acid, aspartic acid, avicularin, benzaldehyde, butanal, carotenoids, caryophyllene, catechol-tannins, crataegolic acid, D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, ellagic acid, ethyl octanoate, essential oils, flavonoids, gallic acid, glutamic acid, goreishic acid, guafine, guavacoumaric acid, guaijavarin, guajiverine, guajivolic acid, guajavolide, guavenoic acid, guajavanoic acid, histidine, hyperin, ilelatifol D, isoneriucoumaric acid, isoquercetin, jacoumaric acid, lectins, leucocyanidins, limonene, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, lysine, mecocyanin, myricetin, myristic acid, nerolidiol, obtusinin, octanol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, pectin, polyphenols, psidiolic acid, quercetin, quercitrin, serine, sesquiguavene, tannins, terpenes, and ursolic acid. BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH The long history of guava's use has led modern-day researchers to study guava extracts. Its traditional use for diarrhea, gastroenteritis and other digestive complaints has been validated in numerous clinical studies. A plant drug has even been developed from guava leaves (standardized to its quercetin content) for the treatment of acute diarrhea. Human clinical trials with the drug indicate its effectiveness in treating diarrhea in adults. Guava leaf extracts and fruit juice has also been clinically studied for infantile diarrhea.In a clinical study with 62 infants with infantile rotaviral enteritis, the recovery rate was 3 days (87. 1%) in those treated with guava, and diarrhea ceased in a shorter time period than controls. It was concluded in the study that guava has â€Å"good curative effect on infantile rotaviral enteritis. † Guava has many different properties that contribute to its antidiarrheal effect: it has been doc umented with pronounced antibacterial, antiamebic and antispasmodic activity. It has also shown to have a tranquilizing effect on intestinal smooth muscle, inhibit chemical processes found in diarrhea and aid in the re-absorption of water in the intestines.In other research, an alcoholic leaf extract was reported to have a morphine-like effect, by inhibiting the gastrointestinal release of chemicals in acute diarrheal disease. This morphine-like effect was thought to be related to the chemical quercetin. In addition, lectin chemicals in guava were shown to bind to E-coli (a common diarrhea-causing organism), preventing its adhesion to the intestinal wall and thus preventing infection (and resulting diarrhea). The effective use of guava in diarrhea, dysentery and gastroenteritis can also be related to guava's documented antibacterial properties. Bark and leaf extracts have shown to have in vitro toxic action against numerous bacteria.In several studies guava showed significant antiba cterial activity against such common diarrhea-causing bacteria as Staphylococcus, Shigella, Salmonella, Bacillus, E. coli, Clostridium, and Pseudomonas. It has also demonstrated antifungal, anti-yeast (candida), anti-amebic, and antimalarial actions. In a recent study with guinea pigs (in 2003) Brazilian researchers reported that guava leaf extracts have numerous effects on the cardiovascular system which might be beneficial in treating irregular heat beat (arrhythmia). Previous research indicated guava leaf provided antioxidant effects beneficial to the heart, heart protective properties, and improved myocardial function.In two randomized human studies, the consumption of guava fruit for 12 weeks was shown to reduce blood pressure by an average 8 points, decrease total cholesterol levels by 9%, decrease triglycerides by almost 8%, and increase â€Å"good† HDL cholesterol by 8%. The effects were attributed to the high potassium and soluble fiber content of the fruit (however 1-2 pounds of fruit was consumed daily by the study subjects to obtain these results! ). In other animal studies guava leaf extracts have evidenced analgesic, sedative, and central nervous system (CNS) depressant activity, as well as a cough suppressant actions. The fruit or fruit juice has been documented to lower lood sugar levels in normal and diabetic animals and humans. Most of these studies confirm the plant's many uses in tropical herbal medicine systems. CURRENT PRACTICAL USES Guava, known as the poor man's apple of the tropics, has a long history of traditional use, much of which is being validated by scientific research. It is a wonderful natural remedy for diarrhea – safe enough even for young children. For infants and children under the age of 2, just a cup daily of guava fruit juice is helpful for diarrhea. For older children and adults, a cup once or twice daily of a leaf decoction is the tropical herbal medicine standard. Though not widely available in the U. S . arket, tea-cut and powdered leaves can be obtained from larger health food stores or suppliers of bulk botanicals. Newer in the market are guava leaf extracts that are used in various herbal formulas for a myriad of purposes; from herbal antibiotic and diarrhea formulas to bowel health and weight loss formulas. Toxicity studies with rats and mice, as well as controlled human studies show both the leaf and fruit to be safe and without side effects. GUAVA PLANT SUMMARY Main Preparation Method: decoction Main Actions (in order): antidysenteric, antiseptic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart) Main Uses: or dysentery (bacterial and amebic), diarrhea, colic, and infantile rotavirus enteritis as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial for internal and external bacterial, fungal, candidal, and amebic infections to tone, balance, protect and strengthen the heart (and for arrhythmia and some heart diseases) as a cough suppressant, analgesic (pain-reliev er), and febrifuge (reduces fever) for colds, flu, sore throat, etc as a topical remedy for ear and eye infections Properties/Actions Documented by Research: amebicide, analgesic (pain-reliever), antibacterial, anticandidal, antidysenteric, antifungal, antimalarial, antioxidant, antispasmodic, antiulcerous, cardiodepressant, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), central nervous system depressant, cough suppressant, gastrototonic (tones, balances, strengthens the gastric tract), hypotensive (lowers blood ressure), sedative, vasoconstrictor Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, antiseptic, astringent, blood cleanser, digestive stimulant, menstrual stimulant, nervine (balances/calms nerves), vermifuge (expels worms) Cautions: It has a cardiac depressant effect and is contraindicated in some heart conditions. Traditional Preparation: The fruit and juice is freely consumed for its great taste, nutritional benefit and nutrient content, as well as an effective children's diarrhea remedy. The leaves are prepared in a standard decoction and dosages are generally 1 cup 1-3 times daily. Contraindications:Guava has recently demonstrated cardiac depressant activity and should be used with caution by those on heart medications. Guava fruit has shown to lower blood sugar levels and it should be avoided by people with hypoglycemia. Drug Interactions: None reported, however excessive or chronic consumption of guava may potentiate some heart medications. WORLDWIDE ETHNOMEDICAL USES Amazonia for diarrhea, dysentery, menstrual disorders, stomachache, vertigo Brazil for anorexia, cholera, diarrhea, digestive problems, dysentery, gastric insufficiency, inflamed mucous membranes, laryngitis, mouth(swelling), skin problems, sore throat, ulcers, vaginal discharge Cuba for colds, dysentery, dyspepsia Ghana coughs, diarrhea, dysentery, toothache Haiti or dysentery, diarrhea, epilepsy, itch, piles, scabies, skin sores, sore t hroat, stomachache, wounds, and as an antiseptic and astringent India for anorexia, cerebral ailments, childbirth, chorea, convulsions, epilepsy, nephritis Malaya for dermatosis, diarrhea, epilepsy, hysteria, menstrual disorders Mexico for deafness, diarrhea, itch, scabies, stomachache, swelling, ulcer, worms, wounds Peru for conjunctivitis, cough, diarrhea, digestive problems, dysentery, edema, gout, hemorrhages, gastroenteritis, gastritis, lung problems, PMS, shock, vaginal discharge, vertigo, vomiting, worms Philippines for sores, wounds, and as an astringent Trinidad bacterial infections, blood cleansing, diarrhea, dysenteryElsewhere for anorexia, aches, bacterial infections, boils, bowel disorders, bronchitis, catarrh, cholera, chorea, colds, colic, convulsions, coughs, diarrhea, dysentery, dyspepsia, edema, epilepsy, fever, gingivitis, hemorrhoids, itch, jaundice, menstrual problems, nausea, nephritis, respiratory problems, rheumatism, scabies, sore throat, spasms, sprains, st omach problems, swelling, tonic, toothache, ulcers, worms, wounds, and as an antiseptic and astringent References/Footnotes: Conde Garcia, E. A. , et al. â€Å"Inotropic effects of extracts of Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves on the guinea pig atrium. † Braz. J. of Med. & Biol. Res. 2003; 36: 661-668.Suntornsuk, L. , et al. â€Å"Quantitation of vitamin C content in herbal juice using direct titration. † J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2002; 28(5): 849-55. Beckstrom-Sternberg, S. M. , et al. â€Å"The phytochemical database. † (ACEDB version 4. 3-Data version July 1994. ) National Germplasm Resources Laboratory (NGRL), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U. S. Department of Agriculture. Jimenez-Escrig, A. , et al. â€Å"Guava fruit (Psidium guajava L. ) as a new source of antioxidant dietary fiber. † J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001; 49(11): 5489-93. Smith, Nigel J. H. , et al. Tropical Forests and their Crops. London: Cornell University Press. 1992. Arima, H. , et al . Isolation of antimicrobial compounds from guava (Psidium guajava L. ) and their structural elucidation. † Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 2002; 66(8): 1727-30. Morales, M. A. , et al. â€Å"Calcium-antagonist effect of quercetin and its relation with the spasmolytic properties of Psidium guajava L. † Arch. Med. Res. 1994; 25(1): 17-21. Lozoya, X. , et al. â€Å"Quercetin glycosides in Psidium guajava L. leaves and determination of a spasmolytic principle. † Arch. Med. Res. 1994; 25(1): 11-5. Begum, S. , et al. â€Å"Triterpenoids from the leaves of Psidium guajava. † Phytochemistry 2002; 61(4): 399-403. Lozoya, X. , et al. â€Å"Intestinal anti-spasmodic effect of a phytodrug of Psidium guajava olia in the treatment of acute diarrheic disease. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 2002; 83(1-2): 19-24. Wei, L. , et al. â€Å"Clinical study on treatment of infantile rotaviral enteritis with Psidium guajava L. † Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi 2000; 20(12): 8 93-5. Tona, L. , et al. â€Å"Biological screening of traditional preparations from some medicinal plants used as antidiarrhoeal in Kinshasa, Congo. † Phytomedicine 1999; 6(1): 59-66. Lozoya, X. , et al. â€Å"Model of intraluminal perfusion of the guinea pig ileum in vitro in the study of the antidiarrheal properties of the guava (Psidium guajava). † Arch. Invest. Med. (Mex). 1990; 21(2): 155-62. Almeida, C. E. , et al. Analysis of antidiarrhoeic effect of plants used in popular medicine. † Rev. Saude Publica. 1995; 29(6): 428-33. Lin, J. , et al. â€Å"Anti-diarrhoeal evaluation of some medicinal plants used by Zulu traditional healers. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 2002; 79(1): 53-6. Lutterodt, G. D. â€Å"Inhibition of Microlax-induced experimental diarrhea with narcotic-like extracts of Psidium guajava leaf in rats. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1992; 37(2): 151-7. Lutterodt, G. D. â€Å"Inhibition of gastrointestinal release of acetylcholine by quercetin as a possible mode of action of Psidium guajava leaf extracts in the treatment of acute diarrhoeal disease. † J. Ethnopharmcol. 1989; 25(3): 235-47. Coutino-Rodriguez, R. et al, â€Å"Lectins in fruits having gastrointestinal activity: their participation in the hemagglutinating property of Escherichia coli O157:H7. † Arch. Med. Res. 2001; 32(4): 251-7. Abdelrahim, S. I. , et al. â€Å"Antimicrobial activity of Psidium guajava L. † Fitoterapia 2002; 73(7-8): 713-5. Holetz, F. B. , et al. â€Å"Screening of some plants used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. † Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 2002; 97(7): 1027-31. Caceres, A. , et al. â€Å"Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. 1. Screening of 84 plants against enterobacteria. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1990; 30(1): 55-73. Garcia, S. et al, â€Å"Inhibition of growth, enterotoxin production, and spore formation of Clostridium perfringens by extra cts of medicinal plants. † J. Food Prot. 2002; 65(10): 1667-9. Tona, L. , et al. â€Å"Antiamoebic and spasmolytic activities of extracts from some antidiarrhoeal traditional preparations used in Kinshasa, Congo. † Phytomedicine 2000; 7(1): 31-8. Tona, L. , et al. â€Å"Antiamoebic and phytochemical screening of some Congolese medicinal plants. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1998; 61(1): 57-65. Nundkumar, N. , et al. â€Å"Studies on the antiplasmodial properties of some South African medicinal plants used as antimalarial remedies in Zulu folk medicine. † Methods Find Exp. Clin. Pharmacol. 2002; 24(7): 397-401. Yamashiro, S. , et al. Cardioprotective effects of extracts from Psidium guajava L. and Limonium wrigth II, Okinawan medicinal plants, against ischemia-reperfusion injury in perfused rat hearts. † Pharmacology 2003; 67(3): 128-35. Singh, R. B. , et al. â€Å"Can guava fruit intake decrease blood pressure and blood lipids? † J. Hum Hypertens. 1993 ; 7(1): 33-8. Singh, R. B. , et al. â€Å"Effects of guava intake on serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and on systemic blood pressure. † Am. J. Cardiol. 1992; 70(15): 1287-91. Shaheen, H. M. , et al. â€Å"Effect of Psidium guajava leaves on some aspects of the central nervous system in mice. † Phytother. Res. 2000; 14(2): 107-11. Lutterodt, G.D. , et al. â€Å"Effects on mice locomotor activity of a narcotic-like principle from Psidium guajava leaves. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1988; 24(2-3): 219-31. Jaiarj, P. , et al. â€Å"Anticough and antimicrobial activities of Psidium guajava Linn. leaf extract. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1999; 67(2): 203-12. Cheng, J. T. , et al. â€Å"Hypoglycemic effect of guava juice in mice and human subjects. † Am. J. Clin. Med. 1983; 11(1-4): 74-6. Roman-Ramos, R. , et al. â€Å"Anti-hyperglycemic effect of some edible plants. † J. Ethnopharmacol. 1995. The above text has been printed from The He aling Power of Rainforest Herbs by Leslie Taylor, copyrighted  © 2005 All rights reserved.No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, including websites, without written permission. †  The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained in this plant database file is intended for education, entertainment and information purposes only. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace proper medical care. The plant described herein is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Please refer to our Conditions of Use for using this plant database file and web site.  © Copyrighted 1996 to present by Raintree Nutrition, Inc. , Carson City, NV

Story of My Life

I began as a droplet of water, high above the earth, fluffy white clouds drifted through the atmosphere at that time. In the clouds, I lived as a little Droplet of water, round and content with life. For as long as I could remember, I spent my days lying on my back, relaxing and soaking up the sun's warm rays. One day, I took my usual place in the sun but the light didn't seem to be as bright. In fact, as the day went on, it grew darker and darker, loud claps of thunder shook the cloud, and I felt as if I were getting really heavy and I could hardly move.Suddenly, I felt myself falling from the cloud. Down, down, down I fell, farther and farther from home. As I was falling, I saw myself shivering and getting a white flaky color. I didn’t know what was happening at all, and at that same moment I realized what my friend had told me about how I would turn into a solid form. At last I landed on the earth, in the dark green foliage of the rainforest. Around me as far as I could see , were tall trees, dense green leaves, red mushrooms and variously colored insects of every shape and size.Strange creatures surrounded me. The sounds and sights were like nothing I had ever seen or heard before. All I wanted to do was go back home safely. And all of a sudden, the sun came up and the warm rays hit me like I was on a beach tanning. For a moment it felt good, and then suddenly I started turning into liquid, and it felt good to be in motion again. I began seeping through this soft, brown material called soil. I moved slowly through the roots placed in this soil. I began to move around, shifting side to side. Something was coming.It was digging deeper. I was jiggling! I saw teeth and a lot of pink! I waited a bit and saw the sun again, and there it was, what made me jiggle! An animal, a cow! Moooooooooo! It began to eat the grass, just jabbing at it, chewing it, nom, nom, nom! I began to jiggle even more. I thought I might break a sweat! A water droplet and break a swea t? It came closer, and GULP!! I was down its mooing throat! The cow began to sweat, and it was getting hot. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening but then my friends’ words came back to me.The process of respiration was taking place. I was the cow’s source of breathing. I was taken in as oxygen present in water and released as something else. I went from energy to carbon dioxide, lifting back into the air. I saw town’s people along the way; they breathed in oxygen and let out me? I mean carbon dioxide. I was going back up, and from there I went back to my normal life after my little water cycle, and then evaporated with a sigh of relief. I was back to my life of soaking in the sun’s rays!

Problems on Campus Essays

Problems on Campus Essays Problems on Campus Essay Problems on Campus Essay Chelsia Bell Professor Arnold English 1301-005 September 25,2012 Better Food, Healthier People Campus advisors, with very simple solutions, can solve the common health problem of bad food choices on the TJC campus. Replacing non-healthy foods in vending machines, serving healthier food in the cafeteria, and offering smaller sizes of soft drinks are all good solutions to this common problem. Everybody loves picking up a quick snack in between classes; however, sometimes the taste can throw us off and make us forget about the real picture. Most of the snacks in the vending machine are very good, but are also very high in calories, carbs, and definitely sugars. While you are enjoying your snack you have no care in the world about what you are putting in your body. If we would all just take a quick second to think about what are eating, I’m sure the amount of obesity among people, not just on campus but everywhere, would drop considerably. Replacing snacks like Reese’s, Kit-Kat, and chocolate bars with healthy snacks like the 100 calorie snacks and crackers, would easily make a significant change. Cafeteria food can sometimes be good and sometimes not so good. Because of budgets, cafeteria food could be minimum quality. They may serve whatever is cheapest at the moment with any concern about providing healthy food. Putting options like salads, baked stuff instead of fried, and serving smaller portions will also cut down on all the health problems on campus. Sometimes even juice instead of a soda can help. If the people in the cafeteria and the people over the food on campus would be more concerned about everybody else’s health, I’m sure the food choices would be a lot better. Healthier food choices equal a healthy person. Small, Medium, or Large are words that we hear most of the time when we order a soft drink. Most of the time the mediums are big enough to share with 2 people. Drinks have just gotten bigger and bigger. Offering the mini sizes of soft drinks in the vending machines would be a very good idea. Sodas are already not good for you in many ways, so the serving that comes in the mini size is plenty for anybody. It is usually difficult for me to drink a whole regular sized soda by myself. Food is always tricky. You just have to make sure you are the eating the right thing at the right time. The bad food choices on the TJC campus can easily be solved with help from supervisors and maybe even some sponsors. Nobody should have to be constantly worried about their health. Putting these better food options on campus can easily ease everyone’s mind.

Abolishing Death Penalty essays

Abolishing Death Penalty essays The death penalty in the United States should never be abolished. Each year there are about 250 people added to death row and, roughly, only 35 executed. The amount of terminations needs to increase dramatically. Many civilizations practiced barbaric punishments that place the prisoner in excruciating pain. However, capital punishment has become more humane by leaps and bounds in these past years and has been abrogated by several countries, though it has caused crime to rise in most cases. Regardless of anti-death advocates, I am firmly against its abating for a plethora of reasons. Nationwide, prisons cost an exorbitant amount of money to maintain and operate. Supplement that cost with new arrivals, medical costs, and repeat offenders. Youre looking at an estimated 1.5 billion dollars annually. The majority of these funds are withdrawn through taxes from everyday middle-class citizens like you and I. Only a miniscule fraction of these inmates are executed yearly. Due to the aforementioned fact, more prisons are being built around the country to accommodate the constant influx of convicts. Long and short term studies have proven that the vast majority of these criminals are released to only repeat their offense, soon after, and be returned to the facility that they just exited. A large percentage of prisoners cannot cope with the outside world after their release due to their incarceration period. On many occasions this has caused them to become extremely violent and, often times, commit a crime worse than the one they were imprisoned for. In every walk of life, in every part of the world, in every culture and civilization crimes against humanity are detested and combated in one way or another. Though, what most everyday people are unaware of is how luxurious our nations prison facilities are. If the steel bars, identical uniforms, and tranquilizer guns were taken away, they could be mistaken for ...

Branches of Philosophy

Most academic subjects have a philosophy, for example the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of logic, the philosophy of law, and the philosophy of history. In addition, a range of academic subjects have emerged to deal with areas which would have historically been the subject of philosophy. These include psychology, anthropology and science. [edit] Western philosophy Main article: Western philosophy [edit] History Main article: History of Western philosophy The introduction of the terms philosopher and philosophy has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras (see Diogenes Laertius: De vita et moribus philosophorum, I, 12; Cicero: Tusculanae disputationes, V, 8-9). The ascription is based on a passage in a lost work of Herakleides Pontikos, a disciple of Aristotle. It is considered to be part of the widespread legends of Pythagoras of this time. Philosopher replaced the word sophist (from sophoi), which was used to describe wise men, teachers of rhetoric, who were important in Athenian democracy. The history of philosophy is customarily divided into six periods: Ancient philosophy, Medieval philosophy, Renaissance philosophy, Early and Late Modern philosophy and Contemporary philosophy. [edit] Ancient philosophy (c. 600 B. C. –c. A. D. 500) |[pic] |Constructs such as ibid. , op. cit. and loc. cit. are discouraged by Wikipedias style guide for footnotes as they are | | |easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated | | |title. | [pic] [pic] Aristotle Main article: Ancient philosophy [pic] [pic] Plato Ancient philosophy is the philosophy of the Graeco-Roman world from the sixth century [circa 585] B. C. to the fourth century A. D. It is usually divided into three periods: the pre-Socratic period, the periods of Plato and Aristotle, and the post-Aristotelian (or Hellenistic) period. Sometimes a fourth period is added that includes the Christian and Neo-Platonist philosophers. The most important of the ancient philosophers (in terms of subsequent influence) are Plato and Aristotle[7]. The themes of ancient philosophy are: understanding the fundamental causes and principles of the universe; explaining it in an economical and uniform way; the epistemological problem of reconciling the diversity and change of the natural universe, with the possibility of obtaining fixed and certain knowledge about it; questions about things which cannot be perceived by the senses, such as numbers, elements, universals, and gods; the analysis of patterns of reasoning and argument; the nature of the good life and the importance of understanding and knowledge in order to pursue it; the explication of the concept of justice, and its relation to various political systems[8]. In this period the crucial features of the philosophical method were established: a critical approach to received or established views, and the appeal to reason and argumentation. [pic] [pic] St. Thomas Aquinas [edit] Medieval philosophy (c. A. D. 500–c. 1350) Main article: Medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy is the philosophy of Western Europe and the Middle East during what is now known as the medieval era or the Middle Ages, roughly extending from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Medieval philosophy is defined partly by the rediscovery and further development of classical Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, and partly by the need to address theological problems and to integrate sacred doctrine (in Islam, Judaism and Christianity) with secular learning. Some problems discussed throughout this period are the relation of faith to reason, the existence and unity of God, the object of theology and metaphysics, the problems of knowledge, of universals, and of individuation.

Special Education Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Tyrannical Manner of Governance and the French Revolution Essay

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Generating Theory from Practice - Essay Example Wherein, Evidence based practice provides high quality patient care by the nurses based on research and knowledge, rather than on the basis of traditions, myths and outdated books among others. . These two practices frame an important part of the nursing theory and further help in the development of prevailing nursing theories. Nursing theory can be defined as â€Å"a logically interrelated set of confirmed hypotheses† (Brown, 1997). Furthermore, it has been discussed that to utilize the nursing theory effectively, it is necessary to derive a better understanding about the description, analysis and the evaluation of the theory. According to the aforesaid discussions, it can be stated that nursing theory must involve care for the patients to build up confidence in them. Furthermore, nurses must be well acquainted with medical ailments to deal with critical situation, whenever necessary. In this stand, these theories if implemented in future, it can assist patient and their fami lies to keep faith upon the medical department and to maintain a cooperative atmosphere for better results. â€Å"Reflective practice can be defined as the process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace† (Nursing Times Awards, 2013). ... mented to strengthen the shared thinking and can also be applied for the purpose of bringing alignment between various healthcare activities (Amulya, 2011). In case of Evidence-based practice, it inculcates, qualitative project, which mainly contributes to the other research initiatives. This paper intends to evaluate efficiencies of nursing theories. This paper will also critically analyze the Reflective Practice (RP) and the Evidence Based Practice (EBP), which is applied in the development of nursing theories. A proposition is a statement about a concept or the relation between two or more concepts. EBP is a quality assurance activity, which involves low cost and high relevance within medical context. It requires team involvement and collaborative actions (French, 1999). The RP is a dynamic process, which is associated with individuals need for care, which inculcates the emotional and personal feelings of the patients. Thus this assignment intends to evaluate the necessity of RP a nd EBP in the study of nursing. Discussion Nursing is a profession in health sectors which takes care of people to live a healthy and longer life. The ability of nursing to look after the need of the people depends on the way in which the nursing job is managed in health care systems (NHS Careers, 2012). It also depends on the way in which nursing practice is regulated and the quality care is assured. Thus to make the nursing study a clear concept, various practices have been introduced. This assignment mainly focuses on the two types of practices Reflective Practices (RP) and the Evidence Based Practice (EBP), which is required for the effectual development of the nursing theory. ‘Reflection on Practice’ signifies an important skill of the nurses. Nurses getting engage within the

Curfew Law Enforcement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Curfew Law Enforcement - Case Study Example They are mostly enforced to help reduce the youth participation in activities that may be considered criminal and affect their lives, or endanger their and other people’s lives. The restrictions also enable parents to have better and clear supervision of their children’s activities on the afterhours. It has been proved through studies that cities with enforced curfew laws have had significant drops in youth participation in criminal activities. A 2011 study analyzed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Unified Criminal Reporting files from 1980 to 2004 for the 54 larger U.S. cities (180,000-plus residents) and enacted youth curfews between 1985 and 2002, focusing on arrests for both minor offenses (loitering and curfew violations) and more serious infractions (such as violent crimes and property crimes). The report showed that arrests of youths directly impacted by curfew restrictions dropped by almost 15% in the first year and approximately 10% in fol lowing years (Weigel, 2011). This paper will therefore weigh the facts of the plaintiff against the constitutional mandate and responsibility of the defendant of enforcing state laws and give a verdict. DISCUSSIONS Freedom of assembly is a fundamental part and a right that is provided and protected in the first amendment and should therefore be enjoyed by every citizen. If not properly enforced, curfew laws can greatly infringe on human rights and freedom of assembly and even freedom of expression. SUSIE MARKS CASE AGAINST RUTHLESS Susie after boarding Jerry and Kate’s truck against her will was seriously injured when the truck in which she was riding failed to negotiate a left turn. Notwithstanding that the state allowed persons to board the back of trucks without seat belts, Susie felt that given a choice she would have walked home or waited for Orson. Ruthless neither accorded her the freedom to express her wish and plan nor considered the implications of his actions havin g in mind that Jerry was a minor who had just been licensed to drive and therefore had insufficient experience. Ruthless told Jerry: "Get everybody out of here," and that "if you guys don't get out of here, curfew will be enforced." These words were also scaring especially for minors who feared that their actions if any against Ruthless would have â€Å"curfew enforced†. An example would be Hodgkins v. Peterson, SD Indiana 2004 when the judge ruled in favour of the defendants (Hodgkins) (Sandy, 2008). The arguments can be compared to Susie’s case given the fact that the law enforcer scared the minors through inappropriate words. In the Hodgkins case the argument was that For a person to file a claim that violates their First Amendments rights, they must prove that their speech was actually chilled. Just like in Hodgkins case, they deemed the ordnance unconstitutional because fear of criminal prosecution would have prevented, or did prevent them from going to late night protests, political rallies, or church events, which are protected First Amendment rights. (Sandy, 2008). RUTHLESS’ FACTS AND ARGUMENT Ruthless being a law enforcer was within his constitutional mandate of performing his duties and was right to order the kids to leave for home. As studies have shown young people under 16 were responsible for 62 percent of violent juvenile offenses, statistics also showed that teenagers were the most frequent targets of juvenile violence (Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2013).He also argued that Jerry had no problem dropping off Susie although he did not hear her out. Ruthless therefore having given the youngsters an

What is the Enlightenment project and how did it impact upon Christian Essay

What is the Enlightenment project and how did it impact upon Christian Theology - Essay Example Creative and critical thinking is an essential tool in analysis of theology, since all its aspects are related to the basic human understanding the origin of all creation and nature given the universal belief of a superior being. It is in this perspective that the philosophy of the holy trinity resulted in a deep examination of the biblical information and the church in general. Two different factions of Christians have come up, one group believes in the trinity that has God the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This group is referred to as the Trinitarian group (Leupp 2008). The other group which believed that God is one distinct being has come to be referred to as the Non Trinitarian group. A heated debate has always ensued when the existence of the two groups is discussed or debated. The Trinitarian group can never visualize God as a single distinct person. Olson argues that a non-Trinitarian creator God would need a world as his counterpart because personhood is a mystery of r elationship.The statement further says that man is equal with God and his Godhead and with humankind in his manhood. The existence of the two groups is actually the origin of Christian theology. As Christians realized that different groups had different beliefs, the early scholars dug deeper into the Bible history and in particular the different propositions it had. This started out as reflections on the implications and what the Christianity faith means. This insight started out as early as in during the era that the New Testament was written. Different episodes that Jesus taught on the Christian living guided the early church on the way they could live their lives in a way that their faith and convictions supported. Similar any other area of study, Christian theology has evolved from early introduction to Christian theology over the years, patristic theology, medieval Christian theology, western theology and ultimately into the modern Christian theology. It is in the context of mo dern theology, that the enlightenment project first emerged. The enlightenment project has dominated philosophy in the recent three hundred years promising a conception of rationality independent of historical and social context and independent of any specific understanding of man’s nature or purpose (Costa 2005).The enlightenment indicated tremendous changes which were known as the Copernican Shifts. These changes signified complete shifts in how the Christians viewed the world. These changes brought sharp differences between various scholars and Christian theology experts. People abandoned their earlier ways in the wake of the new beliefs. An aspect of the Christian living that changed is the revolution in thinking. This revolution brought about some significant shifts: A shift in authority. Before the enlightenment, two traditional sources of authority existed; the classics and the bibl

Curfew Law Enforcement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Curfew Law Enforcement - Case Study Example They are mostly enforced to help reduce the youth participation in activities that may be considered criminal and affect their lives, or endanger their and other people’s lives. The restrictions also enable parents to have better and clear supervision of their children’s activities on the afterhours. It has been proved through studies that cities with enforced curfew laws have had significant drops in youth participation in criminal activities. A 2011 study analyzed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Unified Criminal Reporting files from 1980 to 2004 for the 54 larger U.S. cities (180,000-plus residents) and enacted youth curfews between 1985 and 2002, focusing on arrests for both minor offenses (loitering and curfew violations) and more serious infractions (such as violent crimes and property crimes). The report showed that arrests of youths directly impacted by curfew restrictions dropped by almost 15% in the first year and approximately 10% in fol lowing years (Weigel, 2011). This paper will therefore weigh the facts of the plaintiff against the constitutional mandate and responsibility of the defendant of enforcing state laws and give a verdict. DISCUSSIONS Freedom of assembly is a fundamental part and a right that is provided and protected in the first amendment and should therefore be enjoyed by every citizen. If not properly enforced, curfew laws can greatly infringe on human rights and freedom of assembly and even freedom of expression. SUSIE MARKS CASE AGAINST RUTHLESS Susie after boarding Jerry and Kate’s truck against her will was seriously injured when the truck in which she was riding failed to negotiate a left turn. Notwithstanding that the state allowed persons to board the back of trucks without seat belts, Susie felt that given a choice she would have walked home or waited for Orson. Ruthless neither accorded her the freedom to express her wish and plan nor considered the implications of his actions havin g in mind that Jerry was a minor who had just been licensed to drive and therefore had insufficient experience. Ruthless told Jerry: "Get everybody out of here," and that "if you guys don't get out of here, curfew will be enforced." These words were also scaring especially for minors who feared that their actions if any against Ruthless would have â€Å"curfew enforced†. An example would be Hodgkins v. Peterson, SD Indiana 2004 when the judge ruled in favour of the defendants (Hodgkins) (Sandy, 2008). The arguments can be compared to Susie’s case given the fact that the law enforcer scared the minors through inappropriate words. In the Hodgkins case the argument was that For a person to file a claim that violates their First Amendments rights, they must prove that their speech was actually chilled. Just like in Hodgkins case, they deemed the ordnance unconstitutional because fear of criminal prosecution would have prevented, or did prevent them from going to late night protests, political rallies, or church events, which are protected First Amendment rights. (Sandy, 2008). RUTHLESS’ FACTS AND ARGUMENT Ruthless being a law enforcer was within his constitutional mandate of performing his duties and was right to order the kids to leave for home. As studies have shown young people under 16 were responsible for 62 percent of violent juvenile offenses, statistics also showed that teenagers were the most frequent targets of juvenile violence (Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2013).He also argued that Jerry had no problem dropping off Susie although he did not hear her out. Ruthless therefore having given the youngsters an

Media Convergence Essay Example for Free

Media Convergence Essay What is meant by the term media convergence with regard to technology, and how has it affected everyday life? For technology, media convergence is when different media come together to do a similar task. The poster child for this is the smart phone. Smart phones are used to talk, text, email, social network, school, business, web browsing, and take picture and video. There are things that I’m sure I missed, but the smart phone has become the epicenter of technological convergence. I spend a lot of my time on my phone posting and promoting for my business. I make jewelry, cat pads, and blankets so I make my items, take a picture, post it to my Etsy page, and promote my store with my phone. When I get an order, I get an email to my phone I contact the buyer for details, and take payments all with my phone. With going to school, I need to check up on the forums to read and respond per class requirements. It makes it easy to do my schoolwork when I’m not home at my laptop. I can pull up the reading for the class on my document reader on my phone and catch up while I’m out and about. I have a six month old and I love taking his picture! I take his picture and post it on Facebook, Instagram, and send it to my family. My family lives in another state so I use my phone to do FaceTime with them so we can see each other all the time. The smartphone has made productivity so much easier because it’s all in one place and instant gratification is satisfied. For some people, the smartphone has become a big distraction and a burden. I think that cell phones, in general, have done damage to people’s grammar and spelling. They use shorthand and abbreviations for words and have forgotten the rule of your and you’re because they are using the shorthand ur. It’s sad.

Financial Statements analysis on the basis of total comprehensive i

Financial Statements analysis on the basis of total comprehensive i As the main objective of the financial statements to reflect the economic value of a company in order external users make useful economic decision, and due to the last shocking breakthroughs in the financial system, IASB recently has worked on developing high quality set of accounting standers; International financial reporting standards (IFRS). IFRS transition has break out in 90 countries, though other countries are following. Concerning the European Union, The EU has required IFRS for the groups listed on European stock market (EU Regulation 1606/2002).The new set of standers as any new standers being introduced- has some effects on the financial reporting issues. This study is a literature review of prior studies focusing on the effect of the comprehensive income introduced by IFRS on the financial analysis, specifically one financial technique; ratio analysis. This study is presenting prior studies starting with a literature review in chapter one which is an overview of the com prehensives income discussing the definition of the comprehensive income then examines the pros and cons of the comprehensive income. Chapter two is a literature review where of the financial analysis definition and financial analysis techniques, focusing on ratio analysis technique as the most common technique being used, and as it used part of this study. Chapter three is including the main hypothesis and the core issue of the research of the effect of the comprehensive income on the financial ratios. While Chapter four is a practical example examining the hypothesis mentioned in the previous chapter. Time was one of the major limitations of this study, lack of sufficient data was a second, many studies have examined the effect of IFRS adoption, but few has gone beyond and studied its effects on key financial ratios, where none has clearly stated the direct impact of the comprehensive income on the key financial ratios. This study is an attempt to study this effect. Chapter 1: comprehensive income statement overview 1.1. Definition and Presentation of comprehensive income statement Many studies has declared that Income statement thought to be the most important statements in the financial statements. For inventors; the past income is the most important base for the future predictions and expectation for the cash flows, and so for expecting the share price and dividends. While creditors view the income statement as the borrowers ability to generate future cash flows to fulfill their financial obligations. Yet the comprehensive income statement drove its importance from the income statement importance. Comprehensive income is not a new concept; it was first introduced by FASB in 1985 in its Framework as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonowner sources. Later it was introduced in the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income, issued by FASB in 1997, as: the change in equity [net assets] of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonowner sources. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Comprehensive income statement includes the traditional net income plus all revenues, expenses, gains and losses recognized during the period, refereed as other comprehensive income, where other comprehensive income shall be classified separately into foreign currency items, minimum pension liability adjustments, and unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities. Additional classifications or additional items within current classifications may result from future accounting standards. ((SFAS) No. 130,Para 17,1997). Under IFRS comprehensive income definition has not been changed, but IFRS has modified the rules of income presentation; due to the former rules regarding the classification of other comprehensive income, where these rules has been criticized as some of other comprehensive income items have been recorded in the equity section, while others in the profit and loss statement and others were not recognized at all. A second major reason was the importance recognizing the realized and unrealized gains and losses that might continue into the future as the excepted cash flows in the futures as they are the main drive for share price. IFRS approach of income presentation a mixture of previous income reporting and fair value concept and is being applied on unrealized gains and losses meeting certain criteria. Regards the presentation of the comprehensive income statement under IAS 1, profit or loss are recognized plus other comprehensive income items, where the income statement has changed from net profit and loss to profit and loss. Entities are allowed to use the most suitable name to describe the totals as long as it give the right meaning, though IAS uses different terms, like total comprehensive income, or profit or loss. Regarding the presentation of comprehensive income, entities are allowed to choose between the presentation of a single statement, or tow statements where an income statement is including all items of profit and loss, and the second statement shows other comprehensive income items (IAS 1.81). Under IAS 1, all income and expenses should be recognized in the profit and loss, unless there is an exception (AS 1.88), under (IAS 1.89) some of items need to be recognized under other comprehensive income. IAS has as well identified the items of other comprehensive income, as the following: Changes in revaluation surplus (IAS 16 property, plant and equipment and IAS 38 intangible assets ) Actuarial gains and losses on defined benefit plans recognized in accordance with (IAS 19 employees benefit ) Gains and losses arising from translating the financial statements of a foreign operation (IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates) Gains and losses on re-measuring available-for-sale financial assets (IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement) The effective portion of gains and losses on hedging instruments in a cash flow hedge (IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement). Under (IAS 1.82), the minimum items should be included in the comprehensive income are: Revenues Finance costs Share of the profit or loss of associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method Tax expense Amounts from the discontinued operation include : the post-tax profit or loss and the post-tax gain or loss recognized on the disposal of the assets or disposal group(s) Profit or loss Each component of other comprehensive income classified by nature Share of the other comprehensive income of associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method Total comprehensive income Under (IAS 1.83) these items must also be disclosed in the statement of comprehensive income as allocations for the period: Profit or loss for the period attributable to non-controlling interests and owners of the parent Total comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests and owners of the parent Under (IAS 1.85) additional line items may be needed to fairly present the entitys results of operations. Under (IAS 1.87) No items may be presented in the statement of comprehensive income (or in the income statement, if separately presented) or in the notes as extraordinary items. Under (IAS 1.95) certain items must be disclosed separately either in the statement of comprehensive income or in the notes, if material, including: Write-downs of inventories to net realizable value or of property, plant and equipment to recoverable amount, as well as reversals of such write-downs Restructurings of the activities of an entity and reversals of any provisions for the costs of restructuring Disposals of items of property, plant and equipment Disposals of investments Discontinuing operations Litigation settlements Other reversals of provisions Under (IAS 1.99) expenses should be recognized either by nature or by function if an entity categorizes by function, and then additional information on the nature of expenses must be disclosed (IAS 1.104). Pros and cons of Comprehensive income : According to prior studies, Investors has the ability to process financial information regardless its location, giving this, the location of the comprehensive income will not affect the quality of information interrupted by investors. On the contrary, policy makers believe it matters, as they think the performance statement presentation is more transparent presentation as comprehensive income serves as better measurement for firm performance, where it includes all changes in net assets. The immediate recognition and direct reporting of comprehensive income items would transparently present all income flows in one statement in a timely manner, though it can be costly to some companies in certain industries (e.g. insurance industry) as they might try to hide their earning management. Another argued advantage, is comprehensive income shows value creation process and forces managers to consider external factors that affect firm value, not just internal operating ones. On the other hand, as comprehensive income contains a number of passing items possible as future events, this might cause noise and uncertainty and affect decision making process because users may take significant time to sort out temporary or irrelevant components. Following this point, proposing that comprehensive income includes irrelevant components can reduce the ability to uncover long-run performance. Chapter 2: Financial analysis overview 2.1. Definition of financial analysis and methods Though IFRS was discussed to be the one is giving more comprehensive information, it dose not include all the financial information needed to reach an excellent financial analysis. Financial statements are the source of information that present the economic value of a company to the external users. Several articles and books has defined the Financial analysis as to combine financial statement, financial notes, with other information, to evaluated the past, current, and future performance and financial position of company for the purpose of making investment, credit, and other economics decision. Financial Analysis is concerned with risk factors that might affect the future performance of a certain company. Financial analysis is concerned with different aspects of the company, in general financial analysis deals with profitability (ability to generate profit from delivering good and services), cash- flow generating ability (ability to generate cash inflows exceed cash outflows), liquidity (the ability to meet short term obligation), and solvency (the ability to meet long term obligation). In order to conduct a full, comprehensive analysis, analyst must collect information concerning economy, industry, competitors, company itself. This external information can be found as economics statistics, industry reports, and trade publication. The company provides the internal part of the information which includes the financial statements, and press releases. Financial analysis is not only about financial data which is the core of the financial analysis and provided in the four major financial statements, that provide the historical and current information; is it about the non-financial data which provide the future information. Regarding the financial data, can be founded in the four major statements: income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flow, statement of changes in owners equity. The income statement shows how much revenue the company generating during certain period and what its cost incurred. Income statement can be referred as profit and loss and its prepared on consolidated basis. Revenues, operating income, net income, and earning per share can be driven from the income statement. The balance sheet or as recently knows as the statement of financial position, shows the current financial position of the company by showing company resource (Assets), and what it owes (liability) at a specific point in time.While the (owners equity) shows the excess of assets over the liabilities, analysts could use the information stated in the statement of financial position to answer question regarding improvements concerning liquidity, and solvency, and give the statues of the company compared to its peers in the same industry. The cash flow statement classifies the cash flows into of three sections: operating activities which include items determines net income as well as day to day transactions. While investing activities includes the acquisition and disposals of long term assets. The last section is financing activities which contain activities related to obtaining or repaying capital. Cash flow statement provides information related to performance and financial position. While income statement provides the necessary information regarding the company ability to generate profit, cash flow statement provides information regarding the ability of the company to generate cash flow from running the business itself. Statement of changes in owners equity knows as statement of shareholders equity, reports the changes in the owners investments in the business, and it helps analysts in understanding the changes in the financial position. Beside the four major statements, financial notes and supplementary schedules, managements discussion and analysis, and auditors reports, provide a quite good set of extra information for further analysis. Financial analysis should be well defined as it could be preformed for different reasons and purposes. Different categories require different financial techniques, but for any purpose data must be gathered and analyzed, and all examining the company ability of generating cash and grow earnings. But as for different focuses, different techniques are used. For example, the most tow common categories are the equity analysis and the credit analysis. Equity analysis is usually preformed by the owner, and focuses on growth while the credit analysis is preformed by the creditors (banker or bond holder) and concentrates on risks associated. Defining the purpose of the financial analysis is the most important and first step in effective financial analysis as it defines the necessary financial techniques that should be used, and thus defines the type and amount of data to be collected. After defining the purpose of the financial analysis, a suitable technique should be chosen to deliver the purpose of the focus. To reach the best results, a mixture of calculations and interruptions is required. For example, it is not enough just to calculate the financial ratios, further investigation explaining the reasons behind each ratio, what each ratio means, comparing the ratios with other competitors, might give a comprehensive picture. A comparison is a must in a good evaluation, compare the company with other competitors in the industry is (common size analysis), while evaluate the company through time called (trend analysis), and (ratio analysis) is to express certain number to another in which answers some important question about the true financial position. Common size analysis is to compare a total financial statement usually income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement in relation to base like revenues or total assets. Common size analysis for the balance sheet includes: horizontal and vertical common size analysis, where horizontal common size analysis is to compare the increase or decrease in balance sheet items to previous years. Vertical common size analysis involves dividing each item in the same period total assets to come with a percentage, in the case of analyzing the income statement, items usually are divided by revenues. Trend analysis involves comparison of the financial statement of an entity over time, trend analysis usually provide information about the historical performance and growth. Cross sectional analysis compare a specific measurement of a company with the same measurement for another company. The use of graphs and analytical tools could facilities the comparison and highlight the most important facts that the analyst wants to communicate with the management. Statistics like regression analysis are used in more complicated situation where more precise information needed. Ratio analysis is one of the most famous techniques in the financial analysis where it provides information about the relationships and expectations between the financial accounts. Certain issues should be in mind while conducting ratio analysis; as mentioned before computing the ratio itself is not enough for providing a comprehensive picture about the financial performance, it only indicating what certain issues are but not explaining why they are happening, therefore further investigation going beyond the numbers is required, in compliance with full compression overtime, competitors, and industry. Second issue would be to choose the relevant ratios as ratios used for different purpose and providing certain financial information; for example ROA is an indicator of profitability, where current ratio provides information regards liquidity. Different accounting policies can misrepresent ratios; therefore adjustments across different financial statements for different companies are req uired for a meaningful analysis. There are about five main types of financial ratios; profitability, activity, liquidity, solvency, valuation ratios. Profitability ratio is measure the companys ability to generate profit from its resources, the most famous ratios in this category are: return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). While activity ratios measure how efficient the company in managing the day to day activities, inventory turnover is one example of the ratios used under this category. Third type is liquidity ratios where it deals with the company ability in meeting short term obligations, can be expressed in current ratio, while solvency ratios deals with long term obligation, debt to asset is one example of solvency ratios. Valuations ratios are used to asses the company equity, P/E ratio is used for this purpose. Ratios could be driven from the financial statements of the company or from specialized websites as Bloomberg, as these kinds of websites provide easy access to the historical data. Ratio analysis drove its importance from the information that might provide, as it gives an insight to the historical, current and future performance of the company. Though ratio analysis has its own limitation when it deals with a company operates in different industries, as the comparison become more difficult then. Another limitation would be the use of different accounting methods as comparison would be difficult unless adjustments are made, for example one company might consider account for its inventories under the FIFO method while the other account for it under the LIFO method. Using IFRS might overcome these differences if applied. 2.2. The affect of IFRS as new accounting standard on financial Ratios Financial statements are determined by business strategy, industry, and economics and affected by those as well. The difficulty of understanding the financial statements depending in the accounting procedures and polices chosen by top management. Changes in time frames, company structure, accounting methods and estimates in the company can affect the true economic value of an entity and might affect the financial analysis and thus reflect a distorted image of the company. One of the most trends that might affect the financial analysis is changing of the accounting standers, as different accounting standers might use different methods. IFRS as a new set of international accounting standers has some effects, as the adoption process is costly, complex, Although IFRS believed to improve transparency and comparability of financial statements. Besides these effects IFRS has effect on the financial statements. To understand the effects of IFRS, one should understand the major differences between IFRS standers and local GAAP standers. Several studies will be mentioned in this section, which will clarify the effect of IFRS adoption in Europe. According to Impact of International Financial Reporting Standard Adoption on key financial ratio, which has studied the effect of IFRS adaption on Europe continent represented by Finland; major differences in IFRS and Domestic accounting standers were found in the following areas: for employee benefits obligations (IAS 19), it is required to be measure at present value, where in countries like (Belgium, Denmark, Finland) such rules are do not exist, and in countries like (e.g. Austria and Germany) calculations follow tax regulations. Concerning deferred tax (IAS 12), a deferred tax liability should be recognized for all taxable temporary differences, where in countries like (Greece, Luxembourg) rules concerning the treatment of deferred tax are missing, and in countries like (France, Germany) the deferred tax is be calculated on the basis of timing differences rather than temporary differences. In addition, deferred tax assets are not required to be recognized (Austria, Belgium) , while IAS 12 requires a deferred tax asset to be recognized for all deductible temporary differences to the extent that is probable that the deductible temporary difference can be utilized . For intangible assets (IAS 38), state that an asset can be recognized when it will probably generate future benefits and when the cost of the asset can be reliably measured. For this reason, research expenditures cannot be capitalized. However, in many countries like (Germany, Italy, and Spain) research costs are allowed to be capitalized. Moreover, countries like (Finland) emphasize capitalization of development expenditures. Construction contracts (IAS 11), requires the costs and revenues of construction contracts to be recognized on a stage of completion basis, compared to countered like (Finland, Greece), recognition by the stage of completion is optional. Inventories (IAS 2), requires inventory to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value, (Austria, Portugal and Spain) allows inventories to be measured at the replacement cost instead of net realizable value. Moreover, according to (Germany, Luxembourg), inventories can be valued without the production overheads, IAS 2 requires inventory to be valued at full cost. The major difference is that IFRS requires that assets impairments (IAS 36), most financial instruments (IAS 39), biological assets (IAS41), tangible and intangible fixed assets that have been acquired in a business combination (IFRS 3), pension assets (IAS 19) and share-based payment liabilities (IFRS 2) and investment property and property, plant and equipment (IAS 16) after initial recognition to be measured at fair value. On the contrary accounting practices in continental European countries have been based on historical costs but required downward valuations for permanent impairments of long-term assets. Beside fair value, depreciation of assets in accordance with continental European countries differs from that required by IFRS. As IFRS has put large weight on the presenting balance sheets at fair value, therefore it requires assets with definite useful life to be depreciated or amortized periodically and assets with indefinite useful life to be assed for impairment. However, the continental European countries also require assets with indefinite useful life to be amortized. Therefore, while IFRS requires goodwill to be assessed annually for impairment, continental European countries requires goodwill to be amortized systematically (Finland, France) or allows goodwill to be deducted immediately against equity (Germany, Greece). The study has also indicates the impact of these changes on the accounting figures. The study has indicating that the adoption of fair value accounting will probably increase the balance sheet items, and as the impairment accounting rules of continental European countries differ from those of IFRS these differences could lead to different accounting figures. As a consequence, the impact of fair value accounting adoption on accounting figures is also an empirical question since it is impossible to predict the exact impact of the adoption on accounting figures. Other studies where more specific and handled one country by itself. One of the studies titles Adoption of IFRS in Spain: Effect on the comparability and relevance of financial reporting has indicated the effect of IFRS implementation on the balance sheet, as one of the study results has indicated that on the liability side, important differences were found due to the change of debt valuation rules and a new direction for consolidation. While the major difference in the equity side was due to direct adjustments and to the indirect effect of the adjustments. Fixed assets and inventories were the only items that did not change significantly as fixed assets were valued under traditional valuation method (acquisition cost). The reason behind insignificant differences in the inventory was that Spanish usually didnt apply LIFO method which is not permitted under IFRS. IFRS adoption in Europe: the case of Germany, has stated that IFRS adoption has resulted in higher retained earning in the first year of IFRS adaption because of the conservative approach of the German GAAP (HGB). The study has also indicated that IFRS effects vary with the industry:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry effects on non-current assets and liabilities were relatively more important, whereas in the fashion industry the effects were mostly on working capital While IFRS Adoption and Financial Statement Effects: The UK Case, has indicated that the IFRS implantation has a positive affect on the financial performance and post. IFRS implementation for the company as profitability and growth attend to be higher under IFRS. It also indicated that IFRS as high quality standers has reduced risk and improved the credibility and the borrowing bargain power of firms. It also stated that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦IFRS adoption is likely to introduce volatility in income statement and balance sheet figures. Despite the higher volatility, adopters interest cover ratio has not been adversely affected, implying that IFRS adoption would not lead to debt covenant violation or financial distress à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Chapter 3: The Impact of Comprehensive income on the financial ratios As mentioned earlier the impact of IFRS on accounting figures differs with the country that IFRS is applied in, as different countries have different accounting standers, different impacts resulted. In this section a comparison between US GAAP and IFRS will be mentioned as Deutsche bank (the particle example) mentioned later was using US GAAP. First differences of reporting comprehensive income under IFRS and different accounting standers will be mentioned followed by differences of reporting comprehensive income under IFRS and US GAAP. In the study titled Comprehensive income in Europe: valuation, prediction and conservative issues, has argued that the concept of comprehensive income does not recognize different income concepts in different industry or different firms. And financial analyst has taken into consideration these limitations and used total and unrealized asset valuations and foreign exchange to fill in the gabs. In the study titled analyzing brokers expertise: did analysts fully anticipate the impact of IFRS adoption on earnings? The European evidence Has reached to a conclusion that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦analysts were not able to correctly anticipate the effect of IFRS adoption on earnings, forecast errors being significantly associated with differences in earnings changes resulting from the compliance with the new financial reporting standardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. While in Adoption of IFRS in Spain: Effect on the comparability and relevance of financial reporting the study has studied IFRS effects on the income statement. Major differences were found due to major differences between Spanish GAAP (SAS) or IFRS in classifying revenues and expenses for example the classification of RD expenses. Another difference is the treatment of extraordinary income, as certain extraordinary items under (SAS) were classified as operating income under IFRS reclassify under (SAS) as operating income under IFRS. The study has indicated those Cash, solvency and indebtedness ratios, as well as the return on assets and returns on equity, has varied significantly as a result of the changes in the balance sheet and income statement. In Effects Of Comprehensive Income On ROE In A Context Of Crisis: Empirical Evidence For IBEX-35 Listed Companies (2004-2008), when calculating ROE under comprehensive income compared to ROE calculated under net income, statistically significant differences were founded, which means that ROE calculated under comprehensive income, shows the market impact much more clearly and thus provide better information for users and particularly for investors. The study has also indicated that comprehensive income is an alternative measurements of corporate performance and is much more in tune with the market reality than the traditional net income. According to IAS plus report which was issued by Deloitte in 2004, the major differences between IFRS and US GAAP are listed here: As in IAS 1(reporting comprehensive income) IFRS requires the statement of changes in equity. The total of comprehensive income is permitted but not required. And define Comprehensive income as the net income plus gains and losses that are recognized directly in equity rather than in net income. While in the US GAAP requires the presentation of the total comprehensive income. Gains and losses can be presented in the income statement, statement of comprehensive income, or statement of changes in equity. Under IFRS Extraordinary items is prohibited while in US GAAP Extraordinary items are permitted but restricted to infrequent, unusual, and rare items that affect profit and loss. This act by IFRS increase transparency and limit manipulation. And that would lead to an increase in the reported income and therefore might have a significant effect of the financ ial ratios dealing with profitability. Dealing with inventory IAS2, LIFO method under IFRS is prohibited while under US GAAP is permitted. When using LIFO revaluation for inventory needed, this could result in major tax liabilities. For property, plant, and equipment (IAS 16), under IFRS revalued amount or historical cost might be used where revalued amount is fair value at date of revaluation less subsequent accumulated depreciation and impairment losses where under US GAAP it is generally required to use historical cost. Which lead to increase in book values under IFRS. Chapter 4: Practical example (the case of the Deutsche bank) In Deutsche bank transition report, (Transition Report,2006 IFRS Comparatives), The Deutsche bank net income under IFRS was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 6,070 million for the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 84 million compared with à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5,986 million under U.S. GAAP. While shareholders equity under IFRS was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 32,666 million, a decrease of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 142 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to U.S. GAAP, according to the transition report. Conducting small ratio analysis limited only to the three major profitably ratios, a res