International Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Political Economy - Essay Example It also mentions some of the conditions that countries need to fulfill in order to receive any assistance from the organization. Composition of the IMF Executive Board, Voting powers The member states have the liberty to participate in the IMF directly. The executive board comprises of 24 members out of which five executive directors can be elected by the member states having the maximum quota. The remaining nineteen executive directors are elected by the remaining number of members. The powers that each country enjoys are predominantly dependant on the proportional scale of their population and the economic position they hold in the entire world. The general owners of the organization are represented by the board of executive directors who are responsible for taking the major decisions and responsibilities of the organization. However, all of the names of the member countries are represented in the economic scale. This is more resembling with the theory of structuralism which was di scovered and presented by Marx. In the view of structuralism theory presented by Marx, it disputes the instrumentalist theory which considers the state as being the direct servant of the ruling class or the capitalists. Structuralism theory states consider the capitalist of production as the state being under the control of the capitalist class having superior powers. As per the members of the executive board, it is seen that members having superior positions in the IMF are actually the members who belong to the developed nations of the world which abides by the structuralism theory stated by Marx. The highest decision making authority of IMF rests with the Board of Governors. All powers of the IMF are vested in the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors comprises of a single governor as well as an alternate governor for each of the member countries. Members’ states are responsible for appointing the governor and generally the finance minister or the governer of the Centr al Bank is nominated for the position. The Board of Governors may delegate to the Executive Board all except certain reserved powers. The Board of Governors generally conducts a meeting in every year (IMF, â€Å"IMF Members' Quotas and Voting Power, and IMF Board of Governors†). The regular or day to day running of business of the organization is done by the Executive Board. Composed of 24 Directors, either elected or appointed by the member nations or also by collective groups of countries, it is also elected by the Managing Director, or the Chairman of the board. Several meetings are conducted by the Board in a single week. The works are generally conducted by the papers which are prepared or provided by the management and staffs in IMF (IMF, â€Å"IMF Executive Directors and Voting Power†). Design and operations of IMF In the 1980s a tremendous financial crisis had gripped the Latin American economy when high and bloated public debts and improper and loose monetary policies had led to very inflation rates in the economy. However, some of the conditions set by the IMF demonstrate the fact that it imposes certain restrictions or preconditions before providing aid to nations. For example, in this situation, the International Monetary Fund gad imposed financial austerity or balanced budgets as well as tighter monetary policies. The IMF demanded from the nation that it should impose the same monetary policies

University of new haven, soccer, moving to another town, upbeat Essay

University of new haven, soccer, moving to another town, upbeat program that helps the community ,playing the piano, going to polish school every saturday for s - Essay Example ersity of New Haven) It is considered the 2nd largest private provider of Protective Services Education which offers a unique combination of forensic science with criminal justice. At least 121 credits are required for a student to earn the BS degree in criminal justice. The most rewarding professions, a graduate of this course can look forward to, are employment in any of the following prestigious institutions: the FBI, the DEA, ATF, the Secret Service, and the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury Border Patrol Military Police, CID IRS, CID, and the CIA. UNH actually â€Å"sponsors 17 variety sports (8 men’s, 9 women’s) which compete at the NCAA Division II level in the prestigious Northeast-10 Conference† (Official Website of University of New Haven). At UNH, the administrators have explicitly emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to the development of the athlete’s life. Opportunities are continuously provided for â€Å"academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and development of positive societal attitude in service to the community†. (Official Website of University of New Haven) The existence of a Polish School dates back to the heirs of Poland wanting to keep their culture, tradition, and heritage intact. The basic teachings include learning the language, literature, geography, history of Poland; as well as the traditional Polish folk dances, songs and catechetical lessons. (Walnut Creek United Methodist Church). The regular session in a Polish school is approximately 21 Saturdays within the school year. The program usually encourage the participation of the parents in activities which would With the onset of the internet age, playing the piano is really as easy as ABC. There are a variety of online keyboard lessons and even free online instructions. Lessons vary depending on the level of the student’s expertise – from beginners to advance. (Free On-Line Piano Lessons Copyright@Gregory D. Ramsey 1996 –

Molecular Mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli Essay

Molecular Mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli - Essay Example Conclusion: Sufficient research results have shown that the E.coli continues to cause infections such as UTIs, resisting the basic ciprofloxacin. These strains are referred to as extended spectrum beta-lactamase E.coli. There is therefore need to develop new antibiotics and explore new ways of tackling the bacteria. Introduction Escherichia coli, commonly referred to as E. coli, are amongst the few organisms that have steered the art of antibiotic resistance in bacteria to altogether new levers. The European E. coli outbreak of 2011 served as an eye opener on the magnitude of harm such a development can cause. On that regard, it is vital to understand the antibiotic resistance mechanism of E. coli, especially at the molecular level. This implies that the quantification of the mechanism upon which this eventuality is realized will have to drench deep into the responsible genetic sequences in the DNA of the bacterium. Fortunately, the genetic sequence of E. coli is already established and safely stored in accessible archives. This is irrespective of the plasticity experienced while sequencing the DNA of E. coli. The main methods by which resistance is observed to occur include: Prevention of entry into the cell, Synthesis of enzymes that lyse the antibiotics, rapid efflux from the cell, and modification of the active site. Evaluation The quantification of the mechanism behind the resistance calls for the isolation of E. coli strains that exhibit this form of resistance. Due to the wide range of antibiotics availed for the fight against the spread of the bacteria, it is vital to focus on strains that exhibit multiple resistances. This is also of merit in a rather different perception in that; it can facilitate the development of antibiotics that encompass solutions to different targets. This helps in the improvement of their therapeutic efficacy. On this regard, a central region of focus falls under the integrons (these are genetic elements able to target and rear range ORFs embedded in gene cassette units and change them to functional genes by ensuring their proper expression). This is with regards to their heightened presence in organisms exhibiting multiple antibiotic resistances. They were originally associated with gram negative bacteria. Progressively the analysis of strategic loci may be of great essence in the quantification of the avenues followed towards the establishment of a resistance in E. coli. Such a locus is the mar locus (Michael, 2007). On reference is that rapid mutations experienced in the mentioned locus; that eventuate into alteration of the coding sequence, hence aberration of the protein sequence produced. Apparently, the development of resistance towards a given antibiotic is based on two broad mechanisms. They include the development of mutated genetic sequence at the DNA level and the horizontal line gene transfer (also termed lateral gene transfer). This simply refers to the accumulation of various mutations via a systematic process; where the central microbe, in this case E. coli, accumulates the necessary mutation via prokaryotic DNA absorption mechanisms. This includes mechanisms such as transduction, transformation, gene transfer agents (found in alphaproteobacteria), or conjugation. The resistance sequences are conveyed along the various tandem sequences, such as transposons, integrons or plasmids (D’

University of new haven, soccer, moving to another town, upbeat Essay

University of new haven, soccer, moving to another town, upbeat program that helps the community ,playing the piano, going to polish school every saturday for s - Essay Example ersity of New Haven) It is considered the 2nd largest private provider of Protective Services Education which offers a unique combination of forensic science with criminal justice. At least 121 credits are required for a student to earn the BS degree in criminal justice. The most rewarding professions, a graduate of this course can look forward to, are employment in any of the following prestigious institutions: the FBI, the DEA, ATF, the Secret Service, and the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury Border Patrol Military Police, CID IRS, CID, and the CIA. UNH actually â€Å"sponsors 17 variety sports (8 men’s, 9 women’s) which compete at the NCAA Division II level in the prestigious Northeast-10 Conference† (Official Website of University of New Haven). At UNH, the administrators have explicitly emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to the development of the athlete’s life. Opportunities are continuously provided for â€Å"academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and development of positive societal attitude in service to the community†. (Official Website of University of New Haven) The existence of a Polish School dates back to the heirs of Poland wanting to keep their culture, tradition, and heritage intact. The basic teachings include learning the language, literature, geography, history of Poland; as well as the traditional Polish folk dances, songs and catechetical lessons. (Walnut Creek United Methodist Church). The regular session in a Polish school is approximately 21 Saturdays within the school year. The program usually encourage the participation of the parents in activities which would With the onset of the internet age, playing the piano is really as easy as ABC. There are a variety of online keyboard lessons and even free online instructions. Lessons vary depending on the level of the student’s expertise – from beginners to advance. (Free On-Line Piano Lessons Copyright@Gregory D. Ramsey 1996 –

Oxfam. Outline Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oxfam. Outline - Assignment Example Oxfam’s mission is with thousands of local partner organizations and people living in poverty who strive to exercise their human rights as well as assert their dignity as full citizens and take control of their lives (Oxfam). The organization’s values are the rights to; be heard, life and security, basic social services, sustainable livelihood, and an identity (Oxfam). A close look at Oxfam’s background history, structure, and activities reveals how its mission and values are achieved. Oxfam as an NGO can be defined by both its level of orientation and level of operation. By its level of orientation, Oxfam has tasked defined itself as a multi-faceted organization. The organization is defined through its service, charity, empowerment, and participatory orientation towards its target population (ECBP 64). Through its level of operation, Oxfam can be defined as an international NGO that is responsible for funding projects, institutions, local NGO’s, and also implementing projects. Founded in 1942, Oxfam’s initial primary concern was to provide food to famine hit populations (Lang 56). The organization has greatly diversified and shifted its focus from simply delivering emergency relief but rather focused on implementation of long-term developmental programs in vulnerable populations across the globe. As an amalgamation of a group of independent non-governmental organizations, Oxfam international got born in 1995. The organization has 17 affiliates in va rious countries that assist it to carry out its mandate according to its vision and mission (Oxfam). The organization carries its operation through its member affiliates in over 90 countries across the globe. As an NGO, Oxfam works in various fields but its main task gets associated with overseeing social transformation and the uplifting of quality of life. Oxfam can get defined as both a developmental and humanitarian emergency organization (Rugendyke 100). The

Dietary Restriction in Judaism Essay Example for Free

Dietary Restriction in Judaism Essay Many scholars have attempted to explain not only the reasoning for the existence of Jewish dietary restrictions but how not conforming to them can be perceived as evil. Some have said that a hygienic component was the most important reason for these restrictions. Others have stated that it was a result of an attempt to preserving the Jewish culture from foreign influences. While others argue that it is a means to achieving holiness or purity. In her book Purity and Danger, Mary Douglas examines some of the arguments put forth by several scholars and theologians. In her examination, Douglas rejects most of the explanations and settles on the explanation that she believes to be the only one without contradiction, the idea of purity. To understand why Mary Douglas comes to the conclusion that she does, it is important to understand how she views the concept of â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† or â€Å"purity† and â€Å"pollution†. Douglas places great emphasis on the idea of purity and how dirt defiles it. This is not always meant to be literal. Douglas makes the distinction between clinical views of dirt versus a symbolic ideal of pollution of purity. She points out that even though the two views come from completely different mindsets, they are much more closely related than it would initially appear when she says â€Å"†¦ the resemblance between some of their symbolic rites and our hygiene is sometimes uncannily close.†. Douglas was paramount in our understanding of how the concept of dirt plays an important role in our perception of social norms. These norms help to shape society by outlining boundaries that define what is good and what may be considered evil. â€Å"The public identification of â€Å"dirt† displays the boundaries of cultural categories†. When one performs an act that crosses these boundaries, it can be viewed as an act of defilement, which may be perceived as â₠¬Å"pollution† or â€Å"evil†. Ritual practice, in this case the dietary restriction, â€Å"†¦is an opportunity to remove things that are not acceptable from society† and attempt to restore purity. Some have cited the main purpose of the dietary restrictions as being for hygienic and health reasons. While Douglas does mention this as a contributing factor and admits that the restrictions have shown these benefits to exist, it is apparent that she feels that there are too many contradictions for this to be a completely valid argument for the existence of the restrictions. In regards to this mode of thought she states that â€Å"†¦ it is one thing to point out the side benefits of ritual actions, and another thing to be content with using the by-products as a sufficient explanation†. Douglas even goes as far as saying, â€Å"The only sound approach is to forget hygiene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some interpretations of these restrictions were based on the idea that the Jewish people were using them as a means to differentiate themselves from other groups of people. This could lead one to the conclusion that the sole reason for â€Å"†¦the prohibition on pigs was aimed at differentiating the Israelites from their nighbors†. In James’ work in The Priestly Conceptions of Evil in the Torah, he explains â€Å"People who are set apart by God to become holy are required to live by different rules than other people†. From this we are to understand that in order to become pure in the eyes of god, one must set themselves apart from others just as god has. In contradiction to this school of thought, Douglas points out that this concept is more of a product of mistranslation and that the term â€Å"set apart† should have really been translated as â€Å"holy†. This reinterpretation gives a different meaning to the scripture. It changes the focus from a means to an end to an expression of desire for one to be of the highest spiritual level. The Jewish people do not need to differentiate themselves from others to achieve holiness. Another conception is that these restrictions are being used as a means to preserve the purity of their culture from the influence of other cultures. If we are to believe this ideology we would be lead to believe that the introduction of customs from another group would cause the Jewish culture to become â€Å"dirty† or â€Å"impure† and therefore unholy. Douglas invalidates this argument when she says that the â€Å"†¦ argument cannot be comprehensive, for it is not held that the Israelites consistently rejected all the elements of foreign religions and invented something entirely original for themselves.†. The concept of purity is quite prevalent throughout Jewish literature and the ideals of their dietary restrictions. It is also the concept that Douglas believes best explains the necessity for dietary restriction in the Jewish faith. Purity of diet plays a large role in achieving a state of purity or avoiding pollution â€Å"†¦ the dietary laws would have †¦ inspired meditation on the oneness, purity and completeness of God† One of the main ideas is that all animals belong to one of three domains (the sky, the earth and the water) and have certain attributes that make them adapted to life in that domain (the wings of birds, the four legs and divided hoof of cows, or the scales and fins of a fish for example). Those that do not conform to one domain by some form of adaption that is deemed less fit for that domain and thereby violating its sanctity, are seen as â€Å"impure† or â€Å"dirty†. Another ideal of â€Å"purity† that must be upheld is the idea of confusion or mixing. Any animal that is mixed with another species is considered dirty just as the improper mixing of blood relatives is considered impure for it has brought forth confusion or disorder. James writes that â€Å"hybrids †¦ represent a return to the chaos that God banished in bringing order to the world.† Douglas says that â€Å"dirt is essentially disorder†. From this one could surmise that moving from order to disorder is akin to moving from â€Å"purity† to â€Å"dirt† or â€Å"good† to â€Å"evil†. As god brought order to the world, man must bring order to his life to be like god and therefore holy. Mary Douglas shows that the dietary restrictions of Jewish people consists of both a hygienic component as well as an element of â€Å"purity†. She does however favour the element of â€Å"purity† as there are some contradictions involving hygiene. Douglas uses her keen perception to analyze the theories proposed by others and uses sound logic to either validate or discredit them. She shares a similar view with James in regards to the idea of â€Å"pollution† of â€Å"purity†. Adhering to the dietary restrictions provides the practitioner with a means to attain and maintain a state of purity. Bibliography Barak-Erez, Daphne. Outlawed Pigs : Law, Religion, and Culture in Israel. Chicago: University of Wisconsin Press, 2007 Douglas, Mary. Purity and Danger. New York: Routledge, 2002 Hendel, Ronald. Remembering Mary Douglas: Kashrut, Culture, and Thought-Styles. Berkely: University of California, 2008 James, Gene G. The Priestly Conceptions of Evil in the Torah. Evil and the Response of World Religion. Ed. William Cenkner. St. Paul, Minn: Paragon House, 1997 Weimer, Jade. â€Å"Mary Douglas’ work.† Class lecture, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 8, 2012.

A case study on Westmount Retirement Home

A case study on Westmount Retirement Home New information can be considered valuable in terms of decision making. From new information, the derivation of new and more applicable strategies can be utilized. In this paper, an analysis on how does new information becomes a valuable asset to transform Westmount Retirement home struggles with its current accounting system which affects its profitability to a more effective Activity-based costing system that can improve overall business operations. This paper outlined both the strengths and limitation of the current cost system by Westmount and at the same time provided new elements that support the proposed Activity-based costing system and its benefits. The study also showed calculated suggested new price rates on the room options for Westmounts current and potential residents together with its proposed new fees for additional services and medical needs. Introduction A 125 Unit retirement residence was established on the year 1997. It was called Westmount Retirement home. The core purpose of this retiring home is to cater to seniors of the community. Westmount Retirement home provides both assisted living and independent supportive living options to their clients. Their current clients are divided into two segments, one is the independent supportive residents which require no assistance with the tasks of daily living, the other are assisted living residents which basically requires additional assistance which varies depending with their medical needs and degree of frailties.There are thirty-one (31) employees on Westmount that is spread across all of the retirements home several departments. There is basically several staff employed on a department that specializes on recreational activities, housekeeping, management, building maintenance and nursing. With regard to prices offered to Westmounts residents, the pricing model is actually simple and uniform for all residents and the only variance or difference is fundamentally based on the size of each room. In this study, the author will dissect the case by providing a discussion on Westmounts poor financial results in 2005; this will be followed by analyzing the companys current costing model by highlighting its strengths and limitations. Next will be a computation of the new cost per patient using the data of the current pricing model to create a new costing system. And finally, a discussion on how valuable new information can assist Westmount into creating a more suitable pricing scheme on its residents. Statement of the Problem Westmount Retirement Home has been struggling due to low profitability of its business operations as well as its current accounting system (Shomair 2008). From the low profitability standpoint, Westmount has faced stiff competition, among other local key players on their industry. Westmount has currently three main competitors namely: Chelsea Park retirement, Central park lodge and Longworth Retirement residence. Heavy competition arose due to the increasing demand for assisted and supportive living options. Thus, due to the availability of several retirement homes, key industry trends shows that a lot of potential residents are basing their decisions on residence options on the factor of cost. Regarding Westmounts current pricing model and accounting system, the company offers a standard rate (price) on numerous services to various patients and at the same time attending to individuals specific needs. The issue here is that there is no system or a defined activity-based costing (Platt and Vaysman 2000) in place to account for those varying service needs required by different residents. The obvious result here is a low profitability which can be attributed to its high operating expense. Westmounts Current pricing model: Strengths and Limitations Strengths Based on industry trends, a lot of potential residents are focusing on the cost factor on deciding which retirement home they will get into. Westmount Retirement Homes offers a very attractive and competitive pricing package by having a basic and standard pricing scheme in which the only difference in prices are from room sizes and not other care services. This has attracted a number of residents to Westmount. Not only does Westmount have a uniform price rate across all their services, it also has the most affordable prices compared to its competitors. Westmounts Package or Deal Pricing or most commonly known as a Bundled Payment (Miller 2008) provides its target market a hassle free approach on understanding the total cost of being a resident. Limitations The current costing system of Westmount does not provide any valuable information more particularly on the cost of each their services, since the only method of differentiation with their costs are on room sizes. Potential variability in costs especially on specific services in relation to clients needs is disregarded, due to the limitation of the current costing model. Substantial revenue can be lost as well with this model. As an example, , resident couples can stay at their rooms with no additional cost and have the same care and services as long as they pay for the room rate only. The current costing system does not provide any avenue or room for improvement specifically on operating expenses. For example a lot of staff hours are still being paid even without services rendered. New Costing Model Design Activity-Based Costing This new cost model will definitely improve not only the current accounting system of Westmount but its overall profitability as well. The benefits of an Activity-based costing is that instead of costs assigned to fixed costs, are now can be utilized as variable costs depending numerous activity cost pools in Westmount (Weygandt, Kimmel, Kieso 2009).In essence, it controls the companys overhead costs and leads to a more effective decision making by the management on how to improve overall finances. Room Rates A new rate will be reflected on this new costing model. To acquire a more suitable and competitive rate for Westmount, New room rates will be the computed by getting the average cost per room of all the three main competitors (see Exhibit 1). The average cost per room will provide an essential perspective on how much does the competitors charge per room (studio, one bedroom and two bedroom models) in this type of industry. Also, it can be used as the new room rate for Westmount. The purpose of which is for the discerning buyer would not only look at the room prices but also other features: such as quality of services, facilities etc. This is possible since the difference between the New Westmount prices compared to its competitors are relatively insignificant, in fact the new rate on average is cheaper than the other two competitors (Central and Longworth). Except for Chelsea Park in which Westmount can compete via other methods: for e.g. Marketing high quality services and facilitie s. Price differences because of room size will still be applicable with the new rates. Regarding the current issue with having couples share the room and services, Westmount can utilize their two bedroom units. Only one competitor has this residential type (Chelsea Park). Westmount can have the option of selling those units to couples with the new room rate without an additional charge. This will provide Westmount the ability to attract more potential residents and have those clients focus on getting a two bedroom if they want to consider being with their spouses. With these new rates alone, Westmount can generate more revenue out of its projected client base of 160 residents and in effect will increase profitability. Identifying and Matching Residents Needs Each resident may have different or special needs, contrary to the previous system in which these differences are barely nonexistent. This can be done by Westmount using proper segmentation of all its current residents, more particularly to those residents require additional services or different levels of care. This can be segmented by using a three modelled option for service fees. First are the residents with no medical needs, then with moderate medical needs and lastly those with intense medical needs, for the last two groups, they could have the option to purchase nursing and medical support at an additional cost. This also follows the activity-based costing model proposed for this company. New Prices for Additional Services and Medical Needs For those living residents with no medical needs rates, the new room costs will be the base price to be applied. On the other hand, those on the other group which require added services and medical needs would pay additional costs for each service and medical need (see Exhibit 2 for Activity-Based costing) The price of each service will be determinant to its operating cost plus 15% mark-up, to ensure adequate return to Westmounts shareholders and enough funds for necessary capital requirements. Utilization of Labor Availability As in any organization, some employees are more productive than others (Platt, and Vaysman 2000:19). With this new model the author allocated cost of each staff members compensation-related costs among the several activities in which he or she is responsible. Since a lot of man-hours are consistently wasted with the current costing system, the new system approach would be almost the exact opposite. Each resident group will now have staff available to them only when they really need them. Examples of these are dieticians employed for those patients with serious medical conditions; their hours now will be spent entirely to this resident group, in effect decreasing their total work time. And since they will now be paid on an hourly basis it will drive down costs on this support service. These hourly basis of work schedules will be applied across the board to ensure that all time spent will be productive and useful. This is also a win-win suggestion especially the extra time given to these staff members will create a much more balance in their work-life relationship. As for Westmount, obviously this will help drive down operating costs, by eliminating its current fixed costs of labour and transforming it into a variable costs which can either be seasonal depending on the demand for staff availability. Value of New information In any facet of economics most particularly in enterprise, new information that can be used to apply new strategy and other development are all considered essential and valuable. Cohen and Leviathan stated that The ability to exploit external knowledge is thus a critical component of innovative capabilities (1990:122). In this case, Westmounts administrator Helen Roswell, have noticed the low profitability of the firm and analyze what could be the causes. She acknowledges external factors could contribute to it, but her main concern was on their pricing model and total operating expenditure. This realization made Roswell think of other alternatives apart from the current cost model, especially when this current model has a direct impact on the firms overall profitability. To continue to attract more clients and still remain profitable, a new pricing model was needed to reflect the level of medical care and service required by each individual patient. Roswell has also decided that she would need to assess the true cost of each Westmounts services, and then use this information to develop a new pricing model. The price schemed for room rates specifically as aforementioned in this study will be the monthly average price of all industry players. The added or special service or medical need will be on a case to case basis in which the price will be service operational cost plus 15% mark up. This new pricing scheme can definitely alleviate Westmounts overall profitability and decrease operational expenses. Calculations: As an example for Supportive Services: Number of Employees:17 Total Cost amounted to $548, 573. Total wages is at $538, 392 Total Supplies used cost $10,181 Two (2) dieticians is compensated $18.50/hour each. 37 hours/week 48 weeks Total costs for Dieticians Wages per year: $65, 712 Estimated. Number of residents with intense medical need for dieticians 50.The total cost of the two dieticians wages for this scenario will now be allocated on an hourly basis or 25% allocation example, in which the demand for their services ( in this case the 50 residents) will be applied.