International Trade Theory and Policy Essay Example for Free

International Trade Theory and Policy Essay Multilateral trade negotiations forums are organizations established to regulate trade between many countries of the world. The agreement involves establishing organizations which regulate trade in the entire world. The increase in globalization has forced many countries to form regulatory organizations to avoid bad trade practices. To enhance trade many countries have created trade agreements to remove barriers to trade. Economic integration is the most important aspect discussed by the trade agreement organizations. The organizations aim at achieving an integrated economy where countries can trade with each other. After the World War II many leaders of the world felt that the economies of the destroyed countries could only be improved through trade. One of the proposals to improve trade was to create a laissez-faire global economy but this was rejected since it was not applicable. The leaders agreed to establish global trade organizations which would enhance trade by reducing the barriers to trade which had been placed by the countries. During the war many countries created strict barriers to trade to protect their economies from external influence (Anderson, 2005). The General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs was the first agreement to be established. The agreement was established to enhance trade between the member countries but was later converted into World Trade Organization (WTO). The International Monetary Fund was also created to regulate the economic status of the developing nations as well as regulate international economic activities (Smith, Sumner Rosson, n. d. ). Reconstruction of the damaged economies after the World War II was the priority of these organizations. For many years several amendments have been made to accommodate the changing economic climate. Trade liberalization has been the most important aspect during the amendments. For example, according to Anderson. (2005, pg. 414), the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations led to agreements signed in 1994 that contributed to trade liberalization over the subsequent 10 years. † Despite the many advantages accompanied by the establishment of the international trade organizations, there have been several disadvantages accompanied by the activities of opening up of domestic markets to international trade. An example is the global economic recession of the 2007-2009 that was experienced by the world economies after the banking industry and the mortgage industry collapsed due to poor financial practices by the U. S. banks. Importance of multilateral trade institutions The multilateral trade organizations were created to enhance trade and stability of the economies of the member countries. Initially they were established to reconstruct the economies which had been destroyed during the World War II. Many countries realized the importance of trade in improving the economies after the war. Trade was the only tool that could restore the original status of the economies. Before and during the war many countries had put a lot of trade barriers to prevent trade with other countries. Opening up domestic economies required negotiations with all countries of the world to enhance a more open economic system (Warnke, 1996). Multilateral trade institutions improve international trade since they encourage member countries to open up their domestic markets to international trade. Trade disputes are resolved more easily between and among conflicting countries, hence leading to a good relationship between countries. Production according to comparative advantage has been encouraged by the improvement in international trade. Countries are encouraged to produce goods which they can produce most economically. Different countries have different resources which give them the potential to create income generating products. Through international trade resources are utilized optimally since an economy will specialize in the production of products which it has greater advantages (Bernard et al. 2007). International trade has encouraged countries to specialize in the production of goods and services. The mobility of factors of production has been accelerated by globalization. More industries are encouraging division of labor to increase the productivity of labor factors of production. More industries have developed with the expansion of international trade. These industries create more employment opportunities to the citizens of a country. As the par capita income of the people increases their living standards is improved. Poverty alleviation campaigns have encouraged improved international trade as one of the strategies to enhance development of nations (Bernard et al. 2007). Opening up the domestic market to international trade creates more advantages than disadvantages. The international prices are lower than the domestic prices. The consumers obtain goods and services at lower prices. The competition created by the international trade encourages the domestic firms to be efficient in their production systems. The customers are provided with a wide variety of products to select from (Bernard et al. 2007). Multilateral trade organizations control the globalization of economies. Globalization refers to the international operation of business activities and the transfer of information between countries. Globalization has affected business activities both positively and negatively. Global markets have emerged and many companies are operating in several countries. This has created competitiveness of the companies since the global markets are larger than regional markets. Globalization is the process of integrating the global economies, societies and cultures by connecting communication and trade networks. Economic globalization refers to the integration of global economies by enhancing trade, foreign direct investment, sharing of technology, movement of people and flow of capital. The factors which influence the rate of globalization are the world economies, technology, and socio-cultural, political and biological aspects (Warnke, 1996). Globalization has improved the exchange of technologies and knowledge. This has increased the capacity of businesses to expand on the number of innovative products in the market. The public sector alone cannot accommodate all the skilled labor in a country and trade provides more employment opportunities for the people in a nation. As economies become more global people with skills can move to countries where there is high market potential for their labor. The introduction of internet has increased efficiency in trade by enabling people transfer information more easily. Trade attracts private investment and this generates more capital in the economy. The gross domestic product of a country increases with increase in trade. Growth and development of an economic is accelerated by trade since more income is generated and the living standards of the people are improved (Daniels, Radebaugh Sullivan, 2007). Poverty levels in both developing and developed countries have declined by greater margins due to participation of countries in the international trade. Economies have acquired more wealth and the gross domestic product of countries has improved. WTO has become the custodian of international law on trade. The enforcement of trade laws about good trade practices has been possible after the creation of WTO. The establishment of regional and multilateral trade agreements was experienced after WTO was created. This has encouraged many countries remove barriers to trade (World Trade Organization 2010). Weaknesses of multilateral trade institutions Most of the multilateral trade organizations are affected by the political climate in the member countries. Any political war between the member countries can ruin the operation of the organizations. When the organizations support some political organizations; they affect the interests of the members and this reduces the delivery of the required obligations. Politically strong countries have dominated the operations of the multilateral organizations and this is causing a lot of concern to the global trade communities. Decision making at the trade organizations has become very difficult since many participants are not willing to accept rules which affect their economies negatively. Anderson (2005, pg. 417) suggests that although trade can and should play an important role in allowing developing countries to lift themselves out of poverty, in reality international trade agreements and institutions have more often than not contributed to the continuation of global social and economic injustice. The developed nations have dominated the multilateral trade organizations. For example, according to Anderson (2005, pg. 31) with decision-making based on a consensus system, so each member has equal decision-making power, the WTO is held to be the most democratic of all the international institutions with a global mandate. In practice, however, the working methods of the WTO lack transparency, inclusiveness and equity. There have been conflicts as the developing nations are becoming concerned about the great influence the developed nations have on the decisions in these organizations. Multilateral trade agreements are complicated to establish since many countries are involved. The interests of each country should be represented during the negotiations to ensure that conflicts do not arise afterwards (Amadeo, 2010). Despite the establishment of the trade organizations many countries continue to place more trade discrimination measures upon other countries. They include not just trade taxes-cum-subsidies but also contingent protection measures such as anti-dumping, regulatory standards that can be technical barriers to trade, and domestic production subsidies Anderson (2005, pg. 415). Many trade distortions have occurred since the global economies were established. Multilateral trade organizations have encouraged the opening up of economies to international market influence. The opening up of domestic markets has affected the global economies. Several disadvantages have been accompanied by the opening up of the domestic markets, for example, the global economic meltdown of the 2007-2008. The crisis started with the rise in prices for basic products due to the international increase in fuel prices. The prices of oil and food products increased within a short duration leading to an economic crisis which affected many people in US. The prices for many products increased and inflation was experienced all over the country. Many subprime borrowers had low incomes and the rise in prices for basic products increased the expenses for their living. Many companies retrenched employees to accommodate the increasing production costs. The borrowers were unable to repay the loans resulting to massive defaults. More than 100 subprime mortgage intermediaries filed for bankruptcy. Reacquisition of the houses from the defaulters caused a lot of people to become homeless (Platt, 2008). Subprime mortgages are policies which have a high risk of default. Subprime borrowers are the people with low incomes and have a poor credit history. They have higher risk of default compared to the prime borrowers. The US government had deregulated the real estate mortgages leading to massive investment in subprime mortgages. This caused the risky lending of subprime mortgages. The subprime mortgages were not popular initially but they became widely used in the 1990s. The climax of the sub prime mortgages was in 2006 when they accounted for more than 21 percent of all mortgages traded in the US market. The value of subprime mortgages in 2006 was valued at $600 billion. Many subprime mortgage intermediaries were established to reap the benefits of the expanding industry (Helleiner, 2009). The world economies have experienced a major decline due to poor performance of many industries. This is a crisis which has affected all sectors of the economy. Williams (2009) claims that the crisis was initiated by the subprime mortgage lending crisis in US. The banking sector issued many loans to subprime mortgage intermediaries. Due to the expanding market in the sub prime mortgage market many banks issued unsecured loans to the intermediaries. The climax of the boom was reached in 2007 when the prices of products started to increase and many subprime mortgage lenders were unable to repay their loans. This led to massive default of debts and banks registered huge losses. This reduced the lending capacity of many banks. The resulting effect was lack of credit in the economy and the collapse of many companies (Stapledon, 2009). The government of US is to be blame for the crisis. The 102nd Congress under the leadership of George W. Bush deregulated the housing sector in 1992 (Guttmann, 1994). The main aim was to increase the availability of money for buying housing. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac companies were deregulated and could spend $97. 50 to buy housing loans. Banks with $100 could spend more than $90 buying mortgage loans. The companies had been ordered by the congress to retain more capital to for risk allowance but this was not practiced. Since 1992 the mortgage sector experienced the highest boom with many companies investing heavily in the sector. Subprime mortgage intermediary companies were developed to assist homeowners acquire loans from the banks (Stapledon, 2009). The banking sector was the worse hit by the crisis. Inter-bank lending declined and banks had no money to issue to their customers. Most of the banks collapsed while others registered huge losses. This was as a result of failure by many subprime mortgage intermediaries which defaulted the huge loans they had acquired from the banks. The central bank could not lead to all the banks due to the massive crisis that affected the entire country. Since US is a market for many commodities from other countries there was an extension of the crisis to other economies causing a global economic meltdown. Many economies declined since they had no market for their goods. Inflation increased as prices persistently increased. The entire world encountered economic crisis which resulted into failure by all sectors of the economy in the world (Stapledon, 2009). Many international organizations have intervened to eradicate the problem. The intervention by the World Bank has created better results in the efforts to reduce the impacts of the crisis. World Bank has issued loans to many countries to increase the income levels of the people. Many companies have been able to access loans due to the fun ding by World Bank. The availability of loans has increased since last year and many companies have regained their capacity (Bayne, 2008). The World Trade Organization has negotiated with the oil producing countries to reduce the oil prices as one of the measures to reduce the effects of the crisis. The global oil prices increased causing the prices of many products to rise. The high product prices caused inflation in the whole world. WTO has also encouraged trade by persuading some countries remove the trade barriers they had placed upon their trade partners when the crisis was at the climax (Stephen, T. 2008).

Kingdom of matthias Essay Example for Free

Kingdom of matthias Essay The Kingdom of Matthias tells the story of Robert Matthews, who later took on the name Matthias the Prophet. A religious charlatan in 1830s New York, Matthews established a Kingdom of fanatical followers, causing a nationwide scandal. Matthews most fervent follower was Elijah Pierson, who was born into a strict Calvinist church upbringing but who quickly got swept up in the evangelical, perfectionist movement upon his move to New York as a merchant. Elijah married a missionary woman named Sarah, and together they established a Retrenchment Society and other organizations designed to spread the word of God. In her fervor, Sarah literally worked herself to death, and died in 1830. The event spurred Elijah toward madness as he attempted to raise Sarah from the dead during funeral. Elijah started to hear God speak and he adopted the title Prophet Elijah of Tishbe. Simultaneous to these events, Robert Matthews was born and raised in a Scottish community called Coila. His parents died when he was young, and after several of his sons tragically died, Matthews began to hear God and see prophetic visions. He adopted the name Matthias. In May 1832, Matthews visited Pierson, and Pierson became convinced that Matthews was Gods Prophet. Matthews used Piersons merchant wealth to establish The Kingdom. Matthews preached regularly to a small band of followers. Eventually, he came to regard Christianity as the Devils work, and his philosophy was full of anti-woman hatred. Matthews convinced a wealthy couple, Benjamin and Ann Folger, of his prophethood, and soon he established a community at the Folger home in Sing Sing, which he called Mount Zion. Matthews ruled his community with an iron fist, dressing extravagantly, bearing an unkempt beard, punishing severely, and lecturing frequently. Not content with the Christian conception of marriage, several of Matthews followers forsake marriage to be united in the Spirit of Truth. This caused a good deal of scandalous wife-swapping, as it might be called today. Matthews and Ann fell for each other, and Matthews proclaimed Ann as the Mother of the kingdom. Benjamin strayed to Matthews twenty-year-old daughter Isabella, as well as to a widow named Catherine Galloway. The sexual intrigue proved too much for the community, and Benjamin and then Ann revolt. Additionally, an increasing public outcry against the Kingdom and its scandals assisted in its dissolution. One day, Elijah Pierson, suffering from seizures, ate blackberries and soon after died. The public rumor was that Matthews, along with his servant Isabella Van Wagenen, had poisoned the man. Matthews was arrested and tried with murder after two doctors conducted an autopsy and claimed there was poison in Piersons stomach. However, the prosecution had only a flimsy case, and the jury found Matthews not guilty of murder, but guilty of assault (for beating his daughter), and so Matthews served four months in prison. The Kingdom of Matthias scandal is noteworthy for sparking the penny press newspapers, with their obsession with crime and scandal, a tradition that continues to this day with such periodicals as National Enquirer.

Compare and Contrast the Development of B and T Cells

Compare and Contrast the Development of B and T Cells The epithelial surfaces of the body serve as an effective barrier against most microorganisms, and they are rapidly repaired if wounded. Adaptive immunity is initiated when an innate immune response fails to eliminate a new infection, whereby an activated antigen presenting cells (APCs) bearing pathogens antigens are delivered to the draining lymphoid tissues. An adaptive immune response differs from the innate immunity in its ability to target structures that are specific to particular strains and variants of pathogen. T cells are produced in the bone marrow. They are transported still, as pro-thymocytes to the thymus where they undergo the process of maturation and selection. The regulation of T cell maturation in the thymus is termed central tolerance. During gestation, most T cells generated bear the gamma/deta T cell receptor (TcR) on their surface. In the adult, most T cells bear the alpha/beta TcR. The newly formed TcR then, has to be tested for recognition of self-MHC/peptide. The T cells are tested at a stage of development known as double positive, meaning that they bear both CD4 and CD8 receptors on their surface. Cells with TcRs that recognize self-MHC/peptide with very low affinity will die. This process is known as death by neglect. Cells with TcRs with medium affinity for MHC receive survival signals and undergo a process known as positive selection. Finally, cells which receive a high affinity signal via their TcR die by apoptosis, a process known as negative selection. Cells that in teract with MHC class I become CD8 positive T cell, and those that interact with MHC class II become CD4 positive T cells, before migrating out into the peripheral lymphoid system (Wood P, 2006). Mature B cells, like T cell, are also develop form pluripotent stem cells. However unlike T cells lymphocytes, B cell maturation occurs in the bone marrow. There are four different stages of B cell development: pro-B, pre-B, immature B, and mature B cells. During its development, B cells acquire B cell surface marker expression such as B220, CD19, CD20, etc. as well as antigen receptors. The stromal cells lining the bone marrow provide essential growth signals to developing B cells, including cytokines such as IL7 and cell to cell contact, via VLA4/VCAM and Kit/SCF. During B cell development, gene segment rearrangements take place, just like in T cells where TcR rearrangements (central tolerance) also occur. However, for B cells, the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus (variable-V, joining-J and diversity-D segments), situated on chromosome 14, rearranges. In haematopoietic stem cells, the Ig heavy chain genes are in germline configuration (Kurosaki T et al., 2009). As B cells deve lop to pro-B cells, a D-J recombination is the first gene rearrangement to take place. The intervening DNA is normally deleted from the chromosome as a circle. Gene rearrangements are mediated by recombinase activitng genes, RAG proteins. As the developing B cell proceeds from pro- to pre-B cell stage, a V-DJ gene arrangement takes place to form the VDJ coding block that encodes the variable domain on the antibody heavy chain. Gene rearrangement takes place on both copies of chromosome 14 in a developing B cell, but once a productive VDJ block has been assembled on one chromosome 14, rearrangement ceases on the other chromosome, ensuring only one type of Ig is produced by any single B cell. This process is known as allelic exclusion. If a developing B cell fails to make a productive VDJ block, it will fail to produce antibody heavy chain and die in the bone marrow (Murphy K et al, 2008). T and B cell activation: T cell activation takes place in draining lymph nodes (also spleen) close to site of infection. T cell recognizes antigen on MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) molecules becomes activated and differentiates to effector cells. Effector T cells migrate to site of infection and carry out effector functions. The T lymphocytes arrive through venules, and cross through the endothelial to the lymph nodes. Antigen presenting cells such (APC) such as dendritic cells, and macrophages presented antigens to T cells. On recognition of the antigen, a low affinity interaction is formed. These T cells then leave lymph node though the lymphatic system. Those T cells that recognize the antigens wall with high affinity will be retained and the process of proliferation and differentiation occurs. However, initial B cell activation takes place in T cell zone of secondary lymphatic tissues (i.e. in lyhmph nodes). Mostly IgM producing plasma cells are produced at this state. B cells, unlike T cells, ar e activated by the ineraction with antigen-specific T cell, by linked recognition. Antigen-activated B cell migrates to B cell area of lymph nodes to form organized germinal centres, where additional B cell differentiation processes take place. It is important to note that T cells recognize the peptide, while B cells recognize the coat protein. For T and B lymphocyte activation 2 signals are hypothesized to be required. Firstly, the antigen stimulus signal and secondly, the co-stimulatory stimulus. The absence of the second signal results in anergy or apoptosis. CD28/B7 interaction is the co-stimulatory signals for T cells while CD40/CD40 ligand, on the activated T cells, interaction is for B cells. For both T and B lymphocytes, in it resting G0 cell cycle, the cell appear to have a large nucleus, with little cytoplasm and show little evidence of organelles. However, when these cells enter G1/S/G2 cell cycle, cell shows an increase in cell size, chromatin de-condensation is seen. Cell division occurs rapidly, generating effector cells of either T or B lymphocytes. Effector T cells include Th1, Th2 and T regulatory, as well as T cytotoxic cell and memory T cells. On the other hand, effector B cells include plasma cell and memory B cell. T and B cell effector functions: B cell response to T-dependent protein antigen results in germinal centres formation in B cell areas of lymph nodes, and specialized processes such as Ig class-switching, somatic mutation and affinity maturation, memory B cell and plasma cell generation take place there. Emerging form germinal centres are somatically mutated and class-switched B cells, which no longer just produce IgM. Memory B cells are long-lived, resting and re-circulating cells, responsible for immunization part which helpto generate rapid and vigorous immune response on second encounter for that specific antigen. Plamablast cells migrate to other sites such as bone marrow, and become plasma cells, producing large amounts of secreted antibody. Some of which can live for long periods. The effector functions of B cells refer to what antibodies do after their contact with the antigen. The antibody effector functions include neutralization, complement fixation (IgM, IgG1/2/3), oposonization and antibody dependent cel l-mediated cytotoxicity. In contrast, T cell effector functions differ significantly from B cell effector functions. Antigen presenting cells present peptide via MHC which can either interact with CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Helper T cells are defined by the cytokines they produce. Naà ¯ve CD4+ T cells (Th0), on interaction with APC, can differentiate to Th1 or Th2 cells, depending on the cytokine environment. Th1 cells co-ordinate inflammatory immune responses to intracellular pathogens while Th2 cells help B cells to make antibodies required for immune responses to extracellular pathogens, this is known as humoral immunity. Th1 and Th2 cells both act to promote the generation of more leukocytes. Besides Th0/Th1/Th2, other CD4+ T cell subsets exist (Zhu J et al., 2010). Resting T cells can differentiate into activated helper T cell, as well as activated cytotoxic T cell (CD8+ T cell). Initially, CD8+ T cells interact with potential target cells via low affinity/non-specific interactions between adhesion molecule s on the T cell (LFA-1 and CD2) and the target cell (ICAM1, ICAM2). This interaction has no effect on the cytoskeleton of the T cell and is a transient interaction unless recognition of specific peptide:MHC complexes occurs. If peptide:MHC I complex is present, the affinity of the adhesion molecule interaction increases and there is clustering of T cell receptor and associated molecules at the point of contact with the target cell forming the immunological synapse. This also signals for cytoskeletal rearrangements organized by the microtubule organizing complex which focuses the cytotoxic granules of the T cell at the point of contact with the target. Notice here, that T cells, unlike B cells do not produce antibodies against antigens. Granules containing perforin and other enzymes including granzymes are released and induce the activation of the cathepsin pathways in the target cell leading to apoptosis. CD8+ T cells can also kill target cells via the Fas/FasL pathway which also in duces apoptosis (Peter EJ 2007). In conclusion, adaptive immune responses occur when individual lymphocytes capable of responding to antigen proliferate and differentiate to become an antigen-specific effector cells and memory cells. The process of lymphocyte cell cycle progression, proliferation and differentiation in response to antigen and stimuli is known as lymphocyte activation. B cell activation is initiated by the ligation of the B cell receptor (BCR) with antigen and ultimately results in the production of protective antibodies against potentially pathogenic invaders. While naive or memory T cells encounter foreign antigen along with proper co-stimulation they undergo rapid and extensive clonal expansion. In human, this type of proliferation is fairly unique to cells of the adaptive immune system and requires a considerable expenditure of energy and cellular resources.

Constitutional Law and its Contemporary Challenges: Speech, Search and

Constitutional Law was created as the chosen way to preserve the United States of America Constitution, ratified by Congress in 1783, in respect to its meanings, use, and enforcement, for free government, and equal justice under the law for all Americans. However, as times and generations have passed, the U.S. Constitution remains the supreme law of the land. Among the most contemporary and controversial elements are the challenges of evolving interpretations of the freedom of speech, and search warrants, which have both had a major impact on society. In particular, we explore speech not protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, as well as some circumstances when a search warrant is not required for a valid search. A conclusion is drawn and outlined based on research conducted to offer a concise in-depth observation of the above topics. FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS The First (1st) Amendment of the United States (U.S.) Constitution, ratified December 15, 1791, â€Å"guarantees to all Americans regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, faith, or gender, the freedom of speech, freedom of press, the right to assemble, the right to peacefully assemble, and the right to petition Congress (Government) for a redress of grievances† (Kanovitz, 2010). However, as these types of speech are protected by the 1st Amendment, there are other kinds of speech that are not. The framers of the 1st Amendment intended for this amendment to be broad as to allow the amendment room to adapt to future changes in societal diversities as we live today (Kanovitz, 2010). In these protected rights are solid foundations that secures the opportunity to openly share ideas, thoughts, and various differences in points of view, encouraging interaction... ...merican soil, the question remains as to how much privacy Americans really possess. Yes, security in the person and home is still at the discretion of law enforcement, but how far will the government reach in what seems to be an elaborate effort to gain total control over what the Constitution defines as a free society? This, and many other questions remain unanswered today, but it must be remembered that this is a government of, for, and by the people, not a dictatorship that it has come to be in today’s world. â€Æ' Works Cited Gardner, Bryan A. (2009). In Black's Law Dictionary. St. Paul, Minnesota: West / Thomson Reuters. Kanovitz, J. R. (2010). Constitutional Law (12th ed.). (E. R. Ebben, Ed.) New Providence, NJ, U.S.A.: Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., LexisNexis Gorup. Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868 (Supreme Court June 10, 1968).

Medical Advances Essay -- Essays Papers

Medical Advances Besides the computer revolution, medical advances have caused tension between faith and reason. The medical advances of the Twentieth Century have many beneficial effects for humanity. Diseases that used to be dangerous or life threatening, like mumps, measles, and whooping cough, are no longer worries in todays medical world. Tetanus, typhoid, and the bubonic plaque can now be treated with antibiotics or other medicines. Vaccines, especially the polio vaccine, freed many people from the effects of a disease. Advances in heart surgery and organ transplants have saved many lives. Anesthetics and painkillers have been made to reduce or eliminate pain during surgery or a painful disease. Advances in cancer and AIDS have also been made, although many of the details of these diseases are yet to be learned. Another area of medical advancement is genetic engineering. Genetic engineering will detect and possibly stop diseases before birth. Many diseases are associated with specific genes that can be checked for disease and replaced if dysfunctional. Genetic testing has already revealed genetic mutations that cause hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, polycystic kidney disease, Alzheimers disease, and others. (5) Replacing missing, altered, inactive, or dysfunctional genes will prevent diseases or even death. Also, progression of a disease can be monitored, and proactive measures against recurrence and relapse of the disease can be made. Molecular medicine in genetics will also improve the design and testing of new drugs. Cloning is another new medical advance that allows for many great possibilites. Exact organ matches for organ transplants could be made through cloning. Animal... ...e" specific traits in people could lead to the "creating" of a specific person, also known as cloning. Although the ability to create people could mean Mother Teresa could be re-created or cloned, this ability also means Hitler could be re-created or cloned. The effects of this power depend upon whose hands the power is in. So, who has the power to play God? This question needs to be answered to decide if many of the latest medical advances are justifiable. Obviously, only God can have the power to be God. Only He truly understands peopleà ­s purpose on earth since He put them there. Court cases and congressional actions are taking place to decide how the United States stands on the ethics of medical procedures. Humans have been working hard to find medical techniques to save life and now all this progress is being reverted, especially through abortions and euthanasia.

Elder abuse Essay -- Health Care

Elder Abuse Elder abuse has been present in our society in the past times; however, it has been the hidden problem and under recognized by our community. It is really challenging for people to understand the severity of this problem unless one encountered it in one’s life. Society began to really acknowledge this issue because of the cases that have been reported. There are varieties of categories of elder abuse that are reportable to a healthcare provider; however, many cases are still left unreported and elder victims continue to suffer from mistreatment. The seniors that surround us have contributed to our community and to the great things that we now have. These people should be recognized and protected in all areas of life instead of being mistreated and left behind. Elder abuse is a social problem because it violates the ethical principles, standards of practice, and the legislature. In our society we have been taught from a young age to respect our elders and treat them with dignity and respect. Those who should be the most honored end up being one of the most vulnerable populations and a group of people that require special attention and care. These people require skilled nursing care and support from family and friends. Regardless of the abuse, it would lead to the needless suffering, pain, and violations of human rights. Elder abuse violates the principles of ethics; some of them are justice, autonomy, and nonmalificence. When dealing with older adults the caregivers are required to provide a fair treatment. The caregiver who stands in trust relationship to the resident cannot intentionally cause any harm or neglect. For the residents to be treated in a fair way, health providers must appropriately provide care to... ...aveman, B. (2006). Perceptions of elder abuse: voices of professionals and volunteers in Sweden -- an exploratory study. Scandinavian Journal Of Caring Sciences, 20(2), 151-159 American Nurses Association. (November 15, 2010). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. In Nursing World. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.pdf. CCERAP. (2011). About Elder Abuse. In Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from http://www.ccerap.org/index.php/about-elder-abuse. National Institute of Justice. (Novembeer 6, 2007). Elder Abuse. In National Institute of Justice. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/elder-abuse/welcome.htm.http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/main_site/pdf/publication/FinalStatistics050331.pdf

Benefits of Educating Employees

Is it possible for a business to increase productivity by offering workplace computer literacy training to their employees? This paper asked the question: Are there benefits to employers that provide workplace education and training, above and beyond increased competency? The answer, as reported by research, is a resounding yes. Benefits such as increased self-confidence, increased adaptability, flexibility, the willingness to accept change and increased success in job-related training plus increased skills were reportedly derived from the workplace competency training offered.Moreover these benefits translated into more productivity for the organization. Benefits of Educating Employees Introduction With the rapid changes taking place in our world economy, researching the question of workplace education benefits is significant. The question arose whether the workforce is sufficiently educated to compete in a global economy. The research pointed to competency as being imperative in to day's global economy, which implies an acceptance of computer competency. Education and competency training is defined as more than being able to work, but to make decisions.It is defined as being an important adjunct of technology. Education of skills, particularly computer competency and how they function gave the employees an overview of the system as a whole. It helped them understand how their machine worked and gave them an impetus to look for solutions themselves. This transcended into time saved and increased efficiency. The paper also indicated that companies which supported education in the workforce benefited because their employees exhibited improved self-confidence which translated into increased productivity and performance.More flexibility and a willingness to accept change were also deemed to benefits received from competency and skills training. Next point showed how computer literacy training benefited companies by helping their employees understand the computerize d equipment they were working on. This understanding translated into: increased self-confidence, increased adaptability and flexibility, increased production as well as the willingness to take other training and succeed at same. Education and training today does include competency and skills not only in offices but also on shop floors.The benefits to providing workplace competency and skills training to employees are multifaceted. It may lessen the time it takes for people to learn. Return on investment is always of interest to businesses and organizations. The paper illustrated how employees, managers, supervisors as well as trainers observed behaviors from participants in the training, which reflected savings and profit for the organization. Some of the benefits are: saving time, increased production, increased flexibility, willingness to ask questions and changed attitudes.The paper points out how important it is to prepare to evaluate the training at the beginning of a project i n order to determine what the organization is really trying to achieve with this specific training. The research concludes by looking at the organizational implications of offering workplace competency and skills training. Education and Competency Training Benefits There has been a great deal of information published on competency training done in the workplace.For example, in the 1997 report, The Impact of Basic Skills Programs on Canadian Workplaces: Results of a National Study for ABC CANADA Competency Foundation, the following information was reported. â€Å"The study consisted of in-depth phone interviews with 86 individuals from 53 workplaces that have had basic skills programs for at least one year. Sixty percent of the individuals interviewed were employer representatives and 40% were employee representatives. † (n. d. , The Benefits of Improving Competency Skills in the Workplace) The following are impacts to the workplace identified by the study: †¢ increases i n the quality of work – 84%†¢ increased work effort – 73% †¢ more competent use of technology – 87%. (ABC CANADA Competency Foundation, The Benefits of Improving Competency Skills in the Workplace, n. d. ) Bloom and LaFleur's (1999) report on improving competency skills through workplace education programs, indicates that â€Å"Although the impact of basic skills training on profits varies according to the value and shortage of a given skill or group of skills within a particular business sector, employers overwhelmingly report increased profits and other bottom-line benefits when their employees gain basic skills that enable them to work more effectively.† (p. 4) On page six of this report there is a list of eleven skills gained by employees who participated in workplace education programs as well as a list of twenty three organizational benefits gained by the employers. Willis (1994) reports that working with employees to expand workplace comp etency at the Peavey Electronics Corporation the following results were noted: â€Å"all employees had statistically significant increases in job performance with the areas of attitude, getting the job done, volunteering, doing extra, and dependability showing the most improvement.† (p. 25) U. S. Department of Labor (1992) states that: â€Å"A high-performance workplace requires workers who have a solid foundation in the basic competency and computational skills, the thinking skills, and in the personal qualities that make workers dedicated and trustworthy†¦ (p. 5). High-performance workplaces also require competencies: the ability to manage resources, to work amicably and productively with others, to acquire and use information, to master complex systems, and to work with a variety of technologies. † (p. 6)According to Dr. Harvey Krahn (1998) workplace competency programs target people with very low competency skills; however, if we look at competency as a contin uum, businesses will recognize that it will benefit them to develop competency in people at all levels in the workplace. Bloom and LaFleur research (1999) has shown that â€Å"improving employee's skills creates employees who work smarter and better and who cope well with change in the workplace, improves union/management relations and increases output and profitability. † (p.3) The above speak of all competencies being important in the workplace. What challenges arise for businesses if employees are not literate? Bloom, Campbell and Gagnon (2001) speak of competency as being a crucial role in corporate competitiveness and productivity. They talk of globalization threatening U. S. ‘s economy and of people being a prime competitive advantage in the new economy. They maintain that U. S. ‘s traditional advantage of having a skilled workforce is being threatened by other countries gaining knowledge and improving the competency skills of their workers.They list the ben efits to employers who work to increase the competency skills of their employees as: improved production and income, cost savings, better communication and employee retention as well as improved health and safety. For employees some of the benefits listed are higher income, more job security, less unemployment, improved self-confidence, more opportunities for job training, better attitude. (GAM, 2005) Benefits Specific to Computer Based Training The importance of computer training in today's workplace is shown by the following statistics. More than one-half of all workers in U. S. now use a computer on the job.Data from the General Social Survey, on which the article is based, show that an estimated 8. 3 million workers, or 57% of the total employed, used a computer at their main job in 2000, compared with 33% in 1989 (Marshall, 2001, pp. 1-2). Ginsbury and Elmore (1998, p. 2) point out that computer training can save employees time to â€Å"compile and manage large data†; th erefore, there is more time to spend on â€Å"creative, higher level work that that depends on the quick availability and quick manipulation of information†. They go on to say that much learning has been removed from the â€Å"objects of work whether a machine part, raw data or communication.† They speak of workers who fear technology or have difficulty learning new or upgraded technology as being liable to end up at the â€Å"lower end of a professional hierarchy. † Leckie, Leonard, Turcotte and Wallace (2001, p. 1) talk of work â€Å"evolving as the result of globalization, increased competition, the development of new technologies and other changes in the business environment. In the face of these trends, businesses are adopting new technologies and ways of organizing work to attain efficiency and productivity gains† (p. 9).They speak of businesses being wiser to retain their skilled employees rather than hire new, technically trained employees. They s uggest that computer training can promote employee movement within a firm. Then firms have the best of both worlds, an employee who is experienced with the organization and has upgraded skills. They talk of new technology requiring new skills to be able to adapt to changing markets. They point to â€Å"job rotation, flexible job design and work teams† (p. 11) as giving employers the flexibility to have employees that will be able to adapt to change.They point to the effect of technological training for employees – if they become unemployed they have an easier time finding a job. They speak of computer training as being able to help employees deal with change as well as help them improve their performance and add to job satisfaction. McNeill (2000, p. 3) talks of computer competency at the executive level, as being more than â€Å"just using email and pulling files off the Web and so forth. We live in an increasingly high-tech world and overnight redundancies have beco me the norm. Companies that can't assess these changes can easily get left behind.† He goes on to speak of downsizing and how computer competency is not listed as a reason to downsize; however, firms who have a choice of someone who is computer literate and someone of comparable skills that is not, will most likely choose to keep the person with computer skills. Computer based training attracts many and varied employees in the workplace. Most studies and papers state that computer training is beneficial to employees because it allows them the confidentiality to study what they need without others knowing. For instance there are many computer programs written which teach different skills.Also the training can be self-paced so there is no pressure to keep up. A bonus is if there are computer labs at work, employees can study when there is a suitable time in their schedule, such as lunch breaks, coffee breaks and before or after work. (Rae, O'Driscoll, 2004) I believe that traini ng and education, especially computer is and will continue to be, very important to both employers and employees. As the information society develops, information and the know-how based on it will become more and more decisive as factors of production.Networking based on the application of information and communications technology, especially telecommunications, is a major trend. As well as creating new ways of communicating and working, information technology has made possible new methods of producing and distributing products and services (UNESCO, 2002, section 2. 1). Technological competency—meaning computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity and performance—has become as fundamental to a person's ability to navigate through society as traditional skills like reading, writing and arithmetic †¦ (Selfe, 1998, p. 1).