Buisiness Implication of Exchange Rates

BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS OF EXCHANGE-RATE CHANGES BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS OF EXCHANGE-RATE CHANGES Market Decisions On the marketing side, exchange rates can affect demand for a company’s products at home and abroad. A country such as Mexico may force down the value of its currency if its exports become too expensive owing to relatively high inflation. Even though inflation would cause the peso value of the Mexican products to rise, the devaluation means that it takes less foreign currency to buy the pesos, thus allowing the Mexican products to remain competitive.One interesting ramification of a peso depreciation is the impact of the cheaper Mexican goods on exporters from other countries. For example, the cheaper Mexican goods flooding the market in Argentina might take away market share from Italian exporters, thus affecting the Italian economy. A good example of the marketing impact of exchange rate changes is the problem that Japanese car manufacturers were having selling to t he United States in 1986 and 1987 due to the sharp rise in the value of the yen.As the dollar fell 47 percent against the yen in the 16 months ending in December 1986, Japanese car companies found that their cost advantage had disappeared, prices had to be increased, and profit margins had to be trimmed in order to remain competitive. In addition, Korean cars were making inroads due to the low costs and prices of Korean products. Thus a currency depreciation could result in foreign products becoming so expensive in a country like the United States that U. S. roducts soon would pick up market share from imports. The key is whether or not the percentage of devaluation exceeds the relative increase in inflation. In the case of Japan, the strengthening of the Japanese yen in the latter part of 1990 was advantageous to the Japanese in one sense—the cost of imports. Oil prices skyrocketed in late 1990 as Iraq invaded Kuwait, and oil is priced in dollars. Because the yen was rising against the dollar, the stronger yen offset the higher cost of oil.Production Decisions Production decisions also could be affected by an exchange-rate change. A manufacturer in a country with high wages and operating expenses might be tempted to locate production in a country such as Argentina (where the austral is rapidly losing value) because a foreign currency could buy lots of aus-trals, making the initial investment relatively cheap. Another reason for locating in a country such as Argentina is that goods manufactured there would be relatively cheap in world markets.However, a firm could accomplish the same purpose by going to any country whose currency is expected to remain weak in relation to that of the parent-country currency. The attractiveness of a weak-currency country must be balanced with the potential problems of investing there. Financial Decisions The final business area where exchange rates make a difference is in finance, The areas of finance that are most affect ed are the sourcing of financial re- sources, the remittance of funds across national borders, and the financial statements.There might be a temptation to borrow money where interest rates are lowest. However, we mentioned earlier that interest-rate differentials often are compensated for in the money markets through exchange-rate changes. In the area of financial flows, a parent company would want to convert local currency into the parent’s own currency when exchange rates are most favorable so that it can maximize its return. However, countries with weak currencies often have currency controls, making it difficult to manage the flow of funds optimally.Finally, exchange-rate changes also can influence the reporting of financial results. A simple example can illustrate the impact that exchange rates can have on income. If the Mexican subsidiary of a U. S. company earns 100 million pesos when the exchange rate is 200 pesos per dollar, the dollar equivalent of income is $500,00 0. If the peso depreciates to 300 pesos per dollar, the dollar equivalent of income falls to $333,333.The opposite would occur if the local currency appreciates against the parent currency. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The international monetary system has undergone significant reform in the past two decades. As the historically planned economies undergo a transition to market economies, they will feel significant pressure on their exchange rates. High rates of inflation and weak demand for those currencies will lead to major devaluations—certainly a key factor affecting the Russian rouble in March and April of 1991.The European Monetary System should continue to strengthen, and national economic policies will be coordinated more closely as the Europeans move closer to a common currency. However, the weaker economies of some of the new entrants into the EC will continue to plague harmonization and the problems arising during the reunification of Germany will keep the German mark fro m soaring too high against the currencies of the other EC members. Some of the most interesting changes in currency values will take place in the â€Å"more flexible† category.Countries in the â€Å"adjusted according to a set of indicators† and â€Å"other managed floating† categories need to gain greater control over their economies in order to move to the â€Å"independently floating† category. Countries in the latter category are under constant pressure to control inflation and to keep from being tempted to intervene in the markets. Firms will face constant pressure to understand the factors influencing particular exchange rates and to adjust corporate strategy in anticipation of rate movements. Their job will only get easier if exchange rate volatility diminishes

Did the benefits of Stalin’s economic policies justify their implementation?

In 1928, Russia was poor and her industry was smaller than many countries. Stalin aimed to transform this and turn Russia into a powerful and strong nation. He wanted to create a modern industry so Russia was less dependent on the western world and could catch up with America. He also wanted to protect Russia so the were military strong in case of war and they had a strong industry capable of producing good armaments so they had defence in case of attack. Stalin aimed to re-organise agriculture to produce food so Russia could trade with Europe and America so they could get money to buy raw materials and machinery. He wanted to feed Russia's population. Stalin also aimed for Russia to become self-sufficient. In order to develop Russia's industry rapidly, Stalin organised this planning with the ‘Five-Year Plans'. There were three plans which determined how and when things were produced and how prices and wages were determined. The benefits of these plans were that the production of coal and iron increased quickly. Huge new industrial complexes were built like the Magnitogorsk, the Belomor Canal, railways and motorways. These all were showpieces of Soviet achievement. They had great facilities and steel and iron production was increasing. Defence and armaments grew rapidly also. Transport and communications grew and electricity production expanded. Overall industrial output went up by over 50% and Russia became the second in gross industrial output worldwide. By 1937, Russia was virtually self-sufficient. However, there were economic disadvantages as a result of the ‘Five-Year Plans'. Targets were too high so factories lied about their production levels. Products were bad quality because there was a lack of skilled workers and they didn't have good equipment. Some industries were over-producing and others under-producing so many factories ran short of materials. Un-skilled workers and ex-peasants made mistakes, but these mistakes weren't admitted but blamed on ‘wreckers' and ‘saboteurs'. Oil production failed to meet targets and led to fuel crisis. The lack of skilled workers created instability because they were constantly changing jobs. The effects on the people as a result of the ‘Five-Year Plans' were very bad. In the building of the Magnitogorsk, working conditions was dangerous. The workers got little food, and the bubonic plague was common. Vermin and bed bugs were at risk also. Sanitary conditions and heat was intolerable. It was a bad organisation of labour. Workers were paid minimum wages and food was rationed but it improved by the mid-1930s. There were millions of peasants so housing became impossible. Most families had to live in overcrowded shabby buildings. There was also a shortage of clothing and consumer goods. Many peasants were sent to Gulag (a force labour camp) if they did not fulfil Stalin's wishes. Collectivisation was a method of farming to make it more efficient in which people can use more machinery. It was the Socialist way to farm the land. The idea was that the peasants' would share their land and work together to form a collective farm. All the grain produced was shared also. This was an easy method for the state to get grain. The grain needed for industrialisation was obtained because a lot was produced rapidly. Wheat, cotton and vineyards were increasing by more than 600 hectares also. Overall more food was produced and it was easier to introduce modern machinery. Tractors began to be produced in quantities and the ‘economies of scale' method started. Generally, agricultural production rose. However, collectivisation had its disadvantages. If peasants refused to join the collective, they were shot by activists or sent to Gulag. This caused violence to erupt and riots occurred. There were severe food shortages although food was being exported from Russia to other countries. A lot of disruption was caused to agriculture and there was disastrous harvest. The result of this was famine, which the state never admitted existed. Stalin began to demand gangs to take the small amount of grain, which was kept in stores or left to rot whilst people starved to death. Russia eventually did become an industrially modernised nation. Although there was terrible famine and kulaks (rich peasants) suffered, most people benefited. Large complexes were made, there were good facilities and agriculture had improved. Russia became self-sufficient and independent. Te human costs were high as many people died because of the famine and living conditions. But Hitler became a threat and Russia didn't have enough protection in case of war.

Affirmative Action Debate and Economics

Yuching Lin ECON 395 The Affirmative Action Debate Affirmative Action has recently become the center of a major public debate in the United States, which has led to the emergence of numerous studies on its efficiency, costs, and benefits. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ended wage and employment discrimination based on gender and race, significantly decreasing the gap between minorities and non-minorities. Minorities made major progress from the 1960s up through the early 1970s due to Affirmative Action (Jones, Jr. 1985). However, for the past few decades, the progress that minorities have made in terms of income, employment and education has largely stagnated. California, Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington State have recently banned racial advantage in employment and college admissions, and Proposition 209 of California has disallowed the preferential treatment of minorities, with opponents of Affirmative Action lobbying for more widespread b ans on similar policies while supporters argue fiercely against the removal of Affirmative Action policies.As can be seen, Affirmative Action’s status in the United States now is very dynamic due to shifting court decisions and policy plans. Additionally, returns to education have been increasing in recent decades, and as a result, income inequality has also increased – the growing demand for highly skilled workers (workers with high levels of post-secondary education) and the stagnancy of American education (with the added fact that high quality colleges have become even higher quality and even more selective while lower tier colleges have decreased in quality) has led to ever-increasing wages for the highly skilled.This â€Å"Skill Biased Technological Change† has led to a widening income gap between the rich and the poor. Naturally, this considerably affects black and Hispanic minorities, who are more likely than non-minorities to be part of the working class or below the poverty line, which raises the stakes in the debate on Affirmative Action. Today, both sides on the debate can bolster their arguments with evidence provided by economic and social research on the policies. But there are additional questions to be answered – is Affirmative Action justified on moral grounds? Can we balance economic efficiency with equity?Is Affirmative Action the best policy for addressing racial inequalities? Do policies that increase diversity result in positive externalities such as reduced prejudice and indirect benefits beyond education and career success? One will discover that, after thorough analysis of research concerning Affirmative Action, it is still difficult to form a definitive conclusion on the results of the policies. Nevertheless, there is much to learn from the research that has been conducted as of present, and one can now better steer research in a direction that will uncover the real benefits and shortcomings of Affirmative Action.To begin with, the debate on the efficiency of Affirmative Action policies is still very much unsettled. Opponents claim that they actually result in several negative effects on the minorities the policies are intended to benefit, arguing that minority students admitted into overly competitive programs are more likely to drop out than mismatched non-minority students due to the increased competition, which would actually worsen the income gap since black income has been shown to decrease even more than white income after dropping out of college (Loury, 1995).A proposed â€Å"stigma hypothesis† suggests that â€Å"preferential treatment perpetuates the impression of inferiority† while simultaneously lowering incentives for high academic effort from minorities (Murray, 1994). And yet another underperformance hypothesis by Steele (1990) suggests that blacks’ academic performance suffers when they are aware that normal standards are lowered in order to accomm odate them.However, there exists no research with strong, conclusive results that support these claims – in contrast, the â€Å"race difference in graduation rates is no larger at the most selective institutions,† and blacks have been shown to benefit from the increased admission to selective universities (Holzer and Neumark, 2000). A study by Cortes (2010) on the Texas Top 10% Plan claims that the banning of Affirmative Action actually increases college dropout rates for minorities and finds that the mismatch hypothesis is inaccurate.Because quantifying the economic benefits of Affirmative Action is exceedingly complicated, comparing the total costs and benefits of the policy becomes exceptionally difficult for policy-makers. Holzer and Neumark (2000) note that university admissions policies are not necessarily economically efficient to begin with, which further complicates matters since researchers do not have a definitive point of efficiency to which they can compar e the results of Affirmative Action.Administrative costs and externalities must also be factored into the models, when economists have not yet even managed to create a viable model for the effects of Affirmative Action policies. For example, minority students in medical school are less likely to reach as high a level of expertise as non-minorities, but they are more likely to treat minority patients, generating a positive externality (Holzer and Neumark, 2000). Another point made in the debate on Affirmative Action is that diversity may improve the educational quality of a university.Many educators believe that diversity in colleges is inherently beneficial – students can learn from other students whose experiences and backgrounds give them a whole different set of views and capabilities. Several studies have actually correlated increased diversity in student bodies with improvements in issues such as racial prejudice and bias, although results vary depending on study design, extent and type of diversity, and the issue of interest (Bowman, 2010).Even so, other researchers are likely to reject such evidence since variables such as attitudes, inter-racial relations, and even school quality (as a result of increased diversity) are difficult to define and accurately quantify (Holzer and Neumark, 2000). Research has often demonstrated very unclear results, usually only weakly suggesting a few conclusions while also providing sometimes conflicting conclusions; one study on the effects of diverse student bodies found that there was no effect on post-college earnings, an increase in satisfaction with college experiences, and a decrease in community service (Hinrichs, 2011).Interestingly, a recent study in college admissions based on merit, race, and legacy suggests that the removal of race-preferential treatment may actually decrease the ability of the student body since colleges may be inclined to increase legacy-based admissions due to the current economic cl imate (Li and Weisman, 2011). However, they do also propose that there is a possibility that colleges would need to eliminate all preferences barring merit in order to produce the most-able student body.Overall, it is generally agreed that more accurate methods for measuring school quality and the quality of school inputs are necessary if more conclusive results on education differentials’ effects on unobserved skills, attitudes, and racial income inequality are to be found. While it is without a doubt that Affirmative Action increases admission and employment rates for minorities, there is much speculation as to whether it is the most effective policy. Researchers are not confident yet of how different variables interact to affect income, employment rates, and other indicators of success.As a result, one will often find seemingly conflicting data as exemplified by Card and Krueger’s (1992) findings that â€Å"5-20% of the post 1960 black gains were due to improved sc hool quality† while Smith and Welch (1989) claimed that 20-25% of black gains were a result of improved school quantity, which they asserted should be the focus of educational policies. Moreover, it is well known that employers often discriminate based on race, whether purposefully or unconsciously, and that this significantly impacts labor market outcomes.Affirmative Action can only do so much to address employment discrimination – in some models, the issue of negative racial stereotypes can be exacerbated by the application of such policies (Holzer and Neumark, 2000). In addition, some suggest targeting education inequalities in primary and secondary education as opposed to implementing race-preferential treatment in post-secondary education as a more efficient and equitable policy, although efforts such as NCLB have only slightly improved primary and secondary education inequalities.The primary and secondary education quality in the United States is in dire need of i mprovement already; high school graduation rates have stagnated, and school quality is falling behind when compared to the educational systems of other developed countries. There also exist other complicated variables that need to be addressed in order to close the income gaps between minorities and non-minorities such as the inheritance of learning abilities/behavior, ghetto culture, and the underclass (Jencks, 1993). As one can expect, research concerning controversial issues often suffers from researcher bias.Economic research typically entails numerous variables and methods in order to reach conclusions, and more often than not, results are varied and ambiguous, especially in this particular branch concerning Affirmative Action. It is a simple matter to selectively exclude certain results in order to make it appear as if a research study conclusively supports or rejects Affirmative Action as a beneficial policy, should one wish to do so. Literature searches can quickly turn up v ery obviously biased articles with weak evidence and unreasonable claims.Furthermore, past research has indicated that the types of models used in studies can have a significant impact on the results, further obfuscating the conclusions on the effectiveness of the policies. In fact, as of present, research on the policies has resulted in mostly ambiguous conclusions, although it is of my opinion that studies in general very slightly lean toward suggesting that Affirmative Action is beneficial as a whole – research studies that conclusively reject Affirmative Action as a viable policy are few and far between, and it is even difficult to find studies that demonstrate significant negative effects.In order to obtain more accurate data, researchers would optimally be able to create experimental studies with control and treatment groups, but this is very unlikely to occur due to the unethical properties of such studies. Clearly, it has become even more imperative that researchers i mprove models on the efficiency of Affirmative Action policies in order to obtain more reliable data to demonstrate with greater confidence the effects of the policy. Of course, these topics only cover the economic justifications for Affirmative Action, which is clearly also a matter of social justice.There is an endless cycle of philosophy-based debates on the policy – should we as a society aim for equity or efficiency? If we are willing to sacrifice some efficiency for equity, how much is optimal? There is also the question of whether society has a responsibility to â€Å"[remedy] the present effects of past discrimination,† which begins another entire debate about the responsibility of people today for wrongs committed by ancestors (Jones Jr. , 1985).Some also believe that Affirmative Action devalues the achievements of minorities since credit may be given to race-preferential treatment instead of to the individuals who accomplish those feats; this can lead to furt her racial prejudice and bias, possibly encouraging the continuation of racial discrimination in job employment. There are also suggestions that perhaps policies ought to focus on helping the part of the minority population with low socioeconomic status so as to avoid situations in which wealthy black students may be given preferential treatment over more qualified white students living below the poverty line.The debate over Affirmative Action for women is also just as controversial, for women also suffer from income inequality, but they still receive the same advantages that their male siblings receive. Therefore, one can argue that women are not put at a disadvantage early on in life and that they should not require preferential treatment in admissions or employment. In fact, women who benefit from Affirmative Action are much less likely than racial minorities to be lower-qualified and less-skilled, suggesting that implementing a preferential treatment policy may be inequitable in this case.Even more abstract of an argument is the claim that men and women will never reach perfect equality since they inherently desire different careers and hold differing aspirations for lifetime achievements. As can be seen, there is literally a myriad of issues that factor into the debate on Affirmative Action. The field of research concerning the topic is beset by the typical problems plaguing education and economics research – education quality and educational inputs to schools are difficult to measure, as are the effects on income, employment rates, job characteristics, etc. The lack of experimental data lends no help.The effects of nationally implemented legislation are difficult to track and quantify because of differences over time and across states (Altonji and Blank, 1999). Compiling data at a national level is also vastly time-consuming and challenging. Though neither side has conclusive evidence that supports their argument, studies that reveal tentative con clusions on the effects of Affirmative Action policies are emerging, and models are slowly approaching real-world utility. As research continues, hopefully the accumulation of data and models will allow researchers to uncover the true effects of Affirmative Action.References Altonji, Joseph G. and Rebecca M. Blank. 1999. â€Å"Race and Gender in the Labor Market. † In Handbook of Labor Economics, edited by Orley Ashenfelter and David E. Card, 3143- 3259. San Diego: Elsevier B. V. Bowman, Nicholas A. 2010. â€Å"College Diversity Experiences and Cognitive Development: A Meta Analysis. † Review of Educational Research 80(1):4-33. Card, David and Alan B. Krueger. 1992. â€Å"School quality and black-white relative earnings: a direct assessment. † Quarterly Journal of Economics 107:151-200. Cortes, Kalena E. 2010. â€Å"Do Bans on Affirmative Action Hurt Minority Students?Evidence from the Texas Top 10% Plan. † Economics of Education Review 29(6):1110-1124. D ong, Li and Dennis L. Weisman. â€Å"Why Preferences in College Admissions May Yield a More- Able Student Body. † Economics of Education Review 30(4):724-728. Hinrichs, Peter. 2011. â€Å"The Effects of Attending a Diverse College. † Economics of Education Review 30(2):332-241. Holzer, Harry and David Neumark. 2000. â€Å"Assessing Affirmative Action,† Journal of Economic Literature 38:483-568. Jencks, C. 1993. Rethinking Social Policy: Race, Poverty, and the Underclass. New York: HarperPerennial. Jones Jr. , James E. 1985. The Genesis and Present Status of Affirmative Action in Employment: Economic, Legal, and Political Realities. † Iowa Law Review 70:901-923. Loury, Linda D. and David Garman. 1995. â€Å"College Selectivity and Earnings. † Journal of Labor Economics 13:289-208. Murray, Charles. 1994. â€Å"Affirmative Racism,† In Debating Affirmative Action: Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and the Politics of Inclusion, edited by Nicolaus Mills. 1 91-208. New York: Delta. Steele, Shelby. 1990. The Content of Our Character. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Smith, James P. and Finish Welch. 1989. â€Å"Black Economic Progress after Myrdal. † Journal of Economic Literature 27:519-564.

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

Healthcare - Essay Example The reasons for the stated, as a reading of Hamill's (2007) article indicates, lay in the country's highly competitive two-party system, budget constraints and the complex nature of legislature. Although Pennsylvania has one of the highest healthcare insurance percentages in the country, its Democratic governor, Edward G. Rendell is determined to expand coverage to include all uninsured adults and cut down on healthcare costs. As Hamill (2007) reports, governor Rendell is currently proposing that the state adopt a number of measures intended to reduce the cost of healthcare and, thus, extend healthcare to the state's 760,000 uninsured adults. Prior to the current proposal, Governor Rendell had declared his intent to sign a bill establishing a single-payer system, effectively making the state the insurer for the uninsured. The estimated cost of the aforementioned, however, forced him to reconsider this route (Hamill, 2007). Healthcare insurance is a problem but as one may infer from the article, one of the primary obstacles to the implementation of solutions lies, not in the inordinately complex nature of the problem itself but, in the nation's two-party system.

Economics 2 questions-u7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economics 2 questions-u7 - Assignment Example Depreciation of euros because of the increase in financial capital influences the European net export. To this end, import becomes expensive and export become cheap (Krugman, and Wells 123). This led to increase in export and decline for imports. The resulting net export is favorable, as exports, shall outweigh imports. The European Union will experience surplus in the current account. Labor productivity can be improved through education and training to employees. To this end, workers increase their knowhow and effectiveness. This improves the quality of service delivered thereby improving productivity. Technology can improve labor productivity. A well-equipped worker with necessary equipments can deliver services more effectively and efficiently compare to unequipped worker. Technology eases the time and efforts employed by worker in delivering service (Krugman, and Wells 167). The above diagram assumes increasing opportunity cost between the two goods. The increase in labor productivity increases the production of the two goods. Therefore, the production possibility curve shifts outward as shown

Surrealism in Fashion Elsa Schiaparelli and Yang Du Essay

Surrealism in Fashion Elsa Schiaparelli and Yang Du - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism in Fashion Elsa Schiaparelli and Yang Du" analyzes fashion and surrealism. The paper looks at the shift from the manifestation of the ‘future’ in the historical past to near subsequent dream world of Surrealist response, whereby the future as depicted in Salvador Dalà ­Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s distorted timepieces in Persistence of Memory, removes the logic of ‘progress’ prior Modernist movements toward an organic incorporation of technology, rather than mere orchestration of the future. Influenced by both conventions of Italian Futurism and French Surrealist aesthetics, Elsa Schiaparelli’s designs in speak to this moment of transition in Inter-War History. The second half of the essay is an examination of current theoretical debates on the cumulative, and necessarily disjunctive quality of cultural productions, or the so-called â€Å"crisis of representation.† Following Walter Benjamin’s notions of ‘Ur’ history, whe re things of the past leave their traces for further reproduction in the future, I will draw on the visual technologies of advertising imagery of Europe’s inter-war regime(s) to access fundamental links between capital, political ideology, technology and the bodies of fashionistas. Thierry Mugler’s work is a candid and cheeky derivative of this history; making fun of fascism whilst promoting its aesthetic as impenetrable, yet sexy. In both of these fashion designers’ work, inscription of power on ‘the body’ through haute fashion culture, serves as a historical trace. ... The emergence of Surrealism within fashion, for instance, was marked by the birth of parallel aesthetic cultures in commercial advertising, and especially the incorporation of art photography. The first coherent movement dedicated to aesthetic pastiche, Surrealism set the tone for later movements like Deconstruction. The first half of the paper looks at the shift from the manifestation of the 'future' in the historical past to near subsequent dream world of Surrealist response, whereby the future as depicted in Salvador Dal's distorted timepieces in Persistence of Memory, removes the logic of 'progress' prior Modernist movements toward an organic incorporation of technology, rather than mere orchestration of the future. Influenced by both conventions of Italian Futurism and French Surrealist aesthetics, Elsa Schiaparelli's designs in speak to this moment of transition in Inter-War History. The second half of the essay is an examination of current theoretical debates on the cumulative, and necessarily disjunctive quality of cultural productions, or the so-called "crisis of representation." Following Walter Benjamin's notions of 'Ur' history, where things of the past leave their traces for further reproduction in the future, I will draw on the visual technologies of advertising imagery of Europe's inter-war regime(s) to access fundamental links between capital, political ideology, technology and the bodies of fashionistas. Thierry Mugler's work is a candid and cheeky derivative of this history; making fun of fascism whilst promoting its aesthetic as impenetrable, yet sexy. In both of these fashion designers' work, inscription of power on 'the body' through haute fashion culture, serves as a historical trace intended to transcribe the collection of next season's

Birthright Citizenship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birthright Citizenship - Research Paper Example The current interpretation was intended to reflect the population policy of the state. In the initial years of the American nation, there was inadequate work force to power development in the country. Therefore, the government adopted an approach that increased the chances of becoming American citizens. In those times, there were no requirements. In fact, even the property ownership principles were different. For example, due to the perception that America was virtually empty, the original settlers just camped on the site and then obtained the necessary paperwork. These laws have since changed to reflect the changing times. While all people who landed in America had a choice to stay and automatically become citizens, immigration laws have limited acquisition of citizenship (Lacey par 5). The only remaining aspect is birthright citizenship. There are propositions that there are better models of granting citizenship to people who live in the United States. For example, before a person is granted birthright citizenship, their parents, or at least one of them, would be required to be an American citizen. In this way, all children born to alien parents have to acquire citizenship in other ways. In this way, the issue of mothers timing their deliveries to coincide with visits to the country would no longer be a problem. At this point, it is relevant to understand the motivation behind strict control of immigration. Over the years, the American population has grown rapidly. This growth was fuelled by immigration, especially from Europe. However, the current population is exceeding the ability of the countries resources. For example, there are people who blame the presence of immigrant in the country for the poor wage structures and thus for reduced standards of living. There are many flaws to this model, but for this paper, it will be adopted because it is influential to the population policies adopted by the

The benefits of using a web portal in high schools Essay

The benefits of using a web portal in high schools - Essay Example A web portal is a very important tool used to develop scientific knowledge. People bond with one another to develop an education community using web portals. The portal serves as podiums where all the facts, resources, and professional in the field of science can be retrieved (Cappel and Huang, 2007). The portal is a full time available source of information that helps in the growth of the learning community as they engage in discussions, exchange views, and conduct activities that promote learning. Online document libraries available in the portal are constantly updated with latest research findings. Simulation of real life is also made available through the web portal (Cappel and Huang, 2007). 3) Brief relevant background literature A web portal gives information that is assorted in a combined manner. These are sites of information, which developed during 1990s and in 2000. A web portal operates just like an investigative or an explore mechanism (Becker, 2005; Luke, 2005). However, this portal as argued by Becker (2005) has several features or purpose than the search device itself (Becker, 2005). A web portal, provides information a researcher wants to discover or search, as well as certified web portal. Apart from this, it also provides email internet services, entertainment cites to the users (Cappel and Huang, 2007). ... Therefore, the horizontal portal covers several areas, while the vertical portal covers specific areas (Pang et al., 2009). The web portal has the following major functions; search, navigate, provides information or manages content, personalization, push technology, management of tasks, conducts the integration of applications and organizes business infrastructure (Pearson and Pearson, 2008). The web portal aims at increasing student interaction (Preece, Rogers and Sharp, 2002). It provides students with an opportunity to interact with their lecturers and their fellow students, and be more engaged in their studying (Preece, Rogers and Sharp, 2002). It also tends to provide students with learning resources and campus sources from library subject to achieve curses offered online. Through it, the faculty members get accesses to teaching and learning resources. Lectures also use the web to assess their students, record their grades, and communicate the outcome to the students and their c olleagues (Preece, Rogers, and Sharp, 2002). The students can use the site to register for their classes, get access to financial assistance, pay for their tuition, sign up for programs like lunch programs, and indicate any absences (Adonis, 2006). Through it, the school can create communities that interact online that include the students, administration, faculty members, and alumni to work together (Abdous, 2005). A web portal is an online opening where learners can log into a website to access significant information (Townsend, Schaffer & Deon, 2004). Portals are normally used in schools and universities where quick information and school bring up to date available information to a big number of learners within the institution. Education departments

Teaching and Learning Issues within a Cognitive Context Research Paper

Teaching and Learning Issues within a Cognitive Context - Research Paper Example It can also include delay in language development and inability to start conversations or participate in them properly Restricted and repetitive patterns of interests, thoughts and physical behaviors including making repetitive physical movements such as twisting or hand tapping and getting easily upset when these routines are disrupted. Autism is a major concern in education as approximately half of those suffering from ASD have learning difficulties that vary from one individual to another. Children with this condition may experience problems in understanding or communicating their needs to fellow students and their teachers. They can experience difficulties in understanding some classroom instructions and directions, along with facial and vocal cues of their teachers. Lack of appropriate social interactions my cause challenging behaviors, ostracizing and bullying. Problems with creative or imaginative play inhibit interactions with other students, and this means that most teaching strategies will not be effective. Sensory issues mean that the student may not cope well with noisy surroundings, maintaining eye contact or being touched by others. This incapacity to fully decode the world around them usually makes learning stressful for the student, and teachers commonly report that they find it challenging to satisf y the needs of students with autism. (Dunlap & Fox, 2003) This type of hearing loss interferes with the sound conducting paths of the middle and outer ear. The degree of loss can be minimized by use of hearing aids or through surgery. Individuals with this kind of hearing loss usually speak softly, hear better in noisy environments than individuals with normal hearing, and often experience ringing in their ears (Disability.illinois.edu, 2014) This type of hearing loss interferes with the auditory nerves and the inner

Medicare Background Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare Background - Term Paper Example The plan provided health care to a special group of people, the seniors who were above 65 years of age and to the disables bellow 65 years. Medicare and Medicaid bills were then signed into law and ex-president Truman was the first to register for the program. The scheme has increasingly covered up to 45 million people by 2007. It cost the federal government lots of billions of dollars to give service claims (Merck, 2007). Part A, of the program, covers inpatient medical services including those hospitalized and those in a nursing home in sub-cute status. This category of people had certified work requirement and their contribution to the plan was through payment of Medicare tax deducted directly from the employer. Part B covers outpatient treatments. They pay monthly premiums and gets government subsidy. Part C had an array of health insurance plan from through traditional to network insurance model. Part D was initiated in 2006 and covers outpatients. The benefit here is delivered through plans from the private sector. Enrolment in this part is free just as in part C. (Star, 1982). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were established to control on administration and the smooth running of the healthcare program. The center was to carry out the nationwide framework to conduct effective background checks on prospective patients who were direct access employees (Theodor, 2000). The employees were beneficiaries of a long-term care plan (LTC.). LTC services included perfect nursing facilities, provision of skilled nursing, home health agency, and providers of personal care services.  

Indonesian worker in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Indonesian worker in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Her job can hardly be considered greedy as, apart from her salary, she receives no bonuses and benefits, although if she falls ill, her employers do pay for her treatment. Furthermore, her salary is fixed and is not reviewed for increases and she works hard for ever dollar she earns. Her employers are a middle-aged Saudi couple whose children are grown up and living away from home. They are exceedingly rich and very well-connected. The husband works as an ambassador, now retired, at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the wife is a member of the Saudi Royal family. The couple, contrary to the stereotypical image she had of rich Saudi Arabians, treat their staff very courteously and are very sedate. They hardly entertain anyone outside of their family, although they do go out quite frequently. Yes, it is a living wage for an Indonesian. She transfers 250USD to Indonesia every month, keeping only 50USD for herself. Of the $250 she transfers home, $100 enter her husband's account to help support the family and the rest into a savings account in her name. The 100$ that go towards household expenses are double the amount that her husband earns per month. The family relies on this money to pay for the children's schooling, their clothes, food and, if need be, medication. She saves half of her s... She transfers 250USD to Indonesia every month, keeping only 50USD for herself. Of the $250 she transfers home, $100 enter her husband's account to help support the family and the rest into a savings account in her name. The 100$ that go towards household expenses are double the amount that her husband earns per month. The family relies on this money to pay for the children's schooling, their clothes, food and, if need be, medication. 9-how/on what does this global woman spend her wages She saves half of her salary, hoping that one day she would have saved enough to buy a home. The fifty dollars which she puts aside for herself are hardly used at all since she rarely has an opportunity to go out or purchase anything. The 100$ which are spent every month, all go towards her children's expenses. 10-what is the economic situation in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia Indonesia is a developing country. Its per capita income is ranked as the 99th in the world. Inflation rates are high and well-paying job opportunities are limited. In direct comparison, Saudi Arabia is ranked as the 33rd in the world in terms of per capita income. Jobs for nationals are very well-paying and the government subsidises most services, including education and healthcare. While inflation is on the increase, salaries increase accordingly. The implication here is that even though both countries may accurately be described as developing' Saudi Arabia is in a far stronger economic position than is Indonesia. 11- explain how this woman fits into the economy of her home/host country She is an expatriate worker and this has numerous implications. In the first place it means that rather than join her domestic labour force and live her life as an

Wise Judgment Scenario Essay Example for Free

Wise Judgment Scenario Essay The wise judgment scenario that I have chosen to write on is the teenage girl  in love. The teenaged girl’s boyfriend that she is in love with is encouraging her to have sex; he is saying he will make sure they only have protected sex. Older woman can usually relate to situations like this, because we were all once young. I have personally dealt with this wise judgment situation but at a younger age. When coming to situations like these one must make a wise judgment, this will take place with in the perception of the person. There are several questions the young girl needs to think about; am I old enough, do I really love him, is it worth it, or is he worth it. The person needs to look with in her emotional perception. This is the person’s ability to identify emotions and recognize them in others. The teenage girl needs to think, does he really show emotions for me as I do for him. She thinks that she is in love, but how does she know she is not experiencing lust for the boy? Maybe the couple spends too much time together, and she cannot decipher her emotions because she is constantly with him. If she was to go hang out with friends maybe then she could open up and realizes if this is something she should avoid at this age. Mood changes sometimes enable people to appreciate different and more points of view. This scenario is almost a hard factor for a lot of people to try and make judgments towards. I think this is because we do not know how old the teenage girl is, and we do not know her or the boy friends back ground. Now in our present time, teenage pregnancy is very common now, and most of them our in their very low teens. I think this should have a lot to do with decisions making when it comes to unprotected sex. If the boy friend says he will make sure, it is also in her wise judgment to make sure as well, not just him. Wise judgment has been hypnotized into five components, to better help people understand. The first component is factual knowledge about matters of life. This means this includes knowledge about human nature, interpersonal relations, and social norms (Ch 4, pg94). The teenage girl  needs to get more information about interpersonal relation and human nature. This will help her understand how relationships work, and she can find out if she is in love with him or is it lust. If this is her first relationship it is more than likely going to be lust. As teenagers hormones kick in they like whoever is the first persons to show them the attention they like. This could also be another factor in her having sex with this boy. He could be using her because he knows she is irritable. The next component is procedural knowledge, this deal with weighing goals, methods of handling conflict, and ways of offering advice. The teenagers can use this knowledge by weighing goals that they wish to have as they get older. For example if they want to go to college, or even get married in a couple years, what if they have kids. All these need to be thought about when they are being sexual active because having protected sex does not always 100% prevent births. So they need t think, what happens if we do get pregnant, will I still be able to achieve the goals that I had before hand, like finishing school. Handling conflict is also a strategy they can think about, what if they have sex and they end up breaking up. Questions like where would we go from there? The third component is lifespan contextualism, this is knowledge about different roles and contexts of life and how they may change in life. The teenage couple may not realize that as they grow older and mature that there might be someone else out there for them. If they can learn to wait and enjoy being teenagers and not have to possible deal with the risk and responsibilities of life, they might find more friends and things to do. In a life we come in contact with so many people, making so many friends along the way. Life is to enjoy and not grow up to fast, live and learn. Next is the fourth component of wise judgment and it is recognition and management of uncertainly. This is that the future cannot be fully known in advance and that life is unpredictable. This should be a very big component in talking about sexual relations, especially between young people. Having a child at a young age is something that cannot be predicted. Even protected sex can go wrong; the best protection is not having sex until parent hood is ready. The last component to wise judgment is relativism regarding solutions. This is to acknowledge individual and cultural differences in values and life priorities. This brings us back to goals. Setting goals as a younger person is vary valuable in life, it can help you reach what you want to be in life.  The teenagers need to be aware of their goals and not only a couple but as individuals. They need to be fully aware of the effects that teen sex can cause. They need to think what happens if she does get pregnant are they financially responsible to take care of another life. Based on the five components of wise judgments the decision that I have made regarding this scenario is that they should wait. I have chosen to make this decision because all the facts make sense. If the teenagers are in â€Å"love† then I believe that they should be able to wait a little bit longer. They need to wait and make sure they are finished with school and both have reliable jobs. I think these are important to look at because if she happens to get pregnant she will not have to quit school or fall behind on school work, since she will be graduated. Also having jobs and an established place is a big deal. They do not want to have the burden of having a baby and not having anyway of raising the baby. Also it says that he is encouraging her into having sex, and I think that this is a form of peer pressure and on his behalf is not fair. Younger teenage girls are very vulnerable when it comes to having a boyfriend interested in being with them. So I think waiting is the true test of their relationship.

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention for Mothers

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention for Mothers CHAPTER V DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter deals with discussion, summary and conclusions drawn. It clarifies the limitations of the study, the implications and recommendations given for different areas in Nursing practice, Nursing education, Administration and Research. The primary purpose of the intervention was, â€Å"care of premature babies†. DISSCUSSION: The birth of a baby before the developing organs is mature enough to allow normal postnatal survival. Premature infants are at greater risk for short and long term complications, including disabilities and impediments in growth and mental development. Significant progress has been made in the care of premature infants, but not in reducing the  prevalence  of preterm birth. Preterm birth is among the top causes of death in infants worldwide DEMOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION: Mean age of the respondents were years. Most of the respondents were in the age group of 21-30 years (72.5%). In regard to education out of 40 respondents 13(32.5%) were post graduate, occupation 32(80%) were employed, religion 37 (92.5%) belonged to Hindu religion, with regard to monthly income 16(40%) were under 11000-20000, as for the years of marriage 25(62.5%) respondents were married for 1-5 years. Regarding type of family 25(62.5%) were in nuclear family. Demographic variables of the babies were included, out of 40 mothers 25 (62.5%) were having male baby. Considering the weight of the baby 17 (39.5%) were having more than 2 kg, considering the type of delivery 32(80%) had LSCS. Regarding the gestational age 22(55%) was under 32+1-35 weeks of gestation. Regarding the number of hospitalization 19(47.5%) were less than 10 days. The first objective of the study was to assess the caring skills of mothers with premature babies The present study findings revealed that, the mean pretest knowledge score of the respondents were 12.12. The mean post test knowledge score obtained was 18. The findings revealed that, the mean coping abilities of mothers with premature baby was 82.65. Chen TJ et al., (1998) conducted a study on effectiveness of videotape education for mothers of prematurity. The researcher selected Sixty two mothers were randomly assigned to a control group or experimental group. During hospitalization mothers were assigned to the experimental group received additional study regarding the knowledge and skills of caring for premature infants. The mothers in the control group received routine educational care. The findings indicated that mothers who received a videotape education reported having more knowledge and confidence of caring their preterm babies than the mothers who were in the control group. Moreover mothers in the experimental group have perceived lower stress than in the control group. The second objective of the study was to determine the effect of educational intervention on caring skills and coping ability of mothers with premature babies The present study findings revealed that, that the mean pretest and post test knowledge score of respondents before and after the educational intervention on care of premature babies were 12.12 and 18 respectively. The t’ value is 21.32 for the mean difference in the pretest and post tests knowledge score of mothers with premature babies, it is significant at 0.05 levels. These findings substantiate that the educational intervention is effective intervention of knowledge gain. The finding is consistent with swati.s.,(2013) conducted a study on to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding management of low birth weight babies among postnatal mothers in selected community. Researcher selected forty postnatal mothers by using convenient sampling technique. Researcher used one group pretest posttest design. The conclusion of the study showed that overall mean score of the subjects in pretest was 56.25% with the standard deviation of 2.80, and the overall mean score of the posttest was 76.25%with the standard deviation of 2.28. The ‘t’value 13.96 was greater than the table value. It found to be a highly significant level of p The findings revealed that, the mean coping abilities of mothers with premature baby was 82.65.the percentage of overall coping score was 65.59%. The third objective of the study was to correlate the caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies For correlation of caring skills and coping abilities of mother’s formula of correlation coefficient was used. The obtained value is .76 which shows that there exists a correlation between the caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies. The finding is consistent with Han, et al., study on the report of coping strategies and psychosocial adjustment in Korean mothers of children with cancer. Researcher selected 200 Korean mothers. The conclusion of this study was the Korean mothers reported coping strategies related to maintaining family integration of an optimistic outlook for the situation as being most helpful. The most frequent use of coping pattern was maintaining family integration and an optimistic outlook for the situation. And the less frequent use of coping pattern was the information seeking were significantly associated with lower physiological distress and better family relationship after children’s medical and maternal characteristics were controlled for. Coping pattern, seeking social support was only predictive of social support. The fourth objective of the study was to associate the caring skills and coping ability of mothers with selected demographic variables In this study there is no association between pretest and posttest knowledge of caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies with demographic variables of mothers with premature babies (education, occupation monthly income and type of the family). SUMMARY The study was done to determine the effectiveness of educational intervention on caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies in KMCH hospital at Coimbatore, for which the following objectives are formulated. Assess the caring skills of mothers with premature babies Determine the effect of educational intervention on caring skills and coping ability of mothers with premature babies Correlate the caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies Associate the caring skills and coping ability of mothers with selected demographic variables The present study adopted single pretest posttest design forty respondents were selected by purposive sampling technique. The study is based on Modified Ludwigvon Bertalanffy general system model (1968). The study was conducted for a period of six weeks in KMCH. The tool for data collection are structured self administered questionnaire for assessing the caring skills of mothers with premature babies and CHIPS(coping health inventory for parents) to assessing the coping abilities of mothers with premature babies. The educational intervention given to the mother by computer. After the seventh day post test and coping ability was assessed through CHIPS. In the post test the entire respondents gained knowledge regarding caring skills of mothers with premature babies. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used in statistical analysis. Karl person’s coefficient of correlation was used to find out the correlation between caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies. Chi –square was used to find out association between background variables with caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies. The study tested and accepted that, there is a high positive correlation between caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY The mean pretest knowledge of the respondents were 12.12 The mean posttest knowledge of the respondents were 18 The mean coping abilities the respondents were 82.65 The ‘t’ value is 21.32 for the mean difference in the pretest posttest knowledge score of respondents which is statistically significant at 0.05 level. CONCLUSION The following conclusion was drawn from the study. Effectiveness of one to one teaching programme improving the mother’s caring skills of premature babies. The study proved that there is a significant difference between pretest and posttest knowledge of caring skills of mothers premature babies. The study proved that the caring skills was positively correlated with their coping score The study proved that there is no association between the caring skills and coping abilities with their selected demographic variables IMPLICATIONS Numerous implications can be drawn from the present study for practice which promotes and creates a new dimension to nursing profession and will bring numerical changes in the practical behaviors. The present study results have several implications on nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration, and nursing research. Nursing practice Nurses can teach the care of premature babies to mothers whose babies admitted in NICU by using LCD. Motivate the mothers to give better care to their babies. Nursing education The study helps to provide knowledge in preparing mothers to provide care to the babies. Nurse educators can encourage the students to gain knowledge in care of premature babies. Nurse educator can encourage the students to learn skills in demonstrating care of premature babies in obstetrical and gynaecological wards. Nurse educator can prepare the nurses in motivating the mothers for care of premature babies by means of explanation and demonstration. Nursing administration Nurse administrator can plan and organize in service education for nursing personnel regarding care of premature babies. Nurse administrator can encourage the nursing personnel to conduct a longitudinal study of caring skills of premature babies. Nurse administrator can organize a video show regarding the caring skills of premature babies. Nursing research Nurses must develop newer instructional technology towards nursing education and nursing practice on care of premature babies. The study gives emphasis to practice evidence based findings. The study lays down a foundation for further research LIMITATIONS Only forty samples were included in the study due to the time constraints. The study is limited to who has delivered baby before 37 weeks of gestation. RECOMMENDATIONS A similar study can be conducted for a large group in different areas on a long term basis. Similar study can be conducted among other health personnel. Similar study can be conducted by using true experimental design. Similar study can be conducted by using different teaching strategies. A comparative study can be conducted to assess the knowledge and practice in care of premature babies among normal delivery and LSCS mothers ABSTRACT The present study entitled â€Å"Effectiveness of educational intervention on knowledge regarding caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies at KMCH in Coimbatore†. The objectives of the study were as follows, assess caring skills and coping abilities of mothers with premature babies, determine the effect of educational intervention on knowledge regarding caring skills and coping ability of mothers with premature babies, compare the pretest and post test score of caring skills of mothers with premature babies, associate the caring skills and coping ability of mothers with selected demographic variables. The Design of the study was Single group pretest posttest pre experimental design experimental design. The study was conducted at KMCH maternity wards and NICU, Coimbatore, the sample size for this study was included 40 mothers with premature babies. Purposive sampling technique was adapted for this study. And the conceptual frameworks for this study we re developed by applying Ludwigvon Bertalanffy (1968) general system theory. The outcome measure of this study was knowledge regarding caring skills of mothers were assessed before and after educational intervention through administration of structured questionnaire and the coping abilities of mothers were assessed through modified coping health inventory for parents (MCHIPS) computer assisted teaching was given to the mothers. The results of the study was the mean pretest and posttest knowledge scores of the mothers with premature babies before and after educational intervention were 12.12 and 18.while mean score of coping abilities of the mothers with premature babies were 82.65.In comparison of caring skills and coping abilities, ‘t’ value of caring skills was 21.32 which is significant at 0.05 level. Coefficient of correlation between caring skills and coping ability is 0.76 which shows that there is a high positive correlation between caring skills and coping abili ty. There is no association between pretest and posttest knowledge score of the respondents on caring skills of mothers with premature babies and their education, occupation, income, type of family. The conclusions of the study were the teaching intervention of the caring skills of premature babies has significantly improved their knowledge and coping abilities.

What to Do if Your Dog is Constipated

What to Do if Your Dog is Constipated Dog constipation is usually something that dog owners shouldn’t worry about as most of the dogs will likely be constipated at some point in their lives. Concisely, constipation is the inability of the dog to defecate normally. If your dog seems to be exhausting while passing his stools or maybe his stools are unusually hard, he probably is constipated. Normally, the body of the dog can deal with the problem on its own, but if constipation lasts over a few days, you need to take steps to ease the dog. Dog constipation- What to do if your dog is constipated? Can dogs get constipated to an extent that it becomes troublesome for the dog? The answer lies in the fact that constipation in dogs is a common occurrence due to the modern day diet they are given by their owners. In some cases, the constipation is so severe that it is impossible for the dog to pass tools without external help. My dog is constipated. What should I do? Well, here are few of the things you can do to offer immediate relief to your dog: Soak a washcloth in warm (not hot) water. Now, using this damp cloth put a little pressure on the stomach of the constipated dog, stroking downwards towards the anus. This action mimics the natural way a mother dog uses its tongue to help the puppy eliminate trapped gas and the waste accumulated in the stomach. Always keep lot of water near your pet as lack of water can put his kidneys at risk. In order to prevent constipation from happening, provide your dog with lots of vegetables in his meals. Many individuals use a variety of green vegetables with wetted dry dog food. Remember that exercise is a good remedy for constipation. Depending on the age and condition of the dog, a long walk or an energetic play does a fantastic job of reviving a sluggish bowel. Constipation is rare in puppies, but should your dog ever gets constipated, he can easily be comforted by the use of enema. An enema could be administered through a # 8 feeding tube, which is mounted on a syringe filled with around 3-4 cc of warm water (the amount depends on the size of the dog). Put small amount of KY Jelly (or petroleum jelly) on the end of this tube, and insert the tube into the dog’s rectum, perhaps an inch (again that depends on the measurements of the dog). Slowly push the plunger until the liquid formula has completely disappeared from the syringe. In just few minutes, you will get the desired results. Causes Symptoms of a Dog Constipated Causes of dog constipation A dog that is suffering from constipation spends more than usual in releasing his stools, as well as the resulting stools are small, round and hard. It certain that if your puppy is constipated, he is undergoing great trauma. One of the main reasons for constipation is insufficient water intake and too much gap between two potty breaks. With that said, here are some of major causes of constipation in canines: 1. Excessive Licking Excessive licking of hair can harden the hair, which might block the colon. You must find out the cause of excessive licking and eradicate it completely. 2. Consumption of foreign objects Consumption of foreign materials such as gravel, rocks, toys, dirt, bones and fabric can also contribute towards getting the dog constipated. If objects are abnormally large, they might injure the colon while the dog attempts to pass them. You might even need surgery to remove them. 3. Surgery Constipation is one among the several side effects of surgery. So, don’t be worried if your dog doesn’t have bowel movements for a few days after he has undergone a surgery. 4. Certain medications can cause temporary constipation Certain medications could cause temporary constipation in canines. Your veterinarian will almost certainly suggest a stool softener to resolve the problem. 5. A dog that shouldnt be constipated according to his medical reports must be checked for electrolyte disturbances. This could be a serious clinical characteristic of a metabolic disease that might have manifested in the dog. 6. Older dogs often have their prostrates enlarged. The prostate is located just beneath the colon. When it enlarges, it presses against the colon and reduces the width of the route it has for the passage of feces. Alternatively, there might be a tumor in the colon, narrowing the passage further. Neutering the dog and/or removing the tumor will generally correct such problems. Dog Constipation Symptoms How to tell if your dog is constipated? There are many signs and symptoms of constipation in canines that can easily be seen by those that are in close contact with the dog. Common symptoms One among the obvious symptoms of constipation is difficulty in defecation. This difficulty can manifest itself in a few different ways, including excessive stress and the inability to generate a bowel movement at all. Sometimes dogs release small amount of fluid from their anus after an effort. You can consider your dog as constipated if he does not have a bowel movement for more than two days. Additional symptoms Some dogs with constipated stomachs might still have the ability to release their stools; however, the stools they release are often very hard and dry. You might also notice the obvious pain that the dog feels (exhibited by whining, grunting and hunching) while defecating. The dry stools and constant straining might turn the anus red. In other instances, the stool contains blood and mucus. Symptoms of severe constipation In the advanced stages of constipation, dogs experience decreased appetite, give up eating completely or vomit a lot. They could also become bloated and lethargic due to compacted stools. Constipation might also cause depression in dogs. Many of them might stop responding to their favorite play activities and treats. If your dog is experiencing any one of these symptoms, call your veterinarian immediately. Some other symptoms A clear indication of constipation in pet dogs is visiting the toilet frequently with little success. Other noteworthy indications of constipation are listed below: Mental stress Loss of appetite Reluctant to do physical activities Increased whining Abnormal gait Difficulty in walking Abdominal distension Swelling and soreness in the anal region Painful bowel movement Straining while defecating Passing very hard stool Passing very difficult stools Dog Constipation Remedy Remedies for dogs with minor constipation What to give a dog for constipation that is not major? Below mentioned are some of the best treatments that are meant for minor constipation. In case the problem persists for more than seven days or perhaps the stool contains large amounts of blood or mucus, consult your veterinarian before starting any treatment. Make use of a stool softener Minor constipation can usually be treated with the help of a stool softener. Laxatives for dogs are easily available on most of the pet stores. Read and follow the instructions on the label to ensure that you never overdose your pet. Lubricate An old remedy for dog constipation that is still in use today is lubricating the colon of the dog. Veterinarians usually recommend mixing such lubricants in food instead of feeding raw. Make sure that you adhere to the dosage to prevent further complications. Change his diet Try adding fiber to your dogs food. The fiber will not be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of the dog due to which it stays in the large intestine, adding to the volume of the stool. This boost in volume conveys strong sensory stimulation to the colon encouraging it to release the stools. You can easily purchase high fiber diet recipe from the market, which can further improve the mobility in the colon. Give him milk Milk often helps in problems like constipation. A Dog that is reluctant to drinking plenty of water tends to drink milk easily. Give him a small bowl of milk and let him lap it up. The dog will initially have running stools, but this should solve the problem of constipation. Plenty of exercise and clean, freshwater To keep the enzymatic system of your dog healthy, you need to keep your dog moving. Regular exercise will assist in pushing the stool out of the colon. On top of that, make sure that the dog drinks plenty of fresh water. Providing your dog with plenty of fresh water and exercise are among some of the best home remedies for dog constipation. Remedies for dogs that are heavily constipated What can you give a dog for constipation? Well, there are several home remedies that can even provide relief to dogs that are heavily constipated. Below mentioned home remedies will not only relieve your dog off his problem, but will also help him maintain proper digestion. Add digestive enzymes and probiotics Adding probiotics and digestive enzymes to the diet of your dog can significantly improve his condition. They can also act as a preventive remedy for indigestion, which is what causes constipation as well as other conditions like diarrhea. Use a highly digestible, low ash residue diet Some colons would perform better when the volume of stools is less. In order to achieve this goal, a low ash residue diet is used. With this diet, the body is able to absorb most of the nutrients, leading to lower volume of stools. Many of the bigger dog food makers are promoting diets that produce lesser stools as a treatment for dog constipation. Switch to canned food for a short time Switch to canned food but for a brief time. In case your dog is fed on dry kibble for a long time, check out quality canned food for 2 days. As the canned food carries more moisture in it, it will be easier for your dogs intestines to move such food. Feed your dog with ginger and chicken or beef broth Having these two ingredients in your dog’s food can help you relieve him off his constipation. This is also among the most popular remedies for dog constipation. Ginger helps upset the stomach and the fat in broth gets things moving. Use olive or vegetable oil This is a home remedy that you should not give many times to your dog, for the reason that it causes diarrhea. However, in times of constipation, adding one tablespoon of oil in your dog’s food can get all the irritable stuff out. This is one constipated dog treatment that is followed by dog owners around the world. Give him canned pumpkin in pureed form Canned pumpkin in its pureed form is a great stool softener and a natural remedy for constipation. Canned pumpkin for dog constipation is also a known remedy for soothing upset stomachs in dogs. It is very rich in fiber and adding just a couple of teaspoons of pureed pumpkin to your dog’s food can often start to show results almost immediately. Dogs can also be allowed to eat just the pumpkin. If the problem persists for over a few days, and there is blood coming out of the dog’s anus or your dog is vomiting, the issue is serious enough to seek veterinarian’s help. Homemade dog food- Avoid digestive problems for your dog Figuring out how to make dog food might seem like a big investment of time and energy. However, this investment of time is not as big as it seems once you know the right ingredients, and what your dog loves the most. Knowing these two things will help you prepare a meal for your dog in no time. With that in mind, here are some of the benefits of feeding your dog with home made dog food: Your dog gets more nutrition per ounce of food Home cooked food is not much more expensive than the commercial food available in the market. Considering the fact that your dog is getting all the nutrients he needs and will live a healthy life, spending a little extra on home cooked food is worth the investment. You have full control over the ingredients of your dogs food With home cooked dog food, you have full control over the ingredients that are going into your dogs food. You can customize the food according to the deficiencies present in the dog. This is one big advantage of home cooked food. Home cooked food doesnt cause any allergies in dogs Many of the dog owners switch to natural ingredients because their dogs start to develop different kinds of food allergies. With home cooked food, no such issue exists. Using the right ingredients When you feed your dog with homemade dog food, you have full control over the kind of fiber that is going into your dog’s food. Regardless of the kind of recipe you are using, make sure that it has at least some of the below mentioned fibrous ingredients in appropriate proportions: Whole oats Wheat bran Raw sesame seeds Psyllium seed (like in Metamucil) Ground flax seed Buckwheat Brown rice Food groups to use in dog’s food Learning how to make pet food is very different from knowing the food groups that are best for the dog, and the quantity in which they are required. Proteins, vegetables, starches and even fruits are some of the important food groups that your dog needs to consume on daily basis to meet his nutritional needs. Your dogs veterinarian should be able to provide the necessary treatment for constipation. You just need to make simple variations in your dogs diet and do all that is required keep your dog’s digestive system working well. If symptoms are severe, your vet might use X-rays to determine the cause of constipation, and perform the procedures necessary for remedying the problem.

The Phoenician Empire :: World History

The Phoenician Empire The Mediterranean Sea has spawned many civilizations through history. The Phoenicians, which originated around 1200 BCE, is one example. Despite the rather small size of this civilization, its impact on our world has been considerable. Being a seafaring nation, the Phoenicians established colonies all over the Mediterranean area, including the present-day cities of Carthage and Tripoli. As notable traders, they shared cultures with many nations, which allowed their invention of the alphabet to spread throughout Eurasia. The Phoenician Empire continued to evolve until its eventual incorporation into the Persian and Macedonian Empires, around 400 BCE. Phoenicia is an ancient region lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Empire peaked at around 1000 BCE, and developed until around 700 BCE. Phoenicia, now known as Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, was naturally isolated from other civilizations by the Lebanon Mountains in the east, and the great sea on the west. The small region stretched about 320 kilometers long and about 25 kilometers wide. This geographical isolation gave the Phoenicians enough protection to evolve into a strong nation, while giving it the freedom to trade and explore across the Mediterranean. Although little is known about the ancient civilization, it is known that the government was, at least in part, a monarchy. Royalty was considered a matter of divine descent, so kings could not be chosen outside of the royal family. The merchant families also held much power in Phoenicia, due to their great influence in public affairs. Although the name Phoenicia implies that the civilization was a unified state, the nation consisted of separate city-kingdoms. Each Phoenician City was considered independent from one another, and was ruled by its own king. Phoenicians were known as the most distinguished seafaring traders and merchants of the ancient world. In fact, they called themselves Kena'ani (or Canaanites), which is Hebrew for "Merchant". They established trading colonies all over the Mediterranean Sea, including Carthage, Simyra, Zarephath, Byblos, and Tyre (Sur). Maritime trading also reached into the Atlantic Ocean to England. Some of the goods traded included glass, color dyes, metals, horses, ebony and ivory, linen, coral, honey, spices, oil and precious stones. Maritime trading would not be possible for the Phoenicians without developed nautical technology. Phoenicians were known for having extremely advanced ships and navigation. Ships were built with a keeled hull, which allowed them to travel on the open seas.

The Great Gatsby: Gatsbys Illusion Of Himself Essay -- essays research

The Great Gatsby: Gatsby's Illusion of Himself F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is considered a novel that embodies America in the 1920s. In it, the narrator, Nick Carroway, helps his neighbor Jay Gatsby reunite with Daisy Buchanan, with whom he has been in love with since 5 years before, during World War I. The affair between the two fails, however, and ends in Gatsby being shot and killed. The reason that this was inevitable is that Gatsby created a fantasy so thoroughly that he became part of it, and he fell with it when reality came crashing down. The basis of all of this is Gatsby's obsession with Daisy and with meeting her. He did not want to deal with the reality that confronted him upon returning from the war. Fortunately, he had "an extraordinary gift, a romantic readiness," and he found in Daisy someone to focus this on. She is perfection to him, something for which he can strive, so he puts all of his energy into finding her again. He uses his inherited money to travel around the country, searching; when he runs out, he goes into the drug business, then oil, then liquor. He clips out articles about Daisy from every newspaper he can find; he buys a huge, romantic house that he hopes will merit her approval. The parties that he throws every night in hopes that she will come become almost famous for their extravagance and the variety of people that come. A resu...

History of Microsoft :: essays research papers

History of Microsoft   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My research paper is going to be on whether or not Microsoft should be broken up by the Justice Department. In order to understand what is going on in the trial, you need to know the history of Microsoft. Without knowing the history of Microsoft, there would be no way of forming an accurate opinion of whether Microsoft should be broken up or not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft first came into existence in 1975 and was founded by William H. Gates III(Bill Gates) and Paul Allen. The first product that they produced was the first version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair, which was the first personal computer. Microsoft then licensed BASIC to other companies, such as Apple Computer, Commodore, and Tandy Corporation. In 1977, Microsoft released its second language product, Microsoft FORTRAN.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft got its biggest break in 1980, when IBM chose Microsoft to write the operating system for the IBM PC personal computer. This was historically the biggest turning point for Microsoft. When the deal was made, Microsoft didn’t yet have an operating system to sell to IBM. Microsoft then purchased an operating system from a Seattle programmer and renamed it MS-DOS(Microsoft Disk Operating System.) During the meeting with IBM, Bill Gates was very crafty and convinced IBM to let Microsoft license MS-DOS to other computer manufacturers. That is why there are many clones of the IBM PC today. That move made MS-DOS the standard operating system for personal computers and skyrocketed Microsoft’s growth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1984, Microsoft became on of the first established software companies to develop software for the Apple Macintosh. By that time Microsoft had an office suite of applications that included Word, Excel, and Works. That move gave Microsoft experience in developing applications for GUI’s(Graphical User Interface.) In 1985, Microsoft used that knowledge and release the first version of Windows. Windows was a shell of DOS, which means that it ran over DOS and extended the features of DOS, and employed a graphical user interface. Windows 2.0 was released in 1987. Windows 2.0 had improved performance and offered a new visual appearance. In 1990, Microsoft released Windows 3.0, which was followed by Windows 3.1 and 3.11. The Windows 3.x line rapidly became the most widely used operating systems. Also in 1990, Microsoft became the first personal-computer software company to record $1 billion in annual sales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft was soon accused of monopolistic business practices. In 1990 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began investigating Microsoft for alleged anticompetitive practices.

Hannibal Barca and the Carthaginian Campaign Essay

Hannibal Barca is the famous Carthaginian general, who is especially renowned for his successful campaign against Rome during the Second Punic War in 218 BC. Hannibal won some of the most famous victories against a numerically superior Roman army in Roman battlefields, notably the Battle of Cannae, which is universally considered as a masterpiece of military strategy and ranks among greatest military achievements in history (Gabriel, 2001). The innovative use of strategy and resources and capitalizing on enemy’s slightest weakness to turn into decisive victory for himself had been unique characteristics of Hannibal’s leadership that has earned him place in annals of great military leaders of history. Even today, many military schools still teach Hannibal’s military strategy, specially his placement of forces and improvisation in attack maneuvers. Hannibal Barca (247 BC-183 BC) Hannibal rose to his fame during the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) during which he established himself as one of the most brilliant strategists and tactician of the war seen by ancient world. If analyzed from the overall view of leadership, there are very few generals even in modern times who can compete with Hannibal. Hannibal was not only extremely proficient in military techniques and innovations but he was also excellent in understanding the delicate balance between military and political power. He was also very apt in exercising directed will and personal leadership-indeed, it was his sheer personal presence and force that motivated soldiers under him for 16 years in a foreign land. A study of Hannibal’s style of campaign is highly relevant even from modern perspective. Further, the Second Punic War introduced the concept of strategic endurance and tactical engagement, which still form the basis of military strategy. In these senses, the Hannibal’s campaign in the Second Punic War is watershed event in the military history of the West (Gabriel, 2001) . Historians still debate about the exact causes that inspired Hannibal to muster Carthaginian Ships and lead the army to Italy on an inordinately long and, in the end, deliberately unaccomplished campaign. While in more than one ways, Hannibal continued to injure, wound and dent the Roman pride to the degree where Romans were afraid to send an army against him, Hannibal never did actually sack the Rome or take control of the Empire (Gabriel, 2001). It is suggested that Hannibal’s chief motivation was to neither to humiliate Rome for their victory in first Punic war, nor to settle any personal score, but rather a more prudent vision of checking the expansionist ambition of Rome and keep Carthage secure in the only feasibly way-by attacking the Rome itself. Rome of the third century B. C.  E. was still on the way to power and glory that it would acquire a century later. At this time Rome was largely a land power while Carthage had emerged as the richest and most powerful trading nation due to its control over sea and its access to market of Sicily, Corsica and Spain. But the expanding Roman interests soon brought Sicily in their purview, leading to direct conflict with Carthage (Gabriel, 2001). The strategic position of Sicily had placed it in such position that while it marked as a check over Roman expansion, its loss would translate into a direct threat over Carthage. This conflict of interests led to the first Punic War in 261 BC where Rome and Carthage were locked in a 20 years long war, bitterly fought by each side. Despite suffering huge casualties, Rome won by 241 BC and Carthage suffered heavy losses. Its major markets were annexed by Rome, its trading fleet was reduced and it was subjected to heavy indemnity. Faced with prospects of financial ruin, the state stood at the verge of civil war when it was rescued by its most able general Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal Barca. Hannibal was born in 247 BC and he grew up while closely watching his father’s style of leadership and military tactics (Gabriel, 2001). It can be said that defeat of first Punic War was one of the motivating factors for young Hannibal Barca, who quickly rose through military ranks to command the forces of Carthage. At this time, most of the fighting units were primarily composed of tribal mercenaries who only valued chieftains who could lead them to victory and subsequent plunder. Therefore, Hannibal’s rise among these soldiers in itself is a testimony to his formidable reputation as a brilliant young tactician, competent to deliver victory even in most adverse of the situations (Gabriel, 2001). The Second Punic War (218BC-201 BC) The Punic Wars are recognized as the harbinger of modern style of warfare, which is dependent more on strategy, skill and technique than numerical supremacy. They marked an important shift from the earlier one-day affairs where the fates of empires were often settled in a single engagement. The Second Punic War lasted for 16 years, during which Rome hardly ever won a single engagement; however, it maintained its tenacious grip over the empire without collapsing until it gathered sufficient strength to achieve victory (Gabriel, 2001). The war also established the important of political will and social organization as decisive elements towards victory. Eventually, Rome’s victory started the era of political and strategic resource gathering that ultimately led to creation of the Roman Empire. However, these results came much later on. At the time of Hannibal’s campaign, Rome was still a very strong nation-state with ample economic resources, manpower and competent generals with large legions of armies under their command. On the other hand, when Hannibal started his campaign his resources were severely restrained. After discounting all the forces required to secure Carthaginian mainland, Hannibal was left with only 40,000 men and 8–10,000 horse, mostly Africans and Numidians, from Carthage itself. The rest would have to be raised from friendly Iberian tribes. By comparison, Rome had a reservoir of 250,000 foot and 23,000 horses, which it could gather in any instant of war. Including the forces of its allies, the Roman swelled to Drawing swelled to 700,000 foot and 70,000 horse, an army that was even larger than Napoleon’s Grand Army that invaded Russia in 1812 (Gabriel, 2001). With these difficulties in sight, Hannibal was well aware that he could not win a war of attrition or a direct battle against Rome. His only route to success lied through a prolonged campaign where he hoped to defeat Roman army in separate encounters and thus alienate Roman allies, who would no longer see Rome as a significant power. This strategy was dangerous because Hannibal would be directly leading his army to play against Roman strength in ground war. Further, with Roman control over sea routes, the campaign would be required to be self sustaining for its entire period as no help could be reached from Carthage if the troops were entrapped by Roman army (Gabriel, 2001). Added to this multiplicity of difficulties was the fact that the entire campaign was to take place on Italian lands, where Roman generals had better advantage in understanding the weather and terrain. By 218 BC, Rome was itself preparing for a double assault under its two generals, Publius Cornelius Scipio and Sempronius Longus. Scipio was to attack Spain with a force of 24000 thousand soldiers and 1500 horses while Sempronius was preparing to invade Africa with 36000 men and 1800 horses. He started his invasion in May 218 BC, with strength of 50,000 men 9000 horses, and 37 elephants, hoping to recruit the Celtic and Gallic tribes en route during the campaign (Gabriel, 2001). He had to face some hostility from local tribes but after crushing them ruthlessly in a six week campaign he led his forces through Alps. Records show that Hannibal started his crossing with almost 60,000 men and 37 elephants and by the time he crossed the Alps, only 23000 men and horses and 10 elephants were left alive, though barely in fighting condition. This was a terrible setback to his campaign plans, but he did not let despair sink in (Morris. 1937). His sudden and completely unexpected descent by Alps had indeed taken the Roman Senate by surprise and thrown many of their military plans into haywire. Both Scipio and Longus were called from their planned invasion to counter impending threat of Hannibal. The Roman generals were indeed somewhat overconfident, having to operate within their own country lands. Further, they had remarkable degree of vanity, anger, impetuousness and ego-elements which Hannibal used dexterously to his advantage in drawing them to battle (Tony.  1992). Battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae. Hannibal’s forces had won a number of small skirmishes and minor battles against the pursuing army of Scipio which had given them confidence and also support of a large number of native tribes. Even some of the Celtic contingents within Scipio army revolted, killed Roman soldiers and joined Hannibal’s forces. This alerted the Roman general who then stationed his army over a hill near river Trebia, awaiting Longus and his army, to jointly take upon the Hannibal’s army that was resting across other side of the River (Tony. 1992). When Longus joined Scipio, the Roman contingent swelled to an impressive degree, far outnumbering Hannibal’s troops. However, even under these circumstances, Scipio urged caution and asked Longus to wait for winters and further reinforcement before beginning the battle. Semponius Longus was instead in favor of a quick action and quick glory. Hannibal provided further provocation to him as small part of his troops attacked Roman legions repeatedly, challenging them for war. Longus took the bait and ordered his troops to cross the Trebia river for a direct showdown against Hannibal’s army(Tony. 1992). However, unknown to him, Hannibal had concealed an elite force of 2000 cavalry under the banks of river, who were ready to spring a trap to Roman army. Further, Hannibal’s forces were well rested and had a definite action plan against their enemies. A 40000 strong Roman and allied army crossed the river Trebia to engage with Hannibal’s 30000 troops on a cold December morning. As the battle started, the hidden units of Hannibal attacked, taking them completely unawares and causing great disarray and confusion in the Roman columns. This confusion, along with strategic marshalling of Hannibal, cost Romans heavily (Tony.  1992). More than 30,000 of their soldiers died and rest fled to safety, handing Hannibal his first great victory of the campaign. His losses were minimal in comparison, which boosted the spirit of his army and drew more native tribes to him. Battle of Lake Trasimene The defeat prompted a change in of command in Roman army and senate appointed Cnaeus Servilius and Gaius Flaminius as counsel of wars to block Hannibal’s invasion to Rome. Hannibal found Flaminius not much different from Longus and therefore decided to lure him to battle using the same strategy that he used at Trebia. Hannibal ordered his troops to burn countryside, towns, villages and slaughter livestocks, but prevented them from taking directly on the Roman armies. The tactics was to enrage the generals, trick them into making a mistake and then destroy the Roman army at the place that offered Hannibal’s troop maximum advantage.. Flaminius fell for the these tricks and he decided to pursue Hannibal’s army through the valley besides lake Trasimene. He mistook 6000 of Hannibal’s troop as his entire army and entered the valley with 15000 of his force to defeat the Roman tormentor. But the full strength of Hannibal’s 30000 strong army was hiding in forest, under the veil of a thick fog, so that the entire Roman army went past them without taking any cognizance of their presence! At the right moment, Hannibal ordered the attack, which completely routed the Roman army. The battle lasted two hours during which 15000 Roman soldiers were killed at cost of 1500 men in Hannibal’s army (Gabriel, 2001). Battle of Cannae Hannibal’s victory in battle of lake Tresimene sent waves of fear through Roman empire. In just two years he had defeat four of the best Roman counsels and caused more than 50,000 casualties. Rome realized for the first time that it was up against one of its most formidable foe and to counter the challenge, it placed the command of battle in hands of Quintus Fabius, who was a very competent commander with acute understanding of military as well as political affairs (Daly. 2002). Fabius made a correct strategic assessment of the situation and concluded that in the end of war, Rome’s domestic advantage, its superior alliance relation and its vast resources would lead to its victory against Hannibal. Therefore, he did not show any hurry in marching to the battlefield and apprehending the culprit. He very well knew that time was working in Rome’s favor (Daly. 2002) The military policy he started was in accordance with this understanding and it was aimed at containing Hannibal rather than defeating him. For more than a year, Fabius policy paid dividends as he strengthened defenses, retained the alliances and by refusing to engage Hannibal in a direct conflict, denied him any opportunity of a victory. Fabius was fighting the true war of attrition, which would have destroyed Hannibal’s army (Gabriel, 2001). But the mood in Rome was favoring war and they viewed Fabius working style as too cautionary. The senate replaced Fabius by L. Aemilius Paulus and C. Terentius Varro as generals of war. These generals immediately fell for the bait of war that Fabius was deliberately avoiding in summer of 216 BC a 86000 strong Roman army under generalship of Varro took to field against Hannibal’s 45000 strong force near the village of Cannae (Daly. 2002). Varro made two crucial errors. First he positioned the river Aufidus on his right flank, which denied his soldiers any space of maneuver and secondly he completely ignored the strong Carthaginian cavalry. Hannibal, in his usual display of brilliance kept his strongest units at flanks and weakest at the center. Varro took the bait and his army pushed deep inside the Carthaginian formation, where they were trapped in a pincer movement by Hannibal’s superior strong force (Daly. 2002). It was akin that they were trapped in a V shaped formation with no route to escape. The battle was over within few hours and its end, 52000 Roman soldiers were laying dead, and 5000 were taken prisoner. Hannibal’s forces had suffered 8000 losses. The combined casualty was around 60000, making it one of the bloodiest battles fought (Gabriel, 2001). Further Campaigns Cannae was a great victory for Hannibal, and it marked culmination of his three years of war efforts where he had incapacitated more than 20 percent of entire Roman population that was capable of entering military. However, it is said, that the terrible sight after battle of Cannae had affected Hannibal deeply and despite the fact that there was no hindrance to his journey to Rome, he refused to take the coveted road, earning him censure and criticism from his own generals (Gabriel, 2001). Post the defeat of Cannae, Rome re-mobilized its army and within two years, it numbers had swelled back to 200,000 men under arms. However, it had learned from the mistakes and instead of attacking Hannibal directly, it played on Fabian strategy of tiring him, denying him an opportunity of waging a direct battle. This tactics worked successfully and by 210 BC, was Hannibal had been contained in southern Italy, while Roman armies won victories in Greece and Spain. True, Hannibal was still out of their reach and every effort to touch him resulted in a defeat for the Roman troops, but overall the Roman grip had greatly strengthened (Gabriel, 2001). By 204 B. C. E. Scipio launched a campaign against Africa, which threatened Carthage itself. This prompted the state politicians to negotiate with Rome which led to recall of Hannibal and his armies from Italy. Hannibal’s last battle was with Scipio on the African plain near the small village of Zama where he was as defeated, and thus ended the military career of one of the greatest generals of the ancient world/ Conclusion Of all the adversaries that Rome faced in its long history, Hannibal Barca is indelibly etched as its greatest foe and for very concrete reasons. In the entire history of Rome, no other general had single handed ravaged the empire to the degree that Hannibal managed, staying virtually undefeated through his 16 years long campaign, while outsmarting best of the Roman generals and strategist. It’s the testimony of Hannibal’s enterprise however, that his most authentic biography is given by none other than Roman historians. . His campaign against Rome produced some of the finest military strategy and thinking that ancient world had seen, or for that matter even the modern world has seen. Like all military leaders he was cruel and ruthless, but only to the degree where these traits served to meet the objective of his campaign. His very decision to abandon the route of Rome in wake of the slaughter at the Battle of Cannae shows the finer elements of his character.