Monday, December 30, 2019

Dementia And It s Types Essay - 1429 Words

Dementia and it s types Dementia is a syndrome caused by multiple progressive illnesses that affects memory, thinking, orientation, behaviour, comprehension, calculation, judgement, learning capacity, language, and loss of motivation and emotional control. The syndrome is characterized by Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with lewy bodies, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Dementia mainly affects older people. Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. Prevalence 44.4 million people were diagnosed with dementia worldwide in 2013. It is forecasted that the number of people with dementia will increase to an estimated 75.6 million in 2030, and 135.5 million in 2050. Much of the increase will be in developing countries. Alzheimer s disease is largely diagnosed in people above 65 years but can also occur in people who are in their 30s and 40s. What causes Alzheimer s? Alzheimer was first described by Dr. Alois in 1906 in a patient who suffered from confusion, memory problems and language dysfunction for years by looking at her autopsied brain. He observed tangles within the neurons and dense deposits/plaques around the neurons. These deposits and tangles are considered as the two most important pathological hallmarks of the disease. Alzheimer disease differs from normal aging. It is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function which gets worse over time. The disease may cause a person to become lost in familiar places, misplaceShow MoreRelatedAlzheimer s A Type Of Dementia1660 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes complications with memory, thinking, and behavior. Long before any signs of memory loss, there a microscopic changes occurring in the brain, altering its functionality (Alzheimer s Association Organization, 2016). The brain has billions of nerve cells that work together, and when one portion of the brains neurons are malfunctioning it leads to breakdowns in other parts of the brain. The two most noted abnormal structures that are suspectedRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : A Type Of Dementia1154 Words   |  5 Pages Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with your memory and behavior. Dementia is a term for the severe loss of mental ability that it interferes with your daily life. This is caused by damage to the brain cells. Alzheimer s disease is the most common type of dementia and is characterized by gradual declines mental abilities (Journal of Clinical Diagnostic Research, 2016). The disease sl owly attacks nerve cells in all parts of the brain and some surrounding structuresRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : A Type Of Dementia1117 Words   |  5 Pagesis a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, was first discovered by Alois Alzheimer in 1906; in which it accounts for almost 60%-80% of all dementia cases. Dementia is not a specific disease; it is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities (Alzheimer s Disease Dementia | AlzheimerRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : A Type Of Dementia910 Words   |  4 Pagesdisease Jordyn Marcx Anatomy Physiology 2 Professor Leal November 12, 2015 Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time. Alzheimer s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss. Alzheimer s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s disease attacks the brain’s nerve cells causing memory loss. Alzheimer’s is one of the top leadingRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease Is The Most Common Type Of Dementia1498 Words   |  6 Pages1. Alzheimer’s Disease a. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia b. Dementia is a term used to describe the disorders that affect the brain such as in memory loss. c. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative brain disorder causing progressive memory loss and destroys thinking skills. d. First discovered by Alois Alzheimer (a German physician) who first discovered the disease in 1906. (Alzheimer’s and Dementia) e. First discovered, while Alois was preforming an autopsy on a woman whoRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Common Type Of Dementia Essay1826 Words   |  8 PagesAlzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain causing progressive memory loss and destroys thinking skills. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, which is a general term used to describe disorders that affects brain functions. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by formations of plaques and tangles in the brain. A dangerous protein called beta-amyloid tends to build up over time in the brain. As this protein molecule accumulates, they start to formRead MoreThe Difference Between Dementia And Alzheimer s Disease1523 Words   |  7 Pagesthe difference between Dementia and Alzheimer s disease. Dementia is not a disease, it is a term used to describe Neurological conditions that involves some form of serious mental disorder such as memory loss, confusi on, and impaired judgment. Alzheimer s is an actual disease, which is a form of Dementia and the most common type of Dementia; it is accountable for 60% - 80% of all cases of Dementia. Dementia has been around for many years dating back to the 1900 s. Dementia refers to a group of symptomsRead MoreThe Common Types Of Dementia1013 Words   |  5 PagesDementia can be defined as a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life (alz.org). More than often, individuals affected by dementia are over the age of 65. In the United States, there are more than three million cases of dementia each year. According to World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia is currently estimated at 47.5 million worldwide and is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030 (World Health Organization 2015). Dementia is causedRead MoreDementia Awareness1508 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Unit 13 Dementia Awareness 1. Understand what dementia is 1.1 Explain what mean by the term dementia The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer s disease or a series of strokes. 1.2 Describe the key functions of the brain that are - affected by dementia The main areas of the brain that are affected by dementia in terms ofRead MoreDementia And Alzheimer s Dementia995 Words   |  4 PagesDementia and Alzheimer s Dementia and Alzheimer’s was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. He discovered both of them, dementia is like Alzheimer’s just not as severe. Dementia has several different types, these include Alzheimer s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and Front temporal dementia. The first changes you notice with dementia is Cognitive changes. These include memory loss, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with complex tasks, difficulty with planning

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Prohibition in America - 1214 Words

The 18th amendment had intention to improve quality of life, give u.s. citizens extra spending money, and prevent crime; but it did just the opposite. The 18th amendment was put into effect on the 18th of december 1917 and it â€Å"Prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages.† (bill of rights amendment 18) Prohibition was most likely a direct cause to the Temperance movement. The Temperance union thought that alcohol ruined people’s lives and they were not wrong. Although alcohol made the americans citizens look uncivilized and hundreds of millions was being spent on it every year, but taking it away made everything worse. The expectations of prohibition were large. Supporters of prohibition thought that sales of clothes and household goods would be in high demand(pbs). They also thought that neighborhoods would be improved and unoccupied bars would be repurposed into a nicer place. Rents also had been expected to rise during pr ohibition, but that was not the case. Many of the bars that turned into restaurants failed. Most restaurants failed because of the ban on alcohol many of them relied on sales of alcoholic beverages to stay in business. With the ban on alcohol many people lost their jobs at bars, food service, factories, wineries, and breweries. Also many people in the grape industry lost their jobs, wineries had been forced to close and grapes were 1000% more expensive. During prohibition states did not gainShow MoreRelatedProhibition And The Prohibition Of America1298 Words   |  6 PagesThe prohibition was a divided experiment that unintentionally brought organized crime, flourished the presence of speakeasies in America and created a high rise of criminals in America. The backfiring of the prohibition brought America an uprising in organized crime; criminals and the consumption, manufacturing and selling of alcohol became more expensive and profitable to those involved. Silk suits, guns, money and booze were the popular credentials amongst the finest in the bootlegging and mobRead MoreProhibition and the Effect on America756 Words   |  3 Pagesfederal government have fought to control alcoholism in America. I chose to do prohibition because the fact that the action taken by the federal government in order to form a better society has led to an explosion of criminal offences in the past as well as today. The effects of prohibition consistently offer a hand in the shaping of American culture. Full-fledged black markets and organized crime groups both offset the supposed benefits of prohibition. Today, teenagers often turn to the underage consumptionRead MoreProhibition And Its Effect On America906 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1920 prohibition started in the United States, this was a legal act that outlawed the manufacturing, transport and sale of alcohol. Though this law only lasted till 1933 it had an extremely large impact on America while it was still in place. It is imp ortant for the people of America today to learn about prohibition in order to prevent causing the problems that prohibition created then in today’s society. While the intention of the ban of alcohol was meant to be a good thing it did not turn outRead MoreThe Causes of Prohibition (America 1920s)848 Words   |  4 PagesWhy was prohibition introduced in America in the 1920? When federal prohibition was introduced in America with the 18th Amendment to the constitution in 1919 and the Volstead Act in 1920, it was often termed ‘The Nobel Experiment’. It didn’t take long for most people to recognise that the experiment had gone terribly wrong and that it was fostering what it was supposed to eradicate, crime, excess and corruption. But the question is why it was introduced in America in 1920 and to understand thisRead MoreThe Rise of Prohibition in America Essay2623 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"America had been awash in drink almost from the start – wading hip-deep in it, swimming in it, and at various times in its history nearly drowning in it.† 1 This quote proves to be correct, embodying American history beginning with the earliest American settlers to the present day. Keeping this fact in mind, how did the Temperance Movement gain enough strength to legally ban the manufacturing, selling, and transportation of alcohol in 1920? Through the determination and stamina of a multitudeRead MoreThe Drug Prohibition Of The United States Of America1629 Words   |  7 PagesThe cohorts of drug prohibition argue that the benefits of the prohibition are self-evident and undeniable. The basis of this assumption argument is that without prohibition the consumption of drug would skyrocket, and therefore, lead to disastrous outcomes. However, there is no evidence on the commonly held belief. The empirical evidence that exists does not support the notion of souring drug consumption. For instance, in the Netherland and Switzerland, where marijuana is legalized, the consumptionRead MoreEssay on Prohibition in 20th Century America1137 Words   |  5 PagesProhibition in 20th Century America In the early part of the 20th century some people had had enough of liquor and its deleterious effects on people and their behavior. Some believed that alcohol, and drunkenness were the most worrying afflictions that our nation faced. At least on the surface this was what prohibition was about. On the flip side, it seemed that prohibition was about a still dominant, overwhelmingly rural, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant establishment, aware that its privilegesRead MoreProhibition : America s Unhappy Hour Essay1726 Words   |  7 PagesSpencer Andersen Mr. Jonathan Walker HIS 132-100 8 November 2015 Prohibition: America’s Unhappy Hour In the United States, the consumption of alcohol is more or less ingrained in American culture. Whether beer at the baseball game, wine from Napa Valley, or bourbon from Kentucky, alcohol has shaped American culture. The rise in immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s led to towns establishing saloons in order to lure in potential customers and boost the local economy. By 1900, there wereRead MoreProhibition was the Time to be a Criminal in America999 Words   |  4 Pagesmore advantageous time to be a criminal in America than during the 13 years of Prohibition. At a stroke, the American government closed down the fifth largest industry in the United States - alcohol production - and just handed it to criminals - a pretty remarkable thing to do† (Bill Bryson). The twenties was a fast paced fun, loving time, the one problem was no alcohol. With the twenties came the rise of jazz, flappers, different fashions, and prohibition. Jazz, flappers, and different fashions madeRead MoreProhibition in America: The Rights of Individuals vs. the Responsibilities of a Nation 1612 Words   |  7 Pages PROHIBITION IN AMERICA The Rights of Individuals vs. the Responsibilities of a Nation â€Æ' The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages† . This historical, yet short era, known as â€Å"Prohibition†, set an example that is still referred to today. As people scrambled all around the country trying to illegally obtain alcohol, the country was once again in a state of chaos. As part of a Christian based temperance

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Corruption Sovereign State and Black Mark Free Essays

Corruption Outlines: 1) Corruption is social evil. 2) Pakistan is the special victim. 3) Corruption is black mark. We will write a custom essay sample on Corruption: Sovereign State and Black Mark or any similar topic only for you Order Now 4) Govt. is involved in corruption. 5) People are ignorant. 6) Govt. should be honest. 7) Media should show bad result of corruption. 8) Technical education is a good solution. Corruption is an evil that is destroying our nation. At this time, corruption is the biggest problem of our Pakistan. Pakistan needs progress, but corruption is the biggest hurdle in the way of progress. Although, corruption is an international problem, but Pakistan is special victim. Advanced countries have solved the evil of corruption, but Pakistan is facing dangers of corruption daily. Corruption is termite. This termite is eating the roots of our nation. Corruption is a black mark. In Pakistan, we face many different shapes of corruption. People are facing corruption daily. Corruption has made public life like hell. Corruption finished peace and rest of our nation. Corruption created many other social evils. Dearness is the special result of corruption. Our Govt. is famous for corruption. Our Govt. never gave any attention to corruption and its solution, but now the time is over. Mostly, the Govt. is involved in corruption. Departments are busy in corruption daily. They are running a rat race in corruption. Some NGOs are spreading corruption. They get benefits, there is corruption in Pakistan; If, some leaders are fan of corruption. They are the ring leader of corruption. RAW is also spreading corruption, because India wants to make Pakistan weak. USA is also involved in corruption in Pakistan, because USA can control Pakistan. Illiteracy in Pakistan is the major cause of corruption. People are ignorant and they are enjoying corruption. Our rulers are lazy. They are in favour of corruption. Media is ignoring corruption. T. V. is also neglecting corruption. There are many disadvantages of corruption. Our Pakistan is becoming weak. Governments are lazy. Media is sleeping. Maphia is controlling our system. We are passing dull life. People have no normal values. Governments are evil. Departments are looters. Scholars are sleeping. People are neglecting duties. Nation is in full tension. There are other social evils. Pakistan has no future. Corruption has become our culture. God’s torment is very near. We are at the last stage of corruption. Our nation is jumping into dark well. Corruption should be finished. Governments should be active. Media should show bad results of corruption. Scholars should guide nation against corruption. Our rulers should make law against corruption. There should be strict punishment for corruption. Departments should never accept corruption. Our mothers should create awareness against corruption. We should pass simple life. We should get religious education, if we went to finish corruption. We should get technical education to finish corruption. There should be justice and prosperity in Pakistan. In this way, there will be no corruption. How to cite Corruption: Sovereign State and Black Mark, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Clinton Scandal (452 words) Essay Example For Students

Clinton Scandal (452 words) Essay Clinton ScandalLet American Consumer Counseling Help you Get Out of Debt!Clinton ScandalThe evidence against President Clintonfor sexual misconduct is very strong. There have been too many scandalsthat have surrounded his presidency. This forces the citizens of the UnitedStates to deny his plea of innocence. In the spring of 1995, Monica Lewinskygraduated from Lewis and Clark College. She then started an unpaid internshipat the White House. Allegedly in November of that year, she became involvedin a sexual relationship with President Clinton. Shortly after this pointLewinsky was hired as a full-time White House employee. She left the WhiteHouse for a public affairs position at the Pentagon. Here she became friendswith Linda Tripp, a former White House employee, who worked in the sameoffice. During this time President Clinton apparently sent gifts to Lewinsky,most importantly in the case against him a dress, which she saved as asouvenir, had the Presidents DNA on it. With things heating up in the Paula Jonescase, the President asked Lewinsky to lie about visits to his office. Turningher back on Lewinsky, Tripp taped telephone conversations between herselfand Lewinsky about the affairs with Mr. Clinton to setup him up. Lewinsky,allegedly quoting Mr. Clinton, said, Look them in the eye and deny it.After anonymous tips are given to a firm connected with the Paula Jonescase, Lewinsky decided to leave the government and find a new job. On January 7, 1998, Monica Lewinsky signeda sworn affidavit in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, stating shedid not have an affair with the President. Following this, Linda Trippbrought the recorded phone conversations to Independent Counsel for thePaula Jones case, Kenneth Starr. With assistance from the FBI, Tripp worea wire while Lewinsky lead her step-by-step through her entire sexual relationshipwith Mr. Clinton. The following day, Lewinsky gives Tripp points on howto respond to Paula Jones lawyers questions. After receiving news ofthis Starr requested from a federal panel, the ability of an expansionof his ongoing investigation. The following day, President Clinton, whowas under oath, denied an affair with Lewinsky. Four days later, the storyof the tapes became public knowledge. The President stated in an interviewwith Jim Lehrer of PBS on the same day, There is no improper relationship(Clinton1998). He also stated in this interview that he didnt ask anybody notto tell th e truth.(Clinton 1998). In using a double negative, Mr. Clintoncould possibly be telling the people of the United States that he did havean affair, without expanding on it. With all of the allegations againstthe President seeming to the public to be against his favor, he will befound guilty and should be impeached. If this is a conspiracy against him,the conspirator or co-conspirators will face major indictments.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Spratly free essay sample

As recently as yesterday, the Spratly Islands disputes were again highlighted in the international media. This time we see India lining up with Vietnam against China to vouch for Indias state-owned ONGC company to begin their legal exploration activities in Vietnams territorial waters. Just a few months earlier, in May and June of 2011 Chinese ships cut sonar cables attached to PetroVletnams boats in the same area. In the wake of the continuing Spratly Island disputes between China and Vietnam (among others), many still wonder why these small group of islands are so important? The Spratly Islands dispute can be looked at from a variety of angles. In terms of national security, these islands are important due to their location in the South China Sea, where many merchant ships pass through to deliver goods, people, and energy products to Asian-Pacific countries. By controlling these islands, the country in question would be able to ensure the safe passage of their goods. We will write a custom essay sample on Spratly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In terms of energy security, the Spratly Islands are considered indispensable to countries In the region due to the potential sources of natural gas and oll found under the Islands seabed. Whichever country wins the dispute would have the right to explore and develop these resources for their own domestic consumption. This would help in diversifying a countrys energy portfolio while making them less vulnerable to foreign oil and gas markets. At this time, however, the amount of recoverable oil and gas that these islands contain have not been fully proven. In terms of national pride, these islands are of particular importance to countries currently claiming all or part of the islands (Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunel) due to the historical laim these countries have over the territory. These countries have a long sea-faring history, however, it has been tremendously difficult to say which country first inhabited or used these islands. So, which of these reasons is the real motive for the dispute? In my opinion, although the potential oil and natural gas that the Spratly Islands offer is compelling, what is more important to these countries Is the ability to control of the sea lanes surrounding these Island. By controlling the sea lanes In this area, the country In question would be able to Increase its national security by erouting merchant ships, block potential threats, or even divert the delivery of goods to a disputing state. The country in question could also secure itself by building a naval base in this area, potentially protecting itself and its shipments while increasing its own sea lane security. However, what does sea lane security actually mean? Sea lane security, at Its present time, is notoriously hard to define due to the legal, geopolitical, and diplomatic connotations of the term. However, I will attempt to synthesize this concept through articles taken from the united Nations Convention n the Law of the Sea. In the LIN Convention of the Law of the Sea, all ships are given the right to conduct the innocent passage (unarmed, no unloading of goods or people, etc. ) of their ships on all territorial seabeds (Part II, Section 3, Subsection A, Articles 17-19). This means that ships are allowed toget within 12 nautical miles from tne coast 0T a country, as long as tney are not a tnreat to tne natlonal security 0T tnat country. However, tankers or ships that may carry hazardous material may be directed to use specialized sea lanes to conduct their passage through a countrys erritorial waters (Part II, Section 3, Subsection A, Articles 22-23). The laws regarding the passage through straits, on the other hand, are a bit more complex as they require the determination of whether the straits form an island that are connected to a States mainland. If they are not connected, ships have a right of transit passage. However, if the straits are connected to a State then other transit passages will be recommended for the security of the state in question (Part Ill, Section 2, Articles 38-39). The principles of innocent passage in the previous paragraph also apply to he passage of ships through straits. Sea lanes, in this instance, are essentially the roads of transportation for ships on seas and oceans. The rules above apply to specific cases in which these roads of transportation might be blocked or redirected according to the what the ships are, what they are transporting, and how the passage of ships affect a states national security. As a result, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas offer the nation who owns the islands or territorial seabeds an incredible amount of control, while nations who depend on these sea lanes for the elivery of foreign goods limited influence. Implications for the Spratly Islands Dispute For these reasons, the country that ends up claiming territorial ownership over the Spratly Islands also gains control of most of the South China Sea. This is because their territorial seabeds would extend not from their mainland coastline but from the islands coastline. For instance in the map below, Chinas claim over the islands would make their sea territory extend all the way south to Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Orange line segment), making the Hypothetical EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone) limit from coastal states part of Chinas territorial waters. This would not only make it tremendously hard for Southeast Asians to protest against Chinese naval operations in the future, but would also limit their economic activities (fishing, oil and gas exploration and production, shipping) in the EEZ. How do you solve this? Thus far, the only approach taken to pacify this conflict has been bilateral agreements. However, this approach breeds distrust as countries immediately place heir national sovereignty first by creating overlapping yet contradictory agreements. For example, this can most recently illustrated by the agreement signed by Vietnam and China (October 1 1, 2011) to hold biannual talks on border disputes and establish an emergency hotline for the South China Sea. Yet, at the same time, Vietnam aligns itself with India (October 13, 2011) to explore the South China Sea for oil and natural gas. What is needed for the resolution of this dispute is multilateral talks by all the parties involved in the conflict. This would not only establish a mutual foundation of understanding, but also send a message to the countries involved that there is a willingness to compromise and work together. Email Print 04 April 20121 last updated at 12:06AM SPRATLY ISLANDS: International court will deal with issue fairly By V. Thomas, Sungai Bulon, Selangor O comments TENSIONS between China and the Philippines rose when the latter challenged the formers claims of exclusive rights and sovereignty over the Spratlys. These islands are reportedly rich in gas, oil and other mineral deposits. China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia have all made claims to them. It could turn into a regional hot spot unless a diplomatic way is found to defuse the tension, such as by sharing the resources or, better still, if all the claimant countries refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have availed themselves of the courts international law expertise to settle territorial disputes. The courts Judgment was accepted in good faith by all and this has raised its stature. It is better to settle territorial disputes with the court than opt for war. In the case of the Philippines, it could call on the United States for military help to prevent it from being bullied by China. Should the dispute worsen, the solidarity of Asean members could be tested, apart from endangering the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality concept, which is a principle accepted by all major military powers to keep Southeast Asia free from conflict. Asean members, noting the danger of the dispute, should initiate a move, with the support of China and Taiwan, to refer the matter to the court.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Learn How to Conjugate Saisir (to Seize) in French

Learn How to Conjugate Saisir (to Seize) in French A regular French verb,  saisir  means to seize. Its a relatively easy verb to conjugate and this lesson will show you how to say things such as she seized in the past tense and we are seizing in the present tense. The Basic Conjugations of  Saisir Many French students fear verb conjugations because there are so many words to remember. While these can be a challenge, a verb like  saisir  is just a little easier because it  is a  regular -ir verb. This means you can apply the same endings you learned with similar verbs to this one. The first step in any conjugation is to identify the verb stem. For  saisir, that is  sais-. With that, you can find the appropriate endings to apply using the indicative mood chart. Simply find the subject pronoun you need, then match that to either the present, future, or imperfect past tense. Youll get results such as  je saisis  (I am seizing) and  nous saisirons  (we will seize). Present Future Imperfect je saisis saisirai saisissais tu saisis saisiras saisissais il saisit saisira saisissait nous saisissons saisirons saisissions vous saisissez saisirez saisissiez ils saisissent saisiront saisissaient The Present Participle of  Saisir As a regular -ir  verb, youll add  -issant  to the verb stem of  saisir  to form the  present participle. This produces the word  saisissant. Saisir  in the Compound Past Tense You will use  saisirs  past participle  saisi to form the compound past tense. In French, this is known as  passà © composà ©.  The only other requirement is a present tense conjugate of the auxiliary verb  avoir. For example, I seized is  jai saisi  and we seized is  nous avons saisi. More Simple Conjugations of  Saisir Should you have doubts about something being seized, you can use  the subjunctive  forms of  saisir.  The conditional, on the other hand, is used in an if...then sentence. You should only encounter  the passà © simple  and  the imperfect subjunctive  in written French as these are literary tenses. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je saisisse saisirais saisis saisisse tu saisisses saisirais saisis saisisses il saisisse saisirait saisit saist nous saisissions saisirions saismes saisissions vous saisissiez saisiriez saistes saisissiez ils saisissent saisiraient saisirent saisissent The imperative  is used most often in exclamations and short, direct statements. This is the one time when the subject pronoun is not required, so you can shorten  tu saisis  to  saisis. Imperative (tu) saisis (nous) saisissons (vous) saisissez

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Al-Shabaab Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Al-Shabaab - Assignment Example This movement is seen to be similar to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)of Uganda where the Al-shabaab seek to establish a theocratic state based on Sharia Law through Islamic Rule in Somalia while the LRA enforce the 10 Commandments Rule in Uganda. They both use religion as a basis of their struggle but at the same time argue that no religion advocates for violence and also use unethical methods to recruit new members within their borders and all over the world . Recruits have joined the two groups for different reasons and under different circumstances. Al-Shabaab usually recruits its members that are considered to be Islamists sympathizers who entice new members by showing the a different way of life that makes the recruit in a better position to share out their religion with new friends and this is done through Quaranic schools and other educational institutions. It is also sad that some of them are lured by salaries as they pay those involved and thus take advantage of the unemployment and poor pay situations in most countries ‘‘(Kisiangani,2011,p228)’’. The Al-shabaab has over the years learned its strategy and tactics from al Qaeda and the Taliban from Afghanistan and Iraq that provide them with knowledge on remote-controlled explosives, assassinations, bomb making and suicide bombing.The movement has all along moved steadily closer to al Qaeda and adopted a modus operandi that increasingly resembles that of the Taliban in Afghanistan.The foreign impact on al Shabaab has taken two forms which are the transfer of tactics, Ideologies and Strategies learned by Somali al Shabaab leaders as they associate with the Taliban and al Qaeda and the recruitment of foreign fighters

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The establishment of America was long and controversial, but the Research Paper

The establishment of America was long and controversial, but the nation thrived in justice and liberty - Research Paper Example It discusses in detail the urge and the constant struggle of the nation to attain liberty and justice extracting ideas and information from the Voice of Freedom by Eric Foner. The majority of the individuals living in the United States were mainly the farmers and Native Americans (Indians). However, during the time of the exploration most of the European nations migrated to America for trade. The war of the independence initially begins when the different colonies that established in the south and North America because of the migration caused cultural diversity. The demands of the diverse group living in America transformed the meaning of freedom. These groups on their own strived to attain justice and fought for their rights. The peasants fought for their lands and rights, gender discriminations and religious freedom. It is evident during the American Revolution that the demands of equality among the people of America were often question. The peasant and slaves in America were recognized as inferior and had lower socio-economic status in the society. The difference between the privilege of the servants and peasants was embarked to be one of the major iss ues due to which the people of America strived for justice and independence. Hence, â€Å"The liberating Indentured Servant (1784)† was enacted that provided status for the slaves and servants in American Society. Eric states, "a group of respectable New Yorkers proposed to liberate the ship of the African slaves that were brought to America" (Foner 104). These free slaves were provided with a respectable and social status in the society so that they can enjoy their freedom to practice their rights. Previously, Virginia did not have a stable family structure because of the strict rules for the servants in the tobacco field. Browne (1644) States that Virginia remained to be a society with the high number of single men, widows and orphans rather than

Monday, November 18, 2019

Pop Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pop Science - Essay Example Another mystery scientists are trying to explain is how the Egyptians managed to hoist the heavy pieces of granite upward without the technological advances of this age. Khufu’s pyramid alone which is the biggest of the three is made up of about 2,500,000 blocks and covers 13 acres. If each block weighs about 2 tons, then moving it up one step on a staircase is already taxing. One frequently visited theory is of another species more highly developed cognitively than the ancient men. There are many stories that pop scientists claim to be the reason behind the Great Pyramids of Giza. One common tale is that the pyramids are signals to another world in the sky. They are supposedly a beacon made by extra-terrestrials who had helped construct the buildings. Basically, popular scientists are saying that a higher being more intellectually advanced than ancient men were responsible for the pyramids because stone- age men were just not that smart. Some pop scientists find it curious ho w the pyramids seem to be lined up in the desert since their positioning closely resembles the placement of the stars in Orion’s belt. Robert Bauval, a Belgian engineer, proposed that the pyramids may have been built this certain way since the Egyptians believed in the god Osiris. Another feature that piqued Bauval’s interest was how the southern airshaft in the pyramid would be pointed to Orion in 2500 BC, leading to the theory that this might have been a way to send the Pharaoh Khufu’s soul to Orion. Using an astronomical program to find out how the stars appeared in the sky through history, writers Graham Hancock and Bauval claim that the only time the stars in Orion’s belt could reflect the alignment of the pyramids of Giza would be in 10500 BC. This is also when the Sphinx, following its gaze to the horizon, would be looking at the constellation Leo. Since this was even before the recorded and supposed dates of archaeologists studying the pyramids, B auval and Hancock suggest that a lost civilization more ancient than the one in Egypt during the time the pyramids were built should be credited for the structures. Aliens have been one of the most common and popular reasons for the construction of a number of enormous wonders around the world such as the pyramids and Stonehenge, a group of large and tall stones arranged in a circular manner surrounding other stones found in England. Popular scientists suppose that our ancestors from thousands of years ago lacked the mental ability to design or build wonders like Stonehenge and the Giza pyramids. During the time these wonders were built, popular scientists maintain that men on Earth were primitive and did not have the necessary physical or mental ability to execute such feats. With these said, popular scientists propose another culture altogether had come to Earth and had constructed these great structures. Professionals in the field of construction and building say that in construc ting buildings of today the acceptable settling rate is 6 inches in 100 years. The Great Pyramid of Giza surprises them since it has only settled less than half an inch in 5,000 years even when it weighs 13 billion pounds. Another amazing feature is how the sides of the pyramids align north-south, east-west. At an aerial view, the biggest pyramid manifests an angle of exactly 45 degrees. Mainstream scientists explain that the pyramids are indeed tombs for the pharaohs and that there are two theories

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Problems And Prospects Of Venture Capital

Problems And Prospects Of Venture Capital Venture capital is a type of private equity which provides funding for businesses which are newly started with high potential growth. Venture capital is very important to countries; this is because it creates job opportunities, advance technology, which in turn increases economic growth of the country. (Mason, C. Pierrakis, Y. 2009) What distinguishes between venture capital and private equity is that private equity is usually involved in investing in large company where as venture capital invest in small start up companies. These small and young businesses generally have high level of uncertainty, thus making them more risky. In additional, these businesses generally dont have many tangible assets making it extremely difficult for them to secure bank loans, therefore making venture capital a very good option for them. VC firms are not interested in companies that are trying to create a market, or companies that are in a mature market, instead they look for markets that have a large number of potential users. (Mason, C. Pierrakis, Y. 2009) A typical venture capital investment usually lasts from 3 to 7 years, and the standard sequences of venture capital investment are the following: The founder of an idea or product will try and persuade the venture capital firm that their idea/ product is sensible and profitable. If the venture capital firm is happy with the founders proposal, it will provide funding for the founder to set-up; this includes management team, development of a fully functional prototype, marketing research. In return the VC firm will get an equity stake of the invested company. Once the setting-up is finished, the VC firm will provide funding and support on promoting and selling the product. If the product is successful, reaching the targeted market shares, the VC firm will exit cashing in its investment. (The Smart Set-Up 2008) The first VC firm was found in 1946 by MIT President Karl Compton and General Georges F. Doriot named American Research and Development (ARD) which was structured as a close ended fund. ARD was extremely successful since it turned an investment of $70,000 in Digital Equipment Corporation to a value of $355 million after the companys initial public offering. A number of VC firms which was structured as close ended fund was established after ARD, but it wasnt until 1958 the first VC limited partnership was established by Draper, Gaither and Anderson. Limited partnership became more common in the 1960s and 1970s; however the majority of VC firms are still structured as close ended fund. (Gompers, P. Lerner, J. 2001) Today, Venture Capital has been affected by the recession. Not as much money is being invested as 5 years ago during the height of the technology bubble. Currently Venture Capitalists are decreasing there overall amounts invested but are moving towards allocating more to later-stage investments. Currently there are fewer young entrepreneurs with great new ideas who are willing to risk building and sustaining a business. However this downturn is not expected to continue forever and it is China that will lead the way as the new most exciting venture market with 1.3 billion potential consumers. Yet, it is not only China who will rise from this downturn, UK along with other traditionally strong venture markets will re-emerge, but the question remains whether or not it will attract as much venture capital as it once demanded. Although China is set to become the biggest venture capital market, it can without a doubt learn an awful lot from past experiences of the UK market to assist its de velopment. (Deloitte. 2009) UK Venture Capital Industry Overview Introduction: importance of the UK venture capital industry Although the private equity industry in the UK founded its roots back in 1940s, it started to take off and grow rapidly from the mid 1980s, and now is second only in importance globally to the USA. In Europe the UK private equity market is regarded as the most mature (Tannon et al. 2005 cited in Soderblom 2005). 40% of the European PE industry is shared by the UK funds. As of % of GDP, the UK is the most significant private equity investor in Europe at a level of 1.10% (Figure 1), but out of this only 0.21% goes into venture capital financing while the rest is invested in the buyout sector (EVCA, 2005b cited in Soderblom 2005). It is important to note that in Europe the terms venture capital and private equity or risk capital are often used interchangeably, as European private equity funds typically include three main sub-categories: venture capital for start-up businesses and early stage companies; later stage expansion capital; and management buy-outs and management buy-ins. This t erminology differs from the one in the US, where private equity funds are considered as separate institutions from those managing venture funds (European commission 2006). That is why in UK venture capital is regarded as an integral part of private equity, but as the riskier part of the whole portfolio of PE funds. The UK VC Industry has been always compared to the US VC Industry in its performance and main development drivers. However, Richard, chairman of Library House (2007), argued that instead of benchmarking each European country against the whole US, it is more reasonable to explore the difference in VC performance between separate states, and then compare them with countries in Europe. Thus, Library House has produced a league table, which put the UK a third in this ranking in 2006 with 515 minority stakes worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.78bn. California was first with 1,367 deals worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9.1bn, followed by Massachusetts with 338 deals worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.1bn. Development of Venture Capital Industry in UK and recent trends VC Industry in the UK started from 1945, when Industrial and Commercial Financial Corporation (ICFC) was created (Clarysse et.al. 2009) to provide capital to growing independent businesses, which later became a global private equity firm, with à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8bn of assets under management (3i 2009). However, in 1970s availability of experienced VC managers proved to play an important role in taking-off the industry and developing it to the most successful in Europe. From early times of the development, the UK VCs were concentrated on leveraged buyouts and expansion type deals, as start-up opportunities were weak and not promising (Clarysse et.al. 2009). This is still the case in a current VC industry in UK making investments in established companies traditionally more attractive. Nevertheless, the UK VC Industry has shown a radical increase from  £26m invested in 1983 to  £1,048 in 2008. High-technology companies made more than 50% of those investments (Clarysse et.al. 2009). Over the last decade, the UK has been maintaining the average level of VC investment in early stage development of new ventures between 20% and 30% of total VC (BVCA 2009). VC Industry in recession Business XL (2009) reports that investments in ventures have decreased since 2006: 2 billion compared to estimated 750 million in this year. This suggests that venture capital industry was affected by the financial crisis. In the face of the recession that has challenged their existing portfolio companies, VCs are trying to secure more money to support those companies. Thus, most of the emerging opportunities are passing by without being considered by venture capitalists. Even though lower valuations of ventures seem to be a good deal for opportunistic VCs, according to Deloitte Research (2009), global trends indicate that large VC firms ($ 500million or more) have cut their investments more than small investment firms ($99 million or less). As the figure shows after the â€Å"dot-com† bubble in early 2000s the value of VC investments was falling gradually. But then, according to BVCA (cited by Mason et al. 2009) private equity and venture capital investments tripled in value between 2003 and 2007 from  £4bn to almost  £12bn. However, the value of investments fell by 28% in 2008 as the financial crisis took place. These trends indicate thatinvestment activities in Venture Capital Industry are very cyclical and fairly dependent on the general state of the economy. Source: BVCA Report on Investment Activity (various years) Importance of VC industry for growth of the UK economy According to BVCA (2009), companies backed by venture capital are more efficient and grow faster: VC-backed firms compared to those that do not receive venture capital backing are more innovative and produce more patents (Kortum et al. 2000), they develop and launch their products to the market faster (Hellmann et al. 2000), and have faster managerial professionalization (Bruton et al. 2005). In the UK during the time 2002-2007, the annual growth in number of people employed in VC-backed companies was 6%, sales growth was 12% annually, and exports were 14% annually (BVCA, 2009). Research undertaken by IE Consulting (2008) implies that venture capital funding plays a crucial role in making the whole UK economy more productive and competitive. VCs provide seed capital for new businesses helping them to develop the new high-tech products, market them, and to grow further to set-up their manufacturing and sales operations. Even though VCs contribution to growth of national economy is indirect, through funding new venture companies, this role is indeed the cornerstone of increasing innovation activities and development of advanced high-technology based firms in the country. The survey among 1013 VC-backed businesses (IE Consulting 2008) in UK identified that 86% of respondents have grown their businesses â€Å"organically† since receiving venture capital funding. 91% of the surveyed venture companies confirm that â€Å"venture capital was responsible for the existence/survival of their businesses and allowed them to grow more rapidly† (IE Consulting 2008). Moreover, there are also tax implications from the growth of VC-backed firms: public revenues increase as a result of growth in sales of those firms, and consequently more taxes are received by the government (including not only corporate taxes, but some other taxes resulting from growing venture firms operations). All these facts underlie the positive impact of venture capital industry on the overall economically important factors of the country such as job creation, growth of small and medium-sized businesses, investments in innovation and high-technology firms. Problems of Venture Capital industry in the UK Although UK is considered to be a world leader in Private Equity and Venture capital sector, second only to the US (IE Consulting 2008), still there are problems to be resolved as there are concerns that UK lags behind in the growing of ‘new high-tech based economy and innovation activities. The figure below taken from the report by Think Play Do Group (2009) prepared for BVCA, comparing VC industry development to US and Israel, the world-leaders in VC, shows that VC investments in the UK as a % of GDP are much lower than those in the US and Israel (Figure 3). This confirms the concerns that underinvestment in VC industry should be resolved and underlying problems identified and treated appropriately. Supply and Demand drivers for Venture Capital in the UK Since Venture Capital is so important for the economic development of the country, it is necessary to gain insight into how VC Industry is driven by supply and demand determinants. Moreover, the problems in the development of this industry can be identified through the closer look into both sides of it. Main demand side determinants of VC performance in the UK The demand for venture capital is drawn by the quantity and quality of innovative companies looking for funding and that are able to produce particular rates of return on those investments (Clarysse et.al. 2009). So, first of all, demand for VC is highly driven by early-stage entrepreneurial activities in the country. According to GEM Global report (2008), which explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development, and particularly investigates â€Å"Entrepreneurial Attitudes, Activities and Aspirations† across 43 countries worldwide, in the UK 41% of adult population agreed that there are good opportunities to start a business in the next half of the year, and 52% considered entrepreneurship as a desirable career choice. However, only 5% expected to start a business in the next three years. All of these resulted in a very low rate of entrepreneurial activity, especially at the early stage which is just 5.9% of the whole population. Compared to the US (10.8%), this entrepreneurial activity is quite low, and might be a result of high percentage of respondents (38%), who believe that fear of failure would prevent starting a business. Clarysse et.al. (2009) explain that with bankruptcy laws that are more entrepreneur-friendly in the US compared to the UK, where there is high correlation between company and personal bankruptcies. One of the most important factors affecting the demand of VC is a stock of knowledge, which can be gathered through universities or national laboratories. Strong RD culture and easier spin-outs from those universities proved to have very positive effect on formation of new companies. It is also commonly considered that due to the lack of a culture of commercialising research in most of the European Universities (including the UK), these conditions are less effective in facilitating the commercialization of business ideas compared to countries where universities are normally private and dependent on commercialising research in order to increase revenues. Thus, indications of technological opportunities, such as growth rate of RD investments, availability of patents and access to university spin-outs seem to have a great impact on the demand for venture capital funding mainly through increasing number of new start-up firms exploiting those available opportunities. Statistical data (Worldbank 2008) indicate that between 1996 and 2006 RD expenditure in the UK as a percentage of GDP was stable between 1.5% and 2%. Fairly low capital gains taxes in the UK have had favourable effect on demand for VC in the UK, as it makes more people willing to start their own company. CGT rate has been reduced since 1988 from 40% to 10% for higher-rate tax payers for long-term investments. Though in 2008 this rate increased again from 10% to 18% in 2008, it is still low enough to encourage new business start-ups. (Clarysse et.al. 2009) According to statistical analysis conducted by Clarysse et.al. (2009) entrepreneurial activity is an important determinant of VC investments in the UK, so in order to enhance VC activities in thecountry policy makers should work on increasing entrepreneurial activity. Main Supply side determinants of VC performance in the UK There are different factors identifying the level of supply of VC, such as the situation on the exit markets, regulation policies, the fiscal environment and wider economic situation. The main problem is that the amount invested in early stage company is still low in the UK. The investors in the country are more interested in established businesses rather than in new innovative small companies, which is evidenced by the dominating buyout sector. According to Martin et al. (2003) and EVCA (2005) cited by Soderblom (2006), over 70% of all private equity goes into buyouts. For the last few years the early stage investments have substantially decreased in the UK, where VC allocations to seed and start-up phases account for only around 5% out of total PE investments (EVCA, 2005b cited by Soderblom 2006 ). Even with the fact that between the early 1990s and 2001 the volume of investments in high-technology companies in the UK increased tenfold (Martin et al., 2003) the VC investments in high- tech firms as a percentage of GDP was only 0.21% in 2005 (EVCA, 2005b cited by Soderblom 2006). The Figure 4 below illustrates these trends during the last decade. These low investments in early stage firms can be explained by the notion of â€Å"short terminism† which is the prevalent attitude towards returns on investments in the Capital market in the UK (Oakey 1995). It is evident that new high-tech based firms (NTBFs) have had a bad reputation among investors for being unreliable due to their inability to meet â€Å"fast return† demand and other â€Å"milestones† predicted in their business plans (Oakey 1995). Even more recent studies (Lockett et al. 2001) on â€Å"whether or not the UK VC industry has become less biased against investment in new technology-based firms† conclude that, although, investment in new high-tech based firms have increased by 2000s, the investors do not appear to be lowering their target rates of return for technology-based investments compared to non-technology-based investments at the same stage. So, even with higher acceptance rates for NTBFs, technology still proves to be a more important risk factor than stage of investment. Especially, the survey by Lockett et al. (2001) indicates that venture capitalists believe that many of NTBF proposals continue to be riskier than non-technology projects due to issues in management quality, intellectual property protection and potential market size. So there comes the problem of equity gap for the NTBFs. These firms are unable to get investments from either business angels or venture capitalists. The reason is that the small private Investors have limited financial resources and generally invest relatively small amounts of equity that is not enough for the new ventures and at the same time venture capitalists invest in bigger projects and the minimum sum they provide is higher than that the company asks for. According to the 2004 Bridging the Finance Gap report, the equity gap affects businesses seeking to raise between approximately  £250,000 and  £2 million of equity finance, and that this gap is most severe for sub- £1 million investments and for innovative businesses at an early stage of their development. Exit strategy for investor. On the supply side, stock market activity and the availability of trade sale opportunities were found to be important elements. VCs think in milestones but dream of exits. Visible exits such as stock market introductions are important for VCs to raise funds. It does not really matter whether these companies are introduced on local or international public markets as long as the stock market is liquid.(source) Ideally, investments are realised through an IPO, an industrial trade sale, or a secondary sale (Sà ¶derblom 2006). However, deep and liquid stock markets and favourable conditions to realize trade sales tend to be the most important factors for VC industry to flourish. Bringing a company to IPO indicates the quality of the VC and is important for investors in considering subsequent funding rounds, even though IPOs only account for less than 5% of total exits. A secondary market in for stock exchanges in the UK was created with AIM (Alternative Investment Market founded in 1995, and has grown significantly, from having a capitalisation of  £82.2 million in 1995 to nearly  £40 billion at the time in 2008. Furthermore, the London Stock Exchange launched techMARK to help promote existing quoted technology stocks and attract new ones to the exchange. However, according to BVCA there is a slow development of early stage VC in Britain and the whole Europe because of the absence of a f unctioning pan-European stock exchange for early stage ventures. The problem is that the European second-tier markets are fragmented (as several second-tier markets were launched) which resulted in limited capitalisation and liquidity of individual markets. Thus, reforms in capital market regulations may be needed to allow the creation of a single stock market for growth companies (including the UK markets) promoting economies of scale (Clarysse et.al. 2009). The sizes of public funds in the UK have not enabled the industry to reach a sufficient critical mass and the limited availability of follow-on financing has resulted in a â€Å"second equity gap†. To address this, the government could cornerstone an investment into a fund-of-funds that would attract private capital from institutional investors which would invest in venture capital funds able to demonstrate a track record of strong performance. (source) The Importance of balance between private sector and public sector investors in VC industry Since the early development of venture capital industry till late 1990s venture funds were primarily publicly-funded and supported by Business Expansion Scheme, which was replaced in 1994 by the Enterprise Investment Scheme (Mason et al. 2009). At the beginning of 20th century Many of these funds became ‘hybrids, involving a combination of public money and private investors, with incentives which enhance the risk-reward profile to attract private investors. Although free-standing private sector investments increased in numerical terms from 2002 until 2006, they have declined as a proportion of total investment activity from 81% in 2001 to 56% in 2008. In the UK the increased involvement of the public sector is even more apparent in the early stage venture capital market (Mason et al. 2009) accounting for the majority of such investments. In 2001 public sector funds were involved in 36% of investments. By 2003, as the various funds established by the Labour Government came on st ream, this had risen to 51% and by 2008 accounted for 68% of all investments. The proportion of public sector investments in the form of co-investment schemes has grown from 28% in 2001 to peak at 56% in 2007, falling back to 45% in 2008. (source) Nonetheless, emerging evidence from a NESTA/BVCA study (Nightingale et al, 2009 cited by Mason et al. 2009) indicates that companies that have received funding from public sector venture capital funds have not performed significantly better than those firms that did not receive funding from such sources. One interpretation is that public sector venture capital funds may not be able to add value to the companies they manage, because there is a â€Å"necessity to attract, reward and hold together experienced and committed venture capital executives to manage public funds.† In other words, the individuals running public sector funds are highly rewarded and incentivised to make the best possible returns. On the other hand, public sector venture capital funds may not be able to attract capable investment managers, and consequently they are unable to make good investments (quality of deal flow, domain knowledge, effectiveness of their due diligence). Thus, dominating position of pub licly funded VC funds especially in economically lagging regions resulted in inefficient performance of regionally based funds in the Midlands and north of England, along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland due to lack of entrepreneurial eco-system and necessary networks with expert VC managers and external investors, and this in turn resulted in the VC industry in UK being concentrated and limited in traditionally active centres as London and Cambridge. Analysis Such a market would have two crucial benefits; first, it would greatly improve the ability VC-backed companies to raise large sums of capital required for global expansion and secondly, it would help to increase the average valuations of MA transactions. Further research should be conducted to fill the gaps and update the existing literature on the feasibility of a Pan-European stock exchange. A briefly description of development of VC industry in China How it originated and developed? Chinas venture capital business started from the middle of 1980s. For about twenty five years development, Chinas venture capital has made a great improvement, especially in the recent four or five years. However, there are still a lot of difficulties and problems facing China venture capital. For example, lack of appropriate regulations and policies, inflexible venture capital investment mechanism, lack of diversity of funding sources or lack of effective exit mechanism and so on. In 1983, the State Science Technology Commission (SSTC) (now the Ministry of Science Technology or MOST) set up a Research Group of Countermeasures to the Influence of the New Technology Revolution in order to carefully study the international technology situation. (This was the first time for China to truly face the implications that were taking place in the development of the global economy. After that from 1985 to 1995, the Central Government and some local governments financed and set-up investment institutions that intended to pursue the venture capital business. (Jack C. Fensterstock, Aimin Li 2001) In the year 1999, lots of government funding were lost, because of not deeply and really understand VC. After that both government and private started to change, for example, make some polices and gave better conditions for those who is good at VC. Since 2006, VC is on its boom in china, with the government supplying majority of it, however the amount of both private funding and the funding from abroad has developed significantly, More, VC in china is paying more and more attentions on new technologies. (Jack C. Fensterstock, Aimin Li 2001) Policy support in China Venture capital as a risk investment, it is highly risky but also highly profitable. More integrated laws or regulations are needed for Chinas venture capital development. In China, to protect and regulate the VC markets, Chinese government had made some National laws and some local laws duo to its own background. (As the graph shows below) In China, there are several different business activities of Venture capital. However, it is not permitted for VC enterprises to invest in guarantee services or real property business activities. Venture capital investment business; Venture capital investment business carried out on behalf of other organizations such as VC enterprises or individuals; Venture capital investment consulting business; Venture capital investment management services provided to VC enterprises; Participations in VC enterprises and venture capital management consultancies. (China: Venture Capital Regulations Published January 6, 2006 Hong Kong) With the development of policy, technological and understanding of VC, both organizational and institutional elements in China are becoming more and more complex. The system that has emerged so far is highly complex in terms of variety and number of organizational actors. Although the result has been dramatic, the series of changes are best seen as evolutionary and primarily driven by Chinas larger objective of national technological and economic development. As such, key changes in Chinas science and technology policy and business system structure during the transition era can be linked to the emergence and nature of Chinas venture capital industry. In this context, venture capital is simultaneously an extension of prior policy trajectories, as well as a potential answer to problems that other policy initiatives have not been able to solve. Balance between private and public For the venture capital industry in China, unlike other countries, it has been promoted not as a means to private gain; it is a critical mechanism to connect among scientific, technological capabilities and output. one hand, with national and regional economic and social development on the other which includes the total set of related actors and institutions, has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last two decades. The source for fund is very single, most of them are from government, or mixed by both private and government. Also, for Chinese government, it is always believed that both science and technology are the most significant parts of its search for economic development. (Steven WHITE, 2008) Most venture capital funds have a fixed life of 10 years, with the possibility of a few years of extensions to allow for private companies still seeking liquidity. The source for fund is very single, most of them are from government, or fixed by both private and government, and government takes the risky, compared with others, this kinds of fund do not want to take high risk investment. The national and local governments may establish venture capital investment guidance funds. The funds are to support the establishment and development of VC enterprises by taking equity participations and providing financial guarantees, etc. The state shall use beneficial tax policies to support the development of VC enterprises and to encourage them to invest in small and medium size enterprises, in particular in the high tech sector. The foregoing preferential policies shall be set forth in regulations to be drafted by the relevant authorities. Exit mechanism of Venture capital in China Chinas venture capital business started from the middle of 1980s (2). For about twenty five years development, Chinas venture capital has made a great improvement, especially in the recent years. Yet there are still a lot of difficulties and problems facing China venture capital. Compare to developed countries, China venture capital still lagging far behind. Exit mechanism as the major process of making profit from investment, it is very important to Venture capital. However, Because of the lack of appropriate laws, regulations or market structures and so on, exit become extremely difficult for China venture capital industry. Exit mechanism of venture capital mainly including four methods, initial public offering (IPO), mergers and acquisitions ¼Ã…’repurchase ¼Ã…’write- off (10). In China, about 15% of venture capital exit mechanism is by IPO in recent years, this is higher than in developed countries, this is not good because over half of listed companies are overseas-listed; over 37% of venture capital exit from mergers and acquisitions which is the highest compare to the other exit mechanisms (Qisong Wang, 2004), and this is still increasing. Both numbers are proving that chinas venture capital exit mechanism lacks of flexibility, the reasons lead to exit inflexibility can be described as follow: lack of appropriate laws, policies or regulations; inadequacy of a well organized market structure; absence of a efficient intermediate service system; limitation on enterprise ownership structure, and so on. One big very important element should be taken into consideration is that the Chinese government involvement. Most domestic venture capital institutions in China carry a government background or were once state owned enterprises, this deprive them of the capability of adapting to the high marketization, ardent competition, high intelligence, and high-responsiveness of the venture capital industry (Gongmeng Chen, 2005). The inflexibility of venture capital investment mechanism and lack of competitiveness is another problem to China venture capital development. If they do not thoroughly press forward with the marketization and globalization reform, even though they can have some development it will not be a long-term intrinsic development. No matter the market or policy environment in China, both have limited the adjustment of venture capital development. What the government can do is to build a more specific regulation system to rule the whole venture capital market. The Chinese marke t is attractive to foreign venture capitalists because of large domestic demand, rapid economic development (Chang Sun, 2006). Government itself can do investing but the more important thing is to encourage private equity and other forms of capital to involve into venture

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Fellowship of the Rings :: essays research papers

The Fellowship of the Rings Book Report I want to introduce you to, The Fellowship of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the first book to the Lord of the Rings, written by Tolkien. The settings in this book changed many times from the hills of the Shire, where the hobbits live, to the deep darkness of the mines of Moria. The book takes place in Middle Earth, which is described by Tolkien as a mysterious place that is full of good and evil. The way Tolkien described each place is amazing and it is as if you were looking at a picture and copying it down into your head. The setting in the book is very important to the story. It kept me thinking and wondering what was going to happen next, which made me read more and more. I couldn’t even begin to describe the setting of the whole book, so I mainly mentioned some of the major locations that took place in the book. In the book, the Protagonist is Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire who becomes the Ring-bearer. The Antagonist is Sauron, the Dark Lord that forged the One Ring to take over Middle-Earth. In the fellowship, aside for the ring-bearer, are three other hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, three of Frodo’s closest friends. There is also Gandalf, the wizard; Legolas Greenleaf, son of the Elf King of Northern Mirkwood; the dwarf Gimli, son of Gloin; Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and heir to the throne of Gondor; and Boromir, oldest son of the Steward of Gondor. They all have some talent or purpose in aiding Frodo in the quest. As the action rises the mood is often tense with suspense and a sense of doom. They are in constant danger, always being watched or hunted. The hobbits leave their precious homes and travel through the Old Forest to get to Bree, where they meet Aragorn and he aids them in their journey. All five later leave for Rivendell and the mood is quite tense with the Black Riders hunting them down. On the way, they stop at Weathertop, where Frodo is, unfortunately, stabbed with a Morgul blade. Luckily, they all get to Rivendell safely with the help of Glorfindel, an elf. The fellowship continues on their quest to get rid of the ring and was forced to trudge through Caradhras in order to avoid ‘the dark and secret way’.