Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary - Assignment Example His belief had borne fruit. Grameen Banks grew at astounding rate with 2400 branches across 78000 villages across the country. Grameen Bank, is a micro credit institution that is a self financing body. It gives out loan to the self help groups through members’ deposits. It helps to provide the poor with the necessary credit to start income generating activity and thereby raise their living standard. The members have to comply with the sixteen components of ‘decisions’ which contributes to improved socio-economic status of the community. The charter includes hygiene, restructuring of dilapidated house, no dowry, education for children etc. The genuine defaulters are given fresh lease through re-structured loan repayment schedule and if required, more finance to improve business prospects. The timely payment serves as incentive for higher loan amount. The example of Bangladesh micro credit institutions have now been taken up in other under developed countries for po verty alleviation. The concept of phone lady is highly innovative and connects the village with external linkages, while providing the person with cell phone, a profitable means of income generation. The proactive participation of non government agencies is also encouraged for improving the living standard of the poorest of the poor. Reference

Value of entrepreneurship to emerging economies Assignment

Value of entrepreneurship to emerging economies - Assignment Example A very unique feature and characteristic of the global market, a perfect reflection of which could be paralleled to the structure of any country is that it is made up people from different socio-economic backgrounds, each of which plays a contributory role towards the collective success of the market. As far as emerging markets are concerned, they can be compared to those players on the market who trade in not so huge forms of business, but yet, having the little contributions they bring on the market, significant enough to be counted as part of collective growth and development (Sandee, Isdijoso and Sulandjari, 2002). But for the roles and contributions of these emerging markets to be felt in a perfect sense, there are some key inputs that must be present. One of these is the contributory roles that entrepreneurship plays in the emerging markets (Acs and Szerb, 2007). Generally, an emerging market may be described as a country that has social and economic activity climate that is se t on the lines of rapid growth and development (Liedholm, 2002). Because entrepreneurs have a common goal of investing in markets, their contributions to these markets have been studied in several works of literature. In this paper, five major points that make a case for the value of entrepreneurship in Brazil as an emerging market are discussed. Increased Competitive Pressure In Brazil, the political environment allows that there can be as many entrepreneurship openings as possible. With such policy, the private sector, most of which have been controlled by entrepreneurship have had so much grounds to operate. Currently, there are several entrepreneurial based companies and businesses operating in the country. Generally, the size and economic worth of these entrepreneurial businesses are not seen to be as huge as those that are presented by multinational and international companies (Valliere and Peterson, 2009). However, because the entrepreneurial businesses have their own market and client base, it has always been important for them to engage in increased competitive marketing to ensure their survival. Economically, as these increased competitive pressures take place, entrepreneurs are forced to be rigorous on the emerging market, injecting capital into their businesses. On a larger scale, the fact that these enterprises are competitive enough and have higher asset base, revenues, capital, and manpower base, they contribute to the collective expansion and growth of the emerging markets in which they find themselves (Sandee, Isdijoso and Sulandjari, 2002). In Brazil, there are multinational companies that started merely as enterprises but due to the competition that they received from other enterprises and the need for them to be proactive in their growth; they have today become key stakeholders in that emerging market. Exploitation of Innovation Valliere and Peterson (2009) note that most entrepreneurial based companies and businesses in emerging markets ar e forced to engage in the exploitation of innovation because that is the only way by which they can be competitive against traditional multinational companies. Through the exploitation of innovation, these enterprises have critically gone into research and development to understudy marketing trends and principles that works best with the local markets in which they operate (Williams, 2009). Part of the exploitation of innovation has also included the need to use highly skilled and talented human resource within the corridors of the markets in which they find themselves to growth their business. Invariably, entrepreneurship has been valuable in ensuring that the emerging markets as a collective entity, rather than their enterprises alone are borne on the wings of innovative business. As it will be noted a major characteristic of developed markets is the abundance of innovation (Valliere and Pet

Game Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Game Theory - Essay Example In context, Marx and his wife Anna are faced with critical decisions in their life. Given that their marriage has been on the rocks for a period, each of them separately relies on the game theory as the route towards getting preferable choices in their marriage, which is one of the top techniques to resolve marital problems (Szuchman). In addition to being a couple, the two operate separate but similar businesses, on which they have had fights because of their stiff competition. Their profiled problems start on Valentine’s Day, regarding the gifts they want to buy for each other and even proceed to resolution of their business woes, whose best propositions are determined by the game theory. The couple requires solutions that will salvage their marriage and prosper their businesses using the best strategies. Scenario 1 Marx wants to buy a comb for Anna this Valentine’s Day so that she can tend to her long hair. On the other hand, Anna would love to buy a wrist strap for her husband’s pocket watch, who has difficulties in keeping time at his place of work. Despite their perfect love for each other, neither has enough money to purchase the gift they would want to give. We may want to assume quite a different scenario, where the two lovers are in an uncertain short-term relationship and are self-centered. In this perspective, they do not care about each other, but are more concerned on the gains or losses they hope to make in the term of their relationship.

MicroFHess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MicroFHess - Essay Example Example: as more and more fertilizers are employed by the famers, production of crops may increase by the same unit of fertilizers employed, ceteris paribus. 3. Economic profit is the difference between revenues received from the sale of output and opportunity cost (Mankiw, 1998). For example, the difference between incomes received from selling a car and forgone alternatives of making that car. 4. Law of diminishing returns states that when other factors are held constant any additional unit of input leads to an increase in output at a declining rate till at a certain point where any additional input leads to a decline in output (Hall and Lieberman, 2010). For example, if more fertilizers are added in the production of wheat the output increases till a certain point when any additional unit of fertilizers added leads to a decline in output of wheat. 5. Marginal product of labour is the additional amount of output that is being produced when a firm decide sto employ additional labour in the production process (Hall and Lieberman, 2010). For example, a firm may produces 10 units of output with a labour of 5 people, and after adding another 5 people output may increases to 20 units. 6. Monopolistic competition. Is a type of market structure with many sellers selling similar but differentiated products whereby each seller has the freedom of setting his or her own selling price (Mankiw, 2011). Example: in the United States numerous sellers differentiate their products and the prices for those products (Mankiw, 2011). 7. Sunk cost refers to the amount of money that has already been spent and can not be recovered (Hall and Lieberman, 2010). For example: Amount of money incurred by investor to start and operate a business. 8. The principal-agent problem refers to a conflict of interest that arises when the agent pursues the same interest as his principal (Mankiw, 2011). Example: car dealer hires an agent to sell his cars to particular

Capital punishment in the United States and around the world Term Paper

Capital punishment in the United States and around the world - Term Paper Example Some of those being the Supreme Court ruling against racial discrimination in jury selection, the provision of protection against coerced confessions, and those people that had religious scruples against capital punishment could not be excluded from capital juries (Rankin, 196). This paper will discuss the sociological struggles that have occurred over this method of punishment. Its interesting to note that with all the interest that there in the death penalty, there are no statistical studies that have isolated the social and political forces that may account for the legality or illegality of this punishment. Studies do, however show that the death penalty is more often used in areas where the largest part of the population is black or Hispanic. No other contemporary punishment in this world has been more severe, however, when one searches the literature there are few good articles on the social and political influences that affect the legality of this punishment. Many of the original case studies were done in the 1990s (Ellis, 338). If we focus on the last 25 years as the time of debate, we do find many changes. There was actually a monumental decision in 1972 by the US Supreme Court, in which they determined that the death penalty statutes in the United States were unconstitutional. This was determined in the Furman versus Georgia case. At that time there were 630 inmates awaiting death. All of those inmates were transferred to a life sentence. However in Greg versus Georgia the Supreme Court again leaned towards the death penalty. At that time there were 3500 men and 50 women, including, 65 juveniles whose capital offenses predated their 18th birthdays sitting on death row in this country. Another 550 death row inmates had been executed. There are of course arguments for and against this happening at all, especially when related to children. (Radelet & Borg, 42). Unfortunately, public opinion in the United States and the rest of

Olaudah Equiano Essay Example for Free

Olaudah Equiano Essay A journal is kept to reminisce on experiences people have gone through, also to share with others in the future. In the two narratives â€Å"from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano† by Olaudah Equiano and â€Å"from The Journal of the First Voyage to America† by Christopher Columbus are both journals about their life experiences. Equiano and Columbus had different encounters with the people they met, and used different imagery. Likewise, they both wrote for the same purpose. The impressions of the people they met were different. Equiano had a horrible encounter with the slave traders on the ship he was on. He mentioned, â€Å"Every circumstance I met with, served only to render my state more painful, and heightened my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the whites. † (p. 45) The white slave traders were cruel and horrible. The whites treated them horribly and had no respect for them. In spite of that, Columbus had a different approach towards the natives he met with on his voyage. â€Å"the natives came down to the shore with their calabashes full, and showed great pleasure in presenting us with it. † (p. 64), unlike the whites, the natives are giving and considerate. I ordered more glass beads to be given them, and they promised to return the next day. â€Å" (p. 64) Columbus and his men developed a relationship with the natives and they got along. In addition, the imagery that Equiano and Columbus used were different. Equiano uses imagery to help visualize the horrible condition that him and the other slaves were in. â€Å"The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole scene of horror almost inconceivable. † (p. 45), Equiano explains the agony they were going through, so much pain that many people felt as if they were dying. On the other hand, Columbus analyzes that â€Å"This island even exceeds the others in beauty and fertility. † (p. 62), which shows his admiration towards the island he was on. Although Equiano and Columbus shared many differences, they both had the same purpose for writing. Equiano wrote about his awful experience while being transported to an island as a slave. The reason for writing about his experience was for people to recognize the horrible condition they were in, and how bad they were being treated by the whites. â€Å"at all events I am determined to proceed on to the continent† (p. 4), Columbus wrote in his journal to pass on his experience he had during his voyage to others and to â€Å"deliver the letters of your highnesses† (p. 64) which he will return answers to the King and Queen back home. In conclusion, Equiano and Columbus both lived an unforgettable experience. They both wrote about it and kept it in a journal. They had different experiences and encounters throughout their voyage. Their main purpose for writing was to share their life experiences with others and also to teach about the unknown and undiscovered.

Role of Carotenoids on the Immune Response

Role of Carotenoids on the Immune Response There is growing evidence from in vitro and in vivo laboratory animal studies that ÃŽ ²-carotene can protect phagocytic cells from autoxidative damage, enhance T and B lymphocyte proliferative responses, stimulate effector T cell functions and enhance macrophage, cytotoxic T cell and natural killer cell tumoricidal capacities, as well as increase the production of certain interleukins. Because of their molecular composition, specifically their highly conjugated double-bond structure carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein serve as effective scavenger of the harmful unpaired electrons (eg. singlet oxygen, free radicals) produced by normal metabolic processes that damage body tissues (eg. via lipid peroxidation, Krinsky 1992).The cells of the immune system are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress and may benefit substantially from the free radical trapping ability of carotenoids, as the immune response itself produces reactive oxygen species that disrupt the intercellular si gnals sent via lipid-rich, membrane- bound receptors (Chew 1993). An enormous body of literature has accumulated over the past 20 year demonstrating the potency of carotenoids as immuno stimulants in humans and other mammals(reviewed in Hughes 2001, Krisnsky 2001). However, within the last decade, it has also been suggested that these carotenoid derived sexual colours may signal the health and condition of males of birds and fish of the specific antioxidant and immune stimulatory activity of carotenoids obtained from the diet and transported through the body before they are incorporated into the integument (Lozano 1994, von Schantz et.al; 1999; Moller et.al 2000). This issue continues to be debated on theoretical grounds (Hill 1999a ; Lozano2001), fueld by the idea that colorful birds and fishes obtain far more carotenoids in the diet than carotenoid deprived mammals, thus individuals may not be limited in the extent to which they can use carotenoids to boost their immune response. Early studies demonstrating the ability of dietary carotenoids to prevent infections have left open the possibility that the action of these carotenoids may be through their prior conversion to vitamin A. Subsequent studies to demonstrare the specific action of dietary carotenoids have used carotenoids without provitamin A activity such as lutein, canthaxanthin, lycopene and astaxanthin. In fact, these non provitamin A carotenoids were as active, and at times more mediated and humoral immune response in animals and humans. Results have similarly shown immuno enhancement by non provitamin A carotenoids, based either on the relative activity or on the type of immune response affected compared to ÃŽ ²-carotene Studies on the role of carotenoids on immune response have generally used several key immune function assays. These include Ig production,lymphoblastogenesis, lymphocyte cytotoxic activity, cytokine production, delayed type hypersensitivity. In the 1930s, Green and Mellanby found that infections of the ear, bladder, kidney and gut of vitamin A-deficient rats were prevented when the rats were fed with ÃŽ ²-carotene. The level of carotene needed to prevent these infections was higher than the amount required to stimulate growth. Clauson observed that in young children with severe ear infections, improvement was seen following an increased intake of dietary carotene. These two early reports suggest that the anti-infective effect of ÃŽ ²-carotene may be due to its pro-vitamin A activity. ÃŽ ²-carotene may also have an independent effects on immune responses, separate from its provitamin A activity. ÃŽ ²-carotene and other carotenoids with nine or more conjugated double bonds may enhance immune function by quenching singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species, including free radicals. ÃŽ ²-carotene and canthaxanthin together inhibited the loss of macrophage receptors following exposure to reactive oxygen intermediate (Gruner et. al., 1986). T helper cells are involved in helping B cells secrete specific antibodies in response to an antigenic challenge. Experiments were performed , in which laboratory animals were either fed ÃŽ ²-carotene or canthaxanthin to determine a carotenoid effect, separate from a provitamin A effect on T and B lymphocyte functions. Canthaxanthin has the same ability to quench singlet oxygen and free radicals as ÃŽ ²-carotene but cannot be converted to vitamin A in mammals. Specific immune responses of laboratory animals were similarly enhanced with diets containing canthaxanthin as with diets containing ÃŽ ²-carotene (Benedict and Shapiro 1986). Some new investigations indicate that carotenoid can play a very important role in enhancing immune responses, which can lead to the reduction of tumor growth. The immune system has three cell types capable of killing tumor cells. In a preliminary report, it was shown that human natural killer cells killed significantly more tumor cells when incubated with ÃŽ ²-carotene than human cells not exposed to ÃŽ ²-carotene. ÃŽ ±-carotene also enhanced tumor killing (Leslie and Dubey, 1982). Carotenoids, besides acting through the various mechanisms described earlier, can also influence immune function through their ability to regulate membrane fluidity, and gap junctional communication. All these actions are most likely interrelated in their modulation of an immune response. Carotenoids help to maintain the membrane receptors that are essential for immune function, and they may also be found to be important in the release of immune modulatory lipid molecules such as leukotrienes. Carotenoids may increase the tumoricidal activity of the cytotoxic T cells, macrophages and or natural killer cells by any of these mechanism of action. Carotenoid enhances many aspects of immune function which include T and B lymphocyte proliferation, induction of specific effector cells capable of killing tumor cells, and the secretion of factors required for the communication between immunologically competent cells. The action of carotenoids on immune response hangs in a delicate balance with the intra-and extra cellular milieu, the outcome of which depends not only on the type and concentration of the carotenoid but also on the cell type and animal species involved. Even though studies to date have provided evidence for a specific action of carotenoids much has yet to be done to truly understand their molecular action. CAROTENOID AS PRO-VITAMIN A SOURCE Biosynthesis or conversion of carotendoids into vitamin A: Conversion of carotenoids into vitamin A becomes complicated in fishes and aquatic animals, due to the presence of vitamin A2, which frequently predominated over vitamin A in animals living or spawning in freshwater.The presence of an unsubstituted ÃŽ ²-ionone ring in the caroteniod molecule supports for vitamin A activity. Both vitamin A1, and A2 can be formed in some fishes from common precurors, such as ÃŽ ²-carotene (Morton and Creed, 1939). Carotenoids containing at least one unsubstituted 3, 4 dehydro ÃŽ ²-ionone ring have been shown to act as specific provitamins A2 in chicks (Budowski, et.al 1963) and mice (Budowski and Gross, 1965).According to (Budoswki, et. al 1963) the dehydration of lutein to anhydrolutein (3,4- dehydro-3-hydroxy ÃŽ ²-carotene), a provitamin A2 might be of possible biological significance in this respect. There are two pathways for the conversion of carotenoids to vitamin A in mammals, central cleavage and eccentric cleavage. In 1960, Glover thoughtfully discussed various pathways by which carotenoids might be converted into vitamin A. He indicated that two primary oxidative reaction might occur, one at the central 15, 15’ double bond and the other at one or more of the other double bonds. The product of the central cleavage of ÃŽ ²-carotene would be two molecules of retinal, where as that of eccentric cleavage would be one long and one short ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenal e.g. cyclocitral and ÃŽ ²-apo-8’-carotenal, by the rupture of the 7’:8’ double bond. The enzyme, ÃŽ ²-carotenoid-15, 15’-dioxygenase which converts ÃŽ ²-carotene into two molecules of retinal requires molecular oxygen and is inhibited by sulfhydryl-binding and iron –binding reagents. Most pro vitamin A carotenoids,including the ÃŽ ² apo-carotenals,are cleaved to retinal by this enzyme. Thus, carotenoid dioxygenase with eccentric bond specificity has been indentified in mammals, the yield of ÃŽ ²Ã¢â‚¬â€œapo-carotenals from ÃŽ ²-carotene in vivo and in vitro is very low, and ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals are formed nonbiologically from ÃŽ ²-carotene. Cyclic carotenes may be oxidized to hydroxylated and epoxide derivatives, converted to allenic and less saturated derivatives, or cleaved oxidatively to shorter products. Central Cleavage: In 1965, the cytosolic enzyme preparations of the intestine and liver converted ÃŽ ²-carotene to retinal were shown by two independent groups (Goodwin, et.al and Olson et. al 1965 ). The enzyme required molecular oxygen, yielded retinal as the sole identified product, was inhibited by ferrous-ion chelating agents and by sulfhydryl binding reagents (Olson, 1983). The main yield of retinal formed from the ÃŽ ²-carotene was 40-60%( Goodman and Huang, 1965) and (Olson, 1969). Since ÃŽ ²-carotene is unstable during isolation by TLC some losses occurred as a result of both biological as well as non biological oxidation during incubation, retinal was the major, if not the sole, biological product of the reaction. The retinal formed was satisfactorily characterized by several chemical and physio-chemical procedures. The enzyme, termed ÃŽ ²-carotenoid 15, 15’- dioxygenase was subsequently purified 20 to 70 fold from the intestines of several species and upon purification it became unstable. ÃŽ ²-carotenoid- 15,15’-dioxygenase cleaves many carotenoids, including several ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals.There may be some quantative differences but the relative rates of cleavage are similar(Singh and Cama 1974). In general, relative to the aldehyde form, the ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals are better substrates and the ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenic acids are poorer substrates for the enzyme. Retinal has clearly been identified as one product of the reaction. Eccentric Cleavage. ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals are intermediate between carotenoids and vitamin A. In conversion of ÃŽ ²-carotene to vitamin A, an important observation was made in a recent study that individual ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals are formed in small but significant amounts by incubating ÃŽ ²-carotene aerobically in the dark with shaking for an hour in the absence of an enzyme preparation. When compared, the reported rate of enzyme-catalyzed retinal formation is much higher.Despite these low yields, ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals might still be formed biologically from B-carotene in mammals. But in future studies, the non-biological formation of oxidation products of carotenoids must be carefully assessed and the rate of the eccentric cleavage reaction, both in vivo and in vitro, must be related to the rate of formation of retinal by central cleavage. The metabolism of the ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenals has been addressed primarily in terms of their conversion to vitamin A and their oxidation to ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenoic acids. As analogous of retinal, however, they are expected to be metabolized in a similar way. Thus a significant part of them may well be reduced to ÃŽ ²-apo-carotenols (Glover, 1960) and (Sharma et .al 1977) and subsequently esterified to ÃŽ ²-apo carotenyl esters. Such compounds like retinyl ester and esterified lipids, should be transported primarily in the Chylomicra. Fish are much more versatile than mammals in meeting their needs for vitamin A (Olson, 1983). Fish are able to convert astaxanthin (3,3’-dihydroxy, 4,4’-diketo-ÃŽ ²-carotene), canthaxanthin (4,4 diketo-ÃŽ ²-Carotene) and isozeaxanthin (4,4’-dihydroxy ÃŽ ²-carotene) to ÃŽ ² carotene. They can also convert anhydrolutein derived from lutein, to dehydroretinol (Goswami ;1987). The oxidative metabolites of carotenoids work as essential molecules in a wide variety of living organisms. Carotenoids are converted to biologically active products such as abscisic acid, trisporic acid and retinoic acid in plants, fungi and animals respectively. Their formation is mediated by enzymes that catalyze cleavage reactions against specific double bonds of cartenoids. Moreover, carotenoids vulnerable to oxidation have the potential to be converted to biologically active compounds by chemical transformation. In mammals, ÃŽ ²-carotene 15,15’-dioxygenase catalyzes conversion of ÃŽ ²-carotene to retinal (Olson and Hayaishi, 1965) and (Goodman and Huang 1965). Although the cleavage enzyme plays a crucial role in vitamin A formation, its properties have not yet been fully revealed. The regulatory mechanism of the dioxygenase in particular remains to be clarified in terms of the nutrition of pro-vitamin A carotenoids. Dietary ÃŽ ²-carotene solubilized in mixed micelles wit h bile components and hydrolyzates of dietary lipids is absorbed in intestinal cells. Retinal formed from ÃŽ ²-carotene is further converted to retinyl ester by retinal reductase and lecithin retinol acyltransferase with the aid of cellular retinol binding protien type-II (CRBP-II), and then incorporated into chylomicron (Ong,1993). Thus, the cleavage of ÃŽ ²-carotene in intestinal cells is closely linked to lipid and retinoid metabolism, and the regulation of the cleavage enzyme activity should be considered in this context. Moreover, the cleavage enzyme is located in the intestinal cells, which are directly exposed to various food components. Action of dietary phytochemicals on the dioxygenase activity might affect the bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoid derived from fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids can be oxidized to a number of compounds by chemical transformation, in contrast to the specific cleavage of certain carotenoids by the enzyme, because of the high reactivity of conjugated double bonds to active oxygen species. The enzymatic conversion of ÃŽ ²-carotene to vitamin A, the non-enzymatic cleavage of lycopene, and the biological actions of the oxidation products of lycopene are described in Akihiko Nagao†s paper.