Saturday, December 28, 2019

Anabolic Steroids Should Be Banned - 1348 Words

Steroids, more specifically anabolic steroids, are drugs that can be legally prescribed or taken illegally, to boost strength and increase athletic performance. They are based off of the hormone testosterone. On the street where the drug is sold illegally, the common slang names are â€Å"arnolds†, â€Å"gym candy†, â€Å"pumpers†, â€Å"roids†, â€Å"stackers†, â€Å"weight trainers†, and â€Å"juice†. Steroids have a long, long history, especially in regards to sporting events. Anabolic steroids were not really used worldwide until the 20th century. However, the use of pure testosterone can be traced back to the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Raw animal testicles were eaten by the early Olympians. It sounds disgusting, but it did the job. With this in mind, it†¦show more content†¦This made it safe for human use. The discovery was so profound that both Butenandt and Ruzicka were awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize for their achievements in chemistry. By the 1940’s, anabolic steroid use in the Soviet Union was becoming common. Dr. John Ziegler, a US Olympic team physician found a way to develop methandrostenolone; commonly known as Dianabol. United States Olympic lifters would soon find testosterone and Dianabol dosing to be a part of their regular athletic routine. The impact the drugs were having on athletes were nothing short of impressive. Several studies we re published suggesting anabolic steroid use had no positive effect on sports performance. At the time, this was done to discourage the use, but a lot of athletes didn’t know or care. By 1967, anabolic steroid use was pretty common among Olympic athletes, particularly weight lifters. Even though many physicians stated there was no benefit to anabolic steroid use and athletic performance, the International Olympic Council banned the use of anabolic steroids. Shortly afterwards, the majority of major sports governing bodies would follow suit. By 1972, the IOC would begin implementing a full-scale drug testing program for all athletes. The testing was very simple. Testosterone levels were measured, which can easily be done via a blood test or urine sample. If testosterone levels were found to be six times

Friday, December 20, 2019

Essay about Corruption and Neoliberalism in the Philippines

International Development SIS 637-002 International Development Paper #2 November 17, 2013 Despite this year’s onslaught of devastating earthquakes, factional rebel sieges, and most recently, record breaking typhoons, the Philippines is doing surprisingly well for itself. In fact, The Economist Intelligence Unit reports that though the wreckage caused by last week’s Supertyphoon Haiyan will likely slow GDP somewhat, economic damage will not be significant, the Eastern Visayas region accounting for only two per cent of the country’s GDP. Economically, at least, the Philippines has had a good year: the first half of 2013 saw GDP growth at 7.3 percent, the highest growth rate in Asia; it saw seen record foreign direct investment†¦show more content†¦Most recently in the news is the Pork Barrel Scandal, where President Aquino and the ombudsmen have charged 3 senators, 2 former lawmakers, and a businesswoman for misusing over $200 million in state funds (Hookway). Pork Barrel is a state allocation of funds set aside for senators t o use on development projects of their choice, of which the president says the accused used for fabricated project proposals to take personal kickbacks. Public protests against the scandal have been massive, and the people are calling for not only the eradication of the Pork Barrel fund itself, but of the president’s own spending fund as well. President Aquino faces the dilemma of upholding his strict anticorruption agenda, appealing to the public, and maintaining support of powerful lawmakers and congressmen (Hookway). James Hookway argues that Aquino’s decision on the scandal will heavily determine foreign investor confidence in the Philippines, influencing the path of the country’s development. Indeed most development professionals agree that corruption and bad governance are inversely related to the development of a country. The worst indicators in the Philippine Failed States Report outwardly suggest governance issues are a threat to the state and a major c ause of internal violence and conflict. Good governance has been the recent focus of many World Bank projects, the group stating that,Show MoreRelatedThe Roots of Poverty and Globalization2272 Words   |  9 Pagesdeveloping countries exports were of manufacturers (9) entering the neoliberal project. Neoliberalism: opening up markets to trade by privatization. The neoliberal project was seen as a way to aid the financially broke countries. It is economic growth and not redistribution that is the answer for eradicating poverty, according to neoliberalism. Development is a necessary form for the welfare of the countries. Neoliberalism is the core of what happened in the 1980s and it is here where globalization reallyRead MoreWorld Trade Organization ( Wto )2137 Words   |  9 Pagesunions, universities, and regional development agencies with a real commitment to the overall goals of local and national economic development. The reform policies Vietnam had established a project to transform the nation afar from most of the neoliberalism ideals and guidelines introduced during the Post-Washington Consensus while upholding some. Although the state gradually began to give space to the market as it allowed private-owned corporations into the industry, the state and politics of VietnamRead MoreU.s. African Development Foundation6843 Words   |  28 Pagesunder extreme poverty, which basically means under the least amount of income per day per person. For instance, when we look at East Asia Pacific, there are six countries listed on the chart (Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) and almost all of them, except for Lao PDR who have a population between 20-40 percent who live under $1.25 a day, have a population of less than 20 percent living under the $1.25 poverty line. However, under the $2 a dayRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the Worl d Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesof global liberalism (after 1950 and more worldwide after 1990) did not stop the multiplication of migration controls, the proliferation of identity documents, and ever more complex laws to sift and select the optimal migrant. In this sense, neoliberalism has proved to be more â€Å"quasi† than â€Å"neo,† promoting the free movement of goods, capital, technologies, information, and culture, but not of people. At the most brutal level, the consolidation of borders and purification of   national spaces

Thursday, December 12, 2019

SAP Implementation Cost Accounting

Question: Discuss about theSAP Implementation for Cost Accounting. Answer: Introduction This paper aims at giving insight on the meaning of SAP and the distinguishing characteristics of its application in hospitals and other organizations. It also intends to use hospitals in Colombia as a case study in analyzing the correct use of SAP. What is SAP? SAP stands for Systems Applications and Products. It was designed specifically to create a channel that enables customers to interact with a shared database for various applications in an organization. Its applications have the capability to be used in the management of assets, financial documents, production operations, cost accounting, personnel and archived material (Grabski, Leech and Lu 2001). Comparing SAP for Healthcare and the other Organizations SAP can be considered to be the ultimate remedy to many fields including companies, schools, firms, businesses, and healthcare in general. Hospitals demand more connectivity since the information they deliver to people is imperative and becomes active only when it is passed in time. The loss in healthcare is measured regarding human lives while in the business sector; it is measured in monetary terms thus making the healthcare a more delicate sector where a lot of efficiencies should be accorded. This is the best factor that distinguishes SAP implementation in hospitals against implementation in other organizations. The healthcare industry aspires to achieve maximum efficiency in its operations at the minimum costs and finally maximize its profits. All these are associated with management activities in the field of supply, inventories, patient relationship management, finance, billing and human resource management. This aspiration is made possible by business process optimization and technology enablement through the successful and proper use of SAP. It is considered suitable for all types, sizes, and specialties of hospitals whether small, nursing homes, polyclinics or general practitioners. SAP for Healthcare solutions is beneficial regarding helping the organization improve its operational efficiency, mitigate possible risks as well as controlling costs while still making it possible to provide innovative business models and proper patient services (Tsai et al. 2010). The Exact Benefits of SAP in Healthcare Due to the constant and rapid multiplication of hospitals, there is dire need to inflict high levels of professionalism and best practices in the sector. This includes medical equipment and practices. Patients expect services to be better than the last time they were served thus hospitals have to be up to date with new methods as well as modern technology so as to retain their customers loyalty (Seo 2013). As far as SAP is concerned, hospitals have excelled in investing in new technology and the same time keeping in touch with their costs. The increased number of hospitals has given patients the freedom to choose where they are served to their satisfaction. The quality of treatment offered by hospitals is measured by the technology used. Modern and practical technology provides comfort and confidence to patients that they are receiving the best treatment available. SAP is currently one of the best sought after technology by patients hence the need to use it by healthcare service providers. Through this, hospitals can maintain their focus on patients and remain competitive in the healthcare arena which is always changing (Agarwal and Garg 2012). SAP is vital in the reduction of operational costs because it accounts for various functions namely finance, accounts, and human resources and eventually brings all the systems under one shared database of SAP. It can provide real-time data to a hospital which is an aid to departments as they work on making critical decisions about patient care and physical resource management. Hospitals can capitalize on the SAPs automated solutions to replace the slow paper-based procedures and finally do away with the departmental barriers. SAP helps an organization minimize risks and increase the reliability of its solutions because it provides the content, tools, and methodologies one needs to design, measure, analyze, improve, and control their organization. It has an easy integration and unlimited scalability thus making it a sound investment project. SAP Implementation in a Colombian Hospital The country has faced some challenges in the health sector namely; constrained financial resources, legal and regulatory requirements and the use of official diagnosis- related groups for patient billing, increasing patient expectations and demand for more information and quality care. These issues require that the healthcare providers become the first to answer the questions about affordable, efficient and high-quality patient care. Extreme pressure arises from this terrible situation. Implementing new technology, for instance, SAP, gives the hospitals an option of increasing the competitive health of the business operations. SAP will help link patient management, administrative services, and clinical processes into one efficient, manageable solution that supports collaborative processes with other participants in the sector to reduce costs, enhance patient satisfaction and finally strengthen their position in the healthcare market in a cost effectively and efficiently manner (Agarwal and Garg 2012). It offers patient-centric solutions tailored to curb hospital challenges through supporting activities that allow clinicians share information and make accurate rapid decisions, and enabling the hospital administrators to work cooperatively with suppliers, physicians, and public authorities. References Agarwal, D and Garg, P. 2012. ERP implementation in hospitals: a case study. International journal of electronic healthcare, 7(2), 157-180. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23079029 Grabski, S.V., Leech, S.A. and Lu, B., 2001. Risks and controls in the implementation of ERP systems. https://www.uhu.es/ijdar/10.4192/1577-8517-v1_3.pdf Seo, G. 2013. Challenges in implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in large organizations: similarities and differences between corporate and university environment (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). https://ic3.mit.edu/ResearchSamples/2013-07.pdf Tsai, W.H., Chen, S.P., Hwang, E.T. and Hsu, J.L., 2010. A study of the impact of business process on the ERP system effectiveness. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(9), p.26. https://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/viewFile/7305/5674

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Protestant Vs. Socially Engaged Buddhism Essay Example For Students

Protestant Vs. Socially Engaged Buddhism Essay Ben RamseyBuddhist ThoughtProfessor KerinFebruary 27, 2001Protestant vs. Socially Engaged BuddhismSomewhere in the sixth century BCE Buddhism was born, born from a single man Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha. After gaining his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha didnt think that the rest of the world could handle all that he had learned. He did not want to teach others, nor did he want to spread his wisdom. Until at last his great compassion came over him and he started to gain the respect of few by going to his old peers first. By starting with other intellectuals he secured that they at least had the capacity to learn what he had to teach. From this point on he spread his philosophy on the middle path with everyone who would listen. He preached pacifism and that it was wrong to take any life be it a mans or any lesser beings. He taught that the noble eightfold path was the route to end all suffering, and that the individual was the most important factor in achieving enlightenment. The Buddha taught about the five aggregates, the notion that the human being is made up of matter, sensation, consciousness, perception, and mental formations. In all of his teachings however the Buddha did not do so much as a lay a groundwork for which his followers could build a society on. The Buddha was acting out of compassion in that he had found the way to end his suffering and wanted to help others do the same. He was not however trying to build himself up as a God, and create a religion under which he was the focal point. Since this was not his goal, he did not get into politics, social formations, or anything else of the like. However, sooner or later, with the rapid growth of Buddhism in India, and the whole of Southeast Asi a, these were the things that would determine the survival of its followers. That is, an entire society of Buddhists had emerged, far greater numbers and organization than even the Buddha had imagined. With this emergence of community came more and more problems with which the leaders had no frame of reference to combat. For instance, what to do when pacifism doesnt work in protecting your community. How to maintain peacefulness when outside forces are conquering violently. In many areas, where this sense of a Buddhist community had been created, the members had a great deal of pride in what they had created and were a part of, but their pride was kept in check by their inability to justify the right course of action. For example the Buddhists of Sri Lanka believed that they were the custodians of the teachings of the Buddha. It was there, on their Island, where the Theravadan tradition, the only sect of the Hinayana still around, had been born. Buddhism had prospered in Sri Lanka f or over sixteen hundred years, until the first colonizers came from Portugal in the 1550s CE. Sri Lanka was then ruled, by one or another European colonizers, until the year of 1948. The reason for their inability to rule themselves was not because of lack of numbers, for 75% of all people in Sri Lanka ascribe to Buddhism, but because of the non-violent nature of their resistance. In the contradiction between pride and pacifism they had simply seen pride as a vice and continued to try and live their lives in accordance to non-violent virtues. For nearly four hundred years the Buddhist of Sri Lanka had tolerated the overbearing nature of their western habitants, that is until Anagarika Dharmapala began his career as a Buddhist revivalist. It was Dharmapala who was able to justify a more active resistance; he started by tailoring the innate Sinhala nationalism to correspond to his goals. He cultivated the natives of Sri Lanka to believe in the good old days, the days when Buddhism had prospered under King Aschoke and others. When there was a great link between the rulers of their nation and them, the people, a time when temples, stupa, and great pillars were being erected in the name of the Buddha. And once he had the ear of the people, he used every ounce of knowledge within his plethora of teachings to stimulate change. He integrated the beliefs of Buddhism, with the active nature of Christianity. This Protestant Buddhism was at the heart of the resistance, without the reforms it allowed for, the Buddhists of Sri Lanka might still be struggling under British rule to this day. The original goal of Protestant Buddhism was for the independence of the Sinhala, and for the building of a stronger Buddhism worldwide. By adapting Christian sensibility the revivalists were able to confidently combat the other main religions. No longer where they at a disadvantage in the educational system, because they created Buddhist Sunday school. No longer were they disadvantaged b y lack of uniformity drawn out of oral tradition, for they emphasized scripture much like the Christians put their faith in the Bible. The Protestant Buddhists also took responsibility for this worldly things, such as politics, economics, and other social factors. Therefor, the beliefs of Buddhism were not changed, just adapted to fit the times. Each individuals personal journey was still at the heart of the Theravadan tradition, only the application of its teachings had changed. Another example of the modernization of Buddhism, is the idea of Socially Engaged Buddhism. This seemingly new aged phenomenon has been born out of the ignorance of many to the potential extending effects of Buddhism. From the start, meditation, and self-knowledge has been at the heart of Buddhism. However, this does not mean that Buddhism, as it has evolved today is simply an individual thing. Just as lay people, monks, and nuns make up the sangha, or Buddhist community, creating a give and take relationsh ip among themselves. So should the Buddhist people interact with the outside world in much the same way. Their community fits into a worldly community just as they individually fit into the sangha. And just as the individual can influence, and contribute to the larger group, so can the group influence and contribute on a larger, global forum. The Buddha himself, though selfish and self absorbed at first, did not retreat to the safety and serenity of the Bodhi tree, withdrawing from this world, but rather went out and actively spread his wisdom so that others may also have a chance to become enlightened. Compassion, they seem to say, must ultimately express itself in action, must take form, if it is to be real. The world in the 21st century is inextricably different from that of 2500 years ago in the time of the Buddha. We have innumerous causes to believe in, from the threat of nuclear destruction, to the plight of the rainforests. Buddhism has taught us that it is not just acceptab le, but our duty to put effort into the aid of these things. Our compassion must be expressed through action, Buddhists cannot sit idly while this kind of strife goes on in the world. The socially engaged Buddhist aims to live a life based on pure moral principles, while contributing to the lifting of the suffering of all, not just themselves. One example of a Buddhist view on social reform comes from the Digha-nikaya, where it teaches that poverty breeds many crimes such as theft and violence. And that in order to eradicate this evil, government must not punish the wrongdoers, because this just causes more of the same types of action, but rather should do what it can to help the impoverished people. Once poverty is gone the Buddha says, then these crimes of poverty will also vanish.This is a bit idealistic, but holds much more truth than any other leading party will admit, in that if given the chance to earn an honest living most people would rather accept it than deal with a life of necessary crime. In this way, peaceful, non-intrusive Buddhist ideals can be coupled with activism. .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .postImageUrl , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:hover , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:visited , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:active { border:0!important; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:active , .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3 .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1a1d0ce94ddb094e1280f8a5b2d69ce3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Romeo and JulietWest Side Story EssayBuddhists want to create a society where there are no distractions, where everyone can afford to direct their attention towards their own journey to enlightenment. However, in order to reach this lofty goal, the individual must take a supporting role for the time being. The idea that although the enlightenment of the individual is the most important thing to that individual, the ultimate enlightenment of any one member of the community is the most important goal of the community as a whole, and must be true of its members as well. This view is very similar to the evolutionary explanation for siblcare, one generation of a type of bird st aying with the parents and helping them rear the young of the next generation. At first there doesnt seem to be any adaptational benefit to that brother bird staying with the family when he could be out spreading his genes directly by means of mating. The benefit to this puzzling behavior was finally discovered, and explained in that the general ability of birds of this kind to successfully mate in their first year away from the nest was very low. They did not have any nest building skills in which to attract a viable mate. They actually had a better chance of indirectly passing on their genes by aiding their parents in the care of the young, because every sibling shares at least 50% of their genes with one another. So in a sense, some of their genes are in fact being added to the world. This is every animals most basic goal in life. Also, this bird learns valuable skills from its father so that it can go out the next year and have a better chance of mating and passing off its genes directly. The Buddhist people are in a sense like the brother bird, looking to further themselves, but doing so while helping the whole society at the same time. This is what Nagarjuna, a second century Buddhist activist, calls the first principle of Buddhist social ethics; individualist transcendentalism. Nagarjuna continues his teachings with that of compassionate socialism, based on a psychology of abundance, achieved by generosity.He insightfully wrote about a number of policies that could be adopted by the government, furthermore he wrote extensively on why they should be adopted and how they would help everything from the economic situation of nations, to the ants and dogs within each community. Nagarjuna was very specific as to how these principles of his could and should be carried out in the building of shelters and the providing of clean water to drink and so forth. The socially engaged Buddhist wants not only to live a life of good karma and further their journey to a st ate of enlightenment, but also wants to create a society that would be beneficial to be born back into. A society where each person helps each other, every person contributes to the greater community, and especially where the community aids the individual. The only way for this goal to be reached is to do something about it in this lifetime. To address the need for a Buddhist perspective on public policy, in essence, to merge the inner with the outer beings. Though they came forth from different stimuli, Protestant Buddhism and Socially Engaged Buddhism share a lot in common, mainly as examples of the evolving nature of Buddhism as a whole. Whereas the integrity of the ancient teachings can be preserved, but not with the rigidity that would prevent them from being applicable to todays world. ReferencesEppsteiner, F. (1988) The Path of Compassion, Berkeley, CA. Parallax Press Buddhist Peace FellowshipLittle, D. (?) Sri Lanka the Invention of Enmity, (ch. 3) Washington, DC. US Instit ute of Peace PressWords/ Pages : 2,039 / 24