High-Risk Nutritional Practices Paper First Draft Essay

High-Risk Nutritional Practices Paper First Draft - Essay Example de the lack of constant exercising, proper hydration, and continuous cleanliness, as well as participation in general medical checkups and examination. In this regard, there are a host of factors that inevitably result in the lack of or limitation of access to proper nutritional value and health. When delving into the aspect of culture and traditional affiliations, it is critical to note that a majority of cultural practices and/ traditions and essentially linked to the religious aspects of given social settings. Therefore, the need to be considerate of religious input with regard to cultural practices pertaining to nutritional intake and practice is vital (Grant, 1998). The paper will delve on the influences of cultural ideals and practices, on various populations’ dietary/ nutritional intake. Focus will be on the existing influential factors as well as co-relative factors founded on cultural perspectives and practices. This will encompass prevailing historical belief systems and inclusive practices portrayed, with each culture being explored further in terms of such high-risk behaviors. Within European contexts, the U.S. is often regarded as the ‘melting pot’ of all cultures, religions and ways of life. As Kittler and Sucher (1999) portray, this is best represented by the diversity portrayed and subsequently experienced in the daily life of American citizens, eventually affecting critical aspects such as socialization, nutritional value intake, political affiliations and ideological perspectives. Looking at high-risk nutritional behaviors, it is worthwhile to note that other aspects of socializations i.e. family/ gender roles, age-group category/ bracket, spiritual beliefs, education, health care practices, physical activities, drug and substance abuse, cultural practices and traditions amongst others, fundamentally influence the nutritional behaviors present within different social contexts. In terms of cultural diversity, the U.S. is uniquely

Thesis Statement Studies have shown that exercise decrease Research Paper

Thesis Statement Studies have shown that exercise decrease hypertension and organ damage in elderly, more so than Medications - Research Paper Example In this sense, the historical and current bases of this debate are mentioned, albeit lightly. III. Medication versus exercise This section specifically highlights the points and issues brought forward by both sides of the debate. That is, the arguments brought forward by those believing that exercise is a more effective preventive and treatment technique for hypertension compared to medications. However, the importance of seeking medical advice prior to engaging in any form or period of exercise is emphasized. IV. Exercise and Its Effects on the Heart This section narrows down on the exact benefits and effects of exercise, which makes it better and more effective than medication in preventing and treating hypertension and reducing organ damage in elderly people. V. Recommendations This section is about the various techniques and approaches by which health care professionals and individual elderly persons may engage in sports and other exercise to prevent, treat, and manage hypertensi on and organ damage. VI. Conclusion This section is a summary of the entire paper, especially on the reasons exercise is more effective than medication in preventing and treating organ damage and hypertension. VII. References This is the list of some of the references used in gathering the information contained in the paper. Abstract It is common knowledge that a healthy lifestyle is quite an important part of the treatment and prevention of hypertension, thus indispensable in this regard. According to the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, moderate-intensity resistance exercise or training should be used to complement aerobic exercise programs in any efforts to prevent, treat, and control hypertension. According to numerous past and current studies on short-term post-exercise blood pressure reduction in elderly hypertensive patients, the rationale for such exercises is the control of blood pressure. The issue of blood pressure control is more pr ofound in the aged and people already diagnosed with hypertension, especially with regards to the lowering of resting blood pressure. Although exercise activities elicit post-exercise blood pressure drop, the mechanisms causing these responses are not entirely understood. In most of these studies that target elderly hypertensive patients aged about 65, cardiac output and blood pressure are the variables commonly measured, both at rest and after short periods of low-intensity exercises such as bicycle rides. The results of most of these studies indicate that in hypertensive patients, exercises provoke a considerable drop in blood pressure and cardiac output. The therapeutic and preventive uses of exercise have made it to be compared with medication with respect to the treatment and prevention of hypertension. In fact, many a stakeholder feels that exercise is more effective than medication in the treatment of hypertension. However, there are those with opposing opinion who believe me dication still has an upper hand in treating and preventing hypertension. Introduction Quite a number of health literatures cover the techniques by which one may reduce or manage high blood pressure and other heart-related conditions. However, fewer health literatures recommend techniques for controlling and preventing heart conditions without involving medications. Most literatures emphasize the effectiveness of

The risk of depression in elderly individuals Essay Example for Free

The risk of depression in elderly individuals Essay This study aims at investigating whether there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed individuals level of physical activity. The study will involve two groups of participants: depressed and non depressed groups. Depressed individuals will be selected on the criteria that an individual has been in the past diagnosed with chronic or acute depression in any of the hospitals in the location while non depressed participant will be people who have never been diagnosed with depression in their life time. Data from both groups will be collected through time series analysis where the physical activity of the participants will be monitored three times a day at regular intervals during the day. This will be followed by analysis of temporal dynamic for participants between physical activity and depression through investigation of vector autoregressive. Each participant in the study will be required to fill a self- registration form for 3 times of a day. In addition each participant will be fitted with accelerometer to monitor their motions to determine their physical activity. The research will be based in name of the location. Time series approach will be used for objective comparison between the two types of the study groups. This will give adequate information on the state depressed individuals and those that are not on the nature of their physical fitness that reflect direct to their physical activities. Mood of the participants will be measured using positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark and Tellegen 1988). The positive affects will include the following terms as related to the study; active, excited, alert, attentive, enthusiastic, determined, proud, inspired, strong, and proud in addition to happiness (Ingram, 2009). On the other hand negative affects will include afraid, hostile, ashamed, guilty, distressed, guilty, irritable, nervous, jittery, sacred, and scared in addition to sadness (Ingram, 2009). Other factors contributing to physical inactivity in both the groups under study will be considered so that a better conclusion on the research question can be reached. Consequent ly, questionnaires will be a rich tool to examine the past history of the two groups under the study so as to be able to get details on their physical activities for a given period of time. The data on physical activities between the two groups of people will be entered and analyzed using various appropriate statistical tools such as statistical package for social scientists (SPSS). The data will be compared between the participants with depression and those without so as to determine whether there is significant difference between patients’ with depression and those without. Further, depression will be investigated whether it affects the physical fitness of a person thus affecting his or her physical activities. Elective period description The elective period will involve data collection from both the group of participants by use of time series analysis and questionnaires. The data that will be collected will then be analysed using various statistical methods in order to compare the findings in relation to the study question. Depression is a condition that is becoming common to populations in the world. It is among the five non-communicable diseases that are prevalent across social class in societies (Bloom et al, 2011). The burden of the condition has continued to increase year and year and it was found recently to be between 10 and 15% globallyThe condition is associated with negative effects to the quality of health and life, which are major determinants of physical activity in patients diagnosed with it (Onat, DelialioÄŸlu, Uà §ar, 2014). The main symptoms of depression are depression mood and lack of interests in various activities. The depression condition has been linked with physical inactiveness. The physical inactivity has been the major hindrance to depression treatments because of impaired body metabolic processes (Teychenne, Ball, Salmon, 2008). Therefore, the physical activity presents is an important indicator of depression Depression is caused by environmental, biochemical and genetic factors. Some environmental causes include marital conflicts, stress due to loss of employment, death of a close relative, and other social related issues (Chen et al, 2014). Biochemical factors include depletion of monoamine and hormonal imbalances that might be triggered by environmental factors. Genetic factors have also been linked to depression where some genes mutations that are inherited in family lineages cause heredity transfer of the condition (Chen et al, 2014). The numerous causes has led to increased incidences of depression and so there is need to find ways in which the effect of the condition can be reduced so as to ensure high quality of life and health among populations (Hafslund, Espehaug, Nortvedt, 2012). It has well been documented that patients with depression experiences physical inactivates. However, much of the studies carried out on the relationship between depression and physical activities have showed inconsistence (Teychenne et al, 2008). People that have not experienced depression experiences decreased physical inactivity that has been related to other causes other than depression. Few studies have been conducted to compare how physical activities differ between these two groups of populations. Physical activity is an important factor in remission of depressed patients (Dinas, Koutedakis, Flouris, 2011; Azar et al, 2010). Therefore, it is important to study the physical activity in depressed people and compare it with non depressed people. Any significant difference between the two groups will be important in therapeutic management of depression and thus lowering its burden. This research study investigates whether there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed individual physical activities in name of the location of the study. The population has its own characteristics in terms of social, ethnic and economic characteristics. A problem statement/question Physical activity is an important therapeutic consideration in depressed people. However, few studies have been conducted and therefore inadequate data is available to ascertain physical inactivity as one of the factors in depressed people. To contribute more on this data, the research aim to address the question, if there are difference between depressed and non depressed individual’s physical activity. Indication of the importance/significance of the study This study will highly target audience from medical profession, rehabilitation centre who are particularly involved in management of depression, patients suffering from depression, and communities at large. The results of the study will be expected to increase and build on the knowledge on how depression relates to the physical activities thus improving depression management and treatment. The outcome will be important to health profession in making decision on what type of management that should be adapted to depressed patients. Moreover, the results will help policy makers in health care system to develop appropriate policies that will help health care providers to deal with the condition. Therefore, the study will impact positively to health care system. The study will increase knowledge to patients with depression and help them to increase physical activity thus reducing the negative impact of depression. Hence, the study will play an important role in reducing the burden of depr ession globally. Moreover, this study will form the basis in which other similar studies can be conducted and developed. Hypotheses statement Do depressed and non-depressed individuals differ significantly on their levels of physical activities? The null hypothesis will be there is no significant difference between the depressed and non depressed individual physical activities while the alternative will be that there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed physical activity. Detailed work plan In the figure 1 below, the research process will involve reassessment period of two weeks. During the two weeks prior to the study, potential participants will be notified through posters and meetings and the whole procedure of the study communicated so as to prepare them for the whole period. In addition, the period will involve screening of depressed participants as detailed below. At the end of the 2 weeks, a sample of 30 depressed and 30 non depressed participants will be drawn. This will be followed by the research process that will take a period of one month (4 weeks). The actual data collection process will take place in this place and the research tools will be employed at this phase. Data analysis processes will take place for a period of 4 weeks, which will be followed by report completion and submission that is estimated that will take place for 2 weeks. This will mark the end of the research study processed. The project will run for one month (30 days) for both groups of individuals. The data will be collected 3 times a day for the entire period for both self reported reports and questionnaires detailing participants past physical activity. The accelerometers will be inserted to patients for the entire period of the study so as to monitor their movement or motion during the period of the study. A total of 60 participants will form the study sample. 30 will be depressed patients recruited from outpatient clinic in the name of the hospital. On the other hand, 30 non depressed patients will be recruited from the general population who have never been diagnosed with depression. The participants’ inclusion criteria will involve of age of between 20 and 50 years limit; able to complete the whole study for 30 days through filling self reports and wearing accelerometer for 24 hours the entire period. To determine illegibility of depressed participants they will be screened for depressive symptoms using various depression diagnostic protocols such as Beck depressions inventory (Stulz, Crits-Christoph, 2010). Similarly, non-depressive patients will be assessed using the same diagnostic evaluator to prevent erroneous inclusion of depressed participant in non depressed sample. The importance of carrying out the assessment before the study is to ensure that participants are placed correctly in the study groups. On the other hand, the participants will be excluded in the study if they have been diagnosed of Psychotic Disorder or Bipolar Disorder; Somatic disorders mainly affecting HPA axis function, or under ANS- Medication, which affects HPA function and vis ual-hearing impairments, and finally pregnant participants will be excluded through carrying out a pregnancy test). The self report will be used to measure depressive symptoms (time analysis series). This will involve a regular measurement at the frequency of three times a day for three months. Self report is an important tool that measures depressed symptoms in a more reliable way thus giving high valid results (Uher et al, 2012). In addition to self report, questionnaires will be used to measure depression symptoms. The data collection will involve self-filled reports and questionnaires. In addition, readings on accelerometers will be monitored in 24 hours and the readings recorded on self-report for 30 days. Questionnaires that will be conducted inform of interviews are expected to give the outcome of the patients depression history and the physical activities. The time series analysis is expected to give details of events and physical activities on time interval that will be recorded in the self-report. The accelerometer is expected to give the results on the motion of the participant throughout the study period. The motion of the participants will be important in determining how active the participant has been during the study. Expected results The outcome of this study is expected to answer the study question. The expected results will be that there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed patients. Depressed patients are expected to show decreased activities while non depressed participants are expected to show increased physical activities thus linking depression to physical inactiveness. Decreased physical is a characteristic of depressed people and therefore, an increase in physical activity in theses people is associated with positive impact of depression by decreasing it. Plan for elective period The research will involve a period of 30 days to carry the actual study by administering questionnaires, monitoring time series analysis, and accelerometer. The other period that will be few weeks will involve data analysis and writing of the project report to finality. This will ensure that the desired objective of the study will be accomplished within the study period. References Azar, D., Ball, K., Salmon, J., Cleland, V. J. (2010). Physical activity correlates in young women with depressive symptoms: a qualitative study. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 7(1), 3.Bloom, D.E., Cafiero, E.T., Janà ©-Llopis, E., Abrahams-Gessel, S., Bloom, L.R., Fathima, S., Feigl,A.B., Gaziano, T., Mowafi, M., Pandya, A., Prettner, K., Rosenberg, L., Seligman, B., Stein, A.Z., Weinstein, C. (2011).The Global Economic Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases. Geneva: World Economic Forum Chen, J., Li, X., Natsuaki, M., Leve, L., Harold, G. (2014). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents. Behavior Genetics, 44(1), 36-44. Dinas, P. C., Koutedakis, Y., Flouris, A. D. (2011). Effects of exercise and physical activity on depression. Irish journal of medical science, 180(2), 319-325.Hafslund, B., Espehaug, B., Nortvedt, M. (2012). Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression related to mammography screening in Norway. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 21(21/22), 3223-3234 Ingram, R. E. (2009). The international encyclopedia of depression. New York: Springer Là ©pine, J. P., Briley, M. (2011). The increasing burden of depression. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 7(Suppl 1), 3-7. Onat, Åž., DelialioÄŸlu, S., Uà §ar, D. (2014). The risk of depression in elderly individuals, the factors which related to depression, the effect of depression to functional activity and quality of life. Turkish Journal Of Geriatrics / Tà ¼rk Geriatri Dergisi, 17(1), 35-43. Stulz, N., Crits-Christoph, P. (2010). Distinguishing anxiety and depression in self-report: purification of the beck anxiety inventory and beck depression inventory-II. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 66(9), 927-940. Teychenne, M., Ball, K., Salmon, J. (2008). Physical activity and likelihood of depression in adults: A review. Prev Med 46, 397-411 Uher, R., Perlis, R. H., Placentino, A., DernovÃ… ¡ek, M., Henigsberg, N., Mors, O., Farmer, A. (2012). Self-report and clinician-rated measures of depression severity: can one replace the other?. Depression Anxiety (1091-4269), 29(12), 1043-1049. Watson, D., Clark., L., A., Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54:1063-1070. Source document

Rise In Russian Military Power Politics Essay

Rise In Russian Military Power Politics Essay Military power was central to the USSRs position as global power. The Soviet Unions military strength was its prime achievement and it had learned that military power generates international respect and deference. The Soviet Union was a superpower largely because of its ability to generate enormous military power [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Russias power is no longer the centre of international concerns, the threat of its military might no longer grips us obsessively, and the global order is no longer defined by alignment with or against Moscow.  [2]   2. Nevertheless, Russias military policy and power remain a major consideration in Eurasia and its nuclear component retains global significance. The disintegration of USSR in 1991, also led to decline of Russias military power along with a crippled economy and political leadership. The successive governments were more concerned in resolving Russias domestic problems rather than on retaining a global position. Thus over a period of time major down fall was seen in overall military capability of Russia. It was in 2000 when Vladimir Putin became president; a fundamental shift was seen in Russian politics, economy and in its military capability. Putin always regarded the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical disaster in 21st century. Once he came to power, he was able to inject a new belief that it was Russias right to be a great power and the military power being the ultimate symbol of that status. 3. Over a period of time, Russia has changed its military doctrines, policies and also downsized its military forces. The military power was used effectively to handle the Georgia conflict in 2008. After this war, Russia made major plans to reform and modernize its armed forces by 2020. In April 2009, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Denis Blair said in unclassified written answers to the Senate Intelligence Committee that the ongoing reshaping of Russias ground forces will enable it to militarily dominate most of its neighbours. RUSSIAN DEFENCE POLICY Structure of Decision Making 4. President of the Russian Federation is Supreme Commander in Chief (CIC) of the Russian Armed Forces. He is the executive authority for the formulation of defence policies and military doctrine. Minister of Defence comes next in hierarchy and is appointed directly by the President. Minister is responsible for readiness, overall deployment of the military and also the formalisation of the State Armament Plan. For the first time in recent Russian history In March 2001 then President Putin appointed a civilian defence minister with a mind set that that military reform can only be achieved with civilian oversight. Subsequently Putin also introduced a new State Law on Defence with an aim to give more powers to Ministry of Defence.  [3]   5. In 2000, under National Security and Foreign Policy Concept the threat assessment for Russia in the 21 century was carried out and based on this, Military Doctrine was formulated. The main threats to Russias national interests were identified as economic disintegration of Russia, ethnic separatism, increase in crime rate, reduction in powers of OSCE and the UN, weakening of Russias influence in political, economic and military matters, the rise of various military-political blocs and unions, eastward enlargement of NATO and militarisation of areas in close vicinity of Russias borders. 6. Based upon these threat assessments, the foreign policy priorities of Russia were to strengthen Russias sovereignty and territorial integrity; to regain its lost status of great power; ensure regional stability in adjacent areas and to counter the perceived dominance of the United States. As per military policy the main aim was as the deterrence of aggression of any scale against it [Russia] and its allies, including with the use of nuclear weapons. A RE-ASSERTIVE RUSSIA 7. Over a period of time Russia has become more confident and assertive in its foreign and military policies. This could be observed during Russian military response to Georgian conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008; Russias stand over NATO expansion and US missile defence proposals in eastern Europe. Thus Russia has been using military as a diplomatic tool in the war of words between east and west. Russia is aware that their opinions have been ignored over Iraq, Iran, Kosovo and NATO expansion at the world stage. But in spite of these, at certain aspects Russia has shown its firmness and has stool tall even to take mighty US head on. Some of these aspects have been covered in the following paragraphs. 8. Missile Defence. When US came up with the plan of deploying its ballistic missile defence in Poland and the Czech Republic, it was vehemently opposed by Russia. The Russian government continued to believe BMD plans as a threat to national security. The radars station in the Czech Republic would have seen practically entire western front of Russia. Russian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, even suggested that this missile agreement could force Russia to carry out nuclear strike against Poland if need arise.  [4]  Even President Medvedev in his address to nation on 5 November 2008 announced that the Russia might go ahead with the deployment of the Iskander short-range surface-to-surface missile system in Kaliningrad to neutralise the BMD system and would also electronically jam the components of US BMD. The deployment of Russian naval assets in the Baltic Sea was also considered for the same purpose. However US have been confirming that these missil es have limited capabilities and would have no impact on the Russian strategic offensive forces. 9. The assertive stance of Russia has forced USA administration to reviewing its missile defence plan, thus Russian Government has also suspended the deployment plans of its Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad. This move of Russia and response from US highlights that the fact that Russias powers are on rise and it can still avert the US decision when its own integrity or safety is concerned. 10. Strategic Bomber Patrols. The rise of Russian armed forces was most symbolically demonstrated when military forces paraded in Moscows Red Square. In the summer of 2007, strategic bombers of Russia carried out patrols in international airspace over Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans for the first time, since the end of the Cold War. In March 2009 Russian military aircraft reportedly did fly past just 500 feet over two US navy warships while these were participating in a joint military exercise with South Korea in international waters in the Sea of Japan.  [5]  This used to be a common occurrence during the Cold War era. These bomber patrols were conducted to demonstrate military might and also to test the air defence reaction times of NATO countries periodically. Such patrols were stopped in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Similar incidents were also observed over UK and Norwegian air spaces in 2007 and 2008. Russian government officially acknowledged in August 2 007 that these missions were intended for pilot training, in particular air-to-air refueling. Japan has also reported an increase in the number of exercises and patrols by warships of the Russian Fleet, along with strategic bomber patrols. The timing of these incidents has been regarded as a sign of renewed Russian confidence on the international stage. 11. The Arctic. Russia has also increased its military activity in the Arctic region in the same period and this has been linked to Russias increasingly vocal claims to large territory in the region and also to vast areas of untapped natural resources. In 2004 Russia announced the creation of a new Arctic Directorate for this region and in aug 2007, about 20 Russian strategic bombers carried out five days of exercises over the North Pole.  [6]  Time and again these facts have been acknowledged by the Russian Defence Ministry. In September 2008 President Medvedev Janes Defence Weekly: A greater stake in the Arctic is intimately related to Russias increasingly assertive regional behaviour. Moscows recent incursion into Georgia was a bellwether of sorts for the concept of a Greater Russia and the outward expansion of the countrys territorial borders [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]  [7]   Expanding Russias Military Footprint 12. Russia has expanded its military co-operation with Latin and South American countries, in particular Venezuela. Since 2003 Russia has reportedly supplied $4-5bn worth of arms including combat helicopters, Su-30 fighter aircraft and the Tor-M1 air defence missile system to the Venezuelan government. In 2008 Russia had temporarily deployed two TU-160 Blackjack strategic bombers in Venezuela. 13. In December 2008 Russian naval flagship, the missile cruiser Peter the Great and the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Chabanenk, visited Cuba and then Venezuela to take part in a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean Sea. This was the first deployment conducted in the region by the Russian navy since the break up of the Soviet Union and was seen as the emerging trend in the increased activity by the Russians. In July 2008 Russia also hinted that if US plan to station its BMD systems in Eastern Europe, than Russian aircraft and submarine fleet may also once again be stationed in Cuba. An article in Janes Intelligence Review commented that the Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises served as a neat counterpoint to Washingtons decision to base its missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic, in Russias near abroad.  [8]   Russias Military Capabilities 14. Russian military is currently the fifth largest in the world considering total active personnel, exceeded only by China (2.18m), the United States (1.54m), India (1.28m), and North Korea (1.1m). However, if Russias reserve contingent (approximately 20 million Personnel) is taken into account, Russias military becomes the largest. Over all Russias military power is third behind US and china.  [9]  In spite of such a large military which is being able to address all potential threats across the combat spectrum, the Russian Military Doctrine still have reliance on nuclear weapons. Some experts believe that Russian nuclear capability is one which makes Russia as a military superpower. The military capabilities of Russia can be seen as follows. (a) Conventional Capabilities. As per the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, there are limits on the numbers of combat aircraft, tanks, attack helicopters, combat vehicles and artillery pieces that one country could held within Europe by NATO and the states of the former Warsaw Treaty Organisation (Warsaw Pact). However these limitations apply to Russian military equipments which are deployed to the West of the Ural Mountains. The treaty did not impose limitations on the overall conventional capabilities of any nation. The Russian military strength as on 2008 is as indicated.  [10]   PERSONNEL Total Population:  140,702,096  [2008] Population Available:  73,239,761  [2008] Fit for Military Service:  50,249,854  [2008] Reaching Military Age Annually:  1,602,673 Active Military Personnel:  1,245,000  [2008] Active Military Reserve:  2,400,000  [2008] Active Paramilitary Units:  359,100  [2008] ARMY Total Land-Based Weapons:  79,985 Tanks:  22,800  [2005] Armored Personnel Carriers:  9,900   Towed Artillery:  13,585  [2005] Self-Propelled Guns:  6,010  [2005] Multiple Rocket Launch Systems:  4,350   Mortars:  6,100  [2005] NAVY Total Navy Ships:  526 Merchant Marine Strength:  1,074  [2008] Major Ports and Harbors:  8 Aircraft Carriers:  1  [2005] Destroyers:  15  [2005] Submarines:  61  [2005] Faes:  19  [2005] Patrol Coastal Craft:  72  [2005] Mine Warfare Craft:  41  [2005] Amphibious Craft:  22  [2005] AIR FORCE Total Aircraft:  3,888  [2005] Helicopters:  2,625  [2003] Serviceable Airports:  1,260  [2007] (b) Nuclear Capabilities. Since 1949, when Soviet Union tested its first atomic weapon it is recognised as a nuclear state. USA and USSR (Russia) went through number of treaties such as INF treaty (Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces), START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and SORT (Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty) so as to reduce nuclear weapons of both the countries. Still Russia is estimated to have an active 5,200 operational warheads and approximately 8,800 intact warheads awaiting dismantlement thus a total of 14000 warheads(highest in the world).  [11]   Assessment of Current Military Capability 15. The actual assessment of Russian military capability is very difficult since these have not been deployed in conflict beyond their borders. Therefore the assessment of the ability of the military has been theoretical and based on various assumptions. There have been doubts about ability of the Soviet-era military-industrial complex to keep technological pace with its military peers, particularly the production of sophisticated weaponry. 16. Many analysts believe that the majority of Russian equipments are ageing, as due to financial crisis after cold war Russia had stopped buying new military equipments. In March 2009 the Russian Defence Minister, acknowledged that most of Russias weaponry was obsolete and old and modern equipment were just 10% of the armys existing capabilities. While US and other western countries have learnt during Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan war over the last decade, the Russians have had no such experience. 17. However, it is also acknowledged that Russian military does possess small amounts of state-of-the-art advanced weaponry. Air force has bought Su-34 combat aircraft, the Iskander theatre ballistic missile system and the S-400 air defence system. The SU-35 aircraft is also expected to be inducted in 2010-2011. Although western media claims otherwise, Russias armed forces still remain the most powerful and effective land force across Eurasia. They still possess state-of-the-art main battle tanks, multiple-launch rocket mortar system, heavy artillery and close ground tactical air support. Prospects 18. The increased military power, overt posturing on the international stage in recent years along with massive structural reform are the signs of the Russian resurgence. What has to be seen is that does it have longevity and what will be its implications? Russia in it self is having a strong sense of national pride and full belief that it can get back to its lost great power status. But to achieve this other than military power it needs political and economic stability. 19. In its present state the Russian Armed Forces would be able to defend its territories and national interest as in Georgia but at global level certainly they will not be able to formulate a power projection like United States. The prospects of the Russian military therefore lie primarily in the success of its modernisation plan and structural reforms. These can be achieved by strong economy but that is affected by ups and downs of global energy prices. 20. On the other hand Russias military-industrial complex has also not been able to revive completely, to cope with the technological demands of the modernisation programme. As per the reports a $50m contract has been done with Israel for UAV. Along with this there is need to upgrade their blue water navy fleet with aircraft carrier as well. However it is certain that the modernisation of Russias conventional armed forces will not come at the expense of its nuclear capabilities. Certainly Nuclear weapons will be given the priority over conventional weapons as former gives them a clear cut edge over other nations. As Jonathan Eyal succinctly noted in his October 2008 piece on Europe and Russia: A Return to the Past: The Russian military can cause difficulties. Many of Russias neighbours are far poorer and weaker, so the Russian armed forces are still a potent threat to them, as the example of Georgia showed [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 21. However, the reality still is that Russias challenge to the US is hardly military. The Russians have no chance of emulating the Soviet Union, which tried to match Western technology weapon-for-weapon. Nor is there any ideological glue to underpin such a confrontation: most of Russias current allies are fair weather friends. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] it cannot divert the huge resources required to build a modern military away from civilian consumption. So, the main purpose behind Russias military muscle-flexing remains political and no new Cold War is in the offing.  [12]  

St. Anselm of Canterbury Essay -- essays research papers

In the following I intend to prove that the ontological argument is in and of itself, insufficient in proving that God exists. There are a few problems with the argument that I will be discussing in detail in an attempt to illustrate exactly why ‘The Ontological Argument’ is unsatisfactory. The Definition of ‘Greater’ St. Anselm of Canterbury defined God as â€Å"that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be-thought† (Bailey, 2002). The problem with this definition is that the term ‘greater’ is surely up for interpretation. The term ‘greater’ requires a comparison between itself and one or more things, which could pose a problem for Anselm’s argument; however Professor Thorp states that the only difference between these two things is that one exists in the mind, while the other exists in the mind and in reality. If we understand that a God that exists in the mind and in reality is greater than one that merely exists in the mind then we must understand that God exists. We need to examine this, however, much more closely to discover the problem with this statement; and I will do so using an example given to us by Professor Thorp. During the discussion of the Ontological argument, the professor asked us whether we would prefer ‘a real beer’ on a hot day, or ‘an imaginary beer’. The real one is preferable and it is greater than the imaginary one. But what type of beer was each person in the class imagining? There are multiple brands of beer available and it is quite possible that many people throughout the room were picturing a different beer. Which real beer was greater? This is not a question that I can answer because it lies in a matter of preference. We experience a similar problem when we think of ‘a real God’, and ‘an imaginary God’. Perhaps I perceive God in a specific way, and to me, he is a being â€Å"that-than-which-none-greater-can-be-thought† (Bailey, 2002). This proves that my perception of God exists for me, but what of everyone else’s perceptions of God? We must recognize a problem with this, in that everyone may perceive a ‘greater’ God in a very different way. We know that there are different perceptions of the ‘greater’ God because we have evidence of it in the various religions and the contrasting views of their God. With this in mind, all Anselm is able to prove with his argument is that every person’s individual perception of God does exist, but no on... ...comprehend or imagine Him. Because of this, God cannot be ‘thought’, he can merely be defined as infinite. Since we cannot comprehend God in our thought, he no longer exists in our minds as an entity, but merely as a definition. Thus, since he no longer exists in our minds, there is no obligation to understand that he must exist in reality; an implication made in Anselm’s argument.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anselm’s Ontological argument is insufficient in proving that God exists. For the reasons above and further objections from various philosophers, I do not believe that Anselm can argue the existence of God with his current premises as they stand. I must say that despite my objections to Anselm’s Ontological argument, I respect his work done, and the tremendous thought process that must have occurred to conjure up such a case as was presented. It is definitely much easier to prove a mortal wrong than it is to prove the existence of something so great and so unknown. Anselm’s Ontological argument while intriguing does have some problems in my opinion that take away from its validity; but needless to say it is in and of itself quite astounding.

International Trade :: essays research papers

International Trade International trade or world trade affects the entire American economy. The early industrial years of American the economy was based entirely on the exporting goods to other countries, and these exports created the revenue need to sustain the country. America would export more products than it needed this created a surplus in the GDP. This began to change in the 1930’s when the trade began to change and the country began to import more products. This downward trend led the GDP its lowest point in history. In today’s world trade market America’s import percentage is somewhere in the mid-60%. The balance of trade in America today is running in a deficit. The U.S. government has created trade agreements the various countries that allow free trade between these countries. This means there are no tariffs, fees or taxes applied toward the good being imported or exported between the countries in the agreement. These countries include Mexico and Canada that create the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and Israel. These agreements are not limited to free trade, but other countries such as Jamaica, that need assistance in order to grow economically American has lessened the amount of tariffs need to import good into America. International trade provides resources that the U.S. does not produce enough of to sustain the country. One of the major imports needed in the U.S. today is oil. This is one of the reasons America has a free trade agreement with Israel. This allows oil to be imported without tariffs. Other products such as cars imported from Japan create import taxes that the government spends on the U.S. economy. Additionally, the U.S. has imposed restrictions on foreign countries to reduce the flood of goods into the market place. These items include textiles imported from countries that produce these items a much cheaper cost.

Compare the opening of Zeffirelli Essay

Baz Luhrmann and Zeffirelli both interpret the play differently, as they both had different target audiences. Baz Luhrmann made a modern version to appeal to teenagers. He wanted to get them interested in Shakespeare, and create a different opinion of Shakespeare. Whereas, Zeffirelli aimed to capture a slightly wider audience. He aimed to recreate the time in which Shakespeare intended the play to be set. He would make the date apparent through set designs and costumes. Baz Luhrmann’s version was more modern; for example he used guns instead of swords, in the fight scene, in order to attract and capture his audience. However he kept the original script, so he didn’t detract from the actual play and create a completely different film. He used cars and petrol stations, as apposed to a town with market stalls. This helped to make the action faster and more upbeat. As Baz used guns instead of swords, the word sword was in scripted on the gun, to make it easier to understand, with the original text. On the other hand, Zeffirelli wanted to keep as close to the time of Shakespeare, as possible. He set it in a town centre, with market stalls around. Zeffirelli wanted to get across the clear division of the families. You were either a Montague or a Capulet, there was no in between, I think this shows how damaging and serious the violence was. When the bell was rung in the town, it displayed the clear involvement of the whole town,, it also shows the rivalry and hatred between the families, when they raced out with swords, when the brawl broke out. In Baz Luhrmann’s version the prologue was repeated in different formats. In the first format of the prologue, there was a blank screen, at the beginning, which built up the suspense. Then a few seconds later, a television screen, with a news reporter, zooms in. The reporter is reporting the brawl as the latest piece of news. There is s an image of a broken ring, which symbolises a relationship with a bad ending. The second format of the prologue is from a birds eye view, over the town. There is an image of a person lying dead on a mattress. This signifies the seriousness of the brawls and it shows that the families will go to any lengths to hurt the other family. Also there were images of fire, police and ambulances. This gives the impression of a corrupt society with no order. There is a large image of two buildings, with the names Montague and Capulet, clearly on the top of them. In the middle of the two buildings there is a statue of Jesus, this image signifies the direct competition between the two families. I think it also represents judgment and that at heart; both families want the same things. The last format of the prologue, text was flying across the screen. It was flashy and bold, which made it eye catching and easy to read. There was then sill close ups of the main characters, with their character name beside it. This made it easy to follow and clear who was who. Baz Luhrmann used bright colours for costumes and lively, fast, exciting music, which helped get the audiences’ attention. Whereas Baz Luhrmann has used loud, fast music, Zeffirelli has used the complete opposite. In Zeffirelli’s prologue he has used calm, peaceful music and he has used woodwind instruments, to create renaissance- style music. There is a voice over speaking the prologue. Like Baz Luhrmann, Zeffirelli has used bright colours. There is an opening image of the market, which sets the scene. It gives the impression of a town caught up in and gripped by hatred and rivalry. There is an angle shot of a Capulet’s legs and their costumes, this straight away emphasises the period. In Baz Luhrmann’s fight scene, there is a sign, in the petrol garage saying ‘Add more fuel to your fire,’ this has a double meaning. There is a close up of the heel grinding the cigarette, shows the rivalry and hatred. Also the close up of Tybalt’s eyes show the hatred he has and his anger, whilst at the same time displaying his pleasure in angering the Capulet family. This also creates suspense. The sound of gunshots and helicopters, indicate that someone has been hurt. Zeffirelli’s fight scene is set in the town centre. When an ‘onlooker’ says ‘Look at them’, it gets the audience to focus on the rivalry, objectively, rather than being drawn in. the close ups of expressions, emphasise the hatred and disgust in each other. When they trip up an old man from the other family, it shows the cruelty of the brawls. Before Tybalt enters, there is no music, in order to show his importance. The close up of his eyes also shows his confidence. When the two sides are running into town from their different sides, it shows the clear divide of the two families. At the end of the brawl, when the prince enters, there is a low angle shot of him, to show his status. There is then a long shot of the big crowd to show the extent of the violence. In conclusion, they are both effective and successful in appealing to their target audiences. I think that Baz Luhrmann appealed to his teenage audience well, and I think he achieved his goal, as he made it fast and it was action packed. It was exciting and upbeat, in order to attract and grip his teenage audience. I think it gets teenagers to rethink their impressions about Shakespeare and start to understand more about his plays. However I think it differs from what Shakespeare intended and possibly relates a different message about Shakespeare (which may be a good thing however, it makes him seem like something he is not and Baz Luhrmann can’t make a new and more exciting version of all Shakespeare’s plays! ) I think Zeffireli was very successful in recreating the period of Shakespeare, and he portrayed the divide within the town very well. However I think that maybe Zeffirelli’s version was a little too laid back and ‘soft’, as I think that Shakespeare would have intended a little more violence and a stronger sense of hatred between the two families, also I think Zeffirelli didn’t really show the competition and enjoyment that the young rivals got from winding each other up and starting brawls, too well. However, I do think that both Baz Luhrmann and Zeffireli were successful in capturing the target audience, in the first scenes, and directing their adaptations of Romeo and Juliet.