Questions Regarding Balance Sheets And Assets Finance Essay

Questions Regarding Balance Sheets And Assets Finance Essay The first type of financial asset is in the form of a claim that is kept against the earnings or the money of a firm or even a household or the Government for that matter. It is also of the form of a certification, or a receipt, a legal file or one that it maintained as a database in the computer. A financial asset is now used in accordance with the technology that has developed of late. In many cases where the traditional approach is still being used, it is also of the form of currency. The relative importance of the financial assets has changed over the past five years with the use of improved technology that the world has. There are easier sources of transportation as compared to what used to be in initial times. The financial assets can be increased in diversities because their physical form is not all that important. They do not depreciate as it used to be one of the restrictions about five decades ago. Now that the amount of securities have changed over the past many years, it is sensible to include more number of financial assets. This is because there never used to be market forces like equity, debt and derivatives in the initial days. As the options of making money through financial assets have increased so much over the past five decades, there is more number of people interested in the same. The primary risk associated with different forms of securities as a representation of financial asset is different. For examples, the debts are of high risk for the company as they have to be paid at the earliest and the equity is of highest risk for the investors as they would be paid last. (Types of financial assets, 2010) Question 10. What is meant by a off- balance sheet activity? What are some of the forces responsible for them? Off-balance sheet activities are those activities that are associated with the savings of a business which are not inclusive of loans or deposits. These activities are known to generate a good level of fees but at the same time, the liabilities or the assets that they produce or generally contingent in nature and they do not appear in the balance sheets without having the distinction of an actual asset or a liability which has a value or a cost associated with it. There are many examples of the same. Some of them include interest rate swaps, commitments in loans, resources that are associated with the selling of assets etc. The forces behind the off sheet activities are as follows: Improvement in Security Increment in Globalization Advancement in technology Innovation in the field of finance Deregulation Question 11. How does one distinguish between an off- balance sheet asset and an off balance sheet activities liability? All those entities of businesses, households and even Governments that are representation of resources which would be of a future benefit are included amongst the off-balance financial assets. It indicates a positive signal even though it is not included in the balance sheet. The benefit with the off-balance asset lies in the fact that it is not included in calculating the taxes of the firm. These are some of the items that are not mentioned in the balance sheet but would certainly require a future payment to be made. There are many examples of the same. They are litigation; guarantees issued by firms for a better performance in the future, renegotiation especially that done with the Government. The above mentioned off-balance sheet assets and liabilities can be differentiated on the basis of the positive and the negative returns that they are bound to give in the future. Even though they are not mentioned in the balance sheet, an experienced personality in finance can make a distinction based on the future prospects. (Off-Balance Sheet Liability, 2010) Question 12. What are the main off balance sheet activities undertaken by commercial banks? Due to the level of risk involved in the current financial markets, major commercial banks and even non-banking institutions, foreign institutions, and also many commercial banks have now started to use a number of ways of making non-traditional earnings as a source of income. So, there are many loan commitments and others as mentioned that are being used so as to make incomes. Amongst the mentioned activities, the major ones that are now being used predominantly by the commercial banks are as follows: Interest Rate Swaps (SWAP) This is a particular type of contract that is used to swap the rate of payment of interest from fixed to variable or even vice-versa. So, whenever there is a requirement to change a fixed rate of interest stream to that including a variable rate of interest stream, this commercial activity is adopted. The risks that are associated with the swaps is measured in terms of the swap in the rate of interest to the total assets of the company. One would generally consider a negative relationship between the measurement of swap and the rate of interest. Question 14. What is the difference between economies of scale and economies of scope? Economies of scale deals with the change in the output as compared to the cost incurred. It must be acknowledged here that the economies of scale estimates the fact that the output can be more than doubled for having lesser than double cost incurred by the firm. There is also a contradiction which is mentioned as the fact that diseconomies of scale mean to double the output would require more than doubling in the cost. Hence, economy of scale is basically a function of the production as a measurement of the cost incurred in the same. As far as economies of scope is concerned, it deals with the fact that of two firms work in a joint manner, then the concerned output would be more than the sum of the output when two forms work individually. This takes into count the fact that a joint production would require only the work of a few laborers which when working in individual forms would only interfere with the jobs of the others. So, in other words the economies of scope notifies the total amount of resources for a particular joint firm is lesser than the individual firms which are only associated with spoiling the job. The terms say that it is always better to work as joint firms rather than individual firms so as to make maximum profits. The only fault that comes along is the risk that follows. So, the cost of economies of scope just involves the risk of working together. If this can be minimized, firms should work together. Question 19. How do small bank activities differ from large bank activities? Small banks are basically involved in raising funds for businesses of a smaller level. These banks are mainly concerned with the investment of the form of foreign corporate investment, trade finance, facility of transactions internationally, and also foreign real estate. As far as the larger banks are concerned, they are basically involved in raising funds for businesses and also for registration with the Government authority of that country. Equities and debts and issues and then making sales of the same in the market are all done by the larger banks. Initially, the investment banks were indulged in more or less selling of securities but now they are also concerned with mergers and acquisitions. These banks did not deal with the general public in the past but now they have been doing that ever since the point of equality developed with the development of technology. Question 20. How has the performance of the commercial banking industry changed in the last decade? The performance of commercial banks has changed drastically over the last many years. Initially, the commercial banks would simply be engaged in investment banking. But the conditions have changed drastically ever since. The reason for the same is that it also includes the functioning of underwriting, being an intermediary between investment in public and an issue of securities amongst them. They have also started to be engaged in mergers and acquisitions even with the corporate organizations, they have also started to act like brokers for the clients in other financial institutions and banks. The commercial banks have therefore started to use the change in technology much to their benefits and also of those of the clients. So, they have made it extremely easier for the general public with the introduction of the facilities as has been mentioned.

Interaction Theories Essay

A. Compare and contrast two of the models or theories presented in this chapter considering their usefulness in practice, research, education and administration. For the purposes of this discussion, I have selected King’s Theory of Goal Attainment and Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations. On a broad perspective, both theories aim at explaining the interaction processes that happen between a nurse and her patient. Imogene King’s basic assumption of her theory is that the nurse and the client communicate information, set goals mutually, and act to attain those goals. The same can actually be said with Peplau’s theory wherein she states that nursing is an interpersonal process because it involves interaction between two or more individuals with a common goal, the attainment of which is achieved through the use of a series of steps, and that the nurse and patient work together so both become mature and knowledgeable in the process. A lot of similarities can be seen from both works as they try to explain the nursing process in a nurse-patient interaction level. see fig. 1) The concepts of person, health, environment and nursing are recurring themes on both theories as they attempt to integrate it with each of their own interaction models. The deviation between the two theories occur where the focus of their study lie in the current nursing practice. King focused on the major concept of interacting systems: Personal, interpersonal and social systems, and how the accuracy of determining which system is most applicable would lead to eventual tra nsaction. Because of the severity of her condition, the emergency room nurses attending for this particular patient immediately began taking actions to stabilize her condition, such as securing an IV line, drawing blood for labs, applying oxygen and doing an ECG all at the same time. When asked by a nurse to take her ordered dose of aspirin the patient fearfully verbalized, â€Å"What are you doing to me? † Soon after, when the patient’s condition did not significantly improve but got worse, the physician advised the husband that patient be brought to the cardiac catheterization laboratory for an angiogram. The client was adamant that she did not want to take drastic measures, but the husband indicated that he wanted whatever was necessary to improve his wife’s condition. This is an excellent example of a client losing the sense of self-hood. In regard to the concept of self, King (1981) stated â€Å"If nurses and other professionals interact with patients or clients as human beings, and let the individuals be themselves, nurses and patients would help each other grow in self-awareness and in understanding of human behavior, especially in stressful life experiences. † In an environment that requires one to be reactive and responsive, clients often perceive nurses as being too busy or too hurried. King (1981) encouraged nurses to be aware of how they present themselves to their clients because the manner in which nurses enter a client’s room sets the tone for the entire encounter. Poor communication skills lead to poor transactions and interactions between the nurse and the client. Poor communication skills also affect goal setting and goal attainment (Williams, 2001). It is solely because of this perception that proper â€Å"scripting† with the patients has been constantly reiterated to all nursing personnel and including even the support staff. In stark contrast with the example presented above, here is a situation where King’s Theory of Goal Attainment was used in the emergency room setting. Patient ST, a 32-year old male trauma patient who went to the emergency room due to a traumatic amputation of an arm secondary to a motor vehicle accident. The assessment phase of the nursing process can take in the concepts associated with the personal system. Once the patient has been hemodynamically stabilized, the nurse’s attention is now focused on assisting the patient cope with the feelings of loss, separation and anger that he is experiencing. The patient’s feelings of perception, self body image, growth and development, time and space must be considered after doing the primary survey of airway, breathing and circulation. In fact, this is even specified in my institution’s â€Å"Emergency Room Nursing Database† in its attempts to fulfill the JCI requirements in documentation. Attempting to restore the patient’s self-esteem in the light of the traumatic loss is a mutually established goal between the nurse and the client. It is also important for the nurse to realize that the patient’s perceptual field is narrowed because of the pain and emotion that he is currently experiencing. King’s theory highlights the importance of the participation of the individuals in decision making and deals with the choices, alternatives, and outcomes of nursing care. The theory offers insight into the nurses’ interactions with the individuals and groups within the environment (Williams, 2001). Element of the theory of Imogene King is usually applied specifically in interpersonal and social systems. More often than not, the mode of interaction being used in the emergency department is a dyad (2 people interacting), where the perception of a patient is changed because of a communication that takes place providing education to a patient with knowledge deficit. Such an example occurs in ensuring a patient and its significant others’ compliance; if the patient does not understand the importance of a certain intervention or medication, cooperation and adherence will be very difficult to achieve. But once the nurse educates them with proper nurse-patient interaction and therapeutic communication, compliance and adherence to medical regimen can be achieved. King’s Goal Attainment Theory (Client-Centered Theory) is indeed what we are practicing in the daily routine of the hospital and in any other clinical setting. Giving the patient the pertinent information of what is going to happen or what is happening will lessen the patient’s anxiety that contributes to tachycardia, restlessness and give them a sense of control of the situation.

Ancient Chinese Philosophy: How to Live Life Essay

How do I live my life? Since the early beginnings of society people have always been concerned with our behavior in public and conduct towards others: how should I behave towards my parents, how should I treat my friends, and in what way can I best show my respect for the gods? Religion was the first form of moral code; the writers would present their ideas about truth and morality, and reinforce their opinions with omnipotent deities who would, in a way, scare believers into acting accordingly. As society began to develop and powerful empires began to expand religion was no longer a priority. Many of the rituals necessary to appease the various gods were impractical. Furthermore, skeptics and other logical thinkers began to question their existence. However, moral code still needed to be maintained—especially in the growing empires—and people began searching for other forms of guidance. Moral philosophy most likely developed for this reason; to rationally investigate the truths and principles of knowledge, behavior and conduct. Around the fifth century B. C. in China (which today is known for strict guidelines regarding respect and obedience) two great philosophers, Confucius and Lao Tzu emerged who devoted their lives to explaining how to live life virtuously, and righteously. Though the two philosophers differ extremely in the presentations of their ideas, and the ideas themselves, together they create a full and detailed moral code. Confucius, the earlier of the two philosophers, (died in 497 B. C. ) analyzes various daily situations and suggests how one should behave in them in The Analects. The Master, as his pupils call him, repeatedly mentions the importance of behaving like a gentleman. But what exactly does this entail? What does one need to do to be considered a gentleman? There are many virtues that Confucius finds essential to being a gentleman, the most critical one being benevolence, which he discusses primarily in the first four books. Benevolence in the eyes of The Master, however, is very different from our current perception; we see it as kindness and sympathy while Confucius evidently sees it as something much greater. For us today benevolence can be seen in simple acts of compassion. For example, a common act of benevolence is putting your extra change into the plastic cup of a homeless person in Washington Square Park. I see a benevolent professor as one who is respectful of his students’ other responsibilities and gives them ample time to prepare their assignments. To Confucius, this would not be enough; he describes benevolence as a quality that is very difficult to achieve; apparently, it is something that does not even seem appealing to many. According to The Master, it encompasses our values, loyalty, pride, and honesty, and it manifests itself in our relationships with friends, parents, and superiors—only one who is perfect in all these categories can be considered benevolent, and therefore a gentlemen. The idea that Confucius describes as most vital to achieving the status of gentlemen is filial piety, the reverence for ones parents. The virtuous child would give their parents no other cause for anxiety than illness, The Master says. He must never stray too far from their â€Å"fields,† and if he does, he must always make his whereabouts known. To serve one’s parents to the fullest, he must also follow their instructions (or advice) exactly, even if they might not be beneficial or even good for his well-being. This must be done without questioning them. He can try to â€Å"dissuade† his parents on to a more righteous path if it is done subtly and respectfully, but cannot blatantly point out mistakes in his parents’ suggestions. It does not stop there; the child must cover up any blunders the parents make from the eyes of the world. Whether Confucius puts filial piety on a higher level than law is unclear, and he may not have considered extreme examples. But I am. If your father, for example, would murder someone, should you take the Euthyphro approach of bringing him to justice, or should you become an accomplice in his crime by tampering with evidence, or perhaps burying the body? I doubt that any fair gentleman would ever involve himself in a crime so grave under any circumstances. When the parents begin to age the child should take note of it. The old age of your parent’s should bring you anxiety, The Master suggests. It is obvious that at some point the responsibilities of the parents and children reverse; during childhood it is children who bring stress to their parents (or in the case of perfect children, don’t), and during adulthood it is parents, and their health, who should bring stress to the children. Confucius never completely mentions but implies that as the parents’ age advances the child must make changes in his life to accommodate his parents. Perhaps, in today’s society that would mean to spend more time with them when they retire and monitor their health more often than before. The child’s obligations do not end during the lifetime of the parents; to be a good son you must live with reverence towards your parents even after their deaths. One way to do this is to not change his father’s â€Å"ways† for three years. Another is to present their spirits with offerings and sacrifices. Some of these ideas, however, leave the boundaries of respect and move towards expressions of love. You are expected to feel anxious when they are not in good health, but that can only be felt if you truly love them. And how can anyone oversee whether you are presenting their spirits with offerings? You must be truly devoted and love them to continue respecting them even after they are dead (or just very fearful of their spirits). It appears that Confucius never draws a clear line between respect and love; maybe in his view one cannot exist without the other. The respect and awe of parents from an early age shapes the child into a polite and well-rounded adult, one who is not too arrogant and knows his place in society. Whatever filial piety is, it is clear that it is only a small aspect of benevolence an insufficient virtue on the road to becoming a gentleman. But before we can even explore what qualities you need to be a gentleman, we must ask what The Master means when he says â€Å"gentleman. † There is certainly some idealism and imagination involved in his construction of the gentleman. In a way, the gentleman is a perfect and unattainable feat that everyone should strive for. Confucius advocated for respect of tradition, culture and knowledge; without showing interest in these aspects of society, all hope of becoming a gentleman is lost. A gentleman must respect and live by the traditions, but at the same time distinguish himself from everyone around him. Though Confucius advises against questioning what has already been explained and accomplished. So how does he propose to become better? His analects are somewhat contradictory: how do you have any voice if you cannot speak out against old tradition, or create new ones? At the same time, the ideal man should learn from the people around him and be open to criticism. In a society which was so concerned with accordance and conformity, however, his ideas seem reasonable. By following these traditions, you are being polite and respectful, obviously, important qualities. Perhaps his greatest explanation of the qualities necessary to be a gentleman comes in Book V, where he describes the qualities that make Tzu-ch’an a gentleman, â€Å"He was respectful in the manner he conducted himself; he was reverent in the service of his lord; in caring for the common people, he was generous and, in employing their services, he was just. † To be a gentleman, you must have compassion and generosity, qualities that I believe every human has innately; therefore, it would be possible for anyone to be a gentleman if they can harness those traits. In his description of Tzu-ch’an it appears that he had some form of authority over others, possibly a duke or a nobleman in China. It is quite possible that his descriptions of a gentleman aim to describe the ideal ruler. Indeed, all of the qualities he portrays throughout The Analects are vital in a successful ruler: leading by action, not by word (avoidance of hypocrisy), fairness and justice to subordinates, acting reasonably, and using good judgment. Confucius’ teachings are very practical not only to the common man, but to the ruler as well. It is no surprise that this ancient text is still used by today’s societies as guidelines for good leaders. Though it is unclear what exactly a gentleman is, there is an explicit moral code that Confucius believes we should live by. The philosophy recounted in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, on the other hand, is far less practical, in my opinion. His teachings are more spiritual and are harder to live by because of their vagueness and ambiguity. He created the idea of â€Å"Tao,† which is more than just a way of life, it’s even more than life itself—it is everything! Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and all other complementary opposites are Tao. It is likely that by Tao, Lao Tzu is referring to the Universe and everything it engulfs, as he is known to have theorized about the flow of nature. Lao Tzu explains how Tao should be embraced. His philosophy creates a sense of unity among humans, and encourages them to become one with their surroundings. But there are a few ideas which he must not have fully thought through. Is Tao really everything? Everything includes the good and the bad, and Tao is described as all good. Furthermore, there should be no desire to stray from Tao because of its idealism. But is it even possible to stray from Tao if it is everything? Evidently, Tao itself is an idea too complex and difficult for most people to understand, at least for me it is. For this reason (and maybe others as well), Lao Tzu created Te, which is more concrete than Tao—it is the manifestation of Tao, the person walking on the path, rather than the actual path. Through his use of Te, Lao Tzu is still able to create some moral code. By today’s standards, Lao Tzu’s philosophy is in some ways outdated and obsolete. He values inaction, and feels that everyone should be satisfied with what they know and have. To some this may seem like lack of ambition; how can a philosopher possibly be advising against ambition? But I find his advice to be pointing out the faults of over-ambition, and possibly greed. As with everything, there should be harmony, and an equal balance between ambition and satisfaction with the status quo. This is a sound suggestion because through out history we have seen overachievers fall repeatedly: Alexander the Great and his empire, the Roman Empire, the infamous Hitler and his empire as well. Maybe this is not what he intended at all; maybe he meant that lack of action is better than the wrong action. If the action we make will steer us further from the end of Tao, then it may be wiser to not act at all. Or perhaps, through inaction one can reflect and further his spirituality, and by doing so take one step closer to Tao. Maybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu chose to leave Taoism so open-ended—so that the reader could interpret Tao in his own way—one person’s path may be radically different from another’s. Though his value of inaction may not make sense to the modern eye, his idea of simplicity and potentiality resonate strongly with us. He compares potentiality to an uncut piece of wood. There are so many possible directions we can take with that single piece of wood—it can become anything! He suggests that a person remain this way, maintaining innocence and openness to new experiences. No matter what we may have seen or felt in the past, we should not be biased towards what the future holds. This is not easy, but is a desirable trait, and probably must be attained to achieve Tao. He also stresses the values of simplicity, which is completely necessary to follow the path. How can one possibly see the path, if he is distracted by what he does not need? Often, it is our embrace of personal possessions and wealth that hinder us from true reflection and meditation. Maybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu speaks out against ambition; because you will never see truth if you are blinded by desires. It is likely that Lao Tzu was in some way associated with Confucius, as there is visible influence Lao Tzu in Analects and influence of Confucius in Tao Te Ching. Confucius mentions â€Å"the Way† numerous times, but never explains what it means. Lao Tzu mentions benevolence and vaguely describes what a good ruler is, â€Å"a shadowy presence to his subjects. † Both place high importance on remaining within society’s norms, Confucius through his awe of traditions, and Lao Tzu through his inaction. Both agree that one should live by their word, and that honesty, integrity, and consideration for others desires are important. On their own, neither of the texts adequately describes a fulfilling way of life; together, with Confucius addressing practical matters and Lao Tzu focusing on the spiritual ones, a complete and detailed moral code is constructed. The way of life that these two ancient philosophers described so centuries ago still holds strong today. Though they are difficult to follow with all the temptations of modern society, and the vices of modern man, every one of us still strives to be a gentleman on the path of Tao.

A Brief Note On Diabetic Retinopathy ( Dr ) Is A Common...

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes1. The presentation of DR is a visual indication of longstanding diabetes and is a significant cause of vision impairment. In 2015, it was estimated there were 415 million sufferers worldwide (1 in 11), increasing to 642 million (1 in 10)2 by 2040. Of those suffering diabetes, DR impacts approximately 4.2 million people, and this number is predicted to rise to 16 million by 20502. The prevalence of DR does not mirror that of diabetes, as there is a combination of causation factors. A review by Cai and Boulton (3) proposed that one of the initiating factors of DR is hyperglycaemia. This is supported by Hammes et al (4) who emphasise the impact of†¦show more content†¦The disease has a predictable progression, advancing from the initial non-proliferative DR (NPDR), which can be asymptomatic, to the end-stage proliferative type (PDR). The rate and onset of progression is variable, as it is affected by blood pressure and blood sugar levels1. The features of NPDR include: microaneurysms, haemorrhages and exudation. Additionally PDR involves neovascularisation, resulting in vision loss. Diabeti c macular oedema (DME) is also a cause of vision loss. Thickening of the retina at the macula can occur at any stage of DR, leading to blurred or distorted central vision1. This report outlines a case of PDR, unmanaged for several years. It is interesting to note the impact of well-controlled blood pressure on the progression of the PDR. CASE REPORT: A 74-year-old Caucasian female presented to the Queensland University of Technology optometry clinic as a new patient, following self-referral. She presented with a complaint of ‘blank areas when reading’, of approximately 4 months duration. Past ocular history included bilateral cataract removal 10 years ago (by an overseas ophthalmologist). She was diagnosed with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Type 2) 30 years ago and reported unstable management with metformin. Current blood pressure is 144/82mmHg, showing good control of her hypertension