New Heritage Doll Company Essay

This paper is aim to find the best way to run the New Heritage Doll Company by running simulation. We use different strategies to selecting projects in each round by using limited budget. We have run the simulation more than ten times to make sure we found the best way to run the company and the company is in the best condition. The given scenario is never change and we have the opportunity to run simulation multiple times, it made us easier to know which strategy is the best. We use different strategies in each one of our simulations. These strategies can mainly divided into three parts, which are conservative approach, spending approach which means we use every cent of our budget to make more money and focus on net present value. We have a small budget of 8.9 million dollars at the beginning of each round of simulation, and the rest of the budget of each year can save to the next year. In first several rounds, we took the conservative approach idea. It can help us familiar with how to run the simulation and can help us to control that limited budget as well. In addition, only using the low to medium project can help the company avoiding from the future because we do not want to put the company’s future in a high risk position. Round 1 We are going to analysis the round that was using the conservative approach. In this round, the projects I selected for the year one (2009) are: Toddler Doll Accessory Line and New Doll Film/DVD. According to the report, the Toddler Doll Accessory Line of accessories performed in line with expectations regarding both sales and costs. We have learned from the article, the New Heritage Doll Company’s production division wants to product more product that forcing on toddlers so we think choosing this project is a good choice for the company. Also this project is a low risk project with 7.70% project discount rate. We think we should better keep this project because it is a risk low project with positive NPV (7.15) and a good IRR (25.06%). The New Doll Film/DVD project is a licensing project and according to the report that the film was released on schedule and the  marketing promotion was very successful. Otherwise, the sales of DVD was better than previous films. This project is a medium risk project and the company discount rate for this project is 7.40%. This project also produce a positive NPV which is 9.37 and with an IRR of 238.61% which was extremely high. However the payback index is negative which is -3.84 but we think since its payback period is shout which is only 1.43 years so we will still keep this project. As we can see from the table one, at the end of 2010, the revenue of production division is 128.75 million. The revenue is higher than the production revenue of 2009 which was 125 million. And the revenue from licensing division at the end of 2010 is also higher than it in 2009 which is 25.48 million, 0.98 million higher than it was in 2009. However, in both of these two divisions their Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is slightly lower than 2009 and the net income is also a little lower too. We will put more details to see if these projects are actually work. In year two (2010), the projects which I have chosen are: Warehouse Facility Consolidation, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The Warehouse Facility Consolidation project is aim to improve the NH’s warehouse facilities and can save the company’s operating costs as well as increase the shipping speed. This project is in retail division with an NPV of 2.29, an IRR of 13.56%, and a payback period of 8.23 years and a payback index of 0.31. Also, this project was considered as a medium risk project with 9.25% discount rate. Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia is a retail division project, it is considering expanding its mail-order to the Asian market. Although there two possibilities that might happen, succeed or fail, it viewed as a low risk project with very low lifetime project costs which is only 2.73 million. It had an IRR of 19.77%, a discount rate of 8.46%, and a payback period is more than 10 years and the profitability index of this project is 2.85. I choose this project is because the Asian market is a very big market, since the project is low risk and the cost of this project is very low, we think it is worth to try, because if this project is succeed, the company will earn more profit. The last project we selected for this year is Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The NPV of this project is 5.34 and it had an IRR of 37.45%, a  discount rate of 10.04% and a payback period is 5.33 years. We suggested the discount rate can adjusted to 10.50% to make this project on a safe status. This high-risk projects because open new stores in other countries can always be risky. We pick this project is because it was a desired project for the company. At the end of 2011, we can see from the table 2, we can see the net sales of retail division is 199.62 million, 4.87 million higher than 2010 (194.75 million), however the increasing in cost of goods sold and their Selling General and Administrative Expenses turns out the EBITDA of 2011(3. 79) is lower than 2010 (5.04). In addition, the net sales of licensing has jump to 36.50 million in 2011 and the EBITDA and its net income has a very big increase, which are 21.99 and 12.99. So the pervious object which I selected in 2009 acutely works. (Table 1) In year three (2011), we selected four projected which are: Doll Video Game, Tween Book Series, New Inventory Control System for Warehouse and Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility. The Doll Video Game is a licensing project and the report says that this project did not performed as good as expectations but it is still stay in positive. This project has an NPV of 1.06 an IRR 115.90% which is very high, a discount rate of 7.40% and the payback year is 2.24 years and the profitability index is 8.73 million. This is a medium risk project with only 0.40 million lifetime project cost. We think this is a good project even though it has not much assets. However we suggest they can increase the project discount rate from 7.40% to 8.00%. The Tween Book Series has an NPV of 6.14, an IRR of 43.57%, a discount rate of 6.89%, and a payback period of 5.24 years and 13.64 profitability index. This is a low risk licensing project and according to the company report, this project has boosted its revenue and will definitely give contribution to the company. So we will keep this project. We selected the New Inventory Control System for Warehouse is because it can help the company reduce the cost of carrying inventory and make more savings. This is a low risk retailing project also with very low cost, and there is no gain or loss of using this project but it can help the company reduce the cost. Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility is a low risk production project, we choose this project is because it has a high IRR which is 38.64% and a very low of production cost. Due to the low  risk the NPV of this project is low which is only 0.06. We can see from the table three, at the end of 2012, the company’s net sales has risen to 306.65 million, increasing year by year from year 2009, and the net income as well. We use the same method to pick projects for the rest two years of this run. We focused more on low risk project and in this run we did not expected too much on our APV and our net income. In this run we hope the company can always get the future benefits rather than take a high risk and too impatient for success. In addition, there are not many projects had an ideally NPV, so we are not surprised about the final result. Also, we have tried our best to maintain the balance of each of the three divisions to keep the company in the same structure and to maintain the equal growth as well. This run end with an APV of 424.79, a revenue of 348.17 million, which is not bad and 23.49 million net income. The net income is not big but we use the minimum budget to make the biggest profit. Next, this is the second simulation we choose to explain. In this simulation we got APV (Adjusted present value) equals 597.79 and the revenue equals 393.43 million. The operation income equals 44.21 million. From the company consolidated Income Statement, we can see that the net income finally ended in 26.53 million. From the Balance Sheet, the total net asset equals 278.85 million, the total current liabilities equals 64.05 million and the total liabilities and shareholders equity equals 278.85 million. In this simulation our approach is to spent ever money we got, we thought this might gives us the highest return and the highest APV. In 2009, we choose three projects to funding. They are: 1.‘Match my Doll’ Clothing Line, 2.Retail Store Expansion in Northeast and 3.New Doll Film / DVD. We choose these three projects because they are all high or medium risks. Usually the high risk comes with the high return. So we want to see what will happen if we all choose high or me dium risker projects. Even if these three projects do not have good 1 Yr. EBITDA, it has the highest three 5 Yr. EBITDA. So when we choose these three projects we do not want it went well in the first year but for the future benefits. After a whole year running, in 2010 the net income was 12.58 million and it was less than 2009. The revenue became 252.42 million and the APV we got this year was 319.38. This is not a problem now because the future view form the financial analysis and project  details were going very well. In 2010, we choose four projects to funding. They are: 1.Toddler Doll Accessory Line, 2.‘Grow With Me’ Doll Line, 3.Tween Book Series and 4.Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia. After the first year’s three high or medium risk projects, this year we want to reduce a little bit risk. So we take Toddler Doll Accessory Line, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Tween Book series, they are both low risk projects. Also this time, we want to focus on the NPV, the first and second choice we made has 7.15 and 6.83 NPV. The third choice we made is based on the IRR because the rest projects basically has the same NPV, so we choice the project which has the highest IRR which is 43.57. The last choice we made is because we want to use all of budget we go t. This can help us get higher return. Also, this project has 13.64 profit index and the payback year was 5.24. The revenue for 2011 was 276.70 and the APV went to 363.16. The net income became 16.75 million. This means the projects we choose in 2009 worked a lot better than 2010, we got a rise net income. In 2011, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.Acquisition of Children’s magazine, 2.’Match My Doll’ Clothing Line, Expansion of Concept. 3.’Dolls of the World’ Initiative, 4.Doll Video Game, 5.Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility and 6. In this year’s project, our idea was also to spend every penny of the budget we got because we went higher return. When we choose the first project, it’s kind of hard choose between ‘Acquisition of Children’s Magazine’ and ‘Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer’. They were both have limited time, high NPV and high 5 Yr. EBITDA. Finally we decided choose Acquisition of Children’s Magazine it has the highest NPV which is 28.96 million and highest IRR which is 19.52%. Even though this project do not have the highest 5 Yr. EBIDTA it has a lot less project costs and payback year. The second and third projects we choose was based on the NPV which were 8.31 million and 6.32 million and 5 Yr. EBIDTA which were 3.60 million and 4.61million. The forth and fifth project we choose were base on the IRR. The last project we choose was because we want higher return and the more projects we choose can bring us more net sales. This means we can have more net income. In 2012, our revenue was 314.13 million and the APV went to 437.09. The net income went to 19.97 million In 2012, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.’Design Your Own Doll’, 2.Toddlers Music CD Series, 3.Virtual Doll Community, 4.Bookstore Cafà © and  Writers’ Club, 5.Expansion to England and 6.EDI Supplier Software System. In this year’s projects, we use the same approach: spent every penny to get us the highest return. The four projects we made were based on the NPV which are 9.76million, 6.97million, 6.89million and 6.71 million. The last two projects we choose were because it has the low project cost among other projects we can choose. We spend all the penny we can use till we do not have enough money to buy another proj ect. This will bring us more return without a lot of costs. In 2013, our revenue rise to 358.41 million and the APV was 529.84. The net income in this year was 23.88 million. In 2013 we choose five projects to funding. They are: 1. Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls, 2.Children’s Accessories Line, 3.Cable TV Program, 4.Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign and 5. Young authors Book Series. The first two projects we choose is based on the 5 Yr. EBITDA. The high 5 Yr. EBITDA can bring us more profits in the future. The rest of our projects we choose was based on the IRR and project costs. The revenue was 393.43 million and APV was 597.79. Net income rise to 26.53 million.By using this strategy can help company get a big increase income and can contribute a lot of profit. However, according to the results we think this simulation can work for a long term. In this round, our strategy was very simple and different than before. We only seeking for projects which have high net present value (NPV) when we made decisions for the New Heritage Doll Company every year. In addition, the projects we chose had high risk. It is said that â€Å"Higher risk, higher reward, so we did not avoid high risk projects in this round. At last, we got a highest APV than before, was about 641.39. Current revenue was 372.10 and 24.45 in net income (Table 4). At first, we have budget constraint of 2010 was 8.9. Since we focus on Net Present Value this time, we choose â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line, New Doll Film/DVD and Toddler Doll Accessory Line, because these three have higher NPV, which were 6.46, 9.37, and 7.15 respectively. The risk of â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line project was high, the New Doll Film/DVD with medium risk, and Toddler Doll Accessory Line has low risk. After the selecting, we remain 1.14 budget. Then we moved to 2011, with the remained 1.14 previous  year, we had 10.04 budget constraints. With the same strategy, we choose â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line (NPV: 6.83) and Tween Book Series (NPV: 6.14) which two have high NPV. The â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line has high risk and Tween Book Series with low risk. Even though, the NPV of â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative and New East Distribution Facility projects have high NPV, we have not enough budgets to take those two projec ts. We also choose Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia (1.57) although it has not high net present value, we afford it and the risk of the project is low. Moreover, we think it can increase sale for the company. With the selection above, we remain 2.44 budgets. The company APV in 2011, increase to 358.11. There comes to 2012, we had 11.34 budget constraint. We selected Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer (NPV: 16.34, high risk), â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line Expansion of Concept (NPV: 8.31, medium risk) and â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative (NPV: 6.32, high risk) because of their high net present value. We chose Retail Store Expansion in Northeast (NPV: 5.49, high risk) was because it fit the company’s expansion strategy. Also, we selected Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility project (NPV: 0.06) and New Inventory Control System for Warehouse project (NPV: 0.05) with both low risk, and Doll Video Game (1.06, medium) projects. T his time, we not only choose the project with high NPV, but also try to spend as much budget as we had. Through this way, the company NPV has a large increase and reach to 436.77. In the 2013, we have budget of 12.58. We chose six projects this year, they are EDI Supplier Software System(NPV:0.05, low risk), â€Å"Design Your Own Doll†(NPV: 9.76, high risk), Expansion to England( NPV:0.93, medium risk), Virtual Doll Community(NPV:5.04, high risk), Bookstore Cafà © and Writers’ Club(NPV:6.71, medium risk), and Toddlers Music CD Series(NPV:6.97, medium risk), remained 4.93 budget and got 577.45 in company NPV. Finally, in 2014, we had budget Constraint 13.83. We selected Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls (NPV: 9.09, high risk), Young Authors Book Series (NPV: 8.15, medium risk) and Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign (NPV: 6.04, low risk) because their high net present value. We also want to take Warehouse Facility Consolidation and New East Coast Distribution Facility, but we short of money. Finally, we remain 5.13 budget and got 641.39 in company NPV in 2014. Conclusion: Finally, according to our results, it turns out that to be safe is not always the best option on running a company. Sometimes you need to take some risk, it is not always a bad thing. So we decide to choose round 3 as our final option. The approach we use for this round is to focus on the high NPV and not avoid taking high risk objects as well, this seems like a good solution to choose our five year’s projects. Because this round have a long-term benefit, even though it does not went that well. From the cash flow statement, we can see that the net income rise every year and till 2024 the net income can reach 99.22 million.

Personal Life and Success Essay

At what point do you stop when you have achieved successfulness? This is a million dollar question that has pondered through the minds of humans for ages. Success is perceived differently in every individual. But what opinion is correct? What is the perfect formula for a successful life? Does success consist of the amount of money you earn or power or is success based on happiness? To achieve ultimate success, is contentment vital? These are the questions that make the word â€Å"success† so subjective. What is the correct definition of success? In the dictionary it states that it is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Depending on your personal purpose in life, success is achieved at different levels. Everyone has a different purpose in life that they would like to achieve. Thus, who determines what success means is based on their goals in life. Money or popularity may be someone’s purpose so they would define that as success. On the contrary, does living your life everyday with no regrets or not worrying about money make you a successful person? When do we know when to stop when success is finally achieved? Do you stop working for success when you have all the money in the world or do you stop when you are comfortable with your lifestyle? Particular people believe success is when you are content with the life you live, not worrying about money or the everyday struggles of life. Others may conclude success is based on your income or how nice of an automobile you drive. It depends what you view as a satisfied lifestyle. Unfortunately our society revolves and relies on money. Though that sounds contradicting, money plays a great role in everyone’s lives. In order to support a family and own a house, currency is vital. We live in a society where money controls all. Without a decent job and a steady income, happiness seems so distant in the modern American life. We believe getting an education and earning a salary will bring happiness and joy. I am not saying money is the key to success but it’s a foundation in our modern society. My father is a great example of how success is viewed differently in each person. He was a man who never went to college but was determine to be successful. He worked hard since he was in high school and now works for Boat and Motors Superstore where he manages his own boat parts department. My father loves working with boats and loves his family. If you were to ask him, his life has been successful. My father measures success with how much joy is brought to his life on a regular basis. A secure job and a loving family fulfill his goal which ultimately makes him a successful person in his eyes. He does not focus on whether he has a higher income than others, my father’s man concern is security and happiness of himself and his family which is a quality that I cherish as well. The way I interpret success may be unique but I believe joyfulness will be present. My perspective of being successful resembles my father’s goals in life. I may not be wealthy or famous by any means but if I can maintain a stable job and a healthy family I would consider myself the most successful person in the world. Since the word success is more of an opinion based definition, the only way to measure success is if you are happy with the purpose you set in life that you would love to achieve. In other words, if you are happy with the person and life that is bestowed upon you today, then you have found success. What is success is a question from the past and will continue to be the question of the future. I believe there will never be one accepted answer. If that answer is ever found, please feel free to inform me. But when looking back on your life that you lived, ask yourself if you were happy. If you were, I honestly believe you will feel successful. I think success does not always mean happiness, but happiness always means success. I may be erroneous towards the classification of the word success, but an opinion is neither right nor wrong. I hope one day we can call ourselves successful and find out if happiness trails along with it.

How Does Medea’s Personality Shift During the Play ? Essay

In the play Medea, the mythical Greek hero , Jason abandons his wife Medea and prepares to marry Princess Glauce of Corinth to secure a throne and the power and wealth of the kingdom. These events trigger various transformations in Medea’s character and emotional state; from suicidal despair at the beginning of the play, to apprehension and indecision when first faced with killing her children and finally to remorseless fury which leads her to undertake unnatural means to achieve her revenge. The play immediately introduces us to Medea’s total despair after being abandoned by Jason, giving the audience new insight into how Medea’s intense emotional pain turns her against those who inflict it (Jason) and all of his emotional attachments (Glauce and his children.) Early in the play, Medea demands â€Å"What use is life to me?† (line 96), showing her sadness and helplessness in the wake of her abandonment by Jason. With this line Euripedes implores the audience to sympathize with Medea who appears to be victimized by Jason’s callous behavior. Medea’s conflicting impulses about killing her children are revealed in her monologue in lines 1018-1080. In line 1057 she exposes her desire to spare her children saying â€Å"Let them alone, you miserable woman, spare your children†. However despite her initial apprehension to the task, the monologue concludes with her definitive resolution to murder her children, â€Å"I understand what evil I am about to do but my wrath is stronger even than my thoughts†(lines 1078-1079). For the rest of the play, she will no longer question her decision. While it can be argued that her children’s deaths are fated from the beginning, this speech can be seen as definitive turning point in her thinking as a character, as she has become firm and resolute in her decision. Finally, her cruel and vindictive natures prevails and she declares to the audience her desire that â€Å"They [her children] must die and since they must I who brought them into the world, will kill them†. This declaration shows her certainty that her illogical behaviour is both deserved and just under the circumstances. Medea’s vindictive nature causes her to wreak havoc on the Corinthian royal family as well as on her own family, especially her two innocent sons. Her complete conviction in her own actions and lack of remorse is shown when she declares to Jason, â€Å"I have wrenched your heart as I had to do.†

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Social Work - Research Paper Example History and Milestones of Social Work Charitable Organizational Societies and Settlement Houses The profession and practice of social work in North America began before the turn of the century, with the Charitable Organizational Societies and Settlement Houses from the United Kingdom (Baylis, 2004). Both of them were based on the principle of voluntary philanthropy and of improving conditions for less fortunate members of society. At that time, the term â€Å"social work† was coined and applied to volunteers of these movements (Id.). This is an important milestone because it gave the foundation of social work’s motives and purpose. Social work had altruistic motives and a concern for misplaced values of individuals and societies, social justice and reform mostly focused on poverty and other societal problems and how they affected individuals. The purpose of social work was to help those who were in need in any way possible, mostly by providing tangible resources such as food, clothing, housing and money (Holosko, 2003). Volunteers’ method of intervention was to help socialize people so that they could function better in society (Id.). Individual vs. Societal Problems The next important milestone in the profession of social work came at the turn of the 20th century. At that time, voluntary philanthropy gave rise to scientific philanthropy as social reform changed from a religious to educational based auspice (Id.). This began the 14-year debate, from 1909-1923, between thinking of problems as societal problems to individual problems. At the same time, this milestone reaffirmed the social conscience value of social work; defined casework methods with individuals, small groups, or families; acknowledged the role of empirical research in intervention methods; and, created the split between the dependency problems of individuals and problems of societies (Ramsay, 2001). The Flexner Conference of 1915 At the National Conference on Charities and C orrection in 1915, Flexner presented his analysis of the profession of social work which was that it was an intellectual activity and not actually a profession because it did not have the core sociological traits of a profession (Holosko, 2003). Flexner believed that a profession had to have a communication technique through a highly specialized educational discipline; however, this was not possible given the diverse nature of social work (Id.). The Milford Conference of 1929 This was an important milestone in the social work profession for a number of reasons. One reason the Milford Conference was important is that it unified the social work profession through the casework approach (Howe, 1998). Some other important results of the Conference were that the future casework was contingent on using the community and its resources; more research helps to make better casework decisions; and, the role of the community agency itself as an influence on social work practice (Id.). The Hollis -Taylor Report (1951) This report defined both the professional and nonprofessional activities related to the social work profession. The report was also important because it made a significant impact on curriculum development in undergraduate and graduate social work programs in the United States (Baylis, 1998). Another result of the report was that it brought

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Loss of my Grandfather - Essay Example This discussion stresses that the death of the author's grandfather meant a disorganization in their family system. Since childhood, grandfather used to tell them that their extended family was an emotional unit that could be bonded by love and unity. In addition, grandfather had been advising the entire family against isolation and self-centeredness whereby people could do things for personal or individual gain. Soon after the death of grandfather, family meetings were no longer held as the unifying factor existed no more. For example, the author's uncle relocated, aunt transferred to her work place to the city and my family decided on staying on our grandfather’s farm where they live with our grandmother.   Ã‚  From this paper it is clear that grandfather was an elder in their local church, and for that matter, we used to go to his church. He built our spirituality in terms of getting involved in organized religion, engaging in various church ministries, going to church ev ery Sunday and even doing evangelism on weekends. Once he died, there was laziness on Sunday as they go to church whenever they feel like, they no longer participate in church ministries like they used to and they completely forgot about bible studies or even praying together as a family. The spirituality of their family was adversely affected to the extent that they no longer give tithes like they used to do as a family.

Higher Education Task Force Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Higher Education Task Force Report - Essay Example The essay needs to dwell mainly on the role of CBI Higher Education Task Force in reporting on the topic of ‘Stronger together: Government policy on this crucial issue is another aspect, which can determine the guidelines to be formulated. The proposed essay structure needs to present an analysis of the view points of different industry heads on the possibilities of investing funds by them and the government to speed up the process of economic growth. The role of media needs to be pinpointed to know the impact of the campaign on higher education policy. Contribution of media in initiating a national debate through various broadcasting channels would add value to the content of the essay. The government, universities and the businesses are the direct stakeholders while students will reap the benefits indirectly by getting grants on tuition fees and right employment opportunities. Sam Laidlaw is not only the chairman of the CBI HE taskforce but also the chief executive of Centrica. Hopefully, his views should present a clear picture of all aspects including not just employment but the niche area to pay more attention, namely subjects like science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) where the demand of the businesse s on hunting talent has not been fulfilled and is going to rise further in future. Arguments given for creating and developing stronger relations between the universities, government and businesses in turbulent times need to be discussed in the proposed essay to substantiate the steps and recommendations made in the report.

Husayn-McMahon Essay Example for Free

Husayn-McMahon Essay McMahon-Hussein Correspondence refers to an exchange of letters between Sharif Husayn Ibn Ali of Mecca and Sir Henry McMahon of Britain detailing the future of the Arab world in the face of a possible annexation by the Ottoman Turks. The background to this communication can be traced to early 1914 when Sharif Husayn’s son, Amir, paid a visit to the then British Consular in Egypt, Lord Kitchener, seeking British assurance that they would offer their support incase Arabs opted to revolt against Turkey. While at first Kitchner was reluctant to make any commitment, his successor in the region, McMahon, upon sensing the dwindling British fortunes in the Middle East, made hefty promises to garner the Arabs support during the First World War. It is during this period that McMahon would initiate correspondence with Husayn. The Husayn family emerged to be an influential force in the Middle East as it lay claim to be the descendant of Muhammad and held the mantle leadership of a number of kingdoms in the region (Daly 215). The issue of McMahon-Hussein correspondence has emerged highly controversial and is held to be at the core of the crisis in the Middle East. It is regarded as an important correspondence by the Palestinians as it was seen as a commitment by the British of granting them independence. In these series of letters, Husayn had asked for Arabs independence, he outlined these areas to be the Arabian Peninsula, Palestine and Iraq amongst others. McMahon on the other hand made a commitment to ensure the independence of a number of territories which would not damage the existing cordial relations with France. Arabs in the Middle East have maintained that British had promised independence to the Palestinians; on the other hand, Britain claims that this was merely a declaration of intent that was not legally binding and cannot be used to lay claim of independence to the Palestinians (Mack 123).

Peptic Ulcer Disease Gastrointestinal Tract Disorder

Peptic Ulcer Disease Gastrointestinal Tract Disorder Peptic ulcers are one of the most common gastrointestinal tract disorders. The recent past few decades have witnessed an increase in the rate of peptic ulcers occurrence in our human community (Thompson, 1996). It has evidently been shown from available statistics that an approximated over 10 percent of the human population are extremely at risk of suffering from the disease at some point in their lifetime (Cohen, 2007). Such statistics have also identified that peptic ulcers is more common in men than in women. This is attributed by many to the higher numbers of men engaged in alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking in the society compared to women (NDDIC, 2004). A peptic ulcer is a sore wound or red erosion area on the coating lining of the stomach called (gastric ulcer) or the small intestine called (duodenal ulcer). Duodenal ulcers tend to occur between the ages of 25 75, while gastric ulcers peak between the ages of 55 and 65. Other causes which have been associated with the dis ease include infections by helicobacter pylori. This is a bacterium which is known to attack the gastrointestinal tract thus leading to ulcers. However, it should be noted that genetic factors have also been claimed to cause peptic ulcer. There are many effects of peptic ulcer in the human body. Such include recurrent pains along the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting heartburns poor appetite and weight loss among others (The American College of Gastroenterology, 2009). It should however be realized that with our modern advancements in the medical field the treatment of peptic ulcers is now effective and sufficiently reliable. Such treatments might involve medication, dictated lifestyle, dietary supplements and undergoing surgical operation depending on the severity of the condition. Peptic ulcer disease had a great effect on morbidity and mortality until the last decades of the 20th century, when epidemiological trends started to point to a remarkable fall in its incidence. In addition, two important developments are associated with the decrease in rates of peptic ulcer disease: the discovery of effective and strong acid suppressants, and of Helicobacter pylori. The treatments of peptic ulcer disease have been changed with the discovery of the causes of peptic ulcer (Malfertheiner, P. Chan, F. McColl, K. 2009). Although significant advances in sciences, this disease remains an important medical problem, because the large use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), excessive smoking, increase alcohol consumption, and life style that increase the risk of the disease. Therefore, this explains the reason for choosing this topic in order to promote healthy behavior and improve health outcomes throughout lifespan by giving attention to the preventive measures. This paper is written as a critical analysis and discussion of peptic ulcers disease. It gives a discussion on the causes and effects of peptic ulcers in the human body. Still discussed are the signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease as well the common types of peptic ulcers that are found in the society. Peptic Ulcers Overview First is a definition of peptic ulcer and its types. An ulcer can be defined as; an area in digestive system where the tissue has been damaged or destroyed by stomach acid and other digestive enzyme. Peptic ulcer disease is a common term for ulcers that occur either in the stomach or upper part of the small intestine. A peptic ulcer is a lesion or open sore in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive enzyme which is acidic and is secreted by the stomach cells oxidized the lining of the stomach or upper part of the small intestine (duodenum) causing ulcer. Therefore, eroding can be seen in the mucous membrane which is lining the digestive tract. Moreover, this will lead to cause a gradual breakdown of tissue. This breakdown causes a concerning or burning pain in the upper middle part of the abdomen (Stratemeier, 2009). Even though most of peptic ulcers are small in size, ulcers average between one-quarter and one-half inch in diameter they can cause a significant amount o f symptoms and discomforts. It is to be noted here that the pain caused by peptic ulcers is recurrent and may come and go for a few days or weeks but mainly goes after eating. In addition, there are two different types of peptic ulcers namely; duodenal ulcers and gastric ulcers. Stomach or gastric ulcers is the type of peptic ulcers which mainly affects the stomach while duodenal ulcers affect the upper most part of the small intestine near the stomach. Ulcers can happen at any age, although they are rare in children and teenagers. Duodenal ulcers usually occur twice as common in men more than women. On the other hand, stomach or gastric ulcers usually occur in people older than 60 years and are more common in women (Stratemeier, 2009). It is difficult to estimate exactly how common peptic ulcers are because so many people they will not suffer from any symptoms. However, a study that tested 1,000 adults at random found that four per cent of them had a peptic ulcer (NHS Choices, 2009 ). Causes Second is a discussion on the causes of peptic ulcers. To start with, in the normal lining of the stomach and small intestines there are a protective process from auto digestion by the gastric mucosal barrier, this gastric mucosal barrier will prevent the irritating acids from diffusing back to the underlying tissue. This defensive process can stop working properly, and the lining of the stomach or intestine breaks down for different reasons. Scientific evidence has sufficiently proved that peptic ulcers are caused by the malfunctioning of the stomachs natural lining protection mechanisms against the damage effects of digestive juices (NDDIC, 2004). Such malfunctioning have been claimed to be caused by a number of factors, like is the helicobacter pylorus, a bacterial organism which is the most frequent cause of peptic ulcers. This bacterium mainly eats the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract. This allows the digestive juice produced by the human body to damage the inner and sensitive part of the stomach or duodenum lining thus causing pain. Just to be stated here is the evidence that though helicobacter pylori is the most common cause of peptic ulcers, there are many people in our population living with the bacteria but do not exhibit signs of the disease (Thompson, 1996). Still clear is that H. pylori is believed to be transmitted through oral to oral contact, so those living in crowed areas increases ones chances of contracting the infection. Another common cause of peptic ulcers is the continuous use of painkiller drugs such as, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Scientific evidence has clearly shown that such drugs are highly acidic and thus can easily lead to the wearing out of the digestive system lining (NDDIC, 2004). Still evident is the fact that this type of drugs blocks the flow of prostaglandins in the human body. It should be understood that this is the substance which is responsible for helpin g the flow of blood in the stomach and thus it helps in protecting the stomach from injury. This means that such drugs can compromise the stomach lining protection mechanism of the body and thus risking the occurrence of peptic ulcers in the body (Lanza, Chan, Quigley, 2009). Other causes of peptic ulcers include Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. This is commonly said to be a condition in which the pancreas and duodenum which are responsible for the production of gastric acid have a tumor. Such leads to the excessive production of gastric acid which is responsible for digestion of food in the stomach, a factor which might risk causing ulcers (Dugdale, D. Zieve, D. 2008). In adding together, it has been evidently noted that peptic ulcers are genetic. Therefore, if you have a family history of ulcers or the blood type O, you are more likely to get a duodenal ulcer (Shayne Miller, 2009). Still established is the fact that cigarette smoking and excessive intake of alcohol are not only a ca use of peptic ulcers but also a great threat to the efficient treatment of ulcers. Apart from the many causes of peptic ulcers, are any thing that leads to the direct damage of the digestive wall lining. Such might include physical injury or even radiation therapy. Likewise, a very sick patient who is on a ventilator support is at high risk for a condition called stress ulceration. It is here to be noted that unlike many belief, diet has not been scientifically proven to cause peptic ulcers (Dugdale, D. Zieve, D. 2008). The last and most common factor to peptic ulcers is living in chronic stress or depression (Shayne Miller, 2009). This has been claimed to lead to the excess production of digestive acids thus eating out the stomach lining. Sign and Symptoms Thirdly is a discussion on the signs and symptoms of peptic ulcers. The most common symptom of peptic ulcers is having recurrent abdominal pains which are marked with a burning sensation. Such pains are located in the upper middle part of the abdomen. Also it can be felt like burning or gnawing and it may radiate to the back. It can be aggravated when the stomach is empty, and can worse at night and early morning. Another sign is the constant experiencing of heartburns and indigestion. It is to be noted that though peptic ulcers are more painful when the stomach is empty, such are a leading cause of lack of appetite and vomiting on the individual. Peptic ulcers are also attributed to the sudden loss of body weight in (gastric ulcer) because eating does not relieve the pain and could still worsen it. Yet (duodenal ulcers) will lead to gain weight because the patient eats to relieve pain (Lanza, Chan, Quigley, 2009). Other symptoms of peptic ulcers include the following: discomfort, B loating, and feelings of fullness. Added more symptoms are, feeling of an empty in the stomach, regurgitation (feeling of acid backing up into the throat), and belching. Still to be noted is that peptic ulcers have been closely associated with chest pains and feelings of fatigue. It should however be noted that some symptoms like sudden increase in abdominal pains, vomiting of blood and blood in stool are considered as critical signs of chronic peptic ulcers. All this signs are symbolic of the possibility that ulcers have either broken a blood vessel or perforated the stomach or duodenum walls. Such could also be as a result of the blockage of food from moving from stomach into the duodenum and thus causing vomiting (The American College of Gastroenterology, 2009). Effects of Peptic ulcer Peptic ulcers have many effects in the victims life. The most common is the fact that ulcers in most cases can not be full treated. They are usually recurrent particular to alcohol abusers and smokers. Just to be stated is that the majority of people with chronic ulcers experience considerable pain and sleeplessness; this can have a remarkable and adverse impact on their quality of life (Thompson, 1996). Another effect of peptic ulcers in the body is that they can lead internal bleeding especially when they perforate the stomach lining or break a blood vessel. Peptic ulcers can cause the ultimate obstruction of the gastric outlet, stomach and intestines as well as leading to the inflammation of tissues lining the abdomen. This leads to a serious health complication which might call for a surgical operation or even death (Cohen, 2007). Peptic ulcers if not treated early enough can penetrate into other internal body parts like liver as well as the pancreas and cause severe back pain. I t has also been found out that peptic ulcers can lead to perforation of the wall of the digestive system thus leading to the spilling of digestive system contents into the abdominal cavity. Such are very catastrophic to the patients life as can lead to acute peritonitis (The American College of Gastroenterology, 2009). It should also be noted that peptic ulcer can lead to the swelling of the abdominal wall thus compromising the free flow of food in the digestion system. Lastly, it has been established that peptic ulcers are a great contributing factor in causing peptic cancer. Such could mean a lifetime health complication on the person. This is because even after undergoing surgery operation for treating the problem, it is rarely possible for the individual to fully assume his or her normal lifestyle (NDDIC, 2004). Diagnosis Owing to our modern advancements in technology and medical research, the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of peptic ulcers has been made easier and more reliable. The diagnosis of peptic ulcers mainly involves an interview by the doctor to identify the presence of the many symptoms and signs of the condition. Such include recurrent abdominal pains, vomiting and blood in the patients stool (Cohen, 2007). It should however be noted that for a doctor to qualify a patient to be suffering from peptic ulcer requires for a number of medical tests. The first is the esophagogastroduodenoscopy which involves the insertion of a thin tube attached to a camera through the patients mouth into the digestive system. This helps the doctor to see the presence of sore in the stomach and small intestine walls. It should be noted here that helicobacter pylori is the most common cause of peptic ulcers (NDDIC, 2004). It is due to this reason that the doctor might take a biopsy from the patients stomach walls to test for the presence of the bacterium. Another test which is conducted is the upper G1 test. This involves a series of x-rays on the patients abdomen and is usually conducted after the patient has taken barium (Shayne Miller, 2009). It should be understood that the doctor might also request for a laboratory test of both blood and stool. The stool test seeks to establish the presence of blood in the patients stool while the hemoglobin test checks for anemia. All this tests are conducted as a way of ascertaining the level of the condition which helps in deciding the type of medication to be used. Treatment Treating of peptic ulcers has been greatly improved not only due to our medical advancements but due to the identification of the two major causes of disease among other risk factors. The treatment of peptic ulcers is mainly conducted as a concern for eliminating the underlying causes of the disease. This is because such an approach prevents any further damage and thus reducing chances of reoccurrence of the condition. Therefore, medication is mainly given for eliminating the helicobacter pylori bacteria as well as helping the body overcoming the symptoms of peptic ulcers. Many antacids are available without a prescription, since they are the first drugs suggested to alleviate heartburn and mild digestive disorders. Antacids are not useful to prevent or heal the ulcers; however they are able to assist in the neutralizing stomach acid. When the cause for the ulcer is H. pylori infection, a three-drug course of therapy for two weeks is the standard therapy for curing. This three-drug c ourse of therapy consists of two antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The most common antibiotics usually used to treat H. pylori infections are amoxicillin, or metronidazone. Proton pumps inhibitor (PPI) therapy (such as omeprazole or lansoprazole) these are drugs that reduce acid secretion by inhibiting the gastric acid pump. Other medications may include one or more of the following: Acid blockers (such as cimetidine or ranitidine) (NDDIC, 2004). However, if a peptic ulcer bleeds severely, an Endoscopy might be needed to stop the bleeding. Otherwise if the bleeding cannot be stopped with an Endoscopy, surgery might be essential. This involves the physical removal of the sores in the stomach or duodenum through endoscopy. A further surgical procedure is vagotomy which is cutting one or more branches of the vagus nerve to reduce hydrochloric acid secretion (Dugdale, D. Zieve, D. 2008). Apart from medication and surgery as ways of treating peptic ulcers, doctors usually a dvice on self-control from risk factors by the patient. These mainly include alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking as well as changes in diets. It has been evidently proved that taking of foods rich in fibers greatly reduces chances of sustaining peptic ulcers Prevention It should be noted that prevention is better than cure. It is therefore mainly advised that people avoid risk factors which can lead to peptic ulcers. In the past, it was broad way to tell people with peptic ulcers to change the way of eating habits by consuming small amount of meals, and frequent amounts of bland foods. Also people can stay away from peptic ulcers by avoiding things that increase stomach acid secretion and break down the stomachs protective barrier. These things include alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs along with aspirin. For preventing H. pylori caused peptic ulcers, people are advised to avoid living in crowded places, avoid contaminated water or food, and stick to strict principles of precautions as well as personal hygiene (NDDIC, 2004). Furthermore some evidence suggests that exercise may help reduce the risk for ulcers in some people. Other than, stress relief programs have not been shown to promote ulcer healin g, but they may have other health benefits (Stratemeier, 2009). In conclusion, it has been evidently established that peptic ulcers is becoming a common disease across the globe. Which can affect quite a lot of people especially Cigarette smokers and alcohol consumers. In addition the main causes of this disease are helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It has however been clear recognized that there are many risk factor to the disease. Men are more victims to the disease as opposed to women (NDDIC, 2004). Such have been mainly attributed to genetic and hormonal composition of men as well as to the high prone rate of men to risk factors as compared to women. It was also clear that the ulcer caused by numerous reasons, and these reasons leading to several effects such as bleeding, perforation, and obstruction. However, peptic ulcers can be cured and even prevented if the patients are ready to modify their lifestyle and stick to their drug remedy. At last, the need for health educational activities is compulsory to increase the perception and awareness about the disease in the society.