Abstract This paper explains that the theory of purchasing power parity (PPP) means that, in an ideal world with an efficient market, the same goods should have the same price universally. The author points out that the PPP, which is loosely explained as the Big Mac index, also means that a consumer good sold in practically every part of the world, takes the place of the commodity basket; therefore, a Big Mac being sold in the United States must have the same price as Big Mac sold in Australia. The paper relates that recent data cannot fully support the theory of the purchasing power parity and the law of one price because, in the real world, there are trade barriers, free competition and differences in price levels in different countries, which create difficulty in testing the PPP through government-published price indexes.
From the Paper "The proper estimation of purchasing power parity is made difficult because there is no uniform price level. Also, different people in different countries have varying commodity baskets, which also make the scenario more complicated. Add to this the factor of the varying availability of different goods in certain countries, and the fact that there aren't just two countries that come into play in the economic world."
From the Paper "The Cahuilla is the name given to a group of south-central California Indians. The term is of uncertain origin but may be from their own word kawiya 'master, boss' (Bean 575). The Cahuilla area was topographically complex, comprised of mountain ranges interspersed by passes, canyons, valleys, and desert, with elevations from 11,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains to 273 feet below sea level at the Salton Sea. The Cahuilla occupied most of the area, from the summit of the San Bernardino Mountains in the north to Borrego Springs and the Chocolate Mountains in the south, a portion of the Colorado Desert west of Orocopia Mountain to the east, and the San Jacinto Plain near Riverside and the eastern slopes of Palomar mountain to the west.
Cahuilla villages were usually situated in canyons or on alluvial fans near adequate sources of water and food materials..."
Abstract This paper explains that Lebanon was an important international financial center through 1975; but, since 1975 the Lebanese economy has seldom had a chance to function efficiently and monetary stability frequently has proven to be elusive. This paper points out that the current exchange rate policy followed by Lebanon is a managed float targeted to the United States dollar. The author reports that Egypt's current exchange rate policy is the same as Lebanon's managed float; but Israel follows a composite currency peg policy, which assigns proportional weights to a basket of currencies to establish the exchange value for their currency and reflects that country's international trade, capital flows and other relevant economic aggregates. Annotated Bibliography.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Historical Overview
Current Exchange Rate Policy
Comparing Lebanon's Exchange Rate Policy with Those of Egypt and Israel
Conclusion
From the Paper "Since 1992, the government of Lebanon has faced-up to the job of restoring economic stability and confidence in the country. The government and the Central Bank of Lebanon also have broken the hold on the country's the economy of the vicious circle of inflationary financing and instability of the rate of exchange of the Lebanese pound. These actions primarily were manifestations of the dire political status in which Lebanon found itself as both a pawn and a battleground for Israelis, Syrians and Arab militant organizations."
Abstract This paper uses the example of the increasing monopolization of the telecommunications industry to demonstrate the need for economic models that can help resolve issues of monopolization. The paper describes the purpose of economic models, the different types of models, and some of the factors and data that the models consider.
Outline
An Agent-Based Economic Model
Telecommunications market structure, development, and impact studies
Demand analysis and forecasting studies, modeling
Service and Network Cost Studies and Models
Comparative tariff, policy, and market analyses
Tariff Model -- International Comparisons
OECD Basket Comparisons of Telephone Services Charges - August 1997
Multivariable Regression
The Classical Model
The Classical Model of Production and Employment
Labor Demand
Labor Supply
Equilibrium
Aggregate Supply and Demand
Loanable Funds
Taxes on Labor Income
Animal Spirits
The Keynesian IS/LM Model
Tax Model (The Simple Keynesian Model)
Paradox of Thrift
The Mundell-Fleming Model
Real Business Cycles
The IS/MP Model
From the Paper "With the agressive deregulation in the telecommunications industry in the United States and Europe during the early to mid-1990?s, it seemed that the local monopolies would be forced to unbundle their networks. However, MCI WorldCom, the second largest US long distance telecommunications company, announced in October 1999, that it would acquire Sprint, the third largest US long distance company, in the biggest corporate takeover in history. The merger is valued at $129 billion in cash, stock and debt. The resulting firm will be second only to AT&T in the US telecommunications industry, a company with, as of 1999, $65 billion in annual revenue, 142,000 workers and 40 million business and residential customers (McGaughlin, 1999)."
Abstract This paper describes the pharmaceuticals developed to treat severe depression. The focus of the paper is on drugs used to treat people with atypical mental illnesses and, in particular, atypical forms of depression. Topics such as how these drugs work, their side effects, and the importance of educating the patient about the drugs are all covered by the paper.
From the Paper "Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors or MAOs were the first pharmaceuticals developed. Although they have more side effects than the tricyclic and latest selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), they are found to be very helpful particularly in "atypical" and treatment-resistant situations. They can "produce dramatic improvements in some forms of depression" (Gorman, 1990, p. 83). The generic and brand names of the three marketed in the United States are bedisocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine sulfate (Nardil) and tranylcypromine sulfate (Parnate)."
Abstract This paper explains that prosthetic devices were needed the minute the first human was born with a missing or deformed limb, or the first person lost a limb in battle or even during the course of daily life. The author points out that the ancient principles on which prosthetics continue to rely are still amazingly efficient. It explains that in the past 25 years, there have been advances in prosthetic limb technology, such as lightweight plastics, composites and electronic systems; but there will be more, which will continue to open new directions for prosthetics. The paper relates that prostheses for amputations through the hip joint consist of a laminated hip basket, hip joint, knee joint, SACH foot, pipe connectors and external cosmetic finish; an active carbon fiber foot and multi-axis hydraulic and mechanical knee joint may also be used. Charts and illustrations.
Table of Contents
Overview Section
History of Lower Limb Prosthetics
Advancements and the Future
Aetiology and Incidence of Lower Limb Amputation
Pre- and Post-Operative Considerations in Lower Limb Amputation
Types of Surgery
Syme's Amputation
Below Knee Amputation
Above Knee Amputation
Hip Disarticulation
Pain Management
Types of Lower Limb Prosthetic Hardware
Literature Review Section
From the Paper "Sometimes, especially after recorded history began, the reasons for needed prosthetic devices sounded eerily like some of the major 'hero' stories of today; the young man who cut off his own arm to escape entrapment in a crevice on a lonely mountain is one recent example. A few years ago, a man cut off his own lower leg when he caught it in a bear trap far from home or help. However, in Herodotus' The Histories, dating to 484 BCE, there is a story of a Persian named Hegestratus. Hegistratus was captured by the enemy and imprisoned with a leg iron. To escape, he cut off part of his own foot; later, he is said to have worn a wooden replacement, a prosthesis (University of Iowa Health Care Web site). Another account, however, notes that he used a 'wooden filler' to escape, traveling 30 miles before he was captured and "had his head amputated" (Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Web site). Not only was there no prosthetic head, Hegistratus did not live long enough to investigate what was available in foot prostheses at the time. While much of this knowledge is based on the verbal record, there was physical evidence of early prostheses. A tomb in Capua, Italy, offered an artificial leg made from copper and wood and dating to 200 BCE. Bombing in World War II destroyed it, however."
Abstract This paper explains that Africans, in particular, have been isolated from the global intellectual and scholarly community and therefore are believed not to have a culture of value to the world. The author points out one viewpoint that white domination and prejudice have effectively blocked African writers and poets from expressing their rebuttals to the Western scholarship, which holds a negative opinion of African affairs. The paper states that the problem of representing Africa in literature and history relates to the field of anthropology, where the concept of the "colonial behavior pattern", held by many anthropologists, has not been helpful in telling the real story of Africa. The paper includes many embedded quotations.
From the Paper "For example, English historian Hugh Trevor-Roper, in a BBC radio lecture, made the claim that Africa had no history and that there was "nothing to be found in Africa" other than "...unrewarding gyrations of barbarous tribes in picturesque but irrelevant corners of the globe." This racist diatribe was replied to by Kenvan Ali Mazrui, according to Schipper's article, because "there had been enough history of barbarians and savages" and it was time for a new take on African history."
Abstract This paper discusses Dine cosmology and how it is structured. It describes Dine as a homology and shows how Dine holds that all elements derive from a common source. The paper discusses the roles of baskets, hooghans and textiles and then shows how they represent universal structures, elements, colors, numbers, shapes and forms within Dine belief.
From the Paper "Without the strict binaries that characterize the cosmologies of other cultures, the Dine propose a more integrated vision of the universe. The breath of life permeates everything, and life is cyclical and eternal. Death means only a transition from one phase of life or one form of life to another. Upon death, the same basic elements of creation continue to characterize life and that individual. The number four is structural and represents not only the four elements of moisture, air, substance and heat but also the four cardinal directions and the movement of the sun throughout the year. Directionality and the compas points denote the sacred geography that characterizes the Navajoland and Dine cosmos. As a result, the hooghan is constructed with four main structural poles. Each pole corresponds to a direction with the entrance of the house always in the east. The poles create special sections within the hooghan that are also linked to sacred geography and directionality. A fifth pole flanks the doorway, demarcating the presence of the fifth element."
