Influence of leverage on the productivity of the companies

The modern competitive business strategies cause subsequent increase in the ability of firm, that depends on efficient use of leverage in the capital structure. Leverage can be defined as long term debt financing that improves the permanent financial performance as well as the success of the organization. It explainsthe use of borrowed funds for the investment and return on that investment. For this reason the determination of the proportion of debt and equity is considered as one of the most essential decisions that decide the future of the organization.

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The Anthropology of Uncertainty: Magic, Witchcraft and Risk and Forensic Implications

This paper examines the Anthropology of Uncertainty. After a discussion of what constitutes uncertainty I examine various ways of dealing with this in non-western cultures: witchcraft, magic and religion. I then moveonto a discussion of contemporary aspects of risk in Western societies. I discuss its historical emergence and the relationship between risk, sin and taboo. Witchcraft, religion and risk all provide explanatory framework for misfortune. Witchcraft also involves issues of accountability. This is similarly the case for risk. Both witchcraft and risk have forensic implications. I illustrate this by the work of Mary Douglas.

All societies have to cope with uncertainty, the fact that the future is unpredictable, and to account for past misfortunes. Anthropological theory has generally privileged the regularities of everyday life, paying less attention to irregular events that disrupt the social order. Uncertainty and irregularity run closely together. Cooper and Pratten assert that uncertainty exists in a complex semantic field, associated with a family of concepts including insecurity, indeterminacy, risk, ambiguity, ambivalence and obscurity mixed with confusion; chance possibility.

From Anorexia Nervosa to Anemia

Anorexia nervosa has been a matter of concern in the Western society for decades. Sometimes people talk about anorexia as a deeply perplexing illness and health experts acknowledge that it is a disorder of a very difficult treatment. Although, in addition to the biological andpsychological dimension, people also speak about social factors as possible explanations of the disorder, the fact is that social explanations are generally treated in a very superficial manner. 

The main thesis of this article is that we can hardly achieve a good understanding of anorexia nervosa without soundly taking into consideration its social and cultural foundations. They areprecisely the ones that make many of those who suffer from it understand theeating disorder not as a disease but also as a lifestyle. 

Thus, it can be of interest to put into contrast that conventional perspective, which conceptualizes anorexia as a disease, as an irrational behavior understood within the old mind/body dichotomy and centered on the individual patient with a view more focused on the social and cultural dimensions. 

Myopic Law Preferences and Non-coercive Market Equilibria

This paper investigates the economic conditions under which the performance of a Judiciary does not impede noncoercive fair socioeconomic allocations under “Strotz-myopia” regarding the law variable, i.e., under a static view of it in an otherwise dynamic context. The law, here, is the positive factor by whichconsumption volume is multiplied as a result of law introduction in anotherwise fully private social economy. 

Lexicographic preferences regarding the law is the keyword in establishing non-coercive equilibria either in the static context of a stone-age economy or in the dynamic context of a jungle economy, given in the latter the presence of farsightedness. Nevertheless, such equilibria are found here to exist even under myopia and regardless the presence of lexicographic preferences. We first detect them within a fully private social economy, and we next qualify them by introducing the Judiciary as state officials. 

The optimality regarding state finances imposes additional restrictions in establishing myopic non-coercive equilibria. In any case, anequilibrium will be stable if it is not influenced by the homotheticity or notof the preferences, i.e., by income distribution considerations. So, any suboptimal behaviour of the Judiciary should be attributed exclusively to the suboptimality of state finances: Macroeconomics does affect law administration.

Assessment of Water Shortage and its Implications to Gender Role

This study was carried in Mvumi wards in Dodoma region, Tanzania. The study area was selected to represent semi-arid biome as it experiences annual excessive drought. The majority rural dwellers in Tanzania live in extreme shortage of water. The general objective of this study was to assess the impacts of water shortage to social life especially to women. Questionnaire, PRA’s and documentary review were used for data collection. 

A sample size of 120 respondents was used for the study to cover two villages namely; Ilolo and Iringa. The finding shows that the majority (about 70%) ofrural communities are severely suffering from water shortage crisis. They spend more time to fetch water instead of engaging in other economic activities. And, women are more vulnerable and stressed to this problem. There is a need to supply water services to the rural communities in order to solve this problem.

According to recent report by WHO 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. As a result, 1.4 million children die every year from water-borne illnesses--that's 1 child every 20 seconds. The majority of these people who suffer from this problem are from Sub SaharanAfrican countries.

Cultural Ethnocentrism in India

The concept of Nationalism is linked to the idea of sovereignty and hence; it has to be associated to the principle of self-determination. In the 19th century, John Stuart Mill argued that nationalist movements were dependent on ethnicity, language and culture. These were the basis of the demand for statehood. 

While this stood true for most nationalistic movements, Hurst Hanum of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy remarked that in this era, the notion of selfdetermination was used by groups to divide rather than unify territory . The disintegration of the Ottoman Empire can be used as an example.

Nationalism is linked to the idea of sovereignty and hence; it has to be associated to the principle of self-determination. In the 19th century, John Stuart Mill argued that nationalist movements were dependent on ethnicity, language and culture. These were the basis of the demand for statehood. While this stood true for most nationalistic movements, Hurst Hanum of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy remarked that in this era, the notion of self-determination was used by groups to divide rather than unify territory. The disintegration of the Ottoman Empire can be used as an example. It was at the peak of colonialism in the mid-19th century that the colonised world witnessed the rise in nationalistic sentiments with the emphasis on the idea of a common language, religion, ethnicity etc.

Business Anthropology and its Introductory Statistics

Introductory statistics courses in bachelor’s degree programs in higher education are often challenging to both teachers and learners. In 2012 our institution launched a bachelor’s degree program in Market and Management Anthropology (MMA), a field of study in which qualitative research plays a vital role. 

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Quantitative methods are regarded as a supplement to the armada of anthropological tools such as participant observation or informal and structured interviews. This makes the design and conduct of an introductory course in statistics even more challenging. In this paper I discuss the curriculum, the lecturing, the exercises and software used, and the assessment form for this new target group of students. 

Despite the qualitative nature ofthe bachelor’s degree program in MMA, a basic understanding of what statisticscan (and cannot) do is essential. The curriculum turned out to be almost the same as that for any other introductory course in statistics, say, one for economics students. However, a stronger focus on nonparametric techniques is meaningful.

How to Pick a Career... or Two

Students and others frequently ping me for advice on how to pick a career. While I am humbled by their choice for seeking advice, I share with them my two cents on this subject. I find myself repeating essentially thesame 3 simple principles over and over again. So, I have figured, why not write it up? While I might not say anything conceptually new on this ancient subject, I hope the way I put it is at least interesting, if not useful. Otherwise, my apologies…

Me giving advice on a career choice is a bit tricky. This is because most people would argue that I have changed my career more than once… I got my PhD in theoretical physics from Cornell. My PhD thesis was in string theory. I did a postdoc (Harvard), then until 2002, I was a professor at the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics (Stony Brook). 

In 2001 I decided that spending a lifetime as a physics professor would be too limiting. I felt that I had already made sufficiently valuable contribution to physics so I could diversify and expand my horizons.

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Students' Motivation and Intention Towards Learning Mathematics and Mathematics Performance

In the light of the ASEAN Economic Integration, the educational system is now geared towards K-12 landscape. This study presents analyses on the students’ motivation and intention towards learning Mathematics, Mathematics performance and students’ preferred track in the senior high during the first batch of the K-12 implementation.

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A survey was conducted investigate students’ motivation and intention towards learning mathematics, since motivation is perceived as a pre-requisite of and an indispensable component for student engagement in learning. Saeed and Zyngier also cited that, student engagement in learning is not only an end in itself but it is also a means to the end of students achieving sound academic outcomes. A correlation approach was adapted to show relationship among students’ motivation, students’ intention towards learning Mathematics, Mathematics performance, and preferred track in the senior high school. 

This was conducted at the Basic Education Department - North Campus (BED-NC), University of San Carlos, during 4th quarter of the school year 2014 - 2015. The BED-NC had pioneered the operation of the grade 11 and grade 12 Tech-Voc tracks in Visayas. This serves an experimental batch with thirty eight (38) scholar students sponsored by the University. There were 276 third-year high school students of BED-NC as the respondents of the study. This batch is the first official batch to enrol the grade 11 during the K-12 implementation. Read More...

Modern Terrorism as Hybrid Threat and Digital Challenge

Nowadays the world is facing a new security challenge - the hybrid threats and war. Whilst this idea could be addressed as an extension of the Alliance Comprehensive Approach, the combination of conventional and nonconventional methods towards modern warfare is already a fact. 

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The key idea behind is the hybrid nature of the modern conflicts, feeding in the terrorism context. The paper outlies a general model of the terrorism hybrid nature, accentuating on the modern cyber space role and is targeting our authors to go deeper in the problem from both technological and human part, supporting in this way a more secure future world.

Nowadays the world is facing a new security challenge – the hybrid threats and war. Whilst this idea could be addressed as an extension of the Alliance Comprehensive Approach, the combination of conventional and non-conventional methods towards modern warfare is already a fact. The key idea behind is the hybrid nature of the modern conflicts, feeding in the terrorism context.Read More.....

Border Crossings in a Multicultural Classroom: Science among the Indigenous Learners

This study delved into the “journey” of the Ati as they traverse from their own way of explaining nature, their indigenous way of life, to a multicultural classroom, where science is taught more systematically. 

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This study employed the qualitative research design, where the stories exemplify the dilemmas encountered by the Ati and how this indigenous knowledge can reconcile with what science taught in school. Furthermore, it provided a documentation and analysis of the ethnography of the Ati community, at the context of the school where the subjects of the study are enrolled, the Magayon School. 

Using the memory-banking technique, the researcher identified the indigenous experiences of the subjects. Concepts were then identified through memory-banking and concept-mapping. Through observation and interviews, it was then identified where these indigenous science concepts were applied.Read More....

Develop Vision, Ask Questions and Innovate

It is presumptuous on my part to address public administrators and managers about developments in their fields. Volumes have been written about these by experts. I venture to draw your attention to a basic phenomenon.

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It is presumptuous on my part to address public administrators and managers about developments in their fields. Volumes have been written about these by experts. I venture to draw your attention to a basic phenomenon.

Very often we mechanically hold on to some practices that are in vogue for a long time. Only if we develop an approach of rethinking and action we can come out of the rut in which we have placed ourselves. If we rethink, we will be surprised that we have been blindly following many practices and approaches only because no one has questioned these. 

Albert Einstein cautioned: “The important thing is not to stop questioning”To be effective, rethinking and action should lead to innovation which should be based on an enlightened background of vision, imagination and open mind. Importance of each of these has been emphasized by thinkers.Read More.....

Impact of Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) on Bangladeshs Foreign Trade

Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) was finalized on October 05, 2015 among 12 member states to promote economic growth, job creation, innovation, productivity, competitiveness, and living standards, reduce poverty, transparency, good governance, labor and environmental protection among the member states etc. 

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Potential Benefits of TPPA

1. TPPA could offer comprehensive market access for the member states. It will eliminate or reduces tariff and non-tariff barriers across substantially all trade in goods and services and covers the full spectrum of trade, including goods and services trade and investment.

2. This agreement will facilitates the development of production and supply chains, and seamless trade, enhancing efficiency and supporting their goal of creating and supporting jobs, raising living standards, enhancing conservation efforts, and facilitating cross-border integration, as well as opening domestic markets.

3. TPPA will promote innovation, productivity, and competitiveness by addressing new issues, including the development of the digital economy, and the role of state-owned enterprises in the global economy.

4. It includes new elements that seek to ensure that economies at all levels of development and businesses of all sizes can benefit from trade. It includes commitments to help small- and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)

5. It also includes specific commitments on development and trade capacity building, to ensure that all Parties are able to meet the commitments in the Agreement and take full advantage of its benefits. It could be a platform for regional economic integration of the member states.

Study of Skeletal Remains

The present study examines a case in which signs of incised wounds were found on skeletal remains of a murder victim. The authors have studied the skeletal remains and the dynamics of the murder in order to reconstruct the kind of weapon utilized. 

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The bones examined belonged to a woman that had disappeared from almost 10 years and where recovered from the garden of the house belonging to her former partner. The main feature of these remains was the discovery of a damage of a thoracic vertebra (T1).

When the object of forensic investigation is constituted by skeletal remains, obtaining information is more difficult because of the absence of soft tissues. The source of information is represented by bones only. Certainly there are some missing tiles that can't be regained: many lesions or trauma that involves soft tissues don’t involve bones and this is why the pathologist is the only one that can suggest the cause of death. 

The most important information is obtained by the study of lesions, and what kind of object caused it. A forensic anthropologist can state that there are some potentially fatal lesions. Yet, without soft tissues, it is not possible to gain certainty about the presence of other lesions, not involving bones that could have caused the death.Read More....

Legal reporting in Forensic odontology

Writing an ideal Forensic odontology report is a blend of arts and science and sometimes it is challenging to write an ideal report. This article focuses on writing an ideal legal report.

Examination of teeth in many ways forms a unique part of human body as they are most durable and resilient part of the skeleton. The science dealing with establishing identity of a person byteeth is popularly known as Forensic Odontology or Forensic Dentistry. Dental professionals have a major role to play in keeping accurate dental records and providing all necessary information so that legal authorities may recognize mal practice, negligence, fraud or abuse, and identity of unknown individuals. Apart from the documentation provided by the International Organization for Forensic Odontostomatology,there is a paucity of literature available pertaining to the guidelines of an ideal and legal forensic odontology reporting. This limitation of the literature prompted the author to offer some more elaboration to the current guidelines, which can be easily adopted by forensic odontologists.

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Opinion on Defense Management

We all are continuously working under the huge pressure and publication activities are sometimes understood as a thing which actually bother us at least little bit. Sometimes we prefer laboratory work to writing papers, articles and so on. Nonetheless, we have to know that sharing new information is the crucial result of each scientific activity. It is very important to understand that especially young scientific workers have to be able not only do their own scientific projects but also publish particular and overall results in the form which is generally required. It is not too simple to summarize information into the short text and provide all information to readers which are not involved in the particular project.

The Journal of Defence Management is just the place you allcan start your publication activities. There are a lot of experienced people including scientific workers and university teachers who are able to provide you essential support. You can believe me that the system of each paper evaluation is very well elaborated and each author is motivated for publishing new knowledge within the time of processing.

In publication activities is also very important to use literature and other authorized sources. The Journal of Defence Management provides all paper which were corrected and disputed. Within publication in this journal it is very useful to use papers which have been published in the same magazine I recent time. If you do it you would have the huge certainty that you will be in a right scope of the journal.

In the end I would like to wish all scientific workers and our readers a very nice holiday and a lot of inventive ideas. If you have time you should not remember to use the Internet and visit the website of the Journal of Defence Management. Maybe you find motivational papers or some articles you can evaluate as a good beginning of the potential mutual cooperation among your working place.

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Forensic Photography

Photography is a mixture of science and technology. It involves clicking of an image on to a film to be reproduced and stored for future use. In current times in addition to traditional photographs there is influx of digital imaging where in place of film the picture is stored in a digital way.

Use of these photographic techniques in forensic investigations is known as forensic photography. In forensic field it is useful at crime scene as well as in mortuary. Photography can help in storing of image and its reproduction at a later stage and can play a valuable role in investigation as well as in evidence in court of law. It includes pictures of crime scene, victim, accused, weapons, evidence, vehicles (as in road traffic accident) etc. A good photograph depends on quality of camera, illumination, nature of object, angle of photography as well as expertise of photographer.

As the old saying goes “A good photograph isworth a thousand words”, a carefully clicked picture can go a long way in crime investigation. To be fit for court the photographs needs to be clear, properly scaled, clicked from multiple angles and deposited by maintaining chain of custody. These pictures can either be overall images of the scene, context images showing relation between relevant evidence (like dead body and murder weapon), or close up images showing the details of evidence. As a general rule color photographs are better than black and white as they can give a much clear idea about the crime.

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