The Effect of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements as an Adjuvant Therapy to Metformin on Lipid Profile - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1999 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/06/13 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Profile Essay Did you like this example? ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of combining calcium and vitamin D supplements with metformin on lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women. Study design: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Setting: Damascus University of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and Orient Hospital, in Damascus, Syria. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Effect of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements as an Adjuvant Therapy to Metformin on Lipid Profile" essay for you Create order Materials and methods: Forty PCOS women with 25-hydroxyvitamin D KEYWORDS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Lipid Profile; Calcium; Vitamin D; Metformin. INTRODUCTION: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among females of reproductive age, with a worldwide prevalence of 5-20% depending on the criteria is used [1,2]. The main manifestations of this syndrome are ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology [2]. Noticeably, PCOS is associated with several metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and central obesity, which increase the risk for long-term complications like type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases [3]. However, the exact aetiology of PCOS remains unclear and current treatments are only moderately effective at controlling PCOS symptoms and preventing its complications [4]. Thus, seeking for alternative or adjuvant therapies, numerous studies investigated the impact of dietary supplements such as zinc [5], omega-3 fatty acids [6], and vitamins [7] in management this syndrome. Some of those studies focused on vitamin D. Vitamin D is no longer considered a vitamin solely responsible for bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis as several studies demonstrated its influence on cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, immune regulation, genome stability, and neurogenesis [8]. Growing evidence suggests a role of vitamin D in female reproductive diseases, as the expression of Vitamin D Receptors (VDR) was identified in many organs throughout the female reproductive tract, such as ovary (particularly granulosa cells), uterus, and placenta [9]. On the top of that, vitamin D regulates over 300 genes, including genes that are important for glucose and lipid metabolism. Thus, vitamin D deficiency may be the missing link between insulin resistance and PCOS [3]. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency is a common condition among women with PCOS [10,11], and several studies indicated an association between low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-Vitamin D) and manifestations of PCOS including insulin resistance [10â€Å"14], hyperandrogenism [12], and infertility [15,16]. However, Although pre-clinical data have suggested a possibility for calcium and vitamin D to modulate lipid profile [17â€Å"19], clinical studies about the impact of calcium and vitamin D supplements on lipid profile in PCOS subjects are scarce and inconsistent [20â€Å"23]. Considering the aforementioned data, we conducted this placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of calcium and vitamin D supplements as an adjuvant therapy to metformin on lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient PCOS women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study design: This randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on women with PCOS who referred to the outpatient clinic at Damascus University of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, and Orient Hospital, in Damascus, Syria, from December 2016 to December 2017. The Ethical Committee of Damascus University approved the study protocol, and a written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participants: In this study, we included PCOS women diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria [24], which require the presence of at least two of the following three criteria: 1) Oligo or anovulation, 2) Clinical and/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism, 3) Polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound examination (defined as the presence of 12 or more follicles in each ovary measuring 2â€Å"9 mm in diameter and/or an ovarian volume 10 mL). Patients who were diagnosed with androgen-secreting tumours, Cushings syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperprolactinemia, hypercalcemia, malabsorption disorders, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, liver disease, renal disease, history of kidney stones, epilepsy, or cardiovascular disease were excluded. Pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding women were excluded as well. All women at the baseline were vitamin D deficient or insufficient according to the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline [25]. All study participants reported no use of any hormonal therapy, corticosteroids (other than topical corticosteroids forms), insulin sensitizers, hypolipidemic agents, anti-obesity medications, vitamin D or calcium supplements, anti-epileptic drugs, or any other drugs known to affect endocrine parameters, carbohydrate metabolism, or calciotropic hormone concentrations during the last 3 months. Every patient who met the inclusion criteria and approved to participate in this trial had a face-to-face interview at the baseline to answer a comprehensive questionnaire, which embraced; age, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, dress code, skin colour, outdoor exposure to the sunlight and the use of sunscreens. All women were advised to maintain their usual dietary habits, and not to modify other lifestyle factors such as sunlight exposure or physical activity during the study. Intervention: Patients were randomly assigned into two groups when they came back in the early follicular phase (2-5 days of menses) using a randomization table. Patients in group A received metformin and placebo; patients in group B received metformin, calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), orally for 8 weeks. The metformin dose was increased stepwise, starting with 500 mg once daily for the 1st week, 500 mg twice daily in the 2nd week, followed by 500 mg 3 times daily from the 3rd week onward. The dose of calcium carbonate (1000 mg/daily) and vitamin D3 (6000 IU/daily) remained constant throughout the study period. Clinical Assessment: Standard anthropometric data were obtained from each subject (height, weight, waist circumference, and Hip circumference), in an overnight fasting status without shoes with light clothes, at the baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). Menstrual regularity was assessed as the presence of a menstrual cycle with 21-35 days. Hirsutism was evaluated using the modified Ferriman-Gallwey score (m-FGS) [26], with a threshold (m-FGS) ?†°?6. Assessment of biochemical variables: All assays were conducted at the laboratories of Damascus University of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. All blood samples were taken after an overnight fast. We took 10 millilitres of venous blood from each participant at the baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. Samples were centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 min to separate serum. Then, the serum was stored at -60c until assayed. Serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus were assayed by colourimetric method using kits from AMS (AMS S.p.A., Italy). Serum concentrations of LDL and HDL were assayed by direct method using kits from AMS (AMS S.p.A., Italy). Serum concentrations of TC and TG were assayed by enzymatic colourimetric method using kits from AMS (AMS S.p.A., Italy). Serum concentrations of 25-OH-Vitamin D were assayed using Immunofluorescence kits from I-CHROMA (Boditech Med Inc., Korea). Statistical analysis: All statistical analyses were performed using a Statistical Package for Social Science software (SPSS) version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Continuous variables were expressed as mean ? ± standard deviation and categorical variables as counts with percentages. The Kolmogorovâ€Å"Smirnov test was used to evaluate the normality of data distribution. Between groups comparisons were performed using the independent t-test for normally distributed variables, the Mannâ€Å"Whitney U test for non-normally distributed variables, and Chi-square or Fishers exact test as appropriate for categorical variables. Within-group comparisons were performed using the paired t-test for normally distributed variables and the Wilcoxon paired rank test for non-normally distributed variables. For testing all hypotheses, tests were two-tailed, and p values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.RESULTS: Of 82 patients with PCOS, 45 women met the inclusion criteria and participated in the study, of which 5 patients were lost before randomization while waiting for their menses. Forty Patients were randomly assigned into the tw o groups, 20 patients in each group. However, only 34 patients (85%) completed the study (group A: metformin and placebo, n = 16; group B: metformin, calcium carbonate and vitamin D3, n = 18). The details about the study design and subjects lost to follow-up are illustrated in Figure 1. At the baseline, the two groups did not differ significantly in age, BMI, or other baseline characteristics as shown in Table 1. The mean age was 23.38 ? ± 3.54 and 23.06 ? ± 3.32 years in group A and B, respectively. The mean BMI was 28.01 ? ± 4.41 and 25.48 ? ± 4.97 kg/m2 in group A and B, respectively. After 8 weeks of intervention, vitamin D3 and calcium supplementation, compared to placebo, led to a significant increase in 25-OH-vitamin D levels (+19.38 ? ± 7.78 vs +0.11 ? ± 4.79 ng/mL, respectively), and calcium levels (+0.83 ? ± 0.82 vs +0.01 ? ± 0.86 mg/dL, respectively), but no significant change was detected in phosphorus levels (+0.38 ? ± 0.85 vs +0.26 ? ± 1.78 mg/dL, r espectively) (Table 3). Notably, 25-OH-vitamin D levels normalized after supplementation in all patients of group B. Weight, BMI and waist to hip ratio decreased significantly in both groups with a higher reduction in the group received metformin plus calcium and vitamin D (table 2), but the means of changes from baseline didnt differ significantly between them (table 3). However, no significant changes were noticed in any studied lipid profile parameters in both groups (table 2 and 3).DISCUSSION: The results of our study indicated that adding calcium and vitamin D to metformin therapy had no superior effect on improving lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient subjects with PCOS. Previous studies have suggested several mechanisms by which vitamin D may affect lipid profile like increasing the expression of very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptors (VLDL-R), reducing PTH concentration and improving insulin sensitivity [17]. Besides, vitamin D enhances intestinal calcium absorption which reduces lipids solubility and absorption from the gut [18,19]. On the other hand, a recent study disclosed that vitamin D might inhibit the expression of apolipoprotein AI gene, the major apoprotein of HDL [27], and animal studies showed an increase in TC levels in both male and female vitamin D knock-out mice, but HDL levels increased only in the male vitamin D knock-out mice [28]. So, it is still unknown whether combining these elements will lead to a beneficial, detrimental, or even null effect on lipid profile. Concerning clinical studies on PCOS subjects, previously the single arm study of Wehr et al.[20] showed that supplementation with vitamin D3 (20000 IU/weekly) caused a significant increase in LDL and TC and a significant decrease in TG levels. On the other hand, Irani et al study [22] demonstrated that 8 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation (50000 IU/weekly) in vitamin d deficient PCOS subjects led to a signifi cant decrease in TG levels, but no effects on other lipid profile parameters were detected compared to placebo. On the contrary, our results did not indicate any beneficial (nor detrimental) effects of supplementation with calcium and vitamin D supplements on serum lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient PCOS subjects, which is consistent with the study of Raja-Khan et al.[21] as they could not detect notable effects on lipid profile when PCOS patients were treated with a high dose of vitamin D3 (12000 IU/daily) for 12 weeks compared to placebo. Moreover, although Asemi et al. study [23] demonstrated that calcium carbonate (1000 mg/day) and vitamin D (50000 IU/week) co-supplementation for 8 weeks in overweight-obese vitamin D deficient PCOS patients caused a significant decrease in serum TG (P value=0.02) and VLDL levels (P value=0.02), these effects disappeared after adjustment for baseline values (P value=0.12 for both TG and VLDL). Nevertheless, none of those studies co ncerned about the impact of combining calcium and vitamin D supplements with metformin on lipid profile. A recent study showed that vitamin D3 analogs can modulate glucose parameters and lipid metabolism in a diabetic rat model with additional protective effects when combined with metformin [29]. However, our study does not support the effects on lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient PCOS subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Adding calcium and vitamin D to metformin therapy had no superior effect on lipid profile in vitamin D deficient/insufficient subjects with PCOS.CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Essay on The Effects of Drugs in the US - 926 Words

The Effects of Drugs in the US Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs. Use of illegal drugs is harmful to the user and all those with whom the user comes in contact. There are over 40 million illegal drug users in the world today and America is the biggest market for drugs. (Castro 45) There are more drug dealers in this country, than there are dentists. (Wakefield 112) Illegal drug abuse must be stopped; it†¦show more content†¦Often, the alcohol will bring out a violent temper and often, alcoholics abuse, physically and mentally, their friends and family. Drinking makes the drinker feel he is more confident. The drinker thinks he is in control, even if a little high, and he might get behind the wheel of his car and go for a drive. Drunk driving is deadly. Hundreds of thousands of people get killed every year due to drunk driving.(Castro 60) Other physical effects of drinking are vomiting, passing out and sometimes, if enough alcohol is consumed over a long enough period of time, or if mixed with other drugs, death. Marijuana is a popular, and illegal, drug. Its largest consumers are young adults. Marijuana is smoked in a pipe or rolled in a cigarette. Thirty-seven percent of people between ages 12-17 have tried marijuana.(Adams 102) Marijuana gives a slight buzzing feeling of lightheadedness. Experimentation with marijuana is dangerous because studies show that 60% of people who smoke marijuana on a regular basis move on to try harder drugs soon after.(Lorimer 44) Marijuana tends to diminish the ambition and motivation in the user. In the long run, it may cause lung cancer and other respiratory problems. Cocaine is another popular, illegal, stre et drug. Cocaine is snorted or smoked as crack(a cheaper and, as a result ofShow MoreRelatedThe Creative Destruction Of Medicine1184 Words   |  5 Pageschronic diseases and Dr. Blaser explains the reasoning. The advancement of medicine and the increase use seems to be causing more harm than good in today’s society. Dr. Blaser discusses how the use of antibiotics and drugs to treat different illnesses may also be causing long-term effects on people’s lives. Dr. Blaser believes that our missing microbes may have something to do with main chronic diseases such as: allergies, asthma, cancers, diabetes, and obesity. These are the main diseases causing havocRead MorePavlov s Stimulus Substitution Theory994 Words   |  4 Pagesresponse as the unconditioned stimulus (US) therefore the CR and the unconditioned response (UR) were the same response (Chance, 2013). According to Chance (2013), Pavlov s explained his theory in terms of physiology, proposing an innate neural co nnection allows the US to elicit the UR. However, during conditioning involving repeated pairing of the CS and US, new neurological connections between the CS neurons and US neurons are established which causes the US and CS to both activate the same neuralRead MoreDrug Use And Its Effects On The Community1474 Words   |  6 PagesDrug use doe not only affect the users but also have a devastating effect on the wider community as a whole. This includes their friends, families, government resources and businesses. Economically, when the effects are quantified an estimated $180.9 billion is lost annually due to drug use as reported by ONDCP in 2002. Drug abusers experience several severe health effects ranging from ill-health, general sickness to death. Different drugs used by an individual has different health effects suchRead MoreEfficient Delivery Of Cancer1418 Words   |  6 Pages The efficient delivery of drugs and energy to tumors faces several difficulties and obstacles that need to be overcome for effective cancer treatment. Nanoparticles administrated through intravenous injections accumulate at a tumor site due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) eï ¬â‚¬ect, but only a small quantity of the injected particles can actually â€Å"reach the tumor† (Su et al, 2016). The majority of the nanoparticles interact with â€Å"cancer cells at the periphery of a tumor† whichRead MoreEssay about The Crack Cocaine Epidemic of the Mid 1980s1382 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Just Say No!† A statement that takes us deep into yet another decade in the history of the United States which was excited by controversies, social issues, and drug abuse. The topic of this statement is fueled by the growing abuse of cocaine in the mid 1980s. I shall discuss the effects of the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid 1980s from a cultural and social stand point because on that decade this country moved to the rhythms and the pace of this uncanny drug. Cocaine took its told on American societyRead MoreMexican Drug War Outline816 Words   |  4 PagesCarpenter, Ted. Undermining Mexico’s Dangerous Drug Cartels. Cato Institute. N.p.. Web. 23 Jul 2013. lt;http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/undermining-mexicos-dangerous-drug-cartelsgt;. Al-Eryani, Ausan. Mexico’s drug war effects US as well. Collegiate Times. Virginia Tech. Web. 23 Jul 2013. lt;http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/18328/mexicos-drug-war-effects-us-as-well/p2gt;. Grillo, Ioan. US troops aid Mexico in drug war. Global Post. N.p.. Web. 23 Jul 2013Read MoreIn This Paper, I Am Going To Discuss About The Premarket1428 Words   |  6 Pagesabout the premarket approval process for pharmaceuticals from its drug development to ultimate approval conducted in Canada and United States. The main intention of Canada (Health Canada) and United States(USFDA) is safety and well-being of public. The Overall Process/steps of drug development to its approval in Canada and United states is almost same it differs in there authorities also the main difference is, In Canada during the drug development process prior to the beginning of a clinical trialRead MoreDrug Abuse Among Parents Is A Growing Matter797 Words   |  4 Pages Drug abuse among parents is a growing matter in today’s society. However, child abuse rates are at an all time high. Little do you know, these growing problems have a huge connection. Both of these problems could be solved by mothers fighting their drug addictions. Love is the most powerful emotion in this world. As it says in James Burkett s article, when you are in love, you experience loss of time, loss of control of your body and brain, and you gain the motivation to seek out this partner,Read MoreThe Effects Of Counterfeited Drugs On Pharmaceutical Companies1643 Words   |  7 Pages The Effect of Counterfeited Drugs on Pharmaceutical Companies The market for counterfeit pharmaceuticals has grown exponentially in the last five years. According to an estimate published by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest in the USA, â€Å"Worldwide sales of counterfeit medicines could top US$ 75 billion this year, a 90% rise in five years† (WHO, 2010). This massive rise has greatly affected pharmaceutical companies and law enforcement agencies. The data exposing the effects the counterfeitRead MoreIs the Prohibition of Drugs Useful or Not? Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pagesbecome aware of drug prohibition. In fact, every country in the world has a form of drugs prohibition. However, national drug prohibition started in 1920s in the United States as a subgroup of national alcohol prohibition. In 1930 the congress of United States separated drugs from the alcohol prohibition law and created a new federal drug prohibition agency (Levine, 2002). Prohibition may be defined as the set of policies which ban all production, distribution and sale of drugs for non-medical use

Religion s Influence On Culture - 1459 Words

The extreme was found to be Christians, who were willing to forgive everything and almost required to from their religion’s rules. However, Judaism only forgives to a limit. Jews consider violent actions like murder unforgivable and therefore stand apart from Christians on this very issue. This then creates a different sort of belief system and culture within the two denominations. In his analysis, Adam Cohen subtly shows the effects religion has on culture and how it subdivides people into communities of beliefs and values. Because states like beliefs and values make up part of what culture is in society you can therefore safely assume that religion plays a role in the different perceptions that take place within cultures. Hence, then†¦show more content†¦The part of society they looked at was facial attractiveness, specifically symmetry. The researchers found that as young as age two, children preferred faces of more attractive adults and this inclines that perception could be more natural than cultural, contradicting the past two research journals previously summarized. The experimenters, Rhodes, Proffitt, Grady, and Sumich studied this idea by creating multiple experiments by showing participants three different symmetrically blended mirror neutral black and white face images. The first being a high-symmetry image, the second was the original face image with a normal symmetry, and the third was a low-symmetry image. The participants were told to rate all images on attractiveness. They were also directed to rate the order of attractiveness on the opposite-sex faces on appeal as a potential life partner. The participants in this study were sixty-four university students, 32 males and 32 females. The results to this study showed that equal symmetry or as called in the experiment perfect images were chosen as the most attractive and most chosen for mate selection. These results indicate that what we perceive of others and for mate selection is a very public and a natural perception among humans. The effect of facial symmetry as well did not correlate with the initial attractiveness of the image. Ratings for male and female images

China as a Global Investor in Business-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the China as A Global Investor In Business. Answer: Introduction The development of the Chinese economy is creating strains in the international market. China is considered as one of the largest trading nation and the second largest economy. Almost $2.4 trillion net foreign assets were estimated in 2015 in China compared to Japans net foreign assets of $3.6 trillion. The reason behind the account surplus is the enhancement of net foreign assets (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). In China, most of the foreign assets investments come from the central bank by international reserves, invested by the U.S. as well as different kinds of treasury bonds and similar instruments. As the investment opportunities for the native business diminishes in China, excess capability and declining profitability has also increased in other nations, resulting in a commercial outflow of capital to run at a high level. Go Global investment strategy by China has made an extravagant foreign investment which amounted to USD 900 million it was also equivalent to 2. 2% of China's inward FDI in the same year (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). Foreign Direct Investment inward flow in China Foreign direct investment is a long-term relationship between investor and enterprise who are cumulatively heading towards the objectives of the business organisation which in turn impacts the economy of the country. Industries operating in an economy can profit through this process with advantages in the supply chain management as well. The industry gets profit due to Foreign Direct Investment and an overall economic development was introduced in China (Gilboy 2016). The flow of FDI is the sum of three components such as equity, capital, reinvestment earnings and investments; these aspects are connected with the inter-company debt transaction. The technical enhancement, administrative development and increase level of production is the area of focus in this business module. The significant portion of emerging market change is associated with the investment as well. In case of global investment, accurate reflection can be judged through the financial condition of China and series of domestic incomes that China acquired through this process. In China, there are different special economic zones that were announced on the 15th session of fifth NPC. Zhuhai, Shenzhen, and Shantou had been announced officially by the government and after that Xiamen was added to the special economic zone (Cavusgil et al. 2014). According to the statistic provided by the China government, in between 1979 to 2006,a sum of 596,110 projects is run by the foreign direct investment. A utilizing value of US$1.67 trillion on foreign capital and a huge contract value had signed in that time (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). China became the largest receiver of FDI among the developing nations. Since the biggest portion of FDI has come from Taiwan and Hong Kong, China can gets a good amount of products from these countries as well. 57% of FDI is single-handedly delivered by Hong Kong. Almost 1000 foreign companies regional headquarters are situated in Hong Kong and this is the reason channelized investment is persisting in Hong Kong. Basic drivers behind the change There are some key drivers of FDI are as follows: economic growth rapid economic industrial development In case of economic growth, the business organisations that come up in the Chinese market are the main source of income as GDP. Technology plays a vital role in this situation. The country has impactful performance in technology and that main reason for export in the country and industrial development. Resource movement and logistic facilitation are two other aspects that impacts industrial market. Logistic management is another productive aspect that will come in transforming the link and provide a constructive drive for the nation. The most important analysis is channelizing through China, in recent years and foreign-invested firms are taking advantage of them. The reason behind why China has become a global hotspot is because the nation is manufacturing their own products and in case of diverse aspects of finance, marketing and accounting. China is now the official member of WTO. The nation has a huge domestic market which impacts the growth of economy, political stability, policy consistency and legal reformation of China is the major aspect of the distribution of their market (Peng 2012). Industries are rapidly growing in China and in case infrastructure and production are the reason behind global development. Realizing the potential of the industry and possible outcome it is important to grab the market and make use of the opportunities of the external environment. A significant contribution to large-scale employment is catering to the employment requirement of the native people and they will develop the work culture as the nations economy is much known by them. In recent past, direct and indirect employment is around 13.1 million people and the GDP has risen up to 2.23% to 4.10%, which is an exceptional change that comes into the drilling of factors. Chinese Government Plan The Chinese government has ethics and cultures that are delivered in a written form as rules and legislation (Ruggie 2013). Foreign Banks are established and their business is also affiliated with China as well. The minimum capital of RMB is 1 billion and each brand must have a minimum of 100 million (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). The financial export market in China delivers bilateral trade execution in some place and all the components have synthesized the level of business opportunities in China as well. Chinas Overseas Direct Investment The foreign direct investment opportunities in China are high in theyear2013-2016. Many investments from different countries happen in those sessions which also contribute to the economic development of China. Tapping into a new market and gaining superior technology used by the overseas foreign companies. Belt and Road is an Initiative that has been taken by the Chinese government. This initiative has helped the government develop connectivity with the Eurasian countries. It is also a way to ocean-based Maritime Silk Road and land-based Economic belt process. In the last few years, Belt and Road Initiative process has focused on the infrastructure investment, construction materials, automobile, real estate, railway and highway equipment transfer and iron and steel materials. The project is one of the most valuable prospect which covers more than 68 countries and enhancement of 40% global GDP. Opportunity and risk factor both come up with the simultaneous way and market opportunities for investment have risen up due to that process (Ahuja et al. 2012). Almost 8000 Chinese-funded companies offshore by the Ministry of Commerce and total investment recorded as $93.8 billion (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). The growing global stock of Overseas Foreign Investment recorded in 2007 was $117.9 billion. The global enhancement of revenue and demonstrative approach to the international brand has got some advantages in China and that is the most important part of ODI. The Belt and Road Initiative process deliver economic cooperation as well and expansion of investment is impacting on this. Chinas old-fashioned monopolies, state-run efficacies, and community facilities are steadily pretty available to secluded and even foreign investment. China will pursue to encourage wider, more bi-directional directness, build foundations and devices that encourage teamwork and are well-suited with global trade and speculation guidelines. In case of emerging industries business opportunities are high and that is the reason most of the innovative economic structure has been undertaken by the country as well. Increasing openness and global integration process are also conducted through the government and cross-culture agricultural agreement also boosted up the contradicting nature of orientation. China is among the top ten countries to have contractual projects. The commercial service areas are connectively advanced in China and lots of other countries are self-driven by that process. The purchasing and selling goods are centralized by several ministries and that is the reason Chinese ministry has evolved some sectional change in their government (Nolan2012). Bank of China, China Council for the Promotion of Foreign Trade section drives the trade national policy of China. Trades are separated from the production, thus a loss in production for any company has not directed apparent effect on the countrys economy. Most of the trades are confines in the communist countries so the range of monopoly situation in business is present in that nature. In China, the state-owned monopolized operations in business dampened into the production sector in China and that also not linked with the market situation. The market always wants the competitive figure and China is doing that only to e stablish their nature of ODI in front of international business scenario. China selects their direct investment in theU.S. in most of the cases but in 2016 the projected outcome has turned a bit and Singapore has overtaken theU.S. in case of foreign direct investment ration in China. The paper states that Chinas Ministry of Commerce has witnessed nonfinancial ODI rangeof 44.1 percent enhancement to $170 billion(National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018). Though, the inclination in 2017 has been in desolate dissimilarity. Chinese policymakers have required controlling illogical ODI and have determined on savings toward the Belt and Road proposal (Brdsgaard 2012). Singapore and Malaysia, these two nations have attractive BRI destinations and they have invested climate to offer good opportunities in business at a low level of risk. That is the reason most of the associate investment takes place in those countries and optimum balance present in both the countries. Rise in Overseas Direct Investment in China The Chinese government enhances the overseas business opportunities and noticed on the foreign currency reserves at home. In comparison with Japan, American firms are holding the assets in that nation but in most of the case expected foreign currency, thereserve is not met with the desired amount (Lasserre 2017). Approval of domestic trade policies and adapted formation of new business results are the concern idea that produces more productivity in China. In China, the reformation of theforeign direct system was revised after the implementation of SEZs(Ramasamy et al. 2012). Almost 30 up foreign trade companies are set by the government and trade licenses are also provided to them for business but in most of the cases challenges will arise when they have to find the easier way to mitigate those. In case of agricultural and rural products the rate of manufacturing is high and that provide less opportunity for the native nation to do the business, in that case, the importance of overse as business come information where other countries have this opportunity to invest in China. This is the particular time when trade liberation happens and through this process, China becomes the largest porter of clothing and textiles. Current development and inflow of FDI in China The distribution of countrys outward FDI flows in the industry level has segmented into different sections. Wholesale, retail, trade mining, fishery, information technology, construction, transportation, storage, real estate, washing, coal mining all these sections are under the ODI aspect of China. In case of metal mining resources, are theimportant and sectional distributions of theproduct are important for the development of national economy in China. As per the graph is given in appendix 2, mining is the largest sector from all as it contains 40.3% of total FDI concentration and most of the resources are collected from overseas companies. Though mining section decreases in 2015 compared with 2014 as well (Davies 2016). The restricted form of the industry and sharp contrast of accounting sector is the major aspect of annual growth and that flows with the diversified range of products (Deng 2013). Conclusion Therefore, all the discussions are addressing towards the overseas direct investment in China has surpassed the foreign direct investment. The report consists all the FDI and OFDI driving issues of China and the economic balancing situation that China has created in these recent times. The report also highlights the government initiation that possesses all the rules and regulations of business and development of inflow business FDI in China. The rise of ODI in China is discussed in the report and how it provides the benefit for the business organisations prevalent in china. References "National Bureau Of Statistics Of China". 2018.Stats.Gov.Cn. https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/. Ahuja, Mr Ashvin, and Mr Malhar Nabar.Investment-led growth in China: Global spillovers. No. 12-267. International Monetary Fund, 2012. Brdsgaard, Kjeld Erik. "Politics and business group formation in China: the Party in control?."The China Quarterly211 (2012): 624-648. Cavusgil, S. Tamer, Gary Knight, John R. Riesenberger, Hussain G. Rammal, and Elizabeth L. Rose.International business. Pearson Australia, 2014. Davies, Ken. "China investment policy: An update."OECD Working Papers on International Investment1 (2013): 1. Deng, Ping. "Chinese Outward Direct Investment Research: Theoretical Integration and Recommendations. : ." Management and Organization Review9, no. 3 (2013): 513-539. Gilboy, George J. "The myth behind China's miracle." InSEEKING CHANGES: The Economic Development in Contemporary China, pp. 1-16. 2016. Lasserre, Philippe.Global strategic management. Palgrave, 2017. Nolan, Peter. "Is China buying the world?."Challenge55, no. 2 (2012): 108-118. Peng, Mike W. "The global strategy of emerging multinationals from China."Global Strategy Journal2, no. 2 (2012): 97-107. Peng, Mike W.Global business. Cengage learning, 2016. Ramasamy, Bala, Matthew Yeung, and Sylvie Laforet. "China's outward foreign direct investment: Location choice and firm ownership."Journal of world business47, no. 1 (2012): 17-25. Ruggie, John Gerard.Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights (Norton Global Ethics Series). WW Norton Company, 2013. Thebeijingaxis.com. 2018 Available at: https://www.thebeijingaxis.com/en/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].

Social Media Essay Example

Social Media Essay Choose a topic of research, develop the objectives of study (not less than 4 objectives), develop research questions, develop hypothesis, and state the purpose of the study, importance, scope, assumptions, and limitations of the study. Topic: Effects and impacts of social media on youth in the society today. Objectives: * To investigate the effect of social media on youth development. * To examine the relationship between the social media and youth performance in higher learning institutions. To establish the relationship between social media and youth employment opportunities. * To determine the relationship between social media and drug abuse among the youth in the society. Research questions * What do you understand by the term social media and list examples of social media you know? * How do the youths use the social media? * How are online users experiencing privacy issues on social networking sites? * What is the extent of usage of social media among university students? Is the re a relationship between extent of usage of social media and communication with family and friends? * Is there a relationship between self-concept of university students and their use of social media? * To what extent should the social media be used in higher learning institutions? * In your opinion what skills do the youth learn from social media? * Do social media promote employment of youth in the society? * In what ways does it promote employment opportunities? * What are the effects of social media on the youth at the work place? Do social media promote drug abuse amongst the youth in the society? Hypothesis In a society where youth have access to social media will tend to perform well academically, economically and socially than those that has limited access to social media. Purpose of the study The purpose of the proposed exploratory quantitative study is to determine what the effects of youth interacting using social media are on the society as a whole. Importance of the st udy * It will enable in planning on the requirements of social media in the society. Enable promote the use of social media amongst the youth. * It will enable determine regulations to put in place to limit the extent of social media by the youth. * It will assist in determining the benefits of social media on the society. * It will assist in determining the relationship of social media and drug abuse among the youth in the society. Scope of the study * The use of social media by the youth in the society and its impacts. Assumptions of the study * The effects of social media on the youth have direct impact to the society. The youth are actively involved in the use of social media. * The use of drugs in the society can directly be linked to use of social media. Limitations of the study * Incorrect data and responses given in the questionnaires. * Lack of adequate sample size of collecting data. * Influence of the youth by organisation advocating for use of social media. KENYATTA UNIV ERSITY BMS 305 ASSIGNMENT NAME: MUTHOMI TIMAN MWENDA REG NO:D33S/CTY/PT/13623/2011 DUE ON 19TH February 2013

The 21 Best Social Media Reports Every Marketer Should Read

The 21 Best Social Media Reports Every Marketer Should Read Every content marketer needs data from time to time. Your articles need to be authoritative and convincing, and good data makes this possible. And sometimes, finding this information can be a real pain in the neck. Which is the last thing you need when youre on a deadline. So weve tracked down a whole host of quotable statistical research reports. The kind that give your writing a little extra potency. Youll have all the ammunition you need for your next killer social marketing post. And best of all none of these studies were published before 2017. So you know youre getting the most up-to-date information available. Time to dive in! + Mention = Social Media Success: Did you know you can plan, publish, and measure all your social media posts using ? See how you can manage social media better using the industrys favorite all-in-one marketing manage platform. Instagram Mention: The Instagram Engagement Report 2018 Looking for Instagram data based on real user behavior? Mention took more than 115 million Instagram posts, crunched the data, and came away with some pretty extraordinary findings. This is different from many of the other reports in this list, because its based on actual user behavior These are real posts, with real engagement numbers. Highlights: Instagram hashtags do  not  increase engagement on average. #ad is the most engaging hashtag on Instagram, which proves the power of influencer marketing. Tagging other Instagram users in posts does  increase engagement rates Video posts have the highest average engagement rate of any post formatGet the latest stats from this #social media report from @Mention via the @BlogLater: The State of Instagram Marketing 2018 This is a great example of a state of report. Later polled more than 3,500 businesses, brands, and influencers, wanting to know what the trends would be for 2018. This is powerful stuff for marketing writers, because it lets you speak with authority about what brands care about when it comes to to Instagram. The data is especially useful for discussing how businesses plan to allocate their resources. Youll find questions on Instagram advertising spend, promotion versus community building, and influencer marketing. Highlights: 86% of businesses that currently partner with influencers  plan to do more of this in 2018. 16% of influencers still dont disclose their affiliations  when posting on behalf of a brand. 22% of brands have used Instagram Live, but 55% of brands plan to do so in 2018.Get the latest Instagram statistics from @latermedia via the @BlogInstagram: 2017 Year in Review At the end of the year, Instagram likes to post a roundup of the previous 12 months. It includes information relevant to marketers like the most popular hashtags, most-liked posts, and top videos of that year. It also includes more fun facts like the most popular filters used, and even the top pet accounts on the platform. Dogs are clearly a big hit on Insta! Highlights: Disneyland (Anaheim) was the most instagrammed location  in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo added the most followers in 2017   30 million. The most followed pet on Instagram is a dog named Jiffpom. The pooch has more than 7 million followers! View this post on Instagram ðŸ’â€" A post shared by jiffpom (@jiffpom) on Feb 1, 2018 at 4:10am PSTGet the latest Instagram statistics from Instagram Press via the @BlogExpanded Ramblings: 250 Amazing Instagram Statistics and Facts If youre looking for quotable facts and stats, this is the page for you. It doesnt contain original findings; instead, it pulls out key numbers from all over the web. Couldnt you just use Google? Well, sure. But this site saves you from bouncing around. Plus, they keep it updated, so you can safely assume that your data is up to date. Recommended Reading: Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Analytics to Smash Your Goals Twitter Statista: Twitter User Statistics Click that link above and youll land on a specific Statista report: the number of active monthly Twitter users worldwide. Which is nice. But you really need to explore all of Statistas numbers. Scroll down a little and youll find links to user demographics, mobile usage, and Twitter use by brands. Basically, youve got a lot of clicking around to do, but its worth it! Statista also has a ton of great information about the other social networks, industry marketing trends, and plenty more. Check it out! Highlights: Katy Perry is still the most followed Twitter user  (108 million), but Justin Bieber is close behind (105m). In 2016, $1.1 billion was spent on mobile Twitter advertising in the US. Bleacher Report has the most Twitter engagement following of any brand, more than twice the second highest.Get the latest Twitter stats and research from @StatistaCharts via the @BlogOmnicore Agency: Twitter by the Numbers This ones perfect if you need a quick source of Twitter information. It may not be as surprising as the next two on the list, but its helpful to color in your next post. This page has all the basics: number of monthly Twitter users, percentage of those on mobile, Twitter users in the UK and US, and plenty more. These are all statistics you can find elsewhere, but Omnicore has put them all together for you! Highlights: Twitters revenue per employee is $488,913. Twitter can handle 18 quintillion  user accounts.Get the latest Twitter stats and research from @OmnicoreAgency via the @BlogTwitter: Transparency Report This one is very different, but the data may prove interesting to brands and marketers. Twice a year, Twitter releases data about a whole host of issues facing the network. This includes requests for information (from governments or otherwise), the number and location of blocked users, copyright requests, and more. For writers interested in the bigger Twitter picture, this can be valuable and interesting insight. Highlights: The USA had the most information requests from governments  in the first half of 2017 2,111. Japan was next with 1,384, and the United Kingdom was third with 606. 64,021 tweets were taken down  between January June 2017 for copyright reasons. Twitter received 715 court orders from Turkey  to remove content. The next highest number was 14 (Brazil).Have you read the Twitter Transparency Report from @Twitter? Find it here via the @BlogTwiplomacy: Twiplomacy Study 2017 Another study for writers with a particular angle or niche. This one looks specifically at Twitter use among governments and world leaders. And it goes into remarkable detail, looking at things such as mutual connections between world leaders, whether they favor text or more visual communications, and hashtag use amongst these powerful people. Highlights: The Israeli government is a big fan of social media. In 2016 it asked Twitter users to use the hashtag #IsraelRetweetedMe, and the best responses were retweeted by all 153 government accounts. Perus foreign ministry follows 461 other world leaders, the most in the study. Clearly an effort to forge ties! The New York Times is the news organization most followed by world leaders.Curious how Twitter impacts global diplomacy? Read the 2017 @Twiplomacy Study here via theFacebook Facebook IQ: The Annual Topics and Trends Report Facebook releases two monthly reports: Topics to Watch and Hot Topics. These cover a range of topics (duh!) and tell you whats trending on the social network. At the end of the year, Facebook IQ takes these reports, fills in a few blanks, and releases an overarching study to sum of the year. Thanks to the breadth of topics covered, its a potential goldmine for most marketers: Highlights: Conversations about cryolipolysis have trended up sharply for more than a year, and grew 19x in 2017. Blockchain  conversations were up 146.9x in 2017, compared with 2016. Mixed reality  saw 122x growth in conversations.Read the annual Facebook IQ Topics and Trends Report from @facebook via the @BlogBuzzsumo: Facebook Engagement for Brands and Publishers 2017 Buzzsumo does a lot of social media analysis. In this study, they looked at more than 880 million Facebook posts from July 2016 June 2017. And they found something startling. Engagement for posts of all types plummeted in January 2017. The study attributes this to a greater emphasis being placed on Facebook advertising, and organic reach becoming harder to achieve. The study has plenty of great nuggets, which will help any marketers who needs to know about Facebook engagement rates. Highlights: Even as companies focused on video posts during this period, video only made up around 10% of all posts. Image posts saw the biggest drop in engagement rates. The 2016 presidential election  may have played a role in this drop in engagements.Read the Buzzsumo: Facebook Engagement for Brands and Publishers 2017 report from @BuzzSumo via theCPC Strategy: Facebook Consumer Survey 2017 As you can probably guess, CPC Strategy is focused on social media advertising. So this study is all about consumer behavior as it relates to advertisers. If you want to know why Facebook users click here  and not there, this study is a great place to start. The company partnered with Survata for a 1,500-person survey. While this isnt a huge number, we get a great idea of how Facebook users respond to ads. And of course, there are some excellent numbers for those looking for quotable tidbits! Highlights: 18-24 year-olds are the least likely group to click on Facebook ads. 26% of users who clicked on an ad  went on to complete a purchase. 47.4% of users discovered a new product through Facebook.Read the CPC Strategy: Facebook Consumer Survey 2017 report from @CPCstrategy via theWordstream: 75 Super-Useful Facebook Statistics for 2018 Lets end on a super-quotable piece. Similar to the Omnicore page above, Wordstream has scoured the web for a whole heap of digestible Facebook stats. If you need a few numbers for your blog intro, or to strengthen an argument, this is an excellent resource. Highlights: 42% of customer service responses on Facebook happen within the first 60 minutes. Brands post on Facebook 8 times per day, on average. Facebook users only consider 28% of their Facebook friends to be genuine friends.Read the 75 Super-Useful Facebook Statistics for 2018 report from @Wordstream via theSnapchat Business of Apps: Snapchat Revenue and Usage Statistics 2017 Heres another nice piece tying together lots of different data. Snapchat was a media and marketing darling in very recent memory, and has since faded from view somewhat. But that doesnt mean that marketers dont care about the platform they just need away to make it work. This post has 4 main sections: user statistics (demographics), usage statistics (number and types of snaps sent), Snap Inc. revenue, and Snapchat versus Instagram. So if any of these float your boat, give it a look! Highlights: As of 2017, Snapchat users send 3 billion snaps per day. Twice as many users prefer Snapchat Stories  (45%) over Instagram Stories (21%). 45% of college students say they would open a snap from a brand they dont know.Read the Business of Apps: Snapchat Revenue and Usage Statistics 2017 report from @BusinessofAppsSocial Report: Instagram Stories vs Snapchat Stories 2017 Statistics One of the key social media trends of late is Instagram Stories. Instagram marketing is hotter than ever, and brands are looking for ways to better leverage the image platform. Naturally, theyre turning their attention to Stories, a feature that takes up a lot of valuable real estate in the Instagram layout. But as we know, Instagram Stories are basically Snapchat Stories, and perhaps marketers shouldnt be too quick to ignore the original. This piece uses data to comlets the two, which is perfect for marketers unsure of the main differences. Highlights: Snapchat usage and engagement have gone down 15 to 40 percent since the release of Instagram stories. 11 out of 12 top social media influencers posted more Instagram Stories than the Snapchat equivalent. Instagram influencers report engagement rates 3-5x higher than on Snapchat.Read Social Report: Instagram Stories vs Snapchat Stories 2017 Statistics from @TheSocialReportThe Daily Beast: The Data Snapchat Doesnt Want You to See This one is a double-whammy. The Daily Beast got its hands on 5 months of daily user data from Snapchat, which gives you some nice statistics to work with. Thats the link above. But this is accompanied by a scintillating article  detailing the company culture and work life at Snapchat, and explains why this data was never supposed to be released. Both are worth checking out (and quoting), but theres plenty of interesting activity data for those not interested in the juicy details. Highlights: Snapchat employees are not allowed to use Snapchat at company parties!  They even have to tape over their phone cameras. Snap Maps usage has been consistently declining since its launch. Saturday is easily the most popular day of the week to post to Snapchat Stories, followed by Friday.Read The Daily Beast: The Data Snapchat Doesnt Want You to See via the @Blog here:Youtube Social Bakers: YouTube Statistics This is a very nice resource! Its interactive, which is nice, and lets isolate the statistics you really care about. Choose data for large countries like the US, UK, or India, pick your industry, or select from a range of categories like celebrities, sport, or brands. Highlights: T-Series an Indian music and film studio has the most YouTube views of any channel. It also has more than 20 million subscribers. Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift have the largest celebrity audiences on YouTube (in that order). Fourth is KondZilla, a Brazilian music video producer.Read the Social Bakers: YouTube Statistics report from @socialbakers via the @BlogFilmora: Mind Numbing YouTube Facts, Figures and Statistics 2017 Sometimes, you just want a nice visual breakdown of social stats. Filmora has done exactly this. This study provides both standard data points (number of daily users, number of videos uploaded daily), and some less obvious ones (video removals for copyright reasons, average length of video by genre, and more). As always, the goal is to find easy-to-use data about social media, and this post has you covered for YouTube. Highlights: 62% of YouTube users are male. 32% of videos are taken down within 24 hours  for copyright reasons. 18% of the time, the user account is also terminated. Despacito is the most viewed YouTube video  of all time.Get the latest @YouTube facts and stats from @Filmora_Editor via the @BlogStatista: YouTube Statistics Facts Weve included a Statista report above, and, really, couldve probably found one for every section of this post. Seriously, its a great site and worth clicking around. Some of the data needs to be paid for, but theres plenty available gratis. The YouTube section of the site includes data on channels and creators, YouTube usage, marketing and advertising spend, so all of the must-know data points for marketers. Highlights: The highest-earning YouTuber is Michelle Phan, with a reported net worth of US$50 million. Controversial star PewDiePie is next at $18 million. The most subscribed-to channel in 2017 belongs to PewDiePie, with nearly twice as many new followers in 2017 than the runner-up (Hola Soy German). The fastest video to go viral is still PSYs Gangnam Style, which hit 100 million views in four days.

Thinking Outside the Box, Turning Rejections to Payments

Thinking Outside the Box, Turning Rejections to Payments Its always painful when we spend time writing up articles only to have them rejected, time and again. However, a simple technique can turn your rejection emails in to payments. You just need to think outside the normal boxes and appeal to a different audience. Let me set the scene. Walking, hiking and backpacking are where I draw most of my inspiration for my writing. I planned a weekend trip to a mountain bothy, a small mountain shelter that is free to use and is a great place to spend an overnight in the wild. They are little more than brick built tents. On my return, I pitched an article to several magazines specialising in hiking and mountaineering. However, they all rejected me. Feeling a bit lost and dejected, I flicked through the long list of magazines accepting submissions. After spending some time reworking the article, I submitted to a completely different genre. Living in the city of London and then spending time in the mountains of Wales, I had the chance to see more of the stars and the heavens than I had ever seen before. Reflecting on this, I decided that it would be good to rewrite the article for a Christian magazine. After all, I am a practising Christian, and enjoy reading about others experiences so why not share my own? I spent some time considering Bible quotations and rewriting the article to reflect how the experience could bring other people closer to God. As the article was for a non-specialist magazine, I need to adapt the language and add explanations that would be required for readers to understand the context of the article. The experience of rewriting was extremely useful, not just to be published, but also to find errors and to tidy up my original article. I pitched to the editor and almost immediately received a response, requesting some images and examples of my previous writing. The article went to features meeting where it was accepted and so I sent the final article with the photographs that I had taken on my trip. The editor was impressed with the uniqueness of the article, especially for his magazine, which led to getting the article published. Having photographs helped too, as this meant that the editor had a complete package and did not need to spend money on stock photography. Magazines that specialise in the outdoors will undoubtedly be inundated with lots of articles on the topic of spending a night in a bothy, so to stand out and have a chance of being published you need to provide a unique angle. Whereas a publication that has a different focus might be more willing to publish as you have a different angle. Try it with one of your own rejected article pitches. Where else could you submit it? Perhaps you could rewrite the news feature for a specialist magazine into an article for a local newspaper. Or maybe a local interest story that was covered My tips for turning rejections to payments:  · Try rewriting the article for a different market  · Look beyond the obvious sources of income, who else might be interested  · Find a different angle for your article  · Try to include photographs and images as editors prefer a complete packaged (you may be paid more for it!)