Foreign Direct Investment in Singapore

Foreign Direct Investment in Singapore Chapter 1: Introduction Singapore was a commercial trading centre in the early 19th century and today it has since attained a remarkable transformation into one of the most globally integrated economies in the world, achieving total mechanism and service trading performing triple or more its gross national product and inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stock index among the developing market. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has an exceptional and emerging role internationally. It acquired the primary role in both theoretically and practically, which can be observed in different economic, social, cultural, political, finance, and technological dimensions of the world. Objective of Study The objective of this project is to study into the national strategies adopted by Singapore, so far, focusing on their nature and outcomes. A critical assessment will be made on the current challenges ahead, and appropriate strategic options identified. Singapore, to a large extend has relied on foreign MNCs to drive its own industrialization and growth. What is beyond doubt is that Singapores unique ability to attract and retain FDI has undoubtedly been a key ingredient of its economic success. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the determinants of Singapores FDI inflows. Scope of Study In this paper, we examine the interrelations among the variables FDI, the entry modes, the benefits and costs, government policies and the liberalization of FDI. The study of the relationship addresses a few points: Mainly, how dependent is Singapore on FDI? How are the imports and exports of MNCs affecting Singapores FDI inflows? What are the factors being driven by the shift of FDI towards services? What is the main driving force of FDI? Is there a contribution and/or positive link between higher GDP and FDI? Does trade liberalization foster FDI in emerging countries/markets? The overall objective of the study is to determine the efforts that Singapore makes to attract inward FDI, the successful and unsuccessful outcomes and the future developments of FDI in Singapore. The remainder of the study is organized as follows: In Chapter 2, the trends, source, patterns and forms of FDI is being introduced. Chapter 3 explains the reasons why firms choose foreign direct investment instead of exporting, the trade barriers involved and the other forms of entry modes. In Chapter 4, the connection between Singapore and FDI is being analyzed. Chapter 5 presents the benefits and costs of FDI while Chapter 6 briefly discusses the economic growth in the different industrial sectors and how the culture of Singapore affects inwards FDI. In Chapter 7, it describes government intervention and its policies. Chapter 8 involves the discussion of the liberalization of FDI and MAI. And lastly, Chapter 9 comprehends the findings of the future developments of FDI in Singapore and Chapter 10 ends the study with conclusions. Methodology This project is based on secondary research. Data were extracted and researched from various sources from the internet, report findings, ebooks, ejournals, newspapers, textbooks, and databases from the National Library. The actual figures of the FDI are applied to the project to act as evidence. The research is mainly focused in Singapore to highlight the attractiveness of this country and why is it a popular FDI destination. Limitation of study With respect to the analysis and data, there were some limitations that might affect the accuracy of the study The limited data on the impact of liberalization on Singapore, examples of recent FDI in Singapore, statistical information about the forms and type of entry strategies that FDI or local companies adopted, made this research time consuming and challenging. Chapter 2: Theories of FDI Forms of FDI In recent years, the internationalisation of firms has assumed two new features. First, firms increasingly enter foreign markets by acquiring a local producer also known as merger acquisition. Secondly, opening a new subsidiary also known as greenfield investment. Researches suggest that the majority of cross border investments take place in the form of mergers and acquisitions rather than greenfield investments. It is estimated that about 40- 80% of all FDI inflows were in the form of MAs simply because many firms prefer to acquire existing assets which are quicker to execute than Greenfield investments as they are an establishment of a wholly new operation. Also, the outstanding fact that the modern business worlds market evolves rapidly hence firms opt for the easier and perhaps the less risky option- to acquire desired assets than to build them from scratch. Desired assets could include brand name, customer loyalty, trademarks/patents, distribution systems, etc. Typically, firms adopt this approach as means of making a quick entry into a market or establishing a market presence. For instance, in 2000, cement manufacturer, CEMEX acquire Southland to enter the into U.S growing construction market. Lastly, firms believe that through MAs it enables an increase in the efficiency of an acquired unit by transferring capital, technology, management skills, etc. like how CEMEX transferred its technological know how to Southland after the acquisition. The shift towards Services FDI is increasing shifting away from manufacturing and extractive industries and towards services. As service industries were largely national, are becoming transnational recently. The shift to services is being driven by: the general move in many developed countries towards service as the composition of FDI in services have changed, it is mainly concentrated on trade and financial services. In addition, the fact that many services need to be produced where they are consumed. There is also a liberalization of policies governing FDI in services. Lastly, the rise of internet based global telecommunications networks. For instance, Dells call answering centres are located in India. The services sector has been the bulwark of the economy, providing stability and contributing significantly to GDP growth. Figure 2.1 shows that the services sector accounted for about two-thirds of real GDP growth in the 1990s. Further studies also showed that the global FDI stock in the services sector had more than quadrupled during the period 1990-2002. As a result of more rapid growth in this sector than in the other sectors, services accounted for about 60% of the global stock of inward FDI in 2002, compared to less than 50% a decade earlier. Services now account for the largest share of the inward FDI stock in many countries, and Foreign-affiliate service providers play an important role in a growing number of services. Most service FDI has been domestic-market seeking, in such traditional services as finance, tourism and trading, or in industries that have only recently opened up to the private sector, such as electricity, water or telecommunications. Employment in services has also been much less vulnerable to cyclical economic fluctuations than employment in manufacturing. During periods of economic slowdown as shown in Figure 2.2, manufacturing employment fell by an average of 5% in contrast to the employment growth of 3% in the services sector. While in 1996, employment in manufacturing grew only 2% as compared to 5% in services. Realizing the importance, the government takes measures to ensure world-class standards of service excellence and leadership, such as introducing schemes, activities, programmes and even institutes aimed at enhancing service levels, capabilities, mindsets and leadership. Examples include the Singapore Service Star, the Excellent Service Award (EXSA), Go The Extra Mile for Service (GEMS), Public Service for the 21st Century movement (PS21), The Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES) and Certified Service Professional programme by WDA. Gradual development over time has garnered its interdependence involving the manufacturing sector. In the long run, manufacturing and services group will replicate each other and allow firms to share the development of new knowledge-based products. However, many countries have difficulty quantifying FDI flows in services sectors. Determining trade in services is complicated given that services are not traded at a distinct entry or exit points, but rather across four modes of supply. While quantifying investment in services presents further challenges due to the complex nature of FDI definitions. While FDI in services remains more restricted, both developed and developing countries have taken steps to open up their service industries. In fact, starting from a higher level of restrictiveness, developing countries tended to liberalize their service industries at an even more rapid pace than developed countries over the past decade. The competitive impact of FDI entry on service supply conditions depend considerably on initial conditions in a host country, especially the level of economic and service development, market structure of service and the regulatory framework. Entry strategy and strategic alliances Any firm contemplating foreign expansion must first struggle with the issue of which foreign market to enter, when (late or early entry) and on what scale to enter (large or small scale entry) and lastly, which entry mode to use. Basic entry decisions are ultimately based on the assessment of a nations long run growth and profit potential. It is noted that the attractiveness of a country as a political market for an international business depends on balancing the benefits, costs and risks. Benefits include the ability to leverage products and competencies- both technological and management know-how, realizing location economies, and experience effects. Costs include trade barriers, transportation costs, import quotas, tariffs, etc. While the risks involve are political and economic risks. All of these are associated with doing business in that country. Other factors like the size of the market, the present wealth of consumers (purchasing power) and the likely future wealth of consumers are dependent upon economic growth rates. For example, India which is relatively poor is growing rapidly. Economies which are well developed, with relatively low inflation rates and private sector debts have an advantage over those without. Taking Singapores education system as an example- It is a big part of Singapores economic development strategy which attracted and encouraged many international educational establishments. Alternatively, weak economic growth in Indonesia is evidently a far less attractive market. Once firms have decided to enter a foreign market, they have to choose the best mode of entry. Firms can use six different modes to enter foreign markets: Exporting, being a temporary strategy is like a stepping stone in the international expansion process for most firms. In the past, Seagate was a well know example which concentrated its manufacturing operations in one location enables it to move down the experience curve and achieve location economies. However, Singapore has recently taken this approach to a higher level as the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) collaborates with Hangzhou Xihu (Westlake) to export Singapores expertise in Hospitality and Tourism. Turnkey projects, are popular because firms can continue with normal business operations while the contractor handle the time consuming and resource intensive projects for a foreign client. Singapore shipyard is reputable for handling sophisticated turnkey projects regardless of is complex requirements and other considerations. This industry is well known in the economic development for the last 40 years and will continue to play the critical role in our economy in order to achieve the goal for Singapore to become a leading international maritime link. Another example would be Sitra Holdings (International) Limited, the international producer of integrated wood based products and turnkey services, secured several turnkey design and build contracts in November 2009. Amongst these contracts, the single largest contract is worth S$3.24 million at the Marina Bay precinct. Licensing, enables a firm to gain access into new markets otherwise inaccessible, hence to facilitate the growth of licensing activities in Singapore with additional focus on brand licensing, character licensing and know-how licensing, the Franchising and Licensing Association (FLA) aims to encourage the adoption of licensing as a growth strategy by producing a report to raise the awareness of how licensing can translate to income stream for companies. Franchising, in Singapore has grown tremendously and is a preferred strategy for SMEs, as it involves minimal investment and staff, thus reducing costs. Local entrepreneurs have successfully made their mark internationally through franchising like BreadTalk, Charles Keith, and OSIM. Larger companies can also make use of the networks of their established franchise partners to grow globally. Joint ventures enable firms to share the benefit of the work process from a local subsidiarys knowledge of the host country such as the competitors, culture, political and business systems and access to greater resources including staff specialized in technology, finance, and so on. In November 2009, QATARQatar Petroleum International (QPI) and Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd have sealed agreements in which QPI takes stakes in two Shell Chemicals joint ventures in Singapore. The deal, to be completed in December, Shell will sell its existing shareholdings in two companies to a new joint venture called QPI and Shell Petrochemicals (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Establishing new wholly owned subsidiaries would be best adopted by firms pursuing the global and transnational strategies, for instance, Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited invested approximately S$900 million in Fraser Neave Limited (FN) through its wholly-owned subsidiary Seletar Investments Pte Ltd1 in December 2006. The investment would represent approximately 15 per cent of the total shares outstanding of FN on a fully-diluted basis. This investment marks Temaseks most substantial investment in the food and beverage space in recent years. Chapter 3: Country Focus political economy and cultural factors of Singapore Political and economic systems of Singapore The Government of Singapore (GOS) is substantially consigned to maintaining an open economy and taking a leadership role strategize Singapores future economic development. The government do so by adopting a free enterprise, open door policy to attract foreign investors from all types of services sector involving finance, business, tourism, telecommunication and consultancy services. As such, Singapore has exports hitting 186% of 2008 GDP. While Singapores stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) increased by 23.4% from $370.5 billion in 2006 to $457.0 billion in 2007. United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Japan were the top sources of FDI in Singapore. Evidently, the high FDI index reflects Singapores role as a manufacturing base for foreign multinationals (MNCs) and as a financial, transportation, logistics, and trading hub. Also, with high real growth rate and low inflation played a great role in shaping the Singapore economy. Singapore is one of the most enterprising and dynamic economies in the world. In this section, we compare Singapores recent trade performance with its performance in past crises, namely the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis where many countries and industries were affected by the deep fall of exports during the recession and the 2001-2002 Dot-Com Bust where IT industries around the world were affected by the large scale cancellation of electronic orders due to the over-investments by IT firms. In 2008 till present, Singapore is experiencing a slow down in the economy due to the US subprime crisis. The main issue is that the US Subprime Market is generating an extension of recessions in some economies and accelerating global recession in a way. Thus, Singapores total output of the country has decreased and the export of electronics goods has reduced significantly. Differences in culture The difference between international and domestic business is that countries are different. In this section, we will explore how differences in culture across and within countries can affect international business. The culture of a nation is the values that are shared among a group of people living together. While it is possible for a nation/state to have a uniform culture, this is not always the case. Multiple cultures can exist, and cultures can also cut across national borders. Taking Singapore as an example, where it is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society with the residential population in Singapore 75% are ethnic Chinese, 17% ethnic Malays, 7% ethnic Indians and a small category of `Others. Therefore foreign direct investors and managers need an understanding of the culture or cultures prevail in the countries where they do business in or intend to. Culture, society, and the nation state International business is different from national business because countries and societies are different. Societies differ because their cultures vary. Their cultures vary because of profound differences in social structure, religion, language, education, economic and political philosophies. 2 important implications flow from these differences: The first is the need to develop cross- cultural literacy. There is a need not only to appreciate that cultural difference exist, but also to appreciate what such difference mean for international business. Therefore, one of the biggest dangers comforting a company is the danger of being ill-informed. Being ill-informed about the practices of another culture, any business is likely to fail. Doing business in different cultures requires adaption to embrace all aspects of an international firms operations in a foreign country. For instance, the way in which discussions are organized, the welfare of employees, the structure of a firm, the manner in which is the product is being promoted, the tenor of relations between the management and labour, and so on, are all sensitive to cultural differences. To overcome the danger of being ill-informed, the solution is for international business to consider employing local citizens to help them do business in a particular culture, while ensuring h ome-country executives work along side and understand the differences in culture and how it affects their business. With the incorporation of large western MNCs, the Singapore work culture is a unique interaction of Asian and Western cultural exchanges. Where large western MNCs often exhibit predominantly western-style work culture, a greater influence of traditional Asian culture exists. Local firms are mainly influenced by cultural characteristics: collectivism, high power distance and high-uncertainty avoidance. Additionally, among the differences between US and Singapores working culture, local jargon is only one of the many. There are several other differences that are mainly caused by different circumstances and cultural values of the two nations. The bottom line is what works in one culture may not work in another. A simple example illustrates how important cross cultural literacy can be. According to my lecturer, Mr. Rowland Sam, with his many years of experiences has shared with us how the Chinese in China who tend to be informal in nature, does not mix business and pleasure. The Chinese perceives their lunch/ tea breaks as an important factor in the lives as when it is lunch/ tea time, they would stop all work for that. Initially, Mr. Sam was taken aback as they have not finished their respective jobs or meet the deadline, but they would still go for their breaks. He then finally concluded that the breaks were the only time workers get to drink, eat and enjoy themselves after a long days work. A second implication centres on the connection between culture and national competitive advantage. Fundamentally, the value systems and norms of a country influence the costs of doing business in that country which in turn influences the ability of firms to establish a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. For instance, the choice of countries in which to locate production facilities and do business; It makes little sense to base production facilities that require skilled expertise to operate, in a country where education is so poor, the pool of skilled and educated workers are unavailable, the degree of stratification of class is high and there are more than 2 linguistic groups. But as important as culture is, it is probably less important than economic, political and legal systems in explaining differential economic growth between nations. Cultural differences are significant, but we should not overemphasize their importance in the economic sphere. Other implications Besides transferring of management and technological know-how, FDI also has the capabilities to bring environmental and social benefits to host countrys economies. However, there is a danger or probability that foreign owned enterprises would use FDI to export productions or equipments that are prohibited in their home countries due to their regulations and policies. Host countries that are keen on attracting FDI are especially prone to fall into this trap where the government would risk lowering or freezing regulatory standards. For example, MNEs moving equipments that considered to be environmentally unsuitable in their home country, to their subsidiaries in developing countries. The sort of environmental risk associated with FDI is being reflected. Additionally, some micro-oriented problems such as the distributional changes and the need for industrial restructuring in the host economy, increases costs and inconveniences to the people. Fortunately, these problems can be salvaged when appropriate practices are pursued towards flexibility, couple with macroeconomic stability and the implementation on adequate legal and regulatory frameworks. Not to mention that using FDI, the presence of financially strong foreign enterprises may not be sufficient to assist economic development when domestic legal, competition and environmental frameworks are weak or weakly enforced. Finally, like official development aid, FDI cannot be the foundation for solving poor countries development problems. With an average of 15% of capital formation in developing countries, FDI acts a complement to domestic fixed capital rather than a primary source of finance. Likewise, while FDI may contribute significantly to human capital formation, the transfer of state-of-the-art technologies, enterprise restructuring and increased competition, it is the host country authorities that must undertake basic efforts to raise education levels, invest in infrastructure and improve the health of domestic business sectors. The link between FDI inflows and accessibility of government information In this section, we will find out to what extend does government information contribute to investors decision making and how does it influence FDI decision making. Firstly, with governments information, the quality of investors knowledge of the performance, operations and functions of companies in the target market can be further enhanced for better understanding, which enforces rules of equity and resource utilization, and promotes competition. Secondly, by providing information, the government contributes data and perspectives on how investment projects can be best commenced and managed as foreign investors are able to obtain sufficient information from host governments in order to make informed decisions and meet obligations and commitments. Generally, it also helps build the countrys image. However, it is still possible for a country to receive lower FDI than its potential if it has a generally negative image, despite having a good resource base and strong economic fundamentals, taking Indonesia for instance. Apparently, a countrys image does affect investors perception and investment inflows. Hence it is a legitimate practice to use specialized and general forms of government information in order to build an affirmative image of a country. Also, reduces uncertainty about changes in policies and administrative practices in the business environment in the near future. Finally, the accessibility of government information increases transparency of transactions, however there may be some concerns. Both the host country and investors may want to have access to information concerning each other as part of its policy-making processes and for regulatory purposes. The main objective of transparency with relation to FDI is to limit circumvention, boost the predictability and stability of the investment relationship, monitor performance and evasion of obligations by covert or indirect means. Certain country characteristics are quote as attracting FDI, including substantial macroeconomic policy management, political freedom and stability, physical security, reliable legal frameworks, an open trading environment, competent institutions, and no or low corruption. Regulatory regimes based on transparency, predictability, and fairness is also important. But the potency of these conditions is dependent of the accessibility of information, especially government information, because foreign direct investors are affected by market failures due to their lack of adequate information due partly to geographical asymmetry of information accessibility (Portes and Rey, 2000). Chapter 4: FDI strategy Background to Singapores FDI strategy Singapores assertive efforts to attain FDI for more support of its economic strategy have enabled the country to develop into a basis for multinational corporations (MNCs). Singapores investment promotion agency, the Economic Development Board (EDB), focuses on obtaining major investments in highly valued services and/or manufacturing activities, deepening its industrial and export structure, using selective interventions to capture cross-industry externalities and move away from labour intensive to capital-skill and technology-intensive activities, by acquiring and upgrading the modern technologies in highly internalized forms. This strategy allowed the country to concentrate in specific phases in the production process, depriving from the flow of innovation and investing lesser in its own innovative effort. Singapores FDI policies were based on liberal entry and ownership conditions, easy access to expatriate skills and generous incentives for the activities that it was seeking to promote. The EDB was mainly set up to synchronize policy, offer incentives to lead foreign investors into targeted activities, acquire and construct industrial estates to attract MNCs. The public sector played an important role in launching and promoting activities selected by the government, acting as a catalyst to private investment or entering areas that were to risky for the private sector. Often it was the efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility of government response that gave Singapore the edge over competing host countries. The importance of inward FDI to Singapore FDI has played a crucial role through the years in accelerating the economic development in Singapore. Being a small country with no natural resources, Singapore had depended on leading international companies not only in bringing in capital funds to broaden her economic base, but also in upgrading the technology and skill content of her industries. Since FDI is one way that Singapore can tap foreign technology, therefore a substantial amount of capital is required to help generate GDP. Furthermore, exchange rate will also play a role in determining GDP. A slow appreciation of the currency will increase the confidence of those who are investing in Singapore and help to attract more investment. The Singapore dollar appreciation will also curb imported inflation. The importance of FDI in Singapore is reflected in the countrys ratio of inward FDI stock to GDP: at 72%, the ratio is the highest in the world. That importance is also reflected in the fact that 90% of value added in Singapores electronics industry (remarkable growth in exports and income) is accounted for by foreign investors, and that FDI accounts for fully two-thirds of equity capital in the countrys manufacturing sector. In addition, Singapores productivity increased fastest in those industries in which FDI was concentrated. The rank correlation coefficients between increases in value added per worker and increases in FDI share and FDI level were .62 and .45. Moreover, because foreign direct investors profits and outward remittances have tended to move in close tandem with the general performance of Singapores economy and the health of its balance of payments, while the economic risk taking function is also borne by those investors, time and again Singapores exceptional reliance on FDI has effectively cushioned its economy from the balance of payments and debt crises that have hurt many other developing economies. Host Country policies FDI is attracted to Singapore mainly due to Singapores favourable investment climate and strategic geographical location. Some other reasons include non-fiscal advantages, Singapores small domestic market combined with no tariffs on most imports and low corporate tax rates have made Singapore into a popular low-risk high-return FDI destination. In general, corporate taxes, or taxes imposed on corporate income, is an important determinant of MNCs location decisions, just as individual income tax rates is an important determinant of where a person decides to work and live. Theoretically, other things equal, MNCs would prefer countries with lower corporate tax rates over countries with higher rates. Furthermore, a wide range of new incentives have been added over the years to promote FDI inflows. Burdensome regulations and performance requirements for FDI can offset a generous package of tax incentives. However, in Singapores case, the restrictions and regulations governing both the entry and operation of foreign enterprises and personnel are minimal. Overall, foreign investors are subject to the same government regulations as local investors, and both have a lot of freedom in pursuing their profit objectives. In addition to the general absence of performance requirements, Singapore has also signed a large number of avoidance of double taxation agreements, which mutually protect countries for a specific time against war and non-commercial risks of expropriation and nationalization. The four areas of Singapores government regulations in different areas relevant to foreign investors are the foreign exchange regime, equity ownership, performance requirements and human resources. First, the foreign exchange regime is highly liberal and freely allows repatriation of capital and remittance of profits, dividends, interests, royalty payments and technical licensing fees, as well as the free importation of goods and services for consumption, investment and production purposes. Second, foreign participation is permitted in most sectors of the economy except for some limitations in the monetary sector, areas of trained and skilled personnel. However, 100% foreign equity ownership is readily permitted. Third, there are no perform

Healthy Lifestyle Among Teenagers Essay

* Definition of Healthy Lifestyle (2011): healthy lifestyle will make you fit, energetic, and reduced risk for disease. * The way to stay healthy and long comfortable life are by doing a lot of exercise, eat healthy food and get enough sleep Body The way to stay healthy and long comfortable life is do a lot of exercise. 1. Have a moderate and regular exercise * Healthy Lifestyle (2011) listed that 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobic exercise can burn calories and build up your heart and lungs recommends by the American Heart Association. * Smith (2011) stated that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends to performing enough cardio work out: 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or a vigorous cardio session for 20 minutes daily. 2. Exercise can avoid dangerous disease. * Herndon (2011) and Lakshmy (2011) listed that the risk of developed certain disease can be reduce by doing regular exercise and promote overall health. * Health Benefit of Exercise (2012) indicates that exercise will improve your blood pressure and cholesterol level and decreasing the chances of suffering chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and several cancers. Other than that, we can stay healthy and has long comfortable life by eating healthy food. 1. Eat according to the food pyramid. * The Importance of Nutrition (2009) stated that our body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein to stay healthy. * Definition of Healthy Lifestyle (2011) indicates that we need to eat e varied diet to get dozens of essential forms of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fats. 2. Limit your size of meal to avoid overweight * Lakshmy (2011) identified to prevent weight gains, we need a balanced diet that is low in fat and sugar that provides you all the required nutrients without excess calories intake. * Pearson (2011) stated that we have to choose product with low fat, fat free dairy product or just substitute with soy milk. In other hand, we have to get enough sleep to stay healthy. 1. Skimping on sleep increase hunger * Health Benefit of Sleep (2010) indicate the researchers of University of Chicago exposed that sleep loss possibly will reduce the ability of the body to regulate hormones that control hunger. * Smith (2011) stated that sleep deprivation triggers release of unwanted hormones. 2. Make brain rest when sleeping. * Definition of Healthy Lifestyle (2011) definite that when you are asleep, the daily metabolism perpetuates the decline and rejuvenation of cellular tissue, and the body’s self repair take place. * Specified that memory consolidation and appetite regulation also occur during sleep. Conclusion It is important to take care of your health by doing the right amount of exercise, eating the right food and get enough rest and sleep. Teenage is seen by many as a time of joy and a time to explore the world vigorously. Despite all of the excitement to enjoy the time and experiencing experience, it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. According to the definition of Healthy Lifestyle (2011), healthy lifestyle will make you fit, energetic, and reduced risk for disease. Living healthy lifestyle is certainly not easy. Living a healthier life can not only extend your life, it can also improve the quality. Feeling physically better and having control over your own life can greatly increase your mental health as well. Although there are some aspects of physical and mental health that are beyond an individual’s control, there are many simple ways that people can do to improve their healthy lifestyle. The way to stay healthy and long comfortable life are by doing a lot of exercise, eat healthy food and get enough sleep. One of the simple ways to stay healthy and long comfortable life is do regular exercise. By having moderate and regular exercise, we can avoid miscellaneous dangerous diseases. Smith (2011) stated that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends to performing enough cardio work out such 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or a vigorous cardio session for 20 minutes daily. According to Healthy Lifestyle (2011), the American Heart Association recommends that 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobic exercise can burn calories and build up your heart and lungs. A few types of exercises that equally to aerobic which burn fat calories very quickly and improve and maintain heart and lung fitness are dancing, jogging, and swimming. Herndon and Lakshmy (2011) also indicate that the risk of developed certain disease can be reduce by doing regular exercise and promote overall health. A study by Health Benefit of Exercise (2012) notes that exercise will improve your blood pressure and cholesterol level and decreasing the chances of suffering chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and several cancers. Other than that, we can stay healthy and has long comfortable life by eating healthy food. To know on those foods we eat are healthy or not, we should not skipping our meal. There are a lot of people skip their breakfast but it helps to stimulates how you feel for the rest of the day and also and may slow down your metabolism. Next, the food pyramid is there for a reason as we should eat accordance to their element and theirs importance. The Importance of Nutrition (2009) stated that our body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein to stay healthy. Healthy Lifestyle (2011) indicates that we need to eat e varied diet to get dozens of essential forms of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fats. Eat more fruits, vegetables carbohydrate and protein and take less fat. Then, avoid unhealthy meal to avoid overweight. Lakshmy (2011) identified to prevent weights gains, we need a balanced diet that is low in fat and sugar that provides you all the required nutrients without excess calories intake. Pearson (2011) also stated that we have to choose product with low fat, fat free dairy product or just substitute with soy milk. For desert as instance, if you just have to have the sweets cut down on the portion size, substitute with low-fat or fat-free goods, or choose fruit. Drink 8 glasses of water a day, avoid fried foods, and just do not eat 2 hours before bed. Furthermore, there is another aspect of healthy living that should be considered along with its benefits, get enough sleep to stay healthy. Sleep is probably the most important part of staying healthy. Without sleep, your body cannot undergo crucial repairing processes that help you function while you are awake. People tend to not know that skimping on sleep increase hunger. Health Benefit of Sleep (2010) indicate the researchers of University of Chicago of Medical Centre exposed that sleep loss possibly will reduce the ability of the body to regulate hormones that control hunger. Other than that, sleep deprivation triggers release of unwanted hormones such as cortisol, which alters glucose metabolism resulting in fat storage. To promote regular glucose metabolism and limit weight gain, sleeping at least eight hours a night are be need. Not only that, sleep can help the brain to have its time to rest. Healthy Lifestyle (2011) exposed that when you are asleep, the daily metabolism perpetuates the decline and rejuvenation of cellular tissue, and the body’s self repair take place. Having good sleeping habits results in reducing our levels of stress, for instance, a good night’s sleep can lower blood pressure. Sleep tends to help to specify that memory consolidation and appetite regulations occur during sleep too. Pretty awesome thing about this sleep isn’t it? And it’s something most of us take for granted. In conclusion, â€Å"prevention is the best cure†. This means that the easiest way to get healthy is to avoid getting sick in the first place. While this is not always possible, there are many ways to prevent possible future health problems and illnesses. Healthy life can be produced through the combination of many ways, including regular exercise, eating healthy food and get enough sleep. Taking care of our body and feeling pride in our accomplishments can improve both our physical and mental health. There are many things we can do to improve our quality of life and most of them are easiest steps. No matter how small you start, you can make a change and an improvement in your life.

Cancer Diary of Osteosarcoma

SUBMITTED BY: ARAGAW GEBEYEHU SUBMITTED: DR. FLORES ROZAS DATE OF SUBMISSION: 04/16/1801/26/12 My name is osteosarcoma. I am highly malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin and the second most common primary malignant bone tumor .I am originate from mesenchymal cells. I have spindle shape and hyper chromatic nucleus. I have been formed when osteoblasts cells secreted malignant osteoid. I am like osteoblast (bone forming) cells, but I cannot make strong matrix like them. You know that osteoblasts originate from immature mesenchymal stem cells. So my ancestors are from those. But I am already modified in to osteosarcoma cell. I can occur at any bones found in the body. I am more frequent at sites of the most rapid bone growth; those are extremities of long bones near metaphyseal growth plates. From the sites that I frequently choose ;distal and proximal end of femur (42%),proximal end of tibia(19%), proximal end of humerus (10%), pelvis skull and jaw(85%) and pelvis( 8%). I can be appearing 1 to 3 million people per year. Off course, I am rare compared to other types of cancer. I can attack any age as primary osteosarcoma but mostly between 10-25yrs. I can also come at older individuals as secondary osteosarcoma. I affect males little bit more than females. I am most common in patients with Fraumeni syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, Bloom and Werner syndromes. Exposing to Paget disease and ionizing radiation give favorable conditions for me to develop our colony. Fig 1. Osteosarcoma genesis and osteogenesis When I was changing to osteosarcoma, there was a mutations of MDM2 amplifications which led to p53 gene inactivation. Another controller gen which is called retinoblastoma (RB) genes was also altered. I become safe because there is no more check point and control for me .But the normal bone cells have several check points in their cell cycle. In the presence of RB mutations I will occur at an incidence 500 times that of the normal population. Normal cells are always worrying for G1/S check point but I am not, because the p53 and Rb genes are already mutated (lost their function). I am preparing more DNA and for that I am also synthesizing mRNA and important proteins. During my replication time I gained chromosome number 1 and lost chromosome 9, 10 and 13. Till now I am successfully dividing and I am forming other similar cells. In near future I will have my own colony of cells and my own sarcoma tissues01//14/2014As usual I was preparing to divide but the proteins detected a damage in my DNA. The damage was too big to be repaired. Even if it is bigger damage I will not go to programmed cell death called apoptosis. Because this is not my character. My only goal is to survive and proliferate more. This is my unique behavior. Of course I was not like this, I was following the normal path of cell cycle and programed cell death. This thing happened after I lost my DNA sequence that triggers cell death pathway.5/18/15Recently I got another mutations and my FOS and Jun proteins are up regulated. Those proteins are components of activator protein1 complex (AP-1). AP-1 his regulator of cell transcription. Now I am getting additional energy because my transcription regulators are out of service. I can proliferate freely and destroy bone cortex and extend towards bone marrow cavity and soon out wards towards adjacent soft tissues.10/17/15I am now thinking why not I visit other organs. I have information lung, liver and also other bones are the safe place and more fertile to me . When I become more organize, I can migrate and live there. I am already resistant to programed cell death (anoikis) and can exhibit anchorage independent growth (AIG). Abnormal integrin? v6, Rho, ATPase e.g. Racl and Cdc42 upregulated p13 kinases which in turn inhibited proapoptotic factor Bad and this protected me from apoptosis even when I am not attached to any membrane. Now I have bigger size with hypoxic and acidic environment. So I need supporting blood vessels to obtain oxygen and nutrients I have done angiogenesis for my sustained growth and further metastasis. My intrinsic conditions have to lead to stimulation of von Hippie Lindau protein. It releases hypoxia inducible factor-1? (HIF-?)which further up regulates several VEGF gene such as VEGF A through VEGF E. This further releases Nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells and results in vasodilation and increased vascular permeability. By doing those processes I got leaky and irregular vasculature.3/14/16 I am starting flight to lung. I am using integrin proteins, which found in my surface ,in attaching to matrix proteins (fibronectin).For my signal transduction and interaction with other cells, I use integrin along with ezrin protein ,foal adhesion kinase (FAK),protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho GTPase. They also help me for my conformational changes. Besides to this matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) are helping me in my sojourn through blood vessels and tissue renewal process. Now I have reached the lungs and I am growing, multiplying and consuming all nutrients. It is like as I heard .I like it.10/10/2016Today, the patient could not resist me .He took me to hospital. Because I create sever pain and swelling. I was diagnosed by radiograph as high grade sarcoma. Additionally they did CT scan, RI and biopsy and confirmed my stage. They are now discussing to fight against me.Yes they have started chemotherapy (high dose methotrexate, doxorubicin and cisplatin). I have been fighting against those drugs for the last three months and I am now getting old, starving and feeling weaker day by day. Oh those drugs become treble for me. Methotrexate is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, it can block folic acid supply which is needed for my RNA and DNA synthesis. Doxorubicin which is also a drug that interact with my DNA and inhibits biosynthesis of macro molecules. Cisplatin causes damage to my DNA. I have to create solutions, because I am no longer able to make RNA efficiently. But I am struggling to continue my life. I got another mutations which is alteration in reduced folate reductase (RFC) protein Leu291pro.Yes I did it. This alteration unable carrier to transport methotrexate towards me .Besides to this, membrane pump-glycoproteins (P-gp) is also helping me with pumping out these drugs. Due to this I start dividing and spreading slowly but steadily. Other worse situations are happening to me, they are using high energy rays (x-rays) to kill me. I am no longer able to grow. I am shrinking. 4/14/18The worst thing are happened on me. Now, they are performing surgery and removing me as cancerous tissue. I was sending my daughters to afar to lung. By myself I am highly depressed and weak due to huge loss my colony. I try to grow and spread again by my reserve soldiers and by those immigrant members. They are still in dilemma to administer chemotherapeutic agent after surgery. The people are always struggling to combat me and other friends. If they post-surgery chemotherapy no more survival .I say good bye I will not be there anymore. REFERENCEBiomarkers in osteosarcoma, Colin Kong, M.S and Marc F. Hansen, Ph.D.Biology and therapeutic advances in pediatric osteosarcoma, Nayssa Marina Et.al,The oncologist ,2003Novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma targeting osteoclast differenciation, bone reabsorbing activity ,and apoptosis pathways.The molecular pathogenesis of Osteosarcoma; A review, Matthew L. broadhead, sarcoma, 2011.Current strategy for chemotherapy in Osteosarcoma, Dorothy carric, International Orthopedics, 2006Osteosarcoma: A review of diagnosis ,management and treatment strategies, David S. geller ,MD, and Richard Gorlic MDSwitch from ?v?5 to ?v?6 integrin expression protects squamous cell carcinomas from anoikis, S.M. Janes ,Journal of cell Biology,2006.Analysis of molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma using bioinformatics approach ,Jaxon yang ,oncology letters,2016.

Inspiration Sample Essay for MBA Application

MBA essays can be hard to write, but they are one of the most important parts of the MBA application process. If you need help getting started, you may want to view a few sample MBA essays for inspiration.The sample MBA essay shown below has been reprinted (with permission) from EssayEdge.com. EssayEdge did not write or edit this sample MBA essay. It is a good example of how an MBA essay should be formatted. Wharton Essay Prompt Prompt: Describe how your experiences, both professional and personal, have led to your decision to pursue an MBA at the Wharton school this year. How does this decision relate to your career goals for the future?Throughout my life, I have observed two distinct career paths, my fathers and my uncles. My father completed his engineering degree and secured a government job in India, which he continues to hold to this day. My uncles path began similarly; like my father, he earned an engineering degree. My uncle, on the other hand, continued his education by moving to the United States to earn an MBA, then started his own venture and became a successful businessman in Los Angeles. Evaluating their experiences helped me understand what I wanted from my life and create a master plan for my career. While I appreciate the excitement, flexibility, and independence my uncle has in his life, I value my fathers proximity to his family and culture. I now realize that a career as an entrepreneur i n India could provide me with the best of both worlds.br/>With the objective of learning about business, I completed my bachelors degree in Commerce and joined KPMG in the Audit Business Advisory Department. I believed that a career with an accounting firm would serve me in two ways: first, by enhancing my knowledge of accounting -- the language of business -- and second, by providing me with an excellent introduction to the business world. My decision seemed to be a sound one; in my first two years at KPMG, I worked on a wide variety of assignments that not only strengthened my analytical and problem-solving skills, but also taught me how large businesses managed their sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution functions. After enjoying this productive and educational experience for two years, I decided I wanted greater opportunities than what the audit department could offer.Thus, when the Management Assurance Services (MAS) practice was established in India, the challenge of work ing in a new service line and the opportunity to help improve the risk management mechanisms of businesses influenced me to join it. In the last three years, I have improved risk management capabilities of clients by addressing strategic, enterprise and operational risk issues. I have also assisted the MAS practice in tailoring our international portfolio of services to the Indian marketplace by conducting risk management surveys, interacting with professionals in other developing economies, and conducting interviews with senior client management. Besides becoming skilled at process risk consulting, I have also significantly improved my project management and new service development abilities in the last three years. During my tenure with the MAS department, I have encountered challenges that have motivated me to seek  a management degree. For example,  last year, we conducted a process risk review for a cash-starved Indian auto ancillary that had expanded capacity without assessing sources of competitive advantage. It was clear that the company needed to rethink its business and operational strategy. Since the MAS department lacked the necessary skills to execute the project, we hired consultants to assist us in the assignment. Their approach of reviewing both the strategic and operational aspects of the business was an eye-opener for me. The pair of consultants used their knowledge of international business and macroeconomics to evaluate key industry trends and identify new markets for the company. In addition, they employed their understanding of supply chain management to benchmark key capabilities with competition and identify opportunities for improvement. As I witnessed the progress ma de by these two consultants, I realized that in order to achieve my long-term professional goals, I needed to return to school to expand my understanding of the fundamentals of corporate and industry analysis.br/>I also believe that management education can help me develop other vital skills essential to my standing as a professional. For example, I will benefit from the opportunity to further polish my public speaking ability and hone my skills as a negotiator. Also, I have had limited experience working outside India, and I feel that an international education will equip me with the skills necessary to deal with foreign suppliers and customers.After graduating from Wharton, I will seek a position in a strategy consulting firm in its business building/growth practice. In addition to providing me with an opportunity to apply what I have learned, a position in the  growth  practice will expose me to the practical issues of new business creation. Three to five years after earning an MBA, I would expect to establish my own business venture. In the short-term, however, I may explore exciting business ideas and examine ways to build a  sustainable business  with the help of the Wharton Venture Initiation Program.br/>The ideal education for me includes the Wharton Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management majors coupled with unique experiences like the Wharton Business Plan Competition and the Wharton Technology Entrepreneurship Internship. Perhaps even more importantly, I look to benefit from the Wharton environment -- an environment of boundless innovation. Wharton will give me the opportunity to apply the theory, models and techniques I learn in the classroom to the real world. I intend to join the entrepreneurs club and consulting club, which will not only help me form lifelong friendships with fellow  students  but also give me exposure to  top consulting firms  and successful entrepreneurs. I would be proud to be a part of the Women in  Busin ess  club and contribute to the 125 years of women at Penn.After five years of business experience, I believe that I am ready to take the next step toward my dream of being an entrepreneur. I also am confident that I am ready to participate actively as a member of the incoming Wharton class. At this point I am looking to gain the requisite skills and relationships to grow as a professional; I know that Wharton is the right place for me to accomplish this objective.