Disorders and Diseases of the Thyroid Research Paper

Disorders and Diseases of the Thyroid - Research Paper Example Introduction In evidence-based practice, only after the problem is understood and researched can medical professionals state a current best method of treatment. In this type of medical practice, medical professionals rely on cutting-edge research results to make treatment decisions, rather than on the older method of assuming that tradition and authority always held the right answers for a patient. The best patient care is recognized to be a combination of the current valid medical research, a practitioner's own experience and education, and the situation of an individual patient (Fineout-Overholt, Stillwell, Williamson, Cox, & Robbins, 2010). Applied to the area of thyroid dysfunction, evidence-based and best practice guidelines could mean recognizing the effect of a specific patient's lifestyle on their body's health in order to tell the difference between simple obesity and a depressed thyroid, for example, and keeping up with the most current literature on which types of thyroid hormones are considered to be most effective (Maas, 2007). Since by some estimates, as much as five percent of the general female population and more than twenty-five percent of the entire population over the age of seventy-five suffers from some form of thyroid disease, it is vitally important that the medical community understand these issues as they relate to thyroid dysfunction (Maas, 2007; Mulryan, 2010). Some types of thyroid dysfunction result in the over-production of metabolic hormones. This over-production results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism (Mulryan, 2010). Hyperthyroidism is most commonly seen in women until the age of sixty-five or seventy-five, at which point, as in seen in thyroid disease across the board, the incidence greatly increases and becomes equally likely between the sexes (Gutierrez, 2008). As would be expected from a gland whose purpose is to regulate the body's metabolism, hyperthyroidism leads to a severely increased basal metabolic rate. The overactive thyroid can produce as much as five to fifteen times the normal amount of thyroid hormones and can result in a myriad of detrimental effects on the rest of the body. This increase in secretion is achieved through an increase in the size and an available cellular matrix of the thyroid gland, so that many more cells can live within the gland, as well as through an increase in the secretion of the hormone by the individual thyroid cells (Hall, 2011). Generally, this condition is induced by a direct infection within or damage to the thyroid gland itself, though it can also occur rarely as a secondary disorder when there is a dysfunction in the pituitary or hypothalamus glands (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rore, 2010). The most common diseases that lead to either the primary or secondary dysfunction of the glands are auto-immune diseases, while some causes of reversible primary damage to the thyroid itself are an iodine deficiency in the diet or viral infection of the thyroid (Mulryan, 2010).  

Understanding Cultural Differences in Successful Global Businesses Essay

Understanding Cultural Differences in Successful Global Businesses - Essay Example Understanding Cultural Differences in Successful Global Businesses This paper shall discuss the thesis that understanding cultural differences is fundamental to success in global business. This paper shall first discuss the common differences apparent in various corporations and businesses. Secondly, it shall then review how corporations are dealing with these differences. Thirdly, a deeper understanding of cultural differences and how they impact on successful global businesses will be presented. Lastly, this essay will provide a summary and conclusion of the discussion. This article is being carried out in order to establish a clear and deeper understanding of globalization as well as the impact of cultural differences in relation to this phenomenon. Body In the current business context, cultural differences have a significant impact on the way businesses are carried out. Culture refers to shared values which impact on perceptions, attitudes, as well as responses. These qualities are very much apparent in the workplace and marketplace. Language is one of the main elements of culture and although English is considered the universal language, not all states speak it. Despite the universality of English however, corporations have sought to expand their language functionality, noting the marked increase in the number of languages being used in the business world, including Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese. For most international companies, most of them have understood that in order to be globally competent, they need to establish at least two versions of their websites. Japanese companies, for example, have adopted two versions of their websites – one in their native language and another one in English (Scholtens and Dam, 2007). Through these adjustments, these companies have managed to be accessible to their country and to the international community. Hofstede (1980) discusses how other elements of culture also impact on the effective globalisation of businesses. These elements include: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, and long-term orientation. Power distance refers to the extent by which the less powerful m embers of society accept power (Hofstede, 1980). Cultures of Japan, Asian, and other Latin countries have high power distance relationships, however, this is low for the Nordic, Anglo, and German cultures (Robbins and Stylianou, 2008). Uncertainty avoidance is seen based on how people adjust to uncertainties, with some cultures having weak uncertainty avoidance and others having strong uncertainty avoidance. The Anglo and Nordic areas are known to have weak uncertainty avoidance, and the Latin, German, Asian, and Japan cultures have strong uncertainty avoidance (Robbins and Stylianou, 2008). As for individualism and collectivism, those which are individualistic are usually those who stick to rights of privacy and individual freedom; for those with collectivist cultures, their press is often controlled by the state and private lives are within public realms of interest (Robbins and Stylianou, 2008). Anglo, Nordic, Latin, and German cultures portray individualist qualities, while Asia n cultures have collectivist cultures. In relation to gender divisions, the masculine-dominated cultures are those which have aggressive and assertive males and have strong material success goals; on the other hand, feminine cultures tend to focus on preservation, conservation, and sympathy for the weak (Robbins and Styl