Factors predisposing to obesity: a review of the literature

The rising prevalence of obesity is a worldwide problem affecting not only the developed world but also developing nations such as South Africa. Excess body fat deposition is caused by an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure and there are many genetic and environmental factors that can influence this balance. The present article will describe these factors and discuss the complex interaction between the environment and the human genome that may underlie the current obesity epidemic.Keywords: obesity, caloric intake, genetic factors, evolutio

THE IMPACT OF EXCHANGE RATES ON THE MEASUREMENT AND ACCOUNTING DISCLOSURE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN COMMERCIAL BANKS IN JORDAN

The research aims to clarify the effect of exchange rates on the measurement and accounting disclosure in the financial statements in commercial banks in Jordan and the commitment of the commercial banks listed on the Amman Financial Market in Jordan to disclose the accounting on the translation differences foreign exchange earnings and the statement of the impact of changes in currency exchange rates on the elements of financial statements and also calls for IAS 21: the effects of changes in exchange rates and to identify the relationship between the changes of exchange rates and the elements of financial statements. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used the descriptive method, analytical and interpretative as well as analysis of variance and display graphics, tables, illustrations to clarify the relationships between the variables of the study . The study found that the banks of Jordan is committed to applying the requirements of International Accounting Standard (No. 21): the effects of changes in exchange rates, for each of the translation of transactions denominated in foreign currencies and net investments in foreign subsidiaries and foreign operations which are complementary to the Bank's operations and the translation of vocabulary of the financial statements of foreign affiliates of the Bank, and disclosure requirements of the standard, showing results of the analysis study it. There is also a relationship between each of the earnings per share in commercial banks operating in Jordan and the volume of assets in commercial banks and shareholders equity and cash flows and profits of commercial banks and changes in exchange rates and are affected by. The researcher recommended the need to adhere to the application of IAS 21: the effects of changes in exchange rates and the rest of the criteria because of its importance is reflected on the financial statements and thus the resolution used in the decision-making banks and auditing firms to keep up with new developments in international standards, to take by changes in the the terms of the criteria for modernization, development and activating the role of financial statements in making rational decision, the need to do studies take into account the effects of changes in exchange rates on the financial statements in whole or in part, as well as the need for further studies that take into account the commitment of the Jordanian banks apply other standard

Stuck between war and Europe: Syrian refugees in Turkey

The disasters of the Syrian civil war that started in 2011 as a result of the Arab Spring have not been limited to Syria alone; rather they have affected many other countries both in the region and beyond. One of those most impacted in the region is Turkey, an immediate neighbor of Syria, which hosts over three million refugees from the latter. In addition to harming the civilians of the country, the civil war in Syria has caused numerous political, economic, and social problems for other states. It has ruined the everyday lives of the majority of Syria’s citizens, including a substantial number of children, who are innocent victims of this human tragedy. The war has exposed the incompetence and seeming helplessness of the international and regional organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, which claims to be the voice of all the Muslims in the world, to aid in the peace process. The ambitions of the regional and remote states on the ground in Syria attempting to meet their own national interests at the expense of civilian casualties and the greed of the illegal organizations attempting to establish and maintain their own power have also been revealed. This paper will discuss the impact of the war in Syria on its displaced civilians, especially focusing on children, who have sought refuge in Turkey. It will explore political, economic, social, and security effects the war in Syria has had in Turkey, the region, and the World highlighting critical discussion of the policies the Turkish government has implemented to address the refugee crisis. The data used to put this paper together were collected primarily through interviewing, observation, and news from everyday regional media

A multidimensional approach to conflict analysis: the Russo-Chechen conflict

This paper describes the ethnopolitical conflict between Russia and Chechnya, and explores thecauses of the war and violence between these two nations that started in the early 1800s andcontinues today. The accurate analysis of conflict is important for a number of reasons, butabove all, because without its accurate diagnosis, suggestions for successful resolution wouldpractically be impossible. The Russo-Chechen conflict is one of the most long-lastingethnopolitical conflicts in the world. Its over two hundred years of history is replete withviolence and atrocities that escalated and deescalated this conflict from time to time. Many booksand articles are written about this conflict to explain its origins and causes relating to one ormore of the factors of nationalism, religion, interests, and geopolitics. This paper, however,employs a multidimensional approach to its analysis by employing a number of theories ofconflict and violence without specifying priority to any causal factors as it is impossible to weighthe causative factors to identify the hierarchical interrelationship among them. This paper arguesthat a multidimensional and multilevel approach to conflict analysis is needed to understand rootcauses of complex conflict correctly that is important for making effective policies of conflictresolution

The Russo-Chechen Conflict: Multilevel and Multimodal Transformation

The Russo-Chechen conflict started in the early 1800s and continues today. It is one of the mostintractable and long-lasting ethnopolitical conflicts in the world and is replete with violence andatrocities that have escalated and deescalated from time to time. In this paper several peace andconflict studies (PACS) theories are used to assess the conflict and link formal and informalpeacemaking strategies to the Russo-Chechen conflict. It is argued that informal multilevel andmultimodal diplomacy on different levels is necessary for transformation of this conflict

Turkey’s “Zero Problems with the Neighbors” Policy: Was It Realistic?

With the advancement of power in 2002, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has introduced revolutionary policies in Turkey in various realms, including foreign affairs. The new trend in the foreign policy focused on not having problems with neighbors. This could be possible or nearly possible theoretically but eliminating century-long and deep-rooted conflicts with some of the neighbors would not be easy in practice. The new idealistic/moralistic approach necessitated new ways of policy formulation based on mutual gains and unthinkable concessionson the part of Turkey. Ankara’s new approach had given a special importance to building bridges of trust with the neighbors, which also seemed attractive to the political leaders of the neighboring states. This idealistic/moralistic approach was vulnerable to the dynamic political and economic developments in the region and the world in general. The policy did not have a power of sustainability due to the various old, new, and emerging problems around Turkey and hence, the government had to give it up gradually and take a new course of foreign policy based on realistic approaches to defend its national interest

The Chechen wars, media, and democracy in Russia

Media, like religion, may create, escalate, or deescalate conflict. In the age of technology, partiesto protracted conflicts often use the media for their propaganda purposes. In many cases, despitepolitically created discourses, individual media members struggle to reveal the truth of theviolent confrontation that causes human casualties. This paper discusses Moscow’s tough mediapolicy during the Chechen wars, especially from 1999 to 2009 during the Second Chechen War,and argues that Kremlin’s severe media policy in the course of the height of this violent conflictnegatively affected the values of democracy in Russia. Nonetheless, Russia’s new media policyhad affected different media means differently depending on their missions and commitment. Toproduce this paper, data were collected through interviewing twenty-two Chechen nationals,including media experts, and randomly analyzing the contents of the Russian media and Chechenwebsites available online

Peace Education and Conflict Resolution: a Critical Review

This article critically discusses peace education and its role in conflict resolution. Peaceeducation is a powerful tool for social and personal change. The basic assumption about peaceeducation is that the more people study and learn, the more capable they are to address issues andproblems peacefully on different levels. The need for peace education exists in every aspect ofour social lives. Also, it calls for a new awareness of how people think and tell their stories,which involve a highly developed sense of self and other. It deals with the movement fromviolence to nonviolence, which is tightly related to the process of learning and awareness. Ispeace education, then, for everybody regardless of age, gender, social status, race, religion andethnicity? This article is a critical analysis of peace education and the role it plays or may play inconflict resolution

Islam and the African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World

In the following article historian Omar H. Ali explores a lesser-known aspect of the global African Diaspora, the spread of African peoples and their cultures throughout the Indian Ocean basin

Malik Ambar: The Legacy of an Ethiopian Ruler in India

Among the tens of thousands of men, women, and children captured in Africa and sold into slavery in the Middle East and India was an Ethiopian of fierce determination: Malik Ambar. Born Chapu in 1548 in Harar, where the Ethiopian highlands meet the dessert stretching to the Red Sea, Ambar (as he was later called) was stripped of his family, his name, and forever taken from his homeland. Nevertheless, half a century later, and halfway around the world, he had transformed himself into a king-maker in India’s Deccan, leading the most powerful military force against Mughal rule