Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern Essay

Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that according to a report by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (APA), remarkably few citizens know that excessive food waste is an environmental hazard. Excessive food refers to wasteful practices by consumers and during production. Most people argue that since food is biodegradable, it does not pose a threat to the environment. However, a report published by EPA revealed that when food rots, it produces a greenhouse gas known as methane. Amazingly, methane is twenty times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) argues that if only five percent of Americans’ food scraps were recovered, it would be enough to feed four million people for a day. USDA reported that close to 26 million tons of wasted food get thrown away in garbage annually. In fact, in 2010, food approximated to 34 million tons went to waste. In addition, food waste formed the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching incinerators and landfills. EPA notes that the U.S government spends close to one billion dollars just to dispose of all its wasted food. This is exceedingly astonishing. The excess money spent on the management of wasted food can be used to run vital government departments. Experts from the University of Arizona believe that the country’s environmental impact can be reduced by 25 percent if Americans can reduce their food wastage by a half. This appears to be true because the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) indicated on 10th January 2012 that one-third of the food produced for human consumption globally, goes to waste every year. FAO reported that consumers and retailers in the U.S waste close to 40 percent of edible food annually. The data from FAO is also astonishing and calls for immediate actions. From the data reported earlier, it is clear that excessive food waste is becoming a serious environmental hazard. Consider ing the report produced by FAO, the U.S is just a representative of many nations whose citizens waste tons of food annually. The most alarming bit is that methane, the gas produced from food rot, traps heat in the atmosphere 23 times more than the widely known carbon dioxide. Since global warming affects the whole earth, stakeholders should consider passing international regulations that regulate the quantity of wasted food a country produces, in order to curb methane overproduction.

Prometheus Bound Essay Example for Free

Prometheus Bound Essay In the play â€Å"Prometheus Bound† by Aeschylus, it states ideas about the concept of power through force. The play deals with conflict between force and intelligence which realates to the main concept of power and force. At the beginning of the play, Hephaestus is joined by Kratos, who represents power, and Bia, representing force. Heaphaestus chains Prometheus while Kratos abuses him and Bia stays silent throughtout the enchaintment. While Hephaestus has sympathy for Prometheus, Kratos reminds him that this is Zeus’ punishment for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mankind. When Prometheus tried to use his intelligence to help humanity by giving them the gift of fire, Zeus responds by using his force to punish Prometheus. Throughout the play, Prometheus knowledge makes it clear that without him, Zeus will fall by a power greater than his own. For this reason, Force can be an advantage than knowledge, but it cannot remain indefinitely without it. On pg 1(lines 4-11), it says â€Å"Ordained thee by the Father-to enchain this malefactor on yon mountain crags†¦.. and check his charity for man. This is significant because Prrometheus stole fire from the gods and Zeus, all powerful, punishes Prometheus by sending his assistants, Kratos (power) and Bia (force) with Hephaestus to enchain Prometheus to a mountain. Therefore, Zeus has the power and control over the other gods and immortals. Secondly, on pg. 43 (lines 12-16) continued on pg. 44 (lines 1-3) it says â€Å"No rack nor pillory can cause Zeus devise to move or make manifest these things†¦. not thus will he consrain my tongue to tell By whose hand he from tyranny shall fall. This is significant because Prometheus has the knowledge about the overthrow of power of Zeus. For this reason, knowledge or force beats power. Prometheus is a powerless immortal and victim of an unjust powerful god, Zeus, who rules by demands and laws. In this conflict, the idea that force requires thought and guidance to sustain it. Therefore, Aeschylus is stating that a resolution between knowledge and force can work together to avoid destruction. Prometheus knowledge, signifies that the idea that thought must be sustained. In this case, his judgement will save Zeus but his opposition to Zeus leads on the path to resolution.

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay The financial markets are the pivotal function of a modern economy. By aiming towards an increased level of integration, there will be a more efficient allocation of economic resources and long term economic performance (European Commission, 2005). It has therefore been the EUs policy to complete a single market in financial services (being a crucial part of the Lisbon Economic Process  [1]  ) for addressing EUs global competitiveness. Since the economic crash and subsequent global crisis there have been calls for closer monitoring of the financial system and better EU coordination. With the failure of the Lisbon Strategy outlined in 2000 (Wyplosz, 2010), many parties has urged a relook at the model particularly with the global economic crisis afflicting the EU. With the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008, there has been no shortage of politicians rushing to describe what is to be done differently in the financial sector in future (Dullien Herr, 2010). The financial crisis has made it clear that the financial markets are in clear need of reforms and a far more effective regulation to govern the future growth of the financial markets in the EU. While the topic has now focused on the Eurozone crisis, the financial market regulation at both national and EU level, has been experiencing a great deal of changes for which some of the important areas of the EU market regulation, ongoing process and most significant plans evaluated. The strength and confidence in financial markets will need to be re-established as pointed out by the Director General (2010). The European Commission has presented several draft directives that is undergoing evaluation by the decision making bodies around Europe. Unlike the US, the EU has had several attempts in harmonising the financial markets (through the Lisbon Process) albeit not entirely successful. While all the financial institutions in Europe are very closely linked to each other, there has been a lack of a uniform basic regulation for financial supervision as national governments tend to pursue those which is in the best interest of their country rather than the region. This therefore allowed institutions from neighbouring countries to enter into risky transactions in those markets with tight supervision but greater access of capital. The European Commissions directives are now letting several of the directives be considered for legislative purposes. Higher capital requirements for banks. Establishment of an European ratings agency that independently evaluate securities of issuers. New rules for Derivatives Trading and Securitisation Creation of a European System for Financial Supervision with a Risk Board being set up alongside those issues mandatory instructions to national supervisory authorities. This however will be a challenge to the EU as such measures would potentially affect the sovereignty of individual national governments to pursue internal policies, something which several European nations are not willing to give in as seen in the Greek crisis. Such directives are not expected to be introduced by end 2010 with expectations gathering that these directives themselves will be watered down from its original form making it toothless for enforcement purposes (Dullien Herr, 2010). Business Cycles Despite coming out of the recession in the 3rd Quarter of 2009 (European Commission, 2010), confidence in the industry is relatively low despite the positive growth generated compared to 2008. Current momentum suggest that recovery of economic activity will continue in coming months although the European Commission has cautioned on the fragility state (European Commission, 2010) [Insert Graph 2] Consumer sector wise, confidence improved from its decline in May 2010 with unemployment fears receding and a generally positive optimism on the general economic situation. This however remains below the long term average which reflect the cautious sentiment adopted by consumers. [Insert Graph 3] Beyond the rebound, recovery is proving to be slower than in past cases. The EU, like other developed economies will struggle with its aftermath for some time in the future (European Commission, 2010) Savings Rate Savings rate are generally higher amongst several EU nations as compared to US household in general (Harvey, 2004). There has been a decline in recent years as per researcher Tina Aridas (2010) from the Global Finance Magazine, the magazine hasd stated that between 2007 and 2008, the European Unions household saving rate was lower than in the euro area, due mainly to the low saving rates in the UK and the Baltic countries. The US saving rate was low compared with both the EU and the euro area. With the passing of the worst effects of the global crisis from 2008, EU households are again faced with the Euro confidence crisis that constraints the regions ability to recover faster than other regions (as it struggles to with unemployment, high deficits and generally bearish economic prospects outlook) (IMF, 2010). The general household will now need to brace themselves for further cuts in income as major EU member nations embarks on tough public spending cuts (Traynor, 2010). Recovery Eur opean economies are expected to be gradual and uneven as most of the savings gain from budgets cuts is utilised for loan repayment for the past debts incurred. SOCIAL Demographics Based on the latest 2008 projections done by the Commission of the European Communities (EUR-LEX), the EU is facing unprecedented changes in the populations. This development would represent a challenge for the governments to review and adapt existing policies as it continues to shape the social structure of the EU population. Demographic ageing, i.e. the increase in the proportion of older people, is above all the result of significant economic, social and medical progress giving EU citizens the opportunity to live a long life in comfort and security which is not without precedent in the regions history (EUR-LEX, 2006). This has become one of the main challenges for the EU as the following demographic trends observed throughout the member countries with various magnitudes. Fertility rate: Fertility rate at the last estimates for 2008 by EUR-LEX stands at just over 1.5 children with a growth forecast 1.57 by 2030 (2009, p.21). In all EU countries, the fertility rate would likely remain below the natural replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman that is needed in order for each generation to replace itself. A period of slow growth and in most cases- actual decline in the population of working age in the region will constraint countries ability to grow from within (due to human capital constraint). Mortality rate: The Life expectancy has been rising steadily since the 20th Century, with an increase of two and a half years per decade in the countries around the world holding the record of highest life expectancy (EUR-LEX, 2008). The EU projects that life expectancy for male would increase by 8.5 years over the projection period, from 76 Years originally in 2008 to 84.5 by 2060 (EUR-LEX, 2009). For the female, life expectancy at birth would increase by 6.9 years, from 82.1 in 2008 to 89 in 2060, marking a narrowing life expectancy gap between both genders. Most of these increases in life expectancy itself (from birth) will come from recent EU member states (Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia etc). Children in the EU today will face a high chance of living to their 80s or 90s in the long term especially if they are from Western Europe with mid-high socio-economic status. Net Migration: Migration already plays a predominant role in population growth today: in many Member States, the size of net migration determines whether the population still grows or has entered a stage of decline (EUR-LEX, 2009). Annual net inflows to the EU are assumed to total 59 million people, of which the bulk (46.2 million) would be concentrated in the euro area. The trend according to the EUR-LEX study, assumes that this will decelerate over the projection period, falling from about 1,680,000 people in 2008 (equivalent to 0.33% of the EU population) to 980,000 by 2020 and thereafter to some 800,000 people by 2060 (0.16% of the EU population). Interviews conducted with respondent concur with the migration trend noting that the continued need for foreign talent to drive further economic growth in the EU. It is therefore only a matter of time for EU to work towards a harmonised migration policy for its member states to consider for ensuring a sustainable growth between its own EU citizens with those from outside non-EU countries. Net migration flows are assumed to be concentrated in a few destination countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Making full use of the global labour supply through net migration will be increasingly important and requires ensuring that immigrants are effectively integrated into the EUs economy and society for today and the future. Education Education and training have an important place in the Lisbon strategy for jobs and growth (European Commission, 2009). EUR-LEX studies expect that the ratio of children and young people to the working-age population will shrink over the coming decade. Nonetheless, the education and training systems in the EU are generally improving. The EU benchmark  [2]  on mathematics, science and technology graduates was already reached before 2005. New growth has been registered in maths, science and technology graduates which were more than the original target set. Although good, benchmarks on early school leaving, completion of upper secondary education and lifelong learning were the opposite with literacy rate amongst young children on the decline. The respective countries will now need more effective national effective to address this fall. Entrepreneurial Spirit The Commission defines Entrepreneurship as the mind set and process [needed] to create and develop economic activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound management, within a new or an existing organisation (EurActiv.Com, 2004). SMEs are considered the backbone of the European economy, providing jobs for millions of European citizens and are the basis for economic innovation. Back in 2004, conditions for SMEs and start-up companies are not as favorable in the EU as they are in the US making entrepreneurial initiative and risk-taking less developed. EU citizens are almost evenly divided in their preference for being self-employed or having employee status with many still preferring the comfort of being a salaried employee (European Commission, 2009). In general results showed that from 2007 to 2009, EU citizens view on entrepreneurs are mixed with almost all countries more likely to agree that entrepreneurs are only concerned with profit or that they exploi ted other peoples work to their own benefit. The population in general prefer to either save the money or use it to buy a house or to repay their mortgage rather embark on risk taking ventures that threaten their way of life. The high level of migrants from countries to particularly wealthy EU Member States will however serve to showcase the entrepreneurial spirit in the economy. As many arrive with the intention of making a better life for themselves and their families, the majority of the SMEs arising comes mainly from this group of people, there will certainly be no lack of such entrepreneurial spirit in the EU in the near future. Lifestyle changes Recent evidence shows that in industrialised countries people do not only enjoy longer life expectancy, but they are also experiencing better health conditions in old age due to both healthier lifestyles and more effective pharmaceuticals allowing people with chronic diseases to control the adverse effects of illness (European Commission, 2009). The continuing improvements of the populations healthy ageing in the EU reflect the desire for a sustainable lifestyles, healthy environment amongst the people moving forward. With the Maastrich Treaty, the explicit mentioning of public health as an area of competence of the EU reinforces the expectation that having a sustainable, healthy lifestyle will be the way forward for the EU. Clearly, pharmaceutical drugs (patent or otherwise) will continue to provide a vital service to the EU population. Changing household and family trends need to be taken into account as the number of low income, single parent families increases. As a result of the higher involvement of woman in the work force (either due to higher education or contribute to existing family income), the economic crisis along with the spending cuts instituted at present is expected to create a more prudent, budget oriented household as the situation forces families to rein in their spending for essentials. Healthy lifestyles will become a more viable daily practice as a preventive measure against sickness as compared to incurring medical bills in the household due to illness. Social Mobility A simple meaning on the term social mobility refers to the degree to which an individual or groups status is able to change in terms of position in the social hierarchy. Population with the greatest access to education and adopting a more tolerant, if not more open attitude towards the society will tend to experience a higher level of social improvement (Blanden et al, 2005). Historically, the EU social mobility are mixed based on Blandens research study (2005) and Breen (2004) as countries like the UK and Ireland seen as generally more rigid with any mobility associated with parental income and educational attainment. Over the years since the formation of the EU, the mass migration of citizens with different social background has presented a difficulty task in further upgrading their mobility within the society. With the economic crisis, the younger generations in EU member states will now struggle to scale upward especially with the loss of family income and limited government supp ort marking a risk that any cycle of poverty that an individual household will face is repeated. This is more so as essential cost such as health care becomes more costly towards a household attempts toward improving living standards while aiming to scale towards a better way of life for themselves. Altitude towards generics vs patented drugs Our interview with Dr. [David Lu] and subsequent research revealed that the acceptance of generic drug by patients throughout EU are different. Since the mid-1990s, dispensing of generic drugs has been largely different amongst member states of the EU with countries like UK, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands having a wide acceptance of generic medicines dispensed in its healthcare system (WHO, 1997) as compare to France, Italy and Belgium. Based on our discussion, these were due to the perception build in patients mind on the generics effectiveness and reimbursement incentives given to doctors and pharmacists for sale of these products. This has remained a barrier by many in the generic business towards successfully penetrating the market. Researchers have pointed out on the need for a harmonised pricing mechanism to help generics manufacturers obtain higher market share (Burgermeister,2006). All interviewees are however, sceptical of such standardisation and are in agreement that such step by the EU will be unlikely owing to the different political, social and cultural environment that EU members are. Generic drug manufacturers will need to continue tailoring different marketing strategies to increase patients trust in their products accordingly and not adopt a standard approach for the member states if it intends to compete effectively for the market share. TECHNOLOGY Recent Technology Developments: In this modern age, the pace of technological changes is accelerating at a rapid pace. The generic drug industry is of no exception with the following technological factors that currently in the limelight. Internet The further rapid expansion of the internet to new retail lines such as online pharmacies or also known as mail-order pharmacy has enabled patients to consider a cheaper alternative to purchase medicines. Such services would tend to promote generic alternatives through offering of price and product range comparativeness when patients access their websites. Whilst the cost and convenience aspects have long been an attractive feature for the online aspect of this business, several worrying factors have emerged as a result. Counterfeit medicine This problem was first addressed in 1985 (Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, 2010) in the World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting with experts. With the explosion of e-commerce from the year 2000, the problem has increased substantially with the magnitude difficult to access due to the variety of the information sources available (WHO, 2010). While the European Commission proposed several features to be present on the medicines (i.e. mass serialisation, seals etc) (British Generics Association, 2010), counterfeit medicine remains a growing threat. Currently, counterfeiters tend to focus on expensive patented drugs rather than generics but as global acceptance on online purchasing increases, counterfeit drugs are increasingly being detected in the supply chain marking a issue of concern for generic manufacturers as any products discovered as counterfeit can easily harm patient confidence in the generic brand besides endangering lifes. As over 50% of the medicines purchased online are f ound to be counterfeit (WHO, 2010), monitoring of counterfeit drugs particularly those purchase from cyberspace has become a necessity for the pharmaceutical industry. Patient Data Protection Usage of online purchasing for medicines by patients on illegitimate sites has resulted in the risk of private and personal health information being disclosed publicly to unscrupulous operators (Berstein, 1999). The issue of spamming has become a major concern for most internet users as likewise for the sick and vulnerable patients that choose to source cheaper medication which in this case, is the generic drugs available. Private health and financial information (i.e. credit card numbers) can be compromised to criminals that puts the pharmaceutical companies with bad publicity should anything occurs. New Products and Research Development (RD) Expenditure Increasingly, the RD spending by the pharmaceutical industry has been on a decline forcing leading drug manufacturers to rely on existing lines of drugs for revenue generation (Kollewe, 2010). Based on a report by CMR International disclosed in The Guardian newspaper, the level of RD spending had slipped by 0.3% in 2009 following a 6.6% drop in 2008, marking an increasingly difficult period as leading pharmaceutical companies shows only 7% of sales originating from new drug launched in the past 5 years. A decline in the success rates for new drugs to be introduced into the market is a major factor as the industry faces a patent cliff  [3]   for which generic manufacturers will increasingly benefit. In recognition of this, pharmaceutical groups have embarked on MA routes with smaller firms, joint development with academic institutions / commercial competitors for new drugs while reducing costs incurring activity. Introduction of blockbuster drugs such as Pfizers Lipitor has been s tagnant with generic drug makers from India and China crowding the pharmaceutical scene making it tougher to incur healthy margins that finances RD expenditures for future drugs. Preventive Healthcare As stated in an interview with Ms Angela Farrell (2010), preventive healthcare would a normal trend as medical cost continues to increase. As with having more elderly people in the population anywhere now in the EU at present, the prevalence of chronic and serious medical conditions remains on the rise. It is therefore no surprise that this becomes an area for further focus by the state government that seeks to control its existing healthcare budget (Hewitt Associates, 2010). Unlike the US healthcare system, EU states adopts a universal provision of heath care with at least, the basic terms of heath care, provided free to its citizens (Przywara, 2010). Therefore the WHO has pointed out that if not successfully prevented and managed, they will become the most expensive problems faced by our health care systems (WHO, 2010). Because several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are linked by common preventable risk factors, healthca re authorities around the world (including EU) has found it more cost-effective to put preventive practices into action rather than continue with responsive-oriented healthcare. Other than providing information, education, programmes and support to those in risk-groups and the general population, Ms Angela has provided us several useful insights into the other developments in this segment. Genomics testing Since the discovery of DNA and the associated study of it, this has been marked as one of the major breakthroughs in genetic testing (Amgen Scholars, 2009). Utilising technological advances over the years, genomics testing allows for a more-accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases and therefore facilitates early treatment at an earlier stage. It also provides patients with both an understanding of possible risks for certain diseases and possible preventive measures long before the diseases even forms within a humans body. Genomics testing in Europe however, suffers from a lack of widespread acceptance as compared to the US (Ramanathan, 2008) owing to the protection laws governing the genetic data obtained from such test. The processing of genetic data in Europe has been subjected to stronger protection as provided in the in the Directive 95/46/EC and the national laws of the EU member states implementing it (Ramanathan, 2008). However, as EU residents healthcare cost mounts, the develo pment of an integrated knowledge base combining the insights of sciences, humanities and social sciences will be required to inform policy and to plan for the rational implementation of new healthcare services. EU health communities has recognised the benefits of genomics testing for healthcare prevention with the need for a strong integrated, interdisciplinary European links to manage the sheer volume and complexity of this emerging genomic knowledge, and the speed of technological development (EUPHA, 2010). The EU themselves has viewed genomics in a more positive manner as seen in one of its main theme for the Sixth Framework Programme (that funds research work on genomic studies on diseases) to exploit this knowledge to human health besides economy growth benefit (CORDIS, 2009). Genomics testing will continue to grow as more benefits are uncovered from researchers in the EU with long term plans by the EC being provided towards nurturing such growth. There are multiple benefits for both pharmaceutical and generic makers as pointed out by Philips et al (2004). According to the research carried out, genomics is likely to provide a multitude of new drug targets, enable the development of drugs that avoid problematic genetic variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, and increase the development of preventive interventions for patients identified as being at higher risk for future disease (Philips et al, 2004, p.428). Interviewee, Ms Angela has pointed out the interest of many in the medical field to create a more targeted form of treatment. Genomics allows this as it allow drug therapies with greater efficiency and safety, which of course leads to higher price due to the added value it brings to patients. Genetic profiling in patients enrolled during the early testing phase for drugs will allow for shorter testing time that can increased approval chances with the health authorities. Drugs that previously were unsuccessful can be re-exam ined by targeting them to patients with specific genetic profiles i.e. niche drugs. Generic drug makers will eventually benefit as such avenues open wider markets for patients upon expiry of patents or if possible, spurn development of niche drugs rather than reliance on original drug makers. Drug delivery system An area that has become increasingly popular within the pharmaceutical industry based on interviews with Ms Angela and Mr. Gregor. It is reported that at present, failure of drugs clinical trial are mainly through the failure to deliver the compounds to the area it is needed most without going through some interaction with the human body along the way (Cientifica,2007). It is therefore considered a very valuable and important development for any technology that enables direct delivery of drug compounds without triggering any or no side-effects on the patients. One of the EU market focus is currently on the nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery system for patients. While there are delivery system using laser, injection, spray being practiced, nano particles are receiving particular attention owing to more development going on in this field. Drug development is a very costly affair for patent holders especially with the decline of new drugs being uncovered each year. Many new scale biot ech companies have become acquisition targets owing to keen interest towards this subject. The future of nanotechnology is in a completely uncharted territory. It is almost impossible to predict everything that nanoscience will bring to the world considering that this is such a young science field today (Nanogloss, 2009). The field however is viewed as a revolutionary advancement but potentially controversial with its ability to bring materials to life. Religious and ethical issues aside, scientist are hoping that the further understanding of this technology would contribute towards improving population heathcare globally in future. If successful, pharmaceutical companies would view it as its next line of income as existing drug making expertise dry up. Biotechnology With 20% of new drugs launched from market each year derive from biotechnology (EFPIA, 2009), the biotechnology field has long been a promising development for the medical and healthcare purpose. Areas such as pharmacogenomics, nanotechnology, stem cells and gene therapy are becoming part a growing emphasis by medical professions. With a vision of improving design and production of drugs within a humans genetic makeup, this has become a new alternative for medicine as previous reliance on convention drugs (through use of chemical reactions) for treating illness have become scarce and increasingly difficult to produce. Using biomedicine, which create drugs based on the living molecules that are associated with specific genes and diseases, EU scientists under the JRC-EU  [4]  in 2007 has pointed out encouraging responds towards treatment of genetically inherited diseases such as hepatitis B, cancer and diabetes. JRC further pointed out the human medicine and heathcare are the most prominent field for modern biotechnology with a high share of publications and patents targeted towards this sector (2007). The direct and indirect elements of RD works for biotechnology would add towards EUs GVA  [5]  and improving state of heath for EU citizens as part of the context of the ECs objective of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion (JRC-EU, 2007, p.5). Numerous researches suggest that biotechnology can offer patients more and better healthcare choices. The biomedical healthcare industry is viewed as the pharmaceutical industrys external RD centre and source of product innovation (EMCC, 2005). However, the strength of the biomedical healthcare industry differs widely between European countries. As of 2003, the UK is considered to have the most mature industry as compared to other EU states (EMCC, 2005) but this has narrowed as other EU states nurtures their own industry. This is due to availability of more resources (both human and capital) increases over the years. At this time, there has been a lack of attempts towards producing generic versions of the biotechnology drugs. Many of these drugs are very expensive because they are so difficult to produce owing to complex molecules involved (Montgomery, 2009). Furthermore, regulatory guidelines are still lacking on existing bio-medicines due to the different arrangement governing both the US and EU member states (Manley, 2006). However as expertise and experience continue to grow (especially with the campaign by EGAs biosimilar drugs), it would be a matter of time before biotechnology because part of the patient healthcare in the EU and the world. Incremental Disruptive technologies To practitioners in the drug industry, incremental (or sustainable) technologies will come in form of mostly new drugs for an existing class with similar action mechanism but differ in features such as, therapeutic profile, metabolism, adverse effects, dosing schedules, delivery systems, for example (GSK, 2008). Incremental technologies are this sense, is seen as innovation capacity, which is according to Wertheimer Santella, the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry (2009). The current issue surrounding this subject matter has largely pertained to criticism that the developments of me-too  [6]   drugs were time wasting and a drag of existing resources (RD, money etc) towards fleecing unsuspecting consumers (Wertheimer Santella, 2009) particularly as the patented drugs life is ending. Generic manufacturers in the US and Europe has been particularly vocal towards this practice as it alleges pharmaceutical companies uses this to extend patent lifespan through introduction of small changes that deprives generic manufacturers access to such drugs (and therefore an anti-competitive practice). It is therefore a contentious issue as both individual corporations such as GSK and its trade representative in EU, EFPIA contin ues to debate this publicly and with the European Commission. Other incremental technologies that serve to complement the medical drug industry arises from rapidly improving testing, diagnostic, and other technologies (Brill Robbins, 2005) which allows better and more targeted drugs in the heath care sector thus ensuring the continued relevance of conventional medical drugs in the market. Disruptive Technology here is both a worry for patented and generic manufacturers as witnessed by the continued interest in biotechnology as the new alternative in medical discovery. With the continued dearth in significant creation of blockbuster drugs from conventional pharmaceutical research, EU policy makers has continued to show further interest in biomedicine thru policy development initiatives such as funding (EFB, 2010). Pharmaceutical giants too, has gradually increased RD capacity in this field with many companies embarking on MA activities with existing biomedical companies (i.e. Pfizers acquisition of Wyeth) besides growing internal re

Serotonin & Depression :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Serotonin & Depression In the brainstem, the most primitive part of the brain, lie clusters of serotonin neurons. The nerve fiber terminals of the serotonergic neurons extend all throughout the central nervous system from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. This neurotransmitter is responsible for controlling fundamental physiological aspects of the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), serotonin has widespread and often profound implications, including a role in sleep, appetite, memory, learning, temperature regulation, mood, sexual behavior, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, and endocrine regulation. Not only does this bioamine control physiological aspects of the body, but it also has an involvement in behaviors like eating, sleeping and aggression. Serotonin has been noted to produce an inhibitory effect on the nervous system that calms, soothes and generates feelings of general contentment and satiation. Not surprisingly, serotonin is implicated in a broad range of serotonin disorders like depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease (3).. Serotonin deficiencies have been one of the factors to blame for ailments such as anorexia, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorders, migraines, social phobias and schizophrenia. (9). (12). I am not taking a stance that serotonin has its hand in all of these different pots, but after the research that I have completed for this paper, I feel comfortable talking about serotonin in reference to depression. No one can say for certain what exactly "causes" depression. But in this paper, I hope to give further insight into serotonin's specific role as a possible predeterminant for major depression and some hopes for those suffering from this illness. Approximately 5% of the United States' population experiences a depressive episode that requires psychopharmacological treatment; in any one year, 10-12 million Americans are affected by depression, with the condition twice as common in females than in males. It has been estimated that 15% of patients hospitalized for depression will commit suicide. These figures are incredible, so finding the root of the problem when it comes to depression is extremely important. "Alterations in serotonin metabolism may be an important factor in the etiology and treatment of depression." (7). Although historically depression has been considered a character condition, evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of a biological substrate, namely serotonin, in subgroups of depressed patients. This accumulated evidence supports the indoleamine hypothesis of depression, which suggests that major depression results from a deficiency of available serotonin or inefficient serotonin. (16). We see that depletions of serotonin from certain regions of the brain such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and cortical areas involved in cognition and other high processes, can have a great impact in contributing to depression.

Subversive Stories and Hegemonic Tales

The great source of uncertainty and unpredictability in a rationalizing system are people-either the people who work thin those systems or the people who are served by them look up TV show â€Å"are you served†.. Same vocabulary as McDonald's Structure Go to any church is any giant Coors like golden arches Whenever you see cross first thing you think is Jesus, like arches and hamburgers Youth video- Mega Churches group project.. Wreck 15 â€Å"A typical Manchuria does not include actual bibles by the seats, but in exchange, a book written by the pastor themselves. This book Is a shortened version of the bible with modern day affairs discussed throughout(adaptability, also pastors can be as nouns as 28 years old to appeal to a more youthful crowd) Jesus Camps Funded by macrophages Point is to help child learn more about god and his love for everyone.To destroy the child's old and revive a new person that loves and accepts god Indoctrination at a young age(draw connection to Na zi regime of efficiency? Control? ) Comfortable seating Shorter services Cool, fun Coffee shops in the church Walter of the church world Article-Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life: Nationalization,Consumer Culture, and Modern Evangelical Churches J. B. Watson, Jar. Stephen F. Austin State university Point of article This dimension of the Nationalization of religion in the U.S. Will be examined in this paper, with special attention to its impact on evangelical churches. In particular, the church growth movement embraced by evangelical churches has accelerated the emphasis on consumer-based products and packaged spiritual programs â€Å"l think of the old slavery, and of the way the economy has now improved upon It. The new slavery has Improved upon the old by giving the new slaves the Illusion that they are its principles, for it is very humane.It buys their freedom, pays for it, and then erasures its money back again with shoddy goods and the promise of freedom† Economic Transitions and the Emergence of Consumer Religion Influence of capitalism on the religious organizations Consumption, according to Twitchier, is now essential to the construction of self- identity; the symbolic value of the product exceeds its practical value in most cases.Twitchier (1999; 2004) airframes the notion of â€Å"you are what you buy' and suggests that consumerism is now strongly woven into the social fabric – it provides products purchased for their practical value, but also for the crucial security value they can revive in an increasingly secular age. Pig 5 The consumer approach to Evangelical Religious practice Branding(point of association with symbols) Structure Pastor acts as CEO. Position themselves as â€Å"the last great hope† of resisting colonization It is this position that leads them to increased colonization, contrastingly Colonization-is the process by which religion in a society begins to lose influence and the interest in other worldly or idealistic religious ideas is replaced by greater emphasis on material success and other pragmatic concerns. Shift from moral foundations towards raciest more like American consumerism * Resources for modeling Innovators in Manchuria leaders Bill Hobbes and Rick Warren, have published multiple books and regularly conduct teaching seminars for church leaders â€Å"The purpose of all these products is to provide the information and skills necessary to replicate the Willow Creek or Saddlebags model of church growth in any geographic setting.

Infant observation essays

Infant observation essays On Wednesday, July 19th, I had a chance to observe carefully an infant for about half an hour in my psychology class at Santa Monica College. The infant, Ali Osman is a healthy, playfull boy, appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin. He is 15.5 months old, 32" tall and weighs about 24 lbs with brown curly hair, dark brown eyes and fairly tanned skin. 1. There were several kinds of toys like blocks, dolls, automobiles... in the room. However, when he just came in, he was immediately drawn to the dolls with intense focus. Eventhough there wasn't any way to measure his heart rate or brain wave, I could easily tell how interested he was by the way he gazed, touched and played with the dolls. This could be explained by the fact that "the perception of an unfamiliar stimulus usually elicits physiological responses" (Berger, p. 156). Later, this explanation of mine for his behavior was confirmed to be correct by his mother that he had never seen a doll before. Clearly, he was sensing the strange object and trying to perceive it. And exactly as the text said, "eventually, habituation occurs, in which the stimulus becomes so familiar and uninteresting that these responses slow down." (Berger, p. 156), he got tired of the dolls and began to pay attention to other toys and people around. 2. According to table 5.2, the Age Norms for Motor Skills in Berger, p. 153, for his age of 15.5 months, 90% of all babies master the skill of walking. Beside being able to walk, just like the majority of infants at his age (from 1-2 years old), Ali is quite a toddler, "for the characteristic way they move their bodies, toddling from side to side." (Berger, p. 151). Still toddling but Ali obviously belongs to the upper half of the population in mastering his gross motorskill since he is also able to walk backward, a skill that only 50% of infant could master at his age according to again table 5.2. 3. Ali is quite a friendly kid, he is not ...

Why is Act 1 Scene 5 an effective piece of drama Essays

Why is Act 1 Scene 5 an effective piece of drama Essays Why is Act 1 Scene 5 an effective piece of drama Essay Why is Act 1 Scene 5 an effective piece of drama Essay The purpose of this coursework is to analyse one of the most famous and moving scenes in William Shakespeares playwrights and for sure the most emotional one in Romeo and Juliet.I will start to give some background information about the play and the social and historical context, afterwards I will continue and try to reflect on the characters, structure and language.It is always important to take into consideration that Shakespeare was a practical theatre writer having in mind the real Globe Theatre in Bankside.The evidence suggests that it was a three-story, open-air amphitheatre that could house around 3,000 spectators. The cheapest tickets cost one penny and were in the yard, this was in front of the stage. The balcony housed the musicians and could also be used for scenes requiring an upper space, such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.The difference between the theatres today and the special quality was apart from the buildings the proximity from the audience and the ac tors.Everyone was allowed to see Shakespeares plays and people liked to see the world of rich families combined with a drama.The play starts with a prologue where the audience finds the storyline out. The show plays in the Italian city of Verona, where two rich families with their whole household are living. The Capulets and Montagues. These two families are for ages in a feud, none knows exactly when and why this started. This feud ranges from the Lord to the most gentry servant from each household. They like to argue and fight with the hated family.The daughters from such rich families live very protected, they have no close relationship with their parents. The nurse is their closest person, before they get married. Girls never meet people at the same age. The only opportunity to meet many people are the parties their father give. Like Lord Capulet does in this special scene.The first reason for this party is to introduce Juliet to Paris the man he has choosen to be her husband. The marriages are always arranged by their father and the girls are not allowed to choose a husband by themselves (on their own).Another reason is to show everyone in which wealth they live and how hospitable they could be.The scene begins with servants starting with preparations for the big party. In fact they have always prepared everything, but were not allowed to come to this event. The serving men are using everyday language and short sentences sense of preparing. E.g. Wheres Potpan, that he helps not to take away?The first serving man pleases another serving man, to save a piece of marchpane for him. This shows that these people could just dream about the food, which is served on the party.The same serving man tells the others that they should come to the great chamber. How should we work here and there, is the question from another serving man.Capulet enters to meet his guests. He welcomes them with a repetition of welcome showing that the host is very hospitable, friendly and relaxed. Capulet would like that everyone enjoys himself. The first impression is positive.Capulet talks with his cousin about their youth. How long ist now since last yourself and I were in a mask? People get in mask to the party like it was in Shakespeares time. This is a kind of enjoying, fun and mystery. This chat between Capulet and his cousin shows the audience that they are close family members and like each other.In the meantime Romeo sees Juliet for the first time and asks a serving man, who she is he does not know.Romeo is fascinated by her beauty and starts to speak about her in sonnet form. This is a sign of love, in Shakespeares dramas. He speaks from Juliet as burn bright, what says that Juliet is a girl of lightness and brightness. Beauty too rich for use for earth too dear! Romeo means that Juliet is somehow too good for this world. And he realises that he never felt real love before he met Juliet Did my heart love till now? For Romeo Juliet has a magic char isma.This reaction makes the audience sceptical, but then they remember the prologue and are interested to find out what will come next.And also after hearing the everyday language spoken by the servants in the beginning and the relaxed wording of Capulet these sayings are magical and they start to take Romeo seriously because he talks of her as his deep love.The audience is transported in a world of love Romeo lives in a world of peace and beauty, but the worlds danger and trueness is close, too close.Tybalt recognises Romeo and wants to take his rapier. You are reminded of the conflict and the peace moment is gone.The language Tybalt uses takes the audience back to the danger situation To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.His uncle, Capulet tries to calm him down. He stays relaxed in the beginning and talks well of Romeo, because he wants the party to follow and the audience to feel that nothing bad is going to happen.But Tybalt does not want to keep the peace, he feels stron gly about being evil to Romeo It fits, when such a villain is a guest.Capulet gets angry, shows who has the saying and how he could be.You can now see the true side of his character, that Capulet is a dictator, he replies to show that he would not listen to what Tybalt says. Capulet sends Tybalt away.Tybalt says I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall that he will take revenge and so the audience gets unconvertible looking to the future.Romeo and Juliet speak and kiss for the first time.They speak in sonnet form what shows the audience that it is a traditional love poem. Romeo says that Juliet is a holy shrine in this time people were very religious, so they talk about each other in a divine language. The repetition of pilgrims reflects the love they feel for each other.The language is soft and flows smoothly, just endlessly beautiful. This part of the scene ends with a kiss the audience reacts shocked, because they realise the danger of the situation.Juliets nurse comes and tells her, that her mother would like to see her, this brings everyone back into reality.Juliet goes and Romeo asks the nurse, who her mother is. The audience would like to protect him from the truth, but it is too late he finds out that Juliet is the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet. He says O dear account! My life is my foes debt -the danger remains and is the start of the dramatic ending.Capulet makes the party an end and the guests leave. Juliet finds out that Romeo is a Montague. She speaks with opposites My grave is like to be my wedding bed and My only love sprung from my only hate a prophecy for the further scene which ends with a pessimistic note. The audience realises that nothing good will happen and that two such young people will die, because of their true love.Shakespeare structured the scene in eight parts, depending on emotion and plot. This is the only scene in the whole play which contains so many different emotions and changes so fast from hate to love from peace to revenge. Also this is probably the most important scene, because it covers everything what is necessary to continue the plot.After the end of the scene you know exactly what will happen and you get an insight into the main characters.

Tomber dans les Pommes French Expression Explained

Tomber dans les Pommes French Expression Explained The French expression: Tomber dans les pommes  (pronounced [to(n) bay da(n) lay puhm]) means to faint or pass out. It has an informal  register  and literally translates to to fall in the apples. You might also hear the variation  partir dans les pommes (to leave in[to] the apples) Explanation The French expression tomber dans les pommes is a cute way of saying that someone fainted, but I wish I knew why/how apples are related to a state of unconsciousness.* This strange link continues in the equally informal expression rester dans les pommes - to (continue to) be out cold, to remain unconscious. *According to Le Grand Robert, the probable origin is George Sands à ªtre dans les pommes cuites, a play on à ªtre cuit (to be exhausted) in Rey et Chantreau, but that still doesnt explain what apples have to do with anything. Example Nayant rien mangà © depuis plus de 12 heures, elle est tombà ©e dans les pommes.Not having eaten anything for more than 12 hours, she passed out.

Vietnam and Gulf Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vietnam and Gulf Wars - Essay Example The decision to send U.S troop to Vietnam did not take into considerations the view of the public or the Congress. Negative impressions by the public and many political bigwigs persisted throughout the time that the U.S troops were in Vietnam. The public was up in arms at the amount of money that was used during this time of war in Vietnam. The losses were not only in monetary terms but also in the number of soldiers who perished (Rosenau 46). So many soldiers died and others were also injured. It was the first time that the United States had suffered a loss in war. The Vietnam War left an economic dent that was felt throughout the U.S. apart from that, shame and perceived weakness in military force and policies were exposed for the whole world to see (McNamara and VanDeMark 67). The eventual pull out of the force seemed like an acceptance of a mistake and defeat. The eventual effects of the Vietnam disaster were still lingering in the minds of the American public and political players. When the ‘free Kuwait† decision that ultimately led to sending of troops in the Gulf region was made, the American citizens were not very pleased. They criticized the decision. The aftermath of Vietnam had an effect on the foreign policy decisions and the reluctance of people to go through an ordeal like the previous one. The public saw it as another catalyst for an economic slowdown and massive loss of lives for an international situation that did not â€Å"scream† out for their participation. According to the public and some political players, it was not necessary to go to war at the moment leave alone going there with brimming confidence of a win. Since the US aimed at being the superior power, involvement in the war led to the breaking of relations especially after the US invaded Grenada and Panama (Murrin, et al. 844).   Countries such as the Soviet Union were silently not amused by the antics of United States. Slowly, U.S was creating a divide and even causing tensions with its long-term allies.  Ã‚  

Implementing Software Development Project Management Best Practices Essay

Implementing Software Development Project Management Best Practices - Essay Example Somerville [1996 - Page 7] explains that successful software development, deployment, testing, deployment and maintenance are all built around four basic precepts : software specification, software development, software validation and software evolution. The obvious way of streamlining the software development process is to make these discrete stages flow into one another in a seamless end-to-end process. This requires, in practice, that the specific methods adopted for Rapid Application Development (RAD) (see (2) below) must be adopted, in order to avoid the hold-ups that always occur when discrete documents have to be updated to take account of changes in user requirements, for example. The greatest obstacle to software development, in practice, is the ‘big bang’ approach, where all the functionality is supposed to be introduced at once(!). The consensus of the available literature is that this may be charitably described as a recipe for disaster! The best, and therefore most streamlined approach is the incremental one, where software development is carried out in a series of relatively small steps. It is therefore vital that this principle is incorporated within the contract with the client (for a bespoke development) or the vendor’s marketing and sales departments (for a market-led project) 1. The Waterfall approach. This is where the requirements specification, design specification, test specification, implementation plan and maintenance plan are all produced in sequence as individual work products, and each is approved by the key stakeholders before the next is produced. 2. Evolutionary Development. Here, the specification, development and testing stages are interleaved, beginning with the very rapid development of a prototype system from a very basic specification. This is what us usually meant by Rapid Application Development (RAD). This prototype is then progressively defined with the aid of input from the intended users to produce

Source analysis m8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Source analysis m8 - Essay Example Anne had an all-conquering charm and confidence that she used to make her irresistible and the king fell for her and was too in love that he allowed her to keep her at a distance for a long time while denying him intimacy as his groping hand allowed no further than her pretty knee up to the point when she certain they would get married. On his part, henry had a somewhat abnormal fixation with virginity and among the main issues that led to his divorce from his first marriage is the claim that she had lost her virginity before he married her even though at that time it was not an issue that seemed to matter (Warnicke 168). It is likely that it did not matter since he had been younger and sought to show people as well as Margaret, his grandmother, that marriage was a means of demonstrating that he was ready and had the ability to be responsible for the burdens and duties that come with kingship. It may also appear that marriage was his way of blustering to his sister Margaret who was second in line to inherit the throne through her husband. Henry had married his first wife with the belief that she was a virgin and when he decided to divorce her, his explanation for justifying his action was that she was not a virgin at the time of marriage. During the court hearing he availed blood stained sheets as proof which he believed would substantiate his claims and his first wife stated that she had pricked her heel and smeared the blood in order to make sure that Arthur’s dignity was spared (Lofts 38). Nonetheless, the divorce was successful and was consequently forgotten. However, after only three years with Anne, Henry decided to get rid of her after accusing her of incest and adultery as well as suspecting her of witchcraft even though he could not find any proof of this. Again, he tried to justify the divorce by stating that she was not a virgin at the time of marriage, however, in this case it was true as she was pregnant with

History paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

History paper - Essay Example Looking at the speech â€Å"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,† he gave on July 5, 1852, one gets a sense that he is very unhappy with the prevailing situations and the apparent lack of progress in the fight against slavery. He poignantly enumerates the ills the slaves are suffering at the hands of their masters in a way that echoes someone who has witnessed and endured such ills. He says ‘†¦ to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages †¦ to flay their flesh with the lash †¦ to sell them at auction†¦ to sunder their families†¦ to burn their flesh.’1 This clear enumeration of the ills shows clearly that he understood what was going on, having witnessed firsthand some of this ills. To him, the aspirations of the American as espoused by the American Farmer2 that the American has moved from servile labour and useless toil to prosperity rings hollow for this group of Americans. The writing of Douglas, especially assertion that divinity and brutality cannot go hand in hand, and that one is either on one hand or the other must have been aimed at the radical abolitionists so well covered by Harris3. This abolitionist were mainly whites who had joined the blacks to bring an end to the slavery. The campaign was later to be taken up by religious revivalism with dominant figures being Arthur and Lewis Tappan4 who wanted to bring the religious approach to abolishing slavery through presenting the preaching of the bible that hold that all men are equal. The speech is inherently against the use of religious basis to perpetuate slavery through argument such as it is God ordained. But above all, he is very much against the fact that religious leaders, who ought to have known better, attended a ceremony to celebrate 4th of July knowing very well that there is nothing to celebrate in the country. The intended audience for this speech was mainly the blacks. He wanted them to know that things are getting out of hand and may not change

Account for Japans decision to go to war against the United States in Essay

Account for Japans decision to go to war against the United States in 1941 - Essay Example Attempts to successfully negotiate a ceasefire failed primarily on account of Japan’s refusal to return conquered territory (Iinkai 1973, 111). As the Second World War progressed, Japanese leaders began to feel increasingly vulnerable and particularly isolated (Bess 2008, 27). From the Japanese perspective the Soviet Union was a long and enduring enemy so that by 1936 Japan had subscribed to an anti-Communist pact with Germany and Italy. Fortifying the anti-Communist and anti-Soviet stance, Japanese military factors had conflict with the Soviet factions on Korea’s border with the Soviet Union in 1938. A larger battle would follow between the two in 1939 at Nomonhan near the border between Mongolia and Manchuria. The latter was a region in China conquered by Japan. The Soviets defeated the Japanese in this later battle and forcing Japan to conclude a non-aggression truce with the Soviets having learned that Germany had entered into a similar agreement with the Soviets. The knowledge that Germany had engaged a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union would be a turning point for Japan. In the latter stages of the 1930s Japan had commenced cooperation strategies with Nazi Germany, assuming that the two nations would jointly attack the Soviet Union and divide that country’s wealth between them (Duiker and Spielvogel 2006, 696). Japan came to the realization that it could not take the Soviet Union on its own and would inevitably have to find another method for obtaining its wealth. Attention then turned to Southeast Asia. This would mean a potential war with the Europe over its colonies in the area and the US who had already expressed disapproval of Japan’s attack on China, particularly following an attack on a US naval ship stationed in China (Duiker and Spielvogel 2006, 696). German victories in Europe in 1940 however, particularly the

The Discipline of Innovation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Discipline of Innovation - Article Example The scope of analysts for these range from a business and technological advancements standpoint, to areas of opportunity focused more on a social or demographic nature. Innovative,astute managers will identify and apply all seven areas of opportunity to the organization,while being able to create an organization culture that values,molds and drives â€Å"functional inspiration†, which require a certain level of imagination and out of the box thinking associated with the unknown. In society the concept of entrepreneurship is sometimes very narrowly defined. It is usually viewed as as new small businesses or individuals who strive to become one through new businesses or ideas. But in a broader sense,any enterprise that creates new products,ideas or processes is in fact an entrepreneur. The seven areas of innovation opportunity are: 1)Unexpected Occurrences- In businesses just like life are extremely unpredictable in nature. Whether it is an individual entrepreneur or a business,we must learn to deal with changes and unexpected situations with a vision toward exposing and exploiting any new opportunities or systemic improvements that can arise from such situations. 2)Incongruities- There are countless industries,jobs,situations and processes where the nature or flow of the work is interrupted or made less efficient because of certain steps or requirements for the successful completion of the project,process or job as whole. Analyzing,assessing and improving the flow or efficiency of any product or process and eliminating this kinks or incongruities is a major source of meaningful innovation. 3)Process improvements- Technological changes bring about numerous opportunities to not only fix old problems in any process or technological endeavor but actively improve the efficiency or effectiveness of any process through innovative and creative use of new technologies. 4)Industry and Market changes-Market conditions is extremely variable

History paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

History paper - Essay Example Looking at the speech â€Å"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,† he gave on July 5, 1852, one gets a sense that he is very unhappy with the prevailing situations and the apparent lack of progress in the fight against slavery. He poignantly enumerates the ills the slaves are suffering at the hands of their masters in a way that echoes someone who has witnessed and endured such ills. He says ‘†¦ to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages †¦ to flay their flesh with the lash †¦ to sell them at auction†¦ to sunder their families†¦ to burn their flesh.’1 This clear enumeration of the ills shows clearly that he understood what was going on, having witnessed firsthand some of this ills. To him, the aspirations of the American as espoused by the American Farmer2 that the American has moved from servile labour and useless toil to prosperity rings hollow for this group of Americans. The writing of Douglas, especially assertion that divinity and brutality cannot go hand in hand, and that one is either on one hand or the other must have been aimed at the radical abolitionists so well covered by Harris3. This abolitionist were mainly whites who had joined the blacks to bring an end to the slavery. The campaign was later to be taken up by religious revivalism with dominant figures being Arthur and Lewis Tappan4 who wanted to bring the religious approach to abolishing slavery through presenting the preaching of the bible that hold that all men are equal. The speech is inherently against the use of religious basis to perpetuate slavery through argument such as it is God ordained. But above all, he is very much against the fact that religious leaders, who ought to have known better, attended a ceremony to celebrate 4th of July knowing very well that there is nothing to celebrate in the country. The intended audience for this speech was mainly the blacks. He wanted them to know that things are getting out of hand and may not change

The Discipline of Innovation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Discipline of Innovation - Article Example The scope of analysts for these range from a business and technological advancements standpoint, to areas of opportunity focused more on a social or demographic nature. Innovative,astute managers will identify and apply all seven areas of opportunity to the organization,while being able to create an organization culture that values,molds and drives â€Å"functional inspiration†, which require a certain level of imagination and out of the box thinking associated with the unknown. In society the concept of entrepreneurship is sometimes very narrowly defined. It is usually viewed as as new small businesses or individuals who strive to become one through new businesses or ideas. But in a broader sense,any enterprise that creates new products,ideas or processes is in fact an entrepreneur. The seven areas of innovation opportunity are: 1)Unexpected Occurrences- In businesses just like life are extremely unpredictable in nature. Whether it is an individual entrepreneur or a business,we must learn to deal with changes and unexpected situations with a vision toward exposing and exploiting any new opportunities or systemic improvements that can arise from such situations. 2)Incongruities- There are countless industries,jobs,situations and processes where the nature or flow of the work is interrupted or made less efficient because of certain steps or requirements for the successful completion of the project,process or job as whole. Analyzing,assessing and improving the flow or efficiency of any product or process and eliminating this kinks or incongruities is a major source of meaningful innovation. 3)Process improvements- Technological changes bring about numerous opportunities to not only fix old problems in any process or technological endeavor but actively improve the efficiency or effectiveness of any process through innovative and creative use of new technologies. 4)Industry and Market changes-Market conditions is extremely variable

Definitions of Tourism Essay Example for Free

Definitions of Tourism Essay Tourism is a booming industry and a driving force in positive economical, ecological, sustainable, social and cultural developments in several countries around the globe. Its complex nature requires sophisticated management in order to reach its full potential. Most people possess an intuitive and basic understanding of tourism, which focuses on an image of people travelling for recreational purposes, however, tourism, goes far beyond this simplistic view. According to Stear (2005), the area of studying tourism has an apparent lack of substance when it comes to defining the basic terms ‘tourism’ and ‘tourist’. Although the concept of tourism itself has been around for many centuries, the academic study of tourism in the tertiary educational sector is a recent development. There is no single definition of tourism to which everyone adheres. Many definitions have been used over the years, some of which are universal and can be applied to any situation, while others fulfil a specific purpose. This essay aims to define who exactly a ‘tourist’ is and what the term ‘tourism’ means through technical and heuristic definitions from articles written by Stear (2005), Dickman (1997), and McIntosh et al (1995). Throughout the essay definitions from organisations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will also be drawn upon. The ambiguity of two seemingly simple concepts in theory – who a tourist is and what tourism entails will be discussed through a range of academic articles, which will address and highlight the strengths, weaknesses and differences between them. The foci and boundaries of each definition will be determined in order to assess their effectiveness. Whilst each definition is unique in their own right, there are also many similarities, which can be noted. Weaver (2010) states that â€Å"the definition of ‘tourism’ is dependent on the definition of the ‘tourist’ and when defining whom exactly is a ‘tourist’, individuals must simultaneously meet certain spatial, temporal and purposive criteria†, which will be discussed below. First and foremost, Stear (2005) defines tourism as â€Å"†¦Tourism is travel and temporary stay, involving at least one night away from the region of a person’s usual home that is undertaken with the major expectation of satisfying leisure needs that are perceived as being more njoyably able to be satisfied by being at places outside of, and qualitatively different to, the home region † (Stear 2005, pg. 8). Stear also has a clear definition of a tourist, which he refers to as â€Å"†¦ A tourist is a person engaging in activities directly associated with present or future travel and temporary stay that involves at least one night away from the region of their usual home that is undertaken with the major expectation of satisfying leisure needs that are perceived as being more enjoyably able to be satisfied by places outside of, and qualitatively different to, the home region. (Stear 2005, pg. 11) A clear fault of Stear’s heuristic definitions of ‘tourism’ and ‘tourist’ is the limitation or restriction of the time period of â€Å"at least one night away†, in which Stear fails to take into account the temporal element of tourism. The notion of how long, if any time at all, that must be spent away from one’s usual home is an aspect, which is not uniform amongst definitions of tourism. Another weakness of Stear’s definitions is the l imitation of â€Å"the region of a person’s usual home†, which implies that physically moving away from your home would make you a tourist. According to the UNWTO (cited in Weaver, 2010), for an individual to qualify as a tourist â€Å"travel must occur beyond the individual’s ‘usual environment’†. The spatial boundary of tourism as discussed by Weaver (2010) is unclear in this instance as an individual who lives in Sydney but stays in Canberra during the week for work would then be considered a tourist under this definition. Whilst Stear’s (2005) definition states a minimum stay requirement to be considered a tourist, it does not state a maximum timeframe, unlike that of other definitions, which clearly state a maximum period of time before someone loses the title of ‘tourist’. The UNWTO (1995) provides a more technical definition and defines tourism as an individual â€Å"travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. † This definition is broader in scope compared to Stear’s (2005), which specifies that an individual who travels is only a tourist when their travel is â€Å"undertaken with the major expectation of satisfying leisure needs. † The UNWTO definition (cited in Weaver, 2010) is complemented by Dickman’s (1997, pg. 7) who identifies a tourist as â€Å"†¦a visitor who travels to a place utside his/her usual environment for at least one night but no more than six months (domestic) or one year (international) and whose main purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited† and tourism as â€Å"†¦a non-essential activity, or one that is predominantly rela ted to leisure activities† (Dickman, 1997 pg. 7). Compared to Stear’s (2005) definition of tourism, Dickman’s (1997) heuristic definition is very brief and extremely vague as spatial relevance and time period are both not addressed. Furthermore, Dickman’s (1997) definition is limited as it only refers to the activity side of tourism whereas Leiper (2004) discusses a basic tourism system involving the tourist, the generating region, the transit route, the destination and the movement in between. Despite this limitation, a major strength of Dickman’s (1997) definition is that it defines and takes into consideration the differences between domestic and international tourists. This comparison has also been addressed by Weaver (2010) who declares that a domestic tourist is one that travels within their own country of residence, whilst an international tourist travels outside their usual country of residence. The third and final authors McIntosh et al. (1995) describes tourism as â€Å"†¦the entire world industry of travel, hotels, transportations, and all other components, including promotion, that serves the needs and wants of travellers. Tourism today has been given new meaning and is primary a term of economics referring to the industry†. On the other hand, ‘tourist’ is defined as â€Å"†¦a person who travels from place to place for non work reasons by U. N. definition, a tourist is someone who stays for more than one night and less than a year. Business and convention travel is included. This thinking is dominated by balance-of-trade concepts. Military personnel, diplomats, immigrants and resident students are not tourists† (McIntosh et al. , 1995). The heuristic definition above of ‘tourism’ incorporates the industry as a whole, which is a major strength in comparison to the other definitions, hich only take into account the physical act of travelling. The tourism industry is not identifiable as a standard industry but is rather an amalgamation of parts of other conventional industries such as retail, hospitality, accommodation, entertainment and transport (Weaver, 2010). The incorporation of ‘tourism’ as an industry takes on a different approach to defining tourism and makes finding a clarified and universal meaning for ‘tourism’ and ‘tourist’ even more complicated. McIntosh et al. 1995) refer to the tourist in a very specific manner including different types of tourists such as business tourists, which is a strong point, as a tourist can’t be just defined in one aspect. According to Weaver (2010), â€Å"a basic tourist criterion concerns travel purpose which is dominated by three major categories – leisure and recreation, visiting friends and relative and business. † Compared to Stear (2005) and Dickman’s (1997) narrow definitions, McIntosh et al. (1995) have a much broader, flexible view on defining tourism and the tourist. In both definitions of ‘tourist’ Dickman (1997) and McIntosh et al. 1995) describe an individual moving out of their ‘usual environment’, which is considered a key element in the definition. Weaver (2010) supports this definition in his discussion of fulfilling the spatial component in order to be considered a tourist. Whilst this is considered a highly subjective concept, many tourism bodies specify minimum distance thresholds, which â€Å"serve the useful purpose of [differentiating] those who bring outside revenue into the local area from those who circulate revenue internallyâ €  (Weaver, 2010, pg. 22-23). When reviewing the definition by McIntosh et al. 1995), a key downfall is the reference to ‘resident students’ not being considered tourists, which can be questioned. An international student may wish to travel overseas first to experience the culture of the country they plan on studying in, however under this definition, even if they wish to take part in and visit tourist attractions which are recreational and leisure based they aren’t considered tourists. Most people do not intuitively associate study or formal education with tourism however it is considered a qualifying criterion by the UNWTO. In Australia alone, in 2007-08 international students accounted for around 7% of all inbound arrivals (Weaver, 2010, pg. 29). In conclusion, the complicated task of defining two simple terms ‘tourism’ and ‘tourist’ has been made somewhat clearer through the definitions provided by Stear (2005), Dickman (1997) and McIntosh et al. (1995). Whilst all three authors have different perspectives on how to define these terms, they also have a few aspects that seem to cross over. Considering all the definitions by the three authors Stear (2005), Dickman (1997) and McIntosh et al. 1995) it is hard to argue which definition is more just and accurate than the other as they all have their strengths and weaknesses. From the research conducted, Stear’s (2005) definition of a ‘tourist’ is the most flexible and relevant in the context of today’s society however; Dickman’s (1997) definition of ‘tourism’ is most accurate as it incorporates the entire tourism industry and not just the physical act of traveling. Ultimately, ‘tourist’ and ‘tourism’ are indefinable as we all have our own personal views and perspectives on which definitions fit the context of the situation.

Reflecting On Swot Analysis Two Student Nurse Interviews Nursing Essay

Reflecting On Swot Analysis Two Student Nurse Interviews Nursing Essay you know you have got to lift the bar a little, because you are no longer a carer or a nursing assistant, your actual on your way up to being a nurse, obviously you have got to set an exampleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (from student F.) Incident: I was struck by Fs reflection on her own change in identity and awareness of internal drive to meet a standard. She was obviously struggling with this change process and aware of feeling vulnerable. I was surprised by her sharing this with me as she was a first year student nurse and this is a level of maturity in self awareness and reflection I might expect from a more senior student nurse or even from a newly qualified staff nurse. F. had spoken at the start of interview about trying to find her feet and perhaps feeling sensitive about things. I responded with active listening through the rest of the interview and with an effective summary question/ statement towards the end that allowed F. to talk about moving on to her next placement. F. was voicing the possibility of having a different outlook towards a new experience; almost as if she was recognising the beginnings of long process of change in becoming a professional nurse. Reflective observation: In my SWOT analysis of both interviews I conducted, I saw this as the obvious opportunity for a learning moment, both for F. herself and also for myself as an aspiring future mentor. My thought during the interview was that this was a precious moment for F in becoming a nurse; and did wonder how I should respond to her verbalisation of her thoughts and feelings. When I constructed the analysis this part stood out for me again as being a chance for myself to learn, perhaps how to become more effective as a mentor. My thoughts were how to cherish and help this kind of reflection in students in the future. I also wondered how rare these kind of conversations happened during nursing training. F. reflections that she shared with me, reminded me of my own training and how some staff nurses and charge nurses had stood out for me in the process of myself acquiring the identity as a nurse. There was a protective element here in that I wondered how F.s current reflective state could be nurtured and developed in her future placements. I wondered if she was aware herself of this change process and whether she would voice this in future with her mentors and tutors. It might be possible for F. and similar students to ignore and keep quiet about vulnerabilities and internalise this change process. If mentors were open to listening and gently questioning about becoming a nurse then this might facilitate growth and awareness of the nursing identity. I considered how it might be difficult to record this type of reflection in the CAP booklet, even though the booklet explicitly encourages the use of reflection. A mentor would have to develop excellent reflective skills in order to facilitate these skills in students, and perhaps become sensitive to these opportunities for reflection arising early in the programme of nursing education. A possibility for mentors would be to use the mid and end placement meetings with students. So that as well as assessing competencies and professional role development; there could be a place to gently discuss and reflect on identity as a nurse. As well as this it might be possible for students to keep a reflective diary during placement and regularly meet with the mentor to discuss issues as they arose. There might be some reluctance for both mentor and student to explore these areas as this is very much about personal identity and occurs during a period of learning and developing in many different aspects as a nurse. Reflection might well be different for a very experienced and skilled staff nurse who is confident in their own capabilities and skills. Related Theory: Some elements of theory relating to developing as a reflective practitioner within modern nursing will be analysed in the following section. The path to becoming a nurse, can involve sharing feelings and asking for support and finding ways to handle emotions (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). There can be an inherent vulnerability during the process of socialisation where the values and attitudes, that allow the nurse to function in his or her role within the health care system, are in a state of flux and change (Morton-Cooper and Palmer, 2000). The mentor ideally should create a warm, genuine supportive relationship based on trust and sound interpersonal skills (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). This must be fundamental to facilitating reflection upon personal and professional identity as a nurse. Gardiner (2003) introduces the idea of professional friendship to the role of being a mentor where listening, giving of recognition and challenging are added to the friend type relationship. Some barriers to facilitating reflection on attitudes and self awareness can lie in the multi faceted role of the mentor. The mentor role is flexible and may have to cover a number of parts and elements; some of which may be contradictory. Two possibly opposing roles are informal teacher and guide and also assessor of professional competence especially with a student that is struggling or failing. So it may be difficult to add to this list that of confidant and counsellor in the broadest sense (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). The traditional concept of being professional could hinder openness for student nurses. There is a traditional view of keeping a professional distance and restraint in health care which may not encourage the expression of feelings and vulnerabilities for student nurses. However, Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) argue there is some growing evidence of the importance of developing emotional work as a critical element to caring, where this is described as emotional literacy, or perhaps in plain English terms as being able to express feelings appropriately, safely and effectively. Jarvis and Gibson (2001) discuss the teacher- learner relationship as being hierarchical and the teacher having authority versus creating an inclusive, informal teaching relationship that encourages open reflection and critical thinking. There may be some difficulty for the student to reflect and be vulnerable and open about their changing identity where there is a strict authoritarian relationship (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). However, the nurse can develop authority based on professionalism and skills and knowledge that is legitimised by colleagues and students. This also relates to the element of mentorship in being a positive role model for student nurse (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) state the idea of the adult learner who directs their own learning and is in a process of becoming rather than being shaped into a role. There are some ways to facilitate reflective practice and awareness. Donovan (2007) suggests using a formal reflective tool and a diary can be useful. Reflective discussion with peers and mentors also can be helpful. Trust is an important element in making reflection effective in clinical placement. Levett-Jones (2007) suggests the idea of using narratives in self assessment. Case study or narratives may be more suitable to exploring practice, assessing competencies and skills. However, this could be a starting point in developing reflective skills and a language of emotional literacy. The value of narrative could lie in allowing direction by the mentor for the beginning nurse while being flexible during nursing education. There is also the value of providing a personal and persistent record for assessment and evaluation (Levett-Jones, 2007). Some of difficulties have been examined that there may arise in developing as a reflective practitioner and how a mentor may help. There has been a short consideration of some of the possible tools such as diaries and narratives which may help in the learning process. Future Action: To be a more effective mentor, I would consider using a formal reflective tool such as Marks-Maran and Rose (1997) while mentoring students. This will be familiar to student nurses as it is used in the University of Dundee and in NHS Fife. I would try and use it more explicitly during planned learning programmes. Further I would consider some strategies to encourage reflective discussion amongst students. Some ideas might be planned case studies involving one or more students. A structured and open discussion with a student about attitudes and professional roles may be useful at mid and end placement, although I would be tempted to arrange this after assessment and filling in competencies in the CAP booklet. I t would probably be ideal to have this at separate time as students appear to be anxious about completing their booklets. Lastly, I may trial the use of narrative and or diaries to help with assessment of learning to see if this can promote reflection by students I will be working with.

William Wordswoths I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud versus The Solitary Re

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and The Solitary Reaper are both written by William Wordsworth and enjoy great popularity among the readers. When reading the two poems, the readers can feel that the tones of them are different. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud affects the readers with the happiness of the daffodils, while The Solitary Reaper transfers a sense of sadness. Apart from the language of the poems and the figures of speech used, the use of sound and stanza also contributes a lot to the creation of different tones. Firstly, the length of each stanza of the two poems has much to do with the creation of the tone. Shorter stanzas are easier to read compared with longer ones. And it is a suitable form to carry such tones as happy, light, and peaceful and so on. On the contrary, longer stanzas always appear denser, and the feelings conveyed are often heavy and sad. Thus, longer stanzas are fit for the expression of sad feelings. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and The Solitary Reaper are two typical examples of this. The former has six lines in each stanza while the latter has eight. When the readers read the two poems, it is easy for them to grasp the happiness of the daffodils as well as the sadness that is conveyed by the ?solitary reaper?. The readers can always quickly finish reading each stanza of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the same way that the daffodils are ?fluttering and dancing in the breeze? sprightly. Similarly, when reading The Solitary Reaper, the readers cannot help but feel that the many lines of the poem are just like the much sadness that seems to last on and on. And it is difficult for the readers to get out of the sad feeling that the poet has set in the poem. The lengths of the stanzas alone are of great help i... ... varies more. This also contributes to the overall tone of the poem. When reading I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the readers can easily grasp a sense of happiness, because the sentences, which are neatly written, are more music like and are pleasant to read. However, when reading The Solitary Reaper, with the varying of the lengths of the lines, the readers? feeling cannot help being ?varied? and become quite complicated. The length of each line also helps create the tone of the poems. To sum up, the tone of a poem is not simply connected with the meaning of each line, in other words, even though the readers don?t quite get the meaning of one poem, they can still know the tone of it. Because the basic elements, such as sound and stanza also play very important roles in the poem. Compared with the words of a poem, they are the muted messengers of the beauty of poem. William Wordswoth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud versus The Solitary Re I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and The Solitary Reaper are both written by William Wordsworth and enjoy great popularity among the readers. When reading the two poems, the readers can feel that the tones of them are different. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud affects the readers with the happiness of the daffodils, while The Solitary Reaper transfers a sense of sadness. Apart from the language of the poems and the figures of speech used, the use of sound and stanza also contributes a lot to the creation of different tones. Firstly, the length of each stanza of the two poems has much to do with the creation of the tone. Shorter stanzas are easier to read compared with longer ones. And it is a suitable form to carry such tones as happy, light, and peaceful and so on. On the contrary, longer stanzas always appear denser, and the feelings conveyed are often heavy and sad. Thus, longer stanzas are fit for the expression of sad feelings. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and The Solitary Reaper are two typical examples of this. The former has six lines in each stanza while the latter has eight. When the readers read the two poems, it is easy for them to grasp the happiness of the daffodils as well as the sadness that is conveyed by the ?solitary reaper?. The readers can always quickly finish reading each stanza of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the same way that the daffodils are ?fluttering and dancing in the breeze? sprightly. Similarly, when reading The Solitary Reaper, the readers cannot help but feel that the many lines of the poem are just like the much sadness that seems to last on and on. And it is difficult for the readers to get out of the sad feeling that the poet has set in the poem. The lengths of the stanzas alone are of great help i... ... varies more. This also contributes to the overall tone of the poem. When reading I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the readers can easily grasp a sense of happiness, because the sentences, which are neatly written, are more music like and are pleasant to read. However, when reading The Solitary Reaper, with the varying of the lengths of the lines, the readers? feeling cannot help being ?varied? and become quite complicated. The length of each line also helps create the tone of the poems. To sum up, the tone of a poem is not simply connected with the meaning of each line, in other words, even though the readers don?t quite get the meaning of one poem, they can still know the tone of it. Because the basic elements, such as sound and stanza also play very important roles in the poem. Compared with the words of a poem, they are the muted messengers of the beauty of poem.

Robert Altmans The Long Goodbye As A Genre Revisionist Film Essay

"Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye attempts to do a very interesting thing. It tries to be all genre and no story†¦ It makes no serious effort to reproduce the Raymond Chandler detective novel†¦ it just takes all the characters out of that novel and lets them stew together in something that feels like a private-eye movie." ---ROGER EBERT (REVIEW) The period of American cinema between 1965 and 1975 produced many films that almost completely restructured classical Hollywood’s accepted genre conventions. A fine example of this would be Robert Altman's iconoclastic take on Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye (1973), a detective film based on the final book in Chandler’s Philip Marlowe series. Altman, who is known for turning around traditional genre conventions, revises and reinvents the film-noir style made popular by Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet (1944), Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946), and Robert Montgomery in Lady in the Lake (1947). The actors and the films in the 1940’s film-noir period conformed to genre conventions, and it wasn’t until Robert Altman directed Elliot Gould’s Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye that the detective genre had changed. It is very interesting to note how the conventions of 1940’s hardboiled private eye fiction translate into the 1970’s. The low-rent drabness of the genre loses much of its allure. The dark shadows and long nights of urban Los Angeles become the bright lights and warm sunshine of Malibu beaches. The detective’s normally snappy dialogue turns into joking asides. Marlowe’s hardboiled narration becomes the self-conscious mutterings of a lonely man talking to himself. The romantic myth of a man set apart from the city is turned on its head as a pathetic man living alone with his cat. Elliot Gould plays private investigator Philip Marlowe, who uses his smart-aleck detachment carried along by a natural wave of 1970’s California that Altman exercises for both humour and social commentary. Rich drunks, drugged out youth, multicultural gangsters in touch with their heritage and their feelings, people more than willing to use their friends, all indicate a self-obsessed society, a force as relevant in the 1970’s as the ever-present title song. Originally, Hollywood backed Altman, the eccentric director of M.A.S.H and Nashville, in the hopes that a gritty detective film would cash-in on the... ...grab glimpses of the character's true nature. In The Long Goodbye, these foreground strokes, intended to lay a foundation for audience sympathy with the lead character, are made as prominent as the climax, as well as the end. This is because Marlowe wanders through the action of the film meeting and reacquainting himself with unrelated characters, such as the gatekeeper-impressionist in Terry Lennox’s neighbourhood, and the grocery store clerk, who Marlowe meets again in prison. The time between The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye signifies a significant evolution of American, or at least Hollywood, culture, from the country's post-WWII optimism to the alarm of Vietnam. The character of Marlowe, it appears, has one foot in each book-end of history. Bibliography Kagan, Norman. American skeptic: Robert Altman's genre-commentary films. Ann Arbor, Mich., Pieran P. 1982. Karp, Alan. The Films of Robert Altman. Metuchen, N.J., Scarecrow P. 1981. McGilligan, Patrick. Robert Altman: jumping off the cliff; a biography of the great American director. New York, St. Martin's P. 1989. Wexman,Virginia Wright. Robert Altman; a guide to references and resources. Boston, Mass, Hall. P. 1984.

Research Paper: Cryonics

Christian Cristurean Mrs. Liftson English, 4B 17 November, 2009 Research Paper: The major reason that cryonics is not more favorably viewed in the medical community is relatively easy to explain. Medicine relies on clinical trials. Put more simply, if someone proposes a technique for saving lives, the response is â€Å"Try it and see if it works. † Methods that have not been verified by clinical trials are called â€Å"experimental,† while methods that have been tried and failed are rejected; Cryonics falls under this category. While some still believe Cryonics will preserve human life and restore health; I believe we can put are efforts and money into today’s medical field that we know for a fact will work. Does Cryonics really work? In my opinion, by my research I did; â€Å"No†. As asked in the article of (Cryonics). They don’t have a yes or no answer but are sure to jump ahead to the distant future. As stated by them when asked if Cryonics really works? They answered the question by this statement; â€Å"The clinical trials are in progress. Come back in a century and we'll give you a reliable answer. † (Cryonics) With no evidence that Cryonics will work, it leads me to say that it’s a waist of time and money. Costs of cryonics vary greatly, ranging from $28,000 for cryopreservation by the Cryonics Institute, to $155,000 for whole body cryopreservation for the American Cryonics Society’s most expensive plan. Alcor’s whole body preservation is priced at $150,000 (or $80,000 for neuropreservation of the head alone) plus a ~$500 annual membership fee during life by Alcor. After payment of an initiaton fee, ACS full members pay an annual fee of $300 currently. To some extent these cost differences reflect differences in how fees are quoted. The Cryonics Institute fee doesn’t include â€Å"standby† (a team that begins procedures at bedside), transportation costs, or funeral director expenses outside of Michigan, which must be purchased as extras. CI Members wanting Standby and Transport from cryonics professionals can contract for additional payment to the Florida-based company Suspended Animation, Inc. It has been claimed that if technologies for general molecular analysis and repair are ever developed, then theoretically any damaged body could be â€Å"revived. † Survival would then depend on whether preserved brain information was sufficient to permit restoration of all or part of the personal identity of the original person, with amnesia being the final dividing line between life and death. The justification for the actual practice of cryonics is unclear, given present limitations of preservation technology. Currently cells, tissues, blood vessels, and some small animal organs can be reversibly cryopreserved. Some very small animals, such as water bears, can naturally survive preservation at cryogenic temperatures. Wood frogs can survive for a few months in a partially frozen state a few degrees below freezing, but this is not true cryopreservation. Cryonics advocates counter that demonstrably reversible preservation is not necessary to achieve the present-day goal of cryonics, which is preservation of basic brain information that encodes memory and personal identity. There is good reason to believe that current cryonics procedures can preserve the anatomical basis of mind. Proponents claim preservation of this information is sufficient to prevent information-theoretic death until future repairs might be possible. While cryonics is sometimes suspected of being greatly profitable, the high expenses of doing cryonics are well documented. The expenses are comparable to major transplant surgeries. The largest single expense, especially for whole body cases, is the money that must be set aside to generate interest to pay for maintenance in perpetuity. There isn’t enough scientific information to support this belief. With such economically times as now, it leads me to say that money must not be waisted on such gambles. Until proven to work, Cryonics should be dismissed as an idea of immortality imagination instead of future Medical Science. Work Cited Cryonics. † Http://www. free-articles-zone. com. Publishing Free Articles Zone, 15 July 2005. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . (Cryonics)