The Lady or the Tiger free essay sample

The Lady or the Tiger The Lady or the Tiger proposes one question: Which? Author Frank Stockton writes about a barbaric game Invented by the King. If any man In the kingdom rubs the King the wrong way, he gets put Into a stadium In front of two doors. Behind one Is a tiger, the other a lady. If the man picks a door and a lady comes out, he gets to marry her. But if a tiger comes out of the door, he dies a violent death.Hundreds of people look on with pleasure as he picks death or life. In this certain story, a peasant and the Princess fall in love and the King is not pleased. Right away the peasant is thrown into the stadium and with one last desperate hope for life, he looks to the Princess. Seated next to the King, she makes a slight movement with her right hand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lady or the Tiger or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now comes the question. Which came out of the door?You can tell that the Princess is a very Jealous person. She knew the young maiden behind the door, and had often seen her staring at the peasant with looks of admiration. It also says, in the story own words, that the Princess, With all the Intensity of the savage blood transmitted o her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door. And we know that she dreamed about what it would be like if the peasant opened the door and out came the maiden. How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman. If her hatred for this woman and for the idea of them together was this great, why would she not lead the peasant to the tiger?

Should Capital Punishment be T essays

Should Capital Punishment be T essays Capital Punishment, also referred to as the Death Penalty, is defined as the execution of criminals by the state for committing crimes regarded as so heinous that it is the only acceptable punishment. The controversy of whether or not Capital Punishment is morally right or wrong is a debate that is on top of the list for many politicians and Americans. A topic of debate in relation to Capital Punishment is whether or not the public televising of executions is a just means of deterring future criminals. This means that executions, such as: electrocution, the gas chamber, firing squad, lethal injections and even hangings will be available to the public on cable for all individuals to watch. If only criminals were allowed to view such events, the effect may have some positive aspects. Many feel that televising such horrific events will allow supervised and unsupervised children to view the executions via television. Due to American families being single parent or dual working parents, t his could be the case. Children are left alone more often than not and are able to view anything they want. Teaching our children morals and giving them solid values is a positive means to deterring crimes. We do not need to add to the daily violence children see by making execution another television program for their viewing pleasure. Violence is the use of ones power to inflict mental or physical injury upon another, such as: rape, murder and emotional torment. Daily violence is portrayed in both movies and television shows, including: talk shows and sports entertainment. The average American adults and children watch four hours of television per day, and in the inner city that increases to as much as eleven hours per day, with an average of eight to twelve violent incidents per hour. FBI and census data shows the homicide arrest rates for seventeen year olds has doubled between 1985 and 1991 and the rates for fifteen and sixteen year olds incre...

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer Case Study

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer - Case Study Example The following are their targets: Constant currency results exclude the effects of foreign currency exchange and are calculated by translating current year results using the previous year average exchange rates. System wide sales include sales at all restaurants both from company operated stores and franchisees. Return on incremental invested capital is a measure used to evaluate the overall profitability of all business units, the effectiveness of capital deployed and the future allocation of capital. The company's business strategy is tagged by management as the "Plan to Win". The plan is focused on customers and alignment of the company, its franchisees as well as its suppliers. The business model employed by the company enables them to consistently deliver locally-relevant restaurant experiences to customers and become an integral part of the company they served. The "Plan to Win" strategy is centered on being better, not just bigger - which has become the company's system wide mantra for six years now. It provides not just a common framework for the global business corporation but also allows for local adaptation. It is the corporate headquarters philosophy to think globally but to act locally. The company executes multiple initiatives in order to pull off their grand strategy. Every program focuses on the five key drivers of exceptional customer experience. The key drivers are people, product, place, price and promotion. The company aims at enhancing the restaurant for customers worldwide in order to grow sales and customer visits. The company's success factors include brand affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. McDonald's Short Term Objectives McDonald's will continue to drive success and profitable growth in the years to come. They will further differentiate the brand, increase customer visits and grow market share by pursuing their short term objectives in three key areas. The areas include service enhancement, restaurant reimaging, and menu innovation. The company will leverage technology in order to make it easier for restaurant staff to quickly and accurately serve customer. They will also speed up the interior and exterior reimaging efforts as well as innovate at every level of their menu in order to deliver great taste and value to customers. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) McDonald's Functional Tactics In the US, the company's functional tactics include strengthening the restaurant's core menu and value offerings such as the Big Mac, pursuing new growth opportunities in chicken, breakfast, beverages and snack options, and elevating the brand experience. New product offerings include Mac Snack Wrap, frappes and smoothies. They will be updating their technology with a new point of sale system; optimizing drive-thru service; enhancing restaurant manager and crew retention and productivity; and completing interior and exterior reimaging in about 500 restaurants. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) In Europe, the company focuses on building market share by updating restaurant's ambiance through reimaging approximately 1,000 restaurants. They will be leveraging technologies such as

FEASIBILITY REPORT ON A CALL DIRECTORY SUPPLIER Research Paper

FEASIBILITY REPORT ON A CALL DIRECTORY SUPPLIER - Research Paper Example Therefore, the Reens Nigria Limited will purely sell directional information to its customers. Nonetheless, the information is intended to change very moment; thus, the company has considering running or operating on state of heart information providing service that will ensure that the customer is provided with accurate information (Dowling and Reinke 47). Additionally, the same information devises shall ensure that the customer never fails to be informed on their concern. Notably, the company will deal with professionals who will be able to multitask, in this sense they will be able to provide the customers with all the information that they require only on a one call service. Moreover, the company intends to tell on providing entertainment information including information clients on what movies are scheduled in their cinema halls. The Reens Nigria Limited intends to make its services affordable to its entire customer. Notably, it call service number 07009009000 will cost a custom er N30 per minute of call. The calls will be on second billing and will be available for customers using landline phones as well as mobile phones. The company’s head office is physically on the Plot 6A Tecee Drive, in the Ehoru Estate along School Road, Elelenwo, and Port-Harcourt of the Rivers State. The call center agents are expected to be friendly and accommodative of the clients’ questions and concerns of their directions; below are some images expected of our call center agent. Pictures retrieved from http://www.canstockphoto.com/images-photos/callcenter.html. Pictures a, b, c, e, f, and g show our clients at work while d shows the network of client that each of our call service employee can service with 59 minutes. Notably, pictures a, b, e, f, and g show how workers at the call center will be verifying clients’ information for accurate information delivery. Introduction Many people usually seek information concerning place, transport systems, and enterta inment services. Most of this information is usually available at the disposal of persons seeking such information. Therefore, it will be quite advantage to the clients and persons seeking such information. However, it will be vital for the Reens Nigria Limited to seek the use of numerous technologically related business ventures that will help it ensure that it has all the information that the client may require. It should be noted that failure to provide sucking formation needed by the client will be deemed as a failure on the delivery of the company and this may lead to bad reputation; thus, affecting the functionality and profitability of the company (Dowling and Reinke 72). The Reens Nigria Limited aims at providing local and to certain level, long distance telephone services. Therefore, it must seek the consultation and collaboration of advanced technologies in the communication sectors that include wireless communication services, fiber optics, internet, and satellite service s. Additionally, since Reens Nigria limited is not only encompassed with providing geographical information only, but also entertainment information services, Reens Nigria Limited must incorporate cable TV systems to help it in providing the entertainment services. The use of high speed internet will never be an option but a must thing for the Reens Nigria Limited (Abels and Klein 132). It is through such speedy internet services that it can access Google maps among other GPR services to provide information to the customer without delay. It should be not

Intellectual Property Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law - Research Paper Example With mounting pressures by judicial criticism, intellectual property was regulated under common law and the Statute of Monopolies enacted in 1623 rendered illegal all monopolies except those for a defined term of years; this forms the basis of modern patent law (World Intellectual Property Organization, p.1). The exact origin of intellectual property law is still unknown. However, it is a fact that, terms like intellectual property was used during the initial half of seventeenth century in Britain. The history of intellectual property rights in the modern era started in Germany in 1867. North German Confederation is believed to be the first country which formulated intellectual property laws in the modern era. â€Å"The North German Confederation first used the term â€Å"intellectual property† in 1867, providing for legislative protection in its constitution†(Furst). Since then, intellectual laws evolved in different forms at different parts of the world. Different cou ntries have different types of intellectual property laws. ... Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of â€Å"original works† and includes such things as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual creations, both published and unpublished. Copyright does not protect ideas. It only protects the specific and original expression of the idea (Pipers) For example, Windows is the operating system developed by Microsoft. It should be noted that plenty of people, including Bill Gates, worked on the development of Windows operating system. This product is protected with the help of copyright laws. It is illegal to use pirated copies of Windows on computers. Even in China, Microsoft succeeded in winning some cases with respect to copyright violation of its products. â€Å"A local court in Shanghai ruled that Dazhong Insurance must pay Microsoft 2.17 million yuan ($317,900) as compensation for using pirated Microsoft software, NetEase.com reported†(Stan) â€Å"Patents are used to protect new pro duct, process, apparatus, and uses providing the invention is not obvious in light of what has been done before† (European Generic medicines Association). It should be noted that new products are developed only because of the huge efforts undertaken by somebody. Once a new product is developed, it is easy for others to copy it. In other words, leaders and followers are in the market. Leaders always generate new ideas and innovate new products whereas followers try to copy those ideas and innovations. In order to avoid such illegal copying, all new products and services developed by somebody can be protected with the help of patent laws. Patent rights are usually given only for a particular period of time. The owner of a patented product should disclose the innovation to the

Monitoring Therapeutic Drugs: Strategies

Monitoring Therapeutic Drugs: Strategies This article provides an introduction into some of the current techniques and assays utilised in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) TDM is a multi disciplinary function that measures specific drugs at intervals to ensure a constant therapeutic concentration in a patient blood stream. The selection of an analytical technique for TDM involves a choice between immunoassay and chromatography technique. Once the methodology has been chosen, there are also numerous options available within these categories including FPIA, EMIT, KIMS, HPLC and nephelometric immunoassay. An overview of each method is given and its processing of drugs. The future outlook in the methodology involved in TDM is also explored and discussed. INTRODUCTION Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a multi disciplinary function that measures specific drugs at selected intervals to ensure a constant therapeutic concentration in a patient blood stream. (Ju-Seop Kang Min Hoe Lee) The response to most drug concentrations is therapeutic, sub-therapeutic or toxic and the main objective of TDM is to optimize the response so the serum drug concentration is retained within the therapeutic range. When the clinical effect can be easily measured such as heart rate or blood pressure, adjusting the dose according to the response is adequate (D.J. Birkett et al). The practice of TDM is required if the drug meets the following criteria: Has a narrow therapeutic range If the level of drug in the plasma is directly proportional to the adverse toxic If there is appropriate applications and systems available for the management of therapeutic drugs. If the drug effect cannot be assessed by clinically observing the patient (Suthakaran and C.Adithan) A list of commonly monitored drugs is given in table 1. The advances in TDM have been assisted by the availability of immunoassay and chromatographic methods linked to detection methods. Both techniques meet the systemic requirements of sensitivity, precision and accuracy. Within both methods are many numerous options and will be further explored in this title. Ideally the analytical method chosen should distinguish between drug molecules and substances of similar composition, detect minute quantities, be easy to adapt within the laboratory and be unaffected by other drugs administrated. An overview of the current analytical techniques and future trends in TDM is emphasised in this title and its role in laboratory medicine. NEPHLEOMETRIC IMMUNOASSAY AND its USE IN TDM Immunoassays play a critical role in the monitoring of therapeutic drugs and a range of techniques in which the immunoassay can be existed exist. Nephleometric immunoassays are widely used for TDM and are based on the principle of hapten drug inhibition of immunoprecipitation. The precipitation is measured using nephelometric principles that measure the degree of light scattering produced. In some cases Turbidmetry principles can be applied to measure precipitation via the amount of transverse light. In nephleometric immunoassays, if the drug molecule is a monovalent antigenic substance, a soluble immunocomplex is formed. However if the drug molecule is a multivalent antigenic substance, whereby two drug moieties are conjugated to a carrier protein, the conjugate reacts with the antibody to form an insoluble complex. The insoluble complex may compose of numerous antigens and antibodies, thus scattering the light. Therefore nephleometry of turbidmetry techniques are required to measure the reaction. In respect to this principle precipitation inhibition of a drug can be measured. The test sample (serum) is introduced to a fixed quantity of polyhaptenic antigen and anti drug antibody. The serum drug antigen competes with polyhaptenic antigen for binding to the anti drug antibody. Any free drug present in the sample inhibits the precipitation between the antibody and polyhaptenic antigen. Therefore the drug concentration ids indirectly proportional to the formation of precipitate whi ch is quantified by a nephelometer. The more polyhaptenic antigen present, the more precipitate is formed until the maximum is encountered. Further addition of antigen causes a reduction in the amount of precipitate formed due to antigen excess. The use of nephelometric immunoassay for TDM is termed competitive due to the competitive binding for the sites on the antibody by the antigen. It also distinguishes the drug assay system from the conventional nephleometric immunoassay for proteins. Variations of this assay exist including: The use of saliva or CSF may be used as an alternative to serum. Both alternative matrixes contain less light scattering molecules and so a larger volume of sample is used in order to compensate. Turbidmetric methods may also be applied to quantitative immunoprecipation . turbidmetric analysis is preformed at a lower wavelength and similarly detects immunoprecipation like nephelometric techniques. End point analysis of immunoprecipitaion is commonly employed, however rate analysis is also applicable. Addition of formaldehyde blocks further precipitation and is utilised in end point analysis. Agglutination inhibition immunoassay can also be detected by nephelometric immunoassay systems in which the drug or hapten is directly linked onto the surface of the particle and is generally suitable for low serum drug concentration while precipitation inhibition detects concentration above 1ug/ml If homologus and heterologus drug concentrations are utilized for antibody and polyhaptenic antigen preparations, sensitivity and specificity may be increased. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies may be employed in this assay. The use of monoclonal antibodies removes any interference caused by antibody cross reactivity. Choosing a hybrid cell with the most desirable antibody is difficult and therefore is most likely to be less sensitive than the use of polyclonal antibodies Overall the nephelometric immunoassay is an excellent assay system for TDM. Advantages over other assay systems include its simplicity, speed and low cost. It is a homogenous method that requires no separation steps or isotopes. Only two reagents are required in limited amounts as if the antibody to antigen ratio is not optimum, the sensitivity is decreased. This is due to the formation of less precipitate in the absence of drug. In the presence of a drug, inhibition is less efficient. The sensitivity of the assay depends on antibody hapten binding, however it yields high specificity. Therefore nephelometric precipitation inhibition immunoassays are a novel technique in the clinical practice of TDM. (Takaski Nishikawa Vol 1, 1984) FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAY AND its USE IN TDM Fluorescence polarization immunoassay(FPIA) is a widely used 2 step homogenous assay that is conducted in the solution phase and is based on a rise in fluorescence polarization due to the binding of the fluorescent labelled antigen with antibody. The first step of the immunoassay involves the incubation of the serum sample with none labelled anti drug antibody. If the patient sample contains drug molecules, immune complexes will form between antibody and antigen. The second stage of this assay involves the addition of a flourscein labelled antigen (tracer) into the mixture(.Jacqueline Stanley 2002) The purpose of the flourscein tracer is to bind on any available sites on the drug specific antibody for detection purposes. If the first stage occurred in which the anti drug antibody formed a complex with the drug from the sample, less or no antigen binding sites will be available for the tracer to bind to. Consequently a higher proportion of the flourscein tracer is unbound in the solut ion. If the sample contains no drug an antigen, Step 1 does not occur and the anti drug antibodies will bind the flourscein antigen tracer. In this assay the degree of polarization is indirectly proportional to the concentration of drug present. (: Chris Maragos 2009) Fluorescence polarization is calculated to determine the concentration of drug present. Fluorscein labelled molecules rotate when they interact with polarised light. Larger complexes rotate less then smaller complexes and therefore remain in the light path. When the large immune complex is labelled with a fluorescent tracer, it is easily detected once present in the light path. If no drug was present in the sample, the availability of binding sites on the antibody entices the fluorscein tracer to bind, restricting its motion resulting in a higher degree of polarisation, Thus it is easy to identify that polarization is indirectly proportional to the concentration of drug present. The benefit of utilising FPIA in TDM includes the elimination of processed to separate bound and free labels, an indicator that this assay is time efficient. An unique feature of this assay is that the label used is a flurophore and the analytical signal involves the measurement of the fluorescent polarizatio n. ( Jacqueline Stanley 2002) A standard curve is constructed to determine the concentration of drug present and is easily reproducible due to the stability of the reagents utilized and the simplicity of the method. However FPIA has some limitations and is prone to interference from light scattering and endogenous fluorescent tracers in the samples. To help overcome these limitations variations on the technique is employed including: Use of a long wavelength label The fluorscein tracers utilized produce adequate signals, however light scattering events can interfere with these signals. The use of a long wavelength label permits extended fluorescence relaxation times which may be more sensitive for the detection of high molecular weight antigens on drugs. Use of CE-LIF The use of capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection enhances the sensitivity of this method. This competitive FPIA separates free and antibody bound tracers and utilizes LIFP as a detection system.( David S. Smith Sergei A 2008) Overall FPIA has proven to be a time and cost effective, accurate and sensitive technique in TDM and remains one of the most promising methods in this clinical field. ENZYME MULTIPLIED IMMUNOASSAY TECHNIQUE AND its USE IN TDM Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique (EMIT) is an advanced version of the general immunoassay technique utilising an enzyme as a marker. EMIT is a 2 stage assay that qualitatively detects the presence of drugs in urines and quantitatively detects the presence of drugs in serum.( David S. Smith Sergei A )Both the competitive and non-competitive forms of this assay are homogenous binding based that rapidly analyze microgram quantities of drug in a sample. in the competitive assay, the patient sample is incubated with anti drug antibodies. Antibody antigen reactions occur if there is any drug present in the sample. The number of unbound sites indirectly correlates with the drug concentration present. The second step involves the addition of an enzyme labelled specific drug which will bind to available binding sites on the antibody inactivating the enzyme. A enzyme widely used in EMIT assays is Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase which primarily oxidises the substrate added (Glucose 6 Phosphate). The co-factor NAD+ is also reduced to NADH by the active enzyme. Any enzyme drug conjugate that is unbound remains active, therefore only in this case , can the oxidation of NAD+ to NADH occur. An increase in absorbance photometrically @ 340nm correlates with the amount of NADH produced. (Jacqueline Stanley 2002) A non competitive format of this assay also exists, where by drug specific antibodies are added in excess to the sample resulting in antigen antibody interactions if the drug is present. A fixed amount of enzyme drug conjugate is then added which occupy any unbound sites present on the antibody. The active enzyme that is unbound oxidised NAD+ to NADH indicating presence of free enzyme conjugate and subsequently drug molecules present. (chemistry.hull.ac.uk/) EMIT technology is becoming increasingly popular as a method to monitor therapeutic drug levels. Drugs monitored using this technique includes anti asthmatic drugs, anti epileptic drugs and cardio active drugs. Radioimmunoassay work on the same principle as competitive EMIT with the exception of the use of a radio isotope as a marker. Gamma radiation is emitted from the marker leading to a high level of sensitivity and specificity. As it uses radio isotopes it is not the most cost effective in todays modern environment. MICROPARTICLE IMMUNOASSAY AND its USE IN TDM Microparticle agglutination technology uses latex microparticles and plays a leading role in TDM in the quantitative measurement of carbarbapenzaine, phenytoin, theophylline and phenybarbital. Kinetic movement of microparticles in solution (KIMS) is a homogenous assay and is based on the principle of competitive binding between microparticles via covalent coupling. When free drug exists in the patient sample, it will bind to the antibody present. As a result the microparticle antigen complex fail to bind with the antibody and the formation of a particle aggregate does not occur. Micro particles in solution fail to scatter light causing a low absorbance reading. If the patient sample is negative for the drug, the micro particle drug complex binds to the antibodies. The complex that is formed upon binding blocks the transmitted light and causes light scattering resulting in increasing absorbance readings. Hence the degree of light scattering is inversely related to the concentration of drug present. Light scattering spectroscopy improves the sensitivity and quantitation of particle based immunoassays, thus making KIMS a highly sensitive and accurate technique in TDM. Its popularity has developed throughout the years for many reasons. Reagents required for this assay are in expensive and have high stability. KIMS is a universal assay and can be preformed on a variety of analyzers. The assay has minimal interference as a change of absorbance is measured as a function of time while absorbance readings of interfering substances do not alter with time.( Frederick P. Smith, Sotiris A. Athanaselis) CHROMATOGRAPHY AND its USE IN TDM For many years liquid chromatography has been linked to detection systems and its application in TDM is becoming incredibility popular. Liquid chromatography was initially employed in response to difficulties arising in Gas Chromatography (G.C) due to heat instability and non specific adsorption on surfaces. High Performance Liquid chromatography is the main chromatography technique utilized for TDM. Thin Layer Chromatography (T.L.C) and Gas Chromatography are other alternatives, however have limitations that suppress their use in TDM. A derivatization step must be performed for highly polar and thermo liable drugs for G.C to be successful. TLC has a poor detection limit and is unable to detect low concentration of drug present. HPLC has revolutionized the monitoring of TDM with rapid speed and sensitivity of analysis and can separate a wider variety of drugs compared to GC and TLC. For this reason, HPLC is considered the most widely adaptable chromatographic technique when coupled w ith UV detection and Mass Spectrophotometry for TDM.( Phyllis R. Brown, Eli Grushka) BASIC PRINCIPLES IN HPLC HPLC is a separation technique performed in the mobile phase in which a sample is broken down into its basic constituents. HPLC is a separation technique that employs distribution differences of a compound over a stationary and mobile phase. The stationary phase is composed of a thin layer created on the surface of fine particles and the mobile phase flows over the fine particles while carrying the sample. Each component in the analyse moves through the column at a different speed depending on solubility in the phases and on the molecule size. As a result the sample components move at different paces over the stationary phase becoming separated from one another. Drugs that are localised in the mobile phase migrate faster as to those that are situated in the stationary phase. The drug molecules are eluted off the column by gradient elution. Gradient elution refers to the steady change of the eluent composition and strength over the run of the column. As the drug molecules elute of HPL C is linked to a detection system to detect the quantity of drug present in the sample. Detection systems include mass spectrophotometry and UV detection. (Mahmoud A. Alabdalla Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine) DETECTION SYSTEMS USED IN HPLC FOR TDM Detection of HPLC with a diode array ultraviolet detector has proved to be a sustainable application system in the identification after HPLC analysis. The use of UV detection allows the online possession the compounds UV spectra. These detection system absorb light in the range of 180-350nm. UV light transmitted passes through a sensor and from that to the photoelectric cell. This output is modified to appear on the potentiometric recorder. By placing a monochromatoer between and light source and the cell, a specific wavelength is created for the detection , thus improving the detectors specificity. A wide band light source can also be used as an alternative method. In this case the light from the cell is optically dispersed and allowed to fall on the diode array.( Mahmoud A. Alabdalla Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine) HPLC can also be coupled to a mass spectrophotometer as a detection method. Mass spectrophotometry (MS) elucidates the chemical structure of a drug. Sensitivity of this technique is observed as it can detect low drug concentration in a sample. Specificity of this method can be futher enhanced by Tandem mass spectrophotometric analysis. This involves multiple steps of mass spectrophotometry. This is accomplished by separating individual mass spectrometer elements in space or by separating MS phases in time. (Franck Saint-Marcoux et al) FUTURE TRENDS IN TDM METHODOLOGY AGILENTS 1200 HPLC MICRO CHIP Agilents 1200 HPLC micro chip technology combines microfliudics with an easy use interface that confines the HPLC procedure tot his dynamic chip. The micro chip technology integrates analytical columns, micro cuvette connections and a metal coated electro spray tip into the chip to function as a regular HPLC analyzer. The compact chip reduces peak dispersion for a complete sensitive and precise technique. The microchip comes complete with an integrated LC system into sample enrichment and separation column. The operation of the chip is well defined and manageable upon insertion into the Agilent interface which mounts onto the mass spectrophotometer. The built in auto sampler loads the samples and the sample is moves into the trapping column by the mobile phase. Gradient flow from the pump moves the sample from the trapped column to the separation column. The drug is separated the same as the convention methods however reduced peak dispersion does produce better separation efficiency than the conventional method. This form of technology is currently in use in the United States but has not developed outside of the U.S(http://www.agilent.com) PHYZIOTYPE SYSTEM This is the latest application on the market for the treatment and monitoring of drugs associated with metabolic disorders. The PhyzioType system utilizes DNA markers from several genes coupled with biostatisical knowledge to predict a patients risk of developing adverse drug reactions. (Kristen k. Reynolds Roland Valdes) AMPLICHIP CYP450 TEST The Amplichip CYP450 Test is a new technology that has revolutionised the TDM of anti psychotic drugs. This test has been approved by the FDA in 2006 but is not currently in use in laboratories in Ireland. This test is used for the analysis of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genes, both of which have an influence in drug metabolism. The function of this test is to identify a patient genotype so their phenotype is calculated. Based on the patient phenotype, a clinician determines the type of therapeutic strategy he/she will commence (Kristen k. Reynolds Roland Valdes) DISCUSSION This paper illustrates the increasing role of immunoassay and chromatography techniques in the clinical laboratory routine monitoring of therapeutic drugs. Before an analytical technique is introduced into TDM it must meet the requirements of sensitivity, accuracy and specificity needed for most TDM applications. The methodology of TDM in todays clinical setting revolves around the use of immunoassays and chromatography techniques. A range of immunoassays was discussed revolving around their principle and advantages and limitations. The majority of immunoassays utilised in the TDM are homogenous based for rapid analysis and efficient turn around time for drug monitoring. Most immunoassays involved in TDM are based on the same principle of competitive binding for antibody. The factor that distinguishes each immunoassay is the detection methods used. Detection methods discussed in this reviewed include nephelometric techniques, flourscein labels, enzyme labels and the use of micro part icles. Each method relies on different detection principles as discussed, however characteristics common to all methods include accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The methodologies discussed also are time and cost efficient, both essential in laboratory assays. Chromatographic techniques are also discussed with HPLC providing the most impact to TDM. Gas and thin layer chromatography are other chromatographic techniques, however neither can be utilised in TDM due to the limitations both techniques hold against TDM. . HPLC is a rapid sensitive method for the quantitation of drugs in a sample and for this reason is the most widely adaptable chromatographic technique applied in TDM. Like all chromatographic techniques drugs are separated based on the interaction of the drug with the stationary phase which determines the elution time. Detection methods primarily used are UV detection and mass spectrophotometry The final thought on this overview of TDM was an insight into the future of its methodology and applications .Future and approved methods are discussed given a brief outline on each. The constant development of methodologies and techniques in this area of TDM are ongoing constantly keeping the area of TDM one of the most fastest and interesting in clinical medicine. Literature Review: The Impact Of Legalized Abortion Literature Review: The Impact Of Legalized Abortion The publication of the controversial paper on legalised abortion and its affect on the rate of crime by Levitt and Donohue (2001) has resulted in widespread condemnation from a variety of sources, for example, Joseph Scheidler, executive direction of the Pro-Life Action league, described the paper as so fraught with stupidity that I hardly know where to start refuting it Crime fell sharply in the United States in the 1990s, in all categories of crime and all parts of the nation. Homicide rates plunged 43 percent from the peak in 1991 to 2001, reaching the lowest levels in 35 years. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) violent and property crime indexes fell 34 and 29 percent, respectively, over that same period. (Levitt, 2004) In his journal The impact of Legalized abortion on crime Levitt attempts to offer evidence that the legalization of abortion in 1973 was the chief contributor to the recent crime reductions of the 1990s. Levitts hypothesis is that legalized abortion may lead to reduced crime either through reductions in cohort sizes or through lower per capita offending rates for affected cohorts. The smaller cohort that results from abortion legalization means that when that cohort reaches the late teens and twenties, there will be fewer young males in their peak crime years, and thus less crime. He argues that the decision in Roe v Wade constitutes an abrupt legal development that can possibly have an abrupt influence 15-20 years later when the cohorts born in the wake of liberalized abortion would start reaching their peak crime years. In essence, Levitt puts forward the theory that unwanted children are more likely to become troubled adolescents, prone to crime and drug use, than wanted children are. As abortion is legalized, a whole generation of unwanted births are averted leading to a drop in crime two decades later when this phantom generation would have grown up. To back up this point, Levit t makes use of a platform from previous work such as (Levine et al 1996) and (Comanor and Phillips 1999) who suggest that women who have abortions are those most likely to give birth to children who would engage in criminal activity. He also builds on earlier work from (Loeber and Stouthamer-Loeber 1986) who concludes that an adverse family environment is strongly linked to future criminality. Although keen not to be encroach into the moral and ethical implications of abortion, Levitt, through mainly empirical evidence is able to back up his hypothesis by concluding that a negative relationship between abortion and crime does in fact exist, showing that an increase of 100 abortions per 1000 live births reduces a cohorts crime by roughly 10 per cent and states in his conclusion that legalized abortion is a primary explanation for the large drops in crime seen in the 1990s. One of the criticisms that can be levied against this study is its failure to take into consideration the effect other factors may have had in influencing crime rates during the 1980s and 1990s, such as the crack wave. Accounting for this factor, the abortion effect may have been mitigated slightly. Also Levitts empirical work failed to take into account the greater number of abortions by African Americans who he distinguishes as the race which commit the most amount of violent crime, and his evidence fails to identify whether the drop in crime was due to there being a relative drop in the number of African Americans. The list of possible explanations for the sudden and sharp decrease in crime during the 1990s doesnt stop at Levitts abortion/crime theory and Levitt himself in his 2004 paper identifies three other factors that have played a critical role. The first is the rising prison population that was seen over the same time period, and (Kuziemko and Levitt, 2003) attribute this to a sharp rise in incarceration for drug related offences, increased parole revocation and longer sentences handed out for those convicted of crimes, although there is the possibility of a substitution effect taking place where punishment increases for one crime, potential criminals may choose to commit alternative crimes instead. There are two ways that increasing the number of person incarcerated could have an influence on crime rates. Physically removing offenders from the community will mean the avoidance of any future crime they may plausibly commit during the time they are in prison known as the incapacitation affect. Also there is the deterrence effect, through raising the expected punishment cost potential criminals will be less inclined to commit a crime. As criminals face bounded rationality, expected utility gained from crime will have an effect on the amount of time spent devoted to crime. (Becker, 1968). A study conducted by Spelman (2000) examined the affect the incarceration rate would have on the rate of crime and finds the relationship to have an elasticity measure of -0.4 which means that an increase in the levels of incarceration of one percent will lead to a drop in crime of 0.4%. In Economic models of crime such as Becker (1968), improvements in the legitimate labor market make crime less attractive as the return earned from legitimate work increases. Using this model, the sustained economic growth that was seen in the 1990s (Real GDP per capita grew by almost 30% between 1991 and 2001 and unemployment over the same period fell from 6.8 to 4.8 percent) could be seen as a contributing factor to the drop in crime witnessed and many scholars (such as) have come to that conclusion. However, the improved macroeconomic performance of the 90s is more likely to be relevant in terms of crimes that have financial gains such as burglary and auto theft and does not explain the sharp decrease seen in homicide rates. Also, the large increase in crime seen in the 1960s coincided with a decade of improving economic growth, further corroborating the weak link between macroeconomics and crime (Levitt, 2004). One other explanation for the drop in crime and the most commonly cited reason can be seen in the growing use of police innovation, and an adoption of community policing. The idea stemmed from the broken window theory, which argues that minor nuisances, if left unchecked, turn into major nuisances (Freakonomics) The main problem with the policing explanation is that innovative police practices had been implemented after the crime rate had already began declining, and perhaps more importantly, the rate of crime dropped in cities that had not experienced any major changes in policing (Ouimet, 2004).

An Analysis of Jack Londons To Build a Fire :: London To Build a Fire Essays

An Analysis of Jack London's To Build a Fire In her cultural criticism of Jack London's "To Build a Fire", Jill Widdicombe explores the question of whether the story's protagonist might have perished from the extreme cold of the Klondike winter even if with a traveling companion. She describes the brutality of the winter weather and, alluding to the man's confidence in his ability to survive the weather, describes it as "behavior most of us can understand" - especially if we are accustomed to warmer surroundings. She states: "the extreme cold of frosty landscapes--or "The White Silence", as London describes it--is so quiet and abstract that it does not immediately appear to be lethal". As the plot unfolds, I feel the story's protagonist falls victim to several factors brought into play at once: his inexperience with the severity of the Klondike winters, his inability to envision the possible consequences of his decision to travel alone in such weather, a series of unfortunate events during his trip, and the misjudgment exercised in his attempts to survive those incidents. Though quick and alert, the man's lack of imagination renders him unable to visualize what might happen to a man traveling without a companion should adverse circumstances arise in such severe weather in an uninhabited landscape. When he indeed finds himself in dire straits as a result of getting wet in the brutal freezing weather, he once again fails to imagine how quickly the cold will threaten his life and consequently misjudges the severity of his situation. His poor judgment causes him to make one mistake after another until he finds himself incapable of extricating himself from his situation . It seems obvious that had he made himself more familiar with the culture of the land and paid attention to the warnings of the old-timer on Sulpher Creek, he might have chosen to delay his trip and live to travel another day. Had he understood the importance of fostering a relationship with the dog, a native Husky with inbred instincts regarding the native climate, the dog would have interacted differently with him, maybe warning him of the danger of the weather through its actions or perhaps providing help, either by sharing its body heat or by going for help. However, instead he held little regard for the dog and the dog reciprocated: "there was no keen intimacy between the dog and the man.

Cornea Transplant Essay

BIOLOGY ESSAY Discuss the role of Human transplants in society There are many types of organs in our body. Each organ has their own function and they are important. If an organ is damaged or diseased, without medical help, a person could die. The cornea is very special and is an important part of human body. It helps to protect the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. The cornea acts as the eye’s outermost lens. It functions like a window that controls and focuses the entry of light into the eye. The cornea also serves as a filter, screening out some of the mist damaging ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight.Without this protection, the lens and the retina would be highly susceptible to injury from ultraviolet radiation. (SOLL EYE) A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure to replace part of the cornea with corneal tissue from a deceased donor. Cornea transplant apply for people who have vision problem caused by thinning of the cornea, severe infections or injuries to scarring of the cornea or vision loss caused by cloudiness of the cornea. The method of cornea surgery is complex. Sometimes, the body rejects the transplant tissue. This occurs in a small number of patients (The New York Times).It occurs in about one out of three patients in the first five years (Medline Plus). According to Alabama Eye Bank, more than 90% of cornea transplant operations successfully restore the recipient’s vision. Other dangers for a corneal transplant are bleeding, infection of the eye, Glaucoma (high pressure in the eye than can cause vision loss) and swelling of the front of the eye (Medline Plus). Certainly, the medical provider would take every possible precaution to prevent such complications because it can permanently damage the eyes.The surgery consists of the removal of a circular piece of the affected cornea and replacing it with a piece of donor cornea of exactly the same size or shape. It is sewn into place with very fine stitches. Eyes are never removed or replaced during the operation. The body can reject the new cornea sometimes and this is a very negative result of this surgery. 3% to 5% people get scarred and swollen in their eyes after the surgery according to Dr. Paul Driver. However, there are still some positive about the corneal surgery. It mproves people’s vision and has a positive impact on their social and educational development (SOLL EYE). There are many benefits for patients who receive a cornea transplant. The recovery time of corneal transplant is faster than other transplants. People who get the transplant can leave the hospital in a day. With almost all the other surgeries and other transplants, they require people to be hospitalized. Also, the success probability of cornea transplant is higher than other surgeries and patients enjoy good vision for many years (Winchester Hospital). Although the transplant has many benefits, it also has some limitations.In some cases, the body rejec ts the new cornea. Recognizing the warning signs of problems is the best way to prevent corneal transplant rejection. Those symptoms are redness, pain, sensitive to light and decreased vision that last more than 12 hours (Cleveland Clinic). Also, cornea infections are still be a problem that science is trying to prevent. Eye drops are used to prevent infection but also prevent rejection. Rejection can be stopped in most cases, especially if it is diagnosed and treated timely. If treatment fails, another transplant will be needed.However, it is more difficult and the chances of success are not as good as with the first transplant (net doctor). And still, there are cases when a donor cornea cannot be found to use in the transplant, because the donors are not available. In Europe, an Opt-out approach has the greatest impact on the number of preventable deaths that occur because of the lack of donated organs. This approach requires each individual to make a minor action in declaring his or her desire to refrain from donating according to Opt-out laws. Family do not involve in this, it would not make any changes unless that person say no to donation.In the United States, the system is the opposite of Opt-out, and it is called Opt-In. Many states find a way to encourage the donations to be made by allowing the agreement to be noted on the driver’s license. Donor signs up for an individual’s wish to be a donor. Individual people have to say yes to be a donor. This means the number of donors starts from a small number. It is a pure consent system rather than an extended opt-out system. (NHSBT) There are more than 10 million people waiting for corneas but there are less people contribute corneas (Sight Life).Some people don’t want to contribute it because of their religious beliefs make them think they cannot contribute anything on their body after death. Most people think that dead people do not need their organs anymore; they should give them to someone who does and prefer an Opt-out approach. The cornea transplant costs a lot of money. According to Eye Surgery Center, it costs 7500 to 10000 dollars to get a cornea transplant. This expensive price also can be a problem. Some poor people cannot get the transplant because they do not have enough money. The situation can cause people to commit robbery.Even some people kidnap because of this expensive operation prices. For example, on NTD Television in China on Aug. 1, 2012, there was a report about a Korean couple that visited China and the woman was kidnapped. After few days, the woman was found dead with all of her organs removed. This kind of situation is a very serious problem. People commit crimes because of this expensive price that they cannot afford it. Over 111000 people need organ transplants. Thousands of people die each year before a transplant can be located and people have to wait for a long time.Increasing the number of donors would help end the needless sufferi ng and would save lives. I know it’s hard to think about what are going to happen to your body after you die, but being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver. Citation: â€Å"Corneal Transplant Improves Vision and Daily Life for Some Children. † American Academy of Opthalmology . American Academy of Opthalmology , 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Cornea transplant. † MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Community, Health, You don't need your eyes when you're dead but there people do. UPWORTHY. UPWORTHY, 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Problems . † SOLL EYE . SOLL EYE, 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplantation. † netdoctor. netdoctor, 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal conditions and diseases. † Cleveland Clinic . Cleveland Clinic, 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplant . † Winchester Hospital . Winchester Hospital, 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Developed by, RelayHealth. â€Å"Corneal Transplant. † CRS – Adult Health Advisor (2012): 1. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Education and Training, Myths and Facts about Cornea Transplant . † Alabama Eye Bank.Alabama Eye Bank, 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplantation. † Eye Surgery Center. Eye Surgery Center, 2009. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Health Guide, Corneal Transplant. † The New York Times. The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Something about Organ Donation. † Donation after Death. Donation after Death, 2013. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"The Traffickers . † NTD Television. NTD Television , 2013. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"The World Through New Eyes. † SightLife. SightLife, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Why do donors tick the opt-out box for eye? .† BBC News. BBC News, 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 5 Feb. 2013.

Austria, and Spain, intertwining history essays

Austria, and Spain, intertwining history essays I have traveled to both Spain, and Austria. While both are unmistakably different in both culture, and government, they are not so unalike that we couldnt compare the two. Spain is very culturally rich in its diverse cities, the olive growing provinces, and the wine growing communities. A road trip anywhere in the country would be a beautiful drive with the grape vines, and the olive trees dotting the never-ending mountains. There are charming towns and villages every so often where one can find a bit of history in modern day life. Austria is also very beautiful with a lot of the towns nestled in the foothills, or in the mountains of the Alps. It is a very culturally rich country with some of the best bread and wine to rival even Spain. The tourist can take a train ride and view the beautiful mountains, lush vegetation, and the very Austrian homes along the way. There are some of the most beautiful castles, and monasteries in the world. They are both very beautiful, and culturally ri ch countries that both value their way of life, and their influence in the rest of the world. Both countries have had a major influence in Europe in one way or another. Spain is located right below France on the Iberian Peninsula, and it is the country that cuts Portugal off from the rest of Europe. The population of Spain is a little over 40,000,000. The Capital is Madrid with Barcelona the rival city, and the capital of Catalonia. Spanish is the main language with Catalan, Galician, and Valencian not far behind. Right now Spain has adopted the Euro monetary unit, although the peseta is still accepted anywhere. Spain is still a Monarchy with Juan Carlos I as the King. The president of the government is the Prime Minister who is currently Jose Maria Lopez who was elected from the Popular Party according to the Political Handbook of the World 1999. Because of the conquest by the Arabs, and Moors in the eighth century, there are sti...

Great Hammerhead Shark

Great Hammerhead Shark The great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is the largest of the 9 species of hammerhead sharks. These sharks are easily recognized by their unique hammer or shovel-shaped heads. Description The great hammerhead can reach a maximum length of about 20 feet, but their average length is about 12 feet. Their maximum length is about 990 pounds. They have a grayish-brown to light gray back and white underside. Great hammerhead sharks have a notch in the center of their head, which is known as a cephalofoil. The cephalofoil has a gentle curve in juvenile sharks but becomes straight as the shark ages. Great hammerhead sharks have a very tall, curved first dorsal fin and a smaller second dorsal fin. They have 5-gill slits. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: GnathostomataSuperclass: PiscesClass: ElasmobranchiiSubclass: NeoselachiiInfraclass: SelachiiSuperorder: GaleomorphiOrder: CarcharhiniformesFamily: SphyrnidaeGenus: SphyrnaSpecies: mokarran Habitat and Distribution Great hammerhead sharks live in warm temperate and tropical waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They are also found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and Arabian Gulf. They undertake seasonal migrations to cooler waters in the summer. Great hammerheads may be found in both nearshore and offshore waters, over continental shelves, near islands, and near coral reefs. Feeding Hammerheads use their cephalofoils for detection of prey using their electro-reception system. This system allows them to detect their prey by electrical fields. Great hammerhead sharks primarily feed at dusk and eat stingrays, invertebrates, and fish, including even other great hammerheads. Their favorite prey is rays, which they pin down using their heads. They then bite at the rays wings to immobilize them and eat the entire ray, including the tail spine. Reproduction Great hammerhead sharks may mate at the surface, which is unusual behavior for a shark. During mating, the male transfers sperm to the female via his claspers. Great hammerhead sharks are viviparous (give birth to live young). The gestation period for a female shark is about 11 months, and 6-42 pups are born live. The pups are about 2 feet long at birth. Shark Attacks Hammerhead sharks are generally not dangerous to humans, but great hammerheads should be avoided due to their size. Hammerhead sharks, in general, are listed by the International Shark Attack File #8 on its list of species responsible for shark attacks from the years 1580 to 2011. During this time, hammerheads were responsible for 17 non-fatal, unprovoked attacks and 20 fatal, provoked attacks. Conservation Great hammerheads are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List due to their slow reproduction rate, high bycatch mortality and harvest in shark finning operations. The IUCN encourages implementation of shark finning bans to protect this species. References and Further Information ARKive. Great Hammerhead. Accessed June 30, 2012.Bester, Cathleen.Great Hammerhead Shark. Florida Museum of Natural History. Accessed June 30, 2012.Carpenter, K.E. Great Hammerhead: Sphyrna mokarran. Accessed June 30, 2012.Compagno, L., Dando, M. and S. Fowler. 2005. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press.Denham, J., Stevens, J., Simpfendorfer, C.A., Heupel, M.R., Cliff, G., Morgan, A., Graham, R., Ducrocq, M., Dulvy, N.D, Seisay, M., Asber, M., Valenti, S.V., Litvinov, F., Martins, P., Lemine Ould Sidi, M. Tous, P. and Bucal, D. 2007. Sphyrna mokarran. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1... Accessed June 30, 2012.Florida Museum of Natural History. 2012. ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark. Accessed June 30, 2012.Krupa, D. 2002. Why the Hammerhead Sharks Head is In the Shape Its In. American Physiological Society. Accessed June 30, 2012.ScienceDaily. 2010. Hammerhead Shark Study Shows Cascade of Evolution Affected Size, Head Shape. A ccessed June 30, 2012.

Masonry Brick Production Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Masonry Brick Production - Term Paper Example However, scientific improvements have made modern brick plants substantially more competent and have enhanced the overall value of the products. A more comprehensive acquaintance of raw materials and their characteristics, improved control of firing, enhanced kiln designs and more sophisticated mechanization have contributed to advancing the brick production. Brick is produce from clay or shale moulded, dried and fired into a sturdy ceramic creation (Demir & Orhan, 2003). Brick producers handle sustainability by situating manufacturing plants near clay sources to decrease shipping, by recycling of procedure waste, by recovering excavation site where mining has happened, and by practising measures to minimise plant emissions. Most brick are utilized within five hundred miles of a brick production facility. The report provides essential information for understanding masonry demands and requirements (Kermeli, Worrell & Masanet, 2011). Diesel or another type of fuel is appropriate to provide power for crushers, while electricity is essential during this stage to guarantee smooth operation of conveyors. Energy is a fundamental resource in almost every industry, since it drives different functions or production processes. Without energy, these procedures would breakdown, rendering a manufacturing unproductive and incapable of attaining production capacities (Kreh, 2003). Masonry Brick Production uses contemporary kiln cars that run through dryers, powered either by thermal energy or electrical energy source, derived from combusting coal or appropriate fossil fuels (Kreh, 2003). Most of the water in the material mixture is dispersed in drying compartments at a temperature varying from 400C to 2000C. The other energy demanding step in brick production is firing. Just like in other stages, thermal and electrical energy is essential to fire the kilns to temperatures ranging from 10000C to 12000C, based on

Challenges and Responses to Improving Geriatric Nursing Care Essay - 1

Challenges and Responses to Improving Geriatric Nursing Care - Essay Example The number of old-aged people seeking health care facilities is rising with no or minimal changes in the number of nurses specialized in the field. According to Hickman, University of Western Sydney and Newton (2007), most of the nurses attending to the old people have no special training. Therefore, apart from the shortage of nurses trained in dealing with the old, the already practicing nurses are offering substandard services to the old aged. This is because they lack professional competence in that area. Various reasons have contributed to reduced number of people training in gerontological studies, (Vincent, 2012). For instance, education institutions are faced with the challenge of handling large numbers of students. This leads to difficult in the institution offering the required facilities to the learners, hence leading to inadequate education. As such, nurses graduating from such institutions are not fully prepared to handle the elderly. Additionally, students find it diffic ult to pursue education program on care giving to the old age due to complexity of research projects undertaken in the field.The number of old-aged people seeking health care facilities is rising. According to Hickman, University of Western Sydney and Newton (2007), most of the nurses attending to the old people have no special training. Therefore, apart from the shortage of nurses trained in dealing with the old, the already practicing nurses are offering substandard services to the old aged.