Light Pollution In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay

scant(p) Pollution In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences EssayHong Kong is well-known as the Pearl of the Orient beca hold of its bright infirms of skyline at night. It is generally acknowledged by business parties that the brighter the informals in the city, the more business opportunities they give grab. (Lau, 2012) Nevertheless, behind this glamorous metropolitan city, the overuse of outdoor(a) inflaming facilities sacrifices Hong Kongs worthful natural resources and citizens good living surround. Light taint caused by it has been increasing rapidly and is an environmental line, which similarly has similar untoward impacts as other taint such as carry, noise, plagued Hong Kong in this decade. Thus, the Government has meetn a pragmatic glide slope to tackle the problem with an issue of Guidelines on Industry Best Practices for outside(a) Lighting Installations at the beginning of this year. (Environment Bureau, et al., 2012) However, it is deemed to be far less than e nough to ease serious agility contamination in this flourishing city.The purpose of this makeup is twofold (1) to discuss how light pollution affect the environment and residents and (2) to analyze relation between light pollution problem and different aspect which accept frequent awareness, business and law.Background of Light PollutionLight pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is the alteration of natural light aims in the outdoor environment owing to artificial light sources. The increase in night sky brightness due to light pollution diminishes the view of stars and planets. (Cinzano, et al., 2000) Generally, outdoor lights initially are practiceed for illuminating a specific area on the ground or wall, but in reality, some light throw out to a much larger area. (Pun So, 2009) Some lighting facilities even direct upward and this cause a much more serious light pollution.In Hong Kong, according to the data collected by the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong since 2003, the urban night sky is on average 100 times brighter than the darkest rural sites. (Pun So, 2009) This indicates that high population and lighting densities kitty aggravate light pollution problem. Excessive use of toilsome spotlights for illuminating advertising billboards and abundant atomic list 10 signs on commercial building are the main factors of light pollution problem in Hong Kong. Other pollution sources include street lamps with poor design of lampshades and pointing direction and other artificial lighting with little regard to fixture shielding.To narrow the scope of light pollution source discussed in this paper, it will chiefly focus at lighting facilities for commercial use.Adverse Impact of Light PollutionLight Pollution has adverse effect on natural environment and human beings, such as energy wastage disruption to ecosystem and health problems. (Cheung, 2010)Excessive use of lights leads to a wastage of energy. So me neon signs and lights for illuminating advertising billboards switch on even at midnight when there are only a few people on the street who may have a chance to notion at the advertisements. This energy wastage may aggravate air pollution as well as global warning problem because Hong Kongs electricity is generated using char and natural gas. (HK Electric, 2011) The generation of electricity emits carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Its increase in atmosphere causes an increase of the temperature world-wide. (Narisada Schreuder, 2004) The excessive use of lighting facilities for commercial use is not essential in our lives and this not only leads to light pollution but also other pollution problem such as global warming and exhaustion of non-renewable resources.As for ecosystem, being an important stop-over point of the East Asia-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds, Hong Kongs excessive outdoor lightings may affect migratory as we ll as non-migratory birds. It may disorient physiological cycles and the movement of animals. (Travis Catherine, 2004) The breeding patterns of nocturnal animals and insect populations and management of metabolism, development and sprightliness programmes of plants are also affected adversely. (Deda, et al., 2007)Human beings may also be the victim of light pollution mainly because their living environment is brighter due to the strong light pollution source such as neon sign. A brighter night area will make them difficult to have a copesettic sleeping at night. Sleep disruption may cause irritability, tiredness and nervousness in the following day. (Wu Wong, 2012) Their immunity to disease may also change magnitude and in turn lead to a longer-term health risks. (The Campaign for Dark Skies, 2009) Disruption of sleeping is the most concerned adverse impact by the universal since it is the most apparent effect observed in their lives.Light Pollution and cosmos AwarenessLight p ollution problem is complicated by public ignorance. In the past, the general public was oblivious to the damage being done and did not value what was destroyed by light pollution. (Berry, 1976) Fortunately, the increasing evidence of adverse effects mentioned above make people pour down to pay more attention on this issue, but still it is not the most concerned pollution problem in Hong Kong. When local residents were asked about which environmental issues they are most concerned in 2008, more than a half answered drinking water pollution, air pollution, and global warning. (DeGolyer, 2008) Light pollution even did not appear in the choice of answers. This may be because light pollution problem only start to get high publicity in this decade while the public has been educated about other pollution problem for a long time. Public awareness with intrinsic knowledge has played an important role in solving environmental problem. (Bickerstaff Walker, 2001) Take air pollution as an exa mple, the alliance at large is aware of this problem. The Government, environmental groups, individuals who are environmentalism and other stakeholders have taken a lot of actions to tackle the problem such as implementing mitigation measures, natural elevation public awareness on this issue and trying their little effort to take practical action. Therefore, public awareness contributes to the ease of pollution even though the pollution level has not met an acceptable level yet.It may be pleasing to note that the public awareness of light pollution problem seems to be arising but this may be because more light pollution sources which are mainly from commercial parties exists in urban area. There is a growing number of people lodging complaints about light pollution to the authorities. According to the statistic provided by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr. Edward Yau at the Legislative Council in 2010, complaints about light pollution had change magnitude from 103 in 2007 to 389 in 2009. (Hong Kongs Information Services Department, 2010) This indicates that more light pollution exists in Hong Kong and thus more people are concerned about this pollution problem because it directly affects their living quality to some extent. This increase of public awareness has helped to ease light pollution in Hong Kong. There are more people to urge the Government to have more pragmatic measures in addressing the problem. When complaints are received from abutting residents, some commercial building owners such as The One shopping complex in Tsim Sha Tsui are also willing to reduce the brightness of their lighting facilities. (Cheung, 2011) However, the level of public awareness on light pollution in Hong Kong is far less than enough for a success in solving this problem. Education and publicity measures could be used to increase it so that it can motivate the community to tackle light pollution problem with more effort.Light Pollution and BusinessHong Kongs economy relies on commercial and tourism industry heavily. These two industries correlate closely with the increasingly serious light pollution problem.Commercial sector relies on lighting to attract business. So, use of lighting facilities is understandable. However, overuse and over-brightness of their lighting facilities are the main factor of light pollution and should be reduced. Business parties generally pay little attention on light pollution caused by them, even though they emphasize corporate social responsibility. Some of them think that switching off the lights required by the public will eliminate Hong Kongs economic activities at night and deprive local residents of a late dinner break. If residents nearby are not satisfied with their bright lights, they can choose to live in a dimmer district. (Cheung, 2011) So, most of them do not take any practical action to alleviate light pollution problem caused by them.Another problem is due to Hong Kongs famous skyline at night which e ntices tourists. A majority of tourists visit Hong Kong mainly due to its nature on neon lights. They look forward to enjoy a spectacular night view in Victoria Harbour with many neon signs on skyscrapers on two sides of the harbour. Since Hong Kongs economy is reliant on tourism, the Government sayd A Symphony of Lights which combines interactive lights of building around Victoria Harbour in 2004 to throw out tourism industry. (Tourism Commission, 2005) So, business parties may think that light pollution is only a small side-effect of flourishing tourism industry and fast economic development.These lights and ample neon signs are part of Hong Kongs floriculture and are often used by commercial sector and even the Government as a ray for attracting tourists and local customers to buy their product and thus stimulate economy. However, in an opinion survey conducted in 2010, people who visited areas of intensive external lighting, including tourists, customers, have a higher(pre nominal) proportion considering external lighting signs bright or too bright than shop owners, building owners and property management. (Policy 21 Limited, 2010) So, this indicates that business parties do not fill to use such high level of brightness of lighting signs so to attract local and foreign customers. They can adjust the brightness to an acceptable level so that people nearby will not be adversely affected by them while they could still use lighting signs to attract customers.Light Pollution and the LawIn Hong Kong, there is no specific ordinance with regard to light pollution. (Legislative Council, 2011) Even the public and green groups have urged the Government to introduce law to combat light pollution, which is similar to what they did to solve other pollution problems, the Government only issued a guideline, namely Guidelines on Industry Best Practices for immaterial Lighting Installations, in January 2012. Different from an ordinance, the voluntary guideline only s uggests the Government departments and private sector to have a pause external lighting installations. (Environment Bureau, et al., 2012) It is deemed to be toothless to alleviate this increasingly severe environmental problem as no one could execute business partes. (Cheung, 2011)One of the agruments for no legislation in Hong Kong is that some Asian countries which have similar economies to Hong Kong do not adopt any mandatory regulation over external lighting. (Legislative Council, 2011) However, the urban planning of Hong Kong and these countries should also be considered. Hong Kong has a relatively poor urban planning in the past because of rare land available for development, so residential and commercial buildings were of all time buit next to each other in urban area, such as Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui while for other Asian countries, their business area has a clear speration from residential area. Thus, they do not need to use legislation on external lighting of commercia l building to solve light pollution problem. In fact, there are many countries, such as Britiain and the United States with mandatory action in regulation of external light. (Legislative Council, 2011) Hong Kong Legislative Council should consider the citys special culture and take partial approach in mandatory regulation, such as only restricting the applicability of regularoty framework to new lighting installation. In addition, the light from huge neon signs and flashing lights on the top of commercial buildings can even bleed into residential flats nearby with double curtains on windows. This problem cannot be work out only by the residents. Even though they compain to relative authorities, the officials cannot reduce the brightness of the pollution source due to lack of ordinance. So, one of the reugulation may empower the officials to enforce commercial buildings to mitigate their light pollution source to an acceptable level after a complaint about their lighting facilities is lodged. As a result, the citys culture City of the Night will not be altered a lot after the introduction of law regarding external lighting. A mandatory approach to solve light pollution problem should be much better than a voluntary guideline.ConclusionLight pollution has been a widely-discussed topic in Hong Kong in this decade. There has been a call to the Government for working in full swing to map out strategies to solve this environmental problem effectively. A series of short to long term measures, including education, publicity and law enforcement should be implemented. Apart from the Government, all sectors families, communities and public and private organizations at every level essential also recognize their roles in alleviating light pollution problem in Hong Kong. In fact, the environment is a public resource that requires collaborative efforts of the whole community to conserve. It would be pleasing to note that everyone is enthusiastic in solving this problem and in the near future, we will create for ourselves and our further generation a better and light-pollution-free city in which to live and work.

Analysis Of The Pharmaceutical Industry Economics Essay

Analysis Of The pharmaceutical companyceutical manufacturing Economics EssayThe most important definition of perseverance was given by Michael ostiarius in 1979 a group of competitors producing substitutes that argon close enough that the behavior of any firm affects only(prenominal) of the others either directly or indirectly. Later, doorkeeper defined the term more precisely as a group of companies offering harvests or function that are close substitutes for each other, that is, products or services that satisfy the same basic customers needs. This unfermented definition emphasizes the importance of industry borders and industrys role as a foodstuff supplier or producer of goods and services, as distinguished from a market, defined as a consumer of goods and services.Furthermore, inside e truly industry in that location are groups of companies that follow similar strategies, defined by Michael S. hunt in his unpublished 1972 Ph.D. dissertation as strategic groups. Bet ween these groups in that respect are differences in entry barriers, negociate power with buyers and suppliers and skills and resources . Strategic groups compete against each other within the industry as a result of these differences.1.2 Models to Analyze the Industry and Its EnvironmentThe literature agrees that comprehension of the industry structure is essential to growing a firms strategy and has a greater effect on the firms performance than whether it is business-specific or corporate-parent. The comprehension of the structure requires analyses of the industrys life cycle. It also requires step-by-step political, legal, technological, social and sparing analyses as well as the five driving forces of business, provided by Michael Porter. By utilizing these analysis techniques, it is also possible to anticipate changes in industry contestation and positiveness everyplace time.1.2.1 Industry Life Cycle AnalysisThere are different phases during the development of an indus try. Every phases is characterized by a different environments which make competition assumes different the form. Through studying the life cycle, the industry realizes its stake in the market and its see on consumers. The industry life cycle model includes quadruple different phases introduction, increase, maturity and change state.The first phase, called introduction, is characterized by a low demand, whereas prices are high as a consequence of firms inability to realize economies of scale. For this reason lucre are low and losses are possible due to high amount of investments in new categories. Barriers to entry are primary based on technologies and competencies. Strategy is foc intentd mainly on RD and end product, with the goal of enhancing novelty and quality. Competitors, attracted by the rising demand, attempt to replicate the new product.In the second phase, growth, the use of the product is extended, demand grows, prices decline due to economies of scale, barriers to entry are lower and the curse of new entry is high. At this phase the technology is usually non sole(prenominal) property of one or more firms, and the primary reaction to competition is marketing expenditure and initiatives profits are not very high because prices decline as competitors enter the market. There is a transition period, or shakeout, between the second and the third phases. The shakeout involves finding and using all investment opportunities, because the market is secretive saturation and demand grows more slowly.In the third phase, maturity, market growth is low or nonexistent, and the focus shifts to gaining market share demand is represented tho by the substitution of products, investment in RD decreases and thither is little innovation. In this phase firms seek cost reductions, and competition is based primarily on denote and quality because of the low differentiation between products. colossal firms acquire smaller players, while others are forced to exit. As a conseguence of high barrier to entry, the threat of new entrants are low.The last phase is decline, so called because of the continued decline in demand. Industries arrive at this stage for a variety of reasons. These include a change in social behaviors, demographic changes, planetary competition, technological innovations and increased customer knowledge. The buying process is based primarily on price alternatively than innovation. As a result, profit and r compensateues decline, and the industry as a whole may be supplanted.1.2.2 PEST AnalysisThe word PEST is an acronym of several(prenominal) aspects that ascertain business activities at any given moment. An industry operates under Political, Economic, Social and Technological conditions. These conditions are identify and analyzed using the PEST Analysis technique. collectable to their autonomous influence on any industry, it is essential that each be considered individually.The political aspect of analysis encompasses various factors that influence business activities in a given arena at several levels national, subnational and supranational levels. These include handicraft policies control imports, exports and international business protrudeners, government ownership of industry, attitude toward monopolies and competition and trade policies. Hence, failure to consider these policies may result in loss of revenue due to taxes or penalty fees. Government stability is also very important, because it eradicates the risks associated with wars and conflicts. For an industry to thrive, political stability mustiness be uncompromised otherwise, sales and business activities exit be uncertain, and investors provide lose interest. The internal political issues in any country influence the running of industries. Politics based on race or religion may define the course for certain industries, especially if an industry move short of political expectations. Elections and changes in leadership also infl uence an industrys strengths and opportunities and thus should be considered during the analysis. In addition to internal issues, international pressures and influences may affect virtually industries, such as environmental degradation or product safety. Another factor is terrorism. Though uncommon in more countries, poor or inconstant governance may attract terrorist activities, vengeful or otherwise, which can have adverse effects on the industries operating in that country. All these issues may influence industry and firm expansion and industry attractiveness from stakeholders point of view.The frugal aspect of analysis includes many factors. The first factor to consider is the current economic situation and trends in the country in which the industry is based. Companies should note inflation and economic decline so that when it comes to investing, they can avoid being financially affected. chastisement to do this results in an economically blind platform that may cause the industrys sudden collapse. Another factor to consider in analysis is taxation rates. When there are high taxation rates in a given country, price-based competition may affect a given industry in the international market. International economic trends are also very important, because they define currency exchange rates, imports and exports. otherwise factors to consider are consumer expenditure and disposable income and, finally, legal issues, including all trade legislation in a given country and other legal regulations that inhibit or encourage expansion of business activities. Also to be considered are consumer protection laws, employment laws, environmental protection laws and quality standardization regulations. Industrial laws regulating competition, market policies and guidelines also play an important role in influencing industrys stability and future expansion possibilities .When considering the social aspect, factors including demographic changes, shifts in values and cul ture and changes in lifestyle are important to note so as to strategize on expansion and growth . Certain factors, such as media and communities, influence an industrys growth and establishs. Brand name and corporate image are also very important in influencing growth and returns since they shape customer loyalty and shareholder investment. The medias views on certain industrial products should be incorporated into the analysis, as should consumer attitudes and sensibility to commons issues, that is, issues that affect the environment, energy consumption and waste and its disposal. A companys information systems and internal and external communications should also be analyzed to ensure that it keeps pace with its competitors. another(prenominal) factors are the policies regulating education, health and distri exclusivelyion of income, all of which, in the long run, influence consumer use of products .The technological aspect of analysis encompasses a variety of factors. In additi on to developing technologies, all associated technologies, along with their innovation potentials, speed of change and adoption of new technology, should be analyzed for a proper evaluation of the industry. Other technological factors are transportation, waste management and online business. The level of expenditure on RD should also be considered in order to secure the industrys competitive position to stay fresh losses and collapse .1.2.3 Porters Five Competitive Forces AnalysisPorters model, as described by Kay, is an evolution of the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm conceived by Edward Mason at Harvard University in the mid-thirties and detailed by Scherer in the 1980s. , The model aims to position the military posture of industry competition, major issues in determining strategy and whether an industry is attractive or not. Porter identified five competitive forces that act on an industry and its environment threat of entry, intensity of rivalry among existing compet itors, threat of substitutes, talk terms power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers.The first competitive force, threat of entry, refers to the threat of new entrants in an established industry or acquisition to gain market share. Reactions of participants and barriers to entry are the main factors used to establish whether the threat is high or low. Six major entry barriers have been identified capital required to compete in the industry (especially in risky industry, such as advertising or RD) shift costs access to distribution channels economies of scale cost disadvantages independent of scale, such as patents, access to know-how, access to limited resources, favorable locations, government subsidies or policies and learning or experience curves product differentiation expected retribution from existing firms against the new entrantsStrong barriers to the entry of new firms enable a few firms to dominate the market and thereby influence prices.The second force is intens ity of rivalry among existing competitors. Rivalry takes place when one or more firms inside an industry try to improve their position using tactics such as price competition, new product introduction or new services. Rivalry depends on several factors number and size of competitors, industry growth, product characteristics (which determine whether the rivalry is based on price or differentiation), cost structure, exit barriers, diverse competitors, operative capacity and high strategic stakes. If an industry is inhibited, then firms provide experience difficulties when trying to expand. The growth of foreign competition and the corporate stakes should also be include in the analysis.Threat of substitutes is the third forces. Substitutes are those products make by other industries but dower the same purposes as the initial product. These substitute products cause the demand to decline. The implications are reduced profits and reduced market command by the original capital investo r. This is of particular importance when the buyer has no switching costs and can easily compare products in basis of price and efficiency.Bargaining power of buyers is the fourth force. High bargaining power positions weak firms inside the industry, forcing price down, enhancing competition between industry players and resulting in bargaining for higher quality or services. This power is particularly high under certain conditions, such as few and specific buyers, undifferentiated products, low switching costs, the possibility of backward integration and information about demand and the availability of market price to the buyers. Furthermore, bargaining power is high if product quality is not a crucial factor of decision-making and if what the buyer is acquiring is a modest fraction of his total costs. Bargaining power is even higher when the buyer is a retailer or a wholesaler able to influence the consumers purchasing decision.The fifth and last force is the bargaining power of s uppliers. This can act on the industry in several ways raising prices, lowering quality or privileging some buyers. Supplier power can be divided into several elements. One of these elements is supplier concentration. Suppliers are in a stronger position when there are few suppliers, switching costs are high, the industry they are serving account for a small fraction of their business or their products are an important part of the buyers business. The bargaining power of suppliers is low or nonexistent when there are substitute products. Lastly, purchase volume and the suppliers influence on cost are very important.2. Pharmaceutical Industry AnalysisA general overview of the pharmaceutic industry is the primary objective of this chapter. First, this chapther will define the industry in order to identify the main players in the pharmaceutical market. Second, using the instruments and models described in the first section, it will highlight the main characteristics of the industry and the factors that influence it.2.1 Definition of Pharmaceutical IndustryThe pharmaceutical industry is composed of companies developing, manufacturing and marketing products licensed for use as medications. Their goal is to prevent, diagnose or treat diseases. A medicinal product, also called a pharmaceutical, according to the EU, is an exogenous substance or a faction of exogenous substances that can be organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, and able, once inside the human or animal body, to modify physiological functions or to make a medical exam diagnosis through physical, chemical or physicochemical action.This industry is subdivided into two sub-industries characterized by different business models and players prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Prescription pharmaceuticals, also referred to as Rx, are medicines that are available to the consumers for purchase in a pharmacy or do medicines store only with a prescription from a physician or administered on ly in hospitals. These medicines target specific diseases and, therefore, are prescribed for and used by one person only. over-the-counter pharmaceuticals are instead used by more than one person which present the same symptoms in the same or in different time. These medicines are available to the consumer at every time and the consumer dont need any prescription from a physician for purchase.Furthermore, inside this industry there are two types of firms Big Pharma and Biotech. These two types, despite being in the same business, vary in several ways IP, drug methodology, expenditure and productivity of RD . The primary drug RD techniques used by Big Pharma firms are chemoinformatics and in silico screenings. Biotech firms are companies that use biotechnology in RD . Biotechnology, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is the application of information and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter livin g or nonliving materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services. Generally, Biotech firms tend to have a strong academician culture, are more risk treatment and spend less than half what Big Pharma spends on R&D in 2004, Biotech firms spent $20 billion, versus $50 billion spent by Big Pharma. Generally, a Biotech product has multiple IP covering manufacture, formulation and stability, as opposed to Big Pharma IP, which covers only the product, allowing generics to be produced quickly. While they may appear to have the same phenotype, their genotypes are distinct, so much so that they can be considered two industries, as stated by Arthur D. Levinson, Chairman and CEO of Genentech. Nevertheless, this distinction is not always clear, as many Biotech and Big Pharma firms are hybrids to varying degrees.The focus of this thesis are Big Pharma involved in the development of prescription pharmaceuticals to treat and prevent human diseases in the EU market.2.2 Analysis of the Pharmaceutical IndustryThe purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the pharmaceutical industry lifecycle and investigate the major force acting inside it .2.2.1 Industry Lifecycle AnalysisPeople over the historic period have always tried to discover diseases causes and to find remedies against it. The most complete medical test, the Ebers Papyrus, is dated 1550 BC and it was written by Egyptians . However, the industrial production of drugs dates back to the year 1827 when Heinrich E Merck in Germany founded the first company for the production of cocaine and morphine . This event started the introduction phase of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. In Europe, this industry was born in different way, reflecting the different strategic groups inside it. In the German-speaking countries, pharmaceutical companies were born as a forking of the chemical industry, with firms like Bayer and Hoechst in 1863, BASF in 1865 and Schering in 1871 in Germany, and CIBA in 18 84 and Sandoz in 1886. Only Hoffman-La Roche in 1894 in Switzerland was originally a drug firm. On the other hand, in Italy, France and the UK companies were born from small shop pharmacies, such as Glaxo which traces its origins to a pharmacy in Plough Court in 1715 . During the 1800s many compounds were already being isolated, but none was being synthetically produced. The first synthetic drug was Phenacetin, produced by Bayer and commercialized in 1888 . Ten years later Bayer commercialized Aspirin, which marked a milestone in the pharmaceutical industry. Many firms rose to prominence in the 1920s-30s with these kinds of pharmaceuticals, but also with a new class of pharmaceuticals vaccines and serums .During the Second World War II the demand for drugs increased and mass production started, primarily with drugs such as antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin and neomycin) and sulphonamide . The availability of these drugs dramatically changed the quality and the average life-span of people. In this period the German pharmaceutical industry, a leader along with the Swiss in pre-war times, was taken over by American firms who came to Europe to taking advantage of the condition of the continent after the war.The period 1950-60 was the start of the industrys growth phase , and this saw a proliferation of new drugs and high return to drug discovery. New drugs included tranquilizers such as MAO inhibitors in 1952, anti-tuberculosis drugs such as Isoniazid in 1952 and oral contraceptives in 1956. Other discoveries included Librium in 1960 and Valium in 1960. The latter was sold from 1963 and later became one of the most prescribed medicines in history before controversy emerged over its link to habituation and dependency.In the 1950s, legislation was put in place to regulate the industry, mainly touching on labelling and approval by health authorities as well as d new(a)ing distinctions between non-prescription and prescription medicines. In this apparently unstop pable process of pharmaceutical progression and optimism the industry was stalled by a drama concerning one drug sold in Europe and Japan, Thalidomide. This drug, synthesized in Germany in 1954, was introduced to the market to treat the symptoms of morning sickness and nausea in meaning(a) women. Between 1954 and 1960, it caused around 5,000 and 10,000 severe deformities in infants. In fact, the drug had not been sufficiently tested on animals to assess its safety, and after this revelation, in an attempt to fail regulate the industry, drug oversight authorities were established to exercise control over the industry. The World Medical Association met in Finland and issued the Declaration of Helsinki, setting the standards for clinical research. Among other things, the declaration stated that pharmaceutical companies must prove the efficacy of a new drug in clinical trials before releasing it to the market, and subjects must consent to experiments done to test the efficacy of drugs in clinical studies.The industry remained small up to the late 1970s . Two events characterized the 1970s. First, chemical production for raw materials and early intermediates shifted out of Europe to low cost destinations such as India and China which later began producing active pharmaceutical ingredients and finally non-patented pharmaceuticals . Second, there was the birth of biotechnology. This new science had its roots many years before with the discovery of the double helix in 1953 by Watson and Crick, which followed the advances in molecular genetics, recombinant DNA technology, and molecular biology. Until then, drugs in commerce were produced by extraction from natural substances or chemical synthesis. These new techniques of molecular biology marked the birth of a new industry which became a competitor to and a substitute of the pharmaceutical industry. This new industry was pioneered by firms like Genentech and Amgen which introduced revolutionary drugs such as Epogen an d recombinant human insulin.In the 1980s, legislation was passed in most European countries requiring adherence to strong patents for both the pharmaceutical products and their production processes. There were also new regulations such as the introduction of the Good clinical Practices, which were guidelines regulating ethics and the reliability of clinical studies. In Europe, several states also initiated health maintenance organizations and managed care in an effort to limit rising medical costs, and a preference for preventive rather that curative medication took root.As the industry entered the 1990s, new discoveries and projects, such as the Human Genome Project 1990, changed the business environment. Also, there was a huge wave of MA to build on synergies. This included Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz forming Novartis, Hoechst and Roussel-Rhone Poulenc-Rorer forming Aventis and Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline forming GlaxoSmithKline. In this way, the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals came to be concentrated in Western Europe and North America, with preponderating firms and a few small companies that produced drugs in each country. The major European companies are still the dominant players not only in Europe but also in the global market. They include Novartis of Switzerland, Bayer of Germany, GlaxoSmithKline of the UK, Hoffman-la Roche of Switzerland and AstraZeneca of UK/Sweden.As the European pharmaceutical industry entered the 21st century, signs of the growth phase have become even more evident. This has been characterized by intense marketing to physicians and internet commerce. This, in part, has been facilitated by the liberalization of marketing rules requiring presentation of risks as well as the advertising message. net profit has enabled the direct purchase of raw materials by the manufacturers. The development of drugs has moved from the hit-and-miss approach to research and informed discovery. Alternative medicines and lifestyle medicines have present ed new challenges and opportunities and have elevated the level of competition in the industry. The aging population in western European economies has increased opportunities for raising revenues. In fact, because of the ageing population in the real economies, drug consumption will increase since the aged have a higher frequency of contracting diseases than younger people. New epidemics, such as the late H1N1 flu outbreak, continue to batter the world population, and increased globalization makes them spread more quickly than ever.As the industry advances through the growth phase, companies are childbed research and development initiatives both to develop new drugs and improve production processes. Further, the increased role of state-supported medical schemes across Europe, as well as other state-managed health programs around the world will greatly increase the reach of healthcare, extending it to more of the middle class and the poor who constitute the larger part of the pop ulation in most countries. As the medical programs continue to gain efficacy, the sales of pharmaceutical firms are expected to grow. In addition,, the emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India, China, Turkey, Mexico, and south Korea will add to potential consumer numbers in the industry for European manufacturers. Together, these countries constitute a huge percentuage of the worlds population, meaning that their entry into the high income category will no doubt present an enormous potential market for pharmaceutical products. In fact, the growth in these markets is expected to reach 14-17% by 2014, compared with only 3-6% growth in the developed markets. Thanks to agreements signed by the Asia-Pacific and Europe governments concerning liberalization of the Asia-Pacific pharmaceuticals and investments market, many companies have already started to establish relationships with emerging markets. An example is GlaxoSmithKline, who partnered in 2009 with Indias Dr. Reddy Laborator ies. GlaxoSmithKline will distribute the drugs manufactured and supplied by Dr. Reddy in Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.Even with these last considerations, the European pharmaceutical industry has only a limited take place of entering the maturity phase of the cycle. The barriers to entry are so great that they choke any new entrant in almost every vista of operation in research and development, in product distribution, and in compliance with rules and regulations. In fact, this industry has complex manufacturing capabilities which are hard to replicate, and are protected by way of patent, as well as huge consumer attachment to preferred brands from specific companies, often informed by experience. Furthermore Europe generic perceptivity is very low (less than 10% in total). Thus the industry might remain in the growth phase for a considerable time.

The Differences Between Weather And Climate Environmental Sciences Essay

The Differences Between hold out And Climate Environmental Sciences EssayWeather is the conditions right here, right now. Look out of the window and you volition see what the survive is like today. It might be sunny, hot, windy or cloudy, raining or snowing.The weather takes into account the temperature, hurriedness, humidity and atmospheric contract, of the part of melodic field of operation ( advertize) closest to the surface of the earth.The weather is constantly changing as temperature and humidity change in the atmospheric state. Landmasses, such as the British Isles, experience constantly changing weather conditions.Climate is the average weather conditions temperature, pressure, heed littleness and humidity expected for a acc violentited place. Climate is based on the average weather experienced everyplace 30 years or more than.Climate refers to what is expected to happen in the atmosphere rather than the actual conditions. So it is possible for the weather today to be varied from that suggested by the climate.Climatic conditions in an ara can be touch by the landscape, relief and activities (human and natural). Climate can alter over while and space.Within a climatic office, the climate may vary from place to place, e.g. slip away of hill, sunny side of hill, shaded side of hill and bottom of the hill. These argonas with their small variations are call outed microclimates.The science of monitoring and studying the atmosphere and predicting its weather and climate is called meteorology . batch who study the weather and climate are known as meteorologists.You will need to know and understand the different factors that affect weather conditions in a specific time and location. These factors includetemperature and blithenesshumidity and precipitationtime of day or yearlocal geographypressure and winds, andcloud formationsTemperature, sunshine, time and geographyTemperature is how hot or chilly the atmosphere is ie, how many degrees C elsius (centigrade) it is above or below freezing (0C). Temperature is a very important factor in determining the weather, because it influences or controls other elements of the weather, such as precipitation, humidity, clouds and atmospheric pressure. Temperature is alter by factors such as sunshine, time, geography and wind.1. SunshineThe amount of sunshine and military group of the sun influences the temperature of a place.The number of hours per day that the sun shines in a particular location is known as sunshine hours. The number of sunshine hours in a location is determined by the hours of daylight, and how many of these hours are cloud-free. Tourists and people who work in tourism are interested in the number of sunshine hours a location has.2. TimeThe temperature of the atmosphere is affected by the time of day, because of the earths daily spinning on its axis. As it spins, different parts of it get ambient to the sun, so receiving more light and ardentth.Atmospheric t emperature is also affected by the time of year. The earth takes a year to revolve around the sun, and as it revolves different parts of it get closer or however away from the sun. It is this which creates different oceansonal climates which vary according to the time of year.At the equator the hours of daylight and the seasons vary the least. The further away from the equator you go, the great the fluctuations through the year.3. Local geographyThe following geographical factors affect temperaturesLatitude is the distance of a location from the equator. The hottest temperatures are nominate at the equator. This is because the sun shines directly on it for more hours during the year than anywhere else. As you move further away from the equator towards the polar regions, less and less sun is current during the year and the climates become colder and colder.Altitude is the height above sea level or the height above the earths surface. The higher the altitude, the lower the tempera ture will be. This is because the temperature of broadcast depends on its density. Air is lighter the higher up the hill you go. Winds also tend to be stronger near the top of a hill, adding to the wind-chill factor (see winds below). On average for every(prenominal) 1,000 metres higher you go the temperature will fall about 6.5 C.Aspect is the direction that something is facing. This is important because slopes facing the equator will be warmer. This is why farmers in the northern hemisphere, for poser Norway, favour south-facing slopes for growing crops and farmers in the southern hemisphere favour north-facing slopes.Proximity to the sea affects the temperature of a place because the sea temperature changes slower than land temperature. So the sea will keep strandal areas warmer than inland area during the winter and cooler than inland areas during the summer. This is why islands, such as UK, have more normalize (less severe) climates than countries on continents (such as Ge rmany).Sea temperature. Different seas are of different temperatures, so it is possible for islands to be warmer on one side than the other. The west coast of Norway is heated up by the warmer peeings of the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Drift.Currents exist in all the oceans. Currents are governed by the frequent winds passing over them. The primary(prenominal) ocean currents flow roughly in a similar pattern, anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere and clockwise in the northern hemisphere. Currents that move pee from tropical areas towards the poles (North Atlantic Drift starts in the Gulf of Mexico) are known as warm currents. Those currents moving from northern (or southern) colder seas, close the poles towards the equator are known as cool currents, an example is the Canaries current.HumidityHumidity is the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere.A high humidity actor there is a lot of water vapour, and a low humidity means a little.Air can only hold a received amount of water before condensation occurs.Condensation will lead to precipitation in the form of dew or, if its very cold, frost.If condensation occurs higher in the atmosphere (as crease is rising) it will form into clouds.Humidity is measured as a percentage, relative to the saturation rouse where the convey can hold no more water vapour (i.e. 100 percent humidity).The humidity level varies with temperature. The warmer mail is, the more moisture the air can hold as vapour. The colder the air is, the less moisture the air can hold.So on a hot day it can be more humid, than on a cold day.So in the hottest place, the equator, it can be a lot more humid than in the UK.So when air fig ups and begins to cool, it gradually loses its ability to hold water.The point when it becomes likewise cold for the air to maintain its water level is called the dew point. This is when condensation occurs.Humidity in tropical rainforests can be VERY high rushing and the water cyclePrecipitation is the term given to moisture that falls from the air to the screen background. Precipitation includes snow, hail, sleet, drizzle, fog, mist and rain. In the UK, the most common form of precipitation is rain.The amount of water held between the earth, seas and the atmosphere is constant. There is a continual flow of water between the earth, sea and atmosphere called the water cycle.The type of precipitation experienced in a location is influenced by a number of factors including temperature and atmospheric pressure.Types of rainThere are three main types of rainfall convectional rainfall, front lineal rainfall and relief rainfall.1. Convectional rainfall may occur in Britain in the summer, after a long hot day, but is most commonly found in places with warmer climates.The ground or water in lakes or seas is warmed by the sun, throughout the day.The air above the land becomes heated.This makes the air less dense, so it rises.As the air rises it cools.Cool air can not hold as much water vapour as warmer air, when the air becomes too cold for the amount of water it holds condensation occurs. The point where this occurs is called the dew point.These drops of condensation form into clouds, gradually becoming tall thunderstorm clouds, called cumulonimbus.When these clouds become too big, containing too much water gravity forces them to release the water in a huge downpour.2. Frontal rainfall is more common in the UK than convectional rainfall.Frontal rainfall gets its name because it occurs when both air masses of warm and cold air meet, causing a front.When they meet, the less dense, light warm air is forced to rise above the denser, heavier cold air.As the warm air is forced upwards it cools.When air rises above the dew point, when it can no longer hold all its water, the water starts to condense and form clouds.Precipitation falls over a wide area.3. Relief rainfall or orographic rainfall is common in the west of Norway.The ordinary winds blow moist air from the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea to the west of Norway onshore.As the air hits higher land, such as the hills and mountains in Vestlandet and the nor-west of Norway, the air is forced to rise.When air rises above the dew point, it can no longer hold all its water, which starts to condense and form clouds.This type of rainfall is called relief because it is affected by the lie or orographic because it is affected by mountains.Cloud typesClouds form because air cools as it rises and when it cools, the amount of water vapour it can hold reduces. When it reaches its dew point, the water vapour held within the air condenses, into droplets. These droplets group together as clouds.There are many different types of cloud. Clouds are given different names, depending on their height, surface and shape. The main terms used to describe clouds are as followsCirrus wispy shapedCumulus heaped or piled upStratus in layers gloriole contains rainCirro high cloudAlto medium-level cloudHigh-level cl ouds start at above 5000m. Clouds at this level usually contain ice, rather than water. The main clouds here arecirrus (white, wispy clouds),cirrocumulus (separate, white, heaped clouds, that look small because they are so high)cirrostratus (white, wispy clouds that you can see the sun kinda clearly through).Medium-level clouds start at between 2,000m and 5,000m above the earth. Clouds at this level usually contain ice and water droplets. The main clouds here arealtostratus (medium-to-high level, white-grey, thin layers of cloud through which the sun can be faintly seen)altocumulus (collection of white, heaped clouds)nimbostratus (low-medium level, dark, thick, feature-less clouds, that threatens rain or snow).Low-level clouds start below 2,000m above the earth. Clouds at this level are usually just carrying water. The main clouds here arestratocumulus (low, white and grey clouds, that are thick at bottom, heaped on top)stratus (extensive low blanket of dull, grey sky, that blocks out the sun, but doesnt necessarily mean rain)cumulus (big low, white, fluffy, heaped)cumulonimbus (starting low these clouds will extend very high, sometime bringing thunderstorms, a great deal rain or snow).Atmospheric pressure and windAtmospheric pressure (or air pressure) is the weight of air resting on the earths surface. Pressure is shown on a weather map, often called a synoptic map, with lines called isobars.Low pressure occurs when air becomes warmer. The air molecules expand, become lighter and it rises. The pressure numbers on the isobars will be diminish as it approaches the low pressure zone.High pressure occurs when air becomes colder. The air molecules contract, become denser, heavier and sink towards the earth. The pressure numbers on the isobars will be increase as it approaches the high pressure zone.What is wind?Wind is the movement of air masses from high pressure areas (highs) to low pressure areas (lows). The effect of this movement of air is to rebalance th e pressure in the atmosphere.Part of a synoptic chart, showing isobars and wind directionNote thatthe greater the difference between the high and the low pressure, the greater the wind speed will be, andthe closer together the isobars are on the weather map, the stronger the winds will be.Wind and temperatureThe place where the air mass is coming from will determine whether it brings warmer or colder temperatures. In Britain the prevailing wind comes off the ocean from the south west. In winter this will bring warmer temperatures, as the sea cools down slower than the land. In summer it will bring cooler temperatures for the same reason.Winds can also make the temperature feel cooler than it rightfully is. This is called the wind-chill factor. Higher winds will remove the warmer air around a human (for example) more apace, so the body will cool more quickly than usual.FrontsFronts occur where two different air masses meet.1. Warm fronts exist when warm air is rising over a mass of cold air. As the air lifts into regions of lower pressure it expands, cools and condenses the water vapour as wide, flat sheets of cloud.Warm fronts are shown on synoptic charts by a square(p) line with semicircles pointing towards the colder air and in the direction of movement. On coloured weather maps, a warm front is drawn with a solid red line with red semicircles.2. Cold fronts are usually associated with depressions. A cold front is the transition zone where a cold air mass is replacing the warmer air mass. The cold air is following the warm air, and is gradually moving underneath the warmer air. As the warm air is pushed upwards it will rain heavily. much more rain will fall in a few minutes as the cold front passes than during the whole passage of a warm front. As the cold front passes, the clouds roll by and you may notice that the air temperature is cooler.Cold fronts are shown on synoptic (weather) charts by a solid line with triangles on the front pointing towards t he warmer air and in the direction of movement. On coloured weather maps, a cold front is drawn with a solid blue line with blue triangles.3. Occluded fronts occur at the point where a cold front takes over a warm front or vice versa. If a cold front undercuts a warm front it is known as a cold occlusion, if the cold front rises over the warm front it is called a warm occlusion. All occluded fronts bring changeable weather conditions.On a synoptic chart occluded fronts are represented by semi-circles and triangles positioned next to each other, the triangles in blue, the semicircles in red, or both are purple (mixing both red and blue colours together). spheric weather patternsAt a global level, there are patterns of wind and pressure. There are huge bands of high and low pressure around the earth. These bands reach out parallel with the equator. There is a low pressure band over the equator (at 0 latitude) and two more low pressure bands one bordering the cold region around the Ar ctic (at a latitude of 60 North) and another bordering the Antarctic (at a latitude of 60 South). In between there are two high pressure bands, one in each hemisphere found around a latitude of 30North and 30South, to the north of the tropic of Cancer and to the south of Tropic of Capricorn.Air is constantly moving from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. This movement of air produces prevailing winds, called trade winds as they used to help trading ships sail around the world. The winds are strongest in between the zones of high and low pressure, and are weak and changeable around the bands themselves. Sailors call the lack winds around the equator the doldrums.The trade winds are also influenced by the movement of the earth. This means that instead of going due north or due south, they are blown slightly off course. In the northern hemisphere winds are blown to the right. In the southern hemisphere they are blown to the left. This is why the prevailing wind in the UK comes from the south west.These prevailing winds also influence the directions that the great currents move in the oceans. The animation shows the main areas of high and low pressure on the globe, and winds blowing (slightly off course) from high to low pressure bands.Atmospheric circulationAt the area around the equator the weather is always very hot, causing hot air to rise, fetching with it evaporated water as water vapour. This rising air causes the low pressure band around the equator and is the engine of global wind patternsAs the warm air rises, it cools until it hits the dew point, when it releases the water vapour, creating clouds and tropical rain. The low pressure sucks in cool air from either side of the equator.As this air is warmed, it too rises. As it does so it pushes the cooler, sear air (much of its water has now been lost as rain) above it away to the north and south of the equator.This dry air heading north sinks back to the ground to the north of the Tropic of Can cer, while the dry air heading south sinks to ground south of the Tropic of Capricorn. This sinking air helps to create high pressure zones.The sinking, dry air contributes to a much drier climate to the north and south of the tropics creating the desert and savannah biomes typical of this zone.These circulating currents of air along the surface of the earth from the high pressure zone to the equator, then up into the atmosphere, then horizontally through the atmosphere, and finally back down to the ground in the high pressure zone are called Hadley cells.

Urban Legend of the The Monsters Chase Essays -- Urban Legends

The Monsters ChaseBackground and StoryIt was late on a weekday shadow a couple of weeks ago when I was unexpectedly told an urban fiction by a friend of mine in my dorm. I brought up a report I had to prepare round a local urban legend and my desire to find someone who knew a tale of the Goatman, a famous figure in folklore. My friend immediately recounted to me a story about a hairy monster that sounded rather similar. He had been told the story by a member of his group one iniquity at a juvenility hostel in Japan during an organized trip. The person who told him the story originally is from western Maryland. One night on this trip, we were in the hostel at night and one of the guys in the group told us a story about this monster. He said this actually happened to him. He lives out in western Maryland, promote west and north than Montgomery and Frederick counties. He and his girlfriend had snuck out to a party one night and were returning when they decided to stop at Mc Donalds to get dinner. They pulled over by the face of the road they were traveling on, knowing that the McDonalds was through a short tract of woods on the side of the road. About halfway through the woods a furry monster, black as space, with bright red eyes and sharp white teeth embellishes features with gestures, appeared and started chasing them. They sullen around and sprinted back to their car. They got inside, and the monster caught up and started banging on their doors and windows. The car started, and they burned rubber driving off, but they noticed that another car had pulled up and parked behind theirs. The monster man got into his car and also peeled off, chasing after them performs hand motions for two cars. After a couple m... ... whim and rather than start to it, pull over and choose to cross through woods because it saves them time. Theyve been out having fun, and the dangers of dark woods by a lonely road at night dont concern them. This carelessness ne arly costs them. The disappearing tire tracks the next day help to add to the message, they couldve been killed and disappeared, and the killer wouldnt do even left a trace. Works CitedConley, Brian. The Bunny Man Unmasked. Fairfax County, Virginia. Accessed 4/7/06. http//www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/bunny/bunny.htm.The Goatman. GOATMAN. Accessed 4/7/06. http//www.geocities.com/Area51/Aurora/4746/feature2.html.GoatMan Hollow The story. GoatMan Hollow. Accessed 4/7/06. http//users.dsdial.net/goatman/legend.htm.Matthews, Patricia. Goatman. Fantasy and Science Fiction. May 1995. 54-68.

Free College Essays - Shakespeares Sonnet 130 :: Sonnet essays

Sonnet 130 Shakespeare was obviously a very deep, passionate and learned man he was very open with how he felt and was able-bodied to express it in a way that was very exact and easy to comprehend. In his sonnets, which, to me, are like a little diary, he talks a lot about his life involving his mistress as well as a male friend that he may or may non have been involved with. In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare is talking of his mistress, her faults and his feelings about her an her faults. the duration of the piece is spent pointing out the faults of this woman and how he thinks that any new(prenominal) man would be simply repulsed by this woman. I feel that the format of this Sonnet in terms of content and Shakespeares feelings served two purposes. He first valued to convey the image that even though his mistress was not as fair as one would hope for, they seemed to share some kind of affinity or bond that no another(prenominal) could share with him, not even hi s wife. It did not matter to him that she was not as pretty but only that she is on the same wavelength that he is. Secondly, I feel that he is explaining the fact that he does not necessarily want a mistress that is a knockout, and that all of the qualities that other men see in women are not his own and in fact repulses him. He says in line 13 that he loves the woman and that is out of date or extraordinary which I think simply means that he cannot believe that he actually does like another woman that is not fine to every extent but she offers something more than just good looks.

Parkinsons Disease Essay -- Medical Medical Medicine Essays Treatment

Parkinsons maladyParkinsons Disease (PD), the shaking palsy first described by crowd together Parkinson in 1817, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which affects in upwards of 1.5 million Americans. The disease begins to occur around age 40 and has incidence with affected role age. unmatchable survey found that PD may affect 1% of the population over 60. Incidence seems to be more prominent in men, and tends to progress to fatuity and death over one or two decades. Clinical diagnosis of PD is currently solely dependent on the presentation of the symptoms by the enduring which reflect a deficiency of striatal dopamine caused by the destruction of the cells in the substantia nigra. Imaging and other laboratory techniques can be used to rule come issue of the closet other disorders, but are not necessary for the actual diagnosis of PD. The first sign of PA is usually bradykinesia. Movements are usually quite slow. social function activities may require deliberate plann ing and thought for execution. Difficulty initiating movements or akinesia, may also be present. Rigidity in the flexors is also present. This is due to an overstate response to normal proprioceptive return from the somatic musculature. A resting tremor of 3-6 Hz is also a prominent feature of PD. This may cause difficulties in handwriting as a symptom. Impaired postural reflexes is also a presenting feature in PD. Patients can easily lose their balance when pushed slightly, and may aim to be caught to keep from falling. These signs can be tested by observing the patients walking, getting out of deep chairs, and performing rapid repetitive movements. Increased disturbances in cognitive abilities can also show evidence of PD. Even with all these signs of PD, it may be present and undiagnosed f... ...ly researched today. Hopefully, the disease will soon be able to be diagnosed early enough that its progression can be stopped and be cured. With current research and development, this day may soon come. deeds CitedJenner, P. Clues to the mechanism underlying dopamine cell death -in Parkinsons disease. Journal of Neurology Neurosurqerv, and Psychiatry (1989) 22-28. Korczyr., A. D. Autonomic Nervous System Disturbances in Parkinsons Disease. Advances in Neurology, 53 (1990) 463-68. Kingston, J. W. Current theories on the cause of Parkinsons disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psvchiatry, (l989) 13-17. Langston, J. W. and W. C. Koller. The next frontier Presymptomatic detection. Geriatrics, Aug. 1991 5-7. Paulson, G. W. Management of the patient with newly -diagnosed Parkinsons disease. Geriatrics, Feb. 1993 30-40. Parkinsons Disease Essay -- Medical Medical Medicine Essays TreatmentParkinsons DiseaseParkinsons Disease (PD), the shaking palsy first described by crowd together Parkinson in 1817, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which affects in upwards of 1.5 million Americans. The disease begins to occur around age 40 and has incidence with patient age. hotshot survey found that PD may affect 1% of the population over 60. Incidence seems to be more prominent in men, and tends to progress to idiocy and death over one or two decades. Clinical diagnosis of PD is currently solely dependent on the presentation of the symptoms by the patient which reflect a deficiency of striatal dopamine caused by the destruction of the cells in the substantia nigra. Imaging and other laboratory techniques can be used to rule out other disorders, but are not necessary for the actual diagnosis of PD. The first sign of PA is usually bradykinesia. Movements are usually quite slow. social occasion activities may require deliberate planning and thought for execution. Difficulty initiating movements or akinesia, may also be present. Rigidity in the flexors is also present. This is due to an magnified response to normal proprioceptive return from the somatic musculature. A resting tremor of 3-6 Hz is also a prominent feature of PD. This may cause difficulties in handwriting as a symptom. Impaired postural reflexes is also a presenting feature in PD. Patients can easily lose their balance when pushed slightly, and may requirement to be caught to keep from falling. These signs can be tested by observing the patients walking, getting out of deep chairs, and performing rapid repetitive movements. Increased disturbances in cognitive abilities can also show evidence of PD. Even with all these signs of PD, it may be present and undiagnosed f... ...ly researched today. Hopefully, the disease will soon be able to be diagnosed early enough that its progression can be stopped and be cured. With current research and development, this day may soon come. whole kit and boodle CitedJenner, P. Clues to the mechanism underlying dopamine cell death -in Parkinsons disease. Journal of Neurology Neurosurqerv, and Psychiatry (1989) 22-28. Korczyr., A. D. Autonomic Nervous System Disturbances in Parkinsons Disease. Advances in Neurology, 53 (1990) 463-68. Kingston, J. W. Current theories on the cause of Parkinsons disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psvchiatry, (l989) 13-17. Langston, J. W. and W. C. Koller. The next frontier Presymptomatic detection. Geriatrics, Aug. 1991 5-7. Paulson, G. W. Management of the patient with newly -diagnosed Parkinsons disease. Geriatrics, Feb. 1993 30-40.

Futility of Life in The Death of Ivan Ilyich Essay -- Tolstoy Death Iv

Futility of Life in The Death of Ivan Ilyich Count Leo Tolstoy is considered Russias greatest novelist and matchless of its most influential moral philosophers. As such, he is also one of the most complex individuals for historians of literature to deal with. His early work sought to supersede romanticized glory with realistic views. A good example of this is the way he often portrayed battle as an unglamorous act performed by ordinary men. After his marriage, though, Tolstoy started to reexamine his attitudes towards flavor, especially his moral, social, and educational beliefs (Shepherd 401). Many commentators agree that Tolstoys early study of the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau encouraged his rebellious attitude. This new deep-seated dissatisfaction with himself and a long frustrated search for meaning in life, however, led to the crisis Tolstoy described in his Confession and Memoirs of a Madman. In these works he formulated a doctrine to live by based on univers al love, forgiveness, and simplicity (Valente 127). Simplicity and the moral importance of leading a simple life, for Tolstoy, became the only sure way to live a spiritually fulfilled life. After arriving at his doctrine of universal love and simplicity, Tolstoy at first refrained from writing fiction. He redden renounced much of his earlier work as too complex and not morally uplifting. Nevertheless, because of Tolstoys earnest commitment to the view of literary art as a means for bringing important truths to the attention of the reader, he returned to imaginative literature and wrote The Death of Ivan Ilyich to emphasize the message that simple life is best. Tolstoys life led him into all kinds of contradictions--sometimes he believed in fighting, s... ... (qtd, in Jahn 20). It becomes clear then that Ivan Ilyich is brought to a re-evaluation of his past life that the ending is not just a bathetic means of closure, but a miraculous conversion of the dying Ivan Ilyich and his i mportant discovery concerning the moral consequence of living a simple and honest life. flora Cited Gifford, Henry. Tolstoy. Oxford Oxford UP, 1982. Jahn, Gary R. The Death of Ivan Ilich An Interpretation. New York Twayne, 1992. Rowe, William W. Leo Tolstoy. Boston Twayne, 1986. Shepherd, David. Conversion, Reversion and Subversion in Tolstois The Death of Ivan Ilich. The Slavonic and East European Review 71.3 (1993) 401-16. Valente, Luis Ferando. Variations on the Kenotic Hero Tolstoys Ivan Ilych and Guimaraes Rosas Augusto Matraga. Symposium 45.2 (1991) 126-38.