Alzheimer’s disease Essays

Alzheimer’s disease Essays Alzheimer’s disease Essay Alzheimer’s disease Essay This specific instance is about Eli Lilly developing a new drug which is said to cure Alzheimer’s disease. However, when patients started taking the drug, their condition even regressed. Moreover, they risked developing skin cancer. Although there are various aspects involved here, the problem that this paper will address is that of ethical practices. Lilly obviously conducted laboratory tests which proved successful. When they tested the drug in real people with Alzheimer’s, they realized that it’s not working and it’s even contributing to a worse case of Alzheimer’s. But what could have been done in order to prevent this type of scenario? The next question here is, to what degree must human testing be done in order to serve the common good? Given that the experiment was successful, the next the Lilly will do is to mass produce and manufacture this drug and sell it to people with Alzheimer’s. But now that it turned wrong, were the experiment participants insured before the experimentation began? Should the experts considered stopping the experimentation when the first few symptoms of regression appeared? Lilly is a global pharmaceutical plant leading in most researches to discover new medications for various types of disease. However, in this particular experimentation procedure, pharmaceutical ethics were not applied. There could be a â€Å"greater good† which needs to be attained- even though it means sacrificing other people to do so. Anyway, since the experimentation was not successful and Lilly expressed that it will not continue the research on this drug anymore, then goals were not met. There was no wonder Alzhemier’s drug that was created and it even caused more suffering both to the Alzheimer’s patients who tested the medication and their family. Bibliography Kolata, G. (2010, August 18). Doubt on Tactic in Alzheimer’s Battle. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from nytimes. com/2010/08/19/health/19alzheimers. html? _r=1ref=health Appendix A Doubt on Tactic in Alzheimer’s Battle By GINA KOLATA Published: August 18, 2010 The failure of a promising Alzheimer’s drug in clinical trials highlights the gap between diagnosis - where real progress has recently been made - and treatment of the disease. It was not just that the drug, made by Eli Lilly, did not work - maybe that could be explained by saying the patients’ illness was too far advanced when they received it. It was that the drug actually made them worse, the company said. And the larger the dose they took, the worse were patients’ symptoms of memory loss and inability to care for themselves. Not only that, the drug also increased the risk of skin cancer. So when Lilly announced on Tuesday that it was ending its large clinical trials of that drug, semagacestat, researchers were dismayed. â€Å"Obviously, this is disappointing news, to say the least,† said Dr. Steven Paul, an Alzheimer’s researcher and a recently retired executive vice president at Lilly. Beyond the setback for Lilly, the study raises questions about a leading hypothesis of the cause of Alzheimer’s and how to treat it. The idea, known as the amyloid hypothesis, says the disease occurs when a toxic protein, beta amyloid, accumulates in the brain. The idea is that if beta amyloid levels are reduced, the disease might be slowed, halted or even prevented if treatment starts early enough. The Lilly drug, like most of the more than 100 Alzheimer’s drugs under development, blocks an enzyme, gamma secretase, needed to make beta amyloid. It was among the first shown to breach the blood-brain barrier and reduce levels of beta amyloid in the brain. And, company studies showed, it did reduce amyloid production. â€Å"We did get enough in the brain to have an effect,† said Dr. Eric Siemers, medical director of Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease team. â€Å"Unfortunately, the effect was not what we wanted. † Now researchers are focused on what went wrong, and why. Some, like Dr. Lon Schneider, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the University of Southern California, say the drug’s failure may mean the field is rushing off a cliff in its near single-minded focus on blocking the production of amyloid. Dr. Schneider, like most leading Alzheimer’s researchers, consults for a number of drug companies, including Lilly. The Lilly study’s failure, he said, â€Å"chips away at that approach to testing the amyloid hypothesis. † â€Å"We don’t know what the drug targets for Alzheimer’s disease are,† Dr. Schneider said. â€Å"We don’t know because we don’t know the causes of Alzheimer’s. † At the very least, said Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Duke University, the Lilly result â€Å"clearly tells us that our current views may be too simplistic. † Dr. Doraiswamy said he was not abandoning the amyloid hypothesis. But, he said, â€Å"this is a time of major soul-searching in the field. † â€Å"What worries me is that we don’t know if this was a toxicity unique to Lilly’s drug and this late-stage population or whether it also applies to similar anti-amyloid therapies given at earlier stages of the disease,† Dr. Doraiswamy said. The bad news came on the heels of what researchers see as a resurgence of hope in this challenging field. With new cooperation in research they have made advances in diagnosing Alzheimer’s, a disease that used to be uncertain until autopsy. And those new diagnostic tests are still exciting, researchers said. PET scans of amyloid plaques in the brain and tests of cerebrospinal fluid can show amyloid accumulation long before people have symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and, as recently reported, appear to identify people at high risk of the disease. Researchers believe the best time to try to alter the course of the disease is before memory loss. By then, brain cells are dead or dying and are unlikely to be restored. At this point, though, when there is no treatment, those tests are primarily a benefit for companies testing new therapies and researchers trying to understand the disease’s progress. . The long journey of semagacestat began more than a decade ago when Lilly scientists discovered it could block gamma secretase in laboratory experiments. Years of work followed, showing it appeared safe, that it got into the brains of people, that it reduced the production of amyloid in the brain. Finally, in 2008, Lilly began two large studies of semagacestat, enrolling more than 2,600 people with Alzheimer’s disease. The company did not expect its drug to reverse the disease - patients’ brains were too ravaged for that, said Richard Mohs, Lilly’s team leader in Alzheimer’s research. But it did hope to slow the disease’s progression. Now, with the abrupt end of the studies, patients will continue to be followed but no one will be taking any more of the drug. â€Å"The fact that people got worse means there is biology we don’t understand,† Dr. Mohs said. There are several possible explanations. One is that the drug altered the functioning of other proteins in the brain and body - it now appears that gamma secretase is involved in the production of about 20 proteins in addition to beta amyloid. Companies, including Lilly, are developing drugs that block gamma secretase from making amyloid but have little effect on other proteins. One company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, says that is what its drug does. Its drug is now being tested in two clinical trials. In one, the participants have Alzheimer’s. In the other, they have lesser memory impairment and have brain amyloid PET scans and tests of cerebrospinal fluid showing amyloid is accumulating in their brains, indicating that they are likely to develop Alzheimer’s. â€Å"We still like the amyloid hypothesis,† said Charlie Albright, a Bristol-Myers group director in neuroscience biology. The Lilly drug failure â€Å"doesn’t affect our enthusiasm about going forward. † Another possibility is that the enzyme is decreasing production not just of a dangerous form of amyloid, known as a beta 42, but also of another form, a beta 40, that may protect the brain. Companies are developing so-called selective gamma secretase inhibitors, Dr. Paul said, which only block the production of a beta 42. Lilly and other companies are also testing monoclonal antibodies to reduce amyloid levels. And companies are pursuing a more difficult target - blocking a protein, tau, that accumulates in dead and dying nerve cells after the disease is under way. But Alzheimer’s experts worry about the future. The research is extremely expensive - Lilly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on its failed drug - and it can take a decade or more to know if a drug works. It can take even longer if drugs are tested in people with mild symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or in people who are at high risk but have no symptoms yet - a direction many think is necessary to really make a difference. â€Å"Failures certainly don’t build energy and enthusiasm,† said Dr. Samuel Gandy, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Mount Sinai Medical Center. â€Å"The market is still there, but failures do take their toll. † A version of this news analysis appeared in print on August 19, 2010, on page A14 of the New York edition.

Victorian women Essays

Victorian women Essays Victorian women Essay Victorian women Essay Like most Victorian women they were well dressed. They wore long dresses with veils. Most Victorian women were not very strong so they needed people like Sherlock Holmes to depend upon because he was strong and safe.  Many Victorian did not have control over their own lives. In The Speckled Band Helen Stoner had to ask permission off her stepfather is she could marry. She came from a very rich family but she did not have any money and would have none until she was married. Helen Stoner was not allowed to go out and have a social life without Dr Roylet, like when she went to Sherlock Holmes Dr Roylet follows her to find out what she is doing. Victorian woman often had to cover up for men like in The Speckled Band where Sherlock Holmes spotted the bruises on her arms. She said that she had had an accident, but he knew that Dr Roylet had done this to her. When Dr Roylet killed his butler Helen tells no one because she knew that if she did he would have beaten her up or even killed her. All she does is collect money and pays the butlers family.  Overall the Victorian women had no independence, money or life so it was not all that good for them. In Sherlock Holmes stories the settings gave a very accurate description about Victorian times. The Twisted Lip is set in London in a street called Swandom Lane. Swandom Lane is a very dirty, rough and smelly place. The main part of the storey was located in an Opium Den, and either side of it was a Sex Shop and Off Licence, but in The Speckled Band the setting was set in a very different place. It was placed in the Wealthy Outskirts. This was out in the Countryside where it was very quiet and peaceful. There were lots of wealthy Victorians living in big houses. These two books show two very different places in Victorian times.  In the Victorian times Britain was a ruler of a huge empire. This is shown in a range of references as in The Twisted Lip there was a Lascar, which is an Indian Seaman, working in an Opium Den in England and in The Speckled Band you have Dr Roylet living in India and working as a Doctor.  The transport in Victorian times was very different to nowadays. In The Twisted Lip Mrs St Clair visited Sherlock Holmes in a Hansom Cab and in The Speckled Band Sherlock Holmes and Watson rode in a Dog Cart, unlike nowadays when people travel about in motor vehicles. In the Speckled Band Helen Stoner travelled to see Sherlock Holmes by train. Trains were one of the most common modes of transport in that time, like they still are today.  In conclusion these stories tell us a lot about what the Victorians believed in and what they thought the ideal Victorian Man was ie Sherlock Holmes. Also what they thought a real villain was like. These stories give a clear view about what London was like in Victorian times.

Psychopharmacology and the Mental Health Counselor Assignment

Psychopharmacology and the Mental Health Counselor - Assignment Example Thus, most of these conditions can be treated with a variety of behavioral and cognitive therapy techniques, but what happens when a patient comes in and has a psychological condition that is based off a chemical imbalance in the brain. This requires the use of psychopharmacology to regulate the chemical imbalance in order to change the abnormal behavior. Most counselors do not have the appropriate knowledge to know the entire effects of drugs on their patients. According to Buelow, Hebert, and Buelow (2000), many counselors do not have enough knowledge in the area of psychopharmacology to adequately provide medication for patients. Juxtaposed, many treatment models now incorporate a hybrid technique dealing with both therapy and the use of pharmaceuticals. The counselor should also be aware of the patient’s wishes when talking about drug therapy. It is recommended that the counselors become sensitive to the patient’s feelings regarding pharmacotherapy, the patient†™s previous experience with the negative side effects of drugs, nonadherance of the patient to the set regiment and the patient’s use of drugs and alcohol (Meyer & Simon 1999b). Client education of the drugs used in practice is also important. The first priority is determining whether the illness requires the use of medication or not.

Integral Quantity Data types Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integral Quantity Data types - Essay Example Yes, we can represent integers bigger than what int allows. Basically, integers have limit up to 2,147,483,647, and if we want to show number greater than this we have two options. We can use long or BigInteger. In this scenario, the limit for long is 9,223,372,036,854,775,807. For storing space and increasing the time of execution of program Java provides two data types (TutorialPoints, 2014; Oracle Corporation, 2014). Yes, for representing arbitrarily large integers we can use two other options: BigInteger and BigDecimal. However, it is not default because we write small programs in which our integer values can easily store and take less space. Hence, if BigDecimal or BigInteger becomes default it will require more space and the program execution will require additional time. Due to this reason there is not a single representation of integral quantities (TutorialPoints, 2014; Oracle Corporation,

Role and Advantages of International and Home Trade Coursework

Role and Advantages of International and Home Trade - Coursework Example Commerce includes all those activities, which are connected with trade and auxiliaries to trade such as transport, warehousing, insurance, and banking and finance.   The trade involves buying and selling of goods and its purpose is to bridge the gap between persons, i.e. the producers and the consumers can concentrate on their own occupations and at the same time buy goods to satisfy their consumption needs. The farmers can both enjoy each other’s products with the help of traders. For example, there are different types of cotton; jute, hides, and skins are supplies to the producers of cotton textiles, gunny bags and shoes respectively. At the same time manufactured goods, which have been produced with the raw materials, are supplied to the consumers. Producers buy raw materials, machinery and equipment, as well as stores and spare parts for machinery fro trading agencies and consumers, buy practically all articles required for their daily use from traders.Goods are produced on a large scale in anticipation of demand.   The markets for products are now spread over the length and breadth of the country and even extended to countries acro ss the international borders. Hence direct sale of goods by the producers to the consumers is not possible. Without the help of traders and merchants engaged in trade, it would be impossible for the system of large-scale production to continue. The trader involved in the actual operation of purchasing goods from producers and selling them to consumers. Traders and consumers are interdependent.

KERS Energy Recovery

KERS Energy Recovery ABSTRACT In the past decade of the modern car era attempts at inducing Alternative Technology in cars had been made with some amount of success. This gave birth to cars that ran on Electric, Hybrid and Fuel cell technology. Though these cars are present in the market they have failed to make a significant difference as people still prefer gasoline fuelled cars. In 2009 FIA had introduced a row of technical changes to the sport also permitting the teams to run regenerative technology called KERS in an attempt to win back the fans interest and to prove that F1 does care about the environment. The technology already existed in hybrid cars but the primary purpose behind its introduction was to develop an efficient technology that could be transferred to road cars. All the major factory teams came equipped with KERS system but all of them struggled through the first half of the season many even avoiding it after three races due to reliability issues. The ban on testing made developments harder and time consuming. The KERS equipped cars won only three races in the entire season with the first win coming late after mid season. Even after investing huge amount of resources and money on KERS the teams failed to get the best out of the system. In this report the various KERS technologies developed by the F1 teams like electric, flywheel and electromechanical based KERS units and similar systems present in road cars along with their pros and cons are discussed in brief. Apart from the above, which system has more potential to be inducted in road cars is also discussed. INTRODUCTION I do agree that KERS in F1 would benefit the mainstream motor industry given the fact that one of the primary reasons behind its introduction was to facilitate a smooth transfer of the technology to road cars though substantial amount of work needs to be done. The 2009 F1 season introduced the widest range of technical rule changes the sport had witnessed for more than a decade. The one specific topic that got significant attention both from the F1 teams and the media was KERS a device which stores the waste energy produced during braking and releases it during acceleration. The rules limited the amount of energy recovery of KERS to 400kJ per lap, giving an extra 80hp for about 6.5 seconds. The teams were allowed to apply any means with the condition that they pass the F1 safety standards. After months of research and development the teams came out with innovative ideas but it was evident that the field was divided into two types. Williams was the only team which developed a mechanic al flywheel based KERS unit, though they never used it in a race while the rest of the field went for electric KERS unit. In contrast to what most people believe KERS is not a new technology in fact it has been used in a variety of applications including hybrid buses and cars. We shall now study both the systems and the improvements they can bring to the automobile industry. KERS in F1 cars As in any hybrid vehicle the primary factor that limits the efficiency gains over its lifetime is the recoverable energy storage system (RESS). The two most important characteristics of any RESS are specific energy and specific power. The former refers to the amount of energy per kilogram that the system can store and the latter to the rate at which energy can be put into or taken out of the system per kilogram. In the wake of preparations for the 2009 season teams had tested a range of different systems including electric, mechanical, hydraulic and even pneumatic based KERS units. After careful analysation majority of the teams concluded that the electric system would be the best option that would deliver the required amount of energy from the brakes. The norm in F1 to make things as compact and light as possible led the teams to this decision. With the rules allowing the teams only 60Kw of energy for 6.5 seconds per lap, drivers had to be very wise with regard to using this extra p ower. The KERS system was primarily intended to aid the overtaking of cars but as seen throughout the season most of the KERS equipped cars lacked overall pace at the start of the season and used the KERS for better acceleration out of the corners and to defend their positions. The basic working of the kers unit in F1 cars is very similar to the ones in hybrid road cars. ELECTRIC KERS This system consists of three components, the mototr/generator; KERS control unit and the battery pack. The motor/generator is directly connected to the drive train. It produces electrical energy during braking and releases it back through the transmission when required. The energy captured is stored in the battery which in turn is connected to the Kers control unit that governs the release and storage of energy to and from the batteries. The motor/generators were provided by motorsport companys specialising in this field eg. Magnetti Marelli (supplied for Ferrari,Renault,Toyota,RedBull), Zytek ( Mclaren) who worked closely with the teams to manufacture motor/generators tailor made to suit their design requirements. The heat generated during the charging and discharging process hampers the performance of the motors, hence the motor has an integrated liquid cooling system which weighs just 4kgs in total. The RESS unit (battery) has been developed by the teams themselves and Lithium-io n was the preferred choice. The entire system including the motor/generator, Kers control unit and the batteries weighs around 25-35 kgs with 25.3 kgs being the lightest developed by Zytek for the Mclaren Mercedes team. ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC KERS The electric systems allow the teams to be more flexible in terms of placing the various components around the car which helps for better weight distribution which is of vital importance in F1. The specific energy of Lithium-ion batteries in comparison is unrivalled as they can store considerably more energy per kg which helps reduce the size of RESS. DISADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC KERS Lithium-ion batteries take 1-2 hours to charge completely due to low specific power (i.e rate to charge or discharge) hence in high performance F1 cars more batteries are required which increases the overall weight of the batteries. Chemical batteries heat up during charging process and this takes place a number of times in KERS units which if not kept under control could cause the batteries to lose energy over the cycle or worse even explode. The specific power is low as the energy needs to be converted at least two times both while charging or discharging causing energy losses in the process. MECHANICAL KERS This system developed by the Williams F1 team is quite similar to the electric kers system consisting of a motor/generator that is matted to the transmission, an electric control unit to govern the power released to and from the motor but instead of storing the energy in a battery a flywheel is used as RESS medium acting as an electromechanical battery. They opted for the unique solution of incorporating the motor/generator into the flywheel. The figure below designed by Williams Hybrid Power shows the internal structure of the flywheel consisting of a stator mounted in the outer walls of the casing. The permanent magnets of the motor are incorporated into the composite structure of the flywheel itself thus making the flywheel magnetically loaded. This reduces the overall size and weight of the system leading to a compact structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The motor/generator is wound with fibre to keep the arrangement intact at high speeds. The fibre is embedded with metal particles which allow it to be magnetised as a permanent magnet. This substantially reduces the eddy current losses of the machine as there are no additional metals in the arrangement. When it spins, it can induce a current in the stator or be spun like a motor by a current through the stator. In order to achieve high specific power the flywheel is spun at speeds in excess of 50000 rpm which is possible in a vaccum. The challenge here was to allow the transfer of energy without letting any external air from entering the vaccum. This resulted in a highly efficient system whose temperatures could be kept under control in an easy manner without affecting the performance and operational life span. The result is a compact and efficient mechanism that can be packaged easily in the car. There was another similar system developed by Flybrid Systems LLP which had also designed a flywheel based KERS system but with a different design theory. As mentioned by J.Hilton the flywheel was made out of carbon filament wrapped around a steel hub and weighed around 5kgs. The flywheel was matted to the transmission of the car via a several fixed ratios, a clutch and CVT that was patented by Torotrak. The CVT consisted of input and output discs which were formed so that the toroidal surfaces on each disc formed the toroidal cavity. Inside each cavity there were two or three rollers in contact with the torroidal surfaces of both the input and the output shaft. When the roller is at a small radius (near the centre) on the input disc and at a large radius (near the edge) on the output disc the CVT produces a low ratio. Similarly a high ratio is produced when the rollers are moved in the opposite manner across the discs described in detail in. As highlighted in and CVT plays a vital r ole in the overall performance of the system without which the flywheels full potential is hard to extract. The transfer of power through the discs and rollers takes place via specially developed traction fluid. This fluid separates the rolling surfaces of the discs and rollers at their contact points. The input and output discs are clamped which results in an efficient mechanism for transferring power between the rotating discs and rollers. In order to maintain high efficiency the flywheel rotates at 60000 rpm in vaccum. The system was well capable of storing the required 60Kw of power as demanded by the teams. The total weight of the system was 25kgs consisting of both the CVT and flywheel which is the same weight as the lightest electric system. ADVANTAGES OF MEACHANICAL KERS The specific power of flywheels in comparison is much greater than that of batteries. The energy lost during transfers amongst the system components is relatively less due to high efficiency. The flywheel system can deliver almost the entire amount of energy stored in it, repeatedly without any decline in efficiency. The mechanical system does not need to be replaced as its life cycle is as good as that of the car. DISADVANTAGES OF MECHANICAL KERS The specific energy capacity of flywheels is lower than some of the advanced battery models. Friction produced in the bearings and seals cause the flywheel to slow down and loose energy. KERS TECHNOLOGY USED IN ROAD CARS Both the Electric and Mechanical KERS developed in F1 are not new to the automobile industry. Electric hybrid cars such as Toyota Prius(1997 Japenese market),Honda Civic Hybrid(2002),Ford Escape Hybrid(2005) did quite well since their introduction in the market especially the Prius. Flywheels on the other hand were introduced in transport buses in Sverdon,Switzerland (1950) and also in small electric locomotives for shunting purposes. The reason why flywheels have not been used in road cars is because they were heavy and produced high gyroscopic forces which upset the handling characteristics of the car hence they were installed in heavy buses and trams as discussed in. The kers system in commercial and transport vehicles was used to accelerate the vehicle from low speeds or standstill situations were an engine utilises most amount of fuel thus giving better fuel average figures. The electric hybrid vehicles mentioned above had good emissions and fuel average though the actual figure s were lower than those mentioned on paper. This was because manufacturers conducted tests in a secure environment were the battery system was tested in its ideal temperature range which in reality was not the case. They were then run on drive cycles whose figures wary from the real world numbers, thus resulting in efficiency figures that are inaccurate. The batteries used in hybrid cars are still quite heavy and due to constant charging and discharging wear out faster. Hence they have to be replaced from time to time. Due to the commerce involved in any new technology designers found it hard to gather money and resources to build such hybrid technology and thus the pace of development was slow. As car manufacturers face tougher emission norms hybrid technologies are getting more importance by the day. CONCLUSIONS Apart from increasing overtaking the main purpose of introducing KERS was to challenge the best engineers in the business to develop innovative ideas that would directly benefit the mainstream motor industry. Given the resources and pace of developments in F1, the Kers systems produced by the teams would have taken the car manufacturers much longer to develop. Both the types of KERS can be retrofitted in cars albeit with minor modifications. Given the current trend of engine downsizing they can add substantial amount of performance to the car without affecting the engine and average. The mechanical system is more efficient than the electrical systems that use inefficient batteries which makes them more likely to be induced in cars in the near future. The flywheels used in F1 cars were pretty powerful though they will be modified to suit real world situations which will be capable of storing 75kW and weigh about 35-40kg which compared to current battery systems is half the weight as s een in. The carbon fibre used in F1 flywheels can be reduced in quantity for road cars where as the rest of the materials like aluminium and steel are readily available and would be cheaper to produce in volume than electric systems. Flywheels are easy to recycle where as the use of rare earth materials make batteries more expensive to recycle. The flywheels could be charged directly by the engines thus charging faster which would help cope with the road conditions better. The electric systems developed by F1 have proved there is room for improvement in this field but comparatively flywheels seem to be the better option in terms of overall performance gains and sustainability though further work needs to be done to make it road ready. Flybrid systems is currently testing with Jaguar, the Technology Strategy Board established by the British government is funding a project involving Prodrive and Flybrid to help develop the technology for road cars as mentioned in. Initially manufacturers plan to introduce it with high end models and latter on to city a car which supports the statement that F1 KERS will benefit the motor industry. REFERENCE Vehicle Propulsion System by Prof. Lino Guzzella, Dr.Antonio Sciarretta, ETH Zurich, Institut fur Mess-und Regeltechnik, Sonneggstr.3, 8092 Zurich Switzerland. 2005 page ( 87-106) and (124-130). Handbook Of Automotive Powertrain Chassis Design by John Fenton 1998 page (131-139). http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/f1/426958/exclusive-mclaren-f1-kers.html. Flybrid Systems LLP http://www.flybridsystems.com/Technology.html High Speed Flywheel Based Hybrid System For Low Carbon Vehicles by D.Cross, J.Hilton from IEEE Xplore Oxford Brookes University. TorotrakPlc. http://www.torotrak.com/Resources/Torotrak/Documents/SAE_WC_2009_09PFL-0922_KERS.pdf Williams Hybrid Power Lt. http://www.williamshybridpower.com/technology/

Differences Between Troy Movie and Iliad

The differences between the movie â€Å"Troy† and the poem â€Å"Iliad† and the explanation of why they occurred? The film Troy which is directed by Wolfgang Peterson has been deeply influenced by the epic poem, the Iliad. This work is generally credited to the Ancient Greek poet named Homer. Both the film and the poem have the same ending plots, such as the blockade of Troy by the Greeks, the disagreement between the warrior Achilles and the king Agamemnon and these actions started when the prince of Troy Paris who took the wife king Menelaus of Sparta with him.However there are many main differences related to these plots. These differences include some very major characters dying in the Iliad and surviving in the film troy, the time of the death of characters, and the relationships between the characters. Some of the major differences between the film and the poem are:   1. In the Iliad the war took 10 years in the film Troy it only took 17 days. 2. In the Iliad, P atroclus was not the cousin of Achilles, only a friend. 3.There is no mention of the horse in the Iliad. 4. In the poem, Paris is killed, Hector’s baby is killed, and Hector’s wife is the slave of Greek however in the film Troy they escape safely. 5. Agamemnon was killed by his wife, â€Å"Clytemnestra† in the Greece after the war, not by Briseis who kills him in the film. 6. Hector was too scared of Achilles to fight him and he ran away around the walls of troy 3 times. 7. In the movie Agamemnon brought the kings together for this war, which is not true in the Iliad. . In the movie, Briseis is a member of Priam's family but in the poem, she was simply a slave girl. 9. The movie tells that Achilles is so arrogant that he does not respect Apollo and the Iliad tells that Achilles respects the gods and goddesses. 10. The movie hasn’t shown any close relationships between the Greeks and Trojans and their gods and goddesses. The Iliad demonstrates the close in teractions between the gods and goddesses and their followers.The reason of these differences in the film Troy and the Iliad are to convenience of the director and for entertainment. If the film remained same as the poem â€Å"Iliad† then the movie would have received more limited ratings and decrease the amount of the audience. They would earn less money for the publishing company. Director attempted to make the film more likable by making the film a more feel good by letting Paris, Hector’s wife, Hector’s baby, Helen and Briseis escape with citizens of Troy which created an environment of hopes.The film would have appeal to lower amount of people, if Paris, Hector’s wife and baby had been killed. Many people would have feel frustrated by watching everyone dying that’s why the director did not remain true to the Iliad but in the Iliad there is really no hope left for Troy. There is no other reason for these differences except from money and as all the major and small differences are observed, it becomes very obvious that the film was moulded to a modern day audience with modern day expectations of the film.

Feudalism in European and Japanese Society

Feudalism was used in both Japan and Europe and as such, ad similarities amongst in Uses including the basis the system was based on, the hierarchy involved in such a system, and the establishments lords built as their residences. However, as a result of varying cultures, the feudal system had a handful differences in both countries; from the basis of ideas regarding the feudal system (I. E.Confucianism and Kong Quiz versus Catholicism and Roman imperial laws) to the date of establishment of feudalism as a social system in their respective countries; payment of the lord and dainty for the military service performed by the serfs, peasants, and samurai to he aversion of suicide, or lack thereof when in regards to samurai, by knights as a result of their binding to Catholic Christian law. Feudal European and Japanese societies were built on a hierarchical society firstly.Various levels of social strata were the basis of aforementioned feudal societies. These levels of strata included (1 ) nobles (2) warriors and (3) tenant farmers or serfs. Like many ancient and medieval societies, social mobility was never truly at center stage and as a result it was a near nonexistent thing in feudal societies in both Europe and Japan. In addition, these feudal societies fostered an abundance of respect for the warrior class, stemming from constant warfare and their function as local lords. The warrior class was restrained by a code of ethics.For example, European knights were expected to follow a code of chivalry while Japanese samurai were expected to follow the doctrine of what is called bushier –?in other words, â€Å"the way of the warrior. † Finally, feudal lords in both countries, Europe and Japan, built strong and large castles that could be used for defense from invaders and also served as protection for themselves and their vassals, seeing as that in and of itself was the main precept f feudalism–protection in exchange for homage, labor, and a share of the agricultural harvest.On the other side of the coin, the basis of ideas regarding the feudal system of society differed from Europe to Japan. European feudalism was founded on the authority of the Catholic Church, an element of European life that was increasingly important in such a medieval society, along with Roman imperial laws and customs the likes of which were supported by said Catholic Church. As a result, the symbiotic relationship between a lord and his vassals was seen as contractual, an idea originating from he ancient patronize relationship found in the Roman Empire.The lords o offered both protection and payment while the vassals gave their complete loyalty to the lords. Whereas Japanese feudalism originated on the precepts of Confucianism and the doctrine of the Chinese philosopher, Kong Quiz. These doctrines emphasized morality and filial piety–respect for both superiors and elders-?and functioned as the quintessential â€Å"moral compass† Of both peasants and villagers who were required to honor and pay taxes to the warrior class.Secondly, feudalism made its way to Europe long before it surfaced in Japan–800 A. D. Versus 1100 AD. Respectively. This appearance of feudalism in Japan coincided with the ending of the Hein period and the rise to power of the Kumara Shogun. However, many years later, European feudalism came to a careening halt in the sixteenth century as a result of the growth of stronger political states, thereby eliminating the need for the symbiotic relationship between the lord and the vassals and serfs fostered by feudalism.Japanese feudalism would later find its inevitable end in 1868 as a result of the Meijer Restoration. In addition, European knights were gifted land by their lords as a exult of their military service and as such they had immense control over the serfs who worked the gifted land. This contrasts against the life of the Japanese samurai seeing as they en ever owned any land in their feudalism society.Instead, dainty used a percentage of their annual income, generally accumulated from taxing peasants, in order to pay the samurai. (This salary was typically paid in rice. ) Lastly, Catholic Christian law prohibited knights from committing suicide and, instead, encouraged the fight to avoid death in both battle and life. This precept of Catholicism originates from the belief that those who go commit suicide are emended to hell, a consequence that is unimaginable in the Christian faith.The Japanese, on the other hand, welcomed death seeing as they had no religious affiliation and saw no need to fear their own mortality or the consequences that would undoubtedly come with such an irreversible act. In their perspective, committing suicide in the face of inevitable defeat preserved their honor as warriors, thus suicide was honorable in Japanese culture. It is interesting to note, however, that although Japan and Europe had no quantifiable contact with one another durin g this time period, hey managed to develop sociopolitical systems akin to one another.

Economic analysis and competition in oligopolistic firms

Economic analysis and competition in oligopolistic firms Introduction In the world of business, there are various structures that are used to organize the various establishments according to the extents of their involvement. Oligopolies are one such classification and these are well present in countries all over the world. This essay seeks to illustrate how elements of economic analysis can be used to explain the competitive aspects of business entities that take the form of oligopolies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic analysis and competition in oligopolistic firms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To this end, a description of the term economic analysis and what it entails shall be provided alongside a complete detailing of all aspects of oligopolies. A section of the paper shall be dedicated to explore the possible impacts of long term strategic commitments on the competitive position of an oligopolistic firm. Finally a conclusion shall be provided and which sha ll serve as a summation of the arguments presented. Economic analysis Because of the scarcity of resources, the basic human needs and desires tend to be limited by a number of factors including the purchasing power and the pricing of commodities and services. Economic analysis is the process of assessing the supply and demand patterns as well as the options which customers are exposed to and the incentives that drive them to make certain purchases (Boulding 1966). This is therefore an analysis of how resources are utilized by a certain group of people. The field of economic analysis is divided into two main categories. These are economic feasibility analysis and economic impact analysis. These two are briefly explained below: Economic feasiblity analysis Business establishments and state organisations tend to go through periods of uncertainty where great risk-taking measures are required particularly when it comes to the decision making process regarding long-term strategies such as the introduction of new products (Schermerhorn 1978). For a proper economic feasibility analysis to be carried out, it is imperative that the individuals involved in conducting the study commit themselves to ensuring accuracy in the prediction of demand. To this end, it is necessary that the economic patterns as well as the purchasing power of consumers be taken into account (Schermerhorn 1978). Once the demand aspects have been dealt with, then the supply requirements can be studied and in this regard the firs have to find out which resources would be required for them to achieve their objectives. The feasibility study must also include an analysis of competitors and their basic business strategies. The economic impact analysis This refers to intense research processes carried out with an aim of providing an estimation of the economic impact of a business establishment to the region in which it is based (Pleeter 1980). The consequence of an economic occurence is a total of the cum ulative direct and indirect effects on the population. These effects are estimated by studying the levels of taxation rates, spending chains and saving patterns. These are elements that can only be analysied through scientific surveys in the target populations.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Oligopoly An oligopoly is a type of market structure where a number of large enterprises exercise dominance in the market (Friedman 1983). The business establishments in this type of market are usually big companies which have a lot of resources for investment and which generally tend to command larger market values. Such companies are also very well known in the world market because they tend to spend a huge percentage of their profits on marketing and advertising. There are two main types of oligopolies. These are the impure oligopoly and the pure oligopoly (Peeples 1989). T he impure oligopoly mainly deals in a variety of products or services while the pure oligopoly mainly deals in the type of product that has no major difference from those produced by other companies in the same line of business (Friedman 1983). Such homogeneous products include the likes of steel and wheat. In an oligopoly, there are very few sellers gunning for the biggest share of the market and this is primarily because they tend to invest a lot of resources in their daily operations. On average, most oligopolies tend to have between three and four key players (Baye 1999). The primary feature that characterizes oligopolies is the aspect of interdependence between the companies involved. A basic oligopoly will tend to be made up of very few large enterprises (Friedman 1983). Each player in the oligopoly plays a very distinct role such that any of its actions will have a significant impact on the market conditions. Economic analysis comes in handy to explain the influences of vario us companies in the oligopoly especially in the view of the fact that the other companies in competition are fully aware of their rivals’ market actions (Peeples 1989). This means that in order for an enterprise to pursue a particular market action, the institution has to consider all the possible counter-reactions by each and every member of the oligopoly. This sort of strategization likens decision making in an oligopoly to a chess game in which an player has to analyze all the possible moves and countermoves by his/her opponent before establishing a plan for attaining his/her objectives. For instance a company intending to reduce its pricing structure in order to woo more clients has to take into consideration that competitors in the same market might counter the move by reducing the prices even further. A good example is the ongoing price war between the largest mobile telephony providers in the East African country o Kenya (Zain and Safaricom) where Zain out of nowhere c ut all calling rates by 50%, a situation that forced their rivals, Safaricom to cut down their charges as well. This kind of interdependent competition has the negative effect of reducing the price to ruinous levels. Economic analysis helps understand the difference between oligopolies and monopolies in this respect of interdependence. Economic analysis helps provides an understanding of profit maximization strategies. In oligopoly markets the companies involved are generally fully aware of their competitors’ weak points. As such, the enterprises in competition will tend to exploit such weaknesses to their own advantage regardless of the fact that such actions could spark instances of unfair competitive practices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic analysis and competition in oligopolistic firms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Economic analysis helps scholars understand is aspect of competition by illu strating how oligopolies raise their profit levels by ensuring production happens at the point where marginal costs and expenditures intersect (Baye 1999). It is also through market analysis that it is easy to understand that oligopolies are able to sustain great profits by the companies acting as price setters as opposed to price takers. In some instances, firms in an oligopoly can join forces in a secret association that would see them control the market and retain the prices at an all time high (Hirschey 2009). Such cartels result in consequences similar to those of monopolies since they tend to discourage competitive tendencies (Hirschey 2009). Economic analysis comes through to provide explanations to how certain companies in the cartels conduct themselves especially since disagreements in such arragements can result in price wars breaking out. Once an oligopoly has been well established, it assumes the form of an elitist club where new entrants have to go to extensive lengths to prove their worth (Puu and Shusko 2002). In other words there are very many barriers to entry. Economic analysis helps further understand this aspect of entry by laying emphasis on the primary barriers which include economies of scale and idea licensing. Similarly, concepts of economic analysis will contribute to understanding further why the enterprises that have already established ground in the oligopoly will make all necessary efforts to ensure that nascent companies are discouraged or destroyed. In this regard, the incumbent firms can easily maintain long-run large profits by ensuring that no sideline companies enter the market to cause a split in the profits. For the sake of economic security, governments have also been known to deny some companies entry into certain lucrative business ventures. Economic analysis also explains that consumers generally tend to have limited information as regards the pricing structure and therefore will fall victims to the oppressive prices e stablished by oligopolies (Baumol and Blinder 2008). Leaving the market is equally as challenging as the entry and from the principles of economic analysis it has been established that this is due to the fact that such an exit can end up causing a lot of economic challenges for the economy of the country where the firm is located (Puu and Shusko 2002). Effects of competition in oligopolies The primary effect of competition by oligopolies is unending rivalry among the companies involved (Puu and Shusko 2002). This rivalry mainly arises from price wars necessitated by firms cutting down prices with an aim of getting an unfair advantage on their competitors.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, their are other forms of competition which dont necessarily involve the pricing structures, top on the list being advertising and differentiation (Hirschey 2009). Big companies tend to invest huge amounts of money in promotional campaigns which tend to work in their advantage mainly because they already have secured their own portions of the market. It is however easier for companies to lose this portion of the market than to gain bigger portions and this is the main reason why firms have to constantly make the consumer aware of their presence. Advertising remains the primary way for established companies to maintain their competitive lead. In the field of economic analysis non-price competition is considered to be one of the key oligopoly models and this is because of the benefiting effects that it gives companies (Fudenberg and Tirole 2002). As far as the price wars are concerned, one economic analysis model that can be used to explain market phenomena is the kinked deman d curve model (Fudenberg and Tirole). This model is based on the fact that oligopolists tend to appreciate that when one firm lowers its prices, other enterprises will follow suit for fear of losing their market share (McEachern 2008). When prices are decreased by a relatively large percentage, the effect is a comparatively small rise in sales; a phenomena known as inelastic demand (Baumol and Blinder 2008). However, when one firm decides to raises its prices, other firms will generally tend to ignore this and hope that the can take advantage of the situation to attract customers who will basically tend to go for the lower prices. A relatively small rise in price will come with a sharp decline in sales; a condition referred to as elastic demand (Baumol and Blinder 2008). Even in the most competitive oligopolies, their tends to be one company that commands the biggest share of the market and as such tends to set the price for the rest of the market. This aspect is explained by an eco nomic analysis model called price leadership where the rest of the companies in the circle have to wait for the dominant firm to set the price for them to follow (Fudenberg and Tirole 2002). This is a very common model because companies generally have the tendency to match prices with the largest enterprise in the business. As such when this large player decides to drop the prices to ridiculous levels, the other enterprises have no option but to drop theirs as well. As far as long term strategic commitments on the competitive position of an oligopolistic firm are concerned, there are two basic outcomes that can be arrived at. First, is that the market will gradually align itself to accord such companies superseded advantage over their competitors (Baye 1999). For instance, if a company decides to suddenly reduce the prices of its products by 40%, there is a chance that the competing oligopolies will reduce their prices to match this figure or to an even lower figure. However, due to the fact that the reduction is of high proportions, other companies may not have the financial potential to drop their prices to such extents and consequently the firm that dropped its prices will gradually gain in terms of customer drain from competitors and will hope to retain these customers in the long-term. The other effect of long term strategic commitments is that the desired effect may not be attained and the company ends up losing heavily (McEachern 2008). Drawing from the above example of a 40% price reduction, customers may not be interested in shifting their loyalty from the other competitors in the oligopoly because of the quality of service they have been getting. Under these circumstances, the company which dropped its prices may not be in a position to break even and because of pride issues, the company will not be in a position to raise its prices once its plan backfires. Conclusion This essay has extensively analysed the importance of economic analysis in explaini ng certain behaviours of oligopolies. Various analytical models have been used to provide logical explanations as to the behaviours of companies in this business structure. Aside from this, a section of the presentation has been used to elaborate on the impact of strategic commitments on the competitive positions of companies. In conclusion, it is worth noting that oligopoly is a very common market structure which tends to come with difficulties in evaluation. With companies getting bigger and acquiring more power and with the world becoming a global village on a daily basis it is almost guaranteed that this structure will in the coming years be the basic market structure. Reference List Baumol, W.J. Blinder, A.S., 2008. Economics: Principles and Policy. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Baye, M.R., 1999. Oligopoly. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Boulding, K.E., 1966. Economic analysis. United States: Harper Row. Friedman, J.W., 1983. Oligopoly theory. Cambridge: CUP Archive. Fudenberg, D . Tirole, J., 2002. Dynamic models of oligopoly. United Kingdom: Routledge. Hirschey, M., 2009. Managerial economics. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. McEachern, W.A., 2008. Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Peeples, J.V., 1989. Oligopoly. New Mexico: New Mexico State University. Pleeter, S., 1980. Economic impact analysis: methodology and applications. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Puu, T. Shusko, I., 2002. Oligopoly dynamics: models and tools. New York City: Springer. Schermerhorn, R.W., 1978. Economic feasibility analysis: what is it and how should it  be done. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service.

Using Questions to Refocus or Adjust Lessons

Using Questions to Refocus or Adjust Lessons One of the most important responsibilities for a teacher is the planning of instruction. Planning instruction provides direction, provides assessment guidelines, and  conveys instructional intent to students and supervisors. Planned instruction for grades 7-12 in any academic discipline,  however, is met with everyday challenges. There are distractions within the classroom (cell phones,   classroom management  behavior, bathroom breaks) as well as the  external distractions  Ã‚  (PA announcements, outside noises, fire drills) that often interrupt lessons.   When the unexpected happens,  even the best planned lessons or most organized  plan  books  can derail.   Over the course of a unit or a semester, distractions can cause a teacher to lose sight of the goal(s) of a course.   So, what tools can  a secondary teacher use to get back on track?   To counter the many different interruptions in  the execution of lesson plans, teachers need to keep in mind three (3) simple questions that are at the heart of instruction: What thing(s) will the students be able to do when they leave the classroom?How will  I  know the students will be able to do what was taught?What tools or items  are needed for me to accomplish the task(s)? ​These questions can be made into a template to use as a planning tool and  added as an appendix to lesson plans. Instructional Planning in Secondary Classrooms These three (3) questions can also help secondary teachers to be flexible, since teachers may find they may have to modify lesson plans in real time for a specific course period by period. There may be different academic levels of students or multiple courses within a particular discipline; a math teacher, for example, may teach advanced calculus, regular calculus, and statistics sections in one day. Planning for daily instruction also  means that a teacher, regardless of content, is required  to differentiate or  tailor instruction to meet individual student needs. This differentiation  recognizes the variance among learners in the classroom. Teachers use differentiation when they account for student readiness, student interest, or  student learning styles. Teachers can differentiate the academic content, the activities associated with the content, the assessments or end products, or the approach (formal, informal) to the content. Teachers in grades 7-12 also need to account for any number of possible variations in a daily schedule. There may be advisory periods, guidance visits, field trips/internships, etc. Student attendance can also mean a variation in plans for individual students. The pace of an activity can be thrown off with one or more interruptions, so even the  best lesson plans need to account for these minor changes. In some cases, a lesson plan may need an  on the spot change or maybe even a complete rewrite! Because of differentiation or variations to schedules that mean real time adjustments, teachers need to have a quick planning tool that they can use to help adjust and refocus a lesson.  This set of three questions (above) can to help teachers at minimum the means to check to see they are still delivering instruction effectively. Use Questions to Refocus Daily Plans A teacher who uses the three questions (above) either as a daily planning tool or as a tool for adjustment may also need some additional follow-up questions.   When time is removed from an already tight class schedule, a teacher can choose some of the options listed beneath each question in order to salvage any pre-planned instruction. Moreover, any content area teacher can use this template as a tool to make adjustments to a lesson plan-even one that is partially delivered- by adding the following questions: What thing(s) will the students still be able to do when they leave the classroom today? If this was planned as an introductory lesson, what will students be able to explain what was taught with assistance?  If this was planned as an ongoing lesson, or a lesson in a series,  what will students be able to explain independently?  If this was planned as a  review lesson,   what will students be able to explain to others? How will  I  know the students will be able to do what was taught today? Can I still use a  question/answer session at the end of class where I check comprehension?Can I still use an exit slip quiz question with days lesson content or problem to receive feedback from students?Can I still assess through a homework assignment that is due the following day? What tools or items  are needed for me to accomplish the task(s) today? What necessary texts are still available for this lesson   and how do I still make these available for students? (textbooks, trade books, digital links, handouts)What necessary tools are still available to present the information? (whiteboard, Powerpoint, SmartBoard, projection and/or software platform)What other resources (websites, recommended reading, instructional videos, review/practice software) can I still provide to students as support for what I am teaching?What kinds of communication (assignment posts, reminders) can I still leave for students to keep pace with the lesson?If something goes wrong with the tools or items needed, what backups do I have? Teachers can use the three questions and their follow-up questions  in order to develop, to adjust, or to   refocus their lesson plans on just what is important for that particular day. While some teachers may find the use this set of questions particularly useful every day, others might use these questions infrequently.

Ethical Theories Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Theories Paper - Essay Example determined solely by its resulting consequent, though there is still a debate over the extent of consideration that should be offered to intended consequences, foreseen consequences and actual consequences. Utilitarianism can be said to be a reductionist and a quantitative approach to ethics, as well as a form of naturalism (Zilioli, 2007). It is the opposite of deontological ethics, virtue ethics, ethical egoism, and pragmatic ethics. This is an absolutist and deontological approach. It is based on the fact that individuals should believe in doing things because it is the right thing to do meaning and the duty of an individual to perform a certain act, which can be regarded as right. It does not believe that each act should be done because it results in happiness but should be done because it is the appropriate thing to do. Kant’s ethics are based on A Priori reasoning while Mill’s and Bentham’s are based on A Posteriori logic (Zilioli, 2007). This is a theory which was developed in anthropological research as axiomatic in the few initial decades of 20th century by Franz Boas and popularized later by his students (Peoples & Bailey, 2012). Boas did not coin the term. Cultural relativism involves certain methodological and epistemological claims. It is still debated whether these claims necessitate a particular ethical stance or not. This principle should be carefully distinguished from moral relativism. This is a principle of truth based on the statement "if one believes something it is true." The outcome of individual relativism results in two obvious absurdities, and consequently one nail-in-the-coffin objection. To begin with, the most obvious absurdity that is a consequent of individual relativism is if everybodys beliefs are true, then there would not be any false belief. This means everybody is always right, and their beliefs are true and cannot be false. The second relatively obvious absurdity is if there are no false beliefs, then no one will ever

International Financial institution and markets Essay

International Financial institution and markets - Essay Example The report seeks to identify various factors which are considered as of advantage as well as of disadvantage for the UK to enter into such an agreement of currency union. It also deals with whether the Euro could substitute the US dollar as the major currency in the global market. 2 Euro is considered to be a currency that is widely used by the European Union Institutions and it is said to be the official currency for euro zone. Euro zone comprises 18 member states out of the 28 member states that is said to constitute the European Union such as Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal, Luxembourg, Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia to name a few. There are also other five European countries that use the currency Euro and as a consequence is said to be used by 334 million Europeans currently. Moreover it is considered that 210 million people across the universe including 182 million from Africa use currencies that are said to be pegged to the currency euro. Euro is considered to be the second largest reserve currency in the globe after the US dollar. It is also considered as the second most traded currency in the universe after the US dollar. Euro is considered to be a single currency arrangement which came into force between members of European Uni on in the year 1999. The implication of a single currency is that there are no different national monetary policies. In this regard, the Central Bank of Europe was set up which used to conduct wide monetary policy and also sets the interest rates in Europe. This resulted into a loss of different national monetary policies, exchange rates, and interest rates. In this regard, the intention of Germany to introduce an economic policy to fight against unemployment is considered as very difficult as this role can only be played by the European Central Bank. There are numerous advantages to sector of financial services with regard to Britain joining the Euro. In the absence of floating exchange rate, the relative