Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory Coursework

Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory Coursework Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory – Coursework Example Argument against evolutionary theory Dr. Jerry Coyne is one of the leading evolutionary biologists across the G lobe and has written the book â€Å"why evolution is true† however a closer look of his argument indicates various flaws in his work on the theory of evolution.One of the deficiencies, which come clearly in his arguments of evolution, is the way in which he beat around the bush on the term evolution. There is a lot of equivocation in his work. Equivocation is a tool of dishonest argument whereby a person uses multiple definitions of a term and then uses the same term in another sense that is correct (Coyne 129).Throughout his work, Coyne abuses the meaning of the term evolution and defines it in multiple ways. For instance, he states that evolution is a fact. In some places, he defines evolution as the idea that all life came into existence through naturalistic processes from a single replicating model (Coyne 233).In other places; he defines the term in ways that a c reation scientist would freely acknowledge to be true. Coyne asserts that evolution is a process by which organisms change slightly so as to adapt their surrounding environment. Few creationists if any would believe his argument that animals do not adapt depending on the environment and the genetic flexibility. The idea that animals are able to adapt to a certain level is different from the fact that life started from a single molecule (Shubin 95).Coyne’s use of the fallacy of equivocation shows the inbuilt weakness of the evolutionary theory which he attempts to defend in his book (Coyne 121).No genuine evidence ever been produced to substantiate the idea that human life evolved from a single replicating molecule over a million years ago (Coyne 213). Coyne, J. Written in Rocks. In Why Evolution is True? New York: Penguin Group. 2009.Shubin, N. Your inner fish. New York, NY: Vintage Books. 2008.

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology The German physician  Robert Koch (December 11, 1843 - May 27, 1910) is considered the father of modern bacteriology for his work  demonstrating that specific microbes are responsible for causing specific diseases. Koch discovered the life cycle of the bacteria responsible for anthrax and identified the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and cholera. Fast Facts: Robert Koch Nickname: Father of Modern BacteriologyOccupation: PhysicianBorn: December 11, 1843 in Clausthal, GermanyDied: May 27, 1910 in Baden-Baden, GermanyParents: Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette BiewandEducation: University of Gà ¶ttingen (M.D.)Published Works: Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases (1877)Key Accomplishments: Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (1905)Spouse(s): Emmy Fraatz (m. 1867–1893), Hedwig Freiberg (m. 1893–1910)Child: Gertrude Koch Early Years Robert Heinrich Hermann Koch was born December 11, 1843 in the German town of Clausthal. His parents, Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette Biewand, had thirteen children. Robert was the third child and the oldest surviving son. Even as a child, Koch demonstrated a love of nature and showed a high degree of intelligence. He reportedly taught himself to read at the age of five. Koch became interested in biology in high school and entered the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1862, where he studied medicine. While in medical school, Koch was highly influenced by his anatomy instructor Jacob Henle, who had  published a work in 1840 proposing that microorganisms are responsible for causing infectious disease. Career and Research Upon earning his medical degree  with high honors from the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1866, Koch practiced privately for a while in the town of Langenhagen and later in Rakwitz. In 1870, Koch voluntarily enlisted in the German military during the Franco-Prussian War. He served as a doctor in a battlefield hospital treating wounded soldiers. Two years later, Koch became the District Medical Officer for the city of Wollstein. He would hold this position from 1872 to 1880. Koch was later appointed to the Imperial Health Office in Berlin, a position he held from 1880 to 1885. During his time in Wollstein and Berlin, Koch began his laboratory investigations of bacterial pathogens that would bring him national and world-wide recognition. Anthrax Life Cycle Discovery Robert Kochs anthrax research was the first to demonstrate that a specific infectious disease was caused by a specific microbe. Koch gained insight from prominent scientific researchers of his time, such as Jacob Henle, Louis Pasteur, and Casimir Joseph Davaine. Work by Davaine indicated that animals with anthrax contained microbes in their blood. When healthy animals were inoculated with the blood of infected animals, the healthy animals became diseased. Davaine postulated that anthrax must be caused by the blood microbes. Robert Koch took this investigation further by obtaining pure anthrax cultures and identifying bacterial spores  (also called  endospores). These resistant cells can survive for years under harsh conditions such as high temperatures, dryness, and the presence of toxic enzymes or chemicals. The spores remain dormant until conditions become favorable for them to develop into vegetative (actively growing) cells capable of causing disease. As a result of Kochs research, the life cycle of the anthrax bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was identified. Laboratory Research Techniques Robert Kochs research led  to the development and refinement of a number of laboratory techniques that are still in use today. In order for Koch to obtain pure bacterial cultures for study, he had to find a suitable medium on which to grow the microbes. He perfected a method for turning a liquid medium (culture broth) into a solid medium by mixing it with agar. The agar gel medium was ideal for growing pure cultures as it was transparent, remained solid at body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F), and bacteria did not use it as a food source. An assistant of Koch, Julius Petri, developed a special plate called a Petri dish for holding the solid growth medium. Additionally, Koch refined techniques for preparing bacteria for microscope viewing. He developed glass slides and cover slips as well as methods for heat fixing and staining bacteria with dyes in order to improve visibility. He also developed techniques for the use of steam sterilization and methods for photographing (micro-photography) bacteria and other microbes. Koch's Postulates Koch published Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases  in 1877. In it, he outlined procedures for obtaining pure cultures and bacteria isolation methods. Koch also developed guidelines or postulates for determining that a particular disease is due to a specific microbe. These postulates were developed during Kochs study of anthrax and outlined four basic principles that apply when establishing the causative agent of an infectious disease: The suspected microbe must be found in all instances of the disease, but not in healthy animals.The suspected microbe must be isolated from a diseased animal and grown in pure culture.When a healthy animal is inoculated with the suspected microbe, the disease must develop.The microbe must be isolated from the inoculated animal, grown in pure culture, and be identical to the microbe obtained from the original diseased animal. Tuberculosis and Cholera Bacteria Identification By 1881, Koch had set his sights on identifying the microbe responsible for causing the deadly disease tuberculosis. While other researchers had been able to demonstrate that tuberculosis was caused by a microorganism, no one had been able to stain or identify the microbe. Using modified staining techniques, Koch was able to isolate and identify the responsible bacteria:  Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Koch announced his discovery in March of 1882 at the Berlin Psychological Society. News of the discovery spread, quickly reaching the United States by April of 1882. This discovery brought Koch world-wide notoriety and acclaim. Next, as the head of the German Cholera Commission in 1883, Koch began investigating  cholera  outbreaks in Egypt and India. By 1884, he had isolated and identified the causative agent of cholera as  Vibrio cholerae. Koch also developed methods for controlling cholera epidemics that serve as the basis for modern day standards of control. In 1890, Koch claimed to have discovered a cure for tuberculosis, a substance he called tuberculin. Although tuberculin turned out  not to be a cure, Kochs work with tuberculosis earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905. Death and Legacy Robert Koch continued his investigative research into infectious diseases until his health began to fail in his early sixties. A few years prior to his death, Koch suffered a heart attack brought on by heart disease. On May 27, 1910, Robert Koch died in Baden-Baden, Germany at the age of 66. Robert Kochs contributions to microbiology and bacteriology have had a major impact on modern scientific research practices and the study of infectious diseases. His work helped to establish the germ theory of disease as well as to refute spontaneous generation. Kochs laboratory techniques and sanitation methods serve as the foundation for modern day methods for microbe identification and disease control. Sources Adler, Richard. Robert Koch and American Bacteriology. McFarland, 2016. Chung, King-thom, and Jong-kang Liu. Pioneers In Microbiology: The Human Side Of Science. World Scientific, 2017. Robert Koch - Biographical. Nobelprize.org, Nobel Media AB, 2014, www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1905/koch-bio.html. Robert Koch Scientific Works. Robert Koch Institute, www.rki.de/EN/Content/Institute/History/rk_node_en.html. Sakula, Alex. Robert Koch: Centenary of the Discovery of the Tubercle Bacillus, 1882. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 1983, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790283/.

DISSERTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DISSERTATION - Essay Example Online shopping takes the experience of shopping to altogether a new dimension and helps in improving the necessary services given to the consumers as well as the vendors and also helps in managing all the required information of the payments of the customers, receipt of products of the new customers, their product and updating of all the necessary credentials. The primary features of the online shopping helps in providing business accuracy, flexibility of design and readiness of accessibility (Gay, Charlesworth, & Esen, 2007, p. 173). Today internet is an increasingly popular medium of shopping due to its shopping convenience. This research paper focuses on this subject because of its growing relevance among the young generation. The behavior of the consumers in shopping is highly essential for the businesses in tracking the discrete preferences and engineers their strategies for focusing on the key requirements of the consumers. Various factors stand in the way of influencing the behavior of the consumers. From the standpoint of Warner, various external influences which affect the consumer’s behavior are demographics, socio-economics, technology and public policy; culture; subculture; reference groups; and marketing. Within the domain of internal influences, attitudes, learning, perception, motivation as well as self image and semiotics are various psychological attributes affecting the consumer behavior in online shopping. From the studies of a scholar called Sheth, it can be also found that the consumers are predominated by mainly two types of motives which are basically functional as well as non functional. It is a common agenda that people in today’s world have drastically changed their shopping patterns and there has been application of various strategies by the companies towards positioning their products in systematic and successful manner. The marketing managers while strategizing optimal marketing plans and concentrating on the four

Museum vsit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Museum vsit - Essay Example The layout of the art is diamond in shape. A wall colored in red was visible in the middle of the exhibits. This was the starting point of the exhibit. It contained clear descriptions of the art. The red color symbolized the blood shed during the violence in the communist era. It also illuminates the art work and made it easy for the visitors to see and read the descriptions inscribed on the art.The posters are placed in white frame and hanged up the wall and strategically place to see and understand their significance once the visitors read the descriptions. They are also grouped which makes it easier for the visitors to understand the art work easily. The exhibits are directly lit, softly to enhance the artwork and make it more visible to the public. The exhibits have a combination of warm colors, grey, red and white walls. The grey color is the background of the poster while the red and white are on the wall an element which is simple in nature but aesthetically beautiful to look at. The room where the posters are displayed also have an ambiance that allows one to have a good focus on the posters. The artists and the museum staff arranged the exhibit in such a way that one will read, connect with art work and go back in history to get a clearer picture of the message passed in your mind. The posters had labels on them and some had descriptions on type of art work displayed in the museum. The descriptions told of the history behind the poster and they were didactic in nature. They derived their inspiration from the social injustice in the past as that was the theme of the rebranded. These exhibits were not only pleasing to art lovers but the message behind it is what inspires me as an art enthusiast. Despite few missing descriptions the art could almost be generalized as it was easy to understand especially due to the grouping

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay There have been many philosophical perspectives and debates held throughout the centuries on the foundations of human knowledge. The stand points that both Descartes and Locke have differ and both of these philosophers’ perspectives have contributed to the rational and empirical debate about the foundations of human knowledge. Descartes’ understanding of the foundations of human knowledge takes on a rational viewpoint and has lead to Locke’s response of an empirical proposition of this understanding. Both of these philosophers’ understandings are two sides to the same coin according to Immanuel Kant. In Kant’s writing of Critique of Pure Reason he explains how both of these perspectives are intertwined and work together to as the foundations to forming human knowledge. To Kant empiricism and rationalism both play an important part to human beings acquiring knowledge. In the essay below, there will be a brief history on who Immanuel Kant was and a more detailed explanation of both Descartes’ and Locke’s comprehension of the foundations of human knowledge. Following the dispute held between these two philosophers will be Kant’s solution to their debate, on how both the empirical and rational faculties of reality are important factors to gaining human knowledge. Kant was a German philosopher that was born April 24th, 1724 and died February 12th, 1804 and is often known as one of the most important philosopher of modern time. His writings are known to be one of the most difficult philosophers to understand which results in many challenging interpretations of his work. Kant is difficult to read because of the system he uses; he re-established this through the invention of critical philosophy. Kant was raised to be a priestly household that stressed intense religious devotion and personal humility and many interpret his philosophy as an attempt to carry forward the interest of Christianity. He received a firm education, one that was disciplinary and held religious instruction over mathematics and science. His career seemed to take light at the high point of the Enlightenment where reason can be found to be at the center of his philosophy. He was enrolled at the University of Konigsberg at the age of sixteen and ended up spending his entire career there. He studied philosophy and was introduced to the mathematical physics of Newton. There were major advances in the sciences that used reason and logic which was in opposition to empirical philosophy. Kant was a rationalist before he accepted the empiricist perception of knowledge. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason was written in hopes of ending the scepticism of empirical logic that thinkers such as Descartes possessed. The position that Descartes takes on the foundations of human knowledge is a rationalist point of view. Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy starts with his own experiences and discards all beliefs in all things that cannot be proven absolute. He then tries to establish what can be known for certain. Each meditation refers to the last one as â€Å"yesterday†, as if the meditations were written in six consecutive days. The first meditation starts with Descartes doubting his reality, his being, and everything he knows because he believes that his senses are deceiving. Descartes reflects on a number of falsehoods which he believes forms faultiness in the foundation of his body of knowledge; he believes that the foundations need to be rebuilt. In understanding that his body of knowledge has derived from these falsehoods he comes to the conclusion that he must wipe clean and set aside all of his beliefs and start from the beginning. He reasons that if he can doubt the foundations and basic principles in which his opinions and beliefs are founded on, then it is said to be false until it can be proven certain; all false knowledge should be discarded. The reasoning for Descartes doubting everything is due to his understanding that the senses have deceived him before and therefore cannot be trusted; if he has been mislead by his senses in the past than it is possible for him to be deceived by them at anytime. He argues that all knowledge that is gained as a child should be doubted until proven to be true because the opinions and beliefs that we form as a child are brought forth through undeveloped and untrained faculties. Another argument that Descartes brings forth is the Dream Argument, arguing that when we are dreaming we cannot distinguish between the reality of our dream and real reality, which only in our waking experience does one realize that they were dreaming. He then brings forth two more arguments justifying why he should doubt everything he knows, the first stating that empirical experiences (the senses) could be misleading and deceptive at times. At times our senses could make something seem as if it is something else. The second justification for his scepticism is his idea of the Evil Genius. It is a conception that an evil deity implements these false ideas into your head and gives one false perceptions of reality. These four reasons suggest why Descartes doubts his truths and why he decides to give up all of his beliefs of the physical and empirical world unless they are proven to be certain. In his second meditation Descartes claims that the internal reality is known more easily then the body. He continues by arguing that our knowledge is not gained through experience, but rather it is innate knowledge. He understands that he must forget everything that has happened and persist on doubting everything until he can resist the doubt. He supposes that everything that he sees does not exist, that he has no senses and no body, and that extension, place and movement are false notions. The only certainty there is, is that there is no certainty. He denies that he is any senses and body; he questions his existence and states that his mind is the firmest affirmation that he does exist. Descartes then comes to the conclusion that if he does not exist and an evil genius is tricking him, in order for him to be tricked or to be doubting everything he must exist for this to take place. If everything is an illusion to him and is having false judgement, it is still him doing it, the fact that he doubts proves that he exists. Descartes understands that he cannot exist if he does not think and only exists as long as he is thinking. Therefore for Descartes thought above all else is inseparable from human beings. He separates the world into two substances Res Cogitans (thinking being) and Res Extensa (external being). Stating that he exists because he is the one that doubts and that thought could not be separated from him. The foundation for human rationality is Res Cogitans. He then concludes that he is not just something that thinks, wills, and understands but also something that imagines and senses even if these faculties are not truthful. Descartes comes to understand that his body is separate from his mind; his senses can change things and make them appears otherwise. He uses an example of wax, when you place the wax near fire it melts and takes a different form but he still understands that it is wax. It is in this moment that Descartes realizes that his Res Cogitans is needed for the senses to be able to distinguish that the wax is still wax even if has taken on another form. This understanding does not come from the faculties of the senses, since all of its sensible properties have changed; he knows the wax by means of the intellect alone. The third meditation concerns the existence of God. He questions what he knows of himself and how he knows what he knows. His reflection on this knowledge is that God is the ultimate foundation of knowledge. The minds possession of knowledge allows one to have knowledge; one has a body of knowledge innate that allows them to perceive the external world. Descartes understands that he has thoughts that are not gained through experiences, the idea of God. God cannot be known by the senses, for the knowledge of God is ultimate. He questions then how one could attain the knowledge unless this knowledge was innate, he thinks of God so therefore God exists. If there is an evil deity that exists that is as powerful as God then one can be reassured that God does exist, and if God does exist then the evil deity cannot be sustainable, therefore he does not exist. Descartes then continue to state that God not only exists but he has also placed these thoughts of perfection in one’s mind, a priori knowledge. He then comes to conclude that pure reason is knowledge gained by innate knowledge not by the experience of the senses. He reasons that all ideas are modes of thought and that the idea of God must have a far greater purpose then any other. The fact the Descartes is a finite substance he does not have the capability on his own to originate the idea of God, and therefore concludes that God being infinite caused this idea making him exist. Within his reason (thoughts) his clear and distinct ideas are truth, with the senses one is in danger in confusing things. To Descartes God is the necessary condition of reality and knowledge and God to his knowledge is innate. One cannot experience God’s attributes, therefore they are innate attributes. This is how he came to the conclusion that God has placed this idea in his mind. Because he came to know that there was a God through rational knowledge, there is an innate nature of God within his thoughts. Descartes conclude that there are two sources that we engage with the world ones will and senses. It is not the will that misleads one but the misconception between the two. To Descartes the external world exists but in order to understand the external world one has innate knowledge of the world. Human beings possess innate and a priori knowledge that gives the possibility of understanding the knowledge of the empirical world. John Locke’s perception of the foundations of knowledge is in opposition to Descartes’ philosophy. Locke argues that we do not have innate or a priori knowledge of God. Locke perceives to be a blank slate; at first the mind does not contain any notions whatsoever, it is empty. All the ideas that we have are gained through experience; the human mind is born without no built in context. He attacks the notion set forth by Descartes and other philosophers on the theory that human beings are born knowing certain things. Humans gain knowledge from the world they don’t start off with knowledge. For Locke empirical knowledge gains our further inquiry into knowledge. It is only when we come in contact with things through experience that we gain knowledge. Locke believes and feels strongly that all of our ideas come from experience and the material that we have to work with is extremely limited; the knowledge in which we attain about the nature of things is limited and one can never really have a systematic body of knowledge. We can only observe and experience certain qualities within the world, and this however according to Locke limits our knowledge of the nature of things. Knowledge is built on ideas and we get our ideas from our experience of the senses. He explains that there are two basic types of ideas simple and complex ideas. We gain our simple ideas through our senses, through the faculties of sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste; we reflect on the external world and our complex ideas are built off of simple ideas. He explains that this form of knowledge cannot be innate because this theory contradicts itself. If there were innate principles to knowledge then everyone would agree to them, and not everyone agrees to innate principles therefore there can be no innate principles. Locke presents four arguments as to why knowledge cannot be innate and a priori because it would contradict itself. If they were innate this would imply that ideas and images are imprinted on everyone’s mind not just certain individuals. Children should have access to this kind of knowledge but they don’t, they only ever seem to have ideas to the things they have experienced. This makes the claim that knowledge is innate contradict itself because if it were a priori and innate children would have this kind of knowledge that Descartes talks about. If children were born with these ideas they would not find it so difficult to grasp. He also states that if there is some kind of knowledge that is innate then everyone should posses a level of awareness of this but this is not the case. It is not possible for this to be and not be at the same time. The ideas that make up the propositions of existence and identity are least likely to be innate because they are too obscure and confusing for them to be clear without any form of degree. He also raises an argument on the understanding of God. The idea of God cannot be innate because there are some cultures that don’t recognize God or any god for that matter. Locke is a sceptic of the know ability of God, for we are finite beings and God is infinite and if we don’t possess innate knowledge then the only notions we can generate is through empirical objects. Therefore according to Locke this proves that knowledge is not innate and is only gained through experience. In Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason he aims to unite reason with experience, both Descartes’ and Locke’s perspective on the foundation of human Knowledge. Reason is the highest authority for Kant, judging even our knowledge of God. His hope is that he can save knowledge from scepticism (Hume’s criticism) and show the deep roots of knowledge in the cognitive structures of the thinking subject. His philosophy has a unity under reason, but reason has its limits and distinct applications. He thinks that before we can philosophize we must first determine how reason works in its two basic manners. Kant places heavy emphasis on the a priori method. A priori refers to ideas or judgments, conclusions we can gather, based upon knowledge we have prior to, or without reference to, empirical experience. The opposite of a priori knowledge is a posteriori knowledge, which is dependent upon experience of the world outside of thought. Kant’s philosophy gives a very brief sketch and argues for the maintaining of a series of distinctions. We are told that the realm of rational knowledge can be regarded in two ways, or through two sets of distinctions. On the one hand, rational knowledge can be viewed formally or materially. Formal knowledge is ordered by the universal laws of logic, which try to organize the rules of connecting and constructing ideas without any reference to objects. Material knowledge is concerned with physical objects and the laws of thinking through which we apprehend objects. Rational knowledge may be regarded as empirical or as pure. Empirical knowledge is based on experience, whereas pure knowledge is based upon a priori principles. Kant applies two distinctions to generate a third category for knowledge. Reality to Kant is a joint creation of the external world and the human mind, in which it only regards the latter that we can acquire certain knowledge. Unlike Locke, Kant does not believe that the mind is a blank slate where the mind only receives information; it also gives shape to the information. He believes that knowledge is something that is created by the mind though the filtering of sensations through the various mental faculties. These faculties determine the shape that knowledge takes once one has experienced the empirical world. Also, Kant differs from Descartes by claiming that pure reason can discern the form but not the substance of reality; one cannot come up with answers through just the exercise of pure reason. He believes that his forerunners did not provide a clear ground for metaphysical speculation, due to the fact that they assume that time, space, and causation are part of external reality that the mind has to reach out and grab. He believes that time, space, and causation are not found in experience but rather from the form in which the mind gives to experience. He states that we can grasp this not because pure reason has been stated to have insight into the nature of reality, but rather pure reason has insight into the nature of ones own mental faculties. Our knowledge of things is how we come into contact with it; we can never know the true nature of the things in which we experience only God can. In the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant achieves a blend between the competing traditions of rationalism and empiricism. He draws from rationalism that pure reason is capable of important knowledge, but however he rejects that pure reason can tell us anything about the natural things in themselves. He also draws from empiricism, stating that the idea of knowledge is essentially from experience, but discards that we can assume universal truths alone from experience. The two distinctions that Kant draws from that were mention earlier a priori and a posteriori knowledge. A posteriori knowledge is associated with synthetic judgment because this judgement is derived only through experience. Analytic judgement is associated with a priori knowledge because this judgment is based on reason, the ability to have use ones own mental faculties. Kant states that pure reason is capable of knowing pure truths simply because one is capable of synthetic a priori knowledge, however pure reason does not have the power to grasp the mysteries of the universe. He believes that much of what we believe reality is shaped by the perception of the mind. The mind does not passively receive information by the senses but rather it actively shapes and makes sense of the information that it experiences. Space and time according to Kant are intuitions of our faculties of the senses; sensory experience only makes sense because our faculties of our senses process it and organize it according to our intuitions of time and space. The events that take place within space and time would not make sense if it weren’t for the faculty of understanding, which according to Kant organizes our experiences. It is our senses that react to the objects from outside of the mind, and we only have knowledge to how they appear once they have been processed through the faculties of the senses and understanding. One cannot know the true nature of what things are for only God can,; an individual can only have knowledge through the structure of the mind in which it experiences the world. Kant says that we have tools that are innate within us that allow us to understand what we have experienced in the world, but one can never truly understand things within themselves. According to Kant Metaphysics rely on the faculty of reason which allows and helps us to reason independently form experience, not to understand things in themselves. In the Critique of Pure Reason Kant redefines the role of metaphysics as a critique of pure reason. It is understood that the role of reason is to understand itself, to explore the powers and the limits of reason. Kant makes it clear that we are incapable of knowing anything certain about things-in-themselves, but we can grow a clearer sense of what and how we may know by intensively overlooking the faculties of the mind. One comes to see how Kant brings both rationalism and empiricism and forms a new foundation on the acquiring of human knowledge. Work Cited. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding/Book I. Wikisource. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Critique of Pure Reason. (Aesthetic). Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Critique of Pure Reason. (Analytic of Concepts). Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Meditations on First Philosophy/Meditation I. Wikisource. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Meditations on First Philosophy/Meditation II. Wikisource. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Meditations on First Philosophy/Meditation III. Wikisource. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . Wilson, Gerald . Lecture 7: Kantian. Class notes PHI3183 Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Mars Essay -- essays papers

Mars In today's world, there exist many problems that affect the way human beings live their life. Human beings struggle through life, with a dream of high standards, which they try to pursue, but can not obtain. This form of hopefulness is called Utopia which the dictionary defines as: "having impossibly ideal conditions especially social organization; a place of ideal perfection in laws, government, and social conditions." Every person has their own idea of an ideal community of perfection, but one that I believe could be and ideal community would be life on Mars. This perfect world can be achieved through societal values, living conditions, and the limitations on governmental control. In a large community, Societal values are very important in that they create the moral values in which the human race bases all their decisions on. In a utopian society on Mars, everyone would treat each other equally. There would be no human greed which in majority, cause most of all world suffering. Everyone would care for each other and there would be no titles among the people. The community would act as one family, helping each other out during difficult times, situations and problems among the community. This utopian society would be like a true family, know who everyone is, help each other out and teach them new ideas and concepts never heard of. This in effect would generate and give them all true moral values that would only generate the good in all of them and not the evil side of humanity. The goal would be to eliminate all human suffering due to human greed. Besides having a good conscience, living conditions would also play a very important role in creating this unthinkable life. Although Mars is a hazardous planet now, due to technological advances, scientists have created a way to make the planet livable. By pumping carbon into the air, it clashes with the nitrogen in the atmosphere causing a chemical reaction producing the one item all life needs. Water. By creating a habitat on the surface of Mars, protected by a polarized electronic field, like in the movies of Star Trek, and force fields, it can make Mars livable for a certain amount of people, the utopian community. Although variety is needed to create a diverse community, all families would have a home, each different to their taste. My home would be a two-story house with four rooms,... ...would include, being a leader in the community, having successfully accomplished a good education, relate to the people very well, money means nothing to them, and etc. Ten elected officials would be chosen to run these positions out of voluntary service and would run for five years. These people would not get paid. Thus this eliminates the need for a president. There would be no taxes also, because in the community, everything that society needed would be self manufactured. The community itself would be the police and if one speculates the greediness and finds a person disobeying law, they report to the community and that individual would be dealt with. Thus law and order would be present to assure the outlaw of human greed. In conclusion, although Martian society sounds like a great place to live, human greed would always be present because that is how human nature is. But if selected individuals were chosen to obey to these laws, a society with pure goodness and no human suffering can be achieved from the impossible. But a utopian society can not be accomplished with out societal values, a good set of living conditions and a restricted government among circle of the tribe.

Motorola Mobility/Mgt 521

Business Analysis Part I – Motorola Mobility MGT/521 University of Phoenix Business Analysis Part I – Motorola Mobility Deciding whether or not to invest in Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI) requires critical and creative thinking. Research provides a greater understanding of business trending in order for stakeholders to make educated decisions regarding personal and business investments. The following passages present part one of a three-part business plan designed to aid the author, a mutual fund manager, in making a fundamental investment decision.A SWOT analysis of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. proposes pertinent details, encompassing internal and external stakeholders' needs, and further providing a scope of investor needs and how they are met by MMI. SWOT Analysis â€Å"SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you face† (Mind Tools Ltd, 2011, SWOT Analysis, para. 1). The subsequent paragraphs represent a snapshot of Motorola Mobility from an internal and external perspective. StrengthsOperational efficiency. Resourceful manufacturing is an integral component of an efficient operation. Motorola (2011) stated, â€Å"From the warehouse floor to product delivery, mobility solutions provide access to information in real time and help automate operations, ultimately creating a seamless, error-proof work environment† (Motorola, 2011, Manufacturing, para. 1). MMI will have no debt at spinoff. According to Brand (2011), the disjointing of Motorola's corporate business divisions, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, means zero debt for MMI upon development.Therefore, the newly defined entity is more easily leveraged and less inclined to accrue disadvantageous debts. A pioneer of cell phones. – Motorola is a leader in the market for cell phone technologies and has forged a direct path to success. â€Å"Mot orola is one of the pioneers of mobile phones, and along with Nokia and Ericsson it has one of the biggest and most profitable phone patent portfolios in the world. † (Barak, 2011, Devices, para. 8). Innovative Products. Motorola Mobility has two of the most scientific smartphone products on the market.A Middle East news portal, Al Bawaba (2011), proposes one leading innovative Motorola product is highly regarded in Middle East and Africa: Motorola ATRIX  is the world’s most powerful smartphone with a dual-core processor that is the fastest yet offered in a mobile phone and is designed to essentially become a user’s primary digital hub to create, edit and interact with documents, media and content. (para. 7) Weaknesses Weak profitability. â€Å"Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. , spun off in January from Motorola Inc. declined in New York trading after the Droid smartphone maker forecast profit for this quarter and full year that trailed analysts’ estimat es† (Miller, 2011, News, para. 1). While the current financial forecast is stunted, long-term focus on profitability is the key. Poor Customer Service ratings. Customer satisfaction is a dynamic component of any business whether the business is corporate, entrepreneurial, or nonprofit. According to Customer Service Scoreboard (2011), an online review and rating system, Motorola Customer Service rates a disappointing score of 36. 33 out of a possible 200.Lag in LTE technologies (4G products). Motorola Mobility is slacking in the production of LTE technologies, causing a decrease in the company's market shares. MMI is currently working toward the manufacturing of patented silicon for the 4G products in the lineup. However, according to Woyke (2011), the competitors are taking the lead in the LTE market. Opportunities Google to acquire Motorola. â€Å"The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and wi ll enhance competition in mobile computing† (Google, 2011, Investor Relations, para. ). Merging two well-established entities which complement one another will prove to enhance an already-flourishing group of technologies at the core of the mobile industry. Strong demand for Android. â€Å"A  recent report from Nielsen  showed that Android controlled 39% of the domestic smartphone market, with Apple’s iOS controlling 28%† (Meyer, 2011, Devices, para. 4). The statistics are favorable for MMI's existing innovations and are suspected to increase with the sales of the upcoming lineup. Expanding smartphone lineup.Atrix, Droid X2, Droid Bionic, Droid 2 Global, and Photon 4G are five Android-based smartphones Motorola has in the lineup with the potential to compliment the Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility (International Business Times, 2011, para. 2-8 ). With the current demand for the Android platform and technologies in the mobile arena, the five forthcomi ng Motorola smartphones are expected to stir up the competitive market. Threats Competitive Pressure. According to a current Yahoo Finance posting of a Dow and Nasdaq report, Motorola Mobility's primary competitors are Apple, Cisco Systems, and Nokia (Yahoo!Finance, 2011). As the demand for even more enhanced technologies become greater, Motorola Mobility will also find a need to stay ahead of not only the existing competitors, but competitors in the making. Pending US litigation. Motorola is in a longstanding power struggle against several top companies in the mobile technology and electronics industry. Google acquired three pending US litigations along with the acquisition of MMI. According to United States' leading patent law blog Patently-O (2011), Google also acquired awaiting lawsuits with TiVo, Microsoft, and Apple regarding patent infringements.Investment Decision The decision to invest in Motorola Mobility is not an easy assessment to make. However, as a mutual fund manager , the educated decision is based on the information gained from the SWOT analysis conducted. Internally, MMI is strong with above-average manufacturing efficiencies. Additionally, the quality of smartphones made by Motorola significantly compliments Google's existing Android platforms. Externally, with Google's acquisition of MMI, the business decision to invest in Motorola Mobility is a secure long-term decision accompanied with only a few risks.Internal and External Stakeholders and Needs Motorola Mobility is a spinoff company which separated from Motorola and then merged with Google. Internal stakeholders include both Motorola and Google along with the employees, shareholders, manufacturers, customers, suppliers, traveling consumers and home consumers of the innovative mobile technologies. External stakeholders of MMI include device manufacturers, service providers, social media, marketers, advertisers and application developers. Every stakeholder has a need which, ideally, must be met by the coupled organization.MMI's internal stakeholders need increased sales, economical supplies, and efficient processes. However, external stakeholders seek efficient and effective platforms and software in order to make use of the mobile technologies supplied. Need Fulfillment and Implications At the present time, Motorola Mobility is deficient in profitability, but is excelling with product manufacturing efficiencies and processes. Profitability can be expected to increase over time as the merge with Google stabilizes and leverages the overall company portfolio.Furthermore, the sales can be expected to increase with the introduction of Motorola LTE products once the company establishes and patents the unique silicon currently in the works. Finally, the existing Android-based platforms Google has already patented are complimentary to Motorola Mobility's offered products and also the devices in the lineup to be launched. On the other hand, one of MMI's chief focal points s hould include a goal of improving the quality of service provided to the consumers. Increased orientation time and interactive training would provide more involved and knowledgeable employees.Conclusion Motorola Mobility Holdings is currently struggling with profits, customer service standards, and competition; however, the judgment to invest in the newly-acquired company is sound regardless of the existing risks. As shown in the provided SWOT analysis, MMI has several favorable factors in the immediate mobile technology market. With MMI's historical cell phone quality, current and future innovations, lack of current debt, recent merge with the prominent Google Company, and ever-growing demand for mobile technology, the decision to invest stands firm. After all, between Motorola nd Google, even the company's minor flaws and external pressures are presently under control and projected to stay that way. References Al Bawaba. (2011, February 6). Motorola to showcase most powerful innov ative mobile devices. Retrieved from http://www. albawaba. com Barak, S. (2011, August 15). Google's bid for Motorola Mobility – a play for patents only? Retrieved from http://siliconvalley. rcrwireless. com Brand, C. (2011, January 11). Motorola Doubles Down on Cell Phones with Mobility Unit Spin-Off, But Should Investors Tread Carefully? Retrieved from http://www. peridotcapitalist. om Customer Service Scoreboard. (2011, September 5). Motorola Customer Service. Retrieved from http://www. customerservicescoreboard. com Google. (2011, August 15). Google Investor Relations. Retrieved from http://investor. google. com International Business Times. (2011, September 2). Top 5 Android-based Motorola Smartphones That Could Compliment Google-Motorola Deal. Retrieved from http://www. ibtimes. com Meyer, D. (2011, August 15). RCR Wireless. Retrieved from http://siliconvalley. rcrwireless. com Miller, H. (2011, July 29). Motorola Mobility Drops as Profit Forecast Trails Estimates.Retri eved from http://www. businessweek. com Mind Tools Ltd. (2011). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved from http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newTMC_05. htm Motorola. (2011). Manufacturing. Retrieved from http://www. motorola. com Patently-O. (2011, August 15). Google's Purchase of Motorola Mobility. Retrieved from http://www. patentlyo. com Woyke, E. (2011, July 15). Motorola Seeks To Shore Up Weakness In LTE Devices. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com Yahoo! Finance. (2011, September 2). Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (MMI). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com

International Trade and Finance Speech

Economics Paper 5 International Trade and Finance Speech Financial Pitfalls 2 Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, good afternoon to you all. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this today on such an important topic – our economy. Our economy is in crises mode. To say that our economy has slowed down would be an understatement. The economy, to date, has taken a step backwards and the direction we are heading will take us from a record long-lasting recession to an all-out financial depression. Americans consume far more goods than we produce on a monthly basis.What that means, simply put, is that we continue to build more debt and get poorer with every passing month. Think of it like this – the average person goes through a certain amount of managed stress each day. When outside stress, or variables are added to daily stress it places more pressure on the body and mind. If this outside stress isn’t dealt with or managed, and as more is adde d, the body will either explode or shut down. Our economy is like the average person’s body. Most of us do not understand the current economic state of affairs.Not that we wouldn’t be able to comprehend the status, but most are unaware, as the media and national political heads are sheltering Americans from the truth and not diving in to the true issues at hand. We currently have a surplus of imports in our great nation. This should be of no surprise to us – countries that we currently hold the largest amount of deficit through imports are: †¢China †¢Mexico †¢Japan Financial Pitfalls 3 With the Chinese enjoying a spike in export capital over nearly past ten years, they have become a giant on the global economic scene.On a closer level, one that strikes the heart of every American man and woman, the impact of this surplus is being felt in our automotive industry – the true backbone of this great country. China has grown into an auto-parts mo nster as they have increased over 900 percent in exports since the beginning of the century. How are they doing this? By producing quality parts at a cheaper rate is nothing new but the Chinese are being criticized by many for benefitting from illegal currency manipulation which leads to unfair trade policies.These policies pose a real threat to American automotive jobs in the near future. International trade has a significant effect on the Gross Domestic Product. The GDP is the true market worth of officially recognized goods or services produced in a country. Think about this for a moment – if you were to go into a department store and found two shirts that were identical in color, material and stitch but one was priced ten dollars higher than the other. Which one would you choose? Easily you would pick the cheaper product and that is the issue American consumer’s face each day.Larger corporations have the ability to mass-produce products and pay their workers far le ss than those here in the states. They do this across the globe in what is called slave labor. As a result, there are fewer jobs available in the United States, more across the globe, and more goods being imported into the country and a more dramatic effect on our economy. Financial Pitfalls 4 We have exhausted our means to generate additional income for our nation through tariffs and sanctions on goods being brought into the country.The taxes levied on goods and the limits placed on incoming products and goods can impact and possibly obstruct international trade. This may also increase production costs and the possibly have an effect on the foreign exchange market. Exchange rates are driven for the most part by the amount of currency bought and sold either through speculation or international asset transactions in either services or goods. There are two types of exchange rates: short-term and long-term. The short-term exchange rates swing from minute to minute and are caused throug h changes in supply and demand for money as it is being sold from one country to another.Long-term rates are more directly affected through national monetary policies created by global governments. This has a global effect on economics. With our current national election trail heating up and the nation’s economic state of affairs in the center of discussion, there will be promises made by each candidate. The focus will not only be today’s economy but how we will move out of the red and back into the black. There are many ideas but in my mind it is simple as an old saying – you must spend money to make money. For us o make money and become financially independent, better yet, a global leader in economics, we must learn from our past. Financial Pitfalls 5 As President Bill Clinton discussed in a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, he laid out the three keys to bring our economy back – †¢Unleash the large amount of capital that is being held but not invested †¢Accelerate the resolution of the home mortgage crisis †¢Bring back manufacturing Sounds easy but it isn’t – this is not a short fix to a growing crisis but will take time for us to work together to climb back to the top. International Trade and Finance Speech International Trade and Finance Speech ECO372 March 25, 2013 The impact of international trade on the United States economy is quite significant. While historically the United States had been a nation that provided credit to other countries, it is now in a decline. This decline has caused the United States to become a major debtor, owing millions of dollars in interest to other countries. This is a result of an excess of importing, which has resulted in a surplus of imported goods. This surplus can be necessary to help offset the current deficits, but may stunt the economic growth of the United States.When there is a surplus of imported goods from foreign countries, the United States slips into a deficit. This deficit is created from the trade balance. The largest quantity of imported goods is the transportation equipment. Between 2006 and 2010, automobiles were the highest ranked import, followed by energy-related products. This surplus of imported vehicles resulted in the inability of American automobile manufacturer to produce comparably priced vehicles. This further resulted in U. S. automobile manufacturers needing to either receive government aid in some cases, or file bankruptcy and close for good.The closing of several automobile manufacturing companies and plants resulted in an increase in the unemployment rate, as displaced workers have been unable to find comparable work. International trade can also have a major impact on the Gross Domestic Products (GDP). It can affect the level at which imports and exports are operating, it can reduce consumer spending, and affect the unemployment rate. A higher rate of exports to imports will increase the GDP, while more importing will have the opposite effect. These fluctuations in trading have negative and positive effects on the U.S. economy. The more the United States exports, the more income it is gaining. This is good for the rate of employment, as the higher demand for U. S. products requires more producti vity. Trading deficits also have an impact on consumer spending. When consumer spending is high, trading deficit percentages increase. The opposite is true when consumer spending is low. Domestic import markets also increase as the value of the American dollar increases. International relations and trade are affected by tariffs and quotas implemented by theUnited States government. Tariffs and quotas allow the U. S. to differentiate between the domestic supply and the world supply. Due to protection from the government, domestic markets need not fear competition from foreign producers who provide higher quality, lower cost products. However, too many restrictions on imports could cause a decline in productive trade with foreign countries. These other countries could institute tariffs on U. S. goods which would result in the United States having to pay higher prices for imports.In addition ot all of this, international trading relationships remain unaffected, as free trade agreements allow countries to buy and sell goods at fair market value. Another factor in international trade are foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange rates are the rate one country’s currency may be exchanged for the currency of another country. It is an economic measure implemented by the government to ensure equilibrium of trading activities. A decline in the exchange rate decreases a country’s purchasing power.Foreign exchange rates are affected by the interest rates imposed by a country for currencies as a result of demand. These interest rates are managed by the central banks of each country, in the United States this would be the Federal Reserve, or the FED. Exchange rates are determined by several factors, interest rates, productivity, inflation and debt are all factors in determining the exchange rate of any given country. Since the 1970’s, when president Nixon took steps to fully normalize relations between the United States and China, China has become one of the major import countries for the United States.While it would seem that the United States could impose many restrictions on trade with China, many would argue that it would be very unwise. A restriction on imports from China could be very detrimental to the United States economy. New restrictions would not only prompt monetary action from China, such as higher prices, it could also prompt civil actions, perhaps even war. Free trade allows countries to engage in trade without additional tariffs or quotas. If China is not imposed with high tariffs and quotas, the United States government knows that the savings will be passed on to the consumers.Limiting the amount of goods imported from china would also greatly limit the variety of products available to U. S. consumers. This would reduce profit and lead to an increase in unemployment. This could continue on the result in an unstable United States economy. In conclusion, international trade has a major impact on the economy of the U nited States. Historically the United States has been a major power in international trade and finance. Currently, the U. S. is in a decline which has cause some major debts.An increase in imports, a decrease in the GDP and fluctuations in the exchange rate have led us to being indebted to many countries while we work though the current recession. Resources: Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. McTeer, B. (2008). The Impact of Foreign Trade on the Economy. Retrieved from http://www. economix. blogs. nytimes. com U. S. Consumption Spent on Foreign Imported Goods. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. americawakeup. net International Trade and Finance Speech International Trade and Finance Speech ECO/372 International Trade and Finance Speech Macroeconomics consists of the large scale economic factors such as interest rates and national productivity. International trade, finance and exchange rates are a large part of this study. Today, we will dive into the basic definitions and descriptions of simple terms and concepts as they relate to macroeconomics. â€Å"The trade balance is the difference between a country’s exports and imports† (Colander, 2010).When a country is exporting more than they are importing a surplus is created, so there is more production than consumption. The opposite is true for a trade deficit. A country that imports more than it exports is running in a deficit; consumption is more than production. An example of a product in the United States with a surplus is oil. Seven years ago the U. S. imported about two-thirds of their oil consumption. By 2014 it is expected that the U. S. will only import 6 billi on barrels of crude oil per day; this is about one-third of what the country uses and by 2020 U. S. il production will exceed Saudi Arabia’s (Phillips, 2010). The problem is that the oil produced in the U. S. is high-quality crude and the oil imported is heavy, sour oil. Since the refineries are currently equipped to refine the heavier oil the U. S. has a surplus of the high-quality crude. One would expect lower oil prices with the surplus, but as the current gas prices reflect this is not the case. While the process and the politics involved have many components not discussed here the crux of the situation is that a surplus of an import can cause business and domestic consumers to suffer.Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the value of all goods and services produced in one country during a one year period. GDP is made up of consumption of goods (expected to last three or more years such as food and clothing), services, government expenditures (schools, upkeep of roads, and mili tary expenses), residential and non-residential spending, and business inventories. The equation is all of the items listed less ay imports to other countries. International trade influences the GDP by expanding markets with imported goods and services that are either not available in the U.S. or are less expensive if imported. Some of the goods imported are coffee, bananas, oil, and automobiles from Germany and Japan. The imports of these goods increase the economic GDP, but also allow the U. S. to export products to other countries. A result of this economic expansion and diversity of goods and services is competitive pricing and an increase in the market competition among producers providing domestic consumers with less expensive products. A major advantage of trading is the ability of certain producers to concentrate or specialize in certain goods.A disadvantage would be the government imposition of restrictions and limitations to protect the domestic production and market. Gove rnments have imposed taxes on trading transactions which increases the cost of importation. Many governments also restrict or limit the import of goods and service to their country. These impositions are known as a tariff or quota. Tariffs are taxes governments place on international traded goods – generally imports (Colander, 2010). They are most commonly used to restrict international trade and promote domestically produced goods.Quotas are put in place for the same reason but rather than taxing imports the quantities of product are limited. Tariffs affect trade patterns, but they also create revenue for the government often offsetting the loss of consumer surplus (â€Å"Impact of Trade Tariff Cuts: Long-Series Historical Evidence†,  2013). The exchange rates are â€Å"the price of one country’s currency in terms of another’s currency† (Colander, 2010). To understand the determination of an exchange rate one needs to think of currency as just a nother good (Colander, 2010).Consumers demand other’s countries’ currencies to buy goods and assets in that country. Foreign exchange rates are determined by supply and demand of goods. An example to understand how the demand-supply balance moves is to examine the dollar vs. rupee exchange. The dollar/rupee exchange rate will depend on how the demand-supply balance moves. When the demand for U. S. dollars in India rises and supply does not rise correspondingly, each dollar will cost more rupees to buy.Exchange rates are in a constant state of fluctuation because of the countless activities of the foreign exchange market. China currently supplies the U. S. and many other countries with goods. It would be difficult to discontinue because â€Å"buying from China is in fact buying American† (Chen, 2011). Chen, 2011 reported that America imported $374 billion of goods and services from China in 2010 and exported $115 billion to China. This created a trade deficit of $260 billion. But if calculations are based on alue-added contributions by the two countries, America actually has a trade surplus of $70 billion. One should think about the jobs that are created from the importing of goods from China rather than the jobs it is taking away. Apple employs thousands of associates in America to sell iPhones, Target employees over 350,000 American workers who sell Chinese imports, and thousands of UPS and FedEx workers deliver Dell computers, Hasbro toys, and Nike shoes to American families (Chen, 2011).Thank you for your time and I hope the information provided gives a high level understanding of international trade and finance as it relates to the current state of the U. S. macro economy. References Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics (8th Ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection. Phillips, M. (2013). Falling U. S. Oil Imports Will Reshape the World Crude Market. Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/articles/2013-01- 16/falling-u-dot-s-dot-oil-imports-will-reshape-the-world-crude-market Impact of Trade Tariff Cuts: Long-Series Historical Evidence. 2013). Retrieved from http://www. globalpolicyjournal. com/articles/world-economy-trade-and-finance/impact-trade-tariff-cuts-long-series-historical-evidence Alden, E. (2013). A U. S. -China â€Å"Trade War†: Time to Abolish a Silly Notion. Retrieved from http://thediplomat. com/pacific-money/2012/10/31/a-u-s-china-trade-war-time-to-abolish-a-silly-notion/ Chen, B. (2011). Buying From China Is in Fact Buying American. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2011/12/22/buying-from-china-is-in-fact-buying-american/

Moving from prescribing medications by brand name to INN The WritePass Journal

Moving from prescribing medications by brand name to INN Abstract Moving from prescribing medications by brand name to INN ). As a result of the new changes in the medical practises, there are resulting gaps between the prescription options based on evidence, and the usual practises in most clinics. For example, other than the common error of under dozing and over dozing, the prescribers may occasionally give particular medicines for wrong conditions. Biological Medicines and Biosimillar medicines The biological medicines are also referred to as biologics, and consist of organic compounds made through biotechnological mechanisms. The biologics appeared for use in the 1980s, and have since then advanced to bring improvements in the treatment of many diseases. Their uses as alternative medicine have revolutionized the treatment of diseases, which has led to the improvement of health status across billions of people in the world. Consequently, this category of drugs has become popular since their introduction, a process whose end has seen the diminishing power of the original biological medicine. There are many manufacturing companies, who have acquired the permission to manufacture similar brands of the original biological medicine, commonly trending the medical market as biosimillar medicines. As a result of the existing complexity in the process of manufacturing the original medicine, the biosimillar medicines do not qualify for the generic class of medicine (Dylst, Vulto Simoens, 2013). This is mainly due to the fact that this category is not typically identical to the original medicine. There are concerns regarding the authenticity and the effectiveness of the process of differentiating between such biosimillar medicines and the original biological medicines. These concerns are based on the extents of similarities observed when such drugs are used, as compared to the original biological medicines. For example, under same conditions of a particular patient, when a biosimillar is compared with Infliximab, the uses of biosimilars have manifested the same therapeutic efficacy, as well as the incidences of drug related events. In addition to the similar levels of therapeutic efficacy, biosimilars are equally tolerated by the body system, and also comparable in terms of their safety issues. It is the complexity in their manufacturing processes, in tandem with safety concerns that the ongoing monitoring derives its basis (Declerck Simoens, 2012). Concerns regarding the use of biosimilar drugs The concerns rose over the issues relating to safety, efficacy and the cost of using the biosimilars have resulted into the urgent need for a change of prescription method from the initial brand name to the use of active ingredients. This is because of the compromise of such brands, in which certain biosimilars do not recognize the copied brands, and thus creating confusion. The key concern that has been raised through the Pharmacovigilance involves the criteria wit which one can use to draw a line between the original biological medicine and the biosimilar medicines. There are a plethora of biosimilar medicines that after manufacturing have been approved by the European Medicines Agency. Such approvals have derived their bases on the abbreviated programs, in which the manufacturing process was purely based on copying the formula of those biological medicines already in the market. Some of these biosimilar medicines in this category exist in the market, despite lack of approval by the regulatory bodies, under the legal regulatory frameworks within Europe. Their lack of approval has therefore led to the ultimate doubt about the validity of such medicines, especially the possibility of adverse reactions occurring as side effects. The cost of purchasing the biosimilar medicines has also raised major concerns in the pharmaceutical industries in the Europe, just like other parts of the world. The relative low cost of acquiring such medicines has led into a perception by many people, that the existence of cheaper alternatives could be derailing the development of the industry. Consequently, there is an increase of pressure to prescribe the cheaper and new alternatives among patients, who may not afford the original biological medicines. Furthermore, such pressures have led to the increased use of such alternatives without any critical attention paid to the criteria of prescription and application of brand names. Transition from the drug brand name to the INN system of drug prescription The recent decades have been epitomised by a major burden of chronic diseases, not only among the European member states, but also across the globe. In order to curb the ever growing menace of such diseases among populations, the concerned authorities such as the World Health Organization, through respective governments have had to act. The chief aim of such action by the WHO, through respective governments have been to facilitate, and enforce laws to ensure that all professional health workers and patients access the safest, high quality, modern and affordable medicine to improve the health status of their people. Biomedical studies over time have identified the biological medicines as one of the most effective categories of medicine that can meet this criterion. However, the main challenge in the provision of such biological medicine has been manifested on the means of identification by both patients and pharmacists during prescription. Surveys have further pointed out that the method of prescription plays a pivotal role in limiting the resulting confusion during the identification of drugs from place, particularly from one country to another within Europe (CDC, 2012). For instance, over the recent decades, the method of prescription has been based on the brand name. There are a number of factors that determine the brand name for a particular medicine, such as the location or trans-border movements within Europe. Such variation   have therefore been a core ingredient in breeding the much confusion when prescribing drugs from one place, especially for patients who may be new in such places. A particular brand name for a medicine used at one point may either be unfamiliar, or used for a different medicine in another place (Rotenstein et.al, 2013). Consequently, the need for a more standardised system of naming and prescribing drugs across the globe, including the European member states becomes an indispensible discourse. The European member states, in tandem with the world, have therefore joined the movement from prescribing medications by brand name to the INN International Nonproprietary Name (INN). Currently, there is a legislation process, whose purpose is to prevent doctors from brand prescription, but rather an active ingredient in the medicine, to allow easy determination by the patient. The International Nonproprietary Name (INN) The International Nonproprietary Name is a special term in healthy sciences and medicines, which is given to pharmaceuticals for purposes of easy identification. Having been initiated by the World Health Organization, the INN system of identification began to operate in 1953, for the benefit of not only the health workers such as pharmacists, but also help patients identify their medication with ease. The ease of identification was based on the common aim of the system for the generation of convenient common names for the existing pharmaceutical substances. In this case, each name generated under this system becomes unique for a global recognition of the substance as a public property. Consequently, the INN given to each pharmaceutical can have wide uses for the manufacturers and users, as well as the process of generic prescription in studies regarding drug use (CDC, 2012). The use of the International Nonproprietary Name in the drug prescription process functions to harmonise the communication regarding the medical activities among health professionals, drug consumers and patients. As a result, this system helps to prevent potential occurrence of medication errors. A medication error refers to any resulting misconception in the processes of drug prescription, dispensation, administration as well as monitoring the use of a particular drug. Medication errors are a major cause of most adverse reactions in patients, whose prevention can easily be achieved through accurate use of the relevant drugs. The accuracy can also be achieved through a process of synchronization, in which a single drug can retain a single identification from one place to another. A prescription method, based on the active ingredient as the common component of a particular drug, such as the INN system, has been enforced through a new legislative body referred to as the European Union Pharmacovigilance Legislation. Pharmacovigilance is a process, which consists of scientific activities of detecting, conducting an assessment of the adverse risks, understanding, and the establishment of potential prevention measures for the resulting adverse reactions (CDC, 2012). The European Medicines Agency Responsibilities The chief responsibility of the European Medicines Agency is to obtain and report the relevant data regarding adverse drug reactions, resulting from medical errors. Such reports are gathered and submitted to the Eudravigilance, a database that stores all the relevant data for medical errors among the European member states. Moreover, the database system is designed in such a way that it does not only receive the relevant information on adverse drug reaction, but also processes, stores and avails upon demand, the stored information after electronic submission.s The database run by the European Medical agency also permits users to conduct a critical analysis of the data herein, and enables one t make accurate conclusions regarding the data collected in determining the prevailing medical trends in different regions of Europe (Declerck, Simoens, 2012). In the modern system, there are legislative measures, which ensure that the data regarding medicines are stored and undergo general processing, during which drugs should maintain a standard description using the active ingredient, other than the initial brand name. In addition to the data reception, storage, and analysis through the Eudravigilance database, the legislative body also has a role of coordination among the European member states. The coordination role between different medicine regulatory authorities across Europe also involves all the individual Pharmacovigilance centres, as well as the patient safety authorities. The main aim of this role is to ensure that there is mutual flow of relevant information among the member states, so as to enhance communication of the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) is also a legislative committee charged with a duty of offering the requisite recommendations for all medicine regulatory frameworks within the EU (Allen Ansel, 2013). The recommendations made by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee function to enhance further safety issues, resulting from inappropriate use of medicines in various regions across the member states (O’Connor, Gallagher O’Mahony, 2012). While formulating these recommendations, the committee takes into considerations, including risk management issues, to monitor the extent of effectiveness, with which various mechanisms help to eradicate the occurrence of medication errors and adverse drug reactions. Role of a Pharmacist in Determining a Drug Prescription Pharmacists have the most critical role in determining the type or brand of medication to prescribe. This is because they are the base of the powers for dispensing the drugs for patients, in a normal clinical routine (Gibberson et.al, 2013). When lack of professionalism occurs in the dispensation of medicines for patients, there are higher chances of adverse medical reactions resulting from medical errors. Each year, the occurrence of medical errors, emanating from inappropriate prescription and dispensation of medicines by unprofessional pharmacists has caused harm to at least 1.5 million people. Furthermore, the loss incurred in terms of the cost of treating the injuries caused in hospitals runs at higher levels of at least $3.5 Billion each year. However, these cost estimates do not take into account the additional cost in terms of the extra wages and salaries incurred while causing and correcting such messes (Spinewine, Fialov Byrne, 2012). Throughout history, pharmacists have played a pivotal role in ensuring an improved patient health through appropriate prescription and dispensing of the right brand of medicine. Through improved disease management techniques and therapy practises, effective spending in healthcare activities, and enhanced adherence leads to improved quality of life (Haga et.al, 2013). In order to influence the brand of medicine to prescribe for a particular patient, the pharmacist should acquire a deeper comprehension of the patients’ medical condition. Most often, the pharmacist relies entirely on the information obtained from the technician, which helps them provide additional base for the patient’s safety (O’Connor, Gallagher O’Mahony, 2012). In order to obtain the required accuracy, it is important for the technician to observe strict adherence to the system based procedures when obtaining the information regarding a patient’s medical condition. In cases where the technician experiences unusual or any form of abnormalities, it is their responsibility to inform the pharmacist, to enable them prescribe and dispense the right brand of medicine (Allen Ansel, 2013). The Scope of Practise in Pharmacy The scope of practise for different pharmacists varies from one country to another, depending on the prevailing state laws. The governing board of pharmacy also plays a pivotal role in determining the extent to which professional pharmacists can exercise their powers, and ability to influence the type of prescription. There are sets of regulation in various countries, which permit the pharmacists to exercise their powers as professional within specific areas within the medical care system (Law et.al, 2012). On the other hand, other countries have laws that encourage a broader approach to service delivery within the medical service delivery. The pharmacist may therefore take part in different parts of the medication, ranging from diagnosis, prescription, drug dispensation as well as monitoring. The pharmacist therefore has a wide range of options and opportunities, during which they can influence the prescription of a given medicine (Abood, 2012). Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is another aspect of enabler, through which pharmacists acquire an opportunity to influence the prescription. In the modern world of health care system, the practise of pharmacy has advanced from the initial practise of dispensing medicine and offering counselling sessions to offering more detailed clinical patient care services. In cases where a pharmacist meets restraining conditions in which they are unable to offer a wider spectrum of services to their patients, they often lack satisfaction from their jobs (Allen Ansel, 2013). Eradication of fraudulent prescription The main source of medical errors often emanate from fraudulent prescriptions, some of which are out of human intervention, while the rest may be unintentional. In order to take control of the process and make the relevant decision regarding the prescription, pharmacists should understand what constitutes fraudulent practises and work towards eradicating them. Fraudulent prescriptions are caused by legitimate practises, in which patients decide to make alterations to their prescriptions to suit their personal interests (Declerck Simoens, 2012). In such cases, the patient may show preference for a particular brand of medicine, and insist that they be treated with the same. In other experiences, patients may also alter prescriptions depending on the cost incurred, in which they either opt for cheaper brands, or prefer more expensive brands due to their perception of higher quality and efficacy. A pharmacist may use their influence in such cases to discover the fraud and alter the prescription, and dispense the right medicine depending on the patient’s conditions (Cornes, 2012). In addition to cases of alteration, pharmacists also have the technical and professional skills to discover the validity of prescription pads. One of the most conspicuous methods of identifying the validity of such prescription pads may involve subjecting the contact information to a rigor of scrutiny, to determine if they bear the name of the bearer. Such details may include the surnames, contact phone number as well as the registration number (Campanelli, 2012). Professionally, stealing a prescription pads translates into an automatic medical error and a potential adverse reaction. In situations where the pharmacists discover such anomalies, there are a number of professional measures that can be employed to influence the brand of medication prescribed and dispensed. Pharmacists ensure that they apply strict rules, in which only the state authorised individuals or prescribers can write prescription orders. The state authorized person is defined by the state a trained physician, dentist, veterinarian, podiatrist, as well as other state registered practitioners. For instance, there are states with strict rules in which other health professionals such as physician assistants and nurses to participate in conducting prescriptions under supervision or instruction by the pharmacist in charge. Similarly, other states also permit a sense of autonomy for the mid-level practitioners (Law, et.al, 2012). The pharmacist therefore has a duty to understand the prevailing laws regarding the state provisions on drug prescription, before determining one. This helps them avoid cases of assumption, in which they perceive that every prescription given for the controlled substances is inappropriate. A pharmacist who obtains a prescription whose validity attracts signs of doubt or appears invalid in any way, it is professional to undertake affirmative steps aimed at establishing the authenticity of the prescription holder (Cornes, 2012). In cases where the pharmacists have doubts about the contact information, they may have to use the prescriber’s contact office, other than the patients contact information. A telephone call to the office creates an additional time in the prescription process, during the concerned parties may address the gaps in the existing prescription. This way, the pharmacist not only gets a chance to influence the types of medication prescribed, but also adheres to t he legal requirements, including state laws regarding the use of drugs. References Abood, R. R. (2012). Pharmacy practice and the law. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Allen, L. V., Ansel, H. C. (2013). Pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug delivery systems. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Campanelli, C. M. (2012). American Geriatrics Society Updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: The American Geriatrics Society 2012 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60(4), 616. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. (2012). CDC grand rounds: prescription drug overdoses-a US epidemic. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 61(1), 10. Cornes, P. (2012). The economic pressures for biosimilar drug use in cancer medicine. Targeted oncology, 7(1), 57-67. Declerck, P. J., Simoens, S. A. (2012). European perspective on the market accessibility of biosimilars. Biosimilars, 2, 33-40. Dylst, P., Vulto, A., Simoens, S. (2013). Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines: an overview. Expert review of pharmacoeconomics outcomes research, 13(1), 59-72. Garcà ­a-Gollarte, F., Baleriola-Jà ºlvez, J., Ferrero-Là ³pez, I., Cruz-Jentoft, A. J. (2012). Inappropriate drug prescription at nursing home admission. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 13(1), 83-e9. Gibberson, R. A. D. M., Yoder, C. D. R., Lee, C. D. R. (2012). Improving Patient and Health System Outcomes through Advanced Pharmacy Practice. A Report to the US Surgeon General. University of the Incarnate Word Pharmacy Review, 1(2). Haga, S. B., Burke, W., Ginsburg, G. S., Mills, R., Agans, R. (2012). Primary care physicians knowledge of and experience with pharmacogenetic testing. Clinical genetics, 82(4), 388-394. Law, M. R., Ma, T., Fisher, J., Sketris, I. S. (2012). Independent pharmacist prescribing in Canada O’Connor, M. N., Gallagher, P., O’Mahony, D. (2012). Inappropriate Prescribing. Drugs aging, 29(6), 437-452. Rolland, Y., Andrieu, S., Crochard, A., Goni, S., Hein, C., Vellas, B. (2012). Psychotropic drug consumption at admission and discharge of nursing home residents. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 13(4), 407-e7. Rotenstein, L. S., Ran, N., Shivers, J. P., Yarchoan, M., Close, K. L. (2012). Opportunities and Challenges for Biosimilars: Whats on the Horizon in the Global Insulin Market?. Clinical Diabetes, 30(4), 138-150. Spinewine, A., Fialov, D., Byrne, S. (2012). The role of the pharmacist in optimizing pharmacotherapy in older people. Drugs aging, 29(6), 495-510.

Sense and Sensibility Quotes

Sense and Sensibility Quotes Jane Austen published Sense and Sensibility in 1811- it was her first published novel. Shes also famous for Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and a number of other novels in the Romantic Period of English Literature. Here are some quotes from Sense and Sensibility. They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 1People always live forever when there is an annuity to be paid them.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 2An annuity is a very serious business.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 2He was not handsome, and his manners required intimacy to make them pleasing. He was too diffident to do justice to himself; but when his natural shyness was overcome, his behaviour gave every indication of an open, affectionate heart.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 3On every formal visit a child ought to be of the party, by way of provision for discourse.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 6In hastily forming and giving his opinion of other people, in sacrificing general politeness to the enjoyment of undivided attention where his heart is engaged, and in slighting too easily the forms of worldly propriety, he displayed a want of caution which Elinor could not approve.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 10 Sense will always have attractions for me.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 10When he was present she had no eyes for anyone else. Everything he did was right. Everything he said was clever. If their evenings at the Park were concluded with cards, he cheated himself and all the rest of the party to get her a good hand. If dancing formed the amusement of the night, they were partners for half the time; and when obliged to separate for a couple of dances, were careful to stand together, and scarcely spoke a word to anybody else. Such conduct made them, of course, most exceedingly laughed at; but ridicule could not shame, and seemed hardly to provoke them.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 11There is something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give way to the reception of more general opinions.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 11When the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but t oo common and too dangerous!- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 11 It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 12The pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 13At my time of life opinions are tolerably fixed. It is not likely that I should now see or hear anything to change them.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 17A fond mother ... in pursuit of praise for her children, the most rapacious of human beings, is likewise the most credulous; her demands are exorbitant; but she will swallow anything.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 21It was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor therefore the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell.- Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 21She was stronger alone; and her own good sense so well supported her, t hat her firmness was as unshaken, her appearance of cheerfulness as invariable, as, with regrets so poignant and so fresh, it was possible for them to be.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 23 Death ... a melancholy and shocking extremity.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 24I wish with all my soul his wife may plague his heart out.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 30When a young man, be he who he will, comes and makes love to a pretty girl, and promises marriage, he has no business to fly off from his word, only because he grows poor, and a richer girl is ready to have him. Why  dont  he, in such a case, sell his horses, let his house, turn off his servants, and make a thorough reform at once.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 30Nothing in the way of pleasure can ever be given up by the young men of this age.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 30Elinor had not needed ... to be assured of the injustice to which her sister was often led in her opinion of others, by the irritable refinement of her own mind, and the too great importance placed by her on the delicacies of a strong sensibility and the graces of a polished manner. Like half the rest of the world, if more than half there be that are clever and good, Marianne, with excellent abilities and an excellent disposition, was neither reasonable nor candid. She expected from other people the same opinions and feelings as her own, and she judged of their motives by the immediate effect of their actions on herself.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 31 A man who has nothing to do with his own time has no conscience in his intrusion on that of others.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 31Life could do nothing for her, beyond giving time for a better preparation for death; and that was given.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 31She felt the loss of Willoughbys character yet more heavily than she had felt the loss of his heart.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 32A person and face, of strong, natural, sterling insignificance, though adorned in the first style of fashion.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 33There was a kind of cold-hearted selfishness on both sides, which mutually attracted them; and they sympathized with each other in an insipid propriety of  demeanour, and a general want of understanding.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 34Elinor was to be the  comfor/ter  of others in her own distresses, no less than in theirs.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 37The world had made him extravagant and vain - extravagance and vanity had made him cold-hearted and selfish. Vanity, while seeking its own guilty triumph at the expense of another, had involved him in a real attachment, which extravagance, or at least its offspring necessity, had required  to be  sacrificed. Each faulty propensity in leading him to  evil,  had led him likewise to punishment.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 44 His own enjoyment, or his own ease, was, in every particular, his ruling principle.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 47Elinor now found the difference between the expectation of an unpleasant event, however certain the mind may be told to consider it, and certainty itself. She now found that, in spite of herself, she had always admitted a hope, while Edward remained single, that something would occur to prevent his marrying Lucy; that some resolution of his own, some mediation of friends, or some more eligible opportunity of establishment for the lady, would arise to assist the happiness of all. But he was now married; and  she condemned her heart for the lurking flattery which so much heightened the pain of the intelligence.-  Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 48

Fireground Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fireground Activity - Assignment Example However, the informal discussion does allow for firefighters to share what they saw, what they felt, what happened, and any other observations that need to be added. This is an important aspect as far as data gathering is concerned when one is trying to determine what may have caused a fire, and how it may have burned. The more formal postfire conferences also have advantages and disadvantages. It provides firefighters with the ability to examine all of the evidence and come to a decision. However, it may be difficult to always come to the correct decision within one conference, and this can certainly be a disadvantage. There is also the problem of some individuals jumping to certain conclusions and assumptions before all the facts are in and analyzed. Furthermore, there is no assurance that all participants at the conference will agree. Therefore, both informal and formal discussions dealing with the post fire concepts do have positive and negative aspects.