Drug Monitoring Program

While the war on drugs has seemingly gotten better, there is a certain type of drug that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of and control. Most people would have never thought that pharmaceutical drugs would be the cause of more deaths in the state of Florida than heroin and cocaine related deaths combined in 2007. Nearly 550 of those death happened in the Tampa Bay area, leading this to becoming one of the biggest drug abuse crisis in quite some time. A drug monitoring program would be such a program that keeps track of the dispensing of pharmaceuticals, mainly controlled substances, that would potentially disable distribution of street drugs, put a halt to â€Å"doctor shopping†, put doctors that write fake scripts under the radar, hopefully reduce the amount of people that become dependent upon narcotics and diminish the number of people of overdosing on these lethal prescription drugs. A study was conducted by an independent contractor to assess the proficiency of drug monitoring programs. The research showed that in states where a drug program was in place the supply of illegally obtained pharmaceuticals and the likelihood of abuse was significantly reduced. The study also showed that if law enforcement, rather than health oriented officials, were the ones to monitor the information there was a greater chance of success in reducing pharmaceutical abuse. Florida is currently one of the only states that does not have a drug monitoring program in place. For years, lawmakers in Florida have turned down such programs saying cost and privacy as their main concerns. Even the federal government has offered the state money, many states have already bought in; however, Florida has not. Some lawmakers state â€Å"programs are too expensive† and worry about â€Å"placing private patient information in the hands of the government† (Tisch, & VanSickle, 2008). Thirty four other states, however, do have programs in place. Surrounding states such as: Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas all have drug monitoring programs. Kentucky's KASPER program â€Å"started in 1999 as a fax-based system and in 2005 was converted to the first self-service, Web-based system of its kind. It tracks all schedule II-IV controlled substance prescriptions dispensed by licensed pharmacists within the commonwealth and helps medical practitioners physicians, pharmacists and law enforcement fight â€Å"doctor shopping.† A KASPER report shows all scheduled prescriptions for an individual over a specified time period, the prescriber and the dispenser† (KASPER grant release, 2008). Additionally, Indiana's INSPECT program require licensed pharmacies in Indiana are required to report dispension of schedule II controlled substances. In early 2004, grant funding through the Harold Rogers grant program, helped create INSPECT in its current form. Additional funding for the programs is provided by the state itself and all data collection and maintenance are handled in-house, meaning information is only accessible to registered users and through a secure Web site connection that is run by program staff. With the death toll rising, along with the number of those addicted, it would be impossible for me as a member of the health care community to deny the obvious need for a drug monitoring program in Florida. Before reading the plethora of articles available on the subject, I knew there was a problem; I suppose I just wasn't aware of how severe it really was. I am shocked it has gotten to the point it has without intervention and to be honest a bit embarrassed of the burden we have become to surrounding states. I don't have experience dealing with pharmaceutical abuse in my nursing practice as of yet. I do, unfortunately, have experience dealing with the all too commonly abused oxycodone in interpersonal relationships. I have seen the damage it can do to people firsthand. The way it can slowly steal someone you love, replacing them with someone you don't know at all. These drugs can have incredible therapeutic benefits if used in the context intended, but are too often used for reasons far beyond detrimental. I truly hope the information I have learned doesn't ever make me doubt anyone who says they are in pain, but I can't see how it won't. I will not, however, deny anyone in my care pain relief if they say they need it.

Far from Heaven

Todd Haynes renders a delightful yet subtle touch to the theme of racism and heterosexuality in his 2002 award winning movie, Far From Heaven. The movie is set at the backdrop of 1957, a period when racism and orthodox feelings were at its peek in the society. The plot revolves around Cathy Whitaker who is shown as a good wife, good mother and a perfect homemaker.Her husband Frank is an executive at Magnatech. The film starts with the scene when Cathy gets a call from the local police bout her husband who happens to be on the line. He says police mistook him for someone else and they are not leaving him alone. In the sequence of scenes that follows, Frank begins to stay late at office and develops obsession with the other men while Cathy develops love with Raymond Deagan, who is their late gardeners son as well a black man.Meanwhile Franks relationship with Cathy gets strained, and he turns to alcohol. Soon relationship between Cathy and Raymond leads to severe relationship between h im and his daughter. Meanwhile Frank is not able to uppress his feelings as homosexual and falls in love with other man seeking divorce from Cathy. In the whole film, we could see double tension perpetuating among the protagonists desires with each scene portraying interracial romances or one or the other issue of the homosexuality.The pool scene which appears almost near the end of the movie carries the themes of race and homosexuality more clearly and very closely entangled within the film and is beautifully fused within the whole structure of film. This scene takes place at Miami where Frank and Cathy go to rejuvenate their arried life. In the previous scene one has observed the stealthy look that passes between Frank and a handsome blond boy. In this pool scene, while Cathy is sitting just near the poolside, Frank has Just finished some laps to catch his breath.While he is sitting on steps with his legs submerged in the waters, he notices that members of the blond family are com ing out and their son does not seem to be with them. Frank gets up, stretches himself, comes out of the pool and as he is going to pickup his towel, a black boy aged four or five years rushes besides him towards the pool. Soon father of the young boy runs towards him and shouts at him as other white guests are watching Now what did I tell you about going in that pool You know youre not allowed in there (Far From Heaven) Boy is taken away forcefully and he begins to cry.Though he has Just been on the first step of the pool yet pool gets emptied within few moments. The atmosphere gets tensed and further increases when one white lady hysterically orders her daughter to immediately come out of the pool. When the daughter asks the reason, she retorts Because I said so (Far From Heaven). This scene hows the limit to which Americans are afraid of the blacks, and are extremely afraid of their black bodies the bodies that can cause infection.This misconception is so beautifully and realistic ally portrayed that it shows the extent to which people are engrossed in the racism and their prejudice that they can be easily carried away with the delusion that black bodies are contaminated and thus they cannot even share the pool with them. The camera shifts between Cathys perspective who is looking out of the pool, and then moves straight on to the Cathy herself to make the audience ignifying a protecting cover to the feelings emanating from her heart.The whole scene becomes a minuscule of the large drama that is unfolded inside the pool illustrating Cathys futile love affair with Raymond. The stress on the black father and the white mother taming their children to remain aloof with each other is suggestive of the deeply imbedded wall that is divided between the two communities socially, psychology as well as emotionally. The scene then turns towards Frank, and camera is focused on Frank when he sees the blond boy.At the time when the tense situation erpetuated by the racism b egins to calm down, the camera moves to show the viewers Franks thoughts on racism. Close up shot is taken as camera is focused on the Franks face as he observes the body of the black child and then of a blond teenager, both suggestive of the fact that Frank is trying to sort out this whole drama as he himself is so confused at the time. At this Juncture, Frank decides to move back into their hotel room to get Cathys book. Inside the room when he is looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, he feels somebodys presence behind him.

Analysis of Different Types of Partnership

Analysis of Different Types of Partnership Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Analysis of Different Types of Partnership Introduction In this assignment I am expected to analyse different types of Partnership. During this I would be explaining and evaluating those types of partnership and be able to advise my clients which one is the best one for someone starting a business for the first time and also be able to states all the benefits of each type of business structure. According to the classic definition of partnership provided by s.1 of the Partnership Act 1890 is: â€Å"Partnership is the relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view to profit.† Partnership is an incorporated body which means that the partnership does not have a separate legal personality from the partners. In the eyes of the law the partners is the business. If one partner make a decisions regarding the partnership and it goes wrong all partners are liable, they all can end up personally bankrupt because their personal assets can and will b e used to pay the partnership debts. In another hand if one partners become personally bankrupt the creditors can be entitled to his or her share of the partnership. This is why it is important to have a partnership agreement where the partners can ensure themselves against bankruptcy of individual partners. In the deed they can specify the outcome of any undesirable eventuality. It is the partnership agreement that rule the partnership. In case of no partnership agreement there is the Partnership Act 1890. The Act does not state any formal decision making structure of the partnership. According to the act a partnership does not requires one. The partners can set out the partnership agreement according to their needs. Usually the partnership deed is used to stipulate the dos and don’ts of the partnership and to delegate or retain the power and responsibility of the partners. It has to cover all eventualities, such as who owns the partnership premises; how new partners are to be taken in, and how they are to be paid; retirement of partners; circumstances in which a partner may be removed from the partnership Partners’ relationship must always be of the business’s best interest. It is very different from the relationship between employer and employee. Partners are business owners depend on their shares is the partnership which give them a number of co-existent rights. They have the right to take parts on decisions that affects the business; they have the rights to share profits and losses according to their shares on partnership; the rights to examine the accounts, to veto in the entrance of new partner and all partner are at liberty to the good faith of the other partners unless specified otherwise in the partnership deeds. There are three types of partnership: The general partnership, Limited Partnership and limited liability partnership. In general partnership all partners are liable for all debts of the business at the same proportions t hat they have in profits. The income and expense is reported on a separate return for tax purposes, but each partner then reports his or her pro-rata share of the profit or loss from the business as one line on his personal tax return. The most common form of partnership are group of people of the same family working together like a family plumbing firm and in another hand there are often group of professional people who work individually but have the benefit of shared support services like a firm of solicitors, doctors and accountants.

Amazon analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amazon analysis - Essay Example We regard this action as a negative reinforcement that Amazon leadership apply on their employees. In the article, â€Å"Amazon Lawsuit Filed for Unpaid Integrity Staffing Overtime Wages,† Jesse Busk, who is a former employee at Amazon, exposes the odds that workers face at the warehouse. After a 12-hour shift in the warehouse, he is incapable of going home early because security checks take more than 30 minutes. Moreover, the company does not pay for the lost time. The managers expected that the security checks could prevent employees from stealing and that they would stop this checkpoint when stealing stops. Nevertheless, this concept sometimes leads to undesirable behavior. For instance, employees get angry because there is no extra wage since the waiting time is long after a busy day. Another problem with Amazon’s leadership is that Amazon employees do not receive rewards for their performance. According to the careers page on Amazon’s website, Amazon states that â€Å"At Amazon, we offer employees the chance to work with great people on exciting projects with lots of opportunity for growth. We also provide a full range of benefits for you and your eligible family members (including domestic partners).† Amazon commits to pay a salary that is 30% higher than their competitors and innovative programs to its employees. It sounds attractive, but the reality does not reflect their commitment. In fact, employees start to complain about the working conditions at Amazon soon after employment. In the article "I Do Not Know One Person Who Is Happy at Amazon", a current employee complains that no employee feels satisfied at Amazon. The employee is frustrated because he feels that Amazon uses him and does not appreciate his hard work. He mentions the high employee turnover, tough working condition and boring atmosphere at Amazon. He reports that he feels completely exhausted due to the extreme

Eat Drink Man Woman Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Eat Drink Man Woman - Assignment Example A father remains emotionless, because he wants to seem a strong person and stay invulnerable. A conflict of generations, different problems of communication among family members are mistreated by family members and it is of great importance to have an ability to deal with the challenges of family life. Chu as the head of the family is positioned as a typical head of the Chinese family, but his ability of self-development enabled him and his family to be successful. Authority in the family There is a dynamical development of the family. Actually, this film is focused on depiction of daily affairs, emotions and feelings of every family. Sihung Lung is represented by the director as Chu, a master chef who cannot save his sense of taste. He had a business of his life and a feeling of taste is the way to earning money and living his life. His wife died and he has to take care about his 3 daughters. Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), the youngest one, makes many attempts to steal a boyfriend from her friend; Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu) the Cosmo girl, who has no time for her own family; and the oldest, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), spends all her time with her father and sacrifices her own happiness in the name of his life. There is a great problem among all family members, because they cannot identify themselves. When love from outside interferes in their lives they do not know what to do and how to support their used way of living. There are so many emotional points and themes covered in this film that every viewer finds his own tunes of soul, which are harmoniously repeated by the director. Sihung Lung takes care about his daughters and the audience feels a great sympathy to this caring man. He knows that his family is tearing apart, and being a head of the family, he tries to put the family together. In accordance with a model of traditional Chinese family, where the father is responsible for education of their children and having the last word in the family meetings, Chu is more tolerant and emotional in relation to his daughters. A man makes many attempts to transmit his feelings to his daughters, but he cannot find appropriate words, but rather impresses them by cooking. A concept of food is one of the central integrative parts of the family life. In case family members are displeased with each other, they do not express negative emotions directly, but they make attempt commenting on food. Culinary arts is on the way of development in china and the director Lee makes an attempt to show culinary arts as a way of family unification. Traditional form of Chinese family To express a father’s love through cooking is an unusual form of feelings’ expression, because in the Chinese family a father plays a role of emotionally stable and a strong brave man, a head of the family. The situation is different in the film, because the father does not have his wife, he is a master chef and he has no son, but only three daughters. Communication in the family is mediated by means of culinary arts of the father. In such a way the director of the film expressed his unusual vision of an ideal Chinese family. Nevertheless, there is an evident emotional gap and a conflict of generations cannot be resolved by means of keeping silence only. The daughters and the father are united by invented family values. Eating dinner together in the kitchen is the most

Psychoanalysis and Family Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychoanalysis and Family Therapy - Essay Example While psychology may be one of the oldest learned sciences, it remains still one that is shrouded in darkness and mystery. In the past, psychiatry was chiefly being carried out with the help of theories, ideologies and concepts with no idea about their true depth. The evolution of this field led to a world of revolutions and proposals. Some claimed that there is the role of biological factors while others blamed on the environmental factors etc. The complications in the treatment of various mental disorders are still lagging behind due to many reasons. There is still much to be learned about the efficacy of various treatment strategies that have been introduced in the field of psychology. More structured information needs to be made in order to achieve better results (Fonagy, 2004, p. 357). Psychoanalysis has been identified as one of the most efficient method of assessing various personality types and disorders. An invention of Freud, this methodology has been able to provide an alternative to hypnosis, a once very popular method of psyche assessment. Through in depth assessment of the person through verbal and symbolic communications, the psychiatrist is able to identify issues that are affecting the person (Fonagy, 2004, p. 357). â€Å"the deficiencies in our description would probably vanish if we were already in a position to replace the psychological terms with physiological or chemical ones†¦..we may expect [physiology and chemistry] to give the most surprising information and we cannot guess what answers it will return in a few dozen years of questions we have put to it. They may be of a kind that will blow away the whole of our artificial structure of hypothesis.† (Freud, 1920, pp 60). Psychoanalysis has been identified as one of the most effective methods in psychiatric treatments, and has been widely accepted in many health care systems of the world (Hau and Leuzinger- Bohleber, nd, pp 4). Many names have been given to this

Christopher Barringham - Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Christopher Barringham - Entrepreneur - Essay Example This essay discusses that the idea he is emphasizing on is to keep on mailing those companies and also finding new clients through searching further as they would help the company in creating more market for the five of the companies being operated by Mr. Barringham’s family. The entire idea Mr. Barringham is trying to tell is to inform the new clients and to keep on reminding the previous ones, this is possible through personal meetings with their customer relationship manager which would provide the details about the products on person to person basis and also they send the complimentary gifts to the old clients, such as calendars and diaries and small gift items and also the customer relationship manager keeps on calling to the clients once a month asking if they need any of the services. Another important point of notice is the payment terms which means the ability to collect the cash from the customers, previously all the five companies work on the credit terms and they h ave hardly faced bad debts but the idea is that all the old customers are allowed to buy on the credit terms while the new customers would have to pay the cash in hand, which is another reason for Mr. Barringham’s success in the business of Steel. So Mr. Barringham started a business with very less budget, which is showing that it was a small business while performing the even bigger operation, one can also say that his office is performing the work of a manager, a marketer and a forecaster for not just one but all the five companies in a unified manner.

Critical Analysis of Microsoft Monopoly Power Essay

Critical Analysis of Microsoft Monopoly Power - Essay Example Moreover, the firm will stand to benefit from the economies of production and the cost per unit of products will be lowered (Baumol & Blinder 2011). This will create entry barriers to new entrants. There are various sources of monopoly power. The first source of monopoly power is the control of an important factor of production that is fundamental in the production process (Allen 2003). A firm that has exclusive control on an important factor e.g. technology, land, or production process is likely to acquire monopoly power and hence lock out competitors. Secondly, monopoly power may also be attained from the government where the government licenses only one firm to be the sole supplier in the industry thus prohibiting entrance from competitors. The monopoly power may also be attained because of the market size i.e. where the market is small; one supplier may supply the whole market. Finally, the amalgamation and mergers of firms in the industry could also create monopoly power. Firms may merge to benefit from the economies of scale production or to avoid competition that could cause losses to the firm. Such factors may lead to monopoly in an industry (Learning & Moyer 2010). In the case of the software industry, Microsoft has enjoyed monopoly position by creating entry barriers to their potential competitors. Entry barriers arise in terms of high costs, time, quality, and lack of resources to advertise in order to make successful entry. One of the strategies that Microsoft used to lock out their competitors was the large number of applications that were necessary to make an operating system preferred by the end users (Kobie 2009). The ends users require software that can be used to execute the different functions at once and this will ensure that they get the convenience they require. It would thus expensive for a new entrant to develop software with many applications that will compete those of Microsoft (Kobie 2009). The users of computer software are also like ly to remain loyal to Microsoft application software because of the multi application that the soft ware can perform. The second way of creating entrance barrier is by entering into exclusive agreements whereby a firm will enter into agreements that prohibits the use of their competitors’ products. In the case of Microsoft, the company created exclusive agreements in which the company’s operating software would be solely used in their PC’s (Meller 2009). As a result, their competitors or potential competitors would lack the market for their software and this would make them incur heavy losses that lead to their termination or dissolution. This anti competitive strategy is not healthy for the users of the products, as they will lack a variety of products to make choices from (Mankiw 2008). They will thus be compelled to adhere to the available and little viable option. These therefore deny the consumers their sovereignty making Microsoft monopoly unjustified. In addition, Microsoft used their financial power and strength to keep their competitors at bay. Monopolists firms make large profits that is can use in lowering the selling price or giving offers that are meant to make their products cheaper compared to those of the competitors (Kobie 2009). Due to this new entrants or existing smaller competitors will be barricaded from accessing the market and hence the continuation of the

World Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

World Literature - Essay Example The Kite Runner begins with the protagonist, Amir, telling us that the past cannot be forgotten. An instance has been haunting him for the past twenty-six years. As a twelve year old he witnesses Assef, a local bully and his friends, attack and rape Hassan at the annual kite fighting tournament. He stands watching helplessly, unable to rescue of his friend. He commits the ultimate sin of running away leaving Hassan at the mercy of the bullies. After this incident he is unable to face Hassan. Hassan’s presence in the house becomes a constant reminder of his guilt. He feels one of them has to leave the house if he has to forget the incident. Amir frames Hassan for theft and Hassan goes away. With the war striking Afghanistan, Amir and his father are forced to flee. They begin a new life in America. Amir chooses to settle in America as it "had no ghosts, no memories, and no sins" (Hosseini (2003), Kite Runner). Amir becomes an author and marries Soraya. However, his peaceful life is shattered when an old friend, Rahim Khan calls him. Rahim tells him that Hassans son, Sohrab is in Kabul living a life of poverty in an orphanage. He must go to Kabul to save him. This is when his past sins come back to haunt him. He is once again reminded of Hassan and "Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew" (The Kite Runner). As David Kipen (2003) says â€Å"he sees a chance to redeem himself from the secrets that have left him psychically stranded between Afghanistan and the United States. â€Å" This and Rahims words "There is a way to be good again" (The Kite Runner) become focal points for the rest of the book. According to Damini Raleigh (2007) â€Å"Sometimes we can just catch the ghosts of our past, capture them and undo our future of guilt. Sometimes redemption is just a step away. Sometimes it’s never too late to come back and sometimes there is a

Reject inference applied on large data sets Research Paper

Reject inference applied on large data sets - Research Paper Example However, this assumption does not hold true in the case of application scoring. The modeling data set becomes inherently biased if the customers that are perceived to be â€Å"bad† are approved while those that are perceived to be â€Å"good† are rejected. It is a matter of fact that the only population’s performance that is known is for the approved, which apparently does not perform the same way as the rejected population, hence the rejection of this population is rather questionable. Notably, the selection bias does not take place if further bad rates are estimated using the approved population in the model alone. Nonetheless, considering that the model is applicable to the whole population in order to decide who to reject and who to decline, the bias becomes a very important consideration. Correction and accounting for this sample bias is achieved by use of rejecting inference techniques. In view of this, a gap is present in any statistical model when known Good-Bad (KGB) of the approved population of loan applicants is used, because of the high sampling bias error that occurs. As a matter of fact, any analysis of characteristics is biased as a result of the ‘cherry selection’ of prospective good customers. If bad rates across the whole population is truly described by the characteristics, then it is evident that the rate of approval by the same characteristics should be inversely related. For a case in point, if the customer has serviced loans without any problem for the last one year, then the subdivision’s general bad rate should be moderately small, and the approval rate from this subdivision should be large. Nevertheless, customers that hold at least 4 bad loans in the previous one year should be treated as a high credit risk. As such, any approval in this segment should be assigned a variety of other ‘good’ characteristics to su persede offensive

Mary Shellys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shellys Frankenstein Essay The director has made it clear to the audience that the film will be about life and death by having a statue of Jesus almost toppling over, next to a large figure of the grim reaper representing death. When Frankenstein is digging the grave up, he throws dirt over the statue, perhaps representing how he has no respect for death. The props and costumes are used reflect the setting and atmosphere. Dr. Frankensteins clothes differ from the rest of the cast, wearing a cravat and white shirt; the director may have done this to represent his higher status in society, compared to the mourners or Frankensteins hunchback assistant. In Branaghs film the costumes are all very similar, they play no major part in the first four minutes studied. However they help to keep in with the mono colour of the ice and pale faces. These bland colours create a stark and dramatic contrast to the bright red blood which comes on screen when the monsters hand dramatically appears. The make up worn by the characters in Whales film is heavy, pronounced and very theatrical; designed so that people in the theatre could see the faces from far away, but on camera it looks exaggerated and over the top. Branagh has used make-up subtly and realistically, creating red cheeks to show cold conditions alongside messy hair and unshaven faces to represent the length of time since the characters have been near civilization. Whales theatrical past suggests why all the facial expressions and movements are prominent and exaggerated. Although Branagh also has a distinguished history in theatre, Whale was working in the beginnings of Hollywood when cinema was portrayed much like theatre on screen. In the first close ups of Fritz and Frankenstein they are both wide-eyed which connotes stereotypical mad scientists and both characters creep around the graveyard with dramatic stage whispers. The facial expressions and emotions in Branaghs Frankenstein are far less obvious and it is due to this fact that there is a lot more change in emotion over a short space of time. During a few minutes, the expressions of one character changed from fear, to pride, to concentration and then anger. This emotion change is slightly exaggerated to let the audience engage and empathize with the characters. One way that Branagh lets the audience use their imagination is by his use of positioning within the frame. Most shots are very closely cropped to the faces so that we can see expressions clearly. However, when the monster was killing the dogs, Branagh cleverly clipped the shots so that the suspense could be continued and prolonged. This method of positioning is a big contrast to Whales. Most of the shots in his version are mid or long and there are very few point-of-view or close ups. This is partly due to the lack of technology and experience. Branagh may have used more adventurous and interesting angles but he has had 60 years of Hollywood to look back on; Whale was at a huge disadvantage in this respect and this should of course be considered when deciding who is the better director. Whale did try and be adventurous in some respects: he used an effective high angle shot towards the end of the four minutes, it showed Fritz and Frankenstein walking towards the gallows, which heightened the feeling of a change of setting, and it clearly showed the rocky landscape, which also increased the sense of fear. Whale has placed the characters so that they were very central within the frame. The camera sticks to the action and follows it, much like if one were watching a play, a method most probably influenced by Whales history in theatrical directing. Branaghs editing is a great deal faster than Whales so this gives him more scope to change the camera angles. However, the reason for this difference in speed could be down to the settings of the expositions, not effectiveness of directing. Branaghs film begins in a chaotic storm with lots of action, whereas Whale tries to connote sense of fear and slow eeriness. Branagh tries to create an emotional impact and takes it for granted that the audience will understand and follow the action, whereas Whales style is more conventional and his editing is used for practical purposes and to see the setting and to follow the action. As an audience in the 20 and 21st century, we are so used to the conventional shock tactics, that we fail to take into account their effect in older films, such as Whales Frankenstein. Although aspects of Whales production may seem dated to todays audience, theres an atmosphere present that would be hard to re-create, even with technological advances. Kenneth Branaghs Frankenstein, for all its use of modern technology, lacks the atmospheric build up that Whales seems to have. Whales film is more like the nineteenth century novel; his style suits the slow unveiling of narrative, as in the book, whereas Branagh conveys a sense of action and fast moving suspense to satisfy the ever-demanding audience. The fast moving action means that Branagh has not had a chance to build up a sense of fear; everything is over dramatized and with a very fast pace. Although Branagh has indeed created an atmospheric build up, using all the modern technology available, James Whales Frankenstein has stood the test of time and, although it was directed 63 years before Branaghs, has used the most effective techniques available to build up an atmosphere of tension and fear. If an audience of today find Whales directing more or equally effective than Branaghs then imagine how well it would have worked on audiences unaccustomed to this level of horror within a film. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

The Causes And Problems Of Economic Scarcity Economics Essay

The Causes And Problems Of Economic Scarcity Economics Essay One of the economy systems is market system. In that system, private individuals and firms own most of the property resources which are land and capital. Individuals and firms are free to make economic decisions that benefit them. Consumers seek to pay for the good and service in the best value. Besides that, the objective of firms is to achieve the maximum profit. Then, workers seek to maximize their wages according to the working in particular job. Individuals, firms, and workers are free to make the economic choices. For example, consumers can decide the type and the amount of the goods that they want to buy. Firms can decide the type, production method and amount of the goods that they want to produce according to their ability. Worker can choose their jobs which they are qualified by themselves. Hence, the rich can satisfy their desires for a good or service because they are able to pay for it. On the other hand, the poor disable to pay for the goods and services they want so they cant maximize their satisfaction. As a result, the people who are able to pay for it can consume the good. Therefore, a market system cope with the economy scarcity by the ability of a person to pay for the goods and services he wants. Besides market system, command economy also can cope with economic scarcity. In this system, government is an economics decision maker. Government makes decision through a central economics plan. Most of the property resources are owned by the government. Individuals and firms cannot make economic decision freely. The government controls the price and quantity supplied of the goods. Government plans the output, production material and the technique used of each firms. It also plans the worker in each industry. Individuals are not given choice to choose their jobs. There is no competition in command economy. Consumers need not to compete to buy a good that is valuable because government distribute all the goods to the people in accordance with needs. Besides that, firms also need not to compete to produce a purchase that can maximize the profit. It is because government has planned the output of each firm. Government distributes goods to the people according to its judgment. For example, government gives more to those who contribute more and work harder. This may encourage people to work harder too. In this system, market prices are used to make the decision to allocate the resources that owned by government and queue the scarce resources. The government distributes the goods and services to the people and allocate the income of the people. Then, it gives the choice to them to spend the money. The objective of doing this is to handle the pattern of expenditure by setting an appropriate price. High price is set to discourage consumption while encourage consumption by setting low prices. Therefore, a command system copes with economic scarcity by the judgment of government to take care of social welfare. Question 3 Part A Supply means that producers are willing and able to produce the amount of good at each of a series of possible prices during a specific period. There are several reasons cause the supply of a product to increase. Cost of resources is one of the determinants of supply. It causes supply of the product to increase when the cost of resources rises and vice versa. The lower price of resources will reduce the cost of production. By the time, more profit will be made at the price. Hence, producers will increase the production to maximize the profit. For example, the decrease in the price of rubber will increase the supply of tires. Prices of other goods can affect the increase in supply of a product too. When a firm wants to produce a particular product, it can use their plant and method to produce alternatives goods. For example, laptop and desktop are the goods in joint supply. When the price of laptop rises, firms are more interested in producing laptop because it can earn more profit. At the same time, desktop becomes unattractive to the firms because it cannot maximize their profit. Another reason of increase in supply of a product is the number of sellers. When the number of sellers becomes larger, market supply will become greater. If firms leave an industry, the market supply will decrease and the supply curve will shift leftward. In conclusion, decrease in cost of production of a good, increase in the number of sellers and decrease in the price of a good in joint supply with the good that produced by the firm are the reasons of increase in supply of a product. Part B The government sets price floors on goods to avoid the price of them from falling below a certain level. However, economists say that the price floors and ceiling stifle the rationing function of prices and distort resource allocation. Economists say it because price floor is above the equilibrium price that stifle the rationing function of prices. Rationing function of prices is the ability of the competitive force to establish the consistent price of the good in selling and buying decision. If the market equilibrium price of a burger is RM2 and there is no shortage and surplus in the market, the consumers who are able and willing to pay RM2 for a burger will obtain it. However, the buyers who cannot or will not pay for it will fail to obtain it. On the other hand, sellers are able and willing to sell burger in RM2 will sell it and the sellers who are disable or not willing to sell a burger for RM2 will not sell it. The objective of setting the price floor is to protect the producers income. The setting of price floor can ensure the producers in not making loss in sales. Besides that, it also motivates the producers to increase in the production in goods. Hence, the supply of the goods will not keep decreasing and out of control. In resources allocation, consumers suppose to pay less in buying the product but the setting of price floor raise the price of the product. For example, the price of mask is falling to RM0.05 each because of the surplus. Then, government sets a price floor of RM0.10 for each mask. By the time, consumers need to buy it at the price of RM0.10 and they suppose to buy it at the price of RM0.50. It has distorted the resource allocation. Government sets price ceiling to prevent the price of good from rising above a certain level. The objectives of setting the price ceiling are to protect the benefit of consumers. The setting of price floor can ensure the consumers to be able to buy a particular product especially for those on low incomes. Besides that, it also encourages the consumers to buy the product. However, it is not fair to the suppliers because they suppose to earn more from sales. For example, the price of volleyball is RM100 because of the increase in demand. Then, government sets price ceiling of RM80 for each volleyball. Therefore, the suppliers sell the volleyball at the price of RM80 and they suppose to gain RM100 from each of the volleyball. This has distorted the resource allocation too. Question 5 Part A There are several differences between a decrease in demand and decrease in quantity demanded. Quantity demanded is the amount of a good that a buyer is able and willing to buy it at a certain price over a time period. Decrease in quantity demanded is caused by the rise in price of a product. For example, when the price of a mobile phone rises from RM800 to RM1000, the quantity demanded will fall from 1000 units to 500 units. However, decrease in demand is caused by the determinants of demand, rather than the price of the good. The determinants of good affect the decrease in demand such as tastes, number of buyers, income of household, the price of substitute and complement good and consumer expectation. For instance, tea and coffee are substitute goods. When the price of tea falls from RM2 to RM1, the demand of coffee will decrease. It is because the price of tea and the demand of coffee are positive relationship. Consumers tend to buy more tea when its price falls and so the demand of coffee will decrease. PBesides that, decrease in quantity demanded causes the demand curve to move upward. A P1 B P2 D0 0 Q2 Q1111 Q Figure 1 Figure 2 P Q D0 P0 0 Q1 Q0 D1Figure 1 shows a decrease in quantity demanded of apple. According to the figure 1, the price of apple falls from P1 to P2, there is a movement downward from point A to point B along the demand curve D0. Nevertheless, the decrease in demand causes the demand curve to shifts leftward. Figure 2 showing a decrease in demand of potatoes. Potato is a normal good. The decrease in income of consumers causes the decrease in demand of potatoes. According to the figure 2, when the income of consumers decreases, the demand of potatoes decreases from Q0 to Q1. Therefore, the demand curve shifts leftward from D0 to D1. Part B Percentage change in quantity demandedIncome elasticity of demand is used to measure the responsiveness of demand to a change in consumers income by buying more or less of a good. The coefficient of income elasticity of demand, Ed can calculate from this formula: Percentage change in income Ed = There are three degrees of income elasticity of demand which are positive, negative and exactly zero. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is greater than 1, that means it is elastic. The percentage change in quantity demanded is greater than percentage change in income. The goods can be normal goods or superior goods. For example, shoe is a normal good. When the income of consumer increases by 10%, the quantity demanded of shoes will increase by 20%. The income elasticity of demand of shoes is 2, > 0. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is less than 0, that means it is inelastic. The percentage change in quantity demanded is less than percentage change in income. The good is recognized as an inferior good. For instance, used clothing is an inferior good. If the income of consumer rises by 5%, then the quantity demanded of used clothing will decrease by 10%. Hence, the income elasticity of demand of used clothing is -2, < 0. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is equal to zero, meaning that the degree is exactly zero. The percentage change in income will not affect the percentage change in quantity demanded. Such goods are called necessities. For example, rice is a necessity of daily life. If consumers income decreases, the quantity demanded of rice will not increase and remain the same. Therefore, the income elasticity of demand is equal to zero. Question 6 Part A Diagram 3 80 50 Q0 Consumer surplus con Equilibrium price 0 DConsumer surplus is the benefit received by consumers in market. It is the difference between the maximum price that consumers are willing to pay and the actual price of the good. Consumer surplus appears when a consumer pay the equilibrium price that less than the price he would be willing to pay to obtain the product. P (RM) Q (unit) Diagram 3 shows the demand curve of bag. For example, Lily is willing to pay a maximum of RM80 to obtain a bag. The equilibrium price of the bag is RM50. So, Lily receives a consumer surplus of RM30 (RM80-RM50). .The relationship between consumer surplus and price is negative. Lower prices increase the consumer surplus but higher prices reduce it. Producer surplus is the benefit received by the producers in markets. It is the difference between the minimum acceptable price and the actual price that producers receive. Producer surplus appears when the minimum acceptable price of producers higher than the equilibrium price. Producer surplus and price are positively related. Lower prices decrease the producer surplus but higher prices increase it. P (RM) Diagram 4 Equilibrium price Q0 Producer surplus pro S 0 2000 Q (unit) Diagram 4 shows the supply curve of computer. For instance, Peter is the seller of computer in market. His minimum acceptable price is RM1500. As the equilibrium price of computer in market is RM2000, Peter received a producer surplus of RM500 (RM2000-RM500). Good XPart B 20 F B A C 15 Diagram 5 2 5 10 E 0 5 7 8 D Good Y Diagram 5 shows the production possibilities frontier. Assume that there are full employment, fixed resources, fixed technology and two goods are produced in the certain period. Point A, B, C and D mean that the resources of production are used efficiently. Point E means that the economy is wasting the resources without produce the greatest output possible. Point F cannot be achieved because the technology and resources are not able to achieve it. Scarcity is a situation when there are limited resources that cannot produce as many products as they want to produce and satisfy the unlimited wants of people. The concept is shown by diagram 4. The area inside the curve shows the resources are limited. If firms want to increase the production in good X from 15 units to 20 units, they must reduce the production of good X from 5 to 2 at the same time. It is because the resources are limited. Choice is an economic concept for people to choose a good in order to maximize their satisfaction because of the scarcity. According to the diagram 4, firms will decide to increase or decrease in production of good X or good Y that can maximize the profit. For example, if the increase in production in good X can raise their profit, firms will tend to do it. Opportunity cost occurs because of the choices that people made. It is the second best choice that has been scarifying in making choice. For example, firms have choices of producing 10 units good X and 7 units good Y or 15 units goods X and 5 units good Y. If firms make the first choice, the opportunity cost will be 2 units good Y. On the other hand, the opportunity cost will be 5 units good X if firms make the second choice.

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake Introduction/Background The ketogenic diet proposes a reduction of carbohydrate intake, replaced with high fat. Studies convey that low carbohydrate diets promote a higher degree of short term weight loss than conventional low fat diets (Manninen, 2004). Moreover, reductions in fasting blood lipids and insulin concentrations are greater in low carbohydrate diets (Manninen, 2004). Fundamentally, the reduction in carbohydrates renders the body in an efficient metabolic state of dietary ketosis whereby fat is turned into ketone bodies within the liver and burned for energy to utilize in the extra-hepatic tissues. Thereby, short term restriction results in a significant decrease in fat mass and a related increase in lean body mass as fat stores become a primary source of energy (Manninen, 2004). However, low carbohydrate diets may significantly increase fat and cholesterol volume, correspondent with an increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Hu et al., 2012). Furthermore, reduction in an accustom ed fibre intake may result in constipation, or fatigue induced by a carbohydrate deficiency from altered hormonal states and electrolyte imbalances (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Additionally, complications relative to kidney function may arise (eg. osteoporosis and kidney stones) and can be linked to the long term restriction of carbohydrates (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Ketosis is a common metabolic adaptation in low carbohydrate diets. Glycogen stores are utilized to meet energy demands of the body when dietary carbohydrates are limited; the reserves are exhausted within 24 to 48 hours of carbohydrate restriction (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). However, glycogen is bound to water in a proportion of 1:3g (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Therefore, the subsequent 1-2kg fat reduction can be attributed to diuresis as opposed to burning adipose body fat stores. Consequently, the decrease is not a true indicator of weight loss as glycogen and water stores will be replenished (ie. rebound water weight will be gained) once the diet is terminated due to an influx of carbohydrates, which retain water in the muscles glycogen stores (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). As depicted in rodent studies, Caton et al. (2009) discerned that the termination of a low carbohydrate diet resulted in weight regain once the habitual diet resumed. Notwithstanding, the diuretic effect is restr ained to the first week of the low carbohydrate diet. Subsequent weight loss is entirely due to the ruminant adaption to energy expenditure and balance. Larosa, Fry, Muesing, Rosing (1980) observed a 7.7 kg loss in participants on the Atkins diet in 8 weeks; 1.8 kg lost per week in the initial two week period, and 0.7 kg per week thereafter. Westman et al. (2002) remarked alike results with a range of 0 to 18.6 kg in body weight reduction over 24 weeks (Figure 1). Once glycogen reserves are exhausted, fat oxidation is increased to satisfy the energy demands unfulfilled by gluconeogenesis and triglyceride breakdown as lean mass is inefficiently broken down to glucose and energy deficits proceed uncovered. A directly proportional increase in muscle fatigue and catabolism (conversion of protein to glucose via gluconeogenesis) transpires when muscle glycogen is depleted, however; an important substrate within ATP production (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Liberation of fatty acids into the blood are oxidized by the liver for energy expenditure to form acetoacetate and further converted to ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyric acid (ie. ketone bodies) from acetyl CoA, filtered by the kidneys, inducing an increase in renal loss of sodium and consequent water loss. Furthermore, dehydration is common due to the increased water loss associated with ketotic-induced diuresis, onsetting early fatigue in contracting skeletal muscle (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). The long term restriction of carbohydrates pose an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. LDL cholesterol is an eminent factor in atherogenesis, directly correlated with blood ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate (Johnston et al., 2006). Lin Borer (2016) denote a 30% decrease within physiological insulin resistance 24 hours after three low carbohydrate meals, which increase cardiovascular disease mortality. Moreover, metabolic costs may be associated with the utilization of fatty acids as intermediates of the citric acid cycle imperative for energy expenditure are depleted. Russell Taegtmeyer (1991) isolated rodent hearts utilizing acetoacetate as an energy source. The researchers observed a 50% reduction in the contractile ability of the heart within an hour; a contractile failure reversed by pyruvate carboxylation. Indeed, there are benefits and detriments of the dietary regime. However, evidence from clinical and animals trials to achieve a loss in weight and adaptive metabolic risk factors is preliminary. Review of papers Research concerning the effectiveness of reduced carbohydrate intake is limited by small sample sizes and short treatment periods. Westman, Yancy, Edman, Tomlin, Perkins (2002) investigated the effects of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon body weight and variable metabolic factors in a 6 month trial. 41 overweight (26-33 kg/m^2) yet otherwise healthy volunteers ages 18-65 were assigned to a low carbohydrate diet of A mean decrease in body weight of 9.0 +/- 5.3 kg among 39 volunteers was observed (Figure 1). Weight loss correlated with adherence of the dietary regime and ketonuria (P Statistically significant changes were obtained for various metabolic parameters relative to changes in serum levels (Table 1). Beneficial effects upon serum lipid levels are indicated; 29 volunteers experienced a net reduction in LDL cholesterol over 6 months (Table 2). Moreover, 37 volunteers had an increase in HDL cholesterol (Westman et al., 2002). However, there was no objective measure of physical activity, which is potentially confounding. Moreover, adherence is the largest determinant of a regimes effectiveness. Although group meetings are an objective measure of behaviour adherence, the conceptualization of dietary adherence is disparate, propagated by psychological and socioeconomic determinants. Nonetheless, multiple indicators of adherence to the assigned dietary regime was employed in an attempt to negate the aforementioned issue. Furthermore, all 41 participants developed ketonuria during the trial, strongly correlated with self-reported adherence to the dietary regime. However, it is indispensable to obtain baseline data of macronutrient intake relative to the regime in question to ensure no dietary deficiencies confound the results. Additionally, past dietary intake is principal to document when controlling for baseline, yet macronutrient intake prior to the trial was not assessed. Often, blood/plasma ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate levels are the only index of ketosis as exhibited in the study of Westman et al. (2002). However, urinary ketones poorly represent the concentrations of blood/plasma and yield less informative results (Table 2). Acetoacetate and acetone are rarely measured and should be investigated in a low carbohydrate dietary regime; direct manipulation is necessary as the correlational approach cannot provide casual evidence of ketones. Moreover, dietary regime data can be subject to concerns of memory and recall. Additionally, volunteers who completed the dietary records may be more likely to report adhering to the regime. However, macronutrient data was to be recorded within 24 hours of consumption. Also, the usage of skinfold calipers to estimate fat mass poses another limitation. Clasey et al. (1999) discerned that anthropometric estimation yield large mean differences and appreciable inter-individual variability. Volunteers were not recruited according to strict inclusive criteria, therefore the group is particularly inhomogeneous. However, as the participants were healthy, extrapolating the results to individuals with metabolic diseases should be with discretion. Moreover, no substantial losses to follow-up were incurred as a completion rate of 80% was noted. However, the disadvantageous effects regarding volunteers who did not cohere to the program cannot be eradicated; structured programs are more effective at weight loss than self help approaches (Heska et al., 2003). Nevertheless, the findings of Westman et al. (2002) emphasize the imminent need for large scale trials on the compound interplay between low carbohydrate diets and long term aftereffects. The mechanisms and contributing factors underlying the effectiveness of low carbohydrate high fat diets (LC-HFD) remain uncovered. Caton, Yinglong, Burget, Spangler, Tschà ¶p, Bidlingmaier (2009) examined the effects of a LC-HFD upon body composition and metabolic parameters (eg. growth hormone, IGF-I) in 48 male Wistar rats over a 32 day period. Two studies were conducted. Study one constituted the maintenance of standard laboratory chow (CH) or LC-HFD in adolescent or mature rodents for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (Caton et al., 2009). However, only mature rodents were maintained on the diets for 16 days in study two in an attempt to illuminate the culmination of LC-HFD upon fat pad mass. All rats were pair-fed to ensure the observations would be due to the macronutrient composition of the diet. Metabolic assessments (eg. energy expenditure) were made at baseline and 16 days post-exposure to the first and second diet with indirect calorimetry (Caton et al., 2009). ANOVA was performed to assess feeding efficiency and corresponding body weight changes relative to age and diet. Moreover, an alpha value of 0.05 was rendered in t-test analysis to examine the disparity between body weight and fat pad mass, with Bonferroni to discern any significant differences between the groups (Caton et al., 2009). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight irrespective of age and subsequent diet change (Figure 2). Nonetheless, ingesting CH after initial LC-HFD resulted in weight regain in comparison to CH maintained rodents (Caton et al., 2009). Moreover, mature rats maintained on LC-HFD gained remarkably less body weight than CH (CH 27 +/- 1g; LC-HFD 2 +/- 3g; P LC-HFD may have implications for the alteration of body composition as hormones (eg. GH, IGF-I) known to increase lean body mass diminished within the study; reflective in decreased muscle mass. Declines in IGF-I, lean body mass, and glycogen availability may contribute to the increased fatigue experienced in ketogenic diets. Subsequently, the weight loss procured is not effortlessly sustainable due to an energy imbalance propagating an enhanced drive to regain lost mass. However, rodent studies are not entirely translatable to human subjects, and moreover, not appropriately designed. Perigonadal fat pads have a large surface area and are readily accessible. Consequently, they are frequently utilized in research, as exhibited in the study of Caton et al. (2009). However, humans do not harbour a fat depot analogous to the fat pads; and thereby cannot be truly deemed as visceral. Furthermore, Bazzano et al. (2014) measured body weight and a myriad of biomarkers in 148 participants on variable carbohydrate diets over a year. The researchers concluded that a low carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and reduced cardiovascular risks. Whereas Vogt (2014) published a conflicting paper; a low carbohydrate diet in maternal rodents alters offspring metabolism whereby risk for obesity is pronounced. There are indeed neuroanatomical similarities between humans and rodents which coincide with food intake and energy homeostasis. However, the study un covered that the diet damaged the hypothalamus, pivotal for appetite and energy management. No attempt was made to elucidate the contradiction between the reaction of a rodent versus a human, which is misleading. Additionally, rodent strain can determine the susceptibility to diet-induced metabolic changes. If a more resistant strain is utilized, effects may go unnoticed. Moreover, trials disregard elements of rodent diets (standard laboratory chow; high carbohydrate low fat diet) that have direct metabolic outcomes, such as soy, which has effects akin to estrogen relative to activity, fat storage, and macronutrient and water retention. In contrast, low carbohydrate high fat diets often have sugar as a constituent associated with weight gain and insulin resistance, ultimately selecting for fat sensitivity. It is notable that a sufficient amount of protein is required to maintain lean body mass, yet the diet in the study of Caton et al. (2009) constituted of low protein. Dietary control in rodents is possible to a degree unfeasible in humans. Metabolic attributes of the human condition cannot be entirely recapitulated in a single animal model. Summary opinion/Conclusion A multitude of clinical trials that concern low carbohydrate diets have small sample sizes and insufficient statistical power to detect the incremental changes that occur in metabolic risk factors (Hu et al., 2012). Such factors are important determinants of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; thereby, it is ineffective to derive conclusions upon the effects of low carbohydrates upon overall health long term. In contrast to the results inferring an increase in cardiovascular risk, Hu et al. propose low carbohydrate diets as an alternative approach for fat mass reduction without worsening metabolic risk factors. Moreover, Bueno, de Melo, de Oliveria, da Rocha Ataide (2013) denote a doubled average increase in HDL compared to low fat dieters, conferring cardiovascular benefits with an improved cholesterol profile comparable to Westman et al. (2002) noting an increase in HDL. Nonetheless, six weeks is a short duration of time, and the research conveys that the dietary regime is sl ightly advantageous in weight loss for up to six months (Fields, Ruddy, Wallace, Shah, Millstine, 2016). Potential metabolic consequences can be alleviated with increased water, fibre, and calcium intake. References Bazzano, L. A., Hu, T., Reynolds, K., Yao, L., Bunol, C., Liu, Y., He, J. (2014). Effects of low  -carbohydrate and low-fat diets: A randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 161(5), 309-318. Bilsborough, S. A., Crowe, T. (2003). Low carbohydrate diets: What are the potential short and long  term health implications? Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 12(4), 397-404. Bueno, N., de Melo, I., de Oliveira, S., da Rocha Ataide, T. (2013). Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic  diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal Of Nutrition, 110(07), 1178-1187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513000548 Caton, S. J., Yinglong, B., Burget, L., Spangler, L. J., Tschà ¶p, M. H., Bidlingmaier, M. (2009). Low  carbohydrate high fat diets: Regulation of energy balance and body weight regain in rats.  Obesity, 17(2), 283-289. Clasey, J. L., Kanaley, J. A., Wideman, L., Heymsfield, S. B., Teates, C. D., Gutgesell, M. E.,   Weltman, A. (1999). Validity of methods of body composition assessment in young and older  men and women. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(5), 1728-1738. Fields, H., Ruddy, B., Wallace, M., Shah, A., Millstine, D. (2016). Are low-carbohydrate diets safe  and effective? The Journal Of The American Osteopathic Association, 116(12), 788.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2016.154 Heshka, S., Anderson, J., Atkinson, R., Greenway, F., Hill, J., Phinney, S. et al. (2003). Weight loss  with self-help compared with a structured commercial program. JAMA, 289(14), 1792.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.289.14.1792 Hu, T., Mills, K., Yao, L., Demanelis, K., Eloustaz, M., Yancy, W. et al. (2012). Effects of low-  carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: A meta-analysis of  randomized controlled clinical trials. American Journal Of Epidemiology, 176(suppl 7), S44-  S54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws264   Johnston, C. S., Tjonn, S. L., Swan, P. D., White, A., Hutchins, H., Sears, B. (2006). Ketogenic low-  carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. The  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(5), 1055-1061.   Larosa, J. C., Fry, A. G., Muesing, R., Rosing, D. R. (1980). Effects of high-protein, low-  carbohydrate dieting on plasma lipoproteins and body weight. Journal of the American Dietetic  Association, 77(3), 264-270.   Lin, P. J., Borer, K. T. (2016). Third exposure to a reduced carbohydrate meal lowers evening  postprandial insulin and GIP responses and HOMA-IR estimate of insulin resistance. PloS  one, 11(10), e0165378.   Manninen, A. (2004). Metabolic effects of the very-low-carbohydrate diets: Misunderstood  villains of human metabolism. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition,  1(2), 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-1-2-7   Russell 3rd, R. R., Taegtmeyer, H. (1991). Pyruvate carboxylation prevents the decline in contractile  function of rat hearts oxidizing acetoacetate. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and  Circulatory Physiology, 261(6), H1756-H1762.   Vogt, M. C., Paeger, L., Hess, S., Steculorum, S. M., Awazawa, M., Hampel, B., Predel, R. (2014).  Neonatal insulin action impairs hypothalamic neurocircuit formation in response to maternal  high-fat feeding. Cell, 156(3), 495-509.   Westman, E. C., Yancy, W. S., Edman, J. S., Tomlin, K. F., Perkins, C. E. (2002). Effect of 6-month  adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program. The American Journal of Medicine, 113(1),  30-36. Table 1 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon metabolic parameters Table 2 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon serum lipid level and 24-hour urinary excretion Table 3 End-point hormone, glucose, and albumin analysis (study one; mean +/- s.e.m.) in adolescent and mature rodents maintained on CH or LC-HFD for 16 days Table 4 Energy expenditure (kcal/24 h) normalized for body mass at baseline; 16 days post-maintenance of CH and LC-HFD Figure 1. The effect of a low carbohydrate diet with additional nutritional supplementation upon body weight (n=41). Fat mass was estimated from skinfold thickness measurement. Fat mass decreased from 36.9 +/- 6.2 kg to 3.0 +/- 5.7 kg. Fat-free mass = body weight fat mass. The asterisk indicates P Figure 2. The development in body weight (g) of adolescent and mature rodents initially maintained on standard laboratory chow (CH) or low carbohydrate high fat diet (LC-HFD) for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (denoted by an arrow) for another 16 days (means +/- s.e.m.). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to CH irrespective of age and subsequent diet change.

Heart Felt Wedding Speech from the Father of the Bride -- Wedding Toas

Heart Felt Wedding Speech from the Father of the Bride Thank you Ralph for that introduction – I must say that you are looking a great deal better tonight than when I last saw you after Polly’s 21st in the morning at our home. That was not a pretty sight. GENERAL Ladies and Gentlemen I am delighted to welcome you here tonight to celebrate the Marriage of Polly and Justin. I know that many of you have travelled many thousands of Kilometres to be here with us, and I welcome you and thank you for being here. I know Polly and Justin greatly appreciate your presence and your sacrifice. As I look around the room I look and realize what dear friends we have, and I hope you have a really wonderful evening. Although this Marriage has brought us together tonight, I am reminded of what Billy Connelly said of Marriage: â€Å"Marriage is a wonderful invention, but then again so is a bicycle repair kit.† LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS Because this is my speech, I can say whatever I like, and I would like to reflect for a few moments on love and relationships. This day ushers in the beginning of a wonderful new phase in lives of this couple. Perhaps the wisest thing anyone has ever said to me about marriage and love is this: love is a decision. On the surface it sounds a fairly clinical and unromantic assessment, but if you think about it a little deeper you will realize that there is truth in these words. It’s ea... ...on which this whole day has been built. In my life she has made me very happy, and I must take this opportunity to thank her not only for her enduring and mostly patient love, but also for planning and executing such a wonderful day as today. TOAST When I look back over the many wonderful years of my marriage, I envy Polly and Justin as they embark on one of life’s most exciting, and â€Å"interesting† journeys. It is now my very great privilege to propose a toast to my daughter and new son-in-law. Could you all please stand and with all the very best wishes, raise your glasses to Polly and Justin, as we wish them the greatest health and happiness for their future life together. TO POLLY AND JUSTIN!

The Link Between Down Syndrome and Alzheimers Disease Essay example --

The Link Between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease The individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that "all children with disabilities, including mental retardation, be educated to the maximum extent appropriate with students who are not disabled" (2). In an ideal world, society would have no problem following this decree, but the world is less than perfect and, therefore, stigmas are unfortunately attached to those suffering from mental disabilities, especially the mentally retarded. One has to question whether this group of people deserves these stigmas. Having grown up with two severely retarded cousins and, for that matter, a great uncle suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, I often wondered as to what was happening within their brains. It was evident that they were unable to respond to me in a normal fashion, but I challenged whether this was just a veneer. Being a spiritual person and believing the mind to be akin to 'the soul', I always felt it must be separate from the brain. A part of me hoped that their minds were sti ll cognizant even though their brain appeared to have a different physiology and they seemed to be unable to respond to me in a normal fashion. However, upon researching the link present between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease, I began to question whether my previous beliefs were indeed true. I think the questioning of this raises ethical issues about how we treat the mentally disabled and gives quite an argument for the brain = behavior debate. As more and more adults live longer, age-associated mental disease is becoming more and more of a concern. Present estimations state that soon nearly 10 million Americans will suffer from the disabling disease called Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's s... ... Risk of Down Syndome with Increasing Maternal and Paternal Age, Good Detailed Site http://www.lifesciences.napier.ac.uk/bws/courses/projects/downsynd/home.htm 9)Alzheimer's Disease and People with Mental Retardation, Good Detailed Site http://www.thearc.org/faqs/almr.html 10)Developmental Disabilities and Alzheimer's Disease, Good Detailed Site by The Arc http://www.thearc.org/misc/alzbk.html 11)Epidemiology of Alzheimer Disease in Mental Retardation, Periodicals Index http://www.aamr.org/index.shtml 12)Fact Sheet: Alzheimer's Disease, Family Caregiver Alliance http://www.caregiver.org/factsheets/diagnoses/alzheimers.html 13)Harvard Researchers Link Alzheimer's to Problem With Chromosome Segregation Presenilin Proteins are Found in Cell Structures Involved in Mitosis, Recent Press Release http://www.hms.harvard.edu/news/releases/897alzheimer.html

More Then a Noble Perception :: Essays Papers

More Then a Noble Perception Perception is the insight or knowledge gained by perceiving. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth the tragic hero of the play is perceived differently by everyone. Macbeth is one of King Duncan's nobleman and soldiers, who as the play goes on murders his leader when hearing he will one day be King from a trio of witches. Through Macbeth's actions the perceptions of Macbeth by the other main characters are learned. As the play goes on it is seen that his best friend, Banquo, his leader King Duncan and his wife Lady Macbeth all have opposing perceptions of him. Comparing their perceptions and the way he is shows how Macbeth may have came to the decision to commit his crime. Banquo is Macbeth's best friend in the tragedy. Banquo is with Macbeth when Macbeth meets the witches and they tell him of his upcoming fortune. Banquo notices how Macbeth is too ambitious after he sees Macbeth's reaction to the witches predictions. He feels even though Macbeth is his best friend he feels Macbeth is capable of wrong doing in the future to get what he wants. This is shown in one aside after they leave the witches. "†¦And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's in deepest consequence. Cousins, a word, I pray you. (Act1, SceneIII,line123)" This quote is stating that Banquo thinks Macbeth may do anything to get what he wants no matter what the consequences are. Duncan is the King of Scotland and Macbeth's leader. Duncan's view of Macbeth is narrow-minded. He perceives him as a loyal, noble, trustworthy, soldier whom he is very fond of. Duncan also feels Macbeth is the reason for them winning the war. There is many times in the play where this is pointed out by the things Duncan says. For example, "Give me your hand. Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him...(Act1, SceneVI,line29)" This quote shows that Duncan seems to feel like he owes Macbeth something for his loyalties and bravery in the war. Duncan's perception of Macbeth will prove to be his downfall. Lady Macbeth only sees Macbeth the way she wants to see him. When he tells her there is a chance he will become King she right away thinks of his weaknesses.

Evil in the “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert L. Stevenson Essay

In the novel Robert L. Stevenson defined the nature of evil through the person of Mr. Hyde. He used his character to symbolize evil at its purest and truest form (â€Å"†¦Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil† chap 10 p 2; â€Å"†¦one was wholly evil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  chap 10 p 3). In the first chapter (Story of the Door), Stevenson started to objectify the idea of evil as one characterized with intentions and acts that are always meant to hurt and destroy. He even gave it an unpleasant physical form which mirrors the ugliness of its nature. Mr. Enfield, the cousin of Mr. Utterson, remarked on this characteristic and quality of evil when he witnessed the cruel behavior of Mr. Hyde as he coldly trampled on a girl’s body he happened to ran over on one of the street corners of London (â€Å"†¦for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground† p 14). Evil was also presented by Stevenson as monstrous and terrifying through the words and description of Mr. Enfield (â€Å"It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut†; â€Å"He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running† p 14). Although Stevenson gave explicit reference to the hideousness of evil in the novel calling it ugly, hellish and other such names, he still touches on the ambiguity of evil which marks it eerily frightening-something that is felt through the senses but is somehow lacking with definiteness and steely finality (â€Å"He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extraordinary- looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment† p 17–Mr. Enfield gave this observation to Mr. Utterson after being asked by the latter to describe Mr. Hyde). This vagueness surrounding the nature of evil is echoed by Mr. Utterson after having had the opportunity to see Mr. Hyde in person (â€Å"`There must be something else†; â€Å"`There is something more, if I could find a name for it. God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic, shall we say? or can it be the old story of Dr Fell? or is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through† p 26). Mr. Hyde is identified as a symbol of evil through dastardly acts implemented without clear intentions (ex. revenge) and the slightest evidence of remorse and guilt. He carried out his evil ways with gleeful abandon and thoughtlessness. When Hyde murdered Sir Danvers Carew, Dr. Jekyll wrote in a torrent of confession towards the end of the novel that Hyde killed in a state of frenzy like a man whose reason has long been lost (â€Å"With a transport of glee, I mauled the unresisting body, tasting delight from every blow; and it was not till weariness had begun to succeed that I was suddenly, in the top fit of my delirium, struck through the heart by a cold thrill of tenor† p 88). The evil nature of man as conceived by Stevenson is one that is predisposed to the ‘undignified’ (â€Å"The pleasures which I made haste to seek in my disguise were, as I have said, undignified† p 82) lures and pleasures of the world. Mr. Hyde, in execution of the secret desires of Dr. Jekyll, carried the doctor’s hidden dark, carnal pleasures to malevolent, sinister level Dr. Jekyll could no longer control (â€Å"This familiar that I called out of my own soul, and sent forth alone to do his good pleasure, was a being inherently malign and villainous; his every act and thought centred on self; drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another; relentless like a man of stone† p 82). The evil that resides in Mr. Hyde is responded to in the novel with terror, aversion and hatred. Mr. Stevenson wants to convey the message that in its purest form man’s evil nature is despicable and thus should be treated with due derision and horror. Throughout the novel as the characters-Mr. Enfield, Mr. Utterson, Mr. Lanyon, and Poole- come face to face with the evil incarnate that is Mr. Hyde, they felt nothing for him and what he represented except repulsion and disgust (â€Å"This person (who had thus, from the first moment of his entrance, struck in me what I can only describe as a disgustful curiosity†; â€Å"At the time, I set it down to some idiosyncratic, personal distaste, †¦ but I have since had reason to believe the cause to lie much deeper in the nature of man, and to turn on some nobler hinge than the principle of hatred† p 69; â€Å"†¦there was something abnormal and misbegotten in the very essence of the creature that now faced me – something seizing, surprising and revolting† chap 72- these were the personal reactions of Dr. Lanyon upon beholding Mr. Hyde in person; â€Å"Did I ever tell you that I once saw him, and shared your feeling of repulsion? † p 46-this was a query posed by Mr. Utterson to Mr. Enfield). Through the outgrowth of Mr. Hyde in the novel from the body and person of Dr. Jekyll, Stevenson seemed to be making the bold statement that evil lurks and lays hidden in each man. Stevenson proposed further that it is the character of evil to prey on the weaker, baser side of man, waiting and eager to pounce as soon as man entertains the idea of succumbing to the call and temptation of his darker nature just as Dr. Jekyll gave in to the lures and lurid passion of Mr. Hyde (â€Å"†¦my evil, kept awake by ambition, was alert and swift to seize the occasion† p 77). In his confession, Dr. Jekyll admitted that every time his good side weakens, Mr. Hyde comes out roaring, becoming increasingly stronger (â€Å"The power: of Hyde seemed to have grown with the sickliness of Jekyll†; â€Å"†¦and at every hour of weakness, and in the confidences of slumber, prevailed against him, and deposed him out of life† p 79;† I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught p 94). Crystallized evil is characterized by Stevenson in the person of Mr. Hyde as one that does not heed the voice of reason and one that is more diabolical than the original evil contained in Dr. Jekyll (â€Å"I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil;† p 78).

Thou Blind Mans Mark

Life leads us to excessive wishes that often result in a man’s downfall. Sir Philip Sidney in the passionate â€Å"Thou Blind Man’s Mark† portrays his hypocrisy towards desire and shows how it influenced to their downfall and destruction. In his sonnet, Sidney uses metaphor, alliteration, repetition and personification to convey his feelings for desire. Throughout â€Å"Thou Blind Man’s Mark† Sidney uses metaphors that clearly illustrates the effects of desire on one’s life. He begins with the metaphor of desire as a â€Å"blind man’s markâ€Å", the title of the poem, that shows desire is aimless.He then goes on to call desire â€Å"fools chosen snare† illustrating that desire is an act of foolishness, moreover he adds weight to his accusations by comparing desire to the â€Å"web of will† a difficulty brought by men upon themselves.. The use of these metaphors allows the reader to understand his views that to desire c ould be counted as the biggest mistake of a person’s life. Sidney continues to convey his dislike of desire with the use of alliteration. He uses alliteration to parallel desire and increases the reader’s interest in the poem.The repetition of specific words emphasizes his negative thoughts on desire. For example he says â€Å"cradle of causeless care†. This focuses on the idea that desire can cause one to care about someone for no real reason. He uses this technique again when he says, â€Å"with price of mangled mind†, a similar idea that while trying to accomplish a foolish task he yet didn’t achieve anything but still lost his sanity. Other example includes â€Å"fond fancy’s scum† where the poet compares desire to dirt, and illustrates that it is an addiction.Sidney also uses repetition to highlight his consistent encounters with desire. His repetition of â€Å"too long! † shows his frustration with desire and the long ter m effects it has on him. It is clear that Sidney is unhappy with the way desire had effected his actions and decisions he has made in his life. He also repeats â€Å"in vain† that discusses the impact of desire on is life and how it hurts the people that feel desire. He used personification to mortalize his enemy and show life to his hatred of desire.

The Bush Doctrine

President George W. Bush made known to the people all over the world the existence of his new National Security Strategy on September 2002. While the new scheme preserved a few components from past strategies, in many aspects it is a daring digression from previous U. S. policy. It clearly asserts that the United States is in an extremely distinctive spot of political and military ascendancy and that it possesses an ethical responsibility to utilize this power to institute an autonomous and noninterventionist world order.This new strategy maintains that the United States must set up and sustain a global military supremacy to achieve the kind of democratic and peaceful world it has visualized. According to this plan, its execution necessitates blocking, if necessary by force, any and all those who will challenge this notion of U. S. military dominance. As it is, terrorists and some states that are known to seek or actually possess weapons of mass destruction pose a colossal challenge to world stability.Fearing that the Cold War principles of deterrence and containment may be outdated or would no longer work, and that â€Å"if we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long,† Bush declared in the National Security Strategy a novel â€Å"preemption doctrine† to combat such threats (Speed & May, 2005, pp. 38-49). The Bush Doctrine This doctrine is a set of foreign policy courses of action initially disclosed by President Bush during his commencement speech addressed to the graduating class of West Point on June 1, 2002.When taken as a whole, these principles shaped a comprehensive and novel stage in US policy that stressed military pre-emption, military superiority (what has been known as strength beyond challenge) unilateral action and a dedication towards extending democracy, liberty and security to all regions. Such set of principles was made official in a document called The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, published on September 20, 2002.This doctrine provided the framework for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The term Bush Doctrine at first referred to the policy formulation stated immediately after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center assault that the United States would see no difference between terrorists who commit outrageous acts against property and humanity and those people who believe and protect these terrorists. During the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, this policy was stridently applied.Even though the Taliban-controlled government of Afghanistan volunteered to extradite al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden if concrete proofs were given that he was really responsible for the September 11 attacks and also offered to entrust bin Laden to Pakistan where he would be tried under Islamic law, their refusal to extradite him to the U. S. with no preconditions was considered justification for invasion. This principle then connotes that any country that would not ta ke a pro-active position against terrorism would automatically be seen as a country supporting it.In a televised speech to a session in Congress, President Bush recapitulated the doctrine with these very popular words – â€Å"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. † Roots of the Doctrine History of the doctrine can be traced back to the Department of Defense when a draft version of the internal Defense Planning Guide principles prepared by Paul Wolfowitz came out, at that time then he was the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in 1992.As the guidelines were leaked to the press and consequently triggered bitter controversy, President Bush commanded it to be re-drafted which now became to be known as the Bush Doctrine. Debate over the Bush Doctrine In spite of the United States’ position as a world power, the ominous September 11 assault on the American people on American soil and Bushà ¢â‚¬â„¢s declaration of a GWOT depicted more than ever the necessity of taking a new perspective of its global security environment (Zelikow, 2003, p. 19).The Bush Doctrine progressed from a realist selective engagement scheme toward a plan of US supremacy with the motivation and enthusiasm to utilize pre-emptive military might in confronting threats essential to American national security (Dueck, 2004, pp. 523-532). Both liberal and conservative standpoints clashed. The Bush Doctrine instigated an ocean of censure, praises and its own set of disputes, deliberating on its legitimacy and strength as the appropriate strategy for America in the twenty first century.President Bush’s administration chose to take a position toward a NSS of Primacy, utilize preemptive military action to take care of national vital interests, and use a â€Å"coalition of the willing† when UN support was less than expected (Bush, 2002). So much disagreements and deliberations surface at home an d abroad after the release of the September 2002 NSS. The idea of United States dominance push people to be on two extreme sides – advocates strongly believe that the US is a principled and a respectable â€Å"knight in shining armor† and a genuine defender against anarchy and wickedness.Those who intensely oppose refer her as â€Å"the all powerful root of evil† (Foreign Policy, 2002). Very specifically, Bush Doctrine detractors see the use of â€Å"primacy† as an unwarranted speechifying and an unlawful rationalization to employ pre-emptive military strikes when the US conveniently opts for it (Ney, 2004, p. 10). It simply means that the doctrine’s antagonists view it as egotistical, over-belligerent and menacingly intimidating (Kagan, 2004, 65-72). â€Å"By the time the war actually began in March 2003, the Iraq crisis was no longer just the result of transatlantic differences, but a significant cause of them† (Gordon & Shapiro, 2004).â⠂¬Å"Critics point out that the practice of preemption is not new, however turning it into doctrine weakens international norms and encourages other countries to engage in risky actions. Similarly, they argue, American primacy is a fact, but there is no need for rhetoric that rubs other peoples’ faces in it† (Ney, 2004, p. 9). Criticisms Those who have been very cynical of the Bush Doctrine articulate that it is not a principle of pre-emptive war but preventive war. A pre-emptive war is one against an enemy preparing to strike right away. A preventive war is one against an enemy that will pose a danger in the future.Likewise, they consider it a huge problem if American preventive wars might motivate other countries to validate attacks on their enemies as â€Å"preemptive wars. † Apparently, the National Security Strategy warns other nations not to â€Å"use pre-emption as a pretext for aggression† and explains that the â€Å"reasons for [American] actions will be clear, the force measured, and the cause just. † However, critics argue that with this policy, it will be difficult for America to be successful in stopping other countries from using pre-emption to wage war.Another argument from detractors further insist that the doctrine implies that America will do what it chooses without respect and consideration for international organization agreements. This principle, according to them, emasculates the authority of the initiatives of these international groups to confront many global predicaments like slavery, drug-running and terrorism, concerns that are also important to the United States. In like manner, these opponents of the doctrine are fearsome that a willingness to use preemptive military force may turn this â€Å"last resort† scheme into a â€Å"first resort† instrument.By going it alone in the world, American power loses its authority and authenticity and the United States is seen as a tough tormentor and persecutor. Finally, say it isn’t realistic. These critics stressed the fact that it took democracy hundreds of years to set in, develop and become established in Western countries. Societies like Iraq, which have no democratic tradition, cannot be expected to right away form liberal institutions. It is also thought that the costs of nation-building will be outrageously overwhelming.And on the personal level, these opponents of the doctrine think that it is definitely shameful for the US to impose her way of life, most especially the capitalistic system, on other cultures. When is a First Strike Acceptable? For the sake of argument, one accepts to be true that some right of pre-emptive self-defense exist under international law, the next query is how far it can go. Experts on the subject claimed that even if there was a right of striking first, it could only exist when the country affected had no time to take the issue to the United Nations.Based on Article 51, it has been a rgued that â€Å"you have the right of self-defense until such time as the Security Council takes action. And therefore it’s implied that if you have the time to deliberate and to go to the Council before you take pre-emptive action, then you have to go to the Council. † In short, the Bush doctrine was and is obviously illegal. If one considers it closely, there was never an indication or suggestion that Iraq is going to launch an assault at the United States or that any of the countries that potentially fall within the scope of military action validated by the Bush doctrine are immediate threats.Clearly, the policy was aimed at â€Å"effectively closing down dangerous regimes before they become imminent threats† an act which represented a usurpation of the Security Council’s role in global affairs. In the specific case of the United States and Iraq, however, experts did not consider Iraqi actions to pose a grave threat to the United States to justify a p re-emptive attack. As an indication of what might indicate a sufficient threat, there should be evidence that the Iraqi leadership is in possession of some sort of weapon, plus a means to get it to the United States, plus actually intending imminently to do that but otherwise not.The Dangers of Unilateralism It has been asserted that it was intrinsically undesirable for the United States or any other country to take pre-emptive action unilaterally. The difficulty posited by anticipatory self-defense as that of finding a reasonable middle ground between the reductio ad absurdum of two extremes have been depicted, â€Å"If you insisted that a small country wait for a neighbor to attack it with nuclear weapons before responding†¦ everybody would just say the law is an ass.On the other hand, if you have a law which says that any country that feels threatened is free to attack any country from which it feels the threat is emanating, then you don’t have a law at all. † In the case of the United States and Iraq, it has been sketched out what a reasonable interpretation of the law would demand — that the US show other states (starting with the Security Council and NATO) evidence to suggest that Iraq is supporting the use of force by terrorist organizations against a member (or several members) of the United Nations.Without such evidence, â€Å"you probably shouldn’t do it, because everybody is going to assume that you’re acting for other motives. † That would destabilize the international system, because other countries would see the Bush doctrine as a potential threat to themselves. Extending this point to a general principle, analysts say that when there is a rule in international law that had to be interpreted reasonably, as with the right of self-defense, the process by which it was interpreted became more important than the substance of the rule itself.It could not simply be interpreted by a single country, with no a ttempt to persuade other countries of the necessity of its actions. If the process [of interpreting the rule] is an entirely unilateral one, in which the strong do as they will, and the weak have to accept it, then the world is back to the Peloponnesian wars, and certainly most countries would resist that. International Law and the Bush DoctrineAt home and abroad, the doctrine triggered so much alarm because it evidently ignores even the minor respect to international law and collaboration that exemplified Post-Second World War foreign policy until the Clinton administration. From now on, the U. S. might make use of the cover provided by UN resolutions and international coalitions for the sake of expediency, but Bush and his team were openly declaring that the world’s only superpower would do as it wanted without being bound in any serious way by the international community.Between September 11 and the public declaration of the Bush Doctrine, there were many manifestations of the administration’s sweeping condescension for international law. The bombing of civilian areas and the use of cluster bombs in Afghanistan were all in direct violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims. Likewise, a blatant infringement of other Geneva Convention provisions is the imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, of aliens detained in the war on terrorism.More than six hundred detainees from more than forty nations are at present being held at Guantanamo. These foreigners are declared by the Bush administration to be â€Å"unlawful combatants† and not â€Å"prisoners of war† whose rights are suppose to be protected under the Geneva Conventions but as it is, these detainees have been prohibited from seeing family members or having access to lawyers. The list of incidents where the Bush administration has written off or repudiated support to various agreements with other powers is huge and far-reaching.One good way to recapitulate the approach the Bush administration is taking and its current line of thinking is to say that the U. S. is now organized, equipped and geared up to hold everyone in the world answerable under international law–except itself. Nowhere has this stance been more prominent than in the administration’s policy towards the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has been a major subject of international discussion and negotiation for years and was scheduled to come into existence on July 1, 2002.It will be made up of judges and a prosecutor chosen by the 66 nations that have ratified the 1998 Rome Statute of the ICC and will claim to have jurisdiction over the most heinous abuses resulting from international conflicts (Keach, 2003). Right or Wrong Strategy? Evidently, the Bush Doctrine is an exceedingly audacious plan. However, it is hideously inconsistent and faulty. Some of the flaws are: †¢ International support almost zero. These guidelines will b e confronted with a high degree of opposition from the global community which implies that it will also be the end of open cooperation to stop terrorists and all forms of terrorism.It cannot be denied that global unity and collaboration is a great necessity in order to effectively hunt terrorist leaders and bring them to justice. With the kind of opposition the US is getting and the type of psychological and emotional level the global community is in, that ability to obtain cooperation is in danger. †¢ There is too much to loose economically. Or a poetical way of saying it is – the war may have been won but along the way, peace is lost. Obviously, economics was behind the the West’s great triumph during the Cold War.The US’s consecutive principles of containment permitted wealth and success in the face of peril. It is common knowledge that the US’s high technology and affluence facilitated her to obtain increasing levels of superiority over the USSR. With the Bush Doctrine, the threat of ‘hot’ wars with small nations of insignificant power over a long period of time has and will persist to gravely damage the United States and global economies. Economic catastrophe can and will create problems in states the US formerly had no reason to be afraid of.†¢ US military cannot fight and win clean victories against these opponents. As the Russians found out in Grozny, urban warfare is not even remotely similar to the clean open air victory we fought in the first gulf war. Further, the other foes we may fight are much more difficult, particularly N. Korea. The collateral damage in that situation would likely be massive. Conclusion The Bush administration's language of preemptive strikes, regime change, and anticipatory self-defense, simply present euphemisms for raw military aggression and belligerence.Critics claimed the new â€Å"strike first, ask questions later policy,† and hostile unilateralism are hazardous legitimating of preemptive strikes. Israel, Pakistan, Russia, China, and smaller powers had already made use of the so-called Bush doctrine and â€Å"war against terrorism† to legitimize assaults on domestic and external enemies and there were big possibilities that it could escalate into bigger conflicts that will definitely make the world an extremely volatile and vicious place to live in.â€Å"A global strategy based on the new Bush doctrine of preemption means the end of the system of international institutions, laws and norms that we have worked to build for more than half a century. What is at stake is nothing less than a fundamental shift in America's place in the world. Rather than continuing to serve as first among equals in the postwar international system, the United States would act as a law unto itself, creating new rules of international engagement without the consent of other nations. In my judgment, this new stance would ill serve the long-term interests of the United States† (Galston, 2002).In the book Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Future of Good Intentions, Clyde Prestowitz (2003) asserts that Bush’s doctrine of preemptive strikes and military supremacy emasculates three primary towers of strength as far as international order and stability are concerned – 1) the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia which recognized and established a principle of respect for national SV and noninterference in the affairs of other countries; 2) the UN Charter that disallows the threat or use of military force except in self-defense or under the authority of a UN Security Council mandates; and the 3) Nuremberg Trails which considered preemptive strikes a war crime. In addition, this doctrine of preemptive strikes could give free rein to a sequence of terrible wars that could thrust this planet into a dreadful and nightmarish militarism and totalitarianism vividly depicted in George Orwell’s 1984. The Bush principle is an extremely barbaric policy, bringing the international community to a social Darwinist battleground where years and years of international law and military discretion were set aside in possibly the most perilous foreign policy doctrine that had ever surfaced in American history.It foretells a militarist future and a period of eternal war in which a new militarism could create a succession of interminable bloodshed and reprisals, such as the case in the Palestine-Israel conflict (Vidal & Gore, 2002 / 2003). References/Readings Bush, G. W. The National Security Strategy of the United States of America Washington, D. C. : The White House, 17 September 2002 Zelikow, P. 2003. â€Å"The Transformation of National Security. † The National Interest. Vol. 71 p. 19. Dueck, C. 2004. â€Å"Ideas and Alternative in American Grand Strategy, 2000-2004,† Review of International Studies. vol. 30, pp. 511, 523-532. . Ney, J. S. 2004. â€Å"US Primacy Is Fact-So, Now, Work on Soft Power of Persuasion. † Christian Science Monitor. p. 10. Speed, R. & May, M. 2005. Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 38-49 Kagan, R. 2004.â€Å"America’s Crisis of Legitimacy. † Foreign Affairs, vol. 83, II, pp. 65-72. Gordon, P. & Shapiro, J. 2004. Allies at War America Europe and the Crisis Over Iraq. New York: McGraw-Hill Smith, J. W. 2003. World wars: Battles over who decides the rules of unequal trade, economic democracy: The political struggle for the 21st Century. 3rd Edition Whittaker, D. 2003. The terrorism reader. London; New York: Routledge Bush, G. W. 2002. â€Å"Graduation Speech at West Point†, the White House, 1 June, http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020601-3. html Keach, B. 2003. â€Å"International Law: Illusion and Reality. † International Socialist Review, vol. 27