Any realistic and achievable environmental ethic must be based on a weak anthropocentrism

Any realistic and achievable environmental ethic must be based on a weak anthropocentrism Introduction Effective maintenance of environmental ethics is one of the main pillars that support harmonious existence of organisms within an ecosystem. However, this view has been affected by the practice of anthropocentrism which purports that human being is the most valuable and important factor in the universe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Any realistic and achievable environmental ethic must be based on a ‘weak anthropocentrism’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is without doubt that while anthropocentrism is widely supported as a major resource for human beings, it has significant implications.1 I fully agree with the latter perspective since the attitude which the idea of anthropocentrism creates gives human beings the potential to exploit resources. This is perhaps the main reason why there is widespread and unsustainable system of resource exploitation which has resulted into massive extin ction of animals such as Great Auk and Dodo among others. In addition, this form of exploitation has led to massive degradation of biological resources. In spite of the general consensus that anthropocentrism is unacceptable, it is agreeable that weak anthropocentrism is quite critical since it provides a platform that enables attainment of robust environmental ethics. In addition, it eliminates the incongruity of ascribing intrinsic worth on non-human subjects as explored in this paper. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to critically analyze the perceived inconsistencies of both strong anthropocentrism and weak anthropocentrism.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the paper will discuss alternative paradigms of weak anthropocentrism and explain how it enables realistic achievement of environmental ethics. Anthropocentrism It is a fact t hat the past, present and future welfare of human beings can never be separated from their relationship with the natural environment bearing in mind that both of these two aspects are interdependent. The current practice that supports the implementation of anthropocentrism has raised numerous concerns and questions on how best human beings should relate with their environment. McNab indicates that this creates multiple ethical frameworks.2 It is important to highlight that anthropocentrism offers an approach which suggests that human beings should be in control of nature. This goes against non-anthropocentric paradigms and related conceptual counterparts that suggest that there is need to appreciate nature. Moreover, according to the arguments posed by Pluhar, it can be attained through the processes of deep ecology, ecocentrism and biocentism.3 Pluhar further indicates that there are ardent supporters of non-anthropocentrism and anthropocentrism who espouse those that critic, point out their flaws and oppose their tenet flaws.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Any realistic and achievable environmental ethic must be based on a ‘weak anthropocentrism’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is indeed plausible to mention the fact that anthropocentrism exclusively adheres to human perspective of pleasure and happiness. According to an analysis by conducted by Wolloch, it is evident that non-human animals as well as the non-human world are largely concerned with the production of human resources and factors of instrumental value.4 One would agree with the widespread and strong rejection of this view by animal liberation groups led by Tom Regan, Peter Singer and others. This group views and compares anthropocentrism to sexism, prejudice and filled with unwarranted bias. My view is that anthropocentrism might be objectionable since it gives humans the opportunity to exploit animals and othe r resources for the sake of trivial gains. In fact, some even use animals for experiments with little regard to the suffering which animals go through. Besides, various views held on anthropocentrism by businesses have caused major environmental issues and concerns. Over the last two decades, unacceptable business ethics have turned out to be a major facet in assimilation of a competitive advantage at the local and global market. This has been assimilated as a major shenanigan by the business managements even as the understanding of the resultant impacts on the environment and resources become more evident.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, the economic effects have been very profound with analysts predicting future doom if the problem is not addressed promptly. Poor business ethics form one of the most important factors that negatively affect the national and global economy. This has been especially evident in the recent past whereby more business units tend to assimilate unethical operational practices that largely promote their short term gains while inducing long term dents to the economy. The last two decades have seen some of the most remarkable destructions of the natural systems in the history of the globe. Equally important have been the heightening calls for greater efforts to reduce the negative impacts of environmental degradation. Whereas many individuals as well as business enterprises understand the role played by the natural systems in facilitating their overall production capacity, little efforts have been put in place to counter the same problem. According to Pluhar, the modern market pla ce has forced most of the businesses to view environmental resources as being free and therefore indefinite in nature.5 However, this is not true as exhibited by the current revelation of the finite status of the petroleum resources. As a result, there has been a strong withdrawal of resources from the natural environment with little focus to their resilience capacities. Though it has been viewed as a minor shenanigan under the business practices of minimizing their overall costs, the economic growth is highly unsustainable in the long term bearing in mind that there is no guarantee of the same products in future. In addition to the above facts, many industries have been directly associated with vast pollution of the natural environment. In a complex tie up, the US has over the years failed to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a notion that has been interpreted to give the business units a direct leeway to act unethically on the same line. Due to the trans-boundary nature of the air pollut ants, the impacts are felt on a global scale with US equally included. Global warming, resilience of the tropical diseases, and harsh climatic conditions has prompted the need for many nations to shift their resources towards addressing these disasters as opposed to concentrating on its economic development. According to the observations made by Sztybel, pollution of the environment has been a major player in reducing the ability of the economic resources that are needed to holistically support the fast enlarging economies of the various countries across the world.6 For instance, water pollution usually interfere with the stable nature of water resources since it reduces the usability of water resources for domestic purposes as well as the demand and pre-treatment processes before being put to industrial use. Consequently, there have been further increases in the overall cost of production and subsequent poor competition of the manufactured products at the market place. Weak anthrop ocentrism It is agreeable that anthropocentrism is a disaster to environmental ethics. However, my view concurs with that of Sztybel. The latter author is of the opinion that discarding this process to embrace non- anthropocentrism for satisfactory environmental ethics is not the solution.7 Rather, we can adopt a weak anthropocentrism. Boesch uses Henry David Thoreau’s view on nature and posits that it has more than a simple instrumental value. In fact, it is independent of human consciousness.8 In my perspective, this perspective has a direct correlation to certain religious beliefs and practices especially those drawn from Jainism and Hinduism. these two religions value nature and explicitly advocate for safe practices that may not harm the environment. Utilitarianism While this theory has been concerned with pain and pleasure, animal liberation members such as Peter Singer use it to indicate that animals, just like human beings, are capable of experiencing pleasure and pai n and as such, should be treated with the much needed respect9. A redefinition can also be made on the central principle of the theory to include non-animal entities. However, critics of the theory are of the view that some of the species in an environment neither experience negative nor positive effects. While considerations should be made to determine the balance of interests and pleasure between human beings and the environment, weak anthropocentrism is critical since it provides the rule of utilitarianism. In other words, it allows human activities to continue, but encourages sustainable development and organic farming among other practices. Aggreably, my view is that conceptual approaches which weigh the consequences of human actions on the immediate environment should be embraced. Kant’s ethical theory While Kant perceives nature as a phenomenon that has no intrinsic value, one cannot fail to see the areas in his theory that support weak anthropocentrism. It is true fro m his perspective that trees and other non-human animals do not have any inherent worth.10 Kant’s perspective can largely be used as a hypothetical model of evaluating actions and determining whether they are good or bad. By being categorically imperative, we are tasked to universalize actions by answering questions whether others would act in a similar manner if faced with similar situations. Categorical imperative as Kant argued should be driven out of motivation and intent for one to be considered dutiful. Deontological ethics The philosophy was developed in early 1930s by Broad. D. who emphasized that people’s actions should be judged according to their obligation to duty.11 In particular, the philosophy contrasts the previous consequentialist perspective by emphasizing that an action should be considered good if only the underlying will is fine. It is important to mention that Broad’s consideration of deontological ethics was greatly shaped by the previous work of Emmanuel Kant who brought out the first tenet of deontological philosophy of categorical imperative.12 Under this consideration, individuals should always act in a manner that quantifies their actions into universal laws. This notion has made the philosophy to be of great importance in the practice of weak anthropocentrism and conservation of the environment because people tend to review their actions to ensure that the outcome is positive and based on acceptable virtues. Deontological ethics further advocate for non-aggression principle by indicating that the ultimate intent of such actions is to cause harm and therefore the actions are wrong.   This is in line with the natural law which encourages conservation and rejects environmental abuse. According to the ideas presented by Acampora, deontological philosophy give exceptions to this non aggressive orientation by pointing towards weak anthropocentrism in the sense that it is acceptable to use resources when in need and for whatever reasons.13 The tenet which elicited greatest debate in the 20th century is the consideration of categorical imperative when dealing with the environment. Under this tenet, Andrew reports that people are allowed to implement anthropocentrism if its intention is to cause greater good.14 A good example is the felling of trees to provide fuel for energy. However, the perspective sharply contrasts with existentialism which refers to nature as unique and therefore important. This philosophy greatly informed and guided leaders, managers and workers on the need to develop the correct values and attitudes towards the environment. Viable ethical approaches Libertarian extensions Libertarian extension is an important approach that calls for equal rights to everything existing in a community. In an environmental understanding, human and non human aspects are part of a community and have an ethical worth. The social movements and civil liberty approach which requires harmony to be established between the products considerations of reality appears to be more promising in the sense that it factors the demands of human beings and non-human animals. Andrew agrees with the social movements’ consideration that indeed anthropocentrism presents a high level of uncertainty to the environment and therefore the need to take effective precaution. In addition, their emphasis on ecological sustainability presents their inter-generational concerns for mankind. On the other hand, though governments have the overriding forces in influencing the use of biotechnology, it is no doubt that their supporters are fast becoming highly polarized and may eventually face mass resistance as more people through unions and social movements join the fight. Ecological extensions All abiological and biological entities have a fundamental interdependence which largely calls for the recognition of their rights.15 While addressing the problem of strong ecological extensions, Serpell argue s that there is great omission of environmental ethical concerns.16 Serpell further argues that though feeding people is indeed very crucial, it is more dangerous to threaten the survival of animals and resources because of two core factors. First, the expected negative results are unclear and therefore making it even harder to prepare for it. Then the resulting problem may indeed obscure the benefits that had been accrued and perhaps form an expanded basis. For example, the act of deforestation results to ecological breakdown. The resulting implication could include climate change, irregular weather patterns, and loss of biodiversity which are very hard to restore. Conclusions I have held the opinion over the years that embracing weak anthropocentrism is the best way to go and that opponents of this notion are not genuine. In particular, the reports and pictures of environmental destruction strengthen my conclusion. As a result, my mind became highly polarized towards anthropocentr ism as opposed to holistically analyzing it and its possible negative implications. However, this study has effectively revealed new insights on related problems that should be considered simultaneously if the current environmental problems are to be addressed effectively. There is need to assess the possible future impacts of strong anthropocentrism in society before it can be considered safe. In addition, it is crucial to involve all the stakeholders in the society by incorporating their concerns to gather greater support at all levels of environmental conservation. In order to effectively address this perspective, it must be viewed from the global point of view as opposed to the localized outlook. Finally, I will seek to create a forum that can bring together major stakeholders who will dialogue on key issues and therefore harmonize their understanding on the problem. From this forum, I will seek to expand the involvement of the different professionals and consequently make key r ecommendations that can address environmental issues. Bibliography Acampora, R, Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy, Journal of the History of Philosophy, vol. 44, no. 3, 2006, pp. 480-481. Boesch, C, Away from ethnocentrism and anthropocentrism: Towards a scientific understanding of what makes us human, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 33, no. 2-3, 2010, pp. 86-87. Coward, M, Against anthropocentrism: the destruction of the built environment as a distinct form of political violence, Review of International Studies, vol. 32, no. 3, 2006, pp. 419-420. Gabriel, AK, Beyond Anthropocentrism in Barths Doctrine of Creation: Searching for a Theology of Nature, Religious Studies and Theology, vol. 28, no. 2, 2009, pp. 175-187. McNab, K, Anthropocentrism: are humans the centre of existence?† Peace Research, vol. 34, no. 1, 2002, pp. 113-116. Pluhar, EB, Non-Obligatory Anthropocentrism, Journal of Agricultural and Env ironmental Ethics, vol. 13, no. 3-4, 2000, pp. 329-330. Serpell, JA, Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy, Bulletin of the history of medicine, vol. 82, no. 1, 2008, pp. 219-220. Sztybel, D, Taking Humanism Seriously: Obligatory Anthropocentrism, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, vol. 13, no. 3-4, 2000, pp. 181-203. Wolloch, N, Animals, Extraterrestrial Life and Anthropocentrism in the Seventeenth Century, The Seventeenth Century, vol. 17, no. 2, 2002, pp. 235-253. Footnotes 1 K McNab Anthropocentrism: are humans the centre of existence?, Peace Research, vol. 34, no. 1, 2002, pp. 113-116. 2 McNab pp. 115 3 EB Pluhar Non-Obligatory Anthropocentrism, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, vol. 13, no. 3-4, 2000, pp. 329-329. 4 N Wolloch Animals, Extraterrestrial Life and Anthropocentrism in the Seventeenth Century, The Seventeenth Century, vol. 17, no. 2, 2002, pp. 235-253. 5 Pluhar pp. 329 6 D Sztybel Taking Humanism Seriously: Obligatory Anthropocentrism, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, vol. 13, no. 3-4, 2000, pp. 181-203. 7 Ibid 8 C Boesch Away from ethnocentrism and anthropocentrism: Towards a scientific understanding of what makes us human, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 33, no. 2-3, 2010, pp. 86-7. 9 R Acampora Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy, Journal of the History of Philosophy, vol. 44, no. 3, 2006, pp. 480-481. 10 R Acampora, pp.48- 481. 11 Boesch pp. 87 12 R Acampora Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy, Journal of the History of Philosophy, vol. 44, no. 3, 2006, pp. 480-481. 13 Acampora pp. 480 14 AK Gabriel, Beyond Anthropocentrism in Barths Doctrine of Creation: Searching for a Theology of Nature, Religious Studies and Theology, vol. 28, no. 2, 2009, pp. 175-187 15 M Coward, Against anthropocentrism: the destruction of the built environment as a distinct form of political violence, Review of International Studies, vol. 32, no. 3, 2006, pp. 419-419. 16 JA Serpell , Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy, Bulletin of the history of medicine, vol. 82, no. 1, 2008, pp. 219-220

Compare and contrast My last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover By Robert Browning.

Compare and contrast My last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover By Robert Browning. Title: - Compare and contrast "My last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" By Robert Browning.Robert Browning was born on May7, 1812, in Camberwell, England. His mother was an accomplished pianist and a devout evangelical Christian. His father, who worked as a bank clerk, was also an artist, scholar, antiquarian, and collector of books and pictures. His rare book collection of more than 6,000 volumes included works in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish. Much of Browning's education came from his well-read father. It is believed that he was already proficient at reading and writing by the age of five. A bright and anxious student, Browning learned Latin, Greek, and French by the time he was fourteen. From fourteen to sixteen he was educated at home, attended to by various tutors in music, drawing, dancing, and horsemanship. At the age of twelve he wrote a volume of Byronic verse entitled Incondita, which his parents attempted, unsuccessfully, to have published.Tomb of Eli zabeth Barrett Browning on the Cimitero...In 1825, a cousin gave Browning a collection of Shelley's poetry; Browning was so taken with the book that he asked for the rest of Shelley's works for his thirteenth birthday, and declared himself a vegetarian and an atheist in emulation of the poet. Despite this early passion, he apparently wrote no poems between the ages of thirteen and twenty. In 1828, Browning enrolled at the University of London, but he soon left, anxious to read and learn at his own pace. The random nature of his education later surfaced in his writing, leading to criticism of his poems' obscurities.In 1833, Browning anonymously published his first major published work, Pauline, and in 1840 he published Sordello, which was widely regarded as a failure. He also tried his hand at drama, but his plays, including Strafford, which ran for five nights...

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Abortion - Essay Example In many areas children are doing crimes and they are taking alcohol, drugs and in most of the cases in this situation children are under 14 to 21 only. At this age child will be more enthusiastic to do something new, and they want to know everything in this world, this is the age where child psychology will not be stable and what ever they feel good they do that only. At this stage they will do mistakes in their life. Minor child will unable to make a decision to carry a baby or to do abortion, at this situation they don’t consult the parents also; sometime they planned their career very well and their option will be to make abortion. Here they just aren’t spoiling their health but also career. Some argue the legalization of abortion should be considered as a society-endorsed murder, it must stop. Minors are not mature to make decision about abortions, parents has to guide them on right way. In schools and colleges government has to conduct seminars about improper abortions to aware of illegal abortions and improper sexual interaction. This type awareness is must for people in the society. Government has passed a rule that when teen abortions are done, parental approval is must, at what circumstances having an abortion, etc. In the world woman’s most important and gifted function is to give birth to a child. And women have the right to make decisions that involve the birth of her child. To ban abortions or not is still a debate and reasonably the argument should go on as the outcome will decide whether to kill a child legally or spare him/her. Most of the women aren’t ready to be mothers, in some situations they chose to go for the abortion, putting their own future at risk and they go for unsafe and expensive procedures. Irrespective of their race, religion & class women were not seen as women in the society in the beginning of this century. The woman, often conceived and the childbirth have become

Current Concepts in Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Current Concepts in Leadership - Essay Example The mystery is how leaders whether good or bad can get others to follow them, in many cases even die and sacrifice what they hold most dear - their lives - in order not to let the leader down. Leadership therefore is the sum total of several personal qualities that a leader has, and it is the almost perfect combination of these qualities that spell "Leadership". Gardner (1989) listed down the following qualities of almost every leader: physical vitality and stamina, intelligence and action-oriented judgment, eagerness to accept responsibility, task competence, understanding of followers and their needs, skill in dealing with people, need for achievement, capacity to motivate people, courage and resolution, trustworthiness, decisiveness, self-confidence, assertiveness, and adaptability or flexibility. Think of every leader through history and most of them possess these qualities in spades. Leadership and management are often confused because they have similarities but, in reality, mean two different things. The most basic similarity is that both leaders and managers have most of the qualities listed above. Nevertheless, not all leaders are managers, and neither are all managers, leaders. There are difference in a few key areas, such as the way they get others to do things (leaders inspire people on the basis of what they are (their personality and charisma), while managers get others to do things based on their position of aut... In the traditional definitions of management, leadership is seen as just one aspect of management, the others being planning, organizing, and controlling or directing. So while the leader is followed willingly, at times even blindly, managers rule over their subordinates within the organization. Most companies are founded by leaders but it is managers who make them grow, although in many cases, such as the Marriott or Microsoft or Apple Computers, the leaders are able to work effectively as managers or they hire good managers to run the company and to put order into it. The best combination, of course, is having a manager who is also a leader, or being a leader with managerial qualities. Bennis (1998) best summed up the difference between leadership and management when he said that "managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing." Being a leader-manager is therefore a skill worth developing. Leadership Theories and Examples The human race has been grappling with the issue of leadership since time immemorial: elections, conquest, great battles, and the rise and fall of civilizations have been all determined by the presence, absence, or disappearance of leadership. This explains why leadership theories have multiplied like mushrooms over the last several years, especially with the growth of business corporations. We are so obsessed with what leadership can accomplish (power, wealth, success, and everything else that go with these) that we search for its secrets and its sources so we can either recognize or develop it in ourselves. Among these theories, we can give five that can be better understood with examples in a management setting. These theories have several similarities, and we can group them

Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Topic - Essay Example The countries that may be taking this place may include China and India. Therefore, in spite of the advancement of the U.S, which ought to support the most important aspects such as education, the country’s education system is lagging behind due to reasons that can be resolved through development of better policies. One of the reasons behind this deterioration is that the Americans students are not being taught the relevant subjects. Here, the system is teaching today’s students yesterday’s subjects. The world has developed and the system keeps on teaching the same issues making the American students unfit for the workplace. This is the reason why the employers in the U.S have been finding it difficult to get the skills that they require in the workplace. This may be the key reason why students from other countries have been getting employment easily in the U.S and the unemployment rates in the country continue to rise. Therefore, for this reason, employers are finding it easier to outsource from foreign countries than from the U.S (Kaminski). Additionally, the American education is the easiest worldwide. This implies that it does not challenge the students but involves reading of a script and sitting for an exam. However, it does not teach the students the skills that they will require in the workplace as well as the resilience required in the modern business world, which is highly competitive. The American students are taught to follow what has been the behaviour of previous generations instead of showing them how to question what has been taking place throughout history. This has been reducing their capabilities to be innovative and creative when they join the employment world. In addition, the lack of challenging education has been denying them the chance to get problem resolution and decision making skills, which are crucial to the employers and form the requirements for working in modern business environments

Role of Nitric Oxide in the Effect of Nebivolol

Role of Nitric Oxide in the Effect of Nebivolol ORIGINAL RTICLE ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE IN THE EFFECT OF NEBIVOLOL ON ISOLATED TRACHEAL MUSCLE OF GUINEA PIG Asma Shaukat, Naila Abrar*, Ayesha Naureen**, Muhammad Nawaz*** Background: The use of beta blockers is limited by their ability to produce bronchospasm in asthmatics. Third generation ÃŽ ²-blockers like Nebivolol may show better tolerability because they may augment the release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells. However the involvement of NO in the respiratory effect of Nebivolol remains controversial. The present study, carried out on isolated tracheal muscle strips of guinea pigs, was designed to explore this controversy. Method: Varying concentration of histamine ranging from 10‑7 M to 10‑3 M were used to plot a concentration response curve on the isolated tracheal muscle strips of guinea pig and was used as a control. The same concentration response curve was plotted in presence of a fixed concentration of Nebivolol 106 M and then again in presence of a fixed concentration of L-Nitro Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) 104 M and Nebivolol 106 M together in a series of experiments using six sets of isolated tracheal muscle strips in each case. Results: Nebivolol did not produce any significant shift in the concentration response curve while in the presence of L-NAME, Nebivolol shifted the histamine concentration response curve upwards and to the left. Conclusion: Nebivolol does not augment the histamine induced contraction of respiratory smooth muscle of guinea pig but in the presence of Nitric Oxide inhibitor L-NAME a significant augmentation of the same curve occurs, indicating a role of NO in the sparing of respiratory smooth muscle by Nebivolol. Keywords: Nebivolol, L-NAME, Concentration response curve, Tracheal muscle INTRODUCTION Pulmonary diseases with bronchial hyperactivity can be worsened or even precipitated by ÃŽ ²2 adrenoceptor blockage more commonly seen with non-selective ÃŽ ²-blockers.1 Nebivolol is a third generation à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢-blocker which may have advantage over classical à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢-lockers due to its sparing effect on tracheal muscle attributed to its ability to augment the release of NO from endothelial cells.2,3 The potent effects of NO on vascular smooth muscle and its presence in major conducting airways raises the possibility that it could contribute to the regulation of airway smooth muscle tone.4 However, the involvement of NO in the sparing effect of nebivolol on respiratory muscle is still controversial. Dal Negro et al, and Clini et al have reported in their in vivo study that single daily dose of nebivolol does not affect the production of exhaled NO in patients with mild to moderate asthma.5,6 Still there are some studies which report that increase in NO release by nebivolol may contribute to its respiratory effects.1,7 All the aforementioned review of literature therefore reveals the fact that there is no consensus on the role of NO in the respiratory effects of nebivolol and needs further elucidation. The present study was therefore aimed to explore the role of nitric oxide in modulating the effect of nebivolol on tracheal muscle of guinea pig. MATERIAL AND METHODS The present study has been conducted on the isolated tracheal smooth muscle of 24 guinea pigs (male and female) of Dunkin Hartley variety weighing 500 to 600 grams. Ethics Committee approval of the protocol was obtained. The animals were housed at animal house of Army Medical College, Rawalpindi at room temperature, and were given tap water ad libitum and were fed with a standard diet. Krebs Henseleit solution was used as the nutrient solution the composition of which per 1000 ml is: NaCl 118.2 mM, KCl 4.7 mM, MgSO4.7H2O 1.2 mM, CaCl2 2.5 mM, KH2PO4 1.3 mM, NaHCO3 25.0 mM, Dextrose 11.7 mM. Solutions of all drugs were prepared in the distilled water except for nebivolol the solution of which was prepared in Dimethyl sulphoxide since nebivolol is highly lipophilic and insoluble in water.8 The trachea was obtained from guinea pigs and preserved in Kreb’s solution. Rings, 2–3 mm wide were formed from it and cut into strips by a longitudinal cut on the ventral side opposite to the smooth muscle. The strip was then suspended in a tissue bath of 50 ml capacity, containing Kreb’s solution at 37  ºC and was aerated with oxygen continuously. Its one end was attached to the oxygen tube while the other end was connected to an isometric force displacement transducer. The tissue was equilibrated for 45 minutes against an imposed tension of two grams. A tension of one gram was applied to the tracheal strip continuously throughout the experiments.9 The trachealis muscle activity was recorded through the transducer on 4-channel oscillograph by adding different concentrations of histamine, i.e., 10-7 to 103 M with an interval of 10 minutes between each concentration. Six experiments were performed and the mean response for each concentration was worked out. A c oncentration response curve was obtained by plotting the percent contraction against the logarithm of concentrations. In the second group tracheal muscle strips were pretreated with fixed dose of nebivolol (106 M) for 15 minutes while in third group trachea was pretreated with L-NAME (104 M) for 15 minutes and then the same procedure was followed for different concentrations of histamine.10 In the fourth group the tracheal muscle was first pretreated with fixed concentration of L-NAME for 15 minutes followed by nebivolol again for 15 minutes. Then the same procedure was followed. The results have been expressed as Mean ±SEM using Microsoft Excel. The differences between the observations were considered significant if the p-value was less than 0.05 by using Student’s t-test. RESULTS Group-1 was taken as the control group and percent response with 103 M in group-1 was taken as 100% and responses with other concentrations were compared with it (Table-1). Table-1: Comparison of Group 1 with Group 2 Table-2: Comparison of Group 1 with Group 3 Table-3: Comparison of Group 2 with Group 4 DISCUSSION From the above findings, it is inferred that nebivolol has no significant effect on histamine-induced contractions of tracheal smooth muscle. These findings support the results of in vivo study whereby nebivolol, both acutely or chronically administered, did not affect airway responsiveness to inhaled histamine in rabbits.7 Similar findings have been reported in other in vivo studies. In a study conducted by De Clerck et al., (1989) it was reported that nebivolol decreased heart rate without significantly increasing pulmonary reactivity to histamine. 11 In this study some aspects concerned with the mechanisms that may be responsible for the lack of bronchoconstrictor effect of nebivolol on tracheal smooth muscle were explored. There may be many possible mechanisms which can explain the sparing effect of nebivolol. It is the most selective à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢1-adrenoceptor antagonist currently available for clinical use; its à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢1 selectivity is 3.5 times more than bisoprolol which was previously considered as the most cardioselective à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ blocker. Beta 1 receptor selectivity is an important determinant of less incidence of bronchoconstriction and other adverse effects seen with cardioselective à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ blockers.3 However several in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that cardioselective blockers such as atenolol and metoprolol do increase airway hyperresponsiveness, though to a lesser extent. De Clerck et al, (1989) compared the bronchoconstrictor effects of atenolol, nebivolol and propranolol in guinea pigs and they reported that bronchoconstriction was greatest with propranolol followed by atenolol while nebivolol had sparing effect.11 So the different effect of nebivolol can not be fully explained by its à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢1 selectivity.7 Another possible mechanism is that the effect of nebivolol may be because of partial agonist activity at à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢2 receptors but several studies have shown that nebivolol lacks partial agonist activity at à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢2 receptors.12 Therefore, this mechanism does not seem to be plausible. Nebivolol has been reported to modulate the endogenous production of NO.1 Nitric oxide is an important endogenous bronchodilator and is generated by a family of NO synthase isoforms in the airways.13 Considering the potential role of endogenous NO in the control of airways, its role was evaluated in the effects of nebivolol. For that purpose, L-NAME which is a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase was used. In one group effect of histamine was studied on tracheal muscle strips pretreated with fixed concentrations of L-NAME (10-4M) and its curve was compared with curve of control group. The difference was statistically insignificant indicating the absence of any effect of L-NAME on histamine induced contraction of tracheal muscle. In another group, the isolated tracheal muscle of guinea pig was pretreated with fixed concentrations of L-NAME (10-4M) and nebivolol (10-6M) respectively and then the effects of histamine were studied on this tissue model. At all the concentrations of histamine contraction of tracheal muscle was augmented and the p-value was 14,15 Nitric oxide that is released may interfere with the cholinergic neurotransmission either by functional antagonism on airway smooth muscle or via pre-junctional inhibition of release of acetylcholine from cholinergic nerve terminals. These findings suggest that NO indeed has some role in the sparing effect of nebivolol on the airways. This may be due to the reason that nebivolol induced-bronchoconstriction is counter balanced by the release of NO by nebivolol which causes bronchodilation resulting in the overall sparing effect of nebivolol on the airway smooth muscle. The NO-mediated inhibition of the acetylcholine-dependent bronchoconstriction may thus contribute to explain the differences between nebivolol and other à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢-blockers on the airway responsiveness. CONCLUSION NO may be responsible for sparing effect of nebivolol on airway smooth muscle. This may be due to the reason that nebivolol like classical beta blockers induces bronchospasm which is counter balanced by the relaxant effect of nitric oxide released by nebivolol thus lacking the net effect on airway smooth muscle. REFERENCES Dal Negro R. Pulmonary effects of nebivolol. Ther Adv Cardiovas Dis 2009;3:329–34. Scheen AJ. Pharma-clinics medication of the month, nebivolol Rev Med Liege 2001;56:788–91. Bundkirchen A, Brixius K, Bà ¶lck B, Nguyen Q, Schwinger RH. Beta 1-adrenoceptor selectivity of nebivolol and bisoprolol. A comparison of [3H]CGP 12.177 and [125I]iodocyanopindolol binding studies. Eur J Pharmacol 2003;460:19–26. Matera MG. Nitric oxide and airways. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 1998;11:341–8. 5. Dal Negro RW, Tognella S, Pomari C. Once daily nebivolol does not reduce airway patency in patients with COPD and arterial hypertension. Clin Drug Invest 2002;22:361–67. 6. Clini E, Bianchi L, Pagani M, Ambrosino N.. Endogenous nitric oxide in patients with stable COAD: Correlates with severity of disease. Thorax 1998;53:881–3. Agostino BD, Gallelli L, Falciani M, Fici F, Mangrella M. Nebivolol and airway responsiveness in the rabbit. Life Sci 2001;68:2159–68. Quang TT, Rozec B, Audigane L, Gauthier C. Investigation of the different adrenoceptor targets of nebivolol enantiomers in rat thoracic aorta. Br J Pharmacol 2009;156:601–8. Gillani AH, Khan, AU, Rauf M, Ghayur MN, Siddiqui BS, WohraW, Begum S. Gastrointestinal, Selective airway and urinary bladder relaxant effect of Hyoscyamus niger are mediated through dual blockade of muscarinic receptors and Calcium channels. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2008;22:87–9. Maffei A, Pardo AD, Carangi R, Carullo P, Poulet R, Gentile MT, Vecchione C, Lembo G. Nebivolol induces nitric oxide release in the heart through inducible nitric oxide synthase activation. Hypertension 2007;50:652–6. 11. De Clerck F, Van Gorp L, Loots W, Janssen PA. Differential effects of nebivolol, atenolol and propranolol on heart rate and on bronchoconstrictor responses to histamine in the guinea-pig. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 1989;298:230–6. Hoffman BB. Catecholamines, sympathomimetic drugs and adrenergic receptor antagonists. In: Brunton LL, Lazo JS, Parker KL (Eds). Goodman and Gillman’s. The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 11th edition, New York: Mc GrawHill; 2006. p. 215–68. Maarsingh H, Leusink J, Zaagsma J, Meurs H. Role of the L-citrulline/L-arginine cycle in iNANC nerve-mediated nitric oxide production and airway smooth muscle relaxation in allergic asthma. Eur J Pharmacol 2006;546(1-3):171–6. Ignarro LJ. Experimental evidences of nitric oxide-dependent vasodilatory activity of nebivolol, a third generation beta-blocker. Blood Press Suppl 2004;1:2–16. Ricciardolo FL. Multiple roles of nitric oxide in the airways. Thorax 2003;58:175–82 Address for Correspondence: Dr. Asma Shaukat, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Abbottabad International Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan. Res: 438, Link Road, Aram Bagh, Abbottabad, Pakistan. Tel: +92-992-331588 Email: [emailprotected]

Essay --

Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist who founded the Italian Positivist School of Criminology. Lombroso is famous for rejecting the Classical School of Criminology, which believed people have the free will in making decisions while committing crime and that the punishment must be swift and certain to deter people from crime. Lombroso Italian Positivist School considered phrenology and physiognomy had many influences on who would be a criminal, another popular term is the â€Å"atavistic born criminal† which states that criminality is inherited and that someone is a born criminal. In this paper I present Lombroso work and how his theories could identify a criminal by their outer physical traits. These early ideas and beliefs indicated that biology had a major influence on who would be a born criminal in society. Life and Times of Cesare Lombroso Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist who founded the Italian Positivist School of Criminology. He was born November 6, 1835 in Verona, Italy to a wealthy Jewish family and died October 19, 1909. His father was Aronne Lombroso, he was a tradesman from Verona and his mother Zeffora Levi was from Chieri near Turin. Lombroso studied at the University of Padua, Vienna and Paris and was the professor of psychiatry at the University of Pavia. In 1859 he became an army surgeon for the Italian army and conducted a study called the â€Å"Southern Question†. He became the director of mental health at Pesaro Asylum in 1871 and in 1876 became the professor of forensic medicine at the University of Turin. In 1896 became a professor of psychiatry and anthropology in 1906 at the same university. Famous individuals such as Cesare Becarria and Charles Darwin laid the foundation for Lombroso work an... ...populations. Criminological theories that are corresponding to Lombroso theory are not widely found in current day criminology. Mainstream theories such as the labeling theory, and broken windows are popular today compared to Lombroso theory during his time. Lombroso’s theory has been noticeably lost within mainstream theories. It can be said that Lombroso work has been forgotten but two books in the mid 1990’s on female offenders and one entitled Man Genius prove that his work has not been forgotten. Cesare Lombroso’s accomplishments are not because of his own theories, but he laid the foundation for future criminologist. His imagination ignited new criminological thinking that has lasted over a 100 years. Lombroso’s theory is biological and that is a door that was opened in one of the world’s first theories to find the causality of crime within the criminal.

Assignment †Distributed Computing Essay

The CTO is still impressed with your work. He just came back from a technology exposition where he heard about computer clusters. All he knows is that they are the big thing for businesses and he wants to explore the technology. Write a five page research essay explaining computer clustering, benefits, challenges, and potential applications. Essay should focus on one type of clustering application (file server, database, load balancing, web hosting, data processing) and detail the use potential setup (high availability or load balancing), type (COTS vs. blade clusters) and network connectivity. Requirements: Essay should be five pages of content presenting an explanation of computer clustering, benefits, challenges, and potential applications. Minimum concepts to cover and explain in the essay are: clusters, high availability, load balancing, COTS vs. blade clusters, network connectivity for computers in a cluster. Paper should conform to the APA style and hence will be longer because, of course, you will include a title page, abstract, table of contents, and a references page in addition to the actual content pages required Written Assignment requirements: Written work should be free of spelling, grammar, and APA errors. Points deducted from the grade for each writing, spelling, or grammar error are at your instructor’s discretion. Assignment Requirements/ Grading Rubric 1. Demonstrated college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard American English 2. Examined the concept of clusters and provided well documented explanation 3. Examined and explained the use of clusters to provide high availability and load balancing 4. Examined computer clustering benefits, challenges, and potential applications 5. Demonstrated good understanding of the technologies and provided good arguments and explanations to back up assertions and points

Federal Government Essays - E-commerce, Standards Organizations

Federal Government Essays - E-commerce, Standards Organizations Federal Government Electronic Commerce and - FACNET - Electronic Commerce Electronic Commerce (EC) is a concept whereby the acquisition of supplies and services is conducted via a paperless exchange of business information through computers. This new approach to procurement activity requires agreed upon formats and standards by which computers can communicate to each other and transfer information back and forth. This exchange of information is defined as Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI. The Federal Government?s recent attempts to streamline Government and reduce costs have focused on the potential of Electronic Commerce to help in achieving these goals. A Brief History of EC, EDI and FACNET FACNET stands for the "Federal Acquisition Computer Network". It is "the Government wide Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) systems architecture for the acquisition of supplies and services that provides for electronic data interchange of acquisition information between the Government and the private sector, employs nationally and internationally recognized data formats, and provides universal user access." FACNET, simply stated, is the EDI standardized format by which the Federal Government will proceed in it?s quest to establish electronic commerce for Federal Government procurements. The groundwork for FACNET began with the National Performance Review, initiated on March 3, 1993. This six month intensive review of the Federal Government had as its goal the creation of a Government that worked better and cost less. The report generated by the NPR was the first in a series of steps to improve Government efficiency, and it described approximately 100 actions and recommendations by which to improve government. The Federal Government?s complex acquisition process, which procures over $200 billion worth of supplies and services each year, was identified as one area in which major, readily obtainable savings could be attained if a systematic reform of the acquisition process were implemented. Benefits for the government and its suppliers, as noted in the NPR report, were: Government BenefitsSupplier Benefits Lower PricesImproved profitability and cash flow Increased competitionIncreased opportunity to participate in government acquisition Increased buyer productivityIncreased operating efficiency Better management informationImproved payment process Reduced acquisition time and costs Better inventory control The President?s Executive Memorandum of October 26, 1993, "Streamlining Procurement Through Electronic Commerce", was issued as a result of the NPR recommendations. It noted that by moving to EC, the acquisition process would promote customer service and cost-effectiveness. Access to Federal contracting activity would also be increased for the more than 300,000 suppliers currently doing business with the government. Issued to the heads of executive departments and agencies, it established the objective of streamlining acquisition through the use of electronic commerce. Specific objectives established by the President for EC were: 1. Exchange acquisition information electronically between the private sector and the Federal government to the maximum extent practicable. 2. Provide businesses, including small, small disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses, with greater access to Federal acquisition opportunities. 3. Ensure that potential suppliers are provided simplified access to the Federal government?s EC system. 4. Employ nationally and internationally recognized data formats that serve to broaden and ease the interchange of data. 5. Use agency and industry systems and networks to enable the government and potential suppliers to exchange information and access Federal acquisition data. Implementation of EC was to be implemented via the following milestones, and was to be accelerated where practicable. 1. By March 1994 define the architecture for the government-wide EC acquisition system and identify executive departments or agencies responsible for developing, implementing, operating, and maintaining the Federal electronic system; 2. By September 1994 establish an initial EC capability to enable the Federal government and private suppliers to electronically exchange standardized requests for quotations, quotes, purchase orders, and notice of awards and begin government-wide implementation; 3. By July 1995 implement a full-scale Federal EC system that expands initial capabilities to include electronic payments, document interchange, and supporting data bases; 4. By January 1997 complete government-wide implementation of EC for appropriate Federal purchases, to the maximum extent possible. FACNET Establishment The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA), signed into law on October 13, 1994, established the Government EDI network used for broadcasting solicitations. FACNET (Federal Acquisition Computer Network) was established as the government network to be used for broadcasting solicitations and information between the private sector and the Federal Government. In accordance with FASA, each Federal agency began developing their FACNET capability, led by the Electronic Commerce Program Management Office (ECPMO) of

wana action essays

wana action essays COMSATS INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ISLAMABAD ( Students of BS MATHEMATICS 2nd Semester ) ( Teacher of PAKISTAN STUDIES ) INTRODUCTION ................................................. 3 Waziristan ... ............................................... 4 North waziristan ............................................ 4 South waziristan ............................................ 4 Waziri relations with pakistani State ............................................................ 5 Botched up operation in waziristan ............... 6 The battle in wana ....................................... 7 Terrorists or mujahideen ............................ 8 Operation wana .......................................... 10 Army needs to question answers on wana...... 12 Political parties and Wana operation ................... 13 Wana operation and the economy ..................... 15 What went wrong in Wana? ........................... 16 Who has surrendered? .................................. 17 Use military force through a political strategy....... 18 And now Wana II ....................................... 20 Nek Mohammads death ............................... 21 Dont retreat in Wana! .................................. 23 A BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF EVENTS ................... 24 REFERENCES ................................................. 29 In this report we intend to show the different facets of wana operation as they appear in the print media. This operation was started by the Pakistani armed forces on 9th January 2004 in the South Waziristan Agency. Wana is the district headquarters of this Agency. Hence this operation came to be commonly known as Wana Operation. ABOUT WAZIRISTAN ...

Communication 380 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication 380 - Coursework Example What is the pattern of the pronunciation variation? The pattern of the variation is in the chorus line. The first two times the group uses the phrase â€Å"stick witch you†, whereas in the third usage in the chorus it is â€Å"with you†. 2. What is the effect of such deliberate dialect code switching on you personally? I would not have noticed it if it had not been pointed out to me, and since it has been, I find it irritating and annoying. 3. Do you think that other people listening to the song will react differently to it than you? Yes, I do think that others will react differently. As with most popular song lyrics, unless a word or phrase used garners an emotional reaction, it goes unnoticed. 4. Do you think this song is aimed for a male or female audience? I think that this song is aimed more towards a female audience, since people have a strong tendency to notice chorus lines that â€Å"speak† to them. In turn, this initiates an emotional reaction, which the n starts the person’s thought processes about someone in their life. 5. Why does she vary her pronunciation? She varies her pronunciation because of the rhythm of the song itself. In the first two instances of using â€Å"stick witch you†, the beat of the music is slightly faster than in the third instance, which is also the ending of the chorus line. 3 Part 3: Matching current words to their historical roots 1. Kingdom correlates to F. Anglo Saxon cyne, meaning â€Å"royal† 2. Toast (as in â€Å"to your health†) correlates to H. Scottish toss as in â€Å"toss a drink† 3. Wedlock correlates to E. Anglo Saxon wed, meaning â€Å"pledge or engagement† and lac, meaning â€Å"offering or giftâ€Å". 4. Fancy (as in imagination) correlates to G. French pensee, meaning â€Å"thought† 5. Cutlet correlates to A. Latin costa, meaning â€Å"rib† 6. Cockatoo correlates to B. Hindustani kakatua, a word imitative of its cry 7. Country Danc e correlates to D. French contre meaning â€Å"opposite† 8. Cold Slaw (or Cole Slaw) correlates to C. Dutch kool meaning â€Å"cabbage† and sla meaning â€Å"salad†. 4 Part 4: Misanalyses 1. Sick-as-hell anemia is â€Å"sickle cell anemia† 2. Old-timer’s disease is â€Å"Alzheimer’s disease† 3. Smiling Mighty Jesus is â€Å"spinal meningitis† 4. For all intensive purposes is â€Å"for all intents and purposes† 5. A blessing in the skies is â€Å"a blessing in disguise† 6. Spitting image is â€Å"splitting image† 5 Part 5: â€Å"Chat with A.L.I.C.E.† (pandorabots.com) 1. Are A.L.I.C.E.’s responses semantically appropriate? The semantics of A.L.I.C.E.’s responses are determined by the use of language, and how they are worded to her. Oftentimes, they are not appropriate, i.e. she asked how I was doing, and I responded with â€Å"I am lovely†. Her response was if that â€Å"made me feel superior†. 2. Are they pragmatically appropriat

Imagine that you are hanny write a letter to the roadman thank him for Essay

Imagine that you are hanny write a letter to the roadman thank him for his help tell him your real reason for doing this job - Essay Example A few months ago I met a gentleman by the name of Franklin P Scudder, who was in the knowledge of a German plot against England and who solicited my services. Sad to say, but when I returned to my premises after some time, I found Scudder murdered in cold blood. I decided to run away into hiding for many reasons. First I was scared that the people who murdered Scudder will also murder me. Second, I believed that the police will suspect me for the murder of Scudder. Third I wanted to get to the depth of the conspiracy narrated to me by Scudder. When I met you, I was actually being pursued by both the police and the German spies. It was only because of your help that I survived and managed to unravel this conspiracy against Britain, well in time. Thanks a lot for whatever you did for me and the country. Sincere regards, Richard Hannay.