Stem Cell Research - The NIH, as the Federal government's leading Essay

Stem Cell Research - The NIH, as the Federal government's leading biomedical research organization - Essay Example The NIH has consulted with each of the investigators who have derived these cells. These scientists are working with the NIH and the research community to establish a research infrastructure to ensure the successful handling and the use of these cells in the laboratory". Government funded embryonic stem cells research is allowed in many countries including UK, Japan, France, Australia, and other countries. It was iniially prohibited in ths US by Dickey Amendment to Labor, Health and Human Services & Education Appropriations Act, 1996. Of the 71 blastocysts approved initially, only 22 remained in mid-2006, and many of them were of limited usefulness because of DNA damage. After former president Ronald Reagan died from Alzheimer's during 2004, Nancy Reagan, her entire family except for Michael Reagan, along with 58 senators launched a campaign to relax stem cells research legislation. Consequently, a federal bill passed the house for funding of embryonic stem cells from surplus embryos; however, the bill was vetoed on ethical grounds by President Bush. Stem cells have virtually unlimited applications in treatment and cure of many human diseases and disorders including Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, paralysis, etc. Stem cells come in two general types: Embryonic stem cells have potential to develop into all 220 types of cells found in human body. Adult stem cells have a limited potential to develop into some variety of cells. While no human trials have started yet for embryonic cells, adult stem cells have now reached human trials stage. While most religious and ethical issues revolve around embryonic stem cells, harvesting adult stem cells does not present any ethical problems but they are difficult to harvest, are severely limited in quantity and have limitations of flexibility. Further, adult stem cells can produce only a few of the 220 different types of cells in the human body. Future Policy Considerations: Liberal Outlook The pro-choice movement firmly believes that since personhood is attained much later during pregnancy, extracting stem cells from few weeks old embryo is not a murder as such. Further, considering the unlimited potential advantages offered by embryonic cell research, even this 'killing' is justified in larger interest of humanity. In vitro fertilization ("test-tube babies") involves the purposeful creation of multiple embryos, knowing and intending that most of them will either die after implantation in the womb or, if not implanted,

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Essay Example The participation of Southern states in the adoption of the amendments of ending slavery was a light to the blacks; however, they reject the 14th amendments and this incited the Radical Republicans in passing Reconstruction Acts. These acts brought about division in Southern states based on their racial differences. 2. Describe the kind of violence Lucy McMillan experiences via 1871. How does this illustrate the problem of reconstruction? Lucy McMillan experiences the 1871 violence between Blacks and the Whites during the reconstruction era. McMillan illustrates the problems of reconstruction as it directly affects the citizens of North and South. The problems included lack of knowledge concerning land problems by most of the black leaders who had participated in the Reconstruction this made it possible for the whites to win over them. 3. How do the Louisiana Black Codes reinstate a kind of â€Å"virtual slavery† in 1865? Louisiana succeeded in his deal of protecting the Black s, his codes had significance in ending virtual slavery, and he denied the pardons involving those who had killed the African American war prisoners. Louisiana allowed each state in creating a new constitution, this came after taking an oath of allegiance by 10% of the total voters, through Louisiana’s efforts ending of discrimination of the blacks. 4. What kind of tribute does William Howard Day give to President Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln is not connected to any religious beliefs he, however, hold a strong believe that God is all-powerful. William Howard Day gave tributes to President Lincoln concerning his leadership especially during the reconstruction era. William confounded the president about his act of spending money and that his leadership is not trustworthy. William also pointed out Lincoln’s weakness as a man full of pride and self-centeredness. CHAPTER TWO 1. Is frontier settlement best understood as the story of competing ethnic, religious, and racial groups , or is it best understood as the place where capitalism left its mark? Frontier settlement is the region within a country fronting on another country usually neighboring country, in this settlement there are habitations. Frontier is usually a political and geographical region and found near a boundary. Frontier settlement being a political area can be best understood as a story involving competing ethnic, political and religious groups. 2. Was the West truly the place where Americans were most individualistic, democratic, and free, as Turner argued, or was it actually riddled with inequalities? Fredrick Jackson Turner in his thesis called Frontier or Turner Thesis stressed the liberty involving movement of releasing Americans from Europeans. From his thesis, it can be concluded that the west was not the place for Americans, the acquisition of the place based on the inequalities hence lacking democracy and full of individualistic. 3. One of the biggest occurrences of the 1870s was C uster’s Last Stand. Discuss the reminiscences of the battle. Custer’s Last Stand occurred in 1876, is a battle involving the most prominent act, which was pioneered by several leaders of war. The battle left several reminiscences among those who were involved and those who were affected. Several people killed 268 were killed, and 55 injured during the battle the battle led to displacement of hundreds of people. 4. Why did the

Concern Of Toyota Vehicle Recall In Malaysia Marketing Essay

Concern Of Toyota Vehicle Recall In Malaysia Marketing Essay UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd is a joint company which is formed by several companies including UMW Holdings Berhad, Japans Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota TSUSHO Corporation. The company is prioritizing and engaging a process of manufacture or assembly, marketing and distribution vehicles. UMW Toyota commands pole position in the aggregate sales of non-national passenger cars, commercial vehicles and four-wheel drives in Malaysia. Their operations are guided by international best practices, based on the Toyota Guiding Principles. They adopt the highest standards in management, safety, employee welfare, environmental conservation and community relations. Issue Identification Since early 2010, Toyota has been performing a series of recalls of their vehicles such as Camry, Corolla, Lexus and Prius in several countries such as United States and Europe. The recalls are conducted as action to amend the issue of sticking acceleration pedal in floor mats for safety purposes. (Toyota News, 2010) The United States division of Toyota has been hardly slammed regarding to this on-going issue. In the same article from Time, a social worker from Tennessee, Rhonda Smith quoted Shame on you, Toyota, for being so greedy she said. (Time, 10). This statement is just a sample of current public perception towards Toyota in which Toyota has to take a recovery action. However, Malaysias Toyota Models are not affected by the recalls, except for Toyota Prius model. Toyota vehicles in Malaysia are Completely Knocked-Down (CKD) line, it means that all vehicles are locally assembled for the local market. Especially for Toyota Camry models, its sources components come from different suppliers and have different mechanical architectures compare to United States counterparts. (Autoworld, 2010). In a case of occurrence technical problems to Toyota Prius, Malaysia only recalled 60 units due to slight error in its ABC braking system. (Autoworld, 2010). It is entirely unrelated to the case of mass recalls over sticking accelerator pedal in floor mats. UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. is now responsible to inform public especially Toyota owners that there is nothing to worry about. The omnipresence of foreign news in media and probably their lack of knowledge of a divide entity managing the Toyota brand in Malaysia have mislead and confused the public to actually believe that all Toyota models in worldwide are plagued with these impaired safety features. The focal point of the campaigns is to maintain the image of Malaysias Toyota. It might be a costly affair, however it hopefully will further save the company financially and reputation-wise in the long period. Target Audience Primary: Toyota vehicles owners We have chosen that  loyal  customers  of Toyota as the first  target  audience. We are well aware these loyal customers have put their trust in Toyotas products for years. With the recall issue like this, it affects their mindset and trust to Toyota products. Through  this campaign,  we  want to inform that Toyota Malaysia will always provide its best service for its loyal customers Secondary: Malaysia public (young and working adults specifically) This category is intended due to high demand of having personal ride among student and young workers. Those who are still thinking or might be interested in purchasing Toyota vehicles will not be disturbed by the preaching of Toyotas product recall issue. Tertiary: Media (local print and broadcast) Media is one of the most effective tools to notify and inform a broader audience whether it is in a form of print or broadcast. We all are aware the strength of media is able to influence publics opinion and perception. Through this medium, it will help to rebuild Toyota image and reinforce trust that Toyota has received from its customers and Malaysia public. Goals There is only single crucial goal that needs to be achieved through this campaign is: Rebuild and strengthen confidence in Toyota Objectives Several  objectives in the implementation of the campaign to facilitate the evaluation process are listed below: To inform public that the on-going recall issue does not affect Toyota Malaysia models.   To improve publics knowledge of safety and quality performance of Toyota vehicles  in Malaysia. To strengthen brand loyalty and positive perception between public and Toyota Malaysia. Key Messages Locally-assembled Toyota vehicles are not subjected for recall. All Toyota Malaysia models are assembled by local experts. The assembly of the vehicles and body parts are made in Malaysia. The sizes of accelerator pedals and floor mats of Toyota models in Malaysia are different from other countries. (UMW Toyota Motor) Toyota is conscious of the needs, comfort and safety of society. Toyota is well aware that driving comfort and safety is the most important factors for customers and public. Toyota is trying to prove once again that the public needs are the top priority in building strong and proper relationship. Strategy UMW Toyota will implement dual strategies to strengthen image of Toyota Malaysia and to inform public that the recall issue is not affected Malaysias vehicle models through the use of specialised tactics targeted at the media. These specialised tactics will promote the project through educating and informing the publics about the reasons they invested in it and what the target audience can obtain from it. The strategies are in the following: Media Campaign UMW Toyota will create this campaign that maintains the Toyota brands relationship with the public. Regardless, the fact that Toyota has always been there for its customers. Through this campaign, we hopefully will be able to inform Toyotas customers, wider public as well as media about the on-going recall issue and make sure that there is nothing to worry about. On-ground Promotion and Education Campaign Besides conducting a media campaign, on-ground promotion will also be held. So customers and public will be able to see and experience directly in practical ways on how Toyota maintain the safety and convenience of drivers through existing facilities. This strategy will educate public to maintain safety during driving. Tactics To achieve a successful campaign, UMW Toyota will have several tactics which attaches all key messages and to be able to deliver it to its customers, public and media coverage. Media Campaign Controlled media: Advertisement and Public Service Announcement. A new 30-second advertisement revolving around Toyota brand has been slated to continuously produce their vehicles. The advertisement will also have two variations, which will add up to a total of three advertisements. Additionally, all three advertisements will be presented in four languages which are Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Tamil. These advertisements will be aired on television such as TV3 during Buletin Utamas commercial shots. Programmes of non-Bahasa Malaysia languages will be advertised on timeslots that are not considered primetime to save cost. There will a print advertisement on newspaper, within the first five pages of every publication such as Berita Harian, The Star, New Straits Times, Tamil Nisan, and Sin Chew Daily For Public Service Announcement, UMW Toyota will collaborate with Astros radio stations such as Hitz.fm, Era, MY.fm and THR Raga to present PSAs. These PSAs will have few messages about safety driving which supported by Toyota Malaysia and radio stations. This will cost minimal production because the stations are obligated to air PSAs. Uncontrolled Media: Media Release and Media Kits UMW Toyota will supply all Malaysias leading news agencies and automobile publication media releases and media kits that contain FAQs and feature stories. Interpersonal: Distributing Agents All licensed distributors will be equipped with media kits to enable their agents to be well-informed with the issue and should be able to answer any inquiries from customers. On-ground Promotion and Education Campaign Free Test Drive Session Toyota will hold a free test driving promotion for the drivers and let them to come to the nearest Toyota showroom around their living area and drive directly some vehicle models before deciding on the possibility to purchase Toyota vehicles. By doing a free test driving, people can instantly find out how safe and comfortable driving Toyota cars. Public will be more informed accurately and practically about the facilities provided by Toyota. By doing this action, public can also identify and prove that there are no constraints and technical problems occurred to Toyota Malaysia models. Moreover, customers can also check directly all the technical components system such as gas pedal, brake, clutch, lights, signal, wipers and so on. This will ensure them that Toyota Malaysia models are not experiencing any technical problem at all; it is stable and secure for a ride. Media release and media kits will also be handed out to public and media during the event to provide more information for those who do not really notice about the recall issue. Smart Driving Seminar UMW Toyota will hold a public seminar which is attended by experts in their fields of Toyota Malaysia. There will be a speech by a president of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd., Ismet Suki. Through this event, public will be able to obtain more accurate information about how Toyota handles and maintains safety and comfort of drivers. The seminar will raise the topic regarding to any technical problems than often occur in vehicles. In this seminar, Toyota Malaysia will explain specifically several programmes they are running recently as an action to meet the needs of its customers. There will be a question and answer section between the participant and the spokesperson right after the speech done. Moreover, in this event, participants will also be taught on how to check all vehicles components step by step before travelling. These steps can educate public in order to improve their knowledge about road safety driving. Timeline This campaign will run for approximately six months, the schedule is outlined below: Task/2011 April May June July August September PSA Meeting PSA TV Ads Meeting TV Ads Print Ads Media Release Draft Media Kits FAQs Feature Story Free Test Drive Session Smart Driving Seminar Campaign Evaluation Budget 2011 Expenses Cost Public Service Announcement Have Toyotas name to be mentioned in 4 radio stations PSA for 4 months RM 20,000 (RM5000/Month) Advertisement Production of three ads in four languages Ads allocation on Buletin Utama (one month) Ads allocation in other languages on varying timeslots (one month) Newspapers advertising rate (two weeks) RM 120,000 RM 55,000 RM 25,000 RM 15,000 Free Test Drive Session Technical equipment and assistance fee (one month) RM 24,000 Smart Driving Seminar (twice in a month) Food and Beverages Technical equipment (speaker, projector, etc) Ushers fee RM 5,000 RM 5,000 RM 500 Media Release None Nil FAQ None Nil Feature Story None Nil Total costs RM 269,500 The total amount also includes the implementation fee for the campaign such as media monitoring, costs for the media release and media kits. Evaluation To determine how effective and successful campaign, there are some specific indicators which are used to measure the objective and the outcome of the campaign.The following indicators in which UMW Toyota Malaysia will use to evaluate are as follow: To inform public that the on-going recall issue does not affect Toyota Malaysia models.   A survey will be distributed to Toyota customers and public to see the number of them actually aware and heard of this on-going issue. This survey will determine public awareness of recall issue which is quite disturbing especially for Toyota customers. And by doing this campaign, hopefully we can determine whether public will get sort of consolation feelings and have nothing to be concerned about their Toyota vehicle afterward. To improve publics knowledge of safety and quality performance of Toyota vehicles  in Malaysia A survey questionnaire will be given to Toyotas customers and public who attend the free test driving session and smart driving seminar. They will be asked about how well their information and knowledge about safety driving before and after attending the events are. This will determine the level improvement of safety and quality performance of Toyota through their responses. To strengthen brand loyalty and positive perception between public and Toyota Malaysia Toyotas customers and public especially those who are attended the free test driving session and smart driving seminar will be handed out this survey. They will be asked to fill out some questionnaires regarding to on-going recall issue and give their perception about it as well as to see their enthusiasm towards the event and seminar. This action is conducted to see whether better perception and loyalty are achieved through this campaign.

California Utility :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chris Parker   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  482.004 Dr. Singer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1996 deregulation allowed California utility companies to sell power plants and collect over 19 billion dollars in ratepayer subsidies. The money was used to purchase plants in other countries, reward executives with huge pay raises and buy back stock. A handful of unregulated companies withheld power, causing shortages to boost wholesale prices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deregulation led many consumers to believe that open markets would bring in an array of choices and lower prices. Consumers will have to settle for a single power provider at higher prices. Rates are nearly 150 percent higher than last spring. Power companies are exploiting the market for their own advantage. Some companies have jacked rates up to 200 percent than offer a deal at a 50 percent hike.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Utility companies promised to modernize the electricity market and reduce business and residential bills. The California public utilities commission is caving in to pressure to make the investor owned utilities look good on Wall Street. Utilities are to use their markups to pay investors for stranded assets incurred during regulation. Utility companies lobbied to pass a law that suited their needs, and now the situation has changed it is trying it again. In 1998 big utility companies lobbied Proposition #9 buy paying a local consum er reporter 106,000 dollars to create a campaign. Proposition #9 would decrease electric bills and promote modernization of the industry. Also, many agency boards are stacked with officials with ties to energy companies, creating conflicts of interest. A member of Public Utilities Commission is being sued for an overseas investment. Taxpayers are paying for his legal bills. The investment was in a company his commission regulated.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A recent study has found incriminating information on the California utility industry. Plant operators would skip maintenance routines. These errors would cause machines to break down and force power cut back. The plants would have sudden shutdowns with no justifiable reason. Shutdowns were calculated to shrink the amount of power available driving up the price. They would hold back power until the state is desperate and vulnerable. They could sell power at super high rates. They sold power to other states. Selling to other states allowed for an increase in wholesale prices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The California utility companies had planned to make a large amount of profit off of deregulation.

Case Study: Merck & Company: the Vioxx Recall

Running head: CASE STUDY: MERCK & COMPANY: THE VIOXX RECALL Merck & Company: The Vioxx Recall Albert Balogun California Baptist University BUS 520A: Managerial Ethics Jim Bishop, PhD June 30, 2010 Merck & Company: The Vioxx Recall The issues involved in Merck, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company’s recall of one its products, Vioxx, is the effect of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drug on the society public health, the impact of it on the doctor –patient relationship and other ethical considerations.The purpose of this paper is to make an exposition of issues that the recall case entailed including the ethical issues that were involved, and the propriety of DTC advertising method. The legal implications of the recall and the effect of an enactment of a law by the Congress to prevent the use of DTC method of advertising will also be examined. The Beginning of Merck Troubles A number of reasons could be adduced for Merck’s troubles; from a ve ry reputable pharmaceutical company to one that had its major brand withdrawn from the market with considerable adverse financial implications.Apart from the role of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising and its impact on the company’s decision-making process during the period preceding and leading to the recall of Vioxx which will be the central focus of this paper, other reasons exist as well. These include the competitiveness of very high magnitude that existed in the pharmaceutical industry in the 1990s and the dilemma that Merck faced as a result of a number of its patents that were due to expire.These patents were mostly on the company’s most profitable drug lines (Green, 2007). With declining fortune, Merck found DTC irresistible and relied on it heavily to shore up its market share and to remain competitive. This was the case particularly in the aggressive marketing of Vioxx which evidently was discovered to be dangerous to the consumers but which the company ignored as will be expatiated later in this paper.Direct-to Consumer Advertising Direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs which involves direct promotion of prescription drugs to patients and physicians has continued to generate a lot of controversies with regard to its impact on the public health and on the relationships that exist between doctors and their patients. The relaxation of the rule governing the direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising in 1997 by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) paved the way for intensification of such mode of advertising by the pharmaceutical companies.The relaxed rule led to widespread use of television to advertise prescription drugs with commensurate big spending by the drug companies (Beauchamp et al, 2008). The Vioxx Recall Story Vioxx was discovered in 1994 by Merck to be among the new class of painkillers known as COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors are the newest form of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (N SAIDs) and Vioxx, as one of them, was developed to overcome the stomach irritation and gastric bleeding associated with older NSAIDs with COX-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors, which include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen to treat people who are in need of long-term pain relief.The COX-2 medication was effective for treatment of arthritis and other pains without users being exposed to stomach damage by naproxen. But the market for it was insignificant. Merck, looking for ways to entrench its market leadership threatened by impending loss of patent, relied heavily on Vioxx to capture the painkiller drug market with which it hoped to shore up its profile and revenue. However, since Vioxx is only COX-2 inhibitors, Merck was concerned about its market strategy if patients have no benefit of cardiovascular derivable from COX-1 (Phua & Achike, 2007).The belief through trials in Merck was that while Vioxx provides guarantee against stomach damage, there is no increased risk to the heart. In 1998 wh en Merck completed the development of Vioxx and submitted application for approval to FDA and before it finally launched Vioxx in 1999, there was considerable positive change in the company’s fortune. It became the number one pharmaceutical company in the world and earned $5. 24 billion in net revenue.During this period, it was discovered by some researchers that COX-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx would interfere with enzymes that very likely to prevent cardiovascular disease. The researchers’ study was opposed by Merck claiming that the study lacked conclusive evidence (Beauchamp et al, 2008). In 1999 prior to the launch of Vioxx into the market, Merck commissioned Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research (VIGOR) trial with the aim of proving that its drug is less risky than the older NSAIDS.Excluding patients with high risk of heart problem, the study gave some patients high doses of Vioxx and precluded them from taking aspirin. Next to this was the approval of Vioxx for marketing to the public by FDA. As opposed to the normal two-year review period for other companies, it took only six months for FDA to review Vioxx for Merck made possible by a special relationship and money inducement. Merck used DTC to successfully market Vioxx to the public (Beauchamp et al, 2008). In 2000, Merck wanted to prove whether Vioxx can reduce colon polyps.It decided to sponsor a study code named ‘APPROVe’ which is Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx. To give effect and credibility to the study, it was controlled and it compared Vioxx with a placebo rather than another drug. It was at this time that the result of VIGOR trial was published internally. The outcome was that even though Vioxx patients showed less stomach damage, there is more blood clot problems than drugs in the naproxen group with five times higher risk of heart attack.Even when Merck’s head of research admitted in internal email confirmed the fear about cardiovascular and opting f or more data before results were made public, it would appear as Merck deliberately suppressed the results of its own study maintaining that all was well by relying only on the favorable aspects of the study. It would appear that the company caused some academics that it was funding to issue a paper based on the VIGOR study and published ‘The New England Journal of Medicine’ to highlight Vioxx benefits to the digestive system and the cardiac problems but to maintain that patients are not at risk of heart problems.The VIGOR results continue to hunt Merck as FDA would later require a label of warning of possible link to cardiovascular problems. Surprisingly, Merck would ignore the recommendation only to be forced to include a warning label that highlight the fewer stomach problems but to expressly include a warning about possibly more heart attacks and strokes (Beauchamp et al, 2008). Merck became more aggressive spending over $100 million on DTC advertising of Vioxx. By August, 2004 when an FDA researcher presented a comprehensive analysis of data collected over 1. million users of Vioxx which showed that they were more likely to suffer heart attack than other COX-2 inhibitors and older NSAIDS, Merck still maintained its stand that Vioxx was safe from cardiovascular problem. It would only take the APPROVe study which was stopped at the behest of the researchers for Merck to finally agree that, according to APPROVe finding, Vioxx exposes users to demonstrably higher incidence of heart attack after 18 months of regular use (Phua & Achike, 2007).Merck finally halted the sales of Vioxx on September 30, 2004 after it had expended over $500 million on DTC advertising of Vioxx raking in over $2. 5 billion in sales revenues in a year. The Ethical Considerations Clearly, the objective to regain and maintain leadership position in the pharmaceutical industry was paramount to Merck than getting a safe product to the market. The huge market share and profits t hat go with such position propelled Merck to overlook essential findings that would have revealed the heart attack risks associated with Vioxx at research and development stages.At introduction stage, both Merck and FDA acted unethically by speeding up the review process. In a situation whereby FDA as the regulator is on the pay of the pharmaceutical industry, it can be expected that the rules and the procedures would be compromised. A pharmaceutical company should have no control over the information that is disclosed about its products because patients rely on the expertise of the physicians to make the best choice for them. When physicians are hired as consultants by companies whose products they prescribe, then conflicts of interest exist.That is why physicians and researchers should be made to disclose their pecuniary interest in any pharmaceutical company and in its drugs. The protagonists of DTC advertising have often argued that the mode has raised the awareness for and acce ss to important new medications as well as the ability of patients to actively engage their physicians in informed discussions about their prescription drugs. The antagonists of DTC advertising however, are of the opinion that the advertising cannot provide enough or detailed information that will enable the consumers to make appropriate drug choices (Sullivan, 2002).Marketing and advertising do not discriminate between segments of the society. For this reason, it is hard to see how the elderly, children, and the less endowed who are vulnerable and susceptible to deceptive and marketing strategies can become more informed in making drug choices (Greene, 2010). The antagonists argue further that the huge amount of money that pharmaceutical companies expend on DTC advertising could make prescription drugs more expensive to the consumers.DTC advertising could also adversely affect the relationship between the doctor and the patient (Beauchamp et al, 2008). It appears that the arguments against direct-to-consumer far outweigh arguments for. Wholeheartedly, any legislation by the U. S. Congress to ban direct-to-consumer (DTC) is supported by this author. DTC advertisings offer a lot of information such that would require assistance from professionals to be properly evaluated by the consumer in order to make good choices.DTC creates knowledge gap between the consumer and the marketer when the consumer cannot properly evaluate the information being received. The possibility that the knowledge gap would exist is very high especially among the less privileged members of the society. This gap is therefore open to manipulation to the advantage of the marketer. Public health is too important to be left the whims of the pharmaceutical industry to manipulate as they have been doing over the years with their unrestrained budgets on DTC.It is pertinent to say only United States has embraced DTC advertising of prescription dugs has never been permitted legally in Europe and it is banned outright in Canada (Green, 2007). Conclusion The case of Merck and its Vioxx recall has proved that pharmaceutical manufacturing companies need to strongly take into consideration the overall interest of public good. It is hard to imagine that decision makers at all levels in Merck would ignore the disturbing information provided by their own VIGOR study.The quest for make bigger profits and control the painkiller drug market seem to becloud their sense of judgments. Many lives were exposed to the risks of heart attack and strokes when the warning signs were staring them in the face. The company itself lost $33 million in market capitalization. This case obviously calls for more and stricter regulations by strengthening the operations of FDA. Reference Beauchamp et al, (2008). Ethical Theory and Business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Green, R. (2007). Direct-To-Consumer Advertising and Pharmaceutical Ethics.Retrieved June 9, 2010 from http://faculty. chas s. ncsu. edu/comstock Greene, J. (2010). Hidden in Plain Sight. American Journal of Public Health (2010) Vol. 100, No. 5. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from EBSCOhost Database Phua, K. & Achike, F. (2007). Vioxx and Other Pharmaceutical Product Withdrawals. Clinical Ethics. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from EBSCOhost Database Sullivan, P. (2002). No direct-to-consumer drug ads: CMA. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 11/12/2002, Vol. 167 Issue 10, p1153-1153, 1/3p. Retrieved June 28, 2010 from EBSCOhost Database [pic]

A Swimming Adventure Essay

Awaking early, I decided to sit on the screened porch and watch the Florida sun come up. Within a very short time as I sat there, the sun peaked on the horizon as it gradually awakened from its night of slumber. The dew sparkled like diamonds as the sun’s rays tenderly caressed the grass. Off in the distance, I could hear the world spring to life as the birds began to sing a spectacular melody, growing louder and louder as each bird began to chirp in unison, like a choir singing in church on Sunday morning. A new day had dawned and I remember thinking how magnificent the birds’ song was and what a wonderful day it was going to be. Returning to my duties as a mom, I started making breakfast for my children, who would wake shortly wanting to eat. Within a few minutes, the wonderful aroma of the pancakes and bacon cooking on the stove gave way to the sound of pitter-pattering little feet as they hit the floor. My children Michael, Laura and Misty were awake and joined me in the kitchen. I seated the children; gave them their breakfast and told them that it was going to be a very hot day and if they ate all of their breakfast and cleaned up the toys, I would take them to the beach to go swimming. The children, bustling with excitement over the news, hurriedly ate their breakfast and started cleaning up their toys while I cleaned the kitchen. Around noon, the temperature was a blistering 95 degrees as we packed a cooler with sandwiches and drinks. We loaded the trunk with our chairs and headed off to the beach. On the way, we saw a black and white cat racing across the street chasing a gray mouse. We played a game called I Spy and sang songs to pass the time. Growing closer to the beach Michael spied a snake lying in the road, and asked, â€Å"Why is the snake lying in the middle of the road mommy?† The snake  was dead and not wanting to upset him, I replied, â€Å"The snake is basking in the sun so it can get warm†. It was not long before we had reached our destination. Anticipation filled the air as we found the perfect spot and unloaded the car. The children helped set up the chairs and then headed off to swim. Deciding to relax a few minutes, I took in the peaceful views that lay before me. The beach was covered with white sand and on each side of the swimming area were large boulders and rocks that had been piled up. There were several covered tables and a bathroom area. Many people were playing in the water while others were lying on their towels and blankets on the sandy beach. A volleyball game was taking place a few yards away and I remember thinking how hot it was as the glaring sun beat down on everyone. Watching the children playing in the surf, the waves from the shore looked fun and almost childlike as they crested and then crashed over one another. I could taste the salt in the air and watched little rainbows glisten through the prisms of the ocean’s spray. The warm ocean water toward the shore was covered with foam and bubbles from the rumbling waves as my children and other families played in the gritty sand of the Gulf. I watched the seagulls swoop  down as a child threw small pieces of bread up in the air. The sea gulls were white and gray and had a long orange beak. I remember thinking to myself, â€Å"This is going to be a perfect day†. The children are playing and laughing in the ocean and call out â€Å"Come on mom, come and play†. I start towards the water trying not to step on any of the tiny hermit crabs as they emerge from their sandy homes in search of scraps. I reached the water; no crabs injured and plunged head first into a two-foot wave coming to shore, hah! How refreshing. My children and I are swimming and playing together in the cool refreshing water. I lift them one by one tossing them slightly in the air and letting  go, I hear them shriek with delight as they plummet towards the water with a splash! This exciting activity is repeated several times until my arms give out and I am forced to take a break, much to the dismay of my children who are having a wonderful time. I stand there in about three feet of water when my children come up with another exciting game; they start swimming through my legs playing mommy is a bridge. I remember thinking boy! I wish I had their energy. After resting a few minutes I picked them up, placed them one at a time on my back and began to swim; we slowly swam under the blue water and up again and I could hear them giggle with excitement and say â€Å"Do it again mommy, do it again†. A short time later a commotion broke out interrupting our games, I struggled to hear what everyone was shouting about and saw people running to the water’s edge and pointing about fifty feet from where the children and I were playing. Looking in the direction they were pointing, a  man with his daughter in tow yells, â€Å"SHARK!† without hesitation, I yelled to my son, â€Å"Michael, get out of the water!† I grabbed Laura and Misty and headed to shore. My adrenalin pumping we reached the shore incredibly fast, like a bolt of lightning streaking across the night sky. Only when we were safely on shore did we look back to see three fins just skimming the surface of the water. I stood there stunned and shocked watching the fins, wondering what kinds of sharks they were and very grateful that everyone was in one piece. A few minutes later, the fins disappeared beneath the surface and everyone was treated to a wondrous sight, there off in the distance, were three dolphins jumping high into the air and making a big splash as they entered the water. The dolphins took turns jumping and playing; sometimes they would jump in unison, as if dancers in a chorus line. As fast as they had appeared, the dolphins slipped beneath the waves and headed out to sea. I wondered if the dolphins laughed to themselves; thinking about how they had scared the two-legged creatures from the water  or if they were just as curious about us as we were of them. With the all clear, we headed back into the water and continued swimming and playing games. A short time later, the children became hungry so we decided to get something to eat and drink. The ham and cheese sandwich tasted good and the Pepsi was refreshing. As we ate, the children began to get goose bumps so I covered their shoulders with a blanket. Hours later, the sun setting, we gathered our belongings, packed up the car and ventured home. The children tired from a full day of fun and games fell asleep quickly. Not wanting to wake the children, I turned off the radio and listened to the hum of the motor as we made our way home. Later as I lay in bed I replayed the day’s events in my mind, from the stunning sunrise, the splendor of the birds as they sang, the laughter of they children as the played, the show of the dolphins, the beauty of the beach and the setting sun, I thanked God for all the wonderful gifts he had given me. THE END Graded and Corrected A+ paper The teacher wanted us to write an essay about something that happned in our lives. I scored a 94% on this essay due to poor punctuation, which has since been fixed.

Frank Lloyd Wrights Plan for a Fireproof House

Frank Lloyd Wright's Plan for a Fireproof House Perhaps it was the 1906 earthquake and great fire in San Francisco that eventually inspired Frank Lloyd Wrights April 1907 Ladies Home Journal (LHJ) article, A Fireproof House for $5000. Dutch-born Edward Bok, LHJ editor-in-chief from 1889 to 1919, saw great promise in Wrights early designs. In 1901 Bok published Wrights plans for A Home in a Prairie Town and A Small House with Lots of Room in It. The articles, including the fireproof house, included sketches and floor plans designed exclusively for the LHJ. Its no wonder that the journal was the first magazine in the world to have one million subscribers. The design for the fireproof house is very Wright- simple and modern, somewhere between Prairie style and Usonian. By 1910 Wright was comparing what he called the concrete house of The Ladies Home Journal with his other flat-roofed, concrete projects, including Unity Temple. Characteristics of Wrights 1907 Fireproof House Simple Design: The floor plan shows a typical American Foursquare, popular at the time. With four sides of equal dimensions, concrete forms could be made once and used four times. To give the house visual width or depth, a simple trellis has been added, extending from the entrance. Center stairs near the entrance provide easy access to all parts of the house. This house is designed with no attic, but includes a dry, well-lighted basement storeroom. Concrete Construction: Wright was a great promoter of reinforced concrete construction- especially as it became more affordable for homeowners. Changing industrial conditions have brought reenforced concrete construction within the reach of the average home-maker, Wright claims in the article. The steel and masonry material provides not only fire protection, but also protection from dampness, heat, and cold. A structure of this type is more enduring than if carved intact from solid stone, for it is not only a masonry monolith but interlaced with steel fibres as well. For those unfamiliar with the process of working with this building material, Wright described that you make the forms using narrow flooring smoothed on the side toward the concrete and oiled. This would make the surface smooth. Wright wrote: In the composition of the concrete for the outside walls only finely-screened birds-eye gravel is used with cement enough added to fill the voids. This mixture is put into the boxes quite dry and tamped. When the forms are removed the outside is washed with a solution of hydrochloric acid, which cuts the cement from the outer face of the pebbles, and the whole surface glistens like a piece of grey granite. Flat, Concrete Slab Roof: The walls, floors and roof of this house, writes Wright, are monolithic casting, formed in the usual manner by means of wooden, false work, the chimney at the centre carrying, like a huge post, the central load of floor and roof construction. Five-inch thick reinforced gravel concrete creates fireproof floors and a roof slab that overhangs to protect the walls. The roof is treated with tar and gravel and  angled to drain not over the cold edges of the house, but into a downspout near the winter-warm center chimney. Closable Eaves: Wright explains that To afford further protection to the second-story rooms from the heat of the sun a false ceiling is provided of plastered metal lath hanging eight inches below the bottom of the roof slab, leaving a circulating air space above, exhausted to the large open space in the centre of the chimney. Controlling the air circulation in this space (by a simple device reached from the second-story windows) is a familiar system used today in fire-prone areas- left open in summer and closed in winter and for protection from blowing embers. Plaster Interior Walls: All the interior partitions are of metal lath plastered both sides, writes Wright, or of three-inch tile set upon the floor slabs after the reinforced concrete construction is complete. After coating the inside surfaces of the outside concrete walls with a non-conducting paint, or lining them with a plaster-board, the whole is plastered two coats with a rough sand finish. The interior is trimmed with light wood strips nailed to small, porous terra-cotta blocks, which are set into the forms at the proper points before the forms are filled with the concrete. Metal Windows: Wrights design for a fireproof house includes casement windows, swinging outward....The outer sash might at no very great additional expense be made of metal. Minimal Landscaping: Frank Lloyd Wright fully believed that his design could stand on its own. As an added grace in summer foliage and flowers are arranged for as a decorative feature of the design, the only ornamentation. In winter the building is well proportioned and complete without them. Known Examples of Frank Lloyd Wright Fireproof Houses 1908: Stockman Museum, Mason City, Iowa1915: Edmund F. Brigham House, Glencoe, Illinois1915: Emil Bach House, Chicago, Illinois Resources and Further Reading Edward Bok, Bok Tower Gardens National Historic Landmark website Frank Lloyd Wright On Architecture: Selected Writings (1894-1940), Frederick Gutheim, ed., Grossets Universal Library, 1941, p. 75 A Fireproof House for $5000, by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ladies Home Journal, April 1907, p. 24. A copy of the article was on the website of the Stockman House Museum, River City Society for Historic Preservation, Mason City, IA at www.stockmanhouse.org/lhj.html [accessed August 20, 2012]Visit the Emil Bach House at gowright.org/visit/bachhouse.html, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation TrustGlencoes Notable Architecture, The Village of Glencoe; Antique Home Style has reproduced A Fireproof House for $5000 [accessed October 5, 2013]