Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Communication Disorders Essay

Free Communication Disorders Essay Communication Disorders Communication is really a complex cognitive activity. The act of communicating takes either the verbal or the non-verbal feature or combines both. Communication skills are developmental and they are composed of a number of components. Communication includes pragmatics, which is the social use of language and semantics, which is the understanding of words. Statistics show that between 7% and 14% of worlds children have difficulties in the acquisition of some or all of these normal language skills. Delayed language acquisition is a common problem in children at the early stages of development. From many cases reported in medical centres within United States, deficits in socialisation, non-verbal communication, and several unusual and persistent behaviours are features existent in many children in the states. It is the pervasiveness and persistence of the respective deficits that differentiate children suffering from autism with those having specific language developmental disorders. However, early therapy referral is beneficial in both cases. Barnard (2004) argued that children with considerable language disorders could present actually with some autistic features. This may diminish as they grow up and improve their language and communication skills. It is notable that in children less than 2 years of age, it is very difficult to distinguish what the child is suffering from between autism and non-autistic symptoms. At such an age, it is more significant to identify the specific areas that need improvements and provide reasonable intervention than to literally wait for a diagnosis. Reviewing the childs progress and performing diagnosis from time to time is the key to developing solutions for improvements on communication disorders (Barnard, 2004). Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is in use mostly when describing the range of behavioural phenotype as well as severities part of the continuum from literally normal to disordered communication development, interests and socialisation. ASD generally includes atypical autism, autistic disorder, Aspergers disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Ward (1999) named some characteristics of autistic disorder as qualitative impairment in general communication and social interaction. Other features include repetitive and stereotyped patterns of interests, behaviour and activities. These features are present in all autistic individuals but clinical manifestation as well as functional disability varies depending on age, co morbidity, linguistic and cognitive ability, family and social environment. A communication disorder on the other hand differs a lot with autism. It is like a language disorder with an impaired ability in an individual to understand or share with others the feelings and ideas. It is also revealed mostly in impairment to comprehend written or spoken language. Some of the features of a communication disorder include speech disorder. This is the difficulty in production of speech correctly provoking the use of voice. Stuttering is also a part of the communication disorder. It is signalled by an interruption of speech flow. The other major characteristic of a communication disorder and not autism is Voice. This is the speech quality for instance nasality, hoarseness or volume (Fletcher, 2000). Behaviour is something crucial in determining whether it is communication disorder or autism. There are common weird behaviours when a child has autism very different from when with communication disorder. Lining up of objects like toy cars repetitively, walking on toes most of the time, flapping wings repeatedly when exited and looking at objects with the corner of the eye are some of the weird behaviours that are an alarm to autism. They may be normal if a child only does it occasionally. However, repeated behaviour should draw your concern because it is a possible symptom of autism. Parents anxious to know and develop a distinction of communication disorder and autism have very many questions running through their heads. Some possible questions that are likely a feature of their concern include: What is mild autism? Between autism and communication disorder, which is the most serious? Which one between autism and communication disorder is the patient capable of recovering fast? What are some of the behaviours in an autistic or non-autistic child? How can one measure the prevalence of autism? What are some of the interventions applicable in handling communication disorders Do communication disorders have any side effects to the patient Identification of autism requires some form of developmental surveillance. Routine developmental surveillance is effective in identifying children with a likelihood of developing autism disorders. Some of the instruments used include Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), stages, ages questionnaire, and screens series. Another mode of assessment would be a follow up of any regression in language as well as socialisation skills noted in hand before 18 months of childs age. There are other medical assessments including screening tests that involve serum lead level iron and folate levels, a full blood count, and vitamin B12 levels, thyroid function tests, a urine metabolic screen and creatine kinase level (Ward, 1999). Behaviour is an area under scrutiny when identifying the autism problem. In this case, you will have to refer the child to a speech therapist. He expresses concerns on the childs general development and other unusual behaviours. The challenge is the way the speech therapists handles the child yet he is not used to him. The therapist might diagnose wrongly, when the childs receptiveness is because of reaction to a stranger but not in reality autism. The assessment of behaviour to determine the condition of the child is also challenging because it might not produce valid results. Assumptions that aggression and self-injury are reactions because of autism is wrong, the reactions might be emanating from other stimulants in the childs biological system.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Prepare with GED Classes Online

How to Prepare with GED Classes Online Basics of Preparing with GED Classes Online: If you want to increase your eligibility for jobs and college entrance, consider preparing for the GED online. Many GED classes online offer exam guide books, practice tests, and other material to help students study for the GED. Can I Take the GED Online?: No. It is important to remember that the GED exam cannot be taken through the internet. Although you may prepare for the GED online, you will need to go to a physical testing center to take the actual exam and earn your certificate. Websites that tell you otherwise are scams. Preparing for the GED Online via the American Council on Education: The American Council on Education facilitates the GED exam. Check out their website for GED online study material including the official practice test and sample questions. The website also lists your local testing center. Preparing for the GED Online with Regional Resources: Many adult education resource centers offer students a way to study for the GED online. They may offer you access to virtual video instruction or help you prepare for the GED online with practice programs. Because these centers are designed to help local students, you’ll need to find one in your area. Preparing for the GED Online with Other Websites: When choosing material to help you study for the GED online, avoid websites that promise to send you a GED without the need for testing.Some reputable GED online practice sites include GEDforFree.com and GED Academy.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Philippines Demographics Profile Research Paper

Philippines Demographics Profile - Research Paper Example Comparison with other countries is also presented in this essay. Base on the study done in the Population Growth of the Philippines, the country is said to be considered as one of the 12th world populous country. This is one of the reasons why poverty in the said country is increasing. The Philippines' annual population growth slowed down to a rate of 1.95 percent last year, prompting economic authorities to say that the deceleration would help make the country's poverty reduction goal within reach. a - Includes the household population, homeless population, Filipinos in Philippine Embassies/Consulates and missions abroad and institutional population who are found living in institutional living quarters such as penal institutions, orphanages, hospitals, military camps, etc. at the time of the census taking. At present the Philippines has a population of (2007 est.): 91,077,287 (growth rate: 1.8%); birth rate: 24.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 22.1/1000; life expectancy: 70.5; density per sq mi: 791. (www.infoplease.com). As compared to the 2000 census the growth rate has become even slower from 1.95% to 1.8%. The reason for the decline of population growth is because of several programs created by the government, to stop the continued growth of the population, which is causing severe poverty in the country Sources of Data The Survey Dataset files includes survey and study about individual recode, household recode, birth recode, couples recode, children's recode, male recode, household recode and geographic dataset. (www.measuredhs.com). The files for the mentioned study can be access thru the UN Demographic Yearbook. Below are the data gathered from the UN Demographic Profile: Household surveys are an important source of socio-economic data. In developing countries, they have become a dominant form of data collection, supplementing or sometimes even replacing other data collection programmes and civil registration systems. (http://unstats.un.org) The Philippines' is a developing countries and the future of the country depends on it's population. Several data's are important in studying the demographic profile of a certain country. These data can be access in the UN Demographic Profile. Migration from Urban to Rural Migration is an important livelihood strategy in the Philippines. Gender differences in

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

DQ52 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DQ52 - Essay Example The business needs to understand its overhead and should be looking at this from a fixed cost perspective. If the wage rates are fluctuating in this or different departments, the element of fixed costs is removed and makes this practice unpredictable for maximizing the reporting of financial health. Measuring overhead has to do with the health of the operating environment which relies on understanding costs that are generally not variable. These costs can include administration, groundskeeping, machining and assembly (Horngren et al, 2008). When looking at administration overhead, it is going to be practical to want to know if their wages are fixed. If wage rates continue to fluctuate, deciding where to allocate the total overhead costs is going to be highly difficult if the goal is to maximize financial reporting data to show better corporate health at the accounting level. For example, the monthly or weekly groundskeeping maintenance required could be looked at as a fixed cost, especially if contracted at x dollars per month/week. This overhead cost would be a necessity as part of operations and could be predicted for financial reporting based on the contract cost negotiated throughout the business operating year. Direct-labor cost would be an appropriate cost allocation opti on here if the wages, such as for administration, remained constant. This method would also give the senior business leaders more accurate overhead costs, if they were needed, for strategic review or for assessing the health of certain divisions. Direct labor costs should be seen as costs which are directly incurred by the organization and should have an element of predictability surrounding them. It would be a guess that most real-life organizations do not have varying wages for certain things such as administration, unless they had structured some sort of bonus system where wages were subject to bi-annual

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Owner-Manager Types Essay Example for Free

Owner-Manager Types Essay Cranfield School of Management has been studying the behaviour of entrepreneurs and their relationship with key staff in some thousands of growing UK companies. Cranfield study has concluded that it is the entrepreneurs themselves who are the most likely to be the biggest stumbling block to the growth and development of their own company. Cranfield grouped entrepreneurs into four dominant types of relationship with their staff, mainly: Heroes, Artisans, Meddlers and Strategists. Past Cranfield studies shows that most small firms do not think very much about their future strategy. In fact, less than a third of small and medium enterprises across Europe set their objectives in terms of profit and margins. This is somewhat surprising as profit and profitability are the key measures of business success. However, as over two-thirds of owner-managed companies with a turnover of i 10 million do not have a plan at all, it should come as no surprise that few entrepreneurs are strategists. Other research has uncovered the shocking fact that 60 per cent of senior staff in small firms leave within two years of their appointment. Some of these early departures can be put down to poor recruitment. The researchers studied two important elements of this relationship. The first element studied was how much time the owner-manager spent on routine management tasks such as marketing, selling, analysing figures, reviewing budgets or arbitrating between managers. The second one examines what level of business skills has been attained by the key staff. Heroes Probably the Heroes undertake one management function such as sales or production. The Heroes time is now spent on managing the business. As the level of business skill throughout their employees is still relatively low, the Heroes will take the lead in starting routine management procedures. They will introduce ideas from the courses they attend to the firm and be the only persons who really understand them. That is the reason why they will be considered as Heroes from the rest of the employees. Unfortunately, this leads to the Heroes taking the Herculean role on their hands. In this case, allocating operations to the employees is relatively simple as the working skills in most businesses are either readily available in the local community or the people can be trained up without too much difficulty. On the other hand, passing out routine management tasks will almost always require that the owner or manager trains up his own management teams. There are few well trained managers available to the small company because of two main reasons. Firstly, the overall pool of such people is small as training in the small business sector until recently has been almost exclusively concentrated on the Entrepreneur. Secondly, well trained managers usually seek jobs in larger firms with more opportunities for advancement and more resources to practice the art of management on. The Heroes have a high capacity for improving the firm performance but still have low growth prospects when compared to their market. They have no time for strategic thinking and no depth of management to handle growth effectively. Artisans In the Cranfield model, the Artisans are characterized by low occupation with routine management tasks. The reason is that most of their time is spent producing a product or delivering a service. The level of business skills in the company is also low as most of the Artisans staff is employed helping in production or performing primary duties, such as book-keeping or selling. Artisans can include professional firms, such as architects and surveyors, manufacturers, sub-contractors or small building firms, owners of small retail chains such as chemists, video stores and proprietors of hotels and restaurants. Little time is available either for routine management tasks such as examining performance or reassessing methods. Every hour that can be sold is sold and little time is left over to either improve the quality or profitability of todays business or to consider strategy for tomorrow. The Artisans have low growth prospects in relation to their market. Their training and development needs are to raise their awareness of the management significance as a business task of equal importance with daily revenue earning. Meddlers The Meddler increases the level of management skills either by training or recruitment but then fails to delegate routine management tasks. At this stage, according to the Cranfield model, the owner-managers probably have no operative responsibilities and have assumed the role of managing directors. Typically, they spend much time anticipating subordinates, introducing more refined, but largely unnecessary management systems. They also go on courses or read books that make them even more well-informed and sometimes better at routine management tasks than their own employees, who anyway are by now doing a perfectly satisfactory job of managing todays business. They get in early and leave late and practice management by walking about. The Meddlers problem is that they cannot delegate routine management tasks because they feel useless. They have been used to a 70-90 hour week with only 10 days holiday each year. Once their management team is in place and trained, they are out of a job. Until they reduce their involvement with routine management tasks, they will limit the growth capacity of this firm for two reasons. Firstly, their management team will not take on more duties if the reward for taking on the last lot of responsibility was being irritated and criticised. Secondly, they are too busy checking on people to develop sound strategies for growth. Strategists The Strategists are the most desirable type of entrepreneurs to develop a growing business. They develop the management skills of their team to the highest appropriate level and in depth. They may introduce a staff duty to help their line managers in such areas as personnel and market research. This will free-up their key managers to think strategically too. They will dedicate roughly a third of their time to management tasks such as monitoring performance, co-ordinating activities, resolving conflict and helping to manage todays business. A third of their time will be spent motivating, counselling, developing management teams and helping them to manage change. This activity is aimed at improving the existing business. The final third of their time will be devoted on developing strategic thinking to form the shape of the future business. Their training needs will be to continuously update their core leadership and motivation skills and to increase their depth of knowledge on strategic issues, acquisition or divestment activity and financing sources. Relationship between the Owner-Manager and His Key Staff in a Growing Firm The natural path of development for the relationship between the owner-manager and his team is to pass from Artisan to Hero to Meddler and for the lucky few to become Strategists. Why Family Businesses Die The family business is deeply rooted in the sense of pride of the owner like most of other forms. Schein (1998) said that this is reinforced by a desire for autonomy which forms part of the five career anchors. This becomes possible with the combination of vision, energy and dedication. Moorman and Halloran (1993) stated that there are more businesses that fail than they succeed in this competitive market place. Twenty-four from one hundred start-ups fail in the U. S. , within the first two years and more than sixty within the first six years. This happens due to lack of planning and preparation which is the most common reason. The second is the lack of creativity which is important to survive. Some businesses offering the same product may succeed because they are doing something better and more innovative than competition. The Copy Cat approach lacks creative skills to turn its product into a unique selling proposition. This can be harmful for family businesses.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Epistemology of Hegels Introduction to the Phenomenology of Spirit

The Epistemology of Hegel's Introduction to the Phenomenology of Spirit In his Phenomenology of Spirit, G.W.F. Hegel lays out a process by which one may come to know absolute truth. This process shows a gradual evolution from a state of "natural consciousness" (56) (1) to one of complete self-consciousness - which leads to an understanding of the "nature of absolute knowledge itself" (66). By understanding the relation between consciousness and truth, one may come to know the true nature of our existence. Hegel proposes to answer these questions in one bold stroke; he relates them in such a way as to make an infinitely complex and indiscernible universe a unitary whole. This process from a natural state to a kind of transcendence leads one from the chaos of the immediate to the sublimity of the universal. Consciousness begins as what Hegel calls "a natural consciousness" (56). That which is known to this consciousness "will prove to be knowledge only in conception, not in reality" (56). This kind of consciousness assumes knowledge of reality that is often refuted. Hegel says, "since natural consciousness does forthwith think it really knows, it views its own experiential course in a negative light, taking the very realization of its conception to be instead its own loss" (57), demonstrating the frailty of this method of thought. To respond to this shortcoming of consciousness, some might attempt to find an absolute absolved from one-sidedness, from sheer relativity to the knowing subject. Others will not respond this way, however, instead spinning off into apathy, subjectivism, or nihilism (59). Those who do attempt to find an objective truth most often turn to science. Some have suggested that the intellect is an ... ...s to relate to that reality at all. Thus as one comes to be fully aware of consciousness, one becomes fully aware of absolute reality. Hegel describes a way by which one may come to know absolute truth. This process shows a transition from a state of "natural consciousness" (56) to one of complete self-consciousness - which leads to an understanding of the "nature of absolute knowledge itself" (66). By understanding the relation between consciousness and truth, one may come to know the true nature of our existence. Thus, Hegel answers these questions in one bold stroke; he relates them in such a way as to make an infinitely complex and indiscernible universe a unitary whole. This whole is not only total self-consciousness, but also total awareness of absolute reality. 1. * Page References are to the unpublished translation by Peter Fuss and John Dobbins.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Ezra pound’s poem Essay

As far as linguistics is concerned with the study of human language. And as it is known for anyone who is specialised in the field, it is divided into branches that consist of semantics which is the study of meaning at the level of words and concepts, at the second stage comes semiotics which means the use of symbols ,images to convey meaning, and thirdly we have pragmatics where meaning is understood through the context. So our attempt in this essay is the study of Ezra Pound’s poem ‘The Garden ‘from three perspectives, semantically, semiotically and pragmatically. â€Å"The Garden† is a free verse poem written by Ezra Pound. It was first published in 1913 in the collection â€Å"Poetry: A Magazine of Verse†, then as part of his collection â€Å"Lustra† in 1916. The poem is comprised of four stanzas.(Alexander). When reading the poem at a first glance the reader may notice that Pound is describing a young woman who has been born into the wealth of society and has grown up isolated from it. In the first stanza the poet compares the young woman to a softy length. Then the silk is loose, much like the young woman who seem to be lost. Next, the poet refers to the woman’s mental state. â€Å"She is dying piece-meal of a sort of emotional anaemia†. So, anaemia is a condition to feel weak and tired and suggests the lack of vitality. In the second stanza, the poet is referring to a number of lower class children ‘rabble fifthly, sturdy, unkillable infants of the very poor†. Besides, the following line states that â€Å"they shall inherit the earth â€Å"which refers to the aristocratic category in Britain. Ezra Pound then makes a direct referencing to the woman’s excessive boredom when he says â€Å"her boredom is exquisite and excessive â€Å". Thus, the poem ends with the women’s desire to speak to somebody. In other words, Ezra Pound uses a number of literary techniques such as: symbols, simile and metaphor. At the beginning of the poem we can remark that the poet uses a SIMILE, the very first line † like a skein of loose silk blown against a wall†, the poet here compares one of the poem’s protagonists ( the young lady ) to an exquisite material which is silk.†. The image of the silk blowing up against a wall is pregnant, somehow, with a  power which only grows the more familiar the image becomes.† (Sarah, Tuesday, March 1, 2011) . Therefore, throughout the poem we learn that the woman, who is the basis of the comparison, is one of noble youth walking along a path in Kensington Gardens. Pound ends the stanza with a metaphor, this time directed at the woman’s mental state. â€Å"She is dying piece-meal, of a sort of emotional anaemia†. In more specific term, anaemia is a condition in which red blood cells in your body are lacking, causing the sufferer to feel weak and tired. So that, in the poem the protagonist appears to feel totally tired of her position. The woman is also described as emotionally anaemic which suggests the death of the upper class. Stanza two introduces the â€Å"rabble† of the lower class. So, these three lines symbolise the dying aristocracy by the contrast to the â€Å"unkillable infants of the very poor†. For instance, the use of paradox in semiotic terms is stated in the forth stanza. Yet, the intensive desire of the lonely woman to speak to someone is morally and socially unacceptable for a woman of noble status to associate with anyone outside her own class. As far as the pragmatic interpretation is concerned, the poet came to evoke his hidden messages. The title itself â€Å"The Garden† may refer to the biblical belief â€Å"The Garden of Eden†. Furthermore, pound uses many words that have a hidden meaning such as† Anaemia† .This latter, suggests the death of the upper class. Moreover, in the third stanza the phrase â€Å"In her is the end of breeding† there’s a nice double meaning here. â€Å"The end of breeding† because she lacks the vitality to produce another generation, and so her class of people will die out, but also because she shows the result of elegance. The next line states that â€Å"They shall inherit the earth†. Here, the poet is referring to the fall of aristocracy in Britain at that time, when contrasted with the increase of the lower classes. Then, â€Å"The â€Å"exquisite and excessive† boredom is that carried by generation upon generation of women who are familiar with the sound of men’s hearts shattering† (Alexander) .So, the forth stanza handle the fear of the woman and therefore the indiscretion must be committed ‘I will commit that indiscretion’. To sum up, we may say that this poem is talking about a young woman who has been born into the wealth of society. And has grown up isolated from it. She  has absolutely everything and yet she longs for something more. She is bored of being proper and feels just like a shadow. For instance, the analysis of the poem into three different perspectives (semantic, semtiotic and pragmatic) allows us to go further in order to understand a poem from different angles. BIBLIOGRAPHIE Alexander, T. (n.d.). _Comment on Ezra Pound’s poem_. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/2260126-poetry-analysis-the-garden-by-ezra-pound Sarah, J. (Tuesday, March 1, 2011). _Talking about poems just for the pleasure of it._ Froula, Christine. A Guide to Ezra Pound’s Selected Poems. New York Doubleday & Co., Inc.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Ferrero Rocher Essay

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided byn For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www. emeraldinsight. com/authors for more information. About Emerald www. emeraldinsight. com With over forty years’ experience, Emerald Group Service managers are challenged to effectively shape work environments so that customer-contact employees willingly deliver outstanding customer service. Retail and service firms attempt to â€Å"control† customer-contact employees by monitoring and rewarding input processes, job processes, and by shaping the desired outcomes (Babin and Boles, 1996; Lusch and Jaworski, 1991; Jaworski, 1988). The amount and types of training received by a customercontact employee represent input controls. Process controls include managers’ everyday prioritization, or commitment to excellent service quality. Output controls generally include attempts at shaping behavior through extrinsic rewards, including pay, and by producing a more empathetic work environment. The research described in this paper explores the mechanisms shaping service employee performance. First, the relative effectiveness that different control processes have in shaping quality service performance is examined. In doing so, two key prosocial employee behaviors represent performance: role-prescribed and extra-role performance (Brief and Motowildo, 1986; Organ, 1988; Katz and Kahn, 1978). Role-prescribed behavior refers to normal activities associated with fulfilling customer requests and handling service failures. Extra-role performance refers to unprompted or unsolicited acts performed over and above the normal procedures called for to create customer The research register for this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregisters Abstract Which type of managerial control makes bank contact employees more likely to perform so called prosocial behavior toward their customers (i. e. ehaviors which contribute to the bank’s positive image, perceived good service and customers’ satisfaction)? Four types of formal controls are considered here: training, behavioral control, pay administration and managerial orientation. An empirical study performed in six branches of a charter bank shows that pay management has the strongest effect on service employee prosocial behavior. Training also affects prosocial behavior significantly, but not a s strongly as does perceived pay fairness. In addition it is shown that pay is the primary contributor to these employees’ perceived workplace fairness. satisfaction. Second, the mechanism by which these control processes affect these behaviors is explored. Specifically, the roles played by customer-contact employees’ perceptions of training, specific process controls and their pay are explored in relation to their perceptions of workplace equity and their eventual role-prescribed and extra-role behaviors. The results contribute by providing insight into the relative effectiveness of various controls in shaping desirable employee attitudes and behaviors. For instance, the efficacy of control through pay management is examined relative to more eloquent control approaches.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Value Drivers Of The Pharmaceutical Industry Essays

Value Drivers Of The Pharmaceutical Industry Essays Value Drivers Of The Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Value Drivers Of The Pharmaceutical Industry Essay The size of the global pharmaceutical industry was estimated at US$362.8 billion (December 2000) with North America being the largest market (44%), followed by Europe (24%), Latin America (6%) and Asia, Africa and Australia having a combined share of 26%. With a size of Rs. 231 billion in FY2001, and growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 17% per annum, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest among developing countries. It contributes 8% in volume terms but only 1% in value terms to global pharmaceutical sales. The domestic companies meet about 90% of the countrys total bulk drugs requirement and almost the entire demand for formulations. There are over 20,000 players in the industry, with a large number of them involved in the production of unbranded products. The structure of the Indian pharmaceutical industry (as that of its global counterpart) is characterized by fragmentation, with over 20,000 players-a large number of which are in the small-scale sector, competing for market share. However, a trend of consolidation is visible at the top with the 5 players in the Indian pharmaceutical industry account for 22% of the retail formulations market. Evolution. The evolution of the Indian pharmaceutical industry can be explained in terms of six broad phases, as discussed here. Period up to 1947 The industry was almost non-existent in this period and despite the existent need, demand was limited due to low-income levels and lack of access to medicines. 1947-1970 In 1954, Government established Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), followed by Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) in 1961. These companies emerged as major producers of critical drugs such as penicillin and other anti-infectives. The Government also provided incentives to multinational companies so that they were encouraged to set up manufacturing bases in India. 1970-1979 In 1970, two major policy initiatives were taken by the Indian Government to strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical industry. Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) was issued to control the prices of drugs and make them affordable to consumers and Indian Patent Act was enacted to provide legal recognition to process patents for pharmaceutical products. The Government also provided incentives to small-scale pharmaceutical units which led to the surfacing of many such units in the formulations segment, where technology was not the most important criteria. 1979-1995 Government made amendments to the DPCO in 1979 reducing the number of drugs under DPCO from 347 to 163. Moreover, higher margins were permitted on the production cost. Further, the export incentives and the advantage of low production costs combined to provide a substantial boost to exports (especially of bulk drugs). The DPCO was again amended in 1987, resulting in a reduction in the number of drugs under price control from 163 to 146. 1995-2001 Government reduced the number of drugs under DPCO further from 146 to 74. It also signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and was expected to introduce the system of product patents (as opposed to process patents) and provide legal protection to Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The signing of the GATT induced a series of changes in the business strategy of the existing pharmaceutical companies. The focus of the companies shifted, and research emerged as the inevitable driver of long-term growth. A large number of companies underwent restructuring and quite a few mergers and acquisitions were witnessed; consolidation at all levels in the industry-brands, assets and acquisition of companies-took place. The move also augmented the interest of multinationals in India. During 2001, at the Ministerial Conference held at Doha (Oman), a declaration on Public Health was signed by the member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO the successor to GATT). This declaration clarifies that the TRIPS agreement would not prevent WTO members from taking measures to protect public health and provides them the right to determine what constitutes a national emergency or circumstances of extreme urgency. The WTO members would be allowed to determine the grounds on which such licences are granted and grant such compulsory licences. 2002 Pharmaceutical Policy 2002 was announced, wherein the number of drugs under price control has been reduced from 74 (under DPCO 95). Also, both the houses of Parliament have recently cleared the Patents Amendment Act, 2002. The main features of this Act are the extension of patent term to 20 years from the date of application, incorporation of a provision relating to right of import and changes in the provisions relating to compulsory licensing. High Cost Process with Long Time Lead The average length of time required to develop a drug is estimated at 12-15 years, increasing over the years, mainly because of the tightening of the regulations associated with drug approval in different countries. The rate of failure is relatively high. Typically, out of 10,000 compounds synthesised, only around 20 reach the animal testing stage. Of these 20, only around 10 reach clinical trials, and finally, just about one attains the approval of the drug regulatory authorities. Moreover, only around three out of every 10-drug products recover their RD costs. Therefore, companies have to rely on highly successful products to fund their RD activities. Clinical trials account for about half the total time involved in new drug discovery. This phase is of crucial importance and over 40% of the total cost is incurred in this phase. Growth pattern of the sector Growth in the pharmaceutical industry is linked to the introduction of new drugs and increase in prices, among other factors. It is characterized by relative immunity to economic cycles in the short to medium term. However, extreme situations like prolonged recession may affect the growth rate of the industry. The size of a pharmaceutical market increases as a result of various factors, the most prominent among which are discussed here. * Increase in prices: Demand is relatively price- insensitive implying that the market size increases along with an increase in prices. * Increase in volume: With the demographic profile changing following the increase in the number of people in the old age segment, the volume of sales of pharmaceutical products is also expected to increase. * New product introduction: A new product broadens the existing market in terms of its reach and drive growth in the following manner: o Drugs that serve unmet needs for a relatively small patient base. The selling expenses for these drugs are also lower as they are cheaper to launch than blockbusters. o Drugs that increase demand in existing markets o Drugs that create demand for products that did not exist earlier: A recent example of this is Pfizers Viagra. Declining Share of Multinationals Initially, Government policies for the pharmaceutical sector encouraged multinational companies to establish manufacturing bases in India, leading to the dominant control of the Indian pharmaceutical market by these MNCs (market share of over 80% ). With the introduction of the Indian Patents Act and the Drug Price Control Order in 1970, Indian players discovered new avenues of growth, and consequently, the share of the multinationals declined. The Patent Act, 1970, provided opportunity to Indian players by allowing reverse process engineering of known molecules (under and off patent). Thus, the multinationals felt discouraged to introduce their latest products in the Indian market even as the Indian companies increasingly took up the manufacturing of formulations. Cost structure. The three important cost heads for the Indian pharmaceutical industry are: material costs; marketing selling costs; and employee costs. This is in contrast to the cost structure of the global majors, for whom the key costs are: selling costs, general and administration costs; manufacturing costs; and RD expenses. The companies that are present The Indian pharmaceutical industry, estimated at Rs 231 billion, is the fourth largest in the world in terms of volumes. The industry has been growing at a CAGR of 17% over the last 5 years. The industry has around 20,000 players and is characterized by an increasing concentration at the top. It is this segment that we are analyzing in the project. Hence, Large Indian companies like Ranbaxy, DRL etc who are members of both the OPPI and the IDMA will form the basis of our study. There is also a large segment of unbranded drugs in the market. The introduction of regulatory norms by the Government of India favoring process patents coupled with the high import tariff and low prices of the domestic drugs has gone a long way in the development of the domestic industry against the multinationals operating in the country. Today, India is not only self sufficient in drugs and formulations, we also export to different countries in Europe and North America.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Electron Capture Definition

Electron Capture Definition Electron capture is a type of radioactive decay where the nucleus of an atom absorbs a K or L shell electron and converts a proton into a neutron. This process reduces the atomic number by 1 and emits gamma radiation or an x-ray and a neutrino.The decay scheme for electron capture is:ZXA e- → ZYA-1 ÃŽ ½ ÃŽ ³whereZ is the atomic massA is atomic numberX is the parent elementY is daughter elemente- is an electronÃŽ ½ is a neutrinoÃŽ ³ is a gamma photon Also Known As: EC, K-capture (if K shell electron is captured), L-capture (if L shell electron is captured) Example Nitrogen-13 decays to Carbon-13 by electron capture.13N7 e- → 13C6 ÃŽ ½ ÃŽ ³ History Gian-Carlo Wick proposed the theory of electron capture in 1934. Luis Alvarez was the first to observe K-electron capture in the isotope vanadium-48. Alvarez reported his observation in Physical Review in 1937.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Treaty of Waitangi (Maori dimensions) Assignment

The Treaty of Waitangi (Maori dimensions) - Assignment Example The treaty did not form a part of the constitution. It was primarily a statement of principle which was build over the consent of the British officials and Maori chiefs with an agreement of formation of new government in New Zealand to address the pressing new circumstances. As the treat was not drafted it was primarily a promise in-between the concerned parties. The Treaty got three versions. As per the English version the Maori gave the restricted right to the Crown to buy the land which they only wish to sell and in favor of that they would be entitled to the British nationality or British Subject. The treaty in Maori was supposed to convey the similar meaning but there was a reasonable difference since the word â€Å"sovereignty† was deciphered as governance. For the Maori settlers it pertained the meaning that though that, â€Å"they were giving up the government over their lands but retaining the right to manage  their own affairs† (New Zealand History Online, 2 012). The Waitangi Sheet (Archives New Zealand, n.d.) As per the English version, the treaty assured that ‘undisputed possession of all the properties’ whereas the Maori version guaranteed ‘full authority over treasures which can be intangible’. Soon after a debate arouse over the discrepancy of the matter of fact. The British entered into the treaty with a view to take over the land of New Zealand and establish British colony. Soon after the treaty the British followed a land acquisition of Maoris’ which resulted into the alienation of the environmental resources without the consent of the inhabitants. Several grievances were made from Maoris’ in this regard. During 1985 the tribunal considered the Crown act and addressed the grievance of Maoris’. By 2010, as per the legislation, it became a mandate for the settlement of the claims of the Maoris’. The settlement made was in regards to compensation of the exploitation made of the environmental resources. Settlement followed in regards of the environmental legislation as per Resource Management Act, Conservation Act, Environment Act, Fisheries Act, Bio Security Act and Hazardous Substance and New Organism Act (Principles of the Treaty, 2002). Environmental management indicates the minimization of the indisposed impact and improving the environmental performances. Environment is the integral part of the society where people live in. The preservation of the same is the utmost responsibility of the human beings. But with the changing dimensions we the people, directly or indirectly, become responsible for the exploitation of the environment. For fulfilling this objective five guiding principles have been framed which will ensure the protection of the environment. These principles integrate environmental concerns with assessment making. They can also be used as a strategy which will serve the purpose of environmental instruments objected to protect the environme nt from hazards and exploitation. The five guiding principles are depicted the below flow chart. The Polluter pays Principle(PPP) stated that the polluter has to bear the cost of disobeying the environmental standards as per the predetermined principle of the public authorities. The primary objective of the PPP was encouragment of more productivity. It promoted the economic efficiency by application of the of pollulation control measures. It also aimed at the reduction of the prospective trade alteration arriving from environmental policies. The