Culture debasing Essay

The mass media is constantly around us, through newspapers and magazines, the internet, television and film etc. these are used by us everyday in our spare time and academic work. So are we influenced by this form of secondary socialisation in our lives to create a ‘mass culture’? And does this ‘mass culture’ debase ‘ordinary culture’? In this essay I will use secondary research and my own opinion to answer this question. The media itself plays a big part in creating images through the way they report and advertise consumer products and moral panics. I feel that the type of media presentation demonstrated influences different subcultures into believing that what they are seeing is true, hence the change in their attitudes to different topics, music and fashion. Especially young people today can be nai ve and believe everything they see or hear on television or the internet, which could cause primary socialisation to change for the children, because of these views. This ‘mass culture’, I believe could destroy and make an ‘ordinary culture’ into extinction through too much influence of â€Å"babble† and consumer products on television. Although you could ask what is ordinary and normal? Normal does not have a clear definition; as no one is completely normal, but ordinary seems to be defined as routine or customary, so an ‘ordinary culture’ is considered the norm way of living. So what is mass culture? An extra- ordinary way people live, or is it a negative perception of some people’s choice of life? By using the textbook ‘seventh edition Sociology Themes and Perspectives’. I found that the â€Å"development of the media was debasing the culture of ordinary people, which could cause problems for western societies†. This comment could back up my opinion of a negative effect of media through a mass culture which could destroy the traditional thoughts and practices of western life. Dwight Macdonald had a theory about mass culture. He claimed that mass culture was very different from high culture and folk art. He states that mass culture is standardized and a commercial kitsch (popular culture which could be considered worthless) used by business to create a profit. This shows that Macdonald as well as I believe that mass culture is â€Å"kitsch†- worthless babble used to sell products, which also influences or â€Å"brainwashes† people into believing that anything merchandised is right or â€Å"sick† as teenagers of today say. Dwight also stated that mass culture takes ‘less mental effort’ and that it ‘tended to undermine high culture’. So basically he is saying that mass culture is maybe for a different class of person.

Guidelines For Assignment

Define Organizational Culture What Is meant by Organizational Culture? Characteristics of Organizational Culture ? Positive (good) and Negative (bad) Provide relevant examples Research can be done by referring to similar researches that were conducted previously. The sources of references can be obtained from books, Journals, magazines or newspapers. Related research materials such as graphs, charts or pictures can also be used to support a statement. Students are also encouraged to give their opinions and their own understanding of the research topic.Provide examples of outcomes from previous researches (done by another searcher) regarding topics that are similar or almost similar. – relationship between Organizational Culture and the success or failure of an organization. Gather the information needed from books, magazines, newspapers or Journals relevant to the topic being discussed. From the gathered information, identify how elements of Organizational Culture affect the s uccess or failure of an organization. Provide examples. 1 State the outcome of the research based on the gathered Information.Relate between the theories learned with the real situation. Is It true Organizational Culture Is a factor that determines the success and failure of an organization? Yes or No Provide a conclusion from the overall research and give your suggestions for the development of a better Organizational Culture to enhance the success of the organization. Format for preparing the assignment: Paper Use Ã'›white-bond† quality paper Paper size : AAA (210 mm x 297 mm) Paper weight : 80 MGM Method of typing The text should be typed on one side of the page only.For text : black-colored ribbon or ink cartridge that produces an even black color. For diagrams, tables and charts : black or colored ink. Line Spacing For text : double-spacing For references (refer vii), appendices and tables: single-spacing Font Times New Roman Size: 12 2 Margin Left margin : at least 4. 0 CM (1. 5†³) Top, bottom and right margin : 2. 5 CM (1. 0†³) Section New major sections must begin on a new page. A new paragraph must begin with a Ã'›tab† from the left margin. V) Page numbering Excerpts, references, appendices and tables a) In the text.If an excerpt is taken from a reference material, the reference must be stated. Ex : Stoner and Yankee define strategy as, â€Å"†¦ The broad program for defining and achieving an organization†s objectives; the organization†s response to its environment over time. † (Stoner and Yankee, 1986) b) List of References At the end of the assignments, all references or bibliography must be stated in alphabetical order according to the name of the author. Book:Name of author.

Prescription Drug Abuse on Teenagers Research Paper

Prescription Drug Abuse on Teenagers - Research Paper Example Since most of the teens tend to avoid reality in life, they take these drugs in order to control their moods, feelings and mental status. Teenagers have become familiar with the names of the brands of numerous prescription drugs and are in fact able to explain the effects that specific drugs have on them. The disadvantage with taking prescription drugs is that they change one’s state of the mind in a harmful manner. For instance, teenagers who take barbiturates tend to engage in socially unacceptable behavior such as stealing. A survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2004 indicated that overall drug abuse by teens had decreased but abuse of prescription drugs indicated an increase. Pain killers are among the most commonly used prescription drugs by the teenagers. Prescription drugs have remained popular in the US because even without the prescription of the doctor there are a big numbers of those using these drugs. Prescription drugs are perceived by teena gers as milder in effect, less costly and safer than hard drugs. They are hence perceived to be better evil compared to hard drugs found in the streets such as marijuana. In most cases, teenagers use prescription drugs in order to get high which is an important feeling when identifying with fellow friends. Apart from getting high, prescription drugs are used by teens to increase concentration or alertness and to reduce pain or anxiety. Since prescription drugs are taken under doctor’s prescription, teenagers do not experience a lot of stigmatization when they are known to use them by their peers or superior others.

Essay1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Essay1 - Assignment Example hildhood innocence, where innocence is good, because it can lead to courageous acts and improve knowledge through curiosity, but Potter asserts that innocence is also bad, when children go against social norms, and so they deserve punishment too; furthermore, Carrolls children characters are innocent in a good, lovable way, where they simply lack knowledge and enjoy silliness, but Potters children characters are more arrogant and foolish, and they would not have escaped dire consequences without pure luck. Carrolls and Potters plots demonstrate the cultural power of the established mythology of childhood innocence, where innocence is good, because it can lead to courageous acts and learning. Alice is innocent enough to not think of the dangers of her choices. She is bored sitting with her sister, and when she sees a white rabbit, she follows it at once: â€Å"...but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on...† (Carroll Chapter 1). Alice even jumps into the rabbit hole, without thinking of how it may endanger her. She just wants to â€Å"jump† into something new so badly, she would rather experience it first. The same also happens to Potters Peter Rabbit. His mother already forewarns her children to not go to McGregors garden, but curiosity makes Peter brave. He dashes to the garden and enjoys several treats. Truly, curiosity can push bravery, which motivates children to be desirous of new experiences. After coming from a mad tea party, Alice sees a door with a tree. She decides to enter a new phase of her adventure, even if much of her adventure has been quite odd. She thinks that the Hatters tea party is the silliest of all parties, but she tells herself: â€Å"But everythings curious today. I think I may as well go in at once† (Carroll 7). Benjamin Bunny is also curious of experiencing the garden for himself. He wants to follow his fathers footsteps, even though he does not know the precautions that

Bio 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bio 101 - Essay Example Not only is fast food prepared quickly, but it is also available easily on every busy street corner and in various fast food restaurants and fast food outlets in abundance. Moreover, it more than satisfies a â€Å"hungry man’s appetite†. More than a necessity, fast food has become a social and cultural standard. Originating from the West, the fast food trend has expanded and spread in all countries of the world as a new fashion or a new social standard. However, the negative aspects of fast food are many. Even before the health aspects are considered, there are a number of social stigmas attached to the trend of fast food. The concept of meal preparation in the home is not as prominent as it previously was. This tends to reduce the bonding between families of cooking and eating together. It also means that mothers who used to pass on their cooking skills to their daughters do not find time to do so anymore or do not find it as important. Moreover, this fast food trend has put a few large corporations in power and destroyed the local food industry of countries. These large corporations hire unskilled workers in Third World countries and offer them low wages which leads to the exploitation of workers in these countries; while these corporations make large profits. These are only a few of the social problems caused by the trend of fast food. The health stigmas are far more dangerous and harmful. Fast food is one of the main factors causing obesity in adolescents in countries all over the world. Since fast food outlets are located close to schools and colleges, adolescents tend to skip breakfast and indulge in the intake of fast food all day resulting in the intake of an excessive amount of calories which cause obesity (Richardson, 2006). Moreover, greasy fast food is known to cause high cholesterol which is a cause for high blood pressure and heart disease. Mothers were not wrong when

Ethic management Discussion Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethic management Discussion Question - Essay Example Deciding whose life to trade in exchange for who's is inherently an unethical decision to make. It requires placing a higher value on certain lives and lower value on others based on immutable characteristics of those individuals, such as age, gender and station in life. If acting ethically essentially means doing the right thing, there is really no right choice to make in the nuclear fallout shelter exercise. The best one can hope to do in this exercise is to make a utilitarian decision based on who is most likely to live the greatest number of years with greatest quality of life. Yet that basis for a determination is itself unethical because a human life with only a year remaining is arguably no less valuable than one that has just begun. Thus, the exercise presents a true ethical dilemma. Nevertheless, if forced to make a utilitarian determination of who should be allowed into the fallout shelter, a decision in favor of the pregnant college student and the female child seems to be a no-brainer. The pregnant college student gives you a two-for-one benefit, essentially allowing the decision maker to save five people rather than just four. And the child is the only child among the candidates.

Wellness,Fitness & longevity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wellness,Fitness & longevity - Assignment Example This, coupled with the fact that exercise helps one in maintaining proper body weight and thus avoid the diseases associated with obesity, makes it very easy to understand the importance of a physically active lifestyle. However, exercise is often confused with the term physical activity. One needs to understand that a difference in intensity is what distinguishes the two terms. While exercises are usually vigorous, physical exercises are rather moderate or less intense. An easy way to explain this would be to state the idea that moderate physical activities are the ones during which one can talk without losing their breath. For example, brisk walk and performing waltz are considered as moderate physical activities while in contrast, jogging and aerobics are typical kinds of vigorous exercise (Powers et al, 2003). The guidelines of the amount of physical activity needed by individuals differ with the age group. While children are advised a minimum of an hour long physical activities on a daily basis, young adults are expected to at least perform upto 150 minutes of moderate activities per week (Brown et al, 2010). The guidelines for older adults may go the same way as for the younger ones but their choice of the possible activities is limited due to the aging factor. The 150 minutes per week guideline, but with the activities spread throughout the week, is also advised for women during their pregnancy and postpartum period (Brown et al, 2010). These discussed guidelines were developed after an extensive analysis of scientific research was conducted by the concerned authorities. The purpose of developing them was to help people adopt a healthier lifestyle. Along with the guidelines, another set of comprehensive strategies and practices called the National Physical Activity Plan has also been developed (Brown, Heath & Martin, 2010). It has also helped set objectives related to health for a period of ten years; the most recent one was launched

Vitamin B12 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vitamin B12 - Research Paper Example B12 is also known as coblamin, and the human body has large reserves of this type of vitamin inside it .The absorption of this vitamin is made possible through distil ileum; however the absorption depends on several factors, one of them is stomach, while the other is R binding factor. It is the only existent metabolite that contains cobalt. They are responsible for proper growth since they are cofactors in number of enzymes. Vitamin B12 helps in maturation of Deoxyribonucleic acid and is responsible for the proper working of both white blood cells and red blood cells. Mostly found in animal products, and are synthesized only by micro organisms. Very human body contains large reserve pool. It is primarily stored in the liver. It helps avoiding the heart diseases to large extent by keeping the blood level of amino acid homocysteine low. In elder age it helps preventing many diseases and problems (John.N.Hathcock, 2004). Vitamin B12 is found richly in meat, fish, cereals, eggs and other dairy foods. Coblamin is the largest and most complex vitamin. They are mostly manufactured by bacteria and found naturally in animal products, however, synthetic forms are widely available and added to many foods .They can be consumed in large doses because excess is excreted by the body or stored in the liver for use when supplies are scarce. Stores of B-12 can last for up to a year. Vitamin B12, along with vitamin B works to make our body’s building block D.N.A. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause many problems: in some cases the problems can lead to include anemia, while in others it can result in neural problems. It is essential for protecting the nerve cells from damage. Its deficiency is caused by mal absorption. Usage of vitamin b-12 in proper amount is very important, it can have serious negative repercussions incase it is taken excessively, it can have a negative impact on the nervous system, respiratory system, can result in hyperactivity. The following can result from

Course, Cause and Treatment of Bi-Polar disorder Research Paper

Course, Cause and Treatment of Bi-Polar disorder - Research Paper Example Course, Cause and Treatment of Bi-Polar disorder The symptoms that characterize the manic episode include elevated mood, hyperactivity that involves high levels of energy, lack of self control, flight of thoughts and grandiosity. During this stage the individual may have an inflated self-esteem and the individual becomes over-involved in activities; particularly, over-indulgence in sexual activity and promiscuity that can be seriously detrimental for the individual’s personal health and well-being. The individual may also get involved in other kinds of reckless behavior such as binge eating, drug abuse, impaired hindsight or judgment and may even shop excessively. Due to lack of self-control, the individual exhibits an irritable mood and is prone to lash out at other people; in other words, they lose their temper quite often that causes them to behave in a manner that has heavy and often debilitating consequences. They experience inability to concentrate on their work, as a result are easily distracted and may even have little or no need for sleep at all. On the other hand, the depressive phase has symptoms that are exactly the opposite of the manic phase and the symptoms are similar to that experienced by the sufferers of Major depressive disorder. The symptoms experienced during the depressive stage are low mood, anhedonia; which is complete lack of interest in activities that were previously found pleasurable, difficulty concentrating, faces problems in remembering things and indecisiveness. The individual faces gross psychomotor retardation; as his movements slows down, he or she may feel tired all the time and loses his or her self-esteem. The phase is characterized by crying spells, persistent sadness, negative thoughts; which are usually about death and suicidal ideation. (Moore & Jefferson, 2004) The individual’s social life is hampered as well and begins avoiding social situation. The individual experiences increased and often displaced amount of guilt along with feelings of worthlessness and dejection. The individual may either lose weight due to lack of appetite; however, in some cases the individual may indulge in binge eating and may gain excessive amount of weight that may result in obesity if the depression is not treated in time. The individual has sleep disturbances and like the eating disorder, he or she may either experience insomnia or hypersomnia that is the individual either sleeps too little or excessively. Either way, individuals are likely to commit suicide during the depressive and during the manic phase, they can do serious damage to their health by abusing drugs and alcohol or indulging in unsafe sexual activity. (Moore & Jefferson, 2004) The individual may experience these symptoms simultaneously or even these can overlap each other resulting in a state that is often called the â€Å"mixed state†. Throughout the course of the disorder, the individual may also have a phase, which is normal and may experience normal level of mood. However, before making the diagnosis that an individual suffers from bi-polar disorder, clinicians must rule the following disorders.

Rocky movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rocky - Movie Review Example He collects loans for a certain shark and also fights in the towns shady clubs where he is lowly paid. His success begins when a heavyweight champion Creed, selects him to be his opponent in a fight where Balboa gets a chance to prove that he is not worthless (Didinger, Glen & Gene 14-16). This is because he gets mocked a lot when he fights at the clubs. He loses the match but this does not deter him from trying more. Thus, he is not successful in job searching, which makes him decide to stick to boxing. While training under Mickey he improves his skills to a better boxer. Meanwhile, his opponent at the first match Creed is criticised by his fans. He is pressured to overcome his fight with Balboa which makes him taunt Rocky publicly. During their fifteenth round, Balboa knocks Creed and this makes him get declared heavyweight champion for the first time (Didinger, Glen & Gene 16). This makes Rocky famous and he appears in a number of television advertisements as well as programs. After the fight what follows is a stream of wins making him more famous than his earlier opponent. While preparing to retire from boxing, he is publicly challenged by the number one contender James â€Å"Clubber† Lang. This time round Rocky is not fit to fight as his trainer dies of heart attack during their second round where he loses to Lang. Surprisingly, Rocky’s old rival Creed becomes his trainer and during the third round, he knocks Lang out. Another contender Ivan Drago from USSR challenges him to an exhibition match which does not take place. Instead, they fight on Christmas day where rocky knocks him out some seconds to final round. After this fight, Balboa gets diagnosed with brain damage which makes him retire from fights. To add on this, he is bankrupt due to poor accounting of his fortune. This forces his family to return to their earlier neighbourhood. His son follows his footsteps in the ring

Quantitative Methods for Business Essay Example for Free

Quantitative Methods for Business Essay In January 2008, Northern Airlines merged with Southeast Airlines to create the fourth largest U.S. carrier. The new North-South Airline inherited both an aging fleet of Boeing 727-300 aircraft and Stephen Ruth. Stephen was a tough former secretary of the navy who stepped in as new president and chairman of the board. Stephen’s first concern in creating a financially solid company was maintenance costs. It was commonly surmised in the airline industry that maintenance costs rise with the age of the aircraft. He quickly noticed that historically there had been a significant difference in the reported B727-300 maintenance costs (from ATA Form 41’s) both in the airframe and engine areas between Northern Airlines and Southeast Airlines, with Southeast having the newer fleet. On February 12, 2008, Peg Jones, vice president for operation and maintenance, was called into Stephen’s office and asked to study the issue. Specifically, Stephen wanted to know whether the average fleet age was correlated to direct airframe maintenance costs, and whether there was a relationship between average fleet age and direct engine maintenance costs. Peg was to report back by February 26 with the answer, along with quantitative and graphical descriptions of the relationship. Peg’s first step was to have her staff construct the average age of Northern and Southeast B727-300 fleets, by quarter, since the introduction of that aircraft to service by each airline in late 1993 and early 1994. The average age of each fleet was calculated by first multiplying the total number of calendar days each aircraft had been in service at the pertinent point in time by the average daily utilization of the respective fleet to total fleet hours flown. The total fleet hours flown was then divided by the number of aircraft in service at that time, giving the age of the â€Å"average† aircraft in the fleet. The average utilization was found by taking the actual total fleet hours flown on September 30, 2007 form Northern and Southeast data, and dividing by the total days in service for all aircraft at that time. The average utilization for Southeast was 8.3 hours per day, and the average utilization for Northern was 8.7 hours per day. Because the available cost data were calculated for each yearly period ending at the end of the first quarter, average fleet age was calculated at the same points in time. The fleet data are shown in the following table. Airframe cost data and engine cost data are both shown paired with fleet average age in that table.

Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt

Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt Development and Evaluation of an Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt Extrusion Technology Manjeet B. Pimparade1, Anh Vo1, Abhijeet S. Maurya1, Joseph T. Morott1, Xin Feng1, Dong Wuk Kim1, Vijay I. Kulkarni1, Roshan Tiwari1, K. Vanaja2, Reena. Murthy2, H. N. Shivakumar2, D. Neupane3, S. R. Mishra3, S. N. Murthy1, Michael. A. Repka1,4* 1Department of Pharmaceutics Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA 2Institute for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Research, Bangalore, India 3Department of Physics, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA 4Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA *Address for correspondence: Michael A. Repka, D.D.S., Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Director, Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology School of Pharmacy The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 Abstract The main objective of this novel study was to develop chlorpheniramine maleate orally disintegrating films (ODF) using hot-melt extrusion technology and evaluate the characteristics of the formulation using in vitro and in vivo methods. Modified starch with glycerol was used as a polymer matrix for melt extrusion. Sweetening and saliva-simulating agents were incorporated to improve palatability and lower the disintegration time of film formulations. A standard screw configuration was applied, and the last zone of the barrel was opened to discharge water vapors, which helped to manufacture non-sticky, clear, and uniform films. The film formulations demonstrated rapid disintegration times (6-11 s) and more than 95% dissolution in 5 min. In addition, the films had characteristic mechanical properties that were helpful in handling and storage. An animal model was employed to determine the taste masking of melt-extruded films. The lead film formulation was subjected to a human panel for e valuation of extent of taste masking and disintegration. Keyword: Hot-melt extrusion, Orally disintegrating film, Taste-masking, Pediatric and geriatric, Modified starch, Human panel taste evaluation, Continuous manufacturing, Chlorpheniramine maleate Introduction It is estimated that 26-50% of the patient population find difficulty in swallowing tablets and hard gelatin capsules [1]. These patients mainly include the elderly who have difficulty taking conventional oral dosage forms because of hand tremors and dysphagia, and pediatric patients who are often fearful of taking solid oral dosage forms owing to their underdeveloped muscular and nervous systems [2]. In addition, patients who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, uncooperative, on reduced liquid-intake plans or nauseated, and travelers who may not have access to clean water also are candidates for ODFs [3, 4]. The traditional alternative to swallowing difficulties is formulating a drug substance in liquid dosage form. However, liquid dosage forms have several limitations, such as the need for measuring, bulkiness, physical, chemical, and microbial stability issues, spoilage, inaccurate dosing, and organoleptic properties of drug and drug formulations [5]. Conventional solid oral formulations contributed significantly to minimizing the shortcomings of liquid dosage forms. The crushing of tablets or opening of capsules is a straightforward way for patients or caregivers to lessen the swallowing difficulties. However, serious consequences may be associated with modified-release, enteric-coated, and cytotoxic or hormonal medicines, as these formulations are designed for special cases [6]. Moreover, European Medical Agency does not recommend the splitting or crushing of tablets because the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is not evenly distributed in the tablet [7, 8]. Thus, it is very convenient to develop a formulation that disintegrates in the oral cavity and eases the swallowing process. In recent years, fast disintegrating oral formulations established their importance in patient population suffering from dysphagia, stroke, thyroid disorder, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy [9]. Commercially available orodispersible tablets (ODT) and orodispersible films (ODF) are the most successful platforms for pharmaceutical product development. ODTs are solid oral dosage forms that disintegrate rapidly, typically within 30 s, with or without the administration of additional water [10]. They provided great comfort to patients with swallowing difficulties [11]. Despite the benefits of ODTs, there are some challenges in their processing and handling owing to their fragility and brittleness, which warrant special package for protection during storage and transportation [12]. The films are flexible and not as fragile as most ODTs. Hence, there is ease in transportation, consumer handling, and storage of ODFs. ODF can be defined as a dosage form that employs a water-soluble polymer (generally a hydrocolloid, which may be a bioadhesive polymer), which allows the dosage form to quickly wet, adhere, and dissolve to release the drug when placed on the tongue or in the oral cavity [5]. ODF alleviated patient discomforts associated with swallowing disabilities without compromising the therapeutic effect. In addition, it could ease the administration of drugs to pediatric patient population [13]. Moreover, ODF can be helpful in curtailing dose variations in younger patients, in whom liquid formulations are the most accepted way of drug delivery. Currently, solvent casting methods are commonly employed to produce ODFs, owing to its ease of production and low set up costs [14, 15]. Despite its wide application, products with batch-to-batch variation may be produced because of multiple steps involved in the production. In addition, air entrapment in the films is commonly observed in solvent casting methods, which leads to dose variations and inappropriate esthetic appearance of the product [15]. The use of large amounts of solvent is one of the biggest shortcomings of this method as solvent removal and disposal is a long and tedious process. Thus, it is very beneficial to develop a solvent-free, quick, and continuous process that could diminish the shortcomings of the current manufacturing method. Hot melt extrusion (HME) is a one-step, solvent-free continuous manufacturing process, which established itself in the pharmaceutical arena for the development of various solid oral formulations [16-25]. This technology involves the use of temperature and shear to process polymer blends and extrude them through a die of the desired design [26]. HME could be an effective alternative to the solvent casting method as it diminishes the inherent shortcomings, such as the use of solvents and problems involved in the mixing and drying steps. This ultimately makes HME process efficient and cost effective for patients [27, 28]. This study has three main objectives: to 1) develop a robust patient-friendly orally fast disintegrating film of chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM); 2) evaluate these formulations with different in vitro and in vivo techniques, and 3) demonstrate the feasibility of HME techniques for continuous manufacturing of ODF without the use of solvents. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published literature on the manufacturing of orally fast disintegrating formulations using HME technology and evaluation of films using in vitro and in vivo techniques. Materials and Methods 2.1. Materials CPM was purchased from MP Biomedicals, LLC (Solon, OH, USA). Lycoat RS 780 (modified starch) was supplied by Roquette America Inc. (Keokuk, IA, USA). Citric acid and glycerol were ordered from Fisher Scientific (Pittsburgh PA, USA). Magnasweet sample was gifted by Mafco worldwide LLC (Camden, NJ, USA). Sucralose was supplied by JK Sucralose Inc. (Edison, New Jersey, USA). 2.2. Thermal analysis Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies (Perkin Elmer Pyris 1, Shelton, CT, USA) were performed to estimate the thermal stability of the API and excipients during HME processing. Data were analyzed using Pyris software. The API excipients were heated from 30-160à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ at 20à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ /min. 2.3. Material preparation and blending CPM, citric acid, and Lycoat RS 780 were dry mixed at amounts outlined in Table 1 using a V-shell blender (GlobePharma, Maxiblend, New Brunswick, NJ, USA) after passing through an ASTM #30 mesh. The plasticizer (glycerol with dissolved sucralose and Magnasweet) was incorporated slowly into a high-shear mixer (Model RSI 3VG, Robot Coupe Industrial Division, Ridgeland, MS, USA) containing the previously mixed blend with all excipients and allowed to blend for 10 min. 2.4. Hot melt extrusion The blends were melt-extruded using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder (16 mm Prism EuroLab, ThermoFisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) at 30-50 rpm over a temperature range of 100-  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   110à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. A degassing port was introduced in the last zone of the barrel to release excess water vapor, which would otherwise produce unwanted bubbles in the films. Additionally, the film die was installed with preset thickness. The physical blend of the formulation was manually fed into the hopper, and the films were collected, wrapped in wax paper, sealed, and stored in polyethylene bags at 25à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ with 40% relative humidity. 2.5. Film characterizations 2.5.1 Film thickness and mechanical properties The mechanical properties of the films were evaluated using the TA.XTPlus texture analyzer equipped with 5 kg load cell (Texture Technologies, Scarsdale, NY, USA). The films were cut into dumbbell shaped specimens with a width and length of 1.55 and 15.5 mm, respectively, and placed longitudinally in tensile grip probe on the texture analyzer. The films were tested at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min and held between two clamps positioned at 5 mm. The results of film samples that broke at and not between the clamps were not included in the calculations. Each film formulation was measured with ten replicates [29]. The tensile strength (Ts) and percent elongation (%E) were calculated using the results from texture analyzer. Film thickness was measured using an electronic caliper (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) at different positions. 2.5.2 Disintegration test The film was cut into an appropriate size as per the dose (4 mg) and placed in a petri dish. Then, 100  µL artificial salivary media was added, and the time for complete disintegration of the film was recorded (n =10). 2.5.3 Surface pH of film The film was moistened using 5  µL water and a contact electrode touched the surface of the film (Oaktonà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ pH meter, Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA), followed by pH measurement (n=6) 2.6. Analytical method A Waters high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a Water 600 binary pump, Waters 2489 UV/detector, and Waters ® 717 plus autosampler (Waters Technologies Corporation, Milford, MA, USA), and a Phenomenex Luna 5  µm C18 (2) 250 x 4.6 mm column (Torrance, CA, USA) were used at a detection wavelength of 254 nm. The mobile phase consisted of 7.5 mM monobasic potassium phosphate in methanol and water at a ratio of 62.5:37.5 (v/v). The mobile phase flow rate was maintained at 1.0 mL/min, and an injection volume of 10 ÃŽÂ ¼L was used [30]. HPLC data were analyzed using Empower 2 software (Milford, MA, USA). 2.7. In vitro dissolution studies The films for dissolution studies were cut into sizes relative to the dose of CPM (4 mg). The drug profile was evaluated using a USP dissolution apparatus-I (Hanson SR8, Chatsworth, CA) maintained at 37  ± 0.5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ and having a shaft rotation speed of 100 rpm. The dissolution test was performed using 900 mL phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). The samples were withdrawn at 5, 10, and 30 min and analyzed using the HPLC- UV system. 2.8. X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) X-Ray diffraction (Bruker D8 Advance, Madison, MI, USA) was used to determine the physical state of the drug, excipients, and film formulations. The X-ray diffraction apparatus used CuK radiation at 40 mA, 40 kV, a scanning speed of 2à ¢- ¦/min, and diffraction angle (2ÃŽÂ ¸) range of 5-55. 2.9. Scanning electron Microscope (SEM) The surface morphology of the films was evaluated using SEM analysis. The samples were mounted on adhesive carbon pads placed on aluminum and sputter coated with gold using a Hummer sputtering system (Anatech Ltd, Springfield, VA, USA) in a high vacuum evaporator. A JEOL JSM-5600 SEM operating at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV was used for imaging. 2.10. In vivo taste evaluation Twenty-one naÃÆ' ¯ve adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (175-200 g) were ordered from Harlan Laboratories (Houston, TX, USA) for the study. The rats were housed in Plexiglass cages with Corncob bedding in a vivarium that maintained a 12 h light/dark cycle and an ambient temperature of ~22à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. Food and water were available without any restriction, except during the training and taste evaluation experiments as mentioned below (2.10.1). All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at The University of Mississippi, University, USA (protocol no. 15-026). This study was performed as per the procedure in our previous publication on taste assessment method for bitter drugs [31]. 2.10.1. Training paradigm The rats were trained for licking behavior (response to thirst) by depriving them of water for 22 h, but they had ad libitum access to food. After the water deprivation period, the Plexiglass cage was divided using plastic transparent dividers to provide an individual water bottle to each animal. Eventually, the rats were provided with graduated water bottle for 30 min, and the amount consumed at 15 and 30 min were recorded. This training paradigm was performed for 2 days before the taste evaluation experiment. 2.10.2. Evaluation of bitterness sensitivity of rats To determine the concentration of CPM for this study, a sensitivity test for bitterness was performed in rats. After depriving the rats of water for 22 h, sensitivity toward 0.5 mg/mL CPM solution was evaluated on the first day, followed by a washout period of 24 h. Subsequently, the effect of 1 mg/mL CPM solution was examined, and the results were recorded. 2.10.3. Experiment The experiment was performed for 30 min with 30 mL test formulation following the 22 h water deprivation period. After each experiment, the rats had a washout period of 24 h to avoid any memory of the taste of the previous formulation. The rats had ad libitum access to food during the experiment and washout period. The amount of solution remaining at 15 and 30 min was noted and subtracted from the original test volume. Varying results caused by spilling of the test solution while measuring or leaking of bottle knob were omitted from the study. Notably, animal behavior responses such as jaw smacking, oral grooming, and retreating were observed, which was not the focus of this study. Formulations N2, N7, and N9 at 0.5 mg/mL CPM were used for bitterness evaluation study in rat model. The average amount of solution consumed by all animals was calculated and expressed as the mean standard deviation. The mean scores between the physical mixture and formulation were compared using a student t-test at 95% confidence level and P 2.11. Film evaluation by human panel The evaluation of film for palatability, disintegration time (DT), and organoleptic characteristics was performed at the Institute for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Research, Bangalore India (Protocol number VIPS/2013/12). The subjects were recruited after obtaining informed consent. This study is also in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki). The experimental procedure for this study was as per our previously published work [10, 32]. 2.11.1. Human subject selection criteria Six human subjects belonging to either sex were recruited. They were asked to abstain from coffee/tea and other beverages for 12 h. The subjects were allowed to drink only water for 12 h. Moreover, they were asked not to eat chocolates or other candies for over 6 h. The inclusion criterion was healthy human subjects aged 18-42 years, and the exclusion criteria were subjects suffering from fever, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, cold, nose block, and wounds as well as smokers.   2.11.2. Data collection Before data collection, the subjects were asked to wash their mouth with water at ambient temperature. The surface temperature of the tongue was recorded using an infrared (IR) thermometer, and a difference of  ±5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ relative to the body temperature was considered an exclusion criteria. 2.11.2.1. Bitterness perception The subjects were asked to taste aqueous solutions of CPM, beginning with very dilute solutions and progressing to higher concentrations, by placing 2 mL solution for 30 s on the tongue/buccal cavity. The concentrations screened were 0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 4 mg. The volunteers were asked to report the perception each time: 1- I feel bitter taste, 2- I feel something but cannot identify the taste, and 3-I do not feel the taste. The subjects who reported 2 or 3 were asked to taste higher concentrations of the solution until they expressed perception 1. This was recorded as the threshold for an individual. For individuals who reported a score of 1, at least 1/5th the drug concentration of the actual dose was only allowed for testing the products. A few high concentration API solutions above the individuals perception threshold were made for tasting, and the subjects were subsequently asked to provide a score for each solution (Table 3). The highest concentration of the solution contained C PM equivalent to the dose present in the products tested. The scoring pattern followed was according to modified hedonic scale: 0-no taste, 1- taste something (threshold), 2-slightly bitter, 3-moderately bitter, 4-bitter, and 5-strongly bitter. 2.11.2.2. Formulation evaluation and data analysis A washout interval of 12-24 h was allowed after screening the standard solution. The individuals were asked to taste the products (physical mixture or ODF) randomly (blinded) and score the product. The products were placed on the tongue/buccal cavity for 30-40 s, and the subjects were asked to score the bitterness on a scale of 0-5 for each product. Moreover, volunteers were asked to report the time for complete disintegration of the film. Sufficient washout time was allowed between the products, and the volunteers were allowed to drink copious amounts of water after tasting each product. The average of the scores given by all individuals were taken and expressed as the mean standard deviation. The mean scores between the physical mixture and formulation were compared using a student t-test at 95% confidence level, and P Results and Discussion 3.1. Preparation of hot-melt extruded film Modified starch is very difficult to extrude because of its high glass transition temperature. Thus, there is a need to introduce a plasticizer during extrusion, which could reduce the melt viscosity and increase the free volume of starch chains. For this study, glycerin was used as a plasticizer in different proportions, and it exhibited excellent extrudability with significantly lower torque (4.8-7.2 Nm) values than typically encountered. The barrel design was modified with a degassing port to remove excess amount of water vapor from the molten mass. Initial studies without a degassing port demonstrated the presence of bubbles as well as unequal distribution of drug in the film samples. Standard screw configuration (Figure 1) with three mixing zones was utilized for this study. It provided enough shear for dispersive and distributive mixing of the drug and helped get excellent content uniformity in all the extruded film formulations. The extruded films were stretched using the roll connected to the extruder assembly. This aided in making thin films with uniform thickness, and the roll speed was optimized for steady collection of the film. The combination of processing and formulation parameters helped to manufacture uniform, clear, and very thin films (60-110  µm) using melt extruder. 3.2. Physiochemical evaluation of films TGA is very critical before performing HME because the drug and excipients are exposed to high temperature during the extrusion process, and there are possibilities of drug degradation or thermally-induced chemical reactions or both [16]. The TGA results (Figure 2) specified that API, polymer, and excipients were chemically stable in the HME processing temperature range. Lycoat RS 780 demonstrated a loss of weight (33]. XRD was used to investigate the physical state of the drug after HME process. The XRD results (Figure 3a 3b) of CPM illustrated prominent peaks at 2ÃŽÂ ¸ angles of approximately 13, 19, and 20 degrees, while citric acid showed peaks at 2ÃŽÂ ¸ angles of 18, 19, and 26. The melt-extruded formulation did not show any peak that confirmed the presence of drug in an amorphous form. The reasons behind the complete conversion of drug to an amorphous form were the high shear during extrusion, low drug load, and relatively high amounts of glycerin. The presence of CPM and excipients in an amorphous form aided the flexibility and clear appearance of the film. 3.3. Dissolution studies Lycoat RS 780 is a comparatively new modified starch-based polymer, which demonstrated its significance in film coating for tablets and oral film development using solvent casting method [34, 35]. Being a non-gelling and highly water-soluble polymer, it provides rapid disintegration and dissolution to formulations. Visual inspection during dissolution demonstrated rapid disintegration of the film when it touched the dissolution media. This characteristic helps in the rapid onset of action of the formulation, because the drug can diffuse from the oral mucosa and reach the systemic circulation [36]. During dissolution studies, the formulations rapidly release CPM, and it was attributed to hydrophilic excipients and Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class I drug. These films had very low thickness (60-110  µm) and higher surface area, which enabled interaction with dissolution media and rapid disintegration following complete dissolution. Dissolution results (Figure 4a 4b) showed ~95% drug release in the first 5 min of the dissolution experiment, and at 10-min time points, there was complete release of the drug. 3.4. SEM evaluation The surface morphology was examined by SEM for all film formulations. SEM images did not exhibit CPM crystals, indicating an amorphous nature of drug in formulations (Figure 5). The formulations showed very smooth surface at low magnification. This affirmed the smooth texture of film surface, which is one of the esthetic attributes of films. However, at microscopic level, there was high surface area, which helped in the rapid disintegration of the film. 3.5. Film characterizations As illustrated in Table 2, the film formulations demonstrated excellent D.T of 6-11 s, which was attributed to the thickness of the film and presence of water-soluble materials in the film. The formulations contained water-soluble excipients and APIs such as CPM, citric acid, glycerin, and modified starch. The most crucial parameter for disintegration is the low thickness of the film. As the films had a thickness range of 60-110  µm, they aided in the faster disintegration of all film formulations. In addition to the low thickness of the film, the amount of saliva in the oral cavity is very critical for rapid disintegration. The normal flow of saliva in a healthy person is 0.34 mL/min, and it can be increased by the addition of agents that simulate salivary production, including citric, malic, lactic, ascorbic, and tartaric acids [14]. Citric acid is the most preferred saliva-stimulating agent, and it was estimated that citric acid could increase salivary flow approximately 5- fold in 2-6% proportion in the formulation [14]. With the addition of citric acid, the pH of the films was found to be in the range of 2.9-3.4 and it could contribute in improving rate of salivary flow after administration of formulation which will aid in rapid disintegration of film product. All the film formulations were tested for their Ts and %E (Table 2). Ideally, the film should have desirable mechanical properties so that it can remain intact during handling and transport. ODFs showed appropriate strength and %E. These excellent mechanical properties were attributed to the presence of glycerol, citric acid, and CPM, which reduced film stiffness via disruption of intermolecular forces of the polymer owing to the accommodation of these compounds between the strands, thereby providing elasticity to the films [37, 38]. 3.6. In vivo taste evolution Firstly, the taste perception of rats was evaluated by administering 0.5 and 1 mg/mL CPM dissolved in distilled water. These results were important to avoid taste variability between animals (Figure 6), and showed that the rats consumed ~10 and ~14 mL of water in 15 and 30 min, respectively. The results of this study were comparable with those of the study published by Tiwari et.al. Thus, the rate and extent of consumption of water were reduced significantly to ~3 and ~5 mL in 15 and 30 min with the administration of 0.5 mg/mL CPM solution. At a higher concentration of 1 mg/mL, there was notable reduction in consumption of water to ~1.6 and ~2 mL at 15 and 30 min. Notably, this reduction in consumption of CPM solution despite deprivation of water for 22 h affirmed an aversion toward CPM. Moreover, aversion behaviors (Figure 7), such as jaw smacking, oral grooming, nose wrinkle, paw wipe, forelimb flail, head shake, paw shakes, and retreating confirmed the dislike of rats toward the d rug solution [39]. As illustrated in Figure 6, the rats consumed ~10 and 12.5 mL of N 2 solution (5% CPM in the film) in the first 15 and 30 min, and the amount was comparable with the consumption of water. In addition, N7 (10% CPM) exhibited consumption of ~ 4.7 and ~8 mL at 15 and 30 min. Furthermore, N9 (7.5% CPM) showed consumption of ~6.3 and 10 mL at 15- and 30-min time point. These results indicated that with increasing concentrations of CPM, there was noticeable reduction in the consumption of formulation. The rats did not show aversion behavior such as forelimb flail with N2 formulation. However, there was a surge in the aversion behavior response upon increasing the drug concentrations in N7 and N9,. The results of this study were very helpful to understand about the taste of pure drug and formulation. It provided an insight into the taste of products, which helped to screen this formulation for human studies. 3.7. Film evaluation by human panel Before evaluation of taste of the formulation, it is very important to understand the taste perception of human volunteers to minimize intra-subject variability. Taste perception study was performed on six healthy human volunteers. Initially, different concentrations of CPM in 2 mL of water were administered to the human subjects. Three subjects had threshold at 0.5 mg and the remaining three subjects reported moderate bitterness at the same concentration. A dose of 2.5 mg demonstrated bitterness in all subjects, and only three volunteers could taste higher concentration of CPM (4 mg, Table 3). This initial evaluation confirmed the appropriateness of the subjects for taste masking study. The results of taste masking evaluation in animal model suggested that formulation N2 with 5% CPM had significant taste masking. Moreover, this formulation had an excellent D.T (7 s) in in vitro studies. Based on t

Application Of Game Theory In Strategic Formulation Marketing Essay

Application Of Game Theory In Strategic Formulation Marketing Essay This particular article talks about the application of game theory in the business world. In todays highly competitive market it has become harder and more complicated to decide about the pricing strategies and budgeting of the advertisements. This article explains the concept of game strategy with various examples. Keywords: strategy, pay offs, prisoners dilemma. Introduction Game theory, a branch of  applied mathematics  that is used in the  social sciences, most notably in  economics, biology, engineering, political science,  international relations,  computer science, and  philosophy attempts to mathematically capture behavior in strategic situations or  games, in which an individuals success in making choices depends on the choices of others. While initially developed to analyze competitions in which one individual does better at anothers expense (zero sum games), it has been expanded to treat a wide class of interactions, which are classified according to several  criteria. Today game theory is widely used in the business for solving situations in which there are a number of players. Companies are using the science of Game Theory to help them make complicated strategic decisions in this highly competitive market with least possible risk. History of Modern Game Theory is more than 50 years old and has demonstrated an  ability to  generate the ideal strategic  choice in a variety of different situations, companies and industries. Principles of game theory are applied through the use of strategy games.   Game theory and its applications: A powerful tool for predicting outcomes of a group of interacting  firms where an action of a single  firm directly affects the payoff of other participating players. Enables  a company  to formulate their optimal strategy. Ideal for strategic situations where competitive or individual behaviors can be modeled.   For example:   Auctions (sealed project bids), Bargaining activities (union management negotiations), Product decisions (entry or exit markets), Principal-agent decisions (compensation negotiations, supplier incentives) and Supply chain design (capacity management, build vs. out source decisions). Multiple strategy games are analyses to  model different competitors, various payoffs  and potential strategies.   The objective of these games is to deliver A recommended set of strategic  decisions to guide competitive behavior to a desirable outcome, and; An analysis of how a series of possible strategic moves can predict various competitive outcomes.   Various types of games can be used and analysed based on the strategic situation, the number of players, the amount of  information available  and the timing constraints. Classification of game theory: There are basically three types of games Fully co- operative game: to explain this game we can take the example of two cyclists coming towards each other. it is in their best interest to avoid the collision and If they have to avoid the collision each of them has three strategies: move right move left maintain direction The strategy followed by one person in this case depends on the other person. As they both dont want a collision they will change their direction based on the opponents strategy. This type of game is called full co operative game. Zero sum non co operative game: to explain this case we can take the example of the retail outlets in one locality. All of them use different pricing strategy to attract customer. in this case if store is able to attract customers it is on the account of the other retail store. In this particular case a strategy followed by one player affects the other player always. In simple words the win of one person comes on the account of other persons loss. Mixed strategy game: this type of game explains the situation where the interests of both the player are interdependent. But they are partly opposed and partly coincident. This kind of strategy is followed mostly in the case of union management feuds. In the case of union and the management their benefits are interrelated. At the same time they have conflicting interests as well. Other classification: game theory has been divided into following categories: Static games: this basically deals with anticipating rivals move. These kind of games involve pricing strategy, prisoners dilemma, the concept of dominant strategy, fixing up of advertisement budget etc. Dynamic games: deals with the concept of perfect and sub perfect games. Prisoners dilemma: Below given diagram depicts the prisoner dilemma. Figure 3: Prisoners dilemma Prisoners dilemma is a beautiful concept of game theory that explains various complications that firms face while taking the decision regarding fixing the price or on deciding on the budget for the advertisement. The evidence available with police is not sufficient enough to convict these criminals to convict. Though they are supposed to get 20 years of imprisonment if the crime is proved, they will get only one year of imprisonment if the crime is not proved. if they apply the best strategy they both can avoid the conviction. The strategies that they can follow are: A confesses B remains silent: A gets an imprisonment of 5 years and B gets an imprisonment of 20 years. B confesses A remains silent: B gets an imprisonment of 5 years and A of 20 years. Both of them confess: both get an imprisonment of 5 years. Both remain silent: both get an imprisonment of 1 year. The dilemma here is that they dont know about each others strategy and they end up confessing the crime as both of them want to avoid the 20 year of imprisonment. But if they know about the strategy of the opponent they can decide about their strategy and can get best equilibrium possible that is one year for both of them. The same theory applies for many firms in the corporate world and they end up choosing the wrong strategy because of the opponent or the apprehensions in their mind. The Concept of Dominant Strategy: Dominant strategy is the strategy followed by any player that will supersede all the strategies followed by the opponent. Eliminating Dominant Strategy: It will in the best of interests of both the rivals to eliminate the dominant strategy. One beautiful example of this is the OPEC. Nash Equilibrium: A Nash equilibrium is a combination of strategies such that no individual player can deviate unilaterally from his or her to improve his pay offs. Few examples of game theory in the practical corporate world: Price wars: this can be explained by the following example: imagine there are two pizza providers in the city and they have different pricing policies namely- high, low and medium. There are two restaurants in a small town, pizza hut and dominos. They are in competition with each other for customers. They have three price slabs: high (H), medium (M) or low (L). The customer base is 1,000 of which 300 only ever buy at Dominos and 300 only buy at Pizza hut. The other 400 are price-sensitive and always buy the cheaper pizza and choose at random if they charge the same price. Both providers make a margin of  £12 per pizza if they charge high prices,  £10 per pizza if they charge medium prices, and  £5 for low prices. Both Dominos and Pizza hut cannot guess what the other player has chosen before they choose themselves. We can calculate profits by multiplying the number of customers with the margin per customer. For example, if dominos charges a medium price and Pizza hut a high price, Dominos will sell to his 300 loyal customers and the 400 price sensitive customers at a margin of  £10 each, giving him pay-offs of  £7,000. Pizza hut only sells to his 300 loyal customers, but at a margin of  £12 per pizza, giving him p rofits of  £3,600. Figure 2: pricing war between two suppliers PgIn this case three equilibrium arises one of 6/6 , 5/5 other one of 2.5/2.5. the noble picture for both the firms is 6/6 but becausee of the price wars between them none of them are able to extract ad No ad Ad wars: No ad $5m colgate $5,m $5.5m, $2m Ad $2m $5.5m $2.5m $2.5m Figure 3: advertising war between P G and Colgate This particular situation is of the two brands of toothpastes in which both of them follow different ad strategies. The decision of going for an ad and not going for an ad depends upon the opponent. They have four possible strategies: Both of them go for ad None of them go for ad P G goes for ad but colgate does not go for ad Colgate goes for ad but P G not. In two cases the equilibrium exists one for 5,5, and the other for 2.5, 2.5. the firms can make more money without going for any ad but as both the firms want to capture the non loyal market they go for ads and finally end up by lower margins. The dilemma here is that if one firm does not go for the ad and the other goes, then it will lose money. So guessing rivals move becomes very important here. Assumptions: Players and rational and they select strategies based on their interest. The market is equally divided in the players. Other factors are constant. Shortcomings of Game Theory: Game theory has many short comings as well and that needs to be considered. Assumes the players are rational and they play in their self-interest.  This might not be the case all the time. Assumes players act strategically and consider the competitive responses of their actions. But every manager does not think within a strategic context.   The concept of Game Theory is most effective when managers understand the expected outcomes of the strategies they are following and the strategy that their competitors will follow.   To be little precise most of the companies often do not have enough knowledge of their own payoffs let alone those of their  competition. Despite  its shortcomings, a properly constructed game can perceptibly reduce business risk, can produce valuable competitive insights, improve internal alignment  around decisions  and maximize strategic utility. According to the  The Economist  magazine Managers have much to learn from game theory provided they use it to clarify their thinking, not as a substitute for business experience. Conclusion: Game theory is a beautiful concept of applied mathematics. Though it has got shortcomings and its assumptions might not be applicable in all the cases it can help firms and industries in finding the appropriate strategies. Based on the pay offs, number of players and other strategic situations game theory can be helpful in developing the optimum strategies for the firms. .

Recycling Wealth in the Inner City Essay -- Essays Papers

Recycling Wealth in the Inner City INTRODUCTION The modern story of developed areas is a move from the inner city to the suburbs. This decentralization of metropolitan areas has left urban areas neglected. Such a transformation has had negative consequences, because it has inherently meant the abandonment of those left behind in urban centers. Furthermore, the issue is complicated by the fact that the distinction between those moving to the suburbs and those left behind has been defined largely by race. As Kain notes, â€Å"the means by which racial segregation in housing has been maintained are amply documented. They are both legal and extra-legal; for example: racial covenants; racial zoning; violence or threats of violence; preemptive purchase; various petty harassments; implicit or explicit collusion by realtors, banks, mortgage lenders, and other lending agencies; and, in the not-so-distant past, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and other Federal agencies† (Kain, pp289). Thus, a major issue exists in that not only is economic activity shifting from urban areas to suburbia, but minorities are being systematically left behind and delegated to the neglected inner cities. The repercussions of the increasing suburbanization go beyond merely restricted access to choice housing for minorities. Just as important as the housing market shift have been the movements of prime job markets and choice schooling to the suburbs (Jenks and Mayer). The combined loss of these three elements (housing, jobs, and schooling) has ensured a comprehensive disadvantage for minorities left in the inner city. Especially with regard to the black community, the result has been concentrated urban areas of black Americans livin... ...y in the United States, Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1990, pp187-222 Kain, John F., â€Å"Housing Segregation, Negro Employment and Metropolitan Decentralization† Mathew Edel and Jerome Rothenberg, pp288-307. Light, Ivan and Gold, Steven J. Ethnic Economies. San Diego: Academic Press. 2000 McFadden, Areaka (Department of Commerce) and Childs, Stephanie, (MBDA). â€Å"President Bush Announces Historic FY ’05 Funding Increase for Minority Business.† MBDA News. Tuesday, February 3rd, 2004. http://www.mbda.gov Sturdivant, Frederick D. (ed.). The Ghetto Marketplace. New York: The Free Press. 1969 Vietorisz, Thomas and Harrison, Bennet. The Economic Development of Harlem. New York: Praeger Publishers. 1970 www.blackwallstreet.org Yancy, Robert J. Federal Government Policy and Black Business Enterprise. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishing Company.1974

how to argue and win every time Essay -- essays research papers

HOW TO ARGUE AND WIN EVERYTIME Jerry Spence startes off by asking why do we argue? He says that he doesn't like to argue and he doesn't like people that do. The confused me at first. He askes why not ty to get along, and besides when he argues he loses. He says we were born to make a winning argument just as we were born to walk. Mr. Spence says that we are so bound up, so mute. From the moment we have been conditioned to avoid confrontation. We have been taught not to let our emotions show. By the time we become adults the word argue calls up dark and negative feelings. Many throughout our lives have forced up to accept their ways, their relugion, their values, ect... The key to our freedom is embarrassingly obvious. We need only to give ourselves permission, to unlock to doors. The key is to give ourselves permission to peer out of our closets and to look around, to ask questions and demand respect. We need to speak out and just to be. Most people are afriad to argue because it just causes trouble. Our arguements turn sour, the words ugly, the passages to the heart close, and the feelings of love are replaced by the hurt and the anger. But, fear is ourr ally. Fear confirms us. Fear is our energy that is convertible to POWER-our power. We need to learn not to afraid of our fear but to embrace it. If you feel your fear, you can also feel its power and you can change its power into YOUR power. First, to win an argument, exhaustive preparation is essential. The most prepared person will usually win. In the preparation process, you must thoroughly research and understand your case, and you must also thoroughly research and understand your opponent's position. You should know and understand the facts and arguments of your opponent better than he or she does. Second, you must have a profound understanding of the thinking and emotions of the decision maker(s) - in his case, the jury. Your argument should be framed to harmonize with the decision makers' values, wants and needs. You must understand the prejudices of the jurors and address the built-in objections they may have to your arguments. You must help them to understand the motives of your client and identify with them as their own. In other words, empathize with the jurors and help them empathize with your client. Mr. Spence emphasizes that, in order for the jurors to believe your arguments, you must ar... ... listen with empathy to the other side of the argument. This is so critical in our everyday lives. We must listen not to refute but to learn. Many times we will be able to avoid an argument altogether and quickly reach common ground. At the very least, we will be able to clearly understand where the other side is coming from. Even though Gerry Spence is a lawyer, he addresses the types of argument most of us will face. He writes about how to win argument in love relationships as well as business relationships. He even has a separate chapter entitled, " Arguing with Kids.† Spence builds his argument chapter by chapter. He carefully lays out his well-reasoned case in such a manner that the reader may find her or himself nodding in agreement. Spence's skills in the art of persuasion may remind you of a master in the martial arts. I found this book an easy and enjoyable read. How to Argue and Win Every Time is filled with many chunks of wisdom. Some of the insights have been stated before, but the book contained a surprising amount of unique, original material. Do I now win every argument? Well no, but I must say that I have avoided several since reading this wonderful book.

Graduation Speech: Explore. Dream. Discover :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I am about to give you a final challenge as a high school student. I am about to ask you to do something you were sure you wouldn’t have to do again for a while with the ending of high school. I am asking you to think. Please, just this once, take a moment to put that educated mind to work. Think of something you really want right now, go ahead, don’t complain, just do it. What do you really want? A few of you searched your minds and out of the millions of things you are sure you want, not one could surface above the rest. The most common thoughts you had were probably "I want to eat" or "I want to sleep" or, "I want to move this hanging thing over to the other side of my cap now so that I can be on my way." There’s something in common with what everyone just thought about. It’s something to make you happy. In a world of ever-growing business and technology, we hear about the new millionaires captured by stocks and the booming world of computers and along with them the amounts of money beyond the comprehension of most of us. This year, I believe I speak for the majority when I say we’ve felt so poor, cutting back on McDonald’s and TCBY to save up for an expensive trip to prom, a grad night party and college applications for which you sent the money away and weren’t even guaranteed anything but probably a nice postcard in return. Now, all of a sudden if we end up somehow with a $5 bill in hand, we think we’re all set and ready to go. A $5 bill is endless possibilities. The truth is, you won’t miss your $30 application fee in a few years, you’ll be happy if you have a job you look forward to every day. You won’t miss the money you spent on prom in 10 years, you’ll be happy if you are content with your life. Perhaps for you this means a family. As Einstein once said, "Happiness is the ability to enjoy the passage of time." Different people can reach happiness in so many different ways, but to everyone it is all that really matters. At this point in our lives it’s difficult not to think that happiness is had by material products — the newest technology, the nicest clothes around, or that car you probably aren’t getting for graduation.

Evalue The Benefits Of Pursing A Specic Essay

Abstract A hobby is more than just something that you do in your leisure time. It is something that you make time to do and look forward to doing. Insurmountable pleasure and relaxation can be obtained from doing something that you consider fun to do. It can be described as creative, fascinating, practical, inexpensive, enjoyable, different or unusual. Evaluate the benefits of pursuing a specific hobby Hobby is described as a regular activity that is done for pleasure. Common misconceptions about hobbies are that some think that hobbies or recreations are just for people who live a relaxed life or people who have been retired and have time on their hands, while others believe that hobbies are just a waste of time. On the other hand, people with full, busy, even stressful lives can benefit from hobbies just as much if not more than the average person. I would like to explorer specifically the benefits of pursuing a hobby like hiking. Hiking outdoors has plenty of perks: nice views, fresh air, and sounds of different things and smells of nature. It exercise your mind, body, and soul and is a simple way to challenge yourself. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes. In fact, turning this into a healthy habit can lead to a healthy lifestyle. It’s a great way to start an exercise program that is beneficial to the proper upkeep of the body. Hiking is a powerful cardio workout tool. Studies have shown that obesity is associated with a modest increase in risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. For people who find it uncomfortable to run or job, walking is a great form of cardio that burns about 240 calories an hour! There are a wide variety of hiking trails. Many people in my community take up walking early in the morning and sometimes late evenings. I would like to briefly  discuss the benefits of pursing hiking as a hobby. There are many definitions for the word hiking. Hiking in Canada and the USA is the preferred term for a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails, in the countryside, while the word â€Å"walking† is used for shorter, particularly urban walks. Another source gave the meaning to hiking as â€Å"In its most basic definition, Hiking is simply Walking for recreational purposes. A good summary is: â€Å"In Hiking, the Journey is more important that the Destination. The Encyclopedia Britannica from Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service: Walking as a recreational activity and sport. Among those with sedentary occupations, hiking is a natural exerci se that promotes physical fitness, is economical and convenient, and requires no special equipment. Because the hiker can walk as far as he wants, there is not physical strain unless he walks among hills or mountains. I am sure we could find many definition for the word hiking, but despite the many variations derives from this word â€Å"hiking† they all have to do with some form of walking. Hiking is one of the most sought out hobbies in what world today and is used in academic and professional sports organizations around the world. Our US military and police forces use this hobby as a part of their routine training for fitness and training purposes. I remember my first experience hiking to the top of the tallest mountain in Jamaica West Indies. I was only 16 years of age, just a boy trying out this new adventure called hiking. My self and 14 other boys hike to the mountain top of the tallest mountain in St. Andrew, Jamaica known as the Blue Mountain Peak. Its elevation is 7,402 (2,256 m) It was breath taking to see this creation, to see different mountains overlapping each other, to hear and see different types of birds that are not usually seen in the city, to see the different plants and trees, hills and valleys in this cold elevated piece of Jamaica. This was an adventure of a life time I cannot forget. It would have been an experience that would have shaped my life forever and have taught me courage, bravery, it has also fostered closer and stronger relationship the scout brothers. In my research I have discovered that hiking is not just a hobby or a form of recreational interest or just another activity, but it also can lower your risk of colon and breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial cancer. Just 30 minutes of aerobic activity 3-5 times a week can lower your risk pf breast cancer by 30- 50 percent. In addition to this, it is good to know that you can turn hiking into a healthy habit! Hiking releases adrenaline and endorphins, which can decrease tension, anxiety, and blood pressure levels. This can reduce risk of depression and will leave you feeling better physically and mentally, which will encourage you to continue your new healthy habits. Studies have shown that exercising during and after treatment with people with cancer can benefits these patients in several ways, ranging from improved fitness and higher quality of life to reduced rates of recurrence and a longer life. Cancer patients who exercise may experience less nausea and less fatigue. It’s never too late to use exercise to fight cancer. If you’re coping with cancer or its aftermath, now is the time! Hiking offers additional health benefits such as: lowering your risk of heart disease, improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, boosts bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise, build strength in your gluteus, quadriceps, hamstrings, and muscles in your hips and lower legs, it helps to control your weight, strengthen your core and boost your mood. Research have shown that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety. In conclusion, based on the benefits highlighted above, hobbies is shown to have a rewarding outcome. When people think about Hiking, they mostly think of nature, the great outdoors, a backpack and a tent. For most people, Hiking is an escape back to nature and a great way to get a good workout while forgetting all about the day to day hassles of city life. Why should you do hiking? Hiking is a great body exercise which will realty improve your overall physical condition. The natural waling motion provides you with a relatively low impact but effective workout. In its easiest form, Hiking is a very safe walk using clearly defined trails. Many people take a walk to clear their heads or to think about issues. Hiking could be a way of relaxing or something that can test your own capabilities and foster relationships with people who share the same types of recreational interest. REFERENCE Lee, Jamaica Travel and Culture .com (2009). Blue Mountain Peak – The Blue Mountains. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicatravelandculture.com/destinations/the_blue- mountains//blue-mountain-peak.htm The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2014, September 25). What is hiking? Retrieved from http://www.abc-of-hiking.com/info/article-printer-version.asp?id=544 Scott, E., (2014), The Importance of Hobbies For Stress Relief. Retrieved from http://stress.about.com/od/funandgames/a/The-Importance-Of-Hobbies-For-Stress-Relief.htm Robinson, K. M., Smith, M.W., WebMD Magazine – Feature (2013, September 15). How Hiking is Good for Body and Mind. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/fitness- exercise/features/hiking-body-mind

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 7

â€Å"More Timbits?† I shook my head for the third time. If I'd learned anything about the Satanists-excuse me, the Army of Darkness-in my breakfast meeting with them two days later, it was that they really liked donuts. A lot. They kept trying to force food on me and seemed particularly fond of the aforementioned Timbits, which were like donut holes except with a cuter name. â€Å"No thanks.† After the donuts, a large part of the meeting focused on me. They all wanted to know who I was, where I'd come from, how my own group operated, etc. I spun lies out as fast as I could, rapidly building up a backstory for my Seattle Satanist group. The Army listened eagerly, and I hoped I'd be able to remember everything I was saying if quizzed afterward. â€Å"You'll just have to come visit us sometime,† I said, hoping to allay the questions. â€Å"That's the only way you'll really understand. For now, I mean, Kristin wanted me to come here to talk about you guys.† The mention of Kristin sobered them up. Evan nodded. â€Å"Georgina thinks we maybe need to expand our activities.† There were six total gathered here, the truly â€Å"active† members. They ranged from 20s to 40s in age, and like Evan, they had that same sort of pleasant demeanor that was more suited to helping you pick out a DVD player or lawn mower than sacrifice a goat. Maybe it was just a Canadian thing. One of the members, a tiny blond college student named Allison, frowned. â€Å"But why? We're already doing what the Angel wants.† They all looked at me, and I saw conflict on their faces. I'd slept with a man far more moral than Dante last night and was in the full throes of succubus charisma. I could tell it affected them. It was part of why they were so intrigued by me, and it would give me leverage here. Yet, I also realized, no matter how powerful they thought Kristin was and no matter how much they respected her endorsement of me, I was still an outsider and not necessarily to be trusted, appealing or not. Again, I marveled at the strength of their conviction. â€Å"Well, I don't want you guys to stop†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was, of course, exactly what I wanted. â€Å"But most of what you're doing is scaring people.† That wasn't exactly true, but how else could I describe it? â€Å"It seems like now that you've established yourselves, you should use that strength to start influencing people toward the Angel's will. Surely you'll best do his- her bidding by actually leading people into darkness.† I made eye contact with each person as I spoke, smiling and putting as much coaxing charm as I could into my voice. A guy with a shaved head, whose name I'd forgotten, popped a chocolate glazed Timbit into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. â€Å"That makes sense.† Allison didn't agree. â€Å"If that's what the Angel wanted us to do, we would know. Right now, we need to keep doing just as we have. We are getting strong, and we need to make sure that strength doesn't wane in the face of our enemies.† I forced myself to keep smiling. These people didn't understand anything, let alone their so-called enemies. I turned toward Evan and looked at him through lowered lashes. â€Å"Why settle for one goal, though? Evan, I thought you of all people really wanted to make this group great. I thought you wanted to bring more souls to the Angel's side.† â€Å"That's what we're already doing,† argued Allison. She didn't seem to like me using the come-hither eyes on Evan. For his part, Evan didn't like being caught between us. He started to stammer out something but was interrupted by the shaved-head guy. â€Å"How?† he asked Allison. She frowned. â€Å"What do you mean, Blake? How what?† â€Å"How are we bringing more souls to the Angel's side?† â€Å"By striking out at those who deny her greatness.† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Blake frowned and finished eating another Timbit. â€Å"But I don't think doing that is bringing more souls to our side.† â€Å"Are you questioning what we've done?† â€Å"No, I stand by it all. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Blake shrugged. â€Å"It seems like the things we're doing aren't really swaying souls toward the Angel. If anything, it's just making them take a harder stand against us.† Finally! Finally someone got it. I could have kissed Blake. Maybe I would later. â€Å"I mean, I'm not really sure the Zamboni plan is really going to darken souls. It'll just make people want to defend themselves against us. Maybe it's time to do the Angel's will through more subtle means.† â€Å"Yes,† I cried. â€Å"That's exactly what I-Zamboni?† With much enthusiasm, they explained an idea they'd come up with to spray-paint a Zamboni with Satanic messages right before it came out on the ice during a hockey game. Still keeping that idiotic smile on my face, I said in a level voice, â€Å"I think maybe you should reconsider that.† Debate went on for the next hour or so. I was a bit dismayed that I hadn't swayed them all to my point of view immediately, but I'd sent enough ripples through them to make a difference. No matter what they claimed, none of them were really sure what exactly the Angel did want, of course, and while some were comfortable in their rut, others were starting to grasp my logic. I took it as a great sign of victory that when we finally got up to go, they'd decided against taking any action-say, like, the Zamboni plan-until they'd met again. As we walked out of the restaurant, I caught up with Blake. I'd decided Evan was a lost cause. Blake seemed to be the smartest of the group, and I thought it might be time for a leadership change. With a little help, it wouldn't take much to topple Evan. â€Å"Hey,† I said, beaming at Blake. â€Å"I really liked what you had to say. Are you busy right now? Maybe we could talk some more.† He smiled back at me, genuinely interested. I probably wouldn't have even needed any succubus glamour to convince him. â€Å"I wish I could†¦but I have to go to work. Are you free later tonight? Like after dinner?† â€Å"Sure.† We swapped numbers, and as we were about to part, I asked in a low voice, â€Å"You don't think they'll do something anyway, do you? Despite what they said about†¦you know, putting the Zamboni plan on hold?† His grin broadened. â€Å"No, they won't do the Zamboni plan. I'm sure of it.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"Because they're out of spray paint.† â€Å"So they'll get more.† He shook his head. â€Å"Not without me. I'm their supplier. I work at Home Depot.† I again found myself with time to kill in Vancouver. It was a beautiful day, and the temperature was unseasonably warm for April. So, I went and walked along the waterfront. The water seemed bluer than our own Puget Sound back in Seattle, but maybe that was just because the weather tended to be sunnier here. I wandered through Stanley Park afterward and then finally meandered back to my hotel. As I did, I again passed one of the T-shirt shops. They'd changed their display and now showed a shirt with a U.S. map on it that read: Dear Canada, Please Invade . Back in my room, I booted up my laptop to check my e-mail. There were a few from the bookstore's mailing list that I ignored, as well as the usual spam. Along with those messages, I had one from greygoose. com's mailing list, a picture of a cat with some nonsensical caption that Cody had forwarded me, and a letter from Maddie. It was a mass e-mail she'd sent out this morning. It read: Hey, guys! I decided to start a blog. Check it out. A link followed. Even though every instinct told me not to, I clicked it. Should have listened to those instincts. Pictures of her and Seth bombarded me. They'd gone to the Seattle Aquarium last night and taken assorted photos posing by puffins, squids, and other sea creatures. Worse, Seth's nieces were with them. That nearly killed me. Seth had five adorable blond nieces, ranging from four to fourteen. I loved them to pieces, and breaking up with him had been like breaking up with them too. The girls all looked reasonably happy, and I wondered if they even remembered me. Well, of course they did. It hadn't been that long. But I knew I'd keep fading from their minds until eventually, I was just some vague memory of their uncle's ex. I shut down the laptop and decided to head down to the hotel's bar. It wasn't quite dinnertime, so the place was fairly deserted. I took a seat at the bar near the television and promptly made friends with the bartender. Three gimlets later, I'd also made friends with an older couple visiting from San Francisco and some businessmen in town from Winnipeg. We were laughing about a recent movie when the TV suddenly changed from a curling match to static. The bartender pushed buttons on the remote ineffectually. â€Å"What's going on?† he demanded. A few moments later, the picture returned, but this time it was on a different channel, one showing a local news program. My smile faded, and my stomach sank. â€Å"No,† I breathed. The camera crew was reporting from Queen Elizabeth Park, another gorgeous area in the city that I'd briefly considered going to after Stanley Park. I wondered if I might have seen this atrocity and been able to stop it if I had visited. The Army of Darkness had staged a demonstration there late that afternoon. I counted about ten of them, so they must have recruited some of their auxiliary members. They were clothed in robes and hoods made out of cheap black and purple velvet, but I recognized two figures that looked suspiciously like Evan and Allison. Some of them held signs with pentagrams and assorted â€Å"evil† slogans while they walked around chanting something I couldn't make out. One of them had stuck a pole in the ground with a giant rubber goat mask on top of it. The mask wasn't affixed very well and kind of hung off to the side, making it look more like a mutant goat than an emblem of Hell. The footage showed a crowd gathered around and, later, police coming to break everything up. I quickly charged the drinks to my room and sprinted off, pulling out my cell phone as I did. â€Å"Blake? This is Georgina.† He groaned. â€Å"I know, I know. I just found out.† â€Å"What the hell happened? They said they weren't going to do anything. You said they weren't going to do anything.† â€Å"I didn't think they would!† He sounded sincerely upset. â€Å"I was at work until about a half-hour ago. I had no idea-honest. They did it on their own. I guess a bunch of them got arrested. Evan, Joy, and Crystal made it out, though.† I sighed and canceled our plans for tonight. I had to do damage control before Cedric or one of his associates came after me-and I knew for a fact they would. I drove over to Evan's house. He answered the door, still wearing the robe but not the hood. His face was radiant and excited. â€Å"Georgina! Did you see the news? Did you see what we did?† â€Å"Yes!† I pushed him back inside, closing the door behind me before any of the neighbors could see him. â€Å"What happened? You said you wouldn't do anything else until we met again! What happened to influencing people for the greater goo-evil?† He finally caught on that I didn't share his excitement. â€Å"You don't think we influenced people?† â€Å"I think you influenced some people to think you were freaks. A bunch of churches are probably going to have sermons tomorrow about staying pure and true or something like that.† Evan flounced onto his couch, speculative but still glowing with the rush of their stunt. â€Å"No, this was powerful. Its effects will be far reaching.† Far reaching enough to get me smote, no doubt. â€Å"What happened? What made you decide to do it? Had you been planning it all along?† â€Å"No. It was just decided-a couple of hours after we met.† â€Å"But why?† I asked, frustrated. â€Å"Because the Angel told us to.† â€Å"But you said you wouldn't!† He looked at me like I was crazy. â€Å"But the Angel told us to. We had to obey her.† I started to argue the idiocy of that and then paused to reconsider something I hadn't given credence to before. â€Å"Are you saying the Angel actually spoke to you?† â€Å"Yes, of course. How else would we know what she wants?† An uneasy feeling came over me. This whole time, when they'd spoken of doing what the Angel â€Å"wanted,† I'd assumed it was in the way so many religious zealots presumed they understood their deity's desires. Those who said their deity spoke to them were usually crazy. â€Å"Does she, like, speak to you in dreams?† â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"She appeared to me. Right here. Well, over there, actually. By the TV.† â€Å"The Angel appears to you,† I said flatly. â€Å"In the flesh. Shows up and tells you what to do?† â€Å"Of course. How else do you think we'd know?† That uneasy feeling increased. â€Å"What does she look like?† Evan sighed, a dreamy expression filling his features. â€Å"Oh, Georgina. She's beautiful. So beautiful. She glows-she's almost hard to look at. Her hair-it's like a cloak of gold, and her eyes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed again. â€Å"I can't describe them. Like all the colors in the rainbow.† My phone rang just then, interrupting his similes. I didn't recognize the number, but it was a Vancouver area code. â€Å"Hello?† It was Cedric. â€Å"If you are not in my office in ten minutes,† he said. â€Å"I will come and bring you here. And you won't like it.† I shoved my phone into my purse and stood up. â€Å"Evan, I've gotta run. Look, if the Angel talks to you again, can you give me a heads up next time?† He turned hesitant. â€Å"Um, maybe.† I paused at the door. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Well, you see†¦Don't take this the wrong way, but she told us not to tell you. She said to keep this to the inner circle. Probably she just needs to get to know you better.† That sent my mind reeling, but Cedric's words had a greater impact at the moment. I had no time to argue against an entity that might or might not be real. â€Å"We'll talk about this later.† I sped over to the Financial District, not bothering to count the minutes for fear of what I'd find. Nothing happened to me by the time I reached Cedric's office, so I assumed I'd made it. Kristin wasn't in the reception area, but his door was open. â€Å"Get in here,† Cedric barked. My heart pounding, I walked into his office. His face was filled with rage, and if I'd had any thoughts that his mild manner made him seem undemonlike, that idea was immediately banished. He clenched his fists as he glared at me, and I thanked whatever luck I had that he had remained sitting and didn't throw me across the room. Meekly, I slid into my usual chair. â€Å"What are you doing?† he demanded. â€Å"Or rather, what aren't you doing?† He pointed to his computer screen. It didn't have Wikipedia on it for a change. Instead, it showed pictures of the demonstration for a local paper's website. â€Å"You were supposed to stop this kind of thing! Did Jerome send you here to sabotage me and spy?† â€Å"No! They did this without telling me. I'd actually convinced them this morning not to do this other thing with a Zamboni, and then they went behind my back because their Angel of Darkness allegedly spoke to them.† As quickly as I could, I recapped the day's events and conversation. When I finished, his glower hadn't changed. He still clearly didn't believe me. â€Å"Jerome said you were good, but I had no idea you were this good. You manipulated this group right under my nose.† â€Å"No,† I repeated. â€Å"I'll swear to you by whatever you want. I tried to stop them.† He continued as though I hadn't spoken. â€Å"I am going to get shit for this from everyone. Our own people are going to come down on me-in addition to making me a laughingstock. And eventually, the other side is going to raise an eyebrow too. They don't like this kind of overt attack.† The other side. Heaven. The angels. Angels†¦ â€Å"Who's your counterpart here?† I asked. â€Å"Among the angels. There must be an archangel here too, right?† The question caught him off-guard enough that his pissed-off look momentarily lifted. â€Å"Of course. Her name's Isabelle. Why?† â€Å"Well†¦Evan and the others keep saying they're directed by an angel. All this time you thought they were just worshipping some all-purpose Satanic ideal. But what if a real angel is controlling them? I mean, Jerome's given up the fight with you. If anyone had reason to give you shit, it wouldn't be our side. It'd be theirs.† Cedric was silent for several moments. â€Å"This isn't their style. It's not Isabelle's either. I've known her for a long time.† When greater immortals said â€Å"a long time,† they usually weren't kidding. â€Å"Is she blond?† â€Å"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything. We can look like anything we want. Someone appearing to this group-and I don't think anyone is-could easily make themselves blond or bald or whatever. I think you're trying to shift the blame off yourself and Jerome.† â€Å"I'm not! Look, I don't want to get mired in any of this. I just want to finish my job and go home. And if you ask me, I think someone's trying to work you over and send you looking in the wrong places.† Good Lord. I sounded like everyone else now. Soon I'd be telling him he was â€Å"getting played.† â€Å"Isabelle wouldn't do it,† he maintained. â€Å"We're friends†¦well, kind of.† It was funny that demons lied and betrayed each other all the time, yet he somehow stood by the character of someone who was technically his enemy. I understood it, though. Jerome maintained a similarly bizarre friendship with Seattle's archangel, Carter. â€Å"Can you get me in touch with her?† Cedric regarded me in amazement. â€Å"You're really going to run with this?† â€Å"I'm not sabotaging you-but I want to find out who is.† â€Å"That's a lot of work just to take the attention off yourself.† I simply looked at him, maintaining as determined a look as I could in the hopes that he'd believed me. I also hoped the taboo demons maintained about messing with the employees of other demons would hold. Apparently it did because he said at last, â€Å"I'll show you how to contact her, as pointless as that is.† I exhaled the breath I'd been holding. â€Å"Thank you.† He shook his head. â€Å"But don't think you're in the clear. I'm still going to be watching you.†

Jonas Salk

Jonas Salk was born on October 20, 1914 in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrants. As the first member of his family to attend college, he developed a fascination with the flu virus and sought a way to eliminate its ability to infect people with influenza. After accepting an appointment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he began working with the National Foundation for Infantile paralysis and there began work on polio, the cure for which Jonas Salk would be known forever. In 1950, children throughout the United States were stricken with polio, or poliomyelitis. Those children who did not die from the disease were left crippled. In some cases, adults contracted polio as well. One of the most famous examples was president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was left in a wheelchair after a bout with the disease. Salk created a polio vaccine from a dead polio virus, which lost the ability to infect once it was killed. It did, however, retain the ability to immunize any who were injected with the â€Å"dead† form of the virus. Later, other work was performed in order to create a â€Å"live† vaccine that could be given orally (Salk’s vaccine had to be injected). The administration of this â€Å"live† vaccine failed, and Salk’s was used from that point on. Salk could have patented the vaccine and become a rich man; rather, he refused to do so in order to get the vaccine out to those who needed it quickly. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine has completely eliminated the disease – provided the vaccine is given. After his success with polio, Salk created the Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies and not only continued his research, but wrote many books as well. He passed away on June 23, 1995 at the age of 80.