Comparative Critique Of Comparative Capitalism - 1214 Words

CASE STUDY #4: COMPARATIVE CAPITALISM Case Study #4: Comparative Capitalism Florence F. Messi St Thomas University Miami Gardens, Florida Abstract The Merriam-Wester dictionary defines capitalism as an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market. (2015). However for an ideal capitalism to fully operate it requires a set of conditions or institutions such as legitimacy of government and the rule of law, a well-defined property right, firms acting as price takers, not barriers to entry and exit, free capital and labor†¦show more content†¦Yes, the â€Å"varieties of capitalism† model is a recognition that market capitalism economics is in reality political economy. Merriam Webster defines political economy as the theory or study of the role public policy in influencing the economic and social welfare of a political unit. (2015). When analyzing the â€Å"varieties of capitalism† model, spheres of coor dination-which are constraints placed on firms by their nation economic, political system and social system-that define a country capitalism, these spheres of coordination correspond to many fields of inquiry relevant to political economy. Spheres of coordination such as employees’ relationships, vocational training, internal finance governance, refer to the field of study such as regulation, interest groups, comparative institutions, relationships between government and business which are relevant to political economy. Insofar as the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter referred to capitalism as a process of â€Å"creative destruction†, which of the two â€Å"varieties of capitalism† is consistent with Schumpeter’s theory? 1. Before choosing which of the two â€Å"varieties of capitalism† is consistent with Schumpeter theory of creative destruction, it is important to remind here what creative destruction is. Creative destruction, an expression coined by the Economist Joseph Schumpeter refers to the incessant product and process innovation mechanism by which new production units replace outdated ones. (Schumpeter, 1942).

A Social Ecological Approach to Rising Levels of...

Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% .†¦show more content†¦Research has shown an ethnic and racial disparity in the frequency of childhood overweight and obesity. Specifically, minority children face a disproportionately higher chance of obesity; Taveras, Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards, and Rifas-Shiman agree: â€Å"†¦many risk factors for child obesity are more prevalent among black and Hispanic children than among white children (p. 693). † They go on to write that additional variables affecting those two minority groups include belonging to a lower socioeconomic class, sleeping less than their white counterparts, and a greater likelihood of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food after age two . In one of few studies to include Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino youth in addition to blacks and whites in examining risk factors associated with overweight, Haas et al. research showed black or Latino children aged 6-11 years of age having a greater likelihood of being overweight compared with their white counterparts . In addition, Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino adolescents aged 12-17 years old were significantly more likely than Whites to be overweight. Interestingly, this study compared factors affecting children 6-11 years old with adolescents 12-17 years of age and found that overweight children were more closely linked to family circumstances, such as parental involvement, while overweight in adolescents canShow MoreRelatedEpidemiology And Public Health Significance2485 Words   |  10 PagesDr. Perrino June 23, 2015 The Obesity Epidemic 1. Epidemiology and Public Health Significance Obesity is a significant public health problem that has serious worldwide implications for health and disease. The sheer quantity of obese people in the world and specifically America, is testament to the need for this grave public health concern to be curbed. Obesity is classified as individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 and above. Since 1980 worldwide obesity has nearly doubled.7 In 2014Read MoreThe Effects of Advertising on Children33281 Words   |  134 PagesTelevision Advertising to Children A review of contemporary research on the influence of television advertising directed to children Prepared for ACMA by Dr Jeffrey E. Brand May 2007  © Commonwealth of Australia 2007 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the ManagerRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:

Nuances of Medical Malpractice Law Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Rodney Comeaux was full of complicated health problems since when he was young. Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia at an early age of six months, Rodney was never in perfect health. Sickle Cell Anemia (or SCA) is a genetic abnormality in the blood which is incurable. He had continuously suffered from pneumonia bouts and the anemia predicaments. During the month of June in 1988, Rodney, aged twenty-three by then, complained of chest pains and stomach discomforts. He was brought to the defendant Tulane Medical Center for admission. Dr. Abe Andes, the medical director of the hospital, attended to him. Released from the medical confinement on July 6, 1988, Rodney was prescribed an oral antibiotic called Keflex. He was advised to come back for an appointment with Dr. Andes on July 12 of that same year, specifically at two-thirty in the afternoon of that date. Dr. Andes wrote down his findings as pulmonary infarction versus pneumonia. Before Dr. Andes, Rodney Comeaux was being treated at the SCA clinic by a certain Dr. Frempong, the director of the said clinic. It was only in 1986 that Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Nuances of Medical Malpractice Law or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Andes took over from Dr. Frempong. Hours before the designated visit on July 12, 1988, Rodney showed up at the SCA clinic where he complained of chest pain and request to meet Dr. Andes. The latter was then preoccupied with attending to other patients who had prior appointments. It was therefore that Rodney Comeaux was not able to see Dr. Andes at that moment. Rodney left and proceeded to the office of her mother, Ms. Shiela Webb. Ms. Webb was then the Deputy Director of Health for the City of New Orleans and working with one Dr. Brobson Lutz, an internal medicine doctor at the Charity Hospital. Dr. Lutz rushed Rodney to the emergency room of the Tulane Medical Center at about past noon. This time the patient complained of having difficulty breathing and that his chest was hurting. It was found out that he was suffering from multiple pulmonary infarctions in his lungs. He was brought to a room in the hospital.

Research on Hybrid Cars - 7883 Words

[pic] I. Introduction: âÅ"“ Overview Of The Project: This project is based on the latest technology in automobile (car) industry- HYBRID TECHNOLOGY. In this project we are going to discuss about the hybrid technology in cars, the impact of hybrid technology on Indian automobile (car) industry, the companies which have adopted and benefited through this technology and the findings the conclusion. âÅ"“ Hybrid Technology: A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Power sources include: ââ€" ª On-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) ââ€" ª Gasoline or Diesel fuel ââ€" ª Hydrogen ââ€" ª Compressed air ââ€" ª Human†¦show more content†¦In 1905, Mr. H Piper filed a patent for a gasoline engine-electric motor powertrain. According to him, the electric motor would augment a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in 10 seconds, much faster than the gasoline engines of that time. Ironically, when finally Mr.H Piper was granted the patent a few years later, normal engines were capable of producing the same kind of acceleration. Due to rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the popularity of a hybrid car slowly diminished untill again in the early to mid 1970s, the time of oil crisis. Many companies poured funds to build experimental Hybrid Electric Vehicles. But as the oil became available again, the surge for HEVs died down immediately. The Europeans and Japanese researching on reducing production costs and making HEVs more salable. Companies like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi came up with ways to reduce emissions and better the mileage. Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997 (in Japan and in 2000 in the US) which proved to be a huge success. Recent sales figures indicate that well over 300,000 units of Toyota Prius have been sold the world over justifying the concept of a clean family car. In 1999, Honda introduced its first production hybrid car, the Insight and then the Civic Hybrid in 2002. Ford came up with the first hybrid SUV, the Escape, which hit the road in 2004. Quick on their path areShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Hybrid Cars914 Words   |  4 Pagestheir hybrid Cars in order to make it popular. By: Subindas Kadukaparambil Subramanian Student ID:C0692533 Figure 1: (Toyota, 2015) â€Æ' Introduction Hybrid car is the one that utilize more than one means to power the vehicle. Toyota started manufacturing hybrid cars decades before, still more people are not interested to buy it. Implementing new technology require hard work and, importantly continuous monitoring and rectifying the draw backs. Toyota need to solve their problems in hybrid cars to increaseRead MoreMarketing Plan Hybrid Car1141 Words   |  5 PagesMARKETING PLAN HONDA MOTORS hereby launches the all new family Honda EC CRV, the new eco friendly car that makes others â€Å"go green† with envy for Oxygen is priceless. Save the earth, plant a tree because their is no Planet B... all you got to do is drive a Honda EC CRV. Introduction For the purpose of this assignment, I will choose hybrid automobiles that run on gasoline as well as alternative fuel i.e. Electricity. The rising fuel prices and increasing air pollution along with depleting Read MoreEssay Advertising of Hybrid Cars1619 Words   |  7 Pages Hybrid Cars: Saving the Environment Through Advertising Each year the average temperature of the earth increases .02 degrees Fahrenheit (Global Warming). Although this may not seem like a big change, our ecosystems are so fragile that even this slight boost in temperature is very destructive; oceans rise, glaciers melt at an alarming rate, species of animals cannot adapt and die off. As the twenty first century continues on, these changes are accelerating at an alarming rate, mainly dueRead MoreHybrid Proposal1124 Words   |  5 Pagesto Research Alternative Energy in Vehicles I have received your RFP and have written up a proposal based on the requirements you have listed. This proposal outlines the research I would like to continue regarding the feasibility of alternative energy sources in vehicles, particularly in hybrid vehicles. I have included a summary of the topic, a description of the graphics I plan to use, deadlines that will be met, costs involved, and an outline for the report. I am quite eager to research thisRead MoreI Search : Going Green1418 Words   |  6 Pagesmillions of Americans. Before industrialization, people relied on short distance transportation for their individual freedom. Cars put the user in control and broke down the travel barriers of the steam powered train. Americans could now travel alone, which encouraged their level of independence. This independence brought along responsibility in the form of upkeep. Car users now had to maintain fuel levels with the hazardous liquid â€Å"gasoline†. As more Americans hit the road, more gasoline filledRead MoreDisadvantages Of Hybrid Cars1597 Words   |  7 PagesHybrid vehicles are slowly gaining popularity despite American car companies failure to utilize the type of engine. During rush hours and heavy traffic, when vehicles are gaining most of their use, the electric powered engine helps reduce cost and maintain environmental health. American automotive companies need to start utilizing hybrid engines rather than normal gasoline-fueled engines by making hybrid engines the automotive standard. To begin with, the history of the super fuel-efficient vehicleRead MoreElectric Vehicles Vs Hybrid Vehicles1733 Words   |  7 PagesMy recommendation report will be focusing on the Electric vehicles versus Hybrid vehicles by keeping in view two criterions. Problem The use of vehicles has solved many of our problems and has facilitated the human kind in many aspects starting from transportation purposes to the time efficiency. If we just be looking at the positive side of the vehicles then the negative aspects of the use of vehicles will be hidden from us. (Hooftman, Oliveira, Messagie, Coosemans, Mierlo, 2016)The two importantRead MoreHybrid Cars1262 Words   |  6 PagesHybrid Cars I have always wondered what Hybrid cars were all about. Especially because over the past couple of years gas prices have been at record highs. I knew that there were such things as electric cars but until this last year or so I have only seen the wealthy be able to afford to drive them. And from what I had heard about Hybrid cars was that they were over priced, small, and not so attractive cars. No wonder nobody owns them. Now I am starting to see them more often and they arent asRead MoreHybrid Vehicles Are Environmentally Friendly Vehicles1270 Words   |  6 PagesHybrid vehicles, which are environmentally friendly vehicles, which will replace fossil fueled car in the future but they have a limited range and long fueling time. As fossil fuel resources start to become limited and non-environmentally friendly, car manufacturers are looking to find ways to make hybrid vehicles the future of transportation. Hybrid vehicles are beneficial since they are efficient, reduce pollution, an d cut global emission than the current hybrids models. As such, hybrid-electricRead MoreHybrid Cars1069 Words   |  5 PagesMKTG 396: Assignment #1: The Prius Leading a Wave of Hybrid Cars Question #1: Company: Within the company there are a few areas to look at regarding Toyota s introduction of the Prius. Areas such as financing, research, development, as well as others. When introducing the Prius, Toyota started early with its promotion of the hybrid. Spending US$15 million out of the US$190 million is spent on marketing in the 2002 year. Toyota informed its potential customers threw informative emails, TV

The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body a Literature Review Free Essays

Running Head: EFFECTS OF HEROIN ON A PERSON The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: A Literature Review Heather Huber Walden University Psych 8226-04 Biopsychology Dr. John Redmon August 18, 2010 Abstract This literature review looks at the detrimental effects of heroin. Since many heroin users often become addicted, it is important to look at its ramifications. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: a Literature Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now Beginning with a brief history of the substance, then discussing treatment programs for those who have problems with heroin abuse, this paper helps to better understand logical reasons that heroin is an illegal substance. The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: A Literature Review Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine, is an illegal drug in the United States and many other countries. Heroin has devastating results on the brain and body. This paper looks at heroin’s history, its consequences on the brain and body, addiction possibilities, and available options for treatment for heroin abusers. What is Heroin? Chemical make-up Breaking down the parts of the word, diacetylmorphine, di means two, acetyl is a radical derived from acetic acid, and morphine is a drug derived from the opium poppy plant used to relieve pain. Heroin, on the street, is generally not pure. Drug dealers often add other things in the drug to stretch their dollar (Furst, 2000). The term for adding things to a drug is called cutting it. According to Furst, easily attainable items, such as lactose and milk sugar, can cut heroin. Quinine, a psychoactive drug that enhances the heroin high, is also a common choice. History Upon researching the history of heroin, very few research articles were located. Many tend to focus on its results in present day life. Unfortunately, this inequity of information in Walden University’s academic databases, the internet provided much of the information regarding the history of heroin. Using vigilant discernment and precise judgment, the following information appeared relevant and valuable in understanding the path of heroin. Heinrich Dreser, an employee of the Bayer Company (the same as today’s Bayer Asprin), first discovered heroin in 1895 by diluting morphine (PBS, 1998). It was later that heroin was advertised and sold as an over-the-counter medication. Acknowledged for having the pain relieving effects of morphine, without the side effects and addictions, heroin became the new choice for pain relief. Unfortunately, a researcher in Bayer laboratories unethically withheld the truth of this information (HeroinAbuse. Net, 2007; PBS, 1998). The use, abuse, and addiction to heroin grew in the United States, and around the world, throughout the early 1900s. Access to heroin on the streets, despite its illegal status, became easier and soon it became a headliner when American celebrities (Janis Joplin, John Belushi, and Kurt Cobain, to name a few) overdosed and died due to use of the drug and its mixture with other illegal substances (PBS, 1998). Today, heroin is still illegal, but is prominent in the lives of many who use or know someone who uses. Effects of Heroin on the Brain Drugs become illegal usually due to the negative consequences. Franken, Stam, Hendriks, and van den Brink (2004) found that heroin can have a negative result on the brain by limiting and exciting different areas leading the long time abuser to have negative characteristics similar to both Alzheimer’s patients and individuals with multiple sclerosis (dementia and brain lesions, respectively). While their study shared a lot about long-term users of heroin, it failed to present information regarding limited-use of heroin users. It is valuable information to know how heroin use affects both groups. The difference between users and abusers will be discussed in the addiction section of this paper. Li, et al. 2005) discovered major disruptions in the cerebral cortex and central nervous system when they autopsied accidental deaths of heroin addicts. While it is challenging to study the definitive effects of heroin on the brain in patients while alive, postmortem patients provide valuable information regarding the effects of heroin use on the brai n. While traces of heroin were found throughout the brain, they discovered a larger amount in the hippocampus and the basal ganglia (Li, et al. , 2005). These heroin cells left lesions in the brain, which could have lead to decreased blood flow to the organs and even death (Li, et al. , 2005). It is clear that the brain is affected by the use of heroin, next we will look at the effects of heroin on the body. Effects of Heroin on the Body Heroin affects vision. Firth (2005) studied its effects. Many heroin users reported double vision (diplopia); the author thought it was important to see whether it was a temporary or permanent condition. Eye exercises or specially made glasses corrected the majority of diplopic conditions. Shao, et al. (2006), tested and found that those with the DRD4 VNTR long repeat allele were more likely to crave heroin after seeing heroin related stimuli, than with the similar DRD4 VNTR short repeat allele. This type of research provides information to future researchers to study this particular allele and perhaps find a â€Å"cure† for heroin addiction. While this may not be the only part of the human body that shows addiction tendencies towards heroin, it is a stepping-stone towards a future of understanding heroin addiction and maybe generalizes that information towards addictions to any substance. Addiction Addiction, in general, has been viewed from many different angles. Many influences encourage one to begin using a substance. O’Brien (2003) states that when discussing addition agent variable, there are three categories to take into consideration. First, agent variables include the onset and duration of the high, and price of the substance. Second, host variables include a risk-taking personality, likeliness of the person to get high, hereditary influences, and a desire to self-medicate. Lastly, environmental variables include peer pressure, and the use of a substance by a role model. These three groups of variables are important to take into consideration when identifying and analyzing an addiction. Viewing addiction from two perspectives, it is in one’s brain, or addiction is a chronic disease (O’Brien, 2003). Research has found that brain mapping is different in the brain of an addict than it is in the brain of a non-addict. Applying the disease approach to addiction, relapses are common and cannot be helped. The philosophy resembles the thoughts such as â€Å"would you punish a diabetic for having a sugar crash? † Many times the ideas behind addiction are challenging for people to comprehend when they have not had an addiction themselves or seen another person go through it. It is important for researchers to study addiction so that we can better understand it and help those who are addicted to substances. According to the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), an addiction to heroin would be classified as an opioid dependence. The characteristics of a person who is dependent upon heroin (a member of the opioid family) include the use of the drug without a prescription, self-medicating, obsession with obtaining the drug, high tolerance for the drug, and withdrawal symptoms when use is abruptly ended. Chiang, et al. (2006), looked at the likelihood of relapse for heroin users and found that of their 166 heroin abusers, approximately 80% of them relapsed in the five-year study. This is a larger percentage and ties into the idea of heroin addiction being a chronic disease that affects an individual throughout their life. Treatment With relapse having such prevalence in the life of heroin abusers trying to abstain, finding a successful treatment program is an important task. Blanken, et al. 2005), found significant success in programs that utilized a mix of heroin and methadone as a treatment to curb withdrawal symptoms, over those that used only methadone. One may question the help of using an addictive substance to treat an addiction, but it is similar to the idea of weaning a child off breast milk by slowly introducing bottles alongside the breast. While it takes some time for the weaning process, it decreases the likelihood of relapse. Gossop, Stewart, and Marsden (2006) found th at participants in a methadone treatment program, who received drug related counseling, were less likely to elapse than those who received generic or no counseling. This is important information for clinics that have methadone treatments programs because they can use the research to enhance their programs to better fit their patients and help in their treatments. Research (Marissen, et al. , 2006) has found that in-patient patients, who showed interest towards heroin related cues, were more likely to relapse after treatment, than those who did not show interest in the cues. The next steps for future research may include assessing whether the desire for heroin makes treatment more difficult. Whether an addict has a problem in their brain, or whether they have a chronic disease, heroin use and abuse is a grave topic for consideration (O’Brien, 2003). From the characteristics that push a person to first try heroin, to the nagging need for the high of just one more hit, the drug is a dangerous chemical that can have serious repercussions on both the brain and the body. Researcher need to continue their work in examining heroin as a chemical, drug, and addictive substance in order to assist in the best treatment for its use. With continued research, there may be a cure for heroin addiction, or even addiction itself. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th Ed, Text Revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Blanken, P. , Hendriks, V. M. , Koeter, M. W. J. , van Ree, J. M. , van den Brink, W. (2005). Matching of treatment-resistant heroin-dependent patients to medical prescription or heroin or oral methadone treatment: Results from two randomized controlled trials. Addiction, 100, 89-95. Chiang, S. -C.. Chan, H. -Y. , Chen, C. -H. , Sun, H. -J. , Chang, H. -J. , Chen, W. J. , Lin, S. -K. , Chen, C. -K. (2006). Recidivism among male subjects incarcerated for illicit drug use in Taiwan. Psychiatry Clinical Neurosciences, 60, 444-451. Firth, A. Y. (2005). Heroin and diplopia. Addiction, 100, 46-50. Franken, I. H. A. , Stam, C. J. , Hendriks, V. M. , van den Brink, W. (2004). Electroencephalographic power and coherence analyses suggest altered brain function in abstinent male heroin-dependent patients. Neuropsychobiology, 49, 105-110. Gossop, M. , Stewart, D. , Marsden, J. (2006). Effectiveness of drug and alcohol counseling during methadone treatment: content, frequency, and duration of counseling and association with substance use outcomes. Addiction, 101, 404-412. HeroinAbuse. Net. (2007). History of heroin. [Website]. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from http://www. heroinabuse. net/heroin_history. php Li, L. , Lu, G. , Yao, H. , Zhao, Y. , Feng, Z. , Yew, D. T. (2005). Postmortem changes in the central nervous system and adrenal medulla of the heroin addicts. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115, 1443-1449. Marissen, M. A. E. , Franken, I. H. A. , Waters, A. J. , Blanken, P. , van den Brink, W. , Hendriks, V. M. (2006). Attentional bias predicts heroin relapse following treatment. Addiction, 9, 1306-1312. National Kidney Foundation. (2008). Drug abuse and your kidneys. [Website]. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www. kidney. org/atoz/atozItem. cfm? id=44 O’Brien, C. P. (2003). Research advances in the understanding and treatment of addiction. The Journal on Addictions, 12, S36-S47. PBS. (1998). Opium throughout history. [Website]. Retrieved July 18, 2010, from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history. html Shao, C. , Li, Y. , Jiang, K. , Xu, Y. , Lin, Y. , Wang, Q. , Zhao, M. , Jin, L. (2006). Dopamine D4 receptor polymorphism modulates cue-elicited heroin craving in Chinese. Psychopharmacology, 186, 185-190. How to cite The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: a Literature Review, Essays

The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body a Literature Review Free Essays

Running Head: EFFECTS OF HEROIN ON A PERSON The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: A Literature Review Heather Huber Walden University Psych 8226-04 Biopsychology Dr. John Redmon August 18, 2010 Abstract This literature review looks at the detrimental effects of heroin. Since many heroin users often become addicted, it is important to look at its ramifications. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: a Literature Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now Beginning with a brief history of the substance, then discussing treatment programs for those who have problems with heroin abuse, this paper helps to better understand logical reasons that heroin is an illegal substance. The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: A Literature Review Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine, is an illegal drug in the United States and many other countries. Heroin has devastating results on the brain and body. This paper looks at heroin’s history, its consequences on the brain and body, addiction possibilities, and available options for treatment for heroin abusers. What is Heroin? Chemical make-up Breaking down the parts of the word, diacetylmorphine, di means two, acetyl is a radical derived from acetic acid, and morphine is a drug derived from the opium poppy plant used to relieve pain. Heroin, on the street, is generally not pure. Drug dealers often add other things in the drug to stretch their dollar (Furst, 2000). The term for adding things to a drug is called cutting it. According to Furst, easily attainable items, such as lactose and milk sugar, can cut heroin. Quinine, a psychoactive drug that enhances the heroin high, is also a common choice. History Upon researching the history of heroin, very few research articles were located. Many tend to focus on its results in present day life. Unfortunately, this inequity of information in Walden University’s academic databases, the internet provided much of the information regarding the history of heroin. Using vigilant discernment and precise judgment, the following information appeared relevant and valuable in understanding the path of heroin. Heinrich Dreser, an employee of the Bayer Company (the same as today’s Bayer Asprin), first discovered heroin in 1895 by diluting morphine (PBS, 1998). It was later that heroin was advertised and sold as an over-the-counter medication. Acknowledged for having the pain relieving effects of morphine, without the side effects and addictions, heroin became the new choice for pain relief. Unfortunately, a researcher in Bayer laboratories unethically withheld the truth of this information (HeroinAbuse. Net, 2007; PBS, 1998). The use, abuse, and addiction to heroin grew in the United States, and around the world, throughout the early 1900s. Access to heroin on the streets, despite its illegal status, became easier and soon it became a headliner when American celebrities (Janis Joplin, John Belushi, and Kurt Cobain, to name a few) overdosed and died due to use of the drug and its mixture with other illegal substances (PBS, 1998). Today, heroin is still illegal, but is prominent in the lives of many who use or know someone who uses. Effects of Heroin on the Brain Drugs become illegal usually due to the negative consequences. Franken, Stam, Hendriks, and van den Brink (2004) found that heroin can have a negative result on the brain by limiting and exciting different areas leading the long time abuser to have negative characteristics similar to both Alzheimer’s patients and individuals with multiple sclerosis (dementia and brain lesions, respectively). While their study shared a lot about long-term users of heroin, it failed to present information regarding limited-use of heroin users. It is valuable information to know how heroin use affects both groups. The difference between users and abusers will be discussed in the addiction section of this paper. Li, et al. 2005) discovered major disruptions in the cerebral cortex and central nervous system when they autopsied accidental deaths of heroin addicts. While it is challenging to study the definitive effects of heroin on the brain in patients while alive, postmortem patients provide valuable information regarding the effects of heroin use on the brai n. While traces of heroin were found throughout the brain, they discovered a larger amount in the hippocampus and the basal ganglia (Li, et al. , 2005). These heroin cells left lesions in the brain, which could have lead to decreased blood flow to the organs and even death (Li, et al. , 2005). It is clear that the brain is affected by the use of heroin, next we will look at the effects of heroin on the body. Effects of Heroin on the Body Heroin affects vision. Firth (2005) studied its effects. Many heroin users reported double vision (diplopia); the author thought it was important to see whether it was a temporary or permanent condition. Eye exercises or specially made glasses corrected the majority of diplopic conditions. Shao, et al. (2006), tested and found that those with the DRD4 VNTR long repeat allele were more likely to crave heroin after seeing heroin related stimuli, than with the similar DRD4 VNTR short repeat allele. This type of research provides information to future researchers to study this particular allele and perhaps find a â€Å"cure† for heroin addiction. While this may not be the only part of the human body that shows addiction tendencies towards heroin, it is a stepping-stone towards a future of understanding heroin addiction and maybe generalizes that information towards addictions to any substance. Addiction Addiction, in general, has been viewed from many different angles. Many influences encourage one to begin using a substance. O’Brien (2003) states that when discussing addition agent variable, there are three categories to take into consideration. First, agent variables include the onset and duration of the high, and price of the substance. Second, host variables include a risk-taking personality, likeliness of the person to get high, hereditary influences, and a desire to self-medicate. Lastly, environmental variables include peer pressure, and the use of a substance by a role model. These three groups of variables are important to take into consideration when identifying and analyzing an addiction. Viewing addiction from two perspectives, it is in one’s brain, or addiction is a chronic disease (O’Brien, 2003). Research has found that brain mapping is different in the brain of an addict than it is in the brain of a non-addict. Applying the disease approach to addiction, relapses are common and cannot be helped. The philosophy resembles the thoughts such as â€Å"would you punish a diabetic for having a sugar crash? † Many times the ideas behind addiction are challenging for people to comprehend when they have not had an addiction themselves or seen another person go through it. It is important for researchers to study addiction so that we can better understand it and help those who are addicted to substances. According to the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), an addiction to heroin would be classified as an opioid dependence. The characteristics of a person who is dependent upon heroin (a member of the opioid family) include the use of the drug without a prescription, self-medicating, obsession with obtaining the drug, high tolerance for the drug, and withdrawal symptoms when use is abruptly ended. Chiang, et al. (2006), looked at the likelihood of relapse for heroin users and found that of their 166 heroin abusers, approximately 80% of them relapsed in the five-year study. This is a larger percentage and ties into the idea of heroin addiction being a chronic disease that affects an individual throughout their life. Treatment With relapse having such prevalence in the life of heroin abusers trying to abstain, finding a successful treatment program is an important task. Blanken, et al. 2005), found significant success in programs that utilized a mix of heroin and methadone as a treatment to curb withdrawal symptoms, over those that used only methadone. One may question the help of using an addictive substance to treat an addiction, but it is similar to the idea of weaning a child off breast milk by slowly introducing bottles alongside the breast. While it takes some time for the weaning process, it decreases the likelihood of relapse. Gossop, Stewart, and Marsden (2006) found th at participants in a methadone treatment program, who received drug related counseling, were less likely to elapse than those who received generic or no counseling. This is important information for clinics that have methadone treatments programs because they can use the research to enhance their programs to better fit their patients and help in their treatments. Research (Marissen, et al. , 2006) has found that in-patient patients, who showed interest towards heroin related cues, were more likely to relapse after treatment, than those who did not show interest in the cues. The next steps for future research may include assessing whether the desire for heroin makes treatment more difficult. Whether an addict has a problem in their brain, or whether they have a chronic disease, heroin use and abuse is a grave topic for consideration (O’Brien, 2003). From the characteristics that push a person to first try heroin, to the nagging need for the high of just one more hit, the drug is a dangerous chemical that can have serious repercussions on both the brain and the body. Researcher need to continue their work in examining heroin as a chemical, drug, and addictive substance in order to assist in the best treatment for its use. With continued research, there may be a cure for heroin addiction, or even addiction itself. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th Ed, Text Revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Blanken, P. , Hendriks, V. M. , Koeter, M. W. J. , van Ree, J. M. , van den Brink, W. (2005). Matching of treatment-resistant heroin-dependent patients to medical prescription or heroin or oral methadone treatment: Results from two randomized controlled trials. Addiction, 100, 89-95. Chiang, S. -C.. Chan, H. -Y. , Chen, C. -H. , Sun, H. -J. , Chang, H. -J. , Chen, W. J. , Lin, S. -K. , Chen, C. -K. (2006). Recidivism among male subjects incarcerated for illicit drug use in Taiwan. Psychiatry Clinical Neurosciences, 60, 444-451. Firth, A. Y. (2005). Heroin and diplopia. Addiction, 100, 46-50. Franken, I. H. A. , Stam, C. J. , Hendriks, V. M. , van den Brink, W. (2004). Electroencephalographic power and coherence analyses suggest altered brain function in abstinent male heroin-dependent patients. Neuropsychobiology, 49, 105-110. Gossop, M. , Stewart, D. , Marsden, J. (2006). Effectiveness of drug and alcohol counseling during methadone treatment: content, frequency, and duration of counseling and association with substance use outcomes. Addiction, 101, 404-412. HeroinAbuse. Net. (2007). History of heroin. [Website]. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from http://www. heroinabuse. net/heroin_history. php Li, L. , Lu, G. , Yao, H. , Zhao, Y. , Feng, Z. , Yew, D. T. (2005). Postmortem changes in the central nervous system and adrenal medulla of the heroin addicts. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115, 1443-1449. Marissen, M. A. E. , Franken, I. H. A. , Waters, A. J. , Blanken, P. , van den Brink, W. , Hendriks, V. M. (2006). Attentional bias predicts heroin relapse following treatment. Addiction, 9, 1306-1312. National Kidney Foundation. (2008). Drug abuse and your kidneys. [Website]. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www. kidney. org/atoz/atozItem. cfm? id=44 O’Brien, C. P. (2003). Research advances in the understanding and treatment of addiction. The Journal on Addictions, 12, S36-S47. PBS. (1998). Opium throughout history. [Website]. Retrieved July 18, 2010, from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history. html Shao, C. , Li, Y. , Jiang, K. , Xu, Y. , Lin, Y. , Wang, Q. , Zhao, M. , Jin, L. (2006). Dopamine D4 receptor polymorphism modulates cue-elicited heroin craving in Chinese. Psychopharmacology, 186, 185-190. How to cite The Effects of Heroin on a Person’s Brain and Body: a Literature Review, Essays

Cumberland Case free essay sample

According to the six stages of setting price, ? we have to select the pricing objective. Since Cumberland is in the level of introducing CMI, they have to pursue product-quality leadership which is to offer â€Å"affordable luxuries† for now and consider about maximizing profit later. ?The second stage is to determine demand. So, Cumberland has to consider consumers’ price sensitivity in this case sensitive to quality. Therefore, we should think about the benefit to consumers. Since the average number of CMI pads need per year is 204,750(question 2), the number of CMI pads per month is about 17,000. So, the additional capacity cost is $5,025,000 because additional equipment is added at a cost of $75,000 per 250 pads per month of capacity {(17,000/250 – 1)x75,000}. The production cost varies depending on purchasing a permanent tool. (Exhibit 6)Without permanent tool, it has to pay $7,543,040{148. 1217,000+5,025,000(additional capacity cost)}. On the other hand, with the permanent tool, manufacturing cost would be only ,251,060{69. 817,000+50,000(price of permanent tool)+5,025,000(additional capacity cost)}. Compared to without permanent tool case, it is reasonable to produce pads ‘with permanent tool’. So the total manufacturing cost would be $6,251,060 and the manufacturing cost per pad goes to $367. 71(6,251,060/17000). Since Cumberland managements want to take manufacturing cost to be 40~50% of the price. From this, we can set the price range of from $735. 42. to $919. 275. ?Next, we should analyze competitors’ price mix. Competitors of this market are companies producing asbestos pads. The advantage of competitors is low price. Thus Cumberland has to make sure the value it offers is always of higher benefit to customers than asbestos pad’s cheapness. ?From this, it follows that the ceiling price should be about $1,904. 16 and floor price about $735. 42 and its median is $1,319. 79. After this, we select a pricing method of markup pricing. Because we are beginning the production, we have to first accomplish desired return on sales to make up for the costs. ?Lastly, we select a final price with this method. As gather up former steps, although CMI pad’s EVC is very high and consumer will be welcome this product, since it is the beginning and the key point is to penetrate market and take consumer’s interest, S875. 5 of which 42% is manufacturing cost is moderate to CMI pad. Q1-2) What is the best estimate of the value of the Cumberland pad to a customer? First, in the Colerick project, Asbestos pads driving rate is 150ft/hr so it takes 100 hours driving 15,000ft. When driving 15,000ft, it needs 20 pad sets. Also, because it spends 20 minutes to change sets, it takes total of 400minutes to change sets. As a result, total time spending on driving 15,000ft would be 106. 66666hrs (100hrs+400mins). However, the driving rate of CMI pad is 200ft/hr and it takes 75hrs to drive 15,000ft. CMI needs only 1 pad set change which takes only 4minutes. So, driving 15,000ft with CMI pad spends 75. 06666hrs (75hrs+4mins). It saves 31. 6hrs than the Asbestos pad. Second, in the Fazio project, the driving rate of Asbestos pads is 160ft/hr and it takes 75hrs driving 12,000ft. In this case, 50 pad sets is needed to replace and it takes 20minutes per set to change. So it needs 1000mins for total changes. Overall, using Asbestos pads needs 91. 66666hrs (75hrs+1000mins). On the other hand, CMI in Fazio project shows same result with Colerick project that is taking 60. 06666hrs. In summary, it saves 31. 6hrs when using CMI pad. Furthermore, there are other equipment’s rental costs. Hammer costs $34/hr, crane costs $52/hr and lead costs $8/hr. Also, labor cost is $21, crane operator costs $10 and foreman costs $13. In addition, $100 is needed for overhead which is spent on office, trucks, oil/gas, tools etc. In sum, $238 is spent per hour. To sum up, the value of the time saved by using CMI pad is $7,520. 8 in the case of Colerick project and the Fazio project. The cost for the Asbestos pads is $1,000 in Colerick project-$50 per set and 20sets required. Also Asbestos pad cost is $2,000 in Fazio project-$40 per set and 50 sets required. In conclusion, Total value saved by using the CMI pad becomes $8,520. 8($7,520. 8 + $1,000) in Colerick project and $9,520. 8($7,520. 8 + $2,000) in Fazio project. Therefore, the value of the CMI pad to a customer is $1,420. 1333($8,520. 8 / 6pads required in total) in the Colerick project and $1,904. 6($9,520. 8 / 5pads required in total) in Fazio project. The highest estimate of the value of the CMI pad to a customer (EVC) is $1,904. 16 per pad. Q1-3) EVC of channel members, and influencers The value of CMI may be evaluated positively but not all share the same estimate of value. At first, customers will be positive because their EVC is $1,904. 16. Channel members would also be positiv e. They can get more margins because CMI pad is much more expensive than asbestos pad. Also architectural/soil consultant can construct fast and easily because CMI pads quailty and safety is better. In place of Engineering/construction contractors and independent pile-driving contractors, it will be estimated positively because they want to construct safely and fast. However, Pile-hammer distributing/renting companies make profits from rental fee. So when constructors reduce construction times using CMI Pad, their profits also be removed. So they are going to estimate negatively on CMI pads value. 2. Because there is no actual statistics of the U. S. market for cushion pads, Thomas Simpson, group manager of the Mechanical Products Group, estimated the market size by the information he could gather. A 1977 report by Construction Engineering magazine and industry sources estimated that there are approximately 13,000 owned pile hammers and 6,500 to 13,000 leased hammers. These total of 19,500 to 26,000 hammers would operate for 25 weeks in a year, and 30 hours in a week. Most works are drove 20 feet per hour. From these data we can estimate the total feet driven per year. Low Estimate: (13,000+6,500) x 25 x 30 x 20 = 292,500,000 High Estimate: (13,000+13,000) x 25 x 30 x 20 = 390,000,000 A set of six curled metal pads would drive 10,000 feet, which means that 1,667 feet is driven per pad. Therefore we can estimate the number of CMI pad needed per year. Low Estimate: 292,500,000 / 1,667 = 175,500 , High Estimate: 390,000,000 / 1,667 = 234,000 From this, we can estimate the average number of pads need per year and it is 204,750. 3. Q3-1) Distribution amp; Marketing Methods Before choosing a marketing strategy, we should first understand what product we are dealing with. CMI pad is a unsought goods that people generally don’t use. Thus, the target segments of this market are not public but those who have pile hammers such as pile driving companies, pile driving contractors, or construction contractors. Also, a market for pads is unfamiliar notion in the industry. Most members of the pile-driving industry did not think of a cushion pad as a prospective product to promote. CMI is the first pioneer in this market and the market is not clear. Thus, channels of distribution are not clear, too. We considered several alternatives including launching its’ own distribution outlet. However, for many obstacles, we decided that founding an outlet will cost a lot. Rather, as a result, we determined to persuade construction-oriented manufacturers’ representatives as a distribution channel with the result from question 1, 2. To communicate CMI product to market, it is important to reach various purchase influences. Then, what kind of purchase influences are important and why? There are architectural/consulting engineers, engineering/construction contractors and independent pile-driving contractors. Independent pile-driving contractors are those who are pioneers of this market, so they would be the key to introduce CMI to market. The architectural/consulting engineers are those who are expertise and final decision makers of the needs for a construction project. Even though they themselves don’t buy the product, they would tell consumers to buy it. So, we should make them choose CMI pads. Also, engineering/construction contractors are people who do everything related to the piling. They are bigger and sophisticated than independents that they would guarantee the bigger success in this market. As our targeting customers are industrial engineers and contractors not general public customers, we should focus on advertising directly for those segments rather than public advertisements like TV commercial, news paper and so on. There are several ways to reach these targets. We can put an ad on some magazines featuring advertisements by suppliers to trade and supply houses like Louisiana Contractor. Also, to reinforce credibility and arouse people’s interest, test results from the Colerick Foundation Company and Fazio Construction can be attached. The positive feedback from Professor R. Stephen McCormack about CMI pad can be attached, too. Moreover, we can hold trade shows to introduce CMI pads directly to the potential buyers and influencers. This would enable the company to have better marketing effect with small cost than widespread ads. Also, we can offer some free samples to some major companies and independent pile-driving contractors to draw their interests, just like we got some from the Colerick and Fazio. With these methods, CMI can be marketed effectively to the target segment. Q3-2) Roles of competitors, context, and collaborators in pricing decision In question 1-1, we already concluded competitors are asbestos pads companies. As test results prove, CMI pad is more competitive than them in every feature. So, if Cumberland gets a patent for CMI pad, no product can beat CMI. Since the only advantage of asbestos pad is low price, we should be careful not to overprice CMI pad that people no longer feel the advantages of CMI. The collaborators of Cumberland are Colerick and Fazio who cooperated to test CMI. Cumberland could calculate estimate value of consumers from the test results they gave. With EVC, Cumberland can set a price that ensures consumers to get higher value than the price. In other words, collaborators help setting the ceiling price of CMI. In exhibit 1, we can see that income of Cumberland diminished in 1979 compared to 1978. Net sales decreased from about $20. 5M to $18. 5M and net income per share decreased from $2. 16 to $1. 39. Even though Cumberland had a large market share in automakers market by selling exhaust gas recirculation (Sip-Seal), they depended on this market and its income has shrunk. They needed to target new market to retain other stable source of income. Therefore, it is natural that they develop CMI pads. Unlike asbestos pad, CMI pad is made of various materials. Also, CMI pad doesn’t endanger crew’s life by never going above 250? asbestos pads’ average temperature is between 600? and 700? ) So, engineers will choose CMI pad over asbestos for security reason. So, Cumberland can give premium to the CMI to have investment cost covered. Although CMI pad is a great product, Cumberland has to sit back and take relatively low-price strategy. That is, to gain market share and to have investment cost rewarded, Cumberland has to set a price that is not too low or too high – in this case the price is of 50% margin. They might be able to increase the price after they have enough market shares.