The Compititive Of Data Base Management

Information Management continued to be among one of the fastest growing aspects in Medicare and other facets in the business world. The article delves into the new found necessities that are incumbent in information management. There are integrated systems that have different modules for financial aspects, marketing, clinical, etc. , however that all share the same common data elements. The article goes further to advice what makes this system effective. This method makes it where no one has to take the time to enter data repeatedly, the data is collected up front and are distributed to other modules simultaneously. This in essence will save staff time and remove instances of possible errors. However even with positives there are negatives, Szatala (2000) does a wonderful job in this article describing the positive in the database. (Schultz, 1999) reports that there should be concern regarding financial aspects of the database. The government's chief watchdog for the year-2000 computer crisis yesterday disputed administration claims that Medicare computers would be fixed in time to prevent disruption of payments to hospitals and doctors after Jan. 1. Joel Willemssen, director of the General Accounting Office's accounting and information management division, said, â€Å"There is a high probability of system failures† in Medicare's computers that pay approximately $288 billion worth of medical bills for 70 million elderly people. His assessment contradicted Nancy-Ann DeParle, administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), who told the House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on government management, information, and technology that Medicare users should not expect any disruptions in their payment or services. Managed care organizations want understandable, reliable information to help them decide which long-term care facility is best able to provide cost-effective care, and the facility wants to be able to profit from the contract. Meanwhile, with PPS, Medicare wants to know especially what it is paying for, and why Errors can result in a facility losing money or, worse, being prosecuted for fraud (Szatala, 2000). This important aspect shows what is viewed as necessary and warranted by Medicare. Through the years that have been issues of what is covered and what is not covered, as well as for how long, not to mention if these processes were truly necessary. The data set incorporates so many aspects that at one time were singularly controlled. This allows the opportunity for a system to be more efficient, reduce timed errors, as well as reduce the amount of questions that are often created through all of the processes that were done individually at one time. An important aspect in the article explains how having a system that incorporates all of these aspects, can be nothing but an asset to any business. Facilities that are able to create patient profiles can effectively communicate with managed care organizations concerning the outcomes data i. e. length of stay, re-hospitalization, resident satisfaction, and clinical outcomes (Szatala, 2000). There are aspects in the article that create a strong impact , as well as drive even further the necessary aspects of having such a compiled system. Szatala (2000) does a great job of expressing what the database can do, as well as how much easier it makes the lives of staff and other personnel. Information systems can also support informed decision-making, as well as increase the operational efficiency of a long-term care facility. A marketing information system is most helpful in supporting decision making by tracking inquiries, actual admissions and discharges, and donors who support the facility. A facility can also use those data for trending, attempting to pinpoint the appropriate market area and customer profile. Judson has a marketing information system that tracks inquiries, prospective residents, admissions, and discharges. It also helps correlate data from marketing activities to create customer profiles, allowing us to capitalize on our marketing dollar. (Szatala, 2000) This only supports and gives further reason as to why this data system is necessary and proficient. A system that can incorporate daily activities as well as projected timelines and proficiencies is both a necessity and requirement for proficient data collection, and retrieval. Another program currently in use is a scheduling/staffing system that is linked to the payroll system. Employee schedules are computerized. Employees swipe the time clock with their badges, enabling the system to allocate benefits and generate payroll. (Szatala, 2000) here the writer expresses how this system is effective in another aspect of everyday business. A task that once had to handle individually can now be utilized as part of a bigger system. This also shows how this database is more efficient than current systems in use. Another innovative clinical system combines fall prevention with monitoring incontinence. The system is an ultra thin sensor that is placed in a brief worn by the resident, so that when the resident becomes incontinent, it detects the wetness. The sensor sends a signal to a beeper that the resident assistant carries. We tie this into a fall prevention program, since data show that residents often fall because they either have to go to the bathroom or they are already wet and trying to escape the wetness. The system also tracks the incontinence data and creates a graph tracking when the resident is incontinent, so that we can determine a pattern and develop toileting programs. (Szatala, 2000) Here is an example of how this database not only can be effective in paper processing and data compilation and retrieval. This system can give a more efficient way of helping patients, a way to make their lives a little easier as well as give caregivers an opportunity to know when certain things that are going on with their patient(s). There is also a bar code system. All resident equipment and supplies are swiped by a hand-held scanner. The equipment used for a resident goes directly to that resident's bill. We will use this system for inventory. Collecting and analyzing outcomes for managed care can be efficient and effective with or without a complex information system. We have learned over the years, for instance, that the resident's MDS is an absolute wealth of information; we have used these data for quality improvement initiatives, as well as for discussions with managed care. Most facilities, however, have not used these data fully. Now with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) requiring the use of quality indicators and the fact that these data are used in surveys, everyone is getting smarter about the MDS. (Szatala, 2000) Again, this shows the versatility of the database. All of the positives depicted in the writing far outweigh the negatives. Computer malfunctions are possible in any situation; therefore, they should not be viewed as a hindrance in this situation or any others. This article truly gives insight into the ways that the lives of caregivers and patients can be improved and better maintained. Medicare is something that has become a growing concern; it has also become necessary to create effective ways of dealing with data i. e. financial, personal, or patients. This article truly expresses how a database of this nature can do nothing else but improve all aspects of Medicare and the individual. It is time for working more efficiently instead of harder. It is time to learn how to make technology work for us instead of against us, this article shows how that is possible.

Basic Needs Shank’s Old Boss Failed to Meet Essay

According to Maslow’s hierarchy, which basic needs did Shank’s old boss fail to meet? Explain why the needs have not been met. What could be done to meet these missing needs? The basic needs which Shanks old boss failed to meet are as follows: The need for self-actualization â€Å"the desire to become more and more what one is and to become everything that one is capable of becoming. † People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc. Emily Griffin from Flight 001 stated the ollowing: So it’s not that it’s better than nothing, but they do still recognize the contribution, even if I’m not quite getting it right. This negative statement tells me that the self-actualization is a missing component within this company. She is completing a project Just to get it accepted and not maximizing her potential and her highest level of functioning. Emily s hould be able to move through the needs to the highest level provided they are given an education that promotes growth. Use the Expectancy Theory and/or the Equity Theory of motivation to explain how feeling nderpaid might affect the work of a Flight 001 associate and what a manager can do to increase the employee’s motivation. A Flight 001 associate that feels underpaid may form perceptions of what constitutes a fair ratio (a balance or trade) of inputs and outputs by comparing our own situation with other ‘referents’ (reference points or examples) in the market place as we see it. In practice this helps to explain why people are so strongly affected by the situations (and views and gossip) of colleagues, friends, partners etc. in establishing their own personal sense of fairness or equity in their work situations. People need to feel that there is a fair balance between inputs and outputs. Crucially fairness is measured by comparing one’s own balance or ratio between inputs and outputs, with the ratio enjoyed or endured by relevant (‘referent’) others. If there is not a fair balance employees feel demotivated. Generally the extent of demotivation is proportional to the perceived disparity with other people or inequity, but for some people Just the smallest indication of negative isparity between their situation and other people’s is enough to cause massive disappointment and a feeling of considerable injustice, resulting in demotivation, or worse, open hostility. Some people reduce effort and application and become inwardly disgruntled, or outwardly difficult, recalcitrant or even disruptive. Other people seek to improve the outputs by making claims or demands for more reward, or seeking an alternative Job. A Manager can increase employee motivation with financial rewards – pay, salary, expenses, perks, benefits, pension arrangements, onus and commission – plus intangibles – recognition, reputation, praise and thanks, interest, responsibility, stimulus, travel, training, development, sense of achievement and advancement, promotion, etc. Managers need to understand the Equity Theory – and especially its pivotal comparative aspect – to be able to appreciate and improve one person’s terms and conditions to resolve that individual’s demands. Equity Theory reminds us that people see themselves and crucially the way they are treated so they must be managed and treated accordingly. Based on Herzberg does Two Factor Theory, what hygiene factors can you identify that are being met within Flight 001 ‘s work environment based on comments made by employees in the video? How are they being met? Is Flight 001 ‘s work environment meeting any motivation factors? If so, which ones and how? The hygiene factor that are being met within Flight 001 ‘s work environment are as follows: Working conditions, Company Policies and Interpersonal relations. Flight 001 has great working conditions for their employees and they pay attention to detail as far as letting their employees know that they are ot Just a number but as important as the any other employee where they are at a higher level of management and this also creates interpersonal relations between all employees and making them feel as adequate as the next. Due to the new baggage policy and charges customers want to bring more carryon luggage on the plane. The employees were informed and trained on how to react to this new policy in a positive manor to satisfy the customer. References http://stewardess. inhatc. ac. kr/philoint/general-data/maslow’s-hierarchy-of- needs-I . htm http://www. businessballs. com/adamsequitytheory. htm

Immigrant Access to Health Insurance and Medical Care Essay

Immigrant Access to Health Insurance and Medical Care - Essay Example Since many of them do not have health insurance, a single hospitalization is enough to drive most into financial insolvency and debt. Lack of health insurance in America approximately costs between $60 and $130 billion every year resulting from impairment of health and lost productive years of all uninsured people, let alone immigrants . Legal and illegal immigrants usually rely on a makeshift system of free hospitals and safety-net clinics, or even medical care at reduced prices, such as in the county and state owned facilities. They also have to rely on religious and charity-affiliated facilities. Immigrant reliance on these systems has led most communities and states, to voice their concern about health care costs that are uncompensated for these uninsured immigrants and the resultant local and state fiscal burdens. Access of Immigrants to Health Insurance Data from the US census indicates that it is more likely for immigrants to be uninsured than it is for native-born Americans. Non-citizen immigrants are thrice as likely to have no insurance at 44% as native-born Americans at 13% (Loue 782). Naturalized citizens come in at 17% being un-insured. Those who recently immigrated into the United States are more likely to be sans insurance with their rates of insurance increasing as their income increases. This can be explained by the fact that immigrants tend to get quality jobs with time and because their income increases with job experience and age. However, fewer immigrants tend to possess employer-sponsored insurance, which explains their lower insurance levels despite their high employment rates (Loue 782). The discrepancy between native-born citizens and immigrants persists in those that have income of less than $33,000 a year in a family of three (Loue 783). In the low-income category, 23% of native-Americans are uninsured when compared to 56% non-citizen immigrants. However, when low-income populations are considered, the reason for the insurance gap also changes. The main reason for this coverage difference among low-income citizens and immigrants has to do with fewer immigrants having access to public coverage for instance, Medicaid for the poor and Medicare for the elderly. Immigrants with low incomes also have minimal chances of possessing coverage sponsored by the employer or private means, although these gaps tend to narrow. Although, this data does not reveal the legality of these immigrants, it is vital that we recognize that sort of immigrants working and living in the US affects the profiles. Annually, the proportion of unauthorized immigrants has increased, which has caused the proportion of those who come in illegally to drop (Loue 783). These illegal immigrants are not eligible for state funded benefits and find it more difficult to secure private insuranc e. Private Health Insurance Access Insurance sponsored by the employer is the main form of health insurance for a majority of Americans, although this is not true

Alcan case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alcan - Case Study Example Moreover, the information integrators try to compete through product or service differentiation rather than cost minimization and business model optimization. Robert Ouelette, the newly appointed Corporate IT Vice President, identified that the Alcan had invested a total amount of $295 million in IT services annually. This huge amount points that the company specifically gives great emphasis on IT projects and IT innovation. Robert also says that there were three major SAP implementation projects representing a combined investment of $500 million in various sectors throughout the organization when he joined the Alcan. These facts indicate that the organization has not taken any initiative to trim down IT costs and thereby to compete on prices. However, the firm strives to obtain information necessary to improve operational efficiency. To illustrate, the company currently works on more than 1000 information systems. The company’s 80% of â€Å"total annual IT budget was spent o n outside services from consulting and outsourcing firms, as well as on equipment and software† (Dube, Bernier, and Roy). 2. The five decision areas of the Alcan are financial applications, architecture, information system solutions, infrastructure planning, and infrastructure shared services. From a thorough analysis, it seems that the organization mainly practices a decentralized IT governance model in these five key decision areas although it deploys multiple governance approaches. The case study clearly indicates that all the 14 resources of the groups responsible for the improvement and promotion of corporate applications were disparate with no centralized management control. Robert states that this group did not show any form of coordinated leadership for carrying out financial applications effectively and there were no well structured common architecture for those applications. In addition, the

Differences Between International Business Management and United Essay

Differences Between International Business Management and United States Business Management - Essay Example Different business management practices differ depending on the purposes and the scope of the business or the area it covers (Adekola & Sergi, 2008). There is the difference between international business management and United States business management. The international business management is a business that incorporates many factors as compared to the business management of America. The international business has factors like different government policies, cultures of different people and other foreign elements that are put into consideration, while the United States business management has only the domestic policy, one culture, and other internal factors that are considered when designing it. The American Business Management uses an individualistic approach where managers are the one who are responsible for the decisions made in their areas of the jurisdiction (Dewan, 2011). In this case, the decision always lies with the management though the other staff can discuss but the final say lies in the word of the boss. For the case of the international business, the board of management deliberates the matters affecting the busines s. The management approach here is not like the one of United States business management, but it entails deliberations that are made by the board and are implemented by the representative managers of various countries in the world. The accountability of the international business lies in the board of management where in consultation with the various managers of different countries they account for everything that is done in the business. The managers of American companies have a belief that the overwhelming success in a business brings real rewards. Thus, they tend to disregard the opinions of the other subordinates members (Punnett, 2014). This approach brings a lot of problems when the things go wrong and in meetings there are some incidences of

Innovation and Enterprise (BBVA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Innovation and Enterprise (BBVA) - Essay Example Innovation and Enterprise (BBVA) In most instances, innovation is commonly attributed to newness of a given aspect (Varis and Littunen, 2010, p. 128). However, they argue that there is no universally conclusive definition of the term since in the present world new knowledge is always coming up and not everything new can be classified as innovation. However, OEDC (2005, p. 101) described firm level innovation as planned change in an organization’s activities geared towards enhancing the organization performance. Innovation is differentiated based on main two aspects. The first looks at the object of change, such as product, market, process and organizational innovation (Oke, Burke and Myers, 2007, p. 735). Moreover, the type of innovation can be based on their how radical they are or their newness; that is based on the extent of change. According to Varis and Littunen (2010, p. 128), radical innovations usually bring up revolutionary changes and in some instances may trigger technological innovation. Basic ing redients of innovation are transferable and the most critical source of innovative ideas include the firm’s the employees, competitors and research (Beach, 2006, p. 1). Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria is a major retail bank in Spain that offers a wide range of financial services to both end-user clients and business customers. The bank was established in about one hundred and fifty years, and has grown significantly to open branches in USA, Mexico and South America. Currently, the bank is the largest in Mexico and is listed among the 25 major banks in US. Moreover, BBVA is among the few Western Banks operating successfully in Japan. By 2008, BBVA had 112, 000 employees serving more than 47 million countries in more than 30 countries (Ramis-Pujol and Droege, 2011, p.3). The bank has been able to balance its corporate principles while still focusing on customer service. In addition, BBVA views innovation as an engine for its future growth. Presently, BBBVA is one of the seven largest banks in the world measured in terms of market capitalization after joining this league in 2009. Types of Innovation by BBVA One of the types of innovation implemented by BBVA is product innovation when the bank came up with tu cuentas. Some years back, BBVA bank identified the great potential offered by internet technology to retail banking. The bank felt that its customers could appreciate more online banking services to better manage their financial activities and make them more open. The bank envisioned that customers could be more satisfied knowing what they spend their finances in, average money spent on different items in the budget and compare their spending trends with those of their peers. Moreover, the new product could help the customers develop strategies to optimize their spending habits. Tu cuentas was also developed to improve the user experience and increase its functionality and flexibility. Moreover, BBVA intended to allow its customers incorporate their banking information from other their accounts in other financial institutions. This last functionality was a unique service in retail banking. Given that the bank was financially and expertise constrained, it decided to

Organisational Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organisational Performance - Assignment Example Competitors, business managers, academicians, researchers and other observers constantly kept on asking the same question that what is the secret being Toyota’s impeccable success? The fact is that consistency and quality in Toyota’s vehicles, which also make it as the most trusted and reliable vehicle all over the world, is a direct result of the operational excellence that the company has achieved in the past few decades. In fact, Toyota has intelligently converted that operational excellence into their strategic weapon to outclass the competitors (Liker and Franz, 2011, p. 510).   Partly, this operational excellence is a result of frameworks, tools and approaches that it introduced in the manufacturing world, such as Kaizen, just-in-time manufacturing, once piece flow, Jidoka, Heijunka and others. These techniques also ended up providing Toyota a unique lean manufacturing system, which is discussed latter in the paper. Important here to understand is that mere appl ication of these frameworks and techniques is not what makes Toyota great but it is its continued success at employing these principles is what makes the difference. Toyota has indeed made them a part of its business philosophy, which also places great deal of importance on understanding their workers and their motivational dynamics (Simons, 2011, pp. 390-392).   This paper will briefly explore the strategies that Toyota employed to achieve this operational excellence. Many observers have cited this as the â€Å"The Toyota Way†.   ... s that mere application of these frameworks and techniques is not what makes Toyota great but it is its continued success at employing these principles is what makes the difference. Toyota has indeed made them a part of its business philosophy, which also places great deal of importance on understanding their workers and their motivational dynamics (Simons, 2011, pp. 390-392). This paper will briefly explore the strategies that Toyota employed to achieve this operational excellence. Many observers have cited this as the â€Å"The Toyota Way† or the â€Å"Toyota Production System† which would be the focal point of the paper. Discussion Much of the success that Ford and General Motors enjoyed in the US market during the early 1920s until the late 1950s was primarily because of their ability to use mass production system and leverage the economies of scale by producing as much as possible. On the other hand, Toyota emerged in the small Japanese market after the Second Worl d War where it could not employ the small techniques (Magee, 2008, p. 545; Shingo, et al., 1989, pp. 20-21). Instead, in order to satisfy the customer and their demands, the organisation had to be more flexible by creating the different automotives on the same production lines. This is where Toyota learned and made it its core flexibility to keep lead times shorter and be as flexible as possible. Furthermore, by watching the American counterparts and their mass production systems closely, Toyota realized that the system has the inherent disadvantage of providing too much waste, extra inventory and early wear and tear of the machines, all of which lead to greater costs and lesser efficiency (Vidler, 2001, pp. 226-228; May and Roberts, 2011, 52-53). When Toyota started penetrating into the American market,

Economics in an International Context Assignment

Economics in an International Context - Assignment Example According to Paul (2012), communism refers to the political and economical development model which was proposed by Karl Marx and later on supported by Lenin. The concept of the communism refers to the final part of the human historical development, where people are in charge of both the political as well as the economical system. In his book he also mentioned that according to Marxist theory, government can be defined as an instrument of class operation. Communism promises to provide each individual their needs despite of whatever class they belong to. According to Paul, command economy can also be referred as a planned economy. It can be defined as a specific economic system where the government has the power to control most or all the associated factors related to production. It generally exists when government decides to use the central planning system to allocate resources and funds as well as determine the volume of output across the segments. (Paul, 2012, p. 15). 2. Advantage o f Planned/ Command Economy: There are various advantages associated with command economy. In command economies, the central government control what and how much of most products will be produced. By controlling as well as deciding the prices and wages the central government also able to control and monitor how much of the production is allotted to each household. According to Katkoff (1961) The central government controls production and income in command economies. Due to this feature of command economies, the price could not be resolved based on how much would be the production and how much people’s demand is, In command economies, the price of the product is to always remain stable. In most planned economies, prices are determined by the policy makers. Hence, one major advantage of implementing the planned economy is that it is helpful to eliminate the chances of inflation and price fluctuations which are the two main challenges to the capitalist free market economies. Anot her important advantage associated with planned economy is the planned use of manpower, as well as the highest rate of social development (katkoff, 1961, pp.371-372). 3. Disadvantages of Planned/ Command Economy: According to Glisenberg (2001), a planned economy is with the character of satisfaction must. But, along with this advantage it also weakens the incentive as well as inspiration for the labor Because there is a rational system of condition for wants. Asa result it is almost impossible to allow a worker’s dependents to experience the full consequences of his or her lack of efficiency in production systems. The most recent example of this lack of employee motivation and responsibility situation was observed in China but later on in 1980 the great economic reform in the country helped them to overcome the situation. During the command economy phase , allocation of goods was depending on the labor hours and individuals were not responsible for the penalty of their works. As a result , the labor efficiency was much lower in China. According to his review, another key disadvantage associated with this type of economies was there were very less chances of technological innovations because they were not motivated to do so as there would be no obvious rewards for such good performance. The lack of competition also means that there are less efficient and innovative. As the main intention is non-profit so the mindset of improving as an aim as well as an employee also reduced drastically. Sometimes there are

Australiam curriculum Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australiam curriculum - Term Paper Example From the provincial level, schools are estranged into districts and then into school boards (ACARA, 2011). It is in the school boards that local policies are made that must be in line with the curriculum from the provincial level. In Australia, all students are assured of equal chances to education unlike before. For instance, pregnant students were not allowed to go to school but this has changed and they can now attend learning institutions of their choice. The government has gone further to provide special schools for the physically disabled students for example, the deaf, blind, and crippled. They are no longer denied their rights to education like before and they can even sue the government if they are not attended to. The administration has put strong disciplinary measures which legally punish any student who goes against the school rules. Punishable behaviors include resistance to authority, use of abusive language, or any kind of behavior that the administration may consider a violation of the schools norms The ministry of education is responsible for organizing as well as supervising education at the primary, secondary, and vocational levels because there is no central department in the education system. Unlike other nations where learning is monitored at the federal government, in Australia, all the responsibility of supervising learning as well as assessing students’ and teachers’ performance takes place in the national level. The provincial education system can be compared to the territorial system although they differ in their assessment, curriculum, and education policies (ACARA, 2011). Education starts at the kindergarten which takes in children as young as five years. From the kindergarten, children proceeds to the elementary school at the age of 6 to 12 years then move to the junior high school. Normally, elementary school includes six grades although it can be extended to eight grades. Junior high school acts as a

7 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

7 questions - Essay Example In question 2, Jasmine can disaffirm the earrings, tickets to a concert and down payment for the used car due to her age. The case would not be any different if the items were used or she waited for a period of one month before returning them as long as the time agreed on the contract did not elapse. For instance, she could return the tickets to the concert after the one month provided that they had not expired. In question 3, the contract can be ratified through Jasmine writing or starting to confirm that she intends to be bound by the terms of the contract. Moreover, the action of her continuing to make the monthly payments can be termed as ratification of the contract. Her mother would be liable for the contract if Jasmine fails to adhere to its terms and the court proves that she failed to supervise her daughter properly; a factor that caused her to expose others to unreasonable risk of harm. In 4 (a), the contract is not enforceable because it exceeds the legal maximum interest rates which are set to facilitate business transactions while keeping the economy healthy. In 4 (b), in most States gambling is illegal because it might run afoul some applicable criminal laws hence any contract involving it is unenforceable. This factor renders the purchase of the slot machine to be used for gambling unenforceable. In 4 (c), the contract is enforceable because it involves revenue generation but the contractor would be expected to pay fine for working without a license. In 4 (d), the contract is unenforceable because it compromises the safety standards that are set to protect the health of the users. In question 5, Alex can make use of the substantive unconscionability as a legal defense in arguing that the contract with his former employer provided unfair benefits. He would term the contract to have had prevented achievement of equal benefits for both him and his former employer. In question 6, exculpatory clause is a legal provision that releases

Negro Expression Essay Example for Free

Negro Expression Essay What does Zora Neal Hurston identify as the Characteristics of Negro Expression? In 1933, Zora Neil Hurston wrote Characteristics of Negro Expression to frame the Negro or African-American as she saw him. She saw the results of the Great Migration as terrifying and spasmodic, unbearably inhumane and devastating to those left behind. For Hurston, rural black people were being forgotten; disappearing amidst the heady enthusiasm of the urban New Negro Movement. In Hurstons essay she describes the different concepts of what it meant to be a black American in the South. She sees the new Negro as encompassing theses elements: being dramatic, having the will to adorn, being angular, asymmetrical, dancing, folkloric, having originality, mimicry, non-reserve, having a peculiar dialect, and hanging out at the jook or pleasure house. These are just a few of the compositional elements used to described the forgotten Negro in the south. By reexamining Hurstons essay, critiques will have a proper understanding of these social characteristics and will have a better understanding of the African-American in relation to his identity. Hurston was part of the Talented Tenth, an elite group of well educated African-American professionals who argued that the mission of establishing black identity and thus gaining social acceptance and economic and political stability would be vitally strengthened through arts and letters. Hurstons work and criticism have helped to shape the manner in which black American artists and academics view themselves. Also how they emphasize humanness inherent in black people through referencing the diversity of voices and talents in black America in the South, as well as their essential connection through legacy to the African continent. Hurston begins her essay with the first characteristic of the southern Negro expression Drama, in which she describes almost every phase of African-American existence as being highly dramatized(Hurston 296), She further states that No matter how joyful or how sad the case there is sufficient poise for drama (Caponi 294). To this end, Hurston realizes that African-Americans and their daily experiences are in time and history,  dramatic collective repetitions that are repeated and multiplied many times in many art forms, but why?. As African-Americans live, most naturally leave a mark on most things they come in contact with. For example, Picasso was dramatically influenced by African people and their art on his trip to Africa. His trip was the precursor to the formation of Cubism. Consequently this clearly demonstrates that the African and his presence, usually dramatic, is a phenomenon of their being in the universe, in which other wish to document. Thus, it is up to the artist to find the terms and pictures that will simply clarify those experiences and knowledge for the critic who does not or could not understand what is or was happening to African-Americans, and to future critics who will need to be warned and directed in terms from inside the level we call Africanisms. Another phenomenon and striking characteristic expression of African-Americans in the south is Angularity. Hurston states, Everything he touches becomes angular. For example, his furniture is set at an angle, pictures are hung at angles, and even his posture in dance is constantly at different angles. In almost every expression of life, most African-Americans refuse to be traditional. Brenda Gottchild posits that this is part of African aesthetics when African Americans refuse to be traditional. (Gottchild 13) In the section on Will to Adorn, Hurston sees the African-American as reinventing the English language to suit himself and having his revision accepted by the southern ruling class white man. Hurston views the greatest of this revision as the use of metaphors and similes (thats a rope), the double descriptive (high-tall), verbal nouns (funeralize) and nouns from verbs (she wont take listen). Hurston argues that whatever African-Americans do in violation to the normalcy of life he beautifies. Writer and dance enthusiast commented in Brenda Gottchilds book African-Americans blend the impossible and create beauty (Gottchild 14). This beautification, this revisioning is then accepted by white Americans and assimilated into their vernacular ( Hurston 301). The impact of Asymmetry, Dancing and Folklore are discussed as the next  three characteristics of Negro expression. In Asymmetry Hurston looks into African art and comments that the sculpture and carvings of the African-American artist are full of beauty and at the same time lack symmetry. Additionally, she sees this characteristic encompassing literature, poetry and dancing. Hurston states It is the lack of symmetry which makes Negro dancing so difficult for white dancers to learn (297). Gottchild concurs with Hurston stating Movement may emanate from any part of the body, and two or more centers may operate simultaneously. For example, African-American dance may seem difficult at times but most poses give the impression that the dancer will do much more. In most art forms the African-American is not trying to do all that is conceivable, he is merely giving a realistic suggestion of what is possible. Nothing shows what is possible more than African-Americans willingness to adapt folklore to suit his own use. While most people view folklore as a thing of the past, Hurston examines folklore as something still in the making and talks about the cultural roles of God, the Devil, John Henry and Jack, the greatest culture hero of the south. In the framework of her story Jack has the ability to outsmart the Devil when it seems that God is absolutely no match for him (Hurston 299). Jacks ability to outwit the Devil places him in the company of other prominent culture icons. To this end, Hurston is able to show that African folklore is not works of imitation but innovation. By recognizing the characteristics of Negro expression, Hurston identifies in her essay an understanding that if black artist are to have anything in their own image and according to their own views, African-Americans will have to have a say in which plays, dances, and folklore are in those images. The final characteristics that Hurston focuses on are: Originality, Imitation, Absence of the Concept of Privacy and The Jook. According to Hurston the African-American is the most copied individual on the face of the planet yet it is still said that he lacks originality. His art, music, plays and style are subjects of examination and commodification. Hurston argues, While he lives and moves in the midst of white civilization, everything he touches is reinterpreted for his own use (Hurston 310). In  terms of Imitation the African-American is not an imitator but a duplicator. If he chooses to imitate, it is because he wishes to and not because he wished to be like the one imitated. Historically, there is no Concept of Privacy in the African village. So it is believed that African-Americans kept nothing secret. Thus he keeps nothing in reserve and every aspect of his life is shared with his communal and biological family. Hurstons essay is important because while framing the architecture of the forgotten African-Americans in the South, she retells the narrative of the African men and women which sought to be original in every form of art. She provides her readers with a true representation of the social characteristics of the African-American culture in the South. Hurston directly puts them in the open for all to critique. Hurstons essay gives the reader a clear picture of African-Americans living in the South during the Harlem Renaissance, as well as, their forgotten identity and connects their traits neatly to many African art genres we see today.

An Analysis Of Environmental Toxicology Environmental Sciences Essay

An Analysis Of Environmental Toxicology Environmental Sciences Essay Environmental Toxicology is a rapidly developing field concerned with the research how natural and man-made pollutants impact the health of humans, wildlife, and whole ecosystems. It involves application of a variety of techniques to study the impact of toxic agents on living organisms and provides powerful tools for assessing the risks associated with the presence of these agents. It draws on a variety of scientific disciplines to describe, measure, explain and predict the severity and frequency of adverse effects on living organisms due to environmental toxicant exposure. Pollution, depletion of resources and disintegration of ecological functions are of global, regional and local concerns. Environmental toxicology presents many practical applications to these problems. The findings are used by government agencies to set new pollution control standards and to analyze the severity of damage in an ecosystem and develop the smartest ways to go about cleaning it up. Land development co mpanies may also work with environmental toxicologists to make sure that clearing and construction efforts are as environmentally-friendly as possible. It involves testing soil, water, and air samples to look for the source pollution, and use their findings to better understand health impacts on native species. Pakistan, as developing country, is facing challenges with a number of serious environmental issues such as degeneration of natural resources, industrial and vehicular pollution, pollution of coastal environment, deterioration of human health. Summarizing in financial terms, the annual cost of environmental derogation in the country is about 4.3 % of GDP (US $ 4.3 billion). This workshop is about the growing amount of pollution in Pakistan. Examines findings of different studies proving that health is being adversely affected by a variety of environmental contaminants. The above situation has arisen due to a number of factors including high population growth rate, prevailing poverty, unplanned urban and industrial expansion, insufficient emphasis on environmental protection in the government policies, lack of public awareness and education and lack of institutional capacity and resources for effective environmental management. To prevent continued environmental degradation and the decline of human environmental health, interactions between human, other living organisms and the environment have to be in harmony. This is achievable through an integrated, holistic approach encompassing education and research activities in natural sciences, socio-economic and political factors with technological, economic and socio-cultural interventions. Increasing awareness of environmental degradation is resulting in proliferation of environmental legislation throughout the world. This drive towards greater environmental protection has created a demand for scientists skilled in assessing environmental resources and more importantly the problems associated with their exp loitation. Environmental assessment may be required to evaluate the biological, physical or hydrological resources of any environment, and to place these resources within a wider geographical context. This workshop is an effort to provide a broad foundation of scientific based skills to evolve, equipping environmental professions, particularly in areas relating to environmental protection and management. Furthermore, the national and international requirements have been under concern for better environmental management understanding the inter-relationship between sustainable economic development and environmental protection. Opening remarks from Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman department of pharmacology and toxicology/the Director Research UVAS, were followed by that of Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nawaz, Vice chancellor UVAS, and Prof. Dr. Mrs. Kausar Jamal Cheema, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, all of whom emphasized the importance to utilize the collective wisdom in provision of improved methods for toxicity assessment and rational means for estimating health risk in order to promote public health and to provide a better and safer environment to prevent health problems before they occur. They added further it is our mission to train new environmental toxicologists and address pertinent environmental toxicology questions through education and research in areas such as chemical fate, bioavailability, biological effect, toxicokinetics, and mechanisms of action. A focus on interdisciplinary approaches and scientific skills is fundamental to our education and research acti vities. Dr. Sohail Ejaz (co-author of this report), PhD, University of Cambridge, UK co-ordinator and workshop organizer presented on the innovative assessment techniques for evaluating impact of Air Pollution upon Neuroinflammatory diseases of Central nervous system and how these studies could be implemented in our laboratories. New dimensions have been added to the array of outcome measures. Medical outcomes research now recognizes that patient well-being should be broadly conceptualized and measured rigorously, in addition to considering the biological process of the disease itself. As a result, health-related quality of life, the perception of well-being, is now considered a necessary component of outcomes research. Toxicologic studies have also gained in sophistication through incorporation of more sensitive indicators of effect and the careful tracing of the relationship between exposure and biologically relevant doses to target sites, which may now be considered at a molecular level. He also gave an overview of all his research activities conducted at Department of Clinical Neuroscience and how to work upon such techniques in our country with scarced resources and what targets to be achieved further to overcome environmental pollution issues in Pakistan. Dr. Sohail Ejaz bring to a close to develop and support research programs, outreach and other services that address critical issues in environmental health and toxicology. An international speaker Prof. Dr. Gerry Amor Camer, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine from University of Eastern Philippines, broad casted through video conferencing facility. He shared his remarkable research work on tissue toxicology and presented a talk on Understanding the pathology of tissues exposed to various toxins and pollutants. Assessment of the environmental effects of chemicals is complicated as it depends on the organisms tested and involves not only the toxicity of individual chemicals, but also their interactive effects, genotoxicity, mutagenecity and immunotoxicity testing. He further elaborated that a number of stressors affect the environment and sometimes when showing synergistic effects they become difficult to quantify or predict their individual effects. Thus, there is a need to understand the toxicant effects at molecular levels to predict their effects and existing techniques to be constantly modified to provide better means of their quantification. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Department of wildlife and ecology, UVAS, presented on Sources and Health effects of different Air pollutants. The mechanisms for modeling and understanding the fate of air pollutants through atmospheric transport, deposition into water and soil, bioaccumulation, and ultimate uptake to receptor organs and systems in the human body are complex. These require more experimental and theoretical developments in order to produce approaches for characterization and appropriate strategies and assays for screening in order to detect the harmful agents and prevent them from reaching sensitive endpoints. This seminar and workshop provided researchers from all over Pakistan a comprehensive platform where all facets of environmental pollution as it exists in our country to be fully explored and a forum to these professionals and researchers to discuss and present latest research trends and results in the field of Toxicology. Such initiatives help to support the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems which are ultimately affecting the health of human beings, animals, plants, soils and over all eco-system integrity. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf highlighted different research activities rendered by the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the recent years at his institution. He discussed the establishment of new laboratories at the department an effort to open doorways to many new dimensions thus promoting the advancement and application of scientific research related to the contaminants. This included the establishment of Angiogenesis Toxicology lab (ATRL) and a Ne uropharmacology lab in the faculty a progressive step for Applied Neuropharmacology Cancer research. He elaborated further that our research aims to determine how environmental pollutants interact with cellular functions and give rise to long-lasting adverse health effects in vertebrates including humans. We are particularly interested in toxic effects that target the hormone system, the reproductive system and the early brain development and other systems in vertebrates. Enzyme-catalysed activation in target cells and tissues and receptor-mediated responses are important areas of research. With an introduction of these laboratories, it is also an effort in attracting very high quality students across Pakistan and foreign qualified and relevant faculty members to take lead on viable research projects needed to address our country-specific problems. Speakers from various universities and Govt. departments presented their research projects and research papers. Mr. Khaleeq Anwar, PhD Scholar, presented his work on Impact of Automobile rickshaw on Public health. He presented evidence that Automobile rickshaws are among one of the major sources of air pollution in Pakistan, contaminants released from them include the major pollutants Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC) and Particulate Matter (PM) expressing their devastating effects in deteriorating public health. To have a control over contaminants realized by these two-or three stroke conventional rickshaws CNG rickshaws were introduced. Mr. Rizwan Ahmad, Assistant Director, Vehicular Pollution Control, Govt. of Punjab, further extended the talk by presenting on Advantages of CNG over other fuels. He presented his study on the nature of the toxicants effluent by burning natural gas as fuel and a comparative analysis was made between the nature of the con taminants released by both conventional automobile rickshaw and CNG rickshaw. Statistically significant data was evidenced that emphasized the use of CNG rickshaw to be preferred over the conventional two-or three stroke rickshaws. Lubna Shakir, PhD Scholar, discussed the public health problems aroused due to discharge of tannery effluent wastewater directly into the ground in the city of Kasur. The environment is under increasing pressure from solid and liquid wastes emanating from the leather industry. These are inevitable by-products of the leather manufacturing process and cause significant pollution unless treated in some way prior to discharge. The effect of excessive pollutant levels commonly found in tannery effluents can be severe. Water is so contaminated that potable water has high levels of chromium and other toxicants have been reported in appreciable amounts unfit to be used by public. She presented a comprehensive lecture entitled, Chemical, microbiological and toxicological screening of tannery effluent wastewater. In her work she quantified the various toxicants and studied their deleterious effects using laboratory animals by using various dilutions of this tannery waterwaste. She further elab orated her talk that assessment of the environmental effects of chemicals is complicated as it depends on the organisms tested and involves not only the toxicity of individual chemicals, but multiple factors are involved in relation to health behaviors, which may often result in adverse health outcomes. Zahida Umer, a young researcher, outlined the data showing the Measurement of pollution levels in different areas of Lahore by using carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide meters, and other available contaminant measurement meters and impacter for particulate matter in different areas of Lahore and provided a comparative analysis of these toxicants at different areas. She further lucubrated her talk by explaining different methodologies for air pollution measurement. Air pollution can be directly measured as it is emitted by a source in mass/volume of emission (e.g., grams/m3) or mass/process parameter (e.g., grams/Kg fuel consumed or grams/second). Air pollution can also be measured in the atmosphere as a concentration (e.g., micrograms/m3). Ambient air monitoring data is used to determine air quality, establish the extent of air pollution problems, assess whether established standards are being met, and characterize the potential human health risk in an area. Alternatively, air pollution concentrations can be simulated using computer models, and then validated using data collected from direct measurements at selected monitors or sources. Air pollution data and models are used together to examine the impacts of control strategies on the ambient air. Kanwal Zahra, Government College University, presented on Effects of industrial effluent on the thyroid glands of human population. The human body is immensely complex, and our knowledge and awareness of its complexity continues to grow. One of the most disquieting discoveries in recent years concerns the possible roles of environmental chemicals on endocrine systems. Among the hormones (chemical messengers) operating within the endocrine system are estrogen (a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries); thyroid hormone (influencing the function of virtually every cell in the body); and ACTH (produced by the pituitary gland to influence the release of adrenalin from the adrenal gland). Endocrine systems can be affected by these pollutants by interfering with the normal communication between the messenger and the cell receptors, the chemical message is misinterpreted, generating abnormal response(s) in the body. As thyroid glands releasing hormones influencing the total metabolic rat e of the body, in her study she evidenced the various pathological outcomes of thyroid intoxication by these industrial wastes and could be the possible damaging effects resulted. Prof. Dr. Sharif Mughal, Government College University, discussed the impact of various toxicants on marine environment. Petroleum hydrocarbons are found in sea surface film throughout the world. The oceans have served as a repository for a multitude of wastes and receive effluent from rivers, streams, and groundwater. Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other hydrocarbons adds to the burden of pollutants in the marine environment. Industrial smokestacks, incinerators, outfall pipes, automobiles, lawn chemicals, agricultural chemicals, homes, businesses, commercial ships, and motorized pleasure craft are all sources of contaminants. Many of these chemicals are fat-soluble and come to reside in the fatty tissues of marine animals. Some of these chemicals have been characterized as endocrine disrupters; some are believed to reduce reproductive success, to interfere with developmental processes, and/or to suppress immune function. Other chemicals, such as PAHs, do not bioaccumulate in marine mammals but may have adverse impacts on the health of marine animals through repeated exposure and metabolic response. He evidenced the above scenario by presenting his study on the Serological and histological changes in the liver of Labeo Rohita dur due to fluoride intoxication. An effort to characterize the types of lesions produced by these chemical contaminants found in, the metabolic response to such contaminants, and the extent of tissue damage caused by exposure to these contaminants. He further elaborated his talk that animals are exposed to natural toxicants in their native environments as well as to synthetic chemicals and drugs. Factors that affect the toxicity include; those related to the toxicants , which influence how it  ­Ã‚ ­enter and ultimately influence the factors related to the host animals that change its ability to detoxify or adapt to the toxicant. The final Lecture of the workshop was presented on the topic, Characterization of Environmental pathologies by immunohistochemistry by Dr. Sohail Ejaz, PhD, University of Cambridge, England. He flesh out his talk that Environmental toxicity encompasses the study of the toxic properties of not only synthetic chemicals but natural also, including their effects on humans and animals as well as their movement and fate in the environment. It is a need to develop research techniques for the assessments of effects of these pollutants and monitoring their lethal effects not on human health only but affecting every living being and our eco-system. Thus putting our joint efforts to provide a better and safer environment to prevent health problems before they occur. Conclusion: This was a variegate workshop to support and promote the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems which ultimately affecting the health of human beings, animals, plants, soils, damage buildings and other property and uplift of awareness level at National and International level through research and development. We can live a healthy life in a clean environment and it can only be achieved by realizing and understanding the importance of clean environment. Therefore to provide awareness about the effects of all possible environmental pollutants and the corresponding measures to be taken to decrease contaminants exposure. Also to encourage research techniques for the assessment of effects of these pollutants and monitoring their lethal effects on human health and conserving and protecting our environment. Disclosures and Supplementary Information: This workshop was organized at Department of Pharmacology Toxicology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK This meeting was funded by Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Anti-viral and Anti-cancer Effect of Sea Cucumber Extracts

Anti-viral and Anti-cancer Effect of Sea Cucumber Extracts The Anti-viral and Anti-cancer effect of secondary metabolite extracts from sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) in vitro Abstract Sea cucumber is used as food purposes and traditional medicine in Asia and Middle East society. In this scientific study we try to examine antiviral effect of organic extracts, obtained from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota species against HIV-1. For this reason, sea cucumber collected from 10-30 meters depths, around Larak Island. In order to extract, were used from methanol and diethyl ether solvents. All obtained extracts concentrated by rotary evaporator in 40  ° C and then changed to lyophilized powder by vacuum freeze dryer. After that, potential antiviral effect of each extracts on HIV-1 was investigated. The results of this experiments showed that all extracts in some concentrations were able to inhibit the replication of HIV-1. IC50 for their was variable between 5.03  ± 1.90  µg/ml until 337.60  ± 1.34  µg/ml . but cytotoxic effect of all extracts in host cell were also many and CC50 for their was variable between 5.11  ± 1.89  µg/ml until 56.27  ± 1.54  µg/ml. results shown detail ether body wall extract have highest antiviral effect and also it was relatively less cytotoxic effect. 2.79 TI for this extract was shown, it has potential to inhibit HIV-1 after identify and extract effective substances. For survey anti-cancer probably effect have used XTT assay. The results of this experiment showed, all different extracts could be able to prevent Human carcinoma oral epidermoid cells (KB) in some concentration. But also, they had strong cytotoxic effect on normal cell line (HEK293T). Totaly between all different extracts, body wall diethyl ether extract had less cytotoxic effect on normal cells and with 2.46 TI index, showed rather anticancer activitythan other extract. Introduction In recent years, many bioactive compounds identify and derived from various marine organisms. Searches for discover new metabolites led to isolated 10,000 new combination from marine animals. Many of these compounds are related to medicine and pharmacy. This compounds and natural products have been source of materials that have medicine effects (Faulkner, 1996). These bioactive compounds isolated from various marine organisms, including Corals, crabs, seaweeds, Echinoderms, fishes, sponges and etc. Sea cucumbers belong to the phylum Echinodermata, meaning that, they are spiny-skinned, under the class Holothuridea. They are found throughout the nearshore coral reef environment and are also found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Sea cucumbers play an important role in reef recycling, gathering organic detritus and bacteria from the water or sand for food. These particles are digested by the animals in order to extract nutrients, a process that helps turn over sediments to maintain an environment that supports other marine life. Other animals, including fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, eat sea cucumber eggs, larvae and juveniles making them an important member of the food web. Many species eject Cuvierian tubules when threatened. These are very sticky and can be toxic or irritating to predators. They are a diverse group of flexible, elongated, worm-like organ- isms, with a leathery skin and gelatinous body, resembling cucumber (Bordbar, Anwar, Saari, 2011) Sea cucumbers are one of the marine animals which are important as human food source, particularly in some parts of Asia . Sea cucumbers, informally named as bà ªche-de-mer, or gamat, have long been used for food and folk medicine in the communities of Asia and Middle East. In Holothuria leucospilota live specimens have reddish-purple until black and their color is converted to brownish-pink in alcohol. they have Cylindrical body and their abdomen is a little flat. The body wall of the sea cucumber lacks the rigidity found in other echinoderms because the calcareous plates (ossicles) that compose the skeletal system are very small and widely isolated. These ossicles are secreted by special cells called sclerocytes and are embedded in the outer layers of the skin. Ossicles are species-specific in structure and complexity, and can be used to identify species ( Lambert., 2005). Many bioactive compounds have been reported from different species of sea cucumber. A number of these compounds possess biological activity (Bryan et al., 1992; Villasin and Pomory, 2000) Some of sea cucumber species in Malaysia water are being used in traditional medicine to treat wound, eczema, arthritis or hypertension (Farouk et al., 2007). Sea cucumbers have been well recognized as a tonic and traditional remedy in Chinese and Malaysian literature for their effectiveness against hypertension, asthma, rheumatism, cuts and burns, impotence and constipation [18–23]. Several unique biological and pharmacological activities namely anti-angiogenic [24], anticancer [25], anticoagulant [26,27], anti-hypertension [28], anti-inflammatory [29–31], antimicrobial [32,33], antioxidant [34], antithrombotic [35,36], antitumor [37,38], and wound healing [39] have been ascribed to chemical compounds extracted from different sea cucumber species (Bordbar et al., 2011). These medicinal benefits and health functions of sea cucumbers can be attributed to the presence of appreciable amounts of bioactive compounds, especially the triterpene glycosides (saponins) [40–42], chondroitin sulfates [43], glycosaminoglycan [26,36], sulfated polysaccharides [44], sterols (glycosides and sulfates) [45], phenolics [46], peptides [47], cerberosides [48] and lectins [49–51]. Unlike bacteria, fungi and parasites, viruses have no cellular structure. when Viruses are outside live cells they behave like organic compounds and they are not able to replicate and clone independently. They do not have inner cytoplasmic organs such as ribosomes, mitochondria and lysosome. HIV-1 virus or human immunodeficiency virus is an RNA virus of the retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency disease (AIDS) in humans. According to the World Health Organization, 60 million people worldwide are infected with HIV and each day 5,700 lose their live because of this disease.( UNAIDS, 2010) HIV tends to infect and kill T lymphocytes that cause reduction and losing host cellular immunity and will make susceptibility to opportunistic infections. The presence of various materials, such as Liouvillosides A and B which are trisulfated triterpene glycosides and fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (FCS), are causing appear anti-viral effects in extracts of these animals. The body is made up of trillions of living cells. Normal body cells grow, divide into new cells, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a persons life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries. Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There are many kinds of cancer, but they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells. Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells. Cancer cells can also invade (grow into) other tissues, something that normal cells cannot do. Growing out of control and invading other tissues are what makes a cell a cancer cell. Cells become cancer cells because of damage to DNA. DNA is in every cell and directs all its actions. In a normal cell, when DNA gets damaged the cell either repairs the damage or the cell dies. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired, but the cell doesn’t die like it should. Instead, this cell goes on making new cells that the body does not need. These new cells will all have the same damaged DNA as the first cell does. People can inherit damaged DNA, but most DNA damage is caused by mistakes that happen while the normal cell is reproducing or by something in our environment. Sometimes the cause of the DNA damage is something obvious, like cigarette smoking. But often no clear cause is found. Material and methods Sample collection All samples collected from 10-30 meters depth around Larak Island and they had transferred to shore with ice. Upon reaching the shore, samples were frozen using dry ice and transported to the laboratory. Samples kept in separated labeled plastic bags in frozen at -20 C until extraction. Extraction Sampels thawed with water and then mud, or sand, foreign particles remaining from the body surface and were washed away with tap water. Samples were cuted from both sides of the midline of the body. internal organs separated from body wall and they cleaned with tap water before extraction. Extracts were prepared following Naik et al. at first, fresh holothurians were rinsed and cut into small pieces. Then cut samples moved to Erlenmeyer with 1000 cc diethyl ether solvent. The sample was collected in diethyletter about 24 hours, the semi- polar and non- poplar extraction was produced. After solution filtered and evaporating diethyletter to dryness, at low pressure at 35- 40C by using Rota vapor. Then the sample put in methanol for 72 hours, The polar extraction was produced The polar compounds in the phase of methanol- aqueous extracts were separated. The concentrated methanol extracts was then dried to obtain crude semi-solid extracts. The crude extract was then weighted and percentages of extraction from sea cucumber were calculated. After 72 hours evaporating methanol to dryness, at low pressure at 40-45 C by using Rota vapor and at the end , extract changed to lyophilized powder by vacuum freeze dryer. Production of Pseudotyped Single-Cycle Replicable HIV Virions Single-cycle replicable HIV-1 (SCR HIV-1) virions were constructed by deleting a 2-kb segment within the Pol region of the HIV-1 genome from the pNL4-3 strain (provided by Dr. Navid Madani). Pseudotyped SCR HIV- 1 virions were produced by co-transfection of HEK293T cells with pmzNL4-3 (containing the mutated genome), psPAX2, and pMD2G plasmids obtained from Addgene (www.addgene.org) (10, 11). The pmzNL4-3 plasmid encodes the HIV-1 full-length RNA, with packaging ability containing the above-mentioned deletion in the Pol region; the psPAX2 plasmid encodes HIV Gag and Gag-Pro-Pol polyproteins, in addition to all the viral accessory proteins; and the pMD2G plasmid encodes the vesicular stomatitis virus surface glycoprotein (VSVG), which is necessary for virion assembly and the budding process. These pseudotyped virions are able to infect a broad spectrum of cells, even without the CD4 receptor. After co-transfection of the HEK293T cells with the  above-mentioned plasmids b y using the Polyfect reagent (Qiagen, Germany), supernatant containing the  virions was harvested at 24, 48, and 72 h. Virus stock was concentrated 20 times by ultracentrifugation, p24 load was quantified (HIV p24 ELISA, Biomerieux, France), and the stock was stored at -70 °C (10, 11) Cell lines The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)–infected cell line Hela and human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells and Human carcinoma oral epidermoid cells (KB) (American Type Culture Collection) were cultured at 37 °C with 5% CO2 in RPMI1640 medium (Biosera, England) and DMEM (Biosera, England), respectively. The media were supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (Biosera, England), 200 units/mL of penicillin G, and 80 µg/mL of streptomycin (Sigma, USA). XTT-Based Cytotoxicity Assay The cellular toxicity of methanol and diethyl ether extracts in HEK293T, Hela and KB cells were assessed using a cell proliferation XTT kit (Roche Diagnostics, Germany), as described previously (9). Briefly, cells were plated in triplicate in 96-well plates in the presence or absence of various concentrations of methanol and diethyl ether extracts. After incubation at 37 °C with 5% CO2 for 3 days, 50 ÃŽ ¼L of prepared XTT mixture was added to each well. The cells were incubated for an additional 4 h to allow the production of XTT formazan. Absorbance was measured using an ELISA plate reader (BioTek ELx800) at a test wavelength of 450 nm and a reference wavelength of 690 nm. Percent inhibition was calculated using the following formula: Inhibition (%) = [100 – (At/ As)] Ãâ€" 100, where As is the absorbance of the solvent and At, of the test sample, respectively. The cytotoxic concentration that resulted in a reduction of the number of viable cells by 50% (CC50) was calculate d from doseresponse curves. Replication assay Vesicular stomatitis virus glyco ­protein (VSVG)-SCR virions can infect Hela cells and complete their replication cycle by assembling of inactive virions. Hela cells (6Ãâ€"104) were seeded in each well of 24 well plates containing 250 ÃŽ ¼l of complete medium and infected with 400 ng P24 VSVG-SCR virions. Cells and virions were incubated together overnight and cells were then washed two times with pre-warmed 5% FBS supplemented DMEM. Complete medium (400 ÃŽ ¼l) was added into each well and cell supernatants were analyzed for p24 load after 48 hrs (HIV P24 ELISA, BIOMERIEUX). Result Antitumor effect of the sea cucumber extracts Evaluations of sea cucumber H. leucospilota extracts for potential anticancer activity on growth human cancer cell lines, Human carcinoma oral epidermoid cells (KB) and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) were evaluated by XTT assay. Methanol digestive organs extract with 2.46 TI index (table 1), showed better anti-cancer effect than other extracts obtained from sea cucumber. Compared to untreated control was detected. The dose dependent decreasing in the percentage of viability of treated cancer cells comparing to controls was represented in the (Fig. 1A to D). As shown in (Fig. 1B), among the other extracts, only methanol digestive organs exhibited antiproliferative effects against the cancer cells. In addition this extract was rather less cytotoxic against HEK293T compared with other extracts. Bars represent means of triplicate determinations, and error bar indicate SD. Results were accepted to be significant at p Table-1- Inhibitory effects of sea cucumbers extracts on growth growth human cancer cell lines, Human carcinoma oral epidermoid cells (KB) and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) Extracts IC50 CC50 TI (CC50/ IC50) KB HEK Methanol body wall 224.9  ± 1.33 281.0  ± 1.18 1.24 Methanol digestive organs 152.5  ± 1.29 375.4  ± 1.11 2.46 Methanol gonad 500 360.1  ± 1.75 0.72> Diethyl ether body wall 279.0  ± 1.17 284.9  ± 1.19 1.02 Diethyl ether digestive organs ~ 449.4  ± 2.51 444.2  ± 1.55 ~1.01 Diethyl ether gonad 367.1  ± 1.29 302.2  ± 1.12 0.82 The IC50 (inhibition concentration 50% of extract that caused inhibition cancerous KB cell line), CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration of the extracts on HEK) and TI (therapeutic index) of different extracts of sea cucumber by using XTT assay, mean  ± SD . Comparison of the cytotoxic effects of sea cucumber extracts on cancerous (KB) and normal (HEK293T) cells, was determined using the XTT assay (un- treated control (1  µl DMSO) cells) Effect of sea cucumber H. leucospilota extracts on KB and HEK293T cells. Internal organs extracts (50 mg/ml) highest antiproliferative effects against KB cells and don’t significant cytotoxic effects than other concentration. Values are mean  ± SD of three determinations. Anti-HIV activity of the sea cucumber extracts In this study first we evaluated the cytotoxic activity on hella cells of different concentration of each extracts with XTT assay. XTT assay appeared all extracts have substantial cytotoxic effect on host cell line. The antiviral activities of each extract are summarized in Table 2. We further determined whether the inhibitory effects on HIV-1 replication of these extracts were dose-dependent. We infected hella cells with HIV-1 viruses and then treated the cells with each of the extracts at a concentration of 10  µg/ml to 1000  µg/ml fig 2A to F. None of the extracts showed significant inhibition of HIV-1 replication but the concentration of 100 µ g/ml methanol digestive organs, inhibit HIV-1 replication with less cytotoxic effect compared to other extract fig 2A.in addition body wall extract, with 2.79 TI index has rather better antiviral activity than other extracts(table 2). We also included 0.1% DMSO as a negative control and nevirapine as a positive control in these experi ments. Bars represent means of triplicate determinations, and error bar indicate SD. Results were accepted to be significant at p Table-2- The IC50 (inhibition concentration 50% of extract that caused inhibition of viral replication in HIV-1), CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration of the extracts on host cells (Hela)) and TI (therapeutic index) of different extracts of sea cucumber Extracts IC50 CC50 TI (CC50/ IC50) Methanol body wall 35.89  ± 1.21 19.15  ± 1.45 0.53 Methanol digestive organs 57.61  ± 3.02 23.79 ± 1.67 0.41 Methanol gonad 337.60  ± 1.34 9.084  ± 1.15 0.02 Diethyl ether body wall 20.14  ± 1.16 56.27  ± 1.54 2.79 Diethyl ether digestive organs 37.01  ± 1.19 49.65  ± 1.53 1.34 Diethyl ether gonad 5.03  ± 1.90 5.11  ± 1.89 1.01 The average percentage of HIV-1 replication with extracts treatments based on three independent experiments. The percentage was considered as 100% when HIV-1 replication of DMSO sample reached to the peak. Instead, the rest of other samples with extracts treatments were calculated and converted into percentages based on DMSO and nevirapine used as a positive control in these experiments. The data were mean  ± SEM of three independent experiments.

Dick Diver as Control Freak in Fitzgeralds Tender is the Night Essays :: Tender is the Night Essays

Dick Diver as Control Freak in Tender Is the Night       In Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night, Dick Diver is assigned the role of doctor, but he does not play this role convincingly. In modern technical terms, Diver is a control freak, more dysfunctional than his star patient and wife, Nicole Diver. As Diver loses control of more and more situations and begins to assume Nicole's instabilities, his integrity lessens -- he becomes more of a drunkard and less of a psychiatrist.    Diver's profession as a psychiatrist is the first signal Fitzgerald gives the reader that Diver's character thrives on understanding and conquering the human mind. Diver has only one plan: "To be a good psychologist -- maybe to be the greatest one that ever lived" (Fitzgerald, Tender, 132). This goal represents Diver's interest in overpowering others initially through medical practice and his understanding that he has the capacity to do so. Rooted in Diver's past, the desire to control portrays itself later in Diver's relationships and calculated behaviors.    Fitzgerald highlights Diver's incessant need to control people when describing the Divers' notorious parties. Diver wants "to give a really bad party ... a party where there's a brawl and seductions and people going about home with their feelings hurt and women passed out in the cabinet de toilette" (27). To achieve this goal, Diver has perfected the skill of manipulating his guests, so that "he won everyone quickly with an exquisite consideration and a politeness that moved so fast and intuitively that it could be examined only in its effect (27-28). Diver believes he has the power to dictate the behavior of his guests and the outcome of his parties. Playing with people has become a hobby of Diver's, as he must be in control of his guests and the evening at all times.    Diver's controlling nature presents itself not only at his parties, but also in his relations with Nicole Diver. While Diver does love his wife, he nonetheless "handles" her, always treating her like a patient over whom he has power. During their courtship, the letters Diver sends to Nicole Diver say mostly, "be a good girl and mind the doctors" (130). These were not traditional love letters, rather letters between an adoring patient and her doctor. Diver retained his superior status as doctor who had control over her while corresponding with her, as his letters contained commands for her behavior -- he knew she would follow his directions.

Confucianism Essay -- Religion Religious Essays Papers

Confucianism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Confucianism is a system of thought based on the teachings of a Chinese man named Kung Fuzi. Which is latinaized as Confucius, he lived from 551 to 479 b.c.e. Confucius claimed that he was not original and neither were his teachings, but believed himself to be a â€Å"creative transmitter of wisdom from the past†. He created a moral code on based on ethics, humanity and love. Confucius philosophies emphasize the ideals of order and harmony. With the idea that people should live in harmony both with each other and with nature. To achieve this, Confucius created a system of human relationships and good government. Government to Confucius was the highest profession. He believed that if one had a good government everyone would be happy. In addition, Confucius esteemed education in high regards believing that through it, one could reach the high standard of a gentleman..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a religion Confucianism is very different from any other. Due to the fact that the Chinese see religion as a form of education. The purpose of Confucianism was mainly to instill moral values in a person. There is no organized church or structure, no priests, no sects, and no creed for any follow. There is no worshipping or personal relationship with god but did recognize heaven as a force of human concern. Confucius did believe that men should direct their own destiny. Confucius taught that harmony begins in the family, which was a minuet of society. In which the man of...

PET Scans Essay -- essays research papers fc

Positron Emission Tomography Positron Emission Tomography is a scanning technique that allows us to measure in detail the functioning of distinct areas of the human brain while the patient is comfortable, conscious and alert. PET represents a type of functional imaging, unlike X-rays or CT scans, which show only structural details within the brain. The differences between these types of imaging don’t end there. In both X-rays and CT scans, a form of radiation is emitted and travels through the body, and a detector receives the unabsorbed rays and transmits them to a computer. The physics behind PET scanning is quite different. Basically, a person is injected with a radioactive substance. This substance begins the process of radioactive decay inside of the person and interacts with the tissue to produce gamma radiation. These gamma rays are detected by scintillation crystals and transmitted to a computer, where images are produced. But how does this all take place? The description of PET scans in detail requires the understanding of the radioactive substance injected into the subject. First, a small amount of a biochemical substance is tagged with a positron-emitting radioisotope. A positron is an â€Å"anti-electron.† Positrons are given off during the decay of the nuclei of the radioisotope. When the positron emitted collides with an electron in the tissue of the subject, both the positron and the electron are annihilated. When this happens, the collision produces two gamma rays having the same energy (511 KeV), but going in opposite directions. These gamma rays, produced by the annihilation of a positron and an electron, leave the patient’s body and are detected by the PET scanner. The detection of positron-annihilation events forms the heart of any PET scanner. In most systems, the Gamma detector is a BGO (bismuth germinate oxide) crystal, a high-density scintillator. When it is combined with high performance photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), the detection of 511 KeV gamma rays is possible. These BGO crystals are arranged into 64 distinct segments so that the scintillation light from each of the segments can be distributed onto the photocathodes of four photomultiplier tubes to be amplified. These â€Å"block detectors† are placed into modules of four arranged as eight columns of 32 rows of crystals each. A ring of these detectors surrounds the patient during... ...kinson’s disease, or schizophrenia. Recently, new advances have been made in PET technology. A pair of American scientists working in Switzerland came up with a combination PET/CT scanner, which effectively pairs the two techniques. This new combination will be very useful in cancer diagnosis. With the PET/CT, both anatomical and functional imaging can be done and reproduced on the same image. This will be helpful in pinpointing the location of tumors, and also for the early identification of tumors too small to be of concern in CT scanning. Works Cited Jaroff, Leon. â€Å"A Winning Combination.† Time 156:23 4 Dec 2000. Mullen, Robyn J. â€Å"Positron Emission Tomography.† 5 Dec 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/courses/bae590F/1995/mullen/. Yahoo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25 Mar 2001. â€Å"PET Scans.† 15 Jan 2001. http://www.lifeimage.com/techdata.htm. Yahoo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25 Mar 2001. â€Å"UIHC Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Center.† 14 Aug 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.pet.radiology.uiowa.edu/. Yahoo. 25 Mar 2001.

Comparitive Life Cycle Costing for of a Gasoline and a Hybrid Car

COMPARITIVE LIFE CYCLE COSTING FOR OF A GASOLINE AND A HYBRID CAR Digvesh khot , Narendran Neelagandan ABSTRACT The depletion of the fossil fuels is emerging as a concern for the whole world. The major sources for the consumption of this fossil fuel are our vehicles that use much of the oil for their operation. The need has been felt to devise the alternative fuel for our vehicles which should be the sustainable option so that it does not contribute to the environmental impacts rigorously. The objective of the comparative analysis is to know the feasibility of the hybrid car against the petrol car. The procedure adopted for the comparative analysis is to do life cycle costing of both the engines by considering the cost, benefits, maintenance and repairs for both the engines. The weight scoring model was also developed to analyze the feasibility of both the engines on the grounds of terms like safety, comfort, emissions and incentives. After completing the comparative analysis the life cycle costing model and the weight scoring model yield the results which were analyzed and the necessary recommendations were made. The results of the comparative analysis revealed that though the Hybrid cars initially cost more, but if they are run for more than 20,000 miles than the total cost per mile is less than the petrol cars. Also weighing model for both the cars gives more weightage to hybrid cars in terms of emissions and incentives. KEYWORDS: Life Cycle costing, alternative fuels, hybrid vehicles, petrol engines. LITERATURE REVIEW Today the major problem the whole world is facing is the depletion of fossil fuels. Most of the vehicles run on these fossil fuels. It is estimated that if the consumption of these fossil fuels continues at the same rate then by the end of 2030 the fossil fuels will get reduced by 50% of the current value and the prices will increase by $10/ gallon (Kibert, 2008). To overcome this problem a lot of automobile companies are working on the new design of engine which will work on some other source of energy other than fossil fuels. So hybrid model cars were developed keeping in mind of these problems. The first hybrid car model was developed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche in 1902 using a petrol engine, rotating at a constant speed to drive a ynamo, which charged the accumulators (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). These accumulators fed current to electric motors contained within the hubs of the front wheels. Before this several advancements were made in non-gasoline motors, mainly electric cars (www. wikipedia. com). Such non-gasoline car was invented somewhere around years from 1832 and 1839, by Robert Anderson of Scotland a nd his electric carriage (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). After that several car manufactures have been working on different technology for a long time and recently hybrid cars were developed (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). Hybrid cars are vehicles driven by hybrid engines, which are any engine that combines two or more sources of power, generally gasoline and electricity (Lipman, et. al, 2003). There are two types of gasoline-electric hybrid cars; the parallel hybrid, and the series hybrid. Both of these use gasoline-electric hybrid technology (Lipman, et. al, 2003). In parallel hybrid cars, the gasoline and electric motors work together to move the car forward. In series, the gasoline engine either directly powers an electric motor which in turn powers the vehicle or charges the battery that will in turn power the motor(Lipman, et. l, 2003). Both these type of hybrid cars use another technology called Regenerative braking which stores the kinetic energy that is created while braking. This energy is stored in a battery which runs the electric motor. (Lipman, et. al, 2003) PROJECT SUMMARY This project was based on the life cycle costing and the comparative analysis of the hybrid engines and the petrol e ngines. The goal of the project was to calculate the total cost of both the engines during their life cycle and to analyze their performance and the impacts of environments. The first objective was to develop the life cycle cost model for studying their performance with respect to the annual mileage and the total cost per year spent on both type of cars. The second objective was to develop the weight scoring model for both types of cars to analyze them on the grounds of safety, comfort, emissions, and incentives. Life cycle model for both the cars were developed using the cost components like depreciation, fees and taxes, finance, fuel, insurance, maintenance , and repairs. All the data for these cost components for both types of engines were collected from the company websites and the EPA website. After the collection of these data, the life cycle cost model has been used for calculating the total life cycle cost for hybrid as well as petrol engines. The results were analyzed for both the alternatives and the conclusions were made. Weight scoring model was also developed for the comparative analysis which included the components like safety, comfort, emissions, and the incentives. The relative weights for these components were assigned according to the priorities from the consumer point of view. The rating points were also assigned and both the cars were rated according to the aforesaid components. The sources for the data were the company websites and the EPA websites for the emission data was also cited. The results of the Weight scoring model were then analyzed and the final conclusions were made. The comparative study for both the cars revealed that the hybrid cars are more efficient in terms of long term usage than the petrol cars. CASE STUDY DESCRIPTION Many car manufactures are working on this hybrid technology to improve the fuel consumption and decrease the emission levels and Honda is one of the leading car manufacturers who have released different hybrid models into the market (www. onda. com; 11, 2008). One of the models of Honda is â€Å"The Civic Hybrid 2008† which is the latest model which uses hybrid technology for propulsion, which is taken into study (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). The Civic Hybrid 2008 uses gasoline and electric power train for the propulsion. The engine is a 1399cc, 4 cylinder aluminum-alloy engine which supplies a power of [email  pro tected] (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). The electric motor supplies a maximum of 158 volts (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). The functioning of the system at various stages is different and is explained below. STARTING: The car uses an IMA (Integrated motor assist) system motor to start. If the IMA battery-pack charge is too low or if it’s very cold outside, the system has a separate battery and starter motor to back it up. (www. honda. com; 11, 2008) ACCELERATION: When extra acceleration is needed, while passing or climbing up an inclined region, the IMA System’s electric motor adds its torque automatically to the engine’s to give extra power. (www. honda. com; 11, 2008) CITY CRUISING: At steady speeds below 35 mph on level roads and under light throttle, fuel injection is ceased and the car is propelled olely by the electric motor. (www. honda. com; 11, 2008) HIGHWAY: At higher cruising speeds, the gasoline engine provides the motive power. The motor has been developed in such a way that it reduces the fuel consumption to particular levels. (www. honda. com; 11, 2008) BRAKING: The cars IMA System tap’s the kinetic energy that is produced in the vehicle, when b rakes are applied. During that period, the system’s motor turns itself into a generator, and helps in slowing down the car while at the same time it builds up the energy stored in the batteries. www. honda. com; 11, 2008) AT A STOP: When stopped, the gasoline engine automatically shuts off. When we lift our foot off the brake, and the engine restarts automatically. (www. honda. com; 11, 2008) These setups have been made to increase the vehicle performance and make them fuel efficient. The benefits of the refined gasoline electric power train are fuel economy and environment friendly emissions. This vehicle is certified by Environment protection agency (EPA) and passes all the regulation of EPA 2008 for environment. This car is also equipped with the rating of Advanced Technology of Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) which is the most stringent emission standards of United States which in turn is certified by California Air Resource Board (CARB). The technology being new is expensive and the initial cost for hybrid car is high as compared to the petrol engine cars. But if compared the life cycle cost is considerably less as compared to petrol engine due to the benefits of low emissions and fuel economy of the hybrid cars. (www. honda. om; 11, 2008) The petrol version of 2008 Honda civic sedan which is currently out in the market, is a normal car that runs on a gasoline engine. The engine is a 1799cc aluminum-alloy which produces [email  protected] (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). Gasoline or petrol engines are basic internal combustion engines which run on volatile fuels. They use air and fuel mixed together and a spark plug which produces the fire for combustion. The energy that is created i s used to run the drive shaft which in-turn runs the wheel (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). Petrol engines were developed by the engineers Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz (both from Germany) in 1885 who both together started the Daimler-Benz car plant (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). Gasoline engines are the widely used internal combustion engines which have been under constant improvisation to improve their efficiency and to reduce the emission levels from them (www. wikipedia. com; 10, 2008). Different industries have been working towards that and Honda is one of the industries who have taken serious steps to reduce the emission levels from normal gasoline engines. www. honda. com; 11, 2008) These are the two products for which the life-cycle cost model analysis is going to be created. LIFE CYCLE COST MODEL DESCRIPTION The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) model for comparative analysis of hybrid and the petrol cars was based on following cost components: †¢Depreciation †¢Insurance †¢Financing †¢Taxes and fees †¢Fuel †¢Maintenance †¢Repairs The sourc e for developing the model was (Shtub, et. al; 2005). LCCcars = LCCdepreciation + LCCinsurance+ LCCfinancing+ LCCtaxes and fees+ LCCfuel + LCCmaintenance+ LCCrepairs. The LCC model for car is the summation of the all the cost components which will yield the total life cycle cost (Shtub, et. al; 2005). The assumptions that have been made are in terms of time frame and the cost components are as follows: 1. Time frame: The time frame for calculation has been taken as 5 years. All the data for the cost components are based on 5 years. 2. Depreciation: it is the value of the vehicle which declines as the vehicle gets older. The age of the vehicle is related to the number of miles it has travelled. For both the cars it the average of 15, 000 miles per year is being considered. 3. Insurance: It is the average annual insurance that has been taken into account. The premium charged per year for the insurance of the car has been taken from the website of Honda company for the Louisiana state. 4. Financing: This is the interest expense on a loan in the amount of true market value purchase price + destination charge + base sales tax & initial fees (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). The values for these expenses are considered for Louisiana region assuming the 10% down payment and a loan term of 60 months. 5. Taxes and fees: we have included base sales taxes, license and registration fees in Louisiana region (www. dmunds. com, 11/2008). 6. Fuel: Assuming 45% driving on freeways and 55% driving in city we have collected the data for the fuel from www. epa. gov. 7. Maintenance: We have considered both the scheduled and the unscheduled maintenance in this cost components. 8. Repairs: the estimated expenses for repairs that do not come under the manufacturer’s warranty for five years, is taken as repairs. (www. edmund. com;11, 2008) The life cycle costing has been done for three conditions and they are: †¢Condition 1: cost component data for USA †¢Condition 2: cost component data for Louisiana. Condition 3: distance travelled is 10, 000 miles with a 55% driving in city and 45% driving on freeways. CHECK LIST MODEL DESCRIPTION The weighing model that has been created has taken into consideration of few factors which are not taken into account by many car owners. Factors like safety, comfort, and emissions do not play a significant factor for many people who plan to buy a car. This motivated us to create the scoring model for these factors. For the Honda civic Dx (2008 model) and Honda civic hybrid (2008, model) safety, comfort, and emissions are taken into account and the relative weights are given. The safety features are good for the in the midsize segment with disc for the front, 4 wheel ABC and the airbags for the head, and side (www. honda. com; 11, 2008). But these can be improved to the next level by adding the disc brakes to all the wheels and by increasing the number of airbags. The comfort level is taken into consideration as some people spend more time in the car driving around, so the comfort level plays an important part. The next criteria are the emission levels of the car which is taken into consideration for analyzing the environmental impact of them. The last criteria is the incentives that are being offered for the buying a hybrid cars. The source for developing the weighing model was (Shtub, et. al; 2005). On the basis of the above criteria the weighing model has been developed and the results were analyzed to make conclusions. RESULTS Life cycle costing Model 1: Honda Civic Dx 4 door Sedan Condition 1: cost component data for USA Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 15, 810. Owner ship: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 10,112 Fees and taxes 730 Finance 2331 Fuel9945 Insurance8348 Maintenance1720 Repairs643 Total life cycle cost37645 Note: The miles driven are kept constant and the values are tabulated for USA Source: www. autochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. www. epa. gov – fuel data. Condition 2: cost component data for Louisiana. Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 15, 810. Owner ship: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 9002 Fees and taxes 1407 Finance 2963 Fuel8478 Insurance10119 Maintenance2934 Repairs625 Total life cycle cost35528 Note: the above values are taken for Louisiana region Source: www. utochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. www. epa. gov- Fuel data. Condition 3: distance travelled is 10, 000 miles with a 55% driving in city and 45% driving on freeways. Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 15, 810. The car has driven for 10,000 miles (55% city and 45% freeways) Owner shi p: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 8851 Fees and taxes 1194 Finance 2405 Fuel6568 Insurance6759 Maintenance1176 Repairs564 Opportunity cost2999 Total life cycle cost30, 518 Note: the cost per mile for 10,000 miles is $. 1, for 15,000 miles is $. 48, and for 20,000 miles $0. 46. Source: www. autochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. www. epa. gov- Fuel data. Model 2: Honda Civic hybrid 4 door Sedan Condition 1: cost component data for USA Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 22, 600. Owner ship: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 11993 Fees and taxes 1974 Finance 4117 Fuel6155 Insurance10622 Maintenance2932 Repairs625 Total life cycle cost38478 Note: The miles driven are kept constant and the values are tabulated for USA Source: www. utochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. www. epa. gov – Fuel dat a. Condition 2: cost component data for Louisiana. Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 22,600. Owner ship: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 13128 Fees and taxes 511 Finance 3331 Fuel6846 Insurance9252 Maintenance1920 Opportunity cost3857 Repairs679 Total life cycle cost39525 Note: the above values are taken for Louisiana region Source: www. autochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. ww. epa. gov – fuel data. Condition 3: Distance travelled is 10, 000 miles with a 55% driving in city and 45% driving on freeways. Maximum or manufacturer’s suggestion retail price: $ 22, 600. The car has driven for 10,000 miles (55% city and 45% freeways) Owner ship: 1-5 years. Cost componentsCost ($) Depreciation 12189 Fees and taxes 1157 Finance 3615 Fuel4536 Insurance7491 Maintenance1402 Repairs596 Opportunity cost3212 Total life cycle cost34198 Note: the cost per mile for 10,000 miles is $. 68, for 15,000 miles is $. 51, and for 20,000 miles $0. 47. Source: www. autochannel. om, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for cost component data except for the fuel data. www. epa. gov – Fuel data. Sensitivity analysis The data used for sensitivity analysis was miles per year travelled and the increment taken for it was 5000. For Model 1: Honda Civic Dx 4 door Sedan No of milesCost per mile($)Data source 100000. 61www. epa. gov 150000. 48www. epa. gov 200000. 46www. epa. gov 250000. 47www. epa. gov For Model 2: Honda Civic hybrid 4 door Sedan No of milesCost per mile($)Data source 100000. 68www. epa. gov 150000. 51www. epa. gov 200000. 47www. epa. gov 50000. 45www. epa. gov The initial cost for the petrol engine may be less than the hybrid cars but after 20000 miles of running hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than the petrol engines. After performing the sensitivity analysis we observed that initially the cost per mile for petrol is less than the hybrid cars , but as you increase the number of miles after 20,000 miles hybrid cars become more fuel efficient. The breakeven point on the sensitivity graph shows the changing nature of fuel efficiency for hybrid cars and petrol cars. Weight scoring method (Shtub, et. al; 2005). Weighing model for Honda civic DX 2008: For all criteria and the relative weight the values are assumed according to the priority of consumer. CriteriaRelative weightExcellent 30(assumed)Good 20(assumed)Fair 10(assumed)Poor 0(assumed)Factor score safety. 3v6 Comfort. 2v2 emissions. 4v2 incentives. 1v0 total1. 0010 Source: www. autochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for criteria data except the fuel data and www. epa. gov for fuel data. Weighing model for Honda civic hybrid 2008: For all criteria and the relative weight the values are assumed according to the priority of consumer. CriteriaRelative weightExcellent 30(assumed)Good 20(assumed)Fair 10(assumed)Poor 0(assumed)Factor score safety. 3v6 Comfort. 2v4 emissions. 412 incentives. 1v3 total1. 00v25 Source: www. autochannel. com, www. honda. com, and www. edmunds. com for criteria data except the fuel data and www. epa. gov for fuel data. The weighing score model shows that for hybrid cars the factor score is more than the petrol car and the reason is the hybrid cars are more emission free than the petrol car, also the criteria of the incentive for hybrid car makes it more preferable for the customers. The hybrid cars have a 25-100% federal tax credit which could move people towards buying the hybrid cars which are environmentally friendly as compared to petrol (www. honda. com; 11/2008) . Conclusions After carrying out the life cycle costing, sensitivity analysis, and the weight scoring the following conclusions can be reached: †¢Though the petrol cars are cheaper than the hybrid cars but the life cycle cost of hybrid cars after 20,000 miles makes it the better option. †¢Due to the depletion of fossil fuels, petrol cars do not serve to be the best option. Hybrid cars produced less emission than the petrol engines so they are environmentally friendly cars which makes them a sustainable product. †¢The incentives offered by the federal state government for buying the hybrid car may serve as a good step towards motivating people to go for hybrid option Bibliography autochannel. (2008). comparison of hybrid cars and petrol engine cars for miles travelled. Retrieved 11 24 , 2008, from www. autochannel. com. Avraham Shtub, j. F. (2005). Project management process, methodology and economics. pper saddle river, new jersey: pearson, prantice hall. edmund. (2008). cost comparison data for hybrid and petrol cars. Retrieved 11 24, 2008, from www. edmund. com. environmental protection agency. (2008). emissions for hybrid and petrol engines. Retrieved 11 29, 2008, from www. epa. gov. Environmental protection agency. (2008). fuel cost for hybrid and petrol engines. Retrieved 11 29, 2008, from www. epa. gov. H. Paul Barringer, P. D. (1996). Life Cycle Cost Tutorial. Houston, Texas: Marriott Houston Westside. Heather L. MacLean, e. (2000). A Life-Cycle Comparison of Alternative Automobile Fuels. journal of the air and waste management association , 1769-1779. honda USA. (2008). hybrid cars and petrol cars. Retrieved 11 24, 2008, from www. honda. com. Jeremy Hackney, R. d. (1999). Life cycle model of alternative fuel vehicles: emissions, energy,and cost trade-offs. science direct journal , 243-267. lester lave, h. m. (2000). life cycle analysis of automobile fuel/propulsion technologies. environmental science and technology , 1600-1698. Steven Kmenta, K. I. (2000). SCENARIO-BASED FMEA: A LIFE CYCLE COST PERSPECTIVE. Baltimore, Maryland: ASME. the fuel cell vehicle analysis of enegy use, emission and cost . (1998). pergamon , 381-385. Timothy E. Lipman, M. A. (2003). Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Design Retail and Lifecycle Cost Analysis. Berkeley, California 94720: Energy and Resources Group. wikipedia. (2008). hybrid engines and petrol ngines. Retrieved 10 29, 2008, from www. wikipedia. com. Kibert, C. J. (2008). Sustainable Construction . New Jersey: John Willey and Sons.