Bad

Bad After reading "Sonny's Blues"  for the first time the reader may be tempted to categorize the story as nothing more than a sibling rivalry with a near-positive ending. After the second and third readings many underlying themes start to emerge, and the reader starts to understand many of the ideas that James Baldwin had when he wrote this story. The main conflict in the story is that the narrator's brother, Sony, can't seem to keep himself out of trouble. It begins with Sonny getting thrown in jail for drug charges. Sonny's brother, the narrator of the story, had lost touch with Sonny for a few years but the death of his daughter brings him to contact Sonny. The reader, through a series of flashbacks and arguments, is taken through what appears as a sibling rivalry between the narrator and Sonny. The narrator doesn't agree or support the actions of his younger brother Sonny.Sonny's death.

Why You Must Read the Book Hidden Figures

Why You Must Read the Book 'Hidden Figures' Books and movies have a long-standing and complex relationship. When a book becomes a best-seller, there’s an almost inevitable film adaptation in the works almost immediately. Then again, sometimes books that remain under the radar are made into movies, and then become best-sellers. And sometimes a film version of a book sparks a national conversation that the book alone couldn’t quite manage. Such is the case with Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures. The film rights to the book were sold before it even published, and the film was released just three months after the book’s publication last year. And the film has become a sensation, grossing more than $66 million so far and becoming the center of the new conversation on race, sexism, and even the doleful state of the American space program. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Kevin Costner, the film takes a fairly well-worn format- the historical, inspirational true but previously-unknown story- and transcends it by leaving that story fairly unvarnished. It’s also a nearly perfect film for this moment in time, a moment when America is questioning its own identity, its history (and future) in terms of race and gender, and its place as a world leader. In short, Hidden Figures is definitely a movie you want to see. But it’s also a book you must read, even if you’ve seen the movie already and think you know the full story. A Deeper Dive Even though Hidden Figures is more than two hours long, it’s still a movie. That means it inescapably condenses events, elides moments, and deletes or combines characters and moments in order to create a narrative structure and a sense of drama. That’s fine; we all understand that a movie isn’t history. But you’ll never get the full story from a film adaptation. Films can be like the Cliff’s Notes versions of books, giving you a high-altitude overview of a story, but with manipulation and omission of timelines, people, and events. While Hidden Figures the movie might be compelling, enjoyable, and even somewhat educational, you’re missing half the story if you don’t read the book. The White Guy in the Room Speaking of manipulations, let’s talk about Kevin Costner’s character, Al Harrison. The Director of the Space Task Group didn’t actually exist, though of course there was a Director of the Space Task Group. There were several, in fact, during that period of time, and Costner’s character is a composite of three of them, based on the recollections of Katherine G. Johnson herself. Costner’s getting deserved praise for his performance as the white, middle-aged man who isn’t exactly a bad person- he’s just so enmeshed in his white, male privilege and the lack of awareness on racial issues at the time that he doesn’t even notice how oppressed and marginalized the black women in his department are. So there’s no question that the character’s writing and performance are great, and serve the story. The issue is the simple fact that someone in Hollywood knew they needed to have a male star of Costner’s caliber to get the film made and marketed, and that’s why his role is as large as it is, and why he gets a few set-piece speeches (especially the apocryphal destruction of the â€Å"Whites Only† bathroom sign) that make him as much the center of the story as Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. If all you do is watch the movie, you might think that Al Harrison existed, and was as much a hero as the brilliant female computers that are the true focus of the story. The Reality of Racism Hidden Figures the film is entertainment and as such, it needs villains. There is no doubt that racism was prevalent in the 1960s (as it is today) and that Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson had to overcome challenges that their white and male colleagues didn’t even know existed. But according to Johnson herself, the film overstates the level of racism she actually experienced. The fact is, while prejudice and segregation were facts, Katherine Johnson says she â€Å"didn’t feel† the segregation at NASA. â€Å"Everybody there was doing research,† she said, â€Å"You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job...and play bridge at lunch. I didnt feel any segregation. I knew it was there, but I didnt feel it.† Even the infamous bathroom-sprint across the campus was exaggerated; there were, in fact, bathrooms for blacks not nearly as far away- although there were indeed â€Å"white only† and â€Å"black only† facilities, and the black-only bathrooms were harder to find. Jim Parsons’ character, Paul Stafford, is a complete fabrication who serves to embody many of the typical sexist and racist attitudes of the time- but again, doesn’t actually represent anything that Johnson, Jackson, or Vaughan actually experienced. Hollywood needs villains, and so Stafford (as well as Kirsten Dunst’s character Vivian Mitchell) was created to be the oppressive, racist white male of the story, even though Johnson’s recollections of her experience at NASA were largely unremarkable. A Great Book None of this means the story of these women and their work on our space program isn’t well worth your time- it is. Racism and sexism are still problems today, even if we’ve gotten rid of much of the official machinery of it in everyday life. And their story is an inspiring one that languished in obscurity for far too long- even star Octavia Spencer thought the story was made-up when she was first contacted about playing Dorothy Vaughan. Even better, Shetterly has written a great book. Shetterly weaves her own story into the history, making clear the connections between the three women who are the focus of the book and the millions of black women who came after them- women who had a slightly better chance at realizing their dreams in part due to the fight that Vaughan, Johnson, and Jackson took on. And Shetterly writes with a gentle, inspiring tone that celebrates the achievements instead of wallowing in the obstructions. It’s a wonderful reading experience filled with information and incredible background you won’t get from the movie. Further Reading If you want to know a bit more about the role women of all colors played throughout the history of technology in America, try Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt. It tells the fascinating story of the women who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1940s and 1950s and offers another glimpse at how deeply buried the contributions of the marginalized have been in this country. Source Holt, Nathalia. Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Paperback, Reprint edition, Back Bay Books, January 17, 2017. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. Paperback, Media Tie In edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, December 6, 2016.

Policing and the media (literature reveiw) Research Paper

Policing and the media (literature reveiw) - Research Paper Example mating the psychological and sociological effects of TV on a person’s make-up in spite of the countless studies that have already been conducted (Oskamp 1984). Along with the continuous growth of viewership is the continuous effort of studios to come up with new concepts and new format that would keep the interest of the viewing public. The range has naturally expanded to deal with issues and subjects considered to be critical such as science and law enforcement. With the level of the public’s exposure to TV, it is inevitable for these shows to influence the image formation of law enforcement. Although never intended for education, television has influenced how viewers perceive reality in relation to the subject of the shows they watch (Altheide 1985; Gerbner and Gross 1976; Gerbner 1993). Considering that majority of the viewers have had very limited direct interaction with law enforcement, many have relied, however unconsciously, on television to learn about laws, their rights, obligations of the police, and the dynamics between the uniformed and the civilians (Surette 1992). This kind of causation is indirectly contributing to the regression of the roles of family and school as the authority on the lives of young people (Giddens 1981; Laywood 1985). Even when shows like Dexter, a serial killer/law enforcement employee, show crime being freely committed, there is an effort to portray the evil of a crime by making Dexter kill only those that are considered menace to the society. Other shows are more explicit in their effort to portray how law enforcement always prevails over crimes (Carlson 1985). Much as it may help boost the image of law enforcement, there is also the possibility of making the public believe that law enforcement is capable of more than it can actually accomplish. A study was conducted in 2008 by Monica Robbers that attested to how TV shows is causing people to expect from law enforcement the same proficiency that is being portrayed by

U.S. Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U.S. Supreme Court - Essay Example Kagan became Pres. Obamas official nominee to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens in 2010. It was easy to see why he would nominate her to the position. In his own words, Pres. Obama described her admirable character traits (Scherer, M., 2010) that led to her nomination as : â€Å"Elena is respected and admired not just for her intellect and record of achievement, but also for her temperament, her openness to a broad array of viewpoints, her habit — to borrow a phrase from Justice [John Paul] Stevens — of understanding before disagreeing, her fair-mindedness and skill as a consensus builder.† Ms. Kagan was nominated during a time of trial for our nation. America was in the grips of the worst recession to ever hit its people, the economy was in shambles and the previous Bush administration had often circumvented the law in order to fulfill its own political agenda. She was in effect, coming into a wounded supreme court that needed to be rehabilitated for hits own good. With her nomination, the president was merely trying to put the best person he could find in to fill the job. By his standards, she fit the bill to a T. There was no political agenda behind it and no lobby group behind her nomination. If there were, she would not have eventually been confirmed. That is not to say though that her nomination was without controversy. there were accusations coming from the GOP, who were actively campaigning against her nomination, that Kagan often defied the constitution by disallowing the military access to students on the Harvard campus during her tenure as Dean at the prestigious university. Columnist Phyllis Schlafly claimed that Kagan had â€Å"defied the Solomon Amendment" -- a statute requiring schools to provide the same access to military recruiters that they provide to other potential employers or lose federal funding†. While Foxs Sean Hannity also reported that she had â€Å"led an effort to "kick

Lactase Enzyme Essay Example for Free

Lactase Enzyme Essay This lab will examine the specificity of an enzyme (lactase) to a specific substrate (lactose). Students will observe the actions of the enzyme and how shape is important to enzyme reactions. Background information: Lactose, the sugar found in milk, is a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose (both six-sided sugars). Sucrose, ordinary table sugar, is also a disaccharide composed of fructose and glucose. Glucose is a six-sided sugar and fructose is a five-sided sugar. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks lactose down into galactose and glucose. Lactase can be purchased in pill form by people who are lactose intolerant. These people lack the enzyme, lactase, and cannot break down the sugar lactose into its component parts. Although lactose is similar to sucrose, lactase will break down only lactose because of the shape of the sugar. In this lab, you will see lactase break lactose down into galactose and glucose. You will also observe what happens if the shape of lactase is changed due to heating. Materials/ resources: * Lactase tablets: these can be bought in any drug store or grocery store. Fifteen milliliters of milk: any milk will work. Water: used for dissolving the lactase tablet, dissolving the sucrose and boiling the lactase. * Sucrose: five grams per group. * One hundred milliliter graduated cylinder/ten milliliter graduated cylinder: measuring water and enzyme amounts. * Three four hundred milliliter beakers: used for dissolving the lactase tablet, dissolving the sucrose and boiling the lactase. * Five test tubes: these tubes hold the different solution mixtures. * Test tube rack: hold the test tubes. * Marking pencil: mark the test tubes so that confusion does not occur. * Clock * Hot plate with a Pyrex test tube for denaturing the enzyme. Glucose test strips: these strips can be found in any drugstore. Stirring rod: helps to mix up the lactase tablet in the water. Lab procedures: 1. Gather the materials. 2. Label the test tubes with the following labels: 0 A. Test tube with skim milk and enzyme solution. B. Test tube with skim milk and water. C. Test tube with skim milk and denatured enzyme solution. D. Test tube with sucrose solution and enzyme solution. E. Test tube with sucrose solution and water. 3. In test tube A add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of enzyme solution. 4. Time for two minutes and test for glucose with the glucose test tape. Record this data in table 1. If there was glucose present mark a ‘+’ in the table. If glucose was absent, mark a ‘-’ in the table. 5. In test tube B add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of water. 6. Repeat step 4. 7. In test tube C add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of denatured enzyme solution. 8. Repeat step 4. 9. In test tube D add two milliliters of the sucrose solution and one milliliter of enzyme solution. 10. Repeat step 4. 11. In test tube E add two milliliters of the sucrose solution and one milliliter of water. 12. Repeat steps 4. Results: Glucose Presence in the Following Solutions| Type of Solution| Positive or Negative Glucose Result| Test tube A: milk and enzyme solution| Â  | Test tube B: milk and water| Â  | Test tube C: milk and denatured enzyme solution| Â  | Test Tube D: sucrose solution and enzyme solution| Â  | Test Tube E: sucrose solution and water| Â  | | Conclusion and Questions: 1. Diagram and describe the lactose and lactase reaction (may need to research this). 2. Why did the enzyme react to lactose but not to sucrose? 3. What happened when the enzyme was boiled? 4. Another way to affect the enzyme is by lowering the pH of the solution. However, lactase is supposed to be able to work in the stomach. Would lowering the pH of the enzyme solution affect the enzyme? Why or why not? 5. What type of reaction is this? Dehydration or hydrolysis? Content to be covered in conclusion paragraphs: It should explain the general conclusions of the lab. May refer back to background information to help explain the conclusion of the lab. Should refer back to the GENERAL data in the results. Restate the purpose and state whether the hypothesis was correct or not and why. Clearly state and explains how at least THREE errors may have occurred in the lab. Also explains common pitfalls a person SHOULD avoid.

Apple Marketing Director :: Product Development

Apple A-Life My role as a marketing director for apple is to research the market, and find out a niche to produce a new product, that will hopefully sell, and create profit. My theory of a product is that; it is an object that can be sold or bought, that might satisfy a want or a need. The product that I have in mind is an mp3 player. Apple already have a wide range of mp3s. From a 60gb colour screen Ipod, to a 2gb Ipod shuffle with no screen. I have come up with another product to stop the sales going in to decline. I have taken ideas from the previous mp3 players, and added a bit of creation of my own and have come up with, ‘A-Life'. It is small like the Ipod Shuffle, and has a small screen like the Ipod Nano. The actual mp3 would be attached to a neckband. So you are wearing your mp3, and its not hanging loose in your pocket. I have chosen this product, because it is something I know about, and well like. With this, I hope it will give me a better view on how to market the product, based on what my peers and I like. It also is different from any other mp3 on the market, so in that way, I have found a niche. My theory of marketing objectives is that; your marketing objectives should be the means to achieve your sales objectives. My marketing objectives are to promote my product cleverly so that it gets out to my target market. To find out a reasonable price where the customers would be satisfied with, and where I would also make a profit. To find out where to sell my product, so the customers don't have any trouble getting hold of one. And also, to find out what other accessories the customers would like with the product, which would hopefully increase their satisfaction. I am including all of these marketing objectives to know what my product should be like, where to sell it, what price to set it at, and how to promote it. I need to have the best knowledge of these criteria's otherwise my product is not going to sell. Also I am doing it to ensure customer satisfaction. A good way to market your product is through the power of speech. This is Apple Marketing Director :: Product Development Apple A-Life My role as a marketing director for apple is to research the market, and find out a niche to produce a new product, that will hopefully sell, and create profit. My theory of a product is that; it is an object that can be sold or bought, that might satisfy a want or a need. The product that I have in mind is an mp3 player. Apple already have a wide range of mp3s. From a 60gb colour screen Ipod, to a 2gb Ipod shuffle with no screen. I have come up with another product to stop the sales going in to decline. I have taken ideas from the previous mp3 players, and added a bit of creation of my own and have come up with, ‘A-Life'. It is small like the Ipod Shuffle, and has a small screen like the Ipod Nano. The actual mp3 would be attached to a neckband. So you are wearing your mp3, and its not hanging loose in your pocket. I have chosen this product, because it is something I know about, and well like. With this, I hope it will give me a better view on how to market the product, based on what my peers and I like. It also is different from any other mp3 on the market, so in that way, I have found a niche. My theory of marketing objectives is that; your marketing objectives should be the means to achieve your sales objectives. My marketing objectives are to promote my product cleverly so that it gets out to my target market. To find out a reasonable price where the customers would be satisfied with, and where I would also make a profit. To find out where to sell my product, so the customers don't have any trouble getting hold of one. And also, to find out what other accessories the customers would like with the product, which would hopefully increase their satisfaction. I am including all of these marketing objectives to know what my product should be like, where to sell it, what price to set it at, and how to promote it. I need to have the best knowledge of these criteria's otherwise my product is not going to sell. Also I am doing it to ensure customer satisfaction. A good way to market your product is through the power of speech. This is

Elegy for Drowned Children by Bruce Dawe Essay

â€Å"Elegy for Drowned Children† is a poem written by Australian poet Bruce Dawe in the 1960’s. An elegy is a sad poem or song that laments the death of a person. This poem implies that the persona had a close relationship with someone who had drowned or loss their child to drowning. This poem has five four-lined stanzas. The first and last lines rhyme with each other while the middle two lines rhyme with each other. This creates a song like quality to the poem. The first three stanzas of the poem end with questions. This structures the idea of parents mourning with unanswered questions. The last two stanzas are enjambed. This gives the effect of the parents realizing there’s no point in questioning their deaths but to be at peace with it. This poem is giving some consolation to the people who have lost loved ones, mainly children, to drowning. The poem frequently refers to Greek mythology. There is an ‘old king’ whom is assumed to be the Greek god of the ocean Poseidon, who resides in the sea and takes care of drowned children. In this poem, the old king takes a ‘shining haul’ of children with his ‘sure’ net. This suggests that many children have been taken by him. The use of the word ‘sure’ implies that no one is really safe from him and that it is fated to happen. It could also mean humans cannot prevent nor control the ocean. However, the persona describes his care as ‘solicitous’ and ‘tender’. This expresses that the king is kind and caring to the children. In an effort to ease the parents’ distress, the use of mythology conveys the notion that the children are not just gone but instead they are being taken care of in a safe ‘kingdom’. Dawe uses a simile when describing the parents who are, ‘calling like birds by the water’s edge†. This use of simile creates the image of frantic and alarmed parents repeatedly calling out the names of the children who have drowned. The significance of using birds instead of any other animal is to create an image that there are many parents who have experienced their children drowning and they collectively call out to the water for the king to return them. The persona also uses simile when describing the boys who visit their parents’ dreams who are ‘fluid as porpoises’. This comparison to the boys to porpoises suggest the bittersweet idea that the boys have been down in the ocean for so long that they have become accustomed to swimming  in the oceans and into their parents’ dreams. The persona also uses imagery when describing the boys’ skin as ‘moonlit’. This could be literal or symbolic. Literally, it could mean the boys’ skin is as pale as the moon. However, symbolically, it could be skin that has not been in the ‘sweet sun’, which is life. The use of alliteration in the line â€Å"From leaden-lidded sleep, softly to steal† slows the tone of the poem down. This creates a dream like quality to the rhythm of the poem which mirrors the actual words of the poem. The repetition of the word ‘upward’ in the last stanza helps create the dream like quality. It quickens the rhythm of the poem and emanates excitement. This could be a reflection of the emotions of the parents when having a dream about their children. This poem uses many techniques to convey it’s main ideas. It is a comforting poem for people who have lost their children to the water. The poem is relevant to us as Australians because we are community that spends a significant amount of time by the beach and in the water. We are also a community that has many deaths caused by drowning.

Text Analysis of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Jill Seymour HST 197 Dr. Smith September 17, 2012 Text Analysis of The Epic of Gilgamesh The question I thought about while reading this text was what the role is for women, and how their actions and descriptions reveal Mesopotamian attitudes concerning gender. The female gender was not highly looked upon during these times. The only time you see a respected female figure is when the mother of a son is being talked about. Any other time females are being talked about, they are portrayed with vulgar characteristics and seen as simply being there to serve the man.I will go through both ways the women are being portrayed, and relate them back to how they reveal Mesopotamian culture. The main woman character in this story is Ishtar. Ishtar is the goddess of love, fertility, and war; the Queen of Heaven. Normally when you think of the word goddess, a majestic and noble type of being comes to mind. Ishtar is portrayed as the complete opposite in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The first time she co mes into play she uses the characteristics of a prostitute to lure in the man that she wants, which at the time is Enkidu. Ishtar is told â€Å"make your breasts bare, have no shame.Let him see you naked, let him possess your body† (Sandars, 3). It then goes on to say that â€Å"she was not ashamed to take him, she made herself naked and welcomed his eagerness† (Sandars, 4). Before she is told to lay with Enkidu, the story explains that this is not the first man she has done this to. Ishtar is being used for this, because she is known to have her way with the men and they don’t know how to tell her no because of her beauty. The way Ishtar is seen relates back to Mesopotamian culture in showing that women were not very important in society.They were mainly there to serve the man and to reproduce. They were looked at in two ways; the daughter of her father, or the wife of her husband. At an early age girls were trained to do the roles of a good wife and mother. It was not frowned upon in their culture for women to be at the mercy of the men. Women were able to own property and have jobs outside of the home, but that decreased when more distinct social classes arose in the second millennium. â€Å"Husbands gained authority in the household and benefited from the marriage and divorce laws† (Bulliet, 18).Even the law was against women and helped out the male gender in almost every situation. The next time she comes into play, we are seeing similar characteristics of her trying to lure in the man she wants when she is trying to get Gilgamesh to marry her. â€Å"Come to me Gilgamesh,† she says, â€Å"make me your bridegroom; grant me seed of your body† (Sandars, 25). She tells him she will give him anything he can possibly imagine if he would only marry her. When Gilgamesh refuses the offer we see a different side of Ishtar.She starts being portrayed as evil and self-centered. Ishtar goes to her father in tears saying to kill Gilgamesh for refusing her proposal or she will let all of hell break free, literally. Even marriage in the Mesopotamian culture benefitted the man more than the woman. â€Å"A man normally took just one wife, but he could obtain a second if the first gave him no children† (Bulliet, 18). The woman was to be a servant, of sorts, to the husband, and was expected to give him children. Later they became a way to keep wealth in the family by arranged marriages. Kings and rich men had several wives. Marriage alliances arranged between families made women instruments for preserving and enhancing family wealth† (Bulliet, 18). Even here they are referred to as â€Å"instruments†, and not given the respect of a human being. If the woman didn’t bare children, she was easily replaceable. If the woman came from a wealthy family, or her family wanted to become wealthy, they would arrange a marriage for her to gain or keep wealth in the family. On the other hand, women weren’t always looked at in this manner.Gilgamesh respected his mother very much so, and would go to her for advice. His mother, Ninsun, is said to be a minor goddess, but she is noted in a couple different places for her wisdom. â€Å"Now Gilgamesh got up to tell his dream to his mother, Ninsun, one of the wise gods† (Sandars, 5). In Mesopotamian culture, even the women gods were respected by the people. They thought them all to be wise and would seek their guidance in certain situations. Their religious beliefs brought this respect, and in some ways fear, to honor the gods so they would be gracious in return. Religious beliefs instilled fear of the gods, who could alter the landscape, and desire to appease them† (Belliet, 19). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods were human like in form, but that if they were to be unhappy by something the people did, they could alter anything in their lives, and in some cases even kill them. Overall, women were not looked at then the same ways they are looked at today. The cultural norm for women was to serve the men with their bodies and in their actions. If they did not give the man the children he wanted, she could be replaced.At an early age they were being trained to have the skills of a good wife and mother. It was not frowned upon for a man to have more than one wife. This did not happen often until around the second mullinium, but was quite oftenly seen with the kings and rich men. The another way the women were used in this society was to keep or gain wealth for her family. The families would arrange the marriages for her daughter, and she would have to make sure to keep her husband happy so she was not replaced. The gods and goddesses were feared and respected on the other hand.They were able to manipulate what would happen in the people’s lives, so they made sure to keep them happy; even the women were kept happy in this sense. Mesopotamian culture wasn’t too far off from how some things are looked at in today’s society, but women were not very important in their society. They were only there for few reasons, and if they didn’t meet those expectations they were replaceable. Today we would say that is unjust and against our rights, but that is a privilege we now have in our country that those women were not able to achieve. Aren’t we glad to live in today’s society where men and women have equal rights?

What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology The WritePass Journal

What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology Introduction What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Biopharmaceutical products began to expire since 2004. This has resulted in the development of biogenerics as second generation products. The term biogenerics is used to define a product that is equivalent to a currently marketed biopharmaceutical product that is a recombinant DNA-derived product (Enrico and Little, 2001 and Chamberlain, 2004). Biogenerics are follow-on products of a brand (reference) drug. They may have different physicochemical and/or biological properties to the reference drug, however, they are expected to have similar clinical effects and safety profile when compared to the reference drug. This may be because they may contain the same active ingredient used in the original brand product (Chamberlain, 2004 and Kirmani and Bonacossa, 2003). However, they may have different excipients of non-active ingredients to the original brand drug (Kermani and Bonacossa, 2003). Biogenerics are found to be beneficial in aiding large companies in saving the large amount of money being spent on health care when prescribing a brand product. For example, in 2005, around 5.3 billion dollars has been spent on health care in which almost of 2 billion dollars of this was spent on prescription drugs (Fredrick, 2007). The similar quality, safety, efficacy and the reduced cost of biogenerics compared to the reference brand product have arisen the interest of developing biogeneric products in oncology. However, there are a number of regulatory, developmental, and manufacturing barriers associated with the generation of biogenerics. Such issues are the lack of specific regulatory guidelines for biogenerics. Having regulatory standards may avoid the large sum of money from being spent to develop a biogeneric file (Enrico and Little, 2001). However, having eligible abbreviated procedures for biogenerics is not solving the issue as the Committee on Similar Biological Medici nal Products (CHMP), 2005, has recommended the need of carrying out comparability studies in order to generate evidence of the similarity in quality, safety and efficacy of biogeneric products to the original branded products (Rathore, 2009). Unfortunately, studies have failed in proving biogenerics essential similarity to the original brand products already being marketed (Kermani and Bonacossa, 2003). Furthermore, biogenerics are protein products in which their complexity is the central to challenges associated with safety and efficacy (Enrico and Little, 2001). Biogenerics are heterogeneous products and may exhibit sensitivity towards a specific manufacturing process and may degrade during freezing, melting, formulation, sterile filtration, filling, freeze-drying, and assessment. Moreover, the presence of impurities during manufacturing processes may reduce the efficacy and increase immunogenicity of the product. Immunogenicity may also be affected when handling the product. This may occurs during purification, exposure to light, distribution, or adding excipients, or may be due to the route and frequency of administration (Rathore, 2009). Since such changes may result in alteration in the product quality, safety, and efficacy profile, the need of carrying out extensive clinical trials are important in order to achieve regulatory approval (Enrico and Little, 2001). Also, other factors such as the therapeutic target, and patient’s immune status and clinical condition may be used in determining the immunogenicity of the product (Rathore, 2009). The quality of a biogeneric product is not only affected by the variability between the different steps of manufacturing, but may also be affected by the inconsistency of the starting materials (Kirdar et al, 2008). For example, minor changes in manufacturing biogenerics, such as the use of different DNA vectors, cell culture and purification processes compared to what is being used in the original brand product may result in undesirable effects in the quality of the product (Sharma, 2007). Also, leachable of vulcanising agents from syringes may affect safety and efficacy of the product. The use of phthalate plastic and latex rubber surfaces may result in leaches which may contaminate the product resulting in allergic reactions and enhanced immunogenicity. Therefore, it may be safer if glass surfaces, air-liquid interfaces, and lubricants are used instead (Sharma, 2007). The high complexity of the products, processes and untreated materials are the key challenges in manufacturing. However, having a designed experiment process to carry out experiments and perform data may result in better quality products (Rathore, 2009). Moreover, the interest of customers including patients and healthcare professionals to biogeneric products may also act as a potential barrier. The majority of biopharmaceuticals available in the marker are indicated for chronic diseases, for example cancer, in which switching the patient into a biogeneric product may be unacceptable by healthcare professionals. This may be due to the insufficient evidence of biogenerics quality and the lack of policies relating to such products (Enrico and Little, 2001). The majority of generic medicines depend on the clinical trial data obtained from the original brand drug studies. Only simple tests are required though for these generic medicines to prove bioequivalence of the product quality, safety, and efficacy to the reference drug. However, biogenerics failed in proving bioequivalence to the original brand drug using simple tests, hence, more studies may be required for biogenerics approval (Miller, 2009). Miller, 2009, has stated that the nature and the percentage contamination of biogeneric product is mainly relates to the host systems used to generate the drug and the purification methods used. A 100% purity is unachievable, however, avoiding any source of purity limitation may result in a high quality product. But this does not solve the problem, as protein folding and enzymatic modifications may lead to unacceptable results. Also, biogeneric mechanism, toxicity and contamination human cells are unknown. Therefore, the need to carry out standard sophisticated screening tests or the use of animal studies to ensure drug purity and quality may be necessary (Miller, 2009). Moreover, the FDA stated for a biogeneric to be approved, once bioequivalence tests are successful, safety and efficacy tests are required. This may involve sophisticated analytical chemistry, preclinical (animal) studies, as well as clinical studies (Miller, 2009). However, it is unacceptable to expose patient to unnecessary clinical trials in order to get the approval, and that bioequivalence tests must be decided on a case-by-case basis (Fredrick, 2007). The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biochemistry, FDA, 1986, stated that new marketing applications are required for biogeneric products. This may be due to that biogenerics are characterised by having different structures, heterogeneity, and the possibility of contamination avai lability, which may affect the safety and efficacy profile of the drug. Biogeneric products may be better if developed in big pharmacy companies rather than a start-up company. This is may be because big companies may already have the experience and resources to carry out the necessary testing. Hence, less money will be spent to develop biogenerics in big pharmacy companies compared to a start-up company (Miller, 2009). Since cancer treatments are very expensive, focus has been shifted on producing biogenerics that would control the large sums of money being spent in biologic cancer treatments. However, it is important to ensure that patients get high quality of care and evidence-based medications. Therefore, principles of approval of biogeneric use in oncology have been published. The principles state the need of clinical trials being carried out to order to test similar efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of biogeneric to the reference biologic drug. This would clear the essential processes to patients and healthcare professionals. Guidance documents may be necessary in order to ensure standards consistency. However, FDA would never accept a system that would limit clinicians’ choices amongst biogeneric products. Biogenerics must be of high quality and fully tested for efficacy. Interchangeability of biogenerics that allows substitutions without affecting the product safety and efficacy mus t be determined through clinical trials (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007). The key issue of scientific and regulatory approval of biogeneric products is the lack of understanding of how different quality aspects of a product may result in changing the product safety and efficacy. Also, the lack of being successful in collecting data, analyze and report, and the insufficient non-clinical tools which may help in predicting clinical safety and efficacy of the product. Moreover, the complexity of biogeneric products and the biotechnology processes are extra challenges added to the development of biogenerics (Rathore, 2009). Finally, biogeneric guidelines are still unclear. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has decided the future of biogenerics will still require a comparability studies between the biogeneric and the reference brand drug. It may be possible that clinical studies will be carried out instead of bioequivalence studies for the purpose of proving the safety and efficacy of the biogeneric drug, and in particular immunogenicity of the product. Moreover, less non-clinical studies might be carried out and post-market pharmacovigilance plans may possibly be needed as a measurement of authorization promises (Zuniga and Calvo, 2009). In conclusion, the decision on approving biogenerics will remain to be dealt on a case-by-case basis, and will rely on a number of different factors including manufacturing processes, structural similarity to the original product, mechanism of action, pharmacodynamic assays, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity, and quantity and quality of clinical data. Even though, the major improvements in our knowledge on biogenerics production processes and analytical technology have been achieved, key barriers remain to hinder the development of biogenerics. However, the overall of science and biotechnology fields is rapidly developing (Enrico and Little, 2001). References American Society of Clinical Oncology. (2007). Principles for Legislation to Establish Approval Process for Generic Versions of Biologic Agents. Available: asco.org/ASCO/Downloads/Cancer%20Policy%20and%20Clinical%20Affairs/Biogenerics/Biogenerics%20Principles%20FINAL%205%205%2008.pdf. Last accessed 29th March 2011. Chamberlain, P. (2004). Biogenerics: Europe takes another step forward while the FDA dives for cover. ELSEVIER. 9 (19), p817-820. CHMP. (2005). Guideline on similar biological medicinal products. Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. 437 (4), p555-561. Enrico, T. P. and Little, A. D.. (2001). The future of biogenerics. Available: contractpharma.com/articles/2001/10/the-future-of-biogenerics. Last accessed 29th March 2011. FDA. (1986). Coordination Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. Available: http://usbiotechreg.nbii.gov/Coordinated_Framework_1986_Federal_Register.html. Last accessed 27th March 2011. Fredrick, J. (2007). Leaders speak out on benefits of biogenerics. Available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3374/is_6_29/ai_n27227920/?tag=content;col1. Last accessed 27th March 2011. Kermani, F. and Bonacossa, P. (2003). What next for biogenerics. Pharmagenerics. 1 (1), p1-4. Kirdar, A. O. et al. (2008). Application of multivariant data analysis for identification and successful resoution of a route cause for a bioprocessing application. Biotechnology. 24 (4), p720-726. Miller, H. I. (2009). Biogenerics: the hope and hype. ELSEVIER. 27 (8), p443-445. Rathore, A. S. (2009). Follow-on protein products: scientific issues, developments and challenges. ELSEVIER. 27 (12), p698-705. Sharma, B. (2007). Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Biotechnology. 25 (15), p318-324. Zuniga, L. and Calvo B. (2009). Regulatory aspects of biosimilars in Europe. ELSEVIER. 27 (7), p385-387.

Radishes and Radicals

Radishes and Radicals Radishes and Radicals Radishes and Radicals By Maeve Maddox Both words, radish and radical, derive from the Latin word for root (radix). The vegetable we call a radish is an edible root. Radical, functioning as both noun and adjective, is used with multiple meanings, depending upon context. Its earliest use in the context of politics and political thought and action dates from the late eighteenth century: That the omnipotence of the state is not lodged, by the constitution, with the people, but with the whole legislative body in parliament assembled, was a radical doctrine of this obnoxious ministry.- OED citation dated 1783 â€Å"A radical doctrine† is one that would strike at the root of an established political or social norm. A radical is â€Å"a person who advocates radical or far-reaching political or social reform.† The earliest OED citations for the noun radical are dated 1822: Love is a great leveller; a perfect Radical. General Scott said Archer was a Radical and inclined to be Jacobinical. Note: As a political term, Jacobin derives from a French political club established in 1789 with the purpose of propagating the principles of extreme democracy and absolute equality. By 1800, the word Jacobin was used to refer to any political reformer. Every society is rooted in specific institutions and conventions. At the time that radical acquired its political meanings, European society was rooted in the model of a landed elite supported by a disenfranchised working class. In the early nineteenth century, efforts to accomplish the following were seen as radical ideas in Britain and the United States: end the employment of children in factories and mines extend the vote to all men extend the vote to women end imprisonment for debt end the slave trade grant full civil rights to Catholics and Jews provide elementary schools for the children of the working classes provide humane treatment for the mentally ill The verb radicalize in the sense of â€Å"to make radical, especially politically; to imbue with radical principles† appears early in the nineteenth century (1825). The earliest citation for the noun radicalization- â€Å"the action or process of making or becoming radical, especially in political outlook†- is 1867. Among the OED citations for radicalize and the noun radicalization are references to soldiers who were radicalized by witnessing the horrors of war and to â€Å"radicalized students of the late 1960s.† These political terms have been used to describe different degrees of radicalism, as indicated in this definition of the adjective radical in the OED: radical adjective: Advocating thorough or far-reaching political or social reform; representing or supporting an extreme section of a party; specifically (also with capital initial)   (a) British belonging to, supporting, or associated with the extreme wing of the Liberal Party which called for a reform of the social and parliamentary system in the late 18th and early 19th century.  (b) U.S. belonging to a faction of the Republican Party seeking extreme action against the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Now more generally: revolutionary, especially, left-wing. Although in the past, radical belief was sometimes accompanied with violent behavior- e.g., John Brown, Carrie Nation, the French Revolution- it was more often contained and acted on within a framework of constitutional or parliamentary changes. A â€Å"radical† could be any person who regarded some aspect of society as unfair or undesirable and believed that the way to change it was to overturn or uproot existing norms. In that sense, suffragettes and abolitionists were radicals. Nowadays, radical, radicalize, and radicalization have come to carry connotations of a type of extremism closely association with violence. This is how The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines radicalization and radical: radicalization At its root, radicalization takes the basic tenets of a faith or a political movement and carries them to extremes, extremes that often are drastic enough to adopt violence to intimidate others into accepting those extremes or to punish those who will not accept the extremes, and that process carries across lines of nationality or religion, from Mohammad Atta to Timothy McVeigh. radical The FBIdefines radical individuals as persons who encourage, endorse, condone, justify, or support the commission of a violent act or other crimes against the U.S. government, its citizens, or its allies for political, social, or economic ends. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsSocial vs. SocietalWhen to Spell Out Numbers

Death of a Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Death of a Salesman - Essay Example Relatively associated to the life and dream of every American family, Death of a Salesman tells about the anxiety and insecurity of the Lomans–with Willy as the father, Linda as the wife and the mother to two sons: Biff and Happy. Already suffering from senility, Willy is still made to suffer more from his unappreciative boss, Howard Wagner. Willy has managed to survive, eventhough he erred at times while driving or even doing simple tasks. This is due to his concern for his financial security that remained him a salesman travelling long distances just to make a sale, and earn only a commission from it. Lomans are not mired in abject poverty–they were able to mortgage the house in a decent and highly densed neighborhood and were able to drive their own car–Willy Loman found it difficult to meet both ends. Linda is a plain housewife; Happy is living his own life; and Biff was not able to finish high school on reasons Willy has to be partly blamed. The struggle is nerve-racking to the extent that he is often disgusted and complaining at his own self and the people around him. Slowly, the plot brings us to reality, and it reveals the more elaborate struggle Willy has stepped onto. First, Willy’s late brother Ben has intevened exclusively only to Willy’s mind. This is either a flashback or some literary device which Miller had utilized to induce an intrinsic conflict in the main character. In the initial dialogue between Willy and Ben, they exchanged pleasantries and they shared memories about their parents and even their whereabouts. Willy is interested to the latter’s prevarications, â€Å"to walk into the jungle† (Miller 36). To Willy, the philosophy–apparently the same philosophy of the Loman’s stock–should be imbued to his two young sons. Further in the play, one notices the intricacies in the past. Ben, in the past, has

Night Mist By Jackson Pollack 1945 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Night Mist By Jackson Pollack 1945 - Essay Example icious and what drove things up a notch was that he was an alcoholic and is said to have had bipolar disorder as well, both of which he combated through his art and artistic expression. Pollock died at the age of 44 in a car accident. Abstract expressionism was categorical of a passing era in the 20th century. This was a time when Europe was aging and America was young and getting on its feet. The Second World War had just ended and Europe had been so badly affected by it that it was going to declare itself bankrupt. America was a fledgling and attached itself to Europe’s values because it didn’t know any better and thus was also affected indirectly by the changes that affected Europe directly. (Rodgers). Art historians have determined that there is a strong link between abstract expressionism in this era and the consequent emergence of modern art, most specifically the work of impressionists, cubists and surrealists. (Rodgers). Further, Jackson Pollock himself drew inspiration of his work from the works of Pablo Picasso and was deeply influenced by him as an artist. If abstract expressionism is to be properly analyzed and understood, the viewer needs to look at the subject matter or content of the painting. The subject is exhibited in the painting through a process and can be analyzed by looking at the different gestures in the painting and the range and depth of the colors used. (Rodgers). Pollock’s painting has a lot of anger in it. He incorporates his anger in the process of his painting, and as is the specialty of abstract expressionism, it shows clearly in the final product. He is one of the most controversial and influential artists of this century. His works were very original, each piece completely different from the next and in addition to that, his works are studied for their use of scale, texture and color. (Molyneux). People study art with preconceptions in their minds. According to Jackson Pollock, there are at least 5 things that effect