Tok Can a Machine Know

In today’s day and age, the question â€Å"Can a Machine Know? † is very important and relevant to what we are doing with machines in making them more and more humanlike and capable of human functions. A machine, as defined on Dictionary. com â€Å"is an apparatus consisting of interrelated parts with separate functions, used in the performance of some kind of work. † That seems simple enough, not very complicated at all. But then if you look up â€Å"know†, the definition is very hard to grasp. Dictionary. com defines â€Å"know† as: â€Å"to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty. This doesn’t give much justice to the word and requires you to define other terms such as understand and truth and certainty. It is much easier to use the term as defined according to Plato. His view is regarded to be the â€Å"classical† definition. According to Plato, at least three criteria must be satisfied in order for there to be knowledge; a statement must be justified, true and believed. And so if a machine meets all these requirements then it must in fact know. With machines, the main argument against their capabilty to know is that everything they can do is because humans programmed them to do it. Machines cannot do anything on a whim; they have no imagination or creativity. Creativity is one of the things that makes humans rather special and not just walking computer processors. It enables us to make decisions which are not based simply on algorithms or past history or other data. We can be bold, reckless, brave, and foolish or act in many other emotional ways. This is impossible to program as emotions do not lend themselves to mathematical analysis. Yet emotions are an essential part of knowledge. For example I know whether I am happy today or not and it probably affects what I do today more than the facts I actually know. Computers can never be happy or sad. They cannot love or grieve. They cannot, in other words, be human and know. But the other side of the argument is that humans are just computers which contrary is the exact opposite stated in the above paragraph. We are just many bits and pieces that are all working together to let us live and experience life. In fact humans are classified as biological machines, and if humans can know anything, machines should be able to know. Many consider the only aspect that makes humans and other higher organic creatures different from the commonly defined machine is our ability to express emotions and intuition. These emotions and intuitions come from our mind, which is a system; a system of biochemistry, electricity, some mechanics and maybe a bit of quantum mechanics, but a system nonetheless. If you take any individual part of this system away, none of these parts will understand anything. They're simply exchanging information with different parts according to set rules. This is exactly what a machine does when given instructions and prior facts and figures. As I was researching this topic and looking at both sides of the argument, I admit I was very torn. At first I thought no, there’s no way a machine can know. They don’t have brains and everything they do is programmed beforehand for them by humans. But as I delved more deeply into the question I found that some advanced robots are not quite like that. On Youtube, there are many videos which include Honda’s robot, named ASIMO, that show machines can think very much on they’re own. One video talks about how this robot can actually â€Å"see†, a trait we usually only give to living organisms. Though it has two cameras for eyes, the way it processes the information it views through the cameras is very humanlike, like a child learning their surroundings. A man shows the robot objects that it has already learned to indentify and ASIMO says what they are out loud. But then the man shows it two completely different objects, a toy car and a toy robot, and tells ASIMO what they are. The man then shows the robot the two objects again and asks it what they are. ASIMO dutifully replies what each is correctly. This amazed me because it showed machines could actually learn from experience, just like humans. But that wasn’t all, ASIMO was later told indentify a chair. At first a normal looking wood chair was placed in front of it and the robot nodded. Then a stool was placed in front and ASIMO nodded again, even though the stool looks nothing like a chair. But then it is showed a table and ASIMO shakes his head no. This was very astounding to me because it showed a machine making a judgment. So to actually determine whether or not a computer can know, we must go back to Plato’s description of knowledge and see if a machine fits. The main purpose of most machines is to record vast amounts of data which are all truthful so that fulfills the first criteria easy enough. Then it must be justified which is done by the programmer feeding information to the machine. And last but not least it must believe and because the computer must follow the code it’s given, then it must believe and thus it fits all of Plato’s criteria for knowledge. But this just seemed too easy so I decided to look into the ways of knowing, and if the machine fit all those components, then it definitely knows. Though a machine can use reason to solve problems that no human can, use intuition to figure out if an object is a chair or not, speak in every language known to man, see objects and know what they are, and be able to hear a human and respond, machines still cannot experience emotion and that is the one thing stopping them from knowing. As stated in a previous argument, an essential part to knowing is through emotion and creativity and imagination. Without these things a machine cannot know. Until humans are able to make a machine that has the capacity that the human brain does, a machine will never know like a human. It will understand how to perform certain tasks and learn new things, but it will never be able to create something of its own or experience any type of emotion. In saying this, I do believe that in the near future, with technological advances, there will soon be a machine which can think for itself and have its own ideas and creations. Due to Raymond Kurzweil’s theory of Singularity, humans will create machines that have intelligence which surpasses their own and by that time machines will most definitely know. Because of the human sciences striving to create robots that are humanlike, they will eventually become successful and once the breakthrough is made, then there will be thousands of different machines that can know and our society will have totally changed. But as of right now, a machine cannot know. It can perform very humanlike tasks and talk and walk and speak but there is still the barrier of not being able to imagine or feel which separates humans from machines.Bibliography http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=53888;page=3

Optimism and Health Benefits Essay

â€Å"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.† This quote from Victor Hugo is a perfect example of optimism. When someone is optimistic, they have a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. Optimism is simply a mental game. The brain can interpret situations or events as being optimized; meaning that some factors may not be fully comprehendible, yet having confidence that the present moment is in an optimist state. This understanding, although criticized by counter views such as pessimism, realism, and idealism, leads to a state of mind that believes everything is as it should be. With optimism, someone contains hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. Not only does optimism give someone confidence, it also provides many health benefits and a sense of purpose in life. â€Å"Is your glass half empty, or half full?† This saying is a common idiom that illustrates optimism versus pessimism; an optimist is said to see the glass half full, and a pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Winston Churchill provides another unique understanding of this idea: â€Å"The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity,† The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do, and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same problems of the world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback. Provoked by a bad situation, they perceive is as a challenge to try harder. If the thoughts that run through one’s head are mostly negative, their outlook on life is more likely to be pessimistic. There is nothing better in life than having a peace of mind that no matter what the troubles are that life may bring, everything will be okay and that life has so much to offer. Unfortunately this peace of mind does not happen over-night, it takes years of trials and experience s to be able to see the bright side of any given situation. People are not automatically born with optimism; they have to experience negative circumstances in order to find the strength to be optimistic in general. Without hardships, optimism would not grow. Optimism often starts with self-talk. These endless streams of unspoken thoughts can either be positive, or negative. Optimism does not mean that one keeps their head in the sand and ignore life’s less unpleasant situations, it just means that the approach to the unpleasantness is in a more positive and productive way. With this approach to any given situation, stress can be reduced. Often time’s people upset themselves over something minute, causing a lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, hostile mood, etc. What they do not know is that with a simple thought of, â€Å"I can do this,† or â€Å"It will be okay,† their whole stream of thoughts eventually start following that positive pattern, changing their whole mood, reducing stress, and increasing their chances of overcoming obstacles. Not only does an optimistic view reduce stress, it also decreases the risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and infections. Optimism itself, not just its association with happiness, lowers anxiety, thus causing less hostility, and has the potential to lower the risk of a stroke. U.S. researchers followed more than 97,000 women for about eight years. Measures of optimism and cynical hostility were strongly associated with these outcomes: Optimists had a lower incidence of heart disease and total mortality. Conversely, cynical hostility, which is a lack of confidence and increased bitterness, was associated with both higher overall mortality and cancer-related effects. Along with positive health benefits, optimism also gives someone a sense of purpose. American psychologist, Salvatore Maddi, co-author of Resilience at Work: How to Succeed No Matter What Life Throws at You, extensively studied what makes executives tough in the face of work-related stress. He found that the healthiest of executives shared three characteristics: a feeling of commitment, a sense of control in their lives, and an acceptance of life’s stressful moments as challenges rather than threats. This research confirms that having a sense of commitment to a purpose does not merely give someone meaning; it makes them more resistant to the impact of stressful living. This view on optimism can increase one’s chances of succeeding their goals or dreams, and not allowing negative situations to hinder their attitude. With hopefulness that their goals will be achieved, their motivation is amplified as well. Optimism is a way of life that is not learned automatically, it takes time and effort to completely change one’s mindset. This mindset has many positive effects. A firm confidence in one’s self develops, and they have self-assurance that no matter what life throws at them, it is completely possible to overcome those obstacles. Optimists tend to believe that defeat is not their fault; circumstances, bad luck, or other people bring it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Optimism not only gives one confidence, but also provides a countless number of health benefits. With an optimistic attitude, depression can be reversed. Although it takes time to get out of a slump, just the start of positive self-talk can remove one out of despair. Positive self-talk also reduces stress and the chance of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and strokes. A sense of purpose also develops with someone who acquires an optimistic mentality. A sense of purpose does not only give someone meaning, it helps them to overcome the stresses that life brings. Optimism merely starts with a simple â€Å"I will be okay.† It takes small steps, but it is completely possible for one to change their outlook on life and not let circumstances defeat one’s life.

Andy

Hello everyone, and thank you for coming today. I start this meeting at Second. II. Explain activity . Motion. A. Today we are going to be making scented sachets, or Axing ABA in cell abortion of the Dragon Boat festival which is on June 2nd. Also, for those of you who are l. Here for the extra credit, you must stay for the entire activity and show Mrs†¦ Hung your finished product before you leave b.So that you are all familiar with what the dragon boat festival is we will be itching a video about the history of this festival, why it is celebrated, and what people do on this day. Pay attention because we will be asking questions after the video Is over. L. What Is this festival know as In Mandarin? A. Duane Joel ii. On the Chinese lunar calendar, when is the festival held? A. May 5 Who's death is this festival commemorating? Iii. A. Qua Yuan iv. Why did he commit suicide? A. The capital of his kingdom was overrun by the enemy v. How did he commit seclude?He commuted suicide by d rowning himself In the river vi. What do people eat when celebrating this day? A. Gong xi or Rice dumplings vii. How did the tradition of the dragon boats come to be? A. The legend that local people paddled out on similar like boo tats to retrieve Qua Yuan's body What are the Axing ABA believed to do? A. They are believed to ward off evil x. What are some fillings that are put inside the gong Uzi? A. Bean paste, ham, and egg yolk x. What are Axing ABA traditionally made of? A. Colorful silk cloth, Silk Ill. Activity a.You all should have gotten 2 two felt cut outs, a needle, and yarn. Is anyone missing anything if you are raise your hand and one of our counsel me members will come and give you whatever you're missing. IV. Directions a. Try to follow along with me as I read you the directions, and project what 1 . First, Thread the yarn through the needle, and meet the end together and tie them in a knot. 2. After you have done that, starting from the edge of the right ear, weave the needle through all of the holes until you get to the edge of the right ear. 3. Oh should have al received cotton, and some scented material Put the cotton in and then put the scented material in 4. Once both the cotton, and the scented material are in, continue weaving until you reach the point in which you started 5. Tie a knot to prevent your Axing ABA from opening. 6. A pair of scissors will be passed around to cut off the excess yarn. V. Finish meeting a. Okay, that's it. If you came here for extra credit don't forget to show Mrs†¦ Hung before you so that you leave and sign out. B. I sojourn this meeting at . Motion. Second

European Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

European Politics - Essay Example The constitution of the European countries have explicitly protected the interests of the minority communities; and encouraged their participation in social, economic and political fronts. Childre (2003) observed that the constitution of the European countries supports democratic practices, and firmly encourages that the democratic notions shall be adopted and implemented on the basis of its merit. The European society is cosmopolitan society, but the majority of the aboriginals are reluctant to consider this as fact. The contemporary political theorists considered cosmopolitanism as "citizenship of the world, which is a critique of ordinary theories of political obligation, with their tendency to focus on our duties to fellow citizens, not to people elsewhere", as discussed by Patrick (2005). The consequence of the cosmopolitanism is expected to be "single world government with corresponding global citizenship"; this was evaluated by Patrick (2005). Surprisingly such aspirations have not discussed by the serious circles. Ulrich (2006) proposed that the modified and renewed version of the cosmopolitanism includes "everyone in the world in a single global web of mutual obligations". However the reservations and criticism mounted against cosmopolitanism is relevant to the negligence of the "obligations of reciprocity"; there has been consensus on the fact that the society has "obligations to give benefits in return for benefits received". The issue commonly observed by the society at large is relev ant to the psychological possibility based upon the desirability claims, "the elimination of a special motivating attachment to fellow-citizens is not possible, but the elimination of special motivating attachments to fellow-citizens is expected to develop "certain desirable form of political life impossible". In this context, the cosmopolitan has revealed two broad options i.e. "the viability of politics as usual depends not upon certain beliefs that fellow-citizens deserve more of one's service, but upon commitments to the polity itself", therefore if the possibility of the strictly cosmopolitan is possible then Patrick (2005) believes that "a commitment to a universal set of principles embodied in a particular political constitution and a particular set of political institutions" is engaged. The practicability of such desirable politics has the potential to disarm the anti-cosmopolitan; Ulrich (2006) believes that this has provided that the denial of the form of political life is practical, and for this purposes the "moral commitments run over into a discussion of political theory". Literature Review Wayne (2001) believed that within the European society we still find traces of non-compliance against democratic principle of equality and justice. Racism and xenophobia has limited and discouraged the participation of the minority or under-privileged communities into political and social affairs. The European society which has been staunch supporter and enthusiast towards the proactive participation of the minority communities into public and private affairs; the current political state of some European countries indicates pessimistic outlook, where the interests and rights of the minority communities have been violated or ignored. The European society is multi-linguistic, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society. The penetration of the Africans, Arabs

Evaluation of SunTrust Bank Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluation of SunTrust Bank - Case Study Example This may be attributed to negative financial drivers in the market such as adverse economic cycles leading to lower Returns on equity. However, it can be scrutinized that Returns on Equity were higher in 2011 as compared to 2010. This is a positive indication that the management was performing considerably well. The positive drivers for higher returns on equity could be attributed to the ability of the company to employ investor’s capital to make more returns. The risk analysis section indicates that the ability of the company to set off short term debt was compromised in 2011 by higher loans commitments and subsequent losses. However, the total real estate loans to equity ratio were substantially lower in 2011 than all the previous years. This indicates that the company strength to offset long-term debts has been increasing progressively. Additionally, the liquidity ratio for the year 2011 was 8.11%, while in 2010 the ratio stands at 2.61%. This means that the position Unit T rusty Company to offset shorter debts was substantially higher in 2011 than in 2010. Connectively, the total risk based on capital was substantially higher in 2011 as compared to the rest of the periods. ... he financial statements of Sun Trust Bank reported a total asset of one hundred and seventy three million dollars as at 31st December 2012(SunTrust Para-1). Additionally, the company was reported to be one of the leading holding companies with numerous subsidiaries in different parts of the world (SunTrust Para-2). In above connection, the company had one thousand, six hundred retail subsidiaries located in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia to name just but a few (SunTrust Para-4). The company provides variety of services to its clients, some of the services provided include: brokerage, investiment management, insurance and banking such online are banking (SunTrust Para-4). Therefore, this report aims to provide comprehensive analysis of Sun Trust Bank financial ratios in order to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The report will take into consideration the most current ratios for 2011 and compares them with those of the previous year’s ie2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. An Evaluation of the bank’s Profitability Below is a small table indicating profitability ratios for the five periods Years December 2006 December 2008 December 2009 December 2010 December 2011 Profitability Ratios(ROE) 11.30% 4.98% -8.41% -0.18% 3.30% Profitability Ratios(ROA) 1.19% 0.57% -0.93% 0.02% 0.85% Net Interest Margin 3.03% 3.21% 3.03% 3.39% 3.54% Efficiency Ratios 55.81% 65.64% 80.29% 69% 69.15% Source: Author Profitability ratio Analysis Based on the figures above be scrutinized that the returns on equity ratio for 2006 and 2008 were 11.30% and 4.98% higher than in 2011 which stand at 3.30%. This indicates that in 2006 and 2008, equity stock holders of Unit Trust Company were able to obtain higher returns on the investment than in

Write an essay about an important event in your life that taught you a

Write an about an important event in your life that taught you a valuable lesson. Engage your readers by incorporating vivid descriptions that use the five senses - Essay Example Drenched in sweat, discomforted from nausea, I could no longer take it! I opened my eyes and found a shadow lurking by my side as I lied helplessly in the hospital bed. The smell of the ward made me even queasier. My hands were injected with tubes so I could not understand why I laid there or felt so deprived of strength. I was only twenty-five; therefore, I was not supposed to be here. Like all young people, I had dreams to chase, desires to fulfil; however, they all shattered as the doctor broke the news to me. The piercing pain in my heart and nausea was actually a heart attack. One more attack and the journey of life would end for me. It came as a severe shock. Not a single word of sympathy and sorrow from anybody consoled me in that hour of deep grief. Eventually, my sorrow abated with time but even it could not heal the scar in my soul. Nonetheless, the night when I was discharged turned out to be an unforgettable life-changing experience. It was around sunset, while returning home; my eyes caught the sight of the full moon. The full moon night is always a captivating beauty; however, that night it looked preternaturally large and clear. The rain in the morning had cleared the sky to present the golden disk; it was an unutterably fascinating sight. You could see the neighbouring buildings with a clarity, which almost took the breath away for a while. The moon seemed to have come down to kiss the treetops. Indeed, it seemed as though the trees were higher than the spot moon had chosen that evening to ordain a generous glimpse. As we drove down the road, the whole world looked drenched in the flood of mellow light. The moon had polished everything to give the night a feeling that was beyond words to capture or reproduce. The moonlight enlightened everything in the pitch-darkness. It served to fill my bleak life with hope again. The sorrow turned into the most imperative lesson I

General Biology - Summary and Review of Two Articles Article

General Biology - Summary and Review of Two Articles - Article Example Charles Darwin’s suggestion that life began from a warm little pond rich in nutrients also supported the concept; however, oceanographers still continue to find the oases of life on the seafloor. Meanwhile, a team of researchers discovered that the cellular fluid is very similar to condensed vapors found in volcanic mud pots on land and that terrestrial environments boast the high ratios of potassium and sodium compared to marine environments (Mosher, n.p.), which explains why cellular life probably began on land as cells are rich in potassium and sodium. The first cells were believed to have no complex proteins to pump excess sodium making them highly permeable and completely at the mercy of their environments. Geothermal fields on land such as mud pots are probably rich in potassium, an environment favorable to begin cellular life; however, scientists ignored the theory because the modern Earth is in acidic condition. I agree with what the scientists say that life began at primordial oceans. In my opinion, a warm, slimy mud fed by volcanically heated steam is not an ideal setting for cells to begin or either sustain life. I learned that a warm and moist environment could host bacterial cells but an environment with above boiling point temperature such as a volcanically heated steam could kill living cells thus, it is not possible for cellular life to begin in an environment that could kill them at once. In addition, I think that my perception about where cellular life began is true.

Discussion #10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion #10 - Essay Example Remembering things of the past ,increase attentive ability to observe things in the environment and a great sense of humor more urge to learn and being more informative,different ways of performing things, motor or physical activities and speech. Giftedness is either inherited or is adopted from the surroundings. It often runs in families. In order to cope up with such children they are indulging in school activities at an early age so that their abilities are more polished. (Mail Online, 2015) Such children must complete the curriculum early and move on to advanced level. Teachers must help them to learn to how to gain knowledge and how to make best use of their knowledge. Teachers must give them projects to enhance their knowledge.Teachers must engage them in decision making projects and help them to avail the chance of taking responsibility. (Globalpartnership.org, 2015) Gifted children as compare to others sleep less and are usually highly active when they are awakened. The Extended family all required in such cases including grand parents or close group of friends and families who can take care of the children while the parents are having rest. According to this article full time ability grouping of gifted students has been criticized. Students in regular classes and in special ones are divided according to their ability,sex and social status. It has been estimated that children in gifted classes have more interest in school. These classes make efforts to enhance the imagination of these children. Children with the same flaw happen to spend more with each other. They get along pretty well. Disabled children tend to consume more time during feeding. Even potty training requires a lot of time and patience. They also find it difficult to adjust in their age group of normal children. In this way, their parents need to be beside them 24/7, which costs their

Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example Today the global economy is as turbulent as it gets. The economies of the western developed nations are still felling the wrath of the economic down turn of 2008. Therefore a lot of companies belonging to countries like U.K. or U.S. are looking to set up business in the emerging economies which includes the brics and mitsk countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil etc. (Ghauri and Cateora, 2010, p. 141). The present study has been done in lieu to analyze the internationalization process of a product which is actually not present in a targeted or host nations. Such circumstances would provide scope for a thorough understanding about the fundamental yet extremely aspect of setting up a business in an international market. During the course of the study various important concepts related to the international marketing such as the market attractiveness analysis, analysis of potential threats and opportunities and threats, evaluation and selection of appropriate market entry strategy , market segmentation, targeting and positioning has been discussed. Product Choice As per the pre-defined project criteria the company to be discussed has been chosen as Innocent Drinks. The company was founded in 1999 by Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright. All of them were Cambridge University graduates. The main product produced by the company includes crushed fruits, vegetables and juices. The fruit juices provided by the company are mainly known as smoothies who are usually provided to the customers in small bottles and big cartoons. The ingredients used include apple, topical, mango, apple, berry, and other vegetables such as carrots, ginger, etc. In 2009, the company announced the decision to sell 10-20% of stake to the soft drinks giants Coca-Cola. On February of 2013 coca-cola increased the stake to 90%. The decision to internationalise Coca-cola becoming the majority stake holder provided a lot of opportunity for the company to global. The company already has internat ional presence in the form of countries such as Ireland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc. However, the company does not have any significant presence in Latin America and U.S. Deciding which market to enter While deciding the appropriate choice of the markets come to mind including North American, Latin American countries and also Asian Countries. Among these Asian countries would most definitely be an interesting choice. But it has to be said that while entering the Asian market two diverse factors would be the extreme geographical and cultural differences. Also although the hot and humid conditions of countries like India looks to be tailor made for the launch of such products; idea gets eliminated on the count that the product is already present in India. Hence the next choice to look forward would be the Latin American nation. Among these the top two contenders would be Mexico. Despite of the recent economic downturn the country has witnessed a steady growth in the GDP sinc e 2010 till present by 5.5%. The GDP per capita happens to be $15,782 at the end of the last fiscal year. According to a research conducted by just-drinks, the Mexican soft drinks industry grew by 3.7% in the last year and is expected to reach a value of $15.18bn by 2014. From 2008 to 2012 there also happens to be a steady growth in the disposable income of the people in Mexico. The demand for

Claim for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress on Ms Thatcher Assignment

Claim for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress on Ms Thatcher by Blair, Peel & Pitt - Assignment Example Blair, Peel and Pitt treated Ms Thatcher unfairly and in a retaliatory manner because there is no evidence that she was not performing well at the office. Her demotion was caused by her refusal to engage in sexual activity with Mr Blair. His insistence on seducing her and sexually harassing her at work didn’t pay so he decided to retaliate through unfair demotion. When he is telling Ms Thatcher to loosen up if she wanted to succeed in the firm, he is implying that the only way for Thatcher to thrive here is to give sex in return for promotions and salary increment. As a matter of fact, if there is any reason why Ms. Thatcher wasn’t giving out her best at work is because she was never relaxed there. That is if and only if she was not performing well but the defendant has not given us enough evidence to suggest that this was the case. There is no way she could be relaxed when she was being harassed by her own boss. The office setting was very intimidating as she had no sp ace to work with the boss watching pornography and touching her at his own pleasure. Ms Wendy Thatcher wants to bring a lawsuit against her employer for sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She has been working for Blair, Peel and Pitt law firm for two years and had been reassigned to work for Mr Blair on class litigation. Tory Industries, Inc. is one of the major clients of this firm so being assigned to them was a very lucrative opportunity for Ms Thatcher. Mr Blair is the main litigation partner of Blair, Peel and Pitt so this is obviously a good job for her and an opportunity for her to improve her career. As a young associate, her duties involved repeated trips to the premises of Tory Industries which is located in another city; she was responsible for document review and depositions. The firm offered Mr Blair to be accompanying her when the trips involved deposition because as a senior attorney he could take the deposition. The firm reserved different hotel rooms for each of them and a common work suite.     Ã‚  

Apply critical thinking skills and evidence based practice concerning Essay

Apply critical thinking skills and evidence based practice concerning chronic disease in older adults and management of nursing - Essay Example The insulin receptors are unresponsive, a factor that is contributed by genetic predisposition and lifestyle (Spiegel & Hawkins, 2012). Type 2 is the more predominant in the population compared to type 1. The disease can be life threatening if not managed well; however, good management can result into relatively better living. Type 2 diabetes is accompanied by several symptoms. The body is unable to conserve water, a condition that results to polyuria. Because of the uncontrolled sugar levels, high blood sugar results, the individual exhibits a state of reduced consciousness and low blood pressure. In addition, the person produces sugary urine. This situation prompts an individual to develop increased thirst a condition called polydipsia. The disease is also associated with blurred vision, peripheral neuropathy, increased hunger, and gradual weight increase among others. Early detection is very essential for effective management of the disease. Other signs and symptoms that have been identified to accompany the disease include a state of tiredness and lethargy, very slow healing of wounds and cuts, swinging moods, a feeling of dizziness and sometimes headaches (Spiegel & Hawkins, 2012). ... They are also obliged to avoid smoking and taking every prescription faithfully. For low-level production of insulin, the patient can be prescribed to take insulin in order to control insulin levels (Diabetes Australia, 2013). No known cure has been developed for Diabetes type 2. However, some medication is given to reduce the levels of the disease symptoms. Five main classes of drugs have been developed. Firstly, the biguanides are insulin tablets are helpful in reducing the levels of glucose through reducing the levels of stored glucose, increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing the intestinal absorption of glucose. The second category are the thiazolidinediones, these are also insulin tablets that targets the patients’ insulin and activate it. These drugs have been known to target fat and muscle cells. Meglitinides and sulphonylureas are given to patients to stimulate production of insulin by the pancreas hence helping reduce blood sugar levels. Alpha glucosidase inhibito r prevents the digestion and absorption of most of the carbohydrates in the stomach and intestines (Diabetes Australia, 2013). Medical practitioners are required to understand the dynamics of the disease in order to combat it effectively. Regular follow up visits should be done, during the time which the nurse should discourage the patient from smoking, their blood pressure is checked, their weight, a review of the symptoms is done as well as a review of self-monitoring. This review should be done quarterly. Annually, the nurse in charge should conduct a more thorough assessment by checking for any complications, reviewing the goals of management, considering a referral to a specialist and updating the immunization schedule. During these periods, should conduct a full physical

The key features of situation ethics Essay Example for Free

The key features of situation ethics Essay Examine the key features of situation ethics. Then outline the main weaknesses of situation ethics. How far do these lead to a rejection of the theory? Despite the view of Kant, and many Christian people, that it is not ethical to only act after assessing the implications of a moral action, since the 1960s a view that situation ethics is an effective way to judge an action and its consequences has emerged in the secular community. However, it is also necessary to acknowledge the Christian ethos in order to fully make a decision on the ethical viability of something in such an ephemeral world. Situation ethics is a theory most commonly associated with the work of Joseph Fletcher, an American professor and one of the key pioneers in bioethics, and J.A.T. Robinson, a New Testament scholar, author and a former Anglican bishop of Woolwich. Fletcher wrote a book called Situation Ethics, which was published in 1966, a time when the ephemeral nature of the country was highly accentuated by political matters; Women were more commonly going to work, following the suffrage movement before the war and their valued contribution to the war effort during it, President John F. Kennedy of the United States had been assassinated and there was a large amount of shock and horror surrounding the brutal Vietnam war. Furthermore, Martin Luther King had left his legacy at this time, even though it would be many years before the divisive pre-civil rights attitudes and laws were truly shaken off, and the sexual revolution that occurred in the 1960s, where the invention of the pill came about, and sexual promiscuity was finally accepted. Also, the emergence of the teenager, a concept that had not been acknowledge before as a type of person with his or her own music, fashion and politics, the consequential growing power of the student movement and the rebellious spirit of the rock and roll culture that went hand in hand with the aforementioned new young adults power, when combined with the other reasons mentioned above, all meant that the scene was set for a radical shift in the social power base. The church, in particular, did not see this impending shift in power as an appealing prospect. The British Council of Churches in 1964 appointed a Working Party that set out to Prepare a Statement of the Christian case for abstinence from sexual intercourse before marriage and faithfulness within marriageand to suggest means whereby the Christian position may be effectively presented to the various sections of the community. They wanted to convey a sane and responsible attitude towards love and marriage in the face of the misleading suggestions conveyed by much popular literature, entertainment and advertising. They also observed that a widespread feeling, especially among Christian people, that recent years have witnessed a general lowering of moral standards, and that this is particularly evident in the realm of sexual behaviour. The Church put much emphasis on a report called The Sexual Behaviour of Young People by Michael Schofield, saying that they wanted to reassess where Christian moral truth lay. The report was conducted in 1965, and concluded that in the 1960s young people were exposed to these factors; greater independence; more money in their pockets and purses; the weakening of family bonds and religious influences; the development of earlier maturity physically, emotionally and mentally; the impact of modern books, television, periodicals. 1963 saw the publication of an extremely controversial book that threw the Church into disarray and disagreement. J.A.T. Robinsons Honest to God is a theological text in which the author challenges the traditional view that God is watching over the world as a supreme power in a three-storied universe, instead suggesting, in conjunction with Paul Tillich, a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher, that God should be understood as the ground of our being as opposed to a deux ex machine, a phenomenon that cannot be explained, which influences and interferes with the world while remaining detached from it. This book was also in support of the new morality outlined in Joseph Fletchers article The New Look at Christian Ethics published in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin before the more famous Situation Ethics book. Fletcher had written in this that Christian ethics is not a scheme of codified conduct. It is a purposive effort to relate love to a world of relativities through a casuistry obedient to love. In other words, the new Christian morality for man come of age, a phrase coined from Dietrich Bonheoffer, was not based on law, or rather, perhaps, on one law only: the law of love. To illustrate their beliefs on new morality over old, both Fletcher and Robinson cited the examples of Jesus and the Pharisees, which were meant to exemplify new morality and old morality respectively. Whilst the Pharisees elaborated the Torah to accommodate every possible situation, the example of Jesus say You who are not guilty of sin may cast the first stone in John 8:2-11, after a woman who had been caught in adultery was sentenced to stoning. This is an example of Jesus demonstrating love, passion and integrity and showing the weakness of using absolute laws as a meaning of judging individual moral cases. Fletcher further observed that Bultmann [A German theologian] was correct is saying that Jesus had no ethics if we accept, as I do not, that his definition of ethics was a system of values and rules intelligible for all men. This gives the implication that a system of moral codes is unnecessary. Both Fletcher and Robinson acknowledged that the shift from a supranaturalist view of ethics to a situationalist or existentialist view of ethics would not be universally popular. This was shown as early as 1956 when the Pope Pius XII anticipated this, and consequentially banned the view from all seminaries. Protestants, however, were equally suspicious, as they realised it meant that nothing can be labelled as universally good or bad. However, Robinson argued the only way to deal with situations was situationally, not prescriptively. He said Whatever the pointers of the law to the demands of love, there can for the Christian be no packaged moral judgements for persons are more important even than standards. Robinson argued that a situationalist view should be applied to divorce law. Questioning the conservative view that marriage created a supernatural, unbreakable bond between two people, he argues that the metaphysical bond that binds two people in marriage can be broken through divorce depending on the situation surrounding it. In the book Honest To God, Robinson wrote It is not a question of Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder: no man could if he tried. For marriage is not merely indissoluble: it is indelible. He believed that it was potentially damaging and out-dating to believe that divorce was an impossibility. He thought it was time for humans to seek liberty from such supernaturalism thinking, and be ready to leave behind the restrictions of the old moral law if love was best served by so doing. Fletcher and Robinson identified agape love, a term used to distinguish the different types of love known as agape, philia, storge and eros, as the only intrinsically good thing, and it was defined by William Barclay as unconquerable good will; it is the determination to seek the other mans highest good, no matter what he does to you. Insult, injury, indifference it does not matter; nothing but good will. It has been defined as purpose, not passion. It is an attitude to the other person. This kind of love is highly demanding or, as Barclay suggested, a highly intelligent thing. It is not random, fatalistic, romantic love that cannot be demanded. Rather, agape love is required of one human being to another, and demands that the whole personality be involved in a deliberate directing the will, heart and mind. To employ agape, it is conceivable that laws must be put aside, although this may leave many legalists and supernaturalisms without a reliable foundation on which to maintain their position of moral superiority. Fletcher wrote If the emotional and spiritual welfare of both parents and children in a particular family can be served best by a divorce, wrong and cheapjack as divorce commonly is, then love requires it. Joseph Fletcher identified three approaches to morality: Legalism, a conservative, rule-based morality like that of the Pharisees, or as Fletcher said, a morality in which Solutions are preset, and you can look them up in a book a Bible or a confessors manual; Antinomianism, the polar opposite of legalism which means that no rules or maxims can be applied to a moral situation; and situationism, a midway decision between the other two positions, or, as stated in Situation Ethics, The situationist enters into every decision-masking situation fully armed with the ethical maxims of his community and its heritage, and he treats them with respect Just the same he is prepared in any situation to compromise them or set them aside in the situation if love seems better served by doing so. Fletcher developed his theory by drawing on a wide range of cases that could not be resolved by applying fixed rules and principles; for instance, the famous case of Mrs Bergmeier who deliberately asked a Russian prison camp guard to make her pregnant so she could be released to return to her family in Germany. Furthermore, Fletcher even developed four presuppositions of situation ethics: Pragmatism, which demands that a proposed course of action should work, and that its success or failure should be judged according to the principle; Relativism, which rejects such absolutes as never, always, perfect, and complete; Positivism, a concept which recognizes that love is the most important criterion of all; and finally personalism, a concept which demands that people should be put first. He then went on, developing his opinion on how agape love should be understood conceptually, and how it should be applied as a theory in situation ethics. He said that not only is love always good, but that it was the only norm, appealing to Jesuss teaching in Mark 12:33 that the most important commandment is to love God and love your neighbour. Hr also said that love and justice are the same, and love is justice distributed, that love is not liking and always wills the neighbours good and that situation ethics is a teleological theory that identifies the ends or the outcome of the actions as the means of assessing its moral worth. Finally, he said that because there is no way of knowing in advance whether something is right or wrong because every situation is different, the situationist must be prepared to make every moral decision afresh. Some believers believe that morality consists of obeying the commands of God as directly revealed by him through scripture and the Church. They believe that what is morally good and what is morally bad is pre-determined by what God has said through scripture and other means, and that to contradict the views of God is to be immoral and bad. This view was backed up by Kant in his deontological approach to ethics, as he said that moral rules are good in themselves and should be obeyed irrespective of the consequences. Professor Gordon Dunstan also agreed with this, saying It is possible, though not easy, to forgive Professor [Joseph] Fletcher for writing this book, for he is a generous and loveable man. It is harder to forgive the SCM Press for publishing it. In contrast to Fletcher, William Barclay adopted a conservative view on Christian ethics, challenging the so named new morality of Fletcher on several grounds. He argued that it is highly improbable for someone to be presented with the extreme circumstances presented by Fletcher, so it is not reasonable to base the principle of situation ethics on these such matters. He wrote in Ethics in a Permissive Society, It is much easier to agree that extraordinary situations need extraordinary measures than to think that there are no laws for ordinary everyday life. He also suggests that Fletcher overestimates the value of being free from rules and the constant decision-making processes that this forces humans into. If it were the case that agape could always be fairly and accurately dealt out, then laws would be redundant. As it is, there are no such guarantees, and so a degree of law is necessary for human survival. Barclay believes that law is essential for a variety of reasons: because it clarifies experience; because it is the means by which society determines what a reasonable life is; because it defines crime; because it has a deterrent value, and because it protects society. He also says that Fletcher was unrealistic in his observation on how truly free humans are to make decisions and judge the moral worth of something when not shackled by any laws. Barclay particularly emphasises that law ensures that humans do not make an artificial distinction between public and private morality, and was quoted as saying A man can live his own life, but when he begins deliberately to alter the lives of others, then a real problem arises, on which we cannot simply turn out backs, and in which there is a place for law as the encourager of morality. In summary, Barclay criticised Fletcher for his miscalculated optimism about the ability of humans to be morally good while remaining free of personal prefere nce and consequential bias. How can we arbitrate a case in which two people reach different conclusions about an action, yet both claim to be acting in the interests of love? In the same year that the scandalous Honest to God by J. A. T. Robinson came into publication, Susan Howatch composed a novel named Scandalous Risks in which a number of characters face moral dilemmas, and attempt to examine each of these while conceptually following situation ethics. In one scene we see a character called Venetia seeking the help of another called Father Darrow in an attempt to understand the way in which her romantic friend rationalises and conducts their relationship along the lines of situation ethics. The, so to speak, moral, of this story is that situation ethics is idealistic and cannot work, despite its obvious theoretical benefits. Rarely do our real-life situations conform to the neat solutions that would apparently be available to us if we applied the principles of ethical theory. An overall conclusion must be drawn from both parts a) and b) of this essay collectively. It seems that the argument is relatively balanced debating the validity of Robinsons and Fletchers approach to moral-decision making. It is commonplace to strive for the freedom to make choices situationally, whether or not it be within the framework of agape, although this is constrained by not only the law, but also by the moral judgment of others. In this age, when we might suppose that secularism and liberalism would have a stronger hold on religions than previously, organizations such as Silver Ring Thing and True Love Waits are encouraging young people to take a vow of celibacy, which infers a return to traditional sexual ethics. Perhaps, instead of offering a realistic answer to morally-challenging situations, situation ethics offers a tantalising alternative to structured and relatively inflexible law-based morality.

Effect of Estrogen on Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts

Effect of Estrogen on Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts Osteoporosis is a disease that afflicts many people, especially women. This disease is very debilitating and is characterized by excessive bone loss which results in severe fractures. There are two types of osteoporosis: Type I and Type II. Type I is the more severe type and is prevalent in post-menopausal women. There have been numerous hypothesis and studies as to the cause of osteoporosis and its relation to menopause (Riggs, 2002). The findings suggest that estrogen plays a major role. Estrogen receptors have been identified in bone and are involved in the production and maintenance of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts (Eriksen, 1988; Girasole, 1992). Osteoclasts function in bone resorption, and osteoblasts function in synthesizing new bone, hence these two cell types have opposite effects on bone (Saladin, 2010). Studies have shown that a decrease in estrogen levels in post-menopausal women is the primary cause of this reduction in bone density (Girasole 1992; Menolagas, 2002). Estrogen is a steroid hormone that has many different functions. It is primarily involved in sexual differentiation and maturation, but also has some less obvious effects including thermoregulation and the maintenance of bone mineral deposition. Estrogen is a lipophilic hormone and therefore is capable of diffusing through the cell membrane and binding its two intracellular receptors, ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² There are three female sex hormones: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3), however, estrogen is the common name used to refer to all three, though estradiol is the main form of estrogen (Carlsten, 2005). Estrogen is mainly synthesized in the ovaries, though its synthesis is not limited to the ovaries. Some peripheral tissues, such as adipose tissue, are capable of producing estrogen by way of steroid precursors (Nelson, 2001; Simpson 1981). Synthesis of estrogen involves many different precursors the first of which is cholesterol. Cholesterol is converted in the ovarian follicle to pregnenolone which can be converted to 17ÃŽ ±-hydroxypregnenolone. 17 ÃŽ ±-hydroxypregnenolone is then converted to dehydroepiandrosterone which is converted to androstenedione which undergoes a conversion to the androgen, testosterone. Aromatase then converts testosterone to esradiol (E2). Estradiol is then secreted from the follicle and can either act on its target tissue or undergo another conversion to estrone (E1) and estriol (E3) which takes place in the liver. Estrogen has two main receptors ( ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ²) that mediate its primary effects. These receptors belong to the nuclear receptor family and are transcription factors that are regulated by ligands (Carleson, 2005). Estrogen receptors require numerous coregulatory proteins that have cell-specific expressions. These cell specific expressions delineate some of the specific actions of estrogen in its various target tissues (Heldring, 2007).The two estrogen receptors maintain some highly conserved regions such as their DNA binding domains; both ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² bind the same DNA response elements. Other domains are not at all conserved, such as the amino-terminal which exhibits significant variability in sequence as well as in length. The ligand-binding domain is located at the C-terminal and is a multifunctional domain. Both the N-terminal and the C-terminal contain activation functions, AF-1 and Af-2, respectively. These activation functions, work to activate transcription by recru iting coregulatory proteins to the DNA-binding domain. Though ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² are fairly homologous, they are actually derived from separate genes which are located on separate chromosomes. ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² also give very different splice variants (Heldring, 2007). ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² regularaly act as antagonists of each other when expressed in the same cells; hence, estrogen signaling functions as a balance between these two contradictory receptors (Carleson, 2005). It appears as if ERÃŽ ² works to inhibit the effect of ERÃŽ ± by not only altering the recruitment of transcription factors essential for of ERÃŽ ±-dependent transcription, but also by increasing the degredation of ERÃŽ ± by way of ERÃŽ ²2, a splice variant of ERÃŽ ² (Heldring, 2007). Estrogen receptors have been found in many non-reproductive tissues including bone. This fact lends credence to the theory of estrogens involvement in the maintenance of bone. Estrogen Signaling There are a few distinct pathways that are involved in estrogen signaling. Three of these signaling pathways are ligand-dependent, the fourth is ligand-independent. The first ligand-dependent pathway is the classical or direct pathway (Fig. 1a.) in which the ligand (usually estradiol) binds the receptor and this ligand receptor complex then dimerizes with another ligand-receptor complex in order to bind estrogen response elements in the promoters of target genes (Carleston, 2005). The second ligand-dependent pathway is referred to as the tethered pathway (Fig. 1b.). The tethered pathway involves protein-protein interactions with transcription factors. These interactions occur after the receptor has been activated by the ligand. Hence, the receptor activates transcription by an indirect DNA binding mechanism (Carleston, 2005). The non-genomic pathway (Fig 1c.) is also ligand-dependent but is not as well understood as the previous two. It is known that the receptor is activated by the ligand, which then initiates a signaling cascade resulting in the activation of second messenger systems (Heldring, 2007). Studies have shown that the activation of these second messenger systems display some common effects including an increase in the production of cAMP levels as well as the activation of the MAPK pathway (Lim, 2006). This activation of second messenger systems ultimately leads to a rapid physiological response without involving gene regulation (Heldring, 2007). The fourth signaling pathway is ligand-independent (Fig.1d.) and involves activation by way of other signaling pathways such as that of Growth Hormone which ultimately leads to the activation of gene regulation. This activation of gene regulation occurs due to the activation of protein kinases that work to phosphorylate the estrogen receptor. This phosphorylation causes receptor dimerization which allows the receptors to then bind the DNA and activate gene transcription (Carleson, 2005; Heldring, 2007). a.) The direct ligand dependent pathway in which the ligand directly binds the receptor which dimerizes and binds the DNA promoter region. b.) The tethered pathway is indirect and involves protein interactions with transcription factors that allow for the binding of the transcription factor to the promoter region c.) The non-genomic pathway involvs activation by the ligand which then can cause a signal transduction pathway resulting in activation of second-messenger systems. d.) The ligand-independent pathwayin which activation occurs by other signalling pathways (i.e. GH) and eventually leads to activation of gene transcription. Source: Heldring, Pike, Andersson et al. Estrogen Receptors: How do they signal and What are Their Targets. Physiol. Rev. 87: 905-931. 2007. Estrogen and Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a disease that is characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density and hence an increase in the frequency of bone fractures (Though osteoporosis is often associated with post-menopausal women, the disease is not necessarily limited by gender. Osteoporosis was separated into two classes in 1983 by Riggs and Melton. The two types of osteoporosis (Type I and Type II) differ in regions of bone mineral density, patterns of fracture, causal mechanisms and hormonal changes. Type I osteoporosis is the more severe form of osteoporosis, however, type II is more common especially in the elderly (70+) (Riggs, 2003). Type I Osteoporosis is prevalent in post-menopausal women. It usually arises within 20 years after menopause and is associated with excessive cancellous bone loss. Fractures occur at sites that are rich in cancellous bone. Type I osteoporosis is associated with an increase in osteoclast function and a decrease in osteoblast function. This is thought to be due to a decrease in the levels of estrogen present in post-menopausal women (Girasole, 1992; Ribot, 1997). Osteoporosis has been found to occur in men also; primarily elderly men. The underlying explanation for osteoporosis is that the sex steroids play a role in the remodeling process of bones. Hence, when ovarian function ceases due to menopause in women, estrogen levels decrease and bone remodeling is therefore disrupted in a deleterious fashion. Osteoporosis in men is associated with a loss of androgens which is generally due to either castration or aging (Manolagas, 2002). Type II osteoporosis is prevalent in both men and women and can occur at any age, though it is more often associated with the elderly (above age 70). Type II osteoporosis is characterized by the loss of trabecular bone. It is generally due to aging effects such as hyperparathyroidism and impaired bone formation, and also a decrease in vitamin D and PTH levels. There is some speculation as to whether or not Type II osteoporosis may also be due to late effects of decreased estrogen levels (Riggs, 2003). Evidence for estrogens involvement in osteoporosis and its actions on maintaining bone mass can be seen in the study conducted by Riggs et al. which involved 36 women with vertebral fractures due to type I osteoporosis. These women all displayed a high bone turnover rate. The women with type I osteoporosis were compared with 36 normal women (women who did not exhibit Type I osteoporosis) after they were given small amounts of the sex steroids: estradiol, estrone, and testosterone. Blood and urine samples were continuously taken (about every 24 hours) and analyzed to reveal that the levels of the sex steroids were equally apparent in both groups of women. However, the amount of all bone biochemical markers (involved in bone turnover) appeared higher in the osteoporotic women. Though the experiment did not detect a difference in the sex steroid concentrations between the two groups of women, post-experimental power calculations were done to show that there are differences between the t wo groups when ÃŽ ± = .05 and 1-ÃŽ ² = 0.8. The differences for serum estrone, estradiol and testosterone were as follows: 6.3%, 9.9%, and 4.4%, respectively. Some of the women with osteoporosis then underwent another study in which they were split into two groups. One group of osteoporotic women received one-years worth of treatment with transdermal estrogen while the other group of osteoporotic women received a years worth of treatment with a placebo. The women who underwent estrogen treatment displayed a remarkably larger decrease in bone turnover markers than the women treated with the placebo (Riggs, 2002). Osteoclasts, Osteoblasts and the Estrogen Connection Osteoclasts are cells involved in maintaing bone homeostasis and are located on the bone surface in the anterior portion where they work to digest old bone (Manolagas, 2002). Osteoclasts are derived from macrophages, and are very large multinuclear cells formed from the fusion of multiple stem cells (Saladin, 2010). Osteoclasts function in digesting bone; hence they are involved in bone resorption. Bone resorption is a process that releases calcium back into the circulatory system by digesting bone tissue (Saladin, 2010). The function of osteoclasts is essential to the broader process of bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are also involved in maintaining bone homeostasis and are active in the process of bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are located in the posterior portion of the bone surface and work to produce new bone in the areas that underwent excavation by osteoclasts (Manolagas, 2002). Osteoblasts are derived from mesenchymal stem cells (Zallone, 2006). The mesenchymal stem cells give rise to osteogenic cells which give rise to most other bone cell types including osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are immature bone cells that are located beneath the endosteum and periosteum of the bone. Osteoblasts synthesize the components of the bone matrix. The matrix undergoes mineral deposition which causes it to harden, and hence the osteoblasts become trapped within the matrix. When osteoblasts mature, they become osteocytes which function in maintaining bone (Saladin, 2010). Osteoblasts function in making new bone. They deposit calcium salts into the bone matrix in order to make hydroxyapate which is the calcium reserve in bone. Osteoblasts fill in the cavities that were excavated by osteoclasts with new bone. Osteoblasts may be stimulated by various signals and hormones such as calcitonin and estrogen which both function in decreasing blood calcium levels and maintaining calcium levels in bone (Saladin, 2010). Estrogen receptors (ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ²) as well as androgen receptors (AR) have been identified in both osteoblasts and osteoclasts and their parental cells. The presence of these receptors indicates that estrogen has a direct effect in mediating the process of bone remodeling (Eriksen, 1988; Girasole, 1992; Manolagas, 2002). Estrogen and androgens also have an indirect effect on the process of bone remodeling via the cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) which is an important factor in the process osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow stromal cells (Carleston, 2005; Manolagas, 2002). The Study conducted by Girasole et al. has shown that estrogen has an inhibitory effect on IL-6, which results in a decrease in the production of osteoclasts. This decrease in osteoclastogenesis ultimately causes a decrease in bone resorption (Girasole, 1992). Estrogen and androgens inhibit the production of IL-6 in vitro by inhibiting Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-ÃŽ ±. IL-1 and TNF-ÃŽ ± are involved in the synthesis of IL-6 (Ribot, 1997). Some studies suggest that estrogen has more of an effect on TNF-mediated production of IL-6, than on IL-1 mediated production (Girasole et al. 1992). The expression of the IL-6 receptor subunits, gp130 and IL-6-RÃŽ ±, are also suppressed in bone marrow stromal cells and in osteoblast progenitor cells (Manolagas, 2002). Studies done in mice have shown that when the IL-6 gene is knocked out or neutralized (via antibodies) the upregulation of colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) (which osteoclasts are derived from) in bone marrow is prevented. Hence, there is not an increase in osteoclast production. The results showed that the antigen caused the estradiol-induced inhibition of bone resorption to itself be inhibited (Ribot, 1997). A decrease in estrogen (as well as androgens) also has an effect on osteoblasts. One mechanism by which osteoblasts are regulated by estrogen can be observed in bipotential stromal cells; these cells express the estrogen receptors. The bipotential stromal cells are parents to both adipocytes and osteoblasts. A study conducted by Okazaki et al. in mouse bone marrow stromal cell lines, found that estrogen works to mediate the differentiation of the parental bipolar stromal cells towards the production of osteoblasts (Okazaki, 2002). Post-menopausal women who exhibit bone loss have been observed to have an increased amount of lipid concentration in their bone marrow. Hence, a decrease in estrogen would cause an increase in adipogenesis and a decrease in osteoblastogenesis (Okazaki, 2002). This decrease in osteoblastogenesis would result in a decrease in bone formation. Estrogen Replacement Therapy A study that was conducted on post-menopausal Chinese women by Sun et al. was also useful in determining the effects of estrogen treatment for osteoporosis. These women all ranged from 41-58 years of age and had undergone menopause for more than a year. The women were split into 4 different groups. Each group received different levels of 17ÃŽ ²-estradiol (E2) gel along with a form of progesterone, either micronized progesterone (MP) or medroxyprogesterone (MPA). The progesterone was added along with the estrogen in order to prevent endometrial hyperplasia which may occur as a result of estrogen replacement therapy. The dosages differed in both progesterone type and concentration as well as in estrogen concentration. The exact dosages for each group were as follows: group 1 received 1.5 mg E2 and 100 mg MP, group 2 received 1.5 mg E2 and 2 mg MPA, group 3 received 0.75 mg E2 and 100 mg MP, and group 4 received 0.75 mg of E2 and 2 mg MPA. These dosages were administered once a day, 25 days a month for at least a year (some of the subjects were studied for two or three years). Blood and urine samples were taken from these women and monitored for bone mineral density (BMD). The results showed that after about a year of this treatment, the average increase in BMD in cancellous bone of the 4 groups ranged from 4.6%6.4%. After 36 months an increase in the BMD of the bones in the neck and the lumbar vertebrae were observed; the averages ranged from 4.3%-7.5% and 4.2%-6.2%, respectively. This study also found that the BMD in the hip (an area that is prone to fractures), had significantly higher levels than the baseline levels. The main purpose of the study was to determine an appropriate dosage of estrogen and progestin for post-menopausal Chinese women; the results of the study indicated that either 0.75 mg or 1.5 mg of E2 daily is sufficient for prevention of bone loss in Chinese women. The study suggests that hormone replacement therapy has a significant effect on bo ne, especially during the first two years of treatment (Sun, 2002). The knowledge of estrogens actions on bone and the inhibitory effect it has on osteoclastogenesis, has led to the utilization of estrogen as a treatment for osteoporosis. Estrogens ability to maintain bone mass in post-menopausal women has made estrogen replacement therapy a valuable form of treatment. This treatment utilizes the protective properties of estrogen on bone and functions in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) in post-menopausal women (Sun, 2002). Estrogens positive effects on bone are amplified during the treatment; hence, estrogen induces stimulation of osteoblastogenesis and inhibits osteoclastogenesis via IL-6 (Girasole, 1992; Okazaki, 2002). The type of estrogen administered (other than estriol) seems to have no difference in effectiveness; hence, synthetic estrogen, 17ÃŽ ²-estridiol, and equine estrogen all have equal effects on the maintenance of bone mass and all work to decrease the amount of bone turnover (Ribot, 1997). The method by which estrogen is adminis tered (i.e. transdermally, percutaneously, etc.) also does not appear to make a difference in its effectiveness. The dosages of estrogen as well as the duration of the treatment seem to be the only variables involved in determining the effectiveness of estrogen replacement therapy (Ribot., 1997). In order for estrogen replacement therapy to have a long term effect, estrogen must be administered for about 5-7 years (Cauley 1995; Ribot, 1997). Estrogen replacement therapy is also most effective if it is initiated early after menopause. A study conducted by Cauley et al. found that women who started estrogen treatment within 5 years of menopause and/or underwent treatment for 10 years or more, had the most effective and long-lasting results (Cauley 1995). Though Estrogen Replacement Therapy is a promising and effective mechanism for treatment of osteoporosis, it is associated with some serious physiological risks. Long-term usage of estrogen has been known to cause endometrial cancers. However, when estrogen is administered in conjunction with progestins, the risk of endometrial hyperplasia is significantly reduced. (Ribot, 1997; Sun, 2002). Many studies have been conducted to determine whether or not there is a relationship between estrogen and breast cancer. Some studies suggest that there is a correlation between the risk of breast cancer and use of estrogen (Lim, 2006). Other studies suggest that there is no correlation (Ribot, 1997). Though estrogen replacement therapy is associated with a few serious risks, it also has other positive physiological effects on other areas of the body, not just bone. For example, estrogen is thought to have a preventive effect on Alzheimers disease and also on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in post-m enopausal women (Ribot, 1997; Tang, 1996). The onset of type I osteoporosis is generally characterized by a loss of ovarian function which therefore results in a loss of estrogen in postmenopausal women. (Manolagas 2002). Estrogen can be used as a treatment for osteoporosis due to the presence of estrogen receptors in osteoclasts, osteoblasts and their precursors, as well as in bone marrow stromal cells (Zallone, 2006). The positive actions of estrogen on bone are mainly due to the suppressive actions of estrogen on bone resorption by osteoclasts (Okazaki, 2002). When Estrogen levels are decreased, the normal regeneration process, which involves bone resorption followed by an appropriate amount of bone formation, is disturbed (Zallone, 2006). Various in vitro studies have been conducted that demonstrate that the presence of estrogen (as well as androgens) increases the action of factors that work to inhibit the process of osteoclastogenesis (Bellido, 1995). The decrease in the production of osteoclasts due to estrogen would t herefore cause a decrease in the process of bone resorption (Okazaki 2002). Estrogen also has an effect on the production and differentiation of osteoblastic cells. However, it has the opposite effect on osteoblasts and thereby stimulates their production by shifting the mechanism of bipolar stromal cells towards the production of osteoblastic cells rather than that of adipocytes (Okazaki, 2006). Hence, estrogen works to decrease bone resorption and increase bone formation, thereby creating a protective effect on bone which can be utilized to treat such debilitating diseases as osteoporosis.

Parameters For Future Energy Price Scenarios

Parameters For Future Energy Price Scenarios The ground rules of forecasting methods which rely on broadening of trends, says godet is unrealistic when the nature is an ever-changing and the phenomena which need to accounted are complex and related. [1] Taking the year 2025 as a near end to analyze alternative future developments and also to assure and reproducible framework using formal models and data to and harmonize regional aspirations with global possibilities, I take the following qualitative parameters into account. 1) Population: To relate population growth and energy demand, the link amid population and energy involves two mediatory connecting elements to be recognized. They relate to the changes in financial development. Typically, the greater a regions per capita revenue, the greater its per capita consumption of energy. [2] 2) Environmental taxes: Taxes on energy consumption and carbon taxes reflect instruments which reduce the polluting releases, by economists. Practicing environmental policies, the increasing number of Western European countries has applied taxes based on the emissions or energy content of the energy products. These definitely influence the energy price scenarios in the near future. [3] 3) Investments in energy supply sector Over the period of years 2001-2030 the total investment essential for energy supply infrastructure worldwide is estimated around $16 trillion.[4].This investment must be used to enlarge supply capacity and to replace present and future supply amenities that will be drained or become out-of-date during the projection period. The energy market of the world is expected to rise by 2/3rds over the next 30years. Energy infrastructure investment is a cardinal driver for the growth of the economy. Energy-investment requirements will account for an important fact of total domestic investment in Russia and other transition economies, Africa and the hydrocarbon-rich Middle East. Between primary fossil fuels, the capital intensity of investment varies considerably. Natural gas is about six times more capital-intensive than coal for equivalent energy supplied. [5] This is a powerful consideration for capital-constrained countries. Future investment needs are subject to many uncertainties, includi ng macroeconomic conditions, energy prices, environmental policies, geopolitical factors, technological developments. [6] 4) Energy technology cost: Advanced energy technologies can influence long-term energy investment outlook. Due to high deliverance costs in an imminent market, the fuel costs of travel in hydrogen fuel equipped vehicles would greater than those of the alternative conventional fuels, but they could ultimately become equal to gasoline vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles are prone to technology development hurdles; however, there should be large decrease in price of owning an automobiles before fuel celled vehicles become attractive to the general public. Fuel storage is also a problem. The extensive use of H2 has to be intervened by the government to improve its usage, refueling facilities and vehicles. Nuclear advances can lead to designs with less capital costs, shorter construction time and flexible operation, so improving the economics of nuclear electricity. There is widespread interest worldwide in a 4th generation of nuclear power reactors, though public opposition can continue. [7] 5) Energy technology diffusion rates: Energy Technology diffusion is a sophisticated process presenting diverse dimensions for analysis. In dividing the major aspects of technology diffusion, it is in the scope of this paper to analyze the process in different dimensions. It can have a huge influence on the pricing scenario. 6) Climatic Policies: The energy policies are constantly changing, especially in relation to climate change and the energy transition. The energy markets are lacking regulations, there is an increase in the demand energy from renewable resources and there are price hikes. And further changes are yet to come into picture. Many of these improvements are interrelated and it is difficult to foresee their impact on strategies. However, with an affirmative approach to new improvements and accessing the right skill we can minimize risks and avail opportunities. 7) Terrorism: Through 2025, internal skirmishes threat the stability around the globe. Terrorist attacks are now posing serious threats to the worlds economy and energy efficiency. Between now and 2025 terrorism will grow sophistically to a new height which breaches the world peace and harmony, indirectly effecting the energy efficiency and price scenarios. Due to these internal threats the local governments are tending to invest more on internal security sophistications and hence diverting the energy investments. We can expect more lethal terrorist attacks to occur in the future. Hence, terrorism can be considered as a threat to the energy efficiency. [8] 8) Natural Calamities: No nation, expert or forecasting technique can foresee a natural disaster and prevent its damage. Natural calamities can always affect a nations economy and energy stability. Energy price scenarios are highly influenced by these disasters. The effects include the diversion of investments to alternate housing provisions for disaster struck colonies. Relief measures have to be initiated and continued which includes huge energy consumption affecting the energy price scenario. 9) National and Local Politics: Government support is essential for energy policies. Creative technologies are to be experimented and implemented under the funding of the government; hence the frontrunners are planning to invest parts of their economy for these implementations. Since the global warming and other issues became serious issues of political interests, the government will be a substantial issue in energy pricing. 10) Cumulative primary energy consumption and renewable energy production: Cumulative energy demand and efficiency can be seen as an indicator of environmental influences to estimate the exhaustion of energy resources and usage of common energy sources considering a whole lifecycle. Prospective approach always emphasizes on consumptions in the future leading to formulating theories which in return help quantification this parameter. [9] 11) Cultural effects: Generally living cultures and groups grow continuously and affect one or the other forms of environmental activities at the lowest levels. For an example, if a person has a big car and a small car he would generally prefer to use a bigger car. Let it be for prestige or whatever, our culture is that way. So, cultural effects also worry the energy price scenario of the world. Consumer culture plays a weighty role in the energy needs and production. Ans. 1b) Identification of Quantifiable Parameters: All the qualitative parameters discussed in the previous section are not quantifiable but some are definitely quantifiable. Population. Environmental taxes. Investments in energy deliver sector Energy technology cost. Cultural effects. Ans. 1c) Godets Proposition I moderately agree with this specific aspect of Godets proposition. Qualitative forecasting techniques generally depend on expert opinions. These can be applied where historical data is available. But the historical data cannot directly interpret the future. Quantitative forecasting methods are used when past data is available. In the quantitative forecasting techniques the causation relationship is also taken into account. Qualitative forecasting emphasizes much on prediction of future through the present scenario. It can sometimes be too erroneous to depend upon. The cause is that predicting the future has always been an opportunity for us to let our minds run free. Eventually we will be happy or sad to see technological development which will produce unforeseen changes. As market by Godet, imagination can deceive but sometimes it can follow a trend. Extrapolation of the prevailing trend sometimes leads to futuristic thoughts. These, sometimes, can be accurate too. But I consider that extrapolation of the variable a good method rather than a complete extension of a trend. But, we cannot alone depend on our predictions always. Future had never been predicted exactly and never will be. We cannot leave our posterity with predictions only but we must prepare them for any situation. Prospective approach can be a solution to broaden our perspective towards the future but everything cannot be predicted. [10] Ans. 1d) Commercialization of energy efficiency in Japan 1. Although many firms may be developing energy technologies and might have super features with great scientific advances but the commercialization is a bug in the ear of such firms. Market-adaptation skills and institutions to take benefits are still scarce. In table 4 of paper by Osamu Kimura on Commercialization of energy-efficient technologies in Japan, some technologies which failed to get commercialized due to lack of marketing skeletal models. Michel Godets ideas on commercialization and qualitative approach could have definitely improved the commercialization potential of the technologies which failed to get commercialized due to marketing deficiencies. The main difficulty is a deficiency of commercial awareness where the advanced, inspirational and market related abilities to turn an idea or design into a dependable commercial able product. Specifically quality is the lacking factor. These market-related deficiencies are persistent in any economy. [11] Godet believed in an eight stage strategic approach, which he called a prospective approach, can be useful in commercializing technologies to the core. The first stage hawked with the socio-organizational context which sets the tenor for the entire process. Technologies which have failed at this level cannot move any further because it justifies technology and tell us why it is introduced. The second stage hawked a 360 degree x-ray oft the enterprise, its knowledge/experience, and its productive capacities. Such a verdict will be effective in commercialization since the trademark of the developer can also affect the extent of commercialization. The third stage emphasizes on the structural diagnosis of the enterprise, whereas, the fourth analyses the dynamics of an enterprise, its strengths and weaknesses etc. Technologies like Heat Transport System using vacuum insulation which were introduced and failed to get commercialized due to organizational instabilities can be improved of their potential if they are introduced by a more stable organization, according to the second, third and fourth stages in the prospective approach.[12] The fifth stage attempts to increase certainty in key questions about the future with experts advice and expand the risks, trends etc. Technologies like High Efficiency Heat Pump Using Multi Fuel Engine and High Efficiency Heat Pump Using Hydrogen Absorbing Alloy, which were dependent on fuels not available in the foreseen future, can be effectively commercialized using efficient fuel substitution on expert advice. The sixth seventh and eighth stages dealt in compatibility and implementation. Additional significant features of commercialization are constant product maturity development and cost decline. Technologies like Compression/Absorption hybrid heat pump, Heat recovery from slag process in steel plants, Heat transport system using surfactants and Absorption pump using natural refrigerants can be commercialized if they successfully pass through the sixth, seventh and eighth stages of the prospective approach. [12] 2) I completely accept the conclusions of the study. There were mainly four conclusions of the study. First, the government funding for private RD needs to be in long tem. The creation of new technology frequently plays a significant role as a source of economic evolution. Furthermore, social return is always greater than the private return and hence all countries want to introduce their technologies through government funding so that the technology can reach the public far well. Hence such technology introductions receive more loans and subsidies. Two of the bases which lead to such a technology are market fluctuations and underinvestment in such technologies. Whenever a technology is under RD, such a technology cannot be placed under secrecy and hence it will gain public interest and in turn the government funding can initialize its commercialization to a better level than a private company. Public RD funding surges the total RD expenditure only if the contributions spur firms to research and deploy projects that would otherwise recognized on a smaller scale. So, the government funding to the private RD has to be formulated to belong term so as to assist effective commercialization. Second, responding to and influencing market demand is a key to commercialization. Commercialization is the process by which people, responding to markets, transform new knowledge and technology into economically successful products, processes, or services. Knowledge, sessions and topical studies suggest that a national method to commercialization should highlight the demand for RD and technology and organize plans close to their marketplaces. Third, the deployment policy should complement the public RD in the commercialization phase. Implementation at the pre commercial stage is the beginning of the commercial distribution. This has to be done analogous to the RD so as to find out the pros and cons of the technology in the commercial sector. Finally, assessment of cost and market demand. The profitability of innovation depends on the costs of commercialization. In some industries or technologies, the sheer size of the investment re ­quired is the largest single hurdle to commercial ­ization.  ­ Only in niche markets, with less competition and consideration of costs, can small plants compete successfully in these industries. In other industries, however, cap ­ital costs do not present as great a barrier to com ­mercialization. . Especially in new industries that are expected to demonstrate strong learning- curve effects, decision makers often cannot deter ­mine how quickly production costs will drop to a desired level. Uncertainties regarding cost also enter the decision-making process. [13] Hence arrangements have to be made in order to develop commercial storage. This helps the economy and also the interests of the geographical analysts. The ongoing investments in energy storage show an urgent need of energy storage. There have to be a regulation or a regulatory committee keeping an eye on the investments in infrastructure which proves a potential alternative for the energy supply in the energy crisis. Greater efficiency of energy throughout its usage has to improve a lot in order to lessen the energy usage and use the available energy effectively and efficiently. Answer to question 2: Internal energy market legislation according to the demand price scenario. The OPEC oil price rise in 1973: 2a) Gazproms supremacy over the European natural gas market is a growing concern among Europes policy makers. In restricting European investors from the Russian market, challenging access to regulatory distributions on the European market, while concurrently exercising its influence upon the CIS states, Russia has showed it undependability as a long-term supplier. Emergency planning faced a hindrance by lack of consistent comparison between the known definitions and the operative measures which were taken. In this context I assume myself as a large manufacturer (large energy consumer) and describe my response. Early in the crisis, Europes gas industry showed its capability to manage with several features of the problem being faced by Europe. The presence of transaction covenants and supply contracts permitted establishments to work together to preserve sources to internal customers, schools and hospitals, during the unkindest days of emergency. [14*]. Manufacturers are withstanding high energy prices and supply cuts (as in this case where Gazprom cuts its energy supplies or increase price by 200%), where energy is only a smaller component in the cost of production. Usually the problems that persist for a large manufacturer when there is an energy supply cut or a price hike are: Generally the lack of fuel-switching capability in the cardinal equipment (which requires a lot of capital investment). Unattractive attributes of some energy-saving equipment, such as differences in quality or comfort and high cost. Energy-savings may be less important than other factor-savings. Energy storage before the energy crisis occurs (before the supplies are cut). Investments to buy more energy from the supplier before the energy supplies are cut. Transportation of fuel and transportation of raw materials/products. Searching for alternating sources, and pipelining Demand at alternative sources. Being a large manufacturer I am putting forward the following solutions, The Internal Market Principle, which one part of the market should help in supplying another part at a period when there is scarcity of energy must prove valuable. There is a lack of interdependence in the EU. This has to develop to a significant scale where the EU relies much on itself rather than the Middle East countries for energy supplies. Fuel transition from have to be diversified in order to make EU a comfortable, sustainable and competitive in the energy market. A more interconnected market is always required where the flexibility and security becomes a major aspect. More fuel switching options have to be introduced in order to reduce the risks that the reliability on a single supplier introduces. Gas storage is a useful task when there is an energy scarcity has to be implemented which plays an important role in proper market functioning under energy hindrances and supply cuts. The EU has to stop relying on a single supplier and diversify its importing strategy for securing its energy needs. Increasing dependence on gaseous fuels for electricity and domestic heating, with no or limited availabilities of fuel switching technologies is a greater risk. Developments have to be made in implementing renewable energy and enact fuel switching. Transportation has to be made more energy efficient for greater energy efficiency. Developing technological innovations such as self-powering open electrical power systems which extract the required electrical supply from active vacuum and readily scalable in size and yield. Measures have to be taken by the respective governments or the organizations to resolve the conflicts that rose between the producer and the consumer. Geo-political issues come into discussion here, which is out of our interest. Limiting the production and energy usage until the conflict is resolved is another option.[15] Ans.2b) In the above response, I believed in going with both out of the box solutions and a partially conservative, incremental approaches together. As manufacturer, one of my key duties to foresee a situation and change accordingly for the sustainable development of my organization until it achieves success. If an organization is performing well, it is evident for us that there is nothing wrong with the situation and it is perfectly under control. But still we need to extrapolate continuously and new ideas to secure the perfect condition of the organization. Innovation requires us to think out of bounds and it requires unlocking creativity. In the above context I searched for other possibilities of energy crisis and so I came up with effective solutions which may prove useful in the future also. For example, fuel switching is an out of the box solution. Adapting to the energy changes with new technology and energy efficient systems is an out of the box solution. Coming to the advantages of thinking out of the box in order to achieve service excellence; every business operation expresses strategies and measures which have been or are being accomplished in their particular industry by their counter parts; or all these systems have remained standing since time because there is a mindset that the customers are most contented and pleased with the way that they are being aided. In certain occasions; schemes and measures are a result of involvement of an individual or a team who seemingly are the achievers of the trade and are considered to be born geniuses who are totally in agreement with the pulse of their customers. This sometimes can be a conservative approach. It will work well when the situations are a repeat of the past. In the above solutions, storing energy, limiting the production and internal market principles are some examples of conservative approaches. Incremental approaches are primarily conflict resolving solutions between the cons umer and the supplier. All such circumstances are very risky and waiting to bounce back at a slimmest blunder. Interactions with customers, policy makers can be made interesting by thinking out of the box and adopting systems which are efficient when compared to those in the conservative approach. Ans.2c) I believe that an incremental approach is the best solution to reduce the ill effect created by inflexible market issues. This approach takes the initiative in solving the conflict by offering help to the conflicting parties. It can also prove useful to threaten both the parties and force them to take timely decisions in resolving the conflict. It also provides the conflicting parties with optional solutions along with their advantages and disadvantages. It, however cannot resolve all conflicts but it will definitely provide some assistance in at least reducing the magnitude ill effects. This kind of approach recognizes that gradual long term approach offers the best solutions to such conflicts. It also recognizes that dividing the conflict into parts and solving each part incrementally is a sound approach. The incremental approach recommends the parties to examine the full context of the conflict and recognize the unpleasant effects of the conflict. Sometimes this incremental approach involves functions like making negotiation between the conflicting parties, in smaller issues and then move on to the more adverse issues. Fractionalization is employed in breaking the issues into smaller parts and dealing with them one by one. This incremental approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. Braking up the inflexible issues and using negotiations to solve the conflicts are some of the advantages. But the conflict resolving techniques of this approach can bring up many other problems and can sometimes utterly fail in conflict resolving. Conservative approach is a one in which the parties will insist more on conservation compared to conflict resolving. This approach can work well only for a small, certain period of time. In this kind of approach there are no attempts made to resolve the conflict. So there can arise a situation where the conflict grow up to peaks and irresolvable. Conservative approach can go along with the incremental approach for the best performance. While negotiating with the parties, following an incremental approach, an inner conservative approach have to be followed. This can continue until the problem is solved. It also has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Service brilliance can also be achieved by doing accurate things in a diverse manner or simply by improving the quality of your procedures by thinking out of the box. An approach is said to be out of the box when that is new, creative and cannot be related to normal or conventional approach. Similarly a technology which is invented through unlocking creativity is known as an out of the box technology. Approaches leading to such out of the box technologies are known as an out of the box technological approach. An out of the box technological approach is different from straight approaches in various ways. Technologies which evolve from conventional approaches are necessarily improvements of past technologies. They depend a lot on the past variables and past attributes. Such approaches generally attract people/customers who are interested in improvements to the previous technology. Markets to such conventional technologies follow trends almost similar to those followed by their parent technologies. These trends can sometimes be variable attributing those to uneven results to the customer satisfaction, extent of improvement etc. Whereas, technologies which are out of the box are new and creative. There can be some implications to such creative inventions. Technologies that are out of the box need not be entirely new. When they follow a familiar theory, their implementation may be different; when they follow a familiar implementation, their background and theory may be different; when they follow a familiar theory and a familiar implementation, their field of application may be different or new. They can sometimes be entirely new too. Markets trends to such out of the box technologies are very unpredictable. The procedures that are made or are being followed cannot be inflexible and they cannot deal with out of the book solutions for every problem. All the initia l steps of careful screening would mean that the lineup dealing with the clients is armed with the right kind of boldness that is required in service industry. There is a very thin line between being elastic while providing furnishing the customers necessities and desires and breaking the rules and procedures in the apparel of serving people. [16] Ans.2d) I feel that foreseeing a situation which is already being seen is not an intellectual way of answering this question. Nowadays we are already in a situation where we need to do with less, in terms of capital goods, travel, and levels of comfort for the benefit of all. Presently we are personally reducing the usage of plastic, this is because plastic cannot be decomposed and when we try to decompose or burn it, it will produce harmful fumes. So this can be one of the cases where we are reducing our comfort levels for the sake of others. Instead, we are using alternative methods like replacing plastic with paper. We are even keen on implementing the three rs (reduce, reuse and recycle). Similarly, lighting is essential to a modern society. Lights have transformed the way we live, our efforts and our entertainment. Today, about five percent of the energy used in the world is for lighting our homes, buildings, and streets. Nowadays we reduced the amount of energy we consume for lighting, intentionally or unintentionally, we have begun using energy efficient systems. Reducing energy usage or switching to energy efficient methods can be efficient. In the last 100 years, appliances have revolutionized the way we spend energy and our time at home. Tasks that used to take ages are now achieved in few minutes, using electricity most of the time. Until the embargos of the 1970s, people drove without thought of fuel economy or ecological impacts. Aerodynamic designs were combined and engine size condensed. More vital was that engines were enhanced to upsurge fuel efficacy with fuel injectors and electronic communications. CO2 emissions are threatening to the world. Hence we are adapting to substituting fuels. We reduce our luxury for the sake of others and energy efficiency. We are using public transport to reduce the energy usage. Thinking collectively about the present and future is an important step, but reflecting upon changes in the environment should not become an end in itself. Similarly, we do not want to shine a spotlight on the surface while leaving the center in the dark. The future is genuinely the result of human will and initiative. Local ecological influences are likely to remain to take superiority over worldwide change in the accomplishment of sustainable energy developments. [17] Answer to question 3 3a) Major changes in the UK affecting the energy during the past 50 years also brought up with them a major technological change. Some may be positive and beneficial but some may be negative and ineffective. Lets talk about them one by one. Restriction on manufacturing new types of nuclear power plants (Sizewell B reactors). These have been the most important challenges for the technologists. They have to find new technologies for producing nuclear energy based on gas-cooled reactors because there is a restriction on building water cooled reactors. They have to build new reactors, storage units etc.; this demands a lot of finance to be invested initially. New technologies have to be developed to ensure the safety of the labor in this industry, for example, radiation resistant safety suits, etc., Gas cooled reactors a second generation British technology reactors which uses graphite as moderator. The advantage of this design is that the coolant can go to higher temperature than water. Resulting higher plant efficiency (above 40%) compared to the water cooled design (around 30%). This is recognized as the most important improvement in nuclear technology. [18] The Natural gas from the North Sea is being replaced by the gas derived from the Coal. This reduced the pressure on the coal industry. But this demanded new technologies for efficient offshore fuel extraction stations and for transport. Leak proof, underwater pipelines were a huge burden initially. Refining the fuel gas also introduced new innovations. Progress in offshore technologies is exemplified by advances in production platforms and production systems which highly rely on seismic technology. Drilling technologies have also improved a lot, leading to multilateral and multi branch wells. Floating storage vessels, shuttle tanks and condensation technologies are the most recognized improvements in the transportation technologies. [19] Privatization of the coal /electricity industries and British Gas As the technologies of the government are patented, privatization generally introduces new technologies into the respective industries thus causing technological expansion. Promoting renewable energy investment by consumers. Renewable energy investments promoted the developments of technologies in a lower, domestic level. The diffusion of new and renewable technologies is determined by a logistic curve function of two key factors: the size of the economic potential and the length of the diffusion process, which are different according to the technology. New and emerging renewable energy technologies include cellulosic ethanol, hot-dry-rock geothermal power, and ocean energy. Solar power panels that use nanotechnology, which is used in creating circuits out of individual silicon molecules, will probably cost half as much as traditional photovoltaic cells. The future prospects of electricity needs an innovation of nuclear and wind energies. Since earliest times, man has utilized the power of the wind. The technology has diversified over ages to include pumping water, grinding grain