Discovery Of Losartan Potassium Health And Social Care Essay

Discovery Of Losartan Potassium Health And Social Care Essay Losartan is the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist drug to be marketed for use mainly to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Losartan was first discovered in March 1986 by scientists on their first assignments at a corporate research laboratory, in Du Pont, as DuP 753(Merck 954), a highly potent and orally active non-peptide Ang II receptor antagonist. At the time, DuPont as a company was rather new to pharmaceutical business. The company had previously been dealing in chemicals, but the in the 1970s when the demand for Petroleum and its related products natural gas drove prices high, management attempted to diversify the business by seeking other business avenues to reduce their dependency on chemicals in a hope of also increasing their profit. As a result of creating new business, DuPont had ventured into pharmaceuticals and other life sciences businesses by the 1980s. Losartan work was one of the compounds DuPont research labs worked on. The company being inexperience in this area of business, hired Robert I. Taber, a scientist with two decades of research experience with Schering, to head pharmaceutical research at DuPont.It was Taber who recognized the areas of potentials and encouraged the research team to delve further. However, DuPont being a fairly young company in these areas would lead to other weighty problems, and these issues were quickly settled by a collaboration with the more experienced Merck, who also recognised the Potential of Losartan and convinced DuPont that there was more to be gained by working on Losartan. Development of Losartan was done after a series of efforts. The final market product was Co-Developed with Scientists from both Merck DuPont. [BHARDWAJ, G., 2006] Losartan was approved by the FDA in April 1995, and it was then launched that month as the first non-peptide anti-hypertensive drug in the new class of Ang II receptor antagonists. Merck started selling losartan under the trade names CozaarT and HyzaarT with annual sales in excess of $3 Billion Dollars by 2005. Chemical Structure (IUPAC) nomenclature (2-butyl-4-chloro-1-{[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) biphenyl-4-yl] methyl}-1H-imidazol-5-yl) methanol Chemical data Formula C22H23ClN6O Mol. mass 422.91 Action of Losartan Losartan selectively inhibits all Ang II responses that have been studied and lowered blood pressure in several animal models of renin-dependent hypertension. In animals, the antihypertensive efficacy of losartan has been found to be similar to that of the ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors) but, unlike ACE inhibitors, losartan is a more selective inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system since it does not affect the metabolism of kinins. Compared with peptide Ang II antagonists (e.g. saralasin), losartan has significant advantages, including a long duration of action, effective oral absorption and no Ang II agonist activity. [SIEGL, P.K., 1993] Indications Hypertension Losartan tablets is indicated for the treatment of hypertension. Losartan can be used alone or used in combination with other antihypertensive agents, including diuretics. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX., 2009] Hypertensive Patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Losartan is also indicated in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy to reduce the risk of stroke, but there has been a study to suggest that Losartan is not beneficial with Black patients in reducing the risk of stroke. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] In the LIFE study, it was found out that Black patients with conditions of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy had a lower risk of stroke on atenolol than on Losartan. However, there was some shortcomings of the LIFE study, as it did not provide evidence that the benefits of Losartan in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy by reducing the risk of cardiovascular events applied to Black patients. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Losartan is also very useful in the treatment of patients with diabetic nephropathy, where there is an elevation of serum creatinine and proteinuria (urinary albumin to creatinine ratio à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 300 mg/g) in patients that have type 2 diabetes and a history of hypertension. In this group, Losartan has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of the nephropathy. This is measured by the occurrence of doubling of serum creatinine or end stage renal disease where there is need for dialysis or renal transplantation. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] SPECIFIC PRODUCTS ( CONTAINING THIS DRUG) AVAILABLE FOR USE IN GIVEN CONDITION Combination therapy: A combination therapy is used if losartan monotherapy alone is not sufficient to control hypertension. Hence, losartan is available in combination with hydrochlorothiazide in different strengths as follows:[BRITISH NATIONAL FORMULARY., 2009] Losartan 50mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg Losartan 100mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg Losartan 100mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg. The above combination is used for treatment of high blood pressure and stroke in patients with heart disease. It is a prescription only medicine. [MEDICINES AND HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS REGULATORY AGENCY., 2009] EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY FOR THIS TREATMENT. Clinical trials have shown a better efficiency of losartan as an antihypertensive by itself and a further higher efficiency in a combined state with hydrochlorothiazide. For example : a double-blind, multicenter, randomized, parallel group study performed on African Americans (who are generally less responsive to monotherapy from any hypertensive class), with severe hypertension have shown a significant reduction in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure with losartan monotherapy (45.8%) when compared with placebo (27.2%) . In the same study, the combination losartan/ hydrochlorothiazide regimen showed significant higher reductions (62.7%) in blood pressure compared with losartan monotherapy or placebo. More over, both the regimens i.e losartan monotherapy and the losartan/hydrochlorothiazide were as well tolerated as the placebo[FLACK, et al., 2001]. Other studies were performed on hypertensive patients who had discontinued treatment with calcium channel blockers and angiote nsin converting enzyme inhibitors due to side effects like peripheral edema or dry cough respectively. These patients when treated with losartan have shown as much reduction and control over blood pressure as they use to with previous therapies.[GIOVANNETTI, et al., 1997]. And quite interestingly it has also been observed that the clinical side effects were minimal with losartan treatment and the haematologic and biochemical profiles were also not disturbed. [GIOVANNETTI, et al., 1997] Studies performed on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic parameters of losartan on healthy male volunteers and also on special patient groups like elderly patients with renal impairment and those having liver disease, suggest that losartan is orally active and its effect lasts for over 24 hours. None of the patient groups showed any significant pharmacokinetic interactions[McINTYRE, et al., 1997]. Losartan 50mg appears to be a safe starting and maintenance dose in most patient populations. However, when an additive effect is required, it can be easily combined with thiazide diuretics to achieve the target blood pressure. Losartan has low discontinuation rate and it has also been observed that it was not associated with cough even in patients who experience this side effect with to ACE inhibitors [McINTYRE, et al., 1997]. A BRIEF COMPARISON WITH OTHER MEDICINAL PRODUCT USED TO TREAT THE SAME AILMENT Losartan potassium, is an angiotensin receptor antagonist (AT1) used in the treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. However, a comparison with other ARB(e.g. valsartan and candesartan) shows that, these drugs have the same mechanism of action, though, their differences in pharmacokinetic profile may be responsible for their differences in efficacy in the treatment of hypertension. Losartan and valsartan when compared, exhibited a similar reduction in blood pressure at a lower concentration ,however, valsartan has a higher response rate and more effective 24hours blood pressure control rate at the dose of 160mg and 80mg respectively than losartan at 100mg and 50mg respectively.[BURNIER BRUNNER 2000]. Candesartan 8mg and 16mg has also demonstrated a more lasting antihypertensive effect than losartan 50mg and 100mg in ambulatory BP monitoring.[LACOURCIERE ASMAR 1999] A brief comparison with other medicinal products from the other class like B- adrenergic blocker(e.g. atenolol), ACEI(e.g. enerlapril), calcium channel blocker(e.g. felodipine) and diuretics were based on the efficacy, tolerability and safety in the treatment of essential hypertension. Losartan , when compared with amilodipine has been shown to exhibit a similar clinically relevant reduction in patients with systolic blood pressure, however, losartan was better tolerated as evidenced by fewer clinically adverse effect(CAE)and discontinuation compare with amlodipine [VOLPE, et al., 2003]. Meanwhile, in the contrasting effect of losartan, nifedipine GIT, and fosinopril on the ambulatory blood pressure, cardiac structure and function, and protective function of the endothelium in patients with essential hypertension, nifedipine GIT is superior to others in plate- granule membrane protein (GMP), while fosinopril and losartan had a preffered action to nifedipine GIT in reversing ventricul ar hypertrophy, however, losartan was better tolerated than the other drugs [QI XIURONG 2001]. Losartan potassium has been known to exhibit a fewer drug related adverse effect in contrast to other medicinal products in the other classes used in the treatment of hypertension. [GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] In summary, losartan potassium has an excellent tolerability profile in patient with essential hypertension and, in a demographic sub group of elderly versus young, women versus men and black versus non black; it has been shown to have an excellent safety profile. ADVANTAGES OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM. Side effect; In the treatment of hypertension, losartan has exhibited fewer drug related side effect when it was compared with other class of antihypertensive agents .[GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] Tolerance; when compared in patients with essential hypertension, losartan was better tolerated than other agents from the other class and hence an excellent tolerability profile. Safety profile; It has a good safety profile in a demographic sub groups. It doesnt produce rebound high blood pressure when it is withdrawn. DISADVANTAGES OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM. 1 Losartan has been associated with some damaging effect on the foetus which may include reduced body weight, death and kidney injuries hence it is contraindicated in pregnancy. [GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] Analysis of the market potential for the development of new drug candidates to treat the given condition Development of new drug products has always been a challenging task. Growth in technology resulted in an evolution in pharmaceutical world and has paved way for research and development to meet demands for more efficient products. About one billion people have been affected by hypertension world wide and reports also says that in US alone 65 millions people are affected by high blood pressure.[SMITH ASHIYA 2007]. This indicates the level of demand of antihypertensives world wide. Efforts have been made and many potential drugs have been developed till date. However the expiry of patents of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) opened doors for arrival of cheap generic products which resulted in a threat to the global pharmaceutical market. Data monitoring of the sales of antihypertensives in seven major global markets (i.e UK, France, US, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan ) predicted sales of upto $ 29.5 billions by 2018, which would be a drop of $6 billion when compared to that of 2008. Considering above threats, the big pharmaceutical companies are under an impression that it is not worth to spend on research and development of novel therapies and they appear to be moving away from investing in research and development to develop more efficient antihypertensive therapies. [THE MEDICAL NEWS., 2009] Product Name Patent Number Patent Expiration Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,138,069*PED  Ã‚   11 Feb,2010 Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,153,197*PED   06 Apr, 2010 Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,210,079*PED  Ã‚   11 Nov,2010 Table showing the expiry of patent of COZAAR (losartan potassium) Angiotensin receptor blocker. [DRUG PATENT WATCH., 2010] Short comings of the existing treatment to justify new drug development Though antihypertensive agents were able to achieve significant control over hypertension induced morbidity and mortality, still there is much to be done. For example: disappointments associated with coronary artery disease, risk of cardiovascular events even after treatment with antiphyertensive agents and comparatively higher possibility of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive patients. These effects are thought to be due to inability of existing antihypertensives to reverse other associated factors like left ventricular hypertrophy, negative metabolic effects and risk associated with overtreatment.[HANSSON, L., 1991]. Hence there is a need for an ideal hypertensive agent which may be able to control blood pressure to normotensive levels whilst being free of negative metabolic effects. Moreover, it should also be able to reverss cardiovascular changes like cardiac hypertrophy and control tissue damage in case of possible vascular complications. [H ANSSON, L., 1991]. Analysis of data available on search engines indicates the promising role of upcoming gene therapy and nano-technology to produce new drug candidates. For example: Exploring areas like gene transcripton, molecular genetic regulation of blood pressure ( targeting genetic risk factors as in cases of essential hypertension) appears to be a new hope for future developments of antihypertensives.[KURTZ GARDNER 1998] Possible potential for new therapy. Research is currently being carried out to explore the potential of upcoming gene therapy and nano-technology to produce new drug candidates. For example: Areas like gene transcripton, molecular genetic regulation of blood pressure ( targeting genetic risk factors as in case of essential hypertension) appears to be a new hope for future developments of antihypertensives.[KURTZ GARDNER 1998]. However alternatively, combination products containing antihypertensives and statins could be a new hope for future developments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦

State of Play by David Edgar Essay -- masculinity, power, gay men

David Edgar, in his book State of Play: Playwrights on Playwriting (1999) highlights the fact that in the mid 90’s there seemed to be an â€Å"over-arching theme† (edgar, 1999, p27) in contemporary British play that looked at ideas of masculinity. â€Å"Gay plays like Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing†¦ lad’s plays like Jez Butterworths Mojo†¦ [and] girls-in-a-boys’ gang plays like Irving Welsh’s Trainspotting†¦ address masculinity and its discontents’ (ibid, p.27). In this essay I will look at what ideas of masculinity are, and how these discontents have been addressed in contemporary theatre (and the idea of the â€Å"decline of the dominant role of men†(edgar, 1999, p.28)) and how the crisis of masculinity(ref) has been staged. I will do this by looking at performances from Ron Athey, Franko B, and Gregory Burkes’ Black Watch. Firstly however, I will look at a definition of what masculinity is, in order to discuss what representations of this idea are being performed in the selected pieces of work. Perhaps one of the main reasons as to why there is thought to be a ‘crisis’ of masculinity, is because the term itself is so hard to define, in a sociological sense. Jack Kahn in his book ‘An Introduction to Masculinities’ states that â€Å"masculinity is a hypothetical construct because, in and of itself, it cannot be directly observed and measured† (2009, p.3). This is because â€Å"masculinities and male behavious are not the simple product of genetic codings or biological predispositions† (Whitehead and Barrett, 2001, p.16), it is instead a conceptual idea that is used to explain a collection of behaviors, attitudes, thoughts and emotions that make up a specific identity. masculinity is not just one idea, nor is it specifically a male thing, it is an inte... ...h it had some recognisable substantive basis† (Whitehead and Barrett, 2001, p.53) Works Cited Brittan, A. 1989. Masculinity and power. Oxford, UK: Basil Blackwell. Burke, G. 2007. Black Watch. London: Faber and Faber. Edgar, D. 1999. State of play. London: Faber and Faber. Kahn, J. S. 2009. An introduction to masculinities. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell. Petersen, A. R. 1998. Unmasking the masculine. London: Sage Publications. Phelan, P. 1993. Unmarked. London: Routledge. Reeser, T. W. 2010. Masculinities in theory. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Richards, M. 2003. Ron Athey, AIDS and the politics of pain. Body, Space and Technology, 3 (2). Sierz, A. 2011. Rewriting the nation. London: Methuen Drama. Walsh, F. 2010. Male trouble. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Whitehead, S. and Barrett, F. J. 2001. The masculinities reader. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Computers In Education :: Technology

Computer's Value in Education What is an education? Education is defined as "the knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process or an instructive or enlightening experience" (Dictionary 1).It says that it's the knowledge obtained, but does it matter where this knowledge is obtained? We now use computers in our society, which allow us to do many things. However, in today's society, children go through their entire education using the computer. There is now cyber schooling, where a child no longer attends school but learns at home in front of their computer. Should this, however, be how students learn and become educated? We, as Americans, educate our children by putting them through years of schooling. A child is suggested to go through 13 years of schooling. After graduating high school, it is greatly recommended to go further onto college to become more educated in certain areas. There are thousands of schools throughout America, however. Therefore, the students at the many schools will learn different things. We gain our knowledge through many resources during these years of learning. Teachers, other students, computers, and much more are ways we attain our education. Computers are a dynamic addition to education, and could be considered to be almost like a school in itself. Computers have advanced our knowledge greatly since we have introduced them into our society, and started to use them in our everyday lives. This being the reason we now use them greatly in schooling. Computers in schooling are used for many things. Computers enable students to share learning with others. Computers can greatly enhance the writing process of a student. It allows them to change things easily, cut things out of writing and move it to different places, add pictures, and many other attributes to writing. Computers should be compared to encyclopedias, libraries, newspapers, television and any other information tools used in the classroom. Computer knowledge does not however, replace any of the subject area skills. However, the spelling ability of a computer is much greater than most human's ability. It has almost a built in dictionary which is not like a typical human. Students need to learn to do research on the Internet, but they also need to learn to research books. Students also need to learn to use a spellchecker, but they also need to learn to spell correctly and proofread their work without a computerized grammar checker.

Ways of Computing the Value of Alternative Projects Essay -- Finance F

Ways of Computing the Value of Alternative Projects When deciding whether to invest in a project an investor first will compare investment or sunk costs to the expected profit and based on this decision will decide what to do. Depending on the specifics of the project calculating of sunk cost and expected profit might be rather different and will play the main role in the decision to invest, wait and invest later or not to invest at all. More detailed consideration of the standard NPV rule: to invest if present value of cash flow is greater than sunk cost will show that some projects cannot be simply estimated using this idea. For the irreversible projects such as building a factory or buying an option NPV method may not be proper because it does not take into consideration the opportunity cost of waiting for new information, and, then investing. In other words, if investor knows that the price of the product producing on the factory will go down or the product will not be sold at all, because of some new competitive product, he will most likely choose not to build it at all. Now, different investment opportunities may be taken into consideration, for example, building the factory in steps or start using the factory for a different use. Let us calculate a value of the project using regular NPV rule and NPV rule that takes into consideration time effect or this opportunity to wait and invest later. These calculation have been done by many researchers, but Pindick and Dixit in their book Investment Under Uncertainty propose very easy way to compare different results. We will just use their idea but with a simpler numbers and show how different ways of computing provide different results. On this simple example we can lear... ...umption of presenting net present value as a geometric Brownian motion is the most important one and has been implemented in the financial field for a while. Empirical works by financial institutions have shown that such assumption lets investors obtain reasonable results and plan the investment in advance. This technology has been also used in reducing risk on the portfolios when hedging. The obtained results can be easily implemented in the options pricing theory and were applied by Pindick and Dixit in the works. With all the assumptions the model shows realistic results and have been used by many financial institutions since 1980s. References 1. Investment Under Uncertainity, Avinash Dixit and Robert Pindick, Princeton University Press, 1994 2. Investment timing, Robert McDonald and Daniel Siegel, The Quarterly Journal of economics, v.111, 1986

How War Is Necessary Essay

War has been with mankind for many millenniums. The reasons for wars in mankind’s history have all been various, however one big reason for war is that countries want to grow bigger, by taking over one another. Throughout history, rulers would not be satisfied with the amount of land that they had or wanted to spread their beliefs around the world. So, they did it by trying to take over others. However, some didn’t want to give up their land or change, so they fought. Fighting these wars are, however, necessary no matter what people believe. This is because fighting them and winning will stop them from controlling others. Some wars that stopped countries from controlling others are the second world war, the war in Vietnam, and the Revolutionary war. However, there are claims that the Vietnam war could’ve been avoided, but there would’ve been consequences for going to war. War is necessary because it’s a way to try to stop countries from dominating o ver others and controlling them. There are many ways that war has stopped countries from controlling one another. Firstly, the Vietnamese war was necessary because, the war would’ve stopped the spreading of communism to neighboring asian countries, also known as the â€Å"domino theory†. The idea of communism started with the election of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam. Kennedy wasn’t concerned with Vietnam until Lyndon B Johnson called Ngo Dinh Diem the â€Å"Winston Churchill of Asia† because, Diem was the only one trying to resist the communists and Johnson promised to help him. Noam Chomsky, a US philosopher, stated that if a country better its economy due to communism, neighboring countries would try to improve their economy using communism, as seen when China influenced North Vietnam. Had communism been successfully spread to South Vietnam, then Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. Also, other countries would’ve lost faith in the US for not protecting S.Vietnam in their time of need. This shows that the US needed to fight this war to stop the communistic ideals from spreading to countries and to keep the confidence of other countries around the world, so that they could help the US when the US needs them. The second world war as necessary becau se, it showed how the world responds to a fascist ruler controlling a major country, trying to claim the world. It also showed how the US would react when attacked by another major country. Hitler want to create a â€Å"master race†, which was blonde-haired, blue-eyed people. So when he came into power, he had convinced the german people that jewish people were less than humans and should be treated as such. Thus he started taking over various countries in Europe and started killing jewish people to start his plan. While that was happening, the US was maintaining neutrality and supplying Britain, Russia, and China with weapons until the japanese attacked pearl harbor on December 1941. The US then declared war on Japan and fought in the Pacific theater until August 15th, 1945. Had the axis powers won World War II, North America and South America would be surrounded by dictators ready to destroy democracy and take over the world. Also, Hitler’s plan would’ve proba bly been completed and the world would’ve been comprised of blonde, blue-eyed people. However, the war told us that when we are concerned with individualism, we become selfish and corrupted or under the influence of corrupted selfish nations. This war was needed because, when one tries to dominate and take over another country, we become blinded and end falling. We need teamwork to stay strong in the world. Finally, the Revolutionary War was necessary because, it allowed rights normally granted by the king, to be for every single individual. It also sparked other revolutions, along with stopping Britian from controlling the colonies. When the French Indian War concluded, King George III made the Proclamation of 1763, which stated that no colonists may settle west of the Appalachian and anyone other than Indians there had to move from the area. The Boston Massacre also brought them closer to the revolution, because British soldiers killed 5 civilians for calling them names. The Stamp Act of 1765, Townshend Act of 1767, and the Tea Act of 1773, were all attempt of Britian to try and control the colonies in North America. However after the war, the Declaration of Independence was signed and Britian let the colonies rule themselves. With this newfound freedom, the colonists were allowed to trade with anyone they wanted, colonize past the Appalachian Mountains, set up a new government and th e British moved out of the colonies. Had the colonists lost the war, the US would probably still be under British rule to this day. Even with all this evidence that war is necessary, people still see war as a terrible thing. Going back to the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese War could’ve been avoided because the US could’ve stayed neutral and let the problem in Vietnam blow over, instead of sacrificing 50,000 men. The war would’ve been avoided and Vietnam would’ve became a communist country along with possibly, part of Asia. Robert McNamara, defense chief under John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, says that he doubted Vietnam would let China or Russia use them as a base, but that’s the US had feared at the time. The US had feared that China or Russia would use them as a base they could use to control more parts of Asia. The Vietnamese could’ve probably fought the war themselves and probably resisted the communistic ways of China and/or Russia. The belief about if war is needed in the world or not cuts both ways. Either that it helps bring everlasting peace in the world closer or it’s useless and all it does is kill off innocent people. War is a big thing that stops countries from trying to gain total global domination or keeping them at bay until they give up. Until that happens, there will be allies who will attack at a moments notice when a country is trying to bite off more than it can chew.There are so many more examples of how war is necessary in the world that this would be a lot longer than it is already. The concept of war may seem bad, but in the end, it’s all worth it.

The Effects of Misconduct on the Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United States is one of the most feared and respected military organizations in the world. This image is helped by documentaries, news reports and even by the movies. But the real reason why the US military is considered very powerful and a dangerous enemy can be understood after reading the following explanation:The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, PRC, and European Union, are capable of projecting power overseas, the United States military is the only one with the higher military capacity to fight a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. is also one of the few nations in the world that has a sizable nuclear arsenal and maintains active doctrines for plausible nuclear attack operations. (see Wikipedia: US Military).This is why America is feared and respected. Although there is reason to believe that Americans would pr efer that their country and its citizens are respected rather than feared; there is also a lot of apprehension over the notion that U.S. superpower is a bully in the global theater.This negative image which others believe to be the dark side of this great institution is   putting a lot of pressure on the military organization to behave appropriately and to borrow from their lingo: there should be no conduct unbecoming a military officer. For when this happens the chain reaction can be unbelievable. One indiscretion and the whole structure will be placed in a bad light. Consider for example relatively recent events about U.S. soldiers abusing POW’s and some of its members involved in an alleged rape case overseas are a few instances when the rest of the world shakes its head and would love to believe that all this power had corrupted the men and women in uniform.In order to prevent such misconduct and to keep its integrity intact the U.S. military is keeping in place a syste m of rules, regulations, traditions, and protocols that would ensure that the rest of the world will hold the said institution in high esteem.Military DisciplineThe word discipline when put inside the world of soldiers takes on a different meaning. This has nothing to do with the kind of discipline kids get at home when they fail to do their homework or when they do not clean their room. Discipline in the ordinary day to day life of normal people can sometimes mean a temporary abstinence on doing something or a temporary increase in work volume to accomplish a task or simply to grit ones teeth and do something that is normally not done if the circumstances are more favorable. In the military soldiers do not wait until things are worse before they will begin to be disciplined.In other worlds soldiers do not wait until they are overweight before they start doing morning jogs and calisthenics. They trained before the need arises, they practice long and hard before the fight and they pr epare before the crisis. Discipline in the Army, Navy and the Air Forces is a lifestyle. It can be said that it is more than a lifestyle in fact it is the blood that keeps the institution alive and the invisible force that holds it together. Without discipline the armed forces can easily disintegrate in quickly destroying everything in its path including itself. The infamous tortures at the Abu Ghraib prison – where prisoners of war were being held – was well documented and shown around the world.It was an example of a breakdown in discipline. And noncommissioned officers figured prominently in this fiasco. CNN reporters J. Johns, D. Ensor and M. Mount quoted Rep. Jane Harman in a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Harman said, â€Å"The fog of war is thick, but these acts of abuse and humiliation contradict international norms, military regulations and the very values that our military fights to defend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see CNN.com)The report adds that a ll the perpetrators were, â€Å"†¦all officers or noncommissioned officers† (Johns, Ensor & Mount). In an ideal setting this should not have happened especially in the presence of NCOs.The Role of Noncommissioned OfficersNCOs are leaders, period. The military cannot function without leadership as much as a body cannot survive without a head. Everything depends upon leadership and in this regard NCOs play a major role.An Army Officer’s guidebook expounds on the meaning of the term and it says:A leader is people fitted by force of ideas, character, or genius, or by strength of will or administrative ability, to arouse, incite, and direct men in conduct and achievement. Leadership is the art of imposing one’s will upon others in such a manner as to command their respect, their confidence, and their whole-hearted cooperation. (Bonn, 320)In the NCO guidebook leadership is seen as basic in the structure of the U.S. armed forces and it says, â€Å"Leadership, des pite the great strides in technology, remains the same – influencing and motivating people to get the job done† (Rush, 34).  With regards to the NCOs taking up a part of the burden of leadership, Rudyard Kipling was quoted as saying, â€Å"The backbone of the army is the noncommissioned man!† (as qtd. in Fisher, 3).An article in Wikipedia’s website expounds on the words of Kipling:The noncommissioned officer corps is the junior management of the military. An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies: in many cases NCOs are credited as being the metaphorical backbone of their service. By contrast, the weak NCO corps of the modern-day Russian armed forces, and those modeled after it, is widely blamed for the general ineffectiveness of those militaries. (see Wikipedia: Noncommissioned Officers)NCOs and the Concept of DisciplineThe U.S. military structure amounts to a pile of junk without discipline and the people that are tasked to instill discipline and order in the ranks are the noncommissioned officers. NCOs do the dirty work and this is very much evident in shaping a bunch of boys who know nothing about authority and following orders prior to enlistment into hardened men who will obey first before they complain.  Discipline is very important in the military because it is an organization tasked to do jobs that are out of the ordinary and in many instances, in life and death situations. These kinds of jobs will determine the safety of a country, the lives of their fellow soldiers or the civilians under their sphere of influence.NCOs instills this concept of a more serious kind of discipline by being an example for his men. In Semper Fi, a book about the highly respected U.S. Marine corps, a description of the NCO’s methodology – in terms of how he earns the respect of his men and how he hammers discipline into their system – was provided by the authors:The authority of the Marine NCO does not rest on fear; its foundation is the well-earned respect of equally tough men. He leads, and inspires, by being the man he wants his troops to become. The NCO personifies his expectations of the men he commands. He wants his Marines to look â€Å"squared away† and so he dresses and marches smartly himself. Since he wants to instill instant obedience, his men will see him obey instantly when an officer commands. He wants his men to be aggressive in combat, so he himself is the epitome of aggressiveness. The Marine Corps NCO, through his own behavior, creates a desire to be like him. (Carrison and Walsh, 69)The apt description of what an NCO is all about as presented by Carrison and Walsh answers the question on what happens when NCOs misbehave. Using the ideas discussed earlier it would be easy to list the reason why NCOs should always be the quintessential soldier.First of all it is due to his position as part of the leadership of the armed forces. An NCOs actions does not go unobserved and will always be an influence and guide to the new recruit and those under his command. If the NCO is unruly, does not follow orders and breaks the code of conduct then it is not surprising for the rest of the soldiers to do the same.An NCO could not afford to appear irresponsible and uncontrollable or speaks in a manner that show disrespect to his superiors and fellow officers simply because he is not in a normal setting. In an office or in a school perhaps undisciplined behavior and a rebellious attitude towards authority will not really cause too much damage in relative proportion to a similar behavior in the army. When NCO acts like a spoiled brat men dies and blood flows unnecessarily. Worse, the unit can be in grave physical danger and the morale of the troops would significantly decrease leading in more losses and more damage.The chain reaction from an NCO’s lack of prudence can not simply be taken lightly as the repercussions will be felt for many generat ions. And this is not an exaggeration. The following is an account of what happened more than 200 years ago – in America’s war of independence – that helped changed the course of history. It is a testament to the fact that undisciplined men would cause a series of events that will lead to catastrophe:Following the British victory at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, Queens County came under military’s control [†¦] From the outset, military officials realized that the war had both military and political dimensions. [†¦] Military misconduct against civilians would only create enmity, hinder the effective prosecution of the war and make post war reconciliation more difficult [†¦] By wars end the people of Queens had become, not loyal subjects, but Patriots – as much by British default as by personal choice. (Fingerhut and Tiedermann, 50)ConclusionThe effect of military misconduct especially when an NCO exhibits such undesirable behavior will first result in a breakdown of discipline but it will not end there. The men under the NCOs command will use said breakdown as an excuse for caving in under pressure. Thus when the going gets tough the men who witnessed insubordination and disrespect to senior officers will use that as an excuses for not following orders and then a chain reaction follows.When things begin to turn really uncontrollable, when the spirit of discipline that holds the army together is gone, the same soldiers who are selfless, hard workers, united and having one mind and heart will suddenly transform into a selfish monster who will do everything that seems to be right base on selfish interests. The result of which is written in the annals of military history. These events are labeled as infamous but it has cost more than shame it has resulted in the deaths and humiliation of the innocents. But from a military’s point of view it all boils down to failure in accomplishing a mission and for some cases it means losing the war.Works CitedBonn, Keith E. Army Officer’s Guide. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.Carrison, Dan and Rod Walsh. Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way.New York: American Management Association, 1999.Fingerhut, Eugene R., and Tiedermann, J.S. The Other New York: The American RevolutionBeyond New York City. New York: State University of New York Press, 2005.Fisher, E. F. Jr. Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned officer corps of  the U.S. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.â€Å"Military of the United States.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .â€Å"Non-commissioned officer.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .Rush, Robert S. NCO Guide. 7th ed. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.

Loftus and Palmer Evaluation Essay

The Loftus and Palmer study is a laboratory experiment. This means that the study is artificial. The artificiality of the setting can intimidate participants or make them more obedient. This in turn can produce unnatural behavior and results that do not generalize to real life. This can be seen in experiment 2 when 12% of the control group reported seeing broken glass even though they were unaffected by the verb. This could be attributed to the leading question or to demand characteristics when participants look for cues as to what the research is about and behave accordingly, perhaps to please the researcher, especially as the participants in this case are students that may even be familiar with the researcher as they are from the same environment. In a nutshell, due to the nature of the experiment, it lacks ecological validity. In a real life situation there would be an element of surprise and an increase in emotion. Basically the eye-witness would be in some way involved, which is not the case while watching the video the eye-witness is not part of the event. Furthermore, an eye-witness in a real life situation may discuss the event with other people which may alter their memory of the event. Lastly, an eye-witness may think more carefully about giving an answer when in a real life situation when they realize that their answer could judge how innocent or guilty a person is, they may hesitate and realize the importance, although when taking part in a study they may just give an answer without as much thought. The participants were students meaning that the researchers used an opportunity sample. This means that all the participants share certain common characteristics and are not representative of society, these may include age, driving experience and educational background. If the study used a random sample the results could be generalized. This study was very useful because it introduced the notion of reconstructive hypothesis and that eye-witness testimony isnt’t reliable. This study, and studies similar to it, have led to changes nowadays as to how the police question and use the information given by witnesses. Certain other details that could also have influenced the participants answers include: the colour or make of the car; the driver; the ability to estimate speed.