Sleep Apnea Essay -- Sleep Apnea Sleeping Disorders Essays

Sleep Apnea Sleep, why do people sleep at all? Why can't we just stay awake? Some biologist suggest that sleep provides the opportunity to conduct self-repair and purge the body of it's waste that has built up during the day's activity. Nevertheless, the body is capable of repairing itself and disposing of wastes during waking hours, so sleep in a way really isn't necessary for routine maintenance (e.g., urinating, etc.). Dr. Quentin Regestein, lead sleep and sleep disorders researcher at Harvard Medical School also believed that sleep kept our distant ancestors out of harms way during the night when they could not see as well as their night roaming predators. Sleep is regulated by a connected series of structures in the deep midline areas, and along other way stations that extend through the central axis of the brain, these structures relay information about things that affect sleep. In Dr. Regestein notes, he spoke of experiments that were performed by researchers. The researchers he spoke of would destroy specific brain structures of a lab animal and then note how the animal slept. For instances, in one lab animal the researcher cut through the axis of the brain at one level, which would prevented the animal from awakening; showing that brain structures below the level of the cut were responsible for awakening the lab animal. The American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA), Association for the Psychophysiological Study of Sleep (APSS), Association of Sleep Disorder Centers (ASDC), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has studied sleep and sleep disorders since the early 1970's. Out of all the sleep disorders currently being studied, sleep apnea has gain world wide attention, affecting over 15 million people. Apnea, derived from the Greek word "want to breath." Sleep Apnea (cessation of air flow at the mouth for greater than 10 seconds) can reflect 1) loss of central nervous system drive to maintain ventilation, 2) mechanical upper airway obstruction, or combinations of both. The second edition of Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease states "Conversely, obstructive forms of sleep apnea are due to an abnormal relaxation of the posterior pharyngeal muscles" - there is persistence of respiratory movements, but airflow is absent due to upper airway obstruction. Study shows awakening occurs when the arterial partial pre... ...p because of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea can eventually lead to interruption of daily task and human survival is greatly reduced. Many people choose to prognosis themselves as to why they are having trouble sleeping. Researchers urge patients with a unbalanced sleep pattern to seek professional help. "Five billion people go through the cycle of sleep and wakefulness every day, and relatively few of them know the joy of being fully rested and fully alert all day long." - William Dement (1988) References Arthur J. Speilman, Phd.D., and Paul B. Glovinsky, Ph.D. - Department of Psychology. The City College of New York Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, Inc. - InfoTrac System - Largo, Florida Drs. Robert K. Stoelting, Stephen F. Dierdorf , and Richard L. McCammon. -Second Edition / Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease John P. Dworetzky - Psychology / Fifth Edition Dr. Quentin Regestein - lead sleep researcher, Harvard Medical School - Sleep problems and solutions Dr. Scott Mantel - Anesthesiologist - Morton Plant Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology Dr. Paul Borelli - Anesthesiologist - Morton Plant Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology

The Lost Symbol Chapter 40-43

CHAPTER 40 What's taking Trish so long? Katherine Solomon checked her watch again. She'd forgotten to warn Dr. Abaddon about the bizarre commute to her lab, but she couldn't imagine the darkness had slowed them down this much. They should have arrived by now. Katherine walked over to the exit and heaved open the lead-lined door, staring out into the void. She listened for a moment, but heard nothing. â€Å"Trish?† she called out, her voice swallowed by the darkness. Silence. Puzzled, she closed the door, took out her cell phone, and called the lobby. â€Å"This is Katherine. Is Trish out there?† â€Å"No, ma'am,† the lobby guard said. â€Å"She and your guest headed back about ten minutes ago.† â€Å"Really? I don't think they're even inside Pod Five yet.† â€Å"Hold on. I'll check.† Katherine could hear the guard's fingers clicking on his computer keyboard. â€Å"You're right. According to Ms. Dunne's key-card logs, she has not yet opened the Pod Five door. Her last access event was about eight minutes ago . . . at Pod Three. I guess she's giving your guest a little tour on his way in.† Katherine frowned. Apparently. The news was a bit odd, but at least she knew Trish wouldn't be long in Pod 3. The smell in there is terrible. â€Å"Thanks. Has my brother arrived yet?† â€Å"No, ma'am, not yet.† â€Å"Thank you.† As Katherine hung up, she felt an unexpected twinge of trepidation. The uneasy feeling made her pause, but only for a moment. It was the same exact disquiet she'd felt earlier when she stepped into Dr. Abaddon's house. Embarrassingly, her feminine intuition had failed her there. Badly. It's nothing, Katherine told herself. CHAPTER 41 Robert Langdon studied the stone pyramid. This isn't possible. â€Å"An ancient encoded language,† Sato said without looking up. â€Å"Tell me, does this qualify?† On the newly exposed face of the pyramid, a series of sixteen characters was precisely engraved into the smooth stone. Beside Langdon, Anderson's mouth now gaped open, mirroring Langdon's own shock. The security chief looked like he had just seen some kind of alien keypad. â€Å"Professor?† Sato said. â€Å"I assume you can read this?† Langdon turned. â€Å"Why would you assume that?† â€Å"Because you were brought here, Professor. You were chosen. This inscription appears to be a code of some sort, and considering your reputation, it seems obvious to me that you were brought here to decipher it.† Langdon had to admit that after his experiences in Rome and Paris, he'd received a steady flow of requests asking for his help deciphering some of history's great unsolved codes–the Phaistos Disk, the Dorabella Cipher, the mysterious Voynich Manuscript. Sato ran her finger over the inscription. â€Å"Can you tell me the meaning of these icons?† They're not icons, Langdon thought. They're symbols. The language was one he had recognized immediately–an encrypted cipher language from the seventeenth century. Langdon knew very well how to break it. â€Å"Ma'am,† he said, feeling hesitant, â€Å"this pyramid is Peter's private property.† â€Å"Private or not, if this code is indeed the reason you were brought to Washington, I am not giving you a choice in the matter. I want to know what it says.† Sato's BlackBerry pinged loudly, and she yanked the device from her pocket, studying the incoming message for several moments. Langdon was amazed that the Capitol Building's internal wireless network provided service this far down. Sato grunted and raised her eyebrows, giving Langdon an odd look. â€Å"Chief Anderson?† she said, turning to him. â€Å"A word in private, if I may?† The director motioned for Anderson to join her, and they disappeared into the pitch-black hallway, leaving Langdon alone in the flickering candlelight of Peter's Chamber of Reflection. Chief Anderson wondered when this night would end. A severed hand in my Rotunda? A death shrine in my basement? Bizarre engravings on a stone pyramid? Somehow, the Redskins game no longer felt significant. As he followed Sato into the darkness of the hall, Anderson flicked on his flashlight. The beam was weak but better than nothing. Sato led him down the hall a few yards, out of sight of Langdon. â€Å"Have a look at this,† she whispered, handing Anderson her BlackBerry. Anderson took the device and squinted at the illuminated screen. It displayed a black-and-white image–the X-ray of Langdon's bag that Anderson had requested be sent to Sato. As in all X- rays, the objects of greatest density appeared in the brightest white. In Langdon's bag, a lone item outshone everything else. Obviously extremely dense, the object glowed like a dazzling jewel in a murky jumble of other items. Its shape was unmistakable. He's been carrying that all night? Anderson looked over at Sato in surprise. â€Å"Why didn't Langdon mention this?† â€Å"Damned good question,† Sato whispered. â€Å"The shape . . . it can't be coincidence.† â€Å"No,† Sato said, her tone angry now. â€Å"I would say not.† A faint rustle in the corridor drew Anderson's attention. Startled, he pointed his flashlight down the black passageway. The dying beam revealed only a deserted corridor, lined with open doors. â€Å"Hello?† Anderson said. â€Å"Is somebody there?† Silence. Sato gave him an odd look, apparently having heard nothing. Anderson listened a moment longer and then shook it off. I've got to get out of here. Alone in the candlelit chamber, Langdon ran his fingers over the sharply carved edges of the pyramid's engraving. He was curious to know what the message said, and yet he was not about to intrude on Peter Solomon's privacy any more than they already had. And why would this lunatic care about this small pyramid anyway? â€Å"We have a problem, Professor,† Sato's voice declared loudly behind him. â€Å"I've just received a new piece of information, and I've had enough of your lies.† Langdon turned to see the OS director marching in, BlackBerry in hand and fire in her eyes. Taken aback, Langdon looked to Anderson for help, but the chief was now standing guard at the door, his expression unsympathetic. Sato arrived in front of Langdon and thrust her BlackBerry in his face. Bewildered, Langdon looked at the screen, which displayed an inverted black-and-white photograph, like a ghostly film negative. The photo looked like a jumble of objects, and one of them shone very brightly. Though askew and off center, the brightest object was clearly a little, pointed pyramid. A tiny pyramid? Langdon looked at Sato. â€Å"What is this?† The question seemed only to incense Sato further. â€Å"You're pretending you don't know?† Langdon's temper flared. â€Å"I'm not pretending anything! I've never seen this before in my life!† â€Å"Bullshit!† Sato snapped, her voice cutting through the musty air. â€Å"You've been carrying it in your bag all night!† â€Å"I–† Langdon stalled midsentence. His eyes moved slowly down to the daybag on his shoulder. Then he raised them again to the BlackBerry. My God . . . the package. He looked more closely at the image. Now he saw it. A ghostly cube, enclosing the pyramid. Stunned, Langdon realized he was looking at an X-ray of his bag . . . and also of Peter's mysterious cube-shaped package. The cube was, in fact, a hollow box . . . a small pyramid. Langdon opened his mouth to speak, but his words failed him. He felt the breath go out of his lungs as a new revelation struck him. Simple. Pure. Devastating. My God. He looked back at the truncated stone pyramid on the desk. Its apex was flat–a small square area–a blank space symbolically awaiting its final piece . . . that piece which would transform it from an Unfinished Pyramid into a True Pyramid. Langdon now realized the tiny pyramid he was carrying was not a pyramid at all. It's a capstone. At that instant, he knew why he alone could unlock the mysteries of this pyramid. I hold the final piece. And it is indeed . . . a talisman. When Peter had told Langdon the package contained a talisman, Langdon had laughed. Now he realized his friend was right. This tiny capstone was a talisman, but not the magic kind . . . the far older kind. Long before talisman had magical connotations, it had another meaning– â€Å"completion.† From the Greek telesma, meaning â€Å"complete,† a talisman was any object or idea that completed another and made it whole. The finishing element. A capstone, symbolically speaking, was the ultimate talisman, transforming the Unfinished Pyramid into a symbol of completed perfection. Langdon now felt an eerie convergence that forced him to accept one very strange truth: with the exception of its size, the stone pyramid in Peter's Chamber of Reflection seemed to be transforming itself, bit by bit, into something vaguely resembling the Masonic Pyramid of legend. From the brightness with which the capstone shone on the X-ray, Langdon suspected it was made of metal . . . a very dense metal. Whether or not it was solid gold, he had no way of knowing, and he was not about to let his mind start playing tricks on him. This pyramid is too small. The code's too easy to read. And . . . it's a myth, for heaven's sake! Sato was watching him. â€Å"For a bright man, Professor, you've made some dumb choices tonight. Lying to an intelligence director? Intentionally obstructing a CIA investigation?† â€Å"I can explain, if you'll let me.† â€Å"You will be explaining at CIA headquarters. As of this moment, I am detaining you.† Langdon's body went rigid. â€Å"You can't possibly be serious.† â€Å"Deadly serious. I made it very clear to you that the stakes tonight were high, and you chose not to cooperate. I strongly suggest you start thinking about explaining the inscription on this pyramid, because when we arrive at the CIA . . .† She raised her BlackBerry and took a close-up snapshot of the engraving on the stone pyramid. â€Å"My analysts will have had a head start.† Langdon opened his mouth to protest, but Sato was already turning to Anderson at the door. â€Å"Chief,† she said, â€Å"put the stone pyramid in Langdon's bag and carry it. I'll handle taking Mr. Langdon into custody. Your weapon, if I may?† Anderson was stone-faced as he advanced into the chamber, unsnapping his shoulder holster as he came. He gave his gun to Sato, who immediately aimed it at Langdon. Langdon watched as if in a dream. This cannot be happening. Anderson now came to Langdon and removed the daybag from his shoulder, carrying it over to the desk and setting it on the chair. He unzipped the bag, propped it open, and then hoisted the heavy stone pyramid off the desk and into the bag, along with Langdon's notes and the tiny package. Suddenly there was a rustle of movement in the hallway. A dark outline of a man materialized in the doorway, rushing into the chamber and approaching fast behind Anderson. The chief never saw him coming. In an instant, the stranger had lowered his shoulder and crashed into Anderson's back. The chief launched forward, his head cracking into the edge of the stone niche. He fell hard, crumpling on the desk, sending bones and artifacts flying. The hourglass shattered on the floor. The candle toppled to the floor, still burning. Sato reeled amid the chaos, raising the gun, but the intruder grabbed a femur and lashed out with it, striking her shoulder with the leg bone. Sato let out a cry of pain and fell back, dropping the weapon. The newcomer kicked the gun away and then wheeled toward Langdon. The man was tall and slender, an elegant African American whom Langdon had never seen before in his life. â€Å"Grab the pyramid!† the man commanded. â€Å"Follow me!† CHAPTER 42 The African American man leading Langdon through the Capitol's subterranean maze was clearly someone of power. Beyond knowing his way through all the side corridors and back rooms, the elegant stranger carried a key ring that seemed to unlock every door that blocked their way. Langdon followed, quickly running up an unfamiliar staircase. As they climbed, he felt the leather strap of his daybag cutting hard into his shoulder. The stone pyramid was so heavy that Langdon feared the bag's strap might break. The past few minutes defied all logic, and now Langdon found himself moving on instinct alone. His gut told him to trust this stranger. Beyond saving Langdon from Sato's arrest, the man had taken dangerous action to protect Peter Solomon's mysterious pyramid. Whatever the pyramid may be. While his motivation remained a mystery, Langdon had glimpsed a telltale shimmer of gold on the man's hand–a Masonic ring–the double-headed phoenix and the number 33. This man and Peter Solomon were more than trusted friends. They were Masonic brothers of the highest degree. Langdon followed him to the top of the stairs, into another corridor, and then through an unmarked door into a utilitarian hallway. They ran past supply boxes and bags of garbage, veering off suddenly through a service door that deposited them in an utterly unexpected world–a plush movie theater of some sort. The older man led the way up the side aisle and out the main doors into the light of a large atrium. Langdon now realized they were in the visitor center through which he had entered earlier tonight. Unfortunately, so was a Capitol police officer. As they came face-to-face with the officer, all three men stopped, staring at one another. Langdon recognized the young Hispanic officer from the X-ray machine earlier tonight. â€Å"Officer Nunez,† the African American man said. â€Å"Not a word. Follow me.† The guard looked uneasy but obeyed without question. Who is this guy? The three of them hurried toward the southeast corner of the visitor center, where they arrived at a small foyer and a set of heavy doors blocked with orange pylons. The doors were sealed with masking tape, apparently to keep the dust of whatever was happening beyond out of the visitor center. The man reached up and peeled off the tape on the door. Then he flipped through his key ring as he spoke to the guard. â€Å"Our friend Chief Anderson is in the subbasement. He may be injured. You'll want to check on him.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Nunez looked as baffled as he did alarmed. â€Å"Most important, you did not see us.† The man found a key, took it off the key ring, and used it to turn the heavy dead bolt. He pulled open the steel door and tossed the key to the guard. â€Å"Lock this door behind us. Put the tape back on as best as you can. Pocket the key and say nothing. To anyone. Including the chief. Is that clear, Officer Nunez?† The guard eyed the key as if he'd just been entrusted with a precious gem. â€Å"It is, sir.† The man hurried through the door, and Langdon followed. The guard locked the heavy bolt behind them, and Langdon could hear him re-applying the masking tape. â€Å"Professor Langdon,† the man said as they strode briskly down a modern-looking corridor that was obviously under construction. â€Å"My name is Warren Bellamy. Peter Solomon is a dear friend of mine.† Langdon shot a startled glance at the stately man. You're Warren Bellamy? Langdon had never met the Architect of the Capitol, but he certainly knew the man's name. â€Å"Peter speaks very highly of you,† Bellamy said, â€Å"and I'm sorry we are meeting under these dreadful circumstances.† â€Å"Peter is in terrible trouble. His hand . . .† â€Å"I know.† Bellamy sounded grim. â€Å"That's not the half of it, I'm afraid.† They reached the end of the lit section of corridor, and the passageway took an abrupt left. The remaining length of corridor, wherever it went, was pitch-black. â€Å"Hold on,† Bellamy said, disappearing into a nearby electrical room from which a tangle of heavy-duty orange extension cords snaked out, running away from them into the darkness of the corridor. Langdon waited while Bellamy rooted around inside. The Architect must have located the switch that sent power to the extension cords, because suddenly the route before them became illuminated. Langdon could only stare. Washington, D.C.–like Rome–was a city laced with secret passageways and underground tunnels. The passage before them now reminded Langdon of the passetto tunnel connecting the Vatican to Castel Sant'Angelo. Long. Dark. Narrow. Unlike the ancient passetto, however, this passage was modern and not yet complete. It was a slender construction zone that was so long it seemed to narrow to nothing at its distant end. The only lighting was a string of intermittent construction bulbs that did little more than accentuate the tunnel's impossible length. Bellamy was already heading down the passage. â€Å"Follow me. Watch your step.† Langdon felt himself fall into step behind Bellamy, wondering where on earth this tunnel led. At that moment, Mal'akh stepped out of Pod 3 and strode briskly down the deserted main corridor of the SMSC toward Pod 5. He clutched Trish's key card in his hand and quietly whispered, â€Å"Zero-eight-zero-four.† Something else was cycling through his mind as well. Mal'akh had just received an urgent message from the Capitol Building. My contact has run into unforeseen difficulties. Even so, the news remained encouraging: Robert Langdon now possessed both the pyramid and the capstone. Despite the unexpected way in which it had happened, the crucial pieces were falling into place. It was almost as if destiny itself were guiding tonight's events, ensuring Mal'akh's victory. CHAPTER 43 Langdon hurried to keep pace with Warren Bellamy's brisk footsteps as they moved without a word down the long tunnel. So far, the Architect of the Capitol appeared far more intent on putting distance between Sato and this stone pyramid than he did on explaining to Langdon what was going on. Langdon had a growing apprehension that there was far more going on than he could imagine. The CIA? The Architect of the Capitol? Two Thirty-third-degree Masons? The shrill sound of Langdon's cell phone cut the air. He pulled his phone from his jacket. Uncertain, he answered. â€Å"Hello?† The voice that spoke was an eerie, familiar whisper. â€Å"Professor, I hear you had unexpected company.† Langdon felt an icy chill. â€Å"Where the hell is Peter?!† he demanded, his words reverberating in the enclosed tunnel. Beside him, Warren Bellamy glanced over, looking concerned and motioning for Langdon to keep walking. â€Å"Don't worry,† the voice said. â€Å"As I told you, Peter is somewhere safe.† â€Å"You cut off his hand, for God's sake! He needs a doctor!† â€Å"He needs a priest,† the man replied. â€Å"But you can save him. If you do as I command, Peter will live. I give you my word.† â€Å"The word of a madman means nothing to me.† â€Å"Madman? Professor, surely you appreciate the reverence with which I have adhered to the ancient protocols tonight. The Hand of the Mysteries guided you to a portal–the pyramid that promises to unveil ancient wisdom. I know you now possess it.† â€Å"You think this is the Masonic Pyramid?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"It's a chunk of rock.† There was silence on the other end of the line. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, you're too smart to play dumb. You know very well what you've uncovered tonight. A stone pyramid . . . hidden at the core of Washington, D.C. . . . by a powerful Mason?† â€Å"You're chasing a myth! Whatever Peter told you, he told you in fear. The Legend of the Masonic Pyramid is fiction. The Masons never built any pyramid to protect secret wisdom. And even if they did, this pyramid is far too small to be what you think it is.† The man chuckled. â€Å"I see Peter has told you very little. Nonetheless, Mr. Langdon, whether or not you choose to accept what it is you now possess, you will do as I say. I am well aware that the pyramid you are carrying has an encrypted engraving. You will decipher that engraving for me. Then, and only then, will I return Peter Solomon to you.† â€Å"Whatever you believe this engraving reveals,† Langdon said, â€Å"it won't be the Ancient Mysteries.† â€Å"Of course not,† he replied. â€Å"The mysteries are far too vast to be written on the side of a little stone pyramid.† The response caught Langdon off guard. â€Å"But if this engraving is not the Ancient Mysteries, then this pyramid is not the Masonic Pyramid. Legend clearly states the Masonic Pyramid was constructed to protect the Ancient Mysteries.† The man's tone was condescending now. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, the Masonic Pyramid was constructed to preserve the Ancient Mysteries, but with a twist you've apparently not yet grasped. Did Peter never tell you? The power of the Masonic Pyramid is not that it reveals the mysteries themselves . . . but rather that it reveals the secret location where the mysteries are buried.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"Decipher the engraving,† the voice continued, â€Å"and it will tell you the hiding place of mankind's greatest treasure.† He laughed. â€Å"Peter did not entrust you with the treasure itself, Professor.† Langdon came to an abrupt halt in the tunnel. â€Å"Hold on. You're saying this pyramid is . . . a map? † Bellamy jolted to a stop now, too, his expression one of shock and alarm. Clearly, the caller had just hit a raw nerve. The pyramid is a map. â€Å"This map,† the voice whispered, â€Å"or pyramid, or portal, or whatever you choose to call it . . . was created long ago to ensure the hiding place of the Ancient Mysteries would never be forgotten . . . that it would never be lost to history.† â€Å"A grid of sixteen symbols doesn't look much like a map.† â€Å"Appearances can be deceiving, Professor. But regardless, you alone have the power to read that inscription.† â€Å"You're wrong,† Langdon fired back, picturing the simplistic cipher. â€Å"Anyone could decipher this engraving. It's not very sophisticated.† â€Å"I suspect there is more to the pyramid than meets the eye. Regardless, you alone possess the capstone.† Langdon pictured the little capstone in his bag. Order from chaos? He didn't know what to believe anymore, but the stone pyramid in his bag seemed to be getting heavier with every passing moment. Mal'akh pressed the cell phone to his ear, enjoying the sound of Langdon's anxious breathing on the other end. â€Å"Right now, I have business to attend to, Professor, and so do you. Call me as soon as you have deciphered the map. We will go together to the hiding place and make our trade. Peter's life . . . for all the wisdom of the ages.† â€Å"I will do nothing,† Langdon declared. â€Å"Especially not without proof Peter is alive.† â€Å"I suggest you not test me. You are a very small cog in a vast machine. If you disobey me, or attempt to find me, Peter will die. This I swear.† â€Å"For all I know, Peter is already dead.† â€Å"He is very much alive, Professor, but he desperately needs your help.† â€Å"What are you really looking for?† Langdon shouted into the phone. Mal'akh paused before answering. â€Å"Many people have pursued the Ancient Mysteries and debated their power. Tonight, I will prove the mysteries are real.† Langdon was silent. â€Å"I suggest you get to work on the map immediately,† Mal'akh said. â€Å"I need this information today.† â€Å"Today?! It's already after nine o'clock!† â€Å"Exactly. Tempus fugit.†

Technology Is Making The Citizens Of The World - 1336 Words

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Dna Structure Of A Genetic Order - 2756 Words

Part 1 DNA is an element that influence in a genetic order used in the progress and working of all known living creatures and many viruses. DNA form together with proteins and fibres to establishes the three main macromolecules essential for all recognized forms of life. (Arabslab.com) DNA structure is consisted in two form of the helix, this helix as formed in some base pairs with connected to sugar phosphate backbone. This structure of DNA usually build four types of nitrogen bases, e.g. the adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). The DNA double helix structure have a similarity of a ladder, the phosphate and sugar molecules would be the sides, while the bases would be the rungs. In the progress of the bases one strand pair can connect with the centers on another strand, e.g. the adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine. (Diagrampic.com (2015) DNA Diagram) The genetic code is the varieties of the rules involves in an important information’s in encoded of the genetic material, e.g. the DNA and the RNA sequences, this process will be translated into the proteins with can lead the living cells. The A, T, G, and C are the symbols of the DNA code and characterise the chemicals adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, individually. Usually the DNA have a connectivity with the ribosome, which is incorporated with amino acids, this order can specified by mRNA and used this transfer of RNA (tRNA) molecules to transmit amino acids andShow MoreRelatedWhat Had Watson And Crick Discovered? Clues From The Diary1743 Words   |  7 Pagesdeoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. The clues from the diary are: â€Å"Even us lab boys knew that there had been gossip going around the labs that Crick and Watson had been trying to solve the structure of this new-fangled molecule called DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid – but discovering the secret of life itself?† 2. Explain why Crick mentioned that he had â€Å"discovered the secret of life† Crick believed he discovered the â€Å"secret of life† because of the unique and complex structure of DNA, and Crick believed andRead MoreThe Role Of Chromatin Structure Within The Development Of Multicellular Organisms1359 Words   |  6 Pageschromatin structure in the development of multicellular organisms The structure of the genetic material of multicellular organisms is a key factor in their physical and evolutionary development. The chromatin structure allows multicellular organisms to develop many consequential characteristics that allow them to grow and specialize in several processes that set them apart from single celled organisms. How can it be that something as small and seemingly uninvolved as chromatin structure can haveRead MoreEvolution Of The Human Genome Project1273 Words   |  6 Pages This is because they are genetically inherited by certain parts of one’s DNA. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and is inherited from the parents of a person. These strands, found within the nucleus of all cells, determine the appearance and genetic structure of a person. Through one’s DNA, there may be diseases inherited from the parents, such as sickle cell anemia, Gaucher’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In order to heal and fix patients, doctors n eeded to learn more about the Human GenomeRead MoreJames Watson and his Contributions DNA and Genetics946 Words   |  4 PagesJames Watson was born on April 6, 1928 in Chicago Illinois. He was a very gifted and bright child. He is most known for his contributions to DNA and Genetics along with his co-worker Francis Crick. Watson received his B.S. at the University of Chicago and received a Ph.D. from Indiana University. Watson also worked at the University of Cambridges Cavendish Laboratory in England. This was where he first met Francis Crick. (Bagley). As a child, his favorite question was â€Å"why?† and simple answers didRead MoreInvestigating And Extract Chromatin From Plant And Animal Tissues1709 Words   |  7 Pagesthat makes up the chromosomes and is comprised of DNA and histone proteins. Histones, which are small proteins that encompass a large amount of the basic amino acids, enable negatively charged DNA molecules to be bound. 1 Found within eukaryotic cells’ nucleuses, histones serve to bundle DNA into nucleosomes. They make up a great deal of the components within a cell nucleus, and assist in regulating genes as DNA encompasses them. 2 In addition to DNA and histone proteins, chromatin is also made upRead MoreThe Human Genome Project Research1422 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper Research Leading Up to the Human Genome Project Many genetic studies leading up to the start of the human genome project include some of the first research done on the structure of human DNA: In 1952, Rosalind Franklin created Photograph 51 using X-ray crystallography: the first evidence of DNA’s helical structure. Using this evidence, in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick were the first to model the true structure of DNA as a double helix with sugars and phosphates forming the backboneRead MoreCharles Crick And James Watson1122 Words   |  5 Pagesdevelopment on the anatomy of DNA, the foundation for modern day knowledge on genetics and inheritance would have never existed. Francis Crick and James Watson were two scientists who discovered and deciphered the structure and different parts of DNA. Subsequently, if they never conceived the whole idea of a human genome, the entire maintenance of life’s code would remain a mystery. Throughout the race where the men were aiming to be the first ones to unscramble the DN A code, Crick and Francis encounteredRead More DNA Interactions Between Proteins Essay1029 Words   |  5 PagesDNA: Interactions between Proteins Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a molecule that contains the genetic makeup of almost all living organisms. While Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA, has been successfully mapped out, many of its interactions with certain proteins and enzymes have not been fully revealed within the atomic level. The history and mysteries of DNA continue to fascinate biologists and chemists alike. However, we must question, who was the first to discover DNA, and what scientists have doneRead MoreTaking a Look at DNA1746 Words   |  7 Pages DNA is one of the many things that make up your body. Today, most people know that it carries each person’s unique genetic code. People also know that it has a double helix structure. However, do you know what it’s made up of?  ¬Many people do not know much about DNA. There are many ways that DNA is helpful to the world. It helps us understand from heredity of diseases and how to find a killer who committed a crime. Many people even use DNA for genetic engineering so that they can create an organismRead MoreThe Discovery In 1953 Of The Double Helix, The Twisted-Ladder1608 Words   |  7 Pagestwisted-ladder structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), by James Watson and Francis Crick marked a milestone in the history of science and gave rise to modern molecular biology, which is largely concerned with understanding how genes control the chemical processes within cells. In short order, their discovery yielded ground-breaking insights into the genetic code and protein s ynthesis. During the 1970s and 1980s, it helped to produce new and powerful scientific techniques, specifically recombinant DNA research

An Overview of Aging and Existing Cultural Differences

An Overview of Aging and Existing Cultural Differences Society predetermines a specific life course for each person of their community. Missing any stage of this course is detrimental to the development of the human life. But not all societies have these stages of life; ergo different cultures define stages differently. The stages of the life course are childhood, adolescence, adulthood, young adulthood and middle adulthood, old age and death. Society thinks of childhood as the first twelve years of life. In most cultures it is known as the time of autonomy from the weight of the grown-up world. But in other societies, such as Taiwan and Indonesia, childhood is seen as another occasion to send someone to work. The children do not†¦show more content†¦Their medical treatment system, taxation system, and social security are not set up properly for the aging individuals in Japan (Masud, 1999). Death is something, that if not caused by disease or accident, it occurs during the end of old age. For most cultures such as Canada the average life span is seventy-seven years. However, as mentioned above some cultures, such as Zimbabwe, have a life span of only thirty-eight years so they experience death at a sooner time than others. ‘Today most cultures have been viewing death more openly , and the trend is to view dying as preferable to painful or prolonged suffering in hospitals or at home (Macionis Gerber, 2002). Therefore these cultures are death accepting which teach us that death is something to be welcomed. Although, there are cultures such as the Hindu culture that are death defying and maintain that death does not exist. Therefore death is viewed differently from culture to culture. Aging is multidimensional construct that is defined differently from one culture to the next. Old age may be viewed as a positive stage of ones life or it may be looked at with a negative connotation. Depending on ones culture, ideas about aging and growing old may be different for men and women. In Canada growing old is not associated with positive images of beautiful women or handsome men. Growing old often is associated with wrinkles, grey hair, and decreases inShow MoreRelated An Overview of Aging and Existing Cultural Differences Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pages An Overview of Aging and Existing Cultural Differences Society predetermines a specific life course for each person of their community. Missing any stage of this course is detrimental to the development of the human life. But not all societies have these stages of life; ergo different cultures define stages differently. The stages of the life course are childhood, adolescence, adulthood, young adulthood and middle adulthood, old age and death. 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Evolve into a health system through the acquisition of physicians? practices, ambulatory centers, diagnostic centers, home care services, DME and wellness companies. 2.2 Goal 2: Access Increase preventive care measures to help improveRead MoreThe Aging Population Of America9973 Words   |  40 PagesIntroduction The aging population in America is growing quickly and is projected to double by the year 2050. The current growth in the number and proportion of older adults in the United States is unprecedented in our nation’s history. By 2050, it is anticipated that Americans aged 65 or older will number nearly 89 million people (The State of Aging and Health in America, 2013). Along with this increase in the aging population, it is estimated that by the year 2020, 157 million Americans will haveRead More Aspects and Impacts of Generational Diversity Essays3584 Words   |  15 Pagesstart to retire, competition for candidates will increase sharply. 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Analyzing Barnes Noble.com Free Essays

The Barnes Noble online store – www. bn. com – was launched in March 1997. We will write a custom essay sample on Analyzing Barnes Noble.com or any similar topic only for you Order Now Among its primary strengths is its offline component – the Barnes Noble, Inc. which is a leading publisher and retailer involved in selling trade books, mass market paperbacks, children’s books, bargain books, magazines, music and movies. The big inventory of this online channel is largely attributed to its offline counterpart. Another strength that Barnes Noble. com has is its purchase of SparkNotes. com. This website is considered as the world’s largest educational site which provides access to thousands of study guides on various poems, short stories, novels, and other literary pieces. When Barnes Noble bought SparksNotes in 2001, the educational site already had six million registered users. This number is continuously increasing and this increase widens the market reach of Barnes Noble. com. Apart from SparkNotes, Barnes Noble. com is also affiliated with the Barnes Noble University. The university offers free courses and its students are potential targets which can be reached through the direct introduction and promotion of the online store and its products. Another advantage of Barnes Noble. com is its acquisition of an online electronic book retailer – Fictionwise. Fictionwise allows the online store to penetrate the e-book market and effectively compete with Amazon. com (its prime competitor) in distributing digital copies of books and other content. Before, the prime problem of the site was that it was not as user-friendly as Amazon. com. Fortunately, that has been resolved by changing the site’s management team. Now, the major weakness that Barnes Noble. com has is the fact that it is still not as popular as Amazon. com. When it started its operation in 1997, Amazon was already two years ahead in operation and it has already built a very big market of registered users in its database. In 1999, it was noted that Barnes Noble. com only had 1. 8 million names while Amazon had 8. 4 million. Another weakness is the fact that its product prices are not as competitive with Amazon especially when it comes to e-books. Amazon also has bigger storage capacities for its products and this enables them to provide services and ship their products very quickly. Fortunately, its recent affiliations with SparkNotes and Fictionwise pose many opportunities. Barnes Noble. com management speculates that Fictionwise can help the company significantly reduce its marketing price in e-books. Moreover, the acquisition of SparkNotes increases the market database of Barnes Noble. com by millions. The company can also utilize its nationwide stores as marketing venues which already have access to millions of Barnes Noble customers. It can also foster affiliations with other online companies in order to expand its market reach and increase probabilities for future innovations. As for the threats, Barnes Noble still faces challenges from Amazon. com, as well as other book sellers which adapted the Amazon concept of online retail. This includes Blackwell Synergy, Books-A-Million, and Powell’s Books. If these companies would merge to launch a new online library and book retailer, Barnes Noble. com might have suffer from fierce competition. A leader in the industry Barnes Noble. com is considered as a leader in the online bookselling as it offers a wide selection of in-stock inventory – three million from the company’s online catalogue and another thirty million listings from other book dealers of in-print books which may be new, rare, used, or out-of print. In addition to that, the website is also leading in the electronic books and publishing industry. The site has almost 5,000 e-book titles which can be purchased and readily downloaded from the site to any personal computer, laptop, or pocket PC. With its rapid expansion and tie-up with various online companies, Barnes Noble predicts that it won’t be long before their site would offer digital companies of all of the company’s book titles. Barnes Noble. com is also leading in the music commerce. Recently, Forbes. com voted the website as the No. 1 music site. The music store of Barnes Noble. com has been credited for offering not just great music of jazz, world music or Broadway. Instead, it also achieved recognition for its extensive and interesting editorial features for people who want to know more about the music that they are buying. Barnes Noble. com’s success is best demonstrated in its revenues. Based on the company records, the sales of this online channel have steadily increased in the past few years. In 2006, its sales reached $433 million for the full year. In 2007, the sales were up to $477 million for the full year – exhibiting about 13. 4% increase as compared to 2006. The revenue model of the E-commerce site Barnes Noble. com is patterned after Amazon. com’s web catalog revenue model. Like other booksellers, Barnes Noble. com get their revenues when customers choose from the on-site product catalogs and buy through the site. The orders can be placed and paid through the automated ordering forms and â€Å"shopping cart† of the website. What’s good about this model is the fact that it acts as an online extension of the company’s nationwide stores for its in-print products. Since the model is implemented at an online level, the revenue generation becomes more effective as potential customers can access the site, view their choices, and buy products anytime that they want to. Although there are other methods of earning which Barnes Noble. com can use (i. e. advertising through editorial content and ad spaces), such must be utilized only at a minimal level in order to avoid comprising the site’s book selling and promotion process. Marketing on the web Barnes Noble. com tries aims to appeal to the general audience. To attract the target market and maintain a great share of loyal customers, the company employs various promotional methods – both offline and online. Offline, www. bn. com is introduced through the stores of Barnes Noble. It is also popularized through the Barnes Noble Membership Program which offers incentives to shoppers of the company’s products online and offline. The most beneficial incentive is the discounts which range from ten to ninety percent. The marketing campaign of Barnes Noble. com is a lot more aggressive. Foremost of these is the promotional mailing. The online book retailer attempts to pitch various book clubs including the 5. 5 million members of the Bertlesmann. In addition to that, they have linked their physical stores to their site. Included in their previous strategy was to provide incentives for customers who give away their e-mail addresses to them. Through their university, Barnes Noble gains access to the e-mail addresses of students as well. The e-mails are then supplied with promotional offers, flyers, brochures, newsletters and product catalogs. In addition to this, the online book seller is promoted through advertorials and advertisements in Yahoo. In 2000, Barnes Noble. com initiated a partnership with Yahoo. As a result, the site became the premier book seller that is featured in the Yahoo directory. The site was also the featured merchant on Yahoo Shopping. Moreover, graphic links of Barnes Noble. com were presented in every search result page and in all the book category pages of Yahoo. Conclusion Barnes Noble. com has achieved its position as a leading online bookseller through its successful acquisition, affiliations and merging with other online companies such as Yahoo, SparkNotes, Spinway, and FictionWise. Moreover, a great part of its success must also be attributed to the fact that it has a big inventory of books (in-print and e-books), magazines, and CDs and DVDs of various music and movies. The online book seller also has an efficient marketing campaign – online and offline – through Yahoo. com, Barnes Noble physical stores, and through its aggressive promotional mailings distributed primarily via book clubs and the Barnes Noble University. Barnes Noble. com’s success is best demonstrated in its continuously increasing revenues for the past few years. Furthermore, this success is seen in its rapid expansion and continuously increasing inventory. To keep up with this success and the fierce competition with Amazon. com, the online company should make sure that it can keep up with the new innovations in marketing, new methods in presenting online product catalogs, and more efficient processes in shipping their products. It should also increase its inventory storage capacity through the acquisition of more warehouses. References: Barnes Noble (2008). Barnes Noble Press Release: Barnes Noble Reports 2007 Year-End Sales, Released 03-03-2008. Retrieved 03-15-2009 from http://www. barnesandnobleinc. com/newsroom/press_releases_list. html Danielle Belopotosky (2009). E-Book Seller Fictionwise Bought by Barnes Noble. Published 03-05-2009 in New York Times Online. Retrieved 03-15-2009 from http://gadgetwise. blogs. nytimes. com/2009/03/05/e-book-seller-fictionwise-bought-buy-barnes-noble/ Gale Group (2007). Barnes Noble Reports Preliminary 2006 Results: Issues First Quarter 2007 Guidance. Published 03-22-2007 in Business Wire, The Free Library. Retrieved 03-15-2009 from http://www. thefreelibrary. com/Business+Wire/2007/March/22-p53 Larry Light (1999). Barnes Noble’s New Battle Plan for the Cyberbook War. Published 07-07-1999 in Business Week Online. Retrieved 03-15-2009 from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/dnflash/july1999/nf90707a. htm Yahoo. (2000). Yahoo Press Release: Barnes Noble Announces Availability Of Free Unlimited Internet Service CDs At Stores Nationwide, Released October 16, 2000. Retrieved 03-15-2009 from http://yhoo. client. shareholder. com/releasedetail. cfm? sh_print=yesreleaseid=173692 Barnes Noble Website: http://www. barnesandnobleinc. com How to cite Analyzing Barnes Noble.com, Papers

Loewen Group free essay sample

This report provides a qualitative analysis of the Loewen case study, starting from the excessive debt policy used in its expansion and ending with huge debt ratios and bankruptcy. The analysis includes the effect of the company’s policy and the financial distress it caused and results of such a financial condition. Method of Analysis: For the analysis we have used the historical financial data of the company, the history of the company and its financing policy, and the financial data of its competitors. The important finding that were gathered are listed below * Debt financing is considered the fastest and cheapest method in financing the growth of a company * Excessive debt financing for explosive growth is not well recommended * Financial distress factors are direct and indirect, and they vary in importance and effect on the overall future of the company * Filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy protects the company from its debtors by allowing it to reorganize their debt structure, which might seem the best option in this case. Options/Recommendations: We found out 2 options that Loewen could undertake. Option 1: selling assets to increase cash position and decrease debts Option 2: file chapter 11 bankruptcy to give the company another chance in Legal time to reorganize its debt structure. Recommendation: filing bankruptcy seems to be the best option that Loewen has at this time, as it will allow it to startup its operations again and try to fix debt problems it faced by restructuring. How was Loewen group able to grow explosively for the first half of the 1990s? What were the advantages of debt financing enjoyed by the company in this phase? The Loewen group started as a family business in the 1950s, and had grown explosively in the late 1980s and early 90s mainly by acquiring small independent funeral homes and cemeteries in densely populated urban markets, and acquired several large established funeral chains. What they did that differentiated them from other big players in the market is that they acquired the bigger share of small cemeteries and funeral homes but retained some of their managers if possible because they thought they would know better about the community they lived in, and they are already known in their areas, which would provide a smoother transition of the business from a family one to a corporate level one. They also financed those businesses for capital improvement and merchandise. Besides acquiring small businesses, a lot of factors helped Loewen grow in such a manner. Anchoring on the factor that death rates are almost constant throughout the years, trying to get a bigger market share was a priority target through these acquisitions. What helped more is the higher entry barriers to this business, due to high fixed costs and high capital requirements during the startup, and lack of social attachment to the society they live in due to lack of history in the local community surrounding them, which is considered a big factor driving the choice of families to do business with one funeral services company rather than another. Moreover, considered as one of the biggest funeral services firms in the United States, Loewen had the power to exert pressure on its suppliers for better reduced prices, in addition to taking advantage of being the first to be called when death happens; they are the first to be contacted, and they can supply everything regarding funerals from â€Å"A† to â€Å"Z† which gives them the power to bargain for higher prices, and at the same time, families will not be in a condition to negotiate due to the condition they are passing through, Loewen would give funeral services to low income or high income families accordingly. Another factor that helped is weak substitutes. Small family owned businesses could not compete with what Loewen offered regarding services, quality and price. Another thing that helped Loewen was its ability to create the â€Å"at need† and the â€Å"pre need† services. The â€Å"pre need† services acted as an advantage, for people who would pay money today for their funeral services in the future. And since the funeral services have almost fixed expenses between today and the future, whatever money Loewen got from this option would be invested in securities and in insurance contracts, thus creating more value, or used as additional cash for day to day operations and investment in the company. Debt financing is considered the fastest and cheapest method of financing growth of a company, however using debt to finance accelerated and explosive growth can have his drawbacks. This shows us that Loewen was too aggressive in its acquistion strategy and in its zeal to compete, it ended up paying far too high a price for these two acquisitions. This is also evident from the fact that after these two acquisitions, Loewen’s debt/equity ratio reached 1. 4:1. At this point SCI realized that Loewen was overvalued and dropped its bid for acquisition. Mississippi lawsuit: Loewen’s downfall can be attributed, in part, to the unfavourable jury verdict in Mississippi in 1995. By reneging on an agreement to purchase properties worth around $10 M, the company was held liable to damages amounting to $500 M at the time of the verdict. The stock price dropped by 15%, and the company posted an interest expense of $165 M for that year. Continued Acquisitions in 1998: Despite clear indications of a crisis, the management at Loewen continued their acquisitions, albeit at a slower pace. They paid $278 M in 1998 to acquire 89 funeral homes and 65 cemeteries. The disadvantage of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is that it would trigger a domino effect and force them to file in Canada as well. This would be detrimental since Canadian laws were more strict than US laws and this would lead to potential conflicts. Recommendation: File for Chapter 11 bankruptcy This is the only feasible option available to Loewen group in its present condition. Chapter 11 would protect the company from its debtors by allowing them to reorganize their debt structure. Shareholders would lose everything, as creditors have first right over the company, post chapter 11. The company is worth more under operation, than by individually selling off its assets. This also allows more jobs to saved, than by selling off individual assets. This option allows for a new corporate structure which could be successful in turning around the company, and making it profitable once again. Debtors would have the possibility of recovering more in this manner than they would through a chapter 7 liquidation of Loewen’s assets.