Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon is a utopian fantasy novel, and so the reader must use his/her imagination to help make this unusual world (Shangri-La) believable. It is more cerebral than that According to Steven Silver Reviews on the novel, the monks at Shangri-La believe in a philosophy which is a mix of Christianity and is brought to the valley by the 18th French priest Perrault which is also the name of the French fabulist and the Buddhism which existed before Perrault's arrival. The motto of these monks could best be summed up as â€Å"Everything in moderation, even moderation†, same as what Aristotle believed in his idealism. The novel opens in a gentleman's club in Berlin where four Englishmen have met for the evening. Talk turns to a plane hi-jacking which had occurred in Baskul, India the previous year. When the men realize they all knew one of the kidnap victims, Hugh Conway, the conversation briefly touches on his probable fate. After the group breaks up, one of their number, the author Rutherford, confides to another that he has seen Conway since the kidnapping and goes on to provide a manuscript accounting for Conway's experiences. Conway is among four kidnap victims, the others being Mallinson, his young assistant who is anxious to get back to civilization, Barnard, a brash American, and Miss Brinklow, an evangelist. Conway himself rounds out the group as an established diplomat and stoic. When the plane crashes in the Kuen-Lun Mountains, the quartet is rescued and taken to the hidden lamasery of Shangri-La. Conway is the most adaptable and open-minded character in the book and takes what people say at face value as truth. Conway, Malinson, Barnard, and Ms. Brinklow are four passengers catching a flight out of Baskul as the political and military situation there deteriorates. The plane is being flown by a pilot who appears to be in a trance and taking them drastically off course. A forced landing on a Himilayan mountain top kills the pilot and ruins the plane. The four survivors are rescued and brought to a strange, almost magical, mountain monastery and village. The setting is lush and green despite the altitude. The people placid and friendly, but mysteriously quiet about the prospects for returning to civilization, so remote is the village. Despite his knowledge Conway leaves with Malinson in an attempt to reach India on foot. They are deceived and the journey is a tragic one. Conway managed to reach civilization and then is desperate to leave to make his return back to Shangri-La, to accept his position as successor to the deceased High Lama. Basically, the story is a spiritual journey for those who see what it is they have stumbled upon, Shangri-La: paradise on Earth. Conway is given an audience with the High Lama but remains quiet as to what is going on. People age years instead of decades, there is no crime or war or hunger. The novel teaches us that desire itself corrupts mankind. Buddhism teaches that nirvana is the end of desire for anything at all, even life itself. Hilton takes this idea and uses it to create his utopia. In Shangri-La, no one wants anything because everyone has everything they need. Children are indoctrinated in courtesy and etiquette even when they are still very young. They are taught to share and love. If two men desire the same woman, one is willing to let go. Passion and ambition are not good. The basis of all human emotion is desire, and when all desire is eliminated, you achieve a utopia. People in Shangri-La do not â€Å"do† anything because they do not want anything. They read, listen to music, have discussions and share nature walks, but they do not compete with each other or perform work. Hilton’s utopians live abnormally long lives because they do not experience any tension or yearnings. Reference: Hilton, James (1988). Lost Horizon. Mass Market Paperback. ISBN: 0671664271      

Antibiotic Sensitivity Lab

Antibiotic Sensitivity lab A. Define the term selectively toxic. Why is it an important feature of antimicrobial agents? Selective toxicity is the ability of a chemical or drug to kill a microorganism without harming its host. Selective toxicity is important to microbial agents because it enables these agents to inhibit or kill a microorganism by interacting with microbial functions or structures different from those of the host thereby showing little or no effect to the host. B. What are broad and narrow spectrum antimicrobials? What are the pros and cons of each?Broad spectrum antimicrobials are drugs that are effective against a wide variety of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Narrow spectrum antimicrobials are effective only against gram negative bacteria. Pros and cons of each: Narrow spectrum microbial is normally better to use because they cause less damage to the body's normal flora. They are less likely to cause drugs resistant strains of microorganisms because they are specific in nature and are less likely to cause super infection by opportunistic microorganisms like yeast infections.The main disadvantages are that Narrow spectrum microbial sometimes is more prone to allergic reaction to the host. Broad spectrum antimicrobials on the other hand also have their own advantages in that they are able to deal with more than one kind of bacteria and as such one does not have to use drugs indiscriminately reducing chances of allergic reactions and drug toxicity. The main disadvantage is that they cause more harm to the body's normal flora. C. What is direct selection? Direct selection is the selection of antibiotic-resistant normal floras in an individual whenever this individual is given an antibiotic.This process is normally accelerated significantly by either improper use or the overuse of antibiotics. D. What is the difference between an antibiotic and an antimicrobial chemical? Antibiotics are substances that are produced as metabolic pro ducts of one Microorganism which are able to inhibit or kill other microorganisms. Antimicrobial chemicals are chemicals that are synthesized in a laboratory and can be used therapeutically on microorganisms. E. What is the mode of action for each of the following: a. acitracin: works by inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis in actively dividing bacteria which normally results in osmotic lysis. b. nystatin: exerts its antifungal activity by binding to ergosterol found in fungal cell membranes. Binding to ergosterol causes the formation of pores in the membrane. Potassium and other cellular constituents leak from the pores causing cell death. c. tetracycline: exert their bacteriostatic effect by inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria. This antibiotic prevents transfer-RNA (tRNA) molecules from binding to the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes. . ciprofloxin: Contains agents that inhibit one or more enzymes in the DNA synthesis pathway F. Describe three mechanisms by which microbes mig ht become resistant to the action of an antimicrobial drug? Microbes may become resistant by producing enzymes that will detoxify or inactivate the antibiotic such as penicillinase and other beta-lactamases. Microbes may also alter the target site in the bacterium to reduce or block binding of the antibiotic in the process producing a slightly altered ribosomal subunit that still functions but to which the drug can't bind.Microbes may also prevent the transport of the antimicrobial agent into the bacterium thereby producing an altered cytoplasmic membrane or outer membrane. G. Why do you think neglecting to finish a prescribed course of antibiotics might contribute to the rise of antibiotic resistance? If you don't finish the medication, all the bacteria causing the infection may not be killed. Then, the infection could come back in that same place or even show up somewhere else. When the bacteria are undertreated, some of them may have enough time to have these mistakes occur in th eir DNA.Then, when they multiply, you get a bunch of bacteria that no longer respond to the antibiotics. H. What is a tube dilution test? How is it used to determine susceptibility? Tube dilution test is one of the tests that can be used to tell which antimicrobial agent is most likely to combat a specific pathogen. This test is conducted by preparing a series of culture tubes where each tube contains a liquid medium and a different concentration of an antimicrobial agent. These tubes are then inoculated with the test organism and then incubated. After the incubation they are examined for growth.I. Define the following: a. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC): this is the lowest concentration of antimicrobial agent that is capable of preventing growth of the organism undergoing the tube dilution test b. Zone of Inhibition: this is the area surrounding the high potency disk of a chemotherapeutic agent where growth is inhibited in an agar diffusion test. J. What were the results of the Kirby-Bauer test for S. epidermidis? S. epidermidis was sensitive to Novobiacin S. epidermidis was resistant to Penicillin S. epidermidis was intermediate in the case of Gentamicin

The Critical Appraisal of the Research Evidence Associated With an Essay

The Critical Appraisal of the Research Evidence Associated With an Area of My Professional - Essay Example Critical reviews of nursing research thus improve the experiences and knowledge of nurses in various practice areas. Hong Kong’s healthcare system has an increasing demand for evidence-based approaches. In particular, nurses face more serious evidence-based practice challenges given that the nature of their work requires that they rely on the available scientific evidence for decision making (Spring & Hitchcock, 2010). Observably, absence or lack of nurse representation in research would limit the growth and development of the profession (Duffy, Fisher & Munroe, 2008). Evidence-based practice in Hong Kong has numerous issues and implications in its establishment that need to be through the critical analysis of the available and relevant researchers. Despite the fact that evidence-based practice is a widely discussed concept in the literature, it is uncommon and not well adopted in nursing practice in Hong Kong and other countries. This paper critically appraises two journal articles on practice area relevant to Hong Kong. This critical appraisal is through the three essential elements of evidence-based practice, namely systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and protocols. In essence, the appraisal explores some of the current issues associated with evidence-based practice in Hong Kong. It then outlines specific suggestions to researchers, nursing practitioners, managers, and academics so that the current nursing situation in Hong Kong is advanced. The appraisal is by a PICOT format question with the relevant population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time. A critical appraisal of research evidence is a step in evidence-based practice in nursing. Through critical appraisal, the validity and usefulness of research evidence are established. This critical appraisal wasconducted in three main steps, namely validity, generalizability and

103 marketing plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

103 marketing plan - Term Paper Example After the change of its name from Apple Computer Incorporated to Apple Inc., the most fascinating phone model; iPhone was introduced in the market. The future indicates how the efforts expressed through globalization flexibility make sense. The iPhone 5C has been aligned in relation to market demand and customer buying behavior. While it is a good idea for Apple Inc. to use the vertical marketing control, it is important that opens up its software and hardware for easy access to the outside market. Failure to do so gives applications like Android and Windows a chance to enjoy a huge market share. For the last five years, Apple Inc. constantly increased its revenue from 84.02 million to 101.25 million. The profits recorded a steady growth from 62.94 million to 68.45 million with the profit margin growing from 58.35% in 2009 to a almost constant rate of 65% in 2012 and 2013. However, the growth rate was highest in 2011 with 30.23% after recording the lowest growth rate in 2010 with a -0.90%. Thereafter, the growth rate recorded a sharp decrease in 2012, double the previous year to 15.54% and further dropped in 2013 to 0.82%. There has been a steady rise in the company’s stock price since the iPhone’s launch in 2009. It kicked off at $20.18 and increased at an increasing rate to $24.90 in 2010. The same was evident until it hit the high knot in 2013 with a $30.26 growth. From the above understanding about market segments and how to position its brand, the company summarized the iPhone’s marketing capability as flexible and convenient even for professional use because of its value added features. This makes everything easy because Apple Inc. is already an established brand since it always produces the most effective and technologically advanced gadgets (Robert Mohns). As an added advantage, the company has little time focusing on its brand and thus gets enough time to drill the iPhone in the

Effects of smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effects of smoking - Essay Example The doctors of today are more conversant with the effects of smoking more than ever before. Cigarettes and tobaccos have high concentrations of nicotine. They have over 4000 chemicals, which are harmful to one’s body. One of the fatal cases recorded is lung cancer. In fact, over ninety percent of all cases of lungs complications are blamed on smoking. Heavy smokers are the most affected and end up contracting chronic cancer, which is difficult to treat, not to mention the medical expenses inherent. In addition, smokers are more likely to develop laryngeal cancer as compared to nonsmokers (Hanson, et al, 2006). In recent years, cases of heart diseases have been on the increase and according to research; smoking is a major contributor to the defect in question. Similarly, high blood pressure is common among smokers since cigarettes lead to increased heart rate by a good percentage. On the other hand, blood flow to body extremities including fingers and toes is reduced greatly, a condition that many people have ignored. The implications of these conditions may not be felt immediately but they may surface at a later stage, making treatment quite a task (Institute of medicine, 2010). We cannot talk about smoking effects without mentioning respiratory complications. These account for a large number of deaths every year. Statistics show that most of respiratory conditions have been associated with smokers than with non-smokers. Other effects associated with smoking include chronic coughing, impotence among men, shortness of breath, reduced fitness, early wrinkles formation, loss of appetite, among others (Owing, 2005). One of the most disturbing issues on smoking is that it affects even non-smokers. Second hand smoke is detrimental and has same implications as those of real smokers. Similarly, in pregnant women, cigarettes’ smoke may complicate the growth of the baby in the womb. Stillbirth, premature

An American President and Its Political Themes Movie Review

An American President and Its Political Themes - Movie Review Example Wade for the passage of her environmental bill. The film showed that each of the Congressmen and the President himself plays a vital role in the passage of a bill whether it is beneficial to the people or not. The President in the movie along with his representative has to confer with the Congressmen to get their votes for the passage of the crime bill. According to Article II, Section I of the American Constitution, the president has the power to appoint high positions such as ambassadors and court judges but only after he has consulted with the Senate. The President has the power to make treaties with other nations but only after seeking advice and consent 2/3rds of the Senate. The constitution also stated that the President may recommend legislative measures he believed to be important in advancing the interest of the country and may veto bills from Congress but still he is subject to 2/3rds of the Congress. President Obama himself had a hard time convincing the Senate and the Con gress on the approval of the Recovery Bill or the stimulus fund. According to Herszenhorn in his article â€Å"Recovery Bill Gets Final Approval† for The New York Times, there was not a single House Republican who voted for the bill and that the bill’s passage itself was largely partisan in nature. ... fluences within their the political circle but also have the privilege to shape or destroy the future of the citizens under the guise of law and partisan loyalty. Another political theme showed in the movie is on the role of media in politics. The mass media in all its forms is very valuable to people who live a public life like the politicians and artists. The media is long known to either break or make a person’s career. In the movie, the media was seen as a tool that did both favor and misfortune to the President and his love interest. When the main antagonist in the film denounced the President and made an issue with his personal affairs, the media took the reign and published the criticisms which contributed to the rise and fall of the approval ratings. On the other hand, Sydney Ellen Wade, the love interest of the President suffered from the publicity which contributed to her loss in congress votes for the environmental bill and ended to her unemployment. Even if the med ia reports are unbiased it can change the perception of the public. Thus, it is very important that the general public should be equally proactive in determining whether the news feeds are unbiased, credible, and true. Bob Rumson, the Republican political rivalry of the President was seen in the movie to have made an effort to destroy the President’s credibility. When he discovered that the President was having an affair with Ms. Wade, she used it as a tool to create bad publicity against the President. Kaplan in her article â€Å"Perry dodges again† on CBS news revealed that GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry questioned again the citizenship of President Obama and the authenticity of his birth certificate. The issue on the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate was a

Health News Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health News Analysis - Essay Example Gardasil has also proven successful in preventing genital warts in men. The vaccine "targets the two types of HPV, or human papillomavirus, believed to be responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and two other types that cause most genital warts." Stobbe also notes that research on Gardasil is continuing, but that to date there is no evidence it prevents "penile cancer or other HPV-associated cancers in men. There also is no evidence it prevents men from spreading HPV to women." Right now, Gardasil as it may be used in the U.S. for males appears to prevent an unwanted but benign condition. Stobbe's report is informative in the style of news reporting. The reader can get additional details once the main points have been covered at the beginning. Following the V structure for news writing allows for a "stay-tuned" kind of conclusion. Stobbe quotes an HPV expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that policy makers, presumably the ones charged with passing judgment on Gardasil's availability to males in the United States, "will be looking at a variety of issues." In spite of the limitations of news reporting and any subtexts one can glean from the article, Stobbe carefully sketches what has and has not happened yet in Gardasil's use and scrutiny for extended uses. Among the research subjects for the study, a group was given a fake vaccine; and in ninety percent of the vaccinated subjects, Gardasil prevented genital warts. From this we can determine that the "new study" was of the experimental, empirical design type and blind, or double-blind, standard for drug companies doing clinical trials. In addition, quantitative analysis of factors such as three administrations of the drug to 4,000 participants over six months in twenty countries with examinations at various points to determine effectiveness, and so forth, clearly point to a clinical trial and the classic drug company research design. Without having the specific procedures of the design, however, or the study itself, it is difficult to tell which statistical methods would have been applied other than standard ones for this kind of study. Randomization of the test population, careful data collection from experimental and control groups, pre- and post-assessment for evidence of the target disease would all need standardization over a specific time with subsequent proper analysis and summary. The difficulty in identifying which statistical methods increases given the rigor needed to conduct a double-blind study the size of this one. The study's population and the different countries and therefore different languages involved seem daunting. It is likely that the study design and statistical procedures would have had to account for errors and inaccuracies. However, an international drug company such as Merck might well have been able to carry out such a detailed and comprehensive study. It would seem so, for Stobbe reports that experts have found the reported results