Animal Research

Animal Research Essay Animal ResearchFor the past 20 years, there has a been an on going heateddebate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isnt, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performedto determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where thebenefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies forhumans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, there is a large gap for argumentbetween the different scientists views. In the next few paragraphs, both sides of the argument will beexpressed by the supporters. A well known scientist named Neal D. Barnard said, The use ofanimals for research and testing is only one of many investigative techniques available. We believethat although animal experiments are sometimes intellectually seductive, they are poorly suited toaddressing the urgent health problems of our era, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, AIDS andbirth defects. He goes on further to say that animal experiments can not only mislead researchersbut even contribute to illnesses or deaths by failing to predict any toxic effect on drugs. The majorityof animals in laboratories are used for genetic manipulation, surgical intervention or injection offoreign substances. Researchers produce solutions from these animal models and are adaptingthem to human conditions. Unfortunately, these animal models cant always be connected with thehuman body thus creating problems. Many times, researchers induce strokes on animals in order totest certain methods for curing. The downfall of this procedure is that a healthy animal thatexperiences a sudden stroke does not undergo the slowly progressive arterial damage that usuallyplays a crucial role in human strokes. In another illustration of the inaccuracy of animal research,scientists in the 1960s deduced from many animal experiments that inhaled tobacco smoke did notcause lung cancer. For many years afterward, the tobacco industry was able to use these studies todelay government warnings and to discourage physician s from intervening in their patients smokinghabits. We all know now that this is totally untrue and that smoking is a large contributor to cancer. Itturns out that cancer research is especially sensitive to differences in physiology between humans andother animals. Many animals, particularly rats and mice, synthesize within their bodies approximately100 times the recommended daily allowance for humans of vitamin C, which is believed to help thebody ward off cancer. The stress of handling, confinement and isolation alters the animals mentalstability and introduces yet another experimental variable that makes any results from testing evenless valuable to human helping. In many cases, drugs and other substances are given to the testanimals but studies have shown considerable differences in the effects of these drugs on differentspecies. David Salsburg of Pfizer Central Research has noted that of 19 chemicals known to causecancer in humans when ingested, only seven caused cancer in mice and rats using the standards setby the National Cancer Institute. This justifies that many substances that appeared safe in animalstudies and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in humans laterproved dangerous to people. The drug milrinone, which raises cardiac output, increased survival ofrats with artificially induced heart failure; humans with severe chronic heart failure taking this drug hada 30 percent increase in fatalities. Also, the antiviral drug fialuridine seemed safe in animal trials yetcaused liver failure in seven of 15 humans taking the drug (five of these patients died as a result of themedication, and the other two received liver transplants). Scientists and the populous that do notagree with the experimentation of animals believe in different methods. These techniques includeepidemiological studies, clinical intervention trials, astute clinical observation aided by laboratorytesting, human tissue and cell cultures, autopsy studies, endoscopic examination and biopsy, as wellas new imaging methods. In the last decade, scientists with these views have learned to respect theanimals for their own species observations and for their ability to communicate. On the reverseaspect, many scientists READ: Computer systems Essay

Organizational Effectiveness Amid the Labour Crisis Essay

Organizational Effectiveness Amid the Labour Crisis - Essay Example Professor Peter Cappelli further argued that the problem arises because of the lack of competency to manage the welfare of employees. On the other hand, Blackler and Shimmin (1984) anticipated that the demands for cost savings and improved efficiency will raise many issues of conflict within the organization based on certain events that has been affecting the UK economy. The means to organizational effectiveness were proposed by management theories that were believed to have provided solutions to dilemmas faced by businesses in the past. â€Å"New and theoretical knowledge often becomes part of the repertoire of the science of organisational behaviour, functioning as technologies of regulation which are used to control and discipline employees† (Thompson and McHugh, 2002, p. 297) In addition, these were aimed at discovering the patters to employee behaviour, and the forces that define employee work morale. The scientific management theory concentrated decision making in the ha nds of the employers, while employees were regarded as no more than "manpower—the energy or force required to propel the organizational machine† (Morgan, 1986, p.29). Alternatively, the human relations movement was able to identify other key aspects to employee motivation, and extended the role of the manager. Many changes have occurred since the Industrial Revolution, and while monetary benefits are still the primary objectives in seeking for employment, some tendencies are no longer observed. The assumed patterns of behaviour by employees relevant to their personal and financial interest in the company is hard to prove these days. Current Labour Trends Developing countries are not the only ones to suffer the blows of recession. The United Kingdom, despite favourable performance in the stock market, is also faced with problems associated with the rise in costs of goods and services. The UK per capita income has declined tremendously owing to the trends in the labour ma rket—to include unemployment, underemployment and part-time services. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the unemployment rate increased to 8.1% in 2011, and jobless rate for 16 to 24 year olds totalled to 991,000 in the first quarter (BBC, 2011). Result of the survey by the EEF, a manufacturers’ organization in the UK, showed that the manufacturing sector, which is among the highest provider of jobs, averaged 2.2% in settlements for laid off employees. As a result, the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance rose by 19,600 in May, which was twice as expected (Peacock, 2011). The rationale behind the decisions of many companies in the United Kingdom to terminate services of a large portion of their workforce has been defined by economic professionals. The firms are inclined to regulate their internal costs to compensate for the drop in revenues. The government was first to take the move, â€Å"with the vocal support of the bankers wh o caused the recession, by deliberately creating unemployment with public sector cuts†, secretary general of the GMB union, Paul Kenny, said (as cited from Peacock, 2011). Similarly, manufacturers worry about the ever increasing cost of production, and tried to reduce allotment for salaries by retrenchment and insisting overtime on those not removed from the payroll. Others chose to outsource their operations, and resulted in reduced domestic employment. Underemployment is a different issue. Because there is not enough full-time jobs available, underemployed workers were

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah - Assignment Example He narrates his ordeal passionately, giving all the finer details that leave your mouth agape and wondering in awe. Ishmael wrote this book to highlight the plight of child soldiers and the kind of trials and tribulations that they undergo. This was a protest letter of some sort to the various authorities, particularly in countries where there are rampant cases of very young boys being forced into the army to fight enemies. In the book, Ishmael covered death as a theme and indeed it stands out because people are being killed; Ishmael only survives by a freak of chance. Ishmael, together with the other child soldiers, experiences nothing but brutality; he faces problems which almost necessitate his death. For instance, if not for the timely intervention of UNICEF to rescue Ishmael and youths alike after three years of fighting in the army against fierce rebels, he would have been nothing but dead meat. With further assistance of Laura Simms, Ishmael travels to the United States of Ame rica, to New York City, where he proceeded to finish high school and graduate from college. Ishmael becomes an advocate and gets involved in a number of international organizations that deal with aiding children who are forced to be soldiers in their respective countries. He wrote this book to show the whole world how him and the other young boys, while in Sierra Leone, lead extremely brutal lives full of adversity. This is clearly brought out when at some point, as they see a fascinating beauty of the ocean, they are forced to get through a torture of walking on hot sand that burns their feet, a scene that reminds one of the simple truth – pain is sometimes so close to pleasure. They initially are taken care of by a Good Samaritan, a fisherman, and make a day of it. But it doesn’t take long before they get captured by some fierce villagers who are so scared of them that, in fact, threaten to kill them. Fortunately, they get saved by cassette tapes. Ishmael really want ed to show people how dangerously a child soldier lives and how seeing tomorrow to such children happens normally by sheer luck; he demonstrates that point when he recounts the incident when he was so scared of death every time that eventually it makes him wonder out loud: â€Å"how many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?† (Beah, 2008). At some point, the story becomes sad when Ishmael can’t get sleep, there are constant noises around, dogs are howling and running from one place to the other and all he can think about is how something bad is going to happen. The noises wake up one of his comrades, Alhaji, he suspects that something is wrong but ignores that feeling and goes back to sleep. When morning comes, Ishmael and Alhaji start to wake up the other friends. Unfortunately, Saidu doesn’t respond when they talk to him. They try to check if there’s something wrong with him and realize that he is dead. The two prepare his body ready for burial because in that village, it’s an abomination to let a dead body to stay unburied overnight. Another important theme that Ishmael intended to cover and successfully managed to do was enmity. He wanted to bring to the fore the fact that as a child soldier, one is exposed to real and even at