Prehistoric Life During the Neogene Period

Prehistoric Life During the Neogene Period During the course of the Neogene period, life on earth adapted to new ecological niches opened up by global coolingand some mammals, birds, and reptiles evolved to truly impressive sizes in the process. The Neogene is the second period of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present), preceded by the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago) and succeeded by the Quaternary period-and is itself comprised of the Miocene (23-5 million years ago) and Pliocene (5-2.6 million years ago) epochs. Climate and Geography Like the preceding Paleogene, the Neogene period witnessed a trend toward global cooling, especially at higher latitudes (it was immediately after the end of the Neogene, during the Pleistocene epoch, that the earth underwent a series of ice ages interspersed with warmer interglacials). Geographically, the Neogene was important for the land bridges that opened up between various continents: it was during the late Neogene that North and South America became connected by the Central American Isthmus, Africa was in direct contact with southern Europe via the dry Mediterranean Sea basin, and eastern Eurasia and western North America were joined by the Siberian land bridge. Elsewhere, the slow impact of the Indian subcontinent with the underbelly of Asia produced the Himalayan mountains. Terrestrial Life During the Neogene Period Mammals. Global climate trends, combined with the spread of newly evolved grasses, made the Neogene period the golden age of open prairies and savannahs. These extensive grasslands spurred the evolution of even- and odd-toed ungulates, including prehistoric horses and camels (which originated in North America), as well as deer, pigs, and rhinoceroses. During the later Neogene, the interconnections between Eurasia, Africa, and North and South America set the stage for a confusing network of species interchanges, resulting (for example) in the near extinction of South Americas Australia-like marsupial megafauna. From a human perspective, the most important development of the Neogene period was the continuing evolution of apes and hominids. During the Miocene epoch, a huge number of hominid species inhabited Africa and Eurasia; during the ensuing Pliocene, most of these hominids (among them the direct ancestors of modern humans) were clustered in Africa. It was immediately after the Neogene period, during the Pleistocene epoch, that the first human beings (genus Homo) appeared on the planet. Birds. While birds never quite matched the size of their distant mammalian cousins, some of the flying and flightless species of the Neogene period were truly enormous (for example, the airborne Argentavis and Osteodontornis both exceeded 50 pounds.) The end of the Neogene marked the extinction of most of the flightless, predatory terror birds of South America and Australia, the last dregs being wiped out in the ensuing Pleistocene. Otherwise, bird evolution continued apace, with most modern orders well- represented by the close of the Neogene. Reptiles. A large chunk of the Neogene period was dominated by gigantic crocodiles, which still never quite managed to match the size of their Cretaceous forebears. This 20-million-year span also witnessed the continuing evolution of prehistoric snakes and (especially) prehistoric turtles, the latter group of which began to reach truly impressive proportions by the start of the Pleistocene epoch. Marine Life Although prehistoric whales had started to evolve in the preceding Paleogene period, they didnt become exclusively marine creatures until the Neogene, which also witnessed the continuing evolution of the first pinnipeds (the mammalian family that includes seals and walruses) as well as prehistoric dolphins, to which whales are closely related. Prehistoric sharks maintained their status at the top of the marine food chain; Megalodon, for example, had already appeared at the end of the Paleogene and continued its dominance throughout the Neogene as well. Plant Life There were two major trends in plant life during the Neogene period. First, plunging global temperatures spurred the rise of massive deciduous forests, which replaced jungles and rainforests in high northern and southern latitudes. Second, the worldwide spread of grasses went hand-in-hand with the evolution of mammalian herbivores, culminating in todays familiar horses, cows, sheep, deer, and other grazing and ruminant animals.

buy custom Pharmaceutical Law essay

buy custom Pharmaceutical Law essay Question 1 The current is looking for a cure or the closest thing that resembles a cure for a given disease. Although each of the drugs identified is promising, the weights are not equal. The drug patented in 1995 is the most promising one as it reduces death in subjects (mice) by the highest percentage (85%). It also reduces HgA1C by 2% which is almost the average reduction of the three drugs put together. One advantage is that it is more promising than the other hence presenting greater success rate chances. An additional advantage is that it will deduct the cost as efforts needed to progress are lesser than in the other drugs. The evident risk is that the drug patented in 1990 might be more effective the 1995 drug. This is because it has a significantly higher mortality rate reduction in mice and reduces HgA1C 1% better than the 1995 drug. The other risks are inherent to all other drugs. Its effect on mice may not resemble its effect on people. Question 2 One of the challenges is related to identifying the effect on treatment. Phase III suggests that the researchers identify the effect of the drug in both animals and people. It also reveals the length of the effects. Identifying these effects on people is one challenge as the researchers have to find voluneers who will take part in the trial process (Arcangelo Peterson, 2005). The other challenge is related to finances. This phase incurs the most cost. The pharmaceutical company needs many funds to carry out this stage successfully, which may not be at the companys disposal. The company can overcome the first company by compiling the relevant data that will challenge a patient to take part in the research. This will begin by progressing with the drug that is most promising. The other challenge can be overcome by targeting donors (Arcangelo Peterson, 2005). Donors will only be willing to put their donations in a drug that is promising. The relevant data in the previous stages should therefore be carefully gathered. Question 3 One of the strategies of increasing the commercial lifecycle of the drug is by making new formulations (Gupta, Kumar, Roy, Gaud, 2010). This will integrate having additional patents that cater for new formulations of the identified compound. The other strategy relates to making combinations. In such cases a company combines two or more drugs that are already a success in the market, thus marketing them as one product (Gupta et al., 2010). Question 4 One of the post-marketing obligations includes accurately reportting any issues identified in the market to the relevant authorities. Another obligation is related to recalling the drug from the market if it is identified as harmful to the patients (in a larger population). The company can make relevant modifications in relation to the issue identified, which is costly. They may also be forced to totally eliminate the drug from the market, which is more expensive (Friedman, Furberg, DeMets, 2010). Question 5 According to the New Drug Application of FDA, the company can be held on criminal charges if they withhold any relevant information regarding the drug. They would also be negligent if they release a faulty drug in the market or continue to sell a drug after realising its faults (Gupta et al., 2010). They can be sued by the affected persons. Question 6 The company can be faced by both criminal and civil cases. If it acts in negligence, it is liable and can be sued by the affected parties. If it hides relevant information to the relevant authorities, which would risk the lives of the patients using the drug, it would be criminally liable. The company can avoid the same by revealing all the information available and recalling the drug from the market after identifying certain faults (Friedman et al., 2010). Buy custom Pharmaceutical Law essay

Definitions and Examples of Swear Words

Definitions and Examples of Swear Words A swear word is a word or phrase thats generally considered blasphemous, obscene, vulgar, or otherwise offensive. Also known as  swearing, bad word, obscene word, dirty word, and four-letter word. Swear words serve many different functions in different social contexts, notes Janet Holmes. They may express annoyance, aggression and insult, for instance, or they may express solidarity and friendliness (An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 2013). EtymologyFrom Old English, take an oath Examples and Observations Spock: Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, double dumbass on you and so forth.Captain Kirk: Oh, you mean the profanity?Spock: Yes.Captain Kirk: Well, thats simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word. Youll find it in all the literature of the period.(Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986)Uses of Swear WordsA final puzzle about swearing is the crazy range of circumstances in which we do it. There is cathartic swearing, as when we hit our thumb with a hammer or knock over a glass of beer. There are imprecations, as when we suggest a label or offer advice to someone who has cut us off in traffic. There are vulgar terms for everyday things and activities, as when Bess Truman was asked to get the president to say fertilizer instead of manure and she replied, You have no idea how long it took me to get him to say manure . There are figures of speech that put obscene words to other uses, such as the barnyard epithet for insincerity, the army acronym snafu, and the gynecological-flagellative term for uxorial dominance. And then there are the adjective-like expletives that salt the speech and split the words of soldiers, teenagers, Australians, and others affecting a breezy speech style.(Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature. Viking, 2007) Social SwearingWhy do we swear? The answer to this question depends on the approach you take. As a linguistnot a psychologist, neurologist, speech pathologist or any other -istI see swearing as meaningfully patterned verbal behaviour that readily lends itself to a functional analysis. Pragmatically, swearing can be understood in terms of the meanings it is taken to have and what it achieves in any particular circumstance. . . .Typically, a social swear word originates as one of the bad words but becomes conventionalised in a recognisably social form. Using swear words as loose intensifiers contributes to the easy-going, imprecise nature of informal talk among in-group members. . . . In sum, this is jokey, cruisy, relaxing talk in which participants oil the wheels of their connection as much by how they talk as what they talk about.(Ruth Wajnryb, Language Most Foul. Allen Unwin, 2005)Secular Swearing[I]t would appear that in Western society the major shifts in the focus of swearing h ave been from religious matters (more especially the breaching of the commandment against taking the Lords name in vain) to sexual and bodily functions, and from opprobrious insults, such as coolie and kike. Both of these trends reflect the increasing secularization of Western society.(Geoffrey Hughes, Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English. Blackwell, 1991) George Carlin on Bad WordsThere are four hundred thousand words in the English language and there are seven of them you cant say on television. What a ratio that is! Three hundred ninety three thousand nine hundred and ninety three . . . to seven! They must really be bad. Theyd have to be outrageous to be separated from a group that large. All of you over here . . . You seven, you bad words.Thats what they told us, you remember? Thats a bad word. What? There are no bad words. Bad thoughts, bad intentions, but no bad words.(George Carlin with Tony Hendra, Last Words. Simon Schuster, 2009)David Camerons Jokey, Blokey InterviewDavid Camerons jokey, blokey interview . . . on Absolute Radio this morning is a good example of what can happen when politicians attempt to be down with the kidsor in this case, with the thirtysomethings. . . .Asked why he didnt use the social networking website Twitter, the Tory leader said: The trouble with Twitter, the instantness of ittoo many twits might ma ke a twat. . . .[T]he Tory leaders aides were in defensive mode afterwards, pointing out that twat was not a swear word under radio guidelines.(Haroon Siddique, Sweary Cameron Illustrates Dangers of Informal Interview. The Guardian, July 29, 2009) S***r W***s[N]ever use asterisks, or such silliness as b-, which are just a cop out, as Charlotte Brontà « recognised: The practice of hinting by single letters those expletives with which profane and violent people are wont to garnish their discourse, strikes me as a proceeding which, however well meant, is weak and futile. I cannot tell what good it doeswhat feeling it spareswhat horror it conceals.(David Marsh and Amelia Hodsdon, Guardian Style, 3rd ed. Guardian Books, 2010)Supreme Court Rulings on Swear WordsThe Supreme Court’s last major case concerning broadcast indecency, F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation in 1978, upheld the commission’s determination that George Carlin’s classic seven dirty words monologue, with its deliberate, repetitive and creative use of vulgarities, was indecent. But the court left open the question of whether the use of an occasional expletive could be punished.The case decided Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Televisi on Stations, No. 07-582, arose from two appearances by celebrities on the Billboard Music Awards.Justice Scalia read the passages at issue from the bench, though he substituted suggestive shorthand for the dirty words.The first involved Cher, who reflected on her career in accepting an award in 2002: I’ve also had critics for the last 40 years saying I was on my way out every year. Right. So F-em. (In his opinion, Justice Scalia explained that Cher metaphorically suggested a sexual act as a means of expressing hostility to her critics.)The second passage came in an exchange between Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in 2003 in which Ms. Richie discussed in vulgar terms the difficulties in cleaning cow manure off a Prada purse.Reversing its policy on such fleeting expletives, the commission said in 2006 that both broadcasts were indecent. It did not matter, the commission said, that some of the offensive words did not refer directly to sexual or excretory functions. Nor did it mat ter that the cursing was isolated and apparently impromptu. . . .In reversing that decision, Justice Scalia said the change in policy was rational and therefore permissible. It was certainly reasonable, he wrote, to determine that it made no sense to distinguish between literal and nonliteral uses of offensive words, requiring repetitive use to render only the latter indecent.Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting, wrote that not every use of a swear word connoted the same thing. As any golfer who has watched his partner shank a short approach knows, Justice Stevens wrote, it would be absurd to accept the suggestion that the resultant four-letter word uttered on the golf course describes sex or excrement and is therefore indecent.It is ironic, to say the least, Justice Stevens went on, that while the F.C.C. patrols the airwaves for words that have a tenuous relationship with sex or excrement, commercials broadcast during prime-time hours frequently ask viewers whether they are battli ng erectile dysfunction or are having trouble going to the bathroom.(Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Upholds F.C.C.’s Shift to a Harder Line on Indecency on the Air. The New York Times, April 28, 2009) The Lighter Side of Swear WordsTell me, son, the anxious mother said, what did your father say when you told him youd wrecked his new Corvette?Shall I leave out the swear words? the son asked.Of course.He didnt say anything.(Steve Allen, Steve Allens Private Joke File. Three Rivers Press, 2000) Alternate Spellings: swearword, swear-word

Media Ethics in International Public Policy Essay

Media Ethics in International Public Policy - Essay Example The description of ‘linkage’ as presented above can be differentiated among researchers in political science. As an example, Luttbeg (1974, 3) describes ‘linkage’ as ‘any means by which political leaders act in accordance with the wants, needs, and demands of the public in making government policy’ (in Kennamer, 1994, 2). In accordance with the above, media can have their own way of influencing the development of social and political conditions around the world but their role can be limited in states where there are no wide borders for such activity – as par example in states governed by less democratic regimes. On the other hand, media can have a significant role in the presentation of political and social events around the world and in this way they can influence the international public policy as it is designed and applied by governments globally. Indeed, Spitzer (1993, 4) supported that ‘coverage of international crises may have a different policy consequence as well, in that media-supplied information may be useful, even vital in supplanting government-obtained information, and therefore in shaping decisionmaking’. The war in Iraq and the role of media in the presentation of the relevant events are used by the above researcher as an indicative example of the interaction between media ethics and international public policy. In the particular case, media around the world have been extensively criticized for their views regarding the reasons and the justification of the military intervention in the specific country. In a similar sector, this of the human rights, media have played a significant role in the identification and presentation of problems of citizens living in developing countries internationally. Regarding this issue, media ethics have been used in order to prevent the presentation of scenes that could possibly harm the human rights and indignity. On the other hand,

Green IT - hype or real chance for savings Article

Green IT - hype or real chance for savings - Article Example Global Warming is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas and large scale deforestation. Burning of fossil fuels releases a large amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These gases act as a thick blanket and absorb thermal radiations emitted by the earth’s surface, thereby resulting in the planet to warm up significantly. According to the reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global greenhouse gas emissions have grown with an increase in 70% between 1970 and 2004 The increase in temperature is a kind of anomaly in ecosystem and this anomaly will have severe consequences to follow. It will cause severe storms and droughts, glaciers to melt, rising seas, changes in weather pattern and spread of diseases. There will be an increase in the sea level and the low lying islands will left completely devastated. The inhabitants of the cities as well as other vegetation will see a dramatic increase in pests and other insects who will thrive due to an increased temperature, thus leading significantly to unexpected calamities. Loads of animal and plant species will be extinct and the habitat such as coral reefs and alpine meadows will be disheveled. Heat waves, due to global warming, have already caused a loss of 30,000 lives in Europe and 1500 deaths in India, in the year 2003. Therefore we come to a conclusion that change in temperature will have an unbearable impact not only on the human civilization but also on the entire race of different species existent across the globe. These days, most of the industries, including the IT industry is under the scanner of government in order to curb the emission of green house gases. You may be astonished as to how can an IT industry be a contributor in emission of greenhouse gases. The blame goes to the huge data centers and gigantic servers which are used to store the information in such industries. The

Visual Arts and Film Studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visual Arts and Film Studies - Research Paper Example Upon its discovery, Cubism had a lasting impact on the artworks which were dominant during its discovery. Cubism was more of an abstract art style, which laid the foundation for the discovery and development of other artworks such as Surrealism and Dadaism. As a result of Cubism, new art modes such as futurism and Orphism came to being. Cubism changed the way people perceive the world in numerous ways (Robinson 7-30). With Cubism, the world was not to look the same again because of the huge impact, which this movement had on the world. The revolutionary nature of this movement was so phenomenal that it changed the way artists viewed the components of art. Cubism also changed the world; through it, all aspects of a subject could be seen at the same time. As a result, this allowed the simultaneous view of the parts that comprised an art work. The development of modern art can also be attributed to the discovery of Cubism as a form of art. This innovative movement led to the establishme nt of a new plastic order, which was different from the form of art that was existent before its discovery. Cubism also enhanced revolutionary changes in visual representation as artists strived to change the look of art images (Robinson 7-30). Analytic and synthetic Cubism was also phenomenal in changing the way people viewed the world. Analytic and synthetic Cubism details phases, which took place in the field of art. Synthetic Cubism helped in the combination of many forms of art as it brought numerous art forms. Analytic Cubism encompassed the bringing together of separate elements of artwork and connected them to the whole. With the changes that it brought to the nature of paintings, Cubism was phenomenal in changing the way people viewed the world. Through Cubism, painting evolved, and it changed from the older forms, which encompassed spatial planning and structure (Cottington 3-36). Cubism changed the way people see the world as it introduced cubes and facets, which were arr anged in transparent and superimposed planes. In addition, the cubes had edges that could be regarded as clearly defined; they introduced aspects such as space, mass, as well as what the movement of Cubism implied. Cubism was also influential as it led to the introduction of such aspects in the art such as muted greens, ochers, browns, as well as grays. Cubism also changed the world as it consisted of a combination of both traditional aspects of art and modern aspects. For example, the Cubist movement included a subject matter consisting of traditional portraits, still life, and traditional landscapes. This was coupled with fragments consisting of wineglasses, faces, as well as guitars that became main subjects of the Cubist works (Chilvers 185-190). The other way in which Cubism changed the way the world is perceived is through introducing the use of bright color in artwork. Cubism also introduced the use of decorative devices such as the stippling technique, which came from pointi llism. As a result of Cubism, artists started using shadow, tone, as well as broken brush strokes in their paintings. These aspects, together with the distance established between planes that used to be denser, led to the introduction of light. Synthetic Cubism was extremely phenomenal as it provided the basis for the creation and description of visual reality, which could now be done without illusionism in painting. The synthesis of objects became a reality with the Cubism as artists were able to use real components in collage (Martin 52-76). Cubism also changed the way people see the world by introducing new forms of art, which replaced Western art. Cubists held the belief that Western art was traditional and that it had become obsolete. As such,

The Impact of Apple's Branding Strategies on Customer Satisfaction and Essay

The Impact of Apple's Branding Strategies on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty - Essay Example The paper analyzed the concept of branding by examining its models and the impact of branding strategies on customer satisfaction. Primary data was collected by conducting questionnaire research with Apple's customers. A total of 100 questionnaires were carried out with Apple's customers. The conclusions of this study are that Apple's brandings strategies play an important role in customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Apple's branding strategies have a positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. It is Apple's branding strategies that have contributed to generating value for customers, generating trust amongst customers and developing strong relationships between Apple and its customers. Apple's branding strategies have narrowed the gap between Apple and its customers. They have helped in improving the performance of the company. They have helped in generating positive attitudes about Apple's products amongst its customers. This study seeks to critically analy ze the branding strategies of the company Apple. Apple has been selected as it is a leading global telecommunications company whose branding strategies have been successful in getting the right message across to customers. Apple designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. In 2014, Apple's market share was 20.4% in the global smartphone market. Apple was the market leader. It left behind its competitors, Samsung who had a market share of 19.9%, Lenovo whose market share was 6.6%. Apples competitors are Dell Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Hewlett-Packard Company, International Business Machines Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Research In Motion Limited, Microsoft Corporation, Acer Inc, LG Electronics, Inc., Google Inc, Merch ant Customer Exchange LLC, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, Xiaomi Inc.