Should we give tax breaks to companies developing drugs for rare Essay

Should we give tax breaks to companies developing drugs for rare diseases - Essay Example It will only hasten their death. Since it is within the power of the government and tax payers to prevent these deaths by offering tax support, then so be it. After all, they would want the cure if they were afflicted with the minor, yet life threatening illness themselves. Creating an orphan drug is more of a labor of love for these companies because the return on investment is slow. However, the government, under the â€Å"Orphan Drug Act† provides tax breaks to companies like Genzyme, who create these kinds of drugs. That tax break alone helps ease the burden of r&d cost for the company. As such, the company can pass on the savings to the patients who do not have to pay unrealistic costs for the drugs because the company can afford to sell the drugs directly to the doctor specialist in almost all cases. The sentiment against the use of tax money in r&d for orphaned drugs do so under because the actual cost and length of time spent on the development the drug remains unknown and debatable to the tax payers. The taxpayers would rather that the tax money go to subsidizing healthcare for many instead. However, the needs of few will also affect the many because research into orphan drugs sometimes turns up valuable information or advancements for current medical drugs as well. Therefore, it has a payback appeal in a certain way. However, collaboration between small and large pharmaceutical companies is not an option because the big companies will be concentrated on quick ROI and the integration of their current crop of products in the orphaned drug. In other words, the small companies will be forced to play the big game because they are being financed that way, even though that is not the main concern of their research. Having read all the articles that accompanied this paper, and based upon the results of my own research readings, I will have to support the move to use taxpayer funding for the orphaned drugs and rare disorders research. The

Inflation and Consumer Price Indices Essay Example for Free

Inflation and Consumer Price Indices Essay A literature Review5 Methodology6 Statement Of The Problem6 Objectives Of The Study10 Summary and Conclusions10 Abstract Consumer price index has been confused by a lot of people in recent times. CPI, which is one of the most frequently used statistics to identify periods of inflation is also sometimes viewed as an indicator of the effectiveness of government economic policy. The government, business, labor, and private citizens uses price changes information provided by the CPI in the Nations economy to guide them in making economic decisions. The Consumer Price Index, as implied by the name is an index, or â€Å"a number used to measure change. Investopedia (Investopedia, N. D) defines CPI as A measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food and medical care. This paper attempts to explain what inflation is, types of inflation and how it is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the most commonly used measure of inflation. The paper also attempts to discuss the inflation behavior in Malaysia. Keywords: Inflation, Consumer Price Index, types of inflation. Introduction CPI and inflation has always been thought to be same because CPI is widely used as a measure of inflation. However the current rate of inflation is not given by CPI itself. To know the increase or decrease in the prices of goods nd services, the index must be used in the calculations. The Bank of Canada (2010) defined inflation as a persistent rise over time in the average level of prices in the economy. As demand for goods and services exceeds the economys capacity to supply those goods and services, prices tend to go up while an excess supply of goods and services tends to put downward pressure on prices. Its important to understand the difference between the many different types of inflation. When inflation is more than 50% a month, it is known as hyperinflation. There is no known history of hyperinflation in Malaysia, but it is known to have occurred in Germany (costantino bresciani-turroni, 1937) before World War II, and in Zimbabwe (michael wines, 2006) in the 2000s. Stagflation is when inflation occurs despite slow economic growth and the last time this happened in the U. S. was in the 1970s. When inflation affects different parts of the economy, its known as asset inflation because it affects just one asset. This occurred with stock portfolios when the Dow reached its peak (Google finance 2007) of 14,164. 43 on October 9, 2007. Asset inflation mostly occurs during oil-price shock. This is usually as a result of gas and oil demand predictions done by the commodities trader that the demand would go up during summer vacations. When traders become more concerned that oil supply would likely be cut off, just as during the Iran threat to close the Straits of Hormuz in 2012, (Aljazeera, 2012) traders will increase the price of oil. And as a result, price of food, which is usually transported long distances would likely be hiked. A literature Review Cheng and Tan (2002) examined in? ation in Malaysia using quarterly data over the period from 1973QI to 1997QII. The study used the Johansen (1988) cointegration, vector error-correction modeling, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition of the Sims (1980) approach. They included 11 variables in their analysis, namely CPI, money supply, interest rate, income, private expenditure, government expenditure, exchange rate, trade balance, capital in? ows, the rest of in? ation in ASEAN, and in? ation in the rest of the world. The empirical results of their study showed that external factors such as exchange rate and the rest of in? ation in ASEAN are relatively more important than domestic factors in explaining in? tion in Malaysia. Cunado and De Gracia (2005) examined the impact of various of oil price shock on in? ation in six Asian countries, namely Japan, Singapore, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia using quarterly data over the period from 1975Q1 to 2002Q2. The study also examined the asymmetries impact of real oil price change on in? ation. The study used the Johansen (1988) cointegration method and Granger causality test. The main results were that real oil price change has a signi? cant short-run impact on in? ation and becomes more signi? cant when real oil price shock is de? ed in local currency rather than in $US. Furthermore, the impact of real oil price change on in? ation is di? erent across economies in Asia. The real oil price change and in? ation relationship appears to be more signi? cant and more general than the real oil price change and output relationship for Asian countries. For Malaysia, the relationship between real oil price change and in? ation is less signi? cant. Moreover, there is no evidence of Granger causality from real oil price change in $US to in? ation. However, some evidence was found when real oil price change is measured in domestic currency. Also, some evidence was found for the asymmetric impact of real oil price change in $US and in domestic currency on in? ation. Methodology This paper uses data for a time span of 2005 to 2012 to analyze the inflation rate and also uses more data with a span of Jan 2011 to jun2012 to analyze the Consumer Price Index for that particular period in time. Statement Of The Problem The inflation rate in Malaysia has averaged at 2. 77 percent from the year 2005 to 2012. During this period, it would be noted from the graph below that, its highest inflation rate which is measured by Consumer price index was recorded at 8. 00 percent in July 2008. When compared to previous years, it is the highest recorded since 1986. Its lowest was also recorded at -2. 400 percent in July 2009. Exactly a year from the highest recorded.

Factors Effecting Literacy Development

Factors Effecting Literacy Development This essay looks at the development of Literacy from birth to school age including speaking, listening, viewing, reading and writing. It examines how hearing impairment relates to a childs overall Literacy development. Literacy is commonly considered the ability to read and write at a designated level of proficiency. But is more precisely defined as a technical capability to decode or reproduce written or printed signs, symbols, or letters combined into words. Traditionally, literacy has been closely associated with the alphabet and its role in written communication. However, it has become increasingly common to refer to different forms of literacy, such as computer, mathematical, or graphic literacy. Many experts believe that people need a combination of many different forms of literacy in order to meet the demands of modern day life. There are five developmental stages in a growing childs life. It all starts at birth, which is known as infancy, it lasts until age 2. Then there is early childhood which is from ages 2-6, and then comes middle childhood which is from 6-10 years old. Early adolescence is the next stage which spans from 10-14 years old and then late adolescence which is from 14-18 years old. The two stages that stand out most in development to me are middle childhood and late adolescence. From the earliest age in middle childhood to the oldest age in late adolescence, there is an eight year gap. There is so much growing done in between these two stages that the transition is truly remarkable. Emergent Literacy begins in the very early stages of childhood, and is the beginning of Literacy development, involving such activities as reading from pictures and writing with scribbles. Reading a book from memory while turning the pages of the book, develops a childs understanding of books and stories, as well as giving them a sense of accomplishment and pride, and is an important step towards becoming an independent reader. From the day children are born they require a form of communication in order to function adequately in society. A pre-speech baby will use gestures and expressions and babblings to interact with others. A toddler will participate in turn taking to satisfy a need or want. The more pre-schoolers participate in the world, the more they discover that language is useful. The First six years of childrens lives play a crucial part in their development. During this time, childrens brains develop at a astonishing rate. Parents and other family members play a key role i n early development, as their childrens first and most important teachers. Early Literacy development is not considered as teaching a child to read in a formal way, its about helping children to make sense of their world by developing strong oral language skills. Its about valuing home language and culture as building blocks, allowing children to explore the world of literacy. Its about providing lots of positive interactions between childrens older peers and parents. In addition to an environment which is rich in Literacy resources and models language and Literacy for young children to copy. The NWT Literacy council suggests it was generally considered that literacy development belonged mostly in schools, whilst children learnt to read and write. The formal teaching of writing and reading still happens at school, but Literacy doesnt begin when children start to learn the letters of the alphabet, or write their name, or go to school. The foundation for Literacy development begins much earlier- some people say it starts in the womb. The development is acquired thorough children interacting with adults and older children. Also through a childs play and experiences with Literacy resources such as stories, songs, rhymes, crayons, pens and paper. Children with a hearing impairment range from those with a mild hearing impairment to those who are profoundly deaf. They cover the whole ability range. Hearing impairment may be due to conductive or sensory-neural problems. Four categories are generally used: mild, moderate, severe and profound. In education, pupils are considered to have a hearing impairment if they need hearing aids, adaptations to the environment or particular teaching strategies in order to access the curriculum. Serious hearing lost occurs in about two per thousand of the population pg 1 (D, Goldstein) Briggle, S (2005, p.69) makes the point that literacy development for children who have hearing impairment is a multifaceted issue. Within Literacy development there any many parallels to hearing children, as well as some elements which are unique to children who are hearing impaired. It is well recognized that hearing is critical to speech and language development, communication, and learning. Children with listening difficulties due to hearing impairment or auditory processing problems continue to be an underidentified and underserved population. The earlier hearing impairment occurs in a childs life, the more serious the effects on the childs development. Similarly, the earlier the problem is identified and intervention begun, the less serious the ultimate impact. There are four major ways in which hearing impairment affects Literacy development in children. Firstly causing a delay in the development of receptive and expressive communication skills. Language deficit causes learning problems that often result in reduced academic achievement. Communication difficulties can often lead to social isolation, poor self-concept and may impact the childs ability to make choices. Vocabulary also develops more slowly in children who have a hearing impairment. Children with hearing impairment are able to learn concrete words like cat, jump, five, and red more easily than abstract words like before, after, equal to, and jealous. They also have difficulty with function words like the, an, are, and a. The gap between the vocabulary of children with normal hearing and those with hearing impairment widens with age. Children with hearing impairment are not able to catch up without appropriate early intervention. Children with hearing impairment also have difficulty understanding words with multiple meanings. It is common for children with hearing impairment to comprehend and produce shorter and simpler sentences than children with normal hearing. Children with hearing impairment often have difficulty understanding and writing complex sentences, such as those with relative clauses or passive voice. Children with hearing impairment often cannot hear word endings such as -s or -ed. This can lead to misunderstandings and misuse of verb tense, pluralisation and possessives. Children with hearing impairment often cannot hear quiet speech sounds such as s, sh, f, t, and k and therefore do not include them in their speech. Therefore, speech may be difficult to understand. Children with hearing impairment may not hear their own voices when they speak. They may speak too loudly or not loud enough. They may have a speaking pitch that is too high. They may sound like they are mumbling because of poor stress, poor inflection, or poor rate of speaking. Lastly, children with hearing impairment have difficulty with all areas of academic achievement, especially reading and mathematical concepts. Children with mild to moderate hearing impairments, on average, achieve one to four grade levels lower than their peers with normal hearing, unless appropriate management occurs. Children with severe to profound hearing impairment usually achieve skills no higher than Ks3/4, unless appropriate educational intervention occurs early. The gap in academic achievement between children with normal hearing and those with hearing impairment usually widens as they progress through school. The level of achievement is related to parental involvement and the quantity, quality, and timing of the support services children receive. By the age of three years the average normally hearing child has a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words (Bond, D. 1981p.g 19) Children learn this language from what they hear and by the age of three master many grammatical elements of language. The hearing impaired child may not have the advantage of comforting and reassuring sounds within their environment, unless directly directed towards them. Even with the assistance of hearing aids and recent technology advances many hearing impaired children report listening unpleasant. Research into Childrens language acquisition in recent years has provided detailed information on the way in which sentence structures and grammatical systems develop within language. Language acquisition is essentially creative; that is, children deduce for themselves the rules which govern the production and comprehension of language Davison, M. Pg25 The second important factor is that all children learning English seem to follow a very similar pattern of development. In every child there are differences in the rate of acquisition and the precise order in which new structures are required, although there is a clear developmental trend in the way children develop and this can be used when assessing an individual childs language In order to support the development of literacy the government have implemented both initiatives and frameworks. The department for education have introduced and implemented the National Strategy; within this is the Primary Framework for Literacy. The framework is the guideline for all aspects of teaching and literacy development in schools. The National Strategy, which is now part of the Primary National Strategy, has been in place since 1998. In March 2006, Jim Rose released the Independent review of teaching of early reading. This report outlined the principles of high quality work within a language rich curriculum that gives rise to high standards of reading and writing. The Rose report outlined two obvious but linked procedures involved in teaching children to read, the ability to recognise words and the comprehension of language. The Rose review had a huge impact on the teaching of literacy, influencing positively both planning and teaching significantly.

Genetic Engineering Essay -- science

Genetic Engineering Two years ago, genetically engineered bacteria, which unexpectently killed beneficial soil fungi, escaped into sewers through human error and have become toxic to plants and survived when expected not to.3 These are the sorts of consequences that come with playing God. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) - the chemical compound that makes up the genes and determines the type of proteins a cell can make - is the core of genetic engineering. It can be manipulated in ways we could never dream of such as a new species of a catwoman or fishman. There are so many questions that each person must ask each other before making any sort of decision that would effect the future of genetic engineering towards humans. The risks of DNA combinations can be enormous and unexpected such as the formation of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, linkage of DNA molecules with tumour-causing viruses and the introduction of toxin-formation or antibiotic resistant genes.1 Thus all risks must be taken into consideration. Genetic engineering has already been demonstrated in cattle and studies have shown linkage of DNA molecules with ulcers, cancer and heart disease.1 Unfortunately, regulation of biochemical research ethics has been erratic and half-hearted for years. The United States allowed its only national bioethics commission to expire in 1989. 2 As for in-vitro research, the Reagan Administration cancelled federal funding a decade ago. 2 So work in this area has been priv...

In the name of the father Essay

Often a film conveys a message about a character through various film techniques. This is true in the film â€Å"In The Name of the Father†. This story is mainly about a young man who is arrested for a crime he did not commit and how a relationship between father and son deepens throughout the tragedy. The main character, Gerry Conlon, is first portrayed to the viewer as an unruly rebel but is later developed into a more docile and compliant character. The director, Jim Sheridon, uses film techniques such as costume design, dialogue and extended metaphors to convey the development of Gerry as a character. 1st paragraph: -1st time we see gerry, scruffy, uncut -costume design – baggy jeans, long hair, dirty appearance -gives idea that gerry doesn’t care about his appearance or what people think of him -as film progresses he sharpens up appearance -combed pulled back hair 2nd: -change also shown through dialogue -lawyer asks him if he is scared of the court: -he replies â€Å"i just don’t want to be humiliated again† -this brief piece of dialogue shows that he has now changed and does care what others think of him -helps viewer understand how desperate an innocent man can be in the fight for justice 3rd: -use of extended metaphor -viewer sees lawyer gareth pierce driving through a long tunnel while listening to gerrys story -this could be viewed as an extended metaphor for the long dark road gerry has gone down while fighting the legal system -as the story draws to a conclusion she reaches the end of the tunnel, or the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ -could refer to the point in the story where gerry and the others are finally set free. Read more:  My Father Goes to Court by Carlos Bulosan

Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue

Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue Introduction Religion is a concept that has been frequently used to denote the spiritual dominance and practices of Christians. It sets itself apart from the portrayal of worldly perceptions and knowledge. In fact, it is doubted whether those who do not embrace and worship ghost, divinity, or other spirits, and those who have the essential and natural vision on humanity should search for divine knowledge.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is always difficult to understand Christian teachings because understanding how God exists is also not easy. Based on biblical teachings, there are supernatural and natural beings. Understanding these characters is essential for spiritual nurturing. According to White and Cessario (2001), good religious studies and personal convictions are thus very necessary in nurturing spiritual faith. Considering these two concepts in our everyday undertakings is important in advancing the faith of an individual and groups. It is not possible to please the Almighty where there is no faith and gracious actions. In the bible, Enoch justified the act of faith and delighted God. Faith imparts life to the spirit of individuals and any spiritual task that is accomplished without faith generates transgression. Therefore, the Lord considers those who lack the faith to be lifeless in everything they do. In the bible, any faithless individual is compared to the adorned picture that is dull but depicts that object. Conversely, the spiritual believes that lack affection appears to be wonderful and is not absurd before man. Although the faithless responsibilities might be sparkling before human sights, they hardly pervade the everlasting life according to God. Such responsibilities are perceptive and obscure because they are of good quality and spirited effects, but are not predetermined according to biblical teachings. It is, therefore, imperative to base our knowledge on St Augustine’s teachings that there can be no virtue without faith. Being Righteous, Sinless and Gracious Faith is hardly acknowledged where there are no righteous virtues since it may not be instilled without gracious acts. Faith and grace are normally linked up to create real virtue. For one to be righteous, it is important to embrace and live a sinless life because this will lead to faith nourishment. In fact, gracious acts facilitate the faith we possess in Christ and help us to be accepted by God.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, in the bible, a robber who endured pain alongside Jesus had strong faith in Christ and believed in God. The gracious God later forgave the thug and cleansed him of his sins because he had faith (White and Cessario, 2001). Hence, the Bible teaches that spiritual nourishment cannot lack life, but life can be without the nourishment of self-righteousness. Nobody who sins before God and fails to repent is righteous. As the Bible asserts, the Almighty may not be gracious or have mercy on such a sinful person. Being Virtuous and Having Faith in God According to the biblical teachings, man is obligated to have faith to nurture the good virtue in him. It is true that people who excel by executing their desired virtues have no everlasting life. Like the biblical burglar, he had no desirable qualities but repented before God and was granted time to live. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that God will not hear excuses and objections from any man who sins and waits to be forgiven after the time for repenting have elapsed. The Bible affirms that it is the only faith that will save everyone from the bondage of sin (Zschokke, 1830). However, salvation is going astray when we fail to acknowledge faith and dispense our lives to the virtues relatin g to bad qualities. The Bible claims that no good feature in man can be available to an endless life that lacks faith. Thus, our work cannot justify our actions, but rather our faith may help us to acquire the desired and prospective virtues. The tendencies that are present in the course of good personal acts are human virtue. Faith represents the devotion itself, therefore we have fashioned and indistinct faith. A fashioned faith entails two things namely perfecting it and believing it. All these are the proceeds from intelligence confirmed by the authority of our will. However, indistinct faith is not a virtue and does not necessitate precision on the part of man’s willpower. Besides, the Bible teaches that temperament would not be a virtue if cautions were not there to coherently control and determine the power of man. Hence, all practices that possess values of excellent human accomplishments are virtues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Without F aith, There Can be no True Virtue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This implies that any spiritual object pertaining to faith is beyond human explanations (Zschokke, 1830). God reveals these spiritual objects since they are outside the deliberation of God’s creatures. Not unless, you have sturdy faith to envy good virtues then God can reveal them to humanity. It is clear that God inculcates convention in people whose achievements are higher than their temperaments (St Thomas Aquinas, 2000). St Augustine Teachings on Faith According to St Augustine, there can be no good care held where faith is not present. One must not imagine that a man will possibly do some finer action without faith. Thus, we ought not to lay down the first-class mechanism before affection. Although men take these occupations as admirable honor, to God they are of no value and not acceptable. A faithless person is like a horse competing out of the system way and u ndergoing an enormous work without any intention (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). Consequently, if one had faith in God, he safeguards the virtue he has as an individual. It is for this reason that where there is no faith there is no excellent livelihood. Augustine saw that faith must control the intention of a man to have good qualities. Jesus Christ said that his entire body was darkness if his eyes were nothing. Here, the eyeball signified the intention as specified by Augustine. In fact, there is no smile if a man does something with godly intention. Such actions leave one without good grace in that there is a lack of affection when we are working in love. Measuring good virtues should not be by the facts themselves, but by the aim of the results for doing so (Aquinas, 2009). One may think he or she is implementing a proper virtue, yet it is an activity directly relating to a vice. It is not just before God for one to feed the hungry and dress the naked without having faith, respect, and love for Him. Otherwise, this pleasing quality is unproductive, worthless, and dead in the face of the Lord. St Augustine demands that whether one fades or not, a faithless grace is nothing. The allegation is true in that faith does speak well about the work of God. Whereas we can fell to good virtues in building strong relations, we are hopeless without faith in Christ. Faith works well with charity. Therefore, it is important for an individual to have faith to set a stable foundation in God (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). It is in faith where we pass all other virtues like righteousness, self-control, knowledge, and influence as Augustine reveals. Without faith, we only have the shadows and name of these good virtues, but not the commitment itself. Moreover, in the livelihood of those missing true faith, there is sin and waste. It relates to the author of integrity and the dishonest virtue that occurs where there is no faith in God even if the qualities of an individual are the bes t.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In St Augustine’s statement, the pagans, Jews, and the heretics fed and dressed the poor. However, their work of good care was hopeless because they did it without faith. He compared them to a turtle who had found a nest for keeping her young birds so that they could not be lost. It was clear that if one had faith in God, he could protect the virtue he has individually. Similarly, the nest signifies the faith that protects the birds (Aquinas, 2009). Thus, we can also safeguard our loyalty through faith so that our rewards remain unbroken. Justification of Augustine’s Disputes by Other Saints The spirit of having good virtues where faith is absent was in dispute by St Augustine. St Ambrose justified that by explaining the ordinary strength of the character that survives the vices. One would beautify up the time of faithless life and achieve the impossible virtues. He challenged that without faith no respect to the true God. As a result, any person is inevitable to confu se a virtue for a vice (Saint Thomas Aquinas, n.d). St Chrysostom John wrote that many of the descendants lacking faith in them are not in the group of Christ. They may prosper in good works of kindness, have fairness, and always come out in care and sympathy, yet their work yield no fruit because they lack faith. He linked this to the story where the Jews asked Jesus concerning what they should do to be righteous. All he did was to call for faith in the work of the Lord. One should believe, and immediate faith becomes complete in him. Through this, he shall thrive in good virtues in that not anything is excellent without faith. St Chrysostom in the same way insisted that one is lifeless when he excels and shines in good works without God’s faith (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). It further shows having the valuable and godly burial place whilst attaining nothing from them. Conclusion In general, one should have a strong faith to have the pleasing virtues. The moral standards result ing from good features are linked with one another. Moreover, it is not normal for the open principles like grace, love, and faith to come to mind without charity. Compassionate faith cannot keep on living without moral virtues. The inquiry about charity, hopefulness, and sincerity direct us to the conclusion that there can be no charity without hope and faith. If one has faith in God, he preserves the good virtue he has in character. Therefore, without faith, we only have the shades and names of these good virtues, but not the commitment. It is the only faith that will save everyone from the oppression of sin. Salvation is going lost when we take no notice of faith and give out our lives to the virtues relating to bad qualities. Thus, faith is essential for true virtue in all spiritual aspects. Reference List Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica: Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Alabama: Mobile Reference Press, 2009. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica Complet e. Cairo: Library of Alexandria, n.d. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica: Second Section. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2007. St. Thomas Aquinas. The Summa Theologica. Raleigh: Hayes Barton Press, 2000. White, Kevin, and Romanus Cessario. On the Virtues. Washington: CUA Press, 2001. Zschokke, Johann. Hours of Devotion for the Promotion of True Christianity and Family Worship. London: Oxford University, 1830.