Animals and Myriad Ways they can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 1

Animals and Myriad Ways they can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example Introduction A lot of animals in this world are poisonous. Often they come in direct conflict with humans and become the cause of death and partial or total paralysis. This is the reason man has hated these animals for centuries. By making these animals useful, present advancement of science and technologies has changed this preconceived notion. Some of these animals are snakes, spiders, and scorpions. This paper reviews the benefits that are derived from venoms of these animals, the process of processing venom and the diseases they cure. Venom ejected by snakes can be broadly classified into four groups. These are neurotoxins, sitotoxins, hemotoxins and miotoxins. In the majority of cases, neurotoxic venom is related to the nervous system, hemotoxins is related to blood and vascular tissues and miotoxins is a combination of both neurotoxic and hemotoxic venoms. Cobra is one of those snakes whose venom is used for therapeutic purposes. Venom ejected by cobra can be classified as a ne urotoxin, a compound that affects nervous systems of human beings. Reference to cobra venom can be traced to Chinese civilization and Vedas. During the early 1900’s cobra venom was largely used as a medicine to treat people with depression, back pain, headaches and menstrual pain (The Therapeutic Uses of Cobras’ Venom Neurotoxins, n.d.). ... The homeopathic physicians prescribe venom of Asian Cobra (Naja tripudians), but in practice, venom from all types of cobra from Middle East to Philippines is taken and processed (The Therapeutic Uses, n.d.). Medical use Since 1960, snakes venom has acquired an important place in medical treatment. The compounds present in snake venom affect muscle contraction by enhancement of the hormone Bradykinin. This hormone is responsible for dilatation the blood vessels. â€Å"The peptides present in venom transform angiotensin I into another peptide, angiotensin II, which also supports constriction†. When the Bradykinin as well as other peptides are blocked, the process of ‘blood vessel constriction’ no longer functions. Only the process of dilatation takes place. This makes snake venom an effective and alternative treatment for treating symptoms of hypertension. In spite of not being a medical drug, peptide present in snake venom contains numerous chemical features which make â€Å"it indispensible for heart attacks, neurological disorders, diseases related to blood†. Some drugs that are processed from venom of snakes are Lisinopril, Enalapril, Defibrase and Captopril. More extensive use of snake venom is utilized in treating problems related with blood cells. Snake venom has also helped in development of non- peptide compounds like Aggrastat by using ‘disintegrin’, which is a toxin present in the venoms of saw- scaled viper found in Africa. The compound functions by binding fibrinogen receptors present in blood onto platelets which is performed by disintegrin, thus performing the function of a coagulant. Some compounds in snake venom, like ‘Ancrod’ enzyme of Calloselasma rhodostoma also functions as

Estimating and purchasing cost control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Estimating and purchasing cost control - Essay Example In this approach, the design package is reviewed and fully comprehended followed by the performance of a quantity survey of the scope of the project in question. In case little or no design and plan information is available, the Order-of-Magnitude Estimates approach is highly recommended. However, it is imperative that the contractor ensures he/she has all the requisite information to ensure accurate estimation of the cost of a construction project. This paper explores the type of information useful in the estimation of the cost of redeveloping a storey building near a river and the implications of the absence of competition in the cost estimation and the bidding processes for the contract. Information for Construction Project Cost Estimation There are several factors on which the successful completion, accessibility and utilization of a construction project hinges. These factors include the level or quality of engineering work that goes into a project and the survival of the contrac ting business that accompanies a project. Also, the market competition and the ability of a company and its contract management are equally important to the success of construction projects (Garold & Trost, 2001). More affected by the above factors are construction projects and redevelopment projects along water bodies such as rivers and lakes. It is thus of the essence that construction contractors and managers look into these various factors so that they strategically compete and win tenders by accurately estimating and mitigating project risks and costs. Importantly, such a strategic planning and estimation of project risks and costs would be quite integral to the quality of construction projects, more so with regard to project monitoring and control for the realization of project goals. In this strategic cost estimation and risk analysis, contract manager should consider the current national and international contract and construction laws, regulations, design documents, technic al standards and engineering safety requirements (Garold & Trost, 2001). The Case Study It is quite apparent that construction firms and contract managers involved in construction projects along, next or adjacent to rivers are exposed to a rather wide range of construction risks especially form their work environment. Besides the primary risk of flooding, other construction risks in construction projects near water bodies include site drainage, plant operations, bad ground condition, site accessibility and tidal impact. However, it should be acknowledged that even these construction projects will definitely have far reaching influences on these water bodies. Examples of the effects of construction projects on rivers that construction projects and managers should be conversant with are reduced water levels, change in local water body regime, navigational effects, environmental pollution and scour on siltation. From these risks and effects, it is quite clear that projects and contract managers should arm themselves with the right skills and competencies to help them identify, estimate and manage risks and the associated costs. One way of