Strategic Financing for Discussion Essay Example for Free

Strategic Financing for Discussion Essay Preferred stock is defined as a type equity that has priority over common stock in terms of dividend payment and asset distribution in the event of liquidation. Basically it is a hybrid security that actually shares features with both debt and common stock. Further, it has the following features, convertibility to common stock, nonvoting right, and callability at the corporation’s option. However, its usage does not actually increase the probability of the firm’s bankruptcy. It pays dividend just like common stock out of the firm’s after-tax income (Brigham Houston, 2009). In case the preferred stock does not have a stated date of maturity, its cost is determined using the following formula (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Cost of the Preferred Stock = the dividend on Preferred stock/ (Price of Preferred stock/1-Flotation Costs) Whereby the price of preferred stock is basically the current market value while the floatation costs are the preferred stock’s underwriting costs which are usually given as a percentage. Firms that use preferred stock should include its cost in their weighted average cost of capital (WACC) formula (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Three publicly-traded companies that have preferred stock in their capital structure include: American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ: AGNC) This is mortgage REIT that basically invests in agency securities that their interest and principal payments are usually guaranteed by US Government-sponsored entity (Federal National Mortgage Association) and the US Government agency (Government National Mortgage Association) Wells Fargo and Company             This is an American multinational company that deals in banking and financial servicers hence providing mortgage, banking, credit card, insurance, investing, and commercial and consumer financial services. Bank of America Corporation             This is an American multinational corporation that deals in banking and financial services and is has its headquarter in Charlotte, North Carolina. References Brigham, E. F., Houston, J. F. (2009). Fundamentals of financial management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Brigham, E. F., Ehrhardt, M. C. (2013). Financial management: Theory and practice. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Source document

Living in Texas vs Louisiana Essay Example for Free

Living in Texas vs Louisiana Essay Texas is the second most populous and the second-largest of the 50 states in the United States of America, and the largest state in the 48 contiguous United States (Wikipedia, Texas, 2013). Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America and is the 31st most extensive and the 25th most populous of the 50 United States ((Wikipedia, Louisiana, 2013). Texas and Louisiana are two different areas in the United States to live that have many diverse ways of living. Between both states, Texas is easier to live in than Louisiana because of the differences in culture, economy, and climate. The name Texas is based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or alliesand was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas (Wikipedia, Etymology, 2013). Texas has many variations of cultures that reside within the state and these culture’s range from caucasian (white), african american (black), and spanish american (hispanic). The state also has other forms of cultures too but the ones I named are the main ethnicity that you see on a daily basis. Texas has many assortments of cultures which makes the state a equal opportunity for many cultures to advance in numerous areas of employment. The cultures in Texas always interacted with one another in different areas of living and would live in the same areas has another race and would become friends. They would go to school together and enjoy it, grocery shop at the same stores with no problems, and get gas at the same gas stations as everyone else. The races in Texas might have their differences between one another but would still except the fact that everyone has to do the same daily activities as anyone else. Louisiana was named after Louis XIV, King of France from 1643–1715. Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France, and named it La Louisiane, meaning Land of Louis (Wikipedia, Toponym, 2013). Louisiana is mainly made up of caucasian’s and african american’s and the races do not mix very well. The way that I remember it when I live in Tallulah, Louisiana was that their was a railroad track that divided the small town into two different sections. The black’s lived on one side of the railroad tracks and the whites lived on the other side. There is only a few ways that the races interacted with one another and they were by achieving the same education from the same small town schools, grocery shopping at the only grocery store in the town, and at the few gas stations that were by the main highway. The ways the cultures had to interact with one another were not by choice but by having to so they could live their life’s and meet their ways of living in society. You would never see the cultures become friends and if they did they only showed it in the areas that they were allowed to be around each other in the town and that would consist of the places I named that you would see the two cultures together but not by choice. I was friends with everyone and did not understand why this small town lived the way that it did. I would love to go back to that town today to see if the ways of living has changed at all or if it stayed the same. I was only in fourth and fifth grade when I lived there. Texas’s large population, abundance of natural resources, thriving cities and leading centers of higher education have contributed to a large and diverse economy. Since oil was discovered, the states economy has reflected the state of the petroleum industry. In 2010, Site Selection Magazine ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state in the nation, in part because of the states three-billion-dollar Texas Enterprise Fund. Texas has the joint-highest number of Fortune 500 company headquarters in the United States, along with California. As of 2010, Texas had a gross state product (GSP) of $1. 207 trillion, is the second highest in the U.  S. , and is the fourth-largest of any country subdivision globally. As of April 2012, the states unemployment rate is only at 6. 5% (Wikipedia, Economy of Texas, 2013). Texas’s economy has went through the recession just like any other state but has started to rise out of the recession because of the land of oil industry that has hit its highest point since when I lasted lived in the state. The state of Texas I think is the busiest of many states because of its high demand of employment for the oil industry. The jobs are anywhere from secretary employment to a derrick man on the rig itself drilling the oil out of the ground. Every position has its own way of being very important. I miss living in this state because of how big the state is and the different areas of employment that is available. Texas does hit rock bottom but will always find a way out to rise above other states. Louisiana’s state principal is agricultural products which include seafood, cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, and rice. The seafood industry is its biggest producer of crawfish in the world, supplying approximately 90% and directly supports an estimated 16,000 jobs. Louisiana industry generates chemical products, petroleum and coal products, processed foods and transportation equipment, and paper products. Tourism is an important element in the economy, especially in the New Orleans area. The total gross state product in 2010 for Louisiana was US $213. 6 billion, placing it 24th in the nation. Its per capita personal income is $30,952, ranking 41st in the United States. As of January 2010, the states unemployment rate was 7. 4% and an African American is three times as likely as a white person to be unemployed in Louisiana (Wikipedia, Economy, 2013). In Louisiana the Caucasian race has a higher play in job placement before African Americans which I do not think is right but every state has its differences. The white race runs most of the environment in Louisiana but the black’s make up the other part that is left to run. When you walk into different stores in Louisiana most of them are owned by Caucasians but blacks may be a part of the team by being an employee. If you do see a black own a place in Louisiana it is only because he fought and showed his abilities to become somebody. Seafood is a way to isolated Louisiana from any other state and it makes a lot of income from producing there different seafood products throughout the United States but the seafood industry does not pay as high as the oil field industry does in Texas. The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state highly variable weather. The Panhandle of the state has colder winters than North Texas, while the Gulf Coast has mild winters. Texas has wide variations in precipitation patterns (Wikipedia, Climate of Texas, 2013). The city I lived in was San Antonio, the summers were hot and the winters were mild. The rainy season is between the months of January and February. I loved the summers of Southern Texas because they are longer than the winters and are able to wear light clothing. The winters sometimes would get really cold but for the most part it was mild and easy to convert over to the climate change. In San Antonio it has only snowed a few times and since I have been born I only remember once when it snowed and it only stayed for a couple of hours because the climate in Southern Texas is warmer than other states. Louisiana has a humid subtropical climate, perhaps the most classic example of a humid subtropical climate of all the South-central states. It has long, hot, humid summers and short, mild winters (Wikipedia, Climate, 2013). The summers and winters are similar in ways to Texas but the winters could be very cold and it does snow in Louisiana and the temperatures in the winter are a lot colder than in Texas. I remember when my mom drove in the snow in Louisiana but I cannot recall a time when she has ever driven in the snow in Texas where we lived. It does snow in Texas but in the northern part by the Panhandle.

Organizational Culture In The Nestle Company Commerce Essay

Organizational Culture In The Nestle Company Commerce Essay Nestle has well-built business culture which is mirrored by the business logo itself. The logo, Good Food Good Life which is all the time affixed to its merchandise is the major direction for every activity inside the business. Nestle considers that good food is the chief basis of good health throughout life therefore it always sets nutrition, health and wellness as the centre of its business. The corporation tries to additionally expand and stress on these aspects. These three things Nutrition, Health and Wellness can be seen in all Nestle products and in the business mission statement additionally. (Ali et al (2009)) Talking regarding the corporation culture which is associated its people formation; Nestle has the culture of group determined and open gate policy which turn out to be one of its corporate strong points. The company emphasizes on collectivism and presentation direction approach to support workforce to work harder (Ali et al, 2009). Strategic Purpose Mission of Nestle is to create superior food so that individuals live a better life. There is an obvious association among this mission statement and the corporation logo. Since what the company trusts in, it struggles to bring customers foods that are safe, of high-class and offer finest nutrition to meet physiological requirements. Additionally it as well brings the essential ingredients of taste and satisfaction. Nestlà ©s corporate goal is to be the worlds major and best branded food producer, whereas ensuring that the Nestlà © name is identical with products of the uppermost class (Nestle Corporate Objective, 2009). It proves that Nestle has accomplished one element of its corporate goal which is to be the worlds biggest producer. This goal is associated to another objective of Nestle which is the company requirements to make certain that the product creates value that can be continued over the long-standing for shareholders, workforce, customers, business partners and the national economies in which Nestle functions. The major concern of Nestle is to give nutritional value for the consumers. Thats the reason in the website of the corporation, its obviously stated that Nestle is the worlds leading Nutrition, Health along with Wellness company; The CEO of Nestle, Paul Bulcke once believed that the goal is to be renowned as the head in the Nutrition, Health and Wellness and as the indication for financial performance, trusted by all stakeholders. Industry Analysis The threat of entry On the surface, people may believe that food along with beverages industry is reasonably easy to go into. This is right if the thoughtfulness is just regarding the capital needs. The capital necessity of entrance is not elevated therefore allow many parties to open their business in this business. This view is as well supported by the reality that numerous brands are occupying the shelves of supermarket or merchant. However if more aspects are taken into deliberation the danger of admission for food and beverages industry is reasonably high (medium level); The danger of entrance is affected by numerous factors which are economies of degree, capital needs, admittance to provide or allocation means, consumer of supplier reliability, skill, expected retaliation, legislation or government action and isolation (Johnson et al, 2005). For this business there is no detailed government legislation that oversees the entry of new entrants. The actuality is that there are numerous big players subsist in this industry and they are at international level which means the retribution is extremely huge. These big players have wide product lines and they have worldwide marketing approach that those local brands are not able to vie with. These large companies as well have a benefit in term of getting economies of level. They have further experiences to provide them benefit in terms of cost, client and supplier reliability. (Fong, Kathy (2007)) Threat of Substitute Threat of substitute is elevated in the food and beverages manufacturing. There are numerous alternatives existing that might decrease needs for company in the food and beverages manufacturing. To recognize the risk of the industry, the company cant simply stare at close alternative. Risk can be measured using price/performance relation and additional industry outcomes. There is a propensity for food and beverages producers to product wide variety of products. These products may compete with one or more to increase market share. It signifies that they turn out to be alternative for each other. For instance Nestle Koko Krunch Cereal can be the alternative for Nestle Nesvita cereal drink because both of them are planned for breakfast utilization. Since Nestle is providing not all types of food and beverages, those unoffered types may operate as the alternatives for the Nestle products. For instance Nestle has coffee in its product lines which is Nescafe; the alternative for it can be the soft drinks which are not in the collection of Nestle. In this matter the alternatives are as well very wide. For various food for example baby food, the alternative can be breastfeed which is free and present same or higher significance. (Fong, Kathy (2007)) Strategic Directions and Corporate Level Strategies of Nestle Corporate level strategy is as well tackling with the product range, international diversity, corporate organizing roles and management of range (Johnson et al, 2005). It is robustly associated to the strategic course of the company. Nestle applied international diversity which signifies it differentiates its products based on the local market and rivalry. The instance has been given in the chapter earlier than which shows the Nestle capability in adapting itself to the local market. (Jones, David (2008)) In choosing the corporate strategy a corporate might denote Boston Matrix, Ansoff Matrix or employ an easy SWOT analysis to set up where the corporation is and in which way it wishes to lead. Under is the BCG portfolio matrix for Nestle SBU. The categorization is based on the presentation of the SBU (the profit it generated to Nestle). Strategic course or development directions are strategic alternatives presented to an association in terms of products and market exposure (Johnson et al, 2005). There are 4 strategic development directions which are: protect/build product growth, market development and alteration Nestle has completed the 4 strategies. In current years, the company has followed a strategy of extension and transformation throughout attainment and divestment to attain a more balanced formation to the business. Product development is the major way of Nestle and made by the company RD team. While what a director of Nestle said renewal is to keep rapidity in the industry; company requirements to alter as a minimum as fast as consumer anticipation. Innovation is to uphold the leadership situation; to go faster and go further than what clients will tell (Nestle SWOT analysis, 2005). These 2 strategies are planned for internal expansion to attain higher volumes. In 2005, Nestlà ©s ice cream business element for the China Region launched 29 new products to attract more consumers having its worth enhanced (Nestle Attacks with New Products, 2005). Conclusion Conducting industry analysis is very significant every time a company needs to go into new market. Porter 5 forces along with industry life cycle are have-to-do analysis before making choice. Though for the existing companies particularly large extent companies, they require to pay attention to the prospect changes that might occur in the industry since these changes will impact the operation of the company in the business surroundings. Nestle as the leader in the food and beverages manufacturing has its own set of competencies that permit it to overcome the largest market share and left the competitors at the back. The centre competencies or strategic capacity of the company should fit what the most significant factors in shaping the achievement of the business are. It means that the centre competencies should be capable let the company to maintain its competitive benefits. (Bà ¤r et al (2004)) Portfolio matrix helps the business in shaping how to assign the investment based on the SBU. By understanding this, the company knows the way it should go. This is associated to the issues of market penetration, consolidation, product growth and diversification.

Essay --

â€Å"Mom don’t shut off my music!† is one of the most abused phrases teenagers use while attempting to do homework or study for a test. For some, the music works perfectly as a study aid. For others, there is a struggle to comprehend the academic material with background noise going on. The benefits and disadvantages of listening to music and its impacts upon the mind have long been a subject of fascination for humans. Philosophers studied music and its effects on the body and mind back in Ancient Greece, and scientists along with researchers continue to grapple with these finds to this day. The example of students listening to music, in particular, has been a source of contention between scientists, teachers, parents, and youth. Music has physiological and psychological effects on the body, which can improve humans’ ability to take in information to perform well in school in addition to improving cognitive abilities overall. While some types of music may have m ore beneficial effects than others, research has shown that music can have a strong impact on brain function. Music’s positive effects on the mind have been shown through numerous research studies, Greek philosophical ideas, and personal anecdotes. One of the questions that scientists have looked into is whether or not the type of music a student listens to, has a differential impact upon their work. For example, would Katy Perry’s â€Å"Roar† be more or less helpful to listen to while studying than Bach’s â€Å"Trio in D Minor†? Curious researchers looked into these differences and concluded that music with lyrics requires more brain attention because those lyrics have to be processed, thus taking attention away from the academic knowledge the person is trying to acquire. However, musi... ...s increasing cognitive function, particularly in studying, are undeniable. From aspiring artists who influence our grades, to scientists in the lab deepening their understand of the effect those pop artists have on people getting those grades, music’s ability to influence the human mind is fascinating. Scientific research has shown over and over again that instrumental music can be a powerful tool to increase focus, memory, and healing. In addition to the ancient Greeks who provided us with this way of thinking, scientific understanding of music has advanced on a multitude of levels and is growing exponentially by the years. It definitely influences our daily cognitive thinking not to mention allowing us to start our day fresh. So the next time a teenager yells, â€Å"Mom, don’t turn off my music†, perhaps parents should stop and consider the benefits the music may have. Essay -- â€Å"Mom don’t shut off my music!† is one of the most abused phrases teenagers use while attempting to do homework or study for a test. For some, the music works perfectly as a study aid. For others, there is a struggle to comprehend the academic material with background noise going on. The benefits and disadvantages of listening to music and its impacts upon the mind have long been a subject of fascination for humans. Philosophers studied music and its effects on the body and mind back in Ancient Greece, and scientists along with researchers continue to grapple with these finds to this day. The example of students listening to music, in particular, has been a source of contention between scientists, teachers, parents, and youth. Music has physiological and psychological effects on the body, which can improve humans’ ability to take in information to perform well in school in addition to improving cognitive abilities overall. While some types of music may have m ore beneficial effects than others, research has shown that music can have a strong impact on brain function. Music’s positive effects on the mind have been shown through numerous research studies, Greek philosophical ideas, and personal anecdotes. One of the questions that scientists have looked into is whether or not the type of music a student listens to, has a differential impact upon their work. For example, would Katy Perry’s â€Å"Roar† be more or less helpful to listen to while studying than Bach’s â€Å"Trio in D Minor†? Curious researchers looked into these differences and concluded that music with lyrics requires more brain attention because those lyrics have to be processed, thus taking attention away from the academic knowledge the person is trying to acquire. However, musi... ...s increasing cognitive function, particularly in studying, are undeniable. From aspiring artists who influence our grades, to scientists in the lab deepening their understand of the effect those pop artists have on people getting those grades, music’s ability to influence the human mind is fascinating. Scientific research has shown over and over again that instrumental music can be a powerful tool to increase focus, memory, and healing. In addition to the ancient Greeks who provided us with this way of thinking, scientific understanding of music has advanced on a multitude of levels and is growing exponentially by the years. It definitely influences our daily cognitive thinking not to mention allowing us to start our day fresh. So the next time a teenager yells, â€Å"Mom, don’t turn off my music†, perhaps parents should stop and consider the benefits the music may have.

Freedom :: essays research papers fc

Freedom? Kate Chopin's The Awakening is a story of Edna Pontellier, wife and mother. It is a novel about the choices one will makes to protect one's personal freedom. The story is based on a time in history when women did just what they were expected to do. They were expected to be good daughters, good wives, and good mothers. A woman was expected to move from the protection of her father's roof to the protection of her husband. Edna, our protagonist, doesn’t fit this mold. She searches to find her place in a constraining society, one that doesn’t allow for a woman to have freedom. Personal freedom is freedom from the confines of society, oneself, and finally freedom within one’s soul. As the book begins, Edna is a married woman who seems vaguely satisfied with her life, and cannot find true happiness. She is bound by the confines of a loveless marriage, unfulfilled, unhappy, and locked away like a caged bird. During her summer at Grand Isle she is confronted with herself in her truest nature, and she is swept away by passion and love for someone she cannot have, Robert Lebrun. She begins to realize that she can play roles other than wife and mother. We watch as she struggles to determine how to act on the things she is feeling, the eternal conflict she is dealing with. She wants to understand her need for personal freedom, a freedom that questions conventional demands of both men and women. We watch in the novel as Edna finds her freedom initially in the ocean. In the beginning she does not know how to swim, but she learns and through this learning feels what it is like to have freedom. In the water she is not captive and held down by the world around her. She sees she is capable of doing this on her own, that she is strong and powerful and independent. Edna’s self-discovery awakens her, and she is able to greet her own soul, a soul filled with passion, sexuality, and strength. The images of nature, which serve as a symbol for freedom of the soul, are brought about when Edna speaks of growing up on a Mississippi plantation where life was simple, blissful, and peaceful. Edna remembers life when she was young, engulfed in nature and freedom, â€Å"The hot wind beating in my face made me think-without any connection that I can trace-of a summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than her waist.

Sexism in Film Essay example -- Film

In society, women are often perceived as the weaker sex, both physically and mentally. In modern times women have leveled the playing field between men and women, and feminism is a highly discussed topic, but for years, women faced discrimination and prejudice both in life and in the workplace, due to their sex. This way of thinking flooded into the world of film. In their works, the authors of each of the various sources address the limitations and liberations of women both on and off the screen in nineteenth century Film and Cinema. Not every source is completely filled with information related to the research topic, but they do cover and analyze many of the same points from different perspectives. Prominent points addressed in each source include the domination of the male voice in cinema, the presentation of women on screen, and society’s influence on the status of women roles in film. A common concept in a lot of the sources is that men dominate the film industry both onscreen and off. According to the article, Why There are no Women in the Movies, â€Å"men make the movies and the relationships and roles are molded according to the male viewpoint† (Yates 226). This, in relation to the other sources, is a very valid fact. Coinciding with his point, Hollywood Film Critic, Richard Corliss states in his TIME Magazine article, Calling Their Own Shots: Women Directors Make it in Hollywood, that â€Å"the guys ran things—as producers, directors, bosses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Men were behind the scenes, they decided what scripts got chosen to be made into films. They were the heads of production companies and producers of the films. Whatever they said†¦went. Men were not only in charge of what was going on onscreen, but they monopolized off-screen positions as we... ...e. â€Å"The Allure of the Predatory Woman in Fatal Attraction and Other Current American Movies.† Journal of Popular Culture 26.3 (Winter 1992): 47-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 March 2015. Mahar, Karen Ward. Women Filmmakers in Early Hollywood. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2006. Print Pomerance, Murray, ed. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls: Gender in Film at the End of the Twentieth Century. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. Print. Quart, Barbara Koenig. Women Directors: The Emergence of a New Cinema. New York: Praeger, 1988. Print.. Segar, Linda. When Women Call The Shots: The Developing Power and Influence of Women in Television and Film. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. Print. Yates, John. â€Å"Why There are no Women in the Movies.† Journal of Popular Film 4.3 (1975): 223-234. America: History & Life. Web. 13 March 2015.

Bacteriophages Vs Antibiotics

Bacteriophages are actually viruses highly specialized to attack bacterial cells while doing no harm to animal cells. When a phage discovers a bacterium to which it possesses the correct key—that is, suitable receptors on the bacterial cell to which the phage can attach its tentacle-like extensions—then the phage will inject its hereditary DNA into the bacteria cell. Taking over the bacterial cell's biochemical apparatus, the phage produces hundreds of phage copies, rupturing the cell. As the victim cell dies, the released phage copies attack any remaining bacterial cells like a pack of hungry wolves (Reidel).Advantages The advantages of the therapy are obvious. Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed. Once all phage-susceptible bact eria have been killed, phages are eliminated from the body. The most apparent benefit of phage therapy is that although bacteria are able to develop resistance to phages the resistance is much easier to overcome.The reason behind this is that phages replicate and undergo natural selection and have probably been infecting bacteria since the beginning of life on this planet. Although bacteria evolve at a fast rate, so too will phages. Bacteria are most likely to modify the molecule that the phage targets, which is usually a bacterial receptor. In response to this modification phages will evolve in such a way that counteracts this change, thus allowing them to continue targeting bacteria and causing cell lysis.As a consequence phage therapy is likely to be devoid of the problems similar to antibiotic resistance. Increasing evidence shows the ability of phages to travel to a required site — including the brain, where the blood brain barrier can be crossed — and multiply in the presence of an appropriate bacterial host, to combat problems such as meningitis. However the patient's immune system can, in some cases mount an immune response to the phage (2 out of 44 patients in a Polish trial (Carson)).Development and production is faster than antibiotics, on condition that the required recognition molecules are known. Disadvantages According to Reidel, the phages' high specificity, with which they look for their bacterial victims, is at the same time also their therapeutic Achilles' heel. Therefore, either a cocktail containing many different types of phages must be developed by the infection control specialist, or a phage effective against the specific pathogen of each patient must be custom-made through detailed microbiological analytical work.Western regulatory authorities tend to loathe recognizing such manually manufactured anti-infective agents as medicines, which explains why currently phage therapy is routinely only available at phage therapy cen ters in Georgia (part of former Russia), Europe and Poland. However, the Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas, has started to treat patients. For chronic infections due to multi-resistant pathogens, phage therapy could become a kind of miracle medicine. Wikipedia condends that Bacteriophage therapy is generally very safe; however fevers can occur with phage treatment.This is thought to be caused by endotoxins released by the bacteria within the patient after they have been lysed by the phage (Herxheimer Reaction), of course this can happen with antibiotics also. Additionally care has to be performed in manufacture that the phage medium isn't contaminated with bacterial fragments and endotoxins from the production process. It is beneficial if testing on animals is performed to ensure safety. Lysogenic bacteriophages are also thought to be risky, and are now seldom used therapeutically.These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resi stance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic. To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. Finally, some non therapeutic (lysogenic) phages transfer genes between bacteria that code for pathogenicity, notable in cholera. This makes it important to identify the phages being used to show that they are not harmful ones. What are ANTIBIOTICS?An antibiotic, according to Wikipedia, is a drug that kills or prevents the growth of bacteria. They have no effect against viruses or fungal infections. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections. The term, coined by Selman Waksman, originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms, in contrast to â€Å"chemotherapeutic ag ents†, which are purely synthetic.Nowadays the term â€Å"antibiotic† is also applied to synthetic antimicrobials, such as the sulfa drugs. Antibiotics are generally small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 Da. They are not enzymes. Some antibiotics have been derived from mold, for example the penicillin class. Volume 4 of How Products Are Made says that antibiotics differ chemically so it is understandable that they also differ in the types of infections they cure and the ways in which they cure them. Certain antibiotics destroy bacteria by affecting the structure of their cells. This can occur in one of two ways.First, the antibiotic can weaken the cell walls of the infectious bacteria, which causes them to burst. Second, antibiotics can cause the contents of the bacterial cells to leak out by damaging the cell membranes. One other way in which antibiotics function is to interfere with the bacteria's metabolism. Some antibiotics such as tetracycline and erythromycin interfere with protein synthesis. Antibiotics like rifampicin inhibit nucleic acid biosynthesis. Still other antibiotics, such as sulfonamide or trimethoprim have a general blocking effect on cell metabolism. AdvantagesIt is estimated that the average duration of many infectious diseases and the severity of certain others have decreased significantly since the introduction of antibiotic therapy. The dramatic drop in mortality rates for such dreaded diseases as meningitis, tuberculosis, and septicemia offers striking evidence of the effectiveness of these agents. Bacterial pneumonia, bacterial endocarditis, typhoid fever, and certain sexually transmitted diseases are also amenable to treatment with antibiotics. So are infections that often follow viral or neoplastic diseases, even though the original illness may not respond to antibiotic therapy.Antibiotics in small amounts are widely used as feed supplements to stimulate growth of livestock and poultry. They probably ac t by inhibiting organisms responsible for low-grade infections and by reducing intestinal epithelial inflammation. In cattle, sheep, and swine, antibiotics are effective against economically important diseases. The use of antibiotics in dogs and cats closely resembles their use in human medical practice. In fish farms, antibiotics are usually added to the food or applied to the fish by bathing.The incidence of infections in fish, and animals in general, may be reduced by the use of disease-resistant stock, better hygiene, and better diet. Although effective against many microorganisms causing disease in plants, antibiotics are not widely used to control crop and plant diseases. Some of the limiting factors are instability of the antibiotic under field conditions, the possibility of harmful residues, and expense. Nevertheless, antibiotic control of some crop pathogens is being practiced, as is true of the rice blast in Japan, for example (Science and Tech). DisadvantagesSome individu als may have allergic reactions to antibiotics. If symptoms of an allergic reaction (such as rash, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and neck), severe diarrhea, or abdominal cramping occur, the antibiotic should be stopped and the individual should seek medical advice. Because antibiotics can affect bacteria that are beneficial, as well as those that are harmful, women may become susceptible to infections by fungi when taking antibiotics. Vaginal itching or discharge may be symptoms of such infections. All patients may develop oral fungal infections of the mouth, indicated by white plaques in the mouth.Injected antibiotics may result in irritation, pain, tenderness, or swelling in the vein used for injection. It is a common assertion that some antibiotics can interfere with the efficiency of birth control pills. Although there remain few known cases of complication, the majority of antibiotics do not interfere with contraception, despite widespread misinformation to the cont rary (Gale). And there’s also what is known as Antibiotic Resistance. Wikipedia says that Antibiotic Resistance is the ability of a micro-organism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. It is a specific type of drug resistance.Antibiotic resistance evolves naturally via natural selection through random mutation, but it could also be engineered for the purpose of creating bio-weapons. SOS response of low-fidelity polymerases can also cause mutation via a process known as programmed evolution. Once such a gene is generated, bacteria can then transfer the genetic information in a horizontal fashion (between individuals) by plasmid exchange. If a bacterium carries several resistance genes, it is called multiresistant or, informally, a superbug. Antibiotic resistance can also be introduced artificially into a micro-organism through transformation protocols.This can be a useful way of implanting artificial genes into the micro-organism. Phages Vs Antibiotics (A Summary) Bacteri ophages are great because: †¢ Bacteria evolve at a fast rate, but so do phages. This makes Bacteriophages devoid of problems similar to antibiotic resistance. †¢ Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed.†¢ Development and production is faster than antibiotics. †¢ The recovery rate was discovered to be faster in some cases—a tribute to the speed with which the phage multiplied and overcame its host bacteria. †¢ Incidents of misuse are relatively unknown. Antibiotics are great because: †¢ The use of antibiotics on domesticated animals, closely resemble its use in human medicine thus greatly benefiting them. †¢ Phages work best when in direct contact with the infection, so they are best applied directly to an open wound.This is rarely applicable in the current clinical setting where infections occur systemically. †¢ Unlike Phages, which are hardly ever used for therapeutic reasons, antibiotics reduce the incidence of both suppurative and non-suppurative complications of sore throat. A new study from Holland has confirmed that antibiotics protect against quinsy. †¢ Lysogenic bacteriophages are thought to be risky. These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resistance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic.To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. †¢ Antibiotics are more readily available because phages have high specifity and require detailed microbiological analytical work. Conclusion The research is still ongoing. Though the odds are in favor of Bacteriophages becoming more common, there have been no large clinical trials to test their efficacy. This therapy today essentially exists only in some Eastern European countries, including Georgia and Poland.But largely because of the growing concern over antibiotic resistance, a lot more people in the medical field are interested in pursuing bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics on a large scale. W O R K S C I T E D 1. Reidel, William. â€Å"Book Review: Viruses vs. Superbugs: A Solution to the Antibiotics Crisis? † Epoch Times. (6 May, 2006). 14 April, 2007. http://en. epochtimes. com/news/6-5-6/41280. html 2. Carson, Christine, and Thomas Riley. â€Å"Non-Antibiotic Therapies for Infectious Diseases. † Communicable Diseases Intelligence Supplement on Antimicrobial Resistance 27 (2003): pages not given3. â€Å"Phage therapy. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 4 Apr 2007, 00:38 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 14 Apr 2007 . 4. â€Å"Antibiotic. † How Products Are Made. 2006. 14 April 2007 http://www. madehow. com/Volume-4/Antibiotic. html 5. Science and Technology Encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007 6. Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer. Michigan: Thomson Gale, 2005 7. â€Å"Antibiotic Resistance. † Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007. Answers. com 14 Apr. 2007. http://www. answers. com/topic/antibiotic-resistance