Levocetrizine Dihydrochloride and Ambroxol Hydrochloride

Levocetrizine Dihydrochloride and Ambroxol Hydrochloride SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF LEVOCETRIZINE DIHYDROCHLORIDE AND AMBROXOL HYDROCHLORIDE IN SYRUP DOSAGE FORM BY USING UV SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD S. S. Pekamwar, Madhav Shelke ABSTRACT: A simple, economical, rapid, accurate and precise UV Spectrophotometric method was developed for simultaneous estimation of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride and Ambroxol hydrochloride in bulk and in Syrup formulation. Determination of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride (LCTZ) and Ambroxol hydrochloride (AMB) in bulk and in syrup was conducted by using simultaneous equation method based on measurement of absorbance at 246 nm and 231 nm, ÃŽ »max of LCTZ and AMB, respectively. The solvent used for proposed method was methanol: water (50:50). The linearity for LCTZ and AMB was in the range of 5-35 Â µg/ml and 5-50 Â µg/ml, respectively. The developed method was validated as per ICH guidelines. The % recovery was found to be in the range of 99.52- 99.82% and 100.37- 100.72% for LCTZ and AMB, respectively. Thus the proposed method was simple, rapid, reproducible and accurate and can be successfully applied for simultaneous estimation of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride and Ambroxol hydroc hloride in bulk and in Syrup formulation. KEYWORDS: Levocetrizine dihydrochloride, Ambroxol hydrochloride, Simultaneous Equation Method, UV Spectrophotometry, Syrup, Validation. INTRODUCTION: Levocetirizine is a third generation non-sedative antihistamine. Chemically, levocetirizine is the active enantiomer of cetirizine. It is the L-enantiomer of the cetirizine racemate. Levocetirizine works by blocking histamine receptors. Levocetrizine is chemically, (R)-2-[2-[4-[(4- chlorophenyl)phenylmethyl] piperazin-1-yl] ethoxy] acetic acid dihydrochloride. Chemical Structure of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride: Ambroxol is an active N-desmethyl metabolite of mucolytic bromhexine. Ambroxol is used as a bronchosecretolytic and expectorant drug. Ambroxol has been shown to increase the quantity and decrease the viscosity of respiratory tract secretions. It enhances pulmonary surfactant production (surfactant activator) and stimulates ciliary motility. These actions result in improved mucus flow and transport (mucociliary clearance). Enhancement of fluid secretion and mucociliary clearance facilitates expectoration and eases cough. Ambroxol is chemically, trans-4-[(2-Amino-3,5-dibromobenzyl)amino] cyclohexanol hydrochloride. Chemical Structure of Ambroxol hydrochloride: Literature survey revealed that various analytical methods involving UV Spectrophotometry, HPLC and HPTLC have been reported for LCTZ and AMB alone and in Combination with other drugs. However there is no method developed for simultaneous estimation of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride and Ambroxol hydrochloride in liquid dosage form (Syrup). The objective of present work was to develop simple, rapid, economical accurate and precise analytical method for simultaneous estimation of Levocetrizine dihydrochloride and Ambroxol hydrochloride in bulk and in liquid dosage form (Syrup). The developed method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines and successfully employed for the assay of LCTZ and AMB in combined liquid dosage form (Syrup). MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals and Reagents: Analytically, pure LCTZ and AMB were provided as gift sample by Bidwai Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. Nanded and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai, Maharashtra, respectively. Syrup of LCTZ and AMB, Mzic D manufactured by Monad Pharmaceuticals, were purchased from local pharmacy. Methanol AR grade (Molychem) and Distilled water was used throughout the experimental work. Instruments: A UV-Visible Spectrophotometer: Shimadzu, Model: UV-1800 with 1 cm matched quartz cell and UV Probe 2.33 software was used. Calibrated analytical balance Anamed was used for weighing purpose. Digital Ultrasonic Cleaner (Sonicator): HMG India and Vaccum Pump Assembly: Millipore was used for the experimental work. Preparation Standard Stock Solution: Ambroxol hydrochloridre standard stock solution: Accurately weighed reference standard of AMB (10mg) was transferred to 100ml volumetric flask and dissolved in 50 ml solvent (Water, methanol 1:1) and sonicate for 5 min. then volumes was made up to the mark with same solvent; to obtain standard stock solution (100Â µg/ml) of drug. For the preparation of working standards, suitable aliquots of stock solution were pipette out and volumes were made up to the mark with solvent (Water, methanol 1:1); so as to get required concentrations. Levocetrizine dihydrochloride standard stock solution: Accurately weighed reference standard of LCTZ (10mg) was transferred to 100ml volumetric flask and dissolved in 50 ml solvent (Water, methanol 1:1) and sonicated for 5 min. then volumes was made up to the mark with same solvent; to obtain standard stock solution (100Â µg/ml) of drug. For the preparation of working standards, suitable aliquots of stock solution were pipette out and volumes were made up to the mark with solvent (Water, methanol 1:1); so as to get required concentrations. Selection of analytical wavelength: Sample solutions were scanned over the wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm, ÃŽ »max for AMB and LCTZ were found at 231 nm and 246 nm. Representative absorption spectra of AMB and LCTZ are shown in fig. 1 2. Fig. 1 : Absorption Spectra of LCTZ Fig. 2 : Absorption spectra of AMB Preparation of calibration curve of AMB and LCTZ By appropriate dilution of standard stock solution, different dilutions were prepared ranging from 5Â µg/ml to 35Â µg/ml for LCTZ and 5 Â µg/ml to 50 Â µg/ml for AMB. Absorbance of all the dilutions was plotted against the respective concentrations to obtain the calibration curves. The absorption overlain spectrum of AMB and LCTZ is shown in fig. 3 Fig. 3 : Overlay Spectra of LCTZ AMB Fig. 4 : Calibration Curve of LCTZ Fig. 5 : Calibration Curve of AMB Analysis of Marketed Syrup Formulation: Ten syrup bottles were weighed accurately, average weight was determined and poured in calibrated measuring cylinder to check extractable volume. As per label claim syrup contain LCTZ 5mg/5ml and AMB 30mg/5ml, so 5ml syrup was pipette out in 100 ml volumetric flask and dissolved in water: methanol (1:1) solution, sonicated for 10 min and filtered. Then different concentrations of syrup sample were prepared by serial dilution method and used for analysis. Prepared syrup sample was analysed on UV spectrophotometer using Simultaneous Equation Method. Method Validation The method validation parameters linearity, precision, accuracy, repeatability, limit of detection and limit of quantitation were checked as per ICH guidelines. Precision: Precision of the method was verified by using syrup stock solution, the repeatability indicates the performance of the UV instrument. Interday and intraday precision was determined by repeating the assay three times in same day for intraday precision and on different day for interday precision studies. Accuracy (Recovery Study): To check the accuracy of proposed method, recovery studies were carried out at 80%, 100% and 120% of the test conc. As per ICH guidelines. To perform recovery study at 100%, 5ml syrup pipette out in volumetric flask and to this standard 30mg AMB and 5mg LCTZ was added. The volume as made up to the mark with water: methanol (1:1) solution and further dilution with same solvent to obtain sample solution Similarly, for 80% recovery study, 26mg AMB and 4mg LCTZ were added, and for 120% recovery study, 36mg AMB and 6mg LCTZ were added respectively. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Precision Intraday Precision: Sr. No. Interval of Concentration (Â µg/ml) % Recovery Time AMB LCTZ I 30.10 4.96 100.34 99.35 II Intra-day 29.95 4.95 99.84 99.28 III 30.20 4.97 100.68 99.54 Table 1 : Intra-day Precision data of marketed formulation Name of the drug Mean* SD %RSD AMB 100.28 0.4225 0.4213 LCTZ 99.40 0.1345 0.1353 * Indicates average of three determinations Table No. 2 : Statistical validation of intra-day precision data Inter-day Precision: Sr. No. Interval of Concentration (Â µg/ml) % Recovery Time AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ I 30.14 4.98 100.45 99.79 II Inter-day 30.09 4.98 100.32 99.72 III 29.96 4.98 99.87 99.63 Table 3 : Inter-day Precision Data Name of the drug Mean* SD %RSD AMB 100.21 0.3043 0.3036 LCTZ 99.71 0.0802 0.0804 * Indicates average of three determinations Table 4 : Statistical validation of inter-day precision data Accuracy (Recovery study): Level of Recovery Amount present (mg/5ml) Added concentration (mg) Amount recovered (mg) % Recovery AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ 30 5 24 4 54.31 8.97 100.58 99.74 80% 30 5 24 4 54.20 8.95 100.38 99.52 30 5 24 4 54.38 8.98 100.72 99.82 30 5 30 5 60.28 9.96 100.47 99.68 100% 30 5 30 5 60.32 9.97 100.54 99.70 30 5 30 5 60.22 9.95 100.38 99.54 30 5 36 6 66.31 10.96 100.48 99.69 120% 30 5 36 6 66.36 10.96 100.56 99.72 30 5 36 6 66.24 10.95 100.37 99.58 Table 5 : Recovery study data Level of recovery % Mean recovery S.D. % R.S.D. AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ AMB LCTZ 80% 100.56 99.70 0.1708 0.1553 0.1698 0.1557 100% 100.46 99.64 0.0802 0.0871 0.0798 0.0874 120% 100.47 99.67 0.0953 0.0737 0.0948 0.0951 Table 6 : Statistical validation of recovery study data Limit of Detection and Limit of Quantitation: Name of the drug LOD Â µg/ml LOQ Â µg/ml AMB 3.1645 9.5896 LCTZ 3.0891 9.3611 Table 7 : LOD LOQ CONCLUSION: The method used is simple and rapid and does not involve the use of complex instrument, low value of Standard deviation showed that the method is precise and high percentage of recovery of as shown in table shows that the method is accurate. Thus from the results it can be concluded that above developed UV method is suitable for estimation of AMB and LCTZ in syrup formulation. The estimated method is sensitive, precise, accurate, specific and economic. Hence, the method can be used successfully for quality control and routine analysis of finished pharmaceutical dosage form. REFERENCES: Indian Pharmacopoeia 2007, The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Government of India, Ministry of Health Family Welfare, Ghaziabad, Volume 2, 83 , 672. Makarand Avhad, Dr. C.G. Bonde, development and validation of simultaneous uvspectrophotometric Method for the determination of levofloxacin and ambroxol in tablets, International Journal of ChemTech Research, 2009, 1, 4, 873-888 P.A. Patel, M.N. Dole, P.S. Shedpure, S.D. Sawant, Spectrophotometric Simultaneous Estimation of Salbutamol And Ambroxol In Bulk And Formulation, Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 4, 2011, 42-45 Ilangovan Ponnilavarasan, Chebrolu.Sunil Narendra Kumar, and P.Asha, Simultaneous Estimation of Ambroxol Hydrochloride and Loratadine in Tablet Dosage form by Using Uv Spectrophotometric Method, 2.2011, 338-345 Jawed Akhtar, Monica Padaria, Development Validation of UV Spectrophotometric Methods for Simultaneous Determination of Doxofylline Ambroxol Hydrochloride in Bulk their Combined Dosage Form, Indo Global Jr. of Ph. Sciences, 2013, 3(1), 90-95 Ritu Kimbahune, Sunil K, Prachi Kabra, Kuldeep Delvadiya, Sanjay Surani, Spectrophotometric Simultaneous Analysis of Ambroxol Hydrochloride, Guaifenesin and Terbutaline Sulphate In Liquid Dosage Form (Syrup), International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review And Research, 8, 2, 2011, 24-28 Jyostna S.Patil, Chandan R. Rane, Radhika D.Ingale, Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Methods for Estimation of Levocetirizine and Ambroxol in Pharmaceuticalv Dosage Form, Journal of Chemical, Biological and Physical Sciences, 2013, 3, 2, 1115-1122 S Lakshmana Prabu, AA Shirwaikar, Annie Shirwaikar, C Dinesh Kumar, G Aravind Kumar, Simultaneous UV spectrophotometric estimation of ambroxol hydrochloride and levocetirizine dihydrochloride, Indian J Pharm Sci, 70(2), 2008, 236–238. Kishore Konam, Pottabathula Hari Prasad, Punuri Samuel Lukaraju, Sirajudeen. M.A, Determination of montelukast sodium and levocetrizine hydrochloride by using HPTLC method, Elixir International Journal, 38, 2011, 4276-4278 Madhura V Dhoka, Shakuntala S. Chopade, Method Development Comparative Statistical Evaluation of HPLC HPTLC Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Cefodrixil Monohydrate Ambroxol Hydrochloride, Indo Global Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2(2), 2012, 203-212 Prince Francis Moses, Prathap Singh, Alagar Raja, David Banji , Analytical Method Development and Validation for Simultaneous Estimation of Ambroxol and Desloratadine in its Pharmaceutical Dosage Form By Rp-Hplc, World Journal Of Pharmacy And Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2(6), 2013, 6246-6262 Rathore AS, Sathiyanarayanan L, Mahadik KR, Development of Validated HPLC and HPTLC Methods for Simultaneous Determination of Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride and Montelukast Sodium in Bulk Drug and Pharmaceutical Dosage Form, Pharm Anal Acta, 1(1), 2010, 1-6

The Rise of Punk in 70’s Britain.

hDuring 1970s Britain, life was a picture of austerity and hardship for many members of the public. The country was facing the worst economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and large numbers of the electorate were quickly beginning to grow tired of the failing policies being touted by both Labour and Conservative minority governments. The experience of Britain for many in the 1970s was one of drawn out decline and decay, the consensus politics of the 1960's was falling apart and Harold Macmillan’s notion of ‘You’ve never had it so good’ couldn’t have been further from the truth.It could be argued that the aforementioned factors played a role of importance when assessing the largely spontaneous emergence of the punk movement into British society. Economic recession, not only in Britain but in other major world nations, was ever increasing, mainly due to the 1973 oil crisis which eventually cost Heath his post as prime minister and p aved the way towards ‘The Rise of Thatcherism’.The crisis was due to the Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), announcing, as a result of the ongoing Yom Kippur War, that they would no longer ship oil to nations that had supported Israel in its conflict with Syria and Egypt. These nations included the United States of America and their allies in the shape of Britain and Japan.British industry suffered a great deal due to the lack of oil being imported into the country, Britain began to face major competition from other major economies, such as Japan and the USA, in certain sectors such as manufacturing, which had previously been a large and consistent area of income. With the flight of capital in the face of increasing working class militancy, it soon became clear that Governments in the industrialised economies could no longer sustain a commitment to full employment.As factories within these newly competitive industries were forc ed to close due to falling sales, it consequently had the effect of rising unemployment. By the mid 1970s unemployment had reached well over a million people and did not show signs of ceasing at any point soon after. The electorate began to resent the emergence of mass unemployment as it had not played any real part within British politics since the years shortly following the end of World War I, a period of British history which the British public would not look back on with any great affection and certainly would not want to revisit.Considerable amounts of workers who had been recently made redundant began supporting trade unions on a more regular and meaningful basis. The unemployed became aggrieved with the failing British economy and felt adamant that they deserved better support and welfare than they were currently receiving due to the government’s current inadequacies. Now that the trade unions had a much greater support, albeit in unfortunate circumstances, they began to put increasing pressure on Heath’s conservative government to pass legislative measures to aid the unemployed in their hour of need.Workers from almost all of the countries key industries such as mining, ship building and car manufacture went on strike to demonstrate their frustrations and vent their anger towards the incompetence of the Tory’ administration. The refusal by either party to make compromises on their respective arguments only furthered the problems and deepened the mire which Britain was steadily descending into.Due to the prolonged strikes by the mining community which started on the 10th February 1974 and lasted until 7th March of the same year, Britain found herself being exceedingly stretched to the point of what resources they had left circa the aforesaid strike action. Electrical power was deemed to be being consumed at too much of a prompt pace and under the rule of Edward Heath, the Conservatives decided on the introduction of the ‘Thre e Day Week’. The Three Day Week was a policy in which commercial users of electricity would be limited to a quota of three specified consecutive days use in a week long period.General members of the public also had to deal with the consequences of the striking populations’ actions. Ministers solemnly urged the populace to share baths and brush their teeth in the dark. Television, which by now was one of the nation's favourite pastimes, was brought to an untimely end at 10. 30pm each evening. Heath had promised â€Å"tomorrow would be better than today†, but he couldn't even keep the lights on. An image synonymous with the mid to late 1970s was that of piles of rotting rubbish collecting on pavements throughout the country.Waste centres were closed and emergency refuse sites were opened in town streets after binmen joined in months of strikes. This only became a further irritant to the British electorate who were becoming increasingly restless waiting for the gov ernment to develop new strategies in order to tackle the ongoing disrepute between themselves and Britain’s workforce. The social and economic problems of Britain, however, could not be solved simply by government legislation. Unrest was caused by much more than Heath’s perceived shortcomings as a Prime Minister. The problems of society ran far deeper than that.A process of fallout from the 1960's had occurred; a sizeable part of the generation born at the end of the late 50's and early 60's were coming into maturity and most were without the guarantee of a job, economic stability and a sense of community. The younger generations within Britain began to feel alienated from their peers and it could also be argued that some may have wished alienation upon themselves to escape from what was fast becoming a dire excuse for a society. The youth of the time were on the lookout for an escape from their lives of conservatism, conformity and control.This accumulated feeling of resentment towards the authoritarian government manifested itself in the form of the Punk movement. From late 1976, kids started to appear on Britain’s streets in attire which shocked the everyday British citizen. Ripped t-shirts with hastily drawn band logos, safety pins, bin liners and spiked hair defined a new image. Since the 1960s any diversity became a wagon to jump on; any music, fashion or ideologies that were incorporated within the ‘free love’ scene were no longer something that the uninspired youth of the ‘70s aspired to be part of.Mods, Rockers and Hippies were all fast becoming sub-cultures that were deemed to be cliched by the nation’s youth. The ‘60s scene had been entirely commercialised by the establishment and had been turned into areas of profit by large record companies. These record labels however also were not putting any interest or faith into anything new in the music industry, they wanted to stick with what had brought them so much profit and it seemed nothing would be able to shift their ‘if its not broken, don’t fix it’ mentality.The establishment of the 1960’s-70’s did not want their youth creating counter-cultures, thus the average youth felt the need to rebel and so the DIY culture exploded. Although punk never reached the forefront in the 60’s, the rebellious ethos of the movement was beginning to show, mainly in American acts and specifically within the New York rock scene. Teenagers influenced by the R;B styled groups of the decades earlier years began to form their own garage bands across the United States. Various trends and events would occur at the inception of the 1970’s that would be helpful in advancing the music ndustry and working towards the growth of punk rock, namely the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison which seemed to have brought the popular music lovers into a state of uncertainty and would now mean music journalists wou ld have to find new acts to write about. In Great Britain, bands and artists such as David Bowie had started to refine their sounds in hope of reviving their careers. The result of this was the so called ‘glam’ movement, which saw artists like T-Rex and Roxy Music beginning to blend pop song structures with harder edged guitar based material.Back in the New York Scene, a trashy streetwise orientated version of glam was starting to surface. A band eager to take to the throne of this was the New York Dolls. The Dolls, and later, The Ramones would serve as somewhat of a prototype, from which later came the Sex Pistols and many other of London’s punk bands such as The Clash, The Jam and Siouxsie and The Banshees. By the mid ‘70s many music lovers had become tiresome towards the industry’s ‘run of the mill’ rock that the public were being force-fed. Members of the public began to see rock and roll acts as nothing more than that acts – artificial, manufactured and uninspiring.The world of rock had become a tightly controlled, moneymaking machine in which record sales and success held precedence over any passion or true emotion. Essentially people yearned for a rock and roll that was innovative and fun again. On December 1st 1976 an infamous event occurred that made sure that anyone who was not aware of the emergence of punk was now fully conscious of its presence. The Sex Pistols appeared on the ‘Today’ show as a last minute replacement. The band was interviewed by Bill Grundy who naively on his part, proceeded to provoke the band to â€Å"say something outrageous†.For Mick Jones in particular, he took this as an open invitation and obliged with a barrage of expletives, which not surprisingly, shocked the early evening audience. The following day the front page of various national newspapers contained pictures of the band on the show and a summary of their antics. The older generation of Britai n, needless to say, were in outrage. This however was exactly the kind of reaction the band had dreamed of. It gained them column inches and further made the public aware of their existence. Whilst in the public spotlight the band released arguably their most famous single, ‘God Save The Queen.The song came at a time when opposition to royalty was still seen as treasonous and frowned upon by the majority of British people. The record was quickly refused airtime by the BBC whose station, Radio 1, dominated the broadcasting of music at the time. Only DJs such as John Peel dared to play punk in succession to other popular music hits of the era. Nevertheless, during the week of Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee, the single ‘officially’ reached number two in the UK charts although many large record stores knew that ‘God Save The Queen’ was outselling Rod Stewart’s â€Å"I Don’t Want To Talk About It† by four to one.Unbelievabl y, the charts had been rigged so the music industry would not be red-faced by such a spectacle. However this did not deter the band from putting out further material. ‘Pretty Vacant’ and ‘Holidays In The Sun’ were released to promote the Sex Pistols’ first and only full length album, ‘Never Mind The Bollocks – Here’s The Sex Pistols’, which was released in November and subsequently went straight to the top of the album charts despite many stores refusing to stock it.After another tour, this time held in secret to avoid bans, The Pistols’ final gig took place at Ivanhoe’s in Huddersfield on Christmas Day 1977 before they took off for the ill-fated U. S. tour in January 1978. They had originally been scheduled to start the tour in December 1977, beginning with a performance on Saturday Night Live, but due to the bands run-ins with the law, were unable to get their passports in time, so Stiff Records’ band , Elvis Costello and the Attractions, went on in their place. The eight show tour of the U. S. was a badly planned and dispiriting experience for all concerned.Sid Vicious, the band’s bassist, was beaten by the bodyguards who were hired to protect him, Johnny Rotten was ill and the bands’ performances were destroyed by awful sound and hostile audiences. On the final date of January 14th at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, Rotten quit, famously asking â€Å"Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? † before walking off. Punk bands continued to play the usual haunts around London, but never again did anyone come close to causing the outrage or having the success which the Sex Pistols had experienced.I went about organising a question and answer session with my father Martin, who was in his teens during the emergence of punk and also followed the movement with great interest. Through summarising the feedback I gained from the aforementioned intervie w I was given a great personal viewpoint on the society of the mid 1970s as well as his own personal experiences of the same period. ‘Through the 1970s the news was all about strikes, economic downturns and lost opportunities.As a teenager I can recall the 3 day week when places of work closed to save energy, my dad would be at home on reduced pay (he worked for the GPO – now BT) and the newspapers would print schedules showing when your area would have power cuts, which were a regular part of life. I remember my dad taking my sister and me for a drive in the car to Falkirk to get out of the house and keep warm rather than sit in the house with no power. TV stations shut down after the news at 10. 30 in the hope that people would just go to bed and save electricity.A mate of mine bought packets of candles from the market in Glasgow and made a decent addition to his pocket money by selling them round the neighbourhood where he lived. Also the entitlement to dole money fo r school leavers had been stopped which meant that you couldn’t sign on and get money straight away, you had to wait for a number of weeks before you’d get a â€Å"Giro†. Unemployment was making the headlines in the papers and for the first time in years people were leaving school believing that they wouldn’t get a job, or at least wouldn’t get one that was worth having as the factories and shipyards which traditionally paid well were closing.I started to become aware, mainly through the pages of the NME, a number of bands from London who were playing music inspired by early Iggy Pop and The Stooges as well as The Ramones. The latter had made front page headlines in The Glasgow Evening Times, which had got itself in a state of moral outrage over the song â€Å"Sniffin’ Glue† arguing that the number of kids dying from glue sniffing could be increased due to the song. Bearing in mind how few copies it sold, it was nonsense.John Peel onc e said of the punk era â€Å"You don’t know you’re bored, until you stop being bored. † I was 17 in 1976 and probably the only band I was currently into was Dr Feelgood. They were a band playing Chuck Berry influenced songs, wearing bad suits! The prevailing music of the time was bland, inconsequential, middle of the road rubbish by Rod Stewart, The Eagles and Queen. I still remember vividly the moment I first actually heard the Sex Pistols in November 1976.My friend Davie had borrowed a copy of ‘Anarchy in the UK’ from his friend in school and we played it in my bedroom. I can remember us both laughing out loud at how different it was and how blown away we were by it. We must have played it 10 times in a row. Looking back, I think we felt like we were part of a â€Å"privileged few† who had heard the song as it was subsequently banned by all radio stations at the time, this is hard to imagine now. The 3rd single released by the Pistols, â₠¬Å"Pretty Vacant†, could only be played on Radio 1 after 10pm.If anything, it only reinforced the Pistols credentials as the band you most wanted to be associated with. We started to see and hear of people dressed as â€Å"punks† around the city, though what constituted the punk look was very difficult to describe. It could be anything from old school jumpers ripped and worn inside out, t-shirts torn or cut and held together with safety pins with band names scrawled on in biro or marker pen or even t-shirts made from bin liners.For girls the look was heavily based on Jordan (Pamela Hook) and Siouxsie Sioux; short skirts, fishnets, and heavy eye make-up. . Glasgow District Council decided to withdraw licences of any venue which had booked punk acts, effectively banning punk in the city. Occasionally you’d hear of a secret gig being played somewhere in Glasgow and you had to meet up to be told where it was. By the Summer of 1977 I’d left school and got a job in an independent record shop and remember the clamour when the first Pistols album came out.People were waiting around in the shop for it to be delivered. Every box that arrived, we’d be asked if that was the album. First one out of the box went onto the sound system at maximum volume and we couldn’t keep up with people shoving to the front of the queue. Eventually the council lifted the ban and loads of bands came to Glasgow, many playing small gigs and doing signing sessions in the shop where I worked, including The Clash who were considered to be the most overtly â€Å"political† band of the era. ’

Increasing Number of Overweight Children

Nowadays, the number of children in the obese range is increasing in developed countries. This has led to a rise in the medical fees paid by the government to treat these children. Such medical expenses have reached an alarming rate that a solution is necessary to mitigate this problem. Who should we blame for the children’s health? What some people are maintaining is that the number of fast food outlets has risen dramatically. They argue that food rich in fat is usually prepared in these restaurants such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King.Customers could save their time by eating in these outlets. Instant cooked meals are served within a short time. Furthermore, the food which is high in salt and calories tastes good to most of the children. Finally, they will be addicted to this food. The fast food advertisements shown on the television seem to enhance the appetite of the children. They would eventually persuade to their parents to bring them to the outlets. While th e above example may be true to some extent, some people claim that the role of the parents is the main factor.The quality of people’s lives is improving. To achieve a higher standard of living, the parents have to work from day to night. Therefore, less time is accounted for the health of the children. They may even bring the children to fast food outlets for their staple meals. Some parents may not prepare a balanced meal just because their children reject vegetables. Ultimately, it is a pity that the children have to carry their extra body mass around. In my opinion, if all the fast food outlets could be closed, our younger generation would not suffer from being overweight.

Project Management Certifications An Analysis - 1323 Words

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATIONS – An analysis INTRODUCTION Projects are vital for business. Successful completion of a project determines the survival of the organization. Increasing number of organizations have recognized that to be successful they need to utilize modern project management techniques. Individuals are also realizing that to be competitive in the work environment they must develop project management skills. Hence the profession of project management is growing rapidly. International Project Management Association (IPMA) is an international non-profit organization, develops project, program and portfolio management competencies and promote project management internationally. It is the first project management†¦show more content†¦To facilitate that, the Project Management Institute (PMI) and other organizations offer several certifications in the field of project, program and portfolio management. The following are list of popular certifications. International Project Management (Level A, B, C, D) The International Project Management Association (IPMA) offers a four-level certification program. Certified Projects Director - IPMA Level A, Certified Senior Project Manager - IPMA Level B, Certified Project Manager - IPMA Level C, and Certified Project Management Associate - IPMA Level D. If the Candidate meets the competence requirements he/she can apply to the desired Level. The IPMA uses various steps for assessment of the candidate. The main requirements for each level are derived from typical activities, responsibilities, and requirements from practice. Image source: http://ipma.ch/certification/certify-individuals/ Project Management Professional PMP Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is the most important industry-recognized certification for project managers. Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP demonstrates that you have the experience, education and competency to lead and direct projects To apply for the PMP Certification exam, one needs to have either of the following requirements: A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree, or the global equivalent) with at least five years of