Substance Intoxication Delirium

Substance Intoxication Delirium Addiction Drug Use Print Substance Intoxication Delirium By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on December 13, 2019 Gael Vega / Eye Em / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Substance Intoxication Delirium is the diagnostic name for alcohol or drug-induced delirium, which occurs during intoxication from a psychoactive substance. Unlike the transient disturbances in attention and focus that are normal and that everyone experiences from time to time when tired, or even the temporary loss of focus and attention that affects people the who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, substance intoxication delirium is considerably worse and lasts for much longer. For some people, it involves a complete inability to attend to the external environment. Symptoms of Delirium Delirium is a change in someones state of consciousness, which significantly disrupts their attention, awareness, and ability to process information about the world around them. They become less able to direct and focus their attention, keep their attention focused on something over time, or shift their attention from one thing to another. Their attention can wander so dramatically that questions need to be repeated for the person to be able to focus long enough to answer, or they may continue to focus on giving the answer to a previous question when a new question has been asked. They can easily be distracted by things that have nothing to do with what is being asked. In severe cases of delirium, they may be so disoriented that they might not know where they are or even who they are. As well as the change in attention and focus, there is at least one other area of mental functioning that is affected. The person might not be able to remember properly, and in particular, they may lose their memory for events that have just recently happened. It could be orientation, and they may have particular trouble knowing where they are and the time and date. Other mental functions that may be affected are learning, language, or problems with perception, which can even take the form of hallucinations. When physicians give a diagnosis of substance intoxication delirium, they check to make sure that the delirium is not part of another condition that affected the person before becoming intoxicated from alcohol or drugs. A condition like this could be well-established in the persons medical record, or it might be a condition that has been emerging for a while. This is because there are different physical causes of delirium, and if the symptoms were there before the substance withdrawal, it isnt the substance/medication intoxication type of delirium. And although a person can eventually fall into a coma, at that point, delirium would not be diagnosed. How Soon After Taking the Drug Can Delirium be Induced? In some cases, delirium can occur during intoxication, soon after the substance has been consumed and has taken effect. Even after the drug has worn off, sometimes delirium can continue, and there is even another diagnosis called substance withdrawal delirium, which means that the episode of delirium occurs after the person has discontinued using the substance, and is experiencing withdrawal. Whether the delirium starts during intoxication or withdrawal, it will usually subside within hours or days of ceasing to take the drug, although in withdrawal, delirium can sometimes last for weeks. Delirium usually develops over a fairly short period of time, ranging from a few hours to a few days. The severity of the disturbance in orientation to the environment and thought processes changes a fair bit during the course of delirium and is usually worse towards night-time when there is less going on around the person to help keep them oriented. Which Drugs Cause Substance/Medication Intoxication Delirium? A wide variety of psychoactive substances can cause substance intoxication delirium, including: Alcohol intoxication deliriumCannabis intoxication deliriumPhencyclidine intoxication deliriumOther hallucinogen intoxication deliriumInhalant intoxication deliriumOpioid intoxication deliriumSedative intoxication deliriumHypnotic intoxication deliriumAnxiolytic intoxication deliriumAmphetamine intoxication deliriumOther stimulant intoxication deliriumCocaine intoxication deliriumOther substance intoxication deliriumUnknown substance intoxication delirium When people develop symptoms of delirium after consuming alcohol or another drug, they require immediate medical attention. If someone seems to be in this state, call 911 immediately, and let the paramedics know what they have taken.

Categories of Hurricanes

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale sets categories for the relative strength of hurricanes that may impact the United States based on the sustained wind speed. The scale places the storms into one of five categories. Since the 1990s, only wind speed has been used to categorize hurricanes. To estimate wind speed, the wind and wind gusts are measured over some period of time (typically one minute) and are then averaged together. The result is the highest average wind observed within a weather event.   Another measurement of weather is the barometric pressure, which is the weight of the atmosphere on any given surface. Falling pressure indicates a storm, while rising pressure usually means the weather is improving.   Category 1 Hurricane A hurricane labeled Category 1 has a  maximum sustained wind speed  of 74–95 miles per hour (mph), making it the weakest category. When the sustained wind speed drops below 74 mph, the storm is downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. Although weak by hurricane standards, a Category 1 hurricanes winds are dangerous and will cause damage. Such damage could include: Roof, gutter, and siding damage to framed homesDowned power linesSnapped tree branches and uprooted trees In a Category 1 hurricane, coastal storm surge reaches 3–5 feet and the barometric pressure is approximately 980 millibars. Examples of Category 1 hurricanes include Hurricane Lili in 2002 in Louisiana and Hurricane Gaston, which hit South Carolina in 2004. Category 2 Hurricane When the maximum sustained wind speed is 96–110 mph, a hurricane is called a Category 2. The winds are considered extremely dangerous and will cause extensive damage, such as: Major roof and siding damage to framed homesMajor power outages that could last days to weeksMany uprooted trees and blocked roads Coastal storm surge reaches 6–8 feet and the barometric pressure is approximately 979–965 millibars. Hurricane Arthur, which hit North Carolina in 2014, was a Category 2 hurricane. Category 3 Hurricane Category 3 and above are considered major hurricanes. The maximum sustained wind speed is 111–129 mph. Damage from this category of hurricane is devastating: Mobile homes destroyed or heavily damagedMajor damage to framed homesMany uprooted trees and blocked roadsComplete power outages and unavailability of water for several days to weeks Coastal storm surge reaches 9–12 feet and the barometric pressure is approximately 964–945 millibars. Hurricane Katrina, which struck Louisiana in 2005, is one of the most devastating storms in U.S. history, causing an estimated $100 billion in damage. It was rated Category 3 when it made landfall.   Category 4 Hurricane With a maximum sustained wind speed of 130–156 mph, a Category 4 hurricane can result in catastrophic damage: Most mobile homes destroyedFramed homes destroyedHomes built to withstand hurricane-force winds sustain significant roof damageMost trees snapped or uprooted and roads blockedElectrical poles downed and outages lasting several last weeks to months Coastal storm surge reaches 13–18 feet and the barometric pressure is approximately 944–920 millibars. The deadly Galveston, Texas hurricane of 1900 was a Category 4 storm that killed an estimated  6,000 to 8,000 people. A more recent example is Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall at San Josà © Island, Texas, in 2017. Hurricane Irma was a Category 4 storm when it hit Florida in 2017, although it was a Category 5 when it struck Puerto Rico. Category 5 Hurricane The most catastrophic of all hurricanes, a Category 5 has a maximum sustained wind speed of 157 mph or higher. Damage can be so severe that most of the area hit  by such a storm could be uninhabitable for weeks or even months. Coastal storm surge reaches more than 18 feet and the barometric pressure is below 920 millibars. Only three Category 5 hurricanes have struck the mainland United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 in the Florida KeysHurricane Camille in 1969 near the mouth of the Mississippi RiverHurricane Andrew in 1992 in Florida In 2017, Hurricane Maria was a Category 5 when it devastated Dominica and a Category 4 in Puerto Rico, making it the worst disaster in those islands histories. When Hurricane Maria hit the mainland U.S., it had weakened to a Category 3.

Corporate Fraud - 975 Words

Corporate FraudÂ…when you hear those words the first, most recent incident, many think of is The Enron Scandal. This same scandal produced the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002. This much needed act created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board under the Security Exchange Commission s supervision. This board sets accounting standards and investigates Certified Public Accountants and companies to ensure they are following the guidelines set forth. This board has also been given the authorization to fine, suspend and recommend criminal investigations in the event CPA s and their firms violate the standards. (Lindstrom) To understand the stringency of this Act is to recognize what brought it†¦show more content†¦(Lindstrom) Hopefully the congressional meetings and hearings will cause other potential Enron/Arthur Anderson-followers to choose the legal path of doing business. Observers believe that it was not so much that the executives opted to mishandle their company, but that the scandal went without notice for so long by those people and groups which are set in place to detect and prevent dealings such as this. Auditors, internal/external controls, government regulators, accountants, etc., all failed to recognize the deception. Because the government was somewhat at fault for this, it is hard to make a decision as a whole, if the government should be the one to regulate or oversee corporate finances. Obviously, by what was seen with Enron alone, no matter how many committees, boards, groups, or agencies are involved, there is always a way to get around the legal system. The government needs to revert back to regulating certain entities (such as utilities, petroleum, etc.) before tackling the entire corporate financial world. This would cut in half the amount of companies they would have to deal. Monopolization of industries gives the companies too much power. They can charge whatever price they want and the consumer has no right but to pay it. It is comforting to be able to choose which telephone company you want to use and also what car you want to purchase. Why shouldn t you be able to choose what gas company or electricShow MoreRelatedCorporate Fraud Is A Big Part Of The Fraud1967 Words   |  8 Pagesall forms of fraud. There are a vast amount of fraud types out in the world today that some of us may not have even realized yet. With the immense amount of fraud that is occurring, how could so many people get away with committing it? The answer is there is too much fraud occurring for anyone to look into the smaller fraudulent acts. There are specifically two types of frauds that occur that focus a lot on the business aspect, Corporate and small business fraud. Small business fraud tends to appearRead MoreThe Anatomy Of Corporate Fraud Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesArticle Critique #1 The first article researched was The Anatomy of Corporate Fraud: A comparative Analysis of High Profile American and European Corporate Scandals. The abstract discusses the analysis conducted on the three major American accounting scandals; Enron, WorldCom, and HealthSouth, and compares to the three major European accounting scandals; Parmalat, Royal Ahold, and Vivendi Universal. Bahram Soltani (2014), also discusses within the abstract the different areas reviewed regardingRead MoreFinancial Statement Fraud And Corporate Financial Fraud1310 Words   |  6 PagesFinancial Statement Fraud Background Financial statement fraud is one of the biggest types of fraud in today’s business world. The complexity and mechanism of financial statement fraud brought the attention of auditors and regulators. Financial scandals of Enron, WorldCom, Xerox, Tyco, Parmalat, Qwest, and Satam Computers increased the auditors’ responsibility in detecting and preventing fraudulent transactions. Corporate financial fraud had negative consequences for the market capitalization dueRead MoreFraud, Specifically Corporate Fraud, Is A Common Occurrence1080 Words   |  5 PagesFraud, specifically corporate fraud, is a common occurrence with a tremendous amount of precedent — stories of high-level corporate executives committing and encouraging fraud in the name of competition are constantly surfacing. A few of the more well-known perpetrators of fraud include Jordan Belfort, Michael Milken, and Bernie Madoff. Corporate fraud is often thought of as a shady, or unscrupulous, act committed by an ethically-challenged millionaire, with a tremendous appetite for money and powerRead MoreCorporate/Commercial Fraud Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate/Commercial Fraud The Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP] classifies corporate fraud into two different categories: fraud by a company and fraud against a company (para. 5). The RCMP explains fraud against a company can happen through â€Å"misappropriation of corporate assets by a company senior officer or by staff† (para. 5). Employees defraud companies with methods such as â€Å"fictitious revenues, concealed liabilities and expenses, and asset or revenue understatements or overstatements†Read MoreEnron s Financial Fraud And Corporate Fraud1700 Words   |  7 Pages Years ago, a series of financial frauds and collapses was occurs in United States. Includes Enron, Global Crossing, Worldcom, Healthsouth, AIG and Lehman Brothers scandals. In the American capital market, the investors abandoned a number of large listed companies leads to the bankruptcy for those companies. The corporate frauds not only deceive investors, but also make oneself paid a heavy price. At the same time, it no t only harm the capital market, but also caused a significant impact on AmericanRead MoreReport on Corporate Frauds in Bangladesh5564 Words   |  23 Pages Report on Corporate Frauds amp; the Role of the auditors: Bangladesh Perspective Faculty of Business Studies University of Dhaka SUBMITTED TO Tahmina Ahmed Lecturer Accounting amp; Information Systems University of Dhaka SUBMITTED BY Group 18 Date of submission:10.11.14 Group members Name | ID | 1.Sajjad Hossain Sohan | 18022 | 2.Rubina Akther | 18048 | 3.Mohammad Saadman | 18052 | 4.Rumi Akther | 18066 | 5.Hilary Talukder | 18099Read MoreCorporate Fraud Or Collapse Or Fraud?1582 Words   |  7 PagesWhen there is a corporate fraud or collapse in a country, the most insecure are the people who were the part of the company or were in any way related to the company. Corporate fraud and misconduct remain a constant threat to the trust of the general public. In this is white collar crime which harms the company on a greater scale than the collapse because the general goodwill of the company is lost and because of that there are breaches from the corporate act too. In every country, the main effortRead MoreCorporate Fraud, Within Corporate Governance1645 Words   |  7 Pagesresult of fraud, scams, mismanagement, fraudulent reporting and audit failure among many other deficiencies present in the corporate governance model of various syndicates. Some of these made the very foundation of the financial markets unstable and open to financial crisis. The international and national community were compelled to more efficiently address the issues of corporate fraud, misconduct of management, corruption and weak audit measures. In this paper we will focus on fraud, mainly occupationalRead MoreExecutive Compensation and Corporate Fraud1083 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: The past decade has been witness to some of the worst accounts of corporate fraud ever recorded, with multi-billion dollar companies such as Enron, Tyco, and World-com involved in serious financial scandals. CEOs and senior executives are often the driving force behind such unscrupulous activities by adopting shady accounting practices and other forms of short-termist actions for the purpose of increasing their firm’s stock price and their own personal wealth. The following paper will

Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Free Essays

â€Å"Volcanic and seismic events are major pieces of evidence towards proving that the plate tectonic theory is valid† Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement (40). The theory of plate tectonics explains the structure and motion of the Earth’s lithosphere. The theory states that the Earth’s crust is split into large sections called tectonic plates, and these move relative to one another creating boundaries at which the plates converge, diverge or move past each other. We will write a custom essay sample on Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards or any similar topic only for you Order Now These plates are either continental or oceanic and are powered by convection currents, which is the circular movement of magma that comes from within the mantle. These currents are powered by the core, which heats the magma, causing it to rise, cool and fall back down. This circular motion causes the plates, which float on the mantle, to move. In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, was the first man to state that the continents were once joined in a super continent called Pangaea, conversely he couldn’t explain why and what happened to cause the plates to move apart. He based his theory on the extraordinary fit of the South American and African continent coastlines. Notably the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa showed very similar geological features suggesting that at some point in the Earth’s history the landmasses were joined together. Another indicator that the continents were once distributed differently was geological evidence of glaciations in India – it is unlikely that glaciers could ever reach such low latitudes, but this problem can easily be explained by the theory of continental drift. Fossil distribution also provided some of the earliest evidence for plate tectonics. Interestingly, plant and animal fossils were found on the matching coastlines of South America and Africa. These are now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean, therefore he reasoned that is physically impossible for most of these organisms to have swum or have been transported across the wide oceans. From this he suggested that the plates were once connected. Unfortunately, at the time of Wegner’s work many of the geophysical tools that are used today did not exist making the theory much more difficult to support. Since the original theory in 1912, newer evidence has appeared which supports the theory. In 1962 Hess studied the age of rocks around the mid-Atlantic ridge. He discovered that the newest rocks were closest to the ridge and the oldest were towards the USA and Caribbean. He therefore reasoned that the earth’s crust was expanding along the oceanic ridges, so it must be shrinking elsewhere. According to Hess, the Atlantic Ocean was expanding while the Pacific Ocean was shrinking. The old oceanic crust was consumed in the trenches causing new magma to rise and erupt along the spreading ridges to form a new crust. He explained why the earth doesn’t get bigger with sea floor spreading and why there is so little sediment accumulation on the ocean floor, and why oceanic rocks are so much younger than continental ones. Paleomagnetism is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for plate tectonic theory and was developed to convince scientists of the theories validity. Basalt lava forms volcanoes when it rises to the surface, cools and then forms land. When new crust is formed certain minerals align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field. Fascinatingly, new technology has shown that the magnetic field of the Earth is known to reverse every few hundred thousand years. So this implies new material is constantly being produced and the sea floor is spreading. However, as the Earth is not changing in size, material is being destroyed in other areas which are called subduction zones, and the position of the Earth’s crust must be constantly changing. Seismic activity can also tell us a great deal about plate tectonics. Plotting the locations of large earthquakes allows us to see where they most frequently occur. Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. The plates move past each other which causes friction causing pressure to build up resulting in sudden jolts. This only happens on plate boundaries meaning areas that lie on them experience the most intense earthquakes. The fact that earthquakes appear in connected lines as opposed to clusters is good evidence for the theory of global plate tectonics. Volcanic events are also useful as they provide good evidence for the theory of plate tectonics. Similarly to earthquakes, plotting the locations of active volcanoes on a map of the world will also be useful as it will show a similar pattern. The three main places where volcanoes are created are at subduction zones, constructive plate boundaries and in hotspots, with around 75% of the world’s volcanoes being located on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’. The area where two plates converge is called a subduction zone, here one plate is pushed underneath the other due to differing in density. This results in magma rising up to form volcanoes or volcanic island arcs. At constructive plate boundaries, new material is created by magma rising through the crack. The fact that volcanoes in certain areas have different types of eruption provides good evidence for plate tectonic theory. All the above reasons suggest that the theory is valid. However, there are some anomalies which go against the theory. Not all volcanoes occur on plate boundaries, some occur on hotspots which are areas where the mantle is particularly hot, causing it to rise and create volcanoes on the crust above. This suggests that plate tectonics theory may not be valid as volcanoes can exist without the theory being correct. Hawaii is a notable example of an active hotspot – the islands are volcanic yet lie in the middle of the Pacific plate. It is part of a chain of extinct volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean which decrease in both age and size as you move north-west. Since the hotspot is created by the underlying mantle this suggests that the crust is moving over this hotspot meaning the volcanoes eventually become extinct and eroded away. Since Wegener’s first theory, there is now a great deal of evidence to support the theory of plate tectonics. Seismic and volcanic events can provide lots of evidence to support the theory, although much of it requires tools which were not available when the theory was first developed such as accurate methods of mapping earthquakes. This made it difficult to prove the theory of plate tectonics as there were no hard facts. Although others may disagree, there are large amounts of evidence to prove the theory and so in my opinion the theory is a valid method. How to cite Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards, Essay examples

Microsoft Essays (1139 words) - Monopoly, , Term Papers

Microsoft The current Microsoft antitrust case, still in progress as this review is being written, has been both hailed and condemned as the most important antitrust action of the coming century. Its potential significance has been compared to that of the Supreme Court's 1911 Standard Oil decision, which not only applied for the first time the trust-busting power latent in the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to break up John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, but of at least equal importance enunciated the rule of reason on which judicial interpretation of the Sherman Act continues to be based. While none of this conference volume's contributors develops this comparison, readers may come away from the book feeling that it is apt.; As noted in Lenard's introduction and overview, there was general agreement among the conferees that the Microsoft case did not indicate any need for revision of existing antitrust laws. Yet the book identifies a paradox. Today's computer industry has so many eleme nts of natural monopoly--notably network effects and first-mover advantages--that the market will not work well if left to itself, yet it is far too complicated and fast moving to be regulated effectively. Antitrust is the only feasible policy option, but unless applied with skill and discretion, it may do more harm than good. In particular, consumer welfare is more likely to be enhanced by policy initiatives aimed at keeping the industry open to the introduction of major new technologies that might challenge the dominance of incumbents than by policies seeking to promote price competition among existing firms employing established technologies.; The paper by Michael L. Katz and Carl Shapiro discusses the fundamental economics of software markets, focusing, not surprisingly, on network effects, but also identifying and discussing the effects of the high set-up costs and low--even zero--marginal costs of software, the durability of software systems, and their rapid technological chan ge. This paper's treatment of network effects is sharply challenged in Timothy J. Muris' comment, which argues that network effects comprise a model for which very few, if any, valid empirical examples exist.; Janusz A. Ordover and Robert D. Willig confront the basic question of whether or not there is any role for antitrust in high-tech markets. After reviewing competing arguments, they conclude that antitrust may be crucial in protecting long-run competition in innovation and that this should be its primary objective. Their particular concern is with bottlenecks such as Microsoft's monopoly control of the operating system market, which is a crucial component of a broader system of computer use, including applications such as word processing and access to the Internet via browsers. They propose a three-pronged test to ascertain whether monopoly control of such a bottleneck exists and if so whether it is being used to exclude or restrain potential competitors from other markets in t he system: i.e., are short-run profits being sacrificed by exclusionary tactics in the hope of long-run recoupment through expansion of the initial monopoly to systemically related markets. In his comment, Lawrence J. White maintains that the antitrust problems raised by Microsoft's tactics are neither as new nor complex as Ordover and Willig suggest, but rather mirror one of the earliest issues in antitrust history--single railroad ownership and control of a bottleneck facility such as a monopolized stretch of track within a networked system of rail transportation.; Timothy F. Bresnahan utilizes an intriguing life cycle punctuated equilibrium model to analyze the nature of technological competition in the computer market. Monopolies such as Microsoft's monopoly of microcomputer operating systems and Intel's of microprocessor chips may arise from first mover advantages in introducing a major new innovation, from patenting of such a system, or from network dynamic economies of scale. Whatever its source, the monopoly may persist for over a decade--aeons in the PC business (p. 158) in Bresnahan's words. The monopolist will constantly be challenged by potential entrants and must keep abreast of minor technological improvements, but has overwhelming advantages in maintaining its position, including strategic entry barriers. This should not be of great concern to antitrust enforcers, as users' switching costs are likely to outweigh the advantages of adopting new products incompatible with previous ones. However, occasionally these periods of stability will be shattered by quantum improvements

Microsoft Essays (1139 words) - Monopoly, , Term Papers

Microsoft The current Microsoft antitrust case, still in progress as this review is being written, has been both hailed and condemned as the most important antitrust action of the coming century. Its potential significance has been compared to that of the Supreme Court's 1911 Standard Oil decision, which not only applied for the first time the trust-busting power latent in the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to break up John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, but of at least equal importance enunciated the rule of reason on which judicial interpretation of the Sherman Act continues to be based. While none of this conference volume's contributors develops this comparison, readers may come away from the book feeling that it is apt.; As noted in Lenard's introduction and overview, there was general agreement among the conferees that the Microsoft case did not indicate any need for revision of existing antitrust laws. Yet the book identifies a paradox. Today's computer industry has so many eleme nts of natural monopoly--notably network effects and first-mover advantages--that the market will not work well if left to itself, yet it is far too complicated and fast moving to be regulated effectively. Antitrust is the only feasible policy option, but unless applied with skill and discretion, it may do more harm than good. In particular, consumer welfare is more likely to be enhanced by policy initiatives aimed at keeping the industry open to the introduction of major new technologies that might challenge the dominance of incumbents than by policies seeking to promote price competition among existing firms employing established technologies.; The paper by Michael L. Katz and Carl Shapiro discusses the fundamental economics of software markets, focusing, not surprisingly, on network effects, but also identifying and discussing the effects of the high set-up costs and low--even zero--marginal costs of software, the durability of software systems, and their rapid technological chan ge. This paper's treatment of network effects is sharply challenged in Timothy J. Muris' comment, which argues that network effects comprise a model for which very few, if any, valid empirical examples exist.; Janusz A. Ordover and Robert D. Willig confront the basic question of whether or not there is any role for antitrust in high-tech markets. After reviewing competing arguments, they conclude that antitrust may be crucial in protecting long-run competition in innovation and that this should be its primary objective. Their particular concern is with bottlenecks such as Microsoft's monopoly control of the operating system market, which is a crucial component of a broader system of computer use, including applications such as word processing and access to the Internet via browsers. They propose a three-pronged test to ascertain whether monopoly control of such a bottleneck exists and if so whether it is being used to exclude or restrain potential competitors from other markets in t he system: i.e., are short-run profits being sacrificed by exclusionary tactics in the hope of long-run recoupment through expansion of the initial monopoly to systemically related markets. In his comment, Lawrence J. White maintains that the antitrust problems raised by Microsoft's tactics are neither as new nor complex as Ordover and Willig suggest, but rather mirror one of the earliest issues in antitrust history--single railroad ownership and control of a bottleneck facility such as a monopolized stretch of track within a networked system of rail transportation.; Timothy F. Bresnahan utilizes an intriguing life cycle punctuated equilibrium model to analyze the nature of technological competition in the computer market. Monopolies such as Microsoft's monopoly of microcomputer operating systems and Intel's of microprocessor chips may arise from first mover advantages in introducing a major new innovation, from patenting of such a system, or from network dynamic economies of scale. Whatever its source, the monopoly may persist for over a decade--aeons in the PC business (p. 158) in Bresnahan's words. The monopolist will constantly be challenged by potential entrants and must keep abreast of minor technological improvements, but has overwhelming advantages in maintaining its position, including strategic entry barriers. This should not be of great concern to antitrust enforcers, as users' switching costs are likely to outweigh the advantages of adopting new products incompatible with previous ones. However, occasionally these periods of stability will be shattered by quantum improvements

Microsoft Essays (1139 words) - Monopoly, , Term Papers

Microsoft The current Microsoft antitrust case, still in progress as this review is being written, has been both hailed and condemned as the most important antitrust action of the coming century. Its potential significance has been compared to that of the Supreme Court's 1911 Standard Oil decision, which not only applied for the first time the trust-busting power latent in the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to break up John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, but of at least equal importance enunciated the rule of reason on which judicial interpretation of the Sherman Act continues to be based. While none of this conference volume's contributors develops this comparison, readers may come away from the book feeling that it is apt.; As noted in Lenard's introduction and overview, there was general agreement among the conferees that the Microsoft case did not indicate any need for revision of existing antitrust laws. Yet the book identifies a paradox. Today's computer industry has so many eleme nts of natural monopoly--notably network effects and first-mover advantages--that the market will not work well if left to itself, yet it is far too complicated and fast moving to be regulated effectively. Antitrust is the only feasible policy option, but unless applied with skill and discretion, it may do more harm than good. In particular, consumer welfare is more likely to be enhanced by policy initiatives aimed at keeping the industry open to the introduction of major new technologies that might challenge the dominance of incumbents than by policies seeking to promote price competition among existing firms employing established technologies.; The paper by Michael L. Katz and Carl Shapiro discusses the fundamental economics of software markets, focusing, not surprisingly, on network effects, but also identifying and discussing the effects of the high set-up costs and low--even zero--marginal costs of software, the durability of software systems, and their rapid technological chan ge. This paper's treatment of network effects is sharply challenged in Timothy J. Muris' comment, which argues that network effects comprise a model for which very few, if any, valid empirical examples exist.; Janusz A. Ordover and Robert D. Willig confront the basic question of whether or not there is any role for antitrust in high-tech markets. After reviewing competing arguments, they conclude that antitrust may be crucial in protecting long-run competition in innovation and that this should be its primary objective. Their particular concern is with bottlenecks such as Microsoft's monopoly control of the operating system market, which is a crucial component of a broader system of computer use, including applications such as word processing and access to the Internet via browsers. They propose a three-pronged test to ascertain whether monopoly control of such a bottleneck exists and if so whether it is being used to exclude or restrain potential competitors from other markets in t he system: i.e., are short-run profits being sacrificed by exclusionary tactics in the hope of long-run recoupment through expansion of the initial monopoly to systemically related markets. In his comment, Lawrence J. White maintains that the antitrust problems raised by Microsoft's tactics are neither as new nor complex as Ordover and Willig suggest, but rather mirror one of the earliest issues in antitrust history--single railroad ownership and control of a bottleneck facility such as a monopolized stretch of track within a networked system of rail transportation.; Timothy F. Bresnahan utilizes an intriguing life cycle punctuated equilibrium model to analyze the nature of technological competition in the computer market. Monopolies such as Microsoft's monopoly of microcomputer operating systems and Intel's of microprocessor chips may arise from first mover advantages in introducing a major new innovation, from patenting of such a system, or from network dynamic economies of scale. Whatever its source, the monopoly may persist for over a decade--aeons in the PC business (p. 158) in Bresnahan's words. The monopolist will constantly be challenged by potential entrants and must keep abreast of minor technological improvements, but has overwhelming advantages in maintaining its position, including strategic entry barriers. This should not be of great concern to antitrust enforcers, as users' switching costs are likely to outweigh the advantages of adopting new products incompatible with previous ones. However, occasionally these periods of stability will be shattered by quantum improvements