Generally Accepted Accounting Principles free essay sample

Although dropping slightly the second year they have managed to improve this in their third year increasing their overall profitability Safety Styles has also increased both its Return on Assets and Return on Equity, this demonstrates the ability of the company to efficiently make use of its assets and equity which ultimately reduces requirements for more funding and reduces cost making better use of what they currently have. Efficiency: Safety Styles Pty Ltd appears on average over the last three years to be improving its efficiency to make better use of their assets and turning over their inventory. Safety should also focus on this area and strive to improve their efficiency. Whilst the values may seem quiet higher their total sales amount has raised which may not be taken into account with averages. Safety Styles may need to revisit their inventory strategy as their turn over period is quite high; this would be a benefit for them in the long term by having quicker access to cash for investment in other assets. We will write a custom essay sample on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They should also pay attention to their Accounts Receivable Turnover and aim to reduce this. Liquidity: Whilst Safety Styles Current ratio and Quick asset ratio is declined they are both still very healthy numbers. Safety Styles non-current assets have been increasing annually. They may want to pay attention to reducing their inventory levels and accounts receivable to give them more cash and the opportunity to invest into non-current assets or reduce their liabilities as they currently has a low level of cash compared to inventory and accounts receivable. This will make the company more â€Å"liquid† in the short term. Safety Styles also has a very healthy quick asset ratio compared to the industry standard of 2. It should be noted that Safety Styles currently do not have a high level of liabilities and seem to be maintaining their levels of dent in relation to their assets Capital Structure: Safety Styles currently have a very low gearing ratio and are using retained earnings for most of their financing. External sources of financing will be a benefit to Safety Styles to help them grow and invest in additional non-current assets. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles free essay sample Crawford, whose contribution in stimulating and her suggestions and encouragement, helped me to coordinate my project. I would like to thank God for giving me strength, wisdom and knowledge to meet the requirements for completing this Internal Assessment. Also, I would like to thank my family for their support and encouragement during this assignment. Lasco Consumer Division is one of the largest distributors of consumer products in Jamaica with over 250 consumer products. These products are both locally manufactured and imported and are distributed under the Lasco brand, Lasure brand is for personal care and household products. The division is equipped with strong and dedicated sales and marketing, customer service, promotion and merchandising teams; as well as a specialized delivery force to meet the needs of both retail customers and consumers. Lasco strive to provide quality caribbean food products to customers worldwide. These products are distributed locally and internationally, through appointed distributors. We will write a custom essay sample on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This project is designed to thoroughly research a legal form of business. The project involved the relevant information that will show the general understanding of how such a firm operates. The contents of the research seeks to give a comprehensive round up of all the areas of the business, however, specific attention was focused on the accounting and financing of Lasco Distributors Limited. The aim of this research is to concentrate on the systematization of Lasco Distributors Limited. The focus is on the Business Accounting and Finances. The objectives of the business are to provide affordable food to the citizens of Jamaica, create values for their customers by providing quality goods and services, while making huge amounts of profit . This research was done in the context grasping the business aspects of the business environment, including theoretical knowledge of these aspects from a practical standpoint of owning business. This project objective is looking at the company’s Accounting and Financing. The areas which will be covered are: The business source of finance Criteria for seeking finance Use of accounting information Accounting procedures and measures Financial statement and analysis Major concepts In order to acquire precise and relevant information needed to complete this project the primary mean of collecting data involved the use of questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of twenty questions, both open and closed ended questions. The questionnaire was very simple to use and all the questions were relevant for what the researcher needed to effectively compile the project, hence, the method effective and widespread. A total of three questionnaires were issued randomly. Secondary means of data collection involved the use of textbooks, newspapers and magazines. This method of data collection also played an important role in the effective compilation of my project. The textbook used in the data collection process, contained the general information that. The information that the newspapers contained was vital for effective completion of the research. The published accounts of the firm were found in these means of data collection. These two sources used in the data collection process were sufficient to complete my research. The researcher during the research faced few problems such as: limited amount to have a thorough research on the topic, due to the fact the researcher time had to be balanced out with other internal assessments. Also, the business was distant from the researcher residence, wasn’t able to acquire enough resources during the timespan of this project. Lasco Distributors Limited is a public limited company, that is to say that the business is privately owned by shareholders and its shares are listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and these shares are freely transferable of the company are published on a yearly basis in the form of annual reports and are open to public scrutiny. This means that the business has little privacy in its operation. An economic system is the framework design to allocate the scarce resources of a country. The resources of Jamaica are allocated through a mixed economic system; in this system there is some private and some public ownership of its economic resources. In this type of economic system, Lasco Distributors Limited is forced to produce a wide range of quality food and house hold supplies at an affordable price to the Jamaican consumers, in order to effectively compete on the local market. In this type of economy the company also forces restrictions and laws, which may affect its operation. Lasco Distributors Limited and all other businesses are faced with the problem of financing business activities. The company has the need to finance its working capital and it’s the day to day finance, needed to pay bills and expenses and to build up stocks. Businesses also need to finance investments such as special projects and expansions and new branches. Lasco Distributor Limited finance the needed to increase the firm’s capital assets when the company undertakes expansion, the company on occasion pay for research and development of new products. In general companies have a variety of sources which it can finance from; these sources are normally internal or external sources. The internal sources of finance include retained profit (is profit after tax that has not been returned to owners), working capital and sale of asset. External sources include share capital, loan capital such as mortgage; and debentures also bank overdraft and trade credit. The diagram below shows the company sources of finances. Lasco finances its businesses activities through stockholders equity and profits retained. As a limited company Lasco issues shares, the capital raised from this venture is used to finance business activities. If a company is trading profitability some of these profits will be taken in by the government as corporate tax and some is nearly always paid out to shareholders this is known as dividends. If any profits remain; this retained in the business and become a source of finance for future activities this is known as capital reserve, which can also be used to redeem shares. The profit retained by Lasco is its first source of finance. Lasco financial services limited, incorporated in 2004, is licensed by the Bank of Jamaica to operate a Cambio, and are in the business of buying and selling of foreign exchange, also another source of finance. Accounting act as system, which process business data so that stakeholders can be provided with means understanding how well an organization is performing. As it’s with Lasco’s accounting information is particular important to the company financial decision makings. The company makes choices that are in its best financial interest. In recording accounting information Lasco’s use Profit and Loss account Statement of Cash flows and Statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. When Lasco Distributers Limited is about to seek finance it has certain criteria for selecting the source of financing these include; cost, use of funds and its financial situation. The cost criterion deals with choosing sources which are less expensive both in terms of interest and interest payments administrative costs. When undertaking heavy capital expenditure the company normal funds this by the use of long term sources which is normally an external source. The company’s accounting  information is used by various groups and the company financial statements have to be published. The users of the company financial statements include owners, employees, tax authority, competitors, management and government. The need for the company financial information by the different groups are different where employees use it when discussing wage bargains, managers when recording, analyzing and controlling the company operations, owners for assessing performance, tax authorities to show proof of income, competitors for analyzing the company stability and performance, and the government for statistics on companies. The company when recording its financial information it has several accounting concepts which it has to follow in order for the business to reflect a true and fair view of its financial position. These concepts are the accruals concept, consistency concept, separate entity, money terms and historical cost. The accruals concept that costs and revenues should be matched with the period in which they occur. The consistency concept states that when one decision has been made about the treatment of a transaction it should not be change. A business is a legal person in its own right and has a separate identity from that of the owners is what is outlined by the separate entity concept. Money terms indicates that when business transactions are being recorded it should be recorded in a monetary value while historical cost stipulates that all assets are valued according to their original cost rather than what they currently worth. Financial statements are formal records of the financial activities of a business. A limited company set of financial statements includes a balance sheet (a summary at a point in time of business assets, liabilities and capital), income statement (shows the a business income after expenses and tax from operating profit), cash flow statement (shows a company sources and uses of cash in a trading period) and notes which explained the figures in the other financial statements. The financial statements of the company are structured in a particular manner and must certain key elements which they must consist. Each financial statement has its own purpose as stated above where a brief description of their purpose where given. The balance of the company should contain the following: the company assets, its liabilities and the company equities. The balance sheet should have the company name on it the date for which it had been prepared for and the currency which it being expressed in. The assets should be listed first then followed by the liabilities then equities. The income and cash flow statement should enlist the revenues, the gains, expenses, profits or losses and the comprehensive income. They should also give the company name, the date for which it is prepared for and the currency which it is expressed in. Ratio analysis is done by comparing and assessing a company performance by means of accounting data. The net profit margin as a profitability ratio assesses how successful the management of a business has been at earning profits for the business. The ratio compares the business net profits for the business. The ratio compares the business net profits for the business net profit with its sales. Gross Profit Margin (%) = Gross Profit x 919, 941 x 100 = 25% ` Sales Turnover 3, 714, 328 Lasco Distributors Limited gross margin is low; this gross profit is only twenty-five percent (25%) of its sales turnover. This is indicated by figure 1 in the appendices, where it explains that sales is sixty four percent (80%) and gross profit is twenty (20%) given a ratio of 4:1, therefore for every ($4. 00) of sales one dollar ($1. 00) goes to gross profit. This isn’t a good sign since it will yield a good net profit margin as indicated by figure 2 where the sales is eighty four percent (93%) and net profit is sixteen percent (7%), showing that there is a ratio of 31:1, therefore the company the company makes one dollar profit from every thirty-one dollars. The profitability ratio compares the profit of the business with sales, assets and capital employed. The gross profit margin is a good indicator of how effectively managers have added value to the cost of goods sold. Current Ratio (%) = Current Assets x 2,700,215 x 100 = 232. 5% ` Current Liabilities 1161283 Liquidity ratio assesses a business ability to pay its short-term debts. Current ratio, as a current ratio compared to current assets with current liabilities. Current ratio of Courts is 2:1 and the company high current ratio suggests that the company is able to pay off its creditors two times. This is show in figure 3 in the appendices where it indicates that of the total current assets and current liabilities, current assets total sixty nine percent (69%) while current liabilities total of thirty one percent (31%). This isn’t a good ratio because a business current asset should be at least two times its current liabilities and the company ratio is 2:1. Lasco Group of Companies of Jamaica Limited is a food, financial, household and personal care and pharmaceutical company based in Kingston, Jamaica. Its pharmaceutical division represents world’s leading pharmaceutical companies; while the financial service division provides national and international services. It was founded in 1988 by its CEO and chairman, the Honourable Lascelles Chin. In 2004, the company established a factory in Plymouth, England to manufacture products for the West Indian community in the United Kingdom, but less than two years later withdrew from manufacturing in the United Kingdom. The change being referred to is a switch in 1965 to all locally manufactured furniture in the company’s effort to assist in the development of the domestic furniture manufacturing industry. Lasco Distributors Limited is a public listed company incorporated and resides in Jamaica. With other distributors in countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, Middle East, Canada and Central South Africa. The principal activities of Lasco Distributors Limited consist of the retailing and the hire purchase financing of food and personal supplies. It could be concluded that Lasco Distributors Limited has various sources of finance and has criteria for choosing the source of funds. It could also be concluded that the company follow some of the major accounting concepts and a lot of different groups of people uses the company accounting information for various reasons. Lasco seem to have a lot of expenses due to the amount of products they offer and new products as well leaving them with little profit. The researcher would like to recommend that the company continue to using the accounting concepts it’s using now and adopt other principles was well as conventions. The recommends that Lasco Distributors Limited increase on the availability of internal sources of fund so has to reduce the cost associated with borrowing, also to choose products well. Based on the facts they offer a vast amount of things which the cost of production is expensive and there is little amount of profit made. Minimise the amount of different products offered to the public if not this may run the firm into bankruptcy if merchandise isn’t managed well.

Free sample - Spatial architecture of underground design. translation missing

Spatial architecture of underground design. Spatial architecture of underground designFollowing the submission of the abstract on the creation of an underground construction, the following thesis will mainly deal with the designing of a sub-surface space. The creation of extensive underground complexes and even the idea of entire futuristic cities therefore warrant the need to provide near natural conditions for the survival of the inhabitants. This program will generally be based on the precedent-based research on underground space both the vernacular and existing underground developmental projects. The program is therefore dubbed Korean War Memorial with artificial lighting and aeration, aimed at going down memory lane, for rediscovering purposes.[1] The site of this architectural design will be Seoul, the capital of South Korea which was once the heart of the Korean War, and which is up to now being targeted by the North Korea. The thesis program is namely Koran War memorial. With this program, I look forward to pursuing an architectural spatial project with innovative planning in mind. In this program such aspects as air ventilation and light penetration, will be considered and also culture and inhabitable conditions.[2] This will mainly focus on the designing of an artificial aeration and lighting system that will be likened to the natural system. Focus will be on the spatial arrangement of these aspects. In the past, underground space was associated with death, that is burial, and also in war, where soldiers would hide in bunkers. However, current development has since changed that notion and underground dwellings are being designed. And since the natural light and aeration do not penetrate underground, there is therefore need to provide an artificial one that would supplement, and in order for this to happen, there is a reason to study spatial arrangement of the design building. This is in order to bring out maximal output of the underground setting for maximum comfort. The Korean War Memorial with artificial lighting would therefore take people into the past and bring out a feeling of the past in the future.[3]

Biology Lab Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biology Lab Report - Essay Example Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). It may come in concentrated pack indicated as: Pseudomonacidal, Staphylocidal, Salmonellacidal, Bactericidal, Fungicidal, Virucidal, and mildewstatic disinfectant (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). It is also commonly known as decontaminant in almost all spheres where microorganisms are not welcome (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). Its active ingredients are Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, 10.14%, and n-Alykl (C14 50%, C12 40%, C16 10%) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride , 6.76%. Its inert ingredients are 83.10% (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007. According to Reckitt Benckiser the company of professionals that market Lysol, the product has been found to be effective at controlling transmission by eradication of common microorganisms that have been the etiologic agents of human and animal diseases such as colds diarrhea, Rhinovirus (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). Thus, Lysol is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-virus agent (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). However, its capability of inhibiting growth of Serratia marcescens must be tested. Serratia marcescens is the common strain of bacteria normally used as laboratory experimental subjects. This bacterial strain has a characteristic colony color of red, and has been found to be selectively pathogenic to human beings (Owens & McGowan, 1999). As pathogenic organisms, they are capable of causing infectious diseases (Owens & McGowan, 1999). They may also be contaminants of materials (Owens & McGowan, 1999). However, they can be easily eradicated by physical contact with Lysol as proven by the professionals of Reckitt Benckiser company (LYSOL Brand I.C. Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (concentrate), 2007). Statement of the question Does Lysol inhibit the growth of Serratia marcescens HypothesisHo: Lysol does not inhibit growth of Serratia marcescens. Description of Experiment The control set-up consist of 2 Petri dishes of agar streaked with Serratia marcescens marked O% Lysol, and the experimental Set-up consist of 10 Petri dishes of agar streaked with Serratia marcescens marked 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25% Lysol. In addition, 12 small paper dots, and 50 ml per concentration of Lysol was prepared. PredictionIf a solution contains high concentration of Lysol, then there will be greater zone of inhibition on a plate streaked with Serratia marcescens, and lower concentrations will not show, if at all, zones of inhibition. Significance of Prediction The extent of zones of inhibitions would reveal Lysol's effects on Serratia marcescens, whether at high concentration or at low concentration. Methods and Materials a) Independent variable i) Lysol, Serratia marcescens, and 1 week were the independent variables. ii) Lysol was prepared at: 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25% concentrations, while Serratia marcescens was streak on 12 agar plates. iii) These were chosen to determine at what concentration of Lysol will there be greater or lower zones of inhibitions on Serratia marcescens as streaked on 12 agar plates. iv) 0% Lysol was indicated for the control group. b) Dependent variables i) The zones

The impact of the financial crisis on the British Airways company Research Paper

The impact of the financial crisis on the British Airways company - Research Paper Example In a span of 5 years, 2005 to 2009, the airline progression in passenger and cargo traffic had picked up, only to be drastically pulled down after the recession. The passenger load factor and overall load factor dropped from 79.1 to 77.0 and 73.4 to 72.0 percent respectively, passengers and tones of cargo carried dropped from 34613 to 33117 and 805 to 777 (000s) respectively (â€Å"Operating and financial,† britishairways.com). 6 2.4 Profit downturn 7 Following the decline in travels and cargo flow, British Airways revenues dropped substantially, which was associated with the high reliant on the premium tickets. The shift of passenger demand to other airlines was because of the extra fuel surcharge, which the British Airways charged its customers after the fuel price increase; together with the 300 million euro fine in 2008, by the British department of justice, it was easy for the airline to slip into financial struggles. The trend of revenue generation in 2008 and the previo us years to 2005, aimed at the 10 percent operating margin which was possible in the period of 2007/08; the only problem was that the growth in revenue generated come 2009 would be used to cover the increasing operational cost, hence profit turning into a loss (â€Å"Financial performance of British,† ukessays.co.uk). ... 7 As of 2009, the airline recorded a pre- tax loss of 401 million pounds, experiencing a negative growth of passengers by 4.4 percent, compared to 2008 profits of 922 million pounds, (Welham and Wang xinhuanet.com). A company with huge amount of stock, had to suffer loses again since the exchange rates of the stock market were altered to accommodate the economic situation in Europe and the rest of the world, where it is a share holder. The share price of British Airways was in its climax during between 2006 and 2007 in the last decade, which later declined to its lowest mark in 2009 in the event of the crisis. (See fig. 2) It was a period that the company took a strategic decision of selling some of its convertible shares to avoid going bankrupt. Each share was worth 6.60 Euros in 2007, but by 2009, it had declined to 1.34 Euros; however, it has survived through the difficult time to recover though in a slow development (â€Å"Financial performance of British,† ukessays.co.uk) . 8 British Airways | IAG share prices 8 2.5 Employment issues 9 3.0 Conclusion 10 1.0 Introduction British Airways Company is one of the major European airline service providers, to the numerous numbers of the passengers within the local and international dimensions. It is a company that has long history since World War I, when air travelling was more of an adventure compared to the modern society. The company has evolved over time to meet customers’ demands and overcome the economic challenges that also change unexpectedly. It is a company known to have formed mergers with other companies and engaged in privatization to reach where it is today. However, the global financial crisis that began in late

Unethical trade practices of Tesco on fresh produce from developing Essay

Unethical trade practices of Tesco on fresh produce from developing countries - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the impact of unethical practices of business especially conducted by multinational corporations has long been the center of debates. Multinational companies operating in developing countries in the complex supply chain and the increased international trades, their business activities and decisions can have a profound impact on local communities and people from developing countries, which are producers in the supply chain. According to the ILO, agriculture is the largest sector of employment in most developing countries, which employs one-third of the world’s labor force. Many families and people rely on agricultural and production for export for their livelihoods. Agricultural supply chains are complex and international. However, it is considered a vulnerable sector for its high production cost, price fluctuations, and the unbalanced market power. In the complex supply chain, multinational companies that purchase their products from developing countries can have immense impacts on people living in those countries. In the international market, actions taken by the dominant buyers and retailers may create a situation where it undermines the capacity of suppliers and compromises farmers and worker’s basic rights. According to Wearden, the United Kingdom imports over 90 percent of its fresh fruits and 60% vegetables from other countries each year. These products are imported mainly from European countries and some developing African countries such as Kenya and Morocco and have estimated value of GBP 1.5 billion per annum. In the UK, a small number of retailers dominate the food retail market a factor which is seen to in turn generally contribute to the power imbalance in the trading relationship between purchasers and suppliers. According to the UK Competition Commission, supermarket chains are increasingly exerting pressure on suppliers and farmers from developing countries to conform to ethical stand ards. Tesco PLC is the grocery market leader in the United Kingdom with a market share of around 30 percent in 2013. It is one of the world’s largest merchandise retailers. TESCO was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 as a group of grocery stalls in East End of London. In forming the name TESCO, the first two letter of Jack Cohen’s his surname were combined with the initials of his tea supplier, Thomas Edward Stockwell. The first Tesco store was opened in Middlesex in 1229. Originally Tesco focused its business on grocery retailer until the early 1990s when it diversified its products and services into a wider range inclusive of items such as clothing, furniture, books, DVD rental electronics, financial services, internet services and software in addition to its expanding its business abroad. Since then Tesco has continued to grow and offers new services in addition to opening new stores globally with a principle to sell a wide range of quality products at lower prices for everyone. In the present, Tesco has more than 6,500 stores worldwide and employs over 500,000 staffs around the world. Tesco is considered to be Britain’s biggest and most profitable supermarket chain and is currently seen to be expanding globally at a rapid rate. In 2013, Tesco announced its group trading profit before tax at GBP 3.5 billion with the UK sales accounting for over GBP 2 billion. With its aggressive worldwide expansions, Tesco purchases its products from suppliers in over 70 countries around the world. Given its continual success and the highest market share in the UK retails market, Tesco is in a powerful position, especially in grocery supply chain.

Corn Cob Leaves Biomass Biosorption Industrial Wastewater Environmental Sciences Essay

Corn Cob Leaves Biomass Biosorption Industrial Wastewater Environmental Sciences Essay Corn cob and corn leaves waste is an affordable adsorbent for the removal of industrial contaminants like heavy metals. The present research work is designed to characterize the biosorption of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) from industrial waste using Corn cob and corn leaves waste biomass. Batch experiments will be carried out for the sorption of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) by using Corn cob, as well as entrapment in Na-alginate polymeric matrix. The effect of important operational parameters such as initial pH, initial metal concentration and contact time will be evaluated. Physicochemical parameters will be determined before and after biosorption and conditions will be optimized. Metal contents before and after biosorption will be analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The morphology of the surface of Corn cob and corn leaves biomass will be observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results will be analyzed using mean  ± and standard error of mean, to determine the p roper sorption the data will be fitted to equilibrium and kinetic model. INTRODUCTION The treatment of high volumes of wastewater containing low concentrations of pollutants is becoming increasingly important as discharge regulations become more stringent. The treatment and disposal of liquid effluents from leather tanning and textile industries are a serious problem due to their Cr(III) contents (Kotas et al.2000). Although Cr(III) is less toxic than Cr(VI), a cancer-causing agent, Cr(III) may be a toxic metal when present at high concentrations (Blasiak et al.2000). Since heavy metal ions are not biodegradable, they are usually removed from the contaminated water by physical or chemical treatment processes. Conventional treatment methods (precipitation, membrane separation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrolysis etc.) are not often feasible because of high treatment cost, the need for continuous input of chemicals, and the production of toxic sludge (Akar et al. 2006). However these techniques proved ineffective in remaining within Cr(III) discharge limits (1-2mg/dm3) of industrial effluents (Geundi et al 1997). As a result, the use of alternative treatments such as ion exchange, carbon adsorption, membrane filtration, electroseparation, and bioaccumulation has been applied in polishing these effluents (Alves et al 1993). However, such processes may be ineffective and extremely expensive. Bioadsorption, on the other hand, is an emerging technology that also works to overcome the selectivity disadvantages of traditional decontamination pr ocesses. (Unz et al 1996). Biosorption technology is based on the interaction between toxic metals and the binding functional groups on the cell wall structure of the microorganisms or plants. These are mainly composed of polysaccharides, lipids and proteins. Biosorption has recognized as a potential alternative method over the conventional separation techniques. This process utilizes live, dead, pretreated and immobilized forms of biological cells like bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae and agriculture waste as sorbent materials (Gadd, 1990). Removal of heavy metals from wastewaters through adsorption, particularly biosorption, has emerged as an alternative technology. A variety of biomaterials and microorganisms have been explored by researchers for biosorption and bioaccumulation including fungi and agriculture waste materials (Fourest et al 1994). Biosorption may occur actively through metabolism or passively through some physical and chemical processes. A biosorbents immobilization procedure is necessary for the industrial application of biosorption [7].Immobilization of the agriculture waste in some suitable matrix like silica gel, polyurethane or alginate has proved useful in industrial application. The physical entrapment of the agriculture waste inside a polymeric gel in the form of beads is one of the most widely used techniques for immobilization which not only tackles the above problem but also provides mechanical strength, rigidity and porosity characteristics to the biosorbents. Further, the metal can be reco vered from the loaded beads using appropriate desorption techniques, thereby, minimizing the possibilities of environmental contamination (Lu et al 1995). Everywhere in the world corn are cultivated as important crop. Corn is Pakistans third most important cereal after wheat and rice. The use of corn in Pakistan for direct human consumption is declining, but its utilization in the feed and wet milling industry is growing at a much faster pace than anticipated. Currently, sufficient corn is grown in Pakistan for domestic needs and there is neither a surplus nor deficit in corn grain supplies. Currently except potato maize is the most profitable, stable and dependable agricultural crop in Pakistan. (Tariq et al 2010). Corn cob and corn leaves are one of the most plentiful and important agriculture waste in maize cultivation accounts for up to 50% of the total corn seed production. Immature cobs are boiled and eaten as corn on the cob or the grains may be removed and eaten as vegetable, or it may be canned. More mature cobs are roasted. The cobs are used for fuel, smoking pork products, and are also as source for charcoal (Sultana et al. 2007). , c The present study is designed to study the usefulness of immobilized corn cob and corn leaves agriculture waste biomass as a biosorbent for Cr(IIl) and Cr(Vl) from aquous industrial waste from tanneries to evaluate the effect of different experimental variables like pH, initial metal concentration and contact time. After biosorption the morphology of the surface of corn cob and corn leaves biomass with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) will be observed. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The present study is aimed: To investigate the potential of dried corn cob and corn leaves biomass and entrapment of biomass in Na-alginate polymeric matrix. To study the biosorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. To observe the effect of different conditions such as pH, initial metal concentration and time required for establishment of equilibrium. To evaluate the various methods for improving the metal ion removal capacities of corn cob and corn leaves. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Krishna et al. (2005) studied the possibility of using moss (Funaria hygrometrica), immobilized in a polysilicate matrix as substrate for speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in various water samples has been investigated. Experiments were performed to optimize conditions such as pH, amount of sorbent and flow rate, to achieve the quantitative separation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI). During all the steps of the separation process, Cr(III)was selectively sorbed on the column of immobilized moss in the pH range of 4-8 while, Cr(VI) was found to remain in solution. The retained Cr(III) was subsequently eluted with 10 ml of 2 mol là ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 HNO3. A pre-concentration factor of about 20 was achieved for Cr(III) when, 200 ml of water was passed. The immobilized moss was packed in a home made mini-column and incorporated in flow injection system for obtaining calibration plots for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) at low ppb levels that were compared with the plots obtained without column. After separat ion, the chromium (Cr) species were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The sorption capacity of the immobilized moss was found to be 11.5 mg gà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 for Cr(III). The effect of various interfering ions has also been studied. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in spiked and real wastewater samples and recoveries were found to be >95%. Anjan et al.(2007). analysed Biosorption of Cr(VI) using native strains of cyanobacteria from metal contaminated soil in the premises of textile mill. Biosorption reported as a function of pH (1-5), contact time (5-180 min) and initial chromium ion concentration (5-20 mg/l) to find out the maximum biosorption capacity of alginate immobilized Nostoc calcicola HH-12 and Chroococcus sp. HH-11. The optimum conditions for Cr(VI) biosorption are almost same for the two strains (pH 3-4, contact time 30 min and initial chromium concentration of 20 mg/l) however, the biomass of Chroococcus sp. HH-11 was found to be more suitable for the development of an efficient biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater, as it showed higher values of qm and Kf, the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm parameters. Both the isotherm models were suitable for describing the biosorption of Cr(VI) by the cyanobacterial biosorbents. Gao et al. (2008) analysed the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by rice straw, a surplus agricultural by product . The optimal pH was 2.0 and Cr(VI) removal rate increased with decreased Cr(VI) concentration and with increased temperature. Decrease in straw particle size led to an increase in Cr(VI) removal. Equilibrium was achieved in about 48 h under standard conditions, and Cr(III), which appeared in the solution and remained stable thereafter, indicating that both reduction and adsorption played a part in the Cr(VI) removal. The increase of the solution pH suggested that protons were needed for the Cr(VI) removal. A relatively high level of NOà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢3 notably restrained the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), while high level of SOà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢24 supported it. The promotion of the tartaric acid modified rice straw (TARS) and the slight inhibition of the esterified rice straw (ERS) on Cr(VI) removal indicated that carboxyl groups present on the biomass played an i mportant role in chromium remediation even though were not fully responsible for it. Isotherm tests showed that equilibrium sorption data were better represented by Langmuir model and the sorption capacity of rice straw was found to be 3.15 mg/g. Li et al. (2008) investigated the comparative study on adsorptions of Pb(ll) and (CrVl) ions by free cells and immobilized cells of Synechococcus sp. ,in which different aspects including Zeta potential of the cells, the influence of pH, temperature and initial concentration of metal ions, as well as adsorption kinetics and mechanism were referred. The lyophilized free cells have a surface isoelectric point at pH 3, and the correlative experiment indicates that there is an electrostatic adsorption feature of Cr(Vl) and Pb(ll). The immobilization of the free cells by Ca-alginate does not significantly modify the adsorption features of the biosorbent. The absorption processes of Cr(Vl) and Pb(ll) on both free and immobilized cells are apparently affected by pH and the initial concentration of metal ions in the bulk solution, but are much weakly affected by temperature in the test range of 10à ¢- ¦C-50à ¢- ¦C. The slow course of biosorption follows the first order kinetic model, t he adsorption of Pb(ll) obeys both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, while the adsorption of Cr(Vl) obeys only Freundlich model. FT-IR results indicate that carboxylic, alcoholic, amide and amino groups are responsible for the binding of the metal ions, and reduction of Cr(lll) to Cr(Vl) takes place after Cr(Vl) adsorbs electrostatically onto the surface of the biosorbents. Park et al. (2008) analysed agricultural biowastes such as banana skin, green tea waste, oak leaf, walnut shell, peanut shell and rice husk, banana skin screened as the most efficient biomaterial to remove toxic Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study revealed that the mechanism of Cr(VI) biosorption by banana skin was its complete reduction into Cr(III) in both aqueous and solid phases and partial binding of the reduced-Cr(III), in the range of pH 1.5-4 tested. One gram of banana skin could reduce 249.6 ( ±4.2) mg of Cr(VI) at initial pH 1.5. Namely, Cr(VI)-reducing capacity of banana skin was four times higher than that of a common chemical Cr(VI)-reductant, FeSO4.7H2O. To diminish undesirable/serious organic leaching from the biomaterial and to enhance removal efficiency of total Cr, its powder was immobilized within Ca-alginate bead. The developed Cr(VI)-biosorbent could completely reduce toxic Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III) and could remove alm ost of the reduced-Cr(III) from aqueous phase. On the basis of removal mechanisms of Cr(VI)and total Cr by the Cr(VI)-biosorbent, a kinetic model was derived and could be successfully used to predict their removal behaviors in aqueous phase. In conclusion, our Cr(VI)-biosorbent must be a potent candidate to substitute for chemical reductants as well as adsorbents for treating Cr(VI)-bearing waste waters. Alez et al. (2009) investigated the biosorption of Cr(III) onto packed columns of Agave lechuguilla using an advective-dispersive (AD) model and its analytical solution. Characteristic parameters such as axial dispersion coefficients, retardation factors, and distribution coefficients were predicted as functions of inlet ion metal concentration, time, flow rate, bed density, cross-sectional column area, and bed length. The root mean square error (RMSE) values 0.122, 0.232, and 0.285 corresponding to the flow rates of 1, 2, and 3 (10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢3)dm3 minà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1, respectively,indicated that the AD model provides an excellent approximation of the simulation of lumped breakthrough curves for the adsorption of Cr(III) by lechuguilla biomass. Therefore,the model can be used for design purposes to predict the effect of varying operational conditions. Chen et al. (2010) analysed Cr(III) ionic imprinted membrane adsorbents Cr(III)-PVA/SA) by blending sodium alginate (SA) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). In these new membrane adsorbents, polyethylene glycol was used as porogen, and glutaraldehyde was the cross-linking agent. Our new developed membrane adsorbents can be used without centrifugation and filtration. To investigate the adsorption kinetics of Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution onto this newly developed Cr(III)-PVA/SA, we performed a batch of experiments under different conditions by changing the concentration of Cr(III) ions in the Cr(III)-PVA/SA, pH value of the solution, adsorbent dose, initial Cr(III) ions concentration, adsorption temperature and contact time. Our Cr(III)-PVA/SA exhibited the maximum Cr(III) ions uptake capacity of 59.9 mg/g under the following conditions: 0.078 wt% of Cr(III) ions in the Cr(III)-PVA/SA, solution pH value of 6.0, adsorbent dose of 0.5 g/L, the initial Cr(III) ions concentration of 50 mg/ L, at 25 à ¢- ¦C. To study the mechanism of adsorption process, we examined the intra-particular diffusion model, Lagergren pseudo-first-order kinetic model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and found pseudo-second-order kinetic model exhibited the best correlation with our experimental data. Furthermore, our adsorption equilibrium data could be better described by the Langmuir equation. Competitive adsorption studies of the binary system of Cr(III)/Cu(II), Cr(III)/Cd(II) and the ternary system of Cr(III)/Cu(II)/Cd(II) were also investigated using Cr(III)-PVA/SA, the results indicated that selectively adsorbed amount of Cr(III) ion on Cr(III)- PVA/SA is significantly higher than that of Cu(II) and Cd(II) ions. We also used five times consecutive adsorption-desorption experiments to show that the Cr(III)-PVA/SA has high adsorption and desorption efficiencies. Huang et al.( 2010) studied a new approach for the preparation of tannin-immobilized adsorbent by using mesoporous silica bead as the supporting matrix. Bayberry tannin-immobilized mesoporous silica bead (BT-SiO2) was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction to verify the crystallinity, field-emission scanning electron microscopy to observe the surface morphology, and surface area and porosity analyzer to measure the mesoporous porous structure. Subsequently, the adsorption experiments to Cr(III) were applied to evaluate the adsorption performances of BT-SiO2. It was found that the adsorption of Cr(III) onto BT-SiO2 was pH-dependent, and the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained in the pH range of 5.0-5.5. The adsorption capacity was 1.30mmolgà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 at 303K and pH 5.5 when the initial concentration of Cr(III) was 2.0mmolLà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1. Based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR) analyses, the adsorption mechanism of Cr(III) on BT-SiO2 was proved to be a che lating interaction. The adsorption kinetic data can be well described using pseudo-first-order model and the equilibrium data can be well fitted by the Langmuir isothermal model. Importantly, no bayberry tannin was leached out during the adsorption process and BT-SiO2 can simultaneously remove coexisting metal ions from aqueous solutions. In conclusion, this study provides a new strategy for the preparation of tannin-immobilized adsorbents that are highly effective in removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Kathiravan et al. (2010) studied the external mass transfer effects on the reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) using calcium alginate immobilized Bacillus sp. in a re-circulated packed bed batch reactor (RPBR). The effect of flow rate on the reduction Cr(VI) was studied. Theoretically calculated rate constants for various flow rates were analyzed using external film diffusion models and compared with experimental values. The external mass transfer coefficients for the bioconversion of Cr(VI) were also investigated. The external mass transfer effect was correlated with a model of the type JD = K, Re (1-n). The model was tested with various K values and the mass transfer correlation JD = 5.7, Re=0.70 was found to predict the experimental data accurately. The proposed model would be useful for the design of industrial reactor and scale. Ansari et al. (2011) immobilized Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz distillation waste biomass using sodium alginate for Pb(II) uptake from aqueous solutions under varied experimental conditions. The maximum Pb(II) adsorption occurred at pH 5. Immobilized rose waste biomasses weremodified physically and chemically to enhance Pb(II) removal. The Langmuir sorption isothermand pseudosecond- order kinetic models fitted well to the adsorption data of Pb(II) by immobilized Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz. The adsorbed metal is recovered by treating immobilized biomass with different chemical reagents (H2SO4, HCl and H3PO4) and maximum Pb(II) recovered when treated with sulphuric acid (95.67%). The presence of cometals Na, Ca(II), Al(III), Cr(III), Cr(VI), and Cu(II), reduced Pb(II) adsorption on Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz waste biomass. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that rose waste can be effectively used for the uptake of Pb(II) from aqueous streams.

My Great-grandmother Was Not A Person :: essays research papers

My Great-Grandmother was not a Person My Great-Grandmother was not a person. Neither was yours. Up until about 67 years ago no females were. We were supposed to be pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen. At least that's the perception that the laws enforced. (For ex: The Election Act of the Dominion of Canada and The Common Law of England) As part of the British Commonwealth many of our laws were the same as England's and enforced by British parliament. One such law from the Common Law of England stated that "A woman is not a person in matters of rights and privileges, but she is a person in matters of pains and penalties." This gave women second class citizenship. Women were not recognized as equals to men, even though the expectations of women were such that the work load was equal if not greater. As pioneer women we built homes, raised families, maintained the homestead, hunted food, fought natives, made clothes, cooked, cleaned, as well as the many manual labour jobs that men held. For example, women worked in coal mines, armories, and aided the war effort via the manufacturing industry, such as factorys. If this is what is determeined as equality then women were getting the short end of the stick and men were receiving all of the benifit. This perception still holds strong today, although not as strongly. Men said that women were to fragile to vote. Yet no man has ever experienced labor pains. Furthermore no man has fought any battle that was as hard as the one the famous five women have fought. The Election Act of the Dominion of Canada states that "No woman, idiot, lunatic, or criminal shall vote." So women are equal to criminals? It's not a crime to be a woman. We should not be judged by our sex. On April 19, 1916 women in Alberta were granted the right to vote. A small battle was won. Five Canadian women have conquered countries and nations for their rights. When questionning the wording of "qualified persons to the senate" the Supreme Court of Canada rejected that the word "persons" included women. This battle was lost but the war was won when the Privy Council of England (the highest court in the land) ruled that the word "persons" included women. That was the 18th of October, 1929. The famous five women are: Irene Perlby, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, and Emily Murphy. These women have fought a battle of sexism that is of historic importance. Millions of women in Canada have these

Forensic Science: Evolution and how it has helped to solve many infamous crimes Essay

A murder mystery, an unidentified body, stab wounds to the chest, a pool of blood in a high end street in New York, photographers, police, investigators rush in to begin their course of work to solve the mystery of the dead body, to solve the puzzle, to tell the world the story of the dead body, to make sure the life they lived didn’t just vanish with their death in a split second. It may seem like a season premiere of the latest CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) season, within one hour you are presented with the murderer and how it occurred and why. But is it always that simple? Is it always that crystal clear? Forensic Science has never been under the eye of the public as it is right now. But the perception of what Forensics is to the public is not really what it seems to be in TV shows. Forensic Science is a much more vast collection of studies that helps put murderers and criminals behind bars. It has been present since a long time ago and its evolution from that time to now , has helped solve many infamous crimes that have shocked the world. It has become one of the most crucial elements in any trial to verify the accuracy of the evidence and to grant justice to the innocent and send the guilty behind bars. Forensic Science is known as the science of gathering evidence and establishing facts that can be taken as evidence in a court of law. (Rankin, 2013). The first use of Forensics has not been clearly mentioned, but it is evident that Forensics was used to solve cases even from long time ago. One of the most famous cases reported was the story of Archimedes, where he used his theory of buoyancy to prove whether the gold smith who built the royal crown for the king used 100% gold as he said or whether he mixed silver to it. (Rankin, 2013). From the old age, Forensics has been developing with time. Even before the invention of the microscope, people managed to link evidence and solve crimes. A few such cases include the matching of a torn piece of paper in a pocket to a gun  used in a homicide, developing the finger print system to verify and identify individuals and distinguishing the different blood categories which were some of the most basic techniques used in the early ages to dis tinguish evidence. (Rankin, 2013) With the development of technology, Forensic Science has blossomed immensely. From the use of fingerprint analysis to DNA testing, the advancement of this science has helped to solve many crimes and put criminals behind bars. It has also introduced various aspects of Forensic Science which gives importance to individual specialties and not as a whole, a few common aspects are: Pathology, Entomology, Toxicology and Anthropology. For the CSI fans, Dr. Al Robbins needs no introduction, to the others, he was the Medical Examiner in the series, a doctor who did autopsies and figured out the cause of death of the deceased. This is exactly what a pathologist does in real life even though not as sugar coated as on TV. Pathology is the study of diagnosis and disease and determining the cause of death. It involves gathering evidence from the crime scene and establishing a time of death, cause of death and identifying the body. In almost all cases, Pathology is used, as it is the factor that determines the cause of death. One case as such involves a 16 year old girl name d Leanne Tiernan. She mysteriously disappeared in November 2000 and sadly, her body was found in august 2001. According to evidence found around the crime scene- a dog collar, twine and a cable, they were easily linked back to the murderer John Taylor. But the main piece of evidence was strands of Leanne’s pink sweater which was found at John’s house which provided the final piece of evidence to link him to the murder. John was arrested in November 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment. (Suzanne Elvidge BSc (hons), 2013) Even though Pathology is one of the main factors being exercised at a crime scene the other factors are equally essential to find out many other details about the crime. Another rather interesting method used by forensic scientist is Entomology which uses information from insects to establish the time of death and location. Naturally after death, the body goes through various stages of decay which attracts many insects in succession, scientists are then able to establish a pattern in which insects arrive at which stage; therefore, making it easy to establish a time of death. Some insects are unique to a certain region, which helps in distinguishing a location if they are found in places where they are not commonly found. Some insects suck out  blood which helps in analyzing if any toxics were involved in the death. Even though the toxicology report is a job for the toxicologist , the sample is taken out from the insect by the Entomologist. A case which used Entomology to a very high standard in the summer of 1997 was the case of Kevin Neal. A stepfather killed both his step children in an act of revenge. The Kevin Neal murder case used Entomology to great lengths. The children, 11 years and 4 years old, were both murdered by unidentified homicidal evidence, but with the help of the vast amounts of insects which gathered in the two bodies where they lay for weeks in a hot summer land, the entomologists were able to establish a rough time period of death and the cause of death to some manner of asphyxia. The fact that 3 different types of insects weren’t found to be acting in the same manner as they would on a normal body made them suspect the day which they first thought the children were murdered. Then a few weed seeds which were attached to Neal’s pants from the site, were found at his house linked him to the crime scene and after years of trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. (Gribben, n.d.) This also shows us how a simple factor such as insect succession which helped in determining the time of death which helped in forensics to form a timeline to figure the whereabouts of Neal at the time of death and link it to the murder of the children. Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects on the human body caused by toxics. It is mostly used to identify any chemicals present in the body after death to rule out foul play or suicide. Not only poisons toxicology is used to identify any foreign material that may have been become toxic while in the body. (Toxicolog y, 2013) The first use of toxicology occurred in 1751 where a woman named Mary together with her husband in need of her father’s estate gave him Arsenic in small dosages until he died. However the maid caring for Mary’s father realized what Mary did and she was accused of murdering her father. The autopsy done by 4 notable doctors at that time revealed that the cause of death was indeed arsenic poisoning and from the powder saved by the maid they conducted a very poor method of burning the powder and smelling it which confirmed it was arsenic. This was reported to be the first toxicology experiment conducted to convict a criminal. Even though the test conducted was purely vague, this incident made them develop more accurate tests to identify compounds and to make them pay attention to forensic toxicology.  (Ramsland, n.d.) If you have watched the hit TV series ‘Bones’ you probably understand what Forensic Anthropology is. The SWAGANTH (Scientific Working Group for Anthropology) defines forensic anthropology as â€Å"The application of anthropological methods and theory – particularly those relating to the recovery of analysis of human remains to resolve legal matters.† (Scientific Working group for Forensic Anthropology, 2013) Anthropology, jus t as the other sectors of Forensics, is a mystery itself. All human skeletal remains are very similar; therefore, identifying its owner can be a cumbersome task and not as easy as it looks on TV. From gathering bones to creating a three dimensional image of the individual, anthropologists have to first gather the bones, analyze it and then identify its origin. There’s a certain protocol which they follow to study their evidence and present it. The protocol is as such: Are the remains human? Do they represent one person or more? When did the death occur? How old was the descendant? What was the sex of the descendant? What was the race of the descendant? What was the descendant’s stature? Body weight? Physique? Does the skeleton present physical anomalies, signs of old disease and injuries or other characteristics which could give a positive identification? What was the cause of death? What was the manner of death? (natural, accident, suicide, murder or unknown) (Snow, Forensic Anthropology, 1982) This method was introduced after a high profile murder case which took place in the 1850’s at Harvard University. The case was called, The Parkman Murder after the murder of Dr. George Parkman. A Harvard alumnus, Parkman donated the land in which the Harvard medical school was built. Professor John Webster was a chemistry professor at the medical school his friend Parkman established. But due to hundreds of dollars Webster was indebted to Parkman, their friendship was heading downhill. Webster was a man with expensive taste that couldn’t suffice with the $4000 a year pay check he received, so  he has taken many loans over the couple of years when Webster and Parkman were friends. Parkman, let the debt go on until he found out that Webster was trying to sell off a valuable mineral collection which he put up as collateral on the loan. This made Parkman denounce Webster in public which may have been the cause for his dismissal from Harvard. Webster under false pretences then had requested Parkman to arrive at his laboratory to allegedly make a substantial payment of his debt, but little did Dr. Parkman know that, that it would be his final journey in life. Dr. Parkman was murdered that night and his body was burnt in a furnace to make him unrecognizable and if that was not gruesome enough, his body, or what was remaining, was thrown into the Charles River. The body was beyond recognition and a highly educated set of pathologists, anthropologists, odontologists who works in Harvard got together and distinguished it to be Dr. Parkman. In the following week, Webster was caught by bone fragments which were found at his home furnace. This case would go down in history as the first case to be solved down through Anthropology and a guiding stone to what Forensic Anthropology is today. (Snow, 1982) Most murder cases such as the Parkman Murder, Leanne Tiernan , are only a one time scenario. You have the murderer, the victim, the police, and the investigation. Some end up well, some end up bad, but either way, when the guilty party is charged, and the deceased family componsated, the story ends. But there are stories that don’t end that e asily. Stories which go on for years, with many people involved, many casualties that would terrorize whole nations in the matter of days and some to not be solved even after a century’s time – Serial Killings. These are killings that are premeditated and are carried out in a series over a period of time. (Jenkins, 2013) What triggers human beings to suddenly be as impulsive as to kill and mutilate their own beings, we don’t know. But fortunately Forensics has been a driving force behind bringing these notorius criminals to justice. Theodore Robert Cowell, notoriously known as Ted Bundy was one of the most gruesome and frightened serial killers in the USA. He used to pretend to have a broken arm and lured young women into his vehicle and horridly mutilated, raped and killed them. Known to be a handsome man, Bundy had no problems with making small talk to make young women comfortable around him, until he made his move. He is known to have murdered over 30 women and to date, the exact amount is unknown. A  known case, somewhat believed to be Bundy’s first, was the brutal rape of 18 year old Joni Lenz, she was found in her own basement with a bed rod savagely rammed into her ge nitals fortunately or unfortunately she was one of the very few people to have escaped the death sentence from Bundy’s terror. Bundy was not arrested for suspicion for murder, he was arrested for not stopping at a police blockade and after being stopped, the police were found suspicious items such as a ski mask, rope, crowbar and handcuffs in his car which lead to the initial suspicions. This lead to him being recorded and under surveillance for some time and after many times he was released due to lack of evidence. But due to his sadistic fantasies of biting his victims, it was Odontology that helped put Bundy away, Odontologists were able to associate his teeth marks with the bite marks of some of the victims, at the same time a few strands of hair found in his car linked him to the murders that lead to the final conviction of this mass murderer in 1989 January with his life ending in the electric chair. (Bell, 2012) The story of Richard Ramirez is quite intriguing. He was known as the Night Stalker due to his modus operandi which followed, jumping into houses and killing people inside the house. The metho d of his killings were gruesome. He would mutilate his victims by gouging their eyes out and mutilating their corpses. He was known to perform sexual activities with dead corpses as well. He was a self aclaimed satanist who had no remorse for the crimes he commited. His capture was with the help of fingerprinting techonology which was making quite a stir at that time. Ramirez’s fingerprint caught in a car was linked to him and his mugshot was sent to the police, in one weeks time, he was captured and sent to prison on the account of 13 murders. (Reporter, 2013) John Wayne Gacy Jr., a name that still sends chills down anyone’s spine was a serial killer who preyed on young boys. He would perform sexual acts on the boys who he caught and eventually murder them. Gacy was a man loved by everyone. He was a hard worker who was just trying to catch a break which he did, but would end up tarnishing his image due to his sadistic homosexual needs. Married twice, he would be no more different to your own friendly neighbor, as his close friends stated in court during his hearing. He would go on to murder more than 30 young teenage boys who he would perform sexual acts on and burying them in his own backyard. After going through the second divorce he started  his own business where he undertook work such painting, refurbishing and maintaining. H e hired young men under him to apparently lower the costs, but it was apparent that, that was a cover up to hide Gacy’s fantasies. One by one, the men at his workplace kept disappearing and after being questioned for suspicion of the disappearance of the men he hired to work for him, the sheriff in charge did a background check on Gacy and got to know about his previous acts of sodomy. He then got a search warrant to investigate his house when Gacy wasn’t in, he then went on to find many links that connected Gacy to many of the missing men and at that point he confessed to one of the murders thinking they would not dig the grave yard in his crawl space at that point. However the unbearable stench coming from Gacy’s crawl space would lead the police to dig up his backyard that would reveal the grave yard of the missing men, more than 30 bodies and of which, 7 have not been recognized up to date. Anthropology played a massive role in separating all the bone fragments gathered from his backyard and identifying their owners as well as determining their cause of death. When the final tally came up Gacy would only be second to Ted Bundy with the death toll. Even though it was one factor in forensics which helped in catching these murderers be it pathology, anthropology or odontology, all of the other factors help in verifying the data you gather. Therefore, it is not quite clear cut as to say that only one aspect of Forensics played the whole part in solving a murder. This is the reason as to the Medical Examiner is the head of the Forensic department. All the data is gathered by him and he makes the final judgment as to what the evidence shows. In forensics, the evidence is the bits and pieces of a story that is scattered around. The forensic examiner merely interprets what the evidence means to his area of expertise and delivers it to the Medical Examiner – the author. Here, the Medical Examiner gathers all the little stories scattered around and builds up the story that will be given out to the police – the publisher. In the same case, these results may turn out to not be what you expected. Sometimes, these results may interpret inconclusive results that would alter the final decision of the respected official therefore it is not always correct. Recently many scientific communities have been debating about the validity of Forensic Evidence in court due to various inconsistencies in the results that has been produced in labs. Not only scientists, many people are now questioning  the science of forensic evidence as at current, the evidence is taken for granted. With hit TV shows like CSI, Body of Proof, Bones, people are easily manipulated into believing the circumstantial evidence provided to judge a case, now called the CIS effect where people judgments are subconsciously questioned by TV shows than what is provided as evidence. Some juries who are fans of CIS have gone on to acquit obviously guilty criminals just because the investigators failed to test evidence â€Å"the CSI way†. (Cole & Diosso-Villa, 2009) These jurors are now known to rely on superficial evidence CSI has provided rather than the evidence provided. The most frightnening factor in this case is the evidence itself. Regardless of the jurors verdict, the results that have provided in some cases are now known to be inconclusive. A recent research found out that ‘identifications on the same fingerprint can change solely by presenting the print in a different context’. Called ‘conceptual biasing’ the report showed how previously identified finger print results of the samples changed when details about their arrest were told which is called conceptual biasing. (Jr. & B., 2009, 36-38p) Another case which was under the spotlight was th case of Brandan Mayfield. He was arrested with charges of being a material witne ss based on his fingerprints found in a bag where the detonation device of the terrorist bombing which occurred in Madrid, Spain which killed 191 people and injured thousands. The fingerprint of Mayfield was analyzed by an outside source by a different individual. The Spanish police then alerted the FBI regarding doubts with the findings of Mayfield and released him after 18 days with $2 million componsation. (Jr. & B., 2009) Many scholars have begun to question the accuracy of the evidence used in a court. The highly controversial Amanda Knox case was recently brought back to lime light with the Forensic Scientist in charge of the murder trial requested to retest the blood which was on the knife which was used to kill Meredith Kercher; however, the appeal judge thought the evidence was unreliable and hence dismissed the suggestion. This would have been a major point to rule out whether it was Kercher’s blood in the knife as statistically, if the testing was done more than 5 times, the results would have been more accurate with regard to whether the blood was actually from Kercher and would have either verified the unreliable evidence or dismissed it which would make a firm case for Knox’s release (Alexander, 2013) At points like   these the evidence is just put aside where it would have been of great resource. Since the inception of forensics, it has managed to send many criminals behind bars, as to whether the law decides if it is true or not is up for debate, but scientist today are trying to make the evidence they gather more reliable so that no such cases will arise in the future. The advancement of technology has helped to create many new methods of tests for the use of Forensics. A recently discovered method of finger printing was found in Australia at Curtin University using henna. The usual method of identifying invisible fingerprints were said to be by using nin-hydrin a volatile chemical, now they have been able to use henna to identify the finger prints which is not harmful at all and is available at ease. (Renee Jelly, Chris Lennard, Limc, & Almogd, 2008) Other findings include gunshot residual identification. The technology to identify minute residual materials on suspects is being developed. Earlier use, included the use of paraffin to make cast over the suspects hand and when sprayed with a reagent would turn into a specific colour, but due to cigarettes and urine also giving the same results, this method was dropped in the 1950’s, therefore this new method would be a new beginning for Gun Shot Residual identification. (Pilant, 2000) The hour of a purely fictional TV episode ends. What has is it done to you? What has it made you believe? If only forensics was as crystal clear as in TV, the police would have caught all the criminals and serial killers of the world if so, but unfortunately it is not. We have to slap ourselves back to reality and realize the situation at hand. Forensic Science has helped to imprison the demons in human form that have made you want to doubt if you will ever see your loved ones after they leave the comfort of your house. It might soon overcome the point where innocent children such as Madeleine McCann, Edward and Austin Bryant (Sampson, 2011) can be found by the use of new technology and reopen these cases and analyze the evidence recorded and stored. It would give peace to many parents who are mourning the disappearance of their loved ones not knowing whether they’re alive or not. Forensics has turned out to be a scientific breakthrough in the industry of crime. With the media attention it is getting, Forensics is at a point where it’s growing at a steady rate. It has brought a whole new era in to the cycle of forensics and what we will expect in the future will definitely be unimaginable and till then we will await. Bibliography Alexander, R. (2013, 04). Amanda Knox and bad maths in court. Retrieved 2013, from BBC News Magazine: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22310186 Bell, R. (2012). Ted Bundy. Retrieved 2013, from Crime Library : http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/bundy/index_1.html Cole, S. A., & Diosso-Villa, R. (2009). INVESTIGATING THE ‘CSI EFFECT’ EFFECT: MEDIA AND LITIGATION CRISIS IN CRIMINAL LAW. The Stanford Law Review , 1335-1373. Gribben, M. (n.d.). Crime Library. Retrieved 2013, from Crime Library; crimina mindls and methods: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/kevin_neal/1_index.html Jenkins, J. P. (2013). Encyclopeadia. Retrieved 2013, from Encyclopaedia Brittanica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/863836/serial-murder Jr., D., & B., H. (2009). Forensic Science under the spotlight. Judges’ Journal , 48 (4), 36-38. Pilant, L. (2000). Forensic Science: Bringing New Technology. Ramsland, K. (n.d.). Crime Library; criminla minds and methods. Retrieved 2013, from Crime Library: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/toxicology/2.html Rankin, S. (2013). Forensic Science. Retrieved 2013, from Forensic Science Central: http://forensicsciencecentral.co.uk/history.html Renee Jelly, a. S., Chris Lennard, b., Limc, K. F., & Almogd, J. (2008). could henna help catch criminals. Retrieved from RSC publishing: http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2008/08/fingerprints.asp Reporter, A. P. (2013). Mail Online. Retrieved 2013, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2343661/California-serial-killer-self-confessed-Satanist-Richard-Ramirez-died-cancer.html Sampson, J. (2011, 07). 10 Tragic cases of lost children. Retrieved 2013, from Listverse: http://listverse.com/2011/07/11/10-tragic-cases-of-missing-children/ Scientific Working group for Forensic Anthropology. (2013). Retrieved 2013, from a forensic anthropoligical scientific group: http://www.swganth.org/ Snow, C. C. (1982). Forensic Anthropology. Annnul Review of Anthropology , 11, pp. 97-131. Suzanne Elvidge BSc (hons), M. (2013, 04 21). Explore Forensics. Retrieved 07 30, 2013, from Forensic Science exploaration: http://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/forensic-cases-murder-leanne-tiernan.html Word Count – 3900

“Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus” – Shakespeare – Othello, Act 1 Scene 3

The concept of fate and destiny has fascinated humans for centuries. The idea that our lives are preordained and ‘set in the stars' has seemed to be an easy stance to take on ones life, especially when it does not take us in the route we desire. The Greek's were a nation obsessed with fate and created myths such as Oedipus and The Fates to illustrate the outer powers that control our lives. These ideas have of course been continued throughout history and helped to shape our views on the true control that we hold over our future. Even in today's society of an ever-expanding work place with greater opportunities, we are constantly reminded of a fate like control whether it is from a religious influence or daily horoscopes. Hardy himself was obsessed with fate and it is a theme that runs throughout many of his texts such as ‘Far From the Madding Crowd' and ‘Mayor of Casterbridge'. It is this fixation with a predetermined layout of our lives that begs me to question the fact as to whether the character Jude is in fact destined to fail, no matter how hard he works or how pious he behaves. It seems that Jude's family history hides the preordained life planed out for him, with marriage a dark mystery never to be entered into lightly, if at all. McCourt also has to struggle not only past his own families history in the USA but also a society that seems to seal his fate as a low class Catholic Irishman wanting to better himself academically, as with Jude. So how can such similar characters that face such comparable lives end up with completely different outcomes? Is it fate at work or merely a case of stronger and weaker personalities with less or greater determination? With such similar tales to tell but ultimately different endings it is easy to suggest that fate has ‘chosen' different paths for the two of our characters. Both McCourt and Jude seek to better themselves from the lower class upbringings they both share. McCourt lived not only through the poverty but the ‘pompous priests', the ‘shiftless loquacious alcoholic father', the ‘pious defeated mother' and the ‘bullying school masters'. McCourts early life in New York consisted of living in squalor with rags as clothes and sour milk as his food. After the death of his younger sister the McCourts family's problems seem to increase with his fathers alcoholism reappearing and his mothers depression reaching new heights. It was often left to neighbours to clean and feed McCourt and his siblings as lack of money caused Angela and Malachy, McCourts parents, the inability to provide the necessities for their children. The back setting of the American Depression, which is mentioned on various occasions, sets the context and helps to explain why the McCourt family is so poor aside from the wasted money on alcohol by the father. Jude's childhood as an orphan raised by his working class great Aunt is also one of low class stigmata's, although the poverty is not there as within McCourts memoirs. Jude appears to live a comfortable life with the necessities but never any of the riches that high or even middle class families may enjoy. Class division is a theme that runs through both novels and is a problem that both McCourt and Jude face throughout their lives. It is not until the move back to Limerick in Ireland and as Frank McCourt has aged that any class distinction becomes noticeable to the young McCourt. Because of the low class status Jude and McCourt hold as youths both characters find that they are unfairly denied many opportunities even though they both have the intelligence and eagerness to learn. Religion also plays a large role in both McCourt and Jude's life, but neither character is shown the mercy and lenity that the Church is supposed to offer its followers. Jude Fawely wishes to join the church as it is seen as an accademically significant career. The rejection Jude faces from his ecclesiastical betters in Christminster lead him to in turn dismiss the church and its believes. Jude finds himself in a ‘chaos of principles†¦ groping in the dark†¦ acting by instinct and not after example'. Hardy's novel is brimming with biblical allusions and quotations, yet it portrays a world in which displays of religious belief are largely a ‘luxury of the emotional and leisured classes'. Religion also has a large influence over the actions of Frank McCourt. It is also the Church that prevents McCourt having the opportunity to further his education as the Church runs his local Catholic grammar school, and due to his slum like appearance they reject him. As a child McCourt is in constant fear of the Church, its clergy, Hell and God. The Church is meant to be a service of guidance, but to McCourt its idea's conflict with his own feelings and emotions. For a long time during McCourts life he feels that he is already condemned to an eternity in hell. These feelings grew from his experiences, McCourt feels guilty about his own sexual feelings and actions, as well as any other small sin any young child would be likely to commit. McCourt's image of the Church is only increased when he returns to America and is propositioned by a priest on his first night. McCourt is left with the feeling that ‘God torments you'. Family history is a large problem that haunts both characters in these novels. Jude is placed under the impression that there is a curse on his family that prevents any successful marriage. His own parents ended up dead, which is seen due to their marriage, and his great Aunt has stayed away from marriage all her life, â€Å"The Fawleys were not made for wedlock: it never seemed to sit well upon us†. It is true that Jude's first marriage to Arabella Donn is a failure, however it is not the statute of marriage that seems to be the problem for Jude as even Sue Brideshead's avoidance of marriage can not prevent the ultimate failure of there partnership. It can also be said that the lower class upbringing Jude had been given by his Aunt led to the demise of any hopes Jude may have held to gaining a further education and career within the church. McCourt also holds some demons from his families past that he carries with him throughout his childhood and that surface during his adult life as well. The ‘curse of the Irish' is one that follows McCourt to America with him. His own Father's drinking problem that cast the McCourt family into poverty, is continued by a depressed Frank McCourt who believes he his failing in his dreams. McCourt always feels like an outsider in the same way that Jude always feels an inferior in the city of Christminster to the intellects that surround him.

Dysfunction and Childhood Sexual Abuse essays

Dysfunction and Childhood Sexual Abuse essays Child sexual abuse is defined as the abuse of trust, power and authority that occurs through exposure of a child to sexual behavior and acts (Scott et al, 2011). Understanding the effects of sexual child abuse is critical for psychologist since knowledge of the collective symptoms depicted by adults who were child sexual abuse victims is useful in undertaking appropriate interventions and diagnosis among adult exhibiting pathological problems and symptoms and especially for those adults with histories of abuse. This paper provides an overview of the relationship between child abuse and various adult psychopathology manifestations and specifically touches on various topics including the psychosexual effects of sexual abuse, sexual abuse based on gender, development and social model, suicide, and so on. Extensive research over the years has indicated that child sexual abuse has adverse effects on the variables pertaining to adult psychological outcome and especially on psychological de velopment and emotion well being of the victims as adults. Researchers have also sought to identify various risks that predispose children from given populations to sexual abuse and the way that these factors play a role in influencing the psychological outcomes of the victims as adults, the effects of moderators on the effects of sexual abuse, effects on psychosexual functioning, behavioral, emotional among other aspects. One major area of adult functioning that is affected by child sexual abuse is psychosexual functioning. Sexual maladjustment behaviors in childhood, adolescence and adulthood, which include an increased preoccupation with sex and sexual risk taking behavior, and compulsive sexual behavior, are for instance widely noted among victims of child sexual abuse (Scott et al, 2011). Other researches have identified that there is a significant correlation between child sexual abuse and psychiatric disorders especially in relation to the sexual ...

Discuss Thomas Paine's THE RIGHTS OF MAN as a product of its time Essay

Discuss Thomas Paine's THE RIGHTS OF MAN as a product of its time - Essay Example But in 1793, he was imprisoned in France for not supporting the execution of the French King, Louis XVI. While being imprisoned, he wrote the Age of Reason, an anti-church work, and very narrowly escaped execution due to efforts of US Minister James Munroe and later went to America on an invitation from Thomas Jefferson where he died a rather disillusioned man in 1809. Thomas Paine was undoubtedly one of the most intellectual products of his time. His time was dominated by the French Revolution, the most important and horrifying event in Europe. While completely supporting the French Revolution, Paine was against the total anarchy, lawlessness and brutality that the revolution unleashed in the name of liberty. He could not bring himself to support the terrible execution of the monarch and was unhappy about the pointless murders and humility of noble families. Even modern thinkers of the time, who had supported the Revolution, could not celebrate the unending rule of terror that eliminated a large number of guiltless and wiped out great scientists like Lavoisier â€Å"Every generation is, and must be, competent to all the purposes which its occasions require. It is the living, and not the dead, that are to be accommodated. When man ceases to be, his power and his wants cease with him; and having no longer any participation in the concerns of this world, he has no longer any authority in directing who shall be its governors, or how its government shall be organized, or how administered1† He was very conscious of the changing needs of people and societies. He always emphasized that the needs have to change according to times, needs could not be stagnant and old principles could not apply to new surroundings. Men can only take the old times as guidance wherever applicable, but they definitely cannot replicate old times to suit the new ones. In that context, again he argues: â€Å"The circumstances of the world are

Health Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Health Promotion - Essay Example It has been used throughout the time to increase awareness among the community to determine their own needs and respond them accordingly. Community mobilization provides a wider platform for the health issues, where individuals understanding can be improved regarding health care methods and services that the community is able to attain through service utilization. However, barriers to services should be determined, with respect to the need to the community to increase its utilization. Community mobilization has developed a linkage between communities and health care institutions by spreading awareness and increasing the access, and equality in the health care sector. Formicola and Cordero (2013) in his study explains community mobilization as a process of development process in which individual or group get involved in activities, plans through in order to attain health, it can either be attained through individuals assistance or self motivation (Formicola & Cordero 2013). In the contemporary times, community capacity building in health promotion is perceived as a better approach to solve public health problems. In the last two decades, Australia health care institutions and government have focused to implement community mobilization for health promotion to address public health issues. The implementation of community based programs has resulted in positive health outcomes due to which the development of health promotion through community programs are gaining attention of several health care professionals. However, there are still a number of public health challenges that remain unsolved which have to be adequately addressed. Here the discussion is made regarding the success achieved by different community based programs that have improved health issues in Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, the paper shall also determine the potential strength of Australia to address public health problems. Community