Family or Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family or Art - Essay Example The law and politics, human emotions, failings and desires, as well as survival and reproductive success in the biological sense all contribute to the notion of ‘family’ as we know it today. There are also fine and subtle variations determined by location (and dislocation, such as is caused by migration), race, religion, and a host of other complications devised, and brought about unwittingly, by humankind. In this family portrait the most important aspects are composition and palette. Prominence is given to the pet in the foreground. The color scheme also shows that the bespectacled boy, drawn in red, seems to have preference over the shadowy presence of sister, mom and dad. All are unsmiling: this could have a number of reasons. Is the pet being given away? Is the boy in trouble? Are boy and dog ganging up on the rest of the family? The three heads in the background could be snipped off at the corner, leaving boy and dog, who occupy most of the frame. This possibility gives this family a fault-line. All is not as happy as it looks on first look. The monotone color choice for this picture is deceptive, suggesting less happiness and unity than is visible on closer inspection. A mother and daughter are occupied in a yoga exercise that unites them in shape, concentration and harmony. They are almost one shape, so they make a family: they are dressed similarly, and only a singular purpose could keep a person in that pose. They both want to do this very much. They like to be together: are all families like this? This picture looks old-fashioned, like a woodcut, but its premise is contemporary. A single mother can bring up her daughter alone and they can enjoy harmony. The Gravenor family looks very correct, contained and harmonious, thanks to the artist’s composition and choices of color. Father, mother and two daughters? Or father, wife, daughter and grandmother? From this

Artistic Behavior in the Human Female Essay Example for Free

Artistic Behavior in the Human Female Essay The passage above comes from the article, â€Å"Artistic Behavior in the Human Female,† by Jean Robertson (2003, p. 24). Robertson (2003) argued that female artists define and interpret female sexuality in diverse and conflicting ways, and by using different artistic strategies. Robertson makes assumptions about the woman’s body as a contested terrain, wherein being a woman continues to be a subject of heated debate. For him, how female artists view themselves as women, and as artists, shape their depiction of â€Å"femininity† and â€Å"female sexuality† in their artworks. One of the quotes that Robertson mentioned in his text comes from Simon de Beauvoir. In her seminal book, â€Å"The Second Sex,† she stressed that: â€Å"One is not born a woman, but, rather, becomes one. † I want to reflect on de Beauvoir’s statement and Robertson’s belief about the woman’s body. I agree with de Beauvoir that social experiences and political conditions impact the construction of â€Å"being a woman. † Society shapes how women and men see femininity and gender roles through establishing gender roles and expectations. An example is when a girl is â€Å"conditioned† by her mother to be a â€Å"woman,† by telling her how she should act as a â€Å"woman. This includes educating her about the toys she can and cannot use, and the games she can and cannot play. The girl learns that she should act and think a certain way, in order to be â€Å"feminine. † She learns that she cannot be boisterous or get involved in sports, because that would be too â€Å"manly† for her. This girl is the perfect example of â€Å"becoming† a woman. On the other hand, I also agree that being a woman is a biological and individual construct. A woman is a product of her biology, whether she likes it or not. This is why women are also defined by their sexual organs. Their biology also determines their sex, as well as their gender. Furthermore, being a woman is a product of individual desires and needs. Any woman can define her womanhood the way she also wants it to. Robertson indicated the existence of the pluralities of femininity. It is true that a woman’s body is a contested terrain, and for me, what is wrong with that? Is it not also possible to have multiple femininities, instead of having only one approach to define and to interpret what it means to be a woman? There is nothing wrong, in my opinion, of having different ways of being a woman, because to deny one approach to womanhood undermines the very essence of being a free woman. Journal entry 2 In â€Å"A conversation about race and class,† Childers and Hooks (1990) argued that gender should be expanded to include issues of race and class. They said that: â€Å"†¦we should begin by talking about how we experienced the struggle to challenge and expand the category of gender† (pp. 61-62). For them, people cannot understand gender in its whole sense, if racial and class issues are overlooked in gender analysis. This reading challenged my view of gender, by asking me to see gender through a much broader lens. I have not considered that gender issues also intersect racial and class issues. On the other hand, Childers and Hooks (1990) compelled me to think about the politics of gender. This is related to our discussions about gender as a political object. The politics of gender demonstrate that there are hierarchies to the feminine gender that are experienced by many women. Power is also affected by one’s class and race. If white female women feel that there is a glass ceiling at the workplace, lower-class black and Hispanic women face a greater and heavier glass ceiling in society. Because of their class and race, they feel and experience multiple glass ceilings- the ceiling of racial discrimination, the ceiling of class discrimination, and the ceiling of gender discrimination. These ceilings, on top of one another, represent something more than just a hindrance to economic development, but resemble ceilings that are directly pressed on these women’s bodies. They could hardly breathe, because there are just too many ceilings that make it difficult for them to even survive. Now, I look gender as an amalgam of issues that women bring to gender discourse. As a result, race and issue not only expand gender discourse, but considering them has also broadened my understanding of gender and its diverse conflicts. Journal entry 3 When feminists speak about feminism, they mostly see the opposition between the feminine and the masculine- the yin and the yang. We also discussed the binary opposition in class, which heightened my knowledge of how women are reduced to the lower spectrum of the opposition. The binary opposition also exists in differentiating mothers from fathers. Mothers are put in pedestals, while fathers are forgotten and scorned. Laqueur (1990) complained about this binary opposition in â€Å"The Facts of Fatherhood. † This is an interesting article that argued about the repression of the history of fatherhood. Laqueur (1990) posited that while women enjoyed being the â€Å"natural† parent, fathers were regarded as mere providers, or even as a backdrop to the family. He stressed that it is time for fathers to reclaim their right to be part of the parenting history, wherein their contributions to the formation of society are recognized and respected. This polemical article amuses and interests me significantly. It amuses me because at the back of my mind, I felt gender discrimination in reverse. I believe that mothers have specials bonds with their children, but this belief, however, is marked by sexism. Do not fathers also share special bonds with their children? Laqueur (1990) challenged the notion of motherhood, because it undermined the importance of fatherhood. In my mind, it is better to not differentiate mothers from fathers, which is the same as stopping ourselves from differentiating women and men. Women and men have their own strengths and weaknesses and none is more superior. In the same line of thought, mothers and fathers are also equal. Let us just call motherhood and fatherhood as parenthood and give fathers their rightful place in the history and the practice of nurturing human society. Furthermore, this is also an interesting article, because it challenged me to talk about being a woman in relation to being a man. Being a woman has its multiplicities, and now, being a man has its pluralism too. For me, these multiplicities, acknowledged as part of gender analysis, render two steps forward for true gender equality. Journal entry 4 In â€Å"Criticizing Feminist Criticism,† Gallop, Hirsch, and Miller (1990) debated on the purposes and development of feminine criticism. Their main point is that feminist criticism writers have gone to the extreme, by pulverizing each other’s feminist views. They believe that this process is futile in understanding and improving the development of gender discourse and feminism. They asserted that feminism can be criticized in a more comprehensive manner, wherein there is no right or wrong feminism. I chose this article because it threads on sensitive issues, wherein the personal versus the collective idea of feminism clashes. Feminists have different worldviews about gender roles, sexuality, and femininity, and they criticize each other in different ways. I have never thought that feminist criticism has become too unconstructive. This is not my idea of criticism at all. I think about my own criticism of feminist criticism and I cannot help but agree that criticism is not about â€Å"thrashing† feminist theories (p. 350). Criticism is also about adding something to existing theories, in ways that can benefit the understanding of what it means to be a woman and how different understandings contribute to a wide range of feminism discourse. I earnestly believe also that feminists cannot define feminism in one way or several ways alone. Feminism should be viewed as a huge mess of ideas and values, different and special to women and groups, who fight for and because of different issues. Yes, it is a mess alright, because being a woman is a dynamic process that is also a part of being an individual and being a member of one’s race, class, and so on. Being a woman cannot ever be a tidy place, wherein women think the same and act the same. I would rather have it as a mess- wherein women are free to think and re-think feminism, in relation to their personal experiences and values. References Childers, M. Hooks, B. (1990). A conversation about race and class. In M. Hirsch E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 60-81). New York, NY: Routledge. Gallop, J. , Hirsch, M. , Miller, N. K. (1990). Criticizing feminist criticism. In M. Hirsch E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 349-369). New York, NY: Routledge. Laqueur, T. W. (1990). The facts of fatherhood. In M. Hirsch E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 205-221). New York, NY: Routledge. Robertson, J. (2003). Artistic behavior in the human female. In B. Stirratt C. Johnson (Eds. ), Feminine persuasion: art and essays on sexuality (pp. 23-38). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

BinOptics Corporation :: essays research papers

The Company BinOptics Corporation is a privately held high tech start up company located in Cornell’s Business and Technology Park in Ithaca, NY. BinOptics, the company, was based on key technological inventions made at Cornell University. CEO and co-founder, Alex Behfar, worked on the proprietary technology under Professor Valentine during his student tenure at Cornell, while earning his PhD in Electrical Engineering. In November 2000 CEO, Alex Behfar and President, Darius Forghani founded BinOptics. BinOptics received its first round of venture capital funding in January 2001 for an undisclosed amount. Currently, BinOptics houses over twenty employees and they hope to grow to forty by the end of the fiscal year. BinOptics is now in its fourth year of operation and will amassed $2 million in annual revenue. So what does BinOptics produce? BinOptics designs, develops, and manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic components based on the proprietary technology developed at Cornell University. It also produces integrated photonic components, which include its lasers. These components can be integrated into indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials, which give BinOptics a competitive advantage. This unique platform allows the company to meet commercial requirements with higher reproducibility, more elasticity for product innovation, considerably lower costs, and higher performance than alternative processes. BinOptics’ products address high growth datacom applications, parallel optical interconnects, PON and CWDM (Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing), as well as advanced non-telecom applications. Its products are sold to technology companies in the tele-communications and data-communications industry. BinOptics does not disclose its customer list but two of its customers are Agilent Technologies and Cisco Systems. What does this mean? In the simplest way, BinOptics produces lasers. These tiny lasers, some the size of a grain of salt, transfer enormous amounts of information to another source immediately. The integrated laser chips are the key part of optical transceivers and transponders. BinOptics’ edge-emitting laser consists of a two-inch wafer that has 20,000 lasers on it. Strategic Investors BinOptics success can be measured by the strength of its strategic investors. These investors facilitate BinOptics path to success and its ability to raise equity. After receiving its initial first round of funding in January 2001 BinOptics was able to receive additional venture capital funding in May 2002, March 2003, and February 2005. The strategic investors include: Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Cayuga Venture Fund II, FA Technology Ventures, and ArrowPath Venture Capital and Stanford University. Draper Fisher Jurvetson is a leading venture capital firm out of Silicon Valley, CA. BinOptics Corporation :: essays research papers The Company BinOptics Corporation is a privately held high tech start up company located in Cornell’s Business and Technology Park in Ithaca, NY. BinOptics, the company, was based on key technological inventions made at Cornell University. CEO and co-founder, Alex Behfar, worked on the proprietary technology under Professor Valentine during his student tenure at Cornell, while earning his PhD in Electrical Engineering. In November 2000 CEO, Alex Behfar and President, Darius Forghani founded BinOptics. BinOptics received its first round of venture capital funding in January 2001 for an undisclosed amount. Currently, BinOptics houses over twenty employees and they hope to grow to forty by the end of the fiscal year. BinOptics is now in its fourth year of operation and will amassed $2 million in annual revenue. So what does BinOptics produce? BinOptics designs, develops, and manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic components based on the proprietary technology developed at Cornell University. It also produces integrated photonic components, which include its lasers. These components can be integrated into indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials, which give BinOptics a competitive advantage. This unique platform allows the company to meet commercial requirements with higher reproducibility, more elasticity for product innovation, considerably lower costs, and higher performance than alternative processes. BinOptics’ products address high growth datacom applications, parallel optical interconnects, PON and CWDM (Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing), as well as advanced non-telecom applications. Its products are sold to technology companies in the tele-communications and data-communications industry. BinOptics does not disclose its customer list but two of its customers are Agilent Technologies and Cisco Systems. What does this mean? In the simplest way, BinOptics produces lasers. These tiny lasers, some the size of a grain of salt, transfer enormous amounts of information to another source immediately. The integrated laser chips are the key part of optical transceivers and transponders. BinOptics’ edge-emitting laser consists of a two-inch wafer that has 20,000 lasers on it. Strategic Investors BinOptics success can be measured by the strength of its strategic investors. These investors facilitate BinOptics path to success and its ability to raise equity. After receiving its initial first round of funding in January 2001 BinOptics was able to receive additional venture capital funding in May 2002, March 2003, and February 2005. The strategic investors include: Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Cayuga Venture Fund II, FA Technology Ventures, and ArrowPath Venture Capital and Stanford University. Draper Fisher Jurvetson is a leading venture capital firm out of Silicon Valley, CA.

How to End a Relationship Essay

Ending a relationship with your partner is never an easy thing to do, but if one finds themselves unhappy in the relationship than the best thing to do would be to part ways. It is important to not force yourself to be in a relationship if you are no longer happy. Ending the relationship can be better in order to avoid further issues and heart ache. You owe it to yourself and your partner to call it quits if things aren’t working out. Ending a relationship can be difficult, but by utilizing these four essential steps; thinking things through, arrange to meet up in person, be honest, and being compassionate and understanding, you can assist the process for both you and your partner. First, make sure to think things through and decide if ending the relationship is what you really want to do. You will need to make sure to avoid impulsive actions that can lead you to hasty decisions that you will end up regretting. Make sure to give yourself time after a heated issue/argument in order to start thinking clearly. Once you feel more relaxed a list of pros and cons can be extremely helpful in assisting you through this difficult decision. While making your list, it is always important not to over think about the different scenarios and make sure to keep it simple. The list compiled should be used to help put things into perspective and allow a clear picture about the next phase that is needed. Second, give your partner the courtesy and respect of ending the relationship  with them in person. By being able to sit down face to face with your partner the communication of feelings and concerns/issues will become evident both in verbal tones and body gesture. If possible, avoid meeting up around special days; holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, because it would not be fair to ruin those days for them. It is also important to avoid locations that were of importance to both of you or overly crowded areas. Even though you already know how the end of your meeting will turn out, it is helpful to have a conversation to allow both persons the opportunity to release feelings. This might be the last time the two of you might be together so closure and honesty is needed for both of you to be able to move forward. Third, honesty is the most important foundation of any relationship, regardless of the state of the relationship. It is important for you to start the conversation and jump right into the reason for the meeting without beating around the bush. Be as honest, concise, and to the point as possible. Make sure to complete your full thought before allowing your partner the chance to speak. Create a positive, open environment in which you both feel at ease in saying anything that needs to be said in that moment. It is important at this step to list issues/concerns that you had with the relationship and this is where your pros/cons list can be useful. Make sure to be honest about the bad times, but also the good times as well. Choosing your words wisely will allow you to give constructive criticism on issues, being effective in getting your point across, and at the same time making sure to be gentle and considerate of your partner’s feelings. Ultimately, being compassionate and understanding will allow both of you to be helpful to each other to ease through the process of ending the relationship. Both of you will be experiencing hurt feelings, but in order to end things amicably you will want to do your best to be there for the other person in the moment. If needed, in the moment, be there to offer a shoulder to lean on for your partner. Guidelines regarding any further contact with each other should also be put in place so that it can assist with this new transition for your partner. Let them know that things will be okay and in due time they will see that the relationship had to turn out the  way it did for the benefit of both of you. At the end of a relationship you will have many emotions that will need to be dealt with in order to move forward. Knowing that the relationship has come to an end is only the start of the long process ahead. Allow yourself time to think about the relationship and whether it can be salvaged. When the relationship can no longer be fixed create a moment to speak to your partner in person. Going into that meeting you should be prepared to be honest and allow your partner to be honest with you as well. At the end of the relationship you and your partner might not be at the same point of the ending and it is important and helpful to assist them by being compassionate and understanding of their needs. By following these steps you can help transition through the end of the relationship and allow for growth that can assist both partners in their future relationships.

Of Mice and Men: The Failure of the American Dream Essay

Thesis Statement : The novel Of Mice and Men was John Steinbeck a message to the world of how the American Dream is dead and unattainable. The nation had seen one of the biggest spending sprees in the nineteen twenties and the following decade the results were crashing down on the nation. People were losing everything that they owned and starving. The American Dream is defined as â€Å"The American Dream is â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. (What Is the American Dream) Because of that, it seemed like the American Dream was dead and there was never a better novel to illustrate it than Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie, the co protagonist of the novel, aspire to the American Dream, but because few people believe in its attainability, few are surprised when they fall short of its achievement. To understand how the American Dream is shown to be unattainable in the novel Of Mice and Men, it must be understood. There are several definitions of the American Dream. According to Merriam Webster’s â€Å"an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also: the prosperity or life that is the realization of this ideal. † (Merriam Webster). The other part of that materialistic idea is that if one works hard enough, he/she can achieve absolutely anything. George and Lennie have a dream that completely embodies the concept of the American Dream. They are two men who are migrant workers during the Great Depression who have a dream of owning their own farm. The actual ownership of the farm is only a small part of the dream. The fact that they will not be owned by another person is the allure of the dream. All kin’s a vegetable in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We’d jus’ live there. We’d belong there. There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house. (Steinbeck p. 63) Because of their situation of being migrant workers, every aspect of their lives were dictated by their boss. Their need for money to survive, set them up for ownership as if they were slaves. George realized this more than Lennie. Lennie brought innocence to the dream. He wanted nothing more than to tend the rabbits because petting soft things brought him pleasure. He did not care about materialism or having control of his life. Pleasure of the moment was his goal for life and the American Dream took on its purest form through him. They remind themselves daily of this dream. Lennie begs for George to tell him the story even though he knows it as if hearing it will make it so. George tells it as if each time he tells it the dream will become more and more real. Yet they are chasing an illusion. The characters have survived in the world so far because of their belief that the American Dream is alive and well. George and Lennie cannot imagine that their hard work will not pay off in the end. Society had told children for generations that hard work would take an individual to the top of society and many times it did. Then came the Great Depression and everything changed. People worked hard and they did what they thought was right, but at that time it did not take them anywhere but backward. George and Lennie try to save, but it takes every dime to survive. Once they meet Candy, who offers to add money to the cause, they know that with the money they have coming, they will be able to have their dream, but just as it was time to make their purchase, tragedy strikes. Their work has gotten them nowhere. It is apparent throughout the novel that the dream is not attainable. From the incident in weed to the killing of the puppy, everything that George and Lennie do ends up becoming a disaster. It is obvious that the dream of the farm will be as well. As George says: â€Å"-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would† (103). The unattainable American Dream is not limited to George and Lennie and that is symbolic that most people will not attain it. There are other characters who also have their American Dream crushed. Curly’s wife had a dream of fame and fortune. She also wants to be loved. She married a man who was to inherit his father’s farm and he seemed to want her, but after she marries him, she realizes that he only cares about himself. She does everything in her power to get his attention because of her need. He is jealous of other men, but not because of the love for his wife. Love, marriage, and producing a family is part of the American Dream and all Curly and his wife have is the legal part of the institution. The dream that she imagined did not materialize with her marriage and that left her lonely and seeking the attention of other men. If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad. You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you† (85). Crooks wants his part of the American Dream where all men will be equal and he thinks that he gets close to this the night Lennie and Candy end up in his room and share the dream of the farm with him. It does not take long for him to have to face the reality that there is no equality in the world. George and Lennie prove that the American Dream is unattainable. To obtain it one’s life would be perfect and there is no perfection in the world. There are always going to problems and hardships in life and this makes the dream just that; a dream. Of course the American Dream has become less of a reality in this country since the beginning of the Great Depression, but it was really just a fantasy from the start. There were always people who seemed to achieve it, yet underlying problems were always present. George and Lennie prove that problems will always come to the surface.

An Explanation of Unicode Character Encoding

An Explanation of Unicode Character Encoding For a computer to be able to store text and numbers that humans can understand, there needs to be a code that transforms characters into numbers. The Unicode standard defines such a code by using character encoding. The reason character encoding is so important is so that every device can display the same information. A custom character encoding scheme might work brilliantly on one computer, but problems will occur when if you send that same text to someone else. It wont know what youre talking about unless it understands the encoding scheme too. Character Encoding All character encoding does is assign a number to every character that can be used. You  could make a character encoding right now. For example, I could say that the letter A becomes the number 13, a14, 133, #123, and so on. This is where industry-wide standards come in. If the whole computer industry uses the same character encoding scheme, every computer can display the same characters. What Is Unicode? ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) became the first widespread encoding scheme. However, its limited to only 128 character definitions. This is fine for the most common English characters, numbers, and punctuation, but is a bit limiting for the rest of the world. Naturally, the rest of the world wants the same encoding scheme for their characters too. However, for a little, while depending on where you were, there might have been a different character displayed for the same ASCII code. In the end, the other parts of the world began creating their own encoding schemes, and things started to get a little bit confusing. Not only were the coding schemes of different lengths, programs needed to figure out which encoding scheme they were supposed to use. It became apparent that a new character encoding scheme was needed, which is when the Unicode standard was created. The objective of Unicode is to unify all the different encoding schemes so that the confusion between computers can be limited as much as possible. These days, the Unicode standard defines values for over 128,000 characters and can be seen at the Unicode Consortium. It has several character encoding forms: UTF-8: Only uses one byte (8 bits) to encode English characters. It can use a sequence of bytes to encode other characters. UTF-8 is widely used in email systems and on the internet.UTF-16: Uses two bytes (16 bits) to encode the most commonly used characters. If needed, the additional characters can be represented by a pair of 16-bit numbers.UTF-32: Uses four bytes (32 bits) to encode the characters. It became apparent that as the Unicode standard grew, a 16-bit number is too small to represent all the characters. UTF-32 is capable of representing every Unicode character as one number. Note: UTF means Unicode Transformation Unit. Code Points A code point is the value that a character is given in the Unicode standard. The values according to Unicode are written as hexadecimal numbers and have a prefix of U. For example, to encode the characters we looked at earlier: A is U0041a is U00611 is U0031# is U0023 These code points are split into 17 different sections called planes, identified by numbers 0 through 16. Each plane holds 65,536 code points. The first plane, 0, holds the most commonly used characters and is known as the Basic Multilingual Plane (BMP). Code Units The encoding schemes are made up of code units, which are used to provide an index for where a character is positioned on a plane. Consider UTF-16 as an example. Each 16-bit number is a code unit. The code units can be transformed into code points. For instance, the flat note symbol â™ ­ has a code point of U1D160 and lives on the second plane of the Unicode standard (Supplementary Ideographic Plane). It would be encoded using the combination of the 16-bit code units UD834 and UDD60. For the BMP, the values of the code points and code units are identical. This allows a shortcut for UTF-16 that saves a lot of storage space. It only needs to use one 16-bit number to represent those characters. How Does Java Use Unicode? Java was created around the time when the Unicode standard had values defined for a much smaller set of characters. Back then, it was felt that 16-bits would be more than enough to encode all the characters that would ever be needed. With that in mind, Java was designed to use UTF-16. The char data type was originally used to represent a 16-bit Unicode code point. Since Java SE v5.0, the char represents a code unit. It makes little difference for representing characters that are in the Basic Multilingual Plane because the value of the code unit is the same as the code point. However, it does mean that for the characters on the other planes, two chars are needed. The important thing to remember is that a single char data type can no longer represent all the Unicode characters.

S

History of DONG Energy A/S Introduction Established in the year 1972, DONG Energy is the largest of all energy production companies in the country of Denmark. Its headquarters are also situated here, with a significant amount of its work going into the production of energy both on and off land.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of DONG Energy A/S specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company was started as a company to provide energy to the state, with the original title of Dansk Naturgas A/S being changed at the beginning of the last decade to its current name DONG, which stands for Dansk Olie org Naturgas A/S. In this case study, research and analysis of the company over a period of ten years or will be done. The case study will make use of the company’s annual reports for 10 years including both primary and secondary sources together with other publicly available sources. Literature Review There is scanty literature detailing th e performance of DONG Energy in the Danish and international markets. The secret to the performance of a company is based on the implementation of the recommendations in most of the case studies done in time. In history, most of the companies that triumphed can be studied to indicate the necessary steps towards profitability (McCraw 1998). Companies should have clear strategies on how they will meet their objectives. This helps in the consolidation of profits in the various operations. According to Micklethwait and Wooldridge (2003), the average performance of a company can be gauged from the financial returns that it posts every year. Methodology The case study will utilise primary and secondary sources to derive the statistical performance of the company through a period of ten years beginning 2002. The use of secondary sources will be significant as it provides information that is not widely available in the literature. Some gaps in the literature concerning the performance of th e company will be analysed using the sources, with the data being quoted in the case study. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will also be utilised in the study, with the different sources being analysed in this form. The information from the literature review and sources will then be presented in a logical and meaningful manner.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Company Analysis The performance of DONG Energy Company over the past decade can be effectively evaluated using the annual reports that the company posts. These have the necessary financial and technical performance indices necessary for the company. In the 2012 annual report, for example, the company prided itself as being among the leaders in the energy business, with the main roles being the procuring production and distribution of energy in the region including energy trade (DONG Energy A/S A nnual Report 2012, p. 2). The company also reported having 7000 employees, with the headquarters still in Denmark. The 7000 employees are an increase from 1,043 it employed in 2004 who were also more than the 996 that were employed in the year 2005 (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2005, p. 17). The company reported shareholding as 79.96% for the Danish State, 10.88% for the SEAS-NVE Holding with the rest 9.16% being held by the other shareholders (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2012, p. 2). The core activities as indicated for the same year included â€Å"oil and gas exploration and production, construction of wind farms located offshore, generation of electricity from power stations, wholesale activities in the power sector, and distribution of the same† (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2012). The company has also seen significant growth in the financial and operation magnitudes, thus ranking among the best performing companies in the industry in the world. In 2012, the component s of power company contributed to a share capital of DKK 2,144 million, with the Equity being 14, 655 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2002). The profit after tax for the same year was DKK 1476 with which represented a poor performance as compared to the previous two years (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2002, p. 6). The revenue from the different activities was also not even for activities. Natural gas exploration and mining constituted the largest proportion at 70.2%. This was followed by the exploration and production of energy in general, with this making up 26.7%. The rest of the proportions were made up of oil transportation and renewable energy production among other activities (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2002, p. 7).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of DONG Energy A/S specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the same year of 2002, the total net interest bearing debt was DKK 6,919 million, which ind icates what the financial year closed at (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2002, p. 23). In terms of liquidity, the company had a total of DKK 3,655 million, with this mainly being the fixed term deposits that the company had made with banks and a part of it being mortgage bonds (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2002, p. 23). The company also made a few policies based on the risks that it faces in the industry, and these were to be implemented in the years that followed. In the year 2003, the performance was better in terms of profits, with the company making a net profit of DKK 1,941million, which was better compared to the year that followed where the same company reported a net profit of DKK 1,881 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2004, p. 5). The year 2004 was however an improvement, with the non-recurring income being as high as DKK 647 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2004, p. 5). This can be attributed to the profits that were gotten from the revaluation of one of the co mpanies that was a major shareholder, which improved to a share value of DKK 562 million with an observed reversal of some of the previous write-downs (DONG Energy A/S Annual Report 2004, p. 5). As stated above, there was a drop in the net profit for the year 20004 compared to the previous year. Some of the reasons for the observation include loss of the company’s market share in its home country of Denmark, the hedging of oil, and the USD exchange rate exposure. The charge in exploration also depreciated for the year compared to the previous year (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2004, p. 5). The year 2004 had some of the significant mergers that the company has engaged in, with Elsam and DONG embarking on working together in electricity generation and distribution. The company thus enjoyed large shareholdings in Elsam. This contributed to the rapid expansion seen in the year. As a result of the merger and other activities that the company undertook in the year 2004, profits im proved, with the year 2005 having an observed profit after tax of DKK 2, 818 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2005, p. 5). The non-recurring income was also a departure from the one reported in the year 2004, which stood at DKK 360 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2005, p. 5).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was a reduction from the previous year’s value of DKK 889 million. The better performance of the company could be attributed to several factors, with one of the most significant being the better performance of the price of oil on the international front for the same year. There were also significant reductions in the exploration costs in the same year, which prompted a record profit margin for the company (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2005, p. 5). The company continued its expansion into the electricity sector, with its partnership with Elsam continuing together with the introduction of new partnerships with companies such as Energi E2 and Nesa (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2005, p. 5). The transition from the year 2005 to 2006 had some of the greatest of changes in the company, with the same being reflected on the performance at the end of the year 2006. As indicated above, the company had 1,018 employees in its payroll. This figure changed significantly to 4,585 empl oyees for the year 2006 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006, p. 3). The revenue rose from that recorded in the year 2005 in the exploration and production as well as other activities that the company performed. In 2006, the exploration and production revenue stood at DKK 5,556 million, which was a marked improvement from the DKK 4, 346 million that was reported for the previous year as stated above (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006, p. 3). The revenue from energy generation also improved from DKK 114 million in 2005 to a total of DKK 7,620 million for the year 2006 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006, p. 3). The other observed change in the year 2006 was in the size of assets, with these totalling to DKK 105 billion, which was an improvement from the previous DKK 47 billion in 2005 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006. p. 4). Distribution revenue that the company gets from distributing power and gas across the continent grew from DKK 857 million to DKK 2,560 million for the year 20 06, with the market revenue growing to DKK 24,114 from the previous 13, 885 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006, p. 4). In general, the company grew in 2006 to reach the current heights. This was attributed to the relative profitability in the industry at the time, networking, and expansion that the company enjoyed during this period. The year 2007 was also a continuous improvement year for the company, with the generation part raising about DKK 12,335 million in revenue, which was an improvement from the DKK 7,682 million that was reported the previous year of 2006 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 4). The exploration and generation part also had improved profits, with revenue of DKK 4,869 million being reported as an improvement from DKK 5,556 million in the year 2006 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 4). The distribution revenue rose from DKK 2,560 million in 2006 to DKK 4,520 million that was almost double in 2007 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 4). T he market revenue, however, remained constant at DKK 24,583 million, with only about DKK 277 million improvements from the previous value of DKK 24,306 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 4). The year 2007 was also marked by various trade agreements with some of the related companies. The milestones in the year include the agreements with Wingas GmbH and other companies such as Wintershall Holding AG and the acquisition of Conoco Philips company (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 3). The company increased its offshore wind farms, increased its revenue by selling some of its activities in Portugal and Spain, and started production of gas from the Ormen Lange gas fields that it owned a significant proportion in shareholding (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 3). The marked growth continued in the year 2008, with growth in revenue in all the sections that the company prides itself as owning. In the exploration and production sector, for example, the revenue grew f rom the DKK 4,409 million recorded in the year 2007 to a record DKK 7,114 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2008, p. 2; DONG Energy A/, 2008). The generation part of the company also grew from DKK 12,358 million to DKK 15,298 million, with the energy markets growing from the DKK 20,262 for the year 2007 to the 2008 value of DKK 38,087 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2008, p. 2). The same growth was seen in the sales and distribution sector, with this reporting a record DKK 15,595 million from the previous DKK14, 552 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2008, p. 2). The revenues by proportion included 50% from the energy and production part, 21% from the sales and distribution section, 20% from the generation and the remainder 9% being contributed by the exploration and production part (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2008, p. 5) In the year 2009, some of the important highlights of the company include the discovery of gas in the Glenlivet, with a license being obtained f or the same (2009, p. 39). The company also signed one of the most important agreements in the energy production sector, with an agreement between it and Siemens constituting the largest offshore wind turbine agreement ever (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2009, p. 44). It also sold its shares in the Walney wind project to the SSE, thus ending its minority stake in the same project (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2009, p. 44). With the sale of the stake in this project, the company further acquired 25%shares in another offshore wind project dubbed Lincs (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2009, p. 44; DONG Energy AS Wind Energy Market Analysis, 2009). Some of the other developments include the creation of more offshore wind farms, selling of its fibrotic network, and selling of shares in the Swedegas Company (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2009). The company however scored poorly financially, with a reduction in revenue generated in all sectors that constitute its operations. In the followin g year of 2010, the company improved and recovered from its previous underperformance. This was marked by a revenue improvement in all sectors that the company operates, with the exploration and production recording a revenue of DKK 8,224 million up from the previous low of 6,579 (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2010, p. 2). Generation revenue grew from the levels experience in 2009 of DKK 10,818 million to the experienced revenue of DKK 11,330 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2010, p. 2). The energy markets revenue grew from the previous DKK 28,201 million to DKK 31,764 million, with the sales and distribution growing from DKK 13,386 to DKK 14,185 million for the year 2010 DONG Energy A/S Annual report (2010, p. 2). The company continued with its upward growth for the year 2011, with the revenues improving and surpassing all sectors and operations. The company also had some remarkable performance on the international front by engaging in bilateral agreements and making trade ag reements. In the exploration and production sector, the company got DKK 10,469 million in revenue, which was an improvement from the previous year (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2011, p. 4). The energy markets also stabilised, with the revenue significantly improving to DKK 33,689.million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2011, p. 4). In the sales and distribution sector, the company got DKK 13,009 million in revenue as an improvement from the previous years of DKK 14,185 million, with other activities being additive to the total revenues (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2011, p. 4). The year 2012 was marked by improvement in some of the quarters although with marked losses for the year (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2012, p. 2; DONG Energy A/S SWOT Analysis, 2012). The company reported losses in the year. These amounted to DKK 4,021 million (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2012, p. 2). For the year 2013, the financial estimates favour the positive performance of the company, with the firs t quarter performing better than the previous year’s quarter (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2013, p. 2). The performance for the year also indicates that the company will perform better that the previous years. The enhanced performance is also indicated by the figures in the pricing of the main commodity that is oil. Industrial Competition The company has grown in various areas. In the past decade, it has managed to overcome competition both locally and internationally. The industry is competitive on the global. Several companies are well established in the field. The performance of DONG Energy has maintained a steady rise in profitability and size despite the international competition. It has maintained its position as the largest company in Denmark in the same industry. The performance for the year 2007 was particularly affected by the industrial competition at the time, with the continuous improvement over the years being cut short (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, p. 4 ). The same trend was experienced for the year 2011, with the company recording some poor performance because of the advancing competition (DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2011; Energy Companies, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, DONG Energy is one of the best performing energy exploration and production companies in the world. It is the largest in Denmark. The company has performed positively over the last decade as analysed in the review. This may indicate a working strategy adopted by the management. The trend is an upward one for the better part of the decade, only being interrupted by a single slowing in development in 2007. The analysis proves that the company is ready to be the best in the world within the energy production and distribution. References DONG Energy A/S 2008, DONG Energy A/S SWOT Analysis, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2002, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2004, Compa ny Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2005, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2006, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2007, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2008, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2009, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2010, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report’ 2011, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Annual report 2012, Company Report, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S SWOT Analysis 2012, DONG Energy A/S SWOT Analysis, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Energy A/S Wind Energy Market Analysis 2009, M2presswire, The Danish W ind Energy Industry, Denmark. DONG Financials for 2013, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. Energy Companies 2012, Global Energy Market Research: Denmark, The Danish Wind Energy Industry, Denmark. McCraw, T 1998, Creating Modern Capitalism: How Entrepreneurs, Companies, and Countries Triumphed in Three Industrial Revolutions Cambridge, Harvard University Press, Mass. Micklethwait, J Wooldridge, A 2003, The Company: a Short History of a Revolutionary Idea, Modern Library, New York.

Definition and Examples of Delivery in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Delivery in Rhetoric One of the five traditional parts or canons of rhetoric , concerned with the control of voice and gestures when giving a speech. Known as hypocrisis in Greek and actio in Latin. Etymology:  From the Latin  de  away   liber  free (to give away) Pronunciation:  di-LIV-i-ree Also Known  As:  actio,  hypocrisis Examples and Observations of Delivery It should not be surprising that it was professional actors who gave a special impetus to a study of delivery, for all the spell-binding orators in history (men like Demosthenes, Churchill, William Jennings Bryan, Bishop Sheen, Billy Graham) have been, in a sense, great actors.  (Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 1999)[Aristotle] compares rhetorical delivery to theatrical performance and emphasizes the effect of delivery on different audiences; the effectiveness and appropriateness of delivery make a speech successful or not.  (Kathleen E. Welch, Delivery. Enclopedia, 2001) of RhetoricAll these parts of oratory succeed according as they are delivered. Delivery . . . has the sole and supreme power in oratory; without it, a speaker of the highest mental capacity can be held in no esteem; while one of moderate abilities, with this qualification, may surpass even those of the highest talent.  (Cice ro, De Oratore) Before you can persuade a man into any opinion, he must first be convinced that you believe it yourself. This he can never be, unless the tones of voice in which you speak come from the heart, accompanied by corresponding looks, and gestures, which naturally result from a man who speaks in earnest. (Thomas Sheridan, British Education, 1756)The behavioral biologists and psychologists call [delivery] nonverbal communication and have added immeasurably to our knowledge of this kind of human expressivity. (Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed., 1991) Senator John McCain's Delivery [John] McCain moves awkwardly through complex phrases, sometimes surprising himself with the end of a sentence. He regularly leaves his audience without any cues to applaud. Despite years in public life, he makes bumpy transitions from personal anecdotes to broad policy pronouncements... McCain needs all the help he can get, said Martin Medhurst, a communications professor at Baylor University and the editor of Rhetoric and Public Affairs, a quarterly journal... Such a weak delivery affects viewers’and voters’perceptions of the speaker’s sincerity, knowledge, and credibility, Medhurst said. Some politicians just don’t understand that they must devote a certain amount of time to their communications, or it’s going to hurt them. (Holly Yeager, McCain Speeches Dont Deliver. The Washington Independent, Apr. 3, 2008) Regendering Delivery [A]lthough the physical and vocal concerns of delivery initially appear relevant to all public speakers, closer scrutiny of the canon soon reveals masculinist biases and assumptions. Delivery has not pertained equally to both men and women because, for millennia, women were culturally prohibited from standing and speaking in public, their voices and forms acceptable only in the spectator role (if at all). Thus, women were systematically discouraged from the very actions that constitute delivery, a matter unrecognized in the traditional fifth canon. . . . Indeed, I would argue that when researchers attention is focused too narrowly on the voice, gesture, and expression of the good woman speaking well, much that is germane to her delivery is overlooked. Clearly, the traditional fifth canon is in need of renovation. (Lindal Buchanan, Regendering Delivery: The Fifth Canon and Antebellum Women Rhetors. Southern Illinois University Press, 2005)

Leadership and service improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership and service improvement - Essay Example We have adopted a QCC drive to carry out the function of patient observations for the first 24 hours of their admission at intervals of four hours each. Thereafter the nurses are required to apply their professional intellect and decide how often the patients need observation. My unit decided that eight-hour-intervals would be quite appropriate for patient observations for the next forty eight hours of their admission. All our patient observations go into the database to enable the Trust note when we complete them on time and when we fail to as well. Failure of which, a fine is charged on all the nurses by the QCC. My unit and I decided that our first patient observations during the initial twenty four hours which are to be done at eight-hour intervals would be at 6:00 hours and 14:00 hours respectively. As for the latter patient observations at four-hour intervals, we agreed upon 6:00 hours, 10:00 hours, 14:00 hours, 18:00 hours, 22:00 hours and 2:00 hours in that order. The rest of the hours are appropriate but for 6:00 hours, which is undoubtedly a challenge. First off, the patients do need their rest. Waking them up at 6:00 hours in the morning for their routine observations certainly does not help this aspect of their recovery. The daily routine at the National Health Service commences at 7:00 hours. ... My master plan is mainly focused on the leadership problems we have at the facility. It is my belief that most of the shortcomings we experience at the work area are as a result of poor leadership, which in turn leads to poor formation of plans and hence failure. Therefore I intend to address this issue and offer a better approach to the leadership and management of the ward. It is important that a leader first have that position, but if you want to become a real leader, you have to qualify for that position before your followers will really look up to you as their leader (Bacher, 272). Leadership is something that must be earned. For the purpose of ensuring the success of my service improvement plan I ha handle the leadership issue at my work are.ve a couple of leadership styles and theories that I believe would be appropriate for solving the leadership problem at my work area. Different types of organizations or species are needed in different types of environments (Farmer, 256). T ransactional leadership Transactional can also be referred to as managerial leadership. It mainly deals with the task of supervising, organizing and group performance. Assumptions of transactional leadership For people to work y and efficiently and give their best performance, there needs to be a definite and obvious chain of command. The things that motivate workers the most are when they are promised a reward or threatened with a punishment. The workers are usually keen on following orders of the leader. The workers are supposed to be monitored so as to ensure that they are doing as expected. Application of transactional leadership Transactional leadership simply operates as an exchange

DADT Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

DADT Policy - Essay Example To address the problem of cost for the American people with regards to implementing the DADT policy, it’s interesting to look at how many people have been discharged over the years. According to United States Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2009), there are around 620 discharged military personnel accused under DADT from 2006-2008. Most people discharged under the policy have served the military for more than two years, making it hard and costly to replace them. According to GAO (2009), it costs an estimated $193.3 million to replace the thousands of servicemen who have been discharged from 2004-09 due to the DADT policy. To consider the personal cost to those discharged people is harder. But most people working more than two years for the military must have chosen it as a career. To be sacked due to one’s sexual orientation is not only horrible but might also destroy these people’s financial situation and future job possibilities. It might prove hard to f ind a job that could match what they were deemed unfit for, and the recovery could take a long time. Both personal and administrative in implementing DADT is unnecessary and burden to all American taxpayers. The unfortunate truth about DADT is that its implementation is not aligned with what our allies believe in. Today, there are 25 countries that allow gays to serve their armed forces including Canada, Australia, Israel and the UK. Of all the original NAT countries, only the US and Turkey still have bans on homosexuals in the military in place.

Choose 2 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose 2 questions - Essay Example This owes to the fact that once such multinational companies are established, they assist in alleviating the living standards of the local people. Some of the multinationals, which have transformed the lives of the people according to the proponents of globalization, include the Apple Inc. and the Coca Cola Company. For instance, the former company has majority of its operations in China. This is owing to the fact that this country offers experienced and cheap labor for such multinational companies. The proponents of multinationals also believe that this is the only way to promote the spirit of globalization. With the market being free, every individual has the right to conduct his business in any country, provided all conditions are right. In short, therefore, the proponents of the multinational corporations focus on the macro level (systemic) analysis of this situation. On the other hand, though, the critics of multinational corporations have a different view on this issue. This is because they focus on it from a sub systemic level of analysis. For instance, the multinationals have been criticized for being the main cause of unemployment in some developing countries. This is despite the fact that the proponents indicate otherwise. For instance, once a multinational corporation is established in a developing country, it threatens the infant industries. The latter may not be in a position to cope with the completion of such large multinational corporations. For that reason, some of the local industries are forced to shut down mostly due to reduced sales. This results to an increased unemployment as people loss jobs. The critics indicate that one of the main advantages of the multinational companies is that they are able to operate on a large scale than the local industries. They have capital and therefore have the ability to ensure that there is the right kind of technology and qualified working force to provide quality goods and services. According to the crit ics, the multinational companies are out to perpetuate their monopolistic powers. Some of these multinational companies come from the developed nations. It is indicated that there is a correlation between the military power and the economic power of any given country. It is for these reasons that majority of critics indicating that the multinationals are out to give more political and military power to some of these countries. Such critics also question the need for globalization. They indicate that globalization has led to many negative effects than it was earlier thought. For instance, it has been challenged for increased unemployment and effect on the local businesses. According to Marxist view, the main beneficiaries of globalization have been the developed countries. They indicate that the main reason why it exists is to enable the developed nations accumulate more wealth especially from the developing nations. For instance, the developed nations have been able to take advantag e of the cheap labor provided by the developing nations. While such corporations make a lot of profits, the employees are not rewarded according to the services that are provided. According to my analysis of the situation, I believe that the sub systemic view (critics), best explains the situation in hand. Most of the developing countries still grapple with the issues

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) Lab Report

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) - Lab Report Example d 3 appear to be more acidic due to the fact that they are located on the downwind direction from the lake described as 1 which is surrounded by an industrial and settlement area. Carbon (iv) oxide and sulphur (iv) oxide are emissions associated with industrialization and are carried downwind by the wind and fall end up falling as acid rain. Lake 2 is found to suffer most from acidity as it is said to have a higher elevation as compared to Lake 3. Acidity falls in the form of either snow, rain or fog. The pH scale usually has a range running from 0-14. A pH value that is equal to 7 is said to be neutral. A pH value that is less than 7 is said to be acidic in nature and a pH that is greater than 7 is said to be basic. The PH scale is normally used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions that is present in a solution. A low pH usually represents solutions that have a high concentration of hydrogen ion while high PH usually represents solutions with low concentration of hydrogen ions. Acids on a PH scale are substances that when added to water increases the concentration of hydrogen ions thus lowering the PH. A base on the other hand usually lowers the concentration of hydrogen ions thus raising the PH. There are other substances called buffers that enable solutions to resist changes in

Gene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gene - Essay Example will be joined with plasmids cut by the same restriction enzymes through their compatible and matching sticky ends, producing a recombinant DNA molecule, which will be inserted to an appropriate host cell. Plasmids can either be bacterial, viral, bacterial artificial chromosomes, yeast artificial chromosomes, or artificial cosmids, depending on the host organism of choice. Plasmids can also be classified based on its function, such that there is a certain set of vectors that can be used if the goal of the experiment is to only propagate the gene, as is the case for this particular study. However, vectors that allow expression of particular gene into the corresponding protein are also available as well. The growth in the population of host cells containing the recombinant DNA molecule will also result to the replication of the gene clone. As added optimizing measure, aside from the G6Pase sequence and restriction sites, the vector also contains resistance genes against antibiotics. Thus, those that do not have the recombinant DNA molecule will be killed by antibiotics, allowing the transformed cells to flourish better. When the clone is needed for further analysis, it can easily be extracted out of the cell (U.S. Department of Energy Genome Program, 2009). It is important to note that the mouse genetic material is very similar to that of humans. Thus, a known mouse G6Pase sequence can be used in hybridization as the heterologous probe in identifying the human G6Pase (McClean, 1997). How will this work? Briefly, human DNA sample will be treated with restriction enzymes to cut the long strands into smaller fragments. After doing so, the treated extract will be run through gel electrophoresis to separate the smaller fragments by weight. Then, using the mouse gene attached to a dye as heterologous probe, the strand which contains the human G6Pase will be detected and isolated. Copies of this isolated gene can be amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) Lab Report

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) - Lab Report Example d 3 appear to be more acidic due to the fact that they are located on the downwind direction from the lake described as 1 which is surrounded by an industrial and settlement area. Carbon (iv) oxide and sulphur (iv) oxide are emissions associated with industrialization and are carried downwind by the wind and fall end up falling as acid rain. Lake 2 is found to suffer most from acidity as it is said to have a higher elevation as compared to Lake 3. Acidity falls in the form of either snow, rain or fog. The pH scale usually has a range running from 0-14. A pH value that is equal to 7 is said to be neutral. A pH value that is less than 7 is said to be acidic in nature and a pH that is greater than 7 is said to be basic. The PH scale is normally used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions that is present in a solution. A low pH usually represents solutions that have a high concentration of hydrogen ion while high PH usually represents solutions with low concentration of hydrogen ions. Acids on a PH scale are substances that when added to water increases the concentration of hydrogen ions thus lowering the PH. A base on the other hand usually lowers the concentration of hydrogen ions thus raising the PH. There are other substances called buffers that enable solutions to resist changes in

Busines economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Busines economics - Essay Example Primarily among these tool is the GDP. It refers to the net market value of the goods and services provided by a country. It can also be used to assess the standard of living of citizens in that country and can be used to gauge the demand and the buying capacity of individuals during that financial year. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the UK shrunk 0.60% during the latter half of the financial year in 2010. It has been calculated that United Kingdom’s average quarterly growth rate was 0.59% which climbed the charts steadily to 5.30% and also witnessed a record low of -2.5%. (United Kingdom GDP Growth Rate, 2011) The UK as a robust economy has its GDP usually boosted by the strong performance of the banking and insurance services. The manufacturing industry meanwhile faced a recession and the key to overcoming this problem lies in more government involvement while at the same time continuing its social welfare initiatives. One of the most current statistics that have been obtained indicated the following Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless rate Government Budget Exchange Rate UK 0.50% -0.60% 4.00% 8.00% -11.40% 1.62 (United Kingdom GDP Growth Rate, 2011) However when compared to 2009 there has however been a slight improvement of 1.5% GDP in the last quarter of 2010. The manufacturing experienced a slight boost in the latter half of 2010 climbing by 1.1% and the utility production also grew by 4.6%. The mining sector experienced a slight meltdown falling by 4.5%. The construction industry was also severely hit as several major construction projects were put on hold due the banking crisis that arose in 2009-2010. It fell by 2.5 %. Other sectors that experienced a drop were the business services and the transport sector at 1.1% and 1.4% respectively. (United Kingdom GDP Growth Rate, 2011) The German economy on the other hand fared better compared to its counterpart. The GDP increased by 0.40% in the latter half of 2010 compared to 2009. It also had its share of ups and downs with its average GDP growth at 0.29%. This reached a peak of 2.30% in June 2010 and a nadir of 3.50% in March 2009. (Germany GDP Growth Rate, 2011) Export forms the backbone of German economy and accounts for almost one third of its income. Germany has performed better than UK during this taxing period as shown by the market indicators and its strong commitment in engaging to closer European cooperation between member countries in both economic and commercial policies is reaping benefits. Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless rate Government Budget Exchange Rate UK 1.00% 0.40% 2.00% 7.40% -3.00% 1.42 (Germany GDP Growth Rate, 2011) Comparing both the Macroeconomic performance of UK with its European counterparts over the past ten years, one finds that its performance of attaining an annual GDP growth of 2.3% places it third behind US and Canada. However rising levels of both private sector debt and public sector debt ha ve held back the government in providing sufficient fiscal stimulus to the manufacturing and industrial sector. Trade, an area where Germany has made rapid progress also has declined in the context of the UK market. (BIS Economic Paper No.9, 2010) Business investment has also taken a backseat in UK. Post 2000, survey estimates indicate that UK is ranked behind

The effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated Essay Example for Free

The effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated Essay Analysis: 1. How does reaction rate change according to concentration? Based on our processed data, the lower the concentration the faster the reaction. This also means that the higher the concentration, the slower the reaction. 2. Why is the cotton wool plug needed? The cotton wool plug is needed to absorb the amount of carbon dioxide released. It acts as a sponge in absorbing the gas expelled from the conical flask. The cotton wool is weighed beforehand and then after absorbing carbon dioxide, to find the mass of carbon dioxide released. The amount of carbon dioxide released can be used to calculate the rate of reaction. 3. Why is there no further loss in mass at the later time intervals? Eventually, there arent enough remaining moles of HCl to react with the calcium carbonate marble chips. Thus, there is no more reaction and there is no carbon dioxide to be expelled. 4. How could reaction rate be calculated from your graph? The first graph shows the loss of carbon dioxide over time. In this experiment, the rate of a reaction may be measured by following the rate at which carbon dioxide is formed. It is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide formed divided by time. The gradient of the graph can be used to calculate the rate of reaction, because the gradient is equal to a change in the y values over a change in the x values. In this graph, it would be equivalent to a change in the loss of carbon dioxide over a change in time. This shows the rate of reaction and how fast it is going. Based on the graph, the steeper the slope, then the faster the reaction and vice versa. Conclusion and Evaluation In this experiment, the effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated. We did this by reacting marble chips (calcium carbonate) with hydrochloric acid, and recording the expelled mass loss of carbon dioxide as the concentration of hydrochloric acid began to drop. The carbon dioxide loss in mass over time was used to calculate the rate of reaction. In chemistry, the rate of reaction is used to describe how quickly a reaction happens. It is defined as the measure of the amount of reactants being converted into products per unit amount of time. In our case, we measured the amount of hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate being converted into carbon dioxide in 20 seconds intervals. There are several ways to vary and experiment with a rate of reaction. Students can observe a change in volume of gas produced, change the transmission of light in the experiment, change the concentration using titration or even change the concentration using conductivity. For this experiment, we observed rate of reaction by a change of mass. We calculated our rate of reaction by dividing the grams of carbon dioxide released by 20 seconds. Because 20 seconds was a constant divisor, the more mass of carbon dioxide released, the greater the rate of reaction. We also calculated the concentration of HCl left and observed the relationship. Based on our processed data, the lower the concentration, the greater the rate of reaction. For example, after 320 seconds, 2.00 g of carbon dioxide was expelled when the concentration of HCl was 0.182 mol dm-3. This gives a rate of reaction of 0.1 g of carbon dioxide produced per second. At 20 seconds, 0.70 g of carbon dioxide was released when the concentration of HCl was a whopping 1.364 mol dm-3. This gave a rate of reaction of 0.035 g CO2 per second, which is 0.065 g more than the aforementioned low concentration. The two graphs confirm this conclusion. As time goes on, the mass of carbon dioxide expelled increases, while the concentration of hydrochloric acid decreases. A lower concentration of hydrochloric acid causes more carbon dioxide to be expelled and thus lead to a greater reaction rate. I was quite shocked by our results. I thought that with a higher concentration and more molecules moving around, there would be a better chance of reactions taking place. However, this experiment shows that it was in fact the other way around. Perhaps, with a lower concentration of hydrochloric acid, there needed to be more carbon dioxide expelled to balance out the equation. With fewer moles of hydrochloric acid and lower concentrations, the equation was most likely out of proportion. In an attempt to make up for the lower number of moles, more carbon dioxide was released. Limitation Significance Improvement Tearing of cotton wool when it was being removed from the flask and then losing the torn cotton. When the cotton wool was being removed, some it may have been torn off. As a result, the mass could be a lot lighter than it should have been. When taking out the cotton, damage should be limited so that everything is accounted for and a more accurate carbon dioxide mass is achieved. Be very careful when removing the cotton to avoid any tearing. If a piece of cotton is accidently torn off, do not throw it away! Keep it and weigh it so that it is accounted for. Experiment was not performed until carbon dioxide stopped being expelled. The data was limited. Carbon dioxide was still being produced and there were still 0.091 moles of hydrochloric acid left when the experiment was stopped. Do not finish the experiment until there is no more carbon dioxide being expelled. This way, we get a better idea of the limits and possibilities of the reaction rate and how far it can go. Timer was not started the same time the marble was entered. Some marble could have been left inside the solution for a longer or shorter time than others. As a result, carbon dioxide values could be lower or higher than they should have been. The timer should be alert and there should be communication between the partners. The timer needs to begin once the marble chips are placed inside, and it needs to be removed right after twenty seconds. By maintain a steady time of twenty seconds, we can properly assess the reaction rates without adding another independent variable of time.

False Positives In Presumptive Blood Testing Biology Essay

False Positives In Presumptive Blood Testing Biology Essay Blood is a fluid medium that is found within the cardiovascular system-which comprises of the heart and blood vessels (Jackson and Jackson 2008). It consists of 55% blood plasma and 45% cellular material (Jackson and Jackson 2008). Blood plasma consists of dissolved materials such as antibodies, hormones, waste products and nutrients, whereas the cellular material consists of erythrocytes (red blood cells), leucocytes (white blood cells) and thrombocytes (platelets) (Jackson and Jackson 2008). Blood is transported through the body by the pumping action of the heart. It has numerous functions including (Jackson and Jackson 2008): Acting as an internal transport system-including the removal of waste products for excretion and moving nutrients for metabolism. Maintaining body temperature. Defending against infection. Protecting the body from effects of injury. Blood is one of main sources of DNA found at crime scenes, and is crucially important in establishing a link between a suspect and a victim of a crime (Jackson and Jackson, 2008). To detect the presence of blood at a crime scene, a presumptive test is used. These can, however, only detect whether a substance is blood and cannot distinguish between human and animal blood-a serological test is needed to do this. The Erythrocytes (red blood cells) are the most common type of blood cell and contain haemoglobin (Jackson and Jackson 2008). They contain haemoglobin- a protein containing iron. Haemoglobin is responsible for the carriage of oxygen, and it is this property that presumptive blood tests are based on. Most of the presumptive tests rely on the ability of haemoglobin to catalyse the oxidation of a reagent, normally hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 (aq)) (Jackson and Jackson 2008). The result of oxidation normally produces a colour change in the presumptive test. Tiny amounts of blood present as a scene can be detecting using a colour change test. Some old and dried stains look similar in appearance to blood which can lead to a scenes of crime officer conducting a presumptive test. Other substances that could have contaminated suspected blood or other substances on their own at a scene could lead to a presumptive blood test incorrectly showing a positive result for blood. This is known as a false positive. Once a stain has been determined as blood, then two processes must be completed. The first is to interpret any bloodstain patterns, so that a reconstruction of events can be established (Langford et al 2005). Secondly, bloodstains must then be recovered for further analysis (Langford et al 2005). Recovery of bloodstains varies according to whether the stain is wet or dry. Once recovered, the blood can then be sent to a Forensic Science Service laboratory, where it will be initially tested to ascertain whether it is human or animal blood. To do this a serological test will be conducted, which involves identifying the presence of proteins specific to humans and analysing for DNA sequences specific to humans (Jackson and Jackson 2008). The blood will then be used for DNA profiling, which will hopefully establish whether the blood belongs to the suspect or the victim. I.II Aims and Objectives The aim of my project is to create a definitive list of false positives for four different presumptive blood tests. Within this aim I have six objectives to complete: To compare the false positives of four different presumptive tests. To test substances that are known false positives- as reported by other authors. To test unknown substances allied to those already known. To record the time taken for a substance to react with a presumptive test. To photograph the results of from each substance. To create a definitive list of false positives for each presumptive test. I am going to compare four different presumptive tests, as some tests are more practical to use in some situations than others. Consequently, analysing more than one test will allow a wider range of results. I shall also be testing known false positives as reported by other authors, as it is important to show how the presumptive tests react. Unknown substances allied to those that are known will then be tested to see whether similar substances react alike. This will then allow me to establish whether an unknown substance has reacted or not, as I can compare the reaction times and colour changes from both the known and unknown substances. It is important to record the time taken for a substance to react with a presumptive test, as blood should show a result straight away. An unobvious result that takes time to develop could indicate that the substance being tested is a false positive. Photographing results will allow me to document the differences in the colour change in each reaction with each substance. I feel that it is important to create a definitive list of false positives as it can reduce the risk of using valuable resources at a crime scene. For example, if a scenes of crime officer is informed that a possible blood stain has been contaminated with horseradish (a known false positive), then they can use a presumptive test for blood that is not known to produce a false positive with horseradish. If the result is positive for blood, then serological tests for blood can be carried out. Overall, I hope that this project will aid the work of a scenes of crime officer to choose the correct presumptive test to use in different situations-minimising time spent and resources used. Chapter II. Literature Review II.I Background Information The scientific analysis of blood was initially mentioned in 13th century Chinese texts, but it was Karl Landsteiner who discovered the modern science of blood typing, which categorises different types of blood into the ABO blood typing system (White 2010). In 1901 it was reported that blood could be determined in two week old serum stains on linen, and by 1902 the four blood types A, B, O and AB had been discovered (White 2010). This system is based on types of antigen on the red blood cells membrane. An antigen is a protein molecule capable of binding on to an antibody (Erzinà §lioglu 2004). The ABO system uses two antigens which are known as A and B; and the four blood groups are determined according to this system (Erzinà §lioglu 2004). People that have the blood group A have the A antigen, those that are group B have the B antigen; those in the AB category have both antigens and those who belong to the O group have neither antigen (Erzinà §lioglu 2004). A persons blood contai ns the opposite group of corresponding antibodies, so people with blood group A have b antibodies, people with blood group B have a antibodies, those with blood group AB have neither a or b antibodies and those with blood group O have both a and b antibodies (Erzinà §lioglu 2004). If the wrong antibodies are introduced into the wrong blood group then death can be a result due to the red cells clumping together. The first suspect to have been convicted largely on the basis of DNA analysis of blood samples was found guilty at Leicester Crown Court on 22nd January 1988 (White 2010). This case marks an important milestone, and DNA technology has become commonplace in forensic laboratories and is now instrumental in establishing both guilt and innocence in court cases (White 2010). II.II Physical Properties of Blood Blood constitutes about 7.7% of the body weight of a person (White 2010). This equates to 5-6 litres in males and 4-5 litres in females (Tortora and Anagnostakos 1987). Viscosity is resistance to flow, which in fluids is compared to water which has a viscosity of 1. (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Blood viscosity usually ranges between 4.4 and 4.7 (Tortora and Anagnostakos 1987). Blood also has a higher specific gravity (density) than water, which is the weight of a substance relative to the weight of an equal volume of water (James and Nordby 2005). Blood is a fluid that circulates throughout the body by way of the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries-known as the circulatory system (James and Nordby 2005). A primary function of blood is to transport oxygen, electrolytes, nourishment, hormones, vitamins and antibodies to tissues and to transport waste products from tissues to the excretory organs (James and Nordby 2005). Tortora and Anagnostakos (1987) (in Bevel and Gardner 2002) say that when 4-6 litres of blood is present in the circulatory system, it is distributed as follows: Figure 1- Blood Distribution in the Circulatory System (Tortora and Anagnostakos 1987) As a medium, blood is composed of 55% plasma and 45% cells (White 2010). A single drop or large volume of blood is held together by strong cohesive molecular forces that produce a surface tension (James and Nordby 2005). Surface tension is defined as the force that pulls the surface molecules of a liquid toward its interior, decreasing the surface area and causing the liquid to resist penetration (James and Nordby 2005). Bevel and Gardner (2002) state that plasma is the pale yellow fluid component of blood, which is broken down by volume into 91% water, 8% protein, 1% organic acids and 1% salts. Fibrinogen is one of the proteins, and this plays an important role in the clotting of blood (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Blood serum is blood plasma minus its protein content (Jackson and Jackson 2008). The cellular component of blood consists of erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells) and thrombocytes (platelets) (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Red blood cells are heavier than plasma, which can be seen in bodies as lividity-which is where red cells settle to the lowest extremity of a body after death (Chmiel and Walitza 1980). http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/301images/Red_White_Blood_cells.jpg Figure 2- A red blood cell, platelet and white blood cell (University of Eastern Kentucky 2010). There are roughly 4.8 to 5.4 million red blood cells per cubic millimetre of blood (Tortora and Anagnostakos 1987). They are bioconcaved discs in shape. The main role of the red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the lungs via the arterial system and return carbon dioxide to the lungs for expiration via the venous system (James and Nordby 2005). Red blood cells contain haemoglobin which is a red pigment that gives blood its colour (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Haemoglobin is composed of globin, which is made up of four folded polypeptide chains, and four haem groups that join with iron (University of Eastern Kentucky 2010). http://www.ul.ie/~childsp/CinA/Issue64/Images/TOC36_2.gif Figure 3- Haemoglobin, containing four haem groups (University of Limerick, 2010). As the oxygen content increases in the blood, the bright red pigment of the haemoglobin also increases (Bevel and Gardner 2002). A red blood cell does not contain a nucleus. Red blood cells are expressed as a percentage of the packed (red) cell volume (PCV), also known as the haematocrit (Wonder 2001). Nelson and Rodak (1983) state that the haematocrit in humans is variable between individuals. Haematocrit Possible people with range of haematocrit 15-29% Chronic alcoholics or drug abusers, steroid abusers, women after traumatic child birth or illegal abortion, malnourished homeless, elderly. 30-48% Normal range for nontraumatic venipuncture (blood drawn in a clinic or hospital) samples. 49-75% Dehydrated individuals, people in shock, those living at high altitude, impending and active heart attack victims, newborn babies, people suffering from hypothermia, and people after extreme exercise. Table 1- Table to show the range of haematocrit ratios (Wonder 2001). White blood cells act to fight infections, destroy old cellular material and to destroy other invading microbes (Bevel and Gardner 2002). White blood cells can be further subdivided into phagocytes which are responsible for the capture and ingestion and foreign substances, and lymphocytes- which are responsible for the production of antibodies (Jackson and Jackson 2008). They make up less than 1% of the cellular component of blood, which equates to 5000 to 9000 white blood cells per cubic millimetre (Tortora and Anagnostakos 1987). The nuclei of white blood cells are the source of DNA in the blood (James and Nordby 2005). The other part of the cellular component of blood is the platelets. Like red blood cells, platelets also lack a nucleus (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Bevel and Gardner (2002) say that there are generally about 250,000 to 400,000 platelets per cubic millimetre of blood. Platelets are major components of the clotting mechanism of blood, and this is their primary function (James and Nordby 2005). Platelets have irregular shapes and are normally quite small, however when they encounter a damaged blood vessel they increase their size and their shapes changes (Bevel and Gardner 2002). They also become sticky and adhere to surrounding fibres in the vessel wall, which results in the accumulation of platelets called the platelet plug (Bevel and Gardner 2002). II.III Blood at a Crime Scene Blood is normally found at a crime scene due to a person sustaining an injury either by accident or on purpose. When a breach in the circulatory system occurs- due to an injury- the body reacts in different ways to control the loss of blood (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Initially the vascular spasm occurs, which is which the smooth vessels in the blood vessel wall contract to decrease the size of the vessel, which reduces the flow of blood through it (Bevel and Gardner 2002). Tortora and Anagnostakos (1987) say that this reduces blood loss for up to 30 minutes following injury, which gives time for the other blood loss mechanisms to engage. The platelet plug then follows which reduces, if not stops, the blood loss (Bevel and Gardner 2002). The final step is coagulation, or clotting. This is what is normally seen at crime scenes, where the clotted mass of fibrin fibres and blood cells is surrounded by blood serum (Bevel and Gardner 2002). There are three types of bleeding that can occur from damage to blood vessels (BUPA 2009): Arterial Bleeding Venous Bleeding Capillary Bleeding. Arterial bleeding usually is spurting bright red blood, due to the blood having come from the heart and lungs-so it is oxygen rich (Walter et al 2004). The pumping action of the heart adds rhythmic surges to move blood vessels away from the heart (Wonder 2001). It is the most serious type of bleeding, and the most difficult to control due to the blood in the arteries being under pressure from the heart (Walter et al 2004). Arterial wounds results in volume stains (Wonder 2001). Loss from the carotid artery or the aorta can rapidly lead to death (Wonder 2001). Examples of arterial injuries, and how they may occur are listed in Table 2. Artery Location Probable Occurrence Facial Mouth/lips Beating Temporal Head/temples Gunshot, Crushing Carotid Neck, front throat Stab wound, Gunshot, Decapitation Subclavian Under collar bone Gunshot, Crushing Aorta Chest Gunshot, Stab wound Brachial Arm/elbow Bone break Radial Wrist Slit wrists, Bone Break, Stab wound Femoral Groin Gunshot, Stab wound Tibial Ankle Bone Break, Crushing Deltoid Upper arm muscle Stab wound Table 2- Areas and actions that may involve arterial damage (Wonder 2001) External venous bleeding is normally as a result of wounding, as veins are closer to the skin than arteries (Walter et al 2004). It results in the steady flow of dark red (almost brown) blood, and is darker than arterial blood as it has released oxygen to the tissues in the body and is flowing back to the heart and lungs for more oxygen (Walter et al 2004). Capillary wounding is common in minor wounds as capillaries are very small vessels that are under very little pressure with a low volume of blood (Walter et al 2004). Capillary bleeding results in the oozing of either bright or dark red blood, which will normally stop on its own (Walter et al 2004). As well as the three main types of bleeding, there is a further category which is traumatic bleeding. There are different types of wounds which can cause traumatic bleeding, and these can be categorised as follows: Abrasion- also known as a graze, where an object brushes on the skin but does not break it. Hematoma- where blood vessels are damaged, causing blood to collect under the skin. Laceration- where a blunt impact to soft tissue causes a deep wound. Incision- where a precise cut is made into the skin. Puncture Wound- where an object penetrates the skin and deeper layers. Contusion- also known as a bruise, where a blunt trauma causes damage under the skin, but does not break it. Crushing injuries- where a great amount of force is applied over a period of time, causing initially internal bleeding. Ballistic trauma- where a projectile weapon has entered and exited the area of the body, causing a wound between the two. Scenes of Crime officers attend many types of crime scene where blood is present. These include: Burglary- When an offender breaks a glass window or door to gain entry to a premises, they risk cutting their hands/arms. This leads to blood being left on fragments of glass in the window and on the floor. Assault/Wounding- Open wounds are normally the result of an attack on a victim. Blood can be left at an assault scene on the weapon that was used in the assault, on the ground, on the offender and on the victim. If the victim is bleeding heavily then blood will be left whenever the victim comes into contact with another surface. Manslaughter/Attempted Murder/Murder- Blood left at these scenes is not only important for swabbing purposes, but the pattern in which the blood is left can determine the order of events at a major scene. Road Traffic Crash- Blood at this scene can be found in the victims car and, if involved, the offenders car. This is important as it can place people in their respective cars- allowing investigators to work out the positions of people at the time of the incident. The collection, packaging and preservation of blood evidence at a crime scene should not take place until the scenes of crime officer has documented the bloodstain patterns (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). Whenever biological fluids are encountered at a crime scene, protective clothing, gloves and masks should be worn due to the biohazard nature of blood (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). To recover dry blood, an area near the blood that is unstained should be swabbed using a sterile swab, as a control sample (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). Then, the stain should be swabbed using a sterile swab that has been moistened using sterile water (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). The remains of the stain should then be dry swabbed using a sterile swab (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). The swabs should be returned to their tubes immediately and stored frozen as soon as possible (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). A batch control of both the water and swabs should always be made, and should be exhibited separately to the swabbed stain and background control (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). Items that have areas of dried blood on them should be packaged in paper bags which are sealed securely and clearly marked as biohazard. Blood and bloodstained evidence should never be packaged in airtight containers (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). To recover wet blood, a control swab of the surrounding area of the stain should be taken using a sterile swab (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). The wet stain should then be swabbed using a dry, sterile swab (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). The swabs should be returned to their tubes immediately, and should be stored frozen as soon as possible (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). Again, a batch control of the swab should be exhibited separately (Derbyshire Constabulary 2008). If a removable item has an area of wet blood on it, then the entire object should be exhibited and left to dry in a drying room at the police station. Often at crime scenes, stains that are composed of unknown substances can easily be confused with blood. Identifying whether a substance is blood allows further analysis to confirm species, and the individual (Spalding 2006). II.IV Presumptive Tests for Blood James and Nordby (2005) say that a presumptive test is one which allows the scenes of crime officer to make a qualified conclusion that blood is present in the tested sample, when positive. They also say that when a test is negative, stains that need no further consideration are eliminated. Presumptive tests may be recognised as those that produce a visible colour reaction or those that result in the release of light (James and Nordby 2005). Both of these rely on the catalytic properties of blood to drive the reaction (James and Nordby 2005). Lee, Palmbach and Miller (2001) write this as a chemical reaction: AH2 + H2O2 Æ’Â   A + 2H2O Oxidisable chemical Hydrogen peroxide Haeme Oxidised (colourless) (peroxidise) James and Nordby (2005) state that catalytic tests involve the chemical oxidation of a chromogenic substance by an oxidising agent catalyzed by the presence of blood. They also say that the catalyst of the reaction is the peroxidise-like activity of the haeme group of haemoglobin. Cox (2004) describes the attributes that a good presumptive test for blood should be sensitive, specific, quick, simple and safe. In order for presumptive tests for blood to function properly, they must detect a component of blood (Tobe, Watson and Daà ©id 2007). Most presumptive tests therefore act on the peroxidise activity of haemoglobin. This component is not found in the everyday environment, but other substances found in items such as fruit and vegetables perform a similar function (Tobe, Watson and Daà ©id 2007). A very popular presumptive method is the phenolphthalein test, which is also known as the Kastle- Meyer test (Virkler and Lednev 2009). Lee, Palmbach and Miller (2001) say that the Kastle-Meyer test was introduced in 1901 by Kastle. Phenolphthalein will cause an alkaline solution to turn pink after it has been oxidised by peroxide when blood is present (Spalding 2006). The reagent consists of reduced phenolphthalein in alkaline solution, which is oxidised by peroxide in the presence of haemoglobin (James and Nordby 2005). The test result is normally immediate, and a positive result a minute or more after the test is performed is usually not considered as reliable (James and Nordby 2005). It has a sensitivity of 1:100,000 (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). James and Nordby (2005) say that Adler and Adler in 1904 investigated the reduced or colourless form (leuco) of the dye malachite green, which is also referred to as McPhails reagent. This test involves the Leuco base of malachite green (Lillie 1969). Leucomalachite Green oxidation is catalyzed by haeme to produce a green colour (James and Nordby 2005). The reaction is usually carried out in an acid medium with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidiser (James and Nordby 2005). It has a sensitivity of 1: 20,000 (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). Bluestar is a luminol preparation developed by Professor Loic Blum in France that is extremely sensitive and stable and produces a very bright, long lasting chemiluminescence (James and Nordby 2005). The extreme sensitivity of Bluestar Forensic allows detections of bloodstains down to 1:10,000 dilutions (Bluestar Forensic 2004). It does not require total darkness to be visible, and works well on either fresh blood or old bloodstains (Bluestar Forensic 2004). Bluestar works by mixing the Bluestar Forensic solution with Bluestar Forensic tablets, which is then left to dissolve. This is sprayed onto the area of suspected blood. A positive result will cause a bluish luminescence (Bluestar Forensic 2004). The Hemastix test, created by Miles Laboratories in 1992, is particularly useful when solutions can be hazardous, or inconvenient (James and Nordby 2005). The test consists of a plastic strip with a reagent treated filter tab at one end (James and Nordby 2005). The tab contains TMB, diisopropylbenzene, dihydroperoxide, buffering materials and non reactants (James and Nordby 2005). A bloodstain is tested by moistening a swab with distilled water, sampling the stain, and touching the swab onto the reagent tab on the strip (James and Nordby 2005). The tab is normally yellow, and turns form orange to green or blue when positive. Quality control testing is necessary and should be completed with known blood samples on every new batch of test reagents to verify that the reagents are working as expected (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). II.V False Positives Sutton (1999) points out that a false positive is an apparent positive test result obtained with a substance other than blood. James and Nordby (2005) say that misleading results can be attributed to Chemical oxidants (often producing a reaction before the application of peroxide) Plant materials (vegetable peroxidises are thermolabile) Materials of animal origin (that contain traces of blood). Substances that produce false positives generally take detectably longer to react and, therefore, may be eliminated through observational interpretation (Tobe, Watson and Daà ©id 2007). False positives were initially noted only with copper salts (Glaister 1926). Tobe, Watson and Daà ©id (2007) state that saliva, semen, potato, tomato, tomato sauce, tomato sauce with meat, red onion, red kidney bean, horseradish, 0.1 ascorbic acid, 5% bleach, 10% cupric sulphate, 10% ferric sulphate and 10% nickel chloride are all known false positives. Bluestar False Positives (2008) say that Bluestar has false positives that include oil based paint, alkyd varnish, turnip, banana, leek, green bean, carrot, ginger, manganese sulphate, copper sulphate, iron sulphate and potassium permanganate. Lee, Palmbach and Miller (2001) write that many household cleaning products contain oxidising agents that can produce false positives. Many fruit and vegetables produce false positives including apples, horseradish and broccoli (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). Bleach is a false positive that provides an (immediate and intense reaction) according to Gardner (2005). Hunt et al (1960) say that faeces often gave a false positive depending on the food that had been eaten previously. Ponce and Pascual (1999) state that lemon juice added to a bloodstain can cause a positive result due to its acidity. A false negative is when there is some interference with the oxidation-reduction reaction, normally in the presence of a strong reducing agent, which results in a delay of the oxidation reaction; thus resulting in a coloured formation (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). False negatives are less common but problematic as an actual blood sample may be overlooked or left at the scene (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). Many of the false positive reactions can be identified during the presumptive testing procedure if any changes observed and the exact point in the reaction of these changes is recorded and compared to that of blood (Lee, Palmbach and Miller 2001). Chapter III. Experimental Methodology I will be investigating known substances previously reported by other authors that show a false positive and then analysing other substances similar to those already known to see if these also produce a false positive. III.I Project Design Each of the substances will need to be repeated to ensure a wide enough range of consistent results. Therefore, a grid will be drawn on a piece of Perspex measuring 1.5m2, and a piece of filter paper placed in each of the grid spaces, to allow the even distribution of substances and to allow the easy identification of false positives. Blood Known False Positives Unknowns 1 2 3 1 2 A New technique to detect metabolites from a single drop of blood B New technique to detect metabolites from a single drop of blood C New technique to detect metabolites from a single drop of blood Figure 4- A diagram to illustrate an example of the project layout. For each of the presumptive reagents tested, the filter paper in each grid space will be exposed to a substance to be tested. This will be allowed to dry for a minimum of 1 hour. Each substance will then be tested with a reagent. Each substance will be repeated three times to give a fair indication of performance. The time taken for a substance to register a positive result will be recorded. If a colour change occurs then the test will be classed as positive. If no colour change is noted within 5 minutes of the reagent being added, then the test will be classed as negative. III.II Sample Preparation The substances that I have chosen to analyse are known false positives as reported by other authors and then substances allied to known false positives. Known false positives to be tested: Horseradish. Tomato Sauce. Red Onion. Turnip. Lemon Juice. Bleach Solution (5%). Unknown substances to be tested: Brown Sauce. BBQ Sauce. Radish. Dark Chocolate. Orange Juice. Bleach Solution (less than 5%). III.III Choice of Presumptive Tests I have chosen to use the following presumptive reagents to test substances for false positives: Kastle-Meyer. Hemastix. McPhails. Bluestar. III.IV Control Tests I will test all of the presumptive tests on blank filter paper before proceeding to test with substances. This ensures that there is no reaction from the filter paper to the presumptive tests. I shall also test all of the presumptive tests with horse blood before proceeding to test with substances. This shows that the tests do recognise a sample of blood. I have chosen to use 2.5g of each substance as I feel this is an amount that is representative of a stain at a scene. Blood is reported to have been diluted to 1:10000 in previous tests, and as this dilution has proved the most successful, I have chosen to use this dilution. REARRANGE + FINISH