Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Mitigation banking essays

Alleviation banking articles Presently like never before the wetlands need our assistance and Mitigation is the best approach to do it. As America extends, increasingly more land is spent for development. As of late ecological security laws intended to save wetlands have been appear as lumbering and can hinder ashore improvement. To assist organizations with getting around natural laws and keep on building, Mitigation Banking frameworks have been set up to guarantee no overal deficit of wetlands. At the point when an organization needs to devastate a zone of wetlands, they are presently ready to buy wetland credits from a moderation bank or other association that secure or reestablish bits of wetland (1). The credits bought speak to a measure of wetland. The credits purchased must be of equivalent or more prominent grounds than planned to be obliterated so as to protect no overal deficit of wetlands. The buys wetland territories can turn up from multiple points of view. The credits can go towards numerous styles of wetlands. They can be utilized to reestablish, restore, make, or moved wetlands. Recovery is frequently the most costly just as generally troublesome, however when finished will receive the biggest rewards. Restored wetlands frequently cause the best filtration for lessening to taint levels, for example, phosphate. Reclamation is the demonstration of taking dry or corrupted wetlands and reestablishing them to their characteristic condition by raising the water level and restoring rule plants. Both add to making the common wetland that used to be. There still might be an issue with reclamation or recovery. Regularly time there is incredibly significant levels of defiles, so high that it doesn't bode well earth of financially to support the wetlands. In these cases the wetlands are filled in and utilized for building destinations. Another option is moving a wetland region starting with one territory then onto the next. These regions are effortlessly controlled to speak to the regu lar wetlands precisely. In Tampa, Florida, Steve Dibbs effectively mov... <!

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Investigation of Enthalpy Change When Mg is added to HCl Essay

Research Question: How is the enthalpy change of the response among Mg and HCl influenced when various measures of Mg are added to a consistent measure of HCl? Factors: Autonomous: Mg Subordinate: Temperature Control: HCl Controlling Variables I will utilize three distinct masses of Mg: 0.02g  ± 0.001g, 0.03g  ± 0.001g, 0.04g  ± 0.001g I will gauge the temperature utilizing a colorimeter produced using a froth cup, a top, and a thermometer I will keep HCl at a consistent volume of 10mL of 1M HCl Technique: Stage 1: Measure out 10mL of 1M HCl Stage 2: Pour HCl into froth cup and spot cover on cup Stage 3: Measure the underlying temperature and record information Stage 4: Add in 0.02g of Mg into cup and measure the finial temperature Stage 5: Calculate change in temperature by taking away the underlying temperature from the finial temperature Stage 6: Repeat stages 1-5 8 additional occasions for an aggregate of 9 path changing the mass of Mg in sync 4 each 3 path from 0.02g  ± 0.001g to 0.03g  ± 0.001g to 0.04g  ± 0.001g. End and Evaluation The outcomes portrayed a little relationship between's the enthalpy change in the response among Mg and HCl when various measures of Mg are added to a consistent measure of HCl. The normal enthalpy change of the various masses of Mg are not reliably evolving. At the point when the measure of Mg shifts from 0.02g  ± 0.001g to 0.03g  ± 0.001g the normal enthalpy changes from 453.27 kJ/mol to 406.77 kJ/mol however when it shifts structure 0.03g  ± 0.001g to 0.04g  ± 0.001g the normal enthalpy changes from 406.77 kJ/mol to 418.4 kJ/mol. Presently the response to the inquiry - How is the enthalpy change of the response among Mg and HCl influenced when various measures of Mg are added to a steady measure of HCl? †Is there is an impact to the enthalpy change when various measures of Mg are included yet it is unpredictable and the adjustment in the enthalpy isn’t consistent in its ascent or decrease. The analysis was finished utilizing distinctive froth cups and a calorimeter and the measure of time that the synthetic substances temperatures were recorded were unique. If I somehow managed to improve this examination I would utilize a similar sort of froth cups and tops for every preliminary and I would likewise gauge the temperature for every substance under a particular time limit which would be the equivalent for every preliminary. Examination of Enthalpy Change When Mg is added to HCl

Friday, August 21, 2020

Blending In (Guest Entry)

Blending In (Guest Entry) By Maggie Liu 12 So, first of all, let me start by saying that I had come to MIT CPW with excitement but also deeply rooted stereotypes about the student population. And really, let me just say that I was completely blown away by the diversity of the campus life. I knew that MIT was an amazing school academics-wise but I was tentative about adding that little 12 after my Facebook status because Id been, in truth, intimidated by the prospects of attending such a seemingly homogenous academic-oriented school. Ohohoho, boy was I in for a surprise! The first night was thrilling with meeting new people and the CPW Pre-Frosh Festival. Though I unfortunately dont have any decent photos from that (many other bloggers will provide that), I was really impressed by the a capella groups, especially the MIT Logarithms. Let me just say that I also made a fool of myself by asking one of the members for an autograph which, WAS, for my friend who had been obsessing over them since shed seen their Youtube videos. Ahthe wonders of Youtube. Heres a photo of them in concert later on in the weekend: Apparently theres six or seven A Capella groups. I stopped by in Lobby 7 on Saturday and watched a co-ed group: It was just really fun to see all the random students and faculty pass by and stop to listen. There was something about that moment that showed that the community was quite closeknit in many aspects. I was just so glad to see that the arts were not underappreciated. There was so much to do that I really felt ADD the whole time. And yes, the ubiquitous red CPW guidebook was my Bible. I think I touched base on all the categories of events. I stocked up on plenty of free food- there was food everywhere from functions to dorm dinners. My friend and I had wandered to Bexsley on our first day and managed to snag a hamburger before the residents began to notice the suspicious red CPW booklet peeking out of my purse. But asides from that incident, food was abound! Heres some delicious cupcakes we made at the Cupcake Making Event for Women at MIT: Then a snapshot of the Dumpling Eating Contest hosted by the Chinese Club: I swear that I was handed flyers for the Chinese Club, Korean BBQ, and a Highlighter Rave in the span of an hour. o.o Anyways, the Dumpling Contest was fun although my friends didnt win the $25 COOP giftcard. One of my friends had already won a $50 giftcard from a stock-sharing game earlier during CPW so Id been planning to weedle the $25 giftcard from him if he had won. Alas, I ended up not even making it to the COOP because I had planned to stock up on MIT paraphernalia on Sunday, the last day and I didnt realize that my train left before the COOP opened. No worries, I ended up ordering a t-shirt online the next day. So all in all, I met some great people, some different people, and went across the bridge to some pretty spiffy parties. The students already at MIT were really warm and helpful (I think I sat down and talked to a Philosophy major for an hour and a half before I realized that he had to work on a P-set due that night) and definitely dispelled many of my preconceived notions of the typical MIT student. Sad to leave but eager to come back to Boston in the fall! And perhaps next time, I wont be stuck in the train station for two hours after missing my train by 3 minutes. ToT

Blending In (Guest Entry)

Blending In (Guest Entry) By Maggie Liu 12 So, first of all, let me start by saying that I had come to MIT CPW with excitement but also deeply rooted stereotypes about the student population. And really, let me just say that I was completely blown away by the diversity of the campus life. I knew that MIT was an amazing school academics-wise but I was tentative about adding that little 12 after my Facebook status because Id been, in truth, intimidated by the prospects of attending such a seemingly homogenous academic-oriented school. Ohohoho, boy was I in for a surprise! The first night was thrilling with meeting new people and the CPW Pre-Frosh Festival. Though I unfortunately dont have any decent photos from that (many other bloggers will provide that), I was really impressed by the a capella groups, especially the MIT Logarithms. Let me just say that I also made a fool of myself by asking one of the members for an autograph which, WAS, for my friend who had been obsessing over them since shed seen their Youtube videos. Ahthe wonders of Youtube. Heres a photo of them in concert later on in the weekend: Apparently theres six or seven A Capella groups. I stopped by in Lobby 7 on Saturday and watched a co-ed group: It was just really fun to see all the random students and faculty pass by and stop to listen. There was something about that moment that showed that the community was quite closeknit in many aspects. I was just so glad to see that the arts were not underappreciated. There was so much to do that I really felt ADD the whole time. And yes, the ubiquitous red CPW guidebook was my Bible. I think I touched base on all the categories of events. I stocked up on plenty of free food- there was food everywhere from functions to dorm dinners. My friend and I had wandered to Bexsley on our first day and managed to snag a hamburger before the residents began to notice the suspicious red CPW booklet peeking out of my purse. But asides from that incident, food was abound! Heres some delicious cupcakes we made at the Cupcake Making Event for Women at MIT: Then a snapshot of the Dumpling Eating Contest hosted by the Chinese Club: I swear that I was handed flyers for the Chinese Club, Korean BBQ, and a Highlighter Rave in the span of an hour. o.o Anyways, the Dumpling Contest was fun although my friends didnt win the $25 COOP giftcard. One of my friends had already won a $50 giftcard from a stock-sharing game earlier during CPW so Id been planning to weedle the $25 giftcard from him if he had won. Alas, I ended up not even making it to the COOP because I had planned to stock up on MIT paraphernalia on Sunday, the last day and I didnt realize that my train left before the COOP opened. No worries, I ended up ordering a t-shirt online the next day. So all in all, I met some great people, some different people, and went across the bridge to some pretty spiffy parties. The students already at MIT were really warm and helpful (I think I sat down and talked to a Philosophy major for an hour and a half before I realized that he had to work on a P-set due that night) and definitely dispelled many of my preconceived notions of the typical MIT student. Sad to leave but eager to come back to Boston in the fall! And perhaps next time, I wont be stuck in the train station for two hours after missing my train by 3 minutes. ToT

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Japanese Invasion of the Philippines - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 78 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2018/12/17 Category Statistics Essay Type Report Level High school Tags: Japan Essay War Essay Did you like this example? The US-Philippines Joint Front Joint warfare is an operative strategy in which combined service branches of the armed forces of a state or more act as a unified front. Facing the threat from Japan, US applied the Team Warfare strategy where a combined army would fight to repel the Imperial Japanese force. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Japanese Invasion of the Philippines" essay for you Create order The joint operation would operate based on the nine principles of modern warfare: Offensive Mass Objective Economy of force Unity of command Security Surprise Maneuver Simplicity

Thursday, May 14, 2020

The Religious Emancipation Of The Crusades Essay - 1738 Words

Catholic Church leaders including Pope Urban II regarded the Crusades as an ideological battle for religious superiority and control of the Holy Land. Urban emphasized the religious emancipation of the Crusades in his speech to thousands at Clermont-Auvergne in France, where he implored, â€Å"Undertake this journey eagerly for the remission of their sins, and be assured of the reward of imperishable glory in the Kingdom of Heaven† (Durant 587). However, just as religion can be attributed to the reason for Urban’s crusade, so too can the financial and economic goals of both the Church, nobility, and common folk. Changing economic structure in the medieval period fostered a need for change in commerce and trade. With that, came an ambition from the lower class to change their socio-economic status. The emergence of the merchant class, desire for commerce and trade among centralized empires, and the lure of financial freedom and prosperity propelled the Christian Crusades to regain the holy land and control of eastern territory against the Moslem â€Å"infidel†. During much of the Dark Ages, a period of time where an agrarian and feudal system prevailed as the main economic structure, the economies of European tribes and empires remained stagnant, along with the social mobility of its inhabitants. The mainly agricultural system caused a lack of a defined middle class, as there was no need for an exchange of goods. The middle class â€Å"was ill-organized and still dominated by the mobility,Show MoreRelatedAbolitionist Movements And Social Reforms1610 Words   |  7 Pagesmotivated the violent abolitionist crusade. In the 1830s, antislavery underwent an important transformation which led to various abolitionist movements and social reforms. The American Association Organization provided a program which taught information about the gradual emancipation of slaves and exportation of the free to colonies outside the U.S. In January 1831, William Loyd Garrison a successful writer played a vital role in the initiation of the abolitionist crusade after he published the firstRead MoreAn Age Of Reform Swept1294 Words   |  6 Pagesminds of hundreds of thousands of Americans to give up on alcohol. By 1840, the consumption of alcohol per person had fallen to less than half the level of a decade earlier (Foner 440). The benefit of this change came with a cost, the temperance crusade and other reform movements aroused considerable hostility (Foner 441). Horace Mann who was a lawyer and a Whig politician was the leading education reformer for his era. Mann hoped that universal public education could restore equality to a fracturedRead MoreAbolitionist And The Civil War995 Words   |  4 Pageswanted Emancipation for all slaves. The Abolitionists were wanting slavery to be abolished due to moral causes along with courage. Tis movement became and Evangelical crusade in the 1830s. Their main focus and pus was to end the sin-filled behaviors against the slaves everywhere. Personal freedom was exceedingly important and a belief that, â€Å"all men are created,† (Abolitionist Movement,† History, N.p.,n.d.). There were religious, political, radical and militant abolitionists. The religious abolitionistsRead Morequot;William Lloyd Garrison: the Agitatorquot; Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesgreater vehemence than a group of young, radical abolitionists. Frustrated at the betrayal of the revolutionary promise that all forms of bondage would disappear in the new land and marshalling all the religious revivals that swept the country, abolitionists demanded no less than the immediate emancipation of all slaves. Bursting upon the American political system in the early 1830s, abolitionists not only opposed any reparation of slaveholders, but they also demanded full political rights for all African-AmericansRead MoreSlavery Is The Inhuman Act And Should Be Abolished Essay1589 Words   |  7 Pagesresult in Lincoln s giving the Emancipation Proclamation, which allowed all slaves in the rebelling locations to be free; the end of the Civil War, and also issues like slavery. It was fuelled by bo th the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Battle of Gettysburg. However, Nevada played a significant. These events and disagreements that took place between the Union and the Confederates, including the controversy of labor systems. It can be explained as the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg AddressRead MoreIreland s Reluctant Release Of Power1618 Words   |  7 PagesBritain came with the intentions of reforming and refining Ireland to their own version of pristine and effectual. The colonization of Ireland was no easy crusade. The natives put up a powerful and enduring fight. The colonization of Ireland can be broken down into one simple word loaded with years of power struggle, lost lives, and, religious adaptation that overall was, extraneous, leaving Britain at fault for a civil war. Vikings were the first to sweep in with their brutal attacks on the allRead MoreJewish Nation and Religious Persecution1627 Words   |  7 Pages the Jewish nation has been plagued by persecution as a result of their religion. In Medieval times, the Jews faced blood libels and crusades. If they were to convert, then they would become accepted members into society; however, if they were to remain true to their religious ideals they would be killed. In modern Europe, Jews faced struggles such as Emancipation and the Holocaust. All they wanted was to become accepted in society; however instead they were mistreated and eventually massacred. ThisRead MoreDiscussion of the Importance of Economic Factors in the Changing Nature of Jew-hating1521 Words   |  7 PagesImportance of Economic Factors in the Changing Nature of Jew-hating â€Å"At times of bitter distress, fury against him [Jew] breaks out and the plundered and ruined masses begin to defend themselves against the scourge of God† [1] The religious based Jew-hating, termed as ‘Judeaphobia’, existed during times of ‘bitter distress’ within society whereby Jews were often the victims of sporadic violence and consequent restriction to their rights. Segregation was often consideredRead MoreThey Say: Ida B. Wells and the Reconstruction of Race, by James W. Davidson. Ida B. Wells as a parallel to African Americans trying to gain empowerment in post-emancipation America1409 Words   |  6 Pagesautobiography, recorded the personal struggle of a woman to define womanhood during post-emancipation America. The novel, _THEY SAY: IDA B. WELLS AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF RACE_ , provides an insight into how Ida B. Wellss life paralleled that of African-Americans trying to gain citizenship and empowerment in post-slavery America. From the beginning, Ida B. Wells was shaped by firm moral convictions and religious beliefs taught to her by her mother and father. Ida B. Wells was born to Jim and ElizabethRead MoreHistory Of The Holocaust Midterm Essays1580 Words   |  7 Pagesits existence, and intensifying up until and through the Holocaust, to then diminish to an extent but still be prevalent in most societies. Antisemitism exists in different forms, religious, ethnic, and political. The presence of Christianity as the predominant religion in Europe can be noted as a driving factor in religious and ethnic antisemitism, as can the Holocaust. Whereas instances such as the Islamic view on Judaism can be described more so as ethnic and political antisemitism. There are phases

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Analysis Of Jodi Picoult s My Sister s Keeper Essay

Existence precedes essence. These three words sum up existentialism in a nutshell and is the single most important of all of its theories. Originating from a nineteenth century Danish philosopher, this theory is still found throughout many literary works. Among these literary works is Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, a novel in which the theory of existentialism is actively present and found in many elements of the story. These elements, upon further observation, exhibit the six major concepts or existentialism: existence, freedom, facticity, despair, absurdity, and atheism. It can be noted therefore, that the critical theory of existentialism is evident in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, as all of the aforementioned concepts are present in various elements within the novel. The term existentialism is derived from the word existence, which means simply to have a physical presence. To exist is the only thing that is predetermined, while the essence-which consists of the identity of a person-, comes second, and is created by the individual. Life has no purpose; therefore it is important that an individual embraces the idea of merely existing. Jean Paul Sartre, a famous French existentialist, writes in his work - Existentialism is Humanism, â€Å"Man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and, only afterwards, defines himself† (Sartre). Since it is up to the individual to determine their own meaning to life, they are responsible for themselves only, and no one else. AnnaShow MoreRelatedMy Sisters Keeper and Morality1345 Words   |  6 PagesMy Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult Where is the line with choices? How is a decision determined to be right or wrong? These are some of the questions that summarize the concept of the book My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Anna, the protagonist, files a law suit against her parents, Brian and Sara, because they forced her to make medical decisions that were not her own. Anna is sympathetic with her sister’s condition and has given all she can to ensure Kate’s recovery from leukemia. Yet the

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Company Performance

Question: Consider a publicly listed company whose business performance has been criticised publicly and, using its annual report, reference documents about the company (e.g. analysts reports, in-depth interviews and articles, documents on companys website) and write a report about its governance protocols and practices. (This could include independence of directors, length of tenure of directors, other responsibilities of directors, etc.). Answer: Introduction This assignment is based on the subject area of corporate governance in the organization. During the assignment, the main focus is on the Noble Group and its corporate governance protocols and practices. The assignment covers the case study of Noble Group, which states about the scandal done by the higher authority of the company. This particular assignment follows a particular and systematic structure. In the beginning of the assignment, a short description of the background of the company is given and after that, the discussion is made on the criteria based on which the corporate governance of the company will be criticized. Next the critical review of the organizations governance is discussed and then the recommendations are provided for the future development of the companys corporate governance. At the end of the study a summarized conclusion is given based on the findings of the assignment. Brief description of the organization Noble Group is a Hong Kong based supply chain Management Company, which was founded in the year of 1986. Presently, the company is operating its business in more than 60 locations in Hong Kong and other countries. The core business strategy of the company is to provide the best service related to the movement of the physical commodities from the producer or manufacturers to the end customers and at the same time management of the operational and market risks (Aoki, 2013). The main strength of the company is the relationship with the customers and the producers of the products. However, in recent past, the company has faced an obligation of doing a scandal in which it has been obtained that the company has overstated its assets by billions of dollars. Due to this scandal, the company lost its rating in investment grade. An outline of the bases of criteria It has been stated above that the company Noble Group made a scandal in which it had overstated its assets by billions of dollars. This type of scandal of the company indicates that the corporate governance of the company was weak or in the other words it can be said that there were some faults in the corporate governance of the company. However, during study the corporate governance of the company that is Noble Group is critically analyzed on the basis of the three criteria and those are fair disclosure of the financial results, directors responsibilities and the accounting standards (Bhaduri and Selarka 2016). All of these three criteria are very important in order to determined whether the corporate governance of a company (here the Noble Group) is in proper structure or not and whether the corporate governance of the company is working properly or not. For example, the fair disclosure of the financial results of the company shows how much the corporate governance of the company is active in motivating the employees in fair disclosure to meet the transparence need of fair accounting. This also indicates the structural strength of the corporate governance of the company. On the other side, the directors responsibilities indicate how much the board of directors of the company is responsible towards their duties (Bhadur. and Selarka 2016). This helps to identify the actual flaws in the corporate governance structure of the company. In the same way, the accounting standard shows the extent to which the company has maintained the accounting rules and regulations provided by the regulatory body of the country or the regulatory body in the international market. Therefore, the critical analysis of the corporate governance of Noble Group based on these above-mentioned three criteria will provide the better result to understand the reasons behind the scandal (Bonnerjee and Ghosh 2014). Critical review of the organizations governance During the critical review of the controversies that the company created, some key concepts of corporate governance must be duly stressed on and studied. These key concepts help us to critically evaluate and compare in the lights of corporate governance and the Noble Group. The first concept that we study is fairness. According to this concept, the board of directors is obligated to treat their stakeholders fairly. This requires safeguarding the interests and stakes of the stakeholders. In the scandal that we study, we focus on overstating assets and other unfair practices. This definitely did not follow the first major concept. The next main concept that requires critical study of the corporate governance is independence. The board of directors is not advised to interfere in other areas of the organization. This was not the case with Noble Group as the board of directors was actively involved in different area of the companys operation as a mean to involve in fraudulent activities. The next concept of corporate governance is honesty. The board of directors is expected to discharge their duties in an honest way as they are responsible for managing and safeguarding the stakes of many stakeholders. The controversy of Noble Group depict the fact that the b oard of directors were involved in unfair and dishonest practices, which led to the controversy created by the company. The next concept that we refer to is integrity. This concept reflects on the fact that managers need to consider moral and ethical grounds before making any decision. This was not true and applicable in the case of Noble Group as they majorly involved in scrupulous and fraudulent practices that contravened every moral and ethical practices. Transparency is one of the key concepts of corporate governance. It can be seen that the board of directors are expected and obligated to make sure that the disclosure of material evidences are made in a timely and accurate way. The distortion and overstatement of assets by billions of dollars does not reflect the observance of this quality. Therefore, one can see that transparency was not at all present in the reporting standard and the financial statement of the company. The next concept that needs to be highlighted is accountability. The board of directors is accountable to the owners. Therefore, it needs to be seen that the controversy created by the board of directors is under the governance of the shareholders since they are directly accountable to shareholders (Bhadur. and Selarka 2016). The next concept that needs to be highlighted is the responsibility concept. This concept reflects on the fact that board of directors should ensure that the company works within the legal framework and legal aspects. However, on reviewing the case of Noble Group, we get to see that the company contravened accounting standards and guidelines and other legal rules during the scandal it created. The Iceberg research depicted the failure of the company to observe the accountability and responsibility principle and concept of corporate governance. It can be viewed that the Noble Group comprises of many stakeholders in the form of shareholders, bondholders, supplier and banks who had a lot of stake in the company. A lot of investment and money were tied up with the company. Therefore, they had a lot of questions to ask the company and they were in their rights to ask and the company was obliged to answer. Questions on the profitability of the company, cash receipt, fairness of the values of the assets and liabilities in the balance and so on were raised, which the company refused to answer during the period of controversy. One of the critical issues that were seen in the controversy created by Noble Group is the lack of fair disclosure of the annual report. The reports of Noble Group depict severe distortion and manipulation of the financial and the annual reports of the company. The reports represent and untrue representation of the companys state of affairs and operations. The company presented a positive cash flow but did not provide adequate disclosures, which could highlight the fair disclosures of the companys records. The positive cash flow statement did not provide information about the short hedges contribution to the cash generation despite the fall in prices of the commodities. This was an alarming sign when it came to disclosure policies and statements (Bonnerjee and Ghosh 2014). From the Iceberg report it was very evident that the company was heavily indulging in manipulation of accounting standards and exploiting accounting loopholes. This was one of the major loopholes that the company committed, which gave rise to the controversy. Yancoal is an Australian coal mine company. Noble Group listed the Yancoal as the associate of the company. The company depicted a carrying value of $678 million in its annual report in 2013 and depicted $614 after considering the losses and impairment of the company. The company only held 13% stake in the company (Hall 2015). It however, transpired that the market value of Yancoal was $11 million. This was a gap of almost $603 million between market value and carrying value. This highlighted 55% overstatement of the value of Yancoal, which was relating to the 13 % stake of the company. It was 7 times more than the market cap of Yancoal. This was relating to the 13% stake of the company in Yancoal. It was inferred that a company needed to hold more than 20% and less than 50% stake in a company to be termed as an associate (Salter 2015). Thus, Yancoal would be termed as a long term investment instead of an associate. Noble Group retaliated with a justification that Yancoal was an associate and not a long term investment. There were however no justification of this fact and it was determined that it was a tricky prospect that Noble Group manipulated with in order to distort the accounting standards and principles. The associate of Yancoal was Yanzou. It can be seen that the only reason that the company held Yancoal as an associate in the annual records and statement was to write off the $603m loss. It can be seen that a long term investment needs to record and maintain values as per fair values and the current market values. The accounting standards depict the fact that values of the associates are recorded at carrying value and historical cost and no thrust on market values is given. The current standards o f Accounting Standard Boards and International Financial Reporting Standards have underlined the different standards and accounting principles. The company misused and exploited loopholes in accounting treatments and manipulated with accounting standards and principles (Chen 2014). The company failed to observe appropriate disclosure policies and did not indulge in fair disclosure of annual reports and financial statements. It can be seen that the company recorded a $100m for loss of control of subsidiary. This profit was recorded in the operating income of the company. The non recurring profit of the company was also recorded in the operating income of the company. This fabrication of the information was also recorded because the cash generation and the profitability of the companys income were not conforming to the economic reality and were distorted figures. Therefore, one could see the companys failure to adopt fair accounting practices, the companys failure to adopt disclosure policies and fair disclosure of the financial statements and the inability of the Board Of directors to observe the principles of corporate governance (Chen 2014). The companys policy of creating fictitious associates was visible in the case of PT Atlas as well. The company held 10% share in the company and tagged the company as an associate in the annual reports. Before becoming an associate, PT Atlas was used as a trading against financial asset. Later on, the company became an associate for Noble Group. A profit was registered on re-measurement gain on interest of $25.5 m. This was against the accounting policies and standards and it inflated the annual statements and books of accounts for the company. Noble Group has been constantly indulging in avoiding impairment and manipulating gain with the creation of associates. The company has been criticized on the grounds of corporate governance policies of honesty and integrity. It can be viewed that the companys management has been involved in scandals and controversial episodes relating to the operation of the company. Agri, which became the associate of the company in 2014, was recovered through controversial methods of depreciation cuts etc. Thus, one can see the lack of responsibility and authority of the managers in maintaining honesty and integrity in their duties, which was a sign of lack of corporate governance existing within the company and scrupulous methods followed in the company (Aoki, 2013). The company follows the policy of recognizing the profit from the contracts on the day the contract signed. The auditors opinion explains the scope of how manipulation of the commodities contract price is manipulated and with the lack of disclosure policies observed by the company, the company does not shed enough light on the fair values of the commodities (Tricker 2015). The companys profit surged with a decline in the operating cash flow. On comparing the operating cash flow and the working capital, it can be seen that the company inflated the fair value by $3.8 billion and it signaled towards impairment of the fair value, which was critical to record a fair and true representation of the annual and financial statement of the company. The company failed to adopt appropriate disclosure policies of the company and also failed to implement fair disclosure of the financial statements and annual reports. The inflation of the profits and the valuation of the companys assets and commodities reflect manipulation and exploitation of the accounting standards and techniques. It reflects the manipulation and dishonest means adopted by the board of directors to escalate the profit and reflect an untrue image of the company (Claessens and Yurtoglu 2013). The operational activity was not reflecting the real image and did not depict a true image of the company. The net profit and the operational cash flow were a major report to the stakeholders and thus, the misrepresentation was a major fraudulent activity discharged to stakeholders (Claessens and Yurtoglu 2013). The company adopted the policy of rebuttals and retaliations towards critics and launched a series of rebuttal questions to the critics and decided to sue them. They were incapable to observe the transparency and the accountability principle of corporate governance. The company defended itself on the lines that they did not have much access to commodity prices in the market due to the fact that they were asset light and it led them to develop market to market on the assets and thus, it deprived the company of fair values. However, such defensive statements were rendered to be baseless (Tricker 2015). List of recommendations There should be a strong and independent group of board of directors that can take firm and critical decisions in an honest and correct way to overcome the loopholes and major errors committed by the former board of directors. The board of directors should be such that they can provide appropriate balance and diversity to the company and lend necessary knowledge and skills to the company. The company needs to adopt better disclosure policies and needs strong regulating body in terms of corporate governance to make sure that the company follows all the rules and regulations and the current accounting standards and policies of the International Financial Reporting standards are followed. This will lead the company into adopting appropriate disclosure policies and standards, which will result fair representation of annual and financial reports. The stakeholders management theory is required to be followed, which requires the company to keep the stakeholders satisfied and answer the questions of the stakeholders. The loopholes of accounting treatments and practices need to be followed and implemented. The fair value through market value and current value of the commodities and assets need to be followed. This will enhance the fairness of the annual report and will therefore, lead to fair and true representation. The non executive directors should handle challenges and assist in providing proposals to strategies. The performance of the management needs to be reviewed and assessed from time to time to audit the management activities. The annual remuneration report should depict the employee share scheme so that shareholders can assess the cost and benefit to the company. The transparency policy needs to be followed, which makes it obligatory of the company to discuss every information including the name of employees who family members of directors and CEO. Conclusion The report depicts the massive scandal and controversy created by the company. Nobel Group. The scandal depicts the indifferent schemes and manipulative tactics adopted by the company to overstate the assets. The report depicts the measures adopted by the company in escalating asset prices of associates. The report depicts the exploitation of accounting standards adopted by the company and also depicts the lack of honesty and integrity of the management. The companys failure to adopt appropriate and correct disclosure methods is another important feature in this report. Reference List Amini, S., Lei, L. and Toms, S., 2016. Accessing Capital Markets: Aristocrats and New Share Issues in the Cycle and Pneumatic Tyre Industries, 1892-1898.Available at SSRN 2769908. Aoki, M., 2013. Controlling insider control: issues of corporate governance in transition economies.Chapters. Bhaduri, S.N. and Selarka, E., 2016. Corporate Governance and Corporate Social ResponsibilityIntroduction. InCorporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility of Indian Companies(pp. 1-10). Springer Singapore. Bhaduri, S.N. and Selarka, E., 2016. Corporate Governance: An Overview. InCorporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility of Indian Companies(pp. 61-72). Springer Singapore. Bonnerjee, A. and Ghosh, S., 2014. Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Protection.Development Advocate, Year,2. Chen, C., 2016. Solving the Puzzle of Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises: The Path of the Temasek Model in Singapore and Lessons for China.Nw. J. Int'l L. Bus.,36, p.303. Chen, C.C., 2014. Corporate governance of state-owned enterprises: an empirical survey of the model of Temasek Holdings in Singapore.Singapore Management University School of Law Research Paper, (6), pp.1-29. Claessens, S. and Yurtoglu, B.B., 2013. Corporate governance in emerging markets: A survey.Emerging markets review,15, pp.1-33. Lecomte, P. and Ooi, J.T., 2013. Corporate governance and performance of externally managed Singapore REITs.The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics,46(4), pp.664-684. Lopez, E.V. and Medina, A., 2015. Influence of ethical behaviors in corporate governance.International Journal of Managing Projects in Business,8(3), pp.586-611. McCahery, J.A., Sautner, Z. and Starks, L.T., 2015. Behind the scenes: The corporate governance preferences of institutional investors.Journal of Finance, forthcoming. McCahery, J.A., Sautner, Z. and Starks, L.T., 2015. Behind the scenes: The corporate governance preferences of institutional investors.Journal of Finance, forthcoming. Salter, A.W., 2015. Hall (2015), Calculating Bandits: Quasi-Corporate Governance and Institutional Selection in Autocracies.New Thinking in Austrian Political Economy (Advances in Austrian Economics, Volume 19) Emerald Group Publishing Limited,19, pp.193-213. Saxena, N. and Pramod, S., 2014. Corporate Social Responsibility, Governance-Frauds-Ethics Sustainability.Governance-Frauds-Ethics Sustainability (February 12, 2014). Tricker, R.B., 2015.Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. OUP Oxford. Tricker, R.B., 2015.Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. OUP Oxford. Trong Tuan, L., 2014. Corporate governance and brand performance.Management Research Review,37(1), pp.45-68. Tsui-Auch, L.S., 2012. Converging Divergence in Corporate Governance in Singapore. InThe Convergence of Corporate Governance(pp. 169-186). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Wintoki, M.B., Linck, J.S. and Netter, J.M., 2012. Endogeneity and the dynamics of internal corporate governance.Journal of Financial Economics,105(3), pp.581-606.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Anthropology 101 Research Paper Essay Example

Anthropology 101 Research Paper Essay Example Anthropology 101 Research Paper Essay Anthropology 101 Research Paper Essay Komron Sabbagh Prof. Rowe Anthropology 101 March 25, 2013 Elderly Human â€Å"Y† Chromosome The unearthing and examination of a tremendously infrequent African American â€Å"Y† chromosome goes back in time with regards to the most recent common ancestor for the â€Å"Y† chromosome ancestry to 338,000 years ago. This period exists even older than the age of the most eldest known structurally contemporary human fossils. University of Arizona geneticists have revealed the most ancient known hereditary subdivision of the human â€Å"Y† chromosome the genetic factor which determines the male sex. The new differing pedigree, which was discovered in a male human being who presented his DNA to â€Å"Family Tree DNA†, a company which concentrates on DNA investigation to locate family roots, separated from the â€Å"Y† chromosome tree before the very first presence of physically current individuals in the record of fossils. These effects are printed in the American Journal of Human Genetics. Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology stated that, Our analysis indicates this lineage diverged from previously known Y chromosomes about 338,000 ago, a time when anatomically modern humans had not yet evolved. This pushes back the time the last common Y chromosome ancestor lived by almost 70 percent. Dissimilar to the added human chromosomes, the common â€Å"Y† chromosome doesn’t barter heritable information with other chromosomes; this makes it a lot more straightforward and scientists can truly discover familial associations amid modern ancestries. If two â€Å"Y† chromosomes transmit an identical mutation, it is most likely since they divide a communal forefather at some particular period in the precedent. The further mutations which differ amongst two Y chromosomes, the farther back in history the mutual antecedent existed. Initially, a DNA sample acquired from an African American existing in South Carolina was succumbed to the National Geographic Genographic Project. When none of the hereditary indicators used to dispense ancestries to identified â€Å"Y† chromosome consortiums were found, the DNA sample was guided to â€Å"Family Tree DNA† for organizing. Fernando Mendez, who is a postdoctoral scholar in Hammers laboratory, controlled the attempt to investigate the DNA sequence, which comprised of over 240,000 base pairs of the Y chromosome. Hammer claimed that the most striking feature of this research is that a consumer genetic testing company identified a lineage that didnt fit anywhere on the existing Y chromosome tree, even though the tree had been constructed based on perhaps a half-million individuals or more. Nobody expected to find anything like this. At around 300,000 years ago; this was the period of time in which the Neanderthals are thought to have fragmented from the familial human descent. It was not until more than 100,000 years in the future that functionally recent humans seem to be in the fossil record. They vary from the more antiquated forms by a more frivolously constructed skeleton; this includes a lesser face pushed underneath a tall forehead, the lack of a cranial ridge and slighter chins. Hammer stated that t he recently exposed â€Å"Y† chromosome dissimilarity is tremendously occasional. Through the use of great databank explorations, his group ultimately was capable of discovering a comparable chromosome in the Mbo, which is a populace living in a petite region of western Cameroon in the sub-Saharan part of Africa. This was surprising because previously the most diverged branches of the Y chromosome were found in traditional hunter-gatherer populations such as Pygmies and the click-speaking KhoeSan, who are considered to be the most diverged human populations living today. Instead, the sample matched the Y chromosome DNA of 11 men, who all came from a very small region of western Cameroon, Hammer explains. And the sequences of those individuals are variable, so its not like they all descended from the same grandfather. Hammer restraints against prevalent notions of mitochondrial Eve or Y chromosome Adam which propose that all of humanity was derived from precisely one couple of individuals that lived at a particular point in human biological evolution. There has been too much emphasis on this in the past, Hammer says. It is a misconception that the genealogy of a single genetic region reflects population divergence. Instead, our results suggest that there are pockets of genetically isolated communities that together preserve a great deal of human diversity. Nevertheless, Hammer explains that, It is likely that other divergent lineages will be found, whether in Africa or among African-Americans in the U. S. and that some of these may further increase the age of the Y chromosome ree. He further clarifies: There has been a lot of hype with people trying to trace their Y chromosome to different tribes, but this individual from South Carolina can say he did it. The investigation originated by the mutual labors of a private business, the â€Å"Family Tree DNA,† the struggles of a resident scientist, Bonnie Schrack, and the research proficiencies at the UA. Human Y Chromosome Much Older Than Previously Thought. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 04 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Biography of Ninoy Aquino, Filipino Opposition Leader

Biography of Ninoy Aquino, Filipino Opposition Leader Benigno Simeon  Ninoy  Aquino Jr. (November 27, 1932–August 21, 1983) was a Filipino political leader who led the opposition against Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator of the Philippines. For his activities, Aquino was imprisoned for seven years. He was assassinated in 1983 after returning from a period of exile in the United States. Fast Facts: Ninoy Aquino Known For: Aquino led the Filipino opposition party during the reign of Ferdinand Marcos.Also Known As: Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr.Born: November 27, 1932 in Concepcion, Tarlac,  Philippine IslandsParents: Benigno Aquino Sr.  and Aurora Lampa AquinoDied: August 21, 1983 in Manila, PhilippinesSpouse: Corazon Cojuangco (m. 1954–1983)Children: 5 Early Life Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr., nicknamed Ninoy, was born into a wealthy landowning family in Conception, Tarlac, Philippines, on November 27, 1932. His grandfather Servillano Aquino y Aguilar had been a general in the anti-colonial Philippine Revolution. Ninoys father Benigno Aquino Sr. was a longtime Filipino politician. Ninoy attended several excellent private schools in the Philippines as he was growing up. However, his teen years were full of turmoil. Ninoys father was jailed as a collaborator when the boy was only 12  and died three years later, just after Ninoys 15th birthday. A somewhat indifferent student, Ninoy decided to go to Korea to report on the Korean War at the age of 17 rather than going to university. He reported on the war for the Manila Times, earning the Philippine Legion of Honor for his work. In 1954 when he was 21, Ninoy Aquino began studying law at the University of the Philippines. There, he belonged to the same branch of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity as his future political opponent Ferdinand Marcos. Political Career The same year he started law school, Aquino married Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco, a fellow law student from a major Chinese/Filipino banking family. The couple first met at a birthday party when they were both 9 years old  and became reacquainted after Corazon returned to the Philippines following her university studies in the United States. A year after they married, in 1955, Aquino was elected mayor of his hometown of Concepcion, Tarlac. He was only 22 years old. Aquino went on to rack up a string of records for being elected at a young age: he was elected vice-governor of the province at 27, governor at 29, and secretary-general of the Philippines Liberal Party at 33. Finally, at 34, he became the nations youngest senator. From his place in the Senate, Aquino blasted his former fraternity brother, President Ferdinand Marcos, for setting up a militarized government and for corruption and extravagance. Aquino also took on First Lady Imelda Marcos, dubbing her the Philippines Eva Peron, although as students the two had briefly dated. Opposition Leader Charming and always ready with a good soundbite, Senator Aquino settled into his role as the primary gadfly of the Marcos regime. He consistently blasted Marcos  financial policies and his spending on personal projects and enormous military outlays. On August 21, 1971, Aquinos Liberal Party staged its political campaign kickoff rally. Aquino himself was not in attendance. Shortly after the candidates took the stage, two huge explosions rocked the rally- the work of fragmentation grenades hurled into the crowd by unknown assailants. The grenades killed eight people and injured about 120 more. Aquino accused Marcoss Nacionalista Party of being behind the attack. Marcos countered by blaming communists and arresting a number of known Maoists. Martial Law and Imprisonment On September 21, 1972, Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines. Among the people swept up and jailed on fabricated charges was Ninoy Aquino. He faced charges of murder, subversion, and weapons possession, and was tried in a military kangaroo court. On April 4, 1975, Aquino went on a hunger strike to protest the military tribunal system. Even as his physical condition deteriorated, his trial continued. The slight Aquino refused all nourishment but salt tablets and water for 40 days  and dropped from 120 to 80 pounds. Aquinos friends and family convinced him to begin eating again after 40 days. His trial dragged on, however, and did not conclude until November 25, 1977. On that day, the military commission found him guilty on all counts. Aquino was to be executed by firing squad. Peoples Power From prison, Aquino played a major organizational role in the 1978 parliamentary elections. He founded a new political party, known as the Peoples Power or Lakas ng Bayan party (LABAN for short). Although the LABAN party enjoyed huge public support, every one of its candidates lost in the thoroughly rigged election. Nonetheless, the election proved that Aquino could act as a powerful political catalyst even from a cell in solitary confinement. Feisty and unbowed, despite the death sentence hanging over his head, he was a serious threat to the Marcos regime. Heart Problems and Exile Sometime in March 1980, in an echo of his own fathers experience, Aquino suffered a heart attack in his prison cell. A second heart attack at the Philippine Heart Center showed that he had a blocked artery, but Aquino refused to allow surgeons in the Philippines to operate on him for fear of foul play by Marcos. Imelda Marcos made a surprise visit to Aquinos hospital room on May 8, 1980, offering him a medical furlough to the United States for surgery. She had two stipulations, however: Aquino had to promise to return to the Philippines and he had to swear not to denounce the Marcos regime while he was in the United States. That same night, Aquino and his family got on a plane bound for Dallas, Texas. The Aquino family decided not to return to the Philippines right after Aquinos recovery from surgery. They moved instead to Newton, Massachusetts, not far from Boston. There, Aquino accepted fellowships from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which allowed him the opportunity to give a series of lectures and write two books. Despite his earlier pledge to Imelda, Aquino was highly critical of the Marcos regime during his stay in America. Death In 1983, Ferdinand Marcoss health began to deteriorate, and with it his iron grip on the Philippines. Aquino worried that if he died, the country would descend into chaos and an even more extreme government might emerge. Aquino decided to take the risk of returning to the Philippines, fully aware that he might well be reimprisoned or even killed. The Marcos regime tried to prevent his return by revoking his passport, denying him a visa, and warning international airlines that they would not be allowed landing clearance if they tried to bring Aquino into the country. On August 13, 1983, Aquino began a meandering, week-long flight that took him from Boston to Los Angeles and through Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Because Marcos had cut off diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the government there was under no obligation to cooperate with his regimes goal of keeping Aquino away from Manila. As China Airlines Flight 811 descended into Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983, Aquino warned the foreign journalists traveling with him to have their cameras ready. In a matter of three or four minutes it could all be over, he noted with chilling prescience. Minutes after the plane touched down, he was dead- killed by an assassins bullet. Legacy After a 12-hour funeral procession, in which an estimated two million people took part, Aquino was buried in the Manila Memorial Park. The leader of the Liberal Party famously eulogized Aquino as the greatest president we never had. Many commentators compared him to the executed anti-Spanish revolutionary leader Jose Rizal. Inspired by the outpouring of support she received after Aquinos death, the formerly shy Corazon Aquino became a leader of the anti-Marcos movement. In 1985, Ferdinand Marcos called for a snap presidential election in a ploy to reinforce his power. Aquino ran against him, and Marcos was proclaimed the winner in a clearly falsified result. Mrs. Aquino called for massive demonstrations, and millions of Filipinos rallied to her side. In what became known as the People Power Revolution, Ferdinand Marcos was forced into exile. On February 25, 1986, Corazon Aquino became the 11th President of the Philippine Republic and its first female president. Ninoy Aquinos legacy did not end with his wifes six-year presidency, which saw democratic principles reintroduced into the nation. In June 2010, his son Benigno Simeon Aquino III, known as Noy-noy, became president of the Philippines. Sources MacLean, John. â€Å"Philippines Recalls Aquino Killing.† BBC News, BBC, 20 Aug. 2003.Nelson, Anne. In the Grotto of the Pink Sisters: Cory Aquinos Test of Faith, Mother Jones Magazine, Jan. 1988.Reid, Robert H., and Eileen Guerrero. Corazon Aquino and the Brushfire Revolution. Louisiana State University Press, 1995.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Middle East Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Middle East Politics - Essay Example The author starts with a personal interview of Osama Bin Laden when he was constructing a road in Sudan. He contrasts this with his second interview with Bin Laden in Afghanistan when Sheikh Osama declares war on America and the Royal Family of the Saudi Arabia. The book, though a non-fiction, presents the entire sequence of the history with such aplomb that goes very well like a novel. The interest of the reader is held to the author's attention and slowly but steadily ensures that the points he raises sinks into the minds of the readers. One of the typical issue that is being raised by the author is about the US aggressive nature and its allies trying to make out the best commercial benefit from the situation in the middle east rather than sort it out and restore normalcy. In addition to the situation this created, the author tries to explain the steps taken by the US government to enhance the level of confrontation in every area in the Middle East. In order to go with his theory, the author takes us through a short interlude on how the Bin Laden regime in Afghanistan originally supported and cultivated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, turned against them slowly and steadily after the Iraqi war. The literary reviews that the author invokes during the course of the book are quite comprehensive and relevant. He refers to the Holocaust in Armenia and a number of other events which did not happen during the 30 years that the author is covering in the Middle East history. His comfortable knowledge of the various writings on the subject and on the historical happenings prior to the modern history of the Middle East has defined the way the book has flown. All along the book the author maintains his critical approach of the western politics and the steps taken by various governments of the west in increasing the instability of the region. The problems of today are more or less their own making by ignoring the earlier warnings on the horizon. 3. Methodology The author has taken up a macro research on the political scene in the Middle East. He has successfully built a case to augment his originally theory, that of unwanted US interference in the Middle Eastern politics resulting in loss of face due to an erroneous statement in the parliament for Blair and Bush duo. Similarly, the resultant political scene after the Iraqi war and other reprehensible moves in the Middle East, the author says, that the amount of gains that the US and its allies got was slowly lost and the entire victory is now tending towards a loss for the US and allies. This has been further strengthened by the bad move of the Israeli attack on Lebanon. The author leads us to this story and tries to solidify the cause and effect of such an approach, including the people behind it and how this would benefit the American People, if at all it does and how this might help the men in the deserts of the Middle East. The book has a hypothesis which the author does not say in so many words. But the hypothesis is underlying in the entire

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Wal-Mart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example For small businesses operating locally the entrance of Wal-Mart would have a series of disadvantages: at a first level, Wal-Mart could provide to consumers products that would not be available through local stores (Hill & Jones 2007). In fact, in Wal-Mart consumers would have the chance to choose among a high range of products; as a result, consumers would prefer to visit Wal-Mart, instead of local stores, for their shopping. Moreover, Wal-Mart, as a megastore, is able to keep the price of its products low (Hill & Jones 2007). The owners of local stores are often unable to decrease the price of their products/ services due to the fact that their sales are at a relatively low level, at least compared to the sales of megastores (Hill & Jones 2007). Wal-Mart has been already accused as leading many owners of small businesses to stop business activities, a fact that is related to the non-potential of these individuals to lower the price of their products (Kotler & Armstrong 2009, p.410). In other words, local businesses would be forced to close in the case of the entrance of Wal-Mart in their market; such decision would be unavoidable mostly due to the following two reasons: local stores would not be able to provide to consumers the high range of products available at Wal-Mart. Also, local stores could not offer their products at the price that Wal-Mart does. The advanced technology available at Wal-Mart could also lead to customer service of high quality, at least compared to local stores (Armstrong et al. 2009, p.380). A problem of unfair competition would possible appear in the above case. At this point, reference should made to the study of Guy (2007) where the following issue is highlighted: before allowing the establishment of a megastore in their town, the authorities of a small town would primarily check whether the structure/ design of their town allows such plan

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Molecular Mechanisms of Sepsis

Molecular Mechanisms of Sepsis Title: Protein-protein interaction network and functional module analysis to reveal the mechanism of sepsis in polytrauma patients Highlights: We explored the molecular basis of sepsis induced by polytrauma using PPI network. A total of 342 DEGs including 110 up- and 232 down-regulated genes were obtained. TRAF3 was related with the innate immune responses in sepsis. ITGB3 was the key gene involved in coagulation dysregulation in sepsis. CASP6 and RASA1 played key roles in the cell apoptosis mechanism of sepsis. Abstract Objective Sepsis represents the systemic inflammatory response to microbial infection. The pathogenesis of sepsis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of sepsis inpolytrauma patients. Methods The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the polytrauma patients with and without sepsis were identified by analyzing the GSE12624 microarray data using the limma package of R. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was extracted from the human PPI datasets by using MATLAB. The functional modules in the PPI network were identified by the MCODE network clustering algorithm. The KEGG pathway analysis was performed in each module. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using phylogeny inference package (PHYLIP). Result Total of 342 DEGs including 110 up- and 232 down-regulated genes were obtained. The PPI network identified several hub genes which had more interactions with others, such as TRAF3, ITGB3, CASP6 and RASA1. Further phylogenetic analysis indicated the high conservation of these hub genes. In the module analysis, four significant modules were identified. All the genes (COL1A2, FN1, ITGA2B, ITGB3 and CD36) in module 2 were enriched in extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction pathway. In module 4, CASP6 and CASP3 were enriched in apoptosis pathway. Conclusion We predicted genes such as TRAF3, ITGB3, CASP6 and RASA1 which were closely associated with sepsis induced by polytrauma. Among them, ITGB3 may play key role in the coagulation dysregulation of polytrauma patients with sepsis, and CASP6 and RASA1 may be the key genes in the cell apoptosis mechanism of sepsis. Keywords Sepsis, DEGs, GO, PPI network, phylogenetic tree Introduction Polytrauma is a syndrome of multiple injuries exceeding a defined severity with sequential systemic reactions that can lead to dysfunction or failure of remote organs and vital systems, which have not themselves been directly injured [1]. Sepsis, as one of the complications of polytrauma [2], is the systemic inflammatory response to microbial infection that often leads to increasing susceptibility to secondary infections, multiorgan failure, and death [3]. A sixteen years clinical study indicated that 10.2% of polytrauma patients infected sepsis during their hospital course [4]. Polytrauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in global and sepsis (3.1-17%) is one of the predominant causes of late death in polytrauma patients [5]. The disease severity is increasing according to the order of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) [6]. Mortality has been reported to be as high as 45.6% for patients with severe sepsis or septic shock [7]. Based on the pathogenesis of sepsis, many therapies have been applied in the clinical practice such as antimicrobial therapy [8, 9] and hemodynamic support and adjunctive therapy [10, 11]. Currently, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) has attempted to increase the awareness and establish the practice guidelines to improve the recognition and treatment for the patients with sepsis [12, 13]. At present, there are four approved mechanisms in the pathogenesis of sepsis [14]. The first one is dysregulated coagulation. Sepsis patients frequently manifest disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) with consumption of platelets and prolongation of clotting times [15]. The second one is inflammatory response. The inflammatory response is an important and central component of sepsis because the elements of response drive the physiological alterations that manifest as the SIRS [16]. Third, many cellular aspects become dysfunctional in sepsis which behave either excessive activation or depressed function [17]. The last one is metabolic alterations. It was reported that endogenous glucose production was markedly increased in the patients [18]. However, the specific molecular mechanisms of them remain entirely unclear. In this study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the polytrauma patients with sepsis and without sepsis were identified. Gene ontology (GO) analysis , protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and phylogenetic tree construction were performed to explore the molecular basis of sepsis induced by polytrauma. Materials and methods Microarray data The gene expression profile of GSE12624 based on the CodeLink UniSet Human I Bioarray platform (GE Healthcare/Amersham Biosciences) was downloaded from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/). The dataset available in this analysis contained 70 samples including 34 polytrauma patients with sepsis and 36 polytrauma patients without sepsis. Data preprocessing and DEGs screening For the microarray data, Robust Multichip Average (RMA) in the Affy package of R was used to compute normalized expression measures from the raw expression values. Probe annotation was obtained by using the Bioconductor package. The limma package was used to identify the DEGs with p-value 1 [19]. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs GO analysis was performed using the DAVID online tool (http://david.abcc.ncifcrf.gov/) [20]. For GO enrichment of DEGs, we selected GOTERM_BP_FAT, GOTERM_CC_FAT and GOTERM_MF_FAT as the gene set categories. A p-value of less than 0.05 was set as the cut-off criterion. PPI network construction The human PPI datasets with 108477 interacting protein pairs were downloaded from PINA2 (http://cbg.garvan.unsw.edu.au/pina/interactome.stat.do) at December 26, 2013. The PPI networks of the DEGs in sepsis were extracted from the human PPI datasets by usingMATLAB [21]. The proteins in the network served as nodes and the degree of a node corresponded to the number of interactions with other proteins [22]. The protein with high degree was considered as the hub node. Identification of functional modules in PPI network PPI network visualization and network parameters evaluation were performed by using Cytoscape software. The modules were identified by the MCODE (a cytoscape plug-in) network clustering algorithm with the default parameters [23]. The module with score larger than 2 was considered as significant. KEGG pathway analysis of each module was performed by applying the DAVID annotation tool. Phylogenetic tree construction In this study, we constructed the phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide sequences to investigate the sequence conservation of the DEGs whosedegree were large than 30. The BLAST program is used to search for homologous sequences of these DEGs. The DNA sequence of these DEGs and their homologous genes in FASTA format were obtained from the nucleic acid database in NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore). The phylogenetic tree was constructed by using phylogeny inference package (PHYLIP) with the default parameters [24]. The gene conservation was estimated by the distance from gene to the phylogenetic tree root. Result DEGs between the patients with and without sepsis After statistical analysis of the microarray data, a total of 342 DEGs were screened out. Among them, 110 were down-regulated and 232 were up-regulated in sepsis. The top 20 significantly up- and down-regulated DEGs are shown in Table 1. GO enrichment analysis The 342 DEGs were significantly enriched into 95GOterms including 81 biological processes terms, 10 cellular component terms and 4 molecular function terms. The top 10 GO biological processes termswere mainly related to the purine base (purine base biosynthetic process, purine base metabolic process, purine nucleoside monophosphate biosynthetic process and purine ribonucleoside monophosphate biosynthetic process), nucleobase (nucleobase metabolic process and nucleobase biosynthetic process) and regulation of protein modification (regulation of protein modification process and positive regulation of protein modification process). The 10 significantly enriched GO terms of cellular component included four lumen related terms (organelle lumen, membrane-enclosed lumen, intracellular organelle lumen and nuclear lumen), two membrane related terms (extrinsic to membrane and plasma membrane part) and four other cellular component terms (peroxisome, microbody, nuclear body and Golgi apparatus) . For molecular function, four significant GO terms were enriched finally. They were acyl-CoA binding, sons of mothers against decapentaplegic homologue (SMAD) binding, aryl hydrocarbon receptor binding and potassium channel inhibitor activity (Table 2). PPI network of DEGs A PPI network consisting of 225 DEGs and 1048 non-DEGs is shown in Fig. 1. This network included 1145 gene nodes and 1273 interactions. The connectivity degree of each node in this PPI network was calculated and the results of top 20 nodes are listed in Table 3. Among them, the genes CRK (encoding CDC2 related protein kina), RASA1 (encoding RAS p21 protein activator 1), TRAF3 (encoding tumour-necrosis-factor receptor associated factor 3), ZHX1 (encode zinc-fingers and homeoboxes), ITGB3 (encoding integrin ÃŽ ²3), RPA1 (encoding replication protein A1), JAK3 (encoding Janus kinases 3), and CASP6 (encoding caspase-6) with the degree over 30 were selected as the hub genes. Module analysis of PPI network A total of 7 modules were constructed by using MCODE plug-in. After excluding the modules with the score less than 2, 4 significant modules were considered as functional ones associated with sepsis (Table 4). According to the Fig. 2, the numbers of nodes and edges were similar in each model. The detailed results of KEGG pathway analysis for each module are provided in Table 5. For module 1, no pathway was enriched in the KEGG pathway analysis. For module 2, a total of 14 significant enriched pathways were identified. Among them, all the genes in this module were enriched in the pathway of extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction. In addition, except CD36 (encoding glycoprotein IV), the other four genes (ITGB3 and ITGA2B encoding integrin ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3, COL1A2 encoding the ÃŽ ± 2 chain of type 1 collagen and FN1 encoding fibrinogen 1) were enriched in the focal adhesion and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway. There were three significant enriched pathways in module 3. HIF1A (encoding hypoxia inducible factor-1), ARNT (encoding arylhydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator) and ARNT2 (encoding arylhydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator 2) were enriched in the pathway of renal cell carcinoma and pathways in cancer. HIF1A and ARNT were enriched in the pathway of Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling. For the module 4, five significant pathways were found. Among them, CASP3 (encoding caspase 3) and BIRC5 (encoding baculoviral IAP repeat–containing 5 and also called survivin) were enriched in the pathway of colorectal cancer, hepatitis B and pathways in cancer. CASP6 and CASP3 were enriched in apoptosis pathway. CASP3 and RASA1 were enriched in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway (Table 5). Phylogenetic tree analysis Based on the result of PPI network analysis, the selected hub genes were chosen to construct the phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree of ZHX1 was unable to be constructed, as only three homologous sequences were searched out. The phylogenetic trees of the other seven hub genes were constructed by the DEGs and their top nine significant homologous genes. The results showed that CRK, RASA1, TRAF3, ITGB3, RPA1 and CASP6 were the genes that were closer to tree roots indicating that the conservation of these genes was high during evolution. However, the conservation of JAK3 was low because of appearing in the late period of evolution (Fig. 3). Discussion Currently, sepsis remains a serious clinical problem. The four approved mechanisms of sepsis were dysregulated coagulation, inflammatory response, and cellular dysfunctional and metabolic alterations. However, the specific molecular mechanisms are still incompletely understood. For better understanding the pathogenesis, we identified and analyzed the DEGs between the patients with and without sepsis. As a result, a total of 342 DEGs including 110 up-regulated genes and 232 down-regulated genes were found. These genes were significantly enriched in GO terms including purine base biosynthetic process, regulation of protein modification process and peroxisome. Among them, the process of purine base biosynthesis is the most significantly enriched process. It was reported that de novo purine biosynthesis was essential for infectivity, growth and virulence of many bacteria in mammals [25]. The pathogenesis of sepsis was related with the bacterial infection [26]. Therefore, the purine base biosynthesis process may associate with sepsis based on the tissue response to bacterial infection. For the regulation of protein modification, Wu et al. reported that the alterations in the phosphorylation of myofibrillar proteins and the Ca2+ sensitivity of myofibrillar ATPase might contribute to alter cardiac function during the progression of sepsis [27]. The cardiac dysfunction was the clinical characteristic in severe sepsis and septic shock [28]. Thus, the phosphorylation of myofibrillar proteins may be related with the sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, we mapped the DEGs to the PPI network and identified high conserved hub genes. Among them, the high conservation of CRK, RASA1, TRAF3, ITGB3, RPA1 and CASP6 were proved by the phylogenetic tree analysis. They may be the crucial genes in the pathogenesis of sepsis. For TRAF3, it is a member of the TNF receptor (TNFR) associated factor (TRAF) protein family [29]. This protein participates in the activation of the innate immune response [30]. In the PPI network, TBK1 (encoding TANK-binding kinase 1) was a non-DEG interacted with TRAF3. It was reported that TIR domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-ÃŽ ² (TRIF) could interact with noncanonical IKKs (IKKà Ã‚ µ and TBK-1) and IKKÃŽ ¹ (also called IKKà Ã‚ µ) through TRAF3 in the Toll-like receptors (TLR) signaling pathway [31]. The innate immune system constitutes the first line of defense by rapidly detecting invading pathogens through the TLR [32] and is a danger signal in systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsi s [33]. Thus, TRAF3 may be the mediator of innate immune responses in sepsis induced by polytrauma. We also performed the modular analysis of the PPI network and four functional modules were identified. Based on the result of the KEGG pathway analysis of each module, we found that the pathways in module 2 and 4 were more related with sepsis. The ECM-receptor interaction pathway was the most significant pathway in module 2 and all the genes of this module were enriched in this pathway. Fibronectin and collagen are the components of ECM [34]. Integrin family are the receptors transducing signals from the ECM [35]. Among them, integrin ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3 is the platelet integrin promoting theaggregation of platelets [36-38]. Moreover, it was reported that collagen type I could induce the aggregation of platelet [39]. Integrin ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3 is one of the platelet collagen receptors in platelets [40]. It was reported that platelet-specific elements initiated at the cytoplasmic domains of integrin ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3, which was a signal that leaded to conformational changes within the extracellular do mains of integrin and expression of the fibrinogen receptor, then the simultaneous occupancy on adjacent platelets of receptors with dimeric fibrinogen molecules leaded to platelet aggregation [41]. In addition, CD36 is spatially associated with the ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3 integrin on the surface of platelets [42]. Thus, we speculated that the binding of collagen type I and ÃŽ ±IIbÃŽ ²3 might need the participation of CD36, and then conformational changes within the extracellular domains of integrin and the binding between fibrinogen and fibrinogen receptor could lead to platelet aggregation. Disseminated platelet aggregation is one of the characteristics of the DIC in sepsis [43, 44]. The up-regulated expression of ITGB3 in sepsis may lead to the disseminated platelet aggregation. Hence, we concluded that the coagulation dysregulation in the polytrauma patients with sepsis may be associated with the increase of disseminated platelet aggregation caused by the up-regulated expression of ITGB3. Thus, ITGB3 may play key roles in the coagulation dysregulation of the polytrauma patients with sepsis. Hub nodes CASP6 and RASA1 were predicted to be closely interacted with each other in module 4. Besides, CASP3, TOP1, BIRC5 and AURKB (Aurora B kinase) were also included in module 4. Among them, CASP6 and CASP3 were enriched in apoptosis pathway. It was reported that CASP6 may be associated with the cell apoptosis in sepsis [45] and blocking caspases might have some beneficial effects in decreasing cell apoptosis in sepsis [46]. Thus, we further confirmed that the up-regulated expression of CASP6 may promote cell apoptosis in sepsis. Besides, TOP1 is cleaved late during cell apoptosis by CASP6 and CASP3 [47]. The TOP1 cleavage complexes contribute to cell apoptosis [48]. Therefore, the increase of these complexes induced by the up-regulated CASP6 can promote the cell apoptosis in sepsis. Moreover, full-length TOP1 could induce DNA cleavage by single-strand breaks which is the signal of cell apoptosis [49, 50]. Therefore, the exaggerated gene expression of TOP1 in our study might cont ribute to cell apoptosis in sepsis. In addition, it was reported that CASP3 could modulate a given set of proteins to generate, depending on the intensity of the input signals, opposite outcomes (survival vs death) through differential processing of RASA1 [51]. Some articles reported that low CASP3 activity leaded to the cleavage of the RASA1 protein into an amino-terminal fragment [52, 53]. RASA1 bound BIRC5 is a bifunctional protein complex that can suppress cell apoptosis and regulated cell division, so as to generate anti-apoptotic signals [54]. AURKB exists in a complex with BIRC5 [55]. Considering the up-regulated expression of RASA1 and AURKB, we speculated that there may be a switch mechanism of CASP3-RASA1 in cell apoptosis and BIRC5 and AURKB might play roles in the anti-apoptosis mechanism of RASA1. In summary, CASP6 and RASA1 are the key genes in the pathogenesis of sepsis induced by polytrauma. Conclusion In this study, we obtained four key genes related with pathogenesis of sepsisinduced by polytrauma. Among them, TRAF3 was related with the innate immune responses in sepsis,ITGB3 may play key role in the coagulation dysregulation of the polytrauma patients with sepsis and CASP6 and RASA1 were associated with the mechanism of cell apoptosisin sepsis. For further investigating the association of these hub nodes with sepsis and verifying the role of the interactions among the genes in the pathogenesis of sepsis, more studies are required in the future.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Rhetorical Techniques in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Essay -- Wright Bl

Rhetorical Techniques in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Richard Wright uses language in his novel, Black Boy, as a source to convey his opinions and ideas. His novel both challenges and defends the claim that language can represent a person and become a peephole into their life and surroundings. Richard Wright uses several rhetorical techniques to convey his own ideas about the uses of language. First, Wright’s language and writing style in Black Boy challenge Baldwin’s ideas. For example, pages 18-19 are purely figures pf speech that convey the writer as being far different than Wright. â€Å"There was the languor I felt when I heard green leaves rustling with a rain like sound.† This quote was just one of the sensory enticing statements Wright used to show his delicate way of writing; a way of writing that would not typically belong a lower class black male in the 1940’s. In addition, the organization of the passage was unique in the sense of how each statement was separate, in order to make each important and each a work of art. Assuming Baldwin having read this passage, he would ...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Impact of christianity Essay

Christian dogmas have always been intertwined with philosophy regardless of the fact that most of the time both philosophers and theologians had polar opinions associated with religion and philosophy respectively. The first mentioning of philosophy in the Bible was encountered in the New Testament: See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8) Nevertheless, one of the earliest Christian representatives Tertullian always disagreed with the combination of ordinary temporal philosophical views and spiritual exalted religious dogmas. To the contrary, another religious thinker St. Augustine of Hippo defended the idea of inter-complementation of abstract science and Christian faith only in case of their mutual compatibility. St. Thomas Aquinas made great contribution to the Christianity’s impact on philosophy, as he was the first to distinguish these two important sectors of human perception of surrounding environment. He claimed that o Owing to philosophy information is being received through basic sensory functions: smell, touch, vision, hearing, and taste. Also, it is possible to prove and check the data according to laws of physics initially based on philosophy as well. o Owing to Christianity, information is not something to be proved or argued. It is to be accepted axiomatically especially when it is closely connected with God and Divine. After the Middle Ages the double nature of Jesus Christ (divine and human) was put in doubt and required explicit evidence regarding the origin and function of God. Philosophy could not succeed in answering this question, as the notions of humanity and divinity do not logically coincide with each other. Therefore, certain attempts were made with the help of Christianity to resolve the issue of imbalance. Thus, we need to mention three major reasons why philosophy was isolated from Christianity. ? First of all, philosophers from English-speaking world were predominantly atheists and rejected all spiritual and divine aspects of human activity. They required strong logical evidence and proof for subjects of their investigation and discussion ? Secondly, rejecting Christian dogmas philosophers were constantly seeking alternative ways to find proof for their arguments and new methods and evidences hidden in other religions.? Thirdly, philosophers believed that the language of religion and theology is too incoherent, irrational, and inconsistent that the meaning, no matter how important or of current importance it may be, loses its significance. Philosophical issues that have become Christianized include: ? Trinity: it was no clear for many thinkers why God consisted of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the 7th century the Council of Toledo announced: â€Å"we may say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; but they are not three Gods, he is one God†. Similar to how a solar system may consist of numerous cosmic bodies. ? Sacrifice and atonement: philosophers believed that one punishment is enough to give birth to another, which is not always fair. However, Christianity responded by proving that punishment has moral nature and it is not something that exceptionally deals with evil. In conclusion, we may add that Christianity had a great impact on philosophy since early times. References Moore, N. B. , & Bruder, K. (2004). Philosophy: The Power of Ideas. 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Criminal Justice Act 2003 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2892 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Essay any type Level High school Did you like this example? Criminal Justice Act 2003 ‘Parliaments purpose in the legislation, as we divine it from the terms of the Act, was to assist in the evidence based conviction of the guilty, without putting those who are not guilty at risk of conviction by prejudice (R v Hanson [2005] 2 Cr App R 21, Rose LJ at [4]). In light of the above statement, evaluate the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, and the relevant case law under the Act, relating to attack on anothers character. Sections 98 to 113 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA) represent a significant change from the accepted common law approach to the methods by which bad character evidence could be introduced in the course of criminal trial proceedings. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Criminal Justice Act 2003" essay for you Create order Notwithstanding the criticisms directed against the legislation from various quarters, an objective appraisal of the provisions themselves and the judicial interpretations provided since the passage of the CJA confirms that to a large degree, the observations of Rose LJ noted in the title as to Parliaments purpose are accurate. As importantly, the evidentiary regime established in the CJA strikes a fair and fundamental balance between the principles of reasonable doubt, the right of the defendant to make full answer and defence to a criminal charge, and the societal interest in the effective prosecution of crime. This paper commences with an overview of the most important changes to the previous law concerning bad character that are now established by the CJA. The procedure contemplated by the joint effect of the CJA provisions and the Criminal Procedure Rules (CPR) is also considered and evaluated. The paper then provides an examination of the principles that support the ad missibility of bad character evidence concerning defendant and non-defendant witnesses, with the seven specific ‘gateways for such evidence as defined by the CJA given specific consideration. The cases decided since 2004 and relevant academic commentaries are also highlighted. There are three particular aspects to the CJA regime that guide the present analysis and require specific attention in this regard. These are: The abolition of the common law rules that previously governed such admissibility as well as the prior rules provided in the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 concerning the cross-examination of defendants as to character Evidence of bad character concerning a non-defendant is admissible by leave of the court on specific grounds Evidence of the defendants bad character is generally admissible on a wider range of prospective trial issues, by virtue of the seven specific ‘gateways established by the CJA There is no question that the Criminal Justice Act 2003, Part 11 represents a fundamental alteration of prior English law concerning the general admissibility of bad character evidence. Placed in an admittedly restricted nutshell, the prior law confirmed that the prosecution could not adduce evidence of the defendants bad character (other than evidence concerning the offence charged or offences against the administration of justice committed in relation to the offence charged). The prosecution was also prohibited from leading evidence of the defendants propensity to commit criminal acts even if relevant to the charge. In this way, the previous bad character evidence rules were an exception to the general rule that all relevant evidence is admissible in a criminal trial. The traditional caveat advanced in this respect that justified the exclusion of evidence of bad character was that it is often irrelevant to the proof of a defendants guilt; insofar as it is relevant, its prej udicial effect outweighs its probative value. The reworking of the law in the CJA commences with the definition of bad character provided at s.98 and s.112. There are two specific ingredients in the definition. Bad character evidence may include any evidence of misconduct or a â€Å"disposition† towards misconduct; it may also include misconduct established through evidence of the â€Å"†¦commission of an offence or other reprehensible conduct†. Subject to special procedures that governed the admissibility of ‘similar fact evidence that also may have provided the basis for bad character evidence to be admitted against a defendant, the case law that has subsequently interpreted the admittedly broad expressions ‘misconduct and ‘reprehensible conduct as employed in the CJA has given each phrase a sensible meaning. If the entire purpose of criminal evidence rules may be summarised as achieving the balance between private rights to full def ence and the interest of the state as contended in the papers opening paragraph, the case law achieves this purpose. In Weir, the Court of Appeal determined that the propensity to commit crime on the part of an accused could be proven with reference to the defendants commission of other crimes, but the prosecution could establish propensity by other means. The ‘other means were fleshed out in the other case law, including Renda, where the Court ruled that a prosecution witness may be cross-examined about incidents of misconduct known to the defendant which had never themselves been the subject of a criminal charge. It is contended that a greater breadth afforded judicial discretion to admit bad character does not improperly impair the defence so much as it ensures a greater range of relevant evidence may be considered by the court. This discretion is placed within a procedural construct that has proven useful in the relatively brief life of the CJA provisions. The pr osecution is required to provide the defendant a minimum of 14 days notice of its intention to introduce bad character evidence at trial; the defendant has the opportunity to object prior to the tendering of the proposed evidence and a ruling will be obtained accordingly. The procedure applies to bad character evidence proposed by the prosecution and such evidence a defendant proposes to call with respect to a co-defendant. These rules achieve two important results not necessarily guaranteed under the former regime where applications of this nature were regularly permitted to be made by trail judges within the trial proper. The defence will not be surprised or in any way caught unawares by the prosecution application to rely on bad character evidence. In a system of justice that historically exhibited reluctance to provide full disclosure of the entire case relied upon by the prosecution in advance of trial, this Rule is a very positive development that promotes the overarc hing principle of procedural fairness. The secondary benefit achieved through this procedure is a more focused trial. Jurors and witnesses ought to expect that they shall attend a proceeding that will not be diverted from the orderly calling of evidence by virtue of unexpected motions brought to resolve questions of admissibility that can be resolved efficiently at the pre-trial application stage. Further, the notice provisions provided in the CJA and the Rules of Criminal Procedure permit all parties to make appropriate enquiries in advance of trial concerning the intended evidence. In this important sense, the relevance of the evidence can be buttressed or challenged in a thorough and effective way where appropriate. The distinction in the treatment of bad character evidence that pertains to non-defendants and defendants is confirmed in s. 100 CJA. It is important to note that the often problematic evidentiary rules concerning the cross-examination of a sexual assault complainant are excluded from the operation of the CJA in this respect. It is contended that this exception is the one significant difficulty revealed by the revisions. The special provisions that were enacted to govern the admissibility of prior sexual history evidence have attracted significant attention. For example, there is a legitimate need to ensure that a defendant in a sexual offence prosecution is not permitted to equate the fact that a woman did not make complaint concerning his conduct at an earlier time with the conclusion that the present complaint must be false. Criminal trials should not be determined on the basis of ‘rape myths or stereotypical notions of how a rape victim ought to behave. However, it would be preferable that all criminal evidence be evaluated using the same criteria. The CJA framework is entirely suited to prevent the introduction of such evidence when the ‘gateway principles are applied; special consideration for specific offenc es undermines the cohesiveness of the law. In all other respects, the language used in s. 100 section provides the clearest possible demarcation between the permitted approaches to the tendering of non-defendant bad character evidence. Only where the proposed evidence is important explanatory evidence, or where the evidence is directed to an issue in the proceedings and it is of substantial importance to the presentation of the case as a whole may it be admitted. The section provides amplification on the definition of the phrase ‘important explanatory evidence as evidence without which the jury would find the case difficult or impossible to understand (all emphasis added). A semantic criticism may be made that the use of ‘difficult and ‘impossible in the same definitional expression is clumsy and may lead to inconsistency given the different each term provides as a condition precedent to admissibility. However, the underlying philosophy inherent in the s ection is sound. Bad character evidence that relates to non-defendants ought to be pre-screened by the trial judge to ensure its relevance and to give greater assurance that the trial process is not distracted from the consideration of important evidence. The subsequent case law has properly limited ‘misconduct evidence to exclude an arrest on a criminal charge; the section imposes a higher test with respect to the introduction of a non-defendants bad character than does the test for the introduction of a defendants bad character. Prospective bad character evidence concerning a defendant is potentially admissible through one or more of the seven procedural ‘gateways established in s. 101 (1) CJA. Each provision has a valid trial fairness objective; for example, bad character admitted on consent, or such evidence led to rebut a defence attack on another persons character are as rooted in common sense as they are fair adjudicative principles. The gateways that res tate the importance of explanatory evidence to give a fact situation appropriate context, and the traditional relevance / probative value versus prejudicial test developed in the common law warrant further examination in this regard. These are the most important and the most litigated provisions in the gateway structure. Edwards provides a useful example of how a court will assess how important background evidence must be to the understanding of the entire case. In this decision, the Court of Appeal confirmed that for a jury to properly understand the nuance of a heroin trafficking transaction, evidence could be called by the prosecution to explain how such transactions proceeded if they were to understand why a witness said that they could identify the defendant. Relevance to an important matter between the defence and the prosecution as described in s. 101 (1) (d) CJA is not restricted to the defendants alleged propensity to commit the subject crime or crime generally. The provision represents a barrier to the prosecution to call such evidence if it is not central to its chief purpose. For example, whilst the previous common law based limitations on the tendering of a defendants criminal record was often regarded as highly prejudicial to the prosecution, the revisions enacted in the CJA provisions do not countenance the wholesale introduction of such evidence, notwithstanding how attractive the evidence might be to the prosecution in the context of its desire to make the most of its position. Campbell is a decision that underscores why the CJA provisions strike the appropriate balance between defendant interests and the jurys ability to fairly decide the case. The trial judge in Campbell permitted the jury to hear evidence of the defendants two prior convictions without permitting them to hear any other background into those earlier events. It is not surprising that after the judges charge to the jury, this question was asked by the jur y, â€Å"What was the significance of revealing the defendants two previous assault convictions? Anything else we should know?The introduction of a criminal conviction alone absent information that provides context to the events that led to the previous entry may result in a skewed understanding of the defendant that prejudices the defence position; the approved course by virtue of Campbell is that the jury should be warned not to attach too much weight to bad character evidence, let alone conclude that the defendant is guilty simply because of his bad character. The substantial probative value requirement for bad character evidence as confirmed in s. 101 (1) (e) reinforces the traditional bedrock proposition of criminal evidence admissibility – judges must ensure that the probative value exceeds its prejudicial effect. By placing this important principle within the seven avenue evidentiary gateway, the CJA achieves a comprehensive effect concerning the admissibility and appropriate evaluation of bad character evidence that the prior pastiche of common law principles and circumstance driven exceptions could never achieve. When all of the provisions discussed above are taken together, a clear picture is drawn of the over all effect of the CJA with respect to the admissibility of bad character evidence. The law has been made more certain, but not at the expense of trial or procedural fairness. Relevance and probative value are given their due, and the ability of the defence to counter evidence that passes the CJA standards is unimpaired by its approach as contained in sections 98 to 113. Bibliography Statutes and Rules considered Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1982 Canada Evidence Act 1990 Criminal Justice Act 2003, ss. 98 -113 Criminal Procedure Rules, Part 35 Cases and reports considered A, R v [2001] 3 All ER 1 Boardman v DPP [1975] AC 421 Bovell and Dowds, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 1091 Campbell, R v [2007] 1 WLR 2798 Corbett , R. v. (1988) 41 C.C.C. (3d) 385 Edwards, Fysh Duggan Chohan, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 1813 Hanson, Gilmore and Pickstone, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 824 Highton, Van Nguyen and Carp, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 1985 Humphris, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 2030 Maxwell v DPP [1935] AC 309 OBrien v Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2005] 2 WLR 1038 Renda Others, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 2826 Weir Others, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 2866 Authorities considered Allen, Christopher (2006) Evidence QA 2005-2006 6/e London: Cavendish Routledge Crown Prosecution Service (2008). Bad Character Evidence [online] Retrieved March 15, 2010 at: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/bad_character_evidence/ Durston, Gregory (2004) ‘Bad character evidence and non-party witnesses under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 International Journal of Evidence and Proof 8, 4: 233-239 Law Commission Evidence of Bad Character in Criminal Proceedings (Report) [2001] EWLC 273(2) Fowles, Tony (2006) ‘Counterblast: The Criminal Justice Act 2003 The End of an Era? Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 45, 1: 71-73 OBrian, William E. (2009) ‘The Right of Confrontation: US and European Perspectives Warwick S chool of Law Research (2005) 121 LQR 481-510 Spencer, J.R. (2006). Evidence of Bad Character. Oxford: Hart Publishing. E.g. Fowles, Tony (2006) ‘Counterblast: The Criminal Justice Act 2003 The End of an Era? Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 45, 1: 71-73; OBrian, William E. (2009) ‘The Right of Confrontation: US and European Perspectives Warwick School of Law Research (2005) 121 LQR 481-510 The Bibliography reveals a large number of decisions in this area that were rendered between 2005 and 2007, the time frame within which the first trial decisions that applied the new CJA procedures were considered by the Court of Appeal. S.99 (1) CJA S.100 S. 101(1); the ‘gateways are subsections (a) through (g) Ss.98 to 113, CJA E.g. Escaping lawful custody or resisting arrest Maxwell v DPP [1935] AC 309 ; Lord Hailsham described the contests between prosecution and defence over propensity evidence as having left a â€Å"pitted battlefield † ( DPP v Boardman [1975] AC 421, 445), a testament to the historical importance of this issue in English law that underscores the significance of the CJA provisions Law Commission Evidence of Bad Character in Criminal Proceedings (Report) [2001] EWLC 273(2) Ss. 98, 112 Similar fact evidence admissibility (so called) was subject to the common law rules confirmed in Boardman v DPP [1975] AC 421, where the fundamental evidentiary test of prejudicial effect versus probative value applicable to all types of evidence generally governed similar fact admissibility Weir Others, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 2866 Renda Others, R v [2005] EWCA Crim 2826 By virtue of the combined operation of ss. 111(2), CJA and Part 35, Rules of Criminal Procedure ibid Ibid; see Hanson, [2005] EWCA Crim 824, para 117 Other Anglo-American jurisdictions such as Canada opted to enshrine full disclosure and prosecutorial notice in bad character evidence applications in their laws so me years ago. See Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s.7, the Canada Evidence Act, s. 12 and the leading case of Corbett (1988), 41 C.C.C. (3d) 385 at 399-401 See Humphris [2005] EWCA Crim 2030; Edwards [2005] EWCA Crim 1813; Bovell and Dowds [2005] EWCA Crim 1091, all cases that reinforce the relationship between procedural fairness and the s.111(2) CJA provisions S. 41 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act; see also Durston, Gregory (2004) ‘Bad character evidence and non-party witnesses under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 International Journal of Evidence and Proof 8, 4: 233-239 R v A [2001] 3 All ER 1 ibid Weir, para 73, 74 Ibid, 36; see also OBrien v Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2005] 2 WLR 1038 S.101 (1) (a) S.101 (g) S. 101 (c); the traditional rules concerning res gestae statements will form a part of this consideration Ss. 101 (d) and (e), respectively [2005] EWCA Crim 1813, para 70, 71 Ibid; an important weaknes s in the prior law is discussed in Crown Prosecution Service (2008). Bad Character Evidence [online] Retrieved March 15, 2010 at: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/bad_character_evidence/, at part 2 (Principle); the prior law did not define what constituted background See e.g. Highton, Van Nguyen and Carp [2005] EWCA Crim 1985; see also generally Spencer, J.R. (2006). Evidence of Bad Character, c.1, 2 See Campbell [2007] 1 WLR 2798 Ibid Ibid, para 14 Ibid, para 45 Boardman , supra; see also Allen, Christopher (2006) Evidence QA 2005-2006 6/e Spencer, 4.20, 4.29