Plant and People Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Plant and People - Term Paper Example Opium poppy has both negative and positive effects of opium poppy upon human society (Chouvy, 2010). The negative effects of opium poppy include terrorism, wars, international politics, crime, addiction and dependence, health problems, and negative economic issues, and the positive effects include the manufacture of drugs and for homeopathy. Negative effects of opium poppy Terrorism Opium poppy is the source of opium, which is a narcotic drug. Narcotic drugs are illegal in most countries across the world (United Nations, 2009). Therefore, many countries consider the trading of narcotics as illegal and take actions against those individuals who take part in drug trafficking. However, violence, corruption, and subversion have increasingly impeded the international narcotics control efforts. Violence increases when efforts begin to have an effect on the trafficking operations (Davids, 2002). Various countries have put more effort towards identifying those groups and individuals who atte mpt to undermine the struggle against trafficking of narcotics. Such groups can include those groups, which finance their terrorist actions through profits they acquire from the narcotics trade; groups that actively engage themselves in narcotics trafficking and use terrorist activities to sustain or enhance their positions; and groups that the narcotics traffickers organize randomly to resort to terrorist activities and violence to enhance and protect their criminal enterprise. Most of the countries that produce narcotics have political insurgents, who quite often use terrorist techniques and have become involved indirectly or directly with production and trafficking of narcotics (Davids, 2002). There are close relationships between narcotics trafficking, terrorist groups, and arms smuggling, especially in the Middle East. According to Davids (2002), there is some evidence of state-sponsored trafficking of narcotics. In a few cases, the further evidence is that some of the communis t nations have engaged to some extent in facilitating the trafficking of narcotics. Terrorism refers to the use of violence or threats to apply violence as a political weapon to attain control, to influence government policy, or to destabilize and overthrow governments (Davids, 2002). The legal definition of terrorism may not be precise in describing narcotics traffickers and their organizations. However, the tactics they employ at times are equal to, or exceed those tactics that terrorist organizations use. Most of the groups involved with narcotics production or trafficking do not meet the traditional or legal definitions of "terrorists" or "insurgents," the fact is that the use of planned, high-threat, sophisticated violence to accomplish their goals, even without a political agenda, is terrorism (Davids, 2002). Furthermore, the increasing use of violence against international narcotics control efforts, irrespective of the source as well as the dealing in narcotics for firearms a nd the financing of political insurgencies and terrorists through illegal narcotics activities, pose grievous threats to the national security of the narcotics producing countries and to the prospects for effective international narcotics control. Prostitution, Robbery, and Thievery The incidents of

Wachovia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wachovia - Research Paper Example All the major cause will be expansively presented in this paper. The valuable lessons learnt from the crisis will also be thrown light upon in this paper. Wachovia, Bear Stearns, AIG, Lehmann Brothers, Northern Rock, Goldman Sachs are some elite names that suffered the most because of the economic crisis also known as recession. Wachovia was once the fourth largest bank in America but it could not sustain the wrath of recession and was taken over by Wells Fargo in the year 2008. Lehmann brothers filed for bankruptcy while AIG and a few other elites just hung in there with the skin of their teeth. This economic crisis is still having repercussions on countries like Greece and Spain; the whole of Euro Zone is facing a financial turmoil. There are a few other countries that have been not so severely affected by the same. The crisis triggered off because of unchecked debt, banks kept issuing loans to people who invested heavily in buying assets, several things were taken for granted but when proved otherwise there was hardly a place in the world to hide. Overvaluation in real estate is perhaps the biggest cause of the current economic crisis, it is better known as the subprime crisis in the US. The likes of Lehmann Brothers and other financial services went bust because they kept issuing credit to the people who thought the property price would increase and they would be easily able to pay off the debt that they are borrowing. It did not turn out that way and there was a short of equity, this is exactly why the financial institutions went bankrupt. The overvaluation is the biggest factor that caused the current economic crisis. Factors like bad income tax practices have added insult to injury, bad mortgage lending also contributed heavily to this current economic crisis. â€Å"The way to address the root cause is to let house prices drop to where an average house is within the means of an average household.   (Or, alternatively, boost the income of the average h ousehold to the point that they can afford an average house.   But that's very hard.   Letting houses prices go on falling, although painful for everyone who owns a house or who has lent money to someone who owns a house, is very easy.)† (Root Cause of the Financial Crisis) The UK housing market was also greatly affected because of recession. The impact of the global economic crisis on UK property companies was dire. Previously well performing firms in terms of turnover and profits experienced drastic falls in profits and even losses. Tightened lending conditions and dips in confidence in the UK housing sector translated to inactivity in business and thus reduced turnovers, hindered growth and difficult operations. In the general pattern as the rest of the economy, property firms found it untenable to maintain workforce numbers as lack of activity and the heavy toll of remuneration on available resources. Reduced spending propensities and the lack of credit in the housing sector left most of these companies’ futures hanging in the balance. There is also the question of how the entire properties sector and the property companies have set out to recover from the economic crisis. Concerns also arise in terms of how well the instituted strategies can buffer such firms against an occurrence of another financial downturn in the future. The content analysis reveals that the property companies went through severe impacts on their management dispositions as well as on their employees. The managers were

Jerusalem And The Temple Mount Religion Essay

Jerusalem And The Temple Mount Religion Essay The history of the city of Jerusalem is filled with violence and conflict. According to the Jewish Torah and the Old Testament of the Christian bible, Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, which was predicted to at one time have been united with the Kingdom of Israel. Around 600 BCE the nation of Babylon conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem; including the sacred Temple of the Lord that King Solomon had built there, and took its people captive. It wasnt until decades after the Babylonians had plundered the city that the Jewish people were allowed to return to their home land and rebuild their once glorious city (Gascoigne, 2001). About 80 years later Jerusalem once again became the capital of Judah and the temple was reconstructed. Jerusalem was captured by the Greeks under Alexander the Great in 312 BCE and nearly a century later the Babylonians once again took over the city, this time under the rule of commander-in-chief, Seleucus. By 19 BCE the Roman empire had gained control of the area and set Harod the Great as client King over Jerusalem, under their control. Harod rebuilt the Temple of the Lord after it had lay in ruins for centuries and renamed it the Second Temple. After the death of Harod in 4 CE the Romans implemented direct rule over the city. In 66 CE, after decades of living under the authoritarian rule of the Roman Empire, the Jews rebelled. Their plight for freedom didnt last long and four years later Rome came in and pillaged the entire city and the Temple was once again destroyed. (CITATION) It was in the first century CE that the Christian bible records the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Messiah according to the Christian faith. During the second century CE Roman Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the city as a pagan city. Before Hadrians reign, the Jews had been allowed to freely practice their religion; but Hadrians rules restricting worship lead to another rebellion in the city. Hadrian responded with a massacre that led to the death of nearly half a million Jews. The Jews were then forbidden to enter the city save for one day of the year, Tish BAv, a day which Jews set aside to mourn and fast in honor of both of the Temples that had been destroyed. Jerusalem was rebuilt as a Christian city in 335 CE by the Emperor Constantine, but the Jewish people were still not allowed entry. More than 300 years later the famous Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, was built in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, the predicted location of the first and second Temples. Thr ee centuries after the Dome was built the Al-qsa Mosque, a place of worship specifically for Muslim women, was constructed on the Temple Mount near the Dome. (CITATION) Jerusalem became the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the late 11th century, around the time of the Crusades-a set of several military campaigns that lasted more than a century that were first initiated by Christian Europeans as magnificent and general act(s) of repentant faith that would culminate in the moral reform and total renewal of Christendom (Merton, 2008). Jerusalem, an important religious and historic site to Christians, Muslims, and Jews, had been captured by the Muslims and was under their rule. For the English, who were dominantly Christian, this was an abomination. It was in nearby Bethlehem that they believed the Christian Messiah, Jesus, was born, and it was in Jerusalem that he was crucified by the Jews, resurrected three days later, and then ascended into heaven before the eyes of his disciples and other followers. In the year 1095 Pope Urban II presented his idea of a Church reform (Knox) to France; he proposed that they take up arms against the Muslim Turkish Ottomans who controlled Jerusalem and save the city from Muslim control. The First Crusade began in 1097 and two years later the European army finally reached Jerusalem where, after the battle, there was a recorded 70,000 Muslim casualties. (CITATION) There were several other crusades that took place after that and the conquests lasted until the year 1291 (Knox). During this time, Jerusalem was controlled several different nations. The Sultan of Damascus razed the city and destroyed the city walls in 1219 and two decades later, after Frederick II of Germany rebuilt them, the emir of Kerak demolished them once again. The Christians conquered the city in 1243 and for the next 20 years, rule passed between the hands of the Khmarezmian Tatars, the Egyptians, and the Ottomans. Unlike under the ruling of the Tatars and the Egyptians, however, the Ottomans introduced peace back into the city. Jews, Christians and Muslims were granted freedom and were allowed to worship as they desired, in peace, alongside one another. Religious freedom was once again allowed in the city and soon after, the Kingdom of Jerusalem fell. After the Crusades, Christians started migrating to the city in order to rebuild it and salvage its history. They built chu rches throughout the city and converted the Muslim shrines and mosques, including the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During the 1800s the Ottoman Empire began to decline. Jerusalems population, made up of Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Armenians, did not exceed 8,000 people. The current Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the middle east can trace its beginning back to this time when Jewish immigrants started to arrive from Eastern Europe and other areas of the middle east and European nations sought control of the city. Christian churches were facing a time of religious reform and sent missionaries to the Jerusalem. In addition to the sudden flood of Jews, Europeans, and Christians, archaeologists were also interested in the city for its fascinating history of destruction and war and began flocking to Jerusalem on expeditions. The Muslim Turkish Ottomans had controlled the majority of the Middle East for centuries but in the early 1900s they declared a military jihad with France, Russians, and Great Britain (Woodward, 2009). In 1917 the British defeated the Ottomans and took control of Jerusalem. The Old City of Jerusalem became an ancient community filled with poverty and the New City, located outside the old walls, became the life of Jerusalem. Violence in the city became the norm as the Arabs began to face anxiety over the new British rule and flood of Jewish immigrants. By 1947 the United Nations suggested that the city should go under international administration and a year later the British left Jerusalem (CITATION). In 1948 the Arab-Israeli war began and residents of several Arab villages were misplaced and massacres occurred throughout the city. The city was divided when the New City joined the state of Israel and the Old City was annexed. By 1950, only a century after Jerusalems population was str uggling to meet 8,000 people, the city became the capital of Israel and was the most populous city in the country. (CITATION). (TRANSITION) Today conflict continues to plague the city; just as violence ruled the city in King Davids time, during the crusades, and throughout the 20th century, confrontation continues today amongst the three religions, especially between Muslims and Jews. The famous religious and historical site the Temple Mount is the center for much of this conflict. As stated, the site is sacred to both Islam and Judaism and both religions want reign over the area. Although Israel currently controls the city, the Temple Mount is not completely in the possession of the government; as a highly respected and desired site for so many different people, the Mount cannot stay completely in the control of any one religious group, nor can it really be shared amongst them. The Temple Mount is usually open to visitors but recent restrictions were set on who was allowed to enter the site; these restrictions included not allowing entry to the site to men under 50 years old (Sharp, 2010). However, after a Palestinian r iot in the city, which resulted in the injuries of more than 100 people, including 14 Israeli troops, the restrictions were lifted (Israel relaxes). Another riot broke out recently when Arab youths targeted Jews praying at the Western Wall. According to an article in the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA), the violence occurred after an Islamic imam encouraged Muslims to secure and protect sacred Islamic ground including the Temple Mount (Temple Mount reopened, 2010). Muslims have considered the site of the Temple Mount to be sacred since the prophet Muhammad wrote about his Night Journey to Jerusalem which was said to have taken place in 619 CE. It is believed by Islamic tradition that God dictated The Quran, the holy book of Islam, to Muhammad. There is controversy regarding the interpretation of the Quran, but according to most all translations, the location of the Temple Mount is the exact place where Muhammad was brought by the angel Gabriel from the Muslim temple in Mecca on his famous Night Journey. The story continues on to say that the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus met him in Jerusalem and they prayed together. Muhammad was offered a drink of wine, milk, and in some translations, water, and he chose the milk. Gabriel then commended him for choosing the correct drink, which represented his choice to follow Islam, the correct religion. Muhammad ascended into heaven and met God face-to-face. Even with the controversy over the story of the Night Journey, the Temple Mount holds rich religious significance to the Islamic faith. The Dome of the Rock, which stands at the center of the Temple Mount, is an important place of worship to Muslims. The Dome was built around 690 AD by Abd al-Malik.(WHO IS HE?) .Tradition says that the Dome was built to commemorate Muhammads ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem (Quran 17). (Hayes, 2010). The Oxford Archaeological Guide to the Holy Land states that Maliks intentions were actually different; he wanted to show Christians and Jews that Islam was the superior faith (Hayes, 2010). The Dome is a beautiful site to come upon. The famous golden dome had originally been made purely out of gold but was later replaced by copper, then aluminum, and is now covered with gold leaf. Its exterior is decorated with beautiful Turkish tiles and gleaming white marble. The Dome is outlined with intricate inscriptions of verses from the Quran. The interior of the Dome is adorned with picturesque floral designs and other inscriptions apart from those quoting the Quran. The Dome of the Rock was designed as carefully as the Temple, as it is an important holy place for Muslims. AL AQSA MOSQUE The Mount also holds significant value to both the Jewish and Christian faiths. It is believed by both Jews and Christians that it was at Mount Moriah, where the Temple Mount is currently located, that God appeared to the prophet Abraham, an important religious figure to both religions. The significance of the site continues for both religions. In the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and in the Jewish Torah it is written that God gave Abraham a vision of a temple that was to later be built in honor of Him. This same vision was later given to King David who, according to biblical texts, was told by God that he was not fit to build a monument of peace so he passed the plans along to his son Solomon in order for him to build it. The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians rebuilt by Harod, and was destroyed once again by the Romans. The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, and the Temple Mount were the only two structures of the Temple to survive the Roman conquest and toda y both continue to be important religious symbols to the Jewish faith. The Temple Mount is located above the Kidron Valley and the Tyropoeon Valley, which are to the east and west of the Mount, respectively. At its peak the Mount is 2,428 feet above sea level. When Harod the Great rebuilt the Temple in 20 BCE he increased the plateau of the Mount by surrounding it with four enormous walls and filling in the spaces left behind. After the expansion the total area of the Mount increased to about 35.5 acres. It is the southern wall where the Western Wall, an important landmark to the Jewish faith, is located (CITATION). The locations of the First and Second Temples are predicted to be on top of one another (Dolphin, 1995). According to the Christian bible, the inner most room of the Temple of Solomon, the First Temple, was the Holy of Holies, a place where only the high priest was allowed to enter (1 Kings 6:16).The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant, an important religious symbol to both Jews and Christians. 1 Kings 6:21,29-30 (1994) of the C hristian bible says that Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with goldOn the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. The next room was The Holy Place, and then beyond that were several courtyards; first a Court for the priests, then the Jews and women, then the gentiles. The order of the courtyards was key as they were built in the order of holiness of the people who were allowed to enter each one; the Jews believed that the priests were at a level higher than them and that the gentiles were a step lower. Solomon took great care in building the Temple and it is obvious to see that same respect relayed toward the site then is also given today by the Jewish people, even though the Temple is no longer standing. The exact position where the first and second temples of the Lord were built are unknown, but three main sites have been suggested by scholars, researchers, and archaeologists. The traditional site of the Temple is said to lie beneath or very near to the Moslem shrine known as the Dome of the Rock (Dolphin, 1995). Dr. Dan Bahat, a respected archaeologist in Jerusalem, defends this statement. The two other sites where the original temple also may have laid are known as the Northern Conjecture and the Southern Conjecture. The Northern Conjecture is located 330 feet north of the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim shrine located on the Temple Mount. According to the Arabs, the predicted temple site is under an area known as The Dome of the Tablets or The Dome of the Spirits (Dolphin, 1995). The Southern Conjecture is the newest addition to the predicted traditional temple sites and is located to the south of the Dome of the Rock. Today, some rabbis forbid Jews from even setting foot on the areab ecause as the site of the ancient Jewish temple it is considered holy ground (Sharp, 2010). TRANSITION ADD THIS TO DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM: The geographical area known as Palestine sits next to the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River and is intertwined with Israel. The majority of Palestinians are Muslim by religion. The Palestinians have slowly been losing land to Israel and currently do not have a nation to call their own, although they have been advocating for statehood, with backing by the United States. Palestinian beliefs that they are being pushed out of the Old City are at the center of the fears of the will-be state. Palestine wants Jerusalem to be its capital when it is finally given independence as its own country, but because of its history, Israel is not so willing to give it up. Violence between Israelis and Palestinians regarding the site is almost a daily occurrence in Jerusalem and it does not appear to be ending any time soon. It seems as though any time Jews visit the Temple Mount, riots break out (Sharp, 2010). There is still frustration over regulations regard ing the Mount, as there have been laws issued abolishing non-Muslim prayer on the Mount. In court the state has argues that allowing Jewish prayer on the Mount would spark Muslim violence (Gershom, 2000). While this is highly likely, swindling the rights of the Jewish people does not appear to be the correct answer to the problem.

Symbols in The Scarlet Letter Essay examples -- essays research papers

Symbols in "The Scarlet Letter" In The Scarlet Letter, symbols appear everywhere. Hawthorne uses several different concrete objects to represent something of deeper meaning. Among these symbols is the scarlet letter "A" itself. It is made of red cloth and beautifully embroidered. It is a literal symbol of the sin of adultery. The letter "A" appears in several places and several forms. It is the letter that appears on Hester's heart that she is condemned to wear for the remainder of her life. At Governor Bellingham's mansion it is magnified in the breastplate. It seems as though she is hidden behind it. On the night that Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl, a huge letter A appears in the sky. Later, while in the forest, Pearl arranges a letter a on her heart that is made of eel grass. One of the most dramatic of the A's that appear in the book is the A that appears on Dimmesdale's chest. Not only does the "A" symbolize adultery, but it also has several other meanings to the different characters a s well. To the community, it is simply a mark of punishment. To Hester, it is a mark of embarrassment and humiliation. To Dimmesdale, the scarlet letter is a reminder of his own guilt. To Pearl, the mark is a mysterious curiosity. To Chillingworth, the "A" is his chance to get revenge on Dimmesdale. Later, the letter symbolizes "Able" when Hester wins some respect from the townspeople. The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter's meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulterer, the â€Å"A† eventually comes to stand for â€Å"Able.† Finally, it becomes indeterminate: the Native Americans who come to watch the Election Day pageant think it marks her as a person of importance and status. Like Pearl, the letter functions as a physical reminder of Hester's affair with Dimmesdale. But, compared with a human child, the letter seems insignificant, and thus helps to point out the ultimate meaninglessness of the community's system of judgment and punishment. The child has been sent from God, or at least from nature, but the letter is merely a human contrivance. Additionally, the instability of the letter's apparent meaning calls into question society's ability to use symbols for ideological reinforcement. More often than not, a symbol becomes. .. ... opposed to the strict Puritan community and laws. However, it is also a place where the witches come and sign their souls to the devil. Therefore, the forest can also symbolize darkness and evil Forest One of the most integral parts of the book, when Hester Prynne speaks to the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale about their predicament, takes place in the forest. When reading the novel, it becomes increasingly apparent that there is a contrast between the forest and the town, as settings. The forest symbolizes a dark and mysterious place where impulses and urges reign and also where the goings-on are to be kept a secret. The forest is described as dismal, gloomy and full of shadows with an imposing, cloudy sky that is filled with threatening storms. When Dimmesdale and Hester first see each other, Hawthorne describes them as being "in the world beyond the grave, of two spirits who had intimately connected in their former life, but now stood coldly shuddering, in mutual dead". Also in the forest, Hester undid the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter, and, taking it from her bosom, threw it to a distance among the withered leaves....[and] took off the formal cap that confined her hair.

Lab Report Osmosis

The effect of osmosis on artificial cells with different concentrations of sucrose Alex McRae Biology 120-902 Grand Valley State University 1 Campus Drive Allendale, MI 49401 [email  protected] gvsu. edu Abstract In this study, we tested the validity of osmosis in artificial animal cells. Osmosis is the diffusion of free water across a membrane. The purpose of the study was to calculate the rate of osmosis in artificial cells containing different concentrations of sucrose and water.We studied the rate of osmosis in artificial cells by creating five different dialysis bags with different concentrations of both sucrose and water and calculating the cumulative change in weight ever 10 minutes for 90 minutes. Our results for the artificial cells showed different concentrations moved from high to low concentrations- through hypotonic movement or hypertonic movement. Introduction The main purpose of this paper is to assess the rate of change with osmosis for different concentrations of s ucrose in artificial cells.Since the human body is composed of trillions of cells that contain roughly 85% of water, makes osmosis a very important concept (Carmichael, Grabe and Wenger). The forces that affect osmosis are the concentrations of solutes surrounding the cell or inside of the cell. Water will then move across the cell membrane and create a balance of water between the cell and its environment (Reece et al. 133).In order to calculate the average rate of change for our artificial cells, we must understand tonicity as the ability of a nearby solution to cause a cell to lose or gain water, depending on its concentration of non-penetrating solutes relative to solutes inside the cell (Reece et al. 133). The dialysis bags used in this experiment have membranes which are selectively permeable, which only allows particles specifically small enough to pass through (Carmichael, Grabe and Wenger).In a hypotonic solution, water goes into the cell because the solute is more concentr ated inside the cell, while in a hypertonic solution, water moves out of the sell because the solute is more concentrated outside of the cell. We are testing the effect of osmosis on different concentrations of artificial cells by calculating the cumulative change in weight and the corrected cumulative changes in weight and by determining whether a solution is hypertonic, hypotonic or isotonic. We predicted that a dialysis bag holding tap water in a beaker also containing tap water is in an isotonic solution.While 20% sucrose, 40% sucrose and 60% sucrose in beakers containing tap water is considered hypotonic solutions. Lastly the dialysis bag holding tap water in a beaker containing 40% sucrose is a hypertonic solution. This will result in isotonic solutions remaining at the same weight, hypotonic solutions gaining weight and hypertonic solutions losing weight. We tested this by creating the five different dialysis bags with different concentrations of sucrose in order to measure t he weight change in grams of the bag after nine 10 minute increments. Methods and MaterialsThis experiment took place on Monday, February 6th, 2011. During this time, we tested the effects of different sucrose concentrations on the rate of osmosis in artificial cells we made with dialysis tubing. We studied five different dialysis bags containing 10mL of different concentrations of tap water and sucrose. Two contained tap water while three contained different concentrations of sucrose, varying from 20% to 60%. Each bag was placed in a beaker surrounded by either tap water or 40% sucrose. We began the experiment by soaking the dialysis tubes to prepare them for the sucrose concentrations they would be filled with.Taking each bag, two were filled with 10mL of tap water, one filled with 10mL of 20% sucrose, one with 10mL of 40% sucrose and another with 10mL of 60% sucrose. Each bag was clamped closed. All the bags were weighed before being placed in their corresponding beakers in order to record their initial weight in grams. The bags were put in their corresponding beakers, all of which contained tap water, except beaker #5 (tap water bag #5 was placed in beaker #5 which instead of holding water, was filled with 40% sucrose) concurrently, recording the time.In the same manner in which the bags were placed in the beakers simultaneously, remove the bags every 10 minutes, and record the weight of each bag. This process should be repeated for at least 90 minutes total. This data was analyzed by calculating the cumulative change in weight for each dialysis bag. This was done from subtracting the weight of each bag from the initial weight of the bag. Doing so, allows the weight of each bag to be initially zero. For that, we must calculate the corrected cumulative change in weight.For each time interval of 10 minutes, we subtracted the change in weigh of bag #1 (tap water) from the weight of each bag at the specific time measure- this corrected any oscillations. Result s The corrected cumulative change in weight due to osmosis from different concentrations of sucrose and tap water, are shown in Figure One. This figure shows the weight change in grams for every interval of 10 minutes. Using the corrected cumulative change in weight eliminates bag #1 because its average rate of change will always be zero.Below is a table of the bag weights at 10 minute intervals after being tested for an hour: | |Bag Weights (g) | |Time (min) |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 | | |Water |20% |40% |60% |water | |0 |21. 81 |20. 30 |23. 3 |21. 30 |19. 22 | |10 |22. 75 |26. 94 |22. 04 |23. 64 |18. 42 | |20 |22. 29 |26. 91 |22. 29 |24. 41 |17. 95 | |30 |23. 27 |29. 33 |23. 45 |26. 41 |16. 60 | |40 |22. 30 |29. 84 |23. 24 |28. 6 |15. 61 | |50 |22. 72 |36. 63 |24. 02 |28. 84 |14. 75 | |60 |23. 29 |31. 20 |24. 51 |30. 17 |14. 05 | The purpose of this experiment was to determine the relationship between concentration gradients and the rates of osmosis. Using the corrected cumulative change, w e can monitor the rate of change for each bag, and correlate the rate of change to the rate of osmosis.For bag #2, the slope, or the rate of osmosis was y = 0. 1193x – 1. 7293, displaying a slow but obvious increase in weight, or a hypotonic solution, when the solute was more concentrated inside the cell and water moved into the cell. Bag #3 continues to show this trend with a quicker rate of y = 1. 295x – 2. 4807, which water enters this bag as a hypotonic solution. Bag #4, which a rate of y = -1. 0586x + 1. 9043, shows a hypertonic solution in which the low concentration solute, causing water inside the dialysis bag, to move out.Although it was expected for for bag #5, which was tap water submersed in 40% sucrose, to be hypertonic, the rate of osmosis was y = 1. 3536x – 0. 1679, which demonstrates a hypotonic solution, or water entering the cell, or moving from a high concentration of the solute to a low concentration. These results prove that the direction of osmosis does directly affect the rate of osmosis. If the slope begins with a negative x value, the solution is indeed a hypertonic solution, that when surrounding a cell will cause the cell to lose water, moving from a high concentration to a lower concentration (Reece et al. 33). The slopes which begin with a positive x value demonstrate a hypotonic solution, which causes a cell to take in water (Reece et al. 133). This shows that the direction of osmosis is directed related to the rate of osmosis, or vice versa. The rate of osmosis ultimately determines the direction of osmosis. Depending on which direction osmosis is going- hypertonic, isotonic or hypotonic, determines the rate of osmosis, or the rate of change for each dialysis bag. Or by the means of our experiment, the direction of osmosis was determined by the rate of change in each bag, or the rate of osmosis.Discussion Throughout the study it was concluded that different concentrations of sucrose are allow different rates and directions of osmosis. The results show that the rate of osmosis is directly related to the direction of osmosis, or vice versa. This proposal does not match with our quantitative prediction. Our results for the artificial cells showed different concentrations moved from high to low concentrations- through hypotonic movement or hypertonic movement; however bag #3 with 40% sucrose was expected to be a hypotonic solution, while it was a hypertonic solution.This falsified hypothesis could be due to the explanation that in an animal cell, when a hypertonic solution, the cell experiences crenation. The dialysis tubing creates a theoretical flaw in our experiment because the tubing has a molecular weight cut off of a maximum of 14 kilodaltons, while the average human cell may have a larger or smaller molecular weight cut off, allowing the cell to experience different tonicities. In order to obtain more accurate results, modifications should be made. More drastic concentrations of sucr ose in the dialysis tubing should be tested in order to find the extremes of the rate of change for osmosis.The study enhances the present scholarship in this area by exposing osmosis along a free energy gradient. However, other experiments could increase our knowledge about the relationship between concentration gradients and rates. An experiment that includes the idea that the selectively permeable membrane moves, might allow for more accurate results (Patlak and Watters). The qualified location mirrors the volume of each side of the membrane, which affects the total number of particles on each side (Patlak and Watters).Our experiment exposes the ideal notion that there is no net movement of a solvent and the water is what diffuses across the membrane. Works Cited Carmichael, Jeff, Mark Grabe and Jonathan Wenger. Biology 150 Laboratory Review. University of North Dakota, n. d. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. Patlak, Joseph and Chris Watters. Diffusion and Osmosis. University of Vermont and Midd lebury College, 1997. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. Reece, Jane B. , et al. Campbell Biology. San Francisco: Pearson Education Inc. , 2005. Print.

Liabilities of a Director Essay

A company is usually established by individuals or Directors (officers included) in this case so as to run it in appropriate manner in order to make maximum profits. For this to happen, it is for the company (Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd in our case) to enter or make contracts with outsiders like Kaplan Bank Ltd and Space Solutions Pty Ltd as far as our case is concerned. The contracts made by the company with other outsiders are usually done by Directors who are, most often than not, act as representatives of that mentioned company and be able to be liable by the acts of its Directors as stated in s126. Directors acting on behalf of the company during any contracts are usually in a crucial position of trust within that company, and therefore, the vast array of legal duties will stretch out on their shoulders for holding that position. Due to this hot position, it is easier than not, for their powers to be abused in different ways. Directors have been known to abuse their powers in office for their personal gain. For example, Directors have been held liable for inappropriately using company’s funds in making their personal secret profits. In such cases, the corporate law comes into play (the Common Law and the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) and Directors or any other officer who recklessly breach specific duties and obligations should be prosecuted in the court of law. So for the purpose of liability, the common law and the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) have been laid down so as to minimize the risk of wrongful behaviors by company’s Directors. In this paper, I will discuss the responsibilities, liabilities and duties of a director(s) in a company and give examples how Directors of various companies have been accounted or held responsible for infringing Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) laws. Directors’ Duties Since companies are usually established and managed by directors and a number of officers, these directors have that ostensible authority, collectively, to represent that mentioned company and not as an individual Director. As I am going to talk about it below, some individual directors (Andrew and Brian in this case) have been known to enter in to some kind of contract with outsiders (other companies) and not collectively as board of directors, as allowed under s201J and s198D of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Directors, in most cases, have contravened these sections of the Act because they have their own material personal interests outside the company and have disowned their â€Å"duty to act honestly and in good faith to the best interest of the company† as per Part 2D.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Directors can only avoid the civil or criminal penalties for breaching the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) only if they fully understand their liabilities and duties (Sieve rs, 1997 and Cassidy, 2006). Some of Corporations Acts laws, which directors need to be watchful for, in order to avoid contravening Corporations Act laws, are and not limited to: 1. Act in good faith and honest for the best interest of the company. 2. By considering company’s interests ahead of their own. 3. Avoiding conflicts of duty and interest. 4. Duty to avoid insolvent trading by the company 1. Duty to act honestly and in good faith to the best interest of the company As far as s181 of Corporations Acts 2001 (Cth) is concerned, any director including Andrew and Brian in our case, have to act â€Å"in good faith and in the best interest of the company (Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd)† (see Darval v North Sydney Brick and Tile Co (1988) 6 ACLC 154) and not for their personal intentional purposes. In our case, before resigning, Brian set up his own jewellery business so that he can engage in a lucrative business of supplying jewellery to his new friend Victor after resigning from Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd. Brian, under Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s.184, may have infringed the statutory duties that are found in ss.181-183, and therefore liable for civil or criminal penalties as per Corporations Act laws (Sievers, 1997 and Cassidy, 2006). 2. Duty not to improperly use the position of a director to gain any personal benefits As contained in s182 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), directors must demonstrate their powers for the required purposes so that companies like Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd for example can benefit and those directors who violate s180 of the Corporations Act law Sbe penalized or disqualified in the court of law as was illustrated in the case of Mills v. Mills (1938) 60 CLR 150 (Cassidy, 2006). In our case, the exercise of power by Brian to secure some personal advantage by starting his own jewellery business, is considered as an ‘improper purpose’ because it is not within the purpose of benefiting Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd, but to himself (see Mills v. Mills (1938) 60 CLR 150, Biala Pty Ltd v. Uallina Holdings (No 2) (1993) and ASIC v. Adler (2002)). Eventually, Brian will be responsible for any financial benefit he might have received as the head of Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd (see Queensland mine Ltd v Hudson (1978) 18 ALR 1) (Cassidy, 2006, p. 251). 3. Avoiding conflicts of duty and interest. The conflict of interest is a matter for all board of directors that does not only affect specific directors in the company. According to section 182 and 183 of the Corporations Act, any misuse of director’s position just for the disadvantage of the company and for the benefit of the director is generally forbidden by the law (see Aberdeen Railway Co. v. Blaikie Bros (1854). If some sections like s191 to s195 of the Corporation Act is analyzed further, it details some important rules on how Directors (Brian included) are supposed to disclose or declare to the board of directors, if there is any personal interest that is related to the affairs of the company. This is required so as to ensure that the honesty and integrity of directors are thoroughly observed (Cassidy, 2006). As far as our case is concerned, Brian may have violated s181 of the Corporations Act, for he did not declare or disclose to the board of directors that he has some interest of starting is own business as required under s191 (3) and he may be prosecuted in the court of law for not declaring his interest. 4. Duty to prevent insolvent trading by the company Corporate regulators have tried many means to make sure that there are no companies that can trade while insolvent by imposing higher level of liability on directors. As per s588G of the Corporations Act, civil penalties and personal liability on directors have been imposed on them if in case a company incur a debt and is declared insolvent. An example of a case where directors were liable for the company’s insolvency was that of Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Friedrich. Here, Maxwell Eise who was a director was fined millions of dollars for causing the company to undergo insolvency. The court argued that Maxwell Eise (Brian and Andrew in our case) had breached s588G of the Corporations Act and was liable for debts incurred by the company because his failure to prevent it. If in case directors of companies like Pandora Diamonds and Gems Pty Ltd have acted criminally and believed to be dishonest, in which may harm the company because of their self personal advantage, ASIC with the assistance of Australian Federal Police, criminal investigation can be conducted and tough procedures has to be followed when collecting evidence that will be use to determined as to whether a prosecution should go a head. And if the case is found to be more serious, it will be handled with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution; otherwise the lower courts will deal with these kinds of cases. All in all, directors should carefully study, understand and appreciate their duties and responsibilities that they are subject to as company bosses. Being a director of a company is not an easy task because there are several fiduciary duties that need to be adhered to.

Free Essays on Kurt Cobain

Shortly after 11:00 A.M., three coroners from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the Cobain residence and took little time in concluding that Cobain died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Cobain residence had by this time become a media circus, and the media soon learned of the coroners’ conclusion. It was reported to the world that Kurt Cobain had committed suicide. The police report said â€Å"Suicide† under the â€Å"Subject† heading, said that the gunshot wound to Kurt’s head appeared to be self-inflicted, and mentioned the â€Å"suicide note†. There is much controversy about the cause of Kurt Cobain’s death. Considerable circumstantial evidence has been revealed that suggests that Cobain was murdered. In their book Who Killed Kurt Cobain?, Ian Halperlin and Max Wallace summarize this evidence. There were no legible fingerprints on the shotgun that inflicted the fatal wound to Cobain. There were also no fingerprints on the pen used to write the â€Å"suicide note† or on the box of shotgun shells. It is hard to imagine that Kurt could shoot himself without leaving fingerprints on the gun. Kurt died with three times a lethal dose of heroin in his bloodstream. Such a dose would knock even the most tolerant addict unconscious in seconds. After shooting up, Kurt would not have had time to put away his needle, much less to put away his needle and then shoot himself. The last four lines of the â€Å"suicide note†, which were written after Kurt signed his name, were not written in Kurt’s handwriting. The rest of the letter, which was written by Cobain, does not mention suicide, and it has been suggested that Kurt was planning to leave Nirvana and wrote the note to explain this to his fans. Only with the four lines written by someone else is the note a suicide note. Lastly, Kurt’s credit card was used twice between the when he died (as determined by the medical examiner) and when his body was found. The greenh... Free Essays on Kurt Cobain Free Essays on Kurt Cobain Shortly after 11:00 A.M., three coroners from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the Cobain residence and took little time in concluding that Cobain died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Cobain residence had by this time become a media circus, and the media soon learned of the coroners’ conclusion. It was reported to the world that Kurt Cobain had committed suicide. The police report said â€Å"Suicide† under the â€Å"Subject† heading, said that the gunshot wound to Kurt’s head appeared to be self-inflicted, and mentioned the â€Å"suicide note†. There is much controversy about the cause of Kurt Cobain’s death. Considerable circumstantial evidence has been revealed that suggests that Cobain was murdered. In their book Who Killed Kurt Cobain?, Ian Halperlin and Max Wallace summarize this evidence. There were no legible fingerprints on the shotgun that inflicted the fatal wound to Cobain. There were also no fingerprints on the pen used to write the â€Å"suicide note† or on the box of shotgun shells. It is hard to imagine that Kurt could shoot himself without leaving fingerprints on the gun. Kurt died with three times a lethal dose of heroin in his bloodstream. Such a dose would knock even the most tolerant addict unconscious in seconds. After shooting up, Kurt would not have had time to put away his needle, much less to put away his needle and then shoot himself. The last four lines of the â€Å"suicide note†, which were written after Kurt signed his name, were not written in Kurt’s handwriting. The rest of the letter, which was written by Cobain, does not mention suicide, and it has been suggested that Kurt was planning to leave Nirvana and wrote the note to explain this to his fans. Only with the four lines written by someone else is the note a suicide note. Lastly, Kurt’s credit card was used twice between the when he died (as determined by the medical examiner) and when his body was found. The greenh... Free Essays on Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain was arguably the most influential artist in rock music. His music was powerful, scary, yet comforting because he wrote what most people were afraid to talk about. The word â€Å"taboo† had no meaning to him. His life was hard, but it brought out the pain that he was feeling and filtered into his music. He opened many people’s eyes to what some people go through that they would never be aware of if it was not for him. He was a man who touched so many people’s lives, but never himself able to reach total Nirvana. His life started on February 20, 1967, as the first son to Donald and Wendy Cobain. His birthplace was Hoquaim, Washington, but when Kurt was six years old, his family moved to nearby Aberdeen, a small logging community that had been in decline since the mid-nineteenth century. During his childhood, he displayed a flair for artistic activities and was an outgoing, intelligent boy. His parents divorce in 1975 however, changed all that. It was an ordinary divorce, but it effected Kurt greatly. His whole personality changed. He became difficult to cop with and shy. The divorce resulted with harsh custody battles that caused Kurt to be shuffled between his parents’ homes as well as those of several relatives. Kurt had a childhood like any other. He was a creative, outgoing child who was musically gifted from the start. He played his little plastic guitar when he was three years old, until he was four, when he received his first Mickey Mouse drum set. He used to come home every day and play the drums until they broke. Kurt did not like school. He felt lonely and lost. He liked to paint and sing, but the other boys were more into football and athletics, which automatically excluded Kurt from them. Most of the girls liked Kurt and he spent much of his time with them because he felt closer to the feminine side of himself rather than the male macho persona that most men carry. The boys’ only a...