Digital Fortress Chapter 50-54

Chapter 50 Only yards from TRANSLTR's hull, Phil Chartrukian stood over a patch of white lettering on the Crypto floor. CRYPTO SUBLEVELS AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY He knew he was definitely not authorized personnel. He shot a quick glance up at Strathmore's office. The curtains were still pulled. Chartrukian had seen Susan Fletcher go into the bathrooms, so he knew she wasn't a problem. The only other question was Hale. He glanced toward Node 3, wondering if the cryptographer were watching. â€Å"Fuck it,† he grumbled. Below his feet the outline of a recessed trapdoor was barely visible in the floor. Chartrukian palmed the key he'd just taken from the Sys-Sec lab. He knelt down, inserted the key in the floor, and turned. The bolt beneath clicked. Then he unscrewed the large external butterfly latch and freed the door. Checking once again over his shoulder, he squatted down and pulled. The panel was small, only three feet by three feet, but it was heavy. When it finally opened, the Sys-Sec stumbled back. A blast of hot air hit him in the face. It carried with it the sharp bite of freon gas. Billows of steam swirled out of the opening, illuminated by the red utility lighting below. The distant hum of the generators became a rumble. Chartrukian stood up and peered into the opening. It looked more like the gateway to hell than a service entrance for a computer. A narrow ladder led to a platform under the floor. Beyond that, there were stairs, but all he could see was swirling red mist. Greg Hale stood behind the one-way glass of Node 3. He watched as Phil Chartrukian eased himself down the ladder toward the sublevels. From where Hale was standing, the Sys-Sec's head appeared to have been severed from his body and left out on the Crypto floor. Then, slowly, it sank into the swirling mist. â€Å"Gutsy move,† Hale muttered. He knew where Chartrukian was headed. An emergency manual abort of TRANSLTR was a logical action if he thought the computer had a virus. Unfortunately, it was also a sure way to have Crypto crawling with Sys-Secs in about ten minutes. Emergency actions raised alert flags at the main switchboard. A Sys-Sec investigation of Crypto was something Hale could not afford. Hale left Node 3 and headed for the trapdoor. Chartrukian had to be stopped. Chapter 51 Jabba resembled a giant tadpole. Like the cinematic creature for whom he was nicknamed, the man was a hairless spheroid. As resident guardian angel of all NSA computer systems, Jabba marched from department to department, tweaking, soldering, and reaffirming his credo that prevention was the best medicine. No NSA computer had ever been infected under Jabba's reign; he intended to keep it that way. Jabba's home base was a raised workstation overlooking the NSA's underground, ultra-secret databank. It was there that a virus would do the most damage and there that he spent the majority of his time. At the moment, however, Jabba was taking a break and enjoying pepperoni calzones in the NSA's all-night commissary. He was about to dig into his third when his cellular phone rang. â€Å"Go,† he said, coughing as he swallowed a mouthful. â€Å"Jabba,† a woman's voice cooed. â€Å"It's Midge.† â€Å"Data Queen!† the huge man gushed. He'd always had a soft spot for Midge Milken. She was sharp, and she was also the only woman Jabba had ever met who flirted with him. â€Å"How the hell are you?† â€Å"No complaints.† Jabba wiped his mouth. â€Å"You on site?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Care to join me for a calzone?† â€Å"Love to Jabba, but I'm watching these hips.† â€Å"Really?† He snickered. â€Å"Mind if I join you?† â€Å"You're bad.† â€Å"You have no idea†¦.† â€Å"Glad I caught you in,† she said. â€Å"I need some advice.† He took a long swallow of Dr Pepper. â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"It might be nothing,† Midge said, â€Å"but my Crypto stats turned up something odd. I was hoping you could shed some light.† â€Å"What ya got?† He took another sip. â€Å"I've got a report saying TRANSLTR's been running the same file for eighteen hours and hasn't cracked it.† Jabba sprayed Dr Pepper all over his calzone. â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Any ideas?† He dabbed at his calzone with a napkin. â€Å"What report is this?† â€Å"Production report. Basic cost analysis stuff.† Midge quickly explained what she and Brinkerhoff had found. â€Å"Have you called Strathmore?† â€Å"Yes. He said everything's fine in Crypto. Said TRANSLTR's running full speed ahead. Said our data's wrong.† Jabba furrowed his bulbous forehead. â€Å"So what's the problem? Your report glitched.† Midge did not respond. Jabba caught her drift. He frowned. â€Å"You don't think your report glitched?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"So you think Strathmore's lying?† â€Å"It's not that,† Midge said diplomatically, knowing she was on fragile ground. â€Å"It's just that my stats have never been wrong in the past. I thought I'd get a second opinion.† â€Å"Well,† Jabba said, â€Å"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your data's fried.† â€Å"You think so?† â€Å"I'd bet my job on it.† Jabba took a big bite of soggy calzone and spoke with his mouth full. â€Å"Longest a file has ever lasted inside TRANSLTR is three hours. That includes diagnostics, boundary probes, everything. Only thing that could lock it down for eighteen hours would have to be viral. Nothing else could do it.† â€Å"Viral?† â€Å"Yeah, some kind of redundant cycle. Something that got into the processors, created a loop, and basically gummed up the works.† â€Å"Well,† she ventured, â€Å"Strathmore's been in Crypto for about thirty-six hours straight. Any chance he's fighting a virus?† Jabba laughed. â€Å"Strathmore's been in there for thirty-six hours? Poor bastard. His wife probably said he can't come home. I hear she's bagging his ass.† Midge thought a moment. She'd heard that too. She wondered if maybe she was being paranoid. â€Å"Midge.† Jabba wheezed and took another long drink. â€Å"If Strathmore's toy had a virus, he would have called me. Strathmore's sharp, but he doesn't know shit about viruses. TRANSLTR's all he's got. First sign of trouble, he would have pressed the panic button-and around here, that means me.† Jabba sucked in a long strand of mozzarella. â€Å"Besides, there's no way in hell TRANSLTR has a virus. Gauntlet's the best set of package filters I've ever written. Nothing gets through.† After a long silence, Midge sighed. â€Å"Any other thoughts?† â€Å"Yup. Your data's fried.† â€Å"You already said that.† â€Å"Exactly.† She frowned. â€Å"You haven't caught wind of anything? Anything at all?† Jabba laughed harshly. â€Å"Midge†¦ listen up. Skipjack sucked. Strathmore blew it. But move on-it's over.† There was a long silence on the line, and Jabba realized he'd gone too far. â€Å"Sorry, Midge. I know you took heat over that whole mess. Strathmore was wrong. I know how you feel about him.† â€Å"This has nothing to do with Skipjack,† she said firmly. Yeah, sure, Jabba thought. â€Å"Listen, Midge, I don't have feelings for Strathmore one way or another. I mean, the guy's a cryptographer. They're basically all self-centered assholes. They need their data yesterday. Every damn file is the one that could save the world.† â€Å"So what are you saying?† Jabba sighed. â€Å"I'm saying Strathmore's a psycho like the rest of them. But I'm also saying he loves TRANSLTR more than his own goddamn wife. If there were a problem, he would have called me.† Midge was quiet a long time. Finally she let out a reluctant sigh. â€Å"So you're saying my data's fried?† Jabba chuckled. â€Å"Is there an echo in here?† She laughed. â€Å"Look, Midge. Drop me a work order. I'll be up on Monday to double-check your machine. In the meantime, get the hell out of here. It's Saturday night. Go get yourself laid or something.† She sighed. â€Å"I'm trying, Jabba. Believe me, I'm trying.† Chapter 52 Club Embrujo-â€Å"Warlock† in English-was situated in the suburbs at the end of the number 27 bus line. Looking more like a fortification than a dance club, it was surrounded on all sides by high stucco walls into which were embedded shards of shattered beer bottles-a crude security system preventing anyone from entering illegally without leaving behind a good portion of flesh. During the ride, Becker had resolved himself to the fact that he'd failed. It was time to call Strathmore with the bad news-the search was hopeless. He had done the best he could; now it was time to go home. But now, gazing out at the mob of patrons pushing their way through the club's entrance, Becker was not so sure his conscience would allow him to give up the search. He was staring at the biggest crowd of punks he'd ever seen; there were coiffures of red, white, and blue everywhere. Becker sighed, weighing his options. He scanned the crowd and shrugged. Where else would she be on a Saturday night? Cursing his good fortune, Becker climbed off the bus. The access to Club Embrujo was a narrow stone corridor. As Becker entered he immediately felt himself caught up in the inward surge of eager patrons. â€Å"Outta my way, faggot!† A human pincushion pawed past him, giving Becker an elbow in the side. â€Å"Nice tie.† Someone gave Becker's necktie a hard yank. â€Å"Wanna fuck?† A teenage girl stared up at him looking like something out of Dawn of the Dead. The darkness of the corridor spilled out into a huge cement chamber that reeked of alcohol and body odor. The scene was surreal-a deep mountain grotto in which hundreds of bodies moved as one. They surged up and down, hands pressed firmly to their sides, heads bobbing like lifeless bulbs on top of rigid spines. Crazed souls took running dives off a stage and landed on a sea of human limbs. Bodies were passed back and forth like human beach balls. Overhead, the pulsating strobes gave the whole thing the look of an old, silent movie. On the far wall, speakers the size of minivans shook so deeply that not even the most dedicated dancers could get closer than thirty feet from the pounding woofers. Becker plugged his ears and searched the crowd. Everywhere he looked was another red, white, and blue head. The bodies were packed so closely together that he couldn't see what they were wearing. He saw no hint of a British flag anywhere. It was obvious he'd never be able to enter the crowd without getting trampled. Someone nearby started vomiting. Lovely. Becker groaned. He moved off down a spray-painted hallway. The hall turned into a narrow mirrored tunnel, which opened to an outdoor patio scattered with tables and chairs. The patio was crowded with punk rockers, but to Becker it was like the gateway to Shangri-La-the summer sky opened up above him and the music faded away. Ignoring the curious stares, Becker walked out into the crowd. He loosened his tie and collapsed into a chair at the nearest unoccupied table. It seemed like a lifetime since Strathmore's early-morning call. After clearing the empty beer bottles from his table, Becker laid his head in his hands. Just for a few minutes, he thought. Five miles away, the man in wire-rim glasses sat in the back of a Fiat taxi as it raced headlong down a country road. â€Å"Embrujo,† he grunted, reminding the driver of their destination. The driver nodded, eyeing his curious new fare in the rearview mirror. â€Å"Embrujo,† he grumbled to himself. â€Å"Weirder crowd every night.† Chapter 53 Tokugen Numataka lay naked on the massage table in his penthouse office. His personal masseuse worked out the kinks in his neck. She ground her palms into the fleshy pockets surrounding his shoulder blades, slowly working her way down to the towel covering his backside. Her hands slipped lower†¦ beneath his towel. Numataka barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere. He had been waiting for his private line to ring. It had not. There was a knock at the door. â€Å"Enter,† Numataka grunted. The masseuse quickly pulled her hands from beneath the towel. The switchboard operator entered and bowed. â€Å"Honored chairman?† â€Å"Speak.† The operator bowed a second time. â€Å"I spoke to the phone exchange. The call originated from country code 1-the United States.† Numataka nodded. This was good news. The call came from the States. He smiled. It was genuine. â€Å"Where in the U.S.?† he demanded. â€Å"They're working on it, sir.† â€Å"Very well. Tell me when you have more.† The operator bowed again and left. Numataka felt his muscles relax. Country code 1. Good news indeed. Chapter 54 Susan Fletcher paced impatiently in the Crypto bathroom and counted slowly to fifty. Her head was throbbing. Just a little longer, she told herself. Hale is North Dakota! Susan wondered what Hale's plans were. Would he announce the pass-key? Would he be greedy and try to sell the algorithm? Susan couldn't bear to wait any longer. It was time. She had to get to Strathmore. Cautiously she cracked the door and peered out at the reflective wall on the far side of Crypto. There was no way to know if Hale was still watching. She'd have to move quickly to Strathmore's office. Not too quickly, of course-she could not let Hale suspect she was on to him. She reached for the door and was about to pull it open when she heard something. Voices. Men's voices. The voices were coming through the ventilation shaft near the floor. She released the door and moved toward the vent. The words were muffled by the dull hum of the generators below. The conversation sounded like it was coming up from the sublevel catwalks. One voice was shrill, angry. It sounded like Phil Chartrukian. â€Å"You don't believe me?† The sound of more arguing rose. â€Å"We have a virus!† Then the sound of harsh yelling. â€Å"We need to call Jabba!† Then there were sounds of a struggle. â€Å"Let me go!† The noise that followed was barely human. It was a long wailing cry of horror, like a tortured animal about to die. Susan froze beside the vent. The noise ended as abruptly as it had begun. Then there was a silence. An instant later, as if choreographed for some cheap horror matinee, the lights in the bathroom slowly dimmed. Then they flickered and went out. Susan Fletcher found herself standing in total blackness.

Market Research Report Energy and Sports Drink Market Growth in Asia Essay

The changing consumer preferences, demand for functional beverages, increasing awareness towards healthy lifestyles and growing urban population in Asia would be the major factors that would drive the market in coming years. An increasing awareness towards healthy lifestyles has led to a transition in the taste and preferences of people in Asia. The young urban population has been the target customer for energy and sports drink brands in this region. The energy and sports drinks are majorly consumed by professional sports people, gym goers and by working professionals and students that require a special beverage in order to boost their energy and stay active. â€Å"The increasing participation of the health conscious people in sports and fitness activities has greatly impacted the growth trend of sports and energy drink market in Asia. The young population aged 25-35 years represents a potential group of customers for the energy and sports drink manufacturers in the region. † – According to the research report ‘Asia Energy and Sports Drink Market Outlook to 2017’ by Ken Research. The increasing media exposure towards sporting events on television has captured the attention of people, which in turn has encouraged the youth to adopt sports as a profession or as a hobby. This has impelled the growth of sports drinks in Asian countries over the last few years. Sports drinks market in Asia is dominated by famous brands such as Gatorade, Powerade and Pocari Sweat. Red Bull majorly has dominated the energy drink market in the region. Red Bull has effectively maintained a strong distribution channel in various countries in Asia such as in India, China, Japan, Thailand and in South Korea. The energy and sports drink market is anticipated to be driven by the growing trend of health and fitness is expected to create significant demand in Asian countries. The consumer expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages is expected to surge in the region owing to the rise in disposable incomes of the people. The rising awareness about fitness and health benefits among the people in the region will encourage more people to join fitness and sports clubs which will drive the demand and consumption of energy and sports drink in the coming years. The report provides detailed overview on the energy and sports drink market in Asia and help reader to identify the ongoing trends in the key segments of the industry and anticipated growth in future depending upon changing industry dynamics in coming years. The report will aid industry consultants, food and beverage service companies and marketing companies and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in future. For More Details Please Click On Following Link: http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/asia-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/429-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/press/news-asia-energy-and-sports-drink-market/211. html Related Links: http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/japan-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/432-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/south-korea-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/433-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/india-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/431-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/thailand-energy-and-sports-market-research-report/434-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/china-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/430-104. html.

The Ozone Behavior and Variability of Thickness

The Ozone Behavior and Variability of Thickness Introduction The ozone O3has good and bad effects on the Earth. For illustration the stratosphere, where most of the ozone is located, absorbs harmful UV beams. Because the ozone plays such an of import function on human life and the ecosystem, it is of import to invariably endeavor to larn more about the ozone and record and analyze informations. Harmonizing to Shaw, while both O and ozone together absorb 95 to 99.9 % of the sun’s UV radiation, merely ozone efficaciously absorbs the most energetic UV visible radiation, known as UV-C and UV-B, which causes biological harm ( Shaw, 2014, p. 3 ) . When UVC is absorbed by free O groups in the stratosphere, they break apart into two O atoms, and so they combine with O2molecules to organize stratospheric ozone Oxygen3, shown by the undermentioned reactions: Oxygen2+hvi O + O O + O2+ M i O3+ M wherehvis ultraviolet radiation and M is an inert molecule that enhances the reaction of O with O2. The ozone is created, destroyed and created once more in rhythms, of course. While there are legion reactions of how the ozone is destroyed of course, anthropogenetic substances/processes are increasing the devastation the ozone. Examples of anthropogenetic substances/processes would beCFC’s such as infrigidation, air conditioning and aerosol propellents.Halons ; man-made chemicals that can be used to snuff out fires.Burning of fossil fuels.If the ozone continues to be destroyed faster than the natural procedure of being created, less and less of the harmful UV visible radiation will be absorbed in the stratosphere and will finally do it to the Earth’s surface. The UV radiation to the surface would ensue in effects to the worlds and the ecosystems such as the addition of skin malignant neoplastic disease instances, development of cataracts, lessening in photosynthetic pro ductiveness, an addition in vaporization rates and lessening in precipitation. To protect the ozone’s hereafter from anthropogenetic substances the Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, with extra understandings, required states to diminish the sum of atmospheric concentrations of CFCs. With these understandings, concentrations chlorine began to diminish in 1995 ( Sahw, 2014, p. 6 ) . Analyzing the information recorded about the ozone thickness provides grounds on whether the ozone is consuming or non, penetration on the effects of anthropogenetic substance/processes and aid in the formation of theories, such as the ozone repairing itself. This assignment will supply a general apprehension of the tendency of longitudinal sets -60/-55, -40/-35, -10/-5, 15-20, 30/35 and 50/55 for the old ages of 1997 – 2005. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data was provided for this assignment by Professor Shaw. Harmonizing to the hand-out provided the information was collected by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ( TOMS ) for the old ages of 1997 – 2005. The TOMS instrument provides scientists with a planetary position of the stratospheric ozone bed in existent clip with measurings for the full universe every 24 hours ( Shaw, 2014, p. 6-7 ) . The provided information was manipulated in an excel spreadsheet to concentrate on latitudinal sets -60/-55, -40/-35, -10/-5, 15/20, 30/35, 50/55. The given informations was so manipulated and graphs created utilizing excel to be better represented and more easy understood. Each latitudinal set of involvement was individually graphed over the eight twelvemonth span to compare by the months of January, April, July and October. Then the one-year mean for each latitudinal set of involvement was calculated ( non including the months with zero readings ) and put into a graph demoing the tend ency of the entire ozone thickness over the eight twelvemonth span. More specific inside informations may be found in the lab instructions titledThe Chemistry of the Ozone Layer( Shaw, 2014, p. 8 ) . Additionally, a press release by Mindy Shaw and the text edition,Global Environment: Water, Air and Geochemical Cycles, were available with information sing the behaviour of the stratigraphic ozone. After reading the stuff sing the stratigraphic ozone the graphs were interpreted and hypothesis’ formed. Consequence Figure 1: The one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal sets -60/-55, -40/-35, -10/-5, 15-20, 30/35, 50-55 for the old ages of 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records. Figure 2: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -60/-55 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Figure 3: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -40/-35 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Figure 4: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -10/-5 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Figure 5: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 15/20 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Figure 6: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 30/35 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Figure 7: The monthly tendency of the ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 50/55 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. Discussion Harmonizing the Figures 2 – 7, the variableness in the tendencies of the latitudinal sets gets larger the further off from the equator they are. Vice versa the closer to the equator the less variableness there is, as seen in Figures 4 and 5. This correlativity is due to the Earth’s joust. As the Earth jousts towards the Sun the Earth receives more sunlight and consequences in longer yearss. This addition in sunlight additions the sum of high-energy solar atoms striking the ambiance which consequences in an addition in coevals of ozone. The information besides shows a tendency of a thicker ozone bed near the poles during the spring seasons for the single poles respectfully ( Figure 2 and Figure 7 ) . The North Pole spring season begins around March while the South Pole spring season begins around September. A upper limit of thickness is shown for the North Pole in Figure 7 and South Pole in Figure 2. This addition in thickness during the spring season could perchance be due to the accretion of ozone transported from the Torrid Zones during the autumn and winter seasons. The twelvemonth to twelvemonth informations shows that surprisingly the ozone thickness is bit by bit increasing over clip ( Figure 1 ) . In fact, out of the latitudinal sets of involvement, the latitudinal set -10/-5 was the lone one to diminish in thickness over the eight twelvemonth span. This information entirely ( including merely the old ages of involvement from 1997 – 2005 ) does non back up the theory that the ozone is being depleted quicker than it is being of course created ; nevertheless, the correlativity of the alteration should be noted as due to the lessening of anthropogenetic substance by the Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, and other extra understandings that decreased the atmospheric concentrations of CFCs. This proves an opposite relationship that a lessening in anthropogenetic substance consequences in an addition in ozone thickness. Decision Because the ozone plays such an of import function to human life and the ecosystem, it is of import to understand the behaviour and variableness of its thickness. Knowing the ozone’s behaviour allows us to protect our hereafter and cognize to diminish the usage of anthropogenetic substances/processes. By analysing informations over old ages, scientist can foretell whether or non the ozone is being depleted faster than it is of course being created or if it is repairing itself. Harmonizing to the informations the ozone fluctuates in thickness globally due to latitudinal place, seasonal alterations and the increase/decrease of anthropogenetic substances. While latitudinal place and seasons is a natural procedures in assisting with creative activity and devastation rhythm of the ozone, the sum anthropogenetic substances is something that can be controlled. The information proves that a lessening in anthropogenetic substance consequences in an addition in ozone thickness. Appendix: Appendix 1: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -60/-55 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band -60 / -55 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997309.5297.8292.4294.9292.9297.2301.7314.6323.6326.8323309.33071998304.5295.4289.1290.2299.3318.7323.1317.9316.3334.9332310.93111999301.5292.8288.8290.6299.9309.8316.3314325.5333.6329.8306.53092000297.2293.9291.6291.4291.3295.2296.5295.7321.7344.5337.3322.13072001307.8297.9295.1296305.6315.8315.4310321328.8330309.23112002301.6292294.7291.8299.5313.5327.5338.8351.5367.9343325.23212003313.3304.2295.2293.9297299.1303.6299315.3344.1342.2321.13112004307.3299.6295.7302.1301.1308.2310.6321.4334.9344329.4313.73142005308.8295.1287.4287.9290.5299.6303317.4329.5342.9338.60309Appendix 2: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -40/-35 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band -40 / -35 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997270.3269.2267.3266.2271.6280.5290.1305.6319317.3302.9285.82871998277.4272.8271.8273.8284.3300.8316.3323335.8329.9312.8295.63001999271.5268.9267.8268.3272.9286302.8318.8327.4327311.6286.62922000274.5268.7265.2268277.9296.1312.2330.2336.4331.1309.6286.62962001278.9271268.2269.9279.6301.1319.3326335.4332.1317.8297.63002002284.3279.8274.5276.4282.5296311.3326.6330330.8311.3297.73002003284.3279.5273.9272.6276.4296314.8331.4339.5334.8316.6292.93012004280.4273.8270.5263.5270.8279.9294.5312324319.6305.7285.72902005275.7272.1271271.2281.7303.8319.7335.2340.7335.6309.80302Appendix 3: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set -10/-5 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band -10 / -5 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997254257260.5260.3255.4256.8258.7259.5265.5266.8259.7247.92591998242.2245.9248.7249.1249.6250.1256.6264.9272.9273.7269.4267.32581999260.9262260.6262.2262.1261.3264.5267.5273.1272.7265.3258.22642000257.7258.4260.7261.1259.7258.5258.2263.6269264.2258.5253.52602001253.1249.5251.8252.6248.8247.5250.8257.4269.5273.3272.8270.12582002269271.4269.6267.2261.5258.9258.5263.9268.3268.8264254.62652003252.1253.5255.7255.4254.1255.9257.4262.9268.9264.3260258.52582004254258.9261262.7261.4260.6264.5267.6273.3267.3261.9256.62622005253.2253.2252.4251.6251.1252.7256259.8264.2264.5257.80256Appendix 4: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 15/20 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band 15 / 20 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997236.5239.8253.2267.7271.9273.2276.8272.7268.1263254247.72601998243.8250.5262.4276.3281281.6282.3280.5276.1265249.4244.22661999240243255.1272.2280.9282.8282.2281277.9269.3259.7254.72672000256.3262.9270.8283.4285.7283.6281.5280.2275.7264253.9247.82702001251.1253.4267.9283.8285.3283.6282.9281.3274.7264.2252.3241.42682002241.4248.6259.1275.3282.5284.5282278.9273.4265.2256.9245.42662003244252.4270.2284.1289.8289.4287.2284.4277.8263248.3241.82692004236.7242.5257.4271.1280.6286285.3281.9277266.8258.9253.42662005254.9260.2268.2277.4283279.4279.3276.1272.9263.1248.80269Appendix 5: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 30/35 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band 30 / 35 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997279.5286.7300.3306.9303299.4291.6283.8279.2278.7277282.52891998291.7303.7319.4325.6324.6310.3297.6293.3283.6272.7262.1263.32961999270.1281290.8305.2311303.2297.7293284.4274.7274.1277.32892000292.5297.2310.3315311.4301.1296.4291.9282.5270262.3270.42922001285.8292.8309.3320.9317.6304.2297.7292.9280.6272.9266.9266.92922002270.9277.1296.9314.6316.1309.3299.8292.8283.6274.8271.52812912003290.5309.1317.9323.4321.8311.3300.7294.9283.9271.3264267.42962004273.1283.1295312.7316.9308.5301.6293.2283.8276.5269.7279.22912005297.6308.9314.2320.3320.2308.1296.9290.9280.8268261.20297Table 6: The monthly norm and one-year mean ozone thickness recorded by the TOMS for the latitudinal set 50/55 for the old ages 1997 – 2005. The ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units ( DU ) . The one-year mean calculated does non include the nothing ( 0 ) records.Monthly Average and Annual Mean Ozone Thickness For the Latitudinal Band 50 / 55 Thickness measured in Dobson Units ( DU )YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual Mean1997364.4383.4384.9371.4359.2348.3330312302.7298.7308.83423421998380397.9407.4401.2381.4364.2339.6320.6308.6304.6329.5342.13561999365.3387.8413.6391372.9354.7330.8314.9305.6306.7312.2341.43502000359.8383.6387377369.8348.1327.4309301.2304.5323.2362.13462001377.5405.3407.3395.9373.6356.3332.4315.6307.5310309.5343.23532002361371.6397.2389375.9356.2331.3316.2303.7308.4318.93553492003378398.4409.5401.8381.2357.7340.1322307301.4318.3334.83542004367.2386.1399.5393.7373.6354.3333.4320.4304.7297304.8329.93472005350.2374.5390.5382.6370.2351.7332.7315.3301.7296.6

Project Management For Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Management For Healthcare - Essay Example IT risks may involve computer viruses, hacking, phishing or completed system crashes. In healthcare these have very high risk levels as they may result in loss of important electronic records for the organization and patients thus wreaking havoc to the whole system. IT risks may also involve the project information being accessed by others who may want to use it. The financial element of project management can also be a potential risk to healthcare projects; if for some reason the organization does not have enough finances for the project then it may be brought to a complete halt. Liability issues are also common in healthcare involving management of patients and their information and thus project managers must put into consideration. Risks coming directly from the project may include doing something for the first time, changes in crucial requirements, poor estimation of resources and lack of clarity in definition of responsibilities. There may also be external risks in the forms of natural catastrophes, and regulations e.g. on manufacturers of medical instruments and pharmaceutical companies. People risks include lack of proper controls, poor relations, lack of leadership, organizational designs being poor, lack of conflict management programs in place and people lacking proper skills to communicate. In conclusion therefore project management for healthcare is not an easy task; so many events some unexpected may pose risks which may make it very hard to successfully run a project. Risks range from IT, issues, financial resources, the environment, people issues and natural events. It is therefore to anticipate challenges upfront when running with projects and plan some mitigation plans in order to ensure the project is a

3d imaging using matlab Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

3d imaging using matlab - Essay Example However, none of these algorithms succeed to process more than a few tens of images when the amount of missing elements reaches 90% of the measurement matrix and cameras have large field of view (Martinec & Pajdla 2005). (Martinec & Pajdla 2005) proposes an algorithm has the following advantages: First, it provides an overall scene structure in a single step without requirements such as linear ordering of images in a sequence. Second, the solution is obtained as a global optimum of a reasonable cost function defined on an approximation to the original SFM (structure-from-motion) problem. (Martin & Doerry 2005) modify the existing Polar Format MATLAB implementation utilizing the Chirp Z-Transform that improves performance and memory usage achieving near real-time results for smaller apertures. They also add two new image formation options that perform a more traditional interpolation style image formation. These options allow the continued exploration of possible interpolation methods for image formation and some preliminary results comparing image quality are given. In this paper we review the principles used in reconstruction of three dimension images from two dimension images from a digital camera. The reconstruction algorithm of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is presented and implemented in MATLAB in the following sections. This section overviews the process of representing a three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional representation. The projection process loses one dimension. This process is usually central projection in which a ray from a point in space is drawn from a three dimension world point through a fixed point in space, the centre of projection. This ray will intersect the chosen plane as the image plane. The intersection of the ray with the image plane represents the image of the point. This projection is similar to the camera in which a ray of light from a point in the world passes through the lens of a camera

Moleecules and the Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moleecules and the Mind - Essay Example This can provide anti-oxidant protection against heart disease and cancer. But since studies have not shown clear consistent results, it is still debatable whether organically grown food has a higher nutrient value. Organic food tastes better. Organic farming emphasizes soil nutrition. This can positively improve the taste of food. The better taste can also be due to the fact that organic food is often sold closer to the place of production and hence is fresher. Organic farming emphasizes the use of renewable resources. It follows methods that conserve water and the nutrient value of the soil to ensure enhanced environmental quality to future generations. Organic agriculture is concerned with the health of the soil and the whole ecosystem in which crops are grown and livestock is raised. It recognizes the importance of sustaining healthy, vibrant and live soil for the conservation of the quality of the environment, which in turn benefits crops. Washing fresh produce may help reduce chemical residues but it will not eliminate them. Simple washing vegetables and fruits under water is not likely to remove all traces of pesticides and chemicals. This is because most pesticides have chemicals that make them stick to the surface of the vegetable or fruit. These are not soluble in water. It has been suggested that washing with soap or detergent followed by thorough rinsing can remove most of the pesticide residues. P

Comparative Essay about two short story Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative about two short story - Essay Example The first story, Prisoner on the hell plant, is based on the character Artie who has a lot to suffer in his life. Artie is a loner in this cruel and harsh world, a person who just lost his mother and considers himself to be a reason for the loss. He has a history of mental illness and when he came out of the asylum, Artie had a clear view of life in his mind. He wanted his life to improve and to be successful. Artie had been trying to improve his living standards, to get a good job and to worsk and support his mother. But, one day he receives the news of his mother committing suicide and the life he had been dreaming of shattered and the sky fell upon him as he realized what he had lost. Since the receiving of this new, Artie had been trying to figure out a way to find why his mother committed suicide. He had been making out reasons to make himself feel a little less guilty but, all he was left behind was the guilt that he made his mother commit suicide. Even though he was not, people around him were telling him that and consoling him. They were there for him and telling him that he was not at all guilty but Artie felt like he was going insane again and now that he has lost his only hope in the world, there is no chance for him to be a successful man he had dreamt of. Similar scenario is face by Marjane in ‘The Veil’. Marjane is a young girl with big dreams. Dreams of a world where all would be equal and no person would see the other with a sense of superiority. Marjane studies in the school at a time when revolutionists had called for different schools for the two sexes and wearing the veil was made necessary for the girls in school. This new law was not accepted by many and protests were going around in the country by groups both favoring and against this. Her class fellows did not like wearing the veil that much and most of them would remove it whenever they get a

Irrational Consumer Behavior. Why consumer often makes irrational Essay

Irrational Consumer Behavior. Why consumer often makes irrational decision to buy a low quality product because of advertisement or cultures - Essay Example Often a big poster of advertisement or television leads people to make some irrational decision in buying products. The role of television advertisement is significant in irrational consumer behavior (Mafe & Blas, 2007). Consumers often buy a low quality product because they were â€Å"deceived† by the advertisement. This happens because a majority number of individuals just trust tons of beautiful fonts, and words on the advertisement without making any further research about the products. The importance of the sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin) plus peer pressure play an important role in irrational buying. Thus, the marketers often create great teasers to play with the consumer emotion because they know that the coherent pictures and the dynamic graphic on the commercial video are enormous stimuli for getting the consumer attention. Advertisement makes a lot of people ignore the details that are more important than the words that are written on the advert isement. If individuals do more research before they buy the products, they will make the rational choice. However, only a few people are eager to look up additional information on the internet when they are already falling in love with the advertisement on the Television, and Posters. Furthermore peer pressure is also involved in influencing people’s mind when deciding the products that they want to purchase. All of this influential advertisements, that are created by marketers often lead people in choosing some of the bad choices. The marketer has a great way to advertise their product in society with the right timing, and at the right moment. Therefore, people’s perception of being interested at some commercial often lead many people to forget about the health issue because of their subliminal perception. This forces the consumers to purchase more expensive products of low quality because of advertisement Stimulus of the big brand products, and get a poor service by paying a great amount of money after just looking at the descriptive terms of the advertisement. Health is one of the crucial issues in this world. Individuals need health in order to do their jobs. However, there are a lot of health issues in today’s world. But why people often make an irrational decision by buying these unhealthy products with higher price instead of cheaper healthier foods? It is because people frequently consume unhealthy foods. For example, they are willing to spend $1 more for Soda like Coca Cola, and Sprite. This is because of they are attracted by the beautiful soda commercial. Many of soda firms contract a great marketers in their division to market the products. So today, a lot of Soda Corporations are focused on the subliminal perception of people. â€Å"Stimuli that are too weak or to brief to be consciously seen or heard may nevertheless be strong enough† (Schifmann & Kanuk, 2009, Pg. 160). It is about the stimulated awareness of people t hat responds to the advertisement they have watched. By understanding this fact, the marketers use the subliminal commands like DRINK SPRITE, and filming a commercial that tells the audiences that COKE is the best beverage to relieve the feeling of thirst. These types of advertisement have a high effectiveness in becoming a great attention grabber. A big number of people make an irrational decision by buying these drinks as their daily beverages when they can buy cheaper bottle of water that is healthier. Even though Soda brings many health issues like Diabetes, and Obesity, they don’t care about that because they prefer to satisfy their needs after watching the interesting advertisement. Mostly these ads are aired on television, and television advertisement plays a great role in purchase decisions

Data Mining In Tracking Customer Behavior Patterns Essay

Data Mining In Tracking Customer Behavior Patterns - Essay Example The computing power is increasing at the rate specified by Moore's law, doubling every eighteen months. The technology upgrade to parallel processing has vastly contributed to more powerful machines. There have been a number of statistical applications and algorithms that were waiting for larger computing power to arrive. Data mining makes use of these algorithms to enable data mining possibilities. In addition to these, data is being collected on a very large scale at all levels. More the data better the data mining exercise has been the watchword of most of the work that is carried out. All these combine to make data mining. Using this data and applying appropriate models, the results of the data mining is obtained. This would enable businesses to identify buying behavior patterns from customers; identify customer demographic characteristics and predict customer response to emails. Most of the cases, both commercial and scientific establishments report a condition where there is a large quantity of data which is collected and stored. But there is hardly any information for the people to make use of. In its basics, the data mining efforts start with employing appropriate data models that would help in understanding the system and its behavior (Hand D J, 2001). This would further help in augmenting the nature of work executed and the future of the object becomes more predictable. This is possible to do only if the object is understood well and the modeling is realized to the closest possible accuracy. A number of modeling tools help in data mining. Typically, Decision Trees, Rule Induction, Regression Models and Neural networks. All these contribute to extracting needed data from the databases using data mining tools. These are not simple straight forward SQL statements. Qualitative analysis is possible with the predicate data that would use this to identify and get an objective visualization of the object being modeled. Whereas in quantitative analysis, the data is used for automatic processing based on specific input data or time. Based on the model the information and data available in the system are extracted to meet the requirements. In the case of the banks, this would help them in identifying and detecting patterns of fraudulent credit card usage. The banks might like to identify loyal customers and those who might change their loyalty even with a minor issue. It also helps in identifying credit card spending by customer groups and finding any specific correlation between different financial indicators.

Teligions of Southeast Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teligions of Southeast Asia - Essay Example The beings that reside in these inter-penetrable mediums often hold corresponding formations as well as varying mixtures of actions. Temiars envisage a corresponding allotment of potentially independent souls in diverse beings ranging from humans, plants, animals, along with landforms; all possessing the respective segments, such as heart as well as soul for humans. Attached souls would be discharged as free spirit particularly in form of a vision, dream, along with infirmity. The collective entities of either â€Å"upper or lower, as well as bound or unbound† souls ensure association, as well as convey information among humans along with nonhuman mediums as noted by Roseman (6). Temiar precepts also suggest that this connection of resemblance forms the basis for dream as well as trance encounters hence endorsing a song symphony, apart from enhancing infirmity. This is when free medium’s in spirit form; from the bodies of both wilderness, as well as settlements are liab le of involving humans in optimistic exchanges as spiritguides, or wicked ones acting as infirmity agents. Wilderness is not against settlement as in the case of risk when compared to safety, which is often exhibited in Malays; with both realms experiencing compassionate and awkward dimensions. Over the dreams, the free unbound head soul of the halaa’s would be attached to either the free upper or lower spirits of various natural bodies, such as a tree or a tiger, whom would guarantee their aspiration to operate as the â€Å"dreamer’s spiritguide† (Roseman 6). The interaction will then be endorsed via a song performance from the spiritguide to the halaa. Subsequently, by conveying the song through a ritual performance, the halaa might become obsessed with the vision, accent, as well as the ideology of the spiritguide. Reciting the song should automatically connect the character with the spiritguide; hence he or she would be presented as a halaa for the spirits; the character may then detect as well as cure infirmity. According to (Roseman 21), the songs would recommend the beings to follow a certain path. The spiritguide can then point at a respective route in the song; then the halaa, with the aid of the spiritguide, might convey the song, explaining the visions as well as views, as observed by the spiritguide in its excursions. The outlined route would connect diverse entities involving the spiritguide, and halaa among other ritual partakers. The Temiars explanation presumes that the core influence of the route reflection is derived from their persistent journeys and everyday duties such as traveling within the jungle, and the river ways traversing the wilderness alongside the settlements (Roseman 8). The invasive sensate acquaintance with the path is often assigned a figurative outlook within the basic metaphor, whereas tracing the route, and mastering the path across the jungle, entails imperative intellects in Temiar culture (Roseman 2). Conversely, failing to master the path, as well as getting mislaid in the wilderness would be fatal. Besides, infirmity often arise when an individual’s liberated head soul have been waylaid. As reported by Roseman (8), diagnosis as well as remedy entails â€Å"singing a way, of finding the head soul,† alongside driving it back to the settlement. Though, if the chorus line slips ups while reciting halaa’s first phrase, the being might be considered to have missed the route. The song

Justice, ethics & morality according to Marx and Nietzsche Research Paper

Justice, ethics & morality according to Marx and Nietzsche - Research Paper Example The current order is bound to change and will ultimately be superseded by new different form of society. Marx proceeds to argue that historical change is not an arbitrary succession; rather it develops through stages and involves progression (Sayers, 2013). Development is divided into several distinct stages or means of production. Feudalism gives way to capitalism which is eventually replaced by socialism. Each stage evolves from the previous form as a higher historical form. Each stage of the process is initially constituent to progressive development and is appropriate for its time relative to the conditions which it supersedes. However, each stage of the process constitutes only a transitory stage that inevitably perishes and is replaced by a higher more developed stage (Sayers, 2013). During the course of development, the favorable conditions for the emergence of the next stage begin to establish themselves within the present. As the process progresses, the present conditions cease to be progressive and become a hindrance to the process of development. This is the basis of Marx’s criticism of capitalism and advocacy for socialism. Marx regards both in historical terms and does not criticize the present on the basis of universal principles, rather it is immanent and relative (Elster, 1985). For instant, relative to feudal conditions from which capitalism evolves, capitalism is viewed as a progressive development. From the perspective of capitalist society, the hierarchical, feudal system with its privileges and restrictions on commerce, and trade is oppressive and unfair. However, as the conditions for a socialist structure takes shape within capitalism, it becomes a hindrance to further development. From the stand point of a higher society, the capitalist system appears to be an impediment to human development and unjustified. This standpoint emerges as the capitalist society develops and is

Feminist or Gender Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Feminist or Gender Discrimination Essay Yes, of course feminist thinking is a facilitator in the field of woman and development because feminism is a movement a set of beliefs , that problematize gender inequality . feminist believe that women have been subordinated through men’s greater power variously expressed in different areas. They value women’s lives and concerns and work to improve women’s status and development. Feminism that means feminist thinking is a facilitator as it begins with an acknowledgement of women’s inequality oppression , subordination and need to change the situation and improve the quality of women’s life . It is also a movement against hieranchy , which goes the liberation of a sex , it contains the possibility of equal relations not only between women and men , but between men and men , women and women ,and even between adults and children ,(rowbotham,1985:214) To the widen implication of feminist thought is that it would eradicated domination and transform society . as it marks a commitment to recognizing society so that self-development of people can take place . Feminism entails an ethical and political commitment provides a social theory through which to understand and explain women’s lives and experiences . Feminism is useful in the field of women and development if we take into account feminist perspectives . According to feminist view that it aims to change a male dominated against society furthen see women’s subordination as resulting to from gender norms ,rather than biological sex and aim to change these narms , they focus on equal opportunities for women and men . women’s inequality is resulting from their inferior education . Marxist feminist asserts that capitalism , the current form of class society ,perpetuates the subordination of women by enforcing their economical dependence on men . there for main tool of Marxist feminist is class straggle and revolution which will bring about new production relation and emancipation of women . Radical feminist insist that women’s subordination primarily depends on partriarchy subordination is rooted in their biology ,that is their reproductive physiology hithout changing basic biological features emancipation was not possible . his implied that only a revolution in bio –technology would change women’s condition . Eco-feminism is the social movement that regard the oppression of women and nature as interconnected . it focused on that the women are the victim of environment desaradation .feminist theorist have extended their analysis to consider the interconnections between sexism the domination of nature , and also racism and social inequality . consequently it is now better understand as a movement working against the interconnected oppression of gender, race , class, and nature. If we go further extention of whether feminist thinking is a fecilitation or roadblock to woman and development . then can take emphasize on feminist methodology too. feminist methodology 1 feminist seek a methodology that will do the work of â€Å"excavation â€Å" that is shifting the focus of standard practice from men’s concerns in order to reveal the location and perspective of all women . the aim of much feminist research has been to bring women in that is to find what has been ignored ,censored and suppressed and to reveal both the diversity of actual women’s lives . Feminist methodology have searched for practices that will minimize harm to women and limit negative consequences . this focuses not onl on women , welfare bt also practical research strategis drawing on the work of grass roots and professional women’s organization . 3 feminists seek a methodology that will supported research of value to women , leading to social change or action beneficial to women. At last , after above all discussion we have come to the point that feminist thinking is ethical as well as useful in the development of women as modifying women’s problem is the process of development.

Is There Life On Mars?

Is There Life On Mars? In order to conclude whether a life-form can exist on Mars, much research must be done in order to gain an understanding of its atmosphere, surface, nutrients and minerals available to possible biological life-forms on the planet. Mars is the fourth planet in our Solar System and is known as the Red Planet due to iron oxide found on the surface. Having been studied for decades, Mars shows the most suitable conditions, of all the planets in our solar system, for our presumptions of evolution of life (Klein, Lederburg et al. 1976). There has been much evidence put forward contributing to the theory of a biological life-form on Mars, the most documented and well known of which being the study of the meteorite ALH 84001. This meteorite was believed to have been projected from the surface of Mars around 16 million years ago and landed in Antarctica 13,000 years ago(Frankel Buseck, 2000). The 2kg carbonaceous meteorite studied by McKay et al. contained globules of chemicals and also conta ined bacterial-shaped objects which resembled fossilized terrestrial microorganisms, ranging from 10-100nm long (McKay, et al., 1996). It is believed by many that there are too many factors such as UV radiation and extreme temperature environments which could inhibit a life-form on Mars. Although the distance from Earth to the Sun is considerably less than that of the Sun to Mars, our atmosphere protects living organisms on Earth. Studies have shown that an atmosphere is present on Mars through the identification of an insignificant ozone layer, however this atmosphere is not the most suitable for living organisms but unlikely to be a life limiting factor (Cockell, et al., 2000). Some arguments which both oppose and agree with the theory of extra-terrestrial life include studies carried out by the Viking Explorers and MER programmes which landed on Mars. These man-made devices studied the atmosphere and the top layer of soil to discover a very high oxidation factor which could inhibit growth by converting living matter to CO ², as well as studying sedimentary rocks on the surface of the planet. The search for life on Mars shows interesting differences in both personal theories and scientific studies. Panspermia is the theory that living organisms can be transported throughout the Universe, travelling in meteorites. The theory was first proposed by Arrhenius who believed that living bacteria could be transported through space, and therefore believed this was the reason for the beginning of life on Earth (Tepfer, 2008). These meteorites are projected from the surface of plates through collisions of boulders and/or planets in the Solar System. Many meteorites have landed on Earth from Mars, including ALH 84001, NWA 1195, NWA 2046, DaG 476 and the latest NWA 2626. The most famous of these meteorites is ALH 84001 which shows evidence of a life-form embedded in the meteorite. The theory of Panspermia can be justified by a study carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. The range of pressures observed in Martian meteorites range between 5 and 50 GPa. Bacterial spores, cyanobacteria and lichens (all of which appear to be embedded in the meteorite ALH 84001), were exposed to this range of shoc k pressure. The study revealed that bacterial spores and lichens could withstand the pressure up to 45 GPa while cyanobacteria was killed at 10 GPa. This study implies the potential for transfer of life throughout the Universe from one planet to another(Stà ¶ffler, et al., 2007). Analyses and Results of the Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Analysis of the meteorite show results which support and oppose the hypothesis of extra-terrestrial life to be found on Mars (Gibson, et al., 2001). The meteorite, which was studied by McKay et al, showed evidence of an extra-terrestrial life-form embedded in the rock. There were globules of Ca, Mg and Fe carbonate minerals which are believed to have been distributed by a biological factor. It is believed by McKay et al. that these globules were formed at low temperature. Otherwise high temperature (over 118 °C) would have killed any bacteria which are believed to have formed these globules. However, others who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life, believe that these globules may have been distributed by a non-biological factor which renders this piece of evidence quite unreliable. There were other factors noted which shows the possibility of extra-terrestrial life: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were observed and showed a different distribution than that of terrestr ial PAHs. Another factor observed was bacteria-shaped objects found on the surface of the meteorite, which resemble fossilized terrestrial micro-organisms, up to 100 µm long (Frankel Buseck, 2000). Some of the bacteria shaped objects are however extremely small in size which range from 20-100nm. This piece of evidence is ridiculed by some scientists, in which they declare that these tiny objects resemble artifacts in the meteorite (Bradley, et al., 1996). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/s9612609.gif Bacteria shaped objects on Martian meteorite, Allan H. Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute. The Viking and MER Missions The first Viking mission was launched in the summer of 1976. It consisted of two orbiters, which had a main objective of photographing the planet from orbit, and two landers, which studied the surface of the planet. The main emphasis was on photography, in which orbiter 1 produced over 10,000 pictures, taken from the planets orbit(Snyder Evans, 1981). In 2003, two rovers were launched, called Mars Exploration Rovers. The objective of this mission to Mars was study and to determine whether Martian conditions and its atmosphere could support the theory of a possible life-form having ever existed on the planet (Squyres Knoll, 2005). The MER missions include the Rovers; Spirit and Opportunity which carried out surveys and analyses on the surface of Mars. File:NASA Mars Rover.jpg Rover Opportunity, Maas Digital LLC for Cornell University and NASA/JPL The two Rovers covered specific regions known as Gusev and Meridiani Planum respectively for over a year and a half. The Rover Opportunity landed on the surface of Mars on January 24th and travelled through two craters (Eagle and Endurance) while carrying out experiments on both craters. Experiments and Results from Viking and MER programmes Aerosols and water vapour were detected in the Martian atmosphere by the Viking orbiter and other scientific research objects, which included: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD) and Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (TES). This water vapour was detected in the North Polar region during Spring and Summer seasons. MAWD detected twice as much vapour in the region than any of the other orbiters (Pankine, et al., 2009). The detection of water in the Martian atmosphere contributes a large amount of evidence to support the theory of a suitable atmosphere for a biological life-form to exist. Hematite was discovered on the surface of the planet, by the rover Opportunity, in the Meridiani Planum. This mineral form of iron-oxide is a possible preservative for pre-biotic and biotic processes carried out on the surface of Mars. These processes are carried out on Earth in rock varnishing, in which micro-colonial fungi and bacteria are present in rock varnish matrices, which were documented in America and Australia (Allen, et al., 2004). It is believed that water did once flow on the surface of Mars through the discovery of rippled like curves, indicating that streams once flowed through the Meridiani Planum (Horneck). Ancient, sedimentary rocks were also found at Meridiani plain by the Rover Opportunity, which consist of sandstone composed of sand grains which consisted of a variety of sulphate salts formed by erosion and re-deposition (Squyres Knoll, 2005). One of the most important findings of the mission however was a record of aqueous processes found on the Meridiani plain both in surface and sub-surface regions. Although these aqueous processes were identified, there is still no record of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Any water present on Mars, is found in the atmosphere as water vapour, located at the north Polar region. UV Radiation: Because of a thin atmosphere and an insignificant ozone layer, the surface of Mars is exposed to high UV radiation, which includes UVA, UVB and UVC. UV radiation is known to be a cause of DNA damage and mutation in bacterial species and also more developed life-forms. UV radiation is also known to inhibit photosynthesis in plants. Life-forms on Earth contain processes that protect them from exposure to UVA radiation. However, because of high UVB and UVC radiation exposure to the Martian surface, and also conditions such as extreme temperature changes and a lack of liquid water on the surface, it is unknown for any life-form to withstand such conditions(Cockell, et al., 2000). In order to understand and examine bacterial behaviour under exposure to this high UV radiation, an experiment was carried out by Scheurger et al.. Seven different Bacillus spp. were exposed to conditions similar to that of the Martian surface. The Bacillus spp. were exposed to the radiation in time sets of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. The bacteria were prepared for the experiment as thin monolayers of endospores. The results showed that B. pumilus SAFR-032 (surviving for 180 minutes) was the most resistant to the Martian conditions, while B. megaterium and B. subtillis 42HS-1 (which were inactivated after 30 minutes) were the least sensitive under exposure of high UVB and UVC radiation. Conclusion It is very difficult to conclude whether or not life does or even did exist on the surface or in the Martian atmosphere. Evidence from both sides of the theory are being analysed in extreme detail in order to come to a conclusion. The analyses and study of the Martian meteorite ALH84001, is considered the most studied and detailed analyses ever to be carried out on an igneous rock. Even with this extent of analyses being carried out on the meteorite, we still cannot come to a clear and concise conclusion to whether or not it contained traces of extra-terrestrial life. Although the detection of carbonate globules and bacterial shaped objects suggests that life theoretically could have existed on the planet of Mars, scientists who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life disagree that these discoveries indicate a life-form present in the meteorite. They suggest that because of the small size of these bacterial-shaped objects that they could represent artifacts in the meteorite. There was also some criticism about the Viking and MER missions. Although a small amount of atmospheric water vapour was observed, the lack of liquid water on the surface declares this evidence inconclusive. However there was some very interesting discoveries made by the Rover Opportunity, including the detection of hematite. This mineralised form of iron-oxide can be used for the preservation of aqueous processes. This discovery, along with the discovery of ripple-like curves in the Meridiani plain, could indicate a past life-form having existed on the surface of the planet many years ago. I believe that an extra-terrestrial, biological life-form could have existed on the surface of Mars, in past decades or even centuries. Evidence from both the Mars Exploration missions and the study of the Martian meteorite, ALH84001, provide much contribution to the theory that life did exist on the planet in the past. It is clear that life cannot survive in the Martian atmosphere at present because of extreme conditions. The exposure to high UV radiation, extreme temperature changes and also a lack of liquid water on the surface indicate to me that these conditions are not only unfavourable to the survival of a life-form but are far too extreme for a biological life-form to survive for a significant time frame. In relation to the theory of Panspermia, I believe that it can be justified by the experiment carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. If the bacteria shaped objects found in the meteorite prove to be biological life-forms this piece of evidence could explain another widely investigated theory of where and when life began on Earth. Through the study and analyses of Mars and its atmosphere, I believe that many of the questions and theories about life on Earth can be answered.

Violence And Fear Created By Gangs Criminology Essay

Violence And Fear Created By Gangs Criminology Essay The term gang has instilled fear in communities and neighborhoods for decades. This fear is created by the violence exhibited by prison, street and motorcycle gangs. The media shows and tells the public that no one is safe and anyone at anytime could become a victim in the gang wars. This portrayal in the media causes parents, neighborhoods and communities to shut down in the fight against gangs. Gangs are able to survive and thrive off of this fear created not only by their actions but by the media as well. Knowledge is power in the fight against gangs as well as the prevention of membership. Should we be as concerned as this fear has lead us to be? Gangs: Should We Be Concerned? A gang is defined as a group of individuals that work or act together, particularly criminals or juvenile delinquents (Agnes, 2003, p.268). A gangster is defined as a member of a gang (Agnes, 2003, p.268). The term gangster was first used in the 1890s to label the Chicago thugs who used violence and other illegal methods to make sure their favorite candidates for political office were elected (Blackwood, 2002). The period that is most associated with gangsters is the 1920s. This is the period that the term gangster was used to also include criminals such as bootleggers, kidnappers, bank robbers, extortionists and hit men. The term has maintained popularity over the years and is still used to label members of a gang. Gangs in the 1920s and gangs now are similar in that both gained control of an illegal market. The liquor trade was controlled in the 1920s during Prohibition and the drug trade is currently controlled by gangs (Blackwood, 2002). This control of an illegal market also brings arrests, violence, weapons and money. Being a part of a gang then was about making money and today that is still the goal. Money, however, is just one factor in the desire to become a gangster. Gangs formed before the 1980s fit the traditional definition of a gang. These gangs began defending turf, however, grew into large organizations that became heavily involved in the drug trade and other criminal activity. Fists, chains and knives that were used in earlier gangs were replaced with automatic firearms and drive by shootings. The average size of a traditional gang is one hundred and eighty members and has distinct structure and organization (Sonder, 1996). Many cities such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia have a few of the larger organized gangs and even more of the loosely organized gangs. These gangs are considered neighborhood gangs. The newer, smaller gangs tend to be less involved with drugs and violence. These smaller gangs are more diverse and tend to have white, female, and even middle class members. Some of these gangs take names similar to the nationally known gangs and participate in graffiti, etc. but may not be overly violent or heavily involved in drug sales. Parents, police, and the community still need to be vigilant in combating these gangs as there is a possibility of more violence and criminal activity over time (Barbour, 2006). The statistics that back up the gang problem are eye opening. There were over twenty one thousand gangs identified in the United States and over seven hundred thirty one thousand gang members identified in 2002. In that same year, one thousand two hundred and thirty two homicides were attributed to gang activity (Barbour, 2006). The ethnic make-up of gang members is diverse. Forty nine percent are Latino, thirty four are black, ten percent are white, six percent are Asian, and one percent is other (Barbour, 2006). There are more Latino gangs, which include Hispanic, due to immigration, the need for fast money and the perception that there is a need for protection from other gangs. Gang experts advise there are multiple reasons individuals join gangs. These reasons include but are not limited to peer pressure, self esteem issues, poverty, yearning for excitement, survival, the want to make fast money, gain power, and attract members of the opposite sex. The main reason an individual joins a gang is to feel a sense of belonging and protection (Barbour, 2006). Many juveniles join gangs due to an unstable family environment that normally provides a sense of belonging and protection. For these juveniles, a gang is their family and serves the purpose of a traditional family (Barbour, 2006). For others, it is a rite of passage to join the same gang as their family members are already in. In the latter situation, gangs and the lifestyle of the gang is simply a way of life for these juveniles (Barbour, 2006). Juveniles enter the gang early and begin committing crimes immediately. Power and entitlement are other factors that encourage gang membership. Gang members are often individuals with high ambitions who have a fantasy about making fast money and gaining expensive cars and flashy jewelry (Sonder, 1996). Obtaining these items seems out of reach and would take too long to achieve so gang life seems the only alternative. Committing crime appears to be an easier method to obtain the fantasy of high achievement (Sonder, 1996). Gangs are a contributing factor in juveniles committing violent crimes in both small and large cities. Members of gangs are relocating from urban areas to suburban areas. This move expands the gangs control of drug distribution, money, new members, evading law enforcement and other gangs (National Drug Intelligence, 2009). A study of delinquent acts in Rochester, NY showed that gang members accounted for sixty eight percent of all violent offenses committed by juveniles. In Denver, a similar study reflected seventy nine percent of all violent offenses were attributed to juveniles that were members of a gang. Gang related homicides involving juveniles has increased by more than fifty percent according to Professor James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminologist (Barbour, 2006, p.17). Those statistics are a representation of juveniles and gang activity. Law enforcement officials have reported that eighty percent of criminal activity is gang related, involving both juvenile and adult members (National Drug Intelligence, 2009). As far as what type of gang a juvenile or adult becomes a member of depends, as there are several different types of gangs. According to the National Gang Intelligence Center of 2009 there are three types of gangs. There are street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. Street gangs that operate in multi jurisdictions across the country are a huge threat due to the control of such a large geographical area. Street gangs that commit criminal acts such as violence and drugs are the greatest threat to society. That threat becomes intensified as the street gangs migrate from urban areas to suburban and rural areas. Prison gangs are a major threat due to the control and influence over the street gangs in the community, even from prison. The structure of prison gangs is highly organized and acts as a criminal network within the state and local prisons. Members that have been released from prison also assist in the day to day operations of the prison gang. Released members generally return to their community and resume old gang affiliations. Once old gang affiliations are resumed, the member then recruits street gang members to carry out criminal acts for the prison gang. Prison gangs control the distribution of drugs within the prison but also in the community in some cases as well (Know Gangs, n.d.). Outlaw motorcycle gangs are also a public safety threat in the communities where they operate as they take part in various criminal acts, frequently use violence, and counter the efforts of law enforcement. Some of the criminal activity outlaw motorcycle gangs participate in are drug and weapons smuggling as well as violent crime. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are highly organized and structured. There are regulations on membership, conduct, and even criminal activity. The size of the gang ranges from a single chapter to hundreds of chapters throughout (National Drug Intelligence, 2009). The most widely known street and prison gangs are the Aryan Brotherhood, La eme (Mexican Mafia), Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, Texas Syndicate, Crips, Bloods, and MS-13(Mara Salvatrucha). The most widely known outlaw motorcycle gangs are the Hells Angels and Mongols. Fear is the one thing that all of these gangs have in common. By putting fear into the community, they are controlling it. The Aryan Brotherhood originated in 1967 at the San Quentin Prison in California. This gang was originally formed as protection from black prisoners, however, it quickly turned into a lucrative criminal enterprise. Members have a white supremacist, Neo-Nazi mentality; however, have a working relationship with Le-eme (Mexican Mafia). Symbols of the Aryan Brotherhood are Shamrock clover leaves, swastikas, double lightning bolts, initials AB, and the numbers 666(Inside Prison, 2006). Members have a deep rooted hatred towards blacks and black gangs such as the Crips, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. A violent act must be committed for initiation Blood in, Blood out). There is also a creed that all members must abide by: I will stand by my brother, My brother will come before all others, My life is forfeited should I fail my brother, I will honor my brother in peace and war(Inside Prison, 2006). This creed is evident during criminal prosecutions against members, such as the one in Santa Ana, California. In Santa Ana, California one of the largest death penalty cases was tried and involved four Aryan members. The trial revealed that the Aryan Brotherhood is a ruthless gang that murders anyone that opposes them, even their own members. Two of the members convicted were eligible for the death penalty due to their part in ordering a race war at a Lewisburg, Pennsylvania prison that resulted in the death of two black prisoners. Both members ended up with life without parole instead of death. The same two members responsible for the race war along with another accomplice also murdered another prisoner in 1989 (Inside Prison, 2006). La eme also known as the Mexican Mafia began in California in 1957. The day to day operations are of a paramilitary structure that includes a president, vice president, lieutenants, sergeants, and generals. Under these high ranking officials, there are soldiers, suppliers and associates. There is a twelve rule Constitution that must be followed by all members: Membership is for life, all members must be prepared to kill or be killed for the greater good of the gang, every member must be disciplined and work through weaknesses, never let the gang down, a sponsoring member is completely responsible for all actions of the new member and if the member turns out to be a snitch the sponsor must eliminate the new member, when disrespected by any person, all members must eliminate that person, maintain a high level of integrity at all times, never speak of la eme business, each member can express opinions, each member can organize, arm, and defend la eme, each member has the right to wear la eme tattoo, and the last rule is that la eme is a criminal enterprise and will participate in any and all criminal acts for monetary benefit(Inside prison, 2006). The symbol of the Mexican Mafia is the national symbol of Mexico, which is both an eagle and a snake on a circle with flames, along with crossed knives (Inside Prison, 2006). The Mexican Mafia was created as a way to gain more freedom over the prison underworld which was controlled by whites. The Italian Mafia was the template for the creation of the Mexican Mafia. Over a short period of time they began to control the narcotic traffic in the California prison system and develop their own trademark (Inside Prison, 2006). The Mexican Mafia has a specific manner in which contract murders are carried out that became their trademark. The manner involves kidnapping, binding, and gagging the victim with duct tape prior to putting bullets into the back of the skull. The body is then wrapped in a blanket and disposed of in a remote location. This method was demonstrated in the 1997 robbery on West French Place that did not go as planned. Five individuals were blindfolded and duct taped then shot several times in the back of the skull (Inside Prison, 2006). Gangster Disciples, also called Black Gangster Disciples was created in the 1960s by David Barksdale, leader of the Gonzanto Disciples and Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Disciples. These two groups combined and formed the Black Gangster Disciples. David Barksdale was the leader and Larry Hoover was second in command. David Barksdale died in 1972 and Larry Hoover took over (Know Gangs, n.d.). The Black Gangster Disciples use the six pointed star, Star of David, as their symbol. This symbol represents loyalty, understanding, knowledge, wisdom as well as love. Other symbols include an upside down pitchfork and a heart with wings. Members generally tattoo themselves with a top hat with a staff out of the top which is a pitchfork with the numbers three, six and zero along with an upside down cross at the bottom. Clothing may consist of the sports team Oakland Raiders and carry a black, grey or white bandana (Know Gangs, n.d.). The Gangster Disciples can be found in cities across the United States, however, Chicago is the location of the leaders and there is a strong presence in the Midwest. In the mid 1990s a federal task force was formed to investigate the involvement of the Gangster Disciples in multiple murders and drug trafficking. The result of the investigation found that the gang was making over one hundred million dollars a year in illegal drug sales. Multiple members were convicted and are now serving life sentences (Know Gangs, n.d.). Latin Kings first came about in Chicago in the 1940s. The Latin Kings gang was created by a few Puerto Rican immigrants as a way to defend and protect themselves from racism and prejudice. Their slogan was that they would rise above racism and prejudice and form an organization of Kings. After a period of time, the gang became involved in criminal activity and even though the first members were Puerto Rican, most members now are Mexican-American. Identifiers include the five point crown, which means represent love, respect, sacrifice, honor and obedience. Colors of the Latin Kings include yellow or gold. The head of the entire criminal organization is known as the Inca. Latin Kings have chapters also known as sets in states across the country, each reporting to a leader (Know Gangs, n.d.). The gang known as Texas Syndicate originated in the early 1970s at Folsom Prison in California. It was started as a direct result of the formation of other gangs in California prisons. Other gangs, specifically Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood, were targeting inmates that were Texas natives. The only symbols noted to identify members are tattoos with TS somewhere in the design. Some of these tattoos require intense observation in order to locate the TS. The tattoos are generally located on the back of the right forearm, however, have been located on the outside calf area, neck and chest (Inside Prison, 2006). The main criminal activities Texas Syndicate is involved in are drug trafficking, extortion, and internal violent discipline of members. Members in prison have communication methods with outside members through smuggled cell phones and coded messages. The Crips were started in 1969 in Los Angelos as a street gang by Raymond Washington and Stanley Tookie Williams. This gang has received the reputation on being extremely violent and aggressive. Stanley Tookie Williams faced the death penalty in San Quentin State Prison on December 13, 2005. He received the death penalty after being convicted of murdering four individuals during a robbery by shooting them to death with a shotgun in Southern California in 1970. Also, in 1979 Raymond Washington was murdered. The name Crip has different theories as to where the name actually came from. One theory is that a woman from the housing projects filed a police report on two teenagers for stealing. One of the teenagers was Raymond Williams. The description of one of the teenagers was crip with a stick meaning a disabled person with a cane. Another theory is that the name came from Crib, from the Baby Avenue gang in the 1960s. The Baby Avenue gang eventually became known as the Avenue Cribs as they were located in the Central Avenue, Los Angeles area (Inside Prison, 2006). Identifiers of the Crips gang are the colors blue, gray, orange, and purple. Handkerchiefs or clothing generally reflect those colors. Other identifiers are the six pointed Star of David, the letter B crossed out as the gang Bloods is their rival. Specific clothing choices can include tennis shoes, jogging suits or sports teams reflecting Los Angeles teams (Know Gangs, n.d.). British Knight tennis shoes are popular due to the B and K which represents Blood Killer. Communication between members is facilitated through hand signs, codes, and graffiti. Although there is no Constitution for the gang there is a book of knowledge that outlines all rules and regulations for the gang. The Crips gang is involved in criminal activity such as drug sales as well as trafficking, violent robberies and burglaries. Members of the Crips have been located in every city of the United States and even in a few foreign countries. Their rivalry with the Bloods often results in bloodshed and/or murder. The street gang known as Bloods was started in the 1960s. Neighborhood protection and as a force to combat the Crips were reasons the gang was created. Crips were becoming too powerful as they were allying with other street gangs. African American men called each other Bloods in the Vietnam War and that is where the name came from. Identifiers of the gang include a five point star and the color red. Clothing choices tend to be sports teams such as the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco 49ers (Know Gangs, n.d.). The Bloods are similar to the Crips in that there is no Constitution; however, there is a book of knowledge that outlines rules and regulations of the gang. The organizational structure for the Bloods is as follows: the first superior, this person is in charge of day to day operations of the set and in charge of discipline. The next in charge is the second superior who assists the first superior. The minister of information and defense are next and they are responsible for giving information and strategies to the Superiors. Head of security handles obtaining weapons for the set. The commanding officer is in charge of handing down orders per the superiors. Below those officers there is a captain, who gives information to the lieutenant. The lieutenant ensures orders are carried out and soldiers carry out orders. In the early 1980s MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, was created. After leaving the death squads of El Salvador, a number of Salvadorian immigrants settled in California and created MS-13. MS-13 was created as protection against rival Mexican gangs and is one of the most violent gangs in the United States. This gang is a highly organized, paramilitary one with some members formally belonging to the Salvadorian guerrilla forces. Members are generally heavily tattooed, can be identified by blue and black bandanas as well as specific tattoos of MS-13. Phrases that are specific to Ms-13 are La Mara which means gangs, Salva which means Salvadorian, trucha which means look out, and Eme Ese which means MS (Gang Awareness, n.d.). The motorcycle gang, Hells Angels, began in Fontana, California in 1948. Hells Angels was a term coined for bomber squadrons in World War I and II. Hells Angels have been linked to criminal activity such as drug trafficking, especially meth, assaults, weapon possession, and even murder. The most notorious plot that surrounds this gang are the allegations that they plotted to kill rock star Mick Jagger. Mick Jagger supposedly criticized the Hells Angels after one of its members killed a man at an event in which the gang was in charge of security. The victim pulled a gun and a Hells Angels member stabbed him. All charges were dropped and it was declared self defense (James, 2009). Despite the extensive history of the Hells Angels, still much is left unknown as what happens at a club meeting, stays there. Hells Angels can be identified by their leather or denim jackets with the red and white winged deaths head ensignia, the letter HAMC (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club), and the number eighty one (eighth letter in the alphabet is H and the first letter is A). Each members status can be located on the jacket by a patch, each specific meaning is only known to members. Hells Angels also wear a patch that has 1% on it which means they are part of the one percent that are willing to do anything, legal or illegal to accomplish their goals. Members have road names which are the only way they are known to other members (James, 2009). The Hells Angels are rivals with the motorcycle gang The Mongols. The Mongols are also a motorcycle gang that wears the 1% patch and is considered very dangerous. The gang consists of mostly Latin and Hispanic members as the gang was created due to the Hells Angels not allowing Hispanic members (Mongols Motorcycle Gang, 2008). Other names the gang goes by is the Mongol Brotherhood or Mongol Nation. The headquarters is located in California, however, there are chapters all over the United States, Canada, overseas and Mexico. The Mongols have been linked and charged in violent organized criminal activity. In 2008 a three year investigation over several states ended with at least thirty eight Mongol motorcycle gang members being arrested. The charges included murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and weapons charges(Mongols Motorcycle Gang, 2008). According to the 2008 National Drug Intelligence Center there are over twenty thousand gangs that have approximately one million members that are criminally active in all fifty states of the United States and the District of Columbia. Aside from the nationally recognized gangs, there are also neighborhood cliques, crews, or posses. These groups usually consist of only twenty to twenty five members and are loosely structured. There is less graffiti, hand signs, and colors identified with them. The philosophy is similar to the national gangs: Live by the neighborhood, die by the neighborhood (Barbour, p.18). Gangs are not just in the streets, they are also in the schools. Public and private schools are both faced with the reality that gangs are in the schools. In 1994, a report stated that administrators of schools with an enrollment figure of more than twenty five thousand and principals of urban schools reported an increase in gang involved incidents. Even one in four elementary principals referenced an increase in gang related incidents (Kopka, 1997). In a study of six thousand sixth graders in eleven cities, eleven percent advised they were currently gang members and seventeen percent advised they belonged to a gang at one point(Barbour, 2006). Gangs are becoming a problem in areas that have not been recognized before. Recognizing the signs that a juvenile or family member is in a gang can start with asking. If there are still concerns about gang membership, look for these signs: change in behavior(becomes defiant), grades drop, truancy at school, new associates, calls from unknown individuals, money and jewelry appearing, preoccupation with particular colors or sports teams, hand signs, graffiti on books or walls, developing nicknames, and evidence of drug abuse. One of these signs alone may not be indicative of gang membership, however, more than one could be indicative of gang membership (Gang Awareness, n.d.). After parents determine their child is in a gang it is natural for them to feel anger and even jealousy towards the gang. Feelings that the child has been taken from them by the gang are evoked. Parents handle this information differently. Family first parents put the situation and the child first in an attempt to restore the core family unit. Rescuers minimize their own accountability and fear. Rescuers try to save the child. The rescuers can be successful in that there is family support, which assists the parents in dealing with the issue as well. Crusaders take on the task of saving their child and other children as well. These parents often suppress the core issues of their own child. The negators acknowledge that they have contributed to their child joining a gang. These parents tend to respond more negatively and deny personal responsibility of the childs poor social, emotional, and spiritual well being. The most extreme are the detached parents. These parents simply do not care and refuse to engage in any attempt to remove their child from the gang (Barbour, 2006). In certain instances, removing a child from a gang can be difficult and at times require moving away (Barbour, 2006). Parents can teach their children a critical lesson that can assist in the prevention of gang involvement. This critical lesson is for a child to face reality. This will teach juveniles to take responsibility for their actions as well as the choices they make (Barbour, 2006). And there must always be consequences to bad behavior. Parents should realize there is a difference between the behavior of their child and the identity of their child. Behavior is what a juvenile does and identity is who the juvenile is. When teaching choices, it must be taught that life is filled with actions and reactions. Juveniles need to know the choices made are in their complete control. Being aware of reality and facing it allows children to have control over their choices and assert themselves in a positive manner (Barbour, 2006). Most gangs are built on the premise Blood In, Blood Out. In order to get out of a gang, a member must shed blood, or do they? Solutions to get out of a gang may not mean Blood Out. Other suggestions include talking to high ranking members and expressing the interest to get out, ask for help from a relative, guardian or friend, go to the police, or even become an activist (Sonder, 1996). The solution to gangs is that communities as a whole must stand together. Far too often communities have viewed gangs as an inner city problem, something that would not affect them. Neighborhoods affected and plagued by gangs have been left to defend themselves without assistance. Now, no neighborhood or community is safe. Indiscriminate police sweeps in neighborhoods have had a negative effect on the way the community views law enforcement. Possible informants refuse to talk and gangs prey on young members that have nowhere else to go. Treating the gang issue as a law enforcement problem is not going to solve anything. Along with tough policing, the community must take action and not accept gangs in their neighborhoods. Society has failed to deal appropriately with the social root causes, like fatherless homes, which lead to young men seeking male role models. Popular culture also sends a message that lawlessness is cool as is violence whereas education and hope are not. To combat gangs every member in society plays a part; police, social workers, the church, friends and family members. Each and every person-in the attitudes that are kept, the choices that are made, and even items purchased-helps to shape the culture that must be joined together with the commitment to make communities and neighborhoods safer (Barbour, 2006). References Barbour, S. (2006). Gangs. Detroit, MI: Thomason Gale. Blackwood, G. (2002). Gangsters. New York, NY: Benchmark Books. Gang awareness guide. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://www.state.nj.us/oag/gang-signs-bro.pdf Inside prison. (2006). Gang profiles. Retrieved November 2, 2010 from http://www.insideprison.com/ James, R. (2009, August 03) Hells Angels. TIME magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1914201,00.html Know gangs: Gang resources. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2010 from http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources

Synopsis of Lines 60 - 129 of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight :: Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

Synopsis of Lines 60 - 129 of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight In this section of the poem, the New Year has just begun. King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table have attended mass, and they are just beginning a spectacular celebration at Camelot. We are told the group is participating in traditional gift-giving and feasting. The dais where Lady Guenevere and Sir Gawain are seated is described as "well-decked and duly arrayed" with silk and expensive tapestries. (Norton, 204) It seems as though no expense has been spared. The fact that Gawain is seated next to the queen tells us of his importance and high status within the group. We learn that he is a nephew of King Arthur and that Agravain, another nephew of the king, is also seated there. King Arthur does not join the others when they sit down to eat. He is boyish, restless, and full of energy. He has vowed that he will not sit down to eat at a holiday celebration until he hears a tale "of some fair feat" or " some marvel of might." (Norton, 204) In other words, Arthur behaves like a young child who must be entertained before he will sit down to eat. The poet then tells us about the first course being brought in with the "clamor of trumpets that were bravely bedecked with bannerets bright, with noise of new drums and the noble pipes." (Norton, 204-205) Other sumptuous dishes follow. There is so much food that there is scarcely room to set it all down on the tables. Food, wine and beer are plentiful, and the mood is light and festive. In this passage, the knights of the Round Table are presented "in their first age." (Norton, 203) The poet easily brings the scene of this traditional celebration to life for the reader with his detailed descriptions of the festivities.

music in Much Ado About nothing :: essays research papers

In literature, music can be used both to enhance the mood of the plot and it can be used as an actual part of the plot or story line. In Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing" music is used in both scenarios: both to set the mood and also as part of the actual story, serving as an event in the play, a necessary part in the sequence of events. The mood that is set by the music in the play seems to play a significant role in the progression of the plot in helping the audience become more aware of the character's feelings. Only with the combination of the motives of the music is the message of love able to be portrayed. It is quite obvious how music is able to have an effect on the mood or tone of an event. By playing slow music the audience gets a more solemn picture that otherwise might not have been portrayed to such an extent without the enhancement of the music. Faster music creates a more excited or anticipatory mood. This type of music is used as a catalyst or a tool for effectiveness in order to trigger emotions or feelings from the audience. It also allows the audience to get in on the feelings of the characters that are not expressed with words. In Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" he uses the music as a part of the scenery in order to set the mood. In act 1 scene 2 the stage description is: "[enter Antonio's son with a Musician and Attendants.]" While this might be easy for a play director to portray in performing a play, while reading the play a large part of the effect can be lost. One can hypothesize what type of music would be playing at this point in the play when Leonato is telling his cousins what must be done so "that she may be better prepared for an answer (lines 22-23)". He is trying to undermine the plan that he misunderstands. Leonato is told falsely that Don Pedro intends to pursuit his daughter, Hero. It is up to the reader to decipher what type of music should be played at this point of the play and through that what type of mood to set. It can be assumed that a mysterious, or conquering with notes of excitement, music should be played.