Impact of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs on water quality Essay Example for Free

Impact of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs on water quality Essay Both Nitrogen and Phosphorous are necessary in agriculture for a farmer to achieve optimum yields in most crops, they have to use fertilizer which often contains either nitrogen or phosphorous. Despite their importance, these elements in excess can affect the environment adversely. Eutrophication is enhanced when nitrogen and phosphorous are in excess in surface waters and where nitrogen is in excess in ground water. (www. soil. ncsu. edu/) Nitrogen makes up about 78 percent of the gases in the atmosphere. A major constituent of proteins it is abundant in most living things. Nitrogen gas (N2), nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2) and ammonia NH3 are the common forms in which in organic nitrogen exists. Organic nitrogen exists in proteins. (http://kywater. org/). Compounds that contain nitrogen are found in water bodies such as reservoirs, streams and rivers. There are various routes by which nitrogen enters water bodies. These include wastewater (municipal and industrial), animal wastes such as bird wastes and wastes of fish, septic tanks and runoff from fields and lawns that have been fertilized. In certain parts of the United States, especially the northeast, some forms of nitrogen are deposited through acid rain (Baird, 1990). Nitrites are then converted to nitrates by bacteria, a process that uses up oxygen. (http://kywater. org). Surface and subsurface drainage are some of the ways through which nitrogen from fertilizers enter streams. When there is heavy rainfall following surface application of nitrogen fertilizers, most of the nitrogen is lost and even more is lost if the area is sloppy. When the fertilizer is mixed with soil the runoff is decreased. However, the loss of nitrogen becomes substantial when heavy rainfall causes soil erosion and movement of debris. The highly soluble nature of nitrogen makes it be absorbed easily into the soil when it rains heavily. Findings from research studies show that leaching does contribute to the presence of nitrates in groundwater. This however does not cause much contamination since the concentrations of nitrogen do not reach high enough levels. The crop uses up to 50 percent of the applied nitrogen leaving about 30 percent to 50 percent available for leaching. This, from a study done on North Carolina soils leads to leaching to a level of only two feet where there was 3 inches of percolated water (Baird, 1990). Eutrophication is a slow process whereby streams and lakes are enriched with natural nutrients. This process leads to the accelerated ‘aging’ of lakes and reservoirs. Eutrophication generally means excess growth of algae. The growth and decomposition of algae causes depletion of oxygen available in water. Nitrogen has a fertilizing effect in algae and other plankton which are food to other organisms in water such as fish and invertebrates. Overproduction and decomposition of these plankton uses up oxygen, meaning that other oxygen-dependent animals have inadequate oxygen which leads to their death. (http://kywater. org/). In addition to using up oxygen excessively, the overgrowth of algae and other plankton can lead to clogging up of water systems such that water flow is inhibited. This is especially common at points of water intakes. A lot of sea plants also block light from reaching the deeper waters (http://ga. water. usgs. gov/). This has the effect of compromising respiration for aquatic invertebrates and fish, making the death of animals and plant inevitable. High concentrations of nitrites produce a condition called brown blood disease which is fatal to fish. (http://kywater. org/). Eventually diversity of animal and plant life is lost. The death of fish results in offensive odours, and affects the water such that it cannot be used for recreative purposes like swimming, boating and fishing. Mueller and Helsel conducted a study of 12,000 ground water samples and approximately 22,000 samples of surface water at over 300 sites. The samples were collected within NAWQA study units. They report that the concentrations of nutrients in water have a close relationship to how land is used upstream or in the area that overlies a ground water aquifer. According to the analysis there were higher concentrations of nitrates in groundwater than surface water bodies. The regions with the highest concentration were the Northeast, the Great Plains and areas along the West Coast (Mueller and Helsel, 1996). Agricultural areas have a higher likelihood of having water with increased concentrations of nitrates. Research shows that public-supply wells and domestic supply wells outside areas where land is used for agriculture generally have lower concentrations of nitrates compared to wells in agricultural areas. On the other hand, urban areas have higher concentrations of Ammonia and phosphorous in surface water (Mueller and Helsel, 196). For water to be considered safe for domestic water supply, nitrates or nitrite level should be below 10mg/L. (United States Public Health Service). Nitrites undergo a direct reaction with haemoglobin in humans and warm-blooded animals leading to the formation of methemoglobin. This compound leads to decreased ability of red cells to transport oxygen. The most affected by this inability are infants less than three months because the babies develop methemoglobinaemia (blue baby disease. (http://kywater. org/ww/ramp/rmnox. htm). Due to this reason, when nitrates levels exceed 1. 0mg/L, the water should not be used to feed babies. In older people high nitrate levels cause disturbances in the digestion system. (http://kywater. org/). Phosphorous is a naturally occurring element that can be found in rocks and mineral deposits. Phosphate ions are soluble in water and are released when rock undergoes the weathering process. Phosphates have three forms of existence, metaphosphate, orthophosphate and organic phosphate. Orthophosphate is mainly produced by natural processed but there are man-made sources that produce orthophosphate. These include untreated sewage and partially treated sewage, use of certain fertilizers and runoff from sites where the main land use is agriculture. Metaphosphate or polyphosphate are used in treatment of detergents and boiler waters. When in water metaphosphate changes to orthophosphate and it can be used up by plants in this form. Organic phosphate occurs tied to organic material like plant tissue or waste solids. When decomposition occurs organic phosphate is converted to orthophosphate (www. water-research. net/phosphate. htm). Phosphorous is necessary for animal and plant growth and acts as a growth limiting nutrient in lake ecosystems. Well-oxygenated waters have low amounts of phosphates. Phosphate undergoes a complex process of uptake and mineralization to be retained in the soil, unlike the nitrogen cycle which is simpler. Soluble phosphate is incorporated by plants and animals in their biological systems to form compounds like ATP, DNA and RNA. ATP is necessary for energy production via the Kreb’s cycle while DNA and RNA have genetic importance. Phosphorous is therefore necessary for photosynthesis to occur (www. water-research. net/) Phosphates enhance growth of aquatic plants which are the food source for other organisms. Increased production of plankton result in an initial increase in population of fish and the entire biological system of the water body. This however has an adverse effect because as the phosphate levels build-up the process by which the water ecosystem is aging is speeded up leading to an imbalance of nutrients where production begins to exceed consumption. Phosphates like nitrates also cause eutrophication resulting in more plants than can be consumed by the system. The result is anoxic waters, presence of algal blooms that are toxic and a reduction in biodiversity as well as destruction of food supply and habitat. (www. water-research. net) Eutrophication is an issue that compromises water quality and has received much attention since 1980 when there was extensive occurrence of blue-green algae in fresh water systems. These blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) sometimes produce toxins that cause harm to human beings and farm animals. Poor conditions resulting from eutrophication have been noted in eastern North Carolina in the Chowan, Neuse and Pamlico River systems (Baird, 1990). Water that has very high levels of phosphates causes digestive problems to people. The negative effect of high levels of phosphate then is more indirect to humans but has a bigger impact because by altering the environment and destroying habitats the destruction caused is much harder to reverse. A compound like nitrates dissolves in water and moves in water in surface streams and ground water. Most forms of phosphorous, however, are transported together with soil that has undergone erosion especially when runoff is high flowing precipitation and irrigation. This is because instead of dissolving they attach themselves to soil particles. As such phosphorous is more likely to contaminate surface water rather than ground water (USGS, Circular1225, 2007). Findings from a USGS report indicate that phosphorous has a greater effect in causing eutrophication with 0.1mg/L of phosphorous being sufficient to cause excessive growth of aquatic plants (USGS, Circular 1225, 2007). In urban areas, the most significant point sources are urban streams which have discharged from wastewater treatment plants. A report of the US Geological service indicates that the streams in the semiarid western and south-western cities coupled with those in urban areas on the East had high levels of phosphorous (USGS, Circular1225). Recent research shows that phosphorous can travel with ground-water flows. The study was conducted in Cape Cod, Massachusetts where there has been contamination of the groundwater with phosphorous, an unlikely thing since most scientists generally believe that phosphorous is not transferable via groundwater (McCob et al, 2003; Stollenwerk, 1996). The main factors influencing vulnerability to contamination are the type of soils and slope of land. These two factors determine how fast and how much runoff there will be. Areas with steep slopes, poorly drained clay soils and little vegetation have higher likelihood of contamination of their surface waters. In urban centres, pavements and drains made of tile cause acceleration of flow of streams. Ground water on the other hand has a high chance of contamination if the soils drain well and the subsurface material is highly permeable. Some practices of crop-management designed to decrease sediment flow may increase infiltration leading to greater contamination of groundwater (USGS, Circular, 1225). To reduce the impact of phosphorous and nitrogen in water quality, strategies need to be employed that reduce the use of chemicals and alter transportation of the hydrologic system (USGS). In planning these strategies consideration of watersheds, patterns of land use and the differences in vulnerability to contamination in various areas should be foremost to ensure that whatever interventions are put in place are effective. References Baird J (1990) Nitrogen management and water quality retrieved from www. soil. ncsu. edu/publications/soilfacts/AG-439-02 Harvard, Olson and Cooke, 1999, Impact of soil phosphorous loading on Water Quality in Alberta, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. McCob T D, Leblanc DR, Watter DA, Hess KN Kent DB and Smith RL 2003, Phosphorous in a Ground-water contaminant Plume Discharging to Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1999: US Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4306, 70p Mueller D K and Helser D R, Nutrients in the Nation’s water-Too much of a Good Thing? National Water-Quality Assessment Program USGS, retrieved from http://water. usgs. gov/nawqa/CIRC-1136. html National findings and their implications for water policies and strategies, USGS, Circular 1225, retrieved from http://pubs.usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/nawqafind. htm/. Nitrogen and water quality retrieved from http://kywater. org/ww/ramp/rmnox-htm Stollenwerk K-G 1996, Simulation of phosphate transport in sewage-contaminated groundwater, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Applied Geochemistry, V. 11. no 1-2 pp 317-324 The effects of urbanization and agriculture on water quality: Nitrogen retrieved from http://ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/urbannitrogen. html Total phosphorous and Phosphate impact in surface waters Wilkes University, Environmental. Engineering and Earth Science retrieved from www.water. research. net/phosphate. htm Water-quality patterns in agricultural areas, USGS, Circular 1225 retrieved from http://pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-agri. htm/ Water-quality patterns in urban areas, United States Geological Society, retrieved from http://pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-urban. htm/ Water-quality patterns in areas with mixed hand use and a range of hydrologic and environmental settings, USGS, Circular 1225 retrieved from http://pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-hydro. htm/.

What Is Geographic Profiling?

What Is Geographic Profiling? Crime is not randomly distributed and offenses are more likely to occur in certain places and at certain times. The apprehension process can be significantly accelerated if geographic profiling is used to organize an abundance of information via geographical links (Ramsland n.d.). This technique is an effective tool in ascertaining a suspects residence and/or place of employment because it is conducted in a scientific manner on the basis of well-established psychological principles (Sammons n.d.). The geographical patterns in data can be analyzed using the following principle elements: mobility, mental maps, locality demographics and distance (nij.gov 2006). A geographical analysis highlights the crime location, any physical boundaries that were present (that might not otherwise be noticed), and the types of roads and highways that come into both the abduction and body dump sites. Hypotheses are developed which can be tested against evidence and modified or rejected as the evidence dictates. (Sammons n.d.) Objective measurements are frequently used as a component of geographic profiling in order to pinpoint precisely the locus of criminal activity. (Sammons n.d.) One of the methods used to obtained predictions is a geographic profiling system. The area most likely to contain the offenders home is computed by the system using algorithms and indicated in the probability surfaces. The probability of an offender residing at a particular location generally decreases with increasing distance from an offense, so these algorithms are referred to as distance decay functions (Bennell, Corey Keyton 2007). According to the available research the accuracy of geographic profiling systems reduces the overall area that police have to search by up to 90% (Bennell, Corey Keyton 2007). This method can assist police through the use of the most effective tools to target crime prevention resources in the appropriate areas. When we understand the link between offenses and location it is beneficial in our understanding of why certain locations attract more crime than others. Investigative efforts can be targeted when we are able to predict characteristics of the offender(s) responsible for a series of crimes. The use of geographic profiling also facilitates in law enforcements ability to prioritize suspects by an individuals most likely place of residence, their knowledge of a particular area and to determine which offenses are linked and which are not, so that they can determine whether or not a certain crime may have been carried out by the same offender(s) (Sam mons n.d.). GIS capability, database management, powerful visualization tools and analytic engine are incorporated together and compose what is known as computerized geographic profiling (Harris 1999). The use of geographic profiling can be deployed through a number of investigative strategies. Some examples may include: department of motor vehicle searches, mass DNA screening prioritization, canvasses and searches, zip code prioritization, information request mailouts, patrol saturation and surveillance, address-based searches of police record systems and suspect and tip prioritization (Harris 1999). In order for computerized geographic profiling to be most effective crime locations should first be broken down by type such as: body dump sites for a murder, victim encounter or murder. Each of these crime locations should be entered into the system by latitude/longitude, digitization or by entering the address (Harris 1999). Scenarios are created and weighted based on crime locations and the use of theoretical and methodological principles (Harris 1999). A probability chart known as a z-score histogram is created from the suspect addressed and is evaluated according to their hit percentage on the chart Mental Maps A mental map, is a cognitive image of ones surroundings that is developed through experiences, travel routes, reference points and centers of activity. This is another significant factor in geographical profiling. (nij.gov 2006) Each person has their own mental map that contains the places he or she feels safe and takes for granted regardless of offender status. These mental maps do not accurately represent reality, but rather the perspective and experience of the individual. (Sammons n.d.) An offenders mental map can be reconstructed and interpreted with the assistance of the familiarity of the location in relation to his or her awareness of space (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007). Inferences about a criminal can be made about them by reviewing the distribution of their offenses since they were likely influenced by that individuals mental map of an area (Sammons n.d.) Crime site selection is influenced by these mental maps as the offender must first be aware of the site befo re a target can be victimized. (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007). Many times an offenders mental map will change as he becomes more confident which in turn will increase his range of criminal activity. A criminal may be either geographically stable or transient or may start as geographically stable and become transient with time and number of criminal acts. (nij.gov 2006) An offender is influenced by several factors which determine his tendency toward stability or mobility such as: their experience with travel, means for getting places, sense of personal security, and predatory motivations. (nij.gov 2006) Routine Activity Theory and Circle Theory Routine Activity Theory otherwise known as RAT is another approach that is taken into consideration by geographical profiling. Three circumstances must coincide according to the RAT principle: a motivated offender, a suitable victim and the absence of a capable guardian (Sammons n.d.). RAT assumes that in any area there are a certain number of people motivated to commit crime (Sammons n.d.) This theory sees offenses as just another activity that a person might do on a regular basis without any attempt to explain the reason why. Another belief of this theory is that the routine activity of victims is important because people tend to stick with familiar territory. Clues about where an offender lives can be provided by an analysis of all the crime scenes (Ramsland n.d.). There is a difference between perceived distance and actual distance and certain components influence how this disparity can affect the commission of a crime. The perception of distance varies from one person to the nex t and can be influenced by any of the following: familiarity with a specific region, types of roads, availability of transportation and number of barriers such as bridges or state boundaries (nij.gov 2006) Since most peoples activities are confined to a few fairly limited area where they work, where they live, where they socialize a persons offenses will be limited in that same geographical area according to RAT (Sammons n.d.). A successful example of geographical profiling using RAT involves a computerized system called Dragnet. The location of the offenses allows Dragnet to predict where an offender is likely to lived based on that information. Dragnet created a map that suggested probabilities that the offender responsible was based in different regions according to the information it received on a number of linked rapes in Las Vegas. The focus of the investigation was able to be narrowed to a single apartment block as a result of the investigating officers knowledge of the local area and the offender in turn was subsequently arrested (Sammons n.d.). Canter and Larkin (1193) came up with the circle theory of environmental range which proposed that the majority of the time, if a circle is drawn that encompasses all of a series of linked crimes, the offender will be based somewhere within the circle. (Sammons n.d.) There is a fair amount of support for this view. Godwin and Canter (1997) found that 85 per cent of the offenders they studied lived inside the circle encompassing their offenses (Sammons n.d.). Serial rapes and arson attacks in Australia were reviewed by Koscis and Irwin (1997) which confirmed the circle theory. The only exception appeared to be burglary since burglars only lived in the circle defined by the offenses about half the time. A review the offense locations of 53 serial murderers in Germany was conducted by Snook et al (2005).The results of his study discovered that the killer lived within six miles of where the bodies were found in 63% of the cases. Younger offenders travel shorter distances and killers with higher IQ travel further. Information about the dispersal of offenses may indicate some general characteristics of the offender responsible because it has been found that experience and intelligence influence killers attempts to disguise their crimes (Sammons n.d.) Importance of Geographic Profiling and how it can be most effective Geographical profiling has a particular importance in the United States because there are many different law enforcement agencies which share little data between them, so this method enables a connection between crimes to be established that might not have otherwise been linked (Sammons n.d.). In order to construct an accurate geographical profile all of the following elements need to be included in the assessment: computerized analysis, study of area maps, analysis of neighborhood demographics for both the abduction site and body dump site, examination of the crime scenes, complete familiarity with the case file and interviews with investigators and witnesses. (Ramsland n.d.) In order for geographical profiling to be effective the following should be taken into consideration: it requires accurate data on the offenses that have been committed in an area, police data on crime is likely underreported, so the data used to generate the crime maps is likely to be incomplete as a result, s ince police will have a vast amount of data available it may be difficult for them to determine what should be left out when they attempt to construct a crime map and additional problems can arise from inconsistencies in how the locations of the crimes may be recorded by the police (Sammonds n.d.). Information about five or more crime locations needs to be available in order for geographic profilers to be most effective according to a 2005 study conducted by Rossmo (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). He also claimed that as additional crime locations were incorporated into the prediction that there would be an even further increase in accuracy. (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). This assumption is not supported by the analysis of CrimeStats performance across maps with varying numbers of crimes. Participant performance is shown to increase from three to five crimes, but the increase vanishes when making predictions from seven crimes according to the findings in this study (Be nnell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). . A localized improvement in performance was found with five crime locations, but it is not evidence of a large positive correlation between the number of crime locations and predictive accuracy. Accuracy does not increase as more crime locations are added to the information used to make a prediction (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). Generalizability When a crime occurs in a specific location, the area surrounding that location may experience an increased risk of a similar crime occurring for a distinct period of time which is known as a near repeat phenomenon. Trends in spatiotemporal proximity which involve both space and time are referred to as near repeat crimes (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). A rival explanation for the observation of near repeat crime is spree crime which is a pattern characterized by high frequency of criminal activity involving the same offender across a short time span such as hours or days. This phenomenon can be generalized across multiple crime types and effect various temporal bands on near repeat pattern. The temporal dimension of near repeat crime may vary across different types of offenses (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). The majority of crime types have a component of repeat victimization except for manslaughter or murder. A disproportionate amount of crime has been shown by research to occur in specific geographic areas known as hot spots. These areas have a higher than average risk of victimization and vary in size, but are typically blocks or street segments. The identification of hot spots allows law enforcement to understand where crimes are most likely to take place, so they can more effectively target its resources. (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). Repeat victimization is different than hot spots which include multiple targets and crime types and they are not concentrated in a specific amount of time even if they are concentrated in space. An overall consensus was found that homes that are burglarized have a higher likelihood of being burglarized again in the future. In the month following an original burglary Johnson et al. (1997) found the risk of re-victimization to be elevated. Another study conducted by Morgan (2001) also found that re-victimization was most likely to occur in the month following a burglary, however the data reflected that areas of higher ov erall burglary rates had more stability in their likelihood of repeat victimization (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). A near repeat pattern for burglaries that extended at least 200m for two weeks existed in all of the study locations examined by Johnson et al (2007). This was the result in all ten areas within the five counties despite the fact that the patterns differed in the geographic areas. A pattern of increased risk of victimization in the surrounding area of a residence after a burglary was discovered by Morgan. Morgan referred to these incidents as near repeats. In the week following a burglary the homes in the surrounding area were particularly at an increased risk of burglary (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). They also determined that affluent areas as opposed to deprived areas appeared to reflect more evident space-time clustering. Townsley et al. (2003) found that there was an increase in burglary incidents within 200 m (approximately 650 feet) and 2 months of an origi nal burglary. Similarly, Johnson and Bowers (2004) found increased risk of burglaries for dwellings within 400 feet of a previously burgled home for 1 to 2 months following the incident, especially on the same side of the road (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). The overall burglary rate can be reduced by 25% if repeat victimization can be prevented and is also a highly important crime reduction strategy. A similar result to burglary was found when Johnson et al. (2009) looked at the spatiotemporal relationship of theft from motor vehicles. Over a two week period evidence of near repeat crimes was found occurring within 800m of the original incident. Ratcliffe and Rengert (2008) analyzed the spatial and temporal distributions of shooting incidents in Philadelphia to explore the near repeat phenomenon for traditional violent crime (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). The analysis for this crime type was partially guided by the theoretical information provided by Ratcliffe and Rengert. Thi s study discovered there is a significantly increased likelihood of another shooting within one block of the initial shooting for two weeks after the incident. It cannot be determined whether a near repeat pattern for shooting is common to all geographic areas or whether characteristics specific to the study location influenced the pattern since this was the first study to examine shootings (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). A global near repeat phenomenon for shootings may exist if the Philadelphia pattern is exhibited in different geographical areas, but if they did not find similar results then individual locations would need to identify their own unique near repeat patterns if they existed at all. The near repeat pattern for auto theft spans a greater spatial distance than the other crimes which is likely attributed to the goal of stealing specific vehicles, but patterns of offending will vary according to motivation. Any near repeat pattern for robbery occurs with small spatial and temporal bands and exhibits a small, doughnut like spatial pattern as a result of the spontaneity of robbery (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). Prior research has shown robbery to cluster temporally within 1 to 2 days, and spatially, close to the original incident, but not within the immediate 500m (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). The spatial similarity of near repeat patterns for robbery and auto theft regardless of crime type illustrates that offenders committing different crimes may still share a comparable decision making process. Offenders may still work within distinct reference areas regardless of crime type which is the basis for geographic profiling and offender identification through circle theory. Repeat offenders select their targets in familiar areas that tend to be closer to the offenders residence (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). The result is that geographic patterns can be found in crimes that are linked to the same perpetrator, which can then be used to identi fy the probable location of the offenders residence. Patterns in both near repeat crimes and spree offending can likely be attributed to the same offender. Bowers and Johnson (2004) found that near repeat burglaries exhibited the same modus operandi as the original crimes, indicating that near repeat burglaries were likely being committed by the same offenders or groups of offenders. Bernasco (2008) found that same-offender involvement is directly tied to spatial and temporal distances between burglaries. Additionally, Johnson et al. (2009) found that crimes occurring closest to one another in space and time were most likely to be attributed to the same offender (Cook, Nobles Ward et al. 2011). A successful first offense increases the likelihood of repeat offending in the general area although the same exact location may not be re-victimized. Residential Proximity Research has consistently shown that the number of criminal offenses that an offender commits decreases as distance from an offenders residence increases with the exception of violent and/or sex offenders (Donnay, Duwe Tewksbury 2008). The determination of offense location was influenced more by characteristics of events and relationships rather than characteristics of victims and opportunities (Donnay, Duwe Tewksbury 2008).Offenses occured an average of more than three miles from offenders homes according to data from five hundred sixty five rapes committed by serial rapists. Of this same population 86% marauded outward into an area of an average of 180 square miles rather than offending against victims that lived nearby (Donnay, Duwe Tewksbury 2008). In New Zealand, serial sexual assault offenders committed their offenses an average of 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) away from their residences. For other types of violent crime, Groff and McEwen (2006) reported that homicide offenders committed the offense, on average, 0.69 miles from their homes. In addition, Tita and Griffiths (2005) showed that across 9 years of homicides in Pittsburgh, homicide offenders rarely killed in their own neighborhoods (Donnay, Duwe Tewksbury 2008).When offenders commit their crimes it is likely to result in different spatial patterns because factors related to opportunity and risk will vary even if motivational level across offender types is constant. Since the targets of serial burglars are immobile they will exhibit more commuting behavior than serial murderers (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). A burglar can travel into the same area to commit more crimes in the future because while the crime is being committed he or she can locate potential targets through the observation of other residences in the area. While serial murderers may observe other targets while offending it is not very likely that these potential victims will remain in this same place for long (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). Another factor that will determine whether an individual will exhibit commuting behavior is the level of perceived risk associated with committing crimes in the same geographic area (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). Serial burglars would not be dissuaded from repeatedly commuting into the same area to commit their crimes because they are largely unaffected by the risks associated with committing multiple offenses in close proximity to one another (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). Serial murderers would typically have to exhibit marauding behavior to avoid detection. As a result of the attention their crimes receive they would not be able to display the same behavior as the serial burglars (Bennell, Corey Keyton, et al. 2007). Rational Choice Approach There is a relationship between the behavioral and geographic aspect of criminal behavior referred to as the rational choice approach. This approach recognizes that the offenders behaviors are dependent on environmental cues associated with the criminal event like: nature (indoor vs. outdoor locations) and familiarity with the offense location (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007).Target selection is highly dependent on the physical environment and there is a pattern in both spatial and temporal distribution of offenders and victims. As a result of the connection between the types of location and the types of strategy exhibited by an offender means that offender strategies might be triggered by the types of location at which the offender and victim met (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007).One study conducted by Ouimet and Proulx (1994) reflects the correlates of spatial behavior in violent crimes by showing that a majority of child molesters offended in or near their residen ces. There are several advantages to an offenders home over competing locations which make it the best possible location to commit an offense (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007).One of these advantages may be facilitating the security children might feel which might make them more willing to participate in sexual contact. There is an association between interactional, transactional and adaptive nature of human behavior. The level of violence of the crime is positively associated with the distance traveled by the offender from his home to the target. (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007).The offender has to adapt his crime strategies and use the appropriate approach method for the situation. Information processing and decision making occurs through experience whether or not a person is a criminal. For example, child molesters may have to travel farther if they are not able to find a suitable victim near their homes. It will become harder for the offender to convince a child take a car trip with a stranger and get him or her to return to the offenders home the farther he has to travel (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007). Geographic profiling must take into account the linkage between location types and both offender victim search methods and attack methods. Hunting patterns may be helpful to determine which crime locations are the best predictors of an offenders anchor point (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007). The relationship between offending and geographic behavior may serve as the basis for integrated criminal-geographic profiling as unique investigative strategy (Allaire, Beauregard, Leclerc et al 2007). CONCLUSION Geographic profiling determines the most probable area that an offender lives through the use of an investigative methodology that reviews the locations of a connected series of crimes. This methodology is based on a model that describes the hunting behavior of the offender. It is generally applied in cases of serial murder, rape, arson, robbery and/or bombing cases, but may also be implemented in single crimes that involve multiple scenes or other significant geographic characteristics (Harris 1999). Geographical profiling is an attempt to make predictions about an offender based on information obtained from the crime scene such as the location and timing of the offense (Sammons n.d.). People in general take more short trips than long trips in their daily lives according to the distance decay concept, so offenders are more likely to live close to the sites of their crimes than far away (Harris 1999). Geographic profiling is essential in that it refocuses the scope of the case from t he whole metropolitan area to a small area of the community which in turn substantially reduces the amount of time and resources required to conduct the investigation. (Ramsland n.d.) Geographic profiling provides a means for managing the large volume of information generated in major crime investigations and should be regarded as one of several powerful decision support tools available to the detective. It is best employed in conjunction with other police methods and does not in itself solve cases. When properly decoded geographic crime patterns are clues that can be used to point the detective in the direction of the offender (Harris 1999).

Construct Theory of Personality | Analysis

Construct Theory of Personality | Analysis Describe Kellys personal construct theory of personality, and compare this approach with other psychological theories of personality. Over the years psychologists have developed different theories to define observable differences in individual’s personalities (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). The history of personality psychology datedates vack for man centuries and has been traced as far as four centries before Christ (Cervone, 2013). Earlier records of personality theories all tended to have a philosophical basis. Suc as Aristotle who believed that personality could be broken down into four facors, iconic which ddepicted an individuals social place within society (Ryckman, 2012).). During the mid 18th century personality theories began to move towards meurological assumptions to explain behaviour and personality which adopted an anatomy perspective, for example Gall argued that by measuring the skull explanations could be drawn regarding an individuals personality type (ref). During the 1920’s Freud famousy conceptualised personality traits in relation with conscious and unconcsioucs thoughts which depicte d behaviour (ref). The psychodynamic approach move towars humanist approaches to personality in the 1940’s and 1950s with Maslows development of th eh hierarchy of needs approach theoryRogers in the latte 1950s who argued that we strive to acieve our best according to our persoaity taking influence fro the likes of Maslow (Ryckman, 2012). Finally, cognitive psychology is the most modern approach to understanding personality. Cognitive psychology refers to the study of mental processes and adopts a more biological approach which has been integrated significantly into modern understanding of personality psychology (Eysenck Keane, 2010). Personality theories attempt to understand behavioural variation in individuals using a range of psychological characteristic definitions such as introvert and extrovert personality types (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). A significant amount of earlier research focused upon personality traits as being heritable particularly in the behaviourist and ps ychodynamic theories (Eaves, Eysench, Martin, Eaves, 2014) and before the 1950’s it was generally accepted that personality traits were inherited which followed with an influx of twin based studies (Allport, 1937). In 1955, George Kelly developed the personal construct theory. Personal construct theory was designed as an alternative approach to understanding individual personality which viewed personality as an individual experience (Maktby, Day Macaskill, 2007). During the 1950’s Kelly revolutionalised the ways in which personality and human understanding were approached by moving away from the behaviourist and psychodynamic approaches. Instead the personal consttuct theory was deeply scientific adopting a phenomenological approach which moved away from the more favoured observational approaches to personality research methodology (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). Using this phenomenological approach personal construct theory allows for variation to be made in personality so as not to refine it into categories but whilst also accepting that personality can change either thrugh individual of social influences (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). Additionally, the sceitnific approach to personal construc t theory means that it take a qualitative research perspective which give s the teory greater research power than other methods such as the psychodynamic and behaviourist which are heavily biased towards quantitative methodologies.(Ryckman, 2012). The personality construct theory changed personality theory in the 1950’s by presenting the view that people should be treated as scientists. Kelly argued that individuals undertake an ongoing experiment from which their understanding of the world continually develops ( Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). Kelly believed that during this experimental process the individual would internalise ideas of reality which would lead to a greater understanding of the world (Kelly, 1963). Interpretations, observations, experiences formed the basis of the personality construct theory (Kelly, 1963). The personal construct psychology stance challences the notion that experience should simply be separated into categories of thining and feeling and how these impact upon individual personality and behaviour (Raskin, 2013). Kelly successfully argued towards a scientific, quantifiable approach to understanding personality traits however, the approach has received extensive criticism for failing to incorpor ate an account for emotion. Chiari (2013) has stated that previously Kelly’s approach to the personal construct theory has failed to include the role of emotion whch is considered by many modern psychologists to be fundamental to the development of personality. Chiari (2013) has stated that instead Kelly overlooks what would experiences which would normally come under the realms of emotion and suggested instead constructivist epistemology approach. However, it has been argued that the use of tese transitions o not aquately account for the role of emotion in human life (Chiari, 2013). For example, the cognitive approach to understanding personality has viewed personality relate to resulted in a deficit in the schemata which wauses issues relate to judgement and cognitive error (Eysenck Keane, 2010). Fundamental to Kelly’s approach and what seperates the pesnal construct theory from other approaches is the argument that expectation and prediction drive the human mind ((Maktby, Day, Macaskill, 2007). Kelly believed that from this events can be predicted and anticipated in a process of continual personal development which was not centred upon predisposed genetics or biological factors (Maktby, Day, Macaskill, 2007). Kelly (1963) believed passionately that personality development aimed for the individual to achieve utmost knowledge of the world around them from which they could develop a sense of self and belonging (Maktby, Day, Macaskill, 2007). Similarly to Kelly (1963) Rogers (1947) believed that perception of self was the driving factor behind behaviour and understanding of the world and based successful non-directive theory upon this principle Similarly to Kelly, Rogers believed that personality development was a lifelong, ongoing process of development (Rogers, 1963) . However, Rogers’s theory of self-actualisation has been heavily criticised for providing very limited understanding and application within human personality in the twentieth century and in modern western society (Geller, 1982). Viktor Frnkl was another highly inflencital humanist psychologist Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist.Frankl delwas highly influential in the development of existential therapy as well as being a source of significant in the development of humanist psychology. Frankl was a holocaust survivor and a great deal of his work fucesd upon seeing positive in the darkest of scenarios, his work on suicisde prevention strategies received significant attention.Frankl belived that people were innately driven by a desire to find meaning in life which allowed people to survive and overcome incredibly dark and traumatic experiences.Franks experience in the concentration camps shaped his therapeutic approach and philospophical approach to psychology. Franl’s work demonstrated the impact of socio-polictical influences on personal development by demonstrating the innate human drive to find positives in desperate circumstances and suffericng. George Kelly believed that humans had an innate need to gain knowledge and experiences from their environment throughout all stages of life (Butt, 2008). Dependent upon these life experiences the personal construct theory presented a flexible and highly person centred approach to personality (Kelly, 1963). Kelly believed that by constructing a situation based upon previous experience and what we have learnt from similar in the past allows individuals to be active problem solvers who can formulate accurate hypotheses for the future (Butt, 2008). One of the key strengths of the personal construct system is that the theory has allowed for reliable behavioural predictions to be made on an individual basis and throughout adult life which do not rely upon preconstructed personality traits or genetic factors (Butt, 2008). For example, personality trait theory focuses upon quantifiable personality traits which are used to predict individual thought processes and behaviour (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). Trait theorists have argued that individual personalities individuals can be understood in terms of returning patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviour which can be scientifically examined using quantitative methodologies (John, Robins Pervin, 2008). However, there are a number of issues and implications relating to stereotype colliery when all individuals are categorised dependent upon their personality traits. To demonstrate this Lee and Adams-Webber (1987) conducted a projective test of the golden section hypothesis in a perosnltiy trait stereotypy setting. The golden raio is normally used in mathematics and refers to two quantifiable objects being in the golden ration if their ratio is equal to the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two objects qunantitities.Lee and Adams-Webber (1987) conducted a projective test o the golden section hypothesis during which twenty-fourtdents were required to complete a grid which categorise their personalities into ten comic book characters using twelve bipolar constructs as the basis for their selections such as â€Å"generous-mean†. The oerall results identified that the proportion of characters which were assigned to positive poles of constructs was 0.615 which was identified to be significantly in line with the golden section (approximately 0.618).That is, out of 2, 880 judgements, 1772 were identified to be positive in nature which suppo rt the mathematical model fo the golen section hypothesis. This These results suggest that the proportion of positive personality jusdemetns can be computed to be approximately 0.615 which is very close to the experimenters hypothesised estimate of 0.618. The experimenters have also reported that simpliar results were identified using similar sets of ersonality constructs. The study has also ifentified the negative aspects of negative judementss and stereotypes which can be construed base upo appearance nd impressiin the society.ons which cause individuals to assign a negative construct with further implications However, despite the limitations the trait theory approach to personality testing remains to be a popular choice by researchers due to the ability to provide an accurate description of an individuals personality which can be accurately assessed scientifically. Similarly to the person construct theory personality traits are universal and relevant regardless of age, race or gender however they are more concrete and less flexible which has formulated the theories main criticism (Ryckman, 2012). Furthermore, as th study by Lee and Adams-Webber (1987) demonstrated to an extent the trait theory approach does not adequately account for issues such as abnormal personality disorders and can encourage negative personality stereotypy (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011). Throughout the history of personality theory, the hereditary and biological explanation has had a tendency to be overused in research. A substantive proportion of this work has relied heavily upont win and adoption studies. However, the reliance on such studies has caused a large amount of criticism in recent years where a more integrated approach to research has been favoured. Twin studies have a number of experimental biases including reliabilitu and replicability, the results tend not to be generalisable to the general population due to the unique nature of the twin relationship and nurturing environment (Eaves, Eysneck, Martin Eaves, 2014). Loehlin, McCrae, Costa and John (1998) investigated the heritability fctor of the Big Five personality imensions using data taken from the National Merit Trwin study The researchers used behaviour-genetic models to identify similiarites bbtetween the three separate measures the results of the model identifie that the Big Five personality dime sntions were significantly heritable and substantially so which was ine wih other similar studies. No significant variation was identified between gender, for measures agreeableness and conscientiousnsess shared environment was found to be measure specific and for estraversiona nd neuroticisim models which ncorporated a genetic element provided better fits.The results from†¦ are consistent across the majority of twin and genetic base studies for all five of the Big Five Personality Facts. For example, Jang, Liversley Vemon (1996) identified the following braod genetic influence on the five demensions of Neuroticism, extraversion, Openness, Agreeableneess, and Conscentiousness at 41%, 53%, 61%, 41% and 44% rerospectovely. Overall, it has been concluded that there is a strong genetic component to the individual differences basis to theories of personality which overwhelms theories of learnt traits (Ryckman, 2013). Overall, when Kelly’s theory of personality is compared to the humanist, behaviourist and psychodynamic theories, the approach provides an accurate scientific model for understanding personality and one which can be applied without limitation in childhood and adulthood. Personal construct theory has a significant streghth in its detailed and holistic view which has significantly increased understanding in individual differences in regardto personality rather than theoryies such as the trait theory (Eynsneck) which has viewed personality as being biologically determined and et in rigid categories which leaves little room for individual adaption and variation (ref).( Langdridge Taylor, 2007). However, there are issues of generalisability with the personal construct theory which are less of an issue compared with other approachs such as thetrai thery, References Allport, G. W. (1937).Personality. Holt, New York. Butt, T. (2008). George Kelly: The psychology of personal constructs (Mind shapers). Palgrave Macmillan: USA. Bleidorn, W., Klander, C., Caspi, A. (2014). The behavioural genetics ofpersonality development in adulthood- classic, contemporary and future trends. European journal of personality, 28, 244-245. Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2011). Personality and individual differences 2nd edition. John Wiley and Sons, UK. Cervone, D. (2013). Personality psychology. John Wiley and Sons, UK. Chiari, G. (2013). Emotion in personal construct theory: A controversial question.Journal of constructvist psychology, 26, 249-261. Eysenck, M., Keane, M, T. (2010). Cognitive psychology: A student’s handbook, 6th edition.Psychology press, USA. Eaves, L, J., Eysench, H, J., Martin, N, G, L, ., Eaves, J. (2014). Genes,culture, and personality: An empirical approach. Academic press limited, London. Frankl, V, E. (2008). Man’s search fofr meaning.Rider and Co, USA> Geller, L. (1982). The failure of self-actualization theory. A critique of Carl Rogersand Abraham Maslow. Journal of humanistic psychology, 22, 56-73. Jang, K, L., Livesly, W, J., Vemon, P, A. (1996). Heritability of the Big FivePersonality dimensions and their facests: A twin study. Journal of personality, 64, 577-592. John, O, P., Robins, R, W., Pervin, L, A. (2008). Handbook of personality, third edition : Theory and research. The Guildford press, New York. Kelly, G. (1963). Theory of personality: Psychology of personal constructs. W. W. Norton and Company, New York. Lee, C., Adams-Webber, J. (1987). A ‘projective’ test of the golden sectionhypothesis. Social behaviour and personality, 15, 169-175. Loehlin, J, C, McCroe, R, R., Costa, P, T., John, O, P. (1998). Heritabilities of common and measure-specific component off the big five personality factors. Journal of research in personality, 32, 431-453. Langdridge, D., Taylor, S. (2007). Critical readings in social psychology. The open university press, UK. Maktby, J., Day, L., Macaskill, A. (2007). Personality, Individual Differences and Intelligence 3rd edition. Pearson education limited, UK. Rogers, C, R. (1947). Some observations on the organization of personality.American psychologist, 2, 358-368. Rogers, C, R. (1963). The concept of the fully functioning person. Psychotherapy: Theory, research and practice, 1, 170-126. Ryckman, R. (2012). Theories of personality. Wadsworth publishing Co Inc, USA. Raskin, J,, D. (2013). Thinking,, feeling, and being human. Journal of constructivist psychology, 26, 181-186.

Revolutionary Opinion :: essays papers

Revolutionary Opinion They all say, ?Taxation without representation is tyranny.? Those revolutionary fools! Surely they jest! I am well aware that many of my fellow townspeople believe in this notion. It is rather sensible, after all. Who really likes to pay taxes? Not I! However, all those that subscribe to this train of thought are living in a dream world. In reality, it is the other way around. ?Representation without taxation is tyranny.? Revolution is futile and will only result in more taxes for the whiners to gripe and moan about. Frankly, I?ve had enough. A few days ago, I saw some protesters walking down the road chanting and marching with signs that read "Taxation Without Representation Is Tyranny.? I seem to remember that other Americans also once expressed similar views. Most people would now regard that point as a fair one. I am no great fan of democracy, as I prefer liberty, but even I can agree that people who are taxed but not allowed to vote are likely to be more than averagely oppressed by those who can vote. This then prompted me to consider the converse proposition: Representation Without Taxation Is Tyranny. It would, of course, be a fallacy to think that this is entailed by the first proposition, but surely it is just as reasonable. If we must have state services, it should at least be for those who pay for them to vote for which services they want and how much they wish to pay. To allow those providing, or living off, the services to vote is like allowing a shopkeeper to vote on what you must buy from him, or a beggar to vote on what you must give him. Naturally, I hear them say, ?but doesn't everyone pay tax, at least on goods and services?? Furthermore, is it not trivially true, insofar as morals can be ?true?? No, they do not and it is not. Not by a long shot. Lord Grenville, everyone?s favorite exchequer, has recently been parading around town saying how he realizes that the recent practices of taxation have been unfair and how he relates to the feelings of the townspeople. He even went so far as to state, or shall I say lie, about how much he strongly dislikes his job because he, like everyone else, has to pay taxes.

Structure of NTFS :: essays research papers

Structure of NTFS The NTFS file system is used in all critical Microsoft Windows systems. It is an advanced file system that makes it different from the UNIX file systems that the original TCT was designed for. This document gives a quick overview of NTFS and how it was implemented. The biggest difference is the use of Alternate Data Streams (ADS) when specifying a meta data structure. MFT The Master File Table (MFT) contains entries that describe all system files, user files, and directories. The MFT even contains an entry (#0) that describes the MFT itself, which is how we determine its current size. Other system files in the MFT include the Root Directory (#5), the cluster allocation map, Security Descriptors, and the journal. MFT ENTRIES Each MFT entry is given a number (similar to Inode numbers in UNIX). The user files and directories start at MFT #25. The MFT entry contains a list of attributes. Example attributes include "Standard Information" which stores data such as MAC times, "File Name" which stores the file or directories name(s), $DATA which stores the actual file content, or "Index Alloc" and "Index Root" which contain directory contents stored in a B-Tree. Each type of attribute is given a numerical value and more than one instance of a type can exist for a file. The "id" value for each attribute allows one to specify an instance. A given file can have more than one "$Data" attribute, which is a method that can be used to hide data from an investigator. To get a mapping of attribute type values to name, use the 'fsstat' command. It displays the contents of the $AttrDef system file. Each attribute has a header and a value and an attribute is either resident or non-resident. A resident attribute has both the header and the content value stored in the MFT entry. This only works for attributes with a small value (the file name for example). For larger attributes, the header is stored in the MFT entry and the content value is stored in Clusters in the data area. A Cluster in NTFS is the same as FAT, it is a consecutive group of sectors. If a file has too many different attributes, an "Attribute List" is used that stores the other attribute headers in additional MFT entries. FILES Files in NTFS typically have the following attributes: S.N. Attribute Description 1. $STANDARD_INFORMATION Contains MAC times, security ID, Owners ID, permissions in DOS format, and quota data.

Baron Georges Eugene Haussmann

Paris in the l9th century was anything but beautiful; the City of Lights was a city of disparity; graceful monuments, historic buildings and slum dwellings, sat side by side. The narrow streets were catch-alls for chamber pots that were emptied into the streets from windows, the sewer system was inadequate, for a city with a million inhabitants, and prompting extremely unhealthy conditions that bred disease and only one out of five households had running water.This statement from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Genevan philosopher depicts a snapshot picture of Old Paris, â€Å"Entering through the faubourg Saint Marceau, I saw only small, dirty and stinking streets, ugly black houses, an air of filth, poverty, beggars, carters, sewing women, women hawking tisanes and old hats† (British library. ) All of these issues would be â€Å"history† with the city’s modernization done at an unprecedented pace by Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann. Baron Haussmann was born, in Paris, o n March 27th, 1809. He was educated at theCollege Henry IV, studied law, while simultaneously taking classes at the Conservatoire de Paris, because he was a good musician. He diverted from being a lawyer, turning his focus on architecture, becoming a civil engineer and career administrator. Mr. Haussmann was appointed sous-prefet (state representative) of Nerac, a commune of the Lot-et-Garonne department in southwestern France, in l830. He advanced quickly in the civil service venue; in l853 he was appointed the prefet of the Seine Department, (department in France is similar to a county) and remained in that position until l870.During this time period, Baron Haussmann was made senator in l857, grand cross at the Legion d’honneur, a premier order of France, in l862, and a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in l867. (wikipedia) He died on January 11, l891 in Paris, leaving a continuous and evolving legacy. The Baron’s name is preserved on the Boulevard Haussmann and in the very core of the â€Å"City of Lights. † Now that I have given a brief, biographical summary of Mr. Haussmann’s life, here is a detailed look at his accomplishments, historical impact on urbanism and constant influence in today’s society.Emperor Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the last monarch to rule France, wanted to be acknowledged as a great communal engineer. He was partial to helping the poor, working class people of Paris and desperately wanted to shape the city in to a progressive, healthy environment. There was also a safety issue, the Emperor needed to address; it was imperative that he reduce the ability of future revolutionaries to defy the government, by benefiting on the medieval maze of streets to easily form barricades. Devising wider streets for logical maneuvers, would allow battalions and artillery to circulate effortlessly.Napoleon III rightly chose, the best civil engineer in Paris, Baron Haussmann to implement the recons truction of his capital. The Emperor let Haussmann maintain substantial executive power and extensive finances with this project. Ultimately, over a decade and a half he spent 2,115,000,000 francs, the equivalence of 1. 5 billion in today’s currency. Napoleon also protected Haussmann from the myriad of critics, this was fundamental for his success. Paris would undergo a major transformation and people had two different views of Haussmann; one as a man who would demolish â€Å"old† Paris , and the other as a man who would create a â€Å"new†Paris. Haussmanization is what this massive undertaken was dubbed, its actual definition being, â€Å"the creative destruction of something for the betterment of society,â€Å" (wiktionary). The criticism the Baron received was that specific, Parisian’s were troubled by the destruction of buildings, including whole neighborhoods. In they’re opinion, there was no â€Å"betterment,† the wide streets had a diminutive purpose, except for being anti-riot streets, and all Haussmann did for the poor areas was to build encompassing boulevards from which they could be subjugated (British lib.) Another, subject he was disparaged for, was his methods of financing the projects, which included using his connections with realtors. Haussmann would allow them to purchase property along the new boulevards in exchange for an exuberant profit. This issue ignited an intense political controversy and even though the allegation were never proven , it eventually led to the Baron’s dismissal as the prefet, on January 5, l870. Napoleon III had no choice if he was to increase the approval rating of this regime.Parisians who viewed Haussmann’s modernization of Paris as positive, and new he would be providing a much needed service to the city, far out numbered the opposition. Most of the people perceived the streets as they actually were; unsanitary, with garbage and waste left by a faulty sewer system, crowded, damp, shanties covered in mud, and confusing. The narrow streets, with no sidewalks, discouraged prospective customers from going to shops, and during Paris’s recurrent spates of civil disorder, made it easier to form barricades. Haussmannization would deliver a â€Å"new† Paris, a healthy, moreorganized, safer city. Baron Haussmann’s first task was to create a detailed map of Paris, this would be the basis of his work. He then installed wood towers throughout the city, taller than surrounding buildings to serve as triangulation points in the surveying process. This was an advanced engineering process, theory is still use today. Triangulation is finding coordinates and the distance of a point by calculating the length of different sides of a triangle. Devising the towers, for this purpose, was ingenious. The transformation was now underway, using 1500 architects and over 60,000 workers.Paris was deemed the â€Å"largest construction site in th e world,† and would hold that title for two decades (France monthly). Three quarters of the Ile de la Cite, was destroyed to construct a central area for the Palais de Justice, police headquarters and barracks. Ile de la Cite is one of two islands in the Seine River, the other is Ile Saint-Louis, is the center of Paris and where the city was founded (wikipedia). Approximately 15,000 homes were pulled down and the only buildings untouched were; Notre Dame, the Saint-Chapelle, Conciergie and the Palais de Justice.Haussmann’s beautification of Paris, includes the star-shaped Place de l†Etoile, which is a large urban junction with a meeting point of twelve straight avenues, around the Arc de Triomphe, several new parks, gardens and the planting of over 100,000 trees. The Baron admired the large and central London parks, such as the Hyde and Regent Parks, and decided to created two comparable ones, . most notably the Bois de Boulogne, and the Bois de Vincennes. The Bar on built or rebuilt several market, the most famous redesigned market was the Les Halles, the first major building project to use iron-frame construction.This material allowed for improved control of the city’s food supplies and lessening of health hazards (SafariX). Another famous redesign was the Palais Garnier, commonly known as Opera de Paris, and named after its architect, Charles Garnier, who was chosen by the Baron to supervise the project. Mr. Garnier was instructed to build a 2nd theatre for the famous Parisian Opera and Ballet Companies. Legend says that Napoleon III’s wife asked Garnier if it would be built in Greek or Roman style and he replied, â€Å"It is in the Napoleon III style, Madame! â€Å" (msn. Encarta) Haussmann imposed a regulationthat required all new buildings to have a standardized height and design, this gave modern Paris characteristic landscape. Haussmann’s plan continued with organizing the city by numbering districts and houses. Parisian’s lives were made easier with the numeration. Wide, straight, new boulevards with commanding facades, converging at major junctions, marked by monuments, public buildings and points of significance such as city gates or railway stations, were made to facilitated traffic movement, eliminate cramped streets, and provide proficient access for army troops from the provinces to come into the city,if needed. Baron Haussmann’s implemented a railway network, with six new railroads stations, operating outside the city, improving transportation and directly contributing to a flourishing economic environment. The railways contributed to the development of coal mining and the steel industry in France, bringing they’re economy into a contemporary age of large scale free enterprise. The design of the streets combined with the new public transportation allowed Parisians an easy access to the city and its shops, museums, theatre etc., encouraged people to flaunt their new wealth. Probably the most imperative part of the â€Å"modernization† of Paris was the purification and decontamination of their ancient sewer system. A complete renovation was imperative to instill healthy conditions in the city. Haussmann named engineer Eugene Belgrad, Director of Water and Sewers of Paris, who attacked the problem by creating â€Å"sort of a city under the city,† The system harnessed underwater springs, some over 100 kilometers from Paris, then brought fresh, clean water by aqueducts to flush out the waste (France Monthly).The sewer system, although underground, didn’t go unobserved, Haussmann ensured that it became a showpiece, even providing transportation for their viewing, the system, to this day, is considered a tourist attractioin. Baron Haussmann and Napoleon III’s architectural strategy for the modernization of Paris is largely responsible for the city’s present appearance and for the groundwork of current and almos t certainly, future designs. The Baron’s vision of a city came into fruition, making Paris one of the most magnificently beautiful cities, a formidable economic power, with much healthier living conditions.Haussmann still continues to inspire architectural design. One example is the City Beautiful Movement, a progressive reform movement in North American architect, in the1800’s and 1900’s, its primary objective was to revamp poverty-stricken urban environments. â€Å"Haussmannian Revolution,† a term used because, for the first time in history, under an emporer, a single man systematically modernized a city on such a mammoth scope (France Monthly). Work Cited British Library, An Imperial Capital: Baron Haussmann’s Transformation of Pariswww. mapforum. com/15blmap. htm France Monthly, Baron Haussmann, and the Transformation of Paris, 2006 www. francemonthly. com/n/1202/index. php MSN. Encartam, Paris (city, France)-MSN Encarta 2007 http//Encarta. msn . com/encylopedia SafariX, Haussmannization and Ostentation http//www. safarix. com/0131932934/ch15lev1sec2 Wikipedia, Baron Haussman, 2 April 2007 www. widipedia. org/wiki/Baron_Haussmann Wikitionary, Etymology, 8 December 2006 http//en. wikitionary. org

The American Business Society

American business is in dire straits and the blame is being heaped on its leadership or, more aptly, the lack thereof. There are probably no fewer business leaders today than there were 50 years ago. There is not a shortage of good people, but maybe a lack of the right kind of people. People with the skills necessary to drive companies forward in a thoroughly different and rapidly changing world. I feel a leader should have several essential attributes:  · Trust. Leaders must be trustworthy, and they must trust their people, also.  · Vision. The nuts and bolts of running a business. Leaders must know where they want the company to be in the future. Also, get the whole company to share that vision. Leaders have to set the direction and get the company headed that way.  · Commitment. There will always be disloyalty among employees, but leaders need to seen as caring and nurturing.  · Integrity. A leader can†t lack integrity and still have people follow. Leaders must have values. They must have dedication to do what is right. The values of an organization are manifested on what a leader does.  · Creative Ability. Leaders must be positive. Always looking for possibilities, not perfection. This means that they must be open to different ways of doing things.  · Communication. A good leader is in constant communication with his or her people. He or she makes the rounds and knows what†s going on. Telling his people everything he can about what he knows and doesn†t know.  · Risk Taking. It is essential to be open to possibilities, and to question assumptions. Always allow people to be innovative without the fear of failure. AIDS is one of the most pervasive and difficult workplace issues. The community, not only for their life-style, rejects people with AIDS but also because the disease is incurable. AIDS is an acronym for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease caused by a virus that attacks the body†s ability to fight off infection. It now comes to be called HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. If a person is tested positive with the antibodies they are designated HIV+. It is presumable they have been exposed or have acquired the AIDS virus. The increase presence of AIDS in the workplace has crystallized a number of concerns for both employers and employees. However, Title I of the American with Disabilities Act covers those infected. The Act prohibits discriminating against individual with AIDS. States have different employment laws that apply to those infected. An employer can terminate someone from a job only if they cannot perform the essential tasks required for with that job. The employer is required to make a reasonable accommodation to the individual†s needs and requirements. Accommodation cannot be made if it will cause hardship to the business. Affirmative action was created 30 years age as a remedy for the under use of minority and female human resources in the workplace and classroom. The term refers to active measures and passive nondiscrimination, as means of increasing the recruitment of minorities and ensuring equal opportunity. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most comprehensive statute on civil rights ever enacted in the United States, banning discrimination in employment, voting, public accommodation, public education and all federal assisted programs. Executive Order 11246 requires that employers with federal contracts worth more than $50,000 and 50 or more employees have written affirmative action plans. Affirmative action was once a bright synonym for equality of opportunity. In recent years, it has been entered the political lexicon, as a sinister euphemism for reverse discrimination, a bitterly divisive issue. In recent years, affirmative action has appeared in politics. Most politicians† support either eliminating or revising it, including President Clinton, who supports a reform version of affirmative action. Changes have already begun in some states and will spread across the nation. Some critics view affirmative action as a departure from the principles of meritocracy and individual striving. Also they feel as a policy it primarily hurts white men. With all the demographic changes occurring in our nation, it may be time to change affirmative action. The achievements of it have been great, but the premises that underlie it have changed and may require revising. The focus on affirmative action may provide with an opportunity to shift to affirming diversity. Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) a victim of age discrimination in entitled to be † made whole†, being placed in the position that he or she would have been in but for the discrimination. The act protects workers between the ages 40 and 70 from arbitrary age discrimination in employment. The ADEA encompasses issues of hiring, firing, pay, promotion and fringe benefits. In recent years, more and more employees have been filing grievances under ADEA. Faced with expensive pensions and health costs, companies are trying to find ways to minimize their burden. The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) is an act that prohibits discrimination based on age in connection with all employee benefits programs. Older workers get the same benefits as the younger workers. Companies can ask outgoing workers to sign a waiver, not to sue for age discrimination. A company faces an indefinite future of court-mandated payments and damages if they are found guilty of violating age discrimination regulations. The American ideology is base on capitalism. A capitalistic system is a system in which the means of production are privately owned. The market operates to guide production and distribute income. The terms free or private enterprise are used interchangeably with capitalism. The theory of capitalism is founded on two fundamental assumptions. One, people are capable of understanding the natural order of the universe. Two, the role of government in economy can and should be limited. These two barriers led economist to believe that all artificial barriers affect our economic behavior. If government or monopolists who enjoyed unnatural powers in the marketplace did not interfere, the market would benefit everyone in society. All activities in a free enterprise must return a profit. However, free enterprise is never totally pure. Every nation has values and goals that place it on a continuum between free enterprise and a planned economy. Each determines where it lays on the continuum by the priority it gives to specific values and goals. It is never too early or too late to start planning for retirement. Definitely, early is better. Starting any time is better than not starting at all. A large number of people are not saving and investing, as they should. The more a person saves now, the more options they will have later. Maybe a person won†t be able to stop working completely, but they will not have to work as hard later. The dream of having a financially secure future is attainable, but there are a lot of sacrifices. To begin building a realistic financial plan that will allow you to retire with enough money, start with five basic dynamics: 1. Where do I stand now? That includes your personal savings and investments, your pension plans and your income prospects until retirement, as well as your debts and spending patterns. 2. How much money you†ll need to retire? Figure that you†ll need about eighty percent of your income to maintain your lifestyle after your regular paychecks stop. 3. Where will that money come from? Your regular paychecks. 4. How much time remains until retirement? Your strategy to achieve a worry-free retirement will depend on the target date you†ve set and how much progress you†ve made so far. A person can also shoot for an early retirement with the right planning. 5. How much risk you†re willing to take? When it comes to investing retirement money, risk is a balancing act. If you take too little, your investment will not grow. But if you take too much, there will be a crack in your investment that will be too difficult to repair. The more time you have until retirement; the more risk you maybe able to take. The less time you have, the more risk you may need to take. The message here is that is can be done. You can take control and plan for a financially secure future regardless of where you stand right now. A 401(k) is a tremendous two-fold tax shelter. Tax advantages number one: Money you contribute to the plan, up to a yearly maximum, is subtracted from your taxable income. Tax advantages number two: Funds inside you account grow tax-deferred until withdrawn. The IRS can†t tax the earnings each year and you can keep more in the plan for long term compounding. I recommend a person start to invest in at least a 401(k) plan. It is the hottest retirement savings deal. It eases a tax shelter power and wealth building potential. A 401(k) may be the single most important ingredient you can add to your retirement plan. With a 401(k), you can set aside a percentage of your salary, which your employer may match, in a retirement account you control. Money in the plan grows untaxed until you tap the account in retirement. If your investments do well, they win. If they don†t, the nest egg will be smaller. In either case, you bear the risk. People find it difficult to make decisions about ethical issues. Ethical principles and standards vary widely among individuals, organizations and cultures. Business ethics are based on individual and collective moral decision making at every lever in the corporation. Standards for moral behavior are sometimes informal, but more often they explicit and embodied in a written document. Managers must decide which issues are important to them and how to identify and manage them. Here are some questions I think are important to ask one-self. 1. Have I Defined the Problem Accurately? Make sure you have an understanding of the problem. 2. How Would I Define the Problem From the Other Side? You must look at the issue from the perspective of those questioning your ethics. 3. How Did This Situation Occur? Look into the history of the situation. Make sure there is a real problem and not symptoms. 4. How Does My Intention Compare with the Likely Results? Despite the goodness of your intentions, the results may be harmful. Think about the probable outcome. 5. Whom Could My Decision or Action Injure? This issue is particularly difficult. Even a product for good use could fall into the wrong hands. These questions could help managers sort out their own perceptions of ethical problems. The asking of questions could create discussions about subjects left to one individual. If management do not implement clear policies to instill ethical behavior through the firm, managers are likely to come cynical. There has been a steady increase in the number of sexual harassment cases since the 1991 Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearing. A recent Supreme Court ruling that an employer can be held liable for sexual harassment, even if the employer is unaware of the incident. This should serve as a warning to business owners to develop or refine company policies. The ruling falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which also protects non-victims form working in a â€Å"sexual hostile† environment. In essence, an employee can sue a company if he or she witnesses others being harassed, reports and nothing is done. Follow these steps to protect your company:  · Develop and establish a policy. Your company policy should clearly define sexual harassment, list several examples and explain procedures for filing complaints and follow-ups.  · Investigate every complaint. Take immediate action when informed of an incident. Carefully research the allegations and respond with the appropriate actions. Seek outside counsel if necessary.  · Many managers aren†t sure how to handle a claim of sexual harassment. Provide training for management and staff so they clearly understand what harassment is, how to prevent it and how to handle it.  · Have a clear procedure for filing complaints. Employees should have a non-threatening process in place to report an incident, discuss any behavior they feel is unprofessional. Stress confidentially and that you, the employer, will not tolerate retaliation against any employee for coming forward. Give all the employees the names and phone numbers of human resources and other staff to contact. Provide sexual harassment training. There are countless words to describe stress. The fact remains that stress is an essential part of life. It is inescapable and in moderation, a good thing. I think stress makes people feel vital and interested. The crucial difference between stress that clobbers and stress that invigorates is usually no more than an individual†s reaction. There are myriad ways to deflect the damages such as meditation, drug therapy or changes in lifestyle. Stress often undermines physical, emotional and intellectual energies exactly when strength in these areas is most needed, periods of heightened pressure. The body mobilizes energy to deal with the crisis by releasing the hormone adrenaline, which causes a racing pulse, accelerated breathing, in a sense of feeling keyed up. The next stage is less obvious but more dangerous if allowed to go unmonitored. Sugar and fats are reserved for emergencies then released into the bloodstream, creating pressure and fatigue. This when people start to self medicate with coffee, cigarettes and alcohol. Generalized anxiety, poor concentration and memory loss become common, as with minor illnesses. Finally, as energy reserves are drained, bodily systems begin to malfunction. Sleeplessness, disruption in eating patterns and personality changes often occurs. This stage is exhaustion, which leads depression. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are very useful in reducing stress. Companies can develop EAPs themselves or outsource them. Experts advise companies to help workers find a way out of their stressful situations through counseling, friendship and communication. Most people have used a brain altering substance at some time, be it alcohol, an anti-anxiety medication, or a stimulant. Such substance can be helpful in removing our inhibitions, enabling us to relax, or making us feel better about things. While most can take them or leave them, an increasing number of people are finding that using these substances is no longer a choice, but necessity. They need them to function normally and will suffer physical symptoms of withdrawal without them. In medical term, they are substance dependent or addicted. There are myriad treatments and approaches to substance abuse. As with most mental illness, a combination of medical treatment and psychological counseling is usually most effective. Medical treatments may alter the body†s reaction to a substance, reducing cravings, or change a substance†s effect. There is usually a mental disorder that coexists with substance abuse, depression or anxiety. For the disorder psychoactive medications are often prescribed. First a person must want or ask for help. They may want to talk to a clinician if they feel comfortable doing so. If you have access go to mental-health clinics to speak with someone who specializes in treatment. Whomever you talk with, the issue must addressed in depth. If not seek out another healthcare professional.