The Transportation Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Transportation Sustainability - Essay Example In Who Killed the Electric Car?, various factors were identified in the collapse of an idea that once seemed to be a step forward in reaching green technology, while in Fuel, there are many contemplations on what possible troubles could appear in the process of embracing renewable fuel sources (mostly biodiesel) and how such obstacles can be overcome by people, particularly those who choose to be advocates for the environment. After watching the films, the issues and conflicts concerned with resolving the issues on sustainable transportation will become apparent to viewers, and it will be up to them on whether or not they will push themselves to understand further the points taken and not mentioned in these films for them to understand the true meanings of the problems that the filmmakers wanted the public to understand, or at least acknowledge the existence of. First is the documentary about the rise and fall of electric cars in the State of California. This film shows how various p layers in the automobile and petroleum industry caused the demise of an idea that might have been a better option to conserve the environment and introduce the idea of renewable energy sources for many consumers. For about two decades there have been major developments in the creation of successful car engines running on electricity, and these cars had lesser emission of noxious gases due to the lack of an internal combustion engine that most gas-powered vehicles normally rely on (â€Å"Who Killed the Electric Car†). Aside from the fact that the State of California has been having health issues due to having the highest smog rates in the whole nation, there had been higher than normal cases of children having respiratory issues that become chronic conditions as they age, and these were tied up to the excessive pollutants in the air. In trying to overcome these, the state government challenged automobile makers to mitigate this problem, and they replied with the creation of va rious electric vehicles for customers. Initially this initiative shows signs of success however the problems with regards to conflicts of interest emerged when a decade after successfully letting electric vehicles run in the roads the state government was sued not just by automobile makers but also by the federal government (â€Å"Who Killed the Electric Car†). A few years after, electric cars were pulled out from the streets and from the customers by the very same companies that initially sold them, causing frustration at the seemingly backward stance of both the state and federal government in the course of finding sustainable and renewable energy resources. The film would later reveal the factors that were causal in letting go of such a promising kind of technology. Apart from the fact that conflict of interests were observed among policy-makers as most of them were connected to or were formerly connected with

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example As compared to the employment, the self employed or an entrepreneur in general, have to invest some amount, which is said capital, and it is the fate of the self employed that it may succeed or fail, whereas in the employment there is no risk for the investment, as there is no investment required, all the employee has just to do is to fulfill the job requirement and to get a an earning at fixed rate. The amount to be invested in business has risk, as above mentioned, but the business has too much attraction, because it has good returns, and if comparable by the employment, the investor may receive many multiples of the salary in a single period. A return on money received from the business, that is the profit in general determines the business efficiency. But the question is that, is it necessary to invest money into a company and purchasing the shares? Can’t it be invested in the bank to get the interest income on that? This question has been evaluated in the context of the g iven topic, and will help in determining the criticalness of various securities in the financial markets. Ordinary shares Ordinary shares are the main source of capital for any public company, the other sources of capital is the debt etc. Ordinary shares provide the money that the shareholders pay to the company and in return receive the dividend, and the rate of dividend depends on the performance of the company. The stock market is the market of corporate securities, but the corporations may issue stock; it is the stock that provides initial capital for a company and the limited liability is the key factor in the corporate sector (J Richard, 1998). A company with healthy profits will probably go for good dividend yield, whereas the company suffering from loss may not issue dividends to the shareholders. It should be kept into consideration that the company will only share the profit, and the shareholders are not supposed to compensate on the behalf of the loss of the company. How it generates the economic wealth A person may have en economic role in terms of economics, he may be dependant or independent, he may be a surplus unit or deficit unit. A deficit unit is anyone who has more money than he spends, and hence he can utilize the money to get more money. This money can be given to those who are deficit unit, or those who may need it, which is the function of stock exchanges and the credit unions. So those who have more money can spend their money into the stock markets and can receive the return on it. This rate of return depends on the performance of the company. When a person receive an income from the shares, that is called the dividend, the person has more to spend, which can be given to deficit units at a certain rate of return, and the deficit unit may start his/her own economic activity, that may be any businesses, but without this extra money given by surplus unit to the deficit unit through purchasing shares or purchasing government securities to the deficit unit, helps the deficit unit to pass some threshold, for the entrepreneur it may be the heavy capital required to start a business, or the government which want the people savings in their reserves which is going to be discussed later. Since the more economic activity can be generated by this security, economy can developed and the employment rate may increase, and the more the volume of economic activity, the more the taxes are accumulated, which in turn provide good infrastructure to the general

Physical - Circuit Essay Example for Free

Physical Circuit Essay Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps)Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   As the table shows above, the resistance of the length 5cm and 10cm were equal, and then it suddenly decreases. This shows theres an error; I think it happened because we didnt set our circuit in the correct positon. Table 5: This table shows the details about normal wires used in the experiment, Constantan wire with diameter of 0. 90mm, however is longer than the one before, retry. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? ). This seems to be nice results as it shows; the resistance were rising up slowly as the length grows. It proved this is a nice experiment, and let us understand this wire could be use for transferring the current through. Table 6: This table gives the results about the different kind of wires used in the experiment, Nichrome wire with diameter of 0. 90mm. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps)Â   Â  Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   This graph shows a very clear results, the increase of resistance were easy to see, from the positive correlation shown. This means that this is quiet a good test, it dont seems to have any error in this experiment. Table 7: This table gives the details about the third wires used in the experiment, Copper wire with diameter of 0. 90mm. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? ) This result shows the metal which can transfer the least resistance through by the differences of the length. It was mostly under , this means that we cant use this much as the time were transferring a large amount of currents. Table 8: This table have the results which copper wires were heated in the beaker of water. Wire length equals to 100cm long. Room temperature were 24Ci. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Temperature (Ci ) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Temperature (Ci) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   The last experiment we done, by putting a wire with length 100cm, diameter of 90mm into boiling water. Our result shows more clear on the table than the graph. As we can see, the resistance only raise a bit as the temperature goes up. But the difference from 30 Ci to 50 Ci were higher than what I expect, I think this is because of the temperature were not fix while we were recording our results down to our table. Compare and Contrast. This is the averages of the 3 wires. By showing this on a graph we could be able to tell which wire has the highest resistance. Constantan Wire Copper Wire Nichrome Wire Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) By reading the graph, we could see that Nicrhome Wire have the highest resistance out of the three wires, so we could tell that it can allows least current flow through each time compare to the rest of them. If one day we have to choose a wire from this three to pass current through, the best is using the Copper Wire, it got the lowest resistance which means it have a high amount of current can pass through per second. If we dont want the electricity to flow through easily, we will choose the Nichrome Wire, because it only allows small amount of current to pass through each time. Constantan Wire was a normal wire, it cant be use for high resistance flowing, but it can allow more current flow at each time compare to the Nichrome Wire. However, we could see that the resistance were rising up no matter which materials of wire we have chosen, so that means they still conduct electricity, so we shouldnt touch it while having this kind of experiment. Compare and Contrast 2 This is the averages of the 3 different diameters of wires. By showing this on a graph we could be able to tell that which diameters can allows the most resistance to pass through. Wire with 0. 45mm Wire with 0. 9mm Wire with 1. 25mm Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ). By looking at the graph, we could see that Constantan Wire with 0. 45mm of diameter have the highest resistance out of all. So we could tell that it can allow high amount of resistance but low amount of current flow through each time compare to the rest of them. The wire with diameter of 1. 25mm can allows the lowest resistance, that means it could have highest current to flow through each time. However, we could see that the resistance were rising up no matter which diameter of wire we have chosen, so that means they still conduct electricity, so we can use it to let current pass through. Evaluation In my experiment, Ive found out theres some error occurs. In my first results, by using the length of 15cm, the resistance seems to be a little bit different from the rest, so it didnt showed as a straight line. This might because my circuit werent set correctly, so this error occurred. For the second experiment I did, theres seems to be a error at the second try of length 10cm, the number seems to be too high compare to the rest of them, I believe this happened because we accidentally crash the variable resistor. Then in Table 3 we got an error again, the current of the wire seems to be a lot more higher, Im sure this occurs because the resistor is not working well, and also the circuit were kind of messy, might affect the results we got. Then we got an error results shows at Table 4, none of the results can fit with Table 3, there were the same wire, same diameter, only the length we tested is different, but the results we got were too out of range, so I can say that this is a failed try out. So we re-do the experiment using this wire again. I think that this happened because the ammeter is down, the current were keep increasing by every few seconds. In Table 8, for testing the temperature, it seems to be a nice results, however the different of 50Ci and 30Ci were larger than what I have expect, so I could tell that the temperature of the water might not be as accurate as the time we measured. Also it might because some water spread out of the beaker, onto the wires; this should be changing my normal results. Also, Im not really sure about how the resistor works with ammeter; therefore by accidentally move it might decrease the accuracy of my results as well. The results of resistance might be different because the circuit we set werent exactly the same, therefore it might also be some differences compare to the first time, the first results we got. So, maybe next time we should have used the same circuit, and do all of the experiment in same time, and it might have a better results in future. Conclusion. In my own opinion, I believe this is quiet a nice experiment, and I also get some good results as well. Ive found out that my prediction was correct, about the copper wire with a diameter of 90mm will transfer the least energy compare to the rest of the two. I also learned about the circuit of electricity, I could now tell how the current flowing was, and how it could be measured. By looking at the results Ive got, I was really please, even though some mistakes happened in the experiment, but we still success to finish our experiment in the time limit, which is such a great thing to celebrate. Resistor can be use to protect the ammeter, this is a very useful apparatus; I know the ammeter was an important character in the circuit while measuring the resistance. So if the ammeter were damage cause of the flowing current were too high, this will be a very bad news for us. So take care of the equipment is another important thing I learn from this experiment. If I have a chance to repeat the experiment, I would be likely to set my circuit up just like this time, because there shall be less problems. And I might use the copper wire more often in the circuit, using copper wires it allows more current to pass through compare to the Nicrhome and Constantan wires, which might help in my future life. Bibliography: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits http://www. circuitcity. com/ccd/home. do Science Investigation Report Daniel F5D 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Spectrophotometric Assay for Lipase Activity

Spectrophotometric Assay for Lipase Activity Decomposition of human and animals bodies depends on numbers of factors. One of these factors is the presence of bacteria, both endogenous and exogenous of the body. They use the environmental factors to drive the decomposition of the tissues in the body. The various tissues are degraded at different rates by different bacterial cells. As it was seen in the model burial of a pig that is the early stages of decomposition Gram negative bacterial were mostly present in the decaying body. But after 6 7 weeks later the Gram negative bacteria started to decrease as the number of Gram positive bacteria present in the decaying body started to increase. The bacteria produce enzymes which break down any tissue in the body. In the adipose tissue bacteria produces lipases which is secreted in to he tissue and slowly starts to break down the fat. Lipases producing bacterial has been collected from a model burial environment without any environmental factors to see if there is a difference in the activity of the lipase enzyme which are produced by different bacteria species. These bacteria were used in two of the spectrophotometric assay that has been described in the literature. The turbidity assay shows how quickly the lipase enzyme can break down the lipid in the emulsion solution. On the other hand the BALB (dimercaprol Tributyrate) DTNB (5, 5- dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid)) method shows the increase in the product that is produced by the lipase. INTRODUCTION Lipases are found naturally as it is produced by plants, animals and micro-organisms. In the last few decades, the micro-organism production of lipases has been studied for commercial use, which leads to bacterial lipases being studied a great deal. Lipase enzymes breakdown and mobilize lipids which are present within the cell of the organism and the breakdown of lipid is also present in the environment. However there are many questions still unanswered. For example, is the activity of the lipases different when they are produced by different strains or species of bacteria? Hopefully in this research paper, this question will be answered. Bacterial Lipases When bacteria is grown in a surrounding of hydrophobic media, the bacterial cell releases lipase for the breakdown of fats in the environment for a source of energy. Bacteria produce lipases during the late phases of log phases and in the stationary phases. Lipases are hydrolases which hydrolyzes triacylglycerols in aqueous conditions to form fatty acids and glycerol. The reaction releases energy which is used for growth of the bacteria which is why the bacterium produces lipases within these phases. The substrates of the lipases are triacylglycerols which are hydrophobic and the reaction occurs in aqueous condition and this leads to the reaction occurring in lipid-water interface. Some lipases can also catalyze the synthesis of long chain fatty acids. Lipases contains ÃŽ ±/ÃŽ ² fold, which has eight ÃŽ ² sheets in the middle which are parallel except for the second ÃŽ ² sheet and the sheets are surrounded by ÃŽ ± helices. This fold offers a scaffold for the active site in the lipase molecule. The active site or binding site of the lipase molecule is where the interface occurs. This is where the chains of the enzyme are subdivided; at the bottom of the active site is where the ester bond binds to which means this region is hydrophilic. Towards the surface of the enzyme is where the molecule binds to the fatty acids and therefore this region is hydrophobic. Within the ÃŽ ²-sheets there is an area which is highly conserved which is made up of the triad which is a nucleophile and histidine. The nucleophile is made up several amino acids, which are Serine, Cysteine or aspartic acid. The nucleophile is present on ÃŽ ²5 and the histidine is present on ÃŽ ²7. The histidine is the only highly conserved area of the active site/enzyme that d iffers in shape and structure from one type of lipase enzyme to another. Another area of the active site that is important but only present in some type of lipases is the lid. This area is what gives the lipase enzyme the structural explanation of the interface property. When the substrate comes into contract with the lid, it opens the lipid water interface where the substrate binds to for the reaction to occur. Some lipase molecules are only active in the presence of Ca2+ and this is due to the subdivisions of the active site being bound together by the Ca2+ion. The hydrophobic region of the active site leads to less inhibitors that can bind to and inactivate the enzyme. Since lipases are extracellular enzymes, the secretion/production of these enzymes is affected by a number of factors: Nutritional enzymes are produced when the bacteria is in the presence of a lipid environment such as oil, tweens, hydrolyzable esters and triacylglycerols. These are the main sources of lipid but many bacteria can produce lipases in the presence of various sources of substrates. For example Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce lipase in the presence of long chain fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acid. Temperature the temperature at which maximum production of lipase can occur depends on the optimum temperature for growth of bacteria. The temperature normally ranges from 30 60Â °C, but some can survive at colder or warmer temperatures. Therefore it depends on the type of bacteria in question. pH normally bacterial lipases are active in neutral pH or alkaline pH. However there are a few exceptions like Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase has an optimum pH of 4.8, whereas most bacterial species possess stability over a broad range of pH of 4 10. Effect of ion one type of lipase which is produced by Pseudomonas species is activated by the presence of Ca2+ ion in the environment. Growth of bacteria if the bacterial cell is present in the log phase then the production of lipase is decreased in the bacterial cell. Inhibitors inhibition of lipases does not affect the production or the secretion of the enzyme but affects the activity of the enzyme. There are two types of inhibitors; irreversible or reversible. The reversible inhibitors are split into two types. The first of which are non specific as they bind to the enzyme but not at the active site. When the inhibitor binds to the enzyme, the active site changes and therefore prevents the lipases from binding to the substrate as the structure of the active site has been changed. An example of this type of inhibitor is bile salts. However bile salts can activate some lipases such as the lipase produced by the pancreas. The second type of reversible inhibitors is specific inhibitors as they bind to the active site of the lipase enzyme. They can also be irreversible as the interaction between the inhibitor and the enzyme is so strong that it cannot be broken. An example of this type of inhibitor is boronic acid which can bind to the active site f or a long time but can still be removes leaving the active site unchanged. These types of inhibitors bind to the triad of the active site, which means that when they bind to the triad, the interaction is irreversible. There are three major types of microbial lipases depending on the substrate they bind to. Nonspecific these enzymes act randomly on the lipid substrate molecules which then completely breakdown the molecule. For example with the triglyceride molecule, the enzyme will break the ester in random fashion until the molecule is complete broken down to fatty acids and glycerol. Regiospecific these enzymes only hydrolyze the primary ester bond, these are the C1 and C3 bonds in the triglyceride molecule , which means that when hydrolyzing triglycerides the final products are free fatty acids, 1, 2(2,3)-diacylglyceride and 2-monoacylglyceride. Fatty acid-specific there are some bacteria that only produce this type of lipase and they bind to fatty acids which are then broken down by the lipase. One type of bacteria that can produce lipases that only bind fatty acids is the Achromobacterium lipolyticum. Other bacteria that produce this type of enzyme are Bacillus species which mostly bind to long chained fatty acids. However other bacteria like Pseudomonas species produce lipases that can bind to short or medium length of fatty acids. Staphylococcus aureus can produce a lipase molecule that can bind to unsaturated fatty acids. Lipase in Decomposition The bacteria that are going to be used in the research project are bacteria that were purified from a model burial environment. The bacteria that were present in the model burial environment must have been already been present in the pigs body, which means that all the bacteria that are going to be used are endogenous bacteria that are part of the pigs microflora. The bacteria sample had been taken out of the fluid from the decaying organism in a steel box which was free from all external environmental factors except from oxygen. The sample of bacteria was taken two times a week and then towards the end it was reduced to once a week. It was discovered that at the beginning of the decaying process the bacteria that were present were Gram negative bacteria. However after week 9 the bacteria that were growing in the decaying pig changed from Gram negative to Gram positive. These bacterial cells can release lipases which can break down fats in the body which leads to the formation of adi pocere. Adipocere is made up from a mixture of saturated fatty acids which have been produced during decomposition of the adipose tissue in the body. These adipoceres are formed straight away after death by lipases which are present inside the body. These lipases are mostly produced by the bacteria in the body of the pig which breaks down triglycerides to free fatty acids. If in a suitable environment, bacteria release lipases for hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids to its saturated form. Lipase Assays There are two assays that will be performed to find out the activity of the lipase which are present in the solution. The first is based on BALB DTNB method and it uses dimercaprol tributyrate (BALB) and 5, 5 dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DNTB). The lipase enzyme binds to BALB and cleaves it to form an SH group which then binds to DNTB. The product then forms a yellow product which then increases the absorbance which can be measured using a spectrophotometer. The colour intensity is measured at 412 nm; the colour change is proportional to the activity to lipase at to 1:1 ratio. The second assay also uses the spectrophotometer but this time it measures the optical density of the solution instead of measuring the amount of product that is formed. Tributyrin and olive oil is emulsified in the solution which gives a turbid appearance. As the lipase breaks down the lipid in the assay solution, the optical density of the solution decreases which can be measured. The optical density of the solute ion can be measured at 450nm. Both assays measure the activity of the lipase but in two different ways. The first measures the amount of product that is formed while the second measures the breakdown of the substrate. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Decomposition of human or animal bodies is dependent upon a number of factors. Bacteria which are endogenous (in the body) and exogenous (in the environment) are the key components of decomposition. Different tissues in the body degrade at different rates and are degraded by different bacteria. Previously it has been shown that bacteria in the model burial environment can produce lipases which breakdown the lipids found within the tissues of the body. However it does not tell you if there are different lipases that are secreted by different bacterial cells. Lipase production was demonstrated by using plate assay when lipase breaks down tween 20. Therefore it does not compare the different lipases produced and the activity of different bacterial species. There have been different spectrophotometric assays that have been described in the literature to calculate the activity of lipase enzymes, but only two of these will be used. The bacteria that is going to be used in the assay has been purified from fluid from a decaying pig in a steel box which is free from all external environmental factors expect oxygen. Two assays are going to be preformed to find the activity of lipase, the first one similar to the BALB DTNB method. Lipase forms a SH group on BALB which then binds to DTNM to give a yellow product. The amount of product that is formed in a solution is related to the activity of lipase in a 1:1 reacting ratio which is a direct measurement of the activity. The colour change is measured at 420 nm. The second assay is also measure the change in the solution but this time it measures the decrease of the substrate that is left in the solution. It measures the density of the solution, as the substrate (olive oil) is denser than the product. The density is measured 450 nm. The decreased of the substrate is related to the activity of lipase. At first before anything can be done we need to see if the bacteria cells produced lipase is by growing them in a plate which contains Tween 80. If the Tween is broken down then the bacterial cell produces lipase. MATERIALS AND METHODS The bacterial strains that were given to me were extracted from fluid from a pig that was decaying in a steel box which had a controlled environment that was free from all external environment factors expect fresh air. Bacterial Media The bacterial strains were grown in half nutrient agar which was made from 2.6g of nutrient broth (OXOID, Basingstoke, England) and 4.8g of Agar bacteriological (OXIOD) in 400ml of water which was autoclaved and then poured in to 20ml Petri dish. The bacterial strains were plated and left in a 30Â °C incubator overnight. After the bacteria were grown on just half nutrient agar, they were then grown on half nutrient agar with 4ml of sterile Tween 80 (SIGMA ALDRICH, UK) and 400Â µl of 10% of CaCl2 (scientific equipment, Loughborough, England). Again the plates were placed in a 30Â °C incubator. The bacterial strains were also grown in minimal medium agar which contained 2.8g of Potassium Hydrogen Orthophosphate (BDH Laboratory Supplies, Poole, England), 1.2g Sodium Dihydrogen Orthophosphate (BDH LS) and 0.04g of Magnesium Sulphate (BDH LS) in 200ml of sterile water and 2.4g of Agar bacteriological. After the solution came out of the autoclave, 2ml of Tween 80 was added and 200Â µl of 10 % CaCl2. For the bacterial strains to be used in spectrophotometric assay, the strains had to be grown in liquid media. The bacterial strains were grown in two different types of media, Tryptic Soy Broth and Minimal Medium. The Tryptic Soy Broth (TBS) was made from 30g/L Tryptone Soya Broth (OXIOD) which was autoclaved. After the bacteria were added to the media, the bottle was placed in a shaking incubator at 37Â °C over night. The Minimal Medium contained 14g/L of potassium hydrogen orthophosphate, 6g/L sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate and 0.2g/L of magnesium sulphate. 100Â µl of Tributyrate (SIGMA ALDRICH) was added to 10ml of the Minimal Media. The bacteria were added to the media and then placed in a shaking incubator at 37Â °C over night. Sample Solutions After the bacteria are left to grow, the media is used to make up three different samples of bacteria to use in both of the assays. The first sample is purified bacterial strain from the media and this was obtained when 1ml of the media was placed in a sterile eppendorf tube which was then centrifuged at full speed for 2 minutes. The supernatant was replaced with 500Â µl of 150mM of CaCl2 and 500Â µl of 200mM of Tris buffer (12.11g of Trizma base in 150ml of water and then 0.1M of HCl was added to make the pH of the solution 8, this to make 0.5M Tris Buffer which was then diluted to make 200mM solution) (SIGAM ALDICH). The second sample was done in the same manner but instead of adding Tris buffer and CaCl2 to the pellet, PBS (Phosphate buffered saline) solution is utilized to re-suspend the pellet and 2ml of the media solution is used. Each suspension was transferred in to a different Bijou Bottle which is kept on ice. The suspension in the Bijou Bottle is sonicated twice for 30 seconds at 30W. The last sample was made when the media solution is filtered with the use of a sterile syringe and sterile 0.2Â µm pore syringe filter and placing the filtered solution into a sterile universal bottle. 3ml of the media was only filtered. The samples were ready for the assay and two different that were used. They both measured the absorbance of the solution at different wavelengths. One measured the turbidity of the solution while the other looked at the change in the absorbance of the solution. Turbidity Assay For the turbidity assay an emulsion solution is made and it is made from 100mM of Tris buffer (4.975ml), 50mM of CaCl2 (4.975ml) and 50ml of lipid source (either olive oil or Tributyrate or both). The solution was sonicated for 3 minutes at 40W. The solution is left in a water bath until it is used for the assay. The emulsion solution is used in three different ways as the assay was performed in a cuvette, Petri dish or 96 well plate. When done in a cuvette, 40mg of low melting point agarose (SIGMA ALDRICH) is added and the boiled before sonication. The agarose stabilises the emulsion. If the assay was done in a 96 well plate, then no agarose is necessary. The last test that is performed is in 20ml plates; 20ml of the emulsion solution is made up with 80mg of agarose to made a solid media (INVITROGEN, Paisley, UK) which is then boiled before and after sonication. For the 96 wells plate, 200Â µl of the emulsion solution was placed in each well and then 20Â µl of the sample solution was added. As soon as the sample was added the absorbance is measured at 450nm to measure the optical density of the solution. The absorbance was then measured every 15 minutes up to 60 minutes. Here the samples that were used were grown in the Minimal Medium. The lipid source in this part of the assay was 25Â µl of olive oil and 25Â µl of Tributyrate in 10ml of the emulsion solution. For the assay that was done in the cuvette 1L of the emulsion solution was added to a micro cuvette and 100Â µl of the sample solution. The absorbance was also measured at 450nm as soon as the sample is been added and then every 5 minutes up to 45 minutes. The lipid source is 50Â µl of olive oil in 10ml of emulsion solution. For the plate assay after the solution was boiled for the second time, the solution was poured in to a plate for the agarose to set. After the agarose was set, wells were made in the agarose using a hollow punch about 8mm in diameter which was filled with 10Â µl of the sample solution and the plate was left at room temperature over night. In 20ml of the emulsion solution the lipid source was 50Â µl of each olive oil and Tributyrate. Colour Assay (BALB DNTB Method) The second assay measures the absorbance change in the working solution. The working solution is made from BALB (SIGMA ALDRICH) and DNTB (SIGMA ALDRICH) and Tris buffer solution. The working solution was made from 1 ml of BALB is added to 17.5ml of 0.5M of Tris Buffer at pH 8.5 and 625mg of DNTB. 150Â µl of the working solution is added to the well after adding 150Â µl of water. To this 10Â µl of the sample was added. When the assay was done in 96 well plate the absorbance was measured after the sample was added at 405nm and then every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. When the assay was done in a cuvette, at first 400Â µl of water was placed in the cuvette then 380Â µl of the working solution was added to the water. Then the 20Â µl of the working sample was added into the cuvette. The absorbance was the measured at 412 nm for the 20 minutes. The reason why there is a difference in the wavelength in which the absorbance is measured is due to the plate reader not being able to read the absorbance at 412nm. For this assay the samples that were used were prepared from the bacteria that were grown in TSB. RESULTS When the bacteria colonies were grown on the agar plate which had Tween 80 and CaCl2, around the colonies there was the presence of halos or the colonies has a halo this can be seen in figure 1a. The arrow shows the halo colonies of the bacteria species. The bacteria colonies that were placed on other plates was not as clear as 16C but the halo can only be seen when the plates are held up by the light (result not shown). Turbidity Assay The first assay that was done was the turbidity assay in a cuvette, the optical density of the solution did not increase or decrease, and it just stayed the same. But when the assay was done in the 96 well plate the optical density increased when the bacteria were added to the well, and then decrease and keep decreasing even after 60 minutes (figure 2a). Then the filtered media was added to the emulsion solution in the 96 well plate, the optical density again decreased. However not all the bacteria were filtered to see if there was a decrease in the optical density (figure 3). Only some of the bacteria were used to see if it was an enzyme that was decreasing the optical density and not the bacterial cells. However the general result showed a decrease in the optical density except for 2 bacterial strains (1A and 4A) which showed an increase in the optical density after 30 minutes and then it optical density again. Then the bacteria cell free lysates were added to the welled plate and the same result appeared as the optical density levels decreased once again. The bacteria that were used were the same bacteria that were used in the filtered part of the assay (figure 4). After 45 minutes the optical density is starting to level off. The gradient of the line for all the bacteria strains are the same as they all decrease at the same rate expect for bacteria strain 5 which has flatter gradient than the rest. For the plate test in the turbidity assay, the bacterial solution in the well was not present and no zone of clearance was noticeable in any of the plates (figure 1b). Only one of the plates is shown in the figure and the rest of the plates looked the same as no zone could be seen. Colour Assay (BALB DNTB Method) In the BALB-DNTB method, the absorbance increases when bacteria strain 6 was added to the working solution in a cuvette and measured for 20 minutes. The increase was slow for the first 10 minutes and then increased at a faster rate for the next 10 minutes, figure 5. When the assay was done in the welled plate, the absorbance increases for all the strains but some increase more than others. For example strain 5 increased from 4.204 to 4.412 while strain 1 only increased from 4.241 to 4.265. This is shown in a table in figure 2b. When only the media in which the bacteria grew in was added as the sample, the absorbance also increased for most of the bacterial strains but not as much as when the bacterial cells were added. For some of the strains the absorbance decreased. For example in strain 1 there was a decrease from 4.241 to 4.235, figure 2c. The same happened when the content of the bacterial cell was added to the working solution. But when the absorbance increased, the increase was bigger than the increase when media was added (figure 2d). However there were still some strains in which the absorbance still decreased in 20 minutes but the absorbance increased from 0 to 10 minutes and then decreased from 10 to 20 minutes. Figure 1, (a) the plate has been plated with strain 16C (left) and 16B (right); the halo can be seen clear by the arrow which is the colonies of bacteria 16C. However the halo can not be seen clearly in the colonies of bacteria. (b), the plate contain solid emulsion solution with well which contain lipases from different bacteria, and there is no presence of zone of clearance from any of the well. There were 3 plates in total and all look the same (only one is shown) but the well had different lipases from different bacteria. Figure 2, A is a table that shows the optical density change when bacterial was added to emulsion solution for the turbidity assay. The optical density decreases when the bacterial cells were added to the emulsion solution. The next 3 tables are showing the absorbance change when the strains were added to the working solution for the colour BALB-DNTB method, (B) has bacterial cells added to the working solution; (C) has only filtered media, which had bacteria growing in, was added and lastly (D) had bacterial cells free lysates added. In the colour assay the absorbance increased in all three cases. DISCUSSION Bacteria produce lipases that can break down or hydrolyse lipid molecules such as fats and oils. They produce lipases in the log phase of growth when there is a high level of lipid source for energy. There are different lipases which can break down different lipid molecules. The bacterium produces lipases to break down lipid for energy as adequate amount energy is present in lipids. As most of the lipids cannot cross the cell membrane, the lipid has to be catabolised into smaller lipid molecules which can then enter the cell where it is broken down further. Lipases from bacteria are studied for industrial uses. Here it was studied to see if the lipases that were produced from different bacteria are different and if there was any variation in the activity of the lipases. When the bacterial cells were grown on agar plate without any Tween 80 the bacterial colonies do not have any halos or precipitate around the colonies. But when some of the bacteria were grown in agar that contained Tween 80 and CaCl2 the colonies had halo colonies 3 to 8 days after they were inoculated. In the past Tween has been used for lipase activity to see if the bacteria produce lipase. If lipases are produced then it binds to the Tween and breaks the Tween down to fatty acids. The fatty acids then bind to the Ca in the media which forms crystals. These crystals then become soluble in the media which can then be seen by eye as halos. Some of the colonies had halos which meant that the cell produced lipases. Figure 6, the turbidity plate assay should have looked like this but what the figure 1b shows. There the one of clearance can be seen very clearly where as in the plate in figure 1b there are no clearing at all what meant the assay did not work at all. The turbidity assay that was done is the plate which showed no zone of clearance, it should have had zone of clearance around the well which contained the sample of bacteria. The bacteria in the wells should have diffused out of the well and in to the agarose media in which the bacteria should have released lipases to break down the olive oil and Tributyrate. When the lipids were broken down the media would have become clear. The plate should have look like figure 6 from, the zone of clearance is shown very clearly. The other assay that did not work was the same assay that was done with the cuvette. This is when the absorbance levels did not decrease but just stayed the same. The absorbance levels should have decreased and the reason in why this did not occur is not known. It might have been due to the stability of the solution as the agarose must have been concentrated which meant that the bacteria solution was not able to diffuse through the media. The concentration of agarose might be the problem because when agarose was not added like in the 96 well plate part of the assay, the absorbance of the emulsion solution decreased. This was due to the emulsion solution being turbid by lipid in the solution when sonicated, when the bacteria sample was added the optical density increased slightly as the bacteria cell scatter the light which leads to the increase in the optical density absorbance levels. The bacteria cell then releases lipase in the solution or lipase that are inside the cell break down the lipid in the emulsion solution which then leads to the decrease in the level of lipid in the emulsion solution which then means that less light is scattered. The well plate assay was done to 3 different type of sample solution, one of which contained bacteria cell, one of which contained the filtered media solution and the last contained the bacteria cell free lysates. The bacterial cells were used to see if the bacterial cell produced lipases. The filtered media was used to see if the bacterial cell released lipase in to the media and if it was in fact the lipase that was decreasing the absorbance and not anything else. The bacteria content was used after the bacteria cell were sonicated for one minute, to use all the lipases that had been produced by the bacterial cell but not secreted. As not all the bacteria cells release the lipase in to the media and sometime the lipid molecule is too big to cross the cell membrane and wall of the bacteria. To see if there are any differences in the activity of the different lipases which are produced by different bacterial cells, cannot be done by adding the sample to the emulsion solution as different concentration of lipase must have been in the sample for each of the strains. In order to make the test fair, the amount of bacterial cell and the lipase concentration must be the same for each of the bacterial strain. But still it might be a fair test as some of the bacterial cells can still divide inside the emulsion solution and then increase the concentration of lipases. The lipases produced by the bacteria are produced in the log phase. The same can be said for the BALB-DNTB method. This assay is not like the other assay because the absorbance does not decrease but increase. This is due to the lipase bind to the BALB in which is cleaved to form a SH group. The SH group then binds to DNTB which is in excess in the working solution, to form a yellow substance. The complex then absorbs light hence increasing the level of absorbance. The bind of the BALB with the new SH group binds to the DNTB in a one to one reacting ratio, this means that increases is absorbance is proportional to the reacting activity of the lipase. When bacterial cells were mixed to the working solution the absorbance for most of them increase. This meant that lipases that were present in the well were cleaved BALB. The same thing also occurred when filtered media was added to the working solution but the increase were small and this must be due to the fact that not a lot of lipases were released by the bacterial cells in to the media solution. However, when the bacterial cell free lysates is added not all of the absorbance levels increase but in fact some of them decrease and then increase. It may mean that the lipases need time to start working since they had been on ice before the experiment. To see if this was true, the test needs to be done again but for a longer period of time. In the cuvette test, only one strain, it was used when the first assay was done it had the largest change in absorbance. It was used to see a general increase of the solution over 20 minutes and the absorbance was measured every minute to see the turning point when the rate of enzymatic activity change from being slow to a steady normal rate. The graph in figure 5 shows that the rate was slow during the first 10 minute this meant the bacteria cell needed to adapt to the new environment before the activity of the enzyme can to back to normal. If the test was done longer then the graph would start to level due to the substrate concentration starting to decrease. From the results, there is not enough evidence to conclude that there any differences in the activity of the different strains of lipase. To see if it is true then the both of the a

The Caretaker by Harold Pinter Essay -- Caretaker Harold Pinter Essays

The Caretaker by Harold Pinter In this essay I will take the position that the audience see Davies as both a social victim and a social parasite. Firstly a definition of a social victim and a social parasite will be given. A social victim is an individual who is looked down upon by other members of society, vulnerable to blame and not accorded the same rights as others. Therefore this disenfranchised group of people do not experience the usual comforts and perks of society. A social parasite is someone who exists off the backs of others efforts and not their own. Davies is a social victim because of his low social standing as a vagrant. He is definitely at the bottom of the social hierarchy; perhaps he is there because others have trodden on him to climb higher themselves .It is not explained how, but what we do know is that because Davies is a social victim, to survive he also becomes a social parasite. Throughout the play Davies shows some strong traits to the audience of being a social victim. The audience's very first impression of Davies is that his appearance is one of a vagrant, "Davies wears a worn brown overcoat, shapeless trousers, a waistcoat, vest, no shirt, and sandals." This description shows Davies either does not take a large amount of care in his appearance, or he cannot afford smart, tidy clothes. This makes the audience feel sorry for him. The audience recognises that his anti-social appearance sets Davies apart from the rest of society. The waistcoat Davies is wearing gives the impression that he was once a respected gentleman. However, the worn and shapeless clothes he is also wearing in contrast with the waistcoat make him look unkempt and scruffy. Davies likes to portray hi... ...aps he had the intention of stealing from Aston. He noticeably does not want Aston to see him looking around in this way; this is shown because Davies opens the door to see if Aston is gone, and then closes before looking around. It could be considered that Davies does this because he would not want Aston to think he is taking advantage of him. Davies is inquisitive. He picks up some random items of Aston's, comments on them, and puts them back. To the audience, Davies is so interested in Aston's things because he wants to see what Aston is worth. If Aston had little, there would be less point in staying, as there would nothing to gain from Davies' perspective. To conclude, there are many episodes within the first act that reflect both Davies' victimisation and his opportunism, thus enabling the audience to view him as social victim and social parasite.

HMO Regulation Essay -- essays research papers

HMO Regulation Health Maintenance Organizations, or HMO’s, are a very important part of the American health care system. Also referred to as managed care programs, HMO's are combinations of doctors and insurance companies that are formed into one organization. This organization provides treatment to its members at fixed costs and decides on what treatment, if any, will be given based on the patient's or doctor's current health plan. Sometimes, no treatment is given at all. HMO's main concerns are to control costs and supposedly provide the best possible treatment to their patients. But it seems to the naked eye that instead their main goal is to get more people enrolled so that they can maintain or raise current premiums paid by consumers using their service. For HMO's, profit comes first- not patients' lives. HMO’s are groups of doctors hired by insurance companies and are usually controlled or regulated by the hospitals who facilitate them. The majority of this limitation is due to pressure from within the organization or government pressure. The government influences hospitals into denying treatment in order to cut federal costs. These government actions generally result in a revision of private employee health care claims, and in turn certain businesses can no longer afford to provide health insurance for their employees. Consequently, approximately 50 to 60 million people go without insurance for at least one month each year. Many HMO’s constantly evaluate their services to "ensure" the best care and coverage. But in many cases, what is happening is the exact opposite. HMO's can and do conduct their business quite ruthlessly. Patients are continuously unable to receive the necessary treatment due to the insufficient HMO coverage. Many HMO's actually make more money if their doctors see or treat fewer patients. According to the Associated Press, â€Å"Consumers who have been denied a treatment that the HMO says is not covered, or who inadvertently fail to follow HMO guidelines in seeking treatment and are therefore denied reimbursement, will continue to have little recourse.† (2) Many people must drive for hours, generally sick or injured, simply to receive treatment from a doctor that will be covered by their HMO. Another downfall to HMO coverage is selective-contracting. This is a process where hospitals deny treatment to patients because their... ...ts to cover their mistakes. This is the exact opposite of what the country needs. Why should costs go up because of denied treatment? The big concern is whether or not government really understands the great difficulty in trying to control HMO’s and other health care programs without a nationalized program. Since there are some 6 million people using Medicare in HMO’s something needs to be done to ensure these patients the treatment that they need. In conclusion, there still needs to be a lot of work done to health care in the United States. Other nations provide universal health care to their citizens, but this would cause dilemmas in balancing two often conflicting policy goals: providing the public with equitable access to needed pharmaceuticals while controlling the costs. Universal health care probably would not work in the U.S. because our nation is so diverse and our economy is so complex. The system we have now obviously has its problems, and there is a lot of rom for improvement. HMO’s will still create problems for people and their medical bills, but they definitely should be monitored to see that their patients are receiving just treatment.

History of Criminal Justice Essay

The modern criminal justice system has evolved since  ancient  times, with new forms of  punishment, added  rights  for  offenders  and victims, and  policing  reforms. These developments have reflected changing  customs, political ideals, and economic conditions. In ancient times through the middle Ages,  exile  was a common form of punishment. During the  Middle Ages, payment to the victim (or the victim’s family), known as  wergild, was another common punishment, including for violent crimes. For those who could not afford to buy their way out of punishment, harsh penalties included various forms of  corporal punishment. These included  mutilation,  branding, and  flogging, as well as  execution. Though a prison,  Le Stinche, existed as early as the 14th century in  Italy, incarceration  was not widely used until the 19th century. Correctional reform in the United States was first initiated by  William Penn, towards the end of the 17th century. For a time,  Pennsylvania’s criminal code was revised to forbid  torture  and other forms of cruel punishment, with  jails  and  prisons  replacing corporal punishment. These reforms were reverted, upon Penn’s death in 1718. Under pressure from a group of  Quakers, these reforms were revived in Pennsylvania toward the end of the 18th century, and led to a marked drop in Pennsylvania’s crime rate. Patrick Colquhoun,  Henry Fielding  and others led significant reforms during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. [19] Definition Criminal justice  is the system of practices and institutions of  governments  directed at upholding  control, deterring  and mitigating  crime, or sanctioning those who violate  laws  with criminal penalties and  rehabilitation efforts. Those accused of crime have  protections  against abuse of investigatory and prosecution powers. The criminal justice system consists of three main parts: (1)  Legislative  (create laws); (2) adjudication (courts); and (3)  corrections  (jails, prisons, probation and parole). In the criminal justice system, these distinct agencies operate together both under the  rule of law  and as the principal means of maintaining the  rule of law  within  society. Policing The first contact an  offender  has with the criminal justice system is usually with the  police  (or  law enforcement) who investigate the suspected wrongdoing and make an  arrest, but if the suspect is dangerous to the whole nation, a national level  law enforcement agency  is called in . When warranted, law enforcement agencies or police officers are empowered to use force and other forms of legal coercion and means to effect public and social order. The term is most commonly associated with police departments of a  state  that are authorized to exercise the  police power  of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. The word comes from the  Latin  politia  (â€Å"civil administration†), which itself derives from the  Ancient Greek   , for  polis  (â€Å"city†). The first police force comparable to the present-day police was established in 1667 under King  Louis XIV  in France, although modern police usually trace their origins to the 1800 establishment of the  Marine Police  in  London, the  Glasgow Police, and the  Napoleonic  police of Paris. Police are primarily concerned with keeping the peace and enforcing  criminal law  based on their particular mission and jurisdiction. Formed in 1908 the  Federal Bureau of Investigation  began as an entity which could investigate and enforce specific federal laws as an investigative and â€Å"law enforcement agency† in the United States;[10]  this, however, has constituted only a small portion of overall policing activity. [11]  Policing has included an array of activities in different contexts, but the predominant ones are concerned with  order maintenance  and the provision of services. [12] Courts Courts of Law The courts serve as the venue where disputes are then settled and justice is administered. With regard to criminal justice, there are a number of critical people in any court setting. These critical people are referred to as the courtroom work group and include both professional and non professional individuals. These include the  judge,  prosecutor, and thedefense attorney. The judge, or magistrate, is a person, elected or appointed, who is knowledgeable in the law, and whose function is to objectively administer the legal proceedings and offer a final decision to dispose of a case. In the U. S. and in a growing number of nations,  guilt  or innocence (although in the U.S. a jury can never find a defendant â€Å"innocent† but rather â€Å"not guilty†) is decided through theadversarial system. In this system, two parties will both offer their version of events and  argue  their case before the court (sometimes before a judge or panel of judges, sometimes before a jury). The case should be decided in favor of the party who offers the most sound and compelling arguments based on the law as applied to the facts of the case. The prosecutor, or district attorney, is a  lawyer  who brings charges against a person, persons or corporate entity. It is the prosecutor’s duty to explain to the court what crime was committed and to detail what  evidence  has been found which incriminates the accused. The prosecutor should not be confused with a  plaintiff  or plaintiff’s counsel. Although both serve the function of bringing a complaint before the court, the prosecutor is a servant of the state who makes accusations on behalf of the state in criminal proceedings, while the plaintiff is the complaining party in civil proceedings. A defense attorney counsels the accused on the legal process, likely outcomes for the accused and suggests strategies. The accused, not the lawyer, has the right to make final decisions regarding a number of fundamental points, including whether to testify, and to accept a plea offer or demand a jury trial in appropriate cases. It is the defense attorney’s duty to represent the interests of the client, raise procedural and evidentiary issues, and hold the prosecution to its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense counsel may challenge evidence presented by the prosecution or present exculpatory evidence and argue on behalf of their client. At trial, the defense attorney may attempt to offer a  rebuttal  to the prosecutor’s accusations. In the U. S. , an accused person is entitled to a government-paid defense attorney if he or she is in jeopardy of losing his or her life and/or liberty. Those who cannot afford a private attorney may be provided one by the state. Historically, however, the right to a defense attorney has not always been universal. For example, in  Tudor  England criminals accused oftreason  were not permitted to offer arguments in their defense. In many jurisdictions, there is no right to an appointed attorney, if the accused is not in jeopardy of losing his or her liberty. The final determination of guilt or innocence is typically made by a third party, who is supposed to be disinterested. This function may be performed by a judge, a panel of judges, or a  jury  panel composed of unbiased citizens. This process varies depending on the laws of the specific jurisdiction. In some places the panel (be it judges or a jury) is required to issue a unanimous decision, while in others only a majority  vote  is required. In America, this process depends on the state, level of court, and even agreements between the prosecuting and defending parties. Some nations do not use juries at all, or rely on theological or military authorities to issue verdicts. Some cases can be disposed of without the need for a trial. In fact, the vast majority are. If the accused confesses his or her guilt, a shorter process may be employed and a judgment may be rendered more quickly. Some nations, such as America, allow  plea bargaining  in which the accused pleads guilty,  nolo contendere  or not guilty, and may accept a diversion program or reduced punishment, where the prosecution’s case is weak or in exchange for the cooperation of the accused against other people. This reduced sentence is sometimes a reward for sparing the state the expense of a formal trial. Many nations do not permit the use of plea bargaining, believing that it coerces innocent people to plead guilty in an attempt to avoid a harsh punishment. The entire trial process, whatever the country, is fraught with problems and subject to criticism. Bias  and  discrimination  form an ever-present threat to an objective decision. Any prejudice  on the part of the lawyers, the judge, or jury members threatens to destroy the court’s credibility. Some people argue that the often Byzantine rules governing courtroom conduct and processes restrict a layman’s ability to participate, essentially reducing the legal process to a battle between the lawyers. In this case, the criticism is that the decision is based less on sound justice and more on the lawyer’s eloquence and  charisma. This is a particular problem when the lawyer performs in a substandard manner. The jury process is another area of frequent criticism, as there are few mechanisms to guard against poor judgment or incompetence on the part of the layman jurors. Judges themselves are very subject to bias subject to things as ordinary as the length of time since their last break. [13] Manipulations of the court system by defense and prosecution attorneys, law enforcement as well as the defendants have occurred and there have been cases where justice was denied. Interpol The  International Criminal Police Organization  (ICPO), widely known as  INTERPOL,[3]  is an  intergovernmental organizationfacilitating international police cooperation. It was established as the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) in 1923 and adopted its telegraphic address as its common name in 1956. Its membership of 190 countries provides a budget of around â‚ ¬60 million through annual contributions. The organization’s headquarters is in  Lyon, France. It is the second largest  intergovernmental organization  after the  United Nations  by  member states. In 2011, the Interpol General Secretariat employed a staff of 673 representing 93 member countries. [1]  Its current Secretary-General is  Ronald Noble, a former United States  Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement. Succeeding  Khoo Boon Hui, its current President is Deputy Central Director of the French Judicial Police  Mireille Ballestrazzi. In order to maintain as politically neutral a role as possible, Interpol’s  constitution  forbids it to undertake any interventions or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial nature. [4]  Its work focuses primarily on public safety,  terrorism,  organized crime,crimes against humanity,  environmental crime,  genocide,  war crimes,  piracy, illicit  traffic  in  works of art,  illicit drug  production,drug trafficking,  weapons smuggling,  human trafficking,  money laundering,  child pornography,  white-collar crime,  computer crime,intellectual property crime  and  corruption. Interpol’s headquarters are located in  Lyon, France. Corrections Offenders are then turned over to the correctional authorities, from the court system after the accused has been found guilty. Like all other aspects of criminal justice, the administration of  punishment  has taken many different forms throughout history. Early on, when civilizations lacked the resources necessary to construct and maintain prisons,  exile  and  execution  were the primary forms of punishment. Historically  shame  punishments and  exile  have also been used as forms of censure. The most publicly visible form of punishment in the modern era is the  prison. Prisons may serve as detention centers for prisoners after trial. For containment of the accused, jails are used. Early prisons were used primarily to sequester criminals and little thought was given to living conditions within their walls. In America, the  Quaker  movement is commonly credited with establishing the idea that prisons should be used to reform criminals. This can also be seen as a critical moment in the debate regarding the purpose of punishment. Punishment (in the form of prison time) may serve a variety of purposes. First, and most obviously, the incarceration of criminals removes them from the general population and inhibits their ability to perpetrate further crimes. A new goal of prison punishments is to offer criminals a chance to be rehabilitated. Many modern prisons offer schooling or job training to prisoners as a chance to learn a vocation and thereby earn a legitimate living when they are returned to society. Religious institutions also have a presence in many prisons, with the goal of teaching ethics and instilling a sense of morality in the prisoners. If a prisoner is released before his time is served, he is released as a parole. This means that they are released, but the restrictions are greater than that of someone on probation. There are numerous other forms of punishment which are commonly used in conjunction with or in place of prison terms. Monetary  finesare one of the oldest forms of punishment still used today. These fines may be paid to the state or to the victims as a form of reparation. Probation  and  house arrest  are also sanctions which seek to limit a person’s mobility and his or her opportunities to commit crimes without actually placing them in a prison setting. Furthermore, many jurisdictions may require some form of public or community service as a form of reparations for lesser offenses. In Corrections, the Department ensures court-ordered, pre-sentence chemical dependency assessments, related Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative specific examinations and treatment will occur for offenders sentenced to Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative in compliance with RCW 9. 94A. 660. Execution or  capital punishment  is still used around the world. Its use is one of the most heavily debated aspects of the criminal justice system. Some societies are willing to use executions as a form of political control, or for relatively minor misdeeds. Other societies reserve execution for only the most sinister and brutal offenses. Others still have outlawed the practice entirely, believing the use of execution to be excessively cruel or hypocritical. History of criminal law The first civilizations generally did not distinguish between  civil law  and criminal law. The first written codes of law were designed by the Sumerians. Around 2100-2050 BC  Ur-Nammu, the  Neo-Sumerian  king of  Ur, enacted the oldest written legal code whose text has been discovered: the  Code of Ur-Nammu although an earlier code of  Urukagina  of  Lagash  ( 2380-2360 BC ) is also known to have existed. Another important early code was the  Code Hammurabi, which formed the core of  Babylonian law. Only fragments of the early criminal laws of  Ancient Greece  have survived, e. g. those of  Solon  and  Draco. [2] The similarly significant  Commentaries  of  Gaius  on the  Twelve Tables  also conflated the civil and criminal aspects, treating theft or  furtum  as a  tort. Assault and violent  robbery  were analogized to trespass  as to property. Breach of such laws created an obligation of law or  vinculum juris discharged by payment of monetary compensation or  damages. The criminal law of  imperial Rome  is collected in Books 47-48 of the  Digest  After the revival of  Roman law  in the 12th century, sixth-century Roman classifications and jurisprudence provided the foundations of the distinction between criminal and civil law in  European  law from then until the present time The first signs of the modern distinction between crimes and civil matters emerged during the Norman  of England. The special notion of criminal penalty, at least concerning Europe, arose in Spanish Late Scolasticism (see  Alfonso de Castro), when the theological notion of God’s penalty (poena aeterna) that was inflicted solely for a guilty mind, became transfused into canon law first and, finally, to secular criminal law. [6]  The development of the  state  dispensing  justice  in a court clearly emerged in the eighteenth century when European countries began maintaining police services. From this point, criminal law had formalized the mechanisms for enforcement, which allowed for its development as a discernible entity. Objectives of criminal law Criminal law is distinctive for the uniquely serious potential consequences or  sanctions  for failure to abide by its rules. [7]  Every crime is composed of  criminal elements. Capital punishment  may be imposed in some jurisdictions for the most serious crimes. Physical or  corporal punishment  may be imposed such as  whipping  or  caning, although these punishments are prohibited in much of the world. Individuals may be  incarcerated  in  prison  or  jail  in a variety of conditions depending on the jurisdiction. Confinement may be solitary. Length of incarceration may vary from a day to life.