Analysis of Businesses Effort to Respond To Achieve Sustainability by Being Carbon Neutral in Their Operation

Introduction Background to t he study Over the recent past, there has been an increment in the degree of sensitivity with regard to corporate social responsibility amongst the large and small enterprise operating in various economic sectors. According to Epstein (2008, p.288), management teams of firms in different economic sectors are becoming more concerned with the stakeholders and other social issues.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analysis of Businesses Effort to Respond To Achieve Sustainability by Being Carbon Neutral in Their Operation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, they are committed towards ensuring that they improve the publicity of their business enterprises thus becoming good corporate citizens. The shift has resulted from an increment in pressure by either the stakeholders or due to an increment in government regulation. In addition, the shift has also been occasioned by the high ra te of globalization. Fisher (2009, p. 1) is of the opinion that the high rate of globalization is culminating into an increment in the rate at which the world economy is becoming integrated. This presents numerous opportunities for firms to exploit. However, a new set of dynamics have also resulted. Some of these challenges are relate to climate change. There has been increased criticism towards business as being one of the major contributors towards various environmental issues being experienced currently. One of these issues relate to global warming. This is evident in that businesses have a significant contribution in the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted to the environment. These gases are a major factor in the rise rate of global warming which is a major reason for the current climate change. In an effort to minimize environmental degradation, various governments have formulated climate change strategies and regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a particular baseline within a given period. In addition, other policy packages which firms are required to implement include adoption of cleaner technologies and emission trading. Some countries such as the United Kingdom have established energy tax which is charged on firms depending on the amount of carbon they emit (OECD, 2002, p.81). The objective of these policies is to ensure that firms become carbon neutral in their operation. The major driving factor why firms are emphasizing on becoming carbon neutral is to be â€Å"clean† in their operation.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The resultant effect is that firms will be able to attain their profit maximization objective via reduction in the cost operation and improvement in their publicity. As a result, firms in different economic sectors have adopted the concept of carbon neutrality in their oper ation via incorporation of various strategies. Given the level of awareness with regard to the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment, various firms have implemented strategies aimed at attaining carbon neutrality in an effort to comply with the environmental regulations. The strategies being implemented play a significant role in reducing the amount of carbon they emit into the environment. Businesses are making adjustments either to the inputs used or their quantity so as to reduce the amount of waste generated. For example, firms are adopting cleaner technologies in their operation. Some of these technologies utilize green energy in their operation. The resultant effect is that there is significant reduction in the treatment of the resulting waste. In a quest to become carbon neutral, various firms are making changes to their corporate strategy. The core objective of these changes is to minimize carbon emission. According to Howe and Gerrad (2010, p.306), increased incorpo ration of these strategies has led into firms claiming to be carbon neutral. Not only is the credibility of claims by firms being carbon neutral evident in their operational strategies but also in the product they supply to the consumers. For example, Dell Company which deals with technology products supplies cost saving and environmental friendly products. In addition, the firm has also invested in renewable energy such as solar energy. These claims are credible considering the significance of the strategies in enabling a firm to attain carbon neutrality. Aim The report is aimed at analyzing businesses’ effort to become carbon neutral and whether the claims made by businesses indicating that they are carbon neutral are credible. Scope The report is organized into a number of sections. A discussion illustrating the importance of sustainability in business operation is outlined. The various ways through which the environmental regulations implemented are influencing business a ctions are discussed. In addition, the concept of carbon neutrality and its benefits to businesses is analyzed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analysis of Businesses Effort to Respond To Achieve Sustainability by Being Carbon Neutral in Their Operation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The role of intermediaries which can help organizations attain carbon neutrality is evaluated. The report also discusses the concept of offsetting. Finally, conclusion and a set of recommendations are outlined. Sustainability In order to cope with changes in the environment, it has become necessary for firm’s management teams to formulate a new set of operational strategies which would enable the firms to survive in the long term. The resultant effect is that firms would be able to attain the concept of corporate sustainability. The term sustainability is used differently according to the phenomenon being described. For ex ample, environmentalists use term ecological sustainability while business individuals use the term economic sustainability. On the other hand, sociologists use the term social sustainability. Considering the dynamic nature of business environment, it has become vital for management teams to consider integrating the concept of corporate sustainability planning. Fisher (2009, p.2) defines corporate sustainability planning as the process of ensuring that there is a balance between a firm’s economic growth, its commitment towards environmental protection and ensuring social equity. Attaining carbon neutrality is one of the ways through which a firm can consider to be committed towards environmental sustainability. Corporate sustainability is currently being considered as a new management philosophy. In the 21st century, the concept of corporate sustainability planning is being appreciated by businesses of all walks. According to Fisher, one of the reasons why the concept of sust ainability is gaining so much attention is associated with firm’s effort to operate cost effectively (2009, p.1). By being carbon neutral, a firm can be able to be cost effective in its operation. This arises from the various strategies being implemented such as utilization of renewable energy. In addition, via incorporation of corporate sustainability, it is possible for firms to address key aspects of its existence as outlined below.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organizational growth Profitability Social justice Environmental protection Equality in terms of environmental, social and economic issues Fisher asserts that by being conscious of the environment in which the firm is operating, every firm will be committed towards reducing their waste disposal. The resultant effect is that the firm is able to save money while at the same time protect the environment. In addition, the concept of sustainability enables the firm’s management team to align its organizational goals such as its profit maximization objective with environmental principles. This means that sustainability presents a classic opportunity for firms to maximize profit and minimize cost while at the same time improving the planet and the livelihood of its people (2009, p.2). Increased attention on sustainability amongst business enterprises is highly warranted. This is mainly so with regard to the environment. Currently, the world is experiencing numerous challenges. A r eport by the World Bank (2008, p.11) asserts that environmental issues are one of the major concerns in the world. All countries around the world have increased their environmental concern especially with regard to carbon emission. However, it is the less developed countries which are hardest hit by changes in the environment and climate change. The World Bank has been a major advocate in ensuring that firms incorporate the concept of environmental sustainability. The current environmental damage is a cause for concern amongst business enterprises. As result, it is right for environmental sustainability to be of priority amongst business enterprises. According to Wilhelm (2009, p.12), business leaders are considering for more comprehensive ways through which they can gain a better understanding on the impact of climate change on their businesses. This would enable them to develop effective strategies to deal with environmental changes. This arises from the fact that environmental da mages and challenges arising from climate change present a threat to a countries economic growth. Wilhelm (2009, p.3) is of the opinion that both businesses and individuals have started to feel the effects of climate change. For example, the resultant effect of a decline in a countries economic growth is that the consumer’s disposable income would be significantly reduced. As a result, individual’s consumption behavior would be negatively affected. The businesses economic sustainability would be hampered via a reduction in businesses profitability. Therefore, it is important for business enterprises to consider ways through which they can increases their profitability while at the same time address issues related to climate change. According to Dunphy, Griffitths and Ben (2005, p. 3), some of the challenges being experienced due to climate change and environmental degradation are as a result of business enterprises. Dunphy et al (2005, p.3) asserts that business enterp rises are an important part of the society. The current success being witnessed in business enterprises over the past decade have had a phenomenon impact on the world through exploitation of resources. In their operation, businesses continue to impact the world. It is therefore imperative for businesses to be concerned with the environment. According to a report by the World Bank on climate change, both firms operating in the private and public sector must collaborate to in order to ensure effective mitigation of various environmental issues. This would be of significant benefit to business enterprises. According to Willard (2005, p.10), sustainability presents numerous opportunities for businesses. For example, via sustainability, business enterprises are presented with new avenues with regard to product innovation and development and maintenance of stakeholders’ relationship. Ways in which environmental regulation is influencing the action being taken Various regulations ai med at controlling business operation with regard to the amount of carbon they emit into the environment have been formulated. This arises from the fact that there is a strong correlation between environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. According to Jenkins, Barton and Hesselberg (2007, p.21), increased environmental regulation presents a challenge to businesses with regard to loss of competitiveness. To cope with these challenges, businesses can implement various strategies in an effort to maintain their competitiveness. For example, businesses may exaggerate the impact of such regulations to prevent it from being implemented. For example, a study conducted by the Canadian government with regard to carbon emissions by firms in the pulp and paper industry indicated that the firm’s incurred a compliance cost of $4 to $5 for every ton. However, firms in this industry were complaining that the cost was four times higher. In another case regarding regulation of sulphur -dioxide emission in the United States, the cost was found to be half what was estimated. The main reason for such overestimation with regard to compliance cost is to ensure that firms conduct their operations as usual. Increased environmental regulation has stimulated firms to take various actions. Some of these strategies relate to their corporate strategy. For example, one of the strategies being integrated by firms in their operation entails inclusion of carbon foot-printing strategy in their operation. This refers to a form of control mechanism which helps business enterprises to baseline the amount of greenhouse gas that they emit. The framework below gives an illustration of carbon footprinting process. Carbon foot-printing requirement have made firms to adjust their corporate strategies. Through carbon foot-printing, firms’ management teams are able to gain a comprehensive understanding of their operations which are considered to be carbon contributors. This strategy is an essential component in a company’s effort to reduce the amount of carbon emission. As an environmental regulation strategy, carbon foot printing has a significant influence on the action being taken. Through carbon foot printing, it has become possible for management teams to identify other areas of inefficiency in their organizations systems. This means that this form of environmental regulation does not only enable a firm to reduce its carbon emission but also to operate cost effectively (Wilhelm, 2009, p. 12). This means that businesses can be able to make the necessary changes to their systems thus attaining their environmental sustainability objective. Ensuring effective implementation of carbon foot-printing as a form of environmental regulation is paramount. To achieve this, business organizations are required to formulate and implement a carbon foot-printing process. Implementation of this process is having significant influence on the actions being taken. Three main steps are involved. These include; Planning, Developing Managing A number of activities are undertaken with regard to planning. These include setting the boundary, determination of the operations to be measured and setting the baseline year. With regard to setting the boundary for the process, the firms’ management teams have to make a decision which aspects of its operations will be included. For example, the firms’ management teams have to make a decision whether its leased assets will be included in the process. The firm is at discretion to include such assets even if it is the actual owner. Decision to include these assets in the carbon foot-printing process lies in the fact that it is the firm’s which is responsible for the resulting carbon emissions as a result of its operation. In addition, the management team has to set a boundary whether to include other components of its supply chain such as the suppler and customers. According to Wilhelm (2009 , p.14), most business enterprises are starting small with regard to carbon foot-printing. However, it is important for firms to include as many aspects as possible in the initial phase. This will enable the firm to identify other areas of carbon emission resulting from its operation thus reducing the cost. Setting the boundary will also involve the firm determining the various sources of its carbon which result from its operation. Some of the sources include from transportation and freight methods such as via air, train, ship and trucks, solid waste such as garbage, office disposals such as office papers. A baseline with which the firm will track its carbon emission has to be established. The baseline may be backdated to a particular event such as when the firm undertook a merger or setting in of the century. According to Wilhelm (2009, p.17), this decision is left for the company to decide on itself. Collecting the required data is challenging since the firm may not have sufficien t mechanism to track all carbon related information. After completing the carbon calculation, the firm has to set clear reduction goals and formulate a strategy to attain them. In order to achieve this, the management team has to ensure that a timeframe is well established. In most cases, the reduction target selected is dependent on the firm’s goals, size and its maturity (Wilhelm, 2009, p.18). Upon completion of the process, the management team has to communicate the results obtained to the employees. This has to be done in such a way that the employees and other stakeholders will understand. Carbon neutrality Improving their publicity In their operation, businesses are charged with the mandate of ensuring that they operation in responsible manner. In order to attain this, firms have integrated the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This means that firms’ operations should not have a negative impact on the environment. Effective implementation of the C SR results into a firm improving its publicity. This means that the probability of the firm surviving in the society as a going concern entity is improved. The need to improve their publicity is one of the reasons why firms are incorporating the concept of carbon neutrality. This arises from the fact that business enterprises are a major contributor towards the change environmental change which is currently being experienced. Via improving their publicity, businesses can be able to continue with their operation due to reduction in the intensity of criticism. The resultant effect is that the firms will be able to attain their profit maximization objective. As a result of the financial crisis which occurred in 2008, there has been a shift in individuals’ consumption behavior. Most of the consumers are developing preference of products which they consider to be more sustainable. In addition, consumers are becoming more conscious of their health. In order to attract and retain cu stomers, it is paramount for firms to be conscious of their impact on the environment (Wilhelm, 2009, p.147). In the 21st century, the concept of carbon neutrality has been integrated within the firm’s CSR profile. Carbon neutrality refers to the concept whereby the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere is equivalent to the amount removed from the atmosphere. According to Tolhurst, Pohl, Matten and Visser (2010, p. 57), carbon neutrality is attained via offsetting the amount of emissions via a number of ways. Some of these include investing in technologies which have minimal carbon emissions such as renewable energy projects and planting trees. For example, HSBC which is a public limited company operating in the banking and financial services industry in United States invested $ 4 million towards implementation of a programme aimed at minimizing its energy consumption and also to reduce its carbon emission via utilization of green energy for all its energy needs. In addition, the programme would also enable the firm to plant trees. Despite the increased incorporation of the concept of carbon neutrality by financial institution, most individuals perceive this as a publicity stunt. This arises from the fact that activities of these institutions contribute significantly to environmental degradation. However, the effort of firms to adopt carbon neutrality in their operation should be applauded rather than be criticized. Intermediaries which help firms to become carbon neutral Becoming carbon neutral may be a challenge to both large and small business enterprises. This arises from the fact that these firms may not have the sufficient mechanisms to become carbon neutral. In a quest to become carbon neutral, there are a number of intermediary organizations which assist firms to become carbon neutral as discussed below. The CarbonNeutral Company The firm was established in 1997 and has managed to become a global lea der with regard to provision of services aimed at reducing carbon. Since its inception, the firm has helped approximately 300 large business enterprises and thousands of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) (The CarbonNeutral Company, 2010). In its operation, the firm is committed at ensuring that its customers attain value from its services. In order to attain this, the firm has formulated comprehensive carbon management strategies. The firm provides tools to enable firms’ management teams to develop an effective carbon reduction programme. In addition, Carbon Neutral Company helps its clients to set their reduction targets. In pursuit of carbon neutrality goal, it is crucial for firms to communicate the results of the programme to all the relevant stakeholders. In order to attain this, there has to be a well developed communication mechanism. The management team has to ensure that all the parties understand. As an intermediary, The Carbon Neutral Company provides management team with the most effective communication mechanism. Beyond Neutral This is a firm which was established in 2007 in Australia and operates on an international scale. The core objective of the firm’s establishment is to provide businesses with meaningful ways through which they can deal with the challenges of sustainability and climate change. Beyond Neutral helps other organizations to improve their sustainability credentials while at the same time reduce its greenhouse emissions. With regard to carbon neutrality, the firm helps its clients in the identification, tracking, verifying, validating and auditing its carbon emissions. As a result, businesses are able to take advantage of market opportunities and avoid the negative impacts of greenhouse emission. In an effort to ensure that firms attain carbon neutrality, the firm provides its clients with a carbon offset portfolio. The portfolio entails a variety of offsets which are obtained from different projects (Beyond Neutra l, 2009). Commitment to the environment in pursuit of carbon neutrality, necessary changes and investment To achieve the concept of carbon neutrality, businesses must be totally committed towards attaining environmental sustainability. In order to attain this, firms should analyze the impact of their operation on the environment with regard to carbon emission. According to Kollmuss, Lazarus, Lee and Polycarp (2010, p.1), it is a must that emission of greenhouse gases be reduced by 80% by mid of the 21st century in order to abate the risks of climate change. This means that it is vital for firms to undertake drastic changes in some of their practices. In addition, these changes will require a significant investment of resources for them to be effective. For example, some carbon emission resulting from the firms’ operation cannot be avoided. However, pursuing the concept of carbon neutrality requires that there should be zero carbon emission coming from the firm’s operat ion. Carbon neutrality relies on ‘offsetting’ There is a strong correlation between carbon neutrality and offsetting. To attain carbon neutrality in their operation, firms will be required to purchase carbon offsets. These are financial tools specifically designed for projects aimed at preventing carbon being released from various activities from entering the earth’s atmosphere. In their commitment to attain carbon neutrality, firms will be required to incorporate a portfolio of offsets. In addition, a considerable amount of investment will be required in the implementation of technologies which are carbon-saving in nature. In addition, firms will be required to change some of their practices. For example, with regard to the firm’s energy needs, it is paramount for firms to incorporate green energy and other types of renewable energy. This will play a significant role in the firm’s effort to become carbon neutral and hence its commitment to the envi ronment. Kollmuss et al (2010, p.1) assert that carbon offsetting is gaining attention amongst individuals and organizational policy makers as one of the most effective ways through which firms can address the challenges associated with climate change. Incorporation of carbon offsets is paramount in a firms effort to attain carbon neutrality and hence its environmental targets. This arises from the effectiveness with which carbon offsets avert carbon emission. According to Taiyab (2006, p.3), carbon offsets neutralizes the carbon dioxide equivalent (one ton) which is emitted at one place. This is achieved either by absorbing another tone of carbon dioxide equivalent released elsewhere or preventing its release. The offsets are developed via various projects. Some of these include; Renewable energy Destruction of industrial gases Energy efficiency For example, if a particular business enterprise emits approximately 20,000 tones of carbon dioxide every year, it can offset its emissi on by planting trees which will absorbs an equivalent amount within the same time period. Alternatively, the firm can invest in a renewable energy project or energy efficient stoves which would be supplied to the poor. Through such projects, a firm is able to offset the amount of its carbon emissions thus becoming carbon neutral (Taiyab, 2006, p.4). In addition to that, carbon offset projects have the capacity of absorbing other greenhouse gases from the environment. This makes it to be an effective strategy for firms in their effort to achieve their environmental target. Conclusion The concept of sustainability has proved to be very important amongst businesses in the 21st century. This is due to the fact that it is one of the ways thorough which businesses can maintain their competitive advantage amidst numerous challenges. There are various aspects of sustainability applicable to businesses. One of them includes environmental sustainability. In their effort to achieve environment al sustainability, business enterprises are increasingly incorporating the concept of carbon neutrality. This arises from the fact that businesses are a major contributor of the carbon emissions which is one of the key causes of climate change via global warming. Therefore, the priority being given to sustainability as an environmental issue is warranted. Incorporation of carbon neutrality will play a significant role in businesses effort to attain sustainable development hence surviving into the future as going concern entity. In addition, attainment of carbon neutrality will also enable businesses to attain their profit maximization objective. This arises from the fact that business organizations will be able to improve their publicity. This arises from the fact that the society will develop a positive attitude towards the firms hence considering the firm to be a part of the society. As a result, there is a high probability of businesses attaining customer loyalty. As a result of being carbon neutral, firms will be able to operate cost efficiently. In order to for firms to be regarded as being carbon neutral, there are a number of changes that the firms’ management team will be required to undertake. Despite the cost involved during the change process, the firm will benefit from being carbon neutral in the long run. Recommendations In order to be carbon neutral in their operation, it is paramount for the firm’s management team to consider implementing the following recommendations. Firms should ensure that they incorporate the concept of carbon footprinting in order to determine the amount of carbon they emit into the atmosphere as a result of their operation. If the firms do not have all the necessary mechanisms to undertake carbon footprinting, they should outsource these services from other intermediary organizations. This will enable the firm to be effective in measuring the amount of carbon it emits into the environment. In an effort to a chieve carbon neutrality, it is paramount for firm’s management team to consider integrating the concept of carbon offsetting. This will enable the firms to prevent carbon emissions and at the same time operate social responsibility. The concept of carbon offsetting will require a substantial amount of investment. It is therefore important for the firm to rely on its own reserves other than sourcing the required finance externally. Reference List Beyond Neutral. (2009). Company profile. Retrieved from http://beyondneutral.com/what-we-do/ Dunphy, D.C., Griffiths, A. Benn, S. (2005). Organizational change for corporate sustainability: a guide for leaders and change agents of the future. London: Routledge. Epstein, M. (2008). Making sustainability work: best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental and economic impacts. Greenleaf: Sheffield. Howe, J.C. Gerrad, M. (2010). The law of green building: regulatory and legal issues in design, construction, operation and financing. Massachusetts: American Bar Association. Fisher, D.C. (2009). Corporate sustainability planning assessment guide. New York: American Society for Qualit. Jenkins, R., Barton, J. Hesselberg, J. (2007). Environmental regulation in the new global economy: the impact on industry and competitiveness. Camberley, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Kollmuss, A., Lazarus, M., Lee, C., Lefranc, M., Polycarp, C. (2010). Handbook of carbon offset programs: trading systems, funds, protocols and standards. London: Earthscan. OECD. (2002). Implementing domestic tradeable permits: recent development and future challenges. London: OECD Publishing. Taiyab, N. (2006). Exploring the market for voluntary carbon offsets. New York: IIED. The CarbonNeutral Company. (2010). The CarbonNeutral network of companies. Web. Tolhurst, N., Pohl, M., Matten, D. Visser, W. (2010). The A to Z of corporate social responsibility . New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Wilhelm, K. (2009). Return on sustai nability. New Jersey: Dog Ear Publishing. Willard, B. (2005). The sustainability advantage: seven business case benefits of a triple bottom line. Canada: New Society Publishers. World Bank. (2008). Environmental sustainability: an evaluation of World Bank group support. New York: World Bank Publication. 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Regulatory and Economic environment - Essay Example Based on the current exchange rate of RMB 8.28 yuan to one U.S. dollar, China is now the sixth largest economy in the world. Based on purchasing-power parity, it is the third largest economy after the United States and Japan. All this has taken place during a relatively short time. In fact, one can argue that true economic reform in China only started in the early 1980s.' - [M.W. LUKE CHAN, WENDY ROTENBERG] The Chinese economic environment had shown rapid progress during 1991-1997, it could be said that China experienced double digit GDP growth. However, from 1997 and so on there were economic crisis, yet, the Chinese GDP continued to grow at a rapid rate of 7.8%. Transparency and good supremacy have been the foundation issues observed in the post-crisis years, both in the circumstance of the 1997 monetary difficulties and the recent series of commercial scandals. This suits the accounting and audit profession where efforts have largely focused on "harmonizing standards" within APEC and ASEAN as well as for greater transparency and disclosure. The Chinese financial catastrophe showed that insufficient accounting practices and lack of transparency in financial information still prevail in the region. Usual accounting may no longer adequately reflect the necessary information from the position of regulatory and internal corporate control. Strengthening of accounting and auditing function to properly manage risks is one major task to make the private sector and government agencies competitive and free from corruption. In an internationalized economy, up-to-date accounting and auditing knowledge and skills are the basic institutional infrastructure for private enterprises as well as government agencies to promote good corporate governance and sound public management. The need for transparent information has been heightened, particularly in the situation of managing risks involved. Main challenges for the DMCs are to develop transparent and sound accounting practices to properly manage and regulate the private sector including banks. An overview of the economic framework in China: The economic system of China is based on the Interbank Lending Market, the negotiable instruments market and the Treasury bond repurchase market. Interbank Lending: A nationwide unified interbank lending computer network was put into operation on a trial basis on January 3, 1996. The interbank lending market was not integrated preceding this date. The establishment of unified interbank market helped in connecting all interbank markets through out the nation. Negotiable Instruments: A negotiable instruments market consists of commercial papers as their main instrument. Commercial paper activity started in China in 1981. Since 1981, commercial paper market developed gradually. The acceptance, rediscount and discount process of commercial paper has become standardized. Commercial bills are also another instrument used in China. It has increased drastically in the past few years. Also, the discount and rediscount maturities have increased rapidly providing the funding needs of the national industry development policies and credit policies to flow. Repurchase Transactions - Open Market Operations: The central bank got involved into the

U08a1 Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U08a1 Project - Essay Example However, there is a major concern regarding the performance of Tufts Medical Center in the matters relating to comprehensive record keeping for employee injuries while on duty. Also, there have been allegations from nursing bodies that this hospital lacks concern for health and safety of its employees. These are indeed serious charges since employees bulwark services and for most part form the backbone of this institution and perceived detriment to their health and safety. This could have a negative impact on the quality of the medical service which they provide to care-needy patients. In a recent case, it is believed that â€Å"Following complaints filed to OSHA by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Tufts Medical Center has agreed to pay $5,000 to settle issues in record-keeping. OSHA cited the hospital for failing to properly record employee injuries that occurred on the job, including back strains, broken thumbs, needle-stick injuries, and cuts from sharp objects.† (Altman, 2010, para.1). Perhaps, it is necessary to take a good look at the present system of archiving and recording proceedings relating to injuries of employees while on duty at the Tufts Medical Center. It is necessary to isolate those interventions or health care activities that could jeopardize the health of caregivers like lifting crippled heavy patients on to wheel chairs , exposure to chemicals, fear of contracting serious infections and the emotional stress involved in dealing with patients having psychological and mental illnesses. In this context, it is also necessary to understand and appreciate that the entire skyline of modern medical services has undergone severe paradigm shifts. There has been increased need for state-of-the art specialized novel, expensive medical possibilities and a whole new array of medical interventions that need to be put to effective and productive use by health care professionals and care takers. With

Offender profiling

Offender profiling Separating Fact From Fiction: Where Do Peoples Beliefs About Offender Profiling Come From? Chapter I: Introduction to the Study Historically offender profiling has often been seen as more of an art than a science (Muller, 2000; Ressler Shachtman 1992) leaving it prone to rejection within academic journals (Dowden 2007). However within recent years there has been a sharp increase in the publics interest due to the media spotlight offender profiling has received in the way of films and television shows. This in turn has led to more research being done within the field and can clearly be seen by the significant rise of articles published since 2001 (Dowden 2007). This explosion of interest now makes it the ideal time for research to be conducted. Well known journals are now more frequently accepting articles on offender profiling and in 2004 David Canter launched the Journal of investigative psychology and offender profiling. In spite of this the content of the majority of research published still remain discussion pieces regarding what offender profiling is and its usefulness etc with hardly any containing statistics or formal analysis. For these reason this research will focus more so on the publics beliefs of offender profiling and how it is they acquire them. The recent development and interest in offender profiling has lead to people developing false beliefs. Kocsis (1999) stated that the medias portrayal has produced a situation in which â€Å"a gross disparity has developed between profilings reputation and its actual capabilities†. This research proposes five possibilities of how people acquire their false beliefs (media, experts, reasoning error, social contagion and confirmation bias) with the objective of finding which one has the biggest influence upon forming beliefs. Chapter II: Review of the Literature 2.1 History of Offender Profiling Although many definitions have been given for offender profiling it is generally agreed that it is â€Å"a technique for identifying the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed† (Douglas et al 1986). It is not meant as a tool to identify the offender implicitly, but rather serve as an indication as to the type of person they are by focusing on their behavioral traits and personality characteristics. It is particularly useful in seemingly motiveless crimes whereby it allows the analysis of similarities and differences to take place. This in turn uncovers information on the perpetrators personality and behavior, which is essential due to the fact that the â€Å"random† crime and victim may not at all be random to the offender. The victim may have been chosen symbolically due to the fantasy occurring within the offenders mind (Ressler et al 1985). Offender profiling is used within a variety of settings and not just a tool used solely for homicides. These techniques have been used in hostage taking situations (Reiser 1982), serial rapists (Hazelwood, 1983), identifying anonymous letter writers (Casey-Owens 1984) as well as those who make written or verbal threats (Miron Douglas 1979). Due to this ability to transfer profiling techniques into a variety of situations, its methods have been used throughout the world (e.g., Asgard 1998; Collins et al 1998; Jackson et al 1993). However Holmes and Holmes (1996) stated that offender profiling is only called upon when all other leads have been exhausted. This in turn questions its popularity, is offender profiling being used throughout the world due to its effectiveness, or as a last resort? Many feel that the latter is the case and criticise offender profiling on the grounds of scientific reliability. Much of the literature published is often plagued by low levels of validity making the results found questionable. Furthermore is the difficulty in obtaining reliable and accurate data. Very few researchers rely on primary data such as interviews with serial offenders and even when they do the offenders testament should be treated as suspicious due to the known fact that offenders often lie about there behavior (Porter and Woodworth, 2007). This leads to a limitation in the literature, with very few authors publishing three or more articles and only 34% of these articles being written by psychologists (Dowden et al 2007). As well as criticism regarding literature methodology, offender profiling as a whole has also raised much disapproval. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) argue that many profilers do not specify the behavioural, correlational or psychological principles they rely on and it is therefore difficult to distinguish if specific profiling techniques are being adhered to, or if simple intuition and opinion are being used. However, regardless of the criticism offender profiling has received; it has still continued to grow in popularity throughout the years (Dowden 2007) resulting in an upsurge of interest and media attention. 2.2 The Rise to Popularity Offender profiling is by no means a new technique with one of the first recorded practice being in 1888 in the notorious Jack the ripper case. Dr Thomas Bond, a British physician is regarded by many to be the first offender profiler (Newburn,2007; Petherick 2005; Kotake 2001) linking together five of the Whitechapel murders and giving an eleven point profile on the personality and behavioral traits of Jack the ripper. Although this is sometimes classed the beginning of offender profiling, it wasnt until 1957 that profiling took a leap forward and grabbed the publics attention. New York Citys Mad Bomber terrorized the city for a period of sixteen years, planting a total of thirty-three bombs in public buildings. With public hysteria being high and police reaching a dead-end, Dr James Brussel (a criminologist and psychiatrist) was called in to help on the case. After reading the letters sent to the press and examining the case files, Brussel created his profile of what kind of person the police should look for: â€Å"Look for a heavy man. Middle-aged. Foreign born. Roman-catholic. Single. Living with brother or sister. When you find him, chances are hell be wearing a double-breasted suit. Buttoned† (Brussel, 1968). This profile was then submitted to the newspaper and days later the offender, George Meteky was arrested matching Brusselss description. In fact the only variation to the profile was that he lived with his two sisters. This apparent accurate profile ignited the publics interest in offender profiling. However due to the media frenzy surrounding the case, facts were often missed out and an inaccurate account was given. For example, Metesky was known to follow media reports (Berger, 1957) and so his behaviors may have been consciously or subconsciously affected. Furthermore the profile itself did not solve the case as often implied; in fact it was background checks on disgruntled employees that led to the arrest (Kocsis, 2004). And despite the popular myth that Metesky was ca ught in a double breasted suit, he was actually arrested wearing faded pajamas (Brussel, 1968). This popular and often cited case is an excellent example of how offender profiling is often misrepresented and how that in turn leads to people developing false beliefs regarding it. Nonetheless, the Mad Bomber case is often thought of as a turning point in offender profiling history and that it was at this point that both the public and law enforcement developed an interest. In the 1960s Howard Teten started to develop his approach to offender profiling, and as a special agent in the FBI during 1970 he started teaching his approach to fellow agents. In 1972 Jack Kirsch started the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) and gave Tenten the freedom he needed to create profiles and continue his research. The word spread and soon police departments were making daily requests for profiles (Turvey 2001). The BSU underwent several changes throughout the 1990s and is now known as the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). However it is not just America whos interest in offender profiling was sparked. Much like Brussel it was one particular case that seemed to ignite the publics fascination with profiling within the UK. In 1985 David Canter was asked to help with the investigation into two murders and over thirty rapes, which the media dubbed as the Railway Rapist (cited in Egger 1999). Canters profile was remarkably accurate and proved a useful tool in the investigation. However yet again, the profile alone wasnt what led police to John Duffy, it was his refusal to supply a blood sample. Similar to America, the British Press reported Canters involvement in an exaggerated fashion which in turn gave Canter much publicity and recognition. Interestingly, although offender profiling gained publicity within America and UK in a similar fashion, they have completely different profiling techniques. The American FBI approach, created by the BSU, relies heavily on crime scene analysis (CSA) (Wilson, Lincon Kocsis, 1997) and is the approach that has been popularized within the media. The approach places offenders into categories according to the crime scene, either organized or disorganized. This approach has been heavily criticized by the likes of Ressler (1992) who states that the simplicity of the system was to enable police without a psychological background to understand it. The UK approach relies more on statistical analysis, obtaining facts and characteristics from solved cases to provide a general framework for each crime (Aitken et al 1996). However in more recent times Canter has developed an investigative psychology approach to profiling. This approach suggests that psychology can directly be transferred to crime, and that an interpersonal transaction is occurring between the offender and the victim. Canter created five approaches which can be used to profile criminals directly using psychology (Canter 1994). The approach that Canter has received the most attention about is that of space and time which has been empirically tested and found to be useful (Wilson et al, 1997). Although Godwin and Canter (1997) demonstrate that investigative psychology can help the police, results have to be looked at carefully since it is unlikely that Canter will contradict his previous work. Regardless of the different approaches offender profiling has, it has nevertheless reached a height of popularity. However, as widespread as profiling has now become, the public still seem to misunderstand it and hold false beliefs regarding it (Snook et al 2008 Kocsis 1999). For this reason, this research will examine the different possible reasons why the public have developed these false beliefs. 2.3 The Mass Media This brief outline of offender profiling shows that the rise in public interest has correlated with major cases, which in turn causes sensationalism within the media. With the public buying into the medias exaggerations on the role of offender profilers, a perfect springboard was provided for many television shows and films to base their premises around these â€Å"incredible† profilers. Major films such as The Silence of the Lambs and television shows such as Cracker, Wire in the Blood and Criminal Minds have promoted the myth that profilers posses some sort of superhuman skill (Egger, 1999; Grubin, 1995; Alison Canter, 1999). Fiction blurs with fantasy for the general public and they are left with false beliefs. Grubin (1995) comments that offender profiling has always had a role within fiction and has always appealed to the imagination due to its ability to invoke the image of â€Å"the cerebral sleuth relying solely on his acute powers of observation and deductive reasoning to identify an elusive and much feared serial rapist†. Many researchers (Balu, 1994; Campbell, 1976; Canter 2000; McCan, 1992; Muller, 2000) would in fact argue that this fictional image of a â€Å"super sleuth† such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes or Edgar Allan Poes C. Auguste Dupin is what inspired offender profiling to begin with. Sagan (1996) agrees with Grubin, suggesting that people are often attracted to fantasy, more so than any other genre, because they often contain characters that have powers, which normal people lack but desire. Green, Brock and Kaufman (2004) concur, asserting that people seek out fiction rather than non-fiction for the simple fact that they want to be entertained. However, unless people adopt a critical approach to the material they are viewing, their judgments regarding offender profiling will be based on the inaccurate and biased information they are being given, resulting in false beliefs (Stanovich, 1992). Second hand knowledge, such as that required from the media, rarely reflects the truth (Sprott 1996) and so this critical approach is essential. The mass media doesnt just refer to television and films, the role stories play are equally important. Those who have experience in profiling often write books about there experiences (eg Paul Britton and David Canter) which creates to the reader, a personal story. These types of literature can be very convincing as they are often vivid and memorable (Borgida Nisbett, 1977; Stanovich 1992) and assumed true in entirety by the reader. People are not trained to critically evaluate or to seek out objective facts and reliable evidence (Carroll, 2003; Gilovich, 1991; Sagan, 1996; Shermer, 2003) and take these anecdotes presented to them as truthful accounts allowing them to form the foundation of their beliefs. Even published accounts of offender profiling rely on these anecdotal evidence to convey the message that they are trying to put across and illustrate the usefulness of profiling (e.g Canter, 1994; Cook Hinman, 1999). Snook, Eastwood, et al (2007) found that out of 130 articles on offender profiling, 60% of them used at least one anecdote as a source of knowledge, such as the New York Mad Bombers case. Another problem faced is that all the portrayals regarding offender profiling convey the same message, the profiler catches the criminal and the case is solved. Although this is unrealistic, empirical evidence shows that the likelihood of people agreeing with a message correlates with how often the same message is repeated (Cacioppo Petty, 1979). So if most of the media (eg, films, television shows and books) are all conveying the same message and no critical approach is taken, then individuals will be left with false beliefs. However, are people that passive that they will believe everything they encounter in the media? This theory of a hypodermic-syringe model (Briggs Cobley, 2002) whereby viewers are â€Å"injected† with opinions and beliefs has been proven to be conceptually flawed in that it tends to ignore matters such as personal influence and interpretation (Katz Lazersfeld, 1955). Individuals are not passive creatures that are unable to form their own intelligent opinion. The media does not dictate a persons belief; in fact it can be argued that individuals use the media for their own gratification (Katz, 1959). Therefore is it unfair and illogical to blame the media solely, for the misconceptions people have about offender profiling? 2.4 Expertise Experts are individuals who after an extensive period of practical and theoretical training have developed a professional capability within a specific area (Kurz-Milcke Gigerenzer, 2004). Due to this definition, many people believe and accept the words of experts without question (Bochner Insko, 1966; Milgram, 1964) and many believe that offender profilers are indeed experts. In spite of this belief there is very little evidence to support this idea. If offender profilers are experts then they should be able to perform their job to a high standard, therefore creating accurate profiles. Snook et al (2008) conclude that any police professional could achieve the same level of success that profilers achieve, by relying on their basic criminological information. However, if this is the case why is it police still request profilers and add to the belief that they are accurate experts? One reason could be because they actually believe that offender profiling works (e.g. Copson, 1995; Jackson et al 1993; Pinizzotto, 1984) but for those police officers who disagree, calling profilers in may simply be a way of doing their job. As a police officer it is their duty to make sure that they use all the available investigation techniques and some may think they have nothing to loose by calling in an offender profiler. However the public may view the fact police use profilers as a confirmation that offender profilers are experts and this in turn will affect their judgment. An example of how the belief that experts are correct affects peoples judgments can be seen in a study conducted by Kocsis Hayes (2004). The study found that police officers, who were told that the profile they read was created by an expert, rated them significantly more accurate than officers who were told that their profile came from a non-expert. These results appear to confirm that people believe and trust the information obtained from labeled experts more so than anyone else. However this result that Kocsis Hayes found may be due to the police officers loyalty. They may believe that professional profilers are an important group that they identify with and feel loyalty towards, due to a belief that they are in the same line of work. Many studies have found that many police officers tend to develop an occupational subculture (DeMaria, 1999; Dempster, 1997; Wilson Chappell, 1996; Wilson Western, 1972) with intense loyalty shown to all those that belong to it (Chan, 1996, Finna ne, 1995; Fitzgerald, 1989; Lusher, 1981; Wood 1997). For this reason, the discrepancy shown between the measures may be down to loyalty rather than expertise heuristic. However this loyalty should only be shown by those who identify with that subculture, therefore excluding the general public. So is expertise heuristic to blame for individuals false beliefs? 2.5 Reasoning Errors People have the tendency to believe things that arent true and a lot of time and effort has been put in by researchers to try and discover why it is people believe in unproven things (Gilovich, 1991; Hines, 1988; Vyse, 1997). One of the main outcomes found is that human beings evolved to be able to identify patterns among environmental occurrences, which as a result can lead to the identification of meaningless patterns (Shermer, 2002). It is this ability to identify meaningless patterns that can be argued contributes to people thinking in things such as psychic abilities as well as their belief that offender profilers predictions are valid. People like to find order in a chaotic world and then form beliefs that can guide future behaviors (Gigerenzer, 2002; Shermer, 2003). However, beliefs are just a cognitive process that picks up on information from the environment and if the information is wrong, so is the formed belief. One form of this cognitive process is reasoning errors.

Experimentation in Literature in the 1920s Essay -- essays papers

Experimentation in Literature in the 1920s The year 1920 opened a decade that proved to be like none other before it, a decade that was to shake the world. The 1920's changed the way the world worked, for it was a time of discovery and achievement through improvisation and experimentation, when in the past everything had been carefully labored over, and thought out thoroughly. A few of these discoveries and achievements, and the men who accomplished them, stand out from the rest. With James Joyce and the publication of his massive masterpiece Ulysses, T.S. Eliot, and the publication of his brilliant and stunning poem The Waste Land, and F. Scott Fitzgerald and the publication of his complex and tragic The Great Gatsby, the 1920's were indeed a time of amazing discovery and achievement through experimentation and improvisation. T.S. Eliot published The Waste Land in 1922, and the world of poetry changed forever. Yet his experiments in form and style began long before The Waste Land was ever published. Eliot was developing his unique style, as demonstrated in several of his early poems. Noticeable among these poems is the powerful work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, which received much critical acclaim after being published in America. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, or just Prufrock, as many critics called it demonstrated his combination of blatant pessimism and withering hopes and desires with the sterility of modern life. Another shocking feature in the poem was the juxtaposition of the brilliantly original verse with the cliched, something that made his style very unique; never before had anyone so daringly put the common language and the esoteric together in such a fashion. Prufrock effectively presen... ...ng Company, 1996 Anderson, Chester, James Joyce. New York, Thames/ Hudson, 1967. Brownstone, David and Irene Frank, Timeline of the Twentieth Century. Canada, Little-Brown and Company, 1996. Daniel, Clifton, editor, Chronicle of the Twentieth Century. United States, Harper and Row, 1990. Daniels, Jonathan, The Time Between the Wars. United States, Doubleday, 1966. Day, Martin, A Handbook of American Literature. New York, Crane, Russak, and Company, Inc., 1975. Ellman, Richard, James Joyce. United States, Oxford Press, 1959. "F. Scott Fitzgerald", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995. "James Joyce", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995. Severn, William, The End of the Roaring Twenties. United States, Simon and Shuster, 1969. Tate, Allen, editor, T.S. Eliot and His Work. United States, University of the South, 1966. "T.S. Eliot", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995. Experimentation in Literature in the 1920s Essay -- essays papers Experimentation in Literature in the 1920s The year 1920 opened a decade that proved to be like none other before it, a decade that was to shake the world. The 1920's changed the way the world worked, for it was a time of discovery and achievement through improvisation and experimentation, when in the past everything had been carefully labored over, and thought out thoroughly. A few of these discoveries and achievements, and the men who accomplished them, stand out from the rest. With James Joyce and the publication of his massive masterpiece Ulysses, T.S. Eliot, and the publication of his brilliant and stunning poem The Waste Land, and F. Scott Fitzgerald and the publication of his complex and tragic The Great Gatsby, the 1920's were indeed a time of amazing discovery and achievement through experimentation and improvisation. T.S. Eliot published The Waste Land in 1922, and the world of poetry changed forever. Yet his experiments in form and style began long before The Waste Land was ever published. Eliot was developing his unique style, as demonstrated in several of his early poems. Noticeable among these poems is the powerful work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, which received much critical acclaim after being published in America. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, or just Prufrock, as many critics called it demonstrated his combination of blatant pessimism and withering hopes and desires with the sterility of modern life. Another shocking feature in the poem was the juxtaposition of the brilliantly original verse with the cliched, something that made his style very unique; never before had anyone so daringly put the common language and the esoteric together in such a fashion. Prufrock effectively presen... ...ng Company, 1996 Anderson, Chester, James Joyce. New York, Thames/ Hudson, 1967. Brownstone, David and Irene Frank, Timeline of the Twentieth Century. Canada, Little-Brown and Company, 1996. Daniel, Clifton, editor, Chronicle of the Twentieth Century. United States, Harper and Row, 1990. Daniels, Jonathan, The Time Between the Wars. United States, Doubleday, 1966. Day, Martin, A Handbook of American Literature. New York, Crane, Russak, and Company, Inc., 1975. Ellman, Richard, James Joyce. United States, Oxford Press, 1959. "F. Scott Fitzgerald", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995. "James Joyce", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995. Severn, William, The End of the Roaring Twenties. United States, Simon and Shuster, 1969. Tate, Allen, editor, T.S. Eliot and His Work. United States, University of the South, 1966. "T.S. Eliot", Gale's Discovering Authors, 1995.

Bio Lab Report

Ye Tao BISC220-13155 The Effect of Temperature on the Digestion of Starch by Activity of Enzyme ? -Amylase: Observation of Rate of Starch Disappearance through Iodine Test Introduction An enzyme is a type of protein that, through its own structure including hydrogen bonds, acts like a biological catalyst and is able to accelerate the biochemical reaction rate by lowering the activation energy of the whole process, without which cells could hardly practice any physiological functions within human bodies (Sizer, 1943).Found in the saliva and pancreatic secretions of animals including human beings as well as the plant seeds, bacteria and fungi (Siddiqui et al. , 2010), the enzyme ? -amylase that was studied during the experiment has significant impact on the hydrolysis of starch. By breaking the alpha, 1-4 glycosidic linkages in the carbohydrates, amylase hydrolyzes the starch, a polysaccharides that is stored in plants and cannot be directly digested by animal cells, into maltose, a di saccharide that later generate two units of glucose to undergo metabolisms and provides necessary energy (Slaughter et al. , 2001). The enzymatic activity of ? amylase is facilitated by calcium and chloride ions during the hydrolysis (Marini, 2006 and Siddiqui et al. , 2010). The complete digestion of starch and formation of maltose and glucose can be examined through the iodine test when I2KI reagent is added into the solution and remains brown instead of turning into dark blue, marking that all the molecules of starch have been fully hydrolyzed (Hanes, 1932). While amylase effectively activates the hydrolysis of starch, the efficiency of the catalytic process is influenced by several factors including temperature, pH level and the concentration of the substrates etc.In this experiment, as the ? -amylase is a type of protein, the efficiency of enzyme is highly related to its hydrogen bonds which are affected by the temperature. Though the enzyme is collected from the porcine pancre as, due to its structural similarities to amylase in human bodies, the behaviors of two amylases should resemble each other. Given that under extreme temperature enzymes will be denatured and unable to function and the constant temperature of pigs is around 39 °C, the hypothesis of this experiment is that at 37 °C amylase will catalyze the hydrolysis with the highest speed, followed by amylase at 22 °C.Amylase at 0 °C will react extremely slowly due to the crystallization of hydrogen bonds and at100 °C, amylase will lose its function since it will be denatured. Materials and Methods Four test tubes were marked from A1 to A4. Then, 2mL of 1% starch solution from Carolina Biological Supply Company, 4mL of deionized water and 1mL of 6. 8 hydrion buffer from VWR International/ Micro Essential Laboratories were added into each tube. Another four test tubes were also labeled from B1 to B4 and added 1mL of 1% ? -amylase from porcine pancreas from Sigma Aldrich. Eight tubes were p aired according to the same number (A1and B1 etc. and assigned to environments at different temperature: Tube A1 and B1 were placed into a water bath at 100 °C; Tube A2 and B2 were placed into a water bath at 37 °C; Tube A3 and B3were placed on the tube rack (at about 22 °C); Tube A4 and B4 were placed into an ice bath at 0 °C. All test tubes were kept at different temperatures for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, a control group of starch solution was prepared without amylase. (Bio Lab Manual, 2013) At the same time, a test plate was added 2 drops of I2KI reagent (1% Iodine and 2% KI) from Carolina Biological Supply Company per well.After 10 minutes, when test tubes were still in the original environments, solutions in Tube A1 with B1 were mixed and a timer was started. At each 30-second-inteval, a drop of the mixture was released into the well on the test plate until the solution in the plate did not change into dark blue and remained brown, indicating the end of the reaction by sho wing no presence of starch and presence of maltose and glucose. The experiment was repeated on the tubes at other temperatures. Slow reactions were observed and recorded up to 420 seconds due to time limit.Data were pooled from each bench and average and standard deviation were calculated. The data of the control group were also obtained. Results Figure 1 The test plate of iodine test under different temperature. Dark blue wells indicated the presence of starch while the brown ones indicate the completion of starch hydrolysis. (Upper half: 37 °C; Bottom Half: 0 °C) The rate of reaction was fastest at 37 °C (n=4, mean=212. 5s, SD=66. 1s) while the rate of reaction at 22 °C was only slightly less than it (n=4, mean=217. 5s, SD=61. 8s).Though the previous two groups underwent starch hydrolysis relatively fast, the tubes at 100 °C and 0 °C reacted so slowly that it took more than 420 seconds for their completions (time was only recorded before 420s). There was no hydrolysis in the control group. The time of the reaction completions as the function of different temperatures was shown in the table and graph below. The Effects of Temperature| Temperature (? )| Time of Starch Disappearance(s)| | Bench 1| Bench 2| Bench 3| Bench 4| Mean| SD| Control| >420| >420| >420| >420| 420| 0| 0| >420| >420| >420| >420| 420| 0| 2| 210| 210| 300| 150 | 217. 5| 61. 84658| 37| 270| 180| 265| 135 | 212. 5| 66. 14378| 100| >420| >420| >420| >420| 420| 0| Table 1. Time of Starch Disappearance with Porcine Pancreatic ? -Amylase at Different Temperatures (Time was recorded up to 420s). Graph 1. Time of 1% Starch Disappearance with Porcine Pancreatic ? -Amylase as the Function of Different Temperature Discussion and Conclusion As the data obtained from the experiment, all parts of the original hypothesis were confirmed by the result. Temperature plays an important role during the activation of ? amylase that only during certain temperature range can the enzyme function properly to catalyze biochemical reactions. On one hand, at 37 °C the amylase showed the greatest efficiency in catalyze the hydrolysis of starch. At the same time, the amylase also showed considerable catalytic efficiency at 22 °C. But on the other hand, when temperature dropped or rose to extreme value such as 0 °C or 100 °C, the function of amylase was inhibited and such biochemical transformation of substances could hardly process. This result obtained is consistent with the reality that during normal body temperature, regardless of pig or human beings, mylase is able to catalyze the hydrolysis of starch with the highest speed. Therefore, we may conclude that even taken out from where it was found, the amylase still maintain its original biochemical properties. The experiment did not show the biochemical mechanism of the modification from temperature to amylase activity. However, according to the scientific research done by other scientists, a temperature that ranges from 20-50à ‚ °C could make structures including weak interactions, hydrogen bonds and disulfide bridge exist within and stabilize the enzyme molecules to maximize their activities.At the water freezing point (0 °C), the hydrogen bonds are crystallized and become more constrained and less flexible while at high temperature like 100 °C, the bonds consume certain energy to become unstable and fragile, neither of which contribute to the proper functions of amylase (D’Amico et al. , 2003). While the result of the experiment perfectly matched what was expected, however, such conclusion could only be made at qualitative phase and it is obvious that weakness of this experiment existed and prevented the further understanding of amylase at quantitative level.Several modifications to the current experimental designs could be made to enhance its accuracy. Firstly, the sample size needs to be expanded. With only four groups, the data was so limited. As a result, the data had great standard devia tions of more than 60 seconds. Simultaneously, the random errors were at high possibility to take place. Therefore, with the increase of sample size, the data can be more accurate and stabilized and potential random errors could be discarded to ensure the coherence of the data.Furthermore, even though neither the test tube at 0 °C and 100 °C enabled the completions of starch hydrolysis, the reasons of the two groups are not the same. Therefore, in order to detect the reason of the loss of catalytic ability, follow-up experiments need to be practiced. A possible design might be to change the test tubes from 0 °C or 100 °C into 37 °C for another 10 minutes then redo the iodine test to see this time whether the amylase can function well or not.This manipulation will convince the hypothesis about the reason behind the superficial phenomena that was shown in the original experiments and present the difference between denaturing of protein and crystallization of hydrogen bonds. It is important for people to thoroughly understand the amylase activity and all the factors that are potentially capable of influencing such activity through which people can understand how human bodies work as well as the physiology of other organisms. At the same time, the research in amylase activity could potentially bring economical benefits to industrialized starch products manufacturing.And finally, the amylase activity has shown its significance in medical clinical trial that diseases including hyperamylasemia  or hyperamylasuria are proven to be related to the amylase in the human serum and urines (Salt 2nd, 1976). References General Biology BISC 220 Laboratory Manual. (2013). University of Southern California. Lab2, pp33-36. D'Amico, S. , Gerday, C. , ; Feller, G. (2003). Temperature adaptation of proteins: engineering mesophilic-like activity and stability in a cold-adapted ? -amylase. Journal of molecular biology,  332(5), 981-988. Hanes, C.S. (1932). Studies on pla nt amylases: The effect of starch concentration upon the velocity of hydrolysis by the amylase of germinated barley. Biochemical Journal,  26(5), 1406. Marini, I. (2005). Discovering an accessible enzyme: Salivary amylase: Prima digestio fit in ore: A didactic approach for high school students. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education,  33(2), 112-116. Salt 2nd, W. B. , ; Schenker, S. T. E. V. E. N. (1976). Amylase–its clinical significance: a review of the literature. Medicine,  55(4), 269. Siddiqui, Z. S. , & Khan, M. A. 2011). The role of enzyme amylase in two germinating seed morphs of Halopyrum mucronatum (L. ) Stapf. in saline and non-saline environment. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum,  33(4), 1185-1197. Sizer, I. W. (2006). Effects of temperature on enzyme kinetics. Advances in Enzymology and Related Areas of Molecular Biology, Volume 3, 35-62. Slaughter, S. L. , Ellis, P. R. , & Butterworth, P. J. (2001). An investigation of the action of porcine pancreatic ? -amylase on native and gelatinised starches. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects,  1525(1), 29-36. Bio Lab Report Biology lab report Estimating glucose concentration in solution Done by : Hasan Al-jowder 11E KC Introduction: The purple pink solution of potassium permanganate (MnO4 -) is reduced by glucose to a colourless solution of manganese ions (Mn2+). MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- Mn2+ + 4H2O The time taken for the loss of colour from a standardised solution of permanganate is directly related to the concentration of glucose present in solution. Research question:How does the different concentration of glucose solution which have the same volume affects the time taken for the pink color of the potassium permanganate to turn into colorless? Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of glucose, the shorter time taken for the reduction of potassium permanganate, hence resulting in shorter time taken for the pink color of potassium permanganate to decolorize. This is because the concentration of glucose molecules in glucose solution is high thus more electron are donated to the permanganate within a constant period.Variables: †¢Independent: The concentration of the glucose solution †¢Dependent: The time taken for the pink color of the potassium permanganate to turn into colorless †¢Controlled: Volume/Units Materials list : †¢Eye protection †¢A timer †¢a glass rod †¢a boiling tube and a rack †¢3 beakers †¢3 syringes †¢6 labels †¢glucose solutions (2%,4%,6%,8%,10%,12%) †¢3 solution of unknown glucose concentration (A,B,C) †¢sulphuric acid †¢potassium permanganate Procedure: 1. label your three beakers sulphuric acid PP- for potassium permanganate G- for glucose 2. abel your syringes in the same way. 3. add about 25 cm3 of sulphuric acid and potassium permanganate to the beakers – this will be your stock to use throughout the experiment. note which glucose solution you are testing first. 4. use the correct syringe to place 10 cm3 of the first glucose solution into the boiling tube. 5. add 5 cm3 of sulphuric acid. 6. add 2 cm3 of potassium permanganate and start the clock. 7. stir with a stirring rod and stop the clock as soon as the pink color disappears. 8. record the time and the glucose solution used. . rinse the syringe you used for the glucose solution. 10. repeat using the other glucose solution. 11. repeat for a solution of unknown concentration (A B or C) 12. record your own results and if possible class average results in a table. Table: Glucose concentrationsTime taken to change color 2%1 minute 41 seconds 4%1 minute 13 seconds 6%45 seconds 8%41 seconds 10%35 seconds 12%32 seconds Unknown A48 seconds Unknown B1 minute 13 seconds Unknown C2 minute 56 seconds Graph : conclusion: Evaluation: sources of error= the temperature of the water was not the same with all the concentrations †¢minor inaccuracy in watching the exact time that the color changes absolutely †¢inaccuracy in using the stop watch Reference: https://www. google. com. bh/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=estimating+glu cose+concentration+in+solution+lab+report+hypothesis&oq=estimating+glucose+concentration+in+solution+lab+report+hypothesis&gs_l=hp. 3†¦ 3351. 18905. 1. 19921. 11. 11. 0. 0. 0. 0. 421. 2839. 2-10j0j1. 11. 0†¦ 0. 0†¦ 1c. 1. 7. psy-ab. csPQdc8wzZA&pbx=1&bav=on. 2,or. r_cp. r_qf. &bvm=bv. 44011176,d. d2k&fp=34c3fbe89c60be0d&biw=1366&bih=629

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