Criminal Behavior Essay -- Biology, Ellis and Walsh

Many scholars have attempted to explain criminal behaviour by identifying a genetic trait or other biological causes or indicator for criminality (Cullen and Agnew, 2011). Ellis and Walsh (2011) argue that while there is not a single â€Å"criminal behaviour† genetic trait, there are genetic trait that are associated with crime. They further suggest that these traits might provide evolutionary advantages to their holders in some circumstances. For example, traits such as deception and cheating would likely be evolutionary advantageous to maximizing a male's reproductive capabilities. Ellis and Walsh suggest that these traits might be genetically inherited. This theory of genetic influence does not however suggest that behaviours are genetically determined. Behaviours are still assumed to be learned, with specific genetic traits influencing this process (Ellis and Walsh, 2011).Rowe (2011) suggests a similarly biologically driven theory. He argues that through their impact upo n the central and autonomic nervous systems, genetic traits and biological harms can influence personality traits including those which are associated with criminality. In support of this notion are studies that have linked levels of testosterone and aggressiveness, low heart rate and criminality, weak skin conductance and criminality, as well as brain damage and lack of moral judgement (Rowe, 2011).Caspi, et al. (2011) present the theory that there are three super-traits which have various relationships with crime. The three super-traits they discuss are constraint, negative emotionality and positive emotionality. They note that the constraint and negative emotionality super-traits are related to self-control and with it criminality. This suggests that some indi... ...larly intimates. Both the methods and attributes associated with the crime are suggested to be learned. Learning of criminal and anti-criminal behaviour is thought to be similar to learning of other behaviours and attitudes in which the learner assimilates into the culture they are surrounded by (Sutherland and Cressey, 2011). This theory is similar to the Shaw and Mckay's explanation for criminality, but also ventures into the methods by which the attitudes are actually developed. Anderson's description of a culture of violence, that establishes a â€Å"code of the street† provides a vivid example of both the environmental conditions described by Shaw and Sutherland and Cressey as well as the learning processes described by Sutherland and Cressey. These clearly environmental and learned factors somewhat weaken the arguments of biological causes presented earlier..

Essay --

No two people are the same, not even identical twins. There are overachievers, and alternatively underachievers, alcoholics and abstainers, the timid and the outgoing, and every possible mixture in between. Living With Our Genes argues that genes are the most outstanding factor in the process of developing the complex variability of human nature. Hamer and Copeland lay out the idea of the nature-nurture controversy by identifying the differences between temperament and character. Temperament is the collection of primal behavioral tendencies we acquire, which are adapted to varied degrees by our character, beliefs, and the values our surroundings bestows on us. Essentially it is a game of genes versus environment, with a constant back and forth as the authors explain the behavioral characteristics that effect our lives. The nature/nurture argument originates from the fact that people are more reluctant to accept a genetic influence on behavior than they are on more simple traits such as eye color or an inherited illness. Hamer and Copeland put it as follows, "We accept that ...

Effects of Corruption in the Military

It is surprising to hear from the news nowadays that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) tops the list of the country’s most corrupt organizations. It seems like gone were the days when the Philippine National Police (PNP) hugs the limelight as the most rotten egg on the lot. With the current controversy hugging the country’s Armed Forces, the amount that the PNP’s Euro Generals took with them in their travels looked like some loose change as compared to those amassed by the AFP comptrollers and former chiefs of staff. Even the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, whose names used to be synonymous to graft and corruption, seemed to have faded in the background to give way to the AFP’s moment. They are talking about hundreds of millions here, and that is not yet the total amount. More names have yet to be named. More funds have yet to be accounted for. And as the author says, it is alarming that the people just don’t seem to care. But how and why would they? Is corruption a new issue in this country? Is this the first time a government agency got involved in a corruption issue? Former Presidents Marcos, Aquino, Ramos and Erap had had their times under the limelight. Even those presidents before them were, and people were so affected back then, thus the birth of EDSA 1, 2 and 3 and the numerous rallies and coup attempts in the past. Then GMA entered the scene and brought with her the Hello Garci scandal, the fertilizer scam, the ZTE Fiasco. The list went on and on. And nothing was resolved, and the former economist for a president was not charged with anything, and she went on to serve (if that’s a fitting term) for a full, long nine years. Now is it a wonder if people just don’t give a damn? If they just choose to go on with their own lives and continue earning a living amidst the drama of Reyes’ suicide and all the brouhaha of the senate hearing? It is probably because they have already got used to the idea that corruption happens in this country as often as a child is being born every three minutes in the world. And despite the numerous hearings in the senate, nothing had been resolved so far. People are fed up with the regular news on how taxpayers’ money got squandered by those in the government. Protests in EDSA, at one time, became a fad. Now it seemed to have lost its symbols too. Graft and corruption became a daily staple for the Filipino people, thanks to the media that focuses on whatever’s big for the day. Reports and investigations go on for a few days, until another issue overshadows it and pushes it under the rug. As such, corruption in the military is not a surprise for the Filipinos, but just an addition to the pile of dirt being hurled around every now and then. Unlike the rest of the country, however, the controversy surrounding the AFP saddens me. I had always been fascinated with the men in uniform. I wanted to join them, but my height didn’t permit me to. I even wanted to marry a soldier, (well, I got a chance, but it just didn’t work out). Seeing the organization I so admired all these years being torn to pieces by media whores and grandstanding hungry politicians makes me cringe. It is because having worked close to these people made me understand their plights, their hardships, their devotions, and their professionalism (or at least those that I worked closely with). But the reports of corruption in the military should not be downplayed either, nor should it be buried together with former Chief of Staff and DND Secretary Angelo Reyes, who killed himself following the bullying of two senators; an underclass and a son of a former president whom he chose to betray on the so-called EDSA 2. Corruption in the AFP should not be a sympathy case now that a body lies cold and lifeless inside a coffin. (Considering the forgiving attitude of the Filipino people, this is not far from happening). It should not spare the grieving wife too, considering how she enjoys living in a lavish house which construction expenses came, as the allegations say, from the AFP funds, which could have been used instead to increase the foot soldiers’ hazard pays. The issue should be given a close scrutiny, an investigation that is unbiased, objective, fair, and as much as possible, far from the public’s eyes. Some people argue that Reyes has yet to be convicted at the time of his death, and thus, should not be labeled a criminal but instead a hero considering what he did for the country during in his lifetime. But as the saying goes, a thousand good deeds can be overshadowed by a single evil act. And there’s no smoke if there’s no fire. There are material proofs that exist, which, however I try to think of other possibilities on how they acquired those; I really could not find an answer. An OFW’s salary is way higher than that of a general, yet very few could afford to send their wives to travel abroad, so how could Mrs. Reyes get to the US and back several times in a month and even accompanied by a comptroller’s wife and other friends? How could she afford to shop for properties in America with merely 40 or 50 thousand pesos a month and some allowances as her husband’s take home pay? Or is it the allowance that matters more and not the salary? But uncovering the truth behind these things is out of my business and is beyond my capability. I am but a mere spectator to this drama that profit-oriented TV stations shove in me. But this does not mean that I could not feel the demoralizations of the lower ranking enlisted personnel in the fields. Because there they are, patrolling the fields in search of the enemies on foot with heavy backpacks containing the provisions for the mission on their backs, or at the sea patrolling the waters in pitch darkness aboard an outdated craft, or flying in planes dubbed as â€Å"widow makers. † The hundreds of millions in pesos told to have been amassed by these generals could have improved the provisions for the soldiers on patrol, or could have bought the Navy a decent sea vessel, or could have been used to buy a new aircraft instead of the usual junks from the US that the Air Force usually acquire. They have the lack of funds as the usual excuse. Sad indeed. Prior to killing himself, Reyes said that he did not invent corruption; that he just walked into it. What a statement from a supposedly intellectual man! Even an elementary student would shake its head and say, â€Å"how come he did not do anything to change it when he got the power and the capabilities to do so? † But it is too late to ask him for he’s already dead. But Reyes’ death did not solve anything (unless all of his colleagues and counterparts would follow suit). It only made the people forget for a while. After all the ceremonies at the wake, the tears that were shed, and all the intricacies of his burial, the issue still emains unsolved; the soldiers in the field are still struggling, the AFP’s equipment and facilities are still dilapidated. And Reyes’ family, and that of Ligot’s, and of Garcia’s, and all the comptrollers, budget officers, generals and chiefs of staff involved in the corruption, still live lavish ly and comfortably inside their posh homes and mansions, here and overseas. And Reyes was buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Such a farce, a big farce. Although I am not a fan of the current president, I am keeping my hopes high in his fight against corruption. I wish, I ardently do, that he would be able to curb corruptions in the AFP. If that would happen, he would reignite the fire of devotion in the lower-ranking soldiers’ hearts, as well as those whose idealism did not die as they reached the mainstream. But until the day comes that the AFP could punish those that trampled its name, it will remain the way it is today, an organization looking so stiff and brave at the outside, but is actually crumbling inside caused by relentless gnawing by the greedy and gluttonous few. In the end, it is the nation that is at the losing end.

Effects of Bio fuels on the Environment Essay

Bio fuel is a type of fuel that is made out of both living or lifeless biological material and specifically, the plants as per the definition given by Shepardson, (2009). According to Shepardson, most bio fuels are in the form of esters, alcohols among others and a good example of this type of fuel is bio ethanol and bio diesel. This fuel is mostly used in vehicles and for it to be considered as a bio fuel according to Connor Steve (2008), it must consist of about 80% of renewable materials. The production of this kind of fuel has been said to be impacting negatively on the environment however though this is the case, the benefits of bio fuels cannot be dismissed altogether. As a result of this disagreement, a lot of discussions have been held over this issue something that has polarized the society between those who argue that it does not impact negatively on the environment and those that maintain that it does. This becomes the basis of this essay where the paper will take a stand and support the claims that indeed bio fuels impact negatively on the environment. According to Mongobay. com (2008), there are various types of bio fuels and one of these is E10 which over time has been greatly improved in terms of quality in that initially it contained about 90 percent of petroleum and 10 percent of ethanol but of late it is called E100 because it is almost made up of ethanol alone and about 4 percent of water. The invention of this type of fuel according to Shepardson (2009) is something that has greatly revolutionised the transport industry. These fuels have particularly been cited as one of the best ways to reduce green house gas emissions unlike it is the case with other types of fuel especially fossil fuels. Even though they are praised for this, the negative environmental consequences they have are innumerable. One of these effects according to a scientific study that was conducted in 2008 contradicts the alleged potential of this fuel to reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide among others; this is as per the Mongobay. com (2008). As per this study, Mongobay. com (2008) argues that growing crops with an aim of producing bio fuel leads to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This claim according to the Green Website. co. uk is given weight by reports that were published in a science journal known as Journal Science that showed that plants that are specifically grown for the production of this fuel produce more carbon dioxide than what these plants can naturally absorb. According to these scientists Mongobay (2008), it would take decades to reverse the trend or to balance what they termed as ‘carbon debt’. Or in other words the amount of oxygen released to the atmosphere in the course of growing these crops and is yet to be absorbed. The US and the European Union have particularly been on the forefront in propagating the idea for the production of biomass as the surest way of controlling global warming (Shepardson, 2009). According to Shepardson this has forced researchers from all over the world who aims at protecting the environment to conduct researches in their bid to understand better how this would impact on the environment. One of the researches that were conducted as per the report compiled by Connor, (2008) shown that clearing Amazon’s forested land to grow soybeans would create a carbon debt that would take 319 years to be restored not mentioning the magnitude in which forests and bushes would be destroyed to grow these crops Production of biomass is labour intensive and requires a big land according to Sawahei (2009), what this means is that a lot of bushes and forests are cleared to produce raw materials for bio fuel thereby leaving the ground with no cover thereby increasing the possibility of soil erosion taking place. To Sawahei, the world requires large tracts of land for it to feed its population now amounting over six billions. By growing biomass as an alternative source of fuel would require more land that what is needed for growing crops as per the Action for Global Health (2008) and eventually there will be no natural vegetations as all land will either have been cultivated for crop production or biomass production or both. According to the Action for Global Health (2008), this greatly destroys the environment considering that vegetation cover protects soil erosion and again it is a habitat to millions of animal species (Sawahei, 2009). Apart from this, the risk of polluting water sources with phosphates and nitrates from fertilizers that are applied to boost crop production are very high (Biofuel, 2003). Water is also polluted by chemicals that are used in the production of biomass such as pesticides sprayed to get rid of pests that attack and destroy these plants. These chemicals not only pollute water but they also kill micro organisms present in the soil that in one way or the other keep the eco system working (Action for Global Health. 2008). Rogercopenh (2008) contends that by the United States embarking on campaigns to push for the use of bio fuels might mislead many third world countries into substituting land meant for growing food crops for biomass production because of the money this business would bring. According to Rogercopenh (2008) this might in turn lead to the encroachment of forests and other natural habitats which are home to millions of wild animals. It should also not be forgotten that when this green matter is harvested, there are chances that some will rot thereby producing a very bad smell and apart from rotting, some of these plants produce bad odour naturally and thus they are an environmental hazard in that they pollute the air. As per the evidence given by Franke and Reinherdt (1998), Bio fuel also kills biodiversity in terms of the variety of plants growing in a field. For biomass to be produced in large quantity, enough to keep the world going, then its production must be professionally done. What this means according to Franke and Reinherdt (1998) is that a whole field is filled with only one type of plants leading to what is known as monoculture and by doing this, other types of plants are not given a chance to grow something that indirectly leads to their extinction (Franke and Reinherdt, 1998). In doing this according to Randooke (2009), animal are also not spared in that deforestation must take place, grasslands must be cleared and wetlands are destroyed. The truth is that these areas are habitat to many species of animals and thus what this means is that these species will be killed while others are displaced. Trees naturally preserve water catchments areas and thus when land is prepared for the cultivation these reserves are destroyed (Randooke, 2009). According to the Action for Global Health, (2008) the whole bio fuel production process requires a lot of energy and basically the type of energy that is used is fossil fuel. The argument raised by the Action for Global Health (2008) is that the amount of carbon that is emitted by burning bio fuels is absorbed by crops that are grown purposely for bio fuels production but the problem is that the amount of carbon that is emitted during their production considering that carbon emitted during planting, spraying, treating and harvesting season where machines that uses fossil fuels is not cleared from the air. This claim is supported by Sawahei, (2009) who argues that even after these crops are harvested, more carbon is emitted to the atmosphere in that coal or other forms of fossil fuels such as gas are used to heat the raw materials that are used in the production of bio fuels. Though bio fuels are heavily criticised in that they cause serious negative environmental ramifications according to Connor (2008), there are other various researches that have been done which prove otherwise. Researches show that production of other forms of fuel such as fossil fuel leads to the release of more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than it is the case with bio fuels (Science for environmental policy, 2008). One research that strongly supports this claim is the one that was done in the United Kingdom. According to the same source, what they call first generation process Life Cycle Analysis, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by over sixty percent unlike other forms. As per Biofuels (2003), the second generation process carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by over 80 percent. Generally according to this report, carbon dioxide emissions can be saved by an average of about 50 to 60 percent. Another advantage of using this kind of fuel according to the Greencar website (2009) is that bio fuel does not contain sulphur which is one of the main components that causes acid rains. Also considering that it is made by bio degradable materials, its chances of destroying the soil are low unlike other fuels such as fossil fuels which contaminate water sources and destroy soil when they leak into them (Science for environmental policy, 2008). In consideration of the massive evidence that is provided here above, one is justified to say that biofuels are an environmental hazard. There are a lot of researches that have been done by different researchers and most of them point to the fact that the production of bio fuels produces many effects that in one way or the other destroys the eco system for example, fertilizers that are applied on crops meant to produce biomass releases phosphates and nitrates thereby destroying soil and water. Another way through which biofuels destroys the environment is that despite the fact that a lot of forests and bushes have already been cleared for crop production, more land is snow needed for biomass production something that leads to soil erosion due clearance of bushes and the destruction of habitats that are home to many species. This indirectly leads to the extinction of these species whether plant or animals. Bibliography: Action for Global Health. 2008. New study demonstrates bio fuels negative impact on poverty, hunger and environment. Available at http://docs. google. com/gview? a=v&q=cache:elry2KJk0UgJ:ec. europa. eu/environ ment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/1si4. pdf+biofuels+,+negative+impacts+,e nvironment&hl=en&gl=ke Biofuel, 2003. Bio diesel Impacts on the environment. http://www. biofuelus. com/biofuel/biodiesel/biodiesel-impact-on-the- environment. php Connor Steve, 2008. Biofuels make climate change worse, Scientific Study concludes. Available at http://www. independent. co. uk/environment/climate-change/biofuels- make-climate-change-worse-scientific-study-concludes-779811. html

How the art in london effects london economy Essay

How the art in london effects london economy - Essay Example Needless to say, London art drives the economy of London in its own way. Not only are millions of funds generated in art sales every year, the art market also creates scope for new jobs, media spend and regeneration. Approximately 10,000 people are employed in the over 120 art galleries of London alone. Finally various other industries also benefit in the process. Underlined are more details on the London art market and how it drives the economy of the nation. UK is the world market leader when it comes to auction sales by volume, and demonstrates an approximate 30% in the world market share. With London holding an important position in the UK art market, it is needless to add that its various auctions form the art market of UK. The London art market is strongly driven by its Frieze art fair, collector Charles Saatchi and finally the approximately fifty new galleries that have opened up at East End. Three main auction houses mainly operate the art markets of London. Statistics reveal that put together, $353 million worth of art changes hands in these markets, that too in the off season. Christie's conducted their biggest ever sales in the year 2006 and reported sales of approximately 78%. Sotheby profits heavily too. It indicates that the art market of London functions through many micro markets, which revolve around specific artists or genres. Among these micro markets, those of old Masters, Impressionist and Modern Art have seen the gre atest rise. The post war and contemporary market have also shown a rise of over 45% over 2006. As the financial markets represent the economy of the nation, the art market reflects the willingness of the rich to spend disposable amounts of money on works of art. However along with this market, there are also some pieces of art that have not sold at all. One glaring example is the sale of Basquiats which were reported to sell at the $5 million range in the 1988 time period. As people expected the prices to go up several notches to touch the $10 million mark, many were surprised when the pieces did not sell over the last few years. While some say that this indicates a fall of economy in the London art market, many others state that this issue is just a matter of quality, which was presented through signature elements in the earlier Basquiats, but absent now. So discerning customers are not overspending but are choosing to spend their money on certain micro markets, which are present a nd growing and taking the economy to a new high. Tourism booster Tourism is an important economy generator in London accounting for one tenth of the city's economy. The various art galleries of London serve as a major attraction to tourists and international visitors who come from diverse parts of the world for the various art fairs. These tourists not only enhance the economy by spending on pieces of art in London, they do much more. They provide the much needed boost to local economies through their spending during their stay, which is approximately 2.3 million locally. A study conducted in 2005 by MEW Research at the National Gallery, on their 2004-2005 exhibition on Raphael: From Ubrino to Rome, indicated similar results. The exhibition attracted 47% people from UK and 17% tourists from abroad. Studies also revealed that 47% tourists came specifically for the exhibition.

Discussion Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Discussion Question - Assignment Example These are optional and vary depending on the terms agreed between the employee and the insurance company or bank. Employers have to be aware of the amount they are required to withhold from each employee. According to the Internal Revenue Service (2015), employers determine the amount to withhold based on the employee’s earnings and the information in the employee’s W-4 form (Internal Revenue Service, para 5). The W-4 form is also referred to as the Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. It specifies the person’s marital status and the withholding allowances they have, thus determining the amount to be withheld by the employer. The most common reason a company can choose to buy back bonds before their maturity period is due to declining interest rates because bond prices are usually inversely proportional to interest rates. The company may or may not benefit from this action depending on the terms agreed in the bond’s indenture. For instance, the company can pay outstanding debts with a lower rate coupon issue after redeeming the bond. However, if the call price is very high, the company may be at a disadvantage; as they may be forced to pay more than if they waited for the bond to

A Computer Distributed Banking System Term Paper

A Computer Distributed Banking System - Term Paper Example In this term paper the researcher presents the architecture of the core banking system of T-Bank. The main operations of bank are deposits and loans (mortgage, consumer loans). In the paragraphs that follow, firstly, the researcher provides an overview of the bank infrastructure and network. The bank’s network consists of a number of 100mbps Ethernet LANs (Spurgeon), (one for each bank branch or division) interconnected by a 2Mbps frame relay broadband network. Secondly, the researcher also presents the general requirements of the system in terms of functionality, efficiency, reliability and consistency that are needed. The researcher also provides the description of the distributed system architecture currently being used. Then, the researcher focuses on the description of the architecture and main features of the system used in T-Bank, in relation to the requirements presented in the term paper. Finally, the main functional and technical problems with the current distributed system architecture are presented as well, together with the suggestions of the researcher on the topics of improving some of the issues described. Problems and suggested solutions were also mentioned in the term paper, such as issues concerning the applications front end and performance issues as well as proposed solution, that states that improvements in the batch programs codes especially in the database queries can improve performance. In addition, more processing power of the mainframe can improve the speed of the processor.