The Role of Airplanes during World War I (1914

Negative Effects of Collusion in Business and Politics

Negative Effects of Collusion in Business and Politics Collusion is an agreement between two or more entities to limit open competition or gain an unfair advantage in the market by means of deceiving, misleading, or defrauding. These types of agreements are - not surprisingly - illegal and therefore are also typically very secretive and exclusive. Such agreements can include anything from setting prices to limiting production or opportunities to kickbacks and misrepresentation of the party’s relationship to one another. Of course, when collusion is discovered, all acts affected by the collusive activities are considered void or having no legal effect, in the eyes of the law. In fact, the law ultimately treats any agreements, obligations, or transactions as though they had never existed. Collusion in the Study of Economics In the study of economics and market competition, collusion is defined as taking place when rival companies who otherwise would not work together agree to cooperate for their mutual benefit. For instance, the companies may agree to refrain from participating in an activity that they normally would in order to reduce competition and gain higher profits. Given the few powerful players within a market structure like an oligopoly (a market or industry that is dominated by a small number of sellers), collusive activities are often commonplace. The relationship between oligopolies and collusion can work in the other direction as well; forms of collusion can ultimately lead to the establishment of an oligopoly. Within this structure, collusive activities can make a significant impact on the market as a whole starting with the reduction of competition and then the likely possibility of higher prices to be paid by the consumer. In this context, acts of collusion resulting in price fixing, bid rigging, and market allocation could place businesses in jeopardy of being prosecuted for violations of the federal Clayton Antitrust Act. Enacted in 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act is intended to prevent monopolies and protect consumers from unfair business practices. Collusion and Game Theory According to game theory, it is the independence of suppliers in competition with one another that keeps the price of goods to their minimum, which ultimately encourages overall efficiency of the industry leaders in order to remain competitive. When this system is in effect, no one supplier has the power to set the price. But when there are few suppliers and less competition, as in an oligopoly, each seller is likely to be acutely aware of the actions of the competition. This generally leads to a system in which decisions of one firm can greatly influence and be influenced by the actions of other industry players. When collusion is involved, these influences are typically in the form of clandestine agreements that cost the market the low prices and efficiency otherwise encouraged by competitive independence.​ Collusion and  Politics In the days following the tumultuous 2016 presidential election, allegations arose that representatives of the Donald Trump campaign committee had colluded with agents of the Russian government to influence the outcome of the election in favor of their candidate. An independent investigation conducted by former FBI Director Robert Mueller found evidence that President Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn may have met with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. to discuss the election. In his testimony to the FBI, however, Flynn denied having done so. On February 13, 2017, Flynn resigned as national security director after admitting he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. On December 1, 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI about his election-related communications with Russia. According to court documents released at the time, two unnamed officials of the Trump presidential transition team had urged Flynn to contact the Russians. It is expected that as part of his plea agreement, Flynn promised to reveal the identity of the White House officials involved to the FBI in return for a reduced sentence. Since the allegations surfaced, President Trump has denied having discussed the election with Russian agents or having directed anyone else to do so. While collusion itself is not a federal crime - except in the case of antitrust laws - the alleged â€Å"cooperation† between the Trump campaign and a foreign government may have violated other criminal prohibitions, which could be interpreted by Congress as impeachable â€Å"High Crimes and Misdemeanors.† Other Forms of Collusion While collusion is most often associated with secretive agreements behind closed doors, it can also occur in slightly different circumstances and situations. For instance, cartels are a unique case of explicit collusion. The explicit and formal nature of the organization is what differentiates it from the traditional sense of the term collusion. There is sometimes a distinction made between private and public cartels, the latter referring to a cartel in which a government is involved and whose sovereignty likely shields it from legal action. The former, however, are subject to such legal liability under the antitrust laws that have become commonplace around the world. Another form of collusion, known as tacit collusion, actually refers to collusive activities that are not overt.  Tacit collusion requires two firms to agree to play by a certain (and often illegal) strategy without explicitly saying so. Historical Example of Collusion One particularly memorable example of collusion occurred in the late 1980s when Major League Baseball teams were found to be in a collusive agreement to not sign free agents from other teams. It was during this period of time when star players like Kirk Gibson,  Phil Niekro, and Tommy John – all free agents that season – did not receive competitive offers from other teams. The collusive agreements made between team owners effectively erased competition for players which ultimately severely limited the player’s bargaining power and choice.

Modern Dance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Dance - Research Paper Example She did this through the gestures that she made using her body. Through her subject matter, Graham was found to have made numerous transformations in dancing. It is in the sense that most of her themes can be easily analyzed. It is as a result of these efforts that Martha graham was able to create revolutionary changes and making a lot of influence among the people who interacted and watched her dances. Therefore, it can be said that it is because of her immense attention and keenness to a number of actions that she was able to emulate and encompass in her dances to attain success. This paper will discuss her unique efforts and characters in relation to her dance and the influence that it has had in the modern dance society since its introduction. Martha Graham is recognmized as one of the greatest artists that ever existed during the 20th century. She created a language that was based on movement and the capacity of the human body to make varied expressions. This exemplary performance and element of influence has its roots from the time that she started to teach a group of dancers who had become interested in her creative works. Martha Graham had a great impact in the American society since she was a dancer who was extremely influential. She was also a teacher who additionally choreographed modern dance. Martha was able to give a new depth to dance and express her emotions in a forceful manner with the way that she came up with different creations (Kessel 42).Throughout the many decades and ages, she became widely known all over the world. She released her first debut in the early years of 1920’s. She gained more and more experienced as she progressed in her career. In addition, she also became wiser in the field of modern dances. By some people though, the style that was used by Martha Graham was considered to be controversial. Nonetheless, she worked her ways through become

Primary Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Primary Nursing - Essay Example In the past, it would be workable to have health experts, for example, doctors admit patients to health institutions as a favor to the families of the patient (Manthey, 2002). In addition, it would be less complicated to find people with little or no nursing qualification leading the nursing field in a health institution. Ever since 1960, this situation has dramatically revolutionized since that period. The level of education is augmenting, the workforce is increasing in diversity, and the nursing profession is rising progressively. During the 1960 period, influential nurses, for example, Marie Manthey comprehended that the care nurses offered in health institutions needed to be concentrate on family and patient centered model instead of focusing on a task oriented approach (Boltz, 2011). Moreover, Marie Manthey also proposed that this model required being the foremost strategy for providing nursing care because it supported relationship establishment with families and patients that could promote better and extra specialized care strategies in addition to favorable care results (Manthey, 2002). This paper will look at Primary nursing today in comparison to 1960. The paper will evaluate literature regarding this subject, its influence to nursing leadership, and a number of recommendations. The advancement toward primary nursing a strategy of health care service delivery was initiated in the 60s and has been progressing since that period. In addition, this advancement has been recapped in a number of documents created during this time. The concept of primary nursing was largely urged on by a deficiency of medical practitioners. The foremost documented training for nurse professionals was established by a nurse, Loretta Ford, and a physician, Henry Silver, in 1965, with an aim of rectifying the ineffective distribution of heath resources, stabilizing health care costs, and enhancing the number of health care givers. Also, there was a degree of mystification about the different abilities and titles of nurses as the profession was established (Weber & Kelley, 2009). This has continued as the responsibilities and authority of the nursing practitioners have changed over time. In the 1960’s, there was a personal connection between patients and nurses that many old practitioners miss in the present nursing practice. Literature Review Friedberg, Hussey, and Schneider analyzed the hints of explaining primary care in their assessment of the proof with regard to its effectiveness (Friedberg, Hussey, & Schneider, 2010). They concentrated on a number of general explanations of primary care. In the foremost explanation, primary care was explained as a specialty and those offering it, for example, family physician, general internists, general pediatricians, and other generalists, were specialists (Friedberg, Hussey, & Schneider, 2010). A second explanation specified a number of health care activities; care coordination care for a large number of pr oviders, first-contact care for new health issues, long-term person-centered care, and comprehensive care for a big number of health problems, all given at a standard source of care (Friedberg, Hussey, & Schneider, 2010). The third explanation described primary care with regard to the course of the health system. The authors

Question 2,6,7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Question 2,6,7 - Essay Example Firm diversification is a central issue of importance to managers. The research literature on the subject of diversification affirms that over the past two decades the growth in the globalization of markets and products by firms has been tremendous. Globalization as a concept is used often to imply a condition of increased mutual interdependence among nations. The given condition depends on a number of factors. First, there is decreased governmental policy on trade barriers. Second, free international movement of capital across borders. Third, there is high volume of foreign direct investment. Fourth, there is migration of the workforce across the borders. Finally, there is exchange of services and goods among the nations involved in trade. However, despite the recorded increase in diversification by firms, the definite factors that contribute to diversification remain debatable among firm managers. The drivers of a firm’s diversification decision-making process can be explained with the aid of two theoretical frameworks. Namely, the Resource Based View and the Transaction Cost Theory. The resource-based view theory offers an understanding of the choice of industries into which a firm diversifies. According to the theory, a firm is best viewed as a collection of resources that enable it to compete against other firms. The theory suggests that the potential of a firm to gain and maintain a sustained competitive advantage relies on its defined resources (Wierseme, 2008). Firms that have the ability to develop unique and difficult to imitate resources, are more likely to engage in diversification compared to other firms with no such unique and inimitable resources. The transaction cost theory of strategic management also offers an understanding of firms drivers for diversification. The theory holds that firms diversify when the firms’ activities can be performed cheaply within the company,

Are Offender Profiles Useful in Police Investigations?

Are Offender Profiles Useful in Police Investigations? In recent years, there are more and more people have become increasingly fascinated by offender profiling because of the influence of media. An example of this is the well-known criminal profiling film The Silence of the Lambs, which is based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. Some television shows such as Millennium, Profiler and The X-Files are also based around the premise of criminal profiling. However, Hicks and Sales (2006) emphasize that these portrayals encourage the view of profiling as an art rather than a science though these profilers have academic backgrounds and law enforcement experience. The prevalence of offender profiling has grown over the past three decades (Snook, Eastwood, Gendreau, Goggin and Cullen, 2007), although studies suggest that profiles have been found to be most effective as an additional tool, not as a solution to specific crimes (Wilson, Lincon and Kocsis, 1997:2). Using offender profiling would appear to be more beneficial than relying so lely on traditional methods of detection (Ainsworth, 2001). In addition, it is important for police detectives to know which crimes are connected in order to collate and compare the information between these related cases (Egger, 1984 as cited in Rossmo, 2000). This essay will discuss the underlying assumptions of both offender profiling and case linkage, and then argue the usefulness of these practices in criminal investigations. Offender profiling has been defined by different authors using different terminologies such as specific profile analysis, psychological profiling, criminal profiling and criminal personality profiling. However, the underlying concept of definitions remains the same (Jackson and Bekerian, 1997). Beauregard, Lussier and Proulx (2005) state that offender profiling provides some descriptive information about behaviours and personality of an offender by analysing crime scene characteristics, which can narrow suspects and finally solve the cases. Muller (2000) describes the information which the criminal profiler uses is often taken from the scene of crime, and profilers will take into account some factors such as previous crime scene, weapons, behaviours and words to the victim and the geographic patterns of crime. Davies (1992 as cited in Beauregard et al., 2005) emphasizes that offender profiling is an investigative tool which focus on the analysis of offenders behaviour and accordingly infers some of the criminals personal characteristics. In Europe, offender profiling is defined as attempting to produce a description of the perpetrator(s) of a criminal offence on the basis of analysis of characteristics of the incident and other background information (Stevens, 1995: 10), and this definition is adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers Behavioural Science Investigative Support Sub-committee in UK (Ainsworth, 2000). Although the actual process of profiling differs from one profiler to another, the aim remains the same: to deduce the behaviour, personality, and physical characteristics of the offender (Muller, 2000). According to Holmes and Holmes (1996), profiling has the following three main goals: assessing the offender from social and psychological aspects, the evaluating suspected offenders relevant possessions, and consulting with law enforcement officials about some strategies when interviewing offenders. The process of constructing a profile of an unknown offender typically includes three stages (Snook et al., 2007). Firstly, collecting crime scene data by police officers is needed and then the data will be forwarded to a profiler; secondly, the profiler starts to analyze the data which stems from the crime scene; and the last step is the predictions about the personality, behaviours, and demographic characteristics of the likely criminal (Snook et al., 2007). Snook et al. (2007) also describe that the processes of analyzing crime scene data can be classified two types: clinical and statistical in nature. Clinically oriented techniques are based on the profilers intuition, knowledge, experience, and training, in order to generate predictions. Comparing these with statistically oriented techniques, the latter predictions are based on descriptive and inferential statistical models which derive from the result of analysing offenders characteristics who have committed similar crimes previously (Snook et al., 2007). It would seem that profiling can offer more accurate results in some kinds of offence (Stevens, 1995). Hazelwood and Burgess (1995) claim that some serial rapes, murders, arson, child abusing are extraordinarily appropriate for profiling. Ainsworth (2000) suggests that murder and some serious sexual offences are the most common crimes for using offender profiling. In addition, Ainsworth (2001) comments that such serious, personal contact crimes involve attacks on strangers are the most difficult cases to solve for the police. Wilson et al. (1997) also point out that profiling is most useful in serial offences, because profilers can extrapolate and compare data from the various crime scenes. However, the FBI holds the point that property crimes and robberies probably are not suitable for profiling because sometimes these offences cannot reflect the personality of offenders (Ainsworth, 2000). Police forces are always required to focus their investigative efforts to identify crimes which committed by the same offender, because the majority of the crimes come from the minority of offenders (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Woodhams and Toye (2007) believe that case linkage can be used to examine the likelihood of a series of offences being committed by the same unidentified offender when lacking suitable physical evidence, such as DNA evidence. Crime analysts analyze crime scene actions to consider whether there are some similarities in behaviours which committed by a common offender (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). In addition, Holmes and Holmes (2002) suggest that linkage analysis can identify connections between similar crimes committed by different offenders. Alison, Bennell, Mokros and Ormerod (2002) state that offender profiling rests on two key assumptions in order to make profiling be possible. The first one is the behavioural consistency assumption, which means if serial offenders commit similar offences, they must exhibit behavioural consistency. According to Alison et al. (2002), the variation in behaviour an offender shows must be less than the variation in behaviour by different offenders. The second assumption relies on what Mokros and Alison (2002) have termed the homology assumption, which requires that similar offence behaviour of two offenders will match similar characteristics (Goodwill and Alison, 2007). In addition, the process of case linkage also rests on two key assumptions. The first one is the offender consistency hypothesis, the same with the first assumption of profiling. The second assumption of case linkage is that there is variation in the way different criminals commit crimes (Woodhams, Bull and Hollin, 2007). Thus, for it to be possible to link crimes which committed by the same offender, criminals must behave in a stable but distinctive manner (Woodhams et al., 2007). In terms of the behavioural consistency assumption, it has been hypothesized that each person has a cognitive-affective personality system which would affect the behaviour produced in a given situation (Mischel and Shoda, 1995 as cited in Woodhams and Toye, 2007). This theory implies that when people encounter situations which have a similar psychological meaning to them, they will produce similar behaviour (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Salfati and Bateman (2005) studied 94 variables relating to serial homicide offences which were obtained from police case files of the Homicide Investigation and Tracking System (HITS) database in Seattle, Washington of USA. They state that serial homicidal offenders are consistent across the series of homicides in their crime scene behaviours. Bennell and Canter (2002) analyzed 86 solved commercial burglaries committed by 43 offenders, they demonstrated that commercial burglary offenders are consistent in their burglary behaviours. Moreover, Santtila, J unkkila and Sandnabba (2005) studied 43 serial stranger rape cases which occurred in Finland during the years 1983-2001, they confirm that rape has a consistent thematic structure (Santtila et al. 2005: 102) instead of being a haphazard collection of behaviours. Whether offenders show more consistency in some criminal behaviour than in others also has received great scrutiny. Researchers group the specific offender behaviours into domains, comparing with others in order to investigate whether offenders show greater behavioural consistency across their series of crimes (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Grubin, Kelly and Brunsdon (2001) imply that behaviours within the domains of control and escape are less dependent on the situation and the victims behaviour, thus, the control and escape behavioural domains show greater behavioural consistency comparing with the sex and style behavioural domains. Besides that, Bennell and Canter (2002) found that target selection and entry behaviours showed relatively consistent comparing with property stolen by studying the sample of commercial burglaries. However, Goodwill and Alison (2007) stress that the situational determinants of an offence can cause enormous variation in the way of committing the offence. In addition, Goodwill and Alison (2007) also hold the point that the behavioural inferences made about an offender across a crime series are especially vulnerable to violating (Goodwill and Alison, 2007: 824) the consistency condition. Similarly, Snook, Cullen, Bennell, Taylor and Gendreau (2008) emphasize that offender profiling approaches are based on the lacking empirical support typologies and are often based on an outdated understanding of human behaviour. In terms of the homology assumption, perhaps the empirical evidence to support this assumption is a little weak. Mokros and Alison (2002) studied the cases about the number of 100 British male stranger rapists which had some similarities in the crime scene actions. They tested whether increased similarity in offence behaviour coincided with higher resemblance in characteristics and previous convictions. The characteristics they examined including age, ethnicity, employment, education, marital status, and criminal record. They concluded that in their study, there was no evidence could prove the assumption of homology according to the relationships between crime scene and rapists characteristics. Hà ¤kkà ¤nen, Puolakka and Santtila (2004) analysed the number of 189 arsons in Finland from 1990 to 2001 by using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling procedure. In order to find the associations between crime scene actions and criminal characteristics, they divided the crime scene actions into four types: expressive-object, instrumental-object, expressive-person and instrumental-person. In terms of criminal characteristics, they also divided into four types: adolescent, self-destructive arsonist, serial arsonist and criminal. As a result, they found that offenders who committed different types of arsons with some similar characteristics. Obviously, their study failed to offer strong empirical evidence to support the homology assumption. Similarly, Doan and Snook (2008) examined the number of 87 arsons and 177 robberies, and compared the different types and the various criminal characteristics. They stressed that the evidence is low to moderate to support the homology assumption. Furthermore, Goodwill and Alison (2007) declare that the homology assumption may be in effect in some cases but not others. Furthermore, they argue that the homology assumption may be dependent on the extent to the behaviours which influenced by situational, psychological or interpersonal fac tors. In terms of the second assumption of case linkage, some studies have investigated that crimes committed by the same offender can be differentiated from crimes by different criminals. Bennell and Canter (2002) studied 86 solved commercial burglaries, they found that 43 offenders had distinct behavioural features. Bennell and Jones (2005) reported that various linking features exist in different burglaries, and this research also supports the assumption of inter-offender behavioural variation. However, the above studies indicate that the process of case linkage is not perfect and the linkage accuracy appears to vary with crime types (Woodhams et al., 2007). In contrast, Woodhams and Toye (2007) used measures of predictive accuracy which called areas under the curve (AUCs), and they found that there was high predictive accuracy in their study of burglary. It tends to be the case that both the findings of offender profiling and case linkage will be greatly useful for solving the offences in criminal investigations. Offender profiling can inform the prioritization of suspects possessing specified characteristics (Oldfield, 1997 as cited in Woodhams and Toye, 2007: 60), and case linkage can combine police investigative efforts and information from different crime scenes (Grubin, Kelly and Brunsdon, 2001). Besides that, profiles can also be used in providing interviewing skills or approaches for detectives to the potential suspect (Gudjonsson, 1992), and it is important for the trial process, because profiles can provide useful suggestions for prosecutors by assessing the accused, witnesses and juries (Wilson et al., 1997). Furthermore, Holmes and Holmes (2002) stress that linkage analysis systems not only can locate possible suspects from records of similar past offenses, but also can provide maximum information for psychological and geo graphic profiling efforts through confirming similar crimes. In spite of the usefulness of profiling and case linkage, Ainsworth (2000) is worried about that people may be over-optimistic for profiling because it has attracted such widespread public interest. Wilson and Soothill (1996) hold the point that a profile will rarely solve a crime or catch a criminal by itself, but it is designed to be an aid to the investigating police. Profiling experts also state openly that offender profiles are merely another investigative aid, they have never meant to lead exclusively to the apprehension of offenders (Ressler and Schactman, 1992 as cited in Wilson et al., 1997: 8). Furthermore, Jackson and Bekerian (1997) stress that offender profiles do not solve crimes and the answers they are offered are not solutions, accordingly, profiling should be viewed as a tool which can be extremely helpful in offering some strategies, supporting information management, and improving case understanding. Similarly, Gerberth (1995 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002: 1 4) asserted that Criminal profiling is an excellent law enforcement tool. However, it is just one of many tools and does not replace good investigative techniques. Although psychologists have offered very detailed and accurate profiles in a number of famous cases (Canter, 1994), profiles do not always have dramatic and successful results (Ainsworth, 2000). To date, there have been few accurate and systematic tests to examine the exact usefulness of profiling even though some profiles have been proved to be accurate and have led to the conviction of offenders (Ainsworth, 2000). Studies suggest that although criminal profiling is being utilized by police agencies around the world, there is no strong evidence can show that the profiling is reliable, valid, or useful (Snook et al., 2007). Accordingly, many researchers are reluctant to accept criminal profiling is reliable and valuable. For example, Godwin (1978 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002) asserts that profiling has little effect in solving crimes, and he even describes profiles themselves are dull and tedious. Similarly, Levin and Fox claim that profiles are of little use in identifying th e murderers, unfortunately, this tool, no matter how expertly implemented, is inherently limited in its ability to help solve crimes (Levin and Fox, 1985 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002: 275). Snook et al. (2007) conducted a narrative review and analysed the published literature, they concluded that the criminal profiling relied on weak standards of proof and profilers were not better than other groups in predicting the characteristics of an unknown criminal, they even declared that the profiling was extraneous and redundant in investigations. Similarly, Snook et al. (2008) argue that criminal profiling has the potential to mislead criminal investigators, hinder the apprehension of guilty criminals and lead to wrongful convictions. It would seem that profilers can provide more accurate profiles than nonprofilers even though some of the above researchers are reluctant to see profiling as a useful tool. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) examined profiles which conducted by professional profilers, detectives, psychologists, and students for a series of cases. Their study found that the profiles offered by the profilers were more accurate than by all of the other groups in most cases. In the sex offender case, the profilers significantly offered more accurate items such as the gender, age, and education of the offender. In addition, their study also shows that profilers can offer richer and more detailed reports (Pinizzotto and Finkel, 1990). However, with regard to the homicide case, the detectives were significantly more accurate than the profilers in the items such as the offenders employment and residence. Kocsis and his research team compared the accuracy of professional profilers, psychologists, self-identified ps ychics, college students, and various groups of law enforcement officers. They found that the profilers provided the actual offenders in the largest number of correct predictions (Kocsis, 2003), with the accuracy rates ranging from 46 per cent to 70 per cent (Kocsis and Middledrop, 2004). However, there was a notable amount of variability within the profiler group, Kocsis and Middledrop (2004) observed that some profilers were much more accurate than others, even though the cause of the variation was still unclear, whether it was due to overall differences in the profilers skills or to specific aspects of the cases. The popularity of profiling is often seen as a measure of its success (Wilson et al., 1997). Copson (1995) shows that in UK, 29 profilers have been responsible for providing 242 instances of profiling advice between 1981 and 1994. However, Snook et al. (2008) claim that profilers always overemphasize the number of correct predictions rather than the proportion of correct predictions. Although there have been very few pieces of research which have tested both the accuracy and usefulness of profiles in live criminal cases, Copsons study Coals to Newcastle? Part 1: a study of offender profiling is one of the few studies (Ainsworth, 2001). Copsons (1995) study demonstrates that 82.6% of respondents reported that the advice they received had been useful, though only 14.1% of officers reported the profiling advice had assisted in solving the case and only 16.3% of respondents reported that the profiling advice had opened new lines of enquiry. Besides that, there are more than 50 per cent o f respondents said that the advice had offered new information for the case. In Copsons (1995) study, 126 officers (68.5%) reported that they would seek profiling advice again definitely in similar circumstances, though less than 50 per cent officers reported that they would definitely use the same profiler again in the similar situation. In addition, Pinizzotto (1984 as cited in Wilson et al., 1997) found that from 192 requests for profiles, actually only 17 per cent were used to help identify the suspects, however, 77 per cent of the respondents reported that the profiles had helped to focus on the investigation. Furthermore, in the earlier survey, Douglas (as cited in Snook et al., 2008) demonstrated that in USA, 46 per cent solved cases of the 192 instances were attributed to the offender profiling which provided by the FBI. Similarly, Jackson, van Koppen, and Herbrink (1993 as cited in Snook et al., 2008) showed that in Netherlands, five sixths of surveyed police officers reported some degree of usefulness about the profiling advice which provided by an FBI trained profiler. Another research shows that in USA, a significant portion of police officers hold the point that offender profiling has its value (Trager and Brewster, 2001 as cited in Snook et al., 2008). Similarly, Torres, Boccaccini and Miller (2006) surveyed forensic psychologists and psychiatrists through the Internet in order to examine their experiences and opinions about profiling. They found that approximately 40 per cent of these professionals feel the criminal investigative analysis is scientifically reliable or valid, and 86 per cent believe that offender profiling is a useful law enforcement tool (Torres et al., 2006). Ainsworth (2000) points out that many senior detectives do not trust the usefulness of offender profiling which provided by profilers. Copson (1995) explains that the negative views taken by senior detectives may come from the misunderstanding of profiling. Copson and Holloway (1997 as cited in Ainsworth, 2000) show that profiling helped to solve only 16 per cent of the crimes in which it was used, and identified the offender in less than 3 per cent of cases. In contrast, Ainsworth (2001) emphasizes that we should look into these figures in a little more detail because normally profiling would only be considered when the case was too difficult to be solved. Another reason is that organizations such as the FBI are reluctant to offer the figures about the successes and failures of the profiles they provide (Muller, 2000). Brittons implication that a large amount of cases have been solved by routine police work, not by offender profiling (Britton, 1997 as cited in Ainsworth, 2000). Howe ver, Canter argues that profiling has advantages in terms of the resources especially for some particular crimes comparing with that the police throw more and more resources at the crime hoping that something will turn up (Canter, 1994: 21). When evaluating the usefulness of profiling, it is necessary to take into account if the profile is seen in isolation or merely as one part of more general guidance which a psychologist might provide to investigators (Ainsworth, 2000:119). Muller (2000) also emphasizes that although some profiles may lead the wrong directions to the investigation, this may only be a problem if the police place a greater amount of faith in the profile than they do in their own investigative skills (Muller, 2000: 259). Another problem should be concerned is that when evaluating the accuracy of a profile, police officers are excessively subjective (Kocsis, 2003). Smith and Alison (2001 as cited in Kocsis, 2003) found that police officers were unable to discern the difference in the amount of accurate information in two profiles, and they tended to interpret ambiguous statements by their own subjective intentions. Kocsis and Hayes investigated the perceptions of police officers concerning the utility and accuracy of the profile, also found that perception of the accuracy of a profile is quite likely to be associated with the readers perception regarding the identity of its author (Kocsis and Hayes, 2003 as cited in Kocsis, 2003: 129). Kocsis and Middledorp (2004) examined a sample of 353 participants in order to explore Kocsis and Hellers findings that the relationship between ones belief of a profile and the perceived accuracy of that profile. Kocsis and Middledorp (2004) found that there is a posit ive relationship between belief and perceived accuracy. They point out that the extent accuracy which participants perceive depending on their beliefs in profiling. Ainsworth (2001) also suggests that the dangers of the self-fulfilling prophecy should be concerned because police officers have the cognizant sense that any psychological profile may fit some individuals, which leads to the inaccuracy. Psychologists will tend to be focus on the probabilities of offence; in contrast, the police officers tend to operate in terms of guilt or innocence (Ainsworth, 2001). It would seem that it is difficult to assess the accuracy and the value of profiles. One important issue should be considered is that whether profiling can bring new information to an enquiry or whether the profiling can confirm those cases which the police already suspected (Ainsworth, 2001). Ainsworth (2001) implies that in many cases, it is difficult to discern the new material because there may be an overlap between the information which the profiler offers and that which has already been collected by the police. In some cases, although the profilers advice may not be seem as the new information, profilers input may help police prioritize the information which they are considering (Ainsworth, 2001). Moreover, the value of profiling may depend on different cases. For example, profilers can offer deeper insights of some more serious forms of mental illness and some sexual assault cases than non-experts and some police who have little previous experience about those cases (Ainsworth , 2001). In conclusion, the future of psychological profiling and case linkage appear promising, research seems to be supporting the underling assumptions of these practices even though there have been few systematic and accurate studies to test the exact usefulness of offender profiling and case linkage. In terms of the homology assumption, the empirical evidence is especially weak to support it. Profiling as an additional tool plays an important role in criminal investigations, especially in serial offences. Studies suggest that profilers can provide more accurate profiles than nonprofilers. Case linkage provides a good way to collate and compare the information between related cases, thus, investigative efforts can be combined and officers can avoid the repetition of investigations. Most police officers would seek profiling advice and case linkage because of the agreement of their usefulness. However, over-optimistic vision of profiling and case linkage should be concerned because they do not always have dramatic and successful results even though many solved cases were attributed to offender profiling and case linkage. Finally, profiling and case linkage are useful tools and cannot replace the other good investigative techniques.

Good vs. Evil in Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Essay -- Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Good vs. Evil in Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Kipling’s Rikki Tikki Tavi has all the necessary parts of a battle story. It is full of battles, war tactics, good, evil, motive, song, and drama. A battle story needs a gripping introduction, one that hints at the battles to come and one that brings the reader in with an exciting anticipation. This story first begins with a poem of the brave Rikki Tikki angrily chasing death with a lust to kill. It right away shows the necessary bravery and strength of the protagonist/hero and the might and evil of the antagonist. The lines like†¦ Eye to eye and head to head This shall end when one is dead †¦start the book with the promise of great fights between two great forces. The first paragraph is also cleverly written to further exaggerate the greatness of the hero and the battles that he has won. This is the story of the great war that Rikki tikki tavi fought single handed, through the bathrooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment After the introduction the plot begins by bringing the hero Rikki to the setting by a coincidental occurrence. His home is flooded and he is washed away and near death when a family finds him and nurses him to health. Again here Kippling shows the bravery of the hero, â€Å"It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose.† Rikki Tikki is thankful to the family and like all good heroes he is loyal and decides to protect them. Then enters evil, which creates the conflict for which all battling and killing takes place in battle stories. Rikki is exploring the yard one-day and discovers two birds mourning the loss of an egg that was eaten by the evil snakes ruling the jungle. Just then the head snake Nag appears. Rikki already dislikes him as he is good-natured and loyal like all good heroes and Nag ofcourse has eaten his friend’s egg. This is a very important scene, the introduction of the antagonists. Nag is introduced with a boisterous â€Å"I am Nag. The great God Brahm put his mark upon all our people, when the first cobra spread his hood to keep the sun off Brahm as he slept. Look, and be afraid!† And Rikki was afraid, â€Å"for the minute; but it is impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time.† Then out of no where the first real action of the story takes place, â€Å"’Behind you! Look behind you!’ sang Darzee† as Nagaina, Nag’s equally evil wife attempts ... ...nd goes down with her. This is the climax of the story; it is very suspenseful. Using phrases like â€Å"and very few mongooses, however wise and old they may be care to follow a cobra into its hole;† Kippling lines the hole with exaggerations and depictions to increase this already thick suspense. All the animals assume he is dead, similar to countless action movies where there is an explosion and the hero is thought dead, but like in those movies the hero comes out to the amazement and joy of all and there again is much celebrating. And so the book ends on the happy note of Darzee’s glorious battle song of Rikki’s tale. The story followed exactly the guidelines of a battle story; its plot, descriptions, characters, motives, and action are all proof of this. While reading I noticed that the story, if edited slightly could be confused as a story of humans fighting in the jungle. The names mongoose, snake, and bird sound like the code names we give our pilots and fighters. Also Rikki has special training and tactics in killing snakes as if he were a trained soldier. In conclusion, Kippling’s Rikki Tikki Tavi can possibly best be described as a classic war tale of good vs. evil.

Types of Beam

Introduction to Structural Analysis Contents Introduction . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Type of beam †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4, 5, 6 & 7 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Introduction A beam is a structural member which carried load. These loads are most often perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, but they can be varying types. A beam supporting any load develops internal stresses to resist applied loads. The types of beam is determined by the kind of support the beam has at its ends or anywhere along its length. This is because each type of support generates of specific kind and combination of reactions.Types of beam A. Cantilever beam Used to create the floating or hovering effect. This is used to create of a bay window, balconies, and some bridges. The weight load is spread back to the main beams of the structure in the cantilever beams and allowing a portion of the structure to go beyond the supported perimeters of the structure foundation. Building in downtown area Cincinnati. Overhang in building is supported on variable depth cantilevers. Loading on the cantilevers primarily tip loading due to outside columns. (Cincinnati, Ohio) Entrance to stadium taken during construction.Roofing supported on variable depth glue-laminated cantilevers. Loading due to roof weight, wind, and snow. (Berne, Switzerland) World Trade Center. Further example of building overhang supported on variable depth cantilevers. Note that adjacent cantilevers have common tip displacement. (New York City) B. Steel I beam 1. B. Steel I Beam Very popular choice in the construction is no other than steel I-Beam. The I-Beam is also known as W shape. This is widely used in the steel construction. This I-Beam design is common fundamental beam design in commercial structures, but it can be used in the residential design also.Continuous steel plate beam bridge. This 3-span bri dge has a composite section consisting of the steel girder and the concrete roadway on top. The I-beams were fitted with shear keys as in the structure. (Near Lausanne, Switzerland) Quai Bridge. Variable depth continuous riveted steel I-beam highway bridge under construction. In addition to the vertical web reinforcement on the outside girder, note the compression web reinforcement on the inside of the left girder. (Zurich, Switzerland) Continuous I-section plate beam bridge. Detail of bridge showing hinged bearing on intermediate pier.This is the fixed point of the bridge for longitudinal temperature expansion. (Decatur, Illinois) C. Flitch beam Used for coating steel and wood to create a lightweight beam with adequate strength, so this beam design are composite beams. The addition of the wooden elements will allow the beam to be fixed to existing wooden structures. While maintaining the strict construction budget, this is used to support the heavy vertical loads. Flitch beam is ve ry useful when the additional load carrying capacity to an existing beam. Project that involved flitch beamD. Hip beam Project that involved hip beam The hip beam is one among the types of beam; it is very popular in roofing design. A hip beam will provide support for other load bearings beams branching off at symmetrical angles. This is more often used in the residential constructions. References http://nisee. berkeley. edu/godden/godden_a. html/ http://classof1. com/homework_answers/civil_engineering/types_of_beam/ https://www. google. com. my/search? q=type+of+beam&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org. mozilla:en-US:official&client

Creating the World of Forrest Gump essays

Creating the World of Forrest Gump essays 'Forrest Gump is a story of a slow, simple minded man from Alabama that, despite beating all the odds and becoming a success in multiple areas of his life, finds it difficult to get Jenny, his dear childhood friend, to reciprocate the feelings he has for her. The movie follows them through the years to adulthood. In Forrest Gump, the mise-en-scne uses items and popular trends from the particular time period in question to allow the viewer connect the time frame and story. A scene of utmost importance from the movie Forrest Gump is entitled; Peas and Carrots, is when Forrest and Jenny meet for the first time on the school bus, thus beginning a lifelong friendship. At the time of this scene, it was the beginning of the school year and Forrest gets on the bus. After receiving multiple rejections from the other children on the bus to let him sit down, Forrest turns and locks eyes with Jenny. She invites him to sit with her and they have an immediate bond. This friendship with Jenny is special to Forrest because she is his only friend. Forrest proves to be unaccepted by others because he is a boy of low intelligence who presents with a strange walk due to braces he must wear on his legs to aid his crooked back. Jenny accepts Forrest as he is and she does not make fun of him. The setting begins depicting the time and style of the 1950s south in the United States. As times change throughout the years between the 1950s and the 1980s. The methods and culture the characters present for speaking and dressing are symbolic of the era. True historic events that have occurred are presented throughout the movie during their corresponding time periods. Old automobiles and a 1950s barber shop are shown, evident of the time. In addition, the televisions that were on display in the window were all in black and white, showcasing Elvis Pressley at the infancy of his singing career ...

8 Steps to Changing Your Career

8 Steps to Changing Your Career If you’re considering changing your career, you might want to consider following these key steps. 1. Think why  you want to make a changeThe first step is to ask yourself some important questions. Do you hate your job? Do you think the grass is greener somewhere else? The more important question is: why are those things true? Once you get clear on the â€Å"why,† you can figure out what’s really motivating you, and have a chance of finding something that will truly hold your interest and attention. It can also save you from facing the same (or different) unforeseen problems in your next position.2. Think what  your ideal future looks likeFollowing your passion is one thing, but making smart career choices is another. Figure out exactly what you want your new career to look like, what exactly you want to be doing on a daily basis. Then figure out what you already have in your back pocket that qualifies you. What is your capital here? What can you leverage to e ase your transition and net this in the win column?3.  Assess everything you’ll need to tackleMake sure you know exactly what you need to have prepared in order to make your transition. Are there any skills or certifications you need to acquire first? Do you have the financial safety net to transition? Will there be any other factors such as childcare or housing that you’ll need to consider? Avoid getting your pants caught around your ankles and only make your move when you know you can execute.4. Make a planBefore you act, plan. Figure out your goal, and set a timeline. Break it up into steps and milestones and then set about checking each off. Measure your progress and enjoy the momentum you build as you work toward your new career.5. Track your progressHold yourself accountable to your timeline. Set deadlines and reminders for different pieces of your transition plan. Make lists, or even Excel spreadsheets, to keep yourself on track. You’re investing a lot in making this change, make sure you’re wasting none of your time or energy.6. Pivot your brandYou’ll need to shift your image a bit so that your new audience will understand and accept you. Make it easier for them to â€Å"get† you, where you’re coming from, and why they should want you. Figure out how to set yourself apart from competitors who’ve been in that field for years. Figure out how your old career narrative can be adapted as an asset in your new one. Think of yourself as a daring new product for a tired field, then sell that.7. Call in the cavalryYou have people. You have a network. Mobilize them. Consider asking your most trusted contacts for help. Ask for specific things that will make it easiest for the people who have your back to contribute effectively to your cause. You have a network; use it!8. Meet the right peopleYou need to know some important contacts in your new field. This is a given. Don’t let it stress you out. Show that you are genuinely interested in their experience and expertise, flatter carefully but not too much, and don’t ambush anyone. A little genuine respect can go a long way in sweetening up valuable allies.Change is scary. If you follow these steps, you won’t be at a risk of bailing on your career change dream. Do your homework, be methodical and open-eyed, and then take a well-placed flying leap.

Coral Eugene Watts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coral Eugene Watts - Essay Example Approaching the age of twelve, he started visualizing the torturing and killing of girls and young women. When he reached his teens he started stalking girls and there is a popular perception that he is believed to have killed his first victim before the age of fifteen. He was not a very good student and often received failing grades. He had also suffered a lot of harassment at school. During his eighth standard, he suffered from meningitis accompanied with extremely high temperature; which further affected his studies and he was unable to cope up with his class fellows. It is still not clear if this was the consequence of his brain damage or the persistent sleep problems that he faced after his illness. He was also having violent dreams in which he was trying to kill women, but these could not be considered nightmares because he enjoyed them. At the age of 15, he felt an urge to fulfill his dreams. During his psychiatric assessment, he admitted that he felt better after having one of those violent dreams. Coral finally graduated from high school in 1973, despite his poor result. He was brilliant in sports and found this an adequate way to release his built-up aggression. After graduation he got a football scholarship to Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. He got expelled only three months later on the charges of pestering and mugging women. He was also mix up in the atrocious murder of a female student but could not be convicted because of lack of concrete evidence. He was also arrested on the allegation of the sexual assault of Joan Gave aged 26 on June 29, 1969; while en route on his paper delivery and sentenced to a mental hospital in Detroit, the Lafayette Clinic. Upon evaluation he was found to have been enduring from a mild mental retardation. He had an I.Q. of 68 and has delusion thought processes. He was released from the Lafayette Clinic five months later. He worked for nearly a year at the Detroit Wheel Company as a mechanic. He then

Second rich generation in china Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Second rich generation in china - Essay Example This means that they are mainly reliant on their families, which are filthy rich. Through this character, a serious economic challenge comes up, and the economic future of the country stands to be threatened if these people are consumers and are not working to expand their parents businesses. Although, some people saying â€Å"SRG† are only a very small group of people, they cannot make any huge influence. Considering the behavior they have now and the wealth they will control in the future, I am still thinking they will make a huge negative impact to Chinese society and economy in the near future. The building of an economy required the input of all the citizens in a country. Since 1980s there were a group of hardworking people, they used their intelligence and knowledge to help China finished industrialization. Their hardworking not only made them become the first group of billionaires in China but also helped the country grown to be one of the giant economies in the world. However, most of their children are not diligent as their parents, they have decided to sit back and eat what their parents made. Compare to business, they are seem to be more interested in the sports cars and private jets. This is a very dangerous scenario given that there is no income that is generated from this generation. I interviewed a SRG recently, although he indicated that he wants to have his own career and pay for his own life in the future. He still admitted that it is not easy to do and most of the SRG now are not thinking like him. According to Liu (2012) Songyang Fu’s father was the owner of a still factory near Beijing. A car accident took away his father’s life in 2006 and Fu was only nineteen. Fu inherited his father’s legacy and became the thirtieth richest person in China on the Forbes’s rank. However Fu was not interested in his father’s steel business at all. He decided to use his father’s money to realize his own