None Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

None - Research Paper Example Interest in the coffee developed, with neighborhood restaurants and hotels asking to be supplied too. While the first bistro is no more possessed by Green Mountain Coffee, the organization now keeps up its base camp in Waterbury, Vermont, where it has a 93,000 square foot 8,500 m2 broiling and dissemination office. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters opened up to the world in September 1993 and is recorded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the stock image GMCR. In October 2002, Green Mountain consented to an arrangement to offer reasonable exchange coffee under the Newmans Own Organics mark. In 2005, the organization procured Keurig, incorporated, a producer of single container fermenting frameworks (Gasparro. 2015, p. 5). The organization was positioned number one in The Best Corporate Citizens in 2006 and 2007. On November 13, 2009, Green Mountain declared the procurement of the wholesale division of Canadian coffee supplier Timothy World Coffees for $160 million US. On September 14, 2010, Green Mountain Coffee purchased a second Canadian wholesaler, Quebec based coffee administrations organization Van Houtte, for $920 million. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters then sold the Filter new US coffee administration parcel of Van Houttes business to Aramark on August, 29th 2011 for $140 million. On September 28, 2010, the organizations stock rose to an untouched high, yet the organization uncovered after the businesses shut that the Securities an d Exchange Commission has asked for archives and information from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters identified with an investigation into how it represents an income. The organization reported that U.S. controllers had asked into some of Green Mountains bookkeeping works for, including income distinguished, and the vast stock with a solitary merchant, M. Square. Most scholars accept that the organization practices are

Poloypharmacy in the elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poloypharmacy in the elderly - Essay Example Polypharmacy means "many drugs" or the use of more medication than is clinically indicated or warranted (Fulton 2005). It is a problem with significant concern because; it leads to more adverse drug reactions and decreased adherence to drug regimens. The patient may have poor quality of life, high rate of symptomatology and unwarranted drug expenses. Polypharmacy is more of a concern in the elderly because, illness is more common in the elderly and hence the number of prescribed drugs also is more. Although elderly people (>65 years of age) form only about 12 % of population, they represent about 33% of prescription drug and 40% of over-the-counter drug consumers (â€Å"Polypharmacy in the elderly†). Also, the pharmacokinetics of the aged is so different that the effects of the drugs are more. The important age-related changes that affect the pharmacokinetics of the aged are, decrease in lean body mass and total body weight, increased percentage of body fat, decreased protein binding of drugs, increase in volume of distribution for lipophilic drugs that penetrate the central nervous system, decline in the metabolic capacity of the liver, decreased liver mass and hepatic blood flow, decreased renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. There may also be changes in the receptor numbers, affinity, and post receptor cellular effects (Laird, â€Å"Polypharmacy in the elderly†). Along with these, the changes in the homeostatic mechanisms can increase or decrease drug sensitivity. The main concern of polypharmacy in the elderly is adverse drug reactions. The adverse drug events not only are the cause for falls, fractures, cognitive dysfunction, postural hypotension, electrolyte disorders and cardiac failure, but also account for about 23% of hospital admissions in the elderly (Brazeau 2001). Drug interactions are responsible for 15-20% of these adverse reactions (Brazeau 2001). Studies have shown that the incidence of adverse drug interactions increases

Solar Radio Emissions: Investigating Reactivated Prominences

Solar Radio Emissions: Investigating Reactivated Prominences Madeleine Eve Andrew Johnston Solar Radio Emissions in Investigating Reactivated Prominences Literature Review Abstract Astronomical objects that have a changing magnetic field can produce radio waves, which are the longest waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. By studying the radio waves emitted by the Sun, astronomers can acquire information about its composition, structure and motion. This aim of the present project is to use solar radio emissions produced during the re-activation of prominences in order to investigate possible energy sources for the activation. The purpose of this literature review is to analyse relevant papers on the subject matter that will be covered in this project, and give a summary of the literature in the field, whilst covering the history and importance of the topic, along with what types of instruments can be used to measure radio waves, and how radio waves are useful in studying prominences and their reactivation. 1 Introduction Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation, which is a form of energy produced whenever charged particles are accelerated. They have frequencies from 3kHz to 300GHz, with corresponding wavelengths ranging from just 1mm to 100km. The understanding of solar radio emissions began in 1942, when an English physicist and radio astronomer, James Hey, was tasked to work on radar anti-jamming methods for the military. He had several reports of severe noise jamming of radars signals in the 4-8 meter wavelength range, and after examination, he realised that the direction of maximum interference was coming from the Sun, and concluded that the Sun radiates radio waves (M. Pick, 2008). The observation of solar radio emissions has proved to be a useful tool in our efforts to understand solar physics., In particular solar radio emissions can be used to study local plasma density and magnetic reconnection, which relates to the release, over periods of a few minutes, of magnetic energy stored in the corona and which accompany solar eruption events like prominences which this project will be focusing on. In addition, radio wave emissions from solar flares offer several unique diagnostic tools which can be used to investigate energy release (A. O. Benz; 2005), plasma heating, particle acceleration, and particle transport in magnetized plasmas. A Solar flare is an observed sudden flash of brightness over the Sun’s surface or the solar limb, powered by magnetic reconnection. Scientists study the Sun through radio emissions and other electromagnetic emissions and this has an additional advantage in that it provides a better understanding other stars, and the important processes they have to offer, such as nuclear fusion, which is a potential alternative energy source scientists have been trying to recreate on Earth for decades. The study of prominences and other eruptive events is important for providing an insight into the mechanics of the interior of the Sun, and also to assist us in the prediction of ‘space weather,’ which can effect satellites, and the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. A solar prominence is a large, bright, gaseous feature that is anchored to the surface of the Sun in the photosphere, and extends outwards into the Sun’s corona in a loop shape. Solar prominences are made from plasma that is roughly 100 times cooler and denser than the plasma in the corona and so, when viewed with the sun as a backdrop, they appear dark, and are referred to as ‘filaments.’ They can last for several months, and are held in place above the Suns surface by strong magnetic fields. The exact composition of prominences is currently unknown, but it has been proposed that they are made up of roughly 10% helium and 90% hydrogen. Solar prominences, like other erupting projectiles, are useful to observe as they are good indicators of the magnetic field pattern of the sun, since they lie above the magnetic neutral lines. There are two basic types of prominences: quiescent and active-region prominences. Quiescent prominences are typically larger than active-region prominences, and also extend further into the corona, often reaching up to and over 30 000 kilometres above the Sun’s corona (T. E. Berger, 2012). In addition, quiescent prominences have a magnetic field of roughly 0.5-1mT, allowing them to extend further from the surface of the Sun than active-region prominences, which are much smaller, have much larger magnetic fields of around 2 – 20mT, and mostly do not travel over 30 000km. This project will largely be focusing on Quiescent prominences, as, extending further away from the Sun, they are easier to study using radio waves. Prominences are always projected from filament channels, which are along polarity inversion lines; where the magnetic field is highly non-potential (J. Chaf, 2005). These channels are the source of all major solar eruptions, such as coronal mass ejections and flares. The temperature of a prominence that hasn’t erupted, is typically , and these often appear as a long horizontal sheet of plasma. Several different models have been proposed in order to explain how cool, dense objects like prominences can be supported and thermally isolated from the surrounding hot coronal plasma. It is generally accepted that these models can generally be placed into one of two main categories: dip models, and flux rope models (for example: D. H. Mackay, 2010, D. J. Schmit, 2013, P. F. Chen; 2008). The main similarity between dip models and flux rope models is the suggested existence of concave-upward directed magnetic fields to support the prominence plasma against the downward gravitational force. Following this mechanism, it can be assumed that the plasma in a prominence is frozen to the magnetic field lines. Prominence plasma, however, is actually only partially ionised, and so it is not entirely clear how the non-ionized portion of plasma is supported, and how rapidly the neutral material might drain across the magnetic field lines. Scientists are still researching how and why prominences are formed, and the cause for their reactivation. The models proposing how prominences are supported are vital in understanding their formation and reactivation. 2 Radio Emissions with Prominences Measurable coherent radio emissions occur during flares, and are intermittent and in bursts, driven by the magnetic reconnection process, giving them the term ‘radio burst.’ Previous experiments (J. P. Raulin; 2005, J. P. wild; 1956, R. F. Wilson; 1989, G. Swarup; 1959) in measuring radio emissions produced from prominences have found that Type I bursts are predominantly emitted, Type I being characterised by their long lifespan lasting from hours to days, having a frequency of 80-200mHz with corresponding wavelengths of roughly 2m, and being produced by electrons with a charge of several keV within coronal loops. Moving Type IV radio bursts are also associated with prominence eruptions, these last from half an hour to 2 hours, with a frequency of 20-400MHz, and a corresponding wavelength range of 1 to several meters. As mentioned in the introduction, scientists can use radio waves to gain an insight into how plasmas behave during the prominence eruption process. This can be done through magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which is the study of the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. Scientists have previously used MHD equations in investigations to understand the formation and reactivation of prominences (J. A. Linker; 2001, D.J. Schmit;2013, G. P. Zhou;2006, A. K. Srivastava; 2013). An investigation using SDO/AIA (T. E. Berger; 2012) on the formation of prominences produced a series of images that showed the reactivation of a prominence. The sequence showed that after a prominence has completed its eruptive cycle, it slowly disappears due to drainage and the lateral transport of plasma, and a bright emission cloud forms in the upper regions of the coronal cavity. The cloud descends towards the lower region of the cavity while successively becoming brighter, and a new prominence then forms, rapidly growing in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. The new prominence is the reactivated old prominence. The coronal cavity core in the image then grows darker as the reactivated prominence continues to grow. The reactivated prominence reaches its maximum size after a number of hours, and the emission cloud in the cavity reduces correspondingly. Using the time sequence of images from this T. E. Bergers paper, an idea of what to search for in data to find reactivat ed prominences can be formed. Work has been performed (by C. Chifor; 2006; D. H. Mackay; 2010, D. J. Schmit, 2013) which also investigates how prominences are formed, concluding that reconnection events trigger different phases in prominence eruption. The flux rope model discussed earlier has been found to be a good model in several investigations (S. E. Gibson; 2006, P. F. Chen; 2008, G. P. Zhou, 2006). Helical field lines provide a support for the mass of the prominence, and are capable of storing the magnetic energy needed to propel the prominence. A coronal flux rope can be interpreted as a magnetic structure which consists of field lines that intricately twist around each other a number of times between the two ends that are anchored to the photosphere. Studies mentioned earlier involving MHD have been found to support the flux rope model, making the model a good investigation point for the project. Further research has been carried out into the cause of reactivated prominences (R. F. Wilson; 1989), producing evidence that suggests that as the initial prominence dissipates, a ‘feed-back’ mechanism occurs, during which interactions of the large scale loops trigger burst activity in lower lying loops. 3 Instruments There are two main types of instruments that can be used to observe objects in the radio wave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the type selected for use depending on the strength of the signal and the amount of detail needed. The first type of instrument comprises radio telescopes, which are a form of directional radio antenna. As the range of frequencies in the radio wave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is very large, there are a variety of different antennae that are used in radio telescopes, differing in their size, design and configuration. When measuring wavelengths of 30-3 meters, the radio telescopes use either directional antenna arrays, or large stationary reflectors with moveable focal points. At shorter wavelengths dish style radio telescopes are more largely used. The second type of instrument comprises radio interferometers, which are made up of arrays of telescopes or mirror segments. The main benefit of using a radio interferometer is that the angular resolution is similar to that of a radio telescope with a large aperture, however, radio interferometers do not collect as many photons as radio telescopes, and they cannot detect objects that are too weak. However, an array of telescopes will provide very good resolution as a result of aperture synthesis. Aperture synthesis is an imaging process that mixes signals from the array of telescopes to produce images with an angular resolution equivalent to that of a single instrument with a diameter equal to the overall size of the array of telescopes. This makes it easy to obtain high resolution images of the Sun. SDO/AIA EUV Several different types of data that can be used to review the radio emissions of the Sun in order to extract information on prominences have been researched. The first is SDO/AIA EUV data; SDO being the Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is a NASA mission that has been observing the Sun since 2010. The goal of the SDO is to understand the influence of the sun on the Earth and close space by studying the solar atmosphere over time and space in many wavelengths at the same time. Currently, investigations are focused on how the Suns magnetic field is generated and structured, and how the stored magnetic energy is converted and released into the heliosphere and geospace in the form of solar wind, energetic particles, and variations in solar radiance, which is the measure of the power per unit area on the Earth’s surface. The SDO uses the Atmosphere Imaging Assembley (AIA), an instrument which provides continuous full-observations of the solar chromosphere and corona in seven extreme ultraviolet channels. The AIA is comprised of four telescopes providing individual light feeds to the instrument. The Extreme Ultraviolet Experiment (EUV) is the instrument that measures the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet irradiance, and incorporates physics based models in order to further understand the relationship between EUV variations and magnetic variation changes in the Sun (N. Labrosse, 2011). Fig 1. This image is an example of SDO/AIA data, taken from (T. E. Berger; 2012) from a time sequence which investigates the radio emissions from the Sun leading up to the reactivation of a prominence event. Using the data produced by the two, an image can be created of the Sun that combines physical processes such as prominences, with information on the magnetic field at the time. An example is shown in ‘Fig 1’ above, which shows a reactivated prominence eruption and its corresponding radio emission in the form of a cross-sectional image of the surface of the Sun. Data collected from the AIA has been made public through online databases, providing a ready set of images and films that can be analysed in order to observe prominences and their reactivation for this project. NoRH The second type of data that will be focused on in order to infer radio emissions from the Sun is Nobeyama Radioheliograph data. The Nobeyama Radioheliograph is an array of 84 antennas dedicated for solar observation at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, located in the Japanese Alps, and was constructed with the purpose of observing the Sun, using non-thermal emissions in particular. The Nobeyama Radioheliograph is a radio interferometer, and the original data comprises sets of correlation values of all the combination of antennas. The antennas correspond to the spatial Fourier components of the brightness distribution of the solar disk. The Nobeyama Radioheliograph is particularly useful in studying prominences (M. Shimojo, 2005), as due to its large daily observation window, combined with the low time resolution of 1 second, and a spatial resolution of roughly 13†, it can produce highly dynamic images. Even though the NoRH is ground based, the consequences of the surrounding weather conditions are minimal compared to that of other ground based observations, and observations can take place even in turbulent unclear weather. NoRH has also developed an automatic detection method, the most important factor in using the instrument to detect prominences, as data will be recorded automatically when there is an eruptive projectile. However, due to the limited time resolution and the field of view, NoRH cannot detect vary fast or very slow eruptive events, simultaneous events, and events where the structure has a weak brightness. Fig 2 This is an image taken by the NoRH (M. Shimojo) which is an example of a prominence eruption, recorded by the automatic limb detection method. The panels are negative images, so the dark region indicates the high temperature. NoRH uses the radio interferometer to create images of the Sun such as in ‘Fig 2,’ which is an example of use of the automatic limb detection method to record images of prominence eruption. Data recorded from the NoRH automatic limb detector has also been made public through online databases, giving a further set of images that can be analysed in order to extract information on prominences and their reactivation. 4 Conclusion The topics covered in the papers that were researched lead to an adequate proposal of how to investigate the reactivation of prominences. Using NoRH and AIA data from SDO, the radio bursts emitted during the collapse and reformation of a prominence, an idea of what causes the reformation can be found. The investigation will centre on the different models, primarily the magnetic flux rope model, and the magnetohydrodynamics behind them that have been proposed for the formation of prominences, and how these models could support the ‘feed-back’ theory. 5 References J. P. Wild, H. Zirin. On the Association of Solar Radio Emission and Solar Prominences (1956) 320, 322, 323 G. Swarup, P. H. Stone, A. Maxwell. The Association of Solar Radio Bursts With Flares and Prominences. Radio Astronomy Station of Harvard College Observatory (1959) 725,726 R. F. Wilson, K. R. Lang. Impulsive Microwave Burst amd Solar Noise Storm Emission Resolved with the VLA. Department of Physics and Astronomy (1989) 856, 864, 866 J. A. Linker, R. Lionello, Z. Mikic. Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of Prominence Formation with a Helmet Streamer. Science Applications International, California (2001) A. O. Benz, H. Perret, P. Saint-Hilaire, P. Zlobec. Extended Decimeter Radio Emission After Large Solar Flares. Institute of Astronomy, Switzerland (2005) 954, 955 J. Chaf, Y. Moon, Y. Park. The Magnetic Structure of Filament Barbs. (2005) 574-578 J. P. Raulin, A. A. Pacini. Solar Radio Emissions. Universidade Presbiteria Mackenzie (2005) 741-745 M. Shimoji, T. Yokoyama, A.Asai, H. Nakajima, K. Shibasaki. One Solar-Cycle Observations of Prominence Activities Using the Nobeyama Radioheliograph 1992-2004. University of Tokyo, School of Science (2005) 85, 86 S. E. Gibson, Y. Fan. Coronal Prominence Structure and Dynamics: A Magnetic Flux Rope Interpretation (2006) 1-5 G. P. Zhou, J. X. Wang, J. Zhang. Two Successive Coronal Mass Ejections Drivin by the Kink and Drainage Instabilities of an Eruptive Prominence (2006) 1244 C. Chifor, H. E. Mason, D. Tripathi, H. Isobe, A. Asai. The Early Phases of a Solar Prominence Eruption and Associated Flare: a Multi-Wavelength Analysis. Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences (2006) 966-968 P. F. Chen, D. E. Innes, S. K. Solanki, SOHO/SUMER Observations of Prominence Oscillations Before Eruption. Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University (2008) 4,5 M. Pick, N. Vilmer. Sixty-five years of Solar Radioastronomy: Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections and Sun-Earth Connection. Astron Astrophys Rev (2008) 6,7 D.H. Mackay, J.T. Karpen, J.L. Ballester, B. Schmieder, G. Aulanier. Physics of Solar Prominences: II – Magnetic Structure and Dynamics. Springer Science and Business Media (2010) 335-338 N. Labrosse, K. McGlinchey. Plasma Diagnostics in Eruptive Prominences from SDO/AIA Observations at 304 A. University of Glasgow (2011) 2-4 T. E. Berger, W. Liu, B. C. Low, SDO/AIA Detection of Solar Prominence Formation Within a Coronal Cavity. National Solar Observatory (2012) 1-4 D. J. Schmit, S. Gibson, M. Luna, J. Karpen, D. Innes. Prominence Mass Supply and the Cavity. Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (2013) 1-5 A. K. Srivastava, B. N. Dwivedi, M. Kumar. Observations of Intensity Oscillaations in a Prominence-Like Cool Loop System as Observed by SDO/AIA: Evidence of Multiple Harmonics of Fast Magnetoacousic Waves (2013) 31

John Bates Clark :: essays research papers

John Bates Clark John Bates Clark was an American economist who lived from 1847-1938. He played an important role in the development of marginal productivity, and had a great influence on the development of economic thought in the United States. Clark was educated at Amherst College and at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He taught at Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota from 1875 to 1881. He then moved on to teach at Smith College, Amherst, Johns Hopkins and Columbia from which he retired in 1923. In formulating the Neoclassical theory of the firm, John Bates Clark took over the classical categories of land, labor, and capital and simplified them in two ways, this simplification was the theory of marginal productivity. First, he assumed that all labor is homogenous, which meant that one labor hour is a perfect substitute for any other labor hour, but when marginal productivity was decreasing, the industry found it more profitable to replace labor with machinery. Clark believed that to make a sound economy wages had to be equal to the marginal productivity of labor. This was also beneficial to both the industry and the labor. Secondly, Clark ignored the distinction between land and capital, grouping together both kinds of non-human inputs under the general term "capital," which he then assumed that the broadened "capital" is homogenous. John took this Neoclassical approach one step further than others in applying it to the business firm and the maximization of profits. One of the results was a theory of the distribution which demonstrated that market outcomes were just. Clark also believed that technological change would lead to an increase in the standard of living which he felt was one of the chief goals of any economic system. He felt that with this technological change, labor would be more productive and lead to higher profits for industry. When the labor would see that industry was making higher profits, they would demand its share of the profits for their hard work. The labor's higher wages and the industries' higher profits would increase incomes and better the social living for everyone. Among Clark's works are The Philosophy of Wealth (1886), The Distribution of Wealth (1899), and Essentials of Economic Theory (1907).

Gangs in Prison

Gangs in Prison The Aryan Brotherhood The Aryan Brotherhood originates in the CDC (California Department of Corrections) and BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons). The Aryan Brotherhood was founded in San Quentin, California in the 1960s. The founders were members of other gangs from the 1950s called, â€Å"Bluebirds†, â€Å"Diamond Tooth Gang†, and the â€Å"Nazi Gang†. Barry Mills and Tyler Davis are now the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood.Their basic beliefs and mission is they believe in the betterment and preservation of the white race, in separatism, that no foreigner should rule over the white race, that all who are against or oppress the white race are sworn enemies, in the rights of the white race, in the right to teach white children of the Aryan cultures and heritage, believe only in the support of the white race, and that it is important to guide the upbringing of white children, as they are the heirs to the future. The Aryan Brotherhood is known to be str ongest in the southwest and pacific regions.They are weakest in northeastern regions, where the African-American population is more dominant. It has been stated that the Aryan Brotherhood is growing. As of now, there are approximately 500 members. The criminal activities that they are involved in are murder, kidnapping, racketeering, and drug distribution. At least one example of how dangerous it is in prison for these members is the ABT leader Kelly Ray Ellery and other members ordered subordinates to kill a prospective member and make it â€Å"messy as possible† to send a message to gang members to cooperate with law enforcement.They also ordered to return the man’s severed finger as a trophy. The Black Guerilla Family The Black Guerilla family originated from San Quentin Prison in 1966. The founders of this gang are George Jackson and W. L. Nolen. Their basic beliefs and mission is to eradicate racism, maintain dignity in prison and overthrow the United States Gover nment. They are strongest in San Quentin, CA and Baltimore, Maryland. They are weakest in the southwestern and Pacific regions. Their ranks are growing, they have 50,000 members today. The criminal activities they are involved in while in prison are drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes.One example of how dangerous it can be in prison is the supreme commander, â€Å"Doc† Holiday, proved he still had what it takes to be in the Black Guerilla Family by stabbing a random fellow prisoner to death. The Folk Nation The Folk Nation originated from the Illinois Department of Corrections. I would also like to note that The Folk Nation is not a gang- they are alliances which gangs are aligned. Larry Hoover, the chairman of the Gangster Disciples Nation, created the idea of alliance and persuaded black, white, and Latino gangs from Chicago to join. He did all of this in November 11, 1978.Under their basic beliefs and missions, they maintain a strict code of solidarity, with me mbers promising to hold â€Å"Folk before family† and claiming they will â€Å"not let my brother fall to a knee†. They are strongest in the Midwest and southwest; there is no record of where they could possibly be the weakest, because they are all over the United States. They are continuously recruiting members in the streets and in prisons, therefore stating that they are very dominant and only getting stronger. The criminal activities they are commonly involved in are racketeering, murder, robbery, assault, and illegal use of firearms.The Mexican Mafia The Mexican Mafia originated in 1957 at Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California. Luis â€Å"Huero Buff† Flores from the Hawaiian Gardens gang was the founder of The Mexican Mafia. Their basic beliefs were to control the prison system. They are strongest in northern and southern California, but they are in a decline right now. The most obvious of criminal activities of The Mexican Mafia are extortion ( RICO), narcotics distribution, and murder. An example of the danger in the prison system from the Mexican Mafia is in the 1960’s, the Mexican Mafia conducted hits in San Quentin and DVI.Doroteo â€Å"Sleepy† Betancourt and Frank â€Å"moose† Bazure murdered a correctional officer; just to prove their existence. MS13 The MS13 gang originated in Los Angeles in the 1960’s and the 1980’s. They didn’t actually have just one founder; it was a group of young Salvadorans that broke off from other Hispanic gangs. Their basic beliefs are self-protection and protection of their families. They are strongest in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah; they are also strong in Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador.They are weakest in the East coast. They are neither growing or in decline, because they no longer exist; they are known now as the Surenos. Their criminal activities consists of drug smuggling, gun running, people smuggling, hits for hire, theft, drug sales, and arson. An example to illustrate how dangerous they are is in a recent Texas incident, a member of MS13(Surenos) participated in a gang rape of a 24-year-old woman and then he kicked her in the neck so hard that he broke it and killed her instantly.In conclusion, I noticed that they all had similarities in criminal activity. All of their beliefs were very different except for one thing, they all focused more on their own races of people. I also noticed that all but the Mexican Mafia are growing in population. I also realized that the strongest and most dangerous gang in the world is MS13 aka Surenos. Although the other prison gangs are growing in threat level and population; MS13 aka Surenos is the largest organized crime entity in the world.Therefore, in conclusion, these prison gangs actually have a lot more in common than what they think th ey do. The only thing that is really separating them is their racial beliefs. References: History of the Mexican Mafia prison gang; July 25th, 2007; Valdemar, Richard; www. policemag. com Ten members of Bronx drug trafficking crew charged; Jan. 9th, 2013; U. S. Attorney’s office; www. fbi. gov The Aryan Brotherhood; Montaldo, Charles; Jan. 2013; www. crime. about. com Ebook: Corrections Today; Chapter 8 The Prison Experience(males)

Are National Audit Office “Value for Money” Audits Themselves Value for Money?

The National Audit Office (NAO) is responsible for the financial and â€Å"value for money† audits of central government expenditure, as well as other publicly related bodies.Although there is no single definition for what a value for money audit is, the most widely accepted definitions connect value for money audits with the review of the three E’s (Lecture 2, AC340 Lent Term, Liisa Kurunmakii): †¢Economy – providing the intended service at the lowest cost possible, with regards to maintaining the quality of service †¢Efficiency – gaining the maximum output from a given level of inputs †¢Effectiveness – the extent to which these public bodies achieve their policy objectivesWith this in mind, it is clear that in order for a â€Å"value for money† audit (henceforth denoted as VFM audit) to provide value for money it must also adhere to these three E’s; a VFM audit must be minimal in terms of cost, it must be effective in terms of finding areas for improvement, and it must make the most of resources used. The VFM audit’s benefits must outweigh its costs. Throughout this essay I will explore and demonstrate with examples the conditions under which VFM audits do provide value for money, as well as when they don’t.Ultimately a VFM audit is only value for money to the extent that it leads to improvements in the way the audited bodies can improve their processes, with regards to the three E’s. Without this, the VFM audit is an unnecessary and costly extension of the financial audit. However, if the VFM audit itself is in possession of the three E’s, then it should provide value for money. In 2011, the NAO’s recommendations generated savings of ? 1. 1 billion off the back of an outlay of ? 67. 8 million (NAO Annual Report 2012).From this, it is easy to see that the NAO’s work overall yields significant benefits over costs. A 1997 paper by Summa and Pollit also show s that 95 per cent of the NAO’s recommendations were taken on board by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 1994, suggesting that the organisations efforts and resources aren’t wasted. This paper also shows how the savings from recommendations coming directly from VFM audits had grown between 1992 and 1994, suggesting their growing importance.The NAO also consistently look to minimise costs and maximise efficiency, as shown in the NAO’s 2012 Annual Report. Therefore, in a very simple cost-benefit analysis, the VFM audit does seem to provide value for money. With deeper analysis, however, there are instances where such audits could lead to sub-optimal results in some situations. The bodies subjected to VFM audits primarily have social goals.For example, the NHS’ priority is to treat the unwell, while financial concerns are secondary. The mere presence of VFM audits, which despite having many non-financial aspects are ultimately financial in nature, can l ead to a focus on achieving cost efficiency as an end in itself, above any social goals. This is what Power refers to as a ‘colonising’ effect of auditing; the presence of the audit leads to the auditee focusing on the audited measure, in this case value for money.This was the case in the recent Mid Staffordshire Trust scandal; in order to achieve Foundation Trust status, the management at this hospital cut costs by removing beds, failing to invest in medical equipment and staff, and neglecting their medical duties in order to meet targets (for example, one measure on which they were judged were patient waiting times in A&E; this led to dysfunctional behaviour, as there were cases when minor injuries were treated above major illnesses in order to meet the four hour waiting time).These cuts, along with other failures, resulted in hundreds of unnecessary deaths. And yet, the hospital hit its target saving of ? 10 million; financially, it was a success, but medically a mas sive failure. While it was not directly the fault of a VFM audit, this case shows how the use of financial/economic measures for evaluating the efficiency of an organisation can lead to unintended dysfunctional outcomes.As part of the ‘New Public Management’ idea of introducing market concepts into public organisations, it could be argued that VFM audits, by explicitly mentioning ‘money’, could contribute to such failings by being rooted in the financial; a better term for VFM audits could be â€Å"performance audits†, as less emphasis is placed on financial terminology, perhaps giving the NAO scope for a more rounded audit. With this in mind, it can be argued that one of the VFM audit’s strengths is that it does take into account the effectiveness of the auditee in reaching their social objectives (as shown by the three E’s).The inherent difficulty for any public body is to balance effectiveness with efficiency and economy; the NAO mus t therefore take this into account when carrying out VFM audits, in order for the audits themselves to be of value. Auditing the effectiveness of a public organisation is a difficult task in itself, however. What does effectiveness entail, and how does one measure it? You could argue that the effectiveness of the police force could be measured by looking at the ratio of number of crimes reported to the number of crimes solved.This seems to be in line with the police force’s social goals, so in theory seems an appropriate proxy for effectiveness. Yet it is also easy to see how this metric could be manipulated; where it is unlikely that a crime will be solved, the reporting of the crime may be ignored. The measure will give a false image of the efficacy of the police force in question, when in reality they have been far from effective. This is what Power refers to as ‘de-coupling’, where the auditee is compliant with the recording of the measure, but does not behav e in a manner consistent with the intended goal of the measure.The problem here comes with making things auditable. When measuring non-financial items such as effectiveness, one must use imperfect proxies (as you cannot simply take a yard stick and measure ‘effectiveness’). If we are unable to find suitable proxies, we are not fully able to audit the effectiveness of an organisation. This then compromises the usefulness, and hence value, of a VFM audit. The above problems display the inherent problems of VFM audits; by being rooted in the financial, they can lead to public organisations de-prioritising their social obligations and objectives in order to enhance efficiency and economy.By auditing what is arguably inauditable, VFM audits can create surface compliance, where the letter but not the spirit of what is being measured is followed. Both of these are risks that need to be considered by the NAO, as they both seek to undermine the value of VFM audits. But ultimatel y, VFM audits prove their worth when they result in efficiency improvements in public organisations. This can be assessed tangibly, shown by the savings of ? 1. 1 billion from a net outlay of ? 67. 8 million. We can also clearly see the implementation of efficiency improvements in public sector bodies.It can also be argued that even the presence of VFM audits help to promote the three E’s in public sector companies (they know that they could be assessed in such a way, and will not want to appear to be excessively inefficient), although it is much more difficult to assess whether NAO audits provide value for money in this context as it is hard to know to what extent the audit presence made a difference. But overall, I believe that the evidence above shows that for the majority of situations VFM audits do indeed provide value for money.