French Near Future Tense Futur Proche

The French near  future—futur proche—is a verb construction that is used to express something that is going to happen soon, an upcoming event that will occur in the near future. Note that in French, this verb tense is called  futur proche; to avoid misspelling this term, notice that the French spelling of  futur does not have an e  on the end, unlike future in English.   The Concept of Time The near future in French, as in English, illustrates the fluidity of time. There is the straightforward future—I will eat, or Je mangerai—and there is the near future—I am going to eat, or Je vais manger—which assumes a time a little earlier than the future. Likewise, in constructions involving the present, there is the straightforward present—I eat, or Je mange—and the continuous present, which assumes a continuous process completed in the present—I am eating, or Je suis en train de manger, meaning  Im in the process of eating. The fact that the continuous present action begins in the present prevents any point on the timeline of that continuous action from being considered the near future or future.   Forming "FuturProche" The futur  proche, or near future, is formed by combining the present of aller, which means to go,  with the infinitive of the action verb, a single word  that  is the basic, unconjugated form of the verb. This makes  the futur proche one of the easiest tenses to construct in the French language, and, as such, fairly foolproof. That said, it does require the user to correctly spell the present tense of  aller. The Present Tense of "Aller" Before forming future  proche, familiarize yourself with the spellings of the present tense conjugations of aller. Je  vais   I goTu  vas You goIl  va He goesNous  allons We goVous  allez You (plural) goIls  vont They go Note that  one common mistake French language beginners make is  incorrectly saying  je va  instead of  je vais.   Combine the Present Tense of "Aller"' With an Infinitive To indicate that you will do something, that someone else will do something, or that something will occur in the near future, combine the present tense of  aller  with an infinitive. Note that you are not using the infinitive of  aller,  which is simply aller.  Instead, use the correct present-tense use of  aller,  which is determined by the pronouns that follow it:  je (I), tu (you), il (he), nous (we), vous  (you plural), and ils (they), as demonstrated in the examples. Je vais voir Luc.   Im going to see Luc.Il va arriver.   Hes going to arrive.Nous allons manger.   Were going to eat.Je vais à ©tudier.   I am going to study.Vas-tu nous aider?   Are you going to help us?Nous allons partir dans cinq minutes.   Were going to leave in five minutes. Additional Resources As you brush up on future  proche, take a few minutes to review the rules for French  future tense,  infinitives,  verb timelines,  and  present tense.

Urbanization Of Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt And The Indus...

Urbanization can be defined as a rapid shift in population of a group living in a specific area. This typically happens when the society decides that it is more advantageous to settle, rather than migrate. Throughout ancient history, we have seen various groups of civilization to adept different forms of urbanization near river valleys. These cities include the regions near Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus valley. Even though their lifestyle might have revolved the valley as a main source of development, their cultures and beliefs differed greatly from each other. Through the archeological discoveries, we can infer some details into the lives of the people who originated in the cities of Mesopotamia. The root word of Mesopotamia refers to ‘between rivers’, this infers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, figure 1. Because the environment influenced people to settle, we can see a change in their political, social, and economic structure as they begin to form a complex society. This is the period where we see a complex engineering system as people started to develop canals and other technologies for a more efficient agricultural development. An early culture to settle in the lowlands of Mesopotamia were the Hassuna culture, their civilization were characterized by â€Å"small settlements with a few hundred inhabitants, who lived in rectangular houses with several rooms† (Feuerbach, 2015). Another culture to settle in this area were the Samarran culture; evenShow MoreRelatedMesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus Valley Essay813 Words   |  4 Pagesfascinating developments, the most prominent being the first civilizations, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. They had many similarities, such as characteristics of early civilizations and social structures, but they also had their differences. The most embossed differences included the divergent geography, prior belief, trade, relations with other civilizations, and politics. The earliest societies, such as Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt exhibiting indicator traits of civilization developed along the floodplainsRead MoreHow Did The Invention Of Agriculture Allowed Stable Subsistence Of The Human Population?1939 Words   |  8 Pageswild animals into dependence on human keepers. Women most likely began the revolution, as they became familiar with life cycles of plants and noticed the effect of natural conditions on their growth. 3000 BCE: Beginning of Bronze Age; Early River Valley Civilizations Along with agriculture, metallurgy helped revolutionize food production. Metal tools were more durable and efficient. 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The deforestation made Egypt’s trade go from the Nile Valley to the Red Sea which made the materials available to Meroe’s kingdom disappear. 3) What role did the environment play in their history? The role of Meroe’s environment made the people of the kingdom such as merchants, farmers etc less dependent on irrigation systems. The overall population did not need to live by the Nile unlike Egypt who was in need of the irrigation system. Axum 4) How does the development ofRead MoreWater Scarcity Of Clean Water1508 Words   |  7 Pagessome of the first civilizations â€Å"in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, the Indus Valley, Andean South America, and central Mexico, for example, ancient civilizations emerged in areas with natural water sources and agricultural land that supported a densely settled subject populace† (Lucero). In these civilizations water meant power and â€Å"elite control of water for agricultural production allowed leaders to exact tribute from the local population† (Lucero). 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Gambia Essay Example For Students

Gambia Essay HISTORY:The Gambia, translated from the French La Gambia was first colonized by Portugal in 1445 on what was later named St. Marys Island. Subsequently, the area was visited by France and later, Britain who began to build strong trading posts along its western shores. In the 1700s The Gambia was proclaimed to be part of Britain. By 1969 The Gambia became a republic within the British commonwealth of nations. In 1982 it was declared a republic in what was later declared the Senegambian conference. The Gambia stated its independence from Britain and the Province of Senegal. The Gambia then established The Peoples Progressive Party led by, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara , until the change of government in 1994. Today The Gambia lives under a multi-party system. The Constitution of the Second Republic of The Gambia provides elections by making everyone over the age of 18 pay suffrage. Every five years the people elect 45 candidates that make up the countys National Assembly. Four parties made up the 1996 elections. The Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC), The United Democratic Party (UDP), The National Reconciliation Party (NRP), and The Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS). On October 18, 1996 Yahya Jammeh (ADRC) won 56% of the votes to become the new president of The Gambia. The flag consist of three horizontal stripes. From top to bottom they are: red, blue, then green. Sorry I couldnt get a color print on the flag pictured below. TOPOGRAPHY:The Gambia is a long narrow country focusing around the central river that gave them their name. The Gambia river is 300 miles long inside The Gambia and is about 3 miles wide at most points. The Gambia has a total land area of 4,000 miles. It is relatively flat with few mountains and has an inward sloping bowl shape from where the Gambia river once covered. The Gambia river opens into the ocean at the western most tip of The Gambia. The capital, Banjul, is located near the inlet to the river and is a very large city with many tourist attractions and shops to buy stuff in. The Gambia is located completely within the county of Senegal from which it won its independence. The river is navigable up to 241km inland. After that point is impossible to further follow the river without the aid of a specialized boat for such a trip. Gambia is known to have the most agreeable climate in the whole of West Africa because of their amazingly mild climate which keeps the temperatur! e ran ge between 70F and 80F in the winter, and 80F and 90F in the summer. The one failure in their weather is their unusually high humidity, ranging from 30% to 60% all year long. POPULATION GROWTH:Since first colonized by the Portuguese, The Gambias population has steadily risen quadraticaly. This graph shows that if this trend continues then The Gambia might soon run into problems with hunger and lack of space. The estimated population in 1950 was 500 thousand people which grew to 600 in 1960, 730 in 1970, 960 in 1980, and finally the population today is estimated to be around 1.2 million people. ECONOMICS:The economics of The Gambia are highly reliant on their agriculture which consists of bananas, cassava, corn, hides and skins, limes, goats, cattle, sheep, mangoes, millet, oranges, palm kernels, papayas, peanuts, rice, and vegetables. Recently though, the government has put millions of dollars into tourism as to create a more stable less reliant economy. EXPORTS:BananasCassavaCornHides and SkinsLimesGoatsCattleSheepMangoesMilletOrangesPalm kernelsPapayasPeanutsRiceVegetablesGOVERNMENT:Right now, The Gambia, Is under the control of The Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC), led by Yahya Jammeh. The country is a republic with everyone over the age of 18 who pays suffrage to the country being able to vote for the president and the 45 members of the National Assembly. These people then represent the people by voting on all bills and laws passed by the senate. Before The Gambia became under republic rule, it was governed by the military after they threw over the government in1994 soon to be re-overthrown by the people of The Gambia. .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .postImageUrl , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:hover , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:visited , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:active { border:0!important; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:active , .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8118765e802e6184da00c25a3547c3eb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Visual Arts Essay PaperNATIONAL ANTHEM:For the gambia our homelandFor The Gambia, our homelandWe strive and work and pray,That all may live in

The Rise Of The USA As A Superpower Essays - Energy,

The Rise of the USA as a Superpower The Rise of the USA as a Superpower The development and use of nuclear power has led to the United States assuming a position as the true World Military Superpower. The Unites States was the leader in planning, building, testing and actually using the most powerful nuclear weapon known to man. This country also led the world in relatively safe production of nuclear power. The only other competitor to the United States, the Soviet Union, had poor leaders, induced a poor economy, and eventually led the country to lose the race for superpower. During World War II, the United States began the research and development of the atomic bomb. Code-named the Manhattan Project, it took place in a government built city in New Mexico called Los Alamos. General Leslie Groves and physicist Robert Oppenheimer led the research to create this atomic bomb. The mission was to build, test and, if necessary, unleash an atomic bomb. With the many people working on creating and building this bomb, they completed it within the short amount of time given. In July of 1945, they tested the nuclear bomb in New Mexico. It was a success. The very next month, an atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima. Only a few days later, the atomic bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki. It was around this time that the United States found out that nobody, not even Germany or the Soviet Union, was anywhere close to competing with the U.S. in atomic weaponry. The atomic bomb was dropped not only to end the war with the Japanese, but to show the world, especially the Soviet Union, how powerful the United States was in its government, its military, its technology, and its people. The fact that it was a new bomb and being the first type of its kind ever created also caused an eagerness to use the bomb and see how it would work. These three factors are the reasons behind the United States dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, as they unknowingly and unintentionally began the nuclear age and the Cold War. The Cold War began as World War II was ending. The United States and the Soviet Union came out of the previous war nearly equal in strength, with the United States having the upper hand, being the first to create and use such intense nuclear power. It was during this time that these countries were competing to become the World Superpower. Nuclear power, for the purposes of electricity as well as weaponry, was going to be the determining factor as to who would be the greater Superpower. The United States leadership was strong and organized. The economy was good and growing stronger. The Soviet Union was not doing as well. Formerly being under the rule of Stalin, with strict centralization where it was only the highest party levels that made any and all decisions who ruled by decree and enforced with terror, the Soviet people and economy was stagnating. Strict centralization continued and eventually led to economic decline, inefficiency, and apathy during the 1970s and 1980s, and contributed to the Chernobyl' nuclear disaster. The great disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 was the final string cut that led not only to the Soviet Union losing its war to become the greatest World Superpower, but furthermore, the collapse of the Soviet system. The Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant was being run by people who made mistakes maintaining the power supply, who were tired of their own country, and who simply didn't care. This careless conduct led to poor maintenance and low output of nuclear power. To correct for this, some steps were taken to increase the power output. During the effort to correct the low power output, one final error occurred, and the consequences were tremendous. One of the reactors exploded and released huge doses of radiation. The ambitious nuclear power program of the Soviet Union was now over. The Unites States led the world in nuclear technology by producing the atomic bomb, and had the courage to use it - twice. This proved to the world that the United States was a Superpower they should fear. The United States also had good leaders whom kept the economy strong, and kept the people in order. The Soviet Union however, trailed behing the United States. They did not have the technology to produce the amount of nuclear power that the United States had, nor the economy to support the research. Their economy was not only poor, but also continually declining. With these

Crack essays

Crack essays Crack (rock) and cocaine are both stimulant drugs, which are widely used in our country today. They both present problems for us because of their potency and highly addicted addicts that can not seem to escape their grasp. Crack and cocaine also have various street names such as coke, snow, blow, base, C, ice, flake, sniff, rock and the list goes on. Cocaine is sold in a white powder form, which is sniffed, injected, or smoked (free-basing) and is much more expensive than its cousin crack (rock). Crack is a powerful form of cocaine and comes in a small crystal form, which is smoked, in a crack pipe or suitable utensil. "Cocaine by binding to the sites that normally reabsorb neurotransmitter molecules, cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The extra neurotransmitter molecules therefore remain in the synapse, intensifying their normal mood altering effect and producing an euphoric rush. When the cocaine level drops, the absence of these neurotransmitters produces a crash"(D.G.Meyers PG 233). The high that a user will experience from cocaine lasts approximately fifteen to thirty minutes. Crack is another name given to cocaine, which has been processed with hydrochloride to a free basing state. " Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the cracking sound heard when the mixture is smoked, presumably from the sodium bicarbonate".(NIDA's home PG 1). This process produces a small white to tan looking pellet that has the texture of porcelain. Crack smoke reaches the lung tissue through the bloodstream to the brain in seconds. Its instant effect or ...

How to Pick Your College Classes

How to Pick Your College Classes The main reason youre in school is to earn your degree. Picking good courses at the right time and in the right order is, therefore, critical to your success. Talk to Your Advisor No matter how big or small your school is, you should have an adviser who helps make sure you are on track to earning your degree. Check in with them, no matter how sure you are about your choices. Not only does your adviser most likely need to sign off on your selections, but he or she can also help alert you to things you may not even have considered. Make Sure Your Schedule Has Balance Dont set yourself up for failure by thinking you can handle more courses than you usually take, all with labs and heavy workloads. Make sure your schedule has some balance: varying levels of difficulty, varying subject matters (when possible) so you arent using one part of your brain 24 hours a day, varying due dates for major projects and exams. Each course may be fine in and of itself, but when combined to create a killer schedule, they all may turn out to be a big mistake. Think About Your Learning Style Do you learn better in the morning? In the afternoon? Do you learn better in a huge classroom, or in a smaller section setting? See what options you can find within a department our course section and pick something that matches best with your learning style. Aim to Pick Strong Professors Do you know you absolutely love a certain professor in your department? If so, see if you can take a course with him or her this semester, or if it would be wiser to wait until a later time. If youve found a professor with whom you intellectually click, taking another class from him or her can help you get to know him or her better and possibly lead to other things, like research opportunities and letters of recommendation. If youre unfamiliar with professors on campus but know that you learn best from a professor who engages a class (instead of one who only lectures), ask around and check online to see what experience other students have had with various professors and their teaching styles. Consider Your Work Schedule and Other Commitments Do you know that you absolutely must have an on-campus job? Do you need an internship for your major? If so, will it require you to work days? Consider taking a class or two that meets in the evenings. Do you know you work best when you can plop yourself down in the library for eight hours straight? Try to avoid taking classes on Friday so that you can use it as a work day. Planning around your known commitments can help reduce your stress level once the semester is moving ahead at full-steam.

Palestinian settlement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Palestinian settlement - Essay Example Israel built 200,000 illegal Jewish settlements on the West Bank forcing up to 300,000 Palestinians out of their homes and destroying their settlements (Kevorkova). The Israeli-controlled municipality is asking the Palestinians to demolish their homes saying that they have been constructed illegally. The same set of authorities has made the permits very expensive for the Palestinians to afford. Many Palestinians have been so heart-broken that they are destroying their homes themselves rather than having the Israeli authorities do it to them by force. â€Å"Self-demolitions like this began a few years ago and have continued—albeit somewhat under the mainstream media’s radar—ever since, with Palestinians compelled to destroy their own homes in order to avoid the steadily increasing fines leveled by the municipality† (Gilbert and Collins). The amount of land zoned for the Palestinian construction in the Shu’Fat neighborhood of East Jerusalem is far less than the population of the Palestinians in the city. This can be estimated from the fact that although the population of the Palestinians has become 300,000 in the city since the year 1967, the amount of land zoned for the Palestinian construction by the municipal authorities is no more than 9 per cent (Gilbert and Collins). On the West Bank, the Israeli army checks the papers of the Palestinian settlers in the area, randomly confiscates some of them, and herds them as well as their flocks away from the hilltop that has been so wanted by the Jewish settlement called Susiya. The Israeli officers arrest those who argue with them over the unjust orders of movement. Young Jewish settlers are increasingly establishing their mobile homes over the hilltops. â€Å"Armed with a list of military orders, Israeli soldiers are herding the West Bank’s Palestinians out of the rural 60% of the territory,

Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy - Assignment Example Crystal Jade is listed as one of the top market performers and they still strive to maintain their position through laying various business strategies. Limited barriers to entry inform of patents and rights. Most of foods and beverages offered by Crystal Jade are not strictly regulated through patents and legal rights making it easier for other players to sell and offer similar goods and services. No technical skills required to start up a firm. Unlike in highly controlled industries such as law, engineering, and medical where technical skills is paramount no or limited technical ability is required to start and run a restaurant successfully Competitors are high in number and equally balanced in key areas of operation. Crystal Jade is face intense competition both locally and internationally. Key among its competitors include but not limited to Old Chang Kee, Sakae Sushi, KLG, Marrybrown Restaurant, Es Teler 77, and Hoka Hoka Bento. Crystal Jade has been enjoying political stability all its areas of operation. The company currently operates at least 121 outlets in approximately 9 different countries across Asia and in the United States all of which are political stabile. However being a multinational company Crystal Jade has to deal with varied public issues such as taxation policies, different trade and labour laws and regulations which may have direct impact on the operations of the business. For instance, The US operate different labour and tax laws compared to China and Singapore and such differences may be a significant challenge to the growth and expansion of business if they are not addressed effectively. It is quite plausible that Crystal Jade is operating its business in a number of the most flourishing economies in Asian region. Key global economic bodies such as World Bank and IMF have ranked China, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia as being among the fasted growing economies globally

Brain Drain Essay Example for Free

Brain Drain Essay The first think that click in yur mind about brain drain is movie newyork,the thing that happened to john abrahim ,he was basically a nice person but he was torchured so much in jail that his niceness was removed ,and he became a terrorist his brain was completely drained, but u all r wrong with the assumptions. Brain drain which is also known as human_capital_flight means refers to the emigration of intelligent, well-educated individuals to somewhere for better pay or conditions, causing the place they came from to lose those skilled people, or brains. Typically, emigrating brains have learned English and move to the United Kingdom, the US or some other English-speaking country. The developed nations concerned saves her pounds and dollars on professional education and training and in the process obtains the services of trained doctors/ engineers who/earn very much more than their native counter parts and have more comfortable styles of living. There have been several efforts to define the concept of brain drain, mainly by international organisations. For example, we can read the following in a 1969 UNESCO report .the brain drain could be defined as an abnormal form of scientific exchange between countries, characterized by a one- way flow in favour of the most highly developed countries. One of the most comprehensive report the main characteristics of brain drain as follows: a) There are numerous flows of skilled and trained persons from developing to developed countries; b) They are characterised by large flows from a comparatively small number of developed countries and by small flows from a larger number of developing countries; c) In these flows engineers, medical personnel and scientists usually tend to predominate; d) The above flows have grown with increasing rapidity in recent years f) The flows respond increasingly to the changed g) The migratory trends are stimulated both by the character of national educational systems by lack and inadequate planning for the training of students from developing countries, in developed states as well as the proper utilisation of their-skills in their home country; and h) Except possibly for south America, there are no signs that the migration of talents is decreasing and there are fairly definite signs that its increase will,  under present conditions, continue to accelerate. Types of brain drain Organizational: The flight of talented, creative, and highly trained employees from large corporations—e.g. Yahoo,HubSpot,[4]and Microsoft— that occurs when employees perceive the direction and leadership of the company to be unstable or stagnant, and thus, unable to keep up with their personal and professional ambitions. Geographical: The flight of highly trained individuals and college graduates from their area of residence, for instance, those migrating from the mid-western United States to the coastal states and large metropolises. Industrial: The movement of traditionally skilled workers from one sector of an industry to another. For example, jobs in the United States and other governments, also known as the public sector, have experienced significant generational brain drain as tenured boomer generation employees retire. Heightened competition for talent from the private sector and budgetary constraints have made it increasingly difficult to attract replacements f or these retirees.

Inleiding :: German Essays

Inleiding Door de druk van de publieke opinie gaan bedrijven steeds vaker rekening houden met hun omgeving. Onder deze omgeving verstaan wij niet alleen mensen die in de nabijheid van deze bedrijven wonen, maar ook het personeel en het milieu. De samenleving eist van bedrijven dat ze minder vervuilend worden en vooral ook ‘veiliger’. De overheid vertaalt deze eisen in een kader wetgeving die aangeeft aan welke eisen bedrijven moeten voldoen. De bedrijven die op het moment van het ontstaan van kaderwetgeving nog geen maatregelingen hebben getroffen om te voldoen aan de eisen worden vaak opgezadeld met hoge kosten die doorberekend worden in het product. Vervolgens blijkt echter dat de consument niet bereid is om meer te betalen voor een product. De gevolgen van deze neerwaartse spiraal laten zich raden en hebben ervoor gezorgd dat vooraanstaande strategen zich gebogen hebben over dit probleem. Zij komen over het algemeen tot de conclusie dat bedrijven door een innovatief (milie u) beleid te voeren voordelen kunnen behalen ten op zichtte van de concurrentie. Dit beleid moet een vooruitziende blik hebben in de richting van toekomstige eisen zodat op een vroeg moment maatregelen kunnen worden getroffen. Vaak blijken bedrijven hierdoor effectiever en efficià «nter te gaan werken waardoor de productiekosten vaak zelfs gaan dalen in plaats van stijgen. In jaar drie van de studie bedrijfskunde gaan wij voor het vak operationeel beheer een onderzoek uitvoeren binnen het kader van drie zorgsystemen. Deze zorgsystemen zijn veiligheids-, milieu- en kwaliteitssystemen. Het bewustzijn dat kwaliteitssystemen grote voordelen met zich meebrengen is rond 1980 ontstaan1. Dit bewustzijn heeft zich ontwikkeld tot de huidige vorm van kwaliteitsmanagement. De ervaringen die hiermee zijn opgedaan kunnen gebruikt worden om toe te passen op de milieu- en veiligheidssystemen. Wij gaan proberen deze vertaalslag te maken. Dit onderzoek zal tevens aan de praktijk getoetst worden door DSM in het onderzoek te betrekken. De theoretische leidraad in ons onderzoek komt voor het grootste gedeelte uit het verplichte studiemateriaal benodigd voor het vak operationeel beheer. De basis voor onze probleemstelling en de daaruit afgeleide vraagstelling komt uit het artikel van M.E. Porter en C. van der Linde, Green and Competitive. Hierin wordt gesteld dat bedr ijven die een innovatief milieu beleid hanteren productiever worden en daardoor beter kunnen concurreren. Er wordt in dit artikel gesteld dat bedrijven te weinig kijken naar de voordelen die een innovatief milieubeleid met zich mee brengt en teveel kijken naar de statische kosten.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel which tells a story about self-discovery. As given in Britannica, â€Å"Epistolary novel, a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters.† Epistolary novel is a type of novel written in a form of letters through one of the characters. According to a post on eNotes: A genre of fiction which first gained popularity in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the epistolary novel is a form in which most or all of the plot is advanced by the letters or journal entries of one or more of its characters, and which marked the beginning of the novel as a literary form. Epistolary novel first got famous in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is a genre of fiction in which novel is written in a form of letters or journal by one of the characters. Charlie, the protagonist of The Perks of being a Wallflower writes a series of letters to narrate his story. It is stated on essaytown: Even if presenting the reader with fictional letters, the epistolary novels of seventeenth and eighteenth century already suggested that letter writing had a therapy like effect on their fictional authors. The letter writing would act like a catharsis†¦ Charlie is called a wallflower by his friends. Merriam-Webster defines wallflower as, â€Å"a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains on the sidelines of a social activity.† People are considered to be ‘wallflower' when they are shy, reserved and unpopular. When they stay quiet and avoid talking to anyone. These people are usually introvert and have no friends. They isolate themselves for different reasons such as fears or lack of confidence. They do not participate in social activities and try to remain hidden as if they are invisible. Charlie is an introvert, a shy teenager who does not have friends and does not participate in life.The idea of self-discovery according to Encyclopedia entails â€Å"the process of acquiring insight into one's own character.† People themselves are sometimes not aware of their true nature and their desires. Self-discovery happens when they truly find themselves, who they really are and what they want. Pam M.S. Nugent describes self-discovery as a procedure through which a person finds out their true character and qualities. Charlie, as the novel proceeds, discovers hidden truths about himself, his likes, dislikes, his wants, and what kind of a person he truly is by going through a process of self-discovery.A process of looking for your own identity. To discover what a one individual has in his personality and what things are there to which a person is likely to be more inclined is called self-discovery. As per PsychologyDictionary self-discovery is a method through which a person becomes aware of his true desires and wants. Just as Charlie discovers the truth about his different behavior, his true likes and dislikes.1.1 Background of StudyI would read this novel in the light of the idea of defense mechanisms as presented by Sigmund Freud in the classical psychoanalysis. A post on Chegg Study states: According to Sigmund Freud, who developed the concept in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, defense mechanisms are a major component of personality. Freud believed that personality consists of the ego, the id, and the superego. The id is the source of instincts and natural desires; when these clash with social norms, tension arises as the superego disapproves and the ego mediates between them. Defense mechanisms respond by shifting such desires, feelings, and associated thoughts to the unconscious. The post states that Sigmund Freud considers the defense mechanisms as important part of personality. According to Freud, personality is made of id, ego and superego. Defense mechanisms according Freud respond by changing desires, feelings and thoughts into unconscious. Other than authors, psychoanalytic theory applies on characters. The theory can be used to understand the protagonist of the novel, Charlie, and his behavior better in the light of Freud's classical psychoanalysis. After Charlie's unconscious mind reveals some past memories to him, they cause some psychological disturbances. The research will focus on Charlie's characteristics, his traumas, what defense mechanisms he use against them and his journey towards self-discovery. Regarding unconscious, Freud states:Everything that is repressed must remain unconscious; but let us state at the very outset that the repressed does not cover everything that is unconscious. The unconscious has the wider compass: the repressed is a part of the unconscious. Freud argues that everything a person represses must stay in unconscious mind, but unconscious mind is not only filled with repressed memories, it has other things in it too. Charlie has repressed his memories in his unconscious mind which are later revealed. Calvin S. Hall defines defense mechanism as a way of dealing with different threats and dangers. It is a way to lessen the anxiety by using different defenses such as denial, projection, repression, regression and displacement which are discussed in detail in chapter

Miranda Priestly OB

Locus of control: It can be observed throughout the movie how Miranda tried to control ever thing around her. Every decision taken by her was considered to be final. There is a dialogue â€Å"Her opinion is the only opinion that matters†, it show how she controlled everything around her. Self Esteem: (Tendency to rate one very high) Miranda rated herself above everyone. She likes to believe that, if it's for her then anything is possible. She never allows anyone to ever ride lift with her. A person leaves lift as soon as Miranda enters lift for her and waits for the other en to arrive.Lack of emotional Intelligence: Miranda lacks emotional intelligence. During many of the incidences she tends to ignore the emotions of the people around her. For instance when her assistant fails to book flight for her, she makes her feel very bad even though it was not her mistake. In one of the incidences even though she knew her first assistant was looking forward for the trip to Paris, and h as been dieting and planning for over months, even though she neglects her and takes a new assistant with her. She never cared to learn the name of her employee and called by any name she felt .Job Fit: She is the most job fit for her job. She has knowledge of her domain and she makes sure job is done at all cost. A famous designer displays his designs before Paris show to Miranda. He thinks it was his best work but Miranda directly rejects the collection and the designer changes his collection to receive applaud during the main show. Pygmalion Effect: The process of bringing the best out of others. Miranda always expected the best out of each and every of her employee. When a new assistant joins, Miranda pushes her to extreme always expecting the result out of her.She sometimes gave impossible task to her employee like booking flight during storm or procuring an unpublished Harry potter book. Due to her constant supervision she always brings out the best in people. Andrea â€Å"An dy' Cash land an interview with an fashion industry magazine which is names as a job â€Å"a million girls would kill for†. The job is as junior personal assistant for editor of Runway fashion magazine. Andrea is a fresh out of college and is looking for a job to jump start her career, even though he dislikes fashion industry, she accepts the job.

20 Creative Study Methods to Beat the Studying Rut

20 Creative Study Methods to Beat the Studying Rut Sometimes you simply cant imagine studying another subject for another minute. Youve officially given up and refuse to care anymore. You have taken four final exams already and are looking down the barrel of the shotgun thats going to fire off three more finals any second. How do you progress when the thought of sitting down in front of a pile of books and notes makes you want to scream? How do you move beyond apathy to ensure you get the score you really want on that final or midterm exam? Heres how: you get creative. The following list includes 20 different creative study methods that are sure to help heal you of the study blahs. Read Your Chapter Aloud†¦ As a Shakespearean monologue. And if you really want to make it good, speak the Queens English. Everything sounds better in the Queens English. Try it: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. Sounds better, right? Right.As if you were giving a presidential address. Be sure to have the unmistakable half-fist ready. And Im sure your professor would be happy to give you extra credit if you record this address and put it on YouTube. I am almost positive I heard her saying that yesterday.   In a New Jersey accent. Because, when youre here, youre family. Or else. Play a Game†¦ Like Jeopardy. Convince a really good friend or really interested parent to give you the answers to questions on your study guide. You must provide the questions. Ill take Potent Potables for six, Alex.Like Around the World. Remember that? In a small study group, one person faces off against another and moves around the group until someone beats him or her. Then, that new person moves around the group answering questions. The person who answers the most questions correctly gets a Starbucks gift card! Woo hoo! Draw†¦ Little pictures that represent key ideas in your content. Its easier to remember Maslows Hierarchy of Needs if you draw a banana and a glass of orange juice next to physiological instead of just trying to remember the word alone. Trust me on that one.The same symbols over and over. Circle the main idea in each section. Draw stars next to supporting details in each section. Underline vocabulary words in each section. Draw arrows from causes to effects in each section. Youre honing your reading skills while learning something new. Win-win.A storyboard about the chapter. Reading about the rise of FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt)? Draw a storyboard that reflects his early political career, the months before his inauguration, and FDRs three-pronged strategy to get elected. Your brain will easily remember the sequence of events much better that way because generally, pictures are worth a thousand word​s. Create†¦ A short story placing yourself in the setting youre studying. Lets say youre learning about Elizabethan England. Or the Civil War. Drop yourself right into a scene and write from first person perspective what you see, hear, feel and want more than anything in the world. Just make sure to make it out alive.A poem related to your topic. Learning Trig? No sweat. The last I heard sin and cosine rhyme. Plus, not all poems have to rhyme. Go free verse on that math. See how many of those terms you can squeeze into some iambic pentameter.A short story following a person that youre learning about. Based on what youve learned about her, what does Mother Teresa do when she discovers a mystery in Kolkata? Incorporate everything youre learning about her into the story. Bonus points if you give the teacher your story for Christmas. Sing a Song†¦ To remember a list. Its truly one of the best ways to remember the Periodic Table of the Elements, although theres no solid reason you should know them cold. Unless, of course, youre a scientist. In which case, youll be getting a quiz later.To get through a particularly tough reading passage. If you sing the passage, it may bring up different phrasing that can help you understand words you may not be getting. Still dont get it? Try one of the summary methods below. Write a Summary†¦ Of the 10 key things you must absolutely remember from the passage on sticky notes. Write them in your own words because theres nothing as silly as remembering someone elses ideas when you have no idea what they mean. Summarize in a way you can understand! Then, put the sticky notes up all around your room or kitchen or bathroom. No one else living in your house will mind. I promise.   Of each paragraph in one sentence, starting at the beginning of the chapter. That little summary of the paragraph is probably the  main idea. Once you have all of the main ideas of the paragraphs, string them together into one little mini-essay. You will be floored how much more you remember of the chapter when you read this way.By turning the chapter headings into questions and then reworking the block of text beneath the chapter headings into answers. Again, use your own words when you write the summaries. Make Flashcards†¦ On apps like Chegg, Evernote or StudyBlue. Many of them will let you add pics and sound, too. Kewl.On 3X5 cards, like your grandmother used. That wasnt an insult. She actually used them. And Grandma knew what she was doing, for your information. By mixing up the kinesthetic action of writing with the visual on the card, your brain learns the info in two different ways. Boom! Teach Someone Else†¦ Like your mom. You know how shes always asking you what youre doing in school? Nows the chance to explain what youve learned in Molecular Biology. Teach her so she really gets it. If you cant explain it in a way she can understand, better hit the books again.Like the people in an imaginary audience. Pretend youre standing in front of a group of thousands who have all shown up (and paid top dollar, by the way) to hear you speak about Romeo and Juliet. Explain the details of this tragedy so anyone listening will understand that Benvolio was Romeos best friend for a reason. Be sure to include the Nurses role, too.

TLM or Teaching Learning Materials Definition

TLM or Teaching Learning Materials Definition In the field of education, TLM is a commonly used acronym that stands for teaching/learning materials. Broadly, the term refers to a spectrum of educational materials that teachers use in the classroom to support specific learning objectives, as set out in lesson plans. These can be games, videos, flashcards, project supplies, and more. Classroom teaching that uses only a teacher lecturing the class, perhaps writing on the chalkboard or whiteboard, is the classic example of not using any TLM. Using TLM can greatly assist students in the learning process. Examples of Teaching/Learning Materials Activity-based learning employs a variety of teaching/learning materials and focuses on student interaction to learn new concepts. Context-specific learning materials enhance the process. Story Books Story books make great teaching-learning materials. For example, a middle school teacher can use a book like The Hatchet by Gary Paulson, a gripping story of a boy, 13, who finds himself alone in a desolate wooded area in Canada, with only a hatchet (a gift from his mother) and his wits to help him survive. A teacher can read this book to the class as a whole, then have students write a brief essay summarizing the book and explaining what they thought of the story. And at the elementary school level, book reports provide a great way to have students engage with the books they read, either individually or together with the class. Manipulatives Manipulatives are physical items such as gummy bears, blocks, marbles, or even small cookies, that assist student learning. Manipulatives are especially helpful in the younger primary grades, where students can use them to help solve subtraction and addition problems. Samples of Student Writing Having students write can be an effective teaching method. But students often have difficulty thinking of topics. Thats where student writing prompts can be useful. Writing prompts are brief partial sentences designed to help spark student writing, such as The person I admire the most is...   or My biggest goal in life is... Just be sure to give students the parameters of the assignment, such as a single paragraph for younger pupils or a full, multi-page essay for older students. Videos In the current digital age, there are plenty of websites that offer free educational videos for kids. Videos provide real, visual images that can help enliven learning, but you need to be careful to choose videos that have real educational value. Websites that offer free learning videos include the Khan Academy, which offers videos on basic and advanced math, English grammar and literature, science, and even SAT preparation. Games Games can be useful in teaching students everything from money and grammar to social skills. Sight words bingo, for example, can help students learn their basic sight words, but there are also relatively inexpensive bingo games that teach money skills, Spanish, telling time, and even English grammar. More active, outside games such as basketball or kickball can help students learn social skills, such as taking turns, sharing, working as a team, and being a good loser or gracious winner. Flashcards Even in this age of computers and internet-based learning materials, flashcards can be particularly useful for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Printing high-frequency words, also known as sight words, on the front of flashcards with short definitions on the back can create a good learning tool for students who have auditory or visual learning styles. Model Clay Younger students, such as those in kindergarten through third grade, can learn using model clay. For example, a teacher might have young students make letters of the alphabet using clay. But you can also use clay to teach concepts to older students. Teachers have been known to use model clay to teach plate tectonics, the theory of how the Earths surface behaves. Overhead Projector Transparencies In this modern age, dont forget about the value of old-fashioned overhead transparencies. A teacher can use overhead projector transparencies to teach counting skills, such as for numbers up to 100, and visually demonstrate how charts and graphs work. Better even than a whiteboard or blackboard, transparencies allow you or students to write numbers, create problems, circle, and highlight features and easily wipe away markings with a paper towel or tissue. Computer Software and Apps Plenty of learning computer software is available online. Interactive software programs can help English language learners study grammar and other elements of the English language. And apps, such as for tablet computers and even smartphones, offer instruction in everything from foreign languages to information on the Common Core Standards as well as university-level lectures and lessons for students- many of the apps are free. Visual Aids Visual aids can be teaching tools designed for the entire classroom, such as posters showing basic site words, class rules, or key concepts about important holidays or lessons. But they can also be used the help students individually, particularly visual learners or those having difficulty organizing their work or their thoughts. Graphic organizers, for example, are charts and tools used to visually represent and organize a students knowledge or ideas. Graphic organizers can help students learn math and they are good tools for teaching special education students and English language learners.

Carnival Cruise - Case 16 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Carnival Cruise - 16 - Case Study Example These forces include threats from new entrants in to the market, bargaining powers of the customers or the buyers, threats emanating from substitutes that could be products or services, bargaining power of the suppliers, the level of rivalry among the competing companies, and the relative power of unions. The competitive forces vary from country to country in the same way that industries vary. For instance, threats of entrants into an industry are not the same in different countries and are mostly dependent on the development of the host country or the market in question. Here, there would be a higher threat from new entrants for an organization operating in the U.K than one operating in a developing country. The competitive forces have a high rating while others have low rating. First, threat of new entrants is a high rate risk for businesses especially those operating in highly profitable markets. This is because these markets have the potential to attract new firms that lead to erosion of profit making capabilities for the existing organizations. To respond to these threats, the incumbents should have pre-established entry barriers such as economies of scale failure to which profitability suffers. Second, the bargaining power of the buyers is a high rate risk. It is the idea of the buyers driving the prices down. It is a high risk especially in the areas where there are few powerful buyers. These buyers have the capacity to dictate terms that determine the prices of the goods offered. In addition, when the cost for switching to another buyer is low, then the power of the buyers is significantly low with respect to determining the prices offered. Therefore, the number of powerful indiv idual buyers in a specified market determines the prices of the products. Third, substitute threats can also be rated as high risks. This is because the existence of substitutes increases the likelihood of the customers switching to them leading to loss and loss of

Assess 'Reformasi' and the democratic transition in Indonesia Essay

Assess 'Reformasi' and the democratic transition in Indonesia - Essay Example An assessment is made of the ideals and goals of Reformasi and how these compare with the present reality. The conclusion identifies key issues facing the country. Indonesia is a Southeast Asian archipelago of over 12,000 islands, with a total population of 270 million, making it one of the largest Islamic nations in the world (CIA, 2007). A Dutch colony for over 350 years, it gained independence in 1945 under Sukarno, a nationalist leader who established a parliamentary government with him as its first President. By 1959, the government was struggling to contain three challenging threats: Islamism, communism, and militarisation. Sukarno established a â€Å"Guided Democracy† characterised by military-backed authoritarian rule, a non-aligned foreign policy, and socialist anti-modern economic policies, all of which proved chaotic and difficult to manage (Smith, 1999). Due to growing threats to peace and stability, the army staged a coup d’etat in 1965 under the leadership of Army Minister Suharto, who justified it as the only way to protect the nation from communism. Sukarno was deposed and on house arrest until his death in 1970. In 1967, Suharto was declared President and ruled Indonesia until his resignation in May 1998, succeeded by his hand-picked successor, B.J. Habibie, who initiated the period of reform in Indonesian politics. During his short term, he allowed parliamentary elections, granted independence to East Timor, and in October 1999 handed the Presidency to Abdurrahman Wahid, who in July 2001 stepped down on charges of corruption and handed power to Megawati, Sukarno’s daughter. When her term ended in late 2004, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY, a retired Army general who played a key role in 1998 became the country’s first democratically elected President (Soesastro et al., 2003; McGibbon, 2006). Indonesia’s recent history could be divided into three

Benhams Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Benhams Manufacturing - Essay Example This will impact on increasing the revenue of the company. The same will happen if Benhams manufacturing invests additional finances in their projects. This means that improvement of the status of key resource will work enhance the competitiveness of the company. In reference with the argument from different organizational philosophers, it is evident that the level of expected output from employees is extremely valuable in driving all other resources (Lloyd-Jones & Lewis 2008). This is the reason behind the growing significance of creating a competition advantage through employee training and development. The practice is quite expensive, but the resultant product focuses on long term benefits (Sadler 2011). Benhams manufacturing can highly benefit from training in reference with the above argument. Among the outstanding training, sectors in finance is cost. The training will also over the challenge related to precision in production. If employees learn on the benefit of minimizing cost, both direct and indirect, the company will reduce overheads among other costs. This will have a significant impact on the company following the reduction of expenses (Sadler 2011). Denying employees the chance to access new information that relates to their line of specialization is a dangerous strategy. This will make the company lag behind as their skills do not meet those of the current market, thus not competitive. However, the training process is expensive, and this negatively affects the company’s growth and development. Money that could have been used for the company’s upgrading is directed to the training program. It a time consuming procedure, and this results to a downfall in the amount of output produced by the company. Working hours are scheduled for the training program, and this automatically reflects in the returns. Scheduling time for all employees to

Mise-en-scene, Psycho | Analysis

Mise-en-scene, Psycho | Analysis Mise-en-scene, psycho The mise-en-scene, a French term roughly translated as what is put into the scene (put before the camera), refers to all those properties of a cinematic image that exist independently of camera position, camera movement, and editing (although a viewer will see these different dimensions united in one image). Mise-en-scene includes lighting, costumes, sets, the quality of acting, and other shapes and characters in the scene. The Major reason that we tend to overlook or undervalue mise-en-scene in the movies is the powerful illusion of realism that is at the heart of the film medium (Corrigan, Timothy.45). Mise-en-scene usually involves some planning, but the filmaker may be open to unplanned events as well. An actor may add a line on the set, or an unexpected change in lighting may enhance a dramatic effect (Bordwell, David and Thompson, Kristin.156). Setting, costumes, lighting, and staging-these are the components of mise-en-scene. Yet one element seldom appears in isolation. Each usually combines with others to create a specific system in every film- (Bordwell, David.175). Mise-en-scene functions not in only isolated moments, but in relation to the narrative organization of the entire film (Bordwell, David.184). Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho (1960), a suspense horror film is one of the famous film which explores the conventional characteristics of film which are relevant to mise-en-scene. The film is encountered between two characters, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) a secretary and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) the owner of the motel. Psycho starts with a title which is sliced up into halves from the middle, which depicts the split personality of Norman, who has been portrayed as psycho in the movie. The title is a reflection on his character. Psycho starts with showing the city of Phoenix, then the buildings and cars are shown from the top angle and then the camera pans to the window which is half closed , this also reflects the duality and shows that something suspicious is going to happen. Inside the room Marion is shown wearing a white underwear. In the next scene when she steals money from her employer and gets back home, she is then shown wearing a black underwear, which shows the difference b etween purity and evilness, because in white underwear she was shown pure, but after she steals the money, the black underwear signifies that she has done a crime and her sin has replaced her purity, and stealing money also shows an authority , as she got what she wanted and now she has control on things. And when she runs away from her home after stealing money, we see her wearing black dress, bag and shoes. Moreover her car was black as well portraying everything as evil. This beginning scene holds a grip on the audience which makes them stick to the screen. Psychos crucial and important scene is the murder of Marion in the shower, which is known as the Shower Scene. 77 camera angles are featured in this scene, and most of the shots are close ups and extreme close ups. When Marion enters the bathroom, everything is shown completely white, which shows purity, where as Marion is not pure so it signifies that she is taking a shower to clean all of her sins Then the scene starts continuing in different shots and camera angles which shows that something is about to happen, and then there is a silhouette shot of Marion which signifies that things are going to go on a darker side from white. The use of close shots is to make the scene feel longer and more subjective. There are some mediums shots, which are shot before and after the murder, the reason they are not shot between the murder is to show violence and to make the audience feel as they are seeing a murder in reality and while the murder is happening, the audience can feel the helplessne ss of Marion, and that she is in danger and needs help but there is not one to help her, so audience feel like going into the scene and help her out. Hitchcock is famous for using these kind of shots to make the audience go crazy and feel the reality and here comes the suspension of disbelief which makes the scene more interesting for the audience. The murder ends with a medium shot where blood is pouring into the drain of the tub which shows the end of Marions life. One of the other important scene is the parlor scene, when Marion is eating her sandwich the camera is placed on her eye level so the audience could feel that they are sitting with Marion and having a conversation with her, and for Norman the camera is low angled which shows that his life is out of balance, and something wrong is going on, because nobody is comfortable on viewing the world from such a position. Then the props and costume has played an important role in this scene, especially the eagle and other stuffed birds on the wall. This portrays the motel as a mad house, builds up frightening moment of the scene and signifies that something wrong is going to happen. Marions clothes are light in color, and her posture is very relaxed where as Norman is wearing dark clothes which portrays him as dominant, wicked evil man and it also shows that Marion will be soon victimized by the hands of Norman. The use of mise-en-scene in this scene is very effective as it previews what is goi ng happen next in the narrative. There are many things which are used as motif in Psycho with in the mise-en-scene. For example, the use of bathroom in the beginning, then the bathroom is shown twice and then the most important murder scene which also occurs in the bathroom. The use of close up shots of the eyes to show the emotions and the nature of the character that the audience could feel. These eye shots are the key shots of the film and nicely used as motif, and the eye with close up is a perfect way to show the goal for violence act. For example after the murder, when we see the blood draining into the drain of the tub, the drain transforms into the eye of the victim, who is lying dead on the bathroom floor. The shots of mirrors are also repeated couple of times to show the mirror image and the dual personality of the character. Birds have been used as a motif, be it stuffed birds in the parlor or the frames in the motel room, this signifies that Marion who came in the motel, she was not less than a stuffed b ird on wall or a frame, who could not fly back ever again, as she was murdered by the psycho man. Even when Norman was taking her dead body out of the room, the frame falls down, which shows the end of her life. The car was also used a motif, it was Morains death that was calling her into the motel and it was the car that took her into it. Then the use of low angle and high angle shots through out the course of the film as a motif to make audience feel comfortable and uncomfortable in different situations throughout the movie. Further looking towards the lighting in Psycho, Hitchcocks artistry in lighting and mise-en-scene created a world that is submerged with duality. For example, the parlor scene, where there is a small place, and it is occupied with a lot of stuff, just to show an uncomfortable situation between Marion and Norman, and there is only one source of light which is coming from the lamp, which is the key light in that whole frame. The way these characters are lit by only one source of light and the way they are positioned is done so well that their emotions are valid, and the audience can tell whats going on in the characters mind. For example, when Marion is sitting on a chair, on that time her face is very well lit, which doesnt hide her in shadows as she has stolen 40,000 dollars, but the high key lighting on her face shows that she is not on a darker and evil side, it creates softness and shows that shes having an intension of returning the stolen money. Where as Norman is not well lit in this scene, the back and fill lightening is very minimum because of which he is in shadows, which shows his dual personality and that he is hiding something. In the last scene, when Norman is shown in the jail, we see that he is clad in a black blanket portraying him as a villain and wicked facial expressions on his face shows the evilness of his character and that he is not guilty of what he did, infact he was a truly psycho man. The movie ends with the last scene where we see the car carrying Morains dead body emerging out of the water, which has been used as motif throughout the film. Overall, Hitchcock has done an amazing job with Psychos mise-en-scene with the mixture of camera angles, lightening and editing, and the use of these elements from the beginning till end, and the contribution of these all have added sense to the concept, as the use is justifiable and gain audiences interest. Stages of Decomposition: Effect of Time and Temperature Stages of Decomposition: Effect of Time and Temperature Chapter I INTRODUCTION Watson, can you determine cause and time of death? I knelt over the woman and began a cursory examination â€Å"Rigor mortis has set in, so Id estimate shes been dead about 10 to 12 hours. Holmes stood up and brushed himself off with his hands. So, that puts her death between midnight and 2 am†(Anonymous 2007). After the question of cause of death; the question of time of death is the most sought after piece of information associated with a medical death investigation. As a consequence, death investigators find themselves in need of a means of ascertaining the period of time between when an individuals body is found and when they died, sometimes referred to as the post mortem interval. Establishing the time of death through the determination of post mortem interval may have a direct bearing on the legal questions of guilt or innocence by confirming that a suspects alibi covers the period when the victim died, or demonstrating that it does not. If the time of death can be established to within hours, days, months or even years, an individual may be able to prove that they were at some other place at that time. On the other hand, if the suspect is known to have been in the vicinity of the victim during the appropriate time period, then they can be shown to have had an opportunity to commit th e crime. Currently, there are multiple techniques for determining post mortem interval that incorporate methods in almost every discipline of forensic science. Depending on the circumstances, these techniques can yield results that vary from a narrow accurate estimate (video of the victim, the victims stopped watch etc.) to a wide range estimate (counting tree rings on trees growing over or through the remains). Regardless of the of the method used, the calculation of post mortem interval is at best an estimate and should not be accepted as accurate without considering all of the factors that can potentially impact the result. Post Mortem Interval Estimation â€Å"For everything there is a season, And a time for every matter under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 The techniques currently utilized for estimating post mortem interval can be broken down into two broad categories based upon the methodology used. The first of these categories are the concurrence-based methodologies. Concurrence based methods relate or compare the occurrence of a known event, which took place at a known time, with the occurrence of death, which took place at an unknown time. Examples of concurrence-based methods include the determining the years of manufacture of clothing found on a body, tree ring development, dates on personal effects, etc. Concurrence based methods rely on both evidence associated with the body, and anamnestic evidence such as the deceaseds normal pattern of movements. The second grouping of techniques include rate of change methodologies. Rate of change-based methodologies measure some aspect of a evidence, directly associated with the body, that changes at a known or predictable rate and is started or stopped at the time of death. Examples of the rate of change based methods include body temperature, tissue decomposition, insect succession and bone weathering. Some of these methodologies can be considered to fall into both categories. Examples of these would be tree ring development (Coyle, Lee et al. 2005) and insect succession. Previous post mortem interval Estimation Methods The variety of approaches for estimating post mortem interval spring from the varied expertise and experiences of their proponents as such the different methods tend to be focused on the immediate needs of the investigator, and limited to a particular stage of the post mortem interval or type of observation. As a consequence, the period of time for which a procedure is effective will overlap others. Algor, Rigor and Liver Mortis â€Å"Tis after death that we measure men.† James Barron Hope The earliest recorded methods for estimating early post mortem interval were a rate of change methodology based on the most easily observed changes. The cooling of the body after death (algor mortis), the gradual stiffening of the body (rigor mortis) and the fixed pooling of the blood resulting in discoloration of the lower portions of the body (livor mortis) can be easily assessed with minimal or in some instances no instrumentation. Since the time of the ancient Greeks when the following rule of thumb was developed: Warm and not stiff: Not dead more than three hours; Warm and stiff: Dead between 3 and 8 hours; Cold and stiff: Dead between 8 and 36 hours; Cold and not stiff: Dead more than 36 hours; (Starkeby 2004) until modern times, the basis of most temperature based post mortem interval analyses is the assumption that the human body, which averages 98.2 oF +/- 1.3 oF (Mall and Eisenmenger 2005), was at 98.6 oF (Mackowiak, Wasserman et al. 1992) at death and that after death the body looses heat in a predictable manner. There have been many temperature based methods for estimating post mortem interval. As early as the 1800s, Dr. John Davy had developed a method using the fall in body temperature (algor mortis), measured rectally, to determine the post mortem interval (Henssge and Knight 2002). This method was refined by De Saram by recording detailed temperature measurements collected from executed prisoners (De Saram G. 1955). More recent approaches to this technique have included measuring rectal temperature, body surface temperature, ear canal temperature, eye socket temperature and liver temperature (Simonsen, Voigt et al. 1977; Henssge and Knight 1995; Baccino, De Saint Martin et al. 1996; Kanetake, Kanawaku et al. 2006). Improvements to these techniques have included multiple progressive sampling, and the introduction of concepts such as the initial temperature plateau, core temperature, heat gradients, the effects of insulation, the ratio of surface area to volume, the effects of humidity and the effect of conductive surfaces, Microclimates and postmortem skin cooling (Green and Wright 1985; Nokes, Flint et al. 1992; Nelson 2000). However, most methods that attempt to use body temperature changes to determine the post mortem interval are hampered, as most methods are, by individual variability. Even when complex calculations and algorithms have been designed to model for tissue density, initial temperature distribution, post mortem exothermic reactions and heat loss, these refinements have not appreciably narrowed the estimate window for post mortem interval. Multiple studies outlining instances of initial temperature increase of a body soon after death (Hutchins 1985) associated with post mortem chemical changes such as rigor mortis, cell lysis and the conversion of cellular energy production to anaerobic respiration (Nelson 2000); variations in the core body temperature ranging from 0.5 1.2  °C during a 24 hour period (Chisholm 1911; Mackowiak, Wasserman et al. 1992); the effect of variable environmental temperatures (Green and Wright 1985; Green and Wright 1985); and the effect of environmental temperatu re on overall body surface temperatures (Mall, Hubig et al. 2002) have all contributed to limit the usefulness temperature as a consistent indicator of post mortem interval. Additionally, once the body has reached ambient temperature temperature ceases to be a factor. Marshall said it best when he said ‘‘It would seem that the timing of death by means of temperature can never be more than an approximation(Henssge and Knight 1995). Soft and Hard Tissue Decomposition â€Å"Now, a corpse, poor thing, is an untouchable and the process of decay is, of all pieces of bad manners, the vulgarest imaginable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Aldous Huxley Cadaveric decomposition is a complex process that begins immediately following death and proceeds beyond the time when recognizable human remains have ceased to exist. Decomposition can be broken down into two major stages. The first stage, soft-tissue decomposition, is caused by autolysis and putrefaction. Autolysis is the digestion of tissue by cellular enzymes and digestive processes normally present in the organism. Putrefaction is the digestion of whole tissues systems caused by the enzymatic activity of fungi and bacteria that are either present in the organism or the environment that opportunistically invade the tissue. Both autolysis and the microorganisms responsible for putrefaction are normally held in check in living organisms. However, when an organism dies the cellular and systemic mechanisms responsible for regulating autolysis and inhibiting putrefying microorganisms stop. â€Å"Without these controlling processes the body becomes fancy (bacterial) culture media† (Carayannopoulos 1992). These early postmortem changes in soft tissues can be used to provide an estimate of the post mortem interval from death until skeletonization. However, the rate of soft tissue decomposition can be dramatically affected by both internal and external factors that affect the body (i.e. ambient temperature, cause of death, scavenging, trauma, environmental conditions, clothing, body size, mummification and adipocere formation) (Rodriguez and Bass 1985; Micozzi 1986; Mant 1987; Vass, Bass et al. 1992; Komar 1998; Campobasso, Di Vella et al. 2001). There are reported instances of rapid decomposition associated with acute illness (Frisch 2001) and the author is personally aware of an instance of a post mortem interval of less than eleven days resulting in complete skeletalization of an individual that died of complications related to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Watson 1994). Additionally, there are a number of examples of bodies remaining intact for year s after death (Bass and Jefferson 2003). Beyond gross observation for assessing decomposition, researchers have developed multiple morphometric and chemical methods for assessing soft tissue decomposition. These have ranged from early (ca.1800s) methods such as the Brouardel method which examined the shift in flammability of putrefaction gases in the early post-mortem interval, and the Westernhoffer-Rocha-Valverde method examining the formation of crystals in the blood formed after the third day of putrefaction (Cengage 2006); to more modern methods such as ultrasound assessments of organ condition (Uchigasaki, Oesterhelweg et al. 2004) and the use of electron microscopy to examine measurable physical changes in mitochondria (Munoz, de Almeida et al. 1999) and platelet count (Thomsen, Kaatsch et al. 1999). Chemical methods used to assess time since death include the assessment of volatile organic compound formation (Vass, Bass et al. 1992; Statheropoulos, Spiliopoulou et al. 2005; Statheropoulos, Agapiou et al. 2007; Dekeir sschieter, Verheggen et al. 2009); the concentrations of non-protein nitrogen (Sasaki, Tsunenari et al. 1983; Gallois-Montbrun, Barres et al. 1988) and creatinine (Gallois-Montbrun, Barres et al. 1988; Brion, Marc et al. 1991). Bony tissue decomposition, the second major stage of decomposition, consists of a combination of surface weathering due to environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, sunlight) and erosion from soil conditions (pH, mineral content, etc.) (Behrensmeyer 1978; Janjua and Rogers 2008). While not much detailed study has been done on the environmental factors that affect bony tissue breakdown, it has been established that environmental factors such as pH, oxygenation, hydrology and soil flora and fauna can affect the long term stability of collagen (Garlick 1969; Henderson 1987; Bell, Skinner et al. 1996). Collagen, the primary protenatious component of bone, slowly hydrolyzes to peptides and then to amino acids leading to the breakdown of the collagen-mineral bonds which weakens the overall bone structure leaving it more susceptible to environmental weathering (Henderson 1987). By examining the effects of related changes (cracking, flaking, vacuole formation, UV-fluorescence of compa ct bone) the investigator can estimate the period of time a bone sample has been exposed to weathering (Yoshino, Kimijima et al. 1991; Bell, Skinner et al. 1996; Janjua and Rogers 2008; Wieberg and Wescott 2008). Current methods of assessing time since death using bone weathering rely heavily upon the experience of the investigator (Knight and Lauder 1969) and are limited to immediately post skeletalization to 10 to 100 years based on environmental conditions (Haglund and Sorg 1997). As with the assessment of soft tissue decomposition for time since death, investigators examining bone decomposition have supplemented observational methods with quantifiable testing techniques that analyze changes that are not directly affected by the physical environment (Lundquist 1963). Radiocarbon dating of carbon-14 and strontium-90 have been used to group remains pre and post 1950 (Taylor, Suchey et al. 1989; Maclaughlin-Black, Herd et al. 1992). Neis suggested that, with further study of strontium-90 distributions, determination of times since death should be possible (Neis, Hille et al. 1999). Bradley suggested that measuring the distribution of 210Pb and 210Po in marrow and calcified bone could prove forensically significant (Bradley 1993). This work was built upon by Swift who evaluated using 210Pb and 210Po distribution in conjunction with trace element analysis to provide a meaningful estimate of the post-mortem interval (Swift 1998; Swift, Lauder et al. 2001). Maclaughl in demonstrated that chemical changes due to environment could measurably affect isotope levels (Maclaughlin-Black, Herd et al. 1992). In addition to radionucleotide studies, investigators have also measured the changes in both organic (amino acids, urea, proteins, DNA) and inorganic compounds (nitrogen, potassium, sulphur, phosphorous) in bone. (Jarvis 1997; Prieto-Castello, Hernandez del Rincon et al. 2007). Stomach Contents/Rate of Digestion â€Å"Govern well thy appetite, lest sin surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.† John Milton The presence or absence of food in the stomach is often used as an indicator of post mortem interval. Its use as an indicator of post mortem interval is predicated on the assumption that under normal circumstances, the stomach digests and empties at a predictable rate taking from two to six hours to eliminate a full meal (Jaffe 1989). If a person had eaten a light meal the stomach would empty in about 1.5-2 hours. For a medium-sized meal the stomach would be expected to take about three to four hours to empty. Finally, a large meal would take about four to six hours to exit the stomach. Regardless, it would take from six to eight hours for the initial portion of the meal to reach the large intestine (Hallcox 2007). This information, coupled with reliable ante-mortem information relating to when an individual last ate is used by some pathologists when providing an estimate of the times since death. It is for this reason, among others, that comprehensive autopsies usually include an ex amination of the stomach contents (Batten 1995; Siegel 2006). Although it provides another useful indicator of time since death, there are serious limitations to the assessment of the stomach contents as an accurate indicator of time since death. Its reliance on reliable anamnestic evidence such as eating habits, the extent to which the victim chews their food (Pera, Bucca et al. 2002), the physiological state of the victim (Troncon, Bennett et al. 1994; Jayaram, Bowen et al. 1997; Lipp, Schnedl et al. 1997; Phillips, Salman et al. 1997) and the state of mind of the victim (Jaffe 1989); as well as verifiable antemortem evidence such as what the last meal consisted of (protein vs. fiber vs. fat)(Dubois 1985; Tomlin, Brown et al. 1993), the amount of liquid consumed with the meal, alcohol consumption and the time when it was consumed limits its usefulness to a small number of cases (Jaffe 1989). These factors combined with evidence that digestion can continue after death (Koersve 1951) makes the estimation of post mortem interval using stomach co ntents difficult at best. Insect Succession â€Å"Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.† Clint Eastwood from the Outlaw Josey Wales Insect colonization of a body begins within hours of death and proceeds until remains cease to be a viable insect food source. Throughout this period, multiple waves of colonization by different insect species, as well as multiple generations of previously established species can exist. Forensic entomologists can use the waves of succession and generation time to estimate the postmortem interval based on the variety and stage of development of the insects, or insect remnants, present on the body (Archer and Elgar 2003). In addition to information regarding time since death, forensic entomology can provide useful information about the conditions to which the body was exposed. Most insects have a preference for specific conditions and habitats when colonizing a body and laying their eggs. Modifications to that optimal habitat can interrupt the expected insect colonization and succession. The presence of insects or insect larva that would typically be found on bodies colonized indoors o r in shade on a body discovered outside in direct sunlight may indicate that the body was moved after death (Sharanowski, Walker et al. 2008). Aquatic insects found on bodies discovered on land could indicate the body was originally in water (Wallace, Merritt et al. 2008; Proctor 2009). Although insect succession varies by season, geographical location and local environmental conditions, it is commonly assumed to follow a predictable sequence within a defined habitat. While there are a multitude of studies that have examined regional succession patterns (Archer and Elgar 2003; Tabor, Brewster et al. 2004; Tabor, Fell et al. 2005; Martinez, Duque et al. 2007; Eberhardt and Elliot 2008; Sharanowski, Walker et al. 2008) these studies use different approaches towards defining habitat and assessing insect succession making cross-comparisons of their data difficult. Also, the majority of these studies do not rigorously address the statistical predictability of a species occurrence making their results of limited use as post mortem interval indicators (Michaud and Moreau 2009). Additionally, beyond the presence or absence of clothing, the majority of the post mortem entomological studies conducted do not examine non-habitat external factors that may affect succession. For example, only a few studies have been conducted that assess the affect of drug ingestion (George, Archer et al. 2009) or the presence of chemicals (bleach, lye, acid etc.) used to cover-up evidence (Charabidze, Bourel et al. 2009) on the insect life cycle. As with other means of assessing time since death, more extensive studies with different insect species and drugs in a wider variety of habitats is necessary. Electrolyte Concentration â€Å"Death is a low chemical trick played on everybody†¦Ã¢â‚¬  J.J. Furnas Cellular activity does not immediately cease when an organism dies. Rather, individual cells will continue to function at varying metabolic rates until the loss of oxygen and metabolic substrates caused by the cessation of blood flow results in hypoxia (low oxygen). As cell metabolism shifts from aerobic to anaerobic, oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation, the cellular processes keeping autolysis in check, begin to decrease and eventually cease all together. Without energy to maintain osmotic gradients membranes begin to fail. As lysosomal membranes begin to fail the enzymes within are released and begin consuming the cell from the inside out. With autolysis comes a cascade of metabolic chemicals, released ions, originally bound up in various cellular processes begin to diffuse due to the diffusion gradient according to Ficks law into the intracellular spaces (Madea 2005). Forensic researchers have used the presence, absence or effects of inorganic ions such as potassium, phos phorous, calcium, sodium and chloride as a means of estimating time since death (Schleyer and Sellier 1958). In most instances the higher the concentration gradient, the more suitable is the analyte for the estimation of the time since death. When analyzing body fluids for the purposes estimating post mortem interval, early researchers tended to focus their studies on body fluids such as, cerebrospinal fluid, blood and pericardial fluid (Schleyer and Brehmer 1958; Coe 1972; Henssge and Knight 1995; Yadav, Deshpande et al. 2007) with a few others examining other compartmentalized bodily fluids (Madea, Kreuser et al. 2001) and the largest numbers focusing on vitrious humor (Madea, Henssge et al. 1989; Ferslew, Hagardorn et al. 1998; Madea and Rodig 2006; Kumagai, Nakayashiki et al. 2007; Thierauf, Musshoff et al. 2009). Chemical methods used to assess these analytes in blood and spinal fluid as an indicator of post mortem interval have failed to gain general acceptance because, for th e most part, they failed to produce precise, reliable, and rapid results as required by the forensic community (Lundquist 1963). Current chemical methods which have primarily focused on vitreous fluid tend to suffer from the same limitations demonstrated by the fact that with notable exceptions (Pounder 1995) very few statistically rigorous field studies on the reliability and precision of estimating post mortem interval are available in the literature (Coe 1993; Madea 2005). Enzyme Activity As previously discussed, cellular activity does not cease when clinical death occurs. In any circumstances where the cellular metabolism shifts from a homeostatic balanced state to an imbalanced state biochemical changes occur. Changes in the levels and/or activity of enzymes (i.e. cardiac troponin, c-reactive proteins, and G proteins) have long been used as indicators of cellular stress (Li, Greenwood et al. 1996; Katrukha, Bereznikova et al. 1998; Tsokos, Reichelt et al. 2001; Uhlin-Hansen 2001). Assessing similar changes in cellular biochemistry as a function of time since death provides investigators with a wide variety of tissues, testing methods and analytes for consideration. As a consequence, forensic investigators have assessed and suggested enzymes from heart, pancreas, muscle, blood and brain as potentially suitable markers for time since death (Wehner, Wehner et al. 1999; Wehner, Wehner et al. 2001; Kang, Kassam et al. 2003; Jia, Ekman et al. 2007; Poloz and ODay 2009). C omparisons of total proteins analyzed ante and post mortem analyzed using two dimensional gel electrophoresis and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight have demonstrated changes in metabolic enzymes, (Jia, Ekman et al. 2007; Hunsucker, Solomon et al. 2008). Assessing the changes in enzyme activity provides examiners a means to assess time since death, in many instances long before visible cellular changes. However, in at least a few of these studies results indicate that enzyme degradation during extraction and partial enzyme activity observed with degradation products these markers better suited to qualitative analysis rather than quantitative analysis (Sabucedo and Furton 2003). Muscle/Nerve Excitation Both neurons and myocytes retain the ability to respond to electrical stimulation for at least a short period of time after organism death. (Sugioka, Sawai et al. 1995; Briskey, Kastenchmidt et al. 2002; Sams 2002). The response of nervous and muscle tissue to external electric stimulation has also been investigated and proposed as means to estimate time since death (Kline and Bechtel 1990; Straton, Busuttil et al. 1992). Methods developed to investigate myocyte excitability assess the relative magnitude and duration of the muscle contraction during the application of external stimulation. To assess the contractile response, a combination of observational based assessments (Madea 1990; Jones, James et al. 1995) and measurement based assessments (Henssge, Lunkenheimer et al. 1984; Madea 1992) have been suggested and reported. Similar investigations have examined post mortem excitation of nervous tissue by measuring a variety of neurological reactions to stimuli. These include the alteration of Compound Muscle Action Potential (Nokes, Daniel et al. 1991; Elmas, Baslo et al. 2001; Elmas, Baslo et al. 2002), lengthen of the refractory or non-propagating period immediately following the CMAP (McDowall, Lenihan et al. 1998), the extracellular impedance/resistance (Querido 2000), the chronaxie measurement or the time over which a current double that necessary to produce a contraction is applied before the contraction occurs (Straton, Busuttil et al. 1992) and the changes in the amplitude of the F-wave (the secondary CMAP observed after the initial CMAP) have all been examined, and been suggested as potential indicators of time since death. The results of studies examining the response of excitable tissue to electric stimulation have been consistent in that the stimulation response varies predictably over time. However, suitability for absolute indicators of time since death remains in questions as investigators have reported contradictory results related to the effect of the manner of death on the stimulation response (Madea and Henssge 1990; Elmas, Baslo et al. 2002). RNA Degradation RNA degradation, both antemortem and postmortem, is a complex process that is not well understood. Unlike with DNA degradation, continuous degradation of inducible mRNAs by native ribonucleases is used as a means of translational control. After cell death these ribonucleases, no longer kept in check by the mechanisms of cellular homeostasis, combine with exogenous ribonucleases from bacteria and fungi to begin un-inhibited digestion of all cellular RNA. Investigators have noted extensive variability in RNA degradation rates in different tissues (Bauer 2007). Not surprisingly such variability appears to be related to the antemortem ribonuclease activity of the tissue; with relatively ribonuclease poor tissues such as brain and retina exhibiting greater RNA stability (Johnson, Morgan et al. 1986; Malik, Chen et al. 2003) when compared to ribonucleases rich tissues such as liver, stomach and pancreas (Humphreys-Beher, King et al. 1986; Finger, Mercer et al. 1987; Bauer, Gramlich et al. 2003). Additionally, but also not surprisingly, some constitutively expressed mRNAs have been shown to be more stable, or perhaps simply more prevalent, than inducible mRNAs (Inoue, Kimura et al. 2002). Additionally, while intrabrain mRNA levels are fairly constant, interbrain levels vary considerably (Preece, Virley et al. 2003). As a consequence of these observations, the degradation of RNA (total and/or mRNA) have been suggested as a potential analyte to assess time since death. Researchers examining the effect of post mortem interval on RNA stability have examined a variety of targets (mRNA, both tissue specific and constitutively expressed, and total RNA) with an assortment of methods including Reverse Transcriptase (RT) PCR(Ohshima and Sato 1998; Fleige, Walf et al. 2006; Haller, Kanakapalli et al. 2006; Zhao, Zhu et al. 2006), RNA (cDNA) microarrays (Bahn, Augood et al. 2001; Catts, Catts et al. 2005; Son, Bilke et al. 2005; Popova, Mennerich et al. 2008) and quantitative RT-qPCR (VanGuilder, Vrana et al. 2008). Based on these studies, there are indications that beyond time and temperature, factors such as hypoxia, tissue pH, antemortem physiological conditions (coma, seizure activity and injury) postmortem transcriptional activity and RNA sequence can dramatically affect the stability and measurable levels of RNA (Burke, OMalley et al. 1991; Harrison, Heath et al. 1995; Ohshima and Sato 1998; Catts, Catts et al. 2005; Bauer 2007). When examining the sem inal question regarding time since death and temperature some researchers have reported temperature and time as significant factors affecting mRNA levels (Burke, OMalley et al. 1991), while others have reported the reverse (Harrison, Heath et al. 1995; Preece and Cairns 2003). These contradictory data are not surprising given the changes in the specificity, sensitivity and application of the assays used; however, the ultimate question has not been resolved. What is clear from the research is that RNA degradation (mRNA or total) is a complex process (Preece and Cairns 2003; Preece, Virley et al. 2003; Heinrich, Lutz-Bonengel et al. 2007) effected by multiple factors indicating more study will be required before RNA degradation can be considered a reliable indicator of time since death. DNA Degradation and its Effect on DNA Typing Since the initial application of molecular biology techniques to samples of forensic significance in the latter half of the 1980s, forensic scientists have noted that increased exposure to environmental insults can negatively impact DNA quality. Developmental validation studies performed to evaluate the efficacy of new typing techniques (SWGDAM 2008) have found that environmental variables such as heat, high humidity, direct moisture, fungal/bacterial contamination and ultraviolet light can impact the quantity or quality of the DNA sample making them unsuitable for DNA analysis (McNally, Shaler et al. 1989; Graw, Weisser et al. 2000; Takayama, Nakamura et al. 2003; Bender, Farfan et al. 2004; Schneider, Bender et al. 2004; Niemcunowicz-Janica, Pepinski et al. 2007). During transitions in technology from Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based testing, researchers noted that samples too degraded to produce an RFLP pattern could still produce profiles using a variety of PCR based markers that evaluated loci shorter in length (Hochmeister, Budowle et al. 1991). This finding supports the hypothesis that degradation in the forensic setting is (not surprisingly) processive. Additional research found that while the DNA in some samples like cadaveric blood and kidney tissue could degrade to the point where it was no longer suitable for DNA fingerprinting after as little as a week (Ludes, Pfitzinger et al. 1993); other samples such as bone (Hochmeister, Budowle et al. 1991; Frank and Llewellyn 1999) and teeth (Schwartz, Schwartz et al. 1991; Pfeiffer, Huhne et al. 1999) could, under most conditions, provide typeable DNA for months. The fact that DNA degradation has a detrimental effect on larger genetic loci, and affects different tissues at different rates is considered to be of extraordinary forensic significance is evidenced by the numbers of studies that seek to examine, and overcome this effect (42 validation studies specifically mentioning DNA degradation from 1995-2009 in PubMed). This makes perfect sense when the observer considers the impact that degradation can have on selecting suitable samples and evaluating the resultant DNA profiles. However, a number of researchers have looked beyond the simple question of how degradation affects the typing of samples to broader questions such as the mechanisms of postmortem degradation (De Marà ­a and Arruti 2004; Foran 2006) and synthesis (Oehmichen, Frasunek et al. 1988) and how that knowledge can be used to assist in the assessment of time since death. DNA degradation by RFLP: Since Sir Alec Jeffreys first applied Southern blotting (Southern 1975) techniques to the testing of forensically significant samples in 1985 (Jeffreys, Brookfield et al. 1985) DNA analysis has revolutionized forensic science. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism DNA analysis relies on variations in the lengths of DNA fragments generated by enzyme restriction. With restriction fragments ranging from approximately from 2 33 kilobases (Baird, Balazs et al. 1986) successful typing and analysis requires high quality (un-fragmented) DNA. Researchers noted from the outset that in some cases involving older and/or postmortem samples that DNA degradation, tied to the exposures of higher temperatures, resulted in the gradual disappearance of the longer fragments reducing the evidentiary value of older samples (Bar, Kratz