Anti-aging Mechanism Using Bacteriphages | Experiment

Anti-aging Mechanism Using Bacteriphages | Experiment We all have been familiar with many infectious diseases since many centuries ago. Some bacteria have killed millions of our lives, some viruses have great potential to consume many people health and wealth and both are still hugely haunting our humankind. We did discover Penicillin, scientists have developed many antibiotic and antiviral drugs to kill and combat against these bacteria and viruses. This is the war that will have no end. I have been thinking and studying about these microorganisms since my undergraduate degree emphasizing about the diseases and their basic features. In this study, I wanted to explore many facts about the bacteria and viruses for advantages of our medical sciences and I found out that there had been many researches and discoveries about using the bacteria and viruses for our goodness and amazingly there will be more and many potential for our future medical sciences. The most interesting thing I have studied is the prokaryotic viruses called Bacteriophage and they really have the very strong potential to be used as a weapon against many infectious diseases including multi drugs resistant bacteria infection and against cancer such as very deadly brain cancers and even the possible cure of many types of cancer by selectively targeting only the cancer cells without affecting the normal ones and I also have studied about the telomerase enzymes that have the potential against human cellular ageing. OBJECTIVES OF MY INDEPENDENCE STUDY As we are living on the world interacting with the ecosystems containing different sorts of unicellular and multi cellular organisms, most of our evolutions and pros and cons are tightly associated with these organisms and the first objective of my study is to know or link the beneficial effects we may obtain from our organisms by understanding them and also understanding ourselves scientifically. To know and if possible, to propose or to make the steps to develop very effective possible future anti cancer treatment using bacteriophage. To propose the possible anti-aging mechanism using bacteriphages. To develop drug which can be effectively used for the many multi drug resistant bacteria infections such as multidrug resistant Tuberculosis using bacteriophages and to identify the possible methods for the drug development and their respective infectious diseases with the delightful and precious help from my supervisor SCOPE After studying and emphasizing upon the general main advantages that we get from the bacteria and virus for our medical sciences, I want to focus my study upon the Bacteriophage viruses which can possibly be used as a vector for gene therapy and gene regulation for my desire against aging of human being and in another word against our inevitable part of our human life called death. Another scope is to use the phage as very specific cancer cell killing agent for many tumors containing specific surface markers or receptors such as brain cancers. I want to study by reading books and journals and also with my innovative thinking step by step, from general to details and to solve all the questions as much as I can and then to propose the very new techniques using molecular levels and receptors levels. Schedule If we want to know something, we must first understand it basically and so, my very first important thing to do is to know about the general important and some very detail characteristics of the bacteria and viruses. Without the general knowledge of them, it is not possible to find out more about them. Many reference books and internet links and help me with this part and to know the many beneficial effects of them for Medical Sciences. After this, my important plan is to study deeply inside the bacteriophage viruses and their current and future usage for Medicine and then accessing the knowledge with my innovative thinking and advices of my supervisor I hope that I will be able to learn, study and find many things about for Medical Sciences. 2. Bacteria 2.1: Introduction to bacteria All prokaryotic organisms are classified as bacteria and they are divided into eubacteria which includes all the bacteria of medical importance and archae-bacteria which is a collection of evolutionarily distinct organisms. TYPICAL BACTERIA: Most of them have shapes such as rod like, sphere or corkscrew. Their cells are smaller than the eukaryotic cells and all of them except the Mycoplasma have the rigid cell wall surrounding the cell membrane. Apart from the shapes, the cell wall defines whether the bacteria are Gram Negative or Gram Positive. Bacteria cells reproduce by binary fission. Atypical Bacteria are the distinct bacteria groups lacking of significant characteristics structural components or metabolic capabilities. They includes Chlamydia, Rickettsia and Mycoplasma etc. 2.2 ADVANTAGES OF BACTERIA FOR OUR BODY AND MEDICAL SCIENCE Although bacteria can cause many diseases and health problems to human being, they also have many beneficial effects for our human body and medical sciences. NORMAL FLORA: Many different micro-organisms mostly bacteria are continuously inhabiting the human body without giving any harm. Human body is usually sterile when a healthy new born enters the world. But, after birth, the body acquires normal flora from the environment and food. The very important fact is that the species of that flora can not be rigidly defined because they differ from one individual from another as a result of physiological differences, diet, age and geographic habitat. NORMAL FLORA AGAINST THE INVADING HARMFUL INFECTIONS The bacteria need receptors and nutrients for their metabolism. The invading infections will face with the competence of normal flora for these essential receptors and nutrients. Some bacteria of the bowel can even produce the antimicrobial substances so that the invading organisms can be killed. But, the substances producing bacteria themselves are immune to their own substances. These effects can reduce the possibility of the infectious diseases and act amazingly as a defense mechanism against the infections. GERM FREE ANIMALS: The significant of the normal floral are now well explored by studying the germ free animals which have no normal flora as conventional animals. They are produced by special cesarean sections and then they are maintained in special isolators. Experiments showed that in the germ-free animals, the alimentary lamina propria is underdeveloped, the motility of the GI tract is reduced and the intestinal epithelial renewal rate is just half of the normal conventional animals. In studies with antibiotic treated animals also suggest that the normal flora can protect our bodies from the pathogens. The researchers first treated the animals with Streptomycin to reduce the normal flora and then made them infected with the Streptomycin resistant Salmonella bacteria. In normal condition, about 10000000 Salmonella were needed to cause the establish infection but in Streptomycin pre treated ones, only 10 organisms were needed to cause infection. NORMAL FLORA FOR OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS Bacteria colonization of a new born infant is the very powerful stimulus for the development of immune system. The studies showed that the antibodies concentration after infections is significantly reduced in germ-free animals indicating the defect in acquired immune system. Bacteria are also the important providers of important nutrients such as Vitamin K and they also help with digestion and absorption of nutrients. REFERENCES LIPPINCOTTs ILLUSTRATED REVIEWS of MICROBIOLOGY 2007 EDITION INTRODUCTION TO BACTERIA , page 1 -6 Normal Flora Page , 7 10 KAPLAN USMLE TEXT BOOK (MICROBIOLOGY)2009 EDITION HARRISONS PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 2006 3. VIRUSES 3.1 INTRODUCTION TO VIRUSES A virus is an infectious agent containing genome which is either RNA or DNA and a protein capsid designed to protect the genome. Many viruses have additional structure like envelope which is protein containing lipid bi-layer. The sort of nucleic acid in the virus is the most fundamental and important of properties of virus. The nucleic acid may be single stranded (ss RNA ss DNA) or double stranded (ds DNA or ds RNA). The Single stranded RNA genome are subdivided into the positive (+) polarity which is, of messenger RNA sense that can be used as template for protein synthesis. Negative (-) polarity or antisense which is complementary to the mRNA sense and so they can not be used as temperate for protein synthesis directly. 3.2 THE REPLICATION CYCLES OF VIRUSES The cycle begins with the attachment of the virus to the host cell called adsorption phase, 1. ADSORPTION: The initial attachment of a virus to the host cell is with the interaction between specific molecular structure on the surface of the virus and receptor molecules in the host membrane that can recognize the structure. The receptor molecules on the host cell membrane are specific for the family of the viruses and they are the molecular structures that usually carry out normal cell functions. The receptors for the viruses are present only on specific cells or are unique for one animal species. So, the absence or presence of the host cell receptors is so important determination for the susceptibility or resistance of a species to a given virus. If we can genetically manipulate the specific receptor affinity for the viruses, we will be able to attack or kill or change the desired targeted cells. Fig: HIV virus adhering to the cell, attachment is accomplished by the SU fragment of the env gene product on the surface of the HIV which binds to the CD4 molecule. So, the HIV viruses can only infect the helper T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells which contain the CD4 protein in their cell membrane. 2 PENETRATION: The two mechanisms the virons enter the cells crossing the cell membrane are the receptor-mediated endocytosis: the viron binds the cell surface receptor and the cell membrane invaginates enclosing the virion in and endocytotic vesicle (endosome). The virion then enters the cytoplasm by various mechanisms depending upon the viruses. It is facilitated by one or more viral molecules in general. C:Documents and SettingsuDesktopendoem.jpg f Membrane Fusion: Some enveloped viruses enter the cell by fusion with their envelopes with the membranes of host cells. Glycoproteins of the envelope can promote this and viral membrane then still remains associated with the plasma membrane of the cell and just the nucleocapsid is released into the cells. HIV viruses enter the cells by this fashion. 3 UNCOATING: This is the stepwise process of disassembly of the viron that enables the expression of the viral genes that carry out viral replications. Most of the steps occur inside the cells and depend on cellular enzymes and in rare occasions, newly synthesized viral proteins are needed to complete the process. The loss of one or more structural components of the viron will lead into the loss of ability to infect another cells reflecting as the eclipse period of the growth curve. 4 REPLICATION: DNA virus replication: There is a wide macromolecular event variation between families of viruses for the replication processes depending primarily upon the viral genome sizes. The smaller the viral genome, the more the virus must depend on the host cell to replicate. Also the mechanisms of replications for ss DNA viruses and ds DNA viruses are different. RNA virus replications Type 1: RNA viruses with a single stranded genome of (+) polarity that replicates with complementary (-) strand intermediate. In this, the infecting parental RNA serves as both mRNA and later as a template for synthesis of the complementary (-) strand. Type 2: Viruses with ssRNA genome of (-) polarity which replicate with a complementary (+) strand intermediate. (-) polarity genomes have two functions, one is to provide information for protein synthesis and the second is to serve as template for replication. But they can not accomplish without prior construction of complementary (+) strand intermediate. Type 3: Viruses with ds RNA genome: dsRNA genome is segmented, with each segment coding for one polypeptide. But, the eukaryotic cells do not have the enzyme to transcribe dsRNA. So, mRNA transcripts are produced by virus-coded, RNA dependent RNA polymerase (transcriptase) located in the sub viral core particle. This particle contains dsRNA genome and associated viral protein, including the transcriptase. In replications, the (+) RNA transcripts are not only used for translation, but also as templates for complementary (-) strand synthesis, resulting in the formation of dsRNA progeny. Type 4: Viruses with a genome of ssRNA of (+) polarity that is replicated with with a DNA intermediate: the conversion of a (+) strand RNA to a double-stranded DNA is accomplished by an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, commonly known as reverse transcriptase, which is contained in the virion. The resulting dsDNA becomes integrated into the cell genome by a viral integrases action. Viral mRNA abd progeny (+) strand RNA genomes are transcribed srom this integrated DNA by the host cell RNA polymerase. 4 ASSEMBLY AND RELEASE OF PROGENY VIRUSES: The assembly of the nucleocapsids generally occurs in the cytoplasm for most RNA viruses and in the nucleus for most DNA viruses where the viral nucleic acid replications take place. REFERENCES LIPPINCOTTs ILLUSTRATED REVIEWS of MICROBIOLOGY 2007 EDITION , Unit-Viruses , 233-243 KAPLAN USMLE TEXT BOOK (MICROBIOLOGY) 2009 EDITION HARRISONS PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 2006 EITION BACTERIOPHAGE Introduction to Bacteriphages Bacteriophages are the viruses that replicate inside the bacterial cells. It contains nucleic acid encapsulated by the protective protein coat. The nucleic acid may be DNA or RNA depending on the phage and may be single stranded and some are double stranded ranging from the length of 3000 bases to 200,000 bases. The replication starts with the attachment of the virus to the receptors of the cell surface of bacteria. Then the phage injects the nucleic acid into the cell leaving all or most of the protein outside the cell. This is the obvious difference between the virus that infects the vertebrates and the virus that infect the bacteria. In former case, the virus is entirely taken up by the cell and its nucleic acid is released inside the cell. (1) The phage nucleic acid takes over the biosynthetic machinery of the cell to replicate its won genetic materials and to synthesize phage specific proteins. When new phage proteins and new phage DNAs have accumulated, they self-assembly into mature phage particles, the phage specific enzyme ( lysozyme ) that dissolves the bacterial cell wall and the phage is released from the bacteria. A single phage can produce millions of progeny at the expense of bacteria cells in culture. (1) (2) 4.2 Virulent phage Phage are classified as virulent or temperate depending on the nature of their relationship to the host bacterium. Infection of a bacterium by the virulent phage results in the lysis of the bacterium and death releasing newly replicated phage particles. One phage can produce hundreds of progeny within twenty minutes under optimal condition. The interesting thing about that virulent phage is that the phage that attack one bacterial species do not attack other species. (1)(2) That is a huge advantage to use phage as an antibiotic because the phage against E coli bacteria will only kill that species and will not affect the others including the normal floral of our human body. So, they will be the most specific antibacterial agent. (1) (2) 4.3 Temperate Phage The temperate phages are different from the virulent one in that they have two possible fates after infecting the bacterium. Some cause the lysis and death of the bacterium just like the virulent phages do but they do have another alternative outcome. After entering the cell, the phage DNA integrates with the chromosome of the host cell. During this state (prophage) the gene expression of the phage is continuously by a protein (repressor) encoded by the phage genome and therefore no new phage particles are produced, the host cell survives and the phage DNA replicate as part of the host cell. (1)(2) 4.4 LYSOGENIC BACTERIA The bacteria which carry the prophage are called lysogenic bacteria and this phenomenon is called LYSOGENY. The association of the phage and the bacteria is very stable unless the host DNA damage or the exposure to the ultraviolet light occurs. When the DNA damage occurs, the repression of phage gene is lifted and the lysis occurs and the host cells die. (1) (2) 4.5 MOLECULAR DETAIL OF LYSOGENY In Lysogenic mechanism, the genes for the lytic process will have to be turned off and this process is caused by the phage coded repressor gene. This may be proteins or sometimes anti sense RNA. The repressor genes can turn off almost all the transcriptional initiation and so most of the gene transcriptions including the essential ones for the lytic mechanism are inhibited. But the repressor gene acts only onto the few promoter genes and the gene for lysis mechanisms in late part of the processes are only indirectly inhibited by the lack of early gene transcriptions tuned off by the repressor proteins or anti sense RNAs. The early gene products are needed to activate the subsequent gene expressions and their absence make the whole lysis process inhibited. The repressors also promote their own transcriptions to ensure their functions. The lysogenic state is very stable and only one in 100000 cell divisions may undergoes lysis by spontaneous activation. There are also many ways to stop the lysogenic state in experimental such as heating in which the repressor proteins become denature, treating with the UV ultraviolet light in which the specific system called SOS system of the bacteria is activated. The SOS system is the global regulatory system which responds to DNA damage. The breakdown products such as oligonucleotides activate the Rec A proteins co-protease activity and this protein in turn inactivate the main protease protein called LexA and then repressors and the lysogeny state is ended. (1) (2) There is also a type of protein called anti-repressor protein and they inhibit the repressorss activities and this anti-repressor synthesis is turned off in the lysogenic cells by the maintenance protein called Mnt protein. CII gene: In order to achieve the stable lysogenic state, both the establishment of the repression of the lytic gene and the integration into the chromosome of the cell are needed. CII is a transcriptional activator which is coordinated with the lysogeny. Within the CII gene, the gene called CI gene which transcription needs the CII-dependent promoter establish the repression of the lytic genes. This promoter is activated only for a short period during lysogenization and after the repression has been established, the CII gene is repressed itself. The CI gene is then transcribed only from the pM gene which is the maintenance promoter gene. The another protein called Integrase which is essential in integrating of the phage nucleic acid with the chromosome is also transcribed from the CII dependent promoter called PI. The pAQ which is also the CII dependent promoter makes an antisense transcript that opposes the Q gene expression. Q genes products stimulate the late gene expression and late gene products which could kill and lyse the cell and they are not made by the CII expressing cells and so the CII gene is so essential for the lysogenic state and only these cells expressing CII gene effectively become lysogenic cells. (1) (2) REFERENCES LIPPINCOTTs ILLUSTRATED REVIEWS of MICROBIOLOGY 2007 EDITION Bacteriophage in chapter 7 Bacteria genetic , gene transfer , Page 60-61 RICHARD CALENDAR THE OXFORD TEXT BOOK OF THE BACTERIOPHAGE 2nd EDITION 2006 part II, Life of Phages, Page 66-104 BACTERIOPHAGE AS AN ANTIBIOTIC 5.1 WHAT PROPERTIES NEEDED AS AN ANTIBIOTIC? The antibiotic must be effective in the treatment of infection because of their selective toxicity. That means the drug should kill or effect against the invading desired organism without harming the cells of the host. In most of the cases, this toxicity is just relative rather than absolute, requiring that the concentration of the drug be carefully controlled to attack the microorganism while still being tolerated by the host. (1) 5.2 WHY PHAGES AS ANTIBIOTIC? As the PHAGE viruses can infect and kill the bacteria, they can be used as a drug targets against the Bacteria. Phage Therapy: Phage therapy is the use of lytic phages to kill specific bacteria as an alternative to antibiotic. The lytic mechanism of the Bacteriophages ensures the effective antibiotic mechanism of the Phages. The other useful thing is that the specific type of Bacteriophage attacks only the corresponding bacteria and so the other normal bacteria will not be affected by the specific Phage Therapy targeted to the aimed bacteria. So, the Phages have more specificity than all antibiotics in attacking the bacteria. 5.3 Host Vs Phages The phages are immunogenic and could initiate the immune responses. This effect may limit the uses of Phages because the Bacteriophages may be destroyed by our immune system even before attacking the desired target bacteria and also the strong immune responses may trigger the allergic reactions and also the human immune system produces antibodies against the Phages. Despite these matters, the good news is that their clinical uses reveal only very few side effects or allergic reaction. The best way to avoid the sensitization is to use the Phages only when it is necessary as in the case of multidrug resistant infection and using the Intra Venous IV Administration method. 5.4 BACTERIOPHAGE AGAINST TB Tuberculosis, one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, is caused by bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The disease usually affects the lungs, although in up to one-third of cases other organs are involved. If properly treated, tuberculosis caused by drug-susceptible strains is curable in virtually all cases. If untreated, the disease may be fatal within 5 years in more than half of cases. Transmission usually takes place through the airborne spread of droplet nuclei produces by patients with infectious pulmonary tuberculosis. MULTIDRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS: This condition arises when the Bacteria undergo point mutation in their genome which occurs at low but predictable rates. There are two types of drug resistant Primary drug resistant: This occurs when the strain infects the one who has never been treated before and Acquired drug resistant: In which, the resistant develops during treatment with inappropriate regimen. Apart from the resistant, some of the patients are not appropriate to give the usual dose of conventional treatment due to their co existing diseases like renal failure, hepatitis or liver failure. (1)(6) MYCOBACTERIOPHAGE Mycobacteriophages are the bacteriophages that infect against mycobacteria, the bacteria causing Tuberculosis and many other diseases like Leprosy. Mycobacteriophages were first discovered by the in 1946.They are the double stranded DNA viruses with non contractile tail belonging to the Siphoviridae family of the Bacteriophage. They also infect the pathogenic bacilli of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis complex and now more than 250 mycobacteriophages have been indentified. They are either lytic or temperate. Some mycobacteriophages like DS6A can exclusively infect the Mycobacterium tuberculosis alone. Phages like 13, D 29, TM4, Bxz2 and Chel 2 infect both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other Mycobacterium bacteria. Their morphological variation is limited but their genomes show extra ordinary genetic variability. The implications of phages in mycobacterial diseases may be greater than previously realized. (1) (2) (3)(7) 5.6 PHAGE THERAPY We can use lytic phages to kill specifically pathogenic bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics treatment especially for the multidrug resistant Tuberculosis. Lack of knowledge of bacteriophage biology and the quality monitoring during the preparation of therapeutic stocks had made the therapy difficult though the first known therapeutic use was in 1919.The M. Tuberculosis infections are hard to treat because the bacteria are naturally resistant to many antibiotic. The bacilli may remain in the latent or dormant state avoiding the action of drugs that require replication of the bacteria. So, the treatment of Tuberculosis requires multiple drugs for extended periods of time to effectively cure and avoid the drug resistant. The minimal duration for the treatment is four months with four drugs and then two months with two drugs. The most important thing is the emergence of multi drugs resistant strains and that makes the Phage Therapy more interested. (1) (2) (3) Dr Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organization said,The situation is already alarming, and poised to grow much worse very quickly. She and Bill Gates also stated that they only had little help from the modern drugs for the disease that is affecting 9 millions people each year killing nearly 2 millions of them. The conventional drugs are useless against some strains of tuberculosis and they addressed the situation OUT OF CONTROL and A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE (5) TIM JOHNSON, Mc Clatchy Newspapers Animal study: One of the Mycobacteriophage, DS6A, showed reduction in the observed in the lesions in spleen, lungs and livers of guinea pigs infected with (Challenged with) Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the study showed that the anti bacterial effect of the phages is at least as good as Isoniazid monotherapy. The results are promising in the treatment of tuberculosis using phages. 5.7 MYCOBACTERIM INSIDE THE MACROPHAGES: Mycobacterium can reside in the macrophage cells of our immune system. They can even persist inside the phagolysosome where many bacteria and pathogens are killed. It was uncertain whether the mycobacteriophages can survive and replicate inside the hostile intra-cellular environment with reduced PH. (8)(9) 5.8 MYCOBACTERIUM SMEGMATIS, THE VEHICLE INTO THE MACROPHAGES: The above problem can be solved by using the vector bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis. The technology was introduced in 2002. In this technology, the non-virulent bacteria Mycobacterium smegmatis act like a carrier into the macrophages. Macrophages infected with the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis or Mycobacterium avium were treated with the additional Mycobacterium smegmatis infected with Mycobacteriophage TM4. After they are ingested and destructed by the macrophages, the TM4 phages were released within the macrophages infecting and destroying the pathogenic bacteria even within the macrophages. The experiments showed the significant reduction of both the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium. (9) 5.9 D29bacteriophages: This D29 are capable of entering the Macrophages without the need of any carrier and they can infect the mycobacterium and kill them effectively. So, the mechanisms of action of mycobacteriophages are completely different from the conventional drugs and will be so important in the multi-drug resistant cases. The Phage therapy also dose not need repeat dosing because the viruses do increase within the target bacteria and new virions are released on lysis. The endotoxin may be released into the body after the bacteria has been lysed and this could trigger the immune reactions but till now the clinical use of bacteriophages revealed only very few cases of side effects or allergic reaction indicating that our human body can really tolerate them. The other advantage is that they are cheaper and easier to produce than antibiotics. (10) REFERENCES LIPPINCOTTs ILLUSTRATED REVIEWS of MICROBIOLOGY 2007 EDITION HORACE T. ADAMS CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN BACTERIOPHAGE RESEARCH 2009 EDITION RICHARD CALENDAR THE OXFORD TEXT BOOK OF THE BACTERIOPHAGE 2nd EDITION 2006 http://www.microphage.com/technology/phageBiology.cfm WHO, world health organization, Global Tuberculosis control Geneva Harrison text book of Practice of Medicine , USA 6th edition Fuller, KJ and Hatfull GF 1997 Mycobacteriophage L5 infection of Mycobacterium bovis BCG implications for phage genetic in the slow-growing mycobacteria Mol Microbiaol 26 755-766 Kaufmann SH 2002 Protection against Tuberculosis cytokines T cells and macrophages Ann Rheum Dis 61 Sulll 2 ii54-58 BroxmeyerL Sonsowaka DMiltner 2002 killing of Mycobacterium by a mycobacteriophage delivered by non virulent mycobacterium , model for phage therapy of intracellular bacterial pathogen, J infect Dis 1155-1160 Trollip A Albert H and Maskell 2001 Bacteriophage based technology for the rapid diagnosis and drug susceptibility testing of tuberculosis Am Clin Lab 20: 39-42 Phage as cancer curing agent 6.1 PHAGE DISPLAY is a process by which a peptide or a protein is expressed as an exterior fusion to a surface protein of a phage particle. The peptide or protein sequence can be deduced from its encoding DNA sequence that resides in the phage particle or in a transductant. Amplification of the DNA of interest can take place by phage/transductant propagation or by polymerase chain reaction PCR. By producing large amount of phage particles, each expressing a unique peptide or protein peptide and protein libraries can be obtained. The peptides or proteins interacting with defined molecular targets (most often proteins) can be isolated from such libraries by enrichments through repeated cycles of panning. So, the phage display can be regarded as a search engine of protein-target interaction. (1) Phages are bacterial viruses that have no native affinity to mammalian cells. But we can amazingly genetically reengineered to display peptides fusions to coat proteins that can recognize and bind to our mammalian cells. Oligonucleotide sequences encoding for foreign peptides are cloned into phage coat protein genes resulting in combinatorial libraries of billions of different phage clones displaying encoded peptides on their surfaces. This phage display libraries can be easily screened against various biological targets including the intact mammalian cells to give binding molecules with desired target-specific characteristics. Even the cell-specific peptides indentified through phage display can be used as delivery moieties for construction of gene therapy vectors, liposomes, or targeted drugs to diseased cells in many sorts of disorder including the cancer. (2)(3) 6.2 PHAGES AGAINST BRAIN TUMORS Malignant brain tumors are very difficult to treat because they are heterogenous, migrate far into adjacent essential brain normal tissues, are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and also protected by the blood brain barrier. (1) (4) The phage display might be so much effective against this fatal condition by following means. Phages can optimize the targeted delivery platforms to malignant brain cells using the cell specific peptides. The emerging of phage probes for profiling of brain tumors in individual patients and then making the personalized treatment based on the profiles of these tumors. To identify Death Penalty in Britain: Past and Present Death Penalty in Britain: Past and Present This paper analyses the past and future of the death penalty in Britain, examining the rationale for abolition in 1965 together with the potential and merits of re-introduction in the future. The death penalty was abolished in 1965 in Britain following a 1953 Royal Commission[1] and pressure by abolitionist groups. While the 1953 Report went outside its remit, to examine the effectiveness of hanging, it addressed the issues of deterrence and retribution; often heralded as the twin foundations of the death penalty and consequently used as the main arguments for the failure of the punishment. Bailey summarises deterrence theory by stating that â€Å"criminal sanctions must be severe enough to outweigh the pleasures†[2]. A fundamental concern is that deterrence can be broken down into various components. The apex of deterrence is a swift, public, just, and painful execution. A death penalty that combined all of these features could be said to have the maximum likelihood of deterring potential criminals. It is generally believed that the majority of death penalty mechanisms in existence lack at least three if not all four of these qualities. Whether the death penalty in fact deters is the subject of numerous studies; when read objectively they give no definite answer. Retribution is in many respects the antithesis of deterrence. Deterrence focuses on logic; retribution deals with the emotional reaction of society, with the oft quoted foundation being â€Å"an eye for an eye†[3]. In many respects this is concurrently the most and least powerful argument for the death penalty. It is difficult to argue, in particular in the most heinous cases, that society and specifically the victim’s relatives should not have the satisfaction of retribution. Concurrently it is an argument based on emotion; an element that justice strains to minimise. The fundamental difficulty was discussed by the US Supreme Court in Roper v Simmons[4] where Justice Kennedy made it clear that retribution can be justified only in certain cases; not in the case at hand. It is this fragmenting of the death penalty, with exceptions and splintered rationales developing, that has led to gradual reduction in the use of the death penalty. While a number of Royal Commission Reports and campaigns debated the issues mentioned above and below, it is likely that one particular argument dealt a hammer blow to the death penalty; the concept that innocent people may be executed. This realisation was a contributing factor to Justice Blackmun’s famous dissenting statement â€Å"I feel morally and intellectually obligated simply to concede that the death penalty experiment has failed†[5]. Year after year, new, modern evidence uncovers miscarriages of justice that lead to innocent men and women being released. In 1991 the ‘Birmingham Six’ were released following police errors and new evidence. Had they been convicted 30 years earlier, there would have been nothing more practical to do than grant posthumous pardons. Hood argued[6] that one of the main reasons for America still using the death penalty was that it was a populist measure. If this is so then there must be strong support for this argument of potential injustice, above the more specific, clinical reasoning, that persuades individual citizens of the dangers and risks that are inherent in the â€Å"machinery of death†. The modern addition to these time honoured theories is the popular focus on rehabilitation over punishment. The Criminal Justice System clarifies this by placing rehabilitation on an equal plane with punishment[7]. The rationale for this is uncomplicated and is based on the importance of working with the individual in order to help them contribute to society as a whole. The death penalty fairly obviously has no place within this new philosophy. The theoretical objections discussed above are merely the tip of an iceberg capable of sinking at least an ocean liner. Were there to be an inclination to re-introduce the death penalty, and in 1994 a bilateral coalition of 403 MPs favoured abolition, the European Convention on Human Rights would still have to be faced. Through the Human Rights Act, the United Kingdom is a signatory to the Act and is prohibited from imposing â€Å"degrading punishment†[8]. The issue has arisen predominantly with regard to cases of extradition to death penalty countries, and the courts have made it clear that even to extradite to such countries would constitute prohibited punishment. Further, to contemplate such a policy reversal would risk international condemnation. Amnesty have been vocal in condemning America and would turn their and others focus to Britain in an instant. While awareness of the factors above has been instrumental in 122 countries abandoning the death penalty either in its entirety or in practice[9], the evolution has also been the result of constant pressure from Human Rights groups including Amnesty International. Unlike America, Britain has traditionally been more dependent on the friendship of sister nations; a friendship that could conceivably shift dramatically. In short, the practical objections to a re-introduction of the death penalty would require a change in British foreign and domestic policy; the effects of which would be felt for decades. CONCLUSION This paper has addressed the death penalty in succinct terms; the question asks if it is the only way to â€Å"dramatically reduce crime†[10]. The analysis on deterrence and retribution show that far from this lofty status, there is no guarantee that it will reduce any crime. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bailey WC ‘Murder, Capital Punishment and Deterrence: A Review of the Literature’ (part of ‘The Death Penalty in America, Current Controversies’ Edited by Bedau H,  Published by Oxford University Press Hood R ‘Capital Punishment’ (1998) (part of ‘The Handbook of Crime and Punishment’ Edited by Tonry M,  Published by Oxford University Press Hood R ‘The Death Penalty: A World-wide Perspective’ 2nd Edition Turow S ‘Ultimate Punishment’,  Published by Picador GB Royal Commission on Capital Punishment: Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (1953) http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/how_it_works/punishments_and_rehab/index.html http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-countries-eng European Convention on Human Rights Callins v Collins (1994)510 US 1141 Roper v Simmons (2004) 543 US 551 1 Footnotes [1] GB Royal Commission on Capital Punishment: Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (1953) [2] Bailey WC ‘Murder, Capital Punishment and Deterrence: A Review of the Literature’ [3] Exodus 21:23-25 [4] (2004) 543 US 551 [5] Callins v Collins (1994) 510 US 1141 [6] Hood R ‘Capital Punishment’ (1998) [7] http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/how_it_works/punishments_and_rehab/index.html [8] Article 3 [9] http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-countries-eng [10] see question

Literature review of corporate social responsibility theories

Literature review of corporate social responsibility theories Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate citizenship, responsible business, or sustainable responsible business is all but a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model where companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. Arguably, business and society are interwoven where society has certain expectations regarding business, thus, implying that firms have responsibilities towards society. Hence, being a steward of the needs of society is deemed to be a socially responsible, appropriate, and natural act. Corporate describes a business that aims to make a profit for its shareholders, hence this excludes, charities, foundations, NGOs and social enterprises. The first book acknowledging CSR is the Social Responsibilities of the Businessman (Howard R. Bowen) in the mid 1950s. But, the term CSR came in widespread use in the early 1970s. In fact, it owes its origin due to the globalisation which took place after many multinational corporations were formed, thus, bringing in force the corporate governance mechanisms to ascertain fairness and transparency as well as social responsibility in the corporate world. CSR is defined in various ways in different countries, of about being the capacity building for sustainable livelihoods from Ghana to about giving back to society from Philippines; and of being conventionally presented in a philanthropic model from the United States to being focused on operating the core business in a socially responsible way, complemented by investment in communities for solid business case reasons and voluntary interaction with the stakeholders from the European model. As such, according to Caroll (2003), The social responsibility of business encompasses the economic, legal, ethical and discretionary (philanthropic) expectations that society has of organisations at a given point in time. Hence, ideally and broadly, the concept of CSR is a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure its support to law, ethical standards, and international norms. 2.1.1 CSR and CSP In todays competitive market environment, businesses are confronted with a new set of non economics-related challenges. To survive and prosper, firms must bridge economic and social systems. Maximising shareholder wealth is a necessary but is no longer a sufficient condition for financial prosperity. Despite the concept of CSR addresses such issue, a specific connotation of CSR and a new performance measure called the corporate social performance (abbreviated as CSP) needs to be unified to capture the performance of a business in the social realm, and also to be more precise in thinking about CSR. CSP defined as a business organizations configuration of principles of social responsibility, processes of social responsiveness, and policies, programs, and observable outcomes as they relate to the firms societal relationships (Wood, 1991), clearly shows that social performance is not limited to corporations only, but also applies to any firm and organisation. This comprehensive definition assumes that CSP is broader than CSR, which consists of three norms at different levels of analysis: institutional, organisational, and individual. Additionally, it includes organisational processes of environmental assessment, stakeholder management, and issues management, and also various measures of its external manifestations and societal effects, such as social impacts. Hence the CSP model expresses and articulates three stages, from less to more engage towards stakeholders: social obligation, social responsibility and social responsiveness (S.P. Sethi, 1975). 2.1.2 Views on CSR According to Hancock (2005), CSR can be viewed through 3 ways namely: Views on CSR Hancock (2005) Sceptic View Milton Friedman (1970) Utopian View Evan and Freeman (1988) Realist view Patricia Werhane (2009) Few trends would so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as they possibly can. Notion of CSR is opposed to democracy and freedom where business focus is on wealth creation Went for Stakeholder Theory A corporation must recognise and respect the vital interests of each of its surrounding stakeholders. CSR reflects the idea that companies have a prior duty to anyone touched by their activity, their stakeholders rather than their shareholders, and especially the vulnerable that may be exploited by the companys operation. Gathers the greatest following of an alliance model CSR is also about the integrity with which a company governs itself, fulfils its mission, lives by its values, engages with its stakeholders, measures its impacts and reports on its activities. CSR is not simply about whatever funds and expertise companies choose to invest in communities to help resolve social problems 2.1.3 Key Drivers of CSR CSR is seen by Porter and Van Der Linde (2000, p. 131) as a competitive driver that requires appropriate resources. CSR programmes, however, on their own, have certain main drivers which are as follow: Bottom Line Effect This is the most relevant driver of CSR programmes as it incorporates a socially responsible element into corporate practice. As John Elkington (1997) rightly underlined that many companies exhibit corporate citizenship through charity or philanthropy. Nevertheless, a new perspective evolved over time for some corporate stakeholders. Success of a corporation is now weighted and defined by evaluating businesses using a Triple Bottom Line comprised of its social, environmental and financial performance. Managing Risk An endeavour to adopt CSR programme has been the gain in market share, key personnel and investment which pioneering companies enjoy when they seriously address labour and green issues. In fact, corporations implement such a programme to manage risks and ensure legal compliance as denoted by Levine Michael A. (2008). They try to avoid investigation, litigation, prosecution, regulation or legislation. Influence of the Corporate Disasters There has been an increased perception of greed amidst senior business officials in the corporate world following corporate scandals affecting Enron, WorldCom and the like. CSR is important in counteracting allegations of corporate greed. As a result, as described by Hancock (2005) in his book, corporations are now shifting away from the philanthropic approach towards CSR and are moving towards the greater alignment of CSR with business strategy and corporate governance. Lower Equity Risk Premium Reputation Management Corporations can face economic damage when their corporate reputations and brands are assailed or sales are affected by consumer boycotts. As argued by some rating agencies, a comprehensive CSR programme will lower a companys equity risk premium. A direct correlation between reputation and financial outcome measures share price and credit rating (Hancock, 2005) has been illustrated through a model designed by the global public relations company Bell Pottinger. In fact, companies may face a variety of legal and reputational risks if they do not have adequate social compliance or corporate social responsibility/sustainability programs in place. Customer Loyalty In todays markets, companies have to focus on building and maintaining customer loyalty. As proposed by Zhou Y. (2009), this can be done through a CSR programme which builds loyalty with customers by offering a competitive advantage in a marketplace where consumers find ethically delivered or produced goods and services. Stakeholder Activism Investment Incentives As perceived by Visser, W. (2008), CSR is encouraged through the activism of stakeholder or pressure groups which often address the alleged failure of the market and government policy. The trend of socially responsible investment gives CSR an incentive where funds are screened on ethical, social and environmental criteria. Thus, this proactively encourages businesses to inform shareholders of potential risks and issues and it helps them to better understand their stakeholders, including shareholders. According to Hill Knowltown (2006), surveys have indicated that analysts place as much importance on corporate reputation as they do on financial performance. 2.1.4 Theories for CSR There are several theories that emerged to explain the reasons behind environmental reporting over the time. These are: Operational Efficiency Theory Operational Efficiency occurs when the right combination of people, process, and technology to boost the productivity and value of any business operation, while reducing cost of routine operations to a desired level. In the context of CSR, operational efficiencies can be achieved through managing impending risks and liabilities more effectively and efficiently through CSR tools and perspectives by reducing costs; streaming information to stakeholders concerning the investment community for better transparency and by using corporate responsibility and sustainability approaches within business decision-making to result in new market opportunities, newly developed manufacturing processes that can be expanded to other plants, regions or markets as advocated by S. B. Banerjee (2007). Social Contract Theory The current practice of CSR by corporations was explained by O. O. Amao (2007) under the social contract theory. This theory dates from the classic period of history but took its modern form in the 16th and 18th centuries with best known philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau who talk on social contract. Rousseau, in fact, conceptualised the individual-society relationship as a symbiotic situation whereby the two parties mutually confer some right to the state in order to maintain social order which makes human life and cohabitation better and to gain benefits of community and safety. In parallel to the social contract, the corporate social theory, pertaining to a firms indirect social obligations, is advanced where businesses are bound by the social contract to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of their objectives and other rewards. Legitimacy Theory Similar to the social contract theory, the legacy theory was adopted by corporations to ensure that operations are within the limits and norms of their respective societies and the outside parties perceive their activities as being legitimate. Society grants legitimacy and power to business. In the long run, those who do not use power in a manner which society considers responsible will tend to lose it. This principle developed by Davis (1973) is commonly known as the Iron Law of Responsibility. It expresses legitimacy as a societal-level concept and describes the responsibility of business as a social institution that must avoid abusing its power. Thus, this principle expresses a prohibition rather than an affirmative duty, and it applies equally to all companies, regardless of their particular circumstances. According to A.K.H. Khor (2004), the legitimacy theory is fundamentally a system-oriented theory where organisations are viewed as components of the larger social environment within which they exist. Stakeholder Theory A key feature of CSR involves the way that a company engages, involves, and collaborates with its stakeholders including shareholders, employees, debt-holders, suppliers, customers, communities, non-governmental organisations, and governments. M. C. Branco and L. L. Rodrigues (2007) argued that companies need to use stakeholder engagement to internalise societys needs, hopes, circumstances into their corporate views and decision-making. While there are many questions about how far a companys responsibilities extend into communities relative to the roles of governments and individual citizens, there is a strong argument that CSR can effectively improve a companys relations with communities and thereby produce some key features that will improve business prospects for its future. Agency Theory This theory comes to explain the relationship that exists between the owners/shareholders and the management. The latter is the agent appointed by the principal (owner/subsidiary). In such an agent-principal relationship, problems such as the potential moral hazard and conflict of interest are likely to occur. CSR comes as a middle way so that both parties can maximise their gains. As such, when CFP is strong, managers may reduce social expenditures in order to maximise their own short term private gains whereas when CFP weakens, managers will try to offset their disappointing results by engaging in conspicuous social programs, hence increasing their own wealth and that of shareholders as well, pursuant to the managerial opportunism hypothesis by Preston OBannon (1997). 2.2 2.2.1 Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) Most of the businesses operate with a view of yielding profits. The financial performance of a company is reflected through its policies and operations in monetary terms. These results are reflected through its return on investment, return on assets, value added, return on sale and growth in sales. Managers work in the best interest of shareholders to maximise profits. Financial performance is the most common, however, it cannot be considered as the only indicator used to measure a firms wealth. A broader definition of financial performance is accompanied by additional indicators such as short-term profits, long-term profits, market value, and other forms of competitive advantage, as noted by Jensen (2001). 2.2.2 Corporate Social Performance and CFP Many previous studies have indicated an unclear relationship between CSR and financial performance. Thus, literature has pointed out towards an innovation in bringing the concept of CSP to better explore its impact upon corporate financial performance (CFP). In todays world, for a firm to achieve a good and high level of CFP, it has to go beyond the limits of its own corporate strategies and adopt views of other stakeholders who may be directly or indirectly related to the company. Since over the three decades, the study of the correlation between CSP and CFP has gained much salience. Many studies conducted in this effect have yielded positive correlation, while others produced contradictory results with negative or non-significant different causal directions being found. In effect, there are several competing theoretical models which are proposed to explain three varying findings on the CSP-CFP link. Owing to these differing relationships, I.Y. Maroam (2006) proposes a unified theory of the CSP-CFP link that explain the different relationships that may be observed between CSR and CFP, thus basing itself on the parallels between the business and CSR domains. The concept of CSR instils in corporations the moral responsibility towards society that go beyond the goal of simply making profits for their owners and shareholders (Berman et al., 1999). As Freeman (1984) rightly pointed out that corporations should be socially responsible for both moral and practical (instrumental) reasons, by reflecting a socially responsible posture, a corporation can enhance its own performance. Thus, CSR activities can, inter-alia, be rewarded with more satisfied customers, better employee, improved reputation, and improved access to financial markets, all pertaining to improving financial performance and sustaining the business. However, social accomplishments may equally involve certain financial costs which can effectively reduce profits and comparative performance. Hence, Vance (1975) came up with the trade-off hypothesis to show negative linkage between CSP and CFP whereby corporations displaying strong social credentials experience declining stock price s relative to the market average. 2.2.3 CSP as a Business Strategy So far, it is clear that CSP can be used as a business strategy which can contribute to the competitive advantage of firms. A study by N. A. Dentchey (2004) on the effects of CSP on the competitiveness of organisations reveals that CSP should not be thought as an innocent adventure for executives. It is rather a strategy for achieving corporate strategies, which if not warily implemented, may harm the firms competitive advantage. Competitive advantage, as seen by Porter (1996), denotes the ability of a company to outperform others from successful differentiation from rivals actions. This strategic fit between the outside environment and companies internal resources and capabilities (Hoskissoon et al., 1999) results in superior financial results, as indicated by various measures of profitability. Hence, as per Burke and Logsdon (1996), a strategic implementation of social responsibility benefits all by resulting in strategic outcomes such as customer loyalty, future purchases, new products, new markets and productivity gains. Arguably, CSP can be a source of competitive disadvantage for firms which regard CSP as an additional cost. Business contributions to social prosperity (CSP) are seen by Keim (1978, p.33) as an investment in public good which is consumed or enjoyed by a number of individuals disregarding the cost sharing. Thus, investing in CSP is likely to bear negative effects for the firms which are in curring costs that might otherwise be avoided or that should be borne by others, for example, individuals or government (Aupperle et al., 1985). 2.2.4 CSP, CFP and the Stakeholder Theory Following the above arguments, a new perspective of CSP, based on the stakeholder analysis, emerges to argue furthermore that there exists a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. As such, S.A. Waddock and S.B. Graves (1997) propose that a tension exists between the firms explicit costs (for instance, payments to bondholders) and its implicit costs to other stakeholders (for example, product quality costs, and environmental costs). Hence, a firm which tries to outweigh its explicit costs by increasing its socially responsible actions incurs higher implicit costs, resulting in competitive advantage. Thus, high levels of CSP are seen as indicators of superior management by Alexander and Buchholz (1982) which lead to lower explicit costs and enhanced financial performance. The stakeholder theory accompanies the concept of CSR by shedding more light on the issue of social responsibility. This theory is spread over three aspects (Donaldson and Preston, 1995) namely, descriptive, instrumental and normative. While the descriptive aspect describes and explains the theory, the instrumental aspect discloses the cause-effect relationships between stakeholder management practices and improving corporate performance. The normative aspect, on the other hand, as perceived by I.Y. Maroam (2006) emphasizes on the moral imperatives for practising stakeholder management, rather than the business benefits it may provide. A parallelism between the core business domain and the CSR domain will maximise a firms profitability. The stakeholder theory provides a framework for investigating the relationship between CSP and CFP by examining how a change in CSP is related to a change in financial accounting measures. In fact, the two concepts of CSR and stakeholder share the proposition that social responsibility affects financial performance in some way or other. This subject area has been so vastly explored that this trend is now seen as a natural progression which goes associatively with developments in the industrial and business world. There is an increasing concern and emphasize on humanity, environmental preservation and enlightened social consciousness. Thus, a new area of research began to pave its way within the field of business and society where the relationship between corporate social conduct, both toward the corporations stakeholders and the wider society, and the corporations financial performance was and is still being investigated across several countries. Over environmental issues, research h as revealed that businesses which are eco-friendly and demonstrate good CSR practices enjoy increased consumer purchase preference (Gildea, 1994; Zaman, 1996) and good economic performance (Al-Tuwaijiri, et al., 2004). A stakeholder group, as identified and defined by Freeman (1984), is one that that can affect or is affected by achievement of the organisations objectives, that is, which can be harmed as well as can help it to achieve its goals. Therefore, there is a growing need for firms to address the needs and expectations of the stakeholders to avoid negative outcomes and produce positive outcomes for themselves (Donaldson and Preston, 1995; Freeman, 1984; Frooman, 1997). Pursuant to the stakeholder theory perspective, CSP can be assessed in terms of a company meeting the demands of multiple stakeholders, ranging from cost minimisation to societal maximisation. Building on the previous mentioned definition of CSP, Wood and Jones (1995) propose that stakeholder theory is the key to understanding the structure and dimensions of the firms societal relationships thereby assuming that firms are responsible for honouring all the implicit and explicit contracts they hold with their various constituen ts. Therefore, the stakeholder theory provides a system-based perspective of the organisation and its stakeholders where it acknowledges the dynamic and complex nature of the interplay between them. The various stakeholders of the firms, such as the employees, shareholders, financers, environmentalists, government, communities, customers and even competitors should be convinced by the management that it is working harder to satisfy them. The more important the stakeholders to the firm, the more effort the firm needs to put to uphold its relationship with the former. According to Clarkson, Donaldson and Preston et al. (1995), the stakeholder theory must place shareholders as one of the multiple stakeholder groups which managers should consider in their decision-making process. However, like the shareholders, the other stakeholders may have a say upon the firm, bestowing societal legitimacy. Notably, Bernadette M. Ruf et al. (2001) asserted that firms must address these non-shareholder gro ups demands otherwise they might face negative confrontations which can ultimately result in diminished shareholder value, through boycotts, lawsuits, protests and so on. Hence, firms have a fiduciary duty relationship not only to the shareholders, but to all stakeholders (Hasnas, 1998, p.32). So far, recognising a companys contractual relationship with the various stakeholders has been instrumental in better comprehending the relationship that CSP and CFP share. Stakeholders have expectations from the organisation. Nevertheless, these expectations may conflict with the firms limited resources leading the firm to evaluate its costs and benefits tradeoffs. Firms must thus come with measures representative of the various factors of CSP and stakeholders interests. Unlike neo-classical stockholders who were only interested in financial performance (Grouf, 1994; Shapiro, 1992), the major stakeholders of today, that is, the stockholders are more interested in the firms current and future financial benefits and social performance. 2.3 Empirical Review This section reviews the works done and methods used by researchers on the relationship of CFP and CSP. Empirical results on the latters correlation are mixed whereby some yielded in positive, some in negative and some in non-significant relationships. Basing on the stakeholder theory approach, several models on the CFP-CSP relationship have been proposed, where the largest number of investigations found a positive CSP-CFP linkage. Notably, different methods to compute indexes for CFP and CSP have been used since data on both cannot be possibly obtained in absolute figures. As such, using aggregated weights assigned to K dimensions of social performance obtained through questionnaire for CSP and using change in return on equity (ROE), change in return on sales (ROS) and growth in sales as financial measures on a sample of 496 firms, Bernadette M. Ruf et al. (2001) came up with a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. They, in fact, regressed change in CSP on change in CFP. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between change in CSP and change in ROE and change in ROS in the long term but that with growth in sales was significantly positive only in year 0 and 1. The study suggests that improvements in CSP have both immediate and continuing financial impacts. The authors have furthermore suggested that since many financial performance measures follow a random walk or mean reversion  [1]  , it is important to use lead/lag studies to establish a causal sequence of CSP and CFP. Concerning time period, one year may be short in strat egic terms and could well be distorted by rogue figures, hence, it suggested to take two or five years data in analyses. A paper by S. A. Waddock and S. B. Graves (1997) also found positive linkage between CFP and CSP. An index for CSP was computed using eight attributes relating to shareholder concerns and were rated consistently across the entire Standards Poors 500 by a rating service. The firms profitability was measured using three accounting variables, namely, return on assets (ROA), ROE and ROS used to assess CFP by the investment community. Factors such as size, risk and industry which affect both CFP and CSP were taken as control variables. Used on a sample of 469 companies and using CSP as both dependent and independent variable, the results revealed that CFP does depend on CSP and vice-versa and also indicated the importance of controlling for industry in assessing such a relationship. Size has been suggested in previous studies, like that of Ullman (1985) and McWilliams, A., and D. Siegel (2000), to be a factor which affects both CFP and CSP. Size remains a relevant variable because there had been evidence that smaller firms may not demonstrate the same obvious socially responsible behaviours as larger firms. Authors like Pinkston and Carroll (1993), for instance, investigated the extent social responsibility orientations, organisational stakeholders, and social issues can differ among firms of differing sizes. P. A. Stanwick and S. D. Stanwick (1998), on the other hand, found a significant positive association between size (annual sales) and CFP at the 10% level for three of the six years of their study. Firm size is particularly the scale of operations in an organisation (Price and Mueller (1986, p. 233)). Previous literature has indicated a need to control not only for industry, and size (Ullman, 1985; Waddock and Graves, 1997), but also for risk (McWilliams and Siegel, 2000) to render research results more complete. The argument to use risk as a control variable is supported by the fact that the degree of risk is seen as the other important component of firm performance assumed by a firm in order to achieve a given level of financial performance as stated by Bettis and Hall (1982). Baird and Thomas (1985) also advocated risk as being both as a strategic variable (firms choose a given level of risk) and as an outcome variable (strategic choices lead to a level of risk) which ultimately leads to improved financial performance. As such, M. Brine, R. Brown and G. Hackett (2004) used risk alongside size as control variables to assess financial performance of 277 companies. Their preliminary results stated that the adoption of CSR does lead to increases in turnover and also an increase in equity, which in turn improve the CFP level. According to Mahoney L. and Roberts R.W. (2007), there is no significant relationship between a composite measure of firms CSP and CFP. Using four years panel data of Canadian firms, they calculated a composite measure of CSP score by summing all dimension strength ratings, such as, community relations, diversity, employee relations, environment, international, product safety, and amongst others and subtracting all dimension weaknesses ratings. Following Waddock and Graves (1997a), ROA and ROE were used separately to measure a firms CFP. As CFP was expected to be positively related to CSP, a one-year lag between CFP and all independent variables (CSP, firm size, debt level, and industry) was used. Inconsistent with their expectation, they found no significant relationship between the composite CSP measure and either ROA or ROE. However, the use of individual measures of firms CSP regarding environmental and international activities and CFP resulted in a significant relationship provi ding mixed support for the business case for CSP. A study, using the Granger causality approach, by Rim Makni et al. (2008) reaffirms Mahoney and Roberts (2007) works on the non-significant relationship. However, there may also be a simultaneous and interactive negative relation between CSP and CFP, forming a vicious circle.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde :: essays research papers

Oscar Wilde, the author of The Importance of Being Earnest, was most definitely a peculiar character. This is present in his writings, particularly in the aforementioned work. The Importance of Being Earnest uses unusual situations and striking puns to produce a humor that would be enjoyed by nearly all peoples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Importance of Being Earnest was nearly a Victorian example of an episode of 'Seinfeld.'; The characters contained within often find themselves in the most peculiar of situations, so strange that we can find them humorous. They even, at times, seem to represent situations in which we may find ourselves involved. One such example is in Act One, where Jack realizes that Gwendolyn loves the name Ernest. He tries through several ways to talk to her and find out if she could love him if his name was Jack. She considers the entire question to be hypothetical and unimportant, since she's always known him to be Ernest. The entire dialogue that occurs during the discussion has humorous pieces that add to the colorful nature of the play. One piece of the dialogue is spoken by Jack, where he says, 'Gwendolyn, I must get christened at once—I mean, we must get married at once.'; Wilde shows how society would tend to care about what was on the outside of a person, such as their name or wealth, rather than their character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another such example of this situation is when Algernon is speaking to Cecily in regards to their engagement. Cecily knows Algernon to be Jack's brother, Ernest, and is in love with the name the same as Gwendolyn. Algernon tries to inquire, in a similar manner whether Cecily could love him if he bore another name, such as Algernon. Cecily responds in a similar manner. Wilde found one piece to be humorous, and as a result included it into the first Act. He then decided to repeat a similar situation in the second Act of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example of Wilde's use of humor is in his witty remarks and epigrams. By using these devices, it adds color to a character, and helps to balance them well against others instead of creating a 'flat'; appearance. The most prominent character that demonstrates these attributes is Algernon, whose timing throughout the story is impeccable. In Act One, after Jack has finished speaking to Lady Bracknell about marrying Gwendolyn, Lady Bracknell exits the room.

Anti-families on T.V. :: essays research papers

In TV’s Anti-Families: Married . . . with Malaise, Josh Ozersky talks about the repackaging of American TV families from Ozzie and Harriet into Rosanne. From the point of view that the corporate world has manipulated television viewers into watching TV he shows the exaggerations of current day dysfunctional TV families. He goes on to discuss what the effects of these shows are on family values. Ozersky mentions the idea that a boundless discontent exists in our culture and its beginnings are found with the family, â€Å"where social patterns are first internalized.† Ozersky furthers this notion by saying that boundless discontent means there are boundless needs. An understanding of the origins of these boundless needs in American culture can be understood from the context of The More Factor, by Laurence Shames. â€Å"An endlessly fertile continent whose boundaries never need be reached, a domain that could expand in perpetuity, a gigantic playing field that would never run out of room and on which the game would get forever bigger and more filled with action.† The corporate world knows this all too well as they exploit the needs of consumers and manipulate them into buying their product. In Ozersky’s words, â€Å"Given TV’s entirely corporate nature, it is unreasonable to assume that the channels are referenda.† Ozersky reminds us that many of these corporate executives are independent in the market and have not experienced a rich family life. What kind of effects on viewers do these dysfunctional families have? Ozersky points out that in mocking traditional family values on TV real families are sabotaged. He explains how this happens by saying that problems within the family are trivialized preventing any healing and only causing discontent. While TV is criticized on TV and even by us, we somehow become flattered and keep watching anyway. Why do we do this? â€Å" . . . To feel superior to TV and yet keep watching it,† as Ozersky writes. It delivers the dream of having our cake and eating it too. By criticizing TV we put ourselves above it, yet we deem it harmless and continue to watch it anyway. Ozersky says that we have no power of our own to reject this â€Å"

Nutrition topic

This is one of the vitamins that form food supplement for man: others are Vitamin B1 [thiamin], Vitamin B2 [riboflavin], vitamin B3 [niacin], vitaminB5 [pantothenic acid], folic acid and vitamin B6 [pyridoxine]. These are important supplements that are required for the maintenance of metabolism in the organisms; they act as coenzymes and cofactors in various anabolic and catabolic reactions essential for the survival of cells, and the organism [1.4]. Of peculiar interest for this article is Vitamin B12. The reason for choice of this, among other things is because of the devastating medical cases including neural tube defects, irreversible Vitamin B12 neuropathy that may arise as a result of deficiency. It would be considered under the following headings: source, metabolism [structure, absorption, transport, biochemical function] and deficiency. SOURCE The vitamin is only available in animal sources. It is synthesized by microbes; animals acquire it by eating other animal foods, by internal production from intestinal bacterial flora. Its sources include food of animal origin, such as meat, fish, dairy products, liver. It does not occur in plant sources: cereals, fruits or vegetables [1]. METABOLISM STRUCTURE [1]: There are a variety of forms in which Vitamin B12 exists: as methylcobalamin in human plasma, as deoxyadenosylcobalamin in human tissue, as hydroxocobalamin for treatment, and cyanocobalamin in study of Vitamin B12 activity. All have the same basic structure: cobalt is at the centre of a corrin ring which is attached to a nucleotide. ABSORPTION: A normal diet contains a large excess of vitamin B12 compared with daily needs. B12 is combined with the parietal cell-produced glycoprotein, intrinsic factor. The IF-B12 complex binds to a specific receptor in the distal ileum called Cubilin. Vitamin B12 is absorbed here at the distal ileum. TRANSPORT: Vitamin B12 is absorbed into portal blood through the circulation from the intestine to the liver via the portal vein. Here it becomes attached to the plasma-binding protein transcobalamin II [TCII] which delivers B12 to the bone marrow and other tissues, where it is utilized for biosynthetic functions [4]. BIOCHEMICAL FUNCTION: Vitamin B12 is a coenzyme for two biochemical reactions in the body. First, it acts in the form of methylcobalamin as a cofactor for methionone synthase, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine; methyl tetrahydrofolate is used as methyl donor during the reaction. Second, it acts as deoxyadenosylB12 where it acts as cofactor for the conversion of methylmalonyl conenzyme A to succinyl coA [4]. DEFICIENCY CAUSES: In this part of the world, perincious anemia is the commonest cause of Vitamin B12 deficiency [3]. In this condition, autoimmune reactions on the gastric mucosa cause production of antibodies against parietal cell products, intrinsic factor and its receptors; females are more affected and it is usually associated with other autoimmune conditions such as vitiligo, Hashimoto thyroiditis, thyrotoxicosis, etc. Other causes include malabsorption secondary to gastrectomy, congenital abnormailtiy of the IF, chronic tropical sprue, Crohn’s disease, intestinal stagnant loop syndrome such as stricture [4]. EFFECTS: Vitamin B12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anaemia [2]; it features include signs and symptoms of anaemis such as anorexia, easy fatiguability, pallor of skin and mucous membrane and malaise. Others are glossitis, angular stomatitis, purpura and lemon-tint jaundice. Severe Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause a progressive neuropathy affecting the peripheral sensory nerves and dorsolateral columns of the spinal cord [4]. The neuropathy is usually symmetrical and affects the lower limbs than the upper limbs. These changes are irreversible. The cause of this is usually accumulation of s-adenosyl homocysteine in nervous tissue. In a pregnant woman, the fetus is predisposed to neural tube defects [4]. LABORATORY FINDINDS: Blood file shows macrocytosis; the mean corpuscularf volume > 95fL. The macrocytes are oval. There are hypersegmented neutrophils, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia [1]. TREATMENT: Diagnosis is confirmed by absorption tests including schilling test. treatment is by taking Vitamin B12 preparations [1]. REFERENCES Vitamin B12. www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-B12/NS_patient-vitaminb12   Chanarin I. [1970] The Megaloblastic anaemias. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. Toh B-H, Van Driel I.R and Gleeson P.A. [1997] Pernicious Anaemia. N. Engl. J. Med. 337: 1441-8. Mehta A.B.   and Hoffbrand A.V. Haematology at a Glance. 2000.   

Advantages and disadvantages of technology Essay

Throughout history, technological innovations have helped humankind improve their standards of living, beginning with the simple invention of bone tools of prehistoric times, continuing on to and beyond modern air conditioners, automobiles, and super computers. Nowadays, when the rapidness of development and research is so remarkable, it is easy to think about the advantages of modern technology. Technology has come a long way from floppy disk, to CDs, and now saving information on flash drives and clouds. Although very helpful technology has its advantages and, disadvantages for certain people jobs that are at risk. Technology today has made life better in modern society so much that people rely on it more than humans at times. Modern technology helps simplify life in so many ways such as communication like video chatting which is much more convenient. Another way technology helps people is in business, it helps boost efficiency and productivity in work area. Businesses have integrated modern technology in their production line, most of the hard work has become so simple and fast its results are better than of humans. This world goes through allot of changes as time goes on because of improvements this world is becoming more efficient and productive. Technology even helps save money in the long run with fuel, communication, and electricity. Technology helps make life for humans so much easier one example is through email. A quick email can be done and sent out within minutes rather than writing a letter and waiting days for a response. Opportunities that technology offers and accomplishes can no t only save time but again save money in the long run. Electronics are expensive but worth it when it comes to making life more convenient. Another advantage for these gadgets the mistakes that humans make can be reduced with the use of technology like automated bill pay. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Essay The mobile phone has many advantages and disadvantages. It is easy to contact friends and family. Since the first mobile was created we have been able to make calls to anywhere in the world by the click of a button. You are able to get in touch with people nearly 24/7. You have access to constant internet. Having the internet at your finger tips any time you need it has many advantages. Need to find out want time a movie is on in the cinema? No problem. Need to look up the number of a restaurant you fancy having dinner at? Just use your phone. A mobile phone is an all in one device. Having music, a camera, GPS, phone and mini laptop all in one device is handy. Nowadays we use our phones as our calculator, flashlight and fax machine. Many people do not even own a camera anymore as who needs one when you can high quality shots with you camera phone. Mobile phones also allow us to facetime or Skype family and friends. Skype and facetime allow us to view our friends and family members no matter where they are in the world. These apps also allow you to choose between making a video and a voice call. You can connect with anyone else who has internet connection. People survived for years without carrying a phone with them. It’s becoming a necessity for people to carry portable phones with them. Having a phone which is portable is handy for those situations where you break down on a country road; a portable phone can help make sure you are never stuck. Phones nowadays work almost everywhere, there are very few locations where phones don’t work. Read more:  Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Essay A phone helps ensure business people are always in touch with their clients and those who they need to talk to right away, from work or even at home. A portable phone works if charged during power outs, after accidents or whenever an emergency arises, a phone can be a lifesaver. Portable phones are becoming entertainment on the go. From television and movie downloads to games. Portable phones are great for helping people organize their lives. Some phones can handle e-mail addresses, appointments and more. It’s like carrying a personal computer with you on the go. Mobile phones do so much that we find ourselves glued to them almost every day instead of people interacting with each other they sit with their eyes stuck to their phones having virtual conversations instead of real ones.  When trying to do work it is hard to concentrate when there is a mobile sitting staring at you as the temptation to have a look on facebook or other websites is huge. Mobile phones can actually cost lives when drivers, focused on their mobile phones lose control of their vehicles and cause major accidents. Not as serious but you could fall down stairs, trip or run into something or someone when you’re stuck on facebook. Most phones nowadays have passwords on them but if you leave your phone unlocked and someone gets a hold of it them all your details are exposed – your contacts, messages, social media accounts and maybe even your bank details. Even if your phone is protected with a password a hacker can still access your information if they really want to. There is a lot of evidence that mobile phones cause damage to the brain. Phones produce radiation and should not be left near you when sleeping. They also affect a lot of people’s sleeping patterns which result in sleeplessness and insomnia. Many people like to be constantly upgraded with the newest phone. Some people want a different phone every month, as well as all the accessories that are now on the market for each mobile phone. Also what is the point of a phone without credit? Mobile phones are bottomless money pits. The landline also has many advantages and disadvantages. A landline always has coverage making it totally reliable and easy to access in the case of an emergency. In case of an unfortunate event of an earthquake or landslide, the mobile phone receives no network while the landline stays active. The reliability of a land line makes them advantageous when it comes to emergencies. For example, if someone is hurt and needs immediate medical care, you do not have to worry about poor reception. Landlines also provide a fixed location that emergency responders can rush to. If there is no power and a mobile phone dies, the user is without a phone completely if there is no landline connected to a wired phone. A landline home phones will rescue a user when their mobile phone dies. The larger size of a landline phone allows you to more easily cradle the phone between your head and shoulder. In general, landlines are much less expensive than mobile phones. The setup costs, hardware costs and calling costs of mobile phones are all typically higher. Most landline service providers offer free local calls. Keeping a landline at home can help reduce your phone bill and allow you to talk as  long as you want without worrying about racking up charges. Landlines do not meet the needs of people today. Most people spend more time outside the home. Using their mobile phone allows freedom from checking the home recorder for messages. Nowadays if someone is waiting on an important call they do not have to sit at home and wait for the call. They can send and receive calls from anywhere there is phone service. A landline is not portable and it cannot travel with you. Landline service only works inside the home and it also limits the caller’s ability to move around while on a call. Landline services offer fewer options than mobile phone services. Many mobile phone companies include internet access, text messaging, voice mail and a whole range of applications. Landlines however do not include these options. If you have a landline phone, your number and home address is in the phone book. While there are benefits to having your number listed, there’s also one huge disadvantage which is telemarketers. Landline phones are more likely to get calls from telemarketers trying to sell you something at all hours. That’s because many calling centres will scroll through the phone book, calling listed number after number. These can be annoying to phone owners. Landlines consume more energy than cell phones, as they remain plugged in at all times. This is true of cordless landline phones as well, because of the charger required. While mobile phones do not last as long as landlines they are easier to recycle. The Internet has been the greatest means of communication yet. It is now faster and more reliable than ever. Nowadays it is possible to use video, chat and messenger services. There are many ‘chat rooms’ on the web that can be accessed to meet new people, make new friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends. Social networking has become so popular amongst youth that it might one day replace physical networking. It has evolved as a great way to connect with millions of people with similar interests. Apart from finding long-lost friends, you can also look for a job, business opportunities. The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online. You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc., and right from your home. Entertainment is another popular reason why many  people prefer to surf the Internet. The internet has even become some peoples TV as you can watch endless programmes at the click of a button. Also downloading games or just surfing the celebrity websites are some of the uses people have discovered. The Internet has any kind of information on any topic under the sun. The search engines help you to find data on any subject that you need. You can also shop online, there are many online stores and sites that can be used to look for products as well as buy them using your credit card. You do not need to leave your house and can do all your shopping from the convenience of your home. E-mail is another advantage, with e-mail you can send and receive instant electronic messages. Your messages are delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world. If you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. People can access this information through unsecured connections then use your personal details for their benefit. Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are very prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing. People are drifting apart from their friends and family because of the internet. Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. The Internet can be harmful to little children. Children nowadays use the Internet on a daily basis. The Internet has provided a way for children to gain access to all sorts of websites. Cyber bullying is also another huge disadvantage when it comes to the internet. There are now many more ways that people can be harassed and bullied when they have access to the internet. Cyber bullying is one of the worst as it invades the victims’ life in a place they are comfortable in and think they are safe, because they are being harassed in their personal area, cyber bullying leads to more depression decreased self esteem, loneliness and suicide which are all big disadvantages. Another disadvantage of the internet is that it has allowed a great deal of anonymity to a large number of people who have access to different websites and chat rooms available. This has allowed perverted individuals to take advantage of innocent people and abuse their trust. We can always hear from news that paedophiles used  the internet to make crimes. With all its falls the internet has the potential to ma ke your life simple and convenient, as well as wreak havoc in your life. Having a fax machine certainly has its benefits, there are also disadvantages associated with relying on this sending tool. With a fax machine, you can quickly send documents from one building to another without any cost. Not only does a fax machine make this rapid transfer easier and more cost-effective, it also allows for the transfer to take place more quickly. Fax machines provide senders with a receipt after the document has finished the fax process; the user has some evidence that they did, in fact, send the document. Faxes are delivered immediately to around the globe. This method of data transmission is effective when access to email or file share are unattainable or unfeasible. Fax machines are very inexpensive and several are part of multifunction systems. Just like all technology, fax machines can fail. If a company depends too heavily upon the fax machine and the machine fails to operate, the people using the machine may experience some difficulty. Also you cannot send a fax to someone who does not also have a fax machine; the receiver must have a fax machine to get the document. Documents you sent may not be as safe and secure. Information thieves have ways of pulling information from old fax machines or discarded printing cartridges. Any time you send a document, via fax or otherwise, you open up the possibility of someone accessing your data, putting you at risk. Fax machines take up space and also create an opportunity for mechanical failures that may require costly repairs. Emailing documents takes no additional hardware besides an existing computer, and files can be stored digitally rather than taking up space in paper form. Fax machines need regular maintenance. You have to stock the machines with paper and also supply toner, which are the powdered ink fax machines use to print. There is also the possibility that once a document has been faxed and the information is read or entered into a computer, the paper will be thrown away or recycled. Finally, like every machine, fax machines require occasional cleaning. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Essay The advantages of stun guns and patrol car video surveillance are a critical tool in law enforcement. Officers are given the option of Tasers, which are extremely effective when pursuing an offender that might have had the upper hand to fight for a long time, resulting in the officer gaining injuries. Currently, patrol car video is a necessity as video records will enhance an officer’s credibility, corroborate identities, and statement issues, and can be used as evidence in court. However, critical to law enforcement; stun guns should be used as a last resort. Let us examine some of the issues that contain some validity to arguments for the continue use of these tools within law enforcement. One may argue that a Taser (stun gun) causes muscle contractions and renders a person helpless while being temporarily paralyzed. Lee (2007) addressed this to be true, but law enforcement has maximized training programs so that suspects and officers lives are not in jeopardy. In addition, when a stun gun is used there is a permanent record and the video surveillance is automatically recorded when an officer takes the safety off the weapon (Lee, 2007). Consequently, the stun gun is used by law enforcement specifically for self-defense, and as a result, Lee (2007) mentions there have been hundreds of arrests that would have been involved in most serious outcomes, such as a suspect or officer’s demise. Read more:  Essay About Technology Advantages and Disadvantages As much as of 1,500 lives a year are taken by accidents with firearms in the United States (Tennenbaum, A. N., & Moore, A. M. (1993). However, guns have been converted into less-lethal weapons such as Tasers. In fact, the Taser gun also known as a stun gun has the capacity of 50,000 volts that are connected to electrodes, and this nonlethal weapon resembles a gun in its composition and has varying degrees of power. Tennenbaum, A. N., & Moore, A. M. (1993) noted that there are available nonlethal weapon technologies, which give citizens options and no deadly force of traditional guns. The stun gun is an alternative weapon that can be operated by an officer with proper training and is a nonlethal weapon. One must be capable of using a stun gun to subdue or neutralize a suspect so that no harm will occur to one’s body. After all, not every person has the same body structure, so  therefore the stun gun can be more dangerous depending on the individual. Example, someone with a heart defibrillator can die from a stun gun (Lee, 2007). However, with the proper training, an officer has the knowledge of reducing or increasing power on the stun gun, and the main idea here is that the Taser will immediately stop an individual in his tracks by setting the Taser to a specific level for the offender. One may argue that stun guns may promptly fall into the hands of criminals who will use them for criminal acts. Although, there is no arguing over this point, nevertheless with these weapons such as stun guns, the consequences will not be deadly for either the officer or the offender. Suppose some others may say that nonlethal weapons are unrealistic but interesting. After all, one knows an advance of technological knowledge is essential in law enforcement. For example, when Tasers are used in the muscular areas, the offender’s nervous system is shut down for up to 30 seconds. As a result, the officer is safe from harm. Finally, an officer now has efficient time to confine or restrain the suspect. Hence, no one gets hurt. Law enforcement wants to prevent any misuse. An individual’s background is nationally run through to verify his credit card information, age, and identification. Finally, there is a check for any felony convictions, not to mention terrorist watch lists. If any information pertaining to felonies show up, the individual will be turned away. When one uses a patrol car and it is equipped with video surveillance, he is being protected in many ways because video does not lie. Whether the officer is acting inappropriately or the suspect is acting hostile the video will prove to be the most critical evidence. Tennenbaum, A. N., & Moore, A. M. (1993) assures surveillance systems are great additions to police cars. They protect both sides, and if one thinks about it, he would rather be stunned than shot. The most distinct video surveillance brings the highest quality to agencies. They are easy to use and they have the technology to transfer, gather, and retrieve evidence. In fact, the video is shared with court officials and the prosecution while maintaining the integrity of the original video. There are no negative factors in having patrol car video surveillance. This tool is capable of functional requirements and meeting legislative mandates. Typically, patrol car surveillance systems tend to use analog tape technologies, which can be copied and transferred. However, overall performance in these surveillance systems is limited. In conclusion, the overall success with law enforcement and the violence out there today are critical tools for an officer’s self-defense. In addition, Taser and video surveillance are the most chosen tools in law enforcement. Furthermore, when the Taser is used properly and efficiently, it will deter the most hostile offenders, whereas most nonlethal weapons will not having the necessary means. Meanwhile video surveillance can help an officer’s defense or a suspect’s guilt in court as it is a permanent video record of an incident. Moreover, video surveillance is never bias, the truth is right in front of you. References Lee, Harry. (2007, February 19). JPSO Tasers Have Proven To Be A Near-Perfect Non-Lethal Weapon That Stuns. Sheriffs Weekly Journal, 27(31), 36, 1/3. Retrieved May 28, 2008, fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=24245269&site=ehost-liveTennenbaum, A. N., & Moore, A. M. (1993). Non-Lethal Weapons: Alternatives To Deadly Force. The Futurist, 27(5), 20. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 479634). Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Essay Technology began when man started to control and modify nature to meet his needs.   Prior to the 20th Century, technology was identified with skilled men and women who passed their expertise and know-how from one generation to another.   Back then technology was associated with new techniques, new processes and new methods of doing things.   With the scientific revolution in the 20th Century, the concept of technology changed.   It is now closely associated with gadgets, products and innovative scientific inventions. This essay examines the advantages and disadvantages of two simple technological innovations: the stun gun and the police car video surveillance.   Their impact, advantages and disadvantages to the society will be evaluated for purpose of deeper appreciation of their use. Advantages and Disadvantages of Stun Guns and Police Car Video Surveillance Technology is closely tied with the concept of innovation.   There was a time when law enforcement officers utilized the wooden batons as their only weapons against violent individuals who resisted arrest (Scott Oldham, 2005, p.1).   In view of the lack of effective weapons that they can use to apprehend and subdue suspects, encounters between law enforcement officers and suspects often lead to a bloody fight.   As a result either the police officer or the suspect ends up getting seriously hurt or killed. Read more:  Technology Advantages and Disadvantages Essay There was also a time when law enforcement officers had to rely on their recollection of the events during dangerous situations.   They had to record the license number of the suspect’s getaway vehicle, remember their faces and the kind of weapons used.   If they were able to arrest the suspects after a dangerous situation, suspects often filed suits against law enforcement officers alleging brutality and violence they experienced in the hands of the police officers.   There being no other witnesses, the police officer had always been placed in jeopardy of being maliciously sued by a suspect he had arrested in his line of duty. With the use of technology, man was able to control and modify nature for the purpose of satisfying his own needs. Law enforcement officers have found simple solutions to their everyday problems.   With the use of stun guns police officers were able to harness the power of electricity.   They were able to control the volt and use it to apprehend violent suspects by incapacitating them temporarily. With the discovery of stun guns, police officers no longer have to worry about getting hurt or hurting anybody in the course of the arrest.   In case a suspect resists arrest and becomes really violent, the law enforcement officer only has to press this gun against the body of the suspect.   It will release an electronic charge that is high in voltage that can disable the suspect for 20 to 30minutes enough time for them to place handcuff on the suspect. Police officers no longer have to worry about the possibility of them forgetting the suspect’s face or the license number of the vehicle or the kind of weapon used.   He also need not fear that suits for excessive violence and brutality may be filed against him because there is physical evidence that can be presented before the court.   Law enforcement officers only have to produce the recording of his patrol car video surveillance and present it in court to disprove the false and malicious accusations against him. Just like any technology, however, it can be abused.   In the hands of an abusive law enforcement officer, stun guns may cause serious injury against a suspect if not used properly.   According to United Nations Committee use of stun guns by the police may cause extreme pain and in certain cases may lead to death.   (David Morgan, 2007, p.2)   It has been reported that since 1999, 80 people have died and others have been seriously injured by police using electronic stun gun which negate the claims that they are non lethal weapons.   (Greg Mathis, 2005, p.1) Use of police car video surveillance may be advantageous for some but it may pose a serious constitutional challenge for others.  Ã‚   Lawyers have challenged the legality of the act of police officers using their video camera as proof to apprehend those who commit over speeding and those who run against red lights.   Their contention is that the owners of the car are automatically considered guilty and imposed a penalty even if it may be possible that the car owners were not driving the vehicles at the time the infraction was committed.   Aside from constitutional violation of presumption of innocence, some police officers may use the video camera for the purpose of invading the privacy of private individuals. Conclusion Technology is indeed the successful attempt by man to control and modify nature for the purpose of satisfying human needs and providing solutions to his problem.   It may happen that the technology may turn into something that it is intended to do or to something that it is not intended to.   This is precisely what technology is.   It may turn out beneficial to mankind but it may also pose serious risks for us. In the case of stun guns, I believe it is still one of the most non-lethal instruments that police officers can utilize against suspects.   It would be better however if police officers are educated on its use and its dangers before they are allowed to use these instruments.   The same thing is true for video surveillance which is most effective if it is utilized for strictly law enforcement work.   These instruments therefore are not dangerous in themselves.   They are not evil in themselves.   Problem starts when those who utilize it use it improperly.   This problem could be remedied by proper orientation and training so that old and new law enforcement officers may be advised on how to properly utilize these new pieces of technology.