The Importance of Loss Prevention, and Security within Businesses Essay

The Importance of Loss Prevention, and Security within Businesses - Essay Example From my earliest involvement in loss prevention and security it held a special interest for me. In part this was due to how closely it aligned with the values that I had grown up with, and in part I was fascinated by the level of detail and observation that was required. Theft is an important issue in any industry or setting, such as within hospitals, bars, schools, retail or manufacturing. As a consequence of this the field of loss prevention has developed and has become important in almost every setting. Since beginning my job at Best Buy I have learned a lot about the role that loss prevention plays in retail, as well as methods of being effective in my role. I am currently the manager of the Security and Loss Prevention department at Best Buy. This role has provided me with many opportunities and challenges and it has allowed me to understand the challenges that are associated with security as well as its importance. I have also had the opportunity to do a summer internship at a County Prosecutors Office and to work part time for them following the internship. This gave me the chance to see the police in action and to understand some of the process that occurs. This essay will examine some of the concepts that I have learned in my role Loss is an important aspect of any business. The term refers to the loss of profits due to a wide range of situations such as credit fraud, shoplifting, internal theft, or package theft where some or all of the contents of a package are stolen but not the package itself. Package theft can refer to stealing the contents of the package within the store, or more organized, broader applications such as stealing small packages from shipping containers. Because of this, within any retail store security is extremely important as a method to minimize loss through this means. Different businesses use different methods and strategies of approaching this, and there is no single, universal method of maintaining security. This is because security can be broken in a number of ways, most notably through credit fraud, corporate corruption, and through theft. Theft can occur in a number of different ways and can be the consequence of actions of either staff or customers. As such it is important to have adequate measures of security in place and to ensure that these remain working at their full functionality. Two important parts of loss prevention are avoiding loss that occurs from customers through theft and decietful behavior as well as internal loss from staff and those that have access to business information. Both forms of loss are important, and as a consequence security is important for the functioning of any business. This essay will examine the use of physical security, security actions plans and internal investigations as means of detecting and regulating theft and fraud. Specific examples of types of theft will be examined, as well as a case example of how security is managed in a large business firm. Losses i n retail contribute to significant decreases in the profit a store is able to make. Theft plays a significant role in this, with $107.3 billion lost globally in 2010 as a result of theft . The National Retail Security Survey in 2009 reported that an average of 1.44% of all sales nationwide are lost as a consequence of shrinkage . The term shrinkage refers to the amount of products that are lost between the point of purchase or manufacture, and the point of sale. This loss occurs in a number of ways such as through damaged products and misplaced items. Store managers and those in authority look at many ways of reducing shrinkage of all forms. In 2008, around 35% of this shrinkage was attributed to shoplifting, while 44% was attributed to theft by employees .

Judicial Precedent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Judicial Precedent - Essay Example It has also helped in the development of the English law, however original precedent are those that apply new rule in decision making. Despite the importance of judicial precedent higher courts can have an effect on it and this occurs when the following occurs: This happen when a court rejects decisions of an earlier case on the bases that there were no sufficient facts to support the decision, in this case therefore judicial precedent is affected. Example is the Balfour V Balfour (1991) case. Binding precedent is that precedent that must be followed, in this type of precedent lower courts must follow and honor decision made by higher courts. This type of precedent is also referred to as mandatory precedent. Example Young V Bristol (1944) case Persuasive precedent is that precedent that is not mandatory but helps in decision making, it is also known as advisory precedent because it helps in decision making; therefore decision will rely on other parallel court decisions example military courts. Example R v Gott (1992) case ant the R v Howe (1987) case Customs can also be viewed a form of precedent whereby decision by a court will be influenced by customs held by a society, these customs are referred to as precedents only is they have been tradition held by a community for a long time. Certainty is presen Advantage and disadvantage of judicial precedent: Advantages: Certainty: Certainty is present in law whereby decision are made in particular way, in the case where the cases were not based on precedent then there would be the occurrence of uncertainty whereby citizen would not clearly know their rights. Growth: Precedent allows the adoption of law and the development of new laws, relying on previous decisions is a clear indication of adoption of new laws into the system making it possible for growth and development in law. Consistent decision: Due to the fact that decisions are based on previous decisions then there is a high possibility of consistence in judgment and decision making, similar cases with similar fact and issues will receive almost similar decisions. Disadvantages: Rigidity: It has a disadvantage in that it is characterized by rigidity, this occurs when binding decision are made even if the decisions are thought to be wrong, the decisions are made with reference to past decision instead of distinguishing them. Slow growth: Judicial precedent may also lead to slow growth and development of law, this is because judges will make decisions on cases depending on previous decisions despite the need to make adjustments in the law system.

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry BACKGROUND: Microwave remote sensing at wavelengths ranging from 1 cm to 1 m has gained a lot of importance over the past decade for a wide range of scientific applications with the availability of active radar imaging systems. Its potential in spatial applications has been scientifically established in various sectors like forestry, agriculture, land use and land cover, geology and hydrology. A variety of applications have been carried out world over using microwave data like discrimination of crop types, crop condition monitoring, soil moisture retrieval, delineation of forest openings, estimation of forest above ground biomass, forest mapping; forest structure and fire scar mapping, geological mapping, monitoring wetlands and snow cover, sea ice identification, coastal windfield measurement, wave slope measurement, ship detection, shoreline detection, substrate mapping, slick detection and general vegetation mapping (Kasischke et al., 1997). There is an emerging interest on microwave remote sensing, as microwave sensors can image a surface with very fine resolution of a few meters to coarse resolution of a few kilometers. They provide imagery to a given resolution independently of altitude, limited only by the transmitter power available. Fundamental parameters like polarization and look angle can be varied to optimize the system for a specific application. SAR imaging is independent of solar illumination as the system provides its own source of illumination. It can operate independently of weather conditions if sufficiently long wavelengths are chosen. It operates in a band of electromagnetic spectrum different from the bands used by visible and infrared (IR) imageries. Microwave applications in Forestry Applications of microwave remote sensing in forestry have also been reported during the recent past. Recent reviews on the application of radar in forestry show that SAR systems have a good capability in discriminating various types of (tropical) forest cover using multi-temporal and multi-frequency SAR data (Vander Sanden, 1997; Varekamp, 2001; Quinones, 2002; Sgrenzaroli, 2004). These studies showed that the biomass dependence of radar backscatter varies as a function of radar wavelength, polarization and incidence angle. Also recent studies have demonstrated that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to estimate above-ground standing biomass. To date, these studies have relied on extensive ground-truth measurements to construct relationships between biomass and SAR backscatter (Steininger, 1996; Rignot et al., 1997). Many studies demonstrated the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing to retrieve biophysical characteristics from forest targets (Richards, 1990). Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995), earlier studies derived useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the above-ground biomass (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et el., 1992; Imhoff; 1995). These relationships may provide a method of monitoring forest ecosystems which play such a vital role in carbon storage and NPP. Microwave remote sensing has the advantage of all weather capability coverage overcoming the persistent problem of cloud cover in satellite images like in optical data. Optical remote sensing is being used very successfully in various applications related to earth resources studies and monitoring of the environment. However, optical remote sensing is not suitable for all atmospheric conditions. It cannot penetrate through clouds and haze. In many areas of the world, the frequent cloud conditions often restrain the acquisition of high-quality remotely sensed data by optical sensors. Thus, radar data has become the only feasible way of acquiring remotely sensed data within a given time framework because the radar systems can collect Earth feature data irrespective of weather or light conditions. Due to this unique feature of radar data compared with optical sensor data, the radar data have been used extensively in many fields, including forest-cover identification and mapping, discrimi nation of forest compartments and forest types, estimation of forest stand parameters and monitoring of forests. In areas where vegetation cover is dense, it visually covers the underlying formation and it is very difficult to detect structural limiting the use of optical sensors. Radar however, is sensitive enough to topographic variation that it is able to discern the structural expression reflected in the tree top canopy, and therefore the structure may be clearly defined on the radar imagery. Based on this background, the current thesis work has been carried out to explore the potential of microwave data in addressing core areas of tropical forestry viz., vegetation classification, above ground biomass estimation etc., and to provide the users/researchers a meaningful data base of SAR applications in tropical forestry, specifically over the India region. Research questions: Which SAR wavelength/frequency band is appropriate for vegetation classification in tropical forests? To what extent above ground biomass can be measured in tropical forests? Which frequency band and polarization are suitable for above ground biomass estimation? Is there any enhancement in vegetation classification with polarimetric / interferometric data than stand alone amplitude data? Research hypothesis: Based on the previous studies and earlier mentioned research questions, we understand that the backscatter increases with the increase in above ground biomass and depends on wavelength bands, polarizations used and on the study area, topographic variations and species composition. So, the present study attempts to derive the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and classification of major land cover classes. This study would facilitate scope for future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. OBJECTIVES: Based on this background, the present study aims at the following objectives: Vegetation type classification using polarimetric and interferometric SAR data. Forest above-ground biomass estimation using multi-frequency SAR data and ground inventoried data. Vegetation classification is necessary to understand the diversity of species in a given area which gives above ground biomass with measured parameters. Hence, vegetation classification enhances the estimation of the above ground biomass. Forest biomass is a key parameter in understanding the carbon cycle and determining rates of carbon storage, both of which are large uncertainties for forest ecosystems. Accurate knowledge of biophysical parameters of the ecosystems is essential to develop an understanding of the ecosystem and their interactions, to provide input models of ecosystem and global processes, to test these models and to monitor changes in ecosystem dynamics and processes over time. Thus, it is a useful measure for assessing changes in forest structure, comparing structural and functional attributes of forest ecosystems across a wide range of environmental conditions. Knowing the spatial distribution of forest biomass is important as the knowledge of biomass is required for calculating the sources and sinks of carbon that result from converting a forest to cleared land and vice versa, to know the spatial distribution of biomass which enables measurement of change through time. Field sampling is the most followed conventional method for vegetation type classification. The identification of different species in field yields good results in the estimation of the above ground biomass. It is very time consuming, expensive and very complicated. With the use of multiple sensors, varied data collection and interpretation techniques, remote sensing is a versatile tool that can provide data about the surface of the earth to suit any need (Reene et al, 2001). Remote sensing approach for vegetation classification is cost effective and also time effective. Though the identification of the tree species is possible only from the aerial imagery, major forest types can be identified from the airborne and the spaceborne remote sensing data. Visual image interpretation provides a feasible means of vegetation classification in forests. The image characteristics of shape, size, pattern, shadow, tone and texture are used by interpreters in tree species identification. Phenological correlations are useful in tree species identification. Changes in the appearance of trees in different seasons of the year some times enable discrimination of species that are indistinguishable on single dates. The use of multi-temporal remote sensing data enabl es the mapping of the different forest types. SAR has shown its potential for classifying and monitoring geophysical parameters both locally and globally. Excellent works were carried out on the classification using several approaches such as polarimetric data decomposition (Lee et al., 1998), knowledge based approaches considering the theoretical backscatter modeling and experimental observations ( Ramson and Sun , 1994) ; Backscatter model-related inversion approaches ( Kurvonen et al., 1999), neural networks and data fusion approaches ( Chen et al., 1996). Dong et al. (2001) have shown that the classification accuracy of 95% for the vegetation classes could be achieved through the segmentation and classification of the SAR data using Gaussian Markov Random Field Model (GMRF). Many methods have been employed for classification of polarimetric SAR data, based on the maximum likelihood (ML) (Lee et al. 1994), artificial neural network (NN) (Chen et al. 1996, Ito and Omatu, 1998), support vector machines (SVMs) (Fukuda et al. 2002), fuzzy method (Chen et al. 2003, Du and Lee 1996), or other approaches (Kong et al. 1988, Lee and Hoppel 1992, van Zyl and Burnette 1992, Cloude and Pottier 1997, Lee et al. 1999, Alberqa 2004) Among these methods, the ML classifier (Lee et al. 1994) can be employed for obtaining accurate classification results, but it is based on the assumption of the complex Wishart distribution of the covariance matrix. Assessing the total aboveground biomass of forests (biomass density when expressed as dry weight per unit area at a particular time) is a useful way of quantifying the amount of resource available for all traditional uses. It either gives the quantity of total biomass directly or the quantity by each component (e.g., leaves, branches, and bole) because their biomass tends to vary systematically with the total biomass. However, biomass of each component varies with total biomass by forest type, such as natural or planted forests and closed or open forests. For example, leaves contribute about 3-5% and merchantable bole is about 60% of the total aboveground biomass of closed forests. Many researchers have developed various methods based on field inventory and remote sensing approaches for the estimation of above ground biomass (Kira and Ogawa, 1971). Traditionally, field-measured approach is considered as the most accurate source for above-ground biomass estimation. It has been converted to volume, or biomass, using allometric equations that are based on standard field measurements (tree height and diameter at breast height). Different approaches, based on field measurement (Brown et al. 1989, Brown and Iverson 1992, Schroeder et al.. 1997, Houghton et al., 2001, Brown, 2002); remote sensing (Tiwari 1994, Roy and Ravan 1996, Tomppo et al., 2002, Foody et al., 2003, Santos et al., 2003, Zheng et al., 2004, Lu, 2005); and GIS (Brown and Gaston 1995) have been applied for AGB estimation. Traditional techniques based on field measurement are the most accurate ways for collecting biomass data. A sufficient number of field measurements is a prerequisite for developing AGB estimation models and for evaluating the AGB estimation results. However, these approaches are often time consuming, labour intensive, and difficult to implement, especially in remote areas and are generally limited to 10-year intervals. Also, they cannot provide the spatial distribution of biomass in large areas. For the above reasons, the perspectives of using remote sensing techniques to estimate forest biomass have gained interest. Remote sensing data available at different scales, from local to global, and from various sources, optical to microwave are expected to provide information that could be related indirectly, and in different manners, to biomass information. The possibility that aboveground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods (Hese et al., 2005). The advantages of remotely sensed data, such as in repetivity of data collection, synoptic view, digital format that allows fast processing of large quantities of data, and the high correlations between spectral bands and vegetation parameters, make it the primary source for large area AGB estimation, especially in areas of difficult access. Therefore, remote sensing-based AGB estimation has increasingly attracted scientific interest. In general, AGB can be estimated using remotely sensed data with different approaches, such as multiple regression analysis, K nearest-neighbour, and neural network (Roy and Ravan 1996, Nelson et al. 2000a, Steininger 2000, Foody et al. 2003, Zheng et al. 2004), and indirectly estimated from canopy parameters, such as crown diameter, which are first derived from remotely sensed data using multiple regression analysis or different canopy reflectance models (Wu and Strahler 1994, Woodcock et al. 1997, Phua and Saito 2003, Popescu et al. 2003). Spectral signatures or vegetation indices are often used for AGB estimation in optical remote sensing. Many vegetation indices have been developed and applied to biophysical parameter studies (Anderson and Hanson 1992, Anderson et al. 1993, Eastwood et al. 1997, Lu et al. 2004, Mutanga and Skidmore 2004). Vegetation indices have been recommended to remove variability caused by canopy geometry, soil background, sun view angles, and atmospheric conditions when measuring biophysical properties (Elvidge and Chen 1995, Blackburn and Steele 1999). Radar remote sensing has potential to provide information on above ground biomass. The information content of SAR data in terms of the retrieval of biomass parameters will be assessed based on an understanding of the underlying scattering mechanisms, which in turn are derived from observations and modeling results. For this purpose, an analysis of data acquired by multiple frequency, incidence and polarisation systems and by interferometric systems is carried out. It has been proved that the sensitivity to biomass parameters differ strongly at different frequencies, polarisations and incidence angles. In general, long wavelength SAR backscatter (P and L band) is more sensitive to forest biomass than shorter wavelength C-band backscatter and the relationships saturate at certain biomass levels ( Imhoff 1995b). The strength of the relationships and the saturation levels are dependent on the type of forest being analysed (Ferrazoli et al. 1997). The saturation levels for the estimation of above ground biomass depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. C-band can measure forestry biomass up to app. 50 tons/ha, L-band can measure up to 100 tons/ha and P-band can measure up to 200 tons/ha (Floyd et al., 1998). The combination of multiple channels and polarizations provides greater advantage for estimating total biomass (Harry Stern, 1998). RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY: The present study is the part of Radar Imaging satellite Joint Experiment Programme (RISAT-JEP) for forestry applications undertaken by Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), as a pilot campaign with specific objectives of above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The specific objectives of the present study are above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data; ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) carrying Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence were used to characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and to classify the major land cover classes using spaceborne C-band ENVISAT-ASAR data and L-band ALOS- PALSAR data. Polarimetric signatures, polarimetric decompositions, multi-sensor fusion techniques etc. were used for the classification of different vegetation types in the Rajpipla study area using the airborne DLR-ESAR data. The study has its uniqueness and gains importance in the application potential of SAR interferometry over tropical regions like India, both in terms of an alternate/substitute to optical data sets due to persisting cloud cover and to the lack of availability of any earlier scientific work over the study region. This study is useful for the applications of to be launched Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) in 2010. The study has amply demonstrated the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. The study would facilitate future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. LITERATURE SURVEY: During the last decade, many potential applications of SAR in different frequency bands have been studied for forestry applications using data acquired by both airborne and space-borne systems. Various techniques like Polarimetry, Interferometry and Polarimetric-Interferometry enhanced the use of SAR data in forestry applications. The backscatter from vegetation is used to infer information about amplitude data for forest cover mapping and estimation of above ground biomass in regenerating forests. Use of SAR polarimetric data delineated vegetation classes within the forest and also enhanced the capability in estimating the above ground biomass. The use of repeat pass interferometric data enables to calculate the forest stand height and also used for the land cover classification. The emerging Pol-InSAR technique is used to derive the three dimensional forest structures. Forest cover maps were prepared for the boreal, temperate and tropical forests using SAR data. Forest was separated from non-forest regions using multi-temporal C-band ERS SAR data on the test sites of United Kingdom, Poland and Finland (Quegan et al., 2000). The study applied a threshold value to separate forest from other classes. Tropical rainforest of Borneo was mapped from SIR-B data of different incidence angles (Ford and Casey, 1988). Different vegetation covers along with wetlands and clear-cut areas were distinguished. Forest cover mapping was done with JERS-1 SAR data on the coastal regions of Gabon (Simard et al., 2000). The study used decision tree method utilizing both radar amplitude and texture information. Forest cover map was prepared for Southern Chittagong using JERS-1 SAR data (Rahman and Sumantyo, 2007) and the study separated forest, degraded forest, shrubs, coastal plantations, agriculture, shrimp-farms, urban and water. Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995a), many studies have demonstrated useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the areal density of above-ground biomass within particular types of forest (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Imhof et al; 1995b). Many airborne and spaceborne SAR systems have been used to carry out a large amount of experiments for investigating the forest ecosystems. The airborne systems, such as the NASA/JPL AIRSAR, DLR-ESAR, etc., operating at P, L and C band, has been flown over many forest sites (Zebker et al., 1991; Le Toan et al, 1992; Beaudoin et al., 1994; Rignot et al.; 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ranson et al., 1996). The experiments of the Canadian CV-580, as well as the European airborne system, mainly operating at C and X band also have been carried out in North America and Europe (Drieman et al., 1989; Hoekman, 1990). Spaceborne SAR is being used from regional to global monitoring in a periodic basis. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, ENVISAT-ASAR, RADARSAT etc., were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignotet al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters such as diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree mean height including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Earlier studies has shown the potential of radar data in estimating AGB (Hussin et al. 1991, Ranson and Sun 1994, Dobson et al. 1995, Rignot et al. 1995, Saatchi and Moghaddam 1995, Foody et al. 1997, Harrell et al. 1997, Ranson et al. 1997, Luckman et al. 1997, 1998, Pairman et al. 1999, Imhoff et al. 2000, Kuplich et al. 2000, Castel et al. 2002, Sun et al. 2002, Santos et al. 2003, Treuhaft et al. 2004). Kasischke et al. (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. Lucas et al. (2004) and Kasischke et al. (2004) reviewed SAR data for AGB estimation in tropical forests and temperate and boreal forests, respectively. Different wavelength radar data have their own characteristics in relating to forest stand parameters. Backscatter in P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB (Leckie 1998). In particular, SAR L-band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sad er 1987, Luckman et al. 1997, Kurvonen et al. 1999, Sun et al. 2002). However, low or negligible correlations were found between SAR C-Band backscatter and AGB (Le Toan et al. 1992). Beaudoin et al. (1994) found that the HH return was related to both trunk and crown biomass, and the VV and HV returns were linked to crown biomass. Harrell et al. (1997) evaluated four techniques for AGB estimation in pine stands using SIR C- and L-Band multi-polarization radar data and found that the L-Band HH polarization data were the critical elements in AGB estimation. Kuplich et al. (2000) used L-band JERS-1/SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Sun et al. (2002) found that multi-polarization L-Band SAR data were useful for AGB estimation of forest stands in mountainous areas. Castel et al. (2002) identified the significant relationships between the backscatter coefficient of JERS- 1/SAR data and the stand biomass of a pine plantation. The study observed the improvement in AGB estimation results for young stands, compared to estimation for old stands. Santos et al. (2002) used JERS-1 SAR data to analyse the relationships between backscatter signals and biomass of forest and savanna formations. This study concluded that forest structural-physiognomic characteristics and the radars volume scattering, double bounce scattering are two important factors affecting these relationships. The saturation levels of backscattering co-efficient with respect to AGB depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different Bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. Luckman et al. (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels of forest biomass up to a certain threshold, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. Austin et al. (2003) indicated that forest biomass estimation using radar data may be feasible when landscape characteristics are taken into account. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992, Israelsson et al. 1994, Kasischke et al. 1994, Dobson et al. 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al. 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al, 1999; Fransson et al, 1999; Hyyppa et al, 1997; Israelsson et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al, 1999; Pulliainen et al, 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al, 2000; Schmullius et al, 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al, 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al, 1998). Le Toan et al., (1992) used multi-polarisation L- and P-band airborne radar data, and found that the dynamic range of the radar backscatter corresponded highly with forest growth stages and is maximum at P-band HV polarization. The analysis of P-band data indicated a good correlation between the radar backscatter intensity and the main forest parameters including trunk biomass, height, age, diameter at breast height (dbh), and basal area. Dobson et al., (1992) showed an increasing range of backscatter with changing biomass from C to P-band, as well as higher biomass levels at which backscatter relationships to biomass saturate. Hoekman, (1990) found poor relationships between X- and C-band backscatter and volume and other stand parameters. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS, ENVISAT-ASAR and recently ALOS-PALSAR etc. were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignot et al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Kasischke et al., (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. It is being reported in literature that the radar backscatter in the P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB. In particular, SAR L-Band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sader, 1987; Luckman et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al., 1999; Sun et al., 2002). Kuplich et al., (2000) used JERS-SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Luckman et al., (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels L-Band backscatter shows no sensitivity to increased biomass density after a certain threshold, such as 100 tons ha-1, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992; Israelsson et al., 1994; Kasischke et al., 1994, Dobson et al., 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al., 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al., 1999; Israelsson et al., 1997; Pulliainen et al., 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al., 2000; Schmullius et al., 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al., 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al., 1998). The dependency of backscatter on above ground biomass was observed and related to the penetration of the radiation into the canopy and interaction with the trunk, where most of the volume, therefore, biomass of the vegetation is concentrated (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Dobson et al. 1992). HV polarization in longer wavelengths (L or P band) is the most sensitive to above ground biomass (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Ranson et al. 1997a) because it originates mainly from canopy volume scattering (Wang et al. 1995), trunk scattering (Le Toan et al. 1992) and is less affected by the ground surface (Ranson and Sun 1994). As forest backscatter in different wavelengths and polarizations originate from separate layers of a canopy, the use of multiple channels or multi-step approaches (e.g., Dobson et al. 1995) could be used to estimate total above-ground biomass (Kasischke et al. 1997). Sun and Ranson (1994) estimated biomass in mixed conifer temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha. Band ratios (HH/HV and VV/VH) were also used for the above ground biomass estimation. However, Dobson et al. (1995) considered these band ratios too simplistic (as the corresponding backscatter will be much higher for the few tall trees than for the many short ones), although effective in estimating biomass at higher ranges. In spite of this, a combination of bands and polarizations in a multi-step approach made possible the mapping of biomass in a mixed temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha (Dobson et al. 1995). Establishing a strong link between backscatter and forest variables is an important part of the successful estimation of forest biomass from backscatter. Models are often used to explain the relationship between forest variables, scattering mechanisms and SAR configuration parameters (Richards 1990, Kasischke and Christensen 1990). Another approach is the use of statistical analysis, where forest variables are related to SAR backscatter by regression models (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Rauste et al. 1994). The combination of the two approaches, in most cases to assess the results of the predicted biomass or backscatter via regression (Ranson and Sun 1994, Ferrazzoli et al. 1997, Franson and Israelson 1999). Statistical procedures such as stepwise regression analysis were also used to determine the best set of bands and polarizations to discriminate biomass levels (Ranson et al. 1997a). The three-band (C, L, and P) polarimetric AIRSAR sensor has been used in many forest biomass studies (e.g., Green, 1998; Kasischke et al., 1991, 1995; Moghaddam et al., 1994; Ranson Sun, 1997). The strongest correlation between SAR backscatter and forest biomass has been reported in P-band and the weakest in C-band (e.g., Beaudoin et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Israelsson et al., 1992; Rauste et al., 1992;

Bioengineering and Its Subsidiary Fields Essay examples -- Bacteria, Ge

Bioengineering and the Flaws of Consequentialism Pierce College Abstract In 1973 the first bacteria were genetically modified. In 1974 mice were genetically modified. And in 1982 genetically modified bacteria capable of producing insulin were commercialized. Genetically modified food has been sold since 1994. In a similar time frame, the ideologies of stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning have come to fruition. It is the aim of this paper to demonstrate through consequentialist ethical reasoning, particularly using the concepts of utilitarianism and relativism that no definitive judgment can be made on the morality and ethical correctness of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields of genetic manipulation, stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning due to the uncertain nature of the consequences of these acts. The paper will examine a brief history of these emergent scientific disciplines and the still uncertain nature of the far-reaching consequences a nd implications of their implementation. â€Æ' Bioengineering and the flaws of consequentialism Bioengineering is a broad umbrella term covering many different scientific disciplines. Under this umbrella are the specific studies of gene isolation, construction, targeting, transformation, selection, regeneration, transfer; cellular engineering, and synthetic biology. Relative to the discussion of the ethical nature of this field are the principal topics of genetic and cellular engineering, stem cell research; reproductive technologies to include gene replacement and transformation in humans and animals; and bioengineered organic food. Bioengineering, in one form or another, has been around since the mid-20th century, with the term first coined in 1954 and w... ...tation among a society of hereditarily dying people be worth the sustained existence of the society? Possibly. Would the idea of genetically altering food for weather sustainability if the world were immediately threatened by harsh weather seem more acceptable? Again, possibly. There are no concrete answers to those questions objectively however. And in the world as we know it, in 2011, it’s similarly hard to say that any of the conditions currently affecting the rapidly globalizing world are of such a dire and unpreventable nature that they require tampering with the genetic foundations of our existence. However, another, somewhere else in the world might disagree, and that leads me to conclude that consequentialist reasoning alone is an unacceptable medium for the analysis and moral rationalization of the hard choices of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields.

Exegesis on Job 42:1-17

In the passage of Job 42:1-6 there appears to be an interpretation of a divine speech to be supported by Job's response. There also occurs to be a conclusion about Job's debate with God as Job acts humbly in acknowledging his presumption about God. God, however, acts displeased by Job and his friends because of Job's friends presumptions about God as they didn't speak about God in the â€Å"right† way. When Job gets confronted by God, he surrenders, yet acts without sorrow. One may question the response that Job had towards God in verses 1-6 as he acted in a peculiar unexpected manner. In most reactions towards God there comes a reaction of fear; however Job seemed calm with his reactions towards God. Job doesn't have a proper response to God in verse 4 he says that â€Å"I will question you, and you will declare me. † In the form criticism of the text the verses 1-6 are being presented as a form of prayer to the Lord. Job never says that he was wrong to question God's justice. Job feigns submission and accepts that he will never get a straight answer from God. Source criticism is being used as the verses in three and four, Job quotes the Lord's words which were also used previously in Job 38:2-3 and uses them to make his surrender appear to be in defence to God's power. Job's true attitude however is revealed in verse six â€Å"therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. † In the NRSV translation of this verse reflects the traditional view that Job is confessing to his sin in challenging God's justice. In most Bible translations and commentators there is a twist in verse 6 to make Job's speech an acknowledgement of sin in challenging God. There is textual criticism being presented in comparison to the original Hebrew text, though, the Hebrew text allows for a variety of translations; most of which render Job's words as anything but a confession. The verb â€Å"I despise myself† (Hebrew: 'emas) is not a reflexive form. Its other occurrences are all rendered as a simple verb â€Å"I hate/ regret†. The second Hebrew verb, nikhamti, has been translated as â€Å"repent† but other uses of the verb argue for a meaning of â€Å"rue/regret†, usually the word is not associated with sin, but with a change of mind or with finding comfort. Thus, a more accurate rendering of the verse might read: â€Å"I reject and regret dust and ashes. † Or in alternative, clearer translations which have been suggested, such as: â€Å"Therefore I retract and change my mind, being but dust and ashes†, or â€Å"I yield, and am comforted, being but dust and ashes†. Job is therefore not sorry for confronting God. Instead he seems to be accepting that God will never give him what he wants: an apology. However, how could anyone expect an apology from a supreme power as divine as God? Job has had a life-transforming visitation with God (Job 42:5): the god whom Job worshipped, based on what he had heard of him, has now made himself known through a face-to-face encounter. Job had earlier expressed his belief that he would see God at the future resurrection (19:25-27); that expectation was brought forward in an unexpected way. One can thus imagine the scene as Job having presented his case for why he should not be suffering, God then responds to Job by asking, â€Å"What exactly is it that you think you know? (38:1-41:34), and Job then expresses his satisfaction â€Å"with the humble knowledge that his sufferings were all part of the purposes of God†¦ even if he could not understand those purposes with his finite mind†. It is simply incredible to realise that Job was proved correct in his righteousness and assessment of the situation (42:7-8); thus, he offers no admission of wrongdoing, despite the more traditional exegesis of this passage. Instead, God challenges the bad theology and counsel of Job's friends and requires their confession to and submission before Job. Job's prayer for them brings forgiveness from God (:9). This is a complete reversal of our expectations for this story of suffering. In verse seven, God admits that Job was correct in accusations against the deity. The Lord tells Eliphaz that he and the other two friends have incurred God's anger and that they were wrong in what they said about God to Job. One wonders if God's anger derives not from the friends' statements about God but, rather, from their failure to minister to Job in his time of need. There original intentions were admirable they came to console and comfort (2:11) Job. Unfortunately they let their fears, instead of compassion guide their actions. The friends' first response was their silence. Whatever their sin to avoid divine punishment they must make an offering and have Job pray on their behalf. Only Job can save them now. Towards God's response to his human accusers (Job's friends), God acts in an offended manner as he wasn't being spoken to in the â€Å"right† way. There comes the question: Is God's response intended to be punitive or restorative? As God sort to punish the friends of Job, he gave them a chance to repent and feel remorse for their actions. God was teaching them a lesson that God must be obeyed and respected. However if God sort to act out in a punishing manner then what them men had falsely spoken about God, would then be true. In this aspect is the reason why God had punished the men in such an approach to see these men's obedience towards God, God gave them a chance for repentance. Therefore in this characteristic God is being both restorative and punitive; for each sin doesn't go unpunished. The men were asked to present â€Å"seven bulls and seven rams† in this concept the number seven is being used a significant amount of times in the bible. There is the rhetorical feature of the passage that what is the significance of the number seven? And what would happen if any other number was being used? These questions arise the implications of the bible and also the narrative criticism of the type of character God was, the constant use of the number seven could reveal that perhaps seven is God's â€Å"lucky number. † On one hand, the phrase, â€Å"good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people†, is completely disproved and disqualified. On the other hand, Job is not ‘blasted' for questioning God; he is corrected for his presumption and arrogance in asking such questions. Our suffering does indeed lead us to question our situation, but the story of Job promotes composure in suffering as in celebration. Job is blessed after praying for his friends' forgiveness, not after his own surrender. This could simply be a matter of timing or it could be a consequence. There is rhetorical criticism shown as to whether Job would have been blessed to the same degree if he had not prayed for the forgiveness of his friends? While we cannot answer this question, it does suggest a standard set by this passage for the care provided by Christians to pray for each other with consideration in faith. There is blessing in serving the spiritual needs of others. Job's fortunes and position are restored. He is first restored to his spiritual authority (Job: 10a). Then, his prosperity is restored doubly (Job: 10b). Then, his status is restored as his ‘fair-weather' family and friends acknowledge him with gifts (Job: 11). In addition, Job's financial means are increased beyond his starting fortune (Job: 12). In a response to narrative criticism there is a response to cultural aspects of the text, in taking the passage to a literal sense, as the regard and provision for his daughters is beyond expectation; interesting for the comparative value of girls to boys (Job: 13-15). In this peculiar event of Job's daughters receiving inheritance, it reflects a cultural break through in the historical patriarchal context of the bible. This total scenario provides a wonderful closure to Job's story, reflecting cultural norms rather than spiritual norms. There is a question that can we expect the same kind of material blessing if we're righteous? One possible answer is, â€Å"no†, because we cannot possibly imagine the same level of righteousness for ourselves, that we could ever display such brash confidence before God. The conclusion to Job's story is one of the most troubling aspects of the text. Job receives even more blessings than before. God appears to be atoning for mistreating Job. Despite this happy ending the reader begins to wonder if the rewards given to Job could make up for what he has lost. In verse 11, the text states that Job's family and friends came to comfort him. Where was this community earlier? They are described as bringing him gifts of money and jewellery. Perhaps this is how Job achieved the status of wealth again; as a result of compassion and charity. Whatever the source, Job's material possessions (e. g. sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys) are described as twice as much as he had before his tragic demise. His children, however, number the same: seven sons and three daughters. The difference is how the children are described. Whereas at the beginning of the story more attention was given to the sons, here the daughters receive the most attention. Their names are given, each having a symbolic meaning. The name of the first, Jeremiah, is difficult to render in English but may be related to â€Å"day† or â€Å"dove. † Keziah, the name of the second daughter, means â€Å"cassia,† a perfume. The third one's name, Keren-happuch, translates as a â€Å"container of Khol,† which was an eye cosmetic. They are declared to be of incomparable beauty. Job gives his daughters an inheritance equal to that of their brothers. The mention of this action would suggest that it is unusual because in patriarchal cultures, only the sons receive inheritance, and the daughters depended on a male relative or husband for survival. Perhaps Job's suffering has made him more sensitive to the plight of the powerless, especially women. The harmony of Job's life has been resorted, and he lives another 140 years, long enough to see four new generations of his family. The end of Job's life is described succinctly; â€Å"he died old and full of days† (verse 17). Nevertheless the story of Job is reassuring to note that God was aware of Job's righteousness and boasted about it. Even though Job was allowed to suffer at the hands of God's enemies, God cared for Job and helped him to appreciate better the condition of the world in which Job lived. Perhaps here is the source of Job's prosperity, that he had a wise understanding of his position in the world and a healthy appreciation for the difficulties that could befall him at any time. Job maintained his composure in the face of his suffering and maintained his trust in the God who is far beyond all understanding. Suffering is a mystery. To reduce suffering to the simple formula, â€Å"do good and good things will happen to you; do bad and you will suffer†, is to ignore the complexity of the human condition. We will apply human standards to God, in order to understand him better. Yet, God cannot be so easily understood, or manipulated. However it raises the rhetorical criticism of God's character and whether God can even make himself feel pain and suffering that he inflicts (God made us to feel pain) on human beings? God did not intend for his creation to suffer; yet, our rebellion against him places under the influence of all kinds of evil. The relational meaning of the passage is used to express the implicational measures that are associated with the suffering one undergoes and the consequences that are faced when one undermines God's righteousness. The final irony of the book of Job is that the author has used a traditional story about a holy man, a non-Israelite named Job, to explore the mystery of suffering in a very untraditional manner, suffering by his enemies. The ending of the passage ends with Job's renewed blessing, one may suggest that the ending of the new blessing of Job is the perfect ending. As a literal critic would say that it was the perfect ending to the story as â€Å"Job died old and full of days† suggesting that he was happy and fulfilled at the time of his death. However, one may question the character of Job in whether he deserved such blessing by God, as he was questioning God in the beginning of the passage.

Megan Fox

Writing is one of the greatest forms of creativity, allowing you to express your opinion and voice on anything you feel or any knowledge you want to share. It is also a vital learning skill to have in the workforce, as your writing skills can be reflected upon the way you communicate and present yourself. Everyone's different writing style shows their personality, allowing you to have an understanding of what the person is really like through their own words on paper. For me, I've always considered writing to be one of my favorite subjects throughout my years of school. My interest sparked at a young age when I started reading books at school, and decided to take it upon myself to write my own stories. I'd spend hours at home creating different short stories and hoped that someday I'd get them published, which of course didn't happen, but it made me realize that writing was something I really appreciate. I loved the freedom of it and being able to write down exactly what was on my mind, so that I'd never forget a certain thought, idea, or story in my head that I wanted to remember. Later on, I discovered I also enjoy writing when it is based on a certain topic, such as research papers on a particular historic figure, or research findings and my thoughts on an issue or topic. I like becoming more knowledgeable on a subject as it can provide you with information on things you never knew about, but find very fascinating. A few times in high school, for example, I remember having to do a couple of 8-10 page research papers that I absolutely dreaded, but when I was done I felt a sense of accomplishment and was happy to have learned something new. As of now, I look forward to improving my writing skills through further studying and practice. I believe writing is a crucial method of communication that you will need to be successful in whatever career you choose. Often, the methods of communication used include email, letters, and reports, all of which require adequate writing skills that you will need to make yourself look professional for your chosen career. I believe writing also improves your speech by being able to articulate your opinions clearly and concisely, as well as widening your vocabularly by coming up with new ways to say what you want to say. My main goal in becoming a better writer is to be able to come up with creative ideas and develop insight on things that I never knew. I want to be able to broaden my mind further and bring this new information with me throughout my life.