Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a. ) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b. ) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c. ) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. II. Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views & Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important?c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science & Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. 5 billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of application of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into the human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food. Therefore, the drawbacks of genetically modified food are not the technology itself, but rather due to humans themselves. Thus, personally, I fully sanction the development of GM foods while we should objectively analyze the potential risks. Reference Artemis D. 2009. â€Å"Health risks of genetically modified foods. † Food Science and Nutrition. 49. (2):164-175. Curieux B, Vandelac L, ect. 2009. â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon. † Evironmental Science & Policy. 12. (2):170-189. Magana G, Javier A, Calderon de la Barca, Ana M. 2009. â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health. † Nutrition Reviews. 67 (1):1-16. Qaim M. 2009. â€Å"The economics of genetically modified crops. † Annual Review of Resource Economics. 1:665-693. Seralini GE, Mesnage R, ect. 2011. â€Å"Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements. † Environmental Sciences Europe. 23. (10): 1-10. Weasel LH. 2009. â€Å"Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food. † American Management Association. Amacom, 86-150. Print.

Administrative Law Philippines

1. Administrative Findings Given Great Weight in Court Sebastian F. Oasay, Jr. vs. Palacio del Gobernador Condominium Corporation and Omar T. Cruz,  [G. R. No. 194306, February 6, 2012. ] LINK: http://lexoterica. wordpress. com/2012/03/05/february-2012-philippine-supreme-court-decisions-on-labor-law-and-procedure/ Appeal; factual finding of NLRC. Findings of fact of administrative agencies and quasi-judicial bodies, which have acquired expertise because their jurisdiction is confined to specific matters, are generally accorded not only respect but finality when affirmed by the Court of Appeals.Factual findings of quasi-judicial bodies like the NLRC, if supported by substantial evidence, are accorded respect and even finality by the Supreme Court, more so when they coincide with those of the Labor Arbiter. Such factual findings are given more weight when the same are affirmed by the Court of Appeals. In the present case, the Supreme Court found no reason to depart from these princip les since the Labor Arbiter found that there was substantial evidence to conclude that Oasay had breached the trust and confidence of Palacio Del Gobernador Condominium Corporation, which finding the NLRC had likewise upheld.Gatus vs. SSS [G. R. No. 174725, January 26, 2011] LINK: http://sc. judiciary. gov. ph/jurisprudence/2011/january2011/174725. htm The sole issue to be determined is whether the Court of Appeals committed grave abuse of discretion in affirming the finding of the ECC that petitioner’s ailment is not compensable under Presidential Decree No. 626, as amended. xxx The burden of proof is thus on petitioner to show that any of the above conditions have been met in his case. The required proof is further discussed in  Ortega v. Social Security Commission[17]:The requisite quantum of proof in cases filed before administrative or quasi-judicial bodies is neither proof beyond reasonable doubt nor preponderance of evidence. In this type of cases, a fact may be deem ed established if it is supported by substantial evidence, or that amount of relevant evidence which a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to justify a conclusion. In this case, substantial evidence abounds. xxx The questioned Decision deemed as established fact that petitioner is a cigarette smoker; but petitioner vehemently denies this, saying there is no competent evidence to prove he had that habit.What petitioner would like this Court to do is to pass upon a question of fact, which the ECC, the SSS, and the Court of Appeals have used to deny his claim for compensation. This is not allowed under Section 1 of Rule 45, which states that â€Å"[t]he petition shall raise  only questions of law  which must be distinctly set forth. â€Å"[21]  Hence, questions of fact may not be taken up in a petition for review on  certiorari  such as this case now before us. As we have held previously:A question of fact exists when the doubt centers on the truth or falsity of the al leged facts while a question of law exists if the doubt centers on what the law is on a certain set of facts. There is a question of fact if the issue requires a review of the evidence presented or requires the re-evaluation of the credibility of witnesses. However, if the issue raised is capable of being resolved without need of reviewing the probative value of the evidence, the question is one of law. xxxThe matter of petitioner’s cigarette smoking, established by two competent government agencies and the appellate court, is thus a matter that cannot be questioned before us via petition for review. There is no doubt that petitioner deserves sympathy because even the benefits already given to him were questioned after the SSS found that he was a chronic cigarette smoker. For humanitarian reasons, as he pursued his claim all the way to the Court as an indigent litigant, and due to his advancing age, we would like to clarify that what had already been given him should no longe r be taken away from him.But he is not entitled to further compensation for his condition. We have once more put great weight to the factual findings of administrative agencies and quasi-judicial bodies, namely the SSS and the ECC, as they have acquired expertise in all matters relating to employee compensation and disability benefits. As we have held in  Ortega v. Social Security Commission[25]: It is settled that the Court is not a trier of facts and accords great weight to the factual findings of lower courts or agencies whose function is to resolve factual matters.It is not for the Court to weigh evidence all over again. Moreover, findings of fact of administrative agencies and quasi-judicial bodies, which have acquired expertise because their jurisdiction is confined to specific matters, are generally accorded not only respect but finality when affirmed by the Court of Appeals. 2. Decisions not stating facts and the law Saballa, et. al vs. NLRC [G. R. Nos. 102472-84. August 2 2, 1996] The Issue The petitioners raised the lone issue of whether or not: RESPONDENT NLRC GRAVELY ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AMOUNTING TO LACK OR EXCESS OF JURISDICTION WHEN, DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, IT DECLARED THE RETRENCHMENT OF PETITIONERS VALID AND LEGAL. † Petitioners argue that while the  NLRC  claimed to disagree with the factual findings/conclusions of the arbiter, it did not state what particular findings and conclusions it could not go along with; and while the Decision purports to apply the requisites for a valid retrenchment, the public respondent did not specify what those were.Further, citing  Lopez Sugar Corporation vs. Federation of Free Workers,[15]  petitioners claim that private respondent failed to show by convincing proof the concurrence of the requirements for valid retrenchment, and among other things, failed to show that the losses sought to be prevented were substantial and reasonably imminent. On the contrary, according to petitioners, the evidence on record clearly shows that the enforcement of the retrenchment program was attended by bad faith. The Court’s Ruling NLRC  Decision ArbitraryThe petition is meritorious. This Court has previously held that judges and arbiters should draw up their decisions and resolutions with due care, and make certain that they truly and accurately reflect their conclusions and their final dispositions. [16]  A decision should faithfully comply with Section 14, Article  VIII  of the Constitution which provides that no decision shall be rendered by any court without expressing therein clearly and distinctly the facts of the case and the law on which it is based.If such decision had to be completely overturned or set aside, upon the filing of a motion for reconsideration, in a subsequent action via a resolution or modified decision, such resolution or decision should likewise state the factual and legal foundation relied upon. The reason for this is obv ious:  Ã‚  aside from being required by the Constitution, the court should be able to justify such a sudden change of course; it must be able to convincingly explain the taking back of its solemn conclusions and pronouncements in the earlier decision. 17]  The same thing goes for the findings of fact made by the  NLRC, as it is a settled rule that such findings are entitled to great respect and even finality when supported by substantial evidence; otherwise, they shall be struck down for being whimsical and capricious and arrived at with grave abuse of discretion. 18]  It is a requirement of due process and fair play that the parties to a litigation be informed of how it was decided, with an explanation of the factual and legal reasons that led to the conclusions of the court. A decision that does not clearly and distinctly state the facts and the law on which it is based leaves the parties in the dark as to how it was reached and is especially prejudicial to the losing part y, who is unable to pinpoint the possible errors of the court for review by a higher tribunal. 19] Based on the foregoing considerations, we find the assailed Decision arbitrary in its naked assertion that:  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"(A)pplying the requisites (for valid retrenchment) to the instant case, we lent credence to respondent’s evidence supporting the fact that it was suffering financial reverses (pp. 118-136). Hence, complainant’s separation is valid, due to retrenchment. † The Decision does not indicate the  specific  bases for such crucial holding.While it  enumerated  some of the factors that supposedly weighed in favor of private respondent’s position,  i. e. , theNEA’s foreclosure letter; the  NPC’s disconnection letter; private respondent’s Income Statement; the fact that the employees’ union agreed to the â€Å"forced leave† policy instead of the drastic measure of retrenchment; and the impossibility of re instating the petitioners â€Å"considering the financial losses for 1988 alone not to mention the losses incurred for 1989 and wage increases imposed by the government (pp. 13-141,  rollo),† the public respondent nevertheless did not bother to explain how it came to the conclusion that private respondent was experiencing business reversals, nor did it specify which particular data and document it based such conclusion upon. This can only be because the private respondent failed to show convincingly by substantial evidence the fact of its failing financial health, and that such retrenchment was justified.Our observation is bolstered further by the Comment of the public respondent where it tried to rationalize its ruling by saying: â€Å"It is to be noted that private respondent x x x is a big and reputable company and for them to admit that it is in distress is a bitter pill to swallow, yet they must accept the sad situation that they are in. This representation believes i n the veracity of respondent’s x x x position. † Even resorting to the records does not help.The termination letter dated October 18, 1988[20]  stated that the reason for the retrenchment was â€Å"to avoid Coop financial losses. † However, the imminent loss sought to be forestalled by the retrenchment of petitioners was not actually indicated or specified. Page 118 of the records is the demand letter of  NEA  for payment of private respondent’s arrearages as of June 30, 1988. It warned that the account in the amount of approximately P8. 5 million should be settled within 30 days otherwise  NEA  will exercise its right to foreclose.But the records do not show that any property of private respondent was ever foreclosed nor that the savings from the salaries of the retrenched petitioners were to be used to pay for the arrearages; neither was it shown that private respondent did not have the resources to pay said obligation. Page 119 of the records is a Notice of Disconnection stating that the private respondent was required to pay twenty five percent of its outstanding bill to the  NEA  or face power disconnection on July 29, 1988.But private respondent did not show that such disconnection was effected then nor that the allotment for petitioners’ salaries was to be used to pay for this bill. The private respondent in its motion for reconsideration asked that the labor arbiter take judicial notice that  NPC  eventually disconnected its power supply on April 10, 1989, but this only means that the private respondent must have been able to pay up and settle its account on or about July 29, 1988, as it was not disconnected until April 10, 1989.By October 18, 1988, the losses, if any, sought to be proven by these documents would already have been sustained, so there could not have been any imminent loss which was to have been forestalled by the retrenchment of petitioners effected at that time. In other words, these abovementioned documents did not show any expected loss which made the retrenchment reasonably necessary, nor that such retrenchment was likely to prevent the expected loss.We do not deny that the private respondent would suffer losses as a result of a foreclosure or power disconnection, however, it failed to show how these threatened events eventually affected the cooperative’s financial health, if they ever happened at all. Besides, they are irrelevant because the imminent loss was supposed to come after October 18, 1988, months after these incidents. Moreover, pages 120-136 of the records (referred to in the assailed Decision) are the financial statements of the private respondent which are  unaudited  by independent external auditors and are without  Ã‚  Ã‚  accompanying explanations.This Court has previously held that financial statements audited by independent external auditors constitute the normal method of proof of the profit and loss performance of a company. [21]  And since private respondent insists that its  critical financial condition  was the central and pivotal reason for its retrenchment and forced leave programs, we therefore fail to see why it should neglect or refuse to submit such audited financial statements. Apart from that, we noted that the said unaudited statements were filled with erasures; some entries were even handwritten, and different typewriters were used.There is therefore serious ground to doubt the correctness and accuracy of said statements. Additionally, these statements require further explanations before the accounting procedures of private respondent can be understood. Thus, the Court is wary of according them any probative value, especially since respondent Commission seems to have treated them in a similar fashion by not discussing them in its Decision. In brief, we hold that public respondent gravely abused its discretion in rendering the challenged Decision without adequately explaining its factu al and legal

Medical Assisting

Medical Assistant Medical assistants are health care providers who perform clinical and administrative tasks to help doctors and other health care representatives. The role of the medical assistants varies depending upon the location of work, specialty of the practitioner and size of the hospital or clinic. However, The satisfaction and health of a patient should be the number one priority of any medical assistant. It is a simple concept, but on the same note complex. Each patient may have different expectations about the care they are receiving, patient-physician relationship, and costs of treatments.As a medical assistant, I have the ability to address some of these expectations. Medical assistants are an important part of the medical field both for the doctor and the patients. Medical assistants have many tasks that they must do on daily basis. Usually in smaller practices, such as the one where I work, the medical assistants have a larger scope of things that must be learned beca use there are more things they have to look after as compared to a larger practice. Administrative medical assistants usually update and take care of medical records and paperwork, and arrange for hospital admissions and laboratory services.They also perform customer-oriented tasks such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, and scheduling appointments. Clinical medical assistants job include tasks such as taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing them for examinations, and assisting doctors during examinations. They also perform â€Å"forensic† tasks such as collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, disposing off of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. Within the practice that I work at, we perform both the administrative and clinical tasks.However, we only prepare the lab request forms and the patients have the blood work drawn off site. Also, we have two front office people who schedule all the appointments. A medical assistant may also instruct patients about medications and special diets, authorize drug refills, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy etc. They may even arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean. As a medical assistant, there are other tasks that need to be performed that may not be as obvious as those listed above.A medical assistant must have good interpersonal skills. They have to be able to create a positive rapport with the patient. Usually the medical assistant is first to see the patient and sets the tone for the visit and perhaps the treatment plan. Secondly, medical assistants need to be very good at time management. Making sure that the patient is seen and treated in a timely manner is critical to the flow of the schedule. A lot of the time in our practice, we have to keep the doctor on track as he ten ds to get caught up talking to the patients about other things.He is aware that he gets sidetracked a lot so we have little signals that we can use to let him know that he is taking too much time on non-related conversation. The ability to work as a team helps keep the schedule on time. Patience and compassion are other things that a medical assistant need have a lot of. Many times patients do not pick instructions up quickly, and that can be a cause of frustration. After our doctor, Dr. Latham, leaves the room, we often, if not always, have to go back over the instructions. Dr. Latham talks really fast and most of our patients are older and do not hear as well.There are a few different programs a medical assistant can go through for training. They include, administrative, clerical or clinical training programs. There are three types of medical assistant courses available: diploma, certification or associates. Most of the medical assistant schools offer a one-year postsecondary prog ram that either last for 1 year and result in a certificate or diploma, or 2 years and result in an associate degree. â€Å"Medical assistants are not required to be certified. † (Bureau of Labor Statistics).In most states, on-the-job training is allowed in place of an actual certification such as in my case. There are several different ways that an employer can use to identify and select a potential employee. According to our text, â€Å"The goal of the selection process is to identify the best candidates who possess the most influential qualities a job requires and who fit the organizational culture well. These qualities include a combination of critical knowledge, skills, and abilities; appropriate experience and education; and personal characteristics, traits, and attitudes. (Youssef, 2012 sec. 5. 1). Probably the two most common ways are through resumes and interviews. Looking at a persons resume is the quickest and easiest way to see the pertinent facts of a potential employee. This selection method impacts the achievement of organizational objectives by being a quick and concise way to see a run down the of the persons qualifications and experience. It allows the organization to quickly see at a glance if the person would benefit the organization without wasting too much time.Interviews are the most common way of hiring an employee. This selection method impacts the achievement of organizational objectives by being able to directly interact with the person. It can be a good way to judge â€Å"their communication skills, interpersonal skills, and technical experience and knowledge. †(Youssef, 2012 sec. 5. 3). The downside to this method is that it is more time consuming as well as misleading in some ways. A person can be really good at the interview but not very good at the job.On the other hand a person can be nervous and bad at the interview but excellent at the job but was not hired because of the interview. The satisfaction and health of that patient should be the number one priority of a medical assistant. While the role of the medical assistants varies depending upon the location of work, specialty of the practitioner and size of the hospital or clinic, they are an important part of the medical field. Whether the medical assistant has a certification or not, they must have the ability and skill set to perform all of the varied tasks required of them.

Chinas Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Chinas Economic Growth - Essay Example China has experienced tremendous economic growth over the years. This growth however comes with a number of problems including environmental degradation, management of exchange rate, export dependency, corruption, healthcare provision, a growing income inequality and many more. These problems have threatened to undermine the benefits of the country's economic growth. Increased environmental pollution and natural resource degradation have proved to be very serious negative consequences of rapid industrial development in China. This has led to problems like desertification, soil erosion and fall in the water table, particularly in the northern parts of the country. Even though the country has passed various environmental laws and taken part in a number of international conventions against pollution, pollution still remains a very serious concern in China, both now and in the future. According to a WHO report in 1998, seventy per cent of the most polluted cities in the world are in China. China's own evaluation admits that over 66 per cent of its cities are polluted, with two thirds of them being either severely or moderately polluted. Consequently, heart and respiratory diseases have become major causes of death in the country. Most of Chinese rivers are polluted and more th... The problem of severe water scarcity has also come out particularly in northern China (Starr, 2001). This has threatened the country's economic growth, forcing the government to plan diversion of the Yangtze River water to northern China cities which include Tianjin and Beijing. Thirty per cent of China has experienced acid rain as a result of massive air pollution. China's GDP has been growing at a rate of between 7 to 10 per cent every year. However, over 300 million people in the rural parts of the country do no have access to clean, safe water. Moreover, about 800 million people in China have not seen any improvement hygiene and sanitation in the recent years. China has attempted containing its rising industrial pollution mainly through efforts aimed at increasing public awareness and through administrative procedures. The severely polluted Pearl River Delta, which is among the country's first major industrialized areas, was targeted for a clean-up. Chinese officials were hopeful that replacing sewage treatment plants in cities within the delta would make it possible for the river to sustain a fish population before the year 2000. China has also seen the emergence of a growing environmental protection industry. However, in a number of areas, pollution has been accepted as a cost related to economic development. China's Three Gorges Dam has sparked a lot of controversy with regard to its environmental impacts. This controversy has mainly been among environmentalists both within the country and without. Critics have been of the view that silting and erosion of the Yantze River is a threat to a number of endangered species in the area. On the other hand, Chinese officials have maintained that this dam will go a long

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Nursing - Essay Example ample, the following ones: freedom of taking initiatives, ability to take care of himself and of other people, ability to intervene in cases that a problem arises. All the above characteristics need to exist in nurses, a fact that verifies the relationship between nursing and philosophy. The environment is necessarily related to nursing. The term environment, as a concept related to the philosophy but also to nursing, can have a series of meanings, depending on the subject to which environment is related (Cody & Cody 2011). For example, for patients, environment can refer to their social environment, including family and friends, but also to their physical environment, as, for example, the health care setting where they have been admitted for a specific treatment (Cody & Cody 2011, p.149). However, environment can have another aspect: it can be used for describing the world in general. For example, in the context of utilitarianism, environment can have such meaning, indicating the obligation of a person to help people around him (Cody & Cody 2011, p.149). In nursing, the use of the term environment can be quite critical, especially if the specific term is given an explanation aligning with the principles of utilitarianism, as described above. Different approaches have been used for explaining health. Most commonly, the term health is used for describing the physical or mental status of a person (Cody & Cody 2011). However, the above term can be also used in order to reflect the differentiation of a person from his environment (Cody & Cody 2011). For example, when a person responds to a particular event in a different way than most people would respond, then it can be assumed that the particular person has a health problem, a mental problem that prevents him from reacting as expected. The term health has another aspect: it can be used for describing the potential of a person to face a health problem. More specifically, for certain people health is of critical

Managing across Cultures individual report Essay

Managing across Cultures individual report - Essay Example As a result of its influence, culture management across organizations has started getting importance in business terms and is currently the one of the most evaluated subject for business analysts researchers and. In the present study culture will be studied with respect to its various dimensions researched by known people. Few of the organizational behaviour and cultural theories will also be discussed in detail Critical analysis of theory and research Culture plays a major role in characterizing the environmental context in which firms operate and decide, chose strategies and structures. A culture essentially consists of the expectations, experiences, philosophies and values ingrained and the elemental brinks which holds an organization or an association together (Bennett, Aston and Colquhoun, 2000). In broader terms organizational culture comprises of visions, norms, working languages, systems, beliefs, symbols and habits. Since individuals work together in an organization as a tea m with a common goal of completing the job, the culture created in a firm will help the team members in understanding each other more successfully (Olsonand Kroeger, 2001). Hofstede defines culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others† (Hofstede et al., 1990). ... ee individuals are integrated with groups Masculinity and Femininity (MAS) - Masculinity represents society’s preference towards heroism, achievement, assertiveness as well as material rewards. On the other hand, Femininity refers preferring modesty, cooperation and care for underprivileged and weak and improving quality of life. Society is both competitive and consensus oriented (Hofstede and McCrae, 2004). Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) - it is the tolerance of a society towards ambiguity and uncertainty. It expresses the tendency of feeling uncomfortable with risks and unexpected changes. countries showing strong UI have rigid belief codes while weak UI society have more tranquil attitudes where practice is given more preference than principles Long term and Short term orientation- long term orientation refers to the society and their individual’s explore for virtues. On the other hand, short term orientation refers to preference for absolute truth. They are normative t hinkers and exhibit respect for traditions. Another model of cultural dimensions was given by Trompenaars. He classified cultures according to a mix of value and behavioral patterns. The research was particularly focused on business executives. Seven value orientations were evaluated. The seven dimensions were particularism versus universalism, individualism versus communitarians, emotional versus neutral, specific versus diffuse, ascription versus achievement, nature-human relationship and nature-time relationship. Trompennar’s work primarily focuses on sociology and includes two measurements for attitudes which were environment and time. Researchers have divided Trompennars theory into two different aspects. There are three ways to handle cultural problems and five individual dimensions. Edward

'Executive power in the UK is dominated by the Prime Minister' Essay

'Executive power in the UK is dominated by the Prime Minister'. Discuss - Essay Example According to Allen (2003), the monarch acts within the constraints of convention and precedent, and exercises prerogative powers on the advice of the prime minister. The prime minister holds a weekly audience with the monarch; the records of these audiences are not taken and the proceedings remain fully confidential (Stewart, 2010). The monarch may express their views, but as constitutional rulers, they must accept the decisions of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister dominates the executive power in the United Kingdom; however, there are cases where the Prime Minister does not have full control of the executive. Appointments The Queen appoints the Prime Minister, who then appoints all other members of the government. This power to hire and fire extends to all ministers and cabinet members, giving the Prime Minister substantial control over the careers of members of parliament and peers. The Prime Minister can also create and establish new posts, departments, committees, policy uni ts and even merge the existing ones at will (Allen, 2003). This implies that the Prime Minister controls most of the governmental departments and commissions. Additionally, the Prime Minister has the powers to appoint and dismiss the government ministers. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Prime Minister has been the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons. The power of the Prime Minster is based on the Royal Prerogative, where they exercise power on behalf of the monarch. Thus, the Prime Minister dominates the executive power of determining the members of parliament, cabinet, and ministers. As the head of intelligence and security services, the Prime Minister determines the composition of these agencies (Booth, 2006). The Prime Minister regulates their roles and functions and can deny permission if the security services want to carry out a particular task. The Prime Minister also appoints senior officers of the armed forces, and thus controls their functions. Other appointments carried out by the Prime Minister include top ecclesiastical, regius professorships, public sector, appointments to royal commissions and the Mastership of Trinity College (Allen, 2003). Giving the Prime Minister power to do all these appointments makes them to dominate the executive power. This is because the power to appoint is given together with the power to control. Head of the Executive The Prime Minister is the head of the executive. As the head of the executive, the Prime Minister is the chief policy maker because of the pre-eminence in making the government’s policy (Stewart, 2010). The Royal Prerogative gives the Prime Minister the power to make and break the composition of ministers and reshuffle the cabinet to meet the needs of government requirements. For example, Tony Blair decided to build the Millennium Dome when the cabinet stood against it (Stewart, 2010). Regardless of the fact that the announcement and the cabinet occurred simultaneously , the Prime Minister made the overall decision. Even though the prime minister can make such quick decisions, the cabinet can overrule their decisions, and they cannot impose policies through reluctant officials. Meetings must be conducted to make any ruling and the agreements from these meetings are bound to be followed to the latter. Conduct Parliamentary and Cabinet Business The Prime Minister

Costco Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Costco Company - Term Paper Example One of the notable companies that have put in place effective marketing strategies is Costco Company. Being the second largest distributor and seller merchandise among other products in US, Costco Company operates in more than 8 countries. The company has more than 200 brands that are produced to meet the large customer base that the company is enjoying. Major products that are produced by the company include sea food, home electronics, solar panels, photo processors, baked goods, hot tubs, and meat among others. This paper discusses key marketing activities that are undertaken by Costco Company thus becoming a successful firm in the wholesale sector. Marketing strategies One of the major strategies that Costco Company uses to attract and retain its customers is by use of technology. For example, the company has initiated varieties of adverts that are undertaken though television channels as well as YouTube. As a result, the company has increased its number of customers in US as well as in foreign countries. Based on the increased need to maintain productive employees, Costco Company has undertaken various corporate social responsibilities. For example, the company provides quality health care to all its employees an aspect that has resulted to attainment of employees as well as corporate objectives. Costco Company also focuses at using hospitality industry to improve its image on the eyes of the public. For example, the company has established children hospitals that are operated using the company financial resources. In 2012, the company spent 1% of its pre-tax earning to finance the children hospitals. As compared to its competitors, Costco Company has a wide product portfolio (Gupta, 2006). In this way, the company is in a position to meet the needs of large number of customers. In the same way, the company brands target wide market including young people, old consumers, executives, sportsmen among others. Consequently, the company has created a strong posi tive customer product relationship. One of the notable marketing strategies that Costco emulates is to offer low prices and to sell large number of products (Fredrix, 2009). By providing variety of brands, the company focuses at big and small businesses as well as large families. Ethics and corporate social responsibility Many marketers today are faced with ethical conflicts in regard to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Costco Company corporate responsibility is regulated by a corporate reputation body which is a group of senior managers derived from the company. The CSR body strategizes methods of dealing with problems identified as risks and hindrances confronting the targeted community as well as its business advancement (Weeden, 1998). The company’s corporate governance guideline clearly outlines the approach to Corporate Social Responsibility and these approaches are systematically reviewed to ensure they meet international best practices. As mentioned earlier, Cos tco Company has embarked on is the sponsorship of humanitarian activities including children hospital, protection of animals as well as environmental conservation. Costco Company is a global company that is focused at initiating international brands in various marketing segments. Through its cutting edge online advertisement, Costco Company emulates global marketing that has not only made

SUMMARY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SUMMARY - Coursework Example By 1935, prior to the acquisition of the farm, the number of nesting pairs of sandhill cranes in Wisconsin were 25. This was one of his major concerns and he thereby corresponded with people in Wisconsin that have knowledge of sandhill cranes. The collective effort of Leopold and his colleague has yielded positive fruits as there are 12,000 sandhill cranes in Wisconsin as of today. Prior to Leopold acquisition of the farm, there were no otter neither was there wolves spotted on the farmland. These extirpated wildlife has made a comeback. Lutra Canadensis has reappeared and there are otter in the otter pond. Likewise is the presence of radio-collared wolves noticed in the farmland. Leopold benefited from his ecological restoration of an insignificant farmland. For instance, from an insignificant tree oak Leopold got firewood, exercise, family teamwork, and a history lesson. Leopold also preserved the economically worthless Draba by avoiding the planting of pines in area that favors th e growth of these plants. The planting of 48,000 pines in thirteen years, indeed, demonstrates Leopold commitment to ecological restoration. ... The International Crane Foundation works towards the preservation of the world’s fifteen species of crane and towards the protection of crane habitat. Leopold through his writing and experiment at the abandoned farmland has built a legacy for himself. In the forestry community, Leopold is highly regarded. For instance, the idea that landowners are responsible to the land is attributed to Leopold. Despite his lesser influence in Britain, Leopold is still known among British restorationists. The Leopold farmland is a pilgrim center that means different things to different people The resultant relationship between humans and the environment leads to the ecology not mending itself. Left alone, ecology restores itself but human interaction prevents this restoration. .Question 2 Although, A Sand County Almanac contains no panaceas, no blueprints for mass action, it has planted the seed of ecological responsibility and land ethics in me. I now understand that I own ecology a duty in helping to preserve it and keeping it healthy not only for posterity but for my own benefit. I also now understand that land is not a property to be used but my partner in the food chain. It has instilled in me the intellectual and emotional altitude to preserve all of nature. The whole concept is ethics. Ecological ethics is the intellectual and emotional altitude that restricts our freedom of action in the struggle for existence. As opposed to philosophical ethics, there is no concept of social or anti-social behavior rather it is a mode of guidance that direct our use of natural resources such as land. An ethical human being does not regard land as his property rather as part of his existence. Land ethic revert the role of Homo sapiens as landowner or conquerors to

Food and beverage Management Essay Example for Free

Food and beverage Management Essay I have read and understood the London School of Business and Finance Regulations and Policies relating to academic misconduct. I declare that: This submission is entirely my own original piece of work. It has not been submitted for a previous assessment in LSBF or any other institution. Wherever published, unpublished, printed, electronic or other information sources have been used as a contribution or component of this work, these are explicitly, clearly and individually acknowledged by appropriate use of quotation marks, citations, references and statements in the text. I understand that penalties will be incurred for late submission of work. STUDENT SIGNATURE: Ahonou Rosalie DATE: 21/09/2014 NOTE – Please complete the details below Have you submitted any Reasonable Adjustment Requests? Yes / No Date of submission: TASK 1 Understand different food and beverage production and service systems LO1. 1. 1 The characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems INTRODUCTION Food production and food and beverage service systems is about an area where menu is planned, raw materials are purchased and received. It is also about Food service where Food and beverage are provided to the guests included a wide range of styles and cuisine types, all alcoholic and non- 1 / 3 alcoholic drinks. To make a successful Food and Beverage Service, you need to develop well interpersonal skills, product knowledge skills to buy raw material. Food and Beverage Production I am going to explain some methods: Traditional Partie Method: the majority of food is buying condiments or raw. It is easy to provide the receipt and store goods, the preparation, cooking, holding and service of food and there are dishwashing facilities as well. That method is good for the staff because the staff can move quickly from their place to the service counter (the distance is short). The communication link-up is necessary for the department and food flow is systematic. There is easy access to raw food materials from storage areas. Centralised Production Method: centralised production methods explain how the separation of the production and service components of the food flow system work or operate by place or time or both. So food that is centrally produced is distributed to the point of the point of service in batches or pre-portioned. It could be transported in a ready-to-eat box or in a ready-to-serve state, for example hot or frozen food. I give some advantages of centralised production methods â€Å"the introduction of a storage stage between production and service allows the production unit to work to maximum efficiency and with a better utilisation of staff and equipment† and â€Å"energy consumption can be reduced by careful scheduling and by a continuous run of single products†. Here is a disadvantage of centralised production method â€Å"hygiene problems or food contamination could have big repercussions than a problem in an individual kitchen. Cook-Freeze Production Methods: the word cook-freeze involves a catering system which is based on the whole cooking of food and followed by quick freezing. That food is stored in a controlled low temperature of -18 degree Celsius or less then is followed by subsequent complete reheating close to the consumer, prior to prompt consumption. The process involves raw food, food storage, pre- preparation, cooking, portioning, blast freezing, cold storage, distribution, regeneration. Cook-Chill Production Methods: it is the same process with Cook-Freeze production. The only different are that the cooking of food is stored in a controlled low temperature, but just above freezing point and then between 0 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius. Therefore it has a short shelf life compared to cook-freeze of up to five days including the day of production, distribution time and regeneration. The process involves raw food, cooking, portioning, blast chilling, chill storage, distribution, regeneration. The benefits of Cook-Chill and Cook-Freeze to the employers: there will have a portion control and a reduced waste, the production will be adjusted, the staff time will be fully utilised, no more weekend work and overtime. To the customers: the variety and selection of food will increased, the standards will be maintained with a quality improvement and the services can be maintained at all times even no staff. Sous vide methods: the sous vide system involves the preparation of quality raw foods, pre-cooking when necessary. You put or placed the raw foods into special plastic bags and you vacuum the air from the special plastic bags and then you seal properly the bags. After sealing you steam cooking to pasteurisation temperatures. From then the food product can be served direct to the customers at this stage or can be chilled quickly to +1 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius and stored between 0 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius for a maximum of twenty-one days. That method increases the potential shelf-life of normal coo-chill in three ways: when you remove the air from the plastic bags the growth of bacteria is restricted. Because the food is cooked at pasteurisation temperatures that helps the destruction of most microorganisms and finally because the food has been sealed within the bags is protected during storage any regeneration from any contamination. Different services of Food and Beverage systems Table d’hote menus: this type of menu contains the popular type dishes and is easier to control because the price has already been fixed for whatever the customer chooses, that setting depend on the main dish chosen. The characteristics of a table d’hote menu are being a restricted menu, offering a small number of courses (three or four), limited choice within each course, fixed selling 2 / 3 price and all the dishes are being ready at a set time. A la carte menus: a la carte menu is a larger menu than a table d’hote menu and offer a variety choice. The menus are listing under the course headings and then the establishment could prepare all the dishes. Those dishes will be prepared to order and each dish will also be priced separately. A la carte menu is more expensive than a table d’hote menu because it contains often the exotic and high cost seasonal foods. Table service: the customer enters in the restaurant and takes seat, he/her makes the order from the menu and the Staff brings it to him/her. After finish dinning the staff clears the table. Sectors where there are food service industry: Bistro, Brasserie, Coffee Shop, First Class Restaurants, Cafeteria, Fast-food outlets and Licensed Bars. For all those sectors, the main aim is to achieve customer satisfaction, for that everything you do should meet the customers’ needs physiologically, economically, socially, psychologically and convenience. The Staff should have knowledge or experience in Food and Beverage service. The restaurant should have service methods and necessary staff skills. They should have a higher level of cleanliness and hygiene; have an idea of value for money or price and also the atmosphere. The staff should know how to make the preparation for service (Mis-en-place), take customer food and beverage order, clean for hygiene, and make the bill. They should control the atmosphere in order to satisfy customers’ needs. 1. 2 The factors that affect recipes and menus for specific systems The restaurant should establish a clear list of menu to inform customers what is available to them. The Staff provides a general presentation of the menu on the course headings that should be attractive, clean, and easy to read for language, price, sales mix with accuracy, show the size and form, layout of the menu, nutritional content, health and eating, and special diets (inform people who are allergic, diabetic, have low cholesterol and low sodium). Also the cultural and religious dietary influences can affect recipes and menus as well. Example Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Roman Catholics, Vegetarians. 1. 3 Comparison of the coast and the staffing implications POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Corn Cob Leaves Biomass Biosorption Industrial Wastewater Environmental Sciences Essay

Corn Cob Leaves Biomass Biosorption Industrial Wastewater Environmental Sciences Essay Corn cob and corn leaves waste is an affordable adsorbent for the removal of industrial contaminants like heavy metals. The present research work is designed to characterize the biosorption of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) from industrial waste using Corn cob and corn leaves waste biomass. Batch experiments will be carried out for the sorption of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) by using Corn cob, as well as entrapment in Na-alginate polymeric matrix. The effect of important operational parameters such as initial pH, initial metal concentration and contact time will be evaluated. Physicochemical parameters will be determined before and after biosorption and conditions will be optimized. Metal contents before and after biosorption will be analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The morphology of the surface of Corn cob and corn leaves biomass will be observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results will be analyzed using mean  ± and standard error of mean, to determine the p roper sorption the data will be fitted to equilibrium and kinetic model. INTRODUCTION The treatment of high volumes of wastewater containing low concentrations of pollutants is becoming increasingly important as discharge regulations become more stringent. The treatment and disposal of liquid effluents from leather tanning and textile industries are a serious problem due to their Cr(III) contents (Kotas et al.2000). Although Cr(III) is less toxic than Cr(VI), a cancer-causing agent, Cr(III) may be a toxic metal when present at high concentrations (Blasiak et al.2000). Since heavy metal ions are not biodegradable, they are usually removed from the contaminated water by physical or chemical treatment processes. Conventional treatment methods (precipitation, membrane separation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrolysis etc.) are not often feasible because of high treatment cost, the need for continuous input of chemicals, and the production of toxic sludge (Akar et al. 2006). However these techniques proved ineffective in remaining within Cr(III) discharge limits (1-2mg/dm3) of industrial effluents (Geundi et al 1997). As a result, the use of alternative treatments such as ion exchange, carbon adsorption, membrane filtration, electroseparation, and bioaccumulation has been applied in polishing these effluents (Alves et al 1993). However, such processes may be ineffective and extremely expensive. Bioadsorption, on the other hand, is an emerging technology that also works to overcome the selectivity disadvantages of traditional decontamination pr ocesses. (Unz et al 1996). Biosorption technology is based on the interaction between toxic metals and the binding functional groups on the cell wall structure of the microorganisms or plants. These are mainly composed of polysaccharides, lipids and proteins. Biosorption has recognized as a potential alternative method over the conventional separation techniques. This process utilizes live, dead, pretreated and immobilized forms of biological cells like bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae and agriculture waste as sorbent materials (Gadd, 1990). Removal of heavy metals from wastewaters through adsorption, particularly biosorption, has emerged as an alternative technology. A variety of biomaterials and microorganisms have been explored by researchers for biosorption and bioaccumulation including fungi and agriculture waste materials (Fourest et al 1994). Biosorption may occur actively through metabolism or passively through some physical and chemical processes. A biosorbents immobilization procedure is necessary for the industrial application of biosorption [7].Immobilization of the agriculture waste in some suitable matrix like silica gel, polyurethane or alginate has proved useful in industrial application. The physical entrapment of the agriculture waste inside a polymeric gel in the form of beads is one of the most widely used techniques for immobilization which not only tackles the above problem but also provides mechanical strength, rigidity and porosity characteristics to the biosorbents. Further, the metal can be reco vered from the loaded beads using appropriate desorption techniques, thereby, minimizing the possibilities of environmental contamination (Lu et al 1995). Everywhere in the world corn are cultivated as important crop. Corn is Pakistans third most important cereal after wheat and rice. The use of corn in Pakistan for direct human consumption is declining, but its utilization in the feed and wet milling industry is growing at a much faster pace than anticipated. Currently, sufficient corn is grown in Pakistan for domestic needs and there is neither a surplus nor deficit in corn grain supplies. Currently except potato maize is the most profitable, stable and dependable agricultural crop in Pakistan. (Tariq et al 2010). Corn cob and corn leaves are one of the most plentiful and important agriculture waste in maize cultivation accounts for up to 50% of the total corn seed production. Immature cobs are boiled and eaten as corn on the cob or the grains may be removed and eaten as vegetable, or it may be canned. More mature cobs are roasted. The cobs are used for fuel, smoking pork products, and are also as source for charcoal (Sultana et al. 2007). , c The present study is designed to study the usefulness of immobilized corn cob and corn leaves agriculture waste biomass as a biosorbent for Cr(IIl) and Cr(Vl) from aquous industrial waste from tanneries to evaluate the effect of different experimental variables like pH, initial metal concentration and contact time. After biosorption the morphology of the surface of corn cob and corn leaves biomass with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) will be observed. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The present study is aimed: To investigate the potential of dried corn cob and corn leaves biomass and entrapment of biomass in Na-alginate polymeric matrix. To study the biosorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. To observe the effect of different conditions such as pH, initial metal concentration and time required for establishment of equilibrium. To evaluate the various methods for improving the metal ion removal capacities of corn cob and corn leaves. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Krishna et al. (2005) studied the possibility of using moss (Funaria hygrometrica), immobilized in a polysilicate matrix as substrate for speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in various water samples has been investigated. Experiments were performed to optimize conditions such as pH, amount of sorbent and flow rate, to achieve the quantitative separation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI). During all the steps of the separation process, Cr(III)was selectively sorbed on the column of immobilized moss in the pH range of 4-8 while, Cr(VI) was found to remain in solution. The retained Cr(III) was subsequently eluted with 10 ml of 2 mol là ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 HNO3. A pre-concentration factor of about 20 was achieved for Cr(III) when, 200 ml of water was passed. The immobilized moss was packed in a home made mini-column and incorporated in flow injection system for obtaining calibration plots for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) at low ppb levels that were compared with the plots obtained without column. After separat ion, the chromium (Cr) species were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The sorption capacity of the immobilized moss was found to be 11.5 mg gà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 for Cr(III). The effect of various interfering ions has also been studied. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in spiked and real wastewater samples and recoveries were found to be >95%. Anjan et al.(2007). analysed Biosorption of Cr(VI) using native strains of cyanobacteria from metal contaminated soil in the premises of textile mill. Biosorption reported as a function of pH (1-5), contact time (5-180 min) and initial chromium ion concentration (5-20 mg/l) to find out the maximum biosorption capacity of alginate immobilized Nostoc calcicola HH-12 and Chroococcus sp. HH-11. The optimum conditions for Cr(VI) biosorption are almost same for the two strains (pH 3-4, contact time 30 min and initial chromium concentration of 20 mg/l) however, the biomass of Chroococcus sp. HH-11 was found to be more suitable for the development of an efficient biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater, as it showed higher values of qm and Kf, the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm parameters. Both the isotherm models were suitable for describing the biosorption of Cr(VI) by the cyanobacterial biosorbents. Gao et al. (2008) analysed the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by rice straw, a surplus agricultural by product . The optimal pH was 2.0 and Cr(VI) removal rate increased with decreased Cr(VI) concentration and with increased temperature. Decrease in straw particle size led to an increase in Cr(VI) removal. Equilibrium was achieved in about 48 h under standard conditions, and Cr(III), which appeared in the solution and remained stable thereafter, indicating that both reduction and adsorption played a part in the Cr(VI) removal. The increase of the solution pH suggested that protons were needed for the Cr(VI) removal. A relatively high level of NOà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢3 notably restrained the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), while high level of SOà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢24 supported it. The promotion of the tartaric acid modified rice straw (TARS) and the slight inhibition of the esterified rice straw (ERS) on Cr(VI) removal indicated that carboxyl groups present on the biomass played an i mportant role in chromium remediation even though were not fully responsible for it. Isotherm tests showed that equilibrium sorption data were better represented by Langmuir model and the sorption capacity of rice straw was found to be 3.15 mg/g. Li et al. (2008) investigated the comparative study on adsorptions of Pb(ll) and (CrVl) ions by free cells and immobilized cells of Synechococcus sp. ,in which different aspects including Zeta potential of the cells, the influence of pH, temperature and initial concentration of metal ions, as well as adsorption kinetics and mechanism were referred. The lyophilized free cells have a surface isoelectric point at pH 3, and the correlative experiment indicates that there is an electrostatic adsorption feature of Cr(Vl) and Pb(ll). The immobilization of the free cells by Ca-alginate does not significantly modify the adsorption features of the biosorbent. The absorption processes of Cr(Vl) and Pb(ll) on both free and immobilized cells are apparently affected by pH and the initial concentration of metal ions in the bulk solution, but are much weakly affected by temperature in the test range of 10à ¢- ¦C-50à ¢- ¦C. The slow course of biosorption follows the first order kinetic model, t he adsorption of Pb(ll) obeys both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, while the adsorption of Cr(Vl) obeys only Freundlich model. FT-IR results indicate that carboxylic, alcoholic, amide and amino groups are responsible for the binding of the metal ions, and reduction of Cr(lll) to Cr(Vl) takes place after Cr(Vl) adsorbs electrostatically onto the surface of the biosorbents. Park et al. (2008) analysed agricultural biowastes such as banana skin, green tea waste, oak leaf, walnut shell, peanut shell and rice husk, banana skin screened as the most efficient biomaterial to remove toxic Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study revealed that the mechanism of Cr(VI) biosorption by banana skin was its complete reduction into Cr(III) in both aqueous and solid phases and partial binding of the reduced-Cr(III), in the range of pH 1.5-4 tested. One gram of banana skin could reduce 249.6 ( ±4.2) mg of Cr(VI) at initial pH 1.5. Namely, Cr(VI)-reducing capacity of banana skin was four times higher than that of a common chemical Cr(VI)-reductant, FeSO4.7H2O. To diminish undesirable/serious organic leaching from the biomaterial and to enhance removal efficiency of total Cr, its powder was immobilized within Ca-alginate bead. The developed Cr(VI)-biosorbent could completely reduce toxic Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III) and could remove alm ost of the reduced-Cr(III) from aqueous phase. On the basis of removal mechanisms of Cr(VI)and total Cr by the Cr(VI)-biosorbent, a kinetic model was derived and could be successfully used to predict their removal behaviors in aqueous phase. In conclusion, our Cr(VI)-biosorbent must be a potent candidate to substitute for chemical reductants as well as adsorbents for treating Cr(VI)-bearing waste waters. Alez et al. (2009) investigated the biosorption of Cr(III) onto packed columns of Agave lechuguilla using an advective-dispersive (AD) model and its analytical solution. Characteristic parameters such as axial dispersion coefficients, retardation factors, and distribution coefficients were predicted as functions of inlet ion metal concentration, time, flow rate, bed density, cross-sectional column area, and bed length. The root mean square error (RMSE) values 0.122, 0.232, and 0.285 corresponding to the flow rates of 1, 2, and 3 (10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢3)dm3 minà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1, respectively,indicated that the AD model provides an excellent approximation of the simulation of lumped breakthrough curves for the adsorption of Cr(III) by lechuguilla biomass. Therefore,the model can be used for design purposes to predict the effect of varying operational conditions. Chen et al. (2010) analysed Cr(III) ionic imprinted membrane adsorbents Cr(III)-PVA/SA) by blending sodium alginate (SA) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). In these new membrane adsorbents, polyethylene glycol was used as porogen, and glutaraldehyde was the cross-linking agent. Our new developed membrane adsorbents can be used without centrifugation and filtration. To investigate the adsorption kinetics of Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution onto this newly developed Cr(III)-PVA/SA, we performed a batch of experiments under different conditions by changing the concentration of Cr(III) ions in the Cr(III)-PVA/SA, pH value of the solution, adsorbent dose, initial Cr(III) ions concentration, adsorption temperature and contact time. Our Cr(III)-PVA/SA exhibited the maximum Cr(III) ions uptake capacity of 59.9 mg/g under the following conditions: 0.078 wt% of Cr(III) ions in the Cr(III)-PVA/SA, solution pH value of 6.0, adsorbent dose of 0.5 g/L, the initial Cr(III) ions concentration of 50 mg/ L, at 25 à ¢- ¦C. To study the mechanism of adsorption process, we examined the intra-particular diffusion model, Lagergren pseudo-first-order kinetic model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and found pseudo-second-order kinetic model exhibited the best correlation with our experimental data. Furthermore, our adsorption equilibrium data could be better described by the Langmuir equation. Competitive adsorption studies of the binary system of Cr(III)/Cu(II), Cr(III)/Cd(II) and the ternary system of Cr(III)/Cu(II)/Cd(II) were also investigated using Cr(III)-PVA/SA, the results indicated that selectively adsorbed amount of Cr(III) ion on Cr(III)- PVA/SA is significantly higher than that of Cu(II) and Cd(II) ions. We also used five times consecutive adsorption-desorption experiments to show that the Cr(III)-PVA/SA has high adsorption and desorption efficiencies. Huang et al.( 2010) studied a new approach for the preparation of tannin-immobilized adsorbent by using mesoporous silica bead as the supporting matrix. Bayberry tannin-immobilized mesoporous silica bead (BT-SiO2) was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction to verify the crystallinity, field-emission scanning electron microscopy to observe the surface morphology, and surface area and porosity analyzer to measure the mesoporous porous structure. Subsequently, the adsorption experiments to Cr(III) were applied to evaluate the adsorption performances of BT-SiO2. It was found that the adsorption of Cr(III) onto BT-SiO2 was pH-dependent, and the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained in the pH range of 5.0-5.5. The adsorption capacity was 1.30mmolgà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 at 303K and pH 5.5 when the initial concentration of Cr(III) was 2.0mmolLà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1. Based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR) analyses, the adsorption mechanism of Cr(III) on BT-SiO2 was proved to be a che lating interaction. The adsorption kinetic data can be well described using pseudo-first-order model and the equilibrium data can be well fitted by the Langmuir isothermal model. Importantly, no bayberry tannin was leached out during the adsorption process and BT-SiO2 can simultaneously remove coexisting metal ions from aqueous solutions. In conclusion, this study provides a new strategy for the preparation of tannin-immobilized adsorbents that are highly effective in removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Kathiravan et al. (2010) studied the external mass transfer effects on the reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) using calcium alginate immobilized Bacillus sp. in a re-circulated packed bed batch reactor (RPBR). The effect of flow rate on the reduction Cr(VI) was studied. Theoretically calculated rate constants for various flow rates were analyzed using external film diffusion models and compared with experimental values. The external mass transfer coefficients for the bioconversion of Cr(VI) were also investigated. The external mass transfer effect was correlated with a model of the type JD = K, Re (1-n). The model was tested with various K values and the mass transfer correlation JD = 5.7, Re=0.70 was found to predict the experimental data accurately. The proposed model would be useful for the design of industrial reactor and scale. Ansari et al. (2011) immobilized Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz distillation waste biomass using sodium alginate for Pb(II) uptake from aqueous solutions under varied experimental conditions. The maximum Pb(II) adsorption occurred at pH 5. Immobilized rose waste biomasses weremodified physically and chemically to enhance Pb(II) removal. The Langmuir sorption isothermand pseudosecond- order kinetic models fitted well to the adsorption data of Pb(II) by immobilized Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz. The adsorbed metal is recovered by treating immobilized biomass with different chemical reagents (H2SO4, HCl and H3PO4) and maximum Pb(II) recovered when treated with sulphuric acid (95.67%). The presence of cometals Na, Ca(II), Al(III), Cr(III), Cr(VI), and Cu(II), reduced Pb(II) adsorption on Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz waste biomass. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that rose waste can be effectively used for the uptake of Pb(II) from aqueous streams.