Determination of Mercury content in Canned Tuna brands using Literature review

Determination of Mercury content in Canned Tuna brands using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and use Isoto - Literature review Example The relative lethal nature of mercury is dependent on its chemical form, methyl mercury as one of the substances existing in the environment. Additionally, this chemical form of mercury is also toxic due to its high liposolubility. However, all the forms of mercury released in the ecosystem undergo biogeochemical transformation processes hence converted to methyl mercury. The main exposure of mono methyl mercury to humans is consumption of fish. Mono methyl mercury (MMHg) represents the major type of mercury in fish. This is because it has the capability of biomagnification in the food chains within the marine. Organomercury compounds may also find their way into the environment from both anthropogenic sources and from production by natural in situ biogenic modifications. Exposure to mercury leads to a variety of signs and symptoms including dizziness, allergy, vomiting and muscular weakness. Furthermore, its toxicity elicits impaired hearing and vision as well as depressed immune sy stem. Eventually, its accumulation within the body leads to brain damage which consequently may lead to death. As it is the case with most anthropogenic, mercury finds its way into the aquatic environment in its inorganic form. Chlor-alkali industry is one of the major pollution source and gateway for mercury (Gao et al.). Consequently, monitoring of the mercury levels within the environment is not enough. Therefore, speciation analysis provides critical in useful information in the assessment of toxicity and health risks of mercury. Furthermore, such analysis helps in understanding the biogeochemical cycling of mercury compounds. As a result, enormous and concerted efforts have been made in developing reliable methods for mercury determination and speciation analysis in biological and fish samples. This review articulates with emphasis special attention to clean sample preparation, good storage sample procedures and performance of the different techniques (Lee et al). Mass spectrom etry (MS) can be considered as one of the most important analytical techniques in the analysis of element concentration. It is a method that has also been employed for isotope analysis, surface characterization and structural examination of bioinorganic compounds. In an attempt to understand metabolic pathways of toxic and toxicology in general, strategies have been developed. These novel approaches are important in obtaining qualitative and quantitative information regarding the elements, element species and their interactions. A variety of methods for determination of mercury have been well captured and elaborated in literature. The cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS) has been the most preferred method in the analysis of mercury especially in foodstuffs. This is because the method has an efficient speed in addition to its simplicity. Moreover, this technique possesses relative freedom from obstructions and also has low operational costs as well as high sensitivity. The high sensitivity is very evident when mercury vapor is pre-concentrated on an amalgamation comprising gold element. Another variant of atomic absorption spectrometry is the graphite furnace technique, commonly abbreviated as GF AAS. This method allows for direct determination of many metals at trace and ultra trace levels in solid samples. Advantages of this technique include high sample throughput and low sample requirement in terms of the sample mass for analysis. In

Influence Of The Philosophy Of Plato On Psychology Philosophy Essay

Influence Of The Philosophy Of Plato On Psychology Philosophy Essay In the ideals and methods of todays psychological medicine, the general psyche of the human mind has been influenced by historical and cultural forces, and various perspectives through time. Philosophers such as Plato has developed many methods and types of thoughts in understanding the human psyche that has greatly influenced the many defined concepts of psychology as known today. In Platos question how we know what à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Is? Is the underlying fundamental question that relates to the human psyche. As individuals, how do we really know what to know? For example, if you do not understand in how to tune a musical instrument, you will have to ask fundamentals questions in order to understand how to tune a musical instrument. As in the human psyche, Platos asks the same question in order to understand the concept in how people know. Psyche is based on the theory of justice that has six fundamentals aspects such as: faculties, principles, activities, aspects, instances and levels. Their nature and role have been characterized in ways influenced as much perhaps by the connotations of these terms as by the details of Platos text. Subsequently, Psychology has been developed from the origins of the earliest philosophers such as Plato; an Athenian born Greek philosopher that believed that people were a blank slate at birth which can be changed to anything thro ugh their life time depending on the influence of surroundings (Various). In his quest of finding the true essence of the human psyche and the pursuit of the maintenance of the soul, Plato has philosophized through the teachings of Socrates within various concepts such as: Metaphysics Platonic realism, Theory of Forms. Platonism the basis of Metaphysics is referred to the intellectual consequences of denying, as Socrates often does, the reality of the material world. Platos metaphysics is understood as Socrates division of reality into the warring and irreconcilable domains of the material and the spiritual (Taylor, 1936). The theory has been of incalculable influence in the history of Western psychology, philosophy and religion. Similar to Socratess idea that reality is unavailable to those who use their senses is what puts him at odds with the common man, and with common sense. Socrates says that he who sees with his eyes is blind, and this idea is most famously captured in his Allegory of the Cave, and more explicitly in his description of the divided line. According to Socrates, physical objects and physical events are shadows of their ideal or perfect forms, and exist only to the extent that they instantiate the perfect versions of themselves. Just as shadows are temporary, inconsequential epi phenomena produced by physical objects, physical objects are themselves fleeting phenomena caused by more substantial causes, the ideals of which they are mere instances (Taylor, 1936). Second philosophical concept that has influence modern psychology is the theory of forms. It is Platos belief that the material world as it seems to us is not the real world, but only a shadow of the real world, as depicted in Socrates Allegory of the Cave. Forms are based on archetypes or abstract representations of the many types and properties (that is, of universals) of things we see all around us. The sensible world we know today was based on belief that the physical perception is a rendering or copy of the true perception (Moline, 1981). Past philosophers believed that we are born into world of ignorance that we cannot truly see the meaning what is truly is, as depicted in the Allegory of the Cave. This concept of rendering reality is called forms, that physical objects and physical events are shadows of their ideal or perfect forms, and exist only to the extent that they instantiate the perfect versions of themselves. Just as shadows are temporary, inconsequential epiphenomena produced by physical objects, physical objects are themselves fleeting phenomena caused by more substantial causes, the ideals of which they are mere instances (Moline, 1981). As a result, as depicted in The Allegory of the Cave, Plato shows how the mind influences perception that has greatly influenced Western psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Hence the men in Platos fable are used to show that one should venture out and become more educated because if not, one will slip back into a less cognitive state of mind (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). In comparison, Sigmund Freud believed that a persons dreams are fulfilled wishes. These wishes are unachieved accomplishments that the individual dwells on. He proves his theory by referring to a controllable dream of his about thirst. He believed that because he ate salty food before bed, he could fall asleep, dream about drinking, and wake up satisfied. Freud thought that the dreams are able to compensate ones unsatisfied wishes (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). They are actually thoughts that the mind has gathered while a person is awake. The mind, as thought by Freud, is able to twist real observations in a way whic h pleases the individual in an unconscious state. Both Plato and Freud have valid portrayals of how the mind works. By presenting their information in a story-like fashion, the reader is able to better relate to and comprehend the otherwise somewhat complex issue. Since Freud is a psychologist, one may wonder if he had similar views as Plato when it came to developmental psychology and the development of cognitive thinking. Additionally, Carl Jungs idea of the Collective Unconscious is so in alignment with these earlier ideas from Plato. The notion of Absolute Forms, for example, along with Jungs methods of systematic inquiry foreshadows Jungs theories of archetype and the analytic process investigation (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). According to Jung, the Collective Unconscious exists as a kind of repository for dreams, archetypes, symbols, and myths. Yet like Plato before him, Jungs intuitively derived understanding needed empirical verification if it was to be taken seriously. Thus, in his autobiographical memoir, Memories, Dreams, and Reflection, Jung sets out to explain exactly how he arrived at his notion of the Collective Unconscious and archetype through his journey of self-observation (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). Both Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, two of the greatest psychologist/thinkers of the twentieth century, used the term unconscious but each defined it differently. The one thing they agreed on, however, is that the unconscious is that part of the psyche inaccessible to the ego. It is only when the ego drops its guard such as in dreams that the unconscious expresses itself. But here the similarities between the two men diverge. To Freud, who had been Jungs teacher, the unconscious contains that which is repressed or forgotten while remaining within the individual psyche. It becomes a sort or repository for forgotten things of ones past. It is exclusively personal in nature and belongs to the individual person alone. In other words, it contains no commonly held or universal archetypes such as understood by Jung. Jung maintained, on the other hand, that yes there is something like Freuds personal unconscious but this merely rests or floats upon an infinite collective unconscious which does not at all derive from the personal unconscious (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). Instead it comes to the individual as a part of something universal in nature. Its contents and modes of behavior, says Jung, are essentially the same everywhere and in all individuals. This is not to say that it expresses itself the same in all individuals only that the archetypal patterns are universally present. The actual psyche is known only by its contents. In other words, it is seen only by what the individual actually expresses through action. But with the collective unconscious no such expression is available except through dreams and the various archetypes that make themselves known via behaviors and obsessions. The personal unconscious, according to Jung, is far greater than storage for past traumas and emotional history as Freud would contend. Instead, it serves as a pathway to the collective unconscious and is constantly being fed by those deep reservoirs (Fitz-Randolph, 2009). All great ideas and concepts have been derived from the great thinkers of the past. As in Plato, one of the greatest and foremost prodigies of Socrates has influenced some of the brightest minds of psychology such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The ideals of forms and meta-physics have evolved the basis of modern psychology as we know today.

Love :: essays research papers

Euthanasia is the act of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment. This is a topic with many opinions and much controversy as to whether or not it should be a legal practice. I have never known anyone close to me with an incurable disease, but if a loved one or I were diagnosed, I would like the option to end the suffering to be available. Therefore, I am pro euthanasia, and furthermore, pro individual choice. There are two essays I have recently read on the subject, each gives two different viewpoints on the topic of euthanasia. In Sidney Hook’s In Defense of Voluntary Euthanasia, he believes that â€Å"each one should be permitted to make his own choice-especially when no one else is harmed by it.†(404) Hook is pro euthanasia, contrary to Rand Richards Cooper, the author of The Dignity of Helplessness: What Sort of Society Would Euthanasia Create?† Cooper says â€Å"I’m looking for an argument with Jack Kevorkian; or rather, one against him.†(411) He believes that euthanasia should not be a practice used in society today. Sidney Hook begins his essay by giving a personal, first-hand experience of his own sufferings in his battle with congestive heart failure followed by a massive stroke. He says, â€Å"†¦I asked my physician to discontinue all life-supporting services or show me how to do it.†(403) His doctor refused and after months of rehabilitation, finally regained most of his motor skills. He admits that this argument sounds like it is pro euthanasia, however, he gives two major reasons for the right to choose. By using his own personal experience and knowledge, he gives the reader insight to his defense in his opinion. Rand Richards Cooper takes an informal approach in his argument, not giving any cut and dry facts. He uses two indirect experiences through his mother’s friend and children in Kenya to convey his ideas. Sidney Hook expresses his ideas using his own personal terminal illness. He makes his statement using reader sympathy, hoping to impact the reader on a personal level. Rand Richards Cooper uses a similar approach, recognizing the usefulness of informal, but personable persuasions. Hook writes about his own first-hand experience and is thought to be more factual. Cooper on the other hand uses the same technique, but he gives second-hand experiences through children in Kenya and also through his mother’s best friend.

All human interaction Essay

â€Å"All human interaction is powerplay. How is powerplay represented in Antigone? † Powerplay involves the complex struggle and manipulation for authority and dominance between opposing ideologies. Several diverse forms of powerplay through human interaction are experienced, however power is a tortuous process to attain and retain due to its tangible and allusive nature. Sophocles’ Antigone delves into this convoluted interplay of powers through investigating the relationship between political and personal power. Not only does Antigone explore the consequences when divine power is challenged, but also when state law and male authority are challenged. Thus the text’s utilisation of powerplay through human interaction enhances its intricate nature. Antigone’s act of defiance to Creon’s edict is due to her belief that man-made laws are inferior to the unwritten laws of God, whereas Creon views that an enemy of state is not deserving of an honourable burial. This powerplay is primarily a conflict of point of view between Creon and Antigone arising directly from their differing values, perspectives and personalities. Creon, who values to establish his reign of power after an acrimonious battle between the two brothers vying for political control, depicts a politic and pragmatic attitude. He believes that he is restoring stability and peace to his kingdom by establishing such an inhumane law. He also reinforces his view to â€Å"not give equal honour to good and bad† which portrays Creon nature to reward the loyalty and punish the rebellion. Furthermore, Creon contends that he must appear to be a powerful and tenable leader of Thebes. He explains to Haemon that letting Antigone go with impunity for defying his laws would make him a traitor as stated in ‘How if I tolerate a traitor at home, shall I rule those abroad? â€Å". This is ironic as Creon himself develops into a traitor since he refuses to comply with divine law. Antigone however values to abide higher law as she has the â€Å"duty to the dead† to bury them, keeping with divine law. She believes that as a sister, she has the duty to bury her family members regardless of the laws that are implemented against it. The citizen’s of Thebes create powerplay in support of her perception that divine law overrules Creon’s decree. For example, Haemon expresses that Antigone’s action is noble in â€Å"Know how the people mourn this maiden doomed for noblest deeds to die the worst of deaths†. Antigone moreover yearns for a noble death to compensate her history of misfortunes as she alliterates in â€Å"The weird of Oedipus, a world of woes! â€Å". Her own initiative of a noble death is ironic as she is incapable of maintaining her composure and reveals her human frailties resulting in her suicidal. Through Creon’s and Antigone’s differing views on political power, their conflict of values and beliefs represents powerplay in the tragedy. Sophocles conveys in Antigone the inherently destructive nature to the wielders of power signifying that those who play with power will ultimately lose all power. Creon rules by trepidation in a despotic manner and also by pride in his power, which will not allow him to acquiesce resulting in dire consequences. He firmly believes that his actions are moral contradicting the divine laws of the gods who honour the dead. Teiresias points out that Creon commits an atrocious sin by condemning a living human being to death inside a grave, as he keeps a rotting boy in daylight. Creon’s actions against Antigone and Polyneices’ body demonstrate his attempts in inverting the order of nature, defying the gods through the assertion of his political power. Haemon challenges Creon’s parental power by confrontment on his rational decision of Antigone’s fate. He uses metaphoric language in â€Å"See how the trees beside a stream in flood sae, if they yield to force, each spray unharmed, but by resisting perish root and branch†, to compare Creon’s kingly authority to a tree representing how he governs his kingdom. Haemon advises that even though his decisions were for the good of the people, in the end his obstinate and unyielding nature towards Antigone will perish him. Creon’s ignorance to these confrontments is symbolic of his blindness to the catastrophic events he was creating, thus losing all power over controlling his fate. Antigone creates powerplay in her confrontation with Creon as she attempts to use her power to prevail over his male and kingly authorities. Her determination and courage derives from her belief that she did not commit a crime. She declares that the laws of the state are not binding as they have been laid down by a man and men are not infallible. Antigone’s statement is a direct challenge to male dominance and Creon’s political power, showing her critical involvement in the powerplay.

20th and 19th Century Music Comparison

Comparative analysis of twentieth and nineteenth century orchestral work Musicology – Subtopic 1 I have decided to comparatively analyse the pieces; Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Friedrich Kalkbrenner and Symphony no. 1 in G major by Felix Draeseke. Fridrich Kalkbrenner’s composition, ‘Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor’ is a nineteenth century work, and Felix Draeseke’s composition, ‘Symphony no. 1 in G major’ is a twentieth century work. As the aim of the task is to compare the two works, I have chosen to use the set format of columns to effectively distinguish these contrasts and/or similarities. PITCHPiano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Friedrich Kalkbrenner | Symphony no. 1 in G major by Felix Draeseke| * Minor key * At the start of the piece, the string section comes in with a melodic sequence, shifting up 2 tones and then leaping down to the third note, creating a motif at the introduction. * The modal is sprightly rondo in the la ter half of the first movement. The piano soloist plays a light melody over an orchestral wash of colour. | * Major key * The start of piece is dominantly strings, with a woodwind instrument playing a floaty melodic sequence, again going in a downward sequence of steps. DURATION * Before any instrument comes in, there is a 14 second duration of a pause at the start of the piece. * Durational patterns of the chord changes near the start of the piece, tend to repeat themselves as the piece progresses. These chord changes, create temporary regularity and structure till the piece changes it’s durational patterns which can be found at; 34 seconds in, the chord transitions become metso staccato and then go into a sustained chord till the next change occurs. * From the excerpt I have taken out of this piece, which is; 0. 0-2. 00 seconds, the tempo throughout the entirety of this first movement is the same. The tempo of the rhythmic pulse through the entirety of this excerpt would be roughly, 120bpm. | * There are at least 2-3 melodic motifs occurring at the start of this piece being played by strings. * The most dominant melodic pattern consists of sustained chords, spanning out over a bar, sometimes even two. * The durability of the chords at the start of the piece are long and sustained, where as ‘Piano Concerto No. ’, the chords change fairly quickly, and the melody in turn, does too, in order to keep up. * The excerpt for this piece that I have chosen which is; 0. 00-2. 00 has a slow pulse to it. * The tempo of the general piece is quite slow, whereas ‘Piano Concerto No. 1’ is quite fast. | STRUCTURE * Split up into different movements. * With every new movement, comes a change in theme or dynamics. The pattern breaks and starts a new, or continues on. * Both pieces are separated into 3 movements. * Split up into different movements also. * The structure in these two songs are similar, except instrumental queues and performing med ia are played differently, causing the themes and patterns to vary, but still keeping a similar scaffold for the structure, the same in both pieces. | TEXTURE * Sea of orchestral instruments created dominantly by the strings, creating the background and foreground dominant melodies. The woodwind instruments seep in, creating another layer of sound. This creates further melodies, making the texture thicker, richer and making it sound like a wash of melodies. | * The instruments pile in, one by one, to a crescendo near the start of the piece. This also includes a thicker texture being created through the techniques in which the instruments are being played. * The texture would be described glistening and dazzling, with very little profundity. | TONE COLOUR * Some of the expressive techniques used in this piece include the piano solo played throughout the| * |

About the U.S. Census Bureau

About the U.S. Census Bureau There are a lot of people in the United States, and its not easy keeping track of them all. But one agency tries to do just that: the U.S. Census Bureau. Conducting the Decennial CensusEvery 10 years, as required by the U.S. Constitution, the Census Bureau conducts a head count of all the people in the U.S. and asks them questions to help learn more about the country as a whole: who we are, where we live, what we earn, how many of us are married or single, and how many of us have children, among other topics. The data collected isnt trivial, either. It is used to apportion seats in Congress, distribute federal aid, define legislative districts and help federal, state and local governments plan for growth. A Massive and Costly TaskThe next national census in the United States will be in 2010, and it wont be an insignificant undertaking. It is expected to cost more than $11 billion, and around 1 million part-time employees will be enlisted. In a bid to increase data collection efficiency and processing, the 2010 census will be the first to use hand-held computing devices with GPS capability. Formal planning for the 2010 survey, including trial runs in California and North Carolina, begins two years before the survey. History of the CensusThe first U.S. census was taken in Virginia in the early 1600s, when America was still a British colony. Once independence was established, a new census was needed to determine who, exactly, comprised the nation; that occurred in 1790, under then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. As the nation grew and evolved, the census became more sophisticated. To help plan for growth, to assist with tax collection, to learn about crime and its roots and to learn more information about peoples lives, the census began asking more questions of people. The Census Bureau was made a permanent institution in 1902 by an act of Congress. Composition and Duties of the Census BureauWith about 12,000 permanent employees-and, for the 2000 Census, a temporary force of 860,000-the Census Bureau is headquartered in Suitland, Md. It has 12 regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Kan., Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. The bureau also operates a processing center in Jeffersonville, Ind., as well as call centers in Hagerstown, Md., and Tucson, Ariz., and a computer facility in Bowie, Md. The Bureau falls under the auspices of the Department of Commerce and is headed by a director who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The Census Bureau doesnt operate strictly for the benefit of the federal government, however. All of its findings are available to and for use by the public, academia, policy analysts, local and state governments and business and industry. Though the Census Bureau may ask questions that seem exceedingly personal-about household income, for example, or the nature of ones relationships to others in a household-the information collected is kept confidential by federal law and is used simply for statistical purposes. In addition to taking a complete census of the U.S. population every 10 years, the Census Bureau conducts several other surveys periodically. They vary by geographic region, economic strata, industry, housing and other factors. Some of the many entities that use this information include the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Social Security Administration, the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics. The next federal census taker, called an enumerator, likely wont come knocking on your door until 2010, but when he or she does, remember that they are doing more than just counting heads. Phaedra Trethan is a freelance writer who also works as a copy editor for the Camden Courier-Post. She formerly worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she wrote about books, religion, sports, music, films and restaurants.

Reading Summary Example

Reading Summary Example Reading Summary – Article Example Reading summary The case study focuses on the current altercation between the government, non- government organizations as well as individuals in Australia. The three groups have varying views regarding what should be done to the gas found in West Australia1. The area is under cultural threat because everyone claims ownership its scarce resources. Kimberley area occupies a very large area and is renowned for its natural beauty of coastal environments, coral reefs and mangroves among other features. Apart from being a natural beauty spot, it is habitat to a variety of wild endangered species like turtles, golden bandicoots, and scaly- tailed possum. However, the Kimberley region is not fully explored because it is very remote. Kimberley area also boasts of rich cultural heritage. Approximately thirty tribes have based their existence on the area, and each community uses its own language and unique cultural practices. Such cultural practices are passed from one generation to another he nce ensuring that there is continuity of culture. Kimberley has recently attracted explorers who hope to tap and gain from the vast mineral resources in the area. There have been prospects about the existence of bauxite and aluminum in the area2. The exploitation of minerals in the area has the disadvantage of destroying the beauty of the area. This would also distort Kimberley’s economy because the area depends on the beauty of the ecosystem. However, some people argue that if minerals were explored, there would be the creation of numerous employment opportunities. Some communities are however, in strong opposition, and have vowed to do everything in their power to ensure Kimberley is intact. However, the issuance of a license to drill plants will limit efforts to save the region3.Bibliography Charles, Moon. Introduction to mineral exploration. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006.Srinivasamoorthy, Rajendran. National Seminar on Strategy for Exploration of Mineral Ore and Oil Deposits in the Present Context of Global Economic Scenario: a Thrust on New Horizon. Mineral exploration: recent strategies. New Delhi: New India Pub. Agency., 2007. Reading Summary Example Reading Summary – Article Example Reading summary This article reveals that more than ten percent of employees in the U.S part with their employers each quarter. Theresearch shows that some workers left their workstation to look for new jobs; some become jobless while other leaves the workforce forever. These new trend of separation and hires in the U.S labor markets reveals how the process of employee retention, screening during application and matching of skills is taken seriously. The authors argue that the economic forces that influence workflow can be classified s demand side where employers establish new jobs for workers and eliminate old ones. In addition, it is clear that workers move from one job to another or change employment due to supply side in that they have to cope with things such as family relocation, retirement and labor force entry. Work creation is sure for a growing or new business, and employment devastation is certain for a contracting or leaving business. Totaling crosswise overhead honchos inside a district or industry commonly yields extensive positive qualities for both employment creation and occupation devastation. While a solitary superintendent can either make or annihilate occupations amid a period, it can at the same time have positive contracts and detachments. Consequently, the stream of contracts surpasses work creation, and the stream of partitions surpasses work obliteration. As an illustration, consider a business with two stops amid the period and one substitution employ. The specialist streams at this business comprise of two divisions and one contract, and there is a net change of one devastated occupation. These ideas of laborer streams and occupation streams are effectively totaled by cumulating over business entities. ReferenceSteven, D., & Haliwanger, J. (2006). The Flow Approach to Labor Markets: New Data Sources and Micro–Macro Links. Journal of economic perspective, 20 (3), 3-26.