Genetic Screening Essays - Medical Genetics,

Genetic Screening Genetic screening, also known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), is a newly emerging technology that has brought with it much controversy. PGD involves the in vitro fertilization of an embryo. ?The embryos are allowed to develop to a 6 to 10 cell stage, at which point one of the embryonic cells is removed from each embryo and the cellular DNA is analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities or genetic mutations? (Botkin, 1998). In doing this, it can be determined which embryos will be most likely to implant and germinate successfully in the uterus. PGD is a complicated, technologically sophisticated process. It is a union of in vetro fertilization technology and molecular biology (Botkin, 1998). Though it has numerous positive attributes, there are equally as many negative ones. In fact, this issue is one that has recently become the subject of many heated debates. Proponents for the use of PGD assert that this test allows for parents with fertility problems to maximize their opportunity for conception and birth. Their adversaries argue that this process is morally questionable, and though it is seen as safe alternative to abortion couples can experience the same psychological effects as if they were dealing with an actual abortion (Botkin, 1998). Obviously, this is an issue that does not have one distinct answer. Each opposing side has raised some poignant arguments. Those who are in favor of PGD generally use the arguments that it allows for the transmission of human genetic diseases to be reduced (McClure and Tasca, 1998). Before the usage of PGD the only other way to determine the existence of genetic diseases was by the use of prenatal diagnosis in the form of amniocentesis or chronic villus sampling (CVS). Currently, CVS can only be performed in the ninth to eleventh week of pregnancy, and amniocentesis can be performed in fifteenth to eighteenth week (McClure and Tasca, 1998). At this point, the fetus is developing within the uterus. Discovery of any abnormalities would pose the parents of the fetus with a difficult decision. They either continue a pregnancy that will result in a genetically defected child or abort the fetus. This is where PGD allows for what some would say an easier option. Because PGD is a pre- pregnancy test, abnormalities can be detected prior to the embryo ever being inserted into the mother. Currently, there are several diseases that PGD can detect such as Cystic Fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Fragile X Syndrome, and Down Syndrome (McClure and Tasca, 1998). These are only a few of the diseases that can be detected but as the knowledge concerning human DNA increases there will be more detectable diseases. In addition to disease detection, PGD can also detect the gender of an embryo which can enable the determination of the existence of sex-linked disease or a sex chromosome imbalance (McClure and Tasca, 1998). Another of PGD's benefits is its ability to assist women over the age of thirty-five to successfully conceive. From this age group 50 percent of the embryos are chromosomally abnormal (McClure and Tasca, 1998). For these women, PGD drastically increases the odds for a successful pregnancy while the odds for miscarriage are reduced (McClure and Tasca, 1998). PGD also has promising outlook in cancer research. In the same manner that PGD detects single gene defects in embryo tests, it could do the same for polygenic diseases such as cancer (Yates, 1996). Experiments with genetic screening have been done concerning Tay-Sachs disease .The outcome of this research indicated that PGD has the potential to be extremely beneficial. Tay-Sachs disease affects 1 in 3600 Ashkensasi Jews, couples who were at risk for transmission of this disease to their offspring were genetically screened ( Robbers, 1990) . As a result of the screening, the number of children who were born with Tay-Sachs disease dropped from 50 in 100 in 1970 to 13 in 100 in 1980 ( Roberts, 1990). Due to the positive results from genetic screening, it is becoming somewhat more popular and accepted. In a survey done by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a group of people were surveyed to determine their likelihood to undergo genetic screening given their family history concerning colon cancer (Henderson, 1999). Those who had a significant family history of colon cancer as well as those who did not were eager to undergo gene testing (Henderson, 1999). At this point, genetic screening has begun with a good track record. Most of those who have used it or heard about it

India Since 1900

How to Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

How to Volunteer at an Animal Shelter SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Love animals? Thinking about a career as a veterinarian? Or maybe you're just hoping to play with animals? Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience. How can you become an animal shelter volunteer? What will you do as a volunteer? Are there alternative experiences? This guide will answer all those questions and more, so read on! What to Expect as an Animal Shelter Volunteer While volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience, it's not going to be fun and games all the time.You willget to play with animals, but that will not be your only responsibility.You’ll likely also be cleaning up after them, sweeping, mopping, filling water and food bowls, tidying litter boxes, washing towels, etc. After all of these things are done, you'll have a chance toplay with the animals. It's going to be work first, and then fun. You’ll likely also have to deal with some customer servicework such asanswering phone calls and responding toadoptionquestions. Depending on the shelter where you work, you may be assigned a specific "job." These jobs include: Adoption Liaison:Assist potential adopters through the process of adoption (meeting animals, filling out paperwork, etc.). Kennel Assistant (sometimes dog or cat specific): Clean the kennel, feed the animals, and provide walks/exercise for the animals. Training Class Assistant:Helprunthe dog training classes offered by the shelter (if applicable). Surgery Support Volunteer:Stay with the animals as they wake up from surgery. Make sure pet owners have all the information they need for post-surgery care. Animal Transport Volunteer:Driveanimals between the shelter and clinic. NOTE:Some shelters require you be 18 years or older to do certain jobs such as animal transport. On top of the menial tasks you may have to do as an animal shelter volunteer, you’ll also likely deal with some sadness.Youmayget attached to animals who end up adopted, and if you work at a kill shelter, you might also get attached to animals that end up euthanized.It’s not always an easy job, so make sure you take all of this into consideration before committing to volunteering at an animal shelter. WhatArethe Requirements for Being an Animal Shelter Volunteer? Most shelters only allow volunteers aged 16 and older.Check your local shelter to find out their age requirement (I’ll get into how to locate a shelter below).If you’re under 16 and want to volunteer, see if they’ll make an exception.They may also let you volunteer if your legal guardian signs off on it or if your legal guardian volunteers with you. Most shelters make you commit to at least a few months of volunteering, if not a full year.These shelters spend time and money training their volunteers, so they want to make sure you’re committed. Atyour trainingororientation, you'll learn the rules of volunteering, sign paperwork (release forms), and get a tour of the facilities along with instructions on how to do your volunteer "job." On top of a commitment to a length of time, you usually also have to commit to at least one shift every other week. Shifts range from 2-4 hours depending on the shelter. Some shelters have physical requirements too (since you might be dealing with large animals and lifting things).They mayrequire you to be physically fit enough to stand and or walk for up to 3 hours and be able to lift and carry 20 lbs or more.They also may require you to be able to tolerate loud sounds and bad odors. Again, contact your local shelter or humane society to ask about their specific volunteer requirements.Learn how to find their contact informationin the next section How to Find a Volunteering OpportunityNear You Finding an animal shelternear you should be as simple as conducting a Google Search for â€Å"[Your Town Name] Animal Shelter† or â€Å"[Your Town Name] Animal Rescue† or â€Å"[Your Town Name] Humane Society.†That should lead you to thewebsite for an animal shelter or, at least, the contact information for an animal shelter near you. If you’re able to locate a specific animal shelter website, look for a volunteer page.On the volunteer page, shelters usually list a contact person for potential volunteers. Reach out to that person to get started as a volunteer.Other shelters have online applications for potential volunteers. Fill one out to get started. If you’re unable to find a website, use whatever contact information you can find through Google to get in touch with someone (whether through phone or email) who works at the shelter andask about volunteering. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a while to get a response about volunteering or if a shelter tells you they don’t need volunteers right now. Volunteering at animal shelters can be very popular, and someshelters already have a lot of volunteers and don’t need more help.You maybe able to be put on a volunteer waitlist. However, if that's not an option,try to approach the next closest shelter in your area. The Good and Bad of Volunteering at an Animal Shelter How is volunteering at an animal shelter different than other volunteer work?You get to work with animals and meet like-minded animal lovers! It's a great way to make friends and spend time with cuddly critters. You also get to help lonely animals. You get to play with them, make sure they live in a clean environment, and help them find loving homes. You'll help guide people on their path to finding their dream pet. It's challenging work, but it can also be a rewarding process. Are you interested in potentially becoming a veterinarian or doing other work with animals? Volunteeringat a humane society will allow you to test out whetheryou’d like to pursue a career working with animals.Working as a shelter volunteer, you'll learn so much about what it takes to take care of animals. You'll learn how hard it is, how rewarding it is, and how sad it can be. By the end of your volunteer experience, you should have a good understanding of whether it's the work you want to do. Volunteering at an animal shelter can also be a great experience for your college application. Here at PrepScholar, we often recommend you try to be an expert in one field rather than well-rounded. Colleges want students who're experts in something.If your passion is animals, or something similar, working at an animal shelterwill look great on your application. Make sure you complement your animal shelter volunteer work with other animal-related experiences(i.e. hosting a fundraiser to build a dog park or gathering signatures to add an animal to the endangered species list). Additionally, many extracurricular experiences cost money (such asvolunteer abroad programs). Volunteering is a free extracurricular experience that won't cost you anything other than your time. I highly recommend engaging in volunteer work even if you ultimately decide an animal shelter is not the right place for you. Keep in mind that, as I said before, volunteer work is not all fun. You'll have to do menial work such as cleaning up after the animals beforeyou can play with them. Additionally, if you work at a kill shelter, you might getattached to animals who get adopted or euthanized.If you’re interested in working with animals (but don’t want to or can't work at an animal shelter), you could try some similar alternatives. Check out the next section for ideas. Alternatives to Volunteering at an Animal Shelter If you don’t have the time to commit to working at a shelter, consider job shadowing a veterinarian for a day or two.Job shadowing is a great, quick way to learn more about veterinary work. Another alternative isfostering an animal if youhave space at your house (and yourparents allow it).However, fostering is a big commitment, so make sure that you and your family have the time to dedicate to caring for the animal you foster. If you need to make money and don’t have the time to volunteer for free, consider trying to get a job as a dog walker or pet sitter.If you live in a major metropolitan area (NY, LA, Seattle, etc.), there is a dog walking app called Wag, where you can set your own hours to walk dogs. Consider checking it out! If you’re interested in medicine in general (and not just working with animals), consider doing a summer medical program, summer medical internship, volunteering at a hospital, or job shadowing a doctor.Read our other article on Medical Experiences for High School Students for more details (Coming soon!). What’s Next? If you’re a high school student looking for an extracurricular activity, learn about Model UN and how to join your high school newspaper. Looking for something to do this summer? You should check out the Emory Pre-College Program and the Boston University Summer Challenge. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to make a great impression in less than 3 minutes

How to make a great impression  in less than 3 minutes We’ve all been in this unfortunate situation: you’re walking around at work or elsewhere and unexpectedly run into your boss or some other influential person in your life and you’re†¦completely speechless. You’re caught totally off-guard, your mind goes blank, and you can’t think of a single thing to do or say- and even worse, it’s obvious that you’re in full panic mode, which only makes things worse. It’s a total nightmare, only you’re not asleep. The only thing left to do after this happens is to just walk away licking your wounds, hoping that you’ll figure out some way to erase this moment from ever having happened- and good luck with that!Although you can’t magically erase awful past encounters, the good news is that you can do a lot to make sure that they don’t happen again! In fact, we’ll show you how to make a great impression in any encounter- in just a few minutes or less.Have we got your attention? Great- then keep reading.Plan in advance.It may sound silly to plan encounters in advance, but you’ll thank me later when you start making great impressions on everyone you encounter. Each day, while you’re getting ready in the morning, think of a few topics of conversation that you can keep â€Å"pre-loaded†- everything from local news to sports or the weather is fair game. A harmless (but funny!) joke or two couldn’t hurt either, as long as you avoid anything offensive. Have a few different pleasant conversation starters â€Å"in the can,† so you can pick and choose which you use based on your audience.As the day progresses, feel free to tailor your conversation starters based on events that occur. We know this might sound weird, but you’d be surprised by how many people take advantage of this strategy to ensure that the only impressions they make are positive ones. Use it and you won’t get caught flat-footed wit h nothing to say should you run into someone unexpectedly.Pay attention to your body language.When you’re seeking to make a great impression on someone, what you say isn’t the only thing that matters- how you say it is just as important. Are you confident, clear, and friendly or are you tentative, awkward, and eager to break contact as soon as possible? Is your voice steady or wavering? Do you stand confident and tall or do you shift nervously and slouch? Do you make the appropriate amount of eye contact- not too much but not too little (some experts say that 5 seconds is a good amount of â€Å"eye time† before looking away and returning)- or do you avoid it like a cold?All of these things make up your social body language, and will factor greatly in the overall impression others have of you during social encounters. So, take some time to practice and make sure your body language is in top shape. Here’s where a trusted friend or family member can help you with some valuable practice. Or, try using a mirror to brush up on your body language skills, giving yourself honest feedback. Trust us, this is time well spent.Present yourself as a polished package.With some great conversation starters and impeccable body language, you’re well on your way to making great impressions on others. But there are a few more things that factor into your â€Å"overall impression package.† This includes the extras- your clothes and grooming.Always be mindful of the extras when you step out of your front door- you never know who you’ll run into and no one ever got upset that they made too good of an impression by spending a little extra time dressing well and minding all the details of their grooming routine. This is especially true when you’re expecting to run into people that you really want to make a good impression on- like at work or on interviews.We know, in a perfect world it wouldn’t matter what you wear or how yo u look, but it’s not a perfect world and we all judge books by their covers, so make sure you’re always mindful of the extras if you want to make a good impression.Don’t forget the secret ingredient.Ok, so your conversation game is tight, you’ve been working on your body language, and your clothes and grooming are sharp- are you totally ready to make great impressions no matter what situations you encounter? Not so fast- you’re close, but there’s one more â€Å"secret ingredient† that we hope is not so secret to you when you’re looking to make good impressions- be a good listener!The truth is, this is an absolutely essential component if you’re looking to make a great first impression. In fact, utilizing the other strategies listed here without deploying good listening skills may completely backfire and make you seem phony, self-absorbed, or artificial.Good listening skills just takes a little practice. When talking with other people, really work to pay attention to what they’re saying. Show interest in a conversation by nodding and using appropriate facial expressions based on what’s being said (don’t smile and laugh if someone’s telling you about their cat’s broken leg!). You’ll earn extra bonus interest points if you ask questions about what they’re saying. Even better? Turn the focus of the conversation on what the other person is talking about. Who doesn’t feel special when their interests are placed at the center of attention? Bottom line: great listeners make great impressions and you can count on people looking forward to interacting with you again.You can start utilizing the strategies mentioned here immediately, and if you do it won’t take a lot of time to start making great impressions. In fact, even quick encounters that last just a few seconds or minutes will become easy opportunities to make positive, lasting impressions!

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 155

Discussion - Essay Example As echoed in history, the president while at the University wrote vast books that talked about race relations after Random House awarded him a contract. Later on, he directed the Illinois Project Vote, which saw a large turnout of the blacks. Further, the rise of the powerful yet social President took the center stage that accentuated him to power. Indeed, Obama is a professional and socially intelligent leader. Leaders are often thought to guide and influence the lives of the others in a positive way (Larson & Paulino, 2014). The incumbent president of the US demonstrates the features of a real leader. He is not only professional but also socially acknowledge throughout the world. For instance, he is familiar with the latest greeting style that he shares with the youths in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies Kingston. In addition, from his early life, Obama demonstrated his professional and social capacities by influencing and organizing the residents of Altgeld Gardens to fight for their rights. Additionally, this noble characteristic featured when he led the Illinois Project Vote that influenced a massive voter turnout. Further, it is evident from his first election as the president of Harvard Law School where he could demonstrate that can deliver despite being a black among the whites. Therefore, the president reveals strong professional and social characteristics that embody h im as a true leader and intelligent

Identifying a problem Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Identifying a problem - Assignment Example According to various research based articles that describes qualitative, descriptive as well as longitudinal analysis of obesity problem, the major causes of obesity include heavy smoking, poor eating habits and lack of body weight management strategies (Marchiondo, 2014). A number of statistical information also indicates that obesity is one of the leading disorders resulting into many death cases in many communities in the United States (Weiss, Weisser, & Salario, 2014). This is due to the fact that, one of the major problems affecting older nurses currently is the problem of obesity. Despite this, there are various interventions that can help in reducing the problem among the nurses (Marchiondo, 2014). A number of research studies also indicate that nurse’s proper regular exercise and healthy living lifestyle practices are very effective in controlling, reducing as well as preventing obesity and overweight cases among patients (Marchiondo, 2014). In that sense, those who involve in regular exercise are less likely to be affected by overweight as compared to those who lacked the motivation to involve in regular exercises and healthy living styles (Marchiondo, 2014). It is also important that those who are affected by obesity to involve in proper sleeping habits as well as healthy eating habits reduce the chances of obesity and overweight among them (Newman, 2009). Therefore, this paper will mainly discuss the problem of obesity increase and overweight challenges in various clinical conditions and environments in health care system industry in United States. The paper will also provide various impacts of obesity in relation to patient’s health care safety system. Finally, the paper will discuss a number of solutions that can be used to reduce the problem of obesity among health workers such as nurses in clinical institutions in the United States. The problem of obesity and overweight mainly originates from poor healthy habits resulting

Respiratory Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Respiratory Protection - Essay Example (OSHA, 2011) However the kind of respiratory protection required for each situation is different and should be used accordingly to ensure maximum damage protection. Sanding Fiberglass in Open Air Fiberglass is used extensively in applications relating to HVAC (for ductwork and acoustical control) as well as structural components such as cooling tower stacks. Fiberglass may need to be grinded once it has set into place for adjustments or for modifications. The grinding produces fiberglass dust that is more dangerous than fiberglass fibers. The size of the dust particles is smaller than the fibers so they can be transported quicker to the lungs. Given the situation that grinding is taking place in an open environment it can be assumed that the oxygen levels pose no serious concerns. The only real danger emerges from the inhalation of the fiber glass dust produced by grinding. Fiberglass dust protection is offered by using NIOSH approved N95 respirators. The use of either half face or f ull face piece respirators should be done after an assessment form EHIS to determine if the personnel should be placed in a complete respiratory protection program. (EHIS, 2011) The NIOSH N95 respirators block out fiberglass and other small dust particles and offer a breathing system that extracts ambient air and filters it before inhalation. Nitrogen Leakage in Confined Area Nitrogen is not poisonous but presents a significant hazard when it is mixed with breathing air. In the provided situation the nitrogen leaking from the tubes would mix up with ambient air around the leakage. The mixing of nitrogen with ambient air would cause a decrease in the overall oxygen concentration and this would lead to asphyxiation. In the worst case scenario, the person undergoing such asphyxiation could die too. Moreover the working environment is confined so the already present nitrogen leakage would have already diluted the oxygen present in the working environment. The oxygen levels should be che cked for the confined space to determine the kind of protection required. Two distinct options are available to protect respiration using ASRs. (OSHA, 2011) One could be the use of SCBA and the other could be the use of supplied air respirators. The use of SCBA would be overkill as the atmosphere in the confined environment does not contain a poisonous material such as ammonia. Therefore it would be best to use a supplied air respirator using plant air as a supply. Spray of Hazardous Materials in Open Environment When hazardous materials are available in a working environment there is a constant need to protect the skin as well as the respiration of the personnel involved. In these circumstances, APRs are used in order to purify the incoming breathing supply. In order to offer protection against hazardous materials it is necessary to use full face protection. Moreover the amount of oxygen available in the environment also plays a major role in deciding the kind of respiratory protec tion to be used. In the given situation, the oxygen levels are reported at greater than 19.5% which means that oxygen supply (such as through plant air) would not be required. Instead the protection required would require APRs to purify the incoming air supply to the personnel. Furthermore the PEL for each material has been crossed but the IDLH values have not been exceeded as yet. In case of hydrochloric acid the PEL is 50 ppm and in case it is exceeded, the use of a NIOSH approved respirator with a

Opreating management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Opreating management - Assignment Example hin the business, the work role and responsibilities of the operations department is deemed to impose considerable impact upon business in any industry sector. Notably, operations management can be defined as form of management approach which deals with the aspect of designing along with controlling the production procedures within a business. It is apparent that operations management is regarded as one of the most significant sections of a business in the modern day context. It will not be ambiguous to depict that success or failure of any business in the present day context is immensely dependent on the efficiency of its operational domain (Bamford & Forrester, 2010). This particular discussion will outline the operations management process of a particular company i.e. McDonalds operating in the Lincoln Street of UK. It is evident that McDonalds is amid the most successful brands in the global fast food industry and its operations are spread worldwide. The company has a long historical background associated with it. The company has always been keen towards strengthening its manufacturing and logistic process. The operations of the company in the UK region have been considered quite successful owing to the efficient supply and operating network of the company throughout the country (Bamford & Forrester, 2010).. However, this particular assignment will mainly focus on depicting the operations management process of the company operating in the location of Lincoln Street. A transformation model is a particular framework that helps the management of business to comprehend the current scenario of the business and mitigate any fault or weaknesses existing thereon (The Center for Organizational Design, 2012). The model intends towards reducing the complexity for companies in business decision making. This aspect also corresponds with the scenario of the operations of McDonalds operating in the Lincoln Street of UK. Similar to other branches of McDonald’s, this unit

Healthy Grief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthy Grief - Essay Example The positive attitude develops as a result of someone acknowledging that the departed person or item is irreversible. The acknowledgment will help a person to act a near normal in case of departure. The positive attitude towards grief is what the psychologists refers to as a healthy grief. There are five stages that are involved when helping a bereaved person to recover from the grief. The grieving process established by Kubler-Ross projects some reactions that Job underwent in his life that is described in the Bible. The denial stage is the beginning point of the healing process. At this stage, the bereaved person will want to deny his or her real situation that he or she is facing (Kubler-Ross, 1969, p. 140). In other words, as the term denial suggests, the person will want to focus on other issues in order to feel like he or she is acting on the normal life. Drawing the perspective from the biblical account of Job, after all his children and animals died, he acted as though there was nothing happened to him. He preferred to suggest that all he had was given to him by God and if he had decided to take it back; he had no other measure to deal with the situation. The second stage that forms part of Kubler-Ross grief process is that of anger (Kubler-Ross, 1969). Shortly after the denial process, the bereaved person will come to the reality that he or she has lost a dear one or a property that is so valuable. There is an increase of emotional pain that affect the bereaved person (Nithyananda, 2007, p. 175). The person begins to be troubled by questions regarding the cause of the loss. For example, you will hear people asking, why did this happened to me? The power of anger in manifested in many ways and blames will arise towards himself and to others. In the Biblical story of Job, we see him having anger in the way he tore his clothes and went into the road and stayed without food. The only thing he did was to sit on the road

Psychological Treatment of Culturally Diverse Populations Research Paper

Psychological Treatment of Culturally Diverse Populations - Research Paper Example In contrast in 2000, the numbers fell down to 69%. The U.S. Census Bureau foresees that racial/ethnic minorities will constitute a numeric majority by the year 2050. However, other private researches made by the Council of National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests (2000) anticipate that this demographic transformation will take place sooner. The following 2000 U.S. Census figures will provide us with an overall idea on some minority groups. The U.S. Census Bureau reported several conclusions on the bases of these statistics. Most importantly, they consider that it is impossible for the mental health clinician not to meet clients who differ in regards to race, ethnicity, and culture. Secondly, what is defined as therapy can vary considerably from the traditional understanding of the mental health professional. And last but not least, mental health workers have to become culturally competent in order to meet the needs of their clients. Attention to diversity and cultural competence and awareness are of great importance for the U.S. society since it has become increasingly diverse. In this paper I will focus my attention on ethical practice with patience from different cultural, ethnic and racial background. I will also concentrate on some recommendations for the psychological treatment of Mexican-American population. The American Psychologica... Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic and Culturally Diverse Populations (APA, 1993) suggest comprehensible counseling and flexible perspectives for working with such individuals. It is of great importance that each psychologist remains sensitive to diversity issues and possesses general knowledge about the groups that seek mental health treatment. The American Psychological Association Ethics Code (APA, 1992) requires that psychologists are aware of "cultural, individual, and role differences" and "accord appropriate respect to the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth or all people (Principle D: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity, p. 1599)." Further, the psychologists are instructed by the APA Ethics Code (1992) to acquire the necessary training if he is to work with individuals of diverse background. Having the knowledge about the client's culture will aid the therapist to incorporate into the mental health treatment traditional spiritual and healing customs and will reinforce the partnership between the therapist and the patient. Aviera (2002) reports on multiple occasions when disclosing personal details "helps the Latino client feel that the therapist is a caring and real person (p.18)." Familiarity with one's culture, openness and genuineness of human interactions are of prime significance if the psychologist aims to work effectively with culturally diverse client. According to the numbers provided by the 2000 U.S. Census over 35 million identify themselves as Hispanic, which approximately makes 13 % of the total U.S. population. The majority 58.5% are of Mexican origin. Barona (2003) reports that "many ancestors of present-day Mexican Americans resided on this land when national borders were established more than

Impact of the Internet on Developing Countries

Impact of the Internet on Developing Countries Abstract The Internet has completely changed the information management scene in developed countries. It has improved the communication systems and has developed user-friendly environments for information sharing and exchange. The benefits of the Internet in developed countries have inspired the developing countries to develop the Internet and use it to their benefit. The Internet is now changing the information practices in various sectors in developing countries. The impact of the Internet has caused developing countries to modify traditional methods of conducting information business by setting up new sources of information and new methods of communication on a global basis. The Internet has helped the developing countries to take advantage of access to global sources of information in order to improve their economic markets. In this paper we will discuss the evolution of the Internet along with the atmosphere, which initiated the growth of the Internet in developing countries. We will touch upon the constraints involved in promoting Internet growth, the models used to enhance Internet growth, the areas benefited by the Internet and the future of Internet in developing countries. We have focused our discussion on the impact of the Internet on the two most populous developing countries, India and China. Introduction In todays world where globalization is inevitable if you want to succeed, the Internet is your only respite. The Internet has revolutionized information technology and made information access across boundaries very easy. It has spread in all spheres of life and you cannot think of life without the Internet. Come to think of it, how did the Internet evolve and how did it become such an essential part of our lives? The Internet has created competition by bringing many international and indigenous information technology vendors on to the same platform and has raised the standards of quality of services. Even though the Internet has its advantages, the developing countries are facing a lot of issues in using it to achieve maximum benefits. Some concerns are related to the infrastructure costs, language and cultural barriers, political barriers and economic costs. If the issues related to the growth of the Internet can be tackled, there would be phenomenal growth in the economy of the developing countries due to the benefits of the Internet. Statement of Purpose The three major aspects involved in the overall development of a country are economic, political and social. As it is evident from the success of the Internet in developed countries, and will be clear from the examples stated in the paper, we can see that the Internet plays a very important role in all these aspects. It is evident from the extent of usage of the Internet in our daily lives that it has and will continue to change the way we live. How it has changed, and how it will continue to change our lives, is the reason for discussion on the topic of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Impact of the Internet in Developing Countriesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . We are discussing the impact of the Internet specifically on developing countries because the awareness and number of users of the Internet is still growing. As compared to the number of users of the Internet, the effect of the benefits of the Internet has been phenomenal. Evolution of the Internet The idea of the Internet originated about 25 years ago at the US Defense Department Advanced research Projects Agency (ARPA), to keep track of data through computer hardware and software. The Internet is now a complex web of networks connected with high-speed links cutting across countries. There are no set boundaries for the Internet in cyberspace. Recent statistics show 50,000 networks in more than 100 countries with more than 50 million users (MIDS press release). It is estimated that the rate of growth in Internet use is around 20 per cent a month. Currently the Internet is not proprietary and is available to anyone with computer access connected to the external world. Since the USA launched the information superhighway in 1994, the Internet has come to play an ever-increasing role in the vast information market in many countries. Malaysias Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed, once said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“It can be no accident that there is today no wealthy developed country that is information poor, and no information rich country that is poor and underdevelopedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  This statement emphasizes the importance of the Internet for developing countries. From an international perspective access to and use of the Internet is unbalanced; there are obvious gaps between developed and developing countries in terms of the numbers of nets, hosts and users. Information Environment in Developing Countries China and India have the highest population among the developing countries. With the vast population, the market for the Internet in these countries is huge. Both India and China are information-rich countries with a long tradition of learning and applying their knowledge. Both countries have had phenomenal growth economically and are utilizing information technology and information management for the same. The reduction in the price of personal computers and the multimedia influx only accelerated the growth in Internet usage. For countries with vast information centers, the Internet proves to be the most valuable resource. Chinese general information systems are divided into six categories: (1) Information centers affiliated with the National Scientific and Technical Commission (2) Information centers belonging to central government ministries (3) Information centers of a provincial nature (4) Information centers of a specialized nature affiliated to regional governments (5) Information centers affiliated with state enterprises, universities and other research institutions (6) Information centers of non-governmental, regional, professional and similar bodies In India, at the national level the main sources of information include: (1) Various line ministries; (2) The Central Statistical Organization (CSO) (3) The National Sample Survey Organization (4) The Registrar-General of India (RGI) (5) The National Information Center (NIC) (6) The Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) (7) The Federation of India Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) (8) Tata Energy Research Institution (9) The Center for Science and Environment Given such huge information centers in both countries, the public need for the Internet and its potential are vast. Areas of concern in Developing Countries Three major areas of concern about the Internet in developing countries are: (1) National information policy (2) Regulatory framework and information infrastructure (3) Proper education and training National information policy Awareness of various information sources in developing countries is limited to oral form. Awareness in print is negligible. The national information policies in developing countries concentrate on trade, international relations, national security and technology, but they barely concentrate on electronic access of information through the Internet to achieve maximum benefits. For rapid economic growth, official documents of developing countries should include high priority plans to implement electronic information delivery systems. National policy documents, like five-year plans, should contain policy statements and should be implemented on time. Sufficient funding should be available during planning and implementation phases of electronic information access models. Regulatory framework and information infrastructure Developing countries have a regulatory framework in place, which makes protection of investment, intellectual property and individual privacy compulsory in the information market. Developing countries have legal frameworks in place, which deals with private sector involvement, skilled human resources, standards and implementation. Regulatory frameworks for information do not exist. Even though information technology and telecommunications have made a way into all the markets in a developed country, in developing countries, information technology is still seen only as a means to support information management systems, finance and accounting facilities and data processing. As compared to the population numbers, the per capita penetration of computers in both India and China in the area of small office/home office (SOHO) is very insignificant. Telecommunications has also not yet picked up in India and China. If the information infrastructure were to cover the wide Indian and Chinese markets, and if technology was used for global access to information through the Internet, there would be a phenomenal economic growth in these countries. Both the countries need to urgently address the awareness of the Internet and its importance for policy makers at the political level. Proper education and training As in developed countries, workforces in developing countries are also adopting knowledge-based methodologies rather than labor intensive ones. Surveys have shown that Internet use is associated with higher education in developed countries. The same applies to developing countries. Literacy rates in developing countries needs to be improved to a great extent. The governments, central, state and local and learning institutions and civic associations should take responsibility and should work together to raise the literacy levels in developing countries. Information professionals should be trained on priority. Trained information professionals can make better use of the Internet and will be more efficient in acquiring, organizing and propagating information. Developing countries are often concerned about preserving language and culture heritage and supporting political systems. They are weary of foreign economic formats. Thus, proper trainings and seminars for information professionals is a must. These trained professionals can help educate the masses and can take advantage of the benefits of the Internet. This would help in sharing of knowledge through cyberspace and would help in increasing the value of the global information sector. The Internet will support development in the following ways: * Assess the information capacity of the country and determine the needs of users, organize and synthesize information and provide access to internal and external information * Disseminate information to meet the public needs and private sectors and the daily information needs of the general public The governments role in utilizing the Internet is very critical. It influences the appropriate use of the Internet for social and economic change in the shift from labor-intensive production to knowledge based information industries. Also, it reveals the market to a strong private information sector by defining public and private sector relationships. In order to destroy monopolies and encourage competition among international and indigenous vendors, it redefines telecommunication policies. Internet Growth in India Internet service in India started in 1994 with government being the monopoly provider. Service was costly and unreliable and by 1996 there were only 4,000 subscribers nationwide. In 1998, the ISP market was deregulated. By 2000, there were 225 ISPs (India Infoline 2001) and prices had dropped 60%. PC prices also dropped significantly owing to lowering of import duties. The subscriber base then grew rapidly, reaching 1.8 million in January 2001. E-mail and chat are the most popular applications (Natarajan 1999). E-commerce is yet to find wide acceptance but is expected to touch $2.3 billion by 2002 (Pai 2000a). PC penetration in urban middle class households has increased in recent times (Dataquest 2000; Pai 2000b), and has led to an increase in the Internet subscribers. The popularity of the Internet has also had a feedback effect on PC sales (Dataquest 2000). The demand for bandwidth outstrips supply thirty-fold (Desai 2001). As of December 2000, there were only 28 million telephone lines equal to a tele-density of 3.5/100 persons. Alternatives to analog modems, such as ISDN lines or cable modems, are limited. Regulations have also stifled Internet growth. The ban on Internet telephony and the requirement to obtain security clearance before setting up an international gateway are two examples. In short, Internet diffusion in India started very recently and is characterized by high telephone charges, limited customer acceptance of E-commerce applications, limited telecommunications infrastructure, and restrictive regulations. These characteristics are prevalent in many other developing countries as well. The VSNL, is still by far the dominant player in the ISP market, and maintains the backbones that most private firms will have to use to provide access to consumers. There is currently one Level 1 gateway owned by VNSL, as well as a Level 2, through which most private companies will have to connect. 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 States Popn CAGR (81-91) Estd Popn CAGR of Lines Actual Lines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"000 Lines/100 Estd Lines Lines/100 Estd Lines Lines/100 Estd Lines Lines/100 Estd Lines Lines/100 Estd Lines Lines/100 Estd Lines AP 2.19 696.98 20.44 797 1.35 959 1.59 1155 1.87 1391 2.20 1675 2.60 2017 2.58 2044 Assam 1.20 227.37 21.59 107 0.56 130 0.68 158 0.81 192 0.98 233 1.17 283 1.16 284 Bihar 2.14 903.30 19.97 280 0.36 335 0.43 401 0.50 481 0.59 577 0.69 692 0.68 694 Gujarat 1.94 428.65 16.52 916 2.44 1067 2.79 1243 3.19 1448 3.64 1687 4.16 1965 4.18 2012 Haryana 2.45 174.52 21.31 295 2.00 357 2.36 433 2.80 525 3.31 636 3.91 771 3.90 786 Himachal 1.91 53.60 28.27 110 2.58 141 3.23 180 4.06 230 5.10 295 6.42 378 6.45 387 JK 2.57 82.29 13.61 53 0.71 60 0.79 68 0.87 77 0.96 87 1.05 98 1.02 98 Karnataka 1.93 466.52 20.32 784 1.98 943 2.34 1134 2.76 1364 3.26 1641 3.85 1974 3.85 2013 Kerala 1.35 307.74 22.24 681 2.67 832 3.22 1017 3.88 1243 4.68 1519 5.64 1856 5.71 1905 MP 2.41 700.25 22.47 623 1.06 762 1.27 933 1.52 1142 1.82 1398 2.17 1712 2.14 1730 Maharashtra 2.32 831.86 18.70 2425 3.38 2878 3.92 3416 4.55 4054 5.28 4812 6.12 5711 6.19 5904 Orissa 1.85 327.44 19.68 166 0.59 198 0.69 236 0.82 282 0.96 337 1.12 403 1.11 405 Punjab 1.91 210.22 25.23 571 3.34 715 4.1 895 5.03 1120 6.18 1402 7.60 1755 7.70 1813 Rajasthan 2.53 468.70 28.14 494 1.32 633 1.65 811 2.06 1039 2.57 1331 3.21 1705 3.17 1727 TN 1.44 570.17 22.01 1014 2.14 1237 2.57 1509 3.09 1841 3.72 2246 4.47 2740 4.50 2798 UP 2.30 1464.71 25.53 810 0.68 1016 0.83 1275 1.02 1600 1.25 2008 1.54 2520 1.51 2537 WB 2.23 714.44 15.56 610 0.96 704 1.09 813 1.23 939 1.39 1085 1.57 1253 1.55 1265 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The above table represents an extrapolation based on the s available at the end of the 1995-96 fiscal year. The s show that the penetration of phone lines is in fact growing faster than the population. In addition, the s represent only the penetration of public services, whereas the latest telecom policy calls for added investment in the private sector. Nevertheless, it is clear that the current trends in growth will not result in the planned telephony penetration into India (7% by 2005 and 15% by 2010). In addition, in many cases the s are skewed towards the urban regions within the states, and mask a poorly developed rural sector. Thus, the general indication at this juncture is that there is a clear need for dedicated infrastructure developed throughout india. The Impact of the internet in developing countries http://cse.stanford.edu/classes/cs201/projects-00-01/third-world/india-overview.html Modeling Internet Growth To get a thorough understanding of the technicalities of Internet diffusion in developing countries, we will discuss a model, which combines contagion effects and their interaction with external factors. There are a variety of methodologies available in the market to represent dynamic processes. We will be discussing the SD (Sterman 2000) model. Some of the reasons for choosing this model are listed below: * The feedback loop, which is the main structural element in an SD model, makes the model well suited for capturing the interaction among different drivers of diffusion over time * The SD model not only represents quantifiable variables, but also soft variables, which help in understanding because the diffusion context has both social as well as technical aspects * System behavior in SD models results from interaction among its feedback loops When you build an SD model, you start with the development of a causal loop graph that consists of a collection of causal links. Each of these causal links has a certain polarity. A positive (negative) link is associated with a reinforcing (balancing) relation. A positive (negative) change in the cause in this scenario leads to a positive (negative) change in the effect. Small lines intersecting causal links represent the delays in an effect. A causal loop is the result of a closed sequence of causal links and the loop polarity can be easily understood from the individual link polarities. The causal loop graph results in a mathematical model in which relationships are illustrated by means of time varying difference equations. A what-if analysis is conducted by simulating the mathematical model under different parametric and structural alternatives. The given above depicts the causal loop diagram for our diffusion model. The first of validation is the verification of each of the structural components involved. We will be discussing the foundation for the core component, followed by the selected components that capture external factors that are typical of developing countries. At the heart of the diagram lies the contagion based Internet Adoption, which helps PC owners become Internet subscribers. Innovation Coefficient and Imitation Coefficient drive Contagion in the same manner as in Bass 1969. The causal loop structure consisting of the above five variables would result in the familiar S-shaped diffusion curve, if it did not have any other structural components. The basic contagion mechanism is augmented by external factors typical of developing countries. In the above , this is accomplished by driving the contagion parameters by external factors like PC price, tele-density and the level of competition allowed by regulation. Model validation Replicating observed behavior Replicating the observed behavior is the second stage involved in validating an SD model. The given above was transformed into the corresponding difference equations and was then implemented using the iThink package. The s given below provide a comparison of the simulated and observed behavior of subscriber base and growth rates respectively, using quarterly data for India from 1996 to January 2001 (Dutta. A, Roy. R, 2001) (Dutta. A, Roy. R, 2001) Conclusions from this model The validated model offers a synthetic environment that helps us in analyzing the effect of different external factors. Loop dominance analysis (LDA) was used in SD parlance in order to analyze the external factors. A dominant loop is one, which is mainly responsible for model behavior over a particular time interval. The relevance of LDA is that it helps in identifying which loops need to be strengthened and/or weakened, through policy actions, so that we can achieve maximum desirable behavior. Two conclusions analyzed from our model, using LDA, are listed below: * Low infrastructure facility, high hourly usage costs and low geographic dispersion are dominant in the diffusion process. Regulatory policies would help in weakening these variables and therefore would dominate the future diffusion processes. * Besides the industrial countries, security concerns have not spread intensely in developing countries. One explanation for this could be that e-commerce has not yet got a hold in developing countries. Political barriers hindering the growth of the Internet The political atmosphere in India is to blame for the slow growth of both, the Internet access and the telecom infrastructure. In spite of the liberalization of Indian economy in 1991, the telecommunication sector remained in tight control of the government. This resulted in a number of problems for both, private firms as well as consumers. Even though the government has increased its interest in promoting the growth of the Internet throughout India, there is still a need for the review and/or removal of regulations still in place if we want the telecom industry to flourish. The government should rethink its current policies on telecommunications, take into account the global changes brought the about by the advent of new technology, and work to create a market environment that is favorable for investment by both local and international IT firms. Impact of the Internet on various sectors in developing countries The Internet has considerable potential in various sectors in developing countries: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Education à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Banking and Finance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Government à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telecommunications à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Travel and Tourism We will discuss the impact of Internet on some sectors in detail. a) Impact on Education The world of education is undergoing some major changes, the most important of which is the use of the Internet in teaching and learning. Before the advent of the Internet the main sources of information for students were the teachers and the books available in the libraries. Now, thanks to the Internet, teachers are just one of the sources of information. Global access to information has widened their horizons to gain maximum knowledge. In this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Information ageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , the Internet has helped involve students in active learning. They are more interested in hands-on learning, which presents them with practical, real-life experience. Studies have revealed that this style of learning results in better retention and understanding of topics. Also, learning is now not confined to the walls of the institutions. The easy and quick access to infinite resources of information has encouraged out of the box thinking. Besides these benefits, the Internet has helped in personal development of students. Social interaction over the Internet has helped students who are shy to interact and improve their communication skills. With the advent of the Internet, the concept of online exams has also evolved. It has become easier to appear for exams like GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, technical certification like SCJP etc. These exams are now conducted online, which has helped people in developing countries to enhance their knowledge. It has reduced the overheads and hassles involved in personally going to exam centers. One of the best examples would be CISCO human network which has promoted education in remote areas of almost all developing countries like India, Africa etc. by using the Internet for teaching through virtual classrooms which use video conferencing. b) Impact on Banking and Finance Around the clock banking is one of the biggest advantages of Internet use in banking. With the help of the Internet, we have remote access to the banks, which helps in transfer of money overseas with concepts like RTGS from RBI, India. It has reduced daily visits to the banks because we can get regular updates about our bank details online. Expenditure on administration services, paper, stationery etc. has been reduced which has helped in increasing the profit margins of banks besides being environment friendly. Internet has eliminated the tedious paperwork involved in banks, and has provided easy and fast access, making life much easier for bankers as well as customers. The concept of digital signatures has also picked up and it will only enhance the benefits of Internet banking. Tedious and monotonous process of dealing with brokers has been eliminated with the help of Online Trading. Demat accounts have eliminated the concept of physical shares. c) Impact on Business The Internet has provided a global source of information, which helps in developing new strategies and methodologies to enhance businesses. Even for the smallest of traders, constant updates of the prices of commodities are available online. Some companies use the Internet to build direct associations with their customers. Others are using the Internet to bring together buyers and sellers in the new tremendously efficient marketplaces. The Internet has taken the concept of e-Commerce to e-Business. The growth of the Internet has promoted inter-company trade of goods over the Internet. The best examples would be of online websites like e-Bay and other companies promoting online gifting systems. Airline industries have also benefited a lot from the Internet. Tickets can be booked online at any time of the day. d) Impact on Advertising The companies attract customers by building brand awareness and by providing market information over the Internet. This can be seen in the recent IPO (Initial Public Offerings) releases like those of Reliance Petronet. In e-business, the profits are generated not only by speeding up and automating the companys own internal processes but also by recognizing its ability to spread the efficiency benefits to the business systems of its suppliers and customers. The capability to team up with others may be just as much of a competitive advantage as the ability to deploy the technology. e) Impact on e-Governance With the growth of the Internet, people have realized that the use of information and communication technology to provide and improve the government services can be highly beneficial. Using the Internet for e-Governance is a convenient and cost effective method to provide people access to current information. Internet can promote greater citizen participation in the nations capital. It will encourage people all over the country to interact with politicians to make their voices heard so that the political situation can improve and the countries can progress. E-Governance would make the political system more efficient, provide improved services, better accessibility of public services and would make the processes more transparent and accountable. Nowadays, online counseling for entrance exams has reduced the overhead for the government institutions. Developing countries are now using the Internet to manage the biggest networks like railways. All travelling transactions can now be done online on websites like www.irctc.co.in (India). f) Impact on Telecommunications Internet has helped the developing countries in reducing the national as well as international call rates. The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations have all taken up the concept of VOIP (Voi

Case study: Facial Recognition

Case study: Facial Recognition Facial Recognition is the process where the brain recognizes, understands and interprets the human face (Face Recognition, n.d.). The face is essential for the identification of others and expresses significant social information. The face reveals significant social information, like intention, attentiveness, and communication. Goldstein (1983) (as cited in Chung Thomson, 1995) stated that, The face is the most important visual stimulus in our lives probably from the first few hours after birth, definitely after the first few weeks. The loss of the ability to recognize faces, like those who have prosopagnosia, greatly affects the individuals life. The primary focus of this review is to provide an overview of the development of facial recognition, gender and age differences, facial identity and expression, memory, prosopagnosia, and hemispheric advantages in facial recognition. It is also my intention to review past and contemporary theories of development and understanding of facial recognition. The Birth of Facial Recognition The human face has sparked interest in various disciplines within the arts and sciences for centuries (Darwin, 1872 as cited in Nelson, 2001). This fascination of the human face may reflect the psychological significance of the face and the recognition of other faces. Cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists and developmental psychologists are interested in facial recognition due to evidence that faces are somehow perceived differently than other patterned objects, the ability is controlled by a distinct neural circuit, and that faces provide an early means of communication between infants and caretakers. Regardless of the wide-ranged and continued interest in the subject matter, it still remains unclear how facial recognition becomes specialized, and what neurological systems are involved in the development process (Nelson, 2001). The number of research with faces used as stimuli has increased dramatically over the past decades (Chung Thomson, 1995). This may be a result of a change in the cognitive studies from fragmented verbal materials to more meaningful nonverbal memory. It is also noteworthy that the majority of the research on facial recognition has been focused on infants and adults, giving little attention to the developmental changes during childhood (two through five years of age). Studies of Development Studies in Newborns In the early stages of facial recognition (1960s) there were contrasting results as to whether newborns had any preference towards faces over other patterned stimuli. Over the next few decades of research, the view that newborns are capable of recognizing faces and discriminating between their mothers and unfamiliar faces was supported by researchers (Nelson, 2001). Although the findings that newborns can distinguish between faces and may show preferences, evidence for ability to recognize faces earlier than 1 to 2 months of age is extremely weak and not regularly supported. Newborns possess poor visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and cannot determine the high spatial frequencies that make up the fine details of faces (de Schonen and Mathivet, 1990; Simion et al., 1998 as cited in Nelson, 2001 ). Another criticism of newborn studies is that they have used schematized stimuli (having eye sockets and opening for a mouth and nose used as a model of a real face), questioning the validi ty of the stimuli used to serve as a real face. In more current literature by Gava, Valenza, Turati and de Schonen (2008), they found evidence that newborns may have the ability to detect and recognize partially occluded faces. They believe their findings highlight the importance the eyes play in newborns facial detection and recognition. Newborns detected faces even if some low-information portions were missing from the face. The only exception was the eyes-once the eyes were removed, detection and recognition of the stimuli was impaired. This is found in both newborns and adults. The findings of the study were in line with Morton and Johnsons structural hypothesis (Gava, Valenza, Turati and de Schonen, 2008) that states, faces are special for newborns because human infants possess a device that contains structural information concerning the visual characteristics of conspecifics-hiding the eyes implies that the typical face pattern (three high contrast blobs in the correct positions of the eyes and the mouth) would be disrupted. There are two hypotheses offered by Gava, Valenza, Turati and de Schonen (2008) explaining how newborns recognize the difference between the non-obstructed and obstructed faces. The first hypothesis states, Newborns might have filled in the partly hidden surface, thus perceiving the obstructed stimulus as connected behind the obstructers, or might have simply perceived only what is immediately visible of the obstructed face. The second hypothesis suggests that newborns might have perceived the similarities between the non-obstructed and the obstructed face, perceiving only what is immediately visible of the obstructed face. The results found do not explain the perceptual operations of the ability of the newborns to detect and recognize occluded faces. Nonetheless, it demonstrates that the degree of salience highly affects the competence of the obstructed information. Both past and present literature shows a difference in opinions when it comes to newborns and facial recognition. In recent literature the main consensus is that newborns can certainly recognize faces, but the perceptual operations of the newborns ability to detect and recognize are still yet unknown. Studies in Infants In 1972, Fagan (as cited in Nelson, 2001) demonstrated that infants around 4 months old have excellent recognition of upright faces in comparison to upside down faces. This finding suggests that infants around the age of 4 months have developed a face schema and view faces as a special class of stimuli (Nelson, 2001). Infants between the ages of 3 to 7 months can identify their mothers from strangers and recognize faces by gender and facial expression. These findings demonstrate the development over the first 6 months in facial recognition, where infants not only identify but also discriminate faces. Carlsson, Lagercrantz, Olson, Printz Bartocci (2008) measured the cortical response in the right fronto-temporal and right occipital areas of healthy 6 to 9 month old children by showing an image of their mothers faces compared to that of an unknown face. A double-channel NIRS (near infrared spectroscopy) device monitored concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin. The mother was asked not to talk to their children during the trials. The children were exposed to four types of visual stimuli: a grey background, a photograph of the mother, a second grey background and a photo of the unknown female face. Eight children (Group A) were presented with a picture of their mother before that of the unknown female face. In Group B, 11 children were presented in the reversed order. Each stimulus lasted a period of 15 seconds. The results showed that Group A (the mother image first) elicited an increase in the right fronto-temporal area, which is statistical different from responses to the unknown image. In Group B, (the unknown females face first) there was an insignificant increase in cortical response in the right fronto-temporal area when shown the unknown female and then spiked when the maternal facial image was presented. The findings in this study show that there was a greater increase in the right fronto-temporal region when the picture of the mother was shown in comparison with the unknown female photo. The effect of this hemoglobin change is most likely due to a discriminatory and recognition process. In addition to the right fronto-temporal region they also illuminated the right occipitotemporal pathway, part of the right prefrontal cortex, the right medial temporal lobe and the right fusiform area. These have been identified as specific target areas involved in face recognition. By looking at the mothers, the facial image is suspected to be an accurate result of the activation in the right occipitotemporal pathway. Difficulties in face recognition among infants born prematurely may be caused by a change or delay in the development of this pathway. The results show that the connectivity between the occipital cortex and the right prefrontal area are present and functional at the age of 6 to 9 months. These findings are extremely valuable to understanding the developmental mechanisms in infant social adaptation. Studies in Children It is highly likely that as we age, ones level of accuracy for facial recognition increases, but the evidence for the underlying processes of age differences is less certain. One of the techniques used was showing inversed pictures of faces to both adults and children. It was found that inversion disproportionately impairs the recognition of faces more so than other objects (Tanaka, Kay, Grinnell, Stansfield Szechter, 1998). Evidence by Carey and Diamond (1977) revealed that children at the ages of 8 and 10 years recognized a face with better accuracy if it was in the upright position in comparison to inverted position, like adults. However, children at age 6 recognized the inverted faces equally as well as the upright faces. These findings led to the hypothesis that children at the age 6 use a featural encoding strategy for processing faces. This is called the encoding switch hypothesis, where children 6 and under encode upright faces according to features such as the nose, mouth a nd eyes, and around the age of about 8 to 10 years, they begin to process faces holistically. In a second experiment when testing their encoding hypothesis, Carey and Diamond (1977) found that 6 year olds were misled more by changes in clothing, hairstyle, eyeglasses and facial expressions than 8 and 10 year olds. These results suggest that children at younger ages process faces according to their parts until they are about the age of 10, where they switch to a holistic approach. Carey and Diamond received criticism by a researcher named Flin, who believed their results were due the level of difficulty used in the task for 6 year olds and that their poor performance might have obscured the possible inversion effects. Flin (1985) (as cited in Tanaka, Kay, Grinnell, Stansfield Szechter, 1998) found that the 6 year olds recognition was below the older age group as an overall. He argued that there is little evidence to support the encoding switch hypothesis when taking age related performance differences into account. In more recent research, Tanaka, Kay, Grinnell, Stansfield Szechter (1998) stated that although face inversions may reveal performance difference, they provide little insight into the cognitive operations attributable to these differences. Tanka reasoned that if upright faces are encoded holistically, the whole-face test item should serve as a better retrieval cue than isolated-part test items, and if inverted faces are encoded only in terms of their parts, there should be no difference in the isolated part and whole face test conditions. Over a series of three experiments, their findings failed to support Carey and Diamonds (1977) predictions of the encoding switch hypothesis. If young children rely on featural information to encode faces, one would expect differences in their parts and whole performances than older children, which were not found. Their results suggest that by the age of 6 years old, children use a holistic approach to facial recognition and that the holistic appro ach remains relatively stable from ages 6 to 10. Recent research by Baenninger (1994) and Carey Diamond (1994) (as cited in Tanaka, Kay, Grinnell, Stansfield Szechter, 1998) also supports the idea that children do not encode faces based on features and then switch to a more configural encoding strategy, but instead encode normal faces holistically from the beginning. In fact, Carey and Diamond (1994) suggest that the Age X Inversion interaction may be attributed to a norm-based coding scheme (relational properties of the face that is encoded relative to the norm face in the population), which may explain experimental factors in changing the absolute levels of holistic processing. The norm-based coding model predicts that as one ages, facial recognition improves, whereas facial recognition should remain constant. The inversion task used by Carey and Diamond (1977, 1994) eliminated capability advantages by blocking norm-based encoding of relational properties, which could attribute to the lack of evidence for the holistic model. Th e single process that configural and featural information are encoded together supports the holistic approach to face recognition (Tanaka, Kay, Grinnell, Stansfield Szechter, 1998). Prosopagnosia A large amount of facial recognition research comes from the assessment of patients with prosopagnosia. Prosopagnosia is [a] visual agnosias that is largely restricted to a face recognition, but leaves intact recognition of personal identity from other identifying cues, such as voices and names (Calder Young, 2005). Regardless of who they are looking at, face recognition can be severely impaired. Patients typically recognize people by paraphernalia (voice or distinct features, such as a mole). Patients often cannot distinguish men from women, but hair length is a good retrieval cue for recognition. Areas related to prosopagnosia have been found the left frontal lobe, bilateral occipital lobes, bilateral parieto-occipital regions, and in the parieto-temporo-occipital junction (Ellis, 1975). It is possible to have several areas of damage for the specific function, but most occur in the right hemisphere. Gloning et al. (1970) (as cited in Ellis, 1975) found it is common for patients to exhibit symptoms of other agnosias. Such as foods looking the same, difficulty identifying animals, and inability to locate themselves in space and time. Some other, typically uncommon defects include visual field defects, constructional apraxia, dyspraxia for dressing, and metamorphosia (Ellis, 1975). The symptoms attributed with identifying faces are described as overall blurring, difficulties in interpreting shades and forms, and the inability to infer emotions in the face. Gloning et al. (1966) (as cited in Ellis, 1975) reports some patients have the most difficulty with the eye regions and others found the eyes the easiest to recognize. Regardless of the symptoms, an interesting aspect of prosopagnosia is that patients can always detect a face, but are unable to recognize it. This suggests that there is a two-part process in facial recognition. First, faces are detected, and then undergo further analysis where information such as age and sex are analyzed and compared in long-term memory. In comparing left posterior hemisphere to the right posterior hemisphere, Yin (1970) (as cited in Ellis, 1975) found that those with damage on the right side were poorer at face memory tasks than those with left side damage. They found that visual categories may all be difficult to recognize because they all have a high degree of inter-item similarity. De Renzi Spinnler (1966) (as cited in Young, 2001) found similar evidence, showing that patients with right-hemisphere damage were worse at recognizing faces, and other abstract figures than those with left hemisphere damage. These significant findings led them to believe that those with right-hemisphere damage are limited in high level integration of visual data. It also led to the hypothesis that prosopagnosia patients have lost the ability to recognize the individual members of categories with items of similar appearance (Young, 2001). The finding of covert recognition (Bauer, 1984 as cited in Ellis, Lewis, Moselhy Young, 2000) helped the cases of prosopagnosia as a domain-specific impairment of facial memory, showing parallels to priming effects. Bauer tested his patient LF by measuring his skin conductance while he viewed a familiar face and listened to a list of five names. Skin conductance was shown to be greater when the name belonged to the face LF was looking at. However, when asked to choose the correct name of the face, LF was unable to do so. These results showed a significant difference between the inability to overtly identify the face and the higher levels of skin conductance in the covert recognition. Bauer believed that there were two routes in the recognition of faces that both began in the visual cortex and ends in the limbic system, but each taking a different pathway (Bauer, 1984 as cited in Ellis, Lewis, Moselhy Young, 2000). Although Bauers neurological hypothesis was dismissed shortly after, his psychological hypothesis of a separation between overt recognition and orienting responses has been generally accepted (Ellis, Lewis, Moselhy Young, 2000). Models of Facial Recognition Bruce Young Functional Model Bruce and Young (1986) have proposed a functional model suggesting that the structural codes for faces are stored in memory and then connected with the identity and name of the matching face. The model mainly supports how individuals recognize familiar faces. This is one of the better models for face recognition. Their model is outlined in a box and arrow format, where face recognition is completed in stages. In the first stage, structural encoding, individuals encode visual information from a face into information that can be used by the other stages of the face recognition system. Within the structural encoding are two separate processes, view-centred description, and expression-independent descriptions. These two are in a serial position where expression-independent descriptions take input information from the view-centred descriptions process. These allow for identification of facial features when viewed from various angles. The next few stages are part of a series of parallel processes after the structural encoding stage. The expression analysis stage takes its input from the view-centred descriptions processes, allowing facial expression to be analyzed. The next stage is facial speech analysis. The last branch is directed visual processing, which targets more general facial processing such as distinguishing between faces. These sets of parallel processes take input from both structural encoding processes. All of these four links of parallel face processing feed into the general cognitive system, where all are bidirectional links receiving some input back from the cognitive system (Bruce Young, 1986). The last three stages of Bruce and Youngs (1986) model are the recognition, identification and naming stages. The recognition stage involves face recognition units, also known as FRUs. They are individual nodes associated with familiar faces. When facial features are detected, nodes are activated and fed into the FRU system. Whichever node reaches the threshold activation level is the one that corresponds to the face being observed, and is then recognized. The face recognition units interact with person identity nodes, also known as PINs. PINs and FRUs bidirectionally share input information, with a two-way interaction. Activation of the PIN for a person can create some activation in the FRU, allowing recognition time for the face to be faster. Last is the name generation process. Both the PINs and name retrieval interact with the cognitive system. However, only the PINs have a two-way interaction, whereas name retrieval process solely sends input information to the cognitive system. IAC Model Burton, Bruce and Johnstons (1990) adaptation of McClellands Interactive Activation and Competition model of concept learning is an extremely basic form of a connectionist model, consisting from pools of simple processing units. The goal of the model is to explain repetitive priming, associative priming, distinctiveness and face naming. All of the units within a pool inhibit each other. There are excitatory links connecting individual units across different pools, where activation passes between these links (all links are bidirectional). Each FRU is paired to a known face and any form of recognition will activate the appropriate FRU. The second level of classification occurs at the Person Identity Nodes (PIN), where one unit is paired to each known person. Familiarity is signaled when any PIN reaches a common activation threshold. This implies that there is one decision mechanism used for all person familiarity judgments, regardless if they are faces or other kinds of information. The third level of classification is the pool labeled Semantic Information Units (SIUs), where information about known individuals are coded in the form of a link between the persons PIN and SIU. The fourth level of classification is a pool of units labeled lexical output, which capture the first stage of processes involved in speech and other output modalities. The fifth and final stage is a pool of units labeled WRUs (Word Recognition Units), where code names link directly to a pool of Name Recognition Units (NRUs). Finally, all Word Recognition Units are connected directly to the lexical output units, in which the model contains the elements of a dual route model of reading. The IAC Model is different from the Functional model because FRUs signal face familiarity, pins are modality-free gateways to semantic information, and that the details and spread of activity are more clarified. This model has had success in simulating phenomena such as relative timing of familiarity, repetition, semantic and cross modal semantic priming. Both the Bruce Young (1986) and Burton, Bruce and Johnston (1990) models show how activation levels are used in recognition processes. These two models help us theorize exactly what is happening in the mind as we analyze and recognize facial features and faces as a whole. The main idea of the model is the idea that facial identity and expression are recognized by functionally and neurologically independent systems. These models have started great advances in the research of facial recognition. Memory Load on Facial Recognition Memory in facial recognition has had limited research, which is surprising considering its importance to understanding facial recognition and how it could impact research. Goldstein and Chance (1981) (as cited in Lamont, Williams Podd, 2005) found two critical variables that have received little attention when reviewing laboratory settings: memory load and delay. Memory load is defined as the number of faces shown in the study phase and delay is defined as the delay between study and recognition phase. Researchers have found that increasing age is associated with a decline in facial recognition ability. However, the variables interacting with age are still unknown. Nevertheless, mixed evidence on the question of whether face age has any impact on elderly participants is still debated. Evidence by Shapiro Penrod (1986) (as cited in Lamont, Williams Podd, 2005) reveals that as memory load increases, face recognition performance decreases. Due to the limited research on the subject matter, Podd (1990) wanted to inquire about the possible effects that it has on the field of research for facial recognition. Podd tested subjects in small groups, where they were asked to look carefully at a series of faces that the subjects were asked to identify at a later time. Subject had to discriminate between faces that they had seen previously and those that had yet to be seen in the recognition phase. The results showed that an increase in both memory load and delay correlate to a decrease in recognition accuracy. Podd believes this could be contingent on the fact that increased memory load decreases accuracy by decreasing the portion of targets correctly identified, while delay decreases accuracy by increasing the likelihood that a distractor will be called a target. Depending on how similar the target is from the distractor, there will be fewer attributes to use to differentiate between the targets. In more current literature, Lamont, Williams Podd (2005) have tested both aging effects and memory load on face recognition. They looked at two interacting variables: the age of the target face and memory load. They were curious in finding out if memory load had a greater impact in the elderly than in younger individuals. Another variable they looked at was recognition load, the total number of target and distractor faces seen in the recognition phase. The main objective was to see if they could determine whether the effects of memory load could be teased out from recognition load. In the results they found that, as expected, older age was correlated with a decrease in accuracy of facial recognition. Surprisingly, older people had a decrease in accuracy for younger faces but not in older faces. The results of the study were not consistent with past research, which found that recognition accuracy in the younger groups was higher with younger faces than with older faces. The current study showed the exact opposite results. One possibility of these results is that with increasing age, features of the face fade more quickly. Also, with increasing retention intervals, there is more time for peoples memories of the target to fade, where the least salient feature fades the fastest (Podd, 1990). They believe that the elderly have fewer distinctive facial features available in memory to make the judgment, meaning an increase in judgment time. It is also noteworthy to say these findings are consistent with Podds earlier work, (1990) showing that increased memory load is associated with a reliable decrease in performance in recognition accuracy. The findings show that recognition load produced the decrease, which is independent of age. Another important finding is that recognition load is the true source of the association between increased memory load and decreased face recognition. Lamont, Williams Podd (2005) state that, [f]ew studies dealing with memory load have taken account of this potential confound, and our results challenges the interpretation of all such research. Crook Larrabee (1992) (as cited in Lamont, Williams Podd, 2005) suggest that the present studies implications are of considerable value to future research, since some authors do not report age of their target faces. Therefore, the results are crucial for proper interpretation of facial recognition research. Sex Differences Hemispheric Advantages in Facial Processing Extensive research has been completed on facial recognitions hemispheric advantages. Unfortunately, little has been concluded due to contradicting evidence. Patterson and Bradshaw (1975) (as cited in Turkewitz Ross, 1984) found that when drawings of faces varied by only one feature, participants showed an advantage in the left hemisphere; however, when all features varied, there was an advantage in the right hemisphere. Prior studies have shown that advantages in both hemispheres are contingent on the conditions being used, which produces different results. Even when the conditions are held constant, conflicting results emerge, resulting in individuals showing both right and left hemisphere advantages. Ross and Turkewitz (1981) (as cited in Turkewitz and Ross, 1984) found hemispheric advantages were associated with the nature of the information process strategy being used by the participant. Those with a right-hemisphere advantage showed signs of decline when inversion of faces was being tested, whereas those with left hemisphere advantages showed a decline while omission of selected facial features were tested. They suggest that these results show that those with a right-hemisphere advantage recognize faces based on gestalt qualities (whole) and those with left hemisphere recognize faces based on a more individual and distinctive features. Turkewitz and Ross (1984) were interested in researching age-related changes in hemispheric advantages in recognition of presented faces and determining whether a dual-mode of right hemisphere processing exists and if it associates with differences of age and gender. The participants were students ages 8, 11 and 13 years old. Participants were seated in a chair in front of a screen, where facial stimuli were presented. The objective was to point to the face presented in the response sheet for each trial. The data found suggest that there are age- and gender-related differences in the nature of hemispheric advantages shown when confronted with the task of identifying unfamiliar faces. The findings also support the hypothesis of processing stages, where different hemispheric advantages are associated with the stages. Both adults and older girls exhibited a right-hemisphere advantage, suggesting an age-related shift, responding to the undifferentiated and global characteristics of the faces. Younger girls showed no advantage which suggests they use right and left hemisphere strategies equally well. This suggests that girls are using more advanced and integrated right hemisphere modes of functioning, which tends to be more effective when engaging in facial recognition. Everhart, Shucard, Quatrin Shucard (2001) tested 35 prepubertal children in facial recognition and facial affect processing. They were trying to find similar results to those found in the previous literature stating that males show higher levels of activation in the right hemisphere, where females tend to show higher levels in the left. They were also looking to see if this change developed before puberty, similar to those of adults, and to see if gender-related differences would be present in cortical processing during the performance of face recognition. Auditory probes were used to gather ERPs during a Facial Recognition Memory task. They used a facial identification task to gather data on matching and recognition of facial affect, reaction time and accuracy. Their results showed that boys show greater levels of ERP amplitude in the right hemisphere, where girls showed greater levels of activation in the left hemisphere. The findings also showed that boys might process faces at a global level, which is in the right hemisphere, and girls might process faces at a more local level, in the left hemisphere. This study states that its findings have potential clinical implications. Due to the finding that boys use more resources in their right hemisphere and girls use more in their left, then sex related differences will be evident following lesions to the right hemisphere, suggesting that males may be more at risk to have prosopagnosia. Conclusion Facial recognition has interested humans for centuries. Although all evidence out there on the subject matter is useful and important, I selected the findings I believe to be the most important. Based on the research in the development of facial recognition we can conclude that, humans, from newborn age through adulthood, can identify faces. By the age of 6 months, people can discriminate between faces. It has also been found that children do not encode faces based on features and then switch to a more configural model, but rather encode faces on a more holistic level. Other aspects looked at were prosopagnosia and different models of face recognition. Some of the most important research on facial recognition comes from comparing prosopagnosia patients to normal adults. The last two topics examined in this review were memory load and hemispheric advantages. Both help us understand where we process facial information and also how our memory works to store faces. The location of facial recognition has been narrowed down to specific areas of the brain and pathways, further research must be done to get a better idea

HIV and Aids :: Medical Health Medicine Essays

HIV and Aids In Junior High, when we were in sex education class, we were told about AIDS and HIV. We learned that being HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive eventually led to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), which eventually led to death. We were taught this and never really doubted it. The AIDS pandemic is global and an estimated 40 million people are infected. None of them have been cured. The amount of funding for AIDS research is not small. A plentiful amount of drugs are available to patients diagnosed with AIDS or HIV. Some AIDS patients take "cocktails" of pills, which often lead to serious physical side effects. Some "cocktails" can mean ingesting 25 pills a day. There has been much talk about finding an AIDS Vaccine, but there have been no definite results as of yet. She created a stir in the media when she appeared on ABC News 20/20(1). Her person She has been called an unfit mother, a heretic, and has been compared to those who believe the Holocaust never happened. The reason for such a stir is because she is HIV positive, doesn"t take any medications whatsoever, questions whether HIV causes AIDS, has published a book called What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong?, has unprotected sex with her husband, has an untested 3 year old son who she breast-fed at birth (the virus can be transmitted in utero, during birth, or through breast feeding), and is pregnant with her second child. Her name is Christine Maggiore and she as well as other dissidents have aroused both anger and support from AIDS and HIV communities. The difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS is that having AIDS means that a person must be HIV positive and either have a T-cell count below 200 or have one of the CDC"s (Center for Disease Control) 28 opportunistic infections. Christine Maggiore started questioning the connection between HIV and AIDS and the HIV and AIDS testing process when certain things she was told about AIDS and HIV did not add up with her situation. She speaks about how she "started really thinking about what AIDS doctors and educators told me rather than just accepting everything as true and correct." Doctors had told her that from her T cell count, she had a recent new infection.

marketing case Essays -- essays research papers

Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pfizer Inc. is a research-based diversified health care company with operations around the globe. Pfizer Inc. has three main business groups. They include the Consumer Health Care Group, U.S. Pharmaceuticals Group, and the Pfizer Animal Health Products Segment. For purposes of this case, we will discuss the Animal Health Products Group, where in 1998, accounted for twelve percent of the company’s revenues. Industry Background: The process for making beef begins with the ranchers breeding and raising cattle, in order to sell them to feedlots. The ranchers’ goals are to minimize death of the cattle, to breed low birth weight calves, to produce grade A choice beef, and lastly to produce calves that gain weight quickly. By the time the feedlots purchase the cattle, the more the cattle weights, the better. The next step in the process after the feedlots purchase the cattle is for the feedlots to sell the beef to the meatpackers. There are four main meatpacker companies that account for eighty percent of the entire industry. The meatpackers act as a middleman between the producer and the consumer. Since the majority of this industry is controlled by a few companies, this creates a problem because they act similar to a monopoly. Due to this monopolistic view, there is no free-flow of information throughout the supply chain and beef prices tend to be higher than they should. After the meatpackers have packe d the beef, they sell it to retail stores, which in turn sell the meat to us, the consumer. Industry Trends: There are a variety of trends that directly influence the beef industry. To begin, changes in consumer lifestyles include less time for home-cooked meals and society’s increased pressure for time; thereby, having a big impact on the decline of consumption of beef. In addition, consumers have increased dietary considerations for health and nutritional issues that lead them to consume alternative meat products like pork and poultry. Furthermore, the marketing strategies of the pork and poultry industry have done a better job advertising than the beef industry. Also, the pork and poultry industry have recently produced more ready-to-eat and branded products. Even with all of this new increased pressure on the beef industry by the pork and poultry industries, retail prices for beef have still remained high, yet ano... ...less today than ever before, beef will always exist, therefore, Pfizer products will be needed. An added reason for them to continue with their cattle/calve health products is due to the fact that Pfizer has already invested heavily in this industry and makes over sixty health products for cattle. Additionally, we also recommend that Pfizer maintain their strong market share by continuing to sponsor seminars, publish educational material, offer technical support and organize management programs for the health care of cattle. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To conclude, the beef industry is currently experiencing a decline in demand, thereby directly affecting products sold to ranchers made by Pfizer’s Animal Health Group. This decline can be attributed to a variety of factors outside of Pfizer’s control, including social, economical and governmental issues regarding beef. Since Pfizer is limited in what they can do to increase beef sales, our proposal is for Pfizer to enter into making health products for poultry, given that this industry seems to be on the rise. However, at the same time, Pfizer should continue to be active in the beef industry to keep them at the top.

Midterm Essay Essay

Briefly identify and explain the key differences and similarities regarding the UCR, NIBRS, and NCVS programs. The Uniformed Crime Reporting (UCR) Program displays crime data for the United States, as well as for states, cities, counties and colleges. This allows for a comparison among neighboring jurisdictions and among those with similar populations and other common characteristics. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on the frequency and of crimes such as rape, sexual assault, aggravated and simple assault, household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. Both systems report different types of information and different details. The UCR program displays statistics for law enforcement administration, operation, and management. The UCR program utilizes what is called the hierarchy rule. If more than one crime was committed by the same person and the time separating the crimes was minor, then the crime highest in the hierarchy is the only crime reported. This seems like a very inaccurate method of recording data, one would assume that all records of offenses were taken into consideration for reporting purposes. The NCVS program collects information on crimes by individuals and households while also providing information on victims such as age, sex, race, marital status. The difference in the two programs is that each serves a different purpose in reporting. The UCR reports information for law enforcement, operations and management. The NCVS provides information about each crime, its victims and the offenders. Summarize the evolution of the criminal justice system in America. Identify and discuss at least three (3) key U.S Supreme Court cases that have had a significant impact on the issue of individual rights versus public order, with respect to arrest, search, and seizure. In modern day America, the public’s view on the typical criminal has shifted from seeing him or her as a victim of social and personal unfortunate circumstances to seeing him  or her as a dangerous predator who takes advantage of the rights and privileges of citizens (Schmalleger, 2014). An example of a Supreme Court case that had an impact on the issue of individual rights versus public order is McCullen v. Coakley. Individuals claimed that a â€Å"buffer zone† around an abortion clinic infringed upon their First Amendment rights to free speech by communication with patients less effective (Takeway). This relates to the possibility of an arrest if the protestors are blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic or physically harassing a patient. In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that officers must knock and announce their identity before entering a dwelling even if they hold a search warrant (Schmalleger, 2014). In January 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the FBI needed a warrant to attach a GPS device to s suspected drug dealer’s car. This ties into the search and seizure topics and preserves the individual rights of the suspected drug dealer. After all, the individual is just suspected of being a dealer, there is no hard evidence. In general, outline the police mission, operational strategies, styles and the legal and ethical aspects of policing today. The police officer mission consists of five components, enforcing the law, apprehending offenders, preventing crime, preserving the peace, and providing the community with needed enforcement related services. Law enforcement has a chain of command just like the military with three policing styles that vary by department and region. The watchman style attempts to achieve â€Å"order maintenance†. The legalistic style attempts to enforce the letter of the law. The service style attempts to meet the needs of the community and serve its members. In general, police officers are mandated to stay within the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments. All law enforcement officials regardless of status or rank should be held accountable for their actions however, this is not always the case. There are three methods that guide American policing. Strategic policing retains the goal of professional crime fighting but enlarges the target to include serial offenders, gangs and criminal associations. It makes use of technology, intelligence operations and undercover stings (Schmalleger, 2014). Problem solving policing assumes that crimes are caused by social conditions within the community and that they can be controlled by addressing social problems (Schmalleger, 2014).  Lastly, community policing supports the use of partnerships and problem solving techniques to address the issues that cause crime. (Schmalleger, 2014). Ethical issues that plague law enforcement vary. Racially biased policing in which police officers are viewed as biased for example, taking that a predominately African American neighborhood is full of criminals. The use of excessive and deadly force is another issue in which police officers either use too much force in the apprehension of a suspect or cause death or great bodily harm (Schmalleger, 2014). What is the dual-court system? Identify and explain the three levels of characteristic of the federal judiciary. The dual court system is the result of general agreement among the founding fathers about the need for individual states to retain significant legislative authority and judicial autonomy separate from federal control (Schmalleger, 2014). The three levels of characteristics of the federal judiciary are the district courts, the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court. The district courts are composed of 94 judicial districts . Federal district courts have jurisdiction over all cases involved alleged violations of federal statutes. The 94 judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits each with a court of appeals. The court of appeals hears appeals from district courts within its circuit (Schmalleger, 2014). These courts are also known as circuit courts. The U.S. Supreme Court is the top federal court system in the U.S. It is comprised of nine justices with eight being associates and the ninth being the chief justice (Schmalleger, 2014). The Supreme Courts’ decisions affect the United States by deciding what laws and lower court decisions are in line with the Constitution. Identify and describe the various pre-trial stages of criminal trial. There are various pre-trial stages in a criminal trial. It begins with an arrest when the person is taken into custody. The first appearance is when the defendant appears before a judge. The legality of his or her arrest is contemplated and the defendant is told what he or she is being charged with. The accused will either be kept incarcerated without bail or with bail, the latter being money paid by the arrested in exchange for release. The next stage is the pretrial release in which the accused person is released from custody before or during prosecution. However, there is a condition; the  accused person is required to appear in court when told to do so. Plea bargains are also negotiated. The defendant can agree to plea guilty to a lesser charge than the one he or she is being accused with. A lesser punishment may be in order if they are being accused with multiple offenses. A plea bargain is a debate or negotiation between the defense counsel, defendant and the prosecution. Normally criminal cases end at this stage in order to reduce time and money. References Schmalleger, F. (2014). Criminal Justice: a brief introduction, (10th ed) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Takeaways From Supreme Court Rulings On Buffer Zones, Recess Picks. (2014). National Public Radio.