The Effects Of Social Networks On E-Commerce Dissertation

The Effects Of Social Networks On E-Commerce - Dissertation Example Over the past years, the internet was used by majority of people as a medium for interaction and making fun by engaging in activities such as online gaming. With numerous improvements made on the internet, there has been an ever rising increase in trust in social links among the users. For this reason, online marketplaces have been augmented by many online business people as a way of developing and building honest and trust in their transactions with their partners as well as maximizing customer satisfactions. The outcome is the growth in the size of sales over the internet leading to a shift in demand. Through social links, customers can chart through forums with their clients, exchange useful business information concerning a particular company or product. Therefore, customers have a better bargaining power. This paper gives a deep exploration into how social media instruments affects the frequent purchasing behaviors and business transaction activities, notwithstanding the implica tions on the demand for products in the online-fashion industry. Like the trends in fashions, the tools of social media are innovative yet unpredictable because they are getting utilized and improved each and every time. The fashion industry is getting transformed by facets that are more related as a result of movement of more professionals of fashion in the online media, for this case the social media. The accessibility into the industry by has been made easy by these tools thus involving the general public and the entire customers of the fashion industry updated on the current fashion trends. Specifically this study explains the effects of social media on the behaviors of demand and customer inflow into the market. 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the recent years, the way people communicate with each other and share information has been revolutionized by social media. Initially the social networks were being used in large numbers by the teenagers for making new friends as well as keeping in t ouch with old ones. However, the situation has changed with now the focus being directed to online commerce for the purpose of generating solid and reliable revenues1. The e-mail which was earlier seen as the only method of communication electronically has been out-fashioned by the social media which is currently leaving its mark in the e-commerce, and the online fashion industry is not an exception. The fashion industry traces its roots to the traditional and old business practices hence making it lag behind in adopting new technologies. Almost everything done in the industry is more dependent on human labor rather than machines, beginning with designs sketches of designs to the process of purchasing. In most situations, the customers were the determiners of what kind of stock was to be put in stock because of their different tastes and preferences. However, with the existence of fast-acting technologies, fashion brands no longer seat back and wait for their customers to meet their needs. Social media is a to-way form of media under which users develop personal identities through dialogue and self-presentation.2 This has led to the social media receiving immense attention from consumers who go shopping online, specifically the fashion industry consumers. The global platforms such Tweeter, LinkedIn and Facebook creates room for designers to blog and keep their profiles updated with the aim of molding their brands and personalities on real-time basis. The interaction between

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Religion - Essay Example Many Indians also died while being forced to relocate, a sanitized way to refer to the ethnic cleansing of tribes which were formerly located in the area east of the Mississippi River. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 mandated the relocation of many tribes, predominantly the Cherokee Nation which allowed for a ‘whites only’ America in what constituted the majority of what was the U.S. at that time. The Indian Removal Act was a priority of the President Andrew Jackson administration but was passed only following a contentious four month congressional debate. The Act gave Jackson the authority to negotiate treaties with eastern Indians who wished to retain their sovereignty and relocate west of the Mississippi. However, the Act also allowed those Indians wanting to stay in their home land in the east full U.S. citizenship rights. At that time, most Americans could not conceive the country ever extending west of the Mississippi. According to the Act, relocation was meant to be on a voluntary basis, no individual or tribe was to be forced from their home. The Indian Nations in the southeast did not want to be citizens or leave consequently Jackson used military force against these tribes. Much of the general public assumed that removing Indians was beneficial to them. â€Å"Removal would save Indian people from the depredations of whites and would resettle them in an area where t hey could govern themselves in peace† (â€Å"Indian Removal†, 2007). However, some believed the removal policy was just another excuse for Jackson to exercise his long-standing sadistic and inhumane treatment of the native people and vocally objected against this policy. Among those opposed to the Removal Act were Daniel Webster of dictionary fame, many ministers and Davy Crockett whose passionate opposition to this government policy and his support of the Cherokee Nation cost him his Congressional seat. According to Crockett in response to his

Different Environmental Influences On Various Organizations Business Essay

Different Environmental Influences On Various Organizations Business Essay Hawley (1950) said that all organizations have engaged in activities which have adjustment to the environment. Duncan (1971) emphasized that organization must adapt to their environment in order for them to be existed. Then Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) have concluded that: organizations are inescapably bound up with the conditions of their environment. Handel (2003) noted the environment in which the organization operate generated excess uncertainty about what must be done, the necessity that something must be done, and main consequences of whatever is done. Then what is environment of an organization? And why these factors have so much influence on organizations? Environmental factors The idea of environment context of an organization has been studied from early of the XIX century however the specific concept of organization environment and its components had not been formed yet till the late of the XIX century (Duncan, 1972). There were many fail attempt throughout the way. Pugh et al. (1969) had studied organizational contexts where the settings of organization structure are developed. However, it was not a model of an organization in an environment. Lawrence and Lorsch (1967) has considered environment as a total entity in their studied but they only looked at the environment from the organization outward. Till 1972 analysis, Duncan then finally concluded that environment was the totality physical and social factors that were taken directly into consideration in the decision-making behavior of individuals in the organization. With this definition we could identify that factors within the boundaries of the organization must be considered as part of the environme nt and therefore differentiate the environment into internal and external environment. Types of environment The organization environment is segmented as below: Source: Kuratko (2001) Internal environment The internal environment consists of those relevant physical and social factors within the boundaries of the organization. Strategy development It is how an organization could achieve the final goal. It demonstrates an appropriate pathway, instruction to the whole system. The strategy included all parts of the organization, from people, financial aspects, market factors, product characteristic, etc. Organizational culture, values This is the factor that shapes up the view of an organization about ethics and determines various important issues. It varied depends upon each organization, nation, area, religious, and belief of the organization. Handel (2003) consider high output does not depend much on technical conditions, such as physical features of the working environment, human physical capacities, or economic incentives, but on social conditions and organizational climate. Structures and systems This factor is the formal organizing principles that enable collaboration and guide behavior. It should be suitable and effective to achieve the organizational goals. It creates a chain of responsibility that affects the whole organization and demonstrates the management style. Also, this is the factor that identifies the chain of communication. Burns and Stalker (1960) studied British firms in the textiles, heavy industry, electronics industries, and found out that firm structure varied depending on whether the firm operated in a stable or fast changing environment. Metrics and incentives This factor is the formal measure that drives the behavior of individuals, teams and departments within the organization. It defines the promotion, advancement opportunities to motivate employees. Handel (2003) mentioned that the Human Relations researchers exaggerated worker happiness in the experimental groups and minimized the conflicts between management and labor. Technology and methods This factor is the capability that providing and delivering value. It help organization to achieve the final goal easier, quicker. The organization should provide employees with appropriate training so that they can make good use of these factors and generate the best value. Woodward (1982) examined the effect of different production technologies on organizational structure among manufacturing establishments. She found out that plants using mass production technology were more bureaucratized than those using small set technologies however, plants using continuous process technology tended to have more crude structure, and their production jobs contain more responsibility and were more skilled. People This factor is the skill sets and mindsets of individuals that work together to achieve common goals, including employees, partners, suppliers, etc. Making good use of the employees would lead the organization to great success cause putting right people in the right job would generate the best productivity. Also appropriate training and development of the human perspective would improve the performance of the whole organization remarkably. Activities, tasks, processes This factor is how strategies are executes and how work is done. It should be controlled closely by quality, responsibility and achievement. The internal environment of organization (Source: Kaplan, 2001) External environment The external environment consists of those relevant physical and social factors outside the boundaries of the organization. Internal environment factors affect directly on the organization performance and could be anticipated and controlled by the management but the external environment factors are harder to predict and require more effort from the organization to adapt after. Normally the external environment is divided into two sections as macro-environment and micro-environment (industry). Mostly, we could define the external factors based on the scope of study like Porters Five Forces (rivalry, new entrants, suppliers, buyers, and substitutes), PESTEL (political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal). Porters five forces are elements of micro-environment (industry) which consist of the competitors (rivalry) factor, thread of new entrants to the industry factor, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers and the thread of other produc ts that can substitute for their products. PESTEL are elements of macro-environment which consist of macro factors that organization have to adapt after and hardly resist. The basic model of these components is below: (Source: JG media, 2010) Impact of environmental influences on organizations. Organizations often overlook the environmental factors due to the obvious, unexpected and normally hidden characteristic of the environmental factors. Environment influences are delicate and persistent as well as difficult to identify and measure. Osborn and Hunt (1974) accepted that as the environment start to change, the organization must adjust internal structure and processes to maintain their operation and/or increase productivity. As for Webster and Wind (1972) environment influences are recognized in four distinct ways. First, environment defines the availability of goods and services. This influence reflects mostly on physical, technological, and economic factors. Second, environment defines the general business conditions including the rate of economic growth, the level of national income, interest rates, unemployment, etc. Economic and political forces are the main influences on general business conditions. Some of these forces are mainly task variables like economic factors, while others such as political variables may be hardly happened. Economic environment is an important element of general environment which consist of inflation, interest rate, unemployment etc. As these elements directly affect the business organizations, as well as employees, decisions should only be taken after having deeply studied and analyzed them. When inflation and interest rate increase the cost of goods therefore increase the price of products and lead to less sale. When the unemployment rise, the demand in buying would decrease and also lead to lower sale. These elements do not remain under control of business. So, the business organizations cannot affect thes e elements. Rather the organizations are affected by them. Third, environmental factors determine the values and norms guiding inter-organizational relationship between buyers and sellers as well as among competitors, and between organizations and other institutions such as government and trade associations. Such values may be formed into laws or considered as law. Cultural social, legal, and political forces are the main sources of these values. Each change in these factors would result in directly impact on the organization. When the target customer demand for better products and service, the organization would have to upgrade their technology, resources in order to satisfy and maintain the customer. Finally, environmental forces influent the information flows which most important is the flow of communications among potential suppliers, customers and the organization through mass media and other personal or impersonal channels. This influence reflects a variety of physical, technological, economic, and cultural factors. Other than those main forces, Handel (2003) has also mentioned that the existence of a common legal environment have impacts on many aspects of an organizations behavior and structure. Webster and Wind (1972) has identified environmental influences are exerted through a variety of institutions including business organizations like suppliers, competitors and customers, governments, trade unions, political parties, etc. The nature of these institutions would vary from one country to another, Asian culture to European culture, etc. These are elements that indirectly impact the organization which are sometimes forgotten due to the lack of acknowledgment. A change in values, beliefs of different markets could have a great affect on organizations. Hirsch (1975) argued in a comparison of the performance within the pharmaceutical industries that those obtained greater profits, controlled their environments better. A more concentrated industry; organization could restrict entry and manage their distribution channel more effectively. Though the environment factors all have great effect on organizations and change unexpectedly frequently, organization can still afford to reduce the affect of these factors if they understand the rules of environment and flexibly adapt after in a short time. Those with stronger scope and financial foundation could withstand the greater change in environment with less affect than normall organizations. Conclusion Environmental factors of organization are basic, essential and subjected to change any time so in order to survive, organizations have to be able to adapt to the environment changes. There are two major type of organization environment which are internal environment and external environment. Those segments are defined by the boundaries of the organization. Though recognized the importance of environment influences, organizations often overlook environment factors due to their basic and normal characteristics.

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield Ess

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield From three hundred years of Ireland’s history, The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction1[1] collects a combination of complete works and samples of the works of many great Irish authors. Among the authors included in this volume is Oliver Goldsmith, an Irishman of great diversity in his writings and remembered perhaps as well for his individuality, character and generosity as for the various poems, essays, and works of fiction that he contributed to literary world. The Vicar of Wakefield, the selection chosen for the anthology, is not only significant because it is often considered his best work, but also as it is the only novel that Goldsmith ever wrote.2[2] The Vicar of Wakefield is an amusing and captivating tale that follows the life and hardships of the Vicar Primrose and his family, as they journey from happiness, through calamity, to the bare escape of complete ruin. The story’s humor as well as its plot result both equally, and to a great extent, from Goldsmith’s creation of the Primrose family’s hot and invariable desire to rise again to happiness by finding ways to better their dire financial straits and to reverse their societal decline. Although the passage in the anthology presents only four chapters from the novel, may of the ideas there presented introduce in, comment on, or foreshadow to various themes, lessons, and events of great importance to the work as a whole. These ideas will carry through the plot, and culminate in the story’s denouement at which time, if not previously, they will all be finally understood and their significance revealed. Among them are the here apparently def inite social boundaries that divides the rich from ... ...nt in the story Primrose had lamented, â€Å"O, my children, if you could be learn to commune your own hearts, and know what noble company you can make them, you would little regard the elegance and splendors of the worthless† (p. 147). Had the rest the Primrose family ever been inclined to understand this early on, and to feel in the same way sated with the simple existence that satisfied their patriarch, many of their misfortunes may have been avoided. However, without them story’s lessons, adventures, hilarity, and glorious unexpected conclusion would have been lost as well.    Notes: [1] Tobin, Colm, ed. The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction. New York: Penguin Books, 2001. [2] All further references to The Vicar of Wakefield will be cited as part of the complete work: Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. 1766. Ed. Stephen Coote. London: Penguin Books, 1982.

Sample of Resume

ALVIN B. PAILAN Address: BRGY,. Cabanbanan, Pagsanjan Laguna Mobile No. : 0909-4245-651 Email: [email  protected] com OBJECTIVES: To obtain a position that will best fit my qualification and develop further my ability and skills for a Continues career development. WORK EXPERIENCE Employer: ASIAPRO COOP. , Project: MANILA DOCTORS HOSPITAL Address: UN Avenue Ermita Manila Position: Plumber Maintenance Inclusive Date: November 3, 2008 to PresentJob description:-Responsible for maintaining of submersible, motor pump and installation of piping -repair plumbing works lavatory faucet, water closet -repair and installation of water supply -responsible preventive maintenance of vacuum pump and drinking fountain -monitoring of fire pump -responsible for cleaning of water tank and cistern tank – de-clogged sewer line and sanitary line – cleaning grease trap Company: INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL MANILA Employer: ENJAYS HOTEL (HOLIDAY INN) Position: SHIFT PLUMBERInclusive Date: Septembe r 1999 – July 2004 Job Description: -Maintaining of fan coil unit -Repair kitchen equipment -Monitoring of submersible pump -Back washing of swimming pool filter -Repair plumbing works lavatory faucet, water closet -Welding and acetylene copper pipe -De Clogged all drain line -Corrective maintenance of plumbing work Company: KAPALARAN BUS LINE Address: PAGSAWITAN STA CRUZ LAGUNA Position: AUTO AIRCON MECHANIC Inclusive Date: May 1994 – September 1998 Job Description: -Welding and acetylene copper Pipe -charging Freon -Vacuuming Trouble shooting and repair air-condition Company:SANMIGUEL FOOD CORPORATION Address:Cabuyao Laguna Position:Sales Representative Inclusive Date:September 1998 – October 1999 Job Description:-Delivery of all items magnolia foods -Receiving product Seminar Attended: -Basic Safety Course The maritime training center of the Philippines 3rd floor G. E. Antonio bldg,. TM Kalaw St. Ermita Manila February 15, 2002 -Medical Gas Safety Training,. (CIGI) Manila Doctors Hospital January 13, 2010 -INGASCO INC. , Product knowledge and Safe gas handling Seminar Manila Doctors Hospital April 21, 2010 -DCDC AerocomEngineering training Manila Doctors Hospital September 16, 2010 -Pacific paint (Boysen) Philippines INC,. Boysen Painting Seminar Manila Doctors Hospital March 30, 2011 -Basic Life Support Course (Lay Rescuer) Manila Doctors Hospital August 12, 2011 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Tertiary Education: LAGUNA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADE Address: BRGY. ,BUBUKAL,STA. CRUZ LAGUNA Course:Refrigeration and air-conditioning Technology YEAR GRADUATED: 1992 – 1994 Secondary Education: LAGUNA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADE Address: BRGY. ,BUBUKAL,STA. CRUZ LAGUNA Year Graduated:1988 – 1992 Primary Education: UNSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLAddress: BRGY. , CABANBANAN PAGSANJAN LAGUNA Year Graduated: 1982 -1988 SPECIAL SKILLS:Acetylene / gas welding -Plumbing works – Refrigeration and air-conditioning -Installation of piping PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth:October 16, 1975 Birth Place: Pagsanjan Laguna Civil Status: Married Religion: Roman Catholic Nationality: Filipino Height: 5’6 Weight: 160 lbs. Dialects: English / Filipino Fathers name: Bienvinido pailan Occupation: Driver Mothers name: Avelina Baltera Occupation: Sewer â€Å"I hereby certify that all the information above are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief’’

Comparison Between Macbeth and Banquo’s Response

Macbeth and Banquo’s reaction to the prophecy told to them by the witch’s gave way for two opposing opinions on both the validity and manifesting of the prophecy. Although their opinions throughout the unveiling of the prophecy were opposing throughout, at all times they both rendered the prophecy in contrastive ways, whether they contemplated on its benefit or hindrance towards their gleaming future. â€Å"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! † Great fear was shown on Macbeth’s face suggesting he was very hesitant toward the idea of him becoming King.However Banquo was much more optimistic about the words of the witch’s, questioning Macbeth, â€Å"why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair? † Macbeth is still in shock which gives time for Banquo to question the witch’s about his future. He became quite intrigued by what the witch’s had told Macbeth so he could not withhold the opportunity to be a cquainted with his children’s faith and discover â€Å"which grain will grow and which will not†. Banquo seemed to be quite optimistic in his willingness to indulge in the witch’s prophecies. Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more! † This portrays to us that Macbeth has now become fond of the prophecy and is thirsts to know more about his future. As Macbeth continues to cry out for the witch’s return after their abrupt disappearing, he cries out â€Å"Would they had stayed! † It now becomes apparent that Macbeth is engulfed in what the witches have told both him and Banquo. Suddenly Banquo begins to revisit the whole situation and begins to speculate if the entire ordeal actually occurred. â€Å" Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner? he continues to question the possibility that they could be hallucinating. This is the beginning of Banquo’s now hesitance towards indulging in the witch’s propheci es, and Macbeth’s now apparent obsession with the witch’s prophecy. Macbeth attempts to persuade Banquo by regurgitating the witch’s prophecy and reminding Banquo that his children â€Å"shall be kings†. And what better could Banquo have replied to Macbeth with to continue to hold Macbeth prisoner to the prophecy other than â€Å"You shall be king†.It is now seen that the tides have shifted, and Macbeth is now very much engulfed in the prophecy, as Macbeth discovers that a portion of the prophecy has been fulfilled with the title ‘Thane of Cawdor’ being placed unto him. As Macbeth continues to be animated about the possibility of the entire prophecy being fulfilled, Banquo becomes hesitant towards the prophecy. It is this speech by Banquo that defines his reasons for being so cautious in his reaction to the prophecy. â€Å"oftentimes to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betra y’s in deepest consequence. This speech portrays Banquo’s new found reluctance towards the witch’s forecast of the future. He now sees what Macbeth is blind too, the possibility of knowledge becoming more harmful to the men rather than helpful in Macbeth’s want for more, particularly pertaining to him becoming King. As Macbeth begins to weigh the prophecy against logic and the now present, he accepts the fact that if â€Å"two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme. Macbeth is now beginning to assume that if portions of the prophecy are being fulfilled as the witch’s had said, it is only a matter of time before he shall become king. As Macbeth continues to be engulfed by what will be his future downfall, he assumes that all of his new found fortune â€Å"Cannot be ill, cannot be good†. Macbeth begins to wonder if the prophecy is so good, then why is it now that he is considering killing Duncan in order to receive the throne.And sadly he is willing to do whatever he believes it takes to become, completely being unaware to the fact that he did not have to intervene in order for him to become Thane of Cawdor as the witch’s had prophesised. â€Å"Come what come may† Macbeth says, proposing that he is willing to kill Duncan if necessary. It was clear that before scrutinizing the prophecy Banquo was much aroused by the witches’ foretelling of the future, but after close examination he became tentative towards him possibly becoming a victim of the new found knowledge.Sadly it is very apparent that Macbeth is now engulfed in his plans to becoming King using any means necessary. What makes it so unfortunate is that he doesn’t realize it, â€Å" Think upon what hath chanced, and at more time, the interim having weighed it, let us speak our free hearts to each other â€Å", he says this not realizing that his mind is already made up on the fact that he will sto p at nothing to gain the crown.Banquo’s hesitance towards the witches is well justified in the fact that witches seldom inform us completely on the future, leaving us to pursue and conclude the fantasy with our devilish wishes. Both Banquo and Macbeth share their reasons in an attempt to justify their reaction towards the witch’s speech, but it is apparent that Macbeth is engulfed by greed and his wishes to become King.

About the United States Attorneys

About the United States Attorneys The United States Attorneys, under the direction and supervision of the Attorney General, represent the federal government in courtrooms across the entire nation. There are currently  93 U.S. Attorneys based throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One United States Attorney is assigned to each of the judicial districts, with the exception of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands where a single United States Attorney serves in both districts. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her particular local jurisdiction. All U.S. Attorneys are required to live in the district to which they are appointed, except that in the District of Columbia and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, they may live within 20 miles of their district. Established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the United States Attorneys have long been a part of the countrys history and legal system. Salaries of the U.S. Attorneys   Salaries of U.S. Attorneys are currently  set by the Attorney General. Depending on their experience, U.S. Attorneys can make from about $46,000 to about $150,000 a year (in 2007). Details on the current salaries and benefits of U.S. Attorneys can be found on the Web site of the Department of Justices Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management. Until 1896, U.S. Attorneys were paid on a fee system based on the cases they prosecuted. For attorneys serving coastal districts, where the courts were filled with maritime cases dealing with seizures and forfeitures involving expensive shipping cargo, those fees could amount to quite a substantial sum. According to the Justice Department, One U.S. Attorney in a coastal district reportedly received an annual income of $100,000 as early as 1804. When the Justice Department began regulating the salaries of the U.S. Attorneys in 1896, they ranged from $2,500 to $5,000. Until 1953, the U.S. Attorneys were allowed to supplement their incomes by retaining their private practice while holding office.   What the U.S. Attorneys Do The U.S. Attorneys represent the federal government, and thus the American people, in any trial in which the United States is a party. Under Title 28, Section 547 of the United States Code, the U.S. Attorneys have three main responsibilities: prosecution of criminal cases brought by the federal government;prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; andcollection of money owed to the government which cannot be collected administratively. Criminal prosecution conducted by U.S. Attorneys includes cases involving violations of the federal criminal laws, including organized crime, drug trafficking, political corruption, tax evasion, fraud, bank robbery, and civil rights offenses. On the civil side, U.S. Attorneys spend most of their courtroom time defending government agencies against claims  and enforcing social legislation such as environmental quality and fair housing laws. When representing the United States in court, the U.S. Attorneys are expected to represent and implement the policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. While they receive direction and policy advice from the Attorney General and other Justice Department officials, the U.S. Attorneys are allowed a large degree of independence and discretion in choosing which cases they prosecute. Prior to the Civil War, the U.S. Attorneys were allowed to prosecute those crimes specifically mentioned in the Constitution, namely, piracy, counterfeiting, treason, felonies committed on the high seas, or cases resulting from interference with federal justice, extortion by federal officers, thefts by employees from the United States Bank, and arson of federal vessels at sea How U.S. Attorneys are Appointed U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States for four-year terms. Their appointments must be confirmed by a majority vote of the U.S. Senate. By law, U.S. Attorneys are subject to removal from their posts by the President of the United States. While most U.S. Attorneys serve full four-year terms, usually corresponding to the terms of the president who appointed them, mid-term vacancies do occur. Each U.S. Attorney is allowed to hire and fire Assistant U.S. Attorneys as needed to meet the case load generated in their local jurisdictions. U.S. Attorneys are allowed wide authority in controlling the personnel management, financial management, and procurement functions of their local offices. Prior to enactment of the Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill of 2005, on March 9, 2006, mid-term replacement U.S. Attorneys were appointed by the Attorney General to serve for 120 days, or until a permanent replacement appointed by the president could be confirmed by the Senate. A provision of the Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill removed the 120-day limit on the terms of interim U.S. Attorneys, effectively extending their terms to the end of the presidents term and bypassing the U.S. Senates confirmation process. The change effectively extended to the president the already controversial power of making ​recess appointments in installing U.S. Attorneys.

Mind and Strong Ai Essay

Mind and Strong Ai Essay Mind and Strong Ai Essay Thought is a Tool a Mind is a Being In John Searle’s article, Minds, Brains, and Computers, he argues against the notion of strong AI; which states that an appropriately programmed computer is equivalent to a human mind, and has similar cognitive states (Searle, 349). Based on Searle’s definition of Strong AI, I will argue that a computer is not equivalent to a human mind because it does not apply meaning to the information it processes. Many critics of Searle state that computers have the capacity to simulate the human ability to understand stories. CITATION RCS77 \l 1033 (Schank) One critic in particular named R.P. Schank, writes an argument in favor of this notion presented as two premises. â€Å"(1) [†¦] The machine can literally be said to understand the story and provide answers to the questions. (2) What the machine and its program do explains the human ability to understand the story and answer questions about it (Searle, 350).† In order to disprove this argument Searle demonstrates an analogy that simulates a computer program. The analogy involves a monolingual English speaker locked in a room with instructions on how to manipulate Chinese symbols. The English speaker is ultimately able to answer questions that a native Chinese speaker would be able to answer. However, the English speaker does not apply the same meaning to the Chinese symbols the way that a native speaker would when answering t he questions. This analogy is meant to display the difference between a computer and a human mind in reference to intentionality; which entails the ability to apply meaning. Machines do not truly grasp the meaning of their actions when instantiating programs. In contrast, a human mind applies meaning to every action that it performs. Those in favor of strong AI claim that there is no difference between the instantiation of a program and the application of meaning when answering questions, either from a human or a machine. â€Å"One of the claims made by the supporters of strong AI is that when I understand a story in English, what I am doing is exactly the same –or perhaps more of the same- as what I was doing in manipulating the Chinese symbols (Searle, 351).† In the quote Searle is demonstrating the views of his critiques. However, it is incorrect to assume that instantiation and the application of meaning are one in the same when answering questions. Searle argues against this idea in favor of strong AI. â€Å" (1) [†¦] It seems quite obvious to me in the example that I do not understand a word of Chinese stories†¦ the computer has nothing more than I have in the case where I understand nothing. (2) [†¦] We can see that the computer and its program do not provide sufficient condit ions of understanding since the computer and program are functioning, and there is no understanding (Searle, 351).† Searle demonstrates in this counterargument that it is erroneous to assume that the English speaker in his analogy ties meaning to the answers he/she outputs. He then delves into the conditions of sufficiency; the computer (English speaker) has a working system to output answers, but lacks the sufficient requirements for the application of intentionality (meaning). Computer systems have the ability to process information (think) just like Biological systems (human mind), just not the ability to have intentionality to their programs (thoughts). Searle’s argument against Strong AI might hold. However, his premise concerning human intentionality verses machine intentionality provides a debate for the meaning and source of Searle’s definition of intentionality. Searle is vague on his definition of intentionality. Searle alludes to the idea that the de finition of intentionality is to add meaning. However, I could argue that he’s too vague with this concept and state that computers do have intentionality (meaning) for their programs and can add meaning to their outputs. What distinctly separates the human ability to add meaning and the

SAT Score Comparison for SUNY Campuses

SAT Score Comparison for SUNY Campuses When applying to colleges within the State Universities of New York (SUNY) system, good SAT or ACT scores  are crucial. However, it may not be clear what scores count as good, especially when it comes to applying to state schools like those in the SUNY system as opposed to colleges in  the Ivy League  or  top liberal arts colleges. Fast Facts: SUNY SAT Scores Binghamton University has the highest average SAT scores in the SUNY system; Buffalo State University has the lowest.Fashion Institute of Technology, Purchase College, and SUNY Potsdam have test-optional admissions.The majority of SUNY students earned SAT scores that are above the national average. Comparison of SAT Scores for SUNY Students If youre wondering if you have the SAT scores youll need to get into one of the four-year SUNY colleges and universities, heres a side-by-side comparison of scores for the middle 50% of enrolled students. If your scores fall within or above these ranges, youre on target for admission to one of these public universities in New York State. SUNY SAT Score Comparison (mid 50%) School ERW 25% ERW 75% Math 25% Math 75% Albany 550 630 550 630 Alfred State 470 580 480 590 Binghamton 650 710 660 730 Brockport 510 590 510 590 Buffalo 570 650 590 680 Buffalo State 400 510 460 530 Cobleskill 430 550 430 540 Cortland 530 600 530 600 Env. Science/Forestry 560 660 560 650 Farmingdale 500 580 510 580 Fashion Institute - - - - Fredonia 490 590 480 580 Geneseo 560 650 560 650 Maritime College 535 620 540 640 Morrisville 430 520 420 520 New Paltz 550 640 540 630 Old Westbury 480 553 470 500 Oneonta 460 590 450 590 Oswego 540 620 530 620 Plattsburgh 540 620 510 610 Polytechnic 490 660 510 690 Potsdam - - - - Purchase 550 650 510 620 Stony Brook 600 680 630 740 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing As an example of what these numbers mean, the middle 50% of students who entered SUNY Albany had an SAT evidence-based reading score between 550 and 630. This tells us that 25% scored a 550 or lower, and the top 25% scored a 630 or higher. Similarly, the middle 50% of students scored between a 550 and 630 on the math section. This means that 25% scored a 550 or lower, and at the upper end, 25% scored a 630 or higher. SUNY and Holistic Admissions Although SAT and ACT are important, they are not the only factors the admissions folks will use when determining whether or not a student will be accepted to a SUNY campus. In fact, some of the SUNY schools like Potsdam do not even require applicants to submit their scores at all. These test-optional universities recognize the limits and biases linked to standardized tests, and they instead evaluate students based their academic records and holistic measures. For nearly all SUNY programs, a strong academic record will be the most important part of your application. The admissions folks will want to see that you have earned high grades in challenging college preparatory classes. IB, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment classes can all play an important role on this front, for success in challenging courses is the best predictor of an applicants potential for college success. Numerical data, however, is just one part of the SUNY application. The admissions officers will also want to see a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities and good letters of recommendation. Fine art and performing art applicants are likely going to need to submit a portfolio or audition, and other specialized programs may have additional application requirements. In general the SUNY schools do not require SAT Subject Tests or the optional writing sections of the SAT or ACT, but be sure to check the specific requirements for the school and program to which you are applying. Also, requirements can be different for international and home-schooled students. Data Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Circuit Soldering Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Circuit Soldering Assignment - Essay Example It normally commences melting at 183 degree centigrade. Plastic solder differs subject to the proportion of tin and lead. Exhaust fan aids in preventing an individual from inhaling the solder fumes in the soldering station. Safety goggles prevents flying solders from entering the eyes of the person undertaking soldering process whilst clips aids in holding the work piece being join (Jepson, Tyler & Gregory, pp. 178-198). Moistening action is the flush action of solder, which normally develops intermetallic connection amidst the sections. It occurs when hot solder encounters with the copper surface forming a metal solvent action thereby making the solder to dissolves and infiltrates the prevailing copper surface. This makes the molecules of solder and copper to blend thus forming a new alloy with one part copper and the other solder (Jepson, Tyler & Gregory, pp. 167-189). The process solely occurs when the superficial of copper does not have impurity and corresponding oxide film. Suitable solder links is accomplished with cleaned surfaces with solvents before soldering process. Fluxes are utilized in overcoming oxide film on electronic and it mainly entail normal or synthetic rosins and chemical additives. A flux removes oxide during the soldering operation via flux action, which is extremely corrosive at the solder melt temperatures (Jepson, Tyler & Gregory, pp. 167-189). Melt temperature is normally responsible for the flux’s capability to rapidly removal of oxides. Nevertheless, in its underlying unheated state, rosin flux is normally in the non-corrosive and non-conductive thus does not affect circuitry. Moreover, fluxing action aids in removal of oxide, prevention of reformation of the new oxides thus allowing the solder to form the preferred intermetallic

Comment on the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comment on the article - Essay Example In this case, you should not have included the semi colon within the sentence because it does not fit there. You have also some sentence structure mistakes, which you need to correct. For example, you state, â€Å"They decide to both die if the game expects only one winner† (Alajmi 4). Here, you have added the word ‘both’ unnecessarily. You should have written ‘both of them’ instead of ‘they decided to both’. Moreover, you have also made some unnecessary word inclusion mistakes. For example, you state, â€Å"Therefore, despite the strength and better position in which the opponents of Katniss are in† (Alajmi 4). In this sentence, you did not need to include the word ‘in’ at the end of the sentence. Next, you did not introduce the friends of Katniss properly. For example, you just wrote about the kind of care that Katniss gave to Peeta. You did not introduce her at all. Repetition of ideas is another problem that I have found in you paper. For example, you talked about Katniss as a celebrity in paragraph no. 7, as well as in paragraph no. 9. Both paragraphs presented the same idea. You should avoid this in future. You have also made an error in the header section. There should be three spaces between the surname and the page number in the header. You have included only one space. You also need to correct your in-text references. Writing in MLA style, you need to indent the entire quote one inch from the left margin if the total number of words exceed from 40. You did not do this. Moreover, if you write in MLA style, there should be no comma between the last name of the author and the page number. For example, you wrote â€Å"†¦.† (Collins, 135). It should be â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Collins 135). Another thing is that you needed to include 5 direct quotes from the text. You have included just 4. You also need to correct the format of your reference, which you have included in the works cited section. You need to

From the Autobiography Of Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

From the Autobiography Of Malcolm X - Essay Example It is a moment in which a person develops wisdom and comprehension that transforms his or her life. Malcolm’s a-ha moment, from the excerpt, is the period in which he developed literacy and proficiency in English. This moment of development was a period of relief because it terminated Malcolm’s initially developed frustration regarding his poor ability to communicate in writing. He explains that he previously wrote letters to different recipients but the parties never replied to his letters, and although he believes that they might not have received the letters, he admits that the letters were written in sketches and the inability to communicate in writing, as he communicated orally, frustrated him. Malcolm then begun to improve his literacy level by reading while he was in Charlestown prison. This however faced a challenge as he did not understand many words but he pressed on, motivated by people around him. The learning moment however culminated through his study of t he dictionary while he was in Norfolk Prison College and he was later able to read and understand diversified literature (McGraw 21-23). The learning moment was his defining moment because it garnered him the required knowledge and wisdom that he previously lacked. His self-concept of the two periods, before the learning moment and after, explains this. Before the moment, Malcolm was unable to read and write. He admits to this by reporting his frustration from the fact that he could not communicate his opinions in writing as adequately as he could do orally. He was accustomed to slang corrupted language to the extent that he could not write a formal communication, even in Basic English. Malcolm however recons with a high level of literacy and proficiency in his later communications that people associated with a formally educated speaker, but he points out that the achievement is attributable to the learning efforts and opportunities that he had during his moments in prison (McGraw

SURVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SURVE - Essay Example evaluation stage, where it has now been established that the physical and biological changes that adolescent girls experience cause them to become more concerned about their bodies, thus they look for every means possible to appear as they find pleasing in their own eyes. The literature review has also established that to achieve a perceived perfect body appearance, adolescent girls have become target group for most advertisers in the food and nutrition industry. Finally, the literature review has been able to establish that unfortunately, food products and services advertisements do not always represent the holistic truth about what they seek to portray, and thus the advertisers have been accused of keeping key information on products that has to do with side effects and risk effects of their food. However, the challenge at this point is using literature review to establish the remedies put in place to address the limitation of hiding key information by advertisers, regarding side effects and risk effects of their food. I am hoping that the professor will in guiding me through the data collection process, especially under qualitative methods of data collection applied in the study, which is highly subjective, to avoid the negative subjectivism that may result to biased

Law case to Joan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law case to Joan - Essay Example Proximity has evolved from the straightforward test that was applied in Donoghue v Stevenson6 and seems to be applied after the duty of care has been determined. In Spring v Guardian Assurance Plc7 the House of Lords seemed to emphasise the importance of the ‘fair, just and reasonable’ factor when making a decision on the imposition of liability. In this case the judge held that that an employer who provided a reference in respect of an employee to a prospective future employer owed a duty of care to the employee in respect of the preparation of the reference and was liable in damages for economic loss suffered as a result of the negligent preparation of the reference. In Donoghue and Stevenson8 the complainant went to a cafà © with a friend who bought her a tumbler with ice cream. The shopkeeper poured a quantity of ginger beer from a bottle over the ice cream. The complainant drank from the tumbler and when her friend topped up the drink from the bottle the remains of a decomposed snail floated out of the bottle. As a result of this the complainant became ill. As there was no contractual relationship between the complainant and the shopkeeper the House of Lords were asked to consider whether the manufacturer if the ginger beer owed a duty of care to the ultimate customer. This led to the formation of the neighbour test9 the general principle of which was that ‘you must not injure your neighbour’.

The rise of the Second Klan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The rise of the Second Klan - Essay Example It is believed that it had enlisted more than 30 million people by mid-1920s of which 43% belonged to the protestant church (MacLean, 7). It was against the Catholics, Jews, immigrants and the African Americans who were giving the whites a run for the available housing and jobs. They also aimed at restoring social order. This paper will examine the issues that gave rise to the Klan, the role played by class, gender and race as well as the complex forces that gave rise to the invisible army. The rise of the second Klan can be attributed to many factors as outlined by MacLean (1-97). The first factor responsible for the rise of the Klan was the famous film â€Å"The birth of the Nation† by D.W Griffiths which depicted black men as beasts and the white men as saviors of American civilization (12). The film had lots of praises for the first Klan in their advocacy for restoration of the white rule after the civil and the reconstruction thereafter. As such, it was very influential a mong the whites. Simmons and his friends took advantage of this platform to preach their ideologies and recruit thousands of members. Another significant event that gave rise to the second Klan was the lynching of a Jewish man namely Leo Frank. This individual had been convicted of murdering Mary Phagan a white factory worker. He had been handed a death sentence but the Georgia governor commuted the sentence (12). The white men were very angry with the governor’s action that they decided to hang him and the place he was hanged became the podium for launching the Klan organization. This was the beginning of the recruitment drive for the Klan. It established links with the press to champion their course and attract more people to the Klan through propaganda. These helped the Klan to infiltrate even the high levels of government since those who were against the fraternity would be threatened and blackmailed (88). The role of government officials was to ensure security for member s; since it comprised of governors, mayors, lecturers, and judges the chances of prosecuting errant members were slim. This is why the organization managed to thrive for long and expand despite its activities. The Klan also ensured most of the lay leaders of the protestant churches were Klan men. This enabled them to paint a good picture of the Klan despite their violent acts. They also infiltrated the fraternal organizations such as the woodmen of world and Elk and used them to recruit more members and as a channel for communicating its agenda. Those who joined were initiated through an oathing ceremony whereby they paid initiation fees as well as buying Klan costumes which comprised of hoods, robes, and terrifying masks (MacLean, 7-15). According to MacLean’s â€Å"The vice of modernity,† the rise of the second Klan was also prompted by economic and social factors. The main issue that led the whites to revive the Klan was fear of losing the white supremacy due to the economic and social changes that were occurring. They felt that these shifting lines of race, class, religion and gender were threatening social order and it was its role to maintain order in society (MacLean 32). Due to industrialization there was rapid urbanization which changed the lives of Americans. Most people were involved in cotton farming among other farming activities with the whites

Law case to Joan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law case to Joan - Essay Example Proximity has evolved from the straightforward test that was applied in Donoghue v Stevenson6 and seems to be applied after the duty of care has been determined. In Spring v Guardian Assurance Plc7 the House of Lords seemed to emphasise the importance of the ‘fair, just and reasonable’ factor when making a decision on the imposition of liability. In this case the judge held that that an employer who provided a reference in respect of an employee to a prospective future employer owed a duty of care to the employee in respect of the preparation of the reference and was liable in damages for economic loss suffered as a result of the negligent preparation of the reference. In Donoghue and Stevenson8 the complainant went to a cafà © with a friend who bought her a tumbler with ice cream. The shopkeeper poured a quantity of ginger beer from a bottle over the ice cream. The complainant drank from the tumbler and when her friend topped up the drink from the bottle the remains of a decomposed snail floated out of the bottle. As a result of this the complainant became ill. As there was no contractual relationship between the complainant and the shopkeeper the House of Lords were asked to consider whether the manufacturer if the ginger beer owed a duty of care to the ultimate customer. This led to the formation of the neighbour test9 the general principle of which was that ‘you must not injure your neighbour’.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior Essay The official language of Japan is Japanese. The official religion is Buddhism. A meal always has rice, even breakfast. White rice is called gohan. Meals often consist of gohan, a bowl of pickles called tsukemono, a bowl of soup, and a variety of other dishes like fish, meat, and vegetables. This is called okazu. Since Japan is an island country they consume a lot of seafood including squid, crab, octopus, shrimp, whale, lobster and seaweed. Slurping your soup or noodles shows the Japanese that you are enjoying your meal. When doing business men should wear dark and conservative attire. Shoes should be easy to remove as this will be done often. When using a bathroom in someone’s home, you will be required to wear a specific pair of slippers before using it. Women should wear low heeled shoes to avoid being taller than men. Pointing is considered rude. It is custom to arrive late, punctuality is not expected. Money is not openly displayed, use an envelope. The number fourteen is bad luck, it sounds like the Japanese word for death. Business and personal gift giving is very important and should be done at the end of the visit. Business cards should be printed in your home language on one side and in Japanese on the other. A bow, not a handshake is the proper way to greet. EGYPT In Egypt the predominant religion is Islam. Foreigners are expected to dress modestly, do not wear Egyptian clothing. Jackets and ties are required for men, women must also dress modestly. Egyptians stand very close to each other, moving away from them is seen as an act of aloofness, however, opposite sexes stand further apart than we do in the United States. Showing your shoe sole is considered an insult to the other person you are meeting, do not cross your legs during your meeting. Smoking in public is very common, present and offer your cigarettes. Arabic is read from the right to the left. Books begin on what Americans consider to be the last page. Business cards should be printed in Arabic on one side of the card, and in English on the other side of the card. BRAZIL In Brazil, Portugese is the official language, although others speak Spanish, Italian, and other languages. No official religion is listed, however most Brazilians practice Roman Catholic. Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country in population and landmass. Half of Brazil’s population is under the age of twenty. When conducting business three piece suits should be worn by men and women, and women’s nails should be manicured. You should avoid wearing the colors green and yellow together, as it is the colors of the Brazilian flag. The okay hand signal is considered rude; to express appreciation you should pinch your earlobe between your thumb and forefinger. Schedule all appointments at least two weeks in advance, to them, time is money. Never discuss business before your host does. Brazilians entertain business cliental in a restaurant, never in their homes. Gift giving is not required. When sending a bouquet of flowers, avoid the color purple as it used for funerals. Tipping in Brazil is very common and is usually about ten percent. When greeting, handshaking for men is very typical while women exchange kisses by placing themselves cheek to cheek and kissing the air. When greeting the other person using titles are very important to them. When you are trying to strike up a conversation with them good conversation topics are soccer, their families and children. Conversation topics to avoid are politics, religion, and the rain forest. After reviewing these three countries and there cultures I would have to say that Japan would be the country with the most employment satisfaction. Although very populated, Japan passed a constitutional law just after World War II that gave women the right to choose their occupation. Since that law, more women have gone into the workforce and received the education and training possible to hold high end executive jobs that were once held by man alone. Even though Brazil and Egypt have higher levels of women in the workforce most of the jobs are domestic, like cleaning and cooking. References http://www.cyborlink.com.[Retrieved] January 14, 2013.

miRNA as Biomarkers in Forensic Body Fluids Identification

miRNA as Biomarkers in Forensic Body Fluids Identification miRNA profiling: What does not work for blood and urine identification Sarah S. Silva a, b, Teixeira, A.L b, MJ Carneiro de Sousa a,c and Medeiros, R.a, b a – ICBAS, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal b – Molecular Oncology group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal c _ National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, North Branch, 4050-167 Porto, Portugal Abstract In forensics, the identification of blood, semen or vaginal secretions can represent an important support for a criminal investigation. They can be used as a source of DNA but also can hold, only by their presence, the most probative value. Through the years many methodologies were used to identify them but all presented serious drawback. Lately, mRNA surged as a potential tool for body fluid identification but their sensibility were a serious disadvantage, even more pronounced in forensic samples. Since 2009, miRNA profiling surged as a possible tool as a confirmatory test in forensics due to their tissue specific pattern of expression. Unlike mRNAs they are much more stable due to their proprieties whose makes them less prone to degradation processes. In this report, we studied the expressional patterns of miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 in 50 samples of urine and blood in order to define whether or not they could be used as biomarkers for urine or blood identification. Even though our aim was to assess whether or not our miRNAs could be considered as biomarkers, we came across 2 others interesting conclusions: the impact of RNA purity in miRNAs quantification and which miRNA cannot be used as a normalisation gene for blood and urine identification. Key words: miRNA profiling, Forensic, Serology, body fluids, biological biomarkers 1- Introduction Human body fluids are important components to rely on a criminal investigation [1, 2]. As a matter of fact, a complainant’s body fluids present on items belonging to a suspect – or vice versa – holds the most probative value. For example, in a case of a sexual assault in a child, where a DNA profile recovered from the child bedding and underwear coincide with his father DNA profile, can we consider his father responsible for the sexual assault? In a case like this, it is not enough to recover a DNA profile but it is also imperative to acknowledge its source. If no serological test were done, in court, the presence of DNA could be explained as a result of the presence of epithelial cells in the child clothing which is totally common when it comes from a sibling. On the other hand, if serological tests linked the DNA profile to semen it would be way more difficult to explain its presence there. Beyond the probative value that body fluid may have in a crime scene, it is also important to acknowledge them to optimize protocols to conduct a reliable DNA profiling [3, 4]. For example, DNA extraction processes are different for blood and urine. If we conducted the protocol of blood extraction in urine samples it may result in a reduced quality of the extracted DNA e enable any conclusive DNA profile [3, 4]. There is why, body fluids identification is considered as crucial step in criminal investigation. For some, it seems easy to identify body fluids such as blood (colour), urine (smell) or even sperm (texture) however, when dried, washed or mixed with other components their identification may not be that easy [1]. It is important to highlight that in court, there is no such thing as â€Å"It seems to be sperm because it looked like it and have the same particular texture†, it is needed an undeniable proof that it is sperm. Serological test are used in forensic biology to allow the detection and identification of body fluids in both native form or as a residue left at a crime scene. Serological tests are divided in two major fields: Presumptive and confirmatory test. Presumptive tests rely on methodologies that are sensitive and performed quickly, yet they are not specific to the body fluid. Those tests can only indicate if the fluids might be present and do not unequivocally states its presence. On the other hand, confirmatory tests are indeed specific to the body fluid we s eek to identify. As presumptive tests, confirmatory testing is sensitive however, it takes a lot more time. Idealistically, we should have a battery of confirmatory test for all important body fluids in order to reliably detect and identify them. Unfortunately, there is a large cluster of presumptive tests and far less of confirmatory ones. Moreover, till date no confirmatory test is able to reliably differentiate blood from menstrual blood which is an unquestionably important body fluid in sexual cases. Over the last years, mRNA profiling became a target for body fluid identification due to its tissue specific patterns. Still, mRNA susceptibility to degradation by physical or chemical factors was an unquestionable drawback. In order to sidetrack this problem, miRNA surge with a real potential as a confirmatory test. MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs with more or less than 22 nucleotides of length that, combined with the RNA-induced silencing complex, seems to regulate a major part of human gene (5 e 6 do meu artigo). Moreover, their tight relationship with Argonaute proteins, they are much less susceptive to both biotic and abiotic factors. In 2009, Hanson and colleagues were the first to introduce miRNA profiling and soon enough others followed. Those studies pointed out a large collection of miRNAs with potential as biomarker, however very few were confirmed by more than one group which revealed the lack of reproducibility of results. Moreover, when some tried to replicate the resu lts of others, they failed. For this report, we choose to test four miRNAs in both blood and urine of 50 healthy individual and study their behaviour within those body fluids. 2- Material and methods We conducted an expression profiling of 50 healthy individuals. The case group was composed by Caucasian individuals with no major pathological condition in order to erase a variable that could alter miRNAs profiles. Peripheral venous blood (Xml) and urine were collected from each subject following the obtainment of a written informed consent from all subjects. After collected the samples were processed. The samples were used for miRNAs extraction with GRS microRNA Kit (Grisp) according to the manufacturers instructions. Subsequently, miRNa priorly extracted were used as a template for cDNA synthesis using TaqMan ® MicroRNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Applied Biosystems ®). To quantify miRNA expression, real-time PCR assays were performed with a StepOneâ„ ¢ System using TaqMan ®Universal Master Mix II (Applied Biosystems ®). The target miRNAs were amplified by a set of designed primers for miR-127-5p, miR-221*, miR-222* and RNU48. miR-222* was used as a normalization gene miRNAs relative quantifications. The data analysis was performed using the StepOne Software v2.2 (Applied Biosystems ®). Statistical analysis was carried out by the computer software IBM ®SPSS ®Statistics (Version 22.0). In order to assess any statistical alterations in our normalized miRNAs expression we used 2−ΔΔCt method and Students t test. 3- Results 3.1- Cycle threshold vs RNA purity Urine samples were processed and the resulting pellet was diluted in 1ml of Tripure. Visually a wide range of pink colour was noticeable within our urine samples. Those with a deep pink were related with samples with a more substantial pellet unlike those with a less considerable pellet who presented themselves with a lighter colour. After miRNA extraction, we quantify miRNA expression of miR-222 in urine samples and perceived that only few of them were detected. Interestingly, only the ones with a lighter colour were indeed detected. This tricky situation could be explained by the ratio of absorbance at 260 nm and 280 nm which is used to assess the purity of RNA. In this case, lighter colour was also an indicator of a greater ratio, on the other hand, those with higher optical density had a very low ratio, far from the ratio of ~2.0 which is generally accepted as â€Å"pure† for RNA. In order to sidetrack this delicate situation, we choose a sample (MU26) that has an optimal 260/280nm ratio and diluted the other samples to equalize their optical density with Tripure. Posteriorly, we choose 5 samples to test and noticed a considerable decrease of Ct in the samples processed with the optimized protocol (Fig.1). The difference of Ct value is very significant, nearly 6 Ct, demonstrating that RNA purity is clearly a factor that challenge miRNA profiling. As showed, miRNA quantification goes with a low concentration or can go totally undetected when 260/280nm ratio is low however, when optimized, miRNA concentration increased significantly. As said previously, different reports indicated miRNAs as biomarkers for human body fluids identification though, when others tried to replicate them, they failed. Our results shows that for the same sample, different degrees of purity can decide whether or not a miRNA is detected, once it definitely affect their concentration. There is why, RNA purity needed to be optimal otherwise it may lead to unreliable results, which could explain, the failed attempts done by some authors when trying to replicate others results. Figure 1 Cycle threshold vs RNA purity. This figure presents the Ct values of miR-222 taken from 5 samples processed with both normal and optimized protocol (first and second column respectively). It is showed that the considerable fall of Ct values correlates with an increase of 260/280nm ratio. 3.2 – Normalization gene In qRT-PCR, data normalization is imperatively required for quantification analysis [5-7]. The integration of an invariant endogenous essay, also called as reference gene, has as its main objective correct systematic technical and/or experimental errors [6, 8]. For this essay, we choose to use RNU-48 as our reference gene for the data normalization. Widely used as normalization gene, RNU-48 is expected to have a stable pattern among samples. However, within our essay the opposite transpired. As showed in figure 2, RNU-48 was the one with a major standard deviation when compared with other 3 miRNAs analyzed which make it inappropriate as an endogenous control for our essay. Seemingly, we were not the only ones that concluded this, Sapre and colleagues also assumed that RNI-48 was inadequate as an endogenous control due to its systematic perturbation in its expression [9]. Remarkably, the unexpected miR-222 profile remained barely unaffected and presented no significant difference between urine and blood. miRNA-222 behaviour within our samples was surprising once, it is being aimed for its deregulation by many other groups. Here, it does not present any variation within samples, any variation among both body fluids, it did even remained stable within different stages of age and do not alter with gender. This particular behaviour is expected of endogenous controls. Therefore, we decided to use miR-222 as our reference gene in order to normalise our data. 3.3 – miRNAs as biomarkers Since 2009, miRNAs has been a target for forensic researcher, especially in forensic serology. The importance of both detection and identification for body fluids in criminal investigation is undeniable. Scientifically speaking, 5 years is such a short time to develop reliable new methodologies and, as already lay out by some authors, there is still so much to do. Here, we choose 4 miRNAs and decided to study their expression level in urine and blood samples. As stated earlier, we choose miR-222 as our endogenous control for our data normalisation due to its behaviour within our samples. As showed in figure 4, we can state that all miRNAs considered have different expressional patterns and all of them probabilistically significant (P RNU-48 is the one with a major difference between urine and blood. The one used numerous times as an endogenous control is upregulated about 141 times more in blood than in urine supporting our decision to not use it to normalize our data. Till now, a minor number of miRNAs have been acknowledged as tissue specific at least reliably. By definition, miRNAs are considered tissue specific when they’re found with high abundance in a specific tissue while it has low or non-existent expression in others. That differential profile patterns would allow body fluids reliable identification and serve as a significant confirmatory test. Considering our results, we can conclude that miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 are not suitable for neither blood nor urine identification. Despite a significant difference of expression, they do not present the expected expressional patterns to be considered as a good biomarker. Table 1 – miRNA detection in both urine and blood samples and its corresponding fold change within the body fluids. As we stated within our introduction, the miRNAs considered as biomarkers for body fluid identification in other reports have been difficult to replicate. We believe that those difficulties are linked to several factors as environmental factors, methodologies, age, gender, pathologies among several others. We know that miRNAs expression levels do alter with both biotic and abiotic factors, there is why we try to minimize the impact of those within our samples excluding, as example, acute pathological conditions. Despite considering that miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 are unsuitable for urine and blood identification, we wanted to study their expressional behavior within samples with different stages of age and gender. Figure 4A displays an overview of their relative quantification within female and male samples. Within blood, we did not notice any significant alteration in their expression (P>0,05). On the other hand, in urine, RNU-48 presented itself with a significant overexpression i n females (P When it comes to age, we divided our 50 samples in 3 categories: 20-40, 41-60 and over 60 years old. As it is shown in figure 4B, the relative quantification we achieved demonstrated no significant change in their expression profile (P>0,05). 4 – Conclusion and future perspectives More than just a source of DNA, body fluids sole presence can have the most probative value. Hanson and colleagues introduced miRNA profiling as a reliable tool to identify body fluids such as blood, menstrual blood, semen, vaginal secretion and urine due to their tissue-specific pattern and stability when conditioned by degradation processes. Here we focused our attention in four miRNAs: miR-127, miR-221, miR-222 and RNU-48. Soon enough miRNAs purity struck our attention when we notice that low value of 260/280nm ratio was associated with a poor degree of detection. When we upgraded our protocol the consequence reflected in a considerable decrease of the samples threshold. It would be irrefutably helpful to understand what threshold could affect miRNA profiling once, as it was shown, miRNA purity do affect considerably their quantification. It could even convey wrong outcomes once even miRNAs with high concentration within body fluids can appear with low concentration or totally inexistent. Our second result emphasised the importance of a normalisation gene. At first, we choose to use RNU-48 as our endogenous control but its behaviour within blood and urine make us reconsider our decision. RNU-48 is usually used as a reference gene due to its stable behaviour within samples however, our essay showed otherwise. Within the 4 miRNAs testes, RNU-48 was the one with a more pronounced variability within samples, which is opposed of what would be expected of a normalisation gene. Unexpectedly, miR-222 presented itself with the lowest standard deviation between blood and urine. Furthermore, we studied its expression levels and compared them within age and gender and concluded that no significant alteration was noticeable (P As stated earlier, normalisation genes are indispensable to validate qRT-PCR results however, till date, no normalisation gene is universally acknowledged. This problem is reflected in our case, where one of the most used normalisation gene proved to be unsuitable for urine and blood miRNA analysis. This subject is a very sensitive point in miRNA profiling. There is why it is imperative to focus our future line of work towards finding a reliable normalisation gene before anything else. Our main goal was to define whether or not miR-127, miR-221 or RNU-48 could have the potential to be considered as biomarkers for body fluids identification. In this case, we could establish that all four have different expressional patterns in urine and blood (fig.5) however, to be considered as biomarker it would expected a major difference within body fluids which do not happen with our miRNAs considered for this essay. There is why we conclude that none of this miRNAs have the potential to be considered as a biomarker for body fluid identification. Conflict of interest None.

The I.R.A: Activists or Terrorists? :: essays research papers fc

I do not support the I.R.A, as I do not support Marxist or terrorists. The political wing of the I.R.A (Sinn Fein) is communists hiding under a nationalist stance. Gerry Adams is the man who heads the Sinn Fein; the man who replaced Martin McGuinness as the leader of the Sinn Fein. The actual I.R.A has splintered due to the communist tyranny the Sinn Fein has invoked on them. There’s the real I.R.A who are nationalists and wanted the British out. The will not talk to the British, as they feel they are foreign invaders. Then there's the Provo I.R.A and there nothing more then Marxist terrorist. There whole strategy is based on very fashionable Marxist politics. The current Provo I.R.A slogan â€Å"I ran away† plainly states,† It doesn’t matter if we are Marxist, just blindly follow usâ€Å". Now the I.R.A had a legit fight, but once there political wing got corrupted with the red disease, everything went down hill. They started going after protestant church es, little children and other innocent people. That's not tolerable, it’s one thing to go after military targets and other government institutes, but once you start going after innocent civilians, that's crossing the line between activist and terrorist thug. The U.D.A (Ulster Defense Association) is no better, as there more concerned with there drug trafficking, then defending Ulster from these Marxist Terrorist. Now I want a united Ireland, it sickens to me to hear bout these so called nationalists killing there own brothers over some church divisions. A united Ireland is what I want to see, I want to see them unite and rid Ireland of there true enemy, the Marxist who have for the last 40 years been playing with there lives. In the 1920’s, the British wanted to get out of northern Ireland as it was during World war 1. Britain did not have one solid voice. So they pulled out. There was a protestant majority that felt they where British, and wanted to stay British. So Britain decided to partition Ireland. The Brits would take control of the northern part of Ireland, and call it Northern Ireland. They would leave the rest of the island for the Irish. Neither side was happy about this outcome. The majority of the Irish bitterly accepted this. They felt Northern Ireland would collapse under it‘s own weight. A group of brave Irish nationalist did not stand for this, and fought tooth and nail to rise against the British.

Floating Armless :: Philosophy, God

In A Prayer for Owen Meany John Ivring uses several symbols to explore the themes of fate and divine control. Ivring describes several objects and characters as being armless to represent a sacrifice made by a divine influence. Owen Meany in particular is often described as being above the ground to represent what he sees as his position as God’s instrument. Owen is first described as being held in the air when attending Sunday school(p 2). Later in the book John repeatedly picks up Owen and raises him to a basketball hoop so he can practice a slam dunk that becomes known as â€Å"the shot.† Before Owen’s death he is once again lifted to a high window using the shot in order to protect a group of children below (p 612). Finally Owen floats above the pine trees after his death (p 615). In part, Owen’s repeated flight is practical. Practicing the shot gave Owen and John the ability to place the grenade on the windows. However, Owen’s flight, particularly after his death also alludes that Owen is closer to the heavens and reinforces his role as â€Å"God’s instrument (p 87)†. After Owen’s death, John points out that â€Å"†¦There were forces that contributed to our illusion of Owen’s weightlessness; they were forces that we failed to believe in-and they were also lifting up Owen Meany, taking him out of our hands. (p 617)† This suggests that Owen was being lifted be divine forces from childhood until they lifted him above the palm trees. Owen was confident throughout the novel throughout the novel that nothing happens by accident and that he was fated to die on July 8, 1968(p 607). Owen feels his death is a part of God’s plan and does not attempt to change his fate. This ties into the theme of divine control. He was carried by spiritual beings through his life to fulfill his role in saving the children. In A Prayer for Owen Meany many characters seem to suffer amputations. The Indian chief Watahantowet draws an armless totem when he sells his land(p 8). Owen amputates the stuffed armadillo’s claws to represent his guilt and grief after accidentally killing Tabitha Wheelwright (p 86). The Meanys’ nativity set features a one-handed Joseph and a three-legged cow (p 183). Tabitha’s dressmaker’s dummy is armless until Owen gives it the arms he removed from a statue of Mary Magdalene (p 553), one of which is later separated again from the dummy (p 555).

Effective Communication in Teaching Essay

Effective communication skills are essential for early childhood educators to ensure a high level of academic care is provided and to develop strong relationships both inside and outside the classroom. Without good communication there is no connection and a teacher will struggle to provide any type of educational experience to the children in their care. As stated by Johnson (1999)â€Å"communication is an ongoing process of sending and receiving messages that enable humans to share knowledge, attitudes and skills. Effective teaching depends on successful communication† (p4). Johnson (1999) believes that â€Å"communication is the driving force in any relationship or situation† (p3), therefore without effective communication the relationship and learning process will suffer. The two types of communication used by teachers are verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication is the most obvious form and is used in an early childhood education setting constantly throughout the day. This can include teacher to child, teacher to teacher, child to child and teacher to parent. In an early childhood education setting, communication between teachers and children begins with a greeting in the morning as classes commence, and would continue constantly throughout the day. A typical day in a pre-school or infant’s school classroom would include activities such as roll call, group discussions and presentations like show and tell or news. These events would be a daily occurrence working to encourage communication between the teacher and the students, as well as between the students themselves, by giving each party a chance to speak and listen and exchange information and ideas. The day would continue with the teacher presenting new ideas and skills as part of the curriculum and, on a more casual basis, outside the classroom, during breaks and sport sessions. It is important for early childhood educators to be able to recognise the different learning styles of children and be flexible when communicating concepts and the content of lessons. A study by Geng (2011) discusses several different techniques that can be used when communicating with children and these include voice control, for example, using a certain tone  of voice to demand attention at the front of the class or a softer tone when trying to form a bond in the first phases of a relationship. Another useful technique when communicating with young children is to use short phrases and deliver instructions in a clear and concise manner. By using too many words, or words children do not understand the main message can be lost as they become confused or lose focus. Another way to ensure children follow along easily is to repeat instructions and new information, reiterating the main points to ensure they are heard and understood. Requesting a student to repeat the instruction back to the class allows the teacher to ensure they understand and is another chance for the instruction to be given to the class again. Visual clues are also used in a learning environment and within early childhood education these can include tools such as flash cards, pictures or posters and can be particularly useful when learning new words, spelling and basic mathematics, such as times tables. Non verbal communication is just as important as the more obvious verbal form. An early childhood educator must be able to communicate non-verbally. Johnson (1999, p.6) believes that children react better to this type of communication. Some examples of non verbal communication include facial expressions, touching and body movements, eye contact and use of personal space. By teaching children to understand non-verbal communication cues, their overall skills are enhanced as the two types of communication cannot succeed without each other. Knott (1979) defines the types of non-verbal communication in three categories: kinetic; body movements and gestures, paralanguage; voice qualities such as grunting and yawning, and the use of social and personal space. She states that these types of communication â€Å"play a significant role in the development of effective communication†¦ they are integral elements in all face to face communication† (p 227). It is essential that children learn to interpret these types of non-verbal communication. When combined with verbal communication, these skills will assist them to successfully communicate throughout life in many different situations, not just in an early childhood education setting. To enable educators to be the best they can be they must be able to communicate well with their peers. Exchanging ideas and information on the curriculum, teaching strategies, students, and problem solving ideas are daily occurrences for teachers. This will assist them in developing skills and furthering their knowledge. Both verbal and non-verbal communication is used between peers. An example of verbal communication between teachers would be colleagues exchanging ideas in staff meetings and discussions and a non-verbal example would include written reports and records about the students. Teachers play an important role in helping children develop relationships with one another. As an early childhood educator they are witness to the forming of many friendships between the children in their care. It is vital that these relationships are encouraged and guided to ensure all children feel happy, loved and secure with their place in the class or friendship group. Communication is the key to successful relationships and Kranyick (1975) believes that the ability to listen well is just as valuable as being able to project your message well. â€Å"The basic premise of the integrated day and family grouping is based on children learning from each other, they must listen to each other† (p 4). If children are not taught the importance of listening they may find their relationships suffer as it will be harder to form a bond if the other child feels what they are saying is not of value or importance. To support the education of communication within the early childhood years, the Australian Government has developed The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). It is an outline for teachers comprising of five learning outcomes. One of the outcomes is ‘Children are Effective Communicators’. The document states that â€Å"communication is crucial to belonging, being and becoming†¦ children communicate with others using gestures, sounds, language and assisted communication† (p 38). The document goes on to say that â€Å"Children feel a sense of belonging when their language, interaction styles and ways of communicating are valued†, which reiterates Kranyick’s (1975) beliefs discussed earlier. The importance of the relationship between teachers and parents must not be underestimated. A positive partnership is essential in order to ensure that a child’s education is supported and encouraged from not only inside the classroom but also at home. As stated by Hughes & MacNaughton (2001) â€Å"Communication between parents and staff is an important part of the daily life in early childhood centres†¦ research has shown that good staff-parent communication contributes significantly to the success of early childhood programs†. An effective way to reach out to a parent or carer is through an information and feedback session, commonly known as a ‘parent – teacher night’. This allows the teacher to discuss a student’s progress and development, as well as voice any concerns they may have. It is also an opportunity for parents and carers to ask questions and learn how to better support their children on their educational journey. In conclusion, good communication within an early childhood education setting is vitally important. It is essential that early childhood educators focus on developing strong and effective communication skills to be able to ensure a high level and successful educational experience for the children in their care. It is important that these skills are passed on to young children as when they develop good communication skills it can only help to build their foundation for learning and forming relationships as they go through the journey of life, including their future years of study and work, as well as their relationships with friends and family. In the words of Geng (2011) â€Å"communication is therefore a fundamental component in promoting positive behaviour†. REFERENCES Johnson, M. (1999). Communication in the classroom. Place, stateUS Department of Education. Geng, G. (2011). Investigation of teachers’ verbal and nonverbal strategies for managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) students’ behaviour within a classroom environment. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 36 (Issue 7), 17-30. Kranyik, M. (1975). Teaching to listen and listening to teach. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Conference on the Language Arts in Elementary School., Boston, MA. publisher. Arnold, M. (1979). Early child-child communication. Theory into Practice, Volume 18 (Issue 4), 213-219. Knott, G. (2011). Nonverbal communication during early childhood. Theory into Practice, Volume 18 (Issue 4), 226-233. Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, Australia. Author. McNaughton, D., Hamlin, D, McCarty, J, Head-Reeves, D, Schreiner, M. . (2007). Learning to listen: teaching an active listening strategy to preservice educational professionals. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. , Volume 27 (Issue 4), 223-231.

Garden of Eden and Utopia Essay

Everyone has an ideal world in which they’d want to live in. Of course no one wants to live in a place in which there is violence, cruelty, bad energy etc. But, for some, in order to achieve their ideal perfection of a utopia; they must do anything in their power to get close to what they have envisioned there ideal place would be like. Sure, some may say there is no such thing as perfection, others think otherwise. With variety of opinions whether a utopia can exist there many conflicts too many opinions and believes. Filmed by the director Guillermo Del Toro â€Å"Pan’s Labyrinth, section of Walden by Henry Thoreau and Genesis three, shows how dystopia is introduced as the story goes along. Because so many want to achieve utopia, many believe that the idea of having a perfect society does not exist and eventually will turn into chaos. In the movie Pan’s Labyrinth, the idea of a perfect utopia was displayed by one, going back to the years after the Spanish Civil War, in which â€Å"La guerilla† (the rebels) tries to fight the military of Spain. The purpose for the rebels to fight off the Regime was to oppose to the new government that wanted to control and create a New Spain. These rebels were not happy since they had different believes that the new government was strongly to oppose which was equality. Because both were displeased a war broke out and Spain was in war with itself. Both sides thought society could be run better if things either changed or stood the same. Having a war was a step of creating a utopia, but created a dystopia at the same time, for the simple fact that it created so much chaos and violence. There were many death, even, injured men who fought for their believes. Two, El Capitan Vidal who controls Spain’s military believes that fighting, things will go your way, he believes that they will give up due to the fact the rebels do not have enough food, armor nor enough men to win the battle. However not only does he have to deal with these rebels trying to win this battle but he also has to deal with his impregnated wife Carmen along with her daughter Ofelia. Ofelia being a young child with such a big imagination notices the domination that her new â€Å"stepdad† has towards her mom and she cannot do anything but obey. As the movie progresses, you could imagine how Ofelia dos not feel the love from her mother due to a delicate pregnancy and her stepdad that cannot stand her at all. There is no utopia here but a dystopia in Ofelia’s world and it is understandable in her eyes to realize that she lives in tough times but need the care and love from both adults. Every child desires to love and to be loved back, you don’t want to feel as if people don’t care nor bother to appreciate you for the smallest things, but for Ofelia is different. Because of the lack of care she receives in the real world, she relies on her fairytale stories not to just comfort her but to let he explore the magical place in which she wants to go and call home. Since the Captain is more eager and cares more about changing Spain he forgets his family and puts them to the side. As the movie almost gets to the end, the Captain seemed to start losing control of what he had once had control of. Though he showed strength and devotion towards his country many of â€Å"his† people were spy’s for the rebel and worked for him. At the end of the movie, El Capitan Vidal is surrounded by the rebellions after killing Ofelia inside the labyrinth and he now realizes his troops and himself were defenseless and rounded up. After trying to make all these changes to Spain and putting so much effort in trying to defeat the rebellions, his idea of perfection collapses in a matter of minutes To create a utopia you must obey and never question nor answer back. According to Genesis three, God created man and woman already who he called Adam and Eve. These two first humans were in the Garden of Eden and God had clearly told them â€Å"You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? † So they obeyed and did what God told them what to do. Adam and Eve were just humans who thought everything was roses and ponies, their world was perfect; no harm, they ruled the earth. God to them was someone to look up too so they did what he told them to do. However, everything changed when one of the animals God created deceived Eve to eat an apple from the Garden of Eve. At the end she ate this apple and convinced Adam to eat; all of a sudden both gain so much knowledge and realize there both nude. They knew they disobeyed God, they knew that something was going to happen and it actually did. God punished both Adam and Eve severely and it’s obvious that God reprimanded both for not obeying, God obviously started setting rules and he didn’t like the simple fact they didn’t go by one rule he expected them to follow. A place where everything was supposed to be unlimited to both became a nightmare when both went against God’s will. Nothing turned out to be perfect. Deciding to live in the woods and leave everything back is very hard to do, but it can be done. In the section of Walden, Thoreau decides to live in the woods because he has realized that he has not lived his life. Most people would think that he is insane for wanting to live in the woods and leave everything behind him just to explore Mother Nature. People would love to live in rural areas, but Thoreau decides that he will want to live here because it is a choice he made. Usually society would think this is wrong, just because it’s thought to be game but then Thoreau seems like he doesn’t care and wants to be able to explore. That is why he is telling the reader the reason why he is doing this. In conclusion trying to reach utopia means doing so much that can lead to destruction, even lives destroyed. To reach perfection is like reaching something impossible, and when you try to reach hard there rare chances of getting to it or reaching it. Chaos and an imperfection society is what we live in now, and no one has a full vision of what a utopia should be. Different mentalities, different livings, its hard as a society even a nation to decide what’s right and wrong.

Effect of Video Games on Kids

Tessa Johnson Professor Harrison Composition II 2 October 2012 Effect of Video Games on Kids Growing up, playing outside was what I did for fun. Whether it was riding my bike, playing with friends, or swimming, I was outside for hours at a time every day. Today, kids have access to things like Xboxes, Playstations, and Nintendo DS. In a study conducted by Gentile, Lynch, Linder & Walsh (2004) â€Å"adolescent girls played video games for an average of 5 hours a week, whereas boys averaged 13 hours a week. A survey done by Harris Interactive shows that 23 percent of youth have felt â€Å"addicted to video games. † Studies have shown that teenagers who play violent video games for extended periods of time tend to be more aggressive, are more prone to engage in fights and confrontations, and see a decline in academic success. (Gentile et al) In 2010, Robert Weis and Brittany Cerankosky conducted a study to see how video games affect academic success.They selected a group of boys who didn’t own video games and assigned them to one of two conditions: the â€Å"video games now† group got a game system immediately, and the â€Å"video games later† group didn’t receive their systems until months later. The researchers tracked the boys’ academic success at school. They found that the boys who got their game systems immediately spent less time on schoolwork and, 4 months later, they got lower reading and writing scores. This makes sense, since more time spent playing video games means less time studying.Also, the distraction of video games can cause kids to lose interest in their studies and cause them to fall behind. These results line up with another survey done by Cummings and Vandewater in 2007, which concluded that kids aged 10-19 who played video games spent 30% less time reading and 34% less time doing homework. (Cummings & Vandewater) A 2009 Brigham Young University study found that as video game usage increased, the qua lity of relationships with others, including family, friends, and other peers, decreased. The BYU Study found that daily video game users were twice as likely to use drugs.They were three times as likely to use drugs over those who never played games. This doesn’t mean that all kids who play video games are going to go out and do drugs, but it certainly doesn’t help anything. If a child spends hours at a time playing video games, they will have no time to form relationships and socialize, not giving them the social skills they may need to succeed in the future. This can set them up for failure in job interviews, school, and in building solid relationships that are crucial to every teenager’s life. However, there are also many positive elements of video games.According to Chacha Tumbokon, a psychologist at De La Salle University, video games can give kids betters skills in areas such as following directions, problem solving and logic, and hand-eye coordination an d fine motor skills. Often times the player is asked to follow commands or prompts in a video game in order to gain rewards or status, which aids with following directions. Also, when there is a challenge in a game, it doesn’t get solved easily; the player is often forced to work through many riddles or obstacles in order to succeed—another important life lesson for a child to learn.And lastly, video games require a great deal of hand-eye coordination. Often times games require the player to change viewpoints with one control, move with another control, and do actions (shooting, jumping, etc. ) with another control. This builds up hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, which is a good workout for the brain. Another common aspect of games is resource management. There are often a limited number of resources (such as lives, power-ups, money, etc. ) that has to be managed in order to succeed in a game. This is another valuable lesson that many kids should learn in t heir lifetime.James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that playing a video game is similar to working through a science problem. There is a lot of trial and error involved, which teaches a child inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing, something that can be used in many areas of life. In conclusion, there are many positive and negative effects of video games. Psychologists suggest that parents monitor the games that are being played by their children and make sure the games aren’t affecting the child’s