Describe What Montessori Meant by New Education Essay

Dr Maria Montessori dedicated and committed her life into education of the children. She has witnessed through some years with wars and conflicts and she thought; through education this can be turned into peace to this world. Since the year 1907 Montessori name has been recognized in the education system. Even though it has been over a century to this date Montessori principles are as powerful as it was. Dr Maria Montessori has relied on her actual observations on children to develop her method of education. During these observations she has discovered that each child has their own urge to learn through their own way. She brought to light that children has an enormous ability which can be turned into positive energy and a new beginning. According to Dr Montessori; education should be aimed at human progress not only to gain knowledge. â€Å"It is the spirit of the child that can determine the course human progress and lead it perhaps even to a higher form of civilization. † (The Essential Montessori, Chapter 6, p. 64). Dr Maria Montessori believed in a natural process of education. There was a teacher oriented system in place and she did not believe this was focused on the child fully. She felt if we focused on child and observe them this would help us to understand the child. â€Å"Studying these children and their mutual relationships in an atmosphere of freedom, the true secrets of society come to be revealed. † (The Essential Montessori, Chapter 6, p. 64). Education should be in a natural way, children has every right to freedom to learn. Montessori thought we can give importance to every child with new education. She felt that the civilization had the wrong idea about children and this needed to be changed firstly. She believed that adults did not understand the children, this has led the education system to fail. According to Montessori; â€Å" the fundamental problem in education is not an educational problem at all : it is a social one. It consists in the establishment of a new and better relationship between the two great sections of society- children and adults. † (Maria Montessori Her Life And Work, Chapter XV p. 231) Montessori felt that the real problem consists in cementing a new relationship between children and adults and she realized something very wrong with the relationship. Montessori felt that in the past there was many revolution with regards to slaves, workers, women, peasants, child-labourers and so on. Limited to certain place and time. Where as the problem she saw between the adult and the child was universal and did not matter about race, religion etc. â€Å"Grace must build on nature†. (Maria Montessori Her Life And Work, Chapter 15 p. 233) Montessori felt that children needed to have child size classroom equipment. She has compared if adults were to be living in gigantic sized environment filled with gigantic sized equipments how uncomfortable it would be compare it to adult scale. The child should be left to gain his/hers self esteem. This would benefit him/her to have a confidence in himself and not to depend/rely on others in the future. Every child has got a natural power to develop himself. â€Å"Children decide on their actions under the prompting of natural laws†¦ Inner forces affect his choice, and if someone usurps the function of this guide, the child is prevented from developing either his will or his concentration.. a negative action is the interruption of work at fixed times in the daily program†. (The Essential Montessori, Chapter 6, p. 64). Montessori drew attention to how adult and children learn very differently. She has relied on her observations when she explained the differences. What he is able to do, he must do by himself. One of her biggest concern was that adults need to change the way they think about the needs of the child. Adult has reached the development and no longer will be developing where as child’s interactions with his surrounding is helping his development. The children could teach themselves and they can learn from their environment. Children work with a slower rhythm compare to adults. They can spend a very long time for example changing their shoes into slippers when they arrive at the nursery in the morning. While child is taking his shoes off parents/carers cannot help but taking over the action in order to get it finished and done with. They often lose their patience and complain that their child is taking such a long time! Or they cannot help but saying ‘Let me do that for you’. What adults expect is an adult speed from the children. Montessori says, â€Å" He is following a timetable like the most diligent scholar in the world- following it with the unshakable constancy of the stars in their courses. (Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, Chapter 8, p. 125). It is important that in order to help little children, adults firstly needs to learn to respect the rhythm of children. She stressed that children will repeat the same thing over and over. For example a child in the nursery picking the same book each time he is asked to choose a book for teacher to read to children. Another example of a child in the nursery who is choosing the very same practical life transferring water with a turkey baster activity each morning at the arrival of the nursery and going back to it though out the day. Montessori says â€Å" Now by the very boredom you have experienced in thus repeating and repeating this same exercise, you will be able to measure that imperious inner urge that drives the children to do the same thing. † (Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, Chapter 8, p. 129). Montessori believed that there are different periods in the course of the child’s development, corresponding to the different phases in the development of human body. These periods are from birth to six year of age. Differences does not change the learning type of mind. She observed that the impressions a child takes from his environment, not only to penetrate the mind, but they come to life since the child makes his own mental flesh in using the things that in his environment. She called this type of mind â€Å" The Absorbent Mind†. Montessori through her system of ‘new education’ aimed at using this real constructive energy to create a new world for humanity.

Bottling Company Case Study Essay

I am the manager at a major bottling company. Customers have begun to complain that the bottles of our brand of soda contains less than the advertised sixteen (16) ounces of product. My boss has asked me to investigate and solve the problem at hand. I have asked my employees to pull and measure the amount of soda in each of thirty (30) randomly selected bottles off the line from all the shifts at the bottling plant. 1. The following calculations show the mean, median and standard deviation for the case study. Mean =14.8 The mean was calculated by getting the sum of total ounces in each bottle and then dividing that total by the sample size of thirty (30). Median = 14.8 The median is derived from the number that is in the middle, once the measurements have been placed in chronological order. Since the sample size is an even number, the median is obtained by taking the average of the two numbers in the middle. Standard Deviation = 0.55033 The standard deviation is the square root of the variance, which is average of the squares of the distance that each value is from the mean. 2. 95% Confidence Interval = 6.056489716 The CI (confidence interval) is a specific interval estimate of parameter determined by using data obtained from a sample and the specific confidence level of the estimate. 3. Conduct a hypothesis test to verify if the claim that a bottle contains less than sixteen (16) ounces is supported. Clearly state the logic of your test, the calculations, and the conclusion of your test. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete this step in the investigation for lack of  understanding and preparation. But, if I had to guess, I would say that the bottles do not contain the sixteen (16) ounces advertised. 4. Provide three (3) speculations as to why the bottles have less than sixteen (16) ounces of soda. The equipment was faulty in set up. Purposely designed to have less than sixteen (16) ounces for the purpose of expansion because acidic products need to have room for built up pressure. If a bottle has been agitated in transportation, once it is opened, there will be an exploded release of pressure. The calibration on the machine needs to be reset. In an effort to avoid the deficit in the future, the company can schedule frequent maintenance to the equipment to ensure proper function.

Multimedia Design †iOS vs. Android Essay

iOS ‘i’ stands for ‘Internet’. The term â€Å"iOS† was originally known as â€Å"iPhone OS† and was introduced in 2007 along with the first iPhone hardware device Apple released. It was the term used to describe the software that would operate the iPhone and is derived from the term â€Å"OS X†, which is how Apple describes its â€Å"operating system† for its Macintosh computers. The â€Å"X† stands for 10 which is the newest version of the computer software Apple created to operate the desktop and laptop computers they design. The â€Å"iOS† platform is a mobile-device-based software system that works like a computer system, but on mobile devices like portable phones. It is designed to be smaller, faster and use less power. It also has a â€Å"touch† friendly user interface so it works better when a finger is used to interface with the system instead of a mouse or stylus that has been used in the past to interact with operating systems. The iPhone has run on iOS si nce its release in 2007. Designed for use with Apple’s multi-touch devices, iOS supports input through direct manipulation. The system responds to various user gestures, such as pinching, tapping and swiping. Other iOS features include: Integrated search support enables simultaneous search through files, media, applications and email. Gesture recognition supports, for example, shaking the device to undo the most recent action. Google Maps direction services. Push email. Safari mobile browser. Integrated camera and video. Integrated media player. Direct access to the Apple Store’s catalogue of applications, music, podcasts, television shows and movies. Compatibility with Apple’s cloud service, iCloud. History 2007: iPhone OS 1 Revealed alongside the original iPhone in January 2007, the first Apple  smartphone operating system was not given a specific name until the following March, with the launch of the first Software Development Kit beta., when it became known as iPhone OS. The first iPhone could not support 3G, the copy and paste function, email attachments or MMS – and couldn’t run third party apps. Further updates included the introduction of the iTunes Music Store, allowing users to purchase music directly onto their phones (through a Wi-Fi connection) for the first time, and the ability to create their own ringtones. 2008: iPhone OS 2 Coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 3G, the second major update to the operating system saw the launch of the App Store, leading to the introduction of third party apps and games. Full support for Microsoft Exchange and the option to wipe your phone in the event of failing to enter your passcode were other new features, the latter being added in a subsequent update. Google Street View was enabled with the 2.2 update, featuring walking, driving and public transport options. 2009: iPhone OS 3 With the third incarnation for the new 3GS handset, the cut, copy and paste function finally became commonplace, alongside the long-awaited push notifications for third party apps. Video recording, MMS (multimedia messaging service) and voice control were also added, and users were given the chance to purchase films, TV shows and audiobooks through iTunes. Spotlight search enabled more comprehensive search through email, contacts, calendar, notes and within music, and the new voice memo function facilitated the recording and storing of audio notes. Purchasing within apps was also introduced, but only within paid-for apps. The 3.2 version contained a raft of improvements designed for use with the newly released iPad. While not supporting general multitasking, it was made to accommodate the differing resolution of a larger screen than the iPhone, as well as revamping apps specifically for the new platform. 2010: iOS 4 Introduced on June 21 2010, iOS 4 was the first operating system to bear the iOS name, released on the new flagship iPhone 4. Its folder system accommodated the storing of up to 12 similar apps within one mother folder,  while multitasking allowed apps to run simultaneously, such as writing an email while listening to Spotify, and navigation apps continuing to track your location in the background. iBooks, Apple’s ebook-reading software, and its parent iBookstore was introduced, and the improved 5MP iPhone 4 camera was complemented by ‘tap to focus’ software and 5x digital zoom. The device’s new front-facing camera also facilitated video calling feature FaceTime. 2011: iOS 5 2011 saw the launch of the iPhone 4S and with it, iOS 5. The main new feature was Siri, Apple’s voice-activated virtual assistant that had previously been downloadable from the App Store as a third party app. Now integrated into the OS, Siri now communicated with other apps to make calls, check emails and transcribe text. Containing more than 200 new features, iOS 5 heralded the arrival of iOS user messaging system iMessage, Twitter integration across a range of apps and online storage facility iCloud, replacing previous system MobileMe. 2012: iOS 6 Tim Cook took to the stage at Apple’s 2012 WorldWide Developers’ Conference shocked fans by announcing that Google Maps would not feature in latest incarnation iOS 6, and would be replaced by the company’s own inbuilt Maps app. Siri also received a makeover, featuring restaurant recommendations, the ability to dictate tweets or Facebook statuses and film reviews. A year after Twitter integration into Apple’s native apps, Facebook was added to the fold, and Apple launched its answer to Google Wallet, Passbook, will collated tickets, boarding passes and coupons within the single app. 2013: iOS 7 iOS 7 marked a radical aesthetic departure for Apple, masterminded by Sir Jony Ive, and debuted on the twin release of the iPhones 5s and 5c. The new ‘flattened’ and pared-back user interface drew praise and criticism in equal measures. The single-swipe control centre feature allowed users to quickly access key settings such as WiFi, Airplane mode, Bluetooth and the newly-introduced torch without having to delve into the Settings menu. Siri was upgraded to both male and female voices, and redesigned to understand French and German. Other changes included a new camera interface with a  square photo mode, full multitasking for all apps and new wallpapers. 2014: iOS 8 Announced at the 2014 WWDC conference in June, iOS 8 will feature new frameworks HealthKit and HomeKit, integrating apps to track health data and the standardisation of controlling internet-enabled home appliances. It is expected to ship on the iPhone 6, which Apple is believed to be preparing to announce at next week’s ‘special event’ in San Francisco. Other new features include being able to sent audio and video messages by holding down a record button while inside the Messages app, new predictive typing feature QuickType and the new and improved file hosting service iCloud Drive. Features With an easy-to-use interface, amazing features and security at its core, iOS 8 is the foundation of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. It’s designed to look beautiful and work beautifully, so even the simplest tasks are more engaging. And because iOS 8 is engineered to take full advantage of the advanced technologies built into Apple hardware, your devices are always years ahead — from day one to day whenever. Elegant and intuitive interface From the moment you pick up iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you know how to use it. That’s because iOS was designed to be easy to understand. The simple-yet-beautiful Home screen invites you to discover each of the built-in apps. So straight away, you’re browsing your favourite websites, capturing a few candids or texting your friends. And no matter what you’re doing or what app you’re using, everything feels easy, intuitive and even fun. Built-in features and apps that make your device — and you — more capable iOS and an ever-expanding collection of features and built-in apps make iPhone, iPad and iPod touch even more powerful, innovative and a joy to use. 1. Photos – Every photo you take is ready to edit and share in seconds, straight from your iOS device. And you can search for your favourite photos by time, location and album, or browse by Collections and Moments — smart groupings of your photos and videos based on time and plac e. 2. Messages – Messages lets you send any kind of message, any way you want to send it. Tap to add your voice to a conversation. Send a video of what you’re seeing the  moment you’re seeing it. And now you can manage your group conversations by naming them, adding and removing contacts, muting them or leaving them altogether. 3. Music – When it comes to your music, this is home base. Create playlists for every mood. Or let Genius do it for you. 4. Maps – Apple-designed from the ground up (and the sky down), this built-in app shows you incredible detail — even at full zoom. Maps keeps street names where they belong and keeps you heading in the right direction with spoken turn-by-turn navigation. 5. Face Time – With a tap, you can make video calls or audio-only calls from your iPhone or iPad to someone else’s. And you can do it over Wi-Fi or cellular networks. So you can be there, even when you’re not there. 6. Safari – It’s the world’s most popular mobile browser. Safari puts the focus where it should be: the web. When you open a web page, the address and navigation bars move out of the way until you need them. B ookmarks are easy to add and edit, and features like Reading List, Shared Links and iCloud Tabs let you get to the content you need when you need it. 7. AirDrop – Sharing with AirDrop is faster and more convenient than an email or a text, especially when the person you want to share with isn’t in your Contacts. Just tap to send photos, videos, contacts — and anything else from any app with a Share button — to anyone nearby who’s also running iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite. 8. Health – Now your activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and other health and fitness apps can talk to each other. Which means they’ll be able to work even harder for you. And all the information is accessible in one easy-to-read dashboard. 9. AirPlay – AirPlay lets you wirelessly stream what’s on your iOS device to your HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. Or mirror exactly what’s on your display to the big screen. Holiday photos, blockbusters, the latest games — you choose how to go large. Hardware and software made for each other. Because Apple makes both the hardware and the operating system for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, everything is designed to work together. So apps take full advantage of hardware features such as the dual-core processor, accelerated graphics, wireless antennas and more. Multitasking is a perfect example. iOS learns when you like to use your apps and updates the content in them at power-efficient times, like when your device is already in use and connected to Wi-Fi. So the content in your favourite apps stays up to  date without a major drain on your battery. With the App Store, there’s almost no limit to what your iOS device can do. iOS is the platform for well over a million mobile apps — and counting. And every app starts with the right DNA. So we’ve made iOS 8 the biggest release for developers since the introduction of the App Store. It offers new APIs to enable even more amazing features and bold new technologies for game development. And the App Store makes all of these apps easy to access, easy to search and easy to buy using the same account you use for iTunes. Just browse the App Store on your iOS device and download them with a tap. iCloud. Everything you need. Anywhere you need it. iCloud makes sure all your devices always have the latest versions of your most important things, including documents, apps, contacts, calendar events and more. iCloud Drive lets you access all your files from any device. With Family Sharing, all your photos, videos, music and iTunes purchases can be shared easily with your family across multiple Apple devices. Find My iPhone helps you locate your lost iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. And iCloud Keychain securely remembers your user names, passwords and credit card information so you don’t have to. Easy to update. iOS updates are free. And they’re available to download wirelessly on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch the moment they’re released. Your device even alerts you when it’s time to get the latest version. So you won’t miss out on all the amazing features in new updates. Safety and security come standard. iOS provides built-in security from the moment you turn on your device. That’s because the hardware, firmware and operating system come with built-in features designed to help your device — and what you put on it — stay safe. 1. Security. Malware and viruses aren’t confined to desktops anymore. They can infect mobile devices too. Which is why Apple takes security seriously when it comes to iOS. For starters, hardware and firmware features are designed to protect against malware and viruses, while iOS features help to secure your  personal information. Touch ID lets you use your fingerprint as a passcode, preventing unauthorised access to your device. When you use a passcode, it automatically encrypts and protects your email, calendar events, contacts, reminders, notes, messages and third-party apps. 2. Privacy. iOS is designed to put your privacy first. If an app wants your location information or data from Calendar, Contacts, Reminders or Photos, it needs your permission first. And you have complete control of how Health and HealthKit use your data. Your conversations over iMessage and FaceTime are encrypted, including predictive text. So no-one but you and the person you’re talking to can see or read what’s being said. And features built into Safari give you the ability to browse privately, block cookies and prevent websites from tracking you. 3. Find My iPhone Activation Lock. Your iPhone is your iPhone, no matter where it is. The same goes for your iPad and iPod touch. Because security features in iOS make it very difficult for anyone who’s not you to use or sell your device. Turning off Find My iPhone or erasing your device requires your Apple ID and password. Find My iPhone can also continue to display a customised message, even after your device is erased. And your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can reactivate it. 4. iCloud Keychain. Most of the websites you visit nowadays require user names and passwords. Remembering them all can be tough, but you can let iCloud Keychain do it for you. It stores your website user names and passwords on the devices you’ve approved, protects them with robust 256-bit AES encryption and keeps them up to date on each device. Then it automatically fills them in whenever and wherever you need them. Password Generator can even suggest unique, hard-to-guess passwords for your online accounts. iCloud Keychain works with credit card information too, so checking out takes no time at all. Accessibility built in. iOS includes a variety of accessibility features that help people with disabilities experience more of what iPhone, iPad and iPod touch have to  offer. The built-in VoiceOver screen reader allows those who are blind or have low vision to hear a description of the item they’re touching on the screen. Made for iPhone Hearing Aids are Bluetooth devices that allow you to experience clearer phone conversations and music, and you can manage them directly from your iOS device. With Guided Access, you can restrict an iOS device to one app, and even limit the amount of time spent in an app. Which can be helpful to people with autism or other attention and sensory challenges. And Switch Control gives individuals with limited physical or motor skills complete control of their device through switch access. iOS also offers many other beneficial accessibility features, such as dynamic screen magnification, playback of closed-captioned video, mono audio, simplified screen gestures and more . iOS knows many languages. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch support keyboard and dictionary functions for multiple languages and dialects. Switch languages on the fly.  iOS lets you take your pick of over 35 system languages and easily switch between them. Because the keyboard is software-based, you can select from over 55 different layouts with support for diacritic marks on characters, and contextual character options for Japanese. VoiceOver reads screens in more than 35 languages, and Voice Control understands over 20 languages. Advantages 1. Camera – Camera Shoot in burst mode, only click on capture and then press volume button You can take Picture continuously. 2. Multitasking – The phone has multitasking features. User can running two or more Apps at a same time. 3. Airdrop – You can do sharing of document and Apps with the desktop by Wi-Fi. You can share document at a time with multiple people. 4. iBeacon – iBeacon facility is newly added in iOS7. The sharing of document and Apps by the sensor via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). 5. Automatic Update – The iOS 7 update regularly with their application. It also has manually update options. 6. High Speed – The iOS 7 has provide high speed to idevises . 7. Kids Categories – The iOS 7 has children and parents according applications. The new features has a new part of the App Store. 8. Automatic Backgrounds Refresh – In iOS 7 Background refresh regularly get refresh. And it refresh its All application. 9. Out of the way interfaces – User can make interface  with friends by different ways. 10. Delete Clutter – iOS 7 has delete Clutter and textures automatic. By this facility iOS 7 is safe with any Malware. Android Introducing Android. The world’s most powerful mobile platform. There’s no other software quite like Android. Google engineered Android, and Google’s own apps run best on it. And with millions of apps, games, songs, and videos on Google Play, Android is great for fun, and for getting things done. Android devices come in all kinds of sizes, with all sorts of features, and at all sorts of prices. Each version of Android is named after a dessert, and the most recent version of Android is Jelly Bean. With Android, you’re in control of your mobile experience. Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries around the world. It’s the largest installed base of any mobile platform and growing fast—every day another million users power up their Android devices for the first time and start looking for apps, games, and other digital content. Android gives you a world-class platform for creating apps and games for Android users everywhere, as well as an open marketplace for distributing to them instantly. History V1.0- Marked the first commercial release of Android. At this time it was not widely available but had many new features that were important and still used today. These included Android Market for application upates and for new Applications Web Browser for full XTML/HTML web browsing. Google Apps full set of app by Google(Mail,SMS,Maps etc.) V1.1- This was a update to 1.0 that had many bug fixes and added a few features such as a Maps update. It was only available for ther T-Mobile G1. V1.5 or Cupcake was released in April 2009. It had several new approvements. Among the new features were Widgets for embedded small apps Contacts improvements including the pictures added to ever contact Animations for smooth scrolling and screen changes Bluetooth support update for audio pairing and sharing V1.6 or Donut was released in September of 2009 and had many improvements Voice and Text Improvements Touch Screen improvements Multi select for photos Camera access improvements and faster access Search Option for faster access V2.0/2.0.1/2.1 or Eclair was released in Oct 2009 and had several improvements and looks remarkably similar to today’s Android versions. Bluetooth 2.1 support Hardware and U.I. improvements Calendar improvements for date and not settings Account Sync improvements allow user to sync cultivable account on one phone Multi Touch improvements to allow better multitouch support Screen size and contrast improvements. Include bigger screens and better contrast ratios Android 2.2/2.2.1/2.2.2/2.2.3 or Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) was released May of 2010 and improved on many features. There were many key features in this version of Android including Adobe Flash support for rich web content Speed and memory improvements Cloud messaging support USB tethering Multi Language support Bluetooth dock and car support WiFi hotspots support JIT Compilation for application speed improvements 2.3/2.3./2.3.3./2.3.4 or Gingerbread was released in December of 2010 and as of the time of this writing has become the most widely used Android version. Some of the new features included U.I. or Interface improvements gave it a more simple but quicker interface Virtual Keyboard updated and improved for  a better and faster layout. copy/paste enhancements where a user could just press and hold New Codec support for more audio/video formats Power Management enhancements gyroscope/barometers support input enhancements for game developers V 3.0/3.1/3.2 or Honeycomb was released in Feb of 2011 and was a tablet(and later Google TV) only release. Some of its features included Holographic interface that was optimized for a tablet U.I. Improved keyboard support for larger screens Multi Core processor support Hardware acceleration for faster hardware view gallery in full screen interface System bar for better multitasking that allows you to switch from one app to another. Resizable home screen widgets(3.1+) external keyboard/mouse support (3.1+) FLAC audio codec support (3.1+) Android 4.0/4.01 was first released in Oct 2011 and was a major improvment upon both 2.x and 3.x. It blended both interfaces and had full support for both phones and tablets. Some of the notable features included Folder system improvements making easier to create. Launcher improved to be customizable Tabbed Browsing improved to allow up to 16 tabs facial recognition support to locking/unlocking phone photo editor built in to Android 4.x Android Beam support to share contacts and files Chrome Bookmark sync support Wi-Fi direct support to connect with other users without access point User Interface hardware acceleration for faster access. Android 4.1 Android Jellybean saw full release in early 2012 and improved on Android 4.0 in many ways. It took the common features of Android 4.0 and made it more fluid. Some features include: Browser has improved performance, CPU and memory efficiency Full HTML 5 support to bring Android up to new web standards Calendar is improved and has features blend with one another bidirectional text means more input languages to make the platform accessible to more people around the world. dictionaries are now more accurate and more relevant A update to Android 4.1 is now available. It is still counted as Jellybean but updated to new features that include: Photo Sphere allows you to use take 360 degree pictures among other new camara features Gesture Typing let’s you type much faster but takes some getting used to but can make typing much faster. Google Now updated with new features Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie rumored to be the next version of Android. Global partnerships and large installed base Building on the contributions of the open-source Linux community and more than 300 hardware, software, and carrier partners, Android has rapidly become the fastest-growing mobile OS. Every day more than 1 million new Android devices are activated worldwide. Android’s openness has made it a favorite for consumers and developers alike, driving strong growth in app consumption. Android users download more than 1.5 billion apps and games from Google Play each month. With its partners, Android is continuously pushing the boundaries of hardware and software forward to bring new capabilities to users and developers. For developers, Android innovation lets you build powerful, differentiated applications that use the latest mobile technologies. Powerful development framework Easily optimize a single binary for phones, tablets, and other devices. Android gives you everything you need to build best-in-class app experiences. It gives you a single application model that lets you deploy your apps broadly to hundreds of millions of users across a wide range of devices—from phones to tablets and beyond. Android also gives you tools for creating apps that look great and take advantage of the hardware capabilities available on each device. It automatically adapts your UI to  look its best on each device, while giving you as much control as you want over your UI on different device types. For example, you can create a single app binary that’s optimized for both phone and tablet form factors. You declare your UI in lightweight sets of XML resources, one set for parts of the UI that are common to all form factors and other sets for optimzations specific to phones or tablets. At runtime, Android applies the correct resource sets based on its screen size, density, locale, and so on. To help you develop efficiently, the Android Developer Tools offer a full Java IDE with advanced features for developing, debugging, and packaging Android apps. Using the IDE, you can develop on any available Android device or create virtual devices that emulate any hardware configuration. Open marketplace for distributing your apps Google Play is the premier marketplace for selling and distributing Android apps. When you publish an app on Google Play, you reach the huge installed base of Android. As an open marketplace, Google Play puts you in control of how you sell your products. You can publish whenever you want, as often as you want, and to the customers you want. You can distribute broadly to all markets and devices or focus on specific segments, devices, or ranges of hardware capabilities. You can monetize in the way that works best for your business—priced or free, with in-app products or subscriptions—for highest engagement and revenues. You also have complete control of the pricing for your apps and in-app products and can set or change prices in any supported currency at any time. Beyond growing your customer base, Google Play helps you build visibility and engagement across your apps and brand. As your apps rise in popularity, Google Play gives them higher placement in weekly â€Å"top† charts and rankings, and for the best apps promotional slots in curated collections. Preinstalled on hundreds of millions of Android devices around the world, Google Play can be a growth engine for your business. Features Take Google with you. Take Google with you on your mobile device: all the Google products you know and love, designed to work best on Android phones and tablets. Search the web The fastest, easiest way to find what you need on the web and your phone or tablet. Enjoy the power of Google search wherever you are. With Google Now, get just the right information at just the right time. Browse fast on your Android phone or tablet with Chrome. Bring your personalized Chrome experience with you anywhere you go. Navigate your World Never get lost as you go to new places and old favorites. Get voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation to your destination, powerful local search with full place reviews and summaries from Zagat editors, detailed maps with 3D buildings, live traffic information and more with Google Maps for Android. Connect & Share Stay connected and share epic moments as they happen. Start a group video chat on the go with up to nine people at once with Google+ Hangouts, and never lose another mobile photo with Instant Upload. Be entertained Get all your apps & entertainment in one place. Google Play brings you the world’s largest collection of eBooks, millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and a growing selection of magazines – plus over 600,000 apps and games. With Google Play, you can now read, listen and watch anywhere you want — on your tablet, phone, or on the web at play.google.com — no wires, no syncing and no storage costs. YouTube puts millions of videos at your fingertips, available on the go wherever you are. Create & Collaborate Google Drive gives you one place to create, share, collaborate and keep your stuff, accessible on all your devices. With Gmail, get smarter email wherever you are, integrated with contacts and apps on your Android phone or tablet. Your stuff, always available, no wires needed. When you sign in to your phone or tablet with Google, you can access all of your Google stuff (contacts, photos, Gmail and more) quickly and easily. You can also enjoy all of your favorite entertainment across your Android devices and even your computer — no wires, no syncing. Play everywhere you go. Google Play is the easiest way to enjoy all your favorites: more than 700,000 apps and games, millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, the world’s largest collection of eBooks, and a growing selection of magazines. With Google Play, there’s no wires, no hassle, just pure entertainment. You can now read, listen and watch anywhere you want—on your tablet, phone, or in any browser at play.google.com. Powerful, simple, and beautiful Millions of people use Android because it’s so powerful yet still so easy. The home screen, apps, and widgets are simple to use right out of the box, but completely customizable. With Android, you can create a unique mobile experience that’s just right for you. Widgets – Put the important stuff right within reach and interact with your favorite apps directly from your home screen with widgets — see the latest sport scores, view your favorite photos, check the weather or peek at your inbox all without having to open different apps or leave the home screen. Notifications – An easy-to-read notification tray gives you quick access to your calls, incoming texts, and new emails in a non-intrusive way. Multi-tasking – With Android, you can quickly and seamlessly switch between apps and pick up whatever you were doing. Juggling multiple tasks at once on a mobile device has never been easier. Voice typing and actions – Control your Android device with your voice. Simply touch the microphone on the keyboard and start talking to write emails, SMS, or any other text — more than 30 languages supported. Text appears in real time, so there’s no waiting. 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Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 21

Philosophy - Essay Example Ignoring the theft maybe the easiest response to the situation since I do not need to do anything but such response to the situation may not be the most appropriate. Telling the authorities about the incident may be a good thing to do on my part but it will result to having the man arrested and deprived of his freedom. On the other hand, approaching a perfect stranger and telling him that what he is doing is bad may result to some undesirable responses from the man and it could result to some unpleasant incidents. To decide which response is appropriate to promote the rule of law, let us look into the teachings of Immanuel Kant and Aristotle. Under the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, morality can be summed up as an ultimate commandment of imperative or reason from where the duties and obligations of people are derived (Kant, 1785). Kant believes that an imperative action or inaction is necessary to maintain peace and order. For Kant, there are two classifications of imperative action namely the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. Kant defined a hypothetical imperative as a something that compels an action under given circumstances and the categorical imperative as an absolute requirement as an end and justification of an act (Kant, 1785). Kant believes that human free will is the source of all rational action and to treat the action as a subjective end is to deny the possibility of freedom. In applying the ideas of Kant in the case of the man at the grocery store; we can conclude that the act of taking the batteries without paying for them is wrong. Under the categorical imperative of Kant, some actions require absolute responses that serve both an end and justification for the enforcement of the law. Since in the eyes of the law, taking something without the knowledge and consent of its owner is absolutely wrong, the man’s can be categorically described as a wrongful act. According to Kant’s teachings,

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

Ethics - Essay Example A closer look at the article; ‘the single solution to world poverty’ and ‘consider the lobster’ by Peter Singer and David Foster Wallace respectively can help to develop a conversation about ethics and further show how difficult the conversation can become. According to Singer, many human beings spend so much of their income on non-essential things that are not essential to their life survival or preservation of their health. The author contends that if money spent by people on non-essential things were to be donated to charity, it would imply the difference between life and death for children who are in need (Singer 1). The author believes that the consequences of human action should get used to determine what is right from wrong. I believe that Singer’s argument are justified, however, human beings are prone to desires and want more than what they just have. It is an innate feeling that brings satisfaction to their lives and to simply cut off one’s desire for luxury is quite difficult. In ‘consider the lobster’, David Foster Wallace appears to urge his audience to empathize with the lobsters that they eat. The author documents on the Maine Lobster festival by providing a glimpse of the events that take place, the lobsters that get served and where they can be found, and further details on the utensils that get used. His essay aims at asking people to consider how these lobsters get caught, prepared, and eventually served to the crowd (Wallace 4). He persuades people by graphically describing the process of preparing lobsters when boiling in hot water and how they appear to try to escape the heat. Wallace’s argument is quite valid. I believe that the basis of his argument should form the understanding of the debate on ethics.by providing consideration to the feelings of another human being or animal, can we base our decisions on what is right or

IS globalization a new stage in the development of capitalism Essay

IS globalization a new stage in the development of capitalism - Essay Example The premise of capitalism banks on the philosophy of holding wealth on the part of the privately owned entities. This is a drastic philosophy – and one that can have lasting effects on the long run contextual meaning of the globalization regimes. Since globalization looks to provide benefits to both the developed nations as well as the comity of nations that can only be remarked as the underdeveloped, what in essence it does is to instigate the capitalist entities in a very aggressive manner. The political ramifications that come attached with such globalization undertakings under the capitalist modules need serious thinking and proper action, before one could deduce the overall success or failure of such regimes in entirety. As a matter of fact, capitalism is generally not a very favored phenomenon within any region of the world. If the globalization regimes are taken as a new stage or a new sub-cultural norm within the capitalist settings, then one can only think of havoc coming in within the respective economic and political undertakings of the state. Politically speaking, globalization aims to bring wealth and prosperity for any country and thus the proponents of globalization generally favor the tide which is coming their way. The publics seem to understand that with the wave of globalization within their folds, success will actually creep in, though in a slow fashion. However one can comprehend that success is indeed significant from the long term scheme of things and if globalization provides the boost within the interaction mechanisms of people with their respective governments, then the latter usually allow the globalization regimes to come in within the countries and flourish to the optimum pos sible levels (Maitra 1996). This means a win-win scenario for the people as their government understands how to bring prosperity and growth basis within the country. It helps the political groups in winning the electorates and thus sweeps the elections as and

Charter Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Charter - Research Paper Example APEX brings together all business programs and units for efficiency in running the company as a whole. The Six Sigma Strategy is used by the company to improve its business operations. The improvement project as a whole aims at making sure that these best practices upheld by Raytheon function as they are supposed to for the general well-being of the company. The Program Management College is meant to provide training courses for the company managers and for other employees as well. Raytheon has always faced challenges in phasing out the start-up process of many of its running programs. To improve on this, it has established the Program Start-up process to ensure that every initiated program in the company has more than enough to see to it that it starts on a high note. The Program Management Forum aims at providing opportunities for managers to network and exchange ideas with managers of other companies on the best managerial skills. The management of the company has identified the existence of a gap in its business model whereby they report to the wrong people. This led to the creation of Program Structuring, Learning and Effectiveness to ensure more accountability on everybody’s part. This project is further based on a strong matrix model where reporting is done through integrated business models and cross business teams. These models are aimed at ensuring that the company is effective, efficient, and capable and utilizes its working capacity to the maximum. Raytheon has identified the need to improve its services and products. One of the major reasons for so doing is the rapid increase in the rate of competition for the services and products it offers. The company wants to become the best in the world of defense and information technology, hence the need to roll out a program that will help it to achieve this goal. The company has also established various goals that it wants to

Orders and Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Orders and Power - Essay Example Modernism was majorly shaped by the rapid growth of human settlements in form of cities resulting from the development of societies in a modern industrial aspect. The horrors associated with the World War I were also key factors in the shaping of modernism. Modernism was a freedom as the artists sought to express their beliefs of what the society should really relate and work. The movements had salient characteristics of self-consciousness. This led to experiments that approaches and forms used to draw attention to the materials used in producing the piece of work. They also incited the focus on attention of the processes that resulted in the various art works. The movements were not rebellious in nature, as they did not seek to completely abandon the societal traditions and replace them with new ones. The artists sought to incite the societies to make changes to the obsolete culture of the past through paradigmatic like the injunction â€Å"Make it new!† Avant-garde The freed om of the modernism period was expressed through the artists adopting an avant-garde meaning in the artistic works. This approach saw the pushing of the accepted status quo and norms beyond the accepted boundaries using cultural realms as the primary drivers (Weiten 2011: 143). This notion was the hallmark of modernism with many artists aligning themselves with the notion that traced a history from the pre-modernism era of Dada through the modernism period to the era of postmodern artists like language poets in the late 20th century. The primary concept that constitutes the avant-garde is having writers, composers, and generally artists whose pieces of art oppose the cultural values of the mainstream society often with a trenchant edge of social or political form. One such artist is Georges Seurat, a Frenchman born in Paris on December 2, 1859 (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). A Sunday afternoon on the island of la Grande Jatte Seurat was a shy reclusive member of an avant-garde beli eving group who died a sudden death from meningitis at the age of 31 after making major impacts on the modernism movements through production of various great artistic works. His inspiration came from the desire to negate from Impressionism’s preoccupation of the fleeting moment with the rendering of the essentials and unchanging parts of life instead. Impressionism is an art movement with Paris as the origin. The art have characteristics of relatively small and thin brush strokes that are visible (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). The art emphasizes on depictions of light that are accurate in its changing qualities and are usually based on open compositions of ordinary subject matters. The arts included movement as crucial in the elements of the perceptions and experiences of the human being in unusual angles. However, many of his approaches borrowed from the ideas of impressionists. This included a love for matters of the modern subject and urban leisure scenes and attempts t o capture all colors interacting to produce the appearance of an object instead of just depicting the apparent color of the object being depicted (Hagen and Hagen 2003:456). His fascination was in a range of scientific ideas

Annotated bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Annotated bibliography - Essay Example People in the country deeply respect and value their family backgrounds. The world has become globalized. Enterprises, therefore, have to deal with and interact with business partners from diverse cultures. For this reason, it is important for business persons to understand and respect their clients and partners who are from different cultures as theirs. Intercultural understanding is, therefore, very significant for the success of businesses (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 2). In regard to the role of family in society, the authors of the article note that Egyptian and German societies are quite different, especially pertaining to concept of their cultures and forms of families. The history of social development in Egypt and Germany is also quite different (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 3). For instance, Egypt is historically known to be one of the world’s first regions to record high levels of civilization whereas Germany was still at a Neolithic level of development. The society in Eg ypt is also Islamic whereas the one in Germany mostly subscribes to Christian philosophies. The authors of the article point out that the differences in family and social structures, and living conditions in Egypt and Germany are as a result of the different historical development and the present environmental factors (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 4). The Egyptian society considers the family to be one of the most important institutions. In Egypt, the word family does not only represent persons who are actually related, but is used as an expression of close relationship. The whole Egyptian nation considers itself as one family, signifying their unity and close relationship through their social bindings. In Egypt, the word family is mostly used metaphorically to represent mutual support, social cohesion and solidarity (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 5). Families in Egypt are of different social settings and models. These include rural families in the countryside, traditionally oriented familie s in the city, and modern families in the cities. Rural families in Egypt live in the countryside. Members of such families usually believe in hard physical work, to which all family members participate in (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 6). Many hands are required to achieve all the work required to survive. For this reason, children are also involved in the labor. The surprising fact is that many of us may pity these children, yet, they consider themselves adults and do not mind working. Traditional families in the cities take up almost the same characteristics as rural families. In both types of families, men are responsible for the finances of their families. Modern families in the cities are quite different from the traditional families. Members of these families see themselves as intellectual and sophisticated. Individual family members also embed themselves with close circle of friends. The one factor that remains constant in all the types of families in Egypt is that it is the wom an’s role to cater to housekeeping duties and the man’s role to look for income for the family (Aldinger and Bauernfeind 6). Germans also consider the family to be the most important social institution. Differences in family structures in Egypt and Germany have been brought about by the different living conditions and societal development histories (Aldinger and Ba

Bangkok Sukkha Phapdi Hospital Essay Example for Free

Bangkok Sukkha Phapdi Hospital Essay The Bangkok Sukkha Phapdi Hospital (BSPH) was opened on 1 January 1997. It is a private hospital offering a omprehensive array of medical treatments and is particularly well looked upon by patients in the USA and in the Middle East. BSPH was opened on 1 January 1997. From the start, the hospital adopted a different business approach from the other typical hospitals. The hospital’s outpatient foyer can outshine a five-star hotel’s lobby. The wards are warmly decorated to resemble a hotel. There are separate floors to deal with patients arriving from the USA, Asia or the Middle East. Chefs are able to cook a variety of food to please the palate of visitors from the USA, the Middle East and Asia. An in-house travel agency offers visa extensions. And almost every process is digitised and connected with latest wireless technology. For the past 16 years, its administrators have been acquiring state-of-the-art technology and experts from all over the world. Eight years ago, it replaced its paper records with a ‘homegrown, all-digital system’. The solution was developed by Bangkok-based Global Care Solutions (GCS), a company developing enterprise health solutions. The solution efficiently manages clinical workflow, billing, regulatory compliance and medical records. International patients make up about 42% of the patient volume, but about 55% of the revenue because the patients who come to BSPH from international settings come for a mix of procedures and a fair number of those are higher end procedures. They make up an important part of the overall patient base and BSPH has developed services over the years to respond to their special requirements. Senior management at BSPH have always recognized the importance of knowledge as a hospital is, after all, a knowledge-intensive organization. However, in recent times, they felt that a more formal approach to capturing and sharing knowledge created within and outside the organization is necessary. The aim is therefore to initiate a formal organizational knowledge management program. Knowledge has been recognized as one of the most important resources of the 21st century.

Psychoanalytical Concepts of Crisis in Masculinity

Psychoanalytical Concepts of Crisis in Masculinity The late 60s saw a rapidly materialising concern about the status of masculinity. Before the 60s it seemed that the idea of masculinity was safe males could be useful within modern capitalist societies, providing for their families and gaining a sense of satisfaction from their place in society. But society began to change, economically, socially and especially in relation to the position of women. The rise of feminism was changing womens attitudes about the way in which they were (and are) treated. In turn this was starting to affect how men viewed themselves. Carroll (2004) explains how in American society the breadwinner ideal was being eroded with support from professional groups including psychologists and cardiologists working all the hours and a constant striving for material wealth might not be good for you. How, asked men, do we define ourselves now? This essay will examine the crisis in masculinity from the point of view of psychoanalysis through the Oedipal complex and the castration complex and then move onto evidence from social and cultural theories. To examine how masculinity might be in crisis, it is first necessary to examine how psychoanalytical theories posit that boys gain their masculine identity or in other words how they become men. Modern psychoanalytical theory, as did Freud himself, places a great emphasis on the early relationships of the young boy with his parents or caregivers. It is the vicissitudes of these relationships that will have important consequences for development. In Freudian terms, this early relationship is overshadowed by the Oedipal conflict. The mother shows a great interest in the child and the boy realises that his father represents his main rival to this relationship. The boy desires the mother, but the father stands in the way. Attempting to maintain these conflicting influences at some kind of equilibrium is the central drama of development from a psychoanalytical viewpoint. What, then, are the most important processes that occur in early life that influence the construction (or otherwise) of the male identity out of the Oedipal crisis? Greenson (1968) explains that psychoanalytic theory concentrates on the idea of disidentification, this is divided into two processes: firstly a boy must sever the emotional ties he has with the primary caregiver usually the mother and secondly he needs to identify with a male role-model usually the father. The identification with the father should allow the boy to have a way of communicating with the outside world, to tempt the boy away from psychological closeness with the mother and provide the support needed to avoid the boys return to a symbiotic relationship with his mother. The relationship with the mother, then, is seen by Klein (1975) as a delicate balancing act. It provides a prototype for later relationships with women and so needs to be warm and loving, but it is difficult for a man to have relationships with women if he is too close to his mother. Horrocks (1994) argues that, in fact, the male child is surrounded by femininity throughout his early childhood, and it is important for him to break away and discover a world of men for here lie the roots of the male identity. The central paradox, though, is that the man wishes to escape this cocoon of womanhood but there is also the desire to become close to a woman. One danger in this dynamic is that the early influence of the mother is too great and not sufficiently counter-acted by the father this leads to an inability to separate himself from the mother (Horrocks, 1994). The role of the father in the masculine identity is seen as crucial by psychoanalysts. Horrocks (1994) sees the role of fathering as an introduction to manhood, the introduction to a role that has previously been shrouded in mystery. While there are some initiation rights and ceremonies in some cultures, overall, and especially in western societies, it is not particularly strong. There has actually been a disconnect between the son and his father, now the father heads out to work everyday and no longer has a chance to bond with his son. Horrocks (1994) sees one of the most important functions of the father as to show the young boy that it is possible to live with the mother, to have conflict, fear and guilt, but still to live together. It is through the father-son relationship that the boy can learn that it is possible to live a civilised existence without continual recourse to violence and satiation of primitive longings. The damaged modern male, the male in crisis, is seen by Horro cks (1994) as unfathered. Women are viewed as dangerous to have a relationship is to have a battle and the man must draw himself away from women from time to time to maintain his safety. By never really making a strong connection, the modern man in crisis feels damaged and abused and uses the methods of abuse and damage to relate to others because he knows no other way. This analysis of the Oedipal complex and its effects, as well as the possibility of transcendence, actually describes a rather prototypical interaction between the young boy and his caregiver. Blazina (2004) describes how some criticisms and refinements of this model have been made by subsequent theorists. Bergman (1995), for example, has argued that it is not necessarily with the mother the boy should be disidentifying. There are many situations where the father is actually the provider of the most emotional nurturance. In this case it is better to see the individuation as occurring with the primary caregiver rather than the mother. Blazina (2004) also maintains that there should not be such emphasis on the cutting off of the other identity. Where the other identity is feminine, there is now greater acceptability of feminine qualities in men so these can be integrated into male identity without compromising maleness. For the crisis in masculinity, Freuds conception of the castration complex is of great interest. Freud (1925) theorised that the castration complex had the following stages. Firstly a boy guesses from the evidence of his own anatomy that everyone has a penis. Secondly he finds out that women do not have penises and assumes that they have been mutilated in some way. Thirdly when he begins to masturbate, he is told that he will be castrated. Fourthly, finding that the breast has already been removed, summarises that the penis will be next. Finally, the Oedipus complex is destroyed by this threat of castration. According to Horrocks (1994), Freud saw this sequence of events as concrete, whereas many psychoanalysts now see this in more allegorical terms, as mediated by culture and society. Through gender, both men as well as women are denied a whole world of being, the world of the other gender. After the process of partitioning men and women both feel a sense of loss at the things that they will not be able to experience. In men this castration complex expresses itself in a variety of different ways. Men have a desire for love, a fear of their own sexuality, and, in particular, a fear of their own anger. Horrocks (1994) describes how, as a psychotherapist, many men talk about their fear that their anger will be exposed to the world. To stop this, they have to bottle it up and repress the emotion. As a result, in heterosexual men, this is recognised by the women with whom they have relationships and they are rendered impotent and asexual. A man who acts in this way behaves passive aggressive ly he is motivated to manipulate those around him by his anger. This prohibits a direct connection with other people because his relationships are based on manipulation. The result of this is that feelings are kept inside and denied. A similar problem is seen, in Horrocks experience, in macho men. The castration of the macho man leaves him profoundly afraid of expressing his own feelings. This denies him the possibility of acting emotionally in any situation as this will simply reveal his weakness as he sees it. It is the emotional parts of himself that this man hates and wants to hide away the feminine parts of him are an embarrassment. By being cut-off from his own feelings, the psychologically castrated man experiences an emptiness within himself that he attempts to fill with methods that will never work. The emptiness inside is often experienced as a dead feeling, almost of death itself. It is precisely this almost death from which, Horrocks argues, many men in the crisis of masculinity are suffering. Without the connection with his own emotions, or those of anyone else, he is only half a man, not able to experience himself or others properly, safely cocooned within an empty world. Within Freuds writings, woman were theorised to suffer from envy of the male penis, but Freud did not acknowledge the possibility of men being envious of the female breast. The male-centred idea that penis envy is fundamental to psychoanalysis is attacked by the introduction of the idea of breast envy. Klein (1975), for example, has pointed out that both male and female children have very strong feelings towards the breast both are attracted to it and both want to destroy it. Instead of defining both sexes in terms of the penis one having and the other jealous a reciprocal envy provides balance that acknowledges the lacuna in mens lives as well. The breast does, after all provide, not only nourishment, but also love to the child, and so a womans breast is a symbol of these qualities. Horrocks (1994) argues that men have a strong desire to return to the breast, to return to the originator of life and at the same time men attack the breast and want to destroy it. Melanie Klein posited that the idea of womb envy was also an important component in the male psyche. Minsky (1995) describes how the Kleinian viewpoint sees the development of male power as being rooted in the fear of the womb. Like the young boys envy of his mothers breasts, he also becomes envious of her womb and the power it has to create new life. To make up for this envy, men are forced to concentrate their efforts on cultural and creative efforts and to suppress womens forays into the same field. Minsky (1995) explains that it is the phallus that then saves men and provides a distraction from the envy of the womb. Lacan has a different take on the Oedipus complex. He sees the father not as a real father but as a representation or a metaphor for culture (Lacan, 2004). It is through the young boys experience of cultural factors such as language that he is pulled away from the mother. The mother represents desire for Lacan and so culture, through the representation of the father, pulls the boy from what he desires. This cutting off is like a castration and the child then attempts to substitute this with a search for truth (Minsky, 1995). Many of these psychoanalytical ideas about the roots of a crisis in masculinity are analysed in social theories in terms of a conflict in gender roles. ONeil, Helms, Gable, David, Wrightsman (1986) have defined gender role conflict as where socialised gender roles have an adverse psychological effect which causes a restrictive effect on the self through barriers created around personal creativities and freedom. ONeil et al. (1986) identify four different types of role conflict. There is a restriction in the range of internal emotionality; similarly, there is a restriction in the types of emotional behaviour that are possible towards other men this results in an inability to communicate feelings. Personal achievement and constant comparison to what others have creates a constant sense of fear and worry. There is a conflict between the requirements of work and those of the family which results in stress and health problems, and a simple lack of time to relax. Evidence to support these ideas of role conflicts has come, for example, from Sharpe Heppner (1991) who found a connection between role conflict and problems with intimate relationships. Watts Borders (2005) point out, though, that many of these studies have not been carried out in younger, adolescent boys. In rectifying this hole in the research, Watts Borders (2005) investigated role conflict in adolescent boys. Their findings were in line with the theories put forward by ONeil et al. (1986). The boys in their study said they found there was a societal pressure to restrict their emotionality, both internally and between themselves and other boys. Further they theorised that many of the boys had only been exposed to a very limited range of emotions from male role models indeed many denied experiencing any emotions other than anger. Cultural theories, which intersect with Lacans ideas, are also important in how the crisis in masculinity has been studied. Whitehead (2002) considers arguments that have been played out in the public domain. Firstly he considers the publication of Stiffed: The Betrayal of Modern Man (Faludi, 2000). The thesis of this book is that it is now the male who finds himself objectified and the subject of much sexist consumer culture. In addition the mans secure attachments and relationships with the world of work are no longer as strong and exclusive as they once were. Men seem also, in Faludis view, to be failing to fight back against the new culture, failing to take on this creeping emasculation. Now that feminism has attacked the patriarchal systems of power and control, masculinity has been left undermined and unsure. The rise of feminism has surely encouraged many men to question how they view women and then apparently left them confused. Faludi (2000) places the blame for this crisis in masculinity at the door of culture and encourages them to work together to combat it. While the argument has some elements of truth, quite how men and women are supposed to step outside of culture is not clear. Without men and women, there is no culture people are intimately bound up with it and part of it. The second set of arguments centre around research carried out by Professor Richard Scase as part of the European Commissions Futures Programme (Scase, 1999). This research found that many women are choosing to live alone as their opportunities in the workplace increase and especially as the roles they can adopt widen. It is hypothesised that this is having a knock-on effect on men who find it difficult to cope with this new situation. Evidence for this is in the rising rates of suicide between 1991 and 1997 they have increased by 60%. Social research finds that men are choosing to remain living at home rather than move out on their own (Office of National Statistics, 2000). Whitehead (2002) sees this as evidence that men are failing to cope with the new challenges they are facing. Further cultural and social evidence that men are in crisis is provided by Beynon (2001). Relying heavily on role theory, Beynon (2001) points to the changes in work patterns particularly the fact that less than half the men over 55 are in work. There is also a sense in which these men are caught between attempting to maintain the old-style macho posturing and the new-man type behaviour requiring a man to be in touch with his feelings. Beynon (2001) claims that generally men are less likely to tackle any psychological or physical illness which faces them. In marital breakdown, Beynon (2002) argues, the man is normally most responsible, with women starting 75% of divorces. Similarly nine out of ten men move out of the marital home after the breakdown of a marriage. This reason, however, is probably more of an artefact of the legal system and simple practicality than an indictment on men. Apart from anything else, men generally die younger and are much more likely to suffer from heart disease. The worrying facts and figures continue through both crime and education and other major areas of life. Violent crimes are mostly committed by men, indeed it is men who are mostly the victims of violent crime, and so it is violence that is seen as an important component of masculinity. Whitehead (2002) sees this violence discourse as having a powerful effect on peoples attitudes to men. Men are seen as being unable to cope with the demands of modern life, especially those men on the social and economic fringes, and so the resort to violence is only natural. Within education, in the schools, male performance is significantly lower then female. Despite much theoretical attention as well as some evidence from research on role theories and other areas, there has been a fair degree of criticism of the idea of a crisis in masculinity. Writers have asked whether the crisis of gender is anything new. Mangan (1997) (as cited in Whitehead, 2002) argues that masculinity, like femininity is constantly in crisis, constantly changing and adapting to new circumstances. Indeed, some of the fundamental ideas from psychoanalysis support the idea that masculinity is always a matter of crisis men will always have to cope with breast envy, womb envy and a castration complex. This question aside though, some commentators have asked if there is really anything to explain at all with the rise of feminism, men have suffered a loss of power relative to women and are trying to cope with that loss, some less successfully than others. Whitehead (2002) suggests that the crisis in masculinity is, in reality, an illusion confined to academic journals and has no meaning for people in the real world. Heartfield (2002), in arguing against a crisis of masculinity, talks of the fetishising of sexual difference, an exaggeration of the differences between men and women. Heartfield (2002) suggests that it is instead the working classes that are in crisis, not men in general. These ideas are far removed from those that come from psychoanalysis where many of the roots of future struggle are born in that difference. In conclusion, psychoanalytical ideas about the crisis in masculinity are grounded in the biological differences between the sexes and how these are dealt with psychologically. Other psychoanalysts and Lacanian ideas have taken these literal conflicts and, to some extent, moved them away from a focus on biological difference and introduced more cultural and social ideas. Social and cultural theories provide a wide variety of, and some reasons for, a possible crisis in masculinity. In particular, the use of role theory has provided an important analysis. Despite using the language of role conflict, the male preoccupations and problems described by role theory have many things in common with those arrived at by psychoanalytical means. Nevertheless, many authors have questioned whether this crisis in masculinity really exists and whether it is anything new. References Bergman, S.J. (1995) Mens psychological development: A relational perspective In R.F. Levant W.S Pollack (Eds.), A new psychology of men (pp. 33-67). New York: Basic Books. Beynon, J. (2001) Masculinities and culture. Buckingham: Open University Blazina, C. (2004) Gender Role Conflict and the Disidentification Process: Two Case Studies on Fragile Masculine Self. The Journal of Mens Studies, 12, 2, 151-161. Carroll, B. E. (2004) American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Faludi, S. (2000) Stiffed: the betrayal of the modern man. London: Vintage Freud, S. (1925) Psychical consequences anatomical distinction between the sexes, SE, 19, 248-258. Greenson, R. (1968). Disidentifying from mother: Its special importance for the boy. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 370-374. Heartfield, J. (2002) There is No Masculinity Crisis, Genders 35. Retrieved 5 January 2006 from http://www.genders.org/g35/g35_heartfield.html Horrocks, R. (1994) Masculinity in Crisis. New York: St. Martins Press. Klein, M. (1930) The psychotherapy of the psychoses. British Journal of Medicine and Psychology, 10, 242-4. Klein, M. (1975) Love, Guilt, and Reparation and Other Works. London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis Lacan, J. (2004) Ecrits: A Selection. New York: W. W. Norton Co Ltd. Mangan, J. A. (1997) Shakespeares First Action Heroes: critical masculinities in culture both popular and unpopular, unpublished paper. Minsky, R. (1995) Psychoanalysis and Gender: An Introductory Reader (Critical Readers in Theory Practice). Oxford: Routledge. ONeil, J. M., Helms, B. J., Gable, R. K., David, L., Wrightsman, L. S. (1986). Gender role conflict scale: College mens fear of femininity. Sex Roles, 14, 335-350. Office of National Statistics (2000) Social Trends 30. London: The Stationery Office. Scase, R. (1999) Demographic and Social Trends Issue Paper: Mosaic Living. EUR 18967 EN, Brussels: European Commission. Sharpe, M. J., Heppner, P. P. (1991). Gender role, gender-role conflict, and psychological well-being in men. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 38, 323-330. Watts, R. H., Borders, L. D. (2005) Boys Perceptions of the Male Role: Understanding Gender Role Conflict in Adolescent Males. Journal of Mens Studies, 13,2 267-280 Whitehead, S. (2002) Men and masculinities: key themes and new directions. Cambridge: Polity Press.

The Juvenile Probation System Criminology Essay

The Juvenile Probation System Criminology Essay The first Juvenile Court Statistic report was published in the year 1929 (1927 data was used). Since that time probation became an overwhelming choice of family and juvenile court judges. During the past years, the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) published reports which parts contain the description of the profession of probation. The official obligations of the juvenile probation professionals are various. Duties in one state are different from the duties in another one and even from one jurisdiction to another within a state. Nevertheless, let us try to mention the basic functions of juvenile probation: To in take the screening of those cases which refer to family court and juvenile; To present or predispose investigation of juveniles; To supervise according to the court order the juvenile offenders. Nevertheless, not every of the probation departments execute every function independently. For example, the prosecutor in some jurisdictions shares the responsibility of in-take process with the probation officer; the prosecutor of other jurisdiction has sole in take responsibility. Thus, according to Maloney, Romig, Armstrong (1988), there are no severe limitations for the probation responsibilities for investigation, in take, and supervision. Some departments suggest after care for juveniles who were released from an institution, while other departments could manage local residential facilities or administer detention or different special programs as well. Talking about the juvenile probation we need to understand clearly what is it and what goals it supposes to achieve. Juvenile probation is the most widely used and the oldest mean that is helping render a range of court ordered services. Probation could be used at the front end of the juvenile justice system for low risk offenders, first time offenders; also it could be used at the back end like an alternative mean for more serious offenders instead institutional confinement. Sometimes the probation could be voluntary. In this case young people should agree to accomplish the period of non formal probation instead of formal adjudication. Often, the juvenile that was once adjudicated and ordered formally to a term of the probation should submit to the conditions of the probation which were established by the court. Shortly, we can give probation the following definition: it is a supervision program that was created by law; this program is ordered by the court if a case involves a youth that were found guilty in committing a delinquent act. Moreover, according to Torbet (1996), it is a legal status that is limiting the freedom of the young peoples activity and restricted instead of commitment to the Department of juvenile Justice Custody. When a young person is placed on probation the person should have the court ordered services and sanctions complete. The young people should accomplish all special conditions considered appropriate by the court and with those mandatory sanctions that are related to the offence, in addition to the common conditions of probation. Umbreit (1989) added that, for instance, a young person could be ordered to work community service hours; also a person could pay money to the victim according to the order (in case if the victim was suffered losses or was harmed as an effect of the crime). The young offenders also could be ordered to attend counseling and to submit to an evaluation. In some cases if the offence warrants, the offender should submit a biological specimen for the testing DNA. The young people could be ordered to attend a probation day treatment program or to be ordered to abide by the curfew as a special condition of the juvenile probation. There are some day treatment programs which provide some spare additional monitoring of the youth and also offer typically alternative educational settings. The additional services like anger management classes, substance abuse education and social skills building could be provided. We can see that first of all the juvenile probation program requires the young people to put their efforts on trying to correct themselves. However, we need to remember that we are talking here about very young people. Schaffner, Shick Stein (1997) declared that they are not completely adults yet and they depend on their parent in many ways (for example, psychologically) whether they want to accept it or not. That is why we do not need to forget about the responsibility of parents. Juvenile probation officers expect that adults who are close to the young offenders (like guardian assistances and parents) would assist and encourage the young people to submit the sanctions of Probation. According to statistical data presented by Bilchik (1996), The 1.5 million delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts in 1993 represented a 23-percent increase from 1989. Similarly, the number of juvenile cases placed on probation (either formally or informally) increased 21 percent, from 428,500 in 1989 to 520,600 in 1993. The growth in probation caseloads was directly related to the general growth in referrals to juvenile courts. The likelihood of a probation disposition did not change, because judges did not increase the rate at which they used probation as a disposition. During this same period, the number of adjudicated cases placed on formal probation increased 17 percent, from 216,900 to 254,800, and the number of cases involving a person offense (homicide, rape, robbery, assault, kidnapping, etc.) resulting in formal probation increased 45 percent. What if the probation is violated by the youth? A young person that is placed on probation is assigned a Juvenile Probation Officer. The Officer monitors compliance with the services and sanctions that are ordered by the court. According to Brookins Hirsch (2002), the order of the court determines that parents or guardian of the young person are obliged to report every case of violation of the order by the child to the court and to the Juvenile Probation Officer. Thus, the guardian or the parents of the offender and the Juvenile Probation Officer should work together to make the court order enforced. If the young offender fails to complete the sanctions that are imposed by the court or violates the conditions of the probation, a Violation of Probation is going to be filed. If the court found out the case of the violation it could impose the sentence like for example placement in the Department of Juvenile Justice residential facility or it could revoke probation. What do we know about the process of the commitment and release? After releasing the person from the commitment program, he or she could stay under the supervision of the Conditional Release or the Post Commitment Probation. These two types of the supervision have the following requirement to the young people: they suppose to adhere to the special conditions, which are similar to the condition of the probation. The court does not get involved in to the Conditional Release supervision if the violations occur. Corriero (2006) stated that in this sense the Conditional Release supervision is administrative and all cases of violation should be handled with the help of an administrative hearing that is facilitated by the department workers. Violations of probation and violations of the Post Commitment should be handled in the same way. This two types of violations can effect in re commitment to some higher restrictiveness residential program. Concluding the information we have discussed in this paper we should to mark that the juvenile probation system was based for to help youth to overcome the effects of an offence and to correct their further life. Juvenile probation officers are ready to do keep doing their work in no depends of danger. We need to appreciate their trying in making the society better and to help young people continue their lives in the right direction. Also it is important to mention one more time that the help and the positive influence of guardians and parents is required. The Juvenile Probation program would not be so successful if parent and other adults close to the offenders do not want to put efforts on helping them. Summarizing the conditions of the success the Juvenile Probations success, we can mention that efforts of both young offenders and adults around them are required. Sometimes it is hard to believe that this or another young person is able to become a good citizen and even parent can lose the hope in their children. However, juvenile probation officers believe that they can do something for those youth. It means that the society also should believe in better and help the officers in their uneasy job and pay attention to the positive results of it.

The Use of Force Essay -- Health Care

The Use of Force, written by William Carlos Williams is a story about a conflicted unnamed doctor using physical force to determine a diagnosis. The question that is brought up is whether or not the doctor’s use of force was one of ethical duty or infuriating violence. The doctor makes it his duty to save the patient, Mathilda as she does not cooperate he makes a choice to go on and use force to open her mouth to determine her diagnosis. The choice of using force isn’t necessarily the questionable part, the motive on using physical force is debatable. The ultimate question that the short story, the Use of Force asks is whether or not the doctor’s motives become one of dutiful compassion or desirable violence. As the story begins, the unnamed doctor is introduced as one who appears to be strictly professional. â€Å"Aas often, in such cases, they weren’t telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that’s why they were spending three dollars on me.† (par. 3) The doctor leaves the first impression that he is one that keeps his attention about the job and nothing out of the ordinary besides stating his impressions on the mother, father and the patient, Mathilda. Though he does manage to note that Mathilda has a fever. The doctor takes what he considers a â€Å"trial shot† and â€Å"point of departure† by inquiring what he suspects is a sore throat (par. 6). This point in the story, nothing remains out of the ordinary or questionable about the doctor’s methods, until the story further develops. The doctor contains his professionalism, but as it goes on, pieces of frustrated irregularities begin to surface. As the doctor learns that the parents say no, that the girl says she doesn’t have a sore throat, he purs... ...der what motive? He had to justify his motives, perhaps to add some morality to ensure what he was doing was ethical. He would flip that thought, perhaps to try and downplay his desire to unleash his violent frustration onto the girl. He ultimately saved Mathilda’s life in a sense, but under which motive? I believe the this is the question William Carlos Williams’ The Use of Force has the reader ask themselves. Under a emergency situation the human condition can be torn between a code of ethics or a dominance of dark desire. No doubt in The Use of Force, the end of the situation turned out well as the girl could be saved, but the method to find out was ambiguous. How well would the case between doing the right thing and doing what you desire turn out in any other situation? I believe this is the question that William Carlos Williams wanted the reader to think about.

Weight Loss with the Atkins Advantage Bar :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

Weight Loss with the Atkins Advantage Bar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The low carbohydrate Atkins Diet is the latest craze in the weight loss world. The high fat and protein content of the diet is successful at reducing weight because carbohydrates produce an elevated insulin response which in turn increases hunger and the craving for more carbohydrates. Thus, the level of insulin increase from the intake of an Atkins Advantage Bar is almost equal with the insulin levels after the intake of chicken. Meanwhile, the Zone Diet’s Balance Bar, which contains 40% carbohydrates, causes insulin levels to increase above that of chicken and the Atkins Advantage Bar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to lose weight in a short amount of time one should snack on the Atkins Advantage Bar. According to a study done by Steven R. Hertzler and Yeonsoo Kim, Ph.D.s of Nutrition, data showed that insulin levels remained at a constant 100 for those who consumed only chicken at a meal. Those who consumed an Atkins Advantage Bar insulin levels peaked at 200 after one half hour then slowly declined back down to a steady rate with the chicken level. If one were to eat chicken all day they would lose weight but it would not be in a very healthy way. Chicken is all protein and one needs some carbohydrates and fat to remain healthy. Variety is a must have in diets and chicken and only chicken is not good. The high in fat and protein Atkins Advantage Bar comes pretty close to this but still remains healthy because they have a few but not many carbohydrates. This bar goes along with the diet in that high fat and protein help one to lose weight at a constant rate with only a sparingly amount of carbohydrates. A slight increase of insulin levels within the first half hour of intake and then a steady decrease makes the Atkins Advantage Bar closest to chicken in insulin levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile, the Zone Diet's Balance Bar is just as healthy but does not produce the weight loss results as rapidly due to the increase in carbohydrates. Hertzler and Yeonsoo's study of the effects of eating a balance bar as a meal showed that insulin levels rose to about 350 points after one half hour. This number is much higher than the 200 point peak of insulin levels with the intake of the Atkins Advantage Bar. This number soars above the 100 point consistency that chicken

Quiz 2 Art Appreciation

1. An example of three-dimensional art is _________________________. A) drawingB) paintingC) all of theseD) sculpture Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | D | 2. The first work of art purchased through the Art in Public Places program was ________________________. A) a sculpture by MichelangeloB) a painting by Marcel DuchampC) a sculpture by Alexander CalderD) a painting by Vincent van Gogh Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | C | 3.Contour lines ______________________. A) cause an emotional response in the viewerB) are a function of line of sightC) define the edges of an objectD) all of these Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | C | 4. Cruci-Fiction Project by Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Roberto Sifuentes waas ________________. A) a work of political artB) all of theseC) a work of performance artD) a work of public art Points Earned: | 0. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | B | 5.A modern artist who chose to intentionally violate the rules of pe rspective to draw attention to elements of his composition was _____________________. A) Leonardo da VinciB) Vincent van GoghC) Henri MatisseD) Claude Monet Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | C | 6. Paintings, drawings, and photographs are _______________________. A) two-dimensional works of artB) made with oil paintC) three-dimensional works of artD) the only kinds of art discussed in your textbook Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | |Correct Answer(s): | A | 7. Vanishing points and converging lines are related to ______________________. A) linear perspectiveB) three-dimensional artC) contour drawingsD) foreshortening Points Earned: | 0. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | A | 8. Marcel Duchamp's controversial painting, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, was influenced by ______________________. A) water in motionB) shingles on a roofC) a posed female nudeD) stop-motion photography Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | D | . One of the tricks artists use to mak e a flat work of art look like it is not flat is ________________________. A) foreshorteningB) all of theseC) linear perspectiveD) overlapping Points Earned: | 0. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | B | 10. Vincent van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night _______________________________. A) sets a parallel between the church and natureB) expresses the infinity of natureC) uses expressive lineD) all of these Points Earned: | 1. 0/1. 0 | | Correct Answer(s): | D |

Brain Imaging

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition characterized by recurrent intrusive, often repugnant, and always anxiety-ridden thoughts and images and by sets of ritualized behaviors performed compulsively by the sufferer in an attempt to allay the anxiety. The compulsive behaviors typically provide little relief, however, and the sufferer remains relegated to an anxious and painful daily experience.Thus, the patient who drives over the same speed bump each morning may find it impossible to relieve oneself of the concern that one may have, on a particular morning, driven over a pedestrian instead, and one is compelled to circle the block in a ritualized fashion searching for a crushed body in the street. While the sufferer is able to acknowledge the perverse and senseless nature of the rituals, this insight alone fails to relieve the experience of helplessness (Pauls et al. , 1995).As has been true of most psychiatric disorders, traditional etiologic explanations have been based on psychoanalytic findings and constructs. Formulations of the illness based on cognitive processing models represent a more recent development. Still more recently, a significant reconceptualization of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology has followed the development of modern functional imaging technologies, and a biologically-oriented and brain-centered view of OCD has emerged in light of the substantial findings from the last decades.The most popular brain theory to date explains the pathogenesis of OCD as an imbalance in the action of a pair of interrelated neural circuits which, under normal circumstances, maintain one another in a state of functionally balanced tone. It may be parenthetically added that, to the extent these brain data are themselves understood, it has become possible to evaluate psychological theories of OCD in functional terms (Robinson et al. , 1991). The neurobiology of OCD has been a subject of research interest for several decades, with the disorder havi ng become increasingly formulated as a neuropsychiatric illness.Modern neuropsychiatric hypotheses have been guided by data having its origins in data derived from the direct study of OCD patients using newly developed non-invasive brain imaging techniques. Significant findings from this area of inquiry are summarized in the following pages. Background to OCD OCD symptomatology has been reported among patients with closed head trauma to the basal gangliar structures and among those with basal ganglia lesions demonstrable subsequent to carbon monoxide poisoning and to wasp sting (McKeon, 1984).Symptoms have additionally presented as a clinical feature both of striatal necrosis and frontal lobe lesion (Siebyl et al, 1989). Thus, the initial background of data around OCD has implicated the basal gangliar structures, particularly the striatum, and, to a lesser extent, the frontal lobe. Imaging studies of the living brain are generally divisible into two distinct categories, those repres enting morphologic or structural abnormality, on the one hand, and those representing disturbance of function at the cellular or metabolic levels, possibly with only very small or wholly undetectable changes in morphology, on the other.The distinction is important: while investigation at the level of structure and morphology will reveal atrophic change or gross pathology (eg. , tumor, trauma, etc. ,) investigation at the metabolic level provides a window directly into what has been termed, in traditional discourse, â€Å"functional mental illness. † That is, structures which have retained their morphologic integrity may nonetheless be shown to be functioning in metabolically hyperactive or hypoactive state relative to normal. In the interest of maintaining this important distinction, studies deriving from the two imaging modality groups are reviewed here separately.Structural brain imaging studies Luxenberg, Swedo, Flament et al. (1989) used quantitative Computed Tomography ( qCT) to analyze the morphologic volumes of various brain structures believed key in OCD. Clinical subjects with childhood-onset OCD were selected on the basis of active and unabated symptomatology of at least one year during their illness. While depressive symptomatology with onset after obsessional illness was not an exclusion criterion, none of the patients was depressed at the time of the qCT examination.The researchers found that mean caudate nucleus volume in the patients was significantly less than that of control subjects. No other significant brain abnormalities were found. Behar, Rapoport and Berg, et al (1984), report on the administration of CT scans and neuropsychological test measures to 16 adolescents with OCD and 16 matched controls. Patients were found to have significantly increased ventricular size (relative to whole-brain volume) and to show spatial-perceptual deficits on the Money Road Map Test of Directional Sense.The Money Map Test uses a simulated street map w ith a route indicated by a dotted line. The subject traverses the route and indicates a right or left turn at each choice point. Near the midpoint of the examination the subject is required to mentally rotate himself in order to reverse his own right-left reference. Patients with frontal lobe lesions have been reported to do poorly on this task. Subjects' ventricular size and neuropsychological test findings were not significantly correlated, however, and the researchers suggest that significant co-morbidity within the patient sample led to unexpected results.In fact, the patient sample had been selected on the basis of its extraordinary psychiatric symptomatology: â€Å"It is possible that (the OCD subjects) are atypical in that adult patients commonly report being able to conceal their symptoms after clear onset in childhood† (Behar, Rapoport and Berg, et al. , 1984, p. 365). The results of the Behar study are also inconsistent with those of Insel and associates (1983), who report neither ventricular enlargement on CT brain imaging nor significant neuropsychological deficits on the Halstead-Reitan battery of neuropsychological tests in 18 adult OCD sufferers.Confirmation for ventricular enlargement is likewise not observed in the present majority of structural brain studies. Garber, Ananth, Chiu, and colleagues (1988) performed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans on 32 patients meeting the DSM-III criteria for OCD in an investigation of the caudate and ventricular findings. Subjects were judged free of psychopathology other than OCD on the basis of psychiatric testing and evaluation, and severity of OCD symptoms was rated at the time of MRI by means of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.MRI creates highly detailed anatomical images using radiofrequency resonance signals elicited from the hydrogen atoms of tissue under study. The technique produces structural images which are in many respects (eg. , spatial resolution) quite superior to those provided by CT (Garber et al. , 1988). Further, a technical routine known as â€Å"spin-lattice relaxation time† (or Tl), in which a summary measurement of the time required for protons excited within host molecules to relax to baseline is taken as a direct measurement of the mobility of water protons in membranes and fluids.In the study with OCD patients, Behar and colleagues discovered significantly lengthier corrected Tl values for clinical subjects relative to controls in the lenticular nuclei and the right frontal lobes white matter. Because of the high degree of heterogeneity in both samples, subgroups within the clinical sample were developed on the basis of family history and medication status and analyzed against one another. No between group differences were noted based on medication status.Patients with family histories of OCD differed from those with no such histories in the anterior cingulum, showing significantly briefer Tl values. No gross structural differenc es were specific to the OCD group. Garber and colleagues (1988) ascribe the altered Tl include to subtle atrophy in the right frontal cortex or diminished blood flow to this region, corresponding to a decline in frontal cortical metabolism. Involvement is also suggested on the parts of the cingulate gyms and lenticular nuclei.These areas are components of frontal-limbic pathways that may mediate the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder; surgical alteration of the relationships among structures within these pathways have produced symptomatic improvements. Moreover, the authors propose that hereditary influences on the illness may be most directly expressed in the cingulate region. The implication of the frontal lobes and cingulate gyms in OCD suggests abnormalities in cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuits.Robinson, Wu, and Munne et al. (1995) used MRI in a structural volumetric analysis of selected brain regions within or adjacent to these circuits in 26 patients with OCD (DSM-VI-R criteria). While subjects were screened for a number of exclusionary criteria, co-morbidity with depression was not among these. Twenty-six screened normal control subjects were matched to the OCD patients. In results which directly contradict those of Scarone, Colombo, and Ambruzzese, et al.(1992), in which right caudate nucleus size was found by MRI to be increased in patients with OCD, Robinson and colleagues report a significantly diminished morphometic volume for the caudate nuclei bilaterally. These findings are consistent with those of Luxenberg et al. (1988), described above, in which morphometric analysis by CT indicated significantly reduced caudate nucleus volume in patients with OCD. Study by Alyward, Schwartz, and Machlin et al. (1991) report no statistically significant differences between OCD and normal subjects on MRI studies of caudate volume.Their report demonstrates a direct correlation in patients with OCD between the putamen volume and the Global Seve rity of psychopathology score developed by the National Institute of Mental Health as well as between the caudate volume and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, but found no correlations with the Y-BOCS total score or with the obsessions or compulsions subscore on this instrument. Curiously, however, division of the patients with OCD into subgroups based on a history of depression did not demonstrate a significant difference.Imaging measures were similar between subjects with and without medication histories. There was no evidence of ventricular enlargement in patients with OCD. As a group, studies of brain morphology and structure have returned substantially inconsistent findings in OCD; particularly differing are reports on the caudate nucleus and striatal region. Different study methods and small sample sizes may account partially for these discrepant findings and represent problems which must ultimately be overcome before a valid consensus can be reached.The significant prevalence of OCD symptomatology within neurologic populations and its high co-morbidity with depression contribute to the potential for heterogeneity in OCD samples (Pauls, 1995). The Alyward finding of increased caudate volume in OCD subjects with higher depression scale scores, but not among OCD subjects at large, not only reveals the heterogeneity of the disorder but illustrates the necessity of rigorously defining sample parameters before meaningful comparison and replication may be undertaken.Such rigor has not yet been sufficiently applied in structural imaging studies. Notwithstanding these issues, the question of a chronic degenerative process with resultant caudate diminution over time is suggested by certain of the data, in particular light of the fact that most of the OCD patients studied by the Robinson and Luxenberg groups were longtime sufferers. Longitudinal follow-up studies would be needed to determine whether caudate volume changes in OCD are progressive.Additiona lly, because structural brain imaging modalities are sensitive only to pathology which has resulted in physical change in tissue, they omit consideration of metabolic or functional change. The following section offers a discussion of imaging findings based on functional processes of the brain; modalities of this type substantially enlarge the data available from structural imaging alone. Functional brain imaging studiesFunctional brain imaging refers collectively to that set of techniques used to derive images reflecting biochemical, physiologic, or electrical properties of the central nervous system (Devous, 1995). The most developed of these techniques have in common the registration of such data in digitized maps which thus represent visually to the diagnostician or researcher the relative metabolic activations among brain structures of interest (provided that the dimensions of these lay within the spatial resolution capability of the particular technique).The maps can typically be rendered in any standard anatomical plane for the sake of further clarifying these metabolic relationships. Positron Emission Tomography (PET), so named for the species of radioactive decay on which it depends, and the more economical and widely available modality of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) each registers in a digitized functional map relative regional metabolic activations for any given brain state (eg. , under challenge, during active symptomatology, at rest, and so forth).SPECT maps the distribution of a radioactively labeled pharmaceutical administered intravenously administered to a subject and typically designed to integrate itself into brain blood flow processes in a manner correspondent to the relative activations of the latter (Devous, 1995). The emission of gamma radiation from the agent after it has been allowed to incorporate itself into brain tissue enables the subsequent mapping of blood perfusion densities across cortical regions with the use of SPECT imaging hardware.Blood flow and metabolism are tightly coupled within the brain under most normal and pathologic circumstances, and therefore inferences about neurometabolism are accurately informed by measures of relative blood flow (Devous, 1995). One of the more popular radiopharmaceuticals for such blood flow mapping is referred to generically as â€Å"HMPAO,† an acronym for the chemical structure of the agent. Bound to this chemical structure is the radioactive element Technetium-99m, which is favored as an imaging isotope because of its half-life and energy characteristics (Devous, 1995).Two facts of brain function are pertinent to any review of imaging studies in this area. The first of these requires the reader to keep in mind that an activated cortical region may be inhibitory or excitatory. In the basal ganglia system, for example, excitatory and inhibitory input sf contribute mutually to a functionally balanced neural tone. The second fact is closely related: A system which lies efferent to the hypermetabolic one will correspond to the nature of this input: Inhibitory or excitatory.Notwithstanding the complexities connected to image interpretation, the functional modalities have permitted the development of a more conclusive body of evidence regarding brain function in OCD than has been the case with structural imaging modalities. A consensus has emerged around increased activity in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Less agreement exists with respect to the role of the striatum and associated basal gangliar structures. Rubin, Villanueva-Meyer, and Ananth et al.(1995) studied ten adult male patients with OCD and ten age-matched adult male normal controls using SPECT Patients with OCD had significantly increased uptake of the metabolic tracer radionuclide in the high dorsal parietal cortex bilaterally, in the left posterofrontal cortex, and in the orbital frontal cortex bilaterally The patients also had significantly reduced t racer uptake in the head of the caudate nucleus bilaterally, but not in the putamen or thalamus, consistent with the hypothesized reduction of caudate nucleus activity in OCD. Baxter, Schwartz, Maziotta et al.(1992) reports findings which conflict with those of Rubin and co-workers on the activation of the caudate nuclei. In the Baxter study, ten non-depressed OCD patients were compared with ten age- and gender-matched normals using PET scans. Subjects were screened for current co-morbidity with major depression, bipolar disorder, cyclothymic disorder and dysthymia. All but two subjects had suffered from depressive disorders in the past. Comparison of the scans indicated that patients with OCD had significantly higher overall glucose metabolic rate values than normal controls.Orbital gyri were significantly higher in metabolic activation bilaterally, as were the bilateral heads of the caudate nuclei. As described, Rubin et al. (1995) report diminished metabolic activity in the head of the caudate nuclei bilaterally. Machlin, Harris, and Pearlson, el al. (1991) found elevated blood flow in the prefrontal cortex and cingulate (termed the medial-frontal region) in ten OCD patients studied with SPECT relative to a matched sample of eight normals.Several other well-conceived functional imaging studies implicate the structures of both the Papez circuit and Modell's hypothesized fronto-striatal-pallido-thalamic-frontal loop. Swedo et al. (1989) compared 18 OCD patients and 18 normals using PET, and while no whole-brain glucose metabolic differences were found between groups, the left orbitofrontal, right sensorimotor, and bilateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate regions were notably higher in adults with childhood-onset OCD. Within this group, a positive correlation emerged between glucose uptake in the prefrontal and orbitofrontal regions and state measures of anxiety.In addition, responders to treatment with clomipramine were distinguishable from non-responders on the basis of regional changes in the right cingulate and right orbitofrontal regions, with response failures evincing significantly higher pre-therapy activations. Baxter et al. (1992), in a series of studies with a total of 24 adult patients with OCD, found increased FDG uptake in the cerebral hemispheres overall, and in the orbital gyri and caudate nuclei in the OCD group as compared to normal controls.Rubin, et al (1995) used SPECT imaging and found elevated uptake in the dorsal parietal cortex bilaterally, the left posterofrontal cortex and the OFC bilaterally. The group also found decreased uptake in the heads of the caudate nuclei bilaterally. Two paired comparisons have been made of OCD subjects before and after symptom aggravation. Rauch et al. (1994) used oxygen-15 labeled carbon dioxide PET to study individually tailored provocative stimuli in order to provoke symptoms in eight patients with OCD.Paired comparisons pre- and post-challenge yielded an increase in regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) in the right caudate nucleus, left anterior cingulate cortex, and also bilaterally in the OFC subsequent to challenge. McGuire et al. (1992) studied four OCD patients during actual exposure to contaminants in a pattern tailored individually to produce successively greater degrees of anxiety. rCBF was found to increase in the OFC, neostriatum. globus pallidus, and thalamus in relation to the urge to perform compulsive movements.These two paired comparisons of patients pre- and post-challenge provide a unique opportunity to examine differences between a resting and an obsessional state in the same patient during a brief period. Further, such an examination sheds light on the manner in which inconsistencies among functional imaging studies may be due to variations in the mental state of obsessional patients at the time of the imaging studies. While the architecture of the anxiety challenge varies considerably between the Rauch and McGuire protocols, it remain s nonetheless somewhat disappointing that more consistent findings are not elicited in the paired comparisons.In these studies, as in the literature more generally, substantial disagreement exists on the response of the cingulate cortex and caudate nuclei. It is noteworthy, however, that the two paired challenge studies concur with respect to the hyperactivated state of the OFC. It is on the issue of striatal, specifically caudate, activation and morphology that most disagreement exists across both the structural and functional brain imaging studies. It is possible to speculate on the cause of this inconsistency: Caudate metabolism may be a state, rather than a trait, marker in OCD.It may also be that pathology in this region is progressive: Subjects with damaged striatal mechanisms may, for instance, manifest a hypermetabolic condition in the region for some lengthy period before an atrophic process ultimately begins and results in the opposite finding, hypometabolism and volumetri c diminution over a period of time. Uniformity across subject samples in terms both of length and history of illness and co-morbidity with other pathology is therefore essential to further investigation of this region in OCD. ConclusionThe two categories of imaging study at times assume roles along a continuum of pathological severity or etiology. For example, a degenerative change in tissue density or overall size and shape may have developed only after a lengthy period of metabolic dysregulation. 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