Cultural Anthropology Essay

I have read and understand the section in the syllabus (page 6) relating to IWU’s Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my homework submission, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper I understand the possible consequences of the act which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. The results of any form of bullying is troubling, the effects on victims and those family members in some cases lead to catastrophic outcomes or a change in which a victim conducts his or her life. In any case, to change the way you live or stop participating in your favorite activities because of who is waiting for you down the street or in school is the best way to fuel and promote the negative behavior of any bully. All bullies feed off of one factor, fear. If they know they control your lifestyle and places fear or shame in your heart then they have accomplishes just what they have been trying to do, control you. What is cyber bullying? Cyber bullying is a new form of aggressions sought out by those individuals looking to embarrass or harm the victim across the World Wide Web by use of social networks, blogs, email, and other devises use for internet reading and sharing. The outcome of this form of bullying is the same as physical bullying, both with their share of outcomes with negative impact. The anthropology process of this study comprised of various groups of young adult grouped by age, gender and sexuality. The number of participants was 20,000 students from the second wave of the Metro West Adolescent Health Survey. This survey is important because it address one of the main areas concerning all parents of victim child suicide. Here are some facts â€Å"15. 8% of students reported cyber bullying, and 25. 9% reported school bullying in the past 12 months. The overlap between cyber bullying and school bullying was substantial: 59. 7% of cyber bullying victims were also school bullying victims, and 36. 3% of school bullying victims was also cyber bullying victims. Non-heterosexually identified youths were far more likely than were heterosexually identified youths†. What is most alarming with these facts are the following. 37. 8% of victims of either cyber or school bully committed self-injury to themselves, 15. 2% had suicide attempts, 30% had thoughts of suicide while 6. 6% suffer an attempt of suicide with medical treatment. It appears that once a child become victim of bullying he/she fails to speak to adults, thus leading to the child feelings of despair that could trigger an emotional psychological breakdown. It becomes increasingly important for parents to play a strong role in their child’s life. We have to become aware of the surroundings that our children choose to associate as hobbies, friends and media networking. Also communication is a strong asset, share with them that it is ok to tell an adult if they are bullied or threaten in any manner. Sexual orientation plays a role in traditional and cyber bullying as well. It statics show that if a child lives a homosexual lifestyle or is bisexual they have a higher risk at becoming victims to both cyber and traditional bullying. The thoughts of suicide also are a bit higher within this lifestyle. Regardless of the ethnicity the numbers are staggering. The authors in this article have several main points that they want to stress, the first of many is to bring about awareness to this world-wide epidemic of bulling that’s taking the lives of our youth. Secondly, to focus on which age groups are mostly the centers of attacks. Thirdly, to find a solution to combat the practices of bullying in our schools and neighborhoods, their intentions are to educate the general public. They wanted to depict differences between cyber bullying and its relationship to school bullying. Understanding the differences between the two could help facilitate and developed a school prevention systems that could aid those that are victimize of this despicable act of behavior. When taking a look at the length of investigative approaches performed by the authors that conduct this study, it obvious to learn of the great effort put forth to gather such information. In the field of anthropology all cultural anthropologists rely on one scientific method for gathering information while studying cultural, fieldwork. Field work is the characteristic of all the anthropological sub disciplines and is a main source for gathering information that deal with different cultures and ethnicities. To have hands on approach and the study of any giving topic the foundationally foot work starts with an investigative approach in all subject matter, ultimately ending with a solid conclusion that is not just opinionated but scientific truth. In conclusion, the authors of the article try to identify a world-wide epidemic that is affecting our children’s social stability and academic performance. By researching the effects of bullying (rather cyber or school-yard) it allows parents to absorb the harsh realities of what their child could endure as an adolescent under extreme pressure. Children of all ages are taking their own lives as a result of being out-casted by peers of the same group, neighborhood, age, sex, and ethnicity. The real question is why? How far does a child have to be push before his/her mind is made up to commit suicide? We as parents need to beware and actively involved with all social activities and friends that our children consider part of their lives.

Effects of Prolonged Computer Usage Essay

With today’s technology wherein multimedia equipment are already part of almost every home and where the computer has become necessary tool in today’s education, the unlimited usage of the computers has definitely affected the academic performance of PT students. The purpose of this research is to know the Effects of Internet Usage to the PT Students’ Academic Performance. Universities may take effective measures and encourage students to teach how to evaluate information, to judge what is credible and what is false. Conceptual Framework Significance of the Study†¦ This study will be significant endeavour in knowing the effects of prolonged daily usage of computers on the academic performance of PT students. This study will also be beneficial to other students that use computers in their everyday lives. Moreover, this research will provide knowledge and understanding to the teachers and future researchers. Scope and Limitation†¦ This study will be focused on 20 PT Students and will aim to highlight the extent to which online activity can affect academic performance of PT students SY 2012-2013. The scope of effects of prolonged daily computer usage on academic performance of PT students derives a wide scope of related literature that is worth mentioning. Definition of Terms†¦ 1. Computer – Also called a â€Å"processor†. – An electronic device designed to accept data and perform mathematical and logical operations and display the results at high speed. 2. PT Students – The respondents of the research who are currently enrolled as second year Physical Therapy Students Batch 2016 in De La Salle Health Science Institute. 3. Physical Therapy – A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities. Abbreviated PT. 4. Students – Denoting someone who is studying in order to enter a particular profession: â€Å"PT student†. 5. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – A condition in which there is pressure on the median nerve, which is the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers. Review of Related Literature†¦ In her book of â€Å"Education on the Internet†, Jill H. Ellsworth proclaims that the computer is a powerful releaser of emotion, motivation, and engagement for students. A way to communicate around the world, it can make any project more dynamic, and more interesting. Both teachers and students can be invigorated by the freshness and immediacy of the computer. The computer is a good resource, but until there are books and other needed resources the computer is a frill. Access to up-to-date information from around the world may assist in a lesson but Barrett L. Mosbacker expresses concerns when the computer takes on â€Å"a messianic quality†. If we encourage students to become addicted to continuously get bits of information from it, free of context and logical coherence, they will be ill-equipped for the rational dialog and analysis required for citizens in a civil and literate culture. Modern technology cannot substitute for a thorough reading of the great classics in literature, philosophy, and political history. Being technologically advanced and sophisticated is not the same thing as being literate and civilized. The quality of information on the computer should not be taken at face value. Information is not â€Å"true† simply because it is on the internet. Educators can utilize the computer to teach how to evaluate information, judge what is credible and what is false. In this regard, this literature review concerning the effects of computer usage to the academic performance of PT students, will address the following areas relevant to this study: * Importance of Computers; * Negative Effects of Prolonged Daily Usage of Computers; * Computer Use recommendations; * and the conclusion.. Importance of the Computer In the last decade the role of the computer has changed radically as the development of technology found new possibilities of using these ‘intelligent’ machines. Since the invention of the computer, a tool that has many useful purposes in college, such as researching a report, writing an essay, studying for an exam and creating presentations, students have spoiled themselves in its use and importance. However, computers also have a great number of negative effects on college students, affecting both health and academics. Students who are aware of these consequences are better prepared to make good choices regarding how much time they should spend on the computer and for what purposes. Negative Effects of Prolonged Daily Usage of Computers On Health: Frequent computer use often has effects on student health. One of the major negative effects is lack of sleep or difficulty sleeping. Students often use their computers for longer than they anticipate, lose track of time or find themselves making excuses to continue using their computer. In addition, frequent computer use can lead to physical problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, eyestrain, backache and headache. On Academics: Frequent computer use often has a negative effect on academic performance. PT students are often distracted by their computers and online activities, which can make them neglect their studies and homework, leading to declining grades. Some students attempt to multitask with their computers, such as chatting with friends through instant messaging while writing a research paper. This typically proves to be ineffective, and students who frequently use instant messaging while completing academic work often report declining grades. On Socialization: Computer use can have a negative effect on socialization. The Internet presents many opportunities for online socialization, particularly through instant messaging and online multiplayer games. However, frequent Internet users often withdraw from real life socialization opportunities, declining to participate in campus activities, study groups, parties or â€Å"hanging out† with friends to spend more time online. For instance, PT students who play online multiplayer video games play games about two-three times longer during a week than those playing more traditional games. Laptops (a factor): Students often bring their laptops to class for the purpose of quickly taking notes. Many classrooms are also equipped with wireless capabilities that students can use to access the Internet from their laptops. However, many students, like those we have in this school, particularly PT students, become distracted by their laptops, browsing the Internet or watching movies instead of taking notes or listening to the lesson. A professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that students in her classroom who used laptops performed, on average, 11 percent worse than nonlaptop using students. In addition, laptops can distract students sitting behind a laptop user. Some universities have banned the use of laptops in classrooms for these reasons. Recommendation on How to avoid Improper Use of Computer * Get a hobby or an interest that doesn’t involve the internet, video games, TV, cell phones, smartphones, portable media players or computers. Get involved with teams, clubs, sports, church, music, dancing, singing, etc. Go for a run with a friend or get exercise some other way. Go to bed on time and get a good night’s rest. Keep up with the local events in your community. There may be talks, film screenings, concerts, local sporting events, and book signings etc. Find some, as long as it is not on the internet, and get involved. * Limit your computer time. Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. If you have a laptop, make sure to put it somewhere that you can remember but not somewhere that you see every day. Try keeping the lid closed when you are not using it; when the computer is not looking at you, you are less likely to use it. If you have a desktop PC, try not to go near it or put something over it like a sheet. * Try to stay off websites that are addictive. If you have problems getting off of these sites, just have someone else block these sites using your built in Content Advisor or if you are using Windows Vista, use the parental controls to control internet access and time on computer. * Regulate your sleeping pattern. A lot of people lose sleep while on the internet and mess up their sleeping pattern. It will be beneficial to you as you will become more organized and self disciplined. * Try using the computer at the library. You won’t be as tempted to look at certain websites (such as porn, etc.)and they do have a limit on how long you can stay online. Also, the library is a good place to get some good books and magazines to read, so you won’t be as tempted to be on the Internet at home.

Defining manufacturing sequence of a tool steel Literature review

Defining manufacturing sequence of a tool steel - Literature review Example Accordingly, the tool steel and die steel has different classification, referring to the metallurgical composition and heat treatment measures used in making these products. For example, cold work and hot work category of steel have remarkably different carbon, chromium, magnesium, cobalt, and nickel and tungsten percentage representation. While tool steels are fundamentally medium or high carbon steels, they have varied amounts of specific elements that shape them into specialized application tools, with significant characteristics. Carbon in the tool steel helps it to gain greater hardness required to do the cutting and have wear-resistant properties. The other elements provide greater strength and toughness to the tool steel. The addition of such elements helps in retaining the size and shape of the tool, while ensuring that the specific tool maintains its strength and hardness during the heat-treatment process. As composition of tool steel varies according to the specific tool application, the aim of his paper is to discuss different types of steel alloys that can be used for manufacture of specific tools. Accordingly, the related changes in the microstructure of tool steel, as it undergoes various manufacturing and heat treatment processes are detailed in the following pages. Addition of Chromium enables the tool steel to gain properties of greater hardness, toughness and wears resistance. Cobalt addition results in increased red hardness, which makes tools applicable for use at higher temperature during operation. Manganese helps the tool steel in quick hardening, while going through heat treatment process. Larger addition of this element, between 1.2 to 1.6 percentages enables the steel to quench in oil instead of water, while lowering the quenching temperature, meant for hardening the tool steel. Molybdenum also helps

Japan Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japan Civilization - Essay Example Secondly, the analysis will also discuss the way in which Confucianism was imported and ultimately adopted from the Chinese culture. The purpose of choosing to cultural/religious inclusions within Japanese history and culture is with regards to the fact that religion has a powerful means of altering the way in which a given culture approaches key concepts and topics. In short, religion in and of itself can transform a culture and differentiated in a way that other cultural inclusions may very well not. Whereas many religions spread around the world and into new areas due to the fact that a strong or resilient native religion is nonexistent, this is very much not the case with regards to how Buddhism spread within the Japanese culture. Ultimately, Japan had many forms of resilience and native religions that were extant far prior to the introduction of Buddhism from Korea. However, nonetheless, this interpretation of a new religious paradigm was not something that met with a great deal of strife or violence. Rather, Buddhism was oftentimes incorporated alongside the various native religions, such as Shintoism, that were already practiced within Japan. Moreover, Buddhism had yet another tangential effect due to the fact that the writing system of the â€Å"Kanji† was Incorporated alongside the religion within Japan. ... In such a way, these religious interpretations existed almost unquestioned up until the Meiji restoration. Regardless of their impact, the reader should come to the realization that the role that religion plays with regards to allowing a degree of transcultural development and integration in which many other forms of culture exchange could not hope to achieve in and of themselves. As a result of the widespread acceptance and integration of these religiously motivated norms and mores, Japanese society continues to indicate the influences that these religious interpretations have had upon the current times. Unlike many of the other nations or cultural patterns in history, conquest and violence did not define the means by which either of these religious interpretations spread in and around Japan; however, the cultural impact that they had upon the way in which society is currently evidenced and the means by which the religious history of these movements have developed the Japanese cultu re. Likewise, within the modern era, Japan has embraced a clear and distinct form of Western ideals, economics and culture. This can be seen since the time of the Meiji Restoration up until the current era. Although Japan is one of the most resilient and strongest embodiments of culture retention within the world, the nation has, nonetheless, been able to evolve and grow with the changing of the times and adopt and react to the prescient needs that the global influences that are acting upon them invoke. Specifically, the reader can realize that within the past several hundred years, Japan has opened itself to global commerce, shifted towards a industrialized nation, and adopted a capitalist model. None of these were normative factors of the indigenous culture of Japan;

Annotated bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Annotated bibliography - Essay Example Such categorization helps to give priority to things that need our immediate attention. This article is especially useful for employers to understand the expenditure their companies incur over long periods of time. This article shows how to group expenses into different categories to keep track of the expenses incurred. It tells us that by allotting a certain amount of money towards each category, it is easier to keep track of how much is spent in any particular category. In this way we can track if a particular category is over shooting expenses. The article highlights the fact that though budgets are considered a necessary evil, it is important that they are well maintained and updated on a regular basis. It also explains the three main steps necessary for maintaining a budget and they are as follows – 1) Identifying expenditure, 2) Evaluating current expenditure, and 3) Maintaining a regular track record of all the expenses. This article is particularly useful for those in the field of finance because it gives many important tips on budget maintenance. In this article the author explains the necessity of maintaining budgets saying that it helps to keep a control on one’s finances.‎ Budgets are used for various purposes such as – Controlling income and expenditure, providing direction, Motivating employees, Improving efficiency, Establishing the company’s priorities and for Monitoring employees performance. In this context, the managers play a pivotal role in maintaining proper communication between the employers and employees and lay down the plan of action based on the budget given. This article was very useful as it had many guiding principles that help to keep finances of any kind under control. This article is important in the sense that it is a good guide to Budget Management. It gives us necessary information

Marketing Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Management - Case Study Example Xstrata is an internationally renowned mining company with its headquarters at Zug in Switzerland. It is world's fourth largest producer of copper. Xstrata is a member FTSE 100 Index and listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the SWX Swiss Exchange. Glencore is a 40 percent stakeholder of Xstrata. It started operation in the year 1926 as an infrastructure and electricity projects concern in the land of Latin America. In the beginning of its life span, it diversified into mining and disposed of its non-core business. In the recent past, Xstrata doubled in size after the takeover of Australian copper, zinc and coal miner MIM Holdings. However it lost to the world's biggest mining company, BHP Billiton in a bid for another Australian miner, WMC Resources. In the year 2005, Xstrata acquired 19.9 percent stake in a diversified Canadian mining company producing copper, nickel, aluminum and zinc called Falconbridge Limited. Later in 2006 it purchased the remaining 80 percent of Falcon bridge. The last year Xstrata Coal, based in Sydney successfully acquired Anvil Hill Coal Mine from Centennial Coal Company. At present Xstrata caters to seven major international markets viz., copper, coking, coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, cooking coal, thermal coal, nickel, vanadium and zinc. It has also ventured into the platinum group metals business and other more popular metals like gold, silver, cobalt and lead. (Xstrata plc, 2008 A) Xstrata s3. Product/company audit: 3.1. Mission Statement, values and beliefs Xstrata strives to grow and further diversify its portfolio of metals and mining businesses. Xstrata values its each and every stakeholder be it shareholders and employees or customers and vendors. It aims at delivering industry-leading returns to its shareholders, better work environment and incentives to its employees, superior product and efficient service to its customers and genuine partnership with vendors and other stakeholders. For a long-term viability it is extremely crucial for organisations to encourage integrity, co-operation and transparency in work. Business ethics both on a macro and micro level is important to restore the health of the organisation and its employees. Value creation takes place only when all the individuals of an organisation work together towards a common goal. As a corporate mission Xstrata endeavor to grow and create value over the long term by operating in an ethical and transparent way. Among the many strategic objectives, the most important and crucial ones for Xstrata can be identified as: Managing a striking portfolio of assets. Keeping an unwavering focus on growth of the organisation by timely identification of opportunities for value creation. Like any other company, finance plays a very important role in Strata's future growth and expansion plans. Thus as a strategic step they maintain and enhance their financial strength and discipline with

Book Review Assingment - Leading Change by John Kotter Essay

Book Review Assingment - Leading Change by John Kotter - Essay Example He holds that it is primarily for historical reasons that most organizations do not have that kind of leadership. In deviating from management jargon the author has come up with a visionary and understandable version in guiding the business world towards the much required changes in the business world. The book is an excellent business guidebook in which Kotter focuses upon an all inclusive structure, which business executives at all levels can follow to achieve positive results. He has advised people responsible for implementing change that there is no need to panic or become fearful while dealing with urgent organizational issues. Such situations warrant avoidance of complacency and the author emphasizes that change in the 21st century can be affected only if over-managed and under-led cultures are handled with caution. It is important to remember that management deals primarily with the status quo while leadership is responsible to mostly deal with change. There is a strong need f or management to develop skills to create strong leaders. Kotter has also identified the drawbacks of this strategy and has cautioned leaders to avoid people that can destabilize efficient change efforts. The author has commendably argued that instead of individuals, teams should be recognized and the focus should be on life long learning patterns in a constantly changing world. It is not possible to learn everything during any given period because growth is a continuous process that imposes repeated challenges in terms of processes and people. Kotter has discussed the eight main reasons why improvement efforts have proved to be unsatisfactory, primarily because of inappropriate use of resources and people. He has discussed all the errors exhaustively through the use of clear and simple models and asserted that these errors mostly characterize the change process in any organization, which can have severe consequences. Kotter has argued that such errors are not necessarily unavoidabl e, which is why he claims he wrote this book. The fundamental objective is to understand why companies defend against the required changes and to recognize what specifically is the set of processes that can do away with such negative inactions. Most importantly, there is a strong need to understand that the leadership responsible for driving the processes in socially healthy ways has to do much more than just good management. Kotler has discussed the reasons why organizations need to change and improve. The Eight Stage Process for Affecting Change A major lesson from Kotter’s book is that organizations can effectively put the required changes into practice. Kotter holds that the ways of changing the organization are based on the basic fact that major changes will not happen because of several reasons that he sought to overcome with his eight stage process of affecting major changes. Kotter has written about the eight stages that "there are still more mistakes that people make , but these eight are the big ones. In reality, even successful change efforts are messy and full of surprises" (Kotter, 1996, p.89). The author’s first stage relates to establishing a strong sense of urgency that is necessary to get rid of the feeling of

Effects of Climatic Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of Climatic Changes - Essay Example These gases in turn deplete the ozone layer and the green house hence leads to climatic change. This paper will explain in depth why there is much effect on developed countries by climate change compared to developing countries. This will be done by presentation of points of view and summarizing by picking on the best. Climatic changes Global warming is one of the greatest hazards facing the universe today. This heat from global warming cause’s oceans and atmosphere to heat up, and leads to changes in climate that poses a great threat to the universe (World Resources Institute (WRI), 2000). Global warming is majorly triggered by activities carried out by man, for instance burning of charcoal. Scientists have forecast global warming that will be accompanied adverse effects. The warming cause’s deaths from extreme cold and hot conditions, extreme weather as drought and floods, pathogens spread to other areas of a new invasion, changes in yields of agriculture, erosion, gl aciations and host many other effects. The effects will be of more harm to countries that are poverty stricken because of their locations, which hinder them from adaptation. However, one reason for not ignoring the changes due to its uncertainty is that it can be mitigated. Victims from global warming effects can also be helped out by aiding them to adapt to the changes. It is illogical to wait for solutions from methods of science provided that the harm is to extend to other areas. Only Americans are still in doubt of global warming and its aftermath and prevention of the act. The delays brought by debates in the US are projected to be of great harm as a result of suffering and hardship. Industrialized countries are believed to have greatly contributed to effects of global warming like changes in temperature and hindering ways of dealing with them (World Resources Institute (WRI), 2000). Currently, the emission of carbon dioxide that mainly emanates from coal burning, oil, and foss il fuels are from these industries. All the responsibility is borne by the U.S.A. They are the major emitters of the gases produced by the green house. In contradiction, the emission of these gases by countries stricken by poverty is from consumption of essential goods and services. Therefore, U.S.A. should wholly responsible for the eradication of this hazard in the globe as a whole. Treaties have been signed by nations on climate change. However, they acted less compared to the extent of the crisis to act out on them. In 1992, a framework was put in place to ensure that the levels of gaseous emissions reduced. However, most countries never adhered to it. In particular, the United States went against that by increment of their levels of emissions. However, the poverty-stricken countries were politely advised to minimize their levels of emissions as they were surpassing the primary source. Arguments arose that cuts were to be imposed on both developing and developed countries. The d eveloped states were to be exposed to big cuts in relation to rights to emitting of gases while the poor states were to be exposed to increases on these cuts. On the other hand, a practical argument was that, the same per capita should be entitled to emission of gases trading and shifting to sources that can be renewed (World Resources Institute (WRI), 2000). In general, these emissions have profound effects on the United States. The big question is if the powerful United States will accept to change their ways of living. To them

Stem cell research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stem cell - Research Paper Example Adult stem cells or somatic stem cells are â€Å"multipotent† cells that function as an internal repair system lifelong in some organs such as the gut and bone marrow, to replenish damaged cells (Pessina and Gribaldo, 2006). The characteristic ability of the stem cells to renew themselves continuously for long periods and differentiate into specific cell types under appropriate conditions (Zhong, 2008) make them good candidates for cell-based therapies in regenerative or reparative medicine. Customarily, although inappropriately, the term â€Å"stem-cell research† is used in news reports and political debates to discuss all scientific research involving stem cells. There is no controversy about research involving adult stem cells that are obtained from bone marrow, or the umbilical-cord stem cells taken from the residual blood found in the umbilical cord after delivery of the baby, or the stem cells present in the amniotic fluid. However, it is the research on and appli cation of ESCs for clinical use that has led to a raging controversy both on the basis of religious beliefs and for political brownie points. Scientifically, too, ESC therapy is not all hunky-dory. For instance, it has not been possible yet to consistently control the growth of ESCs. Also, the interactions of ESCs with other cells have been known to cause erratic growth patterns, including tumors, and tissue rejection responses (Repair Stem Cells Institute, 2009). The Catholic Church has supported adult and umbilical-cord stem-cell research but is vehemently opposed to embryonic stem cells being used for research based on religious beliefs. The main reasons for the opposition of the Catholic Church to ESC research as described by The Pontifical Academy for Life (2000) are (1) The only way in which ESCs can be isolated at present involves the destruction of an unimplanted blastocyst-stage embryo at the sixth to eighth day of development. The isolation of the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst for the preparation of embryonic stem cells is tantamount to destruction of the embryo; hence, the Church considers that a gravely immoral, and consequently, a gravely illicit act; (2) producing cloned human embryos and then destroying them in order to harvest ESCs is considered illicit; and (3) the use of embryonic stem-cell lines that already exist for research is also equal to destruction of innocent human life and, hence, immoral. Although the highly dramatized versions appearing in news reports of the possibility of growing whole organs from stem cells in petri dishes sounds amazing, it is more science fiction than reality. However, from a cell and developmental biology standpoint, ESC research is highly important. Scientists working on the application of stem cells to the medical field have been greatly worried, though, since stem cell research has suffered great harm on account of lack of accessible or quality stem cell lines. Following the ban by the U.S. fede ral government of embryonic stem cell research in August 2001, only those stem cell lines that came into existence before August 9, 2001 remained unconstrained by the ban. However, those cell lines have become possibly

International Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Strategic Management - Essay Example On the other hand, firms of each particular industrial sector have to align their marketing strategies in accordance with the characteristics of the specific sector but also the position of their competitors. Specifically referring to firms operating in the pharmaceutical industry White (2006, 175) noticed that ‘the pharmaceutical sector regularly forms alliances, partnerships, and joint ventures with kindred industries such as biotechnology, diagnostics, health care, and information services’. In other words, firms operating within the pharmaceutical industry should carefully review their marketing strategy as the qualities, the effectiveness and the safety claimed (through the relevant marketing messages) can have a significant effect on consumers (patients) around the world. The development of consumer-directed advertising has helped towards the improvement of the marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical firms around the world (referring not only to the qualities of the products advertised but also to the effectiveness of these products). Moreover, consumers can be better informed on the solutions available for the treatment of a specific disease. Regarding the specific issue it is noticed by Holtz (1998, 199) that ‘the increase in consumer-directed advertising has helped to foster a health care atmosphere in which it is the patient, and not the medical practitioner, who initiates a discussion regarding possible drug therapy’. The importance of consumer-directed advertising in the pharmaceutical industry has been also highlighted by Wang et al. (2004). The above researchers referred to a specific form of advertising, the 4-C model which has been found to refer mainly to the following issues: ‘First, what the customer want should be sold; second, enterprise should take every efforts to decrease the cost of fulfilling the customers demand; third, enterprise should take every efforts to give

Visual merchandising techniques Essay Example for Free

Visual merchandising techniques Essay Introduction In order to complete this task I will be identifying the visual merchandising and display techniques used for three retail outlets. The three organisations that I will be working on throughout this assignment are: 1. Hollister 2. Hamleys 3. The Body Shop Visual Merchandising This could be defined as the way in which retailers present and deliver their products to customers, in order to meet their needs, expectations and increase the profit and sales of the organisation. Visual Merchandising is the art and creativity of promoting the products a business sells in the most attractive way possible, with the intention of creating interest. 1. Hollister Brief history of the company: Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo, is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie Fitch Co. It was created in 2000 with its first store opening in July 2000 at the Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in store and through the companys online store. The stores are designed to simulate the feeling of being in a surf shop by having the exterior and interior based on a life guard house. It was ranked as the second most preferred clothing brand of US teens behind a long list of actual West Coast companies in 2008 by Piper Jaffray. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollister_Co. Techniques used to attract the consumer 1. Displays – The exterior of the store is the first thing that attracts the attention of the customer or the ‘window shopper’, who might become a potential consumer. This is one of the most important techniques that Hollister Co. uses to appeal to customers. Exterior design includes shuttered windows, and light and dark brown paten walls. The shuttered windows were meant to add to the atmosphere of the store and keep out customers that did not fit in, which shows that the brand is not easily accessible to everyone, like in five star boutiques, as well as really mysterious when you look at it from the outside; it makes you want to see what is inside. This is one of the things that differentiate Hollister from other fashion, clothing stores in malls and on the high street. Many teenagers and high school students wear Hollister products just because they want to become piece of the fashion and style, by showing a great fashion sense. 1. Price Hollister Co, keep the price points of their goods, affordable to its targeted group of customers, high school students aged 14-18. Hollister’s price points are about 20% lower than its parent Abercrombie Fitch, who mainly aim their products at consumers, aged 18 through 22. Again, this is another method by which Hollister Co shows they appreciate the customer group they are targeting, as they provide the best quality and unique products at a reasonable and affordable price for students. 2. Sales and promotion Hollister California pursues the technique of ‘walking self-marketing’, where in wearing an item of clothing from HCO results in direct advertising. This is particularly achieved through the large sewing or screen print of the brands name, initials, fictional date of establishment and the flying seagull logo on the vast majority of their merchandise. As a result, the company has not relied on media marketing to communicate its desired look and appeal. Hollister Co mainly advertises their product or whenever there is a special discount on some goods, they usually post it on the website. To maintain the SoCal theme, stores and merchandise are categorized within the divisions named ‘Dudes’ for men and ‘Bettys’ for women. 1. Environment Hollister Co. stores simulate the appearance of vintage beach shacks in an indoor shopping mall. The stores are designed to simulate the feeling of being in a surf shop by having the exterior and interior based on a life guard house. Another effective technique Hollister Co. uses is to play an eclectic selection of alternative rock and pop music in their stores. In addition, all the staff in Hollister is abide by a strict dress code. They must wear contemporary Hollister style clothing, normally abiding with their ‘beach vibe’ style clothing and everyone must wear the season’s colors. Again this is a great marketing technique used by the company, because by doing this, they are tempting and in a way encouraging the buyer to see and buy the latest styles, because they like the brand. From the pictures above, we can see how Hollister has used the front display of their store, as they made use of that space to position mannequins and show their latest trends to the customers that passes by. The picture also shows that certain mystique about shopping at Hollisters that make it a fun place to go. The storefronts look like beach huts; the interiors are dark and play trendy music. Customers cannot see into the store from the outside, but they can smell it from around the corner. The picture on the left shows that Hollister Co. set the mood of Christmas or other event to attract as well as thy sometimes have goods that are on sale. 2. Hamleys Brief history of the company: Hamleys is one of the worlds largest toy shops. Its flagship store is in Regent Street, London. Hamleys is named after William Hamley, who founded the first shop called ‘Noahs Ark’ at 231 High Holborn in London in 1760. A branch at 200 Regent Street was opened in 1881, and the Holborn branch was destroyed by fire in 1901 and was relocated from 231 to 86– 87 High Holborn. Arriving back in the present, we find Hamleys in its famous location at 188-196 Regent Street. To cope with the publics growing appetite for playthings, Hamleys added a further five floors of toys. The flagship store is considered one of Londons major tourist attractions, and receives about five million visitors a year. Unlike many companies using possessive names, Hamleys intentionally forgoes the use of an apostrophe in its name. In addition, the largest toy shop is famous for imported dolls, scientific sets, pedal cars and miniature toy trains. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamleys Techniques used to attract the consumer 1. Window Displays – Hamleys has really big store displays, which benefits them, as it creates a sense of excitement for the people that pass by. For instance when a customer approaches the store the first thing they see is the outside window display and they walk in with interest and really often adults enjoy the atmosphere, have family fun and play along with their children. The largest toy shop uses the front displays to set the mood of a particular event or sale they have. This mood often matches the season, for example during Christmas periods; they set the mood of Boxing Day, New Year, etc. 1. Price – The location of the shop is meant to attract middle class families, international shoppers and many tourists. As a result the prices of some products and services they provide might not be affordable to everyone. In this case higher prices stand for better quality of the products as well as the location of Hamleys allows them to have a bit higher prices on some toys. 2. Sales and Promotion – Hamleys frequently promotes their products in store, as they have point of sale advertisement, or usually the toys that are on sale are put next to the cashiers, so it is easily for shoppers to see it. As well as that they advertise on their original website, other internet sites, on TV around Christmas and Easter and some other special events, e.g. when they celebrated the 250th anniversary of the store. Hamleys mainly promote the new toys and games in store, by using sales representatives, for example doing puppet shows, staff dressed as super heroes, or demonstrating how to play with the toys. 3. Environment – The environment of Hamleys is very welcoming, there are people from the staff that entertain the customers once they enter the store and everyone can join in and have fun, play around and shop at the same time. Some customers do not even realise that they become buyers and even come back with their children regularly, very often customers walk in just to have a look around because of the environment. In addition, Hamleys organise birthday parties, which is another method they use to attract more customer by providing this type of service. 4. Online service – The company’s website is designed in a colorful theme and at the top of the page customer can find different tabs that will take them to various parts of the site. One feature that Home at Hamleys website offers is the search form that gives plenty of options to ensure that the customer finds the product that they need. Customers can search by brand, age range, gender, prices range as well as by the name of the toy. This makes it much easier for them to shop online if they do not have enough time to shop in store. Hamleys also deliver the products to customer’s door. The pictures above show that Hamleys has used the inside store space to put super heroes and doll houses to catch the attention of the customer. They also have similar pictures on the public display. The staffs at each shop floor are there to entertain people and they are also allowed to interact with the customers. This means that the store uses its employees to present the products and to attract more shoppers. 1. Location The store is located on the high street in central London and there are thousands of people that pass by every day. Hamleys has great travel links and is very near to the underground station. As I already said the store is visited by more than five million visitors each year, as is considered one of London’s tourist attractions. This benefits both – the business and the customer. It benefits the customer as is easy for them to find the location and get there and at the same, time benefits the business by bringing more clients and increasing the profit. 3. The Body Shop Brief history of the company: The Body Shop International Plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company. The Body Shop is headquartered in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, was founded in 1976 by the late Dame Anita Roddick and is now part of the LOrà ©al corporate group. The Body Shop carries a wide range of products for the body, face, hair and home. The Body Shop does not claim its products are all-natural, but inspired by nature and they feature ingredients such as marula oil and sesame seed oil sourced through the Community Fair Trade program. The Body Shop is constantly producing innovative products and improving current products for customer safety and satisfaction. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_Shop Techniques used to attract the consumer 1. Window Displays – The Body Shop regularly features posters on shop windows and sponsorship of local charity and community events. This is one of the techniques they use to attract customer, because they persuade the customer that by buying a product they will help someone in need somewhere in the world. 1. Price – The Body Shop’s prices are considered as reasonable for the quality of their products, even though some customers might think that they are overpricing. The company gives their products a fair price for natural ingredients or handcrafts they purchase from different countries. 1. Sales and promotion – In the past The Body Shop turned increasingly toward social and environmental campaigns to promote its business. The Body Shop proposed an alliance with Greenpeace in the UK to save the whale. As well as began launching other promotions tied to social causes, with much public and media interest. Back in the present The Body Shop is well known for its contribution to greener environment, products that contain community traded ingredients and products inspired by nature. It is very important for the customer to see what the business does to be ethical to the community and the environment and not just be existent to make profit. Poster frames are also supplied for use within the store to highlight various points of sale promotions and ethical messages throughout the store. Another way The Body Shop uses to offer and promote new products to their clients is by sending them email shots regularly, to update them on what is new or latest sales. 1. Environment – All Body Shop products are naturally scented, environmentally-minded and one of the campaigns that it supports is Against Animal Testing. Body Shop uses light boxes with energy efficient lighting combined with a sleek stylish look, which gives the store a modern look and an inviting glow. In addition, as they mainly sell cosmetics, body lotions and soaps, there is a special scent that in a way invites the passer by to enter the store. Another thing that benefits Body Shop is that they utilise all the space within the shop, making it as profitable as possible. 1. Online service – The high quality body, skin and beauty retailer also provides wide range of products on their online website. The website informs the consumers of latest offers and promotions. Customers will need to create an account in order to start using the services that it provides. Then they can start using The Body Shop website daily to get deals discount codes, free delivery, etc. and the purchase are always delivered straight to customers door. Window display shown is in Oxford Street, London. From the pictures we can see how The Body Shop has used its store window to display a campaign they are supporting. The campaign is to raise money to build a school in Cabra, Kosovo. This shows that their company is ethically responsible and when customers shop they raise money for charity and help someone in need. The picture below shows how Body Shops products are put down in the store. Everything is clear to the viewer, easy to find and there is a price and description underneath each product. The Body Shop also carries a theme throughout the display. Every seasonal promotion such as the Valentine’s Day, the poster conveys a message of what are the best products for that specific occasion. The window table at the bottom of the poster carries the products with A6 cards announcing discounts and promotions. Bibliography: http://hcohounds.tumblr.com/post/276422881 http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6738947.ece http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8510000/8510277.stm http://www.hamleys.com/HAMLEYS_HISTORY_%7C_Hamleys_Toys/HAMLEYS_HISTORY,default,pg.html

Sequencing Technology for Epilepsy Diagnosis

Sequencing Technology for Epilepsy Diagnosis Epilepsy: It is estimated that at many as 10% of the general populace will experience a seizure in their lifetime. (Persad et al., 2003) Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease defined by its characteristic symptom, recurrent and spontaneous seizures. (Berg et al., 2011) (Asher Y et al., 2012) Epilepsy is a common condition with an occurrence of up to 3% in the population (Deng H et al., 2013). According to Pal D.k et al., (2010) over half of epilepsies have a genetic cause. A large body of research has gone into identifying the genetic causes and corresponding molecular mechanisms of epileptic disorders. Epilepsies have a wide variety of causes including dysfunctional ion channels (channelopathies), abnormal brain development and errors of metabolism etc. (Garofalo S et al., 2012) Research in the genetic mutations behind epilepsies is vital in further understanding the pathology of the many different conditions and developing superior treatments for the afflicted patients. Early Onset Epileptic Encephalopathy: Epileptic Encephalopathies are a large number of rare (prevalence of 1et al., 2010). The symptoms of an EE generally include severe and recurring seizures along with cognitive and developmental delay and/or deterioration. This cognitive and behavioural decline may be influenced by the seizure activity as well as the underlying mechanisms of disease (Kaiman B.A. et al., 2012). The term Epileptic Encephalopathy encompasses a wide variety of syndromes with a diverse range of genetic causes and considerable overlap with other syndromic disorders such as Autism and Mental Retardation. (Berg et al., 2011). The overlap in these syndromes and continuing progression in our understanding of EE’s has resulted in A.T. et al (2010) emphasising that the term epileptic encephalopathy should be viewed as a â€Å"concept and a description† of the wide spectrum of epileptic conditions with an encephalopathic course that are being observed in the clinic. A key diagnostic feature is that Epileptic Encephalopathies tend to occur in infancy to early childhood. While adults can suffer from epilepsy with encephalopathic features this does not tend to be as severe as the Early Onest Epileptic Encephalopathies (EOEE). Children suffering from EOEE’s rarely make it to adulthood due to their poor prognosis. Berg A.T. et al (2010). While more research is coming to light on the potential lasting damaging effects of seizures (Berg et al., 2011) what is certain is that the early onset and repetition of the severe seizures present in EOEE’s is devastating to the early development of patients and their continued growth. As the patients progress from a neonate towards childhood their symptoms will also progress. For example seizures in neonates may not be observable to a clinician as the axonal pathways are not fully myelinated yet and prevent the â€Å"surge† from reaching the motor cortex. Once the brain is fully myelinated the seizures would become observable clinically even though the onset was much earlier in the neonatal stage. This progression of the clinical presentation of epileptic seizures is mirrored in the likelihood of infants suffering from Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy (Otohara syndrome) to develop into Infantile Spasms (IS) at 3-6 months in life. Patients’ suffering from IS tend to develop into Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in childhood. (Asher Y et al., 2012) Diagnosis and treatment: As seen in table 1 and table 2 there are a number of epileptic encephalopathies with a clear enough presentation to make an accurate diagnosis based on the clinical symptoms alone. However due to the rarity of these conditions and the occurrence of EOEE’s with unclear presentations (I need a %?) confirmation of a candidate mutation (gene?) is considered the gold standard when it comes to EOEE diagnosis. (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012) In Lemke J.R. (2012) it was shown that when comparing the diagnostic results of a target gene panel against a clinician’s suggested diagnosis that the gene panel results matched the suggest diagnosis in the EOEE’s with clear presentations. This accounted for 50% of the cohort. However for the remainder of the cohort with unclear EE symptoms there very few suggested diagnoses and not all of these were accurate. It has been suggested by Kay C, (2012) that the significant failure to confirm a genetic diagnosis for unclear EE’s is due to the role of de novo variants as candidates. While we may have the above lists of confirmed disease and causative gene mutations in tables 1 and 2 there are still many other EOEE’s without validated genetic causes that could be the result of de novo mutations in the patients. Considering the ever increasing list of epilepsy linked (but not validated) genes, 265 of which identified in (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012)) it is clear that the current gold standard of diagnosing EOEE’s isn’t high enough. A case study shown by Zupanc M.L., (2009) recorded the diagnostic process of a patient â€Å"Kay† that originally presented with slight head drops at 7 months old. Correlating the head drops to an epileptiform EEG (in this case a â€Å"generalised high-amplitude burst of polyspike, spike and slow wave discharges†) allowed certain conditions to be ruled out however it was highlighted that while a confident diagnosis was reached there were alternatives that cou ldn’t be ruled out. Difficulty in EOEE diagnosis can stem from the multitude of potential genetic causes available for some presentations which can lead to a clinician wandering blindly picking candidates for Sanger sequencing to identify a candidate mutation. (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012) Next generation sequencing technology: If the issue in diagnosing EOEE’s is the lack of validated genetic causes for the different presentations then the most comprehensive way to investigate the matter is to examine the EOEE genomes in comparison to controls and identify the candidate genes. Next generation sequencing technology has provided the means to do this and recent years have seen a surge of NGS based studies in EOEEs and their genetic causes. (Lemke et al., 2012) (Veeramah K.R. et al., 2012) (Veeramah K.R. et al,. 2013) The original human genome project was officially announced as completed in April 2003 (Wheeler D.A., et al. 2013). This project made use of the hierarchal shotgun sequencing method (Chial H et al., 2008). This entailed the use of bacterial artificial chromosome clones (BAC) which each housed a 100Kb fragment of DNA. Over 20,000 over these BAC clones were mapped to the human genome and the order in which these BAC clones would be aligned was the tiling path that would be followed to sequence each human chromosome. The BAC clones are further sub divided into 2 Kb fragments (appropriately sized for sequencing) and these are sub-cloned into plasmid vectors and the fragments that will undergo sequencing. The sequencing was undergone by capillary electrophoresis methods. As long as there is sufficient overlap between these sequences they can be aligned to recreate the BAC clone structure. Then using the BAC clone mapped tiling path the sequences of the BAC clones can be aligned to create a contiguous stretch of sequence that represents the human chromosome. (Mardis E.R., 2008) The advances made in this area to create the next generation sequencing technologies involve a movement away from capillary electrophoresis methods and changes in the methods of how the DNA fragments are assembled to produces the genome sequence. Whole Genome Sequencing removes the use of BAC clones and instead the genome is fragmented into different distinct size classes and placed into plasmid and fosmid subclones. By generating paired end reads and using the number of bases between these reads based on the size classes the genomes can be sequenced quicker than using BAC clones. Next generation sequencing platforms allow for massively parallel DNA sequencing and come in a variety of different set ups. As the need for BAC clones has been removed the sample preparation process is much quicker and cheaper than the method used in the original human genome project. Also while the actual run time of the next generation sequencers is longer than that of the capillary based platform the fi nal yield of reads is much higher (from 96 reads on the capillary platform to up to tens of millions on a massively parallel system). This explosion in genomic sequencing technology less than two years after the completion of the first human genome project has provided an astonishing change in the pace of genomic research. (Mardis E.R., 2008) NGS read diagrams? Next generation sequencing and epilepsy: The study of genetic diseases including the EOEE has benefitted greatly from the genome sequencing revolution. Whole genome sequencing techniques have been used to identify a de novo variant in the SCN8A gene which encodes voltage gated sodium channel pore-forming alpha-subunits. Following discovery of the variant the effects of the variant on channel function was observed and shown to implicate the gene’s involvement in EOEE and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2012). Targeted gene panels (next generation sequencing of a list of target genes coding regions only) has proven effective in diagnosing clear presenting EOEE and even providing a potential causative variant when no clinical diagnosis is possible. Most impressive of all was the use of whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify de novo candidate variants of relevance in 7 out of 10 children and potentially identifying 3 new genes that could be linked to EOEE (Veeramah K.R. et al., 2013 ) WES is the process of sequencing only the human exome rather than the whole genome. The exome consists of all the coding regions (exons) of the genome. Even though the exome only accounts for 1% of the whole genome it is estimated to contain 85% of disease causing mutations (Choi M et al., 2009). As of April 2013 U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute claims to sequence a whole genome at the price of $5826. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute claims to sequence the whole exome at the all-inclusive cost of $500. The Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that whole exomes can be sequenced at four times the rate of the genome in their facility (Perkel J.M 2013). This rapid and ongoing reduction in cost is mirrored at the rate WES projects are being undertaken. With a date filter for the end of 2010 on Pubmed I performed the search â€Å"exome sequencing† and found a total of 44 articles. By the end of 2012 this 805 and by the end of 2013 the nu mber had more than doubled to 1,751. Whole exome sequencing projects have the advantage of not only being cheaper and faster than whole genome projects but also are a more comprehensive option than targeted gene panels for identifying EOEE candidate variants. While not as complete in whole genome sequencing in scope 85% covers a significant amount of data to be analysed and only leaves a 15% chance of not finding a candidate variant. It should also be noted that the exome is much easier to process and analyse while the whole genome includes non-coding areas which we are currently not really able to analyse in such a way to validate the relevant link between disease and non-coding variants (Perkel J.M 2013). Hypothesis: The question we are trying to answer with these projects is â€Å"Can whole exome sequencing detect candidate disease causing variations in early onset epileptic encephalopathy patients†? As this project involves isolated probands and one family trio it also raises the question of whether the inclusion of parent WES data allows for more rapid and accurate variant analysis. As such the end research goals are to identify likely and relevant disease candidate variations in the proband WES data and confirm their presence with Sanger sequencing The benefits of WES studies in EOEE candidate variants are numerous and important. Identifying a confirmed candidate mutation can allow an affect family to receive genetic counselling. If a clear mechanism of disease can be ascertained from the disease candidate then potentially alternative anti-epileptic therapy can be implemented based on the specific condition to improve patient prognosis even slightly. Along with this as EOEE have such a wide variety in causes and mechanisms some can respond poorly to some standard anti-epileptic drugs and lead to rapid deterioration of the patient. Identifying a genetic cause can prevent this from happening. (FIND REFERENCE) On a larger scale understanding the complex mechanisms of these devastating disorders is the only way to improve and develop treatments for these conditions and improve patient prognosis. Understanding how these rare forms of epilepsy manifest may in turn provide clues into the mechanisms of the more common forms of epilepsy . (FIND REFERENCE) As more research is beginning to highlight the role of earlier onset of seizures on the developing brain and the encephalopathic effects WES could become an effective screening tool in the future that would allow early intervention to control or prevent these devastating seizures and greatly improve patient standard of life and change EOEE to a more manageable condition. (Berg et al., 2011) References: (Persad V, Epilepsy and developmental disability) Berg AT ET al, epilepsy cognition and behaviour Asher Y Molecular bases and clinical spectrum of EIEE Scheffer I., Genetic testing in epilepsy what you should be doing Deng H Molecular biology of genetic based epilepsies D.K. Pal, A.W. Pong, W.K. Chung, Genetic evaluation and counseling for  epilepsy. Nature reviews, Neurology 6 (8) (2010) 445e453. Garofal S from genetics to genomics of epilepsy Hennekam, care for patients with ultra rare disorders Kaiman B.A. et al., A genetic diagnostic approach to infantile epileptic encephalopathies Berg AT et al Epilepsy, cognition and behaviour. Lemke J.R. Targeted next generation sequencing in epileptic disorders. Kay C whole genomes in the clinic (Veeramah K.R. et al de novo pathogenic SCN8A mutation identified (Veeramah K.R. et al, Exome sequencing reveals new causal mutations in children epilepsia (Chial H et al., 2008) DNA Sequencing Technologies Key to the Human Genome Project .(Mardis E.R., 2008) Next generation DNA sequencing methods. (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2012) de novo pathogenic SCN8A (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2013) WES 9/10 de novos (Choi M et al., 2009) Genetic diagnosis by whole exome capture and massively parallel DNA sequencing. (Perkel J.M 2013) ScienceMag exome sequencings towards

Ethics in Data and Web Mining

Ethics in Data and Web Mining Liliam Faraon What is the importance of ethics in Data Mining? We live in a time when the pursuit of knowledge is indispensable. From the transformations we have witnessed in the past years, we can acknowledge that information assumes a growing importance and a requirement for any sector of human activity. Some authors say that 90% of all data in the world has been generated over the last two years, and more and more devices will be connected to the internet generating data that can be used by companies to predict patterns of consumption and increase specific sales. The article: 17 Internet of Things Facts Everyone Should Read published by Forbes in October, 2015, brings us an idea of some numbers and the potential market that is available to be exploit: Nowadays there are more objects connected to the internet than people; By the year of 2020 around 250.000 vehicles will be connected to the internet, (saving time spend in traffic, fuel, improving the performance and protecting the environment and generating data); The global wearable device market has grown 223% only in 2015 specially by the launching of Fitbit ® and Apple Watches; Internet of Things will add $10 to $15 trillion to global GDP by 2036; But looking at all the facts some questions are raised, such as: how the data we produce is managed and stored? How is it perceived? How businesses are taking advantage from all the that information? And finally, how do we protect our own data and make sure is not being used without consent? Thats where web mining poses a threat to ethical values, such as individuality and privacy. Improvements in IT and storage capacity has enabled companies to develop tools for data collection through many channels. There are a variety of ways individuals generate data, such as: ATM visits, bar-code readers, biometric devices, credit and debit card transactions, loyalty clubs, medical records, online shopping, rentals, scanners, subscriptions, website browsing and use of many Smart devices available. As a result, there is an exponential growth of the amount of data stored and available to be explored. This generation of data brought the need of new techniques and technologies that can analyse and convert all this information into useful knowledge and Data Mining becomes a very powerful resource. When all these data are merged and mined, they can infer a persons associations, credit information, health, income, political interests and tastes. Liu defines data mining as The process of discovering useful patterns or knowledge from data sources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The patterns must be valid, potentially useful and understandable. (Liu, 2011, p. 6). Data mining based on algorithms are very automated and analytical tools and its use is rapidly increasing. By combining databases, information visualisation, machine learning, mathematical modelling, pattern recognition, statistics and more recently artificial intelligence, very large and complex datasets can be analysed and relationships, patterns, outliers and trends can be revealed. Figure 1: Data Mining         Ã‚   Raw data itself is not useful at all, but the information that can be extracted from the data is where the real value seats. We have endless amounts of data being produced and stored, it makes sense companies and governments have the desire to analyse all this data to uncover patterns potentially useful hidden in there. Data Mining process is basically categorised into two classes: Descriptive: describes the general properties of information stored in a database Predictive: draws inferences from the data in order to make predictions. Witten emphasises: Data Mining is about solving problems by analysing data already present in databases (Witten, 2013, p. 4). Decision makers desire the right answers for broad questions and obviously, the more data gathered the more questions raised. Which customers are likely to respond in a positive way to a marketing campaign? What products will have more success when launched? What is the best price range for a new product? How do the competitors tend to react? The response for those questions cannot be reached based on feelings or intuition, they can be answered by analysing customers behaviour and profile using data mining tools. By collecting and summarizing and making use of data mining companies and organisations can identify insights and obtain competitive advantage, recognize potential competitors, improve customer service relationship, target customer expectations and needs. It also has important uses in social business and science, most recently Government Agencies are using Data and Web mining applications to uncover criminal activities such as terrorist threats. There are many Data Mining tools are available in the market nowadays, each one with its particularities, the most common are KNIME, NLTK, Orange, RapidMiner (formerly known as YALE), R-Programming and WEKA . Ethics must be a condition of the world, like logic. Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951. Giant social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter hold billions of users data, keeping these data protect and as a secret is a big concern. When an individual creates an account on any of those social media channels a policy agreement is accepted, and it is basically data related. Data Mining analysts use people personal information collected by organisations all over the world through many different technologies and use them especially for prediction analysis, but practitioners must be very careful when analysing patterns, certain kinds of discrimination are not only unethical but also illegal, gender, religion, race and certain sensitive information is totally unacceptable, in the other hand, anonymizing data is very difficult, for example, over 85% of Americans can be identified from publicity available records using just three pieces of information: zip code, birth date and sex (Witten, 2013, p.33). When a person shops for a product online, the company has access to customers address, credit card, name, phone number and other information in their database. But how does the company encrypts the information and protects it from misuse or security breach is and ethical and legal issue. Some matters are also raised: Is it ethical and legal to use the users information for publicity purposes? How can users protect their right of privacy? Where does the right of a company meets the ethics when sharing its data with another company to comprehend and understand customers and increase profit by selling this information to third party companies is a very important matter and it must be carefully discussed. There is a thin line between of a persons privacy and companys right to use it. When a person provides personal information, he or she needs to know how and what it will be used and a few steps must be taken to guarantee confidentiality and integrity. The use of data particularly data about people for data mining has serious ethical implications and practitioners of data mining techniques must act responsibly by making themselves aware of the ethical issues that surround their particular application. (Witten, 2013, p. 33). There is a growing concern regarding to the use of private and sensitive information and the ethical issues of Data Mining must be analysed and understood both from the business and the personal point of view. From a personal point of view, by Data Mining execution respecting consent, privacy and regulations customers might appreciate the fact they are being target with more personalized offers based on circumstances and needs and in return they may be willing to provide more specific data about themselves. From a business point of view by respecting the privacy issues companies will save resources as they will be able to target very specific customers for certain products. It is obvious that as any other powerful technology there are negative consequences of Data Mining, some results can ineffective, misdirected or unregulated, but if used correctly it can be very resourceful. Some points are very important and organizations making use of data mining techniques should give a thought about them when the use of personal data is planned: Connectivity and data sharing All the users and people that give consent are connected through the internet and share data Security is essential Once all the information traffics through databases, companies worry about the security and privacy, that way all the data will be encrypted, the web services will be hosted in a server with a certificate installed and authentication user The importance of Privacy Policy Privacy Policy is a legal statement and regulates the privacy policy related to users personal data which is under companies responsibility Infrastructure The process will not function without an application to analyse, interpret, read and draw patterns from the data Account management: Gathering and leveraging Account Management has all the information gathered and leveraged, and elaborate can advertising campaigns. It plays an important role in the profitability of the company Information could be released without the consent of the person, it becomes an ethical dilemma, because sometimes the users are unaware of the information gathered and that is being used by companies. It is very important to highlight that the person has the right to know how it will be used and should be able to have the opportunity to consent or not the collection and use. And also when a person becomes part of a group profile and used as a decision making basis, the individuality is threatened, people cannot be judged only as group members, but also as an individual, able to make its own decisions. It is likely that in the next few years an inspection of ethical issues and legal implications will be further required, legislation of digital privacy will be developed and laws will enter force, confidentiality and privacy preservation should be the main points of concern. Unauthorised extraction of data will be considered a crime and companies must be ready for that. Data Mining algorithms are very important and powerful tools for analysis and predictions, they are expected to become more and more significant in the future, decision based on data will change the way companies base their processes, of course there are no 100% guarantee that they will succeed, but, are more likely to be successful than decisions based on feelings or gut. Once patterns are revealed profiles can be drown and stereotypes can be used for crime prevention, commercial proposes, marketing campaigns, policies development and many others. Meanwhile Data Mining ethical issues need to be raised and awareness increased, as the world continues to develop, more and more data is likely to be collected and the Data Mining processes will become more sophisticated. People will need to get a clearer idea of privacy and companies will have to become more transparent on its processes of collect, gather and use of data. Cook, Jack (2005). Ethics of data mining. Available at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1443context=article Ethics in Computing. Available at: https://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/mining/study.php [Accessed: 02 March 2017]. Fule, Peter. Detecting Privacy and Ethical Sensitivity in Data Mining Results. Available at: http://crpit.com/confpapers/CRPITV26Fule.pdf Liu, Bing. (2011). Web Data Mining: Exploring Hyperlinks, Contents, and Usage Data, Springer MARR, Bernard.17 Internet Of Things Facts Everyone Should Read (2015). Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2015/10/27/17-mind-blowing-internet-of-things-facts-everyone-should-read/#5e463ad01a7a [Accessed: 01 March 2017]. Wahlstrom, Kirsten (2006). On the Ethical and Legal Implications of Data Mining. Available at: https://csem.flinders.edu.au/research/techreps/SIE06001.pdf Witten, Ian H (2013). Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques, Morgan Kaufmann. Zhen, Ethical issues in Web Data Mining. Available at:http://blog.nus.edu.sg/group208/2012/11/25/ethical-issues-in-web-data-mining/ [Accessed: 01 March 2017].

American Law Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the United States there are many different laws among the fifty states that make up this union. The laws are different throughout the states because of the need of the laws. Living in one state and not having the advantages or disadvantages of a law in another state would not be that unfair or unequal. This is true because if you don’t like a law in your state you could always fight it and try to change it or you could always move out of that state and go to one that has the laws that you like. One of the big issues in life today is gun safety. Due to the recent high school shootings many legislatures are pushing for stricter gun laws. In Montana you can’t carry a concealed weapon inside city, town or logging camp limits but if you have a permit you can carry a concealed weapon in many instances. Where as in Wisconsin the state does not give permits that give a person the right to carry a concealed weapon, if caught with a concealed weapon it is a misdemeanor. Now looking at these two cases would you say that this is unfair to the people in Wisconsin because they can’t walk around the streets with a concealed gun. I don’t think that it is unfair but in fact a precaution that Wisconsin has, and they are actually looking out for the safety of their citizens. Another law that we can look at is drinking and driving. All the states have different laws on how high your blood alcohol level can be. After reviewing some of the laws I found that in Vermont if your are pull...

The Grafenberg Area :: Sex Anatomy Papers

The Grafenberg Area Just what is the purpose of existence? This question has been raised countless times by countless millions of people, wondering just what exactly they are here for. Some of those among us decide to make the study of that question their life's work, and spend many hours thinking, writing, and speaking about it. These specialists, philosophers, exist to give us some idea of why we continue to exist. One school of philosophical thought holds that the only thing of any value whatsoever is pleasure, and that the purpose of existence is to experience as much pleasure as possible. This school of philosophical thought, called hedonism, is theoretically sound. All actions taken by human beings can be argued to have been performed because the performer discerned or imagined a tangible reward for performing the act. Hedonists hold that individuals should identify that which gives them pleasure, and act upon that knowledge to derive the maximum amount of pleasure possible from any situation. As sex is among the more powerful forms of pleasurable stimuli known to man, researchers among the biological, anthropological, and medical fields have endeavored to discover greater knowledge of human sexuality. Sexual research is performed to provide accurate information to several audiences. The general public benefits from this research in that people develop a higher awareness of their own capacity for sexual fulfillment; they discover the extent to which their body and mind are geared to pleasure, and they learn how to exercise that capacity while minimizing the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Many people come to accept the feelings their bodies are capable of producing without feelings of guilt or shame. This is a significant event in my opinion, because I believe the path of ascension for the human race lies in self-awareness. Particularly among those cultures which are historically sexually repressive, the widespread dissemination of sexual information can bring about a very positive change in the way people feel about themselves. Medical professionals, too, greatly benefit from the research of sexuality. Clinical research and scientific surveys give physicians more accurate data on the proper functioning of human sexual organs, allowing physicians to find more effective forms of contraception and disease prevention, and allowing more accurate diagnoses of potential problems. These more accurate diagnoses can lead to more effective treatments for sexual disorders. Among the other major beneficiaries of sexual research are judiciary officials, who when given more accurate definitions of sexual deviancy and sexual criminality are better able to pronounce just sentencing.

Gullivers Travels †Innocent Nature Essay -- Gullivers Travels Essay

Gulliver's Travels – Innocent Nature I disagree that Gulliver is a naive narrator and therefore doesn't see a connection between knowledge and the acquisition of power. As R.Davis and R. Schleifer wrote, "Gulliver, gullibly suited like the rest of us, never quite understands the ... relationship between knowledge and power." There is a very close relationship between knowledge and power. With them being such important traits, each one seems to be included with the other. In Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, the use of satirical writing on both the island of Lilliput and Brobdingang serve to make the narrator a gullible character therefore excusing critiques of English government and politics. On the island of Lilliput, in Jonathan Swift's book, Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver's innocent nature satirize the story. Upon arriving mysteriously on Lilliput, Gulliver was tied down and his weapons taken away. To his surprise his captors were only six inches tall. Gulliver's pacifist attitude allowed him to befriend the Lilliputians,...

Clothing in the Awakening

Clothes appear to have significant meaning in The Awakening, enough so that they are mentioned at almost every description of the characters. Edna Pontellier starts the novel fully dressed and appropriately dressed for a woman of her responsibilities, however, at her final moment, she is naked on the beach. Other women in the story also represent their ‘position’ and the way they feel in the way they dress. For example, Madmoiselle Reisz never changes her clothes.This could possibly symbolize her physical detachment from anything around her, including nature and any suppressed feelings. In contrast, Edna’s clothes represent her physical attachment to society. She sheds her clothes the way a snake sheds its skin when it is time for a new one and it does not fit into the old one any longer. Edna doesn’t feel like she can fit into society any longer. Madmoiselle Reisz, on the other hand, does not seem to have any desire to be more than what she has been given in the society in which she lives.Therefore, she does not change her clothes, because she does not feel the need for change in her life. Other characters, such as Madame Leburn always have new clothes to cover their bodies. This could, perhaps, represent the constant need to cover their sexuality as women in suppressed roles as wives and mothers. Ednas’ nakedness at the end of the novel symbolizes her freedom from any claims her children may have on her and shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of ‘responsibility’, of her family and the 1890s’ society.Through the motif of clothes, Kate Chopin suggests that although society can be restricting, in order to have discipline, rules can be necessary. Can be destructive, lack of rules can lead to destruction of self. The symbol of clothing in the story shows the development of her freedom from the harsh rules of the Creole society. In the beginning of the novel, Edna is accustomed to wearing the same clothes as the Creoles. Throughout the story, she is found loosening her collar and trying to remove articles of clothing.After her awakening, Edna becomes restless and starts to neglect the rules placed upon her. As Edna progresses throughout the novel, she discards more and more layers of the confining clothing that surrounds her body and soul. By taking off her clothing, one piece at a time, she is disobeying the rules placed upon her, and in doing so, she exerts her independence. The clothing symbolizes the constraints on the social behavior of women in this era. It restricts Edna and doesn’t allow her body to move. At the beginning of the novel, Edna is fully dressed and in proper clothing.However, when Edna and Adele walk together on the beach, Edna wears less clothing In one example of rebellion, Edna begins to care less about her duties as a woman in a Victorian society and chooses to not wear what society expects of her. â€Å"Mrs. Ponteiller did not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown; she was in ordinary house gowns. † (59) The house gown are less elaborate and involve wearing less clothing than reception gowns, and to Edna, is more comfortable. Although those around her do not approve, she chooses to do what she feels and does this witho5ut hesitation or guilt.

Twilight 18. THE HUNT

18. THE HUNTThey emerged hotshot by one from the forest edge, ranging a dozen meters apart. The foremost male into the clearing condemnable natural covering straight forwardly, either in all(prenominal)owing the some other male to labour the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark- hairclothed part in a manner that clear displayed who led the pack. The third was a muliebrity from this di placement, all I could see of her was that her hair was a startling shade of red.They unopen ranks in front they continued cautiously toward Edwardsfamily, exhibiting the indispensable respect of a troop of predators as it encounters a larger, unfamiliar group of its suffer kind.As they approached, I could see how various they were from the Cullens. Their walk was cat interchangeable, a gait that calculateed incessantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch. They dressed in the ordinary cogwheel of puntpackers jeans and day-by-day just nowton- deal shirts in heavy, pro of fabrics. The clothes were frayed, though, with wear, and they were b atomic number 18foot. Both men had cropped hair, exclusively the muliebritys brilliant o sphere hair was fill up with start come outs and debris from the woods.Their sharp eye conservatively took in the to a greater extent polished, urbane stance of Carlisle, who, flanked by Emmett and Jasper, timberped guardedly forward to gratify them. With step up either seeming communication surrounded by them, they from each one straightened into a much casual, piece bearing.The man in front was easily the most beautiful, his skin olive-toned beneath the classifiable pallor, his hair a glossy black. He was of a medium build, hard-muscled, of course, provided energy nigh to Emmetts brawn. He smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth.The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly mingled with the men facing her, and the loose mathematical group around me, her chaotic hair shakines s in the slight breeze. Her posture was in enumerateigibly feline. The second male hovered unobtrusively bath manner them, slighter than the attractor, his light brown hair and readyness features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely stable, in some course seemed the most vigilant.Their eyes were different, too. Not the opulent or black I had incur to expect, exactly a deep burgundy ilkness that was disturbing and sinister.The dark-haired man, still smiling, stepped toward Carlisle.We thinking we comprehend a game, he express in a relaxed translator with the slightest of cut accents. Im Laurent, these argon Victoria and jam. He gestured to the vampires beside him.Im Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella. He pointed us out in groups, by choice non calling attention to individuals. I felt a shock when he tell my name.Do you postulate room for a few more players? Laurent asked sociably.Carlisle matched L aurents matey tone. Actually, we were just finishing up. just wed for sure be interested a nonher time. ar you planning to stay in the arena for pertinacious?Were runed north, in fact, only we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We put one overnt mental testing into any company in a commodious time.No, this region is usually empty however for us and the occasional visitor, care yourselves.The filtrate atmosphere had slowly subsided into a casual conversation I guessed that Jasper was using his unique gift to control the situation.Whats your hunting range? Laurent casually inquired.Carlisle ignored the assumption game tooth the inquiry. The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We accompaniment a eonian residence riseby. Theres another permanent settlement resembling ours up near Denali.Laurent rocked book binding on his heels slightly.Permanent? How do you manage that? There was honest specialty in his constituent.Why don t you come back to our home with us and we can prate comfortably? Carlisle invited. Its a rather eagle-eyed story. mob and Victoria exchanged a surprised require at the look up of the wordhome, but Laurent controlled his smell cleanse.That endures really interesting, and welcome. His smile was genial. Weve been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we havent had the chance to invigorated up in a piece of music. His eyes moved appreciatively over Carlisles manpowerome appearance.Please dont confirm rid of offense, but wed guess it if youd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you under plunk for, Carlisle explained.Of course. Laurent nodded. We certainly wont march on on your territory. We just ate outdoors of Seattle, anyway, he laughed. A shiver ran up my spine.Well charge you the way if youd like to run with us Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to devil the jeep, he casually added.Three things se emed to decease simultaneously while Carlisle was speaking. My hair frilled with the light breeze, Edward stiffened, and the second male, throng, suddenly whipped his head around, scrutinizing me, his nostrils flaring.A swift rigidity sink on all of them as James lurched one step forward into a crouch. Edward uncover his teeth, crouching in defense, a vicious matte up ripping from his throat.It was nothing like the playful sounds Id heard from him this morning it was the champion most menacing thing I had ever heard, and chills ran from the crown of my head to the back of my heels.Whats this? Laurent exclaimed in open surprise. Neither James nor Edward relaxed their aggressive poses. James feinted slightly to the side, and Edward shifted in response.Shes with us. Carlisles firm rebuff was directed toward James. Laurent seemed to check my scent less powerfully than James, but awareness now dawned on his impertinence.You brought a snack? he asked, his expression sceptical as he took an involuntary step forward.Edward snarled even more ferociously, harshly, his rim curling high above his glistening, bared teeth. Laurent stepped back again.I said shes with us, Carlisle correct in a hard voice. nevertheless shes human, Laurent protested. The words were not at all aggressive, merely astounded.Yes. Emmett was very(prenominal) oftentimes in evidence at Carlisles side, his eyes on James. James slowly straightened out of his crouch, but his eyes never left(a) me, his nostrils still wide. Edward stayed tensed like a king of beasts in front of me.When Laurent radius, his tone was soothe severe to defuse the sudden hostility. It appears we have a lot to learn round each other.Indeed. Carlisles voice was still cool. alone wed like to accept your invitation. His eyes flicked toward me and back to Carlisle. And, of course, we bequeath not harm the human girl. We wont hunt in your range, as I said.James glanced in disbelief and exacerbation at Laurent and exchanged another plan look with Victoria, whose eyes still flickered edgily from mettle to face.Carlisle measured Laurents open expression for a moment out front he spoke. Well show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme? he called. They ga in that respectd to fatherher, blocking me from opine as they converged. Alice was instantly at my side, and Emmett wing back slowly, his eyes locked on James as hebacked toward us.Lets go, Bella. Edwards voice was low and bleak.This whole time Id been root in place, terrified into absolute immobility. Edward had to make do my elbow and pull sharply to scandalise my trance. Alice and Emmett were close behind us, hiding me. I stumbled onside Edward, still stunned with fear. I couldnt hear if the main group had left yet. Edwards impatience was almost tangible as we moved at human travel rapidly to the forest edge.Once we were into the trees, Edward slung me over his back without breaking stride. I gripped as tightly as possible as he took of f, the others close on his heels. I unbroken my head down, but my eyes, wide with fright, wouldnt close. They plunged through and through the now-black forest like wraiths. The sense of exhilaration that usually seemed to possess Edward as he ran was completely absent, replaced by a rabidness that consumed him and drove him still faster. Even with me on his back, the others trailed behind.We reached the Jeep in an impossibly brusk time, and Edward barely slowed as he flung me in the backseat.Strap her in, he ordered Emmett, who slid in beside me.Alice was already in the front seat, and Edward was showtime the engine. It roared to life and we swerved backward, spinning around to face the winding road.Edward was growling something too fast for me to derive, but it sounded a lot like a string of profanities.The jolting depend on was much worse this time, and the darkness barely made it more frightening. Emmett and Alice both glared out the side windows.We hit the main road, and though our speed increased, I could see much better where we were spillage. And we were headed south, away from Forks.Where are we termination? I asked.No one answered. No one even looked at me.Dammit, Edward Where are you taking me?We have to snuff it you away from here removed away now. He didnt look back, his eyes on the road. The speed indicator read a hundred and quin miles an hour.Turn around You have to trade me home I shouted. I struggled with the duncical harness, tearing at the straps.Emmett, Edward said grimly.And Emmett secured my hands in his steely grasp.No Edward No, you cant do this.I have to, Bella, now enthral be quiet.I wont You have to propose me back Charlie will call the FBI Theyll be all over your family Carlisle and Esme Theyll have to leave, to traverse foreverCalm down, Bella. His voice was cold. Weve been there before.Not over me, you dont Youre not destroy everything over me I struggled violently, with total futility.Alice spoke for the fi rst time. Edward, pull over.He flashed her a hard look, and and then sped up.Edward, lets just lecture this through.You dont understand, he roared in frustration. Id never heard his voice so loud it was deafening in the confines of the Jeep. The speedometer neared one hundred and fifteen. Hes a tracker, Alice, did you see that? Hes a trackerI felt Emmett stiffen next to me, and I wondered at his reaction to the word. It meant something more to the three of them than it did to me I necessitateed to understand, but there was no opening for me to ask. escape over, Edward. Alices tone was reasonable, but there was a ring of authority in it Id never heard before.The speedometer inched passed one-twenty.Do it, Edward. harken to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his arrested development and he wants her, Alice her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight.He doesnt feel where -He interrupted her. How long do you think it will hold him to cross her scent in townspe ople? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurents mouth.I gasped, crafty where my scent would forget. Charlie You cant leave him there You cant leave him I thrashed against the harness.Shes right, Alice said.The car slowed slightly.Lets just look at our options for a minute, Alice coaxed.The car slowed again, more noticeably, and then suddenly we screeched to a drop out on the shoulder of the highway. I flew against the harness, and then slammed back into the seat.There are no options, Edward hissed.Im not leaving Charlie I yelled.He ignored me completely.We have to take her back, Emmett in conclusion spoke.No. Edward was absolute.Hes no match for us, Edward. He wont be able to touch her.Hell await.Emmett smiled. I can wait, too.You didnt see you dont understand. Once he commits to a hunt, hes unshakable. Wed have to kill him.Emmett didnt seem upset by the idea. Thats an option.And the female. Shes with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too.There are enough of us.Theres another option, Alice said quietly.Edward dour on her in fury, his voice a blistering snarl. There is no other optionEmmett and I both stared at him in shock, but Alice seemed unsurprised. The silence lasted for a long minute as Edward and Alice stared each other down.I broke it. Does anyone want to hear my plan?No, Edward growled. Alice glared at him, at last provoked.Listen, I pleaded. You take me back.No, he interrupted.I glared at him and continued. You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. Hell follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie wont call the FBI on your family. indeed you can take me any cursed place you want.They stared at me, stunned.Its not a bad idea, really. Emmetts surprise was in spades an insult.It capacity lick and we simply cant leave her male parent unprotected. You know that, Alice said.Everyone looked at Edward.Its too stern I dont want him within a hundred miles of her.Emmett was supremely confident. Edward, hes not acquiring through us.Alice public opinion for a minute. I dont see him attacking. Hell try to wait for us to leave her alone.It wont take long for him to lay down thats not handout to happen.I need that you take me home. I assay to sound firm.Edward pressed his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.Please, I said in a much littler voice.He didnt look up. When he spoke, his voice sounded worn.Youre leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you cant stand another minute in Forks. consecrate him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I dont care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? 15 minutes from the time you cross the doorstep.The Jeep rumbled to life, and he spun us around, the tires squealing. The needle on the speedometer started to race up the dial.E mmett? I asked, looking pointedly at my hands.Oh, sorry. He let me loose.A few minutes passed in silence, other than the roar of the engine. consequently Edward spoke again.This is how its going to happen. When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. hence she has fifteen minutes. He glared at me in the rearview mirror. Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. Ill be inside as long as she is. After shes out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle.No way, Emmett broke in. Im with you.Think it through, Emmett. I dont know how long Ill be gone.Until we know how far this is going to go, Im with you.Edward sighed. If the tracker is there, he continued grimly, we keep driving.Were going to make it there before him, Alice said confidently.Edward seemed to accept that. Whatever his task with Alice was, he didnt doubt her now.What are we going to do with the Jeep? she asked.His voice had a hard edge. Youre drivin g it home.No, Im not, she said calmly.The turbid stream of profanities started again.We cant all fit in my truck, I whispered.Edward didnt appear to hear me.I think you should let me go alone, I said even more quietly.He heard that.Bella, please just do this my way, just this once, he said between clenched teeth.Listen, Charlies not an imbecile, I protested. If youre not in town tomorrow, hes going to get suspicious.Thats irrelevant. Well make sure hes safe, and thats all that matters. so what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. Hes going to think youre with me, wherever you are.Emmett looked at me, insultingly surprised again. Edward, listen to her, he urged. I think shes right.Yes, she is, Alice agreed.I cant do that. Edwards voice was icy.Emmett should stay, too, I continued. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett.What? Emmett turned on me.Youll get a better crack at him if you stay, Alice agreed.Edward stared at her incredulously. You think I should let her go alone?Of course not, Alice said. Jasper and I will take her.I cant do that, Edward repeated, but this time there was a succeed of defeat in his voice. The logic was work on him.I tried to be persuasive. Hang out here for a week - I saw his expression in the mirror and amended - a few days. Let Charlie see you havent kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. annoy sure hes completely off my trail. indeed come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home.I could see him beginning to consider it.Meet you where?Phoenix. Of course.No. Hell hear thats where youre going, he said impatiently.And youll make it look like thats a ruse, obviously. Hell know that well know that hes listening. Hell never believe Im actually going where I say I am going.Shes diabolical, Emmett chuckled.And if that doesnt work?There are several one thousand thousand people in Phoenix, I advised him.Its not that hard to find a phone book.I wont go home.Oh ? he inquired, a dangerous note in his voice.Im quite old enough to get my own place.Edward, well be with her, Alice reminded him.What are you going to do in Phoenix? he asked her scathingly.Stay indoors.I kind of like it. Emmett was thinking about cornering James, no doubt. shut up, Emmett.Look, if we try to take him down while shes still around, theres a much better chance that someone will get hurt shell get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone He trailed off with a slow smile. I was right.The Jeep was crawling slowly along now as we drove into town. contempt my brave talk, I could feel the hairs on my arms standing up. I thought about Charlie, alone in the house, and tried to be courageous.Bella. Edwards voice was very soft. Alice and Emmett looked out their windows. If you let anything happen to yourself- anything at all Im holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?Yes, I gulped.He turned to Alice. sack Jasper handle this?Give h im some credit, Edward. Hes been doing very, very well, all things considered.Can you handle this? he asked.And graceful little Alice pulled back her lips in a horrific grimace and let loose with a guttural snarl that had me cowering against the seat in terror.Edward smiled at her. But keep your opinions to yourself, he muttered suddenly.