Mechanisms of Viral Transmission

Mechanisms of Viral Transmission Most of the new viral diseases that enter the human population are enzootic viruses that have changed their hosts. These enzootic viruses tend to have a severe effect in humans. A viral disease emerges in a population through a series of steps the initial infection, the spillover, and lastly the host to host transfer. These steps are further aided or prevented by the virulence factors present in the virus versus the host or human whichever the case susceptibility. It is important to determine the source of these viruses and whether it was via an enzootic or epizootic virus. The barriers that the virus faces when trying to infect a new host are just as important as the role that the environment plays in the viruss transmissibility. There are many factors to consider when looking at viruses how viruses change hosts. New viruses can emerge in a population through contact with an alternative host. Until recently the probability of a virus changing hosts was limited by the restricted contact between the initial host and the alternative host. An increase in contact can be accomplished by introducing the host animal to domestication or any other arena that would serve to increase the likelihood of human contact. Primates that have been infected with simian immunodeficiency virus in Africa were separated from areas of high human populations which in turn significantly limited the chances of the virus changing hosts and infecting humans. The chances of viral contact can also be increased by changes in social and sexual behavior, increased travel, hygiene practices and the increased density of the population that work in favor of the virus and increase the chances of infection in an alternative human host. The significance of initial host to alternative host contact can be examined through the instance in Africa where primates infected with simian immunodeficiency virus in Africa were removed from areas of high human populations and in turn significantly reduced the number of the host changes from primate to humans. The removal of the infected animal from direct human contact does not prevent transmission though intermediate hosts. In Malaysia fruit bats are the reservoirs for the virus nipah and with the large number fruit orchards near pig farms the incidence of contact between the virus and the pig is greatly increased. When it comes to a viruss ability to infect a new host there are new barriers that the virus must learn to penetrate. An important part of a viruss ability to infect new hosts is its ability to infect that hosts cells. In humans the viruss can have trouble entering the host via due to factors that fight off viral infections or something as simple as the surface of human skin can pose as a barrier for entry into an alternative host. When galactosyl producing virions which are not normally found in humans are detected in the body the galactosyl brings about an antibody response that inactivates the virus and prevents its spread. A mechanism of action such as this requires the viruss need to rapidly adapt to bypass the barriers that are set up to prevent viral infection. Even if the relative distance in relation between the initial host and the alternative host of a virus is close the intensity and rate of the contact between the two species is still a factor. When a virus infects a new host that is distantly or closely related to the previous host it does not mean that the host cannot also transfer the virus to more distantly related organism. Integration of a virus into a new host cell is also dependent on the receptor binding that occurs between the virus and host cell. The changes that the virus has to undergo in order to infect the new host cells must coincide with the receptors that are found already on the host cells. A process involving the transfer of the FPV virus to infect canine involved a gain of two mutations that then allowed for it to bind to the canine transferrin receptors. These mutations allowed for the FPV virus to increase its host range successfully gain the ability to infect canines with a new form of the FPV virus CPV. Blockades for the spread of the viral infection once it has infected the new host cells can exist in the form of proteins that prevent the spread of the virus to neighboring cells. The capsid proteins of viruses are stopped at the cytoplasm of the new host cell by TRIM5ÃŽ ± a protein that binds to the capsid of the virus preventing its entry into the host cell. Generalist and specialist viruses are two categories for viruses that can possibly predict and help determine the ranges of hosts that a particular virus can infect; and whether or not a virus is a candidate for host switching. Generalist viruses are expected to have an increased incidence of alternative host shifting while specialist viruses are the opposite and are unable to bypass the barriers in the host cells receptors and other defenses that would require the virus to mutant in order to effectively infect the cell. Most of the specialist cells have trouble making it past the initial infection of the alternative host. Viruses that have a wide range of hosts have a built in advantage already in that they do not have to alter in order to successfully make a change in the types of organism that they can infect. The rate of variation in a virus directly determines the adaptability of a virus into a new host. Viruses that have a high evolving rate are more likely to cross species and cause infection in a new host due to its ability to quickly adapt to the host cell. RNA viruses do not have proofreading mechanisms as well as replication that is error prone and are in that sense much more variable than DNA viruses. DNA viruses are less variable than RNA viruses but some exception exist in that certain single stranded DNA the rate of variation may be similar to that of RNA viruses. A reduction in virus fitness occurs when the virus undergoes mutations that are necessary in order to infect a new host. If the virus is using a intermediate host even more adaptations are required and the virus is further reduced in fitness. The addition of the intermediate hosts help to explain why the influenza A virus infects each of its hosts differently through different mechanisms. In humans for example the infection is found in the lower respiratory tract than in other hosts where it is located in the upper respiratory tract. Reassortments and recombinants aid in a virus adaptability to a new host cell by making a number of genetic changes in a shorter amount of time. The CoV virus of the bat in recombination with another virus was able to make a new virus SARS that can infect humans and other hosts. The intermediate virus is a form of the virus that infects the intermediate host. This virus is the least stable form of the virus. The lower fitted virus loses some of the capability to infect previous parental host types efficiently in addition to the newer crossover hosts they are trying to infect. This phenomenon could account for the low percentage of viral crossover between species. The article did a good job of following the trend and mechanism with which a virus switches hosts. More investigation should be done in the areas of the initial infection of the virus and how it crosses over. More studies should also be done on the likelihood of a virus from another animal making the host switch to infect humans and how that spread can be predicted and prevented. Further studies should be done on how the viruses that make the jump to a species that is not close in the evolutionary chain to who they normally infect to humans. A broader knowledge of how the virus adapts itself to survive in an organism that is so different from its original host also deserves further investigation. If the topics of interest listed are further studied and developed then the article would have a more focused and concise viewpoint instead of the disorganized and sometimes abandoned thread of thoughts that exist at some points within the article.

Consent Of An Intoxicated Victim Rape Law Essay

Consent Of An Intoxicated Victim Rape Law Essay Provisions of the sexual offences 2003 act In times gone by, the offence of rape was defined as the carnal knowledge of a woman forcibly and against her will.1 The offence was initially silent on the issue of mens rea and it was not until DPP v Morgan2 that its inclusion and the effect that this had on mistakes about consent was established. The House of Lords held that a trust in consent, even if irrational, would go against mens rea provided that the trust was honest. Although subject to a measure of criticism, such as that it represented a rapists charter,3 this is still the approach to the offence in the common law jurisdictions. Rape requires evidence of the physical essentials of penetration without consent and also the mental aspect that the offender not only intended to penetrate but knew the victim was not consenting or was careless as to whether the victim was consenting.4 carelessness is generally understood subjectively to mean that the offender was conscious that it was probable that the victim was not consenting but continued in any case.5 s 1 defines rape. Intercourse is complete upon proof of penetration by the penis and being complete means that it is has come into existence, not that it has reached an end. It is not necessary to prove that the hymen was broken. Part of the actus reus is that the victim does not consent. 1 St G Tucker, Blackstones Commentaries (William Young Birch and Abraham Small, IV, 1803) 210. 2DPP v Morgan [1976] AC 182. 3J Temkin, Rape and the Legal Process (Sweet Maxwell, 1987) 79. 4Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) s 54; Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61I and s 61R(1); Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA) s 48; Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 38. 5 See DPP v Morgan [1976] AC 182, 215; Satnam and Kewal (1983) 78 Cr App R 149; Turrise v R [2003] ACTCA 23; R v Brown (1975) 10 SASR 139; Wozniak and Pendry (1977) 16 SASR 67, 175. s 2 This was a new offence that didnt exist at all previous to the 2003 Act. The actus reus can be that accused uses a part of his body to penetrate victim as in rape, but orally is not included in this offence, and what he penetrates victim with can be his penis or it can be anything else, eg fingers, bottle, anything, and the victim must factually not consent. The crossover with rape will operate if the victim is unable to determine what she was penetrated with perhaps because she was intoxicated, injured or asleep. The mens rea is intention. As with rape, this offence requires a reasonable belief in consent and can be committed recklessly as a result of that. It is therefore a basic intent crime which means that evidence of no mens rea due to involuntary intoxication will be a defence R v Majewski [1977] AC 443. Sexual is defined at s 78 of the 2003 Act. s 3 This offence is akin to the old offence of indecent assault under the 1956 Act, other than the s 3 offence here req uires that D touch V in the circumstances described. The old law only required an assault, which of course need not have involved actual touching. Under the common law in R v Rolfe [1952] 36 Cr App R4 D was guilty of an indecent assault when he walked toward V with his penis exposed. This would not satisfy the s 3 offence now. However, R v H [2005] EWCA Crim 732 shows that only the slightest touch to Vs clothing in a sexual way will suffice. Sexual is defined ats 78 of the 2003 Act, and Ds belief in consent must be reasonable. s 4 The actus reus is not complete unless V factually engages in a sexual act at the instigation of D and V factually does not consent. Sexual is defined at s 78 and Ds belief, if he is to escape liability, must be a reasonable one that V consents. There is no requirement for D to be present when V engages in the activity. Causing V to masturbate herself or causing V to engage in acts of prostitution are examples that would fit s 4. s 61 Administering a substance can be done in any manner, eg in food or drink, by injection or by way of inhalation (perhaps on a smothering cloth or in vapour held under the nose whilst V is asleep). D must administer the substance or cause a third party to do so and while a sexual activity must be intended it need not be D who it is planned will engage in it with V. V must factually not consent and D must be aware of this a mere belief that V might not consent is insufficient. s 74 provides that: a person consents if she agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. The definition is based on free agreement. s 75 A conclusive presumption means that the presumption will apply, in this case that V did not consent, if the relevant act is proven to have occurred (the sexual act) and the circumstances described are proven to have occurred (eg D deceived V as to the nature of the sexual act). D will then be presumed to have not had Vs consent and there is no opportunity for him to argue that he did have it. The requirements of force and lack of will were replaced by the perception of consent in the mid 19th century. The turning point was the case of R v Camplin,6 where a woman was penetrated after being made drunk by the accused. Faced with no indication of force against the victim, the House of Lords decided that there could be rape if the penetration took place without the consent and against the will of the victim. In focusing on consent rather than force it has been argued that the offence does not capture the real nature of rape.7 Feminists have articulated several apprehensions about whether the focus on consent sufficiently protects women.8 Firstly, an objectionable consequence of making the consent of the victim the central question has been that criminal trials tend to focus on the conduct and sexual history of the victim rather than on the conduct of the accused.9 A second criticism is that the everyday use of the term consent does not satisfactorily distinguish between cases in which the victim submits out of fear and cases in which she is prepared to engage in sexual intercourse.10 6 R v Camplin (1845) 1 Cox 22. The decision was confirmed in R v Fletcher (1859) 8 Cox 131. 7 V Tadros, Rape Without Consent (2006) 26 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 515, 516. See also V Tadros, No Consent: A Historical Critique of the Actus Reus of Rape (1999) 3 Edinburgh Law Review 317, 330. 8For further discussion see P Western, Some Common Confusion About Consent in Rape Cases (2004) 2 Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law 333-359. 9 Tadros, above n 10, 326. 10 Ibid. Finally, it has been argued that the theory of consent cannot be determined reasonably while jurors and judges rely on their predictable views about sexual roles in their assessment of consent such as, put bluntly, yes means no; that women fantasize about being raped; or that women could resist if they really wanted to.11 Voluntary intoxication vs forced intoxication There is a well-established link between the use of commonplace intoxicants like alcohol and sexual assault. Estimates vary between studies, but it is generally accepted that alcohol has been consumed by one or both parties in a high proportion of rape cases. Alcohol has thus been suggested to be both a precipitant of, and an excuse for, sexual aggression by men (Richardson and Campbell, 1982; (Richardson and Hammock, 1991). In addition, alcohol use has been studied as a risk factor for sexual victimization, since it lowers awareness of risky situations and impairs the ability to resist assault (Abbey, 1991; Berkowitz, 1992). Four of the simulations involved alcohol, with the key variable relating to the means of administration to the complainant: (1) unambiguous self-administration; (2) self-administration under pressure from the defendant; (3) surreptitious strengthening of an alcoholic drink by the defendant; and (4) surreptitious administration into a non-alcoholic drink by the d efendant Present Scenario The existing situation where there is no statutory definition of consent to any sexual act which might otherwise be a crime is far from perfect, leading to a lack of lucidity for the complainant, the accused and the Jury. The positive impact of a lucid definition should also be felt outside the courtroom, preventing at least some acts of sexual violence. It would seem best that an alternative expanded and more inclusive definition of consent should have as its primary focus the conduct of the accused rather than that of the complainant, as far as possible, with the aim of 11 See Victorian Law Reform Commission, Sexual Offences: Interim Report (2003) 310. avoiding protracted, hostile and thorough cross-examination of the complainant on matters which are often of doubtful bearing to any real issues in the case. Of course, fairness to the accused is a crucial principle. However, no less crucial is the framing of the law to circumvent needless suffering of survivors of sexual aggression by grilling, as there can be no doubt that apprehension of such an ordeal operates to augment the pace of erosion. Is the present definition of consent inadequate Now it is time to endorse a new extended all-inclusive definition of consent which incorporates the benefits and avoids some pitfalls of the definition used in the UK Sexual Offences Act 2003 12. Some legal experts have identified, that the UK definition does not give any guidance as to whether the complainant must communicate consent by words or action 13. However, it is apparent from the successive cases that the most significant rational issue has been capacity. The England and Wales legislation does not include any definition of capacity itself, and its list of situations where there is presumed to be no consent, at sections 75 and 76 of the SOA 2003, does not expressly include the situation where there is no capacity to consent because of self-induced intoxication of the complainant which falls short of unconsciousness. It is reasonable to say that the UK Government examined this breach in the law in the light of the decision of the Court of Appeal in R v Bree [2007] EWCA 256, i n which the Court interpreted the capacity to consent as something which may evaporate well before a complainant becomes unconscious, and explained that if, through drink (or for any other reason) the complainant has temporarily lost her capacity to choose whether to have intercourse on the relevant occasion, she is not consentingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. However, the Court also made it clear that the complainant may still preserve the capacity to consent (or not) even if she has had quite a lot to drink, which means that basically each case will turn on its own facts. The UK Government decided not to change the law subsequent to this decision. 12 See Section 74 of the UK Sexual Offences Act 2003: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..a person consents if he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. 13 For example, see an article by Victor Tadros entitled Rape without Consent, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies,Vol 26, No 3(2006), pp 515-543, at page 521 et seq It would seem best, given that this is a situation which arises very frequently, and which gives rise to misuse, that an expansive definition of consent should contain stipulation for the situation where the complainants consent is compromised by her voluntary intoxication. After all, the drink driving laws believe that after use of a very modest measure of alcohol, our competence to control a car carefully is critically affected. Of course, this would mean that the conduct of the complainant would still be under investigation. Some regulation as to what should be included in such an extended definition will be found at Sections 75 of the UK SOA 2003 (evidential presumptions about consent) and Section 76 ibid. (conclusive presumptions about consent), which taken together provide a list of situations in which the lack of consent may be understood, and except for the two exceptional situations contained in Section 76, additionally provide that it is open to the accused to bring in ample evidence to show that there is an issue as to whether the complainant consented, in relation to the particular state of affairs. This list of situations does NOT cover the situation where the complainants capacity to consent is impaired by self-induced intoxication, but he/she is not asleep or otherwise unconscious 14. Circumstances when allowing sexual activity does not amount to consent Allowing sexual activity does not amount to consent in some circumstances like when she does not protest and/or offer physical resistance to the activity or if the activity takes place while she is asleep or is unconscious. A comparable condition may come about when she is affected by drugs or alcohol to such an extent that she is in no situation to consent or refuse. It is not pertinent whether or not she took the drug or alcohol voluntarily or involuntarily. Another condition could be when the person is so affected by a mental or physical condition or impairment that she is in no position to consent or to refuse consent. Similarly, it is not consent to sexual activity if she allows it because she is mistaken about the persons identity or she is mistaken about the nature of the activity. 14 Section 75 (2) (d) UK SOA 2003 A consent by another person on behalf of the complainant cannot be considered a legitimate consent or if another person in a position of power, trust or authority incites her to engage in that activity. A complainant cannot express her consent by a lack of concurrence to engage in that activity or having first consented, she expresses by words or conduct a lack of agreement to continue to engage in such activity. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 and thereafter Demand for change of Law The Government has already made a number of changes to the law on rape and the way the police and Crown Prosecution Service work on these cases. These changes include strengthening the law on rape through the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and developing a network of sexual assault referral centres that provide specialised, dedicated help and support to victims. The pioneer support for a change came from non-government groups and victim and survivor support groups, whilst members of the judiciary and legal profession were less persuaded of the need for change. Moreover, around a third of the respondents who believed that the law should be changed favored a further evidential presumption to cover intoxication by drink and drugs, often citing the recommendation that was made in the report to Home Offices review of the law on sexual offences, Setting the Boundaries, which projected an evidential presumption that read: Where a person asleep, unconscious or too affected by alcohol or drugs to give free agreement. A number of respondents, particularly victim and survivor organizations, further argued that the law as it presently existed was essentially paradoxical on the subject of intoxication. The respondents argued that where intoxication fell short of unconsciousness and was therefore covered by section 75(d) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, i t was both presumed and not presumed to invalidate consent depending on whether the intoxicating substance was administered covertly or consumed voluntarily. It was suggested that the distinction between those intoxicated having had their drink spiked (or been drugged in some other way) and those intoxicated apparently of their own wish was not as clear cut as the law allowed for. There were cases in which offenders knowingly facilitated the intoxication of susceptible victims in order to commit an offence. One example was where an uncle facilitated the intoxication of a younger niece in order to commit a sexual offence. Even in situations where the offender had not been responsible for inducing intoxication there was a risk that some men can seek to take advantage of the fact that women are drunk and therefore have less capacity to defend against demands or intimidation. Therefore, it was argued that the law should be changed so that it made no distinction between voluntary and involuntary intoxication if the final consequence was a lack of capacity to consent. The proceedings in the case of R v Dougal 15 were widely cited as an example of the difficulties caused in applying the current law to cases involving voluntary intoxication and as an argument in favour of adopting a change in the legislation. This case collapsed when the prosecuting counsel took the view that the prosecution were unable to prove that the complainant, because of her level of intoxication, had not given consent and informed the judge that he did not propose to proceed further. The judge agreed and directed the jury to enter a not guilty verdict. It was argued, that the case should have been proceeded with and the issue of the victims capacity to consent put to the jury. It was argued that a change in the law would allow a similar case to proceed in the future and would provide assistance to the jury in considering the issue of consent. While the relationship between capacity and intoxication was the most prominent issue, responses from police and prosecution representatives and childrens organizations identified other factors that should be taken into account when considering an individuals capacity to consent. These included mental health, domestic violence and the exploitation of victims made vulnerable by their circumstances, for example sex workers. There were differing opinions on whether a change in the law would be necessary to allow the effects of such factors to be considered in relation to consent. Organizations with a specific interest in children supported a change to the law which would take account of the particular vulnerability of children and the circumstances in which they can be exploited in order to commit sex offences. It was noted that alcohol can often be used by offenders to make it easier to commit an offence. 15 R v Dougal (2005) Swansea Crown Court (unreported) However, it was also pointed out that alcohol is frequently consumed voluntarily by teenagers before engaging in consensual sex and that it was important that intoxication should not be the only factor taken into account when considering the capacity of those under 16 to consent as this could lead to inappropriate prosecutions. The opinion that the law did not need to be changed was most commonly held by members of the legal profession, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Some argued that the law had only been in force for a relatively brief period and that any meaningful assessment of the Acts provisions was therefore premature. Continual change, others argued, rather than bringing clarity, would only serve to cause further confusion. Opponents of change argued, it would be wrong to seek to change the legislation simply because of the outcome of the case of R v Dougal. They took the view that the Sexual Offences Act 2003 had provided a welcome modification to the law on cons ent, which had improved the law because juries were now required to consider what steps the accused had taken to establish whether or not the complainant genuinely consented. Although there may now be a focus less on whether or not consent was given but rather on whether the complainant had the capacity to give consent, this did not challenge the adequacy of the law as it was currently framed. Those who did not consider that the law needed changing argued that it was already the case that a jury could ask themselves whether the complainant was in a fit state to give free and informed consent, especially if they had been drinking heavily. It was suggested by judicial respondents that R v Dougal had been an exceptional case and that in most similar cases juries have been properly directed that lack of capacity includes incapacity through excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs. There was concern for the broader implications of a change in the law. It was suggested that establishing a link between intoxication and a capacity to consent could result in, and according to some should entitle, a defendant to argue that he was too drunk to assess whether consent had been given. It was also argued that the effect of intoxication on a persons ability to make decisions could not be used as a defence to other offences, for example assault, and so should not be relevant to the capacity to consent in rape cases. However, it was also argued that these two situations were not analogous because victims were not on trial. Section 74 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 refers to freedom and capacity and argued that there was a distinction between these two concepts. It was argued that capacity to consent was relevant to children and individuals with mental disorders impeding choice but not to adults who had become intoxicated. It was suggested that equating adults with children in this way was a step backwards. Should there be a statutory definition of capacity This change in law by way of inclusion of a definition of capacity would bring a clarity to proceedings and ensure that juries would consider the complainants circumstances, including any effect that alcohol or other substances may have had on their ability and freedom to choose. Advocates of this definition consider that it is clear and easy to understand and would cover the circumstances where a complainant was so drunk but not unconscious as to not know what was happening or unable to say no. A number of those who supported a further evidential presumption based on alcohol consumption suggested that this might be the statutory definition of capacity that was needed. Most commonly, the evidential presumption that was proposed was the one that appeared in Setting the Boundaries. Such an evidential presumption, it was argued would allow the case to be put to the jury, even where the complainant could not remember whether she consented or not. It would, of course, remain open to the defendant to say that the complainant did indeed consent and for the jury to believe him or, at least, give him the benefit of the doubt. Philosophical issues Does a person who is voluntarily drunk remain capable of giving valid consent to sex? The Court of Appeal in Bree held that a drunken consent is still (valid) consent, though it further recognises that the capacity to consent may evaporate well before a complainant becomes unconscious. This decision is a move in the right direction, yet this article argues that it has not gone far enough, and that s. 74 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 which governs these scenarios allows-and even requires-a more drastic interpretation: a drunken consent is not consent when the person is very drunk. Based on a distinction between factual and legal consent, the article starts by setting up the legal framework as set out in s. 74, and developed in Bree and H. It then goes on to criticise the current case law and its interpretation of s. 74 for not being restrictive enough, by examining two possible theoretical rationales, mentioned in the judgments. The first, which is based on an analogy with the law r elating to intoxicated offenders, is criticised on the grounds of differences between consent and intent. The second, which is based on the general argument that this position recognises the positive aspect of sexual autonomy, is criticised for its failure to distinguish between claims of normative facts and claims of public policy and for giving too much weight to the latter considerations. From the discussion an alternative, more restrictive position, emerges in line with s. 74 of the 2003 Act, according to which a drunken consent is not consent. This position can be adopted by judges, through the provision of better guidance to juries, but failing that a reform of the law might be needed. @ @ @

Dyslexia: Causes and Treatment :: Science Research Disorder Essays

Dyslexia: Causes and Treatment Works Cited Missing The learning disability dyslexia once perplexed scientists who now are beginning to make breakthrough discoveries into its causes. Dyslexia traditionally was vaguely defined as a difficulty in learning to read and write. In the past, dyslexics often were dismissed as lazy, not focused, or unintelligent. With these recent discoveries, scientists may be able to define much more specific disorders. Researchers now are finding out that people with dyslexia use specific brain regions that process written languages differently than those without the disorder. The specific brain regions which are involved, however, remain uncertain. With the knowledge that dyslexia results from differences in the language areas of the brain, it will be possible for researchers to help dyslexics better compensate for their conditions. Scientists also are coming closer to exactly pinpointing what causes those areas of the brain to act differently in dyslexics. Though which regions of the brain most central to dyslexia remain unresolved, technology has made headway to answer this question. Brain imaging, which is a technique of photographing the brain â€Å"in action,† indicates that dyslexics have higher levels of the chemical lactate in certain regions of the brain during language and sound processing. According to neurophysicist and brain specialist, Todd Richards, who heads a research team at the University of Washington, the regions of the brain that show high levels of chemical lactate are mostly in the left anterior quadrant of the brain that includes: the Left Frontal Cortex, Broca’s area, the Inferior Frontal Gyrus, the Middle Frontal Gyrus, and the Striatum (Richards). Dyslexics have to expend more brain energy in these regions to accomplish the same tasks as non-dyslexics, which results in higher levels of chemical lactate. Research also shows that dyslexics have less activity in the angular gyrus (AG) than those without the disability. â€Å"[T]he angular gyrus translates the mass of words and letters we encounter in day-to-day life into language† (Dyslexia par. 8). The AG is located towards the back of the brain and is a key component in normal reading. Many researchers believe that this part of the brain does not function normally in dyslexics. Some scientists are speculating that dyslexics may use certain areas of the brain inadequately, compensating for this by disproportionately using other areas of the brain.

Diversifying Teaching Styles to Meet the Needs of All Learners Essay

Diversifying Teaching Styles to Meet the Needs of All Learners When researching about education, one often finds a great deal of literature and information about learning styles. Educators spend countless hours studying their students in order to find out how they learn best. All students have needs when it comes to how they learn and educators must be able to meet those needs in order to promote successful learning in their classrooms. This (paper/article) will focus on teaching strategies and how to vary them so that each learning style preference is addressed, therefore increasing the level of achievement of each student and making learning a successful outcome in the classroom. Strategies, or methods of instruction, include the ways in which the content/information is transformed into new learning for the students. The content can be transformed directly from the teacher to the student through lecture, demonstration, drill and questioning, or more indirectly where the teacher's role is to facilitate learning situations through grouping, discovery, inquiry, role-play and simulations (Freiberg, Driscoll, 1996). Wilen, Ishler, Hutchison, and Kindsvatter (2000) stress that building a positive, supportive learning environment is an important goal for all teachers who want their students to succeed in learning. To maintain student interest and achieve higher results, they encourage teachers to use a variety of methods. They suggest four strategies for "generating an academic climate" in the classroom (p. 30): 1) be task oriented and aware of time. Teachers often find themselves in a situation, which limits the amount of time they can spend on a certain topi c. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers try to rema... ..., A. (1996). Universal teaching strategies (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Hyman, R.T. (1974). Ways of teaching (2nd ed.). New York: J.B. Lippincott. Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E. (1991). Teaching students ways to remember. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books. Ornstein, A. C. (1995). Teaching theory into practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Plauche-Parker, J. (1989). Instructional strategies for teaching the gifted. Needham Heights, MA; Allyn & Bacon, Inc. Tuckman, B. W. (1991). "Derivation and description of and interpersonal construct model of teaching to help student teachers self-actualize." Paper presented an annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago. Wilen, W., Ishler, M., Hutchison, J., Kindsvatter, R. (2000). Dynamics of effective teaching (4th ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman Diversifying Teaching Styles to Meet the Needs of All Learners Essay Diversifying Teaching Styles to Meet the Needs of All Learners When researching about education, one often finds a great deal of literature and information about learning styles. Educators spend countless hours studying their students in order to find out how they learn best. All students have needs when it comes to how they learn and educators must be able to meet those needs in order to promote successful learning in their classrooms. This (paper/article) will focus on teaching strategies and how to vary them so that each learning style preference is addressed, therefore increasing the level of achievement of each student and making learning a successful outcome in the classroom. Strategies, or methods of instruction, include the ways in which the content/information is transformed into new learning for the students. The content can be transformed directly from the teacher to the student through lecture, demonstration, drill and questioning, or more indirectly where the teacher's role is to facilitate learning situations through grouping, discovery, inquiry, role-play and simulations (Freiberg, Driscoll, 1996). Wilen, Ishler, Hutchison, and Kindsvatter (2000) stress that building a positive, supportive learning environment is an important goal for all teachers who want their students to succeed in learning. To maintain student interest and achieve higher results, they encourage teachers to use a variety of methods. They suggest four strategies for "generating an academic climate" in the classroom (p. 30): 1) be task oriented and aware of time. Teachers often find themselves in a situation, which limits the amount of time they can spend on a certain topi c. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers try to rema... ..., A. (1996). Universal teaching strategies (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Hyman, R.T. (1974). Ways of teaching (2nd ed.). New York: J.B. Lippincott. Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E. (1991). Teaching students ways to remember. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books. Ornstein, A. C. (1995). Teaching theory into practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Plauche-Parker, J. (1989). Instructional strategies for teaching the gifted. Needham Heights, MA; Allyn & Bacon, Inc. Tuckman, B. W. (1991). "Derivation and description of and interpersonal construct model of teaching to help student teachers self-actualize." Paper presented an annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago. Wilen, W., Ishler, M., Hutchison, J., Kindsvatter, R. (2000). Dynamics of effective teaching (4th ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman

Pro Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Indian Penal Code 302:.............'to be hanged till death'! And the judge in his high seat signs with a grim face and breaks his pen. That blot of ink on that damned paper slowly transforms into drops of blood. Justice has been done and people may rest in peace. Wish it were so! The civilized world debates whether this is indeed...justice. The men who seat in high backed chairs and decree, the high priests of justice are demi gods. They kill....period! The Bible says that even God forgives. Who the hell is man to decide whether a person be allowed to live or not? What power, what authority entitles him to deal death at the scratch of a pen?The whole world awaits a judgement day. The mortal judges can hardly wait. Crimes are punishable and indeed , their intensities should vary with their heniousness. But to take away the right to live is against humanity. Imagine, dear reader, how it must feel to feel the rope press on your neck, the air suddenly rare, the crushing sensation on the spine. At a kerchief's drop, the lever moves and the man hangs in mid air, legs throwing frantically for some support, the pain unbearable till one hears the 'snap', the crack of the human neck! Where has the humanity vanished? Judgement was never meant to be so brutish. One of the most portent arguements against capital punishment is that we have no right to take something we cannot replenish.Life, the supreme and enigmatic benediction of God. We cannot provide one with it. What gives us the right to take it away? History says, there was a time in middle earth, when an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth , used to be the form of justice imparted. History also nomenclates that period as the 'dark ages', man was still on the threshold of civilisation. This is vengeance, not justice.It is barbaric in essence and is no better than 'street justice'. If this form of juvenile jurisdiction must prevail, legalise the underworld. After all they deal with equal fairness. Justice is not infalliable. It is administered by humans and errare humanum est. But this is like walking on quicksand. Here one mistake is irreversible. A man hangs and with that everything ends. What if it is later proved that someone goofed up, something went terribly wrong? No amount of repentance will make right that terrible wrong.

A considerate of contemporary management function Essay

A considerate of contemporary management function of the employer-employee relationship The six journal articles that have been looked at stem from the original Locke, (1982) article. Frederick W. Taylor popularised of scientific management. The essay will discuss 5 aspects of Taylor’s ideas about scientific management and show how understandings of contemporary management functions and the employer-employee relationship have been developed from Taylor’s ideas. What was Taylor’s idea about the management? Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. The ideas about the relationship between employer and employee have been developed from a nother. Retain critical employees is important and necessary. According to the Fitz-enz(1997), the company average losses 1 million with every 10 people who is the managerial and professional employees. In addition, the total cost of least a former employee at least a year of wages and benefits, up to two years of unpaid salary and benefits. This is a huge economic loss with a company loses a number of critical employees. As a manager, we must give employees adequate physiological, safety, love, esteem. One of the advice is managers should look into a way to motivate employees to achieve a satisfactory and unmet needs through activities and exercises. Managers have a responsibility to create a suitable environment to inspire employees to their fullest potential. If no such right environment, will lead to a big difference such as lower job satisfaction, lower productivity, lower profit with a company. How to effectively improve the relationship between managers and employees? Taylor given 4 methods. (a) Scientific management: In Principles of Scientific Management (1911)Fredrick Winslow Taylor, the â€Å"Father† of scientific management utilises scientific methods to define th e â€Å"one best way† for a job to be done (b) Scientific selections. Taylor advocated selecting only â€Å"first class†(i.e., high aptitude) men for a given job because their productivity would be several times greater than that of the average man. (c) Money bonus. Taylor claimed that the money is what employees want most, he thinks employees should be paid from 30% to 100% higher wages for to do his job. (d) Management responsibility for training. Taylor thought that most contemporary managers should fully accept the notion that training new employees is their responsibility. My understanding about the  employer-employee relationship has also been shaped by these articles. I have learnt that (1) Scientific management can focus speed of production, low cost production and availability of an unskilled workforce. In addition, today’s use of scientific management can use time and motion studies to increase productivity, hire the best qualified employees and design incentive systems based on output. Equity theory is a theory of social comp arison effect on employees. This theory appears to be very common, but it is very important. Equity theory refers to the rate of employees with their work output and input compared with others. Time input includes the time of the work, work habits, work experience, work attitude, and so on. When they found unfair, they usually can’t change the rate of others, can’t change their input, so employees will find ways to change their output. This may mean that they will reduce their work time or effort to work. Then, the manager can use the equity theory to motivate employees. Managers can use a more open system of remuneration paid for employees to understand each position and every effort should position relative to how much salary can be get. (2) Scientific selections: Everybody have their own good aspects, based on each person strengths and rational allocation of work. As a result, not only can bring effectively produce but also can make person enjoy their work. According to the Wren (1979) notes that Taylor focuses on scientific selection can promote the develop ment of industrial psychology and personnel management and other areas. (3) Money bonus: How to influence people? The most common method is money bonus. Such as up wages, bonuses, benefits. These things are the most effective way to influence the work of passion and power of a work. Through the Vroom’s (1946) expectancy theory, we can find that an employee will play his better efforts when he is convinced that his efforts would be better evaluated. And these evaluations will bring him more rewards such as bonuses, salary increases. These rewards will meet staff personal goals. Individual employee attitudes and enthusiasm in their work will determine to a large extent a company’s performance. According to the Porter (1968) and Lawler’s expectancy model of motivation, this model proposes two factors that determine spending on a number of tasks energy. The first is the personal rewards from work to get. These returns will be the psychological perception of employees is their own work to be sure. The second is that these returns will be formed job satisfaction. (4) Management  responsibility for training: The staff training is an essential element of human resource management. Managers can’t ignore their training responsibilities. Understanding management system in staff training in this area can help you build an effective training system to help you prepare new employees for their work To sum up, from the six articles considered, scientific management can not only getting the most output from the least amount of inputs but also focus on those work activities that will help the company reach its goals. Taylor’s idea has shaped modern employer-employee relationships. Work is still specialised, personal are still trained. The quality of work is still rewarded in bonuses, as well as other. Reference: 1.Three chapters in The Ideas of Frederick W Taylor: An Evaluation’. 2.Wren, D. A. The evolution of management thought (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley, 1979. 3.Towards a unified model of employee motivation / Darren J. Elding, Andrew M. Tobias and David S. Walk [Chichester, West Sussex, England] : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2006 4.Kotter, John P. What effective general managers really do / John P. Kotter Boston [etc.] : Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1982 5.Managing in the new millennium : understanding the manager’s motivational tool bag / Patricia M. Buhl Burlington, Iowa, etc., National Research Bureau, etc.], 2003 6.A review of employee motivation theories and their implications for employee retention within organiz Hollywood, FL : Journal of American Academy of Business, 2004

Low Cost Strategy Essay

execr commensurate cost strategy is one of the lead generic commercializeing strategies. Companies use this strategy to offer low price in its products/services by focaliseing on various points in its value drawing string activities. In post to be a successful cheap enemy in a combative surroundings, companies focus on several(prenominal) issues which tot all in ally pass from the slip direction of margin improvement (in terms of increase revenue and reducing cost) and asset military capability (in the sense of minimizing working capital and maximize winning on asset).In both(prenominal) other words, we can say that affordable adversarys focus on efficiency in its all activities by redefining and cutting cost in their value chain. Here are unlike attributes which low-priced strategy focused companies learn or follow in order to be militant and have sustainable cheap strategies Forming partnership in close to activities which is too costly for the play along t o do by itself and/or outsourcing manufacturing activities to cheap countries.For example, Huawei Technologies (which is merchandise and developing PBX telephone products) made partnership with 3Com and Siemens so enter youthful markets and also by using its some other warring strengths it outcompetes Cisco (well-kn have got ball-shaped network manufacturer) within 5-6 years. Minimizing complex and high-priced activities such as, research and development, product construct and marketing and standardizing products and designs. Having no-extra service but with the outdo use of asset utilization.For example, Southwest Airlines lowers its costs by no-frill services but also achieve to maximize its profits by returning the jut oute from the gate to the strain within very short age (about 20 minutes). Combining low-price with product specialty. For example, Nipponese retailer Muji as a competitor to Wal-Mart and IKEA. It is very important for a low-cost strategy focused go with to severalise and deal with other low-cost competitors as early as possible beforehand they become strong and successful competitor in market. in that locationfore, companies should consider their outside environment especially its competitors in order to be able to become more competitive and attain more market package as a low-cost provider. There are 4 ways of analyzing competitive environment 1) Identifying bon tons low-cost rivals Possible by detecting and responding strength low-cost competitors on time establish on focusing low-cost strategies against to the club. 2) execute a total cost summary Made by identifying a authorization threats from companies which are more efficient in their product and service costs. )Developing all possible scenarios Company makes what-if scenarios by absolve understanding of the market and competitors sustainable capabilities in order to cabal better for future. 4) Determining companys best strategic moves In this outcome company uses its what-if scenario understandings in a way to be able to compete and flicker its low-cost rivals. While developing companys strategic moves to gain high market share and sustainable competitive edge, managers should develop both short-term tactic and long-term strategies.Short-term tactics let company to make stronger its strengths and also gain time for the needed analysis to be able to develop long-term strategies spell keeping low-cost rivals in a position that does not threats the company. These tactics accommodate crack low-price product/services or providing some other sale incentives, several legal actions such as obvious infringement lawsuits, product/service differentiation and lastly focusing more photogenic and profitable customers by letting worthless ones to rivals.These short-term tactics also, allow company to maintain market share as well as gain sustainability in its actions. long strategies adjust companies to changing market conditions a nd also allow them to pursue by and by new market opportunities. These strategies might be riskier than short-terms but bring more profits. Long-term strategy includes offering tell products, expanding products/services, first appearance into new geographical areas, becoming low-cost leader or having low-cost subsidiaries, put in technology and lastly ameliorate customer services.As an example, IBM was selling personalizedized computers as a first mover but then it started to sell differentiated product of software by offering service solutions as well when dell and Gateway started to sell lower priced personal computers. Overall, in order to be able to successfully compete with other low-cost rivals and have sustainability as a low-cost competitor in the market Firstly, company must(prenominal) analyze its internal and external environment by defining its own and also competitors market positions and potential threats to the company.Secondly, company must be action orient ated by using its strengths and competitive service to eliminate early detected potential threats for the company in future. Lastly, company must develop a strong plan of action to support its successful rivalry in the market by entry into the new markets and developing new products on the time and also adapting other requisite tactics as quick as possible.