The Analysis of Autism Facilitates Neuroanatomical Investigations :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Analysis of Autism Facilitates Neuroanatomical Investigations Studying the functions of the various structures of the brain is best carried out through analysis of brain defects. For example, individuals with autism exhibit particular behaviors that are not considered normal. Assuming that behavior originates from the brain, then it becomes clear that in order to discover the causes of the abnormal behavior a comparison must be made between and healthy brain and the brain of an autistic person. By finding structural differences such as size and composition, the role that the structures play in the behavior of the autistic can be inferred while also investigating the normal functions of brain structures. There are several differences between a healthy brain and the brain of an autistic person. Dr. Joseph Piven from the University of Iowa noticed a size difference . In the autistic brain, the cerebellum is larger and the corpus callosum is smaller. Another study showed that the amygdala and the hippocampus are different in an autistic brain. In an autistic these structures have densely packed neurons and the neurons are smaller than those in a healthy brain. Also, in the cerebellum there is a noticeable reduction in the number of Purkinje cells. Structure and function can not be separated from one another and changes in one indicate alterations in the other. Because an autistic person has brain defects, a reasonable assumption is made that changes in structure will alter the behavior. An autistic person is characterized by having impaired social interaction, difficulty with communication both verbal and nonverbal, trouble with imagination, and limited activities and interests. By analyzing the abnormal behaviors of the autistic person, the roles that the cerebellum, the corpus callosum, the amygdala, and the hippocampus play in the disease can be inferred. The cerebellum is usually associated with motor movements. Concerning this topic it is interesting to note the research of Dr. Eric Courchesne. He found that the VI and VII lobes of the cerebellum were smaller in autistics than those of a normal brain. This condition is called hypoplasia. The reverse condition, which is what Piven encountered, is called hyperplasia. Courchesne linked the cerebellum with attention shifting . He proposed that the autistic takes longer time to change the focus of his attention. He believed that this condition was caused by lack of development of the cerebellum in utero caused by perhaps oxygen deprivation, infection, toxic exposure, or genetically.

Citibank: Performance Evaluation Essay

In 1996, Citibank was an emergent banking institution attempting to increase its market share in the competitive Los Angeles area. In order to do so, the bank’s strategy was to focus slightly less on their financial growth, and much more on providing â€Å"a high level of service to its customers†. Management viewed this paradigm shift as â€Å"critical to the long term success of the franchise†. To implement these changes, a new Citibank employee performance assessment scorecard was created, briefly tested and quickly implemented. Though I believe it was a much improved and broader way to gauge individual performance, there was certainly room for improvement. The scorecard was composed of financial, strategy implementation and control goals which had the advantage of clearly, objectively and transparently measure a manager’s work. These measures were readily accessible though the general accounting system, and left little (if any) room to argue over a manager’s performance. However, all three measures focused primarily on the upcoming quarter(s) and how those numbers compared quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, making them a short-term or â€Å"lagging† indicator of success. The remaining measures on the assessment scorecard (customer satisfaction, people, and standards) were all noticeably subjective, yet viewed as sound long-term indicators and therefore crucial in evaluating the foundation of the future success of the organization. Obviously, the customer is (and will always be) the most important part of the equation, as it is customer business that allows banks to conduct theirs. People and standards measures are both especially significant measures, as they address the character, personality and perceived image of individuals, management and the organization as a whole. A more specific analysis of the assessment scorecard is as follows: Financial Measures Financial goals are clearly and understandably the most important measure in the assessment scorecard. In this particular case, the yearly financial targets are the result of a division-wide process that includes the division President himself, all the area managers and respective branch managers. For any financial institution, I believe this to be the most objective measure of a manager’s short-term performance. However, discrete short-term accomplishment measures rarely shed light on the bigger picture and, therefore, on the future direction of an organization. This is easily correlated to many other businesses and organizations including my own. I manage an orthopedic research laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, and one of the items on our yearly evaluation form is the total dollar amount of our grants. Being awarded n number of grants for x million dollars in any given year provides little information about future funding opportunities. I have been at the University for over 4 years and have seen several PhD’s have to close their laboratories unexpectedly after failing to attain the necessary funds to maintain their staff and continue their research. Having various items on a performance assessment scorecard can certainly help avoid situations like those. Strategy Implementation This is another objective, transparent, easily quantifiable financial measure. As it stands on the Citibank performance scorecard, this measure focuses exclusively on financial achievement. However, I believe Citibank management should change its strategy implementation goals to include some of the customer satisfaction goals as well. If â€Å"Citibank’s strategy in California† is, truly, to provide â€Å"a high level of service to its customers†, I would add relevant questions from the independently conducted telephone interviews to customers who visited the branches during the past month to this measure, as it is an essential component of the organization’s strategy, and certainly influenced by the actions and leadership approach of the respective branch managers. Internal Control Processes This measure is an added form of financial evaluation done by the internal auditing team that follows in line with the two previously discussed. For Citibank this measure was helpful in assessing the level of awareness and involvement of the managers with compliance problems. Customer Satisfaction The most ambiguous and subjective measure on the scorecard, happens to be highly regarded by Citibank leadership as a vital gauge of the long term success of the organization. I look at this measure as having 2 very distinct elements. In the telephone survey previously mentioned, there were questions regarding services provided at the actual branch, and questions oncerning other Citibank services such as 24 hours phone banking and ATM services. I believe questions pertaining services offered at the branch belong with the Strategy Implementation measures, as management clearly stated customer service as a top priority and the branch managers’ actions should be closely linked to services provided at their own local office. All other questions, ones related to additional Citibank services and seemingly out of a branch managerâ⠂¬â„¢s control, should be eliminated from their performance scorecard. Under the current format, there is information that I deem crucial to making this decision that is not provided with the case study. Being that this Customer Satisfaction measure is new in the assessment scorecard (which was only briefly tested before being implemented) I would like to know more about the performance of other/all branch managers. That way I would be able to compare Mr. McGaran’s performance to that of the other managers. I find it somewhat unusual that someone as highly regarded as Mr.  McGaran seems to be, with so much banking experience, scored so poorly in Customer Satisfaction, yet performed so strongly in all other areas of his yearly assessment for four consecutive years, all while managing the most important and most competitive Citibank branch in the Los Angeles division. People and Standards The final two measures on the yearly assessment scorecard go hand in hand, as they concern the way branch managers value their own career advancement opportunities as well as their growth as leaders and role-models not only for employees, but also within the communities which they serve. As subjective as these measures might be, they are essential for any organization, and could have a tremendous impact on an individual’s career. In this particular case, Ms. Johnson used these sections to describe Mr. McGaran as â€Å"an excellent people manager (†¦), a team-builder that motivates his people to go above and beyond. † She enthusiastically referenced his involvement within the community, his focus, discipline, availability, effectiveness and drive among many other things. These are all intangibles that are difficult to assess otherwise (i. . financial measures), but could make a significant difference for the organization as well as the individual. In our laboratory we work with many medical students and young residents. Once they complete their projects in the lab, this is the type of subjective assessment I am responsible for presenting to the attending physicians. How do students/residents perform when the attending physicians are not around? How do they deal with this new environment and how do they perform outside of their comfort zone? How well do they interact with the staff? Do they attempt to take on leadership roles even in the limited time they have at the lab, or are they comfortable just going along? I have been doing such evaluations for about 3 years and, as students start getting into residency programs and residents move onto fellowship programs, it’s staggering how some of the answers to such simple questions seem to strongly correlate with their future expectations and opportunities. After carefully analyzing all 6 assessment measures, with the information available, and if I were asked to make a recommendation on Mr. McGaran’s overall performance, I would have to give him a â€Å"par† rating. The instructions regarding overall year-end performance scores were very clear – â€Å"without â€Å"par† ratings in all the components of the Scorecard, a manager could not get an â€Å"above par† rating†. Citibank management, in particular the California Division, had been strongly emphasizing the importance of customer satisfaction for quite some time, even going as far as changing the performance assessment scorecard to reflect this. Mr.  McGaran is the manager of the most important and most competitive Citibank branch, and he is a role model and a reference to many other branch managers. What credibility would we have as management, if we deviated from the rules regarding that very specific measure in the first year of its implementation? Mr. McGaran was an outstanding employee, and I would do everything within my power to let him know that his incredibly strong overall performance had been noted and that we, as management, were aware of his concerns regarding the validity of the telephone survey. I would let him know that the year-end performance evaluation team is always looking for ways to enhance and improve the assessment scorecard, but in accordance with the one currently in place, he could disagree, but had to accept his rating, and continue to improve his customer satisfaction numbers just as he did during the last quarter. Obviously, such evaluation process serves not only to assess employees but also the system in place to do so. With that in mind, I would propose some changes to the year-end assessment scorecard, starting with an evaluation to the content of the telephone survey and its soundness in assessing a branch manager’s performance. I would also suggest that the rating system be adjusted, so that instead of 3 categories, there were 5. Hopefully, these changes would create a more flexible assessment scorecard, and a yearly performance such as that of Mr. McGaran would be properly distinguished and rewarded.

The Social Construction of the Amish Community

Sociology 1101 The Amish Community, an Example of Social Construction The Amish culture qualifies as an example of social construction because it is a belief that has important consequences for a large group of people. The people of the Amish community have specific rules they must follow. They believe that the outside culture has a morally polluting effect and that it promotes pride, greed, immorality and materialism. Some of the Amish beliefs include the concept that God will judge them on how well they have obeyed the church rules during their lifetime and that contact with the â€Å"outside world† makes it harder to obey their rules.This is the reason for their extreme isolation. Even though the Amish culture believes that the â€Å"outside world† has a polluting effect on them and their children, there is a time within the Amish community that the parents throughout the community allow their children to participate in events and activities that they usually wouldnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t be allowed to participate in. This time is referred to as Rumspringa. Rumspringa is also referred to as â€Å"running around† This is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around the age of sixteen.The parents of the children who choose to participate in this opportunity feel that their children cannot be shunned from the Amish community because they are not yet baptized and they are not yet under the authority of the church. Rumspringa helps the young adults to choose whether they want to join the church or not. The young adults can choose to join a youth group on the weekends usually. These different youth groups have different activities or events they participate in. There are two main groups; one considered the slower or plainer group and the other considered the faster group.The slower groups participates in activities such as volleyball games, and singing groups and are even sometimes supervised by adults while the fa ster group participates in parties and other activities considered less conservative. Although most people seem to think that the youth who participate in these groups are participating in heavy partying, drug use, premarital sex or other extreme behaviors this is usually not the case although these are not unheard of throughout the faster youth groups. The Amish community serves as an example of social construction because the ideas of this culture are passed along by xplaining each aspect of the community through personal interactions and friendships, people begin to believe these strict aspects are what are to be expected because so many other people of the Amish community are believing them and practicing them. Then the strict aspects of the Amish culture are eventually accepted and passed down from generation to generation. â€Å"The Amish people are direct descendants of the Anabaptists of the sixteenth century Europe. Anabaptism is the religion that came about during the ref ormation era.The term Anabaptist first started out as a nickname that meant re-baptizer, because this group rejected the idea of infant baptism, since an infant doesn’t yet have the knowledge of good and evil. The Anabaptists were seen as a threat to Europe’s religious and social institutions and were therefore persecuted. † The idea of Rumspringa first begins because of this specific aspect of the Amish culture, the belief that their children cannot be shunned by the Amish community because they are not old enough to know the difference between good and evil.This then allows the people of the Amish community to consider what the specific age of knowing good from evil is and then they present the specific idea of Rumspringa to the Amish culture. The Amish community passed through the three phases of Berger and Luckmann’s analysis by first; externalizing the ideas of the culture by putting an explanation of the ideas â€Å"out there† The Amish commun ity first presented the idea of Rumspringa to the entire community when they felt that their young adults should have a choice whether or not they wanted to continue to practice the Amish believes and pass them down to their children.Although it may seem that this act of Rumspringa is going completely against what the Amish community believes, the Amish parents do not encourage their youth to leave home and participate in sinful behaviors but they feel there must be at least some room for free choice in the decision to become Amish. Rumspringa was also explained as the time the Amish community allowed their young adult children to participate in youth groups that would lead them to finding a spouse and if this happened and the two young adults decided to get married their time of Rumspringa was over and they were now to be baptized.The second phase they passed their belief through is objectivation. This is the most crucial phase of construction. The strict rules of the Amish communi ty led the people of the Amish community to believe that being exposed to the outside world would pollute their minds. But, when the idea of Rumspringa was first put out there for people to consider, it showed that this would allow their children to participate in activities and groups that they were not usually allowing them too.At first the people of the Amish community felt this idea was crazy, but after it was explained that their children would not be shunned from the community because they had not yet been baptized and were not yet under the authority of the church and that their young adult children needed free choice in whether or not to continue the practices of the Amish culture, people began to really consider this idea. Many Amish families decided this was a good idea and began to practice this new belief.They felt this could actually help their family continue from generation to generation. The third phase of Berger and Luckmann is the phase of internalization. This new ly introduced belief of the Amish community was spreading quickly and more and more people began practicing this belief. More people of the Amish community began to involve this belief into their everyday lives because they felt this could lead their children to marriage and then they would soon be baptized and be considered under the authority of the church.People of the Amish community had children and has these children grew up they were introduced to the idea of Rumspringa and as these children grew into adults and had their own children they passed down the belief to their children and eventually the belief of Rumspringa throughout the Amish culture was now passed down from generation to generation religiously. Even though the idea of Rumspringa was doubted when it was first presented to the Amish community, the people of the Amish community began to actually consider the aspects of this new idea and realize this could help their children and even their families for generations .This is how the beliefs of the Amish community passed through the third phase of Berger and Luckmanns reality of construction. I believe that the beliefs of the Amish community could either be effectively challenged or accepted depending on the person who is examining and judging the culture. The Amish culture thoroughly explains each aspect of their culture and why they participate in each aspect. They have specific background information on why they now accept the idea of Rumspringa.I feel he Amish culture could also be effectively challenged because, even though the Amish culture presents their ideas of Rumspringa and explains that they feel this certain period of time in their children’s lives could effectively alter their lives for the better, this time doesn’t actually let their children move outside the community or even the home. The young adults of the Amish community don’t actually get to experience what it is like to live in a house where there is te levision or dress differently or even eat food they have never tried before.I feel the period of Rumspringa should be widened completely. The young adults should be able to spend six months to year physically living and working in a whole different world and this would actually allow them to make a completely honest choice about whether to join the Amish community church without the heavy influence of their parents. I feel this would effectively allow the young adults experience Rumspringa.

An Overview of The Treaty of Versailles

An Overview of The Treaty of Versailles Signed on June 28, 1919, as an end to the First World War, The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to ensure a lasting peace by punishing Germany and setting up a League of Nations to solve diplomatic problems. Instead, it left a legacy of political and geographical difficulties that have often been blamed, sometimes solely, for starting the Second World War. Background World War I had been fought for four years when, on November 11, 1918, Germany and the Allies signed an armistice. The Allies soon gathered to discuss the peace treaty they would sign, but Germany and Austria-Hungary werent invited; instead, they were allowed only to present a response to the treaty, a response that was largely ignored. Instead, terms were drawn up mainly by the so-called Big Three: British Prime Minister Lloyd George, French Prime Minister Frances Clemenceau, and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. The Big Three Each government represented by the men in the the Big Three had different desires: Woodrow Wilson wanted a fair and lasting peace and had written a plan- the Fourteen Points- to achieve this. He wanted the armed forces of all nations reduced, not just the losers, and a League of Nations created to ensure peace.Frances Clemenceau wanted Germany to pay dearly for the war, including being stripped of land, industry, and its armed forces. He also wanted heavy reparations.Lloyd George was affected by public opinion in Britain, which agreed with Clemenceau, though he personally agreed with Wilson. The result was a treaty that tried to compromise, and many of the details were passed down to uncoordinated subcommittees to work out, who thought they were drafting a starting point rather than the final wording. It was an almost impossible task. They were asking for the ability to pay off loans and debts with German cash and goods but also to restore the pan-European economy. The treaty needed to state territorial demands- many of which were included in secret treaties- but also to allow self-determination and deal with growing nationalism. It also needed to remove the German threat but not humiliate the nation and breed a generation intent on revenge- all while mollifying voters.   Selected Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Here are some of the terms of the Versailles Treaty, in several main categories. Territory Alsace-Lorraine, captured by Germany in 1870 and the war aim of the attacking French forces in 1914, was returned to France.The Saar, an important German coalfield, was to be given to France for 15 years, after which a plebiscite would decide ownership.Poland became an independent country with a route to the sea, a corridor of land cutting Germany in two.Danzig, a major port in East Prussia (Germany) was to be under international rule.All German and Turkish colonies were taken away and put under Allied control.Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Czechoslovakia were made independent.Austria-Hungary was split up, and Yugoslavia was created. Arms The left bank of the Rhine was to be occupied by Allied forces and the right bank demilitarized.The German army was cut to 100,000 men.Wartime weapons were to be scrapped.The German Navy was cut to 36 ships and no submarines.Germany was banned from having an Air Force.An Anschluss (union) between Germany and Austria was banned. Reparations and Guilt In the war guilt clause, Germany has to accept total blame for the war.Germany had to pay  £6,600 million in compensation. The League of Nations A League of Nations was to be created to prevent further world conflict. Results Germany lost 13 percent of its land, 12 percent of its people, 48 percent of its iron resources, 15 percent of its agricultural production, and 10 percent of its coal. Perhaps understandably, German public opinion soon swung against this diktat (dictated peace), while the Germans who signed it were called the November Criminals. Britain and France felt the treaty was fair- they actually wanted harsher terms imposed on the Germans- but the United States refused to ratify it because it didnt want to be part of the League of Nations. Other results include: The map of Europe was redrawn with consequences which, especially in the Balkans, remain to the modern day.Numerous countries were left with large minority groups: There were three and a half million Germans in Czechoslovakia alone.The League of Nations was fatally weakened without the United States and its army to enforce decisions.Many Germans felt unfairly treated. After all, they had just signed an armistice, not a unilateral surrender, and the Allies hadnt occupied deeply into Germany. Modern Thoughts Modern historians sometimes conclude that the treaty was more lenient than might have been expected and not really unfair. They argue that, although the treaty didnt stop another war, this was more due to massive fault lines in Europe that WWI failed to solve, and they argue that the treaty would have worked had the Allied nations enforced it, instead of falling out and being played off one another. This remains a controversial view. You rarely find a modern historian agreeing that the treaty solely caused World War II, although clearly, it failed in its aim to prevent another major war. What is certain is that Adolf Hitler was able to use the treaty perfectly to rally support behind him: appealing to soldiers who felt conned and wielding the anger at the November Criminals to damn other socialists, promise to overcome Versailles, and make headway in doing so. However, supporters of Versailles like to look at the peace treaty Germany imposed on Soviet Russia, which took vast areas of land, population, and wealth, and point out that country was no less keen to grab things. Whether one wrong justifies another is, of course, down to the perspective of the reader.

Dying vs. Dyeing

Dying vs. Dyeing Dying vs. Dyeing Dying vs. Dyeing By Maeve Maddox A reader sent me this example of the incorrect use of dying for dyeing: This term [technicolor] was coined by the company of the same name, and the trademarked term described the company’s process of dying film to create a color print from black-and-white originals, replacing the time-consuming hand-coloring method. Mixing up the verbs dye and die and their participles dyeing and dying in modern English is comical, but before the nineteenth century, the spelling distinctions were not always observed. For example, in his dictionary (1755), Dr. Johnson (1709-1784) spelled the words for both meanings as die. Joseph Addison (1672-1719), on the other hand, rendered both words as dye. Nowadays, however, the spellings die and dying are reserved for the sense of â€Å"cease/ceasing to live,† while dye and dyeing have to do with coloring or staining something. The words are often the source of punning. For example, the headline, â€Å"Dyeing to Succeed† refers to dyeing one’s hair in the attempt to overcome age discrimination in the workplace. A common expression with the word dye is â€Å"dyed-in-the-wool,† meaning â€Å"unchangeable in one’s feelings or beliefs,† for example, Never ever get involved with a dyed-in-the-wool feminist. Fran Klein, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, voted for Barack Obama in 2008. Frederick Douglass [said] â€Å"I am a  Republican, a black, dyed-in-the-wool  Republican† I am a dyed-in-the-wool, diehard, 1000-percent Trekkie, and I say Trekkie, not Trekker, and I don’t care what the nomenclature has become. Akiva Goldsman The expression comes from the fact that when dye is applied to a substance in its raw state, such as wool before it is spun, the resulting color is deeper and more lasting. The dyeing process produced another expression, more commonly heard in earlier times, but not entirely defunct: â€Å"scoundrel of the deepest dye,† meaning, â€Å"an out-and-out rogue.† You have proved yourself a scoundrel of the deepest dye, by maliciously interfering in matters which do not in the least concern you, to the detriment of some of our citizens.† from a letter addressed to Hamilton Wilcox Pierson (1817-1888) The man with the good personality may be a scoundrel of deepest dye, and the one with no personality may have the strongest character of the lot. from a handbook for Christian missionaries (1954) At other times, when he [Rudolph Valentino] portrayed a scoundrel of the deepest dye, he was made up to look quite repellent from a 2003 feature in The Guardian The distinction between die/dying and dye/dyeing is firmly established in modern usage, so you will want to avoid such gaffes as, â€Å"When did Eminem die his hair black?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†What is Dative Case?Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Event Planning in Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Event Planning in Tourism - Essay Example Event planning for any organization requires individuals who are competent and knowledgeable in the field of event planning. This is so much so in the field of tourism where the organization aims to package itself as a tourist destination of sorts. They seek to attract tourists to their tourist destinations. The tourism sector is linked to virtually all the other sectors of a country’s economy. This makes the tourism sector the most important sector of a government’s planning. With this knowledge in mind, the individuals brought in to plan for a tourism-related event should possess skills that are relevant to the field (Kelly, 1990). Â  This paper sets out to investigate the field of event planning while looking at the tourism sector. It seeks to identify the process involved in planning for tourism as an event and set out the steps which should be included when planning for the same. Â  An event is defined as a temporary occurrence that possesses a fixed length of time. An event can be of different types, i.e. planned and unplanned, and the ones that are planned are usually publicized to ensure they get maximum exposure towards the targeted audience. Every event is unique in itself as it involves the blending of different setting, duration, management, and people who facilitate it (Getz, 2007). In the field of tourism, the organizer has to plan for every event because of the nature of the events that are being thought of. Â  Successful planning of any event is important because it ensures that the organization remains competitive in the related market.

Learning theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning theories - Essay Example Behaviourism theory as mentioned are mostly two the classical and operant. Operant conditioning is associated with B. F Skinner while classical conditioning is associated with Pavlov. Cognitivism is associated with Chomsky while constructivism is associated with John Dewey among others (Taylor and MacKenney, 2008). The reflection will be based on the behaviourist theory by Ivan Pavlov. This theory examines learning through conditioning of children in the way of pairing the undesired with the desired. This would be very effective especially for a teacher who has a new class and would like them to follow a specific pattern of behaviour in learning. The new learning pattern of behaviour would be used in conjunction with the old behaviour of learning which did not seem to be yielding any positive results in the long run. Since there was the behaviour the students were used to and the results were negative and the new behaviour which the teacher wants them to learn which elicits no response, the two learning behaviours should be paired together over a period of time in order to yield positive results. With time, the new behaviour being used alone will elicit positive results and at this juncture the old and non-productive behaviour will completely be