Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence

Psychology defines memory as an organism’s ability to encode, store, retain, and retrieve information that it has acquired through an interaction with its environment. This includes both the internal and the external environment. Human memory is categorized into three different types: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory is the memory utilized in the time interval of 200-500 milliseconds after something has been sensed by the individual. Some of the information that is processed in sensory memory may be transferred to short-term memory where it can be stored for a longer duration of time, from a few seconds up to a minute. However, the capacity of short-term memory is limited. Long-term memory, on the other hand, has a greater capacity for storage than sensory or short-term memory. The length of time for which information can be stored in long-term memory is also prolonged and limited only by the individual himself or herself. Different models of memory show different ways by which information reaches these three types of memory. However, there is a generally agreed upon process by which memory, in general, is formed and created. The general process by which memory is created in an individual’s mind involves three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Initially, an individual must first come into contact with something via the different sensory receptors. The sensation acquired fro the environment is then encoded by the memory system. This simply involves the transformation of the information from one form to another that is more compatible with the memory system. Information about space, time, and frequency can be processed during this stage either automatically or through effortful processing. After a specific type of information is encoded, it undergoes the next step of the process: storage. Storage involves the holding on to the encoded information. A more permanent record is created and kept in one of the three classifications of memory, depending on whichever is more applicable to the type of information that is being processed. After memory is stored, it is now made available to the third step called retrieval. Retrieval is simply the act of taking the memory out of its storage in order to use it for a specific function as deemed necessary by the individual. Retrieval may involve the reversal of the encoding process. This means that the stored information may be transformed back into a sensory form. The encoding of memory can be enhanced through a variety of techniques. One such technique involves the assignment of meaning to the perceived object. Likewise, encoding may be impeded if the object sensed is ambiguous or unclear in nature. Encoding is also more effective when more senses are used. The greater amount of sensory information a memory has linked to it, the more meaningful its encoding. The storage of memory also encounters impediments. One of the greatest impediments is decay,which involves the loss or fading of memories through time. Interference is another impediment to the storage of memory, both in short-term and long-term. This simply pertains to the fact that the presence of some information prevents other information to be stored. In proactive interference, storage of previously acquired information disrupts the storage of newly acquired information. Retroactive interference, on the other hand, involves the disruption of storage of old memories due to the storage of new memories. Time must be given for the consolidation of memory into long-term memory before allowing other information to be stored. Interference and decay effects can also be lessened through constant practice of memory enhancing strategies such as repetition of the information. This is also called maintenance rehearsal. Elaborative rehearsal can also enhance storage in that it links the given memory to other stored memories. Retrieval is also made easier with a greater amount of links with the memory to be retrieved to other memories. This allows for more memory cues to be used in order to reach that piece of information. Thus retrieval can be enhanced with the use of priming, mnemonic strategies, and retrieval practice. Retrieval is easier when in the form of recognition as opposed to recall. This is because recognition makes use of the information itself as the retrieval cue. Decay in long-term memory is simply the decay of the link of the stored information and the retrieval cue. This decay is one of the causes for forgetting. Information that never reaches the long-term memory is also forgotten easily as a result of the limited duration and capacity of both sensory and short-term memory. Faulty encoding and storage in long-term memory may also lead to forgetting. Also, faulty retrieval cues might lead to an inability to access data that is there but not actually linked to the â€Å"search words† used to reach it. Other reasons for an inability to remember a piece of information may be distraction, wherein the individual’s attention is misdirected, and repression, wherein the motivation to retrieve the information is lacking or the system itself has closed off the memory due, for example, to trauma and the like. The act of forgetting may also by physiological and psychological in nature. This is seen in cases of dementia and amnesia. There may be defects in the memory system or in the individual’s physiological make-up and these defects are the underlying cause for the inability to recall. Memory and its counterpart, forgetting, are complex topics that involve numerous concepts and models. It is only through a clear understanding of both that one can truly achieve a more efficient memory system that is less prone to the risk of forgetting. Reference Myers, David G. (2004). Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers

Ethics of Autonomous Drones in the Military

Jared May Professor Elfstrom February 25, 2013 Intro to Ethics A Soldier, Taking Orders From Its Ethical Judgment Center In this article the author Cornelia Dean has three major points that are supported by arguments made by others. The first major important point is the hopeful idea that autonomous robots can perform more ethically in combat situations than any soldier in the same scenario.She states that even the best and most trained soldiers that are in the midst of battle may not always be able to act accordingly with the battlefield rules of engagement that were stated by the Geneva Convention because of possible lashing out from normal human emotions such as anger, fear, resent, and vengefulness. The second major point Dean wants to show, by the views and studies of others, in her article is that with this possible step in our evolution of military technology we do not want to let this idea fade away.Another major point is if we do develop this technology how would we do so, a nd if not, would we regret not advancing in this field further many years from now. With all of this information Dean uses to present her ideas there are still major flaws such as, the majority of these ideas and beliefs are theoretical, they still have not been fully tested, there is error in all technologies, and where else would the technological advancements lead artificial intelligence.The first argument providing support for Dean’s major point comes from the research hypothesis and thoughts of a computer scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology named Ronald Arkin. Arkin is currently under contract by the United States Army to design software programs for possible battlefield and current battlefield robots. The research hypothesis of Arkin is that he believes that intelligent autonomous robots can perform much more ethically in the heat of the battlefield than humans currently can.Yet this is just a hypothesis and while there is much research done towards this hypoth esis there are still no absolutely positive research information that states an autonomous robot drone can in fact perform better than any soldier on the ground or up in a plane could do. In Arkins hypothesis, he stated that these robots could be designed with no sense of self-preservation. This means that without one of the strongest fears for humans, the fear of death, these robots would be able to understand, compute, and react to situations with out outside extraneous emotions.Although the men and women designing these robot programs may be able to eliminate this psychological problem of scenario fulfillment, which will cause soldiers to retain information that is playing out easier with a bias to pre-existing ideas, it is not always the case that this happens to soldiers. You have to realize that from the second a soldier begins his training he is trained and taught to eliminate the sense of self-preservation. There are isolated incidents with soldier error, but they are and wi ll be corrected by superior officers or their fellow soldiers.Another factor that affects Cornelia Dean’s arguments is that there are errors in all things including technology. Throughout history there have been new uses of technology in warfare but with these come problems and error flaws that have cause and can cause more casualties than needed. With the use of an Automated drone the belief by Dean is that it will be able to decide whether or not to launch an attack on a high priority target whether or not if the target is in a public are and will decide if the civilian casualties would be worth it.But what happens if that drone is only identifying the target and the number of civilians surrounding it? It will not be able to factor in what type of people would be around him such as men, women, or children and any variance of them. The error in this situation would be the drone saying the target is high enough priority and a missile is launched and the civilians were women a nd children around while a school bus was driving by.The casualties would then instantly out weigh the priority to eliminate a specific target and a human pilot would much easier abort a mission than a predetermined response of an autonomous robot. Although Ronald Arkin believes there are situations that could arise when there may not be time for a robotic device to relay back what is happening to a human operator and wait for how to respond in the situation that could complete a mission, it may be that second of time delay between the robot and human operator that the ethical judgment is made.Also the realization that many robots in which are operated by humans are widely used to detect mines, dispose of or collects bombs, and clear out buildings to help ensure extra safety of our soldiers is a way that robots are already used today as battlefield assistants supports Dean. But all of these machines in the field have moments of failure or error. When the machines do fail it takes a soldier who has trained for that experience to fix and then use it again. If an autonomous drone fails while on a mission it is completely by its self and no human operator to fix it.Then can arise the problem of enemies realizing they were even being monitored and they could gain access to our military technology and can eventually use it against us. Another major point that Cornelia Dean discusses upon is with this possible step in our evolution of military technology we do not want to let this idea fade away. A large part of that is if we do develop this technology how would we do so, and if not, how much would we regret or how much would it affect us for not advancing in this field further many years from now.The argument that if other countries advance upon this faster and better than the United States military we could become less of a world power and be more at risk of attack and war with greater human fatalities is not necessarily true. This situation is important in the sen se of keeping up with the other world powers but I believe that the risk for reward is not worth the amount of damage and civilian casualties that could happen from any number of robotic drones and their possible errors.There is a possibility as the technology develops and robots become more and more aware to the point were, Arkin believes that, they can make decisions at a higher level of technological development. Yet if these autonomous robots truly can think for themselves and make decisions brings a whole new possibility of problems of what if the robot can decide something differently than what the developers originally had programmed. Also comes the actual use problem of can the government ethically accept that in early stages of use, even after extraneous testing, there may be accidental casualties.If a robot has any error of making decisions because of how new and un-tested they are any of the possibly terrible results would not be the responsibility of the robot but of the country and government that designed it. The supporting evidence of this article strongly shows that Cornelia Dean will hope that use of these ethically superior autonomous robots will be apart of our military in the near future before the United States fall behind to other super powers in the world.Yet with all of this information Dean uses to present her ideas there are still major flaws such as, the majority of these ideas and beliefs are theoretical, they still have not been fully tested, and that there is error in all technologies. With these major points being enforced with plenty of evidence throughout the article, and with all of the possible negative sides and errors of this argument, it is safe to say that this will be and is a controversial topic of discussion by many governments and all parties involved with this technological advancement.

Gioacchino Rossini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gioacchino Rossini - Essay Example In the following year, 1823, he was contracted to write Semiramide, which was a serious opera for La Fenice in Venice, before moving to Paris via London in 1824. In London, he worked as a music director at the Theatre of Italien from 1824 to 1826 (Walton 98-102). However, it was not until the death of Isabella and his marriage to Olympe, when he decided to move with his new bride back to Passy a leafy suburb in Paris where he died. While still of tender age, Rossini was taught and encouraged to do music at home before being enrolled to Liceo Musicale in Bologna by his parents. After his graduation from the school, he began his career at the Venetian Teatro San Moise School to compose a single act comedy called La Cambiale di matrimonio. He owes the success of his career to the efforts and encouragement of his parents who insisted on him to study music. In school, Rossini received training in playing the piano and the cello, taking a few days to learn the latter (Walton 8). His style of writing was on the reflections of the issues that affected people at that particular time. La gazzetta for example, was a piece about how newspapers affected people’s lives, while after his retirement, he composed sacred pieces that he called â€Å"Sins on my Old Age.† Although he mostly wrote his pieces from the head, at times, he composed his sacred pieces and delectable miniatures â€Å"The Sins of my Old Age† using both piano and voice. During his time, Rossini was a good cook and he loved the job a lot. He even invented a meal named after him, the tournedos Rossini. Most of pieces became so popular that to date, they receive audience in theatres when performed, many years after his death. There are some interesting facts about Rossini that are of interest to people studying about his life and his music career. He retired from music a very wealthy

The Educational Leave Problem Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Educational Leave Problem - Assignment Example The company is also facing a looming disaster with regard to racism charges, and if the company denies Jan Thornton an opportunity to pursue her studies that could land the company in troubled because the same denial will be used as a confirmation of companies racial allegations when such charges are brought to light. Like with the issue of Thornton, she only spend 5 minutes to travel from work to classes and on Tuesday and Thursday she will spend only 1 hour 20 minutes in class which will total to 1 hour 30 minutes in a day, and on Monday Wednesday and Friday she require 50 minutes for class and another 10 minutes for travelling which will sum to 1 hour per day which is very little time demanded and there can be no basis for denying that (Nkomo, Fottler, & McAfee, 2010). Roller makers’ cooperation should also pay for this workers tuition because if they have to keep performing they must invest in human resource. Another worker will be leaving in three years time and the compa ny should be investing in the worker within with experience of the company to replace her. When the company is hiring these workers there is nowhere shown to us that in their policies no worker should attend classes and they can not therefore deny you what they did not keep you informed about prior to them hiring you. And because we are told these two ladies are liked though not by many with regard to green and trusted it has a direct implication to the success of the company. Because of this wonderful job they are doing what keeps the company thriving, they should be appreciated by being send to school with tuition being paid in order for the company to fully exploit their potential (Nkomo, Fottler, & McAfee, 2010). The firm should also leave the purchasing manager to continue with his classes as he had been attending in his former company. If his tuition was being paid by the former company, the firm should continue paying it and if not they should not pay. The firm should also pa y on certain term because if they pay they will be setting precedence for other employee who will want their master’s program to be paid. If such trend continues the company will be thrown in to a disaster where they will have to pay huge amount towards employee’s education while the same employees are not working full time as they will need allowance of time for them to attend classes. The company should introduce a policy regarding education policy because they can not afford to be working informally with such a matter of great concerns (Snell & Bohlander, 2012). They have to set it because if they don’t the company will be thrown in to a crisis where each employee will raising demands regarding matters that are informal in reference to the precedents that the company have set. Policy is very important because the employee will be taking an employment on clear terms and the company will be able to easily foresee their future as things will have already been se t. This policy should have a provision specifying the qualification for one to be able to attend school on the companies’ tuition fee because the company should not just be paying tuition for everyone even for employees who are

Positive effects on future U.S. national security based on global Assignment

Positive effects on future U.S. national security based on global trends 2030 - Assignment Example Although there are several elements of global trends, this policy paper will only analyze three of the trends which may have very huge positive effects in future. (Carpenter & Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). NIC should be able to provide framework regarding global trajectories by thinking about probable future and their consequences because it is not possible to predict the future. Explanation There is likeliness that the world of 2030 will be a different world ushering a new era of democratization both at the local and international level. There will be possibility of numerous changes concerning diffusion of power, individual empowerment, demographic changes and growth of food, water and energy nexus (Field & Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2012). Looking at the demographic patterns, there is needed to check on the aging, youthfulness, migration and urbanization because they will have a considerable influence on international relations. Perhaps, by 2030 the popula tion may have gone much higher than expected hence leading to serious constraint on resources that are already very limited. Possibly, there will be a shrinking number of youthful societies hence creating uphill battle of sustaining the living standards because of the large number of aged individuals who may not be able to work and feed the world sufficiently. In addition, there may be increased number of urbanization prompting increase in housing facilities and other amenities in the urban centers and lower food production globally (National Intelligence Council, 2012). Food, water and energy will have their demand going high due to population increase as well as worsening state of climate. Global warming may have serious effects on these critical resources owing to serious crisis. Water levels will go down accompanied by increase in precipitation that would largely increase scarcity in the world. It is undeniable also that the energy consumption shall have gone very high (Carpente r & Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). There is also likeliness of increase in individual empowerment in the coming years which may have a major impact by 2030. Individual empowerment may have very significant effect on poverty reduction being that the middle class will go high due to improved education standards as well as improved healthcare. Middle class will be regarded as the most vital class in the society especially being that they are both cause and effect of other trends such as improved communication and production technologies. Individual initiative will play an important role in taking personal initiatives in solving increasing global challenges. Most people will have access to disruptive technologies by 2030 which may enable them to initiate violence or any other form of information most likely through the social media (National Intelligence Council, 2012). Analysis Looking at demographic patterns, there are issues that should be carefully analyzed such as aging, y outhful Societies and states, migration and urbanization which may impose serious threat on the National intelligence Council. It is undeniable that the age structure is rapidly changing and will therefore have significant influence on the demographic pattern. Particularly, there would be an increase in aged and median age groups may impose health challenges. Youthful minority may have very huge effect when it comes to instability in many countries around the world. It is

Marketing plan for Grey Goose Company Case Study

Marketing plan for Grey Goose Company - Case Study Example petitive price and extra ordinary taste, its level of preference is extremely high among the middle class of the society and so its brand value and market share is also quite high as compared to many other rival players such as Smirnoff, Skyy etc in the market of America. In spite of extreme aggressiveness, the demand and preference of Grey Goose Vodka is extremely high in the market of America as compared to other rivals. This is mainly due to the utilization of the special customized technology, which mixes potatoes in a unique way so as to present a unique quality and taste. Thus, due to this unique feature, the level of preference of Grey Goose Vodka is extremely high in the market. Moreover, as the vodka of Grey Goose might be consumed in both neat as well as in mixed way, so its level of demand is extremely high as compared to others. Thus, due to these above mentioned features, the sustainability and position of the organization of Grey Goose increased to a significant extent in this age of competitiveness. Positioning is the process of locating a specific product within the minds of the customers among many other rival brands in order to improve its total sale and market position. The organization of Grey Goose might try to re-position itself as a premium brand offering a wide range of superior and healthy malt spirits such as Grey Goose La Poire, Grey Goose L’Orange, Grey Goose Le Citron and many others. However, in order to improve its demand and customer base, it promoted itself as a healthier drink with superior quality, sophistication as well as modernity. Furthermore, in order to improve the sustainability and market share, all the products of Grey Goose are prepared from finest quality of ingredients that increased its level of preference among the adult section of the society. Hence, in spite of being a premium brand, its market share and total sale is quite high, due to its healthier taste as compared to others as presented below. Thus, from

Describe what means leadership to you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe what means leadership to you - Essay Example However, leadership is also teachable in life through various leadership expositions. These expositions perfect and instill leadership skills to interested parties. In addition, the young can also learn from their leaders how to lead. In most cases, we have seen children take after their fathers who were leaders in the society. Since leadership demands a lot of respect and many benefits, many people seek to become leaders. This leads to the aspect of competition in leadership where the society chooses its preferred leader among the willing many. Leaders have immense powers and authority rests with them. As such, they make important and binding decisions on behalf of the society. Leadership is present in almost all places. We have religious leaders, political leaders, Sports leaders, student leaders, administrators who are organizational leaders among other leaders. However, the political leaders who include Presidents and religious leaders who include Popes and Bishops are the most popular leaders. Any position of leadership follows a certain code of ethics that is different from one leadership setup to another. Leaders should therefore follow this code in offering leadership. However, in many cases we have seen leaders negating the code of ethics hence attracting disciplinary action from higher authorities like courts of law. Good leadership involves abiding by the law, intelligence, and humane

Personal Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example Indeed, such image is what most people hold henceforth, no disagreeable reactions should be manifested in the presence of patients even though a nurse may be in trouble or is not feeling well. This makes it important for nurses to have healthy environments and strong support systems to enable them to accomplish their duties despite the challenges they go through in their personal lives. Being caring and patient are already difficult. However, having such attributes is not enough for a person to become a nurse. Nurses should have enough knowledge about various diseases and their managements that is why a person’s educational background is very important. Moreover he should also be well-trained in the matter. When a nurse is knowledgeable and well-trained, he will be able to perform his responsibilities efficiently but effectively. In addition, a nurse should also have effective communication skills. Since nurses deal with different people from different familial and cultural backgrounds, they should be able to express their thoughts well. Moreover, it is also essential that they understand what people convey through words and body language because it is a part of their job to make initial assessments of the patients and relay the information to physicians. When this is not well communicated, patients may not be given necessary

Edmund Husserl's Cartesian Meditations (topic upon your own decision) Essay

Edmund Husserl's Cartesian Meditations (topic upon your own decision) - Essay Example Edmund Husserl's is one such philosopher who lived in the more modern world. His work was concerned about phenomena and how the human mind interacts with it. In his book titled Cartesian Meditations: An Introduction to Phenomenology, Edmund Husserl (1960) introduces a number of significant philosophical thoughts. One of the most prominent of these is transcendental phenomenology in which the author gives a new way of analysing phenomena. This kind of thinking looks at phenomena from a different point of view. Although Edmund’s views can be seen as having been inspired by Rene Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician in the 17th century, Edmund’s theories on phenomena seen to be developed in contrast to what Descartes developed. This can be particularly seen in his transcendental phenomenology which tries to see phenomena in a very different way. Unlike Descartes, Edmund and his school of thought argued that phenomenal can be seen in different dimensions (Husser l, 1960). In fact, Edmund argued that it is possible to take a phenomenal and strip it down to its very essence. In other words, transcendental phenomenology as developed by Edmund postulates that with regard to phenomena, there are those elements which are essential for that phenomenon to exist and there are those which are merely conceptual as conceived by human beings. To be able to separate the essential from the conceptual, Edmund used eidetic reduction. Eidetic Reduction Eidetic reduction is a process by which phenomena can be stripped to its basic essential aspects, without changing it. Eidetic reduction is a conceptual tool that can be used to understand Edmund’s transcendental phenomenology as a way to understand phenomena. Eidetic reduction can be traced back to Descartes. Descartes used a block of wax phenomena as a way to explain the layers of phenomena. For example, the wax can be experienced by the five senses in regard to its shape and the space it occupies, th e smell it exudes, the texture, its opaqueness etc. However, by heating up the block of wax, these properties of the wax can be changed without changing it into another object. In other words, once the wax has been heated up, it will lose its texture, its shape, space and its opaqueness will be changed to transparency. Yet, even after all these characteristics have been changed, the wax will continue to be wax. This means that the block of wax is perceived in two particular ways. The first is one the essential properties of the wax and the second one are the perceived or non essential properties of the wax. Edmund argued that the same can be applied with regard to people’s thoughts. In other words, people’s thoughts can be seen to have both the essential aspects of phenomena and other aspects of phenomena which are more conceptual or perceptual. Using eidetic reduction however, Edmund argues that these thoughts can be stripped down to their basic or essential details. The importance of this kind of stripping is that it leads to a more practical reality, as opposed to when phenomena is understood while it is still shrouded in non-essential properties. Edmund was an essentialist in that he believed that phenomena should be understood in its very essence without being affected by the other factors. However, with regard to ph

Nutrition and Junk Food Essay Example for Free

Nutrition and Junk Food Essay Tired, crabby, or unfocused in class? It could be the food you are eating. The lack of Introduction hooks the reader with a question. Thesis presented as last sentence of introductory paragraph. healthy and tasty school lunch selections has recently become a problem in almost every elementary, middle and high school across the nation. Most schools sell junk food to students and I think this is wrong. There are many good reasons to remove junk food from school lunch menus, and creating a healthier student body is number one. Junk foods should be taken out of school lunch menus because they affect your body and mind in negative ways. Junk food is a major cause of childhood obesity. 32% of youth are overweight and nearly 74% are unfit. The bad food offered in public schools contributes to this unacceptable Writer takes a clear position Authoritative position supported by citing research and using statistics. Details and facts support position. problem. A single 12-ounce can of soda has as Many of these sodas much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. are available to kids in school at low prices as well as many other completely unhealthy foods like chips and cookies. School lunches have a very high fat content and the USDA supplies schools with the same commodity foods as prisons. Due to the lack of fresh and flavorful food, many students will choose to buy the cheap junk food offered instead. If we could stock vending machines and cafeterias Language is precise and lively. Sentence structures are varied. with healthier foods, it would definitely make a dent in the childhood obesity rate. Another reason cafeterias should start serving healthier food is that junk food does Second body paragraph present another fully developed reason for position. ot give kids the energy needed to stay focused in school or the power to participate in sports. Lunch is right in the middle of the day; if you eat fatty or sugary foods, it could cause you to get tired and not pay attention in your afternoon classes. In addition, junk food zaps your energy, which affects your physical activity. You cannot perform your best if you don’t have any energy. practice. Many people on my swim team used to snack on chips and soda before When some of us complained about Appropriate anecdote used to support argument. etting tired and not being able to make it through practice, our coach asked us what we were eating beforehand. When he heard about our diet, he told us that we shouldn’t be consuming fried, fatty foods before we exercise. We should be eating healthy, natural foods because these give us energy and are good for our bodies. Many people may argue that banning junk food in schools is not a good idea. Concession and thorough response to counterargument. Students Sentence styles and structures are varied. say that junk food just tastes better than healthy food and they prefer it. There is no rule that says healthy food can’t taste good! Many junk foods can be replaced by similar tasting, healthier substitutes. Instead of fried chips, provide baked. Instead of soda, offer carbonated fruit juice. If substituting all of the unhealthy foods does not work, what about reducing the amount that we serve? Have a healthy main portion for lunch and a small dessert; sweets are not bad as long as they are consumed in moderation. There are multiple ways to solve the problem of people’s taste buds craving tasty foods. We just have to enforce this change. Providing junk food in school cafeterias is just an all-around bad idea. academic and physical potential. We need to eat The food we Call to action concludes essay. healthy food so we can reach our fullest eat affects our body and mind and we need to take advantage of that! Now that we understand the problem, it’s time to fix it by banning the sale of junk food in schools. Writing demonstrates proficient use of standard and academic English. Commentary This essay is an example of 7th grade advanced persuasive essay writing. The essay presents a clear position and does so in an original and engaging fashion. Support for the position is developed well with facts and anecdotes. Though insufficient research is cited to support some assertions, overall, this 7th grader has presented a compelling and convincing argument and used an authoritative tone and strategic language to convince readers of her position. The writer uses lively and specific language, which also helps to persuade readers. There is significant sentence variety in the essay along with clear control of writing conventions and spelling.

Compare The Grid And Air Gap Techniques Information Technology Essay

Compare The Grid And Air Gap Techniques Information Technology Essay The research design for this study is of a comparative quantitative, quasi-experimental nature. The rationale for this comparative study is to see what effect two different anti-scatter techniques have on image quality. The properties that make this a quasi-experimental study are manipulation of specific variables and control in experimentation and testing (Parahoo, 2006). True experimental research is characterised by three properties: manipulation, control and randomisation (Parahoo, 2006). As the researcher will not randomise any variables, this study is considered as quasi-experimental and not a true experimental study. In this research manipulation was achieved since a standard anti-scatter technique was compared to an air gap technique adapted for the projection of the hip in the lateral position. Exposure factor variables were also manipulated using an automatic exposure control (AEC). Control was maintained by testing the two techniques under the same conditions using the same research tools. Furthermore, the researcher kept control of the study by testing only the anti-scatter techniques on one specific projection. Therefore the results achieved by this study are specific to the lateral hip projection. However, the principle could be applied to other projections in order to discover which technique works better in providing good image quality in that specific projection. 3.3 Research Method 3.3.1 Background of the study The following methodology was adapted from a study carried out in the United Kingdom by Goulding (2006) who looked at the air gap and the grid technique used to image the hip laterally in the University Hospital she trained in. The study was conducted with the help of reporting radiographers in the Accident and Emergency (AE) department where they performed both grid and air gap technique as routine projections on patients. Goulding (2006) looked at image quality by attaining the hip radiographs performed with both anti scatter techniques separately. Goulding (2006) collected her data by asking reporting radiographers to comment on these radiographs. In Gouldings (2006) study the radiographs on which she based her findings and results were conducted on patients of different size and this may have lacked reliability due to different exposure factors used for each examination, different patient dose depending on patient size as well as image quality. Using a similar methodology in this study the researcher assessed image quality using a quality control phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. In doing so the researcher will made sure that tests done on both anti-scatter techniques to assess for image quality were more precise. The methodology for this research and the tools used to measure image quality in both grid and air gap technique are explained in the following sub-sections. 3.3.2 Research tools In this study the tools discussed in this section were used to gather the data. They were used to test the anti-scatter techniques being compared and investigated in this study which will be explained further on in this chapter. Since this research looks at image quality in two anti-scatter techniques, a lead quality control phantom (PTW Normi 13) was a very important tool used to collect the data. According to Carlton Adler (2006), spatial resolution and contrast resolution are the most important properties upon which devices and techniques can be tested. The lead quality control phantom (Appendix B) is designed to perform constancy and acceptance tests on plain digital x-ray systems and is able to test image receptors for their homogeneity, spatial resolution and contrast resolution (PTW-Freiburg, 2005). However, in this research, spatial resolution and contrast resolution were the two relevant key tests for image quality. Spatial resolution is measured by counting the largest amount of line pairs per millimetre (Lp/mm) while contrast resolution is measured by the low contrast steps seen on the resultant image. The areas on the phantom that are used to measure spatial and contrast resolution are shown in Appendix B. In collecting the data, the researcher made use of an anthropomorphic pixy phantom AR10A (Appendix B) to image the hip laterally using a horizontal beam. This phantom was used so that the exposures of both grid and air gap technique performed on the quality control phantom could be done to image a hip that resembles that of a human. As the anthropomorphic phantom used had the same attenuation coefficient of a human body, it stops the radiation passing through it in the same way that a human body would. Although this study evaluates image quality in two anti-scatter techniques, the radiation given to the subject/object at each exposure using the air gap and grid technique was also recorded and compared.   The amount of radiation exposed by the tube at each exposure was also measured using a dose area product (DAP) metre. This was important in order to see how much radiation was being used at each exposure to produce an image using the grid and air gap technique. All the exposures (in this experimental testing) were made using an automatic exposure control (AEC) which is incorporated in the erect bucky in the digital x-ray system used. This device determined how much mAs was used in each exposure so that the right amount of x-ray photons irradiated the image receptor to produce an image with adequate quality. This device was used since the mAs that is used in an exposure determines how good the image quality is as well as the patient dose. Therefore when the readings using the tools mentioned were gathered from all exposures, the researcher could compare these results and identify the ideal technique and exposure that should be used in imaging the hip laterally. This technique and exposure should ideally produce a good quality image with as low a dose as possible. 3.3.3 Method The following two subsections will explain in detail how the data was collected during the experimentation on the anti scatter techniques. The researcher made sure that the tools used in the testing were kept the same to test both techniques. The same digital x-ray system was also used throughout the entire experimentation. 3.3.3.1 The Grid Technique Testing for this technique was divided in two stages. In the first stage the researcher made use of the quality control phantom (PTW Normi 13). The phantom was placed on a custom made table in contact with the erect imaging receptor. A stationary parallel grid was placed between the phantom and the receptor since this is the type of grid used in a lateral hip shoot through projection. In this technique, the object to image distance (OID) was that of 0cm since the phantom was in contact with the grid and image receptor. The source to image distance (SID) used was that of one metre (100 cm) since this is the standard SID used in such a projection in the radiology department of the local hospital. The kV used was kept constant at 75 kV and the phantom was centred to the central AEC. The light beam diaphragm was set around the contours of the quality control phantom. A further exposure was made using the same grid technique setting. However, this time the grid was removed. This was done in order to find out whether the grid was working effectively in absorbing scatter radiation, which in turn could affect image quality. The DAP metre was recorded so that the researcher could have an approximate idea of the dose given to the phantom. The second stage in testing the grid technique was done by using the anthropomorphic phantom. The researcher set up the pixy phantom AR10A with the hip in contact with the grid and receptor. The hip was centred with the central AEC and exposed. The kV and the SID were the same as the ones used in testing the quality control phantom 75kV and 100cm SID. The set-ups used to test the grid techniques using both phantoms can be found in Appendix B. 3.3.3.2 The Air Gap Technique To test for the air gap technique the researcher also divided the tests into two stages. The same quality control phantom used previously in the grid technique was also utilised in this test/experiment. The PTW Normi 13 was placed on a custom-made table. However, in this technique, an air gap between the phantom and the image receptor was applied. There were a total of six air gaps applied, varying from 10cm to 60cm. This was done in order to see which air gap was more effective in reducing scatter radiation reaching the receptor. To achieve this aim the object to image distance (OID) was increased by 10 cm after each exposure to a maximum of 60 cm. The source to object distance (SOD) was kept at 100 cm to reduce object magnification as much as possible since this may create a loss in image sharpness. The source to image distance (SID) depended on what OID was used. Therefore when an OID of 20cm was applied, the SID was that of 120cm. This was done to ensure that the distance of the source to the object remained at 100cm. In each exposure the phantom was centred to the central AEC and the light beam diaphragm was set around the contours of the quality control phantom. The researcher also made use of the DAP metre to see which air gap produced a good quality image with a reasonably low dose. This was done so that the air gap exposures could be compared with the standard grid technique. In the second stage of testing for the air gap technique the researcher also used the same anthropomorphic phantom. The setting of the technique to image the hip laterally was adapted from Gouldings (2006) study by using the same patient positioning that the author used in her study. This setting involved applying an air gap between the phantoms hip and the receptor, keeping the SOD at 100cm. A total of six exposures were also performed on the pixy phantom AR10A with the same OIDs and SIDs used to image the quality control phantom. The researcher made sure that the phantoms hip was centred with the central AEC of the erect image receptor. Both settings used to perform testing on the air gap technique can be found in Appendix B. 3.4 Data Collection The data was collected during February 2010. The data record sheets used to record the data can be found in Appendix A.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exposure Factors The exposure factors used to produce the images in the grid and air gap technique were recorded. The kV was a constant factor while the mAs changed according to the technique used and its setting. The mAs was manipulated by means of the AED. This was done so that the amount of x-ray photons needed to produce the image and  the length of the exposure was recorded depending on the technique used.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Object to Image Distance (OID) The OID used in testing the grid and air gap technique was recorded. This was important, particularly in the application of the air gap technique. This is because the OID in the air gap technique determined the magnitude of the air gap that should be used to achieve a good quality image while keeping the radiation dose as low as possible. Therefore the researcher could see and analyse the effect on the image quality each time a specific OID was used in relation to exposure factors. In the air gap technique the SID depended on what OID was used. The researcher kept the SOD at 100cm to reduce as much as possible magnification of the resultant image.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dose Area Product (DAP) The DAP metre was recorded at each exposure for both grid and air gap techniques. Although this metre does not measure the radiation dose given to the phantoms at each exposure, it gives an indication of whether the dose would be low or high. A high DAP reading would mean that more radiation was used in the exposure and therefore the resultant patient dose may be higher. The readings from this metre for both techniques were compared in relation to image quality of the radiographs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Signal to noise ratio (SNR) The signal to noise ratio (SNR) consists of the un-attenuated photons that have penetrated the subject without interaction (signal) and the Compton scatter and other factors that degrade image quality (noise). The SNR was used to determine how much contrast resolution an image had after each exposure. The higher the SNR the better the contrast resolution of an image (Dendy Heaton, 2006). However a high SNR also means high mAs and consequently a high patient dose. The SNR was calculated by dividing the mean pixel value by the standard deviation of the signal of each exposure. The mean pixel value and standard deviation of the signal were recorded after each exposure provided by the digital x-ray system. Therefore the equation used was: Signal to Noise ratio = mean pixel value/standard deviation (reference)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spatial Resolution and Contrast Resolution The spatial and contrast resolution readings were recorded by the researcher from the radiographs achieved using the quality control phantom in the grid and air gap technique. The line pairs per millimetre (Lp/mm) were measured to test for spatial resolution, while for contrast resolution the low contrast steps were counted. The data recorded was tabulated in tables 2a and 2b respectively in the data record sheet. This recorded data enabled the researcher to compare the image quality in both techniques. Unlike Goulding (2006) in this study two independent radiologists that were chosen randomly from the researcher were asked to report on image quality on all the radiographs performed on the anthropomorphic pixy phantom AR10A. Radiologists were chosen in this study since in Malta there are no reporting radiographers that report on the appendicular skeleton. The radiologists were asked to report on the images by answering a likert scale (1=very poor and 5=very good) to assess image quality. The results were tabulated in table 3 of the data record sheet. 3.5 Validity and Reliability Validity refers to the degree the research instrument used in the study measures what it is intended to measure. Therefore: Validity reflects the accuracy with which the findings reflect the phenomenon being studied (Parahoo, 2006, p.80) In this study, the researcher consulted with the medical physicist at the local hospital who was asked to assess the content validity of the research tools used to collect the data. The medical physicist considered the research tools valid since the same tools are used in the medical imaging department to test for image quality on the digital x-ray systems. As the research tools were deemed to be totally valid, the data collected to measure image quality in the grid and air gap technique can also be said to be valid. Reliability refers to how consistent an instrument is in measuring what it is intended to measure (Parahoo, 2006). To maintain the equivalence reliability of the lead quality control phantom used for assessment of image quality, two independent observers were asked to measure both spatial and contrast resolution of the two images achieved using the same exposure factors, OID and SID. The researcher tested for the reliability of the automatic exposure device used. This was done by exposing the lead phantom twice without manipulating the setting or exposure factors and the results were recorded. The spatial resolution, contrast resolution and DAP metre readings were the same in both images and so the AEC was considered reliable enough to use in the testing and data collection. 3.6 Ethical Considerations Ethics is defined by Polit Beck (2006) as a system of moral values that are designed to protect the participant from the research procedures as the researcher has professional, legal and social obligations towards the participants involved in the study. However, in this research, no human subjects were involved in the experimentation and collection of data, so there were no ethical issues regarding the exposures done on the PTW NORMI 13 phantom and the anthropomorphic phantom pixy AR10A. Permission was sought for the use of the x-ray equipment from Medical Imaging Department at the local hospital. Experimentation was performed under supervision and precautions were taken to ensure that radiation would not harm any other members of the staff or public where the study was performed. 3.7 Limitations of the study Limitations were encountered by the researcher throughout this study. The study was conducted using a quality control phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. Although both phantoms are manufactured to mimic and represent a patient as well as to produce equivalent scatter radiation, patient size was a variable that could not be added to the study. The DAP metre was used in this study so that the researcher could have an idea of the dose being attenuated by the phantoms used. Ideally the actual patient dose should be measured but this could not be done since no human subjects were used. Expansion of this study would lead to a better understanding of the dose given to patients while comparing the air gap and grid technique for the lateral hip shoot through. This study was carried out using a digital x-ray system in the radiology department at the local hospital. Tube output and technique setup may be different when using other systems. In the radiology department, computed radiography is used to perform a lateral hip shoot through examination rather than a digital system which is what the researcher used in this study. In data analysis the readings from the quality control phantoms were interpreted by the researcher himself and not by a number of people. If more than one person interpreted the results, the results may have varied. Although these limitations are valid, they had no effect on the data collected and the results achieved. 3.8 Conclusion This chapter described the methodology and the research design of this study. The next chapter consists of presentation, analysis and discussion of the data.