The Nature of Abigail’s Villainy in The Crucible

A dynamic antagonist, Abigail Williams from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a great example of how a character can be molded by personal desires and a work’s setting to become a villain. Seemingly innocent, orphaned adolescent Abigail ultimately causes hysteria in the town of Salem from her frivolity and selfishness. The reasoning and origins of Abigail’s malice demonstrate the setting’s influence on the inhabitants of Salem during the 1962 witch trials. Abigail is introduced as Parris’ niece. At the beginning of the play, Arthur Miller provides what might be an explanation to the start of Abigail’s needy nature as she relays the story of how she became orphaned to her friends. Abigail explains that she witnessed her parents being killed by indians when she was a child. This harsh past and lack of a good authority male figure (Parris is a character that is extremely paranoid and obsessed with his reputation; definitely not fatherly or nurturing) explains her initial attraction to John Proctor; her older, married, employer before the play begins. Abigail’s affair with Proctor is the fundamental start of the witch trials. Had she never had the affair, she’d never have fallen for Proctor, therefore she wouldn’t want to kill his wife in order to have him back. The Puritan way of thinking and strict religious system in Salem paved the way for a villain to arise. Abigail’s villainy is significant because it helps the reader become familiarized with the environment of Salem Massachusetts, the Christian religion it thrived off of, and how these combined ultimately caused the witch trials. The people who practiced this intense Christianity had no spiritual method to relinquish guilt for their sins. In turn, this led to the people of Salem having to find their own outlets for their guilt. Along with the stress of guilt, the individuals of Salem have to worry about the constant need to make themselves adequate for the community. Reputation is extremely important, and being associated with anti-christ figures and ideas is completely unacceptable. These stresses combined raise the perfect type of people for Abigail to use to aid her in her plan to rid of Elizabeth. After practicing witch craft with her, Abigail’s friends feel guilty for the sin. Abigail’s failure to feel guilt or this (or any of other sin she commits throughout the play) is what attains her success is causing havoc in Salem. After being found out for their anti-Christian activities in the woods, Abigail begins accusing other random people in the community of witchcraft. The other girls follow suit, shuffling their guilt to someone else to feel self assurance. By accusing other people the girls felt they had retrieved innocence. In a sense Abigail was able to use her friends without them noticing. Through her manipulation shows malevolence. Of course, Abigail didn’t mean to cause so much conflict. She only wanted one person dead; Elizabeth. Had she not began accusing other people of witch craft to save her name, the problem wouldn’t have blown up to epic proportions. This doesn’t make her any less of a villain, however. Many of the townspeople were hanged because of her selfishness. Her naivety and fervent want for Proctor blinded her from consequences. Covering up herself snowballed to her friends and then out into the community. This is particularly interesting because in any other setting the word of these girls wouldn’t even be considered let alone used as solid judgement in court. Abigail’s success in causing death to innocents in the community, despite her age and insignificant role in the community, further exemplifies the atmosphere of the Puritan religion. After analyzing Abigail’s character one can learn much about the behavior of other people as well. Everyone has desires that they wish to obtain. Some obstacles must be overcome in order to achieve these. Due to Abigail’s villainy conceit many people suffered. Not only were lives lost, but she never found the peace she wished for with Proctor. It’s important to realize that there are consequences for neglecting the well being of others for self gain.

Assessment and Students Essay

Journal assessment Conclusion Reccomendation III. INTRODUCTION: Why do Assessment? Are you asking too little of your class? Are your students approaching your course as hurdlers, barely clearing required levels of performance? Or are they approaching your course like high jumpers, pushing themselves under your guidance to increasingly more challenging heights? If your students aren’t high jumpers, maybe it’s because you aren’t asking them to high jump. By using appropriate assessment techniques, you can encourage your students to raise the height of the bar. There is considerable evidence showing that assessment drives student learning. More than anything else, our assessment tools tell students what we consider to be important. They will learn what we guide them to learn through our assessments. Traditional testing methods have been limited measures of student learning, and equally importantly, of limited value for guiding student learning. These methods are often inconsistent with the increasing emphasis being placed on the ability of students to think analytically, to understand and communicate at both detailed and â€Å"big picture† levels, and to acquire lifelong skills that permit continuous adaptation to workplaces that are in constant flux. Moreover, because assessment is in many respects the glue that links the components of a course – its content, instructional methods, and skills development – changes in the structure of a course require coordinated changes in assessment. IV. RESEARCH (CONTENT) What is Assessment? Assessment is a systematic process of gathering, interpreting, and acting upon data related to student learning and experience for the purpose of developing a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experience; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning. Huba and Freed, 2000 Key Points Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning Multiple methods Criteria and standards Evidence Students know, can do and understand It’s more than just collecting data Sequence in Preparing Instructionally Relevant Assessment INSTRUCTION Indicates the learning outcomes to be attained by students LEARNING TASK Specifies the particular set of learning task(s) to be assessed. ASSESSMENT Provides a procedure designed to measure a representative sample of the instructionally relevant learning tasks. Is there close agreement? What is the Assessment Process? AIMS ASSESSMENT ACTION ADJUSTMENT Importance of Assessment To find out what the students know (knowledge) To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance) To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process) To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort) What is Student Assessment for? *To help us design and modify programs to better promote learning and student success. To provide common definitions and benchmarks for student abilities that will enable us to act more coherently and effectively to promote student learning. *To provide feedback, guidance, and mentoring to students so as to help them better plan and execute their educational programs. *To provide improved feedback about student learning to support faculty in their work. Functions of Assessment Diagnostic: tell us what the student needs to learn Formative: tell us how well the student is doing as work progresses Summative: tell us how well the student did at the end of a unit/task What can be assessed? Student learning characteristics -Ability differences -Learning styles Student motivational characteristics -Interest -Self-efficacy -goal orientation Learning Content knowledge Ability to apply content knowledge Skills Dispositions and attitudes Performances Direct and Indirect Assessment Measures Direct methods ask students to demonstrate their learning while indirect methods ask them to reflect on their learning. Direct methods include objective tests, essays, case studies, problem solving exercises, presentations and classroom assignments. Indirect methods include surveys, interviews and student reflection and/or self-assessment essays. It is useful to include both direct and indirect assessment measures in your assessments. How should we assess? True –False Item Multiple Choice Completion Short Answer Essay Practical Exam Papers/Reports Projects Questionnaires Inventories Checklist Peer Rating Self Rating Journal Portfolio Observations Discussions Interviews Criteria In Choosing an Assessment Method It should be reliable. It should be valid. It should be simple to operate, and should not be too costly. It should be seen by students and society in general. It should benefit all students. Who should be involved in assessment? The teacher The student The student’s peer Administrator Parents What should we do with the information from our assessment? Use it to improve the focus of our teaching (diagnosis) Use it to focus student attention of strengths and weaknesses (motivation) Use it to improve program planning (program assessment) Use it for reporting to parents Classroom Assessment Paper and pencil assessments: Ask students to respond in writing to questions or problem -Item level: Assessing lower vs. higher skills -Knowledge vs. application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation -Authentic tasks e. . multiple choice, T/F, matching (recognition), short answer, essay (recall) Paper and Pencil Assessment Strengths -Can cover a lot of material reasonably well -Fair -Effective in assessing declarative knowledge of content – Easier to construct and administer than performance assessments Weaknesses -Require forethought and skill -Less effective in assessing procedural knowledge and creative think ing -Construction of good higher level recognition items is difficult -Recall items that do a good job of assessing higher level thinking (essay questions) are difficult to score. Performance Assessments – assessment that elicits and evaluates actual student performances Types of Performances: Products: drawings, science experiments, term papers, poems, solution to authentic problems Behavior: time trial for running a mile, reciting a poem, acting tryouts, dancing Performance assessments Strengths – Effective for assessing higher level thinking and authentic learning -Effective for assessing skill and procedural learning -Interesting and motivating for students Weaknesses -Emphasize depth at the expense of breadth Difficult to construct -Time consuming to administer -Hard to score fairly How can we assess student learning? Traditional assessment: assess student knowledge and skills in relative isolation from real world context. Traditional assessment practices reflect what students are able to recall from memory through various means, such as, multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions. Authentic assessment: assess stu dents’ ability to use what they’ve learning in tasks similar to those in the outside world. Occurs when the authenticity of student learning has been observed. It requires information from a variety of source such as content work samples, observation during class activities, and conferences with students. Classroom Assessment Informal Assessment: teachers’ spontaneous, day to day observations of student performances. Examples Verbal -Asking questions -Listening to student discussions -Conducting student conferences Nonverbal -Observing -Task performances -On-and off-task behavior -student choices -student body language Informal Assessment Strengths -Facilitates responsive teaching -Can be done during teaching -Easy to individualize Weaknesses -Requires high level of teacher skill -Is vulnerable to -Bias -Inequities –Mistakes Classroom Assessment Formal assessment : assessment that is planned in advance and used to assess a predetermined content and/or skill domain. Strengths -allows the teacher to evaluate all students systematically on the important skills and concepts -helps teachers determine how well students are progressing over the entire year -provides useful information to parents and administrators. Portfolios A collection of student samples representing or demonstrating student academic growth. It can include formative and summative assessment. It may contain written work, journals, maps, charts, survey, group reports, peer reviews and other such items. Portfolios are systematic, purposeful, and meaningful collections of students’ work in one or more subject areas. Importance of Portfolios For Students Shows growth over time Displays student’s accomplishment Helps students make choices Encourages them to take responsibility for their work Demonstrates how students think Importance of Portfolios For Teachers Highlights performance-based activities over year Provides a framework for organizing student’s work Encourages collaboration with students, parents, and teachers Showcases an ongoing curriculum Facilitates student information for decision making Importance of Portfolios For Parents Offer insight into what their children do in school Facilitates communication between home and school Gives the parents an opportunity to react to what their child is doing in school and to their development Shows parents how to make a portfolio so they may do one at home at the same time Importance of Portfolios For Administrators Provides evidence that teacher/school goals are being met Shows growth of students and teachers Provides data from various sources What do portfolios contain? Three basic models: Showcase model, consisting of work samples chosen by the student. Descriptive model, consisting of representative work of the student, with no attempt at evaluation. Evaluative model, consisting of representative products that have been evaluated by criteria. Disadvantages of Portfolio Require more time for faculty to evaluate than test or simple-sample assessment. Require students to compile their own work, usually outside of class. Do not easily demonstrate lower-level thinking, such as recall of knowledge. May threaten students who limit their learning to cramming for doing it at the last minute. Rubric It is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student’s performance based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score. It is a working guide for students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged. Rubrics are scoring criteria for Free-response Questions Scientific reports Oral or Power point presentations Reflections/Journals Essay Laboratory-based performance tests Article review or reactions Portfolios Many others Open-ended Question Concept Mapping It requires students to explore links between two or more related concepts. When making concept maps, they clarify in their minds the links they have made of the concepts and having visual representation of these links, they are better able to rearrange of form new links when new concepts are introduced. Laboratory Performance In this format students and teachers know the requirements in advance and prepare them. The teacher judges the student performance within a specific time frame and setting. Students are rated on appropriate and effective use of laboratory equipment, measuring tools, and safety laboratory procedures as well as a hands-on designing of an investigation. Inventories Diagnostic Inventories: Student responses to a series of questions or statements in any field, either verbally or in writing. These responses may indicate an ability or interest in a particular field. Interest Inventories: student responses to questions designed to find out past experience and or current interest in a topic, subject or activity. Classroom Assessment Presentation : a presentation by one student or by a group of students to demonstrate the skills used in the completion of an activity or the acquisition of curricular outcomes/expectations. The presentation can take the form of a skit, lecture, lab presentation, debate etc. Computers can also be used for presentation when using such software as Hyperstudio, Powerpoint or Corel presentations. Peer Evaluation : judgments by students about one another’s performance relative to stated criteria and program outcomes Journal Assessment This refer to student’s ongoing record of expressions experiences and reflections on a given topic. There are two types: one in which students write with minimal direction what he/she is thinking and or feeling and the other requires students to compete a specific written assignment and establishes restrictions and guidelines necessary to accurately accomplish the assignment. Journals can evolve different types of reflecting writing, drawing, painting, and role playing. REFLECTIVE JOURNAL What did I learn? How do I feel about it? What happened? SYNTHESIS JOURNAL How I can Use It? What I learned? What I Did? SPECULATION ABOUT EFFECTS JOURNAL What could happen because of this? What happened? V. CONCLUSION A fair assessment is one in which students are given equitable opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. Classroom assessment is not only for grading or ranking purposes. Its goal is to inform instruction by providing teachers with information to help them make good educational decisions. Assessment is integrated with student’s day-to-day learning experiences rather than a series of an end-of-course tests. Why link assessment with instruction? Better assessment means better teaching. Better teaching means better learning . Better learning means better students. Better students mean better opportunities for a better life. VI. RECCOMENDATION Specific assessment tools, listed below, are strongly recommended to faculty and department heads for their ability to provide useful information for accountability and, more importantly, to foster dialogue to improve student learning within courses. These three assessment tools are strongly recommended because they are concise and effective direct evaluations as opposed to indirect evaluations. Direct evaluations can be both formative (the gathering of information about student learning during the progression of a course or program, usually repeatedly, to improve the learning of those students) and summative (the gathering of information at the conclusion of the course, program or undergraduate career to improve learning or to meet accountability demands. ) 1. Rubrics:  These are the most flexible types of direct assessments and can be used to score any product or performance such as essays, portfolios, skill performances, oral exams, debates, project/product creation, oral presentations or a student’s body of work over the course of a semester. Since we are talking about assessing â€Å"official† course learning outcomes that are stated in course documents, all faculty teaching that course must agree on a detailed scoring system that delineates criteria used to discriminate among levels and is used for scoring a common assignment, product or performance or set of assignments, products or performances. Information can be obtained from the course document’s assignment and evaluation pages to help guide the creation of the rubric. Pros: †¢ Defines clear expectations. †¢ Can be used to score many kinds of assignments or exams †¢ Faculty define standards and criteria and how they will be applied Cons: †¢ Faculty must agree on how to define standards and criteria and how they will be applied 2. Common Final Exam or Common Capstone Project:  These direct assessment methods integrate knowledge, concepts and skills associated with an entire sequence of study in a course. Either use the same final exam for all sections offered in a course (commercially produced/standardized test or locally developed final exam) or require a culminating final project that is similar (using the same grading rubric to evaluate). Pros: †¢ Good method to measure growth over time with regard to a course †¢ Cumulative †¢ The data is more robust if all students complete the same assessment †¢ Provides an additional buffer between student learning performance and an individual instructor’s teaching performance Cons: Focus and breadth of assessment are important †¢ Understanding all of the variables to produce assessment results is also important †¢ May result in additional course requirements †¢ Requires coordination and agreement on standards 3. Embedded Test Questions:  Embed the same agreed upon questions that relate to the course’s student learning outcomes into the final exam for all sections of the course and analyze tho se results and/or embed the same agreed-upon requirements into the final project/assignment for all sections of the course and analyze those results. Pros: †¢ Good method to measure growth over time with regards to a course †¢ Cumulative †¢ The data is more robust if all students complete the same assessment †¢ Provides an additional buffer between student learning performance and an individual instructor’s teaching performance †¢ Embedded questions can be reported as an aggregate Cons: †¢ May result in additional course requirements †¢ Requires coordination and agreement on standards If some instructors embed and others do not, the data will be difficult to compare and analyze †¢ Separate analysis of embedded set of questions is required VII. REFERENCES https://www. google. com. ph/search? q=ASSESSMENT+TOOLS+PPT;rlz=2C1GTPM_enPH0537PH0537;aq=f;oq=assessment+tools+;aqs=chrome. 0. 59j57j61j60l2j0. 3437j0;sourceid=chrome;ie=UTF-8 http://www. slideshare. net/armovil/assessment-of-student-learning? from_search=2 Fulks, Janet, â€Å"Assessing Student Learning in Community Colleges†, Bakersfield College, 2004

Functions of the Human Body in Relation to Occupational Health and Research Paper

Functions of the Human Body in Relation to Occupational Health and Safety in the Working Environment - Research Paper Example   Similar to any mechanical system, the body might be stable or unstable and is able to bear a restricted gamut of physical pressures. Pressures might be forced internally or externally and might be severe or chronic. A helpful beginning in the deliberation of mechanical loading of the body is to differentiate between postural stress and task-induced stress. In the opinion of Grieve and Pheasant, postural stress is the expression used to signify the mechanical load on the body due to its posture. Posture can be defined as the average directions of the parts of the body in the course of time. (iii) Task-stress is dependent on the mechanical endeavor required to carry out daily tasks. It is a fact that majority of the repetitive tasks need a combination of static and rhythmic muscle activity. In the case of manual work, postural stabilization of the hands and arms is important for performing all but the complete movements in a purposeful manner. (iv) This stabilization is given by th e muscles more up the kinetic chain, muscles which cross the elbow and shoulder joints and have their origins in the cervical spine and thoracic areas. (v) When the task demands are quite above normal, the muscles might experience pain providing stabilization or in the muscles and joints of the effectors, or in both. In a period of time, a medical condition might develop. (Bridger 4-5) Explain why the role of individual susceptibility should b... identifying adverse effects on health and how you would use this information when considering potential scope and impact of situations with adverse effects on health. It is important to consider individual susceptibility when identifying adverse effects on health for which a separate branch has emerged known as ergonomics. Physiological problems happen when too much work is demanded from the body, to work awkwardly or to work under adverse environmental conditions. Fatigue happens mostly from work. To remain stable, the worker must not be more than tired at the end of his working day. Therefore the rest given into the task must be sufficient without becoming too heavy and unfeasible. In case of ergonomics, they access physical work through measurement of oxygen that is inhaled, change of heart rate, but are generally tied down by just being capable to calibrate people under semi-natural conditions. Nevertheless, in an identical fashion, they are able to calculate recovery from exhaustion. This bears a direct association with rest allowances, for example, it has been verified that even though learners require more rest compared to qualified workers , they are prone to make themselves tired by not resting sufficiently during the initial portion of their work. A natural balance exists between work and rest periods every day in which the quality and quantity of work are at the highest.  Ã‚     

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP BY EXECUTIVES Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP BY EXECUTIVES - Case Study Example This involves turning strategy into needed outcomes and behaviours, conveying these goals, evaluating progress, giving feedback, and empowering the workforce (Ashby & Miles, 2002) through performance-driven incentives and penalties. Studies show that several organisations remain dependent on conventional performance determinants. Conventional tools of performance determinants intended for the economy of the industrial period, which puts emphasis on physical assets and financial strategies, are now incapable of coping with the dynamic business environment (Ashby & Miles, 2002). Hence, there is a movement away from conventional ideas so as to address the intricacy and ever-changing business environment. According to Hagen and colleagues (1998), some of the challenges CEOs face today in relation to performance determinants are great expectations from stakeholders, demands from and threat of global and local competitors, adoption of sophisticated production technology, and demands for premium and dependable products/services from consumers. In the meantime, organisational performance can also be threatened by sub-units within an organisation making decisions which are incompatible. An organisation structure, which can be either decentralised or centralised, has considerable effect on the level of non-financial and financial strategies to be integrated into the performance measurement process (Ncube & Washburn, 2006). Usually one problem confronting an organisation is that different sub-units are taking part in the general process of decision making. Irreconcilable decisions can have varying consequences for each sub-unit. Acquiring consensus from all stakeholders is a constant problem. When a firm’s general strategy relies on the decisions of all its sub-units, as stated by Bass (2007), firm-wide support is needed. Large-scale strategic planning and assessment is critical. This planning has to focus on the

Creative and media strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Creative and media strategy - Essay Example Each of the topics has been focused in the means of communication and data related to the media. Advertising is one of the effective means and the most desired action taken by the marketers to attract the customers. For an effective advertisement, creativity is very much essential, advertisements is all about creativity. Creativity also requires planning, the need to advertise, and the marketing and promotion objectives. Today the marketers are trying to capture the minds of the customers by creating an emotional appeal. The marketers are using the techniques of emotional appeal which have succeeded and customers have become more brand conscious. In the second part of the project report under the heading campaign development, an advertisement has been chosen from the Coca Cola company where the advertisements also tends to apply the technique of emotional appeal to attract the customers. Section A Section A deals with two topics one concerned with radio as a multi media opportunity a nd secondly on media-multiplier and simultaneous consumption of media. The brand which is chosen for radio is Pringles crisps. This section would deal with the opportunities that exist in connection with the radio and for a better understanding, one of the radio station of UK would be analysed. And in case of simultaneous use of media a term known as media stacking has been explained and it has been said that the simultaneous use of media has been proving to be an advantage for the people as well as for the marketers. Radio as a multi-media opportunity Pringles crisps are considering the use of radio for the next campaign. Pringles a brand of Procter and Gamble (Pringles, 2011) have decided to introduce radio as a means of communication in their new campaign in UK. For an effective media it is necessary to target the right audience and the right means of communication. It has been rightly said that novelty is the key to an effective advertising. Novelty in media, message, product, t arget segment and especially in the fields of creativity is more likely to increase the sale. Another factor that would lead to success is the emotional advertisements which are more likely to appeal more to the customers. Emotional appeal is the most effective means in advertising (Tellis, 2004, p.22-23). The form of communication chosen by Pringles is radio. Radio may seem to be the least glamorous of media but the reality is that radio has been an important part of the media and forms an integral part in the media plans. Radio has some of the unique features and because of its qualities the advertisers are investing about $7billion per year in radio advertising in order to reach the local and national audience (O'Guinn, et.al, 2011, p. 485). Therefore the opportunities lies with the radio station and its audience is wide and with the help of new digital aspect, the marketers are more widely using radio as means of communication. Pringles thus have adopted the new and most famous tools of media which is radio. There are different radio options available to an advertiser to reach its target audiences. The advertisers can choose from the categories such as syndication, networks, satellite, AM versus FM and through internet and mobile. The advertisers can choose from the options and communicate the message accordingly. In Syndication, the radio provides complete programs to stations on

Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney, from 2005. film Essay

Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney, from 2005. film analysis - Essay Example This is not as appealing as it would be to watch such events as they occur. The photography as done in black and white seems to indicate that the film is in fact, black and white. It means that Murrow is white for his right actions and McCarthy is black due to his wrongful doings. McCarthy continues to do wrong with the film for accusing communists (innocent people) for their beliefs, as he does not have sufficient proof (Clooney & Heslov 39). The news crew and Murrow are right for standing up against McCarthy as nobody else shows the viewers why his actions are wrong. Photographic styles of black and white appear to make the theme of the movie. It made the audience more alert to the immediate environment within the movie. This is because black and white appears relatively boring and dull, the movie’s theme really stands out. Irrespective of the film focusing on the conflict between historical figures, Senator Joseph McCarthy, and journalist extraordinaire Edward Murrow and the roles been played by actors under a dramatic script, the film does not fully fit as a documentary. The question brings to light various cinematographic elements of Clooneys film. Clooney, having directed and co-written the film chooses to depict the film in a manner that mimics direct cinema methodologies such as in other documentaries exhibited between the1950s and 1960s (Clooney & Heslov 35). First, the camera used in the film is hand-held and follows the action to plan the way the director takes black and white shots. It appears to capture all aspects of reality while they happen. The line is so blurry for an effective distinguisher between nonfiction and fiction. Sen. McCarthy is presented by himself through digital restoration of clips about him. Past this technique, the film also includes various dramatic structures that are similar to those of a documentary. With love stories taking over, the

Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Interview - Assignment Example 7) What types of step have you taken when you came to know about his disabilities? 8) Which kind of support helped you the most? 9) Did you noticed any problem she is facing with her brother? 10) What are your experiences with school personnel and what is your dream about her future? Children with special needs are those who have different types of disabilities. An ample range of ‘special needs’ and ‘childhood disorders’ can be found. Some of them are : Autistic Disorder, attention deficit, emotional disturbance, speech and language impairments, mental retardation, speech and language impairments, traumatic brain injury etc. The paper presents an interview with the mother of Jerry, a 10 yrs old girl, who is suffering from multiple disabilities. Her problems are speech and intellectual disability and orthopedic impairment. The paper discusses the experiences of the father of a child suffering from multiple disabilities (CCIC, 2013). Jerry’s father Mr. John Browne is a Marine Engineer, mother Mrs. Rina Browne is a school teacher. Being a Marine Engineer, he is bound to travel for long periods. When Rina was pregnant for the first time John was serving emergency sailing duty. Rina was alone in their flat. No one was there to take care of her except she herself. One day on her way to school she faced a severe accident . Doctor suspects this trauma during her pregnancy was the reason for Jerry’s speech and intellectual disability. Moreover Rina had a hereditary problem of calcium deficiency which was not taken special care of during her pregnancy which affected her child Jerry. When did the family begin to suspect that their child was not developing typically? Basically Jerry was a calm baby. Generally a baby grows in different stages. But in the case of Jerry, their parents noticed that ,â€Å" Jerry was not reacting like the child next to their house , who was of Jerry’s age†. Jerry’s friend was much adv ance in everything. She learned to walk and talk at the age of 9 months. Generally babies learn to walk and talk within the age of one and a half years, but Jerry did not learn this. She did not speak. She used to point out every thing through different expressions. Her parents noticed, â€Å" when her friend is roaming here and there, singing in broken words and playing , Jerry is eager to do so but she is unable to do the same†. What was the reaction and response when the child’s difficulties were first realized? When Jerry’s parents first time came to realize the inefficiency in Jerry they were much tensed. They consulted a doctor. After different diagnosis when the doctor told them that Jerry was suffering from multiple disabilities they were really shocked. They felt very helpless and confused. But the doctor consoled them and said that not only Jerry, there are many babies suffering from different types of disabilities. The doctor assured them that such pr oblems had different remedies or corrective measures. How did extended family and friends react? Generally an extended family makes a special effort to accept the child suffering from disabilities. In case of Jerry we can find that her extended family used to shun her at different family events. Moreover they used to question the parenting skill of Browne family. Hence her parents decided to cut ties with those unsupportive family members. Describe the Evaluation process and development of the child’

SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

SWOT Analysis - Essay Example It advances chess in the American culture through the hosting of the United States Championships. The performance of children and their character are improving. This is considered as strength. According to the mission states of the association, it aims at strengthening the character and the mind of the young scholars. This result is a clear indication that the foundation is realizing its mission statement. This strength is distinctive as the change can be felt in the entire nation. Strengthening the mind of children improves their academic performance. Also, the children affected will impact others and this guarantees the future of a nation. This shows that the organization is beneficial to the nation (Allison et al., 2005). Since the organization is a nonprofit organization which is still achieving its goals, then its volunteers feel motivated. With motivated volunteers, there is the assurance of quality delivery from them. This will also attract more volunteers who will want to work for the organization. With a large number of volunteers, it means that the organization is saving quite an amount of money that could be utilized to meet its goals. Thus the organization will continue being a success, as good work force is vital for success (Allison et al., 2005). The nonprofit organization faces deficit of funds to cover its expenses. It cannot match the salaries of its for-profit competitors. The staff therefore, may not be motivated by the amount of money they earn and the founders, by the profits that they make. This lowers their compensation and diverts their focus on the satisfaction they get from their work. Since the foundation is realizing its goals and making an impact in the entire nation, this should motivate the founders and the staff. The organization’s stakeholders should try to involve donors who provide funds and engage in activities that can raise funds for

Cell Phones & Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cell Phones & Japan - Essay Example These were the 1G (first generation) phones and they worked upon the Analog Transmission Technology available at that point of time. Soon, the popularity of these automobile phones grew and there was a demand for such phones to be available outside the automobile. As per Wikipedia, this demand triggered the innovation of a mobile telephone device, which was quite bulky in size and had to be carried around in briefcase. This mobile communication device was a novelty item and found takers in the form of rich businessmen, executives and those who considered it as a status symbol. (August 2008). The mobile communication in Japan has since then evolved into the present day state, where it is a way of life for the Japanese population. The evolution has spanned across development of 2G, 2.5G, termination of analog technology and the advent of digital technology. Today, the predominant technology in Japan is 3G, which allows wide area voice telephony, video calls and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. The evolution of cell phones in Japan can be traced back to 1985, when the 2G (second generation wireless telephone technology) digital network made an entry. It was launched by Radiolinja of Finland in 1991. 2G systems were significantly more efficient and secure. It allowed digital encryption of conversation and data services for mobiles such as SMS. 2G services in Japan use an exclusive standard called PDC (Personal Digital Cellular). The PDC standard used in Japan allows the cell-phones to be of a much smaller size than the regular GSM phones that are in use in other geographies of the world. The primary operators of the 2G service in Japan are NTT DoCoMo, Softbank Mobile and KDDI. At the peak of 2G operation in Japan, there were close to 80 million subscribers using the PDC standard phones. The popularity of the PDC phones have since then

Professional Integration Essay Example for Free

Professional Integration Essay Professional integration is a process of making new ways of doing work in a hospital. It is a process of hospital management in which new partnerships between healthcare professionals who are specialized in various aspects occur. Each professional would be having individual skills, knowledge, and experience and hence would be able to provide better quality of care. Professional integration would better help to utilize medical and information systems. The introduction of professional integration or integrated care pathway (ICP) would involve a lot of changes. Managing an integrated care approach would involve consideration of factors put forth by the government, department of health, management and other stakeholders. It may be difficult for a physician to perform all the tasks, as there it is not only costly, but also would create a greater shortage of human resources. Hence, it would be ideal for the physician to assign certain responsibilities to other trained professionals in the healthcare system including nurses, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, technicians, specialists, etc. Recently, there has been growth of managed care, and in this system there has been a greater need for professional integration, considering the aim of providing cost-effective treatment to the patient in the form of health packages. Using the model of professional integration, physicians would not only play the role of clinician, but would also be performing administrative tasks (Crump, 2002, Goes, 1995 Briller, 1997). A study was conducted by the Wagner School of Public Service (1997) on the implementation of an integrated health organization policy (involving professional integration) in the HealthPartners of Southern Arizona hospital. The type of approach utilized was an expanded professional model (EPM). The findings of this model were studied so that integration can be utilized on a more extensive scale. The various aspects that were integrated included a hospital, a healthcare plan and two physicians. It was found that the integration process transformed the healthcare system and brought about positive changes in management and clinical work. Professional integration involves provision of healthcare by a team. Responsibilities are shared by different professionals who work in the team. Each of these professionals would be have their own sub-cultures, and in total, all these sub-cultures would be aligned. In the study, the benefits were clearly demonstrated, and also there were a few limitations existing which were solved using certain recommendations. Professional integration would produce certain innovative ideas which could be utilized in providing outpatient, inpatient and community healthcare services. Professional integration involves the physician taken the responsibility of leader, helping to provide and manage the treatment of the patient. Once the physician leads the patient care of team-based healthcare professionals, the quality of care would improve and the responsibilities can be shared in a more appropriate manner. The organization having greater amount of professional integration would gain a competitive edge over other organizations. The organization should look into the various ways in which various professionals can be integrated, and accordingly implement them. Once there is greater amount of professional integration, automatically clinical integration would occur, which can provide even greater number of advantages. Other organizations need to consider the expanded professional model (EPM) approach study conducted by the Wagner School of Public Service, and accordingly implement them after reflecting individual characteristics. One of the most important requirements for professional integration is a workstation for the users (healthcare professional) so that efficient and prompt transfer of patient health information occurs. The user should be able to access information of the patients assigned to them. The system should have user-friendly software programs which would enable entry, modification, processing, storage and transfer of patient health information. Each user should be able to view the tasks assigned to them. Such an electronic system would provide prompts, reminders and alerts for the user thus ensuring that better clinical decision-making can be enabled, and improvements in the quality of care are seen (Degoulet, 1995 Goes, 1995).

Protection of Biometric Templates

Protection of Biometric Templates Protection of Biometric Templates Stored on an Authentication Card by Salting the Templates Problem Statement The proposed research addresses the problem of protection of biometric data stored on templates using a system-on-card approach for smart cards by proposing a method to salt the templates. Research Statement This research proposes a robust and resilient method to salt the templates stored and matched on-card. It prepares a salt using a fingerprint template of a randomly chosen finger, the serial number of authentication card and a system generated random PIN. The salt is used to encrypt the templates of different fingerprint templates created and stored on card. During authentication, a template of the finger chosen randomly to prepare the salt during the enrollment phase is obtained and a PIN is provided by user. These two inputs along with the serial number of card is used to prepare the salt and again encrypt the live template provided by user for authentication. Once, the stored encrypted template and the created encrypted template matches, the user can be considered genuine and granted access further. This method is implemented on system-on-card smart cards to provide users more security and privacy. Abstract This research proposes to provide a secure method to prepare salt for encryption of templates stored on the authentication card using what I am, what I have and what I know which is highly resistant to known attacks against match on card technology. The user will be provided with a Java card with an embedded fingerprint reader on the card. The user has to provide a fingerprint which will be captured by reader embedded on-card and this fingerprint will be used to prepare salt along with serial number of Java card and a 4-digit PIN input by user. The salt will be prepared to encrypt the live template of another fingerprint chosen randomly by system, generated by the system on Java card. The encrypted live template and the stored salted template will be compared to establish if the user is genuine or not. The user will be authenticated based on the values of decision if it passes a certain threshold value. Resources The resources we intend to use to complete this research is Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Research Gate. Connection to the courses of the MISSM Program Various courses of MISSM program are linked to the proposed research as described below: Cryptography: The basics of Biometrics and JAVA card technology, using challenge and response for any type of environment such as banking, high-security settings etc. Also, RSA certificates for web authentication during communication with server. Security policies: Different policies and standards governing the management of biometric data i.e. ISO/IEC standards etc. Also, different policies that can be implemented to ensure sound use of proposed method. Governance Risk and Control: Considering the advantage of defense-in-depth concept by adding an additional layer of security for the notion of risk management in physical access authentication /security. Review of related research The research related to this proposal contains the discussion of match-on card and system-on-card approach and how system-on-card technology provides additional security and privacy to user. The review is divided into four section as described below: Fingerprint Authentication Systems Biometrics are automated methods of establishing a persons identity based on his/her physical or behavioral characteristics [1]. There are various physical characteristics that can be used for authentication system such as iris, fingerprint, palmprint, hand vein pattern etc. For each biometric authentication system, a biometric is chosen based on various factors such as Universality, Uniqueness, Accuracy, Maturity, Durability as described in Smart Cards and Biometrics [2]. Fingerprints is most widely used from the date of origin of biometrics. The following matrix table clearly shows that fingerprint is most suitable biometric trait that can be used. Fig 1. Report of Defense Science Board Task Force on Defense Biometrics [2] Like any other authentication system, fingerprint authentication system also consists of four basic fundamental components Input mechanism, Matching methodologies, Decision making procedures and database of biometric information. A conventional biometric authentication system consists of two phases: Enrollment and Verification as explained in Fig 2 [3]. Fig 2. Framework for Fingerprint Authentication System [3] During Enrollment phase, user is asked to input a fingerprint. Different features are extracted from this fingerprint and a template is created by a one-way function that transforms the features extracted into a mathematical form using different functions. This template is stored in a database which is used during second phase of authentication i.e. Verification. During Verification phase, user is again asked to provide fingerprint. Again a template called live template from the input fingerprint is generated and then the stored template in database and live template are compared to authenticate the user as genuine or not. The proposed research focus on template protection algorithm to protect the biometric template (or reference) before storing them in database. Templates are generated by extracting specific features from a biometric trait (in this case it is fingerprint) of user. The template is a short hand description [12] which provides essential information about the original fingerprint. Templates can be stored in database as such without passing them through any protection algorithm, which will save time and less resources are required for whole process. But unprotected templates are very serious threat to the integrity of whole fingerprint authentication system (or any biometric authentication system). Also, the template can be easily manipulated and is used for speed of comparison. As demonstrated by Ross et. al. in [13] that information can be extracted out of the template and original fingerprint can be regenerated.ÂÂ   In their paper, three level of information was obtained from the minutiae template of fingerprint. The information about orientation field, fingerprint class and friction ridge structure was extracted out and based on that information the fingerprint was synthesized again. It proves the notion that getting original fingerprint from the template is nearly impossible to be untrue. Hence, the protection of template is very crucial and cannot be ignored. Fingerprint templates are generated from specific features of the fingerprint input by user. Fingerprint template includes information for each minutiae point, such are position of the point on an XY-axis, distance of one minutia from all others or gradient information of each minutia. Gradient information gives the slope of the line segment extending from minutia being described [12] as shown in fig. All this information for each minutia of a finger makes a fingerprint template for a finger. Similarly, template for each finger can be constructed and stored in database. Templates can be a two dimensional matrix in which rows represents each minutia and column represents different type of information about that minutia. Examples of standardized and widely used template formats are ANSI INCITS 378-2004 and ISO/IEC 19794-2. ANSI INCITS 378-2004 template format consist of three standards for fingerprint data interchange which are as follows: ANSI INCITS 377-2004 Finger Pattern Data Interchange Format This standard defines the content, format and units of measurement for the exchange of finger image data that may be used in the verification or identification process of a subject [14]. It exchanges unprocessed image of fingerprint. This standard is used where there is no limit on the resources such as storage and transmission time. ANSI INCITS 378-2004 Finger Minutiae Format For Data Interchange The Finger Minutiae Format for Data Interchange standard specifies a method of creating biometric templates of fingerprint minutiae, such as ridge endings and bifurcations [14]. The structure of minutia data format is defined in the figure below. The extended data blocks contain additional information about the minutia. Fig Structure Minutia Data Format extracted out from [14]. ANSI INCITS 381-2004 Finger Image-Based Data Interchange Format The Finger Pattern Based Interchange Format standard specifies a method of creating biometric templates of fingerprint biometric information using ridge pattern measurements found in fingerprints. The fingerprint image is reduced and then grouped into small cells of 5*5 pixels. Then these cells are analyzed separately [14]. The template generated may be used for two principal purposes [14] which are identification and verification. In both cases a live template is generated from fingerprint input by user is compared with the template stored in database. The chances of these two templates being an exact match is very small because of dirt, injury or poor quality of fingerprint itself [14]. Therefore, a threshold value is specified which is called a correlation coefficient [14]. The value of this coefficient must be set particular to the application. This is because, if this value is high then there a high chance of FRR and if this value is low, then there is high chance of FAR. Examples of application of fingerprint authentication system are law enforcement for identification of criminals, airports to provide rapid services to a high number of passengers etc. In a conventional fingerprint authentication system, there are various points of attack as identified by Ratha et. al. [4] which can be exploited by an adversary as seen in Fig 3 [5]. Different attacks that can be performed on these points can be grouped into four categories [5]: Attacks at user interface: These types of attacks use fake finger made of gelatin or latex and fabricated fingerprint is given as input to reader device that captures the fingerprint. These types of attacks can be mitigated by developing hardware and software solutions more sensitive to the liveness of the fingerprint. Attacks at interfaces between modules: Different modules of fingerprint authentication systems communicate with each other. For example, fingerprint reader sends the fingerprint image to feature extractor module (Fig 3) through a communication channel. And if, this channel is not secured physically or cryptographically [5] then the data can be intercepted and attacker can get access to the original fingerprint. Another attack that can be performed is to launch replay or hill- climbing attacks [5]. Attacks on the modules: An adversary can attack either the communication channel or the modules itself. If the channel is secured using cryptographic measures that does not secure the entire authentication system. An attacker can execute various attacks to take possession of modules and force them to work according to his/her will and intentions. This can cause system to deny even the legitimate user and allow illegitimate user by feeding wrong input or modifying the decision. Attacks on the template database: The templates stored in database can be attacked and is one of the most potentially damaging attack [5]. These attacks can be performed either to modify the templates or retrieve the original fingerprint. Fig 3. Points of attack in a generic biometric authentication system [5] All these attacks can compromise the authentication system and present a threat to access privileges of sensitive data or location. Some of the attacks that can be performed and described in figure above include presenting synthetic finger made from either silicone or gelatin. This synthetic finger has a fingerprint printed on the side facing the sensor. Then this fake finger is used to give system input. This attack can be countered by improving the liveness detection of the hardware as well as software as described in [15]. Replay of old data can be mitigated by limiting the number of attempts an individual can make before permanently locking out the person from the system. Communication channel which is used to transmit template from database to matcher module can be intercepted and template can be obtained while in transit. So, additional security measures are needed to be taken such as establishing encrypted channels which is again an overhead. If the template is modified in tra nsit, then attacker can perform DoS attack and prevent genuine user from getting access to the system. Similarly, if the final decision can be modified and allows the foster to enter into system. Also, if the matcher is overridden by attacker then the decision of the matching is compromised without any doubt and hence, the whole system is compromised. Smart Card Smart cards are also called Integrated Circuits Card (ICC) in ISO/IEC 7816 standard. These types of cards are made of plastic with a metallic chip inside it. There are two types of chips as described in [11] which are memory chips and microprocessor chips. Memory chips consists of control logic [11] and are used for storage purposes. These chips are used to store data only. Whereas, microprocessor chips have a programmable processing unit along with a calculation unit and little storage to carry put various operations. A plastic card with microprocessor chip is called smart card [11]. These type of cards can be used for various purposes such as payment, authentication, document storage, portable files storage etc. For different applications of the smart card require different operations to be performed by CPU embedded in the chip. CPU of the smart cards require power to carry out the operations which is the reason that a card reader device is necessary component of the authentication system. The smart card and card reader terminal communicates with each other to transfer data. Terminal requires different information and responses from the card to carry out the desired operations. To get required service, terminal sends a request to the card which is received by on-card application and executes the operations as requested and provide terminal with responses. The communication between the card and the terminal is protected by establishing a secure channel. Also, different cryptographic algorithms are used for protection of information transmitted between terminal and the card. These algorithms are processed using the calculation unit embedded in the microprocessor chip. The secure channel is established using cryptographic protocols. The transmission occurs similar to communication using OSI reference model [11]. The transmission of data between card and the reader takes place in units called APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit). There are two types of APDUs which are categorized as command APDUs and response APDUs.ÂÂ   ISO/IEC 7816-4 defines a command set consisting of various commands (some are mandatory and others are optional) for development of the applications by different industries. The basic idea behind this approach is that an application developed by any vendor will be compatible with the chip card. Structure of APDU can be found in Appendix. Smart cards have card managers to administer and manage all the card system services [12] and operations. It can be viewed as an entity that provides functions very similar to runtime environment of card, represents the card issuer and verifies the users identity. It can also be seen as three different entities as described in GlobalPlatform Card Specification 2.1.1, as follows: The GlobalPlatform Environment The Issuer Security Domain The Cardholder Verification Methods Issuer Security Domain can be considered as entity representing card issuer on-card. It consists of data that shall be stored on-card as listed below [12]: Sr, No, Name (Tag of ISO/IEC 7816) Description a. Issuer Identification Number (Tag 42) Maps the card to a particular card management system. It is of variable length. b. Card Image Number (Tag 45) Used by card management system to identify the card among its database. Also, has variable length. c. Card Recognition Data Provides information about the card before communication starts between card and card management system. It is contained in Directory Discretionary Template (Tag 73) d. On-card key Information Different keys are stored in persistent memory of card. Key consists of various attributes such as key identifier, key version number, associated cryptographic algorithm and key length. All key components associated with an entity (e.g. symmetric and asymmetric key are two different entities) has same key identifier Keys are managed by Issuer Security Domain These data in Issuer Security Domain can be accessed using GET DATA command. Fingerprint Match-on-card and Fingerprint System-on-card In a conventional biometric authentication system, a template generated during verification is sent to server where it is matched with the stored template in database. Live template must be protected against attacks while in transit to server. Even though templates are results of one-way function but original fingerprint image can still be prepared using different attacks. To address the problem of template compromise in transit, modules of biometric authentication systems described in Fig 3 can be grouped together. These types of groupings can be used to counter the attacks described above. In the article Encyclopedia of Biometric, Chen Tai Pang, Yau Wei Yun, Jiang Xudong and Mui keng Terrence explained four different types of approaches that can be taken to group the modules and placing grouped components of authentication system on an authentication card (which is also called a smart card) such as Java card. These approaches are a) Template on-card b) Match-on-card c) Work sharing on-card d) System-on-card This research focuses on limitations of Match-on-card approach and features of System-on-card approach that overcome these limitations. These approaches are described below. Also, the limitations and how they affect the integrity of biometric authentication system is also defined. Match-on-card is defined as the process of performing comparison and decision making on an integrated circuit (IC) card or smartcard where the biometric reference data is retained on-card to enhance security and privacy [6]. During enrollment, the template generated from the fingerprint is stored on the secure area of cards storage. To accomplish on-card matching, live template is generated after capturing and feature extraction of fingerprint of user using an interface device. This live template is uploaded to the card for verification process. On-card matching follows the same process flow as defined in fig 4 but with Matcher and Database module that has stored template on-card. Matching function executes on- card rather than on a server. This solves the problem of attack on interfaces of modules described above. Fig 3 explains match-on-card process for biometric verification [6]. Fig 4. On-card matching process [6] User inputs his/her fingerprint using Biometric terminal. Features are extracted from the input and a live template (or here its called query template) is generated. This query template is generated off-card but sent to card for matching. Cards matcher module retrieves the stored template from the secure storage area of card and compare two templates. This comparison result is handed over to on-card application and thus, original template and the result always resides on the card. Dotted line represents the application firewall that restricts the access of application to matching module [6]. Attacks on interfaces between modules also stems to attacks on database in which templates are stored. If the interfaces or the communication channel is compromised, then the data travelling among different modules can also be compromised. If not intercepted, at least modification can be performed to execute DoS attack for a legitimate user. To deal with this limitation, system-on-card approach can be used. System-on-card means the whole biometric verification process, including the acquisition, is performed on the smartcard. The smartcard incorporates the entire biometric sensor, with processor and algorithm [6]. Fig 5. System-on-card Technology [6] Smartcard equipped with fingerprint reader is inserted into an interface device which provides time and power to card. Then user is asked to provide his/her fingerprint which is captured by the fingerprint reader on-card. Different features are extracted out from the fingerprint and different incorporated algorithms on-card [6] transforms that input into a mathematical form (template). The template is stored in secure area of cards storage. The whole process takes place on-card providing more security and privacy to user. System-on-card is more secure because the template stored and query template is always present on-card and only the result is sent to host-side application. Template Security This research focus on the security of the template before storing it in database. Fingerprint of an individual is very unique. It makes it an ideal factor for authentication systems. No two persons can have same fingerprints providing high security, privacy and integrity to authentication systems using fingerprint. Even though this makes the biometrics strong among all other factors of authentication but it also is its weakest point. Unlike any other computational algorithms, biometric information of a person is unique and once compromised, cannot be recreated. It makes the protection of templates very crucial to protect the integrity of biometric authentication systems. Two approaches can be considered to secure the templates. Either, a) database can be protected against different attacks by implementing various security measures such as firewalls or b) templates can itself be protected against attacks so that even if the database is compromised, original fingerprint can still be protected. Since, the template itself is very specific information which makes it quite useless for attacker to get original fingerprint image from template. But it is still possible to create original fingerprint using the algorithm defined in [13]. According to ISO/IEC 24745 [7] standard, all the Biometric Template Protection Systems must fulfill three main requirements: Noninvertibility: It should very difficult to retrieve the original template from the final protected template reference stored in database. The noninvertibility prevents the abuse of stored biometric data for launching spoof or replay attacks, thereby improving the security of the biometric system [3]. Revocability: It should be computationally difficult to obtain the original biometric template from multiple instances of protected biometric reference derived from the same biometric trait of an individual [3]. It makes it possible for issuer to issue a new template to user in case of a compromise, without bothering about the probability of success for an attacker using the old template. Nonlinkability: It should be tough to establish relationship among different instances of templates derived from same biometric characteristic of user. The nonlinkability property prevents cross-matching across different applications, thereby preserving the privacy of the individual [3]. Methods for Biometric Template Protection As described by Anil K. Jain, Karthik Nandakumar and Abhishek Nagar in their article Biometric Template Security [8], Template protection schemes can be categorized into two main groups viz. feature transformation and biometric cryptosystem as shown in fig 6. Fig 6. Template Protection approaches [8] In feature transformation, a feature transformation function is applied to the biometric template [8]. The new template generated after feature transformations is stored in database rather than the template generated after feature extraction. This transformation provides more security because it makes the template more random and make it almost impossible for attacker to guess the original template and hence more difficult to obtain original fingerprint image. Two methods for feature transformation are: Salting and Nonivertible transform. Salting: It is also called biohashing. In this approach a biometric template (fingerprint template, here) is taken as input and a mathematical function is applied defined by a specific key. A token number or a key is used to increase the entropy of the template and so makes the template difficult for attacker to guess [2]. Salting is the name given because the key used in this method is called salt to protect the template. This approach is invertible which means using the key, original template can be obtained from transformed template. Transformation function that satisfy the requirements of this approach can be designed. Noninvertible Transform: This approach is similar to previous one i.e. salting with a little difference that this method is invertible which means a transformed template is very difficult to invert to original template. Non-invertible transform refers to a one-way function that is easy to compute but hard to invert [8]. Hence, more security is provided in this approach because if the key is known to attacker, he/she still cannot retrieve original template. Comparing these two approaches based on the description above, non-invertible transform seems an obvious choice for security. But thats not true. This is so because, salting in invertible but it supports revocability property of biometric template protection. It means if a key is leaked and transformed template is accessible to attacker then the template can be easily replaced using a new key. Also, key usage causes low FAR. Whereas, non-invertible transform presents a tradeoff between discriminability and non-invertibility [8]. It means the transformed template using different features of same user should be same but different from another user along with fulfilling noninvertible property. It is difficult to design such transformation function [8]. Salting is done using a specific key or token. Any key or token used for salting is secure Description of Proposed Research Considering the above knowledge, the research will focus on a method to protect the template stored on card. The proposed method will protect biometric template stored on card by salting the template. The research will focus mainly on the proposed method of salting the template. Also, other elements as required will be included in the research to propose a robust and secure system that use the method for salting. It is assumed that enrollment phase is done in a secure environment and verification phase can be done in an untrusted zone. The research will look deep into the method to develop a more random and strong salt for biometric template protection. System-on-card approach will be used because of the privacy and security level provided is maximum as shown in Fig 7. All the computation and execution is done on card and the terminal is only sent the final YES/NO to grant access to user. The method uses following elements: Authentication card with fingerprint reader embedded on card Various Templates Random Number Generator Serial Number of Java Card PIN Cryptographic Certificates using RSA asymmetric key cryptography Counter The proposed method uses three fundamental components of biometric authentication system: Who am I (Live Template) What I have (Authentication Card) What I know (PIN) These three components are not only used for authentication of a user but also for salting the template stored on card. At the time of enrollment, Java card with fingerprint reader is inserted into the terminal (to provide power and time to card). User is asked to input fingerprint (who I am) of a finger chosen randomly by system. Then the system generates salt using serial number of Java card (what I have) and randomly generated 4-digit PIN (what I know). User has to remember this PIN for verification as it will be forgotten forever after enrollment process is finished. Salt prepared by combining three components is then used to encrypt the templates to be stored on the card. Fig 7. Java card with fingerprint reader Salt prepared can be written in a generalized form as: Salt = Serial number of authentication card + Template of fingerprint from a finger chosen randomly + Randomly generated PIN by enrollment system. During verification, the users inserts the card into terminal and has to provide: Fingerprint used during enrollment phase to prepare salt 4-digit PIN Using these inputs and the serial number stored on the chip of Java card, the salt is prepared again. Then user is asked again to provide fingerprint of a randomly chosen finger by system. A query template is generated again and is salted using the salt prepared. Then two salted templates are compared, and if decision pass the threshold value then user can be considered authentic and the decision is sent to server through terminal to grant user access. Certificated signed with digital signatures using RSA asymmetric encryption (using 4096 bits) are used for communicating the decision with server. Each time a decision is sent to server, counter on server increments by 1, if the user fails to authenticate otherwise resets to zero. If the counter reaches 4 (user fails to authenticate itself 4 times consecutively) then the Java card is blocked and requires reset by issuing body. Performing all the activities (from reading fingerprint to decision making) on-card, provides highest security, little privacy concern, interoperability, scalability and mobility [9]. To summarize the whole process, it can

The Perils of Obedience by Stanley Milgram Essay -- Stanley Milgram T

â€Å"The Perils of Obedience† was written by Stanley Milgram in 1974. In the essay he describes his experiments on obedience to authority. I feel as though this is a great psychology essay and will be used in psychology 101 classes for generations to come. The essay describes how people are willing to do almost anything that they are told no matter how immoral the action is or how much pain it may cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This essay even though it was written in 1974 is still used today because of its historical importance. The experiment attempts to figure out why the Nazi’s followed Hitler. Even though what he told them to do was morally wrong and they did it anyway. If this essay can help figure out why Hitler was able to do what he was then able to do, then maybe psychologists can figure out how to prevent something like that from happening again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Perils of Obedience† is about an experiment that was made to test the obedience of ordinary people. There are two people who come and perform in the lab, one is the subject or the teacher and the other is an actor or the learner. The teacher doesn’t know that the learner is an actor. They are there to see how far someone would go on causing someone pain just because they were told to do so the authority figure. The learner is given a list of word pairs and has to memorize them. Then he has to remember the second word of the pair when he hears the first word. If he is incorrect the â€Å"teacher† will shock him until he gets it rig...

Effects of the War on the Students of Devon in A Separate Peace Essay

Effects of the War on the Students of Devon "Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it" ( Knowles 5). In this novel A Separate Peace, using these words, John Knowles reveals the fear that haunts the students at Devon and when they proceeded with all their training for the war they mature into adults. A Separate Peace shares the lives of students at Devon that are forced into an unknown world of fear, problems, and uncertainty as they head off to World War II in training to fight and represent their country where they will find or lose themselves and make important decisions that will impact their future. The students at Devon are put into adulthood at an early age, having to fight and make their country proud, but they are left feeling pressure for a war they do not start. The students enter a world of unexpectedness and dread where they are forced into adulthood through war, and are exposed to self sacrifice, physical awareness, and patriotism. Self-sacrifice is a major value that effects the students of Devon as they decide to enlist and sacrifice their luxuries. The students are faced with the unfamiliar pressures of the adult world where they must sacrifice themselves for the good of their country. For example, when a recruiter comes to Devon to encourage the students to join the ski-troops in the army, Leper Lepellier decides to enlist because even though he fears the war he knows he is pressured to make a decision ( where to enlist ) and this is one war job, he can execute. Leper , a loner, has finally found wh... ... and in doing so represent their country even more. Trying to be patriotic becomes hard for Brinker when his father wants him not to embarrass himself and do more for the country because Brinker feels that his father doesn?t understand that he is afraid to go to war. Brinker says", He and his crowd are responsible for it and we're going to fight it " (190). This quote shows how agitated Brinker is with his father for trying to tell him to accomplish more in a dangerous war, that Brinker wants nothing to do with, that can possibly lead to his own death. To sum up, patriotism is a necessity in going to war and representing the country because it shows feelings from the fighter to his or her country. To sum up, the boys at Devon have endured a lot as teenagers. They are faced with pressures and values that cause them to develop into adults, at an early age. Effects of the War on the Students of Devon in A Separate Peace Essay Effects of the War on the Students of Devon "Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it" ( Knowles 5). In this novel A Separate Peace, using these words, John Knowles reveals the fear that haunts the students at Devon and when they proceeded with all their training for the war they mature into adults. A Separate Peace shares the lives of students at Devon that are forced into an unknown world of fear, problems, and uncertainty as they head off to World War II in training to fight and represent their country where they will find or lose themselves and make important decisions that will impact their future. The students at Devon are put into adulthood at an early age, having to fight and make their country proud, but they are left feeling pressure for a war they do not start. The students enter a world of unexpectedness and dread where they are forced into adulthood through war, and are exposed to self sacrifice, physical awareness, and patriotism. Self-sacrifice is a major value that effects the students of Devon as they decide to enlist and sacrifice their luxuries. The students are faced with the unfamiliar pressures of the adult world where they must sacrifice themselves for the good of their country. For example, when a recruiter comes to Devon to encourage the students to join the ski-troops in the army, Leper Lepellier decides to enlist because even though he fears the war he knows he is pressured to make a decision ( where to enlist ) and this is one war job, he can execute. Leper , a loner, has finally found wh... ... and in doing so represent their country even more. Trying to be patriotic becomes hard for Brinker when his father wants him not to embarrass himself and do more for the country because Brinker feels that his father doesn?t understand that he is afraid to go to war. Brinker says", He and his crowd are responsible for it and we're going to fight it " (190). This quote shows how agitated Brinker is with his father for trying to tell him to accomplish more in a dangerous war, that Brinker wants nothing to do with, that can possibly lead to his own death. To sum up, patriotism is a necessity in going to war and representing the country because it shows feelings from the fighter to his or her country. To sum up, the boys at Devon have endured a lot as teenagers. They are faced with pressures and values that cause them to develop into adults, at an early age.

Definition of Terms Essay

AMR- Ambulatory Medical Record- An ambulatory medical record (AMR) is an electronically stored file of a patient’s outpatient medical records, which includes all surgeries and care that do not involve being admitted to a hospital. The importance of AMR’s is that they only apply to outpatient medical records. Outpatients procedures or services are performed so frequently that at times it can be tedious to keep track of them. These records allow a physician to review a patient’s COMPLETE medical history. CMR- Computerized Medical Record- Computerized medical records are the digital counterparts to patient medical records kept in paper files and folders in health care offices. The importance of CMR’s is they allow for less paper storage or use. A patient’s medical records can be an extensive file. The longer the file gets the harder it is to keep up with it. Keeping a computerized copy of what is on paper in a patient’s medical record is more than convenient, it is a more efficient method of documentation. CMS – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards. CMS is an important entity to US healthcare, without it, the medical coverage for  children whose parents do not have the luxury of commercial coverage and the elderly who have reached the age of retirement would not have health benefits. Medicare and Medicaid do not only supply benefits to children and the elderly but there are those citizens who are considered disable in some way, shape, fashion or form. CMS-1500 – A universal claims billing form used by physicians and other healthcare practitioners to bill payers for professional services. The CMS 1500 form assists physicians especially in receiving reimbursement for the services provided. The development of a form for physicians eliminates confusion for insurance companies when processing claims. The companies need not worry about whether the charges were submitted by a physician or facility, which makes for easier and more efficient processing. CPT – Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a code set that is used to report medical procedures and services to entities such as physicians, health insurance companies and accreditation organizations. CPT is used in conjunction with ICD-8-CM or ICD-10-CM numerical diagnostic coding during the electronic medical billing process. From a billing standpoint, a world without CPT codes is almost like a world without people. The genius idea to use a universal language of numbers to determine services an individual had performed alleviates chaos. CPT codes also give a shorter description of the services rendered. Some procedures are so extensive, all the information appearing on a claims form can cause confusion. By giving these procedures a 5 digit number which can be researched for a description creates efficiency. DRG – Diagnosis Related Group – any of the payment categories that are used to classify patients, especially Medicare patients, for the purpose of reimbursing hospitals for each case in a given category with a fixed fee regardless of the actual costs incurred DRG’s prohibit a facility from receiving an outrageous reimbursement for specific provided services. The categorization of patient cases into specific groups which allows for a set cost or billed amount places a cap on reimbursement to that facility for that case/patient. EPR – Electronic Patient (Health) Record (EHR) -an evolving concept defined as a systematic collection of electronic health information about individual  patients or populations. Monitoring a patients’ health information in an electronic manner is a win/win for all involved. It allows the patient faster access to their records and the physician or hospital a faster method for reviewing or receiving those same records. The EPR has evolved into the EHR. The development of tracking patient health information in an electronic monitor has produced a more effective, accurate method for organizing something as lengthy as a person’s health history. HL7 – Health Level Seven (HL7) – a non-profit organization involved in the development of international healthcare informatics interoperability standards. HL7 and its members provide a framework (and related standards) for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. The 2.x versions of the standards, which support clinical practice and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services, are the most commonly used in the world. The development of this organization is the foundation for the ability to transfer and track health information safely and without violation of a person’s personal information. Without HL7, the above mentioned term (EPR) would not exist. This organization’s importance is beyond measure in terms of convenience involved in the healthcare field. The standards set forth are a necessity in order for health information to be exchanged or shared, they provide peace of mind to the patients and physicians. ICD-9 – International Classification of Disease, 9th edition – A standardized classification of disease, injuries, and causes of death, by etiology and anatomic localization and codified into a 5-digit number, which allows clinicians, statisticians, politicians, health planners and others to speak a common language, both US and internationally. A 3 to 5-digit number code describing a diagnosis or medical procedure. The International Classification of Disease 9th edition is as important to billing as CPT codes. The universal language for identifying a patients diagnosis assists not only for purposes in billing but for physician and hospital communication with insurance companies. Physicians attend school to learn and become familiar with the formal name for specific diseases, injuries and other medical conditions. On the other hand, insurance companies may not be as familiar or educated as to  the formal names for these medical conditions, which is where ICD-9’s come into play. They allow for easier and more understanding within the communication aspect of physician to insurance or facility to insurance company. UB-92 – Uniform/Universal Billing form 92 Managed care The official HCFA/CMS form used by hospitals and health care centers when submitting bills to Medicare and 3rd-party payors for reimbursement for health services provided to Pts covered. UB-92 billing forms have since been replaced with UB-04 billing forms. Needless to say, a universal billing form creates an efficient, more precise method of billing for hospitals. Once again it eliminates the time that would be consumed by insurance companies attempting to determine if a claim is for a facility or physician. Eliminating this step assists in jump starting the processing of reimbursement to a facility for rendered services.

f the worldwide Muslim population, the Shi’a account for about thirteen percent

The religion of Islam is generally divided into two main schools; the Sunni and the Shi’a.   Of course there are at least five other schools of Islam, however, the Sunni and Shi’a make up the majority of Muslims. (Carmody, 2002)   Of the worldwide Muslim population, the Shi’a account for about thirteen percent.Although this is a small percentage, their influence the world over is strong, especially in the regions of Iraq and Iran where most of them reside. Sunnis, on the other hand, reside mostly in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. (Smith, 1991)   Although there are some major differences between the two sects, they generally follow the same path of faith, stemming from the founder of the religion, Muhammad.Muhammad was born about 570 C.E.   Around 610 he began to receive revelations which, after his death, were collected into what became known as the Qur’an.   According to Islamic doctrine, these revelations were from a sacred text from heave n which God himself had written.Seeing a prophet in Muhammad, God sent him the angel Gabriel to reveal what was in the book.   (Carmody, 2002) This was the beginning of the religion of Islam.After Muhammad’s death in 632, the religion of Islam began to split. (Carmody, 2002)   The Sunnis began following three main caliphs, or Islamic teachers, who proclaimed themselves the leaders of the religion after Muhammad’s death.Shi’as, on the other hand, refused to be led by the caliphs and claimed that the true leader of Islam was Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali. (Smith, 1991) They believed that the family of Muhammad was the only true authority of Islam.The Shi’a, which literally means â€Å"followers,† has both their own traditions and Islamic laws which differ from that of the Sunnis.   The Shi’as, for instance, although they follow something similar to the Five Pillars of Islam, do not call it that.The Five Pillars is central to the beli ef of Sunnis.   Shi’as, however, also have 5 central tenets, but these they call, UsÃ… «l al-DÄ «n, or the â€Å"Roots of Religion†.   These tenets are TawhÄ «d (Oneness), Adalah (Justice), Nubuwwah (Prophethood), Imamah (Leadership), and Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment). (Wikipedia, 2006)Besides these, there are also the FurÃ… « al-DÄ «n, or the â€Å"Branches of Religion.†Ã‚   The FurÃ… « al-DÄ «n are basically rules according to which a Muslim should live their life, such as fasting, pilgrimage, prayer, etc. (Wikipedia, 2006)There have also been cultural practices that over time have developed into strictly Shi’a beliefs.   One of these is known as taqiyya.   This rule permits a Shi’a to deny their religion to save their life or the lives of family members. According to the Shi’a, the Sunni are wrong in condemning this practice because it is sanctioned by the Qur’an. (Wikipedia, 2006)Another practice that sets apart the Sh i’a from the Sunni is that of Nikah Mut'ah.   This has to do with the idea of permitting a fixed-time marriage.   It states that a man and woman can, if they both so choose, contractually enter into a marriage for a specified period of time.   Although the Sunni frown upon this practice, and the Shi’a do not practice it regularly, they believe it is sanctioned by the Qur’an and therefore permissible. (Wikipedia, 2006)It is easy for such a large endeavor to get caught up in bureaucracy and find areas in which to split. It makes one wonder what Muhammad would think of the religion if he were around today.Works CitedCarmody, D.L., & Brink, T.L. (2002). Ways to the center: An introduction to world religions.Belmont: Wadsworth.Islam. Islam. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved May 7, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam#Schools_.28denominations.29Shi'a Islam. (2006). Shi'a Islam. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved May 7, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi %27aSmith, Huston (1991). The World's Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins.

High-Tech Government Contracting Essay

FedBizOpps, or FBO, is the Federal government’s web site that posts all Federal procurement opportunities over opportunities with a value over $25,000. It can be thought of as the U. S. Government’s proposal central, or better yet, a request for proposal (RFP) central (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). Top Three Reasons Why I believe FedBizOpps Will Enhance Opportunities for Minorities The top three reasons why I believe FedBizOpps will enhance opportunities for minorities is FedBizOpps gov (pronounced fed biz opps) provides a sophisticated search engine for finding more than 40,000 immediate RFP opportunities, as well as archived records. It also lists possible future federal contract opportunities. All GSA Schedule solicitations are also listed on FedBizOps which will assist in bidding for current and future contracts. Several training programs are available at the site to teach you the mechanics of using the FBO system (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). The Factors the Government Used to Design and Build This Website The factors the government used to design and build this website are global accessibility, ease of usage, and availability. Due to the need for the government to ensure that the world or every person accesses information in this website, the government made the opportunity accessible in the world wide website (instead of intranet). Through this effort by the government, it is possible for all people all over the world to catch up on what the federal government is doing in terms of procurement opportunities. In addition, the government wanted to ensure that the website is easy to use. Because the government had in mind that all people (minority and majority groups) will be using this website, the website was designed with the information posting page as the homepage to make it easy for people to use the website. The website itself is also a search engine for federal business opportunities with a search boxes at the top of the homepage to ensure that people can reach their destination WebPages with ease. The third factor put in mind when designing this website is availability. The website is hosted on secure and reliable servers. This ensures that chances of being offline are minimal, something that makes this website available and reliable at all times (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. . ). Three Improvements I Predict That Could Be Applied to the FedBizOpps Website There are three improvements I predict that could be applied to the FedBizOpps website in the future. First, the website needs to be highly optimized in search engines. This will enhance easy access by people who are searching for information regarding federal procurement opportunities even if they have no idea about the FedBizOpps website. This is, in fact, a way of marketing that is cost-effective. Secondly, the website should have an application to display the most recent federal business opportunities at the top of the website. These may be designed to be â€Å"mobile† through the use of â€Å"marquee† HTML tags to ensure they catch the eye of the reader, thus ensuring that people who visit the website get information about the most recent opportunities at first sight. Thirdly, a summary of the information about the website should be included in the homepage. This will enhance visitors get a glimpse of the function of the website. For instance, when one accesses the homepage, it is hard to understand the function of the website before viewing a number of WebPages. This may discourage new visitors who do not understand what the website is all about (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ). Three Services Offered By the FedBizOpps Website through the Website Three services offered by the FedBizOpps web site through the website are: government users can post and manage, as well as, award procurement opportunities. This information posted is available for mass readership. On the website, a tab to view opportunities is placed close to the login form making. In addition, information regarding the possibility to view the opportunities without logging in is displayed near the link to motivate visitors to view opportunities. This logged in ensures that the information is easily accessible. However, this may not translate to many views of the opportunities. This may be improved through placing many â€Å"view opportunities† tabs with various classifications such as states, days, type of opportunities and so on. This is a sure way that visitors will be motivated to view only those opportunities that they interested in. In addition, the website offers a platform for vendor and citizens to search, follow-up and retrieve opportunities. Here, one does not need to be logged in to find opportunities making the information available to all. In contrast, the fact that one needs to log in to retrieve opportunities makes it hard for people who cannot register or remember passwords to access this service. Furthermore, the website services as a marketing platform for government approved business opportunities. In this regard, when a business opportunity is posted on this website, it is easy for people to trust it. However, the failure inability of the federal government to allow posting of classifieds makes this service a limited one (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ).

Diabetes Presentation Essay

Learning Team A was tasked to create a 15-20 slide presentation of a major health issue  prevalent in the United States. The group  chose the disease diabetes.  Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body  uses blood glucose. The glucose in your body is  important because it is an important source of  energy for the cells that make up our muscles and  tissues. It is the main source of fuel for our brain. Mellitus- Also known as Type 1 Diabetes, TD1; formerly insulin dependent diabetes or juvenile  diabetes.  Is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing  beta cells in the pancreas. The subsequent lack of  insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose. Polyuria (Frequent Urination) Polydipsia (Increased Thirst) Fatigue Weight Loss Blurred Vision Smell of acetone on the breath Abdominal Pain Nausea Diabetes Mellitus- Also known as  Type 2;formerly noninsulin-dependent diabetes  mellitus (NIDDM),or adult-onset diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus-Is a metabolic disorder that is  characterized by high blood sugar disorder where it  is insulin resistance and relative to the lack of  insulin. Polyuria (Frequent Urination) Vaginal Infections Fatigue Blurred Vision Weight Loss Itchiness Peripheral Neuropathy Glycosuria Gestational  diabetes starts when your body is not  able to make and use all the insulin it needs for  pregnancy. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot  leave the blood and be changed  to energy. Glucose builds up in the blood to high  levels. This is called hyperglycemia. Gestational  diabetes affects the mother in late  pregnancy, after the baby’s body has been formed,  but while the baby is busy growing. untreated or  poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your  baby. When you have gestational diabetes, your  pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the  insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. levels. Although  insulin does not cross the placenta,  glucose and other nutrients do. So extra blood  glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby  high blood glucose levels. This causes the  baby’s pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of  the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more  energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra  energy is stored as fat. This  can lead to macrosomia, or a â€Å"fat†Ã‚  baby. Babies with macrosomia face health problems  of their own, including damage to their shoulders  during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by  the baby’s pancreas, newborns may have very low  blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher  risk for breathing problems. Babies with excess  insulin become children who are at risk  for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2  diabetes. Gestational diabetes  doesn’t cause  noticeable signs or symptoms. Rarely,  gestational diabetes may cause  excessive thirst or increased urination. According to the National Diabetes Education Program these are the risk factors for diabetes: 45 years old or older. Overweight – BMI > 23 for Asian American, 26 for Pacific Islander, or 25 for anyone else.  Have a parent, brother, or sister with the disease. Family background is African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander. I have had diabetes while pregnant (gestational  diabetes) or gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds  or more. Have  been told that blood glucose (blood sugar)  levels are higher than normal. Have high blood pressure. Cholesterol levels are not normal – HDL (â€Å"good†)  cholesterol levels less than 35 or triglyceride level  higher than 250. Fairly inactive, physically active less than 3 times a  week. Have polycystic ovary syndrome (a set of symptoms  related to a hormonal imbalance that occurs in  females of reproductive age). The  skin around the neck or in armpits appears dirty  no matter how much it is scrubbed. The skin  appears dark, thick, and velvety. This is called  acanthosis nigricans. Have been told that have blood vessel problems  affecting the heart, brain, or legs. Set  a weight loss goal – The key to preventing  diabetes is to lose weight by eating healthy foods  that are lower in fat and calories and being  physically active. Set a goal that you can achieve,  they recommend 5 to 10 percent of your current  weight. Make healthy food choices – There are many weight  loss plans to choose from, but the DPP (Diabetes  Prevention Plan) showed that you can prevent or  delay the onset of diabetes by losing weight through  a low-fat, reduced calorie eating plan. Move  more – Try to get at least 30 minutes of  moderate-intensity physical activity five days a  week. If you have not been active, start off slowly,  building up to your goal. Any physical activity that  gets your heart rate up will do; walking, dancing,  swimming, biking, etc. You don’t have to do all 30  minutes at once, doing 10 minute sessions  throughout the day is fine. Diabetes is a endocrine systems disorder but affects all systems of the body: Eyes- Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your eyes. This damage can lead to glaucoma, cataracts, structural changes to your retina, even blindness. When blood vessels are damaged, nerve signals can’t reach your eyes. In addition, having diabetes can lead to a buildup of pressure from fluid, which can compress nerves and other structures in your eye. Having a high level of blood sugar makes your kidneys work harder to filter your blood, and they can become overworked. This can lead to chronic kidney disease and complete failure. Having diabetes can also cause damage to your liver and cause a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This means your liver is having difficulty processing fats. You may develop scar tissue on your liver and a condition called cirrhosis. Too much glucose circulating in the blood can damage any of the nerves in your body. This can lead to numbness, tingling and pain, especially in the legs and feet. If you develop cuts or sores you may not feel them, and they may heal very slowly. You may lose sensation in these areas, and if the damage is severe enough, amputations may be necessary. In  conclusion, diabetes can be potentially deadly  disease, effecting the whole body if left untreated. It  can however be easily managed through diet and  exercise, perhaps even avoided entirely by  practicing healthy eating habits and maintaining  regular exercise throughout life.