Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition

Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition The effect of background environment on the learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters Abstract Previous researches on human memory found that the context present at learning and testing can have a significant impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better recalled when the same context is reinstated during testing (McGeoch, 1932; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classical background music on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Participants (N=60) were randomly exposed to four different situations over an established period of time while given a sheet consisting of nine Chinese numeric characters to remember. After remembering the list of numbers they were tested on their recall of the numbers either in the same environment they were learnt or in the alternative environment. Using a 22 between-subject designs analysis it was found that recall was better in the matching conditions. Additionally, numbers learned in a quiet conditio n produced more errors during recall in a noisy condition, suggesting that performance is worse when the environmental contexts are mismatched. These results suggest that the effects of background noise on memory retrieval can be eliminated when a dissimilar learning context is reinstated at test. These findings have important implications for educational concerns. Introduction The theory of working memory model considers the mind to have strictly limited attention resources in processing parallel steams of information, and can become overloaded when exposed to excessive amount of information. Early investigations of memory discovered that the context at learning and recall can have an impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better remembered when similar context is reinstated during recall. Accordingly, in this context it has been established by prior studies that external stimuli such as background music would possibly interfere with cognitive processing. Previous researches that have tested recognition memory in an environmental context that is different from the learning context have produced inconsistent results. (Davidson, Powell, 1986; Banburry Berry, 1998) observed that background music enhance task performance on a variety of tasks. However, (Saufley, OtakaBavaresco, 1985; Klatte, Bergstro m Lachmann, 2013) found that students’ exam performance were not significantly better when learning and testing took place in the same environmental context, compare to a different context. This aspect of memory has been known as context-dependent memory (CDM). The CDM has been extended to different context and have received some previous attentions in the literature, including; olfactory stimuli (Pointer Bond, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989), alcohol states (Eich, 1980), and testing environment (Godden Baddeley, 1975), among many other context. Background music has been shown to be another potential context under which CDM seems to occur. In a number of studies changes in context between learning and testing have produced a significant affect during recall,whereas, in other studies this effects has not been shown (GeiselmanGlenny, 1977; Geiselman Bjork, 1980; Russo, Ward, GeurtsScheres, 1999; Smith, Glenberg Bjork, 1978; Smith Vela, 2001; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Smith, 1985; Fernandez Alonso, 2001). Nevertheless while external stimulus (such as music) appears to enhance individuals’ learning, it could be distracting to others. For instance, (Smith, 1985) examined the e ffect of background music on CDM. In which subjects were asked to learn a list of words under one of three background music conditions (Mozart piece, jazz selection or quiet condition). He concluded that participants who were exposed to the same musical context recalled significantly more words during testing. This provides evidence that the idea of background music can serve as an effective retrieval cue for earlier learned material and does produce CDM effects. According to the literature cited above, individuals tend to recall information better when the environmental context matches from encoding to retrieval. This was supportedin a study conducted by (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998). In this study, the participants were instructed to study meaningful information under either noisy or quiet conditions. Then, they were asked multiple-choice and short-answer questions on the previously learned material. A reduction in recall was noticed in participants whose noise level was mismatched during learning and testing compare to those whose noise-level was matched. This suggests if the music played throughoutthe administration of the test and learning is the same, this will improves memory because similar background cues promote memory retrieval. Researches have also demonstrated the effects of background noise on task performance (Hygge, Evans Bullinger, 2002; Ylias and Heaven, 2003), underlining the harmful effects of noise as a distractoron an individual’s performance. Banbury and Berry (1998) found that performance was lower in the presence of background noise (taped office noise) compare to quiet conditions during recall. Also greater disruption was noticed when both learning and recall occurred in the same noisy environment. However, there has also been research contradicting these findings. Avila,Furnham and McClelland (2011) found no significant difference in task performance in the presence background noise. The present study considers the effects of background environment on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Three research questions are addressed. The first question is whether learning context affect recall. The second research question is whether testing context affect recall. And finally, the third research question that was addressed is to see whether there is an interaction between learning contexts and testing context. Also, in line with previous studies (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989; Smith, 1985), it was predicted that there would be an effect of context. It was expected that tasks performed in learn quiet-test quiet conditions would yield better results during recall than tasks performed in learn noisy-test noisy conditions, indicating that the background environment(Classical music) is a distracter to performance. The rationale for these predictions would be that background music could prevent full concentration on memo ry task; this could be because extra information during testing could be distracting to participants. Additionally, percentage error scores were expected to be significantly higher in the quiet-noisy condition during learning and recall, suggesting that background noise contribute to lower performance in memory. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that attention will be drawn to the background music while learning, therefore, leading to poorer recall during testing. Finally, performance was predicted to be significantly higherin no background noise condition. The rationale for these results would be that according to prior studies the presence of background noiseand changed environment during recall could impair performance, potentially through distraction. Method Design The first research question used a 22 between-subjects design to analyse the collected data. This was chosen to determine whether differences exist between different background situations (quiet and noisy) and whether one is more effective than the other. The independent variable was context at learning, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects learning. The second research questions also used a between-subjects design. The independent variable was the context at testing, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects recall at testing. The third research question addresses whether there this a interaction between context at learning and testing. For all the research questions the dependent variable was the number of errors. This was measured by counting the numbers of incorrect answers given by each participant. Participants Sixty participants (22 Males, 38 Females), ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old (M=29, SD=12. 1) participated in the study. The groups were randomly allocated from personal contacts of the researchers. Participants were divided into four groups each assigned to four different conditions. However, it is important to note that any Chinese participants or anyone with a previous knowledge of Chinese language were excluded from the study, due to the nature of the task. Materials (or Measures) The stimuli were the ‘noise’,which was played via Youtube throughout the study for a specific condition. Since classical music may cover a wide range of stylistic variances, the present study used Vivaldi The Four Seasonsthis was chosen as classical music is frequently heard in the radio and thus musical style would be familiar to the participants (VanWeelden, 2012). The test consisted of nine Chinese numeric characters,which were selected for the purpose of the study (appendix). In order to avoid practice destruction sheet (word search) was used, which was randomly selected on the Internet (appendix 7). Procedure The experiment was conducted in a room assigned by the researchers. Participants were given consent forms to fill out at the beginning of the study and were informed of their right to withdraw at any point (appendix 3,4). They were also given an instruction sheet, detailing what they were required to do (appendix 2). The study was an independent-measure design. All sixty participants were assigned to four different conditions. Each condition consisted of 15 participants and depending on their groups they were exposed to either a quiet or a noisy room with classical music being played in the background. Also, depending on the conditions the researchers explained to the participants that music would be played while they were given a sheet with nine Chinese numeric characters to remember the meaning of (appendix 1). The participants were then given five minutes to remember the meaning of each numeric character. Then, in order to redirect participant’s attention and to avoid pract ice subjects were given a distraction task of a word search to complete under three minutes. Then, they were asked to return to their respective room, depending on their conditions (quiet or noisy) and were allowed five minutes to identify the meanings of the same nine Chinese characters on a separate testing sheet presenting with symbols but no meanings (appendix 6). At the end of the experiment participants were debriefed (appendix 5) and instructed in the same verbal and written manner throughout the experiment. Result The analysis conducted a 22 ANOVA with learn (quiet, noisy) and test (quiet, noisy) conditions as between-subject variables were conducted on the percentage error recall. This was done In order to determine whether recall would be higher when the learning and testing context were quiet in comparison to noisy, and whether recall would be better when learning and testing context matched compared to mismatched. The mean and standard deviation for recall scores are reported in table 1. The results of the ANOVA confirmed that as predicted there was a significant main effect of context at learningF(1,56)=6. 287, P=0. 015, such that participants made significantly more errors in a noisycondition than in a quiet condition (M=22. 96 and M=11. 85 respectively). (See graph 1, figure 1). In addition, along with the prediction, there was not a significant main effect of context at test (p>0. 05),noisy condition produced more error compare to quiet condition (M= 21. 48 and M=13. 33 respectively). And finally, There was not a statistically significant interaction effect between learning and testing context, F(1,56)=3. 381, P=0. 071. This means that context at learning had the same effect at both levels of the other IV, context at test. Table 1. Percentage memory recall during quiet and noisy test conditions following quiet and noisy learning conditions. Figure 1: Estimated mean log of errors scores in Chinese numeric character recall task of context at learning. Discussion Our primary goal in this experiment was to examine the effect of background music on learning and recall. It was predicted that the detrimental influence of background music on memory retrieval would be lessened if the learning and retrieval environments matched. The present findings confirmed this prediction. The participants performed worse when the learning and testing context were dissimilar. This is in line with previous studies of impaired memory retrieval following background noise (Dalton Behm, 2007; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). If, however, the learning and testing context were matched, this detrimental effect of stress disappeared. But, in confliction with some studies, the results provide no evidence for an interaction of background music and context effects in memory processes. Participants learned better in learn quiet-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), but did not necessarily recall higher when they were tested in a noisy condition (M=31. 11). Also, participants prod uced more errors in learn noisy-test noisy (M=14. 81) as opposed to learn noisy-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), suggesting that participants performed poorly when the learning and test context were mismatched. This can be supported by many studies (Fernandez Alonso, 2001; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). Although we focused mainly on the manipulation of the environmental (i. e. , external) context, it is important to note that the presence or absence of other stimuli can also be conceptualised as a change in internal context. In this study internal stimulus such as personality trait, emotional state and mood were not assessed during learning and recall. Also, mood, which can be affected by emotions and feelings, can improve or hinder with successful learning model of the engaged individual. Additionally, as mentioned before personality trait could be a factor that needs to be considered. The influence of music on memory performance has also been linked to personality types. A study piloted by Furnham and Bradley (1997) demonstratedthat pop music could be a distracter on the performance of introverts and extraverts. It was proposed that in the presence of music extravert would perform better than introverts. The findings determined that when pop music was played recall was severely le ssened for both introverts and extraverts. Also, it was shown that introverts recalled significantly lower than extraverts in the presence of pop music condition as well as introverts in the silent condition. Overall, introverts seemed to be easily distracted in the presence of background noise. This researchexposed evidence that overall background noise, such as music, TV and background conversation could improve performance in complicated cognitive tasks for extraverts, while it will considerably impair introverts’ task performance (Furnham Bradley, 1997; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). A possible confounding variable in between-subjects designs in this experiment could have been related to individual differences, in which the participants’ characteristic differed one group to another, for instance the participants in one group may be older, smarter, then the participants in another group. This was somehow controlled by giving the exact same information to every participant and treated equally. Also, environmental variables may have affected the findings in which characteristics of the environment differed between groups, for example the groups were tested in different rooms, one group may be tested in a larger room and another group in a smaller room. However, we had no control over assignment of individuals to groups, as the groups were randomly allocated. It is important to note that the Chinese numeric characters where unfamiliar to the participants, these may have affected their recall regardless the condition their were set in, however, this needs to be taken into further consideration. A group of different ages were exposed to one task that had been designed to assess the participants’ ability ton how well they canremember unfamiliar Chinese characters. As Fernandez Alonso (2001) found that older participants recall better when they were tested in the same context, but no effects was shown for the younger participants. However, this had no impact on the direction of the data, but it makes the sample less reliable. In summary, the results of the present experiment indicate that the detrimental effects of background music on memory retrieval can be prevented when the environmental context at learning and testing match. These findings have important implications for educational concerns, to find out whether the negative impact of background music on learning or testing will be reduced if students are tested in the same room/context, instead of in an unfamiliar room. Word count: 2194

Dissertation Sample †Is it Possible to Reduce the Harm Caused by Human Trafficking?

Abstract This paper reviews the practice and extent of human trafficking across the globe in order to assess the harm which is inflicted upon victims. This paper utilises case studies and academic research from the USA and Northern Ireland in order to find that regardless of the activity or the experiences of victims, all experiences psychological trauma. However this paper finds that there is also an informational black hole which can potentially impact upon the treatment of victims following a period in captivity, Introduction The phenomenon of human trafficking has increased as a problematic national international issue in recent years. Both state in non-state actors have attempted to combat this industry, however the focus upon the experiences of harm which victims experiences remains part of a subjective construct. This paper assesses what harm victims experience but in doing so seeks to address the extent and scale of human trafficking as a local and global issue. This paper utilises academic research and state policies from the USA and the Northern Irish Province of the UK in order to make findings in relation to the harm which human trafficking causes. This paper concludes that all victims of human trafficking experience psychological harm regardless of the role which they were expected to undertake. In essence, victims are reduced to being defined as begin vulnerable as a result of their experiences. What is Human Trafficking It is estimated that human trafficking earns criminal syndicates around $32 billion per annum (Haken 2011). The human trafficking networks which exist across the globe impact upon. It is a system that can be evidenced in almost all countries and of people who reside in those states (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), 2011). The natural conclusion to any research on the subject of human trafficking tends to conform to an idea that it concerns the transportation of a large number of vulnerable people from the periphery to the core (UNODC, 2011). A number of centres of gravity have been established where trafficking gangs tend to concentrate their efforts. These areas include, but are not limited to, Western Europe, Dubai and the USA. However, other markets also exist in countries such as India where there is a market in both the internal relocation of victims, in this case predominately children, of trafficking, and externally to the aforementioned locations (Finnegan 20 08). Global approaches to human trafficking are overseen by the United Nations (UN) which defines the practice as being the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation’ (UNODC 2000: n.p.). The UN working definition has been commuted in to the legal frameworks of domestic jurisdictions which, despite being semantically different they are, for all intent purpose, they possess the same underlying meaning as that of the UN’s. In the USA for example, the practice of human trafficking is legally defined as being ‘Trafficking in persons† and â€Å"human trafficking† have been used as umbrella terms for the act of re cruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion’ (US Dept of State, 2014: n.p.). In the UK, In the UK, the racquets which organise human trafficking are defined as being ‘those involved, normally working with others, in continuing serious criminal activities for substantial profit, whether based in the UK or elsewhere† (SOCA, 2013: n.p.). A number of international bodies also are incorporated into the fight against human trafficking. The World Bank, for example, possesses its own definition human trafficking as ‘the abuse of public power for private benefit’ (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2011: 5). Other organisation which are active in the fight against human trafficking includes the International Labour Organisation (2013: n.p.) which supports a perspective that women make up just over half of all trafficked people, with males and children making up the remainder. In essence, the issue and prevalence of human trafficking is considered to be an important issue on global as well as domestic terms and incorporates state and non-state activity (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011: 4). In the USA, the local perspective considers that human trafficking is akin to a form of modern slavery (US Dept of State, 2014: n.p.). Modern Slavery Discourse With human trafficking being considered as akin to modern slavery is a label which is highly relevant to this subject area. Figures regarding trafficking to the USA are wide. For example Baldwin, Eisenman, Sayles, Ryan & Chuang (2011: 1) suggest that eighteen thousand are trafficked there annually, whilst Hughes (2001: 9) presented estimated of over one hundred thousand per annum. In this instance it is arguable that both may be correct. Recent years have seen US border controls and immigration fall within the remit of Homeland Security (Dept for Homeland Security, 2014). In their article, Hepburn and Simon (2010: 1) note that legislative definitions of human trafficking are similar. The reason for this is that all states take their leads from the UN policy. The UN definition, therefore, can be considered as being all encompassing and constitutes a policy which the majority of, if not all, states agree upon. Indeed a number of third party non-governmental organisations also have policies and working definitions in this area. One country of focus for the USA in its fight against human trafficking is Moldova which the USA sees as being a main country of origin for those trafficked to its shores. Additionally the US government argues that ‘women and children (are) trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation to the Balkans; other European countries; and the Middle East’ (Embassy for the United States: Moldova 2013: n.p.). One factor for the discrepancy for the difficulty in calculating the numbers of victims of trafficking is the nature of the activity. Since it incorporates criminal actions which seeks to secrete victims into a host nation, the possibility of creating accurate figures is an extremely challenging task. Indeed this is a reality which the UK government realised when attempting to evaluate the extent of the practice in that country as well as the wider European Union space (HM Parliament, 2009: 9). At this point it is to be noted that there is a clear difference between the transportation of people by illegal or criminal organisations via human trafficking and the international migrant trade. In the latter of these, willing participants pay syndicates to move to another country. Finnegan (2008) notes that human trafficking routinely involves further criminal offences including fraud, deception and coercion, and can result in the employment of people in, for example, forced labour and prostitution. In the vast majority of cases it can be assessed that those victims who are trafficked are aiming to escape from social deprivations, conflict, violence and poverty (Finnegan, 2008). Similarly there tends to be a level of state involvement through corrupt practices by individual state agents (Finnegan 2008). UNODC (2013) argues that trafficking for the purposes of prostitution and sexual exploitation comprises the vast majority of cases. This narrative provides a greater insight into the phenomenon of human trafficking in affected countries however on a personal scale the impact upon the victims can be considered to be more devastating. Harm caused by Human Trafficking It is noted that in the UK, the devolved Northern Irish authority argues that there must be three components for human trafficking to occur. These components are the act, the means and the purpose (Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, 2012).Each of these components must be in place for the offence of human trafficking to be considered as a crime. The referred to act concerns the recruitment of people; the means brings into play coercion, threats or intimidation; whilst the threats or force in order to coerce people whilst the purpose equates to the role being carried out, for example, prostitution, forced labour et al (Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland 2012: 4). Where all three of these elements have been confirmed, the possibility for prosecution is increased. Similarly a support network for victims is initiated. In the USA victims of human trafficking are predominately considered as being an issue for health care providers (Baldwin et al., 2011: 2). This policy is based upon statistical research which argues that over a quarter of all people who have been trafficked are in need of medical care whilst under the control of their captors (Baldwin et al., 2011: 2). These findings have placed the US healthcare system at the forefront of the fight in identifying victims and, by implication, the controlling criminal racquet. However Baldwin et al. (2011: 2) highlight the fact that information regarding the impact of trafficking on victims remains scant and argue that this finding is based upon a lack of data from state organisations such as law enforcement agencies, health care providers and human rights groups. Baldwin et al.( 2011: 1-3) reach this outcome despite the widespread practice which they argue can be found across the USA in over ninety cities and in thirty states. However the scant inf ormation which has been reflected thus far in this paper, in terms of state led assessments and academic research also suggests that the extent of human trafficking remains part of a subjective narrative. The US based National Human Trafficking Response Centre (2014: n.p.) notes the extent of trafficking is almost half of that which was argued by Baldwin et al. (2011) and is also different form that discussed by Coonan (2004). These outcomes impact upon the policy responses to issues related to harm which is experienced by people who have been trafficked, particularly where there are a number of medical or psychological interventions needed to assist victims in recovering from their experiences. The study conducted by Coonan’s (2004) utilised a number of victims of human trafficking, many of whom had originated from Mexico (Coonan, 2005: 208). All, bar one, had been employed in the sex trade with the latter being used for domestic servitude. All of these participants showed symptoms of mental health issues which related to a strong desire for physical security. However it is to be noted that Coonan (2004) failed to question victims on the rationale for this desire. As such, this area too remains part of a subjective concept and represents an inherent weakness in Coonan’s (2004) The need for physical security could potentially relate to a psychological fear of being taken and forced back into the activity which they were previously undertaking, or it could provide evidence of a need for safety from physical beating. Either way the strong desire for physical security is indicative of mental strain and evidence of trauma. As a further failing in Coonan’s ( 2004) paper it is to be noted that he did not discuss the experiences of being caught up in the human trafficking trade. This is a missed opportunity to gain a greater insight into the harm done by experiences. A further study by Hepburn and Simon (2010) provides details of the experiences of victims and, as a result, provides a greater insight into the harm done during time in captivity. Hepburn and Simon (2010: 6) state that women who were trafficked to join the US sex trade had to have sex over six hundred times simply to pay off their debts. Added to this were accommodation and food bills, resulting in a continual captive state. In this particular instance these women had to live in a condemned building, had no choice but to drink contaminated water and trap pigeons in order to eat. As such, in this case, long term physical illness cannot be ruled out. Similarly the exposure to regular sexual activity means that sexually transmitted disease cannot be ruled out (Hepburn and Simon, (2010: 6-7). One area where Hepburn and Simon were successful in their study was to concretise the need for physical security, where here, it can be evidenced that a fear of being recaptured was an overriding factor in the low mental health status of victims. Hepburn and Simon (2010: 8) also highlighted that women had been, in part, exposed to domestic US life, resulting in additional men tal stress and trauma Harm Reduction Programmes The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2009: 9) notes the psychological impact of trafficking upon victims and argues that the experiences of people are akin to a state of Stockholm syndrome. Here, captives are psychologically attacked to their captors and are subsequently mentally aligned to their captors (Graham, (1994: xvi). In essence the experiences of trafficked people is not dissimilar to the psychological experiences of those who have been taken hostage, cult members or long term prisoners of war (Graham, 1994: xvi). This is a factor which the Northern Irish authorities have recognised and people who have been liberated from trafficking are subsequently placed in a secure accommodation setting for six weeks in order that they can reflect upon their experiences whilst in captivity (Public Prosecution Service, 2012: 15). The process also helps victims to come to terms with a number of other areas of their experiences, obtain medical assessments and access the relevant tr eatments. The main overriding factor which affects all people is the psychological issue. This occurs regardless of the role which was undertaken. A further benefit of this approach is that it allows victims to open upon about their experiences and can help law enforcement agencies gather information in order to improve their intelligence assessments of the extent and practices which occur within their jurisdiction. However the overriding factor in the approach which the Northern Irish authorities utilise is based upon recognition that victims are vulnerable. It is this recognition that informs subsequent intervention processes from a plethora of state organisations. In essence, victims in Northern Ireland experience a multi agency response which is highly individualised and may include health specialists, social services, mental health services, law enforcement and immigration services. One further factor to note is that victims in this Province are also granted an immigration one year stay of execution in order that the relevant authorities can oversee their integration back in to civil society prior to being returned to their homeland and families (Public Prosecution Service, 2012: 13-22). Conclusions In conclusion, information regarding the harm caused by human trafficking is still evolving. Where information is available it is evident that all victims experience mental trauma as a result of their experiences. In achieving this finding this paper has assessed the scale and extent of the practice and has considered academic and state led research and practices. The mental harm experienced is indicative of a psychological state which is akin to Stockholm syndrome; as a result victims can be classed as being vulnerable and are in need of individualised levels of care. Knowledge of this outcome has the potential to reduce the harm caused by human trafficking however the evident lack of complete information is hampering the ability of institutions and state agencies to limit the harm done. As an issue of best practice the Northern Irish system can be seen as being the best approach to limiting harm and to promote a successful recovery. Bibliography Baldwin, S., Eisenman, D., Sayles, J., Ryan, G., & Chuang, K., (2011), Identification of Human Trafficking Victims in Health Care Settings, (J), Health and Human Rights, Vol. 13, (1), pp. 1-15. Coonan, T., (2004), Human Trafficking: Victims Voices in Florida, (J), Journal of Social Work Research and Evaluation, Vol. 5, (2), pp. 207 – 218. Dept for Homeland Security, (2014), Fixing Our Broken Immigration System Through Executive Action – Key Facts, (online), available at http://www.dhs.gov/immigration-action?utm_source=hp_feature&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=dhs_hp, (accessed on 01/12/14). Embassy for the United States: Moldova, (2013), US Government Report on Moldova (online), available at http://moldova.usembassy.gov/reports-on-moldova.html, (accessed on 06/12/14), Finnegan, W., (2008), The Counter Traffickers, (online), available at http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/05/05/the-countertraffickers, (accessed on 06/12/14). Graham, D., (1994), Loving to Survive: Sexual Terror, Men’s Violence, and Women’s Lives, New York New York University Press. Haken, J., (2011), Transnational Crime in the Developing World, Washington DC: Global Financial Integrity. HM Parliament, (2009), The Trade in Human Beings: Human Trafficking in the UK, London: HMSO. Hughes, D., M., (2001), The â€Å"Natasha† Trade: Transnational Sex Trafficking. (J), National Institute of Justice Journal, Vol. 246, (1), pp. 9-15 International Labour Organisation, (2013), Quick Facts about Human Trafficking, (online), available at http://www.endhumantraffickingnow.com/quick-facts-about-human-trafficking/, (accessed on 06/12/14). Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (2012) Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Human Trafficking. Belfast: Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland. Serious Organised Crime Agency, (2012), Organised crime groups, (online), available at http://www.soca.gov.uk/threats/organised-crime-groups, (accessed on 06/12/14). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2000), The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and two supplementary protocols: Article 3, (online), available at http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf, (accessed on 06/12/14). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2009), Anti Human Trafficking manual for Criminal Justice Practitioners, New York: United Nations. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2011), The Role of Corruption in Trafficking in Persons. Geneva: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. US Dept of State, (2014), Definitions and methodology, (online), available at http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2013/210543.htm, (accessed on 06/12/14).

Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuel Exploration and...

As the fossil fuels, such as coal, gas, LPG and coal mixed gas and so on, has been used in the modern production process since the industrial revolution happened, the environment effects of fossil fuels’ exploration and extraction is the biggest concerns for public life. To illustrate this, data collected by Marland, Boden, Andres, Brenkert and Johnston (2003) points out that the fossil fuels industry has caused the release of approximately 337 billion metric tons of carbon to atmosphere since 1751, and the greenhouse gases’ accumulation caused by the industry can increase the risk of heat waves, droughts, malnutrition and other disasters (Haines, Kovats, Campbell-Lendrum and Corvalà ¡n, 2006), leading to social panic and complaints. Fossil†¦show more content†¦Also, data collected by Moffatt and Pless-Mulloli (2003) indicates that 19 of the 31 families surveyed, from four communities near opencast coal mine in the North-East of England, had children who had b een suffered from asthma, which shows that solid particles in air has a negative effect on human’s health conditions. Hence, it could be concluded that air pollution during the process of fossil fuels’ exploration and extraction effects badly on climate change and public health. Land subsidence is another negative effect of fossil fuels’ exploration and extraction. In this essay, land subsidence could be explained as a phenomenon that the surface of earth sinks due to the resource exploration and extraction. According to Shi, Jiang, Li and Yang (2013), the original balance in embracing rock is destroyed during the coal extraction process, and the collapse area will be formed if the stress surpasses the intensity of rock. 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It is majorly dependent on key factors such as the customer needs, state of economies and the environmental changes in the country. The increasing customer needs has had a major role in the prediction of future trends in the oil and gas industry in Venezuela. Globally the customer demand influences the world peak oil; this refers to when the rate ofRead MoreFossil Fuels Are An Important Part Of The World1947 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Fossil fuels are an extremely important part of the world we live in today. We often take for granted being able to constantly have privileges because of the use of fossil fuels. Most people do not generally think about the fossil fuels that they use, when they turn on a light and have electricity or when they are driving and are getting from place to place because of the gas in their tanks. 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Prostate Cancer And The American Cancer Society - 1529 Words

Each year approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (Eggener, Cifu, Nabhan, 2015). In 2015, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer related cause of death among United States men (Eggener, et. al., 2015). While the majority of prostate cancers are slow growing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98%, statistics show that when prostate cancer is identified as metastatic, the 5-year survival rate dramatically drops down to 20-25% (Eggener, et. al., 2015). According to these numbers alone, it appears screening for prostate cancer would be a well-accepted practice. However, current methods of screening for this cancer are controversial and has lead organizations like the U.S Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to different guidelines for screening. Organizations are not the only ones at odds with current screening methods. Depending on which organization a physician prefers to follow, a patient may be told to have PSA screening by one physician and be advised to avoid PSA screening by another physician. There are several different factors why this screening is controversial. The most important is the sensitivity and specificity of PSA screening. Research has shown that PSA screening presents with an unusually high amount of false positive results (U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, 2012). This raises some concerns whether the benefit of screening outweighs the possibility of overShow MoreRelatedFactors That Affect The World For Prostate Cancer1307 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, African American men are a staggering 1.6 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men and and overwhelming 2.4 times more likely to die from prostate cancer compared to caucasian men. As od d as it might sound, African American men living in the United States have the highest risk factor in the world for prostate cancer. African American men living in the United States are a whopping 60 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men livingRead MoreThe Common Types Of Disease1744 Words   |  7 Pagesblood profiles were normal except for prostate specific antigen (PSA) level of 10ng/ml, which significantly above normal for a man of 62 years (which is 4ng/ml). This increased PSA level is indicative of three conditions, prostate cancer, prostatitis and an enlarged prostate (James Catto, 2009). Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland; it may present as a slow growing non-life threatening cancer, or as a fast growing metastasising life threatening cancer. Problems urinating are usually theRead MoreProstate Cancer and PSA Testing Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer affecting men and the second leading cause of cancer death among American men (Qaseem, Denberg, Owens, Shekelle, 2013). Medical professionals have been using prostate specific antigen (PSA) screenings along with digital rectal exam (DRE) for many years to screen for prostate cancer. PSA was first identified in 1966 in semen, followed by the identification of PSA in blood in 1979. The PSA test has been approved for use since 1994 to detectRead MoreProstate Cancer : The Diagnosis Process, And Possible Treatment Options For The Disease1714 Words   |  7 Pagescarcinoma, or prostate cancer, in their lifetime (American Cancer Society, 2015). This scary statistic proves just how serious prostate cancer is. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 180,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Of the 180,000, 32,000 result in death from the disease each year (American Cancer Society, 2015). This paper will explore what prostate cancer is, the diagnosis process, and possible treatment options for the disease. Cancer of theRead MoreProstate Cancer Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesProstate Cancer The prostate gland is an egg-sized organ that rings the male urethra. The secretions of the prostate give nutrients to the semen. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in men. (Ernstoff,Heaney,Peschel,1998,pviii) Like all cancers, prostate cancer is an uncontrolled cell production in a particular organ or area of the body. In the case of prostate cancer, these cells begin to split impulsively in the prostate andRead MoreIn Breast Cancer, The Estrogen-Estrogen Receptor Complex1430 Words   |  6 PagesIn breast cancer, the estrogen-estrogen receptor complex cause cell proliferation (Frank, 2013). Hormone therapies can target the effects of hormones in two ways: 1) by stopping the production of estrogen and testosterone, reducing their levels, and 2) by binding to the hormone receptor and blocking the hormone from binding (Frank, 2013). In breast cancer, drugs such as Lupron â€Å"prevent the ovaries from making estroge n by blocking cues from the brain that regulate the ovaries† (Frank, 2013). In prostateRead MoreRenal Cell Carcinoma Of The Kidney Essay1091 Words   |  5 PagesThe most common genitourinary cancers are, renal cell carcinoma of the kidney, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, and adenocarcinoma of the prostat. 1- Renal cell carcinoma, the most common cancer of the kidney, accounts for approximately 90% of all renal malignancies. About 65,000 cases of renal cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Despite advances in diagnosis, especially improved imaging techniques and the incidental diagnosis of many tumors with imaging tests for unrelatedRead MoreCancer : A Type Of Disease1203 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Paper: Cancer Cancer, is a type of disease that involves abnormal cell growth and has the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Not all tumors are cancerous, there is one type that is not cancerous; benign tumors (which do not spread to other parts of the body). Possible signs and symptoms include: a distinct lump, a lengthened cough, irregular bleeding, unexplained weight loss, a difference in bowel movements, and many others. While these symptoms may cause cancer, they mayRead MoreProstate Cancer1239 Words   |  5 PagesA prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system found below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer is cancer that forms in tissue in that gland, it usually occurs in older men. Cancer comes in forms of tumors, which is an abnormal growth of cells. Malignant tumors are the cancerous tumors of the two different types of tumors. Can cause pain and interfere with normal function, but they can also cause other systems in the body to act ab normally. Malignant tumors can invade nearbyRead MoreProstate Cancer : The Most Prevalent Nonskin Cancer1659 Words   |  7 PagesProstate cancer is the most prevalent nonskin cancer among men in the United States and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. While prostate cancer is most regularly diagnosed in men at the age of 65 years and older, the occurrence can begin at 50. One in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. As researchers explore this form of cancer; men also need to know it’s essential to understand early prostate cancer is treatable. By these patients exploring these