Critically evaluate the use of neurofeedback techniques as a mechanism Essay

Critically evaluate the use of neurofeedback techniques as a mechanism for enhancing human performance - Essay Example The report also differentiates neurofeedback from other therapeutic treatments used in training the human brain to regulate various cortical activities of their bodies (LaVaque, 2003). Finally, the report pinpoints the numerous criticisms that have been levelled against the use of neurofeedback technique and sums it up by a short concluding remark. From the outset, LaVaque (2003) attempted to define Neurofeedback by alluding that it is a form of conditioning technique aimed at bringing gradual change to the human mind. Broadly, the technique has been associated with Biofeedback which on one hand is claimed to be fundamentally concerned with improving the inherent communication between the mind and the body (Linden & Moseley, 2006). This claim is further confirmed by the definition arrived at by three professional Biofeedback organizations sometime in 2008 where they noted: â€Å"Biofeedback is a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance. By use of precise instruments to measure physiological activity such as brainwaves, heart function, breathing, muscle activity, and skin temperature, accurate information is rapidly relayed back to the user for eventual implementation†. ... For the foregoing definitions, it becomes critical to address the pertinent issues associated with Neurofeedback techniques. Background Research has variously identified Neurofeedback as a somewhat complicated form of biofeedback that requires sufferers to learn self-regulating certain aspects of their body activities through conditioning. Such distinct parameters of these body activities have been cited by Bladin (2006) as coherence in their mind processes that can be studied using a painless technique namely electroencephalography (EEG). As noted by Nestoriuc et al (2008), Biofeedback has been used in relieving headaches, asthma and blood pressure as well as optimizing performance in elite athletes for close to forty years. The practice has continued to date where Neurofeedback is actively being applied as a therapeutic tool to treat different types of disorders including but not limited to epilepsy, lack of sleep or reduced alertness in children (Norbert, 2007). Further observatio ns by Mark & Barlow (2009) indicate that the advancement in IT has enabled partially incapacitated patients to converse and even show some signs of mobility. Additionally, application of technological prowess has greatly seen Neurofeedback allowing otherwise incapacitated patients learn to normalize physiological processes such as muscle co-ordination, respiration, and blood pressure. This breakthrough is further evidenced by the development of â€Å"Inner Act’s platform for Biofeedback† which is lauded by Cannon et al (2008) as the mostly utilized platform for elite athletes. It is therefore in the interest of this report to mention that most recent researches have focused on the possibility of using healthy individuals as control subjects to prove the efficacy of

Land Desertification in China ( only climatic factor) Essay

Land Desertification in China ( only climatic factor) - Essay Example So China’s arid climate through its consequences of overflows and droughts constitutes a menace to the full-fledged life support of the Chinese and their future generations. In this regard one of the primary concerns is the functioning of the appropriate technologies aiming at recovery of the degraded soils. In the point of the discussed theme there are two key terms, namely: degradation and desertification. Degradation is the steady deterioration of soil characteristics as a habitat of biota, and reduction of its fertility as a result of the influence of natural or anthropogenic factors. Desertification is a process of irreversible changes in soil and vegetation, and reduction of biological productivity, which in extreme cases can lead to the complete destruction of the biospheric potential and turning of the territory into desert. The primary concern of desertification in China is a food crisis, as the issue is the main cause of aggrieving the country’s stores of wheat and rice, which form the basis of China’s agriculture. â€Å"According to a general survey of the country, the total area of †¦ regions vulnerable to desertification has reached †¦ 34.6 percent of the entire territory† (Longjun). In the context of the most grounds intended for sowing of the seeds, the percentage of the lands under desertification is critical. Moreover, it rises with the demographic problem of China or the top-priority challenge for survival of the Chinese. Overpopulation of the country is a well-known issue, and desertification in this respect is extremely hazardous for the great number of people whose needs don’t decrease with the degradation of soils. As for the secondary concern of the issue, it deals with the dwindling water supply as well as groundwater decrement. It goes without question that the consumption of water for China’s agricultural needs, human wants, and for the artificial irrigation of the arid lands substantially wreaks havoc on the

RESTful Web Services as an Alternative to Big Web Services Essay

RESTful Web Services as an Alternative to Big Web Services - Essay Example This paper will critically analyse the RESTful web services and the way these web services differ from Big Web Service techniques. RESTful web services The term ‘representational state transfer’ was coined by Roy Fielding in 2000 in his doctoral research paper. REST can be simply defined as software architecture designed for systems like World Wide Web. â€Å"REST is a particular style of enabling communication based on the principle that all data as well as operations on data are enabled using strictly static URLs based on the HTTP protocol† (Kashyap et al, 2008, p.207). This architectural model has been developed over the recent years as a widely accepted web service design model. REST has a specific set of architectural principles that assists a user to design customized web services focusing on the resources of a system. As Rodriquez (2008) points out, this model’s simplicity has assisted it to displace interface designs based on WSDL and SOAP over the last few years. Even though this software architecture did not gain much attention during its initial stages, today it is being quickly developed to support web based services. The REST architectural design specifically defines six constraints that have been applied to this software architecture. ... Similarly, servers do not focus on user interface so that they can be more scalable and simpler. Stateless The communication between the client and the server is further constrained since client contexts are not saved on the server between service requests. All the essential information required to serve the request will be included in requests by any client. Since the servers can be stateful, they will be more visible for monitoring and more reliable in partial network issues. Cacheable Since clients can store responses, they (responses) must be clearly defined as cacheable or not so to prevent clients from reusing improper data in an attempt to service further requests. Effectively managed caching would eliminate some sorts of interactions between client and the server and contribute to scalability and performance (Bhuvaneswari and Sujatha 2011). Layered system Generally, it is not possible for a client to indicate whether or not it is connected to the end server or an intermediary . Since intermediary servers are able to provide shared caches, and enable load balancing, they can significantly improve system scalability. In addition, such intermediary servers can enforce security policies. Code on demand A client’s functionality can be temporarily extended or customized by servers through transfer of executable code. It is the only optional component of REST software architecture. Compiled components like Java applets and client side scripts like JavaScript are some well known examples (Oracle, n.d). Uniform interface The uniform interface between clients and servers play a notable role in simplifying the architecture. The four guiding principles of uniform interface are â€Å"identification of resources, manipulation of resources through

Comparable Destinations, Different Paths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comparable Destinations, Different Paths - Essay Example The letters also explain why nobody else has been to Utopia. The reason is so ridiculous that it lends believability to the statement--someone had coughed and the exact longitude and latitude had not been heard, but Raphael was being sought to disclose the information. The first book tells of the traveler Raphael Hythlodaeus, to whom More is introduced in Antwerp and also explores the subject of how best to counsel a prince, a popular topic at the time. Plato doubtless did well foresee, unless kings themselves would apply their minds to the study of philosophy, that else they would never thoroughly allow the council of philosophers, being themselves before, even from their tender age, infected and corrupt with perverse and evil opinions (More 8). More tries to persuade Raphael that into the lucrative service of royalty, acting as an advisor to kings or lords. Raphael, however, seems to be saying that his views would not be listened to because such men are too corrupt to understand so pure a study as philosophy. Raphael speaks of Plato, of whom he seems to emulate the thoughts and ideals. The above statement screams of Platonic thought, suggesting that kings must be philosophers as well in order to rule fairly and wisely. More seems to consider it a philosopher's duty to ... While Raphael has chosen to embrace the idea of starting again, the character More desires to fix things as they are. "The difference is only a matter of one syllable," Raphael says as a way to illustrate the short distance from service to servitude (More 7). One syllable indeed. This simple sentence may offer a clue that can answer a question of much debate in regards to More's Utopia. The question is, as a reader, can one accept this imaginary society as a realistic blueprint for a working nation On the other hand, should one assume that More had no intention of his book being taken seriously One could arguably maintain either position. More's Utopia most definitely works if viewed as a satire. By taking into account More's use of these puns, one can deduce that his intention in writing Utopia is to reveal more about the current state of politics in 16th England than it is to offer a model for an ideal society. Support for such an argument can be easily supported by simply looking at the title of the book. The word "Utopia" has two roots. However, depending on which root is chosen, the meaning of the word changes drastically. "Utopia" is a combination of the syllable eu, which can be translated as "good," and the word topos, which means "place." At the same time, if one assumes that the ou prefix is used, which has a negating tone and translates into "no," then suddenly More's "good place" becomes "no place." The difference is only a matter of one syllable. More's hints at absurdity extend beyond simply the use of pun in the title/name of the island, being found in even his description of the island of Utopia. According to the

RESTful Web Services as an Alternative to Big Web Services Essay

RESTful Web Services as an Alternative to Big Web Services - Essay Example This paper will critically analyse the RESTful web services and the way these web services differ from Big Web Service techniques. RESTful web services The term ‘representational state transfer’ was coined by Roy Fielding in 2000 in his doctoral research paper. REST can be simply defined as software architecture designed for systems like World Wide Web. â€Å"REST is a particular style of enabling communication based on the principle that all data as well as operations on data are enabled using strictly static URLs based on the HTTP protocol† (Kashyap et al, 2008, p.207). This architectural model has been developed over the recent years as a widely accepted web service design model. REST has a specific set of architectural principles that assists a user to design customized web services focusing on the resources of a system. As Rodriquez (2008) points out, this model’s simplicity has assisted it to displace interface designs based on WSDL and SOAP over the last few years. Even though this software architecture did not gain much attention during its initial stages, today it is being quickly developed to support web based services. The REST architectural design specifically defines six constraints that have been applied to this software architecture. ... Similarly, servers do not focus on user interface so that they can be more scalable and simpler. Stateless The communication between the client and the server is further constrained since client contexts are not saved on the server between service requests. All the essential information required to serve the request will be included in requests by any client. Since the servers can be stateful, they will be more visible for monitoring and more reliable in partial network issues. Cacheable Since clients can store responses, they (responses) must be clearly defined as cacheable or not so to prevent clients from reusing improper data in an attempt to service further requests. Effectively managed caching would eliminate some sorts of interactions between client and the server and contribute to scalability and performance (Bhuvaneswari and Sujatha 2011). Layered system Generally, it is not possible for a client to indicate whether or not it is connected to the end server or an intermediary . Since intermediary servers are able to provide shared caches, and enable load balancing, they can significantly improve system scalability. In addition, such intermediary servers can enforce security policies. Code on demand A client’s functionality can be temporarily extended or customized by servers through transfer of executable code. It is the only optional component of REST software architecture. Compiled components like Java applets and client side scripts like JavaScript are some well known examples (Oracle, n.d). Uniform interface The uniform interface between clients and servers play a notable role in simplifying the architecture. The four guiding principles of uniform interface are â€Å"identification of resources, manipulation of resources through

Spam Detection and Categorisation & Network Protection using a Lab Report

Spam Detection and Categorisation & Network Protection using a Firewall - Lab Report Example Solutions are implemented by keeping in mind the cost and time constraints for the processing of emails to be filtered. Receiving thousand of emails on the email server situate load and degrading the performance of the email server. The Anti spam system uses combine key method for recognizing the relevant datasets required as per defined rules. The anti spam engine detects the parameters from the email message header, database stores and learns the email parameters just like a switch maintaining a MAC table in its database. The selection of Parameters will depend on the security policy of the organization. The unique identification (UID) or fingerprint will be stored in the database of the anti spam system against each recipient email address. Before delivering the email to the recipient, the spam engine searches for the UID of the email which is received on the organization’s domain, so that the processing time can be minimized. The emails of which UID has already been stored in the database will be delivered to the recipient The spam engine proceeds further and check the sender’s IP address and email address in the outbound recipient’s category, if the criteria have been fulfilled, then the email message will be delivered to the recipient. And if not, the email will be stored in the unknown emails category which can be released after checking whether any new host needs to be added in the safe list. Email size, images parameters can also be defined for providing more restrictions as per IT policy. The Firewall should be deployed in such a way that the traffic, whether it is inbound or outbound should not pass to the organization critical servers without filtration via firewall. The rules defined in the firewall device or server should not conflict with other rules. It is not necessary to be aware of the traffic coming from the internet, but it is necessary to filter inbound traffic

Southwest Airlines Essay Example for Free

Southwest Airlines Essay Background Summary Southwest Airlines based in Dallas was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. It is one of the major domestic airliners which provides carrier and transportation service. This company has 35,499 employees and it runs over 500 Boeing 737 aircraft in 67 cities in the US. Southwest’s principal values are: Providing low-fare and short haul service. Offering the highest quality of customer service. Putting a lot of importance on the fair treatment to its customers. Building friendly relationship between its customers and employees.   Southwest Airlines has achieved a great position in the airline industry by adopting five important strategies. First, using the minor league airports which have helped the company to reduce traffic delays and increase passenger convenience. Second, flying one kind of aircraft has helped it to achieve lower training cost. Third, reducing turn-around time by using point-to-point strategy, has avoided the use of complicated reservation process system. Forth, not offering assigned seating and preferential treatment on frequent fliers, has led the company to have better ticket price. Lastly, emphasis on building good relationship between passengers and attendants has been a well valuable factor. Southwest uses a different kind of reward programs. For instance, the reward for frequent fliers includes free flights according to the number of flights; which means if you fly eight round trips or sixteen one way trips, you will get one free round trip ticket. In addition the company offers free drink coupons, toll-free reservations phone numbers, and credit with a preferred partner, which means if you take fifty round trips in a year, you can designate one person to travel with you for one year. Southwest Airlines main competitors are: Continental Airlines, USAir ways, Delta, United airlines, and American Airlines. As you can see in the table below, the current days have been really challenging for the industry. However Southwest has been able to increase its operating revenues. Southwest decided to go public in 1977 with the ticker symbol LUV. The company gained $11,023 million in 2008, and today its stock price reaches $9.83. Its strategy as an egalitarian company has let the company achieve success. However some frequent passengers have raised some questions about the policy of avoiding preferential treatment for its loyal customers. Major problem The Southwest Airlines major problem is the threat to lose some of its frequent customers. The case illustrates two opposite kinds of frequent passengers: The first one is William Mark, who loves almost everything that Southwest provides such as: the opportunity to come earlier and have a great seat, the absence of meals, and the ticket prices. The other one is Liz Bast, who loves the policy of using minor league airports, but has complaints related to the ways of seat assignment, the rules about upgrading restricted tickets, and she wishes to have preferential treatment, especially because she flies more than 100.000 miles per year. The customers like Liz Bast might be looking for another airliner company. Therefore, Southwest needs to figure out one strategy which helps to avoid this problem. Contributing Factors: The threat to lose some of Southwest’s frequent customers is caused by five factors: Recheck-in baggage: Passengers with connected flight who are going to switch to another airline have to pick up their checked baggage and recheck-in with the next airline. No assigned seats for passengers: Southwest used first-come first-served system in seats assignment, which means people who arrived first will get the better seats. This is an issue because passengers might easily change their preferences and fly with other airlines. For example, Liz Bast is a frequent customer of Southwest Airlines, but because she is always busy she comes late to her flights and the company cannot offer her the seat she wanted. Liz’s problem will be solved if she could book a specific seat and this service is not valid at Southwest Airlines. Rewards count on trips number: there is no credit given to passengers on how many miles they flew, but free flights are offered according to the number of trips taken. Therefore, customers could choose Southwest Airlines for only short flights because the length of flight is not a factor in the company reward system. Restricted fare tickets: Passengers with restricted fare tickets cannot use their tickets if they missed the flight without paying the difference even if they were  frequent customers. This strict policy gives the customers a feeling that the company does not value their business. High competition in the industry: 2001 was so difficult for airlines industry, the Southwest’s competitors might be thinking of attracting its loyal customers for their benefits. Advantages and Disadvantages of Potential Solutions First Solution: Southwest Airlines makes an advertisement campaign, which emphasizes not only its low fare but also high quality customer service. Advantages: It will help increase the company’s image and awareness. If the company construct a good advertisement campaign, it will increase its sales and that will lead to increase the company’s revenue It will be a good communication tool for the company to reach out to its costumers and let them know about the company’s value. Disadvantage: The campaign might increase sales, but it would not give what frequent customers really want. The campaign will be costly and it is possible for Southwest to spend a fortune on it and get a little profit. Second Solution: Southwest changes its policies on seat assignment and ticket restrictions in two ways: By paying $25 extra fee, the customers can choose their seat. For frequent customers, who have flown more than five times per year, there will be no charge on their restricted fare tickets if they miss their flight. Advantage: Using this strategy we think that Southwest might retain costumers who expected to be treated with some priorities or differentiation. Likewise, we consider that with this strategy the company might increase its incomes, and also attract some clients of its competitors. Disadvantage: The company identity will be changed from an egalitarian company to a privilege one. Therefore, this policy might confuse clients about what the  real target is. Recommendation: We suggest the second solution, which is to change the company’s policies on seat assignment and ticket restrictions, for five reasons: First, the main problem will be solved by giving clients, such as Liz Bast, the opportunity to decide their seats with extra fee. In addition, this solution will keep the company’s customers more satisfied and at the same time increasing their loyalty. Second, solution number two will increase the company’s revenues. According to The Wall Street Journal1, by receiving extra fee on assigning seats, Southwest could add seven hundred fifty million dollars ($750.000.000) in its year revenues. Third, if you take a look at first solution, you can see that it will increase the awareness of the company products, offers, and strengthen the company’s image. However, it will bring more costs to the company by spending more money on its advertising campaign Forth, it is a long-term solution. By giving an advantage to the customers who make their reservation earlier, Southwest will strengthen its position among competitors, and the major problem will be solved. Finally, with the second solution, Southwest airlines should focus more on its customers reward system and improve it. Moreover, in a very competitive sector where Southwest operates, it must rely on customer’s loyalty and with such reward system it should attract more customers.