Policing Case Study

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Management of Police department Essay
It is challenging to manage dynamics of people in an organization. However, by use of ideal management measures, it is possible to maintain a standard form of success. One such challenging issue is management of gender in an organization. That is, strict adherence to gender parity rules in organization may discourage optimum input from employees.

In some instances, managers are required to implement a requirement of not more than two-third of one gender when employing and implementing promotional opportunities.

This essentially locks out experienced and hardworking members who are compromised to make the rule work. This paper explores a case of police department in mid- western Canada that is suffering from numerous problems emanating from certain initiatives. One such problem is frustration of police officers.

The situation: Employment Equity Initiative
On the overall, police department has been prompted to implement management measures that have been caused by budgetary constraints. The department has been forced to cut down major costs, significantly reduce employment levels of officers, intense monitoring of overtimes and tight controls on working hours.

These problems have not only affected the level of performance in the officers, but also brought in some disquiets in the officers. The anxiety brought in some resistances and degrees of uncertainty.

The employment equity initiative was brought in by the Division Commander as a result of complaints emanating from female officers. The disquiet nature in these officers was that there were some favoritisms and one-sided preferences, especially on male officers.

This concerned the selection process for the specialized positions, an issue that was prompted by the overall emergency management measures due to budgetary constrains. While it was expected that the measure would bring leverage in the selection process, it became a frustrating issue for others.

Employment equity- theory, model and concept
Employment equity is a theory, a model and a concept, and therefore in the analysis of the problem, it would be put into the three categories. Employment equity is a theory on its own; however, it falls under the overall equity theory (Williams, Vibert & Kondra, 2007).

It is an attempt to put fairness in employment opportunities and rules on the premise that people consider fairness in the organization as a most important aspect of motivation. The situation in the police department is more of affirmative action rather than equity in employment. It was a drastic measure to ease tension in the female officers rather than applying equity for all.

Employment equity is also a model, where, it comes as a series of planned action. According to Chowdhury (2002), it is a model for social economic progress and changes especially in relation to the sidelined persons. It is not supposed to be taken drastically; rather, it should be organized and planned well.

In the case study, this was introduced as an emergent measure to make female officers feel recognized rather than a measure to enhance equity in the organization. It was not planned and organized well to ensure it satisfies everyone hence causing frustration in the experienced men and women.

Employment equity is also a concept with an original goal of taking out barriers to some people like women, disabled, aboriginal and the minorities. In Canada, it is a legal concept that is meant to give the mentioned people a chance to participate in employment.

In the police department in the case study, this concept was not being utilized, and had become almost like a culture that experience was a major factor in employment. However, with the disquiet in women, it was implemented drastically leaving the experienced officers frustrated.

It can be recognized that haphazard implementation of this can result to frustrations of persons who may feel that the process is not fair or favors some people only.

Causes
The policy, Employment equity initiative, is identified in the case study as a problem. However, the real problems lay in the far reaching effects of its implementation, and one of these problems being frustration of the experienced male and female officers in the department.

The discussion below looks at the causes of the subsequent problem of the implementation of the program under environmental, cultural, organizational and planning factors.

The environment
All forms of management should have value additions and incorporation of new kind of management manifestos brought by the new millennium (Chowdhury, 2002). Critical to this value addition is the management of organizational environment and the general ecology.

While ecology has been argued to be a major requirement of management, the general organizational working environment is very critical. For example, the internal organizational environment affecting the employees could be the type of managers and their styles of leadership.

The external form of organizational management could institutions that directly or indirectly influence leadership of the police department.

The environment causing frustration in the male and female experienced officers is the already existing disquiet. The tense environment confirmed this perceived bias in the selection process, and could only result to frustrations.

A usual expectation in the selection process is that experience would be a major criterion. However, with the gender parity rule, it is possible to leave out experienced males so as to fit in some females who may not be experienced.

Chowdhury (2002) observes that the applicable theory in this initiative is the employment equity theory. However, the idea has been termed as hypocritical in the sense that it has been seen to favor women regardless of their qualification.

It is possible for affected parties to rise against such kind of an incentive since it is one sided. With the introduction of the incentive, the general environment is that qualification and experience is no longer a prerequisite in determining the nature of selection process.

The concept is largely in what has come to be known as feminist economics (Chowdhury, 2002). This is where females are assisted to move up economically and in the end trample on existing factors such as hard work of men.

Culture
Culture comes with different definitions; for example, there are the beliefs that are held by people forming culture, gender attributions and an organization culture that defines how people in the organization conduct themselves.

As pertaining the case study of the police department in mid-western Canada, both the organizational culture and gender attributions are applicable. For the case study, the kind of culture that influences these frustrations is the social cultural elements, where, a notion of inferiority of the females can ruin understandings.

The social cultural element encompasses the beliefs, the attitudes, the norms, values, associated demographic patterns and behaviors (Williams, Vibert & Kondra, 2007). The beliefs that a man should be considered at all cost and values that experience should always rule may have brought in the disquiets in these officers.

As pertains to Canadian law, the employment equity concept is applied to increase chances of representation in four designated persons namely disabled, women, aboriginal and visible minorities (Williams, Vibert & Kondra, 2007). It is an essential component of management of employees.

This has become like a culture in the country; however, this kind of culture has been entrenched in the minds of people especially the mentioned persons to an extent of disregarding those who are not mentioned. For example, men who have worked hard to perform in their organizations are affected when it comes to this rule.

They may not be promoted on the basis that women, the disabled, aboriginal people and the minorities are given a chance. In this police department, implementing this style of leadership in the selection process would affect majorly the experienced. It is a bad culture if it is implemented without proper guidelines.

The concept of employment equity has been equated to the necessity of culture change which is key to development (Williams, Vibert & Kondra, 2007).

For a police department such as that in mid-western Canada, it is possible that this culture started to take effect long time ago with women trying to go up the ladder. However, the way it is implemented in this initiative is what is bringing the disquiet. In this police force, it is a culture that is likely to destroy than bring the necessary change.

Organizing
Organizing is critical to effective management of any organization. For a police department such as that in mid-western Canada, it is crucial to put everything in order. All management issues such as cost cutting measures should be planned and made known well to the officers.

In this particular case, the implementation of employment equity initiative was implemented haphazardly. That is why some female officers of questionable calibers are promoted at the expense of experienced officers in the department.

It can therefore be noted that it is poor organizing of issues that has led to the disquiet in the police force resulting to some resistance of sort. This could have been the major cause, where, there were no consultations with relevant parties when implementing a management issue.

The employment equity concept cannot be compared with other human rights ideas. This concept ought to involve a lot of organizing rather than just implementing for the sake of it. It is this little or poor organizing that is making the experienced men and women feel that it is done in a most unfair manner.

Perhaps, there should have been planning and probable training for all to select those who can make it instead of choosing female officers who are not trained and experienced. There are recommended steps to organizing a decision. These are; establish the necessary prerequisite in implementing the idea, ensure there are synergistic interactions, allocate resources or ideas well and improve on incentives (Chowdhury, 2002).

Planning
Just like organizing, planning is very critical to organizational or departmental management. For a police force, planning may involve putting necessary measures well in advance. The gender parity rule should not be implemented all at once. In addition, when putting measures or before implementation, there should be consultation with relevant persons especially the ones that are involved.

Since the female officers were complaining of favoritism, an evaluation should have been done to ascertain the claims before taking such a drastic step. The program should not have been implemented without involving everyone in the department; more so, the members who had stayed in the force and the department for long.

Therefore, it can be recognized that lack of planning was a major cause of frustration in the experienced male and female officers after haphazard implementation of the employment equity incentive.

The concept of employment equity is not necessary an affirmative action. According to Chowdhury (2002), affirmative action is more female oriented or looks at empowering women. On the other hand, employment equity is for all who are sidelined and for the Canadian law, the sidelined fall under four major categories.

These are the aboriginal people, visible minorities, women and the disabled. Here then, lack of planning resulted to just concentrating on women without clear knowledge that the action is not for women alone. Planning remains essential in any kind of ‘affirmative action’ and where possible, considerate amount of time should be allocated to consult all affected people.

Conclusion
Planning is critical and should not be overruled however emergent an issue is. Hence, the case in mid-western Canada police department is that an employment equity initiative is implemented to cool down women who were disquiet about their representation.

However, it was done without involving all affected persons therefore resulting into some problems during the selection process. Some experienced officers had been sidelined to make the program take effect, and the aftermath of it is frustration.

The root cause is not the initiative, but the method in which this program was implemented. This paper has divided this root cause into four, namely the environment, culture, organizing and planning.

References
Chowdhury, S. (2002). Management 21C. London: Financial Times Prentice Hall publisher.

Williams, C., Vibert, C. & Kondra, A. (2007) Management 2nd Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson Education Limited.

IT Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Essay
Many modern researchers, scientists, and anthropologists dub the 21st century as the age of information technology. The latest advances in electronics, cybernetics, and the Internet enabled a world of information at the user’s fingertips. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Virtual Reality (VR) furthers the potential for integration between humans and machines (Lombardo, n.d.). At the same time, computer sciences have benefitted from these advances as well, creating machines that can assist or even replace humans in many aspects of their labor. Although human intelligence is still necessary to perform complex tasks that involve abstract tasks, intuition, social skills, and decision-making, Artificial Intelligence (AI) shows much potential for improvement.

The future promises greater integration between human minds and artificial enhancements, which would allow to analyze and process information at much greater speeds. At the same time, greater artificial intelligence provides opportunities for businesses, homeowners, hospitals, and the military (Frankish & Ramsey, 2014). However, these advances also come with inherent risks related to the nature of AI and information technology. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits, risks, and ethical concerns of developing intelligent machines and robots.

Benefits of AI, IoT, and Information Technology in Industry and Decision-Making
As it was already proven by the realities of modern businesses, the speed of information processing and analysis is very important in decision-making. The business landscape is changing quickly, meaning that managers require as much information as possible in order to make correct decisions (Lee & Lee, 2015). There are two limitations to this idea, however. The first limitation is the speed of information transfer, which, thanks to the advances in information technology, is becoming faster and faster. The second limitation, however, is more fundamental – human brain can only process so much information at the same time. Advances in information technology and the AI would have to remove the biological barriers of the machine-human interface. It is possible that, in the future, machines would be able to read the information from our minds directly, and for AI to undertake some of the menial decision-making functions, which would further enhance the fluidity and responsiveness of management systems and production processes (Russell & Norvig, 2016).

Risks Associated with the Widespread Use of AI, IoT, and Information Technology
Globalized economy and information technology are built around the concepts of erased borders, ease of access to information, and intractability of systems. These trends are likely to become even more dominant in the future. However, information technology and AI possess several inherent risks to themselves. The greatest risk revolves around the concept of security. Even this early into the 21st century, information technology has already proven to be a major challenge for the global security.

Some of the examples of risks associated with technology include malfunctions and hacking attempts, which could have a massive impact on enterprises and economies. The most recent examples include viral attacks on various industries and banks using malware programs like Petya and WannaCry. The alleged hacking attempt of the Democratic Party’s private emails during the US presidential campaign of 2016 is another famous example. The expansion of information technology networks and further integration between humans and machines could open new venues for hackers and greatly expand their influence and potential for damage. Another risk related to AI and information technology involves the level of confidence in capabilities of artificial intelligence in making accurate decisions in complex situations (Frankish & Ramsey, 2014). Humanity is still a long way away from teaching AI how to act in environments where intuition and the capability to make decisions based on insufficient information are required.

Ethical Concerns Associated with Advances in AI and Information Technology
There are many ethical concerns revolving around advances in AI and information technology. They differ one from another based on the issues and moral backgrounds behind them. This paper will cover some of the most prevalent ones. Based on the body of information available in open access, some of the most pressing identifiable ethical concerns are as follows (Frankish & Ramsey, 2014):

Privacy concerns regarding information technology and the IoT.
Ethical concerns regarding machines replacing humans at work, generating potential job crises and poverty.
Ethical concerns regarding the exploitation of sentient machines.
Concerns regarding sentient machines being capable of understanding and utilizing human ethics in their work.
Privacy concerns are some of the greatest obstacles for IoT and the idea of interconnectedness of items and appliances. There are risks of personal customer data being used for unsavory and unethical purposes (Lee & Lee, 2015). Some of the latest examples involve unethical and unauthorized data collection by social media, search engines, and governmental agencies with the purpose of using that information for commercial, criminal, and political reasons (Lombardo, n.d.).

The idea of mechanization and automation causing civil unrest is not new. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the introduction of engines and production plants resulted in thousands of workers and craftsmen ending up without jobs.1 Advancements in IT and AI have the potential of further decreasing the number of jobs available to humans, with disastrous social results (Frankish & Ramsey, 2014). The ethical dilemma would be in choosing between social stability and progress.

The third ethical issue revolves around exploitation of sentient machines. Sentience is defined by three criteria: Intelligence, self-awareness, and consciousness.2 As AI is taken into the direction of neural networks, it is possible for AI to achieve all three criteria necessary for sentience (Russell & Norvig, 2016). Such an occasion would invariably raise ethical questions of machines having rights and the humanity effectively exploiting what would be called a new sentient species.

The last issue revolves around the limitations of machines to understand and correctly implement human ethics in decision-making processes. As it is impossible to predict and program answers for all morally ambiguous situations that advanced AI would encounter in the course of its duties, there is a necessity for an ethical framework for them (Frankish & Ramsey, 2014). However, making an ethical decision requires not only the capability for data analysis interpretation but also a degree of empathy, which is unlikely for a machine to possess. This begets the question about how much authority and responsibility could be delegated to an AI.

Conclusions
Advancements in IT and AI have the potential of greatly improving the lives of every human being on the planet by offering greater and faster access to information, enhanced processing power, and delegation of tasks to intelligent machines and computers. However, these advances invariantly raise questions regarding personal safety and data security. In addition, there are numerous ethical dilemmas revolving around making AI too intelligent and human-like. Finding answers to these questions promises to be as much of a challenge as advancing IT and AI beyond their current limitations.

References
Frankish, K., & Ramsey, W. M. (Eds.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of artificial intelligence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Lee, I., & Lee, K. (2015). The Internet of Things (IoT): Applications, investments, and challenges for enterprises. Business Horizons, 58(4), 431-440.

Lombardo, T. (n.d.). Information technology and artificial intelligence. Web.

Russell, S. J., & Norvig, P. (2016). Artificial intelligence: A modern approach. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Pearson.

Footnotes
This sentence refers to the events that led to the rise of Luddites – a radical group of textile workers that destroyed machinery that replaced their roles in the industry.
Although certain criteria differ from one research to another, it has been a general conception that capacity for emotion is not a core criteria for sentience.

IT Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Information Technology in People’s lives Rhetorical Essay
The 20th century saw the emergence of the Information Age. Beginning in the late 1980s information technology (IT) began to dominate the lives of people, especially those in the Western world. This was made possible by two major technological breakthroughs: the invention of the personal computer and the creation of the Internet or World-Wide-Web.

These two distinct yet related technologies were combined to create a powerful network of computers that enabled the high-speed sharing of information and ideas. It did not take long before people began to utilize it for information dissemination, business, and social networking. There are a lot of positive things that resulted from the use of IT.

On the other hand unscrupulous men and women also used the same to make dishonest gain, torment others, and to commit crimes beyond the limitations of geographical borders. It is therefore imperative to develop an international coalition that would establish common laws and ethical standards to govern the use of IT, especially when it comes to the World-Wide-Web.

Background
One of the most amazing consequences of information technology is the ability to communicate over long distances. Although long-distance telecommunication was common even before World War II, it was only during the advent of IT when people can communicate to somebody living in another continent and do so without having to spend a great deal of money. As a result websites and other IT applications were developed at a frenetic pace as businessmen and private individuals discovered how IT can enhance their lives.

The proliferation of websites coupled with the increase in computer literacy ushered in the Information Age. At the same time globalization became more evident. It is true that international relations were a reality for centuries.

Nevertheless, the realization that nations were interconnected and that human beings were citizens in one global village was only apparent to national leaders and not to the common people. In the past, two people living in two different countries can establish a relationship only through letters and telegrams.

The process was terribly slow; it is possible that messages can only reach the intended recipient after many weeks. But with the Internet, globalization was a concept readily understood by the average person and not just international businesspeople. The following definition explains why IT fast-tracked globalization:

The World-Wide-Web is an infrastructure of information distributed among thousands of computers across the world and the software by which that information is accessed. The Web relies on underlying networks, especially the Internet, as the vehicle to exchange the information among users. (Dale & Lewis, 2010)

With the proliferation of websites and the sudden surge in computer literacy the planet began to experience globalization in a scale never before seen. There were international relations centuries before the Internet but it was limited to diplomatic relations between two heads of state. The creation of software and hardware that enabled the use of emails and instant messaging allowed users from different nations to connect and forge relationships both in the personal and professional levels.

The Social Impact
Information technology can be used for good or evil. It has nothing to do with technology because the abuse of IT tools and applications is linked to human nature. There are those who cannot resist the power that IT can give them when it comes to committing crime with the minimal chance of being caught.

The Internet paved the way for the establishment of a communication system that is cost-efficient and highly reliable. However, there are ill-minded people that were given access to a powerful tool that would allow them to access personal information, financial records, and business records without being physically present in the targeted home or business establishment. They can do all their illegal activities miles away or even outside the country.

This new phenomenon is made more difficult by the fact that cybercrime can be done beyond the borders of the UK. In a BBC News online commentary, experts are saying that foreign websites could not be prosecuted by British laws (BBC News, p.1). This has prompted many to be more vigilant and to prosecute with the full force of the law any British citizen found guilty of violating standards and statutes with regards to the use of the Internet.

According to experts, “Cybercrime is one of the terms used to denote the use of computer technology to engage in unlawful activity. Computer crime, high-tech crime and information-age crime are also used to describe this phenomenon.

Most of the cybercrime we have seen so far is nothing more than the migration of real-world crimes into cyberspace” (Jewkes, p.14). As a result the Internet has become a favourite tool for a new breed of criminals that can even reside as far as Eastern Europe or Nigeria and yet produce the same amount of damage.

These criminals now have access to elaborate schemes that they can use to commit identity theft, embezzlement of funds, and extortion. Aside from stealing money, cybercrime is also about putting a new spin into ancient crimes such as child pornography, human trafficking, blackmail etc. Consider the following commentary:

Another instance of globalisation at work is the relatively recent arrival of a complex network of world linked through the Internet that caters to child pornographers and paedophiles. By most accounts this is widespread, much condemned but quite hard to regulate, and it has generated extensive public talk about it as a problem in much of the Western Media (Carrabine et al, p.164).

In addition, cybercrime can also be associated with the destruction of personal property. In the Information Age, this can mean deletion and corruption of valuable data found in personal computers and computer database. Thus, the creation of computer viruses, worms, and other types of malicious computer code can be designated as cybercrime if used to cause harm to the livelihood and personal life of another human being.

Cybercrime
Aside from the information dissemination aspect of cybercrime, the Internet can be used to facilitate illegal activities such as the sale of drugs, weapons, and harmful chemicals. These activities can be labelled as transnational crimes or illegal activities committed by international syndicates – led by people who have no respect over international boundaries. It is therefore imperative to create some form of a coalition composed of different nations in order to bring cybercriminals to justice.

Something has to be done to regulate the Internet. This is of course easier said than done. However, cybercriminals must not have the impression that they can do anything that they want to do without reaping the consequences of their actions. This can be achieved by the creation of tough laws and the existence of an executive arm to demonstrate that regulators and law enforcement agencies have the power to pursue violators.

It must begin with the realisation that law enforcement agencies are dealing with a different type of criminal. Cybercriminals are adept in creating virtual identities and the capability to be mobile. Information technology has grown to such an extent that computers can be miniaturised and yet possesses the same computing power; so much so that a person inside a vehicle can still perform illegal transactions over the Web. It is impossible to prosecute a phantom.

Mitigating Forces
As of the present there are still no specific laws that gives power to law enforcement officials in UK to apprehend those who build and profit scandalous websites and those that demonstrates a clear bending of the rules. This is probably due to the fact that ethical standards are subject to interpretation.

But even those that are guilty of clear violations can easily evade capture and prosecution. The explanation is simple; in the UK there are no laws that call for a more stringent regulation of the Internet (Bidgoli, p.5). This was highlighted when many called for more drastic actions when it comes to paedophilia as well as other hard core pornographic content on British websites.

Nevertheless, there were minor developments in this regard. According to experts “In the United Kingdom concern over Internet content has not led to specific legislation or licensing controls. However, it has led to the establishment in September 1996 of the Internet Watch Foundation or IWF (Price & Verhulst, p. 70). This is the step in the right direction.

The UK government must take the lead in creating an international body that would be instrumental in reducing the incidence of cybercrimes. But a more practical approach is to begin the process in the local front. The UK government must not only develop laws that would deal with this issue; it must also involve all the stakeholders and all those who are affected by the rise of cybercrimes in the UK.

The government must not only work with individuals but also companies that form the backbone of the IT industry in this country. For instance this government must work closely with Internet Service Providers. At the same time the opposition to cybercrime must be initiated in the grassroots levels to include the participation of parents, teenagers, teachers, and local community leaders.

Conclusion
Information technology has transformed the way people live. It is now an integral part of how people communicate and conduct their day-to-day business transactions. However, there are those who are using the same technology for illegal purposes. These violators are committing crimes with impunity because they have the power to steal and peddle illegal items far away from the intended target. In most cases local governments do not have the capability to apprehend and prosecute.

But cybercriminals and other unscrupulous people who exploit the Internet may soon come face-to-face with an international agency intent on regulating the World-Wide-Web and bringing to justice those found to have disregard ethics and shamelessly flaunted their capability to destroy the lives of people. The local government in UK must take the lead and in the process show the world that a coalition can be formed safeguarding the common interest of law-abiding citizens all over the world.

Works Cited
BBC News. Do Violent Net Porn Laws Go Far Enough? 2007. BBC.co.uk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4196864.stm. 25 July 2011.

Bidgoli, H. The Internet Encyclopedia. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.

Carrabine, E. et al. Criminology a Sociological Introduction. London: Routledge, 2004.

Dale, N. & J. Lewis. Computer Science Illuminated. MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2010.

Jewkes, Y. Crime Online: Commiting, Policing and Regulating. OR: William Publishing, 2007.

Price, M. & Verhulst, S. Charting the Course of Self-Regulation on the Internet in a Global Environment. In C.T. Marsden (Ed.) Regulating the Global Information Society. London: Routledge, 2000.

IT Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Researching Into Information Technology and Its Impacts on Society Essay
Abstract
Smart Mobile devices have become very popular both in the social and business world. This paper seeks to discuss the effect of these devices among people in the social as well as the business settings. There will be in-depth discussion on the devices’ effects of people’s lives at work, private social life, in government and education.

Introduction
Since the industrial revolution, technology has been characterised by stativity, well apart from a few applications like the wheel, the train, the automobile and the airplane. Given the bulk of the equipment used in the above-mentioned inventions, stativity was not much of a choice.

Telecommunication gadgets like the Morse code and the telephone were grounded as well and their sizes and modes of operation did little to enable much movement. Two centuries later, technology experts are of the opinion that mobility displayed by telecommunication gadgets today is likely to get out of hand and possibly impact negatively on human life. Of particular importance to this discussion are the developments characterising the information and communications technology sector.

The last two decades have experienced some of the most effective ICT inventions in human history. The technology boom of the last decade of the 20th century provided the platform for the development of mobile technology that today has changed the ways of communication (Gallagher 2005, et al, p. 67). Technology nowadays is so mobile that business and individuals who fail to adapt to it risk being left behind, literary. Nothing in the 21st century captures the very spirit technological mobility as the mobile phone does.

The smart phone stands out nowadays as the epitome of synchronisation and mobility of technology. While its benefits cannot be overstated, there is genuine concern that the overall, especially adverse effects of this very technology have been grossly overlooked.

Which therefore begs the question; will the ever-increasing number of smart mobile devices (i-Phones etc) impact on the way we conduct our lives (work and private)? The answer to the above question is to the affirmative. The specifics of the answer will therefore form the main content of this discussion.

This paper will address the particular impacts on both work and private lives of human beings of smart mobile devices. It’s important to note that the impacts that will be discussed will touch on both the negative and positive sides of smart mobile devices. Besides, the above, there will also be a discussion on how smart mobile technology impacts education as well as government.

In this paper, the words; business and work will be used interchangeably but will have similar meaning in the same context. Also, the words; smart phones and smart mobile devices will be used interchangeably.

Before the analysis is carried out however, it’s important to have a brief look on general effects of smart mobile devices, an enhancement of the affirmative answer given above

Smart Mobile Devices Impacts Human life
According to Salt (2011, p. 152), the advent of advanced technologies like the smart mobile services has drastically altered human being’s work, life and relationships. However, Salt (2011, p. 152) singles out the mobile phone, social media such as Facebook and Twitter and smart phones as some of the technologies that are increasingly defining how people work and form relationships in the social arena.

The smart phone technology is undoubtedly influencing the formation of protocols and strange social behaviours that all lead to addiction. Through addiction to smart mobile devices, people are fast becoming slaves to the gadgets which dictate them what to do while defining every sphere of their lives.

There are currently close to 500 million smartphone users in the world. That number is set to increase by 32.4% to 1.2 billion people by the year 2015. The growth of the smartphone usage by the above margin is likely to net more people to the addition that currently is being experienced. In turn the effects; both negative and positive will trickle down to the populations.

Impact on work/Business
Business communication is nowadays technology oriented (Stockard 2011, p. 153), letters, memos and reports have been replaced by technologies such as NetMeeting and LiveMeeting. Additionally, business communication is increasingly relying on the telephone especially Smartphones such as Blackberry and i-Phone (Stockard 2011, p. 153). Stockard adds that because phones can nowadays send messages as fast as the PC, business communication has become easier and quicker.

For a long time the business world has relied on the PC for conducting business. The PC still maintains its rightful place in the day-to-day running of organizations and conduction of business. However, the advent of the smart phone is increasingly diminishing the importance of the PC in business transactions.

This is because the smart mobile gadgets like smart phones and tablets have what the PC doesn’t; mobility and portability. The above features coupled with the presence of integrated PC features in smartphone makes them attractive and addictive to business people. The addiction and effect of these devices on work lives can be capture through a Ring Central online survey that was carried out in the year 2010.

Increased reliance on Smart mobile devices for conducting business
In the survey, respondents ranked the smartphone and intimate life both at 40% as the two most important things that they can’t do without in their lives. Additionally, the majority of respondents totaling 79% cited the smart phone as the main business tool for conducting business easily beating the home and office phones (Trade 2010).

This is in contrast a few years ago when laptops were the main gadgets through which business was conducted remotely. The smartphone however easily beats the laptop as the primary preference in conducting remote business especially because it enable people access the physical tools that were only found in the office.

Some business people (34%) admitted to using the smartphone for business more than the computer (Trade 2010).

Levels of addiction of the smartphones.
Levels of addiction of the smartphones, Source: Ringcentral Online survey

People are now increasingly addicted to productivity
Many business people and those that are in both formal and informal employment admitted that they are addicted to the smart mobile devices for the sole purpose of improving productivity in their respective work areas. Again, the ability to conduct business from any location came top among the reasons the respondents gave.

To that effect, 40% of respondents ranked smart phones as being significant as intimate relations. Hypothetically, therefore these people cannot easily choose between their social lives and the gadgets they are holding (Trade 2010). This therefore shows a worrying trend where people may rank non-living requirements like gadgets ahead of social and personal development.

In a nutshell, business people as well as those that are working in the formal sector have demonstrated an unmatched passion for smart mobile devices. The fact that it has changed their way of life as shown above underscores the critical role these devices play and the depth of their effect.

Of more importance however is the dynamism that these gadgets have brought to the business world. They have reduced overreliance on the PC and the business phone as the main tools of conducting business. Mobility and speed have now become the norm thanks to these devices.

Impact on Private Life
Many academics and political critics have conceded that the smart mobile devices like the BlackBerry can result into negative impact on the balance between work life and family life (Sweeny 2009, p. 190).

Addiction to mobile smart devices has not only affected business/ or work relationships of the users. There is sufficient reason to believe that the addiction has extended to the private or social lives of many people that use them.

Increasingly, people have found themselves in the awkward position where they need to split their time between their social lives and business. This effect will be captured through a presentation of different social scenarios that are aimed at showing the skewed devotion and commitment to family and relationships due to the use of mart mobile devices. In all the scenarios, the use of the gadgets is a deviation from the norm as we know it.

Less family time
Nowadays, many people are devoting more time to business than to family. It’s not uncommon for people to conduct business while on a weekend or holiday alone or with family. Smart mobile devices come in handy in when one needs to check on the developments in the business world.

During this time, people split their time between being with family and communication various business issues. People with the smart gadgets find it difficult to keep to themselves without referring to their devices in social functions such as funerals and weddings and children’s outings. Subtly, and without realizing, these actions indicate lack of attention on the family and other social relationships which takes its toll in the long-run (Powell, p. 181).

Less privacy
According to Furnell et al (2011, p. 50), the use of smart phones by people with no or little technical knowledge exposes them to the risk of being attacked through the use of their gadgets as security or attack vectors. In fact, most people who use these devices have little or no technical knowledge on measures that mitigate these risks.

Many of the smart mobile devices have been fitted with advanced microchips which make it easier for surveillance of the holder. The log installed in the smart devices can record all the places the holder has been to and sometimes the activities they have been up to.

Additionally, it’s easy for the parent companies and other interested parties to monitor the devices remotely illegally or otherwise. No matter the circumstances under which the surveillance takes place, the privacy of the holders of these devices is compromised. It’s no secret that surveillance information from these devices has led to the collapse of many social relations of the holders.

Social Networking
One of the biggest impacts of smart mobile devices is social networking. Butler (2010, p. 100), quoting Comscore, says that over 30% of smartphone users access social networking sites like facebook and twitter using their phones. It’s now possible for people from different locations to communicate and participate in social events without necessarily meeting physically. The social networking impact can be positive or negative depending on the function it plays.

Impact on Government/ Administration
Andersen et al (2011, p. 278) does not entirely see the effects of smart mobile devices as being negative. According to them, mobile communication especially through smart devices positively influences mobile business which in turn reinforces social media. Mobile business and social media therefore reinforce each other in a form of co evolution that has positive consequences (Andersen et al 2011, p. 278).

Through the use of these devices, both commerce and government have been forced to adopt technological changes for better communication and business procedures in the technologically mobile world (Rhomobile 2011, p. 23). On the same note, there is a feeling among many scholars that these gadgets have played and will continue to play a crucial role in social media growth and evolution.

As such they come in hand in the implementation of changes in government and in society especially through participation of citizens in e-democracy. A good example is role smart devices have played in the political crises of North Africa and the Middle East.

Impact on Education
Education is one of the fields that have evolved with time. There is a marked difference between ancient and modern universities. Though there has been considerable adaptation of technology in education, the advent of smart mobile devices is likely to have a major impact on education. Smartphones aide students in accessing online textbooks while connecting them with databases and libraries online when doing research (Wright & Webb 2011, p. 203).

According to Huang & Ling (2011, p. 557), education has also benefited from ubiquitous learning enabled by smart phones that help in individualized learning. Some android smart phones have an embedded system that helps in the creation of an assisted learning that is less bulky and mobile. The system can also improve the improve distraction behavior in students. Additionally, the application helps in the interaction between peers and teachers. The above application has not yet been adopted by the main stream companies. However it offers a glimpse of the impact that smart mobile devices are likely to have on education.

Conclusion
In a nutshell, smart mobile devices offer advanced computing and connectivity abilities compared to normal mobile services. Their impacts are manifested through effects in productivity and communication in the work place, private life, in government and in education. The effects of these devices are both positive and negative.

Their addictive nature and ability to cause distraction is by far the biggest negative effect these devices have on human life. Both private and work lives of the holders gets altered positively or negatively. Social life of the users especially the family is likely to be negatively affected because people extend conduction of business out of the office.

On the brighter side however, smart mobile devices have enhanced the way business is done and productivity has increased in the work place. Also, it has enhanced networking among professionals and people of different classes. Education has also been impacted positively through easy access to research materials in online libraries. Applications such as Google Reader on the Android phone are an example.

The impacts discussed above have so far been as a result of the existing level of technology. As the thesis statement asserts, technology is ever increasing and new products with mobile and smart features are being developed. The way we conduct our lives is sure set to change with these new products.

References
Andersen, K. et al. (2011) Electronic Government and the Information Systems Perspective: Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Butler, M. (2010) Enterprise Social Networking and Collaboration. East Yorkshire: Martin Butler Research Ltd.

Furnell, S. et al. (2011) Trust, Privacy and Security in Digital Business. New York: Springer Verlag.

Gallagher, P. et al. (2005) Managing the challenges of WTO participation: 45 case studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ling, S. & Huang, X. (2011) Advances in Computer Science, Environment, Ecoinformatics, and Education. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Powell, G. (2011) Women and Men in Management. London: Sage Publications.

Rhomobile. (2011) Top Trends in Smartphones: and How Rhomobile helps you write apps for them. San Jose, CA.

Sweeny, A. (2009) BlackBerry planet: the story of Research in Motion and the little device that took the world by storm. Ontario: John Willey & Sons.

Stockard, O. (2011) The Write Approach. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Group.

Salt, B. (2011) The Big Tilt: What Happens When the Boomers Bust and the Xers and Ys Inherit the earth. Victoria: Hardie Grant Books.

Trade, J (2010) Smartphones Changing the Way Business Professionals Work and Live. Web. Web.

Wright, K. & Webb, L (2011) Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships. NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

Pharmacology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Drug Metabolism: Plasma Protein Binding Essay
Plasma protein binding is the process a certain drug attaches itself to the proteins that are found within the blood plasma. A drug’s efficiency may be assessed by the how loosely or strongly it binds itself. For instance a loosely bound drug is said to be more effective as it can navigate through all the cell membranes. Protein binding is said to have a big command on the biological half life of any medicine. The part that is bound to the protein may act as a storage that supplies the drug slowly into the system. Under normal conditions, a drug may exist in two forms while it is still in the blood i.e. bound and unbound form. These forms are highly dependent on the drug’s attraction towards plasma protein. In most cases, one fraction of the drug may be bound while the other part may be unbound (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004). Given that the unbound form of the drug is bio-transformed from the body, the other part of the drug may be liberated so as to maintain a steady balance. It is also important to note that while albumin is basic, the other drugs will primarily bind themselves to it. The other parts that have been discussed are both acid and neutral drugs. When the albumin becomes drenched, the other kinds of drugs that are both acidic and neutral will attach themselves to lipoproteins.

It has been shown through various researches that a patient taking Warfarin faces a higher chance of increased bleeding, if they decide to take a course of aspirin. This is because Warfarin is an anticoagulant that exhibits a therapeutic indication that is low (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Cytochrome P450
This is a cluster of enzymes that that can be found in the body particularly in the endoplasmic reticulum. The gene responsible for this cluster of enzymes has known to be in existence for the last three and a half billion years. High levels of this cluster of enzymes can be located in the liver and are also responsible for the transformation of many types of drugs including drugs that mitigate the effects of cancer into a less toxic form. This assists the body in excretion as issues can arise if the toxicity is let to exist. Endogenous compounds ingested orally through eating are metabolized and hence this is manifested through the high levels of concentration are also found in the small intestines. A number of mechanisms can modify the P450 system. These alterations exhibit themselves in the form of inhibitions and also differ from one individual to the other. Research into this group of enzymes is significant towards achieving full knowledge on how drugs are able to metabolize and interact with one another (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

The Process of drug metabolism through P450 Enzymes
Drug oxidation requires molecular oxygen, NADPH and a flavoprotein. This is in addition to the drug substrate and the P450 enzyme itself. The overall reaction is addition of one atom to the oxygen atom while the other atom of oxygen forms water. However the mechanism involves complex catalytic cycles whereby the Cytochrome P450 reductase supplies one ore both of the electrons needed for the oxidation and subsequent restoration of the redox state of the Cytochrome P450 system. This process involves a cyclic oxidation reduction of the iron in conjunction with substrate binding and activation of molecular oxygen (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Cytochrome P450 with iron ions combines with the drug and then receives an electron from the reductase hence undergoing reduction from +3 to +2. This enables it to combine with molecular oxygen and then a proton. This is followed by another electron from NADPH P450 reductase. The latter complex now combines with another proton yielding to water and Ferric oxine drug complex which extracts a protein from the drug (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Reference
Edmunds, M. W. & Mayhew, M. S. (2004). Pharmacology for the primary care provider (2nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

Pharmacology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Systems Pharmacology Among Viruses and Bacteria Essay
Hypertension Treatment
The exact causes of essential hypertension are still largely unknown, so the treatment of this health condition is symptomatic. The most influential factors causing the development of hypertension are thought to be environmental and genetic. Depending on the health status of the patient, it is possible to choose among several types of drugs. Major attention should be paid to the presence of heart diseases when developing a hypertension treatment plan.

Medications treating hypertension can be divided into three classes: sympathetically-acting, acting via hormonal control, and vasodilators. Sympathetically acting drugs affect the sympathetic nervous system that releases noradrenaline. The release of α and β receptors causes the increase of blood pressure. Such sympathetically acting drugs as prazosin and phenoxybenzamine block the release of α and β receptors and, thus, decrease blood pressure. The side effects associated with the administration of this type of drugs involve postural hypotension and lethargy.

Hormonally acting medications are also effective in blocking AT synthesis, which results in lower blood pressure. Some examples of these drugs are losartan and captopril. Vasodilation is another part of therapy to treat hypertension that is aimed at the widening of blood vessels. Diuretics are vasodilators that cause the blood vessels widening through the entry of certain elements (for example, Ca2+).

Bendrofluazide, frusemide, and spironolactone are diuretics commonly used to treat hypertension. Calcium channel antagonists (for instance, amlodipine, diltiazem, and nifedipine) are vasodilators that prevent calcium from entering blood cells, which leads to lower blood pressure as well. Potassium channel activators (such as minoxidil) cause the relaxation of muscle cells. Hydralazine can also be prescribed to treat hypertension, but this drug is mainly used in combination with diuretics and some sympathetically acting drugs. Nitrates can be used when treating essential hypertension as they are effective vasodilators.

Antibiotic Classes and Application Use
Antibiotics, also referred to as antimicrobials or antibacterials, are chemical compounds that are utilized to kill or impede the growth of such infectious organisms as bacteria and fungi. Antibiotics can be natural substances, but they are often synthesized or derived from natural substances. Natural penicillins include penicillin G (Benzyl) and penicillin G sodium and potassium. Semisynthesized penicillins are penicillinase-resistant penicillins (cloxacillin), aminopenicillins (ampicillin), and antipseudomonal penicillins (carbenicillin indanyl sodium). The primary feature shared by all antibiotics is their selective toxicity, which is their ability to be more toxic to infectious organisms and remain comparatively safe for the host organism.

Antibiotics can be divided into two groups based on the spectrum of their activity. Antibacterials of the broad spectrum activity can affect a large number of pathogens while narrow-spectrum-activity antibiotics can have an influence on particular infectious organisms. Antipseudomonal penicillins are characterized by the broadest spectrum. Antimicrobials are also grouped in terms of their impact into bactericidal (those killing pathogens) and bacteriostatic (those impeding the growth of these organisms).

Before prescribing antibiotics, it is essential to consider two aspects: patients’ history and the type of the organism attacking them. As for the data regarding the patient, it is important to identify their allergies (if any), infection susceptibility, disorder severity, ethnicity, age, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the use of other types of medication. Antibiotics are effective against gram negative and gram-positive bacteria, acid-fast bacteria, as well as anaerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat such health issues as typhoid fever, invasive salmonellosis, peritonitis, endocarditis, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, meningitis caused by bacteria, lower urinary tract infection, gonorrhea, urethritis, syphilis, and septicemia. Antimicrobials are also effective in treating osteomyelitis, conjunctivitis, dental infections, otitis media, acne, and animal or insect bite.

Virus Infection and Treatment
Viruses are infectious agents that cause diseases and can live and replicate in host cells (animals, plants, or bacteria). These organisms have a core with RNA or DNA that is enclosed in a protein shell. Some examples of virus types are influenza A and B, hepatitis B and C, herpes, papilloma, and human immunodeficiency (HIV). Some viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, and herpesvirus 8 can cause cancer.

The major classes of anti-viral medications are as follows: fusion, protease, viral DNA polymerase, nucleoside reverse transcriptase and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase, and integrase inhibitors. Inhibitors of viral coat disassembly and chemokine receptor antagonists are also widely used anti-viral drugs. Different antivirals have a specific mechanism of action and are prescribed accordingly. For instance, such antivirals as docosanol or maraviroc (fusion inhibitors) block the fusion of the virus and the host cell. Uncoating inhibitors (such as rimantadine or amantadine) prevent viral RNA genome release.

Integrase inhibitors block HIV DNA insertion into the DNA of CD4 cell. Viral DNA polymerase inhibitors terminate viral DNA chain and are effective against such agents as varicella-zoster virus or herpes. Nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors block the conversion of viral RNA into DNA, which is a disruption of the process of retroviruses functioning. Late protein synthesis is blocked by protease inhibitors while assembly is blocked by neuraminidase inhibitors. Neuraminidase inhibitors block the release of virions from infected cells surface. Protease inhibitors facilitate the production of inactive viral proteins that are instrumental in preventing the maturation of virions, which results in their inability to infect other cells.

Genital Infections and Treatment
Genital infections are often sexually transmitted and can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. People can also be infected through touch, sharing things with an infected person, or due to inappropriate hygiene. When a person is diagnosed with a genital infection, they are advised to inform all their sexual partners about their health condition, which will enable all of the stakeholders to identify certain health issues timely.

Herpes is one of the common genital infections that can affect both males and females. The symptoms associated with this health condition include red areas with or without itching or tingling. The appearance of blisters and transformation into painful sores is another symptom. Herpes causes pain during urination, as well as headaches, fever, and fatigue. This disease is caused by such agents as herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, Varicella-zoster virus, and cyto megalo virus. Aciclovir is the most effective medication to treat herpes, but lignocaine and paracetamol are prescribed in addition to acyclovir in order to accelerate recovery.

Gonorrhea is a genital infection that is caused by bacteria. This infection is characterized by such symptoms as increased frequency and urgency of urination, redness and swelling of genitals, greenish, yellow, or white discharge. When treating this health issue, ceftriaxone and azithromycin are prescribed. The latter is often administered to treat chlamydia that is also a genital infection that is commonly present in people diagnosed with gonorrhea. Candidiasis is a widespread genital infection that is caused by fungi. The symptoms of this disease are itching, soreness, swelling around genitals, pain and burning during sex or urination. Such antifungal drugs as imidazole and fluconazole are effective medications for women while male patients are prescribed imidazole.

Gastrointestinal Infections and Treatments
Helicobacter pylori infection, known as the central cause of ulcers, is a bacterium that is mainly located in mucosa on gastric epithelium luminal surface. These bacteria can live in a human body for years without the appearance of any significant symptoms. However, when symptoms occur, they include pain in abdomen, nausea, appetite loss, bloating, and weight loss. By producing urease, they ensure their survival in the acidic environment. These bacteria damage stomach tissues due to their secretion causing the development of ulcers. This infection is the most common disease found in up to 90% of people having ulcers.

The primary goals of treatment include ulcer healing, H. pylori eradication, and symptoms relief. The patients are prescribed gastric acid inhibitors, antacids, and cytoprotection. Such antacids as alkaline salts reduce the acid load, which results in the neutralization of gastric acidity. Colloidal antacids decrease acidity and provide a mechanical coating to ulcers. Acid inhibitors (such as cimetidine and ranitidine) decrease and impede acid secretion. Cytoprotection is an important part of treatment as drugs facilitating mucosal resistance stimulate mucus and the secretion of hydrogen carbonate improving the protective function of mucus.

The use of medication against H. pylori is an important component of treatment as well. The use of the triple therapy ensures the eradication of the bacteria in question in one week with no or limited side effects. High patient compliance is another feature of this type of treatment. This therapy involves the administration of amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and proton pump inhibitors. Importantly, the use of these drugs triggers immune responses on the local and systemic levels.