Positive Psychology and Sex free essay sample

Positive Psychology and Sex Name: Institution: Course: Date: Tutor: 1. 0 Role of emotions in sex and orgasm Brain scanning studies show that sex is a major turn off for women. The brain scans show that many parts of the female brain actually switch off. This shows that women lack emotional feelings during orgasms (Praise, 2009). A research was carried out on thirteen healthy partners. The research compared three states of rest; faked orgasm, stimulated clitoris and clitoris stimulated to orgasm point while the women lay with her head inside a PET scanner. The results from the study showed that stimulation of he women triggers the brains sensory part known as the primary compensatory cortex but inhibits the stimulus of the hippopotamus and the amazedly which are the regions responsible for anxiety and alertness (Praise, 2009). Several regions of the brain were also found to be active during orgasm as compared to the resting state. We will write a custom essay sample on Positive Psychology and Sex or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One of these regions is the preferential cortex. This study confirms the historical knowledge that women cannot find sex enjoyable if they have distractions, worries and are not relaxed. Anxiety and fear levels have to be low for a woman to have an orgasm. The explanation offered by Praise, (2009)for this extraordinary behavior is that emotions are switched off in the brain during sex and that the individual finds more importance in the chance of producing an offspring than the risk of surviving. This extraordinary behavior can also be seen to march with hares during the breeding season when the fear of predators is overridden by the mating urge (Hand, 2006). An explanation has not however been given to explain the extreme deactivation in the various parts of the brain during orgasm(Hillier, Wood ; Bolton, 2006). The cerebellum, which is responsible for movement coordination and to some extent regulation of emotions, was the only part found to be activated more during the female orgasm. It is not clear what this cerebellum activation relates to. According to Hutchinson, (2003), most people believe women are more emotional in sex but the above illustrated neurology of orgasm proves otherwise. Contrary to some people, sexual desire is also an emotion. This is because an emotion is caused by a significant change in feelings. Sexual desire is therefore not Just a biological urge nice it involves personal concern, intensity, brevity and a partial perspective. Sex is an important emotion since it ensures continuous survival of the human race. Teatimes a person to better want to understand the perspective of other people on emotions and feelings regarding to sex (Hutchinson, 2003). This is because a person who badly wants sex is forced to listen to the wants of others and gets an obligation of understanding their perspective. Through sex, a person realizes the importance of others since one cannot do it alone. I t is due to this act that people are able to work ND cooperate together with those of the opposite sex. According to Napoleon Hill, sex is the strongest human emotion (Hutchinson, 2003). Learning about the opposite sex helps learn more about sex and through sex, people are able to appreciate the huge diversities between them. Sometimes sex can be, to a larger extent, be considered to be more important than love itself in terms of emotions (Kirsch ; Becker, 2007). This is because even though love makes a person to give positive contribution to society, sex goes a step further and requires one to learn about the other person (Siegel, 2010). 2. Role of fantasies in sex and orgasm Hutchinson, (2003), states that the most common types of orgasm include clitoral orgasm, vaginal orgasm and G-spot orgasm. Most people however do not recognize the psychological orgasm. This is an orgasm that arises purely from thinking about sex. It can be either from recalling past experiences or fantasizing on new experiences. It can also be referred to as mental masturbation and occurs with no physical stimulation whatsoever (Peptides, Burnham, 2006). The female orgasm is very complex and therefore the psychological orgasm might be easily written off as a myth. Psychological orgasm is achieved through mental stimulation achievement of an arousal without genital stimulation and without exchange of body fluids or friction (The Lovers Guide, 2012). This proves the widely known theory of ability. The theory of achieving orgasm through imagination can be supported by the fact that the brain releases various chemicals during different tasks (Hutchinson, 2003). Many women have also been seen to get wet from talking about sex on phones or cyber. This shows that female orgasms can be induced in several ways. Male orgasms can also be stimulated through psychology. This is proved by the fact that some men experience wet dreams without a physical stimulation. Most psychologists however claim psychology to be more common in women than men. Frigidity, which is the failure of a woman to reach orgasm during sex, has been claimed by experts to be caused by psychological issues rather than anatomical issues in women. Norman (2009) explains that all female orgasms arise out of the clitoris since it is the centre of sensual activity in females. The clitoris is the only area in women capable of reaching sexual climax and achieving orgasm. The clitoris is however not efficiently stimulated ruing conventional sexual positions leaving women to be frigid. Women have also been able to reach orgasms through fetishes and fantasies. The stimulation is purely psychological but the orgasm is manifested physically (Broody ; Costa, 2008). Orgasm through fantasy shows that the brain is the most critical part in sexual inter course. Only 2% of women have reported achieving orgasm by the process of thought although this low number could be because very few women try it (Norman, 2009). The process of achieving the orgasm requires that the stimulation comes from fantasy sexy thoughts in the mind. Research through monitoring equipment showed that self-induced imagery orgasms caused similar sexual responses such as pupil dilation, increased blood pressure and heart rate to a person achieving orgasm from cervical or vaginal stimulation (Bubbler, 2011). The regions of the brain that were triggered during cervical and vaginal physical stimulation were the same that were activated in self-induced imagery. The parts include the anterior consulate, hippopotamus, the nucleus acumens and the VPN (Norman, 2009). To achieve sexual pleasure, one NAS to touch only on very sexy thoughts and relax into them. One also has to know his or her sexual triggers and choose to concentrate on these thoughts more. 3. 0 Effects of internet pornography on sex/organism Pornography addiction over a long period of time leads to masturbation which alters the chemistry of brain and eventually leads to brain damage. According to Dodge (2007), in his study about neuropsychiatry of the brains he identified that the human brain has the ability to grow and change over time depending on its exposure to the environment and through training. The human brain is actually very complex and contains many interconnected neurons which processes information by receiving signals which are later integrated to the required form. Several researches that have been carried out show that brain plasticity is actually a physical change which allows refining or weakening connections of the neurons(Dodge, 2007). Exposure of the brain to pornography leads to a progressive change over time either physically, chemically and in its functionality. Pornography gives individuals sensations that are pleasurable and they may end up neglecting other important duties and leave them unattended. Masturbation, at times can result from viewing of pornographic materials in the internet. It involves the stimulation of the brain that leads to release of dopamine into the bloodstream and hence the achievement of a pleasurable feeling (Cookbook, 2007). The brain can also be triggered to release dopamine into the blood stream after the viewing of erotic images. The sensation is a consequence of a progressive number of steps which start with viewing pornographic images. This is followed by an urge to stimulate pleasure neurons in the brain and temptation to relieve these sensations results to masturbation. Continuous exposure to pornographic materials leads to changes in the structure of the brain due to reproducibility changes which causes addiction to that behavior. Dodge (2007) notes that addiction to pornographic materials ends up causing long time changes in the brain structure and functionality. Large amounts of chemicals such as extinction, serotonin and dopamine are found in large quantities in the blood after prolonged exposure to pornography and are all involved in increasing sexual desires (Cookbook, 2007). With time, the pornographic images become engraved in individuals brains and once combined with continuous masturbation results to brain damage that is both chemical and biological in nature. Research by neurotransmitters also show that visual image traveling from the eye to the brain takes place in a split of a second and creation of memories takes place instantly, therefore each pornographic image viewed makes the brain change thus causing a progressive brain damage (Cutter;Glean, 2007). Addiction to pornography has also been believed to cause psychological and physiological effects that are instructive. In many couples who are married, it has been determined that there are more problems in their sexual relationship in cases where either of the partners has been addicted to watching orangeroot (Lambert, 2012). The sexual urge to have intercourse is reduced and the partner has to fantasize on a particular pornography they watched to become aroused. There is also reported low attraction of partners to their spouses as they are not able to act like the stars they watch in pornography movies (Dodge, 2007). This has led to many relationships break ups and more violence erupting between couples. It has also been noted that most of the couples where either of them is an addict to pornography snowed less commitment to their spouses. It NAS also played a ole in the increased rates of infidelity in marriages as the partner engages in extra- marital affairs with the hope of getting sexual satisfaction from a different partner (Lambert, 2012). Though there are few benefits that have been associated with pornography to relationships, its limitations actually outweighs the advantages by far. . 0 Feeling of vulnerability in sex The intensity of love in couples is maintained higher by having behaviors that are affectionate to one another such as kissing and hugging. Vulnerability has actually been identified as a strong factor that facilitates the success of intimate relationships teens partners and determines the affection intensity between them. Brown has had a lot of research studies in an atte mpt to understand what influences a strong social connection between people in a relationship (Sepal, 2012). She discovered that vulnerability is a key ingredient to a successful relationship which translates to good sex. Vulnerability enables partners to take the risk and uncertainty in courageously expressing their emotional connection to the other partner despite lack of surety of their partners response. In a social relationship vulnerability is meeting that is very essential and individuals should express themselves without the fear of rejection because of the weaknesses that may be associated with them (CutterGlean, 2007). Truthfulness is an attribute that improves the well being of individuals and thus their relationships. It is also noted that openness and vulnerability makes people in relationships become more attractive to one another and love in them grows progressively. Vulnerability makes it possible for a man to share his problems or feelings with his wife and the woman also does the same and OTOH offer a listening ear to each other (Sepal, 2012). The assurance that partners in a relationship care and have confidence to share their feeling with one another leads to a good love relationship and therefore successful and fulfilling sex. Vulnerability has in depth been identified as key in giving meaningful connection in relationships and leads to increased passion, Joy and love between partners. The couples who treat their spouses in a friendly manner and show love and care despite their shortcomings or falling from time to time, mostly have a fulfilling relationship (CutterGlean, 2007). The sense of belonging makes the partners in a relationship to enjoy being with their partners and thus have a fulfilling sex. It is always important that the partners in a relationship think positively about the welfare of their spouses always. This is the key to intensive love that progresses over the years and it prevents the partners hurting one another intentionally, and in circumstances where there is misunderstanding between them they are able to solve their differences in an amicable manner (Cookbook, 2007). Men are the ones who are mostly found to have a challenge in becoming vulnerable and they rarely want to how who they are in reality. Vulnerability from both parties in a relationship will enable couples to confidently express themselves to their spouses as they are making love and this will significantly improve their sex life. . 0 Effective communication in sex It is important to talk about sex with ones partner so as to communicate personal feelings and ideas around sexuality, love and relationships. Couples ought to thrash out sex-related issues like pregnancy, expectations from each other, birth control, sex styles, among many others (Herbicide, 2 ) When this is done, they do not become sexual in ways they n ever intended or do not feel quite comfortable about. This is not always the case for most people however, primarily because our cultures more or less deter us from discussing sex and related issues. We should bring up sex talk way before we become intimate; in situations that are not sexual. This way, we will be more open to each other. The couple should patently clarify each others feelings. The topic should be introduced in a manner that is gentle, compassionate and caring. Some issues are a little bit too sensitive, but not too sensitive if they might ruin a couples sex life if not discussed. A partner for example should share about what she or he really likes in bed; even what makes him or her orgasm (Mint, 2009). This is because, when we fail to communicate about our sexual desires and needs, our partners make assumptions. A lot of time may be wasted trying to do futile activities, and this could be precluded by saying exactly what we like. Some women, for instance, experience orgasms when their clitoris is stimulated. Doing other stuff during sex only leads to frustration. Another has a heavy inclination towards a certain sex position for pleasurable sex. Therefore, the kind of communication also eaters a lot. Being erotically connected is essential in any relationship. A partner should be able to reveal the type of sex they really want, without any inhibitions. Having a dialogue, whereby each partner is intent on listening rather than getting ready to rebut what their partner is about to say, is the starting point. Dialogue heals our unmet needs and brings us the love we want. To engage in dialogue may involve some few steps. The first is to make it safe for the dialogue to kick off. This is because, if it is not safe to talk, a couple will not talk after all. If for instance a partner becomes offensive, their mate will be hesitant to talk about whatever they wanted. To create this safety, we should be appreciative of our partners. Complimenting them for things they did well or things they did for us. When one is appreciated, even if there was any tension, it is broken. Appreciation would thus be said to be the gateway to erotic conversations (Nelson, 2008). When it is safe to talk, a couple should then go ahead and look for a suitable venue and start the dialogue. The right mood is also paramount and an effort should be made to create it. Eye contact should be maintained during the talk. The couple should as well employ empathy in their dialogue. Here, it is all about listening and understanding our partners erotic curiosity, without Judging them whatsoever (Nelson, 2008). It may sometimes be embarrassing to share some of our fantasies, but this is the only way we can achieve passionate, loving relationships. Couples who do not to talk about their sex-life so as to avoid negative consequences, the underlying risk is always graver. According to Mint (2009), good communication is the bedrock of good marriages; it will break or make it. When a couple engages in a conversation, pain and dissatisfaction are insisted. Couples who communicate more tend to be more sexually active. When unhappy or disappointed with a partner, it is that time when effective communication comes in handy. Communication skills are vital for both partners, because as they say, it takes two to tango. Some of the guiding principles of effective communication include: asking for what you want, solving issues forth with and concentrating on solving and not assuming anything (Dodge, 2007). Each partner should be straightforward and not expect their mind to be read. Again, matters should not be allowed to accumulate without being alike over. Still, the dialogue should not be about winning or losing, but rather solving the matter at hand. Any assumption about anything may be very erroneous and should be eschewed. With these, it is highly unlikely that effective communication will fail. 6. 0 Savoring sex Effect of mindfulness and meditation on sex and orgasm It is crucial that one is present during sex. Paying attention to the intention is a key to enjoyment of sex; that is focusing on the task at hand without worrying about other things. The mind stops flitting about, and distractions are brushed aside Richardson D. Amp; Richardson M. 2010). It is done by relaxing and letting go; not controlling anything. Sexual dysfunctions like erectile dysfunction are sometimes as a result of worrying too much about ones sexual performance instead of practicing awareness of present experience with acceptance (Siegel, 2010). Some women who become dry or never attain orgasm experience this because of focusing too much on becoming lubrica ted or reaching orgasm. Mindfulness is capable of healing problems which even medicine might not. It should be practiced however, for its benefits to be realized. For persons with anxiety and depression, mindfulness is helpful in their sex lives. Both anxiety and depression usually have negative effect on ones sexuality and being mindful takes attention off any negative apprehension (Bubbler, 2011). Getting aroused for some women can also be an uphill task, but by being mindful and not concentrating too much on becoming aroused, they can overcome this (Dempsey, 2007). Daily life can also be aided by mindfulness. Again, it has to be learned and experience. All in all, great sex happens to those who are fully into the lovemaking act, who let the world fall aside.

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1939

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1939 On August 23, 1939, representatives from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union met and signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (also called the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact and the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact), a mutual promise made by the two leaders  guaranteeing that neither would attack the other. With the imminence  of World War II becoming ever clearer, signing the pact guaranteed Germany protection against the necessity of fighting a two-front war. The Soviet Union  was awarded land in return, including parts of Poland and the Baltic States, as part of a secret addendum. The pact was broken when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union less than two years later, on June 22, 1941. Why Did Hitler Want the Pact? Germanys role in a two-front war in World War I had split its forces, weakening and undermining their offensive strength.   As he prepared for war in 1939, German dictator Adolf Hitler was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. While hed hoped to acquire Poland without force (as he had annexed Austria the year before), the necessity to diminish the possibility of a two-front war as a consequence of the invasion was clear. Thus negotiation for Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was born. The Two Sides Meet On August 14, 1939, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop contacted the Soviets to arrange a deal. Ribbentrop met with the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov in Moscow, and together they arranged two pacts: the economic agreement and the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. The Economic Agreement The first pact was an economic trade agreement, which Ribbentrop and Molotov signed on August 19, 1939. The agreement, which proved instrumental in helping Germany bypass the British blockade during the early years of World War II, committed the Soviet Union to provide food products and raw materials to Germany in exchange for products such as German machinery for the Soviet Union. The Non-Aggression Pact On August 23, 1939- four days after the economic agreement was signed and a little over a week before the beginning of World War II- Ribbentrop and Molotov signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. Publicly, this agreement stated that Germany and the Soviet Union would not attack each other and that any problem that might arise between the two countries was to be handled amicably. The pact, which was supposed to have lasted 10 years, lasted less than two. Terms of the pact included the provision that if Germany attacked Poland, the Soviet Union would not come to its aid. Thus, if Germany went to war against the West (especially France and Great Britain) over Poland, the Soviets were guaranteeing that they would not enter the war. This would block the opening of a second front for Germany. In addition to the agreement, Ribbentrop and Molotov added a secret protocol to the pact- a secret addendum whose existence was denied by the Soviets until 1989. To the Chancellor of the German Reich, Herr A. Hitler,I thank you for your letter. I hope that the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact will mark a decisive turn for the better in the political relations between our two countries.J. Stalin* The Secret Protocol The secret protocol held an agreement between the Nazis and the Soviets that greatly affected Eastern Europe. In exchange for the Soviets pledging to decline engagement in the imminent war, Germany gave the Soviets the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), leaving Poland to be divided between the two along the Narew, Vistula, and San rivers. The territory restructuring provided the Soviet Union a level of protection from a Western invasion via an inland buffer. It would need that buffer in 1941. Pact Unfolds, Then Unravels When Nazis attacked Poland on the morning of September 1, 1939, the Soviets stood by and watched. Two days later, World War II began with the British declaration of war on Germany. Soviets rolled into eastern Poland on September 17 to occupy their sphere of influence as designated in the secret protocol. The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact effectively barred the Soviet Union from joining the fight against Germany, thus affording Germany success in its attempt to safeguard its borders from a two-front war. The Nazis and the Soviets kept the terms of the pact and the protocol until Germanys surprise attack and invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

Various aspects about World War II Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Various aspects about World War II - Assignment Example He pretended that the Aryans (Germans) are superior to other people in the world and they have the right to rule the entire world. During Hitler’s period, Jews were the prominent community in the world because of the immense contributions they have given to the world in the form of scientific discoveries and other political and sociological aspects needed for the advancement of human civilization. Hitler’s blind and revenging attitudes towards Jews community have forced him to perceive everything against his views as the contributions of the Jew’s community. Moreover, Hitler believed that communism and democracy were the contributions of the Jew’s community and encouraging this political system will destroy the true values of the people. Many of the prominent scientists and world leaders were of Jewish origin which was not acceptable to Hitler. Hitler thought that the Germany’s lost lands during the previous wars were occupied by Jews and he has sta rted the war against the Jews. â€Å"The Nazis basic intent was to make survival for the Jews more difficult and to create a loss of identity for the Jews. The Nazis occupying the towns asserted that the consequence of dissension was severe punishment or death† (LEBENSRAUM: LIVING SPACE FOR THE GERMAN RACE) Communism and democracy argue for equality rather than domination which were unacceptable to Hitler. In his opinion, communism and democracy were the means of spreading corruption. He has rejected the political systems like judiciary, parliament, and executive like entities and argued that these systems were in place in order to save the corrupted people from punishments. Hitler believed that only through dictatorship, corruption can be eliminated and a country can grow further. In a famous speech Hitler once declared that "We want to liberate Germany from the fetters of an impossible parliamentary democracy — not because we are terrorists, not because we intend to gag the free spirit. On the contrary, the spirit has never made themselves its master" (Brundage) Lebensraum was another major reason for the Nazi expansion into its neighbouring territories and the subsequent WW 2. The meaning of the word ‘Lebensraum’ is living space. Hitler believed that the Germans are living without enough space in Germany even though they were the major race in the world. Adolf Hitler considered Aryans race as the ancestors of Germans and he believed that Aryans are far superior to other races in world. It was not tolerable for him to accept the fact that the Germans/Aryans are living without enough living spaces in Germany. Hitler accused that some of the lands controlled by other countries near the boundaries of Germany actually belong to Germany and he has demanded a territorial revision of lands. He was of the opinion that Germany has lost many of its territories to neighbouring countries in previous wars which needed to be regained. He has gat hered support from the German people to expand German territories using his mesmerising speeches in which he made the German people aware of the shame of living as slaves. The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 to end the WW 1 was a shock treatment for to the German pride. This treaty put the entire blame on Germany for causing WW 1 and asked Germany to pay heavy amounts as compensation. Moreover, Germany forced to sacrifice some of its land

Economics in an international context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics in an international context - Essay Example In addition, there is a huge lot of pollution that is increased due to road congestion. It is more probable for an accident to occur when there is increased congestion as well as an increase in stress on driver, pedestrians and also the cyclists. Economists, through the concept of demand and supply theory, assume that the road-space demand will always go down when the price paid for it increase. This is so due to the income and substitution effect of a higher price. When the road-space is free, its demand becomes more than its supply. This can lead to expressing congestion as an external cost of consumption. It means, there is a welfare loss due to too much driving. To provide economic solutions to road congestion problem, economists can apply three main methods. They can either increase the supply for road-space, increase the price for road-space or reduce its demand. This is the most direct way of sorting out the problem of congestion on roads. It is logical that congestion could be caused when there are few roads in a city or a town or anywhere that we demand the road-space supply. It is also true that when there is when there is a low supply of any good, other factors remaining constant, its demand increases. Therefore, with an increased demand and the available roads that can be used are few, there will be congestion (Lave, 2001). To increase the supply of road-space, the government can build more roads that can be enough for its users. When there are more road space added, all the road users will find adequate space to use without necessarily causing congestion. However, other problems are there that are associated with increasing of road space. When doing this, the government must meet some opportunity costs. As we know that the government usually works on a budget and building roads is usually a very expensive

Non-Marital Breakups Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Non-Marital Breakups - Coursework Example The person’s oral or written narratives explaining their experiences or actions describing characters and events and inferring the meaning and motives in the course of retelling and reviewing the love stories.   Social creatures are faced with two risks, rejection and betrayal when pursuing intimacy. Rejection can occur when the hope-for relationship never develops, cut short, or fails when the other expresses dissatisfaction. Betrayal is insidious, a threat that emerges only if intimacy succeeds-for a time. The other, having the advantage of special information, having gained our trust, turns around and turns on us, revealing our vulnerabilities, badmouthing us, teasing us. Why then do we will hand that very risky unknown our phone number? Why do we have to take heartbreaker one more time?   This involves a mental search for explanations, driven to some extents, â€Å"If only† and regrets. For the leaver and the leave, the end of a relationship is traumatic and triggers a self-protective review of reasons and signs which could prevent future losses.   There are two types of loneliness, emotional loneliness, and social loneliness. The emotional loneliness refers to the isolation, focused on missing one’s intimate partner and losing the unique comforts of that relationship. Social loneliness is disorientation and excommunication one feels when one has lost one’s place and marital status.   After a breakup, the visibility and social activity of one’s ex-exaggerate the individual’s plight. If you have been left, the presence of your ex in your social network suggests that you are easily rejectable. If you are the one who left, your ex may offer testimony to all who would listen to your guilt and betrayal.   

Four seasons hotels inc hr practices

Four seasons hotels inc hr practices The assignment is based on a case study that revolves around Four Seasons and their culture in relation to employment. The purpose of this assignment is to basically answer five questions that are specific to understanding the culture of Four Seasons and the influence of HRM on the organisation. Like any case there are issues that the company needs to deal with and the writer tries to identify these issues by explaining what caused the issue to occur. The assignment also recognizes several key factors that the HRM of the companies have to deal with and at the same time identifying how important is the HRM to the Four Seasons and what kind of influence it has on the employment strategy. The writer identifies several options and recommendations to solving the issues and also explains the purpose of choosing the option at the same time illustrating the affect each of the options would have on the organisation and the various stakeholders. The writer has incorporated various models and matrices to the various sections in order to facilitate in the explanation of the topics. Company and its position in the hospitality industry Isadore Sharp (Sharp) with the help of his brother-in-law, Eddie Creed (Creed) and his friend Murray Koffler (Koffler) founded the Four Seasons with an investment of less than a $ million. The first property was a motel, Four Seasons Motor Hotel in 1961 in downtown, Toronto. This was a 125 roomed motel, with upscale atmosphere and amenities that were the reason for attracting their guests and especially celebrities from the neighboring T.V. station. The next property was a 569 rooms Toronto Inn Park which was built in the year 1963. Since then Sharp went on to built several new hotels such as the Inn on the Park, in London and other small inns in smaller urban areas such as Belleville, Ontario and Nassau, Bahamas only in the year 1970. This building of new hotels came to a serious problem in around the year 1994 as the Four Seasons saw themselves in a huge debt and only due to the help of Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Tala Bin Abdufaziz al Saud (Al-Waleed) and his investment of C$100 million did the Four Seasons and Sharp survive this collapse. With this financial support from Al-Waleed, Four Seasons was able to built new hotels in Singapore, Mexico City, Berlin and Prague; with this resorts were built in Hawaiis Kona Coast, Carlsbad, California and Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Four Seasons on February 2007 was acquired by various investing groups namely Casacade Investment, L.L.C. which belonged to Microsofts Chairman Bill Gates, Kingdom Hotels International, owned by Al-Waleed, and Triples Holdings Limited, a family holding company of Sharps, which together was a US$3.37 billion buyout offer. As a part of their negotiations a 10 percent interest in the group and the CEO position was given to Sharp, in addition to this a long-term incentive contract related to the sales of villa and penthouses as private properties. By the end of 2008, Four Seasons had 82 managed properties in 34 different countries with about 33,185 associates. Four Seasons lived on a term called The Golden Rule which meant Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you and keeping this in their mind they have treated their employees with as much respect as they would expect from the employees to the customers. This was personified with the various recognition they received from various publications such as Consumer Reports, Gourmet and Travel Leisure, Mobil Travel Guide, Gallivanters Guide and Condà © Nast Traveler Magazine. The most valued honor to Four Seasons and which they have managed to earn from the last thirteen years is the Top 100 Companies to Work For by Fortune Magazine and as of year 2010, Four Seasons were positioned at the 58th spot which compared to the hotel industry only Marriott International made the list as the 82nd position. This itself gives a picture of what the employees think about Four Seasons and their culture but there are some critics that say otherwise as they believe that the reason for their success i s because they tend to be very bias to foreign white skinned employees and prefer to hire them and the example given here was the Four Seasons Maldives resort, which was believed to be corrupt and bias as foreigners were given preference instead of locals irrespective of their talent and qualification and that local professional Maldivians were ignored just because of their color of skin. Another criticism was that even though the employees were paid well they were working extended hours and were stressed to deliver impeccable service. Four Seasons at present is one of the leading hotel chains in the world and have easily been considered to be one of the best in the field in comparison to hotel chains like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Intercontinental, etc. and despite the various criticism Four Seasons has consistently been on the top when it comes to its work culture, thus becoming a globally successful hotel chain. Culture of Four Seasons and comparison to major competitors Four Seasons has always tried to provide its guests with value added service and hassle free stay and by keep this in to their working culture they have earned the reputation of a superior customer service organisation. The Four Seasons had also created more than 247 standards which were meant to identify what the customers should expect to receive in a Four Seasons Hotel. Even with these many standards Four Seasons always believed in empowerment as every employee was given all the rights to do what they felt right and this worked well for the company as an e.g. in the case mentioned how a bride had got her wedding dress stuck to the car door and the housekeeping staff did not waste any time and sent her to the spa while the staff member was patching the torn areas so that it would not be noticed. This was the kind of thinking that Four Seasons and especially Sharp want from their employees by this they created an environment where the employees were willing to use their mind in solv ing problems thus reducing the chances for it to escalate. Sharp also believed that loyalty and retention are the key to success, but loyalty to the customers came before the loyalty of the guests. They also truly believed in The Golden Rule and designed their recruitment, selection, training and development of the employees. Four Seasons culture was based on the value each and every employee could bring to the company and did not care about the qualification and experience the candidate had, this turn gave them employees who were willing to challenge themselves and at the same time willing to develop to the betterment of the company. This is also one of the reasons why their customers were loyal as they felt that the employees were willing and striving to help make their stay better, this can be seen with the award that Four Seasons have been receiving since 1980, which are the AAA Five Diamond awards. This award clearly shows the respect and loyalty that the customers have for the company due the respect and loyalty that the employees show to their customers. In comparison to Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood, etc. Four Seasons believes in empowerment where as the other only use it as a form of marketing strategy. The mission statement or The Golden Rule of Four Seasons is Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you whereas Marriott has the Core Values that states Its about serving the associates, the customer, and the community. Marriotts fundamental beliefs are enduring and the keys to its continued success (Marriott International, 2010), Hyatts mission statement is To provide authentic hospitality by making a difference in the lives of the people we touch every day (Hyatt Corporation, 2010), Hilton believes in We will be the preeminent global hospitality company the first choice of guests, team members and owners alike (Hilton Worldwide, 2010) and Starwood would like to Create the most successful branded, global, lifestyle hospitality company by forming a trust- and respect-based corporate family committed to re-imagining our b usiness with creativity and innovation, resulting in the most fun workplace in the history of the world (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010). Only by looking at these mission statements we can get an idea of who really caters to their employees as among the four major hotel chains mentioned only Marriott Hotel has their employees mentioned in their mission statement and even that is only considering that they take care of the associates but does not give an idea that they are willing to empower their employees like the way Four Seasons does. This does not mean that other hotels do not empower their employees but in terms of the definition which means giving the right and authority to an individual to think, behave, take action and make decisions in an independent way (Heathfield, 2010). By just applying the definition to the various hotels and their mission statements we can see that Four Seasons and Marriott are the only two hotel chains that seem to be empowering their employees to take their own decisions. Empowerment of employees sounds good and will attract employees but the real factor here would be that this would to some extent create a very bias hiring environment in the company as Sharp mentioned that they hire employees with the right attitude for the company and there is little need for them to have experience as the work itself can be thought, which as mentioned before created a bias environment in Maldives as almost all the employees that were hired were foreigners and even though the local population had all the right credentials and at times even better that the foreigner staff, they were not selected and this is the major difference between Four Seasons and the other hotels as almost every hotel select their employees based on their qualification and experience but being selected for having the right attitude to some extent is inappropriate and unethical especially if they are selected by the color of their skin, which is taking it to the extent of being racist and this i s a very dangerous road to take especially if Four Seasons would like to expand to newer countries particularly the developing and non-developing countries. This is also one of the major differences between Four Seasons and other hotel brands as Marriott for example believes in hiring employees from various cultures so as to help incorporate a multi-cultural environment in the organisation. Another reason for companies trying to incorporate local cultures in the company is because of the Corporate Social Responsibility as it is one of the most important factor for the existence of any company as by not incorporating it into the company means that various stakeholders such as government, NGOs, suppliers, stakeholders, local residents, etc. would not respect the hotel brand and thus causing future problems. HRM influence on vision, mission values and companys identity Four Seasons have been in this business since the 1960s and have live by one mission called The Golden Rule which defines their values as well. They focus on their employees and promote empowerment in the company, in addition they hire employees based on their attitude and not on their experience and knowledge as they believe that the job can be learnt by training but the attitude of a person cannot be changed. Human Resource Department (HRM) is considered to be the most vital and unavoidable department of a company but the influence of the HRM on the company depends on the culture and values of the company and how important they consider the HRM is and if it would help to improve the companys staff quality. In terms of Four Seasons the HRM would be more of a supporting department as they would have little influence on the culture of the company and instead the culture of Four Seasons would identify the HRM departments duties and the kind of recruitment, selection, training, development, etc. criteria they need to follow. The organisation of Four Seasons depend on finding the employees that fit in their culture rather than hiring qualified and experienced staff and then molding them to the requirements of the company. This to some extent makes it a lot easier for the HRM in terms of designing the programs but it also makes it extremely difficult to look for the right people for the right job. Another factor would be to incorporate the empowerment factor into the selection, training and development programs as they will need to be very accurate so as to not select, train and develop the wrong people for the wrong job. To do so Four Seasons has already created a program which begins with h iring talented individuals with the resourcefulness and dedication to perform to their best and the training was began with a three month initial orientation and a supervisor and management development programs, the senior management had their own executive development programs and the employees also received classroom training. The whole employee development program was divided into seven parts being Recruitment, Selection, Orientation, Training, Performance Management, Rewards Recognition, Development Success and Promotion/Transfer each of these programs included their own specific components such as brain storming sessions and extensive interviews for Recruitment, align with strategy, attitude comes first, define required key competencies, 4 stages interview process and Behavioural Interviewing based on defined competencies for Selection, align with strategy, adequate lead time, emphasis on attitude, service teamwork, consistent global approach, multi-lingual Culture film, heavy management involvement buy-in and re-orientation as needed for Orientation, align with strategy, on-line (Standards) program, designated trainers and customers service skills, emphasis on Culture throughout and coordinated efforts for Training, align with strategy, identify key Competencies, Good At not simply Good Person, a ssessment starts early and never ends, provide actionable feedback, do it in time to make a difference, potential assessment, goals/processes/measures and do it in time to make a difference for Performance Management, paid vacations and monetary rewards for Rewards Recognition, align with strategy, succession planning, task force work, planned global exposure, multi-ethnic talent for Development Succession and based on performance experience and destinations of choice for Promotion/Transfer. The purpose of mentioning all these components is that the HRM program was extremely well defined and due to this the different departments did not need to depend on the HRM to tell them what was needed to be done but instead only had to follow these components and see that the employees followed them as well. Each and every factors of employee development was important but the most important factor for any company and especially in the hospitality industry is the Performance Management Syste m (PMS) which could be defined as A management technique intended to holistically consider the performance of (usually a group of) employees or machines to work towards optimum performance of a particular task or (more frequently) a group of tasks (Allsites LLC., 2010). The main reason why the PMS is so vital to an organisation is because in this stage the company can actually identify whether all the earlier stages such as Recruitment, Selection, Orientation and Training were successful and if there is a need to redo few or all of the stages again, in addition this gives an idea of what to expect in the future stages. In simple terms this is a crossroad that could make or break the whole program so considering its importance every organisation needs to develop the best possible components for it. Four Seasons have identified nine various components, which give an idea that they as well consider it to be a vital aspect. The major issue here as mentioned in the earlier section is the focus on empowerment of employees which drives the HRM department and this is also the reason why the HRM is more of a collaborator rather that than initiator which leave very little room for change and this would seriously affect their growth prospects as this would cause the HRM department to be bias towards a section of the employee market and this could also cause major future problems for the company such as distrust and deflation of the brand image. Another important factor would be to not to consider being selfish to a particular section of the employees especially the white skinned employees which in any country and also by U.N.s universal declaration on Race, Racism and the Law is considered to be racist and unethical, this can be proven by the article 23 point 1 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71 (1948) which clearly states that Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable condit ions of work and to protection against unemployment (Bell, 2010). Thus it is extremely important for Four Seasons to try and not walk that line as selecting based on attitude could easily be perceived to be racist by international laws and this could also lead to a wide spread boycott of the Four Seasons and could tumble the identity and respect that the Four Seasons has earned. Policies and procedures in HRM and its evaluation The culture of Four Seasons is extremely strong and has a direct influence on the strategies of the HRM and has also dictates the policies and procedures of the department. Four Seasons always believes that the satisfaction of employees is more important than that of the customers. This can be seen in the benefits that the Four Seasons offer which is specifically created to motivate the employees to put in their best foot and this will be illustrated in the table below. Table : Benefits of working for Four Seasons (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, 2010) Company-Wide Benefits Career Growth Opportunities Unique Deep Culture Best-In-Industry Training Luxury Environment Within Magnificent Locations Worldwide Profit Sharing/Incentive Bonus/Competitive Salaries Complimentary Stays At Four Seasons Properties With Discounted Meals Paid Holidays/Vacation Educational Assistance Dental And Medical Insurance/Disability/Life Retirement Benefits/Pension Employee Service Awards Annual Employee Party/Social And Sporting Events Complimentary Meals In Dedicated Employee Restaurants In addition to these benefits there are other benefits that are given to the employees depending on the local law and regulations. The benefits are very specific and takes care of all the needs of the employees in terms of the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs we could get a much clear picture. The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs identifies 5 various needs of a human being and that they strive to achieve it throughout their life and these 5 needs will be shown in the figure below. Figure : Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 2009) Maslows Hierarchy of Needs The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs states that there are five main needs that a person needs to satisfy to make him feel complete and these needs are Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs, Esteem Needs and Self-Actualization Needs. Physiological needs are the need for basic things like air, food, drinks, shelter, clothing, etc. (Chapman, 2010). Safety needs is specific to laws and regulation and its impact on personal life or whether it is safe to live (Chapman, 2010). Social Needs on the other hand is more to do with having relationship with different groups of people mainly family and friends (Chapman, 2010). Esteem needs are more psychology based like feeling independent, having high status and prestige, personal achievements, etc (Chapman, 2010). The Self-Actualization needs are the most tough but the most vital for feeling complete and this can be achieved when a person feels self-fulfilled, achieves personal growth and reaches the peak of his experience (Chapman, 2010). T he Maslows Hierarchy of needs does not only affect the normal way of life but also has an influence on the motivation of the employees in an organisation especially the hospitality sector this sector tends to have the highest percent of turnover which mainly depends on the benefits that the company offers. To get a comprehensible prospective to this the writer will compare the two factor being the benefits of Four Seasons and the Maslows Hierarchy of needs to see which benefits affect what type of needs. Figure : Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to Four Seasons Employee Benefits  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide In the above figure the writer has clearly divided each of the benefits to the various needs that it satisfies. This figure clearly identifies that the main reason why Four Seasons is in the top 100 companies to work for is because of they try hard to satisfy the needs of their employees and in addition to this they also offer empowerment to its employees which directly or indirectly satisfies the needs of Esteem and Self-Actualization. As Vice President of HRM moving Four Seasons forward in the next four years Four Seasons is an organisation with great potential for growth, this is mainly because of their organizational culture and the way they take care of the employees. Employees are one of the most important stakeholders that have a direct impact on the organisation and if the employees are not happy then the customers will not be happy and thus affecting the running of the organisation. There are several factors that can be taken into account for the development of the organisation but the most important factor would be to focus less focus on empowerment and more on diversity. The reason behind identifying it as a factor is that even although the company is managing to reduce their turnover by hiring employees that fit their culture, Four Seasons has not considered the external effects of perusing such an option and this has already started to take its toll on the company as people have started to notice that Four Seasons are bias to foreigners especially white skin candidate, this kind of controversies could seriously deteriorate the companys image and brand name, in addition it could in long term affect their employee turnover and even cause the company to lose their customers. This is only a miner effect compared to what could happen later as loosing the customers will effect various stakeholders to stop trusting the future of the organisation and this will cause a ripple effect where the stocks of the company will start falling, investors will start withdrawing their stocks and ultimately causing Four Seasons a final blow. This at the end would bring t he company to the verge of bankruptcy. This is farfetched and may not even happen exactly as mentioned but sooner or later people will start to notice the biasness and retaliate accordingly. The above elastration is the consequence of ignoring the issue but the real issue is what Four Seasons can do to avoid such a massive collapse. This may not be easy and could take a lot of time and money to reverse it. To begin with the company first needs to incorporate diversity to their culture as they need to stop judging that foreigners candidates are better at the use of empowerment than the local candidates and rather than hiring all the employees from outside resident country, they should divide the employee as 60% to 70% foreigners and 30% to 40% local should be included into their policies of HRM, this is simple terms means that Four Seasons needs to incorporate Talent Management in their strategy. Talent Management can be defined as A conscious, deliberate approach undertaken to attract, develop and retain people with the aptitude and abilities to meet current and future organizational needs. Talent management involves individual and organizational development in response to a changing and complex operating environment. It includes the creation and maintenance of a supportive, people oriented organisation culture (Derek Stockley Pty Ltd., 2005). Talent management incorporates the whole process of the HRM such as recruitment, development, performance management, retention, etc. and it does not end there as it also helps develop the culture of the organisation towards a more positive outlook. The purpose of identifying Talent Management as an option is due the effect it could have on the HRM and Four Seasons as it helps to identify critical areas that need to be changed, takes phased approach to implementing a strategy within the areas, creates ways to assessing the impact on the areas and conducts reviews on the varies areas so provide input for future implementation (TalentAlign, 2010). Figure : Talent Management Concept http://www.taleo.com/sites/default/files/article-talent-management.jpg (Taleo Corporation, 2010) Based on the above shown figure we can identify that there are two major factors influencing talent management which are business goals and business performance and these are more like a cause and effect of the company, the cause being the business goal and effect being business performance. The figure also identifies all the various segments that talent management influences by dividing it into 4 sections namely Align, Assess, Acquire and Develop. To explain it better Align and Assess are pre-recruiting stages or planning stage where the HRM can identify the purpose and outcome that they would like want to achieve. Acquire and Develop on the other hand is involved with more of the physical aspect of the HRM for instance recruiting, training, development, performance management, etc. Talent Management could in actual fact help Four Seasons to provide authority to the HRM department and thus restructuring the organisation to provide optimal workforce. This system is not bias thus chan ging the selection process and making the organisation more diverse. Craig Hickman a famous author of various books on business and management such as The Strategic Game, Mind of a Manager, Soul of a Leader, etc. identifies diversity to be an important component to the success of an organization and believes that organizations take it extremely lightly as they only tolerate it rather than embracing it and this is mainly due to the external influence such as government and local residence (Hickman, 2006). It is not just important for Four Seasons to incorporate diversity using talent management but also so embrace it with the optimism that it will improve their current position. The whole process of talent management should take around two to three years to accurately be integrated in the organisation but even after it integration Four Seasons needs to continue to develop it and follow up on the progress and identify the way to improve it. Another option for the company which may even be cheaper and less time consuming than talent management would be the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In simple terms CSR is the involvement towards the economy, environment and social sustainability of the public with the assistance of various stakeholders (Baker, Corporate Social Responsibility What does it mean?). The purpose of identifying CSR as an option is because of cost effectiveness, media attractiveness, direct influence, no change in the organ

DNA Chip - Genetic Testing of the Future Essay -- Genes Science Techno

DNA Chip - Genetic Testing of the Future Many, if not most diseases, have their roots in our genes. Genes, through the proteins they encode, determine how efficiently we process foods, how effectively we detoxify poisons, and how vigorously we respond to infections. In the past 20 years, amazing new techniques have allowed scientists to learn a great deal about how genes work and how they are linked to disease. This rapid pace of discovery of genetic factors, responsible for certain diseases, has allowed scientists to genetically test asymptomatic individuals and predict their risk of certain diseases. In this paper, I am going to discuss the following areas pertaining to the topic of genetic testing: The definition and purpose of genetic testing Distinguishing major testing techniques with particular interest in the DNA chip Ethical considerations regarding genetic testing, explaining views on both sides Public policy pertaining to genetic testing and the use of the DNA chip and My personal opinion regarding the use of the DNA chip. Definition of Genetic Testing Genetic testing is the analysis of human DNA, RNA, chromosomes, proteins, and certain metabolites in order to detect heritable disease-related genotypes, mutations, phenotypes, or karyotypes for clinical purposes (6). There are several genetic tests currently in use which are used to look for a possible predisposition to certain diseases, as well as to confirm a suspected mutation in an individual or family. These tests vary from newborn screening, with the detection of abnormal or missing gene products to carrier testing, which allows couples to learn if they carry a recessive allele for an inherited disease and thus risk passing that allele on... ...ited States. Obtained from the WWW:http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/ELSI/TFGT_final/ 7. ISB News Report. Obtained from the WWW:http://gophisb.biochem.vt.edu/news/1997/news97.sep.html#sep9701 8. LaMendola, Bob. Lawmakers: Genetic testing alone should not impact health coverage. Obtained from the WWW:http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/2939.html 9. NAPBC Fact Sheet: "Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk: It's Your Choice: Obtained from the WWW:http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu/disease/breast/genetics/napbc/napbc-fact.html 10. Singh-Gasson, Sangeet et al. 1999. Maskless fabrication of light-directed oligonucleotide microarrays using a digital micromirror array. Nature Biotechnology 17:974-978. 11. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Understanding Gene Testing. Obtained from the WWW:http://www.accessexcallence.org/AE/AEPC/NIH/index.html Student Essay List