The FBI is building the world’s largest computer database of peoples’ physical characteristics, a project that would give the government unprecedented abilities to identify individuals in the United States and beyond.

At the West Virginia University Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), 45 minutes north of the FBI’s biometric facility in Clarksburg, researchers are working on capturing images of people’s irises at distances up to 15 feet, and of faces from as far away as 200 yards. Those researchers will be doing biometric research for the FBI.

Next Generation Identification
The Next Generation database is intended to “fuse” fingerprint, face, iris and palm matching capabilities by 2013.

American Civil Liberties Union concerned, according to Barry Steinhardt, Director of the Technology and Liberty Project of the American Civil Liberties Union:
“It’s going to be an essential component of tracking. It’s enabling the Always On Surveillance Society.”

Source:
FBI Prepares Vast Database Of Biometrics Washington Post

More information:
Federal Bureau of Investigation/ Criminal Justice Information Services (FBI – CJIS)

See Also:
CJIS Group

Appearance is often the first impression that generates how others perceive — right or wrong — a person’s success and capabilities. Appearance is often believed to be important in getting a job, getting a promotion, and attracting a mate. Plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, exercise bodyshaping, bodysculpting, weight management, laser treatment, tanning and many more methods are used to improve the image of an individual.

Plastic Surgery/Cosmetic Surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that uses a number of surgical and nonsurgical techniques to change the appearance and function of a person’s body. Plastic surgery procedures include both cosmetic enhancements as well as functionally reconstructive operations. When aesthetics are considered more important than functionality or a functionality improvement is not necessary, plastic surgery may be referred to as cosmetic surgery. Most procedures involve both aesthetic and functional elements. Cosmetic surgery, as defined by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, is a subspecialty of medicine and surgery that uniquely restricts itself to the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is specifically concerned with maintaining normal appearance, restoring it, or enhancing it beyond the average level toward some aesthetic ideal. Cosmetic surgery is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive approach directed to all areas of the head, neck and body.

Special skill and knowledge are essential and specialists in cosmetic surgery are competent in the anatomy, physiology, pathology and basic sciences. The educational profile of this specialty is unique in that it begins with a fully trained and certified physician. Through continued post-residency education, training and experience, cosmetic surgery is taught and learned across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The subspecialty fully incorporates the participation and knowledge from all contributing disciplines to attain a high level of skill and understanding. Contributing disciplines include dermatology, general surgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, maxillofacial surgery, oculoplastic surgery, and others.

Plastic and cosmetic surgeons offer specialized expertise in patient education and counseling, procedural skills, and the early recognition and treatment of complications. Regarding public awareness and confusion of plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery with other non-medical cosmetic practices, many physicians have to overcome preconceptions patients have about plastic surgery being simple and fast. While plastic surgery or cosmetics surgery is low risk when performed by knowledgeable, experienced plastic surgeons, it is still not ‘simple.’  As a specialty, cosmetic surgeons have advanced the knowledge and training of fellow physicians and directly benefited society through educational publications, scientific journals and in the development of safe and innovative techniques.

Competency in cosmetic surgery implies a combination of knowledge, surgical judgment, technical expertise and ethics in order to achieve the goal of providing aesthetic improvement. The largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS, plasticsurgery.org).

Exercise Bodyshaping/Bodysculpting
Coming Soon …

Laser Hair Removal
Epilation performed by laser was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1990s. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) epilators, though technically not a laser, use xenon flash lamps that emit full spectrum light. Laser and light-based methods, sometimes called phototricholysis or photoepilation, are now most commonly referred to collectively as “laser hair removal”. One of the first published articles (Permanent hair removal by normal-mode ruby laser) describing laser hair removal was authored by Deirickx CC, Grossman MC, Farinelli WA and Anderson RR at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998. The efficacy of laser hair removal is now generally accepted in the dermatology community, and laser hair removal is widely practiced. Many reviews of laser hair removal methods, safety, and efficacy have been published in the dermatology literature.

Electrolysis is an alternative permanent hair removal method that has been used for over 135 years. It involves treating one hair at a time and is an option for smaller areas (like eyebrows or upper lip) where precision is necessary, although even in these areas it has fallen out of favor because of the possibility of scarring and the pain of the procedure (unlike laser hair removal, local injection anesthesia is often required in order for patients to tolerate electrolysis). In addition it takes so many treatments compared to laser to complete a large area, and the extreme cost and discomfort are such that electrolysis is rarely used for large areas. At this time, it is the only permanent option for very fine and light-colored hair.

References:
Dierickx, C.C., et al. Permanent hair removal by normal-mode ruby laser. Arch Dermatol, 1998. 134(7): p. 837-42.

NOV 13 2007 — ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Following the tragic death of Donda West, mother of hip-hop star Kanye West, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reminds consumers that plastic surgery is real surgery and outlines several important recommendations when considering plastic surgery.

“The death of a patient is always tragic and devastating for all involved, particularly the patient’s family and the medical team,” said Richard D’Amico, MD, ASPS president. “However, we don’t want to unnecessarily frighten the public. While this situation is rare, the decision to have a plastic surgery procedure is serious. No-risk surgery doesn’t exist.”

ASPS recommends six essential points when considering any plastic surgery procedure:

1. Do your homework: Research the procedure, the benefits and the risks. Go to www.plasticsurgery.org for the latest information on plastic surgery procedures.

2. Have realistic expectations: Ask your plastic surgeon about the benefits and risks of your surgery; discuss your expectations and understand side effects and recovery time.

3. Be informed: Talk to patients who have had your procedure so you know what to expect.

4. Ask tough questions: Consult with your plastic surgeon and discuss your full medical history to determine the most appropriate treatment.

5. Choose an ASPS Member Surgeon: ASPS Member Surgeons are qualified, trained and properly certified. They adhere to a strict code of ethics, receive continuous education and operate only in accredited facilities.

6. Confirm accreditation of outpatient surgery center: If your surgery may take place in an outpatient surgery center, be sure it is accredited. ASPS requires that all members who perform surgery under anesthesia must do so in a facility that meets certain criteria, such as the appropriate accreditation and state licensure.

“It’s one thing to have training, but it’s another to have your competency tested. This is why board-certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is so crucial,” said Dr. D’Amico. “As a patient, you should ask yourself, ‘Why wouldn’t this surgeon be board-certified in plastic surgery?’”

All ABPS-certified physicians have:

At the highest level of care, every surgery has risks as well as benefits. The ASPS recognizes the physician-patient relationship is one of shared decision-making. This decision-making process is called informed consent. The ASPS “Statement of Principle on Informed Consent” details the information that should be discussed and understood by the patient, including: details of the surgery, benefits, possible consequences and side effects of the operation, potential risks and adverse outcomes as well as their probability and severity; alternatives to the procedure being considered and their benefits, risks and consequences; and the anticipated outcome.

A 2004 study published in the official medical journal of the ASPS, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that deaths occurring at office-based surgery facilities are rare—less than ¼ percent. More than 400,000 operative procedures in accredited office-based outpatient surgery centers were studied from 2000-2002. Serious complications were infrequent, occurring 1 in 298 cases or 0.34 percent with death occurring 1 in 51,459 cases or 0.0019 percent, which is comparable to the overall risk of such procedures performed in hospital surgery facilities.

A new study presented at the ASPS annual scientific conference in October reported similar findings.

Visit www.plasticsurgery.org for referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons and to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Keywords: Plastic surgery, cosmetics surgery, deaths from plastic surgery, plastic surgeon qualifications, cosmetic surgeon qualifications