Thursday, October 31, 2019

Ultrasound risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ultrasound risk - Essay Example These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby's position and movements. Hard tissues such as bone reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image, and soft tissues appear grey and speckled. Fluids (such as the amniotic fluid that the baby lies in) do not reflect any echoes so appear black. It is the contrast between these different shades of white, grey and black that allows your sonographer to interpret the images.Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The sonographer will give you an ultrasound report with a printout of your baby's images. Some hospitals may even give a photograph of your baby's images as a keepsake at an additional cost. However, it is important to remember that the main purpose of the scan is not to provide the first photo for your baby album, or to find out your baby's sex, either. It is to check that your baby is growin g and developing normally." (What is an Ultrasound Scan) The risks involved in Diagnostic are believed to be very controversial and the risks involved aren't known completely. This uncertainly makes this whole process a very daunting one for some women. Several authors have written on this controversial subject and concluded that ultrasound has no ill effects; on the contrary some authors have succeeded in proving that this process involves more risks than perceived by the human beings. "Although the effects of ultrasound are still being studied, no harmful effects to either the mother or the baby have been found in over 20 years of use. The long-term risks of ultrasound, if any, are unknown, but there are many benefits." Others warn that it is insufficiently tested, and make comparisons with X-rays and DES, which were once considered safe. The main area of debate is whether ultrasound is being used too frequently in a routine fashion in healthy pregnancies, without thorough enough testing. There may be some association between ultrasound and low birth weight (Blatt). (Altho' this is difficult to prove because the opposite assertion is known to be true: i.e. if there is IUGR (intra-uterine growth retardation) US will be performed more regularly to assess the progress of the baby.) Some people express concern about the heat and cavitation (bubbling in the cells). Others wonder whether routine ultrasound is cost effective, or whether the money involved would be more effectively spent elsewhere." (What are the Risks of Ultrasound) Effects and Mechanisms The study of transducer is pivotal as far as diagnostic ultrasound is concerned, this process is also known as probe or scan-head. The overall clinical quality depends on this scan-head, it is heavily dependent to determine more important things than one. "Modernultrasoundtransducers often contain 128 and in some cases 288 or more elements. It is well known that with time and normal wear and tear, individual elements within the transducerarray can cease working altogether (i.e., dead elements) or demonstrate significantly reduced sensitivity compared to their original specification. Further, these compromised elements (either "dead" or degraded) fundamentally affect the operation of the entiretransducer, and therefore can have a negative impact on clinical results, and potentially, the efficacy of the entireultrasoundstudy.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora Research Paper

A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora - Research Paper Example However, the concept of African Diaspora resulted when the West Africans regained their traditional customs, and reformed their religion, language, and culture. However, they have not been able to regain that identity that they lost in the slave trade. This loss of identity has made them suffer from racial discrimination since the time they were transported into the Western hemisphere (Berkin et al. 2011). It was not planned, but was a natural course of action. The Diaspora has given rise to anti-black sentiments all around the globe. These sentiments are not only for African-Americans, but for all blacks anywhere in the world, including African, Caribbean, and otherwise dark people. There is an interesting history of a mish-mash of African identity in America. This paper tends to discuss the theory of cultural materialism in relation to loss of identity in African Diaspora, and strives to answer the complex question regarding how the African Diaspora has created an impact upon the A frican identity throughout history. The anthropological theory of cultural materialism has been presented by the iconoclastic anthropologist, Marvin Harris (1927-2001). Erickson and Murphy (2008, p.148) state in their book that, â€Å"Cultural materialism addresses a central problem for scientific anthropology: people can be both subjects and objects of scientific investigation.† This means that people have the right to think as they like, and say about them as they wish. Where the true knowledge resides, is answered by Harris in two domains. One is mental domain, and the other is behavioral domain. Mental domain is based on what people think, and the behavioral domain is based on what people actually do. The Diasporic sense of blackness relates to cultural materialism in that, the mental domain makes the Africans fight back for their lost identity, while the behavioral domain is based on how they behave in the society, and how the society understands their behavior. This beh avioral domain is what has been the reason for labor market discrimination or racial discrimination that the African-Americans have been seeing through ages (Mason, as cited in Conrad, 2005, p.141). The question that arises now is- How the African Diaspora has affected the African identity throughout history? Thesis: Africans lost their identities in the African Diaspora. Anti-thesis: Africans regained their identities in the African Diaspora. Synthesis: Although Africans have made struggles to regain their traditional customs, religion, and cultural practices in the new world, yet they have been unable to find their lost identities, due to which they have been subject to racial discrimination since the slavery trade till date. To start with, let’s define who a slave is. A slave is a person who is owned by another person for labor, and who does not have an identity of his own. Does this definition mean that Africans should always be understood as objects of ridicule, not havi ng identities of their own, and meant for slavery of white people? This question has yet not been answered even after the end of the period of slavery. Black people in America are yet supposed to suffer from discrimination and a loss of identity, in all physical, mental and social terms. Nothing has been done ever, or can be done, to make them reform their true identities with which they lived in their own homeland. Affirmative action policies and anti-racism actions cannot bring

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Will Smiths Roles And Performances Film Studies Essay

Will Smiths Roles And Performances Film Studies Essay Born to Reign was the album released by Willard Christopher Smith Jr. also known as Will Smith, in the year of 2002. Although it did not reach the levels of success his previous albums had, it had a very clear and intended message behind it in relation to this essay. Within it, he addressed his true beliefs and intentions of life which are now backed up by his acting in his never-ending list of films. This essay will simultaneously look at Will Smiths roles and performances mainly within three of his movies filmed within five years of each other. The first of the three being one of the most challenging physically and mentally as described by himself Ali, Michael Mann, 2001. At the time, this was something completely different to any of his other work. This film being a biopic meant he had to accustom himself into the role of one of the most influential figures and one of the greatest fighters of all time. Not an easy task for an average actor. But is Will Smith average? Far from it i n fact, in his 1997 pop/rap lyrics of Gettin Jiggy Wit It from the hit album Big Willie Style, Will Smith says that Muhammad Ali would call him the greatest. Four years later, he was the lead role in Ali working alongside the great man himself. The second film is Bad Boys II, Michael Bay, 2003, an action/adventure film which can be said to be a typically standard Will Smith movie consisting of comedy throughout. And finally, the third film is Hitch, Andy Tennant, 2005 which again showed his versatility as an actor and his capability to adapt to any given role within a film with this being of a romantic comedy genre. The reason behind these film choices is simply because of the fact that they all come under different genres with Will Smith maintaining his high standards throughout each of these films. This has made people ask themselves the question whether there is anything he can not do in film. By the end of this essay, when the films have been analyzed and his performances within them observed, we will have come to the conclusion as to why Will Smith is regarded as the most powerful actor in Hollywood. The word Renaissance is defined in the oxford dictionary as the revival of art and learning under the influence of classical models. Considering the formidable success achieved by Will Smith in the numerous arenas of the entertainment industry, music, producing as well as acting, this multi-talented individual must be regarded as the original Renaissance man. Remembering back to the time Will Smith first hit the big screen in the family friendly sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air in September 1990, he was a little known pop/rapper. Unknowingly, this sitcom based on a poor kid living with a rich Beverly Hills family relative from the Warner Bros executive Benny Medina would be an emergence of black comedy. This proved to be a runaway hit lasting for six seasons, but in fact this would just be the beginning of what was to come. His exploits within The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air prove that it was just the birth of a true star of entertainment. According to Dyer, R. 1998, p35, stardom is an image of the way stars live. For the most part, this generalised lifestyle is the assumed backdrop for the specific personality of the star and the details and events of his/her life. With that in mind and bearing Will Smith was given the freedom to be himself within the sitcom, he was given an opportunity to put across his true personality which in turn gave the show a distinctive genuine feel. This way, the audiences were treated to the real life star but unusually on stage. This gave the show a natural look which allowed the audience to appreciate the true characteristics and traits of the star of the show, Will Smith. In actual fact, it did not stop there. Since then most of his films have had Will Smith written all over them. Most of the films that Will Smith is associated with are action/adventure with a touch of his trademark comedy which is known to be his strength due to his personality. But in fact it appears to have been the epic creation of the biopic Ali, in which he had the lead role that earned him his first Oscar nomination. His well studied performance also earned him severe praise as at the time, it was something completely different to any of his other mainstream films. Playing the lead role in this biopic of the great Muhammad Ali was no easy task as in the footage of the Making of Ali, Will Smith stated that to play the role of a living legend is the hardest thing to do for an actor. Few would disagree as Muhammad Ali himself was on set for some of the shooting to keep an eye on things! The basic narrative of the film is that Ali thrills the world with his ground-breaking boxing victories in the 60s and 70s. But the man behind the legend is grappling with a tumultuous romantic life, his de eply held religious beliefs and the pressures of staying on top. A quick witted, winning personality and strong friendships with close associates including renowned newscaster Howerd Cosell help Ali float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. But faced with a life changing conflict outside of the ring, the famously opinionated boxer is forced to rely on the one person he knows the best, himself. With this narrative, Will Smith did not just have to worry about getting the acting part right, but also the part of getting into the right physical shape. This meant he had to train rigorously for his most demanding role yet. Darrell Foster, his boxing trainer, talked about the training regime in Behind the Scenes of Ali. He intimated that they trained for just over a year, six hours a day. The training began at six in the morning and finished by five in the evening with rests and other acting exertions in between. Weighing at just 189 pounds when they began, Will Smith scaled at 222 pounds by the time they had finished training and started filming. These facts simply show the dedication and commitment he has for the cause of being an actor and more importantly, a success. His ability to change his whole appearance via a physically demanding regime as the one he was on in order to fill his role show what an exceptional character he has. The courage and compassion he showed by doing this was what got him the most recognition by critics and audiences alike as he went out of his way in order to tell a real life story in the best way he possibly could. His general behaviour and intelligence within this film got people questioning how good he really was and is as an actor never mind an entertainer. This quote from Will Smith himself out of the Making of Ali I had to learn to think like a fighter, eat like a fighter, sleep like a fighter and assess situations in life like a fighter shows vital skills of adapting to any given role which is a sign of an if not good, then a great actor. It also shows that it was not just the physical aspects he had to adapt to but in fact his mentality too. This was on show when watching the film as you could see the narrative of the film insisted on him to cut out his usual comedy traits in order to try and emulate one of the most influential figures to grace sport. He managed to show some unique characteristics within the film as alt hough the film did include various scenes of comedy, the trademark so called goofy comedy of Will Smith was nowhere to be seen. In truth, it was the poetic rhymes that Muhammad Ali was so famous for that Will Smith imitated all to well. Changing his whole style of acting, beginning with minor things such as his walk, line of speech (phrases) and other characteristics to accommodate his role within the film showed a mean feat in itself. In reality, this was the film that put Will Smith at the top in regards to acting as although it was not the biggest selling film of that year, the hard work put into completing this film gained him endless praise and respect from critics, peers and audiences alike. After his Oscar nomination performance in Ali, Will Smith went on to executive produce the Robert De Niro/Eddie Murphy comedy Showtime in 2002. However what came after is our next focal point. Bad Boys II, a 2003 film by Michael Bay, was a film that topped the box office but by now, that was to be expected with a film starring Will Smith. This film consisted of a thrill ride from beginning to end. In brief, the film is about one hundred million dollars worth of confiscated heroin getting poached from police custody and the two most witty of detectives, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are on the case. The missing drugs now threaten to shut down their narcotics division of the Miami Police Department. Bullets fly and cars crash as they pursue a dead beat drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba. But this being a Will Smith film, the real fireworks result when Marcus discovers that playboy Mike Lowrey is secretly romancing his sister. This is the box office topping film we have now come to expect from Will Smith. A typical action/adventure genre with plenty of nice cars, plenty of shooting and plenty of blow ups, not forgetting the secret romance on the side. In a particular scene of an intense car chase, you see him driving his Ferrari over pavements and executing plenty of stunts while maintaining his trademark comedy with his witty comments. This really fulfils the credentials of an action/adventure genre therefore is very productive in catching the attention if its audience through its action packed acting. It has to be noted that Will Smith is complimented very much so by the presence of Martin Lawrence throughout this film which is fantastic from the comedic aspect of the film as they are two good entertainers but together, they show that they can become great. Director Michael Bay insisted on giving Will Smith a new sexy, bad image in the original Bad Boys to overcome his existing image of providing young goofy comedy seen in his sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. This obviously continued from their on in which shows his intentions to be able to learn and cultivate on his acting from a young age. All this has led him to reach the heights that he is at today. Preparation for this film was far from the same level as Ali as that was just on a completely different scale. But he still managed to put in some extra work by attending a school for policing to learn shooting and basic combative movements. This propelled him to greater heights in the world of Hollywood as he could have been said to be reaching a point where the question what he can not do was beginning to rise. Then came a slight indication as to there might just being something but as that question was about to be raised, then came Hitch. While Will Smith had proven himself as an action star time and again and had received high marks for his dramatic work, it remained to be seen if he could carry a romantic comedy. How wrong were the doubters as all the speculation ceased in early 2005 with the release of Hitch, starring Will Smith as a fabled date doctor. The film had the biggest opening weekend for a romantic comedy to date. Basically, Will Smith, as Alex Hitchens within the film, is the cure for the common man. Most men have difficulty finding love because its hard to be yourself when your self thinks you should be someone else. Thats where Hitch comes in. as a tactical advisor who specialises in first impressions, he customises and orchestrates a clients first three dates. He is secretly responsible for hundreds of New York City weddings. Sara (Eva Mendes) is a gossip reporter for a da ily tabloid who, after a chance meeting with Hitch, finds her professional life and personal life on a collision course. She makes Hitch re-evaluate his game and teaches him that love is not a feeling, its in fact an action. In relation to this narrative, the director Andy Tennant hinted that with all the charm and charisma Will Smith naturally possessed, this script was written purely for him and that this would come as second nature to him. His theory proved to be correct as Will Smith walked away with the kids as well as the teens choice awards for this film as well as being nominated for another six staggering awards including the BET comedy award. The following year, Will Smith starred in the period drama The Pursuit Of Happyness. This film recounted the true story of Charles Gardner and tapped new reserves of compassion in Will Smiths persona. He managed to fully embody another real-life character while maintaining all of the qualities that endeared him to audiences in the first place; his humour, his hustle and his ingenuity. This is no coincidence then that people have already begun to talk about him as playing the role of Barack Obama if a biopic of his life and the road to the United States presidency as the first black president is ever produced. Looking at his achievements to date and his ambitions for the future, you can understand the reasons behind him now being labelled as the most powerful actor in Hollywood. Having started rapping at the age of twelve and having won his first Grammy at the age of twenty, he is now in a position with a countless number of awards and nominations under his belt at the age of forty. The most recent one (November 2008) being voted number one on the list of Americas favourite stars by readers of parade magazine and viewers of the US television show Entertainment Tonight. Currently working on producing for film, music and television as well as acting, you can see that he is not yet ready to relinquish his work. Through the years he has distinctively demonstrated his own commercial viability and sturdy appeal to a broad cross section of viewers which has allowed him to arguably cement his place deservedly as the most powerful man in Hollywood never mind actor. Could his very own lyrics of 1997 from the hit single Gettin Jiggy Wit It when he claimed Muhammad Ali would call him the greatest be accurate? Would it be justifiable to think so in relation to what he has achieved and what he is destined to do?

Friday, October 25, 2019

She :: essays research papers

Khadijah and her brother was home alone on a Monday night. No they were not trying to have a wild party. They were waiting by the phone expecting a call from there parent. I know this sounds strange, teenagers waiting for a call from their parents. But this was not a "Is the house okay" call. There Aunt Marla was in the Hospice House for the terminally ill. They wanted to know how she was doing and was every thing okay. When the phone rung they ran to it like horses at the race track. It was their father telling them that their Aunt was doing fine and will have to stay there a couple of months. They felt relive to hear the good news, but Khadijah knew something was not right. As she got in the bed it felt kind of strange like someone was in it. (Let's not forget this is the same bed Khadijah use to share with her Aunt when she lived with her family.) Khadijah went to sleep with her Aunt Marla in her mind. The next morning Khadijah woke up feeling like something was wrong. She got dress as usual and went down stairs for breakfast. But she did not sit to the table with her brothers. Instead she sat in the rocking chair her Aunt read her stories in. When her mother came down stairs she ask was everything was okay. Khadijah said "yes everything is fine." Everything was not fine, but Khadijah did not no what was wrong yet. When Khadijah got out of the chair to take her bowl to the kitchen she notice it started to rock on its own. She thought nothing of it and guess it came from her getting up real fast. Every morning Khadijah's mother takes her and her brother to school. And on the way there is a graveyard. Khadijah hardly ever looks at the graveyard when she passes by, but something about it today made her look. It look like it had some kind of glow to it. As she pass by Khadijah said "Somebody's dead", her brother Carl said " No duh! The people in the graveyard are.". But Khadijah was not talking about the people in the graveyard. Then Khadijah ask her mother what time was it. Her mother said it was 8 o'clock. Her brother ask "Why does it matter?

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Benefits of Drinking Coffee and the Benefits of Green Tea Essay

Compare and contrast the benefits of drinking coffee with the benefits of green tea? It is nice to have a cup of hot drink in the morning, there are many options which to choose, such as coffee and green tea, two famous drinks in the world. They have different effects on body, and could prevent different kind of diseases, one similarity thing is both of them contain Caffeine. Coffee could effects on body, prevent diseases and contain vast caffeine. Your muscle strength will be stronger after you drink coffee because of caffeine, coffee couldn’t make you fatter, but if you put sugar into your coffee, it will make your stature fatter, and almost everyone put sugar in theirs coffee. According to Brian Fung (2012, July 3rd), â€Å"We are learned that coffee can protect your heart, reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer, and curb the risk of fibrosis among those with fatty liver disease.† Drink coffee is not a preferred option before you go to bed, because of the caffeine, it could stronger refresh you, so it better to drink it in the morning. Green tea could make you body slim, prevent diseases and contain caffeine. An antioxidants called catechins was found in green tea, it could inhibits the cholesterol produce, decrease the cholesterol content could make you body healthy. According to Leslie Beck (2011, July 5th), â€Å"It’s a beverage that’s touted to boost metabolism, prevent cancer, ease arthritis pain, even fight dental cavities. Now, new study findings suggest there’s one more reason to drink green tea: It lowers blood cholesterol.† If somebody was drunk, green tea could help you get out of that bad condition because the caffeine that in green tea could boost metabolism. In conclusion, different people have different opinions, both coffee and tea is benefit for us. So what drinks is not important, the important thing is to understand yourself and find an appropriate drink. References Fung, Brian. (2012, July 3rd). The Case for Coffee: All the latest research to defend your caffeine addiction, in one place. The Atlantic . Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-case-for-coffee-all-the-latest-research-to-defend-your-caffeine-addiction-in-one-place/259404/#.UGODjDyjSBw.email Beck, Leslie. (2011, July 5th). Why green should be your cup of tea. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/why-green-should-be-your-cup-of-tea/article4210709/

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship

‘The Crucible’ is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. During the 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting â€Å"witch hunts†. The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for â€Å"dangerous communists. † Accusations came from left and right, much the same as the characters did for â€Å"real witches† in The Crucible. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. As an effect of this bias, the accused were never discharged, but were given the opportunity to confess to the crime of witchcraft to lessen their sentence. With the red scare, the accused were given a chance to give up names of other suspected communists to lessen their sentence as well. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. This is shown as abuse of power. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. The entire plot of the novel is moulded by the repressive Puritan society. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Yet, Elizabeth is hurt by the fact that her husband was having an affair with their â€Å"strikingly beautiful† young servant (Abigail). She finds it hard to show emotion and this affects her relationship with John Proctor vastly. In Act One we can see that there is ‘heat’ and ‘passion’ between John and Elizabeth. When Abigail says, ‘I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! ’ She's saying that John still lusts after her, breaking into a sweat when he sees her. She's holding the affair over his head and reminding him how he has sinned would like to sin again. We can see that Abigail has real feelings for John and they have a sexual attraction between them. With Abigail being a 17 year old puritan girl and John being a married man, this is clearly outrageous and shows that he was prepared to break his rules. Proctor convinced himself he was a sinful man that had done wrong, and to have respect for himself once again, he must break off all ties with Abigail. When Abigail mentioned to Proctor the relationship she and he once had, he said to her, â€Å"No, no, Abby. That's done with,† and, â€Å"Abby, you'll put it out of mind. I'll not be comin' for you more. Even when Abigail tried to persuade Proctor to admit his love for her, he still denied it and claimed he had no love for her any longer. In all of Abigail's persuasion to try to get him to admit his love for her, Proctor replied, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby. † Proctor saying to Abigail that they never touched was his way of trying to get through to her that the relationship between the both of them had to end here. In Proctor's mind, saying that to Abigail was a finalization of their affair and gave him the closure that he needed to truly forget what he and Abigail had between them. The affair between Proctor and Abigail also had made his love for Elizabeth grow stronger. The guilt of the affair made him realize how Elizabeth was a good woman and deserved more than a cheating husband, and he refused to allow Abigail to speak wickedly about her. Abigail said bitterly to Proctor, â€Å"Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be -,† in which he interrupted angrily with, â€Å"You'll speak nothin' of Elizabeth! Abigail, realising the respect he now had for Elizabeth as to not let her speak of Elizabeth in such a manner, then tried to convince Proctor otherwise, saying, â€Å"She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman†¦ † Elizabeth is shown as a ‘cold’ woman whereas Abigail and Proctor have ‘heat’ – ‘no wintry man’. The anger he felt at this time was not only towards Abigail, but also towards himself. He felt he had sinned greatly and did not provide Elizabeth, a mother of three children, with the respect and loyalty that one would expect out of a husband.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Qué es NOA1 y NOA2 en las peticiones de green card

Quà © es NOA1 y NOA2 en las peticiones de green card   Si has enviado una solicitud al USCIS pidiendo una tarjeta de residencia para un familiar o una visa para tu prometido recibirs NOA1 y NOA2. Pero,  ¿quà © son y para quà © valen? Antes de empezar a explicar que son NOA1 y NOA2 recordar que en peticiones de familia: Los ciudadanos americanos pueden solicitar la tarjeta de residencia (conocida popularmente como greencard) para sus esposos, hijos, padres y hermanos. Tambià ©n pueden solicitar una visa K de prometido para sus novios/as cuando la intencià ³n es casarse inmediatamente. Sin embargo, los residentes permanentes legales sà ³lo pueden reclamar los papeles para sus esposos y para sus hijos solteros. En el caso de matrimonios, los beneficios migratorios se reconocen tanto a las parejas conformadas por un hombre y una mujer como a las de dos hombres o dos mujeres. Quà © es el NOA1 Cuando envà ­as al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s)  una solicitud para una visa de prometido o una tarjeta de residencia para un familiar, el gobierno te envà ­a un documento conocido como NOA1 o tambià ©n como I-797 para comunicarte que ha recibido la documentacià ³n. NOA son las siglas en inglà ©s de Notice of Action, o nota de accià ³n. Es importante por varias razones. La primera es que contiene un nà ºmero (track number) con el cual puedes verificar por internet el estatus de tu caso. Adems, ese documento seà ±ala la fecha exacta en la que se recibià ³ la documentacià ³n (received date). Esa fecha se convertir en el NOA2 en la fecha de prioridad en el caso de tarjetas de residencia sujetas a cupos anuales. Es decir, aquellas en las que hay que esperar a que haya visas de inmigrante disponibles para darle al solicitante ya que sà ³lo se puede dar un nà ºmero limitado por aà ±o que es inferior al nà ºmero de solicitudes, y de ahà ­ los retrasos y esperas en situaciones como peticiones hechas por residentes permanentes, o las hechas por ciudadanos para sus hermanos. Quà © es el NOA2 El NOA2, que tambià ©n se conoce como I-797C por ser ese el nà ºmero que aparece en el documento, notifica que la peticià ³n ha sido aprobada. Eso no quiere decir que la green card se va a aprobar, sà ³lo que la fase inicial -que hay realmente situacià ³n de parentesco para pedir la residencia- ha sido aprobada. Tampoco quiere decir que ya se acabà ³ el proceso, sino que se pasar a la fase de ajuste de estatus si la persona para la que se ha pedido la tarjeta de residencia est ya en Estados Unidos y puede hacerlo o a la fase de Centro Nacional de Visas (NVC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y posteriormente de tramitacià ³n consular, si est en el extranjero.   Adems, tener en cuenta que: hermanos, hijos mayores de 21 aà ±os e hijos casados de cualquier edad de ciudadanos americanosesposos e hijos solteros de residentes permanentes tienen que esperar en el NVC por una visa disponible para ellos. Puede tomar aà ±os, incluso muchos. Verificar su fecha de prioridad del NOA2 con la publicada cada mes por el boletà ­n de visas. Cà ³mo pedir en 10 pasos la green card para un hermano. La tramitacià ³n sirve para entender cà ³mo es todo el proceso de peticiones familiares cuando el pedido est en una categorà ­a sujeta a là ­mites anuales.  ¿Quà © pasa si se extravà ­a el NOA2? Si segà ºn el rà ©cord del USCIS el documento fue enviado pero se extravià ³ por correo o se recibià ³ pero por alguna razà ³n se guardà ³ pero no se encuentra es posible pedir un duplicado del mismo llenando la planilla (forma) I-824.  ¿Cunto tiempo pasa entre el NOA1 y el NOA2? No hay un tiempo exacto y varà ­a mucho de caso a caso, dependiendo muchas veces del trabajo que tengan acumulado en la oficina del USCIS en la que se tiene que tramitar. Adems, habr ms demora si se recibe uno o varios RFE (request for evidence), donde Inmigracià ³n pide informacià ³n o documentacià ³n adicional. Si no hay RFE se estima que si ha transcurrido ms de seis meses desde que se recibià ³ el NOA1 y no se ha recibido el NOA2 es aconsejable llamar al USCIS a la oficina donde se tramita la solicitud y preguntar. En casos muy excepcionales se puede producir un retraso del USCIS que es ms grande de lo habitual para un tipo de trmites. En estos casos, consultar con un abogado para analizar si procede demandar mediante un writ of mandamus.  ¿Quà © pasa si la solicitud no es aprobada? Si el USCIS responde no a la peticià ³n de una tarjeta de residencia -tambià ©n conocida como greencard- para un familiar o una visa de prometido es posible apelar esa decisià ³n. Test Toma este quiz o  test sobre la residencia permanente para asegurarte de que sabes lo principal sobre el proceso de tramitacià ³n y sobre cà ³mo conservarla, una vez que se saca.