Tropical Rainforests Of The World Essays - Forest Ecology

Tropical Rainforests of the World In this term paper, I will explain the great importance of the tropical Rainforests around the world and discuss the effects of the tragedy of rainforest destruction and the effect that it is having on the earth. I will talk about the efforts being made to help curb the rate of rainforest destruction and the peoples of the rainforest, and I will explore a new topic in the fight to save the rainforest, habitat fragmentation. Another topic being discussed is the many different types of rainforest species and their uniqueness from the rest of the world. First, I will discuss the many species of rare and exotic animals, Native to the Rainforest. Tropical Rainforests are home to many of the strangest looking and most beautiful, largest and smallest, most dangerous and least frightening, loudest and quietest animals on earth. There are many types of animals that make their homes in the rainforest some of them include: jaguars, toucans, parrots, gorillas, and tarantulas. There are so many fascinating animals in tropical rainforest that millions have not even identified yet. In fact, about half of the world's species have not even been identified yet. But sadly, an average of 35 species of rainforest animals are becoming extinct every day. So many species of animals live in the rainforest than any other parts of the world because rainforests are believed to be the oldest ecosystem on earth. Some forests in southeast Asia have been around for at least 100 million years, ever since the dinosaurs have roamed the earth. During the ice ages, the last of which occurred about 10,000 years ago, the frozen areas of the North and South Poles spread over much of the earth, causing huge numbers of extinctions. But the giant freeze did not reach many tropical rainforests. Therefore, these plants and animals could continue to evolve, developing into the most diverse and complex ecosystems on earth. The nearly perfect conditions for life also help contribute to the great number of species. With temperatures constant at about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit the whole year, the animals don't have to worry about freezing during the cold winters or finding hot shade in the summers. They rarely have to search for water, as rain falls almost every day in tropical rainforests. Some rainforest species have populations that number in the millions. Other species consist of only a few dozen individuals. Living in limited areas, most of these species are found nowhere else on earth. For example, the maues marmoset, a species of monkey, wasn't discovered until recently. It's entire tiny population lives within a few square miles in the Amazon rainforest. This species of monkey is so small that it could fit into a persons hand! In a rainforest, it is difficult to see many things other than the millions of insects creeping and crawling around in every layer of the forest. Scientists estimate that there are more than 50 million different species of invertebrates living in rainforests. A biologist researching the rainforest found 50 different of ants on a single tree in Peru! A few hours of poking around in a rainforest would produce several insects unknown to science. The constant search for food , water, sunlight and space is a 24-hour pushing and shoving match. With this fierce competition, it is amazing that that so many species of animals can all live together. But this is actually the cause of the huge number of the different species. The main secret lies in the ability of many animals to adapt to eating a specific plant or animal, which few other species are able to eat. An example of such adaptations would be the big beaks of the toucans and parrots. Their beaks give them a great advantage over other birds with smaller beaks. The fruits and nuts from many trees have evolved with a tough shell to protect them from predators. In turn toucans and parrots developed large, strong beaks, which serves as a nutcracker and provides them with many tasty meals. Many animal species have developed relationships with each other that benefit both species. Birds and mammal species love to eat the tasty fruits provided by trees.

Justification of the Atomic Bomb essays

Justification of the Atomic Bomb essays On August 6th, 1945 the United States dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. This military strategy was extremely controversial in the United States. The question I wish to answer is, Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The answer to this question is yes. I believe they were for many reasons. The main reason was that this bomb would ultimately end the war. Why did the war need to be stopped so badly? In some ways it was helping the United States economy, but mostly it was very costly in both lives and money. Another main reason this war needed to be stopped was to defend America from another attack on our own soil, which would kill many of our people. These are just a couple examples that can be used to prove the use of the atomic bomb was justifiable. In the following paragraphs I will provide more reasons why the use of the atomic bomb was very justifiable. World War II proved to be very costly to the United States. According to lives lost, it was the costliest war in history. There were about 15 or 20 million military personnel killed in the war. Of these, about 293,300 were Americans, and our enemies murdered about 7,000 innocent United States citizens. It has been estimated that we would have lost about one million soldiers if we would not have ended the war with the atomic bomb. Also, to this point in the war, we had spent about 300 billion dollars on all of our war efforts. Many of our materials were damaged throughout the entire war. Many of the estimates on how much money was lost due to damages were very outrageous. If we had not dropped the atomic bomb when we did, this number would have been even more outrageous. The president during this time period was Harry Truman. He understood the moral issues at stake and had the courage to strike a blow that quickly brought to an end the most destructive war in human history. Given the circumstanc...

Performing Effective Project Monitoring and Risk Management Essay

Performing Effective Project Monitoring and Risk Management - Essay Example It provides the tools that are going to be and guidance on the way forward. For this mobile application design, one wants to create an application that enables the customers to locate a coffee shop nearest to them. Therefore, the application should function well and the software should be up to date. One  needs to have the appropriate budget and the best people working in the project. The mobile application software should synchronize well with the infrastructure (Gowell, 2012). The above is an example of how to detect the problems in mobile application project and what should be if detected. If there are defects, the problem should be reported back to the reporter and it should inform the customer that the issue being resolved. It should also tell the customer to check again later and if the problem persists, he or she should contact his or her mobile operator. It is all about the information and the operator should also know that the software is not working and inform the IT department of the  problem  so that it can be done within the shortest period. If there is a design  or software  error, then the IT manager and the team should find solutions to the problems and resolve them. The software may be defective  or even the hardware itself. All that matters are that the defect is and the application for finding the nearest coffee shop works well. A customer should not find a defect with the product and so it is the work  of the whole team to pr event this from occurring. Communication is crucial within and outside the business because without it the business would fall. For the marketing management team, information is very importance because it helps in advertising, marketing and selling of the company’s products and services. It also helps in developing a strategic vision, creation of brand awareness, expression of competitive advantage, attracting talent, fostering goodwill and also informing the investment

Sahel Nutrition Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sahel Nutrition Development - Assignment Example used in assessing the nutritional situation of children in the region, Countries most affected by this crisis include Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Mali, Senegal, northern Cameroon, and Gambia. This situation has deteriorated rapidly throughout this year. Research has clearly outlined that most of the areas stand to experience acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3) from April to September this year. The nutrition status is quite catastrophic in areas worst affected with severe malnutrition with rates ranging between 10-16%. The drivers of this crisis are eroded resilience, compounded by the sporadic rains, prices increases and insufficient harvests. The agro-pastoral returns of production is reported to have decreased by 50% in the areas that are affected by poverty, and agricultural products market prices, as well increased up from sixty percent to eighty percent for maize and 100 percent for dry cereals. Increased levels of drought in Sahel have caused a reduction in cereal production on average 26% relative to the previous year. Most notable is the fact that Gambia, as well as Chad realized a 50 percent decrease with other countries still experiencing serious localized deficits. The 2012 Sahel’s strategic plan was aligned as a serving response plan to addressing the Food and Nutrition Crisis in the region. This has been developed by the Working Regional Group on Food Security and Nutrition mainly composed of among other organizations, the Red Cross, Crescent Movement, United Nations agency, Non Governmental Organizations and donors. In 2011, IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) launched a strategy that effectively responds to food shortage and nutritional crises in Sahel. The document was done in consideration of joint efforts of the organization of Food and Agriculture of United Nations (FAO), Action against Hunger, the United Nations Child Fund (UNICEF), the United Nation Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA), and the WWP (Word Food

Memo to CEO on Eva Concept Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memo to CEO on Eva Concept - Coursework Example What is EVA? The method for determining a company’s true financial performance pioneered by Stern Stewart & Co. adjusts financial reporting to include the cost of capital expenses. Stern Stewart & Co.’s economic value added metric deducts the cost of capital from the net profit after taxes. A company operating successfully, with no accumulation of excess capital or assets may not be performing as well as ratio analysis projects. EVA takes into account the cost of raising capital, as well as normal operating expenses, showing both the current financial health of the company and the economic impact on wealth generation for stockholders and other investors. EVA shows the total net worth of the company after subtracting operating expenses and expenses like dividends to shareholders and lien holders. The resulting numbers provide a solid depiction of the company’s current financial health, though not with the detail offered by ratio analysis. How to Calculate EVA Dete rmining EVA is much less involved than other financial performance tracking methods. The formula for producing a final numerical value is EVA = NOPAT - c * capital. NOPAT stands for net operating profits after taxes, and the â€Å"c† refers to the weighted average cost of capital. Using this simple formula, companies can get a quick glimpse at their total performance. Adding an EVA calculation to an existing financial report is quick, given the financial tracking already in place. Existing documents, tax return, profit and loss statements, ledgers and so on, provide all the needed information to generate a concrete number using the EVA formula. One of the benefits of incorporating EVA in financial reporting is the ability to gain a clear understanding of performance, divorced from any questionable accounting adjustments. Large companies like Enron managed to show positive numbers on financial ratio analysis, even when barely solvent. Including EVA removes that element of risk when generating financial reports. Another benefit to including EVA calculations is the ability to tailor compensation more closely to results. When used to show economic profit after a management change, taking into account the economic profit at the time of the switch, the change in final EVA from then and now show the amount of company profits attributable to the specific management employee or team. Of course, many other factors may influence the final profit outcome, but EVA gives upper management a way to quickly respond to clear improvements implemented on a department level. Showing the Company in the Best Light with EVA Although EVA does not allow for some of the accounting adjustments which make ratio analysis unreliable when used by unethical financial officers, there are still ways to improve the final number. Ultimately, when improving the EVA, a company must either increase total profits or lower total expenses. Restructuring debt can make a big impact on total econom ic profit. For example, if a company earns $7.8M net after taxes, with a weighted average cost of capital at 6.3% and a total invested capital of $26.3M. The formula would then read 7.8 - .0063 * 26.3 = $7.6, showing a company with very strong economic profit. Of course, the total for invested capital would typically be expected to be much higher. Included in that

English Present: Simple And The Present Progressive

English Present: Simple And The Present Progressive Introduction: As a teacher of English to Arabic speaking students I have encountered a number of specific difficulties Arab students have in mastering the English language. In this paper, I would like to focus on a particular grammatical problem they have in the area of verb tenses because, of all the mistakes that my students make, mistakes with verbs and verb tenses impede communication to the greatest degree. The specific problem I will attempt to look at the area of verbs is the problem that Arabic speakers have in using and confusing the present progressive. I will base the evidence for these mistakes on actual writing errors that Arabic students have made. Mistakes such as I am live in Abu Dhabi. come up frequently in my students writing. This paper is basically a contrastive analysis since I feel that the majority of my students problems in this area come from mother tongue interference. However, as will be noted below, this does not mean I rule out other sources of errors such as intralingual errors. The following is the outline of this paper: In the first section of this paper, I will describe the various aspects of the grammatical structure of the present simple and the present progressive in the English language. In the second section of the paper, I will contrast the grammatical structure of the present simple and the present progressive with its Arabic counterparts. I will show how Arabic has structures that vary significantly and radically from their English counterparts. In the third section, I will introduce a number of examples takes from students written work and give an indepth analysis of the possible sources of the errors, mainly with respect to mother tongue interference, but also looking at some possible intralingual sources for these errors as well. Finally, in the last section, I will attempt to suggest a general theoretical approach to dealing with such problems Part One: A grammatical description of the English Present Simple and the Present Progressive: The simple present tense As we already know, the simple present of every verb (with the exception of the verb BE, which I will not be dealing with as a grammatical description since it is not the specific focus of this paper) is identical in every person with the basic unmarked base form of the verb except for the third person forms he, she and it to which we generally add s or es (Quirk 1985, p.98). However, numerous irregularities arise in the spelling and pronunciation of this third person form (Leicester 1998, 12.12)(Thomson 1986, p. 150). Questions are formed by using the auxiliaries do, does, in the present, and did in the past by putting all these before the subject. Negation is formed in the same way using dont (or do not) and doesnt, (or does not) in the present, and didnt (or did not) in the past. These forms go after the subject. In addition, the verb must be changed to the basic form. The simple present is used for statements that are always true, (e.g. The earth revolves around the sun.) (Azar 1989,p.2). The simple present is also used for events, actions or situations which are true in the present period of time and which, for all we know, may continue indefinitely, (e.g. Fatima goes to school at Zayed University.) (Azar 1989, p.2) What we are saying in these expressions is that this is how things stand at the present moment (Huddleston 1984, p.81). A further use of the simple present is for actions that are habitual, things that happen repeatedly, (e.g. We study a lot.) (Alexander 1988, p.163)(Quirke 1985, p.107). Observations and declarations are another use of the present simple, as in the sentence (It says here that there is a new night club opening.)(Alexander 19988, p.163). The present simple can also be used to express the future, especially when we want to express strong certainty, (e.g. When we graduate, we will get jobs.). Swan, Huddleston, Lewis, Thomson and Quirke, et. al. also add eight other functions of the present simple which might come up in other contexts such as: Demonstrations and commentaries (e.g. First, I take a bowl and break two eggs in it, thenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) The structures here comes and there goes, (e.g. here comes your husband.) Promises and oaths (e.g. I promiseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦., I swear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, He deniesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) Formal correspondence (e.g. We write to advise you.) Instructions (e.g. You go left, turn rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Stories (e.g. In act one, Hamlet meets the ghost of his father.), which Huddleston calls the historic present. In expressions of understanding such as hear, see, gather (e.g. I hear youre getting married.) Finally, the simple present can be used in newspaper headlines (e.g. RUSSIANS RAISE OBJECTIONS) Since there are so many instances of when to use the present simple, is there any way to summarize all of these? I concur with Lewis explanation that the present simple: 1-Expresses an event as a total single point in time. 2-Expresses an event as a matter of fact. 3-Expresses an event as immediate rather than remote. The present progressive tense Both the simple and progressive forms usually tell us that an action takes place. But the progressive forms also tell us that an activity is or was, or will be, etc. in progress, or thought of as being in progress. In other words, the present progressive tells us that the speaker sees an action as taking place over a period of time as opposed to a point in time. In addition researchers would add that the speaker sees the period as limited (Lewis 1986; Leech, 1975; Huddleston, 1984; Quirke, 1985). The present progressive tense is formed with the present of be (am/is/are) (which adds aspect and voice), said by Quirke to be the finite verb, plus the ing form (the non-finite form) (Quirke 1985, p. 120). There are no complications with the additional ing form; however the spelling of the ing has some irregularities and needs to be taught to students e.g. write, writing; run, running; begin, beginning; lie, lying). (Alexander 1988; Huddleston 1984; Quirke 1985). Question formation takes place by switching the place of the auxiliary be and the subject. Negation is achieved by inserting not between the subject and the auxiliary or by contracting nt with the auxiliary verb forms (with the exception of the first person singular form am) (Quirke, 1985). In the classroom, the classical reason given for why we use the present progressive is that it shows an uncompleted action in progress at the time of speaking. To emphasise this, we often use adverbials like now, at the moment, just, etc. For example, Hes not home at the moment, hes working. (Quirke 1985). The present progressive can also be used to describe actions which have not been happening for long, or are thought of as being temporary situations, and which are going on around now, e.g. Abdullah is living with his aunt until he can find a place of his own.. A further use of the present progressive is to refer to activities and events planned for the future. We generally use adverbials in such sentences unless the meaning is clear from context, e.g. Were spending next Thursday in Abu Dhabi. (Azar 1989; Huddleston 1984; Quirke 1985). The present progressive can also be used to talk about developing and changing situations, e.g. That child is getting bigger all the time. (Swan 1980). Sometimes the present progressive can be used to talk about feelings, such as I am feeling fine. or My back is hurting me.. The present progressive is used to show repeated actions along with adverbs such as always, constantly, continually, forever, perpetually, and repeatedly, such as He is always helping people.. In this sense it conveys not temporariness, but continuousness. (Leech 1975; Huddleston 1984). The present progressive also is used to show repeated actions that are happening around now, e.g. He is studying a lot of English these days. Why is he going to the library? (Swan 1980). Dynamic versus Stative Verbs in the present simple and the progressive tenses Dynamic/progressive verbs refer to verbs which show actions which are deliberate or voluntary, e.g. Im building a house., or changing situations, e.g. Hes becoming fat.. Dynamic verbs can be used in both the progressive as well as the simple forms e.g. I eat at 5:00 (everyday). as opposed to Im eating now.. Stative verbs (also known as non-progressive verbs) are verbs which indicate a state, condition or experience. Specifically, stative verbs fall into categories such as feelings (like, love), thinking/believing (think, know, realize), wants and preferences (need, want), perception and the senses (smell, see), and being, seeming, having, and owning (seem, look, appear). Stative verbs are generally not used in the progressive forms (Quirke 1985). However some stative verbs can be used in both the present simple and the progressive tenses, which results in a different meaning in each form, e.g. Im thinking of a solution. as opposed to I think he is the best man for the job. or These flowers smell good. as opposed to Latifa is smelling the flowers in the garden.) (Alexander 1988; Azar 1989; Azar 1986; Quirke 1985). The present simple versus the present progressive Swan makes note of a number of areas where students might confuse the present simple with the present continuous. A. We use the simple present to talk about things that are true for the present period of time, or, as was noted above, to say this is how things stand at the present moment for the foreseeable future. However, if the event is temporary and is taking place right now, we use the present progressive. Afrah studies at the Higher Colleges. Afrah is studying her English lesson. B. We use the present progressive to talk about habitual actions if these are happening around the moment of speaking. Fayrouz and Fatima are preparing for the Eid holidays. However, if the habitual action is not closely connected to the moment of speaking, we generally use the present simple. I go to Saudi Arabia once every three years. C. Verbs that refer to physical feelings can sometimes be used in either the simple present or the present progressive. I feel great! or Im feeling great! My head hurts. or My head is hurting. (Swan 1980). PART TWO A grammatical description of the Arabic present simple and the present progressive In this part of the paper, I would like to give readers a very brief background of the Arabic verb system in regard to the simple present and the present progressive. The Arabic verb system is very complicated. However, this does not mean that a teacher has to master the Arabic language before s/he is able to pinpoint errors that may be a result of the interference of Arabic in English. One can study the Arabic language with the goal of simply understanding the structure, rather than with the goal of speaking and writing in the language. Let us first look at the present simple, then the present progressive, and finally the verb to be since all of these grammatical items are specifically relevant to the particular problem at hand. A.The Present Simple In Arabic, the formation of the present simple is radically different from English, since Arabic uses a root system made up of the three most important consonants (though two or four consonant roots do sometimes occur). In Arabic the three basic consonants (the root) stay the same but it is by changes in the vowels, the suffixes and the prefixes that tense and number are indicated. It is vastly more complicated than the way some English verbs change tense by changing vowels, e.g. give, gave. For example, the sentence, he learns could be represented phonetically by ya-droo-soo. The d-r-s is the root, ya is the part that indicates this is a third person singular masculine verb (though this is not the pronoun). The pattern of the vowels and consonants (ya + c1 + c2+ oo + c3 + oo), lets the speaker know that this is the present tense. In contrast, the past could be represented by a different pattern; hence, he learned, dar-ah-sah has the pattern (c1 + ai or ah + c2 + ai or ah + c3 + ah) (and this is just one pattern out of ten!) From a sentence point of view the verb in Arabic is not necessarily treated as the nucleus of a sentence and, in the case of the copula verb BE, can be omitted entirely (as we shall see below). The verb can also be placed at the beginning of the sentence. Like its English counterpart, the present simple tense in Arabic expresses a habitual action. There are other functions, but they are not relevant to this discussion. B.The Present Progressive In general, the present simple form is also used in Arabic to express the idea of a continuous action occurring in the present. Hence, the English sentence He is working now. in Arabic becomes He works now. (represented phonetically by huwwah yaamaloo al eyn.) What is he doing? in Arabic becomes What does he do? (represented phonetically by mehzah yafaaloo al eyn?) Hence, in almost all cases, the present simple form is used to show the idea of continuous action in the present. However, there is a single verb form in Arabic called the ism-ul-fail which is the exact parallel to the idea of continuous action. However, the difference in Arabic is that the ism-ul-fail is used very sparingly compared to English and then only for some very specific verbs of movement, or verbs that indicate changing from one state to another (going up, going in, going down, walking to a place, leaving a place, etc.). Since the ism-ul-fail is radically different in form from the English progressive it is doubtful that any interference in form occurs. C.A Few Points About The Verb BE as a Copula Although BE as a copula is not the focus of this paper, it does deserve mention here for two specific reasons. The first point is that BE in Arabic, when it is the copula in the present tense, is unwritten and unspoken (although this is not true of the copula in the past tense or the future where it is written and spoken). (Kharma, 1989, p. 89). For example, the literal translation of the sentence Ahmed is a student. is Ahmed student.. So it is conceivable that students might leave BE out as a copula OR as the helping verb in the present progressive because it does not exist in the present tense in Arabic (although there are other additional reasons why students might forget to add it to the present progressive as we shall see). The second point is that BE is used so often in English, in so many different kinds of structures, and that it is so irregular, that it might simply add to the confusion of students (Kharma 1989, p. 161). Students who keep on being corrected for leaving out the verb to be when it is necessary, may for example, hypercorrect themselves and start to write it everywhere. Again, we shall explore this issue further below. PART THREE A look at some common written errors made by Arabic speaking students when using the English present simple and present progressive Finding the exact causes of any error can be a difficult and meticulous task. This is partly because there may be multiple reasons as to why students make one particular error and these causes may also overlap at any given time. In addition, it is extremely problematic, even for a native speaker of both Arabic and English, (which I am) to know exactly what is going on linguistically in the mind of a student when s/he makes such an error. However, having said that, even with these obstacles, we can at least make some good hypotheses and lists of possibilities as to why these errors occur with our own students. As a result, we will be able to generate classroom strategies and methods in order to correct and remedy these sorts of mistakes. The following categories of errors are the most common that I have found in students written work with regards to the simple present versus the present progressive. I will look at each category in turn, and offer an analysis of the sources for these types of error. Category One Fatima studies now. Ahmed does his homework now. In these sentences, the intention of the Arabic speaking writer seems to be to convey the meaning of what in English would be a present continuous action, expressed by the present continuous tense. This is clear by the use of the adverb now or in the case of other examples not shown here, from other adverbs or the context of the sentence. In examples one and two, the Arabic speaker seems to be transferring the rules of his native language into English. The Arabic speaker usually uses only the present simple to express events that would be expressed in English by both the present simple and the present continuous. Category Two Mariam cant talk, she eating now. This kind of mistake is a bit more problematic in terms of analysis. It could be that the Arabic speaker, feeling that the full meaning of the action is expressed in the verb with the ing, has decided that the am/are/is forms are redundant and unnecessary. It could also be the case that this mistake is a direct transfer of a particular grammatical form in Arabic. In certain cases Arabic speakers do express the present continuous with a verb and prefix change (called ism-ul-fail), but without the corresponding be form. For example, the literal translation of the sentence Ahmed is running. is Ahmed running. . Category Three Are you knowing the way to Dubai? I am wanting to see my family. In this case, the student has learned the present progressive form, but is over generalizing it to all verbs (or perhaps does not remember or has not been taught the rules for exceptions such as the above). These types of errors could very well be intralingual. This over generalization could also be found in sentences that have the function of explaining, demonstrating teaching or narrating such as: Next I am pouring the oil into the cooking pan. Ali is passing the ball to the goalkeeper. Category Four I am live in Abu Dhabi. We are study English. This category is probably the most difficult to analyze. This is because it is unclear whether the Arabic speaker is making the mistake of adding the additional am/is/are form while trying to use the present tense, or making the mistake of forgetting to use the present participle while trying to use the present progressive tense. That is, did the speaker intend to say I live in Abu Dhabi. and use the extra am form by mistake, or did s/he intend to say I am living in Abu Dhabi. and forget the correct present participle form? Of course, there are other possibilities but these seem like the two most likely. We must obviously look at the context of the paragraph to see if we can get the gist of what the speaker meant. The following is a more detailed analysis of these two possibilities from the standpoint of the students reasoning. 1. If we believe from the context that the student was trying to use the present simple and added the additional am in error, then the following analyses apply: A. The student may be confused by the lack of inflectional endings in English, since Arabic is a highly inflected language, and every personal pronoun has a distinct corresponding inflected verb form. The similarity of the verb forms in I live, you live, etc. may seem very awkward to the Arabic speaker. Hence, they may want to remedy the situation by distinguishing the verb forms in some way by, for example, adding an exceedingly familiar and overused verb form like am, are, or is. B. The student may be over generalising based on what they have learned about the present continuous. That is, they may have learned how to form the present continuous quite easily since there is no mother tongue interference from Arabic, (although they may not have mastered its use). They then may go on to conclude that every verb in the present simple or present continuous in English needs to be preceded by am/is/are. C. Similarly, the student may be hypercorrecting. They may have been corrected so many times for forgetting to use the verb BE in their sentences e.g. Ahmed happy, that they may start to feel that every sentence needs the verb BE. 2. However, if we believe that the student was trying to use the present continuous tense and used the present simple live (instead of the present participle living), then the following analyses apply: A. The student may not have correctly understood how to form the present participle by adding ing to the end of the verb. B. Perhaps students have simply forgotten to add the ing prefix because the structure is so different in their language. This is by no means an exhaustive analysis. However, these are, from my experience and collaboration with other colleagues, both native and non-native speakers, some of the major possibilities. PART FOUR Pedogogical implications of the above research for teaching the present simple and the present progressive to Arabic speaking students From the evidence I have presented here, I believe it is clear that many of the mistakes in using the present simple and the present progressive in form (such as omission of the verb to be in the simple present for Arabic speakers, e.g. I studying), as well as other mistakes in usage (e.g. using the simple present when the present progressive is required) seem to be traceable directly to Arabic mother tongue interference. Based on my analyses, reading and discussion with colleagues, I do feel that in this particular area, teachers of EFL to Arabic speakers must consider mother tongue interference as a major impediment to learning the present tense versus the present progressive. If we know that mother tongue interference is the cause of many errors, what should this imply for our teaching? One thing which I think it does not imply is that we teach English from the point of view of the mother tongue. For example, trying to get students to understand English grammar through word for word translations or using the grammatical structure of Arabic to help students to understand the grammatical structure of English are only useful in certain cases, and then only by someone who is a master of both languages. My experience in reading the research, being bilingual and talking to Arabic speaking students who are at the final stages of their English studies leads me to believe that, at least in the case of Arabic and English, that the two languages are sufficiently different that they are both best looked at in their own respective grammars. Students must be made, not only to think in English, but to understand English grammar in terms of English grammar without constantly switching back and forth to compare it with Arabic. Such practices are ineffective and will cause confusion among students. As Lewis says students should never expect the foreign language to be like their ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..the fact that English has verb forms that contain [be] as an auxiliary does not suggest that other languages ought to have a corresponding formà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.students should be positively encouraged to explore the foreign language within itself rather than through the expectations they bring from their own. (Lewis, 1986, pp. 164-165). In addition, I should add that intralingual factors can also be at work when students make such errors (in addition to context specific factors like student motivation, teaching style and competence, etc.). For example, on the intralingual side, we know that students of ESL from many different language groups and even children make common mistakes with the verb to be. Therefore, many such mistakes might be intralingual. (Mattar 1989). Hence, when we try to analyse our students errors we should not be prejudiced to any one theory and we should try to be open to looking at all possible sources of errors. What we as teachers should be doing in the classroom is continually collecting research on student errors and student learning styles in order to form hypotheses about why such errors occur and why such one approach worked and another didnt. We should then be trying to test these hypotheses to see if they are true or not, and afterwards share this information w ith other teachers in similar situations. Only then will we be able to understand why students make errors and what is the most effective way to correct them. Cell Membrane: Structure And Function Cell Membrane: Structure And Function A cell is a dynamic and a complex structure surrounded by a membrane known as the plasma membrane. This acts like a barrier between the inside of the cell and the outside resulting in different chemical environments on the two sides. The cell membrane is not restricted to the outer surface but is also present inside surrounding the organelles. These biological membranes have played a crucial role in the evolution from prokaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, there is only one type of membrane present i.e. the plasma membrane but the unicellular eukaryotes have intracellular membranes compartmentalizing its contents into different functional chambers known as organelles. Each organelle though performs its own specific function, they cross-talk with each other via these membranes in order to work as a unit. Further, different cells in multicellular eukaryotes communicate with each other through these membranes. The membrane, therefore serves a dual purpose of both protecting the interior of the cell from its external environment and also provides a communication interface between the cell and its surroundings or other cells. The diverse functions performed by biological membranes can be attributed to the molecular composition and structure of these membranes. Models for Cell Membrane Structure It took almost a century to develop the present accepted model of a cell membrane based on various physiological and biophysical studies. Physiological experiments involving the transport of molecules and ions across the membrane by Overton in 1899 suggested that the membrane is composed of lipid molecules. Later, Langmuir (1917) showed that lipids when spread on water using Langmuir trough form a monomolecular layer on the surface of the water by calculating the area per lipid molecule. The hydrophobic tails of these lipids were bent and protruding out from the surface of the water. When this method for measuring the area per lipid molecule was applied to the lipids extracted from the known amount of erythrocyte membranes, Gorter and Grendel (1925) concluded that the lipids exist as a bilayer and not a monolayer in a membrane giving birth to the lipid- bilayer membrane model. In 1935, Danielli and Davson elaborated on the model based on the studies measuring the surface tension that membranes are made up of phospholipid bilayer sandwiched between two protein layers. Based on optical imaging of membrane morphology using electron microscopy, Robertson argued that the basic structure of all the membranes is same and proposed the Unit Membrane Model in 1959 []. Several other studies [review or book] suggested that the lipid bilayer has fluid-like properties with lipids and proteins floating in it. Studies of proteins present in erythrocytes membrane and that extracted from other membranes led Singer and Nicolson to classify membrane proteins as peripheral and integral proteins; and finally proposing the Fluid Mosaic Model in 1972 []. This is the most accepted model describing the structure of a cell membrane. According to this model, mosaic of protein molecules is embedded within the fluid of lipid bilayer which is supported by the freeze-fracture studies of the plasma membrane (Figure). Composition of Membranes Membrane Lipids The lipid bilayer is only 5 to 10nm thick organized in distinct regions primarily attributed to the hydrophobic effect caused due to the amphipathic nature of these molecules with both polar and the non-polar regions (Figure). The interactions of these regions with the aqueous environment have been studied with various techniques like x-ray reflectometry,[1] neutron scattering[2HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_bilayer#cite_note-Zaccai1975-1] and nuclear magnetic resonance. In order to exclude the non-polar regions from the aqueous environment, lipid molecules arrange in such a manner so that the hydrophobic tails point inwardly towards each other and the polar head groups are exposed on the outside facing the water. The outermost region on either side of the bilayer is completely hydrated and is typically around 8-9Ã… thick. The hydrophobic core of the bilayer is typically 3-4  nm thick. The intermediate region is partially hydrated and is approximately 3 Ã… thick. These lipid molecules arrange spontaneously naturally or artificially in solution to form structures like micelles and liposomes (Figure). Micelles are monolayer spherical structures formed by lipid molecules in aqueous environment. On the other hand, liposomes are concentric bilayer of fluid-filled vesicles surrounding the water compartment on both the surfaces. The membrane of the animal cells is composed primarily of three major types of lipids: phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol with phospholipids being the most abundant (Figure). The polar head groups of these phospholipids contain a phosphate group and either a glycerol (known as phosphoglycerides) or sphingosine. There are four major phospholipids present in the animal cells, three are phosphoglycerides namely phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine; and the fourth sphingomyelin is the only sphingolipid. The heads of glycolipids contain a sphingosine with one (known as cerebroside) or more sugars (known as ganglioside) attached to it. Cholesterol is a sterol molecule with a small hydrophilic hydroxyl group and a rigid ring structure that stabilizes the bilayer. Membrane Proteins The membrane consists of different types of proteins accounting for 25-75% of the mass of the membrane and are categorized based on their interactions with the lipid bilayer (Figure). Moreover, the manner in which a protein is associated with the membrane is indicative of its function. Integral or intrinsic proteins are embedded with in the lipid bilayer. These could be transmembrane proteins spanning the entire length of the bilayer and possess hydrophobic domains which are anchored to hydrophobic lipids and hydrophilic domain interacting with external molecules. They could have only one membrane-spanning (single pass transmembrane proteins, e.g. glycophorin) or multispanning (multi-pass transmembrane proteins, e.g. band3 protein of erythrocyte) segments. The transmembrane segments have helical e.g. bacteriorhodopsin or ÃŽÂ ²- barrel structures. These proteins can be extracted from the phospholipid bilayer only by disrupting the hydrophobic interactions by using detergents like S DS or Triton-X 100. Peripheral or the extrinsic proteins, on the other hand, are loosely bound to the hydrophilic lipid and protein groups on the surface of the membrane by weak ionic interactions. These can be easily removed with high salt or extreme pH without disrupting the phospholipid bilayer. Lipid-anchored proteins are covalently bound to lipid molecule which in turn anchors the protein in the cell membrane. The lipid can be phosphatidylinositol, a fatty acid or a prenyl group. Membrane Carbohydrates Carbohydrate moieties are present on the non-cytoplasmic surface of the membrane covalently attached to either protein or lipid molecules forming glycoproteins or glycolipids. These carbohydrates help in orientation of protein molecules on the cell surface and sorting in cellular compartments. The glycocalyx or the cell coat is the layer of carbohydrates on the cell surface that protects it and participates in the cell-cell interaction. The carbohydrates of the glycolipids of the erythrocytes membrane determine the ABO blood groups in human. Fluidity of Membranes Under physiological conditions, phospholipid molecules in the membrane are in the liquid crystalline state and the molecules are not physically attached to each other so, they can move within the bilayer. These movements could be within a monolayer i.e. rotational and lateral or between two layers i.e. flip-flop. Flip-flop movements are rare and slower compared to the other two as it requires energy for a lipid molecule to traverse from one layer to the other. Besides, some proteins also move in the membrane as concluded from studies based on human-mouse cell hybrids produced by fusion of human and mouse cells [Frye and Michael Edidin in 1970] and FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) experiments (Figure). Fluidity in the cell membrane is attributed to its lipid composition. The cis-unsaturated fatty acids with kinks in their hydrocarbon tails and shorter lengths of the tails increase the fluidity by preventing the ordered packing of phospholipids in the bilayer. Cholesterol molecules present in the bilayer affects its fluidity differently at different temperatures because of its rigid ring structure. It reduces the fluidity by decreasing the movement of adjacent phospholipids but at low temperatures, it increases the fluidity by preventing solidification [Alberts]. Fluidity of the membrane allows different molecules like proteins to interact with each other to perform various processes like transport of molecules and cell signalling. Moreover, membrane fluidity is required for various cellular processes like cell movement and cell division. Asymmetry of Membranes The two leaflets, that is, the inner and the outer monolayer portions of the lipid bilayer differ in their physical and chemical properties. This is due to the asymmetric organization of the various components of the membrane. For example, glycolipids and glycoproteins are always present on the non-cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane. Membrane regions differ in their lipid composition. The outer leaflet contains predominantly phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin whereas, the inner leaflet contains phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. The inner leaflet also consists of phosphatidylinositol which play a key role in the transfer of stimuli from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm [Cooper]. The membrane proteins also differ in their distribution in the two leaflets. For example, spectrin and ankyrin are present on the inner surface of the erythrocytes membrane forming a fibrillar membrane skeleton. GPI-anchored proteins ar present on the external surface of the membr ane. The asymmetry of the membrane suggested different roles played by the components of the membrane present on the two surfaces (Figure eg intestinal epithelial cell membrane:Tight junction , lateral movements). Lipid Rafts The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells have specialized regions known as lipid rafts which differ in their composition from the rest of the membrane. These detergent-resistant and heterogeneous microdomains are rich in cholesterol, sphingolipids and certain proteins. Lipids in these rafts are more highly ordered and tightly packed as compared to the rest of the lipid bilayer. Various studies have attributed diverse roles like in transport of cholesterol, endocytosis, signal transduction, intracellular trafficking and neural development and function to these lipid rafts. Caveolae is an example of lipid rafts which are the invaginated domains in the plasma membrane. In caveolae, a protein caveolin is associated with the cholesterol in the lipid raft. It plays roles in membrane internalization and cell signaling. [Pike et al, 2002; Wary et al, 1998; Huang et al, 1999; Rothberg et al, 1992] (Review: Razani Lisanti, 2001. Exp. Cell Research 271: 36-44). Might not in endocytosis [Thompsen et al, 2002] see lipid rafts 4 references Functions of membranes: Membranes act as boundaries between the cell and its environment and are essential for maintaining the integrity of the cell and the various membrane-bound organelles within the cell, regulating the transport of materials into and out of the cell, responding to external and internal stimuli, and cell-to-cell recognition. The proteins present on the inner surface of the plasma membrane provides shape and maintains the integrity of the cell by anchoring the cytoskeleton found underlying the cell membrane in the cytoplasm. The major component of the cytoskeleton of the most well studied erythrocyte membrane is the fibrous protein spectrin. This protein interacts with other peripheral proteins like ankyrin, actin and tropomyosin. Dystophin, a member of the spectrin family is found in the membrane skeleton of muscle cells. The importance of these proteins is suggested by the fact that mutations in dystrophin leads to muscular dystrophy. Regulated transport of materials across the membrane is due to the amphipathic nature of the lipid bilayer. Therefore, the membranes are selectively permeable and the ability of a molecule or ion to traverse the bilayer depends majorly on its polarity and also on the size. Non-polar molecules like O2, N2 and benzene and small polar molecules like H2O, glycerol, urea and CO2 can pass the membrane but large uncharged (e.g. glucose), polar molecules (e.g. sucrose) and ions (e.g. H+, Na+, HCO3, Clà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ) are not able to diffuse easily across membranes. Hence, various mechanisms are required for transport of materials across the membrane, including simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport for micromolecules and exocytosis and endocytosis for macromolecules. In simple diffusion, substances diffuse down their concentration gradient. In facilitated diffusion, movement of molecules down the concentration gradient is facilitated by channel and carrier proteins (e.g. glucose transporter). On the other hand, active transport requires energy to move solutes against their gradients and can be classified into primary or secondary active transport depending on the source of energy. The primary active transport depends on the hydrolysis of ATP and is of different types: P (e.g. Na+ K+ ATPase, Figure), F and V types and the ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporters. In secondary active transport, specific solute indirectly drives the active transport of another solute and does not involve the hydrolysis of ATP. Secondary active transport may include either symport (e.g. Na+/Glucose transporter) or antiport (Cl ­-/HCO3 exchanger). The macromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides are transported by endocytosis (from inside the cell to th e outside) and exocytosis (from outside into the cell) (Figure). Cell membrane is also involved in cell-cell communication. Specialized membrane structures like gap junctions in animals and plasmodesmata in plants provide the cytoplasmic continuity between cells. Tight junctions and desmosomes help in attachment of a cell to other cells or the extracellular matrix forming tissues. Membrane also maintains cell potential by creating chemical and electrical gradient. Cell signaling: Signals through chemical messengers (chemical or electrical stimuli) acting on the membrane receptors most of them being proteins. These signals are then transduced in the cell leading to a cascade of events in the cell. Specific for different cells like Gprotein, Tyrosine-kinase receptors Peripheral proteins act as enzymes e.g. and receptors In summary, biological membranes are the complex and dynamic structures composed of variety of proteins embedded in the fluid of the lipid bilayer. The amphipathic nature of the lipid bilayer and the diversity of membrane proteins are responsible for the involvement of biological membranes in large number of cellular processes.

Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder Essay -- Biology Essays Res

Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder Anxiety is a common occurrence and emotion in everyday life. Yet there are several individuals today who suffer from great pangs of anxiety and feelings of panic at such extremely high levels that it becomes quite debilitating. A normal, everyday environment can become so overwhelming that the day itself can stop dead in its tracks while the sufferer rides through the wave of intense emotions and thoughts which seem to be going a million miles a minute and showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of a multitude of Anxiety Disorders that affect many people around the world. An individual suffering from GAD differs from anyone else dealing with natural anxiety due to the chronic and exaggerated worrying that can occur on a daily basis. The worries and anxieties usually are not provoked by anything, and finding the source of the worries is usually quite difficult. They are associated with daily things, such as but not limited to, health, money, family, or work. People with GAD cannot alleviate their concerns and usually become so overwhelmed by the anxiety that getting through the day and doing their usual activities proves too difficult.(1) As a disorder, GAD is diagnosable. However, it is usually a difficult thing to do since GAD, unlike many of the other Anxiety Disorders out there, does not have any definite symptoms like a "panic attack". Individuals are diagnosed with GAD when they spend at least six months worrying excessively about a number of everyday problems and the worrying happens more often than not. Other symptoms of GAD may include: Trouble falling or staying asleep, muscle tension, sweating, nausea, gastrointestinal... ...and problems that can go on with the brain show how delicate a human's mentality and stability is, and how vulnerable it seems to be to the rapidly changing times and developments of society. It seems to be the nature of the brain and mentality to be slow in adjusting to the various new outputs that are created as society and the world progresses. Will science be able to find a way to make the brain adjust and accept change more quickly? This can be seen as a task similar to making evolution as fast as the first world's rate of development. References 1)http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxiety/gad/gadinfo.htm 2)http://www.adaa.org/AnxietyDisorderInfor/GAD.cfm 3)http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxiety/gad/gadfax.htm 4)http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx24t.htm 5)http://www.buspar.com/whatis.htm 6)http://www.anxietynetwork.com/gawhat.html

Australopithecus

The fossilized remains of this 3 year-old early human child are often referred to as belonging to ‘Lucy’s baby' since she was found only a few miles south from where Lucy was found Lucy over two decades earlier, even though the child's fossil is actually 100,000 years older than famous Lucy. She is nicknamed ‘Selam’ after the Amharic (Ethiopia’s official language) word for ‘peace,’ and is the most complete early human child known up until Neanderthal times. Prior to Selam’s discovery, researchers knew very little about early human growth patterns as the early human fossil record consists of few children. Because Selam’s baby teeth erupted in a pattern similar to a three-year-old chimpanzee’s, researchers now know A. afarensis children shared a chimpanzee’s fast growth rate. But her brain size indicates that a human growth rate was evolving. CT-scans of her skull show small canine teeth forming in the skull, telling us she was female. Her partial skeleton is made up of a nearly complete skull and torso, and several limb bones—her legs indicate she could walk upright, but other skeletal features showed she could also climb trees. The hyoid bone beneath her neck looks ape-like, and her gorilla-like collarbone and long, curved fingers show significant tree-climbing. Image Credit: Zeresenay Alemseged

Code of Ethics Apex Inc.

Code of Ethics Apex Inc. Apex Inc. is an information technologies company that develops software solutions for hospitals and other healthcare organizations. In particular, the products of this organization are used for such purposes as telemedicine, knowledge management, electronic transfer of patients’ data, and other purposes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Code of Ethics: Apex Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main users of our products are medical workers. The following code of ethics regulates the actions of this organization and its employees. Integrity and relationship with customers Our company will disclose information about the possible advantages and disadvantages of our products, because our customers rely on the accuracy of data that we provide to them. The customer of Apex Inc. will not have to face any hidden costs that can be related to the development of software solutions. The products developed by Apex Inc . will be aimed at meeting the needs of users, in particular medical workers. Moreover, we will not attempt to reduce the cost of development at the expense of patients’ wellbeing. Apex Inc will ensure the confidentiality of our clients, their financial performance, or any other data that be used against hospitals or their patients. Our company will attempt to meet the deadlines and requirements that our clients will set and warn them about the possible challenges. Corporate social responsibility and HR policies Apex Inc. will promote diversity in their workplace. In particular, the organizational policies of the company will prohibit every form of discrimination against employees that can be based on gender, race, disability, religion or any other criteria that are irrelevant to the performance of a worker. The company will introduce accurate and objective performance appraisal methods that take into account the contribution of each worker. The managers of the company will be obliged to justify the reasons for the termination of employee’s contract or the promotion of a worker. The employees of Apex Inc. are obliged inform the superiors or HR managers about the violation of legal or ethical rules. People, who do it, may choose to remain anonymous, if they want to. Apex Inc. is responsible to preventing any form of discrimination against whistleblowers or people who inform governmental agencies about possible malpractices. The interaction with governmental and non-governmental organization The company will be obliged to disclose any kind of information that can be required by law-enforcement agencies of the United States. Apex Inc. will develop software solutions and information technologies that pose minimum threat to the environment and to the users of our products. The company will not object to the unionization of their employees. Moreover, it will establish close partnership with environmental agencies, consumer associations, and trade u nions. Apex Inc. will fully disclose information that is related to the financial performance of the company. Business partners Contractors and business partners of Apex Inc. are expected to reach the same ethical standards that the company sets for its employees or executive officers. Provided that the contractors or consultants of Apex Inc become engaged in unethical practices, the company will terminate the relations with these organizations or individuals. So, this code of ethics is related to different elements of corporate social responsibility, for example, integrity in relationship with clients, adequate compensation of workers, and the promotion of equality in the workplace. Moreover, this document explains how the company should interact with governmental and non-governmental organizations like environmental agencies or trade unions.

17 Weird Hobbies for Students That Will Change Your Life

17 Weird Hobbies for Students That Will Change Your Life College can be a stressful time, so it is a good idea to find some fun activities to fill your spare time. However, for some students this can lead to some weird hobbies! Let’s look at some of the most unusual hobbies you might want to try. 1 – Toy Voyaging There are some weird hobbies that are stranger than others and one of them must be toy voyaging. You can register online to send your toy off on vacation to another part of the world – or you can host someone else’s toy. People take it incredibly seriously, giving their toy life missions they wish to fulfil while hosts complete travel journals and take photographs of the toy enjoying its vacation. 2 – Quidditch Harry Potter captured thehearts of children and adults alike and continues to have a huge fanbase today. Many colleges and universities are playing homage to that by setting up their own real life Quidditch teams. There may not be flying brooms, but the muggle equivalent of this wizard sport certainly counts as one of the weird hobbies you might find on campus. 3 – Soap Carving Some weird hobbies are quite artistic when you look more closely. Soap carving transforms standard bars of soap into intricate works of art using specialist tools and techniques. 4 – Element Collecting As weird hobbies go, one that might appeal to chemistry students in particular is Element Collecting. This involves trying to collect elements from the periodic table. There are many ways to approach this with some enthusiasts opting for a specific row or group rather than the whole table. A word of caution – collecting heavy elements, poisonous elements and of course radioactive ones is not recommended! 5 – Making Snow Globes Who doesn’t love playing with a snow globe? Wouldn’t making your own be even more fun? This is a hobby shared by one of the world’s most well-known celebrities – Taylor Swift. Even the stars have weird hobbies they enjoy on their down time. 6 – Beetle Fighting Beetle fighters pit their insects against one another in small plastic arenas with the bouts often being filmed and loaded to YouTube. Some enthusiasts even go so far as to breed their own beetles in an attempt to create a champion. 7 – Hikaru Dorodango You have likely never heard of Hikaru Dorodango, also known as dirt polishing, but it is apparently a popular hobby. It involves take a small ball of mud, extracting all the moisture and then coating it with fine layers of soil. Eventually it becomes possible to polish the ball of dirt into a smooth sphere. 8 – Entomology Entomology is the study of insects. In terms of weird hobbies bug collecting must be up there, right? One celebrity who doesn’t agree is model Claudia Schiffer who has an extensive bug collection and is also a huge fan of spiders! The logo for her clothing line even features a spider. 9 – Duck Herding Did you know? It is possible to train ducks to be herded just like sheep? In fact, it is a competitive sport and one of the most popular choices for corporate team building days. 10 – Extreme Ironing Believe it or not Extreme Ironing is a competitive sport which is growing in popularity. It involves ironing laundry, but in more extreme situations such as while rock climbing, kayaking or even skydiving. 11 – Newsraiding Have you ever wanted to appear on television? You are not alone if the growing popularity of newsraiding is anything to go on. This hobby involves appearing on television as a bystander on news reports and other live broadcasters! One of the most prolific newsraiders is Paul Yarrow from the UK who has appeared in the background of hundreds of television broadcasts always wearing his signature beige sweater. 12 – Noodling If your college is located near a fishing spot, then maybe you would like to try your hand at noodling quite literally. Noodling is the art of fishing with your bare hands. Catfish are the most common prey for noodlers. 13 – Ghost Hunting Are you a fan of paranormal TV shows like Ghost Adventures and Paranormal Lockdown? Why not try a little ghost hunting in real life? Many paranormal teams across the country run events taking members of the public to investigate spooky buildings. 14 – Collecting Barbie Dolls Perhaps collecting barbies isn’t one of the strangest entries on our list, but one of its enthusiasts made it interesting enough to be included. Johnny Depp is an avid collector of the dolls and says he often plays with the dolls in his collection when getting into character for a role. 15 – Tree Shaping Tree shaping is not a hobby for those looking for instant gratification as it can take years. However, it is extremely cool as you can train trees to grow into artistic shapes or even into your own living furniture. 16 – Geocaching What if we told you that you could go on a real-life treasure hunt? Geocachers use satellite technology to locate caches – small boxes of trinkets and other treasures which can be swapped. There is also a log book to sign inside each one. It may seem a little weird at first, but it is totally free, a great way to stay fit and good for meeting other players. 17 – Suing People Not all the weird hobbies we have come across are advisable and we certainly don’t recommend taking up suing people. Jonathan Lee Riches made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the person who has filed the most lawsuits. His list of targets includes the likes of Britney Spears, Martha Stewart, the Eiffel Tower and even a selection of Buddhist Monks. These weird hobbies might sound a little strange to you right now but consider this – the hobbies you mention on your resume are something that helps companies with their recruitment. If you prefer to try something more conservative, check out these cheap hobbies for students. A prospective employer is not necessarily looking for a hobby connected to the job, but if you have an interesting hobby then it could help you to stand out from the crowd of applicants!

Contemporary & Future Challenges in HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Contemporary & Future Challenges in HRM - Essay Example It is the responsibility of HRM personnel to find ways to develop effective programmes that meet this challenge. Information used by HRM in decision making is provided by the human resource management information systems (HRMIS), which is an integrated system based on technology for organizational use. To transform the way HRM delivers its activities, the use of â€Å"workforce technologies† has grown rapidly in the last decade. These pertain to most human resource activities such as recruiting, training, addressing grievances, legal work, performance appraisals, pensions and benefits, and other areas. An HRMIS can significantly improve the efficiency of the HRM operations, raise profit levels and perform risk management for the organization. Future challenges in human resource management can be met with potential applications of HRMIS, as in training management, risk management, and overall cost reduction of human resource management activities. Human resource management (HRM) is a function of organizational systems to ensure that â€Å"human talent is used effectively and efficiently to accomplish organizational goals† (Mathis & Jackson, 2006: 28). Most organizations have physical, financial, intangible and human assets. The human asset or the human capital constitutes the combined value of the skills, capabilities, knowledge, life experiences, and motivation of an organizational workforce. The contemporary and future challenges faced by human resource management are: the â€Å"globalization of business, economic and technological changes, workforce diversity, organizational cost pressures and restructuring† (Mathis & Jackson, 2006: 28). There is an ongoing transformation of HR roles by technology and outsourcing and also by the need for HR to become a more strategic contributor. HR technology in the form of Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) helps to improve administrative efficiency levels and present increased information for strategic

CONTRACTING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Research Paper

CONTRACTING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - Research Paper Example The root beginning of the hybrid contracts was when it was realized that purely generic contracts had their major downsides that led to their inefficiencies. For example the fixed price cost started being too costly owing to the number of uncertainties in the contracts. The birth of hybrid type of contracts was seen when the fixed price contracts were introduced some adjustments. This started with the economic price adjustment where the prices would be varied based on a number of certain contingencies such as the cost of labor. This thus did include some hybridism in the contracts. One of the root causes of the hybrid contract is the dynamic nature of the present day contracts. Most of the current day contracts are not as rigid as the previous days’ contracts. The result, therefore was the need to improve on the various contracts that existed. One of the main advantages is that with hybrid contracts, one is able to enjoy the various advantages gain from different mother type of contract. For example, with the fixed cost, the cost was predetermined in advance even before the contract starts. This means that the contractor takes all the risks associated with the contract. However, when the variable aspect is introduced to the contract, the contractor is shielded of some of those risks. The other advantage of hybrid contracts is with the flexibility associated with the contracts themselves. Most of the hybrid contacts unlike the other specific contracts that are strictly enforced by the law, there is room for flexibility with the hybrid contracts. This flexibility with the hybrid contacts gives it a unique edge over the other static types of contracts where specific specifications must be followed to the letter. Through hybrid contracting, especially with specific governmental contracts also increase the chances of winning a bid. Kate M. Manue l(2010)