Human Development and Learning Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Development and Learning - Term Paper Example Empirical research asserts that there are various factors that tremendously put learners at risk (Crandell, 2008). In some cases, the factors may be triggered by biological factors and environmental factors. Therefore, there are numerous tactics that can be used by teachers in order to reduce the occurrence of certain behaviors in the classroom. In the scenario presented, the student demonstrates a variety of risky behaviors. Firstly, he is a sixteen-year-old tenth grader who sleeps in class frequently. Secondly, he defaces textbooks and desks in the classroom. Thirdly, he blatantly refuses to answer questions in the classroom. In addition, the student also exhibits poor oral reading skills and reads at a sixth-grade level. Another risk factor is the fact that the student is not social since; he does not have many friends. There are several factors that may have attributed to these problems. According to the details presented, the student is exposed to several risk factors that are p ortrayed by the behaviors presented. First, the issue of sleeping in class is a serious risk factor to the student. In this case, the student may be sleeping in class because he is probably tired since he works after school. The other reason why he may be sleeping in class is because he does not care or comprehend what is being taught in the classroom. To help the student with this issue, I can assign him various tasks around the classroom. For example, I can involve the student in taking the attendance of the class daily. This can substantially cut down on the sleeping issue. I can also assign him with various tasks that are aimed at improving his concentration in the classroom. The other risk behavior that puts the student into risk is vandalizing of textbooks and desks in the classroom. According to the scenario given, the student is seemingly destructive in nature. He might be doing this in order to get attention or, he does not understand the content of the book. Furthermore, h e may be destroying the desks and books due to the fact that he feels dumb. Further analysis also asserts that the student does not answer direct questions in the classroom. He may be doing this because he is probably embarrassed to answer the questions asked wrongly. This fear and embarrassment are the main factors that are restraining Jane from active participation in the classroom. Therefore, as a teacher I can use the student as an active classroom helper hence keeping him away from such misdeeds. I can also notify him that I will be asking him a question. Through this, he will have plenty of time to think about the correct answer. The student also has difficulties in his oral and reading skills. This cannot be identified as a direct behavior. However, the fact that the student has difficulties in his reading and oral skills points out that he may be under a lot of aggravation. In order to help the student with this issue, I am going to assign him with a textbook that enables hi m cover some reading material. In addition, I can also assign a helper to the student in order for him to improve his reading skills. I can also help him to start a vocabulary book in order to improve his understanding in oral skills. In conclusion, the student is not socially active. He does not mingle with his fellow peers and has unusually few friends. This is not a

History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay

History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay For marketers it is essential to understand the importance of attitudes, motives, beliefs and attitude change in the study of Marketing and Consumer Behavior. Therefore, Consumer Behavior is about the perceptive of the consumers needs and what affect their purchase intention. Consumer behavior can be distinct as the study of individuals, groups or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use and dispose of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society (Hawkins, 2001). It covers the field from psychology, sociology and economics. With the open-door-policy in 1979, China has improved its trade relations with the rest of the world. China benefited from foreign direct investments and its export expansion. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world. The rapid growth in China led to an increase in consumption. Chinese consumers nowadays have comprehensive choices in buying different kind of products. Due to the open-door-policy, many overseas companies have entered China and benefited from the increased consumer spending. Chinese consumers can choose from foreign goods that are imported from overseas or manufactured by foreign companies in China, or domestic goods. Due to the increased foreign investments, domestic companies face fierce competition in several markets. Markets are globalizing in China but Chinese consumers still keep buying local products. The globalization affects consumer behavior but China has a strong traditional culture which remains noticed in the countrys choice of product purch ase. According to Mooij (2011), globalization can also cause a strengthening of local identities. Studies have identified that consumers in developing countries have a different perception than consumers in developed countries towards local made products. The consumers in developing countries believe that foreign sourced goods are better than local made products. Belk (1996) identified that globalization can lead to motives to resist the globalization policies, such as localism, ethnogenesis and the neo-nationalism. Further research about this paradox can be an effective way for investors, entrepreneurs, companies and producers to develop and enhance their marketing strategy in China. There have been several studies about consumer ethnocentrism and its effect on consumer behavior and purchase intention. Most of the studies have their focus on the Western consumers. There has been little emphasis on the research of Chinese consumer purchasing behavior and evaluation towards consumer ethnocentrism, which leads to a scarce knowledge of the Chinese consumers. This study focuses at explaining the degree of consumer ethnocentrism and its assumptions on evaluation of several products. This research will focus on food products by Chinese consumers. To explain the relationship there has to be a literature review to issue the concepts in the research and analyzing existing studies on consumer ethnocentrism to understand the theoretical background. Secondly, a research question and the hypotheses will be described and after the methodology will be explained. To test the hypotheses, data will be collected. At last, after evaluation of the hypotheses, a conclusion can be drawn from the present study. 1.1 Problem statement Chinese consumers are shifting towards other consuming patterns as the economy grows faster than any other country in the World. The behavior of Chinese consumers has shown significant changes in the couple of years. In the 12th five-year plan, the Chinese government wants to boost its domestic consumption. The changes have led to a declining demand for foreign goods. An explanation can be that Chinese consumers are becoming more ethnocentric because of the favoring for domestic products. The central question in this research is therefore: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? Which moderators are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE for Chinese consumers towards food products? 1.2 Research method A literature review is needed in order to answer the central question. A literature review is needed to gain insight about a suitable method to measure Consumer Ethnocentrism. It is important to set a theoretical background to gain insight about the factors that are influencing CE, the effects of CE and the moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE. A conceptual framework can be developed after a literature review. In this framework, the factors that can be found that are influencing CE and also the outcomes and moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes, will be presented. The final conceptual model will be empirical tested. This research will be a quantitative research. A questionnaire will be developed and a convenience sample will be used to collect data. A total of 210 questionnaires will be delivered randomly to adult participants. 1.3 Thesis structure In Chapter 2, there will be an explanation how Consumer Ethnocentrism can be measured and if this is applicable in this research. In Chapter 3 there will be a brief description of the Chinese consumer market. In Chapter 4, the conceptual framework of Consumers Ethnocentrism will be developed and thereby its hypotheses. This framework will be the basis for the empirical research that will be described in Chapter 5. At last, the conclusions, limitations and recommendations will be discussed in Chapter 6. 2. Theoretical background 2.1 Ethnocentrism The concept ethnocentrism was first introduced by Sumner (1906). According to the author, ethnocentrism is the tendency to perceive that a particular ethnic or cultural group is being more significant than other groups. Individuals who tend to be more ethnocentric find their group better than others, who are seen as inferior. Ethnocentric individuals have developed an own perspective of how they see people or groups and they dont accept individuals who are different from them (Netemeyer et al., 1991; Shimp and Sharma, 1987). In the field of sociology Lewis (1976) argued that individuals tend to give their group members a privileged treatment than non-group members. Thus, ethnocentrism established the development of in-groups, which is the group of the individual as pride and on the other side a disfavor for out-groups (Levin Campbell, 1972). According to Lynn (1976) ethnocentrism is part of the human nature. Thus, the phenomenon can be used for large diversity of societal groups including the local community, regions and nations. In the study of Chryssochoidis et al (2007, p. 1518) he issued: ethnocentrism is based on the formation of we-group feelings, whereby the in-group is the focal point and all out-groups are judged in relation to it. Levinson (1950) also related ethnocentrism to cultural narrowness which explains behavioral tendencies of favoring the individuals with the same culture and excluding other cultures, who are not the same. 2.2 Consumer ethnocentrism Consumer ethnocentrism is derived from the psychological concept of ethnocentrism and particularly points out to ethnocentric perceptions held by consumers in one country, the so called in-group, towards products from a different country, the out-group (Shimp and Sharma, 1987; Shankarmahesh, 2004). Ethnocentrism is adapted in order to suit Consumer behavior, which is suitable for marketers. Ethnocentrism has already been discussed to the study of consumer behavior in the 1970s (Markin, 1974; Berkman et al, 1978). Shimp and Sharma (1987) defined the concept in order to suit the field of marketing. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) argue that the ethnocentric tendencies of consumers are influenced by social-psychological and demographic factors. The basic conceptual model of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) shows that Consumer Ethnocentric is the focal concept that is related to demographic variables (age, gender, education) and social physiological variables (openness to foreign cultures, patriotism, collectivism/individualism and conservatism). The result of Consumer ethnocentrism is overestimating the domestic products and underestimating the import products. Thus, Consumer Ethnocentrism is a significant factor towards import product attitude. In their model, there is also a moderating factor. The model issues that when products are perceived as not necessary, consumers will have stronger ethnocentric tendencies towards the attitude of import products. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) have tested this conceptual model in Korea. Results have shown that there is a negative correlation between openness to foreign cultures and Consumer ethnocentrism. This shows that people who are open to foreign cultures, are less ethnocentric. There is a positive correlation between patriotism and Consumer ethnocentrism. The demographic variable gender is also significant related to CE: women show more ethnocentric tendencies than men. The study also identified that higher education leads to less ethnocentric tendencies. The research did not find a negative correlation between age and CE. Consumer Ethnocentrism tendencies Antecedents Openness to foreign cultures Patriotism Conservatism Collectivism/individualism Attitude towards imports Moderators Perceived necessity Economic threat Demographics Age Gender Education Figure : Basic model Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) Consumer ethnocentrism is about the perceived appropriateness and morality when buying foreign products and preferring domestic goods over foreign goods which can be seen as consumer loyalty (Shimp and Sharma, 1987). According to Shrimp and Sharma (1987) highly ethnocentric consumers tend to believe that purchasing foreign-produced goods will affect the countrys economy negatively and will cause unemployment. Conversely, non-ethnocentric consumers, who do not consider ethnocentric beliefs, have no bias where a product is produced. These consumers will consider their purchase based on evaluation of the merits of the products. Shimp and Sharma (1987) state: The family unit would be expected to be the primary socialization agent, but adult opinion leaders, peers and mass media would also influence a childs ethnocentric orientation during the prime period of early childhood socialization. This statement explains that an adults perception is created by what he or she has learned and exper ienced as a child. According to Lingquist (2001) the degree of ethnocentrism is influenced by the developed levels of different regions. In some studies there has been concluded that consumers in developing countries tend to perceive foreign sourced products as prestigious and of high quality while on the other side, developed countries tend to perceive domestic products as prestigious and of higher quality (Agbonifoh and Elimimian, 1999; Bow and Ford, 1993; Sklair, 1994; Wang et al., 2000). Sharma et al. (1995) assume that the less significant product categories lead to greater ethnocentric tendencies and behavior by consumers. Orth Firbasova (2003) and Dosen Krupka (2007) have researched the food industry, where it has been identified that ethnocentric consumers have more willingness to purchase domestic food products instead of foreign food products. To measure consumer ethnocentrism, Shimp and Sharma (1987) developed The Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE). The CETSCALE is a 17-item predictor of consumer ethnocentrism (Lindquist et al. 2001). This measurement distinguishes consumers whether they are highly ethnocentric or not, thus consumers scoring high on this scale will tend to prefer domestic products over foreign ones. There are several researchers that use the CETSCALE with their own modification for aiming on employment impact, patriotism and economic impact in studies (Lindquist et al., 2001; Cleveland et al., 2009). The scale has been applied widely in different countries, such as Turkey, France and the Czech Republic (Klein et al., 2006). Herche (1992) identified that the CETSCALE is able to forecast consumers choices to buy domestic or foreign products. He argues that this measurement is even better than demographic and marketing mix variables. According to Balabanis (2001), the Customer ethnocentric mea sure of buying intentions differs from countries. Good and Huddleston (1995) agreed on this. They identified that Polish consumers find it significant to purchase foreign goods, contrary to Russian consumers. In a research study of Wei (2008) he issues that the Consumer ethnocentrism will decrease when brand sensitivity and product cues are taken in account. These factors will influence the purchase intention of the consumer. The CETSCALE will be further explained in paragraph 2.3. 2.3 CETSCALE The central question in this research is: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? This question can only be explored if there is a method to measure CE. There are different kinds of methods and tools to measure CE, but the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale is the most common used. Shimp and Sharma (1987) have developed this scale to measure CE (see 3.1). Previous studies have tested this scale on its reliability and validity (see 3.2 and 3.3). At last there will be a conclusion if this CETSCALE is valid for measuring CE in this research. 2.3.1 Measuring Consumer-ethnocentrism The first study to measure CE was done by Shimp (1984). He came to a conclusion that measuring CE was being hindered by a suitable tool. Before Shimp developed the CETSCALE, there were other tools, such as the famous F- and E-scales of Adorno et al. (1950). These scales were able to measure ethnocentric tendencies but were useless because of the commonality and dated nature of the scales. Shimp (1984) used an open question to test CE empirically. He used the following sentence: Please describe your views of whether it is right and appropriate for American consumers to purchase products that are manufactured in foreign countries. The question is aimed on the perception of the respondent, questioning if buying foreign products is ethical. Shimp (1984) indicated that the choice for an open question is legitimate, given that the concept of CE is very complex and the relevant dimensions were not known at that moment. Shimp Sharma (1987) developed and validated a multi-item scale to measure the CE of individual consumers: the CETSCALE, which stands for Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale. The CETSCALE consist 17 items, with a 7-point Likert-scale ranged from Totally disagree (1) to Totally agree (7). The 17-item CETSCALE is validated and tested on its reliability in three studies, which are the four area study, Carolinas study and crafted-with-pride study. Shimp Sharma (1987) also developed a shortened version of the CETSCALE for the national consumer good study. This scale consists 10 items of the original 17-item scale. This is because the 17-item scale is often being used for commercial market research. For this subset scale Shimp Sharma (1987) use a five-point Likert-scale. In table 1, the 17-item and the subset 10-item scale is shown. 17-item CETSCALE 10-item CETSCALE 1 American people should always buy American-made products instead of imports. 2 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 1 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 3 Buy American-made products. Keep America working. 4 American products, first, last, and foremost 2 American products, first, last, and foremost 5 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 3 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 6 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 4 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 7 A real American should always buy American-made products. 5 A real American should always buy American-made products. 8 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 6 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 9 It is always best to purchase American products. 10 There should be very little trading or purchasing of goods from other countries unless out of necessity. 11 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 7 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 12 Curbs should be put on all imports. 13 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products. 8 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products 14 Foreigners should not be allowed to put their products on our markets. 15 Foreign products should be taxed heavily to reduce their entry into the U.S. 16 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 9 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 17 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. 10 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. Table 1: The CETSCALE of Shimp Sharma (1987) 2.3.2 International reliability The basic requirements of a scale, that can be used in several countries, is the reliability of a scale (Craig Douglas 2000). In case a scale is being used in a different country than where the scale is developed, there can be a measurement invariance. This refers to observing the construct in different conditions and studying constructs where the measurement does not always measure the same attribute. Linguistically or conceptual inequality of measuring instruments can cause variations in the reliability. This is a threat to the validity of conclusions. The focus on the study of the reliability is to obtain the same results when using the existing measuring instrument in a different context, different way or different point of time. These tools do not have to be reliable in every context, despite the attempt to develop tools that can be used in every culture (Craig Douglas 2000). Therefore, the CETSCALE does not have to be reliable everywhere. If the scale in the United states giv es a good reflection of the items that are measuring the CE in the United States, however this does not mean that these are the right items for a different country (Douglas Craig 2000, p.277). It is important to determine if the CETSCALE is international reliable and therefore suitable in other countries. The reliability of a scale can be identified in multiple ways. There are two parts of reliability of the CETSCALE that come up for discussion: The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE and the stability of the CETSCALE over time. The internal consistency is being measured with the Cronbachs Alpha. The Cronbachs alpha measures if the items of the CETSCALE truly measure one concept: Consumer Ethnocentrism. The internal consistency has to be large enough (alpha higher than 0.60) to measure CE with the CETSCALE. When this is the case, the items can be considered as reliable indicators of CE (Hair et al. 1998). When a low alpha occurs, the respondents do not have consistent image of the concept and in that case the measurement is not reliable. A requirement by measuring the internal consistency of a set of items, is that the items are one-dimensional (Hair et al. 1998). This means that the items have to be interdependent and combined they have to measure one concept (Hair et al. 1998). Factor analyses are important to measure the dimensionality of a set of items by determine several factors (Hair et al. 1988). For one-dimensionality all items of the CETSCALE have to load high on one single factor (Hair et al. 1998). The stability of the CETSCALE over time is being measured by a test/retest method. The consistency of the answers of a respondent is being measured at different moments. The objective of this method is to be sure that the answers do not vary over time, in order for the CETSCALE to be considered reliable at every moment (Hair et al. 1998). According to Hair et al. (1998) Cronbachs alpha is being defined as: Cronbachs Alpha is most widely used objective measure of reliability. It is used to measure the internal consistency of a test or scale. The measurement is expressed as number of 0 and 1, whereby the nearer Cronbachs Alpha coefficient is to 1, the better the internal consistency of the set of variables. Internal consistency and dimensionality of the CETSCALE Shimp Sharma (1987) were the first researchers that executed four distinctive studies to determine the reliability of the 17-item CETSCALE. These studies have shown that the internal consistency of the CETSCALE is very high; the Cronbachs alpha of the four studies varies from 0.94 to 0.96. The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE is identified in several studies and countries (Appendix 1). The alpha coefficients in the appendix show a consistency. That implies that the alpha in every study lies about 0.90 (with exception of the alpha for Hungary in the study of Lindquist et al. (2000)). In any other cases the internal consistency meets the minimum of 0.60.Orth Fibrasova (2003) have studied the role of CE towards the evaluation of food. They have found a high Cronbachs Alpha value for the CETSCALE and imply that the CETSCALE is internal consistent. There are different opinions about the amount of items of the scale that must be used. Shimp Sharma (1987) have used 10 items in the national consumer good study, because of the limited possibilities in the questionnaire. Lindquist et al. (2001) have studied the dimensionality of the shortened 10-item CETSCALE in Hungary, Czech and Poland. According to this research, the CETSCALE does not have a universal good fit in the central- and east-European countries. They assume that a scale that can be used in every country does not exist. Therefore, they suggest to use a part of the CETSCALE items and add some land specific or population specific items to effectively measure the CE. Another problem the authors have identified is the translation of the CETSCALE. The authors imply that the scale functions better in English then translated to their native languages in their research. The authors emphasize that the back-translation technique must be used to set up an accurate translation of the scale. Stability of the CETSCALE over time Shimp Sharma (1987) have used the test-/retest method by doing the research twice with a interim period of five weeks. These studies have found comparable alpha values. Shimp Sharma (1987) conclude that the CETSCALE is stable over time. Nielsen Spence (2001) have also researched the stability of the CETSCALE over time. They studied the stability in the United States over an eight week period during the summer of 1992. In this period they have found that the CETSCALE-scores are stable over time but by investigating different groups, the scores can vary over time. They conclude that a longer period of data collection, scores can vary more. 2.3.3 International validity The validity of a scale refers whether a scale or set of measurements measures the focal concept accurate (Hair et al. 1998). The three most accepted types of validity are convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Convergent validity examines the degree to which the operationalization converges with other known measuring instruments of the concept. Discriminant validity assures that the scale differs enough of other similar concepts and nomological validity measures if the scale shows the relationship based on previous studies or theories. These types of validity are empirical tested by defining the correlation between theoretical defined sets of variables (Hair et al. 1998). Convergent validity This type of validity examines the correlation between two measurements that measure the same concept (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). A researcher can look for this and find an alternative tool to measure CE and correlate this method with the CETSCALE. If the correlations are high, then the CETSCALE truly measures CE. Shimp Sharma (1987) have found a convergent validity in their study. The 17-item CETSCALE correlates with the open question of Shimp (1984). This correlation (r (=correlation coefficient) =0.54, n=388, p Discriminant validity Discriminant validity is the degree where two concepts are different. This type of validity examines the correlation between measurements. In this case, the CETSCALE is being correlated with a different conceptual measurement. The correlation has to be low, as it shows that the CETSCALE differs enough comparing to another measurement (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). Shimp Sharma (1987) have found evidence for discriminant validity. Three constructs are being used in the studies (patriotism, politics, economic conservatism and dogmatism) that are related to Consumer Ethnocentrism. The researchers have used a test of Fornelll Larcker (1981). They assume that the average variance of the separated constructs is larger than the variance where the constructs are being combined. They have found that this is the case for the CETSCALE and the politic-economic conservatism-scale. The variance distinctive is 71% for the CETSCALE and 61% for the conservatism-scale, as the combined variance of the two constructs is 34%. Thus, Shimp and Sharma (1986) indicate that there is a discriminant validity. The study of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) also proves that there is a discriminant validity between CE and the product attitude towards foreign goods. They have found this through a factor analyses on the 17-item CETSCALE and the 10 attitude items. Findings have shown that the CETSCALE items and the attitude-items load on two different factors. A factor analyses have shown that the correlation between the two constructs (r = 0.568) differs significantly . Thus, these two constructs are not similar. Nomological validity Nomological validity examines how far the CETSCALE can give an accurate prediction for other concepts in a model that is based on theories. In this case, a research must identify theoretical supporting relationships from earlier studies, then he has to determine if the scale has comparable correlations (Hair et al. 1998, p.118). For the 17-item scale Shimp and Sharma (1987) have used the CETSCALES-scores of the respondents to determine the nomological validity. Shimp and Sharma (1987) applied different measuring instruments of Warshaw (1980), Fishbein Ajzen (1975) and Ajzen Fishbein (1980). These tools have been used two years before the development of the CETSCALE to investigate the purchase of a domestic or foreign car. The purchase of a foreign car is negative correlated with the CETSCALE score of the ethnocentric respondents of Shimp and Sharma (1987). Furthermore, the ethnocentric consumers have less favorable cognitive structures and attitudes regarding foreign cars than non-ethnocentric consumers. These results imply the nomological validity of the Consumer Ethnocentrism concept and measuring this concept with the CETSCALE. The 10-item scale is also tested on its nomological validity by Shimp and Sharma (1987). They have tested this by looking to the country origin of the manufactures. According to this study, the country of origin of the manufacturer is an important purchase consideration when the scores on the CETSCALE increase. Consumers with a higher score on the CETSCALE are likely to choose for American manufactures and have less preference for European and Asian manufactures. Predictive validity Herche (1992) has some remarkable notes about the predictive validity of the CETSCALE. He assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE is product specific (the predictive validity for cars is higher than computers). Herche (1992) gives several explanations for this phenomena. First, when buying a more expensive product, people tend to have more ethnocentric tendencies because these transactions have a bigger economic impact. Another possibility is that if there are no acceptable domestic goods available, even ethnocentric consumers are being forced to purchase foreign goods. Also, the degree of involvement can be responsible for the difference between product categories. Purchases with a higher involvement can evoke emotional reactions about the country origin. However, this does not have to be true because the involvement of a purchase of a car does not has to be bigger than the purchase of a computer. Witkowski (1998) assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE does not has to be product specific but also country specific. He has found this assumption in his study in Mexico and Hungary. Respondents in this study are asked to give nine durable products in the past three years. There was a significant negative relationship between the CETSCALE-scores and the purchase of a foreign car, television, video recorder and washer in Hungary. No significant relationship was found between CE and the purchases in Mexico. 2.3.4 CETSCALE in this research The internal consistency of the scale is high in most of the studies and meets the minimum requirements of the Cronbachs alpha value of 0.60. Orth Fibrasova (2003) have done studies of the role of CE regarding food products. To measure CE, they make use of the CETSCALE. In this research the shortened 10-item scale of Shimp Sharma (1987) will be used. The main reason the use the 10-item scale is because the length of the questionnaire has to be limited. In paragraph 3.3, sufficient evidence has found for the international validity of the CETSCALE. Thus, the CETSCALE is an useful scale to measure CE in China. 3. Chinas consumer market Due to the globalization of markets, there is an abundance of foreign goods in China. Domestic companies had to face strong competition of foreign companies during the last ten years. According to Cui (1999), the Chinese consumer market has the largest growth opportunity in the world. The market of 1.3 billion people, with an emerging spending power of the middle income class, is an enormous opportunity for producers of consumer goods. Each year 10 million new Chinese consumers enter the market. In 2010, Chinas consumer market was approximately worth $1.7 trillion. According to Forbes (2011) the domestic consumer market in China could grow to about $15 trillion within ten years. A.T. Kearney (2007) assumes that the middle class will increase its consumptions especially on food, the branded food product market supposed to increase from $150 billion to $650 billion by 2017. The statistics show that the mediocre

Who Should be Considered a Hero in Anglo-Saxon Culture and Today? Essay

Who Should be Considered a Hero in Anglo-Saxon Culture and Today? Today, many children would consider Superman, Spiderman, Batman & Robin, and even possibly Arnold Schwarzenegger in his old film The Terminator as great superheroes. These comic strip heroes even impress adults as courageous men because we cannot get over their legendary and their supernatural skills. For example, Spiderman is well known for the spider webs that emerge from his manly wrist. On the other hand, heroes are not just defined by comic strips or cartoons. Firefighters, police officers and even our fathers or mothers are heroes in many of our lives. The characteristics that we describe our heroes as having today are quite similar to those of heroes in Anglo-Saxon culture. Since the Anglo-Saxons were one of the Germanic tribes who invaded England, they were people who had their own language, values and culture. In the Anglo-Saxon adventurous and popular legend Beowulf, the valiant Beowulf is known to be the Superman during the Anglo-Saxon period. In Anglo-Saxon culture and literatures, the characteristics of a hero are to be bold, strong, fearless, loyal and showing indifference to pain. In addition, Beowulf’s faith and confidence in himself and his role as a warrior in the society are other important factors in being a hero. When Grendel’s mother seeks revenge and runs back to her swamp, Beowulf speaks with confidence to go after her: â€Å"let us go at once to look on the track of Gendel’s kin. I promise you this: she will not be lost under cover, not in the earth’s bosom in the mountain woods nor at the bottom of the sea, go where she will. This day have patience in every woe -- as I expect you to† (25). In additio n to this, Beowulf is, beyond doubt, ... ...ffers slightly from generation to generation, from culture to culture, and from individual to individual. But heroes or heroines are still admired for their bravery, great deeds, or noble qualities. The fearless deeds accomplished by Beowulf are not necessarily required for a person to be considered as a hero or heroine today. Albert Einstein is an American hero because he accomplished many great achievements in science. All the passengers who died on the September 11th flights are also looked upon as heroes or heroines because they faced a horrific terrorist act close up. Fathers can be called heroes in their sons’ eyes because they simply admire their dads. Hence, the word â€Å"hero† has many meanings today. The Anglo-Saxon ideal of a hero was comparatively narrow and limited. Today heroism is defined more broadly. How broad will the term become in the next 25 years?

China trade performances and policies

Consumption Behavior China is the world's largest car market. By the end of 2012 the number of motor icicles reached 109. 4 million in China. China produced 19. 3 million cars in 2012. China is the world's largest mobile phone market, with over 1. 1 billion subscribers at the end of 2012. China is the second largest luxury goods market in the world, after Japan, and China is the second largest market for cinema, after the US. Between 1949 and 1979, a total of 280,000 Chinese traveled abroad. In 2012, 83 million Chinese citizens made Journeys abroad. Household consumption as a percentage of GAP is among the lowest of any major economy, at around 34% in 2011, which remained nearly unchanged since 2006.Introduction on China Trade Policies China foreign trade in the past year The trade history of China is Important for how it has affected global production and earnings in poor and rich countries. Many analysts view China ‘s recent dominance primarily as the result of the post-1978 reforms. The overall economic system after 1949 was modeled after the Soviet Union, and raised savings from the rural sector in order to benefit industrial production. Foreign trade was generally conducted by state enterprises that had limited incentives to operate efficiently because their position was not contested by competition. The verbal regime adopted by China was geared towards self-sufficiency and import substitution, which as such was not atypical for a relatively poor country during this period.Never the less, China ‘s own trade regime together with the trade liberalizing of the GATE member countries meant that China's role in the world trade shrank after 1949. While before World War II China Accounted for around 2% of the world's imports plus exports, estimates suggest that China's share had fallen by the asses to around 1 . 7% and by the asses to around 0. 7%. The quantitative information on China's foreign during the period 1949-1979 is very emitted and it corres ponds to the small net gains that China was expecting to reap from participation in world trade. Foreign trade data of China was collected, as in most other countries, in the process of administrating trade taxes through customs.China's share in world trade did not change much between 1970 and 1978, while after 1978 China ‘s share increased substantially, consistent with a trade liberalizing impact of the 1978 reforms. Other breakpoints occurred around 1990 and around 2000, and in each case the rate at which China gains in terms of the world trades eave increased, with China ‘s rate of rate of trade growth increasing overall during this period. Between 1978 and 1990, trade growth is 7. 5%, between 1990 and 2000 it comes to 13. 5%, and between 2000 and 2007 it is 16. 2%. An important event that strengthened China ‘s foreign trade ties further is it accession to the World Trade Organization.China foreign trade today On December from 2001, China became the 43rd member country of the World Trade Organization after 16 years of negotiations. To honor its commitments upon entry into the WTFO, China expanded its opening-up in the fields of industry, agriculture and the services trade, and accelerated trade and investment facilitation and liberalizing. Meanwhile, the state deepened the reform of its foreign trade administrative intervention, rationalized government responsibilities in foreign trade administration, made government behavior more open, more impartial and more transparent, and promoted the development of an open economy to a new stage. Expediting improvements to the legal system for foreign economic relations and trade.After its entry into the WTFO, China reviewed over 2,300 laws and regulations, and departmental rules. Those that did not accord with WTFO rules and China's commitments upon entry into the WTFO were abolished or revised. Administrative licensing procedures are reduced and regulated in the revised laws and regulations, and a legal system of trade promotion and remedy has been established and improved. In accordance with the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) administered by the WTFO, China revised its laws and regulations and Judicial interpretations related to intellectual property rights, and thereby constructed a complete legal system that conforms to China's actual notations and international practices.Taking further measures to lower tariffs and reduce non-tariff measures. During the transitional period following China's entry into the WTFO, the general level of China's import tariffs was lowered from 15. 3% in 2001 to 9. 9% in 2005. By January 2005, the majority of China's tariff reduction commitments had been fulfilled; China had removed non-tariff barriers, including quota, licensing and designated bidding, measures concerning 424 tariff lines, and only retained licensing administration over imports that are controlled for the sake of public safety and th e environment in line tit international conventions and WTFO rules. By 2010 China's overall tariff level had dropped to 9. 8% – 15. % in the case of agricultural products and 8. 9% in the case of industrial products. Since 2005, China has completely maintained its bound tariff rate.

Native American Literature Essay

Native American literature is made up of two different types of literature, the oral traditions and the newer written traditions. From these two types are many different styles that make up the many different tribes of the Native American culture. Storytelling has long been an important aspect of all Native American cultures. It is through storytelling that the Native Americans are able to pass down their traditions and cultural identities. Oral traditions as well as the newer written traditions play an important part in understanding the cultural make-up of a tribe as well as establishing the historical significances of each individual tribe. The oral traditions of a tribe provided the heritage and memories of the tribe. It contained the actions, behaviors, relationships, and practices that encompass the social, economic, and spiritual identities of the people. These stories were related to each generation, keeping intact the beliefs and important aspects of the tribe. Storytellers learn their stories from other storytellers and from experience. Their stories change with the speaker and with time and with circumstance. Each story is told from a subject-position which affects the telling of the story (Leen, 1995). Storytelling is an event in which the people gather and information is shared through orations for both social and educational purposes. The same tale told in different tribes will be significantly different because each tale contains the important beliefs and stylistic differences of the individual tribe. An example of this can be found in the Trickster tales. Throughout just the Plains Indians, the Trickster takes many forms, such as the spider for the Dakota tribe or the coyote for the Kiawa tribe. However, the story or the moral of these stories is often the same, serving to teach or provide information necessary to keep the beliefs of the tribe intact. Oral traditions of storytelling change not only from tribe to tribe but also from generation to generation. Each storyteller will alter or change pieces of the traditional story to allow the stories to continue to captivate and entertain the audience. It is important that each story be relatable to the generation in which it is being told so that the information and histories found within the story will be considered relevant and be remembered. In John Roger’s Return to White Earth he speaks of his mother relating a story to him and his siblings. He writes, â€Å"As Mother talked, we children forgot all about what we were so eager to hear†¦ We listened eagerly to know what would happen next in the story. † (Return to White Earth, p. 56). That movement of stories through generations and the evolving of stories over time thread all the individuals’ experiences together to weave a shared identity. Trying to capture the essence of the oral tradition in written form is a near impossible task. Vizenor tells us, â€Å"Some of these diverse oral narratives have been translated and of course, is that written translation, even when the languages are similar, is not a representation of oral performances, and even the best translations are scriptural reductions of the rich oral nuances† (Native American Literature, 1995, p. 6). It is impossible to recreate the emotional and visual aspects associated with the oral storytelling of the American Indian. When the oral traditions were first written, the white man was usually writing these tales through an interpreter. These written works lost much of their meaning through the translation. Even though the white man had begun to recognize the historical importance of the oral tales of the Native American, they still often viewed them as primitive. With the inability of the white writer to fully understand the traditions, heritage, or social morality found within the tale, many oral traditions were presented as being silly or incredible tales told by an uneducated people. Luther Standing Bear wrote: White men who have tried to write stories about the Indian have either foisted on the public some bloodcurdling , impossible â€Å"thriller†; or if they have been in sympathy with the Indian, have written from knowledge which was not accurate and reliable. No one is able to understand the Indian race like an Indian (My People, The Sioux, p. 33). The definition of Native American literature is closely tied to what people think constitutes the essence of Native American identity. Three views stand out in this highly contested debate: those of legal bloodlines, cultural traditions, and bicultural production. According to the Annenberg Foundation, Native American literature, then: Would be those works written by someone who legally is Native American, regardless of their content or style. A second perspective links Native American identity and literature with the preservation of cultural traditions. Literary critics who rely on this view focus on aspects of â€Å"traditional† Indian culture in contemporary American Indian literature, such as the continuance of oral traditions. A third trend in Native American studies defines American Indian identity and literature not in terms of what it preserves (whether it be blood or culture), but rather as a bicultural mixture of Native and European American people and traditions (Native Voices, 2013). Luther Standing Bear believes that the only true knowledge about Native American’s lives, beliefs, and cultures must come from Native Americans immersed in cultural traditions. He says: The American Indian has been written by hundreds of authors of white blood or possibly by an Indian of mixed blood who has spent the greater part of his life away from a reservation. These are not in a position to write accurately about the struggles and disappointments of the Indian (My People, The Sioux, p. 33). Some Native Americans have argued that since their indigenous cultures have always assimilated aspects of other cultures, even aspects of other Native American cultures, to be Indian is to be bicultural, or multi-cultural. Many American Indians define themselves not primarily as â€Å"Native Americans† but as members of a specific tribe, each with their own separate history and culture, yet still very much Native American. There is a strong belief that the Native American culture is disappearing, being replaced by aspects of other cultures, particularly those of the white man. N. Scott Momaday reflects: Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were and hope, having seen many things†¦ I do not speak Kiowa, and I never understood her prayers, but there was something inherently sad in the sound (The Way to Rainy Mountain, p. 63). Even though he relates strongly to his Native American ancestry, Momaday admits that aspects of his own tribe are already lost to him. The Native American literary tradition has multiple layers, encompassing the historical traditions of old while addressing the struggles and inaccuracies found today. Le Anne Howe best addresses the struggles of the Native American to find their place in the literary world as well as the struggle to maintain their own cultural identity within a society that sees them as the minority. She quotes Edward Galeano saying, â€Å"Throughout America, from north to south, the dominant culture acknowledges Indians as objects of study, but denies them as subjects of history. Indians have folklore, not culture, they practice superstitions, not religion, they speak dialects, not languages, they make crafts not arts†¦ † (Mocassins Don’t Have High Heels, p. 202). It is through these thoughts that today’s Native American writers try establish understanding of their people through their works while trying to maintain the cultural traditions of their history, passing them on for the next generations. References Annenberg Foundation. (2013). Native Voices. http://www. learner. org/amerpass/unit01/pdf/unit01ig. pdf retrieved August 19, 2013 Howe, Le Anne. (1995). Moccasins Don’t Have High Heels. Native American Literature. A Brief Introduction and anthology. New York, NY: Addison-Wesley p. 199 Leen, M. (1995). An art of saying: Joy Harjo’s poetry and the survival of storytelling. American Indian Quarterly,19(1),http://search. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=lkh&AN=9508220366&site=ehost-live retrieved August 19, 2013 Luther Standing Bear, (1928) My People, The Sioux. Native American Literature. A Brief Introduction and anthology. New York, NY: Addison-Wesley p. 33 Momaday, N. Scott. (1969). The Way to Rainy Mountain.

lETTER IN SPANISH essays

lETTER IN SPANISH essays Hola Rosi como estas espero que bien?, discculpame que no tenga dos signos de interrogacion pero la computadora namas tiene dos, o la letra ~n. como te ha hido? a mi muy bien! cuentame como te va enla escuela? Que ha pasado en Mexico? Porfavor no le ence~nes esta carta ha nadie porque hay un ni~no en la eacuela que eata muy guapo, se llama Emmett Turner, tiene el cabello cafe-casta~no, sus hojos son verdes es un poco mas alto que mi, es muy buena gente y no es gordo. Yo orita estoy gugando soccer en el equipo de la escuela y me gusta mucho, tambien estoy hugando tennis y tambien me gusta mucho. Ha se como tres meses me fracture un dedo de la mano derecha, el otro a`no me paso lo mismo y hase cuatro dias me paso lo mismo, se me olvido desirte como me he fracturado los dedos de la mano, fue cuando estaba huque gando basketball, tambien me gusta hugar mucho basketball. Mi mama me dijo lla no hugara baskeball, pero me gusta Rosi en la escuela acabe de terminar clase de computadora, ya puedo escribir sin ver la tabla y rapido. En la escuela que estoy te exigen muchisimo es medio dificil algunas veces, pero si me gusta mucho y Raquel esta empesando ha manejar, Que miedo! Yo en dos a~nos yo lla tambiem voy ha empesar ha manejar. Bueno Rosi te voy ha volver ha ...

Quicksand And The Black Specta essays

Quicksand And The Black Specta essays When you hear the word quicksand the image of a damsel in distress comes to mind. You imagine her as she steps unconsciously into what could be considered a natural trap. This natural trap quickly and effortlessly encloses her. This same underlining scenario happens over and over again in Nella Larsens Quicksand. However you are not able to truly understand the trap that the white eye has created until after reading Bell Hooks Selling Hot Pussy. In reading Nella Larsens Quicksand and Bell Hooks Selling Hot Pussy you find that Selling Hot Pussy allows you to unlock one of the key issues in Quicksand. In Quicksand Helga Crane is continually haunted by the white eye and the spectacle it has made her. She struggles in a quest for acceptance and fulfillment. In the 19th century racism was the tool used to disconnect black and white sexuality, and vise versa. This is the dilemma that Helga Crane faces in Quicksand. Helga Crane is the daughter of a Danish mother and a black father, who goes to different places and communities in search of somewhere where she will feel at home. Crane is born in the quicksand because is neither completely white or black. Her quest brings her to Naxos, a Southern black school. Crane is disappointed by Naxos because it is suppose to be a one of the best schools for Negros, however the school is not the great learning environment she thought it was going to be. Larsen writes: This great community, she thought was no longer a school. It had grown into a machine. It was now a show place in the black belt, exemplification of the white mans magnanimity, refutation of the black mans inefficiency (4). Instead of being a place where the Negro children could learn on a level they could understand they were taught what their place was in society. And any suggestions positive or negative were looked down on. There was no room for progress. The n...

Make Water Glow With This Easy Science Project

Make Water Glow With This Easy Science Project Its easy to make glowing water to use for fountains or as the basis for other projects. Basically, all you need is water and a chemical to make it glow. Heres what you need to do. Chemicals That Make Water Glow in the Dark There are a couple of ways you get science projects to glow in the dark. You can use glow-in-the-dark paint, which is phosphorescent and glows anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Glowing paint or powder tends not to be very soluble, so it is good for some projects and not others. Tonic water glows very brightly when exposed to black light and is great for edible projects. The fluorescent dye is another option for a bright effect under a black light. You can extract non-toxic fluorescent dye from a highlighter pen to make glowing water: Use a knife to (carefully) cut a highlighter pen in half. Its a pretty simple steak knife and cutting board procedure.Pull out the ink-soaked felt that is inside the pen.Soak the felt in a small quantity of water.   Once you have the dye you can add it to more water to make glowing fountains, grow certain types of glowing crystals, make glowing bubbles, and use it for many other water-based projects.

Precis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Precis - Assignment Example There as well is the need to describe women not in relation to what they are directly contributing to the global economy but also in other noncompetitive facets of social life. There is need to empower not only the women but the marginalized as well as have them participate in political social and economic spheres for sustainable acceleration of social and economic development (Griffin, 102).Exposing women and the poor to opportunities such as affordable funds and having policies that intervenes on their behalf not only liberalizes them but as well offers them a competitive edge and a level entrance in the global market. However gender inequality should not only lean towards the women but toward any gender group that is disadvantaged (Griffin, 99). Socializing and exposing in equal gender either male or female to the competitive economy would give them a better chance in the global political economy. Giving priority to women and less privileged and having strategies of empowering the group by the policy makers would yield tangible and measurable results in the global economy development as they play a great role. For the global economy to grow drastically the issue of gender inequality must be eradicated completely in our

HR Training class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HR Training class - Essay Example e management must evaluate; who needs the training, where the training should happen, when the training will happen, why the training should happen, as well as, how it would happen. To accomplish this, the management must conduct analysis-using information that relates to the organizational goals and objectives, jobs and other tasks, which the employees need to learn, competences that the employees must possess to execute their duties effectively, as well as, the employees that the human resource should train. An effective needs assessment, program would help the management to direct resources to the areas that have the greatest demand. The needs assessment, program should help in addressing the needed resources as far as customer service is concerned. It should as well help in evaluating the needed resources as far as enhancing productivity, achievement of organizational goals, as well as, improvement of the quality of goods and services are concerned. A needs assessment in customer service entails identifying the gap between what the human resource expects from the employees and the actual performance, as far as customer service is concerned. Needs and assess ment, therefore, helps in closing the gap. The assessment within the small retail business would include three levels, which this paper will justify their need. The first level is organizational assessment. Organizational assessment determines the current performance of the organization, as far as, offering quality services to the customers is concerned. The assessment will help in identifying if the employees possess the right skills, abilities, knowledge or competencies in customer service. The assessment helps in solving problems present in customer service. Different businesses have different customer service needs. For example, a manufacturing company would have different customer service needs compared to a retail business. This reflects the importance of assessing the needs. In other words, it would

Socrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Socrates - Essay Example listening to both sides of the argument rejects the study of language altogether declaring it shallow and shoddier than the study of things themselves. If we go into the details of this argument, Plato’s seems to argue that nothing significant can be known about a particular thing by examining its name Keller(2000,pp. 285-305) . The actual worth of a thing lies in itself which seems convincing to some extent. However, at the same time, it seems a bit irrational to assume that the words or names have an intrinsic relation to the things they signify .A same thing can be viewed differently by different individuals depending on his mind set. It certainly will not be wrong to say that it is all a matter of perception. For instance, the word ugly sounds ugly but it certainly does not signify the essence of the thing it is referring to and it sounds ugly only because it has been inculcated in our minds from the beginning of our lives thereby making Hermogenes’ argument stronge r Robinson(1956,pp. 325). Even the educational psychology reveals that it is not the verbal utterances but the behavioral patterns that have a deep impact on a person’s mind. Socrates argument, on one hand, sounds convincing but on the other hand, the importance of language cannot be denied altogether and I firmly believe that the two of them go hand in hand. It is indeed more important to go into the depth of the thing itself in order to study it extensively, however, language is an essential medium to give one’s thoughts a voice with interesting corollary which basically is the most significant attribute of mankind and giving them equal importance sounds a lot better than the Socrates’ argument of rejecting the language altogether. Hence, it can be said that the name of a thing may not be as important as the thing itself but a thing without any apparent identity of its own makes it hard to describe. In fact, the plot of the argument shows a contrast between wh at Socrates is defending in

Sampling Plan Utilizing Randomizer Research Paper

Sampling Plan Utilizing Randomizer - Research Paper Example The research paper "Sampling Plan Utilizing Randomizer" presents the overview of the software that allows the users to define the dominant age of Facebook users. The population of 2000 ruled out the possibility of the feasible census and instead a simple random sampling technique was used. This is powerful online software which generates samples randomly. All you need to do is to feed in the range of values and specify the number of sets. Then choose how many numbers to be picked from each set to represent the population. It is easy to use, faster and available free of charge on the internet. In order to assess the dominant age of Facebook users, my established contacts were used. I had 2000 friends on Facebook which is an online social networking site. I hoped to address the research question: What is the dominant age of Facebook users? The population of 2000 ruled out the possibility of the feasible census and instead a simple random sampling technique was used. The availability of the contacts on the site made it possible to establish a sampling frame from where a representative sample was to be drawn. In order to ensure the equal chances of selection into the sample space, the sampling units were represented by their number on the list generated from my friend's page. The contacts were arranged alphabetically and assigned position 1 to 2000. The numbers were fed into a randomizer to generate 25 sets. In each set, the randomizer picked 2 numbers bringing the sample size to 50.

How civil war changed families Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How civil war changed families - Assignment Example Why should only men be able to fight for what they believed in? Also of course a soldier earned roughly double what any woman, whatever her profession or trade, could earn at the time. A ‘man’ had freedom which a woman could not enjoy, so some of these women kept up the pretence for the rest of their lives, although the majority were spotted at some early point. Jenny Hodgers was one of the women who believed that there were more opportunities given to young men than would ever be available to women at that time. It is even possible that she saw it as the only way she could survive in her adopted country. Righthand gives an estimate of about 400 such women who actually served as soldiers. ( Righthand 2011) Yet in 1909 the United States Army issued a statement, saying that they denied the fact :- Any woman was ever enlisted in the military service of the United States as a member of any organization of the Regular or Volunteer Army at any time during the period of the civil war. (quoted by Johnson, 2009). Jennie Irene Hodgers was one such woman. Born in Ireland into a poor family she somehow managed to survive the famine and eventually arrived in America, perhaps from Belfast. The date is uncertain, but she possibly already dressed as a man. Crombie suggests that she was a stowaway ( Crombie , 2005). One suggestion is that her step father made her dress as a boy in order that she could earn the family necessary money ( Vicksburg National Park , undated). She took work as a labourer, as a shepherd and as a farmhand, but America was already split by war, and had been so since 1861. Aged only 19 in 1862 she enlisted in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment ( O Coisdealha, 2010). There was a medical examination, but this was only concerned with the eyes and ears of the new recruits. She didn’t even have to commit forgery as she could neither read or write, so just made her mark (Crombie, 2005). There was no space on the form for writing male or female. It simply wasnâ€℠¢t considered as a possibility. There followed a month or so of basic military training and then the company marched off to Kentucky and their real war began. During the next three years Jennie would march some 10,000 miles back and forth as the war progressed. Despite being only 5’ 3†, and so one of the shortest people in the regiment , she held her own in some 40 battles under the leadership of General Ulysses S.Grant. She was simply thought of as a bit of a loner , as when he /she sought privacy for such things as bathing. It is believed that the other soldiers were unaware of her true gender. This she was able to keep up even when she had a severe attack of diarrhea (Vicksberg National Park, undated). She was captured at the siege of Vicksburg, but escaped by knocking her guard cold. She managed to get through the whole war without serious injury, although there were times when many around her suffered serious wounds. This meant her body was never examined closely a ll that time . Years later when her true identity was finally revealed one of her former messmates would say :- â€Å"I never suspected at any time all through the service that Cashier was a woman.† There was agreement that she pulled her weight as well as any other soldier. The men slept in the clothing they had worn all day. Sometimes they would go weeks without undressing and bathing. All of this would help Jenny to keep up her deception. The war was over at last in August 1965, and she, along with all the other soldiers, was demustered with an honourable discharge. She was then left to make her own way ion life , as were all the other veterans. Faced with an uncertain future she decided to keep up the disguise. She returned to the one place she knew well, Illinois , where of course she was

Hepatitis c Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hepatitis c - Essay Example It exists in six genotypes, of these genotype I is most prevalent form of HCV. Since the virus exists in different genotypes and sub-genotypes, it becomes very challenging for the development of its vaccines. HCV is not related to other hepatitis viz. hepatitis A or hepatitis B. It is grouped in the family Flaviviridae along with yellow fever virus and dengue virus. As soon as virus gains entry in the liver, it elicits immune response resulting in inflammation; protracted inflammation lays the foundation of scarring which further takes the form of cirrhosis and thus preventing liver to perform its normal functions. Such condition paves the way for liver cancer (Alter, 2000). It is transmitted through blood especially through blood transfusion, use of unsterile injections and rarely through sexual transmission (in cases where an individual is suffering with Sexually Transmitted Disease and has open sores). 7. Sporadic transmission: in this case the source of the infection cannot be found out, it results due to community-acquired infections where virus gets entry in body through cuts or injuries or an abrasion (Alter, 2000). Use of sterile needles, safe hygiene conditions and routine blood examination, taking complete history of the patient, thorough screening of the blood for HCV when blood is donated by a donor or when given to the patient, use of self-capped needles, no sharing of personal belongings like razor, towels, toothbrushes, Acute: it is the initial 6 months when the patient contacts the infection of Hepatitis C. as the disease is asymptomatic no initial signs appear in majority of the population. Only 30-40% of the infected cases develop symptoms like reduced appetite, tiredness, aching abdomen, jaundice, itch, burning sensation and flu. When blood is examined through PCR, HCV can be seen in 1-3 weeks after getting the infection, moreover antibodies against the HCV could

How civil war changed families Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How civil war changed families - Assignment Example Why should only men be able to fight for what they believed in? Also of course a soldier earned roughly double what any woman, whatever her profession or trade, could earn at the time. A ‘man’ had freedom which a woman could not enjoy, so some of these women kept up the pretence for the rest of their lives, although the majority were spotted at some early point. Jenny Hodgers was one of the women who believed that there were more opportunities given to young men than would ever be available to women at that time. It is even possible that she saw it as the only way she could survive in her adopted country. Righthand gives an estimate of about 400 such women who actually served as soldiers. ( Righthand 2011) Yet in 1909 the United States Army issued a statement, saying that they denied the fact :- Any woman was ever enlisted in the military service of the United States as a member of any organization of the Regular or Volunteer Army at any time during the period of the civil war. (quoted by Johnson, 2009). Jennie Irene Hodgers was one such woman. Born in Ireland into a poor family she somehow managed to survive the famine and eventually arrived in America, perhaps from Belfast. The date is uncertain, but she possibly already dressed as a man. Crombie suggests that she was a stowaway ( Crombie , 2005). One suggestion is that her step father made her dress as a boy in order that she could earn the family necessary money ( Vicksburg National Park , undated). She took work as a labourer, as a shepherd and as a farmhand, but America was already split by war, and had been so since 1861. Aged only 19 in 1862 she enlisted in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment ( O Coisdealha, 2010). There was a medical examination, but this was only concerned with the eyes and ears of the new recruits. She didn’t even have to commit forgery as she could neither read or write, so just made her mark (Crombie, 2005). There was no space on the form for writing male or female. It simply wasnâ€℠¢t considered as a possibility. There followed a month or so of basic military training and then the company marched off to Kentucky and their real war began. During the next three years Jennie would march some 10,000 miles back and forth as the war progressed. Despite being only 5’ 3†, and so one of the shortest people in the regiment , she held her own in some 40 battles under the leadership of General Ulysses S.Grant. She was simply thought of as a bit of a loner , as when he /she sought privacy for such things as bathing. It is believed that the other soldiers were unaware of her true gender. This she was able to keep up even when she had a severe attack of diarrhea (Vicksberg National Park, undated). She was captured at the siege of Vicksburg, but escaped by knocking her guard cold. She managed to get through the whole war without serious injury, although there were times when many around her suffered serious wounds. This meant her body was never examined closely a ll that time . Years later when her true identity was finally revealed one of her former messmates would say :- â€Å"I never suspected at any time all through the service that Cashier was a woman.† There was agreement that she pulled her weight as well as any other soldier. The men slept in the clothing they had worn all day. Sometimes they would go weeks without undressing and bathing. All of this would help Jenny to keep up her deception. The war was over at last in August 1965, and she, along with all the other soldiers, was demustered with an honourable discharge. She was then left to make her own way ion life , as were all the other veterans. Faced with an uncertain future she decided to keep up the disguise. She returned to the one place she knew well, Illinois , where of course she was

Do Unions Have Any Kind of Future In Australia Essay

Do Unions Have Any Kind of Future In Australia - Essay Example This will be the time to forge a global partnership between developing global partnership between developed and developing countries to ensure that employment growth policies are put in place to put an end to the scourge of our times - increasing unemployment, poverty and inequality' - said ICFTU President Sharan Burrow. The major corporations of the world are hopping around the world seeking the lowest cost worker. The ITES has meant that the developed world will lose more employment opportunities to developing countries where wages are cheap and working conditions can be stringent. The west and the rest of the developed world already troubled with rising unemployment will see a worse future. The 'global workforce' if at all one arises will require more such meetings and negotiations to make things happen - for a better tomorrow. The Unions around the world have emphasised on the need for collective bargaining. They are primarily composed of skilled and semi-skilled workers. But membership figures vary widely with the industry in question. The problem has particularly plagued Australia in sectors such as health because a large number of health workers from the commonwealth countries are present in these sectors. But what do unions do Changes in the structure and nature of work The Unions seek changes in the structure of work so that the work is less monotonous and comfortable to the worker. Further the unions make sure that the working conditions are also ideal. Unions form and people flock to join them for many reasons. They feel that their grievances will be redressed by the collective bargaining power of the unions. Some members also enrol for ideological issues such as the socialist cause and the anti-capitalism campaign. The Webbs defines that unions arose when the great bulk of workers had ceased to be independent producers, themselves controlling the processes, and owning the materials and the product of their labour, and had passed into the condition of life-long wage-earners, possessing neither the instruments of production nor the commodity in its finished state (Webbs, 1920: 25). In the 1920's Perlman stated thatTrade unionism, which is essentially pragmatic, struggles constantly, not only against the employers for an enlarged opportunity measured in income, security, and liberty in the shop and industry, but struggles also, whether consciously or unconsciously, actively or merely passively, against the intellectual who would frame its programs and shape its policies (1928: 5). Allan Flander says of Unions that 'The first and over-riding responsibility of all trade unions is to the welfare of their own members. That is their primary commitment; not to a firm, not to an industry, not to the nation. A union collects its members' contributions and demands their loyalty specifically for the purpose of protecting their interests as they see them, not their alleged 'true' or 'best' interests as

Diet and Digestion as Factors for Large Size in Sauropods

Diet and Digestion as Factors for Large Size in Sauropods Dinosaurs have captured the imagination since the very first fossils were discovered. The mystical creatures in many ancient cultures may be attributed to fossils weathering out of the earth. Nearly every culture had some form of dragon in their mythology, a uniformity best explained by fossilized dinosaurs. Some scientists believe the fossils of ceratopsians are the source of the mythological griffin. Part of the fascination with dinosaurs is their size. With few animals reaching such massive proportions, the creatures that produced single bones as tall as a human must have seemed other worldly to ancient peoples. They still draw fascination today; their features so different from anything living. As more and more fossils are found, explanations and extrapolations of the features, size, and behavior become more comprehensive. The unknown element of dinosaur life allows for wild projections and suppositions, and the drama of discovery and scientific discourse and hypothesis disproval continue to draw the interest of people. As more is discovered, more questions are raised. One field of questions pertain to sauropod size. Sauropods are distinct in their absolutely massive bodies. Far larger than anything known by living humans, they are fascinating to consider. Trying to imagine their size is in some ways like trying to imagine the vastness of space. Without actually standing next to a mounted skeleton, there is no living reference to fix the size of sauropods in the imagination. Some estimates place the largest sauropods at 80,000kg, or 170,000 lbs. Conservative estimates suggest weights of 40,000-50,000 kg. Sauropod height is in some specimens 60 feet, about 3 times the height of a two-story house. Some sauropods were a third of a football field in length! Such sizes are nearly unfathomable, raising the question of how they got to be so massive and how their bodies functioned. Modern herbivores are often much bigger than carnivores, because in general, their e nergy expenditure is less and the biomass of their food source is higher. The huge size of sauropods is definitely tied to their diet, and it is likely that their food source and digestive mechanisms were a major factor in their growth to such massive sizes. The food available to sauropods was not very nutritive. Before the evolution and diversification of angiosperms 125 million years ago, herbivorous animals had to rely mainly on gymnosperms and ferns. The best measure of plant nutritional value is in the concentration of nitrogen and nonstructural carbohydrates like sugars. Protein levels largely correspond to the nitrogen levels in leaves. Because non-angiosperm plants dont have the xylem transport network that evolved, there is less nutrient flow, and therefore less nitrogen concentration. Ferns, cycads, and conifers, some of the main plant types available to the sauropod dinosaurs, were low in nutrition, and gymnosperms had secondary chemical defenses that made them unpleasant to eat and harder to digest (Midgley, 2005). A study by Zvereva and Kozlov (2006) found that the nitrogen concentration in gymnosperms drops in environments with elevated temperature and CO2 concentration, compared to the modern environment. Sugar levels tend ed to stay the same. The toughness of leaves increases when CO2 levels are higher. The carbon-nitrogen ratio is significantly increased by elevated CO2. It is well-known that the environmental conditions during the age of dinosaurs was both higher in temperature and higher in CO2 concentration. This would have produced plant material significantly less nutritious than the plant matter today. The lesser food quality supports the evolution of large sauropod dinosaurs, as the Jarman-Bell Principle states that larger species can feed on diets of lesser quality food, evidenced by the relatively large size of modern grazing mammals (Clauss, et. al., 2009). The physiology of the dinosaurs shows evidence of partitioning. Some sauropods, such as diplodocids, were low browsers, who were unlikely to life their heads higher than a couple meters (Stevens and Parrish, 1999). This separated their food source from the mid to high browsers, limiting their available food source in some ways, yet also preventing competition amongst sauropod species. The lower plant quality requires that herbivorous animals consume more material in order to meet their nutritional and energy needs. Given the quality of available plants, extended digestion would have been required. Of several methods to process plant material, sauropods digestion was extremely fermentation heavy. They had very little oral processing. Their teeth were either broad and leaf like, with serrations in the crown, or later more narrow and peg like. In most sauropods, teeth were present in the front part of the mouth but not the back. The body plan in the early Mesozoic seems to have been to maximize food intake through teeth adapted for cropping, stripping, and pulling plant material but with little oral processing. There is some evidence in the tooth replacement rate and wear that teeth farther back in the mouths of sauropods were not used in oral processing or food acquisition, but rather served the purpose of cheeks, to keep the food in the mouth (Schwarz, et. al., 2015). Prosauropods had some check development, but in the sauropod line, cheeks were lost early (Chure, et. al., 2010). There have been no teeth found in association with sauropods that had a large horizontal surface, indicative of use for chewing (Christiansen, 1999). The heads of sauropods were extremely small compared to their body size. Any dental batteries or cheeks would have increased the head mass and likely made it prohibitively heavy, especially at the end of a long neck. Christiansen also noted that the muzzle width in sauropod dinosaurs is proportionally wider than the width in herbivorous animals. This enables sauropods to intake more food per bite, increasing their intake rate. With relatively poor food nutrient quality, sauropods would need to consume a great amount of food to meet their daily needs. The length of the neck adds length to the digestive envelope, another way to maximize food consumption. The lack of oral processing, wide muzzle, and long neck work in conjunction to increase the consumption capability or sauropods, increasing their ability to meet their dietary needs and shortening thei r feeding time. With such high consumption and such little processing, digestion would be almost entirely focused in the gut. The particle size would be very large, making digesta harder to break down, and the longer it takes to digest. There has been some debate about the presence of gastroliths and a gastric mill in sauropod dinosaurs. Gastric mills certainly would help break down the plant material into smaller particle sizes and speed the digestion process. Unfortunately, the fossil record seems to rule out the presence of a gastric mill for most sauropod dinosaurs. Wings and Sander (2007) tested the hypothesis of sauropod gastroliths by testing gastrolith usage in farm ostriches. They found that rose quartz, which has the same properties as the white vein quartz found in association with sauropods, last the longest. Using granite cubes, they found that the general shape of the stone stays the same. They also found that the gastric milling process quickly roughens the face of the stone. None of the stones that he used in his test retained a shine, unlike those suspected to be sauropod gastroliths. He also found that gastroliths are about 1% of the total body mass. According to them, the largest mass of gastroliths found in association with a sauropod is 15kg, much lower than 1% of the estimated sauropod body mass. Gastroliths likely scale with body mass simply because organ size roughly scales with body mass. The stomachs of sauropods could have been proportionally smaller than expected, although it is unlikely with the amount of food that they are estimated to have consumed. Using projections from living herbivores, it is estimated that the large sauropods would consume several hundred kilograms worth of food (Englemann, et. al., 2004). This estimate accounts for the proportional decrease in required food consumption for successively larger and larger organisms. In another study focusing on the distribution of gastrolith stones amongst sauropod remains, it was found that gastroliths were found with about 4% of sauropod fossils. There are some species of sauropod that have strong evidence of gastric mills, but they are not widespread enough (Wings, 2014). With little to no processing of plant material, and with no evidence of any other break down processes, sauropods must have heavily relied on fermentation to digest their food. The relatively low density of nutrients in the gymnosperms at the time already required longer fermentation times. In order to achieve longer fermentation time, the gut size needs to increase, or the amount of food eaten needs to decrease. As the food particles must have been large, the time taken for fermentation would need to be even longer. With no internal soft tissues preserved in the fossil record, it is hard to determine where fermentation took place in the gut. Fermentation demands a large digestive tract. Larger intestines allow for longer digesta retention, pulling more nutrients from the food. The large torsos of s auropods could certainly fit and extensive gut. Estimates based on living animals gives a digesta retention time between 8 and 16 days. Galapagos turtles, which do not chew their food, retain theirs for 11 days (Franz, et. al., 2009). Sauropod dinosaurs could have evolved to be so large because those individuals with larger guts had better survival chances than those who had smaller guts. As stated previously, the amount of food needed in relation to the body mass would likely have been much lower than other, smaller herbivorous organisms. As sauropods heads were evolved to take in the maximum amount of food, the intake of food would likely not have consumed most of the sauropods time. This time advantage would have been especially needed in semiarid environments, like the Jurassic area preserved in the Morrison formation. Although there is lush vegetation in the Morrison fossil record, it is not widespread instead found in clusters. The Morrison Formation suggests that the environm ent during the time of sauropods was savannah-like. The dense vegetation found was likely due to seasonal rains, or centered around areas of water, such as lakes or streams. The vegetation likely moved, growing in different areas depending on rainfall (Englemann, et. al., 2004). Large herbivores would need to follow the seasonal changes, and migrate in search of new food sources. The size of the sauropods and the advantages of that size would have been a major edge in a semi-arid environment. Such sizes would have also made locomotion more efficient. Longer strides afforded by the overall large body size decreases the amount of energy per unit of distance. This, too, increases the ability of sauropods to migrate in search of food. Sauropod reliance on fermentation was so great that their methane production has been linked to the warm climate of the Mesozoic era (Wilkinson, et. al., 2012). Assuming a more reptilian metabolism, one paper puts the global biomass of large sauropods at 2 00,000 kg/km2. Their total estimated annual methane emission is about 520 million tons. For comparison, modern day ruminants produce about 50-100 million tons of atmospheric methane, and the total modern day global emissions are about 500-600 million tons a year. The author notes that their estimate could have been overstated by a factor of two, but also understated by the same amount, depending on assumed metabolic function and density of sauropods. Sauropods large sizes and reliance on fermentation to digest food was a major influence on their environment, and created a positive feedback loop, where the temperature increase would push nutritive values of plants lower. Massive sauropod bodies were well adapted to their environment and digestion. Of course, such large sizes bring their own challenges. The most debated question is whether or not dinosaurs were endothermic or ectothermic, and whether endothermy was even possible in mega dinosaurs like the sauropods. At body masses estimated between 20,000 kg and 80,000 kg, overheating would have been a huge problem in large sauropod dinosaurs. While it is unknown if they had special soft tissue adaptations in order to combat their size, it is speculated that their long necks and tails may have helped them keep cool by increasing surface area without adding too much internal volume (Eagle, et. al., 2011). The accelerated growth capable in endothermic animals is a major factor in favor of sauropod endothermy. Sauropods grew several size magnitudes, from hatchlings estimated to be about 10kg, to the hulking adult dinosaurs, in only a few decades (Sander Clauss, 2008). But does the size of adult sauropods rule out endothermic metabolisms? According to Eagle and others (2011), endo thermy was not impossible in large sauropods. In lower temperatures, more 13C-18O clumps form, which are preserved in the fossil record. The analysis of these clumps is not dependent on knowing the oxygen isotope composition of the surrounding water. These clumps can be observed in the tooth bioapatite of dinosaurs. The accuracy of this method is 1 °C, with precision within 1 °-2 °C. The accuracy of this method comes from tests of modern taxa, in which the isotopic temperature agrees with the expected temperature of the organisms. Eagle found the average body temperature of Brachiosaurus to be 38.2 °C  ± 1 °C and the temperature of Camarasaurus to be 35.7 °C  ±1.3 °C including a sample from a different fossil site. These temperatures are within the range of modern mammals, and lower than the body temperatures of many birds, which can be greater than 40 °C. Eagle does note that the temperature reflects the temperature of tooth formation, which may differ from the main body temperature. Body temperature is a product of metabolism, size, environmental temperature, and any special adaptations for the regulation of heat. The temperatures given for these sauropods is close to the temperatures estimated by earlier research done by Gillooly (2006). Such temperatures in such large animals suggests that they were either ectothermic, had low basal metabolic rates, or had some special methods of heat dissipation. Some researchers suggest that large sauropods were fermentative endotherms (Mackie, 2002). Because sauropods needed a lot of energy to reach their adult size in such little time, it is likely that they were endotherms who underwent some sort of change at maturation that prevented overheating as an adult. Metabolic changes through development is not unusual, so it is very possible that it also occurred in sauropods. They could have shifted from a higher metabolic endothermy during their rapid growth phase, to a lesser metabolic homeot hermy supported by the fermentation heat output from their fully formed guts. Other evidence in support of endothermic sauropods are growth lines, or the lack there of, in sauropod bones (Kohler, et. al., 2012). Lines of arrested growth are normally associated with ectotherms, which have periods of rapid growth interspersed with periods of slow growth. These lines are found in mammals as well, and in the majority of dinosaurs. The pattern the lines leave are not found in sauropod bones. This suggests unbroken, stead growth rates, highly unlikely in ectotherms. The evidence suggests endothermy in sauropods, even in large ones. Because endothermy requires more energy to maintain, sauropods would have had to consume a massive amount of food, unless they had a low basal metabolism. Hippopotami, while mammals and clearly not the size of sauropods, have particularly long retention times because they have low food intake and enormous gut capacity. Their required energy for maintenance is r emarkably low. This strategy is common in non-ruminant foregut fermentators and some small hindgut fermentators (Clauss, et. al., 2009). The metabolic process of sauropods is linked to their energetic needs and dietary restrictions. In some research, one of the byproducts of fermentation, heat, supports the endothermic theory, and endothermy in sauropods as juveniles helps explain how they managed to reach their massive adult size. The herbivorous, fermentative nature of sauropods is not an obstacle in understanding their ability to function at such large sizes. Sauropods likely evolved to be large because of the abundance of plant materials, especially after many herbivores died out during both the Permian extinction, but also the Triassic-Jurassic extinction. Their adaptations allowed them to widely diversify and fill the newly opened ecological niches. Some have speculated that their large body size was driven by predation, as larger bodies, especially the size of sauropods, were a natural defense (Sander, et. al., 2011). Given the evidence, it is more likely that immunity to predation was a lucky side effect of size, not the driving factor. It seems more likely that the resource opportunities of plants drove the initial adaptation, especially with the diverse nature of sauropods and their apparent partitioning, than protection. The size of sauropods is inextricably linked to their diet and digestive methods. Much of the discussion of sauropod feeding is based on conjecture is based on living animals, that are obviously very different from sauropods. As there is are no known records of internal tissues, it is hard to know anything about how sauropods functioned internally beyond comparing them to existing behaviors and traits in todays animals. Even though todays herbivores are different than sauropods, patterns of herbivory are similar in very different taxa. The circumstantial evidence offered by analysis of modern organisms still enables scientists to attempt to fit sauropods within the known herbivorous patterns, with allowances for the unknowns. Perhaps this analysis is just another element of the imaginative aspect of dinosaur life. Until more evidence is found, I believe that the evolution of the massive sauropods was in large part due to their diet and digestion. The nutrition offered by gymnosperms demanded higher levels of processing. The minimal oral digestion evidenced by small heads and non-chewing teeth led to greater digesta retention times in the gut. A greater gut size would have sped fermentation, compensating for the large particle size of the plant material and its low nutrient density. There is some evidence for resource partition amongst sauropods, both between different species and within the same species. Different tooth structure and browsing levels are some adaptations driven by available resources. The other benefits of the large body size of sauropods, in my opinion, do not seem likely to be as important in size evolution as the plants and their digestion. When the sauropods appeared, they filled an ecological niche left by previous extinctions, and quickly diversified, creating a hugely successful group of organisms, both in overall diversity, but also in longevity. Works Cited Christiansen, Per, 1999, On the Head Size of Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs: Implications for Ecology and Physiology. Historical Biology, v. 13, iss. 4, p. 269-297. Chure, D., Britt, B. B., Whitlock, J. A., Wilson, J. A., 2010, First complete sauropod dinosaur skull from the Cretaceous of the Americas and the evolution of sauropod dentition. Naturwissenschaften, v. 97, iss. 4, p. 379-391. Eagle, R. A., Tà ¼tken, T., Martin, T. S., Tripati., A. K., Fricke, H. C., Connely, M., Cifelli, R. L., Eiler, J. M., 2011, Dinosaur Body Temperatures Determined from Isotopic (13C- 18O) Ordering in Fossil Biominerals. Science, v. 333, n. 6041, p. 443-445. Englemann, G. F., Chure, D. J., Fiorillo, A. R., 2004, The implications of a dry climate for the paleoecology of the fauna of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. Sedimentary Geology, v. 167, iss. 3-4, p. 397-308. Franz, R., Hummel, J., Kienzle, E., Kà ¶lle, P., Gunga, H., Clauss, M., 2009, Allometry of visceral organs in living amniotes and its implications for sauropod dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, v. 276, iss. 1662, p. 1731-1736. Gillooly, J. F., Allen, A. P., Charnov, E. L., 2006, Dinosaur Fossils Predict Body Temperatures. PLoS Biology, v. 4, iss. 8, p. 1467. Kohler, M., Marà ­n-Moratalla, N., Jordana, X., Aanes, R., 2012, Seasonal bone growth and physiology in endotherms shed light on dinosaur physiology. Nature, v. 487, iss. 7407, p. 358-361. Mackie, Roderick I., 2002, Mutualistic Fermentative Digestion in the Gastrointestinal Tract: Diversity and Evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biology, v. 42, n. 2, p. 319-326. Midgley, J. J., 2005, Why Dont Leaf-Eating Animals Prevent the Formation of Vegetation? Relative vs Absolute Dietary Requirements. The New Phytologist, v. 168, n. 2, p. 271- 273. Sander, P. Martin Martin Clauss, 2008, Sauropod Gigantism. Science, v. 322, n. 5899, p. 200- 201. Sander, P. M., Christian, A., Clauss, M., Fechner, R., Gee, C. T., Griebeler, E., Gunga, H., Hummel, J., Mallison, H., Perry, S. F., Preuschoft, H., Rauhut, O. W. M., Remes, K., Tà ¼tken, T., Wings, O., Witzel, U., 2011, Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs: the evolution of gigantism. Biological Reviews, v. 86, p. 117-155. Schwarz, D., Kosch, J. C. D., Fritsch G., Hildebrandt, 2015, Dentition and Tooth Replacement of Dicraeosaurus hansemanni (Dinosauria, Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 36. Stevens, Kent A. J. Michael Parrish, 1999, Neck Posture and Feeding Habits of Two Jurassic Sauropod Dinosaurs. Science, v. 284, n. 5415, p. 798-800. Wilkinson, D. M., Nisbet, E. G., Ruxton, G. D., 2012, Could methane produced by sauropod dinosaurs have helped drive Mesozoic climate warmth?. Current Biology, v. 22, iss. 9, p. R292-R293. Wings, O., 2015, The rarity of gastroliths in sauropod dinosaurs a case study in the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, western USA. Fossil Record, v. 18, iss. 1, p. 1-16. Wings, Oliver P. Martin Sander, 2007, No gastric mill in sauropod dinosaurs: new evidence from analysis of gastrolith mass and function in ostriches. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, v. 274, iss. 1610, p. 635-640. Zvereva, E. L. M. V. Kozlov, 2006, Consequences of simultaneous elevation of carbon dioxide and temperature for plant-herbivore interactions: a metaanalysis. Global Change Biology, v. 12, iss. 1, p. 27-41.

Time Management: Putting Time On Your Side Essay -- essays research pa

Time Management: Putting Time on Your Side   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste one’s time is to waste one’s life, but mastery of time usage is mastery of life and making the most of it. Einstein once said, â€Å"There is no absolute relation in time between two events, but there is an absolute relation between space and time† (Sharp 1). Time is a mystery. It cannot be tied down by definition or confined inside a formula. Like gravity, it is a phenomenon that we can experience but cannot understand. We are aware of the ageing of our bodies, of the effects of the movements of our planet, and of the ticking of the clock. We learn a little about what we call the past and we know that change is built into our lives. But neither philosophers nor scientists have been able to analyze and explain all of the meaning of time. Not only have they failed to provide easy explanations, but their efforts sometimes seem to have made mystery more mysterious and to have shown us t hat our lack of understanding was even greater than we supposed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some philosophers argue that the passage of time is an important metaphysical fact, but one that can only be grasped by non-rational intuition. Others tell us that the flow of time is an illusion and that the future can no more be changed than the past. Some believe that future events come into existence as the present; the future becomes the actual â€Å"moment-in-being.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When spending money, one presumably tries to balance their expenditures in such a way as to obtain the best possible yield. This means that one will probably refrain from spending all of their assets on a single commodity. Instead, one will distribute their expenditure over a variety of different goods and services. The optimum situation will have been reached when it is impossible to increase satisfaction by reducing expenditure in one field and making a corresponding increase in another. A more technical description of this condition of equilibrium would be to say that the marginal utility of one dollar must be the same in all different sectors of expenditures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the same manner, one tries to economize with their time resources. They must be so distributed as to give an equal yield in all sects of use. Otherwise, it would pay t... ...able units using periods of available time. Focus on the task at hand by mentally establishing successful outcomes and working back to identify the steps that lead there. Make a daily, prioritized schedule of tasks and events. Write things down for memory’s sake and to keep a clutter free mind. Time management is a skill that needs to be practiced, and once perfected, it will make light of any busy schedule for any busy person. Works Cited Sharp, Clifford. The Economics of Time. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1981 Lakien, Alan. How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: David McKay Co., 1973 Schofield, Deniece. Confessions of an Organized Housewife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1984 Linder, Staffan Burenstam. The Harried Leisure Class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: Columbia University Press, 1970 Kozoll, Charles E. Coaches Guide to Time Management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., 1985 Mackenzie, Alec. The Time Trap. New York: Amacom, 1990 Winston, Stephanie. Getting Organized. New York: Warner Books, 1978 Time Management: Putting Time On Your Side Essay -- essays research pa Time Management: Putting Time on Your Side   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste one’s time is to waste one’s life, but mastery of time usage is mastery of life and making the most of it. Einstein once said, â€Å"There is no absolute relation in time between two events, but there is an absolute relation between space and time† (Sharp 1). Time is a mystery. It cannot be tied down by definition or confined inside a formula. Like gravity, it is a phenomenon that we can experience but cannot understand. We are aware of the ageing of our bodies, of the effects of the movements of our planet, and of the ticking of the clock. We learn a little about what we call the past and we know that change is built into our lives. But neither philosophers nor scientists have been able to analyze and explain all of the meaning of time. Not only have they failed to provide easy explanations, but their efforts sometimes seem to have made mystery more mysterious and to have shown us t hat our lack of understanding was even greater than we supposed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some philosophers argue that the passage of time is an important metaphysical fact, but one that can only be grasped by non-rational intuition. Others tell us that the flow of time is an illusion and that the future can no more be changed than the past. Some believe that future events come into existence as the present; the future becomes the actual â€Å"moment-in-being.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When spending money, one presumably tries to balance their expenditures in such a way as to obtain the best possible yield. This means that one will probably refrain from spending all of their assets on a single commodity. Instead, one will distribute their expenditure over a variety of different goods and services. The optimum situation will have been reached when it is impossible to increase satisfaction by reducing expenditure in one field and making a corresponding increase in another. A more technical description of this condition of equilibrium would be to say that the marginal utility of one dollar must be the same in all different sectors of expenditures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the same manner, one tries to economize with their time resources. They must be so distributed as to give an equal yield in all sects of use. Otherwise, it would pay t... ...able units using periods of available time. Focus on the task at hand by mentally establishing successful outcomes and working back to identify the steps that lead there. Make a daily, prioritized schedule of tasks and events. Write things down for memory’s sake and to keep a clutter free mind. Time management is a skill that needs to be practiced, and once perfected, it will make light of any busy schedule for any busy person. Works Cited Sharp, Clifford. The Economics of Time. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1981 Lakien, Alan. How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: David McKay Co., 1973 Schofield, Deniece. Confessions of an Organized Housewife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1984 Linder, Staffan Burenstam. The Harried Leisure Class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: Columbia University Press, 1970 Kozoll, Charles E. Coaches Guide to Time Management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., 1985 Mackenzie, Alec. The Time Trap. New York: Amacom, 1990 Winston, Stephanie. Getting Organized. New York: Warner Books, 1978