TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies - Essay Example The company’s capital market investment performance gives it more financial capital growth. This can allow Milaha to seek opportunities in non-maritime activities. The company’s standardization will save costs, allowing for better capital availability to diversify services to different industrial segments. Milaha is also introducing new innovations in fleet capability that allows for greater service provision including subsea maintenance and firefighting. With growth in capital produced by a strengthening investment portfolio, the company can seek contracts with major oil companies to provide maintenance to oil rigs. The corporate governance team is not fully equipped to understand how to structure a new diversified service business. This weakness, however, can be overcome by practicing benchmarking of other companies in these industry sectors that will build a best practice framework throughout the entire value chain. An existing focus on primarily the Maritime & Logistics business also requires changing mindsets of executives to decentralize the business to provide for more effective collaboration. Divestiture of under-performing assets (such as real estate holdings) could improve the cash position of the business. Standardizing will provide the firm with many cost advantages. Threats of new market entrants that could offer lower pricing will allow Milaha to compete more effectively if price-sensitivity impacts contract procurement. Competitive rivalry is a threat if an emerging competitor becomes a cost leader and economies of scale can be a market barrier if achieved effectively in standardization of processes. New market entrants could make Milaha lose market share. However, the governance board is not familiar with how to develop competitive marketing strategies to build preference for this company’s brand in key pillar divisions. This threat can be overcome by building a governance committee focused on competitor analyses to

An Investigation into How a Student with ASD Could Use Media as a Way Case Study

An Investigation into How a Student with ASD Could Use Media as a Way to Inform Others about How This Affects his Life - Case Study Example At the end, a suitable conclusion has been rendered. The Case Daniel is a nine years old boy, who studies in the local special education school. He has been diagnosed with classical autism (a form of ASD) four years back. Daniel continuously has difficulty in making eye contact. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this is a typical autistic behavior. Atypical eating habits are also a prominent symptom as has been pointed out by Filipek and his colleagues (483). Moreover, lack of social and friendly behavior is another side of the problem (Burgess and Gutstein, 80). Daniel does not prefer to be alone but he is unable to make friends. His eating habits are unusual too. Outline of Support and Related Discussion Daniel has a number of repetitive and restricted interests and activities, although his learning ability has increased through the last year. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) has been an excellent support mechanism for last one year. CAI helps in â€Å"significa nt gains in reading, phonological awareness, verbal behavior, and motivation†, as has been pointed out by the Committee of Educational Interventions for Children with Autism, National Research Council (US) (63). In school, he has lessons in SULP (Social Use of Language Problem). It uses a combination of verbal interaction in discussion format and CAI can be embedded by using audio visual media. Moreover, SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) is also being utilized, which is ensuring development of emotional intelligence along with IQ. According to the Committee on Educational Intervention for Children with Autism, use of frequent student to student interaction is particularly helpful in this regard (63). Further analysis and critique: The educational intervention techniques applied so far have been rather effective. The relation between the measures of instruction and the child’s performance is proportional in the sense that the intensive socialization and lin guistic intervention approach is helpful in speech and cognitive development. The SULP and SEAL involve choral responding, interaction between students, rotation of materials, and random simulation programs that are effective in teaching language and developing emotional intelligence. Particularly in SEAL, class-wide peer teaching can be helpful to foster friendship among the children and gradually help them to achieve behavioral maturity. Peer tutoring can replace traditional teaching instruction and help to achieve better results. In this context, Weiss and Delmolino further state that these practices can be adopted both at home and at school (104). Using Media to Help in Explaining ASD In this section, we will look at the option of using media in the form of a PowerPoint presentation as an effective way to help a pupil explain his ASD to others. Two questions will be discussed in this milieu: 1. What is the rationale of the intervention and how does this fit with current understa nding of ASDs? 2. To what extent does the intervention address the needs of the pupil in the areas of communication, social understanding, and flexibility of behavior? Using PowerPoint: PowerPoint is a simple MS Office software application that can be taught with relatively less complexity. PowerPoint provides a platform, where text,

The Social Patterns of Children During Play

The Social Patterns of Children During Play The purpose of the current study was to determine whether children exhibited a preference for solitary play, same gendered play, or opposite gendered play. The hypothesis was that both males and females would spend more time in gender-segregated play than engaging with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. Play is a vital contributor to the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children (Chea, Nelson, Ruben, 2001). One important component of childhood play is early peer interactions. The choices a child makes with regards to peer selection contribute to their development by determining the quality of their early social interactions. A number of factors must be taken into consideration when evaluating childrens social situations. Children can either play alone or with one or more peers. Solitary play can take a variety of forms, each carrying a different implication for the childs social experience. Social play can involve interactions with same gendered peers or with opposite-gendered peers. Each of these components contributes to the unique social experience each child encounters. Recent work has suggested that solitary play is not always an indicator of poor social skills. Motivations for solitary play vary and could include self-reflection or regulation, task-oriented motivations, personality characteristics, or an inability to engage with peers. Work by Moore, Everston, and Brophy (1974) has found that the majority of time children spend in solitary play is engaging in goal directed activities. These activities are beneficial for development. The researchers suggest that rather than being an immature and developmentally harmful method of play, this type of solitary play represents independence and task orientated behaviour that should be seen as indicating maturity. It has been suggested that the category of interaction that Parten (1932) referred to as parallel interaction is a more immature form of play than solitary play rather than an intermediate step towards cooperative play (Johnson, Ershler, Bell, 1980). This type of interaction is more frequently exhibited in younger children. Research suggests that in many situations it acts as a bridge to cooperative group play, and is often only engaged in for a very short period of time (Smith, 1978). The parallel interaction initiates communication with the child and leads to cooperative play. If the attempt to open up an interaction fails, the child may resort to parallel play again. Extensive time spent in parallel play may indicate poor social skills (Pellegrinin Bjorklund, 1998). As children develop, they generally spend more time in cooperative play with their peers. Research by Smith found that solitary play decreased throughout the preschool period. Another study by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) found that preschool children engaged in significantly more solitary play and less group play than children at the kindergarten level. As a child spends more time in cooperative play, peer selection becomes an important component of their social experience. The decisions a child makes regarding those they play with contribute to their development by determining the quality and characteristics of their social interactions. Participants The participants in the study were 10 students from Dr. Mary J. Wright University Laboratory School. The 10 participants consisted of 5 males and 5 females. The students were from the Five-Afternoon Kindergarten class and all participants were four years old. All of the participants were Caucasian and from the middle to upper socio-economic class. During all four of the one hour observations there were approximately fourteen children including the participants and approximately six adults were present. There were child-initiated activities which included playing with Lego or blocks, drawing and colouring, and playing with various toys. There were also teacher-guided activities that included book reading, show and tell, and arts and crafts. Observational Procedure The participants were observed using a play partner index, which catalogued the different play partners that the children engaged with. This index had six different categories, which were: same gender play, opposite gender play, male parallel play, female parallel play, goal oriented play, and non-goal oriented play. The participants were timed in 30-second intervals using the stopwatch program on a cell phone. All of the participants were monitored from an observation room, which contained headphones, chairs, a writing table and a one-way mirror used to observe the children without disturbing their play. The students were observed in the Mary Wright Classroom during the child-initiated and teacher guided activates. Each child was observed one child at a time for 20 intervals of 30 seconds, and recorded the category of play that the child was engaging in. For example if a student was near another female student but not directly interacting with her, it would be recorded as female par allel play. Results The type of social play that each target student engaged in was recorded in 20, 30-second intervals for 10 minutes. The total numbers of intervals were added up for each participant and the participant was labeled by the condition that they spend the most time in. In the single case of an equal number of intervals between two categories, each category was assigned 0.5. There were no significant differences that were reported between the play categories for males or female. Both genders spent the majority of their time engaging in solitary play. There was only one child who demonstrated any sort of preference for opposite gendered play, and even in that case, only 50% of the participants total interactions within the ten-minute period were within this category. These results can clearly be seen in Figure 1 on the tables page at the end of the paper. There are many possible reasons for the failure to demonstrate significant results, such as sampling issues, environmental factors, and the transitory characteristic of the age range observed. Discussion The hypothesis was that that both males and females would spend more time in playing with children of their own gender than interacting with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. The results failed to support the hypothesis. No significant relationship was found between the categories for males or females. Research by Smith (1978) has demonstrated that solitary play decreases throughout the preschool period, as children begin to engage more with their peers. The children were in their later years of preschool and they failed to show this preference for social interaction. It is possible that the children in the current study have not yet made this transition. The age range considered represents the transitory stage, and this may contribute to the lack of significance in the results. Furthermore, research by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) considered preschool aged children compared to kindergarten children, and found that kindergarten aged children spent much more time in group play than the preschoolers. The children in the current study were on the older end of the age bracket for preschool but had not yet reached kindergarten. These children may have been too young to begin to demonstrate the preference for cooperative play that was exhibited in these studies. This research is of significant value to schools, daycare, parents, or anybody interacting with children on a regular basis. Being aware of the dominant social patterns for each age group can allow caregivers to identify children who may be diverging from the norm. If children fail to engage in positive interactions with their peers or tend to engage in long periods of parallel play, they may be developing poor social skills. Caregivers who can identify these children can then assist them in working towards positive relationships with their peers. Knowing the beneficial forms of solitary play can allow caregivers to provide children with stimulating activities that can assist them in their development, and monitor children for extensive periods of time spent in non goal-directed behaviour. Each child has independent needs when it comes to social behaviours. Being aware of the trends and risks can allow caregivers to meet the unique needs of each child. There are many extensions that can be made to provide further insight into social patterns in children. For example, the family situation and siblings in particular may influence social preferences exhibited in children. Some children may enjoy playing by themselves because they come from a larger family of many siblings and desire time alone. The opposite may also be true. In regards to gender preferences, children may gravitate towards peers that are the same gender of their siblings. For instance, a young girl who has three brothers and no sisters may demonstrate a preference for male play partners. The impact of being an only child could be considered, as well as the effect of a participant with mixed siblings. Patterns between siblings and peer interactions could be investigated. As research continues to shed light on the social patterns of children, caregivers of all kinds will become more able to meet the needs of each child. Their unique traits can be appreciated and specific personal weaknesses can be attended to. As social beings, it is vital that humans be socially adjusted in order for them to reach their full potential and experience overall wellbeing. This research allows for increased insight that can ensure children are provided with the opportunity to achieve this goal and experience a positive social environment that is beneficial to their development.

A Day at the Norton Simon Museum Essay -- Norton Simon Museum Painting

A Day at the Norton Simon Museum It was the day of April 13, 2000. I woke up at exactly 12 o’clock because my boyfriend was to pick me up at 1 like we planned the night before. The day looked quite nice, but I was in a fowl mood. I got into a car accident the night before and had a huge argument with my parents about the car. I finally dragged myself into the shower and got ready in half an hour. Then I went downstairs, sat on my couch, and repeatedly told myself the day would hopefully turn out better than last night. At around 1:15, my boyfriend came to pick me up. We took the 5 freeway to the 57 since it was the only way I knew how to get there. As we approached the 134 freeway, my girlfriend veered to the right, taking the 210 which was wrong way and got us lost. So, we exited the freeway and got back on the right track. Then finally, before long, we reached Norton Simon. As we reach the museum, the exterior was very beautiful. The first things I saw were the bronze statues in the front. We took a couple of pictures in front of them and in front of the Norton Simon. The entrance where the glass doors had sat was very unique and elegant. The glass walls that the glass doors were attached to, added to the elegance and beauty. When I had first walked in, I was very shy, timid, and unwilling to go on, this was due to the more mature audience that I had seen when I had first entered the museum. I was still unsure on how to act in a museum, being this my first time, so I was very calm, cool and reserved, but as time went on I saw college students my age probably doing the same thing I was doing. So I then I felt more at ease. Plus my girlfriend was with me so I was not alone. We walked and walked looking at each art piece, which were all well displayed. Then as I looked at the back wall, a large oil canvas painting looked right back at me. I could feel its pain and so then, I decided to do my paper on this piece. The painting was The Ragpicker by Manet. (The Ragpicker. Edouard Manet.1865.Oil on canvas.) The painting was so enormous that it was hard to miss. Such a huge painting for one man, it almost looked life-like. The dimensions of this work is 76.75† x 51.25†. This scene seems to take place of a lower-class man late in his age, probably near his seventies, appears to be looking out of the corner of his eye. The ... ...the eye because the fabric of his shirt and the roughness of his jeans appear to have texture but they do not. If you actually touch the painting, you will find it to be flat and it does not have that feeling of thick application of paint. The painting has realistic 3 dimensional space by the use of linear perspective and chiaroscuro. It also looks to be 2 dimensional as well, because it almost looks like some influence on the Japanese print, like flat patches of paint. The lines converge from the edges of the paint to the center letting off the effect of a background and a foreground. It looks as though the trash is in the foreground and the man is in the background. In the back of the painting, it is darker which also adds to the effect of the 3 dimensional space. My first experience at the museum was a good one. I had so much fun even after we were done with the Norton-Simon. Being a business major, I did not know that art could speak to me as it did. It has not influenced me so much as to change my major, but it did open my eyes to a whole new world. Now when I look at art, I do not just see a pretty picture, but what the artist is actually trying to say.

Women in Power: Queen Elizabeth

Women in Power: Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth I was the most remarkable women leader in English history. She was born on September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace. Her birth was not celebrated; instead it was a bitter disappointment to her father King Henry VIII, who was highly anticipating the birth of a son. Her mother was executed for treason shortly after her birth Elizabeth lost all heredity to the throne. After Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour died, however, Elizabeth was placed back in the order of succession after Edward and Mary by act of parliament.When she came into power, Elizabeth I had to clean up the big mess that was left by her sister Mary’s five year reign. Mary had abruptly changed the national religion from Protestantism to Catholicism, and she was not going to hear any objections. She mercilessly hunted down and executed Protestants who refused to convert. After Elizabeth I took the throne-she switched back to Protestantism and, as Miriam restored religious order in England. Under Elizabeth I, religion and nationality were almost the same.Her first act as Queen was to form a loyal government: she replaced the Privy Council with qualified advisors such as nobles, lawyers, and businessmen. Although she had an excellent board of advisors, she did not allow them to dominate her decisions. Elizabeth was determined to set up a safe and stable government. During Queen Elizabeth’s forty-five year reign, England prospered considerably. Her reign witnessed a wide increase in literacy and achievements in the arts. Famous writers such as Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and Christopher Marlowe emerged.England also expanded significantly overseas. Elizabeth encouraged explorers like Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins. Her sponsorship of explorers like these led to the establishment of English colonies around the world. Under her rule, a middle class of merchants, tradesmen, and craftsmen flourished. Elizabeth I embraced the new scientific thinking of the Renaissance and important scientists such as Sir Francis Bacon and Dr. John Dee emerged. Her leadership established England as one of Europe’s leading nations.Elizabeth’s economic achievements were not her only ones; she also had many triumphs in the battlefield, the Spanish Armada being one of them. In 1588, King Phillip of Spain set out to invade England. His plan was to sail one-hundred ships down the English Channel and meet up with the forces of Duke of Parma, who was making their way from the Netherlands, and hopefully overwhelm England. But Elizabeth’s men were keeping watch on the shores of England, and as the first ship was spotted the fighting began. While English soldiers and sailors were out fighting for their country, Elizabeth was on her way to Tilbury.She was not going to sit trembling inside a guarded Palace while her people fought, but was going to go to the coast of the battle and ‘live or die ’ with them. This is where she made one of her most famous speeches, the Tilbury Speech, â€Å"I know I have the body of a meek and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King, and a King of England, too. † Queen Elizabeth I truly cared about her people, and she was not afraid to defend them. Spain suffered a humiliating loss, and England proudly celebrated their victory.The victory was especially remarkable, considering Spain was the most powerful country in the world in the sixteenth century. Queen Elizabeth I managed to stay alive even though she was the target of many conspiracies and scandalous rumors. Before she even became Queen, she was accused of being involved in the Puritan rebellion by her half-sister, Mary. She was held prisoner in the Tower of London and suffered through torrential questioning. Elizabeth was also the center of a vicious rumor that she allegedly took part in romantic activity with her step-mother Katherine Parr’s husban d, Thomas Seymour.This could’ve easily ruined her reputation, but the rumor was waved off and gossip soon stopped. Assassination conspiracies were also a threat to the Queen. Mary of Scots firmly believed that she was the rightful heir to the throne, and she had constructed several plots to kill the Queen. The fact that Elizabeth had survived through all this turmoil is very remarkable. Queen Elizabeth I had truly earned the love and devotion of her people. Before she was crowned, most people did not believe that a woman could take on the responsibility of ruling a country; Elizabeth proved them very wrong.Her accession day, November 16, even became a national holiday. Queen Elizabeth I developed her image of the devoted ruler who courted her subjects’ opinions and as Gloriana, the goddess around whom England revolved. Queen Elizabeth I was the strongest monarch in English history. Throughout her reign she proved that she really did care about her country and the peopl e in it. She successful in keeping the country together and safe, as many before her had failed to do. Even after four-hundred years, the people of England still love and remember her.

Folk Dance History in the Philippines Essay

It is impossible to know when exactly dancing became a part of life in the Philippines. Many traditional dances were designed to thank the gods for natural and agricultural events, such as rain and harvests. The dances were performed during festivals and remembrances of past military victories, and still are performed at celebrations of births and weddings in modern times. Many modern folk dance festivals still feature ancient dances performed in costume of the tribal period of the Philippines. Some dances such as the Palok and the Lumagen are performed with traditional percussion instruments such as the gangsa (a small copper gong), a tobtob (brass gong) or a hibat (a gong played with a soft wooden stick). For many tribal dances there are no external musicians; the dancers generate their own accompaniment with stomping and hand clapping. Later Dances in Philippine History More recent dances done in the Philippines derive from historical events such as the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century and the conflicts with the Moors. While certain words and movements from those cultures have been integrated into the dances, the Filipino dance genre remains true to its ancient tradition and roots. * Touch: Bring your free foot to your lead foot, then touch the floor without taking a step or putting weight on the free foot. * Toe: Touch the toe of the free foot to the floor without shifting weight to the free foot. * Heel: Extend the free foot forward, then touch the back of your heel to the floor without putting weight on your heel. * Tap: Touch the floor with a sharp motion with your free foot, but do not take a step or put weight on the free foot. * Stamp: Stomp the flat of your free foot on the floor, but do not put weight on the free foot. Noise can vary based on the type of shoe you’re wearing and the type of floor. * Point: Extend the free foot forward or backward and touch your toe to the floor. The ankle should be stretched and the instep arched. Do not step or put weight on the free foot. * Press: Step forward with your free foot, putting partial weight on the ball of your foot. Your supporting leg should be straight and your pressed leg (free foot) is bent with some pressure (partial weight) on the floor. Your body should be leaned forward just a bit. * Brush: Touch the toe of your free foot to the floor, then move it a short distance toward the supporting foot or move it against the supporting foot, but do not put weight on it. * Draw: Touch the toe of your free foot to the floor far from your supporting foot, then move it toward your supporting foot without putting weight on it. * Drag: Stretch your body up, then touch your toe to the floor far from your supporting foot and move it toward your supporting foot without putting weight on it. * Flare: Sweep your free foot in an arc, making sure to keep your toe in contact with the floor without putting weight on it. First position- raises arms to a circle in front of the chest. Second position – open up arms sideward, raised below shoulder level with a graceful curve. Third position – raise one arm overhead while other arm remains in 2nd position. Fourth position – raise one arm in front of chest in a half circle, while one arm remains overhead. Fifth position – raise both arms overhead in a graceful curve. Feet Positions: First position – bring heels close to touch; toes apart. Second position – bring feet apart sideward. Third position – bring the heel of one foot to touch the instep of the other foot. Fourth position – bring one foot in front of the other foot to walk strike. Fifth position – bring the heel of one foot to touch the toe of the other. 3/4 plain polka waltz sway balance with raise mincing redoba three steps and point mazurka cross waltz plain waltz 2/4 Touch Step Step Point Close Step Slide Step Step Swing Step Hop SUBLI Subli is the dance portion of a devotion performed in honor of the Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz, a large crucifix of anubing wood with the face of the sun in silver at the center. The icon was discovered in the early decades of Spanish rule in what is now the town of Alitagtag, Batangas. It is the patron of many towns in the area, notably the ancient town of Bauan, Batangas. The subli consists of a long sequence of prayers in verse, songs, and dances, performed in a fixed sequence. The verse recounts the first journey of the early manunubli ( subli performer)through the fields, hills, and rivers of Batangas in search of the miraculous cross. Sections of verse are sung to a fixed punto or skeletal melody, which may be elaborated on in a different way by a different subli troupe. About five of these punto are used in a complete subli performance. These sections may be divided further into various fixed dance patterns involving one, two or eight pairs of men and women. These numbers seem to be the norm in Bauan, although other towns may have formations involving three pairs at a time. The stances, gestures, and movements of the male dancers are freewheeling and dramatic, consisting of leaping, striking the ground with kalaste (wooden bamboo clappers held in both hands), and other movements suggesting the martial arts. The women circle on half-toe, performing the talik (small refined gestures with wrists and fingers), their fingers grazing the small-brimmed hats and alampay (triangular scarf worn loosely over the shoulder)that are the essential parts of their costume. They dance and sing, to the rhythm beaten out by a stick on the tugtugan, a goblet-shaped, footed drum of langka wood with a head made of iguana skin. -E.R. Mirano

ACT Tutor for You

How to Find the Most Effective SAT/ACT Tutor for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Tutors are an investment in both time and money. Just because someone calls themselves a â€Å"SAT tutoring expert† doesn’t automatically confer the skills of that title upon them. (If it did, I would have become a master dinosaur expert by age 4.) Bad or ineffective tutors can actually hurt you and your potential SAT/ACT test score in two ways: 1) Financially: bad tutoring takes away from your budget and limits the resources you can spend to recoup your loss. 2) Time-wise: the time you spend on ineffective tutoring takes away from the time you could be spending better elsewhere. So what makes a tutor effective? In this article, I’ll go over the key qualities of the best SAT/ACT tutors. Top image: SAD_Hortons_Kids 8 by US Department of Education, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. 1: The Most Effective Tutors Have Taken The Test†¦And Aced It. It may seem obvious, but one of the most important things to look for in a tutor is someone who has aced the test you are studying for, whether it is the ACT or SAT. A tutor who has read up on the SAT/ACT is not the same as a tutor who has taken the test and gotten a 99th percentile score. This is true regardless of your own level – a tutor who scored a 2400 (or 1600 on the new SAT) or a 36 on the SAT or ACT is almost always better than a tutor who got a 2000 (or a 1300 on the new SAT) or a 30, even if you yourself have a target score of 1500 or 21. Scoring in the 99th percentile on the SAT/ACT takes more than just being smart and knowing the material – you have to know the tricks of the test. In fact, the reason test prep is necessary is that the tests AREN’T just testing knowledge or aptitude – they’re testing how good you are at taking the test. If you don’t realize this, it doesn’t matter how smart you are, how good you are at math, critical reading, writing, or science – you can still get tripped up by the test. making bunny ears by woodleywonderworks, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. If only test prep were this easy. An example of a little known strategy that can make a big difference: if you’re a 600 scorer on the SAT, you should skip the hardest 25% of questions and only answer the easier ones (for more tips like this, click here). Knowing about and using this strategy has nothing to do with being inherently smart – it has to do with knowing the way the SAT is constructed. In general, the best proof that a tutor truly knows the test is if they've gotten a perfect or near-perfect score on it. But this alone isn't enough... 2: The Most Effective Tutors Are Experts At Teaching The Material Just because someone is an effective tutor in other areas does not necessarily mean they will be an effective SAT/ACT tutor. Why? Because you need familiarity with teaching the specific test material in order to be able to explain the way the tests will try to trick you and strategies you can use to counteract that. Just because a tutor knows what the tricks are doesn’t necessarily mean that he can explain it well. This aspect of tutoring is so important, we've divided it up further into the specifics of what expert tutors provide. Tutoringthat's completely customized to your weaknesses The best tutors know how to tailor their teaching approach to each student’s needs, especially when it comes to teaching people who don’t think about things the way they do. At PrepScholar, this involves using the Socratic method, where the tutors are working WITH, not teaching AT, students. Take the following sample ACT Math question: A bad tutor might approach the problem this way: "Here’s how you solve the question. It’s an isoceles right triangle, so you know the most reduced Pythagorean triplet you’re going to use is 1, 1, √2. Since the two sides that are equal are 10 ft long, the hypotenuse must be 10√2 feet long. Does this make sense?" If you're the student, you're going to feel pressured to answer â€Å"yes,† even if you doesn’t fully understand. The tutor isn’t assessing your understanding at each step, which prevents him from understanding where you need help. Here's an example of what a GOODtutor would do, illustrated by a series of questions: "What answer did you choose? Why did you do this?" "What is the question asking for?" "What information does the question give you? What more information do you need to get to the answer?" "Great - so you know that in an isosceles right triangle, the sides are the same. How would you figure out the length of AC?" "Let's review the new points that we learned just now." Notice that a good tutor examines the student's thinking at every step and makes no assumptions about how the student's thinking about the problem. This process is critical to good teaching: two students who miss this question may miss it for entirely different reasons. One student might have forgotten what an isosceles right triangle means. Another might have known this, but forgotten the Pythagorean theorem. A good tutor will identify the exact weaknesses of his student and create custom strategies to overcome these weaknesses. When you interview a tutor, you should figure out whether the tutor is capable of this style of teaching (more tips on vetting tutors here). Effective use of tutoring time Most tutors will waste your time and money. Someone who just sits there watching you do practice tests isn’t a tutor – that's basically nothing more than a babysitter, or a source of radiant heat. During the session, this is deceiving because it seems like you're learning a lot, but the reality is that the tutor is missing major weaknesses. In contrast, a good tutor will accurately diagnose your weaknesses and prioritize the biggest gains to your score. Excelling on tests like the SAT and ACT requires mastery of skills at different levels: Behavior: are you motivated to study for the test? Do you review your mistakes correctly? Do you have the right attitude toward the test? Test Strategy:do you know how to budget your time in each section? Do you understand the best skipping strategy for your goals? Do you know how to attack each type of question? Test Content:where are your weaknesses in all the different subjects on the test? How do we make sure you have the right resources to improve these weaknesses? A great tutor will constantly be assessing these weaknesses and structuring tutoring sessions around where you can make the biggest point gains. This type of teaching requires mastery of the test as well as deep insight into student weaknesses. That's why as part of PrepScholar tutoring, we equip our tutors with technology to analyzestudent weaknesses across the entire test. Your tutor will have access to every homework problem completed before the session, so the tutor will come prepared with lesson plans designed to improve your score fastest. Comprehensive test prep guidance Good tutors know it’s not just about what you do in the tutoring session. For every hour you meet with a tutor, you might spend 10 hours on your homework. Therefore,a good tutor's influence is not limited to just the teaching session - it extends across your entire prep program. The best tutors will do much more than answer your questions during tutoring sessions. They'll help you stay motivated to study. They'llshow you the most effective way to review missed questions, and they'll increase the effectiveness of your study time outside of tutoring session. When you work with a tutor, your tutor should be able to plan a complete study program and assign specific sets of homework. The tutor should be able to justify exactly why that homework is assigned, and why that's the best thing for the student to improve the score. unicycles doughnuts by Robert Couse-Baker, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Not a PrepScholar Tutors-recommended use of study time. 3. The Most Effective Tutors Come Recommended by Trustworthy Sources But wait, just because someone says they have experience teaching and aced the test doesn’t mean it’s true! This is where quality control and recommendations come in. For tutors, this often comes via word of mouth: you hear about people you know who had good (or bad) experiences with a tutor or tutoring service. Another way to prescreen for quality tutoring is by going through an organization with a reputation for excellence in SAT/ACT tutoring. Quick plug: check out the PrepScholar tutoring site for a great example of tutors who are pre-screened to be effective teachers. So How Do I Find An Effective Tutor? When you’re looking for a tutor, you need to approach it like a job interview...except YOU are the interviewer. Why? Because you are making sure the tutor is the right person for the job of tutoring you to reach your maximum potential. It’s easy to be intimidated by potential tutors because they seem so knowledgeable, charismatic, or authoritative. Just because they will be teaching you, though, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to ask them questions and make sure they are the best tutor possible for you. In fact, it makes it all the more important that you find an effective, expert, and reputable tutor. The most recent analogy in my own life was at the beginning of grad school, when I was trying to decide on the right composition teacher. I was a little (okay, a lot) in awe of how much each of the three teachers I was choosing between knew, but I ultimately had to make sure that the professor I chose was going to be able to teach me what I needed to learn to be a better composer. To help you out in your quest for the right tutor, we’ve come up with this handy worksheet, containing a list of questions to ask any potential tutor (and space for you to write in the tutors’ answers). Click here to download it, or click the image below. The Bottom Line To sum it all up, here are the main attributes to look for in a tutor: They’ve taken the test and scored in the 99th percentile, so they know how to ace the SAT/ACT. They have expertise in tutoring effectively for the SAT/ACT. They have references from reputable sources. I hope these guidelines were clear and informative. You are now ready to go forth and shop for the right tutor for you! Shopping Cart by SunKing2, used under Public Domain. What’s Next? Find out more on how to find the best tutor for YOU here. Interested in online tutoring? We offer a variety of online tutoring packages right here at PrepScholar. If you want to read more about what each package entails, co-founder Fred Zhang goes into detail about each option in this article. Questions about our tutoring programs? Contact us through our website.

Paleolithic Art of the Old Stone Age

Paleolithic Art of the Old Stone Age The Paleolithic (literally Old Stone Age) period covered between two and one-half and three million years, depending on which scientist has done the calculations. For art historys purposes, Paleolithic Art refers to the Late Upper Paleolithic period. This began roughly around 40,000 years ago and lasted through the Pleistocene ice age, which ended about 8,000 BCE. This period was marked by the rise of Homo sapiens and their ever-developing ability to create tools and weapons. What the World Was Like There was a lot more ice and the ocean shoreline was far different than it is now. Lower water levels and, in some cases, land bridges (which have long since disappeared) allowed humans to migrate to the Americas and Australia. The ice also made for a cooler climate worldwide and prevented migration to the far north. Humans at this time were strictly hunter-gatherers, meaning they were constantly on the move in search of food. Art of the Time There were only two kinds of art: portable or stationary, and both forms were limited in scope. Portable art during the Upper Paleolithic period was necessarily small (in order to be portable) and consisted of either figurines or decorated objects. These things were carved (from stone, bone, or antler) or modeled with clay. Most of the portable art from this time was figurative, meaning it depicted something recognizable, whether animal or human in form. The figurines are often referred to by the collective name of Venus, as they are unmistakably females of a child-bearing build. Stationary art was just that: It didnt move. The best examples exist in (now famous) cave paintings in western Europe, created during the Paleolithic period. Paints were manufactured from combinations of minerals, ochres, burnt bone meal, and charcoal mixed into mediums of water, blood, animal fats, and tree saps. Experts guess (and its only a guess) that these paintings served some form of ritualistic or magical purpose, as they are located far from the mouths of caves where everyday life took place. Cave paintings contain far more non-figurative art, meaning many elements are symbolic rather than realistic. The clear exception, here, is in the depiction of animals, which are vividly realistic (humans, on the other hand, are either completely absent or stick figures). Key Characteristics It seems a bit flippant to try to characterize the art from a period that encompasses most of human history. Paleolithic art is intricately bound to anthropological and archaeological studies that professionals have devoted entire lives researching and compiling. That said, to make some sweeping generalizations, Paleolithic art: Paleolithic art concerned itself with either food (hunting scenes, animal carvings) or fertility (Venus figurines). Its predominant theme was animals.It is considered to be an attempt, by Stone Age peoples, to gain some sort of control over their environment, whether by magic or ritual.Art from this period represents a giant leap in human cognition: abstract thinking.

The Pros of Technological Devices for Education - EssaySupply.com

The Pros of Technological Devices for Education The Pros of Technological Devices for Education The computer was perhaps the one device that transformed classroom education in the 20th century. As the use computers continued to expand and continues to expand today, we continue to find new and exciting ways to deliver educational programming through a platform that both engages and excites students at all levels. Consider all that is now done with computers in typical educational environments: Computer-assisted instruction allows students to receive direct instruction in engaging ways and to practice skills using downloaded or â€Å"in the cloud† software. Entire curricula are now available online for students to engage in learning when they are not physically present in a classroom. This is available for students who are â€Å"home-schooled,† for students in alternative programs in which they complete coursework entirely online, and for students who wish to complete college coursework on flexible schedules that they need because of work or other obligations. Students use PC’s, laptops, and tablets to conduct research for reports, essays and papers Computers have enabled a variety of educational delivery options, with the obvious benefit being to the student who does not or cannot function in a regular classroom environment. Other Technological Devices That Have Impact We usually think of technology as only those things related to computers. However, there are other devices that either work with computers or are stand-alone objects that have enhanced educational delivery systems: No older teacher will ever state that s/he misses the old duplicating machine, with its purple ink and unpleasant odor. The copier has replaced all of that unpleasantness and provides clear copies that teachers may use in a huge number of ways. Printers. These devices are becoming more sophisticated every year, but the idea that one can phone, fax, make copies, and print out what has been typed into a computer, was just unheard of when printers were new on the market Interactive whiteboards. When images are projected on such a board, students may draw, write or manipulate the images themselves – a great teaching tool. Digital Projectors. Mounted on the ceiling and connected to a computer, these handy little devices can project anything from a computer screen directly onto a large whiteboard or other surface. The Pros of Technological Devices for Education of Handicapped Students Students with severe physical disabilities were traditionally taught at home or in very specialized environments, isolated from the mainstream of classrooms in which regular educational students were taught. Thanks to new assistive technology, however, these students can now participate in regular classrooms, and their lives have been significantly changed for the better. Here are just a few devices now available to handicapped student: Motorized wheel chairs and stair lifts allow wheelchair-bound students full access to the school physical environment. Specialized keyboards and mice for students with motor control difficulties are now in use in every public school in the country Students who are unable to use their hands for any fine motor skills now have digital dictation devices that will automatically type what they say. So, a paraplegic student need only say, â€Å"Write my essay for me,† dictate that essay and watch as it unfolds on the computer screen, complete with proper grammar and spelling. For the visually impaired student, audio textbooks are available directly from the publishers and can be accessed at any point in time. Computers can project enlarged text onto white boards for far easier reading. Technology has advanced education in wonderful ways. Students whose learning styles deviated from the traditional educational delivery structure now have those learning styles dignified; children, teens and adults who want alternative learning environments can be accommodated; students were physical disabilities can participate in a regular learning environment. And as rapidly as advances continue to be make, educational delivery will only get better.

THE IMPACT OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE ON EMPLOYEE Essay - 1

THE IMPACT OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE ON EMPLOYEE TURNOVER WITHIN A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example The study will measure quantifiably by use of assessment tools. The research question is: Transformational Leadership: Transformational leaders are able to inspire followers to by granting individualized attention to their followers, considering their needs and abilities, playing an especially important role in the followers† growth and development (Robbins & Judge, 2005; Zacharatos, Barling, & Kelloway, 2000). Idealized influence: A form of leadership behavior that results in leaders becoming role models for their followers. The leaders are admired, respected and trusted. Followers identify with the leaders and wish to emulate them (Bass & Avolio, 1993) In idealized influence, behaviour of the leaders is very influential and it makes the followers to walk on the path chosen by the leaders. Thus the leaders are followed willingly by the people. Inspirational motivation: Leadership behaviors that motivate and inspire followers in their work by providing a challenging work environment. Leaders provoke followers to imagine an attractive future for themselves (Bass & Avolio, 1993) Intellectual stimulation: Strategy the results in followers becoming more innovative and creative within an organization. (Bass & Avolio, 1993) The characteristic of Intellectual Stimulation in the leaders exposes his or her ability to stimulate the intellectual capacity of the people. Those who are really genius and their intellectuality and knowledge is definitely a blessing for the attainment of the organizational goals then the leaders motivate such people to use their intellectual potentials for the growth of the organization. Individualized consideration: Individualized consideration is also one of the characteristics of the transformational leaders. It is the leadership strategy that empathizes an individual employee’s needs. It concentrates on individual’s achievement by positioning them as mentors and coaches to help them realize their potential. The

Marine Finance and Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marine Finance and Insurance - Essay Example Some of the calamities that can cause damage include fire, collision, sinking, mutiny, piracy, shipwreck, etc. however, when the marine cargo insurance compensates the owner of the cargo, it excludes the payment of any items of cargo that can be recovered by the carrier or that will be taken care of by the marine insurance. Marine insurance also covers all the expenses that the owner of the cargo uses as a result of the delay that the loss covers. The profit that the owner of the cargo could have gained had the cargo reached him or her in time is also taken care of by the marine insurance. This paper aims at covering the marine insurance markets, the market practices, and the risks insured. Also included is a critical appraisal of a marine insurance that is likely to be required as security for ship financing by a financier. The exact reason why an individual who wishes to transport his or her cargo by ship needs to know about marine insurance is that it will help you protect your cargo form the point of origin to the point of destination. Two ways exist in which a businessman can transport his or her cargo: wet marine also called waterborne cargo or as dry marine also called land transported cargo (Gaebler, 2009). ... An inland marine insurance ensures that if the cargo gets lost in the process of shipment, compensation can always take place regardless of the individual who was in possession of the cargo when it got lost. Inland marine policies fall into two categories and each of them is designed to take care of shipping related losses. These are the filed policies and the non-filed policies (Gaebler, 2009). Filed policies are used to cover the direct loss of physical property and feature insured individuals who have suffered similar losses. For the non-filed policies, the direct loss of cargo is covered but this time round, compensation is allowed on only that property that had a specific cause of loss. The non-filed policies are very customizable and hence any type of property being transported can be covered by these policies. Other kinds of marine policies include the voyage policy that one applies for to cater for a specific trip (Horward, 2006). Compensation can only be made for the insured item if loss or damage took place when the items were being transferred. This policy is most suitable for cargo insurance. A time policy is covers the insured property for a given period of time. The maximum amount of time that most insurance companies are willing to cater for a property is twelve months. This type of policy is best for insuring ships. A floating policy helps individuals who are regular shippers of merchandise and it takes care of goods that are shipped in different shipments within a given period of time. A port policy covers a ship for the period that the ship is in a particular port. The fleet insurance policy helps insure several ships that belong to one owner to be insured under the same policy (John, 2002). Time policy and voyage policy can

Fly with me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fly with me - Essay Example The book reads, â€Å"The Pistol star was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in the early 1990s and it is located approximately 25,000 light years from Earth it’s the direction of Sagittarius† Standing on the perspective of the earth, the star-containing region is to the western edge of the Constellation Sagittarius, the Archer. Among the stars in the local group of the galaxies, the most luminous of them is the Pistol Star. Its diameter is bigger than that of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The star produces more than ten million times the light produced by the Sol (L=10^6.3). It releases as much energy as the sun does in a year within six seconds only. At the back of his mind, the boy was thinking of what could have happened if the star was located on the current position of the sun. It has more than one hundred and fifty solar-masses. The star is thought to have begun with around two hundred to two hundred and fifty solar-masses. It has been discarding much of its substance over time. The star is characterized as a luminous Blue Variable because of the extremely luminous nature of the star coupled with the possession of more than forty solar-masses. Other features resulting to the mention class is the variable spectra and its surrounding ejecta. If it were not for the interfering dust between it and the earth, the star would be visible from the earth with the naked eye. These features made him pose. He was carried away by thoughts of how exactly the cloud was like. He was engulfed by thoughts of the origin of the cloud of dust. The star is thought to be around one point seven and two point one million years old. It is expected to explode in supernovae within the next one to three million years. The creation of the Pistol Nebula was from an eruption in the outer layers of the star, which released up to ten solar masses of material in huge outpourings about four thousand to six thousand years ago. The star is still expected to

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Critique - Essay Example arates humankind from the rest of creation by establishing a dominionship of the former over the latter; but it is still below God who has as absolute dominion over humanity in the similar manner. Ms. Johnson states that under this model women are situated somewhere between â€Å"poodles and men,† (p. 29). So according to this pattern, men, as kings, can do what they like with both nature and women, which are subjects of the man. Ms. Johnson disputes this model. Ms. Johnson calls her theology panatheism. It’s a belief that all things are in God, as opposed to pantheism, which sees God in all things. Yet she does admit that traditional Christian theology does view God as above and apart from the world. Likewise, she does not accept the biblical Genesis story as the basis for her understanding of the world, but accepts a â€Å"cosmic history† that includes a long, slow-pace creation over billions of years, and the evolutionary creation of man as opposed to God’s act. She does mention belief in the Trinity, however, and she apparently accepts Jesus as God incarnate, although this is not clearly defined. But it is in this Creative Spirit that she most closely believes. She does seems to admit that a Creative Spirit is within the world, yet the activity she sees is not the one that we traditionally associate as the God that man can commune with, but rather she states that the â€Å"†¦Spirit fills the world and is in al l things. Since the Spirit is also transcendent over the world, divine in dwelling circles round to embrace the whole world, which thereby dwells within the sphere of the divine,† (p.42). Ms. Johnson’s cosmological belief then is not in a personal God, but in a real God who is separate from his creation. Ms. Johnson’s Creative Spirit may be real too, but implies only a belief in God who is part of that creation, a Creative Spirit that has been creating since the very beginning, but is in no sense an entity of itself. Ms. Johnson suggests that

Econimic impacts on Emirates Airline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Econimic impacts on Emirates Airline - Essay Example Operating in 55 countries and to 77 destinations, Emirates airlines is one of the major airliners in the world at present. It has started its operations from Dubai in 1985 and currently serving in almost every major destinations of the world. It has won the best airliner award many times because of the excellent services it offers to the customers. But still it is facing stiff challenges at present due to the recession. This paper briefly analyses the economic environment of airline industry in general and emirates airlines in particular. Financial experts believe that Emirates airlines future could be determined by Dubais sister emirate, Abu Dhabi government (Milmo et al). Currently Dubai is undergoing a severe financial crisis and the reports from Dubai shows that one of the biggest organizations in Dubai, â€Å"Dubai world† is on the verge of destruction because of financial crisis. Dubai government is waiting for Abu Dhabi’s help in sort out the economic problems. â€Å"Emirates is owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, which is in turn controlled by the Dubai government† (Milmo et al). The current financial crisis of the Dubai government may force the government to think in terms of a merger between Emirates and the Abu Dhabi counterpart Al-Itihad. The increased focus on diversification by neglecting other areas of business has created a strategic failure in the Emirates’ airline business. Emirates blindly went after acquisition strategies to extend the wings by overlooking other areas like the service sector. Stakeholders and their interests were overlooked by the company when they concentrated more on other aspects of the operations. The customer service standards have been adversely affected and the reputation of the airline has been affected badly in the last few years. The bargaining power of the sellers is low at present especially because of the current global recession. At the same time increased

Pre-Hospital Fluid Replacement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pre-Hospital Fluid Replacement - Essay Example Although road accidents form a major part of the accident pie chart, there are still other zones apart from roads where people are accident prone. Workers in factories, fire fighters, miners and virtually all blue collared working force in UK are under constant threat of accidents. Most of the deaths that result due to accidents have been identified to be due to excessive blood loss, a term, in medical terminology known as hemorrhage. Mainly two types of injuries are identified. In 'Penetrating Injuries', the skin is breached by sharp objects such as a knife and leads to potential internal bleeding. In 'Blunt Injuries', the skin is not deeply penetrated and generally remains unbroken. However the magnitude of the injury damages the internal organs. The bleeding that is caused by these injuries must be controlled. If the bleeding exceeds the normal bounds, it leads to the reduction in blood volume, technically known as 'hypovolaemia'. This may even lead to 'shock' which is a state of circulatory failure. In such a state the perfusion of necessary fluids and blood to vital internal organs is hampered. This consequently leads to multiple organ failure. Generally the first crew to reach the scene of accident is the ambulance crew. Apart from the driver and attendant in most ambulances also have a paramedic. According to the JRCALC guidelines for pre hospital fluid replacement, only a paramedic can administer fluids on the site to the injured. In an email communication with the authors of 'Clinical Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of pre hospital intravenous fluids in trauma patients', trauma.org told that, "All patients would be considered for fluids. (Perhaps not all should receive but currently in the UK almost all will) [The] approximate percentage of trauma patients who receive fluids [is] currently 100%" (Dretzke et al, 2003). Administration of intravenous fluids on - site is a traditional approach to handle injuries. This method was supported by early animal studies. The theory behind fluid replacement methodology is that, fluid replacement therapy attempts to reverse the effects of excessive blood loss by increasing circulatory blood volume and blood pressure back to the normal levels and maintains the perfusion of vital organs thereby reducing the risk of death from multiple organ failure (NICE, 01/04). Methodology and Technology The physiological state of the victim of injury is analyzed by the paramedic to identify which pre - hospital fluids are needed. Certain factors are analyzed such as degree of blood loss and whether the hemorrhage is controlled or uncontrolled. The Technology Appraisal of NHS identifies the other indicators of hemorrhage in adults as tachycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction and reduced blood pressure (NHS, 01/04). The shock levels are categorized according to the severity. Intravenous fluids are considered on similar lines as medicines, and are broadly classified as crystalloids, colloids, or combination fluids. Combination fluids consist of hypertonic saline with starch or dextran. According to the JRCALC regulations only paramedics may administer crystalloid and colloid solutions. Crystalloids pass through cell membranes into different body fluid compartments, thereby making up for the fluids lost due to

Econimic impacts on Emirates Airline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Econimic impacts on Emirates Airline - Essay Example Operating in 55 countries and to 77 destinations, Emirates airlines is one of the major airliners in the world at present. It has started its operations from Dubai in 1985 and currently serving in almost every major destinations of the world. It has won the best airliner award many times because of the excellent services it offers to the customers. But still it is facing stiff challenges at present due to the recession. This paper briefly analyses the economic environment of airline industry in general and emirates airlines in particular. Financial experts believe that Emirates airlines future could be determined by Dubais sister emirate, Abu Dhabi government (Milmo et al). Currently Dubai is undergoing a severe financial crisis and the reports from Dubai shows that one of the biggest organizations in Dubai, â€Å"Dubai world† is on the verge of destruction because of financial crisis. Dubai government is waiting for Abu Dhabi’s help in sort out the economic problems. â€Å"Emirates is owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, which is in turn controlled by the Dubai government† (Milmo et al). The current financial crisis of the Dubai government may force the government to think in terms of a merger between Emirates and the Abu Dhabi counterpart Al-Itihad. The increased focus on diversification by neglecting other areas of business has created a strategic failure in the Emirates’ airline business. Emirates blindly went after acquisition strategies to extend the wings by overlooking other areas like the service sector. Stakeholders and their interests were overlooked by the company when they concentrated more on other aspects of the operations. The customer service standards have been adversely affected and the reputation of the airline has been affected badly in the last few years. The bargaining power of the sellers is low at present especially because of the current global recession. At the same time increased

Comparison in the Issue Between USA and South Africa Essay Example for Free

Comparison in the Issue Between USA and South Africa Essay This paper seeks to make a comparison on freedom of expression between the United States and South Africa. The question to be answered in contained the definition of the problem. II. Definition of the Problem (or Issue/Topic) Is the freedom of expression now in the Republic of South Africa now comparable with that of the United States? III. Nature and Extent of the Problem in the Two Countries The Republic of South has evolved into a republic not many years ago which signifies its adoption of democratic framework which basically includes the freedom of expression as part of the rights of the citizens. The US Constitution which includes the freedom of expression on the other hand has been in existence much longer in number of years as compared with RSA’s. Given the extent of the proliferation of the technology and the universal nature of human rights at this point, it is interesting to evaluate whether the rights or freedom of expression are comparable or have close similarities between the two countries. IV. Dynamics of the Problem This part would refer to the factors that could create or perpetuate the problem or those that would tend toward elimination/resolution of the problem. What could create the problem may include lack of vigilance of the citizens in protecting their rights. Democracy requires vigilance of its citizens (Shaw, S. , 2001; Africa Research Bureau, 1981) and the failure of these citizens to assert their right could result to the demise or non-enjoyment of the right. Another factor is the support of the courts to uphold the right of the citizens by the nature of the decisions made. It is also required that courts need to have independence from the political branch of the government (Lieberman, 2006; Bowman Iii, 2005). What could work towards elimination or resolution could come from the factors that c could create or perpetuate the problem. If the citizens therefore are vigilant, there is a great chance that the right would triumph in the court battles. Similarly if the courts are independent from the political branches of government and that the resulting decision are based on the spirit and letter of the rights or freedom of expression (Pasqualucci, 2006; Pannill, 2002), they by all mean, the conflict if any on these rights may be resolved in favor of their assertion and eventual enjoyment by its citizens V. Analysis on the Degree of Comparability It could be cited that RSA’s ratification of its 1996 Constitution, signaled the adoption of some of the best practices from the different part of the world including that of the US. Since US is believed to the leader in the area of human rights, it could be thought the RSA may actually have improved on what is has adopted. The IFLA/FAIFE World Report: Libraries and Intellectual Freedom (1998) indicates that South Africa still requires more time to have its freedom to be considered comparable to the US. There is thus the RSA court decision involving the freedom of expression thing and what came out was that the Supreme Court has just even overruling previous decisions in favor of the upholding better right of freedom of expression. This means that RSA’s judicial system needs more time to really attain what the US as leader in human rights has attained as to freedom of expression. The IFLA/FAIFE World Report: Libraries and Intellectual Freedom (1998) has cited a decision on defamation in favor of â€Å"City Press† where the court has recently removed the unfair burden of legal liability on media. Without this ruling, the media would continue to be inhibited in its ability in championing the right to freedom of expression. This recent ruling was therefore considered as a victory of the principles of freedom of expression as contained in RSA’ Constitution. Since it was just made recently because of the RSA’s history of more repressive regimes, it could be asserted that it may require more time before RSA could match the kind of right now enjoyed in the US. VI. Conclusion Based on recent rulings of South Africa’s Supreme Court, it could be deduced that citizens of RSA could now be having more freedom of expression. But as stated in the dynamic of the problem, there are factors that could determine the resolution of conflicts pertaining to the right and the same factors could also be influenced the decrease or demise of the rights to expression. One of this is vigilance that must be asserted by the citizens of South Africa. The present level of technology could be a great help for them to use to protect their right by their acts of vigilance. The courts too need to be independent from political branches of government and be not cowed by the experiences of past regimes in South Africa. It has taken South Africa to adopt those of the US principles on human rights including the freedom of expression. It should be enough to conclude, it could not be that fast to reach what the US has attained in many decades for RSA’s freedom expression of expression to attain high degree of comparability with the US. VII. References Africa Research Bureau (1981) Africa Research Bulletin, Africa Research, Ltd. , 1981 Bowman Iii (2005) Mr. Madison Meets a Time Machine: The Political Science of Federal Sentencing Reform; Stanford Law Review, Vol. 58 ICL (2008) The Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, {www document} http://www. servat. unibe. ch/icl/sf__indx. html, Accessed November 11, 2008 IFLA/FAIFE World Report: Libraries and Intellectual Freedom (1998), {www document} http://www. ifla. org/faife/report/south_africa. htm, Accessed November 11, 2008 Lieberman (2006) Sorting the Revolutionary from the Terrorist: The Delicate Application of the Political Offense Exception in U. S. Extradition Cases; Stanford Law Review, Vol. 59 Pannill (2002) Free Speech, The Peoples Darling Privilege: Struggles for Freedom of Expression in American History; Journal of Southern History, Vol. 68, 2002 Pasqualucci (2006) Criminal Defamation and the Evolution of the Doctrine of Freedom of Expression in International Law: Comparative Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Vol. 39 Shaw, S. (2001) South Africas Transition to Democracy: An African Success Story : a Resource Book on the Positive Changes of the Nineties, The Author

Net present value and other investment

Net present value and other investment Question 1 List the methods that a firm can use to evaluate a potential investment. The methods used to evaluate a potential investment of the firm are as follows Net present value(NPV) Internal rate of return(IRR) Profitability index(PI) Cash discounted flow Pay back period Accounting rate of return(ARR) Question 2 Why is the NPV a preferred method when evaluating a potential investment opportunity? Npv can be explained as the difference between the initial cost outlay and the present value of the future cash flows. The total present value of the yearly net cash flow is the Net present value. Net present value may be used to find the value or reliability of any investment and also to decide if it is far better than the other investments in the market. It is considered to be a potential investment if the NPV is positive a bad investment decision if the NPV turns out to be negative. Whereas, if the NPV is equal to â€Å"0† the decision is indifferent, it can be either accepted or rejected based on other alternates/factors. Question 3 What is the IRR? How is it related to the NPV? Is the IRR always an effective method when evaluating a potential investment opportunity, and why? IRR is the internal rate of return. It is very closely related to NPV, except for a fact that IRR uses only single discount rate, which serves as an advantage also a major limitation. It equally proportionates the discount rate of the present value of the future cash flows with the initial investment. However, IRR is not very effective when it comes to multiple cash flows (particularly with both positives negatives) IRR equates in between initial investment and the present value of future cash flows whereas NPV gives the difference between the initial cost outlay and the present value of the future cash flows. IRR illustrates the advantages of the project, and NPV decides the best investment opportunity than the other investments. Despite all cons, IRR is still a very popular approach to investment decision amongst managers for its simplicity also the fund managers prefer to see a percentage rather than a dollar value. Question 4 Using the article from the Sydney Morning Herald, discuss why John Whiteman, the senior portfolio manager at AMP Henderson, can be considered skilled in respect of his stock pickings. Why would it benefit fund managers to use discounted cash flows when picking stocks? As per the article on Sydney Morning Herald, John Whiteman his team were considered to be â€Å"skilled† for the following reasons- The DCF approach to picking stocks has always proved to be a successful option to John Whiteman. He claims that the DCF approach to working out todays share price, given the future cash flows of the business is the most efficient effective way to estimate the time value of money. Since the discount rate addresses the two main criteria involved in any investment (time value of money risk), the fund managers consider it to be very useful effective, despite all its complexities. Also the long term forecast(10 yrs ahead) coupled with the DCF approach has enabled the AMP Henderson team to make wise investment decision over the last few years. Discounting the future cash flows to todays dollar helps in knowing the stock worth/business value of the firm as on date. As we all know, a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. The DCF approach once again proves the current value of the business is the most important aspect when it comes to investment decisions. Question 5 A firm that pays out 65% of its earnings as dividends has an accounting rate of return of 20%. Its P/E ratio is 10 and its earnings per share is 108 cents. What is the price per share? What is the dividend yield? If shares were bought, what would be the payback period? Assume the only return is the dividend. What is the net book value per share of the asset investment of the company? If the risk-adjusted required rate of return is 6%, what would be the NPV per share for buying shares? Would you buy shares using AROR or NPV? Chapter 11-Return, Risk and the Security Market Line Question 1 Discuss how risk is associated with the variances on an assets expected return. What are some of the factors that come into play with respect to changes in the price of a particular security in the market? Investment, risk return are closely related to each other. The higher the investment the risk the greater will be the return. All investment decision involves risk. The deviation is the difference between the actual the expected return and is directly proportional to the risk taken. Variance is the average squared deviation between the actual return and the average return In short; standard deviation is the square root of the variance. Question 2 What is risk with respect to investment? Identify the two types of risk and discuss each one. Which is the most important type of risk? Why can only one type of risk be mitigated or eliminated? Risk and investments are proportional, that it depends on the market strategic values, like the high risk you take the high returns you expect. Risks associated with individual assets, are of two types: Systematic risks Non-systematic risks Systematic risks are the risks which influence large number of assets may be to a greater or smaller extent. These risks influence market wide effects, so these are called market risks. Non-systematic risks are that affects a single asset or a small group of assets, as these risks are unique to individual companies or assets these are called as unique or asset-specific risks. Only one type of risk can be mitigated or eliminated, which is non-systematic risk, because these type of risks can be reduced or primarily avoided as it causes to a single asset or small group of them, but when you consider with systematic risk, it causes affect to the wide-range of assets or to an larger extent which couldnt be reduced or completely avoided. Question 3 What is beta? How does beta relate to systematic risk? Beta is a key component for the capital asset pricing model and is used to calculate the cost of equity or the risk involved. It is the covariance of the return of an individual stock with the market proxy portfolio return divided by the variance of the markets proxy return. A beta of 1 implies the asset has the same systematic risk as the overall market less/more than1 implies lesser/greater risk respectively. Question 4 What is the SML? What is the CAPM, and how does the SML relate to the beta coefficient? SML(Security Market Line) is the pictorial representation of the market equilibrium. The slope of the SML is based on the reward to risk ratio at SML the beta is always considered to be 1. A more risky stock will have a higher beta and will be discounted at a higher rate as opposed to the less sensitive stocks which will have lower betas and be discounted at a lower rate. CAPM is â€Å"Capital aaset pricing model† which is an equilibrium model of relationship between risk and return, the equation of the SML showing the relationship between the expected return and beta. Beta coefficient is the amount of systematic risk present in a particular risky asset relative to an average risky asset.we need the measuring level of systematic risk for different investments.The specific measurements that we use is called bets coefficient. Given below is the graphical representation of how SML relates to the beta coefficient. Question 5 Using the article from The Sydney Morning Herald, discuss how diversification is used to bring about a positive outcome for retail investors. Why do investment portfolios with different asset classes need to be continually monitored? What are some alternative asset classes that investors can diversify into? Diversification is that which reduces the risk,when into investing some assets will do very well,some will do very badly and most will perform upto expectations.Those which do very well will equivalate the very bad done assests minimising the risk with little variation to get the positive outcomes. Diversification reduces unsystematic risk,according to the Sydney Morning Herald diversification gives mostly with possible positive outcomes for the investment made which enhances the minimisal of the risks taken by the retail investors.However ,the risk of holding common stock cannot be completely eliminated by diversification. Asset classes is a group of investments that display similar characteristics viz., shares, bonds, property or cash rather than the same basket,which mitigates the risk involved in the investments. Question 6 Assume that you have the betas of all the companies listed on the ASX. Now you select 20 shares based on their betas and, by investing an equal amount in each share, you create a portfolio with a beta of 1.1. You make sure you select shares with betas ranging in value from 0.4 to 2.4. Is this likely to be an efficient portfolio? Is the portfolio likely to be well diversified? Is the portfolio likely to have much non-systematic risk? Question 7 Now your selection is based upon putting the company names into a hat and withdrawing 20. Revisit Question 6 with relation to this portfolio.

Evil From Morals :: essays research papers

Evil From Morals By textbook definition, evil is "What is morally wrong, what hinders the realization of good" (Webster). If that is evil, then what is good? It's "what is morally excellent, virtuous, well behaved, dutiful." (Webster) Philosophers have argued over what evil is and why it exists for thousands of years. They have raised questions like ‘How can there be a God if there is evil?' These questions were raised due to God's nature: he is said to be all-powerful, all- knowing and all-good. If this is the case, why doesn't he stop evil? And, since people are supposed to be created in God's image, why are they capable of moral evil? If one believes that God exists, there can only be one answer: evil exists because God allows it, and moral evil exists because God has given us freedom of choice. Evil has been looked at in many different ways throughout the years. Philosophers like Socrates and Plato believed evil was a matter of ignorance. Ancient Persians saw good and evil as two principles, "engaged in a perpetual struggle."(Collier) In reality, evil is merely the absence of good. "The essence of all reality is good, evil is merely the faulty reflection of reality found in a world of particulars."(Funk & Wagnalls) There can be many different types of evil. Two of such types are moral evil and natural evil. Natural evil consists of things like pain and suffering, while moral evil consists of making ‘bad' decisions. "Moral evil depends on the exercise of human will; natural evil is independent of this." (MacGregor) The main difference between these two evils is that people are unable to control natural evil, while moral evil depends on their will. Some people even say physical evil is a human necessity; "Without the evil of pain, man would not be warned of illness and of danger". (Colliers) In life, there are times where ‘bad' people are better off than `good' people. Why is this? Some say it is a test for the soul, and rewards await us. "The human family is as one, and its members help one another by their good actions as the also cause suffering to one another for their faults"(Collier). As an example, take what happened to Jesus. He suffered for all sins of mankind, and through this saved them all. But what of moral evil, which consists of things like murder, which people can control? Why does God permit it if the consequences are undesirable? To understand why moral evil exists, the concept of free will must be understood. Freedom of choice, or free will is "the power and exercise of

Steve Huey :: essays research papers

Omaha, AR(DE)- Amazingly the act to end one’s life ultimately saved it. "Steve Huey" was suffering from an inoperable and fatal brain tumor. Doctors had given him only two months to live, so Huey decided to end It sooner rather than face the pain. He wrote a suicide note and then placed the gun to his head and shot. Later, friends found him on the floor in a pool of blood. They called the ambulance and within hours, Huey was up and walking around. "His sense of humor was amazing, but even more amazing is his luck," remarked his doctor. The chances of him shooting out his brain tumor are 254 million to one. The bullet missed all of the vital parts of the brain and shot out the tumor. Friends and family have urged Huey to put his luck to good use and buy lots of lottery tickets. "I tell him everyday ‘go buy a lottry ticket’ and ‘go bet on a horse’, but he just won’t do it. Sometimes he can be so stubborn," said a close friend. Doctors are cautioning to other terminal patients not to try what Huey did. They say there is no way that they help themselves, they will harm themselves severely. Huey is currently writing a book and is planning a national book signing tour. Also in the works, a movie and a sitcom based on his story. "I am a very lucky guy and I plan to turn this mirale into some serious cash for myself," said Huey in an exclusive interview. An auction is also in the works that will sell the gun, the hosptal bill, and the tumor itself. Any collector will love to own this tumor and should be willing to spend lots of money for it," added Huey. Ice Cream Filled Grand Canyon Mexico City, Mexico(DE) - At the annual conference for the American Citizens For A Better Grand Canyon Group (ACFABGCG), attendees decided that the only way to attract more people to the Grand Canyon would be to fill the natural woder with ice cream. Twenty millions gallons of ice cream will be needed to maintain a full level everyday. It is hoped that this will help Arizona's ice cream manufacturing plants and a fee will also be passed for anyone that looks at the Grand Canyon. In other Grand Canyon developments, a vote narrowly failed to build an amusement park at the bottom under all the ice cream.

The Single Life

Adult Development and career Life Assessment Jan. 21, 2010 With the internet implemented worldwide the dating scene has revolutionized. The single lifestyle in my opinion is slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially with social networking sites such as e-harmony, match. com, my-space, or even facebook. How can one define the single life? It depends on who you ask on what kind of definition you will get. In the dictionary single is defined as a relating to the unmarried state or no longer living with. I define being single as being someone who is not actively participating in a relationship with a like minded individual. I have been single for the most part of my life. My very first relationship was my sophomore year in high school. I was only about fifthteen or sixteen years old. Her name was Carla, she and I met in the cafeteria one morning while we were having breakfast before homeroom period started. Even though our high school was very small, I cannot recall ever seeing her before. Once we became friends, we started to date. We would attend school functions, basketball games, choir concerts, basketball games and track meets; as time progressed a little we both got our driver licenses and jobs. This at first was a really good thing for the relationship, due to the fact that we could attend and participate in other functions and activities outside the ones that were primarily school related, for example: the movies, or the fair. One side effect that I noticed from my new experience was that of a wondering mind. I would often find myself not focused on school work or any task for that matter. I would always become distracted when trying to accomplish anything; my attention would immediately be directed to Carla’s and I relationship. This was not benefiting me in anyway. My grades dropped, I became less and less productive at work and didn’t get much rest. Finally I made the decision that if a relationship would cause me not to maintain my focus and career goal that is was not for me at that time. Carla was my first and last serious relationship, and I have made the judgment to remain single until I have reached my educational aspirations. I would like to think that there is no pressure and is a personal choice on staying single or to get married, but it is not like that. Once a person can whole heartedly accept the fact that they are living the single life, it becomes somewhat easier for that individual to interact with others on a daily bases. For example, when a person really and truly feels as if they need to be in a relationship or cannot understand why they are not, that individual could have some problems dealing with others who are in a relationship or someone who is content with the single lifestyle. In my opinion â€Å"coming from personal experience† a person is more likely to find themselves when single as opposed to being in a committed relationship. Being a person who has been in a relationship and single, I can see some pros and cons in both being single and being in a relationship. Attached you will find a diagram with some of the pros and cons. ? ? Pros SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Freedom Someone to share More friendsShared experiences Self-Sufficiency Can Depend on someone Prioritizing Career Two incomes Cons ? SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Lonely Arguments No one to talk toJoint bank accounts One incomeLess time to work Having to cookLess time to focus on school In conclusion I’ve express my view and thought on the single life base on information obtain from personal experiences and article and information researched via the internet. Base on the information presented in my paper I have concluded that being single is conducive to the hectic lifestyle of a young, working college student. I do feel as if everyone needs and deserves someone. Which is why I do not wish to remain single for the remainder of my life, I can honestly say I am at the point in my life where being single is ok and works for me.

Communication cycle Essay

Human spoken and pictorial languages can be described as a system of symbols (sometimes known as lexemes) and the grammars (rules) by which the symbols are manipulated. The word â€Å"language† also refers to common properties of languages. Language learning normally occurs most intensively during human childhood. Most of the thousands of human languages use patterns of sound or gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them. Languages seem to share certain properties although many of these include exceptions. There is no defined line between a language and a dialect. Constructed languages such as Esperanto, programming languages, and various mathematical formalisms are not necessarily restricted to the properties shared by human languages. Communication is the flow or exchange of information within people or a group of people. A variety of verbal and non-verbal means of communicating exists such as body language, eye contact, sign language, haptic communication, chronemics, and media content such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also defines the communication to include the display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, as well as written and plain language, human-reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, including accessible information and communication technology.[3] Feedback is critical to effective communication between participants. Nonverbal communication[edit source | editbeta] Main article: Nonverbal communication Nonverbal communication describes the process of conveying meaning in the form of non-word messages. Some forms of non verbal communication include chronemics, haptics, gesture, body language or posture, facial expression and eye contact, object communication such as clothing, hairstyles, architecture, symbols, infographics, and tone of voice, as well as through an aggregate of the above. Speech also contains nonverbal elements known as paralanguage. These include voice lesson quality, emotion and speaking style as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation and stress. Research has shown that up to 55% of spoken communication may occur through non verbal facial expressions, and a further 38% through paralanguage.[4] Likewise, written texts include nonverbal elements such as handwriting  style, spatial arrangement of words and the use of emoticons to convey emotional expressions in pictorial form. Oral communication[edit source | editbeta] Oral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and choice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback. Business communication[edit source | editbeta] Main article: Business communication A business can flourish only when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization must be able to convey their message properly.[citation needed] Written communication and its historical development[edit source | editbeta] Over time the forms of and ideas about communication have evolved through the continuing progression of technology. Advances include communications psychology and media psychology, an emerging field of study. The progression of written communication can be divided into three revolutionary stages called â€Å"Information Communication Revolutions†.[5] During the first stage, written communication first emerged through the use of pictographs. The pictograms were made in stone, hence written communication was not yet mobile. During the second stage, writing began to appear on paper, papyrus, clay, wax, etc. with common alphabets. The third stage is characterized by the transfer of information through controlled waves of electromagnetic radiation (i.e., radio, microwave, infrared) and other electronic signals. Communication is thus a process by which meaning is assigned and conveyed in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process, which requires a vast repertoire of skills in interpersonal processing, listening, observing,  speaking, questioning, analyzing, gestures, and evaluating enables collaboration and cooperation.[6] Misunderstandings can be anticipated and solved through formulations, questions and answers, paraphrasing, examples, and stories of strategic talk. Written communication can be clarified by planning follow-up talks on critical written communication as part of the every-day way of doing business. A few minutes spent talking in the present will save valuable time later by avoiding misunderstandings in advance. A frequent method for this purpose is reiterating what one heard in one’s own words and asking the other person if that really was what was meant.[7] Effective communication[edit source | editbeta] Effective communication occurs when a desired effect is the result of intentional or unintentional information sharing, which is interpreted between multiple entities and acted on in a desired way. This effect also ensures the message is not distorted during the communication process. Effective communication should generate the desired effect and maintain the effect, with the potential to increase the effect of the message. Therefore, effective communication serves the purpose for which it was planned or designed. Possible purposes might be to elicit change, generate action, create understanding, inform or communicate a certain idea or point of view. When the desired effect is not achieved, factors such as barriers to communication are explored, with the intention being to discover how the communication has been ineffective. Barriers to effective human communication[edit source | editbeta] Barriers to effective communication can retard or distort the message and intention of the message being conveyed which may result in failure of the communication process or an effect that is undesirable. These include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, gender differences and political correctness [8] This also includes a lack of expressing â€Å"knowledge-appropriate† communication, which occurs when a person uses ambiguous or complex legal words, medical jargon, or descriptions of a situation or environment that is not understood by the recipient. Physical barriers[edit source | editbeta] Physical barriers are often due to the nature of the environment. An example  of this is the natural barrier which exists if staff are located in different buildings or on different sites. Likewise, poor or outdated equipment, particularly the failure of management to introduce new technology, may also cause problems. Staff shortages are another factor which frequently causes communication difficulties for an organization. While distractions like background noise, poor lighting or an environment which is too hot or cold can all affect people’s morale and concentration, which in turn interfere with effective communication.4444 System design[edit source | editbeta] System design faults refer to problems with the structures or systems in place in an organization. Examples might include an organizational structure which is unclear and therefore makes it confusing to know whom to communicate with. Other examples could be inefficient or inappropriate information systems, a lack of supervision or training, and a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities which can lead to staff being uncertain about what is expected of them. Attitudinal barriers[edit source | editbeta] Attitudinal barriers come about as a result of problems with staff in an organization. These may be brought about, for example, by such factors as poor management, lack of consultation with employees, personality conflicts which can result in people delaying or refusing to communicate, the personal attitudes of individual employees which may be due to lack of motivation or dissatisfaction at work, brought about by insufficient training to enable them to carry out particular tasks, or just resistance to change due to entrenched attitudes and ideas, it may be as a result delay in payment at the end of the month. Ambiguity of words/phrases[edit source | editbeta] Words sounding the same but having different meaning can convey a different meaning altogether. Hence the communicator must ensure that the receiver receives the same meaning. It is better if such words are avoided by using alternatives whenever possible. Individual linguistic ability[edit source | editbeta] The use of jargon, difficult or inappropriate words in communication can prevent the recipients from understanding the message. Poorly explained or misunderstood messages can also result in confusion. However, research in communication has shown that confusion can lend legitimacy to research when persuasion fails.[9][10][11] Physiological barriers[edit source | editbeta] These may result from individuals’ personal discomfort, caused—for example—by ill health, poor eyesight or hearing difficulties. Presentation of information[edit source | editbeta] Presentation of information is important to aid understanding. Simply put, the communicator must consider the audience before making the presentation itself and in cases where it is not possible the presenter can at least try to simplify his/her vocabulary so that the majority can understand. Nonhuman communication[edit source | editbeta] See also: Biocommunication (science) and Interspecies communication Every information exchange between living organisms — i.e. transmission of signals that involve a living sender and receiver can be considered a form of communication; and even primitive creatures such as corals are competent to communicate. Nonhuman communication also include cell signaling, cellular communication, and chemical transmissions between primitive organisms like bacteria and within the plant and fungal kingdoms. Animal communication[edit source | editbeta] The broad field of animal communication encompasses most of the issues in ethology. Animal communication can be defined as any behavior of one animal that affects the current or future behavior of another animal. The study of animal communication, called zoo semiotics (distinguishable from anthroposemiotics, the study of human communication) has played an important part in the development of ethology, sociobiology, and the study of animal cognition. Animal communication, and indeed the understanding of the animal world in general, is a rapidly growing field, and even in the 21st century so far, a great share of prior understanding related to diverse fields such as personal symbolic name use, animal emotions, animal culture and learning, and even sexual conduct, long thought to be well understood, has been  revolutionized. Plants and fungi[edit source | editbeta] Communication is observed within the plant organism, i.e. within plant cells and between plant cells, between plants of the same or related species, and between plants and non-plant organisms, especially in the root zone. Plant roots communicate in parallel with rhizome bacteria, with fungi and with insects in the soil. These parallel sign-mediated interactions are governed by syntactic, pragmatic, and semantic rules, and are possible because of the decentralized â€Å"nervous system† of plants. The original meaning of the word â€Å"neuron† in Greek is â€Å"vegetable fiber† and recent research has shown that most of the microorganism plant communication processes are neuronal-like.[12] Plants also communicate via volatiles when exposed to herbivory attack behavior, thus warning neighboring plants. In parallel they produce other volatiles to attract parasites which attack these herbivores. In stress situations plants can overwrite the genomes they inherited from their parents and revert to that of their grand- or great-grandparents.[citation needed] Fungi communicate to coordinate and organize their growth and development such as the formation of Marcelia and fruiting bodies. Fungi communicate with their own and related species as well as with non fungal organisms in a great variety of symbiotic interactions, especially with bacteria, unicellular eukaryote, plants and insects through biochemicals of biotic origin. The biochemicals trigger the fungal organism to react in a specific manner, while if the same chemical molecules are not part of biotic messages, they do not trigger the fungal organism to react. This implies that fungal organisms can differentiate between molecules taking part in biotic messages and similar molecules being irrelevant in the situation. So far five different primary signalling molecules are known to coordinate different behavioral patterns such as filamentation, mating, growth, and pathogenicity. Behavioral coordination and production of signaling substances is achieved through interpretation processes that enables the organism to differ between self or non-self, a biotic indicator, biotic message from similar, related, or non-related species, and even filter out â€Å"noise†, i.e. similar molecules without biotic content.[13] Bacteria quorum sensing[edit source | editbeta] Communication is not a tool used only by humans, plants and animals, but it is also used by microorganisms like bacteria. The process is called quorum sensing. Through quorum sensing, bacteria are able to sense the density of cells, and regulate gene expression accordingly. This can be seen in both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. This was first observed by Fuqua et al. in marine microorganisms like V. harveyi and V. fischeri.[14] Communication cycle