Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) - 2111 Words

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental and neurological condition that affects individuals in the areas of social communication and social interaction, and it is also characterized by the presence of repetitive behaviors and language difficulties. Other characteristics include delays in reasoning and self help skills (Smith, 2011) p. 1037). Individuals with ASD vary widely in level of intelligence and may also exhibit other co-existing conditions such as intellectual disability, depression, and phobias (Nozomi, 2009). The disorder begins in early childhood, but is usually not diagnosed prior to the age of two to five years old or when a child enters school. In 2013, the Center for Disease Control reported that there was a major†¦show more content†¦The purpose of this research assignment is to give an explanation of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), provide information about the two major categories of behavioral intervention approaches that utilize ABA, structured and naturalistic, and discuss available research regarding them. Also addressed is information about specific (ABA) treatments or models that have been used. Many of them do provide positive benefits and have been considered to be highly successful by many professionals, parents, and support groups. Lovaas’s contribution to the field is also included because he was a pioneer of ABA intervention for children with ASD, although he was not the only individual in the field of psychology that contributed to the study of the disorder (Matson Neal, 2009). According to Smith â€Å"Applied behavior analysis is a discipline of research and practice within the helping professions. ABA interventions are implemented in many settings, with many different clinical and nonclinical populations.† (Smith, 2011, p. 1037). It is believed that ABA has become a very important intervention strategy because it is science based and involves data collection with the use of direct observation. It also includes the use of operant conditioning, a term devised by B.F. Skinner to describe a method of changing behavior through the use

Explanation of Modern Physics Free Essays

string(126) " In order to explain the behavior of light, you must consider its particle like qualities as well as its wave like qualities\." Explanation of Modern Physics While the term â€Å"modern physics† often suggests that all that came before it was incorrect, 20th and 21st century additions to physics simply modified and expanded the phenomena which Newton and his fellow scientists had already contrived. From the mid-1800’s onward, new advances were made in the way of physics, specifically the revolutions of Einstein’s relativity, removing mankind further from the absolute, and quantum mechanics, which replaced certainty with probability. All of this led to an advance in nuclear weaponry, the advancement of laser technology, and the information age of computers. We will write a custom essay sample on Explanation of Modern Physics or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although it directly contradicted the classical equipartition theorem of energy, black body radiation was one of the first discoveries in modern quantum mechanics. This theorem states that within thermal equilibrium, where each part of the system is the same temperature, each degree of freedom has 12kBT, kB representing the Boltzmann constant, of thermal energy associated with it, meaning that the average kinetic energy in the translational movement of an object should be equal to the kinetic energy of its rotational motion. By this point, it was known how heat caused the atoms in solids to vibrate and that atoms were patterns of electrical charges, but it was unknown how these solids radiated the energy that they in turn created. Hertz and other scientists experimented with electromagnetic waves, and found that Maxwell’s previous conjectures that electromagnetic disturbances should propagate through space at the speed of light had been correct. This led to the explanation of light itself as an electromagnetic wave. From this observation, it was assumed that as a body was heated, the atoms would vibrate and create charge oscillations, which would then radiate the light and the additional heat that could be observed. From this, the idea of a â€Å"black body† formed, an object that would absorb all radiation that came in contact with it, but which also was the perfect emitter. The ideal black body was a heated oven with a small hole, which would release the radiation from inside. Based on the equipartition theorem, such an oven at thermal equilibrium would have an infinite amount of energy, and the radiation through the hole would show that of all frequencies at once. However, when the experiment was actually performed, this is not the result that occurred. As the oven heated, different frequencies of radiation were detected from the hole, one at a time, starting with infrared radiation, followed by red, then yellow light, and so on. This proved that high oscillators are not excited at low temperatures, and that equipartition was not accurate. This discovery led to Stefan’s Law, which said that the total energy per square unit of black body per unit time, the power, is proportional to the absolute temperature to the fourth power. It also led to Wien’s Displacement Law, stating that the wavelength distributions of thermal radiation of a black body at all temperatures have essentially the same shape, except that the graphs are displaced from each other. Later on, Planck characterized the light coming from a black body and derived an equation to predict the radiation at certain temperatures, as shown by the diagram below. For each given temperature, the peaks changed position, solidifying the idea that different temperatures excite different levels of the light spectrum. This was all under the assumption that radiation was released in quanta, now known as photons. All of these laws help modern physicists interpret radiation and make accurate estimations at the temperature of planets based on the radiation that comes from them. Einstein used the same quantization of electromagnetic radiation to show the photoelectric effect, which disproved the idea that more intense light would increase the kinetic energy of the electrons radiated from an object. Photoelectric effect was originally the work of Heinrich Hertz, but was later taken on by Albert Einstein. Einstein determined that light was made up of packets of energy known as photons, which have no mass, but have momentum and energy given by the equation E=hf, h representing Planck’s constant and f representing the frequency of the light used. Photoelectric effect explains that if light is shone on a metal with high enough energy, electrons will be released from the metal. Due to the energy equation, light of certain low frequencies will not cause the emission of electrons, not matter how intense, while light of certain high frequencies will always emit electrons, even at a very low intensity. The amount of energy needed to release electrons from a metal plate is dependent upon the type of metal it is, and changes from case to case, as every type of metal has a certain work function, or an amount of energy needed to remove an electron from its surface. If the photons that hit the metal plate have enough energy as the work function of the metal, the energy from the photon can transfer to an electron, which allows it to escape from the surface of the metal. Of course, the energy of the photon is dependent upon the frequency of the light. Einstein postulated that the kinetic energy of the electron once it has been freed from the surface can be written as E=hf-W, W being the work function of the material. Prior to Einstein’s work in photoelectric effect, Hertz discovered, mostly by accident, that ultraviolet light would knock electrons off of metal surfaces. However, according to the classical wave theory of light, intensity of light changed the amplitude, thus more intense light would make the kinetic energy of the electrons higher as they were emitted from the surface. His experiment showed that this was not the case, and that frequency affected the kinetic energy, while intensity determined the number of electrons that were released. By explaining the photoelectric effect, scientists find that light is a particle, but it also acts as a wave. This help support particle-wave duality. In order to explain the behavior of light, you must consider its particle like qualities as well as its wave like qualities. This means that light exhibits particle-wave duality, as it can act as a wave and a particle. In fact, everything exhibits this kind of behavior, but it is most prominent in very small objects, such as electrons. Particle-wave duality is attributed to Louis de Broglie in about 1923. He argued that since light could display wave and particle like properties, matter could as well. After centuries of thinking that electrons were solid things with definite positions, de Broglie proved that they had wave like properties by running experiments much like Young’s double slit experiments, and showing the interference patterns that arose. This idea helped scientists realize that the wavelength of an object diminishes proportionally to the momentum of the object. Around the same time that de Broglie was explaining particle-wave duality, Arthur Compton described the Compton effect, or Compton scattering. This was another discovery which showed how light could not solely be looked at as a wave, further supporting de Broglie’s particle-wave duality. Compton scattering is a phenomenon that takes place when a high-energy photon collides with an electron, causing a reduced frequency in the photon, leading to a reduced energy. Compton derived the formula to describe this occurrence to be ? ‘-? =hCme1-cos? = ? c(1-cos? ), where ? ‘ is the resulting wavelength of the photon, ? is the initial wavelength of the photon, ? is the scattering angle between the photon and the electron, and ? c is the wavelength of a resting electron, which is 2. 26 ? 10-12 meters. Compton came about this by considering the conservation of momentum and energy. Although they have no mass, photons have momentum, which is defined by ? =Ec=hfc=h?. In order to conserve momentum, or to collide at all, light must be thought of as a particle in this case, instead of a wave. Quantum mechanics is not the on ly facet of modern physics, and it shares equal importance with relativity. Relativity is defined as the dependence of various physical phenomena on relative motion of the observer and the observed objects, especially in relation to light, space, time, and gravity. Relativity in modern physics is hugely attributed to the work of Albert Einstein, while classical relativity can be mainly attributed to Galileo Galilei. The quintessential example of Galilean relativity is that of the person on a ship. Once the ship has reached a constant velocity, and continues in a constant direction, if the person is in the hull of the ship and is not looking outside to see any motion, the person cannot feel the ship moving. Galileo’s relativity hypothesis states that any two observers moving at constant speed and direction with respect to one another will obtain the same results for all mechanical experiments. This idea led to the realization that velocity does not exist without a reference point. This idea of a frame of reference became very important to Einstein’s own theories of relativity. Einstein had two theories of relativity, special and general. He published special relativity in 1905, and general relativity in 1916. His Theory of Special Relativity was deceptively simple, as it mostly took Galilean relativity and reapplied it to include Maxwell’s magnetic and electric fields. Special relativity states that the Laws of Physics are the same in all inertial frames. An inertial frame is a frame in which Newton’s law of inertia applies and holds true, so that objects at rest stay at rest unless an outside force is applied, and that objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. The theory of relativity deals with objects that are approaching the speed of light, as it turns out that Newton’s laws begin to falter when the velocity gets too high. Special relativity only deals with the motion of objects within inertial frames, and is quite comparable to Galilean relativity, with the addition of a few new discoveries, such as magnetic and electric fields and the speed of light. The theory of general relativity is much more difficult to understand than special relativity due to the fact that it involves objects traveling close to the speed of light within non-inertial frames, or frames that do not meet the requirements given by Newton’s law of inertia. General relativity coincides with special relativity when gravity can be neglected. This involves the curvature of space and time, and the idea that time is not the definite that we have always assumed that it was. General relativity is a theory that describes the behavior of space and time, as well as gravity. In general relativity, space-time becomes curved at the presence of matter, which means that particles moving with not external forces acting upon them can spiral and travel in a curve, which becomes conflicting with Newton’s laws. In classical physics, gravity is described as a force, and as an apple falls from a tree, gravity attracts it to the center of the Earth. This also explains the orbit of planets. However, in general relativity, a massive object, such as the sun, curves space-time and forces planets to revolve around it in the same way a bead would spiral down a funnel. This idea of general relativity and the curvature of space-time led scientists to realize what black holes were and how they can be possible. This also explains the bending of light around objects. Black holes have massive centers and are hugely dense. Each particle that it includes is also living in space-time however, and so the center must continue to move and become more and more dense from the motion of these particles. Black holes are so dense that they bend space-time to an enormous degree, so that there is no escapable route from them. General relativity also explains that the universe must be either contracting or expanding. If all the stars in the universe were at rest compared to one another, gravity would begin to pull them together. General relativity would show that the space as a whole would begin to shrink and the distances between the stars would do the same. The universe could also technically be expanding, however it could never be static. In 1929, Hubble discovered that all of the distant galaxies seemed to be moving away from us, which would support the explanation that our galaxy is expanding. The basis of general relativity is the dynamic movement of space and time, and the fact that these are not static measurements that they have always been assumed to be. However, a key issue is that there has been little success in combining quantum mechanics and Einsteinian relativity, other than in quantum electrodynamics. Quantum electrodynamics, QED, is a quantum theory that involves the interaction of charged particles and the electromagnetic field. The scientific community hugely agrees upon QED, and it successfully unites quantum mechanics with relativity. QED mathematically explains the relationships between light and matter, as well as charged particles with one another. In the 1920’s, Paul Dirac laid the foundations of QED by discovering the equation for the spin of electrons, incorporating both quantum mechanics and the theory of special relativity. QED was further developed into the state that it is today in the 1940’s by Richard Feynman. QED rests on the assumption that charged particles interact by absorbing and emitting photons, which transmit electromagnetic forces. Photons cannot be seen or detected in anyway because their existence violates the conservation of energy and momentum. QED relies heavily on the Hamiltonian vector field and the use of differential equations and matrices. Feynman created the Feynman diagram used to depict QED, using a wavy line for photons, a straight line for the electron, and a junction of two straight lines and one wavy line to represent the absorption or emission of a photon, show below. QED helps define the probability of finding an electron at a certain position at a certain time, given its whereabouts at other positions and times. Since the possibilities of where and when the electron can emit or absorb a photon are infinite, this makes this a very difficult procedure. Compton scattering is very prevalent to QED due to its involvement in the scattering of electrons. Modern physics is a simple term used to cover a huge array of different discoveries made over the past two hundred years. While the two main facets of modern physics are quantum mechanics and relativity, there are an amazing number of subtopics and experiments that have brought about rapid change, giving the world new technologies and new capabilities. Thanks to scientists like Einstein, Hawking, Feynman, and many others, we have found, and will continue to find, amazing discoveries about our universe. Sources Anderson, Lauren. â€Å"Compton Scattering. †Ã‚  University of Washington Astronomy Department. 12 Nov. 2007. Web. 1 May 2012. www. astro. washington. edu. Andrei, Eva Y. â€Å"Photoelectric Effect. †Ã‚  Andrei Group. Web. 1 May 2012. www. physics. rutgers. edu/~eandrei. Boyer, Timothy H. â€Å"Thermodynamics of the Harmonic Oscillator: Wien’s Displacement Law and the Planck Spectrum. †Ã‚  American Journal of Physics  71. 9 (2003): 866-870. Print. Branson, Jim. Wave Particle Duality- Through Experiments. 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 May 2012. quantummechanics. ucsd. edu. Broholm, Collin. â€Å"Equipartition Theorem. †Ã‚  General Physics for Bio-Science Majors. 1 Dec. 1997. Web. 1 May 2012. www. pha. jhu. edu/~broholm/homepage. Choquet-Bruhat, Yvonne. General Relativity and The Einstein Equations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Einstein, Albert, et al. Relativity: The Special and General Theory. New York: Pi Press, 1920. Print. Einstein, Albert. The Meaning of Relativity. London: Routledge Classics, 1956. Print. Felder, Gary. â€Å"Bumps and Wiggles: An Introduction to General Relativity. † 2005. Web. 1 May 2012. www4. csu. edu/unity/lockers. Feynman, Richard P. â€Å"Space-Time Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics. â€Å"Physical Review  76. 6 (1949): Print. Fitzpatrick, Richard. The Planck Radiation Law. 2 Feb. 2006. Web. 1 May 2012. farside. ph. utexas. edu. Fowler, Michael. Black Body Radiation. 7 Sept. 2008. Web. 1 May 2012. galileo. phys. virginia. edu/classes/252. Jones, Victor R. Heinrich Hertz’s Wireless Experiment (1887). 18 May 2004. Web. 1 May 2012. people. seas. harvard. edu/~jones. Page, L.. â€Å"Black Body Radiation. †Ã‚  Princeton University, Physics 311/312. Sept. 1995. Web. 1 May 2012. ophelia. princeton. edu/~page/phys312. Scatterly, John. â€Å"Stefan’s Radiation Law. †Ã‚  Nature  157. 3996 (1946): 737. Print. Sevian, Hannah. Electrons, photons, and the photo-electric effect. 11 July 2000. Web. 1 May 2012. physics. bu. edu. Sherrill, David. The Photoelectric Effect. 15 Aug. 2008. Web. 1 May 2012. vergil. chemistry. gatech. edu. Takeuchi, Tatsu. Special Relativity. 2005. Web. 1 May 2012. www. phys. vt. edu. Wudka, Jose. Galilean Relativity. 24 Sept. 1998. Web. 1 May 2012. physics. ucr. edu. How to cite Explanation of Modern Physics, Essay examples

Employee Retention free essay sample

In today’s competitive environment retaining of employees has become a very challenging work for the HR department of any company. The study focused on S P Capital IQ emphasizes employee-welfare practices in order to establish a long term relationship with the employees. It suggests that by improving HR policies, employees feel more committed and encouraged to remain with the company rather than look for a job elsewhere. In the era of global business, quality of human resources, skilled and knowledgeable employees are highly essential. It is frequently noted that quality human resources act as a prerequisite for competitive advantage and competitive edge of any business. S P Capital IQ also engages many activities to retain talented employees by enhancing their career, personal growth, and organizational well-being, team day-outs, team lunches, and annual day occasion so-on- so-forth to retain the best with them. Retention seems to be a simple term but when it comes to action it is one of the most critical strategic aspects for any concern. In fact, hiring does not end when the candidate has accepted the position.Advantageous initiatives and well-planned processes must be firmly in place and consistently nurtured so that employees will have reasons to remain with your company for growth to continue. Following a well developed strategy will let you reduce recruitment through retaining your top-performing talent. Obviously, you cannot hold onto all your best people, but you can certainly minimize the loss. Reducing employee turnover is a strategic and vital issue, beneficial to your company’s bottom line.It has taken considerable time and resources to attain a staff whom you are proud of – to replace them starves your organization of many essential success factors (money, overall attitude, productivity, etc. ) and the company’s ultimate triumph. The intent of this whitepaper is to help you discover the importance of retaining your valuable employees and provide you with a list of solutions. Like an art collector who has spent time and research attaining that Great Master’s work which embodies the talent, skills and training of the artist, getting excellent staff requires the same passion.The collector protects the painting with superior security and environmental methods. In your position as a manager of people you must do whatever you can to keep that priceless individual who works hard for your company and generates strong results. As an experienced business person, you have undoubtedly used, or are in the process of using, effective hiring tools to assemble what you believe to be the best staff, with exceptional skills and who fit well into your company’s unique culture. In a competitive, professional world, top performers are often made a variety of offers before they settle on one career position.But once they are working for you, they need reason and motivation to remain. The old adage â€Å"Look after the small things and the big things look after themselves† can easily apply to your workforce. â€Å"Look after your people and the business will look after itself†. It could not be more relevant today as when it was first said. Your staff is more than employees. They are valuable individuals with unique competencies and characteristics who require appreciation as much as a paycheck. In fact, people are the single most valuable element within your organization.Without them, you simply cannot do business or generate revenue. It is not just human resource companies that are in the people business – every business needs excellent people to prosper. Can you think of a Fortune 500 company that reached success without top performing people who have g rown and developed over time with the company? Each individual who performs a function at your organization – no matter how junior or senior – are the puzzle pieces that fit together to create the larger picture of success. Missing one of those pieces puts a hole in the picture and stops your company being successful.

Training Essays - Physical Exercise, Bodybuilding,

Training Program Development For the past year I have been hitting the gym five days a week, while taking the weekend off. I started training in the gym sophomore year of high school, but I quickly realized that my personal training routine was not a very good one. After searching through many magazines and talking to people around the gym I realized that there is no perfect routine, nothing is carved in stone when it comes to lifting. The key to lifting I have found is doing what feels best. That means that your personal routine should make you feel comfortable about training and it should make you want to keep training. The article I have read emphasizes this has a very important part of training, but the two most important factors that it talks about are that any program should be performed consistently and progressively. The article states three things that help contribute to a program that maintains consistency and progression. These three things are frequency, volume, and intensity. Recovering from a work out is the single most important thing, because it determines how far and long you are capable of lifting. Frequency has a lot to due with this. For a person in high school or in college, the article says to work out three times per week. However many people in the gym are out of school, they have real jobs and real responsibilities. For them the article recommends two workouts per week. Weight training two to three times a week will give your body the physical time it needs in order to recover from lifting. The article states very clearly that the goal of training is to stimulate the body and not to torture the body. This article brings a very good point up about how much training that a person should do. Volume has this is called is based on the number of exercises you do, the number of sets, and the amount of rest time in between sets. Time is a very important issue when it comes to volume. Its really all about keeping a good pace during a workout, with a 4-5 minutes between live sets. In all a good workout should take about 1 hour, this includes aerobic exercise also. The article also states what kind of exercises that a person should do. For the upper body it says (bench press, overhead press, dip), a pulling movement (row, pulldown, high pull), and crunches for the abs. For the legs the article says (squat, deadlift, leg press). Many people go into the gym and try to almost kill themselves. This is where the question of how much intensity should be used in a training program comes in. The author of this article has a clear opinion on this touchy subject. He suggests that a person should train until they may have one last rep in them. This way he feels you will not completely burn out the muscle, ruining the rest of your program. This really is true because the goal of lifting is to lift more each time not to go till failure. I really feel that this article can help a lot of people who are trying to get started in a training program. I fell that to many people just jump right into lifting blindly. By this I mean that they really have only one goal in mind, and that is just to get big. When really they should have quite a few such as how often do they want to lift, how much do they want to lift, and how hard are they willing to train for what they want.

Free Essays on Cowboys And Indians

and mannerisms. The Smurfs were just as torturous with their whinny, high pitched blather and Mr. Rogers was just plain creepy. I was more the outdoors kind of girl. Bike rides, monkey bars, swings, cardboard-box rides down bumpy, rocky, spur ridden hills all fun activities. Of course, my favorite activity was to run through the streets during a rainstorm. We lived in Hawaii at the time, in military housing. All the neighborhood kids would come pouring out of their houses the minute a rainstorm started. Warm rain water falling down on us, steam rising from the ground as the rain hits it and me getting as wet as can be. The best part about it is your parents could not really get mad at you for getting all wet and filthy. I was only five years old when I received my first real lesson (and probably my parents biggest lesson) on the power of television and the impressionability of a young girl. As I have said, most of the time television was of no interest to me. But, there were a few cartoon shows I liked watching. Loony Tunes being my favorite, and Bugs Bunny my idol. I used to love to imitate Bugs. I would wander around the house with a carrot in my hand (smacking and chewing loudly as I took bites off the carrot), tapping the end of the carrot like a cigar as invisible ashes fell from the end of it. While uttering â€Å"Eh...(smack, chew, smack)†¦What’s up Doc?†. Sometimes I would be stationary. At this point I would have my elbow resting up against a ledge of some kind, with my carrot in t... Free Essays on Cowboys And Indians Free Essays on Cowboys And Indians I remember as a child I never really liked watching television. My parents rarely watched it growing up. Only as I got older did they acquire a taste for the â€Å"boob tube†. To me most children’s programs and cartoons were â€Å"lameâ€Å". If I knew what drugs were at the time I would have thought the whole crew on Sesame Street was on them because of their wide eyed, overly expressive faces, exaggerated enunciations of words and mannerisms. The Smurfs were just as torturous with their whinny, high pitched blather and Mr. Rogers was just plain creepy. I was more the outdoors kind of girl. Bike rides, monkey bars, swings, cardboard-box rides down bumpy, rocky, spur ridden hills all fun activities. Of course, my favorite activity was to run through the streets during a rainstorm. We lived in Hawaii at the time, in military housing. All the neighborhood kids would come pouring out of their houses the minute a rainstorm started. Warm rain water falling down on us, steam rising from the ground as the rain hits it and me getting as wet as can be. The best part about it is your parents could not really get mad at you for getting all wet and filthy. I was only five years old when I received my first real lesson (and probably my parents biggest lesson) on the power of television and the impressionability of a young girl. As I have said, most of the time television was of no interest to me. But, there were a few cartoon shows I liked watching. Loony Tunes being my favorite, and Bugs Bunny my idol. I used to love to imitate Bugs. I would wander around the house with a carrot in my hand (smacking and chewing loudly as I took bites off the carrot), tapping the end of the carrot like a cigar as invisible ashes fell from the end of it. While uttering â€Å"Eh...(smack, chew, smack)†¦What’s up Doc?†. Sometimes I would be stationary. At this point I would have my elbow resting up against a ledge of some kind, with my carrot in t...

Southern Stingray Facts and Information

Southern Stingray Facts and Information Southern stingrays, also called Atlantic southern stingrays, are a normally docile animal that frequents warm, shallow coastal waters. Description Southern stingrays have a diamond-shaped disc that is dark brown, gray or black on its upper side and white on the lower side. This helps southern stingrays camouflage themselves in the sand, where they spend most of their time. Southern stingrays have a long, whip-like tail with a barb at the end that they use for defense, but they rarely use it against humans unless they are provoked. Female southern stingrays grow much larger than males. Females grow to about a 6-foot span, while males about 2.5 feet. Its maximum weight is about 214 pounds. The southern stingrays eyes are on top of its head, and behind them are two spiracles, which allow the stingray to take in oxygenated water. This water is expelled from the stingrays gills on its underside. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ElasmobranchiiOrder: MyliobatiformesFamily: DasyatidaeGenus: DasyatisSpecies: Americana Habitat and Distribution The southern stingray is a warm water species and inhabits primarily shallow tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean (as far north as New Jersey), the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Feeding Southern stingrays eat bivalves, worms, small fish, and crustaceans. Since their prey is often buried in the sand, they un-bury it by forcing streams of water out their mouth or flapping their fins over the sand. They find their prey using electro-reception and their excellent senses of smell and touch. Reproduction Little is known about the mating behavior of southern stingrays, as it has not been observed often in the wild. A paper in the Environmental Biology of Fishes reported that a male followed a female, engaged in pre-copulatory biting, and then the two mated. Females may mate with multiple males during the same breeding season. Females are ovoviviparous. After a gestation of 3-8 months, 2-10 pups are born, with an average of 4 pups born per litter. Status and Conservation The IUCN Red List states that the southern stingray is of least concern in the U.S. because its population appears to be healthy. But overall, it is listed as data deficient, because there is little information available on population trends, bycatch, and fishing in the rest of its range. A large ecotourism industry has arisen around southern stingrays. Stingray City in the Cayman Islands is a popular destination for tourists, who come to observe and feed the swarms of stingrays that gather there. While the stingrays animals are usually nocturnal, research conducted in 2009 showed that the organized feeding is affecting the stingrays, so that instead of eating during the night, they eat all day and sleep all night. Southern stingrays are preyed upon by sharks and other fishes. Their primary predator is the hammerhead shark. Sources Arkive. 2009. Southern Stingray (Dasyatis Americana). (Online) Arkive. Accessed April 12, 2009.MarineBio.org. 2009. Dasyatis Americana, Southern Stingray (Online). MarineBio.org. Accessed April 12, 2009.Monterey Bay Aquarium. 2009. Southern Stingray (Online) Monterey Bay Aquarium. Accessed April 12, 2009.Passarelli, Nancy and Andrew Piercy. 2009. Southern Stingray. (Online) Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology. Accessed April 12, 2009.

Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Benchmarking - Essay Example The objective of this report is to highlight the methods that could give an exact idea of the performance of the companies and how well they use their resources. This report doesn’t consider just one perspective for the judgment of the company. Its discussion is on the basis of both the financial and non-financial factors of the company. Besides these market perception and working environment with the potential of and for the workforce have been discussed.in order to gain the complete perspective of the companies. In this report the two companies selected for the benchmarking or comparison are not only the leading companies in their industry but also on of the biggest companies overall in the global ranking. The report gives the detailed comparison of Apple and Microsoft complete analysis have been made in order to get a conclusion regarding the performance of both companies in comparison to each other. ... Apple and Microsoft have global presence and compete on international market. They both are technology based companies however they have diverse range of products and compete on different level for every market and product that they offer. Both companies almost compete in every sector of the industry as the nature, aspects and operations of their business are quite similar thus the competition is quite cut throat and is mostly regarding capturing the market share not only in the American market but on the global scale. Thus there financial data can be compared as both companies have same target market, business operations and market environment thus any difference can be associated to the non-financial factors of the company. Company Details Both the companies are technology based and compete almost in all of their product and market segments. They maintain their own stores, authorized dealers and online stores. The principle executive offices or the registered headquarters of both A pple and Microsoft along with their registered exchange, ticker symbol and logo are as follow: APPLE INC. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, California, USA Registered on â€Å"The NASDAQ stock market LLC† Ticker Symbol AAPL MICRODOFT CORPORATION One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington, USA Registered on â€Å"The NASDAQ stock market LLC† Ticker symbol MSFT (Investing.money.msn.com, 2013) Company Background and Profile Apple Inc. Apple is a California corporation that was established in 1977 and today along with its subsidiaries design, manufactures and markets mobile communication devices, media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players and long

Responsive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Responsive - Essay Example He has stayed amongst the Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert for a number of years, but he barely knows them in totality. The best time that he learns something substantial about their behavior is when he has only one Christmas to celebrate in their land. This is a group of people that are of a funny character. They make us marvel at values of their society. These include their togetherness that they uphold in the society. In so many ways, they used to enjoy in unity through sharing their hunt almost in each and every single day. The story in this article exposes the true nature of the Kung Bushmen. As a matter of fact, they are a group of people in the society that enforces humility in people who do not have it at hand. They try as much as possible to resist pride that may crop up in someone after a little achievement of victory. For instance, it is seen in the text how people hunted and brought fatty meat at home, but in rejoinder received the least of appreciation. The anthropologist himself wondered why gratitude was barely shown to those who went hunting and gathering. To set the facts right, a member of the Kung Bushmen community gives a hidden answer, all about arrogance! This is what I realize that the Bushmen Community try as much as possible to resist for its existence would only lead to a feeling of superiority over the others. In short, members of society at large prefer to be equal to one another. In this article, what comes out more vividly is mockery of the highest order. In the first instance, it took a lot of sacrifice for Ontah, the anthropologist to have the fattest ox for his last Christmas celebration amongst the Kung. In return, what he receives before that big day is ridicule and travesty. It is amazing how each person confronts him with a similar scorn. Exposing his folly, he hardly realizes the pure intentions of these people and to make him do, he has to inquire and seek judgment from a few

Information about the KU Writing and Math Centers Essay Example for Free

Information about the KU Writing and Math Centers Essay Thank you for your letter asking me about studying at Kaplan University. This is very nice place and students feel here very comfortable and confident as they have plenty of possibilities to learn as many new skills as they may want and have time for. To make life of its students a little simpler, the University has established two Centers, which offer a large variety of services. That is why I am writing to you to give all necessary information about the system of student assistance at Kaplan University. The University two Centers are always ready to provide the students with any relevant assistance. There is the Kaplan University Writing Center and the Kaplan University Math Center which are both very helpful during the study. For example, you are working on any writing task like research, survey or just essay you may find it useful to attend Writing Center. This Center purpose is to help students develop their writing skills and technique. The Center staff has developed particular guidance sections outlining basic steps of working on writing task. There are four sections for those who are looking for grammar help or advice on more advanced level of idea generation. The section with the APA writing style guidance is there to help students make their work have a decent scientific style and be free of plagiarism. All these guidance sections are in PDF file format and can be downloaded or printed as often as you need. Writing Center may also give a feedback to your written work. For that you will have to submit your paper by clicking a yellow notepad icon. Once your paper is reviewed, which usually takes about 2 days, you receive an e-mail message and may get the reviewed paper by downloading it from the submission page. In case you are toiling at some math problems and need somebody to give you essential hints or just want to train your knowledge University Math Center is there to help you. As well as Writing Center, Math Center provides with the wide range of information starting from elementary math operations to the complicated equations solving. You can get not only information on certain math problems but also train you solving skills and check your progress either in a particular area or on the whole module. There are specific mathematics modules dealing with particular math operations, so you can work on them one by one or choose any in which you prefer to improve you knowledge. It has to be pointed out that the Centers have the option of communication with a tutor. Thus, Writing Center has a live-chat option where you can meet your tutor and ask him/her any questions related to your written work. However, you won’t have to ask about spelling or grammar issues, while the purpose of such instruction session is to give you more essential help and make your writing skills more advanced and efficient so that you can use them in your further study. Such live sessions are available for 15 hours per week from Monday to Wednesday in the evenings (6 pm -11 pm ET). Math Center Tutor is available also in the evenings from 8 pm to 11 pm on the same days plus Thursday. Just same as writing instructors math tutor will not solve or check your problems or equations; he/she will try to make you comprehend modules concepts and acquire necessary solving skills. I must admit that both University Centers are extremely helpful for those who want to be a better student. The principle of their assistance service is not to do the work for you but to teach you essential techniques and fundamental skills, basing on which one can make progress in study and achieve successful results. Their aim is your clear understanding of the learning material and ability of self-sufficient work. Unfortunately, I have not been for a long time here, and I have not had a chance to use any of these centers yet. However, the time when I’ll have to write my research is approaching and I plan to visit Writing Center soon. What I hope to get there is the information of what are the effective ways of collecting information, thesis formulation, arguments development and other essential points to write an outstanding paper. I am sure center instructors will be of indispensable assistance to me as I am a freshman and I’d advice this service to all my mates. I hope you will find this information useful and in case you need more information, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Full Name (insert your full name here) Class and Section Number (insert your class and section number here)

The Coca Plant :: Botany

The Coca Plant Erythroxylum coca Lamark is a tropical shrub of the order Geraniales and the family Erythroxylaceae. Two tropical genera of the dicotyledons totaling approximately 250 species of trees and shrubs compose this family. Family characteristics are alternate, undivided, lobeless, toothless leaves, and small flowers in clusters from the leaf axils with persistent calyces with five lobes or sepals, five petals often with appendages, ten persistent stamens united at their bases, and three styles. The fruits are small drupes. (see Everett, 1981and Angiosperms in Brittanica Online) The name Erythroxylum comes from the Greek erythros, red, and xylon wood. Lamarck described the species E. coca in 1786. (Plowman,1982) Distribution Erythroxylum coca is cultivated in Africa, northern South America, southeast Asia, and Taiwan. It grows from 2-4m (8 feet) tall. The plants thrive best in hot, damp situations, such as the clearing of forests, but the leaves most preferred are obtained in drier locations, such as on the sides of hills. (Boucher) The Plants are found mainly in relatively small areas of Peru and Bolivia, the major producing countries. The upper Huallaga Valley, along a tributary of the Amazon in Peru, produces 60% of the world's coca. In Bolivia, the crop traditionally was grown on steep eastern slopes of the Yungas region of the Andes Mountains at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters. However, in recent decades, the lower-elevation Chapare Valley overtook the Yungas in production, and cultivation is now expanding into lowland rain forests. (see "Coca" in Britannica Online) History & Traditional Uses Archaeological evidence indicates that coca was domesticated by 1500 BC. In pre-Columbian times, coca was a major element of the economy (Hastdorf, 1987). Andean peasants and miners traditionally have consumed coca by sucking wads of leaves, keeping them in their cheeks for hours at a time. Often the coca is combined with chalk or ash, which helps dissolve the alkaloids into saliva. Coca chewing reduces hunger pain, and workers say the leaves give them strength and endurance to work for many hours at high altitudes, often in extreme cold. Some of the healthiest and hardest-working Indians on the Colombian Amazon the Yukunas consume enormous amounts of coca leaves daily, but this not a problem as they have time to raise their crops, hunt, fish and supply their food. (Linales) Perhaps the most ancient use of coca in South America is its employment in various shaman practices and religious rituals.

Isaac Newton Is Better Than John Locke Essay

In all my life I have discovered many things. My discoveries have allowed us to make more new discoveries. But a problem I think of is what the world would be like if I never existed. To start things off one important discovery I made was modern physics. If I was never to make the discoveries in optics, motion, and mathematics modern physics wouldn’t of existed which means that scientist wouldn’t have never known that every object in the universe has a force that attracts each other. Something else the world would have never found would be my laws of motion. The laws of motion gave people a better understanding regarding movement which helps people today in space travel and mechanics. The world would be a better place without John Locke for many reasons. One good reason would be that if he didn’t exist there wouldn’t be a lot of abortion issues around the world and especially in the United States. The reason why there are a lot of abortion issues today in the United States is because John Locke influenced Thomas Jefferson and when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence he included some stuff John Locke believed in. One thing was that he said human beings are free to do what they want with their property. There are good things about that but theirs also bad things like abortion. The reason why abortion is legal is because the baby are the parents property and John Locke said that when babies are in the stomach their blank so in other words babies are ok to be aborted because their nothing. So if john Locke was to never have existed he wouldn’t have been able to influence Thomas Jefferson which means that there wouldn’t have been a lot of abortions. To sum everything up I Isaac Newton has made the modern world a better place because of my discoveries and if John Locke never existed the world including the United States would have no abortion issues and remember all of us are here because we were all born and not aborted.

Perfectly balanced poem Essay

â€Å"Essential Beauty† by Philip Larkin is a perfectly balanced poem of two 16-line stanzas. In the poem Larkin explores the subject of advertising in the early 60s. He begins by describing the subjects on huge billboards on the sides and ends of buildings. He suggests that these enormous images are placed in slum areas and that this is inappropriate and doubtful in its honest intention.  Larkin’s outstanding criticism is directed towards the content of the adverts. He makes it clear that â€Å"motor oil and cuts of salmon,† are of no consequence or beyond the finical ability of the people who live in the blocks of streets and slums where these billboards are pasted. â€Å"Cars† and â€Å"deep arm chairs† bed time cups and radiant electric fires warming â€Å"cats by slippers on warm mats† are certainly not the experiences of those who dwell in the vicinity of the outrageous adverts. They:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Reflect none of the rained-on streets and squares  They dominate the outdoors.†Ã‚  This criticism is at its height in its description of an advert for butter:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦High above the gutter  A silver knife sinks into golden butter.†Ã‚  Here he employs a cheap advertisement rhyme and exposes the ridiculous image which is clearly inappropriate for those upon whose house the advert may be displayed. Furthermore Larkin clearly despises the image of:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well balanced families, in fine  Midsummer weather.† In the second stanza Larkin exposes the frothy emptiness of the images and moves on to explain the reality behind the images in the advert. As a result he demonstrates the distortion and dishonesty of advertising. Larkin states that we live in a different world from that which the advertisers depict:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦our live imperfect eyes  That stare beyond this world.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦nothing’s made  As new or washed quite so clean,†Ã‚  In a country pub the clients are all â€Å"with clothed ones from tennis clubs.† We learn that there is a boy throwing up in the gent’s toilet and a pensioner being cheated at the same time. Larkin reserves the final thrust for the cigarette advertisers. The dying smokers will not have a chance match lit meeting with a beautiful person however hard meeting with a beautiful person however hard they â€Å"drag† on their fags. The reality which Larkin seems to suggest in the last two lines, is that the beautiful women is visible, standing apart, recognising the dying smoker and the image of her goes dark as the smoker dyes. Philip Larkin exposure of the falseness, bad taste and down right dishonesty of billboard advertising is shocking and disturbing. At a time when the population of Britain was beginning to enjoy a rising income the advertisers were settling vulture like to grab any extra income from the poorest people. The advertisers were openly suggesting that the purchase of their products would inrich their lives, maintained their youth and give them motorcars. Larkin seemingly intense dislike of this whole medium is based on the sense of humanity and compassion. He does seem to care for the people who the advertisers are trying to win over; those who have spent most of their lives trying to live on a very small income. I found Philip Larkin’s poem â€Å"Essential Beauty† quite unfathomable to begin with. However once I was aware of it was making a comments about billboard advertising over forty years ago I began to understand Larkin’s subject and became aware of his stance. Although the advertising he describes is extremely dated in some respects compared to the two -dimensional advertising of today, it is none the less clearly recognisable from the poem. The advertisement depicts very middle classed people, images and expectations. Larkin certainly explains the contrast of these images with the reality of the lives and living conditions of the working class people who had to live with these enormous images around them, dominating their lives. I sympathise with Larkin, I think this type of advertising must have been insulting if not a clear signal that there was a huge division between the classes at that time. I think this poem is a powerful historic statement about inequality and insensitivity

The College Board Made a Huge Mistake on the June 6th SAT - Heres the Worst that Can Happen

The College Board Made a Huge Mistake on the June 6th SAT - Here's the Worst that Can Happen SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the SAT on June 6th, 2015, you may have noticed something different about the test. And now the College Board is dealing with a controversy that is affecting test-takers across the country. Like many students who had sat through an arduous 3.5 hours of testing and breaks, I was relieved to begin Section 8. This was the home stretch! The proctor read the instructions, telling us that we would have 20 minutes to complete the next section, and to note that this was less time than we were given for the previous sections. When I opened to Section 8, I was surprised to see that instead of 20 minutes, the instructions said I should receive 25 minutes to complete the section - a full 25% more time than what the proctor had mentioned. I started working, but students around the room started muttering in surprise and raised their hands to question the discrepancy. Had the College Board made a mistake? What Happened? And Who Has Been Affected? The short answer is: yes, the College Board had made a huge mistake. Sometimes, despite the efforts of numerous editors, a typo gets through and doesn't get noticed until thousands of people who haven't seen the test before are taking it. And unfortunately, this was a serious error because itdid not happen on an experimental section of the test. Students across the country were affected by this mistake.The error was on the final Critical Reading section of the exam, which was either Section 8 or Section 9 of the test, depending on which version you had. This was a section that was on all of the SAT I tests given on Saturday. So, how did it go down? In the proctor's manual/script, the instructions said to give 20 minutes each for Sections 8 and 9. When students turned to those sections, several realized that the instructions called for 25 minutes instead. Proctors responded in various ways: by sticking with what was in their instructions (20 minutes), or by going with the 25 minutes called for in the exam book, and occasionally, by doing something somewhere in between. Timing is everything. Students have reported a lot of confusion during the administration of these two sections. Some say they were told 15 minutes into the section that they were being given 25 minutes instead of 20 to complete it: One student says: "Our center gave 25 minutes, but didn't say it until the five minute warning (at which time they said ten minutes). This led to people rushing through sections that were long for twenty minutes, and then trying to go back and fix, as opposed to having 25 at the outset and working diligently from the start." Another says: "I saw someone on Twitter say that they're room persuaded the proctor to give them an extra 5 minutes on the second section of the 20 minute sections (I'm assuming because they took advantage of their section 8 being 25 minutes long instead of 20 because of a mistake their proctor made). This whole thing is terrible." Others report the opposite, saying that they were originally told that they would have 25 minutes, and then at the last minute, given only 20. One commenter on College Confidential says: "In my daughter's test, the told her they said they conferred with the college board and that they had 25 minutes, then 19 minutes into the section (she still thought she had six minutes) someone came into the room and told them they had to finish it within 20 minutes...so they only had one more minute. she still had 3 questions left, as she was thought she still had six minutes." Students across the country are feeling anxious about the test. Another agrees: "In our room, our proctor put 25 minutes for section 8 and asked the coordinator about it since it clearly said it was 20 minutes in the instructions. The coordinator called collegeboard and they said it was a misprint so then our time was changed back to 20 minutes midway." Students were not only affected by how much time they were given. Complaints have poured in from across the country, saying that the uncertainty surrounding these sections made them feel even more stressed out than they were already, and that they think they made more mistakes on those sections as a consequence: "Yeah that 20/25 minute mixup happened to me in Section 8 (which was Math for me). We all had an extra 5 minutes, but I feel as though it messed me up." But some are still confused about whose instructions had the mistakes - the proctors or the students. In other words... How Much Time Should You Have Been Given? One of the main complaints that is coming in from parents and students revolves around the idea that they were shortchanged. Though the test booklet said that they should have received 25 minutes, their proctors stuck to the 20 minute rule. They claim that the section was exceptionally difficult and impossible to rush through in only 20 minutes. Unfortunately, this isn't the case - if you thought the section was particularly tough, it's because of the content, but not of the time limit. The final 3 sections of the SAT are shorter than the rest of the sections on the test, and Sections 8 and 9 should weigh in at 20 minutes each. In this case, the contested Critical Reading section had only 19 questions - the same amount that is standard for a 20 minute section. In contrast,Critical Reading sections that are supposed to be completed in 25 minutes always have 24 questions. So don't feel cheated if you were only given 20 minutes to complete this section.This is how it should have been. If Nobody Had Too Little Time, Why Is There a Problem? Does 5 minutes really matter that much? The issue now is that some people had too much time - a full 25% more than they should have had to complete this section. And even more of a problem, everyone seems to have done this part of the test differently - some with 20 minutes on each section, some with 25 minutes on Section 8 and 20 minutes on Section 9, and others with 25 minutes onbothsections. The SAT is all aboutstandardization. The "curve" that SAT scores are based on compare how you did on the test to how everyone else did - both on the test you took, and on previous tests. They can't possibly do this if some people are given more time than others on equivalent sections. Now some students have a distinct advantage. And when some people have an advantage, the test can no longer be "standardized." How Has the College Board Responded? The problem was reported to College Board many times yesterday by proctors around the country. If your proctor called in, they were instructed to only allow 20 minutes for Sections 8 and 9. They also were told to continue administering the test. Today, the College Board issued an official statement: Shortly before noon Eastern Time on Saturday, June 6, Educational Testing Service (ETS) informed the College Board that there was a printing error in the standard test books they provided to students taking the SAT on June 6 in the United States. The time allotted for a specific section, either section 8 or 9 depending on the edition, was incorrect in the student test books and correct in the script and manual provided to Test Center Supervisors. The student test books contained â€Å"25 minutes† while the manual and script contained the correct time limit of "20 minutes." As soon as ETS became aware of the error during the administration of the test, they worked to provide accurate guidance to supervisors and administrators. The College Board understands the critical nature of this issue, and we are actively working to determine next steps to ensure the fairness of the test and the validity of the scores we deliver. We regret the confusion and concern this issue is causing for students and their families, and we will provide them and others with updated information as soon as possible. Please check back here for updates. You can check this page for new information. What Will Happen Next? There are several possibilities for what could happen from here on out, some more likely than others. (Edit 6/9/15:College Board has released an official statement on what they plan to do - scroll down to see what that is. The following section is retained to show what students nationwide had to worry about for days, before College Board made their decision.) The College Board could adjust the curves on these sections, depending on if you received extra time or not. At least one proctor who called the College Board yesterday during the exam has reported that this is what she was told. Some students think this is the right way to go: "I wonder if they have some sort of formula they can use to predict what the people who got 25 minutes SHOULD have gotten on Section 8 (based on their answers in the other writing section). And then maybe the curve could be based on that? idk tho... the whole situation is a mess." This is difficult, however, because the College Board would have to get reports from each testing center about whether or not extra time was given. Proctors are supposed to write down the start and end times of each section; however,since thisrelies on the proctors actually having done this, and then accurately reporting it, it leaves a lot of room for error - not to mention a lot of extra effort for the College Board to collect this information. Another potential issue for this method will come from those who were given 25 minutes by their proctors, but who completed the section in less than 20 minutes. Should they be judged on a harsher curve because of the proctor's choice? "No. That is not fair to me. I did not ask for those extra 5 minutes. We were all arguing with the proctor that it was suppose to be 20 minutes, but she said we all at least had to sit through the 5 minute wait even if we did nothing.... It messed me up. It is not fair...." We know how you feel. The College Board could cancel all scores for this test. As unfortunate as it is for everyone who gave up their Saturday to take this test, this could be a likely result. Reports are continuing to come in about just how much this error affected performance. The College Board's Terms and Conditions have a section regarding what they call â€Å"testing irregularities.†It states: â€Å"Testing irregularities refer to problems or irregular circumstances or events associated with the administration of a test. When they occur, they may affect an individual or groups of test-takers. Such problems include, without limitation, administrative errors (e.g., improper timing, improper seating, defective materials and defective equipment), indication of possible preknowledge of secure test content, and other disruptions of test administrations (e.g., natural disasters and other emergencies). When testing irregularities occur, ETS may cancel an administration or individual registrations, decline to score the test, or cancel the test score. ETS may do so whether or not the affected students caused the testing irregularities, benefited from them or engaged in misconduct. ETS is solely responsible for determining whether testing irregularities have occurred, and its decisions are final. When it is appropriate to do so, ETS gives affected test-takers the opportunity to take the test again as soon as possible, without charge.† Many people have said that this would be unfair to students because it was not any fault of theirs, and therefore their scores should not be cancelled. However, as you can see in the Terms and Conditions, the SAT does not care if the testing irregularity is any fault of the students or not. For example, hundreds of students who took the test in May will have to re-take it on June 20th because their test materials were misplaced.A country-wide cancellation of scores is also not unprecedented, though in the USA it is. In 2013, the SAT scores of all South Korean students who took the May test were cancelled due to cheating allegations aimed at test-prep companies. Though there were doubtlessly many students who had not cheated, their scores were also cancelled because the College Board felt there was no other reasonable alternative to ensure the fairness of the test. If the College Board were to take this route, they would likely offer a makeup testing date, which offers additional problems. It would be very difficult to add another national testing date this summer at such short notice, especially because many schools (which serve as testing sites) are closed and proctors (who are often teachers) are less available. Remember, it’s not like this only affected a couple hundred or even thousand people - it was a nationwide problem. The College Board could drop this section from your score and calculate your grade based on the rest of the test. This is not terribly likely, again because the whole point of the SAT is that it is standardized. Without being able to compare your scores on this section with the equivalent sections on other tests, it would be difficult to give you a fair score. Also, many students were not just affected in the final Critical Reading section, but also the final Math section. This means they would have to drop two sections - which would really increase the challenge. The College Board will automatically give everyone a perfect score for all their troubles. Just kidding. Dream on. What if I have to re-take the test? No need to panic just yet. If the College Board does decide to cancel these scores, they will most likely offer a re-test. This test would probably be offered at some point this summer, and would be free of charge to anyone who was originally registered for the SAT I on June 6, 2015. Many rules apply to these makeup tests: You can only take the test you were originally registered for. You cannot register for a makeup testing date if you were not registered for the cancelled test. You can only retake the test at the testing center you were originally registered for (which is bad news for people like me who registered late and had to drive 3 hours to get to one of the only centers with available space left). Makeups are not offered on Sundays - Sunday testing is only allowed for people who have a religious reason to not take it on Saturdays. You must take the ENTIRE test at a makeup test date (so not just the sections that had the error).Why? It would be unfair and unstandardized to compare you taking 2 sections fresh-faced and bright-eyed compared to those who had to take them tired after 3+ hours of testing It may take several weeks longer than normal to score your essays.Why? Again, because these are not in the normal schedule, it would take a lot longer to find all the people needed to grade them If you need to retake the test, you still have time to study. We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your SAT score. Download it for free now: ***UPDATE (6/9/15): The College Board Responds to Their Error*** Today, around 5:30 pm, the College Board issued their official response to the test timing crisis: On Saturday, June 6, Educational Testing Service (ETS) informed the College Board that there was a printing error in the standard test books ETS provided to students taking the SAT that day in the United States. We apologize for this error. After a comprehensive review and statistical analysis, the College Board and ETS have determined that the affected sections will not be scored and we will still be able to provide reliable scores for all students who took the SAT on June 6. We expect to deliver scores within the usual timeframe. To accommodate the wide range of incidents that can impact a testing experience, the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an additional unscored section. From fire drills and power outages to mistiming and disruptive behavior, school-based test administrations can be fragile, so our assessments are not. We take our responsibility to students very seriously, and we regret the confusion some students experienced. For more information, we encourage students and their families to check back here for the latest updates. Frequently Asked Questions for Students Q: What happened during the June 6 administration of the SAT? Shortly before noon Eastern time on Saturday, June 6, Educational Testing Service (ETS) informed the College Board that there was a printing error in the standard test books ETS provided to students taking the SAT ® on June 6 in the United States. The time allotted for a specific math or reading section - either section 8 or 9, depending on the edition - was incorrect in the student test books but correct in the script and manual provided to test center supervisors. The copy in the student test books indicated â€Å"25 minutes† while the manual and script indicated the correct time limit of "20 minutes." As soon as ETS became aware of the error during the administration of the test, it worked to provide accurate guidance to supervisors and administrators. Q: Will my scores be available and still be delivered to colleges and universities? After a comprehensive review and statistical analysis, the College Board and ETS have determined that the affected sections will not be scored, and that we will still be able to provide reliable scores for all students who took the SAT on June 6. We expect to deliver scores within the usual time frame. Colleges and universities will know these scores are valid. Q: How is it possible to not score a whole section and still have valid scores? To accommodate the wide range of incidents that can impact a testing experience, the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an additional unscored section. From fire drills and power outages to mistiming and disruptive behavior, school-based test administrations can be fragile, so our assessments are not. We have deliberately constructed both the Reading and the Math Tests to include three equal sections with roughly the same level of difficulty. If one of the three sections is jeopardized, the correlation among sections is sufficient to be able to deliver reliable scores. Q: When will I get my scores? We expect to deliver scores to students within the usual time frame. Q: Who does this affect? All students who took the SAT on June 6 in the United States are affected. This does not affect students who took the SAT on Sunday, June 7, or any SAT Subject Test offered that day. How Are People Reacting to This? Understandably, students are going to have a lot of questions about this decision - including why, if these sections of the test are not essential, they are included at all. While many students are relieved that they will not have to re-take the exam, they are also questioning if this is really a valid decision, andwhy the College Board has come up with this decision. Summary of @collegeboard about June #SAT Shit happens, but dont worry it's cool. We've been having you do extra shit in case shit happened. - Akil Bello (@akilbello) June 8, 2015 "In test:Hmm, I felt like I did well on the last 3 sections. That's great!Goes home:-oh wait a misprint and posts all over CollegeConfidential...oh, no...it's a nation-wide problem-Now:Aaaaaaaand there goes my scores. Gg. Thanks a lot, Collegeboard. Please learn to proofread on a a test with sections upon sections about proofreading." - College Confidential Othersare even more confused, because when many of them called the College Board help line (before the official announcement was posted) they were told various things, including thatthere would be a re-take offered on June 20, and that the scores would be curved depending on how much time each student had received on each section. "How will this even provide us with an accurate representation of our scores?! There were always 3 sections to provide some sort of balance to students! Taking out an entire section is going to screw some students up completely! I'm very shocked because I called the college board yesterday and they told me that they were more than likely going to give an optional retest on June 20. I wonder what made this dramatic change! I'm extremely disappointed in the way the college board handled this. Now the students who felt they did well on reading are going to be punished more severely because there's going to be a smaller margin for error!" "I called SAT and tried to clear up the confusion with their announcement. The guy who answered me, appeared to be reading from a script, and told me there will probably be a retake on June 20th. When I pressed for more information, he tried to refer me to Escalated services, but I declined the offer...." "When I called College Board, they said they were just going to divide up the test-takers into those who had 20 minutes and those who had 25 minutes for the sections in question, and grade each group. They told me the proctors are required to report each student who received extra time, so they could identify who got extra time and who didn't. I don't understand why they didn't do that. They could look at the distribution of scorers in each group to ensure the distribution is normal as well. What they have proposed is really unfair to those who took the test with the correct amount of time. It means that the margin for error is far less than usual because mistakes in the earlier sections are weighted more heavily. CB should be required to identify those who received extra time and given the normal scores to those who took the test normally, and offer a retake to those who didn't." Therefore, it does seem that the College Board at least considered other options before taking the route they decided on. Which makes us wonder why they didn't stick with either of them. And there is only one reasonable answer:the time and money expenditures would be enormous. In order to arrange a new nationwise testing date for free, the College Board would have to pay a tremendous amount of money. Similarly, it would take a lot of time and manpower to collect the information from each proctor about how much time was given on each section, and then to create and apply two curves. Finally, if students were graded on different standards, there would be a continuous uproar throughout the summer about test scores as students compared their curves - and College Board likely just wants this controversy to die down. So in many ways, the College Board has come to the solution that is easiest - for them. How Does This Affect You? Basically, instead of your scores for the Math and Critical Reading sections being spread out across three sections, now only the first two (longer) sections will be counted. Incorrect answers from these first sections will now have a greater weight on your score than they otherwise would have. Willthis actually provide accurate scores? For some students, it undoubtedly will. As the College Board says, all three sections of Math and Critical Reading have similar difficulty levels - meaning that each contains questions that range from easy to very difficult. If you are the type of student who would have scored fairly evenly across all of these sections (regardless of if that would have been low, average, or high scoring), then your overall score should bea good approximation of how you would have done with the missing sections included. This is what the College Board is banking on - after all, it is a standardized test, and they know that there are not normally massive discrepancies from one section to another. Who Will Benefit From College Board's decision? The students who will benefit the most from this are those who would have scored badly on the final sections of the test for any reason - including increased stress or fatigue from multiple hours of test-taking. Others who will benefit will be those who have a particular weakness that was covered in these sections but not in the other parts of the test. Though each section contains easy questions and tough questions, it is quite normal for the tough questions to cover diffferent concepts. So if your particular weakness - say, coordinate geometry - was featured on the deleted section, you are in luck and may get a higher score than you otherwise would have. Who Will Suffer From College Board's Decision? The people who will suffer the most from the deletion of the sections are those who were potential high-scorers. The curve on the SAT is always the toughest on the highest scores (especially on the Math sections, where a single wrong answer can disqualify you from an 800). Reducing the test scoring down to just two sections increases statistical variance because the test collects much less data about you. It's like flipping a coin - if you flip it 1000 times, you'll see that it's balanced between heads and tails. If you flip it 3 times, you might get all tails and make the wrong inference. So If you made a couple of mistakes on the earlier sections of the test, but scored perfectly on the latter sections, your score will likely be lower than it otherwise would have been. Who Will Lose out the Most? The obvious major losers in this are the College Board and the SAT, who have done a lot to destroy their own credibility. They have officially said that they can easily drop 2 sections of the test, with no effect on the outcome. While the validity of this statement is questionable, it does nothing to help their reputation, and many students are now wondering why those sections are on the test at all. .@CollegeBoard should know that there's a difference between reliability and validity- I learned that in AP Psychology- so which is it? #SAT - Mary Wojcicki (@MaryWojcicki) June 9, 2015 Give me back an hour of my life #collegeboard #SAT - Ashley. (@xoashh4) June 9, 2015 Disregard an entire section of the #SAT, and test is still "valid?" Anybody want to buy a bridge? @collegboard lacks all credibility! - College Connection (@GetCollege) June 9, 2015 The College Board's decision to not re-test shows that their bottom line is more important than accuracy of scores, which is making a lot of people wonder why they are bothering with the test in the first place. Not very reassuring to know that College Board cares more about their profit margins than the validity of the test scores #SAT #collegeboard - Eavan Ring (@eavanny) June 9, 2015 Andothers are frustrated that a test that seeks near-perfection from its takers doesn't hold itself to the same standard: "When a test can have such a profound impact on one's future, there simply can't be any room for such huge mistakes. Mistakes are becoming habitual for CB now for a extremely important test, which is unacceptable." This is one more item on a string of bad news for the College Board, which has been struggling to maintain its relevance in the face of the ACT's becoming more popular and in the wake of multiple cheating scandals. Final Thoughts If you feel that you were very negatively affected by the upheaval during Saturday's test, the deadline to cancel your scores is this Wednesday, June 10. If you get your scores and do not feel that they are an accurate reflection of how you would have done with the two cancelled sections added in, plan to re-take the test in the fall if it's possible for your schedule. Use the SAT you just took as a guide so you know where you can improve. And if you, like some others, are not feeling too charitably towards the College Board at the moment and want an alternative: unfortunately, it is too late to register for this month's ACT test. However, see our guidesfor the ACT to start preparing now for this fall's tests. What Should You Do Now? If you do have to re-take the test, use this as a learning opportunity. You just got to take the ultimate practice test. Think back to what sections you struggled with. Use this to target your studying so that you can rock it the next time around. Read more about College Board's recent cheating scandal in the US. Read our 11 top last-minute, must-read guides to prime yourself for the very next test. Learn expert strategiesto improve your SAT Reading, SAT Math, and SAT Writing scores if you're scoring below a 600 on any section. Have problems with SAT Reading, the section under consideration? Find out how to stop running out of time on the passages. Aiming for a top score? Read our guide to getting a perfect SAT score, even if you're frustrated by this event. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Another meaning for Dope

Another meaning for Dope Another meaning for Dope Another meaning for Dope By Maeve Maddox This headline on Buzzfeed caused me to do a double-take: The 4 Dopest Quotes From Ruth Bader Ginsburg On Marriage  Equality Initially, I thought the article so headed would list quotations considered by the writer to be especially misguided or stupid (i.e., â€Å"dopey†). As I read further, I realized that the writer admired Associate Justice Ginsberg’s opinions as expressed in the quotations. The word dopest was intended as a compliment. The word dope has a long and checkered history in English. In its original use, dope referred to a thick liquid or semi-fluid used as an article of food or as a lubricant. The word is thought to derive from Dutch doop, â€Å"a dipping† or â€Å"a sauce.† The Dutch verb doopen means â€Å"to dip.† Other meanings related to the gooey nature of dope include or have included: A preparation, mixture, or drug which is not specifically named. A varnish applied to the cloth surface of early airplanes to strengthen and keep them taut. A substance added to gasoline or other fuel to increase its efficiency. Opium, â€Å"especially the thick treacle-like preparation used in opium-smoking.† US speakers extended this use of dope to include stupefying drugs and narcotics in general. A medical preparation given to a racehorse for the purpose of affecting its performance. Various figurative meanings have become attached to dope: Information, especially on a particular subject or of a kind not widely disseminated or easily obtained. Information, a statement, etc., designed to gloss over or disguise facts; flattering or misleading talk. Something designed to deceive or bamboozle; a fraudulent design or action; a piece of deception or humbug. A stupid person, a simpleton, a fool. Dope is also used as a verb to mean â€Å"apply or to administer dope in one of its senses.† The use of dope as an adjective entered English slang in the 1980s, by way of rap music: 1981  J. Spicer Money (song) in L. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 301  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yo, man, them boys is dope This record is dope.† (OED) As for the word dopest used in the quotation about Justice Ginsberg, it is a slang expression meaning, â€Å"sickest, coolest, tightest, most awesome.† It is not standard usage and does not convey a positive connotation to speakers of standard English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidSocial vs. SocietalWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

A Critical Review of Competing on capabilities (George Stalk, Philip Essay

A Critical Review of Competing on capabilities (George Stalk, Philip Evans, Lawrence E. Shulman 1992) - Essay Example Considering these aspects, the essay intends to present a review of the article ‘Competing on capabilities’ by ‘George Stalk’, ‘Philip Evans’, & ‘Lawrence E. The essay critically considers the major strengths and weaknesses of the article and further attempts to compare with the theories propounded by other scholars. The article ‘Competing on capabilities’ by ‘George Stalk’, ‘Philip Evans’ & ‘Lawrence E. Shulman’ specifically describes about the role and importance of business competitiveness on strategic decision making capabilities of companies. Throughout the article, multiple references of Wall Mart have been illustrated in order to establish a suitable alignment of this retail giant with the article’s theme (Shin, 2001; Stalk & et. al., 1992). According to the authors, a business process can only be categorized as capacity-based depending on the types of business strategies espoused by it. The facts mentioned within this article also appeared to have a specific amount of focus on the customer-satisfaction attainment factors. According to the authors, higher level of customer satisfaction can be achieved through the provision of superior quality of services and the price affordability of products offered by the companies (Article Myr iad, 2014; Sorescu & et. al., 2011). Throughout the article, specific emphasis has been laid upon the effective mechanism of replenishing the store inventory on a regular basis as a strategic plan towards establishing strong brand positioning within the minds of the customers (Bressler, 2009; Chadwick & et. al., 2007). Notwithstanding, appropriate implementation of business strategies has always been a debatable factor for the multiple reviewers as well as retail giants. This eventually proves the credibility of this article as being appropriately debatable against the wider perception of the effects business strategy

Women and Culture in the West Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women and Culture in the West - Research Paper Example nce, mathematics, history, philosophy, Latin, Italian, French, Greek and German unlike the majority who preferred the girl child doing worsted work and practicing quadrilles. Their education was his responsibility (Aler, 2008). All these teachings resulted to Florence being intelligent and well educated which in some way shaped her to the nurse she came to be. Since Florence came from a wealthy background she was not expected to work. Her mother most of all deemed it best if she was to get married some day because she assumed that was her destiny. It was after a long emotional battle that tutors were eventually allowed to teach Florence mathematics over home duties. She was taught a number of subjects such as algebra, geometry and arithmetic’s. During her leisure time, Florence spent it tutoring children on this particular topics thus in the process enhancing her knowledge and having a wider scope on mathematics. She enjoyed being of service to others (Aler, 2008). Unlike these present times where people are strongly campaigning for the girl child to have a decent education and a lead a decent life where they are able to fend for themselves and be independent there was once upon a time an era where the English girls had little or no education at all, this was during the nineteenth century. Boys had an advantage over girls in the sense that parents were more willing to take them to private schools and pay more since there was no system of free schools until the 1880s. Girls of all ages had a disadvantage in relation to boys of the same age and level because of the depravity of education knowledge. Governesses taught the girls of the upper –class since they did not go to school at all but the funny part is that these very governesses who are supposed to be the source of enlightenment had no formal training. The objective of this strategy of the upper-class being taught at home was to alienate them from the lower classes as well as to keep them away from the

Vilademir propp and how his functions are related with hitchcocks two Essay

Vilademir propp and how his functions are related with hitchcocks two films that are north by northwest and spellbound - Essay Example He was responsible for multiple changes that have been experienced in literature, and especially in narratives (Hale 2009). Today, Vladimir’s ideas are still used in narrative plots, and most importantly, his ideas are more applicable to narratives. However, these today have been applied in the film and cinema industry. Different film theorists have equally studied on narrative structure and this is in conformity with Propp’s work (Bellour & Penley 2000). In this essay, I will address Propp’s findings in Morphology of Folk Tale, their contribution to the narrative theory of film, and how they relate with Hitchcock’s films â€Å"North by Northwest† and â€Å"Spellbound.† Propp in his Morphology of Folk Tale comes up a total of eight roles of the characters, and thirty-one functions of narratives, also called narratemes, which mainly defined the structure of the narratives. He was convicted that these narrative functions were existent in the classical fairy tale narrative (Hale 2009). The eight character roles, which Propp identified in his book, include The Helper, The Villain, The Donor, The False Hero, The Dispatcher, The Hero, The Princess, and her father. The functions of narratives by Propp exhibit more flexibility than the character roles. Propp made a categorization of these narrative functions to include six major groups, which are in coherence with the flow of the narrative. These include Struggle, Complication, Preparation, Recognition, Transference, and Return. The folk tales of different regions of the world are interconnected in one way or another, bearing a great deal of similarities in their themes. Hence, the Morphology of the folk t ale by Propp is not only applicable in Russian folk tales, but also to the folk tales of other different world regions (Propp 1928). Propp’s work has been credited for

The Selfish Giant By Oscar Wilde

The Selfish Giant By Oscar Wilde The story, The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde, was introduced in the taught module, demonstrated the kind of art and drama activities that a powerful story can stimulate and engage the audience meaningfully. The scheme of work emphasised on the childrens creativity, imagination and involvement in dramatising. The plot of the story was introduced by imagining a big garden, free for all children to play and have fun in. Participants were then engaged in creating play space and activities in the garden. Ample time was given to explore the garden. The story continued with the giant coming back from a long vacation and did something drastic- the sign No Children Allowed was placed outside the garden. This was followed by a series of brainstorming on the reason for the giant to reject the children. To appease the giant, ideas of gifts and presents were suggested. Instead of receiving these gifts with gladness, the giant reacted strongly. The following will indicate two art disciplines as wel l as the responses of children as they participate in this dramatisation and art. Principles and Approaches Instead of the usual approach of storytelling, a key principle of drama is to allow children to perform (Winston and Tandy, 2009) and be part of it. Children can be engaged in different characters, in different scenarios, performing individually or collectively, in a less rigidly defined (Winston and Tandy, 2009, p. 5) space and character. Through the drama conducted in a class setting, children can explore the different parts of the garden alone or with their friends, staying in their play space or exploring others, accompanied with encouragement and positive comments from the teacher. Dramas are platforms for children to adapt and perform real life scenarios and behaviours of characters. They assimilated the children in the story to be themselves in real life, doing the things they often do and behaving as they would. Transferring fiction to real life, it reflects more securely upon issues which have significant effects upon our daily lives. (Winston and Tandy, 2009, p.3). The selfish giant depicted the adults in real life, and the children having the mindset that they are being controlled by them. The childrens good intention of bringing gifts to the giant was unappreciated. The issues raised up and behaviours observed are hardly mentioned or elaborated through storytelling. Dramatisation brings about a different dynamics for issues to surface and discussed upon. The play space for children to dramatise is the classroom. Instead of the everyday function of the classroom, it transformed into a dramatic space, representing the garden, the house, the place to prepare gifts. As Winston and Tandy, 2009, p. 4 states, through play, children learn to manipulate the core elements of drama. The rules of time, space and identity was suspended (Winston and Tandy, 2009), and drama time became elastic. The ticking of a few minutes was equivalent to a span of a few years with the mention that the giant came back after a long vacation. The other key principle is setting a common stage for all children to understand and abide by the rules. The rules can be informed explicitly or agreed upon implicitly. For the drama to succeed and driven towards achieving common purposes, both teachers and children must be clear and agree in following the rules, which are not binding nor restrictive (Winston and Tandy, 2009). The indication to end the time playing in the garden was clearly brought across when the teacher sits on the chair. This is a new approach apart from the usual clapping of hands, gathering or attention through calling out. As Winston, 2009, p. 5 clearly puts it, its success will depend upon the children knowing what is expected of them and appreciating the rewards that come from doing it well, the rewards inherent to the experience of genuine engagement in a dramatic event (Winston and Tandy, 2009, p. 5) Many children enjoy drama because it has a playful element in it. When people die, nobody actually dies; when someone feels hurt, nobody is actually hurt. Children are able to distinguish the difference between the scenes that happen in a daily routine and the conventions of play, understanding and accepting the boundaries (Winston and Tandy, 2009). For example, in a real life setting, it is rather unlikely for someone to throw or destroy gifts. However, in the dramatisation, when the giant received presents, instead of being thankful, he tore and smashed them. The children found it all amusing and know that it was not for real. Thus, drama and play comes hand in hand, it is their innate capacity for play†¦.., the understandings they gain from participating†¦., that dramatic activity can be constructed. (Winston and Tandy, 2009,p. 3). Also echoed by Swanwick, 1988,p 41, play soon becomes imaginative and subjects things to the childs activity. Evaluation of results In a usual classroom setting, children are kept seated on the floor for a period of time, with little movement emphasised and usually, driving towards an academic approach. Children were all getting ready and one child was wondering aloud why the teacher was without a story book. The story began with a big garden that all children can play in. This garden belongs to the giant and it was empty. Children were encouraged to imagine one thing they would like to have in this garden and imitate the movement of it. If a child would like to have a swimming pool in the garden, he can reach forward with his arms and swim. With this, children are transferring the things they are experiencing in real life into play and drama. Many children were able to make correct guesses of their friends actions. With rules of noise level and space, children were clear of the boundaries and limitations in order to achieve a common goal. Exploration in the garden ended when the teacher sat on the chair. Every child was given the opportunity to share about their favourite activity. As the story proceeded, the children were puzzled to know that the garden was out of bounds. They were praised for their good behaviour and maintenance of the garden and equipment and none of them broke any rules. They were eager to find out what made the giant angry and the preparations of gifts were suggested. Many of them had suggestions and they were divided into groups to prepare it. They were given scrap materials to create the present they had in mind. Without any direction from the teacher, they put their ideas at work and each produced their gifts. With all enthusiasm that the giant would be pleased upon receiving, they were wrong. Such twist in the story thrilled the children as it differs from the structured and kept them in suspense about the end of the story. During the interview with the giant, the children shifted from one dimension that the teacher is the narrator to the teacher as the giant. In the interview, the giant voiced his unhappiness that children are noisy, they always cry, they do not wash their hands after using the toilet, they are liars etc.. The childrens strong objection caused a child to come forward and hit the giant. Such behaviour is inappropriate in a classroom setting and children will get disciplined for it. For the child to do that, he was fully engrossed into the story and responded appropriately. The story ended and it was toileting time. One child came out of the toilet showing the teacher that he washed his hands. This child actually remembered the reason the giant gave for not allowing any children in. He identified himself as the children in the story and the teacher as the giant. This response from the child shows that dramatisation is a form of education and should be included in the curriculum. Instead of having to remind them about the washing of their hands, a play through this story works it all well. Conclusion As much as acknowledging and understanding the benefits of having drama in the curriculum, there post a great constraint- time. For drama to take place and for it to deepen and develop further, time is usually the hindering factor. Thus, it takes pedagogist of each act. In conclusion, as Winston and Tandy, 2009, p.58 states, drama gives these stories a form and shape which can make them engaging, thought provoking and exciting for the children who are part of it†¦.

Ecuador Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the West Coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or hav...