12 Surprising Facts About Starfish

12 Surprising Facts About Starfish Starfish (or sea stars) are beautiful marine animals found in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. All starfish resemble stars, and though the most common have only five arms, some of these animals can grow up to 40 arms. The amazing sea creatures- part of a group of animals known as echinoderms- travel using their tube feet. They can regenerate lost limbs, and they can swallow large prey using their unusual stomachs. Sea Stars Are Not Fish Carlos Agrazal/EyeEm/Getty Images Although sea stars live underwater and are commonly called starfish, they are not true fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins like fish do. Sea stars also move quite differently from fish. While fish propel themselves with their tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help them move along. Because they are not classified as fish, scientists prefer to call starfish sea stars. Sea Stars Are Echinoderms Starfish and purple sea urchin. Kathi Moore/EyeEm/Getty Images Sea stars belong to the phylum Echinodermata. That means they are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and  sea lilies. Overall, this phylum contains over 6,000 species. Many echinoderms exhibit radial symmetry, meaning their body parts are arranged around a central axis. Many sea stars have five-point radial symmetry because their body has five sections. This means that they do not have an obvious left and right half, only a top side and a bottom side. Echinoderms also usually have spines, which are less pronounced in sea stars than they are in other organisms such as  sea urchins. There Are Thousands of Sea Star Species Colorful sea star in the Galapagos. Ed Robinson/Getty Images There are about 2,000 species of sea stars. Some live in the intertidal zone,  while others live in the  deep water  of the ocean. While many species live in tropical areas, sea stars can also be found in cold areas- even the polar regions. Not All Sea Stars Have Five Arms Sun star with many arms. Joe Dovala/Getty Images While many people are most familiar with the five-armed species of sea stars, not all sea stars have just five arms. Some species have many more, such as the sun star, which can have up to 40 arms.   Sea Stars Can Regenerate Arms Sea star regenerating four arms. Daniela Dirscherl/Getty Images Amazingly, sea stars can regenerate lost arms, which  is useful if the sea star is injured by a predator. It can lose an arm, escape, and grow a new arm later. Sea stars house most of their vital organs in their arms. This means that some species can even regenerate an entirely new sea star from just one arm and a portion of the stars central disc. It wont happen too quickly, though. It takes about a year for an arm to grow back. Sea Stars Are Protected by Armor Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) on Coral Reef, Phi Phi Islands, Thailand. Borut Furlan/WaterFrame/Getty Images Depending on the species, a sea stars skin may feel leathery or slightly prickly. Sea stars have a tough covering on their upper side, which is made up of plates of calcium carbonate with tiny spines on their surface. A sea stars spines are used for protection from predators, which include birds, fish, and sea otters. One very spiny sea star is the aptly named crown-of-thorns starfish. Sea Stars Do Not Have Blood Closeup of the arms of a sea star under a pier, showing its tube feet. pfly/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 Instead of blood, sea stars have a circulatory  system  made up  primarily of sea water. Seawater  is pumped into the animals  water vascular system  through its sieve plate. This is a sort of trap door called a  madreporite, which is often visible as a light-colored spot on the top of the  starfish. From the madreporite, the  sea water moves into the sea stars  tube feet, causing the arm to extend. Muscles within the tube feet are used to retract the limb. Sea Stars Move Using Their Tube Feet Tube Feet of Spiny Starfish. Borut Furlan/Getty Images Sea stars move using hundreds of tube feet, which are located on their underside. The tube feet are filled with sea water, which the sea star brings in through the madreporite on its top side. Sea stars can move quicker than you might expect. If you get a chance, visit a tide pool or aquarium and take a moment to watch a sea star moving around. It is one of the most amazing sights in the ocean. Tube feet also help the sea star hold its prey, including clams and mussels. Sea Stars Eat With Their Stomachs Inside-Out Karen Gowlett-Holmes/Getty Images Sea stars prey on bivalves like mussels and clams, as well as small fish, snails, and barnacles. If youve ever tried to pry the shell of a clam or mussel open, you know how difficult it is. However, sea stars  have a unique way of eating these creatures. A sea stars mouth is on its underside. When it catches its food, the sea star will wrap its arms around the animals shell and pull it open just slightly. Then it does something amazing. The sea star pushes its stomach through its mouth and into the bivalves shell. It then digests the animal and slides its stomach back into its own body. This unique feeding mechanism allows the sea star to eat larger prey than it would otherwise be able to fit into its tiny mouth. Sea Stars Have Eyes Common Sea Star (visible eye spots circled). Paul Kay/Getty Images Many people are surprised to learn that starfish have eyes. Its true. The eyes are there- just not in the place you would expect. Sea stars have an eye spot at the end of each arm. This means that a five-armed sea star has five eyes, while the 40-armed sun star has 40 eyes. Each sea star eye is very simple and looks like a red spot. It doesnt see much detail but it can sense light and dark, which is just enough for the environments the animals live in. All True Starfish Are in the Class Asteroidea Marcos Welsh/Design Pics/Getty Images Starfish belong to the animal class Asteroidea. These echinoderms all have several arms arranged around a central disk. Asteroidea is the classification for true stars. These animals are in a separate class from brittle stars and basket stars, which have a more defined separation between their arms and their central disk. Sea Stars Have Two Ways to Reproduce Doug Steakley/Getty Images Male and female sea stars are hard to tell apart because they look identical. While many animal species reproduce using only one method, sea stars are a little different. Sea stars can reproduce sexually. They do this by releasing sperm and eggs (called  gametes) into the water. The sperm fertilizes the gametes and produces swimming larvae, which eventually settle on the ocean floor, growing into adult sea stars. Sea stars can also reproduce asexually through regeneration, which is what happens when the animals lose an arm.

WRITTEN PROPOSAL Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WRITTEN PROPOSAL - Annotated Bibliography Example Studies that have reports about exercise’s healing qualities is slowly gaining popularity as well as a way to delay aging and increase longevity. With regard to benefits of exercise to mental health, one of the most compelling discussion is made by Deslandes and Schuch who proposed that the benefits of exercise particularly aerobic and strength training â€Å"contribute to improve cognitive function, especially the executive function†. In the same study, it also reported that exercise reduces depressive symptoms through the â€Å"occurrence of redundant neurobiological pathways with the increase of neurotrophins due to exercise†. Interestingly, Dunn and Jewel, even contend that physical exercise could even be a cure to mental disorder. Their study also reported that exercise can change an indivdiual’s outlook in life to become optimistic that can contribute to one’s health and well-being (Dunn and Jewel 204). Other studies supported this report that physical exercise could reduce and resist anxiety. It prescribed long term exercise however to promote mental wellness that is resistant to anxiety (Strickland and Smith). Interestingly, it seems that exercise could also make one intelligent because according to Brow et al’s study, physical exercise can help â€Å"maintain superior cognitive functioning as well as modify the risk of cognitive decline, AD and dementia† (Brown et al 872). Other benefits of exercise was stated by Raj et al, where he reported that physical exercise make people avoid unwholesome lifestyle such as smoking and drinking. In the same study, Raj et al contended that exercise does not only make people healthy but also increases their philanthropic tendency (Raj 1191). Of course we can deduce that given the benefits of exercise of having a healthy body that is resistant to diseases, that we would live long and slow aging (CBN News). Quoting Brian Kinney assertion that â€Å"the harder you exercise, the longer you live†

Sprung rhythm in The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins Essay

Sprung rhythm in The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins - Essay Example At first glance the structure can seem confusing with the sentences half finished and the verbs, adjectives, and nouns all mixed together without flow. However, this is part of Hopkins’s skill by being â€Å"fully in control of the energies of his sprung rhythm† (Rumens 2011). Carol Rumens sees this rhythm as allowing the poet to set the words â€Å"soaring across the first seven lines of the octet† (2011). Also, all the â€Å"ing† endings in the first eight lines act to unify and tie together the first stanza; just like the way the bird is inseparable from itself and its action so too are the words from their lines. For example, the bird is perfectly absorbed and engrossed in its act of â€Å"riding Of the rolling level underneath him steady air† (Hopkins lines 2-3). It merges and becomes one with the wind, just like all the different words fuse together and become one with the rhythm of the sonnet. Sprung rhythm also charges the lines with verbs t rying to capture the intensity of the bird’s actions. It gives the sentences a controlled speed, highlighting the way the bird pauses and abruptly springs into action.

Criminal Justice Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Criminal Justice Planning - Essay Example On the 16th of April 2007, this student went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people, and injuring many others, before committing suicide by shooting himself. This shooting incident in campus shocked the entire world, and while the bereaved and distressed families are still trying to put their shattered lives in order, a lot of questions have emerged, chief among which are how a mentally disturbed and psychiatrically treated patient came into possession of guns and such large quantities of ammunition, to be able to murder and main by dozens. "Under federal law, the Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho should have been prohibited from buying a gun after a Virginia court declared him to be a danger to himself in late 2005 and sent him for psychiatric treatment, a state official and several legal experts said." (Luo, 2007). Most significantly, it has raised questions about the current levels of security and safety available to students, faculty members and staff, in present day campuses. The incident has raised disturbing questions regarding public life in the surroundings and how harrowing a real life experience, such as this would be for its traumatic spectators and sufferers. In the light of the killings it became necessary to evaluate the problems in all its perspectives- social, medical, psychological and legal. The writer has made forays in order to establish a strategic Plans which could, alleviate the extend of damages and sufferings caused to innocents and also methods, by which these kinds of incidents could be avoided in the future, with the active co-operation of all concerned- the State and Federal Agencies, the student community and their parents/guardians, the teaching faculties, support staff and the administrative personnel involved in the day to day scholastic activities of the institutions. Most significantly it is also necessary for the law enforcement agencies to be able to deal effectively with the crisis and move out for relief and rescue operations with alacrity and speed and also take necessary precautions to reduce the levels of fatalities and injuries. Further the lacunae between the State and Federal laws have been glaringly mani fested in this case "Mr. Cho's ability to buy two guns despite his history has brought new attention to the adequacy of background checks that scrutinize potential gun buyers. And since federal gun laws depend on states for enforcement, the failure of Virginia to flag Mr. Cho highlights the often incomplete information provided by states to federal authorities." (Luo, 2007). Mission Statement: To minimize campus violence by planned, co-ordinated and effectively executed methods. One of the reasons why the Virginia killings took place was because although the killer was undergoing psychiatric treatment, as an outpatient, this fact was not considered when the guns were sold to him. The lacunae in the laws that provide that only someone who is "involuntarily committed" or a person "ruled incapacitated" could be disallowed from the purchase of firearms was not applicable in this case, as he was just an outpatient. He had undergone medication after psychiatric evaluation and assessment, but at the time of killings, he was not under drugs, as the post-mortem reports did not reveal any drugs in his body. Therefore, it is necessary

Building Social Capital and Expanding Networks

Building Social Capital and Expanding Networks In 2005 MySpace was the most popular website on the internet, even more than Google. Samy Kamkar, a 19 years old computer enthusiast in attempt to find an exploit on the social website inserted some code to allow him to be added as a friend if someone visited his profile account, furthermore the code would replicate on the visitors account and those visiting the infected account would also add him as a friend. In just nine hours Samy reached 480 accounts. In thirteen hours he was up to 8800. And in just over eighteen hours he had spread to about a million accounts, which was almost 1/30 of the total accounts on MySpace at the time. In an attempt to get rid of the worm he deleted his account. However, when he successfully deleted his profile the whole MySpace went down too. Samy was convicted of computer hacking and ordered to not touch the internet for the next following three years. What this really tells us is just how connected we all are. This concept was well known even before MySpace was conceptualized. In 1929 the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy wrote a story called Chains. In Chains one of the characters challenges another character to find on Earth a person who he cannot connect with in less than five intermediaries. This is where the six degrees of separation originated from. The theory states that we are as connected to Donald Trump as much as we are to the fishmonger on the southern Japanese coast. This means that picking up two random people on the globe they are linked to each other in just six steps. In 1960 a Harvard psychologist, Stanley Milgram, tested an experiment called the small world experiment, named after the phenomenon that happens at parties when you meet someone you dont know but share a peer in common and say it is such a small world. Stanley Milgram examined the average length between American citizens.   What he did was sending three hundred packages to people in Boston and Nebraska with the goal to reach a common target person in Boston, but they were not allowed to send the package directly to him but through an intermediate who might know him or forward it to a further person that had a better chance to know him and progress the same way. Of the three hundred packages sent, only 64 made it and the average path was 5.2 steps. And that was all the experimental confirmation the six degrees of separation had at the time. Few years before Milgrams work, mathematician Paul Erdos experimented the same principle over similar networks and found out that when the number of links per node is small, the network is fragmented, however when exceeded one connection per node, the behaviour of the network changes and form a giant cluster where all the nodes seem kinked to each other. This cluster is what we might define as a small world network. While these tests prove the Trump-Japanese fishmonger thesis stated above, on the counterpart true social networks work slightly different. In 1994 Brian Turtle and two colleagues at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania created a game called Six Degrees of Kavin Bacon, the game, inspired by Karynthys theory, it consists in naming a celebrity and find a movie path to Bacon in as few steps as possible. Brian and his fellows came to conclusion that Kevin Bacon was the true centre of the movie universe. The movie network consists of actors who are connected by virtue of having acted together in one or more feature films. We are not just talking about Hollywood, but any movie made anywhere, anytime at all. According tothe Internet Movie Database (IMDB), between the years 1898 and 2000, roughly half a million people have acted in over two hundred thousand feature films. If you have acted in a movie with Kevin Bacon, you have a Bacon number of one (Bacon himself has bacon number of zero). Since Kevin Bacon has acted in quite a lot of movies and at last count had acted with 1550 people, it follows that 1550 actors have a Ba con number of one. This might sound a lot, and certainly Bacon has acted with many more people than the average, but it is still less than 1 percent of the total population of movie actors. Moving outward from Bacon, if you havent ever acted with him, but you have acted with somebody else who has, then you have a Bacon number of two. For example, Marilyn Monroe was in Niagara (1953) with George Ives, and George Ives was in Stir of Echoes (1999) with Kevin Bacon, so Marilyn has a Bacon number of two. In general, the object of the game is to determine an actors Bacon degree by figuring out his shortest to the great man. The small steps linking every actor to the next resembles a small world network, but unlike random network real social networks show a certain level of clustering in some points. The key component in real social networks is not only to have a high degree of clustering that means that friends of mine have other friends that are friends to each other, but also to have some few random acquaintances in order to reach distant other social networks. In 1970, a researcher named Granovetter published a paper called The Strength of Weak Ties where he stated that you as an individual are more likely to get a job through those random acquaintances than your close friends. In fact close groups of individuals are very likely to know the same people and share the same information, but are the random acquaintances that allow you to reach new jobs, places and be exposed to the outside world. Since the advent of social networks the rate of six degrees of separation have significantly dropped in between four and five steps. In 2011 Facebook stated that 92% of their users were connected through just 5 steps and at the present trend it is very likely to drop even further in the following years.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Thus, it is clear how the weaker the tie the better opportunities we have access to. Lets explain this with a clear example: me, Simone, as an Italian immigrant, I moved to the United Kingdom as an undergraduate student and I knew only one person, so my social network was two including myself,   I was trying to find a job and I could find any, so one of my housemates told me his older sister is a supervisor into the local Hilton hotel and she might be able to give me a part time job as a waiter, I started working in hospitality and this gave me a lot of exposure and access to a lot wealthy people, including very successful individuals. I kept on studying Film editing and working in hospitality while deciding what to do with my life and along came this man on his 30s talking about while he was staying in Cardiff overnight, apparently he had some work to do at BBC Wales, I shared a couple of thoughts and told him I was interested in getting an entry position in post production so he asked me for my contact details. About a month later I received a call from a di fferent person at BBC Wales where I was asked if I would be interested to attend a two weeks work placement at the Film Editing department. YOUTUBE VIDEO LAWHence, new information came into my network that was not previously there, this opportunity ended up being much more fulfilling than what I had in mind originally. So, if I had not built this network of ties that opportunity would have never been presented to me, if I was not willing to go out my comfort zone and pursued interest in those people that had something for me I would perhaps gave up and never started postgraduate studies at the Bournemouth University. This path of ties is defined as Social Capital. Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1983) defined Social Capital as: The aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition. He explains that much like money, the more friends, acquaintances and professional ties one has, the more knowledge one has, the more likely one is to be successful in a specific pursuit. What is more important during university is building weak ties, interpersonal ties, each relation we tie with someone is different. Granovetter (1973) explains that there mainly three kinds of ties: weak, strong and absent. The strength of each can be correlated to an amount of time one spends with another, the emotional intensity of that tie, the level of intimacy involved, and the level reciprocity. Ideally, weak ties are low-time, low emotion, low-intimacy, high reciprocity ties formed for the purpose of transmitting information. What we want to achieve is to build weak ties that allow us to bring brand new information and social capital inside our network. Weak ties are not only used to accumulate social capital, but also help us reduce our dependency from primary groups e.g. family, weak ties are Large-scale groups that give us social capital to inject back into our primary groups. A way to build social capital through weak ties is using Online Social Networks (OSN) are what help us build weak ties and they are defined as purposeful online outreach programs with the aim of creating weak ties to bring new information (Social Capital) to an individual or primary group. BOOK LIBRARY FIRSTSocial Capital:features of social life networks, norms, and trust that enables participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectivesSocial capital, in short, refers to social connections and the attendant norms and trust. Putnam, 1995, pp. 664-5 There is often confusion about what social capital is. At first glance has something to do with community. Civil society and the social fabric its about how people are connected with one another.   P. 1 Up today, it is not clear what should be counted as social capital and what should be excluded from the concept. Societies are not composed of isolated individuals. People are connected with one another through intermediate social structures webs of association and shared understandings of how to behave. This social fabric greatly affects with whom, and how, we interact and co-operate. It is this everyday fabric of connection and tacit co-operation that the concept of social capital is intended to capture. Social capital is the sum of the resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual or a group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintances and recognition. Acknowledging that capital can take a variety of forms is indispensable to explain the structure and dynamics of differentiated societies. (Bordieu and Wacquant, 1992, p. 119) A number of critics have argued for a clearer distinction between the subcomponents of social capital. Putnam framed the concept in terms of its public goods aspects, explicitly including reference to the facilitation of co-operation. Social capital is composed of forms that have three basic components: network, norms, values and expectancies that are shared by group members; and sanctions. These three components should be recognizable in almost any form of social association. They can be compared to one of the most familiar and ubiquitous forms of social capital the traditional, locally embedded community, or neighbourhood. The first component is the social network. These relationships may vary from simple recognition to deep friendships. The second component is the social norms. These are the rules, values and expectancies that characterize the community members. Living in a neighbourhood, and our relationships with our neighbours, are characterized by certain rules or social norms. Many of these rules are unwritten. Some of these norms have a behavioural component and others may be more affective in nature. In the modern neighbourhood, these norms might include: helping our neighbours where possible; being courteous and considerate and feeling positive and supportive towards our neighbourhood. These norms may also include more specific habits of reciprocity. The thi rd component is sanctions. Sanctions are not just formal such as punishment for breaking the law. Most are very informal, but nonetheless effective in maintaining social norms (Luzzati, 2000). Neighbourhood living is associated with certain kinds of association on good and bad behaviour. These often appear very mild in form but are still very effective. Neighbours find ways of communicating their disapproval of acts that violate the unwritten codes of the neighbourhood. The sanction may be though someone being told directly, such as through a disapprovance glance, an angry exchange of words or even the threat of action. More commonly, however, the sanction is indirect and subtle, such as though gossip and reputation. The sanction can also be positive, such as praise for a helpful act. Recent theoretical work has sought to break the notion of social capital down into different sub-types. Perhaps the most important of this distinction is between bonding and bridging social capital. In terms of networking Mark Granovetter made a distinction between weak and strong ties (M.S. Granovetter, 1973, 1985). Weak ties, he noted, such as with acquaintances and various contacts, were extremely useful to people in terms of getting information, opportunities and jobs. Strong ties, such as with family and close friends, provided a more intense, multi-stranded form of support, and as such might be expected to play a greater role in emotional well-being. In short different forms of social network, characterized by different forms of personal ties, seem to have different advantages and benefits. NETWORK STRUCTURE, JENGOLBECK it is really important to think about the considerations that have to take into account when considering a network. Networks consist of nodes and edges.   If we consider Facebook network, the nodes represent the friends and the edges the friendships on Facebook.   However, in real life we need to be very clear about what the edges are. Do the edges indicate social relationships between the people? Do they connect people to the classes? Is it both? Going back to the Facebook example, nodes represent people, however edges might represent not only friendship, which is absolutely fine, but an edge can connect two people who like the same music band or who went to same college. To the same extent, a LinkedIn network might reveal a different network of people according to the company they work for or people who have a similar level of expertise or certification to use professional software. So if you consider a network based on friendship, what does it mean to have a high between this? In that case it means that the person contains a lot of information and really stands between different groups of people. While a high degree centrality can represent people who have a lot of connections. So, lets consider building a network of the MAPPE framework at Bournemouth University. Step one is going to be to define the nodes. What are they and what are the criteria for being included. Which people get included as nodes? Is it just the students? Is it teachers? Is it janitors, or the librarians? Generally youll want some mix, possibly between having just students and having all the teachers. If we only include students will lose a lot of tangential people who actually do contribute.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Once defines who the nodes are the next stop is to define the edges. What does an edge represent and what is the criteria for adding one, so if we continue with the same example of the MAPPE framework, we might want to add an edge if two people know each other but   what if they only know one of another? So, what if the two students are in two different courses of the framework and they never interact with each other and they never actually meet but they do know that each o ther exist? Their relationship could still be important. I had been living between Wales and England for just five years and was beginning to feel like I had a new home with new friends, but still felt closely connected to my old ones. It occurred to me, however, that if you asked the average College student how close he or she felt to a random person in the United Kingdom, the answer would probably be not very. After all, most of my friends in Italy had never met another British before, and few of my British friends knew any Italian. The two countries are on virtually distant, and despite a certain cultural similarity and a good deal of mutual fascination, are viewed by most of their inhabitants as being almost impossibly distant, even exotic. Nevertheless, at least some small group of Italians and some small group of British actually were very close to each other, although they might not have known it, by virtue if a single common friend-me. A similar state of affairs applied on a smaller scale between my different groups of friends at University of Bournemouth. I belong to the Department of Media and communication, which is a average size graduate department in which there are more foreign students than British. I spent an awful lot of time in this department and got to know the other graduate students pretty well. But I also worked as supervisor in a local Italian restaurant and the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff, and most of the friends from Cardiff were fellow media students in various related disciplines. Finally, I had lived in students houses and had made some good friends there. My classmates know each other, my housemates know each other, and my restaurant colleagues know each other. But the different groups were all quite, well, different, without me to come and visit, my housemates, for example, would have precious little reason ever to have a meal into my restaurant. That two people can share a mutual friend whom each regard as close, but still perceive each other as being far away is a facet of social life at once commonplace and also quite mysterious. However, it is enough saying that we dont just have friends, rather we have group of friends, each of which is defined by the particular set of circumstances that led to our getting acquainted. Within each group there will tend to be a high density of interpersonal ties, but ties between different groups will typically be sparse. The groups, however, are connected by virtue of individuals who belong to more than one group. In time, these overlaps between groups may grow stronger, and the boundaries between them blur, as people from one group start to interact with people from another via the intermediation of a mutual friend. Over the years I spent at University of South Wales, my different groups of friends eventually met each other and occasionally became friends themselves. Even some of my Italian friends came to visit, and although they didnt stay long enough to form any lasting relationships, the boundary between the two countries is now, in some small way, less distinct than it was. According to Duncan J. Watts (2003) there are four major factors to consider when examining networks: First, social networks consist of many small overlapping groups that are densely internally connected and that overlap by virtue of individuals having multiple affiliations. Second, social networks are not static objects. New relationships are continually being forged and old ones abandoned. Third, not all potential relationships are equally likely. Those who I meet tomorrow depend by those who I know today. Finally, we occasionally do things that derive from our instinct, personal preferences, characteristics, and such actions may lead us to meet new individuals which we have no connection with. My decision to move to the United Kingdom was driven solely by my desire to go to graduate school, and I didnt know a soul when I got there, nor did anyone else that I knew. In other words, we do what we do in part because of the position we occupy in our surrounding social structure and in part because of our innate preferences and characteristics. In sociology, these two factors are called structure and agency, and the evolution of a social network is driven by a trade-off between the two. Because agency is the part of an individuals decision making process that is not constrained by his or her structural position, actions derived from agency appear as random events to the rest of the world. Of course, decisions like moving to another country or going to graduate school are derived from a complicated mixture of personal history and psychology and so are not random at all. Once these apparently random affiliations have been made, however structure reenters the picture and the newly created overlaps become the bridges over which other individuals can cross and form additional affiliations of their own. The dynamic evolution of relationships in a social n etwork, therefore, is driven by a balance of conflicting forces. On the one hand, individuals make what seems like random decisions to launch themselves into new social orbits. And on the other, they are constrained and enabled by their current friendships to reinforce the group structure that already exists.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Check 73 for finale The use of Social Network Sites for the Employment Seeking Process Tom Sander Phoey Lee Teh The Internet increases network density and constantly provide new opportunities for the individual. The job seeking process is heavily influenced by it. Companies and applicants can access information and resources instantaneously. The impact of Social Network platforms on the employment seeking individuals and the social [emailprotected]@@ While the importance of networking when seeking for employment has been widely explored in many articles (Granovetter) Social networks are arising new conditions for the society. Social Networks are increasingly becoming important in job hunting. A group of at least three individuals connected to each other with a tie is considered a social network. Social Networks over the Internet have a similar structure, the exchange of resources is web based, the size and speed of information is much faster than traditional networks. Each social individual lives in social networks. Social networks can be split in three categories: the ones within the individual participate and contribute; those which existence is known to the individual finally those which the individual is unaware of. The first two are considered the most relevant individual as provide suitable positions and influence the daily life of the individual. (Olugin Olguin at al. 2009). Those who seek employment gain valuable information from social networks, and while the support of social networks has been studied by many scholars the capital coming from web based social networks needs further investigation. Social networks connect individuals to each other and enable collective actions and the sharing of information and resources. The members of a network are connected through relationships of various kind; this connections represent the mechanism which keeps the network connected and functional. Each connection can be more or less important to the individual.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   P.100   THE NETWORK STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL Networks can be considered as a market where the individual can exchange, access, and share a great variety of goods and resources in pursuit of his/her interest. Certain individuals or groups of people receive higher returns in quicker period of time; some have higher positions and other lowers, and some reach their goals quicker than other. Human capital, as described by @@@, refers that the people who do better are those who are more capable and skilled than the others. Social capital is the contextual complement of human capital. The social capital says that those who do better are those who are more connected. Some people or groups are connected to others, sharing trust, supporting each other interests or being dependent on exchange to others. Being involved in one of relations is an advantage that goes under the name of Social Capital. BORDIEU, COLEMAN DEFINITION IL LAVORO DEL RUNNER As a former runner and assistant I must admit the life of a runner is no easy task and definitely not the most glorious in the film industry, but it is an essential step towards bigger and farer achievements. Essentially, a runner provides vital assistance to a senior figure in a company. The word runner is not coincidence that refers to the mansion to make sure everything runs smoothly. For many, working as a runner is the most valuable experience to get a foot in the door of TV or Film industry. Typically it is expected to perform a great variety of tasks, from carry people and equipment around to serve coffees or picking up lunch for the entire crew. However what is most valuable about being a runner is networking. While performing the tasks you are assigned you are exposed to many professional figures and building relations to those individuals is much more worth it than anything you may learn during your time as a runner. Linking with higher positions may be the necessary step to move forward in career and move from runner to assistant. Being nice, willing and having a good attitude it is a better business card than your name and phone number on a piece of paper. You never know when an assistant vacancy will be open and As Rees (1966) and Granovetter (1974) suggest, several job opportunities are accessible through social networks, for instance contacting friends, relatives or personal contacts. Because seeking employment can be costly in terms of resources and time, job seekers who access their social network tend to receive better and faster information compared to those who rely on more formal strategies such as job ads or private employment services. According to Granovetter (1974, 1995) better information travel through social networks and provide better options and positive effects such as increased wages or greater job satisfaction. According to Montgomery (1992) we derive that not only obtaining a job via networks, but also just engaging in search through networks can lead to higher wages and cost effectiveness in job search.Granovetters model assumes that social networks provide more job offers than formal job search methods. Furthermore Montgomery (1992) points out that if a job seeker received a job offer from formal methods, this does not exclude the chance to receive additional job offers from social networks that could offer a higher wage. In addition to Montgomerys study, Franzen and Hangartner (2006) assume the existence of what they call job adequacy distribution according which those who seek employment through social networks are more likely to access satisfying position as network contacts have better information on specific job characteristics as well as better information on the preferences of the job seeker. Considering the population of graduates, in addition to the obvious characteristic of having low level of human capital, this group contains or will in the near future a very limited number of employed people. This situation presents a disadvantage because of lack of employed individuals which represent a major source of information in employment seek (Jackson, 2004). If the unemployed are not exposed to this kind of source there is very limited advantage into belonging to such network. The strength of weak ties thesis emphasizes the informational advantages provided by networks (Granovetter, 1973). In particular, it remarks the chances of accessing non-redundant information about employment opportunities. The reason behind this assumption derives by the fact that weak ties help injecting different and unfamiliar pool of information inside primary networks. Furthermore, Ensel (1981) and Villemez (1986) argue that job seekers with advantaged social resources, including networks, tend to obtain better labour market outcomes. Weak ties are considered better resources and facilitate access to unfamiliar information, hence considered to supply better offers.

Prejudice in To Kill A Mocking Bird Essay -- essays research papers

The novel to Kill a Mockingbird, is about a young girl named Jean Louise Finch. She is also known as Scout. Scout experiences different events that change her life. Scout and her brother Jem are being raised by their father, a lawyer named Atticus and a housekeeper named Calpumia in a small town called Maycomb. In the South racism and discriminations towards black was a big issue . The story begins when Scout and her brother, become fascinated with a mysterious man known as Boo Radley. Scout and Jem meet boy named Dill who comes from Mississippi to spend the summers there. Jem quickly tells the story of Boo Radley to young Dill. Boo Radley, a man in his thirties who has not been seen outside of his home in years, mainly because of upbringing. They have an impression of Mr. Radley as being this large ugly and evil man. Then comes the accusation of Tom Robinson. Scout?s father,Atticus, becomes a defense attorney for a black man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white wo man. This has a big affect on Scout. During this trial she gets teased by school-mates because her fat...

La Relacion and of Plymouth Plantation Compare and Contrast

In the 1400's, 1500's, and 1600's explorers came from Europe to the New World. They came across some of the same challenges and accomplishments, but they also had different experiences as well. In the story La Relacion by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, you can catch a glimpse of these similarities and differences. Although the Pilgrims and Spaniards had differences they were more alike. While La Relacion encounter a lot of sympothy from the Natives, Of Plymouth Plantation encounters a tradition we use now. Their arrival on the island they both landed during the winter, but had different journies.After four days at sea, Cabeza de Vaca's ship was caught by a storm. Many of his men died or were unconscious. They weren't equipped with good food or winter clothes, since they sailed during the cold winter season. Only a few men were left standing after their boat shattered, most of them regained consciousness when they came ashore.On the other ha nd, the Pilgrims landed safely, for that they thanked god. They too arrived during winter. Because of the weather, it took them a while to restore and remodel there boat. It was hard and almost impossible for them to explore the island by going up in the mountains so they had to do it by foot.They should have been been more wise and prepared but they weren't. The challenges they had getting to the island weren't exactly the same but they both did come across certain obstacles. Thier first exposures to the Native Indians were very distinct.The Spaniards seeked help from the Indians, and the Pilgrims were distant, not interacting. The Spaniards persued nourishment and the Indians were helpful towards them even after getting robbed by the Cabeza de Vaca's men. The Indians treated them kindly. They fed them the best they possible could and everyday if possible. The Pilgrims at first were robbed by the indians.There relationship was rocky in the beginning, they kept killing each others m en. Suprisingly they were approached by one of the Indian men than spoke broken english. Later on a few more started coming around, to the point where all the indians began getting along with the pilgrims. Even though both first thought of the Indians as savages, they both got along with them. They had different experiences getting to know the Indians, but their relationship with them was the same. What they did with the indians or what they were made to do, were very diffferent from one another.The Indians thought the Spaniards need to be sacraficed to their idol, so the Spaniards begged not to be killed and to be given another task. The Indians had a lot of sympothy toward Cabeza de Vaca and his men that instead they made them â€Å"medicine-men†.Even though they were'nt really into the idea, they learned the Indians techniques. After getting along the Pilgrims became more social with the Indians, but just in case anything happened they set regulations and rules amongst the m so that there wouldn't be any crimes not punished. After setting these rules, they had their first small harvest which we now call â€Å"Thanksgiving†.

Export Assistance and Incentives

Export incentives Devices used by countries to encourage exports. These can include tax incentives for exporters, allowing them exemptions from the normal provisions of anti-monopoly legislation, preferential access to capital markets, priority Developing countries have started manufacturing industries only recently. As a result, their cost of production generally tends to be high because of the following reasons: ? Total market availability within the country is small with the result that the economies of large-scale production cannot be reaped. Productivity of labor is low because the level of mechanization as compared to that in the developed countries is low. ?Manufacturing units in developing countries, being small and new, have considerably less expertise in the field of international marketing and because the volume of exports is low, the per unit cost of trade promotion expenditure tends to be high. India has to raise higher resources for development which has to be done thro ugh a number of indirect levies which tend to push up the overall cost of production.Most developing countries have, therefore, resorted to a number of export promotion measures. India has also been providing export assistance to Indian exporters. However, the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and countervailing duties does not allow specific types of export subsidies. The Government of India is, therefore, removing those export incentives which are not WTO compatible. NEW SYSTEM OF EXPORT ASSISTANCE: From 1992, export incentive system in India has been made simple. There are essentially three major incentives.These are: (1) Market-based Exchange Rate; (2) Fiscal Concessions, and (3) Facilities under the Export-Import Policy. These are discussed in detail below: MARKET BASED EXCHANGE RATE: For long, external value of the rupee was managed by the Reserve bank of India (RBI) by pegging the value of the rupee to a basket of currencies. RBI used to keep the value of the rupee at a level which was higher than the real value. In the post-Economic Reforms period, the Government of India decided to abolish all direct incentives to exports and promote exports through the exchange rate mechanism.Accordingly, the Liberalized Exchange Rate Management System (LERMS) was introduced. Under this system, there were two exchange rates: one official rate which was determined by the RBI as was the practice earlier; and second, a rate which was quoted by the banks based on the demand-supply position. Exporters had to surrender 40 per cent of their foreign exchange earnings to banks and could sell the residual 60 percent at the market rate which was normally expected to be more attractive than the official rate.Through this mechanism the Government hoped to achieve two objectives: First the difference between the market rate and the official rate would provide enough incentives to the exporters. Second, this would introduce a self-balancing mechanism for the balance of trade, because only that much imports could be made which could be financed through the market i. e. the resources available through the 60 percent account. One year’s experience revealed that rupee remained stable in the international market. This gave to the Government for full convertibility on the trade account.Accordingly, rupee was made fully convertible for export-import transactions in March 1993. This would provide more financial benefit to the exporters as under the LERMS, they had to surrender 40 per cent of their receivables at a discount which averaged about 15 per cent when LERMS was in operation. Since March 1993, the exchange rate of the rupees is fully determined by the demand supply conditions in the market. Under such a system, exporters will get benefit when rupee depreciates while importers will lose. When rupee appreciates, the balance of benefits will be just the reverse. TAX CONCESSIONS: a)In the computation of total income, Section 80-HHC allows a deduction of the whole of the profit derived from the export of goods or merchandise. The requirement of minimum tax contained in Section 115-J does not apply to exporting corporate assesses. This benefit is also available to supporting manufacturers exporting through Export/ Trading Houses provided that the amount of deduction claimed is retained as a reserve for the purpose of the business of the assesse. However, the budget for the year 2000-2001 has reduced this exemption by 20 per cent every year to be phased out in five years. b)Exemption from taxation of the profits from overseas projects to the extent of 50 per cent. (c)Exemption from taxation of 50 per cent of royalty, commission, fees or any similar payment obtained from the exports of technical know-how and technical services. (d)A 10-year tax holiday for 100 per cent export-oriented units and for units located in Free Trade/Export Processing Zones. (e)Discounted rates of customs duty on imports of selected items of machinery for export produc tion. ? EXPORT ASSISTANCE AND INCENTIVES AVAILABLE TO THE EXPORTSExport assistance and a variety of facilities and export incentives available to the Exporters are given in mindset and more aggressive approach is needed to develop technology. Export capabilities and to enhance such exports. These may include better Management of trade policies at international level, simplified procedures, better Incentives for high value-technology incentives exports etc. Export incentives can play an integral role in developing export capability and can encourage exports by providing financial assistance to exporting companies to enable them to compete effectively in international markets.For South African industries facing exchange rate fluctuations and constant threats of competitors in other developing markets, tools to enhance global access to key markets are imperative. In addition to benefits available under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) (legislation passed in the United St ates of America), bilateral trade agreements such as the one between South Africa and the European Union, the General System of Preferences (GSPs), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) provide assistance ranging from marketing support to export credits. The primary export incentives currently in operation in South Africa include: ? Export marketing and investment assistance scheme (EMIA) ? Tariff Restructuring Program, ?Sector Assistance Scheme (SSAS), ?Rebate Provisions ?Export Credit and Foreign Investment Reinsurance Scheme (ECRS), ? Duty Credit Certificate Scheme (DCCS), ?Motor Industry Development Program (MIDP), ?Sector Partnership Fund, ?Export Credit Incentives and Export Finance. EXPORT MARKETING AND INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME (EMIA)The purpose of the EMIA scheme is to partially compensate exporters for certain costs incurred in respect of activities aimed at developing export markets for South African pro ducts and to recruit new foreign direct investment into South Africa. Additional benefits are awarded to small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and businesses owned by the previously disadvantaged. The financial assistance is in the form of reimbursement and is not a pre-paid benefit.TARIFF RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM: By virtue of South Africa’s World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, import tariff levels are also being reduced and the import tariff listings are being simplified by reducing the number of tariff headings. Export incentives relate only to the export of goods destined for recognized export markets, which in general means to countries outside the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). SECTOR ASSISTANCE SCHEME (SSAS)Financial assistance is available to industry sectors with the objectives of developing new export markets; broadening the export base; stimulating the participation of SMMEs in the export sector, promoting black economic empowerment (BEE) and women empowerment within the overall objective of job creation. REBATE PROVISIONS: Is aimed at the promotion of manufacturing and exportation of goods, and are available to certain manufacturing industries in respect of duties applicable to imported goods, raw materials and components used in manufacturing, processing and for export.EXPORT CREDIT AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT REINSURANCE SCHEME (ECRS) Provides exporters with insurance cover against political and transfer risks, as well as commercial and insolvency risks. A special dispensation exists for SMMEs. DUTY CREDIT CERTIFICATE SCHEME (DCCS) This scheme is designed as a temporary â€Å"kick-start† measure to enhance the export competitiveness of certain prescribed textile and clothing products by offering duty credit certificates to qualifying exporters. These duty credit certificates could be used to off-set customs duties payable on import of similar products.MOTOR INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (MIDP) Is available to motor vehicle assemblers and component manufacturers and exporters. The programme enables local vehicle and component manufacturers to increase production runs and encourages rationalization of the number of models manufactured by way of exports and complementing import of vehicles and components. EXPORT CREDIT INCENTIVE Financing at reduced rates by the Investment Development Corporation (IDC). An export credit incentive is available to selected expansion schemes expected to result in increased foreign exchange earnings.Financing of credit for exporters of capital goods is also available through the IDC or private-sector merchant banks at reduced rates. ? Credit facilities under the export finance scheme for capital projects: Credit facilities are available to exporters of capital projects under the Export Finance Scheme for Capital Projects to allow them to compete internationally by offering buyers competitive rates denominated in US Dollars. FACILITIES AND INCENTIVES TO INDIAN EXPORTE RS Promotion of export has been a major thrust area of the Ministry of Commerce And Industry for the last three decades.Apart from this. Many other Central/State Ministries have also been involved in the promotion of India’s exports. Many Exports Promotion Councils, Public Sector Undertakings, Chambers of Commerce, Industries’ Associations and Services Organizations are also contributing towards the promotion of Indian exports. The facilities and incentives presently available to the Indian exporters include the Following. MARKETING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (MDA) The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has a scheme of MDA, which was launched in 1963 with a view to stimulate and diversify the export trade, along with he development of marketing of Indian products and commodities abroad. The MDA is utilized for: Market research, commodity research, area survey and research; Participation in trade fairs and exhibitions; Export publicity and dissemination of information; Trade delegation and study teams; Establishment of offices and branches in abroad; Grant-in-aid to Export Promotion Councils and other approved organizations for the development of exports and the promotion of foreign trade; and any other scheme which is generally aimed at promoting the development of markets for Indian products and commodities abroad.MARKET ACCESS INITIATIVE (MAI) The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has introduced the MAI in April 2001 with the idea that the Government shall assist the industry in R&D, market research, specific market and product studies, warehousing and retail marketing infrastructure in select countries and direct market promotion activities through media advertising and buyer-seller meets. Financial assistance shall be available under the scheme to EPCs, industry and trade associations and other eligible activities, as may be notified from time to time. A small allocation of Rs 42 corer has been made for 2002-03. ?CENTRAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES The S tate Governments shall be encouraged to fully participate in encouraging exports from their respective States. For this purpose, a new scheme â€Å"Assistance to States for Infrastructural Development for Exports† (ASIDE) has been initiated which would provide funds to the States based on the twin criteria or gross exports and the rate of growth of exports from different States. Eighty per cent of the total funds would be allotted to the States based on the above criteria and remaining 20 per cent will brutalized by the Centre for various infrastructure activities that cut across State boundaries, etc.A sum of Rs 49. 5 crore has already been sanctioned for 2001-02 and furthers a sum of Rs 330 crore has also been approved for 2002-03. The State shall utilize this amount for developing complementary and critical infrastructure. TOWNS OF EXPORT EXCELLENCE A number of towns in specific geographical locations have emerged as dynamic industrial locations and handsomely contributing to India’s exports. These industrial cluster-towns have been recognized with a view to maximizing their export profiles and help in upgrading them to move up the higher value markets.A beginning is being made to consider industrial cluster towns such as Tripura for Hosiery, Panipat for Woolen Blankets and Ludhiana for Woolen knitwear. Common service providers in these areas shall be entitled for EPCG Scheme, funds under the MAI scheme for creating focused technological services, priority assistance for identified critical infrastructural gaps from the Scheme on Central Assistance to States. Units in these notified areas would be eligible for availing all the Exim Policy Scheme. The Government of India has framed several schemes to promote exports and to obtain foreign exchange.These schemes grants incentive and other benefits. The few important export incentives, from the point of view of indirect taxes are briefed below: ? FREE TRADE ZONES (FTZ) Several FTZs have been estab lished at various places in India like Kandla, Noida, Cochin, etc. No excise duties are payable on goods manufactured in these zones provided they are made for export purpose. Goods being brought in these zones from different parts of the country are brought without the payment of any excise duty. Moreover, no customs duties are payable on imported raw material and components used in the manufacture of such goods being exported.If entire production is not sold outside the country, the unit has the provision of selling 25% of their production in India. On such sale, the excise duty is payable at 50% of basic plus additional customs or normal excise duty payable if the goods were produced elsewhere in India, whichever is higher. ELECTRONIC HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK / SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARKS This scheme is just like FTZ scheme, but it is restricted to units in the electronics and computer hardware and software sector. ADVANCE LICENCE / DUTY EXEMPTION ENTITLEMENT SCHEME (DEEC)In this s cheme advance licence, either quantity based (Qbal) or value based (Vabal), is given to an exporter against which the raw materials and other components may be imported without payment of customs duty provided the manufactured goods are exported. These licence are transferable in the open market at a price. EXPORT PROMOTION CAPITAL GOODS SCHEME (EPCG) According to this scheme, a domestic manufacturer can import machinery and plant without paying customs duty or settling at a concessional rate of customs duty.But his undertakings should be as mentioned below: Customs Duty RateExport ObligationTimetime 10%4 times exports (on FOB basis) of CIF value of machinery5 years Nil in case CIF value is Rs200mn or more. 6 times exports (on FOB basis) of CIF value of machinery or 5 times exports on (NFE) basis of CIF value of machinery. 8 years Nil in case CIF value is Rs50mn or more for agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, floriculture, horticulture, poultry and sericulture. 6 times expor ts (on FOB basis) of CIF value of machinery or 5 times exports on (NFE) basis of CIF value of machinery. years . Note:- NFE stands for net foreign earnings. CIF stands for cost plus insurance plus freight cost of the machinery. FOB stands for Free on Board i. e. export value excluding cost of freight and insurance. DEEMED EXPORTS The Indian suppliers are entitled for the following benefits in respect of deemed exports: ? Refund of excise duty paid on final products ?Duty drawback ?Imports under DEEC scheme ?Special import licenses based on value of deemed exports The following categories are treated as deemed exports for seller if the goods are manufactured in India: 1.Supply of goods against duty free licences under DEEC scheme 2. Supply of goods to a 100 % EOU or a unit in a free trade zone or a unit in a software technology park or a unit in a hardware technology park 3. Supply of goods to holders of licence under the EPCG scheme 4. Supply of goods to projects financed by multila teral or bilateral agencies or funds notified by the Finance Ministry under international competitive bidding or under limited tender systems in accordance with the procedures of those agencies or funds where legal agreements provide for ender evaluation without including customs duty 5. Supply of capital goods and spares upto 10% of the FOR value to fertilizer plants under international competitive bidding 6. Supply of goods to any project or purpose in respect of which the Ministry of Finance permits by notification the import of goods at zero customs duty along with benefits of deemed exports to domestic supplies 7. Supply of goods to power, oil and gas sectors in respect of which the Ministry of Finance permits by notification benefits of deemed exports to domestic supplies MANUFACTURE UNDER BONDThis scheme furnishes a bond with the manufacturer of adequate amount to undertake the export of his production. Against this the manufacturer is allowed to import goods without paying a ny customs duty, even if he obtain it from the domestic market without excise duty. The production is made under the supervision of customs or excise authority. DUTY DRAWBACK IT means the rebate of duty chargeable on imported material or excisable material used in the manufacturing of goods in and is exported.The exporter may claim drawback or refund of excise and customs duties being paid by his suppliers. The final exporter can claim the drawback on material used for the manufacture of export products. In case of re-import of goods the drawback can be claimed. The following are Drawbacks: ?Customs paid on imported inputs plus excise duty paid on indigenous imports. ?Duty paid on packing material. Drawback is not allowed on inputs obtained without payment of customs or excise duty.In part payment of customs and excise duty, rebate or refund can be claimed only on the paid part. In case of re-export of goods, it should be done within 2 years from the date of payment of duty when the y were imported. 98% of the duty is allowable as drawback, only after inspection. If the goods imported are used before its re-export, the drawback will be allowed as at reduced per cent. ? NAME Yash patel COLLEGE NAME Kamala Mehta College of commerce ROLL NO. 156 PROJECT NAME Export assistance and incentives CLASS T. Y. BCOM (B) ?