Developing the Professional Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Developing the Professional - Assignment Example Dear Sir/Madam I am a postgraduate student pursuing my Master's degree in International Business from Lincoln University United Kingdom. I would like to be considered for the post of an HR PMO Officer in the organization. I am very interested in working in this field and would like to take this opportunity to put my ideas and skills into practice in order to develop myself along with the organization. I would like to make the best use of this opportunity and that is why I am applying to Vodafone for the post of an HR PMO Officer as I believe that, this platform will give me an exposure to a professional working environment whereby I will be able to learn and grow along with the organization. This job will be a perfect platform for me to put into practice my communications skills that I have developed over the due course of my life, thereby enabling me to interact with many people all over the world and to learn and know more about them thus enhancing my communication skills. While working with Ras Girtas Power Company and Doha Bank, I learned to provide assistance to my superiors and I had to work under strict deadlines. I had to schedule my tasks and report the status of every single assignment on a timely basis to my superiors. This is where I believe I can be of great assistance to the PMO lead where my major responsibility will be to support the PMO lead and other project and program management officers to deliver their projects within time, cost and quality.

Overcoming the Temptation to Overuse the Internet for Research Essay Example for Free

Overcoming the Temptation to Overuse the Internet for Research Essay Students today face a tremendous amount of obstacles in their day-to-day learning environment that may not have been an issue in generations past. The main problems remain the same as they always have. Time-management is a skill that learners must acquire if they want to turn in assignments on time and make the grades they need to obtain the goals they have set for themselves. Procrastination is a component of poor time management that many students face, which leads to cramming and an increased level of stress. Whereas students faced both of these issues in the past as well as today, one problem that has crept into society that students are struggling with every day is the increasing overuse and reliance on the Internet for research, information gathering, and even general learning. The growing use of the Internet in the recent years has made information much more accessible than ever before. The term â€Å"Google it† is so widely and commonly expressed that it would be very difficult to find anyone who did not understand. When someone needs information for school, work, or personal use Google seems to be the first and most convenient crutch. Convenience is the foremost reason students go straight to the Internet when they are in need of research sources. Barberio (2004) states, â€Å"the very real possibility exists that students overuse the Internet, much to their detriment and most likely, to the growing consternation of their instructors† (p. 307). Even when traditional textbooks are available, they almost always come with some links available to accompany the text with sources on those links easily available. Once students access these links, they no longer have the bountiful wisdom of a librarian to help them sort through it as they could in a traditional library. Setting the parameters for coursework research and requiring credible sources and proper online citation styles is left to the instructors in each subject (Davis, 2003). Professors and universities have concerns for the temptation of cut-and-paste plagiarism and show frustration over the lack of traditional library use and the scholarly research and references libraries offer. Besides the convenience, another reason students rely on the Internet too much is because of the struggles previously discussed. Poor time management leads to procrastination. Procrastination leads students who may have otherwise had the time to do more traditional research, to grasp at the instant gratification that the Internet offers. According to Carter, Bishop, Kravits (2007), developing good time management skills helps students to finish their work on a schedule and avoid procrastination that helps to lower stress. In order to alleviate the temptation of counting on the Internet for resources, students must address the reasons they rely on it too much in the first place. As far as convenience is concerned, there may be no way around that. The Internet will continue to be used as a resource for gathering quick and â€Å"easy† information. However, the Internet can be a fine source of professional research and cost-free quality articles, scholarly papers, and official documents. If students today can sort through the vast pages of â€Å"search results† and biased Internet information, and gather un-biased facts from different sources. If they can then take this data and use critical thinking skills to draw intelligent conclusions, the Internet can be a worthy source for their research and learning. Another way to avoid over-using Internet resources would be to schedule a trip to the local library. Students may find it is surprisingly easier to gather information there. Before going to the library, students should be very precise with the information they are looking for, so that they do not waste the time that they have there. Overcoming poor time-management and procrastination would be another way to schedule that time for library research. When building a schedule, it is helpful to obtain some type of planner to help keep track of important goals, assignments, tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines. Schedulers or planners can take shape in many varying forms including the traditional hand-held â€Å"Day runner† or notebook, calendars online such as Google calendar, or planners built into mobile phone applications. In addition to keeping track of this information, it is important to break the larger tasks into smaller tasks and prioritize the information to ensure that each task is completed on time. After setting a solid schedule, the next step is utilize tools to help manage time. As a student, there are a number of techniques that can be used to help manage time. These techniques include incorporating to-do lists into one’s routine and making use of the course syllabus to ensure compliance. Again, breaking the syllabus down into smaller tasks makes it easier to look at and less stressful to comprehend. Copying each week into its own folder in a Word doc on the computer desktop is one example of how to keep track of the syllabus. Students also need to become familiar with the many resources available through the University (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007). Students face many trials every day when trying to reach their goals. The Internet and its easy access to information without leaving one’s seat have become extremely tempting as a one-stop shopping for every need that comes along in the course of a day. When students are faced with a research paper, the habit remains to turn to Internet searches as a quick way of gathering this information. Learning how to properly gather this data and to use critical thinking skills is vital if scholarly research is going to be accomplished. Students must also use time management skills so that procrastination is not an issue and time is available for alternative forms of research.

Buying Decision Behaviour

Buying Decision Behaviour Contents (Jump to) 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 4.0 Conclusion References 1.0 Introduction Understanding consumer buying behaviour is crucial for successful marketing. Consumer buying behaviour is defined as the buying behaviour of final consumers, individuals and households who purchase goods and services for personal consumption (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2001: 858). Consumer buying behaviour can be classified into four groups: complex, variety-seeking, dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviour. These buying decision behaviours vary in terms of the involvement levels and the perceived differences between brands (Lawson, Tidwell, Rainbird, Louden and Bitta, 1997: 523). According to Mitchell (2002: 71), one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible. Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to acquire a profound and comprehensive understanding of consumer buying behaviours. 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour The relationship between different types of consumer buying behaviour with the level of consumer involvement and the degrees of differences between brands. The level of involvement in a purchasing a product is related to the importance of the purchase, the risks involved and the type of cognitive processing that is generated (East, 1997: 19). 2.1 Complex buying behaviour Complex buying behaviour is personalised by high levels of consumer involvement in a purchase and significant perceived differences among brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). Consumers usually apply complex buying behaviour when the intended purchases are expensive, infrequent and risky (Rowley, 1997: 88). Purchase decisions are more intricate compared to other products that are less costly (Chao and Gupta, 1995: 48). According to Adcock (1993: 54), buyers undertaking complex buying behaviour are likely to go through each stage of the decision making process. They will usually spend time inquiring about the product, evaluating alternative brands and comparing options before finally making the purchase. For example, a person who wishes to buy a car would be very involved in deciding what car to purchase. He or she will engage in an extensive information search, such as by visiting different car dealers, surfing the Internet and so on, to evaluate and compare the numerous types of model s available in the market and also to scout for the best deals. They may take weeks or months to make a decision. A car is an expensive asset and will usually be used for a long time. As a result, consumers undergo complex buying decision behaviour to ensure that they will not regret their investment in future. 2.2 Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour encompasses high involvement in purchase decisions but little dissimilarity between brands (Adcock, 1993: 57). Purchases are usually expensive, infrequent and risky (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). The buying decision is often made from only a small range of products. Considering the products brand name is not the main priority in the purchase decision, consumers will make their choice by evaluating and comparing the products based on their price, quality, performance and the consumers individual preferences ( Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). For example, when purchasing a lawn mower, consumers may face a high involvement decision because a lawn mower is rather costly. However, the lawn mower brand names will not be of much concern to consumers. Buyers will still look around and compare different lawn mowers based on their extrinsic features, and purchases are normally made within a shorter period of time as opposed to complex buying behaviour (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). After making a purchase, the consumer may encounter postpurchase dissonance, also known as after-sales discomfort, resulting from discrepencies between the consumers decision and the consumers prior evaluation (Lawson, et al.,1997: 447). For instance, the buyer may discover undesirable traits or hear negative comments about the lawn mower and thus regret his or her purchase. To minimise such dissonance, marketers have introduced certain features to satisfy customers, such as warranties and after-sales services (Lawson, et al.,1997: 637). 2.3 Variety-seeking buying behaviour Variety-seeking buying behaviour can be defined as consumer buying behaviour in situations concerning low consumer involvement but with significant perceived differences in brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). These purchases are made simply because the of the consumers desire for novelty (Lawson, et al., 1997: 525). In other words, consumer may deviate from their normal brand purchase because they feel like trying something different for a change. Consumers who practice variety-seeking buying behaviour buy for the sake of diversifying and not as a result of dissatisfaction with the product (Adcock, 1993: 57). To further illustrate the point, a consumer who regularly buys Kellogs Corn Flakes, whom one day opts to purchase Nestles Honey Stars for a change, is engaging in variety-seeking buying behaviour. The consumer may be just bored of Kellogs Corn Flakes for awhile after consuming them every morning and would like to try out a different cereal, not because he or she is discontented with Kellogs Corn Flakes. Marketers have developed strategies to reduce this consumer behaviour, which will be discussed in the later sections of this report. 2.4 Habitual buying behaviour Consumers perform habitual buying behaviour when buying frequently purchased products that are relatively of low cost and that involves very little risk and decision effort (Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). There is low consumer involvement and few differences between brands in this buying behaviour (Rowley, 1997: 89). These products are purchased almost automatically out of habit rather than brand loyalty by consumers( http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). This normally applies to grocery products. For instance, people do not generally spend much time or mental effort selecting a packet of sugar or a bar of soap. They do not really pay attention to the brand names of these products. Unlike complex buying behaviour, consumers who purchase the same product regularly, do not go through all the steps in the decision making process (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They need not undertake an information search or evaluate and compare the different produc ts in the market. Instead, they receive information through repetitive advertisements on the television or newspapers and this forms brand familiarity. Consumers are not inclined to a product, rather, they select the particular brand out of familiarity (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They would just recognise their need and immediately make a purchase decision. They may not even bother to make a postpurchase evaluation (Rowley, 1997: 89). 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 3.1 Develop a more effective and efficient marketing strategy Consumer buying behaviour is an integral part of marketing. Attaining a deeper comprehension of the different types of consumer buying behaviour would be a boon for marketers as it would assist them in developing a more sophisticated marketing strategy, thus allowing the organisation to compete more efficiently and effectively than its competitors (Mitchell, 2002: 74). By analysing the type of buying behaviour that relates to the organisations products, marketers are able perform effective segmentation, which may lead to a more efficient targeting of resources (Rowley, 1997: 89). For example, for products that are susceptible to complex buying behaviours such as automobiles and computers, marketers tend to concentrate on promoting them on the basis of the features and the benefits a consumer may gain from the products (Adcock, 1993: 56).. Most car catalogues will show pictures of the engine and highlight the details of the technical features of the vehicle. For products that are more prone to dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviours, marketers will advertise substantially to ensure that their products will be considered by as many people as possible (Adcock, 1993: 57) and also to familiarise consumers with their products (East, 1997: 19). Providing another example, marketers will try to encourage habitual buying behaviour for products that are more inclined to variety-seeking buying behaviours among consumers by extensive advertising and dominating shelf space. In contrast, marketers may also try to encourage variety-seeking buying behaviour by offering promotions and free samples (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They do so to induce new customers to purchase their products. To summarise the point, a clear understanding of the types of buying behaviours can help marketers to construct relevant marketing strategi es to market the particular product so as to increase the products sales. 3.2 Form a healthy relationship between buyers and sellers As mentioned earlier, one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible (Mitchell, 2002: 71). The marketing concept stresses that organisations should create a marketing mix that will satisfy their customers better than their competitors. To do so, marketers must examine the major influences that determine what, where, when and how consumers make purchasing decisions (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). According to Wilson (1998: 785), marketers who understand the types of buying behaviour that are related to their product will be able to come up with marketing techniques that will provide customer satisfaction and at the same time, establish brand loyalty among its customers. Marketers should always remind themselves that satisfied consumers would have a very positive impact on the organisations success. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to understand and evaluate the different types of consumer buying behaviour. 4.0 Conclusion The four types of buying behaviour mentioned earlier basically summarises how and why consumers make their purchase decisions. However, one has to keep in mind that the purchase of a particular product does not always derive the same type of decision making behaviour (East, 1997: 19). For example, an affluent businessman who enjoys collecting cars may not undergo complex buying behaviour as opposed to an average earning salesman who is buying a car for transportation purposes. In conclusion, understanding consumer buying behaviour can assist marketers in constructing a more efficient and effective marketing strategy allowing them to form a tighter relationship with their customers. Hence, it is vital for marketers to understand the four different types of buying behaviour that relates to their product. References Adcock, D., Bradfield, R., Halborg, A., and Ross, C. (1993), Marketing Principles and Practice, Pitman Publishing, London. Chao, P. and Gupta, P.B. (1995), ‘Information search and efficiency of consumer choices of new cars International Marketing Review, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp 47-59. East, R. (1997), Consumer Behaviour: Advances and Applications in Marketing, Prentice Hall, London. Kotler, P., Brown, L., Adam, S., and Armstrong, G. (2001), Marketing, (5th Edn), Prentice Hall, Sydney. Lawson, R., Tidwell, P., Rainbird, P., Loudon, D., and Bitta, A.D. (1997), Consumer Behaviour in Australia and New Zealand, McGraw-Hill, Sydney. Kennedy, M and Kiel (2000). ‘Marketing: A Strategic Approach. Nelson Thompson Learning, Melbourne. Mitchell, A.S. (2002), ‘Do you really want to understand your customer? Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 2, Issue 1, pp 71-79. Rowley, J. (1997), ‘Focusing on customers Library Review, Vol 46, No. 2, pp 81-89. Samara, N., Understanding Consumer Behaviour, (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp) Accessed (30 August 2003) Wilson, D.F. (1998), ‘Why divide consumer and organisation buyer behaviour? European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp 780-796.

The Ill-Posed Executive Essays -- Economy Economics Business Essays

The Ill-Posed Executive "The nineteenth-century legal scholar Schultes described public trust rights as 'unalienable.' He explained that 'things which relate to the public good cannot be given, sold, or transferred by the King to another person'" (Cronin and Kennedy 142). More specifically, the "things" Schultes refers to are property common to all citizens of the world including, but by no means limited to, the air, the land, and the water. While the vast majority of humankind would agree in principle with Schultes's concerns, regulations on the use of particular natural bodies understood as public property are no longer strongly enforced. Upholding such rules is simply no longer a conscious priority among busy people. Most of us are concerned with our immediate self-interest both economically and politically, and we tend to ignore long-term environmental injustices unless those infringements affect us directly. Although we are quick to identify and criticize irresponsibility on the parts of violators, our concern rarely compels us to retaliate against wrongdoers and correct the wrongs. Our neglect is being made apparent to us in essays regarding environmental issues. Nearly every author has an opinion on the environmental malpractice of corporations and their representatives, but even these critics fail to offer a strategy for curbing the negligence of business firms. This failure encourages an attitude of hopelessness among the environmentally concerned members of society and reminds us that a long overdue effort to uncover answers is in order. We need go no further than the source of the problem to find a workable solution: Corporations must hold themselves responsible to the public trust. Regardless of the greater p... ...ublic trust will be violated. Works Cited Cronin, John and Robert Kennedy. "King John to General Electric." The Riverkeepers. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Friedman, Milton. "The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits." Cases and Readings in Markets, Ethics and Law. Ed. Bruce S. Buchanan, Robert Boyd Lamb, and Roy C. Smith. Needham Heights: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Hoy, Pat C. "Leadership." Sewanee Review. Vol. C, Num. 3. Summer 1992. Machiavelli, Niccolo. "The Qualities of a Prince." A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1998. Reich, Robert B. "A Shareholder, And a Citizen." The New York Times. 5 November 1999. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Wal-Mart Reports Record Sales and Earnings for Quarter and Year." 15 February 2000 <http:// www.walmartstores.com/newsstand/ archive/prf_000215_1999_4thqtr. shtml>. The Ill-Posed Executive Essays -- Economy Economics Business Essays The Ill-Posed Executive "The nineteenth-century legal scholar Schultes described public trust rights as 'unalienable.' He explained that 'things which relate to the public good cannot be given, sold, or transferred by the King to another person'" (Cronin and Kennedy 142). More specifically, the "things" Schultes refers to are property common to all citizens of the world including, but by no means limited to, the air, the land, and the water. While the vast majority of humankind would agree in principle with Schultes's concerns, regulations on the use of particular natural bodies understood as public property are no longer strongly enforced. Upholding such rules is simply no longer a conscious priority among busy people. Most of us are concerned with our immediate self-interest both economically and politically, and we tend to ignore long-term environmental injustices unless those infringements affect us directly. Although we are quick to identify and criticize irresponsibility on the parts of violators, our concern rarely compels us to retaliate against wrongdoers and correct the wrongs. Our neglect is being made apparent to us in essays regarding environmental issues. Nearly every author has an opinion on the environmental malpractice of corporations and their representatives, but even these critics fail to offer a strategy for curbing the negligence of business firms. This failure encourages an attitude of hopelessness among the environmentally concerned members of society and reminds us that a long overdue effort to uncover answers is in order. We need go no further than the source of the problem to find a workable solution: Corporations must hold themselves responsible to the public trust. Regardless of the greater p... ...ublic trust will be violated. Works Cited Cronin, John and Robert Kennedy. "King John to General Electric." The Riverkeepers. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Friedman, Milton. "The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits." Cases and Readings in Markets, Ethics and Law. Ed. Bruce S. Buchanan, Robert Boyd Lamb, and Roy C. Smith. Needham Heights: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Hoy, Pat C. "Leadership." Sewanee Review. Vol. C, Num. 3. Summer 1992. Machiavelli, Niccolo. "The Qualities of a Prince." A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1998. Reich, Robert B. "A Shareholder, And a Citizen." The New York Times. 5 November 1999. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Wal-Mart Reports Record Sales and Earnings for Quarter and Year." 15 February 2000 <http:// www.walmartstores.com/newsstand/ archive/prf_000215_1999_4thqtr. shtml>.

The Basic Mechanisms of Homeostasis

The Basic Mechanisms of Homeostasis Overview of homeostasis The term homeostasis was first coined by Walter Cannon in 1929 to literally mean ‘steady state’. It describes the dynamic equilibrium by which internal constancy is maintained within set limits by regulation and control. There are many examples of homeostatic control throughout the human body and in other living organisms, such as pH, pressure, and temperature. A concept important to homeostasis is the process of feedback circuits; involving a receptor, an effector, and a control centre.A receptor is responsible for detecting a change in the body, while the effector corrects this. The control centre organises these two together to elicit the response. The most common form of control in homeostasis is known as negative feedback, in which an excess or deficit in a homeostatic system triggers its own regulation. The diagram below illustrates this concept in reference to the control of temperature (Figure 1). Figure 1 is a simple representation of a rather complicated process.Here, the several types of negative feedback circuits involved in temperature control have been summarised into one. The hypothalamus is a combined receptor and control centre, both recognising extremes of temperature change, and triggering bodily effectors to correct the changes. Figure 1 shows the responses to a decrease in body temperature, which directs organs to increase metabolism, thus causing shivering. Another effect would be causing hair cells on the skin to force up their hairs, creating a trapped layer of air across the body surface.Such effects should then cause the body temperature to rise to the optimal 37Â °C again, causing feedback to switch the circuit ‘off’. If this does not occur, the circuit will continue to direct effectors to warm the body because the feedback will not be switched ‘off’. Recent research, however has added another dimension to the accepted definition of hom eostasis. Scientists studying circadian rhythms (24-hour bodily cycles) have pointed out that the internal environment does not have completely constant ‘normal’ set point. They have found, for example, that he set point for human body temperature varies over a 24 hour cycle, fluctuating between 36Â °C and 37Â °C. As a result of this research, current thinking suggests that while homeostasis controls the ‘minute-by-minute fluctuation in the environment’ , circadian rhythms control the body’s general programming over time. In this essay, we will concentrate on two examples of homeostasis, one that occurs in humans and one which occurs in plants. Firstly, we will discuss the control of blood glucose levels in mammals, and then will look at the role of plant stomata in regulating water loss.Example 1: Control of blood glucose levels The human body has a number of mechanisms in place to regulate the storage and release of molecules for energy. Sometime s, an individual will consume more calories than can be immediately used, so sugars will be stored in the form of glycogen (a polymer of glucose) in liver and muscle cells. Other periods of increased activity may however, require the sudden release of energy, whereby glycogen is initially oxidised from the stores in the liver. Clearly, this is another example of homeostasis and it is outlined in Figure 2.Two enzymatic hormones are utilised by the body to control the interchange of glucose as an energy molecule and glycogen as a storage molecule. The first, insulin, lowers blood glucose levels by promoting its conversion to glycogen. The second, glucagon, increases glucose levels by allowing glycogen to be phosphorylated. Both of these hormones are produced and released by specialised cells in the pancreas known as Islets of Langerhans. Insulin is released from ? -cells, and glucagon is released from ? -cells. Figure 2: Blood glucose control by insulin and glucagonIf the blood glucos e level is too high, more insulin and less glucagon is released. This causes cells to take in glucose from the blood, while the liver converts glucose to glycogen. During low levels of blood glucose however, glucagon release increases, activating the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver, and glucose is released into the blood. This is a good example of negative feedback control, as the lowering of blood glucose, for example, inhibits further insulin secretion. Importantly, insulin is dependent upon calcium.This is because glucose activates calcium channels. When glucose levels are high, the subsequent release of calcium results in calcium binding to calmodulin. Together, the two molecules promote insulin vesicles to be released from the pancreas. This demonstrates the negative feedback system discussed in the overview. Example 3: Control of water loss by plants Plants need to balance their need to conserve water with their need to photosynthesise energy. Transpiration cause s water to be pulled up through the plant passively as water diffuses out through the leaves.These pores are opened and closed by the action of surrounding guard cells, located as illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 3: Drawing of stoma & guard cells These guard cells can take on two extremes of conformation; either flaccid, to close the stoma, or turgid, to open the stoma. When guard cells take in water via osmosis, they swell, become turgid, and are forced to bulge outwards into a kidney shape, opening the stoma. They adhere to this shape both because the two cells are attached to each other at either end, and because cellulose microfibrils constrain them.However, if the guard cells lose their water content, they shrink and become flaccid, closing the stoma so that water cannot leave. The opening and closing of the stomata have been shown to be affected by light concentrations. When illuminated, the concentration of solutes in the guard cell vacuoles increases because starch is convert ed to malic acid, and a proton pump in the plasma membrane is stimulated. The proton pump removes hydrogen ions (H+) from the guard cells, and in response, potassium ions (K+) flow into the cell.Chloride ions (Cl-) also flow into the cell via another pump in response to the H+ concentration difference. The accumulation of these ions and malate in the vacuole of the guards cells is enough to cause the water potential to drop within the guard cells. Water then flows in by osmosis, leading to the turgidity just described and opening the pore. As this opening process occurs in light, exactly the opposite happens at night. As light is lost, channels open to conduct Cl- and K+ out of the guard cells, water is lost, and the cells become flaccid and close.Another stimulus for the closing of stomata is an emergency response to the plant wilting from lack of water. In this case, CO2 concentration increases inside the leaf cells, and alongside the wilting, causes the plant to release the hormo ne abscisic acid (ABA). This diffuses into guard cells and activates the loss of Cl- and K+, effectively mimicking the night time action of the stomata. Concluding Remarks The idea of homeostasis has been well-developed since it was first identified in the mid-1900s.We have seen in this essay that feedback loops play an important part in homeostatic processes, and that the process is controlled by the action of detector and effector hormones and other molecules activated by control centres. Ongoing research also indicates that innate circadian rhythms affect the processes of homeostasis, causing the optimal set point for internal conditions to vary on a daily basis. Bibliography Alberts, B. , Bray, D. , Lewis, J. , Raff, M. , Roberts, K. , Watson, J. D. (1994). Molecular Biology of the Cell: Third Edition.Garland Publishing, U. S. A. Campbell, N. A. , Reece, J. B. & Mitchell, L. G. (1999). Biology: Fifth Edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. U. S. A. Foster, R. & Kreitzman, L. (2004 ). Rhythms of Life: The biological clocks that control the daily lives of every living thing. Profile Books, London. Givens, P. , Reiss, M. , Rowland, M. (1996). Human Biology and Health Studies. Nelson, Surrey. Jurd, R. D. (1997). Instant Notes in Animal Biology. BIOS Scientific Publishers, Oxford. Rost, T. L. , Barbour, M. G. , Stocking, C. R. , Murphy, T.M (1998). Plant Biology. Wadsworth Publishing Company, USA. Van De Graaff, K. M. & Fox, S. I. (1999). Concepts of Human Anatomy & Physiology. McGraw Hill, USA. Webpage: Physiological ecology: functional responses to environment. Accessed 16/03/2005. http://www. ecology. botany. ufl. edu/. .. /homeostasis. html Webpage: Class Notes (2002). Accessed 17/03/2005. http://www. msu. edu/course/lbs/145/smith/s02/classnotes_032802. html Webpage: No title. Accessed 17/03/2005. http://www. puc. edu/Faculty/Gilbert_Muth/botgloss. htm

Can the British Be Proud of Their Empire?

Can the British be proud of their Empire? Britain had the largest empire in the world, by 1900. They were ruling an estimated 25% of the globe, but just because Britain had the most power, it doesn’t mean that they used it for the best. For example, Rani Lakshmi, was an Indian Princess and when her husband died the British took his land, and the natives had no say in the matter. The British also tried to change their customs even though they didn’t want them changed. The Indians tried to fight against the British and drive them out of India, but they failed. They also punished survivors and fired cannon balls through them at a close range! On the other hand, Mrs Mary Calvert, was a Christian Missionary and sailed to Fuji with her husband and tried to change the native’s ways, as they would chop someone’s fingers off if they stole something, or if a woman’s husband died the woman would have been strangled. So Mrs Mary Calvert changed the natives, so as Christians they would stop their terrible ways. But there were many people and tribes that the British helped but many were taken for advantage. Like Chief Lobengula. He was an African Chief and was asked by the British if they could use some of his land for gold mining, in exchange for tools and guns. But the British took it too far and stole more land, and used it to build mines and farms. The Chief tried to fight against the British, but they were killed, and they took all of their land. Lord Dalhouse, was a British politician, tried to develop the Indians way of life by building roads, railways, schools, and postal systems. He also tried to stop bad Indian customs, for example when a woman’s husband died she would be burnt. But he also made Indians follow the British way of life. Cecil Rhodes, was a businessman and went to live in South Africa and mined for gold, diamonds and other minerals. But crushed any African Tribes that got in the way. Chief Crowfoot, a Chief of a tribe in Canada refused to fight against the British, the Queen said thanks and built them a railway. But since the railway came there were more English people coming and very few of his people were left. Mary Prince was born in the West Indies, she became a poor black slave and was sold several times. Some masters whipped her and others abused her. One master took her to England in 1828 but she ran away. But when she left and tried to get a job, she was always given the worst, just like all blacks. I think that the British should be proud of their empire in a way, but I think the should be ashamed of what they have done too, because they haven’t always treated everyone in another country with respect or their customs and assumed that others should follow the British way of living. But because of that many tribes and cultures were destroyed.

The German Infinitive Verb Form

The German Infinitive Verb Form Just like in English, the German infinitive is the basic form of a verb (schlafen/to sleep). However, it is less frequently found than in English to be accompanied by the preposition zu/to. The following is an overview of specifics pertaining to the German infinitive. The Ending of German Infinitives Most German infinitives end with -en (springen/to jump), but there are also some verbs that end in the infinitive with -ern, -eln, -n (wandern/to wander, hike, sammeln/to collect, sein/to be). Tenses and Moods The German infinitive is used in the following tenses and moods: The future: Er will morgen arbeiten./He wants to work tomorrow.Conjunctive II: Mein Vater mà ¶chte gerne nach Kà ¶ln reisen./My father would like to travel to Cologne.In the passive: Die Tà ¼r sollte verriegelt sein./The door should be locked.In the passive perfect: Das Kind scheint zu spt angekommen zu sein./The child seems to have arrived too late.With modal verbs:  Der Junge soll die Banana essen, aber er will nicht./The boy should eat the banana, but he does not want to. Infinitives as Nouns Infinitives can become nouns. No changes are necessary. Only you must remember to precede the infinitive noun with the article das and to always capitalize it. For example: das Liegen/the lying-down, das Essen- the food, das Fahren/the driving. Infinitives as Subject Some German infinitives can stand in as the subject of a sentence. Some of these are: anfangen, aufhà ¶ren, beginnen, andenken, glauben, hoffen, meinen, vergessen, versuchen. For example: Sie meint, sie hat immer recht./Sie meint, immer recht zu haben: She thinks she is always right. Note: If you say: Sie meint, er hat immer recht you cant replace er with the infinitive since the original subject of the sentence isnt restated. Ich freue mich, dass ich ihn bald wiedersehe./I am happy that I will be able to see him again.Ich freue mich ihn bald wiederzusehen./Im happy to see him again. Conjugated Verb Infinitive Only a handful of verbs can pair up with an infinitive in a German sentence. These verbs are: bleiben, gehen, fahren, lernen, hà ¶ren, sehen, lassen. (Ich bleibe hier sitzen/I will stay sitting here.) Conjunction Infinitive   Phrases with the following conjunctions will always carry a German infinitive, whether it a short or longer phrase: anstatt, ohne, um. For example:   Er versucht ohne seinen Stock zu gehen./He tries to walk without his cane.Sie geht in die Schule, um zu lernen./She goes to school to learn. Noun Infinitive   Sentences with der Spaß and die Lust will carry a German infinitive: Sie hat Lust, heute einkaufen zu gehen./She feels like going shopping today. Sentences with the following nouns will also carry a German infinitive: die Absicht, die Angst, die Freude, die Gelegenheit, der Grund, die Mà ¶glichkeit, die Mà ¼he, das Problem, die Schwierigkeiten, die Zeit. For example: Ich habe Angst dieses alte Auto zu fahren./I am scared to drive this old car.Sie sollte diese Gelegenheit nicht verpassen./She should not miss this opportunity. Exceptions: There will not be an infinitive  if there is a conjunction in the sentence: Es gibt ihr viel Freude, dass er mitgekommen ist./It gives her great joy that he came along.