Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Cómo obtener una visa para trabajo temporal en EE.UU.

Cà ³mo obtener una visa para trabajo temporal en EE.UU. Para trabajar legalmente en Estados Unidos es requisito tener uno de los varios documentos que lo permiten. Obviamente, los ciudadanos de los EE.UU. pueden trabajar, pero tambià ©n los titulares de las tarjetas de residencia permanente, conocida como green card, o los migrantes en situaciones especiales que les permiten solicitar un permiso de trabajo como, por ejemplo, asilados, muchachos con DACA o extranjeros en proceso de ajuste de estatus. Pero tambià ©n existe la posibilidad de tener una visa que autorice a trabajar por un periodo de tiempo determinado. Para obtener una de dichas visas es necesario que el perfil del trabajador extranjero se ajuste a las caracterà ­sticas del visado y que el trabajador encuentre empresa dispuesta a patrocinarlo. Adems, es imprescindible que la empresa inicie los trmites En la mayorà ­a de los casos eso implica un proceso ante el Departamento de Trabajo y el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Naturalizacià ³n (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Solamente cuando la empresa patrocinadora ha hecho todos los trmites que exige la visa que quiere patrocinar puede el trabajador solicitar la visa en un consulado o Embajada de los Estados Unidos Listado de visas para trabajar en EE.UU. Cada aà ±o se otorgan cientos de miles de visados de trabajo temporales en diferentes categorà ­as, cada una con sus propios requisitos. El primer paso para obtener visa de trabajo es informarse sobre si se cumplen los requisitos de perfil de cada una de ellas. Las principales son: E-3, para trabajadores australianosC1/D, para miembros tripulacià ³n cruceroG-1 a G-5, organizaciones internacionalesH-1B, profesionales con conocimientos altamente especializados o modelosH-1B1, profesionales con conocimientos especiales de ChileH-1A, trabajadores en agriculturaH-2B, trabajadores no especializados en trabajos no agrà ­colasI, periodistaL-1, tranfers entre empresasO, profesionales con habilidad extraordinaria en Arte, Ciencias, Educacià ³n, Deportes o NegociosP, artistas, atletas y espectculosR, religiososTN, para profesionales mexicanos Cà ³mo encontrar patrocinador para visa trabajo en EE.UU. Sin una empresa estadounidense que actà ºe como patrocinadora, no hay visa de trabajo. Sin embargo, ninguna persona extranjera puede ingresar a EE.UU. con la intencià ³n de buscar trabajo. Por lo tanto, es complicado el proceso de obtener patrocinador. El primer paso para intentarlo es preguntar a personas que han tenido o tienen una visa de trabajo temporal y solicitar los contactos en el Departamento de Recursos Humanos o sobre reclutadores que trabajen para esas empresas. Si no hay resultados positivos, es el momento de buscar directamente patrocinador. Se estima que solo 1 de cada 16 empresas de Estados Unidos patrocinan visas temporales, ello es debido a la complejidad de los trmites y a que es caro. Sin embargo, las empresas que en el pasado han patrocinado, son estadà ­sticamente ms favorables a volverlo a hacer. Por esta razà ³n, el siguiente paso en la bà ºsqueda de patrocinador debe ser informarse sobre quà © empresas han contratado extranjeros y con quà © tipo de visa. Por ejemplo, Departamento de Trabajo publica el listado de empresas que han pedido certificados laborales como paso previo a la solicitud de visa. Este es un buen camino particularmente para visas como la H-1B para profesionales. En el caso de buscar un H-2A o H-2B, es importante informarse sobre los reclutadores que operan en terceros paà ­ses como, por ejemplo, Mà ©xico. Es importante verificar la reputacià ³n de los reclutadores para evitar fraude. Para algunas visas agencias privadas trabajan habitualmente con empresas para ayudarles a seleccionar trabajadores. Por ejemplo, en el caso de cruceros. Si asà ­ tampoco se obtiene patrocinador, se puede intentar en bases de datos conocidas, en la red social LinkedIn o, incluso, para algunas visas como la H-1B es posible contactar con universidades, para el caso de profesores o investigadores, y tambià ©n con consultoras boutique o grandes tipo TCS o WIPRO. El problema con las consultoras es que pueden pedir dinero por este servicio y las leyes migratorias prohiben el pago de una cuota para obtener una visa de trabajo. Esto podrà ­a dar problemas en el momento de solicitar la visa o, incluso, aà ±os ms tarde. Finalmente, existen servicios como el de USponsor Me que analizan el perfil del trabajador en busca de patrocinador y determinan si cumplen los requisitos para una visa de trabajo e indican cules son las empresas que buscan ese perfil y estn dispuestas a patrocinar. Trmites para una visa de trabajo y costo para empresa La empresa debe seguir un trmite burocrtico que puede ser complicado para patrocinar, de ahà ­ que muchas veces se recurra a una agencia o a un bufete de abogados especialista en este tipo de gestiones. En algunos casos, como por ejemplo en el de la H-1B para profesionales y modelos es preciso realizar un paso previo antes de contactar con las autoridades de inmigracià ³n: pedir una Aplicacià ³n de Certificacià ³n Laboral al Departamento de Trabajo. La empresa patrocinadora debe rellenar y enviar al USCIS la planilla I-129 y pagar la tarifa correspondiente. Una excepcià ³n a esta regla son  las visas C1/D de tripulacià ³n- todo tipo de trabajadores- para trabajar en cruceros es suficiente que la naviera extienda un contrato de trabajo y envà ­e una carta oficial al tripulante para que pueda solicitar visa en el consulado. Si la solicitud de visa es aprobada por el USCIS, a continuacià ³n se empieza a gestionar la visa para el trabajador extranjero solicitndola al consulado correspondiente. La solicitud puede ser negada en cualquier momento de su tramitacià ³n si faltan documentos, si el trabajador no cumple con los requisitos de la visa o si à ©ste es inadmisible para ingresar a Estados Unidos. El coste para la empresa de la visa de trabajo es caro. La tarifa del formulario I-129 es de $460. Adems, dependiendo de las circunstancias la empresa debe pagar la tarifa de deteccià ³n de fraude ($500), cumplir con la Ley de Competitividad Americana ($750 a $1500) y si tiene ms de 50 empleados o ms del 50 por ciento de sus trabajadores son extranjeros debe pagar entre $4000 y $4500 ms. Adems, si utilizan los servicios de un abogado deber pagar sus honorarios. Puntos Clave: visas de trabajo Existen numerosas visas de trabajo temporal para Estados Unidos pero es necesario tener un patrocinador estadounidense que inicie todo el trmite y brinde un contrato. Sin esos requisitos no se puede solicitar dicha visa.Principales visas de trabajo: H-1B (profesionales y modelos), H-2A (agricultura), H-2B (trabajo no especializado no agrà ­cola), O (trabajadores con habilidad extraordinaria en Arte, Ciencias, Deporte, Educacià ³n o Negocios), TN (profesionales mexicanos).Trmites: Puede ser necesario como primer paso que la empresa obtenga un Certificado laboral del Departamento de Trabajo. La empresa debe solicitar al USCIS un trabajador extranjero mediante el formulario I-129. Solo si USCIS aprueba peticià ³n puede solicitarse visa de trabajo en consulado.Costo: adems de abogados, tarifa del I-129 ($460 por trabajador) ms gastos adicionales como deteccià ³n de fraude, cumplimiento de la ley sobre competitividad americana y cargo a empresas con ms de 50 empleados o con ms del 50 por ciento de extranjeros en la fuerza laboral. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Work Smarter 2.0

Work Smarter 2.0 If you are serious about taking your writing to the next level in 2014, no doubt youve taken steps to maximize your efficiency. After all, time is money, and as Zig Ziglar said, â€Å"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.† In the technological age, the writer is faced with a bewildering array of websites, applications, programs and tools, which all proclaim to make the process of writing or researching easier. But which ones really work? And how? 1: rescuetime.com This is most obvious place to start, an application which runs continuously in the background on your computer, tracking and logging the time you spend on different websites, or engaged in other online activities. It then gives you a report, allowing you to see where you really spend your time! 2: https://unroll.me/ A large portion of any writers day is spent wading through junk mail. This is a time-saving program that allows you to bundle up all your subscriptions into one email and unsubscribe at a click, leaving you with a daily dose of just the good stuff. 3: boomeranggmail.com/ We all forget to reply to the occasional email, sometimes losing out on a potential sale in the process. This little gem helps ensure that never happens again. It enables you organize your inbox, manage your correspondence, and set reminders. Great tool when dealing with people in different time zones. 4: alexa.com/ Many writers now write guest blogs to help build their platform. But with so many websites and blogs scrambling for content, how do you know which ones are worth investing your time in? This tool bar allows you to instantly see how many hits a site gets worldwide, and therefore gauge how popular it is in real terms. 5: http://evernote.com/ This productivity tool takes all your notes and ideas, in whatever form they may come, and collates them in one place at the touch of a button. It even records your meetings and interviews, and lets you share the files with friends or clients. 6: focusboosterapp.com/ Procrastination is the enemy of every writer. This simple desktop and web application built around a timer is specifically designed to block out any distractions and enhance your concentration levels when your back is against the wall. 7: http://mind42.com/ When used correctly, mindmapping can be a very effective technique for improving productivity. This is one of the best free apps available, helping you get more organized 8: http://getpocket.com/ Its all too easy to get distracted 9: launchy.net/ This wonderful little tool allows you to launch the files and documents you are currently working on and open selected folders and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes, saving you from having to wade through endless start menus. Its not easy being a freelance writer. Sometimes life gets in the way. But Zig Ziglar is right: We all have the same 24-hours in a day. Its how we use them that counts. Combine some of these tools with a healthy dose of dedication to make 2014 your most successful year yet.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki - Essay Example Essentially, Takaki uses this article to explicitly show how the southern plantation owners were determined to replace the â€Å"black† farmers and labourers with the Chinese. This is because they believed that the Chinese were more hardworking and industrious and thus they could teach the â€Å"black† labourers to become equally hardworking and industrious. Comparatively, Takaki uses this article to complicate the commonly held perceptions regarding interracial competition by pointing out that the immigrants from different backgrounds attempted to get along with one another. To explicate, Takaki presents how both the Japanese, Mexican and Asian workers worked unanimously, ignoring their racial problems and differences. In addition, by stating that the Japanese immigrants thought that in America â€Å"money grows in trees,† (Takaki, 1993), Takaki aims to clarify how indeed the immigrants saw America as a land of many opportunities. Bharati Mukherjee, the author of the article â€Å"Jasmine† argues that like the character Jasmine, many immigrant Americans, including her, have tended to present themselves as Americans, cutting off their association with the traditional world which surprisingly predetermines their fate. Generally speaking, after the main character Jasmine losses her husband at a tender age of only seventeen years through a bomb attack (Mkherjee, 1989, p. 12), she is depressed and seems destined to live a solitude and lonely life, in a rural Indian village which is also her birthplace. However, Jasmine has burning desires to explore a more dangerous and larger world. Originally, Jasmine and her husband were planning to move to Florida. Nonetheless, after her husband’s death, Jasmine decides to single-handedly take the long journey.  Notably important, as she travels, Jasmine is faced with many challenges and obstacles thus transforming her into a more adventurous and stressful life.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Weed by Amrita Pritam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Weed by Amrita Pritam - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the story unfolds through the point of view of an unnamed narrator, obviously a city-bred and educated female. The main theme of the story is the vulnerability of women who fall prey to the lure of men, symbolized through the metaphorical weed, and how males exploit the females for carnal pleasure and then discard them. Right from the first line of the story, the author hints at the way women are treated in rural India by her reference to the â€Å"new bride of the old servant,† which connotes to the fact that older men in the country practice polygamy and that they can have younger wives. The author also suggests that under the patriarchal system that exists in the country, any father can give away his daughter to any man without the consent of the girl. Pritam presents the girl as a â€Å"delight to both ear and eye† and owning a body that redeems her â€Å"dark complexion†. In contrast, the author portrays her husband, Prabhati, as â€Å"old, short and loose-jawed,† which indicates that the society disregards the traits of a woman and by belonging to the stronger sex, men are automatically qualified to claim any woman. Unfortunately, Angoori is not the single female, who meets with a similar fate in the rural Indian society and it appears that many suffer at men’s hands in the same way. She relates the story of her friend, who absconds with her paramour, who later deserts her, to the narrator. The author tries to emphasize the issue of male exploitation of the females by referring to various aspects of the rural Indian culture, which is her major theme for the story. She uses the metaphor of the â€Å"weed† to underline the fact that males use some or other material element to win over the female hearts. In the case of Angoori’s friend, the weed comes in the form of sweets and betel leaf and in the protagonist’s case, it takes the form of sweetened tea. The men in all cases e xploit the women and after enjoying the carnal pleasure desert them. The exploitation of women in the rural Indian culture, thus, is a theme that is recurrently emphasized in the story. Pritam also deploys the literary device of imagery and irony profusely in the story to underline the theme of exploitation of females by males in the rural Indian culture. The author’s deft use of imagery to attain this purpose becomes evident from the episode where she equates Angoori’s body to â€Å"rightly kneaded dough, a baker’s pride† and describes her â€Å"rippling muscles impregnated with the metallic resilience of a coiled spring†. By using such imagery, the author provides the readers with a vivid picture a youthful and energetic female. On the other hand, Pritam talks about her husband as a loose-jawed old man, a stark contrast to the resilient and beautiful Angoori, for whom a husband is one whose feet a girl begins to adore when she is five or six. By dwelling on the protagonist’s beliefs such as this, the author wants to emphasize that women in rural India tend to acquiesce to men and they find contentment in it.  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Best Buys Problems Essay Example for Free

Best Buys Problems Essay 1. After Anderson took over Best Buy in 2002, he pursued four pivotal strategic initiatives, what prompted him to do so – his rationale? After Brad Anderson became the CEO of Best Buy in 2002 his team of executives came up with and emphasized four main central strategic initiatives, which are customer-centricity, promoting an efficient enterprise, win with providing the best service, and win in entertainment. As we all know, customer-centricity being by far the most important initiative. One major reason that prompted Brad Anderson and Best Buy to come up with these strategic initiatives was the main threat of imitation by competitors for example the emergence of Wal-Mart, Target as mass merchandisers/wholesalers and other forms of retail such as Amazon (online retailers). In the past, most of Best Buy’s competition focused on customers whose main concern is pricing, without providing anything extra such as advice, support and services. However as the competition began to emulate or imitate Best Buy’s strategy/business model by delving into the higher-end consumer domain (electronics) which is of course Best Buy’s bread n’ butter, Brad Anderson and his team of executives had to come up with a new way to do business by focusing on customer-centricity instead of just focusing on the product (or the selling of it) itself. For example Wal-Mart is poaching or headhunting talented Best Buy salespeople or their rising stars by offering them better benefits which will in turn cause a high turnover rate of Best Buy staff and hinder their sales force and development program. Another reason, which is also vital and in turn prompted change in Best Buy’s strategic initiative is the key concept that the environment or the world we live in as well as the people/customer will continually change. One who understands this concept will ultimately grasp the fact that people’s needs are constantly evolving and changing over time. For example as mentioned briefly above whereas in the past clients tended to be more function and price-conscious, in the modern world of today customers will tend to value service and support and put more of an emphasis on those elements rather than just the pricing itself so instead of trying to just sell the product/service, a company must in essence place more emphasis on the customers themselves, thus creating a customer-centric worldview by centering on individual needs instead of the â€Å"one style fits all† approach and by redefining its value proposition in a coherent way which aligns with the central strategic initiative of customer-centricity. 2. What are the key elements of Anderson’s most important strategic initiative – customer centricity? One of Best Buy’s core goals is to create a customer-centric culture by developing a better understanding of customer’s needs or requirements and by providing them with attention, care, excellent service and knowledge. Therefore one crucial element in Anderson’s customer centricity strategic initiative is the introduction of customer segmentation. He firmly believed that Best Buy would do well if it could concentrate on the most profitable segments and deter the unprofitable segments altogether. Because of this Anderson aimed to build customer loyalty with the profitable segments and in doing so, the company’s existing assets can then be leveraged. Therefore 5 different customer segments were introduced and implemented; Barry, Buzz, Ray, Jill and BB4B (for businesses) each led by a segment leader whose primary purpose was to deeply understand his/her segment’s buying behavior, attitudes and tendencies, armed with insight into consumer needs. By focu sing on customer segmentation, Best Buy can come up with or improve its system and products catered to the specific needs of each group thereby also enhancing differentiation to meet long-term trends or needs. Another key element in Best Buy’s customer centricity model is the concept of Best Practice Sharing and instead of just focusing on the selling of the product, staff (sales) must also focus on offering customers solutions. For example instead of just offering to sell a single product, the informed staff can offer to sell the â€Å"whole deal† such as video conferencing, digital signage, and technology lifecycle management packaged altogether for a business client. Because of this I believe that HR has a very important role to play in providing development/training programs for the employee as well as identifying and recruiting â€Å"star† employees, providing them with the benefits so that their services can be retained on a long-term basis. A central element in Best Buy’s customer centricity initiative is a change in its labor force or model. Because of this new specialized positions were added into the Best Buy labor force. So instead of solely having skilled salespeople, Best Buy also employs Geek Squad agents (technology experts valuable to small businesses and well equipped to deal with the BB4B Best Buy for Business segment), home-theater/technological product installers, and even personal shopping assistants. This focuses on extensive training regarding the different customer segments, addresses the need to recognize the different necessities of many types of customers and also finally to identify customers most likely to buy which product from a particular segment/domain (scope). In addition to the change in labor force or model, leveraging prior acquisitions is also an important element in Best Buy’s customer centric ideology. By leveraging the two, Best Buy can pool its resources and put its custo mers first and in turn offer them more options as well as solutions. Customer relationships can also be leveraged to create customer loyalty fostering long-term relationships with the client. For the sake of brevity I would like to briefly mention the last important element in Best Buy’s customer centric ideology/strategy, which is the empowering element. This calls for empowering sales staff to make wholesome, informed merchandizing decisions. With a proper training and development programs, employees can use their knowledge about customer behavior, form hypotheses and test it out in a real world setting to see what works. After they can discuss about the results and if something yields favorable results (promoting and meeting a variety of needs with more choices for customers), new ideas can be implemented to promote and attain the perfect customer experience and customer satisfaction. By empowering its employees new and worthy ideas can be attained. The ever-comprehensive Best-Buy reporting system and its â€Å"chalk-talks† are also vital in obtaining important information (customer centric vs. non-centric stores) and trends as well as teaching its employ ees good business practices. 3. How would you recommend Brad Anderson for further actions? I believe that Best Buy’s problem lies in its function of a flawed business model, which in turn led to a function of poor execution. The poor model being where the merchant organization, segment/domain leaders, and GMs were forced to coexist and work wholly together as a business group. Before the customer centricity initiative kicked in, the merchant organization was in charge of everything such as buying, pricing, marketing/merchandizing, etc. The new model however forced merchants to work together with segment leaders. This in turn forced the merchants to switch out of their comfort zone and take a more holistic view of the business, focusing more on customer needs. The company’s growth path now expected merchants to put the customer first and foremost and grow the business by offering more than just the product itself, it must also identify customer trends. While the merchant organization was used to controlling everything, now they have to listen to and work with the segment leaders who have all the insight regarding customers, where they tended to focus on the opportunity solely from the consumer’s point of view. Ron Boire (VP GM) himself believed that their loss in the third-quarter results was because there was no camaraderie between the three business units (GMs, Merchants, and Segment leaders). Coexistence between the business units is difficult, therefore contributing to a flawed model. For positive further action, one thing Anderson could do is eliminate the risk of fragmentation altogether. Fragmentation can lead to a â€Å"focus on everything† strategy, which in turn can harm the business by trying to do too much, and wasting away valuable resources. It should concentrate and have at all times 3-5, but never more than 5 customer segments, which will create confusion and loss of focus. Best Buy should ultimately focus its assets on its â€Å"angel† group or most profitable customer niche. For example it can separate its most successful segment that being BB4B (Best Buy for Business) and establish an individual unit. This is because that segment in itself can be a separate yet focused unit because it will inevitably also encompass various segments in the business as well, cross-cutting. Another element that Best Buy can focus on is (I know that this has been said and done over and over again) having a proper staff development program in place, which of course, focuses on customer centricity. I’m sure this element is and has been addressed before however I would like to emphasize the importance of having a proper system to measure the results of the program itself. Training can be done repeated again however what is most important is that there is a system that directly measures the results of effects of staff development initiative. Another way to go would be to cut costs and heavily promote online sales. Best Buy has been slow in capturing the online market share. It also has to improve its image as it suffers from price comparison issues. Best Buy should ultimately focus on these factors, which it is of course currently doing in its â€Å"Renew Blue† strategy: * Reinvigorate the customer experience. Best Buys plans include offering customers unique benefits and exclusive membership programs, and continuing to develop a leading edge, multi-channel shopping experience through a highly relevant and effective system. * Attract and grow transformational leaders who will inevitably energize employees to deliver extraordinary results.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

AngloSaxon Language Essay -- essays papers

AngloSaxon Language Nearly all knowledge of the English language before the seventh century is hypothetical. Most of this knowledge is based on later English documents and earlier documents in related languages (3). The English language of today represents many centuries of development. As a continuous process, the development of the English language began in England around the year 449 with the arrival of several Germanic tribes including: the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes (1, p.49). English, like all other languages, is subject to constant growth and decay (1). Many of the political and social events that have so profoundly affected the English people in their life have generally had an impact on their language (1). The evolution and developmental changes of Anglo-Saxon Language and Modern English have been characterized by three basic periods: Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. Old English was spoken and written in England during the early part of the Middle Ages, from about 600-1100 (2). The language’s earliest stage of development was known as Old English (OE) (3). The four main varieties of the language that were taken to Britain were: Kentish which was associated with the Jutes; West Saxon, from the Southern region, Wessex; Mercian, an Anglian dialect which was spoken in Mercia; and Northumbrian, one of the northernmost Anglian dialects (3). The â€Å"vocabulary expanded chiefly through compounding and derivation,† but there were also a few changes in meaning that contributed to this growth (3, p473). The first written form of the language was runic letters which was replaced by a modified version of the Roman alphabet during the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity (3). Very little of OE cou... ...atus of reasonable importance among the world (1). Although â€Å"the Germanic dialects that migrated in the 5th century to Britain have expanded into a 20th century global common language,† the position that the language will occupy in the future is still uncertain (3p472). Bibliography: Works Cited Baugh, A.C. & Cable, T. (1987). A History of the English Language. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. Lynch, J. (2002, January). History of the English Language. [Online]. Available Internet: dept.English.upenn.edu Directory: ~lynch/terms File: history McArthur, T. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press. â€Å"Oxford English Dictionary.† (2002, January). History of the Dictionary. [Online]. Available Internet: www.oed.com Directory: public/inside File: history

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Food Chains, Food Web, Ecological Pyramids Essay

In an ecosystem, plants capture the sun’s energy and use it to convert inorganic compounds into energy-rich organic compounds. This process of using the sun’s energy to convert minerals (such as magnesium or nitrogen) in the soil into green leaves, or carrots, or strawberries, is called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is only the beginning of a chain of energy conversions. There are many types of animals that will eat the products of the photosynthesis process. Examples are deer eating shrub leaves, rabbits eating carrots, or worms eating grass. When these animals eat these plant products, food energy and organic compounds are transferred from the plants to the animals. These animals are in turn eaten by other animals, again transferring energy and organic compounds from one animal to another. Examples would be lions eating zebras, foxes eating rabbits, or birds eating worms. This chain of energy transferring from one species to another can continue several more times, but it eventually ends. It ends with the dead animals that are broken down and used as food or nutrition by bacteria and fungi. As these organisms, referred to as decomposers, feed from the dead animals, they break down the complex organic compounds into simple nutrients. Decomposers play a very important role in this world because they take care of breaking down (cleaning) many dead material. There are more than 100,000 different types of decomposer organisms! These simpler nutrients are returned to the soil and can be used again by plants. The energy transformation chain starts all over again. Producers: Organisms, such as plants, that produce their own food are called autotrophs. The autotrophs, as mentioned before, convert inorganic compounds into organic compounds. They are called producers because all of the species of the ecosystem depend on them. Consumers: All the organisms that can not make their own food (and need producers) are called heterotrophs. In an ecosystem heterotrophs are called consumers because they depend on others. They obtain food by eating other organisms. There are different levels of consumers. Those that feed directly from producers, i.e. organisms that eat plant or plant products are called primary consumers. In the figure above the grasshopper is a primary consumer. Organisms that feed on primary consumers are called secondary consumers. Those who feed on secondary consumers are tertiary consumers. In the figure above the snake acts as a secondary consumer and the hawk as a tertiary consumer. Some organisms, like the squirrel are at different levels. When the squirrel eats acorns or fruits (which are plant product), it is a primary consumer; however, when it eats insects or nestling birds, it is a tertiary consumer. Consumers are also classified depending on what they eat; they can be herbivores, carnivores, omnivores or scavengers. In looking at the previous picture, the concept of food chain looks very simple, but in reality it is more complex. Think about it. How many different animals eat grass? And from the Facts about Red-tailed Hawks page, how many different foods does the hawk eat? One doesn’t find simple independent food chains in an ecosystem, but many interdependent and complex food chains that look more like a web and are therefore called food webs. We described in the previous sections how energy and organic compounds are passed from one trophic level to the next. What was not mentioned is the efficiency of the transfer. In a highly efficient transfer almost all of the energy would be transferred — 80% or more. In a low efficiency transfer very little energy would be transferred — less than 20%. In a typical food chain, not all animals or plants are eaten by the next trophic level. In addition, there are portions or materials (such as beaks, shells, bones, etc.) that are also not eaten. That is why the transfer of matter and energy from one trophic level to the next is not an efficient one. One way to calculate the energy transfer is by measuring or sizing the energy at one trophic level and then at the next. Calorie is a unit of measure used for energy. The energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is about 10%. For example, if there are 10,000 calories at one level, only 1,000 are transferred to the next. This 10% energy and material transfer rule can be depicted with an ecological pyramid that looks like the one below. This pyramid helps one visualize the fact that in an ecological system there need to be many producing organisms at the bottom of the pyramid to be able to sustain just a couple of organisms at the top. In looking at the pyramid, can you guess how much larger the volume of each layer is as compared to the one just above it? Take a guess. It might not look like it but they are close to 10 times larger. A basic pyramid shape often represents a typical food chain or food web. The pyramid represents the decrease in the amount of energy, the number of organisms and the biomass from the producer to the high – order consumer levels. The decrease in the numbers and in the biomass represent the fact that, due to energy loss, fewer organisms can be supported at each successive trophic level. Pyramid of Energy Energy is lost between each link in a food chain. Much of the potential energy at each level never reaches the next level. Where does the energy go as it moves through a food chain? Some of the energy that enters a food chain is used as each organism carries out its life functions (i.e. foraging, metabolic processes, reproduction, predator/prey behavior, etc.). Producers manufacture their own food source directly from sunlight by the process of photosynthesis. In order to carry out life functions, consumers acquire energy through the ‘burning’ or breaking down of food molecules they consume (eat). Thermal energy (heat) is produced as a result of the burning of these food molecules. More than half of the energy from each food molecule is lost as heat. Only about 10% – 20% of energy at each trophic level is available to pass on to the next level. In other words, at each level there is only about 10% available energy to put on new biomass (growth). Pyramid of Numbers The loss of energy at each trophic level also explains why there are usually fewer organisms in each higher trophic level. The total number of plants in a particular area would generally be higher then the number of herbivores that the plants support and the number of herbivores would be higher than the number of higher order carnivores. Pyramid of Biomass Biomass is the total mass of dry organic matter per unit of area. Each higher trophic level contains less biomass than the previous trophic level. Therefore a drawing or graph that represents the amount of biomass at each trophic level would also produce the basic pyramid shape. Biomass is related to the abundance of organisms at each trophic level. Human Impact on Food Chains and Webs Humans have the ability to have a great impact on ecosystems. Living organisms are a significant portion of any ecosystem, therefore any activity that affects an ecosystem is also likely to affect the organisms within that ecosystem. If organisms are affected the food chains webs that the organisms are a part of will also feel the affects.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Data Analysis and Data Modeling in Visio

Lab – Data Analysis and Data Modeling in Visio Overview In this lab, we will learn to draw with Microsoft Visio the ERD’s we created in class. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this learning unit you should be able to: ? Understand the concept of data modeling ? Develop business rules ? Develop and apply good data naming conventions ? Construct simple data models using Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) ? Develop entity relationships and define various types of attributes Lab Goals Our lab goals are to: 1. Learn to build conceptual models in Microsoft Visio. 2. Create the 5 ERDs from class in Microsoft Visio. You will accomplish this by drawing the 4 diagrams from the class exercise. You will have to hand in all 4 diagrams by FTPing them to your account space on the IST-S-STUDENTS server and then pasting the url to the diagram in the text boxes for this week’s learning unit assessment. What you will need to begin 1. A copy of Microsoft Visio 2003 (or higher) 2. The Visio Conceptual Modeling Stencil conceptual modeling. vss (should be with the other files from this week’s lesson) 3. The class exercises from this week (should also be with the other files from week’s lesson. ) Part 1: Getting Ready for Using Microsoft Visio for Conceptual Modeling Overview This section will explain how to use Microsoft Visio to create conceptual Entity-Relationship data models. Microsoft Visio has built-in database tools for creating logical data models (those that apply the relational database theory to your entity-relationship diagrams), and not very good at conceptual modeling. As a result, using the MS Visio database tools to create the conceptual model diagrams can sometimes feel like trying to jam a round peg into a square hole. Since not many people are into shoving round pegs into square holes, this guide will explain how you can maximize the Visio database tools for creating conceptual models. For those of you familiar with Visio, here are the heuristics we will follow to make Visio conceptual model friendly: †¢ Use Database Model Diagrams †¢ Modify the settings to be more user-friendly †¢ Do not use the relationship tool – use my stencil instead Step 1: Create New Document The first step is to create a new document. From the Visio Menu, choose: File ( New ( Software & Database ( Database Model Diagram [pic] This will create your blank Visio page, and load the default database toolset. IMPORTANT: The default Visio stencils are for logical modeling. I’ve created a custom stencil for conceptual modeling. Step 2: Load the Conceptual Modeling Custom Stencil Download the stencil file from our learning management system and save the conceptual modeling. vss somewhere on the local computer. From the Shapes Bar, select Shapes ( More Shapes ( Open Stencil Use the Open Stencil dialog to browse for the conceptual modeling. vss and open it. You should see the following: [pic] Step 3: Configure Default Settings This is the most important step. In this step we will tweak the database document settings so that they are favorable to conceptual modeling. The benefits of doing this are there will be very little reworking of the document at the logical modeling step. From the Visio Ribbon, choose: Database ( Display Options The Database Document Options Dialog will appear. From this dialog, select Relational symbol set, and Conceptual Names visible on the diagram, as displayed in this dialog: [pic] Next, Click on the Table tab: From this section of the dialog, display everything except annotations and vertical lines, do not show data types, and place primary keys at top, as displayed in the following dialog: [pic] When you’re finished click ok. This will close the Database Document Options dialog. NOTE: You might want to save your document at this time. Now that you’ve got things set-up this file can serve as a template for future conceptual modeling diagrams. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A PRE-BUILT VISIO TEMPLATE FROM THE CLASS WEBSITE WITH THIS WEEK’S MATERIALS. Part 2: Microsoft Visio for Conceptual Modeling Walk-Thru Overview In this section, we will walk-through creating a conceptual data model with Microsoft Visio. We will use the vBay! (E-bay â€Å"like† website case study as an example for conceptual modeling. ) To Create an Entity: Drag the [pic] icon onto the page and drop. Name the entity in the database properties window: [pic] YOU DO IT: Now add these 4 Entities to your diagram: [pic] To Add Attributes to the entity: To add attributes to your entity, simply click on the columns section of the database properties window, and enter in your column names. Be sure to include the appropriate attribute descriptors [rucdm] with the physical name. Ignore the data type Req’d and PK columns. Those are used in logical modeling. [pic] YOU DO IT: Now add attributes to all 4 entities, like this: [pic] To Add Relationships among the entities: To Add Relationships, simply drag the appropriate relationship cardinality (for example: [pic]) onto the page and connect the ends to each entity. To â€Å"snap† the line to the entity drag the line end onto the box until it turns red, like this. Red symbolizes the shapes are glued together: [pic] After to glue both ends of the line to an entity, you can double-click on the line to assign it a label. For example: [pic] YOU DO IT: Now add all the relationships to complete the conceptual model, like this: [pic] Note: You might have to juggle the shapes and lines around to achieve a best fit. It takes time and a whole lot of patience! Other Tips You can place multiple diagrams in one file! Just keep adding pages. To add a page, from the menu select: Insert ( Blank Page [pic] To rename a page, right-click on the page and choose Rename You can add text to your diagram! Use the Text tool in the ribbon. Home ( Text. When you’re finished, be sure to select the Pointer Tool again. [pic] Part 3: Creating the 4 diagrams from class exercise & handing it in. Take the 4 diagrams from class and draw them in Microsoft Visio. †¢ Place one diagram on each page. †¢ Label the pages accordingly †¢ Save the document †¢ Upload the document to blackboard

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Two Camps of Modern Art is about the two main schools of thought in art history from 1945 - current

The Two Camps of Modern Art is about the two main schools of thought in art history from 1945 - current House of Marcel Duchamp's parents in Blainville-Cr...After six years of horror were brought to a close by the atomic bomb, (I am speaking of course of WWII) the new situation in society and the world required a profound change in art, which discarded traditional rules and provided the expected distinction between techniques of expression almost meaningless. From this point on it is no longer possible to speak of "painting": a different horizon opens, one that the masterpieces anticipated but which new artists are now tackling, in unpredictable ways; Modern Art. There is an analogy to the history of art. Modernism in art marks a point before which painters set about representing the world the way it presented itself, painting people and landscapes and historical events just as they would present themselves to the eye. With modernism, the conditions of representation themselves become central, so that art in a way becomes its own subject. This was almost precisely the way in which Clem ent Greenberg defined the matter in his famous 1960 essay "Modernist Painting." "The essence of Modernism," he wrote, "lies, as I see it, in the use of the characteristic methods of a discipline to criticize the discipline itself, not in order to subvert it but in order to entrench it more firmly in its area of competence." Interestingly, Greenberg took as his model of modernist thought the philosopher Immanuel Kant: "Because he was the first to criticize the means itself of criticism, I conceive of Kant as the first real Modernist." Kant did not see philosophy as adding to our knowledge so much as answering the question of how knowledge was possible. And I suppose the corresponding view of painting would have been not to represent the appearances of things so much as answering the question of how painting was possibleModern art...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Learning About German Dialects

Learning About German Dialects Youre not always going to hear  Hochdeutsch German-learners who step off the plane in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland for the first time are in for a shock if they know nothing about  German dialects. Although standard German (Hochdeutsch) is widespread and commonly used in typical business or tourist situations, there always comes a time when you suddenly cant understand a word, even if your German is pretty good. When that happens, it usually means you have encountered one of the many dialects of German. (Estimates on the number of German dialects vary, but range from about 50 to 250. The large discrepancy has to do with the difficulty in defining the term dialect.) This is a perfectly understandable phenomenon if you realize that in the early middle ages in what is now the German-speaking part of Europe there existed ONLY the many different dialects of the various Germanic tribes. There was no common German language until much later. In fact, the first common language, Latin, was introduced by the Roman incursions into the Germanic region, and one can see the result in German words like  Kaiser  (emperor, from Caesar) and  Student. This linguistic patchwork also has a political parallel: there was no country known as Germany until 1871, much later than most of the other European nation-states. However, the German-speaking part of Europe does not always coincide with current political borders. In parts of eastern France in the region known as Elsace-Lorraine (Elsaß) a German dialect known as Alsatian (Elsssisch) is still spoken today. Linguists divide the variations of German and other languages into three main categories:Dialekt/Mundart  (dialect),  Umgangssprache  (idiomatic language, local usage), and Hochsprache/Hochdeutsch  (standard German). But even linguists disagree about the precise borderlines between each category. Dialects exist almost exclusively in spoken form (despite transliteration for research and cultural reasons), making it difficult to pin down where one dialect ends and another begins. The Germanic word for dialect,  Mundart,  emphasizes the word of mouth quality of a dialect (Mund   mouth). Linguists may disagree on a precise definition of just what a dialect is, but anyone who has heard the  Plattdeutsch  spoken in the north or the  Bairisch  spoken in the south knows what a dialect is. Anyone who has spent more than a day in German Switzerland knows that the spoken language,Schwyzerdytsch,  is quite different from the  Hochdeutsch  seen in Swiss newspapers such as the  Neue Zà ¼rcher Zeitung  . All educated speakers of German learn  Hochdeutsch  or standard German. That standard German may come in various flavors or accents (which is not the same thing as a dialect).  Austrian German, Swiss (standard) German, or the  Hochdeutsch  heard in Hamburg versus that heard in Munich may have a slightly different sound, but everyone can understand each other. Newspapers, books, and other publications from Hamburg to Vienna all display the same language, despite minor regional variations. (There are fewer differences than those between British and American English.) One way to define dialects is to compare which words are used for the same thing. For example, the common word for mosquito in German may take any of the following forms in various German dialects/regions:  Gelse, Moskito, Mugge, Mà ¼cke, Schnake, Staunze.  Not only that, but the same word may take on a different meaning, depending on where you are.  Eine (Stech-) Mà ¼cke  in northern Germany is a mosquito. In parts of Austria the same word refers to a gnat or house fly, while  Gelsen  are mosquitos. In fact, there is no one universal term for some German words. A jelly-filled doughnut is called by three different German names, not counting other dialectical variations.Berliner, Krapfen  and  Pfannkuchen  all mean doughnut. But a  Pfannkuchen  in southern Germany is a pancake or crepe. In Berlin the same word refers to a doughnut, while in Hamburg a doughnut is a  Berliner. In the next part of this feature, well look more closely at the six major German dialect branches that extend from the German-Danish border south to Switzerland and  Austria, including a German dialect map. Youll also find some interesting related links for German dialects. German Dialects If you spend any time in almost any part of the German  Sprachraum  (language area) you will come into contact with a local dialect or idiom. In some cases, knowing the local form of German can be a matter of survival, while in others its more a matter of colorful fun. Below we briefly outline the six major German dialect branches-running generally from north to south. All are subdivided into more variations within each branch. Friesisch (Frisian) Frisian is spoken in the north of Germany along the North Sea coast. North Frisian is located just south of the border with Denmark. West Frisian extends into modern Holland, while East Frisian is spoken north of Bremen along the coast and, logically enough in the North and East Frisian islands just off the coast. Niederdeutsch (Low German/Plattdeutsch) Low German (also called Netherlandic or Plattdeutsch) gets its name from the geographic fact that the land is low (nether,  nieder; flat,  platt). It extends from the Dutch border eastward to the former German territories of Eastern Pommerania and East Prussia. It is divided into many variations including: Northern Lower Saxon, Westphalian, Eastphalian, Brandenburgian, East Pommeranian, Mecklenburgian, etc. This dialect often more closely resembles English (to which it is related) than standard German. Mitteldeutsch (Middle German) The Middle German region stretches across Germanys middle from Luxembourg (where the Letztebuergisch sub-dialect of  Mitteldeutsch  is spoken) eastward into present-day Poland and the region of Silesia (Schlesien). There are too many sub-dialects to list here, but the main division is between West Middle German and East Middle German. Frnkisch (Frankish) The East Frankish dialect is spoken along Germanys Main river pretty much in Germanys very center. Forms such as South Frankish and Rhine Frankish extend northwesterly towards the Moselle river. Alemannisch (Alemannic) Spoken in Switzerland north along the Rhine, extending farther north from Basel to Freiburg and almost to the city of Karlsruhe in Germany, this dialect is divided into Alsatian (west along the Rhine in todays France), Swabian, Low and High Alemannic. The Swiss form of Alemannic has become an important standard spoken language in that country, in addition to  Hochdeutsch, but it is also divided into two main forms (Bern and Zurich). Bairisch-Ãâ€"sterreichisch (Bavarian-Austrian) Because the Bavarian-Austrian region was more unified politically-for over a thousand years-it is also more linguistically uniform than the German north. There are some subdivisions (South, Middle, and North Bavarian, Tyrolian, Salzburgian), but the differences are not very significant.   Note: The word  Bairisch  refers to the language, while the adjective  bayrisch  or  bayerisch  refers to  Bayern  (Bavaria) the place, as in  der Bayerische Wald, the Bavarian Forest.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Answer questions - Essay Example osition but they are very good leaders and able to achieve the charity objective through various activities and lead team mates towards the same direction. Richard Branson is another example. He is a leader and has lead from the front to place VIRGIN group at the pinnacle, far ahead of the competitors and now he does not need to manage organization or personnel. For him, it is more important to set vision/direction and lead followers in the that direction. And below him, he has group of good managers to manage the organization. There are also some disadvantages of group activity that members face, like pressure to conform to group standards of performance and conduct. Some work groups might ostracize a person who is much more productive than his/her co-workers. Shrinking of individual responsibility is another problem frequently noted in groups. Just like Roosevelts old saying â€Å"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far† McGregor proposes is behind this kind of radish (incentive reward) adds the big stick-like management. By now administrative personnel’s responsibility and the corresponding mode of administration are: Superintendents role is a guardian, is the direction and guidance. What the management cares is how to raise the labor productivity, to complete the task; manager`s main function is the plan, the organization, the management, the direction, the surveillance, like the time allowance, the technical schedule and so on. Staff should obey instructions, if the staff violates these stipulations, management uses penalty; and for obeying the rules there are monetary rewards; The management may or may satisfy persons physiological needs as well as safety requirement in each kind of condition. The advantage of management entices for the staff, or punishes depending on the strict system, but it can use any regardless of which treatment stimulates the staff from exterior, enhances their work enthusiasm. Although research on each kind of driving

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Conflict between Profit-Making and Business Ethics Resulting in Essay

The Conflict between Profit-Making and Business Ethics Resulting in the Claims Made within the Article - Essay Example The report claims that by having the Olympic Branded products made within abusive sweatshops it makes a â€Å"mockery† of the claims made by London 2012 organisers that this summer’s Olympics will be the most ethical ever. 1.2- Who is the report intended for? The report is intended for the owner’s of the following six factories, PTShyang Yao Fung, Shyang Yao Fung, PT Parnarub Industry, PT Pancaprima, PT Golden Castle and PT Golden Continental. 1.3- Who asked for it? The Independent conducted the investigation. 1.4- What is the following report aiming to find out? The following report is aiming to examine the conflict between profit-making and business ethics whilst finding out if the claims made by The Independent’s investigation into the alleged sweatshops in Indonesia are making a ‘mockery’ out of the London summer Olympics and whether it is ethical. 2.0- Terms of reference: The report is intended for the owners of the Indonesian factories t o give findings and recommendations following an investigation from The Independent. The investigation was carried out because of claims from London Olympic organisers that ‘’this summer Olympics will be the most ethical ever.’’ 3.0- Procedure. ... 3.5- In total there were eleven people questioned within the article. 4.0- Findings: 4.1 –Indonesian factories have been contracted to produce Olympic branded clothing and shoes for the official sportswear partner of the London Olympics, which is the German company Adidas. These products are to be worn by athletes of Team Gb as well as games volunteers. 4.2 The German company Adidas hopes to make ?100 million pounds from its Olympic products. 4.3 An investigation carried out by The Independent has uncovered wide spread violations of workers rights in Indonesia. 4.4: From the investigation, The Independent has found out that the German company subjects its employees to long working hours, that is, they work for 65 hours which is 25 hours longer than what should be the case for a standard working week. 4.5 The employees of the German company are paid a very low pay and are mostly young females. 4.6 The German company is alleged to subject its employees to physical and verbal abu se and are punished in case they fail to achieve the production targets. 4.7 The Independent also found out that not a single factory among the nine factories of the Germany based company ensures that it pays its workers a living wage. 4.8 The report by the Independent unravelled that the Olympics Organising Committee (Locog) had adopted the base code set by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) that a living pay should be approximately 20 percent more than the officially recognised minimum wage of a country. 4.9 The investigations also revealed that the employees in the nine factories live in deplorable conditions where they have to skip meals to save money. 4.10 The working conditions have affected the families of the workers where some are separated from