Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Essay -- Crib Death SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a mysterious phenomena that has managed to confound science so far. SIDS is defined as the sudden death of any infant or young child that is unexpected by history and in which a thorough post mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause (Hunt & Brouillette, 1987). It is the leading cause of death in infants in developed countries occurring at a rate of almost 2 per 1000 births. It most often occurs in infants between the ages of one month and eight months with the highest occurrence in the 4-6 month range. Several behaviors have been associated with this syndrome such as prolonged sleep apnea, increased risk of breath inspiration pause, excessive periodic breathing, diminished ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia, and impaired arousal response to hypoxia, but none of these have stood out as the definitive cause or as a screening device (Hunt & Brouillette, 1987). Instead it appears SIDS may be the result of a collection of factors tha t in the right circumstances results in infant death. This paper will examine some of the factors that appear to be associated with SIDS as well as some hypotheses on the cause. Recent findings have shown that one cause of what has been labeled SIDS is suffocation or carbon dioxide rebreathing (Kemp et al, 1993). Technically this is not SIDS but it is often misdiagnosed as the cause of death if the physical scene is not examined, and it may also be a significant cause of SIDS. It seems that the practice of placing infants in the prone position, common in America and Europe, may be detrimental to the infant’s well-being. Studies of rabbits placed in this position on various surfaces have shown death to ensue as a re... ...s in human hypothalamus in relation to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Progress in Brain Research: 93, 167-188. Lagercrantz, H and M. Ranold. (1991) Hypoxia and Neuropharmacology of Breathing. Developmental Neurobiology of Breathing, New York. pp. 661-679. Naeye, R., J. Olsson and J. Combs. New Brainstem and Bone Marrow Abnormalities in Victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. J. Perinat.: 9, 180-183. Ponsonby, A., T. Dwyer, et al. (1993) Factors Potentiating the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Associated with the Prone Position. N. Engl. J. Med. :329, 377-382. Schechtman, V., R. Harper, and D. Southall. (1992) Sleep State Organization in Normal Infants and Victims of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Pediatrics; 89, 865-870. Ward, S., D. Bautista and T. Keens. (1992) Hypoxia Arousal Response in Normal Infants. Pediatrics: 89, 860-864.

Losing Free Speech -- Freedom of Speech

â€Å"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.† These words were spoken by Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, more well known by his pen name, Voltaire (Quotes About Censorship, #36). A French philosopher from the seventeen hundreds, Voltaire is believed to have influenced the Founding Fathers of America. As a matter of fact, this quote makes up the backbone of the First Amendment from the U.S. Constitution, which states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. While these words were originally written as a kiss-off of sorts to Great Britain, they were also crafted in a way that would transition throughout generations. However, what exactly do these words mean today? How far can someone go and still be able to defend their actions with the phrase â€Å"freedom of speech?† A general rule of thumb that has been used was the fire in a crowded theater example, (it is unlawful to yell â€Å"Fire!† in a crowded room, due to the endangerment of those inside) but society has reached an age where there are more ways than just word of mouth to cause panic. Nowadays, a rapper can send subliminal messages about spousal abuse through a popular song. Nowadays, a simple Facebook conversation between friends on a social networking sites can cause suspension, or in some cases, expulsion. Nowadays, a simple wardrobe malfunction on live, network television can launch a federal investigation spanning five years over whether or not a pop starâ₠¬â„¢s nipple can be deemed â€Å"offensive.† Pop culture has effectiv... .... â€Å"PERSON OF THE YEAR: THE SHORT LIST: JULIAN ASSANGE.† TIME: 90-94. PRINT. HARRIS, MARK. â€Å"CENSOR AND SENSIBILITY.† ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: 36. PRINT. â€Å"FAQ’S ABOUT THE PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL.† PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL. THE PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL, N.D. WEB. 1 FEB 2011 . â€Å"INTERNET QUOTES, SAYINGS ABOUT THE WORLD WIDE WEB.† THE QUOTE GARDEN. N.D. WEB. 3 FEB 2011 . â€Å"H.S. TEACHER LOSES JOB OVER FACEBOOK POSTING - BOSTON NEWS STORY - WCVB BOSTON.† THE BOSTON CHANNEL. WCVB TV 5, 18 AUGUST 2010. WEB. 12 FEB 2011 . â€Å"CENSORSHIP QUOTES, FREEDOM OF SPEECH SAYINGS.† THE QUOTE GARDEN. N.D. WEB. 7 FEB 2011 .

Abraham Van Helsing Essay

Innocence, chastity, purity, and married life are just a few things that made up the ‘image’ of the nineteenth century Victorian woman. During this time, it was greatly looked down upon if a woman chose to stay single, as she would be pitied and dubbed a â€Å"whore†. Lucy Westenra is one of the main characters in the novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker. Lucy is a beautiful young lady whose innocence and virtuous being draws three suitors to her. Although, this portrayed innocence is not the only thing that is drawing these men towards her. Lucy has a sexual appeal to her personality, much different than her best friend Mina Murray and the typical Victorian woman. This sense of sexual desire will eventually lead her right into the dangerous and evil arms of Count Dracula. The Count only has the ability to attack willing victims, which is why the sexually driven Victorian woman, Lucy Westenra is the first character to become victimized by Dracula’s deadly spell. Count Dracula was an evil, lustful vampire who wanted nothing but power and control. He lived in an Eastern European country called, Transylvania. The Count preyed on any individual who would make him feel in control and powerful of the situation. This is why Lucy Westenra was targeted and made Dracula’s first victim. The first peculiar account Lucy and Mina experience was when they see a Russian ship wrecked near the shore and hear that the there was no life aboard and the captain had died holding a crucifix in his hands. Soon after the account, Lucy started mysteriously sleep walking many night in a row into the grave yard near her home. One night, Mina had awoken the Rowatt 3 find Lucy missing and not in her bed, she then found her outside with a creature with beaming red eyes hunched over her. Mina tried to save her friend but by the time she got over there, the creature was gone. In the morning Mina had found strange dots on Lucy’s neck and after struggling for weeks Lucy became deathly sick and started to change before everyone’s eyes. Unknowingly, she was transforming into a super natural and dangerous form of herself while dead and lying in a cold grave. â€Å"Indeed, it is not only Lucy and Mina who are dramatically transformed in the draining, but Dracula himself, whose transformations are much more varied and complex than those of his victims.† (Pg. 238, Viragh) Count Dracula had stripped this woman of her innocence and virtue by changing her to an evil vampire just like him. Dracula now had control over Lucy but only because she was willing to let him control her. In the nineteenth century, straying away from who a woman is supposed to be according to the Roman Catholic Church is heresy. A woman was never to be with more than one man, but was to be married and completely faithful to her partner. This century was ruled by â€Å"the belief that an individual’s sex and sexuality form the most basic core of their identity, potentiality, social/political standing, and freedom† (Pg. 1, Ridgway) Lucy Westenra had a completely different mindset as she expressed in a letter to her dear friend Mina. â€Å"Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?† (Pg. 66, Stoker) After Lucy states these words in her letter, she immediately admits to her thoughts and actions being heresy. Just because she confessed Rowatt 4 to this sin against the church and her beliefs does not simply alleviate Lucy’s sexual desire. This difference between Lucy and other nineteenth century virtuous women was not just a phase of rebellion, it was psychological. Lucy is fully aware that she is desired by many men and she lets that get into her head, essentially she is feeding off the attention. This vulnerability and openness is why Lucy Westenra is Count Dracula’s first and easiest target. The first time the Count starts to get into Lucy’s head is after her and Mina see the wrecked boat upon shore, containing the containers of dirt. These were Dracula’s sleeping quarters. This fact was not known by the women at the time, but soon after this event is when Lucy starts to sleep walk. This sleep walking is not a coincidence but is psychologically connected to her sinful desires of lustfulness. Count Dracula only has the power the attack willing victims, which could only mean Lucy knew in her subconscious what she was doing by going out to the cemetery at nights. This spell Dracula puts on Lucy is the same spell he put on the three women who now life in Dracula Castle with him. These women were just as innocent and virtuous as Lucy was and are now sex crazed and evil just as the Count is. This â€Å"spell† was a way to undermine women so that Dracula would feel powerful and controlling over them. In essence, Lucy Westenra was a seemingly virtuous nineteenth century Victorian woman who actually had underlying sexual desires. These desires made Lucy vulnerable to Count Dracula, who was consumed with gaining control over his victims. Because of her lustful manor, Lucy was drawn to the attack of Dracula and fell under his deep spell. From then on there was no turning back. Works Cited Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. Viragh, Attila. â€Å"Can The Vampire Speak? Dracula As Discourse On Cultural Extinction.† English Literature In Transition, 1880-1920 56.2 (2013): 231-245. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Ridgway, Stephan. â€Å"Victorian Sexuality† in â€Å"Sexuality and Modernity† originally written as a lecture for Sociology at Sydney University, 1996. Isis Creations. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.

Describing Language And Language Skills Education Essay

Teaching is a multidimensional activity that involves societal, educational, pedagogical, linguistics, personal, and cognitive dimensions. In the last 20 fiveyears, in general instruction the cognitive dimension of instruction has been recognizedas cardinal to successful instruction. The last decennary has witnessed steady growing in thestudy of instructors ‘ knowledge. Research workers have paid more attending to the survey of instructors ‘ belief about instruction, acquisition, scholars, and the impact it has on learning patterns, activities, and larning results ( Tillman, 2000 ; Shavelson, and Stern,1981 ; Burns, 1992 ; Eisenhart et. al. , 1998 ; Fang, 1996 ; Richardson, 1996 ; Kagan,1992 ; Reynold, 1992 ) . Research into instructors ‘ knowledge has non been restricted toone or few specific subjects or content countries. The impact of instructors beliefs on their instruction is being studied across subjects and educational scene every bit diverse as general instruction, mathematics ( Ernest 1989 ; Shuck 1997 ; Karaagac and Threlfall ; Raymond, 1997 ) , second/ foreign linguistic communication acquisition, ( Farrell, and Patricia,2005 ) , reading ( Beach, 1994 ) , and chemical science ( Brisco, 1991 ) . It has been studied in pre-service and in-service contexts, different educational degrees: kindergarten, simple schools, high schools and grownup instruction. During 1980s and the old ages after, research workers investigated a figure of different facets and dimensions of instructors ‘ knowledge. The chief focal point was on analyzing the manner instructors think about their ain work, their mental procedures in planning and transporting out their instructions, the sort of determinations made in the class of instruction, and how these beliefs may alter over clip. Some of the research countries in teachers'cognition include analyzing instructors ‘ knowledge in general and how they construct their constructs and theories of instruction ( Clandinin & A ; Connelly, 1988 ; Leinhardt,1990 ) , instructors ‘ apprehension of the instruction procedure ( Peterson & A ; Comeaux,1987 ) , instructors ‘ belief about instruction, pupils, instructors, and the acquisition procedure every bit good as their ain efficaciousness in bring oning alteration in their pupils ( Hollingsworth, 1989 ; Kagan & A ; Tippins, 1991 ; Tamir, 1991 ) . A nother country of research in instructors ‘ belief is analyzing the instructional ideas, actions, and determination devising in the schoolroom ( Fogarty, Wang, & A ; Creek, 1983 ; Magliaro & A ; Borko, 1986 ) . Changes in teachers'beliefs that occur as a consequence of professional growing and instruction experiences have besides been examined ( Bullough, 1991 ; Calderhead, 1991 ) . Teachers ‘ beliefs are non easy to specify. Nor are they easy to operationalize and analyze. Kagan ( 1992 ) views them as tacitly held premises and perceptual experiences about instruction and acquisition. Pajares ( 1992 ) and Richardson ( 1996 ) view them as personal concepts of instructors that can assist understand their determinations and instruction patterns. The belief system consists of the information, attitudes, values, theories, and premises about instruction, acquisition, scholars, and other facets of instruction. Some of these beliefs are rather general while some are really specific. Harmonizing to Johnson ( 1994 ) instructors ‘ beliefs influence their judgement and perceptual experience, the schoolroom activities they use, and it can lend to the betterment of learning patterns and teacher instruction plans. The belief system is argued to function as a base for the activities and patterns instructors use in the schoolroom. It guides instructors in the class of the patterns they have in the schoolroom. Hampton ( 1994 ) contends that instructors ‘ beliefs can find the manner they approach their instruction. In brief, research findings show that instructors have complex thought and reading of instruction and the context upon which they reflect, decide, and act was a broad and rich mental context ( Elbaz, 1983 ; Clandinin, 1986 ) . There are different ways instructors may develop their beliefs. It can be socially constructed as a consequence of their ain personal experiences and influences of the scenes in which they work. Teachers ‘ beliefs are built up over clip. They are derived from instructors ‘ preparation plans, pre-service plans, and prior acquisition and instruction experiences. Brog ( 2003 ) and Richards, Gallo and Renandya ( 2001 ) argue that instructors ‘ beliefs are derived from their anterior experiences, school patterns, educational theory, reading, their single personalities, and a figure of other beginnings. Eisentein-Ebsworth and Schweers ( 1997 ) see instructors ‘ positions shaped by pupils ‘ wants, syllabus outlooks, and anterior experiences. This cognition may alter over clip as instructors interact with pupils and acquire feedback from them. Following the involvement in general instruction and teacher instruction in teachers'cognition, research workers in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition took the thought and started to analyze linguistic communication instructors ‘ pedagogical beliefs in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition ( Breen,1991 ; Cumming, 1993 ; Freeman & A ; Richards ; 1996 ; Johnson, 1994 ; Richards, 1998 ; Richards & A ; Nunan, 1990 ; Woods, 1996 ) .Teachers ‘ belief is now viewed as a complex cognitive activity ( Farrell and Patricia, 2005 ; Brog, 2003a, 2003b. ; Mitchel and Hooper, 1992 ; Johnston, and Goettsch, 2000 ) . Research into instructors ‘ knowledge has both provided good penetrations into instructors ‘ knowledge at the same clip raised more inquiries about several issues of instructors ‘ beliefs. A more specific facet of instructors ‘ knowledge in linguistic communication instruction is instructors ‘ beliefs about grammar and different facets of grammar instruction. Some of the inquiries that have non been yet answered include how much clip should be devoted to grammar? What grammatical points should be taught? How should grammatical points be sequenced? What activities are more appropriate for different contexts? Grammar has a contested nature and its instruction and acquisition has seendifferent yearss. Grammar instruction has ever created uncertainnesss and raised complex and challenging pedagogical, lingual and curricular issues. With the outgrowth of a new method or theory grammar becomes the centre of attending and with the death of the theory or pattern it would be wholly abandoned. For times grammar was cardinal to category activities and at times it was overlooked. With such fluctuation it is non hard to conceive of linguistic communication instructors develop different positions on grammar in the procedures of going a instructor. In the late 1980s forsaking of focal point on signifier was advocated by communicative motion. In the last decennary the issue of focal point on signifier has been a hot subject and raised many inquiries and challenges to applied linguists and linguistic communication instructors. There have been a figure of surveies on instructors ‘ beliefs about grammar and grammar instruction. Ng & A ; Farrell ( 2003 ) and Yim ( 1993 ) investigated the extent to which instructors ‘ theoretical beliefs influenced their schoolroom grammatical patterns, and found grounds to propose that what instructors say and do in the schoolroom are governed by their beliefs. Farrell ( 1999 ) examined the belief system of pre-service instructors of English grammar in footings of its influence on instruction pattern, and found grounds to propose that these beliefs may be immune to alter. Similarly, Richards, Gallo, and Renandya ( 2001 ) examined the beliefs of a group of in-service class instructors about grammar. The consequences showed that many instructors followed a communicative attack to instruction, while some of the respondents stated that they had house belief in the importance of direct grammar instruction in linguistic communication learning.They besides stated that th eir EFL/ESL pupils asked for grammar instruction. Research into the impact of formal grammar instruction has covered several facets of grammar instruction. These include inductive versus deductive approached to the instruction of grammar ( Shaffer, 1989 ; Dekeyser, 1995 ) , feedback and rectification of mistakes ( Chaudron, 1977 ; Dekeyser, 1993 ) , usage of grammar nomenclature in grammar instruction ( Berman, 1979 ; Garrett, 1986 ) , and impact of grammar pattern on L2 acquisition ( Ellis, 1991 ; Johnson, 1994 ) . In malice of big volume of research in this country consequences are inconclusive and as Borg ( 1999 ) discusses our apprehension of the procedures of grammar instruction as perceived by linguistic communication instructors has still a long manner to travel.

Cat Evolution

The felids are a rapidly evolving family of mammals that share a common ancestor only 10–15 million years ago,[26] and include, in addition to the domestic cat, lions, tigers, cougars, and many others. Within this family, domestic cats (Felis catus) are part of the genus Felis, which is a group of small cats containing approximately seven species (depending upon classification scheme). [1][27] Members of the genus are found worldwide and include the jungle cat (Felis chaus) of southeast Asia, European wildcat (F. silvestris silvestris), African wildcat (F. s. lybica), the Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti), and the Arabian sand cat (F. argarita), among others. [28] All the cats in this genus share a common ancestor that probably lived around 6–7 million years ago in Asia. [29] The exact relationships within the Felidae are close but still uncertain,[30][31] e. g. the Chinese mountain cat is sometimes classified (under the name Felis silvestris bieti) as a subspecies of the wildcat, like an African variety F. S. lybica. [4][30] As domestic cats are little altered from wildcats, they can readily interbreed. This hybridization poses a danger to the genetic distinctiveness of wildcat populations, particularly in Scotland and Hungary, and possibly also the Iberian Peninsula. 32] The domestic cat was first classified as Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae in 1758. [1][3] However, because of modern phylogenetics, domestic cats are now usually regarded as another subspecies of the wildcat, Felis silvestris. [1][4][33] This has resulted in mixed usage of the terms, as the domestic cat can be called by its subspecies name, Felis silvestris catus. [1][4][33] Wildcats have also been referred to as various subspecies of F. catus,[33] but in 2003 the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature fixed the name for wildcats as F. ilvestris. [34] The most common name in use for the domestic cat remains F. catus, followin g a convention for domesticated animals of using the earliest (the senior) synonym proposed. [34] Sometimes the domestic cat has been called Felis domesticus[35] or Felis domestica,[1] as proposed by German naturalist J. C. P. Erxleben in 1777, but these are not valid taxonomic names and have only rarely been used in scientific literature,[36] because Linnaeus's binomial takes precedence. [37] Cats have either a mutualistic or commensal relationship with humans.However, in comparison to dogs, cats have not undergone major changes during the domestication process, as the form and behavior of the domestic cat are not radically different from those of wildcats, and domestic cats are perfectly capable of surviving in the wild. [38][39] This limited evolution during domestication means that domestic cats tend to interbreed freely with wild relatives,[32] which distinguishes them from other domesticated animals. [citation needed] Fully domesticated house cats also often interbreed with fe ral F. atus populations. [25] However, several natural behaviors and characteristics of wildcats may have pre-adapted them for domestication as pets. [39] These traits include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play, and relatively high intelligence;[40]:12–17 they may also have an inborn tendency towards tameness. [39] There are two main theories about how cats were domesticated. In one, people deliberately tamed cats in a process of artificial selection, as they were useful predators of vermin. 41] However, this has been criticized as implausible, because there may have been little reward for such an effort: Cats generally do not carry out commands and, although they do eat rodents, other species such as ferrets or terriers may be better at controlling these pests. [4] The alternative idea is that cats were simply tolerated by people and gradually diverged from their wild relatives through natural selection, as they adapted to hunting the vermin found around humans in towns and villages. [4]

Market Competitiveness Essay

Market competitiveness is the competitive edge an organization has over another. This competitive edge can range from employee salaries, growth, stock, and employee benefits. Competitive markets are good for companies to stay in business and to keep up with its competitors. Companies have to rationally establish a competitive edge by what the company can offer to exceed its competitors’ offers. This rationale usually comes from the company’s financial resources and if a company lacks financial resources the company has to develop alternatives. Each employee needs will be different and will look for many different things when looking for a job or career. There are hierarchies of employee needs that helps determine if the company will be a good fit for the employee. Some people need a good salary and not benefits and others need good benefits and a reasonable salary. Market Competitiveness Market competitiveness is when an organization has competition within the same category or market. In a competitive market, markets or organizations have to compete willingly and openly in order to be taken seriously in market competitiveness. Also by an organization being in a competitive market gives one an advantage over another. Organizations have to first research its competition to see what they are doing and to develop a better plan than their competitors. In a competitive market, the organizations have to understand how and why their competitors are able to do some things. For example, A. Offer competitive salaries,  B. Offer competitive training, C. Offer a good work facility, D. Offer growth within the company, and E. Offer a good work environment. Every employee has different needs and different aspects they for with in a company. An organization in a competitive market has to develop a rational salary structure and use the resources it has to appeal to the employees as well as potential candidates. According to Muthoo and Mutuswami (May 2011), â€Å"Moreover, increasing the competition beyond a certain degree increases the distance between the first-best and second-best levels of efficiency.† Market competitiveness has many aspects that aids with developing as well as considering the concept of market competitiveness in a pay system, competitive salaries and lack of financial resources, and alternative approaches. Concept of Market Competitiveness in a Pay System The concept of market competitiveness in relation to an organization’s pay system is developed by the company’s internal factors and external factors. The internal factors consist of salary rates currently, job value, job need, and employee need. The external factors consist of laws, the current market, and market need. According to Martocchio (2011, pg 150), â€Å"Market-competitive pay systems represent companies’ compensation policies that fit the imperatives of competitive advantage.† Companies have to develop some type of pay system or structure in order to remain competitive in the market. A salary structure is a good way for a company to determine if a hierarchy would help with determining market competitiveness. The internal and external factors aid the company with developing a hierarchy of jobs and their salaries. Competitive Salaries and Lack of Financial Resources Competitive salaries are very good ways of scouting or seeking for employees. In the economy today, candidates are looking for the best or the most competitive salary possible to be or feel financial stable. The reason for this is because people like to be financial stable more so than stress free. The position could be very stressful but if it pays enough someone would apply for the job. According to Martocchio (2011, pg150), â€Å"Market-competitive pay systems play a significant role in attracting and retaining the most qualified employees.† Most companies are unable to offer its employees market competitive salaries because of lack of financial resources. Companies have to be in a positive place or the companies’ financial budget has to be in order to offer competitive salaries. The lack of resources can come from the company having a bad year, someone miss managing the company’s funds, or simply a slow turnover. Many companies now set budgets for new positions that need to be filled by a certain date and time by using a financial forecasting system. Alternative Approaches The alternative approaches are the other ways the compensation for jobs or positions can be determined. Some of the alternative approaches are currently used to aid with justifying a positions value and need. A few alternative approaches for a company that has limited financial resources are: Step 1: Deciding a number of pay structures,  Step 2: Determining a market pay base, Step 3: Defining pay grades or levels, Step 4: Calculating pay ranges, and Step 5: Evaluating the results. According to Martocchio (2011, pg 151), â€Å"Compensation professionals create market-competitive pay based on four activities: A. Conducting strategic analysis, B. Assessing competitors’ pay practices with compensation surveys, C. Integrating the internal job structure with external market pay rates, and D. Determining compensation policies. Conclusion In conclusion, market competitiveness is the competitive edge an organization has over another. Market competitiveness is when an organization has competition within the same category or market. The concept of market competitiveness in relation to an organization’s pay system is developed by the company’s internal factors and external factors. Competitive salaries are very good ways of scouting or seeking for employees. The alternative approaches are the other ways the compensation for jobs or positions can be determined.

Civil engineering design Construction and Maintance Essay

The work of civil engineers is visible across the environment we live in. The main purpose of this essay is to assist students have a better understanding of the civil engineering as a scientific field. In this essay I will make an analysis of civil engineering meaning and the specifics of civil engineering in all aspects. I will specifically examine civil engineering at Michigan State University and the courses required in this major. I will also make an analysis of how writing is important in the civil engineering field. The contribution of civil engineers to the society will also be included. The different career paths a student can pursue when majoring in civil engineering and the salary of civil engineers will be reviewed last. But before going into that, I am going to give you background information of what made me interested in majoring in civil engineering. Background Information, Why I Chose Civil Engineering as my Major? I believe that the best way every student should consider while choosing their major is making a choice of what they love. This is what I exactly did. When I was young, I marveled at how the buildings stood majestically. The thought of buildings designs and the dynamics involved in the construction really fascinated me. While I grew up I realized all this was a civil engineers’ work. Since middle school the idea of studying civil engineering in college stuck in my mind. The more literature I reviewed about civil engineering, the more I loved it. The thought of planning and designing on paper and then seeing the results is very rewarding to me. The History of Civil Engineering Engineering is one of life’s aspects that have existed since the origin of humans. Thousands of years ago, humans hunted and gathered for food. There was no urgency to build shelter as they were always on the move. Later on, people began to get acquainted new ways of getting food. They learned how to plant fruits and vegetables and how to domesticate animals. As a result, they did not need to move all the time and they needed homes. They started by building tents but gradually they learned how to use the available natural resources like stone, wood, and vegetable fiber to build stronger and more convenient homesCITATION Fon01 p 21 l 1033 (Font, Criswell and Grigg 21). They also began to build roads and bridges to make it easy to move from place to place. In modern day, houses, buildings, bridges and other structures construction occurs from the skills passed by our ancestors where they constructed stable buildings (Salvadori 11). Theses skills that are needed to build safe str uctures are the skills of civil engineers. What Does Civil Engineering Mean? The word Engineering by itself means the art of putting the scientific knowledge in practice and using it in practical life. The engineer thus uses his scientific knowledge to design, build, and maintain engines, machines or public works. While the word Civil is relates to ordinary citizens and their concerns. Civil engineering therefore refers to the science that applies scientific knowledge to serve the civic life in the daily functions through infrastructure. The Civil Engineering is the art and science of designing the infrastructure of the modern civil societies, the process of planning and design in addition to the establishment of various facilities and facilities that serve people is a civil engineering generally. These facilities include highways that connect cities to each other, and airports, and sewage treatment that protects our environmentCITATION Kos94 p 21 l 1033 ( Kostival and Mason 21). Civil Engineering Requirement at MSU There are 128 credits that a student needs to complete to receive a degree of Bachelor in Civil engineering at MSU. Students majoring in civil engineering must first complete the university requirement courses. After completing the university requirement there are six courses that a student must complete to apply to the college of engineering. These six core courses are EGR102, EGR100, MTH132, MTH133, CEM141, and PHY183. Completing these courses is not the only requirement to make application to the college of engineering; a student must also obtain a minimum required GPA of 3.2 and above. After that comes the major requirement, and there are 66 credits that will be obtained from these courses. After completing all of the major requirements, a student must complete 18 credits of the major tracks. There are seven tracks of civil engineering at MSU which are as follows; environmental track, geotechnical track, pavements track, structures track, transportation track, water resources track, and general track. For each track there are different required courses. Students must earn 18 credits from these tracks, 9 credits must be obtained from one track and the additional 9 credits must include courses from three different tracks (â€Å"Undergraduate degree – Civil Engineering†). The Importance of Writing in Civil Engineering I believe that writing is the basis for every course, and it’s important throughout college life. It helps in communicating our best knowledge in the respective fields we choose. Writing is quite a challenging task especially for international student; this is reason why it is important to enroll in prewriting classes as it improves writing skills. In the pursuit of our majors writing of research papers and case studies is mandatory. In addition to this, some exams sat in college entail questions that we must answer by writing short paragraphs. Writing classes is thus build the foundation of writing strategies that will help in the course of our majors. Why Civil Engineering is Important in our Lives? Civil engineering is an important part of our life, and the work of civil engineers is present in almost all aspects of our life. The electricity that we use everyday is provided by the constructions of the dams and power stations that require civil engineers. The clean water that we drink everyday is provided by the water and sewage treatment plants, which again require civil engineers. The roads that we drive everyday are also civil engineers’ work (â€Å"What is Civil Engineering†). The buildings that we live or work in are civil engineers’ work. Civil engineering helps improve the lives of millions of people everyday. Moreover, civil engineering gives shape and recognition to each society. For example, Many people when they hear of India, the picture that pops up in their heads is the picture of Taj Mahal, when they hear of Paris, they imagine the Eiffel Tower, and when they hear of London, they immediately think of Big Ben. The same happens when they hear of any other country or city; people tend to imagine the picture of the best-known landmarks or attractions in there. All these landmarks were built and designed by the help of civil engineers The importance of specialization of civil engineering can be realized through its definition. It’s a one the engineering disciplines that humans cannot live without it. The human need for homes to live in and be safe and protected from the summer heat and the winter cold. Humans need safety and the means of transportation to move between cities without noticing the long distance. Dams are a one of the examples that show us the importance of civil engineering of human beings. The importance of water resources and quality of human beings is the factor shows us how important is civil engineering for the community. Whenever the number of people in the community increases and there was a problem of limited spaces, this problem will not be solved without the presence of civil engineers. The civil engineer is the person who designs the foundations of safe buildings, builds the safe and economical towers; he is the one who ensures the presence of clean water and high quality of cities . The Different Career Paths of Civil Engineering There are a number of sub-disciplines of civil engineering. As I mentioned above there are six sub-disciplines of civil engineering at Michigan State University. There are many different branches from Engineering major. First, Environmental engineering, which interests on dealing with every aspect on the environment.   For example, environmental engineers work on constructing the water supplies that would protect the environment from water pollution and the consequences related to that such as where the waste of water would go as well as the solid waste and so on. Another branch is Geotechnical engineering. This deals with building the roads, tunnels, dams, and slopes using the rocks and the soil as the raw materials. Also, there is Structural Engineering, which is more in structuring buildings and bridges using other materials such as concrete and steel as the raw materials. Pavement Engineering is another one that is for the design and analysis of the asphalt and concrete pavemen ts. Also, Transportation Engineering, and this deals with the transit systems, designing highways, and constructing airports (â€Å"The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree†). When a student enters the workplace as civil engineer, he must go on to become certified as a professional Engineer (PE). â€Å"A civil engineer without this certification is limited in their authority. The PE license allows them the authority to sign off on all projects within their professional specialty† (â€Å"Becoming a Civil Engineer†). Salary of civil engineers The starting salary of civil engineering is relatively less than the other engineering disciplines such as computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and so on. However, the chances of getting a job is higher because civil engineers are always in demand as civil engineer’s job is important for the function of a society. Even with bad economy the society does not stop functioning, for example having bad economy does not mean that you drink poisoned water. Another reason that makes civil engineers always in demand is that the job of civil engineers cannot be outsourced, for example, you can’t build a bridge in china and ship it to the U.S. In comparison, other engineering disciplines’ job can be outsourced, for example, you can build a car or a computer in china and ship it to the U.S. (Buch). Conclusion Civil engineering is a worthwhile major and it places the individual on a career path that is definitely worth pursuing. It’s a major that give satisfaction to a person because he knows that he is helping the society and the people. Our modern life nowadays depends upon civil engineering. References BIBLIOGRAPHY Kostival, L M and John Michael Mason. Civil Engineering Careers: A User’s Guide for Awareness, Retention, and Curriculum Programs, Issue 347, Part 2. Transportation Research Board, 1994. Font, Darrell G, Marvin E Criswell and Neil S Grigg. Civil Engineering Practice in the Twenty-First Century: Knowledge and Skills for Design and Management. ASCE Publications, 2001. â€Å"Becoming a Civil Engineer.† Civil Engineering Careers. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . Buch, Neeraj. â€Å"Civil Engineering.† Personal interview. 3 Nov. 2014. â€Å"Civil Engineering.† Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"History of Engineering.† Civil Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . Salvadori, Mario. The Art of Construction Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers & Architects. Chicago: Chicago Review, 2000. Print. â€Å"The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree.† Michigan State University, Civil and Environmental Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"Undergraduate Degree – Civil Engineering.† Michigan State University, Office of the Registrar. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"What is Civil Engineering.† Civil Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. . â€Å" Source document