Informal report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Informal report - Assignment Example HTC Desire HD has a 4.3 inch touch screen. The phone has been designed in such a way that it incorporates a big screen, which can be used to access websites, social media and other modern tasks undertaken by users. HTC Desire HD also comes with an easy grip coating on the phone, so that it does not slip out of the hand of the user too easily (see figure 1). Another main design feature of the phone is the way in which it makes it easier for users to put covers on them. The batteries and digital storage cards (microSD cards) can easily be interchanged. HTC Desire HD comes equipped with the Google Android 2.2 system, which is extremely easy to use. One of the core advantages of this operating system is that the user can easily customize the phone features according to his or her specific use. Another major aspect of the phone is the touch screen. The screen gives an instant response to the user, which enables him or her to learn from mistakes and without any specific need to read complicated manuals. All new HTC Desire HD’s come with a full 1 year manufacturer warranty. The maintenance is low, as the phone is equipped with a lithium ion battery, which lasts at least 2-3 years. Another main feature of the phone is that the battery can easily be changed by the user, as opposed to iPhone batteries which can only be changed by authorized centers. HTC Desire HD is loaded with a number of features which make it highly desirable to the user. The phone enables users to use Active Sync, which integrates email, calendars and contacts from a Gmail or an exchange account. The phone also comes preloaded with a number of social networking applications such as twitter, Facebook and Picassa. The phone also has wifi connection, in addition to the standard Bluetooth and USB cable links. A unique feature of HTC Desire HD is a accomplished camera, which can take pictures of up to 8MB resolution. The camera can also take stunning HD quality videos. Another key feature of the

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay The characters are utilised by Shakespeare to highlight a sense of loss and desperation. The Captain who is a neutral figure, expresses a sense of remorse and sadness when he sees Romeo and Juliets dead bodies as a pitiful site, also illuminating a sense of universal suffering. Juliets newly dead body is used so that the agony and pain of her death is felt again universally. Romeo and Juliet are described as piteous woes which portrays them as one and as abstractions of sadness which emphasises the loss and despair of a romantic pair. The words trembles, sighs and weeps are listed characteristics of suffering used to highlight a sense of loss and nervousness. The shock and astonishment of Romeo and Juliets death is highlighted by the repetition of dead showing how unexpected this tragedy really was. Tybalts death is exaggerated when Romeo and Juliets marriage day is described as Tybalts doomesday increasing the magnitude of desperation and sadness. Shakespeare illuminates a paradox of joy and sadness between Tybalts untimely death and the new-made bride groom creating a contrast of joy and misery. There is a cruel irony when Juliets borrowed grave became her actual death bed. When this great tragedy was described as an accident it conveys the image of this great tragic love story as a minor and petty incident. Shakespeare uses the language of an important character to highlight a lack of gravitas and feeling in the text. Shakespeare uses flowers which represent nature, good health, love and positivity as a conventional image to highlight what this tragedy is all about. The last line describes everyone as being punished which again shows universal suffering. Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch holds him in safety there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The mattock and spade are both physical emblems of the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame and responsibility, of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware adds a sense of mystery and shows more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. When Montague asks What further woe conspires against mine age? it shows bad luck, dual responsibility and the loss of youth and innocence. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a daughter for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional, conveying a real image of suffering and grieving. Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliets stlen marriage day to portray a sense of immorality and negativity. When Juliet pined it reminds us of the rushed and hasty marriage. When Juliet is described as doing violence to her self, it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider and inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare describes the nurse as privy to show the nurses responsibility in keeping secret. Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a healing of a rift when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliets death to present a positive image of the families which is shown when Capulet says O brother Montague Which is used as a positive image of new unity and a bond between the two families. The statue in pure gold emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy. Montague compliments the Capulets when he says true and faithful Juliet showing that despite all the sorrow and grief there is still a sense of positivity. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still glooming but it still gives us a sense of peace and when the Prince who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of suffering. The sun represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar says to the Prince to the same place, to this same monument showing the older generations past conflict and Balthasar represents youth and innocence so he also represents the ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Princes advice is to have patience and slow down which is an ironic reminder that Romeo and Juliets fatal flaw was that they rushed in to their love and marriage. Friar advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and bear this work of heaven with patience but they still remained rushed which is Shakespeares way of reminding us of Romeos hubris. The Friar wants his old life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and change. There is a hint that the two families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says I can give thee more which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the statue will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a story it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliets love.

Role Of The Front Office Manager Tourism Essay

Role Of The Front Office Manager Tourism Essay Given the signification of the role of the front office manager in front office, there are some of the responsibilities that the front office manager has to take notice. Some of the major responsibilities of the front office manager include reviewing the final draft of the night audit, a daily review of the financial accounting procedures at the front desk and other guest service areas during the previous 24-hour period and an analysis of operating results; operating and monitoring the reservation system; developing and operating an effective communication system with front office staff and other department directors; supervising daily registrations and check-out; overseeing and developing employees; established in-house sales programming at the front desk; preparing budgets and cost control systems; forecasting room sales; and maintaining business relationships with regular corporate and communities leaders. The front office manager works with an assistant front office manager, a ni ght auditor, a reservation manager, and a bell captain to tend to the details of running an efficient department. These are just few of the responsibilities of the front office manager. The front office is a pivotal point in communication among in-house sales, delivery of service to the guest, and financial operations. It requires an individual who can manage the many details of guest needs, employee supervision, interdepartmental communication and transmittal of financial information. This exciting position enables the person to develop an overview of the loading property with regard to financial and communication. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 1 Guest checkout can indeed be a time of confusion, short tempers, and long lines, a test of the patience of the both guest and cashier. Check-in and check-out is the responsibilities of a front desk that are on duty on the particular day. Usually front desk is the first and last contact with the guests. Front desk clerk represents the hotel to the guest throughout all stage of the guests stay. Front desk clerk job involves customer service, answering the telephone, securing payment for services rendered, and resolving problem. Front desk clerk must possess a working knowledge of the reservation process and room pricing strategies. Front desk clerk also takes same-day reservation and future reservation and often need to able to sell features of the hotel along with the necessary pricing strategy guidelines. 2.1 PROBLEMS SOLVES As a position of front desk clerk, it is responsible for checking guests in and out of their rooms. When a guest arrives with a reservation, front desk clerk pulls the reservation from a computer; confirm the name, address, and length of stay; and ask for a method of payment. If a credit card is to be used, front desk clerk process the payment in the computer and have the guest sign the registration card or folio acknowledging the rates and length of stay. At check-in front desk clerk can also take cash deposits as necessary to cover any phone or other charges that may be incurred. After check-in, front desk clerk will past the guest the room key and give direction to the room, and offer to summon a bellhop to help with the luggage. Front desk clerk then place the information about the guest and room in the appropriate front desk racks and communicate the information to the appropriate hotel personnel. For guests who are walk-ins, or those who dont have reservations, front desk clerk find out each guests name, address, and the expected length of stay. If a room is available, front desk clerk quotes the rate and asks about preferences for a smoking or nonsmoking room, location, and room size. Front desk clerk should also try to sell up by suggesting that the guest spend a little extra money to obtain a larger room, one with a better view, or one with more amenities. The rest of the check-in process is the same as for guests with reservations. At check-out, front desk clerk take the guests room key, look up the account on the computer, and inform the guest how much is owed. Front desk clerk inquires whether or not everything was satisfactory. At the start of each day, front desk clerk print a report of special requests of incoming guest. Requests are recorded in the computer station at the desk and entered into a logbook, and they become part of a guests history in the computer system. The history is used each time the guest returns for a visit in order to personalize the guests experience. Another report lists any groups that will be arriving. Using it, front desk clerk can prepare materials packets, which includes a room key, for each guest to speed up check-in. Between check-ins and check-outs, the front desk clerk handles the mail and messages and the placement items in safe deposits boxes for the guests. Front desk clerk post and file all charges to the proper accounts. In addition, front desk clerk should also work closely with the housekeeping department in keeping room status reports up to date and coordinating requests for maintenance and repair work. Front desk clerk must know all safety and emergency procedures and be aware of accident prevention policies as well. Another important task is solving guest problems. Front desk clerk is the liaison or contract between the guest and the hotel. When guests have problems, they call the front desk clerk or go to the front desk personally. Front desk clerk job is to solve the problems-or quickly find someone who can solve it. Keep your guests happy by keeping everything easy for them. In turn, a satisfied guest is a repeat guest and that make dollars and sense for the hospitality professional. 2.2 PRINCIPLES FOR ACHIEVING GUEST SATISFACTION Guest satisfaction is the fulfillment of a guests wants and needs. In the hospitality industry, market share dominance is exceeding guests expectation on a regular basis. A hotel guest expects a safe, clean, comfortable sleeping room. A restaurant patron anticipates a tasty meal in a clean, pleasant atmosphere with a balance price-value relationship. Meeting these expectations is the hospitality professionals priority. The job is done only when the guest are satisfied. Below are the few principles for satisfying and keeping guests. Recognize your guest. Personalizing interactions by using the guests name is not always possible, but a sincere and warm interaction goes a long way. Make a positive first impression. The initial greeting and warm welcome are essential elements of creating a positive exchange. Guests judge your advertising claims against beliefs they already hold and accept only new information that match those beliefs. Changing a negative first impression is challenging, if not impossible. Fulfill your guests expectations. Guests expect a trouble-free environment. All the guests want is to have their needs met without aggravation. Those organizations that can exceed guest expectation will have leg up the competition. Facilitate customer decision making. The guest may not be familiar with the entire offer that provide by the hotel. Guest decisions can facilitated in subtle ways, such as carrying a flaming dessert that is sure that attract attention high on a tray. Engage the customer in dialogue about the food and beverage offering to enhance their experience and narrow the uncertainly of satisfaction they may have. Avoid violating the customers unspoken time limits. Time spent waiting always seems four times longer than it really is. Anticipate the next sequence in the service delivery and time the service accordingly. Expert your customer to remember bad experience. Also expect your customer to tell you about those bad experiences, embellishing with each retelling. The result can be an unfavorable impression on people who havent yet patronized your establishment. 3.0 CONCLUSION The functional role of front office manager can be understood by preparing a job analysis and job description. This process allows the future professional to see the major responsibilities of the job and the various departmental relationships involved. The many positions found on a front office staff have to common goal of providing hospitality to the guest. Training, empowerment, and flexibility are necessary to make the team work. Forecasting, scheduling, developing a supervisory style, motivating personnel, balancing staff personalities, delegating tasks, training and effectively communicating are only a few of the skills a good supervisor must master. It is a lifelong effort developed through continuing education and trial and error. QUESTION 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION Making reservation is a necessity for travelers and an important marketing tool for lodging establishments. Travelers in various market segments depend on a well-organized reservation system that is easily accessible through toll-free telephone numbers or on the Internet, or at a few moments notice through social networking opportunities such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to ensure a well-planned trip. Lodging establishment want to provide a continuous flow of guest, which will bring profits. A reservation system must ensure efficient means of accessing, processing, and confirming information. Without an efficient reservation system, all aspects of managing a hotel will be negatively affected. For example, while overbooking reservation may guarantee a full house for the hotel, it will also leave the guest who is turned away with a negative experience. This is not only decrease the hope of repeat business but also ensures the dissatisfied customer will tell to others of the negative experience. The reservation is an integral part of progressive front office management and the operation of a well-run system. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2 Profitable business ventures rely on effective marketing principles. Effective marketing principles include reviewing people who are in need of hotel products and services, determining their needs, developing products and services that meet their needs and marketing a profit on the sale of those products and services. A well-organized reservation system allows hotels to ensure a steady flow of guest into their properties. Hotel chains, through their central reservation system, offer their members to ability to fill 30 percent or more of available rooms on nightly basis. Independent hoteliers, in contrast, have the onerous responsibility of creating exciting marketing programs to capture room business. Easy access to a chain hotels data bank of rooms help to fulfill the customers needs, as well as in reaching a targeted daily occupancy rate, average daily rate, yield percentage, and RevPAR. A reservation system is the primary represents means of producing positive cash flow and favorable income statement. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2 2.1 TYPE OF RESERVATION SYSTEM There are two types of reservation systems such as Franchisee systems and Referral member systems. 2.1.1 FRANCHISEE SYSTEMS A franchisee is a hotel owner who has access to a national reservation system and services the benefits of the corporations management expertise, financial backing, national advertising, and group purchasing. A franchise member of a reservation system or a member of a reservation system or a member of a referral system gains significant advantage from interhotel property referrals, a system in which one member-property recommends another member-property to a guest, and national advertising. 2.1.1 REFFERAL MEMBER SYSTEMS A referral member of a reservation referral system, a worldwide organization that processes requests for room reservations at a particular member hotel, is a hotel developer/owner who has access to the national reservation system. Hotels that are members of the reservation system are more than able to justify the associated costs; for example, a chain property may obtain 15 to 30 percent of its daily room rentals from the national reservation system, depending on local economics and market condition. 2.2 SOURCES OF RESERVATION Guest reservations come from a variety of market segments. Some of the more common groups are corporate clients, group travelers, and leisure travelers who want to return to the same hotel. This is only one way of classifying guest reservations. The purpose of analyzing these segments is to understand the needs of each group and to provide reservation systems that meet their needs. Keep in mind that reviewing these needs will assist employee in gaining insight into guests methods of communication. 2.2.1 CORPORATE CLIENTS The corporate client is a hotel guest employed by a business or a guest of that business. Corporate clients provide a hotel with an opportunity to establish a regular flow of business during sales periods that would otherwise be flat. 2.2.2 GROUP TRAVELERS Group travelers are persons traveling as a group either on business or for leisure. Convention guests and seminar attends are examples of groups that travel on business. Participants in organized tours who pursue recreation, education, hobbies, and special interests constitute some of the leisure segment. The key to marketing reservations to this group is providing an efficient access method for planning details of a tour. 2.2.3 LEISURE TRAVELERS Leisure travelers are people who travel alone or with others to visits points of interest or relatives, or for other personal reasons. These travelers, who are often unrestricted by deadlines or schedules, are more flexible in their travel plans than are corporate clients and group travelers. They are more willing to seek someplace to stay along the way; however, some of the people in this group may want to obtain consists of many subgroups, including singles, married couples, young families, senior citizens, and student. Some of the methods the leisure travelers can use secure room reservations are travel agencies, toll-free numbers, reservation/referral systems, the Internet, Twitter and even in Facebook. 2.3 ADVANTAGES FOR RESERVATION The advantages for reservation are to prevent when customer need a place to stay overnight and the hotel are fully booking. This situation might make the customer feel disappointed when they expected the hotel is available for the rooms. The advantages for reservation are when the customer make a early book, the customer might get a discount from the hotel or even like buy 1 room free 1 room, free breakfast or free using the of the hotel. This type of promotion will satisfy the customers need and it make customer feel that the hotel are welcoming them to stay in the hotel. In other word, customer are usually are knowledgeable. Once the hotel services fulfill the customer need, the customer will sure visit the hotel when they make a next visit or they might share their experience in staying the hotel to other friend or relative so that they can also get the same services that the hotel provide. 2.4 IMPROVEMENT FOR THE EARLY RESERVATION BOOKING CUSTOMER The management of the hotel should given a plan for the customer who makes an early booking in the peak season. This holiday plan may help attract the customer who planning a holiday trip with the family member and the trip will help to build strong relationship with each of the family members. The promotion such as free breakfast, free uses the facilities in the hotel, and free tour guide to travel in the particular city. This may help to increase the sales of the hotel and even the customer will be coming back for their next trip. 3.0 CONCLUSION The reservation has addressed the hotel reservation systems. As the popularity of computerized reservation systems increases, chains and referral properties have adopted them to meets the needs of the traveling publics. Reservations ensure that corporate, group and pleasure travelers will have accommodations as their destination and provide the hotel with a steady flow of business. Determining the sources of these reservations assist the front office manager developing procedures to satisfy the needs of the guest. The traveler can use various means to make reservations, such as toll-free telephone numbers, fax numbers, the Internet and social media. The concept of customer relationship management links hospitality and technology. The management of social media applications helps develop the reservation concept.

The Power of Light in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Letter essay

The Power of Light in The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched.   Mankind has brought it into his religions, giving it a great deal of importance in his creed.   Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates the darkness of human iniquity and exposes its permanence.   He studies the psychological theme of the impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart in his novel The Scarlet Letter.   The use of light in order to fortify this psychological theme confirms its significance in the novel.   As though he were weaving an elaborate tapestry, Hawthorne meshes light's intense symbolism into his characters' natures until a chef d'oeuvre manifests itself upon the loom of the reader's intellect.   This tapestry serves as a subtle background upon which the characters' sinful hearts are bared.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Hawthorne navigates the reader through th...

How Well Does Parliament Perform Its Various Functions? Essay

How well does Parliament perform its various functions? There are several important functions that Parliament must perform. The word Parliament derived from the Latin ‘parliamentum’ and the French word ‘parler’ which originally meant a talk- which is what Parliament does most of the time. Parliament consists of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarchy. Parliament is the highest judicial, legislative and executive body in Britain. A parliamentary form of government acknowledges that it derives its power directly from the consent of the people. This sort of system ensures democracy and an active interaction between the people and their representatives. The three functions that I am going to focus on are Scrutiny, Representation and Law Making. Scrutiny is carried out in four main ways- Prime Ministers Questions, Select Committees, The Back Benches and The House of Lords. Prime Ministers Questions is a weekly opportunity for backbenchers to scrutinise the Prime Minister. This happens every Wednesday and is an opportunity for the leader of the opposition as well as other MPs to highlight government failings or ask the Prime Minister a question. This is a good way to scrutinise the Prime Minister as it puts them under pressure to justify their actions and normally with potentially no pre-warning of what topics will have to be defended. The element of surprise allows opposition MP’s as well as backbenchers and sometimes members of the cabinet to catch the prime minister out with an awkward question. The relative performance of each of the main party leaders is closely watched and each is under great pressure to get the better of their opponent. The main weakness of this form of scrutiny is that it is often accused of being more like ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’ as many believe the questions are â€Å"planted† and therefore the Prime Minister and Opposition can prepare their answers beforehand. Select Committees in both the House of Commons and the Lords investigate the work of government departments and produce reports of policy proposals. They have the power to call witnesses in the course of their proceedings. Their role is multi-faceted and includes many tasks such as investigating the work of the government departments to determine whether they have acted efficiently and effectively. This is a strong form as scrutiny as it reports back to the public what is happening behind the scenes in the government but the Select Committees lack resources, expertise and power to create damage if the government weren’t doing their job properly. Select Committees have been described as a â€Å"mere irritant†. The government relies on backbenchers in providing services to their constituents and relaying the opinions of their constituents. Although backbenchers do not hold power, a concerted revolt could topple the ruling party through a â€Å"no confidence† vote. An example of a successful rebellion occurred during November 2006 over the Terrorism Act 2006 when a large number of backbenchers voted against the 90-day detention provision of the anti-terror legislation in order to stall the bill. This provided to be the single largest defeat for then Prime Minister Tony Blair since his government. Recently David Cameron faced a threat of a fresh backbench Tory revolt as traditionalists lined up to oppose government plans to legalise gay marriage but many debated that this in fact could not be counted as a rebellion as backbenchers would probably be given a free vote in any vote on legalising gay marriage. This therefore is a strong form of scrutiny as it has been proven extremely powerful and has even overthrown past governments for example Margaret Thatcher and James Callaghan. One of the main issues with scrutiny and backbenchers is that they are often under the control of the Whips (MPs or Lords appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business) and one of their main responsibilities is making sure the maximum number of their party members vote the way their party wants. Unless the backbenchers have enough people to rebel they will not succeed and therefore it is not often that a government is defeated, for example Blair’s government was only defeated in the Commons four times over their three terms in power. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament and is independent to the Commons although it complements the work of the Commons. Members of the Lords play a vital role in scrutiny, there are two main reasons for this, the first being that they are independent to the Commons and in many ways have increased power which they often use to stand up to the Commons by blocking reforms. Lords also have a better balance of parties so no government has a majority. The Government however can override Lords by using Parliament Act; this was used when the fox hunting ban was being put through under Blair’s government as there were too many in opposition of the ban in the House of Lords. The Parliament Acts, although rarely used, provide a way of solving disagreement between the Commons and the Lords. The Parliament Act of 1949 also prevents Lords from delaying bills for more than one year. The second function that I’m concentrating on is Representation. In the Commons MPs are elected every five years to represent local constituencies. The link between the House of Commons and the local constituency is very important as it provides information to the government on how the public is responding to their policies and ideas for new laws, reforms and ideas. In recent years there has also been many attempts to make the government more diverse – for example more women and ethnic minorities. This was especially pushed by Tony Blair as it was obvious to him that the UK was far behind the US in being diverse, he started by pushing for there to be more women in government and these became known as â€Å"Blair’s babes†. The Lords are also a large part in representing the ‘national interest’ as they are less party political and many have had long careers in public service, business, arts and culture, or another area of activity. Therefore the members of the House of Lords contribute their expertise and knowledge to Parliament and its work and consequently able to take the bigger picture into account. However there are many downfalls in representation in the government. The most often referred to is how First Past the Post (FPTP) does not produce a very accurate representation in the House of Commons as it produces many ‘wasted votes’. In the Institute for Public Policy Research report, which looks at the ratio of votes to MPs under FPTP for the main parties in the 2010 general election, it was shown that it took 33,468 votes to elect a Labour MP, 35,028 votes to elect a Conservative MP and 119,780 votes to elect a Liberal Democrat MP. This therefore is an interesting piece of evidence showing the unfairness of the FPTP system as it strongly favours some parties over others. However there was a referendum in May 2011 which asked the public whether the Alternative Vote (AV) system should be used for general elections instead of FPTP and more than two thirds of those who voted said to keep the FPTP system- although many of those in opposition to FPTP says this in itself was unfair representation as the turnout was less than 65% of the population. The lack of women in MPs has also been blamed on the FPTP system; there are currently 504 male MPs and 145 female MPs nationwide. Therefore the House of Commons is unrepresentative of the UK as there are roughly 28. 6 million males in the UK and 30. 2 million females. The House of Lords is also seen as unrepresentative as it is unelected and even more out of ratio with the population of the UK as it has many old, socially elite members. Another one of Parliament’s main functions is Law Making is debating and passing statue law. The Government introduces most plans for new laws, with many included in the Queen’s Speech at the opening of each session of Parliament. However new laws can originate from an MP or a Lord. Parliament passes about 100 laws each year and every law goes through several stages and is debated continuously in much detail before being passed. Emergency issues such as the threat of terrorism all contribute to the need for the new laws. Before draft laws, known as bills are introduced to Parliament there is often consultation or discussion with Standing Committees and as these consist of MPs from every party they guarantee that every view point is reflected in discussion. The House of Lords main role when it comes to the function of Law Making is to amend bills or make suggestions of improvements. The Lords also have the power to reject bills that appear unworkable or undesirable (for example the fox hunting bill and identification cards bill). The governments’ majority always ensures that its proposals are passed as they have ‘elective dictatorship’ and can also use Parliamentary Acts to override the House of Lords. Also the House of Lords is also limited to only one year of delaying bills and therefore the government can pass new laws fairly easily after one year. Standing Committees also generally reflect the composition of the House of Commons and therefore the party in government will always have a higher majority. Government often imposes time limits on Standing Committees discussions. In my opinion Parliament performs its various functions- scrutiny, representation and legislation (law making)- well. Although there are many weaknesses to each function it would be extremely hard to remove these weaknesses without making the executive separate like they have in the United States.

How to master your next phone interview

How to master your next phone interview In this era of texting, when phone conversations are increasingly rare, a phone interview can be a daunting step during the job hunt process. It’s hard enough to do a face-to-face interview, but in this case you have to  create a rapport with a potential employer with no facial expressions to guide you. And just because you’re not in front of someone, suited up and resume in hand, doesn’t mean that your conversation is any less important. In fact, a survey on CareerBuilder revealed that 87% of employers could tell if a job candidate was a good fit within the first 15 minutes of a phone interview. Here are a few tips to help keep you sane and increase your chances of success if you’re asked to dial in to get to know your future employer.Warm up your voice.Don’t let your phone interview be the first vocal contact you have with another person on interview day. Call a friend or family member and have a chat. If no one’s around, have a conversat ion with yourself in the shower. Do anything it takes to get in conversation mode so you don’t sound like you just rolled out of bed at interview time.Treat it like the real thing.So what if your interviewer can’t see you? Dress up as you would for an in-person interview, wearing professional, comfortable clothing that makes you feel your best. Sit upright in a real chair. Don’t slump on the couch, lie on your bed, or sprawl out. Act like a professional and you’re more likely to sound like one.Do your research.Your interviewer wants to know that you’re serious about the job, and the best way to show you really want it is to seek out information about your interviewer, the company, the position, the industry, etc. Do as much homework as you would for an in-person interview. If you are well informed, you will also be prepared for any question your interviewer might toss your way.Don’t babble too much.Filling awkward silences with babble is a t ic we all have in interviews, and it sounds even worse on the phone. Never talk to simply fill dead air and never keep your interviewer from getting in a word edgewise. Finish your sentences and allow room for the other person to respond- this is not only a good recipe for a natural interview conversation; it’s also a sign that you’re a considerate person.Talk to a face.If you can do a bit of Google stalking and find a photo of your interviewer, print it out or pull it up on your computer so you can look at it during your interview. This can help you connect with your interviewer and match her or his voice to a face. If you can’t find a photo of your interviewer, try looking at a picture of someone in your field that you respect and pretend that you are trying to impress that person.End on a positive note.No matter how well (or terribly) you think the interview went, make sure to end with pep and confidence. Thank your interviewer for the call, reiterate your in terest in the position, and remind him or her that you’d be a great fit- and a strong asset!- to the team. Even if you’re not feeling it, project professionalism and positivity in those final moments.  Then, immediately send a thank you note just as you would after an in-person interview.

Journey of the Magi Essays

Journey of the Magi Essays Journey of the Magi Essay Journey of the Magi Essay Literary Criticism of ‘Journey of the Magi’ The ‘Journey of the Magi’ is a poem written by T. S. Eliot in 1927. The inspiration for this poem is adapted from the story of the Three Magi who traveled from far away to pay homage to birth of Christ under the guidance of a star. The theme revolves around their search of faith narrated in the point of view of the Magi. The poem has no set rhyme or meter and is constructed in free verse. Unsatisfied and regretful with the times that they have wasted on worldly pleasures of â€Å"the summer palace on slopes, the terraces, and the silken girls bringing sherbet† that they enjoyed, the Magi left their lives of material comforts in order to pursue a quest for spiritual enlightment. Alliteration is used to produce a smooth flowing effect for the readers to feel the attributed sense of this comfort. Throughout the first stanza of the poem, the Magi describe the initial journey to be arduous as they have to face â€Å"the ways deep and the weather sharp† in â€Å"the very dead of winter† (lines 4 and 5). The depiction of this season that is often featured in many works of literature is used as a metaphor to represent death, the loss of hope and adverse times. Comparably, the imagery of the season’s characteristic bitter coldness featured in the poem embodies the sense of hardship that the Magi have to undertake to reach their destination. In the sixth and seventh lines, the â€Å"galled, sore-footed, refractory† state of the camels, too tired that they are â€Å"lying down in the melting snow† further reinforces the image that travel during this â€Å"worst time of the year† can be exhausting. The setting of the poem in winter may also allude to the time of the year when Jesus was born. However, it isn’t just the weather that is making the journey difficult. As the Magi strive through their journey, they encountered a lot of corruption in places where they passed by. From lines 12 to 16, the Magi narrate the dearth and poverty of the settlements they visited, and the depravity and the immorality of their inhabitants. Anaphora of the word ‘and’ is used at the start of each of these lines. Not only that it gives the description a cohesive flow by the repetition of the same starting word, the use of this technique is effective in building up the sense of burden that the Magi have to endure during their contact with those places. Moreover, they have to contend with the â€Å"voices† echoing in their ears â€Å"saying that this was all folly† (lines 19 and 20). These are the voices that come from their own desires, tempting them to abandon their journey and revert back to debauchery. In the second stanza, the setting shifts from an initial journey traveling through harsh conditions to arriving at a more pleasant environment as they â€Å"came down to a temperate valley†. Their arrival at dawn is metaphor symbolizing the start of new beginnings for the Magi. They have reached to a place where they no longer have to suffer the bitterness of the icy terrains that they have traversed, and this signifies that they have finally overcome their adversities and possibly, the penance that they had to pay to recompense for their past sins. The water mill â€Å"beating the darkness† depicts the dispelling of darkness from the â€Å"running streams†, which implicates the timeless flow of that happening. Out of the numerous symbolist elements that comprise of this poem, the â€Å"three trees on the low sky† in line 24 is one of the most significant that it alludes to the three crosses of the Crucifixion and implies that the heavens have been lowered closer to earth to receive Christ who was killed on one of them. The symbolism of the â€Å"old white horse† that â€Å"galloped away into the meadow† might represent something that waned in the advent of Christianity (possibly paganism). The symbolism in line 27 â€Å"six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver† denotes to Judas, one of his disciples who betrayed Jesus for money. The final two lines of the stanza, â€Å"And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon, finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory† expresses the Magi’s reflection that they have on the change in faith as an understatement, probably realizing that God has already preordained them all along to turn to His path one day. The last stanza describes the Magi’s reflection on the enlightment that they have attained, but seem to be confused in trying to see the significance of the event. Their doubts are manifested in lines 33-38 â€Å"but set down, this set down, this: were we led all that way for birth or death? There was a birth, certainly, we had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, but had thought they were different†. The repetition of the words ‘set down’, ‘birth’ and ‘death’ in these lines indicates they are baffled and emphasizes the feelings of hesitations that are ruminating in their thoughts. Furthermore, the paradox in lines 28-39 â€Å"this birth was hard and bitter agony for us, like death, our death† describes the psychological change the Magi underwent from their conversion, expressing that the decision to renew and embrace a new faith is just as than renouncing their old ones. The final four lines of the poem concludes that they are â€Å" no longer at ease† â€Å"with an alien people clutching their gods†, conveying that the Magi no longer fit in with the â€Å"old dispensation† of their own people when they finally return from their journey. The last line of the poem, â€Å"I should be glad of another death† expresses their understanding that they have to leave this world in order to be reborn in their new faith again Although its exact meaning remains vague, a likely interpretation of this poem might account of Eliot’s journey on his conversion to Christianity. It is also possible to speculate that this poem accounts a description of his own real-life journey in his quest for faith. The reflection of Eliot’s spiritual journey is described figuratively in physical aspects to evoke a more tangible perspective to the reader on how the journey was like for Eliot to achieve spiritual enlightment.

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buy custom Crosby Manufacturing Corporation essay Wilfred Livingston, the president of Crosby Manufacturing Corporation convened a meeting to resolve a major problem concerning the companys management cost and control systems (MCCS). She stated that the company was having difficulties in meeting competition needs since the companys MCCS reporting procedures were outdated. Livingstone pointed that in the previous year, Crosby was considered nonresponsive to three large government contracts because it could not adhere to the customers financial reporting requirements. However, recently, the government showed renewed interest in Crosby. Therefore, Livingston wanted the company to replace its current computer systems with a more advanced model to update its MCCS reporting procedures. During the meeting, the MIS and EDP managers presented the procedures to be followed in implementation of the new computer model. However, at the end of the meeting, Livingston appointed Tim Emary as the project leader, despite the fact that he was not know ledgeable in computers. In my opinion, Livingstons decision to have Tim Emary as the leader of the proposed project was a mistake. This is because; one of the fundamental aspects of project management is use of the right personnel in managing a project (Hierarchy of Project Managers inProject Management, 2010). Studies indicate that there is a hierarchy of project managers in every project management. Depending on the size of a project, and the number of sub-projects in a given project, an organization may require several individuals to oversee implementation of the project in different stages. Generally, there are three levels of management, which are present in project management. The most senior individual in a project is a programme manager (top-level project manager) followed by a project manager, and then a project leader (Hierarchy of Project Managers inProject Management, 2010). A project leader is usually an individual who manages a specific stage in a project, or all stages in case of a small proj ect. He/she should possess particular skills or expertise, related to the project being executed. This overview of hierarchy of project managers in project management indicates that every management level in project management should be allocated to an individual who has the capacity to handle all the responsibilities involved in the specific level. It is therefore clear that Livingston made a mistake by appointing Emary to hold the position of project leader for the computer-upgrading project. In the case study, Livingston clearly stated that Emary was not knowledgeabe in computers as other individuals in the project implementation team. Based on our understanding of the requirements of a project leader, Emary was not the appropriate individual for the project leader position. In this specific project, a team leader should have been an individual with computer knowledge, specifically, MIS and MCCS. Emary belonged to the planning department and not the MIS or the EDP department. Therefore, he did not have the capacity to execute the responsibilities of a project leader in this sp ecific project. The most probable reaction of the functional employees to the appointment of Emary as the project leader would have been lack of commitment to the project. Since many of the functional employees may fear contravening the decision of the president, it is likely that they did not ask the president to reverse her decision by appointing a different person to that position. However, since they knew that Emary was not the right person for that position, they probably tended to disregard his directions or contributions in the project. This can be termed as lack of commitment to the project. Lack of commitment by the key personnel in the project may result into failure of the project (failure to achieve the desired business goals), or delayed completion of the project, thus utilizing more resources than scheduled for. This may be very expensive for an organization, especially where high-valued projects are concerned. Implementation of a project entails use of networking techniques such as critical path method and what-if analysis to generate project schedules (early and late starting and ending dates). The most common constraints in project scheduling are time and cost. These two constraints have a great impact on project scheduling. The scheduled project time may be adjusted using schedule compression techniques (Advanced scheduling techniques, 2010). Compressing a projects schedule means reducing the time taken to complete a project without interfering with its scope or objectives. Time constraint can be manipulated using a compression technique known as crashing (Advanced scheduling techniques, 2010). This involves undertaking a given project within a shorter period than the scheduled time. For instance, if a project was scheduled to take thirty weeks to complete, crashing can be applied to enable completion of the project within twenty weeks. However, crashing has a direct impact on cost. Usually, crashing is accompanied by incremental costs. This is because, for a project to be completed within the crashed duration without interfering with itss scope and objectives, it requires input of additional resources such as human resources (in case of labor-intensive projects), or machineries (in case of capital-intensive projects). Incremental resources results into incremental costs. Therefore, interference of time constraint in a project has an inverse impact on cost of a project. Time constraint can also be manipulated through fast tracking. This involves performing project activities in a parallel manner as opposed to sequential manner (Advanced scheduling techniques, 2010). For instance, in the case study, Crosby can start preparing flowcharts as it awaits receipt of bids on specs. However, fast tracking can result into rework, hence increasing the time taken to complete a project, as well as the cost involved. Generally, time constraint is very important in project scheduling. If compression techniques are applied, the cost of a project is usually impacted: reduction of project time results into increased project cost. In project implementation, time is one of the major constraints, which compromises project performance quality. During the implementation process, every activity is allocated specific time within which it should be completed. This is usually done through project schedule or work breakdown structure. Apparently, project time management has a lot to do with managing a project schedule (Evans, n.d.). This entails knowing how to utilize the allocated time to get the work done before or on the scheduled date. Lack of proper time management results into delayed completion of a given project, meaning more time is taken to complete a project. Consequently, an organization incurs more cost to complete a project if a projects completion time is delayed. Moreover, delayed completion time may result in increased competitive pressure and financial difficulties, thus affecting the quality of the project during the completion stage (Evans, n.d.). Interference of a projects quality during the completion stage has direct impact on the quality of the entire project. Moreover, lack of time management when implementing a project may affect the scope of a project (Evans, n.d.). For instance, if the completion period is delayed, the personnel involved in implementing a project may be tempted to overlook some of the aspects of the project in bid to avoid further delay. This may results into interference of the scope of a project, hence affecting the quality of a project. Moreover, interference of a projects scope means failure to achieve the goals for which the project was set to achieve. Buy custom Crosby Manufacturing Corporation essay

Disagree with the author''s point. Create your own argument that Research Paper

Disagree with the author''s point. Create your own argument that opposes either a minor or major point the author makes. (Don't - Research Paper Example He further argues that, on a typical day, an American kid takes 1,040 calories that are double the government’s daily recommended requirement, and it makes it worse this is accompanied by a super-sized coke with 450 calories. As such, he suggests that these fast food companies should be a warning with the adverts, and also include the amount of calories in their foods. I agree with Zinczenko that fast foods are responsible for the surging number of obesity and diabetes in children. However, I disagree that the lack of calorie labels and warnings by the companies are the major reasons why kids consume fast foods at a high rate. I believe that individuals have a responsibility to choose what is healthy and avoid what is not. Both parents and children have a responsibility to make the right choices regarding what is healthy and what is harmful. Including calorie information on the foods that people consume from the first food joints is not a solution as, many people will ignore t his information, and some will never look at the information. Currently, even without passing a warning on their adverts, everybody in the society knows that consuming too much fast food is not healthy, but they still ignore this and go ahead, buy and consume these foods. Hence, saying that including a warning and calorie information will not deter people from consuming these foods. Though the author supports his arguments by giving a personal experience, which makes the article more credible, the biggest issue still stems down to personal responsibility. In an article titled It's Portion Distortion That Makes America Fat by Shannon Brownie, the author discusses a research carried out by a marketing whiz at Taco Bell. In the consumer-based market research, Elliot Bloom discovered that most of the frequent customers who accounted for 70% of sales were young males and teenagers who frequented the fast food joints as often as 20 times a month (Brownlee 1). Furthermore, Bloom found out that these young men did not have any interest in cooking and so the reason for frequenting the fast food joints. These people showed no concern for the nutritional value of the food, which screams out the lack of responsibility leading to excessive consumption of unhealthy foods. Shannon Brownie employs the use of empirical data and research evidence to present her point about fast foods and rising cases of obesity and diabetes in the society. This makes the information provided in this source reliable. Parents should be responsible for what their children eat. The argument for poor economic status and lack of time should not be an excuse to neglect their children, and drive them to first foods. In fact, eating healthy will help the family saves because the healthier alternatives are always cheap. In addition, the family will not only save on food, but also on medical bills by averting conditions brought by too much consumption of fast foods. Clearly, almost every parent is aware t hat fast foods are harmful in terms of health. As a result, no matter how busy they are, the health of their children should come first, and thus, they need to ensure that they prepare food for their children before getting down to their busy schedules. Moreover, making a fruit or vegetable salad, vegetable juices or

Admissions Application For a Graduate Program 500 words Essay

Admissions Application For a Graduate Program 500 words - Essay Example I returned to college when I was more economically stable and, at the age of 25, acquired a BA Degree. After that, I acquired a Master’s Degree in teaching social sciences. My first exposure to the functions of human resource officials took place when I was employed as a secretary, who doubled as an administrative assistant. Since then, I have also worked in different capacities as a certified teacher, and a customer service representative. At present, I work as an administrative assistant in the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s finance department. There are many educated individuals who are opting for a certification in human resources. Business professionals, in particular, are seeking to acquire it because it allows them to be able to work in an assortment of well paying fields. Fairleigh Dickinson University is recognized as an important institution that provides indepth certification programs for qualified professionals. Acquiring a certification will help me to be able to develop additional skills which will contribute towards acquiring job stability in my chosen career. I would like to work in the human resources department of a large organization, in order to acquire the kind of extensive experience that can only be afforded by that kind of setting. Acquiring a certification in human resources will also allow me to be able to operate in assorted capacities. Many corporations, particularly in the international setting, require more professional, or expert human resource personnel than they have at present (Mathis & Jackson, 2010). This is because there are many corporations which have to navigate through the complexities that result from mergers, layoffs, the prospect of hiring exceptionally talented workers, and handling complicated insurance changes. The Certification program will inform me on the important aspects

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The importance of the Roles Played by the Stock Market - Assignment Example The stock market has so many roles that it plays and the various roles are of utmost importance as a primary market  and as a secondary market  in the development of the economy. There are quite a number of the most stable, mature, and well performing stock markets around the world, for instance, London, Hong Kong and New York(Van Antwerp,W,1975)   The roles that the stock markets perform are very central to the development of any economy. By virtue of the primary markets being involved with new securities, this is where an investor interested in initial public offerings of any public company and also government bonds can easily go find them. In such a market, securities are sold to investors directly from the selling company itself. This makes trading at the stock market faster and easier. In the London stock exchange for instance ,one of the most common traded securities are the municipal bonds, this basically entails the direct purchasing of debenture from the concerned auth orities, for instance, the municipality. The London stock exchange put a lot of premium on these primary markets because to them, these markets are very important not just in strengthening the economy but also in as far as capital markets are concerned. The recent world financial crisis had, indeed, a great negative impact to the performance of the stock markets world over. The stock exchanges, for instance, does provide facilities related to issuance or redemption of securities and many other like capital events, income payment and  dividends. Securities that are traded on any given stock exchange may include  shares  that are provided by the unit trusts, companies,  derivatives as well as investment products such as bonds(Giddy,1994) Stock exchange is, in most cases considered to be the most necessary component of any  stock market. The stock market’s demand and supply is normally driven by so many factors which, in virtually all the fee markets, affect stocksâ₠¬â„¢ price. In any country the financial system tends to fund other areas from the haves and their surplus funds to the ones with a shortage in funds, by direct market financing or indirect bank finance. A country’s financial system and markets matters a lot in as far as the economic growth is concerned. The stock market plays a very big role in ensuring that the economy grows steadily. As much as some economists do not believe in the argument that the finance-growth kind of relationship between how well or bad the stock market is doing to the economic development.The economic development that is seen in any place always creates demands for certain types of financial arrangements, and financial system always tend to automatically respond to such demands. The stock market has natural mechanisms that help in addressing the issue of ensuring that a nation or a city has achieved what is considered to be the optimal financial system outlook. Overall, the stock market stabilizes th e financial system, together with other well-developed systems for instance a good legal system, and this is normally done by incorporating elements or aspects of direct market based finance and indirect banking based finance. A stable and well developed stock market ensures that that there is a stable and strong financial system in place

The Rusting Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Rusting Process - Essay Example A closer look at the website of the company would suggest that its business is divided into three different segments. Its consumer segment provides services such as Broadband, digital TV, home phones etc. consumers are also offered some bundled packages like Broadband and TV together. Its Small and Medium Business segment provide broadband facilities to the businesses along with offering other services such as web hosting & ecommerce as well as management of email and internet facilities at its clients. Its large business and public sector segment offer services such as networked IT services, Industry expertise, in-house facilities and other high end services. The following section of the report will present an analysis of the forecasted financial performance of the company as on 31.03.2009. For detailed working of the facts and figures, please see the attached appendix. 1) Sales growth will be taken from the historical trends of the sales growth in last five years. Though the GDP growth Of UK can be considered as an alternative but since company works in more than one country therefore its historical sales growth will be taken while projecting the sales growth as on 31.03.2009. 2) All the cost items will be forecasted by taking their relationship with the sales i.e. as % of sales. 3) No dividends will be paid 4) No fresh injection of equity except increase in it through retained earnings. 5) Taxation is not being computed as per the laws enforced but as a % of the total revenue of the company. Forecasted Financial Performance Core Ratios In order to assess the core ratios of the firm, we have taken four most important ratios into account. First ratio is return on sales or net profit margin suggesting that the historical performance of the company is somewhat mixed and consistent and the predicted results have also suggested that the company has been able to maintain its profitability with upward trends. This also can be attributed to the decreased interest expenses. Asset turnover is the second key ratio which suggests how the assets of the company are managed in generating the value for the firm. The assets turn over of the firm consistently remained under 1. It may indicate that the firm has assets which are relatively new and are recorded at high cost. Since the company deals with providing services which require high investment into technology which is changing therefore high asset values of the firm may be justified. Asset leverage suggests the use of equity and debt in acquiring the assets of the company. The predicted figure suggests that the asset leverage has continuously declined due to the injection of fresh equity into the business as well as increased profitability. Asset leverage also indicates towards the fact that the management may have more inclination towards the use of the debt into acquiring the assets. The use of debt also suggests that the firm may utilize

Children as Equal Family Members Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children as Equal Family Members - Essay Example It was Jean Jacques Rousseau who first stated that he believed that children should be encouraged to develop as befitted them the best and that they should learn what they had an aptitude to learn. He stated that â€Å"We are born weak, we need strength; helpless, we need aid; foolish, we need a reason. All that we lack at birth, all that we need when we come to man's estate, is the gift of education.†1 His ideas were that children should be lead along a path where they could learn and acquire knowledge in a manner that appealed to them. He also believed that children should be allowed to learn things that came naturally to them and they found easy to understand instead of being forced to learn about things that they did not want to know. These ideas influenced the thought of many philosophers and educators who came after him and it is believed that many of the institutions that are still viewed as progressive in this modern day gain their original inspiration from a man who was never properly schooled himself. The fact that he was not schooled and yet still came to be viewed as one of the greatest and most original philosophers of his day is a testament to his theory since he taught himself everything he knew and as such he would have followed his aptitude. Children were seen in the same light from the moment they began to talk until the time that they emerged as a true adult. There were no perceptions that at a certain point in their lives they thought and felt differently to their parents and other adults. There was no realization that they had different needs at different ages and as such these

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels Essay

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels - Essay Example The Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, is considered as one of the most important production units of the organization. The production process developed in the particular unit is analyzed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the potentials of the Group to reduce this unit’s costs without affecting the Group’s performance or the quality of the products involved. At the same time, the unit’s logistic process is reviewed focusing on the fact that the various parts of the firm’s cars are coming from different places in Europe and are assembled in Brussels to be then sold all around the world. 2. Production process in Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels 2.1 Description of the process In order to understand the performance of the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels it would be necessary to present primarily the key characteristics of the production unit involved. Then, the production process should be analytically described, as all of its phases. Finally, the phases of the process that are of key value for its success, meaning the cost management techniques and the quality management techniques as used in the specific production unit, should be further analyzed, followed by suggestions as of their potential update or alteration for supporting the increase of the Group’s performance. Volkswagen Group incorporates a high range of brands (see Figure 1, Appendix). This means that the terms of operation of the Group’s production units internationally need to be carefully reviewed, so that delays or failures in regard to the quality of the products (cars) are avoided. In Figure 2 (Appendix) the monthly deliveries of the Group are presented. It is made clear that the orders of customers in... This essay focuses on the examination and the analysis provided by the researcher, on the topic of the production process of a well-known corporation - the Volkswagen Group. The researcher of the essay discusses the processes that are employed in the Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels. These processes are reviewed and evaluated emphasizing on the effectiveness of unit’s quality and cost management. The essay aims to show that the production processes used by the Volkswagen Group organization are well organized despite the fact that the logistics management of the organization is quite challenging, since the parts of cars are sent to the firm’s unit in Brussels by various places across Europe and have to be assembled so that the finished product is promoted to the European market. It is concluded by the researcher that the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, meets most requirements of a successful production unit. Still, certain changes are required so that the performance of the unit to be standardized in the long term. The evaluation of the effectiveness of a production process is quite important for estimating the current and future potentials of the organization involved. The review of the production process in Volkswagen’s production plant in Brussels has revealed the strengths of the specific process. It is also assumed that the firm’s performance in the global market, as reflected in its financial statements is highly related to the high performance of the production plant in Brussels.

The Rusting Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Rusting Process - Essay Example A closer look at the website of the company would suggest that its business is divided into three different segments. Its consumer segment provides services such as Broadband, digital TV, home phones etc. consumers are also offered some bundled packages like Broadband and TV together. Its Small and Medium Business segment provide broadband facilities to the businesses along with offering other services such as web hosting & ecommerce as well as management of email and internet facilities at its clients. Its large business and public sector segment offer services such as networked IT services, Industry expertise, in-house facilities and other high end services. The following section of the report will present an analysis of the forecasted financial performance of the company as on 31.03.2009. For detailed working of the facts and figures, please see the attached appendix. 1) Sales growth will be taken from the historical trends of the sales growth in last five years. Though the GDP growth Of UK can be considered as an alternative but since company works in more than one country therefore its historical sales growth will be taken while projecting the sales growth as on 31.03.2009. 2) All the cost items will be forecasted by taking their relationship with the sales i.e. as % of sales. 3) No dividends will be paid 4) No fresh injection of equity except increase in it through retained earnings. 5) Taxation is not being computed as per the laws enforced but as a % of the total revenue of the company. Forecasted Financial Performance Core Ratios In order to assess the core ratios of the firm, we have taken four most important ratios into account. First ratio is return on sales or net profit margin suggesting that the historical performance of the company is somewhat mixed and consistent and the predicted results have also suggested that the company has been able to maintain its profitability with upward trends. This also can be attributed to the decreased interest expenses. Asset turnover is the second key ratio which suggests how the assets of the company are managed in generating the value for the firm. The assets turn over of the firm consistently remained under 1. It may indicate that the firm has assets which are relatively new and are recorded at high cost. Since the company deals with providing services which require high investment into technology which is changing therefore high asset values of the firm may be justified. Asset leverage suggests the use of equity and debt in acquiring the assets of the company. The predicted figure suggests that the asset leverage has continuously declined due to the injection of fresh equity into the business as well as increased profitability. Asset leverage also indicates towards the fact that the management may have more inclination towards the use of the debt into acquiring the assets. The use of debt also suggests that the firm may utilize

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels Essay

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels - Essay Example The Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, is considered as one of the most important production units of the organization. The production process developed in the particular unit is analyzed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the potentials of the Group to reduce this unit’s costs without affecting the Group’s performance or the quality of the products involved. At the same time, the unit’s logistic process is reviewed focusing on the fact that the various parts of the firm’s cars are coming from different places in Europe and are assembled in Brussels to be then sold all around the world. 2. Production process in Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels 2.1 Description of the process In order to understand the performance of the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels it would be necessary to present primarily the key characteristics of the production unit involved. Then, the production process should be analytically described, as all of its phases. Finally, the phases of the process that are of key value for its success, meaning the cost management techniques and the quality management techniques as used in the specific production unit, should be further analyzed, followed by suggestions as of their potential update or alteration for supporting the increase of the Group’s performance. Volkswagen Group incorporates a high range of brands (see Figure 1, Appendix). This means that the terms of operation of the Group’s production units internationally need to be carefully reviewed, so that delays or failures in regard to the quality of the products (cars) are avoided. In Figure 2 (Appendix) the monthly deliveries of the Group are presented. It is made clear that the orders of customers in... This essay focuses on the examination and the analysis provided by the researcher, on the topic of the production process of a well-known corporation - the Volkswagen Group. The researcher of the essay discusses the processes that are employed in the Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels. These processes are reviewed and evaluated emphasizing on the effectiveness of unit’s quality and cost management. The essay aims to show that the production processes used by the Volkswagen Group organization are well organized despite the fact that the logistics management of the organization is quite challenging, since the parts of cars are sent to the firm’s unit in Brussels by various places across Europe and have to be assembled so that the finished product is promoted to the European market. It is concluded by the researcher that the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, meets most requirements of a successful production unit. Still, certain changes are required so that the performance of the unit to be standardized in the long term. The evaluation of the effectiveness of a production process is quite important for estimating the current and future potentials of the organization involved. The review of the production process in Volkswagen’s production plant in Brussels has revealed the strengths of the specific process. It is also assumed that the firm’s performance in the global market, as reflected in its financial statements is highly related to the high performance of the production plant in Brussels.

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The First Day of School Essay First walking into my new school of Terrace Park Elementary during the middle of 6th grade, I must have been the most awkward person on the planet. Moving schools because of my acceptance into a more challenging school curriculum, I had been told this group of students would help me learn much faster than the ones at my old schools. The material would have been learned at a much faster paced and higher level of difficulty. It was as if my old elementary school had kicked me out, placing me with kids who these similar â€Å"problems† as me. It had never occurred to me that the new environment I was in was so different than what I was used to. Going to this new school required a fifteen minute drive commute to and from home daily. This inconvenience made it hard for me stay connect with my classmates in the afterschool extracurricular activities. Changing schools meant meeting a new group of people I did not know. Joining the school mid-year I was the stranger that came in knowing nothing about how the school worked. Most people had already formed their little friend groups and created their own schedules. see more:my first day at school essay for kids On the other hand, the large amount of people at this school meant that some students still had time expand their friend group. It was a whole new experience and it was a case I had never handled in my life before. The two school environments were just too different. My new school was two stories high and had twice the amount of students. It was harder to get around the school and find my new classes. It had recently been renovated, so the whole appearance of the school was much more modern. Upon arriving, I noticed many remarkable building features. A five foot circular stained glass window started at me with its amiable eyes. The wolf drawn seemed to represent the school mascot. Compared to my old school, this school had much more classrooms and facilities. The six groupings of classrooms, the football and track field outside, the gym and cafeteria were all spread out. The colorful colors that were painted on school did nothing but spur my curiosity. Right outside the cafeteria was the playground of all children’s dreams. It was spacious and had two different playgrounds. There seemed to be a caterpillar toy that the underclassmen were fighting over. The real attraction, however,  was the large football field beyond the playground. I watched the daily lifestyle of this school I as wandered about. Some students hung out by the cafeteria eating their breakfast, some were conversing in the halls and some had already sat down in their classrooms. Twenty minutes before school had even started the amount of activity was surprising, when compared to my previous school. Yet people seemed to not notice me, whenever I passed by, none seemed to fully acknowledge my presence. Back home, I had friends how rushed to greet me as I walked through the doors of the classroom. The staff all were familiar with me and wore willing to help me out in any situation. As the first bell rung, I knew it was time to start my â€Å"first day† of school. Walking into Mr. Hagen’s room, I noticed a row of computers in the back right corner of the room. Their placement against the wall made it seem like they had never been used for a long time. I walked in, only to be greeted by a young aged man who I assumed to be the teacher for this 6th grade class. As I was introduced to the class, my experience as a stranger had officially began. I stood at the front of the room and slowly walked toward the seat I had been assigned. After a little bit of adjusting, the final bell rung and class had started. The first day was the day that would decide everything – from what type of friends I made to the spot I would sit during lunch. Knowing this, I tried my best to make myself look as normal as possible, attempting to discard my own shy character. Scanning the room, I knew absolutely no one. Making friends was also never one of my assets. Each person looked the same. I sat down next to a boy who had unkempt hair and had a Hawaiian shirt loosely thrown over a white t-shirt. Everyone knew my name, because it was different than the typical American name. The name â€Å"Jonah† was sure to stick in their minds, at least for next week or two. The faster paces of the classes were too much for me to handle for I never been used to such a speed in my previous school. I sat there, lost, wondering what to do. The faces of all the other students around me were intent and focus on their given task. I was left out of the atmosphere of the classroom. When lunch finally came, I was finally relieved of the pressure of the classroom. As a stranger, I remembered that didn’t know anyone well enough to sit with. For all I knew, I didn’t even know how to buy lunch. I frantically asked myself, â€Å"Is it the same way as my old school? Will I have the same PIN number? Where will I sit?† Luckily, on the way out  of the room, I was invited to eat with the boy with unkempt hair. I later learned that his name was Randy and that he was one year younger than me. As I sat down at the lunch table, many other kids sat down with me. All of them stared at me because they had never seen me there before. I was unable to come up with courage to talk to them, therefore awkwardly sitting at the table eating my lunch. I knew that they did not mean to be unkind, but just wanted to understand more about who I was. To my delight, I ran out onto the field and felt freer to finally act as myself again. The size of the field was much larger than I had expected from first look. The only color I could notice around me was the shade of green. Looking around, I had no one to kick my soccer ball with. Throughout the day, I received countless glares from many people I didn’t know. Many others from different classes had asked me many times for my name, asking me how I was and where I had come from. They had asked me so many types of questions that sparked one after another, triggering a large chain of questions that I did not know the answer to. Many of the others just called â€Å"hey new kid!† I will admit that my feeling of fear was more than I could handle. There was so much nervousness that I would start sweating and my nerves would spark all over my body. Walking in for the first time through those doors of Terrace Park Elementary made me feel so small in this large school. I was not used to such a large community, I like it when my classrooms were all close together, the student were allowed more changes to interact and the staff would be able to more easily connect with us. The few smiles I had received when entering felt forced- the ends of their lips raised for a quarter of a second. I had thought that I was different than all the rest of the kids – Was it my looks? My clothes? My awkward trot? Some might have thought that I was just another one of those Asian nerds. I felt that I would have trouble fitting in. that I should have probably stayed at my old school. Why would I just make my life harder for myself when I could just be chill with my old group? I knew that the ambivalent glances I received were not meant to be malicious. I know that even I would have done the same to a new student. My initial fears had changed th e way how every face in the school had looked. Even a perfectly joyful person could seem to have cruel intents. Trying to along with the other students was just a nightmare. I have always heard that the best thing to do on a first day of school was to make a good impression. However, I was never the type who was easy to get along with or outgoing. I tried leaving all those traits behind me as I spoke up, but it was no use. My true nature showed one way or another. My shyness only helped distance me from the other students around me, as if no one had wanted to become my friend. All the small things happening around me were, I was tuned into the world or small details. As I felt time go in in slow motion, I watched as the 1st graders dragged the lunch basket to their grade table, gave each other a high five for a job well done and then walked to the lunch line. I saw the fly buzzing around the air above me, before stopping on the table next to me. I had nothing else to pay attention but these fine details, no one would spare a second on the new kid at the table. I almost wanted to cry to show how I felt, but I realized that would probably ruin what first impressions I had left. Looking back, I realize that this experience was not that bad. It was own expectations of a new school that had caused me to sense so many different feelings. The feeling of a stranger was only because I was a new face in town. It was natural that the other students were curious of who I really was. It is even possible that, just as how I was too scared to talk to my new classmates, they had also been hesitant to approach me. Being a stranger was only temporary; I would eventually have assimilated into the daily lifestyle of Terrace Park. While that first day was particularly bad, I quickly was able to adapt to the situation in the coming weeks. I had become acquainted with the few students at my table in just a week, the rest of class in a month. This group of students who had all seemed so large at first was not as scary as they had originally seemed. They were actually very friendly; each of them had qualities that made them attractive. I had become very good friends with some of them, influencing my friends I my future schooling years. One could say that this school year affected my future directly. I would never have chosen the friends if it had not been for my experience at Terrace Park. The people that I had grown to enjoy were those who were smart and were willing to help me with any problems I had. I learned that other people are generally kind in nature, but just have trouble expressing their feelings. I have realized that I would never have attended Edmonds-Woodway High School without the experiences I had. I wanted to follow where my friends had gone to school, so I had chosen Edmonds-Woodway instead of my home school of Lynnwood.  Today, I have absolutely no regrets for changing schools mid-year during the 6th grade. I know I am a stranger, but I also know that being a stranger does not last for an eternity – t here will be a point where you will be a part of the village. We all know that every student had at least a couple first days of school. The moment where we walk into a classroom is always the worst part. We have no idea what could happen next. We see and meet people that we have never been familiar with. The sea of new faces would only help overwhelm the normal person. Shaky legs, sweat rolling down foreheads and that feeling of being a stranger will always be the initial feeling of the average person. Especially when we walk into the classroom midyear, these feeling are only amplified. Having no idea how to fit, we tend together take two actions. In my case, I tend to try to change my personality to make a good first impression, only to realize that I am unable to keep it up for days or weeks. Rather than to mess around with our true personalities to make that first impression, acting as yourself will allow others to truly know us better. People are much friendlier than we originally think; they are that frightening once we get to know them. Even more so, a bad impression does not mean that the rest of their life is ruined. Their identity can be redeemed through their actions. The important thing is not to worry and things will usually work themselves out. It is human nature to adapt to situations as the conditions change. Whenever a new student joins a classroom, the environment will change slightly. As time goes on, you will become a part of the environment that the rest of the students are used to. Working and communicating with others are a main part of changing from being a stranger to becoming a acquaintance and possibly to becoming a friend. This situation can apply to almost everyone. All new students will feel like a stranger a t one point or another. The time has come to realize that the overstated fears of the first day have only created discomfort in those who are new. No matter what, we cannot avoid the way that people look on u as strangers. But really, we are not entirely strangers. The only difference between you and them is the time spent attending that school.

Community Health Visit: Klinik Kesihatan

Community Health Visit: Klinik Kesihatan An Introduction to the Malaysian Healthcare System Most of us have been exposed to the Malaysian healthecare system one way another, be it, private clinics or government ones, even hospitals at times. The Malaysian healthcare system can be said to consist of a broad umbrella structure that encompasses the provision of healthcare to both urban, not to mentioni also, the rural regions of our beloved country. In general however, it can be classified under the public or private sector, which is very obvious in our country. The public sector which is backed financially by the government, constitutes a whopping 80% of the total health services in our country, the remaining 20%, needless to say, is provided by the private sector. The backbone, or in other words, basis of Malaysian Healthcare, is formed on the foundations of the complementary network of private and government clinics together with hospitals that are available to the public. Each state of our country have their respective General Hospitals located in the states capital. District hospitals will be present in most administrative districts. Health Centers (Klinik Kesihatan) will supplement these district hospitals. Under Health Centers, are the Rural Clinics (Klinik Desa). Comparing the healthcare system in Malaysia with other first world countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, the healthcare system in Malaysia is heavily subsidized by our government, in the aforementioned first world countries, treatment costs can rocket sky high. Our government has made sure that the price the people pay for treatment from the public sector his reasonable and affordable to the majority of citizens. At least 5% of the national budget is allocated to healthcare system expenditures. Our government has listed the 8 elements of primary healthcare. To fulfill the 8 ELEMENTS, they provide these services as follows: Maternal and Child Healthcare Outpatient services Basic Dental Health Nutrition Environmental sanitation Essential drugs Control of Communicable Diseases Health Education Laboratory services Organization of Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelanduk Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelanduk is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Port Dickson to be even more specific. There are 12 villages in the Jimah District area, and this Klinik Kesihatan is located there. On the 29th of July 1986, operations begin to go on in this clinic and the clinic has served as major centre for the treatment and recovery of the Japanese Encephalities and Nipah virus infected patients. The vaccination for the deadly Nipah virus. There are subsidiary clinics such as Klinik Desa Chuah under the jurisdiction of Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelanduk that provides the medical services such as maternal and child healthcare services. Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelanduk is also located within the radius of 30 km from the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital and the Port Dickson Hospital in Negeri Sembilan Oganisation Chart Community nurse Public Health assistant U19 (6) U17 (1) Altogether there are 33 staff workers. Klinik Kesihatan Mantin is headed by an Administrative Doctor, who is directly responsible to the District Health Officer. Under the Administrative Doctor are two posts, which are the Assistant Medical Officer, and the Head Nurse. The Head Nurse is an authoritative figure, there are 7 components of the staff directly under her, which are the Assistant Pharmaceutical officer Medical Lab Technician, Assistant Medical officer, Senior Community nurse, Public Health nurse, Health nurse, and the Trained nurse. Under the Senior Community nurse would be the Community nurse, and the Public Health assistant. Components of Health Services. The Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok has 6 main departments which are the Outpatient, Maternal and Child Health, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Dental Health, and Emergency Department. The outpatient department is by far the biggest service rendered to the public and can be broken down in the diagram below The outpatient department consists of the diabetic, hypertension, mental health, healthy teen and out patient clinic. The out patient procedures of obtaining medical services is shown in the diagram on the left. The outpatient department in other words, functions as the primary healthcare clinic. It is headed by an Administrator doctor( Medical Office). The out patient clinic sees an estimated 100 patients every single day. And the head nurse and assistant medical officers will do their utmost best to carry out their respective responsibilities to assist the Administrator doctor in any duties relevant to them. The Maternal and Child Health Clinic is headed together by the administrator doctor and the head nurse. This helps in reducing the workload of the administrator doctor. The head nurse together with the staff under her will such as community nurses, will conduct frequent home visits and provide antenatal check-ups for pregnant women within that area. Diagram on the left shows a brief summary of Maternal and Child Health services. The Laboratory Department, which is headed by a medical lab technician. The medical laboratory is not as well equipped as those major hospitals, hence the Laboratory Department of Klinik Kesihatan will collaborate with the Laboratory Department of the Tuanku JaafarHospital such as urine protein tests, thyroid function tests, lipid profile and renal function tests. Diagram on left shows a brief summary of services provided by the Laboratory Department of Bukit Pelandok. Another important component of Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok. After consulting the medical officers, patients who are eligible for prescriptions, will have their medication prescriptions handed to the assistant pharmaceutical officer, who will then supply the patients and inform them of the usage of the medication. Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok also has a dental department, the dental functions under the same operational hours of the clinic. Tooth extraction, filling, scaling, whitening are provided services. Major oral surgeries however would be referred to the Tuanku Jaafar and Port Dickson hospitals. Last but not least, there is also an Emergency Department, this department is equipped to handle minor emergencies, it also has an ambulance and paramedics. The bar chart on the left shows the ethnicity of the total number of patients in 2010. Services Provided by Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok. I have already stated the various departments of Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok in the Components of Health Services provided section. The departments of this clinic provides a wide range of treatment modalities, hence allowing the clinic to ensure that patients enjoy effective treatment. The outpatient department is the most busy of all the departments. The purposes of the outpatient department are to provide immediate treatment to patients who are acutely or chronically sick, and also to act as a control for the clinic against infective disease such as Tuberculosis. Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok also provides the Tuberculosis Direct Observed Therapy Short-course treatment. Moving on to the Maternal and Child Health care department, the clinic mainly focuses on prenatal, antenatal, not to forget postnatal care of both the mother and foetus. There is a target to be achieved, which is the target of zero maternal deaths. They are accomplishing this target in a certain number of ways which include immediate diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia, immunization of the mother and frequent antenatal check-ups up until the estimated delivery date. There are also activities scheduled by the department for disabled children on a case by case basis. For the Laboratory Department, their main role is to enable the clinician in conducting relevant laboratory studies that will help in the diagnosis and management of the disease. The Laboratory Department allows the clinic to receive results much faster compared to the time it takes to receive results from a nearby hospital. Some common tests conducted by this department are as follows: Blood tests for HbA1c, lipid profile, platelet count, ESR Light microscopy on blood smears to detect blood disorders such as anemia, or parasites in the blood smears. Urinalysis for toxins, glycosuria, urea and red blood cell casts. Pregnancy test Other more intricate and complicated tests such as FTA-Abs for treponema pallidum, would require samples to be obtained and sent to the Tuanku Jaafar or Port Dickson General Hospital for processing. The pharmacy is responsible for dispensing medication in safe and legal amounts to patients, and to advise patients on practicing compliance in taking their medications. Patients will also be counseled on the side effects and contraindications of the drugs. Reflections From observing the complex structure of roles and responsibilities held by the different components and departments of Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Pelandok, it brings to light the vast value of this particular clinic in the provision and primary healthcare of the residents in Bukit Pelandok. Many of the patients who visit this clinic are of the Malay ethnicity, I for particular, am one who is not fluent in Bahasa Melayu compared to the English language. I learnt that this could be a barrier in communicating with patients who can only speak the Malay language. I have decided that I will brush up my Bahasa Melayu, and master a few of the colloquial terms so that next time I would be able to communicate even better in the Malay language. This clinic visit has taught me that every component of the staff has a part to play, and has managed to teach me invaluable lessons of becoming a team player. Section II: Household Survey Introduction Bukit Pelanduk is most famous for the Nipah outbreak. Prior to the outbreak, during the 90s, it contain the largest pig farming communities in Southeast Asia. In between October 1998 and May 1999, that was the darkest time in Bukit Pelanduk recent history, there were approximately 104 deaths out of 258 cases of Nipah infected patients. Towards the Chinese new year in the middle of March 1999, a pig breeder from Sungai Nipah, which is located south of seremban, died suddenly triggering massive panic. Nearly half the population of the village migrated elsewhere out of fear towards the killer disease. The virus spread like a raging wildfire out of control causing many pig farmers not to mention villagers to abandon their farms and homes in panic. By March 1999, Bukit Pelanduk had become something like a ghost town due to the mass exodus. The ministry of health then decided to raise the level of this epidemic to the level of national crisis. A Cabinet-level task force was set up, and then headed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. What was confusing was that at that time, the government adamantly insisted that it was right in tagging the disease as Japanese Encephalities, however both farmers and scientists opposed this theory and suspected that it was a different strain or virus altogether. The virus then spread to Kampung Sawah, Kampung India and even Sepang. Farmers consulted temple mediums, and promptly put up red banners at the mediums advice in and around their houses to ward off the angel of death. After months of futility in treating the outbreak as Japanese Encephalitis, the government finally decided to call in the Department of Medical Micribiology of University of Malaysas medical faculty for assistance in dealing with this disease. Dr Chua Kaw Bing was the doctor who managed to isolate the virus in five days. 12 days later, it was identified as a new Hendra-like virus and tagged as Nipah. Over one million pigs, or half our contrys pig population at that time, were culled. Around 36000 ppl suffered unemployment due to the destruction of farms. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, it is estimated close to RM 500 million of pig production was lost. Today, pig farming is no longer allowed legally in Bukit Pelanduk. Since the outbreak, the young had drifted elsewhere in search of a living. Only the old remain, to live out their days. Objectives The objectives of the study are To describe the social demographic of community To identify vectors and pests To comprehend health seeking behaviour To determine the housing conditions To understand food, nutrition and health awareness To determine working environment And to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices on dengue among the community. Methodology (Methods and Materials) The household group consisting of 15 members. We met up before going to Bukit Pelandok in IMU to discuss our strategies and to plan ahead before the Bukit Pelandok visit. Household questions and objectives for the Bukit Pelandok visit was meticulously discussed and great care was poured into the formation of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was in the English language and pretested to make sure no discrepancies arose when certain terms were used. After countless hours of discussion we finally agreed on a descriptive cross-sectional study upon the target population which were the residents of Bukit Pelandok. Due to obvious time constraints, not to mention logistical ones, the art of the convenience sampling technique was called to the fore with households being identified as the basic unit of due analysis. The survey was conducted over 2 working days around the 7 housing areas within a five kilometer radius which are as follows Kampung Sawah Kampung Pachitan Kampung Jawa Kampung Cina Kampung India   Rumah Rakyat Taman Bayan Most of us were well conversant in English as well as the Malay language, and we were able to translate all of the questions confidently into Mandarin as well. As names and specific home addresses were not included as part and parcel of the questionnaire, we managed to obtain consent of participants as well as guaranteeing their anonymity and confidentiality of their responses in the survey. To display the results in an attractive and efficient manner, descriptive statistics were employed in the formulation of the results which would be put under the results chapter. Formulation of results in this survey was done with the SPSS 18 program together with the dedication of the data entry and analysis team. The following is a brief summary of the study: Study location: Bukit Pelandok, Negeri Sembilan Study period: 17-18 February 2011. Total population of Port Dickson: 90 000 people Target population: Community in the 7 areas mentioned above. Sampling technique: Convenience sampling technique Sample size: 234 Basic unit of analysis: Household Study design: Descriptive cross sectional study Study instruments: Pre-coded and pretested questionnaires in the English language via face to face verbal interviews. Data entry and analysis: SPSS 18 Operational definitions Results Table 2.2 above shows the literacy level of respondents. For the male population, 50 out of 79 males ,63.29 % are literate whereas for the female population, 108 out of 155, 69.68% are literate. Women have a higher literacy level than men it appears. Figure 2.3 Figure 2.3 shows that the most common occupation of respondents are housewives, 108 out of 234, or 46.15%. the second most common occupation is the skilled manual/clerical which stands at 38 respondents, or 16.24%. Only 5 of the respondents were students, representing only a meager 2.14%. Figure 2.4 Figure 2.4 shows that the most of the respondents have a monthly household income of around RM 1000-RM1999 which was 84 out of 234, 35.90%. There were 11 respondents, 4.70% who were of the highest income bracket (>RM 5000) Figure 2.5 Figure 2.5 above shows that majority houses in Bukit Pelandok are of the detached type, 65.81%. Figure 2.6 Figure 2.6 shows that 53.2% of houses are made out of brick whereas 39.5% and 7.3% are made out of brick and wood, and wood respectively. Table 2.3 : The Housing Characteristics of Respondents in Bukit Pelandok (n = 234) Table 2.3 shows that 97.9% of the houses have 24 hour availability of electricity whereas 98.7 % have availability of piped water supply. Garbage collection facility was low as only 46.2% of the houses had that facility. Availability of a proper sewage system was high too at 85.9%. 231 out of 234 respondents did know where the nearest health clinic was, a 98.7% majority of them. 219, 93.7% of them claim they will seek medical assistance if sick. 70.5% would choose the government clinic for medical assistance whereas 26.9% will go to seek medical assistance from a private clinic. Discussion From Figure 2.3, the bar chart shows that a huge number of respondents are housewives. This is because the time we carried out the survey was during office working hours. Hence most respondents who were the most likely to be at home during this period of time tend to be housewives. From Table 2.3 more than half of respondents claim that they do not enjoy proper garbage collection privileges. When we asked more about garbage disposal practices in that area, we found out that about once a week, rubbish is brought to a place designated by the village chief (ketua kampung). There the rubbish is either burnt or buried. If villagers feel that this is a complicated process, they would burn or bury their own rubbish in their own backyards. From Figure 2.4, the majority of respondents household income can be appreciated to be below the RM 2000 mark. Most of the residents of this area belong to the skilled/ unskilled manual field of profession as stated in the operational definitions, hence their income is lower. Limitations While conducting the study, the survey team realized that we ran into several limitations. That was inevitable. And we will list it down below. The first limitation encountered by our team was the coverage in the area of our study. A limited area makes it difficult for any study to be effectively correlated and to allow for generalizations to be made. Certain questions in the survey were not specific for respondents such as the awareness of job related risks. If the head of household is not there to answer the questionnaire, the respondent might not be able to give a very accurate answer. Therefore certain conclusions about the population of Bukit Pelandok could not be accurately derived. There were variations between the way interviewers would ask the questions. Hence there might be a slight discrepancy between explanations of questions and answers from one interviewer to another. This means that the standardized understanding of questions by respondents would have been slightly affected. The reliability of the information provided by the respondents is very hard to verify also. We depend on truthful answers and had no concrete way to validate whatever the respondent answered. There were instances also where non responses were encountered. During the survey there were also noticeable language barriers between interviewers and respondents. There was an instance where an Indian lady could only communicate well in Mandarin, hence the Malay interviewers would have had a real difficult time if not for his Mandarin-speaking partner. Conclusion Bukit Pelandok is an area where the residents put more faith in western medicine and most of them will seek medical treatment and advice from the Government Health Clinic. Local authorities need to beef up their services and improve garbage collection facilities among this area to prevent air pollution which results from open burning. Reflections I feel that this project has taught me some very important lessons and even practical skills, for example, in the entering and formulation of graphs and tables by the SPSS 18 program. This will help me in my future career as a medical doctor in the world of medical presenting, teaching and learning. This project also gave me an experience of conducting a household survey together with my batch mates, we learnt how to delegate and carry out our respective responsibilities as a team. We also managed to learn from our mentors on how to facilitate this type of household survey research. Section III-Research Report Abstract The objectives of this research survey conducted were to investigate the social status of the community and the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on dengue among rural communities in Bukit Pelandok, Negeri Sembilan. Convenient sampling was used as time was a major limiting factor. 234 and 250 people participated in the household and research survey respectively. Participants age were 18 years old and above, had the ability to converse and communicate in the Malay, English, and Mandarin language, resided permanently in the area, and holding a Malaysian citizenship. In our survey, we used a pretested, precoded, and well structured questionnaire in the English language for data collection via a face to face interview with participants. Introduction According to the WHO, the Dengue virus is transmitted through infected Aedes mosquitos with any single one of four dengue viruses when it bites a human being. This virus is more prevalent in the tropical and sub-tropical areas on Earth. After an infective bite, symptoms start presenting within the next 3-14 days. As the name dengue fever implies, it is a febrile illness that affects humans in all stages of life be it infants, young children or adults. The symptoms present with a wide range from a mild fever, to an immobilizing high fever, which is usually accompanied by severe headaches, muscle, joint pain and the occasional bout of rashes. Up to the present day, sadly, there are still no specific antiviral medicines to battle dengue. Hydration is of utmost importance when managing a patient with dengue fever. Aspirin or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not recommended for the treatment of dengue fever. The most widely feared complication is the dengue haemorrhagic fever which is accompanied with fever, abdominal pain, bleeding and vomiting. It is potentially lethal and usually this complication affects children. Prompt clinical diagnosis and meticulous clinical management by experienced doctors and nurses usually increase the rate of survival of patients. Over the past decade, dengue has emerged as one of the most common mosquito-borne viral disease among humans. On a global scale, an estimated 2.5 billion people reside in areas where the dengue viruse can be easily transmitted. From a geographical point of view, the spread of both the vectors (Aedes mosquito) and the dengue viruses has led to a resurgence globally of an epidemic dengue fever. Together with this epidemic, there is emergence of the dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in the past quarter of the century. The main vector of dengue is the Aedes aegypti ¼Ã…’ there are four different but related viruses that cause dengue. The recovery from infection by one type will provide lifelong immunity only against that particular serotype. In other words, it means a human being can be infected by another serotype of dengue virus for a subsequent time. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever was first identified during the 1950s in the Philippines and Thailand when those two countries experienced dengue epidemics. Around 1970, about nine countries had witnessed the DHF epidemic and continues to rise in our present day. All four dengue viruses are endemic in the Americas and Asia and has become one of the leading causes of hospitalization and mortalities among children in a few of their countries. Until now, vector control is the most widely used method for the dengue and DHF prevention. Broad research on dengue vaccines are still being conducted. Literature Review. A number of literature reviews provided me with a very handy guide to the socio-demography and KAP regarding dengue among the community of Bukit Pelandok, Negeri Sembilan. Since i had limited time to conduct the research, the literature reviews gave me an overview and acted as a stepping stone to getting the research report together. Even for professionals, literature reviews are useful reports that keep them updated about what is current in their field. 4 journals from the internet and online journal communities were reviewed before writing this report. This included studies on KAP among the adult population in Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. The quality of the journals was merely acceptable as most of them used convenience sampling. Only one journal used a cross sectional multistage sampling, this was the journal regarding Dengue-related Knowledge among Caregivers in Myanmar. From these journals, the group conducting the research managed to fine tune the questions in the questionnaire that was used so that the answers would be helpful and informative. According to the journal by Dr Farizah Hairi, out of all of the 200 respondents surveyed in Kuala Kangsar, only one had never heard of dengue. And the main source of information came from the television or radio. 88.5 % of the of the respondents thought that the cause of dengue was mosquitoes whereas only 2.5% knew it was the dengue virus to be exact. Out of these 200 respondents, only 91 could name Aedes as the type of mosquito that could transmit the dengue virus. The knowledge on the Aedes mosquito was quite poor. Only 25 percent of the respondents were able to mention that covering the stored water as a prevention method. The good news was that 192 (96%) of the respondents understood that presence of Aedes larvae in their residence was against the law. The practice of dengue control , the most common forms of prevention were using mosquito coils together with insecticides. Majority of respondents (96%) did consider the dengue virus as a very serious disease. All of the 200 respondents stated that they would seek treatment if they were infected with dengue. Out of the 200, 192 which is a large proportion felt that prevention was better than cure. 90.5% of the respondents support programmes or activities which are organized by the health authorities targeted at the elimination of Aedes mosquitoes. 91% of respondents too felt it was justified to punish those guilty of harbouring Aedes larvae in their residence. Based on the type of scoring system used which was described in the methodology of that particular journal, 68.5% of respondents possessed good knowledge of dengue and Aedes, whereas 91.5% had a positive attitude towards dengue control. What was disappointing was that only 51.5% of respondents actually adopted measures to prevent and control dengue and its vector. Research Question The following is the main research question that all the questions in the questionnaire are helping to answer. What is the current level of knowledge, attitudes practices for prevention of the Dengue virus among the semi-urban community? Objectives General objective To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Dengue among the Bukit Pelanduk community. Specific Objectives: To determine the level of knowledge of the local communities on Dengue To appraise the attitude of the local communities towards Dengue To describe the practices taken by the local community to prevent Dengue infection Methodology For the KAP of dengue research survey, we used a cross-sectional study in Bukit Pelandok. Type of sampling used was convenience sampling. The sample size of the study was targeted at 250, we managed to hit that mark. A pre-tested and well structured questionnaire on KAP of Dengue was used. The household survey was carried out within the range of a 5 km radius around the Bukit Pelanduk Health Clinic which included -Kampung Chuah -Kampung Sawah -Kampung Pachitan -Kampung Cina -Rumah Rakyat -Taman Bayan From the 14th to the 16th of February 2011, we did some brainstorming to finalise the topic and questions. After that we sent the questionnaires for printing. 2 members of the group were sent to Bukit Pelandok to check out the area before the day we went to conduct the research. We then had to divide determine the criteria of interviewees which would be fit for selection to answer the questionnaires. The criteria the interviewees must fulfil is that they be above 18 years old, a resident of that household, and a Malaysian citizen. Our questionnaire had 4 main components which included socio-demographics, knowledge, attitude and practices. The medium used to conduct the interview were the Malay, English, and Mandarin language. On the 17th to 18th of February 2011, we proceeded to the execution of the research study. We divided the research group into 13 pairs. On the 1st day, we covered areas within walking distance, which was as far as up to Kampung Cina and Kampung Sawah. The 2nd day , we were dropped off by group members who had cars and managed to cover further areas as far as up to Taman Bayan and Chuah. As like the previous household survey, there was a key emphasis placed on obtaining consent from respondents of the survey as well as maintaining their anonymity and confidentiality of any of their responses to the survey. The descriptive statistics program, SPSS 18, was employed in the formulation of the results of the survey. The SPSS 18 greatly helped in data entry together with analysis. A P-value of less than 0.05 was used to prove the validity of the collected data unless otherwise stated. The scoring system used is as follows. Knowledge 10 vital questions à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 7 correct GOOD knowledge Attitude 6 vital questions à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 4 Yes GOOD attitude Practice 7 vital questions à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 4 Yes GOOD practice There were some protocols that we followed to reduce bias or error while conducting the interview. We did our best to avoid suggestive questions, and the questionnaire was pretested among our own group members. There was a briefing held to convey the standardization of questioning. House allocations were done to prevent overlap and we tried our best to extensive coverage of Bukit Pelandok. Our group also double checked the SPSS data after input. Results Socio Demographic data Gender Figure 3.1 shows the gender of respondents .60.4% and 39.6% were female and male respectively out of 250 respondents. Age group Figure 3.2 shows the age group of the respondents, a majority, 40.4% were middle aged. Ethinicity Figure 3.3 shows the Malay ethnicity is 59.6%, the majority. Figure 3.4 shows the educa Literature Review: Methods Of Virus Protection Literature Review: Methods Of Virus Protection Computer viruses are most critical area in computer science. All computer users in the world are suffering from this threat. Viruses reproduce themselves and spread through computer to computer as well as network to network. There are some antivirus software and some best practices to prevent from computer viruses. As well as this literature review contains the present situation of computer viruses, protection from computer viruses and how new antivirus software performs on computer viruses. end{abstract} section{Introduction} The only secure computer is one thats unplugged, locked in a safe and buried 20 feet under the ground in a secret locationÃÆ' ¯Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¿Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ½ Dennis Huges, FBI begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} The above statement shows the current security situation of computers and the role computer viruses play in computer world. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Computer virus is a program that can execute itself with the help of another infected executable program without knowledge of computer user and infect to computer. Viruses usually copy itself in current host and another new host also. So generally viruses are infecting to executable files. Some kinds of viruses only reproduce itself within the current host and from the current host to another host and spread in the host. Those are harmless than viruses that damage to the computer program, activities and data in the computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} But there are some other malicious software other than the viruses. Those are called malware. These malicious software can spread without help of executable program. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Computer viruses are also computer programs. So anyone who has a personal computer can create a virus program with few lines of codes. This means birth places of viruses are widely available. Also a virus is activated in host computer; the infection can spread through network (LAN or Internet) to other computers. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Virus attaches itself to other program and spreads with them. Most of the time virus attaches to executable program, when the infected executable program is running then virus is also executing behind that process. Also computer viruses can infiltrate to operating system. So all operating systems like MS Windows, PC Dos, Unix and Macintosh OS have probability to infect with viruses. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Some viruses do some destruction as soon as they enter a system. But some of others are programmed to lie dormant until activate by some signal. The signal may be mouse click, specific date, time or specific common sequence of keystrokes. As an example the famous Michelangelo virus, it is set to activate his birthday March 6. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Protecting the computers from the malicious software is the most challenging thing. But there are many ways to protect the computers from computer viruses. Although there are lots of methods to protect the computers from viruses, the computer users also have a responsibility to protect the computers from computer viruses. From the next section of review is considered about different types of Malware. cite{1} newpage section{Different types of Malware} There are different types of Malware spread in computer world. But it can mainly identified as follow. begin{itemize} item Viruses item Worms item Trojan Horses item Logic Bomb end{itemize} begin{figure}[h] par includegraphics[bb =0 0 100 325 ]{virus.png} caption{Malware Growth by Year} cite{10} par end{figure} newpage subsection{Viruses} Virus is block of executable code that is attached itself to another executable program by attaching external code, overwriting or replacing of the executable program code. When the computer user execute the infected program the automatically activate virus also by executing the hide block of code. This is the way how virus is infected to computer without knowing of user. But viruses get help from computer user to propagate in his machine. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} There are several types of viruses; they are categorized into various categories according to the way how they infect to system and what part of system is. Figure1 shows how Malware growth with year. It clearly show increase of Malware in year by year. cite{1,5} begin{itemize} item Boot sector viruses item Macro viruses item File infecting viruses item Polymorphic viruses item Stealth viruses item Multi-partite viruses item Resident viruses item Companion viruses item FAT viruses end{itemize} subsubsection{Boot sector viruses} Boot sector viruses are infected to the boot sector of computer otherwise master boot record of computer. Boot sector viruses are very difficult to detect because the master boot sector is the first thing loaded when computer started. So if this virus effect to computer, the virus get fully control of the machine. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} When boot sector virus infect to computer, they first move or replace the original boot code with infected boot code. Then the original boot code move to another sector of on disk and labeled that part as bad sector. So it will not use in future. The important thing is 75 per cent of viruses attacks are reported from boot sector viruses. The main and only way computer can infected with this virus is boot computer using infected disk. So some modern anti-virus software is designed to check infected disk, when boot using disk and before boot strap is loaded.cite{1,2} subsubsection{Macro viruses} In computing macro virus is virus that is crated using macro language. Macro language built into software such as word processor. So macro viruses propagate with applications which are used macros. In most of the time macro viruses infected with MS Office Word, MS Office Excel. However many of windows applications have to potential infected macro viruses too. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Because some applications allow macro program to be embedded in documents. So when the document is opening the macro run automatically. Also macro viruses spread rapidly because of peoples share data, documents and also use internet to get data and email document. Therefore Microsoft suggests opening file without macros or user can verify there is no damage macro with the document. But these methods are also not worked at all macro viruses.cite{2,3} subsubsection{File infecting viruses } File infecting viruses are infected to flies, and sometime they are allocated memory of computer. Files infecting viruses are infected with executable files, but most of the time it infect to executable files with extensions .COM, .EXE and .OVL. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Consider with boot sector viruses these are easy to detect. If the file infecting virus infects to some document, usually it increases the size of the file. Therefore Anti-virus software can detect those viruses using that feature.cite{1} subsubsection{Polymorphic viruses} Polymorphic viruses are change there appearance in each time when it infect to computer. So it is very difficult to detect theses type of viruses. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Polymorphic viruses also block of programming code, so they are encrypting there code using different algorithms every time they attack to system. Some polymorphic viruses can assume over two billion different guises. Therefore anti-virus software should make with good algorithmic scanning techniques instead of simple string based scanning techniques.cite{1,4} subsubsection{Stealth viruses} Stealth virus is a virus that hides its track after infecting to system. These types of viruses also try to hide from operating system and Anti-virus software. Therefore stealth viruses always stay in memory then they can intercept all attempts to use the operating system. Therefore these viruses waste memory available for user and hide it form both user and Anti-virus software. It hides changes it creates to files, directory structure and operating system also. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} When detected theses type of viruses using Anti-viruses software, then first it should disable the virus before correct the memory location in memory because stealth viruses also stay in memory.cite{1,6} subsubsection{Multi-partite viruses} Multi-partite viruses infect both boot sector and executable program. Therefore this type of virus very difficulty detected.cite{1} subsubsection{Resident viruses} Permanent viruses reside in the RAM.cite{7} subsubsection{Companion viruses} These are working like resident viruses or direct action viruses. subsubsection{FAT viruses} These infect to the file allocation table. subsection{Worms} Worms is a self-replicating computer malware type. It spread copy of itself to other host using computer network. Worms different than viruses how the reproduce and spread. It was known viruses want host program or boot sector to activate it need file transfer (infected file) to another computer to spread to it. But worms did not want any host files to execute and they can execute independently and spread using network. Therefore they normally find addresses to propagate and they pick addresses in three ways, begin{itemize} item Randomly generate addresses item Find addresses in system tables item Find addresses in a program end{itemize} begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} The threat of worms is equivalent to that of viruses. Computer worms can damage and destroyed some important files and it can crash critical programs to stop working sometime. The very prominent examples of worms are the MS-Blaster and Sasser worms.cite{1,2,8} subsection{Trojan horses} Trojan horses are distractive programs that hide in some valuable and useful software in internet. Some time worms and viruses hide within Trojan horses. The different between virus an Trojan hours is Trojan did not spread itself. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Normally Trojan hours spread into two parts those are client side and server side. When the client Trojan executes in computer the server the attacker otherwise server can get high level control of the client computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} The Trojan hours spread in several ways, most of the time with infected e-mail attachment. Also virus developers use some chat program like Yahoo messenger, Skype to spread these Trojans. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Commonly there are several types of Trojan horses like remote access Trojan, password sending Trojan, key loggers, destructive Trojan, FTP Trojan and proxy Trojan.cite{1,9} subsection{Logic bomb} The logic bomb virus is a piece of code that are inputted into a software system. When a certain and specific condition is met, such as clicking on an internet browser or opening a particular file, the logic bomb virus is set off. Many programmers set the malicious virus off during days such as April Fools Day or Friday the 13th. When the virus is activated, then various activities will take place. For example, files are permanently deleted.cite{1,10} newpage section{How viruses spread} Virus is one kind of malicious software which does some kind of harm to the activities of the computer. They always need a host program or any executable program to be executed its code. As viruses cannot execute its code by itself, the virus has to get the help of another file. Because of this reason, the viruses can effect only to several kinds of files such as html files with JavaScript, word documents and spread sheets. As the files with the extension .gif, .jpg,.wav,.mp3 files considered as pure data files, a virus cannot do a harm to these files. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} What the viruses do to spread is copying its code to another executable file. Then when that executable file is executed by another person the code of the virus is also executing and it then starts to search for files it can reside in the same computer or in the other computer which has been connected to the computer. Then the newly attacked programs are also trying to search for files which it can attack. If the infected file sends to another computer by a removable media, the computer virus infects to that computer too. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} There are number of ways which a virus can enter into a computer. Most of the time viruses are spreading through the internet. As creation of viruses is rapidly increasing and internet is everywhere available, spread of the computer viruses has increase more and more. Computer viruses are coming to the computer with e-mails in e-mail attachments. When the user opens the e-mail, the computer virus enters into the computer and grows in the computer. Another way of entering a virus into a users computer is by downloading something from some web sites. Through floppy disks or another removable media, it is possible for a virus to enter into a computer.cite{1} section{What the computer viruses and other malicious software can and cannot do} begin{itemize} item Use disk space by the computer viruses in vain. item Delete or modify the content of the infected files. item Interrupt to some operations of the infected computer. item Display some messages or images. item Decrease the performance of the computer. item Block the computer networks. item Do not do any harm to the hardware components that are connected to the computer. end{itemize} section{Protection from computer viruses} Once a computer infects with some computer viruses, the computer users cannot identify whether a computer virus has entered into the computer or computer system as some computer viruses are in idle mode for some period of time. The computer users can know that a computer virus has entered into the computer only by looking at the evidence of the destruction they have done. So the computer users must always consider about the safety of their computer before a virus do some destruction to the computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} As most of the computer users are now aware of the computer viruses, they specially pay their attention to limit the chance for a computer virus to enter into their computer. By just installing an anti virus software the users cannot give the responsibility of protecting the computer from computer viruses only to the anti virus software programs. The computer users also have the responsibility of protecting the computer from computer viruses. Although most of the computer users trust and use an anti virus software to protect their computers from computer viruses, there are best practices which should be followed by the computer users. begin{itemize} item When downloading software or any other thing from web sites the users should always be careful to download them from reliable web sites. item As viruses can come with e-mail attachments when the computer user checks the e-mails, messages from unknown contacts should not be opened. item If the user is logging into the computer with admin privileges, the chance to be infected by some computer viruses or malware is greater than the user log into the computer with user privileges. As some viruses cannot enter into the computer when the user logged as a user, log into the computer with user privileges is safer. item Restrict the other users from write privilege is another option. item Put passwords that cannot be easily guessed by another person. item Backup data. item Use only trusted software. end{itemize} begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} How much the company or person has to pay for an anti virus software, today most of the computer users are used to get the service of an anti virus software as the data are worth than the amount they pay to protect their computer or computer system. So installing an anti virus software program has become the most popular and reliable method of protecting from computer viruses. cite{14} newpage subsection{Computer virus protection with anti virus software programs} As computer viruses are available everywhere in the world, the better way to protect the systems is installing an anti virus software in them. Because of that reason, there are lots of anti virus software providers to provide their services to the customers. Various anti virus software providers are providing their service to the customers in various ways. They are client pull method, provider push with consent method, subscription method and care taking method. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Client pull method After a request from the client or customer for the service of an anti virus software, the service provider provides their service to the client. In this method as its name said, client should take the initiative to get the service. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Provider push with consent method The service providers sends email notification about their product and then the customers download the anti virus software and install it on the computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Subscription method The client agree to an agreement with the service provider. In this method when the vendor updates the anti virus software, the updates will automatically downloaded into the customers computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Care taking method In this method none of the individual computer user should not do anything to protect the computer from viruses. The service provider provides the service as a whole. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} The mechanisms used by various kinds of anti virus programs to detect a computer virus is not able to catch all the viruses or not able to not to catch the non virus things. Traditional anti virus software used two methods to detect a computer virus.cite{15,16} subsubsection{String matching technique} Some anti virus providers stored the codes of the computer viruses in a virus dictionary and when performing a scan, the anti virus software searches the scanning file for a piece of code from the virus dictionary. If a matching character is met, then the anti virus software detects that file as a suspicious file and alerts the user saying there is a suspicious file in the computer. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} But if a virus creator creates and release a new computer virus, as the code of that virus is not available in the virus dictionary, the anti virus program is not able to detect that virus. So the anti virus software which use this technique cannot guarantee that all the computer viruses can be detected by itself.cite{17} subsubsection{Detecting a virus by monitoring the behavior of the program} The anti virus programs which use this technique is monitoring the behavior of the scanned program and if there is an unusual behavior, the anti virus program detect it as an infected program and report it to the user. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} But if the anti virus software detect a non infected program as an infected program and after reporting it to the user if the user deletes it from the computer, a problem arise. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Although the anti virus software can be trusted, there are some fake anti virus software which do not provide a protection against computer viruses. They have created only with the objective of earning money from the computer users by intruding them. Because of this reason, the computer users also have the ability to download and install only the trusted anti virus software.cite{17} subsection{Antivirus software rating} The latest antivirus software rates in the world.cite{11} begin{itemize} item BitDefender Antivirus 2010 This provides a great security, simple usability, effective use of resources, and a valuable pricetag and provides up to date technologies to combat viruses and other malware.Active virus control is the latest technology they are looking for to give a great security by always observing the behavior of a file. cite{19} item Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 All around protection from number of threats like viruses, Trojans, bots, worms, and spyware. This is more easy to use as it has created with user friendly navigations. cite{20} item Webroot AntiVirus with SpySweeper 2010 A comprehensive desktop anti virus package which is used a multi-layered approach.Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper also features proactive technology to find malware before it does any harm to the computer. cite{21} item Norton AntiVirus 2010 Great protection level against malware but a problem arises when uninstalling the software as its partial ninstallation. This uses traditional signature based detection mechanism to detect malware. cite{22} item ESET Nod32 Antivirus 4 Kind of desktop anti virus software. But this doesnt provide a complete security and misses some protection. This is not in the competition with other anti virus software. cite{23} item AVG Anti-Virus 9 Includes antivirus and antispyware protection. provides complette protection from harmful downloads and web cites. cite{24} item F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010 Great desktop anti virus. Has one of the most effective scan procedure and test results are shown to prove that. When installing this anti virus software, it has been automatically configured to remove the other anti virus software installed to the computer. cite{25} item G DATA AntiVirus 2011 Uses two distinct antivirus scanning engines, behavioral/heuristic protection, and even self-learning fingerprinting.This provides protection against malware spreading via emails and IM. The types of malware which are detected by this anti virus software are,phishing scams, dialers, adware, malicious scripts, Trojans, rootkits and worms. cite{26} item Avira AntiVir Premium item Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware end{itemize} section{Cryptography and viruses} Cryptography is technique use to safe some data from other unauthorized people. Most of the time this is used when transfers data from computer to another one. But the problem is virus programmers also use this technique to their viruses. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} In cryptography there are different kind of cryptography methods available but most of the time the programmer who create viruses use symmetric single key cryptography. Actually what happen in cryptography is data encrypt using key and send that encrypted data to recipient then recipient decrypt and get original data using the key. This method is so safe because the encrypted data can not anyone understand. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Normally anti-virus program detect virus using the code of the virus. If there any virus with encrypted code then anti virus software can not identify those viruses. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Virus creators using cryptography, they encrypt the code of the virus. So some viruses change their aspects moment to moment and system to system but the key is same but is encrypted with virus code. So the virus is safe from anti-virus software, till the code is encrypted. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} But some cryptography viruses keep their key in separate places instead of keep with the same file. So good anti virus software can detect the places which keys are stored. Then it can decrypt the virus code and delete it. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Therefore computer system is protected some operating system developers keep the system fies as encrypted. So even though, there are some advantages and the facilities in using cryptography systems to be it prctically applicapable in virus preventation more advanced features of cryptography should be applied.cite{13} newpage section{Conclusion} As computer usage and internet usage is increasing in the modern world, the computer virus creation and the computer virus infection has become a common thing. Computer viruses can destroy a whole computer system or computer network within few seconds. But for any kind of company, the data they have should have confidentiality, integrity and availability. But sometimes those three things will be lost by the computer viruses. So most of the computers users are now try to avoid from the computer viruses. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} But computer virus infection has become so common thing because of the unawareness and the careless of the computer users about computer viruses. If the computer is attacked by a computer virus, the computer users do not do the correct thing to avoid spreading the virus to the other computers. That is why the computer viruses are spreading all over the world quickly. If a new computer virus is found from a users computer, the anti virus software providers are unable to provide a solution to the problem before it spread everywhere. The computer user has great responsibility to not to let a computer virus enter into the computer. To mitigate the destruction, this can happen to the computer from computer viruses, begin{itemize} item Aware the computer users about computer viruses. item Backup the data. item Put passwords which cannot easily guess by the outsiders. item Not to give write permission to the other persons. item Do not open suspicious e-mails from unknown contacts. item Download and use only the recommended software. item Install an anti virus software. item Always keep the anti virus database up to date. item Use only the recommended anti virus software. end{itemize} begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} As computer users are now searching for the best anti virus software which can give the best protection to their computers from computer malware, the anti virus market has grown and saturated with various kinds of anti virus software. But the problem is that though there are more anti virus software with the target of providing a better protection; virus creators are more powerful than anti virus program creators. They encrypt the code of the computer virus so that any of the anti viruses cannot detect that computer virus. begin{sloppypar} end{sloppypar} Considering all the fact we can come to a conclusion that any of the computer in the world cannot be there with no virus attack and any of the computer virus protection methods cannot eradicate the computer viruses from the computer forever. newpage begin{thebibliography}{widest entry} bibitem{1} McAfee,emph{An Introduction to Computer Viruses and other Destructive Programs},Available at: http://www.mcafee.com/common/media/vil/pdf/av_white.pdf bibitem{2} Markus Hanhisalo,emph{computer Viruses},Available at:http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Opinnot/Tik-110.501/1997/viruses.html# 1.Introduction% 20to% 20Computer% 20Viruses bibitem{3} Top Bits,2010, {http://www.topbits.com/types-of-computer-viruses.html} bibitem{4} Spamlaws,2009,emph{Understanding the Polymorphic Virus},Available at: http://www.spamlaws.com/polymorphic-virus.html bibitem{5} Ward Takamiya,Jocelyn Kasamoto,emph{An Introduction to Computer Viruses} bibitem{6} Spamlaws,2009,emph{Spotting the Stealth Virus},Available at:http://www.spamlaws.com/stealth-virus.html bibitem{7}Spamlaws,2009, emph{Understanding the Resident Virus},Available at:http://www.spamlaws.com/resident-virus.html bibitem{8} Top Bits,2010{http://www.topbits.com/computer-worm.html} bibitem{9} Top Bits,2010{http://www.topbits.com/trojan-virus.html} bibitem{10} Top Bits,2010,{http://www.topbits.com/logic-bomb.html} bibitem{11} emph{AntiVirus Software Review },http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ bibitem{12} emph{Computer knowledge virus tutorial},Available at:www.cknow.com bibitem{13} Charles P. 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