Presuade Your Employer You Deserve A Raise Essay

Presuade Your Employer You Deserve A Raise - Essay Example I believe that I have been exceptional in all that time that I have served the organization till now. I know that I have not given a full year to the organization but whatever, I have given is worth praise. There are people who work to earn a living. There are those who work to keep themselves occupied. There are also those who work to achieve a sense of fulfillment and those who work for a multiple combinations of the three reasons mentioned above. I work because I am passionate about what I do. It is not surprising then, to see that in a short span of a little under a year, I have achieved more than what you could have expected and have delivered on all fronts. When I joined the organization, I was completely new to the concept of the retail industry. However, in a small amount of time, I have achieved what was not possible for other people. I was given a higher position keeping the fact aside that I was not an experienced person. I appreciate the step taken by the organization in terms of my upgrade. However, I was also looking towards a raise in my pay. I do not think you can deny the fact that the consumer appliances segment of our store has been extremely well organized and my peers appreciate my contribution to the changes that I had suggested – and which have been implemented – in the way we track our inventory. I think the suggestions were a function of the time I had spent at the store and also my ability to innovate. Using the new inventory tracking process, our suppliers can be requested for replenishing the stock before a particular item gets completely depleted. You might like to believe that inventory management is not a central issue for a retail store, but I would request you to walk down to any of the other consumer electronics stores across the mall. You would observe two things: Another critical factor that I would like to draw your attention to is that I have developed my own set of regular clientele

How to save the world from pollution Essay Example for Free

How to save the world from pollution Essay PART – A ( 2 Marks) 1. Define hardness of water. 2. Distinguish between carbonate hardness and noncarbonate hardness. 3. Draw the structure of EDTA. What happens when EDTA is added to hard water? 4. Define alkalinity. 5. Why is water softened before using in boiler? 6. What is meant by priming and foaming? How can they be prevented? 7. What is meant by caustic embrittlement? How is it prevented? 8. Indicate the reasons for boiler corrosion. 9. What is the role of phosphates in the internal treatment of water? 10. What is calgon conditioning? How is it functioning in water treatment? 11. Mention requisites of potable water. 12. Write briefly on disinfection of water by UV treatment. 13. Write the principle involved in the desalination of water by reverse osmosis. 14. Define the term break-point chlorination. 15. Define desalination. 16. What is Sodium zeolite? What is its use? HS1103- Engineering chemistry I PART – B ( 16 Marks) 1. (i) What is the principle of EDTA method? Describe the estimation of Hardness of water by EDTA method. (8) (ii) What is the various methods by which disinfection of domestic water is carried out? Explain. (8) 2. (i) Describe briefly the different steps in the purification of water for drinking Purposes. (8) (ii) What is desalination? Name the different methods of desalination. Explain any one in detail. (8) 3. (i) Discuss briefly about the problems caused due to the usage of hard water in boilers. (8) (ii) What are Zeolites? How do they function in removing the hardness? (8) 4. (i) How is internal treatment of boiler water carried out? (8) (ii) Describe the principle and method involved in the determination of different types and amount of alkalinity of water (8) UNIT – II – SURFACE CHEMISTRY PART – A ( 2 Marks) 1. How does chemisorption differ from physisorption? 2. How will you increase the activity of adsorbent? 3. Define adsorption? What is an adsorption isotherm? 4. What is Freundlich’s adsorption isotherm? 5. What are promoters? 6. What is catalytic poisoning? 7. What is the effect of temperature and pressure on the adsorption of hydrogen gas on charcoal? 8. Define ion-exchange adsorption 9. What is langmuir adsorption isotherm? How it is mathematically represented? Kings college of Engineering HS1103- Engineering chemistry I 10. What is the demerit of langmuir adsorption isotherm? PART – B ( 16 Marks) 1. (i) Distinguish between physical adsorption and chemisorption. [6] (ii)Derive an expression for Langmuir unimolecular adsorption isotherm. What are its limitations? [10] 2 (i) Explain adsorption theory (or) contact theory with examples. [6] (ii) Explain the classification functions of ion-exchangers.[10] 3 (i) Define the term adsorption and list its application [4] (ii) Explain the role of adsorption in demineralization of water.[8] (iii) Give any three factors on which adsorption depends [4] 4 (i) Derive Freundlich’s adsorption isotherm. Give the conditions in which It fails. [6] (ii) Explain the role of adsorption in catalytic reactions [10] 5 (i) Discuss the factors which influence adsorption of gas on a solid. [8] (ii) Define adsorption isotherm. Explain the various types of adsorption Isotherm. [8] 6 (i) Explain the role of adsorbents in pollution abatement. [12] (ii) Define the terms adsorbent and adsorbate giving suitable examples.[4] UNIT – III – ELECTROCHEMISTRY PART – A ( 2 Marks) 1. What is a cell? Mention its types. 2. Define the terms (i) single electrode potential (ii) Electrochemical cells. 3. Define Helmholtz electrical double layer. 4. Write Nernst equation. 5. Define a reference electrode. Give one example. 6. What is electromotive series? What is its significance? Kings college of Engineering HS1103- Engineering chemistry I 7. What is electrode concentration cell? Give one example. 8. Find the potential of the cell in which the following reactions takes place at 250 C. Zn (s) + Cu2+ (0.02M) → Cu(s) + Zn2+ (0.4M) 9. What is electro chemical cell? 10. Why can glass electrode not be used for a solution of high alkalinity? 11. What are reversible irreversible cells? 12. What are the advantages of conductometric titrations? PART B [ 16 marks] 1. (i) Derive Nernst equation. Give its significances. (8) (ii) What are reference electrodes? Describe any two reference electrodes with neat diagram and mention their uses. (8) 2. (i) Describe a glass electrode. How can it be used for determining the pH Of a solution? (8) (ii) How is Emf of a galvanic cell measured by poggendroff’s compensation method? (5) (iii) Consider the cell reaction, Zn(s) +Fe2+ (0.005 M) Zn2+ (0.01 M) + Fe(s) Given that the standard emf of the cell at 298 K is 0.323 V. Construct the cell and Calculate the emf of the cell. (3) 3. (i) What are Reference Electrode? Explain the types with neat diagrams and mention their uses (8) ii) Describe the construction and working of calomel electrode hydrogen electrode (4+4) 4. (i) What is the principle underlying conductometric titration? Explain acid-base titrations with neat graph. (8) Kings college of Engineering HS1103- Engineering chemistry I (ii)Describe a quinhydroneelectrode how it can be used for the determination of pH of the solution? (8) 5. (i) What is the principle underlying Potentiometric titration? Explain Redox titrations with neat graph. (8) (ii)What is electrochemical series .Give its applications (8) UNIT – IV – ENERGY SOURCES AND ENERGY STORING DEVICES: PART – A ( 2 Marks) 1. Define nuclear fission. 2. What is nuclear chain reaction/ 3. What is a nuclear reactor? 4. Mention any two differences of a nuclear reaction and a chemical reaction? 5. What is breeder reactor? 6. What is solar cell? 7. What are the applications of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell? 8. What is wind energy? How is it obtained? 9. What is fissile and fertile nucleides? 10. What is super critical mass and sub critical mass? 11. What is nuclear energy? 12. What is a battery? How does it differ from a cell? 13. What are the advantages of alkaline battery over dry cell? 14. How is NICAD battery constructed? PART – B ( 16 Marks) 1. (i) What is a nuclear reactor? Describe the components of a light water nuclear power Plant with a suitable block diagram. (10) (ii) Explain the mechanism and characteristics of a nuclear fission reaction with suitable Example. (6) Kings college of Engineering HS1103- Engineering chemistry I 2. i)What is reversible battery? Describe the construction and working of lead acid storage battery with reacting occurring during charging and discharging. (8) (ii) How is NICAD battery constructed? Explain with cell reactions. Give its uses. (8) 3 i) Write a brief note on Lithium battery. (8) ii) What are Fuel cells? Explain the construction and working of H2-O2 fuel cell.(8) 4. i) Define Photo galvanic cell. Explain its working with diagram. Give its applications. (10) ii) Write note on wind energy. (6) UNIT – V – ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND CHEMOMETRICS: PART – A ( 2 Marks) 1. State Beer –Lambert’s law. Give its limitations. 2. Name the components of colorimeter. 3. What is flame photometry? 4. How are alkali and alkaline –earth metals detected in flame photometry? Give examples. 5. What are the sources of UV light in UV-Visible spectrophotometer? 6. Define the term Bathochromic shift. 7. What is finger print region? Mention its important uses. 8. Write any two disadvantages of AAS. 9. Compare atomic absorption spectroscopy and flame emission spectroscopy 10. How are IR spectral range subdivided? 11. What are the limitations of flame photometry? PART – B ( 16 Marks) 1. (i) Derive Beer-Lambert’s law. Give its limitations. (8) (ii)What is Colorimetry? With a block diagram explain how it is used to estimate iron (8) 2. (i) Explain briefly the principle and instrumentation of flame photometry. How do you estimate sodium using flame photometry? Kings college of Engineering (8) HS1103- Engineering chemistry I (ii)Explain the various components and working of UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. (8) 3. (i)What is IR spectroscopy?. Explain the various components and working of IR spectrophotometer. ii) (8) With neat energy level diagram explain various transitions involved in UV Spectra. (8) 4.(i) Explain how different fundamental modes for different types of compounds Are estimated in IR spectra. (8) (ii) Discuss the principle of atomic absorption spectroscopy. Give the block diagram of AAS.(8) Kings college of Engineering

Matthew Arnolds Dover Beach Essay -- Matthew Arnold Dover Beach Essay

Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' employs the sounds of language in three ways, through onomatopoeia to aurally represent the actions occurring on the beach, a varying meter which mirrors the varying heights of the waves on the beach, and a rhyme scheme which searches for its identity. In each stanza of the poem when the sounds of language are chaotic, the visual descriptions in the poem are tranquil, but when the visual descriptions are chaotic, the sounds of language become tranquil. This never resolved struggle represents the struggle the speaker finds himself in, which is about looking for something in his world which sounds and looks agreeable with his beliefs. The first stanza of the poem visually describes a tranquil ordinary beach scene, but through the sounds of language the reader learns the speaker sees the beach in more chaos than the visuals suggest. Passive verbs that dominate the first five lines of the poem such as ?is? (line 1) and ?lies? (line 2), as well as describing the sea as ?calm? (line 1) and the moon as ?fair? (line 2) contribute to the tranquil visual image of the beach. However, onomatopoeia, rhythm and rhyme do not agree with the tranquil beach scene. For example, onomatopoeia serves to aurally represent the violent action of the waves on the pebbles. The pebbles are already in a chaotic state with their ?grating roar? (line 9). Then the waves come and, ?draw back, and fling? (line 10) the pebbles to create more chaos. ?Fling? ends the line on a chaotic note. This process is aurally represented by, ?begin, and cease, and then again begin? (line 12). The line presents the reader with a beat that further emphasi zes the chaotic pattern of the waves and pebbles. T... ... until the darkness leaves and light can enter. The poem ends with the speaker finding what he wants to hear to put him at peace, silence. His loved one has listen to him throughout the poem and has not once spoken. The speaker wants someone he can talk to that will listen to him during the faith crisis. There may be more than a crisis of faith in the speaker?s life, but faith is the most important problem he wants fixed, since the entire third stanza is devoted to ?The Sea of Faith? (line 21) However, the speaker still sees the world as a chaotic lie, which over shadows seeing his loved one with him listening to him. Aural peace has been achieved while visual peace has not. Works Cited: Arnold, Matthew. Dover Beach. Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. ARP. 7th ed. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. 715-716.

I Want to be an Art Teacher :: Teaching Educacion Admissions

I Want to be an Art Teacher Have you ever been to a point in your life where there were to many decisions and not enough time? This is what happened to me in my senior year of high school. Throughout my teen years, I never discussed college with my family or did they with me. College for some reason was not on my agenda. Then I realized that I wanted to go to further my education. The reason I chose to go to college was that I am an artist, and felt that I needed to learn more about art techniques. I didn’t want to loose my talent, and I realized how much I enjoyed being in class. I had the privilege of being a student of some wonderful teachers at the high school I attended, and they influenced my decision to becoming an art teacher. Teaching is a challenging profession, but also very rewarding. I had the opportunity to do an art project with local kids of Monroe County over the summer. That experience helped me a great deal to see a glimpse of my future. During the four-week program the kids worked and learned about all forms of art. The teaching experience gave me pleasure on departing some knowledge and interest to the children that were there. That feeling of accomplishment for myself and seeing it in the faces of the children encourages me to proceed in my goals on becoming an art teacher. My goals as a teacher will be managing my classroom in an eclectic way of combining philosophies. Differing seating arrangements in art classes are limited, therefore are materials need to be shared among the students. In my class, there will be at least four chairs to each table so that material can be dispersed equally. On the bulletin boards I will display work of past and present students to show their accomplishments in my class. The materials needed is wide range, they include paints, color pencils, drawing pencils, markers, differing sizes of paper, scissors, and much more. Projects will be fun and pertaining to the Arts.

Good Health Essay

It is common to hear people talking about the state of their health. Some say they are in good health, while others talk about their ill health or that of others. But what exactly is good heath and how do we know when we are experiencing it? This article takes a look at that aspect of our lives and explains it in simple terms. Good Health When we are enjoying good health, we feel good, we look good with a good health image and everything about our lives seems to be going well with no major upsets. It means we have plenty of energy to do the things we want to do and we feel happy and contented with our ability to do those things. There is no pain or feeling of stiffness in our body and we are able to exercise freely every day if we wish. Often, when we are in good health it is common to be more active and exercise forms part of the day’s activities. When we are free of pain, we are able to do a lot more and we feel motivated to do a lot more than when we are experiencing pain. So maintaining a good level of health is important to our lives because it means the absence of pain totally or at least for the majority of the time. Promoting Good Health So what can we do to promote good health? There are lots of things we can do and similarly lots of things we should avoid doing. We should make sure we eat a healthy diet, because we are what we eat and when we only put good things into our bodies, those bodies respond by simply being in better health. That includes healthy meals made up of fresh ingredients as well as any healthy snacks we may want to eat during the day. We should exercise and be active every day, getting plenty of fresh air outdoors and sunshine. Fresh air boosts our energy levels while natural daylight and sunshine boosts our mood, makes us feel happier and also boosts our bodies ability to manufacture its own vitamin D. If we live in a city, we should make a point of getting into the countryside as often as possible to get fresher air and avoid all the pollutants that city air generally tends to have. We should try and be as happy as we can be, facing life with a positive, upbeat attitude and try not to let stress into our lives. We should avoid living a sedentary lifestyle and make sure we get up off the chair as often as we can. Avoiding foods that are processed, contain ligh levels of refined sugar and refined white flour as well as those that contain artificial additives. That usually means eating only fresh produce, fresh fruit and vegetables along with lean meat and fish (if we are not vegetarian), nuts, seeds, legumes and some dairy produce, although this should be kept to a minimum. We should also avoid drinking soda and flavored drinks because of the dangerous levels of refined sugar and/or artificial sweeteners and other additives. Alcohol consumption should be moderate and smoking is a totally bad idea. If we can use our common sense and make sure we live as healthily as we can, then we should enjoy a far better level of health. If we can also keep stress levels down and stay happy, our health will reflect our mood and we will have a longer, happier and healthier life.

Bollywood Phillums essays

Bollywood Phillums essays If the quality of Bollywood movies hitting the screens all over India these days isn't reason enough to feel disillusioned, the kind of bloopers they are full of, which are conveniently overlooked, are enough to make you pull your hair out in frustration. If scantily-dressed women dancing on snow-clad mountain tops and Sunny Deol fighting the entire Pakistani army one-handedly in Gadar aren't unrealistic enough, the sheer absent-mindedness of the people behind these movies is reflected in films in which wannabe-rock stars are seen playing electric guitars which, miraculously, make music without being connected to any source of electricity. Although that doesnt seem like a big deal and may be passed off as a mere technical error, it's enough to make your average heavy metal fan react indignantly. The fact remains that an electric guitar, when played like an acoustic guitar, makes no sound. Since it does not take an extraordinarily sharp or intellectual mind to interpret and analyze the non-existent intricacies of the love triangles most of these movies revolve around, the typical Hindi movie draws in masses to the movie theatres. The lack of diversity, when it comes to the storyline of most Bollywood movies has blinded the audiences to such an extent that it seems to have become impossible for them to distinguish between overacting or hamming, and acting with class. A pitiful movie, like Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Mohabbatein, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham becoming blockbusters is living proof of the fact. After watching the trailers of 16 Hindi films doing their rounds on the idiot box, and after analysis which was purely mathematical in nature (!), the lack of originality among just the NAMES of these movies was not only evident, but also worrying. Movies with 4 to 6 words in their titles seem to be the latest rage, constituting 56.25% of the movies, and those with 3 words in their title ranking seco ...

A Brief History of Banking Reform After the New Deal

A Brief History of Banking Reform After the New Deal As president of the United States during the Great Depression, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelts primary policy goals was to address issues in the banking industry and financial sector. FDRs New Deal legislation was his administrations answer to many of the countrys grave economic and social issues of the period. Many historians categorize the primary points of focus of the legislation as the Three Rs to stand for relief, recovery, and reform. When it came to the banking industry, FDR pushed for reform. The New Deal and Banking Reform   FDRs New Deal legislation of the mid- to late-1930s gave rise to new policies and regulations preventing banks from engaging in the securities and insurance businesses. Prior to the Great Depression, many banks ran into trouble because they took excessive risks in the stock market or unethically provided loans to industrial companies in which bank directors or officers had personal investments. As an immediate provision, FDR proposed the Emergency Banking Act which was signed into law the very same day it was presented to Congress. The Emergency Banking Act  outlined the plan to reopen sound banking institutions under the US Treasurys oversight and backed by federal loans. This critical act provided much-needed temporary stability  in the industry  but did not provide for the future.  Determined to prevent these events from occurring again,  Depression-era politicians passed the Glass-Steagall Act, which essentially prohibited the mixing of banking, securities, and insuranc e businesses. Together these two acts of banking reform provided long-term stability to the banking industry. Banking Reform Backlash Despite the banking reforms success, these regulations, particularly those associated with the Glass-Steagall Act, grew controversial by the 1970s, as banks complained that they would lose customers to other financial companies unless they could offer a wider variety of financial services.  The government responded by giving banks greater freedom to offer consumers new types of financial services. Then, in late 1999, Congress enacted the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. The new law went beyond the considerable freedom that banks already enjoyed in offering everything from consumer banking to underwriting securities. It allowed banks, securities, and insurance firms to form financial conglomerates that could market a range of financial products including mutual funds, stocks and bonds, insurance, and automobile loans. As with laws deregulating transportation, telecommunications, and other industries, the new law was expected to gen erate a wave of mergers among financial institutions. Banking Industry Beyond WWII Generally, the New Deal legislation was successful, and the American banking system returned to health in the years following World War II. But it ran into difficulties again in the 1980s and 1990s in part because of social regulation. After the war, the government had been eager to foster homeownership, so it helped create a new banking sector- the savings and loan (SL) industry- to concentrate on making long-term home loans, known as mortgages. But the savings and loans industry faced one major problem: mortgages typically ran for 30 years and carried fixed interest rates, while most deposits have much shorter terms. When short-term interest rates rise above the rate on long-term mortgages, savings and loans can lose money. To protect savings and loan associations and banks against this eventuality, regulators decided to control interest rates on deposits.

Lyrics to the Christmas Carol Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Lyrics to the Christmas Carol Gloria in Excelsis Deo The refrain of the French Carol translated into English as Angels We Have Heard on High is in Latin as Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Below is one version of the English version of the carol from the same source. The translation from French to English is by Bishop James Chadwick (1813-1882). Review the translations in English and French and learn about the songs history as well as its place in pop culture as we know it today. History of the Music The Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High was originally written by James Chadwick but played to music from the song Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes. The French carol translates as The Angels in our Countryside and was originally created in Languedoc, France despite not knowing who the original composer was. The song meaning is about Jesus Christ as a newborn child and the many angels singing and praising his birth. In Pop Culture Dozens of popular artists have covered the song, from independent singer-songwriters such as Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, Andrea Bocelli, and Christina Aguilera. Groups of musicians and bands such as The Piano Guys, Bad Religion, Bayside, and Glee have also created notable versions of the famous carol.  Translations to the song may also be found in Scottish Gaelic, Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese amongst others. The English Translation (Angels We Have Heard on High) Angels we have heard on highSweetly singing oer the plains,And the mountains in replyEchoing their joyous strains.RefrainGloria, in excelsis Deo!Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee?Why your joyous strains prolong?What the gladsome tidings beWhich inspire your heavenly song? Refrain Come to Bethlehem and seeHim whose birth the angels sing;Come, adore on bended knee,Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Refrain See Him in a manger laid,Whom the choirs of angels praise;Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,While our hearts in love we raise. Refrain The French Version (Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes) Les anges dans nos campagnesOnt entonnà © lhymne des cieux;Et là ©cho de nos montagnesRedit ce chant mà ©lodieux.Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Bergers, pour qui cette fà ªte?Quel est lobjet de tous ces chants?Quel vainqueur, quelle conquà ªteMà ©rite ces cris triomphants?Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Ils annoncent la naissanceDu libà ©rateur dIsraà «l,Et pleins de reconnaissanceChantent en ce jour solennel.Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Bergers, loin de vos retraitesUnissez-vous leurs concertsEt que vos tendres musettesFassent retentir dans les airs:Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Cherchons tous lheureux villageQui la vu naà ®tre sous ses toits,Offrons-lui le tendre hommageEt de nos coeurs et de nos voix!Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate finance - Essay Example For banks, on the other hand, it was a bitter-sweet experience. Before the euro, they easily handled 15 different west European currencies and interest rates, and made good money out f trading cash, securities and derivatives for customers and for their own book. On January 1st 1999, when 11 currencies were irrevocably fixed against each other (the 12th, the Greek drachma, joined the euro two years later), ten out f 15 currencies vanished from traders' screens. Many European banks lost a chunk f their income. The consolation was that, at a stroke, wholesale financial markets in Europe became much more integrated and more interesting for non-European investors. This caused much rebalancing f investment portfolios, because shares, bonds, loans and derivatives could be bought across the euro zone without additional currency or interest-rate risk. On the wholesale side, the integration f European financial markets has been a resounding success. But on the retail side--bank accounts, payments, mortgages, insurance policies and personal investments--the process has hardly begun. One strong sign that there is little convergence is the scarcity f cross-border banking mergers. So far there has been only one significant one, the purchase f Abbey National, Britain's sixth-biggest bank, by Banco Santander Central Hispano f Spain. One medium-sized French bank, Crdit Commercial de France, was bought by Britain's HSBC in 2000, and in the same year Germany's HypoVereinsbank bought Bank Austria. In Italy, another Spanish bank, BBVA, looks likely to succeed in its bid for Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, and ABN Amro f the Netherlands has been battling to take over Banca Antonveneta. Apart from some cross-border bank consolidation in the Benelux and Scandinavian countries, that is as far as integration in western Europe has got. In central and eastern Europe, it is a different story. Since the early 1990s, large swathes f the banking sector there have been privatised and ended up in foreign hands. That has brought immediate benefits in terms f safety and soundness, fresh capital, innovation and integrity, although some economists are alarmed by the long-term implications. Why the east-west split Ask the head f a big west European bank why he has not bought up a rival in, say, France, Germany or Italy, and he will give two reasons. First, political and legal barriers to entry act as a disincentive. About half f the French banking system is still in public hands, and a foreigner would find it politically tricky to buy one f the three biggest banks, Crdit Agricole Lyonnais, Socit Gnrale or BNP Paribas. In Germany, an even higher proportion f banks are in public or mutual hands, which means they are simply not for sale. There is a handful f private banks, but their share f the banking market is too small to give a foreign buyer critical mass. In Italy, several f the big banks are theoretically open to takeover, but real or perceived political barriers have discouraged foreign bids until recently. The second reason for not buying is that, in contrast to domestic mergers, the expected cost savings and economies f scale are rather modest. Domestic mergers benefit from the closure f branches and cuts in the number f employees and other fixed costs. Cross-border mergers are likely to bring only a few savings from the eventual integration f IT systems, back offices and perhaps the

Philosophy-human rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy-human rights - Essay Example Examples of human rights are the right to freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial when charged with a crime, the right not to be tortured, and the right to engage in political activity. These rights exist in morality and in law at the national and international levels†( Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003). On a global scale, militaries by design, were and are formed primarily for the purpose of the preservation of human rights. But to speak specifically about the rights of women, one must examine which human rights specifically, in the past have been overlooked or neglected throughout history as compared to the assumed rights granted to women in Westernized cultures today. It should be noted that the word ‘assumed’ it used purposely to indicate that though many may believe that women are in fact granted equal rights in modern times, this is not always the case and overall is indicative of a still flawed system. One hundred years ago in this very country, a woman was not permitted to vote, she was often not permitted to work or rather hold employment like her male counterparts, and certainly, she was not able to exist on her own due to these regulations in the same capacity that a man might be able to. Some countries to this day still practice arranged marriages where women are essentially assigned a husband who she typically does not even meet until the day she is married. This is a situation where women are really just used as a type of currency for trade or for political or business alliances. It is often the men in non progressive cultures that make the decisions and foster the role of leadership within the home and within the community. Going back to an earlier time of Native American tribes such as the Iroquois which were constituted by the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Mohawk and the

CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 5 Performance Management Essay

CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 5 Performance Management - Essay Example Performance of employees is clearly impacted by the performance management systems used within a company. These systems also help the human resources team to deal with various opportunities and also help in developing new career options and growth levels likewise. A well planned and implemented system can prove to be the success factor for the business (Armstrong and Baron). Performance management systems help in developing the competencies of the workforce as well as help in identifying the week areas of the employees. This can be used as a method to overcome the weaknesses of the employees and to develop them to become good in the particular area (Smither). Also the performance management systems help in continuous monitoring and help in better overall performance of the employees. Considering an China – US Joint venture, the main area that needs to be considered is the need for constant monitoring. Here the company needs to ensure that all employees are monitored constantly , to help gain the best results. Managing performance can be a result of many difference methods like training and development, mentoring, management of stress, competitive assessments and also ideas like performance appraisals (FSA). When there is a joint venture, it is important to ensure that the cultural differences are kept in mind while developing the performance management systems. The basis for a successful performance management system is effective communication of the goals and responsibilities both to the employees as well as to the managing individuals within the company. If the employees are clear about their role, and the part they play within a company, the contribution will be accordingly and will help in keeping up to the expected performance as well (Rollo). The second crucial stage here is the monitoring of the individuals and to ensure that the business performance is also well tracked and focused upon (Daniels and Daniels). Monitoring the business and the indivi duals within the company helps the managers and top management provide constructive feedback to the employees and also constantly requires the managers to reinstate the main goals and objectives of the company (Paladino). Here the management can lay down the expectations of the organisation effectively and provide the employees with a clear path of their duties. This is crucial especially in a multi cultural organisation as it helps in healthier working condition and better performance as a whole. Finally, it is crucial to implement a fair rewarding structure for the employees of China as well as the US organisations and here the actual performance of the employees needs to be considered while providing both monetary as well as non monetary benefits (FSA). The above mentioned points will benefit the overall implementation of the performance management systems and these will allow developing an effective system (Smither). Here in this case, since the joint venture is between two inte rnational firms, hence, there are a number of international considerations that also need to be addressed while developing and implementing the performance management systems (Daniels and Daniels). Of these, the first and foremost factor that needs consideration is the cultural differences. Here it is important to take this into account as people from different cultures work

Huge and digital strategy-case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Huge and digital strategy-case - Essay Example Retainer relationships can maintain these specific preferences of HUGE. 2. Long-term profits through long-term relations. Retainer relationships can result to long-term profits because clients can eventually see HUGE as a strategic partner for their overall growth. HUGE can reap greater revenues, if it becomes integral to their client’s strategic directions. Furthermore, long-term client relations can soon become a core competence. If these companies also grow, such as geographically and/or through offering new products and services, HUGE’s business will also grow with them. Their clients’ successes become intertwined with HUGE’s, thereby providing limitless opportunities for national and global growth. 3. Advancement of general view of the business as transformational and strategic. If HUGE is embedded into other companies in long-term retaining relations, companies might realize that digital marketing is not merely a reinforcement of traditional marketin g efforts, but a superior marketing edge. Shapiro and his staff assert that: â€Å"†¦everything will be digital† (Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis 7). ... 010 to 2016 2010 2013 2016 Social Media 988 2,760 4,995 E-Mail 1,328 1,875 2,468 Mobile 885 4,238 8,237 Display 9,347 16,085 27,600 Search 16,308 24,613 33,319 Source: Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis (14) Disadvantages. 1. Demand for capabilities that are not part of HUGE’s core competencies. Despite the advantages of retainer relationships, HUGE does not have existing capabilities that long-term relations entail. For instance, retainer means engaging in traditional digital marketing activities, such as display advertising and search marketing. HUGE does not have the competencies yet for these marketing channels. 2. Not related to market expansion. Retainer relationships may extend revenues per client, but it does not automatically bring in new clients. It does not allow HUGE to tap new markets or to exploit existing ones. 3. Not supportive of business model. HUGE wants to be the one-stop digital marketing firm. If it caters to the same clients, it is not growing that much at all, unless the same market grows. HUGE is not opening itself to prevailing market demand for search and display marketing, in particular, which is a mounting marketing field opportunity. Geographic Expansion Advantages. 1. Taps new markets with the same transformative needs. HUGE can tap foreign markets that have similar transformative needs. It does not have to veer far away from its business practices because it can find large, challenging projects in other countries. Some of the potential locations are Japan, UK, Norway, and Denmark. These nations have high numbers of citizens who have bought something online and a large percentage of firms with websites (Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis 19). 2. Expands markets in a geographical way. Geographic expansion can result to market expansion.

Organisational Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 9

Organisational Change Management - Essay Example The cost of absenteeism for the Silkeborg Council had reached enormous levels and warranted prompt intervention and the majority of the cases of absenteeism, the council noted was as a result of high levels of sickness. The traditional approach to combating sickness absence is to consider this at a personal level. Strategies that are usually employed at this level consist of return to work initiatives, attendance monitoring and referral to a professional health service. Discovery Silkeborg Council Elderly Care Department: Key Issues and Problems Although the Council has previously taken several initiatives in an attempt to intervene to reduce absenteeism in the elderly care sector, the approaches taken have only resulted in production of short-term improvements without any significant long-term effect. The approaches employed have included analysis of the root causes of lost time, developing a Stop-Lift policy that would ensure reduction in lost time caused by back injuries, and assi sting the various leaders in developing supervisory skills. The Council also embarked on education of the management level in supervisory and leadership roles and assisting them and the overall care staff to contribute their skills together in order to develop a policy that would handle absenteeism effectively. Most of these strategies have been employed but they have always produced meagre results. Nevertheless, recent research works have indicated newer approaches to approaching this issue, and as such work attendance has been revealed to be related to both physical and psychological environment at work. In addition, management performances, approaches and behaviours, social customs and economic strains, apparent health conditions and job contentment impacted on absenteeism. Conceptually, lower employment grades have long been linked with both short term and long term absenteeism, particularly those who take sick leaves. Disparities in the level of absenteeism particularly sick le aves between different sectors within the council and amongst the work force operating within comparable socioeconomic profiles within the council imply that work features predict sickness absence behaviour. Absence has always been noted to be high amongst those employees, who consider their duties at work to be lacking leadership roles, low on variety and use of skills, low on assistance at the work place. Employees occupying lower grades at the elderly care facility were up to six times more likely than those in higher grades to report jobs perceived to be low in demands, control, and support; consequently, they are said to be susceptible to moderate, extended and very long periods of sickness absence. The Karasek and Theorell’s demand-control model of work related strain has been regularly applied in such circumstances. The model proposes that risks to health do mostly arise when job demands are combined with low decision latitude that is perceived low control over work an d possible fewer prospects in realizing those skills. However, most studies assert that decision latitude is said to be a stronger forecaster than demand including social support at work as a forecaster of job strain. The demand and control model can be a useful means of developing and designing structures for planning organizational approaches to combat job strain and related characters which include sickness absence. Dream Addressing the Issues In developing an organizational change management intervention that will ensure

Huge and digital strategy-case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Huge and digital strategy-case - Essay Example Retainer relationships can maintain these specific preferences of HUGE. 2. Long-term profits through long-term relations. Retainer relationships can result to long-term profits because clients can eventually see HUGE as a strategic partner for their overall growth. HUGE can reap greater revenues, if it becomes integral to their client’s strategic directions. Furthermore, long-term client relations can soon become a core competence. If these companies also grow, such as geographically and/or through offering new products and services, HUGE’s business will also grow with them. Their clients’ successes become intertwined with HUGE’s, thereby providing limitless opportunities for national and global growth. 3. Advancement of general view of the business as transformational and strategic. If HUGE is embedded into other companies in long-term retaining relations, companies might realize that digital marketing is not merely a reinforcement of traditional marketin g efforts, but a superior marketing edge. Shapiro and his staff assert that: â€Å"†¦everything will be digital† (Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis 7). ... 010 to 2016 2010 2013 2016 Social Media 988 2,760 4,995 E-Mail 1,328 1,875 2,468 Mobile 885 4,238 8,237 Display 9,347 16,085 27,600 Search 16,308 24,613 33,319 Source: Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis (14) Disadvantages. 1. Demand for capabilities that are not part of HUGE’s core competencies. Despite the advantages of retainer relationships, HUGE does not have existing capabilities that long-term relations entail. For instance, retainer means engaging in traditional digital marketing activities, such as display advertising and search marketing. HUGE does not have the competencies yet for these marketing channels. 2. Not related to market expansion. Retainer relationships may extend revenues per client, but it does not automatically bring in new clients. It does not allow HUGE to tap new markets or to exploit existing ones. 3. Not supportive of business model. HUGE wants to be the one-stop digital marketing firm. If it caters to the same clients, it is not growing that much at all, unless the same market grows. HUGE is not opening itself to prevailing market demand for search and display marketing, in particular, which is a mounting marketing field opportunity. Geographic Expansion Advantages. 1. Taps new markets with the same transformative needs. HUGE can tap foreign markets that have similar transformative needs. It does not have to veer far away from its business practices because it can find large, challenging projects in other countries. Some of the potential locations are Japan, UK, Norway, and Denmark. These nations have high numbers of citizens who have bought something online and a large percentage of firms with websites (Casadesus-Masanell and Karvounis 19). 2. Expands markets in a geographical way. Geographic expansion can result to market expansion.

Academic paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Academic paper - Essay Example The paper will also discuss the metrics of implementing change in the HR operations of the organization. As a recap of the SWOT analysis conducted, it has been observed that the main weakness being faced by PAC is that the management styles used by the HR department are divisive. As a result, the employees are not motivated and the other issue is that in the staffing department, only one person is responsible for performing various tasks related to recruitment along with another recruit. The other weakness is that the employee grievances are not addressed on time. The leaders lack understanding of the needs of the employees and this contributes towards low morale among them. The major threat witnessed from this analysis is that the benefits and compensation structures are significantly high and they strain the financial status of the organization. The company is paying large sums of money to cover the benefits of the employees and this scenario may not be sustainable in the long run. From the findings outlined above, it has been recommended that cost cutting measures particularly in the area of labour force should be implemented. This will go a long way in helping the company to save money while at the same time improving its operations. The human resources department should be tasked with assessing the viable measures that can be taken in order to make necessary changes that would not negatively impact on the operations of the company. The other issue is that in order for the company to operate viably, it is recommended that it should adopt change especially in the structure of human resources management. During the contemporary period, it can be observed that change in the operations of the company is inevitable due to the dynamism of the environment in which the company operates (Jackson and Schuler, 2010). Thus, enlightened leaders should anticipate change and act accordingly and they should also take a

Discuss and Explain the plot and sub-plot Essay Example for Free

Discuss and Explain the plot and sub-plot Essay Metamorphosis is based around a central character called Gregor Samsa. He is a hard working young man who for a number of reasons, including pressure, he transforms into a beetle. There are other main characters in the play which include Greta Samsa, Mr. Samsa and Mrs Samsa, who are his sister, father and mother. The characters all enter one by one and each give a mime which depicts what their character is like at the current time. The characters then narrate as to what Gregor looks like during his transformation into a beetle, they say this in the third person. This is followed by a structured conversation between Gregor and his sister Greta. This conversation shows us that there are many close feeling between them, and that they have a close relationship. This relationship later on proves extremely necessary and important, as Greta is the only person who truly understands how Gregor feels when he turns into a beetle. Shortly after this conversation there comes a scene of repetition. This is where we see the demands that Gregor faces and the pressure he receives from his family; for he is the only person in family who sustains a job and therefore produces an income. An example of the repetition is, Gregor, Cash! Gregor, Shoes! Gregor, Cigars! Gregor, food! This repetitiveness emphasises the stress and anxiety that Gregor feels. The next scene is a complete antithesis to the previous scene. It is very naturalistic, and portrays a normal, every day conversation between the family. Here we learn about how hard Gregor has to work in order to keep his family in good health with the money he brings in. His mother tells him to go to sleep when he complains about being tired, but he tries to refuse as he is worried that he will get sacked and then the family will have no income. This shows his dedication to his job and how hard he works for his familys sake. Gregor in the morning begins to feel ill and this is where his transformation into a beetle begins. The family at this point cannot see Gregor, but they can hear him and realise that something is not right. Gregor refuses their entry into his room, and locks himself in, unsure what is happening to him, himself. By this time the family start to realise that he is late for work. The situation becomes worse though, as the introduction of a new character happens. The Chief Clerk, who is Gregors boss, arrives at the house. The chief clerk only cares about his money and he has come to the house to find out why Gregor is not at work. This makes the current situation more awkward. All of the family and the chief clerk himself try to enter the room, but Gregor who is ashamed and scared about his current physical state does not want them to enter. After much confusion and worry from the familys behalf, Gregor eventually opens the door. When the family see the sight of him and notice how grotesque he looks they greet him with fear and loathing. Shoo! Get back. The beginning of the next scene sees the family, including Gregor talking about Gregor in the third person, about how much anguish and pain he feels. The family, with the omission of Gregor then begin to talk in a worried and confused tone, about what to feed him, how to feed him and when to feed him. We then get a flash back to what it used to be like in the mornings, how Gregor would drink his milk and be off to work in a cheery mood. The play continues; and Gregors room is cleaned out. Leave it! he shouts, as he tries to protect his belongings his only companions. The next scene is an evening scene, where again, Gregor reminisces about the distant past. He complains about she milk, saying he doesnt like it anymore, its revolting. This again accentuates his transformation: the only human aspect of Gregor is that he appears to be able to speak. Mr. Samsa, previously unemployed because of Gregors income, gets a job. The family surround him and bombard him with compliments: entitles you to look like a general. This shows how the family are doing their best to move on. We, as actors, are told the next scene is almost entitled Optimism. This immediately portrays a feeling of hope and desire for their lives to be normal. This, however, is also the scene where Mr Samsa completely loses control and hurls an apple at this son, which sinks into him, shouting, Back! Back! Back! Back! The audience is then invited into Gregors dream, followed by Phase Three. This phase begins with another flashback of previous life. Time to get up for work, Gregor. The scene quickens until the usual repetitive rush is sounded: Lodgers, Cash! Lodgers, Shoes Lodgers, Beer! This is where we met three lodgers, who are pompous and exact. They are demanding until they meet Gregor, who is b now a grotesque and unpleasant sight. They argue and leave. This seems to be the final straw, and the family are now conscious that this cannot go on any more. Greta, who so far has been Gregors guardian angel, distances herself and leaves him. Mrs Samsa, always there for her son, a maternal figure, sees her son, and after he whispers, Free free, she says, Dead, and thanks God in advance for taking care of him. Metamorphosis ends optimistically. Greta re-appears, and the family tell the audience how beautiful their daughter is, and how their life seems to be happy. Theyre doing everything they can to forget Gregor, and push on with their lives. Metamorphosis is a complicated, unusual play with many hidden meanings. It focuses on family life, pressure and expectation; how throughout our lives, we are always being ridden with demands. Berkoff uses these themes extremely well to create a visual masterpiece of the uppermost class.

Cryptography and Steganography For Secure Communication

Cryptography and Steganography For Secure Communication Combination of Cryptography and Steganography for secure communication is a tool that combines both Cryptography methods and Steganography techniques for secure communication. The application is a cross-platform tool that can be effectively hide a message inside a digital video file. In the field of data communication, security has the top priority. Cryptography is one of the technique for secure plain text messages. Cryptography makes the necessary elements for secure communication namely privacy, confidentiality, key exchange and authentication but reveals the fact that communication is happening. Steganography takes cryptography a step farther by hiding the existence of the information. Steganography plays a vital role in the data communication field in the future primarily in computer security and privacy on open systems such as internet. The figure below[1], gives different applications of Steganography. Protection against detection (Data hiding) and protection against removal (Document Marking) are two major areas Steganographic methods are used. Steganographic Data hiding algorithms allows user to hide large amounts of information within digital files like Image, audio and video files. These forms of Steganography often used in conjunction with cryptography adding layers of security. The Other major area of Steganography is document marking where the message to be inserted is used to assert copyright over a document. This can be further divided into watermarking and fingerprinting. Copyright abuse is the motivating factor in developing new document marking technologies like digital watermarking and digital fingerprinting. Digital Watermarking is a way to hide a secret or personal message to protect a products copyright or to demonstrate data integrity. Digital Fingerprinting  is an emerging technology to protect multimedia from unauthorized redistribution. It embeds a unique ID into each users copy, which can be extracted to help identify culprits when an unauthorized leak is found [2]. Neither Cryptography nor Steganography is a turnkey solution to privacy of open systems. To add multiple layers of security it is always a good practice to use both Cryptography and Steganography together. While performing Cryptography we should know two formulas ( Cipher formula, Decipher formula). Rationale: To make the communication more secure in this application we are implementing three layers of security like Steganography, Cryptography and Compression. The application first compresses the word document with secret message, and then encrypts the compressed file and uses the resulted file as the secret message to hide in the digital video file generating a Stego-object. The intended receiver de-embeds decrypts and decompresses the Stego-object respectively to get the hidden message. This paper also attempts to identify the requirements of a good Steganographic algorithm and briefly reflects on different types of steganalysis techniques.The application uses Tiny encryption algorithm and Discrete Cosine Transformation-Least significant bit algorithm for implementing Cryptography and Steganography respectively. The outcome of this project is to create a cross-platform tool that can effectively hide a message (i.e. Word document) inside a digital video file. It is concerned with embeddin g information in a secure and robust manner. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE Background to subject of study: The idea of building this tool is to make the communication is such a way that no one can detect the message inside the stego-object. Earlier we have tools for different tools for Steganography and Cryptography. In this tool we are implementing three layers of security (Steganography, Cryptography and Compression) so that the communication can be more secure and all can be done in a single tool instead of using three different tools. Steganography has came into usage in 1990s and it is still using in many ways by Governments, Private citizens, Business and Terrorist organizations for communication to share information and passwords. Cryptography came into consideration in 18th century. The goal of cryptography is to make it possible for two communication entities to exchange a message in such a way that no third party can understand the message. Cryptography has been implementing from many days, in the World war Germany and USA. They have used it in sharing messages and implemented machines to implement cryptography. Examples and critique of current research in the field: There are many tools that are implementing Steganography now a days. The SARC (Steganography Analysis and Research Center has implemented three tools in steganography like Steganography Analyzer Artifact Scanner, Steganography Analyzer Signature Scanner and Steganography Analyzer Real-Time Scanner. The Steganography Analyzer Artifact Scanner detect files and registry entries associated with steganography applications where as Steganography Analyzer Signature Scanner detect files containing steganography and extract the hidden information and the Steganography Analyzer Real-Time Scanner detect steganography artifacts and signatures in real-time over a network. S-Tool is also one of the steganography tool that is using now a days. Its free to download and hides the data in an image or sound file. It compresses the data before encrypting and hides it in a image file or audio file. PILOT RESEARCH STUDY Hypothesis: As sending the message will be easy for unauthorized persons to detect the information in the situations like passwords sharing and confidential information sharing. So for that we have methods that can make the information secure. By using Steganography and Cryptography techniques we can share the information more securely by hiding the information in other files. Even though we have some risks that are involved in these techniques we can be rectified to certain extend by using this tool. Research method: This application is implemented for secure transmission of data. In this application we have three layers of security like compression, Cryptography and Steganography. We are using different type of algorithms in Cryptography and Steganography so that the hackers cannot identify which algorithm is supposed to be used. In secret key Cryptography several algorithms are in operation like Data Encryption Standard (DES), Rivest Chipers (aka Rons Code), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Blowfish and CAST-128/256. In public key Cryptography we have Elliptic Curve Cryptography(ECC), ElGamal, Digital signature Algorithm (DSA), Diffie-Hellman and RSA algorithms mostly isong now a days. In hash function in Cryptography Hash of variable length(HAVAL), Tiger, RIPEMD, Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) and Message Digest Algorith(MD) are in use. Tiny Encryption Algorithm is also one of the Feistel Cipher encryption algorithm that was designed in 1994 is used in Cryptography that uses mixed orthogonal algebraic groups like ADD, SHIFT and XOR. In steganography we are using different Steganographic methods for hiding information into a video file like LSB (Discrete Cosine Transformation-List Significant Bit Encoding). Each frame in a video file holds a piece of secret message. Cryptography use cipher algorithm for encryption and decryption of data. In the previous decades they were used ciphers like Scytale Transportation Cipher, Caesar Substitution Chiper, Zodiac Chiper and Vigenere Polyalphabetic Substitution. Both Steganography and Cryptography are data security techniques, but the cryptography is implemented to data unread and Steganography in for data unseen. Steganography can use Cryptography where as Cryptography cannot use Steganography. Steganography implemented to Cryptographic data will increase in security level. Initial Results: In this application i am implementing three layers of security to make the information more secure. There are no any tools that implementing all the three layers like compression, Cryptography and Steganograpy. We have tools for steganography like S-Tool and for Cryptography. By using one tool instead of using three tools will save time and money with more security. This is the basic advantage of this application. The help document will guide in Interface. OUT LINE OF PROPOSAL Aims of the Investigation: The aim of this paper is to describe a method for integrating together cryptography and Steganography for secure communication using a Video file. The proposed system first compresses the secret message (i.e. word document) and then implements cryptographic algorithms to the compressed message. The resulted file is used as the secret message to be hidden in the digital video file. Once the video file is embedded with the secret message, it is sent to the intended receiver. The video file should be de-embedded, decrypted and decompressed to get the original secret message hence, adding three layers of security to the communication. I am going to design a good Graphical User Interface (GUI) with help notes so that anyone can understand ahout the application easily. Research Objectives: The objective of this project is to hide secret messages (e.g. Text Phrase, word document) inside other harmless messages such as Image and Video file, in a way that does not allow any third party to even detect that there is a second secret message present in it. The application implements this by combining the Steganographic methods with Cryptographic techniques (i.e. Encryption, decryption) to make the transfer more secure. It is concerned with embedding information in a secure and robust manner. The Text file will be compressed and after that the compressed file will go on with a Cryptography and Steganography. Methodologies: Modules of the Application: The application has two modes of operation i.e. Sender and Receiver. The three major modules for Sender mode of application are Compression: The application first compresses the document to be transferred Encryption: An Encryption algorithm encrypts the compressed file and the resulted file is used as secret message. Embedding: The encrypted file is hidden in the Harmless Message (video file) using corresponding Steganographic algorithm, which generates a Stego Object, which is sent to the intended recipient. The three major modules for the Receiver mode of application are De-Embedding: The Stego Object is de-embedded generating an encrypted file. Decryption: The encrypted file is decrypted using an the Encryption algorithm, and the resulted file is given to the compression module De-Compression: The application then de-compresses the document and we have the Secret message. Steganography and cryptography are closely related. Cryptography scrambles messages so they cannot be understood Whereas, Steganography will hide the message so there is no knowledge of the existence of the message [7]. Sending an encrypted message will arouse suspicion while an invisible message will not do so. The application developed in this project combines both sciences to produce better protection of the message. Even if the Steganography fails since the message is in encrypted form it is of no use for the third party, hence the information is secure. In Cryptography we have used three types of methodologies and are implemented depending on the encryption Algorithm.They are Secret key Cryptography, Public key Cryptography and hash function. These 3 methods are briefly explained below. Secret Key Cryptography: Secret key Cryptography, also known as symmetric encryption uses same key for encryption and decryption. The sender uses key to encrypt the text and sends ciphertext to the receiver. The receiver applies the same key to decrypt the message and recover the Text. K K Text Ciphertext Text E( ) D( ) K-key, E-Encryption, D-Decryption Secret key Cryptography The above figure shows the process of secret key cryptography. The biggest difficulty with this approach is the distribution of the key. Block ciphers can operate in one of the several modes. Electronic Codebook (ECB), Cipher Block Chaining (CBC), Cipher Feedback (CFB), Output Feedback (OFB) are the most important modes. Data Encryption Standard (DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), CAST-128/256, Rivest Ciphers (aka Rons Code), Blowfish are some of the Secret key cryptography algorithms [3]. Public-Key Cryptography: K1 K2 Text Ciphertext Text E( ) D( ) K-key, E-Encryption, D-Decryption Public key Cryptography Public key cryptography is a two-key cryptography system in which two keys are used in encryption and decryption for secure communication without having to share a secret key. One key is used to encrypt the text, designated the public key which can be advertised. The other key is used to decrypt the ciphertext to plaintext and is designated the private key which is never revealed to another party. This approach also called as asymmetric cryptography, because we use a pair of keys. The figure shows the process of the public cryptographic algorithms. Public key cryptography depends upon the one-way functions, which are easy to compute whereas their inverse function is relatively difficult to compute. RSA, Diffie-Hellman, Digital signature Algorithm (DSA), ElGamal, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC, are the examples of Public-key cryptography algorithms [3]. Hash Functions: Hash functions, are also called as message digests and one-way encryption. Hash function algorithms do not use a key to carry out the encryption and decryption process. Instead, the algorithm computes a fixed length hash value based upon the text that keeps both the contents and the length of the message secure. Tiny Encryption Algorithm is a Feistel cipher encryption algorithm that uses operations from mixed orthogonal algebraic groups like XOR, ADD and SHIFT. David Wheeler and Roger Needham of the Cambridge University Computer Laboratory designed TEA in the year 1994. A Feistel cipher is a block cipher with a structure known as a Feistel network. In a Feistel cipher, the data been encrypted is split into two halves. The function F( ) is applied to one half using a sub key and the output of F() is XORed with the other half and the two halves are swapped. Each round function follows the same pattern except for last round. A nice feature of a Feistel cipher is that encryption and decryption are identical i.e. the sub keys used during encryption at each round are taken in reverse order while decryption [4]. The main goal of TEA is to minimize memory footprint and maximize speed. TEA is simple to implement, has less execution time, and takes minimal storage space. TEA uses a large number of iterations rather than a complicated program. Notation: Any number subscripted with h represents a Hexadecimal number e.g: 10h represents 16 in decimal values. Notations for Bitwise Shifts and Rotations: x x >> y: denotes logical right shift of x by y bits. x x >>> y: denotes right rotation of x by y bits. XOR: In computer science, an XOR is a mathematical operation that combines two bits. It returns value is TRUE if either of the two bits is TRUE, but false if both are equal. For our cryptography algorithm, we do an XOR combining two strings of bits. Say x and y are two string patterns then XOR for x and y is denoted by xà ¢Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢y [4]. Integer Addition and Subtraction: The operation of integer addition modulo 2n is denoted by and subtraction modulo 2n is denoted by. Where x, y à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‹â€  Z2n (The value of n should be clear from the context) The key is set at 128 bits and the key schedule algorithm splits the 128-bit key K into four 32-bit blocks K = ( K[0], K[1], K[2], K[3]). The 128-bit key is enough to prevent simple search techniques being effective [4]. Encryption Routine: The Encrypt Routine given in figure [4], is written in the C language and assumes a 32-bit word size. The 128 bit key is split into four parts and is stored in K[0] k[3] and the Data is stored in v[0] and v[1]. void code(long* v, long* k) { unsigned long y=v[0],z=v[1], sum=0, /* set up */ delta=0x9e3779b9, /* a key schedule constant */ n=32 ; while (n>0) { /* basic cycle start */ sum += delta ; y += ((z>5)+k[1]) ; z += ((y>5)+k[3]) ; } /* end cycle */ v[0]=y ; v[1]=z ; } Encryption Routine for TEA The constant delta is given as delta = (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡5 -1) * 231 i.e. 9E3779B9h and is derived from the golden number ratio to ensure that the sub keys are distinct and its precise value has no cryptographic significance. TEA uses addition and subtraction as the reversible operators instead of XOR. The TEA encryption routine relies on the alternate use of XOR and ADD to provide nonlinearity. The algorithm has 32 cycles (64 rounds). TEA is short enough to write into almost any program on any computer. TEA on one implementation is three times as fast as a good software implementation of DES, which has 16 rounds. The figure shown below [4], gives an overview of two rounds i.e. one cycle of TEA. Key size: 128 bit key is split into four subkeys K = { K[0],K[1],K[2],K[3] } Block size: 64 bits Structure: Feistel Network Rounds: Variable (64 Feistel rounds (32 cycles) is recommended). . Represents Integer addition modulo Represents XOR Represents logical left shift by 4 bits Represents logical right shift by 5 bits Two Feistel Rounds (one cycle) of TEA Inputs for the Encryption routine: Plaintext P, Key K The plaintext is split into two halves as P= (Left[0],Right[0]) Output for the Encryption routine: The cipher text is C Where C=(Left[64], Right[64]). The plaintext block is split into two halves, Left[0] and Right[0] and each half is used to encrypt the other half over 64 rounds of processing then combined to produce the cipher text block. Each round i has inputs Left[i-1] and Right[i-1], derived from the previous round, as well as a sub key K[i] derived from the 128 bit overall K. The Output and the delta constant of the ith cycle of TEA are given as Left [i+1] = Left[i] F ( Right[i], K [0, 1], delta[i] ), Right [i +1] = Right[i] F ( Right[i +1], K [2, 3], delta[i] ), delta[i] = (i +1)/2 * delta, The sub keys K[i] are different from K and from each other. The Round function F contains the key addition, bitwise XOR and both left and right shift operations, and given as F(M, K[j,k], delta[i] ) = ((M > 5) K[k]) F Round function and K[i] key for the ith round Encryption Process for TEA The keys K[0] and K[1] are used in the odd rounds and the keys K[2] and K[3] are used in even rounds. The round function of TEA encryption algorithm differs slightly from a classical Feistel cipher structure where integer addition modulo-2 ³Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ² is used instead of XOR as the combining operator. The above figure[4] gives an overview of the encryption process for TEA. Decryption Routine: void decode(long* v, long* k) { unsigned long n = 32, sum, y = v[0], z = v[1], delta = 0x9e3779b9 ; sum = delta /* start cycle */ while (n>0) { z = (y>5)+k[3] ; y -= (z>5)+k[1] ; sum -= delta ; } /* end cycle */ v[0] = y ; v[1] = z ; } Decryption Routine for TEA The decryption routine shown in the figure[4], is same as the encryption routine with the cipher text as input and the sub keys K[i] are used in the reverse order. Inputs for the Decryption routine: Cipher text C, Key K The cipher text is split into two halves as C= (DLeft[0],DRight[0]) Where Dleft[0]=ERight[64] and DRight[0]=Eleft[64] Output for the Decryption routine: The plain text is P, Where C=(DLeft[64], DRight[64]). F Round function and K[i] key for the ith round. Decryption Process for TEA The figure [4] gives the structure of the decryption algorithm for TEA. The intermediate value for the decryption process equals the corresponding value of the encryption process with the two halves of the value swapped. For example say the output of the nth round of the encryption process is ELeft[i] concatenated with ERight[i] then the input to the (64-i)th decryption round is DRight[i] concatenated with DLeft[i]. DCT-LSB (Discrete Cosine Transformation-List Significant Bit Encoding): DCT-LSB is a Steganographic method is a substitution algorithm used for hiding information behind Video files. Each frame in the video holds a part of the secret message. Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) transforms successive 8 ÃÆ'- 8 pixel blocks of the frame into 64 DCT coefficients each. The DCT coefficients D(i, j) of an 8 ÃÆ'- 8 block of image pixels p(x, y) are given by the formula below Least Significant Bit (LSB) is a simple Steganographic method that takes the individual pixels of the frame and replaces the least significant bits with the secret message bits. It is by far the most popular of the coding techniques used. The process of LSB algorithm is shown in the figure below. Embed Extract LSB Process We can commandeer the least significant bit of 8-bit true color image to hold each bit of our secret message by simply overwriting the data that was already there. The impact of changing the least significant bit is almost imperceptible. Input: message, cover image Output: steganographic object containing message while data left to embed do get next DCT coefficient from cover file if DCT à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 and DCT à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   1 then get next bit from the Secret message replace DCT LSB with message bit end if insert DCT into steganographic object end while Embedding Process of DCT-LSB Input: steganographic object containing message Output: message, cover image while data left to extract do get next DCT coefficient from Stego object if DCT à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 and DCT à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   1 then Extract the DCT LSB bit from the object Copy to message file end if end while Extracting Process of DCT-LSB The above figures[5] gives algorithms for embedding and extracting secret information in video files using DCT-LSB algorithm respectively. DEFLATE COMPRESSION ALGORITHM DEFLATE is a no loss compressed data format that compresses data using a combination of the LZ77 algorithm and Huffman coding. Independent of CPU type, operating system, file system, and character set Compatible with widely used gzip utility Worst case 5bytes per 32Kbyte block[6]. Ethical Considerations: There are two possible ways of attacks on Steganography (Detection and Destruction) of embedded message. The properties of the file in which we are hiding information will differ when hiding message into it. The Steganalysis will find it and analyse the stego object. Steganalysis is the technique used to detect hidden messages in digital data like video or audio file steganographically[7]. Steganalysis is used to disrupt the steganographic elements to transfer by extracting, disabling or disrupting. Detection: Most Steganographic techniques involve in changing the properties of original harmless messages like Image and Video files and the detection algorithms concentrate on detecting these changes [8]. Detecting the existence of a hidden message will save time in the message elimination phase by processing only those digital files that contains hidden information. Detecting an embedded message defeats the primary goal of Steganography techniques that is concealing the very existence of a message [8]. The algorithms vary in their approaches for hiding information. Without knowing which algorithm is used and which Stego-key is used, detecting the hidden information is quite complex. Destruction or Defeating algorithms concentrate on removing the hidden messages from the Stego object [8]. Steganalysis techniques are similar to the cryptanalysis for the cryptography methods. As we have discussed previously. Harmless Message + secret message + stego-key = stega-object Some of the known attacks for the Steganography are stego-only, known cover, known message, chosen stego, and chosen message. In Cryptography there are many types of Cryptographic attacks. The attacks are done on the Cipher text. There are some of the ways to attack cipher text like Brute force attacks, Meet in the middle attack, Birthday attack and side channel attack[9]. Plan Time Table: Activity Nov 09 Dec09 Dec09 Dec09 Jan 09 Jan 09 Jan 09 Jan 09 Feb 09 Selection of topic XX analyzing XX Research XX Literature review XX introduction XX Rationale XX methodologies XX Initial results XX conclusion XX After the approval of the research proposal the project will be started. The dissertation will be preceded according to the steps that are given by the supervisor. Limitations and Scope: Steganography is an effective way to obscure data and hide sensitive information. The effectiveness of Steganography is amplified by combining it with cryptography. By using the properties of the DCT-LSB Steganography algorithm for video file and combining it with the TEA cryptography standards, we developed a method, which adds layers of security to the communication. Steganographic methods do not intended to replace cryptography but supplement it. The strength of our system resides in adding multiple layers of security. First the secret message i.e. word document to be transferred is compressed, encrypted and then embedded in a video file using Steganographic algorithm hence, adding three layers of security. The weakness of the system developed is the size of the secret file i.e. word document after compression should be less than the size of the Cover object i.e. Video file. Since we are using compression algorithm this happens only for huge documents. As future work, we intend to study more steganalytic techniques i.e. detecting whether a particular file contains any form of embedding or not. We also plan to extend our system so that it can hide digital files in other digital files, for example hiding Audio files in Videos files etc. Personal Development and Requirement: Regarding this research a brief knowledge on steganography and cryptography and the methods that are used in embedding and de-embedding file. We should also have a brief idea on encryption and decryption algorithms in cryptography. In this application we can also encrypt strings and document files. Resource reruirements: This Application will work on any Microsoft Operating systems and the hard disk should have atleast of 4 MB memory. The RAM should be 256 Mega Bytes or higher.

Ephedrine with Caffine - The Secret to Weight Loss :: Health Diet Essays

Ephedrine with Caffine - The Secret to Weight Loss Ephedrine is an over the counter herbal stimulant stemmed from the Chinese plant ma huang. The Chinese discovered this stimulant over two thousand years ago for the purpose of treating asthma, cold and flu symptoms, chills, lack of perspiration, headache, and edema. Ephedrine is presently found in herbal stimulants, prescription cold and flu remedies, and asthmatic aid products. Because it is a stimulant, ephedrine motivates thermogenesis in the body. This effect results in speeding up the heart rate causing the metabolism to expedite. Due to this increased metabolism, ephedrine can also be used as a weight loss supplement http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/ephedrine-final.htm Ephedrine contributes to weight loss with its thermogenetic effects by heating up the body, which in turn results in burning fat. It speeds up the metabolic rate and calorie consumption by opening the receptor sites in the heart and lungs. Consequently, fatty acids are released from the stored fat cells and the transition from fat to energy is greatly increased. Another beneficial effect is directed to the muscles increasing stamina and endurance for body builders (http://www.mahuang.com). One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of March in 1987 showed that a group of rats lost 75% of their body fat from ephedrine. Another study performed in the International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders in February of 1993 made claims that "ephedrine increases the release of brain catecholomines to enhance thermogenesis, without significant cardiovascular effects" and concluded that "varying combinations of ephedrine and aspirin could provide a safe combination with the necessary thermogenetic properties to assist in the management of obesity" (http://www.smartbasic.com/glos.herbs/ephedra_wt.loss.html) Harmful side effects†¦ In addition to the reports about the positive aspects of ephedrine, harmful side affects have also been declared. It can alter emotions causing aggressiveness or anxiety that can lead an individual to a risk of personal injury. Other harmful side effects include an increased heart rate and blood pressure possibly leading to dehydration and decreased circulation. Long term more serious effects that these conditions can lead to include cerebral hemorrhage, strokes, or heart irregularities (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/ephedrine-final.htm). Some serious dangers such as death have been related to the use of ephedrine. For this reason, regulatory action on this herb is being considered. The herb has been discovered to be the beginning ingredient in methamphetamine laboratories for the product of the illegal stimulant drug (http://www.smartbasic.com/glos.herbs/ephedra.html. Other abuses of this herb have also been reported causing death.

The Lymphatic System Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Lymphatic System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lymphatic System is very important. It helps with the Cardiovascular system, and our immune systems. The Lymphatic System is made up of two semi-independent parts. One is a network of lymphatic vessels. The other part is various lymphoid tissues and organs all over the body. The functions of the Lymphatic System transporting fluids that have escaped from the blood vascular system, and the organs house phagocytic cells and lymphocytes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lymphatic vessels are an elaborate system of drainage vessles that collect the excess protein-containing fluid and returns it to the bloodstream.. Once an interstitial fluid enters the lymphatics it is called lymph. The lymphatic vessels form a one way system in which lymph flows only towards the heart. This entire transport sytem starts in the lymph capillaries. These are very commmon, usually occur in the places blood capillaries occur. Lymph capillaries are not found in bone, teeth, bone marrow, and entire central nervous system. Lymphatic capillaries are very permeable. The endothelial cells that make up the walls of the capillaries are not tightly joined. Filament anchor the endothelium cells so they can expand. Pathogens can spread through the body through the lymphatic stream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many cells in the lymphoid tissue. One type is lymphocytes, which are reffered to often as T or B cells. Plasma cells are antibody-produci...

Family and Dolls

Hinamatsuri Hinamatsuri ( ) is a girls’ festival in Japan which is on 3 March. At this festival, parents will put a display stage for their daughters that dolls wearing Wafuku and small furniture from the top to the bottom. Although this festival is not an official holiday in Japan, all of the family members will be together to bless girls for growing up happily and healthily to be an adult. It is very fastidious about the location of the dolls in the display stage. Usually, the top is a pair of emperor-Obina ( and empress-Mebina ( ) with a miniature gilded screen placed behind them like am imperial court. The second stage is Sannin Kanjo ( ), Kuwae no Choushi ( ), Sanpou ( ), and Nagae no Choushi ( ). The third stage is a Gonin BayashiI ( ), Kozutsumi ( ), Fue (? ), Utaikata ( ), Ookawa ( ), and Taiko ( ). The fourth stage is two Zuishiin ( ), Udaijin ( ) and Sadaijin ( ), with some food between them. The fifth stage is three servants and Ukon no Tachibana ( and Sakon no Sasu ra ( ). The sixth stage is some little dowry furniture. The seventh stage is car, cage, and sedan chair, etc. There are totally 15 dolls and 7 stages. Adding up with some other decorations, it would be more expensive. However, there has other choice for 1 stage, 3 stages or 5 stages. These dolls can be generation. When daughter get married, mother would give her daughter these dolls as dowry. Usually, people will put this display 1 or 2 weeks before 3 March.

Is Saltwater Desalination the Best Solution to Water Shortages in the United States?

As a matter of scientific fact, the vast majority of the surface area of our planet is covered in water; ironically enough, however, a great deal of this water cannot be consumed by human beings in its natural state, as it is salt water, which could only be consumed by human beings after undergoing desalination. This is a process through which the ions that make water saline are removed through various means and technologies, chief among them reversed osmosis (RO), thereby making the water suitable for humans to drink. Desalination is a process that is undertaken in sea or ocean water which by in large contains the most saline of all the water in the world. Desalination is an increasingly popular process, necessitated by shortages in domestic and industrial water supplies. For all of its present day popularity, desalination is not a new concept; rather, it is a technology that has been in use since the 18th century in southern Florida, which to this day hosts desalination units. Currently, this technology is the method of choice for gulf nations that are found within dessert terrains that rarely produce any fresh water supplies for consumption, as evidenced by recent reports showing a major water crisis looming in the horizon. These reports forecast that in the next five years, at least 36 states face substantial water shortages, supported by the shrinking water levels of major dams across the states and the shrinking of the Great lakes. Fresh water sources can no longer stand up or match up with the demand of the constantly increasing population of the US. This is most acutely felt in marine ecosystems where there is a problem in reducing the levels of salinity and also the brine discharge system, causing an imbalance in marine ecosystems (Tonner 11). History of Water Shortage All over the world, water that is mainly found in reservoirs like dams, lakes and waterways like rivers is relied heavily upon for replenishment of municipal water supplies; these supplies provide water for both commercial and residential use. All these are regarded as fresh water sources since the water comes naturally, mostly through rainfall. With the advent of global climatic changes, there has been a decline in the amount of rainfall; the patterns of the rains have become irregular and they rarely conform to expected time frames or the duration. The other factor that has not aided the water shortage debate is the general rise in global temperatures. This has led to increase in the rates of water evaporation from water reservoirs. Since rainfall in most cases is declining or there is a general atmosphere of drought griping the sphere in general, meaning that the rate of water uptake from the sources (through evaporation and uptake by man) and the rate of replenishment by rain do not match. It is quite obvious that with declining input of water into the reservoirs and the increasing abstraction of water, water levels will keep declining exponentially, creating a huge problem (Tonner). Temperature problems do not end there, because rising sea levels have been occurring through melting of glaciers in the arctic and Antarctica sub-continents. Increasing water levels serve to push saline water into the underground water supplies, thereby increasing the amount of saline in circulation and decreasing fresh water. With growth in industrialization, enormous environmental challenges present themselves. Waste products from industries are degrading the environment at an alarming rate, with these waste products usually finding their way into fresh water sources and catchments areas. The end result is unusable water and a host of other problems. Industries themselves require enormous amount of water to operate and at the same time their effluents also requires a lot of treatment so that it can be discharged into the water ways without modification of the marine and water ecology in general. Population growth and explosion does not lessen the burden therefore it is bringing more troubles. The number of persons globally is increasing but the sources of fresh water are not increasing thereby exerting great pressures on the existing water sources. Real estate development in general is also a part of the problem, which can be seen in the way many buildings are constructed over water catchments, leaving very little land that can allow percolation of water into the underground aquifer, which encourages the driving of the little available rain water to the ocean in order to avoid flooding. With the advent of these severe climate changes and dry spells, water levels began shrinking at an alarming rate. This alarmed local authorities, leading them to warn the general public to conserve water and use it wisely. In order to make their pleas to be understood by the public, they resorted to the extreme measure of water rationing. When water rationing started, it was a clear warning; it was then that the general public awoke to the reality that a global crisis was at hand (Tonner 6). After looking into all viable options of providing water to many thirsty citizens, the only option that guaranteed a steady supply and cheap means was desalination. This was preferred after looking closely at the cost of infrastructure in terms of pipes and the cost of maintenance of the dams. In the recent times, those centrally placed states that were endowed with large water resources, used to share their water with their unfortunate neighbors in the arid regions of the south west areas. The cost of pumping that water and the maintenance of the complex piping system proved a too much burden to bear and its viability with time almost impossible. The dwindling resources of water also were not showing sustenance of the venture in the long term. All these when combined, were pointing to desalination as the only viable option and that was current with prevailing economic circumstance. The advancement in the technology and its easy implementation has been one of the motivating factors towards its adoption as a major solution to current crisis of water shortage (Tonner). This process is drought-proof, thereby making it operational all year round, despite the dramatic climatic changes. All that is necessary is availability of sea water and sufficient power to drive the machines that are involved in this process and which usually require a lot of energy (Tonner 11). Participants in this Venture On the fore front of desalination efforts is the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) which is involved with maintaining a clean environment. Support of this venture comes from the motivation of providing water to a thirst planet. Since this organization is involved with the environment, it is in the organization’s best interest to make sure that all the technologies that are enacted for use in providing essential services will not lead to the biodegrading of the environment and adding of more problems rather than solving the already existing problems. This institution will be involved in putting down the necessary legislation that will act as the guideline when it comes to issues that are pertinent to the environment and its preservation. Closely following the proceedings and implementation of this program is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) which knows very well the side effects of the climatic change and the need to address the shortage of water around the globe. For the process to gain popularity around the world, IPPC has to do a lot of campaign on the viability of the project and trying to silence the proponents that will argue in the favor of the impacts that the project it would have on the environment and the ecosystem especially the marine ecosystem. Ocean conservancy is another very instrumental organization that has to be consulted in order to give the project a go head as the proposed project would be drawing its raw material (water) from the ocean, the negative impacts on the ecology and marine organisms notwithstanding. At the top of the list of concerns is whether water is a basic human right or it will be turned into an economic resource, only available to those few members of the society who can afford it (Tonner). The program will see the disruption of the normal saline environment for marine organisms which may lead to loss of endemic species that are unique to that area. However big the reward of this proposed project is, the negative impacts on other organisms cannot be overlooked because the reality would soon hit home and would therefore end up in creating a bigger problem than the one that is there. The other organizations involved in this venture fully are the Water Management Boards of respective Counties in the individual states. These boards are at the centre of the storm since they must provide water to the thirsty masses. Innovation comes as the core business of the boards in order to look into neo ways of circumventing the problems bedeviling them (Tonner 7). Resolving the Water Shortage Issue Clearly, as the research has indicated, there is a massive water shortage that will have an increasingly negative effect on the people of the world, especially in light of growing human populations, increased use of water by households and industry, and pollution which is harming the environment and decreasing available water supplies. Therefore, the question of how to resolve the water shortage issue is an increasingly important one to answer. Of course, the water supply on the earth is limited, in both fresh and salt water varieties. Therefore, the focus in stopping water shortages is to simultaneously make as much fresh and salt water available for both industrial and home users, which is possible through a variety of means (Tonner). First, the fresh water that is available on the planet must be conserved, which can be achieved through several different methods. Conservation starts with every home and business water user; simple steps to avoid wasting water in the first place will go a long way in terms of reducing the amount of water that literally goes down the drain every day. This, however, is not enough. In both homes and businesses, it is essential that the equipment that uses water be kept in prime working condition, with broken or inefficient equipment being replaced in favor of equipment that will not waste water. Also, as discussed earlier, there are environmental steps which can be used to prevent the wasting of fresh water, including smart real estate development, the prevention of the pollution of water supplies by individuals and industry, and the like. All of these steps will in fact help to save fresh water supplies to a large extent. Another water supply which has been discussed in this paper is desalinized salt water which can be used for human consumption once it has been properly prepared via the many desalinization plants that are found across the US today. Since there is vast salt water to be found on earth today, if it is properly desalinized, there is a great deal of available water. Once again, however, this must be conserved for the good of the growing society. Preserving the Environment In any case, wherever water comes from, the environment must be protected at all costs, for if there is no planet left for people to enjoy, there is little point in trying to do anything with water, as the human race will not be around to reap the benefits of the water itself. This reflects back to the previous discussion in regard to fresh and salt water supplies; there are in fact ways to be able to provide sufficient water supplies without destroying the environment. This will, of course, require the involvement of international, national, state and local authorities all working together. This is especially important considering the fact that pollution from other parts of the world certainly affects the US, and vice versa. Therefore, the world community must in fact act as a sort of environmental police force so that those who would cause damage to the environment are held accountable, not only for the sake of the planet but also for the sake of the water supplies that are now in the process of being conserved (Tonner). Overall, what is seen in the relationship between a safe environment and clean water supplies is the fact that neither can exist without the other. If people abuse water supplies, the planet will eventually be unable to sustain human life. On the other hand, if the planet is destroyed, water availability immediately becomes a non-issue. As such, this immediately becomes everyone’s problem, and of course, everyone must play a role in the solution of the problem. These solutions are both big and small, but all important just the same. Conclusion Water desalination is the only way out for the water crisis that is facing US and the rest of the world at large. However there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before the implementation of national projects. These issues range from environmental to human health issues. Fundamental questions have to be addressed as to why should our solution to the current water problem lie in the seas and oceans whereas there are waivers that are granted according to the clean water act which allows agriculture to continue polluting our water catchments areas with fertilizers. Before moving our pollution to the ocean, we must address the mess that we have caused on land, as this problem will not go away by itself. The most common excuse that has been circulating around is that cleaning of pollution is very costly and expensive. However this pollution has been caused by man and before handing the mandate of polluting the ocean now to the private sector, first we should deal with the mess on land. Is Saltwater Desalination the Best Solution to Water Shortages in the United States? As a matter of scientific fact, the vast majority of the surface area of our planet is covered in water; ironically enough, however, a great deal of this water cannot be consumed by human beings in its natural state, as it is salt water, which could only be consumed by human beings after undergoing desalination. This is a process through which the ions that make water saline are removed through various means and technologies, chief among them reversed osmosis (RO), thereby making the water suitable for humans to drink.Desalination is a process that is undertaken in sea or ocean water which by in large contains the most saline of all the water in the world. Desalination is an increasingly popular process, necessitated by shortages in domestic and industrial water supplies. For all of its present day popularity, desalination is not a new concept; rather, it is a technology that has been in use since the 18th century in southern Florida, which to this day hosts desalination units.Curren tly, this technology is the method of choice for gulf nations that are found within dessert terrains that rarely produce any fresh water supplies for consumption, as evidenced by recent reports showing a major water crisis looming in the horizon. These reports forecast that in the next five years, at least 36 states face substantial water shortages, supported by the shrinking water levels of major dams across the states and the shrinking of the Great lakes. Fresh water sources can no longer stand up or match up with the demand of the constantly increasing population of the US.This is most acutely felt in marine ecosystems where there is a problem in reducing the levels of salinity and also the brine discharge system, causing an imbalance in marine ecosystems (Tonner 11). History of Water Shortage All over the world, water that is mainly found in reservoirs like dams, lakes and waterways like rivers is relied heavily upon for replenishment of municipal water supplies; these supplies provide water for both commercial and residential use.All these are regarded as fresh water sources since the water comes naturally, mostly through rainfall. With the advent of global climatic changes, there has been a decline in the amount of rainfall; the patterns of the rains have become irregular and they rarely conform to expected time frames or the duration. The other factor that has not aided the water shortage debate is the general rise in global temperatures. This has led to increase in the rates of water evaporation from water reservoirs.Since rainfall in most cases is declining or there is a general atmosphere of drought griping the sphere in general, meaning that the rate of water uptake from the sources (through evaporation and uptake by man) and the rate of replenishment by rain do not match. It is quite obvious that with declining input of water into the reservoirs and the increasing abstraction of water, water levels will keep declining exponentially, creating a huge problem (Tonner). Temperature problems do not end there, because rising sea levels have been occurring through melting of glaciers in the arctic and Antarctica sub-continents.Increasing water levels serve to push saline water into the underground water supplies, thereby increasing the amount of saline in circulation and decreasing fresh water. With growth in industrialization, enormous environmental challenges present themselves. Waste products from industries are degrading the environment at an alarming rate, with these waste products usually finding their way into fresh water sources and catchments areas. The end result is unusable water and a host of other problems.Industries themselves require enormous amount of water to operate and at the same time their effluents also requires a lot of treatment so that it can be discharged into the water ways without modification of the marine and water ecology in general. Population growth and explosion does not lessen the burden therefore it is bringing more troubles. The number of persons globally is increasing but the sources of fresh water are not increasing thereby exerting great pressures on the existing water sources.Real estate development in general is also a part of the problem, which can be seen in the way many buildings are constructed over water catchments, leaving very little land that can allow percolation of water into the underground aquifer, which encourages the driving of the little available rain water to the ocean in order to avoid flooding. With the advent of these severe climate changes and dry spells, water levels began shrinking at an alarming rate.This alarmed local authorities, leading them to warn the general public to conserve water and use it wisely. In order to make their pleas to be understood by the public, they resorted to the extreme measure of water rationing. When water rationing started, it was a clear warning; it was then that the general public awoke to the reality that a global crisis was at hand (Tonner 6). After looking into all viable options of providing water to many thirsty citizens, the only option that guaranteed a steady supply and cheap means was desalination.This was preferred after looking closely at the cost of infrastructure in terms of pipes and the cost of maintenance of the dams. In the recent times, those centrally placed states that were endowed with large water resources, used to share their water with their unfortunate neighbors in the arid regions of the south west areas. The cost of pumping that water and the maintenance of the complex piping system proved a too much burden to bear and its viability with time almost impossible.The dwindling resources of water also were not showing sustenance of the venture in the long term. All these when combined, were pointing to desalination as the only viable option and that was current with prevailing economic circumstance. The advancement in the technology and its easy implementation has been one of the motivating factors towards its adoption as a major solution to current crisis of water shortage (Tonner). This process is drought-proof, thereby making it operational all year round, despite the dramatic climatic changes.All that is necessary is availability of sea water and sufficient power to drive the machines that are involved in this process and which usually require a lot of energy (Tonner 11). Participants in this Venture On the fore front of desalination efforts is the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) which is involved with maintaining a clean environment. Support of this venture comes from the motivation of providing water to a thirst planet.Since this organization is involved with the environment, it is in the organization’s best interest to make sure that all the technologies that are enacted for use in providing essential services will not lead to the biodegrading of the environment and adding of more problems rather than solving the already existing problems. This institution will be involved in putting down the necessary legislation that will act as the guideline when it comes to issues that are pertinent to the environment and its preservation.Closely following the proceedings and implementation of this program is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) which knows very well the side effects of the climatic change and the need to address the shortage of water around the globe. For the process to gain popularity around the world, IPPC has to do a lot of campaign on the viability of the project and trying to silence the proponents that will argue in the favor of the impacts that the project it would have on the environment and the ecosystem especially the marine ecosystem.Ocean conservancy is another very instrumental organization that has to be consulted in order to give the project a go head as the proposed project would be drawing its raw material (water) from the ocean, the negative impacts on the ecol ogy and marine organisms notwithstanding. At the top of the list of concerns is whether water is a basic human right or it will be turned into an economic resource, only available to those few members of the society who can afford it (Tonner). The program will see the disruption of the normal saline environment for marine organisms which may lead to loss of endemic species that are unique to that area.However big the reward of this proposed project is, the negative impacts on other organisms cannot be overlooked because the reality would soon hit home and would therefore end up in creating a bigger problem than the one that is there. The other organizations involved in this venture fully are the Water Management Boards of respective Counties in the individual states. These boards are at the centre of the storm since they must provide water to the thirsty masses. Innovation comes as the core business of the boards in order to look into neo ways of circumventing the problems bedevilin g them (Tonner 7).Resolving the Water Shortage Issue Clearly, as the research has indicated, there is a massive water shortage that will have an increasingly negative effect on the people of the world, especially in light of growing human populations, increased use of water by households and industry, and pollution which is harming the environment and decreasing available water supplies. Therefore, the question of how to resolve the water shortage issue is an increasingly important one to answer. Of course, the water supply on the earth is limited, in both fresh and salt water varieties.Therefore, the focus in stopping water shortages is to simultaneously make as much fresh and salt water available for both industrial and home users, which is possible through a variety of means (Tonner). First, the fresh water that is available on the planet must be conserved, which can be achieved through several different methods. Conservation starts with every home and business water user; simple steps to avoid wasting water in the first place will go a long way in terms of reducing the amount of water that literally goes down the drain every day.This, however, is not enough. In both homes and businesses, it is essential that the equipment that uses water be kept in prime working condition, with broken or inefficient equipment being replaced in favor of equipment that will not waste water. Also, as discussed earlier, there are environmental steps which can be used to prevent the wasting of fresh water, including smart real estate development, the prevention of the pollution of water supplies by individuals and industry, and the like.All of these steps will in fact help to save fresh water supplies to a large extent. Another water supply which has been discussed in this paper is desalinized salt water which can be used for human consumption once it has been properly prepared via the many desalinization plants that are found across the US today. Since there is vast salt water to be found on earth today, if it is properly desalinized, there is a great deal of available water. Once again, however, this must be conserved for the good of the growing society.Preserving the Environment In any case, wherever water comes from, the environment must be protected at all costs, for if there is no planet left for people to enjoy, there is little point in trying to do anything with water, as the human race will not be around to reap the benefits of the water itself. This reflects back to the previous discussion in regard to fresh and salt water supplies; there are in fact ways to be able to provide sufficient water supplies without destroying the environment.This will, of course, require the involvement of international, national, state and local authorities all working together. This is especially important considering the fact that pollution from other parts of the world certainly affects the US, and vice versa. Therefore, the world community must in fact act as a sort of environmental police force so that those who would cause damage to the environment are held accountable, not only for the sake of the planet but also for the sake of the water supplies that are now in the process of being conserved (Tonner).Overall, what is seen in the relationship between a safe environment and clean water supplies is the fact that neither can exist without the other. If people abuse water supplies, the planet will eventually be unable to sustain human life. On the other hand, if the planet is destroyed, water availability immediately becomes a non-issue. As such, this immediately becomes everyone’s problem, and of course, everyone must play a role in the solution of the problem. These solutions are both big and small, but all important just the same. ConclusionWater desalination is the only way out for the water crisis that is facing US and the rest of the world at large. However there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before the imple mentation of national projects. These issues range from environmental to human health issues. Fundamental questions have to be addressed as to why should our solution to the current water problem lie in the seas and oceans whereas there are waivers that are granted according to the clean water act which allows agriculture to continue polluting our water catchments areas with fertilizers.Before moving our pollution to the ocean, we must address the mess that we have caused on land, as this problem will not go away by itself. The most common excuse that has been circulating around is that cleaning of pollution is very costly and expensive. However this pollution has been caused by man and before handing the mandate of polluting the ocean now to the private sector, first we should deal with the mess on land. Work Cited Tonner, John. ‘Desalination in America’ Water and Waste Digests. November 2002. 7 May 2009.