Enhancing Employability in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enhancing Employability in Marketing - Essay Example The world has achieved tremendous grounds in the technological advancement and therefore much of the marketing is done through technology based communication (Clark 2004, p. 203). As such, a little creativity is needed which will determine whether graduates secure jobs and afterwards they can keep them by being able to perform. Bolstering a marketing degree with other professional qualifications related to finance is also important so that potential employers can be attracted to your technical capabilities in marketing (Gibbs, Steel & Kuiper 2011, p. 379). Current Employability/Graduate Trends in Marketing According to recent studies and research in the job market, marketing careers are on the increase whereas other careers are decreasing. This is a good indication that the marketing industry is growing and opening new areas for graduates to work and explore. Despite the fact that many industries have recently undergone serious cutbacks during the previous economic hard times, market ing is still an important aspect of firms. Marketing forms the basis of attracting and selling a firm to new clients while still maintaining the already existing clientele. It follows then that in the face of a shrinking economy and earnings, firms have to invest in marketing in order to keep afloat in the corporate world. Thanks to technology, the marketing can be simple or complicated depending on the amount of capital available (Bennett 2002, p. 464). Gone are the days when business directories were the major modes of advertising a business. With the advent of the internet, marketing campaigns have become relatively easy because all that a firm needs is to open a website and upload all its required information there. In the past, business firms needed to spend a lot of capital in sending mail to their customers. When potential customers go online to search for goods and services, there is are huge potential that is created for sales both now and in the future. These adverts are c reated by marketing career people because they know what the client wants and they understand their goods and services. As such, being able to understand the market trends and having IT skills is very important in the marketing filed (Achrol & Kotler 1999, p. 152). Recent changes in the way business reposition themselves for competitive advantage has led changing trends on what is required of marketers. Marketing people must also change with time and adapt to the new market demands by first becoming technology savvy. This entails being able to develop and implement all the different ways in which business can market themselves through technology. The jobs in marketing can be very vague (generalized) or specialised depending on a business’s size. In large business firms, there are many activities and campaigns that need coordination and therefore they usually need specialized marketers. On the other hand, small business outfits need a marketer who is able to handle all forms o f challenging marketing problems with no specialized training. However, some firms usually need a marketer who can popularize their goods and services to the general public without much use of resources or technology (Brousseau, Driver, Eneroth & Larson 1996, p. 59). Career Paths of a Marketing Degree Marketing as course encompasses a wide array of activities that are related to conceptions about the delivery of goods and services. In this regards, there are many options in which career paths may be oriented

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Example for Free

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, there are many father-son duos. In my opinion, a good relationship between a father and his son are vital. Their relationships with each other are varied in terms of agreeability and love for each other. The Germans have sent the Jews off to concentration camps and caused very trying times. They have torn whole family’s apart and sent people at each other’s throats. Elie’s relationship with his father changes over time. During the years prior to Elies Wiesels experience in the Holocaust, Elie and his father shared a distant relationship that lacked a tremendous amount of support and communications but, eventually, their bond strengthens as they rely on each other for survival and comfort. Elie and his father didn’t have the customary father-son relationship. Elie retells that his father did not show signs of encouragement when he wanted to study the Kabbalah: You are too young for that. Maimonides tells us that one must be thirty before venturing into the world of mysticism, a world fraught with peril. First you must study the basic subjects, those you are able to comprehend (13). He recalls that â€Å"my father was a cultured man, rather unsentimental. He was more involved with the welfare of others than with that of his own kin. † (13). After he got transferred to the concentration camp, he lived for his father, which was rare because most of the fathers lived for their sons. This is proven when he revives his personal account of a son fighting his father for a crust of bread: â€Å"Meir, my little Meir! Don’t you recognize me†¦You’re killing your father†¦ I have bread for you too†¦ for you too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (76). Another example of a son abandoning his father is when Rabbi Eliahu’s son abandons him on the way to the next concentration camp. According to him, â€Å"Sons abandoned the remains of their fathers without a tear† (70). Elie and his father were the opposite. He says so himself when he admits that â€Å"my father’s presence was the only thing that stopped me (from giving up on life)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦what would he do without me† (67). Another example is when two â€Å"gravediggers† come to throw his father out of the cattle car, presuming that he is dead. He keeps slapping his father until he opens his eyes and starts breathing. He also wants his father to sleep instead of him, even though he really needs the sleep to maintain the little well-being he can. Although, near the end of his father’s life his opinion changes vastly. He thinks â€Å"If only I didn’t find him! If only I were relieved of the burden, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care of only myself† (79). In conclusion, the relationships between father and son are very prominent in this novel. Most relationships are bad in Night due to the survival instinct and the terrible conditions experienced by the Jews during the Holocaust. This just proves that hunger and abuse can send the best of friends at each other’s throats. So what? Prejudice against Jews is a major issue, past or present. Anti-Semitism has been happening from way back in 1290, when Jews got expelled from England, until today when people still (Still In the 21st Century? ) Stereotype against Jews and refuse to go to Jewish-owned businesses. Basically, what I’m saying is that Jews have been blamed for numerous things throughout history for no-apparent reason except that they are a race that is relatively easy to point the finger at because people don’t know a lot about them.

Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay -- Arthur Miller Crucible Essays

Arthur Miller's The Crucible Arthur Miller demonstrates the familiarities of the life he lived in the 1950's and of everyday life we live in through his plays. He communicates through his work to the way people are in society. The extreme witch hysteria deteriorated the rational and emotional stability of its citizens. This exploited the population's weakest qualities, and insecurities. The obvious breakdown in social order led to the tragedy that saw innocent souls hang on the accusation of witchcraft. Miller's way of writing plays which relate to our lives and the way in which we do things and treat one another is very interesting. He seems to see the world a different way to most people and expresses our everyday actions and the things we do wrong in another form. The audience should see parallels in the play to happenings in our every day life. The Crucible was written in the middle of the McCarthy political "witch-hunt" in America. The play relates to the fears in America that the philosophy of communism was spreading there and would eventually undermine and destroy capitalism and the American way of life. Almost any criticism the government received, in the eyes of McCarthy was not acceptable. A petition for communist sympathisers was set up in which Miller signed. He was asked to confess to signing his name. He quoted: "In truth, I had supported these various causes to express my fear of fascism and my alienation from the waste of potential in America while knowing nothing about life under any socialist regime" The activities seemed to have been linked in Millers mind with witchcraft trials two centuries ago. Miller saw these public confessions as parallels with the naming at Salem... ... play includes interesting messages about how reasonable individuals can become completely irrational and get carried away when they become part of a mob. But in the end, who is to blame? Puritanism, Abigail or Danforth? The play is deliberately complex and multi-faceted, and not in plain and simple black and white, even though the characters themselves are black and white. In my opinion everyone's to blame, If one person would have seen sense or not added to problem or admitted it was a hoax it would have never happened. If Abigail hadn't added to the story it wouldn't have happened. If Judge Danforth hadn't of been so single-minded he would have seen through straight through Abigail's sweet and innocent routine, and so on. But at the end as in many situations in our own lives no one is completely to blame. Very rarely is anything one person's fault.

Assessment of Problem of Tax Administration in Nigeria Economy (a Case Sturdy of Federal Inland Revenue)

TABLE OF CONTENT Title Page – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – i Declaration – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ii Dedication – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – iii Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – iv Abstract – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – v Table of content – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the study 1. 2 Statement of the problem 1. 3 Objective of the study 1. 4 Research question and hypothesis 1. 5 Scope of the study 1. 6 Significance of the study 1. 7 Definition of terms 1. 8 Plan of the studyCHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 Review of the Nigerian capital market 2. 3 Bond financing Prospect, Benefit, And Associated Risk 2. 4 The impediment and problem of Bond development in Nigeria 2. 5 Recent developments in the Nigerian Bond market 2. 6 Theoretical framework 2. 7 summary of the chapter CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction 3. 2 Research Design 3. 3 Sources and Methods of Data Collection 3. 4 Methods of Data Analysis 3. 5 Justification For the Method Used 3. 6 Summary of the Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRSENTATION AND ANALYSIS 4. 1 Introduction 4. 2 Data presentation And Analysis 4. Hypothesis And model testing 4. 4 Discussion on Research Findings 4. 5 Summary Of Findings CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5. 1 Summary 5. 2 Conclusion 5. 3 Limitation Of The Study 5. 4 Recommendation 5. 5 References CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The importance and centrality of the financial system to the growth of any economy is obvious and indisputable. It has been postulated that a well developed financial system performs several critical functions that enhanced the efficiency of their financial intermediation roles with highly reduced costs of information, transaction and monitoring.Also, it promotes investment by identifying and locating viable business opportunities; helps in mobilizing savings; monitors the performance of managers thereby enabling trading, hedging and diversification of ri sk in order to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. These functions result in efficient allocation of resources and rapid accumulation of physical and human capital with faster technological process which in turn feed economic growth. The financial market is a sub-set of the financial system where funds from surplus economic units are pooled and made available to deficit units at a cost. The financial market consists of the money and the capital markets.The money market is the market for short term funds with a maturity period of not more than a year. The Capital Market consists of institutions and procedures that provide for transactions in long term financial instruments with a maturity of more than one year. The major instruments that are used in raising funds in the Nigeria Capital Market include Debts – Government bonds (Federal, State and Local Governments), Industrial loan stocks or Debentures, Preference Stocks, and Equities – ordinary shares. Instrum ents classified as Debt securities are generally referred to as bonds because of their fixed income characteristics except for preference stock which is a hybrid instrument.Therefore investors in bonds are essentially lending money to the issuer. Some of the common bond issuers are governments (Federal, State and Local Government), government agencies and corporate institutions. There are different types of bonds with its unique features relating to the way it pays interest, the market in which the bond is issued, the currency it is payable in, protective features and the legal framework under which it operates. The bond market is the channel through which government and corporations that need to borrow money are matched with investors who have funds to lend. There are really two markets for bonds – THE PRIMARY AND THE SECONDARY MARKET.The underdeveloped nature of the Nigerian Bond market is reflected through the depth of the market, lack of investors’ confidence, infl ationary pressure coupled with continuous depreciation of the Naira, absence of major international rating organization, absence of secondary trading market, macro-economic instability and closed nature of the market to external actors. All these indices indicate the faulty fundamentals of the market and hence its inability to contribute significantly to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy as it obtains in other developed countries of the world like Europe and United States of America. The effect of reviving theNigerian Bond market on the Nigerian economy cannot be overemphasized as it will enhance the achievement of a transformed economy through provision of long term funding to government and corporate borrowers, foreign investment, participation in the global bond market and international capital flow. However, how fast the Nigeria government and financial authorities move to combat the faulty fundamentals of the market will determine its efficiency and effectivene ss as a major provider of the long term finance needed for Nigeria’s economic growth. In Nigeria, one major defect for the slow pace of development of the real sector which is necessary to bring about a sustained economic growth and development is inadequate finance.It is therefore pertinent to examine theoretically and comparatively the roles the Nigerian Bond market can play in the growth of the Nigerian economy with a view of assessing the effect of bond market development in an imperative way to achieve a transformed economy. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The major problem that brought about slow movement of developing the real sector of Nigeria which is necessary to bring about a sustained economic growth and development is inadequate finance. This can be traced largely to the underdeveloped state of the Debt segment of the Nigerian Capital Market which is supposed to serve as the vehicle for the mobilization and provision of long-term funds needed by both government and corporate organizations to embark on developmental projects needed for economic growth and development.The underdeveloped state of the bond segment of the Nigeria capital market has in time past led to distortions in the economy as most corporate organizations sourced their long term funds from commercial banks. This in effect is a financial mismatch funding strategy where long term projects are funded with short term finance. The commercial banks are set-up to provide only short term funding due to the nature of their sources of funds; whereas the kind of finance needed for sustainable development are long term funds. Also, because there is no developed outlet for the sourcing of long term funds by corporate organizations, there is overdependence on government to dictate and direct the pace of economic development.Thus, business activities are predicated on public expenditure projections and when these projections and budgets are delayed or not forthcoming, economic activities in the whole economy is directly adversely affected. 1. 3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The major objective of this study is to assess the effective development of the Nigerian bond market and it essential effect on the growth of the economy is however the task of this study. Other objective is to, (i) Find out whether there exist an optimal economy whereas bond market can be developed. 1. 4 RESEARCH QUESTION AND HYPOTHESIS In line with the research problem, some specific questions must receive answers in the course of the study.These questions are as follow: (i) How does development of Nigerian bond market affect economic growth? (ii) Does inadequate finance result from underdevelopment state of debt segment in the Nigerian capital market? 1. 4. 1 HYPOTHESIS Ho: There is no significant relationship between effective development of the Nigerian Bond market and economic growth. H1: There is a significant relationship between effective development of the Nigerian Bond market and economic growth . 1. 5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This research is carried out mainly on Nigerian capital market to assess the development on fund to the Nigerian economy it covers data sourced from Nigerian stock exchange, Annual report, Security and exchange commission and National News paper.It covers the period of eight years (2000- 2008) 1. 6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The important of this study cannot be overemphasized owing to the value of a research on this nature. To the end, this research is carried out to bring to the attention of financial managers of the firms especially financial institutions, relevant information regarding to Bond market and economy development in order to assist in making financial decision. 1. 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS (i) Bond: A bond is simply a certificate of indebtedness issued by a borrower to a lender. (ii) Capital Market: This is the market for intermediate and long term securities that have more than one year of maturity say three years. iii) Debt: This is referred to as an obligation owed by one party (the debtor) to a second party the creditor. (iv) Debenture: This is referred to as type of bond that is not secured by physical asset or collateral, it is credit worthiness and reputation of the issuer. (v) Equity: this referred to as the residual claim or interest of the junior class of investors in asset after all liabilities have been paid. (vi) Financial Market: The financial market is a sub-set of the financial system where funds from surplus economic units are pooled and made available to deficit units at a cost. (vii) Money Market: This market is the market for short term funds with a maturity period of not more than a year. (viii) Preference Stock: ix) Primary Market: This is referred to as the market where securities are newly issued. (x) Secondary Market: This is referred to as the market where existing securities are traded. 1. 9 PLAN OF THE STUDY This research project is divided into five (5) chapters for better and easy understanding, chapter two (2) is the review of related literatures; the literature is reviewed with a view to lay a foundation for the building of new research that we are currently undergoing. It gives directions and light to research work. Chapter three (3) tell us about the method(s) of research used in this project. It shows the research design, source of data, method of data collection, and techniques of data analysis among others.Chapter four (4) is mainly the presentation of data and the analysis. Here our research hypothesis will be tested in order to enable us draw a conclusion on the topic under consideration. The final chapter which is chapter five (5) will highlight on the conclusion, summary and recommendation. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction A bond is a debt security in which the issuer owes the holder a debt and is obliged to repay the principal and interest (coupon) at a later date, termed maturity. Other stipulations may also be attached to the bond issued, such as the obligation of the issuer to provide certain information to the bondholder or limitations on the behaviour of the issuer.Bonds are generally issued for a fixed term (the maturity) longer than one year (Olashore, 2006). Umoren (2000) also defines a bond as basically IOU’S of longer duration than the average money market instrument present in a given market. According to Fahm (2006), a bond is a long term debt instrument issued by an entity, company or government as evidence of a promise to pay. The claim protects the holder in circumstances in which the issuer is unable to pay the amount due. According to Oni (2006. ), the entity borrowing money by the way of a bond is called the issuer and the person investing is the buyer. The issuer of a bond promises to pay the buyer’s interest which is called a coupon for the privilege of using the buyer’s money.The issuer also promises to return the money which is the principal to the buyer on a specified date called the maturity date. The coupon which is a predetermined interest account is paid to the buyer at periodic intervals throughout the life of the bond. It is the nature of known periodic interest amount (coupon) and known principal amount that gave rise to the nomenclature â€Å"fixed income securities† given to bonds. Corporate bonds are often called debentures, but the term debenture is usually used to refer to borrowings without specified collateral. Such borrowings are based on the general credit standing of the borrower. In Nigeria, however, some debentures are said to be mortgage debentures.In such cases, the security provided goes beyond the credit worthiness of the borrowers to include a mortgage of some specific assets and also all future assets (Odife, 1999). 2. 2 Review of the Nigerian capital market 2. 3 Bond financing: Prospect, Benefit, And Associated Risk 2. 4 The impediment and problem of Bond development in Nigeria 2. 5 Recent developments in the Nigerian Bond m arket 2. 6 Theoretical framework 2. 7 summary of the chapter CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction 3. 2 Research Design 3. 3 Sources and Methods of Data Collection 3. 4 Method of Data Analysis 3. 5 Justification for the Method Used 3. 6 Summary of the Chapter

Factors that may lead to abusive Essay

Everyone can be victims of abusive behaviour. There are many factors that may lead to abusive situations, it could be physical that are seen clearly, some are hidden and some are emotional that the victim needs to talk to someone about. Abuse may be a single act or many acts. It can occur in any relationship and may be the result of deliberate intent, ignorance or neglect. It may be a criminal offence, such as rape, assault or theft. (http://myway.trafford.gov.uk 2014) Abuse is where the abuser may find joy or thrill by doing the actions they do, for instance if their life is going downhill, they may not want to be the only one to do so, so they put someone down either by physical, emotional, or even sexual abuse. Some of the key risk factors for abuse include: family conflict, dependency, isolation, carer stress, addictive behaviours and physiological problems. (http://www.eapu.com 2014) People more vulnerable of abusive situations: -physical disabilities -communication difficulties, may not hear the abuser, may not be able to stand up for his or her self, they may not see the abuser or that someone is going towards them, they won’t be able to talk to someone about it because they could have doubts -learning disabilities, may not know that they are being exploited or abused so its easy to be taken advantage off -mental health problems -people with dementia, affecting the intellect and physical functions, this could cause unpredictable psychological or physical behaviour. -dependency, i.e. on carers -social isolation, people usually have fewer contacts on the outside world (http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk 2014) Personal problems cause frustration, things such as addictions to drugs and  alcohol can modify behaviour and add to the bad feelings leading the individual to abuse someone. Usually if one partner in a relationship is earning more money the other partner will feel disempowered, also typically in men, if their wife/partner earns more than them it doesn’t abide to the stereotypical view of the male being the provider so they can become very aggressive and use financial abuse to make themselves feel better i.e. denying or stealing their partners money so they feel bigger and more powerful. Environmental problems such as poor housing or overcrowding could potentially lead to abusive situations because, if there is overcrowding, the abuser may need more space and abuse someone so they leave. Someone with poor housing is easy targets for abusive people as they may live on the streets, the abuser may think that because they live on the street they have no feelings or family and take advantage of them just because they are lesser off than the abuser, so the abuser may feel a sense of priority over them. An adequate increase on carer stress may push the carer too far and abuse someone. The carer may lack understanding of the ageing process, illness, disability and/or needs of the vulnerable adult. The carer may blame the victim of financial problems as they have a low income or debt problems, although it is not the victims fault, this could lead to the carer possibly blackmailing someone for more money, abusing the victims money, providing them with financial problems. Another aspect of abusive situations is personal stress; the carer may be looking after two generations, his or her own children and a dependent adult, they may feel that are not getting their own time meaning they feel isolated, and may take advantage of someone and the carer may feel disempowered and trapped. If someone rejects help, then they are even more vulnerable. In some families abuse is considered the normal reaction to stress, and it may continue from generation to generation, for instance if a child has done something wrong they need to be disciplined, some families would confiscate something and some families may physically abuse, i.e. smacking. A child who was previously abused may now be a carer and repeat the cycle of abuse  to a dependent parent or child. The risk of abuse is greater where the vulnerable adult: Has an unusual behaviour, for example they may stay in their safe zone a lot more, they don’t want to leave as they feel they can’t trust anybody Rejects help, they may have family there for them or friends but they may feel they can cope themselves, they break down communication between them and everyone else Is socially isolated i.e. does not have other friends or visitors Unable to complain, for example because of hearing disabilities and other communication barriers May have low self-esteem, so lacking power in relationships Bay be less likely to be served well be the criminal justice system, possibly because of past criminal convictions (http://myway.trafford.gov.uk 2009) (http://www.safefromharm.org.uk 2014) Bibliography http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/pdf/Health_SocialCare/POVA/Predisposing_factors_which_may_lead_to_abuse.pdf 2006 Date accessed 23/09/14 http://www.eapu.com.au/elder-abuse/risk-factors 2014 Date accessed 23/09/14 http://myway.trafford.gov.uk/i-need-help-with/keeping-people-safe/safeguarding-adults/safeguarding-adults/understanding-safeguarding/types-risks-and-indicators-of-abuse.aspx 2014 Date accessed 24/09/14 http://myway.trafford.gov.uk/i-need-help-with/keeping-people-safe/safeguarding-adults/safeguarding-adults/understanding-safeguarding/types-risks-and-indicators-of-abuse.aspx 2009 Date accessed 28/09/14 http://www.safefromharm.org.uk/wps/wcm/connect/occ/Safe+From+Harm/Professionals/What+is+adult+abuse/SFH+-+Prof+-+T+-+risk+factors 2014 Date accessed 28/09/14

Glass Castle Essay Essays

Glass Castle Essay Essays Glass Castle Essay Essay Glass Castle Essay Essay Essay Topic: The Glass Castle In the book â€Å"The Glass Castle† by Jeannette Walls poverty goes deeper than just low income. Even while Jeannette’s parents had money coming in, they struggled to support their family properly. They went hungry, had no electricity, or even indoor plumbing, so this proposes the question can poverty be caused by more than just low income? Do people actually want to live in poverty? For Jeannette’s parents it sure seems that way. Rex Walls had grown up in a poverty stricken town of Welch. He grew up in â€Å"big worn house† on the â€Å"downhill side of the street† (Walls 130). It smelled of â€Å"mold and cigarettes and unwashed laundry† (Walls 131). However Rose Mary Walls grew up in a very structured home in Texas where her mother made her follow rules and attend college classes to become a teacher. So when Rose Mary grew up and moved away she wanted to live a life opposite of what her mother wanted, she became a free spirit. When on the other hand poverty was all Rex had ever known. I believe this is the major factor that contributed to the Walls’ family being in poverty. Besides growing up in a poverty stricken home and town Rex also grew up with a mother who was an Alcoholic. We find this out when Jeannette tells us about the time she first met Erma and she â€Å" pulled a bottle of whiskey from the pocket of her housedress† (walls 131). She also talks about how she could smell whiskey on her Uncle Stanley’s breath the first time he hugged her. This was the life Rex Walls was accustomed to and so therefore he was comfortable with it. He saw nothing wrong with taking money from his family to go waste in on alcohol because he always some how pulled through for them. : The perfect example of this is when Rose Mary left for the summer for college courses and left Jeanette in charge of the money. The first few weeks went well and Jeanette had managed to make a budget and keep food on the table, then Rex had asked her for money. First it was just five dollars, then another five, and then it was twenty. Jeanette was outraged by this and asked him why he needed the twenty dollars to which he replied â€Å"Goddammit, since when do I have to explain myself to my children? I need money to make money. I’ll pay you back†¦ Have I ever left you down? (Walls 210), and then that Saturday after putting his daughter through torment of being around a drunk, he paid her back. Rex although an intelligent man was a drunk and didn’t know how to provide for his family correctly which meant he was constantly letting them down. On the other hand Rose Mary grew up with loving parents in a nice house with structure, but she hated that life and became a f ree spirit, addicted to the adrenaline Rex brought her. Rose Mary believed children should not be burdened with lots of rules and restrictions. She was a very selfish woman who would refuse to work because she wanted to become an artist. Rose Mary was a certified teacher and could easily receive a job in the towns which the Wall’s had lived because it was difficult to find teachers that had actually graduated from college. Even when Rose Mary would come around and take a teaching job â€Å"she had problems organizing paper work and disciplining her students†, and â€Å"at least one morning a week she’d throw a tantrum and refuse to go to work† (Walls 196). She’d eventually quit her job and the Wall’s once again would not have any money coming in except when Rex performed odd jobs. The life the Walls kids put up with was not the way the wanted to live. When Lori graduated high school she moved to New York City. Then Jeanette’s senior year she moved in with Lori. Brian followed Jeanette’s footsteps, and when Maureen was only twelve she moved in with Lori. While the kids were making better lives for themselves their parents had decided to move to New York as well but remain homeless and in poverty. They slept on park benches and in bushes. They refused to go to shelters because life was more interesting the way they lived it. They eventually moved into an abandoned apartment where others liked them lived, and Maureen moved in. After Rex died, Rose Mary still chose to live a life of poverty. Most people when they hear the word poverty they think of low income families, people who go to homeless shelters, people who work but do not make enough, or those who cannot find a job, but Rex and Rose Mary show us that there can be more to it than just low income. They liked to constantly be on their toes, they liked being completely independent and to always be on the run. Rex’s alcohol addiction and Rose Mary’s unwillingness to work, and her stubbornness to not sell anything she had inherited from her mother took away precious money that could have went to support their family. This book shows that poverty can be cause by more than just low income. Word Count: 881

Beverly lowry essays

Beverly lowry essays Beverly Lowry, Her Dream of Dreams: The Rise and Triumph of Madam C. J. Walker, [New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2003], 481pp. Beverly Lowry, the author of Her Dream of Dreams, grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, but was born in Memphis, Tennessee on August 10, 1938. Lowry is the author of six novels and two nonfiction books. Lowry is also the director of the Creative Nonfiction Program at George Mason University. She currently resides in Washington, D.C. Beverly Lowry became interested in Madam C.J. Walkers story when she considered doing a novel authorized by the estate of Alex Haley. Lowry purpose for writing the book on Walker was to filter out Walkers thinly documented story and frame it into the roiling race relations of her day. The theme of this book is the life of Madam C.J. Walker. It discusses her road to success in becoming one of the first women of any race to be a millionaire. The historical period the book relates to is the Age of Progressivism. Born Sarah Breedlove on December 10, 1867, Madam C.J. Walker grew up the child of freed slaves, Owen and Minverva Breedlove, on a plantation in Delta, Louisiana. Walker lost her parents at the age of seven, and married for the first time at the age of fourteen. At the age of seventeen, Walker had her first and only child, Lelia. By the age of twenty she was a widow, but married twice again, the last being Charles Joseph Walker. Breedlove went on to adopt his name in 1906, later adding the title Madam, which was custom for woman in business. Wanting a better life for her daughter, as well as, herself, Madam C.J. Walker moved to St. Louis and continued work in the laundry business. With the money she made, she sent Lelia to school to get that education she never received. After working for eighteen years she got to see her daughter graduate from high school and go to college. Madam Walker claim to fortune, was prompted by Walkers hair fall...

15 Quotes Exploring the Complex Father-Son Relationship

15 Quotes Exploring the Complex Father-Son Relationship Dads and sons have a complex relationship.  As  Frank Herbert said,  What is the son but an extension of the father? Fathers try to pass on to their sons the knowledge of what it means to be a man and to be successful in life. Most fathers raise their boys based on their own experiences with their fathers, for better or worse. Former President George H.W. Bush It’s much worse to read criticism about your son than yourself. Johann Schiller It is not flesh and blood but the heart, which makes us fathers and sons. Aldous Huxley Sons have always a rebellious wish to be disillusioned by that, which charmed their fathers. George Herbert One father is enough to govern one hundred sons, but not a hundred sons, one father. Marlene Dietrich A king, realizing his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties. A father can do neither. If only sons could see the paradox, they would understand the dilemma. William Shakespeare When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry. Walter M. Schirra, Sr. You dont raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, theyll turn out to be heroes, even if its just in your own eyes. James Baldwin If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons. Robert Frost The father is always a Republican toward his son, and his mothers always a Democrat. Relationship Between the Father and His Teenaged Son The need to emulate the father seems to dissipate when kids reach adolescence. The rebellious hormones want nothing of the old mans wisdom. Most young teenagers want to distance themselves from their fathers. Relationships that were built with a bond of love and trust become strained  and withdrawn. Most fathers remain distant when their kids are growing, to avoid a clash of personality. Is this normal or a trend towards growing family discord? On the TV sitcom Home Improvement, starring Tim Allen. In one of the episodes, Wilson makes a wry comment: Parents are the bone on which children sharpen their teeth. What Im saying is that when a boy is young, he worships his father and in order for the boy to become a man, hes got to see his father as a fallible human being and stop seeing him as a god.   The cold war can continue well into the adult phase of the childs life  until he himself becomes a father. Sooner or later, the cycle of life allows the new father to reminisce his childhood days and recount the innumerable ways his  father showered love upon him. American actor James Caan once said, I never saw my dad cry. My son saw me cry. My dad never told me he loved me, and consequently, I told Scott I loved him every other minute. The point is, I’ll make fewer mistakes than my dad, my sons hopefully will make fewer mistakes than me, and their sons will make fewer mistakes than their dads. And one of these days, maybe we’ll raise a perfect Caan. Fathers and Sons Can Share a Bond Through Fun Activities Fathers who nurture their sons through projects and activities have a strong and healthy relationship. Usually, fathers and sons enjoy the same activities, whether fishing or football. Find an activity that suits you and your sons. You could choose to go camping with your son. Or consider teaching the young boy basic techniques of golf. If football is your first love, share anecdotes and funny stories with your boys  while catching up on the action on Super Bowl. These quotes about fathers and sons reflect on the wonderfully complicated relationship between boys and their fathers. On Fathers Day, help every father and son reach out to each other through these loving words. Alan Valentine For thousands of years, father and son have stretched wistful hands across the canyon of time, each eager to help the other to his side, but neither quite able to desert the loyalties of his contemporaries. The relationship is always changing and hence always fragile; nothing endures except the sense of difference. Confucius The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them. Ralph Waldo Emerson, (on the death of his son) My son, a perfect little boy of five years and three months, had ended his earthly life. You can never sympathize with me; you can never know how much of me such a young child can take away. A few weeks ago I accounted myself a very rich man, and now the poorest of all.

Various Ways Government Interacts with the Economy Essay

Various Ways Government Interacts with the Economy - Essay Example To safeguard this, the government has prohibited the following activities: This is an agreement between two or more competitors in form of price fixing and market allocation, and involves an agreement in which one party of a group of bidders will be designated to win the bid. For example government construction contracts being determined by bid. This type of conspiracy is termed to be illegal therefore it is prohibited by the government. This is an agreement between the competitors selling the same product or services to fix, peg, discount or stabilize prices. This pushes the price of the product high hence the businesses make huge profit after exploiting the consumers. In the United States, price fixing is prosecuted under section 1 of the Sherman Act as a criminal felony offence. (APA, 2000) This is lack of compatibility between different systems and is often used in computer industry. This is whereby the different companies create different versions of the same systems that cannot inter-operate therefore forcing the consumer to purchase the spare parts from the same manufacturer only. (Arthur, 1989) This is the practice of making the sale of one good to the de facto or de jure customer conditional on the purchase of a second distinctive good. Selling printers below cost or at a loss and recovering the amount on the sale of cartilages.

If the research budget is limited, there is no need to conduct Essay

If the research budget is limited, there is no need to conduct marketing research - Essay Example This essay discusses that as marketing research is important in the successful promotion of the products/service of an organisation, it must be given due consideration. It is inevitable for an organization to allot a separate budget for marketing research. Undoubtedly, an organisation that desires to thrive in the field can never say excuse for having not enough funds. As far as an organisation is concerned, market research is conducted not only for learning purpose but also for flawless decision making process. It is on the basis of the information gathered through research an organization decides whether or not to make changes in the existing product line. To illustrate, a well conducted research would propose multiple options for introducing new product line or entering into new markets. Apart from obtaining new customers, more importance must be given for retaining the existing customers. Long term loyalty and relationship between the organisation and the customers are not just d eveloped on a single day. They are the result of strenuous efforts made by the organisation by closely understanding the needs and preferences of the customers. Moreover, the data collected through market research can help marketers to make decision on product quality or services expansion. It may result in introducing more innovative product or redesigning the marketing strategy. Similarly, the potential problems associated with launching a new product can also be identified through marketing research. If the probable difficulties are known in advance, firms can take steps to address them on time. The research conducted after a product launch will help the firm to determine further steps. According to Malhotra & Dash (2009, p.45), Marketing research helps an organisation to know the demographics and psychographics of customers. It reveals the number of persons who buy the products, why they buy, when they buy, the frequency of their buying, and the sources of their buying; and it a lso includes the social status and the regional location of the customers (ibid). As market research bring out information regarding age, sex, population, buying behavior, and location, firms can easily determine whether to change their market segments or business destinations to more favorable ones. In the absence of such a study, taking flawless decisions is unlikely. Marketing research is one of the best ways of knowing the strategies of competitors, their identity, marketing network, scale of focus and many more. It is important for a business firm to observe how its rivals carry out business as it evaluates its own progress or loss. By imitating the competitors on an equal scale, one can retaliate on the same manner as the competitors do. These actions would help the firm not only to improve the product quality but also to obtain prospective customers for the organisation. Marketing research can sometimes be used as an evaluation tool which may help in making comparative studie s so that the organization can track its own progress over a period of time. In addition, in some occasions marketing research helps to explore what went wrong. For example, Johnson & Johnson Company probed into the poisoning of their capsules

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism all spring for the same part of the Essay

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism all spring for the same part of the world and share many of the same symbols, concepts, and prac - Essay Example Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism all originated from India though at different times in history. Buddhism is a form of religion that is based on virtues such as wisdom, freedom from greed, compassion, and love. The term Buddha was the name of an individual who is believed by the Buddhists to have attained the listed virtues. It is believed that Buddhism is 2500 years old. Buddhists view life as a process of change, where an individual develops systematically towards attaining the good personality. Buddhists believe that the mind is the channel through which an individual can change for the better and therefore meditation is an important practice among the Buddhists. Buddhists believe that meditation is the cure to problems of the mind such as lack of sleep, confusion, anxiety, and hatred among others. Festivals are considered important in Buddhism religion as it brings the followers together. The Buddha has various festivities around the year. For instance, the Buddha day marks the ce lebration of the full moon when the followers celebrate enlightenment by reviewing their lives and works. Dharma day is another festivity in Buddhism that marks the full moon and followers commemorate how Buddha shared his experience with the first disciple. Other celebrations include, Sangha day which the community celebrate spiritual community and the Parinirvana which symbolized the death of Buddha. Hinduism is a religion characterized by religious traditions and philosophy. The Hindu religion is also believed to have originated in India. The noble people who lived in India and recorded their ideas, beliefs, and practices on books founded it. The key teaching in Hindu religion is that human nature is not confined in the mind or the body. The Hindus believe that there exist spirits in the human souls all other things that are visible. Hinduism believe on wisdom, joy and peace among the things that make be considered good. Hindus believe in the existence of god in all creation and that god can incarnate is something. Hinduism also believes that god is infinite and manifests in different ways by which he can be contacted or prayed to. The behavior of Hindus is determined by the position an individual hold in life and the responsibilities attached to it. The religion also believes that human beings undergo development stages in life. Hinduism have many festivities around the year. These festivals are marked with prayers, worships, magic, and processions among others. The rituals are meant to cleanse the society, expel bad omen, and revive the power of nature. Some of the Hindu festivities include, celebrations of birthday for the gods, bonding festivals, celebration of victories among others. Sikhism is a form of religion that was founded by a man called Guru Nanak in India approximately five hundred years ago. The Sikhs believe that there is only one god and that all people are equal before god. The Sikhs also believe that before the soul becomes human form, i t undergoes a cycle of development. Another aspect of Sikhism is the practice of leading a virtuous life while balancing between temporal and spiritual obligations. Sikhism religion does not believe in some rituals such as fasting, superstitions, and idol worshiping. In the ritual dimension on religion, it is evident that all these three religions perform certain rituals to

The Legal Environment of Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Legal Environment of Business - Assignment Example Two parties are involved; the one providing an offer (offeror) and the one accepting or agreeing to the offer (offeree). As a first step, legal contracts require both parties to agree on the subject of the contract (Goldman and Sigismond 2010). After that, the parties agree for appropriate way the contract can be made. The process now enters into negotiation process where the offeror make an offer (promise) to the offeree (promisee). It is always required that when this takes place, the offer in the context should be seriously intended, be definite and well communicated to the promisee. Serious intention is the key to make the contract legally recognized, since without serious intention, the contract is regarded as a less binding agreement (Goldman and Sigismond 2010). An offer becomes legally accepted when it is devoid of subjective intentions such as secret inner feelings by the offeror. In most cases, the court to legally recognize offer and acceptance contract, the parties are re quired to have intentions that are clear and objective in nature. Moreover, the terms expressed in the agreement should be definite in nature, where specific aspects such as price, time, quantity, and quality should not be vaguely expressed. In addition, the offer must be communicated clearly between the parties involved especially the promisee who has to understand the contents of the agreement before accepting. Lastly, the process should reflect a regally recognized invitation process among the parties and not done through coercion (Goldman and Sigismond 2010). The difference between warranties and conditions Contract whichever type or nature is generally perceived to be either a warranty or condition. In most cases, understanding whether a contract is warranty or condition may be problematic but the courts usually establish the rules of construction of contracts that in most cases are used to resolve ambiguities. Therefore, are certain specifics, which can be looked upon, and hel p in differentiating warranty from condition. First difference between the two arises from the purpose, which they serve. Condition usually constitutes stipulation aspects that are necessary to the primary purpose of contract of sale (Geet and Deshpande 2008). On the other hand, warranty constitutes stipulations that are collateral in nature (subsidiary) to the main purpose of contract of sale (). Another difference is brought about by the issue of breach. When a condition is breached, the party that is aggrieved has the right to sue for damages and also enjoy the right to repudiate the contract (Geet and Deshpande 2008). On the other hand, when warranty is breached, the part that is aggrieved only enjoys the right to sue for damages and not right for repudiate. Further, when a condition is breached, it is sometimes treated as breach of warranty and the same cannot be applied to warranty when it is breached. Lastly, condition goes direct to the root or core of the contract, while wa rranty does not go direct to the root of the contract (Geet and Deshpande 2008). How mistake may affect a contract Contracts may be appealing at first instance they are created and may be viewed to be fine without mistakes. However, unlike the common and general mistakes, contract mistakes exhibit unique feature in that it has to do largely with mistaken assumptions that are related to contract formation

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Assignment

Quantitative and Qualitative Research - Assignment Example It examines the experience of individuals delivering and receiving nursing care. The methods used to carry out qualitative research are case studies, interviews, ethnography and focus groups. On the other hand, quantitative study mainly focuses on measurable client outcomes and mainly uses statistics. However, bias is encountered when carrying out nursing research. When conducting a quantitative research, there are two main types of bias that may be encountered: random and systematic bias. Random bias takes place when a researcher assumes particular data. This happens wherebys the assumption made is not a precise representation of what is in the research. An example of a random bias is food diaries. Food diaries are inaccurate because people tend to over represent or under represent food consumption. However, this bias can be avoided by taking photographs of every study (Campbell & Campbell, 2006). On the other hand, systematic bias is a bit different. According to a study conducted by Dr. Colin Campbell, he stated that there were defects in the consumption of animal protein. However, Minger (2011) carried out a research on the same topic as Campbell and stated that the consumption of proteins and other foods was positively correlated. Systematic bias can be prevented by multiple null-hypothesis, re-utilization and utilization based on ongoing collection of data. All data should also be represented irrespective of the nature. There are various types of bias, which are associated with qualitative research. This bias’ can be experienced during the pre-trial, the clinical trial and after a trial. Examples of bias encountered during pre-trial stage may be as a result of study design, selection and channeling. There are other subtypes of bias which occur during the clinical trial. They include interviewer bias, transfer bias, recall bias and chronology bias. Bias after a trial may involve confounding and citation bias. When conducting a nursing research, bias

Develop a Research Repository web Application tool Essay

Develop a Research Repository web Application tool - Essay Example The architecture will employ 3-tier where there will be the user end, business logic end and the server end. The user-end will have a system that will enable the users to access the repository. The server end will have a database which will be used to store the research materials. The database will make use of Oracle 11g. There will be a connection of these applications so that the application connects to the database (Brian, 2007). Access to the application and to the database will be achieved using web interface. The application that is used will be the browser that the users are using. There will be security of the system so that not everybody will access the system. The restriction will be differentiated so that there are restrictions for the outsiders and restrictions for members. The restrictions for outsiders will be that these users will not access the whole system completely. This is because the users will access only the parts that are of interest to them. The system admini strators and the IT staff will have the privileges that will enable them to access most of the tools and places in the system. They are tasked with maintaining the system and they need to access the whole system. There will be a user interface that will allow this access to be implemented. From the description, there is the back-end of the system and also the front-end. The back-end represents the database and the server. The back-end will be operated upon by the administrators of the system. There are times that the database will fail. There is therefore a need to ensure that it is restored back to work (Brian, 2007). With the new system, users and researchers will be required to fill in forms that will describe the research work they are interested in and send it to the system. The work that the researcher is interested in will be searched in the database. The research work that will be submitted will be approved by the staff and then approved to be added to the database. The arti cles that are added to the system will be categorized based on their nature. Detailed analysis of the tool Most of the requests will be made to the server by users. This will mean that the requests will be made through a web based system. There will be an internet connection that will help to connect the users and the server end part of the system. Without this connection, the connection and the access will not be made possible. The application that will handle all the requests will be developed using the C# programming language. This will reside in the server part of the web-based system. There are possibilities to have connections in Visual Studio either to databases or web services. The connection to the end users will be done through web service connection and the services to the back-end part of the system will be done using database connectivity. The database that will be used is Oracle 11g. The architecture in diagram 1 shows that the server and database are running on the se rver end of the system. Figure 1: Basic architecture The connection of the database and the application will be done using the functionality of the Visual Studio 2010. There is a tool that enables Visual Studio to connect to data that are from any source. When using Visual Studio, there is a tool that is used to create a connection. All connections have the same members. The property that will be used in the connection is that of ConnectionString property. This property has a

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Assignment

Quantitative and Qualitative Research - Assignment Example It examines the experience of individuals delivering and receiving nursing care. The methods used to carry out qualitative research are case studies, interviews, ethnography and focus groups. On the other hand, quantitative study mainly focuses on measurable client outcomes and mainly uses statistics. However, bias is encountered when carrying out nursing research. When conducting a quantitative research, there are two main types of bias that may be encountered: random and systematic bias. Random bias takes place when a researcher assumes particular data. This happens wherebys the assumption made is not a precise representation of what is in the research. An example of a random bias is food diaries. Food diaries are inaccurate because people tend to over represent or under represent food consumption. However, this bias can be avoided by taking photographs of every study (Campbell & Campbell, 2006). On the other hand, systematic bias is a bit different. According to a study conducted by Dr. Colin Campbell, he stated that there were defects in the consumption of animal protein. However, Minger (2011) carried out a research on the same topic as Campbell and stated that the consumption of proteins and other foods was positively correlated. Systematic bias can be prevented by multiple null-hypothesis, re-utilization and utilization based on ongoing collection of data. All data should also be represented irrespective of the nature. There are various types of bias, which are associated with qualitative research. This bias’ can be experienced during the pre-trial, the clinical trial and after a trial. Examples of bias encountered during pre-trial stage may be as a result of study design, selection and channeling. There are other subtypes of bias which occur during the clinical trial. They include interviewer bias, transfer bias, recall bias and chronology bias. Bias after a trial may involve confounding and citation bias. When conducting a nursing research, bias

The Diminishing Roles for Women in American films Essay

The Diminishing Roles for Women in American films - Essay Example The issue of gender inequality is seen in the minimal number of women behind the scenes, that is directors and writers. The fact that men compose the biggest percentage of writers and directors greatly impacts on what is shown. Men will therefore have a chance to influence how women are portrayed and the role they wish them to play. This is why most women are given minimal roles such as secretaries and homemakers. According to the same study published in the Los Angeles times, women characters are more likely than men to wear sexy clothes, expose their skin and to be referred to as being attractive. What this means is that Hollywood is a follower and not a leader in the feminist movement and the realization of gender equality, in the film industry. It is like the film industry in the United States is in a world of its own, in comparison with the other industries .In the same breath women are allocated supporting roles, while men are given the main roles. This under representation cou ld falsely make one to believe that men are more than women. The diminishing role of women is seen in the many stereotypes geared towards women, which are prejudice. This trend was started in the nineteen fifties and continues to grow. Actors such as Audrey Hepburn were mainly given sexual and seductive roles. Beauty standards of women in the film industry are predetermined by the industry which favors white females who have a slender frame, characteristics which are hard to achieve by many females, especially other races. This is why the number of actresses from ethnic groups such as those from the black community is minimal. According to Martha Plimpton, an actress, it is harder for a regular looking woman to get a job, than it is for an â€Å"ugly’’ man. Essentially this means that it is much harder for women to get into acting because success for them in the industry is based on looks. Stereotyping in role allocation is impacting negatively on women in the film in dustry in Hollywood. Women are usually depicted as victims and men as the victors. A good example is the war movies and documentaries in which men are given the main roles. This is despite the fact that women are usually the ones who bear the biggest brunt of war and, and determine the directions that most wars take. Films always portray women as the victims of men to be raped or abused. This makes them seem weaker compared to men. People are exposed to such perceptions from an early age, which influences perceptions of boys towards girls from childhood to maturity. Girls and women are portrayed differently in movie roles from when they are teenagers to maturity. Teenage girls are cast as being of strong characters and adult women as being weaker and highly sexualized. Actresses are given scenes that show that women are hostile to each other, and their friendships as being backstabbing in nature, while male friendships are strong and supportive. Female roles in movies are usually to stand with by their husbands and children, and do household duties. Actors roles are usually strong, aggressive and competent, on the other hand women’s roles are usually weak, vulnerable, so that they need protection (O ‘Connor, 1998). Leadership positions are usually left to male actors who also act as the main breadwinners to their families

Event Will Never Forget Essay Example for Free

Event Will Never Forget Essay Comparison of Di erent Neighbourhood Sizes in Simulated Annealing Xin Yao Department of Computer Science University College, University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy Canberra, ACT, Australia 2600 Abstract Neighbourhood structure and size are important parameters in local search algorithms. This is also true for generalised local search algorithms like simulated annealing. It has been shown that the performance of simulated annealing can be improved by adopting a suitable neighbourhood size. However, previous studies usually assumed that the neighbourhood size was xed during search. This paper presents a simulated annealing algorithm with a dynamic neighbourhood size which depends on the current emperature value during search. A method of dynamically deciding the neighbourhood size by approximating a continuous probability distribution is given. Four continuous probability distributions are used in our experiments to generate neighbourhood sizes dynamically, and the results are compared. combinatorial optimisation. A method of generating dynamic neighbourhood sizes by approximating continuous probability distributions is given in this section. Section 4 compares the experimental results of using di erent continuous probability distributions to generate dynamic neighbourhood sizes. Finally, Section 5 concludes with some remarks and directions of future research. 2 General Simulated Annealing Although SA can be used in both continuous and discrete cases, this paper only considers combinatorial optimisation by SA unless otherwise indicated explicitly. A combinatorial optimisation problem can be informally described as nding an optimal con guration X from a nite or in nite countable con guration space S . Each con guration X 2 S can be represented by its n (gt; 0) components, i. e. , X = (x1; x2; ; xn ), where xi 2 Xi , i = 1; 2; ; n. An excellent discussion of combinatorial optimisation and its complexity can be found in Garey and Johnsons book 8]. A general model of SA, which is applicable to both continuous and discrete problems, can be described by Figure 1, where function generate (X; Tn) is decided by the generation robability gXY (Tn ), which is the probability of generating con guration Y from con guration X at temperature Tn , function accept (X; Y; Tn) is decided by the acceptance probability aXY (Tn ), which is the probability of accepting con guration Y after it has been generated at temperature Tn , and function update (Tn ) decides the rate of the temperature decrease. These three functions determine the convergence o f general SA 5, 6, 9], but parameters in general SA, such as the initial temperature, initial con guration, inner-loop stop criterion, and outer1 Introduction Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithms can nd very good near optimal solutions to a wide range of hard problems, but at the high computational cost. Various methods have been proposed to speed up its convergence, which can roughly be divided into three categories: (1) Optimising functions and parameters in SA 1]; (2) Combining SA with other search algorithms 2, 3]; and (3) Parallelising SA 4]. This paper falls into the above rst category. Section 2 of this paper describes a general SA algorithm 5, 6] which uni es di erent variants of the classical one 7]. Section 3 presents SA with a dynamic neighbourhood size and its application in Published in Proc. of Fourth Australian Conf. on Neural Networks, ed. P. Leong and M. Jabri, pp. 216{219, 1993, Melbourne, Australia. generate initial con guration X at random; generate initial temperature T0; REPEAT REPEAT Y = generate(X; Tn); IF accept(X; Y; Tn) THEN X = Y ; UNTIL `inner-loop stop criterion satis ed; Tn+1 = update (Tn ); n = n + 1; UNTIL `outer-loop stop criterion satis ed Figure 1: General simulated annealing. loop stop criterion, can have signi cant impact on its nite-time behaviour. That is, the computation time in practice depends on the three functions as well as these parameters. Most research on SA has concentrated on the update and accept function and various algorithmic parameters, only limited attention has been paid to the generate function. However, the generate function decides an important part | the neighbourhood structure and size | of a local search algorithm regardless of whether it is a deterministic one or a stochastic one like SA. The neighbourhood NX of a con guration X is de ned by con guration. The xed-size neighbourhood clearly does not conform with the basic search strategy behind SA. It is appealing to have a neighbourhood size which can adjust itself in the di erent search stages. Fast SA 12] can be regarded as an example of SA with a dynamic neighbourhood size, but it is only used in the continuous case. The application of dynamic neighbourhood size in combinatorial optimisation, to our best knowledge, has not been well-studied. 3 Dynamic Neighbourhood Size in Simulated Annealing This section gives a method of dynamically deciding the neighbourhood size in SA according to the temperature parameter 5, 6]. In the high temperature stages, SA algorithms have high acceptance probability for both good and ad moves, i. e. , exploration plays a major role in search, and thus a large neighbourhood size is used to enhance such exploration. In the low temperature stages, exploitation plays a major role in search, and thus a smaller neighbourhood is more suitable. In the following discussion, we say that the Hamming distance between two con guration X = (x1 ; x2; ; xn ) and Y = (y1; y2 ; ; yn ) is if there are exactly di erent elements between them. Let f (x) be the continuous density function which is used to generate the Hamming distance between the current con guration and the next one. Denote the set of con gurations which are distant from the current con guration X as SX ( ), SX ( ) = fY 2 S; gXY (Tn) gt; 0g where X 62 NX , and X 2 NY i Y 2 NX . NX = fY jY (1) ing search once de ned for a problem. Goldstein and Waterman 10] and Cheh et al. 11] carried out some experiments on comparing SA with di erent neighbourhood sizes, but the sizes are still xed once decided. A limitation of SA with a xed neighbourhood size is its inability to perform search at di erent scales in di erent stages of search. As indicated in our previous study 5], SA can be viewed as an attempt to combine exploration of a space and exploitation of a sub-space into the same algorithm, i. e. , coarse-grained search in the high temperature stages explores the con guration space and tries to locate promising regions, while ned-grained search in the low temperature stages exploits the promising regions and tries to nd a good near optimal gXY (Tn ) = 1=jNX j, where jNX j is the size of NX , i. . , the number of con gurations in NX , and is the same for all X in S . Moreover, jNX j is xed dur- Previous research on SA normally assumed that j Y 2 S; dXY = g (2) The probability of generating con guration Y , which is dXY distant from con guration X , is dened as 1 = jS (1 )j P rob dXY ? 2 lt; X dXY Z dXY + 1 2 f (x)dx = jS (1 )j 1 X dXY dXY ? 2 f (dXY ) jSX (dXY )j 2 gXY (Tn ) dXY + 1 2 (3) Suppose the maximum Hamming distance allowed for one move is dmax 1 , then the normalised generation function is f (dXY ) / jSX (dXY )j gXY (Tn ) = (4) FX (Tn ) where FX (Tn ) = X X f (d ) max XZ jSX (dXZ )j dXZ =1 Z 2S 4 Experimental Results We adopt the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) as a benchmark to evaluate our SA algorithms because of its clear mathematical de nition and high computational complexity. Goldstein and Waterman 10] and Cheh et al. 11] have experimented with TSPs using di erent but xed neighbourhood sizes and found that a small neighbourhood size is better than a large neighbourhood size. That is, the SA algorithm performs the best when dXY = 1. TSPs with 40 cities are used in our experiment and are generated at random. The same initial conguration, inner-loop stop criterion, out-loop stop criterion, and temperature decreasing rate are used in our experiments in order to evaluate the impact of the neighbourhood size on the performance of SA algorithms. Our experiments, albeit preliminary, have demonstrated that SA with a dynamic neighbourhood size outperforms SA with a xed neighbourhood size. Table 1 gives the results of four typical runs of two kinds of SA algorithms. Table 2 gives the results of using di erent distributions to generate neighbourhood sizes. roblem instance 1 2 3 4 initial value 15080 12260 13760 15820 NorSA 2540 2140 2560 2300 CSA 3120 2520 2880 2460 Table 1: Comparison of SA with a xed neighbourhood size (CSA) and SA with a dynamic neighbourhood size (NorSA). Normal distribution is used to generate the neighbourhood size. (5) Theorem 3. 1 ( 5]) Suppose the acceptance function in an SA algorithm is aXY (Tn ) = min 1; exp ? ? cY T cX n : (6) and the generation function is (4), where f (x) in (4) can be anyone of the following, (a) the Normal function N (0; Tn), i. e. , 1 exp ? d2 XY f (dXY ) = p 2Tn 2 Tn (b) the exponential function E (Tn ), i. . , f (dXY ) = ! 1 exp ? dXY Tn Tn (c) the Cauchy function C (Tn ), i. e. , 1 T f (dXY ) = 2 n 2 dXY + Tn (d) the stable function with index 1 13], i. e. , 2 f (dXY ) = q exp ? 2d1 XY 2 d3 XY 1 5 Concluding Remarks Neighbourhood size is an important parameter in local search algorithms, but only a xed size was adopted in previous application of SA to combinatorial optimisation problems. This paper proposes a method of using a dynamic neighbourhood size in SA based on our analysis of SA search. Preliminary experiments have demonstrated the advantage of a dynamic neighbourhood size in SA. The idea of a dynamic neighbourhood size could also be introduced into other local search algorithms. It is, in fact, related to a more profound 3 Then the SA algorithm converges to global minima if the cooling rate is Tn = ln n + n0 ; n = 1; 2; (7) where and n0 are positive constants. It is set to n, the number of elements in a con guration, in our experiments. 1 problem instance initial value CauSA NorSA ExpSA StableSA 1 17800 2480 2540 2640 3760 2 15500 3000 3340 3180 4420 3 16600 3300 2920 3460 4500 4 14780 3000 2980 3280 3760 References 1] P. J. M. van Laarhoven and E. H. L. Aarts, Simulated Annealing: Theory and Applications, D. Reidel Publishing Co. , 1987. 2] D. H. Ackley, A Connectionist Machine for Genetic Hillclimbing, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 1987. 3] X. Yao, Optimization by genetic annealing, In M. Jabri, editor, Proc. of ACNN91, pages 94{97, Sydney, 1991. 4] D. R. Greening, Parallel simulated annealing techniques, Physica D, 42:293{306, 1990. 5] X. Yao, Simulated annealing with extended neighbourhood, International J. of Computer Math. , 40:169{189, 1991. 6] X. Yao and G. -J. Li, General simulated annealing, J. of Computer Sci. Tech. 6:329{ 338, 1991. 7] S. Kirkpatrick, C. D. Gelatt, and M. P. Vecchi, Optimization by simulated annealing, Science, 220:671{680, 1983. 8] M. R. Garey and D. S. Johnson, Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness, W. H. Freeman Co. , San Francisco, 1979. 9] S. Anily and A. Federgruen, Ergodicity in parameteric nonstationary Markov chains: an application to annealing methods, Ope r. Res. , 35:867{874, 1987. 10] L. Goldstein and M. Waterman, Neighborhood size in the simulated annealing algorithm, Amer. J. of Math. and Management Sci. , 8:409{423, 1988. 11] K. M. Cheh, J. B. Goldberg, and R. G. Askin, A note on the e ect of neighborhood structure in simulated annealing algorithm, Computers and Oper. Res. , 18:537{547, 1991. 12] H. H. Szu and R. L. Hartley, Nonconvex optimization by fast simulated annealing, Proc. of IEEE, 75:1538{1540, 1987. 13] W. Feller, An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applications, volume 2, John Wiley Sons, Inc. , 2nd edition, 1971. 4 Table 2: SA with a dynamic neighbourhood size which is generated by the Cauchy function (CauSA), Normal function (NorSA), Exponential function (ExpSA), and Stable function with index 1=2 (StableSA). esearch issue in search theory, i. e. , the issue of exploration versus exploitation or global search versus local search. Although local search based on some heuristics can be quite e cient under many circumstances, the problem of local optima is very hard to deal with. Some kind of global search has to be used if a global optimum or near optimum is required. However, the computational cos t of global search is often prohibitively high for most real-world applications due to the vast search space. It is bene cial to combine global and local search together. An open question here is how to decide when global or local search should be performed. It is also di cult to draw the line strictly between local and global search in practice. Dynamic neighbourhood size offers a way to deal with the problem by transferring from global search to local search smoothly based on a control parameter, temperature in SA. However, more work has to be done on deciding which kind of generation functions is most suitable for an application, i. e. what is the optimal rate of reducing the neighbourhood size. As indicated before, Fast SA 12] o ers a big improvement over classical SA 7] due to the adoption of Cauchy distribution. An interesting topic is to investigate whether the discrete version of Fast SA can o er similar improvement over classical SA. Our preliminary experiments seem to give a negative answer. Acknowledgement | The author is grateful to Drs. B. Marksjo and R. Sharpe for their support of his work while he was with CSIRO Division of Building, Construction and Engineering.

Contrastive Analysis And Error Analysis

Contrastive Analysis And Error Analysis Contrastive analysis is a method to distinguish between what are needed and not needed to learn by the second language learner by evaluating languages (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). In addition, contrastive analysis is a technique to identify whether two languages have something in common which assess both similarities and differences in languages, conforming to the belief in language universals. (Johnson, 1999). Both statements indicate that contrastive analysis holds a principle which is important in order to identify what are required by the second learner and what are not. If there is no familiar characteristic in the languages, then it is not necessary to compare the languages. While much could be said about comparing languages, a more important aspect is about influence from L2 in L1. Contrastive analysis stresses the influence of the mother tongue in learning a second language in phonological, morphological, lexical and syntactic levels. It holds that second language would be affec ted by first language (Jie, 2008, p. 36). On the same score, Wardhaugh asserts that first language of second language learners can clarify all errors that are constantly made them. These arguments prove that the common mistakes make by the second language learner are explainable in the first language if there is a relation in both languages. Indeed, this idea is conform to the rule of contrastive analysis which believes in language universal. On the other hand, contrastive analysis is used to identify one language origin and connection between the languages with other languages if it does. In Robert Lados words (1957:p.2): The fundamental assumption is transfer; individuals tend to transfer the forms and meanings, and the distribution of forms and meanings of their native language and culture to the foreign language and culture. I agree with Robert Lado since the second language learner tends to use direct translation to make a complete sentence. However, this might become a problem when the placement of the part of speech is not the same. For example, Malaysian who use Malay language as their first language and English as their second language might have a problem in placing the adjective. This is because in Malay language, adjective is put after the noun, such as; Rumah yang cantik but in English, adjective is placed before noun, for instance A beautiful house (adj) (Noun) This may cause confusion for the second learner but if they make a sentence, it is still understandable. The degree of clarity of the sentence can be a positive transfer of negative transfer. This example is supported by Jie (2008): In the course of language learning, L1 learning habits will be transferred into L2 learning habits. Therefore, in the case of L1 transfer into L2, if structures in the MT have their corresponding structures in the TL and L1 habits can be successfully used in the L2, learners would transfer similar properties successfully and that would result in positive transfer. Contrastingly, in the case of negative transfer or interference, certain elements of the MT have no corresponding counterparts in the TL, L1 habits would cause errors in the L2, and learners would transfer inappropriate properties of L1 It is important to know that L2 learners be likely to apply their L1 grammatical system in L2 grammar (Smith, 1994). They would opt for L2 words those they familiar, blending them using L2 grammar to formulate a sentence. For example; a Malay speaker would say; Saya makan epal semalam (Pronoun) (Verb) (Noun) (Adverb) Or in English; Yesterday, I ate the apple (Adverb) (Pronoun) (Verb) (Determiner) (Noun) If the L2 learners apply Smith argument, they would say; I ate apple yesterday As mentioned earlier, this statement is logical at one point but in other point, it shows that errors and transferred inappropriate properties those made by L2 learners are noticeable and this should apply the rule of contrastive analysis. However, this analysis has disadvantages. In Susan M. Gass and Larry Selinker words, they believe that this analysis is questioned because of the concept of difficulty as the basic theory of the contrastive analysis is concerning the difficultness. If an error is made by a person, this shows that the person has problem in some area, not because of the native language. Thus, we cannot presume that fluency of a L2 learner in L2 is depending on the nature of L1. There are more aspects that related to this matter. There are other factors that may influence the process of acquisition such as innate principle of language, attitude, motivation, aptitude, age, other language knownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). Next, contrastive analysis cannot d etect some difficulties experienced by the L2 learners. For example, Je vois les/elle/la/le . I see them/her/her/him(this phrase is not possible in French) (Choi, 2009). Error analysis is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors learners make (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). This analysis is almost the same with the weak version of contrastive analysis which is comparing the errors which made by L2 learners. However, error analysis is not evaluating the errors with L2 native language, but it compares with the target language. Error analysis provides a broader range of possible explanations than contrastive analysis for researchers/teachers to use account for errors, as the latter only attributed errors to the native language (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). I do agree with Gass and Selinker because as Corder (1967) says that by producing errors, it shows that the learners are progressing and participating.

Othellos Research Paper :: essays research papers fc

Among Aristotle’s terms in depicting terms in his model of human characteristics is hamartia. Hamartia is when one’s flaw or weakness is his or her error or transgression. In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello,† Othello’s hamartia is the misconception he has â€Å"of himself as being uncouth, poorly spoken, and old; and because he begins to believe that his fair wife, Desdemona, cannot love him, he starts to believe that she is guilty of infidelity. â€Å"(classicnote). Maurice Charney’s â€Å"Shakespeare on Love and Lust† states that love in a comedy â€Å"acts as a generator of plot†¦The assumption is that the perturbations of love are a prelude to the triumph of love in the end; they provide a kind of education in adversity† (29). The phrase â€Å"education in adversity† means that there will be obstacles designed to make lovers question just how much they love. In comedy, this education proves hopeful; it illustrates that lovers will overcome this adversity. There is no burden on the characters to fight their way through the obstacles of love because what Charney calls â€Å"plot magic† exists (29). Charney’s idea of a cure-all ‘plot magic’ has been erased in the tragedy Othello, therefore making the characters condemned to endure their educations in love without the help of a plot. In tragedy the obstacles are designed to impede â€Å"perfect love,† that remains unconquerable. There is no longer the possibility for the characters to learn the same lessons of â€Å"triumph, wit, and devotion† that love in comedy teaches (30). These intractable obstacles in Othello are Othello and Desdemona themselves. The love between Othello and Desdemona proves to be destroyed because both of them stand in the way of a comedic and successful â€Å"education in adversity.† Othello could quite well be jealous of Brabantio’s relationship with his daughter, Desdemona. Quite possibly, to move up in the ranks of social mobility, Othello believed that Brabantio would love him one day and respect him, too as a son-in-law. Othello’s jealousy burns inside him because his pride is on the line when he doubts Desdemona’s faithfulness to him. Othello was a former slave and had a hard time being loved unconditionally. He felt loved by those he fought battles for. Desdemona loving him unconditionally seemed too good to be true. When Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, warns Othello that Desdemona may deceive him just as she has deceived her own father, any hope of Othello’s long-term happiness is bruised.

Consumer Behavior Audit: Proactiv Solutions by Amanda Huigens Essay

A.External influences 1.Are there cultures or subcultures whose value system is particularly consistent (or inconsistent) with the consumption of our product? The overall value system for the western culture, which is the dominant culture in the Unites States, is consistent with the consumption of Proactiv Solutions. The consumption of personal care products and services across different subcultures, such as class, race, and occupation, varies from being fairly equivalent to showing significant discrepancies. However, consumption of these products and services is evident in all subcultures, confirming that they are consistent with each subcultures value systems. 2.Is the product appropriate for male and female consumption? Will ongoing gender-role changes, affect who consumes our product or how it is consumed? Proactiv Solutions is appropriate for both male and female consumption. The current ongoing gender-role is for females to be the main purchasers and consumers of personal care products. This gender-role is constantly changing so that males are now more included in these purchases and the consumption of them. Both males and females currently consume Proactiv Solutions products. 3.Do ethics, social, regional, or religious subcultures have different consumption patterns relevant to our product? Regional and social subcultures have fairly equivalent consumption patterns. Some social subcultures may use different forms of personal care products, such as all natural ingredients or home-made products. They may also use different personal care services, or professional treatment, such as microdermabrasion, acupuncture, or hot rocks therapy. These different products or services may be used simultaneously with Proactiv Solutions depending on consumer want and need preferences. 4.Do various demographic or social-strata groups (age, gender, urban/suburban/rural, occupational, income, education) differ in their consumption of this product? Consumption among regions and among racial groups does not vary significantly. The social-strata groups that do vary in consumption include age, occupation, income class, and education. According to the US Consumer Expenditure Survey, the consumption of personal care products and services peaks between the ages of 35-54. Any age groups above or below this range consume less, with consumers under 25 years spending less. The only observation that differs from this data is that most of Proactiv Solutions consumers are under 25 years of age, meaning that older consumers may take part in the purchase process. Education, occupation, and income class social-strata groups go hand-in-hand as far as consumption of personal care products and services go. Consumers that are college graduates (four years or more) spend and average of $805 per consumer unit. Consumers with less than a four year degree only spend and average of $439 per consumer unit. The professional occupation subculture averages $753 spent on personal care products and services per consumer unit. All other occupations spend under $562 per consumer unit. Finally, income classes earning above $100,000 spend on average $868 and above per consumer unit, while lower income classes spend $761 and less. 5.Is this product particularly appropriate for consumers with relatively high (or low) incomes compared to others in their occupational group (ROCI)? Although the consumption patterns may be different for these groups, Proactiv Solutions is appropriate for all income levels and all occupations. 6.Can this product be particularly appropriate for specific roles, such as students or professional women? Although professional men and women may be more likely to consume Proactiv Solutions, this product is appropriate for all roles. 7.Would it be useful to focus on specific adopter categories? By focusing on innovators and early adopters, Proactiv Solutions will be able to develop a client base. These adopter categories tend to influence the other adopter categories, so consumers in these other categories may eventually purchase Proactiv Solutions. 8.Do groups in different stages of the household life cycle have different consumption patterns for this product? Who in the household is involved in the purchase process? Because acne may affect consumers of any age, all consumers may use Proactive Solutions. Younger age groups, especially teens, are more prone to acne, so their consumption patterns are noticeably higher. The influencers, deciders, buyers, and users are typically involved in the purchase process. Sometimes a consumer may be all of these roles, in which case they have complete control in the purchase process. In other cases, such as an unemployed teenager needing to treat acne, the roles may be different. In this example, the teenager would be the influencer and user, while the parents would be the deciders and buyers. B.Internal influences 1.Can this product satisfy different needs or motives in different people? What needs are involved? What characterizes individuals with differing motives? Yes. Some consumers may use Proactiv Solutions to improve their image, while others are more concerned about the health of their skin. For example, consumers in professional occupations or consumers that are trying to impress a member of the opposite sex may be most concerned about their image. Consumers who want to maintain young and healthy skin would be most concerned about taking care of their skin. 2.Is this product uniquely suited for particular personality types? Self-concepts? Proactiv Solutions is suited for all personality types (using Myers-Briggs personality types and Kiersey Temperaments). However, some personalities, such as Artisians, may be more likely to pay attention to their skin care. Consumers who take interest in the health or look of their skin or who believe that maintaining healthy skin is vital to their self-concept may be more likely to consume this product. 3.What emotions, if any, are affected by the purchase and/or consumption of this product? Knowing that they are improving the look and feel of their skin by using Proactiv Solutions makes consumers happy. This may also boost their self-esteem and confidence. 4.Is this product uniquely suited for one or more distinct lifestyles? Proactiv is suited best for consumers that allow for the inclusion of a routine skin care regimen. In order for Proactiv to work effectively, consistent use of the product is vital. 5.Do different groups have different attitudes about an ideal version of our product? Yes. Some consumers would prefer to see Proactiv Solutions offered in stores so that they can physically see it and/or buy it without the hassle of ordering it and having strings attached. (When you order Proactiv Solutions, your order is automatically sent to you on a regular basis.) Other consumers may not trust the quality of Proactiv Solutions because it is marketed using infomercials. C.Situational influences 1.Can this product be appropriate for specific types of situations instead of (or in additional to) specific types of people? Yes. Consumers who have a doctor recommendation to seek treatment for their skin in order to improve its condition or relieve pain may have more reason to use Proactiv Solutions. D.Decision process influences 1.Do different individuals use different evaluative criteria in selecting the product? Yes. Consumers, such as unemployed teenagers, who do not have to pay for the product are going to be more concerned about the outcome, the brand image, and the affects of being associated with that product. Consumers who are a part of the purchase process, in particular the payment part, are going to be concerned mainly with the price, but also with the brand image and the outcome. 2.Do potential customers differ in their loyalty to existing products/brands? Some consumers are very loyal to the brands that they currently use. Others may be open to trying something new. Reasons for being loyal include satisfaction with price, quality, and results. Consumers who are willing to try new products may have been unhappy with previous products or else they just might like to use the newest innovations in personal care products.

Decoding the Jargon Essay

Create a booklet which explain the function of hardware components and identify communication between components. The pages should include photographs and diagrams to illustrate the information you include. (P1) Components communication The following diagram shows how components communicate each other’s. CPU Also known as the processor, the CPU is the heart of the computer and has two part: Control Unit The control unit controls the flow of data through the processor. Arithmetic/Logic unit (ALU) The ALU performs mathematical, logical, and decision operations in a computer and is the final processing performed by the processor. RAM A computer can only run a program when it is in memory named RAM (Random Access Memory). List of RAM such as: Double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), Static Random access memory (SRAM) and Dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Hard drive A HHD is a data storage device that provides storage and retrieving digital information. Serial Storage Architecture (SSA) is a serial transport protocol used to attach disk drives to server computers. A solid-state drive (SSD) it contains no actual â€Å"disk†, it is a data storage device using integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data. It is more quiet when it runs, more resistant to physical shock, has a lower access time and less latency. Motherboard The motherboard is the main circuit board inside a computer. A number of major hardware components are plugged into it, including the CPU, hard  drive, the BIOS memory and RAM. The most commonly found and used motherboard is ATX motherboard. It is the standard motherboard which suit to any desktop computer. Fan A computer fan is any fan inside, or attached to, a computer case used for active cooling, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heat sink to cool a particular component. CPU fan: Use to cool the CPU heat sink. Graphic card Fan: The specific fan to cool down the temperature of graphic card. PSU fan: The power supply unit fan play two rules that cool down the itself and removing the warm air from the case. PSU A power supply unit converts mains AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for internal components of computer. DVD DVD is digital optical disc that can store a large amount of digital data such as text, music, image or video. b. Add a new section to the booklet to explain the purpose of TWO different Operating Systems and compare the features functions of these operating systems. (P2, M1) Window 8 is the latest vision of the Windows operating system, which was developed by Microsoft. It acts as an interface between the hardware and the user. Purpose of Windows 8 The operating system was made for personal, home or business user in the desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone market. It makes computer easy for users to control. 1. Graphical User interface The windows operating system designed originally to replace MS-DOS, which make the computer interface more user-friendly and allows you to use your mouse to operate. Windows 8 come with a new and unique kind of use interface (UI) called Metro. 2. Accessibility. Windows 8 increase the accessibility which includes features to enable disable people to use the computer more easily, such as: Optimize visual display to allow people to see more cleanly on screen, turn on audio description for people who are blind, adjust the setting of mouse for people are using different hand. 3. Multitasking Windows 8 provided people with the ability to do multitask more easily and steady. The Graphical User Interface makes easier to navigate from different tasks. 4. A Standard Part of windows’ purpose is to create a standard for third-part software developers. All windows programs will feature in a standard format, such as the position of menu options, the way programme opened and closed down. Purpose of DOS DOS known as Disk operating system that allow people to manage the storage devices such as hard disk, solid disk, flash disk or floppy disk. DOS is the basic system that people have to using Command line prompt to communicate with computer via simple interface which is not â€Å"friendly† user interface. The DOS can’t run multitask on computer which can only load one program until it finished. But some of the features still quite useful that people still use it. Such as: 5. CHKDSK 6. GBUPDATE 7. IPCONFIG 8. PING 9. FDISK Comparison of two operating systems We can see there are many different between those two computer operating system which the Windows 8 operating system have a lots of advance features and higher performance that suit to nowadays. The DOS system usually used to be run a specific program which prevents any virus or hacker attack in the solo computer such as sale program, data base in the hospital or council data base. c. In your document explain the purpose of different software utilities which is available. Explain how software utilities can improve the performance of computer systems (P3, D1) Windows 8 Utility Virus Protection The specific program used to prevent viruses, worms and Trojans which attached in the email or website. Every computer need to install an anti-virus software and have upgrade its regular that make sure the computer more securer. Firewall The Firewall is the software that build up to prevent attack from hacker which build a protective barrier in your computer when your computer connect to the network. It controlled which software’s data can thought the network and monitored the data thought the computer. Clean-up Tools The system utility that clean up system’s rubbish to make computer running more steady and smoothly. The list of clean-up content such as: Removal of cookies Internet history Defragmentation Drive formatting Drive formatting that means to delete everything on the drive or partition to install operating system or classify your partition. You can do it from Disk management or using Formatting Command in Command prompt just like type command in the DOS OS. Utility of DOS CHKDSK Checks a disk and repair your data that might lose or corrupt from take off your disk incorrectly or your computer lost electricity when it was running. The CHKDSK help computer more secure and repair the corruption when it detects. Ping is a computer network utility that to test how quickly the host to connect to the server. This utility could help user easier to check the connectivity with network. FDISK is utility software which using on DOS to partitioning disk and manage the partition. The FDISK that formatting your disk completely that not be able to recovery and it the common tool that used in 1990s during now. Scandisk is the command to run disk-repair on the current drive. DEFRAG is Command to reorganizes files on disks to optimize performance. DEBUG is command to run Debug, a program testing and editing tool.