Financial Analysis Of The South Korean Leader Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2440 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Ratio analysis provides a very quick and effective way of obtaining an insight into a companys operations and performance. When ratios for several consecutive years are graphically presented, a moving picture of a companys performance can be established. (Edum-fotwe F., Price A. and Thorpe A., 1996) Thus, this paper examines the business performance analysis of NHN Corporation according to Financial Ratio. Fiscal year ending in South Korea is December 31 and currency and banking the unit of currency in South Korea is the won (1,074.0 won equal U.S.$1; 14th Dec, 2012). This paper proceeds as follows, Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial Analysis Of The South Korean Leader Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Reveal the major changes in the financial performance of the company over the last three years using suitable ratios Look for limitations on the above ratio analysis Forecast the solvency of the company using current ratio Major changes in the financial performance Business Summary NHN Corporation operates Internet search portals primarily in South Korea and Japan. NHN Corporation provides Internet site with web portal services, such as search engine, online game and content development (Yahoo finance). The Company also offers marketing service through text and banner advertisement (Bloomberg). In addition, its products and services consist of Naver Japan, a search engine; LINE, a mobile messenger service; Naver Mobile, a mobile Web service that enables mobile users to access a range of Naver services on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. Further, it operates as a sales agency specializing in search advertising; offers operation and security services for infrastructure; and provides information systems and shopping services. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Seongnam-si, South Korea (Bloomberg Businessweek). Internet Information Home Page: https://www.nhncorp.com News Releases: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/pr/pressRelease.nhn Investor Relations: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/ir/shareholderComposition.nhn Financial Information: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/ir/financialStatements.nhn Corporate History/Profile: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/company/companyInfo.nhn Executives: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/ir/directorate.nhn Products/Services: https://www.nhncorp.com/nhnen/service/naver.nhn Business Performance Analysis Over The Triennium 2.2.1 Profitability Gross Margin shows the amount of revenue left over after deducting direct costs of producing the goods or services. Operating Profit and Operating Margin trace the progress revenue down to another important level. From gross profit, we now subtract indirect costs, often referred to as overhead e.g. facilities and salaries associated with headquarters operations. Profit Margin shows how much of each revenue dollar is left after all costs, of any kind, are subtracted. These other costs include such items as interest on corporate debt and income taxes. These ratios realize overall profitability, or the bottom-line. FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 3 Year Average Gross Margin (%) 56.29 100.00 100.00 85.43 Operating Margin (%) 37.52 33.07 29.25 33.28 Net Profit Margin (%) 27.54 25.04 21.05 24.54 Note. Figure from DART: https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.do Gross Margin: This value measures the percent of revenue left after paying all direct production expenses. It is calculated as Revenue minus the Cost of Goods Sold divided by the Revenue and multiplied by 100. Gross Margin = Gross Profit x 100 / Revenue FY2011 Gross Margin = 2,121 billion KRW x100 / 2,121 billion KRW = 100 % Operating Margin: This value measures the percent of revenues remaining after paying all operating expenses. It is calculated as Operating Income divided by the Total Revenue, multiplied by100. Operation Margin = Operating Income x 100 / Total Revenue FY2011 Operation Margin = 620 billion KRW x 100 / 2,121 billion KRW = 29.25 % Net Profit Margin: Also known as Return on Sales, this value is the Income After Taxes divided by Total Revenue for the same period and is expressed as a percentage. Net Profit Margin = Net Income x 100 / Operation Revenues FY2011 Net Profit Margin = 452 billion KRW x 100 / 2,147 billion KRW = 21.05 % 2.2.2 Efficiency and Profitability Return On Capital Employed is used to prove the value the business gains from its assets and liabilities, a business which owns lots of land but has little profit will have a smaller ROCE to a business which owns little land but makes the same profit. It basically can be used to show how much a business is gaining for its assets, or how much it is losing for its liabilities. FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 3 Year Average ROCE % 52.44 37.65 33.72 41.27 ROCE is calculated using this formula: = Operating Profit (EBIT) x 100 / Equity Shareholders Funds (Total Assets Current Liabilities) = EBIT x 100 / Capital Employed = EBIT x 100 / (Equity + Non-current Liabilities) = EBIT x 100 / (Total Assets Current Liabilities) FY2011 ROCE = 620 billion KRW x 100 / (2,372-532) billion KRW = 33.72 % 2.2.3 Financial Strength Financial Strength looks at business risk. The stronger a company is from a financial standpoint, the less risky it is. The Quick Ratio compares cash and short-term investments (investments that could be converted to cash very quickly) to the financial liabilities they expect to incur within a years time. The Current Ratio compares year-ahead liabilities to cash on hand now plus other inflows (e.g. Accounts Receivable) the company is likely to realize over that same twelve-month period. The Long Term Debt/Equity Ratio looks at the companys capital base. A ratio of 1.00 means the companys long-term debt and equity are equal. FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 3 Year Average Quick Ratio 2.11 2.70 2.57 2.46 Current Ratio 2.29 2.82 2.69 2.60 LT Debt / Equity 0.02 0.14 0.09 0.08 Note. Figure from DART: https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.do Quick Ratio: Cash plus Short Term Investments plus Accounts Receivable divided by the Total Current Liabilities for the same period. Quick Ratio = (Current Assets Inventories) / Current Liabilities FY2011 Quick Ratio = (1,431 63) billion KRW / 532 billion KRW = 2.57 Current Ratio: Total Current Assets divided by Total Current Liabilities for the same period. Current Ratio = Total Current Assets / Total Current Liabilities FY2011 Current Ratio = 1,431 billion KRW / 532 billion KRW = 2.69 Long Term Debt To Total Equity: Total Long Term Debt divided by Total Shareholder Equity. Long Term Debt To Total Equity = Total Long Term Debt / Total Shareholder Equity FY2011 LT Debt / Equity = 147 billion KRW / 1,577 billion KRW = 0.09 2.2.4 Management Effectiveness (%) A companys ability to operate profitably can be measured directly by measuring its return on assets. ROA (Return On Assets) is the ratio of a companys net profit to its total assets, expressed as a percentage. ROA measures how well a companys management uses its assets to generate profits. It is a better measure of operating efficiency than ROE, which only measures how much profit is generated on the shareholders equity but ignores debt funding. This ratio is particularly relevant for banks which typically have huge assets. FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 3 Year Average Return on Assets % 29.67 25.10 20.84 25.20 Return on Investments % 40.96 32.98 26.53 33.49 Note. Figure from DART: https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.do Return on Assets: This value is the Income After Taxes divided by the Average Total Assets, expressed as a percentage. Return on Asssets = Income After Taxes x 100 / Average Total Assets FY2011 Return on Assets = 452 billion KRW x 100 / 2169 = 20.84 % 3. Limitation First, financial ration analysis is one way of focusing on areas of the business which may need investigation and comparing one thing with another (FeB Note, 2012). The thing could be comparison of one type of expense with another, however, remember this is only the starting point for further analysis as needed. Financial ratio analysis is useless without comparisons. In doing industry analysis, most business use benchmark companies. Benchmark companies are those considered most accurate and most important and are those used for comparison regarding industry average ratios. Companies even benchmark different divisions of their company against the same division of other benchmark companies (About.com-Business fiancne, 2012). Therefore, it is needed to compare results with expected result (e.g. budgets with actual results, one business with another, and one sector with another) (FeB Note, 2012) to use this financial ratio to advantage. Second, anyone investing, or thinking of investing, in a business will want to know several things about that business. Firstly an investor might want to know what sort of return they would get on any investment made. This is known as the Return on Capital employed (ROCE) and is fundamental to analyzing a set of accounts. Having established ROCE, interested parties would look at further ratios to decide whether the business was a worthwhile investment. A more accurate variation of Return On Capital Employed Ratio is return on average capital employed (ROACE), which takes the average of opening and closing capital employed for the time period. One limitation of ROCE is the fact that it does not account for the depreciation and amortization of the capital employed. Because capital employed is in the denominator, a company with depreciated assets may find its ROCE increases without an actual increase in profit. Furthermore, by definition, ROCE should identify how well a company is using capital to generate revenue and the profitability ratio, ROCE has been decreased over the last three years. However, a profitable business can have either rising or declining ROCE. The direction indicates whether the decrease in business additional revenue is losing a return at, below [declining], or higher [climbing] on incremental capital investment. Capital employed is a good measure of the total resources that a business has available to it, although it is not perfect. For example, a business might lease or hire many of its production capacity (machinery, buildings etc) which would not be included as assets in the balance sheet. Therefore, it is needed to compare the ROCE number to borrowing rate to see how effective the ratio is. Operating Profit ratio uncovers situations where companies are relying on actions other than operations to generate an income. Investing activities and sales of assets generate revenue, but these actions are not usually sustainable and regular as maintaining a steady flow of sales. A high, or increasing Operating Profit Percentage is usually a positive sign, showing the company is increasingly able to generate sales from its operations. Because the numerator (Net Income) is an unreliable corporate performance measurement, the outcome of the formula for Return On Equity (ROE) must also be unreliable to determine success or corporate value. However, the formula keeps showing up in many annual reports still. 4. Outlook for 2012 and future Current Financial Information Fiscal year ending in South Korea is December 31 and currency and banking the unit of currency in South Korea is the won (1,074.0 won equal U.S.$1; 14th Dec, 2012). Based on K-IFRS consolidated financial statements, Operating Revenue in 3Q 2012 was 1,746,365 million KRW and that is 12.1% increase from the same period a year ago, Operating Income has decreased by 0.2% (467,931 million KRW) and consolidated Net Income has risen to 376,794 million KRW and that has swelled by 11.2%, year-on-year. The following table is the sales break down by business units. (Units: Billions of KRW, %) Item Consolidated financial statements 3Q 2012 FY 2011 Amount Proportion Amount Proportion Operation Revenues 1,746.3 100.0% 2,147.4 100.0% 1. Sales 1,737.3 99.5% 2,121.3 98.8% Search Advertisement 891.2 51.1% 1,081.7 50.4% Display Advertisement 251.8 14.4% 298.6 13.9% Online Game 459.5 26.3% 640.6 29.8% Others 134.6 7.7% 100.1 4.7% 2. Other Operating Revenues 8.9 0.5% 26.0 1.2% Note. Figure from DART: https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.do In 2012, search and display ads are expected to outperform the overall advertising markets growth, due to product improvements and rising Internet use. In the area of mobile advertising, NHN will increase its revenue to over KRW 100 billion and enhance its advertisers convenience by revamping its products and services. This will also help it to generate new business opportunities and hone its competitive edge. Navers Knowledge Shopping will enhance the companys competitiveness in product information search results when it launches the ShopN open market service. It will be upgraded to an e-commerce platform, with enhanced user convenience. 4.2 Current Ratio Current ratio is the ratio of current assets of a business to its current liabilities. It is the most important and widely used test of liquidity of a business. The concept behind this ratio is to ascertain whether a companys short-term assets (cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, receivables and inventory) are readily available to pay off its short-term liabilities (notes payable, current portion of term debt, payables, accrued expenses and taxes). In theory, the higher the current ratio, the better (Investopedia.com, 2012). Formula Current Ratio (expressed as a factor) is calculated using this formula: = Current Assets / Current Liabilities Statement of Financial Position (Unit: billion KRW) 3Q11 4Q11 1Q12 2Q12 3Q12 Current Asset 1,380 1,431 1,528 1,697 1,782 Current Liabilities 468 532 545 502 590 Current Ratio (factor) 3.0 2.7 2.8 3.4 3.0 Note. DART: https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.do A current ratio of around 1.7-2.0 is pretty encouraging for a business. It suggests that the business has enough cash to be able to pay its debts, but not too much finance tied up in current assets which could be reinvested or distributed to shareholders (Tutor2u, 2012). General rule is that higher the current ratio better it is but there is a limit to this. A current ratio higher than 2.5 (AccountingExplained, 2012) might indicate existence of idle or underutilized resources in the company. However, NHN is expected to have a current ratio over 3.0 in Q412 although the company continues to invest and grow its new mobile business and overseas operations in 2012 and 2013. NHN will also strengthen its overseas businesses. Its main goal will be to rank first in Japans Internet portal service and smartphone game markets. In order to improve its operating efficiency in that country, the company merged the management of Hangame Japan, Naver Japan, and livedoor in January 2012. It will also widen the user base of the Naver Japan search portal mainly by revitalizing its Matome user participation information service, improving the search quality, and launching new mobile services. The company also intends to increase its number of global users by upgrading the quality of its LINE SNS service, and seek added synergy effects with its services. Reference Edum-fotwe F., Price A. and Thorpe A., (1996). A review of financial ratio tools for predicting contractor insolvency, Construction Management and Economics 14 (3): 189-198. Yahoo finance, (2012). Company profile.[online] Available at: lt; https://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=035420.KS+Profile gt; [Accessed 8 December 2012]. Bloomberg, (2012). Company profile.[online] Available at: lt; https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/035420:KS/profile/gt; [Accessed 8 December 2012]. Bloomberg Businessweek, (2012). Company profile.[online] Available at: lt; https://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=035420:KSgt;[Accessed 8 December 2012]. Finance for E-Business Web Note, (2012). Ratio Analysis, Warwick Manufacturing Group About.com-Business fiancne, (2012). Limitations of Financial Ratio Analysis Advantages and Disadvantages of Ratio Analysis for Business.[online] Available at: lt; https://bizfinance.about.com/od/financialratios/tp/limitations-financial-ratio-analysis.htm gt;[Accessed 10 December 2012]. Investopedia.com, (2012). Liquidity Measurement Ratios: Current Ratio.[online] Available at: lt; https://www.investopedia.com/university/ratios/liquidity-measurement/ratio1.asp#ixzz2FFamqrA8 gt;[Accessed 11 December 2012]. Tutor2u, (2012). How is the current ratio calculated and interpreted?.[online] Available at: lt; https://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/qa-how-is-the-current-ratio-calculated-and-interpreted gt;[Accessed 11 December 2012]. AccountingExplained, (2012). Current Ratio.[online] Available at: lt; https://accountingexplained.com/financial/ratios/current-ratiogt;[Accessed 13 December 2012]. DART, (2012). Korea Financial Supervisory Service .[online] Available at: lt; https://englishdart.fss.or.kr/dsbb001/main.dogt;[Accessed 10 December 2012]. Appendix 1 Appendix 2

Suicide And The Effects On Their Families - 1648 Words

FINAL STEP 1:Suicide and the effects it leaves on their Families. I choose to write about Suicide and the affects it leaves on the individual s families. Once you have dealt with this personally you won’t understand what those families have gone through. STEP 2: Family Children Spouse’s/Lovers Friends Everyone/ The World Family: I know first hand how families feel when there has been a suicide in the family. You feel a tremendous amount of pain, hate, guilt, anger, and then you start feeling it all over again. Children: Watching children go thru a parent committing suicide is the worse thing ever. It doesn’t matter the age of the children because they all feel the same. You never want to see your nieces and nephew’s go thru†¦show more content†¦Friends: When you re at this point in your life you don’t think you have a friend in the world. I had to watch my brother’s best friend break down in front of everybody because he had to lay his best friend to rest. When you are at this point you start thinking no one loves you, you re not good enough for your family. You’ve been laid off again so you think you re a failure that can’t provide for your family. When all these things get too much to handle you only think of it’s better for everyone if I wasn’t here. When you can’t see just how much you’re loved and you’ll be missed. You think you’ll be better off dead and your family and friends will be off wi thout you around. Everyone/ The World: When a celebrity commits suicide it affects everyone in the world. Take Robin Williams he was the funniest man I knew he was a wonderful actor but again he had depression and it took over his life. He didn’t know how to handle it anymore, and thought the only way out was suicide instead of getting help. So everyone in the world suffered his loss. Mindy McCready (Country Singer) committed suicide a month after her boyfriend committed suicide. It doesn’t matter if it’s a family member, celebrity everyone in the world is affected one way or another. Step 3: Family http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/776044 Suicide Takes a Heavy Toll on Family Members

Girl with a Pearl Earring free essay sample

During the story the main character Griet changes a lot in her behaviour and attitude towards her environment. Information| Page| Quote| The shiness of Griet in the beginning towards Vermeer| 5| ‘No, Sir’ I hesitated. I could not say why I had laid out the vegetables as I did. I simply set them as I felt they should be, but I was too frightened to say so to a gentleman’| | | ‘I did not want him to think I was idle’| She hides under her cap 2| 12| ‘The man poling the boat called out a greeting me. I merely nodded and lowered my head so that the edge of my cap hid my face’| | 18| ‘When Catharina narrowed her eyes I realised she knew everything I was thinking. I turned my head so that my cap hid my face’| She is Protestant and sleeps in a room with a Catholic painting at the end of her bed| 32| ‘I could not imagine sleeping in the room with the painting. I wanted to take it down but did not dare’| Her behaviour starts to change, she sounds like Catharina3| 72| ‘I did not like her tone, nor what she said. ‘Please wake him and tell him his sister is here. ’ I demanded. I sounded a bit like Catharina. | For the first time she let her thoughts truly reveal to herself about Vermeer5| 82| ‘I did not like to think of him in that way. With his wife and children. I preferred tot hink of him alone in his studio. Or not alone, but with only me’| She becomes a better lyer, and does do this more often| 98| ‘My mother looked at me reproachfully. She knew when I lied. I was getting better at it, though’| Vermeer shows hints that he wants to paint/look at Griet| 104| ‘One morning while I was cleaning he came in and asked me to stand in for the baker’s daugther, who had taken ill and could not come. I want to look for a moment’ He explained. ‘Someone must stand thereâ€⠄¢| How much has changed since a couple of months| 105| ‘How much has changed since that morning, I thought. I had not even seen one of his paintings since then. Now I am standing in one’| She is ashamed towards Vermeer. | 107| ‘I reluctantly set out the colours he asked for each morning. One day I put out a blue as well. The second time I laid it out he said to me: ‘No ultramarine, Griet. Only the colours I asked for’ ‘Im sorry, Sir. ‘When I am ready I will ask’ My chest hurt. I did not want him to be angy with me. First touch| 109| ‘He placed his hands over mine. The shock of his touch made me drop the muller, which rolled of the table and fell on the floor. ’| Griet is able to sleep in the studio, and frequently comes up with excuses to hang around there. | 114| ‘Maria Thins each time gave me that sideways look when I made an excuse, but did not command. I began to get used to lying’| Relationship with Vermee r concerning the painting| 115| ‘I grew used to being around him. Sometimes we stood side by side in the small room, me grinding white lead, him washing lapis. | She starts to fall in love with Vermeer. 6| 116| ‘I did not mind the cold so much when he was there. When he stood close to me I could feel the warmth of his body’| She commands Tanneke| 120| ‘Tanneke, I said, if you know what’s best for you, you’ll not disturb Catharina, you’ll speak to Maria Thins. Alone, not in front of the girls’| She is becoming more bold and daring in her behaviour| 125| ‘I went up to Pieter. ‘Why are you here? ’ Knowing I should be more polite. ‘Helo Griet, no pleasant words for me? ’ ‘Why are you here? ’| Griet is very sad| 126| ‘Don’t worry, Father. You are not losing me’ ‘We’ve already lost you Griet. We lost you the moment you became a maid. ’ I was glad he cold not see the tears that pricked my eyes’| She shows interest to Vermeer instead of Pieter. | 127| ‘On those Sundays I felt very confused. When I should be listening to Pieter, I found myself thinking about my master’| Shows best how bold she became, she wants to change something in Vermeers painting. | 141| ‘Whenever I looked at the scene, my chest grew tight. As I lay in bed one night I decided I had to make the change myself. †¦ and so she did| She dares to show her thoughts4| 144| Vermeer: ‘Tell me, Griet, why did you change the tablecloth? ’ ‘There needs to be some disorder in the scene, to contrast with her tranquillity. Something to tease the eye’†¦ She did not dare to do this in the beginning, when Vermeer asked her why she put the vegetables in a certain kind of rank. | Her mother judges her change of behaviour7| 146| ‘Working for them has turned your head. She interrupted. It has made you forget who you are and where you come frome. We are a decent Protestant family whose needs are not ruled by riches or fashions’| Despair when she might leave her sleeping place in the attic near Vermeer| 152| ‘If I could not work with the colours, If I could not be near him, I did not know how I could continue to work in that house’| The household starts to look up at Griet | 159| ‘Catharina’s treatment to me was the greatest surprise. I had expected that she would be even more difficult than before, but instead she seemed to fear me. Maria Thins too changed towards me, treating me with more respect. Maria Thins about Griet’s behaviour8| 167| ‘It seems you have a champion to defend your honour’| BEGIN CITAAT| 180| ‘Now look at me’ I turned my head and looked at him over my left shoulder. ‘Griet’ he said softly. It was all he had to say. My eyes filled with tears I did not shed. ‘Yes, don’t move’. I knew now. He was going to paint me. | Long eye contact with Vermeer during the time he paints her| 191| ‘I looked at him, his eyes were with me now. He was looking at me. As we gazed at eachother a ripple of heat passed through my body. ’ | She refuses to do something her master asks of her| 192| ‘Your cap’ he said. Take it off’. ‘No, sir’ ‘No? ’| She suggests she can help Vermeer, example of her bold behaviour| 202| ‘May I look at the painting? ’ He gazed at me curiously. ‘Perhaps I could help’ I added, and then wished I had not. I was afraid I had become too bold. | Admits an important truth to herself| 237| ‘For a long time I had thought I might still mater to him. After a while, though, I admitted to myself that he had always cared more for the painting of me than for me’| She may have the pearl earrings| 246| ‘Catharina looked down at the letter, then glanced at van Leeuwenhoek, and then opened her jewellery box. He asked that you have these’ She picked out the earrings and after a moment’s hesitation laid them on the table’| The end9| 248| ‘Pieter would be pleased with the rest of the coins, the de bt now settled. I would not have cost him anything. A maid came free’| AANTEKENINGEN FILM The movie is approximately like the book, but the story is told by little flashes from the life of Griet. The book on the other side, is a more chronological plot, which makes it easier to read and understand. Some similarities; In the beginning Griet starts to talk to Catharina for the first time ‘Good morning, madam’ followed by a polite bow, but the answer of Catharina is clear, and supports her facial expression; ‘Only speak when you are told’ * Also she starts being brutal to Pieter, which asks her in a good mood if she can smile for him. In the end she does do this. * One similarity that is seen in the movie exactly like it was written in the book; when Griet makes a slip of the tongue. When she presents Pieter to her partens she says; ‘This is our butcher’s sun, †¦ the family’s butcher’s sun’. Exactly the same as in the book. At page 127; ‘On those Sundays I felt very confused. When I should be listening to Pieter, I found myself thinking about my master’. The same came forward in the movie. Griet was watching out the window looking at the clouds, she had learned from Vermeer that afternoon that clouds con tain several colours, not only white like most people say. Briefly; she is thinking about Vermeer. Tanneke noticed her intimate contact with Pieter and says; ‘Hey you, thinking about the butcher’s sun? ’. Griet catches herself thinking about Vermeer, just like in the quote up here. But there are also some important differences between the book and the movie. List up below; * First of all, the dead of Griet’s sister Agnes is not mentioned in the movie at all. Neither the existence of her brother Frans, who works in a fabric as an apprentice. Though this information is not very important for the story. * Secondairy, the movie is somewhat accelerated. In the first 15 minutes of the movie, Griet already starts inspiring Vermeer for a new painting. * Also Vermeer touches Griet a bit more in the movie, like when they are making paint they tend to touch each other’s hands. When Griet goes outside Vermeer touches her and says that her carpet isn’t thick enough to resist the cold. In the movie Griet is being more exposed to the relationship of Vermeer and * Catharina. She sees them when they are acting a bit intimate, several times. As a summary, concerning my thesis; the book shows better the change of behaviour of Griet. In the movie Griet stays a bit shy, and there isn’t a big change in her acting towards everybody. SUMMARY Johannes Vermeer was a very important painter in the 20th century. He painted the famous picture ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, and as you can see, this is a story that might explain how this painting came about and why it was painted. Griet, the maid in the painting, came from a very poor family. In the past, her father was a painter too. But on account of an accident, he became blind and for that reason couldn’t paint anymore. Someone had to make money, so Griet became a maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer. Griet her duty to take this job, and help her family a bit out of the poverty they are living in. The first day Griet starts to work for her master (Vermeer) and her mistress (Catharina) she discovers that it is not going to be an easy job. She has to work hard and has to accept being commanded all the time. Her hands became rough and injured by all the washing and robbing. Her only way out of this living hell, is for Griet to be around her master, Vermeer. She loves his paintings, and she’s lucky to be able to clean the studio, and at long terms sleep in the attic above the studio. All kind of ways to get closer to Johannes. But this love isn’t actually unilateral, Vermeer starts to develop feelings for Griet as well. Slowly he let her do more and more tasks, which no person was allowed to do ever before. They make paint together, and sometimes Griet is even able to speak and give her opinion about his paintings as well. Van Ruijven, in some way a friend of Johannes, is obsessed with Griet and her beautiful wide eyes. He becomes too intimate with her, and touches her private parts when he has the chance. The worst part of all, is that he wants a painting of Griet and him. Vermeer refuses to paint this, so they make a deal. Vermeer is going to paint Griet, secretly. Catharina may not know this, because she will become too jealous and might even kick Griet out of the house. Griet and Vermeer start with the painting, and during this process they slowly fall in love with each other. But in a very quiet and secret way. They cannot reveal too much of their feelings for each other. When the painting comes to its ending, both of the characters, with their sense of painting, discover there is missing something. And both of them realise that there needs to be a pearl earring to finish the painting, Catharina’s pearl earring. When she gets out of the house, Griet pierces her ears and wears the earring. The painting is finished. But there is all but a good ending; Catharina finds out. She is furious at her husband, but even more at Griet. Immediately she fires her. Here ends the relationship of Vermeer and Griet. Fortunately, during the story, Griet has made contact (especially by support of her parents) with Pieter, the butcher’s son. She has already kissed him, but she was not completely fallen for him. He actually already has asked her to marry him, and now she is gone from the household of Vermeer, she decides to take this offer. In the end, everything turned out to be okay. IDEA’S FOR ESSAY * Begincitaat; ‘Now look at me’ I turned my head and looked at him over my left shoulder. ‘Griet’ he said softly. It was all he had to say. My eyes filled with tears I did not shed. ‘Yes, don’t move’. I knew now. He was going to paint me. ’ Page 180 * Eerst inleiden, stelling ongeveer; She began to work there as a very shy and introvert girl. But during the play, her character changes. Her behaviour towards Vermeer and her environment, is undergoing a great bending. She becomes more outspoken and she stands up for herself. Given that Griet is the main character of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, those changes are worth some attention. * Argument 1; First of all, her attitude towards the people in the household transforms. Hide cap * Quote from book and movie (Catharina first day) * Time goes by†¦ act like the people * Secondary, we have Griet’s relationship with Johannes Vermeer (Concl. a great change towards Vermeer, concerning her feelings but also her attitude) * In the beginning she did not dare speaking to him, but in the course of the story she even dares to change t he setting of a painting in Vermeer’s studio * She develops feelings for Vermeer as well, not one sided ( * Paint together (movie) * Quotes boek hoe ze over hem denkt Last but not least, her environment notices these changes as well. (It appeals to be clear that her mother, Maria Thins, but also the other people in the house have noticed Griet’s new behavoiur_ * She is going to consider Vermeer’s family as her own (pieter introduce slip of tongue) * Moeder clear opinion * Mother in law quote * Conclusie; * Change * Reason (harsh against getting used to) * Brave enough to leave * Life already waiting for her * Forget vermeer * The last phrase of the book shows exactly the result of Griet’s behaviour changes: ‘A maid came free’ ESSAY ‘Now look at me’ I turned my head and looked at him over my left shoulder. ‘Griet’ he said softly. It was all he had to say. My eyes filled with tears I did not shed. ‘Yes, don’t move’. I knew now. He was going to paint me. ’ Page 180 Johannes Vermeer was a very important painter in the 20th century. He painted the famous picture â₠¬ËœGirl with a Pearl Earring’, and as you can see, this is a story that might explain how this painting came about and why it was painted. Griet, the maid in the painting, came from a very poor family. In the past, her father was a painter too. But on account of an accident, he became blind and for that reason couldn’t paint anymore. Someone had to make money, so Griet became a maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer. She began to work there as a very shy and introvert girl. But during the play, her character changes. Her behaviour towards Vermeer and her environment, is undergoing a great bending. She becomes more outspoken and she stands up for herself. Given that Griet is the main character of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, those changes are worth some attention. First of all, her attitude towards the people in the household transforms. An important trait of Griet is that she always tried to hide her face under her cap. She does do this, in order that no one is able to see her emotions. She is very introvert. For example on page 18; ‘When Catharina narrowed her eyes I realised she knew everything I was thinking. I turned my head so that my cap hid my face’. The film shows this shyness as well. For example on the first day, when she tries to be polite to her mistress, Catharina; ‘Good morning, madam’ she says, followed by a polite bow. But the answer of Catharina is clear, and supports her facial expression; ‘Only speak when you are told’. But when time goes by, the feature of hiding her face under her cap seems to fade away, and her attitude changes. It even changes that much, that she tends to act like the people in the household as well. A good sample of this we see on page 72; ‘I did not like her tone, nor what she said. ‘Please wake him and tell him his sister is here. ’ I demanded. I sounded a bit like Catharina. ’ Secondary, we have Griet’s relationship with Johannes Vermeer. He is a very silent, modest and interesting man. Although, that is what Griet thinks. In the beginning she did not dare speaking to him, but in the course of the story she even dares to change the setting of a painting in Vermeer’s studio, page 144 ‘Vermeer: ‘Tell me, Griet, why did you change the tablecloth? ’ ‘There needs to be some disorder in the scene, to contrast with her tranquillity. Something to tease the eye’ ‘. Fortunately, Vermeer likes the change and applies it to his painting. Besides this, she develops feelings for Vermeer as well. And surprisingly, this love is not one sided. In the movie for example, we watch them making paint together. Gradually, Vermeer tries to touch Griet’s hand softly. In the book is written how Griet thinks about Vermeer: ‘I did not like to think of him in that way. With his wife and children. I preferred to think of him alone in his studio. Or not alone, but with only me’ Page 82. Or: ‘I did not mind the cold so much when he was there. When he stood close to me I could feel the warmth of his body’ Page 116. These quotes show her bold behaviour, namely these thoughts are not very usual to have for a maid about her master. Summarized; a great change towards Vermeer, concerning her feelings but also her attitude. Last but not least, her environment notices these changes as well. She is going to consider Vermeer’s family as her own. In the movie, we see Griet making a slip of the tongue when she introduces Pieter to her parents. ‘Mom, Dad, this is Pieter. Our butcher’s sun †¦ The family’s butcher’s sun’. Her mother noticed this, and at dinner she gives a clear opinion about how she thinks Vermeer’s household changed Griet: ‘Working for them has turned your head. She interrupted. It has made you forget who you are and where you come frome. We are a decent Protestant family whose needs are not ruled by riches or fashions’ Page 146. Besides that the mother-in-law of Johannes strikes this as well: ‘It seems you have a champion to defend your honour’ Page 167. It appeals to be clear that her mother, Maria Thins, but also the other people in the house have noticed Griet’s new behavoiur. In conclusion, Griet transformed from a shy, introvert girl to an almost bold, but most of all outspoken maid. The reason for this might be that she has to be more harsh in this new environment, because she is being used kind of like a slave. Or the reason is simply that she is getting used to the behaviour she sees around her, and starts to command people herself. But thanks to these changes, Griet is brave enough to leave the house when she finds out Vermeer will eventually always choose for Catharina, his wife. She decides to run away and start a new life, which was actually waiting for her all the time. She marries a butcher, and she is able to forget Vermeer; ‘For a long time I had thought I might still matter to him. After a while, though, I admitted to myself that he had always cared more for the painting of me than for me’. Page 237. The last phrase of the book shows exactly the result of Griet’s behaviour changes: ‘A maid came free’ Page 248.

Superhero Glamour free essay sample

Superheroes have been around for several of years providing people with a sense of relief from everyday problems. Superman, who is known as a superhero, has been the biggest hit in the movie industry since Titanic came out. However, what is a cinematic hero and who can be one. A cinematic hero is a person who usually possesses a depicted trait common to the notion of hero. He or she usually has emotional, physical, and moral strength as well as optimism and luck. Robert B. Ray looks at the way’s films have treated different characters as heroes. Heroes may be on both sides of the law. However, there are official heroes and outlaw heroes. The outlaw hero tends to represent a person who does not, for the most part feel comfortable in society and therefore, takes the law into his or hers’ own hands. Official heroes, on the other hand, symbolize adulthood and somewhat confident in society in which they make sacrifices for what they believe in. We will write a custom essay sample on Superhero Glamour or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Linda Seager, â€Å"Creating a Myth† defines how characters are created based on archetypes. However, most heroes are introduced as having a humble beginning until a devastating accident happens that begins the story. Therefore, the hero is transformed into an extraordinary person who over comes the obstacles required to achieve his or hers’ goal. Superheroes have extraordinary powers and a second identity; however cinematic heroes are a type of screen character with a solid name, such as Harry Potter, James Bond and Luke Skywalker. But then again Super heroes have started on Comics Books and therefore, are archetypes of today. What is glamour, and what comes to mind. Glamour is defined as emotion rather than beauty or luxury. When the audience’s dreams permit an emotional response is produced, which then is projected into glamour it’s self. Superheroes attract so many people because of their emotional appeal as well as their astonishing powers and capabilities. However, he or she might project glamour as an actress or supermodel, walking on the red carpet wearing the latest clothing designs. However, it is not just their looks and capabilities, but it is their adventures and the battle’s they fight. As Virgina Postrel said, â€Å" The real-world audience, by contrast, get’s a glimpse behind the mask, a chance to identify with character and to experience glamour once removed and to imagine what it would be like to be glamorous†, (13). Therefore, he or she who watches’ their favorite superhero get’s a sense of what it would be like to be a superhero. Overall Superheroes are the heroes of today providing us with a sense of heroism as well as glamour. These heroes have a past, which are not revealed to us, and therefore, has driven them to become the heroes of today. The settings for the audience in these movies are essential because everyone can relate to the environment persuaded in the story. Batman, for example has been around for several years. Bruce Wayne, who is known as the black night and a millionaire philanthropist, is a normal human being who decided to become a hero. However, when Bruce was young he witnessed his parents get murdered. Therefore, Alfred, the family’s butler, raised him. Haunted by his parent’s death, Bruce now dedicated his life to crime fighting. With the inheritances of money and technology from his parents, he has trained and learned many different skills. Batman has ultimately altered his life from his family’s death. Therefore, he is a hero of today. What makes him unique is that he is a normal person, and a hero within. Here is an excerpt according to E. Paul Zehr, who is a professor at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Although the man behind Batmans mask it just a regular person, its unlikely that an average person would have the genes, money and training to reach his superhero status†. Therefore, he has an exception that a hero is unlikely an average person, but someone with the correct genes as well as  necessary  assets. As a result, glamour is highly represented with batman. However, Spiderman was a normal high school kid who was experimenting with radiation in science class when a spider was radiated and bit him, which then gave him the strength and abilities of a spider. Also he is acknowledged for his inventions of web shooters, which he could swing from place to place. However, Batman was rich and Spiderman was poor, and rented a poorly constructed apartment. In conclusion both Batman and Spiderman were closer in comparison. They were both raised in a same manner of each other while dealing with the death of their family members. Also their apathy and glamour is highly represented as well. What is well noted is that they both have a symbol on their chest and never die. On the other hand there is Ironman. Ironman, just like Batman was born wealthy, highly intelligent, lost both parents, fights crimes and leads a life of solitude and self-hatred. However, there is the flip side of Ironman’s personal motivation. He spent a lifetime revelling in his precedent before becoming Ironman, but soon afterwards he found his true awakening in life to protect and serve the people to great lengths to let his enemies know that this was the beginning. As a result both Stark and Wayne lead a life of deliverance while both their enemies tried to break them and exploit their weaknesses. When comparing and contrasting, glamour is put fourth because we need both types to be able to learn from each other, seeking ways to both enjoy the way we want, and play the way we want and also be protected when we need to be. As Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma say’s,† In spite of holes in the overarching themes of the story, Iron Man is still a well-constructed film that strikingly honors the visual culture from which it emerges and draws out significant threads for reflection. â€Å"The theme is the image of America abroad, whether we’re to be regarded as peacekeepers or ‘merchants of death,’ even whether one necessarily entails the other,†(7).

Adipose Tissue - Composition, Location and Function

Adipose Tissue - Composition, Location and Function Adipose tissue is a lipid storing type of loose connective tissue. Also called fat tissue, adipose is composed primarily of adipose cells or adipocytes. While adipose tissue can be found in a number of places in the body, it is found primarily beneath the skin. Adipose is also located between muscles and around internal organs, particularly those in the abdominal cavity. The energy stored as fat in adipose tissue is used as a fuel source by the body after the available energy acquired from carbohydrates is used up. In addition to storing fat, adipose tissue also produces endocrine hormones which regulate adipocyte activity and are necessary for the regulation of other vital bodily processes. Adipose tissue helps to cushion and protect organs, as well as insulate the body from heat loss. Key Takeaways: Adipose Tissue Adipose, or fat, tissue is loose connective tissue composed of fat cells known as adipocytes.Adipocytes contain lipid droplets of stored triglycerides. These cells swell as they store fat and shrink when the fat is used for energy.Adipose tissue helps to store energy in the form of fat, cushion internal organs, and insulate the body.There are three types of adipose tissue: white, brown, and beige adipose.White adipose stores energy and helps to insulate the body.Brown and beige adipose tissue burn energy and generate heat. Their color is derived from the abundance of blood vessels and mitochondria in the tissue.Adipose tissue also produces hormones, such as adiponectin, which help to burn fat and reduce body weight. Adipose Tissue Composition The majority of cells found in adipose tissue are adipocytes. Adipocytes contain droplets of stored fat (triglycerides) that can be used for energy. These cells swell or shrink depending on whether fat is being stored or used. Other types of cells that comprise adipose tissue include fibroblasts, white blood cells, nerves, and endothelial cells. Adipocytes are derived from precursor cells that develop into one of three types of adipose tissue: white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue, or beige adipose tissue. The majority of adipose tissue in the body is white.  White adipose tissue stores energy and helps to insulate the body, while  brown adipose burns energy and generates heat.  Beige adipose is genetically different from both brown and white adipose, but burns calories to release energy like brown adipose. Beige fat cells also have the ability to boost their energy-burning capabilities in response to cold. Both brown and beige fat get their color from the abundance of blood vessels and presence of iron-containing mitochondria throughout the tissue. Mitochondria are cell organelles that convert energy into forms that are usable by the cell. Beige adipose can also be produced from white adipose cells. Adipose Tissue Location Adipose tissue is found in various places in the body. Some of these locations include the subcutaneous layer under the skin; around the heart, kidneys, and nerve tissue; in yellow bone marrow and breast tissue; and within the buttocks, thighs, and abdominal cavity. While white fat accumulates in these areas, brown fat is located in more specific areas of the body. In adults, small deposits of brown fat are found on the upper back, the side of the neck, the shoulder area, and along the spine. Infants have a greater percentage of brown fat than do adults. This fat can be found on most of the back region and is important for generating heat. Adipose Tissue Endocrine Function Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine system organ by generating hormones that influence metabolic activity in other organ systems. Some of the hormones produced by adipose cells influence sex hormone metabolism, blood pressure regulation, insulin sensitivity, fat storage and use, blood clotting, and cell signaling. A major function of adipose cells is to increase the bodys sensitivity to insulin, thereby protecting against obesity. Fat tissue produces the hormone adiponectin which acts on the brain to increase metabolism, promote the breakdown of fat, and increase energy use in muscles without affecting appetite. All of these actions help to reduce body weight and reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sources Adipose Tissue. You and Your Hormones, Society for Endocrinology, www.yourhormones.info/glands/adipose-tissue/.Stephens, Jacqueline M. The Fat Controller: Adipocyte Development. PLoS Biology, vol. 10, no. 11, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001436.

Narrative Essay Example

Narrative Essay Example What Is a Narrative Essay? A narrative essay is a type of essay written about a personal experience. If you are looking for narrative essay examples here is a great one below. Narrative Essay Example about Barack Obama Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America, is far from a perfect president. But all politicians are immensely flawed individuals – or why else would they try to run for public office? That is another story altogether. Obama is often seen as the first black president of America, though in reality, he is the first biracial president, born to a white American mother and a black African father. It is unfortunate that the color of his skin is even an issue worth talking about. But to be completely honest here, this problem can easily be interpreted that a great deal of the backlash he, and his administration, receives from the white-majority Republican party derives from their own deeply rooted racism: they don’t want a black man in office. But they’d never say that. People, mostly white, ignorant, elitist Republicans, like to pretend Obama is the Anti-Christ, trying to ruin the United States and take over the world. At the root of this is fear and racism: Growing up, when they thought of what the President of the United States looked like, that person probably, most likely, looked like 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney: a gray-haired white man who walked, talked and thought like a wealthy, powerful white person. Even if Obama haters never ever tell the truth of why they hate him, they know deep down it is because he is not white. Aside from race, President Obama seems like a relatively good person who means well for his country and countrymen. Yes, he is a millionaire, but he is a low-end millionaire, his money accumulated and earned from a modest president’s salary of $400,000, as well as sales and royalties from his book sales. But unlike multi-billionaires like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Obama cannot be seen as a power-hungry politician. Conservatives always seem to overlook the fact that he can truly identify with the common man – unlike most republicans who just want to exploit the common man. In the future, once Obama’s presidency has come to a close, he will probably write another book – he has written three – this time about his eight years in office. Readers can imagine he will speak on the agendas of the Right, and how he only wanted to improve the lives of everyday Americans, to improve the country and the world. His book will expose a lot of the conspiracy theories implanted by the Republicans to cast him in a very negative light, claims that are absolutely absurd. It may one day be one of the most enlightening pieces of literature ever written by any president in United States history. To conclude much can be said about Barack Obama the man – both good and bad. He came from humble beginnings and has become (arguably) one of the most powerful men in the world. But mostly the conservatives, who try to make him out to be an enemy of the state, a communist and social, have rarely treated him like a decent human being. They want to believe – or at least have the public believe – he is an evil traitor, a ruthless Putin-like leader, and not America’s great leader. Nonetheless, he has taken all the adversity quite gracefully, in turn demonstrating why he was elected in the first place. He is a man of class, education, intelligence, diplomacy, ideas, wisdom, and character, and he deserves to be given a chance by the Right. He will still go down in history as a truly great president, a great modern-day world leader. The American people, as a whole, did vote for him – and still, so many people will find any and all faults in him so as to dis parage him and his administration. It’s a sad reality that has been tearing this country apart for much too long.

Australian Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australian Law - Coursework Example Legislative issues arising from the legislature are resolved in the high courts of Australia. The governor-general takes leadership roles in both the executive and the legislature. However, he does not have such power over the judiciary ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 140). This makes the judiciary part of the government independent from the other arms of government and this ensures that justice is served if the persons serving the other arms of the government misbehave. Court Hierarchy in Western Australia The highest level of the court hierarchy in Australia is the high court. This court deal with court appeal cases from the lower court bodies such as the supreme courts, the federal courts, family courts and the full court. The high court has a special role of dealing with cases of great significance to the federal government which includes challenges to the legitimacy and constitutionality of legislature decisions. Below the high court we have the federal courts which delegates on civil matters. These courts can be presided over by a full court of three judges or a single judge. The family courts is the third type of court in Australia an deals with family and marriage related cases together with the cases related to rights of children born in Australia. Below this we have the federal magistrate courts dealing with cases of minimal complexities. These include cases arising from civil rights, family law, industrial law and bankruptcy. After this comes the federal tribunals that have been created to deal with specific cases related to immigration, native title, human rights and industrial relations ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 156). Lastly we have the state courts that deal with issues unique to each state. These are further subdivided into supreme courts, intermediate and lower courts, special courts and tribunals. Alternative Dispute Resolution There are various alternative dispute resolution methods that are used in conflict resolution. One of the techniques is arbitr ation where two conflicting parties seek the help of a third party (arbitrator) whose decision they decide to comply with instead if taking a case to court. The arbitrator is expected to be impartial and should not take any sides. This method is cheaper and faster than a court proceeding. However, it may be difficult to resolve the issue in cases requiring high level of expertise that the arbitrator does not possess. Conciliation is another alternative where the conciliator meets with each party in a conflict separately. Mediation is another technique where the conflict parties seek the help of a mediator who develops a settlement that works for both parties ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 138). Tribunals are like informal courts where disputes in different areas are resolved outside a formal court system and are also quick. All these methods have been seen to be effective in reducing the reoccurrence of the same conflicts. This is because all the parties involved get chances to influence the final decision and get a settlement that works for them. This is unlike when the conflicts are resolved in a court where the parties are forced to abide by the court orders whether they agree with the decisions or not. Role of Specialized Courts and Tribunals The special courts and tribunals are part of each of the states court system and deal with special issues that affects people

Critical issue in global health ( water and sanitation in poor Essay

Critical issue in global health ( water and sanitation in poor countries ) - Essay Example With this financial situation, poor people can barely sustain three meals a day, hence, food on the table remains the priority and all other concerns fade in the background. The same problem persists throughout the world because governments of poor countries lack the resources to build infrastructure and implement programs that would finally address the dilemma. When one looks at the figures such as the case in India, the water and sanitation problem is approaching the scale of a humanitarian crisis. This is particularly true in case of urban centers such as Mumbay. Half of its population lives in the slums and shanties, which are typified by severely limited supply of water, bad sewage disposal, unclean public spaces, aggravated and are further aggravated by severe population density (Digby et al., 2000, p. 273). According to Dash (2000), there is one water tap for every 381 slum dwellers, only 30 percent of these communities have community latrine to the point that people are forced to defecate in the open, while less than that percentage have some semblance of garbage collection system (p. 256). The situation is also true in many parts of Africa. As a matter of fact, the problems were responsible for devastating illnesses such as typhoid and dysentery (Offiong, p. 60). For countries living in abject poverty, the priority is food security. It appears to be the most immediate and critical concern because hungry people means restive population. In India, for example, food security remains the top concern of public policy because that is what matters to the electorate. Politicians promise to focus on it as people are more at risk of dying from hunger than from disease due to poor sanitation or from unclean water. Indeed, human development reports confirmed that access to clean water and most especially sanitation receive less attention because it is a low-priority in national policy-making and that the responsibility is

A World Affected by Pollution and Global Warming Essay Example for Free

A World Affected by Pollution and Global Warming Essay Roy M. Harrison.(2001) Pollution:Cause, Effects and Control. Royal society of chemistry. This author concentrates mainly chemical and radioactive pollution. The book speaks of the sources of pollutants and their effects on both living and non livings especially human. It also shows how chemical pollution can also cause of water, air and land pollution. Agarwal S.K. Water pollution. APH publishing(Jan.1 2005) The author bases the book on recent views, ideas and contribution of various leading ecologist information of water pollution. It show how to use waste water and its treatments. Irina Gray (2008). Pollution effects on humans, animals, plants and the environment. The writer shows the various types and causes of pollution and its effects on the environment. It shows the effect on human ranging mild discomfort to serious diseases. It also how the effect destroy animal life and the atmosphere. Credit: www.Tropical-Rainforest-Animals.com Margaret A. Wheatley(1996). Social and cultural impact of mercury pollution on Aboriginal people in Canada. Neurotox 17(1), 251-256 The writer explores the link between mercury pollution and social cultural disruption in Canadian aboriginal communities. It shows the difficulties in communication that contribute to the social and cultural impacts and their health effects.Credit: V. Ramanathan and G. Carmichael(2008). Global and regional climate changes due to black carbon.Nature Geoscience 221-221. The writers express how black carbon becomes air pollution and how it affects both the climate and the environment. This book said that the pollution affect different regions and the black carbon in soot is the dominant absorber of visible solar radiation in the atmosphere. Credit: www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v1/n4/full/ngeo/56.html S.Fred Singer.(1968) Global Effects of environmental pollution. Science 13 vol. 162 no 3859. The author talks the pollution effects on humans, animals, plants and the environment. It expresses the cause of pollution and how it causes the extinction of animals and plants species which is a grave loss for mankind. It shows how the advancement in technology aids the improvement of a well being of mankind but also its consequences. Credit: books.google.com/books Clive Glifford (2006). Planet under pressure:pollution. Rain-tree ISBN-13: 9781844439 744. The book examines how pollution has become a global issue and looks at the debate over possible solution. It shows how pollution whether air, water, radioactive or terrestrial affect the lives of a lot of people causing disease and contributing to the global warming. Credit: www.booksdirect.com.au/books/?isbn=9781844439744 Green StudentU. Pollution. This is a encyclopedia entry which speaks of how toxic chemicals from factories pollute the land, air and water. It explains what pollution is and why there are different types . Of the types, It takes of their sources and how to prevent them. It gives link to environment protection agency website if to be involved in prevention of pollution. It also gives the statistics of the people affected by pollution and other. Credit: www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/pollution

A Tale of Two Cities Essays: Irony -- Tale Two Cities Essays

Irony in A Tale of Two Cities Someone once said "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This is a compelling message upon which many writers have built their literature. One effective work which employs this theme is A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. This novel is set in Paris and London during the late eighteenth century. During this period, France was engaged in a revolution in which the otherwise common man rose up against the country's aristocracy. In its outset, the novel reveals the motives behind the plebeians' actions. Dickens focuses upon the strife the townspeople experience at the hands of the merciless nobility. By the novel's end, however, Dickens achieves an about-face. The working class wields its new source of power to reek vengeance upon the aristocracy. In an ironic twist, Dickens displays how power can corrupt those even were once threatened by it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To convince the reader of the oppression the townspeople face, Dickens employs motifs. By providing a reoccurring phrase, the reader gains a sense of the distress which makes up every aspect of their lives. On such example of this is as follows: "Hunger was pushed out of the tall houses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and lines; Hunger was patched into them with straw and rag and wood and paper; Hunger was repeated in every fragment of the small modicum of firewood that the man sawed off; Hunger stared down from the smokeless chimneys, and started up from the filthy street that had no offal, among its refuse, of anything to eat. Hunger was the inscription on the baker's shelves, written in every small loaf of his scanty stock of bad bread; at the sausage-shop, in every dead-dog preparation that was offered... ...nd the reader. One man in particular approaches Darnay. The narrator says, "'In the name of the assembled companions in misfortune,' said a gentleman of courtly appearance and address, coming forward, 'I have the honour of giving you welcome to La Force [Prison], and of condoling with you on the calamity that has brought you among us. May it soon terminate happily!'" (p. 254-255). Remarkablely, Dickens succeeds in turning the merciless noblemen into martyrs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ironic role reversal is very effective in displaying Dickens' theme. People naturally try to find a protagonist and antagonist in any story. The reader soon becomes perplexed, until finally she decides that it is simply human nature to both abuse positions of power and require them in society. Works Cited: Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. London: Orion Publishing Group, 1994.

Utilizing Qr Code Technology for Emr.

Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List Fatima Alsaleh and Samir Elmasri PhD College of Computer and Information Systems, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Abstract: In situations like emergency, where the immediately gained, summarized and accurate information may radically make the difference between life and death, the need for a solution that fulfills this requirement arises. Number of solutions was previously proposed including emergency card and smart cards, but each has number of cons and pros.With the rapid adoption of smartphones, QR codes (Quick Response) is the ideal substitute for the current circumstances. It can be easily read by the paramedics, whether they are medical professionals or bystanders and provide immediate, accurate, reliable information that radically impact an individual's life, in case of emergency. This paper discusses the advantageous utilization of the QR code an d smartphone revolutionary technology in the medical field. It also discusses other uses of QR code, in some related fields where it can be beneficial the most.Page | 1 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 Introduction Accidents happen all the time all around the world. A continuous work by the governments and non-profit associations has been accomplished to propose and impose policies and procedures that best decrease the number of accidents and control their tragic consequences. On the other hand, an increasing number of researches and tested methodologies have been conducted in the past few years, specifically in the field of emergency, to best control the damages.The main focus was to summaries the most important and critical medical information about an individual in an in a portable means and ensure a quick retrieval of these data in a secure manner. The earliest attempt to compliance with the quick, secure and summarized access to an individual's critical medical information was by using emergency cards. Some Health providers companies provide their patients with an emergency card that has some information extracted from the patient summary List. This card has saved lives as it's the guide that could help the first aiders or emergency staff to act accurately in a timely manner.The means, however, evolved over years to cope with the technology revolution and benefit the most of it. Encoding the patients EMR in smart card is a methodology that has been rapidly followed by many EMR companies and healthcare providers. A part of the medical record of any patient is a summary known as a Patient Summary List or Problem Summary List. This paper proposes a method that could benefit from the two aforementioned important concepts. The method introduces the use of the Quick Response (QR) technology in the patient’s Emergency card.Related Work Some health providers provide their patients with an Emergency Card that usually has th e vital medical information that could make the difference between life and death, usually known as Patient summary list (part of the Electronic Medical Record). The list should include the patient’s ID, medical history of Arthritis, Hypertension, Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease, etc. any operative and invasive procedure, any adverse and allergic drug reaction, present medications [1][2]. The natural medium to record the patient's medical information is the papers.Even though papers have advantages of being low in cost, available and portable, problems raised due to the decentralized nature of the paper-based medical records, difficulties Page | 2 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 in data storage and retrieval, threat of being damaged or lost, etc. Consequently, the concept of Electronic Medical Record has been introduced to overcome these issues. Examples of early electronic systems include Computer-stored Ambulatory Record (COSTAR), Health E valuation through Logical Processing (HELP), and Multiphase Health Testing System (MHTS) [3].Smart Card is the perfect media that can be used as a health card due to its small size, secure, capability of digitizing a huge amount of personal and medical data [4]. Some attempts have been done by researchers to develop a personal portable healthcare record smart cards and a corresponding framework to simplify maintenance and transfer of patient records [9]. Researchers in the U. K. have created MyCare, a smart card with a fold-out USB plug that can hold a patient’s medical history. MyCare was developed with open source that enables it to run on different computers and operating systems.Data is protected through PINs and encryption, with a higher level of encryption planned for further stages in the development process [5][6]. These smart card projects work better in countries with nationalized health care. In the US For example, competition among hospitals is a barrier to a smar t card system [5]. Smart card technology was not widely spread due to lack of standards (Dash, 2001); the communications between a smart card and smart card reader. The cards also need to be updated constantly which would be hard to enforce [10].For smart cards, user mobility is only possible if every machine that the user access has a smart card reader attached. The machine must support the same standard smart card reader interfaces or use the same proprietary smart card reader [11]. Research Statement Due to the barriers of smart cards usage including, the high cost value, the unnecessary imposed security and the need for a special card reader, the smart emergency card solution may not be the best solution. The proposed method is the use of Quick Response (QR) codes to hold the patient's critical medical information.The solution overcomes the expense, unavailability and communication issues of the smart card, by the fact that QR is inexpensive technology that doesn't need a specia l reader, it needs software that could be installed freely on any smart phone. This ensures the quick yet accurate and responsive aid provided to unresponsive individual in case of emergency. The solution should also be used as a reporting tool. It can be embedded into a smart phone application developed to be used for reporting accidents. This may overcome the issues of Page | 3Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 reporting accidents by using the QR technology as an accurate, unique and prompt reporting tool. Background Quick Response (QR) codes are type of two dimensional barcodes. It's a technique that was first invented by Denso-Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota Group that was firstly designed to track the vehicles' parts manufacturing process, and since then it has grown rapidly. In Recent years it has been utilized to work as a marketing tool to advertise for products, sites, brands, etc.Fig1: QR codes structure [16] QR Code can store up to 7089 numeri c characters, 4296 alphanumeric characters or 2953 bytes (8-bit binary). They are capable of storing different types of data: text, vCards, pictures, URLs, Videos, etc. The stored data is extracted in a readable form through QR readers that are usually smartphone software, or dedicate QR reading devices. Number of QR code scanner applications is available for Apple, BlackBerry and Android smartphones, mostly for free. Once installed, it uses the phone's embedded camera to scan the code and decode it instantly. Page | 4Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 Proposed Solution The idea behind this paper is very easy to grasp. The aim is to have a mechanism that provide the first aiders to know what needed to be known, at the right time, with the easiest possible means. For unresponsive person, or in case if an individual was unable to speak and give vital information, it is important to have some sort of easy to get yet authenticated and accurate medical sum mary that can be available at anytime, anywhere. In some cases, it makes the difference between life and death.Patient Summary List The more we know the better we act and response. In medicine, to know the patient's historical and current medical condition is as much important as the action to be taken on the case. Delaying a treatment or prescribing a wrong medication or one that conflicts with the patient's medical condition could be dangerous and might end up deadly. From this point, the importance of the Patient Summary List arises. The Patient Summary List is a summarized accessible list of the patient's significant medical information.The summary should contain as much information as possible to assist medics and other first responders in case of emergency. The information may include the following categories, though, some entries might be optional. Each entry has to be timestamped: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Patient's information: age, sex, marital status, weight, height and blood type. Hospital-related information: name, ID, address, phone number, medical record, hospital's name. Emergency contacts. Allergies/Adverse Allergic Drug Reactions.Significant medical diagnoses and conditions: Cancer, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Angina, Pacemaker, Stroke, Circulation Problem, Arthritis, infectious disease (TB/Hepatitis/MRSA), Osteoporosis / osteopenia, Lung problems, Seizures, Polio / post-polio, Urinary incontinence, Depression, HIV positive, Pregnancy condition, Wearing Contact Lenses, Smoker or not. 6. Significant surgical/invasive procedures. Page | 5 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 7. 8. Medication/Vitamins/Supplements names, doses, frequency and rout for each.Education: Language spoken, Barriers to learning (blind/deaf/etc) [12]. Medical Records are created by the medical institutes for every individual assessed or treated. Consequently, the Patient's Summary List should be derived from the patient's Medical Recor d. The Summary List must be prepared by the Hospital of which the patient is having his treatment to ensure the legibility, completeness and authentication [13]. It's also important to have the list updated whenever there is a change in medication, diagnose or allergies and also whenever a procedure is performed.Why QR Codes? Some medical institutes tend to provide their patients with a Summary List printed on a paper (or card) or coded in a smart card. Both ways have number of cons and pros. The usage of printed Summary List in a paper is condition of damage. Especially ICE (In Case of Emergency), it can easily burn, get wet or shredded into pieces and loss it's value. The use of cards might be a safer choice, but it's impossible to have it small enough to fit in someone's wallet and yet have it containing all needed information about the person's medical condition.The use of smart cards on the other hand, might be the best solution comparing with the other available means since th ey are safer, have a larger capacity, easily to carry along and can be kept up t date without the need to issue new ones. However, they need special readers to read them that are usually unavailable for the first aiders ICE. Besides, smart cards are costly to issue and maintain. QR code's quickness, availability, widely spread and low cost might lead it to be a very good choice to encode the Patient's Summary List.It overcomes the issues encountered in other means, and they can be utilized to serve other purposes that will be discussed later in this paper. With the advantages of the QR codes usage has been examined and assessed, we are ready to discuss the proposed procedure and a suggested standard: ? The list should be captured and stored in a standard encoding system to support data sharing, analysis and provide a more practical and accurate way Page | 6 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 o retrieve the required information. The standard of the Sum mary List has to be proposed and admitted by the Ministry of Health. ? Administration and maintenance of the Summary List is important. Healthcare providers are responsible of issuing a Summary List of each patient's EMR. They are also responsible for encoding it in a QR code. ? ? The issued QR codes should be printed on wallet-sized cards and submitted to patients. The QR card should be on the medical card (printed right on the back of the card on printed on a sticker on the same card).The medical card (with QR code at back of it) has to be kept right next to the driving license in someone’s wallet. This is critical to have the first responders make use of this method. ? The Summary List has to be updated by the issuer upon any significant change in the patient's medications or health condition. Further, if the patient was examined by a hospital other that the one issuing the code, it's the responsibility of the patient to update the QR code with the new medical information according to the hospital's report. People have to be educated by spreading the QR concept and the role it's playing in rescuing individuals ICE. The paramedics (emergency staff) on the other hand have to have the dedicated QR code readers or having the scanning software installed on their smartphones. Having these standards stated out, the QR code usage can be efficiently utilized and beneficial. If individuals were educated and aware about saving someone’s life using the proposed method, the number of errors that might be encountered will decrease rapidly.In contrary with the other possible means, QR codes do not require a special reader or password authentication or a computer to be read, which make them accessible whenever needed. In addition, bar codes are proven technology that can be used in health care, where little room for error exists. Page | 7 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 Possible Scenario The following scenario is summarized in Fig 4 below, a possible QR utilization scenario: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. An accident happens to an individual carrying a QR code card.The first responder (emergency professional or bystander) check the infected person's wallet and find the QR code. The code is scanned by the rescuer's Smartphone's QR reader. The summary list with all significant medical information is displayed. The rescuer provides the first aids according to the infected person's medical status, whether he/she has a Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, etc, and call the emergency. 6. The emergency professionals should take the proper, most accurate action based on the extracted medical status. This can make the difference between life and death.Other actions can also be taken by the rescuer like for example sending the QR code through a Smartphone's software (detailed in Other Medical-Related QR Uses section below). Fig2: QR code workflow in case of emergency Page | 8 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Pa tient Summary List 2012 QR Coded Patient Summary List Update As stated above, the providers should update the patient's summary list whenever there is a change in diagnosis, medications, or allergies to medications and whenever a procedure is performed. The Patient Summary List is derived from the patient’s Electronic Medical/Health Record [17].The summary list contains specific attributes extracted from the medical record. Having these attributes labeled in the electronic medical record will ease the process of extracting and updating the Patient Summary List attribute’s values. So, the system should trigger an update on the patient’s list whenever a change in the labeled attributes. Fig3: QR code workflow in case of emergency [17] How to Update QR Codes? There are two main types of QR codes; static and dynamic. Static QR codes contents are static, cannot be edited or updated, whereas the dynamic QR code’s content can be easily updated.Also, unlike the s tatic QR codes, it does not require generating new QR code. The exact printed QR can be used that leads to the updated contents. When the QR codes are used to encode the Patient Summary List, a frequent content update will be needed. Accordingly three main QR forms are proposed: Page | 9 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 1. Using a static QR codes with a static summary list that needs to be re-printer upon each record change. In this case, the provider may print the codes on stickers and remove the old ones once the new ones are issued.This might be more cost effective than re-printing the patient card with the new QR code on the back. 2. Instead of having QR codes printed out, a soft copy of the QR code can be generated and loaded into an individual's mobile. This is also effective in cost-wise, but it might be not so practical in case of an emergency. The rescuer may not be able to locate the QR code image in the mobile of an unconscious person, or the mobile is locked with a pin or it’s out of battery, etc. Though it is easy to maintain and saves the cost of reprinting the code upon a record change. . Using the dynamic QR codes that have a dynamic content with an editable, editable content using the same printed code. Further, some QR code generator companies (like SQUARE) provide a track service and statics of how many devices scanned the code, where, scanner device type, etc. Having this concept applied on the medical health field considered very practical. In view thereof, dynamic QR codes are the best utilization due its cost saving, efficiency and easy to maintain. However, since this kind of codes requires a wireless connection, it might be limited.Though, it’s not a huge barrier in today’s networked world. Fig4: QR Update trigger scenario. Page | 10 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 Updating QR code procedure Each step in the above scenario figure (Fig 4) is descri bed as follows: A patient visits the hospital (1), and a change in one of the stated record attributes (2) (change in diagnosis, medications, or allergies to medications and whenever a procedure is performed. ) has been encountered. So the updated patient record should trigger a generation of an updated summary list (3).Accordingly, new updated QR code/QR content has to be issued (4), and a notification sent to the patient with this update. ? ? If the static QR code form is adapted by the hospital, then the notification should instruct the patient to pick up the updated QR code card/sticker (4. 1). If the soft copied QR code form is adapted, then the notification should instruct the patient to download the latest QR code (either from the hospital’s site after the patient login or sent for the patient email) (4. 2). ? If the dynamic QR code form is adapted, then the codes destination contents updated upon the new summary list update (4. ). Other Medical-Related QR Uses Aside o f utilizing the QR codes as an emergency guide for paramedics that provide a reliable, easy to use, quick access to an individual's Medical Summary List, QR codes can be used in other fields as well, as detailed in this section. The QR codes can be used as a reporting tool. By having an Emergency reporting channel other that the unified number, a software application installed on the smartphones, QR can be used as follows: ? ? Using the smartphone's camera, the QR code of the affected person is scanned through the Emergency software application.The software should display the encoded information, and a reporting option should also be available (say, a button). Page | 11 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 ? ? ? Upon pressing the button, the software should send the patient information to the emergency department along with the reporting location coordinates. The reporter information may also send (the reporter phone number can be easily gained from the user's phone). To capitalize the benefits, the reporting tool can play a complementary role of a clouded EMR system that is made available for the centralized Emergency unit.If this the case then a link to the QR holder's EMR could be also implicitly embedded and can be easily gain access to be the authorized Emergency staff. Having such system will not only provide a fast, accurate and reliable accident reporting tool, but it'll also help in reducing the redundancy encountered when reporting accidents and emergencies. Another usage of the QR code can be as portable, summarized EHR. Keeping a personal health record encoded in a QR with you when visiting a doctor that is not necessarily a staff member of the hospital where your Medical Record is kept is very helpful.It'll provide the doctor a sufficient answer when the he asks â€Å"what medications are you taking? † It'll save time, effort and the cost of running lab tests and radio-imaging for checking the accurate medical condition since they are encoded in the QR code, summarized, reliable and up to date. Another use could be on some other direction, by the police department. When someone is kept under custody, it would be helpful to avoid unexpected situations can be experienced with the kept person such as infectious diseases, heart diseases, high blood pressure, etc.Knowing such medical information is as much needful as keeping the person in prison, since it help in saving the lives inside the prison (life of the prisoners) and out (keeping the offender in custody). Conclusion We may not be able to stop the accidents from happening, but we are able and responsible to cut the losses and control their tragic consequences as much as we can. The practical knowledge of the medical workers coupled with the knowledge and expertise of the technology experts and developers can result technology-utilized solutions to everyday.In this Page | 12 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2 012 respect, solutions were proposed, researches were conducted and regulations were imposed, every day to best achieve this goal. This paper proposes a practical, non-cost affective, timely solution that can best utilize the widely spread technology â€Å"QR† to help saving lives. This solution can be utilized even more to be a complementary tool for the currently function, or proposed, emergency systems. References [1] http://westhoustonmedctr. ehc. com/CPM/Patient%20Summary%20List. df [accessed: 9 March 2012] [2] http://www. urology-partners. com/Forms/MEDICAL_HISTORY. pdf [accessed: 9 March 2012] [3] Lowe, H. J, â€Å"The Electronic Medical Record†, (2003), Stanford University School of Medicine [4] http://www. smartcardsource. com/health. html [accessed: 11 March 2012] [5]http://www. secureidnews. com/2011/06/15/smart-cards-show-potential-for-medicalrecords [accessed: 12 March 2012] [6]http://www. smartplanet. com/blog/rethinking-healthcare/mycare-your-entire-medi calhistory-on-a-smart-card/5207 [accessed: 12 March 2012] [7] http://www. martcardalliance. org/pages/publications-smart-card-technology-in-healthcare [accessed: 15 March 2012] [8] Smart cards—the key to trustworthy health information systems BMJ 1997; 314 doi: 10. 1136/bmj. 314. 7080. 573(Published 22 February 1997) [9] Changrui Xiao and Arthur Yu: Medical Smart Card System for Patient Record Management. Bears Breaking Boundaries 2009 Science, Technology, and Energy Policy White Paper Competition [10] Dennis Emmett and Reagan Bundy, Marshall University: PROVIDING BETTER PATIENT SERVICES UTILIZING SMART CARD TECHNOLOGY.Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (2005) [11] David Chadwick: Smart CardsAren’t Always the Smart Choice. University of Salford. Decemper 1999 [12]http://www. barnabashealth. org/hospitals/ambulatory_care_center/acrobat/rehab_adult_s ummarylist. pdf [accessed: 12 April 2012] [13] http://www. dental-desi gn. co. uk/2011/11/29/a-guide-to-qr-codes/ [accessed: 2 April 2012] Page | 13 Utilizing QR Code Technology In Encoding Patient Summary List 2012 [14]http://www. medical. siemens. com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PSGenericDisplay~q_catal ogId~e_-1~a_langId~e_-1~a_pageId~e_83438~a_storeId~e_10001. tm 2012] [15]http://jpgraph. net/download/manuals/chunkhtml/ch27. html#id2608334 May 2012] [16] http://www. thisbloglife. com/2012/01/qr-codes-enter-the-matrix/ [accessed: 20 April 2012] [17]http://www. philblock. info/hitkb/s/system_and_DB_architectures_used_in_commercial_EH Rs. html [accessed: 10 May 2012] [18]http://www. csinov. com/wordpress/index. php/solutions/ehr-solutions/electronicmedical-records/ [accessed: 4 May 2012] [19]http://tracertong. co. uk/ttf/2010/10/qr-code-test-for-wallpaper-download-to[accessed: 5 [accessed: 10 May iphone/ [accessed: 4 May 2012] Page | 14

Booking System Essay

1.Product Description Gamici is one of Singapore’s most prestigious and stylist Italian restaurant which served authentic Italian cuisine. With its simple, elegant yet friendly and vibrant environment, Gamici has become a common social gathering place for many friends and families. Therefore, this has helped to boost the growth of its business. Currently, Gamici is using a completely manual based system to carry out some of their day to day operations. Due to the business growth, this system has become inadequate to meet its business requirements. Some problems it encountered using a manual system when its business is getting busier each day: †¢ More manpower is needed to serve the customers which lead to space constraint in the restaurant. †¢ Servers complained that they have too much to do within the fastest time possible else customers will get impatient with their service. This may lead to more human error such as carelessness. †¢ Inefficiency caused returning customers to decrease as the wait time for seats, food to be served, servers’ response and billing are getting too long. †¢ Food quality degrades as food processing time is shortened to satisfy customers’ impatience. †¢ Customers can only reserve seats and order food through phone calls and this means that payment cannot be made beforehand. Some of the food ordered by customers may have special ingredients that need advance purchasing. Last minute cancellation by customers or customers who do not turn up, result in wastage of food and staff effort is put to a waste. Thus, the restaurant will eventually make loses. †¢ High expenses incurred. With the aim for solving the above problems, Gamici has decided to engage UPz to develop a portal to 1) Reduce the workload of the staff. 2) Have online payment via credit/debit card. 3) Receive order in real time Therefore, UPz software development team will introduce an Online Reservation and Food Ordering System (ORFO) whereby customers can browse the food menu online, which order can be placed and payment can be made through the system and reserve seats based on restaurant floor plan to pick the exact seat location in the restaurant that the customers prefer to dine at. 1.1Product Vision The new system (ORFO) aims to increase efficiency to smoother work flow of the restaurant so as to provide top-notch dining experience and service to the customers. It also aims to reduce overheads caused by the manual system and solve the current problems mentioned in Section 1 – Product Description. 1.2Business Requirements The first version of the ORFO must be available within three months. ORFO must demonstrate cost saving of at least 20% on labor within a year after the introduction. The reduction of manpower would mean that the restaurant need not have to activate as many staff as before during peak hours or days of the week. Labor productivity must be improved by 15% at least. Revenue must result in 20% increase after a year. New and existing customers patrolling the restaurant must result in 15% increase at least. 1.3Stakeholders and Users Management – The Board of Directors as the controlling interest in ORFO. Weekly status update meeting will be held to communicate the progress of the project to the management. Purchaser – Upz who invest money to develop the system. User – Customers who use ORFO to interact with Gamici. Developers – The eight-member development team which includes one project manager, two programmers, two software engineers, two database analysts and one designer. Staff – Restaurant Manager and Restaurant Supervisor who maintain and update the portal such as adding new items to the menu, making changes to the prices, introducing promotions. Administration Clerk and Waiters are only able to retrieve information. 1.4Project Scope The scope of this project is to develop an Online Reservation and Food Ordering System which will be integrated on Gamici website. This system allows reservation making and food ordering services that will provide a convenient dining experience to the customers. Customers can also raise special requests to cater to their needs. In addition, the ORFO system allows customers to choose their desire seats online based on the restaurant floor plan and order food. Then, payment can also be done online through ORFO system. Database will be created to keep track of customers’ information and requests. 1.5 Assumptions Order ID will be issued to customers after each transaction with Gamici. The payment modes will be through credit/debit cards or internet banking. An invoice will automatically be generated after each transaction. 6 Constraints The system should support various payment modes. Functional Requirements 1. General 1. The user shall only be able to perform the following operations: i. For customer: a. Make a reservation b. Browse menu c. Special request d. Make payment e. Modify/cancel reservation ii. For restaurant personnel: a. View database 2. The ORFO must have a â€Å"Back button† to go back to previous page. 2. Make a Reservation 1. When the user initiates ‘Make a Reservation’, he/she must be taken to the ‘Make a Reservation’ page. 2. The user must be able to enter the following information a. Time and date b. Number of people 3. Once the user submits the information, he/she will be taken a page that shows the floor plan of the restaurant. 4. The page must show all the available table(s) that fit the requirements in 2.2.2 in yellow. Unqualified table(s) will be in red. 5. The user must be able to choose the table(s) in yellow only and using the mouse by clicking on the table. The selected table will be in green. 6. The user must be able to deselect the table by clicking the selected table again and the table will be in yellow again. 7. Once the requested table(s) is selected, the user must be able to click the ‘Confirm’ button to proceed. 8. The user must be able to enter the following information: a. Name (between 1 to 32 characters) b. Contact number 9. Once the information is submitted, the selected table(s) and the information must be updated in the database. 10. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 3. Browse Menu 1. The ORFO must display the menu that is updated to the current day and must be coherent to the menu used in the restaurant. 2. The menu page must display the menu in tabs with the following categories: i. Main course ii. Appetizers iii. Beverages iv. Dessert 3. Each tab page must display a list of 10 items at a time. 4. User must be able to navigate through the items using various navigational links provided at the bottom of the page: a. Clicking â€Å"next† will list the next 10 products in the menu. (If more available) b. Clicking â€Å"previous† will list the previous 10 products in the menu. (If previous exists) c. Click on individual page numbers will display the selected page. 5. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a single item from the menu by clicking on the item: a. Item name b. Item image c. Item description d. Item price 6. The user must be able to select the item by double clicking on the item and the item will be added to cart, refer to 2.3.7. 7. The ORFO must display a cart that contains the items selected by the user at the bottom of the page. 8. The cart must contain the following information a. Item name b. Item price c. Total price (with GST) d. Total price (with GST) 9. The user must be able to delete the item from the cart by selecting the item and click on the â€Å"Remove† button at the side. 10. If there is at least one item in the cart, the user must be able to click the â€Å"Proceed† button to proceed. 11. Once the â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the selected items information must be updated in the database. 12. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 4. Special Request 1. The ORFO must display a list of default special request with tabs with the following categories: a. Birthday b. Date c. User defined 2. For tabs a and b, the page must display a list of 10 items at a time. 3. User must be able to navigate through the items using various navigational links provided at the bottom of the page: a. Clicking â€Å"next† will list the next 10 products in the menu. (If more available) b. Clicking â€Å"previous† will list the previous 10 products in the menu. (If previous exists) c. Click on individual page numbers will display the selected page. 4. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a single item from the menu by clicking on the item: e. Item name f. Item image g. Item description h. Item price 5. The user must be able to select the item by double clicking on the item and the item will be added to cart under refer to 2.3.7. 6. To delete the selected item refer to 2.3.9. 7. For tab c, the user must be able to enter in a short description of the special request and must provide the following information: i. Item name ii. Place to buy 8. If there is at least one item in the cart, the user must be able to click the â€Å"Proceed† button to proceed. 9. Once the â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the selected items information must be updated in the database. 10. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 11. The ORFO must inform the user via the contact provided in 2.2.8 within 24 hours about the user defined special requests. 5. Make Payment 1. The ORFO must allow the user to look through all the items in the cart with information provided in 2.3.8. 2. The user must be able to confirm the order(s) by clicking the â€Å"Confirm† button. 3. The ORFO must display the modes of payment as shown: i. By cash at the restaurant ii. By credit card via online 4. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.5.5. If the user selects b, proceed to 2.5.8. 5. The ORFO must generate a transaction ID, the user must produce this ID at the restaurant for verification during the day of reservation. 6. The user must click the â€Å"Proceed† button to verify that he/ she has noted the transaction ID. 7. The ORFO must proceed to 2.5.14. 8. The user must be brought to a secured page to make the payment via credit card. 9. The user must be able to enter his/her credit card number. 10. After valid credit card number is entered, the user must be able to proceed by clicking the â€Å"Proceed† button. 11. Once â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the ORFO must verify the credit number. 12. If verification fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user to notify him/her of the failure. 13. If verification is successful, the ORFO must generate an invoice and a link must be provided to the invoice for printing. 14. The ORFO must display the following information. a. Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 15. The reservation is completed, the user must be able to exit the page or proceed with another transaction by clicking the â€Å"Finish† button. 6. Modify/ Cancel Reservation 1. The ORFO must allow the user to modify or cancel reservation at â€Å"Modify/Cancel Reservation† Page. 2. The user must enter the following information for verification: a. Transaction ID b. Credit card (for payment via credit card only) 3. If the verification fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 4. If the verification is successful, the ORFO must check the time of this adjustment and the time of reservation. 5. If the duration is more than 24 hours, the ORFO must show a message to the user notifying him/her that it is too late for the adjustment and 2.6.20. 6. If the duration is shorter than 24 hours, the user must be able to proceed to the page to make the adjustment. 7. The ORFO must display the following: a. Modify reservation b. Cancel reservation 8. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.6.9. If the user select selects b, proceed to 2.6.17. 9. The ORFO must allow the user to modify the reservation as shown below: i. Change reserved table, refer to 2.2 ii. Modify ordered food, refer to 2.3 iii. Modify special requests, refer to 2.4 10. If the net payment after the adjustment is less than the previous payment, no refund must be given. 11. If the net payment after the adjustment is more than the previous payment, additional payment must be made, refer to 2.5. 12. The ORFO must update the database with the adjustments. 13. If the adjustment fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 14. If the update is successful, the ORFO must display the following information. a. New Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 15. The ORFO must display the following information of the reservation: a. Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 16. The user must be able to cancel the reservation by clicking â€Å"Cancel Reservation†. 17. Once the user selects â€Å"Cancel Reservation†, the ORFO must update the database with the adjustments. 18. If the adjustment fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 19. If the update is successful, the ORFO must inform the user how to get the refund. 20. The adjustment is completed, the user must be able to exit the page or proceed with another reservation by clicking the â€Å"Finish† button. 7. View Database 1. The user must choose the time and date in a drop down menu. 2. The ORFO must display the database in tabs with the following categories: a. Tables reserved b. Food ordered c. Special Orders 3. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.7.4. If the user selects b, proceed to 2.7.6. If the user selects c, proceed to 2.7.9. 4. The ORFO must display the floor plan showing the status of the table: a. Green table means reserved b. Red table means not reserved 5. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a reserved table from the floor plan by clicking on the table: a. Customer name b. Customer contact number c. Number of people d. Link to the ordered food e. Link to the special request f. Mode of payment 6. The ORFO must display the ordered food in tabs based on the reserved tables. 7. When the user selects one of the tabs, the ORFO must display the ordered food in a table, with the following format: a. Main course b. Appetizers c. Beverages d. Dessert 8. The ORFO must display the quantity of the ordered food beside the item in the table. 9. The ORFO must display the special requests in tabs based on the reserved tables. 10. When the user selects one of the tabs, the ORFO must display the special requests in a table, with the following format: a. Birthday b. Date c. User define 11. The ORFO must display the quantity of the special requests beside the item in the table. 12. Once viewing of the database is done, the user must be exit the database by clicking on the â€Å"Exit† button. 3.Data Requirements Data requirements describe the format, structure, type, and allowable values of data entering, leaving, or stored by the product. 1. The system will only accept data which are correct and not ambiguious. E.g Mobile number should only be 8 digits long and credit card numbers should be 16 digits long. 2. The booking can only be submitted and processed by the system when all required fields of data have been filled up. 3. The system should display all times in the 24-hour clock format. 4. The system must store customer names in fields recording first and last name. 5. When a customer has selected a table of choice for booking but has not yet confirmed his booking, the system will lock out that particular table to other customers. 4.Non-functional requirements There are requirements that are not functional in nature. Specifically, these are the constraints the system must work within. 1. Compatiblity 1. The website should be compatitible with both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, the 2 most widely used browser currently. 2. User interface 1. The user interface should be as familiar as possible to users who have used other web applications and Windows desktop applications. E.g., we will follow the UI guidelines for naming menus, buttons, and dialog boxes whenever possible. 3. Security 1. Access will be controlled with usernames and passwords 2. Only administrator users will have access to administrative functions, average users will not. 3. Database should be reasonably secured to prevent leak or loss of confidential information such as credit card details from customers.. 4. Performance 1. The system should be up and running 24/7. 2. It should support at least 100 users using the online booking concurrently without any lag. 5. Backup and Recovery 1. There should be a backup server and database to prevent service interuption or loss of data when the main server and database are down. 2. Downtime should not last more then 30sec when switching from main server to the backup server in case of a breakdown. 6. Reliability 1. The whole online booking system should achieve a 99% sucess rate. i.e downtime should not be more then 1% of its total operating time. 2. System review will take place monthly. Any lack in performance or reliability will be addressed and improved on after each review. 7. System Maintainence 1. Maintainence of the system will be conducted weekly. Maintainence will be conducted during off-peak hours e.g between 12am – 6amz 5.Interface Requirements Overview The user interface of this restaurant booking system is a web site which can be viewed using popular web browsers. This high accessibility made it easier and more convenient for users to use the system. Users don’t need to set up any additional software for the purpose of running the system. As long as an Internet co nnection is available, the system can be easily accessed using their mobile devices. Multi-platforms operation is also an additional advantage of this design. One more advantage of this design is the power of the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides nicer features with simple modification and configuration compared to the GUI of other languages. HTML language supports the use of other languages and technique to make dynamic objects, which can improve the vividness of the application. 5.1User Interfaces These are the fundamental features of the GUI that should be included in the websites: A login box comprises of an account and a password textfield. Users can sign in using their NRIC to check their bookings. We can provide the sign up function for long-term users so that they don’t have to refill the information everytime booking is made. A dynamic menu including the links to the homepage, the menu page, the booking page and the information page. the menupage will have the list of food with its respective image.It can be divided into many pages to ease up the navigation. The booking page will have a shopping cart function for the booking of food and a clickable map for the reservation of seats. After booking is submitted, the webpage will automatically redirect to the payment page. The information page will provide additional information about the restaurant. A slideshow or a flash of the images of the restaurant. Images of the top ordered dishes and their respective information (e.g price, ..). A panel for advertisements coming from our own restaurant or from other parties. 5.2Hardware Interfaces Describe how the software application interfaces with hardware that exists outside the scope of the system. 5.3Software Interfaces The use of web design tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver is employed to make a more professional and nicer design of the system. The code editor and the design editor is integrated in one tool, which allows easy modification as well as addition of elements onto the web pages. Interactive and dynamic objects can be created more easily within a few clicks. The platform to implement the webpage is php and mysql with the support of Apache. Another platforms to be considered are jsp, serverlet using netbean, asp.net and C# using Visual Studio. However, PHP is chosen due to its popularity, ease in coding and the availability of free scripts online. To edit the images and make the flash, it is recommended to utilize Adobe Photoshop, Flash SlideShow maker and Adobe(Macromedia) Flash Player. This requires some Actionscript code to make the dynamic contents. It’s also used to create icons and graphics to enhance the interface. 5.4. Difficulties Encountered and Solutions Applied Since most of the languages used is new to the development team. It takes time to get familiar with these languages. Another problem confronted by the team is the inconsistency in designs and layout since different components and different pages are developed seperately by different people. These components are later merged together to form the complete system. Confronting these problems, our team has come up with appropriate solutions and applied it successfully. For instance, we have searched online and found plenty of free pieces of code and software that is applicable to our system. This simplifies the process of coding and developing some interactive components. To name it, we use Flash SlideShow maker to generate the slideshow in the flash format simply by adding pictures and choose the skin of the layout. A lot of PHP codes, Javascript to do some complicated tasks or to make dynamic menus features can be found easily on the websites and tutorials. They give us an idea of how the job is done and save us a lot of hard work. About the inconsistency matter, the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is applied to enhance the flexibility and accessibility of the elements by defining the common element property seperately and concretely. These properties are specified in the style sheet, which determines the appearance of all the pages that are linked to it. The point is that these properties only need to be entered once and then they are applied automatically to all the elements, which save a lot of coding. Another remarkable advantage displays itself when it comes to managing big and sophisticated websites. CSS make it possible for the whole systems and organizations to share and reuse a small number of style sheets. Beside ensurement of consistency across the site, CSS also favors the updating and modifying of the web layouts to conform to the changes in system requirement. Instead of editting individual components, we can edit all together in one go by modifying the style sheet. 6.Use Case Model Provide the top-level use case diagram, followed by the use case description for each use case. 6.1Use Case Diagram 6.2Use Case Description 7.Glossary Define all terms and acronyms required to interpret the SRS properly. This is the (problem) domain dictionary. 8.References Provide a list of all documents and other sources of information referenced in the SRS and utilized in developing the SRS. Include for each the document number, title, date and author. |Document No. |Document Title |Date |Author | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9.Revision History Identify changes to the SRS. |Version |Date |Name |Description | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |