Pendiulm Effects Essays - Pendulums, Bob, , Term Papers

Pendiulm Effects Laboratory topic # 10 In this experiment we will observe the properties of a pendulum moving in a circular motion rather than the traditional ?back and forth? motion. This will simulate the direction that a satellite would follow above the earths atmosphere. The purpose of this experminate will be to show how gravity pulls on the string and the path that the pendulum follows. Apparatus used: 1. Pendulum with long string 4. Digital stop watch 2. pendulum clamp 5. two-meter stick 3. circular path draen on paper 6. vernier caliper procedures: hang the pendulum for the attached rod and allow the pendulum so it's nearly to the floor. Then align the ball with the center of your circled paper and center the pendulum onto the circle. Practice rotating the pendulum so it follow the circle that you have made. After you have practiced this a few times make a mark on the circle, this is your starting point. Start the pendulum into motion so it will follow its path on the paper and after it has made a complete reveloution that is your first turn. Using your stop watch start timing the reveloutions that it has made. You can use as many turns as you like, just remember that you must make 1 complete turn before stateing that it is one turn. Data: Average radius of pendulum arc ? 30.5cm (Converted to Meters - .0153m) Length of pendulum string( to the top of bob) - 161.8cm Bob diameter ? 2.5cm Pendulum length to center of bob - 163.05cm Angle of string from vertical ? 5.38? Time for 4 reveolutions = 10.57 seconds. Average period = 2.643seconds. Average speed 2.376 m/sec. (15.25/1000 = .0153m*.364m/sec = 2.376 m/sec.) Am= .865 m/sec Ap = .923 % difference = {(am ? Ap)/Ap} * 100% = -6.28% Physics

The Feminized Retail Landscape essays

The Feminized Retail Landscape essays In this article, the author, Mona Domosh, argues that the relationship between gender ideology and the development of modern consumer culture develops the cultural landscape of retailing. She examined the development of the new retailing space in mid-nineteenth-century New York City, focusing on the major department stores, to demonstrate the significance between gender roles and consumption. In nineteenth century, shopping was the most frequent activity for middle-class women in New York City. Therefore women were targeted as the new consumers, and this became an important factor of reshaping American downtowns at that time. The introduction of ready-to-wear clothing had sweeping impacts on industrial growth and retailing trade, merchants had spent years using advertising and many sales techniques to convince women that factory-purchased clothing was better, cheaper and more modern than home-made clothing. By the end of the nineteenth century, food, clothing and home furnishing had all become commodities. The work of middle and upper-class women shifted from domestic production to public consumption. Fashion and constant consumption became important indicators of social status because the choice of styles represents ones taste and also reflect ones social status, and constant consumption served as reflections of womens role as mother and wife. The author also points out that the production and consumption are ideologically separated because the values of production are self-denial, hard work, utilitarianism, which are distinct from those of consumption, self-indulgence, leisure time, playfulness. These two value systems can be maintained without undermining each other because men work hard to support womens self-indulgence. The actual place of purchase is as important as the goods consumed, the first department store in New York in 1846, Stewarts, was constructed of brick and wood in Italianat...

Ethics Awareness Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Awareness Paper - Essay Example According to the Ethics Awareness Test I had taken, my ethical perspective is based on what is good to be, the virtues and characters of an individual as opposed to what is good to do, i.e. the actions of individuals when faced in circumstances where they are forced to make a choice. In this paper, I will apply the results of this Inventory Test to my personal and professional development and thus explain how my experience in Education has contributed to the development on how I think ethically. I will also address the use of ethics in decision making and discuss potential conflicts that will arise in situations where people have different ethical perspectives compared to mine. According to the test, my ethical perspective is based on the obligation of an individual on what is morally good to be. In my professional and personal life, the results of this test indicated that I will most definitely look at the person’s actions and character to determine the intention of the said individual. For instance, as a law enforcement officer, while investigating a crime, I will first look at the character of the suspect and later on come up with a conclusion of the intentions of his actions. The test supports the idea that I look beyond actions to determine an individual’s character; uprightness and integrity are the key elements of my analysis. For instance as an interrogation officer within the police department, I may face difficult circumstances that will warrant me to make a choice. For example, while conducting interrogation on a bank robbery suspect, the robber confesses to me where he hid his loot but offers to pay me a substantial amount of money if I sit on his confession and let him go. My actions at such a scenario will depend on my character. My character will determine if I follow the Codes and Ethics of Law enforcement officers and use this confession to facilitate his prosecution (Corey and Callanan, 1998). I will be unable to act morally and in accordance with the codes and conduct of Law Enforcement agencies if I do not possess the character of honesty and Integrity. My ethical thinking and view are greatly shaped with my education experience. My experience in Studies on Criminal Justice Administration has changed my ethical view point from focusing on my selfish interests without looking at what my actions could lead to in the enforcement of the law. Before attending my studies on Criminal Justice Procedures, I thought of my own interests and did not have a clear picture on what results my actions have in the criminal justice system and the society at large (Campbell and Pfister, 2002). However, I have learnt that these elements - honesty, integrity and the urge to do right; significantly affect one’s ethical views besides building their characters. My ability to make decisions is based on my perspectives of ethics. For instance, some things might appear to be good but in reality they are not. Based on this, I am an individual who will examine facts about a particular situation or event, analyzing the characters of individuals involved in relation to their actions at the same time looking at what the impact of my decision will be to the criminal justice system and society. Based on the test, I have realized that people have their own ethical perspectives, beliefs and behaviors that they strictly adhere to. As an individual, I respect their views and behaviors with a condition that they do

Stress and Coping Mechanisms of First Year Principals Dissertation

Stress and Coping Mechanisms of First Year Principals - Dissertation Example Explaining the fundamental basis of stress as a reaction towards demands on the body, the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living (2010) expresses the view that stress involves the release of body chemicals that â€Å"give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger.† However, it is alarming that in a particular group of people, the levels of stress recorded among them should be rated as high. This is because high levels of rising stress impacts the victims in several ways including the work they do and their health (Foxall et al, 1990: 580). This argument says a lot about why principals are stressed most of the time. Having noted that a person’s duties could determine the level of stress to be experienced by the person, it is just right to state that principals are often stressed because their work comes with a lot of mental demands that requires them to use their brains very often. Knowing that principa ls undertake a lot of academic responsibilities that strain their brain, stress is thus inevitable for them. In a typical educational institution, principals are expected to among other things supervise the activities of other teachers, initiate academic itinerary, organize school examinations and in some cases serve as examiners. They also go an extra mile to execute other duties including being in charge of every sector of the school development; ranging from meeting the educational needs of students to providing the necessary materials and supplies for the teachers to implement the curriculum. They do this under strict monitoring by the stakeholders, board members, the superintendent, and the state and national educational leaders. New mandates are frequently imposed on already high expectations. A mountain of meeting, queries and complaints from parents, playground and lunchtime duties are also the order of the day for most the principals. All these are roles that are expected t o be executed with perfection and accuracy. In a bid to do all these, principals; especially first year (inexperienced) principals who are mostly new on the job end up stressing themselves badly. The work of the principal is one that is associated with a lot of physical and mental pressure. This is even worse because most principals (both inexperienced and experienced) are involved in academic based professions and occupations that involve the strenuous use of the brain rather than physical strength. Examples of these professions include medicine, nursing, law, teaching, pharmacy, writing and the like. Among this group also, teachers, including lecturers have been found to be one of the worse hit (Lee, 2003). It is worth noting that the work of lecturers and educators, especially those on higher ranks like principals involves a lot of demanding tasks that include multi-complexities. For instance there is mental application of knowledge, physical application of strength and regular i nter-personal interactions. In a typical school environment or school situation, principals (inexperienced and experienced) take the role of academic overseers over student, as well as the administrative activities. The year principal are, therefore, almost all the time involved in one kind of engagement or the other. In most situations, the situation of principals is worsened when they have other responsibilities other than academic roles to play. Some of these

Visual Arts and Film Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Arts and Film Studies - Assignment Example I smiled at the answers I got and felt like nodding because, indeed, I see those things in myself as well. I will try to relay to you what they told me so far. Positivity. I was told that this is definitely one of my strongest characteristic. All three of my friends agreed that they feel lighter when they are around me. I was told that there were several times when they felt down due to a bad thing, and I would point out the good side of it and make them feel better. I know that most of the times, I see the brighter side of a dark situation. Individualization. My friends told me that I am one of those who hate stereotypes. They reminded me of the times when they would make generalized comments about a person based on fashion taste or circle of friends, and I would stand up for that person and insist that no one knows anything until we get to know that person well. I had been stereotyped a lot so probably that's why I hate to see it happening to anyone. Includer. I know that I have al ways been warm to everyone. My friends told me that I am always the one to invite a person to join a conversation, or an activity, etc. It makes me feel awkward to see anyone being left on the sides. I know that everyone has a potential and it makes me feel good to be the one to actually cause a person to show his or her skills in a group because of my welcoming attitude. Activator. My friends made me laugh on this one, because they told me they sometimes feel like having a hard time keeping up with my activities. I don't like dull moments and I always feel like there is still something better to do than just idle away. Developer. Friends say that if they ever need encouragement, they will just come looking for me. It is as if I know how they will best be able to flaunt their skills because of the ideas I give them. I like it a lot when people discover something in themselves, and I like it better when I know I am a part of that progress. 2. I feel that positivity is the overall cau se of all the other dominant themes of talent in me. I feel positive in me, for me, and for others, that I want everybody to act and feel the same. 3. I believe that being an activator develops most of the talents. This is because I always search for something new to do and learn. I always tap into the unknown, which I think is a good thing in loosening our imaginative freedom. I don't want to get stuck in something that is redundant, so I tend to be fearless in exploring and learning new things. 4. The surprising thing is how my friends see these dominant characteristics so well, and how they respond so positively to these. I never want to imagine that people see me as â€Å"overwhelming,† so it is nice to know that they enjoy my personality. 5. The talent that I want to develop more is â€Å"individualization† because I know that every person has their own qualities worth knowing about, and I would really like to be able to be one of those who makes a difference, and tap into those hidden talents that most other people choose to ignore and be prejudice about. However, I know that I need to work on my verbal interaction with people because despite these positive qualities, I know that there are still others who see me as just the quiet typical art student. II. Networking Event I went to a networking event, which is a screening of a short film entitled â€Å"Wallenda.† It is produced by RareForm pictures --- an independent film production company founded in 2009. The screening was held in Gnomon, last December 3, at around 7;00 p.m. The film is directed by V.W. Scheich, and written by V.W. Scheich and Uyen Le. You can find out more about the film at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094183/. I found out about

Limitations Of Biometrics

Limitations Of Biometrics This paper focuses on the limitations of biometrics and demonstrates how the theory of cancellable biometrics can mitigate such limitations. Cancellable biometrics gives biometric systems, theoretically, the ability to re-issue biometric signals. Thus, if a biometric database is ever compromised, the biometric image can be re-set. Our team believes that cancellable biometrics should be a best practice when utilizing biometric technologies. This paper begins with a background of biometric technologies, the global biometric market, and general limitations of biometrics. The main body focuses on the background, concepts, and function of cancellable biometrics offered as a solution for some of the limitations addressed. Finally, an analysis of cancellable biometrics advantages and disadvantages concludes our paper. What is Biometrics? To define biometrics, you can look at the Greek translation. Bios translates to life and metric translates to measurement. This leads to a direct translation of biometrics to life measurement. (Biometric Definition-What, 2005) Biometrics is a technique for identification of people that uses body characteristics or behavioral traits and is increasingly being used instead of or in conjunction with other forms of identification based on something you have (e.g. ID card) or something you know (e.g. password or PIN). (8.5 Biometrics) The direct Greek translation of life measurement is fitting because biometrics looks to measure physical or behavioral traits of a human for identification purposes. There are two types of biometrics: behavioral and physical. Behavioral biometrics measures the characteristics that an individual naturally acquires over the span of their lifetime. Examples of this technology include speaker recognition, signature verification, and keystroke verification. Physical biometrics measures the physical characteristics and body measurements of an individual. Examples of this technology include facial recognition, iris and retinal scan fingerprinting, and DNA typing (Biometric Definition-What, 2005). There are also two modes that biometrics can operate in: verification and identification. Verification is used to validate a person against who they claim or present themselves to be. It is a one to one match between the acquired template of the individual and a stored template for matching. This mode relies on individuals entering their biometric information into the system prior to trying to gain access to it (8.5 Biometrics). Identification is the process of trying to figure out who an individual is. This involves a comparison of the individual to a list of templates stored in the database. (Yun, 2003) Physical biometrics can be used for either verification or identification while behavioral biometrics is typically only used for verification purposes. (Biometric Definition-What, 2005) The History of Biometrics Biometrics seems to be a modern day technology, but its concept was actually applied as far back as the fourteenth century. Chinese merchants used fingerprinting during the fourteenth century to identify children (Osborn, 2005). In 1890, Alphonse Bertillon developed a form of biometrics known as anthropometrics. Anthropometrics is a method of identifying individuals based on precise measurements of their body and physical descriptions. This method fell out of use when it was discovered that multiple individuals could share the same body measurements. (Biometrics History, 2006) Early in the 20th century, an applied mathematician named Karl Pearson used statistical history and correlation to biometrics research. Signature biometric authentication was developed during the 1960s and 1970s, marking a huge breakthrough in behavioral biometrics. (Osborn, 2005) Also during this time, the FBI pushed for automating their fingerprint recognition process. This automation was the start of modern day biometrics, a combination of the biometrics process with information technology. During the 2001 Superbowl in Tampa, Florida, face recognition software was installed at the stadium to identify known criminals. (Biometrics History, 2006) Post 9/11 terrorist attacks, there was a huge push by the U.S. government to implement biometrics on a large scale. The government began installing facial recognition hardware and software in airports to identify suspected terrorists. (Osborn, 2005) Generic Biometric System While there are many biometric technologies in use today, and many more being invested in and researched on, they all share a similar process flow (Yun, 2003). The following image is a basic block diagram of a biometric system: Source: (Yun, 2003) The process always starts with some type of sensor device. This is what captures the biometric information. The capture information is then sent through a processing phase. Here the information is cleaned up, noise is removed, and the important data is enhanced. The processed data is then put together to form a template. A template is what represents the biometric data within the system. If its the first time the individual is using the system, the template is stored within the system. Otherwise, the generated template is compared against an already stored template during the matching process. If the biometric technology is operating in a verification mode, the generated template is matched against a specific stored template. If the technology is operating in an identification mode, the generated template is matched against a list of stored templates. If the matching process yields a positive match, then the individual is granted access to the application device. (Yun, 2003) Current Global Biometric Market It is important to consider the prevalence of biometrics. Although it may seem futuristic, biometrics is being used in countries all over the world. According to Prabhakar, Pankanti, and Jain, biometric applications fall into three main categories: commercial, government, and forensic. The commercial category includes applications used in e-commerce, banking, and social networking sites. Governments use biometrics for drivers licenses, immigration control, and e-passports. Forensic applications include devices used in criminal investigation and prisoner identity control. (Prabhakar, Pankanti, Jain, 2003) According to BCC research, the global biometric revenue increased from $1.950 billion in 2006 to $2.7 billion in 2007. The compound annual growth rate from 2007 to 2012 was expected to be 21.3% (The Global Biometrics Market, 2007). As you can see from the figure below, the biometric technology being used ranges from fingerprint scanners, leading the market, to hand geometry scanners. The market statistics above were derived in 2007. As a means for comparison, our group thought it best to obtain market research from at least one more source. According to a more recent article, issued by homeland security newswire on January 18, 2011, the market is expected to grow at 18.9% per year until 2015, bringing estimated global revenue from biometrics up to $12 billion in 2015. Fingerprint technologies will still dominate the market, with face, iris, vein, voice recognition following (Biometrics market expected, 2011). BCC assumed a 21.3% annual growth rate, which would have made 2011 expected revenue around $5.8 billion, the actual 2011 global biometric market revenues totaled $5 billion (Biometrics market expected, 2011). The main point is that the global biometrics market has been growing as expected and is expected to grow. Biometric technology offers significant advantages, but there are some limitations that need to be addressed as the biometric market continues to grow. For example, although the US has been the leader of the biometric market, scanning of iris or fingerprints to use ATM machines has not been implemented due to privacy and expense concerns. (Biometric ATMs not, 2005) One of the major limitations is the issue of privacy. The issue of privacy and other limitations, if not resolved, may continue to prevent the biometric market growth as seen by Americans lack of biometric ATM machines. The following section will discuss limitations of generic biometric systems Limitations of Biometrics An obvious issue with biometrics is costs. The table below was derived from the product offerings of a leading biometrics supplier, digitalPersona, Inc., using the framework from their whitepaper on best practices. This chart includes all aspects of a typical authentication system. As you can see the cost of biometric technology hardware and software is expensive in itself and costs for training, design, maintenance, and security will also be incurred. Category Details Cost Time Training Users, administrators $100-$1,500 per user 1 hour 5 days Design Ensure compatibility with other systems $1,000-$4,000 1 day 10 days Installation Hardware and software purchases/configure $3,000-$50,000 10 days 30 days User enrollment Acquisition of biometrics $50-$175 per user .75 hr Maintenance Add/modify users $25-$200 per instance 0.5 hr Security Extra safeguards within system to ensure privacy $500-$20,000 1 day 10 days Source: (Best Practices, 2009) Another area of concern with biometrics is the fact that once a biometric image has been leaked or obtained by an unauthorized source, that image is no longer secure for use with any application (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). Authentication tools, such as passwords, keys, and identification cards have always been easily cancellable and renewable, but biometrics have been a concern because users only have, in general, one face, two eyes, one set of fingerprints, etc. (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). Although it is difficult to do, determined data thieves can extract biometric images and put them to improper use, rendering stolen images useless in terms of security. The figure below demonstrates eight vulnerabilities of ordinary biometric systems. Source: (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). Figure www.fidis.netOnce original biometric data is obtained, reproduction can easily be achieved. Attacks around the sensor may include inputting fake or copied biometric signal (point 1) or using a copy of a genuine biometric, tape with fingerprint, to bypass the sensor (point 2) (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). The other parts of the system, feature extraction method (points 3 and 4), the matching device and decision (points 4 and 8), the database that holds the biometric images (point 6), and the communication channel between database and matcher (point 7), are much harder to attack, but if successfully breached will result in the theft or alteration of biometric templates which cannot be replaced (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). The biggest disadvantage of biometrics is that biometric data cannot be changed or reset. For example, if a password is stolen, a new password can be created. However, if a biometric characteristic is stolen from a database, a new biometric characteristic cannot be issued. Thus, if a biometric database is compromised, that biometric used for authentication purposes cannot be used again. Finally, there is a huge privacy concern, as seen with the USs delay of implementing ATMs with biometric systems. The uniqueness of biometric data raises this concern. There is already an enormous amount of data being collected by social networking sites, employers, the government, retail stores, medical centers, etc., Each entity may identify someone with data that can either be changed or is not solely unique to them, such as an email address or a name (Joe Smith). Thus, if the government wanted information from a retail store about a particular person, they may not be able to determine, from the retailers database, whether it is Joe Smith from California or Joe Smith from Arkansas. Currently to make data sharing possible, data would have to be paired with more data in order to identify the right person and then share information about that person between entities. This idea of data sharing among entities produces a fear in some people with regards to the use of biometrics because biometric data is completely unique to a person. If all these entities have biometric data, data unique to just one individual, all the entities could share data in their databases (cross-matching). For example, data collected by private company can be matched with the governments data. (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) One solution to this privacy concern is cancellable biometrics (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). Cancellable biometrics allows authentication biometric signals to be re-set if a database is every compromised. Basically, cancellable biometrics distorts a biometric signal based on a certain transform during enrollment, and continues to distort it the same way for every presentation and authentication thereafter (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). If biometric data is ever stolen, a new transform is used and re-enrollment is allowed (Gaddam, Lal, 2010). The following sections further explain cancellable biometrics and how it can mitigate the risks of biometric systems vulnerabilities. History of Cancellable Biometrics The study and research around cancellable biometrics is relatively new with most research beginning around the turn of the 21st century. Although many have contributed to the field, several publications, including the Encyclopedia of Biometrics (2009) and The Journal of the Pattern Recognition Society credit Nalini Ratha with the concepts that led to the creation of cancellable biometrics (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). Cancellable biometrics was conceptualized as a way to address the potential downsides and security concerns of ordinary biometrics. In order to prevent the preclusion of a biometric image, cancellable biometrics was created. The goal of cancellable biometrics is to provide biometric authentication that is not only unique to an individual, but one that also has the ability to be changed. Cancellable biometrics does not provide extra security around biometrically authenticated systems, but does provide a way to avoid losing the ability to use biometrics as an authentication m ethod. As its name suggests, cancellable biometrics allows a biometric template to be cancelled and replaced with a new image that is based on the same biometric data, resulting in one of many possible permutations (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). According to the Encyclopedia of Biometrics (2009), cancellable biometrics allows biometric images to be reset by encoding each biometric image with a different distortion scheme for each application that uses the image (Lee Jain, 2009). In order to assure the security of each permutated biometric image, a unique distortion scheme must be used for each unique application (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). The use of a distortion scheme creates an image for storage in a database that is not an exact match to the original biometric measure, therefore changing the image is as easy as changing the distortion scheme. Next we will discuss the concepts behind cancellable biometrics that are used to increase the security of biometric authentication and to keep biometric data unique. The Concepts Behind Cancellable Biometrics There are three criteria that a cancellable biometric template must meet in order to be useful and secure: (1) each cancellable template must be used for only one application, (2) the revocation and reissue procedures must be straightforward, and (3) the template computation must not be able to be reversed in order to protect the original biometric data. These three steps may also be referred to as diversity, reusability, and one-way transformation, respectively (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). Using the same biometric template for multiple applications exposes data to the same threats that using the same password for multiple applications would. If an unauthorized user gains access to one application, access can be achieved to all applications that use the same template. When using one template for multiple applications, no matter how strong the security is for the strongest application, the security of all the applications with the same authorization template is only as strong as the weakest link. Addressing the second criteria, that revocation and reissue procedures must be straightforward, is as it says, straightforward. Without a straightforward way to cancel and reissue a biometric template, biometric data is subject to interception and physical alteration (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). The third criterion, that the computation of the template not be reversible, is also meant to protect the integrity and the identity of the original biometric data (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008). If a computation can be reversed, and the original biometric data is revealed, the biometric measurement will be useless and unsecure. A popular method for creating non-invertible biometric data is to use a hashing function. Due to the unique characteristics of individual biometric data, there are several guidelines that a hashing function must take into account when creating non-invertible data. For example, regarding fingerprint data, Tulyakov, Mansukhani, Govindaraju, and Farooq (2007) suggest that hashing functions should have similar hash values for similar fingerprints, different values for fingerprints that are different, that the rotation of a fingerprint should not affect the hash value, and that, if sufficient minutiae is available, partial fingerprints should be matched. Minutiae refer to uniquely identifiable points on a set of fingerprints (Tulyakov, Farooq, Mansukhani, Govindaraju, 2007). Within cancellable biometrics there are two distortion techniques that are widely recognized, signal domain distortion and feature domain distortion. What signal and feature domain distortion basically provide are ways to either distort a biometric image directly after acquisition or extract features from a biometric image, such as minutiae, and then distort the features, respectively (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). Signal domain distortion creates an independent image to be registered by a biometric reader, but still provides landmarks that can be compared to the original image, e.g. points on a persons face or eyes, for authentication. Feature domain distortion extracts template features and scrambles them, providing a sufficient technique for biometric measurements, such as fingerprints, which would be difficult to preserve accurate minutiae and a similar image (Lee Jain, 2009). How it works: Cancellable biometrics is achieved when a normal biometrics pattern is modified before it is stored in an intentional and repeatable method. This change in the pattern can be initiated by several methods, however this topic is still in development and a single industry best practice has not yet been distilled. Instead of the actual values from the biometric sensor being stored, a value that is the combination of the modifier and the sensors reading is stored. In the case that the biometrics is impersonated or the database is compromised, the modifier can be changed and the user can be authenticated with the system. (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) Modifiers can be anything from a random number, a personal identification number, or even another biometric reading. The combination of these two items, similar to two-factor authentication, can create a unique key that uses both an individually unique value with the independent but derived from the biometric. (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) Once the biometric reader scans the individual, an algorithm is applied to the value. This transformation can happen in either the scanning device or post-processed within the computer system before it is validated against the record within the database. These readers can be hardware devices that connect to a computer network or appliances which are self-contained. After successful verification of credentials the user is granted authentication. (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) Demo: use ppt slides to explain the images and how they are distorted and stored for cancellable biometrics. Advantages of Cancellable Biometrics Different entities and different applications use different transforms for the same signals. This prevents the sharing between databases of different entities (Gaddam, Lal, 2010). For example, a law enforcement agency will use one transform for a fingerprint scan, and a commercial entity will use a different transform for the same fingerprint scan. This idea of diversity makes cross-matching impossible. As seen in the figure below, the merchant takes the biometric data from the customer and compares it to a transform from one of the transform databases associated with a particular service (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). This should ease privacy concerns as different transforms are held in different databases per entity. Source: (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) Also, the authentication server never stores original biometrics (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). The benefit is that the risk of identity theft is significantly reduced because the transforms are non-invertible. Even if a hacker accessed a template database, there would be no way for he/she to figure out the original biometric. The reusability feature, described in the section titled The Concepts Behind Cancellable Biometrics of this paper, protects the biometric authentication process from becoming obsolete. If cancellable biometrics did not offer re-usability and data continually was compromised, theoretically, people would start to run out of body parts to use. Limitations of Cancellable Biometrics Cancellable biometrics is not the solution to all of the limitations of biometrics. Cancellable biometrics provides a solution for privacy concerns and resetting issues related to biometrics. However, it does not decrease the enormous cost associated with biometrics. Also, it does not prevent the use of a copied biometric signal (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001). For example, if someone found a way to obtain a copy of a fingerprint and used that copy of the genuine biometric to access a system/account/place etc., matching could be possible and access could be granted. Cancellable biometrics prevents identity theft by the use of non-invertible transforms and it increases privacy by preventing data sharing among entities because original biometric data is never stored, it doesnt prevent people from using copies of genuine biometrics. As discussed in the section Limitations of Biometrics, biometric systems are subject to attack. Cancellable biometrics does not prevent an attack, however, i f a biometric database or other parts of the system are compromised, a new transform can be used for the authentication process and the hacker will not be able to obtain the original biometric. Thus it mitigates the damage, but not the risk of attack. Another limitation of cancellable biometrics is the trade-off of higher protection for higher error rates. The invertible feature increases protection of original data, but causes a decrease in recognition accuracy (Cheung, Kong, Zhang, Kamel, You, Lam). This may lead to a higher false rejection rate. A higher false rejection rate is inefficient and costly. Conclusion: The global biometric market is expected to continue growing. However, limitations of generic biometric systems may inhibit the market growth from its full potential. General limitations of generic biometric systems include enormous costs, fake enrollment, physical copies bypassing sensors, attacks on the system parts and/or database, threat to privacy of individuals, and failure to reset biometrics. Cancellable biometrics provides a solution to some of generic biometric system limitations. With cancellable biometrics, a biometric template must have three criteria: (1) each cancellable template must be used for only one application, (2) the revocation and reissue procedures must be straightforward, and (3) the template computation must not be able to be reversed in order to protect the original biometric data. These three criteria, also known as diversity, reusability, and one-way transformation (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008), disallow data-sharing among entities, protect the overall biomet rics from becoming obsolete, and prevent a hacker from obtaining genuine biometrics. Our team believes that due to the demand for biometrics in general, cancellable biometrics has a potential market. IBM has been researching and developing cancellable biometrics. According to an article off IBMs website, Helping enhance security and protect identities, several large banks have been talking with IBM about the use of cancellable biometrics. Cancellable biometrics also is applicable to sectors of the government like the IRS, Social Security administration, and law enforcement organizations (Helping enhance security-). Thus, cancellable biometrics may evolve from research and development into a marketable tool that may refresh the global biometrics market. Work Cited 8.5 Biometrics. University of Leicester. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from . Citation: (8.5 Biometrics) Biometric ATMs not being used in U.S. (2005, October 11). Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9660429/ns/technology_and_science-security/ Citation: (Biometric ATMs not, 2005) Biometric Definition What Is Biometrics? Biometrics Technology : Explained. (2005) Retrieved April 25, 2011 from . Citation: (Biometric Definition-What, 2005) Biometrics History. (2006). Biometrics.gov. NSTC Subcommittee on Biometrics, April 18, 2011. . Citation: (Biometrics History, 2006) Biometrics market expected to hit $12 billion in 2015. (2011, January 18). Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/biometrics-market-expected-hit-12-billion-2015-0 Citation: (Biometrics market expected, 2011) Best Practices for Implementing Fingerprint Biometrics in Application. (2009). DigitalPersona. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.digitalpersona.com/uploadedFiles/Collateral/White_papers/DP-wp-appbestpractices2009-08-21.pdf Citation: (Best Practices, 2009) Cheung, H.K, Kong, A., Zhang, D., Kamel, M., You, J., You, T., Lam. H-W., (n.d.). An analysis on accuracy of cancellable biometrics based on biohashing. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Computing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China. Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://pami.uwaterloo.ca/~cswkkong/publication/CheungKES2005Final.pdf Citation: (Cheung, Kong, Zhang, Kamel, You, Lam) Gaddam, S.V.K, Lal, M. (2010). Efficient cancellable biometric key generation scheme for cryptography. International Journal of Network Security, 11(2), 61-69. Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://ijns.femto.com.tw/contents/ijns-v11-n2/ijns-2010-v11-n2-p61-69.pdf Citation: (Gaddam, Lal, 2010) Helping enhance security and protect identities. IBM. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://domino.watson.ibm.com/odis/odis.nsf/pages/board.10.html (Helping enhance security-) Lee, S.Z., Jain, A.K. (2009). Encyclopedia biometrics. Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://books.google.com/books?id=0bQbOYVULQcCpg=PA175lpg=PA175dq=definition+of+cancellable+biometricssource=blots=hGzi-8vSaHsig=-nkyxjWspXze1UzIzF9BCfGPdlQhl=enei=sOWwTePoAcjXgQfM9oToCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4sqi=2ved=0CCoQ6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false Citation: (Lee Jain, 2009) Osborn, A. (2005, August 17) Biometrics History the History of Biometrics from past to Present. Video Surveillance Systems, Security Cameras CCTV Equipment Guide. April, 25, 2011. . Citation: (Osborn, 2005) Piuri, Vincenzo (2008) Fingerprint Biometrics via Low-cost Sensors and Webcams. IEEE. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://clem.dii.unisi.it/~vipp/files/prin/2008_Conf_BTAS__ImageProcessingForFingerprintBiometricsViaLowcostCamerasAndWebcams.pdf Citation: (Piuri, 2008) Prabhakar, S, Pankanti, S, Jain, A. K. (2003, March). Biometric recognition: security and privacy concerns. IEEE Security and Privacy. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.cse.msu.edu/biometrics/Publications/GeneralBiometrics/PrabhakarPankantiJain_BiometricSecurityPrivacy_SPM03.pdf Citation: (Prabhakar, Pankanti, Jain, 2003) Ratha, N.K., Connell, J.H., Bolle, R.M. (2001). Enhancing security and privacy in biometrics-based authentication systems. IBM Systems Journal , 40(3), 614-634 Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://www.google.com/#sclient=psyhl=ensite=source=hpq=Enhancing+security+and+privacy+in+biometrics-based+authentication+systemsaq=faqi=g1aql=foq=pbx=1bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.fp=f4864d47f9f205c8biw=1366bih=583 Citation: (Ratha, Connell, Bolle, 2001) Teoh, A.B.J., Kuan, Y.W., Lee, S. (2008). Cancellable biometrics and annotations on biohash. Journal of the Pattern Recognition Society, 41(6), 2034-2044 Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6V14-4RBYCY01_user=513551_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2008_rdoc=1_fmt=high_orig=gateway_origin=gateway_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1731821718_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000025338_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=513551md5=475892d68fa817e0474084b6dcd88f78searchtype=a Citation: (Teoh, Kuan, Lee, 2008) The Global Biometrics Market. (2007, December). Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.bccresearch.com/report/biometrics-global-market-ift042b.html Citation: (The Global Biometrics Market, 2007) Tulyakov, S, Farooq, F, Mansukhani, P, Govindaraju, V. (2007). Symmetric hash functions for secure fingerprint biometric systems. Pattern Reconition Letters, 28(16), 2427-2436. Retrieved April 22, 2011 from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6V15-4PFW6247_user=513551_coverDate=12%2F01%2F2007_rdoc=1_fmt=high_orig=gateway_origin=gateway_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1731826413_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000025338_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=513551md5=827daed9e4525f816e7cf49eaa173152searchtype=a Citation: (Tulyakov, Farooq, Mansukhani, Govindaraju, 2007) Yun, W. (2003) The 123 of Biometric Technology. [web] Accessed 18 April 2011 from www.itsc.org/sg/synthesis/2002/biometric.pdf. Citation: (Yun, 2003)

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies :: William Golding

Symbolism in Lord Of The Flies In Lord Of The Flies, by William Golding, there is an immense amount of symbolism. A major symbol mentioned multiple times was the pig's head and the beast. There were some other symbols including Piggy's Specs, human brutality, and death. Golding shows that when people are taken away from society they become more like animals and much less civilized. The first symbol, the pig's head, is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils." As the image is further depicted the reader gains a sense of brutality shown through this one human action. Simon begins talking to the head and even though the conversation may have been a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast isn't an "external force" and the pig's head tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! O You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" The gruesomeness of this symbol is once again shown at the end of the conversation when Simon faints after he sees the "blackness within, a blackness that spread." Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the imaginations of the boys, the beast is a source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others. Simon tells them, ?Maybe, O maybe there is a beast O What I mean is O maybe it's only us.? In response to Simon's statement, the other boys, who had once conducted their meetings with some sense of order, immediately begin to argue more fiercely. The crowd gives a ?wild whoop? when Jack rebukes Ralph, saying ?Bollocks to the rules! We're strong o we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat!? The boys fear of the beast and their desire to kill it shows that s ociety's rules once had power over them and has been loosened during the time they have spent without supervision on the island. The evil within the boys has more effect on their existence as they spend more time on the island, isolated from the rest of society, and this decline is portrayed by Piggy's Specs.

Mediation and Advocacy Literature Review Essay

In the human services field there is a combination of areas that require mediation and advocacy. Human services consist of and utilize a number of disciplines. Mediation is usually defined as a process in which an impartial third party helps parties resolve a dispute or plan a transaction by assisting their negotiations. Approaches, however, can vary considerably. Many mediators tend to use the same approach regardless of the situations of the parties. But others are flexible and do whatever will work. Each approach has potential advantages and disadvantages. Advocacy is helping or assisting those within a special population acquire the services they need. Advocacy is when someone supports you to speak up about a certain thing. It aims to make sure that an individual’s opinions and/or plight are heard and understood. Many disputes are presented when working as a mediator and an advocate in the human services field. Advocacy and Mediation necessitate a person to stay unbiased in order to assist individuals resolve their issues. The roles of advocates and mediators also come with restrictions which if not followed, could lead them to have severe legal problems. Mediators recognize that research is essential to the advancement of knowledge and that all investigations must be conducted with respect for the rights and dignity of participants and with concern for their welfare. Specifically, the conditions of the Human Subjects Experimentation, as designated by the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States Federal Government, shall be adhered to. (www.mediate.com) Being an advocate can present ethical, moral and legal issues, ethical issues are presented everywhere within advocacy. Those advocates have the ethical liability to act with honesty and sincerity. Advocates have the moral responsibility to help clients and social reasons. The most difficult task in their obligations is the legal and ethical limitations they face when taking on their cases. Some of the most rigorous limitations include laws regarding defamation or even hate crimes. These hate crimes are not only at hand in relation to racisms. An increase in hate crimes has been seen towards and in relation with same-sex marriages. These advocates are faced with the intricate task of protecting these people from hate crimes and must at the same time uphold their ethical and moral obligation to their clients regardless of their own personal beliefs (Barsky, 2007). The assimilation of advocacy and mediation plays a vital role within all human services agencies. These positions are highly recommended to unbiased knowledgeable individuals seeking to help improve society. Advocates support and preserve their stance on their meticulous beliefs and do so in an organized group fashion. A mediator in contrast assists people with decision making; they provide alternatives to their problems through coordinated counseling or support groups. Mediators strive to assist in a wide array of approaches and provide both parties with the best tools and documentation in order to realize a positive result, nevertheless mediators do not make the final decisions as they are only there to facilitate both parties to a arrive at an agreement (Barsky, 2007). Mediation and advocacy also allow clients to become familiar with the laws and limitations in relation to their issues in hopes to eliminate further escalations of the issue; whether it is a social or legal topic. Advocacy allows people the opportunity to defend their personal beliefs and voice what he or she believes to be right or wrong. The presence of these two entities allows the resolution of conflicts and conflic ting beliefs from escalating in to violence or further legal actions. Whether it may be defending the basic human rights or the difficult topics of parental rights or partial custodies; mediators provide an undeniable crucial Advocates understand the complex interface between the individuals and even the communities in which they live in. Being around the individual helps the advocate and mediator access and determine what type of people they are around and see how society interacts with their lives. The individual’s behavior would provide insight into what makes them comfortable; so there want be a need for barriers. Advocates and mediators recognize this type of closure and are specialized in learning how to gain the individuals trust. Advocates and mediators also distinguish how an individual lives with one another and can determine a lot about their lifestyle. Human services act as advocates as well when trying to determine any needs that have not been facilitated for clients. The needs could be great but it is up to human services to determine whether it’s assistance at home, medical and school issues for their children if they have any because unfortunately when adults are having problems, they do reflect on their children. Children are easiest to please but when their parents are having issues at home it can be emotionally offensive to the children if the parents aren’t careful, going to counseling and getting their children involved could help determine the cause and hopefully find a solution. In conclusion I have discovered that mediators and advocates provide a strong backbone for the different disciplines that encompass human services. Human services, advocates and mediators are all allowed to form a positive and engaging environment with the individuals that they relate with. Advocates work with clients in order to help them negotiate more effectively on their own behalves while also acting on behalf of one client. Human services are aware of their own cultural backgrounds, principles, and ethics, recognizing the prospective impact on their relationships with others. Human services advocate for the rights of all members of society, particularly those who are members of minorities and groups at which discriminatory practices have historically been directed (National Organization for Human Services, 2009). Connecting mediation and advocacy to human services involves all parties fully engaged in helping individuals surpass their disputes. Obtaining commitments and considering alternatives are good negotiation ethics that a professional must encounter to have a balanced reasonable connection with their clients (Barsky, Chapter 3 , page 78, 2000). References: Barsky. A.E. (2000). Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professional (2nd ed.). Retrieved From the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Mediation Council of Illinois. (1999, August). Standards of Practice for Mediators, Illinois Retrieved February 10, 2013, from http://www.mediate.com/articles National Association of Social Workers. (2011). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from http://www.socialworkers.org

Practice These Italian Workbook Exercises

Practice These Italian Workbook Exercises Are you studying the Italian language? Here are some exercises to help you with your skills. Present Tense: First-Conjugation Regular Verbs A. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Loro ________________ lentamente. (camminare)Tu ________________ la macchina. (guidare)Adriana non ________________ il quaderno. (trovare)Marco ________________ lorologio. (guardare)Io ________________ i biglietti. (comprare)Voi ________________ ad alta voce. (cantare)________________ fino a tardi voi? (lavorare)Io ________________ il ricevitore. (alzare)Noi ________________ la lezione. (imparare)Loro ________________ in ritardo. (arrivare) Present Tense: Second-Conjugation Regular Verbs B. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Il professore non ________________. (rispondere)Noi ________________ un caffà ©. (bere)Loro ________________ un film. (vedere)Io ________________ la macchina. (vendere)Tu ________________ i giornali. (leggere)Io ________________ due aspirine. (prendere)Noi non ________________ la storia. (credere)Voi ________________ ogni sera. (correre)Anna Maria ________________ sempre le chiavi! (perdere)Roberta e Fabrizio ________________ volentieri delle lettere. (scrivere) Present Tense: Third-Conjugation Regular Verbs C. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Loro ________________ il campanello. (sentire)Il cuoco ________________ le patate. (bollire)Franco ________________ la scatola. (aprire)Io ________________ il caffà © alle amiche. (offrire)Voi ________________ la verit. (scoprire)Noi ________________ la finestra. (aprire)Marcantonio ________________ bene. (vestire)Tu ________________ il pericolo. (sfuggire)Voi ________________ oggi. (partire)Io ________________ le bevande. (servire)

Stars and Stripes Forever †Theology Essay

Stars and Stripes Forever – Theology Essay Free Online Research Papers Stars and Stripes Forever Theology Essay Someone once said, â€Å"Everybody loves a parade.† As a boy, I remember the crowds of people lining both sides of the street in the tiny town of Herrick, Illinois for the annual Fourth of July parade. I miss that parade of people. It was a virtual kaleidoscope of Americana. Regardless of the diversity of people, when the American flag passed by carried proudly by the color guard, we all stood in gratitude for the freedom we hold so dearly and saluted those who paid freedom’s price. What would Independence Day be without the traditional fireworks displays lighting up the night skies across America with dazzling colors and patterns. I love to watch those amazing pyrotechnics accompanied by John Phillip Sousa’s â€Å"The Stars and Stripes Forever†. The grand finale is the red, white, and blue American flag exploding into the night sky. As I watch, I remember the great heritage left me by forbearers such as John Adams. I think of my wife’s ancestors, some of the first Swedish immigrants to settle in the Dakota Territory. I think of my Pakistani oncologist who came to America to live in freedom as a Christian. I think of others in our community who can freely practice their religion, if they desire. I think of the Hispanics and the Asians who have come to America seeking opportunities to live a better life. I pray that the Stars and Stripes will wave forever over America. Our nation’s founding fathers knew how to count the cost of liberty. They considered our freedom much more important than the security they enjoyed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. They paid the price to win our freedom. Someone has said, â€Å"To be born free is a privilege. To die free is an awesome responsibility. Yet freedom is never free. It is always purchased at great cost.† John Quincy Adams warned us, â€Å"Posterity – you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.† In 1776 Thomas Payne gave us this insight, â€Å"What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a price on its goods and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.† How can America continue to be a great nation? She must trust in God. Our American system is really the political expression of Christian ideas. It is a nation founded upon the rock of religion and rooted in the love of man. In 1851 Daniel Webster was reviewing the history of â€Å"this great American family†, he reaffirmed the need and role of God in government, â€Å"Let the religious element in man’s nature be neglected, let him be influenced by no higher motives than low self-interest and be subjected to no stronger restraint than the limits of civil authority and he becomes the creature of selfish passion or blind fanaticism. On the other hand, the cultivation of the religious sentiment represses licensiontiousness . . . inspires respect for law and order and gives strength to the whole social fabric at the same time that it conducts the human soul upward to the Author of its being.† Charles Malik, at one time the Ambassador to the United Nations from Lebanon, put it this way, â€Å"The good in the United States would never have come into being without the blessing and the power of Jesus Christ . . . I know how embarrassing this matter is to politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, and cynics; but, whatever these honored men think, the irrefutable truth is that the soul of America is at its best and highest Christian.† The concluding words of our National Anthem summarize the fact that the United States of America was born out of a commitment to God and His principles found in the Bible. â€Å"Blessed with victory and peace, may this Heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our case if just; And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust!’ And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.† Jesus Christ died – and rose – to make men free – all men, all nations. Through Christ, we are freed from the wages of sin. â€Å"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.† Through Christ, you can be internally and eternally free. â€Å"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life† (John 3:16). Research Papers on Stars and Stripes Forever - Theology Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationWhere Wild and West MeetDefinition of Export QuotasHip-Hop is ArtTwilight of the UAWCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings

Assignment 2 Individual Reflection to the module of Strategic Essay

Assignment 2 Individual Reflection to the module of Strategic Management - Essay Example ective of this model is that it gives the future consultants tools set for adaptation to reforming imperatives and managing changes (Ackermann & Eden 1998). Strategic management is the process meant to draft, implement and evaluate functional decisions that enables an organisation to achieve its long term goals. Ackermann & Eden (1998) states that strategic management involves the mission, vision, objectives as well as policies designed to achieve these set objectives. This model has got various theories and model. These include; Porters five forces. These forces determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of the market. To begin with we look at the threat of new competitors. In a market situation especially a profitable one, may result to high output that attracts investors and therefore decrease the market share. To deal with this problem, a manager needs to set up objectives and strategies that will maintain their customers. These strategies may include customer loyalty. Another force is the rivalry between existing firms. This is where firms operating on the same level compete for market share and profitability (Ackermann & Eden 1998). Managers set up strategies based on price, quality and innovation of brand names. Competition can mostly be avoided through technological progress. Bargaining power of buyers is also categorised in the porter’s five forces of strategic management. It can be defined as the ability of the buyers to make the firm run under pressure. It also involves the bargaining power of suppliers and the threats of substitutes that affect a market situation. In reference to the above models, I think the perceived strengths would be insisting on customers’ royalty. This is because the customer will always be right. If this objective is enhanced then there will be increase in market share as well as firm’s output. The weakness of practicing this model is that most firms would not afford raw materials such as capital to influence

Discuss the usefulness and limitations of financial ratios in Essay - 1

Discuss the usefulness and limitations of financial ratios in evaluating the performance and management of companies - Essay Example 300). The most common ratio is the current ratio/working capital ratio which represents the ratio of current assets to current assets. This ratio shows the company’s capability to meet its short term bills and expenses. Current ratio which is greater than one is more preferred since it means that the company has more current assets than current liabilities. A ratio which is less than one is unfavorable because it means that the company has more current liabilities than assets (Whittington 1980, p. 222). A high current ratio indicates a safety cushion and increases the flexibility since some of the stock items and receivables in arrears may not be easily be converted into cash. Entities can improve current ratio by the conversion of short term debts into long term debt, collecting promptly its receivables, buying inventory when only needed and necessary and paying down all debt. Current ratio is given by: This ratio is often termed as a more stringent liquidity test as it indicates whether a firm has adequate short-term assets to cover for current liabilities and this excludes selling inventory. A ratio of 1:1 shows that that an entity can pay its expenses without being forced to sell inventory (Barnes 1987, p.484). Working capital is a measure of cash flow and for an entity to be running well, this ratio must always be positive. This ratio measures the amount of that has been invested in resources subject to quick turn over. In most cases, lenders use this ratio to evaluate and ascertain the ability of the company at hard times (Whittington 1980, p. 219). In the financial year 2013, easy jet plc had the following liquidity ratios namely, current ratio of 0.89, quick ratio of 0.89 and a cash ratio of 0.75. All these ratios were positive thus favorable for the entity. One major limitation of the liquidity ratios is that they do not focus much on the