Disc Arthroplasty Essay Example for Free

Disc Arthroplasty Essay Degenerative disc disease have been a problem for many people as this disease brings about low back pain that seems to paralyze the working force,   the middle adulthood population (Smeltzer, 2004). Not only does it bring impaired quality of life to those who suffer from it, but Arvind Kulkarni adds large health care expenses to the list of problems brought about by this disease as seen in his article entitled Prosthetic Lumbar disc replacement for degenerative disc disease. Spinal fusion, which is the medical management for degenerative disc disease, has been criticized by several doctors in the practice due to its untoward effects in the patient’s overall recovery and lifetime improvement. Specialist in the field, Christoph Siepe, identified these unpleasant effects as accelerated adjacent system degeneration, pseudarthrosis, spinal canal stenosis, and donor site morbidity. Adjacent segment degeneration, as mentioned by Peter Ullrich in his article entitled Fusion versus Artificial Disc Arthroplasty for Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, stated that this is the major complication of spinal fusion and the reason why most surgeons want this procedure replaced. Adjacent segment degeneration or ASD happens when mechanical stress is transferred to the adjacent segment, also mentioned by Peter Ullrich. But research showed that this procedure can be modified to show more positive results. An anterior lumbar interbody fusion showed a low occurrence of revision surgery needed, which meant low frequency of adjacent segment degeneration, all pointed out in Mr. Ullrich’s paper.   However, to achieve this outcome, Mr. Ullrich declared that there should be an improvement in patient selection and in the procedure. The patients should be those patients having degenerative disc disease in their 5th lumbar to 1st sacral segment, because there is minimal motion at this level. By doing so, he states that fusing these segments do not change the patient’s mobility as much.   But not all are satisfied of this result. Doctors and specialists are continuously making efforts to totally changing the primary medical management for degenerative disc diseases. Studies have been conducted, and several replacement procedures were approved by the FDA. Peter Ullrich stated in his paper that the total disk replacement procedure was approved for medical use by the FDA in the year 2004 using the Charite artificial disc but for only one level of the spinal vertebrae, being the L4 – L5 or the L5 – S1. This is not the first time that a total or partial disc replacement was done. The history of this procedure was mentioned in an article in a website by Spine-Health that disc nucleus replacement was done first in 1955 by David Cleveland by injecting methyl-acrylic. Ever since then, there have two other FDA approved products aside from the Charite, the website Spine-Health states that the Prodisc was approved on August 2006 and the Kineflex lumbar on June 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A total disc replacement is being described by Jose Reyna in his article, Advances in Artificial Disc Technology, as being composed of two pieces of plates made of metal that has teeth to be able to attach itself to the end plates of the vertebral bones above and below it. This means that the particular intervertebral disc that is causing pain has to be removed and replaced by an artificial disc. Several artificial discs have been developed by various manufacturers in the country and they only differ in design and composition. The Charite, as mentioned earlier, is made up of a unique sliding core with two metal alloy end plates. The Prodisc being based on spherical articulations is made up of cobalt chromium molybdenum alloy as stated in the website Spine-Health. Inventors Qi-Bin Bao and Paul Higham developed a hydrogel prosthetic nucleus made up of PVA powder and a solvent mixed together, as seen on the article, Hydrogel intervertebral disc nucleus with diminished lateral bulging. The total disc replacement procedure has its advantages and disadvantages. Even after some models being approved by the FDA, it is still being assessed thoroughly by specialists in the field. Charles Rosen and Douglas Kiester report poor results and complications in the total disc replacement procedure. As it was mentioned in their study, this procedure causes fractures, severe pain, dislocations, extrusion of the implant, facet joint degeneration, and unexplained radiculopathy. They attribute these substandard results to the fact that the center of rotation of segmented motion is erroneous. Jose Reyna Jr. also mentions several disadvantages of the procedure in his study, stating that the anterior approach to the surgery can cause injury to the aorta and the common iliac vessels, can cause retrograde ejaculation in men by injuring the superior hypogastric plexus, hemorrhage can result from the retroperitoneal approach, and infection can occur. However, he also stated some advantages, as this procedure is said to maintain range of motion in majority of the patients as a long-term outcome. There are still a lot of studies to be conducted, and patients to be experimented on. A three year study conducted by Christoph Siepe et al., entitled Clinical Results of Total Lumbar Disc Replacement With ProDisc II: Three-Year Results for Different Indications, intended to assess total disc replacement outcome in patients who actually underwent the operation. Their results showed that not all degenerative disc diseases can be treated with this medical management. The best outcome was seen in patients exhibiting degenerative disc disease condition plus soft disc herniation or nucleus pulposus prolapse. Outcome was measured against the patient’s improvement from their preoperative levels. There were inferior results from the patients who had bisegmental damages, and a higher complication rate. Also it was mentioned that the younger patients, more specifically those aged below forty exhibited better outcome than those older than forty. Technology like this is still being developed, studied and modified as we speak. What is important is that there are people out there who care and who try to make a difference, whether it is by inventing, criticizing or being the experimental person wherein these new devices will be made a reality. References Charles Rosen, Douglas Kiester, Thay Q. Lee: The Potential Biomechanical Etiology for Lumbar Disc Replacement Failures: Review of 24 Patients and the Rationale for Revision . The Internet Journal of Minimally Invasive Spinal Technology. 2007. Volume 1 Number 2. Medscape. (2002). Advance in Artificial Disc Technology. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/445057 Medscape. (2002). Clinical Results of Total Lumbar Disc Replacement With ProDisc II: Three-Year Results for Different Indications. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/542479 Neurology India. (2005). Prosthetic Lumbar disc replacement for degenerative disc disease. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.neurologyindia.com/article.asp?issn=0028-3886;year=2005;volume=53;issue=4;spage=499;epage=505;aulast=Kulkarni Neurospine. (no indicated year). Fusion versus Artificial Disc Arthroplasty for Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.neurospinewi.com/newsletters/fusionvsartificial.html Patent Storm. (1996). Hydrogel intervertebral disc nucleus with diminished lateral bulging. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5534028-fulltext.html Smeltzer, S. and Bare, B. (2004). Medical-Surgical Nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Spine-Health. (1997-2007). Lumbar artificial disc surgery for chronic back pain. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.spine-health.com/research/discupdate/artificial/artificial01.html

User authentication

User authentication Introduction I was appointed as the new Network Manager for Philadelphia Inc. It is a large multinational organisation which has an extensive network of PCs comprising more than 1000 systems. This organisation relies heavily on its vast network for its day to day operation. Any potential risks need to be identified and minimised as far as possible. Recently a large number of PCs were affected by a virus, causing a work stoppage among the administration and accounting department. Following this incident of large scale virus infection, the company management has decided to completely review all the computer security precautions and procedures in use within the organisation. So, I have been designed to ensure that I can identify potential threats to the security of the organisation’s network and formulate appropriate action plans and security policies to minimise the risks. Research and document the various aspects of network security that need to be addressed including each of the following topics: Access control User authentication Firewalls Virus protection Accessing the Internet (15 Marks) I’m research and document the various aspects of network security that need to be addressed. Access control Access control is the methods for imposing controls that allow or deny user access to network resources, usually based on a user’s account or a group to which the user belongs. Access control is security features that determine which resources users are permitted to access, what type of access they are allowed, and how many simultaneous users can access a resource at the same time. They ensure data privacy and protection and help maintain a productive computing environment. User authentication User authentication is a security feature that allows an administrator to control who has access to the network and what users can do after they are logged on to the network. This might involve confirming the identity of a person, the origins of an object, or assuring that a computer program is a trusted one. Authentication is the process of determining the identity of a network user by verifying a set of user credentials, typically a user ID and password. Firewalls A firewall is a combination of hardware and software components that provide a protective barrier between networks with different security levels. Rules for transmitting and receiving information to and from the other network can be established for the firewall so that specific types of items or addresses are not allowed to pass between the networks. It sits between the computer and the rest of the network, and according to some criteria, it decides which communication to allow, and which communication to block. Firewalls protect a computer or network from unauthorised access and attacks designed to cripple network or computer performance. Moreover, it is also a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy all computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules and other criteria. Virus protection Virus protection means securing data from viruses that is designed to destroy data or make the computer or network operate inefficiently. Computer viruses are the programs that must be triggered or executed before they can infect the computer system and spread to others. Viruses can then be spread by sharing infected files on a network drive, portable drive, or other media, by exchanging infected files over the internet via e-mail attachments, or by downloading debatable files from the internet. Accessing the internet Accessing the internet is the telephone communication system that also covers the world linking telephones together. As with the telephone system, each device attached to the network can be reached through a unique code that represents that device’s location. The telephone system access and services are supplied to phone users by an array of competing local, long-distance, and wireless telephone companies, access to the internet is also supplied through a number of access and hosting companies using an array of different connectivity methods. A user in your company calls to report that she’s unable to log on to email. You respond with a couple of quick questions. Because you know that no one else is using the network right now, you cannot determine if the problem is unique to her machine or if the problem affects the entire network. Probing further, you also learn that she’s unable to print. You decide this problem is probably easier to troubleshoot from the user’s computer. Using the structured troubleshooting method, outline the things you must check and the questions you must ask when you arrive at the user’s office. Based on the possible responses to your questions, describe the actions you will take to correct the potential causes. (10 Marks) One of the users in our company reports me that she’s unable to log on to her email account. So, I asked her some questions- How long the duration of your user account? Do you sure the log on user name and password is correct. When it starts to unable to log on to your email? After I arrive at the user department, I check her computer and network. I also learn that she’s unable to print to a network printer. Probing some of the check, other users of this department can able to log on to their email account and can able to print. Therefore, I ask her a couple of quick questions again- What has changed since the last time you worked? Have you installed anything on your own? Are there applications on your computer that arent on other computers? Firstly, I check the power is plugged in, the Caps lock is on, all the cables are attached and network permissions for her computer. Then I check that she can get a connection online or not by browsing Google website and I see there is no connection online. So, I check the Ethernet cable and connection setting. In checking her problem, I document that what I do, so I can undo it if I need to. I use Ping to check the computer can contact an IP address of another PC or not. (Ping is the simplest and most useful diagnostic tool to become familiar with and well worth a few minutes experimentation.) The reply message is â€Å"Request timed out†. It is because of the connection or routing error. Then I restart the computer because 90% of all problems disappear when the computer is restart. To check the router, I Ping the local router, and it fails. So, the problem of the local LAN or the router is sure. Then, I find the router and switch to check the LED display. And I think they ar e not normal, so I switch the unit OFF, remove and immediately replace the power connection, then switch the unit ON. After it has done, I go back to the computer and retry to Ping the local router. I have successfully sent a message to the local router and receive a response. Then, I check the computer can get a connection online or not, and can able to browse the website or not. Then I see the computer successfully get a connection online. So, I check the email account can be able to log on or not and the printer can be able to print or not. Then I see the problems of the user are successfully solved. Task 3 Produce a Security Review report, which details the specific threats to network security for ALL of the topics identified in Task 1, namely Access Control, User Authentication, Firewalls, Virus Protection, and Accessing the Internet, along with your proposed solutions aimed at reducing the risks associated with each threat. (35 Marks) Access Control Access control can identify the users, and verify their identity through an authentication process so they can be held responsible for their actions. Good access control systems record and timestamp all communications and transactions so that access to systems and information can be audited later. The primary objective of access control is to preserve and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, systems, and resources. I use role-based access control and rule-based access control to identify the user. Role-based access control systems allow users to access systems and information based on their role within the organisation. It allows end-users access to information and resources based on their role within the organisation. Roles based access can be applied to groups of people or individuals. Rule-based access control systems allow users to access systems and information based on pre-determined and configured rules. Rules can be established that allow access to all end-users coming from a particular domain, host, network, or IP addresses. User Authentication User authentication is an important aspect of network computer security. For network computer, harm can be caused by hacking, malicious messages, viruses, malwares, adwares, email attachments, downloading illegal materials and many other types of activity. Moreover, the secret information of the company can be stolen by the attacker using spywares and Trojan horses. User authentication will reduce this harm by limiting individual’s access to a few systems, rather than the whole Internet. Network operating systems include tools that enable administrators to specify a number of options and restrictions on how and when users can log on to the network. There are options for password complexity requirements, logon hours, logon locations, and remote logons, among others. After a user is logged on, file system access controls and user permission settings determine what a user can access on a network and what actions a user can perform on the network. So I specify the numbers of options and policies for user authentication. I specify that the password is required for all users of the company, to use the company’s computer. The user password length must be typically a minimum of five to eight characters and user passwords must have three of these four characteristics: lowercase letters (such as abc), uppercase letters (such as ABC), numbers (such as 123), and special characters (such as [emailprotected]#). And I specify the policy that can lock the user account to prevent from logging on, when a user enters an incorrect password five times. According to the user account and password, I control which user can access to the network and what he/she can do on the network. Firewalls Firewalls protect against outside attempts to access unauthorized resources, and they protect against malicious network packets intended to disable or cripple a corporate network and its resources. Second use of firewalls placed between the internet and the corporate network is to restrict corporate user access to internet resources. Firewalls can identify and block remote access Trojans (Trojan horse). Trojan horse is a program that purports to be a useful software tool, but it actually performs unintended (and often unauthorized) actions or installs malicious or damaging software behind the scenes when launched. Sometimes get some program via ICQ or via IRC and believe this program to be something good, while in fact running it will do something less nice to the computer. Such program is called Trojan horses. The difference of a Trojan and a virus is that a virus has the ability to self-replicate and to distribute itself, while a Trojan lacks this ability. A special type of Trojan is Remote Access Trojans (RAT). These Trojans once executed in the victim’s computer, start to listen to incoming communication from a remote matching program that the attacker uses. When they get instructions from the remote program, they act accordingly, and thus let the user of the remote program to execute commands on the v ictim’s computer. Firewalls can identify and block remote communication efforts to the more common RAT and by thus blocking the attacker, and identifying the RAT. There are many other types of Trojan horses which may try to communicate with the outside from the computer. Whether they are e-mail worms trying to distribute themselves using their own SMTP engine, or they might be password stealers, or anything else. Many of them can be identified and blocked by a firewall. So, I run the firewall on the server and all the desktop computers to protect Trojans, malware, and to prevent users from accessing offensive Websites or bandwidth-intensive content that might not be the best use of an employee’s time or the network’s bandwidth. Firewall devices from different vendors vary quite a bit in configuration details, but they are all based on one premise: Rules are created to determine what type of traffic is allowed to enter and exit the network. To configure a firewall, I build rules that allow only certain packets to enter or exit the network. The firewall can examine all incoming packets and discard packets with a destination address of the network’s restricted segment. Virus Protection In internet-connected networks, virus attacks are a regular threat. Users download programs, bring disks from home, memory sticks, and open e-mail attachments are normal computing activities, but they can also bring viruses into the network. A virus is a program that spreads by copying itself into other programs or documents. Computer virus can attack computer systems and perform a variety of functions ranging from annoying to dangerous. Its individual purpose is to disrupt computer or network operation by deleting or corrupting files, formatting disks, or using large amounts of computer resources. If a server file accessed by other users on the network is infected, the virus can spread through the network in a matter of seconds. To protect the spread of viruses, one of the most effective ways is to buy virus-protection software from a reputable source. Antivirus software is program that can scan and remove known viruses which have contracted. Most antivirus software is also designed to detect and prevent worms and viruses. The software can also be set to automatically scan disks when inserted into the disk drive, scan files when downloaded from the Internet, or scan e-mail when received. However antivirus software is available in many commercial and open source versions, the license-version of the antivirus software from reputable source is more secure and reliable than others. So, I run the standard antivirus software from reputable source in server and every desktop computer, and turn-on the scanning features. But by running antivirus software can only protect against viruses that it knows about. Therefore, virus definition files (update files) for antivirus software are needed to download from the internet daily or weekly. To get the maximum protection against viruses on the computer, make sure to keep antivirus definition files current. Another way to protect the data from virus infection is â€Å"backup the files† which helps to recover the data if the original files infected by the virus. Accessing the Internet The internet access is the essential thing to communicate between internal or external organisation for many purposes. Thousands of companies have discovered the pervasive power of the Web in distributing information, selling products, supporting customer service, and staying in touch with clients and customers. By using the internet, we can get important business information which is necessary for competition and improvement of the company. However the internet is useful for us, but also the internet attack can harm the business. The internet attacks are organised and designed to steal information and resources from the customers and the organisation. Input validation attacks using the Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Active Server Pages (ASP), and Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML) programs stem from either a web developer or vendor failure. The basic problem happens from the lack of sanitizing the input to a particular script. Without input validation and sanitizing, it is possible for attackers to submit a particular character, along with a local command, as a parameter and have the web server execute it locally. Sometimes, the virtual website of the attackers steals user information and user’s credit card details. If all kinds user can get permission to access the network, the private information of the organisation can be stolen by the attacker using the internet. So that I control the user access to the network resources by using access control and identifying the user account to verify the network permission for the user. Task 4 Create a set of Acceptable Use Policies for each of the following: Accessing the WWW Email Usage Instant Messengers and chat rooms Each of these documents should provide a set of guidelines for users which will minimise any associated security threats. (30 Marks) To minimise any potential risks and associated security threats of the organisation’s network, all the staff of the company should agree the following policies for accessing the World Wide Web, email usage, instant messengers, and chat rooms. All the staff has responsibility to use the resources in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner. In our organisation, access to the internet is available for the staffs to support informational, educational and communicable. So, staffs should agree the following internet access policies. Policies for accessing the WWW The use of Internet is strongly restricted to official company business†. Personal use or time spent for personal gain is strictly prohibited. Authorisation for Internet access must be obtained through your supervisor. Once authorisation is approved you are responsible for the security of your account password and you will be held responsible for all use or misuse of your account. You must maintain secure passwords and never use an account assigned to another user. Staffs are strongly prohibited to accessing internet websites that contain obscene, hateful, pornographic, politics or otherwise illegal material. Never copy or transfer electronic files without permission. Prohibit copying and sending any confidential or proprietary information, or software that is protected by copyright and other laws protecting intellectual property. Downloading a file or application from the Internet can bring viruses with it. Should be scan all downloaded files with standard virus prevention software before being saved on the company’s network. All downloaded applications must be accepted by the company’s IT administrator or company owner before being installed on the company’s network. Hacking into unauthorised areas and other employee’s computers are strictly prohibited. Confidential information is not to be transmitted over the internet without proper encryption. Introducing any form of computer virus or malicious software into the corporate network is strictly prohibited. Email usage policy Email is to be used for company business only. Company confidential information must not be shared outside of the Company without authorisation, at any time. When conducting company’s business, only use the company’s official email account for staff such as [emailprotected] Staffs are not to conduct personal business using the Company computer or email. All messages must show the genuine sender information (from where and from whom the message originated). The representation of yourself as someone else, real or fictional, or a message sent anonymously is prohibited. Emails for the purposes that violate company status or regulations, or for an illegal or criminal purpose may not be sent or forwarded through a company’s network. Management has the right to access all e-mail files created, received, or stored on company systems and such files can be accessed without prior notification. Email attachments can bring viruses, you should scan for virus after and before downloading the attachments with standard virus prevention software. Do not open any e-mail attachments if you do not recognize the sender. Forwarding of company confidential messages to external locations is strongly prohibited. Introducing any form of computer virus or malicious software into the corporate network is strictly prohibited. Policies for instant messengers and chat rooms Chats, also known as Internet Relay Chat (IRC), as well as Instant Messaging (IM), are very popular modes of quickly communicating with others. In using these IRC and IM, staffs should agree the following policies. These policies provide staffs with effective and consistent instant messaging (IM) use and content standards. Staffs are prohibited from downloading and using personal instant messenger software such as MSN or Yahoo to transmit messages via the public internet. All IM communications and information transmitted, received, or archived in the companys IM system belong to the company. The instant messaging and chatting system is intended for business use only. Staffs are prohibited from wasting computer resources, colleague’s time, or their own time by sending personal instant messages or engaging in unnecessary chat related to business. Treat messages as business records that may be retained and used as evidence in litigation, audits, and investigations. Always use professional and appropriate language in all instant messages. Staffs are prohibited from sending abusive, harassing, threatening, menacing, discriminatory, disrespectful, or otherwise offensive instant messages. Staffs may not use instant messengers and chat rooms to transmit confidential, proprietary, personal, or potentially embarrassing information about the company, employees, clients, business associates, or other third parties. Introducing any form of computer virus or malicious software into the corporate network is strictly prohibited. Task 5 Prepare and deliver a short presentation to your tutor using a presentation package like Power Point which summarises the major points in your Security Report and your proposed Acceptable Usage policies. (10 Marks) I prepare and deliver a short presentation to the tutor using a Power Point presentation which summarises the major points in my Security Report and my proposed Acceptable Usage policies. Network computerised system can contain various potential threats. To minise that risks, network security is required. In this presentation, I want to talk about five topics to configure network security Access Control User Authentication Firewalls Virus Protection Accessing the Internet Access control can control the user account and identify the user. It can verify user identity through an authentication process so users can be held responsible for their actions. Primary objective of access control is to preserve and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, systems, and resources. I use role-based access control and rule-based access control to identify the user. Role-based access control systems allow users to access systems and information based on their role within the organisation. Roles based access can be applied to groups of people or individuals. Rule-based access control systems allow users to access systems and information based on pre-determined and configured rules. Rules can be established that allow access to all end-users coming from a particular domain, host, network, or IP addresses. User authentication can determine the identity of a network user. For network computer, harm can be caused by hacking, malicious messages, viruses, malwares, adwares, email attachments, downloading illegal materials and many other types of activity. User authentication can reduce this harm by limiting individual’s access to a few systems, rather than the whole internet. Network administrator can control user log on and specify user permission on the network. So, I configure some options and policies for user authentication. I specify that the password is required for all users of the company, to use the company’s computer. The user password length must be typically a minimum of five to eight characters and user passwords must have three of these four characteristics: lowercase letters (such as abc), uppercase letters (such as ABC), numbers (such as 123), and special characters (such as [emailprotected]#). And I specify the policy that can lock the user account to prevent from logging on, when a user enters an incorrect password five times. According to the user account and password, I control which user can access to the network and what he/she can do on the network. Firewalls protect against outside attempts to access unauthorised resources, and they protect against malicious network packets intended to disable or cripple a corporate network and its resources. And also use to restrict corporate user access to inter resources. Firewalls can identify and block remote access Trojans (Trojan horse). Network administrator can configure the rules for what type of traffic is allowed to enter and exit the network. The firewall can examine all incoming packets and discard packets. In internet-connected networks, virus attacks are a regular threat. Users download programs, bring disks from home, memory sticks, and open e-mail attachments are normal computing activities, but they can also bring viruses into the network. To protect the spread of viruses, one of the most effective ways is to buy virus-protection software from a reputable source. Antivirus software is program that can scan and remove known viruses which have contracted. Most antivirus software is also designed to detect and prevent worms and viruses. The software can also be set to automatically scan disks when inserted into the disk drive, scan files when downloaded from the Internet, or scan e-mail when received. But by running antivirus software can only protect against viruses that it knows about. Therefore, virus definition files (update files) for antivirus software are needed to download from the internet daily or weekly. To get the maximum protection against viruses on the computer, make su re to keep antivirus definition files current. Another way to protect the data from virus infection is â€Å"backup the files† which helps to recover the data if the original files infected by the virus. Accessing the internet is the essential thing to communicate between internal or external organisation. However the internet is useful for us, the internet attack can harm the business. The internet attacks are organised and designed to steal information and resources from the customers and the organisation. If all kinds user can get permission to access the network, the private information of the organisation can be stolen by the attacker using the internet. So that I control the user access to the network resources by using access control and identifying the user account to verify the network permission for the user. To minimise any potential risks and associated security threats of the organisation’s network, all the staff of the company should agree the policies for accessing the World Wide Web, email usage, instant messengers, and chat rooms. All the staff has responsibility to use the resources in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner. Reference Web Reference www.en.wikepedia.org www.businesslink.gov.uk www.3w.net www.answer.com www.procompgroup.com http://humanresources.about.com http://netsecurity.about.com http://answers.yahoo.com www.zytrax.com www.windowsnetworking.com www.cryer.co.uk Book Reference Title: Guide to Networking Essentials (Fifth Edition) Author Name: Greg Tomsho, Ed Tittel, David Johnson Access date time: 13 July 2009, 6:30 pm Title: Fundamentals of Hardware and Operating Systems (Operating System Technologies) A+ Fifth Edition Author Name: Charles J.Brooks Access date time: 15 July 2009, 5:00 pm Title: Fundamentals of Hardware and Operating Systems (Software Service Technicians) A+ Fifth Edition Author Name: Charles J.Brooks Access date time: 16 July 2009, 7:00 pm

Fuedalism and the Organization of the Fuedal System Essay example -- e

When Charlemagne died in 814, Western Europe was left in chaos with no strong leaders or tribes able to provide the peace and stability necessary for civilization to advance. As a result there was no central government, no stable form of protection for people's life or property and so the people of Western Europe decided to turn to feudalism for that protection. Feudalism was a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their land among the lower lords. The Feudal System was introduced to England following the invasion and conquest of the country. The system had been used in France by the Normans from the time they first settled there in about 900AD. It was a simple, but effective system, where all land was owned by the King. One quarter was kept by the King as his personal property, some was given to the church and the rest was leased out under strict controls. Nobles are lords. The Noble’s role was to battle for power. Warfare was the way of life. They trained from boyhood to become a knight. Peasants made up most of the population. They work...

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo Essay -- White

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo One particularly unfortunate trait of modern society is our futile attempt to use technology to immunize ourselves against the fear of death. The failure of technology in this regard is the general subject of Don Delillo''s book White Noise. Throughout this novel, technology is depicted as the ominous messenger of our common fate, an increasing sense of dread over loss of control of our lives and the approach of inevitable death in spite of the empty promises of technology. In this essay I will examine Delillo''s portrayal of technology and its role in our society. The title of Delillo''s book, White Noise, reminds one of an electronic static of the sort encountered on television when a station goes off the air. But I think white noise can also refer to the indiscriminate flow of information we are exposed to on a daily basis in our modern society, that which ultimately destroys the immediacy of real life. If you see enough people gunned down on television, enough mangled bodies in twisted cars, enough violence, destruction and despair in the newspapers, you grow numb to it. In one sense, I think this is what White Noise is. Have you seen those devices they sell for insomniacs? They are white noise generators intended to put us to sleep. White noise is sound at all frequencies broadcast indiscriminately, and that is what Delillo hints that television and the modern media are doing to us now. The indiscriminate flood of information is not making our society more aware; rather, it is putting us all to sleep. White Noise is a book obsessed with death at the hands of our own technology. The protagonist is a middle aged man who is the chairman of a department of Hitle... ...e novel where the products on the supermarket shelves are quietly rearranged, throwing a sense of shock and panic into the shoppers (i.e. the masses) until they can adjust to the new system. After surviving the initial traumatic change, we see the shoppers quickly resume their mindless lives on the road to death, comfortably numb and smugly secure. This is a sad indictment of what life in this twentieth century is for our media and technology-manipulated American society. Delillo''s analysis implies, then, that safety can only be found in conformity and a dead life dictated by others. Furthermore, life is only really experienced at its fullest in the random moments when the "white noise" breaks down and becomes silent momentarily, only to quickly arise and embrace us once again in its death grip. Works Cited: DeLillo, Don. White Noise. London: Picador, 1986.

Druigs And Sports :: essays research papers

When athletes use drugs In many schools athletes are required to sign a contract in order to play sports. The contracts include of many rules and regulations that prohibit activities that will jeopardize the athlete's performance. The use of drugs and alcohol are strictly forbidden. Vandalism and other actions that would result in any type of illegal happenings is also banned. The main problem with the contracts is that the students don't always obey them. Many athletes will still go out and party and drink and smoke and get into other activities that will harm their minds and bodies. "Stimulants" are drugs that stimulate the central nervous system and produce an increase in alertness and activity. They include caffeine, cocaine, and the amphetamines. The amphetamines are composed of three closely related drugs that stimulate the central nervous system and promote a feeling of alertness and an increase in speech and general physical activity. Some people take these drugs under medical supervision to control their appetite, but many of these drugs are used at parties to "get high." Overuse and abuse have been associated with all of the stimulant drugs, but risks are the greatest with the amphetamines and cocaine. Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep. Narcotics include opium and drugs derived from opium, such as morphine, codeine, and heroin. Narcotics also include certain synthetic chemicals that have a morphine-like action, such as methadone. Most of these drugs will leave a lasting effect for more then one day. Like a hangover from alcohol, these drugs will make you extremely tired or even sick the next day. Drugs are prohibited by athletic departments because they alter your performance. If an athlete uses one of these drugs they can have lasting effect on them sometime during a game or at practice. All drugs are illegal, and by athletes using them they set a bad example. Many younger students look up to the "star" athletes in a school and if they use drugs that is not a good impression to make.

What Doesn’t Kill You Make You Stronger

Survival is a word that has a pretty basic meaning, â€Å"To continue existence† I the name from Microsoft Office, there is really nothing to argue about. As I remember Living at 528 N. Bayard Ave; the only way you could live is if you had thick skin. Our definition of thick skin was being able to takes joke and being bullied without crying or running and telling Aunt Sabrina what happened. My cousin Darnell and I would play as much jokes on my sister Desiree and cousin Ruby. Every since I was younger I could remember everyone I know had jokes. Everyone was made fun of, and the only you made it through it is you had to get back at them by a joke or a prank believe that through all the jokes and pranks I am able to not be so offended by the little things people do to bother me and shaped me into a stronger person. I believe in the social world if someone does an act to diminish your character and you don’t shutdown and go in to social isolation then you have thick skin. In this paper I will argue that with more details that when it comes to the saying â€Å"what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger† is the main key is survivalin a social aspect the saying is true. Living in most urban neighborhoods with as many as fifty young children of all ages for all my life you are bound to get teased by someone; especially if you are not the best dresser or have the coolest sneakers on, or the most money. You have to be able to bend and not break. I can remember a time where I was the butt of all jokes but since I didn’t let anything make me go under a rock. These experiences allow me to one a day to be the joke maker and not be subjected to being that weak loser. I can remember a being in Tenth grade at Overbrook High School. Every day I would go into Biology class and we would tell momma jokes so like three kids would gang up and talk about my mom; at this age being 16 I was already prepared since all the encounters in my past that helped me I this situation. That’s the only I made it through high school and it’s the reason why I can hold my own in the world today. On the other side of this debate; I can remember being in my house and my parents bring up how my little sister tell them that me and my others siblings were picking in her. So I said that, â€Å"Well teasing her is not killing her and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and I only trying to prepare her for all the people that will talk to her so it cannot effect her†. Then my dad responded, â€Å"It may kill her and but you are hurting her, or maybe even crippling her and make her socially inapt†. He continue by saying that she may not even want to take risk because of the things that people may say about the from the withdrawal state I may have cause. After making me feel guilty he used a wildlife analogy saying, â€Å"If a lion is hurt in battle then is he stronger†. Then I said another way I can prove how my saying is true is how you see all the people that commit suicide form cyber bullying and from people making jokes about them. They couldn’t handle the joking around or hazing; since it didn’t make them stronger it killed them. Living as long as did you are bound to have days were you are going to receive an amount of jokes, but its up to you if you let them get to you and mess up your life. Your never going to get away from. So when it to survival (at least the social aspect of survival) I believe that the key is â€Å"whatever doesn’t kill you make you stronger. Even though people may say the word â€Å"survival† they have a tendency like Darwin’s theory of evolution â€Å"only the strongest survive†. What I say to that is how do I people get to the â€Å"strongest†. That is where my definition comes in to play you have to endure all the negativity or the positive things that happened to you. So you get to the point of being the â€Å"strongest†.

Love with Vronsky Essay

The younger of the two boys is the epitome of innocence and mischievousness. A blonde haired, blue-eyed boy who is lying in the grass, day-dreaming. This symbolizes all that is pure in the book, all which is innocent. The characters of Levin and Kitty seem connected with this young boy. They are both very vulnerable characters, and those who take love earnestly and base their lives around it. The older boy is working, absorbed in his work and was being very cautious and wary about his line. This boy seems to represent the character of Karenin, someone who is too absorbed in his own work to even notice what is going on around him, to be looking at the water just dreaming. When monetary expenses are discussed, Mihailov squirms and becomes irritated. This shows his loathing towards money, and how he looks beyond those aspects of life. It seems that Anna’s quirky attraction to Mihailov may have sprouted from the welcome change between a life where money and finance was a key element of daily life with Karenin, to this figure that chooses fervor over funding. After meeting Vronsky for the first time, Anna’s perception of Karenin becomes very distasteful. She notices all his faults. His hair seems to have been cut incorrectly, the cracking of his joints becomes irritating. The same happens to Vronsky in this section. Once he realizes that he is not a ‘talented’ artist, and once he stops short his experimenting because he realizes Mihailov’s ability far exceeds his, he becomes utterly bored. He notices all the faults of his situation.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"..struck them as intolerably boring in the little Italian town. The palazzo suddenly seemed so noticeably old and dirty. The spots on the curtains, the cracks in the floors, the stucco falling away form the cornices were constant eyesores.† This exposes one of Vronsky’s traits. He loves to try out different hobbies, much as he does in love (as he earlier admits that settling down seemed unreasonable to him). He becomes frustrated and grows progressively more restless. This impatience is shown by his sudden realization that he needs something new, needs to return to Russia. Anna’s company is not enough for him, yet Anna is â€Å"unpardonably happy,†4 as even though she has left her whole life behind, she has no complaints and fall even more deeply in love with Vronsky. Vronsky notices in Mihailov’s portrait of Anna a peculiar beauty.  Ã¢â‚¬  ‘One needs to know her and love her, as I have loved her, to discover the very sweetest expression of her soul,’ thought Vronsky, though it was only through this portrait that he himself learned this sweetest expression of her soul.†Ã‚  The fact that Vronsky, until he sees the painting, has not been aware of Anna’s true soul implies that he doesn’t know enough about her, (and although his love for her seems authentic) Vronsky feels he loves her more than he truly does. That a painter, someone who barely knows Anna (on a platonic level), can see something her lover cannot shows that Mihailov sees something in Anna undetectable by her closest contacts.  Therefore, this episode involving Mihailov, although not particularly important to the plot, gives the reader a deeper insight into the lives and emotions of Anna and Vronsky and the situation in which they have placed themselves. It is this episode that allows Vronsky to realize his boredom, and arguably what drives Anna to suicide (by returning to Russia.)