Pigs - The Domestication History of Sus Scrofa

The domestication history of pigs (Sus scrofa) is a bit of an archaeological puzzle, in part because of the nature of the wild boar that our modern pigs are descended from. Many species of wild hog exist in the world today, such as the warthog (Phacochoreus africanus), the pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), and the pig-deer (Babyrousa babyrussa); but of all the suid forms, only Sus scrofa (wild boar) has been domesticated. That process took place independently about 9,000-10,000 years ago in two locations: eastern Anatolia and central China. After that initial domestication, pigs accompanied early farmers as they spread out of Anatolia to Europe, and out of central China to the hinterlands. All of the modern swine breeds today — there are hundreds of breeds around the globe — are considered forms of Sus scrofa domestica, and there is evidence that the genetic diversity is decreasing as cross-breeding of commercial lines threatens indigenous breeds. Some countries have recognized the issue and are beginning to support the continued maintenance of the non-commercial breeds as a genetic resource for the future. Distinguishing Domestic and Wild Pigs It must be said that it is not easy to distinguish between wild and domestic animals in the archaeological record. Since the early 20th century, researchers have segregated pigs based on the size of their tusks (lower third molar): wild boars typically have broader and longer tusks than domestic pigs. Overall body size (in particular, measures of knucklebones [astralagi], front leg bones [humeri] and shoulder bones [scapulae]) has been commonly used to differentiate between domestic and wild pigs since the mid-twentieth century. But wild boar body size alters with climate: hotter, drier climates mean smaller pigs, not necessarily less wild ones. And there are notable variations in body size and tusk size, among both wild and domestic pig populations even today. Other methods used by researchers to identify domesticated pigs include population demography  Ã¢â‚¬â€ the theory is that pigs kept in captivity would have been slaughtered at younger ages as a management strategy, and that can be reflected in the ages of the pigs in an archaeological assemblage. The study of Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) measures the growth rings in tooth enamel: domestic animals are more likely to experience stress episodes in diet and those stresses are reflected in those growth rings. Stable isotope analysis and tooth wear can also give clues to the diet of a particular set of animals because domestic animals are more likely to have had grain in their diets. The most conclusive evidence is genetic data, which can give indications of ancient lineages. See Rowley-Conwy and colleagues (2012) for a detailed description of the benefits and pitfalls of each of these methods. In the end, all a researcher can do is look at all of these available characteristics and make her best judgment. Independent Domestication Events Despite the difficulties, most scholars are agreed that there were two separate domestication events from geographically separated versions of the wild boar (Sus scrofa). Evidence for both locations suggest that the process began with local hunter-gatherers hunting wild boars, then over a period of time began managing them, and then purposefully or unconsciously keeping those animals with smaller brains and bodies and sweeter dispositions. In southwest Asia, pigs were part of a suite of plants and animals that were developed in the upper reaches of the Euphrates river about 10,000 years ago. The earliest domestic pigs in Anatolia are found in the same sites as domestic cattle, in what is today southwestern Turkey, about 7500 calendar years BC (cal BC), during the late Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period. Sus Scrofa in China In China, the earliest domesticated pigs date to 6600 cal BC, at the Neolithic Jiahu  site. Jiahu is in east-central China between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers; domestic pigs were found associated with the Cishan/Peiligang culture (6600-6200 cal BC): in Jiahus earlier layers, only wild boars are in evidence. Beginning with the first domestication, pigs became the main domestic animal in China. Pig sacrifice and pig-human interments are in evidence by the mid-6th millennium BC. The modern Mandarin character for home or family consists of a pig in a house; the earliest representation of this character was found inscribed on a bronze pot dated to the Shang period (1600-1100 BC). Pig domestication in China was a steady progress of animal refinement lasting a period of some 5,000 years. The earliest domesticated pigs were primarily herded and fed millet and protein; by the Han dynasty, most pigs were raised in small pens by households and fed millet and household scraps. Genetic studies of Chinese pigs suggest an interruption of this long progress occurred during the Longshan period (3000-1900 BC) when pig burials and sacrifices ceased, and previously more or less uniform pig herds became infused with small, idiosyncratic (wild) pigs. Cucchi and colleagues (2016) suggest this may have been the result of a social-political change during the Longshan, although they recommended additional studies. The early enclosures used by Chinese farmers made the process of pig domestication much faster in China compared to the process used on western Asian pigs, which were allowed to roam freely in European forests up through the late Middle Ages. Pigs Into Europe Beginning about 7,000 years ago, central Asian people moved into Europe, bringing their suite of domestic animals and plants with them, following at least two main paths. The people who brought the animals and plants into Europe are known collectively as the Linearbandkeramik (or LBK) culture. For decades, scholars researched and debated whether Mesolithic hunters in Europe had developed domestic pigs prior to the LBK migration. Today, scholars mostly agree that European pig domestication was a mixed and complex process, with Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and LBK farmers interacting at different levels. Soon after the arrival of LBK pigs in Europe, they interbred with the local wild boar. This process, known as retrogression (meaning successful interbreeding of domesticated and wild animals), produced the European domestic pig, which then spread out from Europe, and, in many places replaced the domesticated Near Eastern swine. Sources Arbuckle BS. 2013. The late adoption of cattle and pig husbandry in Neolithic Central Turkey. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(4):1805-1815.Cucchi T, Hulme-Beaman A, Yuan J, and Dobney K. 2011. Early Neolithic pig domestication at Jiahu, Henan Province, China: clues from molar shape analyses using geometric morphometric approaches. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(1):11-22.Cucchi T, Dai L, Balasse M, Zhao C, Gao J, Hu Y, Yuan J, and Vigne J-D. 2016. Social complexification and pig (Sus scrofa) Husbandry in ancient China: A combined geometric morphometric andiIsotopic approach. PLOS ONE 11(7):e0158523.Evin A, Cucchi T, Cardini A, Strand Vidarsdottir U, Larson G, and Dobney K. 2013. The long and winding road: identifying pig domestication through molar size and shape. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(1):735-743.Groenen MAM. 2016. A decade of pig genome sequencing: a window on pig domestication and evolution. Genetics Selection Evolution 48(1):1-9.Krause-Kyora B, Makarewicz C, Evin A, Girdland Flink L, Dobney K, Larson G, Hartz S, Schreiber S, Von Carnap-Bornheim C, Von Wurmb-Schwark N et al. 2013. Use of domestic pigs by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in northwestern Europe. Nature Communications 4(2348).Larson G, Liu R, Zhao X, Yuan J, Fuller D, Barton L, Dobney K, Fan Q, Gu Z, Liu X-H et al. 2010. Patterns of East Asian pig domestication, migration, and turnover revealed by modern and ancient DNA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(17):7686-7691.Lega C, Raia P, Rook L, and Fulgione D. 2016. Size matters: A comparative analysis of pig domestication. The Holocene 26(2):327-332.Rowley-Conwy P, Albarella U, and Dobney K. 2012. Distinguishing Wild Boar from Domestic Pigs in Prehistory: A Review of Approaches and Recent Results. Journal of World Prehistory 25:1-44.Wang H, Martin L, Hu S, and Wang W. 2012. Pig domestication and husbandry practices in the middle Neolithic of the Wei River Valley, northwest China: evidence from linear enamel hy poplasia. Journal of Archaeological Science 39(12):3662-3670.Zhang J, Jiao T, and Zhao S. 2016. Genetic diversity in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region of global swine (Sus scrofa) populations. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 473(4):814-820.

The Positive Effects Of Birth Control - 727 Words

Birth control can be described as a method of contraception, which is a technique that is used in order to prevent pregnancy as a result of sexual intercourse. There are many types of birth control, the most common being the pill which will mainly be discussed in this report. While birth controls main purpose is to prevent future pregnancies, it is also very versatile. Many women use it for its benefits rather than its ability to prevent pregnancy. Even though birth control has its positive effects, many are still against the thought of the pill. With that being said, supporters of the pill believe that every woman should have access to birth control because of its wide range of benefits, whereas those who oppose the pill, argue using†¦show more content†¦In fact, one woman states that â€Å"taking the pill made [her] feel in control of [her] body and [her] choices† (Sole-Smith). For the opponents, who are strongly against the usage of birth control, base their claims strictly on religion. They claim the use of birth control is the equivalent of an abortion (Life and Liberty Ministries). Also they believe giving women birth control encourages sexual behavior. Opponents also claim that the pill may endanger a woman’s health. Birth control may cover up the signs of Endometriosis. Endometriosis is the formation of cysts and lesions on the reproductive organs. If birth control is prescribed at a young age, a woman who has Endometriosis may not be aware of the symptoms of this condition until she is off the pill (Sole-Smith). In rare and severe cases, if birth control is combined with another pill it may cause heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and liver tumors (Parenthood). Both supporters and opponents of birth control have completely opposite opinions on the topic. One based merely on religion and rare scenarios while the other focuses on the positive effects it has for women. For this reason birth control will continue to be such a controversial topic. Works Cited Kiley, Jessica. Lets Take a Moment to Talk About the Good Side Effects of Birth Control. Birth Control, edited by Jack Lasky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,Show MoreRelatedBreast Cancer At Age 451336 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen increased by her use of an oral contraceptive. She began taking birth control at age 21 and discontinued the use after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 45. It wasn’t a consistent use, as there were a couple of births and one miscarriage during that time frame. One of the main reasons she stopped using birth control once she got diagnosed was because her tumor was being fueled by the estrogen in the birth control medication. 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Ever since airing in 2009, the shows â€Å"16 and Pregnant† and â€Å"Teen Mom† have made a positive impact on teenage girls in America by reducing teenage pregnancy, promoting birth control, and influencing teenage girls by teaching them lessons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TheRead MoreKangaroo Care And Pre Term And Low Birth Weight Babies Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesThe article â€Å"Kangaroo care in Pre-term and Low Birth Weight Babies in a Postnatal Ward† was written by Sarah Gregson and Jonathan Blacker and was published in the British Journal of Midwifery. This study was the first in the UK to investigate Kangaroo care for stable low birth weight infants and infants at risk for hypoglycemia in a transitional care/ postnatal ward setting. The purpose of this cohort study was to compare the effects of Kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact with mother) on length ofRead MoreMale Birth Control Essay861 Words   |  4 Pagespractice â€Å"safe sex†. 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The Return Midnight Chapter 11 Free Essays

string(69) " horizon and the blood-red light never varied unless it was raining\." When M. le Princess Jessalyn D’Aubigne had drunk her fil of Damon’s blood – and she was thirsty for such a fragile thing – it was Damon’s turn. He forced himself to remain patient when Jessalyn flinched and frowned at the sight of his ironwood knife. We will write a custom essay sample on The Return: Midnight Chapter 11 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But Damon teased her and joked with her and played chasing games up and down the enormous bed, and when he final y caught her, she scarcely felt the knife’s sting at her throat. Damon, though, had his mouth on the dark red blood that wel ed out immediately. Everything he’d done, from pouring Black Magic for Bonnie to pouring out the star bal ‘s liquid at the four corners of the Gate to making his way through the defenses of this tiny gem of a castle had been for this. For this moment, when his human palate could savor the nectar that was vampire blood. And it was†¦heavenly! This was only the second time in his life that he’d tasted it as a human. Katerina – Katherine, as he thought of her in English – had been the first, of course. And how she could have crept off after that and gone, wearing just her short muslin shift, to the wide-eyed, inexperienced little boy who was his brother, he would never understand. His disquiet was spreading to Jessalyn. That mustn’t happen. She had to stay calm and tranquil as he took as much as he could of her blood. It wouldn’t hurt her at al , and it meant al the difference to him. Forcing his consciousness away from the sheer elemental pleasure of what he was doing, he began, very careful y, very delicately, to infiltrate her mind. It wasn’t difficult to get to the nub of it. Whoever had wrenched this delicate, fragile-boned girl from the human world and had endowed her with a vampire’s nature hadn’t done her any favors. It wasn’t that she had any moral objections to vampirism. She’d taken to the life easily, enjoying it. She would have made a good huntress in the wild. But in this castle? With these servants? It was like having a hundred snooty waiters and two hundred condescending sommeliers staring her down as soon as she opened her mouth to give an order. This room, for instance. She had wanted some color in it – just a splash of violet here, a little mauve there – natural y, she realized, a vampire princess’s bedchamber had to be mostly black. But when she’d timidly mentioned the subject of colors to one of the parlor maids, the girl had sniffed and looked down her nostrils at Jessalyn as if she’d asked for an elephant to be instal ed just beside her bed. The princess had not had the courage to bring up the matter with the housekeeper, but within a week three baskets ful of black-and-off-black throw pil ows had arrived. There was her â€Å"color.†And in the future would her highness be so good as to consult her housekeeper before querying the staff as to her household whims? She actually said that about my â€Å"whims,† Jessalyn thought as she arched her neck back and ran sharp fingernails through Damon’s thick soft hair. And – oh, it’s no good. I’m no good. I’m a vampire princess, and I can look the part, but I can’t play it. You’re every bit a princess, your highness, Damon soothed. You just need someone to enforce your orders. Someone who has no doubts about your superiority. Are your servants slaves? No, they’re all free. Well, that makes it a little trickier, but you can always yell louder at them. Damon felt swol en with vampire blood. Two more days of this and he would be, if not his old self, then at least almost his old self: a ful vampire, free to walk about the city as he liked. And with the Power and status of a vampire prince. It was almost enough to balance out the horrors he’d gone through in the last couple of days. At least, he could tel himself that and try to believe it. â€Å"Listen,†he said abruptly, letting go of Jessalyn’s slight body, the better to look her in the eye. â€Å"Your glorious highness, let me do one favor for you before I die of love or you have me kil ed for impudence. Let me bring you ‘color’ – and then let me stand beside you if any of your menials grumble about it.† Jessalyn wasn’t used to this kind of sudden decision, but couldn’t help but be carried along with Damon’s fiery excitement. She arched her head back again. When he final y left the bijoux palace, Damon went out the front door. He had with him a little of the money left over from pawning the gems, but this was more than enough for the purpose he had in mind. He was quite certain that the next time he went out, it would be from the flying portico. He stopped at a dozen shops and spent until his last coin was gone. He’d meant to sneak in a visit to Bonnie as wel while doing his errands, but the market was in the opposite direction from the inn where he’d left her, and in the end there just wasn’t time. He didn’t worry much as he walked back to the bijoux castle. Bonnie, soft and fragile as she seemed, had a wiry core that he was sure would keep her inside the room for three days. She could take it. Damon knew she could. He banged on the little castle’s gate until a surly guard opened it. â€Å"What do you want?†the guard spat. Bonnie was bored out of her mind. It had only been a day since Damon had left her – a day she could only count by the number of meals brought to her, since the enormous red sun stood forever on the horizon and the blood-red light never varied unless it was raining. You read "The Return: Midnight Chapter 11" in category "Essay examples" Bonnie wished it was raining. She wished it was snowing, or that there would be a fire or a hurricane or a smal tsunami. She had given one of the star bal s a try, and found it a ridiculous soap opera that she couldn’t understand in the least. She wished, now, that she had never tried to stop Damon from coming here. She wished that he had pried her off before they had both fal en into the hole. She wished that she had grabbed Meredith’s hand and just let go of Damon. And this was only the first day. Damon smiled at the surly guard. â€Å"What do I want? Only what I already have. An open gate.†He didn’t go inside, however. He asked what M. le Princess was doing and heard that she was at a luncheon. On a donor. Perfect. Soon there came a deferential knock at the gate, which Damon demanded be opened wider. The guards clearly didn’t like him; they had properly put together the disappearance of what turned out to be their captain of guard and the intrusion of this strange human. But there was something menacing about him even in this menacing world. They obeyed him. Soon after that there came another quiet knock and then another, and another and so on until twelve men and women with arms ful of damp and fragrant brown paper had quietly fol owed Damon up the stairs and into M. le Princess’s black bedchamber. Jessalyn, meanwhile, had had a long and stuffy post-luncheon meeting, entertaining some of her financial advisors, who both seemed very old to her, although they had been changed in their twenties. Their muscles were soft with lack of use, she found herself thinking. And, natural y, they were dressed in ful -sleeved, wide-legged black except for a fril at their throats, white inside by gaslight, scarlet outside by the eternal blood-red sun. The princess had just seen them bow out of her presence when she inquired, rather irritably, where the human Damon was. Several servants with malice behind their smiles explained that he had gone with a dozen†¦humans†¦up to her bedchamber. Jessalyn almost flew to the stairs and climbed very quickly with the gliding motion that she knew was expected of proper female vampires. She reached the Gothic doors, and heard the hushed sounds of indignant spite as her ladies-in-waiting al whispered together. But before the princess could even ask what was going on, she was engulfed in a great warm wave of scent. Not the luscious and life-sustaining scent of blood, but something lighter, sweeter, and at the moment, while her bloodlust was sated, even headier and more dizzying. She pushed open the double doors. She took a step into her bedchamber and then stopped in astonishment. The cathedral-like black room was ful of flowers. There were banks of lilies, vases ful of roses, tulips in every color and shade, and riots of daffodils and narcissus, while fragrant honeysuckle and freesia lay in bowers. The flower peddlers had converted the gloomy, conventional black room into this fanciful extravaganza. The wiser and more farsighted of M. le Princess’s retainers were actively helping them by bringing in large, ornate urns. Damon, upon seeing Jessalyn enter the room, immediately went to kneel at her feet. â€Å"You were gone when I woke!†the princess said crossly, and Damon smiled, very faintly. â€Å"Forgive me, your highness. But since I am dying anyway, I thought that I should be up and securing these flowers for you. Are the colors and scents satisfactory?† â€Å"The scents?†Jessalyn’s whole body seemed to melt. â€Å"It’s†¦ like†¦an orchestra for my nose! And the colors are like nothing I’ve ever seen!†She burst into laughter, her green eyes lightening, her straight red hair a waterfal around her shoulders. Then she began to stalk Damon back into the gloom in one corner. Damon had to control himself or he would have laughed; it was so much like a kitten stalking an autumn leaf. But once they got into the corner, tangled in the black hangings and nowhere near a window, Jessalyn assumed a deadly serious expression. â€Å"I’m going to have a dress made, just the color of those deep, dark purple carnations,†she whispered. â€Å"Not black.† â€Å"Your highness wil look wonderful in it,†Damon whispered in her ear. â€Å"So striking, so daring – â€Å" â€Å"I may even wear my corsets on the inside of my dress.†She looked up at him through heavy lashes. â€Å"Or – would that be too much?† â€Å"Nothing is too much for you, my princess,†Damon whispered back. He stopped a moment to think seriously. â€Å"The corsets – would they match the dress or be black?† Jessalyn considered. â€Å"Same color?†she ventured. Damon nodded, pleased. He himself wouldn’t be caught dead in any color other than black, but he was wil ing to put up with – even encourage – Jessalyn’s oddities. They might get him made a vampire faster. â€Å"I want your blood,†the princess whispered, as if to prove him right. â€Å"Here? Now?†Damon whispered back. â€Å"In front of al your servants?† Jessalyn surprised him then. She, who had been so timid before, stepped out of the curtains and clapped her hands for silence. It fel immediately. â€Å"Everyone out!†she said peremptorily. â€Å"You have made me a beautiful garden in my room, and I am grateful. The steward† – she nodded toward a young man who was dressed in black, but who had wisely placed a dark red rose in his buttonhole – â€Å"wil see to it that you’re al given food – and drink – before you go!†At this there was a murmur of praise that made the princess blush. â€Å"I’l ring the bel pul when I need you† – to the steward. In fact, it wasn’t until two days later that she reached up and, a little reluctantly, rang the bel pul . And that was merely to give the order that a uniform be made for Damon as quickly as possible. The uniform of captain of her guard. By the second day, Bonnie had to turn to the star bal s as her only source of entertainment. After going through her twenty-eight orbs she found that twenty-five of them were soap operas from beginning to end, and two were ful of experiences so frightening and hideous that she labeled them in her own mind as Never Ever. The last one was cal ed Five Hundred Stories for Young Ones, and Bonnie quickly found that these immersion stories could be useful, for they specified the names of things a person would find around the house and the city. The sphere’s connecting thread was a series about a family of werewolves named the Dz-Aht-Bhi’iens. Bonnie promptly christened them the Dustbins. The series consisted of episodes showing how the family lived each day: how they bought a new slave at the market to replace one who had died, and where they went to hunt human prey, and how Mers Dustbin played in an important bashik tournament at school. Today the last story was almost providential. It showed little Marit Dustbin walking to a Sweetmeat Shop and getting a sugarplum. The candy cost exactly five soli. Bonnie got to experience eating part of it with Marit, and it was good. After reading the story, Bonnie very careful y peeked through the edge of the window blind and saw a sign on a shop below that she’d often watched. Then she held the star bal to her temple. Yes! Exactly the same kind of sign. And she knew not only what she wanted, but how much it should cost. She was dying to get out of her tiny room and try what she had just learned. But before her eyes, the lights in the sweetshop went dark. It must be closing time. Bonnie threw the star bal across the room. She turned the gas lamp down to just the faintest glow, and then flung herself on her rush-fil ed bed, pul ed the covers up†¦and discovered that she couldn’t sleep. Groping in ruby twilight, she found the star bal with her fingers and put it to her temple again. Interspersed with clusters of stories about the Dustbin family’s daily adventures were fairy tales. Most of them were so gruesome that Bonnie couldn’t experience them al the way through, and when it was time to sleep, she lay shivering on her pal et. But this time the story seemed different. After the title, The Gatehouse of the Seven Kitsune Treasures, she heard a little rhyme: Amid a plain of snow and ice There lies kitsune paradise. And close beside, forbidden pleasure: Six gates more of kitsune treasure. The very word kitsune was frightening. But, Bonnie thought, the story might prove relevant somehow. I can do this, she thought and put the star bal to her temple. The story didn’t start with anything gruesome. It was about a young girl and boy kitsune who went on a quest to find the most sacred and secret of the â€Å"seven kitsune treasures,†the kitsune paradise. A treasure, Bonnie learned, could be something as smal as a single gem or as large as an entire world. This one, going by the story, was in the middle range, because a â€Å"paradise†was a kind of garden, with exotic flowers blooming everywhere, and little streams bubbling down smal waterfal s into clear, deep pools. It was al wonderful, Bonnie thought, experiencing the story as if she were watching a movie al around her, but a movie that included the sensations of touch, taste, and smel . The paradise was a bit like Warm Springs, where they sometimes had picnics back at home. In the story, the boy and girl kitsune had to go to â€Å"the top of the world†where there was some kind of fracture in the crust of the highest Dark Dimension – the one Bonnie was in right now. They managed somehow to travel down, and even farther down, and passed through various tests of courage and wit before they got into the next lowest dimension, the Nether World. The Nether World was completely different from the Dark Dimension. It was a world of ice and slippery snow, of glaciers and rifts, al bathed in a blue twilight from three moons that shone from above. The kitsune children almost starved in the Nether World because there was so little for a fox to hunt. They made do with the tiny animals of the cold: mice and smal white voles, and the occasional insect (Oh, yuck, Bonnie thought). They survived until, through the fog and mist, they saw a towering black wal . They fol owed the wal until final y they came to a Gatehouse with tal spires hidden in the clouds. Written above the door in an old language they could hardly read were the words: The Seven Gates. They entered a room in which there were eight doorways or exits. One was the door through which they had just entered. And as they watched, each door brightened so they could see that the other seven doors led to seven different worlds, one of which was the kitsune paradise. Yet another gate led to a field of magical flowers, and another showed butterflies flittering around a splashing fountain. Another dropped to a dark cavern fil ed with bottles of the mystical wine Clarion Loess Black Magic. One gate led to a deep mine, with jewels the size of a fist. And then there was a gate which showed the prize of al flowers: the Royal Radhika. It changed its shape from moment to moment, from a rose to a cluster of carnations to an orchid. Through the last door they could see only a gigantic tree, but the final treasure was rumored to be an immense star bal . Now the boy and girl forgot al about the kitsune paradise. Each of them wanted something from another of the gates, but they couldn’t agree on what. The rule was that any party or group who reached the gates could enter one and then return. But while the girl wanted a sprig of the Royal Radhika, to show that they’d completed their quest, the boy wanted some Black Magic wine, to sustain them on the way back. No matter how they argued they couldn’t reach an agreement. So final y they decided to cheat. They would simultaneously open a door and jump through, snatch what they wanted, and then jump back out and be out of the Gatehouse before they could be caught. Just as they were about to do so, a voice warned them against it, saying, â€Å"One gate alone may you twain enter, and then return from whence you came.† But the boy and the girl chose to ignore the voice. Immediately, the boy entered the door that led to the bottles of Black Magic wine and at the same instant the girl stepped into the Royal Radhika door. But when each turned around there was no longer any sign of a door or gate behind them. The boy had plenty to drink but he was left forever in the dark and cold and his tears froze upon his cheeks. The girl had the beautiful flower to look at but nothing to eat or drink and so under the glowing yel ow sun she wasted away. Bonnie shivered, the delicious shiver of a reader who had gotten what she expected. The fairy tale, with its moral of â€Å"don’t be greedy†was like the stories she’d heard from the Red and the Blue Fairy Books when she was a child sitting on her grandmother’s lap. She missed Elena and Meredith, badly. She had a story to tel , but no one to tel it to. How to cite The Return: Midnight Chapter 11, Essay examples

IT Risk Assessment for External Cloud Solution - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theIT Risk Assessment for External Cloud Solution. Answer: Introduction Information technology has become an integrated part of each business. By adopting the IT technology, business can improve their customers services and the present business conditions. Through using the IT technologies, the business can easily overcome many other issues such as geographical limitation and the limited number of customers and high prices services. In this, the cloud hosting solution is one of the major emerging technologies in the IT. It refers to the upload the data from the manual format to the internet (Taylor, Haggerty, Gresty and Lamb, 2011). The use of the cloud services has increased in many industries such as finance, sports and many others. Aztek is an Australia based finance services provide company, which is moving to the adoption of external cloud services. Through this, the company can offer services to the 24/7 hours to customers and also they can access data from anywhere. In the present report, analysis is made on different aspects of the cloud computin g (Ward and Sipior, 2010). It includes the merits of the cloud computing, cloud computing in financial sector and other regulations which create impact on the business. At last, it provides risks which are associated with cloud computing. Merits Of The External Cloud Solution Aztek is an Australia based company which offers different types of the financial services to its customers. The company is expanding its business services and using Information Technology (IT) for it. The company is presently trying to migrate with the business-critical applications and data resources into the cloud hosting solution (Almorsy, Grundy and Mller, 2016.). Through the external cloud services, they can easily transfer data to the cloud. This cloud is remotely handled by the other person. Following are the merits of the present project: Fewer capital expenses The most significant cloud computing benefit is in terms of IT cost savings. The cloud solution helps the company to maintain the cost and charged to the minimum operations costs without matter of the size of the project. The lack of on-premises infrastructure also removes the associated operational costs in the form of power, air conditioning and administration costs (Bisong and Rahman, 2011). For the Aztek Company, it brings many opportunities and helps the business to maintain costs and through this, the companies also do not worry about the security of the cloud services. Reliability The external cloud services are much better than in-house services. In the external services, the company can easily store the data and other sensitive information about their company. It offers services 24/7 hours and organization can benefit from a massive pool of redundant IT resources. If any server fails to work then the company can easily transfer all data and the information to any other available server (Bruneo, 2014). Along with this, the company can also increase or decrease the scale of business operations according to its requirements. Management of use of resources Through the cloud services, the company can efficiently use its resources. With the help of present cloud services, the business can efficiently use its projects and reduce the operational costs incurred. The employees of the company need to spend less time on information managing and they can use their time in more useful activities (Buyya, Broberg and Goscinski, 2010). Another benefit of the company for resources is that it helps the company to enjoy the scalability of economics. The cloud services have less energy consumption and required less physical resources in order to maintain the services. High level of storage capacity and flexibility The external cloud services can offer high level of storage services to their customers. With the cloud, the company can easily store any type of the data without any limitation. Along with this the company also receives a high level of the flexibility. The cloud services offered to the company test and develop cloud services effectively (Dinh, Lee, Niyato and Wang, 2013). If one cloud is not working properly then the company can switch to another cloud. Along with this, Aztek can also able to access the own file through the internet anywhere. Cloud Computing In Financial Sector And Other Regulations The external cloud services in the financial services help to the company to manage their activities and operations costs effectively. The financial sector is also now engaged with the internet services. There are many organizations like Aztek which are using cloud services to efficiently use their resources. The main role of cloud services in the financial services to offers the financial services and also helps the company to maintain its internet services (Furht, 2010). Through the external cloud services, the business can offer a large number of services and they can also provides high level of the security to store personal information of customers. However, there are many types of the rules and the regulation which are needed to be maintained. The Australian government develops some laws and regulation through which they can control the activities and security of the cloud services. It imposed in accordance to the data security and the privacy act in which the company has oblig ation for not sharing personal information about the customers to any third party. Government Regulations Storing data in the cloud, rather than on other devices or on an inadequately secured in-house system, if done well, may reduce these risks (Bisong and Rahman, 2011). Following are the government and industrial regulations which should be implemented by the company: The Privacy Act The Australian Privacy Act is designed to regulate the collection and handling of the personal information of individuals. It states that the company cannot share any type of the information about the customers to any third party. In Aztec, there are many types of the customers who take the financial services. While, the receiving these services, they can also provide their information such as back detail, ID card detail and much more. It can lead to harm if the company provide this information to third party (Garg, Versteeg and Buyya, and 2013). Some personal information also involve sensitive information such as the person's race or ethnicity, their religious, political or philosophical beliefs or affiliations, and health information, including genetic information. All these laws are also applied to the company which is using the cloud services. While doing the business on the cloud, there are chances that the information may leak from the cloud. The business has to face many types of problems because it is considered as the breach of information. Information on the cloud The government is also provided guidelines to the organization to provide information about the cloud services. The company has to; under the privacy provide information about who can use their information. The major dealing in the cloud services is based on the cloud provider and the organizations (Iosup, Prodan and Epema, 2014 ). Aztek, in the cloud services, need to provide disclosure to the customers who can assess information and by what purpose. So, in future, no other problems can be created. Collection of the information The Privacy Act also involves the collection of the data. The company can collect only the data when it required for maintain its business functions. The company in order to monitor the personal records of the customers needs to take care of the information before providing services or data to the cloud vendor (Jadeja, and Modi, 2012). Along with this, the company also needs to provide information to the customers if the company is sharing the perusal data with any other third party. Security In the cloud services, the company should concern about the security. The external cloud hosting services are control by the third party in the remote area. The Aztek Company needs to make sure to use the high security in order to protect the data from the hackers (Jansen, 2011). In the privacy act, it is stated that if the company does not require any customers information then it is suggested as per the security point of view to destroy the data or permanently de-identify it. Through this, the companies can safely store on the cloud and also they can maintain the security of the data. Law on breach of information If the company fail to implement security measures on the data and personal information to the companys database, and if any type of the information is leaked from the database, then it is considered as the breach of the information under which the company may face any type of the lawsuit from the government or customer. In the financial sector, the business needs to take care of the personal details of customers bank (Jansen, 2011). If such details are leaked and any type of the damaged occurred then it would be payable by the company. So, the Aztek Company needs to maintain its data information effectively and adequately. External Systems Impact On Present Security Posture System The Security Posture refers to the companys network, information and the systems based on the IA resources (e.g., people, hardware, software, policies) and the capabilities in place to manage the defiance of the enterprise and to reach as the situation changes. The company has presently stored the data and the information within the personal database center. The company is moving to adopt the external cloud services to store the data and the personal information of the customers and the employees as well (Khajeh-Hosseini, Greenwood and Sommerville, 2010). There are many impact which will be created through the external services on present services. The company needs to change its structure, policies and provide training to their employees, so Aztek can effectively make interaction with the system. The business need to make sure that the external cloud services are integrated with present system effectively so they can reduce the IT threats and other security concerns. Following are t he impact on external cloud services on the present security posture. Impact on the Employees The employees are big and important assets for the company. Employees are the major concern for the company while adopting external cloud services. For Aztek, it is essential to develop effective interactions between the cloud system and workers (Krutz, and Vines, 2010). By using the external services, the business can overcome with many problems but there are some security issues as well which are needed to be addressed the employees. The impact of the external services is that if the employees are not aware of the system then they need to face problems. In order to overcome these problems, the company needs to provide training to employees so they can understand the current services and also cloud system. Impact on hardware and software The impact of cloud services on hardware and the software of the company is that it needs to be updated according to the cloud system. The cloud is automatically updated; however, it is required to also update other IT functions effectively. The impact on the hardware and software of the company should be modified and it is also needed to make the focus on the integrated with new system effectively (Manvi and Shyam, 2014). When the company is using its own hardware and software, they can easily take control over the data and the sensitive information of the company; while, using the cloud services the business needs to make sure that they have to develop leverage between the present system and the prosed system. If any disaster appears the company can use its traditional system to recover or store the data. Policies At present the company is using the In-build cloud services; however, in order to improve the services the company should move to the external cloud services. The business needs to make sure that all the services are an offer to the customers effectively. In order to offer services the business needs to follow the security and the data integration act (ODriscoll, Daugelaite and Sleator, 2013). Through it, they can control over the data integration and the security in an effective manner. The HR and administration should be making focus that all the laws and the regulations are effectively followed by the company. Capabilities At present, the company is offering services in the financial sector. Through the cloud services, the companies can offer its services to wide range of the people and they can also increase the number of customers in an effective manner (Ren, WangandWang, 2012). By using the cloud services, the business can collect the information and also they can offer efficient internet services. The impact of the cloud services on the current security posture is that it increases the capability of the system and the employees. They can attract more customers to the business and also they can offer better services. Although, use the external cloud services can increase the burden such as to maintained data and personal information, use of encryption while sending information to the cloud (Rittinghouse and Ransome, 2016). For using all of these, the company needs to hire experts such that information remains secure and also the company can use resources effectively. Risk Of Using The External Cloud Services The cloud computing brings any type of the new business opportunities for the company. Aztek which is financial company offer many types of the services which offer to the company. However, there are several other risks which are associated with the company. The cloud computing is handled by the third party in the remote environment. The company does not have any type of the control over the security network (Sanaei, Abolfazli, Ganiand, Buyya, 2014 ). It is identified that if the security vendors do not follow the guideline or while sending the data from the manual to the cloud system, then it can be access by the malicious users. So, the company needs to develop high level of security. Following are the risks of the using the external cloud servicing Data Breaches The first risks which occurred are the data breach. It refers to that if the sensitive data are leaked or use by any unauthorized users then it create problems for the company. The company has to face lawsuits and other regulations. It can create problems for the company (Sultan, 2014). The external cloud services have large amount of storage capacity so anyone can easily store the data on the cloud and the use the information by accessing the data. It is serious threats for the Aztek, because it can also damage the brand image and customers trust. Permanent data loss The permanent data loss is another IT threats which is faced by the company while using the cloud services. It is important for the business in order to protect data from the loss. Sometimes malicious hackers may delete or modification the data. It can increase threats for the customers and also for the company (Taylor, Haggerty, Gresty and Lamb, 2011). The company may lose their sensitive data and information from the database. Through this, the company has to face loss which can be in financial value or any other terms. The management of the company need to provide high security and the limit the access so no such harm can occur. Increased Vulnerability The cloud is riskier because it can be easily accessed by malicious users and hackers. The cloud computing is directly linked with the internet and on the internet, nothing is fully secured. The cloud computing is full interdependent on the internet so the business needs to take corrective measures to avoid such problems (Toosi, Calheiros and Buyya, 2014). Through the internet, the hackers can easily attack on the server and the collect the information from the database. Limited Control and Flexibility The cloud computing services provide only the limited services to the customers. On the external, cloud hosting services is control by the third party in a remote environment. So, Aztek has no control over the cloud computing. All the control is managed by the vendor so the company has only limited access to the software and the network security. Backup window Aztek can also face issues while storing or retrieving data from the network. The cloud computing is fully depended on the internet so while storing or collecting the information from the system the business need to make sure that there is availability of the robust connection of internet, because if the secure connection of internet is not established then hackers can access information (Ward and Sipior, 2010). So, the speeds of the backup data on the cloud are depended on the speed of internet which can bring many issues for the company and its workers. Unauthorized access of data The data and all other essential information of the company may be hacked by the users if the data iss not encrypted. The company while uploading the data to the cloud expects that the company need to encrypt the data so no users can access the data (Zhang, Cheng, and Boutaba, 2010). If management does not use the encrypted format then malicious users can take advantage of this opportunity and use the personal information for own benefits. Insecure API Applications programming interface is refers to the communication network of the company which makes the interaction of information between the company and the cloud system (Garg, Versteeg and Buyya, and 2013). It is set of routines, protocols, and tools for building the software applications. It is basically a medium of cloud vulnerable and the cloud. If the API is not secure then it is possible hackers can access the information from the security. Security issues The main concern for the Aztek Company is to maintain the security and provide a high secure environment to the cloud services. Thus, business owners need to evaluate each offer while making any decision related to the security (Malathi, 2011). It includes high security passwords, privacy and other formalities which need to be addressed effectively within cloud computing. Recommendations to overcome Cloud Systems Threats In order to overcome the IT threats and the security issues, the company can use various methods. By adopting the following recommendations the business can improve any kind of the problems and the overcome with IT threats and vulnerabilities (Almorsy, Grundy, and Mller, 2016). Following are the recommendations for improving cloud system. The first recommendation for the Aztek Company is to limit the access of network and the users. In order to provide a secure environment to the customers and the stakeholders, the company needs to limit the access of the cloud server and employees devices (Bisong and Rahman, 2011). The management of the company should make sure that only few members or employees get right to access the network and also only limited use available for the company. Through this, less interaction develops and the security is also maintained by the company. The second recommendation for the company is using the vulnerability scanner. It is a computer program which is used by the company in order to scan the present computer design, system, and the networks; through this the company can identify the weak point in the system and the network (Bruneo, 2014). In order to run this operating system, business should also allow the vulnerability management to protect the data and the network. The third recommendation of the company is that they should use firewalls in the systems. The firewall in that software system which creates a barrier between the internal and external gateways of the system (Buyya, Broberg and Goscinski, 2010). This system detects all information which sends from the internal environment to the external environment. It identifies information and assesses it, if system finds any mysterious information sent outside of the company then it creates barrier between gateways. An intrusion detection system is devices of software application systems that monitor a network or the software applications that monitor network systems for malicious activity or policy violations these devices work on set protocols and monitors all the malicious activity in the network (Garg, Versteeg and Buyya, and 2013). This system is a combination of the multiple sources and the uses the filtering process and distinguishes malicious activity from false alarms. These systems are basically based on monitoring the operating system of the company and analyze incoming network traffic. Data Security Threats For Using The External Cloud Computing In the cloud computing, system is full of threats, there are a lot of problems which can be assessed by the company during migrating with business. Aztek Company need to secure data and sensitive information, by using the cloud computing services. In the external data computing, there are a lot of threats available which are related to the security of cloud (Zissis and Lekkas, 2012). Once the security breach, the business has no control over the information and it can be used by anyone in the company or outside of the organizations. Following are the security threats for Aztek for using the cloud computing services: VN Attacks The Cloud system is based on the VN technology. For the determination of the cloud, hypervisor such as VMware, Sphere etc are used. Developers need to take care of it as the business needs to make sure that there is use of the IDS and IPS coding system (Zhang, Cheng, and Boutaba, 2010). In addition, the company developers need to make sure that the coding system should be protected and confidential. During the coding of the system, the company can also use the suitable firewall system so they can control cloud system and business environment. No control over data The cloud services like Google and drop-box become a regular part of the business. Such cloud service offers a large amount of storage facilities which can lead to serious IT threats. Such types of the treats occur when company shares data with the third party so business has remained no control over the information (Zissis and Lekkas, 2012). So, it is possible that such information can be used by anyone. Key management The management of the cryptographic keys is always security issue for the company. The key management operations need to be jointly secure and the retrieval process should be difficult and tedious in order to project the data from attacks (Ward and Sipior, 2010). It can be only achieved by the company through securing the process of the key management from the starting point. But in the cloud, its effects have been overblown and it can easily work with efficiently. Snooping File on the cloud can easily be detected, modified or deleted from the system. All the files which are stores are available on the internet and it can easily use by anyone. Everyone is now aware of the usage of internet so the data should be encrypted. Even if the data are encrypted for files, data can easily be accessed by the hackers using the route to its destination (Toosi, Calheiros and Buyya, 2014). The best methods to prevent data from the secure connection the business need to secure connection and the use the cloud metadata as well. Conclusion Summing up the present report, it can be concluded that migration of data and information on the external cloud computing is respectable decisions for the company. With the use of the external cloud hosting services, the company can take advantage of the various opportunities and also they can store more data on the provider network. Aztek which is finance service Provider Company is moving to the external; cloud computing services, through which they can build internet services more strong and also they are able to provide more secure services to customers. However, there are certain security issues as well which can be overcome by using the security measure. The business can adopt various method secure data and information on a cloud system. By adopting such security system they can provide standard services to its customers and maintain the IT security. References Almorsy, M., Grundy, J., Mller, I. (2016). An analysis of the cloud computing security problem. arXiv preprint arXiv:1609.01107. Bisong, A., Rahman, M. (2011). An overview of the security concerns in enterprise cloud computing. arXiv preprint arXiv:1101.5613. Bruneo, D. (2014). A stochastic model to investigate data center performance and QoS in IaaS cloud computing systems. IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, 25(3), 560-569. 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