Book Review Template Essay

Summary: This can come from the book jacket or a website, but it must be concise and it must be cited. You may also choose to write your own summary; in which case you should briefly tell the reader what the story is about. Where and when does it take place? Who are the main characters? What kinds of problems they run into? My Review: Begin by explaining why you chose this book in the first place. Next, comment on the connections you discovered between the characters/people in the book and your own personal experiences (text to self), other characters or people you’ve read about or encountered in film or television (text to text), or people you’ve heard about in real life (text to world). Follow this with your opinion of the book. What did you like about it? Give an example (quote a passage) and explain why you liked this. Comment on what you did not like about the book. Give an example (quote a passage) and explain why you did not like this. (In commenting on what you did or didn’t like, consider writing about how well the author: brings characters or people to life, holds your interest in terms of telling the story, or utilizes language to paint a clear and interesting picture of the characters, the setting, and the action of the story.) Important note: Do NOT give away the story’s ending. Conclude with your recommendation for other readers. Do you recommend this book? Why and for whom? (Consider age, reading level, genre, and subject.) Rating: How many stars do you give this book on a scale of 1-5? Credentials: Describe your credentials as a reader. (Start by identifying your status as a student: class name and period, and school name.) Then, describe what kind of reader you are. (How often do you read? How much do you read? What kind of books or text types do you typically read for your  own purposes?)

Analysis of “Regret” by Kate Chopin

When It Is too Late â€Å"European and American women in the nineteenth century lived in an age characterized by gender inequality† (Bomarito and Hunter, pars. 1). Women's role in a society was limited to be wives and mothers. But as time went on, things began to change. Women started to have the right of higher education and working (Bomarito and Hunter, pars. 5). They became more independent in their lives without the need of men to support. But the question is that was this change good for women or not? The American author Kate Chopin gave an example of those independent women in her short story â€Å"Regret†.In the story, a woman called Mamzelle Aurelie lived alone in her farm. She has never got married and never had children. But one day the silence in Aurelie's life was broken as she carried the burden of looking after her neighbor's four children for two weeks. One might ask how could she manage to take care of these children since she never had one? In the story Chopin describes the difficulties Aurelie faced and how she finally managed to deal with the children, also how she felt after the children left her alone.In â€Å"Regret†, Chopin uses this description to explore the change in Mamzelle Aurelie's character before and after the arrival of the children and her regret at the past. At the beginning of the story, Chopin describes Mamzelle Aurelie in masculine terms. She was unmarried and never thought of getting married. She was a middle-aged woman with a rugged appearance. â€Å"She wore a man's hat about the farm, and an old blue army overcoat when it was cold, and sometimes topboots† (Chopin 1). She was strong and capable in her every day life.She had a â€Å"determined eye† (Chopin 1), and she lived quite alone except for her dog Panto. She even ran her own farm and supervised her workers. That shows how independent and hardened woman she was. All this description appeared in Aurelie's character before the arriva l of her neighbor's children. After the arrival of the children, Aurelie became aware of the missing part of her character which is womanhood. Those children had arose this suppressed character in Aurelie. At the beginning she did not know how to deal with these children.She treated them as if they were another variety of her farm animal. But soon she realized that â€Å"little children are not little pigs† (Chopin 2). Taking care of the children required the awaken of feminine and maternal aspects in Aurelie's nature that were dormant. Therefore she brought out her â€Å"white aprons† (Chopin 2) and â€Å"got down her sewing-basket†(Chopin 2) to mend the children's clothes. She washed their feet before bed. Told them stories, and even let the youngest sleep with her. At the end of the story, the children had to go back home and leave Mamezlle Aurelie alone again.After they had awaken her maternal instinct, they left her in a great sadness and regret. â€Å"The red sunset and the blue-gray twilight had together flung a purple mist across the fields and road that hid it from her view† (Chopin 3). She realized that the void left by the children could not be filled by her own at the age of fifty. She felt regret for banning herself from a great happiness; she might have done this because she wanted her independence or because she did not find a true love.Now after discovering all these things, â€Å"she let her head fall down upon her bended arm, and began to cry† (Chopin 3). In the short story â€Å"Regret†, the change in Mamzelle Aurelie's character caused her sadness and regret. In her past life, she hid some good aspects of her character  beyond her  appearance. She seemed to be strong and appeared in man's style. But when the children had entered her life, soft sides in her character appeared. At that period , she starts doing things she had never done before.She took care of the children, and spent most of her t ime with them as if she were their mother. In those two weeks, her kind heart and  maternity  instincts revealed. And when the children left her, she realized how much time of her life she had wasted without being a mother and  banning herself from this kind of happiness. Works Cited Primary Chopin, Kate. â€Å"Regret†. New York: The Century Company, 1895. Secondary Bomarito, Jessica, and Jeffrey W. Hunter, ed. â€Å"Women in the 19th Century – Introduction†. Feminism in Literature. Vol. 2. Gale Cengage, 2005. eNotes. com.

Obesity Essay Introduction Essay

In the process of evolution, a human body has adapted to accumulate a supply of nutrients in the amount of food for expending it in conditions of forced absence or restriction of provision. This kind of evolutionary advantage allowed us to survive in difficult times. In ancient period, fatness was considered as a sign of well-being, prosperity, fertility, and health. An example is the sculpture of Venus of Willendorf, dated 22nd millennium BC. E. A careful attitude to own weight is a trend of the present time. The lifestyle of a modern person is often far from what doctors and elementary common sense recommend. Constant stress and inability to have a good rest lead to one of the simplest and cheapest ways to relax like absorption of high-calorie food. As a result, a wide-scale disease in megacities becomes obesity, but it can be prevented by conducting regular laboratory diagnostics. Obesity is a widespread illness, characterized by excessive development of adipose tissue. The problem frequently occurs with age, when motor activity decreases, and a number of vital body systems fail. The genesis of fatness is mostly caused by a violation of the balance between energy intake and its expenditure of the body. Excess calories, i.e. not consumed by an organism, are converted to grease, which accumulates in fat stores. We are talking about subcutaneous tissue, epiploon, abdominal wall, internal organs, etc. An increase in fat stores leads to addition in body weight and disruption of many systems. The basis of an appearance of primary obesity is an alimentary factor associated with an enhanced energy value of the diet at low energy costs. The mentioned type develops as an output of the predominance in a menu of carbohydrates and animal grease or disruption of dietary patterns, which often carries a family predisposition. Calories contained in fats contribute more to weight gain than those involved in proteins and carbohydrates. Hypodinamy significantly reduces an ability of muscles to oxidize grease. Secondary fatness accompanies such hereditary syndromes as Babinsky-Frohlich’s disease, Gelino syndrome, Lawrence-Myan-Barde-Biddle syndrome, etc. Symptomatic obesity may also happen against a background of various cerebral lesions. Similar changes in eating behavior occur as a result of the violation of a hypothalamic-pituitary regulation, which is responsible for controlling behavioral responses. Their genesis is also facilitated by a number of factors, such as a low-activity lifestyle, genetically caused disorders of enzyme activity, errors in nature or dietary, some endocrine pathologies, stress, lack of sleep, and the use of psychotropic or hormonal drugs. Obesity’s presence within a certain patient entails the need for a number of laboratory tests necessary for finding out the reasons and an appointment of adequate therapy. Analyzes allow you to assess liver function, parameters of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, a state of the reproductive system, the functioning of the thyroid gland. Thus, every person suffering from fatness could have own motivation for weight loss: cosmetic effect, reducing the risk to health, improving efficiency, a desire to wear smaller clothes or a wish to look good. However, goals and its rates should be real and directed, first of all, to reduce dangers of obesity-related complications. With hereditary predisposition, at the age of 40 years, in conditions of hypodinamy, it needs to limit consumption of carbohydrates, fats, transit to the diet of protein and plant foods. For the prevention of obesity, a person with a normal weight is enough to spend calories and energy as much as he or she gets them during the day.

Sunny San Diego

Literature 1301-012| Sunny Sandy Eggo| A Guide to San Diego for Young Adults| | Jonathan Lincoln| 3/5/2013| | Aloha! And, Welcome to one of the friendliest and most temperate climates in the world. We like to call this little slice of heaven, San Diego. Today, you will just get a crumb of the cake, as to what the beaches of this amazing, international hub have to offer. Starting from north, and heading south, along the coast line are La Jolla Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Ocean Beach.With everything from restaurants on piers, bars and novelty shops on the boardwalk, to rollercoasters and dog beaches. You can never go wrong on a bright, sunny, warm day from Also, for the college students; we will cover the social scenes that each area has to offer. La Jolla Beach is widely known for its Full Moon parties at Black’s beach, which is located north of Scripps Pier, beneath the Torrey Pines Glider port and close to UCSD. Hence, the name Full Moon party, every full moon, l ocals gather at the beach, usually with guitars, drums, and an occasional dj.Everyone then conjugates around a fire, and just enjoys the good times, along with life its self. Black’s beach is also known for its occupant’s sun bathing in the nude during the daytime, so I wouldn’t recommend venturing into the unknown. Our next stop, Pacific Beach, better known as PB, has more of a college student’s age demographic. Offering bars on the boardwalk, and a restaurant on the pier. If you’re in your party stage, this is where you want to be.Between Typhoon’s, which is one of many trifectas in the area, it triples as a restaurant, bar, and club, on Garnet Ave; to, Crystal Pier, there must be at least 20 different diverse bars, clubs and restaurants, offering something different for every walk of life. Heading further south, along the Ocean Front Walk, you will stride by many condos and houses before coming upon the first marker of Mission Beach, Belm ont Park. Here, you can enjoy a wooden rollercoaster, bumper cars, or simply lounge on the beach and enjoy the sun, sand and aqua. Down, past Belmont Park, on the Mission Beach Peninsula, you come to the yacht clubs.Although most are private, and only accessible by members and their guests, I personally, have been invited to join a handful of parties on the yachts, just by simply being in the right place at the right time. Skipping across Mission Bay to Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs, this peninsula was my home, better known as Point Loma Peninsula. The core of Ocean Beach’s, better known as OB’s, life support, lies within Newport Ave. At the base of the avenue, you will find not only, access to the pier and beach; but to two blocks that include over 30 different businesses based on tourism.The Black is probably the most recognized novelty shop, while Gallagher’s is the official Irish pub, and Roberto’s, the official restaurant. Also, if you have the time, take an hour or two to work your way further down the coast. I promise that you won’t be disappointed. Well, although there is so much more this ten mile stretch has to offer, I can’t give away all of the secrets and gems that this area has. Go out and discover things. Share your experiences. And remember, it’s only one life, so live with no regrets, and enjoy.

My trip to Rome (Roma)

It was the night of my dad's birthday that my godmother Jill explained how she had free air miles, and wondered if there was somewhere I'd most like to visit? Jill had already invited my mother to go with her. I replied, â€Å"I'd love to go anywhere†. â€Å"What about you where would you like to go the most,† I said. Her answer to this was â€Å"I would love to go to Rome† and I said, â€Å"That's where we should go†. By the time we got to the airport I was feeling rather hungry. I kissed and said good-bye to dad. Jill, mum and I waved goodbye to dad and headed in to the airport. Once we got in side it was really busy. It was hard to get through the people queuing up waiting to check in, so we squeezed through the people to the right checking desk. As we waited for our turn, even though it was busy we got our tickets and passports ready to show the lady behind the desk. When we finally made it to the desk we handed in everything and we where checked in in no time. After doing this Jill led us to the exclusive lounge. This is because she uses this airline a lot, which means she can sit in the lounge and have food and drink depending on what time of day it is. Here we waited and ate our breakfast before we were called for boarding. After an hour and half's wait we were called to board our flight. I grabbed my case and braced my self for the flight as we walked to the boarding area. We showed our tickets at the boarding desk and walked down the tunnel to the plane and took our seats. As I sat there looking out through the small window I started to feel nervous, but it was ok because mum and Jill reassured me. However, I was still a bit nervous and I found it hard to breathe as it was quite packed. When we started to takeoff I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and felt as if was going to pass out but luckily I didn't. I stared out the window as the land below became smaller and smaller. A little while in to the flight they hostesses came round with food and drinks for us, which was really enjoyable and tasty. For the rest of the flight I fell asleep and by the time I woke up we were in the motion of landing. Once we had landed and it was safe to leave our seats we left the plane and went to collect our cases. Then we boarded the airport train, which took us to the main train station where we went on a train to Rome. When we arrived at Rome's train station we had to walk down along platform, which was very busy, and we had to avoid being trampled by the herds of people that were heading towards us. Luckily once we were outside the train station we didn't have far to walk before we were at our hotel as it was only a couple of roads away. When we arrived at the hotel we went straight to the front desk to sign in and get the key to the room we were staying in. We took the lift to the third floor. Mum opened the door and I went in first and sat my case on the floor. Jill and mum followed after me. Jill and mum decided it would be a good idea if we unpacked and have a rest before we went out for our meal. We walked down the stairs to the ground floor and handed our key in before we left the hotel. As we walked we discussed where we were going to eat. Jill suggested that we eat at the restaurant just round the corner and that's where we went to eat that night. When we arrived there was an old man playing beautiful Italian music on his violin. We sat out side, as it was a warm night and there was good music. Jill tried to order dinner in Italian but to our surprise the waiter spoke better English than we did. For our appetiser we had thin dried ham and juicy orange melon. I wasn't sure about it but once I tasted it was really delicious. The second course I had pizza, which was delicious also because it had a buttery cheese topping on a really thin crisp base. By the time we had finish our meal it was late and we were all tired so we went back to the hotel to sleep. The morning after arriving in Rome my deep sleep was interrupted by the loud chiming of the church bells. I got up and went to see mum and Jill in the other room. I went into their room. They looked at me tiredly and I smiled at them. I said morning and went into the bathroom. When I came out they were dressed and ready to go down and have breakfast, so I changed into my clothes and followed them down to the restaurant. After we had eaten we went back to our room and got our things ready for the day ahead. Mum and Jill had planned what we were going to see the night before. The first thing we were going to see was the Trevi fountain and that's where we headed. When we arrived at the Trevi fountain it was swarming with people selling goods, advertising their restaurants, people who giving tours and people who had just come to see the fountain. Once we were closer I understood why there were so many people who had come to see the fountain. It was a wonderful and beautiful sight. The sculpture and the size were amazing. But there was one thing missing which would of given the full affect of the fountain ‘the water'. There was no water to be seen in it at all because it was being cleaned. We took a few pictures and headed to the next thing on our list, which was The Spanish Steps. When we arrived there the first thing that grabbed our attention were the monumental steps. As I looked up the steps I could see the church of SS. We walked up the steps to the church and had a look inside. After looking round the church we come out and walked back down the stairs and headed back to the hotel. As headed back we past the Trevi fountain that was now full of water and as it had gotten dark it was all lit up. This made it even more beautiful than be for and we stood and looked at it and toss a coin into the water of the fountain and made a wish. Over the next four days we were woken up at seven in the morning to the church bells chiming and going out at about half nine. We visited many of the main tourist attractions such as, Vatican City where we saw St. Peter's church and walked up the 320 steps to the top of the building, which was hard work, but the view was breath taking. We also walked around St Peter's square where people were having tours into The Vatican, which we joined. Inside The Vatican it was huge and the detail and sculptures were incredible. We also visited the Sistine Chapel after it had been restored to its original colours and the paintings were astonishing. When you looked up at the ceiling you could tell that each painting got bigger and bigger. This is where Michelangelo realised that the first scene was too small and made the next one bigger and so on. Then we went to The Colosseum where they were restoring it to its original state. But they've had to redo I what they had done because they had restored it wrong. We walked in and around The Colosseum where we took pictures and took in the remarkable building. We went from there to The Roman Forum where the remains of ancient Temples of all ages were still standing at incredible highs. The next thing we visited was the Monument to Victor Emmanuel ll. The size of this monument was the size of the houses of parliament. Then we went in to the Pantheon, which is also a monument. As we went inside this building the sculpture was startling. When I looked up, I noticed this hole in the roof that actually lets in the rain when it does. Following the Pantheon we visited Piazza Navona. This is a square with three big fountains going down the middle of it. We also visited the Villa Bognese garden, which was enormous. We walked through the garden as the sun shone through the leaves on the trees which sent a warm happy felling though my body. It such a beautiful day we found a mini restaurant in the garden, which we sat out side of with a cold glass of water each. We walked around the garden we notice that the pond had lots of terrapins rest on rocks in the sun. We took a few pictures of them and then sat by a little fountain and rested in the shaded to cool down. We on through the garden and found our selves out side of a zoo. We then decided to sit down and read a book but Jill when to sleep instead. Once we were relaxed and hungry we went into the town and had lunch. When we had finished our lunch we head back to the hotel. After visiting each of these places we would have meals at different Italian restaurants where we ate proper Italian foods and wines. The food was filling and really got you taste buds tingling. Jill and I had Italian ice cream whenever we had the chance. We tasted all sorts of flavours which where really yummy. At the end of our trip we still couldn't speak great Italian but we all enjoyed our selves. We will treasure the time we had there.

Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Public Policy - Essay Example The underground economy is seen as only a means of criminality and any efforts outside of the mainstream is thought to be an effort to defraud the government for welfare. There are a great number of misunderstandings of both financial success and poverty. There is the belief that success is found through individual effort. This is not true. There is also the belief that if they tried harder, those who are poor could do better. This is also not true. To understand the nature of poverty and how the truth of success includes a much more collaborative experience, one must take a look at the way in which the inequalities in the nation have set people up to either succeed or fail based on their circumstances. There is no doubt that the nature of life for those who live in poverty could be raised from that level into success, but in order to do that a number of different factors need to change. Neighborhood regeneration, public transportation, equal school opportunities, and better infrastructure on the whole would all contribute to better opportunities for those who are poor. This is not the problem, however. The problem is that there is a belief that pove rty is a state of criminality and does not deserve resources because of its nature. Addressing this issue will begin meaningful change. In order to address public policy through changing social policy about the poor, it is important to follow a path towards public policy. Stone (2002) writes â€Å"A theory of policy politics must start with a model of political society, that is, a model of the simplest version of society that retains the essential elements of politics.† (p. 13). Stone (2002) goes on to discuss public policy in relationship to a market as individuals are all competing for their position in the market and for the ability to use available, but limited resources. Trying to gain what they can at the lowest possible cost means that they can change those raw materials into something

Water level determination, measurement and datums Essay

Water level determination, measurement and datums - Essay Example Moreover, by performing all these activities, the exact location to extract ground water for irrigation purposes might be analysed effectively. However, if the exact place might be evaluated then many other processes of agriculture as well as human requirements might be improved to a significant extent. Therefore, due to all these purposes, the process of sea level measurement, changes of atmospheric pressure, winds, topographical changes, alteration of oscillations etc are calculated with high attention in these recent years as compared to prior age. The rationale of this essay is to analyse the importance and effectiveness of water level determination, tidal water measurements as well as datums. However, the entire essay is divided into four parts, introduction, discussion, analysis and conclusion. The level of sea is not uniform. It varies with time and distance and it’s mainly due to its steady motion. However, the motion of the sea is highly influenced by winds, tidal waves, atmospheric pressure, temperature, gravitational forces and many other forces of nature. Therefore, due to the presence of numerous uncertain forces and pressure influencing the level of water, a highly inventive technology named GPS Buoys is utilised. GPS Buoys is a sort of wave antenna of extremely light-weight used to analyse, whether the level of water in the sea is increasing or not. The prime purpose to utilise such type of instruments is to analyse the environment and the measurement of tidal waves. However, if any sort of difficult scenario arises, then it would surely get highlighted within this device and the engineers and the sea surveyors might take corrective actions for it. However, due to global warming, the ice caps or snows in high mountain peaks are melting at a rapid pace and this is increasing the level of water. But, due to increase of water level, the rate of dry land is decreasing and such a scenario

Hospitality Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Law - Essay Example The rights would cease if there are reasons to believe that the guest room could be used as a security threat venue. In such case, the hotel management can breach this policy and allow the third party’s accessed after proper confirmation (Jeffries 103-107). Confirmation could be in a form of ex parte, a judicial proceeding obtained granted at the persistence of and for the advantage of individual party only, and with no need of the other partys attendance. The other reason is a search warrant. An order in formal forms in reference to the state; authorized or authenticated by a magistrate and specified to a peace officer instructing him to search for personal possessions and take it to the magistrate (Jeffries 103-107). In a nutshell, the privacy right of a guest can be breached by hotel management if there is suspicion or proof of security threat. The second review question seeks to assess the relevance of Campbell v. Womack in hotel guest’s right of privacy. The hotel had an obligation, an affirmative duty, supported by a â€Å"guest’s rights of privacy and peaceful possession of the room† (Jeffries 103-107). policy that gave them mandate not to permit unauthorized and unregistered individuals to gain access to the guestrooms of its guests (Jeffries 103-107).. The affirmative duty refers to the obligation or duty of making verification, in the initial instance, of issues alleged or in the appealing of the court; the duty to maintain the need for proof. The right of a hotel to prohibit unauthorized or unregistered guests was established even in the scenario of an unregistered wife. In this scenario, a husband acquired a guestroom on a monthly basis (Jeffries 103-107). When the spouse, a frequent guest, asked for a key, she was denied since she was not listed with the hotel. The Louisiana Court of Appeals confirmed that the restaurant was under

To ascertain the motivational factors for buying wine Essay

To ascertain the motivational factors for buying wine - Essay Example John Bruwer and Graham Wood (2005): Motivational and Behavioral Perspectives: Journal of Wine Research: Volume 16: ISSN 0957-1264, Online ISSN: 1469-9672: Rout ledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group. Nelson Barber, Barbara A Almanza and Janis Donovan (2006): Motivational Factors of gender, income and age on selecting a bottle of wine: International Journal of wine marketing: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 18 (3), pp.218-232. Olson, J. C and Jacoby, J (2002): Cue utilization in the Quality Perception Process: In Venkatesan Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, Chicago, pp. 167-179. Orth, U. R. & Krska, P. (2002) Quality Signals in Wine Marketing: The Role of Exhibition Awards, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 4, pp.385-397. P.T.H Unwin (2000): Wine and the Vine: A Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade: Routlegde Publishers: (Pgs 352-409) Keith Grainger and Hazel Tattersall (2005): Wine Production: Vine Bottle: Wiley-Blackbell (Pgs 56-125) Jenster, P. and Cheng, Y. (2008) Dragon Wine: Developments in the Chinese Wine Industry, International Journal of Wine Business Research, 20 (3), pp.244-259. Stephen Charters (2006): Wine and Society; The Social and Cultural Context of a Drink: Butterworth-Heinemann (Pgs 135-140) Sun, H., Yu, Y, Goodman, S., Chen, S., and Ma, H. (2009): Chinese choices: a survey of wine consumers in Beijing, International Jo

International human resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International human resources - Essay Example patriate managers are given the responsibility of synchronizing different cultures while managing human resource for a multi-national corporation in a foreign country. The culture and business environment of a multi-national corporations vary with regions and countries. ‘International human resource management’ deals with the HRM activities of a multi-national corporation. It assists the expatriate HR managers of multi-national corporations to understand the organizational culture of the MNC and the local culture of that particular country. The functions and responsibilities of domestic human resource management and international human resource management are different in many aspects. The latter requires greater responsibility as it necessitates greater level of coordination, risk, involvement in personal lives of employees. This paper will attempt to analyze the human resource of Ford Motor Company of United States of America (USA). In the next section, the cultural context of USA MNC and the local culture will be discussed and the challenges faced by the expatriate managers will be analyzed. The overall findings will be concluded and some essential recommendations will be provided to overcome those challenges. The core functions of the human resources management are similar irrespective of countries and organizations. However, the difference in cultures poses certain hindrances for the expatriate managers. Differences existing between Asia Pacific, Middle East and USA are difficult to assimilate. The culture of USA is an immigrant one, along with the Native Americans many immigrants from different countries have been residing in USA. Greet Hofstede has identified six dimensions of the cultures that vary from country to country. These dimensions are â€Å"power distance index (PDI), individualism (IDV), uncertainty avoidance index (UAI), masculinity (MAS) and long-term orientation (LTO)† (Falkenreck, 2009, p.59). Figure 1 depicts the ‘Greet Hofstede

Risk assessment plan Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Risk assessment plan - Math Problem Example The paper tells that in coming up with a risk management plan, there are several steps involved. The first step is identifying the risk factors involved. In this stage, the event, probability, impact, contingency, reduction and exposure is established. The event simply means an act or incidence that might happen, probability defines the likelihood of an event occurring, impact is the consequence of an event happening. Mitigation happens to be how much the probability of an event may be reduced. Reduction is represented mathematically as the product of mitigation and contingency, whereas exposure is the result of reduction subtracted from risk. In the initial steps, the project's risk management team has to identify the risks as well as their probabilities and consequences. The risks and threats are then analyzed and a risk profile created depending on the consequence and likelihood of occurrence. The threats and risks that are involved in this project may be subdivide into three main categories based on the entity the most impact is felt. The divisions may be environmental, personnel and the public. The contractor may have to execute his task with the railway being in use. Rubble and materials used overhead are a threat to the public, while the running railway is a risk to the experts on the project. Using the profiling, collapse of the bridge during construction may be catastrophic, yet rare thus falling in the high-risk category of the assessment profile. Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) or quantitative risk analysis (QRA) or probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) is one of the most used methods of analysing risk in project development and operation (Bedford & Cooke, 2001, p. 210). The use of this technique supports and validates the improvement of control and mitigation measures against threats. Incorporating probability in the project risk management gives the problem a wider scope and allows the stakeholders a better grasp of uncertainty and the need to impr ove on the risk control measures chosen for a given project. Incorporating probability in the development process allows in the assessment of what may happen, its likelihood and the possible consequences in the case of its occurrence. The works of Kaplan and Garrick in defining uncertainties and risk in mathematical terms aids in programming. The definition of risk as a set of scenarios Si, each with a probability Pi and a consequence Xi, generate a risk curve based on the increase or decrease in severity (Goodwin & Wright, 2003, p. 49). From this, programmers can assess inputs through the variations of the severity, consequence and frequency. The Scenario represents the probabilistic sample space in which event is contained (both favourable and unfavourable) each with a chance of occurring. However, in the probabilistic equations, the chances might be equal or biased; in the risk, assessment equality of the scenarios is hard to come by. The chances of occurrence in pure probability are equated to frequency in risk management. The ideology behind introducing the probability of frequency allows the risk analysis to be conducted based on empirical data. If a given project, in a given period, suffers a number of threats and risks the probability of a certain threat can be equated to the number of times it has

Neoclassical and Romantic styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Neoclassical and Romantic styles - Essay Example During this time, numerous artists came up whose works portrayed a theme of social and political issues being experienced during that time. The industrial revolution was essential as it gave numerous artists a platform where they could voice their cries. Art exhibitions, such as the Great London Exhibition, were seriously influential in spreading Neoclassical and Romantic styles. These exhibitions portrayed numerous Neoclassical and Romantic styles, which a lot of upcoming artists copied or adapted from other artists. The exhibitions also portrayed some of the talented artists who were not known in the past. Nationalism also influenced the spread of Neoclassical and Romantic styles. Critics consider that liberalism along with radicalism, which was brought about by nationalism, were significant influences of both Neoclassical and Romantic styles. Nationalism influenced the spread of music, visual arts and natural sciences. Finally, Christianity, which is a cultural factor, was the main factor that led to the spread of romanticism and its styles. This is because romanticist artists were extremely spiritual. The spread of Christianity was intense in the mid 1800’s, and what these artists, in reality, revolted against was the narrow mindedness of other

Mergers and Acquisitions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Mergers and Acquisitions - Assignment Example The exception to this is when both parties agree, irrespective of the relative strength and size, to present themselves as a merger rather than an acquisition. An example of a true merger would be the joining of Glaxo Wellcome with SmithKline Beecham in 1999 when both firms together became GlaxoSmithKline. An example of an acquisition posing as a merger for appearances sake was the takeover of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz in the same year. As already seen, since mergers and acquisitions are not easily categorised, it is no easy matter to analyse and explain the many variables underlying success or failure of M&As. Historically, a distinction has been made between congeneric and conglomerate mergers. Roughly speaking, congeneric firms are those in the same industry and at a similar level of economic activity, while conglomerates are mergers from unrelated industries or businesses. Congeneric could also be seen as (a) horizontal mergers and (b) vertical mergers depending on whether the products and services are of the same appearances a mutually supportive nature. Horizontal mergers may come under the scrutiny of anti-trust legislation if the result is seen as turning into a monopoly.  The ‘first wave’ of horizontal mergers took place in the United States between 1899 and 1904 during a period referred to as the Great Merger Movement. Between 1916 and 1929, the ‘second wave’ was more of vertical mergers. After the great depression and World War II the ‘third wave’ of conglomerate mergers took place between 1965 and 1989. The ‘fourth wave’ betw een 1992 and 1998 saw congeneric mergers and even more hostile takeovers.  

Advertising S.C.O.R.E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertising S.C.O.R.E - Essay Example By using black and white, terrible imagery with savage people fighting to get a bite of the apple, 5 Seeds shows how it can transform people in a variety of different ways. The simple goal of the advertisement is to make sure people identify with natural ingredients and the benefits to the body and mind. The ad is creative with its use of black and white and then a transformation into colour to show how simple ingredients like the apple manage to create a better environment and a happier person. It has impact because the whole idea of Adam and Eve was that they were misled by nature in the biblical story and told not to eat the apple, even though they wanted it very badly. By showing ancient people in dark and frightening environments and then transforming the background into a more civil and inviting colour scheme, it shows that the natural ingredients in 5 Seeds have benefits in many different ways. The creativity comes in not only the colour scheme, but by using age-old concepts (Adam and Eve) to give the drink a more modern view regarding health and mental well-being. Creativity is also noticeable with the crows that seem to be protecting the apple as a means to preserve their own food sources. It shows that these ingredients are even important to animals, however people are the winners in the struggle and are clearly made better for it. When the Eve character puts her very life out on the limb just to get a single bite, it tells the consumer that they should actively seek 5 Seeds because it is made from the most quality ingredients on Earth. The originality of the advertisement comes in how it transforms evil surroundings into more beautiful surroundings, giving consumers a kind of story that peaks their interest. 5 Seeds has many competitors and it would be difficult to differentiate the product from other similar products on the drink market. Therefore, in order to make the advertisement stand out competitively, they use imagery

Causal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Causal Argument - Essay Example Components such as their behaviour, choices, and thinking, influence us. Therefore, individuals feel obligated to follow these components. This in turn causes peer pressure. Peer pressure is beneficial to a certain degree, but it negative impact is more obvious. The part of society which is most susceptible to the impact of peer pressure is that of teenagers (Treynor 108). This paper will look at both the negative and positive effects of peer pressure on individuals. Negative Effects When an individual is not fond of a specific notion or when they do not have a liking toward a specified idea, it is apparent that they will not like to adopt it. Nevertheless, this is their peer group, which may oblige them in engaging in activities they dislike. It is apparent that an individual will not be contended engaging in what you do. Moreover, an individual will not be successful in the activity. Giving way to peer pressure in making significant decisions in your life can make you be sad. For i nstance, choosing a sport or taking up a field only because your colleagues do so, without regard to what your interests are, can only make a person discontented. Bad habits are also developed due to peer pressure. Peer pressure compels an individual to engage in activities that he is not comfortable in. This can make a person embrace a specific form of lifestyle, even if the individual doe not really want to (Spear and Kulbok 84). For example, a teenager may not enjoy consuming alcohol or going to parties on a daily basis, but due to the power of peer pressure, a teenager may transform to a complete party being. Similarly, the teenager may be turned from an individual who does not consume alcohol to a complete drunkard. There is a large number of teenagers who abuse drugs against their desire, largely because their peers compel them to abuse drugs. In numerous occasions, peer pressure has been the cause in generating drug addicts. It may be asserted that at this delicate period, te enagers are not aware that they are damaging their lives by conforming to peer pressure activities. Individuals also experience a loss of identity due to peer pressure. Tremendous peer pressure may make an individual do what his peers deem suitable. This is evident when a person follows his peers without question, adopts their music, taste of fashion, mode of dressing, and way of life as a whole. A person is compelled to do and like what is regarded as others’ preferences. This makes a person lose his conduct and originality of thought. Positive Effects Peer pressure enables individuals to adopt decent habits. Peer pressure gives an individual the opportunity to reflect on himself. Peers may be a source of upright teachings and encourage an individual to follow these upright teachings. This gives people the opportunity to transform their lives for better. Observing the way others perform their activities may assist an individual bring a constructive change in the way they per ceive events. If a person has the capacity to pick discerningly, peer pressure can push the person towards something incredible. For instance, if a student is aware that a number of his colleagues have formed a study group, he will also be enticed to join the study group (Spear and Kulbok 89). It also enables exposure to the universe. The way of life and choices of peers gives a person insight into events surrounding the world. How peers respond in different situations, perceive situations, and think about life events may actually expose an

Wind turbines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wind turbines - Essay Example According to studies, wind contributes only less than 1% of the world's energy needs (Grose 1). Even if the percentage of contribution is very low, the use of wind turbines as means to generate electricity grow continuously. This is because people nowadays discover the good benefits of using wind turbines in terms of environmental factors. However, some disadvantages still prevent other people from using wind turbines and few of these reasons are related to high cost of manufacture and noise created by these machines (Mahoney 2). Ongoing improvements on the blade's design and material are continuously done to further develop the machine in terms of its aerodynamic properties and performance. A wind turbine is a machine that can generate electricity through the use of wind power. A wind turbine has large rotating blades that are capable of capturing wind and creating kinetic energy. This energy is converted to mechanical energy which is used to generate electricity for various purposes (Mahoney 1). Shown below are the parts of a typical wind turbine: The horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) is also known as the classical or most commonly used wind turbine in the world. The axis of rotation of these turbines is horizontal to the ground and parallel to the wind stream (Mathew 16). Shown is a diagram showing a sample of a horizontal axis wind turbine. .. Shown is a diagram showing a sample of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The advantages of using HAWT are its structural stability and changeable blade pitch that allows greater control of the turbine and aids the blades in catching the maximum amount of wind. Versatility is also seen as one of its advantage in terms of its ability to be feathered in case of storms (Mahoney 1). 2.2.2. Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is different from HAWT because it is vertical to the ground and almost perpendicular to the wind direction. The VAWT can receive wind from any direction and so, complicated devices are avoided. The advantage of using VAWT is that they are not needed to be built very high. Maintenance is also easier since the VAWT is located nearer to the ground. The design is also not complicated and blades can easily be seen by birds (Mathew 19). On the other hand, VAWTs are less efficient than HAWTs since they can only produce energy that is 50% of what HAWTs can produce. Another downfall of VAWTs is that it can only rotate faster in higher elevations and with high wind velocity. Lastly, the turbine must be dismantled first in order to change or repair some parts when necessary (Mathew 19). Shown in diagram 2 is a sample of a vertical axis wind turbine. 2.3. Types of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blades Wind turbine can be classified as single bladed, double bladed, and three bladed. The cheapest among the four classifications is the single bladed wind turbine since it only consumes small amount of material and labor. On the other hand this design is not ideal since balance is also an important factor in wind turbine construction and single bladed wind

Product Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Product Assessment - Research Paper Example t that there exists some preliminary evidence that is seen to promote the use of garcinia in enhancing weight loss and exercise performance although the currently available evidence is mixed. Critics of the use of garcinia cambogia as a weight loss supplement argue that the high cost of the supplement is not commensurate with its results and it would be better for individuals seeking to lose weight to invest in proven techniques such as exercise to help them in losing weight. This paper will seek to prove that although the garcinia cambogia is able to generate weight loss on the short term, the long term effects are negligible. Garcinia (Garcinia Cambogia) is a rather diminutive purple fruit that is native to the regions around Southeast Asia and India. In recent times, the fruit has gained massive popularity as a weight loss aid although the evidence conducted to establish this aspect has largely been inconclusive. The fruit’s rind is rich in hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and this caused it for centuries to be used as a flavoring agent, food preservative and an effective carminative in the expulsion of gas from the intestines or stomach. Indian folk tradition has promoted the Garcinia Cambogia as a cure for conditions such as bowel complaints and rheumatism. According to Amazon.com (2014), the current number 1 selling garcinia cambogia product is being produced and marketed by Quality Encaspulations with each container containing 180 capsules. Individuals taking the dietary supplement are required to take a daily serving size of two 300 to 500mg capsules. The product is marketed as Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract with HCA. The appropriate dosage of garcinia is seen to depend on a number of factors such as the age of the user and the individual’s health. Although there is currently no scientific information available that can help in the determination of the appropriate range of dosages for garcinia, the standard dosage that is prescribed on its label is a serving

Australian Taxation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Taxation system - Essay Example There are also state governments which control taxation taking place in the several states that are in the country. The last system of government present in Australia is the local governments. According to Macfarlane in his book â€Å"Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century†, it is evident that Australia has low taxation rates (Macfarlane 1998). Despite lower taxation rates, the governments still struggle to control the taxation system. Several forms of taxation exist in Australia. These include personal income taxes, capital gains taxes, fringe benefits, taxes, customs duty taxes, corporate taxes and goods and services taxes just to name a few of all the existing forms of taxes. As testified in the sections of the Australian constitution, all individuals both working and non-working and also companies are forced to pay taxes to all the levels of government: the federal government, the state governments and the local governments. Among the natio nal duties that the Australian government accomplishes with the income generated from taxation include the offering of services to the public and paying the public servants. The federal government often collects taxes from individuals and companies through the Australian Taxation Office which is an organization that helps the federal government collect revenue which is further paid to the various states. Australia as earlier mentioned has several forms of taxation.... Income taxes are the backbone of the Australian economy since they are the most critical and important source of revenue for the federal government. Provides income tax revenue that the federal government uses to make or accomplish several important tasks. It is also important to note that income taxation in Australia is done on individuals with constant income. Thus, the individuals depending on the working generation which mostly comprises of the young children and older do not pay income tax. In the words of Cortese C and Glynn J, in his journal â€Å"Taxation and the Australian Superannuation System†, â€Å"personal income tax in Australia is done on individuals and not on groups, families, organizations or companies† (Cortese and Glynn). Another form of taxation is the goods and services tax. In this form of taxation, the federal government often imposes value added tax on goods and services offered and provided all over the country. Business people in Australia po sses retail shops, wholesale shops, hardware shops and even supermarkets. In these businesses, when an individual buys goods for example clothes, food or any other stuffs, there are tax imposed on him or her. Like in other countries, small business men and women sell their goods and services directly to their customers. When the customers purchase the goods, value added tax is imposed on them. Though tax on goods and services is not much as the personal income tax, it also acts as a source of revenue for the federal government in Australia. The income got from the goods and services taxation by the local government is later distributed to the state governments which the state governments use to run their duties. Consequently, corporate tax is another form of taxation in Australia.

Amin Maaloufs Idea Essay Example for Free

Amin Maaloufs Idea Essay My understanding of Amin Maalouf’s concept on identity is that human identity is based on an individual’s environment. He defines identity into two categories. One that is inherited through our elders and cultural beliefs â€Å"vertical†, and another that exist according to our generational influence, â€Å"horizontal†. The two categories create our identity as a human and is the source of our behavior. My experience with the vertical heritage is my belief in Christianity. My ancestors and the community I was raised in have traditionally taught me to celebrate religious holidays like Christmas and Easter. I also grew up in a small neighborhood with Christian peers. They have influenced the way I behave and interact by helping to shape my morals. My experience with the â€Å"horizontal† is the communities I have been introduced to, such as, the public and private school environments. They have broadened my personality with their social aspects. One example of what Maalouf is saying is my switch from public to private school. My personality was much different in public school than it was in private. In my public school the social standard for academic progress was average. The fact that there was no assigned dress code distracted me because I would attempt to impress others with my appearance. This influenced my train of thought, behavior and ultimately my identity, until I was placed into a different setting. When I made the switch to private school the distraction of looking different was taken away, and expectations were higher. My surrounding influenced me again and I became more focused on things that mattered and more questionable of my beliefs. What I gained from both these settings was my horizontal inheritance. For example, the music that I listen to and the hobbies I enjoy. Maalouf’s point is that no matter your vertical, your horizontal has a bigger affect on your identity, and since the horizontal is based on contemporaries, you are based on the subjects around you. He points out that there is a gap between what we think we are and what we actually are in reality. We may know we are different but what we don’t realize is in reality we are only becoming identical through arguing are differences. I believe this is a magnificent insight on identity. Mankind changes the world around us and if we all do the same, we end up in each other’s world. We are becoming more and more identical to each other through compromise from arguing our differences because we learn to live with each other. When we accept differences they soon become norms, and once they are norms, they become a standard. I agree with Amin Maaloufs concept on identity.

Clothing Later Victorian (1870-1890) Essay Example for Free

Clothing Later Victorian (1870-1890) Essay After the death of her husband in 1861, Victoria went into seclusion, and though still deeply respected as sovereign of a great empire, she ceased to influence fashion as directly. The somber colors that came into fashion are attributed to the fact that the British Court remained in mourning. Black became a popular fashion color in this period, not only worn for mourning. However dress forms changed significantly. After decades of full skirts, a new silhouette appeared that accentuated the body while still covering it. The tightly fitted bodice remained, but now the full skirts were swept back, leaving a tight narrow skirt in the front, with all the fullness arranged in the back. The chief feature of this period was the rear emphasis in dress, typified by the bustle, a padded arrangement of drapery that accentuated the buttocks. The bustle was at its largest in the mid 1870s (above right), but would develop in a more tailored form in the mid 1880s (left). However, throughout the period, the narrow silhouette and rear emphasis was a constant. Although the new look was decried as immodest because it revealed, even exaggerated the female shape, it was also an extremely restricting style that required exceptionally severe corseting. This was a period in which more women were coming out of the home and into the community to participate in volunteer work and other public activities. In this period the womens rights movement (which included suffrage, protection for working women, and dress reform) gained momentum. Both the revelation of the womans body and the protest against the restrictiveness of the garments reflected the changing times. In addition to factory work, long done by poor women, the typewriter and the sewing machine were now creating work opportunities for middle class women who needed income. Since fashionable dress limited mobility, changes in dress were called for to accommodate these new realities. Art Nouveau (1890-1911) The Art Nouveau silhouette, particularly that of the 1890s, in some ways echoed the look of the early Romantic period. The Full leg-o-mutton sleeves and flared, moderately full skirts were similar (left). However, the hour-glass figure with its erect posture, stiffly boned collar band, and high shoulders suggested a more formidable image than the slope-shouldered decorative butterfly of the 1820s and 1830s. Increasing numbers of young unmarried women now worked in shops and offices, and housewives were often active in church work and other community voluntary activities. Women also began to appear socially in public, in restaurants and even at the beach. Sportswear -specialized clothing for strenuous activity- had begun to appear as early as the 1860s but in the 1890s the advent of the bicycle put women into pants bloomers in public for the first time. Tailored (but skirted) suits for women, similar to mens suits in cut, were now part of every womans wardrobe (right). A example of a dress by the House of Worth, beautifully shows the relationship of fashion design to design in the other decorative arts in this period. After 1900 the silhouette shifted to the s curve of the new corset style (left), recommended by reformers as a healthier alternative to the hour-glass silhouette. Soft, gauzy fabrics combined with lace became the style, and for special occasions, lightweight white lacy cotton dresses were worn by every one. The sinuous lines and soft materials and colors were consistent with the Art Nouveau style as we have seen it in furnishings and architecture. These soft dresses, particularly those worn near the end of the period, were also reminiscent of the classical styles of the revolutionary period a century earlier. Suits and tailored dresses also continued to be part of the daytime repetoire, however. On the whole, clothing was becoming more relaxed as womens lives continued to expand. Romantic (1815-1840) After 1815 womens dress became increasingly fussy and decorative, as skirts became fuller, and the waistline gradually descended to the natural waist. Severe corseting also returned, as did layers of petticoats. In this period, women were pushed back into a more modest role, befitting the weaker sex, often described as delicate, fragile, and decorative. The intellectuals and artists of the Romantic movement valued emotion and sentiment, in contrast to the cold reason that was perceived to have driven the revolutions of the 18th century enlightenment. Women, believed to be more emotional than men, were idealized as the muses of artists. Some, like Elizabeth Barret Browning and Mary Shelley, achieved recognition as artists in their own right. Women were also placed on a moral pedestal, and looked upon as the guardians of family and community virtue, and the educators of the children. This moral elevation of women would eventually lead some to suggest that women deserved a wider role in public affairs. However, for now, dress reflected the perception of women as weak and decorative. The slope-shouldered, full sleeved silhouette suggested a weak body, and a butterfly-like decorative quality. Later in the period, the look became increasingly subdued and modest. Early Victorian (1840-1870) The young queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, and would rule England until 1901 during the height of the British Empire. During this period she became a happily married mother of nine children, and represented the ideal of womanhood for her age modest, devoted to family and duty, and the guardian of morality. Her tastes in clothing were also influential, reflecting her values, and those of her times. The major characteristic of the dress silhouette in this period was the exceptionally full and long skirts that completely shrouded the lower body . The skirts became so full that by the late 1850s hoops were needed to support the skirts, as the heavy layers of petticoats could no longer achieve the desired effect. The bodice and shoulders were very narrow, accentuating a weak upper body silhouette and tiny waist accentuated by the voluminous skirts. In the 1840s and 1850s deep bonnets were worn that modestly hid the face and neck except when the wearer looked directly at the viewer (above, right). In fact, except for evening wear, clothing covered virtually every bit of skin except the face (left). However, it was also in this period that the first protests against this restrictive form of dress appeared. Dress reform was associated with concern for protecting the health and welfare of women, which included the womens suffrage movement and the temperance movement. The restrictive fashionalble dress of the day was seen as both unhealthy and as a restriction on womens activities. An alternative costume was promoted that was based on loose-fitting pants borrowed from traditional Turkish womens costume. This costume became known as Bloomers, because it was popularly associated with activist and editor Amelia Jenks Bloomer. However, this costume was not widely accepted at the time for street wear, although bloomers were gradually adopted for girls and womens physical education activities. In the 1860s, though skirts reached their fullest, hats became smaller.Decoration became more geometric, and striped fabrics were also popular. By the end of the period, the full skirts became asymmetrical, with fullness pushed to the back, a precursor of the next major fashion shift. In this period the sewing machine was invented, revolutionizing the manufacture of clothing. By the mid 1850s sewing machines were appearing in private homes, and began to account for a substantial proportion of domestic clothing production. This invention also made possible the rise of the ready-to-wear clothing industry. Charles Frederick Worth became established in Paris in this period as the first true couturier that is the first dressmaker who would set fashion, not merely follow the instructions of his wealthy clients. His premier client was the French Empress Eugenie. By the 1870s the well-to- do women of the world came to his salon to be dressed by the great Worth.

Disruptive Technologies And The Innovation Dilemma

Disruptive Technologies And The Innovation Dilemma Disruptive technology was first introduced in Clayton Christensen article Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave (1995) which was co-wrote with Joseph Bower. [1] In view of business and technology fields, as discussed by Clayton Christensen, disruptive technology is a technology initially in a form of simple application, then improves and dominates dramatically in the markets, where the markets do not expect. Disruptive technology typically improves in a way that by being lower priced and designed for various disciplines of consumers. [2] Instead of allowing consumers with lots of money or lots of skills to use it, disruptive technology is designed in which allow whole new population of consumers to use it, access its services. [3] For leaders of the existing markets, disruptive technology makes potential threats on them. It is because it competes with the existing leaders of the market in such an unexpected trend. Leaders of the existing markets sometimes fail to compete with disruptive technology since they do not expect disruptive technology can improve and dominate dramatically in the markets. Generally, disruptive technology dominates the existing markets by moving into a new market where the older technology fails to follow. In additional, it enhances and makes improvements in its performance until finally displace the market incumbents. [2] There are lots of examples of disruptive technology such as personal computers, digital memory cards, digital photography, and Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD). Personal computers displaced the original mainframes computers. The dominant of digital memory cards has displaced the floppy disks which were widely used in the past. [4] Endnotes: [1] Bower, Joseph L. Christensen, Clayton M. (1995). Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995 [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Disruptive Technology (accessed on 6 January 2010) [3] http://www.claytonchristensen.com (accessed on 6 January 2010) [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Examples of disruptive innovations (accessed on 6 January 2010) What is sustainable technology? How does it differ from disruptive technology? (1/2 to one page) Sustainable technology improves established products performance without replacing them. Sustainable technology is usually developed by well-established company which usually holds a leadership position in the corresponding industries. Generally, most of the new technologies and innovations improve the performance of products. The term sustainable technology was introduced by Clayton Christensen in 2003: What all sustaining technologies have in common is that they improve the performance that mainstream customers in major markets have historically valued. [1] In general, sustainable technology does not create side effect on the existing markets. Sustainable technology can be classified into two categories: Revolutionary or Evolutionary. For Revolutionary technology, customers are allowed to deal with a problem in a radically mean while for Evolutionary technology, products in an existing market are improved in such ways that customers are expecting. [2] Sustainable technology aims to sustain the organizations focus, and sustainable technology usually satisfies current customers needs, while disruptive technology does not initially improve the focus of an organization. They sometimes do not have a market when they are created. In view of the difference between incumbents and entrants in terms of technology adoption, since sustainable technologies are well established together with the domination of strong players in their markets, an entrant may choose to begin with alternative technologies. Besides, disruptive technologies have lower gross margins, smaller size of target markets and simpler products, which allow them to carry out by either firm. [3] Nevertheless, when compared to disruptive technology, products of sustainable technology are usually regarded as too expensive to be adopted and preferred instead of too cheap that no one want to adopt and prefer. [4] Endnotes: [1] Christensen C. 2003. The Innovators Dilemma, Harper Collins Press [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia (accessed on 7 January 2010) [3] http://www.claytonchristensen.com (accessed on 6 January 2010) [4] Xiao Huang Greys Sosic 2008. Sustaining vs. Disruptive Technology: Industry Equilibrium under Technology Evolution, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 Managers in successful, on-going business are more comfortable with which type of technology disruptive or sustainable? Explain your answer. Illustrate it with examples. (One page) Instead of disruptive technology, sustainable technology which serves the present customers and puts emphasis on incremental improvements is more comfortable to develop and maintain from the point of views of managers who are doing on-going and successful business. Since the majority of advances are sustainable technologies, with the established technologies, developed good reputation of the organizations and relationship with the customers in the mainstream markets, it is no doubt that managers in on-going business will feel more comfortable in those sustainable technologies. [1] In the mainstream markets, there are enough suppliers willing to develop and support the new technology and customers to buy it. In the computer industry, as a manager of Intel Corporation, it is more comfortable for them to perform continuous advancement on the processing power of Intels integrated chips as a sustainable technology since there are enough suppliers such as Tenco Electronics Co. and IT Market Web to support their development and large groups of mainstream customers to buy them. [2] As a manager in an organization, a stable and sustainable market is preferred. In the healthcare industry, applications which are used to manage the assets and traditional supply chain are usually considered as sustainable applications. It is nothing but the improvements and enhancements in the existing processes for the mainstream customers such as the large hospitals. Suppliers of these applications include the large hospital suppliers and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) consultants. [3] With the large supports behind, managers are much used to prefer sustainable technology. Sometimes, if an organization chooses to adopt disruptive technologies instead of sustainable technologies, rapid technology improvements may overshoot the mainstream markets. This is a significant perplexing problem for a manager in an organization. Taking the producer of graphics cards Nvidia as an example, the development of technologies and products were good initially. [4] However, a large difference to their customers requirement was finally reached when the number of polygons rendered per second was increased rapidly every successive improvement. From the perspective of managers in an on-going, successful business, sustainable technology is more preferred in general. Endnotes: [1] http://www.hartnall.com (accessed on 9 January 2010) [2] http://www.alibaba.com/suppliers/Intel (accessed on 9 January 2010) [3] Karen Crooker, Dirk Baldwin, Suresh Chalasani, RFID Technology: Applications in the Healthcare Industry, European Journal of Scientific Research, 2009 [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Nvidia (accessed on 9 January 2010) What does Christensen mean when he asserts that many great companies went out of business because they were too focused on satisfying their customers stated needs? How can the example of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) be used to illustrate this point? Explain your answer. Illustrate with additional examples. (1 2 Pages) Many great companies were too focused on satisfying their customers stated needs, actually, they do not have much difficulties on succeeding this objective in order to develop their sustainable technology. It is hardly for managers in a good business to pursue in worse margins. But this is the problem, they were too focused on their high-end markets and the low-end disruptive technologies markets sometimes do not make sense to them. Thats why DECs leaders and engineers viewed PCs as underpowered toys. However, DEC finally went out of business. [1] DECs PDP and VAX products were considered the most popular minicomputers for both scientific and engineering industries during the 1970s and 1980s. [2] Their management team was considered as the best team in the industry. However, the emergence of microcomputers had destroyed DEC finally. This was the problem of their business model. The mainstream market for DEC was customers who brought high-end minicomputers at high margins. These computers were wealth to buy powerful computers. In contrast of DECs minicomputers, microcomputers were mass produced to customers who were expected to use low-cost computers with little help from the manufacturers at low margins. Initially, microcomputers could not meet the high-end markets but over a successive improvement, they met the most demanding markets. The reason of the collapse of DEC rather than the microcomputers corporations such as Apple, Dell was that DEC was too focused on their high-end markets and could not develop new markets for their products. DEC was forced by those microcomputers corporations to concentrate on their high-ends markets and customers in which the margins were considered as better and more profitable. However, after improvement of microcomputers performance, most of the microcomputers could do the most jobs as well as the minicomputers did. The dream of DEC was finally over and the most-demanding market was low cost microcomputers ultimately. [3] The other example was Eastman Kodak which missed out the digital photography revolution. In the past, Kodak dominated the chemically based photographic process markets. Their only competitor was the Japanese company, Fuji, but actually did not make too much threat to Kodak at that moment. In the past, Kodak had put hundreds millions of dollars into a chemically based system which focused on satisfying their mainstream customers needs. Nevertheless, an emergence of a disruptive technology digital photography revolution had made a huge punch to Kodak chemically based photographic process business. Digital photography technology was created in Japan. When the first Japanese VHS and Betamax camera systems were available in the markets, Kodaks Polaroid chemically based system no longer made sense when compared to digital photography. Nevertheless, Kodaks did nothing and tried to ignore this tidal wave approaching on them. Finally, they missed the chance of digital photography revolution and lost hundreds millions of dollars of investment which was equivalent to billions dollars today. [4] Although digital photography was developed finally in Kodak nowadays, Kodak had to pay a huge price for their delay in digital photography revolution. The digital transformation required a series of layoffs and facilities closure, cutting 12,000-15,000 jobs around the world. A 20%-25% reduction in its workforce was happened since 2000. [5] In conclusion, refer to Christensen and the examples of DEC and Kodak illustrated in the previous paragraphs it is not a good practice for successful, on-going companies too focused on satisfying their existing customers stated needs. They should develop their wider field of views into a new market and make significant preparation to resist the tidal wave from others disruptive technologies. Endnotes: [1] http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/bulletin/1999/april/qanda.html (accessed on 10 January 2010) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Digital Equipment Corporation (accessed on 10 January 2010) [3] http://www.datasentinel.com/files/dataSentinel (accessed on 10 January 2010) [4] http://www.articlesbase.com/, Stock Research Eastman Kodak And The Power Of Disruptive Technologies (accessed on 10 January 2010) [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Eastman Kodak (accessed on 10 January 2010) Explain how lowly disruptive technologies can ultimately surpass successful existing dominant technologies in sales, technical capability, and profitability. Illustrate your answer, using either the example of computer disk technology, power shovel technology, or steel production technology. (1 2 pages) In low-end disruptive technologies, at the beginning, disrupters aim to serve the least profitable customers who are satisfactory with good enough products. These types of customers do not intend to pay lots in improving the functionality of the products. Later, the disrupters try to improve their profit margin by seeking customers who are going to pay little more for better quality of the products. Therefore, the disrupters are required to innovate. It is common for incumbents try to be away from not so profitable margin and move to serve more attractive customers. After successive encounters, the incumbents are pressed out into a smaller market. Finally, the disrupters reach the most profitable markets and expel the established organizations out of the markets. [1] Taking computer disk drives technology as an example, NAND Flash is a typical low-end disruptive technology. [2] NAND Flash has a great impact on computer storage business in view of technical and economic aspects. For the purpose of low storage application, FAND Flash is actually cheaper than the hard disk drives. In terms of random I/O operations, FAND Flash has a higher performance than hard disk drives. A single NAND SSD can have a 10-30K random I/O operations per second (IOPS), while a single hard disk drive can only have 250 IOPS. At the markets where customers interest in low storage capacity rather than high storage capacity, FAND Flash is much more cost effective than hard disk drives. In order words, FAND Flash has squeezed hard disk drives out of the low-storage business market. The cost of mechanical components of a hard disk is around $20, while the disk controller costs around $3. [2] The smallest capacity of a hard disk is a single platter and additional platters provide incremental capacity. Say, the smallest capacity platter of a modern 2.5 hard disk drive is 160GB and capacity will increase over time when technical capabilities improve. The cost of a single NAND Flash chip is generally between $1 and $8, depending on performance and density. Currently, a 4GB NAND chip using multi-level cells (MLC) costs around $7 while the controller is the same of that in hard disk drives. [2] For certain capacities, say lower storage capacity, NAND Flash actually costs less than the minimum cost of a hard disk drive. This is the reason behind why USB storage drives usually adopt the use of NAND Flash. Now, it can be explained that below the cross-over point, FAND Flash is much more cost effective while above the cross-over point, hard disk drives are much more cost effective. However, it is of great importance that we should be noticed that the shifting of the cross-over point towards a higher storage capacities. Moores law has a long history in the application of computer hardware. The capabilities of many electronic devices are strongly related to Moores law, such as the storage capacity. [3] NAND Flash which is made of semiconductor is benefited from Moores law. With the improvement of performance of semiconductor, the storage capacity of FAND Flash has exponentially increased, and so the hard disk drives do. Therefore, FAND Flash will not squeezed hard disk drives out of high-storage capacity. Nevertheless, the cross-over point is moving towards a higher storage capacity, say today it is around 16GB but four years later, it is around 64GB, and eight years later, the cross-over point might even reach to around 400GB. [2] As a result, the low-end market of FAND Flash is expanding continuously. The markets below the cross-over point of FAND Flash are expanding while putting the markets of hard disk drives below cross-over point into pressure and diminished. It gives us an implication that wh en the cross-over point exceeds the amount of storage capacity needed, people will move to buy the cheaper one computer memory storage disk, that is the FAND Flash. Therefore, hard disk drives will finally be out of business. In conclusion, taking the example of FAND Flash and hard disk drives in computer disk technology, low-end disruptive technologies can ultimately surpass successful existing dominant technologies. Endnotes: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Disruptive Technology (accessed on 12 January 2010) [2] http://www.realworldtech.com/, NAND Flash: A Classic Disruptive Technology by David Kanter, 30th December 2009 (accessed on 12 January 2010) [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Moores law (accessed on 12 January 2010) For each of the following categories of employees in a successful company, explain why individuals in these categories are reluctant to champion disruptive technologies in their organization: Senior executive (1/2 to one page) Middle managers (1/2 to one page) Sales people (1/2 to one page) Senior executive From the point of views of senior executives, the change of the developed mature organizational structures is irrelevant and they found difficult in changing their mature organizational structures. A director in a global grocery business said that: One of the most difficult challenges I face is going into the board room and asking for changes in our operations and structures, since the original manuals were written by three main board members about 15 years ago. [1] In additional, when consider the investment of new technology, senior executives have to ensure that the investment in new technology is appropriate. This technology should keep track with the current technological systems. It is a difficult task for senior executives to write off previous investment and invest into a new technology. However, it is the most important decision they have to make. Middle managers In a maturing organization, middle managers usually tend to become too comfortable on their normal works. They are not willing to champion disruptive technologies since it is not worth for them to taking risks outside their comfort zone. They are not willing to champion disruptive technologies since it is not worth for them to take risks outside their comfort zone. Most of the middle managers are too focused within their disciplines to give their work assignments. They are not willing to take risks to identify ideas or technologies outside their disciplines. In additional, they find that it is of a great challenge to manage and lead an interdisciplinary team. [1] In a maturing organization, since the knowledge has been accumulated for many years, this knowledge developed from past experiences is the routines and behaviors for middle managers to follow. From the point of views of middle managers, it does not make any sense to discard this knowledge. Middle managers are usually unwilling to get rid of their routines and behaviors. Sales people Similarly, sales people in a maturing organization are reluctant to champion disruptive technologies in their organization. As they are used to sell their products and technologies based on their major disciplines, it is not comfortable and does not make sense to sell new technologies to customers who are out of their current disciplines. [2] A well and stable relationship between sales people and clients is developed and established in a maturing organization, it is difficult for them to sell new technologies or the unexpected disruptive technologies to their long-term customers without support indeed. From the point of views of sales people, disruptive technologies are new technologies which are required to explore a new market of customers. As a sales people, they are reluctant to develop relationship with an unexpected group of customers, sometimes, it is difficult for them to find new customers if the disruptive technologies are not successful. They do not want to take risk to explore into those unexpected region. Endnotes: [1] http://www.allbusiness.com (accessed on 15 January 2010) [2] Albert Harold Rubenstein, Eliezer Geisler, Installing and managing workable knowledge management systems, Greenwood Publishing Group 2003 What can organizations do to encourage the fostering of disruptive technologies? (One page) From the management point of views, there are several managerial recommendations for organizations to encourage the fostering of disruptive technologies. These recommendations for organizations are discussed in the following paragraphs. First, it is of great importance for organizations to know that options are not limited. Organizations should not be fixed in the ground, where just fulfill their current customers needs. They should keep searching for options, although taking the chances randomly is a little bit risky. However, taking the opposite point of views, it is worth to keep discover options to defend the threats from other disruptive technologies. [1] Second, a knowledge-based organization must be developed continually in nowadays markets. Organizations should look further, be proactive and have a wider sight of views. The internal and external environments in an organization should be closely monitored. Once there is a sudden change or threat come from, the organization can respond to the change appropriately for both internal and external environments. Executive management should be dynamic, keep track with the change of business ecosystem such that they can set up the proper and latest organizational strategies to guide the organizations. [1] The third focus is the organizations structure which has a great impact on how the firm can respond to change appropriately. Actually, organization structure is the most important factor to determine the operation of a business. A well executive leadership and management plans can hardly succeed if there is no flexible organization structure which responds and adopts effectively and efficiently to the changes. [1] Leaders at the executive level should have a clear mind on the organization structures and the implications of that structure in order to develop and foster a disruptive technology successfully, enhance the competitiveness of the organization in the markets. In additional, it is important to analyze the relationship between radical research and the established business units. Establishing some distance between these two is critical. Organizations should aware that there is a potential risk of creating a sustainable product instead of a disruptive product, if the business units are allowed to affect the end product too much. [1] Eventually, according to Bower and Christensens article, Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave, a potential disruptive technology is sometimes considered as unpleasant by traditional project management systems. [2] Therefore, the systems should encourage employees to have a wider sight of view. Employees at all levels of the organizations should be interested about advance technologies for both inside and outside their industries. In order to be successful, goals and values should be incorporated into the organizations guiding principles. Endnotes: [1] Dr. LEE, TERADYNE CASE, BUSA 541. The JKF Group, 12th October 2002 [2] Bower, Joseph L. Christensen, Clayton M. (1995). Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995 Essay Lets say you have been asked to write a book review of The Innovators Dilemma by a leading scholarly business journal. This should be an in-depth review of roughly five pages length (single space). In the review, you should do the following: Highlight key points raised by Christensen Discuss how Christensens views are revolutionary, in the sense that they go against much of what we have been taught by business schools (e.g., Do all you can to satisfy the customer) Discuss how Christensens insights reveal a major reason that organizations resist change Discuss possible weaknesses of Christensens approach for example, are there technologies and/or areas of business and government where his viewpoints dont make sense? (Hint: The answer is yes.) Use the book review as an opportunity to showcase your personal views (the best book reviews always do this) A book review on Clayton Christensens book, The Innovators Dilemma In this book, Christensen has highlighted some key points regarding the term disruptive technologies. Sometimes, it could be called disruptive innovations. Disruptive technologies or innovations were considered as technologies or innovations overturning the existing order in an industry. Initially, customers who were not served by the current market were the main target of disruptive technologies and innovations. Under successive capacity or performance improvements, the low-end innovations squeezed out the incumbents in the mainstream markets. Christensen criticized incumbents were not sensitive to the disruptive technologies and incumbents usually focused on satisfying the needs of their mainstream customers. In general, incumbents did not respond sensitively to resist the threat brought from others disruptive technologies until it were too late to do anything, say an organization finally went out of business. Sometimes, managers were not comfortable and not interested in those low margins. They were not willing to develop disruptive technologies or innovations as they considered exploring a new market was taking a risk. Christensen have explained the reason behind why organizations collapsed and failed in their business in spite of being the top position in the markets, having the ability to develop the best and capable sustainable innovations and technologies in their industries. This is a problem of their business model. Sustainable technologies improvement was not the reason for the leaders went out of business in an industry. At the time being, they developed their ability and capability to compete in their high-end market. Nevertheless, it was mentioned by Christensen that these were sustainable technologies and innovations which were already utilized by the best organizations in the industries. Following an s-curve, improving performance was already expected by their customers. With the well established relationships with clients, well developed reputation, sufficient money and more advance technological power in the market, leaders usually did not fail. Until the emergence of disruptive technologies, the story had changed. Disruptive technologies were even a nightmare of managers. In the contrary, disruptive technologies are so much cheaper, where they explored and opened a new market in which the mainstream incumbents did not consider to explore. But at the moment the rate of improvement of performance of the disruptive technologies and innovations exceeds the users demands, they surpassed the high-end and mainstream technologies and innovations ultimately. Christensens views were revolutionary in view of technological and innovative business. He mentioned that great firms succeeded because they listened to their customers needs and invested aggressively in the technologies and innovations. Nevertheless, at the mean time, great firms failed with the same reason, listened to their customers and put their great effort to satisfy their customers. It was revolutionary compared to the traditional concept of business schools, which sold the concept of doing all the best to satisfy your customers. Christensen did research on the history of disk drive industry. He showed the reasons behind why the leading established drive markers were unable to reach the 8-inch drive market. It is because of the delay of strategic commitment to enter into the emerging market. Christensens insights had revealed a major reason why great established firms in the markets resist to changes. Christensen had mentioned that since established organizations structure and groups working together were facilitating the design of its dominant technologies and innovations, the organizations structure and the groups learning to work together could be affected and could not design new products. Organizations required very different technological capabilities called radical change. Actually, established firms were sensitive, aggressive and innovative in terms of their sustainable technologies and innovations. But the reasons why they resisted changes were the problem of downward vision and mobility in terms of Christensens trajectory map. Finding changes and new technologies markets for each of the firms seemed to appear once when they were first established and then apparently lost finally. This resistance to changes kept going continuously. Despite there were much supportive commentaries on Christensens approach regarding the issue on disruptive technologies and innovations, but nothing is perfect. There were some weaknesses of his approach. It seemed that Christensens view did not consider the overall socio-political environment and human factors in reality. In this book, the large integrated steel mills industries displaced by those mini-mills steel industries was taken as an example by Christensen. Christensen put emphasis on how mini-mill first entering into the low margin markets and then squeezed out the integrated mills when mini-mill technology, performance and quality improved. Nevertheless, the relieving effects of labor-management relationships were not considered in this case by Christensen. He did not consider if the unions want to accept new labor rules requiring more flexible job descriptions. Whether management willing to adjust pay scales with workers who were trained in and able to perform jobs was not considered. However, obviously, Christensen did not consider the effects of labor-management relationships. Moreover, for the example of replacement of steam shoves by hydraulically operated equipment, one question should be asked, Were labor unions, and management, averse to retraining equipment operators who had many yea rs invested in becoming adept in operation and use of, a particular technology? In general, in view of human nature, people approached to keep away from changes, especially unexpected changes from disruptive technologies. However, disruptive technologies required people to accept and adopt the changes. It did not a must for people being reluctant to disruptive technology. There were small portions of people who chasing the latest technologies and placed cost into lower level of consideration. These were the first groups of people to accept disruptive technologies. Taking personal computers as an example, actually, they were expensive and did not have too many functions when they were first introduced in 1970s. (Wikipedia, 2010) Most people did not recognize the use of personal computers at home. But with those groups of people who like chasing the latest technologies, eventually, prices went down and performance of personal computers climbed up. Ultimately, people began to use personal computers in home and workplaces. Christensen in his book mentioned that disruptive technologies came from a low cost margin and displaced the high-end margin. However, Christensens disruptive technologies or innovations did n

Case Study: Pre Eclampsia | Essay

Case Study: Pre Eclampsia | Essay This essay is based on a case study and will discuss the underlying pathophysiology, management and psychosocial aspects a patient faces when diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Information was obtained through the patient and from their medical notes. Section A: Case History JB is a 38-year-old, gravida 4, para 0, Caucasian female who presented in hospital at 36 weeks plus 5 days gestation with sudden development of oedema in the face and upper and lower extremities along with a severe headache. On examination her blood pressure (BP) was elevated at 171/107 mmHg. Her pulse 81 beats per minute (bpm), respiratory rate 15 breaths per minutes, and temperature was 36.4  °C. Her urine sample showed ++ 2 proteinuria. There was evidence of oedema in her face and upper and lower extremities and her lower deep tendon reflexes were brisk but without any clonus. JB denied any visual disturbances and epigastric pain. On palpitation of the abdomen, the symphysio-fundal height was 38cm. The fetal lie was longitudinal and the back appeared to be on the right. The presentation appeared to be cephalic and the head was 3/5 engaged. Electronic fetal monitoring showed fetal heart rate at 135 bpm, with reassuring variability. There was no deceleration and acceleration was normal. It was also noted that contractions were absent. Her antenatal care had been shared between the hospital and her general practitioner and was uneventful until she was admitted to hospital on this occasion. On briefly reviewing JBs past medical history she has seasonal allergies as well as long standing asthma in which she uses salbutamol inhaler to relieve her symptoms. JB also has a history of depression. In her family history her father suffers from hypertension as well as cirrhosis and her mother has a remarkable medical history of extensive medical conditions such as hypertension, angina, and transient ischemic accidents. Both her maternal grandparents had a history of type 2 diabetes. With regards to her social history, JB works as a customer assistant and lives with her partner. JB has never smoked, and has not taken alcohol since finding out she was pregnant. Her past obstetric history is remarkable for recurrent miscarriages. She had two miscarriages at 6-8 weeks and one ectopic pregnancy a year and a half ago which miscarried naturally at 10 weeks. The initial investigations showed; a normal full blood count, liver enzymes and creatinine. However urate (0.37 mmol/l) and the protein: creatinine ratio (44 mg/mmol) levels were elevated. JB is demonstrating key cardinal symptoms of pre-eclampsia including hypertension, proteinuria, oedema, and increased reflexes.1 A diagnosis of severe pre-eclamptic toxaemia was made, JB was admitted and treatment was commenced with 10mg nifedipine. With JB being admitted onto the ward, there was continuous monitoring of BP and fetal monitoring using cardiotocography (CTG). The next morning JBs BP stabilised to 128/74 mm Hg and she reported feeling better. With the BP stable and a reassuring CTG a decision to induce delivery was made and she was given Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) over three days. However there was poor response and the cervix remained obstinately unchanged and so it was decided the baby would need to be delivered via caesarean section. Section B: Pathophysiology Pre-eclampsia is part of a range of conditions known as the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.2 It is defined as a multisystem disorder characterised by the new onset of raised BP (≠¥140/90 mm Hg) and proteinuria (at least 1 + on dipstick or ≠¥0.3 g/24 hours) after 20 weeks of gestation.3-5 Although the triggering event initiating the syndrome is unknown, a two stage model of pre-eclampsia has been proposed (figure 1).1,6-9 The primary asymptomatic stage, characterised by inadequate remodelling of the placental vasculature during the first trimester results in reduced placental perfusion leading to placental ischemia and release of placental products into the maternal circulation.1,6,7 Consequently this initiates the second symptomatic stage, the maternal syndrome in which endothelial dysfunction precedes the clinical manifestations of the disease including characteristic hypertension, proteinuria, and glomerular endotheliosis.1,6,7 There is also risk for developing the H ELLP syndrome (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets), progression to eclampsia, and end-organ damage.1,6,7 Stage 1 In normal pregnancy, following implantation, the surface trophoblast cells of the adhering blastocyst differentiate into an inner cellular layer, the cytotrophoblast, and an outer syncytiotrophoblast.10,11 The undifferentiated cytotrophoblasts found in the inner layer can develop into hormonally active villous syncytiotrophoblasts, extravillous anchoring trophoblastic cell columns, and invasive intermediate trophoblasts.10 The extravillous trophoblastic cells proliferate from the tips of anchoring chorionic villi to form the cytotrophoblast shell which line the uterine cavity.10,11 Cytotrophoblasts continue to migrate through the uterine endometrium until they reach the spiral arteries, by which time they have differentiated into an endothelial-like cell type.10,11 Endovascular trophoblast cells begin to remodel the spiral arteries by replacing the endothelium and smooth muscle cells resulting in the destruction of medial elastic, muscular and neural tissue.10-12 These physiological changes result in an increased vessel diameter leading to the creation of a low-resistance arteriolar system with the absence of maternal vasomotor control, and therefore allowing a notable increase in blood supply to the developing fetus.7,10 In pre-eclampsia this physiological dilatation does not occur adequately thus resulting in placental hypoperfusion and ischemia.1,8,10 The ischemic placenta may lead to the production of cytokines and growth factors as well as simulate placental apoptosis or necrosis, resulting in release of humoral or particulate materials into maternal systemic circulation that promote generalised maternal vascular endothelium dysfunction, culminating in the clinical manifestations of pre-eclampsia.1,8,10 The invasion of trophoblast cells is regulated by factors expressed by the decidual barrier.7,10 These factors include cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix, proteinases, growth factors and cytokines.7,10 Malfunctions in any these factors may lead to poor trophoblast invasion and subsequently pre-eclampsia.7,10 Immunological factors play a main factor in pre-eclampsia.7,10,11 Abnormal placentation may be the result of maternal immune rejection of paternal antigens expressed by the fetus. Normally HLA-G, a class 1B MHC antigen, expressed by the extravillous trophoblasts protects from natural killer cell lysis.11-13 Women who develop pre-eclampsia do not appear to express this HLA-G and therefore are not protected.7,10 Stage 2 The clinical manifestations of pre-eclampsia can be linked to the pathophysiological changes that occur including vasoconstriction, activation of coagulation cascade and reduced plasma volume.14 Development of hypertension is a key feature of pre-eclampsia.1,8,14 During normal pregnancy, although through maternal physiological adaptations there is a 30-50 % increase in cardiac output, the decrease in peripheral vascular resistance results in decreased arterial BP.14 However, those who develop pre-eclampsia experience widespread vasoconstriction, increased peripheral vascular resistance, and decreased cardiac output.1,13 Evidence shows there to be an exaggerated sensitivity of the vasculature of women with pre-eclampsia to all vasopressors hormones, best known is the increased responsiveness to angiotensin II.1,13 This increase in vascular reactivity is thought to be due to an alteration in the balance of prostaglandins as a result to the damage to vascular endothelial damage.1 JBs BP when she presented was 171/107 mm Hg. This is a considerably elevated and can be defined as severe pre-eclampsia (≠¥160 / ≠¥110 mm Hg).2-4 Although fluid retention and oedema occurs in patients with pre-eclampsia they are also a feature of normal pregnancy.1 Plasma volume increases by approximately 50% in uncomplicated gestations and normal gravidas sometimes experience oedema.1 However in pre-eclampsia plasma volume is decreased by 15-20% and in these cases women experience rapid weight gain and generalised oedema as a result of an abnormal shift of extracellular fluid (ECF) from the vascular to the extravascular compartment hence maintaining a low plasma volume and an increased interstitial fluid volume.1,14,17 With excessive accumulation of interstitial ECF, the presence of peripheral oedema particularly in the face and hands is seen. JB haemoglobulin was 130g/l, reflecting the haemoconcentration seen in pre-eclampsia as a consequence of the reduced intravascular volume.1 Women with pre-eclampsia also have noticeably reduced renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).1 The decline in RPF is attributed to vasoconstriction, whereas the fall in GFR is related both to the decline in RPF as well as to the morphological changes in the kidney.1 These characteristic pathological changes of pre-eclampsia are known as glomerular endotheliosis and comprise mainly of diffuse glomerular endothelial cell swelling, enough to obstruct the capillary lumen.1,7,8,13,15 The morphologic lesion is accompanied by functional changes in renal hemodynamics which correlates best with the magnitude of hyperuricemia and proteinuria.1,5 Early to middle pregnancy serum uric acid usually falls well below 0.24 mmol/l, in patients with pre-eclampsia levels often rise >0.27 mmol/l as seen in the case of JB (0.37 mmol/l).14 A number of studies have correlated the rise in serum uric acid with the severity of pre-eclampsia and with the extent of glomerular injury.5,8 JBs PCR levels was also measured to estimate the extent of proteinuria. The result recorded 44 mg/mmol predicts significant proteinuria, the threshold being >30mg/mmol.17 Left untreated, pre-eclampsia can proceed to life threatening convulsions termed eclampsia.18 Another specific complication that can arise from pre-eclampsia is the HELLP syndrome, which is illustrated by the sudden appearance of a microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, elevation of liver enzymes and a rapidly falling platelet count.18 In these cases rapid interruption of pregnancy is required to avoid hepatic or renal failure, sepsis, or even death.1,6,7,15,18 Section C: Management Treatment for hypertension in pregnancy raises a series of challenges to the healthcare team.17 An in-depth knowledge of the adaptive physiological, psychological and social processes is required in order to choose the optimal management for the mother and her fetus.17,19 Incomplete understanding of the aetiology in pre-eclampsia has hindered attempts at prevention.12,17 However effective and adequate prenatal care management of pre-eclampsia has led to the reduced mortality related to this disorder.15,16 This includes early detection and referral of women at high risk, careful monitoring with prevention and treatment of complications, and a decision regarding timely delivery.15,16 Delivery remains the definitive treatment for pre-eclampsia even though the disease progression may not resolve immediately.8 Following diagnosis of pre-eclampsia, management relies on the initial observations recorded of both mother and fetus.4,16 The central goal of management of pre-eclampsia is ultimately to protect the wellbeing of the mother and prevent progression to eclampsia and then the delivery of a healthy newborn.4,16 While delivery is always suitable for the mother, it might not be appropriate for a premature fetus.4,16 Therefore the decision to deliver is influenced by the mothers condition, gestational age and status of fetus at the time of assessment.4,16 JBs management was given in accordance to guidelines from Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.5,17 Based on JB diagnosis at 36.5 weeks she was admitted to hospital with the decision to induce labour and allow a vaginal delivery. Observations of vital signs including BP, heart rate, oxygen saturations, and respiratory rate were recorded every 15 minutes along with continuous CTG monitoring.5,15 A 10 mg dose of oral anti-hypertensive nifedipine was given to stabilize her BP before she could be induced. The sole need to treat is to prevent the hemorrhagic squeal of hypertension, in particular cerebral haemorrhage, rather than alter the progression of the disease process.2 Antihypertensive drug therapy is advised for pregnant women with systolic BP of ≠¥ 160 or diastolic BP ≠¥ 110 mm Hg.2,5,17 The goal of treatment is to lower systolic pressure to 130-150 mmHg and diastolic pressure to 80-100 mmHg.5,17 It is also important that BP is lowered gradually to prevent hypotension as placental perfusion can be adversely affected and compromise the fetus15. With a conservative management plan in place and JB stable, the BP was measured every four hours during the day. Full blood count, renal and liver function tests, were all carried out daily.5,17 There are many possible choices of antihypertensives that are appropriate in pregnancy.8 Methyldopa and labetalol are first line antihypertensive drugs used in treatment of pre-eclampsia.4,5 Methyldopa is a centrally acting alpha2 agonist that reduces sympathetic outflow activity.15,20 Although it has a long track safety record, due to the common drug side effects of depression, in the case of JB with a history of depression it was agreed an alternative should be used.14,15 The use of labetalol was also contraindicated in JB case as she is asthmatic.5 Labetalol is a non selective beta blocker and a selective alpha blocker.15,21 As both of these were contraindicated in JB case, nifedipine was prescribed instead. Nifedipine is a type 2 calcium channel blocker which is usually used as a second line agent in cases where BP is noncompliant to treatment with methyldopa and beta blockers.15,20,21 It acts by inhibiting the inward transfer of calcium ions from extracellular space and by the inhibition of uptake by smooth muscle cells.15,20,21 Its primary effect is to cause smooth muscles relaxation.15,20,21 Nifedipine has become a widely used antihypertensive, owing to its ability to vasodilate the vasculature with rapid onset and its full reversibility on discontinuing the drug.15,20,21 With respect to use of drugs in pregnancy, nifedipine has been rated as a Category C drug.21 This means that its use is recommended only when likely maternal benefits are seen to outweigh possible fetal effects, as the teratogenic effect of the drug on the fetus is uncertain.21 Once the BP was stabilized, induction of labour commenced. It is recommended that women in presence of severe pre-eclampsia at or beyond 34 weeks gestation to be induced to prevent the progression of the disease to eclampsia.5 Induction of labour was stimulated via PGE2, which contains dinoprostone. Its mechanisms of action are similar to the natural cervical ripening process.22,23 It is administered intravaginally to induce cervical ripening by directly softening the cervix, relaxing the cervical smooth muscle, and producing uterine contractions.22,23 There has been some debate of the use of dinoprostone in women with a history of asthma; however PGE2 is a bronchodilator, thus not contraindicated to use, in JB case. 23 For women whom there is a concern about the risk of eclampsia, it is recommended they receive magnesium sulphate as a prophylactic to protect against seizures, however in JBs case it was held off. The MAGPIE study demonstrates that the risk of eclampsia is more than halved in these women.5,8,24 However, it is also worth noting that only 1-2 % of pre-eclamptic women in the UK had fitted in the absence of anticonvulsant treatment.24 After magnesium sulphate is administered, extra caution is needed due to the potency of the drug which can lead to respiratory depression especially where nifedipine has previously been taken.21 When magnesium sulphate has been prescribed, it should be continued at least 24 hours post partum, as the risk of eclampsia does not resolve immediately after delivery. 5,14,15,24 The majority of women following deliver with severe pre-eclampsia will require inpatient care for four days or more.5 JB was discharged on the forth day after careful review of her clinical signs. She was continued on her anti hypertensive treatment, and was to be reviewed as an outpatient. JB was also offered a postnatal follow up to discuss the events of the pregnancy as well as preconception counselling.5 Section D: Psychological and Social Aspects Epidemiology Pre-eclampsia complicates about 2-8 % of pregnancies and may have serious effects on the mother and child, which makes it important threat to pubic health in both developed and developing countries. 2,24,25 Worldwide maternal mortality and morbidity from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia remains high, it is estimated to be responsible for approximately 12 % of maternal deaths per year. 24 It is estimated that pre-eclampsia is accountable for 67% of the referrals to day care assessment units, 20% of antenatal admission and 25% of obstetric admissions to intensive care units in the UK .26 The cost of treating pre-eclampsia varies between  £500- £10000 including the sum of hospital stay, induction costs, mode of birth, and pre-admission costs.17 Due to improvements in antenatal care in the UK, syndrome of eclampsia and development of HELLP syndrome is now rare.17 Eclampsia is reported in 1 in 2000 pregnancies.8,15,25 Also perinatal mortality rates are gradually improving, due to advances in antenatal care, early detection, improved anaesthesia, early delivery and expert neonatal paediatric care.15 Factors associated with an increase risk of pre-eclampsia include nullparity, African-American ethnic background, multiple gestations, obesity, chronic hypertension, molar pregnancy, family history of pre-eclampsia and a previous history of pre-eclampsia.4,8 Psychosocial Women who experience pre-eclampsia are exposed to significant amount of psychological and social stress.27 These stress disturbances in turn may have a significant impact on the mother and baby during the important early months following delivery.27,28 Pre-eclampsia is a disease which develops without warning therefore as JB reported, she found herself having to deal with the unexpected and dramatic changes in fetal health risk as well as her own all of a sudden. The diagnosis of pre-eclampsia initiates feelings of fear, shock, and sometimes even disbelief particularly to those experiencing it well before term. Shock comes from the fact that they were being hospitalised and felt unprepared for delivery.27,28 JB was very nervous after being admitted to hospital as she and her baby were regularly monitored and the realisation of the serious consequences the disease possess.28,29 There was also a sense of frustration as well as disempowerment as JB felt she had no control over the situation, and it was no longer just a personal responsibility. These feelings were amplified through the lack of sufficient information given on the disease, not completely informed about her actual situation, and on the medical decisions being made.27,28 JB was very emotional as she felt responsible for developing pre-eclampsia and worried about the risks she may have propelled on her child. Other psychological stresses were requirement of bed rest, boredom and being separated from her partner during hospitalisation.28 For those women who are diagnosed well before term, there is a greater risk of prematurity.28 These women being unprepared for the experience of delivering a premature baby can be a major component of shock and fear experienced. When progression of disease leads to complications, an emergency caesarean section which is usually performed can be very traumatic experience and life can suddenly be thrown into chaos. 27,28 These women usually have less early contact with there baby and are less likely to breast feed as they are recovering from surgery.27,28 For those who unfortunately loose their baby, they will be faced with the complex and traumatic events of grieving. This grieving process can be coupled to relationship problems as partners usually grieve differently.28 Women with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of reoccurrence with subsequent pregnancies; therefore it is important they are advised of this if they wish to conceive again.28,30 The experience of severe pre-eclampsia may be overwhelmingly stressful. There is little time to adjust to new realities. Women may blame themselves adding the burden of guilt to the acute emotional chaos that follows diagnosis. Conclusion In conclusion, pre-eclampsia remains a global problem and a clinical challenge. It is a significant cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. As the triggering factors remain unknown, prevention of the disease becomes difficult. At present, the only treatment option for pre-eclampsia is delivery, but this is not always simple and usually involves a risk-benefit balance between health of mother and the maturity of the fetus.