Explain how the introduction of a minimum wage may affect the level of Essay

Explain how the introduction of a minimum wage may affect the level of employment in theory. Examine and critically assess the e - Essay Example When the government enforces the laws of minimum wages, then the market forces are disturbed and equilibrium ceases to exist creating a gap between the demand and supply, which is of labor in this case. The disequilibrium in theory results in a rise in the supply of labor but the demand reduces as the labor is now more costly. However, the magnitude by which this disequilibrium is caused depends upon the circumstances prevailing in each economy and varies from country to country which we will see later. The diagram to the right shows the labor market curve. When the market forces were independent and not disturbed, the market was in equilibrium that is the supply and demand curve intersected at a point which is known as the equilibrium point represented as L0 with the quantity of labor and W0 as the equilibrium wage rate. However, the market forces were disturbed and the minimum wage rate was introduced with the representation of Wmin. This created disequilibrium in the economy and t he supply and demand curves no longer intersect at the equilibrium point. There now is a gap between the demand and supply of labor which is equivalent to L2-L1 and this is the excess labor which is not required. Since the employment has gone down from L0 to L1, this shows that the implementation of a minimum wage policy results in a decline in unemployment in an economy. Several economists and business owner, small businesses in particular, have voiced their concerns that minimum wages will result in a rise in unemployment. The worst aspect of this rise in unemployment is the fact that the people who will be most affected are the poor people who are not too educated. When the minimum wage policy will be implemented, the costs of hiring on part of the employers will rise and they will be forced to wither cut the current staff or freeze their hiring programs. They think that the poor and uneducated people will be most affected since the policy is affecting only them. The educated or wealthy people are already employed on jobs at higher management levels and their current wages or salaries are nowhere near the minimum wages. It is the lower level staff whose wages are affected and hence the employers will be forced to take action against these employees. However, a liberal think tank with the name of Economic Policy Institute have conducted a research and it has suggested that there is little evidence to suggest that there is more or less no difference in the employment levels between states in America in some industries even though there is a difference in the minimum wage rates among the states. This suggests that the impact of an introduction of minimum wage policy is dependent upon other factors as well that is industry to industry in this case. This suggests that a minimum wage policy may not have such a significant impact as economists have previously suggested. As a matter of fact, it may even increase employment in some cases because the workers were act ually being paid less than the worth of revenue and profits that they were contributing to the firm economically. The findings have gone as far as suggesting that rather than creating disequilibrium in the market as a result of minimum wages, it may even help the market to come nearer to the equilibrium level by forcing the employers to pay a fairer wage to the employees. Furthermore, the employers always have the choice of reducing the supervision, training, and recruitment costs in order to balance

Volcanic Ash Cloud Modelling Using Visual Basic Application

Volcanic Ash Cloud Modelling Using Visual Basic Application RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSTRACT Recently, the study of volcanic eruption and ash cloud dispersion has become important due to the severe risks and hazards associated with it. The negative impact it has on human livelihood, infrastructure, transportation, water supply, farming, and the environment and the environment as a whole needs serious attention. This has prompted many researchers to investigate the dynamics of volcanic ash clouds by utilizing an objective methodology, utilizing high-spatial determination pictures and complimentary ground based observation. These models have being instrumental in understanding past eruptions and also for future prediction and planning to mitigate it effects. The models for ash cloud usually require some parameters for their stimulation which would be depends on the type of model or software to be used. For the purpose of this article, Visual Basic Application (VBA) software has been used to study the 2014 Mount Mayon eruption. The codes were developed using vent coordinate, di ffusion coefficient, wind velocity, iteration and time step. The results from the simulation show the ash clouds dispersed in the NE direction. The results of the codes modelled showed diffusion and advection of ash plumes using a two dimensional array. Arcmap was used to output the results of the stimulation. Kernel density and spatial contour tools were also used to examine and interpretate the output of the simulation, showing the high risk of volcanic ash cloud in the Mount Mayon region. Visual Basic Application (VBA) was chosen for the study because it is simple, fast, convenient and affordable while proving to be equally accurate for modelling large particles. Nonetheless, the utilization of much more advanced models will provide more accurate results. Population growth and increase in urbanization in regions inclined to volcanic ash risks requires risk reduction and mitigation strategies. KEYWORDS: Volcanic Eruption, Mount Mayon, Hazard Modeling, Ash Cloud, Visual Basic Application. 1.0 INTRODUCTION The objective of natural hazards and risks assessment is to determine the extent and nature of risk in a particular area by evaluating potential hazards that together could harm people destroy properties, goods and services (UNISDR, 2009). Various studies have identified societys increasing vulnerability to disasters as a consequence of population expansion in hazardous areas and increasing economic and environmental strains (Rougier et al., 2013). The socio-economic and physical impact of volcanic ash on the environment is obviously massive. Studies and observations over the years have significantly enhanced our understanding as seen in the past 30 years (e.g., Soufrià ¨re Hills (Montserrat), 1995; Eyjafjallajà ¶kull (Iceland), 2010) (Vervaeck, 2012). The current effects that are associated with the volcano eruption have made the study of volcanic ash multidisciplinary. The negative impacts on human livelihood, infrastructure, transportation, power supply, agriculture, water and t he environment has caused tremendous damages. In order to minimize risk in highly affected areas and improve on hazard assessment, there is the need to use effective modelling tools to gather information on key risk indicators in ash dispersion. Successful displaying devices for anticipating ash remains scattering and transport can significantly add to hazard assessment and mitigation of risk in exceptionally influenced regions (Andreastuti, Alloway Smith, 2000). This aim of the study is to review the formation, movement and effects of the 2014 Mount Mayon eruption. The Visual Basic Application (VBA) software has been used for the modelling of ash cloud in the study area. The codes developed using input parameters seeks to demonstrate the possible pattern of the ash cloud dispersion with likely solutions. 1.1 STUDY AREA. Mount Mayon (13 °15à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²24à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ³N 123 °41à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²6à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ³E) is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol Region, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Renowned as the perfect cone because of its symmetric conical shape, the volcano and its surrounding landscape was declared a national park on July 20, 1938, the first in the nation. Mayon is the main landmark and highest point of the province of Albay and the whole Bicol Region in the Philippines, rising 2,462 metres (8,077 ft.) from the shores of the Albay Gulf about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away. The volcano is geographically shared by the eight cities and municipalities of Legazpi, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Tabaco, Malilipot and Santo Domingo (clockwise from Legazpi), which divide the cone like slices of a pie when viewed from above. Historically the Mt. Mayon region of the Philippines has also been particularly hard hit by lahars because of volcanic erupt ions that produce ash deposits on steep volcanic slopes which may later become mobilized by heavy cyclonic rains (Orense 2007). Geologically, Mount Mayon rock type is Basalt to Olivine-bearing Pyroxene Andesite and Bicol Volcanic Chain tectonic setting. Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines and it is constantly degassing and has erupted violently 54 times in the last 400 years (Ramos-Villarta et al. 1985). Upper slopes are quite steep while slope angle diminishes in a very regular way with descent to sea level (Fano et al. 2007). Most eruptions involve large ashcloud discharges, though pyroclastic and lava flows are also common, and magma composition is basaltic to olivine-bearing pyroxene andesite. Figure1: Map of study area, Mount Mayon; Source (Google maps) 2. COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE 2.1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW The formation of volcanic ash is initiated by volcanic eruption events. Ash particle comprises of various sizes, elevation, and distances which disseminate into airspace. Ash cloud generates from a partial or complete eruption process (Cas Wright, 1987 and move rapidly with speed of 10-65m/s, reaching high temperature of between 100 to 800oC (Blong, 1984) (Figure 2). Moreover, vast scale effects are related with volcanic ash cloud dispersion. Therefore, the assessment of volcanic ash hazards is essential in the socio-economic, scientific, and political affairs of any society more importantly in a region with dense population. The rise in population and increase in urbanization of areas prone to volcanic ash hazards demand the invention and application of suitable measures. Risk assessment and mitigation strategies must be enforced if major eruption is to be prevented (Baxter et al., 2008). Figure 2: Mount Mayon 2014 ash cloud dispersion; Source google (Google images). 2.2.1 BACKGROUND TO VOLCANIC ASH Volcanic ash is produced during volatile volcanic eruptions, phreatomagmatic eruptions and movement in pyroclastic density currents. Explosive eruptions occur when magma decompresses as it rises, allowing dissolved volatiles to resolve into gas bubbles. Remote sensing results (Rose et al., 2000) and distal ash sampling studies (Durant et al., 20 09) strongly suggest that both à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ne and very à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ne ash mostly fall within a day of their eruption, much faster than à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uid dynamics modeling suggests. Volcanic ash particles less than 2mm are pyroclast and particles greater than 2mm are lapilli. Regardless of the process of formation, volcanic ash are produced and determined by various factors such as particle size distribution, wind velocity, magma fragmentation and magma discharge. Altitude of 20-50km characterizes turbulent jets of explosive volcanic eruptions which convey ash and gas mixtures into the atmosphere (Carazzo Jellinek, 2012). Particles aggregati on is presumed to increase of fine ash fallout whereas sedimentation of pumice and ash particles is controlled by their separate settling velocities (Rose Durant, 2011). Combined studies have shown that volcanic cloud ash mass decreases by an order of magnitude in 24 h (Rose et al., 2000).This rapid fallout of very à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ne ash creates distal mass deposition maxima in tephra deposits at distances several 100s of km downwind(Brazier et al., 1983; Durant and Rose,). The distal ash sedimentation process is poorly understood but is clearly tied to meteorological processes that promote aggregation, e.g., hydrometeor formation, and inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence cloud dynamics (Durant et al., 2009). 2.2.2 VOLCANIC ASH EFFECTS 2.2.2.1 Effects on Water Supplies Effects of volcanic ash on water supplies have been critically severe that it makes livelihood unbearable. Studies describing these impacts are described fully in Stewart et al. (2006). Effects include physical blockages of intake structures by ash and damage due to abrasion or corrosion of equipment. The major public health concerns are thought to be the potential for outbreaks of waterborne infectious diseases due to the inhibition of disinfection by high levels of turbidity, and elevated concentrations of fluoride increasing risks of dental and skeletal fluorosis. Physical impacts of ash and problems due to high levels of acidity, turbidity and fluoride are well-documented; however, little attention has been paid to the other soluble components of volcanic ashfall and their potential consequences for water supplies. Water usage can be expected to increase significantly as affected communities begin cleanup operations (Johnston, 1997b; Johnston et al., 2004). 2.2.2.2 Effects on Agricultural Activities Volcanic ash has a massive negative effect on farms since agricultural activities depend greatly on natural and irrigation means of water supply. Some farms are supplied by district or regional water supply schemes. Reported impacts on water supply schemes include (Johnston et al., 2004) suspended ash blocking intake filters, particularly for river-fed water supplies. This has put increasing pressure on water resources, especially for irrigation and stock water, requiring that the resource be actively managed. The uncommon unsettled climate and atmosphere at mid-scope in 1816 and 1817 had major financial effects, especially as far as a poor yield of horticulture creation, lack of healthy sustenance and considerably an expanded potential for infections and plagues (Trigo et al., 2009). 2.2.2.3 Effects on Infrastructure About nine percent of the worlds population lives within 100 km of a historically active volcano (Horwell and Baxter, 2006). This percentage will probably increase due to higher rates of population growth in many countries like Colombia, Ecuador and the Philippines that are highly volcanically active. Even though volcanic ash rarely endanger human life directly, it negative effects on critical infrastructure services such as electricity and water supplies, health facilities, transport routes, aviation, buildings and primary production, can lead to significant societal impacts (Horwell and Baxter, 2006 and Stewart et al., 2006). Moreover, fairly small eruptions can lead to widespread disruption, damage and economic loss. For example, the 1995/1996 eruptions of Ruapehu volcano in the central North Island of New Zealand were very small by geological standards but still covered over 20,000 km2 of land and caused significant disruption and damage to aviation, communication networks, a hyd ro-electric power scheme, electricity transmission lines, water supply networks, wastewater treatment plants, agriculture and the tourism industry (Cronin et al., 1998 and Johnston et al., 2000). 2.3 ASH CLOUD MODELLING Models have been utilized for decades to forecast ash fall during volcanic eruptions. However, it is only in recent years have tephra models like Ash3D been developed that use a 3-D, time-changing wind field, enabling us to model eruptions that last weeks and spread ash across an entire continent. These features, plus the development of a method for calculating growth of an umbrella cloud, have made it possible to simulate eruptions of this scale. Particles of ash are dispersed into the atmosphere in different directions during an explosive eruption, but the variation differences in altitude, wind speed and direction, and temperature are great influence (Carey and Sparks, 1986). Satellite based identification methods are presently used in monitoring eruptive plumes, but this practice has its limitations such as irregular satellites captures. The use of dispersal models to forecast both the deposition of ash particles on the ground and airborne is one important way of solving such cha llenges (Carey and Sparks, 1986). Observations measured from the ground are used to identify and examine volcanic ash clouds in addition to satellite data. New and evolving volcanic ash clouds have been detected using both specialized and well graded weather radar systems (Schneider et al, 2008). Volcanic Ash Transport and Dispersal models (VATD) are models that are mostly utilized for modelling volcanic ash and are extremely useful when simulating ash particles in order to reduce the risk and hazards posed by volcanic ash. These models are required to provide fairly accurate forecast and location of the volcanic ash and produce hazard maps fast enough to warn pilots of the danger routes (Peterson and Dean 2007). Also volcano observatories and Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAAC) use these models to issue out forecast before, during and slightly after eruptions Generally, volcanic ash cloud models are tools that efficiently combine source input parameters in a short period of time a nd can be used to predict ash dispersion in an emergency situation and can help mitigate the risk and hazards related with such fallout during an eruption 2.4. ASH MODELLING PARAMETERS. Volcanic ash cloud modeling need certain input parameters such as volcano location, date, time and duration of each eruption, source geometry, plume height, eruption rate, vertical ash distribution and particle size distribution. Plume height is simply the altitude at which most volcanic ash spreads laterally from the plume into the ash cloud. The relationship between plume height and eruption rate is possibly the most extensively studied among any sources parameters (Mastin et al., 2009). Theoretical studies (Morton et al., 1956) indicate that plume height should increase with eruption rate and empirical compilations ( Settle, 1978, Wilson et al., 1978 and Sparks et al., 1997, ) roughly follow this relationship. Some characteristic eruption parameters demonstrate extensive systematic relationships. Plume height increases with eruption rate and grain-size generally decreases with increasing silica content. However, not all relationships are systematic. The duration of eruptions may d iminish or differ non-systematically with size of eruption or type of magma. For instance, an average grain size, whilst generally decreasing with increasing silica content, might as well decrease with increasing occurrence of pyroclastic flows (Dartevelle et al., 2002). Inefficiently captured variables such as wind, particle fallout, vent overpressure, or development of hydrometeors, together with atmospheric humidity for bigger eruptions might as well influence this relationship (Mastin et al., 2009). 3. METHODOLOGY For the purpose of this study,Visual Basic for Application (VBA) was used to model the 2014 Mount Mayon volcano eruption ash cloud. Visual Basic for Application (VBA) is basically a software developed in Microsoft Excel and it is used for modelling volcanic ash particles dispersal. Generally, the model is considered to be fairly accurate in modelling volcano eruption. The model requires certain input parameters which are carefully manipulated to predict the likelihood of volcanic ash transport and dispersal. The model starts by defining a dimensional array size called ashfall and calling the parameters from the control panel created in the Excel spreadsheet. The particles are created by giving them an X and Y values, the X and Y values are the coordinates at the chosen location above the vent derived from the satellite imagery of the study area. Together with other input parameters such as wind speed and direction, diffusion coefficient, time and iterations,particles are advected and diffused along the X and Y axis they are then outputted in a second work sheet called ashfall. The code then loops this process as it has been defined by the user, for the purpose of this report the particles were set to a random function. Once the simulation is completed the particle movement in the ash sheet is then plotted on a scatter graph to view the particles and the direction of dispersion. Both worksheets are then saved in MS-DOS comma separated (.csv) file format in Excel to make it possible to import into ArcMap. The satellite image obtained from http//www.landcover.org of the area is then displayed in the ArcMap and the X and Y values from the worksheets are then imported to display the ash. The kernel density function in the analysis tool calculates the density of the dispersed ash cloud. Moreover, time and iteration were considered to give a genuine situation of the ash dispersion. Below is a copy of the code used for simulation of the ash cloud. Sub ashfall() Dim vent_x As Long, vent_y As Long Dim K As Single, vx As Single, vy As Single, dt As Single K = diffusion coefficient dt = change in time Dim max_inter As Long, no_part As Long Dim particles(1 To 1000, 1 To 2) As Single vent_x = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(1, 2) vent_y = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(2, 2) K = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(3, 2) vx = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(4, 2) vy = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(5, 2) dt = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(6, 2) max_iter = Worksheets(Control Panel).Cells(7, 2) Worksheets on right side of = to plug values into code For n = 1 To 1000 particles(n, 1) = vent_x particles(n, 2) = vent_y Next n Offset = 0 so that numbers dont overwrite eachother at each iteration For Iteration = 1 To max_iter add nested loop for iterations this allows all 1000 particles to be moved together in each step max_inter is set as 1000 in Excel For n = 1 To 1000 Rnd = random generation of number between 0 and 1 K = Diffusion Coefficent ash diffusion, where n,1 = x coordinate and n,2 = y coordinate particles(n, 1) = particles(n, 1) + K * (0.5 Rnd()) particles(n, 2) = particles(n, 2) + K * (0.5 Rnd()) ash advection particles(n, 1) = particles(n, 1) + (vx * dt) particles(n, 2) = particles(n, 2) + (vy * dt) Worksheets(Ashfall).Cells(n + Offset, 1) = particles(n, 1) Worksheets(Ashfall).Cells(n + Offset, 2) = particles(n, 2) worksheets on the left hand side of = to plug values in excel worksheet Next n Offset = Offset + 1000 Next Iteration End Sub Input parameters Variables Values Start X Long 574207 Start Y Long 1465622 v x (m/s) Single 6 vy (m/s) Single 9 Diffusion coefficient Single 500 Iterations Integer 1000 Time Integer 10 Table 1: Input parameters, variables and values used for the simulation of ash cloud for Mount Mayon 4. RESULTS OF SIMULATIONS The ash cloud simulation outcomes are portrayed in figures 3 to 7 showing the wind direction, kernel ash density and spatial contours on Open Street map and Satellite map of Mount Mayon. From the simulation, the wind velocity was in the NE direction as it can be seen in the maps. Due the magnitude of the ash cloud, nearby localities are in danger of high risk. Figures 3 and 4 depict the magnitude of the ash cloud in direction of the wind and the impact on the localities on both open street and satellites maps. Also, figure 5 on the other hand shows the levels density of the volcanic ash cloud dispersed in the study area. Regions that far away the volcano ash have minimal density of ash cloud and are not really at risk as compared to regions closer to the volcano ash with high level of density of ash cloud. With the aid of the spatial contour tool, figures 6 and 7 depicts the dispersed and settlement of the ash cloud on satellite map of the study area. Figure 3: Open street map of Mount Mayon showing dispersed ash Figure 4: Satellite map of Mount Mayon showing dispersed ash.    Figure 5: Satellite map of Mount Mayon showing kernel density of dispersed ash Figure 6: Open street map of Mount Mayo showing spatial contour of dispersed ash Figure 7: Satellite map of Mount Mayon showing the spatial contour of dispersed ash 5.1 HAZARD AND RISK IN STUDY AREA The hazard and risk in Mount Mayon cannot be under-estimated since it is one of the active volcano in the Philippines erupting about 53 times in the past 400 years. There have death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people since it first eruption in 1616. The record violent eruption in 1814 caused death of more than 1,200 people and destroyed several towns. Volcanic flows have caused broad destruction of water supply infrastructure and systems. Water pipes have been destroyed and concealed by lahars around Mayon volcano, Philippines (Nasol, 2001 and Smithsonian Institution, 2002). Chemical pollution of water takes place as tephra particles dissolve readily upon contact with water discharging ions (Witham et al., 2005 and Delmelle et al., 2007). Agricultural activities around Mount Mayon are affected by ash cloud dispersion which reduces crop field hence shortage of food supply. Air planes and other modes of transport are at risk of ash cloud since Legazpi Airport is only 4 2.8km from Mount Mayon. Lahars are possible to destroy vehicles as they move downstream while being influenced by debris (Blong, 1984). Also, tephra particles can cause damage to vehicles by roughening moving parts and obstructing air and oil filters (Wilson et al., 2012b). Figure 9: Hazard map of Mount Mayon ; Source (google maps). Figure 10: Hazard map of Mount Mayon ; Source (google earth). 5.2 EVALUATION OF HAZARD AND RISK IN STUDY AREA. To mitigate the hazards and risks associated with volcano eruption, there must be implementation of policies and disaster control measures must be put in place. Minimizing the effects of volcanic eruptions on the study must be the fundamental objective of ash cloud hazard and risk management. Land-use pressure, population growth and societys expectancy of infrastructure performance during and after disasters makes this a challenge. However, impacts of the 2014 Mount Mayon volcano eruption can by adopting the following strategies; Creating awareness of volcanic risks and hazards and their impacts through communication strategies and educating the general public. This can be achieved through the use of both print media and electronic media. Also, Government must see to it that, projects and policies of building and planning are implemented effectively to eradicate indiscriminate and unauthorized building of houses and other structures in volcano prone areas. Evacuation plans, emergency response and temporary housing should be put in place to minimize the rate of fatalities associated with volcano eruption in the region. There should also be regular monitoring of volcanic eruption of the area by utilizing highly advanced models and high-tech machines as this will help predict upcoming eruption. 6. DETAILED DISCUSSIONS AND CRITICAL EVALUATIONS OF THE MODEL AND SOFTWARE. The Visual Application Software (VBA) software developed from Microsoft Excel is basically easy to understand and quick to run for ash cloud modelling. It is also affordable and very instrumental for predicting the extent of ash cloud transport and dispersion utilizing input parameters according the users preferences. However, the software is is limited to the number of particles that can be modelled at the same time. Also, only one direction of ash cloud is dispersed at a particular time. The accuracy of the model could be improved if input parameters such as plume height and eruption rate are taken into account. When compared with other advanced models such as NAME, FALL3D and PUFF, Visual Application Software (VBA) cannot be used for continuous discharge of ash particles to model full volcano eruption but rather for single release of ash particles. Regardless of its limitations, Visual Application Software (VBA) software is still very useful for modelling ash cloud simulation. 7. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK. In conclusion, the hazard and risk associated with ash cloud transport and dispersion cannot be under-estimated in Mount Mayon. Therefore, proper planning and strategies must be put in place to mitigate the fatalities of volcano eruption in the future. Although the government responsible for major policies implementation, the general public together with non-governmental agencies must work hand-in-hand to minimize the negative impact of volcano eruption in the region. Despite the model limitations, Visual Application Software (VBA) is very useful tool for modelling volcanic ash cloud simulation. It is also easy to comprehend and fast but if other input parameters added to create a new, it will enhance it accuracy. 8. REFERENCE Baxter, P., Boyle, R., Cole, P., Neri, A., Spence, R., Zuccaro, G. (2005). The impacts of pyroclastic surges on buildings at the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat. Bulletin of Volcanology, 67(4), 292-313, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00445-004-0365-7. Baxter, P., Aspinall, W., Neri, A., Zuccaro, G., Spence, R., Cioni, R., Woo, G. (2008). Emergency planning and mitigation at Vesuvius: A new evidence-based approach. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 178(3), 454-473. Blong, 1984 R.J. Blong Volcanic Hazards: A Sourcebook on the Effects of Eruptions Academic Press, Sydney (1984). Blong R (1996) Volcanic hazard risk assessment. In: Scarpa R, Tilling RI (eds) Monitoring and mitigation of volcanic hazards. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp675-698. Carey, S., à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Sigurdsson, H. (1982). Influence of particle aggregation on deposition of distal tephra from the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano. J. Geophys, Res., 87 (B8), 7061. Cronin et al., 1998 S.J. Cronin, M.J. Hedley, V.J. Neal, G. Smith Agronomic impact of tephra fallout from 1996 and 1996 Ruapehu volcanic eruptions, New Zealand Environmental Geology, 34 (1998), pp. 21-30. Cronin et al., 2003 S.J. Cronin, V.E. Neall, J.A. Lecointre, M.J. Hedley, P. Loganathan Environmental hazards of fluoride in volcanic ash: a case study from Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand Journal of Volcanology Geothermal Research, 121 (2003), pp. 271-291 Dartevelle et al., 2002 S. Dartevelle, G.G.J. Ernst, J. Stix, A. Bernard Origin of the Mount Pinatubo climactic eruption cloud: Implications for volcanic hazards and atmospheric impacts Geology, 30 (7) (2002), pp. 663-666. Delmelle et al., 2007 P. Delmelle, M. Lambert, Y. Dufrà ªne, P. Gerin, N. Óskarsson Gas/aerosol-ash interaction in volcanic plumes: new insights from surface analysis of fine ash particles Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 259 (2007), pp. 159-170. Durant, A.J., 2007. On Water in Volcanic Clouds. Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, 242 pp. Durant, A.J., Rose, W.I., 2009-this volume. Sedimentological constraints on hydro-meteor-enhanced particle deposition: 1992 eruptions of Crater Peak, Alaska.Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. Durant, A.J., Rose, W.I., Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., Carey, S., Volentik, A.C., 2009-this volume.Hydrometeor-enhanced tephra sedimentation from the 18 May 1980 Mount St.Helens (USA) volcanic cloud. Journal of Geophysical Research. Durant, A.J., Shaw, R.A., Rose, W.I., Mi, Y., Ernst, G.G.J., 20 08. Ice nucleation andoverseeding of ice in volcanic clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research 113 Horwell and Baxter, 2006 C.J. Horwell, P.J. Baxter The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation Bulletin of Volcanology, 69 (2006), pp. 1-24 J. Rougier, R.S.J. Sparks, L. Hill Risk and uncertainty assessment for natural hazards Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2013) (588 pp.) Johnston, D.M., 1997. The physical and social impacts of past and future volcanic eruptions in New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Johnston, D.M., Houghton, B.F., Neall, V.E., Ronan, K.R., Paton, D., 2000. Impacts of the 1945 and 1995-1996 Ruapehu eruptions, New Zealand: an example of increasing societal vulnerability. Geological Society of America Bulletin 112, 720-726. Johnston, D., Stewart, C., Leonard, G., Hoverd, J., Thordarsson, T., Cronin, S., 2004: Impacts of volcanic ash on water supplies in Auckland: Part 1. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Lower Hutt, Science Report 2004/25, 83 pp. Langmann, B., Folch, A., Hensch, M. and Matthias, V., 2012. Volcanic ash over Europe during the eruption of Eyjafjallajà ¶kull on Iceland, April-May 2010. Atmospheric Environment, 48, pp.1-8. Mastin, 2002 L.G. Mastin Insights into volcanic conduit flow from an open-source numerical model Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 3 (7) (2002) 10.1029 Mastin, 2007 L.G. Mastin A user-friendly one-dimensional model for wet volcanic plumes Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 8 (Q03014) (2007) Mastin and Spiegel, in preparation Mastin, L.G., Spiegel, J., Ewert, J. W., Guffanti, M., in review. Spreadsheet of eruption source parameters for active volcanoes of the world, U.S. Geological Survey open-file report. Morton et al., 1956 B.R. Morton, G.I. Taylor, J.S. Turner Turbulent gravitational convection from maintained and instantaneous sources. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A, 234 (1956), pp. 1-23. Nasol, 2001 R. Nasol Nanang aftermath, lahar destroys towns

Russel Ward, The Australian Legend - Book Review Essay -- essays resea

When writing the "big picture" histories, historians often overlook or exaggerate certain aspects of Australian history to make their point. Discuss with reference to one the recommended texts. The book "The Australian Legend", written by Russell Ward and published in 1958 speaks mainly of "Australian Identity". It looks at nationalism and what has formed our self-image. There are many aspects that are left overlooked however, as the Authour makes his assumptions. Significant parts of society are neglected consideration, these include those that weren't from the bush, non-British immigrants, the Aboriginal people and women. Also the use of romanticised and exaggerated evidence causes an imbalance in his conclusions. Ward's main reason for writing "The Australian Legend" was to portray the typical Australian's perception of himself. He admitted that the book was not intended to be a history of Australia, and it wasn't. What the narrative does do however, is trace and explore the source of what he referred to as the "national mystique". Ward bases his work on the opinion that the 'Australian spirit' is somehow intimately connected with the bush and that it derives rather from the common folk than from the more respectable sections of society. He treats this assumption methodically, using literary and historical evidence. The majority of the evidence, are extracts taken from the Sydney Bulletin, a paper edited by J.F Archibald. Writers included "the three greatest 'nationalist' writers of the 'nineties", as Ward called them. They were Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson, and Joseph Furphy. Ward believed that their works were hard fact - a reflection of the emergence of a dist inctively Australian way of life in the outback. This evidence however is rather selective. It appears that Ward has only chosen to include the works that support his version of the 'Australian identity', intentionally leaving out works by the aforementioned writers that gave reference to anyone not fitting his description of 'typical', ie. women, foreigners, aboriginals and city-dwellers. The Australian bush legend, Ward believed, came to its climax in the 1880s. He mentions that it was during this time that the majority of the population were native-born, white males who enjoyed the works of writers such as Paterson and Lawson. It w... ... Although partially true in its time, the Australian bush legend fades more and more as time progresses. The Australian identity of the 1890s was not the same as it was in the 1950s, nor do we have the same self-image today, as portrayed in 'The Australian Legend'. Recent statistics show that we work longer hours and drink far less then we used to. Many more Australians go to the beach than to the bush and despite the iconic male bushman, for most men and women in Australia the beach is far more central to our identity and lives, as the majority of the population lives closer to our coastal shores. 'The Australian Legend', in itself is an acurate portrayal and recount of one part of society, from a specific era, ie. the Australian bushman of the 1890s. Its exaggerations, however, such as the romanticism of the bush ethos by Australian writers, the unbalanced use of evidence, and the neglect to acknowledge the contribution to our national identity from certain sections of society, ie. aboriginal people, city-dwellers, women, and non-British immigrants, render this book to be flawed. For these reasons, it cannot be regarded as a complete and balanced account of Australian history.

Suicide in the Trenches Analysis

Suicide in the Trenches – an analysis What is the meaning of war? What is war like? How do soldiers feel in a war? Glorious? Depressed? This poem accurately shows the harsh but sadly true reality of war – death, suicide and depression. Indeed, as quoted by Sir Williams Henry – â€Å"Nobody in his right mind would enjoy war†. The point of view is third person. This is effective in showing one case of suicide, in third person observation, representing the depression and desire to quickly die in everyone else. Life is really worse than death – and this is shown through the eye-catching title â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches†.The word â€Å"trenches† further emphasized that not only is this depression possessed by one young soldier boy, but also by many others in war. The setting is in depressing, smelly, and stuffy trenches as the title has blatantly stated. The story is about a young soldier boy’s transformation from a happy and inno cent person into a depressed soldier who desires to kill himself, because life is really worse than death. The poet deliberately uses the small boy as an example to gain the reader’s sympathy. The structure of the poem is three stanzas with four lines in each. The rhyme scheme is A-A-B-B in each stanza.This seems to be a rigid structure, but it really does bring out how one’s initial carefree innocence and freedom is being lost once he enters the cruel and depressing battlefield, or in this case, trenches. The tone in the poem is obviously a bitter and sarcastic one as we can see from the last stanza – â€Å"You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye†¦ †. Sassoon strongly feels the general public is unable to empathize with soldiers because there is no way to understand what war is like. Through this bitter and sad poem, the poet tries to bring out the theme of the poem – nobody can understand what war is like without personal experience.The lang uage the poet uses is clever in conveying the theme – a balance of symbolism, diction and alliteration is put to effective use in this poem. Something we cannot miss is the alliteration in the first stanza â€Å"slept soundly†. The repetition of the letter ‘s’ produces a harsh hissing sound, and this contributes to the bitter tone throughout the poem. Also, it puts emphasis on the phrase â€Å"slept soundly†. As we all know, people who can sleep soundly are those who have no worries and nagging troubles before going to bed. This highlights how the boy was so innocent, without any worries at all, at the start of his xperience in war. This is also brought out in â€Å"whistling†, an action done only when one is happy and carefree. The trenches symbolize the rotting function of war in the case of the poem. Throughout the year till winter, the trenches had apparently transformed a carefree, innocent and happy boy into a depressed, boy who â€Å" put a bullet through his brain†. The alliteration of the letter ‘b’ here also further creates a harsh, brute and bitter sound that adds on to the bitter mood, especially at the climax of the story told – the suicide.The clever rhyme of â€Å"brain† with â€Å"again† at line 8 tries to strike a connection that although a young innocent boy was dragged into war and fought violently for his country and himself, in the end, when he is being pushed to his limit, still â€Å"nobody spoke of him again†. This shows how cruel and selfish war is. It forces you to help – at such a young age – but yet does not remember or appreciate what you have done and sacrificed. In this case, the boy sacrificed his childhood fun, laughter, innocence and carefree life in return for nothing at all – not even a memory of him.How is war cruel? This is the perfect example. The diction used in the poem is especially strong. In the last stanza, t he word â€Å"kindling† is being used to describe the â€Å"eye(s)† of the â€Å"smug-faced crowd†. One must notice that this line is only devoted to facial description, and the â€Å"kindling† seems to be also a superficial countenance feature only. However, Siegfried tries to show with a sarcastic tone that they think that war is a glorious thing, they feel proud of these children, and seem to understand and appreciate what they are doing.But in reality, they can never imagine what these children are going through, and in reality, they don’t care or feel appreciative of what the children did. Therefore, the word kindling reveals the hypocrisy behind people who support war. In my personal opinion, the last stanza is the strongest and most impactful stanza. While the previous two stanza show the transformation of a single boy when he enters war, the last stanza directly attacks people who support war itself, at the thought of its glory and honor, b ut not give a thought about the â€Å"pawns† dying and suffering in war. Sneak home and pray you’ll never know† shows that while the hypocrites support war, under the glorious facade, they are not willing or are too afraid to think of the consequences, sacrifice and price of this meaningless war – a big price that separates thousands of families and destroy tens of thousands of children. The poet is just trying to use an extreme and most serious example to illustrate his point. Indeed, war is just so cruel – it takes away, but does not return – not even a single memory for dead people.It totally transform people from their happy and carefree state, into murderers constantly depressed and worried for their lives, yet guilty they killed their own kind. In war where humans are just pawns for a game of chess, nobody will understand how a soldier feels – constantly killing his own kind to defend himself, lacking in sleep, separated, maybe f orever, from their families and friends – unless they undergo war itself. I would like to end off with this quote from the U. S. Military force – â€Å"Nobody would understand a soldier, except for the soldier himself†.Contrastingly the Second Stanza curtails the mood of happiness and innocence, abruptly introducing the horrors of war, using descriptive language such as describing the trenches to be, â€Å"Winter trenches. † It is Sassoon's Juxtaposition in the swing of mood and ultimately the contrast between the characters love of life to his sudden hatred of life, resulting in suicide†¦ â€Å"He put a bullet through his brain† that shows the audience both the thematic idea and Sassoon's criticism of War's destruction of Innocence.

Blackberry Pest Analysis Essay

BlackBerry Limited, formerly known as Research In Motion Limited (RIM),[3][4] is a Canadian telecommunication and wireless equipment company best known to the general public as the developer of the BlackBerry brand of smartphones and tablets, but also well known worldwide as a provider of secure & high reliability software for industrial applications and Mobile Device Management (MDM). BlackBerry’s software and hardware products are used worldwide by various government’s agencies and by car makers and industrial plants throughout the world, much of this activity being unseen by the public. The company is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by Mike Lazaridis, who served as its co-CEO along withJim Balsillie until January 22, 2012; as of November 2013, Saad assumes the new title of â€Å"Lead Director and Chair of Compensation†.[5] In November 2013, John S. Chen took over as CEO. His strategy is to subcontract manufacturing to Foxconn, and to focus on software technology.[6] Originally a dominant innovative company in the smartphone market for business and government usage, with 43% US market share in 2010, the company’s dominance in the US smartphone market has in recent years declined precipitously, in part because of intense competition mainly from the current high US market share of Google’s Android brands and also from the lower share that Apple’s iPhone has of the market. Due to such competition, the company’s share in the US personal consumer market was reduced to 3.8% in 2013.[7] In markets other than the US personal comsumer market BlackBerry’s products have fared better. On September 23, 2013 the company signed a letter of intent to be acquired for US$4.7 billion, or US$9 per share, by a consortium led by Fairfax Financial which has announced its intentions to take the company private.[8] On November 4, 2013 the deal was scrapped in favor of a US$1 billion cash injection which, according to one analyst, represented the level of confidence BlackBerry’s largest shareholder has in the company.[9] The majority of BlackBerry’s remaining value lies in innovation, one aspect being its patent portfolio, which has been valued at between US$2 billion and $3 billion.[10] Research In Motion Limited was founded in 1984 by Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin. At the time, Lazaridis was an engineering student at the University of Waterl oo while Fregin was an engineering student at the University of Windsor.[11] RIM’s early development was financed by Canadian institutional and venture capital investors in 1995  through a private placement in the privately held company. Working Ventures Canadian Fund Inc. led the first venture round[12] with a C$5,000,000 investment with the proceeds being used to complete the development of RIM’s two-way paging system hardware and software. A total of C$30,000,000 in pre-IPO financing was raised by the company prior to its initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange in January 1998 under the symbol RIM.[13] The company worked with RAM Mobile Data and Ericsson to turn the Ericsson-developed Mobitex wireless data network into a two-way paging and wireless e-mail network. Pivotal in this development was the release of the Inter@ctive Pager 950, which started shipping in August 1998. About the size of a bar of soap, this device competed against the SkyTel two-way paging network developed by Motorola. In 1999, RIM introduced the BlackBerry 850 pager. Named in reference to the resemblance of its keyboard’s keys to the druplets of the blackberry fruit, the device could receive push email from a Mic rosoft Exchange Server using its complementary server software, BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). The introduction of the BlackBerry set the stage for future enterprise-oriented products from the company, such as the BlackBerry 957 in April 2000, the first BlackBerry smartphone. The BlackBerry OS platform and BES continued to increase in functionality—while the incorporation of encryption and S/MIME support helped BlackBerry devices gain increased usage by governments and businesses.[14][15] BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion Limited, incorporated on March 7, 1984, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services, it provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to information, including e-mail, voice, instant messaging, short message service (SMS), Internet and intranet-based applications and browsing. The Company’s technology also enables an array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services through software development kits, wireless connectivity to data and third-party support programs. Its portfolio of products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations and millions of consumers around the world and include the BlackBerry wireless solution, the RIM Wireless Handheld product line, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, software development tools and other software and hardware. Effective May 31, 2013,  BlackBerry Ltd acquired Scroon SA. On March 25, 2011, the Company purchased 100% of the shares of a company whose technology is being incorporated into the Company’s developer tools. On April 26, 2011, the Company purchased certain assets of a company whose acquired technologies will be incorporated into the Company’s products. In June 2011, the Company acquired Scoreloop. On March 8, 2012, the C ompany acquired Paratek Microwave Inc. During the fiscal year ended March 3, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company purchased 100% interests of a company, whose technology will be incorporated into its technology; whose technology offers cloud-based services for storing, sharing, accessing and organizing digital content on mobile devices; whose technology is being incorporated into an application on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet; whose technology offers a customizable and cross-platform social mobile gaming developer tool kit, and whose technology will provide a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations. On April 24, 2012, the Company launched BlackBerry 7 smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve 9220, for customers in Indonesia. April 18, 2012, it launched BlackBerry 7 smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve 9220, for customers in India. On April 17, 2012, it announced availability of the BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone in Spain. On April 3, 2012, it launched BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, and launched four BlackBerry smartphones powered by the BlackBerry 7 operating system (OS) in Cambodia, which included BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9380. On April 2, 2012, it announced the availability of BlackBerry App World, the official application store for BlackBerry smartphones in Brunei, and it announced availability of the BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 smartphones for Cell C customers in South Africa. On March 27, 2012, it launched of the BlackBerry solution in Benin Republic. On March 15, 2012, it launched of BlackBerry services in China. On March 7, 2012, it launched the BlackBerry service in Angola. The Company’s primary revenue stream is generated by the BlackBerry wireless solution, consists of smartphones and tablets, service and software. BlackBerry service is provided through a combination of its global BlackBerry Infrastructure and the wireless networks of its carrier partners. On February 21, 2012, it released the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software. It generates hardware revenues from sales, primarily to carriers and  distributors. During fiscal 2012, the Company launched the wireless fidelity (WiFi)-enabled BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in 44 markets around the world. On July 21, 2011, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet received Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 certification. BlackBerry Smartphones and Tablets BlackBerry smartphones uses wireless, push-based technology that delivers data to mobile users’ business and consumer applications. BlackBerry smartphones integrate messaging including instant messaging, email and SMS; voice calling; Webkit browser; multimedia capabilities; calendar, and other applications. During fiscal 2012, it introduced 10 new smartphones and launched software updates to both its smartphone and tablet platforms. BlackBerry smartphones are available from hundreds of carriers and indirect channels, through a range of distribution partners, and are designed to operate on a variety of carrier networks, including HSPA/HSPA+/UMTS, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/Ev-DO, and iDEN. During fiscal 2012, its BlackBerry smartphone and tablet portfolio included BlackBerry Bold series, BlackBerry Torch series, BlackBerry Curve series and The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Its BlackBerry Bold series includes BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 and BlackBerry Bold 9790. The Company’s BlackBerry Torch series include BlackBerry Torch 9810 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860. The Company’s BlackBerry Curve series include BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360/9370 and All-Touch BlackBerry Curve 9380 Smartphone. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet features the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. The BlackBerry PlayBook offers a seven-inch high definition display, a dual core one gigahertz processor, dual high definition cameras, multitasking and a Web browsing. History of the PEST Analysis  written by: Sidharth Thakur †¢ edited by: Linda Richter †¢ updated: 12/30/2010 PEST analysis has been in use as an external environment scanning tool for more than three decades. Still , there isn’t much information on how this technique has evolved. Here is an article that explores the history and evolution of this technique. slide 1 of 3 One of the popular environmental scanning tools used by businesses to analyze the macro-environment in which they operate is the PEST analysis. History of  this strategic planning tool is somewhat imprecise; although it may have evolved earlier, the first traceable mention of this tool goes back to 1967, by Francis Aguilar. Let’s take a look at how this tool was introduced and how it has evolved ever since 1967. slide 2 of 3 The First Trace of PEST Analysis As mentioned earlier, it is Francis Aguilar who can be credited with the origin of this strategic analytical technique. At that time, Aguilar talked about ETPS – Economic, Technological, Political, and Social environment — as the four environments that must be scanned when looking for analytical grounds to judge the strategic plans. Even in its current form, PEST revolves around these same four factors; however the term PEST came in much later. A few years later Arnold Brown emphasized these same four environmental factors with the only difference that he labeled it as STEP. This acronym, in addition to referring to each of the four environmental factors, stands for Strategic Trend Evaluation Process as well. There is no clear evidence about when PEST emerged from STEP or ETPS, but as of today the commonly used name for this external environment scanning technique is PEST. Apart from PEST, analysis history shows it is also popular in its extended form as PESTLE. PEST analysis (‘Political, Economic, Social and Technological analysis†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢) describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. Some analysts added Legal and rearranged the mnemonic to SLEPT; inserting Environmental factors expanded it to PESTEL or PESTLE, which is popular in the United Kingdom.[1] The model has recently been further extended to STEEPLE and STEEPLED, adding Ethics and Demographic factors. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis or doing market research, and gives an overview of the different macro-environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The growing importance of environmental or ecological factors in the first decade of the 21st century have given rise to green business and encouraged widespread use of an  updated version of the PEST framework. STEER analysis systematically considers Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors. Political factors are basically to what degree the government intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labor law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, and political stability. Political factors may also include goods and services which the government wants to provide or be provided (merit goods) and those that the government does not want to be provided (demerit goods or merit bads). Furthermore, governments have great influence on the health, education, and infrastructure of a nation.

The script of the Crucible Essays

The script of the Crucible Essays The script of the Crucible Paper The script of the Crucible Paper In The Crucible there are many highly dramatic scenes where Miller creates a great deal of tension and emotion in the audience. Imagine you are directing a production of The Crucible. Describe how you would stage these scenes and how you would build up tension and emotion in your audience. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was written in America in the 1950s. It depicts an eye-opening analogy between the Salem witch-hunt in 1692 and the McCarthy communist trials in 1950s America. In fact, Miller used some of the exact recorded speech from the McCarthy trials in the script of The Crucible. While watching The Crucible the audience should remember that the people of Salem were devotedly puritan, and so anything that contradicted the commandments, or any part of the Bible would be heavily frowned upon. And so, within the context of the play, could be turned in to signs of witchcraft by people manipulating the truth. At the end of Act III Elizabeth denies that Proctor has had an affair after Proctor has admitted to it. If she tells the truth it would have cast strong doubts across Abigails accusations. Afterwards Hale- perhaps too late- tells the court he believes Proctor. Abigail, showing her ruthless resourcefulness again, pretends Mary is sending her spirit on her. Danforth believes her. Mary, due to the pressure from Danforth, the threat of death, and the girls hysteria accuses Proctor of witchcraft and returns to Abigail. Proctor and Giles are arrested at the end of the act. When Elizabeth is called in to the court I think she should be led in from the back of the auditorium, which will build up suspense and tension in the audience. I would group the girls on stage left, with Abigail slightly nearer the centre and facing back. The girls should stare wide-eyed at Elizabeth. Proctor should stand the mirrored position of Abigail, again facing back. Hale should be close to him, but further right, looking nervously, but slightly expectantly, at Elizabeth. This should show the audience how the pressure has all been shifted to Elizabeth. Danforth should stand down centre facing out, and when Elizabeth reaches the stage she should stand close in front of him facing towards him. This should create a dramatic triangle between Elizabeth, Proctor, and Abigail. This should symbolise Elizabeths dilemma. Whether to denounce Abigail and keep to her Christian convictions, or to save Johns name from shame. Elizabeth is called in to confirm Proctors claim that he and Abigail had an Affair. Proctor is certain she will tell the truth, as she never lies. He says that in her life she have never lied. This should create suspense in the audience, as they can sense Elizabeths dilemma, but know what John expects her to do. This is one of the points in the scene where one of the characters could have changed to outcome of the play. When Elizabeth denies her husband is a lecher replying timidly to Danforths ferocity No, sir I would have the whole court freeze except Elizabeth and a spotlight on her when she says the line No, sir, then instantly the lights should come back up, and the action continue. This should again build up huge tension in the audience in the wait for Elizabeths decision. When it comes the will be very taken aback, but will not be given time to recover as the action will continue quickly. The speed of Danforths reaction seems to suggest that this was the answer he wanted, as it is quick and dismissive of the appeals. This is shown as he immediately orders the Marshal to Remove her. This I think is because if she had not denied the affair it would have also left serious questions about Danforths skills of judgement. Hale then tells the court that he believe s Proctor and tells the court he has always struck me true. I think the audience would be thinking this has come too late. To emphasise this Danforth should ignore him, walking back to his bench, not even turning to say, she spoke nothing of lechery, and this man has lied. During this I would make Proctor place his head in his hands, and the girls passing very discreet smirks between one another. When Hale says [pointing at Abigail] This girl has always struck me false. She has- and Abigail cuts him off. Here we again see how Abigail uses her position of power in the court. She suddenly cuts in about the yellow bird saying You will not! Begone! Begone, I say! this suddenly draws attention away from the people who are doubting her.

This is an analytic essay abou the Human Resources Department.

This is an analytic essay abou the Human Resources Department. Everyone knows what is wrong with New York City: crime, dirt, racial tension, drugs, welfare, taxes, inadequate housing inferior education. But here is the study of New Yorkby specialist from the fields of economics, sociology, political science, and social work who challenge all the old assumption. In fact, they come up with a refreshingly optimistic study and a realistic one claiming that the long range trend is for New York to prosper, not to decline.Much attention has been given to the alleged symptoms of a dying city, the threat of declining employments due to a loss in manufacturing, a increase in welfare cost the relocation of large corporations.Of all Americans domestics policies, welfare programs are the most disputed policy analyst from a wide spectrum of political perspectives have long argued about the cost, benefits, and objectives of various welfare programs. Welfare reform policies have been hotly debated by conservatives and liberals in congress, as well as by the adm inistrators of the program.English: House Bill and Senate Bill subsidies for ...Although these groups disagree as to the proper policies to adopt, we all agree we are in a "welfare mess". In the 2003 preliminary mayors management report indicates that a new reform for welfare services is been reauthorized for the next phase of the reform which will give our poorcommunities more opportunities and to our government more controlled over the necessities and responsibilities towards our community.Florencio 2The New York is the nation primary growth pole. It has been the birth place of many new products and technologies and has evolved as the center of corporate management, planning and innovation. The city is not dominated by one industry it is characterize by a dynamic and diverse, but independent set of activities relating to the management and growth of the sectors. It is...

PSAT Test Dates 2015

PSAT Test Dates 2015 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The PSAT test dates of 2015 have come and gone, but they are not forgotten - especially for students aiming to become National Merit Finalists. This guide will go over the exact PSAT test dates in 2015, as well as discuss how test-takers can make the most of their PSAT score reports today. If you’re looking for future PSAT test dates, then check out this guide instead. If you’re in the right spot, then read on to learn about how the PSAT testing schedule works for participating students. What to Know About PSAT Test Dates Unlike many other standardized tests, like the SAT or ACT, you don’t choose when you take the PSAT. Instead, your high school registers juniors and chooses the test date from two options in October. If you’re a ninth or tenth grader who wants to take the PSAT, then you have to ask your school counselor to sign you up. College Board gave schools two choices for test dates in 2015, a primary and an alternate. Both test dates fell on a weekday, on a Wednesday to be exact. Most schools administered the PSAT on the primary test date. Below are the exact dates for the primary and alternate testing dates for the PSAT in 2015. PSAT Test Dates in 2015 Schools administered the PSAT on one of these two test dates in 2015. Primary test date: October 14, 2015 Alternate test date: October 28, 2015 Most schools held the PSAT on October 14, 2015. The only exception would be if the school had a scheduling conflict that day and had to go with the alternate test date. Once students took the PSAT, they waited a few months to get back their scores. For juniors, October is the month of pumpkins, pie, and the PSAT. When Did 2015 PSAT Scores Come Out? Scores from the 2015 PSAT came out on January 7th, 2016. On that date, students could sign into their College Board accounts and view their score reports. Counselors actually had access to the scores one day earlier, on January 6. In addition to online score reports, students got paper score reports around January 29. Forstudents who took the PSAT in 2015 or who will be taking it in the future, why are PSAT scores important? Why Are PSAT Scores Important? PSAT scores are important for two main reasons. First, they give you essential feedback about your skills as a test-taker, and you can use that feedback to prepare for the SAT. Secondly, PSAT score reports tell any juniors who took the test whether or not they will qualify for National Merit distinction and scholarships. Let’s take a closer look at both of these functions of your PSAT scores. 1. Practice and Feedback for the SAT The PSAT and SAT are very similar tests, so your score report on the PSAT can help you figure out how to improve for the SAT. Both tests have Reading, Writing and Language, and math sections. The main difference is that the PSAT doesn’t have an essay section. Your PSAT score report will give you detailed feedback on your performance. You should take time to look at your results and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. If you struggled on the math section, for instance, then you can focus especially on math as you get ready for the SAT. By figuring out where you lost points, you can make efforts to get those kinds of questions right for next time. Your score report can also prompt you to reflect on the test-taking experience. Did you find yourself running out of time? Would you benefit from trying new test-taking strategies, like process of elimination on vocabulary questions? If you took the PSAT in 2015 and are still planning to take the SAT, you should carefully consider your PSAT score report and use it to design your SAT prep plan. Your PSAT score report gives you useful feedback on your skills as a test-taker. You can use that insightas you get ready for the SAT. 2. National Merit Distinctions and Scholarships If you took the PSAT as a junior, then you’re in the running for National Merit distinction and scholarships. The top 3% to 4% of scorers werenamed Commended Scholars, while students who score in the top 1% werenamed Semifinalists and couldmove on to become Finalists and win scholarship money. National Merit Scholarship Corporation hasn’t released its exact state-by-state cutoffs yet, but we can estimate the cutoffs based on data from past years. About a year after they took the PSAT in 2015, about 16,000 students across the country foundout if they achieved Semifinalist status. If you were one of those students who took the PSAT in October 2015, how can you make the most of your PSAT score report now? Make the Most of Your PSAT Score Report If you’re still planning to take the SAT, then your PSAT score report can help you design a study plan. Look closely at the sections where you excelled and the sections where you could use some improvement. Think about what skills you can work on to get better as a test-taker, whether you need to review specific concepts or practice time management. As you study for the SAT, try to identify and target your weak areas. Gather lots of practice questions, time yourself, and score your practice tests. Continue to measure your progress with your practice test score reports, just as you did with your PSAT score report. By taking time to analyze your PSAT and SAT practice test score reports, you can root out your weak areas and gaugeyour progress as you work toward your target SAT scores. In closing, let’s go over the key points you should remember about the PSAT in 2015, how it was administered, and how you can make the most of your PSAT score report now. Use your PSAT score report to target your weak areas and improve for the next test you take. PSAT in 2015: Key Takeaways Most schools administered the PSAT on Wednesday, October 14, 2015. Juniors automatically tookthe test and competed for National Merit distinction. Younger students couldalso request to take the test, and they coulduse the experience as practice for the junior year PSAT and the SAT. If you took the test in 2015, then you got your scores online on January 7th. Whether you’re competing for National Merit or prepping for the SAT, you can gain valuable insight from your PSAT score report. Take time to analyze your performance, figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and reflect on the experience to get ready for the SAT. What’s Next? Are you preparing to take the SAT? Check out our ultimate SAT prep guides for the Reading, Writing and Language, and Math sections of the SAT. Did you take the PSAT as a younger student in 2015? If you're aiming for top scores when you take the test as a junior, check out this full guide to getting a perfect score on the PSAT. Have you started taking steps to apply to college? For a full overview of the entire college application process, check out this comprehensive guide. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Hong Kong Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hong Kong Cinema - Essay Example Many cinema critics attribute (Abbas, 1997; Li, 2001) this miracle to European influences and those of Hollywood, principally, comparing to China, which had been running the policy of mystification and cultural isolation between the 1950s and 1990s. Hong Kong is usually depicted as a capitalist city, which growth over Communist China and to great extent assimilates to Western postmodernism and realism. The theoretical framework for Hong Kong cinema analysis was provided by A.Abbas (1997), who draws and synthesizes the concept of dis-appearance. modern Hong Kong cinema is close-knit to the 1997 integration into China, as the Communist rule was always perceived as the power limiting cultural and contextual peculiarities and eliminating all national allegories and allusions. The sense of dis-appearance is very specific and refers to a purloined or secreted reality which is ignored because of the common tendency to standardization (Abbas, 1997). Furthermore the representation of dis-appearance employs dichotomies, especially one between dj vu (or a feeling of clich action or behavior) and deja disparu, or a feeling that points to the uniqueness of the situation, which has already happened and leads a viewer to hyperreality of interrelations between the facts and the events which have never happened. The concept of dis-apperance is particularly relevant to Diaspora members and those wh o observe Hong Kong with foreigner's eyes, so I would like to discuss the film 'City of Glass' (by M.Cheung) in terms of Hong Kong cinema trends. Deja disparu is masterly shown in the film, as the plot itself contains underlying redline of dis-appearance as the characters' state of mind. The movie narrates about the fates of two persons, whose parents die in car accident just before the integration of Hong Kong into China. The catastrophe unfolds a romantic story between Rafael and Vivian, "that was seeded in the flamboyant 1970s at the University of Hong Kong, yet disrupted by the fervent political movement and social unrest. Their participation in the movement resulted in their separation when Rafael was put in prison and expelled from the university, a separation that would be overcome only 20 years later when Hong Kong is on the verge of turning "Chinese" again" (Hao and Chen, 2000, p.37). In spite of the separation of their fates, Rafael's son, David, and Vivian's daughter, Suzie, meet and begin to discover their parents' past. The young people gradually realize that Hong Kong is not merely a city of glass, but a huge sto re of memories and anticipation as well as the time-space reverses (ibid), allowing everyone create a number of models and in conditional tense('if..then'). Psychological life of both Hong Kong residents and foreigners is described as deja disparu, or a re-consideration of past events, including the search for inimitable and unique aspects in fates and fortunes. The idea of dis-appearance runs freely through the movie and reaches its culmination at the very end, when the young couple decide to put their parents' bone ashes blasted up in Hong Kongas the event signifies the complete physical disappearance and the return to the country at the same time, or deja disparu, a renovation of the old story. The ending could be interpreted in other ways, but all of them to certain degree point to the concept of dis-appearance: for instance, Rafael and Vivian 'withdraw' just after Hong Kong's transition to China, or after Hong Kong ceases

Workforce planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Workforce planning - Essay Example Sloan (2010) notes that the strategic work force planning seeks to look into the current, transitional and future needs of the business. Operational workforce planning, on the other hand, takes about twelve to eighteen months. It forms the basis of the strategic workforce planning. Work force planning occurs in five basis steps. The first step is the context and environment consideration. It entails looking at why the process is required and the goals that the business seeks to achieve by having a workforce plan. It is in this stage where the performance measures for the plan are also identified and spelt out. Bechet (2002) notes that one of the key procedures in the initial stage of workforce planning is linking the strategic goals and objectives of the business with the plan. It allows for the team involved to know how to shape the plan so that it is part and parcel of the overall goals of the business. The second step is the generation of the current workforce profile. It requires focusing on the current skills, competencies, experience and strengths of the workforce that the business has. Step two also necessitates the identification of the key issues which need to be considered so that the capability of the workforce can be improved. Step three of the plan is the generation of the future workforce profile. According to Hill & Jones (2001) a plan is supposed to take an organization to a desired future state. It therefore means that the business must look at the implications that the plan will have on its future as well as the environment which will be needed for the effective implementation and use of the plan. Future priorities must also be identified at this stage. The fourth step is the analysis of the gaps and coming up with strategies to close them. Step four entails the identification of the key areas where action will be obligatory so that the gaps are filled for the benefit of the business. The final step is the conclusion,

Conflict Management - Intrapersonal, Intergroup and Interpersonal Research Paper

Conflict Management - Intrapersonal, Intergroup and Interpersonal Types of Conflicts - Research Paper Example Organizations undergo changes due to new technological, political and social developments that affect them or due to changes in the competitive force. As people may hold a different view about the change and the future direction of an organization, conflicts may arise (Mullins). Personality Clashes: Individuals' personalities differ widely due to differences in their levels of maturity, emotional stability and their behaviour. When they do not recognize or appreciate these differences, conflicts occur. Differences in the value set: Different people have different opinions, values and beliefs. When people with contradicting values and beliefs interact with each other, conflicts are likely to occur. These conflicts are often irrational and difficult to be resolved (Newstorm). Threats to status: Most individuals associate their identity with their status in society or organizations. When an individual feels that another person's acts may harm or damage his image, which in turn may affect his status, conflict is likely to arise. Differences in Perceptions: People perceive different things, issues and their environment differently. When they act as though their perception is the only reality, without attempting to understand or accept another person's view, conflicts arise (Newstorm). Conflicts are common in all organizations and occur when people fail to arrive at a consensus regarding the organizational goals or the means to achieve them (Falletta). Organizational conflicts can be classified as follows: According to most behavioural theories, people are motivated to achieve a goal either when meeting the goal results in the satisfaction of a need, or when the incentives for achieving the goal are attractive. However, this is not as simple as it seems.

The Movies and Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Movies and Research - Essay Example Truman continued to question further his existence since he noticed that everything that is going on in Seahaven revolve around his life. When Truman decided to seek out the truth to the world beyond Seahaven, the producers of the show tried as much as they can to prevent him from doing so by making plot twists in his daily activities that would avert any attempts made. Eventually, Truman secretly sailed off from his house, and was almost killed by a storm the producer of the show made. Realizing the morality in killing a cast member for the sake of a show would be an outrage, the producer allowed Truman to exit the arcological movie set and to see the real world beyond Seahaven. In this film, one of the main themes being shown is the concept of simulated reality. Simulated reality is an approach of observation, usually scientific, that makes events in reality replicated to a point that it is difficult to distinguish it from actual reality. This form of observation is the major plot basis for the movie The Truman Show and is the driving force for the main character’s actions and existential inquiries about his life. It should be remembered that in the setting of the movie, simulated reality is used as a form of mass media entertainment while setting aside any real or applied scientific usage. However, research in the movie setting is implied to have been done in a way to make the main character Truman spend most of his life believing that his world of Seahaven is the only reality. One could consider this form of research as a controlled form of observation, as every aspect of Truman’s daily life is being manipulated by external human actions. T his is done so skillfully that it has been an accepted fact by Truman even right on the day of his birth until adulthood. It should also be noted that the reason for the simulated reality scheme is for audiences of the show in the movie’s setting would watch an

Pros and Cons of Horizontal and Vertical Analysis Essay

Pros and Cons of Horizontal and Vertical Analysis - Essay Example The above table presents the horizontal analysis of Nike for the three quarters such as Q2, Q3 and Q4 ending November 2012, February 2013 and May 2013. In the horizontal analysis, each line item of income statement is divided by the total revenues figure in order to check the percentage of that line item with respect to sales. If cost of sales of Nike is considered, it can be observed that it has remained quite consistent in all the three quarters and remained around 56% of sales (Nike Inc., 2013). Accordingly, the gross profit margin of the company is around 44%. Nike incurs substantial expenditure over its demand creation activities such that this expenditure covers around 10% of sales every quarter. As far as operating overheads of the company are concerned, the company absorbs the expenditures at around 20% of sales level which remained consistent in previous three quarters. Similarly, selling and administrative expenses of the company are around 30% of the turnover of in each of the three quarters. Other incomes and interest incomes are nearly negligible such that they do not even constitute to 1% sales level. Income before taxes has been improved by 2% in third and fourth quarter as compared to second quarter. Income tax expenditure of the company is also improving, i.e. showing a very minute decline on quarter-level percentages. Net income of the company has increased to double figures especially in third and fourth quarter. Overall, from the horizontal analysis of income statement of Nike, it is quite evident that the company has performed well and maintained consistent percentages of sales in the last three quarters. Vertical Analysis – Balance Sheet    May-13    Feb-13    Nov-12 ASSETS    Current assets: $ in million % change $ in million % change $ in million Cash and equivalents 3,337 30.50% 2,557 11.61% 2,291 Short-term investments 2,628 76.97% 1,485 20.34% 1,234 Accounts receivable, net 3,117 -3.56% 3,232 1.38% 3,188 Inventories 3,4 34 3.15% 3,329 0.33% 3,318 Deferred income taxes 308 12.00% 275 -15.90% 327 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 802 -9.07% 882 20.33% 733 Assets of discontinued operations 0 -100.00% 29 -91.57% 344 Total current assets 13,626 15.58% 11,789 3.10% 11,435 Property, plant and equipment 5,500 2.42% 5,370 1.13% 5,310 Less accumulated depreciation -3,048 -1.99% -3,110 1.90% -3,052 Property, plant and equipment, net 2,452 8.50% 2,260 0.09% 2,258 Identifiable intangible assets, net 382 1.60% 376 0.53% 374 Goodwill 131 0.00% 131 0.00% 131 Deferred income taxes and other assets 993 -6.23% 1,059 8.84% 973 TOTAL ASSETS 17,584 12.61% 15,615 2.93% 15,171

Saint Joan Institute of Womens Study. Human Resource Management Essay

Saint Joan Institute of Womens Study. Human Resource Management Portfolio - Essay Example Through the paper it has been tried what modus operandi the HR department should follow to exploit the portfolio of a candidate. For the paper, the particular job taken into consideration is a job of an ‘academic coordinator.’ The academic coordinators are academic staffs, who have some responsibility for coordinating the activities of other academic staff and interacting with students in large courses or programs. â€Å"Typically, these people have responsibility for the ―practical and everyday process of supporting, managing, developing and inspiring academic colleagues.† (Ramsden, 1998, p. 4) The institute considered for this discussion is Saint Joan Institute of Women’s Study. The institute is committed to impart the training to the girls and women. Some of the units such as schools are devoted to train the underprivileged girls. An Academic coordinator has become a very crucial position in today’s fast growing and sophisticated educational institutions. Academic coordinators find their role to be demanding, complex, and very stressful and are uncertain about the scope of their role. (Ladyshewsky & Jones, 2007) In Educational organization the coordinator is basically associated with teaching, hiring teachers and educators, to administer programs, develop budget, to arrange meetings, and to make changes where necessary. In modern educational institution the post of a coordinator is very important to facilitate smooth coordination between students, teachers, various departments, committee, management and other personnel in the institution directly or indirectly. He plays the role of a liaison between students and faculty members, parents and teachers, teachers and management members etc. The natures of the job includes various following responsibilities which are divided into two parts: Teaching and non-teaching Non Teaching responsibilities Teaching responsibilities To suggest for the recruitment of new staff members according to the requirements of the unit: The coordinator identifies the need of the staff and accordingly he suggests for the recruitments of different positions for full time , part time, adjunct faculty or a resource person for the specific task. To develop teaching procedure and strategies: To arrange training and development programs To revise the existing academic programs and design new programs, curriculum. The curriculum should be developed according to the domains and the requirements of the students. To arrange meetings of line members and staff members of the organization. To solicit students’ as well as teachers’ feedback. To prepare an annual budget and get it sanctioned by the Management committee members with suggested changes. To take review of the effectiveness of the program To arrange strategies for promotional activities. To conduct exams and to coordinate it entirely To conduct extra-curricular activities thus to boost the confidence of the students. To teach the subject allotted to him or her To set exam papers and check the papers b. The Strategic Importance of an Academic Coordinator in an Educational Institution: â⠂¬Å"Jobs that directly relate to the firm’s core competencies assume greater strategic value.† (Weekley Jeff) The job of the coordinator has a strategic importance as it is related to the

Pros and Cons of Horizontal and Vertical Analysis Essay

Pros and Cons of Horizontal and Vertical Analysis - Essay Example The above table presents the horizontal analysis of Nike for the three quarters such as Q2, Q3 and Q4 ending November 2012, February 2013 and May 2013. In the horizontal analysis, each line item of income statement is divided by the total revenues figure in order to check the percentage of that line item with respect to sales. If cost of sales of Nike is considered, it can be observed that it has remained quite consistent in all the three quarters and remained around 56% of sales (Nike Inc., 2013). Accordingly, the gross profit margin of the company is around 44%. Nike incurs substantial expenditure over its demand creation activities such that this expenditure covers around 10% of sales every quarter. As far as operating overheads of the company are concerned, the company absorbs the expenditures at around 20% of sales level which remained consistent in previous three quarters. Similarly, selling and administrative expenses of the company are around 30% of the turnover of in each of the three quarters. Other incomes and interest incomes are nearly negligible such that they do not even constitute to 1% sales level. Income before taxes has been improved by 2% in third and fourth quarter as compared to second quarter. Income tax expenditure of the company is also improving, i.e. showing a very minute decline on quarter-level percentages. Net income of the company has increased to double figures especially in third and fourth quarter. Overall, from the horizontal analysis of income statement of Nike, it is quite evident that the company has performed well and maintained consistent percentages of sales in the last three quarters. Vertical Analysis – Balance Sheet    May-13    Feb-13    Nov-12 ASSETS    Current assets: $ in million % change $ in million % change $ in million Cash and equivalents 3,337 30.50% 2,557 11.61% 2,291 Short-term investments 2,628 76.97% 1,485 20.34% 1,234 Accounts receivable, net 3,117 -3.56% 3,232 1.38% 3,188 Inventories 3,4 34 3.15% 3,329 0.33% 3,318 Deferred income taxes 308 12.00% 275 -15.90% 327 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 802 -9.07% 882 20.33% 733 Assets of discontinued operations 0 -100.00% 29 -91.57% 344 Total current assets 13,626 15.58% 11,789 3.10% 11,435 Property, plant and equipment 5,500 2.42% 5,370 1.13% 5,310 Less accumulated depreciation -3,048 -1.99% -3,110 1.90% -3,052 Property, plant and equipment, net 2,452 8.50% 2,260 0.09% 2,258 Identifiable intangible assets, net 382 1.60% 376 0.53% 374 Goodwill 131 0.00% 131 0.00% 131 Deferred income taxes and other assets 993 -6.23% 1,059 8.84% 973 TOTAL ASSETS 17,584 12.61% 15,615 2.93% 15,171

Walt Disney Theme Parks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Walt Disney Theme Parks - Case Study Example Over the years, the company has not only grown to great heights in achieving major market share in the entertainment industry but it has also defined the American entertainment culture. The financial stability of the theme park division have served as a critical counterweight to the volatility to the media and studio entertainment divisions (Thomas, 29). The aim of this paper is to analyze how a successful 'old economy' company has adapted to changing technologies and has used the internet to further expand its business. Although the company is now a diversified one that encompasses almost all aspects of the entertainment business (film production and distribution, cable television, publishing) as well as merchandise retailing, I will focus on its main division in which it has developed a niche market, that is theme parks. This paper is divided into two parts: 1) Part I will discuss the company's business strategy in the theme parks division and will undertake a SWOT analysis for the division and 2) part II will discuss the internet business strategy for theme parks in detail, including those for customer segmentation, acquisition, integration with overall marketing strategy, technical infrastructure and handling of data acquisition, management and use as well as social and regulatory issues. When the concept of Disneyland was thoug... Over the years, it has taken the shape of carnivals and amusement parks, offering joy rides, games, inexpensive food and even vacation stay. The Disneyland was initially an extension of the already established Disney brand but now the brand has become synonymous to the theme parks. Disneylands now house restaurants and hotels and are major tourist destinations, complete with campsites, deluxe villas and even a cruise line. Disney earned revenues of $25.4bn in 2000 from its various business - film production (Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood, Miramax, Merchant-Ivory), film distribution (Walt Disney Theatrical Productions Buena Vista International), video/ DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment), theme parks (Caifornia Disneyland, California Adventure, Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Vacation Club, Hong Kong Disneyland), television networks (ABC with 10 stations and 3,400 affiliates, ESPN, Walt Disney, Buena Vista, Touchstone, radio (ABC Network, with 21 stations and 21,000 affliliates), cable television (ESPN network, Disney chcannel, The History Channel, Toon Disney), magazines (Discover, Disney Adventure, FamilyFun, FamilyPC and ESPN The Magazine Media Networks), children's books and a number of licensees and 728 Disney stores selling merchandises. The Internet business of Disney includes GO Network (which wound up after the dot com bust), disney.com, espn.com, abcnews.com, family.com, abc.com, The Disney Catalog (Wasko, 2001). Yet, the business that comes to mind the most when one thinks of Walt Disney Company is its theme parks. The Disney parks have become the most visited vacation spots in the world.

Case Study Of Unstable Angina

Case Study Of Unstable Angina The patient in context is a 61 year old male, Mr. X, admitted to hospital in the late evening for a case of unstable angina. Presenting complaints include left-sided chest pain which was less severe than that of his previous admission and localized pain during rest. Absent symptoms are profuse sweating as well as nausea and vomiting, orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dypsnoea, cough and fever. Patients past medical history includes diabetes mellitus and hypertension diagnosed 6 years ago, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) since 3 years ago, for which the last hospital admission was 11 months ago. In the previous admission for IHD, Mr. X also suffered from pneumonia and ventricular failure, his electrocardiogram (ECG) indicated right bundle branch block, his serum troponin I levels were 0.3 ng/mL (normal levels 0-0.1 ng/mL), and his creatinine levels were 5.0 mg/dL (normal for males 0.2-0.6 mg/dL). Mr. X is also afflicted with chronic kidney disease, for which his baseline creatinine dur ing his last admission was 208 ÃŽÂ ¼mol//L. Mr. X has retired from the military and is living with his wife, who monitors his medications and compliance. He used to be a chronic smoker but has stopped smoking 15 years ago. His previous medication history is as below: Drug and Form Strength Frequency Furosemide tabs 40 mg BD Omeprazole tabs 20 mg PRN Amlodipine tabs 10 mg OD Simvastatin tabs 20 mg ON Perindopril tabs 4 mg OD Table 1: Table showing past medications of Mr. X. Mr. X takes no non-prescription medications and has no known drug allergies. On examination he appears to be alert and comfortable on his nasal cannula for delivery of oxygen 3L/min. His blood pressure is 134/81 mmHg, pulse rate is 76 bpm, body temperature 37oC, SpO2 of 99%, abdomen feels soft and non-tender, and no pedal oedema was observed. A blood glucose strip test reveals that Mr. Xs glucose levels were 10.3 mmol/L. Emergency ECG shows right bundle branch block and no ischaemic changes. The tentative diagnosis was unstable angina and further tests were scheduled, including a full blood count (FBC), renal profile (RP), liver function test (LFT), troponin and creatinine (CKMB) investigations, as well as a urine full examination and microscopy (UFEME). The immediate plan was to give Mr. X subcutaneous enoxaparin 60 mg stat and twice daily thereafter, aspirin 75 mg tablets once daily, lovastatin 20 mg tablets once daily, sublingual glyceryl trinitrate when required, and to continue the 3L/min oxygen cannula. Clinical Progress Day 1 Morning Patient was well, free from chest pain, tolerating orally and suffering from no nausea or vomiting. He had minimal shortness of breath (SOB). Troponin I levels were at 0.15 ng/mL and ECG showed no acute or evolving changes. Fasting plasma glucose was at 4.8 mmol/L (within normal range). Secondary dehydration was observed using the skin pinch test, so patient was started on intravenous normal saline drip (3 x 500 mL bag per 24 hours). Patient was found to be anaemic due to pre-existing chronic renal failure. Evening Patient reported mild chest pain and SOB. His troponin I levels were 0.15 ng/mL and other vitals were normal. His creatinine levels were 423 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/L. Day 2 Patient felt comfortable and his vitals were normal. His creatinine levels decreased to 345 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/L. Day 3 Patients condition was well, no chest pain was reported but he was still experiencing some SOB in the morning, which subsided in the afternoon. Patient was put on continuous peritoneal dialysis in the late morning. Patients vitals were normal, and he was taken off enoxaparin in the evening. Day 4 Patient complained of chest pain in the morning, with minimal SOB. His vitals were normal. Subcutaneous enoxaparin 60 mg was given and the IV saline was continued. Lab Findings Urine Biochemical Analysis (Day 1) Investigation values Normal values Protein ++100 mg/dL Glucose negative negative Blood negative Leucocytes +-10 WBC/ÃŽÂ ¼L Ketone negative negative Bile negative negative Urobillinogen normal Specific gravity 1.025 1.003 1.040 pH 5.5 4.6 8.0 Nitrite negative negative Table 2: Results of urine biochemical analysis on Day 1 Lipid Panel Fasting Serum Lipid Plasma total cholesterol / mmol/L 4.5 Desirable Borderline 5.17-6.19 High risk >6.20 Plasma triglyceride / mmol/L 1.27 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Desirable Borderline 1.7-5.64 High risk >5.65 Plasma LDL-cholesterol / mmol/L 2.91 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Desirable Borderline 3.36-4.12 High risk >4.13 Plasma HDL-cholesterol / mmol/L 1.01 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Desirable >1.03 High risk Total cholesterol / HDL-cholesterol 4.5 Desirable Borderline 3.8-5.8 High risk >5.9 Table 3: Results of lipid panel (fasting serum lipid levels). Renal Profile Electrolytes Measured levels on Day 1-1.14am Measured levels on Day 1-12.54am Measured levels on Day 2-10.47am Normal range Urea / mmol/L 22.8 22.4 21.1 2.8-7.2 Sodium / mmol/L 129 128 129 136-146 Potassium / mmol/L 5.3 4.8 4.7 3.5-5.1 Chloride / mmol/L 98 94 101 98-107 Creatinine / ÃŽÂ ¼mol/L 423 398 345 58-96 Table 4: Renal profile of Mr. X showing levels of electrolytes and creatinine. Plasma troponin I 0.15 ng/mL Liver Function Test Measured level Normal range Plasma total protein 81 g/L 66-83 g/L Plasma albumin 34 g/L 35-52 g/L Plasma globulin 47g/L 25-44 g/L A/G ratio 0.7 0.9-1.8 Plasma alkaline phosphatase 119 u/L 30-120 u/L Plasma aspartate transaminase 19 u/L Plasma alanine transaminase 43 u/L à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Plasma total bilirubin 6 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/L 5-21 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/L ESR 47mm/hour à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ 0-20 mm/hour Table 5: Results of liver function test showing protein and liver enzyme levels in plasma. Full Blood Count (FBC) (Beckman Coulter) Cell type Measured level Normal range WBC 9.9109/L 4-10109/L RBC 3.341012/L 3.8-4.81012/L Haemoglobin 95g/L 120-150g/L Haematocrit 0.273L/L 0.36-0.46L/L Mean cell volume 81.8fl. 83-101fl. Mean cell haemoglobin 28.4pg. 27-32pg MCH concentration 347g/L 315-345g/L Platelets 353109/L 150-400109/L RDW 19.4% Neutrophils 3.3 2-7 x109/L Lymphocytes 1.74 1-3 x109/L Monocytes 0.55 0.2-1.0 x109/L Eosinophils 0.21 0.02-0.5 x109/L Basophils 0.03 0.02-0.1 x109/L Table 6: Full blood count of Mr. X. Vital Stats Chart Date Time Blood Pressure/ mmHg Temperature / oC Pulse Rate/ bpm SpO2/ % Blood Glucose levels/ mmol/L Day 0 11.05 pm 140/80 37 91 100 13.9 11.30 pm 137/84 37 80 100 Day 1 8.30 am 130/80 37 70 4.8 (fasting) 3.55 pm 130/70 37 90 10.30 pm 108/64 37 81 Day 2 8.20 am 119/69 37 78 4.50 pm 130/90 37 82 9.6 9.45 pm 140/90 37 80 6.7 Day 3 8.50 am 114/77 37 72 98 6.6 Table 7: Records of vital stats of Mr. X from Day 0 3. Disease Overview Pharmacological Basis of Drug Therapy Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a broad term used to classify a continuum of symptoms and events stemming from acute ischaemic episodes affecting the cardiac muscle.1 This includes unstable angina, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NTEMI), and ST segment elevation infarction. It is usually characterised by chest pain which increases in its severity at rest or with physical exertion. The ischaemic events usually arise from the development of unstable atheromatous plaques,2 which explains the fact that stable angina (due to a stable coronary atheromatous plaque) is not included under this umbrella term. Rupture, ulceration or fissures of the atherosclerotic plaque often leads to formation of a thrombus, causing occlusion of coronary arteries and inadequate blood flow and, subsequently, inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cardiac muscle. This can be precipitated by acute stress factors on the sclerotic cap usually consisting of fibrous material, which is caus ed by local blood flow disturbances or vasospasms3. Unstable angina usually occurs without cardiac muscle damage while myocardial infarction (MI) may occur with or without myocardium damage. The thrombus formed in unstable angina is labile and obstruction is transient, and not a full-on occlusion as would occur in MI.4 Unstable angina occurs at rest and is almost indistinguishable from a non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction except in the severity of cardiac muscle ischaemia. Theoretical definitions of unstable angina would include changes in usual patterns of stable angina after a stable pain-free period, or severe acute anginal pain causing almost total incapacity5, though it is difficult to define it exactly as the term is often used by medical professionals to describe a range of different conditions intermediate between stable angina and MI. The primary clinical symptoms of unstable angina are: sudden occurrence of chest pain that persists for more than 20 minutes which may be felt in other areas such as the jaw, arm, shoulder, neck or back; without cause (as opposed to stable angina which stems from physical exercise); shortness of breath, rapid pulse rate, and sometimes a rapid drop in blood pressure. Patients suffering from an ACS have a high risk of MI and possible even death; immediate hospitalization is often required1 and treatment is of a more urgent nature compared to that of stable angina. It has been suggested by the National Health Service (NHS) Hospital Episode Statistics in 1998 that 1000 out of every million per population is affected with unstable angina, or 10 acute hospital admissions per week.6 On a more recent note, NHS has reported in 2009 that angina affects between 10-15% of women and 10-20% of men aged 65 and above in England.7 Due to the close relationship between unstable angina and coronary events, it is worth noting that the highest averaged rates of cardiovascular events were observed in Glasgow and Belfast (UK), North Karelia and Kuopio (Finland), Newcastle (Australia), and Warsaw (Poland).8 Diagnosis of an unstable angina episode, or any ACS in that matter, is based on several aspects9. Physical symptoms include anginal pain at rest that lasts for 20 minutes or more; new onset angina severely limiting ability of physical activity; or changes in existing angina intensity, frequency or length of attack. One or more of these symptoms are an urgent indication that the patient is suffering from an ACS attack. Upon admission to hospital, ECG and blood tests should be performed to confirm the type of ACS in order to initiate treatment. In unstable angina, the ST segment is not elevated and levels of cardiac enzymes are normal (especially troponin T and I). If the onset of symptoms is unclear as to indicate ACS, a measurement of serum troponin concentration should be carried out 12 hours from presentation to establish the diagnosis.10 Treatment of unstable angina and NSTEMI are similar in terms of pharmacological management; indeed they are at presentation indistinguishable exc ept in terms of the severity and extent of cardiac muscle ischaemia, in which the ischaemia is less severe in unstable angina and less troponin T and I are released into the bloodstream. Antiplatelet agents. Aspirin and clopidogrel are the immediate emergency drugs used in the ambulance, both being antiplatelet drugs. Aspirin is an irreversible inhibitor of arachidonate cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, in which covalent acetylation of the serine moiety in a hydrophobic channel in the enzyme11 reduces synthesis of thromboxane A2 in platelets and prostaglandins in the endothelium. This prevents platelet aggregation and further enlargement of the thrombus formed in the coronary artery. Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of the ADP-dependent activation of the GPIIb/IIIa receptor and prevents the formation of fibrinogen bridges between glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors on the surfaces of platelets11, subsequently preventing platelet activation. Glycoprotein IIB/IIIA receptor antagonists, eg, abxicimab, have the advantage of inhibiting all pathways in the platelet activation process by inhibiting the glycoprotein IIB/IIIA receptor. Anticoagulants. Unfractionated heparin is an activator of antithrombin III, which inhibits the action of thrombin and serine proteases. The heparin also binds to thrombin; the combined effect of this and the heparin-antithrombin complex formed inhibits thrombin, which decreases the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin and reduces platelet aggregation. In contrast, low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) have molecular sizes that are too small to bind to thrombin but still bind to antithrombin III, which inactivates all serine proteases including Factors XIIa, IXa, and Xa11, preventing the coagulation process. Direct thrombin inhibitors such as hirudin and bivalirudin inhibit thrombin reversibly. These agents can bind to free and bound thrombin, thus have the ability to prevent and dissolve preformed clots. Synthetic pentasaccharides (fondaparinux) is a selective indirect inhibitor of Factor Xa. It binds to antithrombin III reversibly, catalyzing the inactivation of Factor Xa12 and inhibit ing the coagulation cascade. Beta blockers. All beta blockers bind to beta-adrenoceptors, competitively antagonizing the action of catecholamines. These drugs block the beta-1 adrenoceptors at the heart, achieving a decreased heart rate and force of cardiac contractions, as well as lowering blood pressure. Atenolol is relatively specific for cardiac beta-1 adrenoceptors and exerts fewer side effects associated with beta-2 adrenoceptor blockade, for example bronchospasm in asthmatics. Nitrates. Organic nitrates mimic the actions of endogenous nitric oxide to relax vascular smooth muscle by increasing the synthesis of cGMP, leading to the dephosphorylation of myosin light chains.11 Vasodilatation of coronary arteries causes increased coronary blood flow and coupled with its effects of decreasing arterial pressure and also cardiac output, the myocardial oxygen consumption is largely reduced. Statins. Also termed HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, these medicines inhibit the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol, in which this enzyme converts HMG-CoA to mevalonic acid. ACE inhibitors are diuretics acting on the rennin-angiotensin system which inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and block the production of angiotensin II from angiotensin I. This reduces vascular resistance, increases tissue perfusion, and reduces cardiac afterload. Angiotensin II receptor inhibitors also act on the same system as the ACE inhibitors, except that they block the angiotensin II receptors directly instead of inhibiting their formation. The outcome is the same as above. Evidence for Treatment of the Condition Antiplatelet Agents The SIGN guidelines advocate that aspirin and clopidogrel be given to patients with ECG ischaemic changes or increased levels of cardiac markers; and aspirin is advocated for all patients suffering from ACS. A meta-analysis of 287 randomised trials proves the protective effect of aspirin on patients with unstable angina, halving the rate of cardiovascular events, including death, non-fatal MI and strokes, or also termed the first primary outcome; while in those with an acute MI, it reduces the rate of coronary events by almost a third13. Long-term use of aspirin for these patients was also shown to be a beneficial antiplatelet therapy. According to the same study, reduction of serious vascular events by clopidogrel was 10% compared to aspirin. The combined use of clopidogrel and aspirin as compared with a placebo and aspirin showed significantly higher success rates in reducing occurrences of first primary outcomes (9.3% compared to 11.4%, P On the flipside, although short term studies have shown that antiplatelet medications are effective for patients with renal failure in the prevention of serious vascular events13, the risks of bleeding is increased by renal disease15, posing a possible contraindication for antiplatelets to Mr. X. A clinical study found that treatment for NSTEMI ACS in patients with chronic renal disease (mild to moderate stages) was less aggressive than those with normal renal function, despite the risk that these patients with renal disease would experience greater adverse outcomes from insufficient treatment for ACS compared to the other patient group16. However the available information on adverse effects of antiplatelets on patients with varying degrees of renal disease is limited and it would appear that this would result in the reluctance of medical professionals in using this class of drugs for patients with chronic renal disease as well as ACS. It can be inferred that Mr. X would gain the maximum benefits if his medications were changed to aspirin 300 mg and clopidogrel 300 mg stat and aspirin 75 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg thereafter, in which the patient should be closely monitored for signs of bleeding. Heparins LMWHs A 2003 review of 7 studies involving 11,092 patients with non-ST elevation ACS found that low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) were more effective than unfractionated heparins in reducing MI events, requirement for revascularization procedures, and thrombocytopenia17. No difference in the mortality, recurrent angina, major and minor bleeds were observed in the two types of drugs. A meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials with 17,157 patients involved found that patients who have had a non-ST elevation ACS who were put on aspirin experienced no significant difference in benefits in efficacy (preventing MI or death) or safety (major and minor bleeding complications) when they were put on unfractionated heparin or LMWH17, implicating no difference in the thrombolytic effect in both classes of drugs. These results are partially similar to those of the first review. Another meta-analysis of 2 phase-3 trials comparing enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin, on the other hand, showed a signifi cant (20%) difference in reducing death or severe cardiac ischaemic events18. From an economic point of view, authors of yet another meta-analysis on the subject stated that the cost of LMWH is 3-5 times higher than unfractionated heparin19. From these data it can be concluded that LMWHs does indeed have additional positive treatment outcomes compared to unfractionated heparins22; it does not show significantly decreased side effects (bleeding). Enoxaparin has, though, an increased bleeding effect on patients with renal disease as reported by an investigation of 106 patients, in which total bleeding complications occurred in 22% of normal patients and 51% of patients with impaired renal function (p It is still the drug of choice for patients present with non-ST elevated ACS, and this is applicable to Mr. X with unstable angina. Beta-Blockers Beta-blockers were not prescribed for Mr. X. The SIGN guidelines states that beta-blockers should be the drug of choice for first line treatment of anginal pain in patients with non-ST elevated ACS. A meta-analysis of 5 trials consisting of 4700 patients in all showed a 13% reduction in anginal pain with the use of beta blockers (initially IV then oral for a week) in patients with non-ST elevated, MI-characterised chest pain23. It was stated in the clinical progress Mr. X had chest pain on Day 1 and 4, thus the addition of a beta blocker to his medications would be useful in alleviating his pain. Despite the popular belief that beta-blockers are contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus, it is possible to treat these patients using beta-blockers as long as good glycaemic control is achieved and the patient is monitored regularly24. This would further support its use in Mr. X; furthermore, several studies have shown that diabetic patients derive a significant benefit from the use of beta-blockers after an MI, in which diabetic patients had a significantly lower mortality 1 year post-discharge25, total mortality after 3 years, and deaths from cardiac events26. A multicentre randomized trial, the HINT trial, on patients with unstable angina found that metoprolol, a relatively cardioselective beta blocker, reduced occurrence of myocardial ischaemia or progress to MI within 48 hours, indicating that metoprolol has a short term beneficial effect on patients not already taking beta blockers prior to the unstable angina episode27. It has been suggested that beta-blockers be the first line treatment for unstable angina and if patients remain unstable, a calcium channel blocker should be added28. Statins The beneficial effects of statins in reducing mortality and cardiovascular events have been proven by a meta-analysis of large, randomized controlled trials (n=90,056) where coronary artery disease was present or absent29. The positive results were also proven spanning a large range of serum cholesterol levels. Investigations comparing the use of intensive versus moderate doses of statins in the early stages and post-ACS showed positive results: a meta-analysis of 4 large trials (n=27,548) shows a 16% reduction in cardiovascular deaths or MI, as well as a 16% reduction in cardiovascular deaths or coronary events30. This view is shared by another meta-analysis of the same subject of 13 randomised controlled trials which found a decrease in mortality and coronary events after 4 months of treatment31. These data support the use of statins by Mr. X. Nitrates Nitrates have been widely used in relieving pain from unstable angina, despite its lack of clinical evidence in supporting its role in improving survival and reducing the rate of MI and cardiovascular events32. ISIS-433 and GISSI-334 reports no significant difference of the use of glyceryl trinitrate post-MI in reducing the overall mortality; however this may be explained by the fact that more than 50% of patients in the controlled group are also on other forms of nitrate therapy, such as intravenous glyceryl trinitrate. Despite this, nitrates will still be of use for reducing the pain in post-MI patients and those with unstable angina. The BNF advises against the use of nitrates in patients with serious anaemia (Hb Glycaemic control Mr. Xs plasma glucose levels were elevated on the day he was admitted to hospital (13.9 mmol/L). Diabetes mellitus has been proven to be a strong independent risk marker for coronary heart disease: patients with poorly controlled diabetes at hospital admission have a worse outlook on prognosis and future development of cardiovascular events35. The DIGAMI investigation reports that the use of intensive insulin therapy increased long-term prognosis (P=0.011) of patients presenting with hyperglycemia (>11mmol/L) at admission compared with those on standard antidiabetic therapy36. These data support the use of insulin to control the blood glucose levels of Mr. X which were highly increased upon admission. This is also supported by the SIGN guidelines which advocate immediate control of blood glucose is carried out for MI patients with glucose levels of more than 11.0 mmol/L for at least 24 hours. ACE Inhibitors The SIGN guidelines recommend that patients with unstable angina should be given ACE inhibitors as long-term therapy. In patients at high risk of cardiovascular events, ACE inhibitors (ramipril was investigated in a report37) have been proven to reduce overall mortality, MI, and stroke, particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus. Perindopril was found to reduce cardiovascular risk (relative risk reduction =20%, P=0.0003) in a population with stable coronary heart disease in absence of heart failure38 in a double-blinded, randomized multicentre trial involving 13,655 patients. A meta-analysis of the 2 above trials and a third one (PEACE) showed a reduction in overall mortality, cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and coronary artery bypass surgery by ACE inhibitors39. This demonstrates the benefits of ACE inhibitors in patients with atherosclerosis: as patients who had an ACS event would have a higher rate of cardiovascular events, the po sitive outcomes of ACE inhibitors can perhaps be extrapolated to this population in order to decrease coronary events and improve prognosis. However, the BNF advises caution and close clinical monitoring if ACE inhibitors are to be used in patients with hyponatremia ( Oxygen therapy On admission, Mr. Xs SpO2 was 99% and remained high throughout his stay in the hospital. The use of oxygen therapy is significantly beneficial only in hypoxic patients (with SpO2 Anaemia and Unstable Angina Anaemia can disturb the balance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand: a decrease in the number of red blood cells can lead to a reduction in the supply of oxygen to the myocardium. Thus correction of the causative factor would be sensible in the treatment of unstable angina for the patient in context. Mr. X was given a combination of ferrous fumarate, vitamin B complex, and folic acid for treatment of his anaemia. From the data in Table 6, it can be seen that Mr. X has low haemoglobin concentrations (95 g/L) and a low mean cell volume (81.8 fl.). To confirm that Mr. X is indeed suffering from iron-deficiency anaemia (as suggested by his treatment medication), three parameters must be established namely the plasma iron, the plasma ferritin, and total iron binding capacity. However, as very few conditions can cause abnormalities in the mean cell volume, and a decreased value is due to iron-deficiency anaemia or thalassemia42, it is safe to assume that Mr. Xs anaemic condition is due to an insufficiency of iron. Iron supplements are given to correct the iron status of the patient, in which the ferrous form given orally is found to be cheap, safe and effective in the majority of patients with iron-deficiency anaemia2. Vitamin B complex and folic acid are only indicated in patients with the respective deficiencies2; there is little evidence that they would be of any significant benefit in patients with iron-deficiency anaemia. Summary Based on the evidence given, Mr. Xs aspirin dose should be changed to 300 mg stat and 75 mg thereafter, and clopidogrel should be added into his medication profile in the same doses. These changes ensure that Mr. X is obtaining sufficient antiplatelet effects from his medications to prevent another attack of unstable angina or even a myocardial infarction. Present drugs that were given for his condition that are suitable and supported by evidences include enoxaparin, lovastatin, insulin, and GTN: these can be safely continued without problems. A beta-blocker (metoprolol tablets) may be given additionally in doses of 50-100 mg as evidences described above have shown that they can be safely used in diabetic patients contrary to popular belief; an ACE inhibitor (perindopril as previously used by Mr. X) may be initiated coupled with regular electrolyte