Evolution Of A Scientific Revolution - 978 Words

Every major theme of science is built upon a foundation where later discoveries become building blocks upon the foundation. Every once in a while, an idea that is more accurate will arise, and it will create a scientific revolution and replace the foundation so that a new â€Å"structure† can be built. This kind of paradigm shift has occurred numerous times in history and many speculate it will happen again as more scientists research epigenetics. This theory takes root in the idea that change in gene expression (not the gene itself) can be triggered by external forces (i.e. environment), and said change can be inherited. Although many argue that epigenetics will cause a scientific revolution as the antithesis to Darwinian evolution, people are not taking into account that it can be integrated into the current framework. Research by Heijmans et al., Skinner et al., and Joubert et al. have shown that change in gene expression (also referred to as epigenetic mutation) is not onl y a crucial facet of evolution, but is also similar to genetic mutation and thus able to work in tandem with Darwinian evolution. Historical Roots Epigenetics is reminiscent of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of evolution and its mechanisms; Lamarck believed that organisms are able to acquire traits during their lives and pass them to their offspring. One key example that is commonly used is the idea of a giraffe stretching its neck to reach leaves found higher on a tree; the giraffe then passes the longerShow MoreRelatedThe Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagesparallels between ideas of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment This essay will explore parallels between the ideas of the scientific revolution and the enlightenment. The scientific revolution describes a time when great changes occurred in the way the universe was viewed, d through the advances of sciences during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The enlightenment refers to a movement that grew out of the new scientific ideas of the revolution that occurred in the late seventeenthRead MoreReligious Groups Responses On Science Groups1511 Words   |  7 Pagesreligion and science groups, because they both believe in different ways on how the world was formed. The religious groups believe the world formation came from God and created by God, and they see him as the creator. The science groups believe in evolution, we come from apes and they believe the world was formed through the changes in the environment, earth and sun. Religion groups has always being the first group before science groups came up and started talking about their theorie s on how the worldRead MoreWhat Were the Causes and Consequences of the Scientific Revolution and How Did It Change the World from 1500 - 1800?1611 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scientific Revolution was an important time in history, but it was by no means sudden. The catalyst of the Revolution were a while in the making with writings and philosophies from Ancient Greece and Rome inspiring people and was a long process of gradual of upheaval, up until the Enlightenment. This essay will examine the various, but not inexhaustible, causes that may have contributed to the Scientific Revolution; the teaching and philosophies of Aristotle, Ptolemy and Descartes, The RenaissanceRead MoreCauses Of The Protestant Reformation725 Words   |  3 PagesHowever, during the time period of 1300 to 1789 the churchs power declined by a significant amount. A number of things happened that decreased the churchs power during the time period of 1300 to 1789, but the Protestant reformation and the Scientific Revolution had weakened the role of the church the most. The Protestant Reformation had decreased the role of the church in Europe by decreasing its power by a large margin. Martin Luther had, had some ideas of what was wrong with the church. He expressedRead MoreThe Theory Of Christianity And Christianity1321 Words   |  6 Pagesfew had ever questioned the story until the Scientific Revolution. Officially beginning in the mid 16th century, the Scientific Revolution was a period when the rate of scientific discovery exploded. A few of the leading scientists during this time were Copernicus, Vesalius, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. These people began to theorize that the universe could be explained from a much more complicated scientific perspective. Though the Scientific Revolution ended around 1800, one of the biggest shocksRead MoreThe Origin Of Life And Evolution1744 Words   |  7 Pagesdeal of scientific and technological advancements for humanity in the last centuries. On the contrary, even though it is nearly 150 years since the O rigin of Species (Charles Darwin, 1859), it seems paradoxical that there are still a great significant amount of people who maintain an anti-darwian position on the origin of life and species. A poll done by Gallup Institute in 2004 showed that an approximate of 42% of Americans believe that humanity was created by God, 18% believe in an evolution directedRead MoreEssay on On Theory Change in Science1377 Words   |  6 Pagesessential to scientific progress. First, scientists compile a large body of facts from observation and experiment. Using the principle of induction, these facts can be generalized to form the basis for a theory or law. Then, once a theory has been developed, scientists can use the theory as part of a valid logical argument to make new predictions or explanations of phenomena. According to Chalmers, the inductivist account has â€Å"a certain appeal† to it, namely, that all of scientific progress can beRead More Charles Darwin and the Scientific Revoluti on Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pages In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a new way of thinking resulted from the Scientific Revolution. It was an important time in which many people turned away from the church and looked towards logic and reason for the answers to questions about life, death, and the universe. The Scientific Revolution was the key to new discoveries and it allowed many scientists such as Charles Robert Darwin to continue thinking and striving for the truth as other scientists, such as Galileo and NewtonRead MoreA Revolution Is A Dramatic And Wide Reaching Change1582 Words   |  7 PagesA revolution is a dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in people s ideas about it. Mankind has experienced three life changing revolutions that Yuval Noah Harari discusses in his book Sapiens. There has been a cognitive, an agricultural, and a scientific revolution, and now Nick Bostrom explores in his book, Superintelligence, how life would advance with a fourth one, a transhuman revolution. Finding the right path to artificial intelligence (AI) will leadRead MoreScientific Revolutions1369 Words   |  6 Pages Scientific revolutions do more than present new findings. They literally change the paradigm of science, or the way in which knowledge is understood and aligned with other knowledge that has also been scientifically supported. When this happens, there becomes a new or better way of understanding the world around us or the topic at hand. (Fernandez-Armesto, __). The role of scientists, of course, is to contemplate the ways in which knowledge can be discovered or uncovered, and then to set up various

Case Study Atkins V. Fischer - 1174 Words

Atkins operates an advertising, and marketing firm and was contracted by Fischer to create the logo and brand identity of for both the bottle label and the six-pack carrier of the beer he created called Redneck Beer . The parties entered into an agreement which contained the following provision: â€Å"Ownership and possession of all underlying creative work developed and supplied by Leslie Atkins Communications shall remain the exclusive property of Leslie Atkins Communications; creative work includes, but is not limited to, sketches, copy, photographs, illustrations, type, and mechanical art boards.† (Atkins v. Fischer) Because Fischer was not satisfied with Atkins designs, he decided to contract another firm to create other designs.†¦show more content†¦The allegation of copyright infringement is formed on the claim that the way Fischer used the designs exceeded the scope of the non-exclusive license. Unfortunately, there weren’t any specification in the agreement that showed what rights to those designs were being licensed to Fischer. There wasn’t a clear explanation if Fischer non-exclusive license was to use the designs for the commercial manufacture or if it was a more limited. While Atkins argued that the designs were meant to be used only in the first phase of the agreement (a sales tool at a convention), Fishers stated that designs created on the first stage were also meant to be used in the second phase of the agreement. The court stated: â€Å"The two-stage written agreement between the parties sheds little light on whether completion of the first stage of the agree ment implied a grant of a non-exclusive license to use Atkins copyrighted designs for commercial production or merely as a sales tool at the convention† (Atkins v. Fischer). Since the agreement didn t provide enough information about the scope of the rights of the designs being licensed, the district court concluded that Fischer had an implied non-exclusive license to use Atkins work in the commercial production of the beer. Substantial Similarities The case also covered the issue whether the designs createdShow MoreRelatedEbooks Solution Manuals and Test Banks for Text Books19223 Words   |  77 PagesHealth by Rebecca J. Donatelle, Emeritus,Patricia Ketcham 12 Instructor’s Manual Access to Health by Rebecca J. Donatelle, Emeritus,Patricia Ketcham 12 Test Bank Accounting and Auditing Research Tools and Strategies by Weirich, Pearson, Churyk 7 Cases Solutions Accounting and Auditing Research Tools and Strategies by Weirich, Pearson, Churyk 7 Solution Manual Accounting by Carl S. Warren, James M. Reeve 24 Instructor’s Manual Accounting by Carl S. Warren, James M. Reeve 24 Test Bank AccountingRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesexposure to marketing principles, if not to marketing practice. The intended market of the book comprises the following segments: âž ¡ Students reading for degrees involving marketing (especially MBA candidates and senior undergraduates following business studies programmes) âž ¡ Students of The Chartered Institute of Marketing who are preparing for the Marketing Planning paper in the CIM’s Diploma examinations âž ¡ Marketing practitioners who will benefit from a comprehensive review of current thinking in the field

Clinical Recovery and Mental Health-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Disucss about the Clinical Recovery and Mental Health. Answer: Introduction- Mental health recovery can be defined as the journey which involves transformation and healing of a person with mental health problems, thereby enabling him to lead a peaceful life in the community, while striving to achieve full potential. A recovery from mental disorder therefore helps these people to improve their health and wellness (Dihoff Weaver, 2012). It also provides an opportunity to live a self directed life. Stigma and social attitudes to mental disorders impose restrictions on people who experience ill health (Mead Copeland, 2000). Key concepts- There are certain fundamental concepts that facilitate easy recovery of mental patients. Several internal and external conditions such as hope, healing, connection, empowerment, positive culture of healing help in ensuring that the services are supporting recovery of the consumers. The key elements are as follows: Hope- Mental health recovery provides the concerned patients with a motivating and essential message that helps them dream of a better future (Tew et al., 2012). The message helps them hope that he will be successful in overcoming the barriers and limitations can that they confront in daily life. Learning and unconscious assimilation influence hopes (Mead Copeland, 2000). However, it can also be fostered by family, peers, friends, healthcare providers and other members of the community. Thus, hope acts as a catalyst in accelerating the recovery process. Responsibility- It acts as one of the key concepts in mental recovery. It involves taking actions that help the person to take control of their lives and gives them the authority to select from a range of options that help in their recovery. They take responsibility of their self-car and recovery journey (Mead Copeland, 2000). It requires enormous courage to work towards their goals. They strive to learn coping strategies that accelerates the healing process. Education- It acts as a vehicle that focuses on interconnectedness of the spirit, mind, body and the community. They accelerate the recovery process by broadening the social, intellectual and emotional horizons of the mentally challenged people (Slade et al., 2014). They provide opportunities to expand the knowledge and skills. Education services help the concerned people to engage in mutual relationship with good learning outcomes (Geenen et al., 2015). They also work towards abolishing any prejudice or discrimination associated with mental illness. Self-advocacy- It is defined as the empowerment of individuals who suffer from mental health problems. It provides them with the authority to select treatment methods from a range of options and also allows them to participate in the decision making process (Pickett et al., 2012). The people acquire the ability to join other consumers and are able to speak for themselves about their desires, wants, needs and aspirations (Sklar, Groessl, O'Connell, Davidson Aarons, 2013). This empowerment helps gain control of their fate. Support- Mutual support focuses on sharing of experiential skills and knowledge that are related to social learning (Chinman et al., 2014). This support plays a crucial role in the recovery process. The consumers are encouraged to engage other patients or mentally disabled people in the recovery process and they provide each other with a feeling of belonging (Corrigan, Kosyluk Rsch, 2013). The family also provides the much needed support to people living with mental illness and assists those people to live and work successfully in the community. Clinical versus Personal recovery- The concepts of clinical and personal recovery often overlap. Clinical recovery refers to the idea that focuses on the concept of emergence of an idea from the expertise of mental health professionals, such as, psychiatrists and psychologists. It involves the process of getting rid of the symptoms of mental disorder. This works towards restoration of social functioning and helps the person to return to normal life (Sabin, Stuber, Rocha Greenwald, 2015). Thus, in clinical recovery, the disorder is diagnosed and treated by professionals in order to reduce the symptoms and cure the consumers. On the other hand, personal recovery illustrates the concept that people who have experienced mental illness result in emergence of an idea. Thus, this form of recovery leads the mentally disabled people to a journey that helps them live a meaningful life. It also helps in valuing their roles (Milbourn, McNamara Buchanan, 2014). Thus, this kind of recovery encom passes a personal and unique method of altering the values, attitudes, goals, feelings and skills of the consumers. It facilitates the process of obtaining a satisfying and contributing life. Development of recovery- The notion that recovery is not possible for people living with mental illness was prevalent for many years, which resulted in institutionalizing people and isolating them from their community. Mental illness recovery was underpinned by the negative beliefs related to poor prognosis and discrimination (Hall, Wren Kirby, 2013). The recovery movement began in the United States, in the early 1970s when people started writing accounts and experiences of their mental illness. This led to the development of frameworks in clinical setting that reinforced the concept of psychiatric rehabilitation of the mentally disabled people (Kidd, McKenzie Virdee, 2014). Thus, the main impetus for recovery model development was related to the survivor movement. The concept of recovery soon reached New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. The Mental Patients Association in Vancouver helped in building drop-in centers and provided residential assistance to mental health consumers, which increased the focus on recovery programs (Gehart, 2012). The development of coherent and rigorous recovery policies in New Zealand was influenced by the interaction of psychiatric survivors with the organizations of the U.K. and the United States. Lived experiences- People with lived experience are employed in roles that help them to identify mental health challenges owing to their first-hand experience of mental health discrimination and recovery (Perlman et al., 2017). Thus, lived experience helps in applying the learning and knowledge that the consumers have gained through self-experience (Light et al., 2014). These lived experiences help to support other consumers in their recovery process, increase their self-determination and enables improvement of mental wellbeing. In other words, they help in building the resilience and strength of the consumers by forming a supportive network (Solomon Gioia, 2016). Therefore, lived experience improves social work practice and enhances the recovery of mental health consumers by increasing their expertise. To conclude, it can be stated that mental health recovery involves making choices that provide emotional and physical support to the mentally challenged people in order to increase their wellbeing. It focuses on engaging them in meaningful activities and building social networks and relationships. Thus, they are able to lead a stable and safe life. References Chinman, M., George, P., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., Swift, A., Delphin-Rittmon, M. E. (2014). Peer support services for individuals with serious mental illnesses: assessing the evidence.Psychiatric Services,65(4), 429-441. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201300244 Corrigan, P. W., Kosyluk, K. A., Rsch, N. (2013). Reducing self-stigma by coming out proud.American journal of public health,103(5), 794-800. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301037 Dihoff, D. G., Weaver, M. (2012). Mental health recovery.Mental Health,73(3). Retrieved from: https://classic.ncmedicaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/NCMJ_73314_FINAL.pdf Geenen, S., Powers, L. E., Phillips, L. A., Nelson, M., McKenna, J., Winges-Yanez, N., ... Swank, P. (2015). Better Futures: A randomized field test of a model for supporting young people in foster care with mental health challenges to participate in higher education.The journal of behavioral health services research,42(2), 150-171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9451-6 Gehart, D. R. (2012). The Mental Health Recovery Movement and Family Therapy, Part I: Consumer?Led Reform of Services to Persons Diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness.Journal of marital and family therapy,38(3), 429-442. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00230.x Hall, A., Wren, M., Kirby, S. (Eds.). (2013).Care planning in mental health: Promoting recovery. John Wiley Sons. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=enlr=id=DehvAAAAQBAJoi=fndpg=PA17dq=Care+Planning+in+Mental+Health+:+Promoting+Recovery+(Hall,+Wren+%26+Kirby,+2013)ots=F2X0S_oDHgsig=4ZMP4GkVF6uJbeEfmDaCj_D6zU0#v=onepageq=Care%20Planning%20in%20Mental%20Health%20%3A%20Promoting%20Recovery%20(Hall%2C%20Wren%20%26%20Kirby%2C%202013)f=false Kidd, S. A., McKenzie, K. J., Virdee, G. (2014). Mental health reform at a systems level: widening the lens on recovery-oriented care.The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,59(5), 243-249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371405900503 Light, E. M., Robertson, M. D., Boyce, P., Carney, T., Rosen, A., Cleary, M., ... Kerridge, I. H. (2014). The lived experience of involuntary community treatment: a qualitative study of mental health consumers and carers.Australasian Psychiatry,22(4), 345-351. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856214540759 Mead, S., Copeland, M. E. (2000). What recovery means to us: Consumers' perspectives.Community mental health journal,36(3), 315-328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001917516869 Milbourn, B. T., McNamara, B. A., Buchanan, A. J. (2014). Do the everyday experiences of people with severe mental illness who are hard to engage reflect a journey of personal recovery?.Journal of Mental Health,23(5), 241-245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2014.951485 Perlman, D., Patterson, C., Moxham, L., Taylor, E. K., Brighton, R., Sumskis, S., Heffernan, T. (2017). Understanding the influence of resilience for people with a lived experience of mental illness: A self?determination theory perspective.Journal of Community Psychology,45(8), 1026-1032. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.21908 Pickett, S. A., Diehl, S. M., Steigman, P. J., Prater, J. D., Fox, A., Shipley, P., ... Cook, J. A. (2012). Consumer empowerment and self-advocacy outcomes in a randomized study of peer-led education.Community Mental Health Journal,48(4), 420-430. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-012-9507-0 Sabin, J. A., Stuber, J., Rocha, A., Greenwald, A. (2015). Providers Implicit and Explicit Stereotypes About Mental Illnesses and Clinical Competencies in Recovery.Social Work in Mental Health,13(5), 495-513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2015.1008170 Sklar, M., Groessl, E. J., O'Connell, M., Davidson, L., Aarons, G. A. (2013). Instruments for measuring mental health recovery: a systematic review.Clinical psychology review,33(8), 1082-1095. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.08.002 Slade, M., Amering, M., Farkas, M., Hamilton, B., O'Hagan, M., Panther, G., ... Whitley, R. (2014). Uses and abuses of recovery: implementing recovery?oriented practices in mental health systems.World Psychiatry,13(1), 12-20. DOI: 10.1002/wps.20084 Solomon, P., Gioia, D. (2016). A shift in thinking: The influence of the recovery process on social work research.Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research,7(2), 203-210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/686769 Tew, J., Ramon, S., Slade, M., Bird, V., Melton, J., Le Boutillier, C. (2012). Social factors and recovery from mental health difficulties: a review of the evidence.The British Journal of Social Work,42(3), 443-460. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr07

The Change of Jem and Scout free essay sample

She began to see how cruel the world could be to someone who is a little different or strange. She gained the knowledge of the pure hate that one man can show another. The kid’s relationship with Atticus starts out normal. Though, as the story progresses, they recognized he’s different then other men. This shows when Scout says â€Å"He did not do the things our schoolmates’ fathers did: he never went hunting, did not play poker or fish or drink or smoke. He sat in the livingroom and read† (pg 89). Atticus had the courage to take the case of a black man, Tom Robinson.It was obvious they didn’t stand a chance going against a white man in court but Atticus did it anyways. He did something that no other man would do, not for the glory, but because he can show a great example to his kids and it is the right thing to do. We will write a custom essay sample on The Change of Jem and Scout or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The kids learned not to be prejudice and not be ashamed if they have friends who are a different race then they are, for example Calpurnia. The way the children’s relationship changed about Boo is probably the most interesting part in the book. It went from an obsession to an unconditional love.First the children believed that anything that comes from the Radleys property is poison. Jem yells at Scout once saying about the Radley property: â€Å"Dont you know youre not supposed to even touch the trees over there? Youll get killed if you do! † (pg. 33). The kids didn’t know that Boo admired them, even though he barely knew them. After a while they noticed that Boo was giving them little hidden presents, and they realized that he is the one who folded and sewed together Jem’s pants. He showed an unconditional love that most people his age would not show.When Boo saved the children’s lives, he proved that he loved them. He was so kind that he risked his own life for the children, and that is why Scout grows to loved him, instead of being tremendously scared of him. Jem’s faith in truth and justice is very badly damaged. When the shameful courtroom proceedings are over he retreats into a troubled state of deep disillusionment. Prejudice and racism do not make any sense to Jem, because he never noticed it in his environment. He does not understand why all of this is happening.The kids matured a lot during the course of this book, especially Scout. She went from a six year old child with no knowledge of the real world to an about ten year old who had a lot of life’s most important lessons shown to her at a very young age. They had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy, fun and fare. We cannot let children face the ugliness that they learned. It was too much, to fast, even for Scout who is so smart. We must show love to everyone so that children will show love back.

Investigation About Acid Rain free essay sample

Acidification also occurs when base cations such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium are leached from the soil. This leaching increases with increasing precipitation. Plants take bases from the soil as they grow, donating a proton in exchange for each base cation. Where plant material is removed, as when a forest is logged or crops are harvested, the bases they have taken up are permanently lost from the soil. Acidification can also be caused by the oxidation of sulfide soil minerals during mining or land development, acid deposition from industrial atmospheric pollutants (e. . sulfur dioxide) or land contamination. The ways to prevent soil acidification are, develop and implement a Soil Acidification Management Strategy as a component of the proposed State Soil Protection Policy, covering all types of acid soils, finalise and implement the draft State Lime Supply Strategy incorporating sustainability principles, develop an agreed baseline of the extent and severity of soil a cidification in WA. We will write a custom essay sample on Investigation About Acid Rain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3. Explain why normal rain is acidic? Acidity in normal rain is caused by dissolved carbon dioxide, which produces carbonic acid (H{-2}CO{-3}). Excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial processes makes normal rain acidic. Forest fires, volcanic activity, and heavy industry all pump sulfur dioxide and/or hydrogen chloride into the atmosphere. These compounds are very soluble in water, and react with it to produce, respectively, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid and hydrochloric acid. Therefore, all normal rain are acidic because the processes that releases compounds which produces acidic characteristic when dissolved in water vapour in the atmosphere is continuous and is increasing drastically day by day. This process has became a cycle. . ) Acid rain causes major environmental problems in some industrialised countries. In some detail, describe how the rain is produced and the problem it causes. Industries, exoz gas produces acidic gases such as Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is produced from burning of fossil fuel(petroleum, coal) containing sulfur as an impurity. Coal combustion is by far the major source of sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. During combustion, sulfur is oxidized to form sulfur dioxide (SO2). Sulfur dioxide rises into the atmosphere and is oxidized once again in the presence of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals to form sulfur trioxide (SO3). Sulfur trioxide reacts with atmospheric water droplets to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4). This is the acid rain. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are also formed through fossil fuel use in vehicles and power generation plants which are burnt as fuels. In contrast to sulfur, nitrogen is not an impurity but rather an main part of the organic material making up fossil fuels. Fossil fuel combustion releases nitrogen into the atmosphere, usually in the form of nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide (NO) is oxidized by atmospheric molecules, such as ozone (O3) or hydrogen dioxide (HO2), to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reacts with OH in the atmosphere to form nitric acid (HNO3). Nitric acid can also form when nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reacts with the nitrate radical (NO3) in the presence of atmospheric water or aldehydes. The problem acid rain causes are SO2 (g)+O2(g) -gt; SO3(g) Afterwards, it becomes sulfuric acid when it joins with hydrogen atoms in the air. SO3(g)+H2O(l) -gt; H2SO4(aq 1. ) 2NO2(g) + H2O(l) -gt; 2H+ + NO3 + NO2 2. ) NO(g) + NO2(g) + H2O(l) -gt; 2H+ + 2NO2 3. ) 3NO2(g) + H2O(l) -gt; 2H+ + 2NO3 + NO(g) Acid rain on human CAN CAUSErespiratory problems. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission gives risk to respiratory problems such as dry coughs, asthma, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritation. Polluted rainfall is especially harmful to those who suffer from asthma or those who have a hard time breathing. But even healthy people can have their lungs damaged by acid air pollutants. Acid rain can aggravate a persons ability to breathe and may increase disease which could lead to death. It can harm us through the atmosphere or through the soil from which our food is grown and eaten from. Acid rain causes toxic metals to break loose from their natural chemical compounds. Toxic metals themselves are dangerous, but if they are combined with other elements, they are harmless. They release toxic metals that might be absorbed by the drinking water, crops, or animals that human consume. These foods that are consumed could cause nerve damage to children or severe brain damage or death. Scientists believe that one metal, aluminum, is suspected to relate to Alzheimers disease. Acids have a corrosive effect on limestone or marble buildings or sculptures. It is well established that either wet or dry deposition of sulfur dioxide significantly increases the rate of corrosion on limestone, sandstone, and marble. ulfur dioxide plus water makes sulfurous acid SO2 + H2O gt; H2SO3 sulfur trioxide plus water makes sulfuric acid SO3 + H2O gt; H2SO4 The sulfuric acid then further reacts with the limestone in a neutralization reaction. Limestone: CaCO3 + H2SO4 gt; CaSO4 + H2CO3 H2CO3 gt; CO2 gas + H2O The calcium sulfate is soluble in water and hence the limestone dissol ves and crumbles. Acid rain can decrease the growth and yield of crops in agriculture. in severe cases destroy vast areas of crops that are being grown. Acid rain can also increase the acidity in pond and lakes thus affecting and killing aquatic life. 5. The mining and processing of metal sulfide ores can cause a number of major problems in some environments. Use an example from Western Australia to discuss this statement in detail. The nickel exploration in the late 1960s and early 1970s led to the discovery of numerous nickel sulphide deposits. The deposits are found in volcanic areas in the Archaean Yilgarn Block of Western Australia mainly on Mt Keith. Metal sulphide ores availability in Western Australia was doubled in 1997 by the opening of Western Mining Corporations new $A145 million plant alongside the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter 15km south of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Hazards created when a sulphide dust ignition occurs can include fire, toxic gases, oxygen deficiency and/or damage from an explosion. Open pit mining, conventional drill, blast, load and haul to get to the deposits Environmental issues can include erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes. Gold mine, lime Esperance, Kambalda nickel smelter

How electrostatics influence our lives

How electrostatics influence our lives Physics EssayHow electrostatics influence our lives? Physics EssayHow electrostatics influence our lives?IntroductionWe all are familiar with the term electricity which comes from batteries and which is used to light bulbs, buzzers, and other electrical devices. We also know that conductors are those objects which conduct electricity easily and insulators do not conduct electricity at all. This is basic knowledge but right now we are going into detail about electricity and static electricity.ElectrostaticsMany of us have this wrong concept in our mind that insulators like plastic and wood cannot carry charges at all. This is a wrong concept. The truth is that most insulators carry a special type of charge which conductors do not carry. The charge is created due to static electricity and is known as an electrostatic charge.We might have heard of the term static electricity but most of the time we dismiss it as a small and unimportant part of electricity.Figure 3But we are wrong; in this essay you will see the uses of electrostatics in o ur daily lives.Static electricity can be produced by rubbing together two objects made of different materials. Electrons move from the surface of one object to the surface of the other if the second material holds onto its electrons more strongly than the first does. The object that gains electrons becomes negatively charged, since it now has more electrons than protons. The object that gives up electrons becomes positively charged. We experience many example of static electricity daily. For example when we close the television and then immediately put our hand on the screen, a cackling sound is produced and the hair on our hand stands up. The same thing happens when we take off a woolen sweater or when you get of your car seat.When rubbed with each other, or...

Infromation Systems for Healthcare Management - Technology Role in Essay

Infromation Systems for Healthcare Management - Technology Role in Healthcare - Essay Example Technological advancements continue to climb, as the new generation i.e. youth shows curiosity in grabbing and exploring these new technologies for a new and bright future prospect. The current trend is leading information technology towards an essential skill that will make itself similar to writing, reading and the new skill called as ‘computing’ (CEO's guide to health care information systems.1997). The trend is affecting all sectors including the health care. As healthcare facilities are now equipped with integrated health care information systems including application software, network and data communications, access and data management, information processing, Wide Area Network, Local Area Network and Clinical decision support systems. Moreover, there are other network components including switches, bridges, hubs and routers. Before incorporating a network, system architecture is essential, as it will define the nature of data communication i.e. client / server arc hitecture or mainframe architecture. The second key consideration is the legacy system sustainability and integration. For instance, there are old systems that that cannot be removed instantly instead; data can be migrated gradually to the new systems, while the old system must also be operational. The third key consideration is the central data repository (CDR), as healthcare information systems interact with CDR to extract patient records, it will not be possible to replace the CDR completely (Clinical information systems for integrated healthcare networks). In order to integrate all the remote medical facilities, client/server architecture is the best option. The client/server architecture will incorporate a centralized interface engine connected to a central data repository. The implementation will be conducted on the nearest centralized medical facility. The computer network installation of client/server architecture will incorporate switches, bridges, hubs and routers. However , in order to make a centralized network operational, LAN architecture installation is required for each location. The installation includes CAT 5 cables, the quantity of a network switch depends on how many users needs access to the system. Moreover, Wide Area Network (WAN) device, which will connect each location. WAN is defined by network dictionary as â€Å"A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network covering multiple distance areas, which may spread across the entire world. WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs) or metro area networks (MANs).† However, bandwidth requirements vary and depend on the core healthcare application. The legacy system integration in terms of organizing data is essential, as these systems do not share data with other sites. The solution for this issue is to collect the data in a portable device and store it in a central data repository (Clinical information systems for integrated healthcare networks). In order to integrate legacy systems on the new LAN architecture, an Ethernet card and system software installation is required. However, the installation process is not time consuming. The central data repository is a centralized location on the network. In order to connect each medical facility with the CDR, network connectivity is vital. If any of the workstation disconnect, the required data cannot be achieved. As previously, employees do not face such issues due to data availability on

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD Essay

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD - Essay Example The crux of treatment of COPD is management of breathlessness which will be elaborated in this assignment. COPD is defined as "a disease state characterized by the presence of airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis or emphysema" (Sharma, 2006). Clinically, chronic bronchitis is defined as the presence of chronic cough with no other etiology and which is productive for at least 3 months during each of the two consecutive years. Emphysema is damage of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, the damage being irreversible, abnormal and associated with destruction of the air space walls with no obvious fibrosis (Fromer and Cooper, 2008). The global prevalence of COPD is about 7.5% of which 6.4% is due to chronic bronchitis and only 1.8% due to emphysema (Sharma, 2006). In adults above 40 years of age, the prevalence is estimated to be about 9-10% (Sharma, 2006). Men are most commonly affected by this disease. However, the incidence in women is increasing due to increased smoking (Sharma, 2006). COPD is associated with certain mortality and morbidity. The mortality rates in the world vary quite a lot and can be anywhere between 100- 400 deaths per 100,000 males (Sharma, 2006). The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking (Silvermann and Speizer, 1996). This condition affects about 15% of cigarette smokers (NICE, 2004). Other risk factors for the development of COPD are air pollution especially due to solid cooking fuels, presence of airway hyperresponsiveness (Sharma, 2006). The characteristic pathophysiological changes in COPD are seen in the central airways, the peripheral airways and also the lung parenchyma. Diverse mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of COPD (Thurlbeck, 1990). Primary offenders like oxidative stress due to free radicals from cigarette smoke and oxidants from phagocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes trigger the release of

Discuss the role of ideology in American-Russian relations between Essay - 1

Discuss the role of ideology in American-Russian relations between 1881 and 1920 - Essay Example The Americans viewed this act as exploratory, especially to their interests. The United States responded in a manner that was interpreted as interference by many players. This is the case when some countries in Asia and parts of Europe engaged in political revolutions as a way of solving some of their political problems. A variety of actors led to different ideologies concerning the American-Russian conflicts. Persons who ideologically believed that their differences formed the building blocks for cold war were orthodox, post-revisionist or revisionist.2 According to the orthodox view, the ideologies perpetuated by the Soviets were solely to blame for the initiation of cold war. These were specifically the Stalin and Lenin paranoia. In their view, the post revisionists felt that all these claims were entirely misconceptions and not true. Nonetheless, the Revisionist, better known as the ‘New Left’ held the view that the root cause of cold war was the United States’ hatred of communism.3 An additional important role arising from ideology informed the views of the U.S on the foreign revolutions. Initially, several countries where revolutions were taking place leaned towards communism. This made the US perceive such actions as instigated by Russia. Apparently, Russia had spread its influence to the Latin America, Austria-Hungary, Germany and France.4 Additionally, the Americans were not at peace because the Russians were emulating their actions by embracing similar strategies. These cycles of patterns that included the radical revolutions disillusioned the United Sates. The ideology also played a role in increasing fears in the United States over radicalism during the 1870s. The US felt that the urban working classes were increasingly becoming radicalized based on rapid industrialization. Other sources of fear were the coming into power of socialist and populist parties and unions across the globe.5 Ideology also pitted communism against capitalism in

Argon Cluster and Graphene Collision Simulation Experiment

Argon Cluster and Graphene Collision Simulation Experiment Formation of Nanopore in a Suspended Graphene Sheet with Argon Cluster Bombardment: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation study Abstract: Formation of a nanopore in a suspended graphene sheet using an argon gas beam was simulated using molecular dynamics (MD) method. The Lennard-Jones (LJ) two-body potential and Tersoff–Brenner empirical potential energy function are applied in the MD simulations for different interactions between particles. The simulation results demonstrated that the incident energy and cluster size played a crucial role in the collisions. Simulation results for the Ar55 –graphene collisions show that the Ar55 cluster bounces back when the incident energy is less than 11ev/atom, the argon cluster penetrates when the incident energy is greater than 14 ev/atom. The two threshold incident energies, i.e. threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene and threshold energy of penetration argon cluster were observed in the simulation. The threshold energies were found to have relatively weak negative power law dependence on the cluster size. The number of sputtered carbon atoms is obtained as a function of the kinetic energy of the cluster. Keywords: Nanopore, Suspended graphene sheet, Argon cluster, Molecular dynamics simulation Introduction The carbon atoms in graphene condense in a honeycomb lattice due to sp2-hybridized carbon bond in two dimensions [1]. It has unique mechanical [2], thermal [3-4], electronic [5], optical [6], and transport properties [7], which leads to its huge potential applications in nanoelectronic and energy science [8]. One of the key obstacles of pristine graphene in nanoelectronics is the absence of band gap [9-10]. Theoretical studies have shown that chemical doping of graphene with foreign atoms can modulate the electronic band structure of graphene and lead to the metal to semiconductor transition and break the polarized transport degeneracy [11-12]. Also, computational studies have demonstrated that some vacancies of carbon atoms within the graphene plane could induce a band-gap opening and Fermi level shifting [13-14]. Graphene nanopores can have potential applications in various technologies, such as DNA sequencing, gas separation, and single-molecule analysis [15-16]. Generating sub-na nometer pores with precisely-controlled sizes is the key difficulty in the design of a graphene nanopore device. Several method have been employed to punch nanopores in graphene sheets, including electron beam from a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and heavy ion irradiation. Using electron beam technique, Fischbein et al.[17] drilled nanopores with the width of several nanometers and demonstrated that porous graphene is very stable; but, this method cannot be widely used because of its low efficiency and high cost. Russo et al. [18] used energetic ion exposure technique to create nanopores with radius as small as 3Ã…. S. Zhao et al. [19] indicated that energetic cluster irradiation was more effective in generating nanopores in graphene, because their much larger kinetic energy could be transferred to the target atoms. Recent experimental works have further confirmed that cluster irradiation is a feasible and promising way in the generation of nanopores [20]. Numerical simulations have demonstrated that, by choosing a suitable cluster species and controlling its energy, a nanopores of desired sizes and qualities can be fabricated in a graphene sheet [19]. A useful tool for studying the influence of different conditions of interactions between cluster and graphene on the formation of nanopore is numerical simulations utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) [21]. The results may be useful in explaining experimental results and predicting optimal conditions for desirable graphene nanopores. In this paper, MD simulations were performed for the collisions between an argon cluster and graphene. The phenomena of argon cluster–graphene collisions and mechanism of the atomic nanopore formation in graphene were investigated. Effects of cluster size on the threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene were also discussed. Molecular Dynamics Method MD simulations were performed for the collisions between an argon cluster and graphene. For present simulations we used an effective code LAMMPS stands for Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator, written by Sandia National Laboratories [22]. Length (along the X axis) of the graphene layer was 11 nm, its width (along the Y axis) was 10 nm, and each layer contained 3936 atoms. Periodic boundary conditions were applied to both lateral directions. In the simulation, the Tersoff–Brenner empirical potential energy function (PEF) was utilized to simulate the energy of covalent bonding between carbon atoms in the structure of graphene layer [23-24]. The initial configuration was fully relaxed before the collision simulations and the target temperature was maintained at 300 K. During the collision phase, a thermostat was applied to the borders of graphene. The Ar nanocluster was arranged by cutting a sphere from FCC bulk crystals, which had no initial thermal motion. The Ar cluster was initially located above the center of graphene at a sufficiently large distance so that there would be no interaction between the Ar and graphene atoms. Then, a negative translational velocity component, Vz, was assumed for each atom of the clusters. Incident angle of the argon cluster to the graphene normal was zero. Lennard-Jones (LJ) two-body potential was employed to simulate the interactions of Ar–Ar and Ar–C atoms. The form of LJ potentials was: (1) In the LJ potential, is the distance at which the potential is zero and is the depth of the potential well. Note that the constants were obtained from the mixing rules given by ÏÆ'ij = (ÏÆ'i+ÏÆ'j)/2 and Ô ij = (Ô iÔ j)1/2. The parameters for Ô  and ÏÆ' used in the present simulation are shown in Table 1[25]. Position of the atom was updated by the velocity Verlet algorithm with a time step of less than t = 0.5 fs. To reduce the calculation time, a cut-off length was introduced. The Van der Waals interaction of Ar-Ar and Ar-C atoms with the distance of 11A or above was neglected. Result Studying the effect of incident energy in ranging 1–120 ev/atom was chosen to demonstrate two distinctive phenomena: (i) Argon atoms were just reflected, and (ii) some argon atoms penetrated through graphene. Fig. 1 demonstrates the probabilities of reflection and penetration of the Ar55 cluster. Fig. 2 shows the snapshots of the deformation of the graphene sheet due to the collision with an Ar55 cluster in the case of the incident energy of less than 11ev. During the collision, graphene was bended in the circular region around the collision point and the transverse deflection wave was observed. After the collision, argon cluster was bursted into fragments. Fig. 3 shows the final atomic configurations resulted from the incidence of Ar55 cluster with the energy of 10 and 11 ev/atom. There were two possibilities for the structure of the graphene sheet after the collision: (i) the graphene was rippled after the collision and no damaged region was formed, this was observed in case of the incident energy of less than 11ev (Fig. 3(a)), and (ii) the collision caused defect in graphene (Fig. 3(b)). Fig. 4 shows that there were two possibilities for the structure of the graphene sheet after collision with an Ar55 cluster in the case of the incident energy of greater than 11 ev/atom: (i) the argon cluster penetrated into the graphene sheet without the sputtered carbon atoms (Fig. 4(a)), and (ii) the argon cluster penetrated into the graphene sheet with the sputtered carbon atoms (Fig. 4(b)). When the incident energy of argon cluster was 11ev/atom, atomic-scale defects such as Stone−Wales defect were formed in the graphene sheet (Fig. 3(b)). With the increase of the incident energy, these atomic defects began to get connected and finally a nanopore with carbon chains on the pore edge was created in graphene. The atomic carbon chains with unsaturated bonds thus provided the method for chemical functionalization of graphene nanopores in order to improve their separation ability and detection. For example, oxidation of packed multilayered graphene sheets was significantly perme able to water and impermeable to He, N2, Ar, and H2 [26]. Accordingly, it was necessary to introduce the concept of threshold incident energy of defect formation (Ed) in graphene and threshold energy (Ep) of penetration argon cluster in graphene. Fig. 5 shows the size dependence of each threshold incident energy. Thus, both Ed and Ep were supposed to be written in simple power-law equations: In Eq. (2), Ed(1) and Ep(1) indicate the threshold energy for argon atom, and N is cluster size. Power indices on N, ÃŽ ±, and ÃŽ ², mean the degree of non-linear effect. (2) Fig. 6 shows the final atomic configurations resulted from the incidence of Ar55 cluster with the energy of 14 , 15 ev/atom. By further increasing energy, the carbon chains became short and the pore edge became smooth we calculated the number of sputtered carbon atoms as a function of total incident energy, because the number of the sputtered carbon atoms was in correspondence to the area of nanopore in graphene. Fig. 7 shows the number of sputtered carbon atoms as a function of total cluster energy in the case of Ar19 and Ar55 cluster collision. For both cases, as the total energy increased, the number of sputtered carbon atoms increased. This result was in agreement with the previous study [27] .The number of sputtered carbon atoms can be approximated by a constant value for incident energy larger than 10 Kev. The cluster collision with large size led to higher the number of sputtered carbon atoms when all clusters had the same total cluster energy. Conclusions The phenomena of argon cluster–graphene collisions and mechanism of the atomic nanopore formation in suspended graphene sheet were investigated using molecular dynamics method. Summary of the obtained results is as follows: Threshold incident energy which caused defect formation (Ed) in graphene and penetration (Ep) into argon cluster were introduced. Simulation results for the argon cluster–graphene collisions showed that the argon cluster bounced back when the incident energy was less than Ed and broke when the incident energy was greater than Ep. Suspended carbon chains could be formed at the edge of the nanopore via adjusting the incident energy and, by increasing energy, the carbon chains became short and the pore edge became smooth. Ed and Ep were found to have relatively weak negative power law dependence on cluster size. The cluster collisions with large size led to higher the number of sputtered carbon atoms when all clusters had the same total cluster energy. References [1] K. S. Novoselov,A. K. Geim, S. V. Morozov,D. Jiang,Y. Zhang,S. V. Dubonos,I. V. Grigorieva,A. A. Firsov , Science. 306 ( 2004) 666. [2] T. Lenosky, X. Gonze, M. Teter, V. Elser, Nature.355 (1992) 333. [3] J.N. Hu, X.L. Ruan, Y.P. Chen, Nano Lett. 9 (7) (2009) 2730. [4] S. Ghosh, I. Calizo, D. Teweldebrhan, E.P. Pokatilov, D.L. Nika, A.A. Balandin, W. Bao, F. Miao, C.N. Lau, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 (15) (2008) 151911-1. [5] A. H. Castro Neto, F. Guinea, N. M. R. Peres, K. S. Novoselov, and A. K. Geim, Rev. Mod. Phys.81 ( 2009) 109. [6] D. S. L. Abergel,A. Russell,V. I. Fal’ko, Appl. Phys. Lett. 91 (2007) 063125. [7] A. Cresti, N. Nemec, B. Biel, G. Niebler, F. Triozon, G. Cuniberti, S. Roche, Nano Research. 1 (2008) 361. [8] A. K. Geim, Science. 324 (2009) 1530 [9] A. Du, Z. Zhu, S. C. Smith, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132(9) (2010) 2876. [10] R. Balog, B. Jà ¸rgensen, L. Nilsson, M. Andersen, E. Rienks, M. Bianchi, M. Fanetti, E. Là ¦gsgaard, A. Baraldi, S. Lizzit, Z. Sljivancanin, F. Besenbacher, B. Hammer, T. G. Pedersen, P. Hofmann, L. Hornekà ¦r, Nat. Mater. 9 (2010) 315. [11] T. B. Martins, R. H. Miwa, A. J. R. da Silva, A. Fazzio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007) 19680. [12] Y. M. Lin, C. Dimitrakopoulos, K. A. Jenkins, D. B. Farmer, H. Y. Chiu, A. Grill and P. Avouris, Science. 327 ( 2010) 662. [13] A. H. Castro Neto, F. Guinea, N. M. R. Peres, K. S. Novoselov, A. K. Geim, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81 (2009) 109. [14 ] D. J. Appelhans, Z. Lin, M. T. Lusk, Phys. Rev. B. 82 (2010) 073410. [15] G. F. Schneider, Nano Lett. 10(8) (2010) 3163. [16] P. Russo, A. Hu, G. Compagnini, Nano-Micro Lett. 5(4) (2013) 260. [17] M. D. Fischbein, M. Drndic, Appl. Phys. Lett.93 ( 2008) 113107. [18] C. J. Russo, J. A. Golovchenko, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109(16) (2012) 5953. [19] S. J. Zhao, J. M. Xue, L. Liang, Y. G. Wang, S. Yan, J. Phys. Chem. C 116(21) (2012) 11776. [20] Y. C. Cheng, H. T. Wang, Z. Y. Zhu, Y. H. Zhu, Y. Han, X. X. Zhang, U. SchwingenschloÃÅ'ˆgl, Phys. Rev. B. 85 ( 2012) 073406. [21]H. Araghi, Z. Zabihi, Nucl. Inst. Methods B 298 (2013) 12. [22] S.J. Plimpton, Journal of Computational Physics 117 (1995) 1. [23] D.W. Brenner, Phys. Rev. B .42 (1990) 9458. [24] D. W. Brenner, O. A. Shenderova, J. A. Harrison, S. J. Stuart, B. Ni, S. B. Sinnott, J. Phys. Condens. Mater. 14 (2002) 783 [25] Y. Yamaguchi, J. Gspann, Eur. Phys. J. D. 16 (2001) 103 [26] R. R. Nair, H. A. Wu, P. N. Jayaram, I. V. Grigorieva, A. K. Geim , Science. 335 ( 2012) 442. [27] N. Inui, K. Mochiji, K. Moritani, N. Nakashima, Appl. Phys. A: Mater. Sci. Process. 98 (2010) 787. Fig. 1. Incident energy dependence of the reflection and penetration probabilities Fig. 2. Snapshots of Ar55 clusters collision on graphene sheet : (a) t=0 ps , (b) t= 1 ps , (c) t=6 ps Fig.3. Final atomic configurations to X–Y plane when the collision energy is: (a)10 ev, and ( b)11 ev Fig. 4. Final atomic configurations , when the incident energy is: (a)14 ev, and (b)15 ev Fig. 5. Final atomic configurations to X–Y plane when the incident energy is: (a) 1 Kev, (b) 10 Kev, (c) 20 Kev Fig. 6. (a) Cluster size dependence of threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene, (b) Cluster size dependence of threshold energy of penetration into argon cluster Fig. 7. Dependence of sputtered atoms on kinetic energy of a cluster Table 1. Lennard–Jones potential parameters

With close reference to the text explore what the stories of Crooks :: English Literature

With close reference to the text explore what the stories of Crooks and Curley's wife reveal of the attitudes, culture and society amongst farm workers in 1930's America. With close reference to the text explore what the stories of Crooks and Curley's wife reveal of the attitudes, culture and society amongst farm workers in 1930's America. In 1930s America there was a Great Depression and people were finding themselves without work. Many flyers were sent out to the unemployed telling them that there was work in California. Hundreds travelled to California, hoping to find work but soon found that the employers had lied and there were few jobs to be found. 'Of Mice and Men' is a story about two men called Lennie and George who are migrant workers that travel around California trying to make themselves enough money to buy a small plot of land. The reasons that they have not settled anywhere is that Lennie is often getting them in trouble and they are forced to leave and find work elsewhere. Lennie is a simple minded character, who has the mind of a child in the body of a man. Although Lennie is lacking in brains he makes up for it with his strength and has a unique combination of strength and innocence. Lennie's simple mind means that he relies heavily on George, who is wise and intelligent. George is a good judge of people's characters and a good worker; he is modest and doesn't want any trouble. George takes a lot of responsibility for Lennie and tries o teach him to control his strength and keep him out of trouble. In the end George has to make an important decision about Lennie and there is no way to change the results. Although George and Lennie are the main characters in the book I will be concentrating on two minor characters, they are Crooks and Curley's wife. Although they seem to be less important than George and Lennie they are the most successful at showing us the culture and attitudes of the people in the 1930s. Crook is mainly effective at showing societies opinions on cripples and those of a different race, whilst Curley's wife portrays the situation of women. Together I am able to obtain a considerable amount of information on attitudes, culture and society amongst farm workers in 1930s America. The character of Crooks plays an important role in the book 'Of Mice and Men' because Steinbeck is able to show through Crooks the racial situation of the time. By using a character to portray attitudes towards others of a different race, Steinbeck can include the feelings

Interviews: Indian Institutes of Management and Personal Interview

Personality Assessment Round Process Details (2013-2015 batch) By now, you must be quite familiar with the different processes that various B-schools use in the second round of their selection program. Let us now look at some individual institutes to get a better grasp of the mechanism they use in order to select the best candidates. Please note that institutes do keep tinkering with their selection processes from time-to-time. Therefore, this list can only help you to understand all the stages that an institute has used for selection in recent years with specific focus on last year's method.However, please remember that it is quite likely that in subsequent years, an institute may use radically different processes as well. IIM Ahmedabad: Process: PGPM: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview ABM: Group Discussion + Personal Interview Essay Writing: The candidates were given 1 minute to think and 10 minutes to write on the topic. Most of the topics were either general in nature or re lated to current affairs. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"CAG is slowing down progress in India's telecom and mining sector†, â€Å"Obsession with constant research by smartphone companies has had a serious effect on our social life.†, â€Å"It is advisable to raise the legal drinking age limit to 25 years for responsible drinking. †Group Discussion: Usually, the Group Discussions involved case studies. Candidates were typically given a few minutes to read the case study and prepare their points. At the end of the discussion, candidates had to write a summary of the discussion. Personal Interview: Personal interviews were conducted after completion of the essay writing task / Group Discussion and, generally, lasted for about 15-20 minutes. In this round, candidates were interviewed by panels of two members each.Those with prior work experience were asked detailed questions pertaining to their experience and their company's business , its market share, growth prospects, industry prospects, turnover, etc. Some candidates were also asked indepth questions pertaining to their job profile and how their previous educational qualifications were being utilized in their current job profile. Candidates with no work experience were generally asked questions relevant to their academic background while a few candidates with prior work experience were also asked questions related to subjects from their academic background.Interestingly, almost all the candidates were asked a few questions from Mathematics as well. The questions related to Mathematics were primarily from areas like probability, distribution curves, statistics, etc. The candidates were also questioned about their hobbies and were expected to have an in-depth knowledge about them. Some candidates were also asked questions about the essay written by them. Specifically for ABM, candidates were asked questions regarding agriculture and why they wanted to join the ABM program. IIM Bangalore: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal InterviewEssay Writing: The candidates were given 10 minutes to think about the given topic and 20 minutes to write on the topic. Most of the topics were related to current affairs. The candidates were required to do a thorough analysis of the topic and in some cases, from a particular point of view. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Is crime rate in urban India high mainly due to economic disparities? †, â€Å"The world is in social, economic and political turmoil. Any suggestions to improve. †, â€Å"Recently a law has been passed to ban A-rated films on television. Why do you think this decision has been taken? †Personal Interview: Each interview panel comprised three members – two professors and one alumnus of the institute. The interviews were mostly very general in nature. Candidates were asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV and SOP (Statement of Purpose) and the panel was typically quite pleasant and friendly. The interviews usually started with the panelists asking the candidates to talk about themselves. Some of the candidates were asked about current developments involving their company or industry. Some of them were also asked analytical questions on issues surrounding their industry / area of work.Typically, most of the candidates were asked a few questions regarding what they had written in their SOPs. IIM Calcutta: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 15 minutes to write on the topic. The word limit for the essay was 200 words. The topics given were general in nature and typically required analysis of an issue. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Corruption in sports committees and government interference are degrading the quality of sports in India. Elaborate and provide remedies.†, â€Å"The television media focuses more on violence, disaster and negative news. Why is it so? †, â€Å"What are your views on FDI in retail? †Personal Interview: Mostly, panels which interviewed the candidates had three members. The interviews were largely general in nature. Most of the candidates were asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV. Some of them were asked in-depth questions about their subjects or areas of interest. Several candidates were asked detailed questions about their prior work-experience and their reasons for choosing to pursue an MBA. IIM Lucknow:Process: Essay Writing Task + Group Discussion + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 15 minutes to write on the assigned topic. The word limit for the essay was 200 words. The topics given were philosophical / abstract. Some of the topics given to candidates were – â€Å"Fame and riches are fleeting, stupidity is eternal†, â€Å"A great city should not be confused with a populous one †, â€Å"Engine is the heart of an airplane and the pilot is its soul†. Group Discussion: The Group Discussion was held immediately after the essay writing. The topic was the same as the Essay writing task.Each group comprised 10-12 candidates. The groups were given 15 minutes to discuss the topic. Personal Interview: Panels comprising two members interviewed candidates. The interviews were very general in nature and often focused primarily on the candidate's goals and aims, as well as past experiences. Detailed questions related to area of work / job profile were common as were questions related to one's subjects of study while pursuing graduation. Many candidates were asked about their decision to pursue MBA and the candidates who had applied for ABM were asked about their reasons for opting for ABM.Candidates were also asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV. While most of the interviews lasted for about 20-25 minutes, some candidates reported very brief interviews of just about 8-10 minutes. IIM Indore: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 30 minutes to write on the given topic. The word limit for the essay was 300 words. The topics given were very general and analytical in nature. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Today's popular TV serials depict a life different from normal life.Is it a form of escapism or just for entertainment? †, â€Å"How does migration of people into other countries affect nationalism and patriotism? †, â€Å"With so many mergers and acquisitions by big business houses in India, is there any future for small scale enterprises in the country? Suggest ways to help out small scale enterprises. †, â€Å"Despite advances in medical science, progress is slow. Should research knowledge be shared with other scientists or should it be a closely guarded secret? † Personal Interview: The candidates were i nterviewed by a panel of three members.The interviews often focused primarily on a candidate's academic background. Detailed questions related to the candidate's subjects of study while pursuing graduation were asked to almost all candidates, even those who had more than two years of prior work experience. Candidates with work experience were generally asked detailed questions about their job profile. Some candidates were queried on their decision to quit their job and pursue an MBA. Quite a few candidates were also asked questions about their hobbies and extracurricular activities while some were also asked questions about  current affairs, specifically questions related to the budget.Interviews typically lasted for about 25 to 35 minutes. IIM Kozhikode: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 45 minutes to write on the given topic. The word limit for the essay was 500 words. The topics given were philosophical. Some of the topics were – â€Å"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone†, â€Å"Forgive your enemies but don't forget their names†, â€Å"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence†.Personal Interview: Panels comprising two members interviewed the candidates. The interviews did not have a set pattern; rather, they were more panel-dependent. While some candidates reported that their interviews were very general in nature and focused on their goals and aims, others reported that their interviews comprised only current affairs questions. Some candidates even reported that they were asked questions pertaining to their academic background only. Interviews generally were 20-30 minutes long. IIM Shillong: Process: Group Discussion (Case study + Essay) + Personal InterviewGroup Discussion: Each group comprised 8-10 students. They were given a topic and the candidates were allotted 10 minutes to read the topic and write on it. This to pic was then discussed by the group for 15 minutes. The topics given were small cases which described certain scenarios. The candidates had to present their perspectives on the given case. The cases were quite general in nature. Some of the cases given to the candidates were – â€Å"A diamond necklace has been stolen fromjewellery store. There is no evidence. The security in-charge decides to pin the blame on the person who last handled the necklace.It was also pointed out that the accused had provided some fake data in his joining application form. Decide whether he can be expelled on that basis, with the charge of theft. †, â€Å"An automobile company had done whatever they could to ramp up the production like overtime, compensation increment etc. There was an employee aged around 30 who died on the floor of the factory. He had been doing overtime to get extra compensation for his family needs. Now the production manager wanted to increase the production owing to th e impending festival season.But the employees disagreed on grounds of the death, and demanded 200% increment in overtime compensation. What should the production manager do? † Personal Interview: A panel, typically comprising three members, interviewed candidates. The panelists were reported to be very pleasant. The interviews generally focused on current affairs and the candidate's academic background. Questions on current affairs were asked in order to get the candidate's opinions on various issues and these opinions were then thoroughly discussed.At times, these questions were also based on the interest areas mentioned by candidates in their resume. A few candidates with prior work experience were also questioned in detail about the nature and technical aspect of their work. Some candidates were also asked ethical questions, like â€Å"What is the difference between right and wrong? †, â€Å"Is it right for the pharma companies to give gifts to medical practitioners ? †, etc. Interviews typically lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes. New IIMs Joint Process: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal InterviewEssay Writing: For this task, candidates were allotted 20 minutes to write on the given topic and the word limit was 300 words. The topics given were very general in nature, like – â€Å"MBA, B. Tech are gearing up with the market. Are the courses like Literature, Sociology, etc. irrelevant in education today? Give your opinion†, â€Å"What if a business chooses to focus on the bottom of the pyramid? Is innovation really necessary for the growth of a business? †, â€Å"Social networking strengthens relationships but also makes youngsters lonely. †Personal Interview: Interviews were conducted after completion of the essay writing task. Candidates were interviewed by a panel of two members. The interviews were largely pleasant and stress-free. Different candidates were asked different kinds of questions; there was n o set pattern to the interviews. While some of the candidates with prior work experience were asked detailed questions pertaining to their experience, including details about their company; other candidates were primarily asked questions pertaining to their goals and ambitions.Questions such as how do subjects from your graduation help you in your job, etc. were also asked. Some candidates were also asked questions related to their academic background, their hobbies and even the effects of the most recent budget. FMS, Delhi: Process: Group Discussion + Extempore + Personal Interview Group Discussion: Group discussions typically lasted for about 14 minutes. Each group was given one minute to think before the discussion began and one minute to conclude the discussion. Every group comprised 10 to 15 candidates. The topics given to the candidates for discussion were general in nature.Some of them were – â€Å"Formal education stems the free spirit. †, â€Å"Should sting o perations be carried out? †, â€Å"Morals and values are on the decline in India†. Extempore: The extempore was typically conducted at the start of the personal interview. Candidates were given their topic and 1 minute to speak on it. No preparation time was given. A stopwatch was kept on a table in front of the candidate so that he / she could keep a tab on the time. Topics allotted to the candidates were general in nature and many of them were given topics that were somewhat related to their work.For e.g. , a candidate, who had worked in the Oil and Gas sector, was given the topic â€Å"Energy sector in India†. Another candidate, who had work experience in the field of Data Analytics and had qualified for the Maths Olympiad, was asked to speak about â€Å"Infinity†. Personal Interview:Typically, interviews were quite brief and continued for about 5 minutes. Most of them were conducted by a panel of three interviewers. The interviews were quite general in nature. Questions primarily dealt with current affairs and / or hobbies and interest areas mentioned by candidates in their forms.A few candidates reported that they were also queried about their ambitions and future plans. MDI, Gurgaon: Process: Group Discussion + Personal Interview Group Discussion: Typically, around 12 to 15 candidates participated in each group discussion and they were given around 15 minutes for the discussion. Additionally, 3 minutes were given to the group to think about the topic. At the end of every discussion, each candidate was asked to summarize what all had been discussed. Further, all the candidates were asked if they wanted to say something more on the topic.In some groups, candidates were also asked to write down a conclusion of the discussion at the end. Topics for the discussion were very general in nature, like – â€Å"Certainty of justice is more important than severity of punishment. †, â€Å"Does Reservation in Higher Education hamper the real purpose of Education? †, â€Å"Should religious teachings be taught in our schools to inculcate better values in students? † Personal Interview: Generally, a panel consisting of two members interviewed the candidates while a few candidates reported that there was only one interviewer in their case.The average interview lasted for around 10 minutes. However, there were some students who reported that their interview went on for 30 minutes and some others said that theirs lasted hardly 5 minutes. The interviews were quite pleasant and were very general in nature. Candidates were typically queried about their opinions on various issues of current affairs. In many cases, candidates were also queried on the topic that was given to them for their group discussion. Candidates with work experience were also asked questions related to their job profile and the industry they were in.

Feasibility Study Shake Burgers

Feasibility Study Shake Burgers Executive Summary The fast food industry in Oman is undergoing remarkable revolution, which has emanated from change in consumer behaviour. The emergence of the information age has increased the level of information amongst consumers. Subsequently, consumers are making informed choices in their purchase decision-making process. One of the industries that have been affected by these changes relates to the food industry.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Feasibility Study: Shake Burgers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consumers are increasingly inclining towards the consumption of healthy food products. Subsequently, there is a high market potential for investors in the food industry. In order to tap this market potential, Shake Burgers intends to enter the Oman fast food industry. The firm will specialise in offering freshly produced, healthy, and unique burgers. The burgers will be produced using the Omani wa y in order to differentiate them from the competitors’ products. Shake Burgers will target consumers aged between 15 to 40 years due to the high rate at which people in that bracket are consuming fast foods. The firm will be strategically located at Muscat, Oman. Business opportunity Market gap The fast food sector has experienced remarkable growth over the past few decades. A study conducted by Food Hospitality Oman (2014) shows that the sector is ranked amongst the fastest emerging markets for fast foods in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Another study conducted by Alpen Capital (2011) shows that Oman food sector accounted for 7.1% of the total food consumed in the GCC region, which ranked the country third (Hardy 2014). The industry’s growth has been stimulated by a number of factors, which include an increase in the consumers’ purchasing power, especially amongst the young generation, and a rise in the level of inbound tourism. It is estimated th at the number of tourists’ arrivals in Oman will increase by 38.7% by the end of 2017, which is estimated to reach1.45 million tourists. Subsequently, the volume of tourist spending will increase to US$2.96 billion, which indicates the market potential for growth (Alpen Capital 2011). However, the local and multinational industry players such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds have mainly focused on providing customers with fast food products of western taste. Some of the fast food firms in the market such as McDonalds have inclined towards the provision of carbohydrate and vitamin-rich burgers as opposed to protein-rich burgers.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the fast foods are made from highly processed and refined sugars (Skills You Need 2014). Subsequently, the market has largely ignored the provision of fast food products wi th an Omani taste, which represents a significant market gap. Product offering Shake Burgers will specialise in the production of protein rich burgers. The burgers will be specially produced from beef, chicken, and camel meat in order to align with the growth in preference for protein-rich products (Morelli 2002). Furthermore, the burgers will also be comprised of organic vegetables. The firm will ensure that the burgers take into account the Western and Omani tastes in order to appeal to diverse consumer groups (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson 2009). The tangible offerings will include a main course, which will entail organic beef burger, organic chicken burger, and camel meat burger. The burger products will also be comprised of organic vegetable sauce, which will be made of garlic mayo and spicy homemade sauce. However, all the burgers will be grilled in the Omani way in order to create a unique taste. Moreover, the burgers will be served alongside different drinks such as soft drinks [ beer and Coca-Cola soft drinks] and milk shake [camel milk shake, banana milk shake, and dates]. The firm will create an attractive ambience as illustrated by the image in appendix 1 in order to attract customers. This goal will be achieved by employing effective interior design (Hoshmand 2009). The store will also be fitted with free Wi-Fi. Moreover, the firm will offer services associated with birthday parties. Feasibility: Micro-market analysis Target market size The concept of targeting will be adopted in order to increase the firm’s level of profitability. Fahy (2000) contends that market targeting enables an organisation to focus its marketing activities to a specific market segment rather than focusing on the overall market. The firm will adopt demographic market segmentation (Rae 2011). Some of the demographic market segmentation variables that the firm will adopt include age, occupation, and level of income (McDonald Dunbar 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Feasibility Study: Shake Burgers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm appreciates the view that all consumers can consume burgers regardless of their age group. However, considering the firm’s goal to maximise its level of profitability, Shake Burger’s core target market will be comprised of consumers aged between 15 years and 40 years. The firm’s decision to target this market group arises from identification of the market potential (Ingram 2010). Table 1 below illustrates the Oman’s age structure according to 2013 statistics. Graph 1 shows that a significant proportion of the country’s population is comprised of consumers aged between 0 to 54 years, which the firm intends to target. Age [years] Percentage of the total population 0-14 30.60% 15-24 20.20% 25-54 42.10% 55-64 3.90% Over 65 3.20% Table 1 Graph 1 Source: (Index Mundi 2013) Current trends The fast food industry is characterised by a significant change in consumption patterns. The emergence of affluent young consumers has led to an increment in preference for protein-rich diet, as opposed to carbohydrate-rich diet (Alpen Capital 2014). This trend is expected to be sustained into the future.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the high rates of workforce participation and urbanisation have led to the emergence of a hectic lifestyle amongst consumers (Karubaran, Sami, Ahmad, Al-Abed Syed 2012). However, consumers prefer healthy ready-to-eat products. The preference of healthy fast foods has arisen from the increased association of the foods with the rising cases of obesity and other diseases associated with poor eating habits (Karubaran et al. 2012). The firm has identified a trend whereby university students and the working class, who constitute a significant proportion of Shake Burgers’ target market, are experiencing an increment in the level of workload from school and their workplaces (Rafidah, Azizah, Norzaidi, Chong Noraini 2009). Thus, the majority of these customers do not have ample time to prepare their meals. Currently, Oman is ranked amongst the middle-income economies (Alpen Capital 2014). The country’s economy is mainly dependent on oil resources. However, Muscat is increasingly diversifying its economy by investing in privatisation and industrialisation programs. Subsequently, there is a high probability of increment in the population’s purchasing power. Dynamics The global food industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation arising from change in consumer behaviour (EuroMonitor 2013). Some of the functional foods that consumers are increasingly consuming include vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes, which enhance the consumers’ physiological activities. Moreover, urban consumers are shifting towards the consumption of protein and fat-rich products (Alpen Capital 2014). This aspect has led to the growth in demand for meat, milk, dairy, and vegetable products. It is estimated that the total food consumption in the GCC countries such as Oman, the UAE, KSA, and Qatar will increase in the future as illustrated by the graph below. Graph on change in consumption of different food products. Source: (Alpen Capital 201 1) Target profile The firm’s target profile is based on the findings of a primary market research. The study adopted mixed research design, which entailed using qualitative and quantitative research design. The research was conducted using the Academic Mintel website. An effectively designed questionnaires as illustrated in appendix 5 was administered to the selected respondents online in an effort to understand their opinion regarding fast food products. Thirty respondents [30] were selected from the target population. Below is a profile of the respondents. Age; 15-40 years Occupation; 25 students [10 college and 15 university students], 15 working class. Prefer consuming fast foods frequently. Target consumer behaviour Most consumers in the GCC countries including Oman have undergone remarkable change in their consumption patterns due to increased awareness on the risks associated with unhealthy eating habits. Shane (2013) emphasises that the GCC countries are ranked amon gst the regions with the highest rates of obesity. However, consumers have become increasingly knowledgeable following developments in Information Communication Technology (ICT). Thus, consumers are making informed choices in their purchase decision-making process, which is evidenced by the high rate at which consumers are inclining towards the consumption of healthy foods (Skills You Need 2014). Feasibility: Macro-market drivers PESTEL analysis Political environment The firm’s success will be subject to the prevailing political environment in Oman (Ghuman 2010). First, the level of political risk in Oman is moderate in comparison to other countries in the Middle East. Additionally, the relatively high level of political stability in Oman will enable the firm to operate in a serene business environment. Furthermore, the Oman government has implemented well-defined tax incentives, which are aimed at fostering the establishment of sustainable and profitable business through ent repreneurship. Thus, Shake Burgers will benefit from the tax incentives by venturing into the Oman’s food industry. Economic environment The Omani economy continues to experience economic growth due to the strong oil prices. Additionally, the high rate at which the Oman government is advocating for economic diversification will stimulate the country’s economic growth (Trading Economics 2014). Subsequently, there is a high probability of the country experiencing a new generation of affluent consumers due to their high purchasing power (Hair 2008). Furthermore, the consumers’ purchasing power will be enhanced by the relatively low rate of inflation in the country. By the end of June 2014, the country’s inflation rate was estimated to be 1.2%. The graph below illustrates the fluctuation in the Omani rate of inflation over the past two years (Trading Economics 2014). Source: (Trading Economics 2014) The country’s ascension into the World Trade Organis ation (WTO) will improve trade relations with other member states. Furthermore, the recently signed Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the WTO will enhance trade with the WTO member states. One of TFA’s provisions entails an improvement in custom procedures at the point of entry through cooperation of the member states (James 2014). Therefore, the firm will be in a position to import the necessary food products such as meat, cereals, and milk products from the member states conveniently. Additionally, the firm’s operations will be facilitated by the WTO’s choice of Oman as the ideal hub for distributing goods in other parts of the GCC region (James 2014). Social environment A significant proportion of the Omani population is comprised of citizens aged between 1 to 54 years. This age group accounts for 92.9% of the total population (Alpen Capital 2014). This aspect shows that the country is characterised by a substantial market size that Shake Burgers can expl oit. Furthermore, the country has also experienced a significant increment in the number of consumers who are inclining towards the consumption of fast foods. This trend has emanated from change in the consumers’ lifestyle. Moreover, the country is also experiencing an increment in the number of tourists and expatriates especially from the Western countries. Thus, the country’s social structure is undergoing remarkable transformation, which the firm can exploit through the provision of unique and healthy fast food products (Alpen Capital 2011). Technology The high rate of technological development presents a perfect opportunity for the firm to succeed in the Omani food industry. For example, the emergence of food processing and handling technologies will enable the firm to produce burgers in a clean environment. Subsequently, the firm will be in a position to enhance its customers’ safety by minimising the likelihood of food-borne diseases (Ferrell Hartline 201 1). The technological development being experienced in the contemporary business environment has encouraged consumers to become knowledgeable in terms of technology (Fernando 2011). Therefore, consumers are increasingly using different information communication technologies in their purchasing process (Hotelier Middle East 2013). For example, consumers have adopted mobile and Facebook ordering. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly demanding convenient service delivery. Therefore, Shake Burgers will be required to invest in emerging technologies in order to align with the prevailing market trends (Forbes 2014). Legal environment In an effort to stimulate economic growth, the Omani government has adopted an open economic system, which has increased trade with other countries in the GCC and world. Subsequently, the firm will be in a position to import food materials required for its operation more efficiently. The Omani government is committed to fostering an enabling environment fo r working. This goal has been achieved by simplifying the legal procedures during the establishment of a business. On average, it is possible to start a business within 34 days as opposed to the world average of 48 days (James 2014). Additionally, the government has set relatively low tariff rates in its trade policy with its trade partners such as the US through the Free Trade Agreement. The country’s business environment is fostered by moderate corporate tax and low duty on products (Food Export Association of the Midwest 2011). Feasibility: competitive environment and direct competitors Porter’s five forces Threat of new entrant; (moderate to high) the industry is characterised by a moderate threat of entry due to the prevailing profitability potential. Moreover, the industry is experiencing an increment in demand for food products that are aligned with the Muslim culture. Furthermore, the barriers to entry into the market are relatively low due to the low financia l requirements. Bargaining powers of suppliers; (moderate to high) the Omani food industry mainly depends on imports from the US and Europe. Subsequently, the suppliers have the capacity to influence the price of the food products. The food prices may also be affected by the global price fluctuations. Additionally, the suppliers bargaining power is increased by the low supplier concentration. Threat of substitute; (high) a number of local and multinational companies dominate the fast food market in Oman. The entry of multinational fast food companies such as KFC and McDonalds has increased the number of fast food products in the market. Thus, consumers have an opportunity to make a choice from a wide range of products. Buyer bargaining power; (high) firms in the fast food market are adopting product line extension strategies in pursuit for higher profitability. Consequently, consumers are presented with a wide range of products (Phillips Gully 2013). Additionally, the product varia tion has led to a significant reduction in the switching cost. Rivalry; (high) the industry is experiencing a significant increment in the intensity of competition due to the high consumer purchasing power and the change in the consumers’ lifestyle. Feasibility: sustainability Unique selling point Shake Burgers will focus at attaining a high competitive advantage by developing a number of unique selling propositions [USP]. Customer service; the firm will ensure that customers are optimally served. Store ambience; the firm’s store will be designed effectively in order to attract customers. Critical success factors The firm’s competitive advantage will be based on a number of factors as listed below. Factor Description Product differentiation The firm will ensure that its burgers are of unique taste by incorporating the Omani taste. Additionally, the firm will ensure that its operations lead to the production of fresh burgers. The firm will also ensure tha t its products are unique by integrating healthy sandwiches. Currently, only a few shops in Oman are offering such a menu and none is offering a burger cooked in the traditional Omani way. Camel burger will attract locals and tourists due to its preference as a traditional course amongst the Gulf countries. Location Shake Burger will be strategically located in the city centre of Oman, Muscat. Subsequently, the firm will be in a position to market its products to a large number of customers due to the various offices and learning institutions located in Muscat (Gotimer 2008). Operations and marketing In order to sustain the ‘Omani tradition’, Shake Burgers will source its raw materials from the local market. The firm will adopt emerging marketing technologies such as social media platforms [Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram] in creating market awareness. Appendix 2 illustrates the projected cost of creating market awareness (Witt Meyer 2010). Start-up financing S hakes Burgers will be established using personal savings and donations from family members. The initial start-up capital is estimated to be US$ 80,000. I will contribute $ 5,000 from my personal savings while my parents will assist me in raising $75,000. This amount will be used in leasing the premises within which the firm will be set up. The firm will start with an inventory worth US$25,000, which will be sourced from the local market. In a bid to ensure consistency of supply and timely replenishment of stock, Shakes Burgers will enter a contract with the local suppliers. It is estimated that the firm’s profit margin will be 30% after the first year of operation as illustrated in appendix 4. Post start-up financing It is projected that Shakes Burger will achieve financial sustainability within the first year of its operation, which will emanate from its unique product offering. Furthermore, the firm’s effectiveness in implementing the critical success factors will en hance its profitability. It is projected that sales will increase over time. In order to reach the break-even point, the firm will be required to sell 4,200 units. The breakeven revenue is estimated to be US$35,280, which is estimated to be attained within 6 months of the firm’s operation. In order to achieve this goal, it is assumed that the average revenue per unit will be US$ 8.39, while the average variable cost per unit is estimated to be US$ 2.29. The graph below illustrates the firm’s breakeven point. Feasibility: Managerial capabilities Personal capabilities The success of the new venture will be enhanced by my entrepreneurial capabilities such as risk taking, hard work, and market research skills. I will exploit my risk taking characteristics in ensuring that the venture is successful. This goal will be achieved through investing in product improvement, which will be enhanced by my effective market research skills. Thus, I will understand how to make the nece ssary adjustments to the product. However, I will be required to improve my leadership skills in order to ensure that the other internal stakeholders in the firm such as managers are motivated adequately. Nurturing the leadership skills will aid in fostering teamwork (Moore, Justin, William Leslie 2006). Execution of Critical success factors The firm’s success in implementing the critical success factors will depend on the effectiveness with which different roles are established and implemented as illustrated in the chart below. Roles Responsibility Chef (1) The chef will be charged with ensuring that the burgers are produced freshly and they have an Omani taste. Waiters (2) 2 waiters The waiters will ensure that the customers’ orders are served efficiently. Delivery guy (1) A delivery guy will be employed and will be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the orders made by customers at home are delivered in time. Manager The manager will ensure that all the firm’s operations are executed effectively in order to develop and sustain repeat purchase behaviour amongst the target customers. Appendices Appendix 1: Shakes Burger interior design Appendix 2 Marketing budget Item Amount in US$ Cost of promotion Advertising via television, social media, radio and print media 1,000 Sales promotion 2,000 Total expected cost of creating market awareness 3,000 Appendix 3 Breakeven chart Description Units sold 4,200 Estimated break-even revenue $35, 280 Assumptions Revenue per unit $8.4 Variable cost per unit $2.3 Appendix 4 Income statement Particular Amount in $US Sales revenue 5, 500,000 Total cost of sales 2,300,000 Gross profit 3,200,000 Administration expenses 400,000 Operating profit 2,800,000 Tax 30% 960,000 Profit after tax 1,840,000 Appendix 4 Projected Cash flow statement Item Year 1 Total from cash operations 1,000,000 Other cash received 0 Sales tax VAT re ceived 0 Current borrowings 0 Other liabilities 0 New long-term liabilities 0 Sale of other current asset 0 Sales of long term assets 0 Investment received 0 Total cash received 80,000 Expenditures Operation expense Cash spending 3,000 Payment on bill 5,000 Total on operation 8,000 Other cash spending Sales tax VAT paid 0 Principal paid on current borrowing 0 Additional liabilities on principal payment 0 Principal payment –long term liabilities 0 Purchases on other current assets 0 Purchase of other long term assets 0 Dividends 0 Total on operation 8,000 Net cash flow 72, 000 Reference List Alpen Capital: GCC food industry 2011, www.alpencapital.com//GCC_Food_Industry_Report_June_2011.pdf EuroMonitor: Food processor and blender manufacturing industry 2013, prweb.com/releases/2013/3/prweb10526071.htm Fahy, D 2000, Foundations of marketing, McGraw-Hill International Limited, London. Food Export Association of the Midwest: Middle East market profile 2011, https://www.foodexport.org/Resources/CountryProfileDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=101 Ghuman, K 2010, Management: concepts practice and cases, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Hair, C 2008, Essentials of marketing, Cengage, London. Ferrell, O Hartline, M 2011, Marketing strategy, Cengage Learning, Mason. Fernando, A 2011, Business environment, Pearson, New Delhi. Food and Hospitality Oman: Oman 2014, foodandhospitalityoman.com/download_industry_report_form.html Forbes: How restaurants are using technology to deliver better customer service 2014, forbes.com/sites/caroltice/2012/12/07/how-restaurants-are-using-technology-to-deliver-better-customer-service/ Gotimer, J 2008, Customer satisfaction is worthless, customer loyalty is priceless:Â  how to make them love you, keep you coming back, and tell everyone they know, Bad Press, Austin. Hardy, J 2014, GCC food sector offers great prospects, https://globalconnections.hsbc.com/uae/en/articles/great-prospects-gcc-food-sect or Hitt, M, Ireland, D Hoskisson, R 2009, Strategic management: competitiveness and globalisation; concepts and cases, Southwestern, Mason. Hoshmand, R 2009, Business forecasting, Routledge, New York. Hotelier Middle East: The hotelier Middle East awards 2013, hoteliermiddleeast.com/awards/ Index Mundi: Oman demographic profile 2013, indexmundi.com/oman/demographics_profile.html Ingram, D 2010, About process selection and facility layout operations management, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/process-selection-facility-layout-operations-management-13824.html James, A 2014, SMEs can take advantage of trade facilitation agreement, timesofoman.com/News/Article-29142.aspx Karubaran, G, Sami, A, Ahmad, Q, Al-Abed, A Syed, A 2012, ‘Social and psychological factors affecting eating habits among university students in a Malaysian medical school; a cross sectional study’, Nutritional Journal, vol. 11, no. 48, pp. 11-48. McDonald, M Dunbar, I 2012, Market segmentation; how to do it and how to profit from it, John Wiley Sons, Chichester. Porter, M 2008, Competitive strategy; techniques for analysing industries and competitors, Simon and Schuster, New York. Moore, C, Justin, L, William, P Leslie, P 2006, Small business management; an entrepreneurial emphasis, Cengage Learning, London. Morelli, N 2002, ‘Designing product/service systems; a methodical exploration’, Design Issues, vol.18, no.3, pp. 3-17. Phillips, J Gully, S 2013, Human resource management, Cengage Learning, Mason. Rae, D 2011, Entrepreneurship; from opportunity to action, Palgrave McMillan, New York. Rafidah, K, Azizah, A, Norzaidi, M, Chong, S Noraini, I 2009, ‘The impact of perceived stress and stress factors on academic performance of pre-diploma science students; a Malaysian study’, International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 13-26. Shane, D 2013, GCC states among the world’s most obese, arabianbusiness.com/gcc-states-n amed-among-world-s-most-obese-508362.html? Skills You Need: Diet and nutrition 2014, arabianbusiness.com/gcc-states-named-among-world-s-most-obese-508362.html Trading Economics: Oman inflation rate 2014, tradingeconomics.com/oman/inflation-cpi Witt, B Meyer, R 2010, Strategy process, content, context; an international perspective, Cengage Learning, Andover.