Mountain Man Beer Company – Case Analysis

Case Analysis Mountain Man Brewing Company: Bringing the Brand to Light Mountain Man Brewing Company (MMBC) was founded by Guntar Prangel in 1925. He reformulated an old family brew with quality ingredients, resulting in a flavorful bitter tasting beer which was launched as the Mountain Man Lager. The brand grew to claim a respectable market share for an independent-family-owned-brewery, in whole of the East Central United States by 1960. Even today, after 80 years, the lager is a legacy brew, awarded as the Best Beer in West Virginia for many years in a row.MMBC is still a single product company and generates over $50 million in revenue and selling over 520,000 barrels of Mountain Man Lager. All has been well thus far but now the market trends are changing rapidly. Problem Statement For the first time in the 80+ years MMBC has experienced a 2 percent decline in revenue, relative to the prior fiscal year. Is this a one-time occurrence or a signal shift in the overall marketplace? Bus inesses must act in a certain manner in order to maximize profits or run the risk of losing their place in the marketplace.Chris Prangel, son of the President and owner of MMBC, Oscar Prangel, is to inherit the business in only five years. With differing management styles and thoughts on the direction the organization should take, this uncertainty could be potentially crippling over time. The question of whether or not MMBC should move ahead with Chris's plan to introduce a light beer product is the one that is most pertinent to the overall direction the company will take. The ever changing marketing environment with respect to demographic, socio-cultural, and political cenario will influence management’s decision on which path to take. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Mountain Man Lager has established a brand with a strong loyal blue –collar clientele. This high quality lager is known for its dark color, distinct bitter taste and slightly higher alcohol content. It boasts an unaided response rate of 67% from the adult population of WV and is known to be the best regional beer. In 2005, Mountain Man Lager won â€Å"Best Beer in West Virginia† for its eighth straight year. It also won â€Å"Best Beer in Indiana† and was selected as â€Å"America’s Championship Lager† at the American Beer Championship.Research has shown blue-collar males purchase 60% of the beer they drink from off-premise locations. Currently MMBC sells 70% of its beer at off-premise locations which is quiet consistent with the industry wide sales. The lager is affordably priced for the middle-to-lower income â€Å"working man†, at $2. 25 for a 12-ounce serving of draft beer in a bar and selling for $4. 99 for a six-pack in a local convenience store. Market research shows, Mountain Man’s position as an independent, family owned brewery provides a sense of â€Å"authenticity† with â€Å"anti-big-business† core drinkers.The brand is a s recognizable in the East Central region as Chevrolet and John Deere. MMBC has proven to be successful in grass-root marketing with a sales force which is known to not just push the brand but influence customers to embrace Mountain Man and promote the brand by word of mouth. Weaknesses: MMBC is well known for their bitter tasting product. This has given them great success in the past, however with the changing market they need to conform to the new way of doing business if they wish to continue to succeed in the future.Having only one main beer that is sold in the East Central region of the United States makes it hard to maintain profits. MMBC has been experiencing a decline in their sales by nearly 2%. MMBC has a very small demographic to which the lager appeals to. As such they are losing their influence over the younger market, as well as the women drinkers. The attractiveness of a bitter tasting lager doesn’t quite win over the younger generation. Studies have shown they prefer a light beer, something MMBC is considering developing. MMBC needs to consider the cost associated with launching the new line.They would sell the MMLight at the same price as the regular beer; however it costs considerably more to produce. Advertising would also add to the burden of MMLight. Advertising alone would cost over $750K for a six month campaign to reach brand awareness of 60%. As they still would only be able to sell the new product at the same price that their competitors are selling theirs, the cost might outweigh the rewards. Opportunities: Looking externally one can see that MMBC has many possible avenues they could take advantage of, in the changing U.S. demographic and beverage market. MMBC is known for their traditional high quality lager with the potential to expand into several fast growing markets such as light beer and super-premium beer. By entering a growing market MMBC could gain drinkers from different demographics which they currently lack, for in stance women and those in their twenties new to drinking. By implementing these changes it could offset the market share loss MMBC lager is currently facing. MMBC could restructure how they market their beer, looking at new avenues.The internet is one possibility, capitalizing on the younger generation and their anti-big-business-sentiment as a marketing tool. MMBC could try to increase sales in ‘on-premise’ locations. MMBC should also look to expand their distribution range to acquire more states in the U. S. focusing on their core grass root marketing strategies to grow their market share. Threats: The â€Å"threats† portion of a SWOT analysis is best described as an analysis of external environmental threats to the business itself.The following is a discussion of the most pertinent potential external influencers facing MMBC. Over the past four years per capita beer consumption in the US has declined by 2. 3% due in some part to competition from wine and spirit based drinks but also due to changing cultural mores encouraging moderation and personal responsibility. If this trend continues MMBC will be competing for an ever shrinking piece of the market. The potential economic and marketing response from the major brewery competitors is daunting to a company the size of Mountain Man.With economies of scale in brewing, transportation and marketing, the Budweisers of the world are formidable rivals to say the least. They could respond in such a way as to make doing business very difficult moving forward. Governmental involvement in the beer industry is another issue at hand. The Federal Government has already raised the excise tax and with laws changing how beer can be promoted in a retail setting newly passed in WV could other states in the East Central region be too far behind? The biggest potential threat is the shift in beer consumers taste to light beer and away from the premium beers overall.Light beer sales account for over 50% of all beer sales and are growing at a compound rate of 4% per year. One of the most troubling aspects of the surge in light beers popularity is the demographic that is driving it. Young, first time, beer buyers / drinkers are at the crux of the demographic and marketers understand that if you can capture a customer young enough you have them as a customer for life. Financials: A look at the market analysis show alarming trends. In 2005 MMBC’s revenue was down relative to the prior fiscal year.Changes in beer consumption are being driven by changing consumer segments. Light beer sales are increasing while Premium beer sales are decreasing in the east central region as seen in Exhibit 5 in the MMBC case. Super-premium beer sales increased the most by well over 9% in the past 6 years. This shows beer drinkers’ tastes are shifting significantly causing sales to reflect this trend. Exhibit 5 shows light beer has a much greater volume than premium beer; signifying even small marke t penetration can mean significant volumes.Looking at Exhibit 6 part A, the other brands have 14% of the light beer market beating out Coors coming in at 11%. This could imply that the light beer market is easily penetrated by a new product. Exhibit 2 examines the beer drinker demographics in 2005, MMLager has 19% of the female demographic which is only a small portion, while domestic light beer boasts of 42% of the female beer drinking demographic. MMLager is the preferred beer of only 2% people in the 21-24 yr age bracket. In the 25-34 yr age group, 15% people prefer the lager and in 19% prefer the lager in the 35-44 yr age bracket.These numbers are significantly less than those drinking domestic light beer and domestic premium beer. MMLager is losing the younger generation hands down. A large segment of the light beer drinkers (24%) make over $100 thousand dollars a year, so introducing a newer light beer at a slightly higher cost will hit a new income demographic that is not as worried about pricing. Recommendations: 1. Do nothing – MMBC customers base drinking lager is a shrinking market. The rate at which MMBC can make new customers can only replace a fraction of existing ones.Assuming the 2% annual sales decline, by 2010, sales would have declined by 10%, the profit margin would be drastically shrunk, and with fixed costs remaining the same the company might be out of business in a matter of years. Keeping in mind the demographics, there is quiet a possibility that the rate of declining sales might accelerate due to the aging customer base. The senior management at MMBC is reluctant to launch the new product and site the examples of over 40 breweries those have closed down. But this does not, in anyway, provide any solid evidence that MMBC will fall in those same footsteps if they are to launch the new line.According to research, product line extensions â€Å"helped brewers obtain greater shelf space of products† and â€Å"created greater product focus among distributers and retailers†. Suggesting that MMBC do nothing would be a very short-sighted decision and classic mistake of â€Å"marketing myopia†. MMBC should do something soon in order to keep up with the changing market. 2. Launching Mountain Man light – The research suggests that where the brand equity drives the sales of lager; the same strategy would not work for light beer as the association of stronger, bitter flavor is not going to capture the light beer segment.MMBC needs to distance itself from the blue-collar beer image in order to attract the younger generation. 3. Launching light beer with a new name – Data suggests that light beer should not be marketed to the existing customer base, as they are simply loyal to the original lager. As such, they should still incorporate the Mountain Man brand but name it something like â€Å"Mountain Light†. Having an affiliation with the brand will allow the same grass-root market ing strategy to be applied for marketing the light beer to the younger segment. Exhibits [pic] [pic] [pic]

“Death of a Salesman” by Miller and “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen Essay

â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"A Doll’s House† are two plays that were written in different centuries. In these plays, among other things, is presented the place that women hold in the family, as well as in the society. Although in many aspects, the two protagonists of the plays, Linda and Nora respectively, appear to have things in common, at the same time they are very different, since Nora seems to be more modern and liberal than Linda, which is ironic given the fact that Ibsen wrote his play seventy years earlier than Miller. The representation of the two women in these two plays is what will be discussed in this paper. In â€Å"Death of a Salesman†, Linda embodies the role of the traditional American woman, which was to take care of her husband, her children and the house, regardless of her personal aspirations, and dreams. The woman is expected to stay at home and engage in everyday house works, like cooking, cleaning and sewing, while the man, as the head of the family, is expected to find a well-respected job position because it was the man’s duty to provide for the entire family. So Linda has given up on everything she hoped for in her life, she sacrificed herself, just to be with her husband and her two sons, even though her husband doesn’t seem to be treating her very well. Willy disregards every word Linda attempts to interject in family conversations by interrupting her and accusing her of interrupting him. He shouts at her, he doesn’t let her speak and when she does, he speaks to her badly. A distinct example is the passage towards the end of Act I, in which Linda attempts in vain to speak her mind: Linda: â€Å"Maybe things are beginning to-† Willy: â€Å"Stop interrupting!† (1907), and later on when Linda tries again to say something Willie tells her abruptly â€Å"Will you let me talk?† (1907), while he is the one doing most of the talking all this time. Despite her husband’s constant degradation, Linda appears to be a woman who is very loyal, loving, caring and understanding to her husband. Not even once did she complain about Willy’s belittling behavior. Linda seems to be for Willy the perfect wife: she always speaks very nicely to him, she makes sure that his clothes are always mended, and that he has got everything he needs with him before he leaves for a trip. She loves him very much and she doesn’t seem to hold against him the terrible way that he treats her. A distinct example is the fact that right after the incident of insulting her, she proposes to sing to him a lullaby, so that he could relax : Linda: â€Å"Just rest. Should I sing to you?† Willy: â€Å"Yeah. Sing to me† (1909). At the same time, Linda stands up for him, takes his side, even if it means to get into a fight with her sons, for not treating him with the respect he deserves as their father: Linda: â€Å"He’s the dearest man in the world to me, and I won’t have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and blue †¦Either he’s your father and you pay him that respect, or else you’re not to come here† (1902). Also, and she tries to protect him by asking for their sons’ help, when she realized that he had been trying to commit suicide, since she didn’t want to do anything that would let Willy know that she has understood that he wanted to die. She was very concerned not to hurt her husband’s pride, realizing that if she confronted him, Willy would be devastated: â€Å"How can I mention it to him? Every day I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insult him that way?† (1904). Linda is also a very dedicated mother to her children, that she managed to raise in the best way possible, when she was all alone with them, while her husband was away for a long period of time. She has always been with them; she has educated them since the day they were born and she has tried to install in them good values. Even now, that her sons are adults, she still reprimands them about being selfish, impolite, rude and disrespectful towards their father. And her sons seem to love her and think very highly of her; for them she’s the perfect role model for a future wife: Happy: â€Å"Somebody with character, with resistance! Like Mom, y’know?† (1885) This is ironic, since her own husband doesn’t seem to appreciate her, and treats her  badly. On the other hand, Nora, the protagonist of â€Å"A Doll’s House†, represents the society’s notion for the women in the late 1800s, which is not very different from that of the mid 1900s, in the sense that the wife has to stay at home, taking care of her husband and children, and doing all the household chores. Under no circumstance is a woman expected to work and contribute to the family income for the man, for once more, the man is the one that works and brings in the money. Thus, poor Nora is financially dependent, in a great extent, on Trovald, and every time she wants to buy something she has to ask him to give her some money: Nora: â€Å"Your could always give me money, Torvald. Only what you think you could spare. And then I could buy myself something with it later on.† (1768). Nora, like all the women of her era, is controlled by her husband, who is the one that wants to make all the decisions for her, even what she would or wouldn’t eat, like when he forbidden her to eat the macaroons that she liked so much. Nora, just like Linda, is very concerned with her husband’s health, but instead of just watching she decides to do what she can to save his life, even if this means acting behind his back and hurting his pride, in order to get the necessary amount of money to save his life. Nora: â€Å"Torvald is a man with †¦ pride – it would be terribly embarrassing and humiliating for him if he thought he owed anything to me† (1775) because for a man that was considered to be strong enough, it would be regarded as an insult to admit that he needs the help of a helpless woman. What Nora did shows that although she appears to be a typical woman of her era, in reality she’s very different, she is a rebel that risks everything so that she won’t lose the man that she loves. In the end, when everything is revealed, she’s very hurt, for she realized that the man that she risked everything for never loved her, and that all she was to him was a beautiful toy-d oll to play with, and not a person with real feelings. The way that the men in her life have treated her is expressed in one word through the metaphor that Ibsen uses: a doll. That has been very confusing to Nora and her role as a mother of three children, since it has made her  also think her children as dolls. The only thing that Nora does with her children is to play games. She has completely trusted their upbringing to the nursemaid without worrying about them or trying to teach them values and how to behave, like Linda did. In the end, she realizes that she would have never become a good mother to her children, and in fear of hurting them or turning them into dolls she decides to leave them forever: â€Å"And never see the children again either. Never, never.† (1813). In the end, Nora realizes that she had been living a lie, and she is faced with the dilemma of engaging the responsibilities to her husband and children or the responsibilities to herself. But the need to break free from the simple, decorative roles that she has been assigned, and to find herself, is greater than anything else. She can’t be of any use to anyone without discovering her self first, and see what she can do on her own: â€Å"If I’m ever to reach any understanding of myself and the things around me, I must learn to stand alone† (1818). She’s young and beautiful, contrary to Linda who stayed until the end with her husband and children, and she has the whole life ahead of her to love and to be loved, make a new family, since she finally made the decision to leave Trovald and never come back, unless â€Å"a miracle of miracles† (1821) would happen. Both plays discuss the position of the women in the family and in the society. Two different women, from two different times were victims of their era. The one is old, unattractive but caring and supportive; she is Linda, the woman of the 1940s. The other is young, and beautiful but also more modern and demanding; she is Nora, the woman of the 1870s. Both of them weren’t happy with their lives, but only one of them, Nora, finds the strength to leave and change her life. And that is why the Linda was the victim of the capitalistic society, while Nora’s more of a feminist.

Attachment Paper Essay

Bowlby’s attachment theory provides a strong framework for the comprehension of both the nature of close relationships and the link between the associations of children and how this affects their relationships as adults, as well as, various health issues concerning adults. The following research endeavor reviews the literature concerning the validity and reliability of the attachment styles that can be a predicting factor as to how adults engage in the formation of relationships. Research presented will also help to elucidate how attachment styles during childhood relate to adult related health issuesThe following essay will define attachment theory as described by Bowlby and Ainsworth; followed by an analysis how attachments formed in early childhood have an impact on attachments formed during adulthood. The main focus of the research will examine the evidence concerning attachment assessment methods. Finally, the research essay will examine the empirical evidence depicting how attachment predicts relationship tendencies in adults along with the risk factors for certain health related issues from the perspective attachment style. John Bowlby’s theory of attachment has been instrumental in the advancement of modern psychology. According to Bowlby (1982), attachments exist to bring infants into close proximity with their caregivers thereby protecting the infant from harm and predation. The idea of attachment was first postulated by Sigmund Freud and focused on the attachment relationship between mother and child. Freud analyzed this interaction using psychoanalytic thought, which assumes that an unconscious drive for physical gratification is the basis of attachment. Bowlby (1982) moved away from Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective and proposed an ethological theory of attachment. The foundation of this perspective depicts the inherent survival instinct as the catalyst for attachment. At the most basic level, Bowlby theorized that attachment formation is dependent on the formation of trust in the infant. Trust develops from the level of sensitivity the caregiver provides the infant during times of stress. The result of this interaction is the infant producing an adaptive response and those responses, according to Bowlby (1982), into mental representations, or working models, that are believed to guide the behavior of attachment relationships over time, carrying over into adulthood. The existence of the different types of attachment styles was empirically demonstrated by Ainsworth and colleagues (1978) in studies with infants using the Strange Situation procedure. The Strange Situation procedure involved observing a child’s behavior when they were separated from their primary caregiver. Ainsworth and colleagues classified the attachment styles of the infant based on the observed strength of the bond between the infant and their caregiver (Ainsworth, et al. , 1978). The various types of attachment styles are typically classified into three categories including:secure attachment, anxious/ambivalent attachment, and avoidant attachment. These attachment styles will be discussed further in relationship to their impact on adult relationships and the effects they have on the general health in adults. A fourth attachment style was classified much later than what was presented in the Strange Situation, called disorganized attachment, and accounts for only about five to ten percent of the population (Berk, 2007). This fourth attachment style is not part of the research presented in this essay due to the fact that this attachment system is uncommon and there is little research focusing on its effect on adult relationships or on the health of adults. There are generally two distinct groups that researchers fall into when studying the implications of attachment in adulthood. Those who are typically trained in the developmental tradition, tend to emphasize adults’ representation and how this may influence the level of attachment they have with their own children. The other group, which is typically trained in social psychology, usually focuses their attention on the application of attachment theory to analyze the processes of adult romantic relationships and personality. These two groups are apt to emphasize different points of view to the theory, and conceptualize their findings in diverging ways. For the purpose of this essay, empirical research from a social psychology perspective will be utilized. The primary focal point will be on the domain of interpersonal relationships between adults from the three attachment categories and their relationships. Secondly, research will be discussed in regards to the links between adult attachment styles and variables such as cognitive functioning and interest in social activities. Lastly, this essay will show support for the proposed theory that attachment styles of children has been linked to the development of disease and chronic illness in adults. Ainsworth and colleagues (1978), through their experiment termed Strange Situation, coined the terms to describe the different attachment styles that infants experience. The first and most common form of attachment is secure attachment. Secure attachment is traditionally measured in terms of separation anxiety (Pearce, 2009). Infants who are securely attached are quickly comforted upon the return of their attentive primary caregiver after a period of separation and exposure to a stranger in the room. Securely attached infants also display uninhibited exploration of their environment while the primary caregiver is in sight (Ainsworth et al. , Bowlby, 1982). Avoidant attachment is the second form of attachment that infants can display. Those who exhibit this form of attachment generally do not display any separation anxiety and also show no preference towards the primary caregiver upon their return. It has been theorized that a reason that infants do show a preference towards their caregiver is because the caregiver may be causing the infant stress which the infant instinctively tries to avoid. The third form of attachment style is the anxious / ambivalent form of attachment. Anxious attachment is comparable to secure attachment in that the infant clings to their primary caregiver and displays separation anxiety (Berk, 2007). The primary difference between the behaviors of securely attached infants and anxiously / ambivalent individuals is that, in the latter, the infants emotions are more pronounced. Anxious infants are not comforted by the caregiver easily, and aggressive behaviors may be displayed when the caregiver is present. This type of behavior is considered to be an adaptive response that is used to solicit a response from an otherwise unresponsive caregiver. Attachment Theory and Adult Relationships Many have argued that identifying both the beginnings and the extent of emotions that are experienced in a relationship is critical if one seeks to understand the essential aspects of a relationship. Many of the most intense emotions arise during the formation, the maintenance, the disruption, and the renewal of attachment relationships (Bowlby, 1982). Surprisingly, there is little research to date that attempts to explain the rationale for the cause of emotions in relationships; specifically how significant relationship experiences at critical developmental stages, forecast the intensity of emotions practiced in adult attachment relationships. One of the first studies conducted in this area was by Main and colleagues (1985) using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) as a narrative-based interview in which participants provide five adjectives that describe their relationship to each parent and then provide specific memories that support each adjective. Several studies have associated attachment styles to relationship satisfaction; however, there is a perceived lack of understanding as to what mechanisms of the attachment styles that influence relationship satisfaction have been scarcely understood. Attachment plays a pivotal role in the dynamics of how adults interact with each other and this interaction relates to how relationships are formed and maintained. Results produced from the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (Main et al, 1985), indicated that adults who have formed secured attachments during childhood are more likely to form romantic partnerships that are warm and responsive. Securely attached adults tend to have more positive views of themselves and their partners and in the way they perceive their relationships (Simpson & Rholes, 2012). Securely attached adults characteristically experience lower levels of anxiety than those with other attachment styles. A possibility for the lower levels of anxiety in securely attached individuals is that failure in the relationship does not elicit an anxiety-provoking, distracting concern, because the expected attachment, on average, tends to be supportive, and reassuring (McWilliams & Bailey, 2010). Independent success is not dependent on the relationship outcome for securely attached adults as it may be for those with other attachment styles. Securely attached individuals focus on building greater intimacy with their attachment figures and experience functional anger, which generally facilitates more constructive, relationship-enhancing goals (Simpson et al, 2007). The anxious / ambivalent attached adult is normally viewed as being fearful and avoidant when in most situations and especially when forming meaningful relationships. The fear response is usually a fear of failure. The possibility of failure elicits anxiety – provoking concerns for the anxious / ambivalent person (Simpson et al, 2007). These individuals view themselves as incapable of either providing love and intimacy to others or being capable of receiving love and intimacy from romantic partners. Insecurity is not manifested the same in all individuals but the basic mistrust of love and closeness is a common theme among this level of attachment in adults. Those who are anxious / ambivalent adults may be troubled with high levels of stress and display a higher tendency towards impulsiveness in their relationships. This stress is compounded if both members of the relationship demonstrate characteristics of this type of attachment style. In contrast to those who have secure attachments, adults who present characteristics of anxious / ambivalent attachment, typically experience and express less positive and more negative emotions in their relationships (Simpson et al, 2007). These individuals habitually are concerned with fears of being abandoned, misused, or failing to meet their basic needs of security when engaging in relationships. For this reason, those with this attachment style typically experience less positive emotions in their relationships and report a high level of negativity when describing their relationships. Bowlby (1982), as well as other researchers, believe that close relationships formed during childhood with primary caregivers who are supposed to be providing the ground work for the establishment of security and trust, have a direct impact on how adults form and maintain relationships across the lifespan. The third attachment style is avoidant. Avoidant infants are indifferent or ignore the return of the caregiver after separation (Westen, 2006). These children may not necessarily reject the attention of the caregiver but they do not tend to seek out the attention of the caregiver as well. The avoidant style of attachment negates energy away from intimacy and hampers positive emotions in personal relationships. For those experiencing this form of negative attachment believe that becoming close to their partners heightens their fear of rejection. Considerable research indicates that different forms of attachment styles direct individuals to foster their emotions and behaviors in different ways (Simpson et al, 2007). Typically, those who have avoidant style of attachment avidly seek to diminish the possibility of negative relationships that could potentially create the danger of rejection or abandonment. This form of attachment can also be seen as a type of self-preservation strategy. Attachment styles and the relation to chronic health issues in adults Many researchers and psychologists have argued that the experiences that incur in early childhood hold a prestigious place in influencing later life outcomes. Researchers have also focused their attention on how the role of adverse incidents gone through in childhood has strong links towards adult physical illness. Furthermore, the quality of close relationships, especially marital relationships, affects immune functioning, rendering individuals vulnerable to various diseases (Coan, Schaefer, & Davidson, 2006). Researchers have also focused on the role of early adverse experiences in laying the foundations for adult physical illness (Puig et al, 2012). The different level of childhood attachment styles is positively correlated to the incidence of chronic illness as adults. Incorporating assessments of relationship interaction in the early stages of human development may give insight of how the quality of childhood attachments in infancy directly impact adult health. Secure attachment is considered to be the best functional form of all of the attachment forms and thus is hypothesized to have the increased likelihood of general better health in adulthood. In relation to cancer, attachment may be unrelated to the development of cancer, but a positive association between secure attachment ratings and cancer could have emerged because those with secure attachment may be more likely to survive cancer (Puig et al, 2012). According to the attachment theory proposed by Bowlby (1982), the quality of early care that children receive is internalized and then shapes their social functioning in adulthood. Research suggests that infant attachment relationships are associated with aspects of health in childhood that may be linked to health across the life span (Anderson & Whitaker, 2011). The findings of the research conducted by Anderson & Whitaker (2011) suggest that individuals who were classified as secure during the origins of care giving report the fewest health problems as adults than those who were inconsistently secure or consistently insecure. Other research indicates that adults forming insecure attachment styles as children uniquely predict categories of physical illness (McWilliams & Bailey, 2012). Insecure attachments include the anxious / ambivalent and avoidant style of attachment. Generally speaking, those persons who have developed insecure attachments during childhood have an increased susceptibility to stress. Stress has been linked to a wide range of psychological and physical ailments in adolescents and adults. Those exhibiting insecure attachments have also been theorized to have a greater propensity towards substance abuse and food addictions, which has been known to cause numerous health roblems. Individuals with insecure attachment often display refractory behaviors in that they do not seek help for these types of behaviors and also have difficulty seeking proper medical attention when health issues arise most likely due to their basic mistrust of people who are in a position to help them. The most logical assessment for this behavior is strongly suggested to be linked to the lack of strong bonding relationships formed during infancy (McWilliams and Bailey, 2010). According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard (2011), the consequences of adversity early in life can be serious and long-lasting, affecting the body’s ability to, for example, regulate metabolism, fight disease, and maintain a healthy heart—as well as a healthy brain. Reducing toxic stress in early childhood is therefore an important strategy for lifelong health promotion and disease prevention. Findings of recent developmental research have concluded that individuals who are insecurely attached tend to have poorer quality relationships across the first 20 years of life (Simpson, Collins, Tran, & Haydon, 2007). The quality of adult relationships is possible causes of chronic stress which inhibits biological processes, which leads insecure adults to encounter more physical illness later in life than those who have formed secure attachments. Individuals classified as having the anxious / ambivalent are prone to inflammatory responses when exposed stressors (Gouin et al. , 2008). Anxious attachment ratings were more strongly associated with feeble health conditions and the ratings for avoidant attachments were found to be greater. Avoidant attachment ratings were significantly associated with those conditions that primarily involve symptoms of pain, such as arthritis, back pain, severe headaches, and other forms of chronic pain (McWilliams & Bailey, 2010). Anxious attachment rating were associated as involving the cardiovascular system, including stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure. With the propensity of insecure attachments leading to the onset of various health conditions, it is reasonable to assume that those with inadequate health conditions lead to relationship discord and thus foster relationship insecurity. Bowlby (1980) believed that life’s deepest and most intense emotions arise in the foundation of attachment relationships. Bowlby’s concept of internal working models was a catalyst for the increased interest in the continuity of attachment patterns from infancy through adulthood (Westen, et al, 2006). These relationships are rooted in the attachment formations that develop during early childhood with caregivers. Until recently, little research has been conducted on the correlation between the different attachment styles children experience as determinants of the experience and development of romantic relationships formed as adults. The above reviewed research suggests that these interactions may imply a link to forming secure relationships experienced during earlier periods of development. Studies directed at the association between attachments and learned dispositions regarding relationships are growing in popularity. This type of research is of interest to anyone who is engrossed in the study of attachment in adulthood, regardless of affiliation to a psychology study or training. Attachment theories remain dominant throughout the lifespan (Ainsworth, 1989). Secure attachment proves to be the strongest indicator that adults will form committed, lasting romantic relationships. Insecure attachment origins supports the general theory that adults are highly susceptible by situational events and have coping mechanisms that are consistent with the particular form of insecurity they manifest (Simpson, et. al. , 2012). Those who have experienced anxious/ambivalent attachments have been found to display greater dysfunctional anger toward their partners and more distressed when encountered with a fear-inducing situation and have been noted to receive less support from their partners.

Quantitative Nursing and Qualitative Critique Essay

Quantitative Nursing and Qualitative Critique - Essay Example In the light of those evidences the actual purpose of this study is to construct the diabetes self-management education program which uses co-created learning procedures considering the needs of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (Funnell & Rogers, 2011). The program should be adaptive in fulfilling the gaps that have been observed in adhering diabetes self-management activates properly. The study purpose has been set to evaluate the DSME program performance at the end through qualitative research methodology. Research Questions The study inquires about the gaps in the diabetes self-management education, it examines, what are gaps in this program which have not yielded proper health care even after achieving knowledge about the program and how these gaps will help in organizing such activities that can make self-management an effective tool for health care. It examines, what are the needs and requirements of persons with type 2 DM. What are the effects and outcomes of this co -created program which have been examined through the qualitative factors of adaptation, program satisfaction and through the self-management activities? The qualitative methods such as focus group discussion and intervention, demographic analysis, knowledge about the program and self-care are sufficient enough to evaluate this co-created learning program. Gap analysis is an effective way of modifying and designing a new program which is not performing to its optimum potential because gap analysis help looking into the drawbacks and faults of prevailing methods and techniques. After analysis it enables the reader to redesign and reconstruct his own opinion and model. The worth mentioning aspect of this qualitative study is that the DSME program has used the co-created learning process... This paper approves that the study used co-creation learning process for participants in their DSME program which yielded significant results in proper self-management among parsons with type 2 DM. so, it is recommended that clinicians or nursing staff or professionals who have interaction with DSME education should prefer self-participation and self-involvement of their patients in identifying activities, barriers and possible solutions according to their desires and requirements. this essay makes a conclusion that this article of qualitative research has provided great deal of knowledge about the thinking patterns of humans as prescriptive methodologies have failed to teach the adherence of diabetes self-management education activities in practical but with the help of co-creation, such limitations have been transformed into strengths and yet the result of only self-managing activities are significant which states that the diabetes complications and problems can be resolved through self-motivation. This article provided extensive knowledge considering the nursing practice because clinical practitioners are usually unaware of this aspect of self-motivation and imply their prescribed opinions without considering the needs and desires of their patients. So, this analysis will help in future references of such events of non-compliance among patients. Qualitative research focuses on exploring issues, after identification it assumes understanding problem and then r esponding to the problem and finally the evaluation comes in line. This aspect of qualitative research will be useful in solving medical problems through qualitative measures in nursing practice.

Integration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Integration - Assignment Example The modern practice in school curriculum is that instructors teach differentiation first before integration in contrast to the inception of calculus (Pitt, 2012). In the 17th century, Newton and Leibniz contribution made a milestone in advance of scientific developments in Europe. Kepler found the volume of a bucket of wine to be a pile of thin horizontal circular discs. B. Cavalieri’s line formed from many points, plane formed from many lines and solid made from many planes. All these gave initiating ideas in integration. At the same time Newton and Leibniz related integration and differentiation to be reverse processes in their â€Å"Fundamental Theorem of Calculus† popularly known as â€Å"Newton-Leibniz Formula† (Stewart, 2010). The calculus method became a very powerful tool in solving mathematical problems where other analytical methods failed those times. For instance, Jacob Bernoulli using calculus methods discovered that logarithmic spring under various transformations is invariant. In 1696, Johann Bernoulli asked a question that said, assuming friction was zero the path taken by a point mass to slide from a point that is higher to a point that is lower taking the shortest time possible (Hawkins, 2001). This led to the development of the calculus of variation. Other 17th century developments are contained in Euler’s introduction in analysis infinitorum, institutiones calculi differentialis and institutions calculi Integralis. Consider the following shape, to find the volume and the surface area of the shape using integration then employ the use of infinitesimally small areas and volumes. Obtain the volume using this formula For example, take a parabola in the x-y plane whose height bases on another parabolic function. Say, from x=-2 to x=2 that has elevation determined by a circle of radius 4 i.e. . Taking y to lie between y=x2+4 and y=12-x2 then the volume is given by Integrating again using

The after effects of Bradford stadium fire Essay

The after effects of Bradford stadium fire - Essay Example The smoke also caused difficulties in breathing for the people in the stadium. A lot of supporters died in the fires, some died while trying to flee through the lavatories, and others were not able to flee and so died glued to their seat some funs tried to save the other funs from the fire but still many perished (Withgot & Brennan, 2011). Also the players were affected psychologically by the occurrence of the fire and its effect such that they were not able to play as expected during the rematch. The fire destroyed the stadium which is a medium of social environment. A stadium is a place where people socialize with each other as they watch a match. This environment is destroyed since after the fire the stadium is not fit for people to go and watch a match so it acts as a barrier for people to socialize. There is also the economic environment which was also affected by the occurrences of the fire. This economical environment was affected by the fact that people who worked in the stadium lost their jobs since the stadium could not continue offering its services. (Dudley 2006) Also after the fire, the income generation through the stadium was affected since people who came to watch a match and paid could not since the stadium could not serve its purpose for some time. The stadium also required to be renovated so a lot of funds were used to accomplish this and so the economic environment became largely affected. The environment is a system that is made up of multiple entities that are related and for this reason if one component is tamper with by a certain environmental hazard the whole system gets affected in a way. In the discussion above, fire at Bradford stadium was really a challenge to the various types of environment that surrounded the stadium. Fire can hazardous to the environment if not properly managed, by this it means that people should be cautious when using fire as a tool in their duties. We see from this scenario that just

Open Source Software Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Open Source Software - Research Paper Example Moreover, one more example includes Amazon .com minimizing information technology expenditures from $71 million to $54 million by replacing their business automation software with open source applications (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). Similarly, sabre holdings were able to save more than $10 billion dollars by deploying MySQL that is an open source database (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). As these open source software are free of cost, organizations started replacing legacy systems with open source products. This trend has forced hardware and software vendors along with proprietary technology vendors to offer value added services associated with open source products. After discussing all these advantages associated with open source software, one question comes in mind i.e. what is the purpose of spending money on proprietary software, and why do some companies do this? The answer is probably because they do not know that an open source meeting all their needs ex ists. For example, an open source enterprise resource planning application for Small medium business can be a cost saving alternative for expensive ERP systems such as SAP and Oracle. Moreover, open source business intelligence and analysis software such as Jasper reports and Pehanto are available today (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). However, the existence of these open source applications does not ensure proficient after sales or maintenance support and their functionality that can be catered by a consultant or advisory service. Likewise, these open source software are volunteered without proper marketing strategies possibly because of their low budget. A comparison between an open source application and MS office is demonstrated in Table 1.1 below: Table 1.1 Source: ("Jet-Computing.com  » Linux Mint "), (Crammond) After discussing benefits for open source software, we will now discuss the barriers for organizations adopting open source software. The first factor is th e knowledge barrier, as discussed before, lack of available support, consultants, customization and lack of business knowledge for aligning the application with business objectives. The second barrier is a lack of integration with the legacy software and hardware. Likewise, Forking is another barrier because open source software is coded by different groups of people and may not integrate with other open source software. Moreover, the technology associated with open source software is immature i.e. not tested nor does it have a successful history. However, in order to overcome these challenges, organizations must train their staff and hire third party support and maintenance services. Moreover, for eliminating integration issues with legacy systems, middleware can be used for supporting integration functions. Furthermore, for addressing forking, self-resolving capabilities with the aid of self-managed standards is required. In addition, to address software immaturity, organizations must follow open source software maturity models and white papers for proper evaluation. Works Cited Crammond, Tony. "Head to Head: Office 2010 vs. Open Office 3.1 | IT PRO Reviews " 13/3/2010 2010. Web. 3/12/2012 . "Jet-Computing.com  » Linux Mint "Web. 3/12/2012

Management Health Care Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management Health Care - Term Paper Example Introduction United States healthcare system is currently undergoing a transformation. The changes that are occurring in this industry are totally unprecedented and are responsible for the changed outlook of this industry. In the United States, healthcare services are fundamentally provided by separate legal entities belong to the private sector of the country. Government also lends it support to healthcare seekers in the form of government funded programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-care, Child Health Insurance Program and Veteran Health Administration. In this industry, employers and health insurance agencies also play a vital role (Odier, 2010). Currently, in the United States a heated debate is going on over the issue of healthcare cost to the general public and its widespread availability at the time of need. These healthcare reforms seeks to address issues such as right to healthcare; access to health care for everyone; fairness of the healthcare service provider; and efficien cy with which health care services are administered to patients. ... Despite of huge investments in healthcare, it has been found that its infant mortality rate in USA is higher and life expectancy rate is less than any other industrialized nation. Recent industry data indicates that the country has gained little in returns against huge expenditures. Obesity, heart diseases and cancer has surged amongst American population. This signifies crisis in the healthcare industry (Dougherty and Conway, 2008). These above mentioned situations in the industry are heavily influencing the way the industry is shaping itself. Consequently, a heated debate is underway regarding the role of healthcare service providers and other stakeholders of this industry. Discussion The debate is over the current situation of health care industry in United States, these are administered from four separate perspectives which are elaborated below. Scenario 1: Business as Usual This scenario for health care management and development in United States stems from a business perspectiv e. Accordingly, this side of picture advocates that the health care strategy and its corresponding procedure is a product of health care market demand and supply drift and government intercession. A trend of aging has been witnessed in America with time in the American population progression; it has been found that the life expectancy of Americans has been increased by 20 years over the last 5 decades. The percentage of the total American population heading towards aging has also been increased with baby boomers generations’ senescence. This wide fraction of Americans has identified the growing segment of market which demands integrated health care systems and institutions (Shortell and Kaluzny, 2005). The cost of establishing a

Greek-Orthodox religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek-Orthodox religion - Research Paper Example Byzantine Christianity, which is the base of Greek Orthodoxy, is built with a combination of Christian and Hellenic heritage and is marked by â€Å"its liturgy, use of religious images (icons), veneration of saints and relics, monastic practices, and imperial grandeur† (Laderman and Leon, 294). The term orthodoxy represents, â€Å"proper glorification of God through appropriate worship† (Makrides, 66). The â€Å"defining feature† of Orthodox Christianity can be put more precisely as, â€Å"doctrinal correctness† (Makrides, 66). It also has its own â€Å"ritual tradition and institutional structures† (Makrides, 66). The basic theological premise of this strain of Christianity is not completed simply with a â€Å"belief in one Christian God† but has to be â€Å"the correct (â€Å"Orthodox†) belief in the one true and Trinitarian Christian God† (Makrides, 66). For Greek Orthodox religion, the ultimate salvation of the faithful is à ¢â‚¬Å"dependent on upholding the sole correct Christian faith, uncontaminated from deviant interpretations and influences† (Makrides, 66). The Greek Orthodox believers declare that they are the preservers of Christianity in its pure and correct form. They have drawn their theological beliefs and rituals from the seven Ecumenical Councils held between 325 and 787 and claim that they are preserving Christianity in the pure form as established by the Apostles (Makrides, 67). When a deep study is made into Orthodox Christianity, it can be seen that Greek Orthodoxy has a more profound sense of ecology than any other Christian religious system. In the present scenario of environmental destruction and predictions of global warming, it is the theology of Greek Orthodoxy that can lead human kind to evolve a comprehensive Christian ecology, which can impart a platform for our interactions with nature. The Trinitarian relationships as is delineated in Greek Orthodoxy can become the basis for deriving an ecological perspective based on Orthodoxy. The â€Å"relationships† itself establishes the relational aspect of the â€Å"very being of things† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). These relations are again, profoundly anchored in the â€Å"Trinitarian relationships of mutual love† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). The logic behind this supposition is that â€Å"if the Creator’s being is radically relational, then this suggests something about the nature of created reality† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). This is why Greek Orthodox theologian, John Zizioulas is quoted as saying, â€Å"it is communion that makes things be: nothing exists without it, not even God† (as cited in Edwards and Worthing, 99). From this theological background arises the notion that human and all other living creatures are â€Å"radically inter-relational and interdependent† (Edwards and Worthing, 100). And God is defined as all creatures in communion (Edwards an d Worthing, 100). Hence, Orthodoxy states that â€Å"the distinction between creator and creation is dissolved† which presents humans as embedded in nature, in God (Edwards and Worthing, 114). It is evident from the above discussion that while Western Christianity is rightfully criticized for being created the human-nature duality, and the notion that God has created nature to serve the humans, Eastern Orthodoxy resolves that dualism. It has a more environmentally realistic notion about this topic, as is delineated by White who wrote about this subject in the website, www.asa3.org. White has elaborated this argument by putting Greek Orthodoxy against Christian anthropocentrism. He (White) said: The Greeks believed that sin was intellectual blindness, and that salvation was found in

Principles of MicroEconomics Speech or Presentation

Principles of MicroEconomics - Speech or Presentation Example This will cause an increase in price of butter. Holding all other factors constant the demand of butter will reduce form Q0 to Q1.this can be seen well from the graph. a. True. Price elasticity of demand is the responsiveness or sensitivity of consumers to price changes. The demand curve shows the quantity of goods or services individuals are willing are will to buy at different prices. Price elasticity coefficient us given by: b. False. This because cross-price elasticity of demand is a ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded of some good X to a percentage change in the price of some other Y. This means that if the two goods are substitutes the cross elasticity will be positive and if the cross-price elasticity of demand is negative the good are complimentary. c. True. This is because in the short run everything is fixed, therefore constructors have limited time to increase construction of apartments. Even though construction firms can still increase production by increasing labor force and efficiency, but relative to the long run supply is still inelastic. In the long run construction firms have enough time to change quantities of their resources and for new firms can start constructing apartments. Therefore the longer the time the more likely will increase quantity of apartments supplied. Even-though the time may not be long enough to change their production techniques to meet the supply needs, they have longer responsive time to switch resources such as raw materials, location of construction and amount of

707 discussion 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

707 discussion 1 - Assignment Example In evidence based practice, data and information develops knowledge for better practice and accumulates wisdom for rational decision-making. Data, information, and knowledge also contribute to wisdom in leadership for situational decision making towards effective influence into desired patient outcomes. Computer literacy is the knowledge of and ability to use computer and its associated technology for communication and for development and application of knowledge (Robinson, 2008). Information literacy, however, is the capacity to identify, analyze, manage, and utilize information to meet emerging needs (Lanning, 2014). The two illiteracies therefore define knowledge of an object and ability to utilize the knowledge. Information literacy is however diverse and includes computer literacy. Level of a professional’s computer and information literacy is directly proportional to ability to plan for or offer care to patients, interact with employees, and educate clients and family members because of associated knowledge that the literacy offers and capacities that a professional gain for professional and social

Study Material Essay Example for Free

Study Material Essay How did the project(krrish) created taking into consideration the Indian diaspora abroad We need to recognize right away that Bombay-based Hindi cinema’s output in its entirety does not reach and/or succeed in markets abroad. It is a speciï ¬ c kind of cinema that has, since the mid-1990s, ‘brought the NRI decisively into the center of the picture as a more stable ï ¬ gure of Indian identity than anything that can be found indigenously’. The popularity of films such as DDLJ, kaho na pyaar hai,K3G, etc have increased the popularity of Bollywood films abroad especially amongst NRI’s. The main points that can be concluded to the answer to the above question are- 1. Success of movies like DDLJ, gaining worldwide popularity and hence leading to the globalization of the hindi film industry. 2.NRIs like to watch technology based movies, in which there are lot of action packed performances mixed with a mastered touch of computerized technology that enhances the visual effects and hence the overall feel of the film. 3. Hindi cinema’s historically close ties to modes of imagining the Indian nation, and the diaspora’s emotional ties to India, can be used to reach the hearts of families engaged with NRI/family-centric narratives such as K3G,DDLJ,etc particularly the articulation of cultural citizenship as belonging in the ‘great Indian family’. How did Mr.Rakesh Roshan used two countries competitiveness for the project(India and Singapore)? The following points were kept in mind by Mr. Rakesh Roshan in order to use the relations of both the countries to direct and produce Krrish. 1. Among all the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Singapore is India’s largest investments, export and trading partner. 2. The corporate tax of Singapore is one of the lowest in Asia-pacific. 3. India has become Singapores 4th biggest tourist destination and more than 650,000 Indians visited Singapore in 2006.This could definitely be used to promote the film there, even in its budding stage. 4. The government of Singapore does create much hassle to give shooting permissions, especially to reputed Indian filmmakers. 5. Singapore was concerned with China-backed communist threats as well as domination from Malaysia and Indonesia and sought a close strategic relationship with India.So because of the old relations and less restrictions imposed on the Indians visiting Singapore,this film could be easily directed as well as marketed there.

Analysis of Competition in the Technology Market

Analysis of Competition in the Technology Market EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dells competitive advantage is their direct customer sales and customer support; this has made the company one of the leading suppliers of computer systems. Dell has a better understanding of its customers computer needs through continuous online and telephone interaction. This constant interaction drives individual and enterprise productivity. Future growth rates for the computer industry are expected to be less than previous years however, Dell can still be profitable. One of the main problems that Dell faces is the struggling United States economy which Dell has no control over. This is compounded by a saturated PC market with lower profit margins from industry price wars. Dell must focus on being a market taker, instead of trying to be a market maker. Dell needs to capitalize on their ability to enter and dominate new markets, as it did in the low-end server and workstation markets. The company must pursue an international expansion of their middle and high-end server products. T hrough the acquisition of a company like EMC Corporation Dell can pursue the external data storage market. Dell has already captured a large share of the United States market and must increase its server, storage, and service segment overseas to gain more international market share, particularly in China and Latin America. The only viable strategy in order to achieve Michael Dells goal to double Dell Computers current revenue to $60 billion by 2007 is to work on methods to improve sales in the stated new areas. A combination of service, storage and server product growth across newly established international markets is vital to achieve Dells ambitious goal. The United States economy is in a recession, but there are numerous opportunities for growth outside its borders. INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT In the early 2000s, the electronic computer industry was struggling amidst a weak economic climate that presented challenges in business and consumer markets alike. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, after a sharp increase from $56.9 billion in 1998 to $64.7 billion in 1999, electronic computer shipment values fell in 2000 to $62.9 billion. As the economy took a turn for the worse, shipment values plunged to $55.8 billion in 2001. This affected virtually every product segment within the industry, including servers and workstations. Along with values, actual unit shipments also declined, falling from 27.2 million in 2000 to 22.7 million in 2001 (XXX). In the early 2000s there were numerous factors that slowed the purchase of new computers. On September 11, 2001 the terrorist attacks crippled consumer confidence. There was also a rise in the unemployment rates and the possibility of war with Iraq. All these factors made customers content with keeping their existing computers. These s ame conditions caused a slowdown of technology spending in the corporate world too. The wave of year 2000 related new equipment purchases that took place at the end of the 1990s, as well as the availability of quality used equipment from bankrupt Internet companies in the early 2000s, also had a negative impact on the corporate market for new electronic computers. Global competition among computer makers has favored, low-cost producers, and many of these are United States firms. The four largest United States computer makers, Dell, Compaq, Hewlett- Packard, and IBM controlled approximately 40 percent of world computer shipments. In late 2000, Dell proved itself as a potent competitor by taking the title of world market leader away from Compaq. In 2002 Hewlett-Packard had acquired Compaq, in an effort to challenge Dells position. In 2005 the industry reported 2,278 companies manufacturing electronic computers, employing 90,762 people who generated some $196,557.41 million in revenue. Average sales totaled $116.4 million per company. Electronic computers represented 59.7 percent of the market, while digital personal computers garnered 23.5 percent of the market (Electronic Computers, 2007). LEADING COMPANIES DELL Dell designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells and supports information technology systems and services. The company sells its products directly to large corporate, government, healthcare, and education customers as well as small to medium businesses and individual consumers. Dell offers its products in six categories: desktop computer systems, mobility products, software and peripherals, servers and networking products and storage products. The desktop computer systems offer three product lines: Optiplex, Dimension and XPS. The company also offers Precision work stations (Galenet, 2008). The Optiplex product line is primarily for business, government, and institutional customers and the Dimension product line is for small businesses and home users. The XPS product line is for the gaming and entertainment needs of the customers. For the users that run sophisticated applications like three-dimensional computer-aided design, digital content creation, geographic information systems, computer animation, software development and financial analysis the company offers the Precision workstation. The mobility products division provides MP3 players, handhelds (Dell Axim) and three lines of notebooks (Dell XPS, Latitude and Inspiron). The XPS product line for  notebooks targets customers in the gaming or entertainment segment. The Latitude product line focuses on business, government, and institutional customers, while the Inspiron product line is targeted at small businesses. Dell is a leading player in the United States and worldwide for notebook computer shipments (Company Spotlight, 2008). The software and peripheral products of Dell includes printers and displays, software, notebook accessorie s, networking and wireless products, digital cameras, power adapters, scanners and other products. The company offers variety of third party software products such as operating systems, business and office applications, anti-virus and related security software and entertainment software. The companys power edge line of server focuses on enterprise customers and small organizations. Dell is the market leader in the United States in shipments of x86 servers. Computers and servers on small to medium networks can be connected using Dells PowerConnect switches. Dell doesnt just provide products, they also offer infrastructure consulting services, deployment services, asset recovery and recycling services, training services, enterprise support services, client support services and managed lifecycle services. Through Dell Financial Services (DFS) the company can provide United States businesses financing alternatives and asset management services. HEWLETT-PACKARD Hewlett-Packard (HP) offers a complete product portfolio spanning across personal computing, imaging and printing related products and services, and technology solutions. The company operates through seven business segments: enterprise storage and servers, HP services, software, the personal systems group, the imaging and printing group, HP Financial services and corporate investments. The enterprise storage and servers, HP services and software segment are aggregated under the technology solutions group. Hewlett-Packard is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and the company operates in over 170 countries around the world. The United States is the largest geographical market, 33.4 percent of the total revenue during 2007 (Smith, 2008). Enterprise storage and servers provide storage and server products to both small and medium sized businesses. Industry standard servers include entry-level and mid-range ProLiant servers, which operate primarily on the Windows, Linux and Novell operating systems, and Intel Corporation (Intel) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors. The companys product lines span across pedestal-tower servers, density optimized rack servers and HPs BladeSystem family of blade servers. The technology solutions group includes enterprise storage and servers, HP services and HP software. Technology solutions group provide servers, storage, software and information technology services for enterprise and mid-market business customers to manage their current IT environments. Business critical systems include Itanium-based Integrity servers running on the HPUX, Windows, Linux and OpenVMS operating systems including the high-end Superdome servers  and fault-tolerant Integrity NonStop servers. Business critical systems also include the Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)-based servers with the HP 9000 line running on the HP-UX operating system, HP AlphaServers running on both Tru64 UNIX and Open Virtual Memory System, and MIPs-based NonStop servers. The company has planned to phase out its Alpha server product line in recent times (PCs Industry Profile, 2008). Hewlett-Packards services include technology services, consulting and integration, and outsourcing services. It serves industries such as communications, media and entertainment, manufacturing and distribution, financial services and the public sector, and government and education services. The technology services ranges from standalone product support to high availability services for multi-vendor environments and business continuity and recovery services. The consulting and integration segment provided consulting and integration services to implement technology and industry-specific solutions for customers. Outsourcing services provides IT management and outsourcing to support infrastructure, applications, business processes, end user workplace, print environment, and business continuity and recovery requirements. HP Software provides management software solutions including support, that allow enterprise customers to manage their IT infrastructure, operations, applications, IT services and business processes under the brand, HP OpenView. It also delivers comprehensive, carrier-grade software platforms for developing and deploying next generation voice, data and converged services to network and service providers under the HP OpenCall brand. Hewlett Packard acquired Mercury Interactive Corporation, Bristol Technologies, SPI Dynamics and Opsware in fiscal 2007, which added transaction monitoring, applications security testing and data center automation capabilities to its portfolio. Personal systems group (PSG) is one of the leading providers of personal computers (PCs) in the world based both on volume and annual revenue. Its product line includes commercial PCs, consumer PCs, workstations, handheld computing devices, digital entertainment systems, calculators and other related accessories, and software and services. Workstations are individual computing products designed for users demanding enhanced performance such as computer animation, engineering design and other programs requiring high-resolution graphics. HP provides workstations that run on UNIX, Windows and Linux-based operating systems. Hewlett-Packard is the leading imaging and printing systems provider in the world. The segments portfolio of offerings includes consumer and commercial printer hardware, printing supplies, printing media and scanning devices. The HP Financial services provide financial service to small and medium size businesses. It also offers leasing, financing, utility programs and asset recovery services, financial asset management services for large global and enterprise customers. This group provides innovative and customized services to counter technology obsolescence. ACER Acer functions in the manufacture and sale of IT products, and provision of computer software and maintenance services. The company operates in Taiwan, Europe, Asia, and North America. The company operates through a single business segment and sells Acer branded desktop personal computers (PCs), notebook PCs, and other related information technology (IT) products and services. Acers IT product range includes computer system (desktops, notebooks, handhelds, and tablets), servers and storage products, monitors (cathode ray tube and liquid crystal display), peripherals, projectors, internet appliances and personal multimedia, and digital still cameras (DSC). Acer provides a commercial and consumer series desktop. The commercial series desktops include Veriton and AcerPower brands and the consumer series include the Aspire brand. The company provides four series of notebooks: Aspire series, TravelMate series, Tablet PC series, and Ferrari series. The Tablet series is Acers latest high-mobility solution, which easily converts between notebook and slate modes. Acers servers and storage products are sold under the brand name Altos and Acer. Acers services are based on the MegaMicro business model, which is defined by the company as a mega infrastructure that supports micro services. The services offered include e-Enabling Services Business, enabling Information Platform Services, and Enterprise e-Caring Services. The companys e-Enabling offerings combine Acers IT products and services, and are delivered through the companys infrastructure. (Acer.com, 2008) APPLE Apple is one of the major providers of personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices. Apple designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers and related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The company also designs, develops, and markets a line of portable digital music players along with related accessories and services including the online distribution of third-party music, audio books, music videos, short films, and television shows. The company sells its products worldwide through online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers and resellers. Acer is managed on a basis of geographic segments. The company operates through four operating segments: the Americas, Europe, Japan, and retail. The Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. Each reportable geographic operating segment provides the same kind of hardware and software products and services. The retail segment currently operates Apple-owned retail stores in the United States, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company has 174 retail stores in the United States and 23 stores in Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Apples Desktops product line includes iMac, eMac, Mac mini, Power Mac, Mac Pro, and Xserve. Portables include MacBook, iBook, MacBook Pro, and PowerBook. iPod products include iTunes Store and iPod services, and the companys own and third party iPod accessories. Other music related products and services include hardware accessories of the company and third parties, wireless connectivity and networking solutions. Software services comprise Apple  branded operating system and application software, third party software, AppleCare, and Internet services. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT The threat of new entrants into PC market is moderate, a compromise between high brand recognition in the market and strong market growth. The new web enabled mobile phones and games consoles fill the needs of some buyers as well as PCs making the threat of substitutes moderate. Rivalry within the market is moderate, as large competitors are faced with relatively high exit barriers, but still enjoying strong growth that leaves plenty of expansion room for all players. There is product differentiation within the market in terms of technical specification, styling, and support services offered, leading to decrease buyer power. However, there is little differentiation in the underlying architecture, with even Apple recently moving to the use of Intels x86 processors. This pushes the market towards commodification and strengthens buyer power. Buyer power can also be increased if more technology savvy people build their own computer. This requires special knowledge and is only a valid alt ernative to a small portion of the customer base. Buyer power overall remains moderate. Supplier power is low because PC manufactures do not incur a significant cost when switching suppliers. However, Intel has strong supplier power due to its brand recognition of its products and use in the vast majority of PCs on the markets. Microsoft also has strong supplier power as a result of their dominance in the operating systems market. The overall supplier power is strong. The threat of substitutes within the PC market is moderate, with much of the functionality of modern PCs being unavailable through alternative means. However, one of the largest threats to the consumer PC market lies within the sphere of gaming, especially with respect to the next generation games consoles, whose increased specifications are attracting gamers away from the PC format. Mobile phones and similar hand-held devices with email and web browser capability can also replace much of the communication role of PCs. The major PC manufacturers are relatively large companies. Some are strongly focused on the PC market (e.g. Lenovo), others have broadly diversified businesses (e.g. Sony), and so that on average the importance of the PC market to its players is moderate. COMPANY SWOT DELL Strengths Despite losing market share to Hewlett-Packard Company in the recent past, Dell continues to remain a strong player in the computer hardware segment. In the computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing industry in the United States, Dell was in the second place behind the Hewlett-Packard Company. In the computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers industry in the United States, Dell was in the first place with a market share of 6.5 percent. Dell is also one of the leading players in the global servers segment. The company has a strong market position in the storage segment owing to its partnership with EMC. The companys Asia Pacific-Japan segment has reported strong performance in recent three years. The revenue of this segment increased from $5,465 million in fiscal 2005 to $7,358 million in fiscal 2007, an increase of 34.6 percent over 2005. All product categories in this region experienced revenue growth during fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2006. The company has a wide product portfolio, comprising desktops, notebooks, servers, storage products, networking, printers, ink and toner, televisions, software and accessories. Dell has formed partnerships to strengthen its presence in areas where it is weak. A wide portfolio of products has helped the company provide bundled offerings to customers. Weaknesses Dell has weak internal controls. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) started an investigation into the accounting and financial reporting matters at Dell, in August 2005. In 2006 The company announced that its Audit Committees investigation had identified a number of accounting errors, evidence of misconduct, and deficiencies in the financial control environment. The company has had to recall several products in the recent past owing to quality issues. In August 2006, the company announced the recall of 4.1 million notebook batteries owing to fire risk. These Dell branded batteries were based on cells of Sony. The company also recalled several other products in previous years owing to quality problems, including AC Adapters and printers. Opportunities Dell has acquired new companies in 2007 and also plans to go in for acquisitions in the future. In July 2007, Dell entered into an agreement to acquire privately-held SilverBack Technologies, a service delivery platform provider for remote monitoring and management of information technology infrastructure such as servers, storage, networks, desktops and notebooks. In the following month, Dell entered into an agreement to acquire ZING Systems, a private consumer technology and services company that focuses on always-connected audio and entertainment devices. This acquisition enables Dell to use ZINGs capabilities to continue improving the entertainment experiences it provides its customers. In November 2007, the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EqualLogic, (Dell.com, 2008) a provider of high-performance iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions optimized for virtualization. The  global Personal Computer (PC) market generated total revenues of $163.8 billion in 2006, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3 percent for the period spanning from 2002 to 2006. Desktop sales proved the most lucrative for the global PC market in 2006, generating total revenues of $123.1 billion, equivalent to 66.9 percent of the markets overall  value. In comparison, sales of Laptops generated revenues of $60.9 billion in 2006, accounting for 33.1 percent of the markets aggregate revenues. The company is entering into new retail agreements to enable consumers to have greater access to Dell products. In September 2007, the company partnered with Gome, Chinas largest consumer electronics retailer to reach millions of in-store computer buyers and to sell the companys latest products through it. In October 2007, Staples and Dell signed an agreement which allows customers to have the option to buy at 1,400 Staples stores for a wide collection of Dell notebook and desktop computers, monitors, printers, ink and toner (Dell.com, 2007). Threats The electronics manufacturing industry is struggling to compete with the black market, parallel import, and smuggled goods. Some countries like China represented an overwhelming 81 percent of the total value of seized goods in 2006. With an increase in the number of counterfeit products being manufactured in China, the company faces serious threats in most of its market segments. These products, although of poorer quality in most cases, are considerably cheaper and may affect the revenue of the company in the long run. Dells failure to comply with new environmental legislation could result in significant penalties and liabilities. Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) Directive, effective as of July 2006, imposes restrictions on the use of six hazardous materials. Although the company uses a number of third party manufacturers, it will continue to bear responsibility for compliance with the ROHS directive. The European Union has also enacted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive which makes producers of electrical goods, including computers and printers, financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal of past and  future covered products. The United States and Eurozone are two important markets for Dell. The recent turmoil in financial markets, the very weak housing market indicators and consumer sentiments, the growth projection for the United States and the United Kingdome has slowed. Economic slowdown in the United States and Eurozone could lead to less IT spending, which in turn would adversely affect demand for the companys products. HEWLETT-PACKARD Strengths Hewlett-Packard has a strong market position in most of its product segments. The company has a leading market position in the global PC market in terms of shipments. Hewlett-Packard seized market leadership from Dell in the global PC market in 2006 and managed to sustain it in 2007 with 19 percent market share. The company is the second largest entity in the servers market behind International Business Machines (IBM), with its server range extending from low-end systems to high-end systems. In particular, the company is the market leader in x86 Blade and UNIX based servers. Hewlett-Packard has a leading market position in printers. Hewlett-Packard has reported strong financials in recent years. The company has reduced its long-term debt over the last few years from $6,494 million in 2003 to $4,997 million in 2007. Hewlett-Packards long-term debt ratio stood at 0.1 for the fiscal year ended October 2007. The strong financial position provides the company the flexibility of expanding its geographical coverage and product portfolio through organic and inorganic initiatives. Hewlett-Packard also has high brand equity. The company is one of the leading brands in the technology sector along with Microsoft, IBM and Intel. Hewlett-Packard markets several products such as personal computers, inkjet printers and digital cameras to consumers. A strong brand image plays a critical role in consumer markets. Weaknesses Hewlett-Packard has weak internal controls. The company is being investigated by a number of agencies for employing questionable methods to identify the board member, who was leaking  confidential information to the media (Los Angeles Times, 2006). The company is accused of using private agencies, which used illegal methods such as imitation to obtain the phone records of its board members and select journalists. Hewlett-Packard lacks in-house management consulting division. Instead the company has formed partnerships with the likes of Accenture and Capgemini to provide management consulting services to its customers. Increasing number of IT services companies are establishing management consulting divisions in order to provide a more comprehensive and integrated range of services. The research and development expenditure of Hewlett-Packard has remained flat in recent years. The company invested $3,643 million in research and development in each year of 2006 and 2007 compared with $3,492 million in 2005. Research and development as a percentage of revenues declined over the last three years from 4 percent in 2005 and 3.9 percent in 2006 to 3.5 percent in 2007 (HP.com, 2007). Opportunities Hewlett-Packard has undertaken an ambitious revamp of its IT operations, which it hopes will not only improve its effectiveness but also serve as a showcase for its technological capabilities. Hewlett-Packard has taken up five classes of IT initiatives: portfolio management, IT workforce effectiveness, world-class IT, enterprise data warehouse and global data centers. The portfolio management initiatives of the company include reducing active projects from 1,200 to 500 and reducing the number of applications. For improving IT workforce, the company is reducing its IT core sites from 100 to 29 among other initiatives. The company is focused on extending its leadership in imaging and printing. HP acquired Snapfish, online photo service, to dominate the sharing and printing of digital images over the internet. Hewlett-Packard is expanding Snapfish in Europe and Asia. Threats Hewlett-Packard faces intense competition in all its business segments in terms of price, quality,  brand, technology, reputation, distribution, range of products etc. The company faces stiff competition in the PC market. The company has become the market leader in the PC segment in the third and fourth quarter of 2006, sending Dell to the number two position. Acers acquisition of Gateways has made it the third largest PCs supplier in the world. In some regions, the company faces competition from local companies and from generically-branded or white box manufacturers. In the printer supplies segment, Hewlett-Packard competes with re-manufacturers including private label brand stores such as Office Max, supply stores such as Cartridge world, internet vendors and original equipment manufacturers such as Lexmark. The European markets and the United States economy are forecast to decline in coming years. The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom is also forecast to grow in 2008. Risi ng interest rates and increasing unemployment would negatively affect the consumer spending in the United Kingdom. ACER Strengths Acer has robust market position in the global PC and notebook markets. In 2008, the company was ranked as the third largest player in the global PC market with a market share of 12.8 percent. Acer was ranked the second largest in the global notebook market with a share of 19.6 percent. The company was ranked the third largest player in the United States PC market and notebook market. In September 2008, the company completed acquisition E-Ten Information Systems (Acer-group.com, 2008). The acquisition helped the company to strengthen its position in handheld devices, including smartphones and GPS devices. Acer also purchased Packard Bell in 2008. In 2007 the company purchased one of the largest PC companies in the United States, Gateway. The successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell helped the company to strengthen its presence in the United States and enabled deeper penetration into the European and Asian markets. These acquisitions helped the company in generating increasing re venues from non-Taiwan markets. Weaknesses Acer is significantly dependent on Europe for its revenues. In FY2008 and FY2007, the company generated around 51 percent of its total revenues from Europe. Europe is experiencing a slowdown in the recent periods. The United Kingdom economy is forecast to be weak in the coming years. The companys high dependence on Europe makes its operations vulnerable to fluctuations in Europe economy. Opportunities The smartphone market is expected to grow in the coming years. It is anticipated that the smartphone market will grow by 15 percent every year for the next three to five years. The value of the global smartphone market is also expected to be more than $95 billion, representing 47 percent of the total handset market value in 2013. Acer is well-positioned in this segment. The growing smartphone market will provides the company an opportunity to increase its revenues in the coming years. Despite the slowdown in the overall PC market, the netbooks/mini-notebooks sales are forecast to grow in near term. The netbook market experienced a robust growth in 2008 and is forecast to grow about 68.5 percent in shipments. Acer offers netbooks under its four brands: Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. Acer has upgraded its products in the recent times. In September 2008, Acer along with its partners introduced Acer-Hitachi SMS 100, a storage product designed for the needs of small and medium sized businesses. The product offers enterprise class features and does not require specific storage experience to be installed and can be connected to any server through an ethernet network. Acer also launched the Aspire M7200 desktop PC targeting multimedia home-users looking for a powerful multi-tasking system, with plenty of expansion and customization capabilities Threats Acer competes with several large branded as well as smaller branded and generic companies. The company faces severe competition from branded competitors such as Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard. The note book segment has also attracted competition from nontraditional players. Intense competition in the PC segment may erode the companys margins and reduce its market share. Acer has been part of several patent law suits in the recent periods. In 2007, HP  filed a suit against Acer alleging that Acer and its United States subsidiary have knowingly infringed on five HP patents related to PCs. This has raised HPs recent patent claims against Acer to 10. However in 2008, Acer settled all ongoing patent litigations with HP. Acer operates in various countries worldwide, and is exposed to risk from changes in foreign currency rates. The company derived about 95.3 percent of sales from customers outside Taiwan in FY2008. The consolidated companies record transactions in their respective func tional currencies, which generally are the local currency of the primary economic environment in which these entities operate. APPLE Strengths Apple enjoys a high level of brand awareness and brand recognition for its products throughout the markets in which it operates. Apple leverages its brand image to differentiate its product offering and drive sales. The companys strong brand enables it t

Microbial Contamination on Toothbrush Storage

Microbial Contamination on Toothbrush Storage The study of microbial contamination on storing a toothbrush in a bathroom with a toilet Abstract Aims: To examine the microbial contamination of storing a toothbrush in the bathroom with a toilet among the Colony Forming Unit (CFU) of microbial groups. Methods and Results: The results are analyzed by the counting of CFU of agar plates Conclusion: The toothbrush storing in a bathroom with a toilet or without toilet is being contaminated and it is a bad place for storage Introduction Escherichia coli (E.coli) is recognized as a coliform bacterium which is gram negative, anaerobically developed and shaped like a rod. It is generally found in the intestine of warm-blooded animals such as humans. In addition, E.coli is able to discharge into the environment with fecal substance under airborne condition especially by the flushing of toilet and the bacteria can grow numerously in fresh fecal substances aerobically for short periods of time. The bacterial aerosols by the flushing can move as far as six to eight feet away from the toilet. A humid, warm surface permit more bacteria to grow and the bristles of the toothbrush would increase the surface area for microbial adhesion, hence, the fecal-oral transmission can be used as a major route via which pathogenic strain of bacteria to bring into oral diseases. Apparently, the occurrence of fecal coliforms in water is not straightforwardly harmful and does not essentially express the presence of feces (Doyle, M. P., and M. C. Erickson. 2006). Five types of plates were used with the microbial groups in this experiment. Chocolate blood agar, CBA, is an unselective and a medium with enriched development used for fastidious bacterial isolation.[1][2][3] It is a alternative of the blood agar plate which contains red blood cells lysed by moderate heating to 80  °C. Reasoners 2A agar, R2A, is used for the isolation of heterotrophic bacteria from treated drinkable water (Sandle, T, 2004). These bacteria is likely to grow slowly and would rapidly be restrained by speedy-growing species on a rich medium. Diagnostics Pseudomonas Isolation Agar, PYO, is used for the isolation and differentiation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa selectively by raising the pyocyanin production. Pyocyanin production is indicated as a bluish-green, water-soluble pigment that gives a greenish color into the media (Bodey, G.D., et al., 1989). Malt Extract Agar, ME, is used for the cultivation and isolation of yeasts and molds by suitable nutrient supply (7). The pH is modified to nearly 5.5 for upgrading the fungi growth and to lightly hinder bacterial growth which usually determined as environmental contaminants.(6) Lauryl Sulfate Broth, LTA, is used for the isolation of coliforms in water and foods. The coliform groups involves aerobic and facultative anaerobic, gram-negative and the bacilli without spores which is able to progress the fermentation of lactose and generate acid and gas at 35 °C. Additionally the LTA44 °C makes faecal coliforms to be enumerated and the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate demonstrates excelle nt inhibition of organisms except the coliforms. The technique of spreading plates is used for the isolation and enumeration of microorganisms in a mixed culture by even allocation. This method can measure the bacteria easier by using a sterilized spreader and applying a small quantity of bacteria suspension on the surface of plate. The plate is required to be dry before incubation so the bacteria can be absorbed into the agar rapidly. The plate counting approximate the amount of cells depend on the capability to produce colonies under particular states of nutrient medium, temperature and time. The counting of CFU believes that every colonies is aggregate and observed by a single viable cell.[1] Moreover, CFU/mL of the original suspension is figured out mathematically and then factored in the quantity plated and the dilution factor. This study aims to examine the microbiological contamination of toothbrush to prove whether a bathroom with a toilet is a good place to store a toothbrush or not. Material and methods Sample collections and suspensions preparation of samples Group 1, Stored normally at the sink in a bathroom which contained a toilet situated 0.5 2 m away from the sink. Group 2, not stored near a toilet. Brush either stored in bedroom or in bathroom devoid of toilet. The samples of plaque, toothbrush, sink and tap water were collected by respective sterile method. The plaque sample was put into a 2.5ml Ringers solution and sonicated for 10 minutes. Then the weight of plaque sample is determined by weighing the bijou bottle and the toothpick is removed by aseptic techniques. The toothbrush sample is put into the 10ml Ringers solution into a Universal bottle and the toothbrush head is cut and removed aseptically. The swab originated from 2 x 2 cm square of the sink sample is put into 2.5 Ringers solution of the bijou bottle and is vortexed for approximately 3 minutes. Then the swab is taken out by sterile techniques and the suspension is ensured to squeeze out of the swab. The sample of tap water is put into the 15ml of sterile tube. 10-fold dilutions and plates spreading Each of the samples were processed with orders of plaque, toothbrush, sink and tap water. Different dilutions of samples are prepared by the 10-fold dilutions expect the tap water samples. 0.5ml of undiluted original suspension (100) is removed and inoculated into 4.5 ml of another Ringers solution aseptically and mixed well to be a 10-1 dilution. All the samples are prepared down to 10-5dilution. Four plates of CBA, R2A, ME and two plates of PYO, LTA37 and LTA44 of each samples were collected and labelled. For the plaque sample, 2 PYO, 2 LTA37 and 2 LTA44 plates with 100, 2ME plates with 10-1, 2ME plates with 10-2, 2 CBA and 2 R2A plates with 10-4, 2 CBA and 2 R2A plates with 10-5 were inoculated. For the toothbrush sample, 2 PYO, 2 ME, 2 LTA37 and 2 LTA44 with 100, 2 ME plates with 10-1, 2 R2A with 10-2, 2 CBA and 2 R2A plates with 10-3, 2 CBA plates with 10-4 were inoculated. For the sink sample, 2 PYO, 2 LTA37 and 2 LTA44 plates with 100, 2 ME plates with 10-1, 2 ME and 2 R2A plates with 10-2, 2 CBA and 2 R2A plates with 10-3, 2 CBA plates with 10-4 were inoculated. For the tap water sample, all 18 plates were inoculated with 100 undilutedsuspension. 0.2ml of relative dilutions were spread across the surface of the agar plates with aseptic methods. All the plates were allowed to dry before inoculation. 2 LTA44 plates were put in the incubator with 44„ƒ, 2 PYO pla tes, 2 LTA37 and 4 CBA plates were put in the incubator with 37„ƒ, 4 R2A and 4 ME plates were put in the incubator with 25„ƒ (United States Pharmacopeia, 2015). Data collection The inoculated plates were collected and colonies were counted to determine the Colony Forming Units (CFU) by multiplying the average number of colonies by 5 to convert from 0.2ml to 1ml and is multiplied by the dilution factor. The best number of colonies (30-60 colonies) were counted for the plates which have two dilutions plated onto them. The CFU was calculated as the CFU ml-1 100 suspension and needed subsequent conversions except for the tap water sample. For the plaque, CFU ml-1 100 suspension was multiplied by 2.5 and divided by the weight of plaque to determine the CFU g-1 in 2.5ml bijou bottle. For the toothbrush, CFU ml-1 100 suspension was multiplied by 10 to determine the CFU head-1 in the 10ml Universal bottle. For the sink surface, CFU ml-1 100 suspension was multiplied by 2.5 and divided by 4 to determine the CFU cm-2 in the 2.5ml bijou bottle from a 4cm2 square. Results Mean CFUs per unit with SD : a measure that is used to quantify the amount of variation or dispersion of a set of data values.[1] A low standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be close to the mean (also called the expected value) of the set, while a high standard deviation indicates that the data points are spread out over a wider range of values. Average with SD (Plaque CFUs per gram) Group 1 (with toilet) Group 2 (without toilet) CBA 4.16+ 12 x 108 4.71 + 16 x 108 R2A 1.2 + 3.41 x 108 1.96 + 3.55 x 108 PYO 8.34+ 23.5 x 102 7.41 + 38.5 x 107 LTA37 4.7 + 23.4 x 102 8.49 + 4.33 x 103 LTA44 0 2.55 + 13.2 x 102 ME(yeasts) 3.35 + 8.78 x 104 9.51 + 49.2 x 105 ME (fil fungi) 1.72 + 6.2 x 104 2.95 + 5.71 x 103 Average with SD (toothbrush CFUs per head) Group 1 (with toilet) Group 2 (without toilet) CBA 1.92 +3.52 x 106 1.51 +5.76 x 107 R2A 2.35 +5.71 x 106 1.12 +4.60 x 107 PYO 1.27 +4.07 x104 2.78 +14.4 x 108 LTA37 1.84 +5.94 x104 2.54 +12.9 x 106 LTA44 1.18 +5.88 x 104 4.85 +24 x 104 ME(yeasts) 2.10 +9.78 x 104 3 +13.6 x 105 ME (fil fungi) 2.59 +11.8 x 104 1.34 +2.26 x 102 Average with SD (sink per square cm) Group 1 (with toilet) Group 2 (without toilet) CBA 8.91 +22.7 x 104 6.33 +24.7 x105 R2A 2.56 +11.5 x 105 7.82 +36.7 x105 PYO 1.22 +2.98 x 102 4.65 +16 x103 LTA37 4.55 +12.4 x102 5.73 +16.9 x103 LTA44 4.24 +14.5 x10 1.54 +6.19 x102 ME(yeasts) 4.84 +1.57 x 102 3.13 +7.55 x103 ME (fil fungi) 1.40 +1.76 x 102 4.71 +18.5 x102 Average with SD (tap water CFU per mL) Group 1 (with toilet) Group 2 (without toilet) CBA 1.53 +2.14 x 10 1.5 +7.69 x104 R2A 9.04 +21.6 10 3.49 +14.4 x104 PYO 8.46 +30.7 10-1 1.85 +9.62 x10-1 LTA37 0 3.7 +19.2 x10-2 LTA44 1.15 +5.88 10-1 0 ME(yeasts) 7.12 +19.5 9.7 +22.1 ME (fil fungi) 5.85 +19.5 4.44 +7.85 p-value. Two-tailed independent samples t-test (Group 1 vs Group 2) 95% = P plaque toothbrush sink Tap water CBA 0.891 0.251 0.269 0.325 R2A 0.437 0.336 0.488 0.234 PYO 0.341 0.331 0.155 0.291 LTA37 0.334 0.324 0.118 0.331 LTA44 0.341 0.453 0.375 0.313 ME(yeasts) 0.356 0.300 0.086 0.654 ME (fil fungi) 0.241 0.283 0.370 0.731 From the table, the CFU in the plaque sample collected from storing the toothbrush with and without toilet are observed. For the CBA and R2A, the CFU in group 1(with toilet) is counted as 4.16+ 12 x 108 CFU g-1 and 1.2 + 3.41 x 108 respectively, and the CFU in group2 (without toilet) is marginally greater than group1 which resulted as 4.71 + 16 x 108 and 1.96 + 3.55 x 108 respectively. For the PYO, LTA37, LTA44 and ME (yeasts), The CFU of group 2 are slightly more than the group 1 except the fewer CFU (2.95 + 5.71 x 103) without toilet than in which with toilet (1.72 + 6.2 x 104) observed in ME (fil fungi). It is found that the fewest CFU is on LTA44 or even observed as 0 CFU per unit since 44„ƒis over the optimal temperature and the bacteria can be inactive. Besides, for the other microbial groups, toothbrush, sink and the tap water samples, they showed the similar results as the plaque sample that the average CFUs per unit of the without toilet sets were slightly more tha n the sets with toilet on the CBA, R2A, PYP, LTA37, LTA44 and ME (yeasts) and the CFUs per unit of the without toilet sets were slightly less than the toilets sets. However, the samples in the tap water evaluated some differences from the other groups was that the small quantity of average CFUs per ml within each samples were indicated since the presence of fecal coliforms in water might not be directly harmful and did not necessarily indicate the presence of feces. Overall, the CFU of the plaque sample collected without toilet is slightly greater than which with toilet but probably there is no obvious difference between two groups by the examination of p value. P value is used to compare the significance of the tests. Significant difference between two groups can be determined if the p value is smaller than 0.05 and the null hypothesis is not be supported. From the table of two-tailed independent sample t-test, it indicated that all p values among the different agar plates of the 4 microbial groups are greater than 0.05 which showed that the difference between 2 groups for any sample type (with toilets and without toilets) or medium types are not significant. Although the tables showed large variability within a given sample, this is common for environmental samples and hence the null hypothesis is supported. Discussion The toothbrush, the plaque and the sink samples collected with or without the toilet sets, except the tap-water, were observed to contain large quantity of coliforms and it proved the presence of pathogenic bacteria, E.coli. The toothbrushes contamination acts as a crucial role in the expansion of various diseases such as respiratory infection and oral diseases (M. B. Dayoub, D. Rusilko, and A. Gross, 1977). Toothbrushes are often stored in the toilets and disclosed to contamination as it is a microbial atmosphere with the occurrence of pathogenic bacteria which is spread by aerosols and the flushing of toilets (Taji SS, Rogers AH, 1998). Moreover, the presence of the E.coli is correlated with the uncleaned bristles or the storage of brushes with high humidity (the sink) and warm environment which are near to the bristles and this can effectively enhance the spread and growth of bacteria than those stored in aerated conditions by 70%. (R. T. Glass, 1992). However, the experimental results showed the colony forming units in the bathroom without toilets sets were greater than the sets with toilets which is apparently difference from the hypothesis. P-values of Two-tailed independent samples t-test can evaluate the situation. Although the large variability within a given sample was observed, this is common for environmental samples. Because of the large variability, there is no significant difference between the two groups for any sample type or medium type. The p values is greater than 0.05 which showed 95% level of confidence that the two parameters are not the same and there is no enough difference within the samples to conclude a difference so the null hypothesis is accepted. It is conclude that toothbrush would get contaminated regardless of storing near or far from the toilet. There are some limitations existed in this experiment. Firstly, there is manageable amount of data for the analysis which can affect the precision of the results. In this experiment, only 26 samples and 27 samples for each groups were examined which were not excessive enough to evaluate the hypothesis. More sample sizes are suggested and hence sufficient statistical power to the final results can be determined. Another error would be the dilution error since the pipetting for 10- fold dilutions could lead to a considerable departure from the expected identity and inaccurate results. It is suggested that the precise pipetting from 10-1 down to 10-5 and proper vortex with vibration of suspension within each dilutions is required. Additionally, more time allowed for the first lab practical and appropriate aseptic techniques could be suggested to ensure the accuracy of results. References M. B. Dayoub, D. Rusilko, and A. Gross, Microbial contamination of toothbrushes, Journal of Dental Research, vol. 56, no. 6, article 706, 1977. View at Google Scholar R. T. Glass, Toothbrush types and retention of microorganisms: how to choose a biologically sound toothbrush, Journal-Oklahoma Dental Association, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 26-28, 1992. View at Google Scholar Taji SS, Rogers AH. The microbial contamination of toothbrushes. A pilot study. Aust Dent J. 1998 Apr;43(2):128-30 USP 61: Microbial Enumeration Tests (PDF). United States Pharmacopeia. Retrieved 24 March 2015. Sandle, T. (July 2004). An approach for the reporting of microbiological results from water systems. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol. 58 (4): 231-7. Doyle, M. P., and M. C. Erickson. 2006. Closing the door on the fecal coliform assay. Microbe 1:162-163. Sammons RL, Kaur D, Neal P. Bacterial survival and biofilm formation on conventional and antibacterial toothbrushes. Biofilms. 2004;1: 123-30. Bodey, G.D., et al. 1989. Infections caused by P. aeruginosa. Rev. Infect. Dis.; 5:279-313.