Atomic Bombs and How They Work

Atomic Bombs and How They Work There are two types of atomic explosions that can be facilitated by Uranium-235: fission and fusion. Fission, simply put, is a nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus splits into fragments (usually two fragments of comparable mass) all the while emitting 100 million to several hundred million volts of energy. This energy is expelled explosively and violently in the atomic bomb. A fusion reaction, on the other hand, is usually started with a fission reaction. But unlike the fission (atomic) bomb, the fusion (hydrogen) bomb derives its power from the fusing of nuclei of various hydrogen isotopes into helium nuclei. Atomic Bombs This article discusses the A-bomb or atomic bomb. The massive power behind the reaction in an atomic bomb arises from the forces that hold the atom together. These forces are akin to, but not quite the same as, magnetism. About Atoms Atoms are comprised of various numbers and combinations of the three sub-atomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons cluster together to form the nucleus (central mass) of the atom while the electrons orbit the nucleus, much like planets around a sun. It is the balance and arrangement of these particles that determine the stability of the atom. Splitability Most elements have very stable atoms which are impossible to split except by bombardment in particle accelerators. For all practical purposes, the only natural element whose atoms can be split easily is uranium, a heavy metal with the largest atom of all natural elements and an unusually high neutron-to-proton ratio. This higher ratio does not enhance its splitability, but it does have an important bearing on its ability to facilitate an explosion, making uranium-235 an exceptional candidate for nuclear fission. Uranium Isotopes There are two naturally-occurring isotopes of uranium. Natural uranium consists mostly of isotope U-238, with 92 protons and 146 neutrons (92146238) contained in each atom. Mixed with this is a 0.6% accumulation of U-235, with only 143 neutrons per atom. The atoms of this lighter isotope can be split, thus it is fissionable and useful in making atomic bombs. Neutron-heavy U-238 has a role to play in the atomic bomb as well since its neutron-heavy atoms can deflect stray neutrons, preventing an accidental chain reaction in a uranium bomb and keeping neutrons contained in a plutonium bomb. U-238 can also be saturated to produce plutonium (Pu-239), a man-made radioactive element also used in atomic bombs. Both isotopes of uranium are naturally radioactive; their bulky atoms disintegrating over time. Given enough time (hundreds of thousands of years), uranium will eventually lose so many particles that it will turn into lead. This process of decay can be greatly accelerated in what is known as a chain reaction. Instead of disintegrating naturally and slowly, the atoms are forcibly split by bombardment with neutrons. Chain Reactions A blow from a single neutron is enough to split the less-stable U-235 atom, creating atoms of smaller elements (often barium and krypton) and releasing heat and gamma radiation (the most powerful and lethal form of radioactivity). This chain reaction occurs when spare neutrons from this atom fly out with sufficient force to split other U-235 atoms that they come in contact with. In theory, it is necessary to split only one U-235 atom, which will release neutrons that will split other atoms, which will release neutrons ... and so on. This progression is not arithmetic; it is geometric and takes place within a millionth of a second. The minimum amount to start a chain reaction as described above is known as supercritical mass. For pure U-235, it is 110 pounds (50 kilograms). No uranium is ever quite pure, however, so in reality more will be needed, such as U-235, U-238, and Plutonium. About Plutonium Uranium is not the only material used for making atomic bombs. Another material is the Pu-239 isotope of the man-made element plutonium. Plutonium is only found naturally in minute traces, so useable amounts must be produced from uranium. In a nuclear reactor, uraniums heavier U-238 isotope can be forced to acquire extra particles, eventually becoming plutonium. Plutonium will not start a fast chain reaction by itself, but this problem is overcome by having a neutron source or highly radioactive material that gives off neutrons faster than the plutonium itself. In certain types of bombs, a mixture of the elements Beryllium and Polonium is used to bring about this reaction. Only a small piece is needed (supercritical mass is about 32 pounds, though as little as 22 can be used). The material is not fissionable in and of itself but merely acts as a catalyst to the greater reaction.

Introduction and Overview to World War I

Introduction and Overview to World War I World War I was a major conflict fought in Europe and around the world between July 28, 1914, and November 11, 1918. Nations from across all non-polar continents were involved,  although Russia, Britain, France, Germany, and Austria-Hungary dominated.  Much of the war was characterized by stagnant trench warfare and massive loss of life in failed attacks; over eight million people were killed in battle. Belligerent Nations The war was fought by two main power blocks: the Entente Powers, or Allies, comprised of Russia, France, Britain (and later the U.S.), and their allies on one side and the Central Powers of Germany, Austro-Hungary, Turkey, and their allies on the other. Italy later joined the Entente. Many other countries played smaller parts on both sides. Origins  of World War I European politics in the early twentieth century were a dichotomy: many politicians thought war had been banished by progress while others, influenced partly by a fierce arms race, felt war was inevitable. In Germany, this belief went further: the war should happen sooner rather than later, while they still (as they believed) had an advantage over their perceived major enemy, Russia. As Russia and France were allied, Germany feared an attack from both sides.  To mitigate this threat, the Germans developed the Schlieffen Plan, a swift looping attack on France designed to knock it out early, allowing for concentration on Russia. Rising tensions culminated on June 28th, 1914 with the assassination of  Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand  by a Serbian activist, an ally of Russia. Austro-Hungary asked for German support and was promised a blank cheque; they declared war on Serbia on July 28th. What followed was a sort of domino effect as more and more nations joined the fight. Russia mobilized to support Serbia, so Germany declared war on Russia; France then declared war on Germany. As German troops swung through Belgium into France days later, Britain declared war on Germany too. Declarations continued until much of Europe was at war with each other. There was widespread public support. World War I on Land After the swift German invasion of France was stopped at the Marne, the race to the sea followed as each side tried to outflank each other ever closer to the English Channel. This left the entire Western Front divided by over 400 miles of trenches, around which the war stagnated. Despite massive battles like Ypres, little progress was made and a battle of attrition emerged, caused partly by German intentions to bleed the French dry at Verdun and Britains attempts on the Somme. There was more movement on the Eastern Front with some major victories, but there was nothing decisive and the war carried on with high casualties. Attempts to find another route into their enemy’s territory led to the failed Allied invasion of Gallipoli, where Allied forces held a beachhead but were halted by fierce Turkish resistance. There was also conflict on the Italian front, the Balkans, the Middle East, and smaller struggles in colonial holdings where the warring powers bordered each other. World War I at Sea Although the build-up to war had included a naval arms race between Britain and Germany, the only large naval engagement of the conflict was the Battle of Jutland, where both sides claimed victory. Instead, the defining struggle involved submarines and the German decision to pursue Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (USW). This policy allowed submarines to attack any target they found, including those belonging to the neutral United States, which caused the latter to enter the war in 1917 on behalf of the Allies, supplying much-needed manpower. Victory Despite Austria-Hungary becoming little more than a German satellite, the Eastern Front was the first to be resolved, the war causing massive political and military instability in Russia, leading to the Revolutions of 1917, the emergence of socialist government and surrender on December 15. Efforts by the Germans to redirect manpower and take the offensive in the west failed and, on November 11, 1918 (at 11:00 am), faced with allied successes, massive disruption at home and the impending arrival of vast US manpower, Germany signed an Armistice, the last Central power to do so. Aftermath Each of the defeated nations signed a treaty with the Allies, most significantly the Treaty of Versailles which was signed with Germany, and which has been blamed for causing further disruption ever since. There was devastation across Europe: 59 million troops had been mobilized, over 8 million died and over 29 million were injured. Huge quantities of capital had been passed to the now emergent United States and the culture of every European nation was deeply affected and the struggle became known as The Great War or The War to End All Wars. Technical Innovation World War I  was the first to make major use of machine guns, which soon showed their defensive qualities. It was also the first to see poison gas used on the battlefields, a weapon which both sides made use of, and the first to see tanks, which were initially developed by the allies and later used to great success. The use of aircraft evolved from simply reconnaissance to a whole new form of aerial warfare. Modern View Thanks partly to a generation of war poets who recorded the horrors of the war and a generation of historians who castigated the Allied high command for their decisions and ‘waste of life’ (Allied soldiers being the Lions led by Donkeys), the war was generally viewed as a pointless tragedy. However, later generations of historians have found mileage in revising this view. While the Donkeys have always been ripe for recalibration, and careers built on provocation have always found material (such as Niall Fergusons The Pity of War), the centenary commemorations found historiography split between a phalanx wishing to create a new martial pride and sideline the worst of the war to create an image of a conflict well worth fighting and then truly won by the allies, and those who wished to stress the alarming and pointless imperial game millions of people died for. The war remains highly controversial and as subject to attack and defense as the newspapers of the day.

What is considered as Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

What is considered as - Essay Example For someone keen in film studies, it’s clear that the few chosen characteristics of cult cinema are often in opposition with those of mainstream cinema as well as the differences in their audience. Irrespective of the different opinions in theorizing cult cinema, several of its features are inarguable; a cult film is defined through a sub cultural ideology, which marks it to exist in opposition to the mainstream because of their niche appeal, and composed of identifiable textual divergence. Besides their nature to appeal to viewers’ subversive instincts, the sense of nonconformity and irrationality in the film, Bentley-Baker reiterates Corrigan and White depiction of cult films as â€Å"ephemeral or non commercial films that, despite their lack of traditional cultural value, have survived to yield fascinating glimpses of the past† (2010). Some consider it a private genre with egregiously eccentric characters, often featured for exhibition at odd hours like midnight and known to trigger passionate attachments. Criteria set to establish cult films entail marginality, violation of boundaries (transgression), composed of iconography and cause self identified audience group among others. The popular genre of horror films together with fantasy and science fiction films are the few that lend themselves for the treatment of cult cinema. Based on the newly formed idealist and dystopian characteristics of horror films, especially the slasher sub genre, they have acted as the intersection with, or a vehicle in production of cult films. Looking into it, you will establish that most modern directors and film makers began with mastery of horror movies, before graduating in cult film makers. Slasher films which gained popularity from the 80s is composed of generative storylines involving psychopathic killers trailing on selective victims, has formulaic portrayals of violence, drenched in taboos and with

Censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Censorship - Essay Example In my personal case, I would consider censorship to be the deliberate suppression of speech, communication, information, ideas and opinions in order to influence another person. Additionally, censorship can also be either good or bad or both, depending on the situation or what the author of an article entitled â€Å"The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties† had termed as the contexts in which censorship occurs (Inglis 565). This article is an examination of the general and particular contexts in which censorship was imposed on the content of written and performance songs during the 1950s and the 1960s. The music industry at that time had seen the need to exercise censorship on some forms of music which they had found to be offensive to public morals such as glorification of sex, drugs, violence or political views. In particular, music industry executives were concerned with the immense popularity of rock & roll music within the younger generations and its capacity to influence these people with regards to song content such as references to blasphemy, sexual content, violence, drugs and political extremism. The period mentioned in article was one of political conservatism. Censorship is controversial because it conflicts with rights under the First Amendment which is guaranteed by the Constitution. However, censorship can change over time because a societys mores and values also change over time. This is the same case with a persons values which can change over the course of his lifetime. In other words, a person while younger may be liberal in most matters but then gradually becomes a conservative with regards to certain issues such as sex, choice of music, clothing preferences and political views. The issue of censorship is also a matter of personal opinion and this is what makes it an extremely controversial topic to discuss. A person may have different opinions

Know the benefits of an online presence Essay Example for Free

Know the benefits of an online presence Essay In this assignment I have to identify and describe five principal benefits that businesses gain by having a simple online presence. Remote locations The internet is a boon to anyone who lives miles away from a main shopping centre because they can simply select the items they want and order them online. This is vastly increases the choice of goods and services available to someone who lives in the highlands and Islands of Scotland for example. Customers with travel difficulties Even people who live in urban areas may not be able to get around as easily as they would wish from mothers with young babies to the elderly. In this case, it is far more convenient to buy online particularly when the whether is bad. Poor transport links In many rural areas bus services are very limited and train services may be non-existent or mainly available during the rush hour. Whilst it may be worthwhile taking a long or tedious journey on a special occasion, most people would prefer to make routine purchases quickly and easily online. Marketing Benefits Marketing benefits relate to those gains a business makes in a relation to knowing more than its customers, being able to target its products, services ad the website itself to meet Their needs. This will also make there company well known to other foreign countries and will be willing to do a transaction knowing of there prestige Compete with competitors The aim here is to prevent competitors getting online edge. This may be improving on the products, or services offered, the speed of delivery, the cost of delivery and/or constantly reviewing the style and design of the website itself to utilize new technological developments. It is quicker and easier to understand and compare competitor activities online than by visiting their stores or obtaining information on their products and services offline. Market research There are several ways in which organizations can obtain information from users of its website methods which you can do this is Through log files and cookies both log files and cookies collect information on site usage and provide valuable marketing information. Users can set their browsers not to accept cookies and not al sites have these. Every site, though, produces log files. These are the data records created by the web server that hosts the site Website activity software provides more detailed analysis of the log files than ISP would provide. Subscribers can find out which search engines drive traffic to the site, which pages are the most popular and particular page, that might be significant. Online Market Research this can range from a small pop-up questionnaire that asks a user to assess their online experience to comprehensive customer survey sent by an e-mail to registered users of the site or to volunteers who have agreed to form an online focus group. Rapidity of response to customer interest A web presence provides the opportunity to respond quickly to customers but not all firms take advantage of this. A website can provide several opportunities for customer contact, such as call me buttons and e-mail messages, but speed of response is vital Research has shown that internet users expect a faster response than customers who enquire by telephone or letter.

How has Blake depicted the tiger in this poem? :: English Literature

How has Blake depicted the tiger in this poem? At the very start of the poem it is clear in what way Blake wishes to portray the tiger. The first words he uses -"Tiger! Tiger!" is an aggressive start to the poem thus implying that Blake is trying to put the tiger across as an aggressive animal. The next two words, "Burning bright" give the image of power and awe. This added to the next two lines,- "What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" with words like 'fearful' and 'immortal' reinforces the tiger's image of power and strength and its God-like qualities of immortality and omnipotence. The next stanza gives the tiger an almost mythical status, with the line "In what distant deeps or skies, burnt the fire of thine eyes?" This gives the reader an image of the tiger being some legendary creature from the stars, this coupled with the image of the burning eyes adds another degree of god-like power to the creature commanding more awe and fear. The third stanza gives the reader the image that it took enormous strength to "Twist the sinews of [its] heart. The stanza finishes with the lines "What dread hands and what dread feet?" conjuring quite blatant ideas of dread and extreme fear associated with this mystical beast. The fourth stanza reinforces the creation imagery of the previous with the images of the tiger's creator being compared to a blacksmith giving the idea of the tiger being forged out of metal. "In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? Etc" The penultimate stanza gives the final idea in the poem with the almost apocalyptic imagery of 'stars throwing down their spears' giving the tiger an even more awe-inspiring quality. The stanza finishes with "Did he who made the lamb make thee?" Which gives the idea of disbelief at the prospect of a creator making a harmless pleasant creature such as the lamb and a dangerous mighty and awful creature like the tiger. b) Explore the ways Blake uses imagery and repetition in this poem. The most obvious repetition in this poem is the "Tiger! Tiger!" repetition. This, as I mentioned before, gives the poem an aggressive start and almost sets the scene for the rest of the poem, having the readers anticipate an almost violent and powerful poem. This line appears in the first stanza and in the final stanza where it is repeated, save for one word. In the final stanza the lines "What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry" Are replaced by the line "Dare frame thy fearful symmetry." This gives the idea of

Six thinking hats technique

Title (of the technique): Six thinking hats technique Purpose: The generation of new and innovative ideas is the main aim of using creative techniques. Often people fail to look at a problem from all angles and they may fail to look at the emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoints. The six thinking hats technique is a powerful technique created by Edward de Bono in the early 1980’s to look at decisions from different point of view.The purpose of applying this technique is that it encourages parallel thinking and helps people move away from their habitual thinking styles and towards a more well-rounded view of a situation. Description: The six thinking hats technique identifies six different modes of thinking that are meant to be directed at parallel to solve a certain problem on hand. Each thinking mode is represented by a different coloured hat and each colour is defined by the role that it plays in the process of problem solving.The process can be performed indiv idually or within a group environment and once the participants understand the necessary techniques involved they can proceed to address the problems at hand. They will all work together toward the same objective. When used correctly the hats separate ego from performance which allows everyone to work cooperatively toward a desired goal. Equipment needed: There are few things that are required to perform a successful six hats brainstorming session. Firstly the individual or group should have prior knowledge of the skills required.A pen, paper and innovative attitude and a simple and easy way of distinguishing people’s different colours at all times as the different coloured hats are metaphorical. Requirement for success . Educated audience (familiar with de Bono’s Technique) . Discipline from each person involved- while using the hat people need to stay in that particular mindset . Time under the hat should generally be short . Use any hat as often as needed . Set out to think in a certain direction . Don’t categorize people in a group beforehand (e. g. he is only a green hat). Everyone can and should use all hats . Be specific about where you want the thinking to go Process: Each hat represents a certain thinking style: White hat – Objective, neutral thinking in terms of facts number and information. With this hat you focus on the data that is available. Red hat- Emotional, with judgments, suspicions and intuitions. With this hat you look at a problem using intuition, gut reaction and emotion. Black hat- Negative sees risks and thinks about possible failure points. This hat looks at all the bad points of the decision to try and see why it might not work.Yellow hat- Positive, optimistic, clear, effective and constructive. This hat helps you think positively and to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it. Green hat- Creative, seeks alternative. The green hat is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem. I t is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas. Blue hat (Meta hat) – thinking about thinking, the blue thinkers role is to keep an overview of what thinking is necessary on the subject. Recommended use in innovation:Many successful people and companies have embraced de Bono’s six thinking hats technique as it allows the necessary skepticism and emotions to be brought into what would have been purely rational decisions. It opens up an opportunity for creativity within decision making. Plans developed using this technique will be much more sound and resilient than would otherwise be the case. Advantages or benefits: . Leads to more creative thinking . Improves communication and decision making . Allows a person to say things without risk . Provides a common language . Diversity of thoughts Saves time . Create, evaluate and implement action plans . Removal of ego (reduces confrontation) . Helps people work against type, preference . Help people use more of their brains . Focus (one thing at a time) Limitations: The technique is not good to solve short term problems as people need to first be introduced to the method and become familiar with it before it can be used. If it is not monitored correctly it can also become time consuming. You can’t get the right answer asking the wrong questions the group needs to be sure that they are focused in the right direction. references

Panera Bread Company: Still Rising Fortunes? Essay

Panera Bread is a renowned restaurant that has come about from the merging of great companies and people. However, the beginning was actually with Au Bon Pain which was started in Boston’s Feneuil Hall as a demonstration bakery. Louis Kane was struck by this store’s growth potential and purchased the business in 1978. Between 1978 and 1981 the company opened 13 stores, but subsequently closed 10 of these stores, in the Boston area and had major debt. Ronald Shaich, a recent graduate from Harvard, opened the Cookie Jar in 1980 and befriended Louis Kane. In 1981, the friends merged the Au Bon Pain and the Cookie Jar to form one business known as Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. The co-CEO’s were able to lower debt, expand the business, and centralized facilities for dough production. In 1985, the company added fresh made sandwiches to their production when they noticed customer behavior of purchasing a baguette cut in half and using cold cuts brought from home to make sandwich es. This allowed for a new way to reach customers with fast service, all the while staying nutritious. Panera opened in three business segments: company owned bakery-cafà © operations, franchise operations, and fresh dough operations. The key initiatives of Panera’s growth was focused on growing store profit, increasing transaction and gross profit per transaction, use its capital smartly, and put in place drivers for concept differentiation and competitive advantage. During the recession, while other companies were lowering pricing and quality of goods, Panera was doing the opposite. The company instead targeted customer who could afford to spend an average of $8.50 on lunch. So during 2009, the company raised prices twice, on bagels and soups, which enabled the company to provide more for less. This attitude also allowed the company to maintain employees and customer satisfaction. By keeping labor consistent with sales and continuing to invest in its employees as a way to better serve its customers. In 2009, Panera had sales of nearly $2.8 billion and was ranked as the large st fast casual chain. Panera learned from its competitors, none of those competitors had yet to figure out the formula for Panera’s success. Panera has continued to add new and exciting products to its menu and strive to meet the expectations of its customers, and this included the new breakfast sandwiches introduced in 2008. The menu was redesigned and its menu boards with the hope of drawing the customer eye to the highest margin items. These new menus also included the calorie information for items in 2010, well  before any other company did so. The company has been able to anticipate and react to changes in food and supply costs, included fuel, proteins, dairy, wheat, tuna, and cream cheese in effort to drive gross profit per transaction. Resources: When dealing with resources there a few that jump out such as: Panera’s intellectual capital, its financial position, and the executives. Each of these resources enable the company to grow and provide service to customers while maintaining their current standards. Panera has been able to see their company continue to generate profits, keep employees working, and grow the company. Since the company is so good to their employees and franchisees, these employees are eager to maintain quality, which in turn leads to more loyal customers. Panera realized that the key ingredient was the kind of people behind the counter who provides the customer service. Because the company is maintaining quality, which includes freshness and nutrition this allows the customers to choose this casual fast food location for a much better meal. Since the company is doing well financially, they are able to continue expanding, which leads to more jobs and potential for the areas surrounding the store. Th is in turn enables the company to maintain their financial position and continue to invest in new ventures. Capabilities: Panera offers a great value on their products. This healthy option offers a number of varieties which enable customers to get anything from soup to pastries. Since trends are always changing, Panera does a good job in changing their menu to keep with customer demands. This ever changing menu has offerings to satisfy changing customer preferences, improve its products, and maintain customer interest. By maintaining the customer interest in its menu items Panera must continue to do research and develop new goods. As Panera doesn’t have a test kitchen, these items are instead tested these items out directly in the cafà ©s. The research and development team have twice yearly retreats that allow these team members to â€Å"out do† each other with their creations. Panera has also been able to negotiate the real estate locations so that be actually favors the company. This is also true with the ordering food products and other goods. Most of these companies will offer discoun ts on goods due to the name recognition and  stability of the company when others are failing. Core Competencies: When looking into core competencies Panera has proven and developed many of these. The goal in the beginning was to sell high quality food with a mid-price level. Panera has since exceeded the goal and customer expectations in the casual fast food category. The company continues to maintain these expectations by having fresh dough distribution centers in regional areas. This provides the product quickly and allows for faster use which keeps the product fresher for customers. While Panera strives to maintain these standards, the company also reaches out to the surrounding community by giving away left over bread to homeless shelters and collects donations for other charities. Panera also believes in providing bakery-cafà © operators the chance to participate in the success of the location, which enable the company to attract and maintain experienced and highly qualified personnel. Findings of Fact: Franchising a Key to Success: Franchising is a key component in the growth that Panera has experienced. Since a franchisee is purchasing the use of the Panera name, this means that they are also purchasing the business model and trademark for their location. This allows the company to grow quickly and the franchisee contributes the resources and capabilities necessary to implement the Panera concepts and strategies. The franchise program began in 1996, and as of December 2009 there are 795 franchise-operated bakery-cafà ©s open throughout the US and Canada. There are also commitments to open another 240 additional locations. Panera sells locations via the Area Development Agreements (ADAs) and the franchisee must be able to meet financial requirements set forth by Panera. The strategic choice perspective, which proposes that not only does the company adapt to changing environments, but they also have the opportunity and power to reshape their own environment, means that Panera is able to draw customers who can a fford to spend a little more. By opening franchises across the country, the company is reaching for a functional strategy by achieving corporate and business unit objects. By implementing the strategy that each franchisee must open a set amount of locations within their development area can allow the company to expand and reach a greater  amount of customers. In 2009, 57.6% of the company’s bakery-cafà ©s were owned by franchises comprised of 48 franchise groups. Panera does not facilitate the construction or development of the area where a location will be built. Franchising is a great way for Panera to enter new markets with little to no cost to the company. This can be seen with how Panera moved into the Canadian market. Panera entered into a credit facility with a Canadian franchisee and in March 2010, Panera had repurchased the locations in order to be more directly involved in the new Canadian market. By implementing ways for franchisees to continue to expand and generate more sales Panera would be able to lower some of the standards set to become a franchisee and this would allow for more opportunities for growth both inside and outsid e of the US and Canada. Quality and Concept Different from Competitors: Facing competition from numerous sources in its trade area means that Panera has to offer something unique. This means that Panera offers something different, such as fresh-baked artisan breads, fresh sandwiches, soups, and salads without worrying about whether it was nutritious. The unique dining experience to customers, combined with nutritious food and fast service keep customers coming back. The friendly atmosphere, which includes comfortable seating, warm tones, and convenient locations can offer customers a better option to be able to hang out and possibly spend more money. Panera handles this obstacle by offering specialty food, casual dining, and quick service cafà ©s. However, competitive factors include location, environment, customer service, price, and quality of products. This means that Panera competes for the best locations, hourly employees, and customers. The corporate culture within Panera has always been a collection of beliefs, expectations, and values learned an d shared by the company employees. This results in employees striving to be the best that they can be when offering quality service and products. There are competitors who have begun to test the concept of â€Å"upscale† dining, may also test the health and wellness or sustainability component that could be included. By being able to maintain their core beliefs such as no chemicals or preservatives, the company is able to bring customers back to simpler times and provide good, quality food. Since Panera is able to  dedicate themselves to their concept the company has enjoyed brand loyalty, positive name recognition, and goodwill. Since Panera operated on three business segments such as company-owned bakery-cafà © operations, franchise operations, and fresh dough operations the company is able to keep a better feel for those segments and maintain standards. Panera was able to extend its strong values in unpretentious ways in a welcoming atmosphere. Locations were often donating bread and baked goods to community organizations in need which showed that they were involved in bettering their community. By ensuring that Panera sets the standards that competitors much strive to reach, the goal is to find a propitious niche, such as the casual fast food dining experience with specialty foods. Financial Growth Panera reported a 48% increase in net income of $25,845 million during the first quarter of 2010. Panera believed that its primary capital resource was cash generated by operations. The principle requirements for cash have resulted in the company’s capital expenditures for the development of new company owned bakery-cafà ©s. By putting this capital to work for the company, such as purchasing new equipment, remodeling locations, or other needs such as enhancements to information systems or infrastructure, will be able to maintain standards for products. The company has access to a $250 million credit facility, which as of December 2009, had to borrowings outstanding. Panera will be able to use its cash flow from operations and available borrowing under its existing credit facility will be sufficient to fund its capital requirements for the foreseeable future. Panera should continue to invest in training, labor, and quality products. Panera was able to increase costs, which resulted in better products while other competitors were cutting costs, and this resulted in a more loyal customer. The company should continue to increase performance and be able to increase stock prices. The franchise agreements also provide a source of income when fees are due. These royalties and fees in fiscal year 2009 were up and with the franchisee opening more locations that should continue to grow. Finding ways to provide quality products at a mid-level cost to the customer will continue to ensure that Panera will continue to see growth in the future. Panera should begin to spend some of the capital on marketing.  Although most of the marketing has been done by word of mouth, there is no reason why the company couldn’t do some advertising. This would increase customer knowledge and traffic within the locations. Overall Panera Bread Co. Inc. is a stable company which has continued to grow as other competitors scaled back in the recent recession. Panera offers quality food, customer service, and a welcoming environment which some other competitors do not offer. By offering this type of arrangement for customers, it encourages more spending and allows customers to take their time while getting their meals faster. Being a national leader in business can allow the company to meet obligations and ensure that the capital will continue to grow. Panera will continue to set standards and strive to meet them every day. Works Cited Wheelen, Thomas L. and J. David Hunger. Strategic Management & Business Policy. 12th Edition. Boston: Pearson. 2012. Print

Wastewater Treatment essays

Wastewater Treatment essays The reason for me doing this report is because I could not attend class enough to grasp the concept of Wastewater Treatment. This report is an overview of each stage of the treatment of sewage. I have included a diagram of a typical sewage plant. The wastewater that enters a treatment plant contains debris that might clog or damage the pumps and machinery. The material is removed by screens, and is burned or buried. The wastewater then passes through a comminutor (grinder), where all the organic material such as leaves are mushed smaller so that they can be removed later. Back in the day, long narrow channel-shaped settling tanks, known as grit chambers, were used to remove all the inorganic substances like sand, silt, gravel, and cinders. These chambers were made to allow inorganic particles 0.008 in. or bigger to settle at the bottom while the smaller particles and most of the organic material that remain in suspension pass through. Today, spiral-flow aerated grit chambers with hopper bottoms, or clarifiers with automatic scrapper arms are used. The grit is removed and disposed of as sanitary landfill. Grit build up can reach from 3 to 8 cubic feet per1 million gallons of wastewater. With the grit removed, the wastewater goes into a sedimentation tank, where the organic materials removed. The method of sedimentation can remove about 20 to 40 percent of the biochemical oxygen demand and 40 to 60 percent of the suspended solids. The big boys in the industry use a chemical process known as coagulation and flocculation in the sedimentation tank. I really dont know much about this subject so Im The alternative to sedimentation is a treatment called flotation, in ...

When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes

When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes You may have wondered in the middle of typing up a research project: do I italicize  a song title? What about a painting?​ Even the most experienced writers have a problem remembering the proper punctuation for certain types of titles. Books are italicized (or underlined) and articles are put in quotation marks. Thats about as far as many people can remember.​ There is a trick to remembering how to treat titles, and it works well enough that you can commit most types of titles to memory. Its the big and little trick. Big things and things that can stand on their own, like books, are italicized. Little things that are dependent or that come as part of a group, like chapters, are put into quotation marks. For example, you can think of a CD or an album as a major (big) work that can be divided into smaller parts, or songs. The individual song names (small part) are punctuated with quotation marks. For example: The Sweet Escape, by Gwen Stefani, includes the song Wind It Up. While this is not a perfect rule, it can be helpful for determining whether to italicize or surround in quotation marks when you have no resources at hand. Furthermore, you should italicize or underline any published collection, like a book of poetry. Put the individual entry, like a poem, in quotation marks. However: a long, epic poem that is often published on its own would be treated like a book. The Odyssey is one example. Punctuating Titles of Works of Art Creating a work of art is an enormous task, isnt it? For that reason, you can think of art as a big accomplishment. Okay, that might sound corny, but it will help you remember! Individual works of art like paintings and sculptures are underlined or italicized: Michelangelos DavidMona LisaThe Last SupperThe Pieta Note: A photograph, although not less significant or important, is often much smaller than a work of created art, and is placed in quotation marks. Following are guidelines for punctuating titles according to Modern Language Association (MLA) standards. Titles and Names to Italicize A novelA shipA playA filmA paintingA sculpture or statueA drawingA CDA TV SeriesA cartoon seriesAn encyclopediaA magazineA newspaperA pamphlet Titles to Put Into Quotation Marks PoemShort storyA skitA commercialAn individual episode in a TV series (like The Soup Nazi on Seinfeld)A cartoon episode, like Trouble With DogsA chapterAn articleA newspaper story More Tips on Punctuating Titles Some titles are merely capitalized and not given additional punctuation. These include: Religious works, like The Bible or The KoranBuildingsMonuments

Nestle Safety Training Program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nestle Safety Training Program - Assignment Example and upgrade their safety measures in such a way that employees along with contractors and others are protected, as they add value to the company (Nestle safety and health). They are further striving to accomplish one of their main goals and that is having zero injuries and accident in regard to their workers. Currently, there are two departments working in collaboration to adhere to the company’s law regarding safety and health of their employees. The two departments are The Safety and Health Functional Leadership Team and The Safety and Health Council. The former is a group of senior safety and health professionals from across the world who meets on daily basis to pinpoint priorities and convey challenges, learning, and good practices. Similarly, the latter council consists of senior fellows from various areas of the business who adjudicate the evolution and execution of programs and provide support and resources. Moreover, the organization believes that human behavior is also one of the factors which may lead towards the occurrence of accidents and injuries; therefore, Nestle implements programs that motivate employees to converse with the peers and management about safe and at-risk behavior. To emphasize on the seriousness of health and safety measure, all executive board meeting starts with an overview of the health and safety that is why the aforementioned council is held four times in a month, which is a quarterly meeting. In addition to this, these departments have installed Nestlà © Occupational Safety & Health Management (NSMS) which strive towards improving and upgrading health and safety procedures, policies, standards, and process. Now moving towards the safety training programs, Nestle has established a roadmap for this very own purpose. Following are some of these programs which include Personal Ownership and Engagement.

Obesity Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Obesity Policy - Essay Example Obesity Policy Obesity can occur in any age group but it tends to increase with age " infants with excessive weight gain have an increased incidence of obesity in later life (Charney etal 1976)4. It has a female preponderance and certain genetic component in its causation as evidenced by twin studies, which show a close relation between the weights of identical twins even when they are reared in dissimilar environments (Falkner 1980)5. Physical activity and fitness's are important modifiers of mortality and morbidity related to over weight and obesity (WHO 2003)6 but according to Falkner it is the reduced energy output that is the main etiological factor behind obesity. Food habits play important role in weight gain and obesity, the composition of the food, the periodicity at which it is consumed and the amount of energy derived from it are the factors, which modulate body weight. A diet containing more energy than needed may lead to prolonged postprandial hyperlipidemia and to deposition of trigly cerides in the adipose tissue resulting in obesity (Oliver 1981)7. Other factors include psychosocial, familial tendency, endocrine, ethnicity and drugs like corticosteroids etc. Its is a positive risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, gall bladder diseases, congestive heart disease and certain cancers (hormonal and large bowel). It also predisposes to other conditions like varicose veins, abdominal hernia, osteoarthritis of knees and hips. Flat feet; sleep apnea and respiratory problems etc. the Framingham Heart Study in United States of America reveals that there is a dramatic increase (20%) in sudden death among overweight adults as compared to those with normal weight. Healthy People 2010 are a comprehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives for the Nation to achieve over the first decade of the new century and one of the objective is to reduce obesity up to 15% in adults by 2010.the objectives are 19-1: - increase the proportion of adults who are at a healthy weight from 42 % to 60% by 2010. 19-2: - Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese from 23% to 15% by 2010. 19-3: - Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese from 11% to 5% by 2010. In order to achieve this objective health care planning has to be done and an obesity policy has to be made which has to be implemented at various health care levels, the work done has to be evaluated and depending upon the results relevant modification should be made in the policy to achieve better results. OBESITY POLICY The policy is to educate the American public on the dangers and medical quandaries that obesity causes and to help eradicate this epidemic from our nation. PLAN: Health education is planned in connection with a health service for proper implementation. This health service provides health education about hazards of obesity in the following three methods Individual approach: by personal interviews in hospitals, consultation rooms, and health care centers or peoples houses. Health education is given at every interaction with the patient about the etiology, risk, prevention and control of obesity. It will be the principal duty of the physician and nursing staff to