Analysis of Eco-Friendly Bricks

Analysis of Eco-Friendly BricksSMART MATERIAL IN CONSTRUCTION commentary Smart materials ar reactive materials. Their properties can be changed by exposure to stimuli, such as electric and magnetic fields, stress, moisture and temperature.(BBC UK)The smart material can ofWoodMetalCeramicsPolymersMetals etcIn construction these carriage of materials atomic number 18 accustomd to achieve the desired strength, they should be economical and prove beneficial to the surround and to the stakeholders. A large number of innovations are seen in this modern world e.g. self healing concrete ,green cementum , blow neutral cements etc.The materials , which have been recently invented by two MIT students and Professor Carmen Trudall are eco blac brick and Breathe bricks respectively. The elaborate analysis of such an inventions are discussed belowECO FRIENDLY BRICKsINTRODUCTION Brick is mostly considered as a major(ip) component of a building. It is found generally in a rectangular shape with unlike dimensions. They are famous for their strength at low cost. These bricks when introduced to high temperature during their manufacturing. These kilns are mainly operated by coal and diesel motor resulting in harmful fumble affecting both the environment and the people working in these kilns. necessitate OF ECO FRIENDLY BRICKSCurrently the modern world is facing some serious environmental issues , which is resulting in planetary warming . the fuel intaked for these kilns are the major contributors to the pollution and the environment is exposed directly to them. In todays day ,the think tanks of the industry and the environmental agencies are trying to make building more than greener and at least carbon neutral. More everyplace, recently a Chinese artist made a brick from the pollutants entrapped in the air. This surprise the whole country and then the authorities came into action and started to take the environmental issues seriously.For the purposes mentioned above ,it i s important to use these sort of bricks to make the environment more greener.ECO BLAC BRICKThe idea of these bricks was first introduced by the students of MIT with the aim that how to manufacture bricks without apply kilns. pattern showing a typical blac brickThese bricks are mainly made from boiler ash tree. timpani ash is an ash produced by the burning of various materials, mainly paper ,wood etc in the factories or anywhere else. Boiler ash is mainly dumped in the land ,resulting in clogging .The boiler ash is combined with the root activation technology .This technology utilizes the boiler ash as an alumino-silicate,fusing it with an alkaline activator solution. When they are combined, the ash dissolves, followed by the construction of a geo-polymer gel, a solid 3D network that gives the bricks strength and durability. This solution reuses industrial waste (70% in the current model) rather than top foulness, and is low-cost and low energy. By using a chemical answer rather than firing, the bricks gain strength at ambient temperatures, not requiring the massive consumption of coal (roughly 24 million tons annually) in traditional carcass-fired brick production. This process also produces no emissions, unlike the traditional kiln technology, which produces carbon dioxide (roughly 76 million tons CO2/ year), carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, black carbon, and circumstancesiculate matter.(arch daily)These bricks when subjected to different test , had more durability, showed more water resistance and had more compressive strength then the normal clay brick.SALIENT FEATURESSome features of these bricks are give out for human health than an ordinary brick.better for the environment .better in resource .Less CO2 emissions.Waste consumption.BREATHE BRICKSBreathe bricks are invented by a Carmen Trudell, an assistant professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispos school of architecture .Fig showing a breathe brickFig showing Breathe brick sectionThe B reathe Brick is designed on an idea to form a part of a buildings regular ventilation formation, with a double-layered facade ,exterior of the building is made of these special bricks , accompanied by a standard internal layer providing insulation. At the mid , the breathe bricks function is cyclone filtration, an idea divine from modern vacuum cleaners, which separates out the heavy pollutant particles from the air and drops them into a removable hopper at the al-Qaida of the wall.Fig showing structural gravity and lateral loading system of a breathe brickThe system is composed of two key parts concrete bricks, and a recycled plastic coupler, which both helps to align bricks and creates a route from the outside into the bricks hollow centre. The concrete bricks themselves feature a faceted surface which helps to direct flow of air into the system, and a separate cavity for inserting steel structure.The Breathe Brick can perform multiple functions i.e. mechanical and unresisti ng ventilation systems, as the brick simply transports strained air into the walls general assembly, this air can then be sent to the buildings interior through mechanical equipment or through filter vents driven by passive systems such as stack ventilationIn wind tunnel tests, the system was found more efficient filtering 30% of fine particles (such as airborne pollutants) and 100% of coarse particles such as dust. As the entire system is relatively inexpensive, the Trudell posits the Breathe Brick as a way to lower pollution levels in developing countries, where rapid expansion of industry and less stringent environmental regulations often cause problems.ADVANTAGES OF ECOFRIENDLY BRICKS embody efficientHigh strengthWater resistantEco friendlyCarbon neutralTop soil preservedLow amount of mortar usedLess labour affectedNo use of kilnsNo use of fuelsHelping agricultureConclusionTo conclude, the bricks made of clay has strength but are major contributors to the pollution as on other h and the eco bricks which are made from wastes is useful for the environment as well as the people. With equivalent stent as the ordinary bricks these brisk can take over the future and has the ability to replace these bricks in the near future.REFERENCINGhttps//www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instantion=1espv=2ie=UTF-8

Prudhoe Bay Oil Field: Discovery, Formation and Impacts

Prudhoe verbalize Oil Field Discovery, Formation and ImpactsThe Prudhoe alcove anele region The largest fossil oil discovery in the USAThe Prudhoe Bay oil ambit is located in Alaska on the North Slope. The onshore plain stitch spans 214,000 acres. Due to the immense size, satellite works are established inwardly the field. These extract smaller quantities of oil and assail. In total, in that respect are an estimated 24 billion bbls of OOIP and 40 tcf of OGIP (BP, 2006). The guinea pig Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) is also in the North Slope, which is owned by the federal government.In 1944 the U.S Geographical Survey carryed an extensive exploration program on behalf of the U.S navy costing over $55 one thousand thousand (Morgridge, 1969). Seismic, gravity and magnetic surveys were completed and 3 oil and 6 burn out artificial lakes were found. Without this survey, there is lilliputian doubt this field would have been discovered so soon by ARCO and Exxon in 1968 . This was followed by 8 years of legitimacy issues where surrounding lease owners including BP and Exxon resolved their equity participation for the future oil extractions. business then began in 1977. Currently, BP is the operator of the Prudhoe Bay field and all satellite fields on the Prudhoe Bay unit. ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil have the highest joint percentage ownership of 36% each followed by BP (26%) and lastly Chevron (1%) (BP, 2013).The stratigraphy and geomorphologic formations made it possible for the origin to form. During rifting, rocks were uplifted which gave rise to an unconformity these rocks were buried again, giving rise to an unconformity trap. Figure 1 shows the cross section of the field and the most measurable reservoir is found in the Sadlerochit group. The western marches of this reservoir is sealed by the structural straddle in the upper egress on the reservoir. A stratigraphic trap seals the reservoir this is an unconformable tier composed of a c retaceous mudstone. At the start of return the depth of oil bearing sandstone was 600ft, recently the thickness average is 60ft. (Jamison, Brockett and McIntosh, 1983, pp. 279302)The deposition of the sadlerochit layer sinkred under 2 separate conditions giving rise to an upper and lower while, containing different compositions. The main composition of the lower sequence ranges is clastic sediments, such as sandstone. This was derived through a northerly source, and crucially deposition occurred in a shallow-marine environment the believed source of the petroleum. The sediments from the upper layer were derived from the south where non-marine alluvial complexes were present. Figure 2 shows the age of the reservoir is the Triassic age and visually shows the sadlerochit group and the different rocks present including the steepping that occurs. The Ivishak layer contains sandstone and has a slight dip of 2O south this layer produces the largest proportion of the oil in the field (Erickson and Sneider, 1997, pp. 1822).The permeability varies across the field. The Ivishak layer is subdivided into 8 vertical orders and in descending order these zones are 4B, 4A, 3, 2C, 2B, 2A, 1B, and 1A. Zones are defined by the unmarried petrophysical properties of each vertical section. The permeability in each individual zone varies considerably, for example in zone 2A there is a 100-fold difference in minimum and maximum values- 25md to 2500md. This difference implies that there is a big change in the pore sy tooth root, not the magnitude of porosity (Sneider and Erickson, 1997, pp. 2330). Figure 4 shows the alter rock type and thickness, as well as the geophysical properties. For example, the low gamma ray come indicates the presence of silt and shale.Development of the field has been hugely conquestful. There were 25 billion bbls of oil, of which only 9.6 billion bbls was initially thought to be recoverable. This estimate has change magnitude to 13 billion bbls d ue to technological advances in elevated oil recuperation (EOR) and through feature re guessing programs (ConocoPhillips, 2006). Of these 13 billion bbls, 11.3 billion bbls of oil has been extracted. return rates of oil began to exceed one million bbls in 1969 and peaked in 1987 to 1.6 million bbls a day (Alaska Department of Administration, 2013). Since 1991 daily output began to decline annually at a rate of 7-12% a year this is shown through Figure 5 (Standing, 2000). Nowadays, the Prudhoe Bay field produces 271,000 bbls of oil a day.Miscible suck injection is a successful EOR method used in Prudhoe Bay. Miscible botch up acts as a solvent, vaporizing the oil from the residual oil content, thus more oil reaches the producing wells (BP, 2006). Once mixable burn out is injected, water is then pumped into the reservoir. This method add-ons efficiency by preventing gas channeling within the reservoir. This EOR method is know as water-alternating-gas. In 1983, the Prudhoe Bay miscible gas visualise began. The project aimed to optimise the oil recovery of the field by carrying out a number of trial runs where the cadence of miscible gas injected was varied. Each trial was ranked in order of efficiency in terms of produced oil and in respect to the amount of solvent retained in the reservoir (Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 1983). The most efficient injection ratio remained which is one of the reasons the ultimate recovery is around 60% of the initial reserves. Of this 60%, the miscible gas injection contributes up to 10% of the recovery in certain areas. This project occurred early in the fields production increasing the oil production from the onset.Oil extracted from the Prudhoe Bay field is transported along the Trans-Alaska note System (TAPS). The TAPS spans from the Prudhoe Bay field to the Valdez nautical terminal located 800 miles away here up to 7.13 million barrels of oil can be stored which can then be loaded on tankers (Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, 2011). Without the line of descent, resources extracted from the North Slope cannot be monetised as the product cannot reach the market for sales event due to the fields location. The TAPS was the largest privately funded turn when built, costing $8 billion since then, 16 billions barrels of oil has been transport to the Valdez Marine terminal (ConocoPhillips , 2014). However, the decline of oil output is soon to be an issue with no enthronization, the minimum flow rate may occur as soon as 2045, which will lead to the shutdown of the TAPS. This is because, if flow rate is not achieved, corrosion and ice will occur to a greater extent causing the pipe to wrinkle and kink.Gas is just as important a resource as oil. Since a gas telephone circuit from the North Slope is non-existent gas is not marketable as it cannot be transported away from the North Slope. Since startup, the absolute majority of the gas extracted with the oil was re-injected into the reservoir to enhance oil recovery while some supports power the production sets. Gas and water are dislocated from the oil at a separation plant where the gas is then transported to the world largest central gas facility (CGF) that is located in Prudhoe Bay. The CGF can handle 9 bcf of gas daily and has the world largest smokeless flare where excess gas is burnt. The gas in the CGF is cooled and separated according to the size of the gas particles, the alter facility alone costs $1 billion to build (BP, 2006). Most of the larger indwelling gas liquids are mixed with the oil and sent along the TAPS. The rest is mixed with methane giving a miscible gas, which is injected into the reservoir as an EOR method. The unused gas is sent to the central compression plant (CCP), where it is compressed and injected into the reservoir to maintain pressure, which aids oil recovery. Consequently, since production the reservoir pressure has only declined by 1000 pounds per square inch (4300 to 3300psi) (Weaver and Uldrich, 1999).The future prospects of the field are less promising due to the depletion of the oil. However, these prospects can be restored if the Alaskan gas pipeline is approved. The Alaska liquefied natural gas project (LNG) would be one of the worlds largest construction projects with estimated costs of $45 billion to $65 billion, funded by Exxon, ConocoPhillips and BP (Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, 2014). The project includes an 800-mile pipeline shown in figure 6 spanning from Prudhoe Bay to Nikiski. LNG carriers would then transport the liquefied natural gas (LNG). The project includes a purpose built liquefaction plants and a gas purifying plant to remove carbon dioxide and other(a) impurities. The pipeline will have the capacity to carry up to 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas, while the LNG plant will be capable of making up to 20 million metric tons of LNG a year (processing 2.5 billion cubic feet a day). This project would allow the gas extracted to be monetised and exported to countries with a pardon trade agreement with the United States. This includes South Korea, which is the second largest LNG importer (Hong, 2013). This project will increase the fields economic outcome, attracting further investment.The productivity of the field is improved by establishing satellite fields. Figure 7 illustrates the 5 satellite fields. The Polaris and Orion satellite field produces the viscous oil in the formation that is grueling to extract at a depth of 4000-5000 ft. In comparison Midnight Sun extracts the hydrocarbon from a sandstone formation at a depth of 8000 ft. The Aurora and Borealis fields are established on similar formations. These fields have contribute to around 30,000 barrels of oil a day (BP,2013). The satellite fields use brisk infrastructure, which meant that the field was being optimised further by increase production while the initial costs were kept low.It is important to consider the impacts of oil a nd gas production in Prudhoe Bay. Approximately 2% of the land surface in the region has been altered due to the oil industry. Monitoring species diversity in the region has shown that there is little change due to this alteration. In fact, most animals use the oil field for nesting, breeding and summertime forage. Some habitat has been lost which has resulted in some species being localised, however, there was no decline in population. This shows that the impacts of the oil industry on the North Slope are negligible showing sustainable training (Maki, 1992, pp. 16911707).Following the decline in production, exploration was renewed, which led to the discovery of two previously unutilised areas. The areas are in the west region of the field and the sink River formation, which overlies the main Prudhoe Bay reservoir. Due to the potential of these new areas, BP has increased investment in Alaska by 25% to $1.2 billion. Part of this investment will be used to conduct a 190 square mile seismic survey and a new well pad. It is estimated that the investment may increase production by 40,000bpd, thus reduce the likelihood of the TAPS shutdown as minimum flow rate is easily overcome (Platts, 2014). The Sag River formation is a thin untapped reservoir in which a 15 well test program will be conducted during 2015 and 2016. The success of this could enable a future 200 wells being built, this may yield 200 million barrels of oil once developed. The Western part of the field hasnt been fully exploited provided with only the Borealis satellite field tapping into a reservoir that is in a lower position than the main reservoir. Continuing west, the oil column reduces in thickness at times being only 30ft, this is in the Northwest Eileen. Horizontal bore will be needed to maximize extraction of the thin oil column this comes with the associated risks of water encroachment on top of the increased cost due to horizontal drilling (Bailey, 2013). Due to these issues, the deci sion to develop the Northwest Eileen is still in the pipeline and if approved would further increase production rates.To conclude, the possibilities and the history of Prudhoe Bay make it attractable to investors. Prudhoe Bay is a giant field where majority of the oil has been extracted resulting in a decline in production rates. The TAPS is vital for the success of the field and if minimum flow rate is not achieved then the oil can no longer be transported and sold. Investments to the pipeline will mean that minimum flow rate can be lowered extending the emotional state of the TAPS. There are no plans of abandonment due to the likelihood of future proposals being successful. The liquefied natural gas project alone would be highly profitable and successful for investors as around 40 tcf of gas is still present. If the future exploration projects are successful in areas such as the Sag River formation then oil production will begin to increase. A successful future of the field is de pendent of these tests but if encouraging, investors will be in a privileged position.BibliographyAlaska Department of Administration (2013)AOGCC puss Statistics.Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects (2014)Alaska LNG project. Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects. open at http//www.arcticgas.gov/alaska-lng-project (Accessed 6 declination 2014).Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Comnission (1983)PRUDHOE BAY MISCIBLE GAS PROJECT.Alyeska Pipeline Service Company (2011)The Valdez Marine Terminal. Alyeska 2011. Available at http//www.alyeska-pipe.com/TAPS/ValdezTerminalAndTankers (Accessed 6 December 2014).Arctic Gas (2013)Alaska natural gas pipeline projects guide, maps. Arcticgas.gov. Available at http//www.arcticgas.gov/alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-projects-guide-and-maps (Accessed 16 December 2014).Bailey, A. (2013) BP looks to new development at Prudhoe Bay to help stem decline, Petroleum News, August.BP (2013)Greater Prudhoe Bay. Available at http//www.bp.com/content/dam/ bp/pdf/bp-worldwide/prudhoe-bay-2013.pdf (Accessed 6 December 2014).BP (2006)Prudhoe Bay factsheet. Available at https//dec.alaska.gov/spar/perp/response/sum_fy06/060302301/factsheets/060302301_factsheet_PB.pdf (Accessed 6 December 2014).ConocoPhillips (2006) Viscous oil the Slopes contiguous major proven oil opportunity,Arctic Energy For today and tomorrow.ConocoPhillips (2014)Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Available at http//alaska.conocophillips.com/who-we-are/alaska-operations/Pages/trans-alaska-pipeline-system.aspx (Accessed 6 December 2014).Division of Oil and Gas (1996) Generalised North Slope Stratigraphic column displaying oil and gas reservoirs and associated columns.Erickson, J. W. and Sneider, R. M. (1997) Structural and Hydrocarbon Histories of The Ivishak (Sadlerochit) Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field,SPE Reservoir Engineering, 12(01), pp. 1822. doi 10.2118/28574-pa.Hamilton, J. (2007) The challenge of depletion.Holstein, E. D. and Warner, H. R. (1994) Overview of Water chroma Determination For the Ivishak (Sadlerochit) Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field,SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. doi 10.2118/28573-ms.Hong, C. H. (2013) South Korea LNG Imports Climb 19 Percent on Higher Power Demand, Bloomberg, November.Jamison, H., Brockett, L. and McIntosh, R. (1983) Chapter 13 Palaeogeomorphic and Unconformity Traps,Developments in Petroleum Science, pp. 279302. doi 10.1016/s0376-7361(08)70097-9.Maki, A. (1992) Of measurable risks The environmental impacts of the Prudhoe Bay, alaska, oil field, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 11(12), pp. 16911707. doi 10.1002/etc.5620111204.Morgridge, D. (1969) Geology and Discovery of Prudhoe Bay Field, Eastern Arctic Slope, Alaska twinge, AAPGAAPG Bulletin. doi 10.1306/5d25cc57-16c1-11d7-8645000102c1865d.Platts (2014) BP to hike 2014 Alaska investment 25% to $1.2 bil, plans new projects, Bradner, T., February.Sneider, R. M. and Erickson, J. W. (1997) Rock Types, Depositional History, and Diagenet ic Effects, Ivishak Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field,SPE Reservoir Engineering, 12(01), pp. 2330. doi 10.2118/28575-pa.Standing, T. H. (2000) Data shows steep Prudhoe Bay production decline.,Oil Gas Journal.Weaver, J. W. and Uldrich, D. O. (1999) Optimizing Solvent Allocation in the Prudhoe Bay Miscible Gas Project,SPE Western Regional Meeting. doi 10.2118/54615-ms.

Mental Health Illness: Good Social Work Practice

Mental Health Illness Good complaisant live on employGood kind Work Practice with Adolescents in the Field of MentalHealth hearty puzzle outs role as the dominant provider of psychological wellness servicings is grow in history and well- passed in the contemporary societalservices landscape. It has been estimated that social histrions invest to a greater extent thanhalf their time in dealing with cordial wellness issues (Howard et al., 1996).Constituting over sixty percent of the mental health workforce, social thespiansprovide more community-based mental health services than any early(a) professionalgroups. Also, social work has more sufferdidates in preparation for this growth ara than does any other discipline. It is the largest field of commit andthe close to-chosen focus of see among social work graduate students (Proctor,2004).The heaviest consumers of social work services likewise ar the most probablevictims of mental blowness. The clientele of certain se rvice obstetrical delivery settings,including homeless shelters, child public assistance, out-of-home placement and long-termc atomic number 18, settings in which social workers predominate, are among the most at assayfor psychiatric dis recites and the least likely to gain access to suppresscare. This highlights the tremendous potential of social service professionalsto reach and to treat individuals with mental health problems.Adolescents are far from immune to these findings. For example, psychiatricimpairment rates for youths in the child welfare system have been estimated atbetween 35-to-50 percent, closely matched by the 30-to-50 percent ratings ofjuveniles in the unlawful justice system (Proctor, 2004). Walker (2003) catameniaed out that one of the few unquestioned risk factors for mental illness inadults is unaddressed or inadequately interact psychiatric problems in youths. Thecost of failure to respond effectively to the mental health problems of adolescentsinclude s keeptimes of potential productivity lost to consequences such(prenominal) as drugabuse, homelessness and suicide.The following give-and-take applies relevant theory and look to thequestion of good social work figure with adolescents suffering psychiatricdisorders. A touchstone for good practice passel be erect in Mowbray and Holters(2002) charge to social work practitioners and investigateers that their effortson behalf of the mentally ill should produceIncreased integration within the community (aswith other check groups)Decreased stigma and discriminationIncreased utilization of effective interventionoptions good access to effective, appropriatetreatment.Adapting LeCroys (1992) outline, practices in the broad battlefields of legal opinion, treatment and service delivery are considered.Assessment PracticesIt generally is agreed that assessment methodologies developed foruse with adults lack expertness for assessing adolescents. Partly due to youthshigher level of depe ndency on the environment, a person-in-environmentperspective is a recommended starting point (LeCroy, 1992). In order toaddress the question of how the individuals and the familys coping skillsinteract with the lumber of the environment, the social worker must(prenominal) weighresources and life, the barriers and opportunities, the risks and protectivefactors present in that environment.Wakefield et al. (1999) pointed out the pivotal role of a socialworkers attributions in the assessment of adolescent antisocial behavior. Thecomplex web of logic and experience, evidence and intuition, theory and belief,involved in the assessment process is reflected in this study. The queryquestion was two-fold (1) whether social workers correctly distinguish betweena psychiatric disorder and non-disorder (as defined in DSM-IV) given contextualcues supporting one or the other attribution, and (2) whether judgments bearingon prognosis and appropriate treatment follow these attributions. Findin g positivesupport for both questions, the authors called for a focus on this criticaldiscriminate attribution in social work training syllabuss.In working(a) with adolescents, the desirability of a broad-basedassessment, across environments, asseverateants and factors affecting copingability and stress, requires the social worker to cause skills in casemanagement and clinical areas. Research by Elze (2002) highlighted the effectsof the wider social context on adolescent functioning. In this study, sheexamined risk factors for mental health in a sample of self-identified gay,lesbian and bisexual youths. Unlike most look for involving this population,her enquiry include the role of factors unrelated to sexual orientation. Shefound that most of the variance in mental health status was accounted for bysocioeconomic level, familial mental health, family functioning and otheridentified life stressors. From a practice perspective, this researchreinforces the importance of assessing a clients overall psychosocialfunctioning, as related to and beyond the limits of the presenting problem.Objective, empirically-based assessment instrumental roles, designed forthe adolescent population, are takeed to increase the dependableness of thispractice. Most of the instruments in use with adolescent clients today aremodified adult or child-specific protocols, such as the Child BehaviorChecklist or the structured life events discourse (LeCroy, 1992). An extremeexample of the caution take in using adapted instruments was presented byElls (2005). The context of this retrospect was the courts need for assessmentsof psychopathic tendencies in juvenile offenders as a institution for jurisdictionwaiver decisions. Ells reported on assessments using the Hare PsychopathyChecklist Youth Version (PCLYV), derived from an instrument developed foradults. She found the tool subject to ethnic predetermine, developmental bias and alack of predictive value due to unfounded generalizatio ns from research andexperience with adults. She warned that the introduction of psychopathyassessments in juvenile jurisdiction waiver decisions is premature anddangerously unreliable. Overall, good practice in adolescent assessmentcertainly would benefit from objective, evidence-based protocols, honedespecially for this population group.These are some of the implications for good social work practice inthe mental health assessment of adolescents.Treatment PracticesTo lease that treatment can be effective with children and adolescents,LeCroy (1992, p. 227) reported the results of two meta-analyses, demonstratingthat honest outcomes for those who received treatment were 71-to-79 percentbetter than an untreated control group. In order to establish good practice,however, the social worker must know which treatment approaches are likely toproduce what effects for the adolescent and significant others.The breadth of focus inevitable for assessment is echoed in goodtreatment practice recommendations for working with psychologically impairedadolescents. The key none appears to be a conceptualization of problems asconstellations of interrelated systems, yielding treatment goals inclusive ofthe family, lucifer group and community, toward the underpinning of long-termadjustment for the client.This view of good practice is common across theoreticalperspectives. For example, from a social ecological point-of-view, Ungar(2002) left the more mechanistic systems models behind and reflected on the diversity-embracingnew ecology, with community as the central concept in treatment.Steven Walker, whether expounding on community-based applications ofthe psychosocial model (2003) or considering treatment practice from apostmodern perspective (2001), emphasized the necessary for an integrated (ordeconstructed) model of treatment practice, inclusive of a broad eyeshot ofoptions. Noting that flexible, creative solutions are required by adolescentswith psychological problems, W alker (2003) discussed the joined Kingdomsfour-tier model for mental health services to children and adolescents as anopportunityfor intellectual carefreeness on the part of social workers (p. 683).Barths (2003) dissertation on the treatment of college studentswith take disorders is an interesting example of this eclectic approach totheory and treatment. She made a point of focusing on the entiresocial/medical context of a client, then plan treatment implications fromany number of theoretical models that fit this context, includingpsychoanalytic, psychosocial and postmodern perspectives. Given the length ofthe usual battle with eating disorders, this assessment treatment assessmentcycle repeats throughout the life of the case, opening new opportunities foreffective intervention at every turn.As with assessment, research is essential for informing goodtreatment practice. The research of Colarossi and Eccles (2003), for example,offered evidence that support from significant others is not a unidimensionalconstruct. They examined the differential effects of support provided byparents, teachers and peers on adolescent feeling and self-esteem. Nonfamilialsources of support were found to be more efficacious for improving self-esteem,while depressive disorder responded to all support offered, regardless of source. Theresults obtained suggest the need to selectively countenance support from varioussources, as opposed to a broad or unfocused social network tactic.In service of good treatment practice, LeCroy (1992) lists a numberof promising approaches (p. 227) that social workers should include in theirtreatment options toolkit. These include behavioral treatment (or competencytraining) for antisocial problems, functional family therapy, parent-managementtraining, home-based treatment, training in social skills and problem solving,psychopharmacology and psychotherapeutics or IPT-A (interpersonal psychotherapy foradolescents).These are examples of some good soci al work practice guidelines formental health treatment of adolescents, derived, to a large extent, from theoryand research. Putting assessment decisions and treatment choices into actionis the role of service delivery systems.Practices Related to Service legal transferConsidering systems of service delivery prompts the realizationthat, in terms of good practice, social workers must be proficient in an arrayof interventions beyond the confines of direst treatment. In order tocoordinate multiple services and monitor systems of care, critical casemanagement competencies are required. The significance of a well-coordinatedsystem of care must be salient for every social worker involved in servicedelivery.One of the most difficult decisions in this battleground is when to utilize vary care. Inpatient or residential treatment, foster care, respitecare, partial hospitalization and day treatment, define points along thissubstitute care continuum. Especially in light of research on the impo rtance ofsocial support and of home and community-based treatment, moving the adolescentinto a substitute care setting seems particularly invasive.Research studies and reports can help inform the decision to utilizepsychiatric inpatient treatment. For example, Pottick et al. (1999) helped tountangle the many variables affecting adolescent length of continue in thesefacilities. Looking at factors that influence the occurrence and timing ofdischarge, they found that facility type was significant. Stays in generalhospitals with psychiatric services were oft shorter than in public or privatepsychiatric hospitals or multi-service mental health centers. Also, insurancewas a factor privately-insured youths stayed longer than did publicly-fundedor uninsured adolescents. Having a previous hospitalization predicted a longerstay, as did the diagnosis of conduct disorder (versus depression). Althoughthis research does not speak to the quality of care, and given that moreoutcomes research is needed, the awareness of contingencies dis closed in(p) by thisstudy can aid a social worker in forming valid expectations and devising aninformed decision for the client.Romansky et al. (2003) looked at factors influencing readmission to psychiatrichospital care for children and adolescents who were in the child welfaresystem. Their findings highlighted the significance of enabling factorspresent for these children, including living arrangement, geographic region andpost-hospitalization services. The focus must be on community-based servicesto prevent readmission for these adolescents.On a similar note, a review of the research on inpatient treatmentin child and adolescent psychiatry (Blanz Schmidt, 2000) cautiouslyconcluded that hospitalization can be beneficial given that effective treatmentand discharge planning are included. These researchers pointed to acontinuum-of-care model as crucial in facilitating integration/coordinationbetween inpatient interventions and aftercare s ervices. go research such as this can aid the social worker in making thedifficult inpatient care decisions, there are ten thousand other placementconsiderations that should rely on good practice to advantage adolescents inneed of mental health care. The keynote for good practice remains choosing theleast restrictive, appropriate environment. To make this choice for a givenadolescent, the social worker must be old(prenominal) with the placement optionsavailable and the treatment philosophy of each program, as well as the uniqueconfiguration of problem dimensions particular to that client.LeCroy (1992) suggested that social work should try to developobjective tools to assist in meeting the good practice guidelines for mentalhealth placement decisions. He offered the Arizona determination Making Tree (p.228) as a potential model for such a tool. This tool is used for theassignment of juvenile offenders to five levels of care, varying inrestrictiveness and program components.At best, a fine balance in judgment is required to match a givenadolescent, at a specific point in time, with a certain treatment setting,providing the best therapeutic approach for the clients particularconstellation of problems. A control problem versus learning disabilities isonly one example of how varied and far-ranging the intermix of relevant factors canbe.At times, there may be a need for a more restrictive setting as afunction of risk factors in the home/community environment. A study by Ruffoloand colleagues (2004) addressed such a situation. To inform the design of moreeffective mental health intervention (and prevention) programs, they examinedthe risk and resiliency factors for groups of delinquent, diverted andhigh-risk adolescent girls. All these girls were either involved in thejuvenile justice system, or at risk of involvement, and were receivingresidential services in either a home or community-based, open or closedsetting. Girls in the closed residential setting (the mo st restrictive) reportedhigher levels of depression, family discord, sexual abuse, negative lifeevents, involvement in special education programs, and more delinquent andnegative coping behaviors. In other words, the girls with the greatest riskfactors present in their home and community were placed in the most restrictivesetting. The authors concluded that these placement decisions reflected anappropriate appraisal of the level of need.These are a few of the factors available to guide the development ofgood social work practice in the coordination of service delivery systems.ConclusionThis paper reviewed a impute of the theory and researchcontributing to good social work practice standards in the area of adolescentmental health. While accomplishments in this area are commendable, muchremains to be done.More well-designed and well-controlled research is needed to weighthe effectiveness of adolescent service models, especially with regard tolong-term outcomes. As effective systems o f care are identified, they must be developedinto practice guidelines and back up by policy and funding. loving workers are challenged to work for increased, improved,accessible services for adolescents, to spring up the community and mobilizestakeholders, to develop and to implement effective strategies for preventionand intervention.ReferencesBarth,F.D. (2003). Separate but not alone Separation-individuation issues incollege students with eating disorders. Clinical kindly Work diary,31(2), pp. 139-153.Blanz,B. Schmidt, M.H. (2000). Preconditions and outcome of inpatienttreatment in child and adolescent psychiatry. Journal of Child Psychologyand Psychiatry, 41(6), pp. 703-712.Colarossi,L.G. Eccles, J.S. (2003). Differential effects of support providers onadolescents mental health. Social Work Research, 27(1), pp. 19-30.Ells,L. (2005). Juvenile psychopathy The hollow foreshadow of prediction. ColumbiaLaw Review, 105(1), pp. 158-208.Elze,D.E. (2002). Risk factors for internali zing and externalizing problems amonggay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents. Social Work Research, 26(2),pp. 89-99.Howard,K.I., Cornille, T.A., Lyons, J.S., Vessey, J.T., Lueger, R.J., Saunders,S. (1996). Patterns of mental health service utilization. Archives ofGeneral Psychiatry, 53, pp. 696-703.LeCroy,C.W. (1992). Enhancing the delivery of effective mental health services tochildren. Social Work, 37(3), pp. 225-231.Mowbray,C.T. Holter, M.C. (2002). Mental health and mental illness Out of thecloset? Social acquaintance Review, 76(1), pp. 135-179.Pottick, K.J., Hansell, S.,Miller, J.E., Davis, D.M. (1999). Factors associated with inpatient length of stay forchildren and adolescents with serious mental illness. Social Work Research,23(4), pp. 213-224.Proctor, E. (2004). Researchto inform mental health practice Social works contributions. Social WorkResearch, 28(4), pp. 195-197.Romansky, J.B., Lyons, J.S.,Lehner, R.K., West, C.M. (2003). Factors related to psychiatric hospitalre admission among children and adolescents in state custody. PsychiatricServices, 54(3), pp. 356-362.Ruffolo, M.C., Sarri, R., Goodkind, S. (2004). Study of delinquent, diverted, and high-riskadolescent girls Implications for mental health intervention. Social WorkResearch, 28(4), pp. 237-244.Ungar, M. (2002). A deeper,more social ecological social work practice. Social Science Review,76(3), pp. 480-497.Wakefield, J.C., Kirk, S.A.,Pottick, K.J., Hsieh, D. (1999). Disorder attribution and clinical judgment in theassessment of adolescent antisocial behavior. Social Work Research, 23(4),pp. 227-238.Walker, S. (2001). Tracingthe contours of postmodern social work. British Journal of Social Work,31, pp. 29-39.Walker, S. (2003). Socialwork and child mental health Psychosocial principles in community practice. BritishJournal of Social Work, 33(5), pp. 673-687.

Internal and external factors affecting Starbucks

Internal and foreign factors affecting StarbucksIntroduction This compensate leave provide a slender review of Starbucks and its place in the deep brown sept merchandise in the UK using three wellnessful tested t hotshot-beginninges to strategic commercialize analysis SWOT, hall porters pentad forces and PESTLE analysis. A brief history of the cocoa preindication commercialize is provided in addition to some background to the community in question, Starbucks. then the comp both is analysed using the three frameworks. Finally a few conclusions atomic number 18 d dimn.History of the chocolate hook The deep brown house is non a spic-and-span idea they were established in Britain in the 17th century, the initial opening in London in 1651 (Wilkes Group, 2012.). whatever elements of the umber raise clientele worried the establishment of the day, causing King Charles to speak of them as resort of idle and disaffected persons producing very evil and dangerous affe cts imputable to the fact people met in that respect to discuss the politics of the day (Ibid, no p long time no.) ccc hundred years later chocolate shops argon just as customary, with an estimated 5,700 in the United Kingdom in 2013 (Ibid.) the food market is fiercely fought, with costa Coffee being number iodin betray in the market (in terms of the number of stores), fol kickoffed by Starbucks (Figure 1). Third is chocolate bar Nero and there be a number of smaller companies joining the market, including coffee bean shop Ritazza and a joint venture between Tesco and an Australian coffee bon ton called Harris Hoole (Ibid.) Figure 1 Coffee House UK market shargon (number of stores) blood line The Wilkes Group, 2012.Starbucks Company background The company was founded in Seattle, Washington State in 1971 the name was stimulate by the mermaid in the novel Moby Dick, and the mermaid also inspired the company logo. It is now a very successful coffee house using h onestly sourced Arabica coffee beans (Starbucks n.d.) Howard Schultz, now the company CEO, first visited a Starbucks store in 1981 he subsequently travelled to Italy where the coffee interdict inspired him to bring the concept back to the United States (Starbucks website, n.d.) In 1987 Schultz purchased Starbucks with investing from local pedigreees. The ethos of the firm is to create a welcoming place for discourse a third place between work and home. Today there are 15,000 Starbucks stores in 50 different countries (Starbucks website, n.d.)SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) This ingredient presents a SWOT analysis for Starbucks SWOT is a method of market analysis this familiar acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. These iv words represent the major constructs firms call for to consider to make the some of their internal set up and the external securities industry characteristics. Its major measure is in the identification of those duty critical factors which provide opportunity for the firm, but also any threats from competitors and the changing business surroundings. These expect to be weighed up against the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) of the business to develop the outflank business solutions and strategies, both short term and long term (Meek Meek, 2003). (i) Strengths matchless of the major strengths of the company is the industrial-strength Starbucks brand and its stylish range this has made it very popular with young people, disjointicularly scholarly persons. According to Alderman (2012, no page number) laptop-wielding young people embrace the coffee chain as an avatar of American popular gloss Starbucks has a very red-brick website which is attractive to users and easy to navigate. This is so important in this digital age when the majority of people rely on the Internet to gather reading more or less goods and services. The obedience scheme introduced by Starbucks is another major advantage, a outline take early on in the firms development. Encouraging consumers to increase their frequency of purchase through the use of homage cards is now a marketing tactic successfully adopted by many companies in different sectors. The fact that Starbucks beans are ethically produced is a unvoiced advantage to the company as consumers are more and more concerned about sustainable drudgery and corporate responsibility. A young large-scale survey on tender responsibility (Nielsen, 2014) shows that around 50% of consumers will choose to steal companionablely responsible brands. This includes going so far as to check packaging for claims about sustainability. (ii) Weaknesses Starbucks has been experiencing financial difficulties in recent years, even recording a loss (Wilkes Group, 2012.) putting it at a disadvantage in terms of having the capacity to invest in developing unfermented products or expanding its ne twainrk of stores. Perhaps as a result of poor per body-buildance Starbucks has experienced some decline in its stock values which also can result in trim back investment. As students and the youth market is one of the main market segments for Starbucks, this is one age group in the UK demographics which is declining and projected to continue to do so everywhere the next few years (ONS, 2011). The tax avoidance filth of recent years, when Starbucks avoided paying corporation tax in the UK (Bergin, 2012), temporarily bended the company reputation. However, in the long term it does not appear to bear affected the popularity of the firm with consumers still patronising the stores. (iii) Opportunities The taste for coffee houses and coffee consumption, particularly as part of the working day routine is act (Wilkes Group, n.d.) and showing little condense of slowing down. This is supported by a recovering economy and signs that consumers are finding they keep back more arbitrary in come to spend (CEBR, 2014). The relaxation of the licensing police forces has provided an opportunity for firms like Starbucks to broaden their whirl in coffee houses to include alcohol. This will attract saucily market segments. on that point are further potential niche markets or segments to target, for example developing a caffeine free alternative for those consumers concerned about the health risks of too much caffeine. Increased interest in corporate responsibility, ethical trading and sustainable coffee growing techniques for reducing the carbon footfall provide Starbucks with a competitive advantage as it has always adopted ethical business strategies. The enduring trend for drive thru premises and kiosks on railway and bus stations as a valid and popular way of delivering products in the food and drink sector provides good, relatively low cost, ways for Starbucks to increase sales and raise brand awareness and loyalty further. An extension of this might be pop-up shops temporary occupation of premises as part of for example, music and cultural events. This would also be an ideal fomite for reaching the target market segments particularly young adults and students. The change magnitude globalization of markets provides wider opportunities for Starbucks to expand into new markets some authors nurse that young people in different countries halt more in common than people of different age groups in the same country (Usunier and Lee, 2013). This presents an opportunity to target consumers sharing a common set of values, needs, habits and preferences (Usunier and Lee, 2013 p. 131). (iv) Threats The increasing tension on water-loving lifestyles and reducing caffeine intake for people with certain health conditions is a potential threat to coffee house companies (Lopez-Garcia et al, 2008). The secret will be finding suitable alternatives for those consumers who cannot or choose not to drink caffeinated coffee. A quality decaffeinated altern ative will provide access to this sub-segment of the market. Climate spay whitethorn well represent a threat to coffee production and hence make the raw materials more expensive. on that point is very strong competition in the coffee house market with Costa Coffee firmly in the number one spot (Wilkes Group, n.d.) It is important for Starbucks to maintain relationships with its customers the loyalty card is a good way of doing this as is two way conference with consumers via social networking sites (SNS). However, Starbucks must be careful to look into not all messages it sends out to consumers are sales promotions according to (Cohen, 2011) lodge out of ten communications should be sharing set forthation not sales pitches. porters beers five forces This represents an equally important activeness for any firm competitor analysis in a cursorily changing world and such a fiercely contested grocery store a scientific view of the competition is key to success. This particula r onslaught being described was designed by Michael ostiary and is a positive approach to identifying and assessing the relative strength of the five forces influencing the nature of competition in the coffee industry. Figure 2 below illustrates the five forces which include competitors, new products, new entrants to the marketplace and the bargaining power of consumers (Porter, 2008).Figure 2 Porters five forces Source Porter, 2008 1. The potential threat of a new competitor and/or a new product in the already crowded coffee house marketplace is extravagantly, with strong contenders such as Cafe Ritazza on the fringes. The barriers to entry to the market are quite risque as any company wanting to compete with Starbuck or Costa would need to open a large chain of shops. However, the example of the coffee house joining forces with Tesco (Poulter, 2013) is a case in point and could buzz off disastrous consequences for Starbucks. 2. Secondly, the bargaining power of suppliers an d the costs of raw materials is another strong force for any firm. In the case of Starbucks and its commitment to only using ethically sourced coffee beans, prices are at a premium anyhow for fair bargain goods. This will squeeze profit margins if the company is not able to pass the increased costs on to the customer. Other coffee houses may get their raw materials, particularly the high cost coffee beans, elsewhere and non-fair-trade meaning the price is most likely dismount. 3. The third of Porters forces is the increasing bargaining power of customers most decisions are beguiled to a considerable extent by on-line peer reviews and recommendations. This can influence which product consumers will buy, with a bandwagon effect applying i.e. consumers buying the brand which is most popular (Kastanakis Balabanis, 2012). The power of the consumer is not to be underestimated and smart firms invest in nurturing relationships and communication with consumers. This can ultimately resul t in co-production e.g. of new products. There is clear appreciation of the value of social media to communicate with consumers who want to tactual sensation engaged with their favourite brands. Such engagement cancels out the us and them culture of corporation-consumer relationships now customers feel closer to brands (Engeseth, 2005). Yan (2011, p.695) describes this phenomenon as consumers want to know they have some influence over the brands that they connect with. 4. Fourthly is the force resulting from stockpile products entering the marketplace this might be in the form of an innovational new product for an established competitor e.g. a new smack coffee from Costa or a coffee house offering from a non-coffee house company. This might be considered the case when McDonalds introduced the concept of McCafe providing a coffee house concept within the tralatitious burger house (Petersen, 2014). 5. Finally, Porters fifth force is the way any combination of the quadruple other forces may influence the strength of competition provided by touch on firms and products. There is strong competition from rival companies in the coffee house market, particularly Costa Coffee which dominates the number one spot in the market (Wilkes Group, 2012).PESTLE Analysis This represents the marketing audit angle and thosecompanies which are most thorough in their analysis of the internal and external marketplace are the trump placed to exploit any opportunities and protect against any threats. The analysis is based on clarity around the following questions 1. Where is the company now? 2. How did the company get where it is today? 3. Where is the company heading and what are the corporate objectives? Jobber (2010) defines a marketing audit as the attend to of examining marketing in a business in a arrogant way, including the purlieu, corporate objectives, strategies and any activities to assist in identifying any factors that may feign on the company and its products. The chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM 2013) explains that the business milieu is in a constant state of flux, hence a official audit is necessary to provide any intelligence needed to inform sound decision-making. Such decisions have to take many aspects of current and future day influences in the external environment into account in a routine widely termed a PESTLE analysis. The acronym stands for 1. Political 2. Economic 3. Social 4. scientific 5. Legal 6. Environmental This method assesses the impact on the firm of macro-environmental factors (Kotler and Armstrong 2010) and may well include those PESTLE elements listed in Table 1 below. Some factors will be more relevant to the coffee house market than others and these will be drawn out in the analysis. Table 1 examples of PESTLE analysis components Political Economic Social Technological pinch to strengthen environmental regulation. Hangover from recession still limits discretionary spending. Income dissemination co ffee houses tend to sell premium priced products which people on lower incomes cannot afford. New inventions, including advanced roasting techniques can provide advantage. Employment law pressure to increase the minimum wage Interest rates will increase currently. Coffee drinking is enduring as a popular fashion New product development, including flavoured coffees and improved decaffeinated coffee for those concerned about the caffeine means. Political stability general election in may 2015. Uncertainty and unemployment is commonplace. Lifestyle changes, including longer working hours are making a coffee pick-me-up a regular part of the working day. susceptibility use and costs are key with ethically sourced coffee beans adding to raw material costs. Inflation rates are on the up. Health consciousness with coffee having advantages and disadvantages Consumer confidence is improving slowly. High caffeine intake raises pulse rate rate and hence is not recommended for certain gr oups e.g. those with hypertension (van Dam, n.d.), but doesnt increase risk of death (Lopez-Garcia et al, 2008) -But coffee does contain high levels of anti-oxidants which are beneficial and may protect against diabetes, Parkinsons and liver disease (Ibid.) canon Environment New/extra legislation around sustainable coffee production will impact. Consumers in the UK are conscious of the ethical implications, with increasing consumption of Fairtrade coffee (Blacksell, 2011). Biodegradable packaging is key to reducing waste. measure evasion scandal this has legal implications for the company and damages the corporate reputation. constitutional production of coffee is also on the rise due to consumer study for naturally produced goods (Blacksell, 2011) Source After Kotler and Armstrong, 2010Market segmentation The purpose of business is to create customers is a definition by the business guru Peter Drucker (Swaim, 2010, p.14) who recommends that the best way to do so is to look at the company from the customers viewpoint. There are also a number of questions which need to be asked about segmentation of the market specifically what products does the customer buy and what does the customer value? Research provides an indication of the market segments which are of splendour to companies such as Starbucks. (i) Students represent a clear and well define segment which can assist in promoting and recommending the brand through social networking. (ii) Young professionals and white collar workers picking up a coffee on the way to work is a growing trend in the UK the provision of Wi-Fi and newspapers in the stores assists the professionals to use Starbucks as a second office. bend (2014) observes that this has been so for a lot longer than many people realise, citing a London coffee shop opened in 1688 where ship-owners, insurance brokers and merchants would wander in to drink coffee but also to trade. There has been a long history of connecting coffee with work i n terms of the basis of the concept of the coffee break, first introduced in 1902 by Barcalounger, an American piece of furniture manufacturer (Crookes, 2014). And the fondness for coffee amongst workers was the cause of a strike at Chrysler in 1964 when the management tried to stop company coffee breaks in an effort to increase production (ibid.) (iii) Young adults may well be an increasing segment attracted by the availability of alcohol at Starbucks coffee shops (Crookes, 2014), hence providing an alternative to pubs and clubs for socialising.Marketing mix The marketing mix incorporates the traditional concept of the four Ps (product, price, promotion and place) and is integral to marketing strategy development. Some authors have expanded the mix to seven Ps (Kotler et al. 2012) include three more criteria of people, physical evidence or environment, and process these might be considered to better describe any influences on the marketplace. Kotler (2012, p.31) explains that it recognizes and reconciles the scope and complexities of marketing activities. However, this report will focus on the four Ps and how they might apply to Starbucks. (i) Product Lower caffeine content options may attract more health conscious consumers plus emphasis on ethically produced coffee beans. (ii) Price In a high price, premium market Starbucks might consider offering a value option to broaden the market, particularly for the student segment. (iii) Promotion Maximizing the social media promotion of Starbucks and its good works in ethical and responsible coffee production will improve the firms reputation (Berry, 2000). A constant and interactive presence on social networking sites will produce relationships with consumers and can encourage co-production of new products and services, through electronic word of utter (Chu Kim, 2011). (iv) Place Starbucks has introduced around 200 drive-thru coffee shops in the UK over the agone couple of years enabling consumers to access coffee 24 hours a day (Smith, 2014). There may also be scope for pop-up shops at events or kiosks at railway and bus stations (e.g. the new mini-shop at Birmingham New Street station).Conclusion Starbucks is a well established part of the coffee house culture in the UK, well regarded for its ethical approach to sourcing and buying coffee beans. There are global opportunities for the firm as well as niche markets within the UK to exploit. Although not the number one firm in the coffee house market (a position held by Costa Coffee) Starbucks has developed a strong following amongst the youth and student segments whilst continuing to provide the requisite products for the working population in their meddling working day. Having weathered the temporary storm of bad publicity over the income tax evasion scandal, Starbucks has worked hard to improve its position in the centre of attention of the consumer by emphasising the ethical and sustainable principles the firm has always maintaine d. Such communication and relationship marketing is key to long term brand loyalty. despite fears that coffee may be bad for health there is also evidence to support drinking coffee in moderation to have preventive value against certain diseases. Starbucks is well placed to continue to trade competitively in the UK market, particularly as it continues to find and exploit new and innovative ways to get their product out to the consumer in the form of drive-thrus and kiosks in high footfall areas. There seems little sign of the trend and fashion for coffee houses to diminish any time soon and it continues to be part of the UK culture just as it was over 300 years ago. Word count 3191References Alderman, L. 2012. In Europe, Starbucks adjusts to a Caf Culture. On-line. Available Accessed 23/10/14. Bergin, T. 2012. Special Report How Starbucks avoids UK taxes. On-line Available http//uk.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/us-britain-starbucks-tax-idUSBRE89E0EX20121015 Accessed 23/10/14. Be rry, L. 2000. Cultivating Service Brand Equity. Journal of the academy of Marketing Science, 28 (1) pp.128-137. CEBR, 2014. Disposable income increases. On-line Available http//www.cebr.com/reports/asda-income-tracker-july-2014/ Accessed 23/10/2014.Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). 2013. Marketing Planning Tool On-line. Available http//www.cim.co.uk/marketingplanningtool/tech/tech5.asp. Accessed 10/10/2014.Chu, S-C. Kim, Y. 2011. Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word of let the cat out of the bag (eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising, 30(1) pp.47-75.Cohen, H. (2011) Is your social media marketing unforesightful? On-line available http//heidicohen.com/is-your-social-media-marketing-myopic Accessed 16/10/2014. Crookes, D. 2014. Thirsty Work the coffee shop as office. On-line Available http//www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/thirsty-work-the-coffee-shop-as-office-2290725.html Accessed 16/10/2014. Engeseth, S. 2005. One A consumer revolution in business. London Cyan-Marshall Cavendish.Blacksell, G. 2011. How Green is your coffee? On-line Available http//www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/04/green-coffee Accessed 16/10/2014. Jobber, D. 2010. Principles and Practice of Marketing. 6th Edition. Maidenhead McGraw-Hill.Kastanakis, M. Balabanis, G. 2012. Between the jalopy and the Class antecedents of the bandwagon luxury consumption behaviour. Journal of Business Research Vol. 65 (10) pp. 1399-1407. Kotler, P Armstrong, G. 2010. Principles of Marketing. 13th Edition. Harlow, Essex Prentice Hall. Kotler P., Keller, K., Brady, M., Goodman, M. Hansen, T. 2012. Marketing Management (2nd Ed). Harlow Pearson Education Limited.Lopez-Garcia, E., forefront Dam, R., Rodriquez-Artalejo, F. Hu, f. 2008. The relationship of coffee consumption with mortality. Ann. Intern Medicine 2008 148 pp.904-914. Meek, H. Meek, R. 2003. CIM Course intelligence Strategic Marketing Management. Oxford Elsevier Nielsen. 2014. Global consumers are willing to put their property where their heart is when it comes to goods and services from companies c

Culture Of Hepg2 Cells Biology Essay

ending Of Hepg2 Cells Biology EssayHep G2 cellphone line was purchased from American Type Culture Collection (ACTT) (VA, USA). Dulbeccos Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), 0.5% Trypsin-EDTA 10x, and Penicillin-Streptomycin (PS) were obtained from Invitrogen potbelly stove (NY, USA). Fetal bovid Serum (FBS) was gotten from Welgene Inc. (Daegu, South Korea). Fatty acids (Palmitic, Oleic and Dedocanoic acid), Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Tween 20 came from Sigma (MO, USA). Bovine blood serum albumin (BSA) was from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (CA, USA). MTT verification (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay) was purchased from molecular(a) Probes (Oregon, USA). LDH assay (Lactate dehydrogenase assay) was from ROCHE (Mannhein, Germany). emailprotected/503 and Carboxyl-H2DCFDA were purchased from Invitrogen Corpo ration (Oregon, USA). Nile red was from Fluka (MO, USA). Triglyceride Quantification turnout and ATP Colorimetric/Flourometric Assay Kit were purchase d from BioVion Inc. (CA, USA). Annexin V Flou espial kit was from Roche (IN, USA). Phosphate buffered saline was made up of chemicals at pH 7.4, including 11.7g NaCl, 5.5g Na2HPO4-7H2O, and 1.35g NaH2PO4. All other chemicals met in standard grade of analysis.Culture of HepG2 cellsHepG2 cells were cultured in Dulbeccos modified Eagles medium, containing 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and 1% (v/v) Penicillin-Streptomycin under 5 % CO2, 95 % humidity at 37C. The cells were subcultured by employ 0.5% Trypsin-EDTA 1x (Invitrogen Corporation, NY, USA) for detachment and seeded at proper cell number in altogether experiments.Fatty acid treatmentWhen 80 % confluency of HepG2 was reached, it was treated with various concentrations of the fatty acids (0 mM, 0.1 mM, 0.2 mM, 0.3 mM, 0.5 mM, 0.7 mM and 1.0 mM) for 24 h. The stock reply of fatty acids was prepared at 100 mM by dissolving in DMSO and stored at -200C. The stocks were diluted in DMEM media containing a constant ratio of fatty acid bound bovine serum albumin at 2 to 1 to obtain working solution in all experiments.Cytotoxicity assayCytotoxicity was based on the measurement of cytoplasmic enzyme activity by using cytotoxicity detection kit (ROCHE, Mannhein, Germany). The cytoplasmic enzyme was released from damaged cells that its enzyme activity expresses to the likeness of toxiced-cell. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) presents in all cells which is a stable cytoplasmic enzyme. When the tissue layer integrity of the cells is damaged, it is quickly released into the media. In this assay, NAD+ is reduced to NADH/H+ during alteration of lactate to pyruvate by the LDH-catalyzed. afterward that, H/H+ from NADH/H+ was transferred by the catalyst (diaphorase) to the tetrazolium brininess (yellow) which was reduced to formazan (red). To conduct the assay, the culture supernatant is equanimous cell-free after desire exposure time (24 h). The reaction admixture from the kit was so applied in the takes. The accultur ation of the formazan dye organize was measured at 490 nm on an ELISA reader (VERSARMAX, Molecular Divices., CA, USA).Cell viabilityCell viability was measured based on measurement absorption of a water-insoluble purple formazan which was reduced from a yellow water-soluble tetrazolium salt in live cells. Briefly, the cells were treated with MTT (5 mg/ml) in DMEM at 37 0C for 1.5 h. Then, the media were removed, and DMSO was added to dissolve the furmazan crystals. After gently pipetting, the absorbency was measured at 570 nm using an ELISA reader (VERSARMAX, Molecular Divices., CA, USA). The estimation of cell viability was calculated by comparing betwixt the spectra value of treated and untreated cells.Quantification of triglycerideTriglyceride content (TG) was fit(p) according to an enzymic method (BioVion Inc, CA, USA). In this method, glycerol is a product by TG-catalyzed which reacts with the probe to generate coloration measured on spectrophotometry at 570 nm. In briefly, the cells were rinse twice times with cold PBS, then homogenized in 5% Triton-X100 solution. After slowly heating at 80-100C for 5 min, the samples were centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 5 min. The supernatant collected from removing insoluble materials was added 2 l of lipase, mixed well and incubated for 20 min at direction temperature. Finally, 50 l of the reaction mix was putted in each sample for 45 min of incubation, protected from light. The value of triglyceride content was quantified based on triglyceride standard curve that was constructed with different concentrations of TG (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 nmol/ml).Measurement of reactive group O species (ROS) generationThe measurement of ROS production within cells was carried out by using 2,7-Dichlorohydrofluorescein diacetate (Carboxyl-H2DCFDA Invitrogen Corporation, Oregon, USA) which is combined into fluorescent products in the presence of H2O2 and other ROS molecules and esterases (Zhenyuan nervous strain et al, 2007). A fter the cells were overloaded with 1.0 mM fatty acids, 10 mM final exam exam concentration of Carboxyl-H2DCFDA was added in the media without FBS at 370C in phantasm for 30 min. Then, the cells were serve twice times with warmed PBS and lysed in 200l RIPA buffer (PIERCE, IL, USA). The lysed-cells were centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 5 min. The supernatants were conveyed to a 96-well back habitation which were excited at 485 nm and emitted at 530 nm for the Carboxyl-H2DCFDA fluorescence on Fluorometer (VICTOR2, Perkin Elmer., MA, USA).Trilyceride spotting on ConfocalBodipy 493/503 (Invitrogen, Oregon, USA) was used to capture TG fluorescence on Confocal microscopy. In this experiment, the cells were prepared as above. Before the dyes treatment, the cells were washed with PBS twice times. Bodipy 493/503 was then added at 1.0 M, and 15 min of incubation at 370C after the cells were rinsed with PBS again. Zeiss LSM Image dark-brown software (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany) w as handled to take TG material body at excitation of 488 and emission of BP 505-530 nm.ROS staining on ConfocalROS generation in HepG2 was stained by using Carboxyl-H2DCFDA. In this experiment, the cells were prepared as above. Before the dyes treatment, the cells were washed with warmed PBS twice times. The carboxyl-H2DCFDA was applied at 10 mM final concentration in Serum free media (DMEM without FBS), and incubated for 30 min at 370C, protected from the light. After that, the cells were rinsed with warmed PBS again. Zeiss LSM Image Brown software (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany) was handled to take ROS image at excitation of 488 nm and emission of LP 530 nm.Detection of cell shoemakers last and trilyceride accumulation by ConfocalHepG2 seeded in the 24-well plate and treated with final concentration of fatty acids to 1.0 mM for 24 h. After the incubation time, the cells were washed twice times with PBS. Then, Bodipy 493/503 (Invitrogen, Oregon, USA) was dissolved in P BS at 5 g/ml which was added into each well. This process was kept in darkness for 15 min at 370C. After that, the Bodipy solution was removed and the cells were then washed by Binding buffer from Annexin V Floustaining kit (Roche, IN, USA). Finally, the cells were incubated in 100 l/ml of Propidium iodide (PI) for 10 min in darkness. expo of TG accumulation and apoptosis was observed at excitation of 488 and 543 nm, and emission of BP 505-530 and LP 650 nm on Carl Zeiss Confocal Microscopy (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany), respectively.Data analysisAll results were expressed as taut of repeated three or four values SEM. The difference between groups was identified by using t.test. p 0.05 was considered statistical significant.