Impact of Radiation After Hiroshima Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impact of Radiation After Hiroshima - Essay Example Mrs. Nakamura's hair begins to fall out, and she and her daughter become ill. At the same time, Mr. Tanimoto, weak and feverish, becomes bedridden. Miss Sasaki is transferred to the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroshima and placed under the care of Dr. Sasaki. Dr. Sasaki notices small hemorrhages all over her bare skin, a mysterious symptom many of his patients are beginning to show. He later discovers that this is the result of her low white-blood cell count, another symptom of radiation sickness. Dr. Fujii is living at a friend's house in nearby Fukawa and is beginning to treat patients again," ("Hiroshima", p.1). From an individual standpoint, the dropping of the atomic bomb would not be the only traumatic thing that the survivors would have to endure for however long. In that respect, survivors would also have to suffer the ramifications of radiation poisoning. Often times used as a treatment option for those suffering from cancer, exposure to radiation can have very harsh results, not just for the diseases that its meant to kill, but also the surrounding internal system of the person. Since every individual person is different, their levels of being able to recover from radiation exposure can be drastically different, but equally as intense. For the citizens of Hiroshima, there would be short term, as well as lo

The Racial Relationship Between the Americans Essay Example for Free

The Racial Relationship Between the Americans Essay Agenda: The racial relationship between the American Whites and Blacks has always been an important issue in American society and a hot-discussed topic in modern literature. What we are doing today is to show you the racial relationship between the Whites and Blacks reflected from three famous black authors’ works we’ve learned this semester: Selection from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass, The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes, and How It Feels to Be Colored Me by Zora Neal Hurston. Then we will carry on a comparison between the different recognitions of the relationships from the three works by the three black writers. We will analyze it in aspects of the authors’ era, life background, and finally point out that background and education level is enormously important in changing black people’s view in their relationship with white people. Conclusion Now that my partners have shown you a clear picture of our research, I would like to recap it and give our conclusions. Let’s start by answering these questions: What do they think of the black people? For Frederick Douglass, he thinks that all men should be equal, and due to his personal experience of being a slave (referring to the Narrative we have learned in class), he firmly thinks that black people are suffering greatly. And they should fight against white people for freedom. He also points out that education is the key for African Americans to improve their lives. For Langston Hughes, he holds the view that Black people have also been through civilization and everything which makes them strong and beautiful, thus black people should be proud of their identity. For Zora, she puts optimistic tone in describing black people’s life. She thinks there’s peace and prosperity in black people’s life. There shouldn’t any racial problems. Then let’s see what do they think of white people? For Frederick, white people are cruel slave owners who neglect the rights of black people and restrict their freedom. So he fights with the whites in the  Narrative, and get freedom. For Langston, he comes from a family of a mix race, and his grandmother has always instilled in her grandson a lasting sense of racial pride, to be proud of the black identity. For Zora, whites are not generalized as cruel racists and beasts. Hurston transcends the boundary of race and depicts them on the premise that they are humans who are specific and of differences, not that they are whites. What do they think of the relationships of the blacks and the whites? * For Frederick Douglass: contradictory, enemies, afraid of white * For Langston Hughes: unharmonious, should be respect and self-proud * For Zora Neal Hurston: just human, praise black identities, Finally we can come to the conclusion that different era and education background plays an important role in the three authors’ view of relationships between blacks and whites.

The Study Of Solubility Equilibrium

The Study Of Solubility Equilibrium The first part of this experiment aims to determine the solubility product constant of potassium hydrogen tartrate in water, and thereby determine how the enthalpy and entropy change of the dissolution reaction, according to the equilibrium KHC4H4O6 (s) Ġº K+ (aq) + HC4H4O6- (aq) (1), changes with temperature. The second part of this experiment aims to examine the common ion effect through determination of the Ksp of KHC4H4O6 in potassium nitrate (KNO3) solution for varying K+ concentrations. Results I. Titrating 25.0cm3 of KHC4H4O6 solution with 0.07415M NaOH solution with phenolphthalein indicator gave the following results To determine Ksp at 302.15K: Amount of NaOH used = Average volume of NaOH used 0.07415M = 13.35 10-3 0.07415 = 9.899 10-4 mol = Amount of HC4H4O6- reacted Total volume of the solution = Average volume of NaOH used + 25.0 cm3 of HC4H4O6- solution = 13.35 + 25.0 = 38.35 cm3 Since [K+] = [HC4H4O6-], Ksp = [K+][HC4H4O6-] = [HC4H4O6-]2 = 0.25812 = 6.662-10-4 Table 1: Solubility product constant of potassium hydrogen tartrate at various temperatures Temperature / K Average VNaOH used / cm3 Amount of NaOH used / mol Amount of HC4H4O6- reacted / mol [HC4H4O6-] / mol dm-3 Solubility of HC4H4O6-/ mol dm-3 Ksp ln Ksp 1/T / K-1 282.5 6.65 0.0004931 0.004931 0.01558 0.01558 0.0002427 -8.324 0.003540 292 9.25 0.0006869 0.006869 0.02003 0.02003 0.0004010 -7.821 0.003425 302 13.35 0.0009899 0.009899 0.02581 0.02581 0.0006663 -7.314 0.003311 311.5 18.35 0.001361 0.01361 0.03139 0.03139 0.0009852 -6.923 0.003210 322.5 26.65 0.001976 0.01976 0.03826 0.03826 0.001464 -6.527 0.003101 Given that ΔG °reaction = ΔH °reaction TΔS °reaction - (2) and ΔG °reaction = RT ln K - (3), combining the two equations and rearranging gives us the linear function: - (4) Using the data obtained in this experiment to plot this linear function gives Graph 1 shown below: Graph 1: Linear curve of ln Ksp against 1/T Equation of line -ln Ksp = 4113(1/T) + 6.264 =- 4113 ΔH °reaction =- (- 4113 8.314) =+34 195 J mol-1 (4s.f.) =+34.195 kJ mol-1 Uncertainty (standard deviation) =  ± 105.3 8.314 =  ± 875.5 ΔH °reaction = + 34 195  ± 875.5 J mol-1 =6.264 ΔS °reaction =6.264 8.314 =+52.08 J K-1 mol-1 (4s.f.) Uncertainty (standard deviation) = ± 0.3497 8.314 =  ± 2.907 ΔS °reaction = + 52.08  ± 2.907 J K-1 mol-1 ΔG °reaction = [+ 34 195 T (+ 52.08)] J mol-1 Solubility of HC4H4O6- and Ksp increases with increasing temperature, and a positive ΔH °r value shows that the dissolution of KHC4H4O6 is an endothermic process. Since the magnitude of ΔS °r is smaller than that of ΔH °r, ΔG °r is always positive in the temperature range of 282.5K to 322.5K, as carried out in this experiment. This indicates that the dissolution of KHC4H4O6 is always non-spontaneous for this temperature range, and hence KHC4H4O6 is a sparingly soluble salt. II. Titration of KHC4H4O6 in KNO3 solutions of different concentrations with 0.07413M NaOH solution with phenolphthalein indicator at room temperature to observe the common ion effect gave the following results To determine the Ksp and solubility of HC4H4O6- at room temperature when [KNO3] = 0.01M: Amount of K+ from KNO3 = 0.01 70 10-3 = 7.00-10-4 mol Amount of NaOH used = 11.45 10-3 0.07413 = 8.508 10-4 mol = Amount of HC4H4O6- reacted Total amount of K+ = (7.00-10-4) + (8.508 10-4) = 1.55 10-3 mol Total volume = 25.0 + 11.45 = 36.45 cm3 [K+]total = Ksp = Table 2: Solubility product constant of potassium hydrogen tartrate at various potassium nitrate concentrations T / K [KNO3] / M Average volume of NaOH used / cm3 Amount of NaOH / mol Amount of HC4H4O6- reacted / mol Total amount of K+ / mol [K+]total / mol dm-3 Solubility of HC4H4O6- / mol dm-3 Ksp 301 0.01 11.45 0.0008509 0.0008509 0.001551 0.04255 0.02334 0.0009932 301 0.02 10.35 0.0007691 0.0007691 0.002169 0.06136 0.02176 0.001335 302 0.03 9.50 0.0007059 0.0007059 0.002806 0.08133 0.02046 0.001664 302 0.04 8.60 0.0006391 0.0006391 0.003439 0.1024 0.01902 0.001947 Graph 2: Graph of solubility of KHC4H4O6 (M) against [K+]total (M) The data obtained in this part of the experiment shows that solubility of HC4H4O6- decreases with increasing total K+ concentration for a given temperature (302K). This is due to the common ion effect the presence of the common ion K+ suppresses the dissociation of KHC4H4O6 according to (1), since K+ concentration is greater than the equilibrium KHC4H4O6 concentration. The greater the K+ concentration, the lesser the extent of dissociation of KHC4H4O6, and hence the less soluble HC4H4O6- is in water. Discussion The solubility of a substance is the amount of the substance dissolved in 1 L of its saturated solution for a given temperature. Ksp on the other hand, is the product of the ion concentrations raised to their respective powers on the dissolution equilibrium equation, and is constant for a given temperature. Since the dissolution of KHC4H4O6 is an endothermic process, when temperature increases, the forward reaction is favoured to absorb the excess heat. This causes Ksp values to increase with increasing temperature, as observed, since concentration of products, i.e. [K+] and [HC4H4O6-], increases. The heat absorbed is used to overcome solute-solute and solvent-solvent interactions, such that solute-solvent interactions can form during the dissolution process. Also, as a solid dissolves, entropy of the system is increased, since the greater number of liquid particles increases disorderliness. Hence as temperature increases, ΔG °r will be increasingly negative, indicating that the dissolution of KHC4H4O6 gets increasingly spontaneous as temperature increases. In this experiment, ΔH °r and ΔS °r are assumed to be insignificantly dependent on temperature. ΔrH(T2) = ΔrH(T1) + (T2-T1) ΔrCp - (5) (Atkins, 2006) From Kirchhoffs law (5), ΔrH is dependent on temperature, assuming that constant-pressure heat capacities (Cp) is independent of temperature. For the above assumption to hold true, ΔrCp should be insignificant, i.e. (Cp) of the products and reactants should have approximately equal values. Since Cp is affected by how much of a substance there is in the solution the greater the number of particles, the greater the amount of heat energy needed to raise the overall temperature of the solution by 1K and the KHC4H4O6 solution used in titration is saturated, the amount of substance in the solution can be approximated to be the same. Thus, Cp of the products and reactants can be approximated to be the same, and hence ΔrCp is minimum. Similarly, since ΔS °r is dependent on Cp as well, we can assume it to be insignificantly dependent on temperature as well. For the above argument to hold true, the KHC4H4O6 solution used in titration must be saturated, and steps to ensure this should be taken one, continual swirling of the solution before filtration to ensure all solid has been dissolved; two, maintaining supposed temperature of the solution immediately before filtering, since the saturated solution is filtered in small portions; three, apparatus used to contain the filtrate must be dry such that the saturated solution is not diluted by the presence of any water. General titration techniques were also employed, such as rinsing apparatus with the solutions that they are to contain to ensure no contamination and accurate concentrations, as well as keeping the amount of phenolphthalein indicator, a weak acid, to a minimum, to prevent the lowering of the pH of the solution, which results in more than the required amount of NaOH needed to react with the saturated KHC4H4O6 solution. For Section 1 of this experiment, comparing experimental and literature Ksp values gives the following At approximately 302K: Literature value of solubility of KHC4H4O6 in water = 7.3693 103 kgsalt/kgwater (Lopes, 2001) Literature Ksp value = [(7.3693 103 gsalt/mlwater) à · (188.1772 g mol-1)]2 = (39.161 10-3 mol L-1)2 = 1.534 10-3 Experimental Ksp value (Section 1) = 6.663 10-4 Mean Ksp value (Section 2) = 1.485 10-3 The literature Ksp value in Section 1 of this experiment was 2.302 times higher than that of the experimental Ksp value at 302K. Besides, since Ksp is only dependent on temperature, Ksp values at the same temperature should be constant and independent of concentrations. The mean Ksp value obtained in the Section 2 of this experiment, however, was 2.229 times greater than that obtained in Section 1 of this experiment, though it only had a 3.300% difference from the literature Ksp value. The abnormally low Ksp value obtained in Section 1 of this experiment indicates less than expected K+ and HC4H4O6- concentrations in the solution, and can stem from either the effect of a deviation from temperature, or from the solution being unsaturated. However, the data obtained in this experiment showed an accurate trend expected of Ksp values for increasing temperature, hence eliminating temperature deviation as a possible source of error. Furthermore, this trend also reflects expected solubility trends, and is sufficient in demonstrating the aims of this experiment. Conclusion The aims of this experiment have been met, as shown by the increasing trend of Ksp values for increasing temperature, as well as the decreasing solubility of HC4H4O6- in water for increasing K+ concentration, due to the common ion effect. These combined prove that Ksp is only dependent on temperature, given that care has been taken to ensure a saturated solution when carrying out the experiment.

Platos Criticism of Democracy Essay -- Plato

Plato's Criticism of Democracy Do not be angry with me for speaking the truth; no man will survive who genuinely opposes you or any other crowd and prevents the occurrence of many unjust and illegal happenings in the city. A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time. (Apology 31e-32a) These are the words of Socrates, who spoke before the Athenian jury in the trial that would, ultimately, condemn him to his death. Through works such as the Apology and The Republic, we can see Plato’s distaste of the concept of democracy. Why does he consider democracy to be so flawed? Let us look through his own eyes and see what his individual criticisms are, and determine if the very concept of democracy is as flawed as he believes it to be. One of the contemporary definitions of democracy today is as follows: â€Å"Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives; Rule by the majority† (â€Å"Democracy† Def.1,4). Democracy, as a form of government, was a radical idea when it manifested; many governments in the early history of the world were totalitarian or tyrannical in nature, due to overarching beliefs that the strong ruled over the weak. Although the Greeks coined the word â€Å"democracy† – the words demos â€Å"people† and kratos â€Å"rule† conjoined together to mean, literally, â€Å"rule by the people† – there is speculation about weather or not certain other peoples, such as the Sumerians and the Indians, managed to engage in democratic methods of governance first. However, the history of democracy is not what is being discussed here; we are focusing on Plato’s criticism of democracy, particularly with regards to the Athenian model and his... ...n life. However, Plato’s criticisms should be kept in mind when determining the merit of a democratic government. Oh, would it not be great to have a democracy of philosophers, who would pursue truth and wisdom! Alas, we are only human, and susceptible to many evils and lies. The trick is to prevent such ignorant people from becoming the majority. At times, it seems nigh impossible to do so; curse our stupidity! WORKS CITED â€Å"Democracy.† Def.1,4. The American Heritage Dictionary. 2nd college ed. 1991. Plato. â€Å"The Apology.† Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Cito, Meno, Phaedo. 2nd ed. Trans. Grube, G.M.A. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2002. 36. Gorgias. Trans. Helmbold, W.C. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc, 1952. 18-19, 32-48. â€Å"Book V.† The Republic of Plato. Trans. Bloom, Allan. New York: Basic Books Inc, 1968. 153-154.

Boundaries of the I-Function in Twins :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Boundaries of the I-Function in Twins Identical, conjoined, and half-twins are all examples of intrinsic variability in humans. Intrinsic variability exists in all animals and is an adaptive mechanism built into the nervous system in response to input. This mechanism allows humans to distinguish the same inputs as different from one another and therefore, the possible outputs vary with time. It is possible that due to identical genetic input, the twins could share identical neural pathways and identical I-Functions. This hypothesis could explain the identical behaviors and inter-connectedness of feelings and thoughts that twins share. Differences that are seen in twin behaviors could simply be due to intrinsic variability causing differing output or behaviors. During ovulation, when a woman releases an ovum, three different processes can occur. First, the ovum can remain in one piece all the way to the uterus where, if not fertilized, it will be shed out of the body along with the unused endometrium. Second, the ovum, if fertilized, can develop into a single embryo, which is the most common type of pregnancy in humans with about 99% of all births being singletons (1). Finally, the ovum can split into two separate halves resulting in genetically identical twins. The three types of twins previously mentioned are identical, which are created when the fertilized ovum separates into two complete, identical parts, conjoined, which occur as a result of a fertilized ovum not completing the equal separation resulting in two fetuses fused together in some way, and half-twins or polar body twins, which are made when an unfertilized ovum splits into two complete, identical parts and is then fertilized by two different sperm. The frequency of identical twins is 3.5 per 100 births (1) and the frequency of conjoined twins is 1 birth per 50,000 with only 100 known cases surviving their first year (5). There is no scientific explanation for why an ovum splits into two or more parts. It has been observed that ovum splitting can be hereditary but can also occur spontaneously. This spontaneity or unexplained divergence from normal egg growth and fertilization could be due to intrinsic variability. This intrinsic variability could also be connected to certain differences in behavior of two genetically and culturally identical twins. Ideally, one could say that twins with identical genetic information and environments would have extremely similar, if not the same neural pathways and central pattern generators (CPGs).

marketing Essay -- essays research papers

Marketing Assignment Product The product I am going to design and develop is a brand extension of REEBOK. I am going to design and develop a REEBOK. Mini-disc player. It will aim at 18-26 year olds. I have chosen this certain age group because of the research carried out. From my research I can conclude that the age groups are interested in owning a mini disk player because of many reasons e.g. style, size, price etc. I have chosen REEBOK. because they are quite popular among the target market I have chosen to aim. REEBOK are among one the well known brands in the world, shortly after NIKE. Consumers are interested to REEBOK products because of their designs, quality and logs. Reeboks prices tend to be a little cheaper then their main competitors Nike, Adidas and Puma. You can see this from the research table below: LOGO PRICE Reebok  £25- £56 Nike  £46- £150 Puma  £28-  £60 Adidas  £35- £55 We can clearly see that Reebok set a price just below the main competitors, this is because they know consumers will want to buy products but still at a cheaper price and still have the satisfaction of buying a good brand name product. Brief history on Reebok Reebok's United Kingdom-based ancestor company was founded for one of the best reasons possible: athletes wanted to run faster. Therefore, in the 1890s, Joseph William Foster made some of the first known running shoes with spikes in them. By 1895, he was in business making shoes by hand for top runners; and before long his fledgling company, J.W. Foster and Sons developed an international clientele of distinguished athletes. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons started a companion company that came to be known as Reebok, named for an African gazelle. In 1979, Paul Fireman, a partner in an outdoor sporting goods distributorship, spotted Reebok ® shoes at an international trade show. He negotiated for the North American distribution license and introduced three running shoes in the U.S. that year. At $60, they were the most expensive running shoes on the market. By 1981, Reebok's sales exceeded $1.5 million, but a dramatic move was planned for the next year. Reebok would introduce the first athletic shoe designed especially for women; a shoe for a hot new fitness exercise called aerobic dance. The shoe was called the Freestyleâ„ ¢, and with it Reebok anticipated and encouraged three major trends that transformed... ...to try and compete with these two companies there are a number of ways this could happen The factor of Place is not on such a large scale, the outlet is the shop and although products may be offered by post most of the transactions will take place at the shop. However, the customers must in a position in which to offer its services well and easily access the shop. For example, there must be plenty of car parking near by so that the customers can easily access the shop, it should be available to as many customers as possible. The different sorts of sales promotion are I could come up with, if I feel my product is not doing well are : 1. Buy one get one free - this can also be buy one and get something else free. 2. Discounts.- where products are reduced in an effort to sell more. 3. Competitions - used to get people interested in he shop and products. 4. Free gifts – another way to pursued people to buy products. 5. Product trials – allows people to try the products before they buy. 6. Point of sale displays – special displays to promote the products and gain customer awareness. Here is a detailed map of where I am going to place my MD for sale. Sony Centre: Argos: Dixon:

Beer Industry Marketing Analysis Essay

The Beer makes up most of the alcoholic beverage industry, with a 74% volume in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The production of beer around the world has increased from 36. 85 billions gallons in 2000 to 38. 78 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). Beer production has been a part of society close to the beginning of civilization. A Mesopotamian tablet dating back to 7000 B. C. contains a beer recipe named ?  §wine of the grain (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 1292, a Czech Republic town produced its first pilsner beer. A prominent beer brand, Pilsner Urquell, brewing dates back to the early thirteenth century. Beer is produced with a mixture of mashed barley, malt, and rice or corn. U. S. brewers use filtration systems as well as add additives to stabilize the foam and allow long lasting freshness. Bottled or canned beer is almost always pasteurized in the container in prevent the yeast from further fermentation. After 1996, the U. S. beer industry had consistent growth with about 3,500 brands on the market in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U. S. exported beer to almost one hundred countries worldwide. The beer industry peaked production with 6. 2 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U. S. beer industry haws over 300 breweries. However, this industry is dominated by three companies: Anheuser Bush (45% of the industry), Miller Brewing (23% of the industry), and Adolph Coors (10% of the industry) (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). MARKETS BASIC PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERINGS There are several different types of commercial beer, consisting of pilsner, lager, ale, stout, light, low-carb, malt liquor, dry, ice-brewed, bottled, draft, and non-alcoholic. Further, the U. S.market has been divided in to three categories: super premium, premium, and popular-priced (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 2002, the U. S. Market Share Reporter stated that light beer consumed 40. 1% of the beer market, premium held 25. 9% of the market, and popular-priced beer held the remainder. Here is a brief description of the most popular types of commercial beers: ?  «Lager: a high carbonated beer, containing a low alcohol content, with a pale, medium-hop flavor ?  «Stout: a thick, dark beer, almost like syrup ? «Porter: a sweet, malty flavored brew with a farley high alcohol content ?  «Malt Liquor: a mostly malt based containing high amounts of fermentable sugars ?  «Light: a reduced calorie brew made by decreasing the grain amount used when brewing or by adding enzymes to break down the starch content in the beer (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). One small segment of the beer industry is the micro brews. This segment as well as brewpubs had a double-digit increase in the U. S. throughout the early 1990?  ¦s (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). However, this increase started to decline toward the end of the 1990?  ¦s. This was mostly due to overexpansion. This did not stop all the microbreweries from continuing to open in the U. S. which allowed this market to show considerable growth. In 2002, the U. S. reportedly had 396 microbreweries, 46 regional specialty breweries, and 994 brewpubs (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). III. MARKET STRUCTURE AND ATTRACTIVENESS Market Structure The three major players in the brewing industry, Anheuser-Bush, Miller, and Coors Co. , have started increasing their market shares at the expense of smaller national brewers. The alcoholic beverage industry has gone through a consolidation period since the consumption rate has declined over the past few years (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). One of the markets that have flattened in this industry is the domestic beer market. This industry has hit a mature stage where consumption rates have flattened. This caused price increases to help suffering companies increase its profit margins (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). This along with increased vertical integration and inherent production economies makes it very difficult for a inefficient major industry player to compete nationally. The market that is dominating the brewing industry is the micro brewers. This group has found a niche market in the beer industry and has steadily driven the market share upwards. These companies normally target the smaller market segments and do not try to compete with the large industry brands. To achieve such successful profit margins, the micro brewers have the production process under contract with a regional brewer (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). Attractiveness The attractiveness of the beer industry is steadily growing. However, it is not growing in to area of large domestic brewers. This area of the beer industry has hit a flat consumption growth. The area that is become more attractive is the micro brews. From 1999 to 2002, the micro brew market grew almost 11 percent in the U. S. (Future of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Specialty Beer, 2004). This has caused the major companies in this industry to break into this niche market by combining forces with smaller companies or penetrating the market with a new micro brew product line. This niche market remains attractive to any investors due to the fact that the micro brew consumers will not react negatively to higher prices or price increases (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). The other area in the beer industry that continues to flourish is the international beer market. From 1999 to 2003, the market share for imports grew from 9. 1% to 11. 9%, respectively (Future of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Specialty Beer, 2004). Not only does the increase in market share hinder the domestic brewing companies, but the average case for imported beer is $24. 27 and for domestic beer is $16. 47 (Beer Report, 2003). This shows that imports sales are much higher due to increase in market share. As well, from a revenue stand point the international market has a higher attractiveness over the domestic market. From this, U. S. beer firms have penetrated into the international market by joining with international brewing companies to become American distributors for their brands. The continuing growth of U. S. beer firms penetrating international beer markets are due to the continuance of licensing agreements, direct exports, and foreign investments (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). IV. Porter?  ¦s Five Forces Model A good way to look at the beer industry is by using the Porter?  ¦s Five Forces Model. This analysis will help analyze the attractiveness of the industry as well as discuss the ease of entry and exit. Threat of Substitutes: Substitutes for this market include wine and distilled spirits. The wine industry consists of grape wine, sparkling wines, brandy, and fermented dinks (Alcoholic Beverages, 2000). Most distilled spirits are based on name brand products including vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and liquors and cordials. Both of these markets have a major capability of expanding due to international exports. Another substitute for the domestic beer market is the higher priced brewed beverages including micro brews or imports. Though these products do carry a much higher price, the customers willing to pay higher prices are capable of using a substitute. Threat of New Entry: The threat of new entry in this market is relatively low. The legal costs and economics of scale in the manufacturing and distribution areas of the beer market are strongly weighed to successfully compete (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). This prohibits most potential entrants. Buyer Power: Since there are many different competitors and substitutes in the alcoholic beverage industry, the buying power is in the hands of the buyer. The only approach to sway the consumers buying behavior is through advertising and marketing. Supply Power: Some breweries in the U. S. hold no supply power. All the company is responsible for is brewing the beer. On the other hand, the large domestic beers, for instance Coors Brewing Co. , have a manufacturing plant where it controls of the manufacturing process with it products. Companies who have this capability hold huge amounts of supply power. This sometimes eliminates manufacturing costs from another company. Intra-Industry Rivalry: Competitive rivalry remains strong amongst the three leading companies in the beer industry, Anheuser-Bush, Miller, and Coors. These three companies battle against each other through advertising and market share. The micro brews in the beers industry also compete against each other to hold a competitive advantage over other products at that level. This area of the beer industry competes as well using advertising, packaging, and market share. Political Variables/Trends There are quite a few political variables to consider in the beer industry. The first issue in this industry is the implementation of taxation on alcohol sales. Governments around the world strong believe in taxation on alcohol to both increase revenue and decrease consumption (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). This trend has been effective since the consumers continue to purchase the products no matter how high the prices. The U. S. has had the lowest tax rates on its alcohol sales compared to other countries. In 1991, the tax rate on beer doubled to $18 per barrel, equally 16 to 32 cents per six pack (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). This was a sharp increase from its previous tax rates. The next political view most companies have had to deal with in the alcoholic beverage industry is the issue of alcohol abuse. Many companies have to monitor how it markets its products to now allow the persuasion of binge drinking or excessive drinking. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates costs of $140 billion per year relate to alcohol abuse (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). Drunk driving has been another issue that beer companies have come under attack in relation to beer sales. The government has pasted several laws in the past to stricken the drink and driving laws. The U. S. Senate passed a law to decrease to legal blood-alcohol level from . 10 percent to . 08 percent. As well, a bill was passed regulating the legality of having open containers in a moving vehicle. This was passed in the Senate making it illegal to have any open containers in a moving vehicle. Marketing to minors was another issue that several beer companies got slammed with in 2004. Lawsuits were filed stating that some of the marketing tactics in the beer companies commercial were intention targeting underage drinkers (Lawsuits, 2004). The courts argued that the material used in the commercial ads were young video games and models ?  §chosen to appeal to underage consumers (Lawsuits, 2004). Some of the brewing firms decided to implement underage drinking warnings in its ads to cover itself from any future litigation Economic Variables/Trends The economic trend in the large domestic beer market has pretty much flatten entering in the maturity stage in the product life cycle. This will mean that sales will mostly stay consistent with little increase. Unless the major companies can try to dominate the niche markets in the beer industry, they will need to use advertising and marketing to drive sales. The fear of consumers switching to a substitute product like the micro brews could be present. Thus, branching out into that niche market would help the companies to gain higher market share and increase sales. Social Variables/Trends The major social trend in the beer industry is the ?  §low carb craze (MacArthur, 2004). Americans have entered into a low-carb phase. Beer sales decrease a good amount following the introduction of this phase into the American food markets. Anheuser-Busch had a heading start when this phase started since it was the first to implement a low-carb beer, Michelob Ultra, into the alcoholic beverage industry. This sparked a spin off with other major companies and soon mostly all major players in the industry had developed a low-carb beverage (MacArthur, 2004). Anheuser-Busch, Coors Brewing, and Miller were putting together a $300 million media campaign supporting any brands that help avoid a beer belly (MacArthur, 2004). In 2003, Bud Light still led the market with an increase from 2. 6% to 8. 1% while Coors Light volume decreased from 0. 6% to 8. 5% of the market share (MacArthur, 2004). Technological Variables/Trends Technology in this industry is mainly computer based focused. Companies use computer software and equipment to allow for efficient production of the products being manufactured. Also, increase in technology variables could mean better advertising strategies due to the technology created. On top of being used to speed up the production and efficiency of service, new technology also has been used to pull well-defined reports that become useful with inventory and point-of-sale purchases. V. ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY ASSESSMENT VI. MARKET POWER DISTRIBUTION AND PERFORMANCE VII. TARGET RECOMMENDATIONS