Effects of Different Disinfectants

Effects of Different Disinfectants Abstract Introduction: Dentists, dental equipments and dental laboratories are exposed to different types of pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of spraying three different types of disinfectant agents: sodium hypochlorite 0.525 %, Epimax and Deconex, on condensational silicon after 5 and 10 minutes. Method and materials: In this in vitro experimental study, 66 circular samples of condensational silicon impression materials of 1cm diameter and 2mm thickness (1.5 mm thickness of puty and 0.5 mm thickness of wash) were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus ,(ATCC29213) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853) and Candida albicans fungus (PTCC5027). Except for control samples all of them were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite 0.525%, Deconex and Epimax by way of spraying. Afterwards, they were kept in plastic bags filled with humid cotton rolled for 5 and 10 minutes. In order to isolate bacteria the samples were immersed in 2% trypsin for one hour and then the solution was diluted with normal salin in portion of 1,1/2 and 1/4. The trypsin suspensions were transferred to culture plates and the number of colonies was counted after 24 and 48 hours for bacteria and after 72 hours for fungus. All data was analyzed by Mann Whitney test in SPSS software program (=0.05). Results: There was a significant difference between disinfection capability of Epimax and Deconex for all mentioned microorganisms after 5 minutes (P value=0.034). Also the difference was significant between disinfection ability of hypochlorite sodium 0.525% and Epimax for Staphylococcus aureus (P value=0.043) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P value=0.046) after 5 minutes. There was a significant difference between disinfection effects of Epimax and Deconex(P value=0.034) and hypochlorite sodium0.525% and Epimax(P value=0.034) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa after 10 minutes. By changing time from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, disinfection efficacy of Epimax and Hypochlorite sodium 0.525% changed dramatically. Deconex was completely efficient in eliminating 100 % of microorganisms in both 5 and 10 minutes. Conclusion: This study revealed that condensational silicon can be effectively disinfected by three types of disinfectant agents by spraying method, although Deconex showed the best results compared to the other agents which indicate that this agent can be selected as a first choice to disinfect condensational silicon impression materials. Key words: Condensational silicone, Disinfection, Impression materials, Introduction: Dentists and dental laboratories are exposed to different types of pathogen microorganisms. The main sources of transition of oral infections from patients to laboratory are impression materials, impression trays and poured stone casts. (1) New studies have shown that, 67% of materials which are sent to dentallaboratories are infected by various microorganisms (2). The most frequently identified microorganisms are Streptococcus species, Staphylococcus species, Escherichia coli species, Actinomyces species, Antitratus species, Pseudomonas species, Enterobacter species, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida species.(3). therefore, an effort should be made to eliminate most of these microorganisms and reduce the rate of infection transmission to dentistry laboratories. The International Dental Federation consequently have insisted on disinfecting all impressions from patients before sending them to laboratories (4). Also the American Dental Association has advised all dental workers to disinfect all patients’ impression trays (5). In some studies, it has been declared that washing the impression materials with tap water; only removes 40% of bacteria but other studies have reported that it has the capacity to reduce micro organisms up to 90 %( 6). The most common chemical disinfectants used by dentists are Alcohols, Aldehydes, Chlorine combinations, phenols, Biguanides, Iodide combinations and Ammonium (7). Based on the type of chemical disinfectant, there are two common methods to disinfect dental materials: 1) immersion 2) spraying (6). Disinfection by immersing in the chemical materials has been proved to cover all surfaces in one time (8) while spraying is not capable of disinfecting all surfaces effectively and also cannot cover all undercuts, it significantly reduces the amount of distortion that take place in immersing method (6). Silicon impression materials are the first group of polymeric impression materials (9). These materials have the best dimensional stability. Polyvinyl impression materials are the only impression materials which can be disinfected without any dimensional changes (10). Also, different methods such as soaking in glutaraldehyde for 30 minutes have been suggested to disinfect these materials. Use of hypochlorite sodium and phenol combinations with the soaking time less than pouring time have been suggested by Some studies (11). J.Bustos investigated the effect of 0.05 % hypochlorite sodium and glutaraldehyde after 5 and 10 minutes on silicon impression materials. He declared that both of these disinfectants can efficiently prevent the bacterial growth on these impressions materials (12). Ghahremanloo A et al also conducted a research in 2009 and investigated the antimicrobial effect of sodium hypochlorite 0.525 %, Deconex and Sanosil. They concluded that the use of 0.525 % sodium hypochlorite spray on the surface of alginate; effectively disinfects 96.6 % of the samples (13). Since none of the mentioned disinfectant methods and agents have been accepted as a gold standard for disinfecting dental materials, finding an appropriate way seems rational. The aim of this study was to investigate the disinfectant ability of spraying Deconex, Sodium hypochlorite 0.525 % and Epimax on condensational silicon impression material in 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Methods and Materials This randomized experimental and microbiological study was carried out with the cooperation of dental school and microbiology department of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, aiming to evaluate the disinfection effect of: Sodium Hypochlorite0.525%, Deconex and Epimax on the condensational silicon impression material. Sampling Methods: In order to prepare samples, the heavy body impression material (putty) was mixed with the catalyst according to manufacturer instructions. The mixture was placed in a syringe with one centimeter diameter so that samples with 1.5 millimeter thickness were gained. Then the light body impression material (Wash) was mixed with the catalyst on a paper pad with a sterile spatula and was placed in the upper 0.5 millimeter of the syringe. Eventually 66 samples, with 2mm thickness and 1 cm diameter, were prepared. In order to ensure that samples were kept sterile during preparation, three samples were selected as negative controls (blank) and were incubated on TSB culture for 24 to 48 hours; after which the bacterial growth was examined. For each bacterial type, 21 samples were used. Sodium hypochlorite0.525% was used to disinfect three of them for five minutes and three others for 10 minutes. Three samples were disinfected with Deconex for five minutes and three others for 10 minutes. And three samples were disinfected with Epimax for five minutes and three others for 10 minutes. At Last, three more samples were used as positive controls to check for any microbial pollution. Preparation of Microbial Solution and Yeast For many types of susceptibility testing, a standard inoculum of bacteria must be used. The standard inoculums were prepared according to 0.5 McFarland (1.5Ãâ€"108cfu/ml) by transferring 1-2 colonies of 18-24 hours cultures to TSB medium and incubated at 35 °c until 0.5 McFarland turbidity of media was gained. For Candida albicans fungus, the sample was taken from 48 hour Saborose and Dextrose Agar cultures. Contamination of Samples To evaluate the disinfection effect of three mentioned substances, samples were separately polluted with microbial suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC29213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853) and Candida albicans fungus (PTCC5027). The impressions were put in sterile test tubes separately with 2 milliliter of microbial suspension in each tube and then all samples incubated at 35 º C for one hour. Disinfection of Samples and microbiological Surveys: After contamination, all samples were rinsed with sterile distilled water for 30 seconds. In order to disinfect all samples, except controls, Sodium Hypochlorite 0.525%, Deconex and Epimax were separately sprayed 10 times on each sample for 15 seconds. Then the samples were put into sterile plastic bags containing sterile cotton, humidified with sterile distilled water to form a moisturized environment for 5 and 10 minutes. Protease Trypsin, which is able to isolate the microbes from contaminated environments, was used. The ideal time and dilution for effective use of Trypsin is 60 minutes and 2% respectively. This time and dilution are based on the maximum microorganisms than can be isolated from the samples. After washing the samples with sterile distilled water for 30 seconds, they were put in Trypsin 2% solution for 60 minutes. Trypsin Suspensions with 1, and dilution were then prepared. Using 100 micro liter samplers, these samples were transferred to Muller Hinton Agar for Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Saborow Dextrose Agar culture was selected for Candida albicans fungus. Using a Pasteur pipet bent with heat at 90 degrees, the samples were spread on cultures. After 24 and 48 hours incubation, the grown bacterial colonies on culture were counted. The grown fungus colonies of Candida albicans on Saborow culture were counted after 72 hours. All results, were analyze d by Mann Witney test in SPSS software program.(ÃŽ ±=0.05) Results: According to the table 1, there is a significant difference between disinfection ability of Deconex and Epimax in 5 minutes (P Value=0.034). This difference is also significant for hypochlorite sodium and Epimax just for pseudomonas aeruginosa (p value=0.046) and staphylococcus Aureus (p value=0.043). In other cases, there is no significant difference in disinfection ability of materials in 5 minutes. (P value>0.05) According to the table 2, significant difference between disinfection capability of hypochlorite sodium – epimax and deconex- epimax was just seen after 10 minutes for pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to the table 3, Deconex completely eradicated all three kinds of microorganisms after 5 and 10 minutes. This is not true for hypochlorite sodium, as this material just eradicated staphylococcus Aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa after 10 minutes 98.68 % eradication of pseudomonas aeruginosa was seen after 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, epimax could eradicate 95.78 % of pseudomonas aeruginosa. This agent can completely eradicate candida Albicans and Staphylococcus Aureus after 10 minutes. By increasing time from 5 to 10 minutes, disinfection ability of all agents increased, except for Deconex which is 100 % for all microorganisms in both 5 minutes and 10 minutes. When there are large numbers of bacterial colonies, which are not countable, we can count the number of colonies using inverse dilution coefficient. Since real number of colonies was countable in dilution#1, and all results from other dilutions were similar to mentioned results, the results regarding to the number of colonies in other two dilutions were not reported. Discussion: Dentists practicing dentistry, encounter potentially harmful microorganisms. Patients are the most common source of microorganisms (14). Studies indicate that the surface of impressions taken out of the mouth is polluted with bacteria (15-18). As impressions and occlusal records cannot be sterilized by heat, chemical disinfection is still the common practicable method to eradicate microorganisms (19-21). So far there is no global way to disinfect impression materials (22). The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends soaking impression materials in disinfectant solutions for less than 30 minutes (23). Muller Bolla et al found that in European schools of dentistry, the soaking method is applied for 63% and 73% of Alginate impressions and silicon impressions respectively. The approximate time of disinfection was 10.3 ±6.3 minutes (20). But Hiroshi Egusa and colleagues in 2008 showed that impressions from patients mouths contain hazardous microorganisms like Streptocci, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant Staphyloccocus, , Candida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa with rate of 100%, 55.6% 25,9%,5.6 % and 5.6 % respectively(22). These are opportunist pathogens that spread and transfer through the oral cavity (22). Candida causes common opportunist infections known as oral candidiasis, found in patients with immune deficiency (23). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a deadly infectious agent that exists epidemically in hospital appliances and instruments (22) However, studies show that among population the spreading rate of S. pyogenes, S. pneumonia and S. aureus to pharynx is 10%, 20 to 32% and 30% respectively (14). This is the reason that in this survey, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected to investigate the disinfection capability of disinfectant agents. By the year 1991, washing the impression materials with running water was the common way to remove microorganisms (22). This method can reduce about 90% of bacteria. (24) Running water can wash up saliva, blood and debris. But recent studies indicate that such methods cannot eliminate microorganisms from impression materials completely. Therefore washing the impression materials with running water, without disinfectants is not rational (22). In this survey three common disinfectant agents were used. One of them is Hypochlorite sodium 0.525 %. which is used in housework too. This disinfectant can efficiently prevent microorganisms growth and disinfect the impression materials. In a study by J.Bustos (12), it was shown that immersing silicon impressions in 0.5% hypochlorite sodium after 5 and 10 minutes dramatically prevent the bacterial growth in compare to the control group. Although in the recent study spraying method was used, results of the recent study are consistent with the mentioned study. On the other hand Westerholm, Reuggeberg and colleagues also showed that spraying Sodium hypochlorite can effectively disinfect the impression materials (25-26). The Westerholm and et al study showed that Sodium hypochlorite can almost completely (99.99%) prevent the growth of S. aureus and this rate is about 99.60 % after 5 minutes and 100 % after 10 minutes for s.aureus in the present study. In another study by Ghahramanloo et al, spraying Sodium Hypochlorite 0.525 % could disinfect samples effectively (96.6%) after 10 minutes which is a good indicator of high capability of this agent (13). In studies by Westerholm, Rueggeberg and Ghahramanloo disinfection effect of these agents were assessed on irreversible hydrochloride (Alginate), but in this survey this effect has been assessed on condensational silicon. The results showed that there is no difference in disinfection capability of hypochlorite sodium regardless of impression material and this is a good proof for high penetration of this agent into impression materials porosities. Decnex is an alcoholic based disinfectant agent, which in this study could effectively disinfect impression materials after 5 and 10 minutes (100 %). But in Ghahremanloo A et al study, this agent could eradicate 70.4 % of microorganisms (13). Maybe the main reason for this difference is that Ghahramanloo A used irreversible hydrochloride, which has more porosities and cause deep penetration of microorganism into this impression material and can define the lesser capability of disinfectant agent in eradicating microorganisms. The specific feature about this agent is that there is no difference in disinfection ability of Deconex after 5 minutes and 10 minutes. In the present study, for the first time the antimicrobial effect of Epimax on impression materials was investigated. This agent could not effectively eradicate microorganism after 5 minutes in compare to two other agents, but after 10 minutes it completely (100 %) eradicated candida albicans and staphylococos aureos but this rate was 97.89 for Pseudomonas aeroginosa which shows the importance of using this agent for longer duration. However, it should be mentioned that the results of the present study are not completely consistent with the results of other studies, due to different impression materials brands and usage time. One of the shortcomings of the present study is that it is an in-vitro experimental study which is different from clinical and in-vivo situations. Usually impression materials remain 3 to 5 minutes in patients mouth, while in our study it took 60 minutes to attach all the bacterial types to the samples as 60 minutes is an effective time for bacterial adherence. Also pressure while taking an impression and saliva can alter bacterial adherence capacity. This study investigated the effect of three common disinfectant agents on two types of bacteria and one fungus. As so many dentists are concerned about viruses such as HIV and HBV, further studies should be conducted to find an effective way to eradicate these kinds of pathogens. Conclusion: It can be concluded that sodium hypochlorite, Deconex and Epimax can effectively disinfect condensational silicon. This capability is higher for Deconex and it is recommended that Deconex can be the first choice to disinfect condensational silicon impression materials. Acknowledgement: We would like to express our sincere acknowledgement in the support and help of microbiology department of Isfahan medical university and research department of dentistry faculty of Isfahan University of medical science.

Triggering Factors that influence the Entrepreneurs

Triggering Factors that influence the Entrepreneurs Research in entrepreneurship has introduced many aspects of how and why people make decisions in new venture creation (Shane, 2002). Entrepreneurial individuals are often motivated by economic and/or psychological factors. Scholars have agreed that the entrepreneurial process and theories involve a complex set of variables that are beyond any single aspect. To identify motives and incentives of entrepreneurial activities involves disseminating several layers of relationships between personal factors, external forces and other random events (Liang and Dunn, 2007). From the existing literature we can rationally hypothesize that, the decision to launch a new venture probably includes individual endogenous factors and exogenous factors of the environment. Limited studies have discussed the possibility that pre business entrepreneurs (who are planning to become entrepreneur) might have different triggers to launch new ventures compared to in-business (who are expanding the business) professionals. Triggers as defined by Liang and Dunn (2007) forces in the individuals or in the individuals perception of their situation that move them toward the entrepreneurial process. It is important to distinguish triggering factors and triggering events from triggers. Triggering events are more like something happened as an occasion or an episode that influence individuals assessment on the situation. Triggering factors could be interpreted as issues or features that influence individuals perspectives about certain situations (Liang and Dunn, 2007). This study measures the triggers, which influences the professionals (who are planning to become and those who wants to expand their business) to become entrepreneurs. In addition to this we will also measure the relationship between the triggers and demographics of individuals. This study is of major interest to various government organizations like small and medium enterprises (SMEDA), non government organizations (NGO), policy makers of government and business to business organization (B2B). Implications of this research study will help them to identify the pattern of individuals, who wants to become entrepreneurs and which triggers them to think about starting new venture. Literature Review The purpose of the literature review is to outline the triggers identified by various researchers/authors and to analyze the dimensions in which different authors works on the entrepreneurs triggers. At a basic level, entrepreneurship is recognized as a highly personalized activity. The entrepreneur is motivated to create a venture, which reflects their vision and ambitions, and is prepared to review and reorganize their social environment to make it materialize (Morrison, 2000) Characteristics of entrepreneurs identified by various authors (Longenecker, Moore, Petty,2000; Scarborough Zimmerer, 2000; Bhide, 2000) are high achievement drive, action oriented, optimism, opportunistic, internal locus of control, tolerance for ambiguity, moderate risk taking, commitment/tenacity, commitment, initiative, independence or some form of one or more of these. These authors also determines motivation related to new venture formation, to enjoy what individuals are doing, revolves around the opportunity to gain control over personal lives/independence, to achieve personal goals and recognition, to get profits/financial rewards, and to make a difference/contribute to society. The key of the entrepreneurship process initiations depends within the individual of the society and the extent to which individuals wants to enter in new ventures and holds the spirit of enterprise (Morrison, 2000) McLelland, (1961) identified common characteristics and behaviors, Those which emerged relative to all the entrepreneurs are: they bring intelligence and sound analytical skills to bear on risk management; they are all in some respect deviants from the social norms within their countries; to differing degrees they exhibit strong moral, work and business ethics; irrespective of industry sector a strong traders instinct is apparent; they are committed to life-long learning through both formal and informal mechanisms; and extensive use is made of both informal and formal networks. Morrison et al., (1998) proposed that the entrepreneurship is initiated by the personal, society and culture intuition. Entrepreneurship is not only initiated by the economic aspects but it involves material, immaterial and idealism functions. The fundamental nature of the entrepreneurship is the use of innovatory process and the risk bearing by the individual, through which individual wants to bring change in both a social and economic nature of his own and the society. Kirzner (1979) believes that the source of entrepreneurship within the human spirit flourish when there is uncertainty and competition. This enterprising spirit in terms of inspirational means is described by Gilder(1971, p 258) The spirit of enterprise wells up from the wisdom of ages and the history (of the west) and infuses the most modern of technological adventures. It joins the old and new frontiers. It assers a firm hierarchy of values and demands ad hard discipline. It requires a life of labor and listening, aspiration and courage. But it is the source of all we are and can become, the saving grace of democratic politics and free men, the hope of the poor and the obligation of the fortunate, the redemption of an oppressed and desperate world. Longenecker, Moore, Pettit, Palich (2006) suggested that entrepreneurs wanted to make money, become their own boss, escape a bad situation, enjoy and satisfying life, and contribute to the community. Bygrave (1989) discussed entrepreneurship as a process that involved triggering event, innovation, implementation, and growth. In the triggering event stage he suggested that there were sociological, personal, and environmental factors that led to entrepreneurship. Again, both internal and external forces seemed to be at play. Culture is an important variable in entrepreneurship because it establishes the attitudes of individuals towards the commencement of entrepreneurship (Vernon-Wortzel and Wortzel, 1997). Every era produces its own models of entrepreneurship according to its specific needs of the host society; however, it has been described consistently using terms such as innovative, holistic, risk-taking and co-coordinating ways of behavior. Certain cultural institutions may facilitate, or hinder, entry into entrepreneurship. Thus, it is proposed that the culture of societies and the characteristics of people living in these societies, impacted by certain innate personality traits, will influence the degree to which entrepreneurship is initiated (Morrison, 2000). The above provided argument by the Morrison, (2000) is supported by the  Bateman (1997), those economies and regions which have flourished in the late 20th century, have in common a business culture, which can be broadly described as entrepreneurial. It is attuned to the needs of a changing market economy and receptive to changing demands, innovations, products, opportunities and technologies. Entrepreneurship has been found to be important and meaningful in society at points of transition, for example, traditional to modern, modern to post-modern and state-controlled economies to free-market. At each of these points, entrepreneurship is harnessed by societies as a common approach to solving dilemmas, to break old, stable and hierarchical traditions and institutions and to introduce new, innovative ways of behavior. Thus, it is suggested that entrepreneurship can be regarded as an instrument for changing the culture of an era (Morrison, 2000) According to Timmons (1994, p. 9) about entrepreneurial behavior is, what is needed is a favorable environment which combines social, political and educational attributes. In particular it requires: A culture that prizes entrepreneurship, an imperative to educate our population so that our entrepreneurial potential is second to none; and a government that generously supports pure and applied science, fosters entrepreneurship with enlightened policies, and enables schools to produce the best educated students in the world. Dollinger (1995) discussed what he characterized as the impetus for entrepreneurship. He discussed the Sociological Approach which focused on four factors that led entrepreneurs toward new venture creation. Negative displacement was where individuals were marginalized from society, because of who they were or their situation including being fired or not satisfied with their current employment or divorced. Between things included individuals between stages of their life. Positive pull included other people (potential collaborators, parents, customers) who provided an impetus to entrepreneurship. Positive push included entrepreneurs who, because of their education or situation, were pushed toward entrepreneurship. Individual factors or a combination of any of these factors could move the entrepreneur toward new venture creation. The manner, in which the young are conditioned from an early age through the formal education system, and the fact that dominant approaches are frequently reinforced within family life, plays a significant role in the initiation of characteristics generally associated with entrepreneurial behavior (Gibb, 1996). It has been identified that a characteristic of entrepreneurship is that it tends to pervade family life, with the entrepreneur being unable to divorce business from social living (Deakin, 1996). In this respect, family background plays a role in two ways. First, if an entrepreneur has previous experience of the effect of entrepreneurship from a family member they are more prepared for the consequences of their own activities. Second, family support of entrepreneurship can make a positive contribution to its sustenance. For all the entrepreneurs represented in the study, positive immediate family support for their entrepreneurial behaviour had played an important part in its sustenance. What was also identified as of significance was the role of the extended family in enabling access to funds and markets to support individual entrepreneurs in the creation and development of their businesses Within some societies there is a practice of saving for the future, while within others the focus is on living and spending to enjoy the moment. This has an implication for the amount of personal funds that may be available for investment in business. The dominant cultural attitudes, values and beliefs of a population at one particular point of time will result in a particular common mind-set relative to the degree to which entrepreneurship is supported by society (Gilder, 1971). The entrepreneur in terms of who he/she is and what he/she does, which has often resulted in characterizing persons who might be more likely to become entrepreneurs than others (Rerup, 2005). To date, scholars suggest three broad types of entrepreneurs, namely (a) Nascent, (b) Novice, and (c) Habitual entrepreneurs (see e.g. Birley and Westhead, 1993; Kolvereid and Bullvà ¥g 1993; Wright 1997; Westhead and Wright, 1998). The (a) nascent entrepreneur has not yet engaged in an entrepreneurial venture but has a general aspiration of establishing a business. The (b) novice entrepreneur has established one venture but does not have any prior entrepreneurial experience (Westhead et al. 1998). Lastly, the (c) habitual entrepreneur has established at least one other business prior to the current venture, hence possesses prior entrepreneurial experience. At some point, all entrepreneurs are nascent and then novice. Hall (1995) who divides habitual entrepreneurs into four sub-types; namely serial entrepreneurs, portfolio entrepreneurs, serial inheritors or serial management buy-outs (MBOs) /management buy-ins (MBIs), and multiple corporate entrepreneurs. Serial and portfolio entrepreneurs have repeatedly engaged in the creation of new ventures Serial entrepreneurs exit (close or sell) their current business before establishing a subsequent venture, whereas portfolio entrepreneurs keep ownership in more than one business at a time; hence have ownership stakes in a portfolio of businesses. In contrast, serial corporate entrepreneurs (or intrapreneurs) are persons who create new combinations of resources or realize new business opportunities in existing companies. Both, inheritors or serial MBO/MBI entrepreneurs are not traditionally regarded as true entrepreneurs because MBOs and MBIs do not create new businesses per se (Deakins and Freel, 2003). Purpose of this Study The main purpose of this study is to investigate theoretically and test empirically The difference between pre business versus In business entrepreneurs triggers Which pre-business entrepreneurial triggers have relationships with demographics Which In-business triggers entrepreneurial have relationships with demographics Conceptual Frame Work The conceptual frame work of this study is taken from the study of Liang and Dunn (2007). Data Analysis Technique Cronbachs alpha for internal consistency, factor analysis to reduce the variables in each trigger, and regression analysis will be used to check the relationship Data Collection Data will be collected from the professionals who are planning to become an entrepreneur and entrepreneur who are planning to expand their existing business. Sample Size The total sample size will be 200 professionals from Lahore and Islamabad, with equal consideration of respondents from each city and equal representation of pre-business and in-business professionals. Research Instrument Triggers of entrepreneur which will be 42 and demographics variables considered will be gender, education level, age, marital status, type of business and years of experience of respondents will be taken from the study of Liang and Dunn (2007).

Drilling in North America Essay -- Environment Argumentative Persuasiv

To Invest in Drilling or to Invest in Our Future? You've almost made it. The captain says that around these mountains, in about 15 minutes, you should see it, the great coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: birthplace to caribou, polar bears, and much of the other arctic wildlife. You've been looking forward to seeing this for as long as you can remember and when you do it's breathtaking: crisp clean white plains, just like you'd seen in the National Geographic. You listen to the sounds surrounding you, the ocean lapping along the boat, the air whistling through the mountains, thewhat's that? That mechanical noiseit sounds likelike engines, but what are machines doing on this remote, beautiful, peaceful, and highly important land? As you turn your focus to the east, where the noise is coming from, you see it. Among the fragile tundra and substantial mountains lining the plain you see a giant oil field. In the middle of this pristine territory there it is, a mechanical giant: drilling and moving to it's own ominous so und. And then you remember it all12 years ago during the Bush administration, our president pushed for the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to stop our dependence on foreign oil and to boost our economy with new employment after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. This scenario tragically could happen. Sure it sounds like a great plan, let's stop supporting the terrorist countries and drill our own oil, let's provide thousands of new jobs after so many people are being laid off, let's drill in the last remaining untouched American Arctic coastline. It sounds good, but it's not reasonable, environmentally or economically. It would take years before we could even reap the profi... ...on, Pete. "Jobs and Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: A Summary and Review of Current Literature." The Wilderness Society. 25 Sept. 2001. < www.wilderness.org > In Dr. Pete Morton's study of the relationship between jobs and drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge facts were presented through research of numerous books and studies by other researchers in the field. He looks at the proposed number of job employment and uses his research as well as others to disprove this high number. 9) The National Resource Defense Council. < www.nrdc.org > Online. 23 Feb. 2002. The National Resource Defense Council website offered information on any and all existing environmental problems, including alternative energy sources, national parks, etc. The section on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge provided graphs and statistics useful for the environmental stance.

Wind Energy and its Environmental Effects Essay -- Environment Power W

Wind Energy and its Environmental Effects Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion kilowatt hours of energy they produce. To put it into an environmental perspective, that is as much CO2 as could be absorbed by a forest covering 1100 square miles (Wind Energy Weekly). Although wind energy has little to no impact on the environment when it comes to air pollution or greenhouse gases, there are other environmental concerns surrounding this form of energy production. Some of the concerns about wind energy include visual impacts, birds and other living resources, lightning and noise (Wind Energy Development). Wind turbines, by nature, must be sited in highly visible areas to give them enough space to produce the amount of energy desired. However, many of the sites for wind turbine farms are now located in areas that are ...

Software Ethics :: Copyright Plagiarism Technology Essays

Software Ethics INTRODUCTION Webster dictionary defines copyright as â€Å"the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell the matter and form (as of a literary, musical, or artistic work). The copyright law extended to software and technologies aims at protecting the artists who created the product. The owner of the product has the exclusive right to distribute or reproduce his work. To be qualified for the protection, the work has to be original and in a â€Å"concrete medium of expression† [1]. In every product that we use daily, there is already a copyrighted law protecting it. We can’t simply write the same book and call it a different name. That’s plagiarism and violating the copyright law. The creator of a software technology patented and copyrighted his work, and he can take violators to court for stealing his idea, and reproducing his work without his permission. Why? Simply put, U.S Copyright act, 17 U.S.C Sections 101-810, protects the owner of the product . We should be thankful that we live in a country where our inventions and ideas are protected from theft and being copied. In other countries, such as Vietnam, artists are not so lucky. For many years, songs artists didn’t make a lot of money, and their songs are being sung everywhere, by all the singers. It’s like a free song, and anyone could make money off of that. That’s the precedent. Who would want to create the product, and then turn around in split seconds only to have it posted it on the web or reproduced for free. The work is wasted, the people are discouraged, and the country is ailing. Now, the artist can now protect his work. So Vietnamese, living in America, enjoy the same rights and privileges as Americans. Countries that don’t have copyright law or fail to truly protect the artists of a product will continue to struggle economically, politically, and socially. Viet Nam has improved and been more developed over the past decades. The country is beginning to see foreign investors come in and utilize the resources such as the talents, the cheap labor and materials. However, the country is not flourishing other Asians because of the lack of copyright laws, ignorance, and government monopoly and corruption.

Globalization in the 21st Century Essay

Globalization has become one of the principal symbols of economic, cultural and political life in the 21st century. Although there is no precise definition of globalization, due to the complexity of the term and the varying attitudes towards it, put simply it is the process by which nationality is becoming all the time more irrelevant. International organizations such as Coca Cola, Disney, McDonald’s, Sony, Shell Oil and IBM, symbolize such a process. In layman’s terms, globalization is basically the means by which people around the globe are now more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more swiftly and goods and services produced in one part of the globe are progressively more obtainable worldwide. International travel is also more frequent and international communication is routine. However globalization as we know it today is vastly different from its humble beginnings. The following essay will look at the effect global institutions h ave on a national level and whether they challenge or defend the interests of the nation. Richard Peet’s reading deals with the beginning of globalization, brought on by a struggle for dominance and control of the world’s resources, through the use of coercion. Globalization was heralded by Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. European capitalists then required labour to develop their new found continent. This came in the form of slavery, â€Å"black slavery had an economic rather than merely a racial basis – it was used because it was cheaper.†(Peet, R. pg.120) This lead to the demise of Africa’s potential for development as millions of slaves were taken from their homeland. This left a void of labour in Africa, therefore inhibiting their ability to develop their own nation. This is still prevalent in today’s society as sweatshops in underdeveloped countries with deplorable conditions are used as labour for many of the world’s global institutions such as Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren (see attached table 9.3, Klein, N. pg.528) Wallerstein reading addresses the rise of socialism and communism as an antidote to the capitalist value of progress at any cost. He ponders whether or not â€Å"historical capitalism represents progress or regression.† (Wallerstein, I. pg.100) He believes â€Å"historical capitalism has developed an ideological framework of oppressive humiliation†¦which today we call sexism  and racism.† (Wallerstein, I. pg.102) Globalization has led to a very small group having a monopoly over world trade. In Australia the richest 10 percent of its population â€Å"own 85% of all shares, 72% of rental investment properties and 60% of business assets.† (Kelly. S, 2001) However, contrasting views do exist in relation to globalization, so it’s important to assess both the positive and negative impact. Globalization has allowed for the creation of a new world politics, in which countries are not isolated units anymore. Globally the world has become united in dealing with issues such as pollution and environmental standards. Recent developments in information and communication technology allow individuals from different regions to communicate speedily across huge distances and access information rapidly. Democracy is spreading rapidly which is leading to the development of a common culture. Between 1975 and 1995 the number of democracies in the world increased from 36 to 75 states, which coincided with the globalization boom, and has lead to much closer links between nations. For less developed countries, globalization offers access to foreign capital, global export markets, and advanced technology, allowing faster growth which in turn promotes poverty reduction, democratization, and higher labour and environmental standards. (www.freetrade.org/issues/globalization.html) In contrast opponents to globalization believe it increases inequality between nations. Such inequality is caused due to the rapid expansion of trade and economic developments without reference to human rights and labour standards. Globalization inhibits governments from subjecting worldwide economic forces to regulation and control. The uneven distribution of wealth associated with rapid globalization may be widening the gap between certain countries and regions. In order for a nation to prosper in today’s economy, they must possess the core foundation of competitiveness. Such competitiveness leads to the exploitation of poorer nations, further contributing to the uneven distribution of wealth. Global organizations increase their profit margins at the expense of the sweatshop worker whose human and civil rights are being violated. Illegal activities such as  terrorism and drug trafficking have been allowed to flourish due to the free movement of goods and persons, the hallm ark of globalization. In conclusion globalization bodes both good and ill for mankind however nevertheless appears to be here to stay, whether we like or not. The challenge that lies ahead is not to try and reverse it, but to harness the positive potential whilst minimising the adverse effects. Unless this opportunity is seized, nations and global institutions will continue to struggle for domination and power. Those nations and institutions unable to compete and adapt in their current global economic climate will continue to be used by those that can. It is now up to mankind to decide wether or not the power will be cleverly used or not. Bibliography Kelly, S. (2001) Australians’ wealth and retirement, http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10635/20011112/www.onlineopinion.com.au/2001/Jul01/Kelly.htm, accessed 05/05/03 Klein, N. (2000) No Logo, Table 9.3. Sweatshop Profiles, London: Flamingo Peet, R. (1991) Global Capitalism: Theories of societal development, London: Routledge, pp. 114-124 Wallerstein, I. (1983) Historical Capitalism, London: Verso, pp. 97-110) http://www.freetrade.org/issues/globalization.html, The Benefits of Globalization, accessed 04/05/03

Pluralist democracy Essay

Pluralist democracy works with numerous organised groups who all have some political power in the decision-making setting. It assumes that it’s ‘neutral’ government who listens to, and acts on the outcomes of these competing interests. Thus the large number and operation of pressure groups is considered to be a vital element in the promotion of pluralist democracy. There are considerations that pressure groups strengthen pluralist democracy. An argument for this encompasses that the existence of varied numerous pressure groups support the theory of pluralism. The modern political culture in the UK can be referred to as being one of pluralism in nature. This means that we expect a wide range of groups, interests, beliefs and ideologies to flourish together, all competing for attention and influence. The UK is a fundamentally free society, tolerant of different cultures, ideas and demands. As long as a group does not break the law, threaten the security of the state or incite others to commit crime or adopt racist ideas, it will be tolerated and protected from discrimination. Thus, pressure groups are able to operate in an extremely free and tolerant environment. In short, they are a key element in a pluralist society. Another argument that suggests pressure groups strengthen pluralist democracy is that pressure groups are a channel of representation between the people and the government, keeping government in touch with public opinion. Whether we take an active part or not, pressure groups represent our interests to those who govern. In virtually all our activities there is probably a group that is seeking to secure favourable legislation or decisions and to avoid unfavourable ones. As motorists, hospital patients, students, environmentalists, workers, and so on, we can be sure there is a group that is fighting our corner. In some cases we may be active members and so know exactly what issues are being addressed. In other cases we are not active but are nevertheless being passively represented. Even the smallest minorities are likely to enjoy such benefits; so pressure groups have important representation functions to perform. Additionally, the government openly accept the existence of pressure groups and involve them in decision making. They are a key part in the governing process. Their involvement at all stages of the policy and decision-making process helps to inform government itself and ensures that the interests and views of sections of the pubic are taken into account. In this sense, they can improve the quality of policy making. Governments also take into account the claims of pressure groups when making decisions. Pressure group activity in itself serves to enhance pluralist democracy by providing information and education to the public. It is clear that groups offer a considerable amount of information to the people. They are, by definition, independent of government (if they were not, we could not describe them as pressure groups), so we are receiving important messages from which we can make sound judgements. Of course, we cannot always rely upon the information being totally accurate, but if we combine all the various sources of information available to us we are able to form some kind of reasonable judgement. So, pressure groups certainly help to inform and educate us, which enhances a pluralist democracy. Pressure groups can be considered to widen the access to power and decision making for the mass of the citizens. The conventional view of pressure groups is that they help to spread power more widely. This would be seen by most commentators as an enhancement of democracy. Governments and parties tend to concentrate power in the hands of leaderships. Pressure groups, meanwhile, can empower their wider memberships. They represent the full range of the population and allow many voices to be heard. As long as they have any influence, they give the politically active part of the population access to decision makers, either directly or indirectly. We see this particularly effectively when considering mass-membership groups such as Age UK or unions representing public service workers. However, there are arguments that pressure groups weaken pluralist democracy. Pressure group activity can be viewed as elitist from several perspectives. When we look at the wealthy, strategically important groups we can see evidence of elitism. Some pressure groups may, in fact, concentrate power in the hands of a few. Governments favour certain groups who share their views or are at the time ‘electorally’ beneficial to their cause. The banking lobby can be seen as a prominent example, as can the various producer groups representing major industries. Producer groups, in particular, tend to represent their shareholders and management rather than their workers (a view that might be contested on the grounds that what is good for the industry is also good for its employees). When such elite are ‘insider’ groups, they might form powerful elite in combination with government. Ministers who are more influenced by group leaderships than by wider memberships could be accused of further elitism. This can be related to outsider or insider status. Some groups because of their economic power have more influence than others and this causes a disruption of the pluralist democratic position. Some groups can afford advertising to get their message across and thus they ‘buy’ their power. Related to their position in society is the issue of wealth. Clearly some groups have access to considerably more funds than others. All those sectional interests that represent employers and business in general inevitably have far more finance available to them than charities, which have to rely on hand-outs from the public or scarce lottery funding. The banking community is a similar example. In particular, wealthy groups, including individual companies, have adopted the practice of giving donations to political parties. Clearly they are hoping for a sympathetic attitude if their chosen party wins power. Perhaps more seriously, in 2006-07 it was alleged that a number of individuals had donated to political parties in return for the granting of peerages. The so-called ‘cash for peerages’ scandal did much to undermine faith in British democracy and further highlighted the issue of undue influence by those who command great wealth. In conclusion, pressure groups do strengthen pluralist democracy through its pluralism, representative function in keeping the government additionally in-touch with public views, role of educating the public on issues and empowering them with informed decisions after pressure group observation, and their acknowledgement and influence on some government decision-making. It is more that fixed elitism holds pressure groups back from pure pluralist democracy.