Enterprise Rent-a-Car Essay

SWOT With Enterprise, the customer always comes first. This is a major strength that the company has capitalized on in order to separate itself from the competition. Their â€Å"We’ll pick you up!† slogan is the primary focus of the company’s customer service aspect. After the customers, the focus is on employees. Good customer service comes from only the best employees and Enterprise wants all of their employees to be happy with their jobs. By offering a sense of ownership and incentives to advance within the company, Enterprise employees are often very satisfied with their positions. Enterprise is the largest car rental company with the largest fleet and the most rental locations. Because of this, they are easily accessible all over the country. Their main market focus is the home/city market segment and they are the industry leader in this segment with the most market share. In order to stay on top, Enterprise has kept up with technology and has formed many long-term alliances with insurance agents and car repair shops to produce referrals. Shifting to the weaknesses of the company finds Enterprise falling short in a couple of areas. Enterprise does not have the largest market share in the entire car rental industry. The company has established itself in the home/city market and has not entered the largest segment of the industry†Ã¢â‚¬ airport rentals. As a result, they have low awareness in the industry. Another drawback is the lack of a frequent customer program. Most major car rental companies have these repeat-buyer clubs as they attract repeat business and create more customer awareness. Within the company, Enterprise is also having problems recruiting good employees. Because awareness of the company is low and the image of working for a car rental company isn’t that glamorous, college graduates often overlook employment opportunities with Enterprise. The biggest foreseeable opportunity for the company to take advantage of is the airport market segment. This is the largest market segment of the car rental industry and it’s been left untouched by Enterprise. Next would be the under 25 yr. old segment. Rental car companies often leave out possible customers in this segment by either not renting to them or adding large fees  to the normal rental rates. Enterprise on the other hand, does rent to the under 25 segment and charges a small fee or no fee at all. The leisure rental market is another segment that Enterprise can expand into. This market is largely made up of people that want to rent more expensive cars (SUV’s and convertibles) for the weekend. Another opportunity for the company is to expand its system of alliances with businesses and schools/universities. More incentives can be offered to this segment in hopes of opening up more business opportunities. Enterprise will have to watch out for threats in the industry to keep its competitive position. One of the threats is the opportunity for other car rental companies to enter the home/city segment, which is the stronghold of Enterprise. In order to be competitive in the future, Enterprise must keep up with technological advancements such as Internet applications. Alternatives There are three broad alternatives that Enterprise can choose to implement if they want to meet their profit and growth expectations for the future. Enterprise could do nothing, target the vastly untapped 25 and younger market, or move into other segments of the overall rent-a-car market. These three alternatives could be used alone or in combination. One option for Enterprise is to do nothing. The next option for Enterprise is to target the vastly untapped 25 and younger market. This market is an exceptional opportunity for Enterprise because they are one of the only car rental companies that rents to drivers under the age of 25. To target this group takes commitment and creativity. First and foremost Enterprise needs to come up with more creative ads targeting this segment. Another angle for Enterprise would be to get its name onto college campuses across the country. They could do this by giving presentations at various Universities’ or having a creative national contest for college students. Finally to fully reach and keep the under 25 market, Enterprise must keep up with technology. This segment is the most computer savvy of all age groups and to fully target this market Enterprise must be  the industry leader in technological innovations. The Final option for Enterprise is to move into other segments of the overall rent-a-car market. Enterprise dominates the replacement rental segment of overall rent-a-car market. The replacement rental segment only accounts for twenty-seven percent of the total market. Therefore, there is a huge market consisting of the business and leisure/discretionary markets that enterprise has currently not entered. Criteria In implementing these alternatives there must be a way to measure the action to see if they are working. The advertising we propose is more of local nature than national. We believe that the National advertising campaign should still be done, but a local one should be done also to compliment the National campaign. The local campaigns should be in the form of newspaper ads and radio ads. The local branch should monitor and select the media. Then the revenue generated from the ad should be four times the cost to run the ad. Once this 4to1 ratio is not met, its time to change the ad or find another media. The Enterprise company culture is such that each individual branch is responsible for its sales and service. To stay in the parameters of this culture each branch should be responsible for its own advertising also. In measuring the college presentations and the creative contests, Enterprise should monitor the number of resumes that they receive. If the presentations and/or contests do not generate a sizable amount of resumes, then the programs must be reevaluated. Moving into the other segments of the overall rent-a-car market can be measured by profits. Once an airport branch becomes profitable, then Enterprise should start looking at other airports for expansion. In the leisure/discretionary market, track how many weekend rentals and luxury rentals that are being used by each branch. Evaluation of Alternatives 1. Marketing to the 25 yr. and younger segment Our first alternative is to develop a marketing campaign to the 25-year and younger market segment. Targeting this segment will benefit Enterprise by developing a significant growth in increased awareness not only locally, but  also nationally. Increased awareness for the local/city segment will greatly help their all ready prosperous market niche. The recruitment of high quality employees and building superior brand awareness will enable Enterprise to stand above its competitors. Targeting the 25-year and younger segment, Enterprise will develop a younger clientele and will have a wider range of employees to select from. This can be accomplished by setting up presentations at respected universities around the United States and promoting incentive contests with rewards. Other benefits will include increased profit potential and being a step ahead of its competitors with technology. Technological advancements in the Internet and World Wide Web could add convenience for customers with the creation of an on-line reservation system. On the other side of the spectrum, some risks could be associated with the targeting 25 and younger segment. These risks will be associated with larger costs in advertising, marketing, and recruitment. Time and energy will also be contributed since a long-term commitment is required. Also, consumers might question the security of on-line reservations. 2. Moving into new market segments Our second alternative is to move into and gain a share of new market segments. These new markets are the airport segment and the leisure/discretionary segment. The airport segment is the largest in the rental car market, due to the immense amounts of business corporations renting out cars for their representatives. Enterprise can distinctly take control of this market segment and more profits and revenues can be attained. With sharing or controlling this market segment, awareness will expand among these business travelers and discounts and incentives can be introduced to incorporate repeat business. For the leisure/discretionary segment, Enterprise can introduce more luxury vehicles that will appeal to the distinctive traveler. The benefits of moving into the new markets are considerable. Some negative issues can affect Enterprise by moving into new market segments. One is that it is very expensive. There could be numerous costs resulted by missed judged opportunities or mistakes rendered by managers at  these airport locations. Secondly, it is very risky trying to penetrate an all ready saturated market, such as the airport segment. Spending money, time, and energy into a new market segment where Enterprise does not have a firm hold can be financially costly and damaging to Enterprises image. Recommendation Our recommendation, as the Base One Consulting firm, to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, begins with a slow penetration of the business segment (airport rentals) of the car rental market. By entering this segment of the market, Enterprise can penetrate a market in which it formally had no presence in. Also, with the business segment being the largest segment of the car rental industry, there is huge profit potential. We would recommend starting the segment penetration with only the larger airports to limit the cost and risks associated with entering this new segment. Within two years enterprise should evaluate their progress in this segment. If it proves to be profitable, Enterprise should continue to expand into smaller airports across the country, and have a national presence, in the estimated 150 airports within five years. This will be necessary to maintain the present growth rate of 25% for the company since the home-city market is only growing at about 10 to 15% per year. However, to remain consistent with the companies â€Å"decentralized† operations, we feel that the business segment of the industry should be run and managed as a completely separate region, no matter where it is located. This will prevent the loss of focus on Enterprise’s primary market segment, the replacement market, with particular emphasis on neighborhood locations. The second part of our recommendation for Enterprise Rent-A-Car involves increasing advertising targeted towards the under 25-year-old market. Allowing time for budgeting and the creative process, the advertising campaign should be implemented immediately. This can prove to be very valuable because some other firms will not rent a vehicle to anyone under the age of 25. Similarly, a great opportunity to develop brand loyalty lies in this segment. By â€Å"getting a jump† on the other car rental companies in the mind of the consumer, Enterprise can put itself at a strategic advantage. Enterprise has already begun to do this somewhat, with a lower charge than other companies, for the under 25 years old rentals. However, we  recommend using a national advertising campaign to not only increase the awareness of renting to younger customers, but also to increase awareness of the company as a whole. This in turn, will help ease the difficulty of penetrating other segments. Furthermore, a localized campaign, managed by each region, should be implemented to increase awareness, catering to local trends and needs, once again, keeping consistent with the companies â€Å"decentralized† operations format. Included in this local advertisement campaign, an emphasis should be placed on the company itself and its job opportunities, highlighting to the younger audience the promotion from within process and profit-sharing opportunities. Another aspect of the local advertising campaign should focus on employee recruitment. We recommend some type of contest involving a cash reward to generate interest in becoming employed by the company. For example, we suggest implementing a contest rewarding the best creative taped interview or resume with a $10,000 cash reward and an employed position. This contest will generate interest and provide Enterprise with a database of potential employees. Ultimately it will broaden the pool from which Enterprise is able to choose its employees from. This is very important for the future of the company. Lastly, we recommend that Enterprise continue to keep up with, or ahead of, technology. This continues the emphasis on the younger audience and top-notch employees. Advanced tracking systems, such as the one Enterprise currently utilizes, and convenience are key factors in the future success of the company. Advancements in the area of the Internet and computers is crucial to the sustained growth of this company, especially in the travel segment of the market. Enterprise must consider the financial aspect of the recommendation by Base One Consulting. If approximately 15 airports location were opened and used to judge the profitability of this segment, and an estimated 125 cars at each location (based on Exhibit 1), with the cost averaging about $20,000 per vehicle, Enterprise would be looking at an initial investment of about $37.5 million. However, the company’s revenue is estimated at about $2.61 billion per year from the replacement market. The profit potential can only be estimated since airport rates very widely. Since the overall car rental  market generates an estimated $14.62 billion per year, and the business rentals account for about 40 percent of that figure, there is potential to penetrate an over $5.5 billion dollar market (Figures from Exhibit 2). In comparison, the costs to implement an aggressive advertising campaign, both nationally and locally, must be estimated from past advertising figures (Exhibit 2). Since Enterprise spent an estimated $22 million in advertising last year, and a more aggressive campaign will be implemented, we can estimate an advertising budget of about $55 million. This should cover all of the national and local advertisements. Although the advertising budget will more than double, it would only account for about 2.1% of the company’s budget. This is less than the industry average of 2.8% of revenue. Overall, by implementing the recommended strategy, Enterprise would be looking at expenditures of about $92 million. Although this is almost 40% of the company’s revenue for one year, many of the funds will come from long-term loans and other sources. Also, the revenues that will be realized by implementing the recommendation must be considered.

I am Sam [2001] directed by JessieNelson and The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time [2003] writtenby Mark Haddon

Narratives whatever the medium can reflect the cultural context that produced them. They can underline our dominant representations and perpetuate contemporary values which validate society's collective view of the world. Text's both non print and print are commercially driven, designed for public consumption. To attain mass appeal, texts act to confirm habitual ways of thinking and acting in the world. As a product of its contextual community, narratives amplify ideologies within society at the time the text was produced. With similar producer/audience social framework reader/viewers may actively engage ith the narrative to cross examine society's collective view of the world. The two contemporary texts I am Sam [2001] directed by Jessie Nelson and The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time [2003] written by Mark Haddon illustrate cultural narratives which reflect and assess the social frame work of their writer/producer. The two texts connect with contemporary culture to highlight the notion of happiness which underpins western society's dominant ideologies and cultural assumptions of success, mental/social intelligence, materialism and wealth. I am Sam directed by Jessie Nelson is an unforgettable story of life, ove and laughter. The touching tale glorifies two of the most ambiguous and controversial contemporary ideas on child rearing. The feature film maps a mentally challenged adult Sam Dawon [Sean Penn] who singularly raises his daughter Lucy up to her seventh birthday. As it soon becomes apparent that Lucy is intellectually surpassing her father, she begins to intentionally stunt her own growth. Which forces Lucy to walk the line between daughter and parent as her innocence and happiness are jeopardised when a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to retain custody of his seven year old daughter. This legal battle see's Sam seek the aid of self absorbed, successful lawyer Rita Harrison [Michelle Pfeiffer] who's ambition and sense of social failure pushes her into taking on Sam's case free of charge. Together they must find a way to communicate to each other, to their children and the legal system that a parent is a parent and no matter what the nature of a parent's intelligence or financial status, love is what every child needs. Mark Haddon's The curious incident of the dog in the night time is an original, clever and genuinely moving novel. The text amplifies many rofound issues of human relationships and accepting differences. This murder mystery novel maps fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone who knows all the countries of the world, their capitals and every prime number up to 7 057. He takes everything that he sees or is told at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behaviour of his elders and peers. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Routine, order and predictability protect him from the messy, wider world that is until he comes across his neighbour's poodle Wellington impaled on a garden pitch fork. Christopher seizes upon this mystery as a puzzle like a maths problem in hopes of understanding something that makes no sense to him; he sets out to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths, as Christopher's write up of his discoveries for the creation of his murder mystery novel evolves into the story of his life. As Christopher is positioned face to face with the dissolution of his parent's marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn to the workings of Christopher's mind. This highlights to readers an incredibly vivid xperience of what it is like to be some one who thinks and reacts so differently to what we consider the norm. The archetypical cultural assumptions which frame the notion of success and happiness in the western world classify those that do not conform as â€Å"others†; misunderstood individuals. Non print text I am Sam conveys those marginalised by the dominant western representations, of what constitutes success and happiness through the prototagonist construction of Sam Dawson [Sean Penn]. The technical codes of camera angles, framing, distance and movement are utilised by the text to present the truggle taking place in Sam's head. Viewers are positioned to see the world through Sam's eyes with whirling handheld cameras, whop pans and staccato jump cuts mimicking Sam's bewildered point of view. This si evident in the feature films opening scene. The introductory montage frames Sam's hands colour coordinating sugar packets; the distance and position of the shots positions viewers in Sam's point of view. This intimate frame connected to John Powell's music of an polyphonic upbeat, fugue foregrounds the abstract ambience of Sam Dawson's consciousness. Encouraging viewer's curiosity to wonder why the world is different for him. Though audience perception of Sam is incomplete without the audio and symbolic codes which help fabricate Sean's Penn's character. Penn's mannerisms and vocal distortions evidently present Sam as ‘different'. as Sam Sean Penn speaks in tight toneless clumps, punctuated by bursts of childlike glee. As evident in the opening scene. Sam: â€Å"decafe double tall non fat for Bruce† Customer [Bruce] :†you've got it buddy† hands connect in high five slap Sam: â€Å"that's a wonderful choice Bruce† Customer [Bruce] :†thankyou Sam† Sam: â€Å"yeah it certainly is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † Customer [Bruce] :†thankyou†¦ † Sam's manner of walking and holding his hands contributes to convey the struggle taking place in his head. As presented in this initial scene. Sam claps his hands and pounds every surface drumming out a beat to a song only he can hear. This quick paced opening constructs Sam to exist as the western society ‘mist understood' individual. With the social status, emotional and intellectual state of the character being perpetuated endorsing the values and cultural assumptions that frame the notion of success and happiness. The grown man earning $8 dollars an hour exists in a parallel universe to the world of dominant western members. The conventions and techniques of construction employed by the text to formulate the underlying expectations which constitute success and happiness with Sam an explicit representation of those individuals who subvert the naturalised ideology. Contemporary western society ideologies of success and happiness have mapped archetypal cultural assumptions which individuals must conform to represent one who upholds the respecting values. Feature film I am Sam erpetuates the notion of success and happiness via Rita Harrison [Michelle Pfeiffer] who acts to affirm dominant representations. Beverly Hills Lawyer, Rita Harrison conveys a lifestyle which much of western society uphold or aspire to; too busy for anything, caught up in games and rat races, that we believe will bring money, status, power and thus entitle individuals to success and happiness. Symbolic codes are employed by the text to construct Rita to represent society's archetypal assumptions of success and happiness. Binary opposition of the archetypal cultural assumptions which oreground the notion of success and happiness in the modern western world reflect yet shape the social frame work of the texts writing/reading/viewing. Feature films allow us to enter worlds outside our own lives and challenge us to see things in different ways. Contemporary text I am Sam amplifies the naturalised ideologies within society at the time the narrative was produced, highlighting the notion of success and happiness in the modern western world. The text offers a confirmation of society's existing archetypal cultural assum ptions which frame the notion of success and happiness. Though I am Sam offers another perspective of those most often marginalised by the dominant western representation. Binary opposition of how we interact and perceive the world reflects yet challenges the archetypal cultural assumptions which frame the notion of happiness and success. Operating to shape the social frame work of the texts writing/reading. The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time, offers readers to see the world though fresh eyes, in a different way. Not only does the novel position readers to see how a child with Asperger's syndrome might approach the world around him, it opens ndividual readers eye's purely by his different approach. Haddon's strength is his ability to present to the reader common situations as looked at from Christopher's new and some what disconcerting perspective. â€Å"Most people are lazy. They never look at everything. They do what is glancing which is the same word for bumping off something and carrying on in almost the same direction, eg when a snooker ball glances off another snooker ball. And the information in their head is really simple. For example, if they are in the country side, it might be 1. I am standing in a field that is full of grass. . There are some cows in the fields 3. It is sunny with a few clouds 4. There are some flowers in the grass. 5. There is a village ion the distance 6. There is a fence at the edge of the field and it has a gate in. And then they would stop noticing because they would be thinking something else like, ‘Oh, it is very beautiful here,' or, ‘I'm worried that I might have left the gas cooker on,' or, ‘I wonder if Julie has given birth yet. ‘ But if I'm standing in a field in the countryside I notice everything. ‘ This disorienting and reorienting of the reader manages to bring readers eep inside Christopher's mind and situate them comfortably within his limited, severely logical point of view. To the extent that readers begin to question the common sense and erratic emotionalism of the normal western citizens who surround, the protagonist, as well as contemporary western institutions and habits of perception. Positioning readers to consider how their individual mind works and how that may differ from others. Guiding readers to critique aspects of western life by means of the naturalised ideologies and cultural assumptions majority of western citizens uphold as their understandings and view of the world re transformed. The misunderstood individual is one which subverts the confimity of domiant cultural frame works. Archetypal cultural assumptions which formulate the notion of happiness in the contempory western world are perpetuated and reinforced through print text The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time. As Haddon's explict misanthropy represenation of protagonist Christopher vaildates the underlying expectations which constitues the notion of happiness and success. As readers examinate a condition that is barely comprehended by society, demonstrating how society responds to those it views as abberrant. Haddon presentsthe story in Chrisopher's words as the style of writing contributes to reflect the protagonist perpective. With fragmented chapters of breathless paragraphs and short staccato burts which are framed by unconventional prime numbers to subhead chapters in plcae of cardinal numbers accounts the novel like a stream of logic rather than a stream of cosciousness. The narration allernates with mathematical material, riddles, maps and drawings which demonstrates how Christopher's life is intensely visual; with words and language as secondary forms of communication. Utimately the novel regards the predicatable laws of science far easier to grasp than the passions of people, and hence less frightening. But at the same time, this book affrims for us the importance of such emotions and even if our narrator does not in the end appricate this, the reader does. As the misanthrope perpective where logic is that of paramount importance, perpetuates archetypal cultural assumptions as readers learn to appreicate their social skills which enable them to cope with the myriads of daily hurdles. A fansinating moment in the narrative which maps the cultural aleination of Christopher comes when the young boy realtes his faviour dream. † † A world in which all normal people die of a virus that the autistic are immuine to. The autistic are then free to lead their lives in silence and without the need to look others in the eye or to interpret idiomatic speech. This misanthrope thought constructs protagonist Christopher as an individual whom does not conform to the underlying expectations which constitute teh notion of happiness in the western world. The techniques of construction that present Christopher's perpective postion readers to percieve his austic view point as aberrant. Reinforcing the cultural assumptions as means of conforms of the notion as Christopher explictly subverts them. Print texts provide an ideal avenue to reflect society's values and alter reader's personal perspectives by improving their understandings of the world and social frame work which surround them. Contemporary text The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time amplifies the naturalised ideologies within society at the time the narrative was roduced, highlighting the notion of happiness and the cultural assumptions which it advocates. Haddon's novel presents a confirmation of western society's existing ways of thinking and behaving. In doing so The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time is an potential site to reassess naturalised idealogies. As readers are guided by the narrative to cross examine their own individual social frame work. As Haddon takes a life that seems horribly constrained and invites readers to view this life with succient imagination demonstrating it to be infinite. But the text does more than that. It sights how little seperates us from those we turn away from in the street. It's about how badly we communicate with one another. It's about accepting that every life is narrow and that our only escape from this is not to run away [to another country, another relationship, a slimmer, more confident self] but to learn to love the people we are and the world in which we find ourselfs. Haddons use of cognitive astrayment through Christophers severly logical point of view popstions readers to question the common sense and cultural assumptions of their own western instiutions, and habits of perception. For example; I found myself questioning whether it is any less logical for 3 red cars to mean that a happy day is ahead, than it is for the frequently western practised symbol of ‘sunshine' meanign a good rewarding day is in advance. As Christopher says â€Å"People go on hoildays to see new things†¦. but i think that there are so many things just in one house that it would take years to think about all of them properly† This vivid portrait of an unique often marginlised perception of life coping rituals highlights the small things in life that most of us forget to look at. The ‘life lessons' situate readers to acknowledge the commonly framed ‘invaild' can excel the minds of those individuals who conform to cultural assumptions. As readers learn although Christopher's path is different from most, he is still in search for the happiness we all seek†¦ As readers appreciate teh strange unique beauty of Chrisophers grasp of life. Which demonstrates the profound functions of the human mind and encourages individuality as the text proves idealogies are apparent without cultural frameworks.

History of the American West

As far as history is concerned, prior to the settling of what we now, the great United States of America, minority groups of inhabitants are the first to established their living in that continent. Their lifestyle, tradition and culture are admirable as well as unique. The first inhabitants of the area are peaceful living natives of the land. However, an entry has changed everything. The phrase mentioned above seemingly denotes the vast riches accumulated in American West from the national expanse that occurred during the westward American expansion.As per history, it connotes the successive flow of riches in their area considering every line of factors such as trade, climate, events and other causation proofs that are evident even in today’s generation. Analyzing the phrases in the statement reveals claims of chain successive economic blooms, which is stated without adequate basis. However, the aggressive entry of American people over the west side has greatly affected the li vings of various inhabitants in the area.Tremendous effects of this entry have brought countless lives to experience suffrage in the early west side. The advancing foreigners tremendously hit the established communities of the native inhabitants causing massive degradation as well as damage in the land of these natives. The advances may have triggered advancement in the side of American people; however, there are those minority individuals and communities that suffered the damage of their actions. Moreover, the land filled with natural blessings has been ravaged by the suppressive citizens of America.It is, indeed, a fact that the west side during those period of time is immersed in massive content of natural resources, geographically, topographically, climatic and most of all naturally. Another fact is, the resources have brought immense conquer in the land of the natives. For the American people, the west side has become their garden flowing with milk and honey. In this essay, we shall take a glimpse back in the past and analyze the scenario that occurred before and compare it in the statement imposed by Martin Ridge.The claims of this treasury build-up are refuted in this paper. Various factors need to be considered before adhering in these false causations. Subjective narration without substantial basis cannot support this kind of claims, especially if the claim is way to opposite from what is reality. We shall analyze the pieces of this statement piece by piece, and critically scrutinize it to prove that such wordings are not even appropriate. â€Å"The history of the American West is, almost by definition, a triumphal narrative†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Starting from the first part mentioned in the statement, connoting â€Å"triumphal narrative† depicts an entry of galore, glorious moment in the history and an event that everybody looks forward. However, does this statement really cover the facts embedded in the American West? Judging the factors, such as top ographical, geographical and the natural advantages present in the place, can we still conclude the same conclusion mentioned in the statement? Crude to say but actually, the United States that we see today is very different compared before when the American people is still starting to colonize the west side.Stephen H. Long, an American explorer who explored the some areas of the Louisiana Purchase in 1819, first gave the term, â€Å"Great American Desert† to illustrate the area roughly between the 98th parallel and the Rocky Mountains. In a series of maps and journals, Long described this region as â€Å"wholly unfit for cultivation and uninhabitable for those dependent on agriculture. † Americans largely view Long's negative impression of the trans-Mississippi as a barren wasteland for decades and most did not become interested in settling there until after the Civil War.During 1803, the President Thomas Jefferson has had a secret conversation through a secret note t hat he has given to the Congress ordering for an expedition into the place west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. He has felt that a quality and smart military man with perhaps a dozen of handpicked crew can victoriously plot the entire route and do it on an estimation of roughly $2,500. Jefferson's message is regarded secret due to France ownership in that territory. If this is found by the French Government, the expedition can be branded as trespassing.This is the first view of those who seen this great desert; however, western boosters have come up with a plan in order to lure settlers in the area by promoting the â€Å"The Myth of the garden. † In addition, during this period, France has offered a piece of territory in the west side, which is the whole Louisiana Territory, for $15,000,000. That same year, President Tomas Jefferson has his mind patched up and agreed to take the offer. Surprisingly, after an overnight, United States grew by about one million sq uare miles, from the Mississippi to the Rockies and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.This event has greatly caused widening in the part of the America. During the late 1800’s, around 1870s and 1880s, climatic changes have begun to occur in this arid wasteland. This has encouraged the inhabitants to settle and stay put in this area. American settlers have started rampaging, packing up their luggage and migrated in the land of â€Å"Mythical West Garden†. This became the start of the native’s nightmare. The native settlers during this period are Indians and other minority groups; however, they have been driven away from their homelands by the aggressive and domineering Americans.The stampede has occupied 430 million acres of land, which is actually twice the size of the nation. Furthermore, these settlers carved out ten new states until the three western-based commercial â€Å"empires† are established. Around 1865 and 1890 the American settlers have began their territorial rerouting and their way of income have been through mining, especially gold and silver; farming; and the cattle industry. During the westward expansion, widespread beliefs, activities, and objects influenced the daily existence of western emigrants. Moreover, the American settlers discovered the wide resources present in this area.The long protected forests and the divine natural up-springs are all tarnished by the American advancement and modernization. Mining and deforestation has become two of the most devastating hazards accompanied by the advancement. The natural resources of the native Indians are greatly mistreated by the Americans. The trees are cut down in order to be replaced by the houses, establishments, and ranches for the American community. Homeland of the natives, and their territories have been pushed away without being considered by the Americans until, major forests and natural resources are greatly damaged and reduced.In the end, the original fo restry respected by the ancestors of Indian cultures and traditions have been tarnished and destroyed by the advancing colonizers. During the same year and time, Cowboys have been popularized. The estimate of 35,000 males has entered the profession of being a cowboy. 25% of them are black, 12% are Mexican and majority of them are White Americans, 63%. The herding of domesticated animals have lead into territorial overtake since, ranch requires these land hectares in order to place their animals. In the end, the space between Indians and American has grown smaller, particularly in the side of the Indians.Because of this continuous threat, reckless advances and cruelty of American colonizers, the North America’s Indian forces started their civil war with the Americans. Around 1865, the Indian people have fought fiercely using their axes, bow and arrows and spears. However, they are still no match from the gunpowders and advance tools of the Americans. In the end, large reductio n from their population occurred. This event has caused the forces of Indians to be weak and fragile. Many of their women have become slave workers for the Americans. Some have been persecuted and disregarded.In the end, the Indians have become useless human beings. In 1860s, the Western Frontier has emerged and their definite aim is to transform the savagery of civilians battling over territories, towards a decent, moral and civilized individuals. The frontier reproduces American democracy and individualism – the frontier requires Americans to develop new institutions and â€Å"free land makes free men. † The frontier migration targets the expanse of territory as well as accumulation of riches; however, savagery and conflicts have become the exchange of such actions.Racial oppression not only for the Indians but also towards other cultural backgrounds occurs. The race of Hispanics, Blacks and Chinese has been greatly looked down by the Whites. The Hispanics during tho se times are traders as well Chinese, and these people are considered low class merchants; hence, the treatment pattern for these people as also low class. Degradation, racial and social discrimination are also the biggest issues during this period. The blacks, aside from Indians, are the ones who suffered the tremendous discriminative character of the whites. They are regarded as lowly individuals and most of them are treated as slaves.People during this time are greatly quarrelling mostly about their material properties and belongings, but little do they know that there are people being stepped aside and being ignored by their reckless actions. In the end, the effect boils down to those discriminated races and they are the ones that suffered because of the reckless and greedy actions of the Whites. One of the biggest historical events in this period is the Gold Rush, wherein the substance of interest is non-other than gold. The out-migration of non-natives following the Gold rush has given the Indians renewed numerical importance.The discovery of Gold in California and other nearby mines has lead easterners to migrate in the said are in order to have their part in this gold galore. This event has caused great multitude of immigrants coming from local and foreign lands. The situation has damaged mines; natural resources and influx of people have led into chaotic way of life. The situation of the people especially the original inhabitants of the area, which is the natives, has greatly worsened by the migratory frontiers. Going back to the statement of Martin Ridge,â€Å"The history of the American West is, almost by definition, a triumphal narrative for it traces a virtually unbroken chain of successes in national expansion† This is indeed a refutable statement. The Americans may have entered the land of Mythical Desert Garden; however, there are many people that have suffered because of their ruthless actions. It may be triumphal because they have over taken the natives, but the natural resources and the craving of their hands have been diminished. In the end, the statement remains doubtful for there are so many sacrifices that are heavier that the rewards they have taken.

Oroonoko Close Reading (Anti- Slavery Text) Research Paper

Oroonoko Close Reading (Anti- Slavery Text) - Research Paper Example So, Oroonoko puts on various identities as a novel, as a travelogue, or colonial discourse than an anti-slavery text. The narration presents contradictions in the perspectives of the fictionalized author narrator and the hero, Oroonoko and creates doubts about its characteristics as an anti-slavery text. Set in the seventeenth century, Oroonoko is often seen as a precursor of the anti-slavery literature which became popular later during the nineteenth centuries. Norton Anthology says that â€Å"In the early 1660s, when the events described in Behns  Oroonoko are supposed to have taken place, England was not yet a major power in the slave trade† (The Norton Anthology of English Literature). This has Oroonoko as a reference text when it comes to details on slave trade.   In its section on the biography of Aphra Behn, the anthology says that the novel had great impact on people who fought against slavery and slave trade. Oroonoko also has been critically acclaimed to be an anti-slavery text by many critics. Laura Brown in her â€Å"the Romance of Empire: Oroonoko and the Trade in Slaves† says that, "the novella had been recognized as a seminal work in the tradition of antislavery writings from the time of its publication down to our own period"(42). Oroonoko captures the transatlantic slave trade and is set in the colonial Africa and West Indies. One of the most outstanding aspects of the novella is that Oroonoko has an African prince as its hero. Though set in the British colonies, it is unlike a mere travelogue or a documentary. On the other hand, it makes a strong statement regarding slavery in its portrayal of the cruelties of slavery. The details about the process of slave trade are described. The author of Oronooko says, â€Å"Who want slaves make a bargain with a master or a captain of a ship, and contract to pay him so much apiece, a matter of twenty pound a

Farmingville the explosive issue of illegal immigration Essay

Farmingville the explosive issue of illegal immigration - Essay Example Sandoval and Tambini try to explain the point of view of the Farmingville residents opposed to illegal immigration, in an effort to show that not all opposition is predicated on racism. Louise and Tom, opponents of illegal immigration, are not depicted as racist but as residents who have legitimate complaints against the influx of illegal immigrants to Farmingville. Louise admits that she has a problem with illegal immigrants and that she cannot abide the fact that houses designed to accommodate single families are currently housing 20 to 30 day labourers. Her concerns are legitimate and, when considering that she is not opposed to immigration but to illegal immigration, seem free of racism. Added to that, the housing situation is, from an objective point of view, intolerable and a source of concern, whether for the geriatric female neighbour living alone or for home owners who fear property devaluation. Certainly, Laura's argument may not be completely persuasive but it expresses a point of view which does not seem to speak of racism. Similarly, Tom's displeasure over the sudden influx of truck traffic may not be a persuasive argument against illegal immigration but it is a legitimate, non-racist one. ... The other Farmingville residents are invariably portrayed as incapable of expressing their stance against illegal immigration without injecting a racist undertone into their dialogue and, most definitely, without descending into emotional and somewhat illogical diatribe. The scene featuring the Californian woman is evidence of this. Juxtaposed against immigrants who are silently cleaning the streets, cheerfully organizing a soccer match and preparing the fields, the Californian woman emerges as illogically racist. She accuses illegal aliens of being thieves, murderers and rapists, insisting that their presence in Farmingville is part of a Hispanic conspiracy to re-conquer the United States and expel all non-Hispanic Americans. Needless to say, her inclusion among the ranks of the opponents of illegal immigration reflects very negatively on this group and communicates an impression of their being racist and of their predicating their opposition to illegal immigration on racist princip les. Sandoval and Tambini's depiction of the Sachem Quality of Life (SQL) group further evidences the filmmakers' failure to objectively present the controversy over illegal immigration in Farmingville. In one scene of the very many were SQL members are depicted as racist hate-mongers who are incapable of articulating a logical argument against illegal immigration, the group allies itself with national anti-immigration groups across the country. They recruit members of those other groups to speak against immigration in their "Day of Truth." It is significant that they do not present a fact-based argument against illegal immigration. For example, they claim that it hurts the economy without looking at evidence to the contrary and, more

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Criminal justice - Essay Example The jury’s successful conclusion means that they have successfully found the defendant guilty or not guilty based on the testimonies and evidences presented to them. It is important to note that the jury’s successful conclusion is, in the same manner, the judge’s successful conclusion, not only the judge intervenes in the verdict made by the jury. The victim and the defendant’s successful conclusion means that the verdict favors them. This is similar to the prosecutor and defense attorney’s successful conclusion, wherein, it collides. Of course, the successful conclusion of the victim is when the court rules in their favor and puts the defendant behind bars, or worse. And the successful conclusion of the defendant is when the court rules in their favor and sets them free. A successful conclusion in the courtroom depends on the position, the side and the role of the participant. The judge and the jury are the one that dictates the successful conclusi on because they give the decision. But the victim and the defendant may have different views whether it is successful or not depending on how their testimonies and evidences are accepted by the court.

Riggs v.Palmer and Speluncean Explorers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Riggs v.Palmer and Speluncean Explorers - Essay Example Fearing that his grandfather might change his decision in respect of the will Elmer Palmer murdered his grandfather through poisoning. The plaintiffs presented the argument that the will would allow Elmer to profit from his heinous crime. Elmer would be punished under the statute for murder but his claim to the estate could not be invalidated under the terms of either probate law or criminal law (Dworkin). In sharp contrast, the Speluncean Explorers case is purely hypothetical in nature and was written by Lon Fuller for the Harvard Law Review in 1949. A team of five entrapped spelunkers is depicted in the Commonwealth of Newgarth who are able to establish radio contact with their rescue team. The spelunkers are told by the engineers that around 10 days would be required for their extraction (Suber) while the spelunkers relate the total food rations they have to the physicians in the rescue team which are deemed insufficient. Radio contact breaks down and resultantly the spelunkers decide to hold a lottery in order to murder one of their members so that others can consume him for survival. The losing member is executed and eaten up. After the rescue the spelunkers are all convicted for murder but there is debate as to the application of murder sentences to the rescued spelunkers (Fuller). For Riggs v Palmer the majority opinion clearly stated that the plaintiffs were justified in their claims and the eventual outcome reinforced Judge Robert Earl’s opinion. The decision declared that the tenets of universal laws and universal maxims would be violated if Elmer Palmer was allowed to profit from his crime. It was also related that the legislature could not reasonably be expected to foresee any contingencies when laws were being drafted and so such disdainful behavior ought to be punished. This is similar to the views of Justice Keen in the Speluncean Explorers case where he opines that the statutes of law must be upheld in any circumstances no matter what the

English Paper Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English Paper Final - Essay Example A Marxist society is always in a process of being created, and this occurs through communication and negotiation (Giddens et al, 2003). When the family breaks down, these important functions no longer occur. Social order becomes confused either because they were never understood to begin with under the functionalist perspective or because there is no communication or negotiation under the Marxist perspective. This sort of breakdown can be discovered in many recent examinations of American family life such as that included in Katie Arnoldi’s fictional novel The Wentworths. As is shown in The Wentworths, for reasons of pride or competition, today’s society typically allows for little real connection between family members which makes it difficult for us to truly communicate with one another. Katie Arnoldi’s book tells the story of a small family in Southern California struggling to overcome the division and dissension of the postmodern lifestyle. Although the family is not the worst family to be found anywhere, it is highly dysfunctional. The Wentworth family consists of August Wentworth, who is an aging man who has always been something of a playboy and is only just beginning to recognize that this lifestyle is no longer fulfilling. August is married to Judith, who has become obsessed with keeping her body looking like a 20-year-old despite the fact that she has three children already well past that age and with keeping everything exactly the same. At one point in the book, her entire day is destroyed because of a missing pair of silver serving tongs that are not where they belong. August and Judith have three adult children. The oldest is Conrad, who remains single and is a high-powered lawyer in L.A. He also is sexually deviant, engaging in masochistic activit ies and consistently choosing to sleep with women who resemble his mother. Becky is the

Graphics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Graphics - Essay Example people enrolled, or the amount of money spent/received) and finally I would provide the information that is to be communicated in its right kind by an appropriate main title which can be ‘list of majors enrolled in at XYZ university’ or ‘amount of revenues earned per discipline by XYZ college’. In this graphical illustration of data, I feel that the title is effective but the graphic chosen for its presentation is certainly less effective. The exact numbers which seemed to be the major information to be communicated is not provided. I would revise it with a format for presentation with clear mention of the exact numbers under each wing of the armed forces, as required. I would further use colors to highlight the title. In addition, I would place the title below the figure (p. 328). Furthermore, I would include a source of this information presented as it seems to be taken from either a governmental or any other published source. The pie chart seems to exhibit the breakdown of costs at Hillway Corporation. I would recommend changing the color scheme by using different saturations of the same color for each slice of the pie chart. I would further label each slice with the exact percentage of total cost that is being calculated for the expense head mentioned. I would further separate the slice for salaries to emphasize on the highest cost factor for Hillway Corporation. I would further place the largest slice on the top and move in the clockwise direction arranging the slices in descending order as per their relevant sizes. I would further recommend labeling the slices horizontally inside with percentage and name of the expense in the give data. 2D pie chart is recommended for clearer indication on the sizes of each slice as they relate to the breakdown of expenses or any other data provided. Although line charts are more useful in understanding the changes that are seen over time, the individual costs can also be illustrated of the PC components as

A Story About Courage Essay Example for Free

A Story About Courage Essay Waking up in the morning to birds chirping and the warm summer breeze is almost impossible when you live in the heart of New York City, well it is for me at least. My name is Sandy Collins, I’m your typical teenage girl. I like going out with my friends, having slumber parties, and going shopping. I moved from Texas to New York City a month and a half ago. The moment I stepped out of the car I instantly loved the change. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy living in Texas, but now living in New York felt like it made much more sense. As a child I did everything with my dad. Biking, fishing, rollerblading, you name it. I, Sandy Collins has done it. My dad always said he wanted a better life for me then what he had, he sure meant it. Back when I was almost eleven years old my parents got a divorce, great birthday present, huh? At first when I’d walk into the room where my parents would be arguing, they’d pretend they were only talking loud of some sort. But as the months went by, they didn’t even noticed when I’d enter the room. Soon after that my mom filed for a divorce, leaving me in the middle. It was hard to cope with it to begin with, but soon after that I realized I had no part in what happened. Now four years later here I am making the decision to move in with my dad. When I first mentioned moving to New York to my mom, her reaction was absolutely no. After mentioning it a few more times, giving her a month or two, she finally realized that I should be able to make my own decisions because in the end it’d make me happier. Now five months after, BAM! New York City here I come. The twelve hour drive was definitely the worst road trip, bonding time, or whatever my mom would wish to call it. She came up with a clever idea to shove me, my seven year old brother Ricky, my stepfather Joe, and herself in our beat up Toyota Tercel and take on the task to drive us all the way to New York for the last bonding time she’ll have with me in a long time. Not to mention we’re in the month of July. â€Å"Sweetie would you like something to eat? † mom said shaking my shoulder. I’d fallen asleep three hours into the drive. We ordered from the nearest fast food place, Mcdondalds, filling all our hungry appetites. After about ten hours I became so bored I started to play with the lose thread on my shirt. I could tell Ricky wasn’t having any more fun then I was considering he was opening and closing the screen of his Nintendo DS over and over and over again. The traffic became agony, there’s no doubt that you could put your car in park for five minutes and no would notice. Finally after hours of traffic we arrived at the house. Dad had just walked out the front door waving and smiling. â€Å"Dad! † I exclaimed while giving him a giant bear hug. â€Å"Hi hunny, I’m so glad you’re here. Dad said smiling. â€Å"Nice place you got here† Joe said examining it with his eyes. We’ve never been to dad’s place before, he’d always come to Texas to visit on special occasions and my birthday’s. â€Å"Now you be good, call whenever you have the time and no late night walks, New York is very different then back home. † Mom said. She kept going on until she had run out of things to say. â€Å"Okay, Okay mom. See you at thanksgiving, love you. † I said giving her a hug. I realized after saying that, that made her take-in how long it’d be until we’d see each other again. After saying goodbye to everyone I knew I’d miss each and everyone back home in Texas terribly but I had a feeling this was a change for the better. What we had left of the day, dad decided it’d be a good idea to show me around the neighbourhood. â€Å"Your hair is so straight and black now† dad said. â€Å"Yeah, I coloured it a few months ago. I thought it was time for some change, like moving here. † I said smiling. For the next month dad and I went fishing, rollerblading, shopping, and all the other things we used to do when mom and he were together. I even met a new friend, Paige. She’s the neighbour’s daughter; she told me we’d be attending the same school together up the street when school re-opens in two weeks. The next day we arranged to go shopping. â€Å"Hey dad, would it be okay if I go shopping with Paige today? † I said. â€Å"Sure hunny, I have to run a few errands and do some grocery shopping anyway, so I’ll drop you two off at the mall. † Dad said, smiling as always. Paige is so nice and out-going to be around. My friends in Texas were more down-to-earth. We would still go places and what not, but Paige’s personality screams fun. â€Å"We need to spice up your wardrobe, all of your out-fits are too toned down for NYC. † Paige said, trying on a vintage pair of black boots. After a couple of hours of shopping, we grabbed something to eat and went home. Home I kept thinking. I like it here, being with my dad made me so much happier. Walking down the busy streets of New York with the sound of cars honking, people shouting for taxis, bargainers trying to sell you their no more than $5 junk, was now what I got to call home. Oddly I loved it. When I got home I took my shopping bags to my room and headed downstairs to watch T. V while waiting on my dad to come home and make dinner. As I reached for the television remote the phone rang. â€Å"Hello, may I speak to Mr. Collins? † â€Å"He’s not home at the moment; would you like me to take a message? † â€Å"Sure, is this Ms. Collins? † â€Å"Yes it is. † I said, realizing soon after this person was probably referring to Ms. Collins as if I was my dad’s wife. A moment before I was about to correct myself, the person started speaking again. Oh, hi Ms. Collins, this is Tom’s doctor, Dr. Lee. Unfortunately I have to break the bad news to you; Tom’s cancer results have come in positive. He has cancer in his right lung and it’s too late to attempt to cure it. I’m extremely sorry to tell you this way; Tom’s appointment was re-scheduled in two weeks from now when school re-opens, he cancelled the appointment scheduled for today knowing he’d want to spend as much time with your daughter arriving from Texas before school started. When I got the results, knowing Tom for so long, I wanted him to know as soon as possible. † I didn’t know what to do, I held the phone to my ear ready to reply but my mind went blank. Eventually I replied and hung up the phone. Did I really just hear that? No, it couldn’t be. My dad couldn’t have cancer, he just couldn’t. Who am I kidding!? His doctor called for god sakes, I just didn’t want to believe it. Moments later my dad walked in the front door. â€Å"Hi hunny. † He said smiling.

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.