AT&T Control Mechanisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AT&T Control Mechanisms - Essay Example All customers of AT&T sign an AUP to signify their conformity to the policies outlined by the company. A failure by a customer to adhere to the policies stated in the AUP may result in the termination of their use of AT&T’s services. This control mechanism is effective in controlling the unlawful use of the services offered by AT&T. It is AT&T’s way of policing their ranks. The AUP is necessary to protect both AT&T and its wide customer base. This control mechanism imposed by AT&T is effective in that it functions as a deterrent for internet users who plan to use AT&T’s service in an unlawful and unacceptable manner. Another control mechanism existing in AT&T is their Code of Business Conduct. All employees of AT&T are required to adhere to this Code as it embodies the values espoused by the company. As Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO of AT&T clearly puts it, â€Å"The Code of Business Conduct puts our values into action. It’s more than a set of rule s; it’s the principles we work by and a guide to help us make the right decisions every day† (AT&T Intellectual Property 1). This Code is a control mechanism imposed by AT&T to all its employees to safeguard its reputation of honesty and integrity to its customers. The effectiveness of this mechanism can be measured in the numerous awards and recognitions reaped by AT&T which could be attributed to the outstanding performance of its workforce who are committed to its Code of Conduct. The AT&T Intellectual Property arm is another important control mechanism adopted by AT&T. This division is responsible for protecting AT&T’s portfolio of more than 9,000 patents (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.2). Aside from protecting the company’s portfolio, it is also responsible in managing the licensing and selling of AT&T patents, technology, trademarks and domain names (AT&T Intellectual Property par.3). This control mechanism is imperative in safeguarding AT&Tâ€⠄¢s researches and innovations. Now more than ever, the Intellectual Property is deemed very relevant because of the rapid growth in new technologies. The fourth control mechanism observed at AT&T is the creation in 2009 of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Forum â€Å"to provide a venue to formally integrate, leverage, and grow enterprise-wide initiatives to become best-in-class from a diversity perspective† (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.6). According to AT&T, this forum meets quarterly every year and aims to monitor the development of the diversity strategies within the organization. Hand in hand with this Forum is the establishment of the Business Unit Diversity Council to create an awareness of the diversity and inclusion of the workforce at AT&T. The proof of the effectiveness of these control mechanisms is the recognition given by DiversityInc. to AT&T in 2011 as one of the top 50 companies for diversity (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.1). Furthermore, it has alwa ys been included in DiversityBusiness.com’s America’s Top 50 Corporations for Multicultural Business Opportunities. The four control mechanisms described above all contribute to making AT&T the largest communications holding company in the world by revenue. The AUP and the Intellectual Property arm of AT&T are control mechanisms which are targeted towards the external community which AT&T

Nutrition in Home Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nutrition in Home Care - Essay Example This essay will discuss principles of nutrition, give potential problems for lack of nutrition and talk about therapeutic diet. It will highlight safety in handling food, discuss fluid balance and talk about community resources on nutrition. 2. Key principle of nutrition. According to Gibson (2005, p. 25), adhering to principles of nutrition gives the client strength and helps to maintain body weight. It replaces lost minerals and vitamins, boosts the immune and enhances response after treatment. The client should eat a variety of foods from the following groups; carbohydrates, protein, minerals, fats, vitamins and sugars. The foods should be taken in correct amount to maintain weight and should avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. The client can have regular exercise. Three main meals in a day with plenty of snacks in between can be adopted. Ingram and Lavery (2009, p. 218) note that, the body is composed of water, minerals, protein, fats, carbohydrates and refuse. Food t hat is taken builds the body. Food is important in giving the body energy, warmth and retaining heat and energy. Implementing nutritional principles enable a person to have energy, good health, and reduce sickness. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables for good health. Increase water intake. Take seasonal foods since they enhance nutrition. Take a wide variety of diverse foods and ensure food is taken in moderation. Whole food nutrition is better than separate nutrition element. Taking supplements is not an equivalent to replacing food. Take food that is good for eating and not poisonous or contaminated. It is important to discipline self to eat food in the right amount. Good nutrition can prevent and at times reverse illnesses. If nutritional principles are followed the cost of care is reduced since ailments subside. 3. Potential nutrition problems. Birchenall and Streight (2012, p. 19) mention that, home healthcare clients can experience nutritional problems despite paying attention to getting adequate food. One of the common problems is under nutrition which leads to weight loss. Weight loss can be easily identified and treated with balanced diet, correct food and beverage quantities. However, medication effects and depression that a client experience can lead to weight loss. The problem is solved by introducing feeding tubes to avoid under nutrition of protein energy. Another problem is deficiency of pyridoxine, folate, vitamin D and minerals like zinc. The deficiency of nutrients hinders healing of wounds and contributes to low immune. Additionally, failure to take adequate fluids causes dehydration. Furthermore, post prandial hypotension can occur and inevitably cause the home care client to have aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia can cause a fall. 4. Therapeutic diets. Therapeutic diets refer to foods that are modified to meet the specific health and physical needs of a client. The modification is recommended by a nutritionist or a medical profess ional. The objective is to adjust the content of calories, texture or nutrients to the most appropriate depending on the client’s condition (William and Schlenker, 2003, p. 17). Therapeutic diets require patience and convincing to the client. This is because they may have body weakness, sickness, lack of appetite or self pity. It is easier to make them understand the use of diet by explanation. Therapeutic diet include food

Unprofessional Athletes Essay Example for Free

Unprofessional Athletes Essay Back in the year 1860, the Pony Express was known to be the fastest and most efficient method of sending mail. It had taken approximately ten days for a horse to travel across the country and deliver the parcels to their recipients, an astonishingly short amount of time for the people of that particular era. A little over 150 years after the inception of the Pony Express, technological advances have been made and it is safe to say that a simple message to a friend no longer takes ten days to send, nor does it travel by horse. Now, in the year 2012, a message can be sent simply with a few clicks on a keyboard or a couple clicks of a cell phone. Along with the gratification that comes along with knowing that your message was sent and received instantly, there comes a few dangers. These hazards become a greater risk for those individuals who are in the spotlight, especially professional athletes. If an athlete makes a controversial remark about any issue, he makes himself subject to mass public scrutiny; from there, the athlete may lose the respect of his fans, supporters, and even teammates based on his stance on the particular topic. An athlete may be so preoccupied by social media and how the world perceives them that he may lose focus on his main goal, which is performing well in his sport. Many professional sports leagues have rules set in place against athletes expressing their opinions of certain sports-related topics on social media, so if a player steps out of line and disobeys one of these rules he is subject to a heavy fine enforced by the league’s officials. Social media shouldn’t be used by professional athletes because of the intense microscope they are under on an everyday basis. Professional athletes have a huge following while participating in their craft, but once they enter the world of social media, especially Twitter, some athletes see this crowd start to dwindle down. Many believe that although fans may root for a player during a game, it does not necessarily translate into support off the field in their social life., In Mark Emmons’ Mercury News article entitled â€Å"Amid Giants World Series, Twitter gives fans a glimpse into athletes lives,† Harry Edwards, a UC Berkeley professor emeritus of sociology, states that: The [San Francisco] 49ers want guys to interact with fans, but they want them to be smart because when you put something out there, its out there forever. It could end up in your obituary. But its important that fans can feel like they can talk to an athlete and say, Maybe it was a tough day at the office for you guys Sunday, but youll get em next week. Figure.1 Stoudemires actions on Twitter epitomize that anything that is done over social media can be publicized and scrutinized in an instant. Figure.1 Stoudemires actions on Twitter epitomize that anything that is done over social media can be publicized and scrutinized in an instant. Although he has always been on rival opposing teams, Amar’e Stoudemire had been one of my favorite NBA players to watch due to his toughness and high-flying ability. When I first joined Twitter in 2011 he was one of the first people that I knew I had to follow. Unlike some athletes before him, he was—by most people’s standards—a respected professional basketball player who did most of his trash talking between the basketball court’s lines rather than blowing up on Twitter after a game. However, during late June of this year, Stoudemire’s reputation and fan following took a major hit after he angrily messaged a fan in response to the fan’s tweet questioning Stoudemire’s performance on the court. In the direct message as shown in Figure 1.1, Stoudemire uses slanderous and even anti-gay slurs which are blocked out with black boxes. Although he apoligized after the picture went viral, the damage had already been done and his reputation had taken a permanent hit. Stoudemire had begun to lose long-time supporters, including myself, because of the reaction he had to a simple criticism he received over Twitter. Everything an athlete does, especially over social media websites, is heavily scrutinized and can land him in an uncomfortable and unwanted position in the public. All professional athletes must be aware of the fact that with all of the intense training that they put forth in hopes of perfecting their particular craft, social media outlets, especially Twitter and Facebook, can provide unnecessary distractions that may interfere with their performance. It has become such an addiction to some players that they cannot bear to go a whole game without tweeting or writing a status update about their team’s performance. A few years ago during halftime of a game against the Boston Celtics, Charlie Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks tweeted this, leading to then-head coach Scott Skiles banning Twitter use during games: â€Å"In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. Were playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up. (si.com â€Å"Twitter Trouble†) The pressures put on athletes by fans is not only felt here in the United States, but also on a global level. Before the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm was by far the favorite to win in the 100-meter backstroke, but was just edged out by American teenager Missy Franklin. When asked about her performance, Seebohm claimed to have been distracted by all of the posts from friends and fans back in her home country, causing a lack of sleep and mental preparation that goes into earning a gold medal at the Olympics. (The Telegraph) Professional athletes around the world should not be using any social media or social networking devices because of the negative impact it can have on their on-field performance and thus blocking them from reaching their maximum potential and skill level. It is a necessity for athletes to be cautious with their word choice because of the fines they may receive as a result of their comments. In an April 2012 Time magazine, then Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen blurted out that he loved and respected oppressive Cuban leader Fidel Castro for his unwillingness to be caught and brought down by those looking to end his reign as tyrant. (Time Magazine) These comments were not well received by the Miami community—made up of mostly Cuban immigrants who fled the country to escape from its unruly dictator. Guillen received a five game suspension, but the stain on his reputation was never completely removed. Since the preseason comments made regarding Castro, Guillen continued to make negative comments about his team’s performance, leading to multiple fines from the team’s owner and a loss of respect from a city as a whole. On October 23,2012, just over a year from initially being hired as the Marlins’ manager, Guillen was fired because of a combination of lack of wins on the field and an excess of controversial remarks made off the field of play. Athletes and coaches both need to watch whatever they say to the media or on a social networking site because of the ramifications that the comments may have with the team or sponsors they are currently working for. Many sports fans, myself included, agree that they enjoy witnessing and reading about how the everyday lifestyle of a professional athlete plays out through social media outlets. Despite the enjoyment that I experience from getting an inside glimpse of a professional athlete’s life, I do realize the issue that they may not be setting a prime model for the younger generation that look up to them. No, not all athletes are monsters made out to destroy a child’s innocence through their Twitter, but there are enough poor examples in the world to raise the question of whether or not these athletes should have their own social media outlets due to the issue of molding a younger generation into respectable adults that didn’t have their â€Å"hero’s† identity ripped away by one careless tweet or status update sent out. In the social media world we live in the question is not whether or not we enjoy seeing an athlete’s life play out over Twitter or any other social media outlet, but whether or not the material they post is ethical enough to keep their â€Å"professional† status. We are constantly told that our generation is going through a technological revolution. In fact, new, simpler ways of communicating with each other are being invented every day. However, there is one group that has to be more cautious of what they send out over these social outlets than the rest of us do, celebrities, and in particular athletes. Athletes are constantly being thrown under the spotlight for controversial Figure 2 Although Rashard Mendenhall is exercising his right to free speech, his remarks garnered much animosity toward him and his team. Figure 2 Although Rashard Mendenhall is exercising his right to free speech, his remarks garnered much animosity toward him and his team. remarks made on social media websites, from Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers criticizing people for celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden (Figure 2) to TJ Lang of the Green Bay Packers bashing replacement referees for a blown last second call that cost his team the game. These statements made by athletes can cause them to lose fans across the country and possibly the globe. Social media also provides unwanted distractions to athletes everywhere that may take their mind off of performing to their utmost capability. Also, it can become such a problem that a team may eventually cut or fire a player based off of previous controversial comments made by the athlete. Professional athletes shouldn’t have access to social media outlets, despite the amusement fans see from their day-to-day access. Works Cited Babel, Ryan. â€Å"Twitter Trouble. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0911/twitter.trouble/content.5.ht ml. Berman, Len. Trending Stories. Mashable. N.p., 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. http://mashable.com/2010/01/04/social-media-athletes/. Ottesen, Didrik. London 2012 Olympics: Australian Swimmer Emily Seebohm Blames Twitter and Facebook for Failure. Editorial. The Telegraph [London] 31 July 2012: n. pag. The Telegraph. 31 July 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9440774/London-2012-Olympics- Australian-swimmer-Emily-Seebohm-blames-Twitter-and-Facebook-for-failure.html. Ortiz, Maria B. Twitter Gaffes Begat Punishment for Athletes. ESPN. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, 27 July 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/7495/voula-papachristou-inspires- twitter-fail-list.

Self-healing Materials and Shape Memory Polymers

Self-healing Materials and Shape Memory Polymers Topic Area: self-healing materials, shape memory polymers and flame retardant polymers Emerging Polymer materials       Md Hossion Shovon Introduction: The ability of a nation to harness nature as well as its ability to cope up with the challenges posed by it is determined by its complete knowledge of materials and its ability to develop and produce them for various applications. Advanced Materials are at the heart of many technological developments that touch our lives. Electronic materials for communication and information technology, optical fibers, laser fibers sensors for the intelligent environment, energy materials for renewable energy and environment, light alloys for better transportation, materials for strategic applications and more. Advanced materials have a wider role to play in the upcoming future years because of its multiple uses and can be of a greater help for whole humanity. Emerging technologies are those technical innovations which represent progressive developments within a field for competitive advantage. List of currently emerging technologies, which contains some of the most prominent ongoing developments, a dvances, and Materials Science and Nanotechnology Innovations are Graphene, Fullerene, Conductive Polymers, Metamaterials, Nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes, Superalloy, Lithium-ion batteries, etc. Over the last decade, smart polymeric materials have been used in biochemical sciences in many ways. Since the term, smart polymeric materials encompasses a wide spectrum of different compounds with unique potential for biological applications, Self-healing Polymers: Self-healing polymers are a new class of smart materials that have the capability to repair themselves when they are damaged without the need for detection or repair by manual intervention of any kind. Increasing demand for petroleum feedstocks used to produce polymer and the need for polymeric materials with improved performance in challenging applications continue to drive the need for materials with extended lifetimes. One way to extend the lifetime of a material is to mitigate the mechanism leading to failure. In brittle polymers, failure occurs through crack formation and propagation (1,2) and the ability to repair these cracks when they are still very small will prevent further propagation thus extending the lifetime of the material. Emerging self-healing technologies designed to give polymeric materials the capability to arrest crack propagation at an early stage thereby preventing catastrophic failures will go a long way in helping to increase the scope of applications of the se materials. With the need for autonomic repair of materials without external intervention thus evident, more recent research has focused on developing fully self-healing systems. One approach to the design of such systems employs the compartmentalization of a reactive healing agent, which is then incorporated into a composite material. Thus, when a crack propagates through the material, it causes the release of the healing agent from the compartment in which it is stored into the crack plane where it solidifies and repairs the material. The first basic application of this approach consisted of an epoxy matrix with suspended glass capillaries filled with either cyanoacrylate or a two-part epoxy resin. When a crack propagated through the cured epoxy matrix, the glass capillaries were fractured and the cyanoacrylate monomer or the two-part epoxy generally referred to as healing agents, were released into the crack plane where they reacted and polymerized. A significant recovery of the mechanical properties of the samples after they were allowed to heal suggests that the cracked material was effectively repaired by the polymerized healing agent. Since the healing requires only crack propagation as the trigger for the healing mechanism, it represents a truly autonomic or self-healing material. While a successful demonstration of self-healing, the labor-intensive process of manually filling capillaries and distributing them evenly throughout the matrix make this approach unsuitable for scale-up. Shape-memory Polymers: Shape-memory polymers are an emerging class of active polymers that have the dual-shape capability. They can change their shape in a predefined way from shape A to shape B when exposed to an appropriate stimulus. While shape B is given by the initial processing step, shape A is determined by applying a process called programming. The shape-memory research was initially founded on the thermally induced dual-shape effect. This concept has been extended to other stimuli by either indirect thermal actuation or direct actuation by addressing stimuli-sensitive groups on the molecular level. Finally, polymers are introduced that can be multifunctional. Besides their dual-shape capability, these active materials are biofunctional or biodegradable. Potential applications for such materials as active medical devices are highlighted. Shape-memory polymers are dual-shape materials belonging to the group of actively moving polymers. They can actively change from a shape A to a shape B. Shape A is a temporary shape that is obtained by mechanical deformation and subsequent fixation of that deformation. This process also determines the change of shape shift, resulting in shape B, which is the permanent shape. In shape-memory polymers reported so far, heat or light has been used as the stimulus. Using irradiation with infrared light, application of electric fields, alternating magnetic fields, or immersion in water, indirect actuation of the shape memory effect has also been realized. The shape-memory effect only relies on the molecular architecture and does not require a specific chemical structure in the repeating units. Therefore, intrinsic material properties, e.g. mechanical properties, can be adjusted to the need of specific applications by variation of molecular parameters, such as the type of monomer or the comonomer ratio. An example of a cross-linked polymer network synthesized by polyaddition of monofunctional monomers with low molecular weight or oligomeric cross-linkers has been realized in polyurethanes by the addition of trimethyl owl to the reaction mixture. The reaction of tetra-functional silanes, working as net points, with oligomeric silanes, which work as spacers and to which two distinct benzoate-based mesogenic groups have been attached, results in a formation of a main-chain smectic-C elastomer38. In contrast to other liquid-crystalline elastomers, which display a shape-changing behavior and have been compared to shape-memory polymers recently, these elastomers have shape-memory properties. The cross-linking process during synthesis defines the permanent shape. The shape-memory effect is triggered by the thermal transition of the liquid-crystalline domains. In the programming process, the polymer network is heated to the isotropic state of the liquid crystalline domains, stretched or twisted, and then cooled below the clearing transition temperature of the smectic-C mesogens. Upon reheating over this clearing transition, the permanent shape can be recovered. In contrast to shape-changing liquid crystalline elastomer systems, thes e polymers display shape-memory behavior because the liquid crystalline moieties work as a switch. In shape-changing liquid-crystalline elastomers, the molecular movement of the single liquid crystals is converted into a macroscopic movement Another class of thermoplastic shape memory polymers with Trans = Tg are polyesters. In copolyesters based on poly(Ɇº-caprolactone) and poly (butylene terephthalate), the poly (butylene terephthalate) segments act as physical cross-linkers25. The shape-memory capability can also be added to a polymer using a polymer-analogous reaction. A polymer-analogous reaction is the application of a standard organic reaction (like the reduction of a ketone to an alcohol) to a polymer having several of these reactive groups. An example is the polymer-analogous reduction of a polyketone with NaBH4/THF, which results in a poly(ketone-co-alcohol). The polyketones are synthesized by late transition metal catalyzed polymerization of propene, hex-1-ene, or a mixture of propane and hex-1-ene with CO. The Tg of this polymer is directly related to the degree of reduction, which can be adjusted by the amount of NaBH4/THF. The most promising shape-memory material is a partly reduced poly (ethylene -co-propane-co-carbon oxide), which displayed a phase-separated morphology with hard microcrystalline ethylene/CO-rich segments within a softer amorphous polyketone ethylene-propene/CO-rich matrix. The crystalline domains of this material work as physical cross-linkers. This results in an elastic behavior above Tg because the glass transition temperature (Trans = Tg) is related to the switching phase. Partial reduction of the material allows control of Tg, which can be adjusted from below room temperature to 75 °C. Flame-retardant Polymers: Fire-safe polymers are polymers that are resistant to degradation at high temperatures. There is need for fire-resistant polymers in the construction of small, enclosed spaces such as skyscrapers, boats, and airplane cabins. In these tight spaces, ability to escape in the event of a fire is compromised, increasing fire risk. In fact, some studies report that about 20% of victims of airplane crashes are killed not by the crash itself but by ensuing fires. Fire-safe polymers also find application as adhesives in aerospace materials, insulation for electronics and in military materials such as canvas tenting. Some fire-safe polymers naturally exhibit an intrinsic resistance to decomposition, while others are synthesized by incorporating fire-resistant additives and fillers. Current research in developing fire-safe polymers is focused on modifying various properties of the polymers such as ease of ignition, rate of heat release, and the evolution of smoke and toxic gases. Standard methods for testing polymer flammability vary among countries; in the United States common fire tests include the UL 94 small-flame test, the ASTM E 84 Steiner Tunnel, and the ASTM E 622 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) smoke chamber. Research on developing fire-safe polymers with more desirable properties is concentrated at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and at the Federal Aviation Administration where a long-term research program on developing fire-safe polymers was begun in 1995. The Center for UMass/Industry Research on Polymers (CUMIRP) was established in 1980 in Amherst, MA as a concentrated cluster of scientists from both academia and industry for the purpose of polymer science and engineering research. Controlling the flammability of different materials has been a subject of interest since 450 B.C. when Egyptians attempted to reduce the flammability of wood by soaking it in potassium aluminum sulfate (alum). Research on fire-retardant polymers was bolstered by the need for new types of synthetic polymers in World War II. The combination of a halogenated paraffin and antimony oxide was found to be successful as a fire retardant for canvas tenting. Synthesis of polymers, such as polyesters, with fire retardant monomers were also developed around this time.. Additives are divided into two basic types depending on the interaction of the additive and polymer. Reactive flame retardants are compounds that are chemically built into the polymer. They usually contain heteroatoms. Additive flame retardants, on the other hand, are compounds that are not covalently bound to the polymer; the flame retardant and the polymer are just physically mixed together. Only a few elements are being widely used in this field: aluminum, phosphorus, nitrogen, antimony, chlorine, bromine, and in specific applications magnesium, zinc and carbon. One prominent advantage of the flame retardants (FRs) derived from these elements is that they are relatively easy to manufacture. The most important flame retardants systems used act either in the gas phase where they remove the high energy radicals H and OH from the flame or in the solid phase, where they shield the polymer by forming a charred layer and thus protect the polymer from being attacked by oxygen and heat. Fl ame retardants based on bromine or chlorine, as well as a number of phosphorus compounds act chemically in the gas phase and are very efficient. Others only act in the condensed phase such as metal hydroxides (aluminum trihydrate, or ATH, magnesium hydroxide, or MDH, and boehmite), metal oxides and salts (zinc borate and zinc oxide, zinc hydroxystannate), as well as expandable graphite and some nanocomposites (see below). Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are also effective in the condensed phase, and as they also may act in the gas phase, they are quite efficient flame retardants. Overviews of the main flame retardants families, their mode of action and applications are given in. Besides providing satisfactory mechanical properties and renewability, natural fibers are easier to obtain and much cheaper than man-made materials. Moreover, they are more environmentally friendly. Recent research focuses on application of different types of fire retardants during the manufacturing proces s as well as applications of fire retardants (especially intumescent coatings) at the finishing stage. A good example for a very efficient phosphorus-based flame retardant system acting in the gas and condensed phases is aluminum diethyl phosphonate in conjunction with synergists such as melamine polyphosphate (MPP) and others. These phosphonates are mainly used to flame retard polyamides (PA) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) for flame retarded applications in electrical engineering/electronics (EE). These are well illustrated by the investigations on glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66 flames retarded with red phosphorus (PA 66-GF/Pr), which demonstrate these charming characteristics Figure 1 shows the thermal and thermo-oxidative decomposition of PA 66-GF/Pr in comparison to PA 66-GF, as well as the performance in cone calorimeter experiments. For both materials, decomposition is characterized by at least three different processes, which strongly overlap for PA 66-GF and are clearly separated for PA 66-GF/Pr. Some decomposition processes are shifted to lower temperatures so that the decomposition region is broadened. There is only a small increase in thermal stability for the final decomposition step. Thermal decomposition changes from a one-step decomposition to a two-step decomposition characteristic. In fire tests, PA 66-GF/Pr is an effective charging material, achieving a clear reduction in THE and HRR in the cone calorimeter, as well as the highest self-extinction classifi cation V-0 in the UL 94, whereas in the case of PA 66-GF all of the polymeric material is consumed so that only the glass fibers remain. Thermo-oxidative decomposition of PA 66 was concluded to occur in cone calorimeter experiments before ignition when a black skin is built up, and during afterglow after flame-out, when a further decrease in mass occurs accompanied by CO production. During the forced-flaming between ignition and flame-out, a stable flame rules out a major influence of oxygen on the decomposition during pyrolysis. The mass loss after flaming combustion and the burning time are used to estimate an average effective pyrolysis temperature. This temperature was estimated by the necessary equivalent isothermal thermos gravimetry with the same mass loss in the burning time. This is a very rough estimation, of course, since the sample in the cone calorimeter, which is characterized by a temperature profile developing over time, is described by a constant temperature independent of place and time. However, since the specimens investigated were rather thin (2.8 mm) and contained inert filler, and because the fire residue was rather homogenous, the values summarized in Table 3 reasonably estimate the effect. The pyrolysis temperature for PA 66-GF is controlled by the decomposition temperature of the polymer and remains more or less constant for all irradiations used. The calculated temperature is higher than-but still close to-the temperature characteristic for the maximum mass loss rate in thermos grav imetry, and the temperature increases slightly with increasing irradiation. The PA 66 is consumed nearly completely by the pyrolysis zone running through the sample. The approximated pyrolysis temperature of PA 66-GF/Pr is characterized by the decomposition temperature of the first decomposition step and thus crucially lower than the temperatures concluded for PA 66-GF. Summary: The development and characterization of self-healing synthetic polymeric materials have been inspired by biological systems in which damage triggers an autonomic healing response. This is an emerging and fascinating area of research that could significantly extend the working life and safety of the polymeric components for a broad range of applications The past decade has witnessed remarkable advances in stimuli-responsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) with potential applications in biomedical devices, aerospace, textiles, civil engineering, bionics engineering, energy, electronic engineering, and household products. Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) have further enhanced and broadened the applications of shape memory polymers. In addition to reinforcement, SMPCs can enable or enhance thermal stimuli-active effects, novel shape memory effect, and new functions. Many thermal stimuli-responsive effects have been achieved such as electroactive effect, magnetic-active effect, water- active effect, and photoactive effect. The typical examples of novel shape memory effects are multiple shape memory effect, spatially controlled shape memory effect, and two-way shape memory effects. In addition, new functions of SMPCs have been observed and systemically studied such as stimuli-memory effect and self-healing. Flame retardancy of polymeric materials is conducted to provide fire protection to flammable consumer goods, as well as to mitigate fire growth in a wide range of fires. Incorporating flame-resistant additives into polymers became a common and relatively cheap way to reduce the flammability of polymers, while synthesizing intrinsically fire-resistant polymers has remained a more expensive alternative, although the properties of these polymers are usually more efficient at deterring combustion References: Fame, Fire and Materials http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com A review of stimuli-responsive shape memory polymer composites http://www.sciencedirect.com Emerging Areas of Materials Science and Nanotechnology http://materialsscience.conferenceseries.com Schartel, Bernhard Phosphorus-based Flame Retardancy Mechanisms-Old Hat or a Starting Point for Future Development Braun, U.; Balabanovich, A.I.; Schartel, B.; Knoll, U.; Artner, J.; Ciesielski, M.; Dà ¶ring, M.; Perez, R.; Sandler, J.K.W.; et al. Influence of the Oxidation State of Phosphorus on the Decomposition and Fire Behaviour of Flame-Retarded Epoxy Resin Composites. Polymer 2006, 47, 8495-8508 Perez, R.; Sandler, J.K.W.; et al. Influence of the Oxidation State of Phosphorus on the Decomposition and Fire Behaviour of Flame-Retarded Epoxy Resin Composites. Polymer 2006, 47, 8495-8508 Zhang, H. Fire-Safe Polymers and Polymer Composites, Federal Aviation Administration technical report; U.S. Department of Transportation: Washington, D.C., 2004. Kumar, D.; Gupta, A. D.; Khullar, M. Heat-resistant thermosetting polymers based on a novel tetrakisaminophenoxycyclotriphosphazene. J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem. 1993, 31 (11), 2739-2745.

Living Healthy Essay -- essays research papers fc

Living Healthy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change† (Phillips xv). No matter how old or over weight you are, you always have the need to be healthy and it is never too late to start living healthy. Your body is the center of your universe. You can go nowhere without it. It’s the temple of your mind and your soul. If your body is sagging, or aging rapidly, other aspects of your life will soon follow. There are too many people who believe that they’re already too overweight, too weak, or too old to get in shape. People think that everybody in the gym is in perfect shape, and that is just not true. Everybody has to start somewhere. (Phillips xiv). When you begin to apply the information in this paper, you will be proving to yourself that outstanding changes are within your grasp. Being healthy is a gateway to a new and better life, a life of rewarding and fulfilling times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thing that everyone needs to do is to learn to control your bad habits. Bad habits wait on us forever, they don’t go away. Bad Habits will always be there looking for an opening. If you’re addicted to food or alcohol or cigarettes, if you have a bad habit of any kind, you need to know that it doesn’t just disappear. If you stop stetting goals for your future, that is when bad habits push their way into your life (Phillips xiii). Exercise is a way to control your bad habits and to help you become healthier in all areas. Runners run and exercisers exercise because so many people have told them it’s good for them physically, emotionally, socially, and even spiritually (Solomon 3). There are approximately 35 million people walking enthusiasts, 20 million cyclists, 5 million weight lifters, 10 million basketball players, and 25 million joggers around us (Glenn 4). You get the impression of how many joggers pound the streets and shoulders of suburban roads by looking around during the early morning and after work hours. In former days, the healthiest form of exercise was thought to be a daily constitutional, a brisk walk that could be accomplished without special gear and certainly without panting (Solomon 2). Now days’ exercising is much harder. Elite professional athletes such as John Elway, Karl Malone, Mike Piazza, and Terell Davis have turned to advisors f... ... evolutionary,† (Wilkenson 15). All of these were developed to help people become healthier because it is so important for everyone to live healthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, it is so important to doctors, scientists, and nutritionist, that people be healthy that they have wrote several books on just how to live healthy. It will benefit you in all ways possible. It will make you feel better both physically and emotionally. Your health depends on your exercise and the good nutrients that you put into your body. I hope that this paper has been able to persuade you to take control and live a healthier life. Just like Bill Phillips says, â€Å"When you gain control of your body, you will gain control of your LIFE!† Works Cited Gilmore, C.P.. Exercising for Fitness. Chicago: Time Life Books, 1981. Glenn, Jim. Exercise and Fitness. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1986 Phillips, Bill. Body for Life. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1999. Solomon, Henrey. The Exercise Myth. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jovanovich, 1984. Wilkinson, Cecilia. Nutrition. Hyattsville, MD: United States Department of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agriculture.

Quest for Identity in The Life of Galileo by Brecht Essay -- The Life

Quest for Identity in The Life of Galileo by Brecht Throughout the course of history, from era to era, mankind has been on a continuous attempt to perpetuate what they perceive as the truth; and in doing so, embark on a quest to find their true identity and place in life. One must realize that the common theme in all literature is the search for identity and belonging. Bertolt Brecht, author of "The Life of Galileo," effectively uses the developing character Galileo Galilei to portray a strong message; a message which five hundred years after the fact has still not been completely comprehended. Through Galileo's continuous battle with the Church in prevailing his work, Brecht is telling the readers that in any one man's attempt to propagate the truth, whether it be in terms of literature, discoveries or new technologies, there is always an opposing power to suppress this new found truth. In doing so, it is through such opposing power against the search for truth which suppress our ability to think. In a sincere attempt to elimina te the common generalization that "Science is the devil", Brecht uses Galileo's external struggles such as those with the church. The writer also uses his personal internal struggles as a basis for developing Galileo's character to inform readers of the common yet false misconception of Science and the truth. In many instances throughout the course of this play, "The Life of Galileo", Brecht is found to use Galileo's struggles with the church and the public as one of the vital backbones of his message. It is quite apparent that Galileo is fighting a battle with the church throughout the play to further spread his findings to enlighten citizens about the scientific truth of the universe beyond ficticious traditional religious values. The church, which served the purpose of the the governments in Italy at that time (around 1600's), consists of the popes and the Italian Renaissance. Drawn from the nobility, the Italian Renaissance are ruthless politicians whose central goal is the expansion of their political power. In an understandable sense, Galileo's new findings and teachings pose a serious and susceptible threat to the government's (church's) scheme of expansion and power. The church fears the lack of strength in the people's belief in religion because the fundamental structure of religion is the people themselves. ... ...t science is not merely a group of 'inventive dwarfs'. Instead, science is a way of life. The book of discourses (dealing with the laws of motion), that was published after Galileo's recantation, represents a way in which Galileo can contemplate for his unethical and immoral acts by generating knowledge to the public. Although Galileo reassures the making of science by making the book of discourses, nothing can ever bring compensation to the harm which he brought on humanity and the way in which he destroyed the meaning of sacrifice. Through Galileo's quest for identity, Brecht is once again sending us a strong message; to think that even a character as strong and sure as Galileo can be altered and changed for the worst, really leaves the readers pondering on one thought; in the journey of prevailing the truth, there will always be an opposing structure that will pose an adversary. One must learn from Galileo's life that sacrifice in the way of progression of a society should be recognized and encouraged; Galileo might have failed to show the meaning of sacrifice, but he taught us to think, take risks and understand the true significance of science.

Influential People Essay

In my life, I have had many various influential people, but I would have to say that my Mother has made the biggest impact of all. Most everything that I am today is a outcome of inspirations and instances I have established from my Mother. She has made so many different opportunities presented to me, without which I do not know where I would be. I find my Mother to be a very inspiring person; the reasons for this are infinite. My Mom has been through multiple hardships over the course of her life and throughout it all she has become an exceptionally strong, loving, and wise person. This fact alone amazes me and when compounded with the fact that my Mother, among it all, still manages to have a quick, clever, and upbeat sense of humor I am left fascinated. The things I have learned and continue to learn from my Mother are endless; she has taught me all of the founding principles of my life and for that I am eternally thankful. Though my Mother and I have many discussions on various subjects, within whom I learn many different things, I believe that many of the things I learn from her are discovered and observed from example. This summer would be an instance. Together, we faced many hardships that really pulled and tugged on our relationship. We worked through possibly one of the hardest things a mother could ever go through. It not only brought us closer together, but it made me realize how much she loves me, and how she is always going to be there for me. It is common knowledge that not everyone is perfect, even heroes, and in realizing this I know that I although I wish to be like my Mother in most ways I do not in all. This realization may be one of the most important things I have learned, my Mother has taught me to base my decisions in life not solely on the examples and actions of others but simply on what I gather and learn from the examples and actions of others. In other words, she has taught me not to follow blindly but to make my own decisions based on what I think is important. My relationship with my Mother is something that I treasure above everything else in my life. We are able to play and joke like young children and have serious in depth conversations on some of life hardest subject like mature adults. The various levels that my Mother can reach me on astound me and I think that it is what makes our relationship truly special and what makes her such a wonderful influence.