Radioactive Wastes Essays - Hazardous Waste, Radioactivity

Radioactive wastes Radioactive wastes, must for the protection of mankind be stored or disposed in such a manner that isolation from the biosphere is assured until they have decayed to innocuous levels. If this is not done, the world could face severe physical problems to living species living on this planet. Some atoms can disintegrate spontaneously. As they do, they emit ionizing radiation. Atoms having this property are called radioactive. By far the greatest number of uses for radioactivity in Canada relate not to the fission, but to the decay of radioactive materials - radioisotopes. These are unstable atoms that emit energy for a period of time that varies with the isotope. During this active period, while the atoms are 'decaying' to a stable state their energies can be used according to the kind of energy they emit. Since the mid 1900's radioactive wastes have been stored in different manners, but since several years new ways of disposing and storing these wastes have been developed so they may no longer be harmful. A very advantageous way of storing radioactive wastes is by a process called 'vitrification'. Vitrification is a semi-continuous process that enables the following operations to be carried out with the same equipment: evaporation of the waste solution mixed with the 1) borosilicate: any of several salts derived from both boric acid and silicic acid and found in certain minerals such as tourmaline. additives necesary for the production of borosilicate glass, calcination and elaboration of the glass. These operations are carried out in a metallic pot that is heated in an induction furnace. The vitrification of one load of wastes comprises of the following stages. The first step is 'Feeding'. In this step the vitrification receives a constant flow of mixture of wastes and of additives until it is 80% full of calcine. The feeding rate and heating power are adjusted so that an aqueous phase of several litres is permanently maintained at the surface of the pot. The second step is the 'Calcination and glass evaporation'. In this step when the pot is practically full of calcine, the temperature is progressively increased up to 1100 to 1500 C and then is maintained for several hours so to allow the glass to elaborate. The third step is 'Glass casting'. The glass is cast in a special container. The heating of the output of the vitrification pot causes the glass plug to melt, thus allowing the glass to flow into containers which are then transferred into the storage. Although part of the waste is transformed into a solid product there is still treatment of gaseous and liquid wastes. The gases that escape from the pot during feeding and calcination are collected and sent to ruthenium filters, condensers and scrubbing columns. The ruthenium filters consist of a bed of ------------------------------------------------------------ 2) condensacate: product of condensation. glass pellets coated with ferrous oxide and maintained at a temperature of 500 C. In the treatment of liquid wastes, the condensates collected contain about 15% ruthenium. This is then concentrated in an evaporator where nitric acid is destroyed by formaldehyde so as to maintain low acidity. The concentration is then neutralized and enters the vitrification pot. Once the vitrification process is finished, the containers are stored in a storage pit. This pit has been designed so that the number of containers that may be stored is equivalent to nine years of production. Powerful ventilators provide air circulation to cool down glass. The glass produced has the advantage of being stored as solid rather than liquid. The advantages of the solids are that they have almost complete insolubility, chemical inertias, absence of volatile products and good radiation resistance. The ruthenium that escapes is absorbed by a filter. The amount of ruthenium likely to be released into the environment is minimal. Another method that is being used today to get rid of radioactive waste is the 'placement and self processing radioactive wastes in deep underground cavities'. This is the disposing of toxic wastes by incorporating them into molten silicate rock, with low permeability. By this method, liquid wastes are injected into a deep underground cavity with mineral treatment and allowed to self-boil. The resulting steam is processed at ground level and recycled in a closed system. When waste addition is terminated, the chimney is allowed to boil dry. The heat generated by the radioactive wastes then melts the surrounding rock, thus dissolving the wastes. When waste and water addition stop, the cavity temperature would rise to the melting point of the rock. As the molten rock mass increases in size, so does the surface area. This results in a higher rate of conductive heat loss to the surrounding rock. Concurrently the heat

brew of life essays

brew of life essays Anthony Burgess, Selective Individualist It is often said that life is full of choices and the choices you make is what makes you yourself. Society, however, has since the dawn of time tried to control the thoughts of individuals by forcing ideas upon them that destroys the person on a mental and emotional level while crushing their physical well-being. With the thoughts of a perfect world, people often forget that when you force a society to conform to standards you also kill the society's existence in the process, making it more machine that human. It takes a strong and educated person to realize these mistakes made by society and try to show others why it's wrong to try force conformity. Anthony Burgess' belief that "a man who cannot choose ceases to be a man" is exemplified in most of his works, but most notably in A Clockwork Orange in which a so-called good society tries to change the psyche of a troubled Born John Anthony Burgess Wilson, Anthony Burgess is a man of great stature and respect. "A big man of sturby, ramshackle appearance, with a blunt disarming manner and awesome energy (Clemons 56)." He loved life and expressed it in his works of literature. Born in Manchester, England during the influenza epidemic, during which his mother and sister passed away soon after his birth, Burgess' was ignored by his father who he received little to no attention from. This, however, allowed him to create the thoughts and ideas which he preaches. He was a man of little religious belief because he questioned why man was put on earth. Burgess believed that people should live life in the present not for the future, which labeled him an anarchist by the church of England. He didn't mind the accusations though, he was content with the life he led. (Clemons 56) Anthony Burgess was a frail child, secluded from the world. At the age of four he used his time to try and discover a ta...

How to write to your clients - The Lawyer - Emphasis

How to write to your clients - The Lawyer How to write to your clients The Lawyer Lawyers are not renowned for their punchy prose. But clients do not have time to be baffled by confusing terminology and verbosity; nor do they appreciate poorly structured arguments and overtechnical explanations. What they want is clear and succinct advice. Whether you are writing a legal agreement or an email, here are some general tips that will help you to improve your writing skills: Focus on your reader. Think about who will read it and what information they want. Consider whether they want back-up detail as well as upfront recommendations. Think about how much they already know about the subject, what their likely attitude to the advice will be and if there are any specific issues concerning them. When writing for colleagues, make your instructions clear. Avoid producing group emails that are a mind dump of all the action points. This guarantees that something does not get done because everyone hopes someone else is doing it. Spell out who needs to do what. Never use the writing process to clarify your thoughts. Have a clear idea of what to write beforehand, otherwise you risk having no logical structure. Consider the main subject areas and issues you need to cover. Make sure they answer the questions: what, where, when, how, why and who. Then use each heading to brainstorm all the points related to that subject. Next, think about the structure and decide what goes where and in what format. Only information that is essential to all readers should go in the main body of the text. Be ruthless and relegate any information that is important or of interest to appendices or footnotes. And make sure your main message is at the forefront, not buried beneath layers of detail and supporting evidence. Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Long paragraphs and heavy blocks of text are a real turn-off. So are long, complex sentences that have to be read more than once to understand. Steer clear of long words and flowery phrases. Contrary to popular belief, these are not a sign of intellect or professionalism. Clients are far too busy to spend time deciphering them. Use active language wherever possible. Active verbs make your writing easier to read. So write, X investigated the clients role in the project, rather than, The role played by the client in the project was investigated by X. Favour verbs over nouns. Use verbs such as consider and provide rather than structures such as give consideration to and the provision of. Avoid poor grammar, punctuation and spelling this will undermine your credibility and suggest you do not care. Robert Ashton, Chief Executive, Emphasis

Ethical and legal debate and implications of stem cell research Essay

Ethical and legal debate and implications of stem cell research - Essay Example certain that various solutions in terms of knowledge, skills, and awareness of long standing diseases will be found, as research done by Sandel (2004) reveals. Goals of stem cell research are highly acceptable in the biomedical field since it is very prolific and realistic using scientific based knowledge to enhance the medical field. The International Society for Stem cell Research (ISSCR) accepts and cultures ideas and proposals from stem cell scientists in an attempt to promote scientific research, knowledge development, and further education in this broad field. Besides encouraging use of accurate and precise use of stem cell research terminologies, the ISSCR actively takes part in educating researchers and the general population in appropriate usage of terms and meanings to avoid conflicting use of certain terms (Sugarman 2008). It also evaluates the importance of conducting stem cell research for a specific reason in the medical field. In an effort to streamline, the optimistic practice there must be several ethical and legal considerations otherwise the whole practice can be detrimental and demeaning to human life and rights (Doerflinger 2010). Ethics remains in connection to scientific and therapeutic importance as well as integrity while laws are concerned with patient’s accessibility to the services and safety; it is more of governmental responsibility to enact laws. Stem cell research has limited practice in most countries in the world with a few exceptions that meet the requirements and standards of undertaking the research. In United Kingdom for instance, stem cell research is crucial and the practice governing is via various legislations and ethical considerations. It has an elaborate and well-build regulatory scheme for stem cell research (Daley et al. 2007). Several reasons justify stem cell research in the UK, the Human Fertilization, and Embryology Act formed in 1990 and the recently formed Human Fertilization and Embryology

Research critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research critique - Essay Example Likewise, the paper did not explicitly state the problem, but with clear defined focus and a well argued urgency and necessity for the study, apparently, the problem centers on the effectiveness of mutual goal setting (MGS) and supportive-educative (SE) nursing interventions in improving the mental health (MH) and quality of life (QOL) of individuals with heart failure (HF) – a very relevant study specifically for nursing, since among health workers, nurses are tasked to monitor health conditions of patients. With the study addressing a clinical problem that is experimental in nature, quantitative approach has been appropriate. The stated hypotheses: â€Å"That by (1) educating HF patients about their disease and supporting them in self-care management behaviors and (2) enhancing their sense of control through MGS, they will experience significant improvements in their MH and QOL† (Scott, Setter-Kline, & Britton, 2004, p. 249) have clearly specified the key variables an d the study population as consistently illustrated in the conceptual framework and as supported by a brief yet cohesive review of literature both in theories and related studies. Observably, the literature review, which references are good combination of old(1990-1998) and current (1999-2004) books (3-1), journals (4-7), and government materials (3-1), although brief has provided sufficient theoretical: â€Å"†¦ worry, depression, and loss of control may contribute to feelings of powerlessness among individuals receiving treatment for advance HF† (Scott, 2000, cited in Ibid, p. 249), and practical: â€Å"the use of SE nursing intervention improved self-care behaviors and decreased symptom frequency and distress, yet only limited improvements in QOL were identified† (Jaarsma et al., 2000, cited in Ibid), support to the study. However, studies cited here were not critiqued maybe due to the

Importance of television in our life Essay Example for Free

Importance of television in our life Essay Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, as initially produced, consists of suitable polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds plus water. Forms of polyisoprene that are useful as natural rubbers are classified aselastomers. Currently, rubber is harvested mainly in the form of the latex from certain trees. The latex is a sticky, milky colloid drawn off by making incisions into the bark and collecting the fluid in vessels in a process called tapping. The latex then is refined into rubber ready for commercial processing. Natural rubber is used extensively in many applications and products, either alone or in combination with other materials. In most of its useful forms, it has a large stretch ratio, high resilience, and is extremely waterproof.[1] Varieties[edit] The major commercial source of natural rubber latex is the Parà ¡ rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), a member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. This species is widely used because it grows well under cultivation and a properly managed tree responds to wounding by producing more latex for several years. Many other plants produce forms of latex rich in isoprene polymers, though not all produce usable forms of polymer as easily as the Parà ¡ rubber tree does; some of them require more elaborate processing to produce anything like usable rubber, and most are more difficult to tap. Some produce other desirable materials, for example gutta-percha (Palaquium gutta)[2] and chicle from Manilkara species. Others that have been commercially exploited, or at least have shown promise as sources of rubber, include the rubber fig (Ficus elastica), Panama rubber tree (Castilla elastica), various spurges (Euphorbia spp.), lettuce (Lactuca species), the related Scorzonera tau-saghyz, various Taraxacum species, including common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz), and guayule (Parthenium argentatum). The term gum rubber is sometimes applied to the tree-obtained version of natural rubber in order to distinguish it from the synthetic version.[1] Discovery of commercial potential[edit] The Para rubber tree is indigenous to South America. Charles Marie de La Condamine is credited with introducing samples of rubber to the Acadà ©mie Royale des Sciences of France in 1736.[3] In 1751, he presented a paper by Franà §ois Fresneau to the Acadà ©mie (eventually published in 1755) which described many of the properties of rubber. This has been referred to as the first scientific paper on rubber.[3] In England, Joseph Priestley, in 1770, observed that a piece of the material was extremely good for rubbing off pencil marks on paper, hence the name rubber. Later, it slowly made its way around England. South America remained the main source of the limited amounts of latex rubber used during much of the 19th century. In 1876, Henry Wickham gathered thousands of Para rubber tree seeds from Brazil, and these were germinated in Kew Gardens, England. The seedlings were then sent to India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Indonesia, Singapore, and British Malaya. Malaya (now Malaysia) was later to become the biggest producer of rubber. In the early 1900s, the Congo Free State in Africa was also a significant source of natural rubber latex, mostly gathered by forced labor. Liberia and Nigeria also started production of rubber. In India, commercial cultivation of natural rubber was introduced by the British planters, although the experimental efforts to grow rubber on a commercial scale in India were initiated as early as 1873 at the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. The first commercial Hevea plantations in India were established at Thattekadu in Kerala in 1902. In Singapore and Malaya, commercial production of rubber was heavily promoted by Sir Henry Nicholas Ridley, who served as the first Scientific Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens from 1888 to 1911. He distributed rubber seeds to many planters and developed the first technique for tapping trees for latex without causing serious harm to the tree.[4]Because of his very fervent promotion of this crop, he is popularly remembered by the nickname Mad Ridley.[5] Properties[edit] Rubber latex Rubber exhibits unique physical and chemical properties. Rubbers stress-strain behavior exhibits the Mullins effect and the Payne effect, and is often modeled as hyperelastic. Rubber strain crystallizes. Owing to the presence of a double bond in each repeat unit, natural rubber is susceptible to vulcanisation and sensitive to ozone cracking. The two main solvents for rubber are turpentine and naphtha (petroleum). The former has been in use since 1764 when Franà §ois Fresnau made the discovery. Giovanni Fabbroni is credited with the discovery of naphtha as a rubber solvent in 1779. Because rubber does not dissolve easily, the material is finely divided by shredding prior to its immersion. An ammonia solution can be used to prevent the coagulation of raw latex while it is being transported from its collection site. Elasticity[edit] In most elastic materials, such as metals used in springs, the elastic behavior is caused by bond distortions. When force is applied, bond lengths deviate from the (minimum energy) equilibrium and strain energy is stored electrostatically. Rubber is often assumed to behave in the same way, but this is a poor description. Rubber is a curious material because, unlike in metals, strain energy is stored thermally. In its relaxed state, rubber consists of long, coiled-up chains. When rubber is stretched, the chains are taut. Their kinetic energy is released as heat. The entropy and temperature increases during elongation but decreases during relaxation. This change in entropy is related to the changes in degrees of freedom. Relaxation of a stretched rubber band is thus driven by a decrease in entropy and temperature, and the force experienced is a result of the cooling of the material being converted to potential energy. Rubber relaxation isendothermic, and for this reason the force exerted by a stretched piece of rubber increases with temperature. The material undergoes adiabatic cooling during contraction. This property of rubber can easily be verified by holding a stretched rubber band to ones lips and relaxing it. Stretching of a rubber band is in some ways opposite to compression(although both undergo higher levels of thermal energy of an ideal gas), and relaxation is opposed to gas expansion (Note: rubber bands last longer in the cold). A compressed and heated gas also exhibits elastic properties, for instance inside an inflated car tire. The fact that stretching is equivalent to compression is counterintuitive, but it makes sense if rubber is viewed as a one-dimensional gas, plus it is attached to other molecules. Stretching and heat increase the space available to each section of chain, because the molecules are pulled apart. Vulcanization of rubber creates disulfide bonds between chains, so it limits the degrees of freedom. The result is that the chains tighten more quickly for a given strain, thereby increasing the elastic force constant and making rubber harder and less extensible. When cooled below the glass transition temperature, the quasifluid chain segments freeze into fixed geometries and the rubber abruptly loses its elastic properties, although the process is reversible. This property it shared by most elastomers. At very low temperatures, rubber is rather brittle. This critical temperature is the reason winter tires use a softer version of rubber than normal tires. The failing rubber o-ring seals that contributed to the cause of the Challenger disaster were thought to have cooled below their critical temperature; the disaster happened on an unusually cold day. The gas molecules in the rubber were too close to their bound solid molecules(a partial phase change that separated the rubber molecules may have occurred), allowing the rubber to take on a more solid shape(a partial phase change to a more liquid and molecularly separated form would not be good, either). Heated gas has a higher energy, and rubber must be kept at specific temperatures and probably should not be used on vehicles that undergo extreme temperature changes. Chemical makeup[edit] Latex is the polymer cis-1,4-polyisoprene – with a molecular weight of 100,000 to 1,000,000 daltons. Typically, a small percentage (up to 5% of dry mass) of other materials, such as proteins, fatty acids, resins, and inorganic materials (salts) are found in natural rubber. Polyisoprene can also be created synthetically, producing what is sometimes referred to as synthetic natural rubber, but the synthetic and natural routes are completely different.[1] Chemical structure of cis-polyisoprene, the main constituent of natural rubber: Synthetic cis-polyisoprene and natural cis-polyisoprene are derived from different precursors. Some natural rubber sources, such as gutta-percha, are composed of trans-1,4-polyisoprene, a structural isomer that has similar, but not identical, properties. Natural rubber is an elastomer and a thermoplastic. Once the rubber is vulcanized, it will turn into a thermoset. Most rubber in everyday use is vulcanized to a point where it shares properties of both; i.e., if it is heated and cooled, it is degraded but not destroyed. The final properties of a rubber item depend not just on the polymer, but also on modifiers and fillers, such as carbon black, factice, whiting, and a host of others. Biosynthesis[edit] Rubber particles are formed in the cytoplasm of specialized latex-producing cells called laticifers within rubber plants.[6] Rubber particles are surrounded by a single phospholipid membrane with hydrophobic tails pointed inward. The membrane allows biosynthetic proteins to be sequestered at the surface of the growing rubber particle, which allows new monomeric units to be added from outside the biomembrane, but within the lacticifer. The rubber particle is an enzymatically active entity that contains three layers of material, the rubber particle, a biomembrane, and free monomeric units. The biomembrane is held tightly to the rubber core due to the high negative charge along the double bonds of the rubber polymer backbone.[7] Free monomeric units and conjugated proteins make up the outer layer. The rubber precursor is isopentenyl pyrophosphate (an allylic compound), which elongates by Mg2+-dependent condensation by the action of rubber transferase. The monomer adds to the pyrophosphate end of the growing polymer.[8] The process displaces the terminal high-energy pyrophosphate. The reaction produces a cis polymer. The initiation step is catalyzed by prenyltransferase, which converts three monomers of isopentenyl pyrophosphate into farnesyl pyrophosphate.[9] The farnesyl pyrophosphate can bind to rubber transferase to elongate a new rubber polymer. The required isopentenyl pyrophosphate is obtained from the mevalonate pathway, which is derives from acetyl-CoA in the cytosol. In plants, isoprene pyrophosphate can also be obtained from 1-deox-D-xyulose-5-phosphate/2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway within plasmids.[10] The relative ratio of the farnesyl pyrophosphate initiator unit and isoprenyl pyrophosphate elongation monomer determines the rate of new particle synthesis versus elongation of existing particles. Though rubber is known to be produced by only one enzyme, extracts of latex have shown numerous small molecular weight proteins with unknown function. The proteins possibly serve as cofactors, as the synthetic rate decreases with complete removal.[11] Current sources[edit] Close to 21 million tons of rubber were produced in 2005, of which approximately 42% was natural. Since the bulk of the rubber produced is of the synthetic variety, which is derived from petroleum, the price of natural rubber is determined, to a large extent, by the prevailing global price of crude oil.[12][13] Today, Asia is the main source of natural rubber, accounting for about 94% of output in 2005. The three largest producing countries, Thailand, Indonesia (2.4m tons)[14] and Malaysia, together account for around 72% of all natural rubber production. Natural rubber is not cultivated widely in its native continent of South America due to the existence of South American leaf blight, and other natural predators of the rubber tree. Cultivation[edit] Rubber is generally cultivated in large plantations. See the coconut shell used in collecting latex, in plantations in Kerala, India Rubber latex is extracted from rubber trees. The economic life period of rubber trees in plantations is around 32 years – up to 7 years of immature phase and about 25 years of productive phase. The soil requirement of the plant is generally well-drained, weathered soil consisting of laterite, lateritic types, sedimentary types, nonlateritic red, or alluvial soils. The climatic conditions for optimum growth of rubber trees are: Rainfall of around 250 cm evenly distributed without any marked dry season and with at least 100 rainy days per year Temperature range of about 20 to 34 °C, with a monthly mean of 25 to 28 °C High atmospheric humidity of around 80% Bright sunshine amounting to about 2000 hours per year at the rate of six hours per day throughout the year Absence of strong winds Many high-yielding clones have been developed for commercial planting. These clones yield more than 2,000 kg of dry rubber per hectare per year, when grown under ideal conditions. Field coagula[edit] Mixed field coagula Smallholders lump at a remilling factory There are four types of field coagula, cuplump, treelace, smallholders’ lump and earth scrap. Each has significantly different properties.[15] Cuplump is the coagulated material found in the collection cup when the tapper next visits the tree to tap it again. It arises from latex clinging to the walls of the cup after the latex was last poured into the bucket, and from late-dripping latex exuded before the latex-carrying vessels of the tree become blocked. It is of higher purity and of greater value than the other three types. Treelace is the coagulum strip that the tapper peels off the previous cut before making a new cut. It usually has higher copper and manganese contents than cuplump. Both copper and manganese are pro-oxidants and can lower the physical properties of the dry rubber. Smallholders’ lump is produced by smallholders who collect rubber from trees a long way away from the nearest factory. Many Indonesian smallholders, who grow paddy in remote areas, tap dispersed trees on their way to work in the paddy fields and collect the latex (or the coagulated latex) on their way home. As it is often impossible to preserve the latex sufficiently to get it to a factory that processes latex in time for it to be used to make high quality products, and as the latex would anyway have coagulated by the time it reached the factory, the smallholder will coagulate it by any means available, in any container available. Some smallholders use small containers, buckets etc., but often the latex is coagulated in holes in the ground, which are usually (but not always) lined with plastic. Acidic materials and fermented fruit juices are used to coagulate the latex – a form of assisted biological coagulation. Little care is taken to exclude twigs, leaves, and even bark from the lumps that are formed, which may also include treelace collected by the smallholder. Earth scrap is the material that gathers around the base of the tree. It arises from latex overflowing from the cut and running down the bark of the tree, from rain flooding a collection cup containing latex, and from spillage from tappers’ buckets during collection. It contains soil and other contaminants, and has variable rubber content depending on the amount of contaminants mixed with it. Earth scrap is collected by the field workers two or three times a year and may be cleaned in a scrap-washer to recover the rubber, or sold off to a contractor who will clean it and recover the rubber. It is of very low quality and under no circumstances should it be included in block rubber or brown crepe. Processing[edit] Removing coagulum from coagulating troughs The latex will coagulate in the cups if kept for long. The latex has to be collected before coagulation. The collected latex, field latex, is transferred into coagulation tanks for the preparation of dry rubber or transferred into air-tight containers with sieving for ammoniation. Ammoniation is necessary to preserve the latex in colloidal state for long. Latex is generally processed into either latex concentrate for manufacture of dipped goods or it can be coagulated under controlled, clean conditions using formic acid. The coagulated latex can then be processed into the higher-grade, technically specified block rubbers such as SVR 3L or SVR CV or used to produce Ribbed Smoke Sheet grades. Naturally coagulated rubber (cup lump) is used in the manufacture of TSR10 and TSR20 grade rubbers. The processing of the rubber for these grades is a size reduction and cleaning process to remove contamination and prepare the material for the final stage of drying.[16] The dried material is then baled and palletized for storage and shipment in various methods of transportation. Transportation[edit] Natural rubber latex is shipped from factories in south-west Asia, South America, and North Africa to destinations around the world. As the cost of natural rubber has risen significantly, the shipping methods which offer the lowest cost per unit of weight are preferred. Depending on the destination, warehouse availability, and transportation conditions, some methods are more suitable to certain buyers than others. In international trade, latex rubber is mostly shipped in 20-foot ocean containers. Inside the ocean container, various types of smaller containers are used by factories to store latex rubber.[17] Uses[edit] Compression molded (cured)rubber boots before the flashesare removed Contemporary manufacturing[edit] Around 25 million tonnes of rubber is produced each year, of which 42 percent is natural rubber. The remainder is synthetic rubber derived from petrochemical sources. Around 70 percent of the worlds natural rubber is used in tires. The top end of latex production results in latex products such as surgeons gloves, condoms, balloons and other relatively high-value products. The mid-range which comes from the technically-specified natural rubber materials ends up largely in tires but also in conveyor belts, marine products and miscellaneous rubber goods. Natural rubber offers good elasticity, while synthetic materials tend to offer better resistance to environmental factors such as oils, temperature, chemicals or ultraviolet light and suchlike. Cured rubber is rubber which has been compounded and subjected to the vulcanisation process which creates cross-links within the rubber matrix. Prehistoric uses[edit] The first use of rubber was by the Olmecs, who centuries later passed on the knowledge of natural latex from the Hevea tree in 1600 BC to the ancient Mayans. They boiled the harvested latex to make a ball for a Mesoamerican ballgame.[18] Pre-World War II manufacturing[edit] Other significant uses of rubber are door and window profiles, hoses, belts, gaskets, matting, flooring, and dampeners (antivibration mounts) for the automotive industry. Gloves (medical, household and industrial) and toy balloons are also large consumers of rubber, although the type of rubber used is concentrated latex. Significant tonnage of rubber is used as adhesives in many manufacturing industries and products, although the two most noticeable are thepaper and the carpet industries. Rubber is also commonly used to make rubber bands and pencil erasers. Pre-World War II textile applications[edit] Rubber produced as a fiber, sometimes called elastic, has significant value for use in the textile industry because of its excellent elongation and recovery properties. For these purposes, manufactured rubber fiber is made as either an extruded round fiber or rectangular fibers that are cut into strips from extruded film. Because of its low dye acceptance, feel and appearance, the rubber fiber is either covered by yarn of another fiber or directly woven with other yarns into the fabric. In the early 1900s, for example, rubber yarns were used in foundation garments. While rubber is still used in textile manufacturing, its low tenacity limits its use in lightweight garments because latex lacks resistance to oxidizing agents and is damaged by aging, sunlight, oil, and perspiration. Seeking a way to address these shortcomings, the textile industry has turned to neoprene (polymer of chloroprene), a type of synthetic rubber, as well as another more commonly used elastomer fiber, spandex (also known as elastane), because of their superiority to rubber in both strength and durability. Vulcanization[edit] Main article: Vulcanization Natural rubber is often vulcanized, a process by which the rubber is heated and sulfur, peroxide or bisphenol are added to improve resistance and elasticity, and to prevent it from perishing. The development of vulcanization is most closely associated with Charles Goodyear in 1839.[19] Before World War II era manufacturing, carbon black was often used as an additive to rubber to improve its strength, especially in vehicle tires. Today, all vehicle tires are made of synthetic rubbers. Allergic reactions[edit] Main article: Latex allergy Some people have a serious latex allergy, and exposure to natural latex rubber products such as latex gloves can cause anaphylactic shock. The antigenic proteins found in Hevealatex may be deliberately reduced (though not eliminated)[20] through processing. Latex from non-Hevea sources, such as Guayule, can be used without allergic reaction by persons with an allergy to Hevea latex.[21] Some allergic reactions are not to the latex itself, but from residues of chemicals used to accelerate the cross-linking process. Although this may be confused with an allergy to latex, it is distinct from it, typically taking the form of Type IV hypersensitivity in the presence of traces of specific processing chemicals.[20][22]

How to join a site :: essays research papers

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link between strategies Essay

The Business is shaping to be highly unpredictable, challenging and innovative by the passing day. Organizations face complex environment for which they need to formulate complex and full proof strategies to ensure competitive advantage, profit maximization and cost minimization, for which they need to adapt strategic approaches, theories and models. However, the role of theory is not always significant in scrutinizing the human resource(HR) strategy and the strategic plans. However, depending on the organizational strategy, HR strategies can be matched. This critique thoroughly discusses the linkages between Business strategies and the Human Resource Management (HRM) and their relevance in the dynamic environment. Strategic management is defined as the set of managerial decisions and actions that determine the long run performance of a corporation.(Hills and Jones,2001) Moreover, strategy is an action a company takes to attain superior performance.(Wheelan and Hunger, 1995) Strategic human resource management is ‘the process of linking HR practices to business strategy’(Ulrich,1997) To maintain the hierarchy in the market, organizations need to constantly formulate strategies to meet the customer requirements. There are various theories that have been formulated for firms to manage complex and problematic environment. These theories are broken down into two models; internal model which includes the Resource Based View ( RBV) and external based model formulated by Whittington (2001); which include Classical, Evolutionary, Processual and Systemic approaches. Due to the increasing value and appreciation of individuals as one of the major competitive advantage for organizations, there have been strong efforts to develop HRM. Beer et al suggest that ‘An organization’s HRM policies and practices must fit with its strategy in its competitive environment and with the immediate business conditions that it faces’ (Beer et al., 1984, p. 25). This is accomplished by applying different strategies which include two main models namely; ‘Best practice’ or Universalism’ and Best Fit’ or contingency’ or Matching model’. Strategic integration is used as one of the means to explore possible links between different approaches to strategy and HRM. So far, it has been recognized as a two-way process,  where HRM informs the nature of organizational strategy as well as being informed by it; that is full integration. Alternatively, it may be a one- way process where organizational strategy informs H RM without being informed by it in any intended or planned way; that is partial integration .(Millmore et al, 2007) Classical approach follows clear, rational, deliberate, linear, logical, and top-down approach to formulating strategy. (Millmore et. al, 2007) According to Sloan(1963), The long term aim of the approach is clearly profit maximization. For this approach, classicists choose best fit strategy and create a match between organization’s internal resources and the opportunities available in the external environment to achieve competitive advantage; its main goal. However, since the approach is subjective, the process of strategy development is affected by political, cultural and capability factors which need a complex model that clearly suggest the relationship between strategy making and HRM to represent such linkages in reality. (Millmore et. al, 2007) Looking at evolutionary approach, markets are highly unpredictable and hence the role of this strategy is to respond to the environment for survival and profit. To state an example, Sony released over 100 different versions of portable cassette player in 1980s and allowed the market to decide which would survive and removed the rest as a result of market failure.( Richard Whittington, 2007) Such conditions lead to strategic conservatism, where organizational efforts are focused on the basics of production, to minimize costs, sought operating efficiency, impose tight control and performance monitoring. Therefore, this strategy stresses on environmental determinism due to which, matching model is deemed to be most appropriate for such organizations. It is believed that this approach can be seen as strategically integrated only in relation to the strategic imperative to control costs. SHRM requires a wider remit where emphasis is placed on developing and integrating the ‘human’ side as opposed to the ‘resource utilisation’ aspect.( Storey, 1989) Processual approach emphasizes strategy making as an adaptive and emergent  process driven by organizational learning . It is believed that decision- makers lack the ability to act with pure reason and only a few factors affecting a decision can be dealt with, this limitation of human cognition is known as bounded rationality. ( Simon, 1991) The actual scenario of the market is unpredictable and hence managers develop imperfect representations of complicated world which helps strategists to trouble shoot problems and aim on sufficient profit rather than maximizing profit. Mintzberg(1979) believes that the development of emergent strategies in organizations is based on learning. This needs to be recognized and supported through HR strategies. Systemic approach recognizes that strategy and strategy making will be affected by the social and cultural system within which this occurs. To state an example, multinational organizations need to be aware of the cultural system in the host country to formulate achievable organizational strategies. This suggests that HR strategy and its integration into organizational strategy will vary, underpinned by societal values. Another example mentioned by Whittington, tells us about the series of conglomerates developed in South Korea which characterized small and family owned businesses nearby Taiwan. This suggests that HR strategy need to be conceived and integrated into Organizational strategy to avoid non conceptualization of HRM. Resource- based view is popularly associated with the work of Prahalad and Hamel( 1994). They argue that competitive advantage stems, from building ‘core competencies’ which are superior to those of rivals, over a long run. In a nutshell, they assert that it is a firms’ ability to learn faster and apply its learning more effectively than its rivals, which gives it competitive advantage. Different types of link have been identified between RBV and HRM. To start with, Resource Based Theory (RBT) sees resources and capabilities as the principal source of competitive advantage, which gives HR a central position to realize this. According to RBT, capabilities need to be built or developed rather than being bought.( Teece et al.1997) Therefore the management seeks to improve the utilization of an existing capabilities , particularly in a situation of rapid change. Another link  between HRM and RBT is related to the potential contribution of human resource policies or strategies.HR strategies are important in developing an organisation’s capabilities.HR practices related to recruitment and selection, managing performance, training and development and reward can be designed to attract, develop and retain high quality employees. Hence, it can be concluded that the linkages completely depend on the organization size, social and culture and the dynamic environment. It is seen that the resources need to strategically formulated to enhance organizational capabilities and competitive advantage of the firm. Indeed there are no clear linkages but the performance and effects are visible if not accomplished. REFERENCES Beer M, Sector B, Lawrence, P, Quinn M.D., Walton R, (1984), â€Å"Managing Human Assets†, New York: The free press Hamel, G., & C. K. Prahalad (1994), â€Å"Competing for the Future†, Boston, MA: Harvard,Business School Press. Hill, C, Jones, G. (2001), â€Å"Strategic Management: An integrated Approach† (5th ed), Boston, M.A.: Houghton Mifflin. Mintzberg, H. (1979). The Structuring of Organizations: A Synthesis of Research. Prentice Hall, Englewood. Mortimer, D & Ingersoll, L 2009, Human Resource and Industrial Relations Strategy, Pearson Australia. Simon, H, A,1991, â€Å"Bounded rationality and Organizational Learning† Organization Science, Vol 2, Iss 1,March 1991, pp 125-134. Last viewed on 24th August 2013. Sloan,A.(1963),†My Years with General Motors.†London,Sedgewick and Jackson. Storey, J (1989) â€Å"From personnel management to human resource management† ed Storey J. New perspective on human resource management, London : Routledge. Teece, D., G. Pisano, and A. Shuen (1997). â€Å"Dynamic capabilities and strategic management‟, Strategic Management Journal, 18, pp. 509-533. Ulrich, D. (1997), â€Å"Human Resource Champions : The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results†, Boston: Harvard Business School Press Wheelan, T. L., Hunger, J.D. (1995),† Strategic Management and Business policy,† 5th ed, Reading : Addison – Wesley Longman. Whittington, R (2007) , â€Å"Theories of Strategy’, Strategy for business: a reader,† The Open University, Sage  Publications, in Mazzucato, M 2002.

Different type of games

Goldfish, padres, tuna, and speed are only but a mere portion of the hundreds of games that can be played with Just an ordinary deck of cards. Board games come in second place of popularity with the typical family home. Monopoly, chess, checkers, Clue, and newer games like 404: Law not found, and Smà ¶rgà ¥sbord are only but a few of the board games sizzling in the market. What family do you know that does not have a monopoly sitting around the house somewhere? From being placed In a drawer or neatly hidden Inside of a closet. Smà ¶rgà ¥sbord is a board game for friends, family and for the people who likes food.Players take on the role of aspiring chefs as they work their way around the board In search of fortunate success. The object of the game Is to be the first team of chefs to graduate from Rick's Culinary Academy! The losers†¦ Do the dishes! Board games proves their popularity and shows that this style of home entertainment will not go out without a fight. Outdoor game s comes In third place among the popular home games over the years. Basketball, softball, kickball, and touch football are played In almost every large backyard or vacant lot.Not only do outdoor games appeal to family bonding, but they also appeal to those who care about physical well-being. Staying physically fit while having fun sounds Like a great combination right? This category of games Is placed third for a reason. Outdoor games are currently at war with the present day technology, but will not give up so willingly. All three categories promote nothing but healthy competition among family members and friends. They provide a natural release of frustration, and also teaches the understanding of sportsmanship.Older players are reminded that how the game Is played Is the most Important thing to consider. While younger players learn to win and lose without the temper tantrums. Games played at home has remained popular for many years, and penthouse our technology gradually Increase, It will continue to remain popular for a long time to come. Different type of games By Commissaries somewhere? From being placed in a drawer or neatly hidden inside of a closet. Players take on the role of aspiring chefs as they work their way around the board in search of fortunate success.The object of the game is to be the first team of chefs to Outdoor games comes in third place among the popular home games over the years. Basketball, softball, kickball, and touch football are played in almost every large while having fun sounds like a great combination right? This category of games is All three categories promote nothing but healthy competition among family is played is the most important thing to consider. While younger players learn to win for many years, and penthouse our technology gradually increase, it will continue to

The Best Man essays

The Best Man essays The dialogue in the movie The Best Man was a significant aspect in portraying the films political message. The first thing I noticed in the dialogue was the sick president saying,The rich used to play polo, but now they play politics. This statement not only suggested that politics were changing by the rich getting into politics but the way he used the word play as if politics were a game. The dialogue further more represents this idea when the poor presidential candidate ends one of his speeches with, May the best man win, where the word win suggests a competition or a game. The movies cinematography demonstrates the game being played. Often in the movie the parties were behind closed doors (smoke filled rooms) where the presidential candidate is the player along with the rest of the party. The party works to dig up the dirt they need to use against their opponents to better their position in the game. This part can be known as dirty politics because not everything done behind closed doors is right or even legal. Its this part of the game that the American people never see, but we do see a certain part of the game that is also very important in who wins. This is the part where the player actually makes his move and exposes the dirt. The player also tells the people what he is about and why he should be the champion. The characterization in the movie helped to establish what kind of player the player is. The rich presidential candidate represents a good player who doesnt want to cheat, he represents pure politics. He says he is a self made man with self made issues which means he hasnt had to cheat to get anywhere and the ideas he portrays are his own. The other player, the poor presidential candidate represents dirty politics. Hes the player who cheats to win. He knows ways to get himself out of trouble and better his posit ...

Anatomical Directional Terms and Body Planes

Anatomical Directional Terms and Body Planes Anatomical directional terms are like the directions on a compass rose of a map. Like the directions, North, South, East and West, they can be used to describe the locations of structures in relation to other structures or locations in the body. This is particularly useful when studying anatomy as it provides a common method of communication that helps to avoid confusion when identifying structures. Also as with a compass rose, each directional term often has a counterpart with converse or opposite meaning. These terms are very useful when describing the locations of structures to be studied in dissections. Anatomical directional terms can also be applied to the planes of the body. Body planes are used to describe specific sections or regions of the body. Below are examples of some commonly used anatomical directional terms and planes of the body. Anatomical Directional Terms Anterior: In front of, frontPosterior: After, behind, following, toward the rearDistal: Away from, farther from the originProximal: Near, closer to the originDorsal: Near the upper surface, toward the backVentral: Toward the bottom, toward the bellySuperior: Above, overInferior: Below, underLateral: Toward the side, away from the mid-lineMedial: Toward the mid-line, middle, away from the sideRostral: Toward the frontCaudal: Toward the back, toward the tailBilateral: Involving both sides of the bodyUnilateral: Involving one side of the bodyIpsilateral: On the same side of the bodyContralateral: On opposite sides of the bodyParietal: Relating to a body cavity wallVisceral: Relating to organs within body cavitiesAxial: Around a central axisIntermediate: Between two structures Anatomical Body Planes Imagine a person standing in an upright position. Now imagine dissecting this person with imaginary vertical and horizontal planes. This is the best way to describe anatomical planes. Anatomical planes can be used to describe any body part or an entire body. (View a detailed body plane image.) Lateral Plane or Sagittal Plane: Imagine a vertical plane that runs through your body from front to back or back to front. This plane divides the body into right and left regions. Median or Midsagittal Plane: Sagittal plane that divides the body into equal right and left regions.Parasagittal Plane: Sagittal plane that divides the body into unequal right and left regions. Frontal Plane or Coronal Plane: Imagine a vertical plane that runs through the center of your body from side to side. This plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) regions. Transverse Plane: Imagine a horizontal plane that runs through the midsection of your body. This plane divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) regions. Anatomical Terms: Examples Some anatomical structures contain anatomical terms in their names that help identify their position in relation to other body structures or divisions within the same structure. Some examples include the anterior and posterior pituitary, superior and inferior venae cavae, the median cerebral artery, and the axial skeleton. Affixes (word parts that are attached to base words) are also useful in describing the position of anatomical structures. These prefixes and suffixes give us hints about the locations of body structures. For example, the prefix (para-) means near or within. The parathyroid glands are located on the posterior side of the thyroid. The prefix epi- means upper or outermost. The epidermis is the outermost skin layer. The prefix (ad-) means near, next to, or toward. The adrenal glands are located atop the kidneys. Anatomical Terms: Resources Understanding anatomical directional terms and body planes will make it easier to study anatomy. It will help you to be able to visualize positional and spatial locations of structures and navigate directionally from one area to another. Another strategy that can be employed to help you visualize anatomical structures and their positions is to use study aids such as anatomy coloring books and flashcards. It may seem a bit juvenile, but coloring books and review cards actually help you to visually comprehend the information.

What different types of masculinities are represented in football and Essay

What different types of masculinities are represented in football and golf - Essay Example ironment and within that realm white upper and middle class males polished their competitive skills in order to support and reproduce hegemonic masculinity (Connell qtd. in Majors 209).This paper studies different types of masculinities presented in football and golf and observes that in football masculinity is considered to be purely hegemonic that entertains ‘lad culture’, it is represented to be less hegemonic and entertain elitist or bourgeois class in golf. The research also finds out that regardless of the hegemony level in both sports, representation of traditional hegemonic models in creates issues of power among genders. â€Å"The masculinities of the runner, football player, and rock climber are qualitatively different; each sport combined various symbolic discourses to create masculinity particular to the sport† (qtd. in Wheaton 16). Sports play a vital role in shaping and molding contemporary masculinity. In this way, sports in general and televised sports in particular are observed to construct a power structure of masculinity with dynamic, commanding and competitive image of the male as an apex of contemporary manhood (Feasey 98-99). According to Masculinity and sports media, in contemporary society, sports media plays a vital role in shaping young boy’s perception and construction of masculinity. According to a study conducted by Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles revels that 98 percent of American boys between 8 and 17 years of age consume sports media on regular basis. In professional sports, men domination is evident. From violent athletes to coaches and aggressive commentators to reporters, sports media is becoming increasingly powerful when it comes to its capability to transmit ideas of masculinity to young boys. Sports narratives and descriptions portray masculinity as heroic, competitive, vital and predominantly aggressive. Most prominent themes of this presentation are comradeship, heterosexuality, violence, injuries, pain,