Sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability - Assignment Example If the environment is maintained then the well being of each human being shall be observed. However there have been some practices or measures which have been taken and have depleted the environment. The aim of these activities is to gain sustainable development. Sustainable development is a pattern of practices which aim to meet the needs o all human beings while at the same time preserving the environment or the importance of future generations. In attaining sustainable development the environment should be kept safe. Some practices like constructions at sometimes do not promote this sustainable development. There are many arguments supporting sustainable development while at the same time there are others which argue against this method o resource use. Many examples have been illustrated for the arguments and therefore it becomes hard to decide whether it is right or wrong. Arguments against Sustainable Development It has been argued that this is a bad concept to put in practice s ince its effects are unknown. The effects that may result to the ecology or the economy are unpredictable making this concept a dangerous one. Some practices like deforestation are likely to cause many environmental hazards. It may lead to global warming and rise of deserts. With global warming all living things shall be affected by the high or low temperatures. Therefore the consequences of sustainable development are likely to be risky to human lie (Morse 2010, p.80). It has been argued that it is not easy to make use of the environment while avoiding the negative outcomes. Since they will always come then this concept should be avoided (Yang & Sidwell 2005, p.90). It has been argued that the term sustainable development is very vague. This is because when man is to benefit from the environment then there is no point in saying that he will still be conserving the environment for future use. For instance in constructions, the environment is interfered with negatively thus it would be impossible for sustainable development to occur. Some have even argued that this is a spam since it talks of what can be done and not what is really been done. The government policies are supporting this to see to it that the environment is not interfered with to save future generations. It has been further argued that this concept is oxymoron. It will not be possible to make maximum use of the environment now and then you expect in future to make the same use. This is termed as de-growth. Sustainable development will only apply now but in future it will not sine the resources will have been fully exploited thus they will not be in a position to human life anymore. This is wrong concept to be used (Chartered Institute of Building 2009, p.46). This concept has also been argued against since it is not measurable. It is not easy to measure sustainable development. Therefore it will be obvious that the consequences of the same will not be known and this may be a big risk for future g enerations (Yang & Sidwell 2005, p.99). Arguments for Sustainable Development It has been argued that human beings must survive in their own ecology using all the possible means. Sustainable development is therefore a good practice which will make the survival

Repsitining for pressure ulcer prevention in Adult (review) Gilles Article

Repsitining for pressure ulcer prevention in Adult (review) Gilles BM,Chaboyer WB,McInnes E, - Article Example The objectives of the article were to; evaluate the outcomes of reposition in relation to prevention of PU, establish the most efficient repositioning schedules to prevent PU, and determine the incremental resource consequences and expenses connected with putting into practice various repositioning routines compared with alternating routines or standard practice. The author of the article has clearly stated the purpose of carrying out the research. The general purpose of the research was to examine effectiveness of repositioning as a technique to prevent PU. This condition occurs most to elderly patients who has reduced level of mobility. Another aim of the research was to establish a schedule that is most efficient to prevent the occurrence of PU. In addition, the researcher wanted to find out the incremental consequences on resources and costs associated with putting into practice a variety of repositioning regimens compared with alternating regimens or standard practice. This study was important because pressure ulcers has always remained a big problem to aged patients who spent most of their time at one point for instance on the hospital bed. The article has clearly highlighted how repositioning is useful to prevent development of Pus, which are very painful to the victims. The study is relevant and highly applicable to prevent pressure ulcers because they are painful, distressing, and dangerous to life through causing sepsis, infection, and sometimes death. Repositioning is an essential element of pressure ulcer prevention and management; it has a sound theoretical underlying principle, and is extensively suggested and applied in practice. The qualitative research method that was applied in this research was appropriate in addressing the research objective because it aimed to gather into depth information about how pressure ulcers occurs and how repositioning can be

EVOS Office Essay Example for Free

EVOS Office Essay The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 is considered as the worst environmental challenge that the state of Alaska has faced over the years. The incident led to the spillage of around eleven million gallons of oil from the Exxon Valdez tanker which immediately affected the immediate environment which resulted to the ecological imbalance within the water system affecting marine life and the loss of thousands of sea birds that dwell in the area. (â€Å"Crude Awakening,† 2008) Since the incident, Exxon Mobil has tried to resolve the problems and the impending threats and risks that come with the spread of oil within the water system by transforming the mission of the company as it inches forward to alleviate the effects of the oil spill. The mission of Exxon Mobil is to keep up with the growing demand for energy all over the world by providing and facilitating the abundance of oil and gas resources under the dimensions of financial stability, the adaptation of technological innovations, and efficiency and superiority in presenting the goods and services of the company. (Exxon Mobil, 2008a) To strengthen the position of the company in terms of social responsibility, it upholds the highest standards of ethical conduct by implementing principles that meet the conditions of ethics and morality. The guiding principles that Exxon Mobil observes are defined for both the internal and external members of the organization. Exxon Mobil acknowledges the role of stakeholders in the success of the company by working on improving products and services to ensure the return of investment and financial stability. For the company’s consumers, Exxon Mobil undertakes the responsibility of satisfying them, despite diversity or varied preferences. Aside from the company’s consumers, Exxon Mobil also follows guiding principles in handling employees. The company strives to sustain a highly competitive pool of staff, personnel, or employees by hiring, recruiting, and looking after the needs and demands of able individuals who meets the mission, goals, and objectives of the company. To enhance corporate social responsibility, Exxon Mobil observes practices that are geared towards satisfying the expectations of communities. Exxon Mobil assures society of their will to become a valuable asset of the community by adhering to and respecting laws, whether domestically or internationally, and consider the multicultural diversity at all times. (Exxon Mobil, 2008b) Due to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the company has worked towards transforming the mission statement of Exxon Mobil by incorporating other goals or objectives to address the problems brought about by the incident. Apparently, the company established the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council following the incident that damaged the ecological environment in Alaska. The mission statement of the council constitutes the determination of the company to re-establish the natural environmental conditions of the immediate location of the situation under the dimensions of the desirable quality of life based on set standards of living. (â€Å"Restoring the Resources,† 2004) Exxon Mobil’s focus included the mission of addressing environmental concerns that will lead to the restoration of the ecosystem in Alaska. The company exerts time, effort, and resources in conducting research, establishing plans for restoration, monitoring the progress or changes in the environment, providing reimbursements as payments for damages and other costs caused by the oil spill, working on the establishment of means of protecting the habitat or ecosystem in the area, and such. (NOAA, 2008) Overall, the oil spill in 1989 caused Exxon Mobil to become aware of the effects and influences of the incident to the environment. Since then, it has included in its mission not only the restoration of natural environmental conditions in Alaska, but the continued protection of environmental systems not only in the area but all over the world as well. References â€Å"Crude Awakening. † (2008). Retrieved November 23, 2008, from The International Bird Rescue Research Center. Website: http://www. ibrrc. org/Exxon_Valdez_spill_1989. html Exxon Mobil. (2008a). What We Do. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Exxon Mobil. Website: http://www. exxonmobil. com/Corporate/about_what. aspx Exxon Mobil. (2008b). Guiding Principles. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Exxon Mobile. Website: http://www. exxonmobil. com/corporate/about_operations_sbc_principles. aspx NOAA. (2008). About NOAA Fisheries’ EVOS Office. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service. Website: http://www. fakr. noaa. gov/oil/ â€Å"Restoring the Resources. † (2004). Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Website: http://www. evostc. state. ak. us/Universal/Documents/Publications/AnnualStatus/2004AnnualReport. pdf

Free Surface Energy of Polymers

Free Surface Energy of Polymers Free surface energy of polymers. Poly(itaconate)s and poly(methacrylate)s Ligia Gargallo1, Claudia Aguirre2, Angel Leiva2, Deodato Radic Abstract: The free surface energy (SE) for a series of mono and diesters derived from poly(itaconic) acid, was determined by wettability measurements and estimated by theoretical calculations from Sugden’s Parachor. For these polymers it was observed a decreaseing in the free surface energy as the size of the chain of the alkyl groups in monoitaconates and diisoalkylitaconates increases. However, it did not allow to get values of the free surface energy comparable with experimental values, exception was for poly(2-chloroethyl diitaconate) and poly(3-chloropropyl diitaconate) where the experimental and theoretical variation was comparable. It means that the Sugden method match well for these polymers. Additionally, it was determined the free surface energy for some polymers from poly(methacrylic acid) derivatives, specifically poly(phenyl methacrylate)s (PPhMA). For these systems a decreasing in the free surface energy is observed, when a fluorine atom was introduced into the p henyl group. In general there was not a good correlation between experimental values and those estimated through the theoretical calculations. The influence of polymeric film thickness and topography on the determination of contact angle was studied for poly(phenylmethacrylate)s. The results show that the film thickness to determine contact angle must be over 254 A °. 1. Introduction In general it is very well known that due to the lack of surface mobility, the surface tension of a solid phase is too different to a liquid phase. So that, it is not possible to measure directly the surface tension of a solid phase, as it is the case of a liquid phase. It had been used several independent approximations to estimate the surface tension on a given system surface solid, being the measurement of contact angle the most practical way[1-11 ]. The surface of a solid, as well as of a liquid, has an additional free energy, but due to this lack of mobility in the surface of solids this energy is not possible to measure directly. [12] It means that the free surface energy can be estimated by wettability measurements in an indirect way, as shown in Figure 1. [13,14] An approximation to estimate the surface energy of solids is based on the interpretation of contact angle of sesil drop. Figure 1. Sesil drop over a solid surface. The arrows represent the surface energies when they are explained like forces of surface tension. From the schematic representation on Figure1, and considering the equilibrium state, the Young’s equation is obtained. This equation establishes a relationship between the contact angle and the three surface tensions: (2) where: ÃŽ ¸ is the contact angle, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §s à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  is the surface energy of solid-vapor interface, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §sl is the surface energy solid-liquid interface and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §l the surface energy at liquid-vapor interface. The dispersion force and polar contribution to SE, ÃŽ ³d and ÃŽ ³p, respectively, can be calculated by using the Owens, Wendt and Kaelble method. [15-17] The aim of this work is to obtain information about the free surface energy of several polymers with different chemical structures and various side chains. It was also interesting to clarify the inflence of the thickness and topography of the film in the determination of the SE of the polymeric systems studied. 2. Experimental Synthesis and characterization of poly(diisoalkylitaconate)s, poly(monoitaconate)s and poly(methacrylate)s Diisoalkylitaconates were obtained by conventional acid catalyzed esterification of itaconic acid using sulphuric acid in toluene and the corresponding acohols. [18-20] Monoitaconates were obtained by reaction of itaconic acid with the respective alcohols under fairly acidic conditions according to the method described by Baker et al., [21,22] for lower monoesters. Methacrylates were prepared by reaction of methacryloyl chloride with the appropriate alcohols in toluene solutions and N.N-dimethylaniline at reflux temperature during 24 h. Purification of the monomers was achieved by distillation under reduced pressure (0.5 mm Hg) as previously reported [23,24] for diitaconates and methacrylates. Purification of monoitaconates were achieved by repeated crystallization from toluene. The monomer structures and purity were confirmed by 1H-NMR and infrared spectroscopy with Fourier Transform (FT-IR). Polymerization was achieved in bulk at 340 and 350 K, depending on the monomer, using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator under N2 (polymerization time 48-60 h; conversion 70%) for diitaconates, 48 h for monoitaconates; yield 35% and 10-3 w/w % of AIBN in benzene solution under vacuum in the case of methacrylates (polymerization time, 48 h; conversion 65%). Preparation of Polymeric films. Films of poly(monoitaconate)s and poly(diitaconate)s were prepared by evaporation of dilute solutions (0,05 g/dL) in tetrahydrofuran (THF), over the glass and silicon wafer plates. Poly(metacrylate)s were prepared from dilute solutions 0.05 g/dL in chloroform. Contact angle measurements Surface free energy. The total surface energies of the polymers were determined by wettability measurements with water, diiodomethane and ethyleneglycol. Polymers films were cast onto glass slides for optical microscopy and silicon wafer. The cast films were dried for 30 min at 393 K. The wettability of the polymer films was determined by contact angle measurements. Contact angles were measured using a contact angle system OCA by Dataphysics with a conventional goniometer and high performance video camera, controlled by SCA20 software. A syringe connected to a Teflon capillary of about 2 mm inner diameter was used to supply liquid into the sessile drops from above. A sessile drop of about 0.4-0.5 cm radius was used. The contact angles were measured carefully from the left and right side of the drop and subsequently averaged. These procedures were repeated for six drops of each liquid on three new surfaces. All reading were then averaged to give an average contact angle. All experiments were performed at room temperature. Determination of polymeric film thickness by ellipsometry. Optical Assembly. The ellipsometer used has a polarizer, a compensator, the sample, an analyzer and a detector. The light source comes from He-Ne laser whose wavelength is 632.8 nm, that fall onto the sample with an angle of 60.65 °. The analyzer remains fixed at an angle of 24.256 °, and the polarizer is mechanically adjusted so that the detector does not record any signal. Silicon wafers (Silicon doped with Boron crystalline plates) were used as substrates. Pieces of 12 x 12 mm were used. The most important characteristic of these substrates, are the refractive index of silicon of 3.877 + 0.019 [25, 26] and the refractive index of PPhMA was 1.5706 [27]. Substrates were also properly cleaned and dried, being their typical polarization angle between 43.8 and 43.9 °. Preparation of films of poly(phenylmethacrylate). The film of PPhMA was prepared by evaporation of the polymeric solution in chlorform over the silicon wafer. In order to get different films thickness of PPhMA, different concentration of the polymeric solutions were used. Concentrations were 0.05 g/dL, 0.10 g/dL, 0.20 g/dL, 0.30 g/dL and 0.40 g/dL. Estimation of film topography. Morphological analysis of surface films of poly(phenylmethacrylate) were done by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A film of PPhMA of 94  ± 10 Ã… thickness was prepared from a solution of 0.05 g/dL in chloroform and deposited over a silicon wafer as substrate. 3. Results and Discussion. Polymers studied in this work were mono and diesters from poly(itaconic) acid, and additionally some polymers from poly(methacrylic) acid were also studied. The sixteen polymers studied are shown in scheme 1. Surface free energy was determined by measuring the contact angles (CAs) of water, ethyleneglycol and diiodomethane on the polymeric surfaces. The dispersion ÃŽ ³d and polar ÃŽ ³p contributions were calculated by the Owens, Wendt and Kaelble methods. [15,16, 28,29] The results obtained by wettability measurements of polymeric systems studied are summarized in Tables 1 to 4. In the same tables are the surface energy calculated from Sudgen ´s parachor (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § =(Ps/V)4) for the same polymers. In the case of poly(diisoalkyl itaconate)s it can be seen that the number of methylene groups increases the lateral chain, the calculated surface energy values decreases. This is a normal behavior because the hydrophobicity of the polymer must increase. However, it did not allow to get experimental values that present this behavior. As it is important to consider the possible errors on the determination of SE values due to the effects of the roughness and at the same time the thickness on adsorbed polymers. For this reason the film thickness was studied to clarify its influence on the measurement of contact angle. Mono esters of poly(itaconic) acid Diesters of poly(itaconic) acid Poly (methacrylic) acid Scheme 1 In order to get films with different thickness the concentration of the solution of poly(phenylmethacrylate), PPhMA, was modified. Thicknesses and topography of the films were measured by ellipsometry on silicon wafer substrates. It was found a good linear correlation between film thickness and polymer concentration. (Regression coefficient R=0.98955). Surface free energy of substrates used was also determined in order to obtain this information to perform appropriate comparison of the results dealing with this polymer. The film thickness determination for PPhMA was made on silicon wafer, and on a glass plate. The surface free energy values in both substrates were compared. Table 5 shows surface free energy values found for PPhMA in these substrates. Topography of the surface of PPhMA film at a thickness of 94 A ° was studied by SEM micrography. It was found that the polymer is homogenously distributed on the silicon wafer substrate, showing a surface with regular porosity. This demonstrates that PPhMA film whose thickness is 94 Ã…, the surface is not completely cover and it produces in the measurement of the contact angle non reproducible values, due to the liquid will penetrate itself within the holes. Determination of surface free energy for PPhMA was performed at different film thickness. It was observed that for films thickness of PPhMA greater than 24513 A º there is a better reproducibility in the values of contact angle obtained. The SE values are shown in Table 6. 4. Conclusions Poly(monoitaconate)s with large lateral chains as poly(monodecylitaconate) and poli(monododecylitaconate), it was found that the surface free energy decreases as the length of the alkyl group increases. It allows concluding that the polymer increases its hydrophobic character, as its lateral chain increases. It is in agreement with its chemical structure. The surface free energy calculated through the Parachor parameter, for the poly(monoitaconate)s studied, decrease as the lateral chain increases its size. The estimation of surface free energy for the poly(diisoalkyl)itaconates, through Parachor, allows observing a decrease in the surface free energy for polymers, as the length of lateral chain increase; that is direct relation with the experimental work done. However, this work does not allow getting surface free energy values for those polymers comparable with the experimental value. The theoretical method of Sugden was not adequate to estimate those measurements. For polymers poly(2-chloroethyl diitaconate) and poli(3-chloropropyl itaconate), the variation of experimental and theoretical surface free energy was slight. It will imply that Sugden method is well fitted for those polymers. The study of surface free energy for poly(phenylmethacrylate)s shows that the introduction of a fluorine atom at phenyl group generates a decrease in its surface free energy. For poly(phenylmetacrylate), the results showed the film thickness, needed to determinate the contact angle, need to be higher than 24513 AËÅ ¡. The difference in the measurement of surface free energy between those experimentally determined and those estimated since Parachor, are related to the complexity of the monomeric structure. It is likely that the volume of each group or atomic unit would be influenced by interactions of neighbor atoms within the monomeric unit. Therefore calculations of surface free energy based on the table of structural contributions of Sugden’s Parachor would not fit at the experimental values. Acknowledgements. DR and AL. thanks to Fondecyt 1120091 for parcial finantial support. References [1] T. Rabockai Fà ­sico-Quà ­mica de Superficies, Ed. The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States Washington, D.C., Brazil, (1979). [2] M. Dà ­az Peà ±a, M., Quà ­mica Fà ­sica, Vol. II, cap.25. (1976). [3] R. A. L.Jones, R. W. Richards, Polymers at Surfaces and Interfaces, Ed. Cambridge University Press, U.K., (1999). [4] W.A. Zisman, Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion, Advances in Chemistry Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., Volume 43, (1964). [5] K. Ma, T. Chung, R. Good, Surface energy of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters and polyesteramide. J. Polym. Sci.: Part B 36,(1988) 2327-2337. [6] O. Driedger, AW Neumann, PJ Sell; Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion. Kolloid-ZZ. Polymere, 201 (1965), p. 52J. Kolloid-Z Z Polym. 52, (1965) 201, [7]A.W. Neumann, R.J. Good, C.J. Hope, M.J. Sejpal, Colloid Interface Sci., Physico-chemical surface characterization of hyaluronic acid derivatives as a new class of biomaterials Colloid Interface Sci. 49,(1974) 291-302 [8] Spelt K., Li, D. In A. W. Neumann, J. K. Spelt, Eds., Applied Surface Thermodynamics; Marcel Dekker: New York, pp. (1966) 239-292. [9] D.K. Owens, R.C. Wendt, Estimation of the surface free energy of polymers J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 13, 1741-1747 (1969). [10] C.J. Van Oss, K. Chaudhury, R. Good,. Interfacial Lifshitz-van der Waals and Polar Interactions in Macroscopic Systems J. Chem. Rev., 88 (1988), 927-941. [11]. A. Kwok, A. Li, A. W. Neumann., Low-rate dynamic contact angles on poly(methyl methacrylate/ethyl methacrylate, 30/70) and the determination of solid surface tensions. J. of Polym. Sci., Part B: Polymer Physics, 37,(1999) 2039-2051). [12] Van Krevelen D. W., Properties of Polymers, their estimation and correlation with Chemical structure, Ed. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Chap. 8, (1976) [13] L. Makkonen, On the methods to determine surface energies, Langmuir, 16, (2000) 7669–7672. [14]L. Gargallo, D. RadiĆ¡, Structure/Surface energy relationships of polymers. Current Trends in Polymer science 6 (2001)121-133. [15] A. Rudawska, E. Jacniacka, Analysis for determining surface free energy uncertainty by the Owen–Wendt method International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives 29, 2009, Pages 451–457 [16] M. J. Owen Surface tension of polytrifluoropropylmethylsiloxane Journal of Applied Polymer Science 35 (1988) 895–901 [17] D. K. Owens, R. C. Wendt. Estimation of the surface free energy of polymers. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 13, (1969) 1741-1747 [18] J.M.G. Cowie, I.J. McEwen, J. VeliÄ koviĆ¡Dynamic mechanical spectra of poly(itaconic acid esters) containing phenyl and cyclohexyl rings. Polymer , 16 (1991) 869-872. [19] D. RadiĆ¡, C. Daà ±in, A. Opazo, A., L. Gargallo, Functionalized Polymers 1. poly(dichloroalkyl itaconate)s. Synthesis and Solution Properties. Makromol. Chem., Macromol. Symp. 58,(1992) 209-213 [20]D. RadiĆ¡, L. Gargallo, Synthesis, Solution behavior and reactivity ratios of vinylpyrrolidone-co-monoalkylitaconate and vinylpyrrolidone-co-dialkylitaconate, Macromolecules, 30 (1997) 817-825 [21] B.R. Baker, R.E.. Shaub, G.H. Williams, Oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic Acids. Aguide to current common practice, G. Tojo, M. Fernandez Springer, J. Org. Chem., 17, (1952) 122-125. [22] L. Gargallo, D. Radic ´, A. Leà ³n, Polymer conformation and viscometric behavior 3. Synthesis, characterization and conformational studies in poly(mono-n-octyl itaconate) Makromol. Chem. 186, (1985) 1296. [23]. Burtle, J. G., Turek, W.N. J. Org. Chem., 19, 1567 (1954). [24]. L. Gargallo, M.I. Muà ±oz, D. RadiĆ¡, Polymer conform,ation and viscometric behavior 1. Conformational transition in poly(benzylmethacrylate) in dilute solution Polym. Bull. 10, (1983) 264-270. [25] Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 79th ed., Ed., David R. Lide (CRC, Boca Raton), (1999). [26] Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds, Ed. Robert C. Weast and Melvin J. Astle (CRC, Boca Raton), (1985). [27] Brandrup J., Immergut E.H. Polymer Handbook, Third Edition, Ed. John Wiley sons, New York, (1989). [28]L. Gargallo, D. Vargas, N. Becerra, C. Sandoval, C. Saldà ­as, A. Leiva, D. RadiĆ¡, Supramolecular structures. Organization and Surface behavior at interfaces, Macromol Symp., 278, (2009) 80-88. [29]C. Saldà ­as, L. Gargallo, C. Sandoval, A. Leiva, D. RadiĆ¡, J. Caballero, M Saavedra, F. Gonzà ¡lez-Nilo, Polymer 50 (2009) 2926-2932. Table 1. Surface free energy (SE) of poly(diisoalkylitaconates)s Table 2. Surface free energy (SE) of poly(2-chloroethyl diitaconate) and poli(3-chloropropyl diitaconate) Table 3. Surface free energy (SE) of poly(monoitaconate)s Table 4. Surface free energy (SE) of poly(phenylmethacrylate)s Table 5. Surface free energy for substrates Table 6.Values of the surface free energy for poly(phenylmethacrylate) at different film thicknesses 1

Serial Killer Essay -- Psychology, Mental Illness,

Chapter Two: Definition of a Serial Killer Serial killers are people who kill three or more victims over a period of more than thirty days with a cooling off period between each murder. Their murders usually have some of the same characteristics. People who kill for fun usually have some type of mental illness. Their crimes could have maybe been prevented if their diseases were treated in time. The disease of psychopath is the least treated. Some killers often plead not guilty by reason of insanity. It needs to be proven, though, that they did not know the difference between right and wrong. Even if a killer is found not guilty by mental deficit, he/she cannot go free. There are three categories of serial killers: Organized Killers, Disorganized Killers and Medical Killers. Organized killers are the hardest killers to catch because of their intelligence and organization. Every detail of their murder is planned out and they make sure to leave no evidence left behind. They often will watch their victims for several days before they trick them into leaving with them. They take great pride in their â€Å"work† and pay close attention to the stories in the media. Disorganized killers rarely plan out the murders in their victims. They strike at random whenever an opportunity arises. They tend to move from town to town and do not take the precautions to cover up their tracks. They usually have low IQ’s and are antisocial. Disorganized killers do not usually have close friends or family. The Medical Killer is extremely rare but there have been cases where people have carried out their serial murders through medicine. One such individual was Harold Shipman which I will go into further detail later in this thesis. They feel they have the pe... ...ortable killing on their driving routes. There has been a serial killer police officer who was named John Gerard Schaefer. He lived in Florida. While he was in his squad he would kidnap teenage girls, tie them to trees, go back to work and after he clocked out, returned to rape and kill them. His alibi was always â€Å"I was at work when they disappeared† (Brown, 2003). Many serial killers suffer from anti-social personality disorder or dissocial personality disorder. They are also psychopathic, meaning they have no empathy or guilt. They kill impulsively and they make up rules for themselves which are they only rules they follow. They have a â€Å"Mask of Sanity† meaning they never let anyone but their victims see their true selves. They also have resentment towards society for their own failings and can never take responsibility for their own actions.

The Shackled Continent

1. What are the key themes of the book and what is the author’s opinion on them? The Shackled Continent is a lively, engaging and ultimately hopeful book about Saharan Africa written by Robert Guest. The author analyses the question why Africa still is so poor and reflects the problems in this region like poverty, disease, war, corruption†¦ and it is enlivened by the stories and encounters that he recites, and by the idea, that things need not be this way forever.There are differences of culture and history in these different countries, but again there are similarities of experience that marks out much of the post-colonial period. Corruption is endemic, poverty everywhere, wars are brutal and never-ending, and AIDS daily saps at the lives of people. The author criticises the failure in leadership of most African countries and reflects that Africa still needs to go a long way to improve, but at the end, it will prosper. 2. What did you find interesting in the book? Why?Hon estly I found The Shackled Continent a very interesting book and could not say exactly how much I liked a particular part better than the others, and I've always wanted to know what exactly is happening in this region of the world, which do not stop watching unpleasant images on television and read in newspapers chilling news. But I always wanted to go into this subject without the influences of the media, explained by someone who has experienced firsthand. So if I have to stay with any part of the book, I get the answer that gives the author about the principal African problem.Guest argues it is because African governments have been either rigidly authoritarian or riven by corruption and tribalism. Governments have been wedded to central planning and consequently have failed to develop. Freedom, political and economic, has been denied to millions, and local elites have prospered as their populations have suffered. I'll stick with this idea, as it was one of my concerns before readi ng this book, and now it helps me to understand the problem. 3. What questions would you like to ask the author (at least 3)? Really socialist tendencies of African governments still hobble African economies? -It’s true that aid can help, but it’s always government economic policies and administration that dictates success or failure? -Why developed countries do not more to eradicate the AIDS virus in this region of the world? Can there be any kind of interest behind? 4. Can you suggest solutions to the problems/issues covered by the author? Personally I have some ways to solve the problems described by the author, but I don’t know if could be done someday.To combat poverty, developed countries could do more awareness campaigns for people to make financial contributions of more importance. I'm sure if everyone only donate one euro, things could be better in Africa. The same with the disease. It should be made more drugs collection in wealthy countries to be allo cated in this region. These countries could donate a large scale, as I'm sure they can do it. To fight wars and corruption, developed countries should take a greater role, and send troops if necessary to calm the situation and to monitor and prevent any kind of corruption that can take place in this region.I know that these proposals are not easy to apply, but if we all could agree, I think we could do it. 5. Is there anything you disagree with the author about? We could say that I’m totally agreed with the author of the book, since I haven’t enough knowledge about it to argue with the author. But if I were to argue something to the author, the statement would be made on farmers. Guest said that farmers without credit can’t buy seeds or fertilizer to make the best use of their land. I’m not agreeing with this because I think there must be some kind of subsidy or support from the State to these farmers.I don’t know exactly, because I haven’t a lot of knowledge about that, but I think it would be possible. Another thing is that in the conclusion, the author says something like many Africans say that Africa's problems are another’s country's fault (e. g. USA or European Union), and he disagree with that, but I think that in some way Africans are right, at least in the fact with this trade barrier story. 6. Have you learned anything from the book that helps you to understand the world?Reading this book has helped me to take off my blindfold and understand once and for all what is happening in Africa. That wonderful continent that both can offer and how it seems to be forgotten. I have updated all the injustices that take place on this continent, and the deaf that developed countries are doing about it, and it has helped me to sensibly more with this topic. Reading these kind of books, you realize that people only care about themselves and ignore what is happening behind the barriers of their respective countries.Lif e can be wonderful in developed countries, but we must be aware that there are people who are not as fortunate as us, who live a daily hell and that many of them are alone. We also can help. We must help. 7. Is there anything in the book which you can relate to the degree you are studying? I am studying Business Administration and Management, and I think it's always good to know what is happening in the world and why it is happening, and not just relate to the degree you are doing, but as general culture.With this reading I learned the forms of government in this region and also the type of resources available and inquire into their economies. Now I know that's what a country needs to do to improve and that is what we must avoid to sink. I think all students should read these books to enrich their knowledge and expertise to take are as important or more that you learn in college. Because that's the real world, the world that tomorrow we face.

Developing Negotiation Case Studies

While a great deal of excellent advice exists for producing case studies on managerially relevant topics in general, negotiation cases have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.This article offers three types of tailored advice for producing cases on negotiation and related topics (such as mediation and diplomacy) that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a negotiation ­related case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to one’s objectives; and 3) in by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent negotiation case study.Suppose you read about, participate in, or otherwise become aware of a negotiation that intrigues you as a possible candidate for a case study. Perhaps a student, colleague, participant in an executive program, or private client suggests such an episode. You may consider researching and writing u p the case yourself or you might supervise someone else for this purpose. Should you proceed with an investment of your scarce time and resources? If so, how?What’s the best casewriting advice you can give to a research assistant, a student (team) grappling with a course assignment to produce a case study, or someone else who is simply interested in writing up a negotiation for discussion purposes? ii Generations of experienced, even legendary, casewriters have codified guidelines for producing excellent case studies on virtually any subject. iii Yet negotiation cases often have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.Over the years, I’ve found myself in many conversations trying to crystallize and convey the elements that seem to contribute to crafting superior negotiation cases. I hope that pulling these insights together and developing them a bit more systematically will be useful for others undertaking casewriting projects. A quick caveat: though casewrit ing is often properly part of a larger research program, and synergistic with other methodologies, I focus here on case studies that are mainly intended as vehicles for classroom discussion and analysis.As such, I sidestep important issues associated with systematically selecting and developing cases for well- defined research projects. For example, in the field of international relations, which thrives on case studies, the â€Å"method of structured, focused comparisons† is a research staple. iv More generally, exacting criteria exist for identifying, developing, comparing, and Draft: Developing Negotiation Case Studies. Copyright  ©2010 by James K. Sebenius. 1 contrasting case studies in order to extract valid inductive social scientific knowledge. However, I leave that set of considerations for specialists with casewriting as a component of well-defined research agendas. vi The following sections offer three types of advice for producing cases that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to your objectives; and, 3) in the by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent case study.One of the best ways to learn the casewriter’s craft is to study a number of truly excellent case studies, or better, to discuss such cases in a forum led by an experienced case method instructor. As such, in each of the three advice sections that follow, I’m tempted to list a number of my favorite negotiation cases as models.Since, however, these choices may be unfamiliar to many readers, and may be set in times, places, or contexts of little interest to others, I will instead offer a set of model cases, plus commentary, in an online forum in the hope that others will consult, comment, and contribute. (See online url to be provided later. ). I. Advice on developing a prospective case: a case for what? A case of what? Start by seeking clarity on your overall purpose: â€Å"a case for what? †