Kodak and fujifilm Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kodak and fujifilm - Research Paper Example The executives at Kodak did not want to abandon the traditional film. They did not realize how digital cameras would become common within a short time. Since there was a slow transition of traditional to digital technology and competition from other companies, Kodak lost a considerable market share globally. By early 2012, Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection which was approved by the court for financing. Kodak was able to sell its patents to various companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft among others (Stuart, 2005). Fujifilm was started in 1934 and like Kodak, focused on imaging and photography. The company was at the top of the Japanese market and ranked the second best in film usage after the United States (Nakamura, 2000). Fujifilm entered the global market and made use of aggressive marketing with low prices. The company’s breakthrough was in 1984 when it chosen to be the official film of the Los Angeles Olympics. Fujifilm took its place in the global market permanently. This made it overtake Kodak’s market share since they offered similar products at a cheaper price. Fujifilm was fast to widen its business scope to printers, digital cameras, optical devices and photocopier. In addition, Fujifilm engaged its services into the health sector by producing medical equipments and machines such as x-ray imaging and chemicals (Nakamura, 2000). Kodak company failure to acknowledge innovation in the late 1970s could be blamed on the management’s approach (Haig, 2011). The management seemed to control from behind the desk right from the headquarters at Rochester. This made them become ignorant about the new inventions in technology and the increasing customer needs. They were advised to embrace the digital technology that they had created in 1975, but the management was reluctant. The main reason why Kodak remained behind was avoiding revolutionizing technology that led to the loss of market shares. This

American Writers Essay Example for Free

American Writers Essay List of American Novels for Research Project English 11H Historical/War Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane Killer Angels, Michael Shaara A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier My Brother Sam is Dead, JL Collier African-American Beloved, Toni Morrison (mature themes) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou Native Son, James Baldwin The Color Purple, Alice Walker (mature themes) Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston Malcom X (autobiography- lengthy) A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest Gaines Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin Black Boy, Richard Wright (memoir) Dystopian/Futuristic/Science Fiction Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut Catch-22, Joseph Heller The Giver, Lois Lowry Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury Realism/Naturalism/Regionalism The Call of the Wild, Jack London White Fang, Jack London O’Pioneers, Willa Cather My Antonia, Willa Cather Maggie, Girl of the Streets, Stephen Crane The Jungle, Upton Sinclair Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain Miscellaneous Modern/Contemporary novels The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd. The Natural, Bernard Malamud (baseball; Jewish myth) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey (set in a mental asylum) House on Mango Street, Sandy Cisneros Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (Chinese-American culture) The Help, Kathryn Stockett (set in 1960s; about African-American maids in the South) Shoeless Joe, WP Kinsella (baseball) Franny and Zooey, by JD Salinger (from 1950’s; If you have an interest in world philosophy or eastern religion, you’d probably like this. ) The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath (mature themes) Research Novel Lottery Preparation. Native American Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Sherman Alexie Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko Quest/Journey On the Road, Jack Kerouac The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway The Road, Cormac McCarthy Dark Romanticism The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne (set in Puritan New England; challenging) ark Roma nticis m he Scarlet Letter For our project, you will read one of the books on this list and (later) research the reasons this has become a significant member of the American literary canon. (What literary elements make it unique or powerful? What impact has this work had on our history or way of thinking? ) During our next class, we will conduct a lottery so that each student has a different title. To help insure that you end up with a title that you will enjoy, please spend 20-30 minutes choosing 4 titles from the list that you will be pleased to read and research. You ARE NOT allowed to read any book that you have previously read. I strongly suggest you do some Internet searches on various titles to examine what those books are all about, and to determine if their content might appeal to you. You also need to make sure ahead of time that your choices are okay with your parents. Remember, we will draw names and choose titles, so it’s highly likely you won’t get your first choice. You may, in fact, want to come up with more than four choices! Four top choices: 1_________________________________________________________________________ 2_________________________________________________________________________ 3_________________________________________________________________________ 4_________________________________________________________________________ Please see side two for list of titles?

Partitioning Of Barbiturates Overview

Partitioning Of Barbiturates Overview Phenobarbitone is an antiepileptic drug which is used to treat epilepsy. Absorbance values at different concentration of phenobarbitone can be used to plot a calibration graph which in turns can be used to find the concentration of phenobarbitone in organic phase at different pH by using the gradient of the graph. From there, the concentration of phenobarbitone in aqueous phase can be determined and hence can find the partition coefficient (P). Ptrue of phenobarbitone can be determined with the presence of the value of Papp and fu of phenobarbitone (acid). % ionization of phenobarbitone at different pH can also be calculated by knowing its pKa and this in turns can be used to determine the lipophilicity of phenobarbitone. % extraction of phenobarbitone will also determine how well does phenobarbitone passes through the organic phase (biological membrane in the body) at different pH. Phenobarbitone is a barbiturate used in the treatment of epilepsy. It helps to reduce seizure frequency and severity and may even stop seizures altogether. [1] Phenobarbital works by acting on GABA receptors that in turn increase synaptic inhibition. This then increases the seizure threshold, hence reducing the number of seizures occurring. [2)] Phenobarbitone is the longest acting barbiturate. It is an acidic crystalline structure which has pka value 7.4, hence it is significantly ionised at ph values over 6. Lowering the pH of the solution reduces ionisation. [4] According to Phenobarbitone structure, it has 2 hydrogen bond donors and 3 hydrogen bond receptors and the solubility of Phenobarbitone in water is 1g in 1000mL (0.1% w/v). It has low lipid solubility compared with other barbiturate. Thus it has slow onset action and longer half life. This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of ionisation of phenobarbitone by measuring the amount that was extracted into n-octanol from the aqueous phases of different pH values. The results collected were then used to find the concentration of the drug at equilibrium and since the pKa of the drug and the pH of the solution are known, the true partition co-efficient for phenobarbtione can be calculated. [3] Partition coefficient (P) is the ratio of concentration of drug in n-octanol phase divided by concentration of drug in aqueous phase. A high partition co-efficient implies that the drug is highly lipophilic. [5] The method used in this experiment is the shake-flask method (the most accurate measurement method). The drug, in this case phenobarbitone, is allowed to equilibrate between the NaOH solution and the n-octanol and then the concentration in both layers are been determined. [5] Since the total amount of barbiturate present in the 0.5M NaOH (which is extracted from the octanol) is known, and the UV analysis gives the amount of phenobarbitone in the octanol layer at equilibrium, we can calculate the weight left in the aqueous phase and hence the concentration of drug in each phase at equilibrium. pKa is important to determine the true partition coefficient for the barbiturate. The disadvantage for shake-flask is that it is only apply to the unionised drug which most drugs are acids or bases and are ionised in biological systems. Experimental 0.02% w/v phenobarbitone in water was been provided as the stock solution. Using the stock solution, 50Â µg mL-1 solution in 0.5M NaOH [Solution A] and a 50Â µg mL-1 solution in water [Solution B] were been prepared. (a) Calibration Standards A range of calibration standards each containing 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 Â µg mL-1 of the phenobarbitone in 0.5M NaOH were prepared using Solution A. The wavelength of maximum absorbance (ÃŽ »max) at about 254nm was then determined using the 30 Â µg mL-1 standard. The absorbance of each standard at the ÃŽ »max was read using 0.5M NaOH as the blank. A calibration curve of absorbance versus concentration for the phenobarbiturate was then constructed using the absorbance readings obtained. (b) Partitioning Samples Six partitioning funnels were filled as the following: i) 10mL Solution B, 10mL 0.1M HCl, and 20mL n-octanol ii) 10mL Solution B, 10mL pH 6.6 buffer, and 20mL n-octanol iii) 10mL Solution B, 10mL pH 7.0 buffer, and 20mL n-octanol iv) 10mL Solution B, 10mL pH 7.4 buffer, and 20mL n-octanol v) 10mL Solution B, 10mL pH 8.0 buffer, and 20mL n-octanol vi) 10mL Solution B, 10mL pH 9.0 buffer, and 20mL n-octanol The funnels were shaken at frequent intervals for 30 minutes to allow the layers to separate fully. The organic layer was then been carefully ran off into a second separating funnel. 20mL of 0.5M NaOH was then added to the octanol and shaken for 5 minutes, allowing the layers to separate. The absorbance of the aqueous (bottom) layer was then measured by using the ÃŽ »max determined previously in (a). The concentration of the phenobarbitone in the 0.5M NaOH was calculated using the calibration curve. Discussion In partition chromatography, molecules move from one phase to another via passive diffusion, i.e. the movement of molecules from an area of high to low concentration area without any facilitating factor. However, charged molecules are unable to move down the concentration gradient via this route. Partition chromatography of phenobarbitone mimics the movement of phenobarbitone across the biological membrane, i.e. the movement of phenobarbitone from aqueous phase, 50Â µg mL-1 phenobarbitone in water, to organic phase, octanol. Its chemical structure shows that there is a long hydrocarbon chain attached to the ring structure which contributes to its lipophilicity. The more lipophilic the drug, the more efficiently it is absorbed into the organic phase. Glass separating funnels were used to avoid absorption of lipophilic drug into the container. 30 minutes after the layers are left to separate fully, the aqueous layer is carefully ran off, leaving the organic layer in the separating funnel. 20mL of 0.5M sodium hydroxide, NaOH is then added to the organic layer to separate the mixture into two immiscible layers again. This is possible because phenobarbitone is a weak acid, it reacts with the newly added base, NaOH to form aqueous phase. The concentration of phenobarbitone in the aqueous phase is then determined using a UV spectrophotometer. From Table 1.6, at pH 1.1, the weight of phenobarbitone in organic phase is highest, 4.392 X 10-4 g; whereas at pH 9.0, the weight of phenobarbitone in organic phase marked its lowest at 2.800 X 10-4 g. This proves that the drug is most lipophilic at low pH as it is a weak acid and is unionised at low pH, therefore more able to cross into the octanol layer. Meanwhile, at pH 9.0, most of the drug is retained in the aqueous phase in its ionised form and hence unable to cross into the octanol phase as it cannot be passively diffused. As shown in Table 1.7 and Graph 2.0, the higher the pH, more of the drug present is ionised and vice versa. Starting from pH 1.1, the percentage of phenobarbitone ionised in the aqueous phase increased slowly up to pH 6.6, followed by a steep increase from pH 6.6 to pH 8.0, and further increase less steeply from pH 8.0 to pH 9.0. As for Graph 2.0, a slow decrease is observed from pH 1.1 to pH 7.0, a steep decrease from pH 7.0 to pH 7.4, followed by a gradual decrease from pH 7.4 to pH 9.0. Partition coefficient, P is the ratio of a drugs concentration in the octanol phase to its concentration in the aqueous phase at equilibrium with each other. A high P value hence denotes a high drug concentration in organic phase. From the results, a high P obtained at low pH proves that phenobarbitone is a highly lipophilic drug, capable of crossing lipophilic membranes in the body. From the results section, Ptrue value at pH 1.1 is 7.74, whereas the literature value is 1.4. The comparison is made at pH 1.1 because phenobarbitone is present in its unionised form at low pH. However, the Ptrue value is much higher than the literature value. This could be due to errors that occurred during the experiment, e.g. parallax error while pipetting the stock solution, and accidentally ran off some of the organic phase while running off the aqueous phase, causing undetermined potential weight loss of phenobarbitone in the organic phase. It could also be due to insufficient time allowed for phenobarbitone to diffuse from the aqueous phase into the organic phase. Studies revealed that the peak plasma concentration is reached 0.5 to 4 hours following an oral administration; partition chromatography mimics the diffusion of drug across biological membrane, therefore requires at least 30 minutes to reach peak plasma concentration of phenobarbitone in the organic phase. However, in the experiment, the partition was stopped at 30 minutes, not allowing more time for the mixture to separate fully. As octanol was added into the separating funnels at different times, they could not be stopped at the same time. The aqueous (bottom) layers were then run off starting from the funnel where octanol was added the earliest to the latest. The time taken to run off the aqueous phase varies as the volume of aqueous phase varies from funnel to funnel, which may have resulted in different times for each funnel to separate and hence more complete separation in the later mixtures. The lipophilicity of phenobarbitone contributes to its absorption into the octanol phase. Likewise, it is readily absorbed across biological membranes in the body, e.g. stomach wall, cell membrane and blood-brain barrier. Phenobarbitone is administered orally; it is rapidly and fully bioavailable after oral administration as phenobarbitone is unionised in acidic environment. At pH 1.1, 87.84% of phenobarbitone was extracted into the organic phase. This signifies that 87.84% of phenobarbitone is able to cross the stomach wall into the systemic circulation. The absorption is expected to decrease with the increase of pH value down the gastrointestinal tract; the unionised fraction is smaller in the small intestine but has longer intraluminal dwell time and hence increasing absorption. Being lipophilic, phenobarbitone crosses biological membranes readily, more preferably at low pH environment, into the bloodstream and around the body via systemic circulation and then distributed throughout the interstitial fluid. However, about 50% of the drug is bound to plasma protein, therefore neither able to travel across the blood-brain barrier into the cerebrospinal fluid nor is it able to be metabolised by the liver. From Table 1.8, at pH 7.4, 70.72% of phenobarbitone was extracted into the octanol layer. Assuming 50% is protein-bound; it can then be assumed that only about 35.36% of phenobarbitone would reach the brain at physiological pH 7.4. Elimination is a mechanism the body utilises to rid drug, xenobiotics and waste products from the body and plasma, mainly by the kidney and the liver. The normal pH of urine ranges from pH 4.5 to pH 7.5. Phenobarbitone being lipophilic and protein-binding has a slow elimination; its lipophilicity prevents it from being filtered by the glomerulus, unless metabolised in the liver into a less lipophilic metabolite. However, 25% of phenobarbitone is still excreted in its unionised form via passive tubular secretion. This route of excretion is exaggerated when urine is alkaline or when the urine volume is increased, i.e. via forced diuresis. Conclusion As phenobarbitone is used in treatment of epilepsy, it needs to possess the characteristics and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier into the motor cortex to exert its depressant effect. From the partition chromatography carried out, it is evident that phenobarbitone is readily absorbed into the body across biological membranes due to phenobarbitones lipophilic nature. It is also widely distributed in the body fluid, including the cerebrospinal fluid where it can act on the motor cortex. As for elimination, approximately 75% of the drug is metabolised by the liver before being excreted, but 25% is excreted as unionised molecules by passive tubular secretion in the kidneys. In conclusion, phenobarbitone has a relatively fast onset of action, hence it is deemed suitable to be administered via the oral route for the treatment of epilepsy.

My Near Death Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

The term death is often used lightly. It is frequently used in jokes and idle threats, and rarely taken seriously. Few individuals really grasp the concept of death and how it can distort the lives of the people it comes in contact with. I was among the clueless until I was ten years old. I was running home from soccer practice, speeding towards the cursed intersection, not but a quartermile from my house when it happened. Luckily I am here today to reflect on that moment. My near death experience has tremendously changed the way I live and perceive life, thus defining who I am.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a brisk fall evening, the orange sun was just setting when I foolishly misjudged how fast a car was moving. It seemed as if I had enough time to run across the street before the car passed, but apparently I was wrong. The car came screeching to a halt as the driver slammed on his brakes. The car struck my torso and threw me onto the damp grass, away from oncoming traffic. I apparently was briefly knocked unconciousious, and distinctly remember the foul smell of rubber burning as I opened my eyes to see the frantic worried look on the drivers face. At the time it seemed as if he was more relieved than I was that I was able to walk away from the scene with just a pounding headache and a few scratches. It seems as though the timely accident replays daily in my head as I make everyday decisions about life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people say that what happened to me was not exactly a bru...

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resource Practitione Essay

The CIPD developed a map depicting the HR profession that signifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed by those in HR and Learning and Development professionals. The two inner core professional areas in the HRPM, Strategy Insights and Solutions and Leading HR, requires a deep understanding of the business activities, strategies and plans to drive business performance through the delivery of human resource strategy and solutions. Leading HR in particular focuses on the organisation requirements and that human resources employees are fully engaged, working collaboratively and all understand the drivers that create value within the organisation. Both of these core areas are to be reflected within all HR roles at any stage of a successful HR career regardless of location or working within an organisation or alongside one. The other 8 professional areas identify the knowledge and skills required within each band level to provide specialist HR assistance. There are 4 band levels, each band level signifies professional competence and is linked to the professional areas within said band level at every stage of the professionals HR career. To progress from one band to another there are three transitional pathways that identify what the professional must follow in order to progress. There are 8 behavioural areas clustered into 3 groups that identify how professionals at the relevant band level in their career need to carry out their duties and make a contribution to their organisations success. They include; Band One; Personally Credible; Builds a reliable reputation using experience and expertise and does so with integrity and in an objective manner. Collaborative; Works effectively with colleagues, customers, and individuals both within and outside of the organisation. Driven to deliver; Demonstrates a strong work ethic, consistent in their duties and take accountability for delivery of results. Plans, prioritises, monitors performance and holds others accountable for delivery. Band Two; Advises on and manager HR related issues and has a clear understanding of the evaluation process. Whilst at band two, the professional will demonstrates the Personally Credible and Driven to Deliver Behaviour Areas seen in Band One while also demonstrating other Behaviour Areas; Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. Courage to Challenge; Shows confidence and courage to speak and challenges others when confronted with unfamiliar circumstances. Skilled Influencer; Demonstrates the ability to influence and to gain commitment and support form a wide range of diverse stakeholders for the organisation benefit. Band Three; Requires the professional to show a high understanding of the Behaviour Areas Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. These are to be demonstrated at an expert level before progressing to the band level 4. The professional has the skills to lead in a Behavioural area and addresses key HR challenges at an organisational level. Band Four; Professionals are required to be an expert in their field, lead and manage the professional area or the organisational responsible for developing and delivering organisational and HR strategy. The professional is required to cover 3 Behavioural areas; Role Model, Curious and Decisive Thinker. Role Model; leading by example and implying sound personal judgement in all interactions. Curious; Demonstrates an active interest in the internal and external environment, shows a willingness to learn and active in the development of self and others and organisation levels and individual. Decisive Thinker; Demonstrates the ability to analyse information quickly and constructively to make defendable decisions using knowledge, experience and personal judgement. As a learner just starting out my HR career my experience and knowledge is limited and I believe to sit at Band One on the HRPM. Band One supports colleagues with administration duties and effectively manages data and is customer driven. The Professional Areas suited for Band One insure that all people within the organisation possess and develop the skills and knowledge to progress not only within the organisation, but their career by becoming motivated to learn, grow and perform. High performance within the organisation is promoted by rewards that are equitable and cost effective, given when rewarding skills, capabilities, performance and experience. While Band One focuses primarily on Performance and Reward and Learning and Talent Development as professional areas, the HRPM also depicts that the behaviours at Band One level are to be achieved. These include; Personally Credible, Collaborative and Driven to Deliver. The two core Professional Areas (Strategy Insights and Solutions and Learning and Talent Development) are at the very heart of any HR professional and should be the core values of any professional undertaking a HR career or an expert in their field.

Distinguishing Verbal And Non-Verbal Communication Essay

Communication is an essential part of every workplace, including a healthcare facility (Fry, 1994). This method of expressing an idea to another person influences the success of healthcare delivery and thus it is important for healthcare personnel to understand the different forms of communication (Hewitt, 1981a, 1981b). It is thus important to understand that there are two forms of communication. Verbal communication. This form of communication is what individuals generally rely on for conveying a message to another individual. This mode of expression uses words which may be spoken or written in order for another individual to receive. The message carried out through verbal communication is easy to understand and are actually straightforward. In the field of healthcare, it is a common occurrence that medical jargon is employed between healthcare personnel and thus this form of communication is still considered verbal. On the other hand, simpler words are often used when dealing with patients in the hospital (Krmidam, 1989). These simple words are chosen to be used with patients because these are quickly understood by the patients and thus caring for them will be easier if they understand what is being explained to them (Murphy, 1982; Gordon et al. , 2009; Haskard et al. , 2009). It is also important to know that verbal communication can also be quite complex when one individual speaks with abstract words, mostly because they chose to do so. The vocabularies may sound highly articulate yet these words can have the same meaning when used with simple words. The choice of words by an individual is also influenced by his age, educational attainment and maturity, wherein younger individuals tend to employ simple words while those more mature individuals use more difficult words when they communicate with other people. It should be understood that instead of being confused by the words of a speaker, it is more important to understand what he is trying to convey. Non-verbal communication. This form of communication does not involve the use of words but are actually conveyed through voluntary or involuntary signals that may come from one individual and is perceived or received by another person. The most common example of non-verbal communication is body language, which pertains to the actions and movements that an individual shows while speaking or not speaking at all. This is also considered as a form of one-way communication because certain messages are transmitted to another person through gestures, facial expressions and other physical attributes (Rask et al. , 2008). Examples of non-verbal communication include facial expressions such as smiling, smirking and glaring (Wujcik, 2004). These facial expressions can impart either a positive or negative message towards a patient and most of the time, the individual showing this non-verbal form of communication is not aware that he is doing this. The manner of dressing also imparts a message to another person. Thus, a person wearing a suit conveys a message of honor, while a person wearing simple overall imparts a message that he is a worker. Hair also symbolizes certain messages, including how the hair is arranged and the color. A well-kept hairdo will thus convey that an individual is in control of himself, while dishevel hair may mean that the individual is under stress and possibly leads a confusing and difficult life. There are also other non-verbal messages that are imparted by jewelry. A wedding ring extends the message that an individual is married, while a person wearing a watch may mean that he is aware that time is precious. Cosmetics can also convey a message, wherein its overt use is strongly associated with prostitutes, while simple women wear minimal cosmetics or none at all. Both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication influence an interaction between individuals (LeFebvre, 2008). It is thus important to be able to identify and to distinguish these forms, in order to fully understand an individual and ultimately result in a productive relationship. References Fry, A. (1994). Effective communication with people with visual disabilities. Nursing Times, 90, 42-43. Gordon, C. , Ellis-Hill, C. and Ashburn, A. (2009). The use of conversational analysis: Nurse-patient interaction in communication disability after stroke. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65, 544-553. Haskard, K. B. , DiMatteo, M. R. , Heritage, J. (2009). Affective and instrumental communication in primary care interactions: Predicting the satisfaction of nursing staff and patients. Health Communications, 24, 21-32. Hewitt, F. S. (1981a). The nurse and the patient: Communication skills. Introduction to communication. Nursing Times, 77, 1-4. Hewitt, F. S. (1981b). The nurse and the patient. Communication skills. Non-verbal communication. Nursing Times, 77, 9-12. Krmidam, M. O. (1989). Communication with patients. Kenya Nursing Journal, 17, 11. LeFebvre, K. B. (2008). Strengthen your verbal and nonverbal communication. ONS Connections, 23, 21. Murphy, D. C. (1982). Communication: The key to improved patient understanding. NITA, 5, 370-372. Rask, M. , Brunt, D. and Fridlund, B. (2008). Validation of the verbal and social interaction questionnaire: Nurses’ focus in the nurse-patient relationship in forensic nursing care. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 15, 710-716. Wujcik, D. (2004). Do our nonverbal messages inhibit patient care? ONS News, 19, 2.