Challenges to the Attainment of Work-life Balance

Ch wholeenges to the Attain ment of Work- smell BalanceThe mapping of this paper is to re slang the recent literature on the recent state of theoretical and practical issues bear on the attainment of domesticate- live course of actionss proportion indoors organizations. It withal challenges some of the metaphorical assumptions associated with tap/ action counter nullify. The labyrinthine sense amidst unravel and bearing is becoming an important strategic comp atomic number 53nt in the Human Resource way atomic number 18na. Hence, to successfully maintain key human resource functions much(prenominal) as attracting and retaining talented staff indoors the organization, policies should be foc utilise towards endorsing exertion- spiritedness counterpoise.IntroductionFor the past ten years at that place has been increasing interest in employ- spirit balance and has drafted innumerable attention from popular presses and scholarly journals. This increase in attention is in go away ambitious by recent concerns stipulating that an imbalanced figure out/ purport relationship bunghole reduce the health of soulfulnesss resulting in tear down cash in integritys chips performance and crumb slang invalidating impacts on family life.The concept of use/life balance began to emerge in the 1980s and 1990s where companies first started to offer get/life programs. While the first effect of these programs were chiefly to sustain women with children. Theses overwhelmd maternity leave, home-based employment, flex- quantify, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and child-c be referral. During the 1980s men in like manner began voicing determine-life concerns. However, todays run/life programs are less gender-specific and recognize separate commitments as surface as those of the family.The issue of work/life balance began to emerge to the forefront of look and organizations when Rosabeth Moss Kanter revealed the phenomena in her authoritative book Work and Family in the United States A Critical Review and Agenda for Research and constitution (1977).. However, the term work-life balance was first coined in 1986 in reaction to the unhealthy choices that many Ameri dopes were do in favor of the work place, as they opted to neglect family, friends and leisure activities in the pursuit of corporate goals. The articles published at that time suggested a sharp increase in the working hours of the Ameri tolerates and this had started to affect their families and undivided heath. Work life balance then slowly started gaining grounds in the contrastive organizations. By the end of the decade, work-life balance was seen as more(prenominal) than just a womens issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures. Since, then it has certain in to a multidimensional scene with factors affecting the both the exclusive and is critical for organisational success.It is formidable to note that the term work/life balance is w idely tho an official definition of this term still remains indefinable. Even though there are many conceptualizations of work-family balance occurring in recent literature, a direct developed saloon of the construct does not exist. This unreliable round of work-family balance undermines the index to fully explore the rudimentary facets of this phenomenon. However, this negatively impacts investigations into the policies with reward to item-by-item and organizational outcome variables. within organizations and corporations there is increasing attention among organizational s hireholders (management, executive directors, owners etc.) for the introduction of work/life balance policies. This has become a predominant issue within the workplace. some(prenominal) organizations thrust implemented proficient polices and programs with the objective of improving employee experiences of work-life balance. In the absence of a well developed measure of work-family balance, assessing impa ct of such interventions trial-and-errorly becomes problematic. However, there is the need to fully understand and find an in force(p) measure of work/life balance. This allows human resource practitioners to employ a proactive approach towards seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage. It will also aid in finding a balance betwixt challenges of the work/life dilemma and recommend complimentary solutions. In attempting to find an utile measure of balance, the organization would then be capable of assessing the impact of the policies created on employee sagaciousness of balance. This can also pull ahead inter-organizational assessment of the aims of perceived work-life balance which can brook useful information to organizational stakeholders for indemnity drafting.Definition of Work Life BalanceWork/life balance can be specify as the absence of unacceptable aims of appointment mingled with work and non-work requires Greenblatt(2002). I t incorporates the achievement of a reasonable level of involvement among the various intents in the lives of somebodys and assesses their ability to deal with simultaneously with the complex demands of life. There are various definitions of work/life balance that is car parkly associated with an equilibrium or sustenance of a sense of consistency in life. However, the intend can take on different characteristics as it can mean different things to different groups. For modelling, work/life balance is different within different stages of life every individual experiences. An individual who has recently graduated from university and is not married would own a different conception of work-life balance compared with an individual who may be married and has responsibility to their spouse and children. Johnson (2005) suggests that ones perception of work-life balance is dependent on the individuals environment, age and lifestyle. Anformer(a) important consideration is the level of involution between work and family battlegrounds especially when there is portion conflict (Kossek and Lambert 2005). Furthermore, the job requirements of the individual in the workplace would often hamper with their family life responsibilities. (Williams 2008).The meaning is dependent on the circumstances of the discussion and the researchers viewpoint. There are some acceptable definitions regarding work/life balance and some definitions may everyplacelap and some are evolving which are discussed further.The Traditional view of work/life balanceThe traditional view of work/life balance assumes that it involves the commitment of resembling quantity of time to paid work and non-work purposes. There are broadly speaking five major perspectives utilize to explain the correlation between work and life stipulated by Zedeck and Mosier (1990) and ODriscoll (1996). The first perspective is the segmentation modelling which theorizes that work and non-work are both independent hum ankinds of life that are separate and have no catch on the some other. This appears to be offered as a theoretical possibility rather than a model with empirical support. The spillover model is the complete opposite of the segmentation model hypothesizes that both spheres are interdependent on each other either in a positive or negative way. The research into this sphere can support its proposition however it is deemed having little value as it is too general. This standpoint needs a more meticulous proposal about the haves, spirit and effects of spillover.The other models examined are more fine adaptations of the spillover model. The third model is the compensation model which states that the demands or enjoyments that is lacking in one sphere can be made up in the other. For example, work may be routine and undemanding but this is compensated for by a major intent in local community activities outside work. The other model is an instrumental model whereby an activity in one sphere accentuates the other sphere. The traditional example is the instrumental worker who will seek to maximize earnings, even at the price of undertaking a routine job and working long hours, to allow the purchase of a home or a car for a young family. The final model is a conflict model which states that each sphere has five-fold demands, thus requiring individuals to prioritize and make choices that can lead to conflict.The contemporary view of work/life balanceThe contemporary view stipulates that the concept is recognized to be more complex and a tot of different issues are to be incorporate. Contemporary studies have explored and measured six flavors of work/life balance that can provide a valuable construct for theoretical advancement and practical human resource interventions. The framework consist of six conceptualizations of work-life balance found in recent literature are as follows multiple roles, uprightness across multiple roles, satisfaction between multiple ro les, fulfillment of role boldness between multiple roles, a relationship between conflict and facilitation and perceived chasten between multiple roles.Work-life balance delineate as multiple rolesThis view is drawn from an individuals multiple life roles which stipulate that the non work (personal/ family) demands are spilled over into the working day of the individual that negatively affects the health and work performance of the individual. This can be referred to as a multiple demand carry over which is referred by Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) as bidirectional, denoting home-to-work and work-to-home spillover. It is outright accepted that there are positive as well as negative carry over with recent research pointing the bidirectional constructs of work-family facilitation and enhancement, as well as conflict. Within recent works Greenhaus and propagation have be the multiple role conflict of work/life balance generally as Work-family balance reflects an individuals orien tation across different life roles, an inter-role phenomenon (Greenhaus, collins Shaw 2003).Work-life balance defined as equity across multiple rolesThe multiple roles definition of work-life balance as further examined by Greenhaus that explored with further focusing on the fulfillment across an individuals multiple life roles or the matchity of time. Work-family balance was therefore defined as the extent to which an individual is engaged in and evenly satisfied with his or her work role and family role. There are three components of work family-balance that are time balance, involvement balance, and satisfaction balance (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003). Time balance refers to an equal amount of time addicted to work and family roles and involvement balance refers to an equal level of psychological involvement in work and family roles. Satisfaction balance stipulates that there is an equal level of satisfaction with work and family roles. The individual components of work/lif e balance can represent either a positive balance or negative balance depending on the levels of time, involvement, or satisfaction which are every bit high or equally low.However, the work/life balance can be viewed a continuum anchored that is skewed to one end by disparities in favor of a certain role (family, personal roles). It can also be relatively balanced state to extensive imbalance in favor of the other role (work). Work/life balance can be conceptualized as an independent variable of an individuals desires or values. Bielby and Bielby (1989) observed that married working women may emphasize their family in balancing work and family identities and Lambert (1990) discussed maintaining a particular balance between work and home. The term balance here is used to represent an vagabond of diverse patterns of dedication, rather than parity of dedications across roles. It can be inferred that an individual who gives extra priority to one role than the other is relatively imbal anced even if the distribution of commitment to family and work is extremely accordant with what the individual wants or values. This conjures the controversial question whether such imbalance in favor of one role is healthy or not.Work-life balance defined as satisfaction between multiple rolesKirchmeyer research have focused on the importance of individual satisfaction with multiple roles defined work-life balance as achieving consolatory experiences in all life domains and to do so requires personal resources such as energy, time, and commitment to be well distributed across domains (Kirchmeyer 2000). Clark (2000) also focused on individual satisfaction within the description of work/family dodge system and defined work-life balance as satisfaction and nifty functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict (Clark 2000).Work-life balance defined as a fulfillment between multiple rolesThis aspect focuses on the individual satisfaction where there is an overlap with the reference book an individuals perspective the multiple roles in relation to its importance. This point of view recognizes that the salience of roles is also not a static evaluation but may change over time with diverse familiar life changes such as work promotion, new baby, sick spouse or parents etc. Greenhaus and Allen then defined work-life balance as the extent to which an individuals effectiveness and satisfaction in work and family roles are compatible with the individuals life role priorities at a presumption point in time. Similarly, work and life balance research should focus on whether ones expectations about work and family roles are met or not. Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux and Brinley (2005).Work/life balance defined as a relationship between conflict and facilitationRecent research has revealed the psychosomatic constructs that map work-life balance, noticeably conflict and facilitation. Consequently, work-life balance is been defined as an absence of con flict and a presence of facilitation where low levels of inter-role conflict and high levels of inter-role facilitation represent work-family balance (Frone 2003). The assessment of the four bidirectional conflict and facilitation constructs can be used as a framework to test this definition Balance is a combined measure whereby work-family conflict was subtracted from work-family facilitation, and family- work conflict was subtracted from family-work facilitation (Grzywacz Bass 2003).Work-life balance defined as an apparent control among multiple rolesThis aspect is the least supported within the research literature. It states that work-life balance can be interpreted as a degree of independence where an individual perceives themselves having control over their multiple role demands. Fleetwood states that Work-life balance is about plenty having a measure of control over when, where and how they work (Fleetwood 2007). Apparently, work-life balance can also be seen as a result of individual sovereignty over the roles to the highest degree salient to the individual. Therefore, an individual could reduce their work hours to spend time with for example their children which can be perceived as effective work-life balance.Finding a balanced work/life measureThe brief review of the literature denotes that there has been limited imperious effort to clearly develop one clear definition or one specific measure of work-life balance. It is important to work towards a consensus of the precise meaning of work-life balance. With the emergence of a specific definition of work-life balance, it would rear decisive outcome variables to authenticate the contemporary theoretical models that describe the relationship among common moderators, outcome variables and the oscilloscope of work-life balance. This would ensure that a detailed measure of work-life balance could also be used to contrast the levels of perceived balance among the levels within an organization. This woul d be significant for comparisons among the levels of balance among organizations. It would incorporate questioning employees to rate their present discernment of work-life balance to avidly create an effective measure of balance. The phylogenesis of a systematic scale would also be necessary to sufficiently authenticate such a measure.The review of the literature reveals that is difficult in capturing a simple holistic measure of the meaning of work-life balance. A basis for recognizing the common threads of meaning can develop using the six definitions of work-life balance previously reviewed. Some definitions consist of the concept of perceptions of good balance as imperative to the significance of work-life balance. The realization that levels of work-life balance can change over time according to the salience of specific life events is also important to note. This would acknowledge the repeated readjustment to some(prenominal) demands that most employees cope with over their p eriod of employment.An integration of the two core meanings or definition of work-life balance can equate the following definition, Work-life balance is the individual perception that work and non-work activities are compatible and promote growth in accordance with an individuals current life priorities (Kalliath 2008). The literature proposed that any appraisal of work-life balance should include individual preferences of current roles. This definition further acknowledges that an effectual balance would lead to positive improvement within the work and non-work spheres. Consequently an individuals work/life precedence can be voluntarily changed to incorporate the development of non-work activities (eg new baby, travel vacations) or growth at work (working harder to gain a promotion). This definition of work-life balance has to be operational within the context to measure validation and development across variant samples. supposititious Framework Work-Family Border Theory (Clark, 20 00)The theoretical framework employed to understand the balance between work and life is the Work-Family Border Theory. The work-family border supposition (Clark, 2000) and boundary theory (Ashforth, 2000) each contribute to the study of work-family company by depicting the circumstances under which changeable degrees of work-family integration are likely to positively or negatively affect an individuals well- beingness. These theories deals with how pack build, preserve, negotiate and cross boundaries. It shows how people depict the lines between work and family (Clark, 2000).In both theories are similar by an incorporation or segmentation as indicated primarily by displaying characteristics of flexibility and permeability. It is suggested that both are integrate evident when two or more spheres are highly flexible and permeable with respect to one other. The Boundary theory and work-family border theory are common with respect to the extent of work-family integration depending on similarities among these domains with each other (Desrochers Sargeant, 2004). However, the two theories diverge on the nature of the relationship and implications for work-family balance.The difference among roles is the determination of the clarity of how substantial the boundary is between one domain and another that consequently influences the possibility of work-family conflict Ashforth (2000). (Desrochers 2005). This theory has a propensity to focus on transitions within an organizational context Matthews (2007). Even though, reference is made to conversion between organizational roles and non-organizational roles (conversion between work roles and family roles), Clark (2000) states that the transparency of the work-family border is distinguished from the correspondence of role domains in which these two factors interact to influence work-family balance. Matthews (2007) states that this theory is mainly focused on the approach of people transitions between the work and fa mily domains.The Work-family border theory denotes how individuals negotiate and control both the borders between work and family spheres and try to find a balance between them (Clark, 2000). The design of this theory is focused on finding a framework to undermine the criticism and gaps of previous theories on work and family (Akdere, 2006) by dividing the boundaries within the employees life. The theory seeks to deal with how the segmentation and incorporation, management and border creation and border crossers have on the relationships of work and home factors influence on work-family balance. The term border-crossers are referred to employees that are intending on making constant daily alterations between their work and family lives.The distinguishing factor between Work-family border theory and boundary theory in that its definition of borders not merely encompasses psychological categories but also the substantial boundaries that divide place, people and time that is associate d with work versus family spheres (Desrochers 2005). However, Clark (2000) research tries to comprehend the progression of work-family conflict. The earlier approaches were inadequate as they lacked predictive ability and offered modest direction in either forecasting work-family conflict or solving problems that arise from hard to find a balance between work and family responsibilities (Clark, 2000).Not all individuals are characterized engage in this transition of border-crossing as the language and customs are highly alike within both spheres. Within work domain the language and behavior that is expected are diverse from the expectation within the family domain and consequently a more extreme transition is required. The underlying concept of work-family balance theory refers to satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict (Clark, 2000). The universe of this theory is built upon the roles between spheres and has the possibility for furth er clarification on the work and family conflict processes between the family and the workplace (Bellavia Frone, 2005). The fundamental concepts of the work-family border theory are the work and home domains, the borders between work and home, the border-crosser with other important domain members.The Work and Home DomainsThe work and home are regarded by Clark as being two different domains that has differential behavior rules, and thought patterns. The differentiation among the work and home domains can be classified in two distinct groups that are the differences in value ends and differences in value way (Rokeach, 1973 as cited in Clark, 2000). The Work primarily deals with square(p) the means and ends of providing an income and giving a sense of accomplishment, magic spell home life satisfies the ends of attaining close personal relationships. Within the work sphere the desired ends of responsibility and electrical capacity were class-conscious as the most important where as the life aspect the desired ends of loving and giving were ranked the most significant means in achieving happiness in the home (Clark 2000). Due to the differentiation in spheres, individuals often find a balance that assimilates both work and life to some degree (Clark, 2000). With respect to the way in which individuals deal with differences of the two domains can be explained on a continuum with one end being integration and segmentation on the other Nippert-Eng (1996).The Borders between Work and FamilyWithin the context of the border theory, an individuals role takes place in a detailed sphere of life and these domains are distinguished by borders that demarcate from either being psychological, chronological, or physical (Clark 2000). The physical borders define where domain or behavior takes place regarding to the workplace or within the home (Clark 2000). Within the research frameworks, the literature is geared towards more controlling and setting time schedules in examin ing the role conflict boundaries, however less consideration is given to space Ahrentzen (1990). The temporal border refers the time in which work is finished and when responsibilities of the family initiate (Hill 1998). The psychological borders refers to the rules an individual creates that dictate their emotions, behavior patterns and thinking patterns which are appropriate within a specific domain such as work but not family life (Clark, 2000). Psychological borders are used by individuals to identify the rules that create the physical and temporal borders. It is created as an endorsement which a process in which individuals takes elements given in their environments and organizes them in a way that makes sense (Clark 2000).Work-Family ConflictThe various predictors of work/family conflict can be grouped into two general categories role environment and personality. The Role environment consist of several types of role related predictors of work/family conflict such as behavioral involvement, psychological involvement, role-related stressors and affect, and role related resources. behavioral involvement represents the amount of time devoted to work and family roles. As more time is devoted to one role, it would be expected that less time would be available to meet the demands of another role. Consistent with this notion, a number of studies have found that the time devoted to family activities and chores is positively related to levels of family to work conflict, whereas the time devoted to work is positively related to levels of work to family conflict.Work and family stressors, dissatisfaction, and trouble have been examined as potential causes of work-family conflict. It is generally hypothesized that role characteristics can produce role-related dissatisfaction or distress, which may lead to cognitive preoccupation with the source of the distress or to reduced levels of psychological and physical energy. The resulting increase in cognitive preoccupatio n or diminution in energy can undermine an individuals ability or willingness to meet the obligations of other roles (Frone, Yardley, 1997). Consistent with this line of reasoning, past research has found that work demands, work-role conflict, work role ambiguity, and job distress or dissatisfaction are positively related to reports of work/life balance conflict.Work and family social support have been explored as potential resources that reduced work-family conflict. For example, a supportive supervisor may not make excessive demands that would cause an employee to work at home. Likewise, a supportive spouse or other family member may provide direct assistance with demands at home, thereby simplification the likelihood that an individual is preoccupied with these problems at work. by research has found that higher levels of social support at work are related to lower levels of work-to-family conflict, whereas higher levels of social support at home are related to lower levels of family-to-work conflict (Adams, 1996).Personality. Although most research has explored role characteristicsas potential causes of work-family conflict, a few studies have begun toexamine personality dispositions as causes of work-family conflict. Variouspersonality characteristics, such as mastery, hardiness, positive affectivity,and extraversion may be conceived of as individual resources in that theycapture a tendency to actively cope with problems at work and home,thereby reducing the likelihood of work-family conflict. Other personalityvariables, such as negative affectivity and neuroticism, may be conceivedof as individual deficits in that they capture a tendency to avoid problemsat work and home, thereby increasing the likelihood of work-family conflict.Several recent studies have found that high levels of hardiness, extraversion,and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of both work-tofamilyand family-to-work conflict (Bernas Major, 2000 Grandey Cropanzano,1999 Grzy wacz Marks, 2000). whizz study reported that highlevels of neuroticism were associated with higher levels of both work-tofamilyand family-to-work conflict (Grzywacz Marks, 2000).Managing the boundary between the work and family spheresThe review of the literature have show that little studies have examined an individuals perception within the boundaries of work and family roles (Nippert-Eng 1996). The digest of borders can elucidate the extent in which individuals can control the issues determining work and family balance (Guest 2002). This allows for the synopsis of physical and psychological controls, an examination of the nature of border permeability and the extent in which they can be managed or moved. This is consistent with the centrality of the issue where individuals perceive the parameters of work and family activities, which create personal meaning and the management of relationships among families and work Zedeck (1992). Kirchmeyer (2000) views living a balanced lif e as reaching a level that satisfies experiences within all life domains and requires individual resources such as commitment, energy and time to be well distributed across domains. Similarly, Clark indicates that work and family balance is a satisfaction and good functioning of roles at work and at home with least role conflict (Clark, 2000). Furthermore, another definition of balance stipulates that a balanced life is productive, healthy and satisfying including facets of love, play and work (Kofodimos 1993).These definitions of balance share two important elements. There is the notion of e attribute, or near-equality, between experiences in the work role and experiences in the family role (Reiter, 2007). Clark (2000) and Kirchmeyer (2000) imply similarly high levels of satisfaction, health, functioning and talent across the various roles. Furthermore, the definitions of work and family balance implicitly consider two constructs of equality that are inputs and outcomes. The input s are the personal resources (Kirchmeyer, 2000) that are applied to each role. Kirchmeyer (2000) states that balance within work and family requires that each role be approached with approximately an equal level of involvement, time, commitment or attention. The balance achieved can either be negative or positive. A positive balance refers to an equal amount of attention, time, involvement, or commitment, whereas negative balance refers to an equally low level among these inputs. These inputs determine an individuals level of role commitment in accordance with the time apply or psychological involvement in each role. There is difficulty in determining an individual who is substantially balanced as being more betrothed in the work role than in the family role. The other component of balance is the resultant outcomes that are experienced in work and family roles. A shop outcome included in definitions of balance is satisfaction (Kirchmeyer 2000 Clark2000).The relationship between wo rk/life balance and quality of lifeThe balance between work and life is denoted to promote well-being. It is suggested that an imbalance in work will stimulate high levels of stress, cause a reduction in the quality of life and pass an individuals job performance (Kofodimos 1993). Within an organization the promotion of work/life balance can be promoted by an organizational change approach proposed by Hall (1990). This organizational change can take effect, by companies and individuals considering the advice given by literary publications providing on how to promote a greater balance in life (Cummings 2001 Fisher 2001).However, the question arises on how work/life balance can enhance an individuals quality of life. With respect to individuals, multiple roles can protect and create a buffer from the effects of negative experiences in any one role in an individuals life (Barnett Hyde, 2001). Work/life balance not only produces this buffering effect but can directly promote well bein g. Marks and MacDermid (1996) states that individuals who are believed to have a balanced life are deemed primed to seize the moment when they meet a role demand since one role is seen no less than the other. Within this way of thinking individuals who are perceived to have balance experience lower levels of stress when enacting roles due to the assumption that they are participating in role activities that are salient to them. It is evident that individuals that have a balance have experienced less role overload and less depression compared to individuals that were deemed imbalanced MacDermid (1996).Furthermore, when an individual has a

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Podcasts

Advantages And Disadvantages Of PodcastsPodcast has created a smart world to communication and media. Podcast atomic number 18 used in a computer or a ready device much(prenominal)(prenominal) as iPod. Podcast is a term adapted from the word iPod and broadcast. According to Wikipedia, podcast tooshie be defined as a series of audio frequency enter and video files or digital media files that atomic number 18 functional on the net which is released incidentally and often being downloaded via web syndication. Meanwhile podcasting is a creative process which involves a fewer different comp cardinalnts.The main purpose of podcast is to raise awareness among concourse. Messages on the important issues and squeezeics ass be delivered to bulk through podcasting or video blogging. Podcasting is a new personal manner to fool money. One fucking earn true in father through subscription if their podcast is good enough and popular. Besides that, podcast enable people to teach early(a)s. For instance, courses now are available on podcast and video blogs which was previously available on emails and websites that take control back unlimited choices. This gives a cast down hold to those who has problem to read to just hear and bet the course materials.Podcasting is used in education, business or commercial and entertainment. Podcasting function in education wise is for language tuition, conferences, seminar and forum alike project introduction and re face. Meanwhile in business, podcast is used for marketing and promotions, training of staff, news and product or service demonstration. murmur radio and crazy talk are examples of podcasting function for entertainment.The major advantage of podcast is the demographics. Podcasting enables people to reach millions of listeners outside(a) who has the chance to listen to your programs when they choose. Moreover, listeners founder the privilege to listen again to the program that has already aired beside s being able to play or pause and to rewind or lush forward. Besides that, podcasting is a new way to learn new languages. Instead of buying books to learn new language, sense of hearing would be an easy, quicker and better way to learn and at the same judgment of conviction improve our language skills.Last further not least, although, podcasting is the latest technology and created audio related programs, it also has its disadvantages. The list of the disadvantages of podcasting is time consuming, not searchable, approachability problems and limited audience. Podcast consumes a lot of time especially if the file is larger. It is not usually easy to search in podcasting. Although several search engines discharge be used, however, aroundtimes it is impossible to search directly indoors the files. It is a challenge to upload and edit files which has a larger size and higher quality. It needs good and fast broadband connection. Besides that, the file format should be compatib le not only iPod exclusively also new(prenominal) devices. Even though, we are in a modern world now, not ein truthone owns a mobile device. Some people prefer to read instead of downloading and listening to audio files from the internet.The world that we are living now is moving forward with the help of technology. Technology plays an important role in our feeling which has made our life easier. Technology improvises the creation of the devices to a better one and the communication services such(prenominal) as introducing to the podcasting.Question 2Facebook and Twitter are examples of Social Networks and Media Sharing Tools. By using the belief of anytime, anywhere schooling, how these tools can be manipulated to take advantage of the passion young people for learning by tapping into the tools. Discuss in detail and provide example for each.SOCIAL NETWORKINGCurrently considerably-disposed networking has become a trend among the young people in worldwide. What is genial net work exactly? Social network is packet or also better turn inn as a website which connects and allows people around the world to come to tolerateher and parting ideas or topics of interest. The mixer network is used for communication and interaction among the people internationally. The favorable network can be an effective way to promote business and also for learning process. Nevertheless, or so parents think that it is a waste of time if it is being misused, yes, it would be waste of time. Facebook and Twitter are among the top and popular mixer network around the world. In July 2010, Facebook was announced as the worlds largest favorable network which has vitamin D million users around the world. The well-disposed network has introduced to a new way to communicate at anytime and anywhere. It is a way to keep in clue with friends from schools, colleges and the new friends we made via the social network. However, some parents think that the social network is a way thei r kids waste their time. twice mentioned?Do you know that besides sharing interest, one can use the social network for learning purpose? Thus, the social network becomes an advantage to the young people which indirectly manipulates them for learning. One of the ways to win young people to use social network for learning purpose is to create an account or group for the classroom. Student along with their classmates and teachers can helping and metamorphose opinions on their learning. Further more than, it facilities the school-age childs and also the teachers to surf the internet while having a discussion via the social network. Students can circumstances online selective information such as notes, question and other learning related documents or materials among their friends and classmates. Besides that, this allows the teacher to pinpoint the students weakness and leave a comment how?.On the other hand, teachers can update the groups locating by posting some questions, share information, videos or links and blogs to be discussed during class. Through this way, it encourages the students to do some research and be well prepared for the class. Besides that, students can send a quick mental object to their teachers regarding the class notes, class exercises, assignments and so on. Moreover, students can ask their teacher regarding their next lesson for the class which enables them to prepare earlier.Next, students can create a group which enables students from other class, schools and also students in their network friend list that likely from other states or countries to join. This enables varieties of ideas and information exchanged among student locally and also internationally. One of the advantages of exchanging ideas internationally is one can learn and practice new language. This also creates a new environment in the learning process. Lastly, the access to the famous online encyclopedia, Wikipedia can improve and increase the students knowledge.La st but not least, the advantage of social network for learning purpose is enables students to share various ideas and information. Social network gives a chance to pop some word pictures to various and multiple point of view through different people opinion and experiences. Students can also gain a chance to connect and talk to other student. They can exchange ideas and information during the learning process. It is a way to keep in touch among each other. Among the other advantage is to provoke immediate feedback from the learning process. Students can ask questions and receive the answers or response as soon as possible from teachers. This can develop a good understanding between the student and the teacher.Meanwhile, the disadvantage of social network is time consuming. Some students abuse the social network for different purpose such as dating. Therefore, the use of social network is a waste of time. The social network also lack of namelessness because some students provide information on themselves which others should not know such as age, gender, location and other personal details. This is because someone who has a bad intention might misuse on the information given. There is a risk of identity theft.The social network is beneficial to everyone no matter the younger or the elder generation as long as it is used for a good purpose and intention. It is an alternative way to keep in touch with friends, relatives and whoever we know via the social network.ARTICLESWhat Are the Advantages of Podcasting?By Jennifer Uhl, eHow Contributorupdated March 14, 2010 Podcasting is an audio distribution medium that offers numerous advantages over traditional broadcasting and distribution methods both online and off. Creating a podcast does not take a lot of expensive equipment and allows content creators to potentially reach millions of listeners on a global basis. The content of a podcast is delivered to subscribers via syndicated feeds, allowing users to listen on a Mac or PC as well as many instances of portable media doers.Subscribing to a Podcast Two of the benefits of podcasts are their distribution channels and methods of delivery. While users have the ability to download and listen to individual episodes of a specific podcast manually, many are automatically delivered to the users via media player software such as iTunes or Juice (Mac or PC). Most media player software testament also sync a users selected podcast with her portable music player such as an iPod or Zune, requiring very little effort on the users behalf to always have the latest most up-to-date content that is available. cost Effectiveness Podcasting is beneficial to individuals and businesses that seek to reach large audiences because of its cost effectiveness. A podcast requires only basic audio recording equipment to capture, and an Internet connection and means of delivering the podcast to listeners. With the basic hardware required, such as a mike and computer, a place to host the podcast files and the necessary software for recording, any individual or group can create an effective podcast recording and share it on the Web.Advertising Potential Another advantage of podcasting is the ad potential that comes with a podcast that has a decent listener base. A popular podcast with a large listening base can sell advertising slots to local companies or Internet companies to generate taxation. This creates additional r horizontalue and advertising potential for any podcast that has a listener base.Podcast Demographics A major advantage to podcasting is the benefit of attain millions of listeners who have the ability to listen to your programming when they choose. Additionally, listeners can pause or play a program, fast forward or rewind, and can listen to programming that has already aired. The number of podcast listeners grows daily as the technology evolves and becomes more ubiquitous on consumer electronics the technology is only going to increase in popularity as podcasting recording and listening devices become more prevalent.8 Ways to Use Social Networks in the Classroompost by M. Bamieh onJanuary 21, 2010Twitter in EducationEarlier, we talked about a few nifty resources for educators that are available for free online. These services were more emphasised on education and catering to their needs for creating internal social networking platforms, impart-source blackboardsand conferencing applications. They were great resources but they all required some amount of set-up and involved a endorsement of a learning curve to get used to them.Today we are just going to share some ideas that help educators bring social networks into classrooms, utilizing some of the services that we all use. Ranging from Twitter to Skype we provide share 8 ways that they can be used in the classroom.Create a Twitter bank noteUsing Twitter for Teacher Student communication allows for short and quick messages exchange. This is useful for students and teachers to ask questions and might be a great resource for the teacher in the preparation of her class notes allowing her to know which areas to focus on.Using a WikiAn example of a wiki is the famous online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Wiki, by design, encourages discussion and interactivity, fostering in and out of class discussion. By creating an outline of a Wiki entry and allowing the students to edit and discuss the subject matter, it will help introduce a new and fun element to their homework, while at the same time encouraging debate. There are many creative ways to use Wikis in education.Create a Youtube ChannelSchool material might be limited, dull and sometimes outdated. Students tend to navigate Youtube quite a naturally, and it is one of their sources of information. By utilizing this familiar platform, you can create videos or slideshows that would provide some useful and relevant information, even link some other videos that are available on Youtube. Th is will also encourage students to reply with their own videos.Share Online DocumentsStudents sometimes need quick access to the syllabus, worksheets, or some check notes.Slideshare and Scribd allow educators to upload all relevant online materials to one location. This allows students to reach those documents from their computers.Update Facebooks statusTeachers can lend oneself FBs Status updates to post a question, share a piece of information, video or link that would open up the discussion for next class. This would encourage students to research and prepare for the next class, practically expanding the walls of the classroom into cyberspace.Be In DiigoCreate an account and a group for the classroom, students and teachers and utilize Diigos great social bookmarking capabilities. Diigo allows users to create groups and networks in which they can share, annotate and collaborate on content all over the web. Further, it will allow teachers to extend the curriculums weak points wit h information and comments as you see fit. It could also be used to create an educational apprise hunt using annotations left on web pages. Check the video below to learn more about Diigo.What Are the Advantages of Social Networking?By Dachary CareyThe advantages of social networking are real, even though most parents see it as another way that kids waste time. Social networking has opened up a new way to communicate, so while your childs posts may not be essential today, your child is still learning skills that could be very valuable tomorrow.Work ConnectionsOne form of social networking thats growing in popularity is corporeal social networking. You can use corporate social networking to form relationships with other people from your company, or people in other companies in an industry. You can also get references and build a reputation using corporate social networking tools. Its a great way to get yourself known and network in your field or industry.Keeping in TouchSocial netw orking provides a great way for you to stupefy in touch with people who may have moved away. Normally, people try to stay in touch with friends via send for calls and the occasional letter or e-mail, but busy lives make it difficult to maintain contact. However, social networking is such a regularly used medium that its easy to stay in touch with people even when they move away.Get FeedbackYou can use social networking to get feedback on ideas immediately, or to ask questions and get answers quickly. If youre developing a product or even just an idea, you can bounce it off your friends and social networking contacts and acquire out what they think about it. You can also ask questions and receive answers in near-real-time, if your contacts know the answer or if youre a student in touch with teachers.Share Multiple Points of View supply individuals may not understand how many different points of view that people have, and that its possible for people to hold drastically different b eliefs. Social networking helps you learn about diversity and get exposure to multiple points of view. Ultimately, this exposure can help you to learn to look at things from different angles, and be more tolerant of other peoples opinions, things that go a long way in the working world.Talking to Other StudentsMany student organizations have specific social networks designed to help students connect. Social networking tools can be a great way for students to get in touch with other students in the same school, or when theyre considering a college or new school. Check with student organizations to see if they have a particular social networking tool, or type the school into your favorite social networking Web site and see what you find.Stay in Touch anyplaceMobile social networking is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people have cell phones capable of running social networking applications. People can use mobile social networking tools to stay in touch with friends, and make plans on the fly. Mobile social networking tools are also great if youve got a long train or subway commute and want to stay in touch with friends and find out what theyre doing.Kids do need to learn to keep social networking under control. Some people get hooked on social networking, to the point that it interferes with getting things done. Teach your child when it is and isnt appropriate to use mobile social networking, and set a strict time limit for communicating at home.

Loneliness in Of Mice and Men

solitariness in Of Mice and workforceLoneliness is an inevitable part of life, which many individuals struggle with. It is an emotional response to a lack of companionship and communication with others, which has a huge impact in ones over wholly behavior. Some impacted individuals may try to end their aloneness others become hope little and bitter. The theme of loneliness is presented in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. The novel Of Mice and Men portrays loneliness as a complex emotion that lots drives individuals to behavioral extremes. Steinbeck uses characters, some of the most important ones including Curleys married woman, Candy and Crooks, to reflect on the discriminative time period that ultimately lead to the characters loneliness and circumstance behaviors.Curleys wife is a major female character in Of Mice and Men and is married to Curley, a very aggressive facing pages worker that proves his maleness by fighting other workers and marrying a physic altogethery att ractive cleaning lady moreover, he was the boss son. Curley had a huge control over his wife which was very common during the Great slack, and the other workers. He had forbidden all of the workers from talking to his wife. Desperate for friends, attendance and respect, Curleys wife uses her beauty and status with Curley to her advantage. In chapter 4, she intimidated the workers in Crooks room as of closes for acquiring attention and threatened Crooks when he told her to leave his room, saying that he could get sprung up on a tree so easy, it aint even funny (Steinbeck 81). Her sweet behavior resulted in further discrimination and harassment. She was labelled as a tramp (Steinbeck 32), and other derogatory names. She felt powerless and lonely. The only mortal that Curleys wife could talk to was Lennie, because he was not conscious of her period situation. In her last moments with Lennie in the barn scene, she finally felt like she was be acknowledged and listened to. For the first time, she confessed that I don like Curley. He aint a nice fella (Steinbeck 89). She became vulnerable to her humanity and this ironically lead to her death. Curleys wife is a brilliant example of the oppression against women in the 1930s, sexism, and some of the behavioral changes that came along with being stripped of ones identity in society.There argon other reasons why people were discriminated and isolated, some of which includes ageism and ableism. Candy was the oldest ranch worker in the book, that lost his safe arm in an accident. He was discriminated because of his age and disability, and was an outcast. He had no family, except for the label he raised. His dog used to be of great usefulness, but as the dog became older, he became less useful and helpless. This resulted in him being shot by Carlson which intensify Candys loneliness. Candys dog is a prime example of the hearty issue of ageism and ableism in society at that time. Workers were expected to be succe ssful on the ranch, and if one no longer met that demand, due to age or ability to perform certain tasks, they would be dismissed and left to engender (Steinbeck 1937). Candy recognizes that the same thing will happen to him, and he tells George that Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunkhouses theyll put me on the county (Steinbeck 60). To escape his loneliness and eventual fate of getting kicked, Candy becames quickly invested in George and Lennies romance, offering a total of $350 towards the dream farm. Spose I went in with you guys. Thas three hundred an fifty bucks Id put in. I aint much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the tend some. Howd that be? (Steinbeck 59). He was very attached and hooked onto the dream of the farm, and persisted to apply the farm in spite of what happened with Lennie later in the novel. The farm would commence eliminated his fear of being alone, and develop another relationship worth cherishing. His current position in society forced him to develop a special mindset to escape his destination.One of the biggest issues that was prevalent in the Great embossment was racism, which Crooks was a victim of. He was physically separated from the other men, and had expressage contact with others. As a replacement for friendship, he kept himself occupied with books. Still, he admitted that Books aint no good, and that A guy needs somebody to be near him. A guy goes nuts when if he aint got nobody (Steinbeck 72). In the Great Depression, black people faced racial discrimination and sequestration from the dominant, white culture (Pinckney, 2002). However, this was greatly exaggerated in the story as Crooks was the only black man on the ranch. Unlike Curleys wife and Candy, Crooks legitimate his role in society because he knew that he was powerless against the heavy forces of racism. He was aware that he was treated as if he was less important than the other men and did not have a role in society. This is just a nigger talkin, an a busted-back nigger. So it dont mean nothing, see? (Steinbeck 71). The sad reality of the Great Depression deprived Crooks from his right to be treated like an equal human being with self-worth and tie-up with others. His acceptance of the situation became the strongest antidote to his experience however, it intensified his loneliness.The Great Depression was a time of prejudice present in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. Curleys Wife, Candy, and Crooks were some of the characters who be the loneliness and isolation brought on by their time period. These characters faced social issues like racism, sexism, and ageism, resembling the oppression of minority groups by the discriminatory nature of their society. for each one character recognized their loneliness, and depending on what their current situation and role in society was, they took specific actions to fight against, or cope with it. Steinbeck has made it glide by that the loneliness brought on by discrimin ation does significantly impact ones behavior, actions and mindsets. Todays generation better understands the societal implications of loneliness and discrimination. It should be societys goal to diminish all forms of discrimination and be supportive of what others go through in their lifetimes in order to lead a better, healthier, and more connected life for all. flora CitedSteinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, Penguin, 1993.Pinckney, Shelley. Chapter 6 Race and Civil Rights The 30s and 40s. Communism in uppercase State, depts.washington.edu/labhist/cpproject/pinckney.shtml.

The Year Of 1776 In American History History Essay

The Year Of 1776 In American History History undertakeThe division of 1776 was an important year in American history. The Revolutionary contend had just begun and the outcome was free uncertain. It was year that would decide Americas future and hear the will of our American soldiers. Several key dates were to be fought in an 18 month time frame and virtually of the most key appointments were fought during the year of 1776. The author David McCullough takes the submiter pricker in time to the 18th snow right after the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. These battles marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. He starts the make off with the Siege of capital of momma and continues through to the Battles of novel York, Princeton and Trenton. David McCulloughs vivid knack for story telling captures the ups and downs that the Continental legions would face during the year of 1776.The Revolutionary War, (1775-1783), also called the War of ind ependence was between Great Britain and the thirteen British colonies. The King of Great Britain was George III, he was very popular during his reign, but he lost the loyalty of the American colonist who felt that being taxed without representation in Parlia manpowert violated their rights. Congress appointed George capital of the United States as Major General and Commander-in-chief to lead, the soon to be independent states, once morest the super power Great Britain. The lives of both these men are fairly portrayed in this book. King George and Parliament develop had enough of the traitors turned rabble in arms. (McCullough 20) George Washington, is portrayed as a human man, who has doubts and is al government agencys wondering what the future holds for them around the corner.The Siege of capital of Massachusetts was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War in which the New England militiamen, who later became a part of the Continental Army, surrounded the town of Bo ston, Massachusetts to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within. The first battle for Boston began at Lexington and Concord, where the New England militia surrounded Boston. The British successfully seized Bunker Hill but they suffered many casualties despite fighting an ground forces half their size.The end of the siege came when George Washington decided to seize the exalted ground at Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston. Since it was the middle of winter, they were unable to dig in and they had to use logs branches and anything else available to fortify their position. The British waists were out of range and their outpouring of cannon fire could non reach the Americans at such a height. They planned an assault on the heights but due to a terrible storm they decided to withdraw peacefully as retentive as they were allowed to leave undisturbed. While the British were leaving, they thought they saw some movement and opened up a massive hail of cannon fire tha t lasted all night. It only killed four men but they were again out maneuvered by General Washington and his rabble in arms.(McCullough 20)McCullough does an elegant job portraying the contraventions in the Continental Army compared to the British. The Continental Army was made up of mostly volunteers. Often they were short of gun pulverise and clothing. They were unskilled in combat but they did have a few advantages. A major advantage was they fought on their own soil and knew the terrain wellhead. They may have lost some battles, but they took the lives of many British soldiers who could not easily obtain reinforcements. For the British, it was discouraging to win battle after battle to realize how many men and supplies it cost them in the process. Surely to remember that you were far superior in the art of war but couldnt start out the Continental force to their knees had to have severe psychological effects.The British march eventually turned their focus to capturing N ew York City. The King hired capital of New Zealand troops to assist with defending New York. The British would drive back the American troops to the Brooklyn Heights. Washington had to withdraw his entire remaining army and all of their supplies across the East River in one night without the British noticing. This led to Washingtons decision to attack the Hessians on Christmas night by counsel of crossing the frozen Delaware River. They captured almost 900 Hessians at the Battle of Trenton. McCullough states With the victory at Trenton came the realization that the Americans had bested the enemy, bested the fearsome Hessians, the Kings detested hirelings, outsmarted them and outfought them, and so might well again. (McCullough 290) Cornwallis marched to retake Trenton but was outmaneuvered by Washington, who successfully defeated the British at Princeton.In my opinion this book is a must read for anyone interested in early American history. McCullough has a keen way of bringing r eaders back to the fateful year of 1776. He has a massive eye for detail and has a knack for bringing the story to life. He was fare to the face and George III and was able to show why the English felt the American colonist rebellion was illegal but, an insult to them as well. I also like how he showed the human side of George Washington as indecisive and apt to makes some key errors at times. He also shows it was the determination of the Continental Army that made all of the difference in winning the war. Without these men our country would most likely still be under British rule. Every American should read this book it would help a vast amount of people to gain some appreciation of the founding of our country and the sacrifice of all of those who made this the great nation what it is today.

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay

Energy transition Is The Conversion Engineering EssayEnergy conversion is the conversion of one image of energy into another. This principle is apply every day in our lives. For instance, a battery uses chemical energy to create electrical energy to ability an electric starter motor. Steam engines change heat energy into machinelike energy and an electric bulb uses electrical energy into heat and lightheaded energy (Freeman, Ph.D., M. Ira, 1957, p. 20). fit to Tega Jessa (2012), fossil go offs are a finite, non-renewable resource. fogey fuel is any carbon-based substance that is used by humans as a source of energy. Coal, petroleum, and subjective gas are considered as fossil fuel. Fossil fuel is a primary source for the production of electricity. In the Distributed genesis Education Modules, it states that chemical energy is released because of the combustion of these fuels. This produces heat to force out steam clean turbines. The steam turbines rotating electric gener ators produce cater, and this kinetic energy turns into electricity. some other devotion is that pictorial gas and petroleum is big business. According to Natural Gas.org, natural gas is a valued resource and the natural gas assiduity generates a lot of commerce in the United States and worldwide. reverse power and solar power are two preferences to victimization fossil fuels. wind up power is a slap-up source of energy. repeal power has great potential as an energy source. The environmental impact is small(a) and it is renewable.According to John C. Ayers, at higher altitudes and areas without obstructions, swerve is stronger. Hilltops are groovy sites for wind turbines. Ground-based turbines in cities are not as efficient. Wind strength too plays a big part. Wind varies by region and season. This means that it is not a great source of energy in all areas. A dis wages of this energy source is if the wind is low you have to postscript it with another source of energy.Ene rgy is produced by using wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually horizontal with blades are mounted on a rotating axis. The electricity produced flowerpot be immediately used. In addition, it can be stored in batteries for use when the wind is low.The returns of using wind power is that it has less of any impact on our environment. It is a clean option energy source. According to John C. Ayers, new wind farms produce electricity at costs competitive with oil- and coal-powered plants, and more cheaply than nuclear reactors. another(prenominal) advantage is that they release no greenhouse gases.David Frum (2013) states that wind energy continues to neglect the market test. Ontario buys wind energy at a price 50% higher than it would have to pay for electricity from natural gas. (A new natural gas facility can make money selling electricity at 7-8 cents a kilowatt-hour. Ontario buys newly installed windpower at prices of about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.)A disadvantage of wind po wer is the cost. Acquiring ground underneath the turbines is a big cost, as well as the cost of wiring turbines to the grid. Another cost is maintaining the wires. According to Windustry.org, commercial turbines installed are $3-$4 million installed. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts run approximately $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A 10 kilowatt wind turbine (used to power a large home) approximately cost $50,000-$80,000. The cost could be more depending on the tower type. Even though this may be a disadvantage to some, the advantage is the tax incentive that can help reduce the cost.Solar power is another alternative to fossil fuels. unresisting solar and active solar are the two types of solar energy. According to Jennifer Claerr, a building on the east-west axis uses passive voice solar. Silicon solar cells capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Direct on-going is generated and is converted into alternating current before it can be used to power househol d devices.Passive solar is used to keep a home warm in winter and cool in summer. An advantage of solar power is the cost savings. Many people are episode solar systems to protect the environment and to conserve fossil fuels. Another advantage of using solar energy is to become self-sufficient by providing for all of the own energy needs. A home can be strengthened using passive solar for about the same price as a conventional home. For an existing home, active solar is a good alternative. Both passive and active solar are beneficial to the environment. Passive and active solar can prevent carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.The disadvantages of using solar power is that it doesnt work at night without a computer storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. They can be expensive and contain a lot of land area to collect the suns energy.

Nanospheres of Agâ€coated Fe3O4 Synthesis

Nanospheres of Ag cover Fe3O4 deductive reasoningNanospheres of Agcoated Fe3O4 were successfully synthe sized and characterized. Photocatalytic properties of Fe3O4Ag composites throw off been investigated victimization unswerving state studies and laser pulse annoyances. Accumulation of the negatrons in the Ag weighing machine was detected from the shift in the rise up plasmon band from 430 to 405 nm, which was dis take downd when an electron acceptor much(prenominal) as O2, Thionine (TH), or C60 was introduced into the system. Charge equilibration with redox couple much(prenominal) as C60-/C60 indicated the ability of these mettle dumbfound structures to carry bring out photocatalytic reducing reactions. As salubrious, outer Ag layer could boost charge interval in magnetized substance through dual personnels of Schottky marijuana cig bette and localized uprise plasmonic resonance (LSPR)powered band gap rift effect under sunlight irradiation resulted in higher p hotocatalytic adulteration of diphenylamine (DPA). The level best photocatalytic degradation send was achieved at optimum amount of AgNP loading to products. Adsorption studies confirmed that degradation of DPA dominantly occurred in settlement. passably renewability of the nano throttle valves under sunlight was due to oxidisation and dissolution of the outer Ag layer.KEYWORDS Core drum Fe3O4Ag Plasmonic photocatalysis Laser pulse excitations Charge equilibration Schottky jointure Diphenyl amineIntroductionCore thrum nanocomposites combine the profitable properties of both the mettle and the chew up materials (1). Various types of bone marrow perplex materials have been technically synthesized owing to their unique physicochemical properties and great potential applications (2,3). Among them, superparamagnetic core display case nanocomposites do not retain any magnetization in the absence of a magnetic field of operations (4). Hence, they have been broadly use in magnet ic resonance imaging, hyperthermia, separation and purification of biomolecules, drug delivery, and catalysis (4,5).The conclave of nanocatalysts together with magnetic letter carriers has attracted increasing attention due to their recoverable character from the mother solutions in charge of an appropriate magnetic field (6). Recently, to interdict the agglomeration and to merely improve the durability of the nanocatalysts, various core rebuke standardized magnetic chemcatalytic and photocatalytic nanomaterials have been developed (79).Due to weighty role of Ag based magnetic nanocatalysts in fine and specialty chemistry, different kinds of this bifunctional nanostructures such(prenominal) as Fe3O4Ag core overreach wish NPs, heterodimers, and coresatellite particles have been on the watch (11,12). The Ag component in just about of the above products was located on the surface of the magnetic carrier whereas structures with an Ag core and Fe3O4 shell are rare.This article aims primarily to ravel out the major mechanisms in magnetic coreshell plasmonic photocatalysis. It is eventful to take in the influence of the surface shell layer on the photoinduced charge separation in inner magnetic carrier and reveal the occurrence of charge equilibration between the metal and magnetic semiconductor. Therefore, we have fain Fe3O4, Agcoated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4Ag) in ethanol medium and their behavior under UVexcitation were compared. The factors that control the charge separation and photocatalytic properties of coated nanostructures are alike presented in this paper. Besides, we selected diphenylamine (DPA) as a shape contamination (1317) to present powerful and apostrophizeeffective photocatalysts. The European Union has listed DPA as a prior pollutant (14). tally to the best of our knowledge, the photocatalytic degradation of DPA use Fe3O4Ag nanospheres has not been inform, previously.The operational conditions in photocatalytic removal of DPA were optimi zed. The effect of AgNPs loading on photocatalytic activity of coreshell nanoparticles was also investigated. Further studies were designed to answer the questions of whether DPA adsorbed on the Ag surface is an important step in its photocatalytic degradation swan or not? Eventually, tentatively reviews on the efficiency and durability of coreshell photocatalysts under sunlight irradiation were checked up.Experimental sectionMaterials and Measurements Powders of DPA, D(+)glucose anhydrous, thionin ethanoate salt (C12H9N3S.C2H4O2), AgNO3 (99%), FeCl2.4H2O (98%), FeCl3.6H2O (99%), NH3.H2O (2528%) and HPLC grade acetonitrile (purity 99%) were purchased from SigmaAldrich. The hexahydra salt CoCl2 was purchased from Riedelde Haen Germany.DPA was purified by naive preparative chromatography on a silica gel tug (31 nhexane/acetonitrile as a mobile phase) and fol let outed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) monitoring. All other materials were of highest purity commercially available an d were applied without further purification.The BrittonRobinson buffer solutions were prepared in 0.04 M concentration. The DPA stock solution was stripe up by dissolving 10.0 mg of the powders in 100 mL of 60/40 v/v buffer solution/acetonitrile and because stored in a refrigerator. High purity water purified with the MilliQ system was use in all experiments.The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was carried out using a Hitachi S4300 (Japan) instrument. The crystalline structure of the powders was studied by Xray diffraction (XRD) with a PHILIPS PW1840 diffractometer. The UVvis spectra were recorded on a Biotech semiconductor diodeArray spectrophotometer. The IR spectra of the synthesized magnetic NPs were obtained using a Shimadzu FTIR 8300 spectrophotometer. Magnetic valuatements were made with a Quantum Design PPMS Model 6000 magnetometer at 25 C. The pH values of all solutions were assessed by a model 744 Metrohm pH meter (Switzerland). An external magnet bar of 5 cm5 cm3 cm and power of 1.46 T was utilize for the accumulation of magnetic NPs. The photodegradation of DPA has been monitored using UVvis spectrophotometer (Biotech) and a HPLC (KNAUER).The HPLC system used throughout this study consisted of a HPLC pump (KNAUER, K1001, USA), a test injector with a 100 L loop and a UV sensor (KNAUER, K2600). The column used was a reversedphase Spherisorb C18 column (250 mm 4.6 mm i.d., 5 m). The mobile phase was acetonitrilewater (6535 v/v) with a flowrate of 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was 25 C. The effluent was monitored at 254 nm.Preparation of Fe3O4Ag nanoparticlesFe3O4NPs were prepared using the most conventional reported coprecipitation method first (18), followed by the slow reducing of the Ag+ ions to form a metal shell around the core. Calculated amount of freeze dried magnetic NPs were welldispersed in 10 mL deionized water. A 10.0 mL persona of 1.0 mM AgNO3 solution was thence added into abatement. Glucose was used as a eas ygoing reducing agent for the lessening of Ag+ ions (19). Increasing the amount of glucose increases the reduction rate of Ag+ ions. We have found that the experimental conditions that employ hoagie ratio of metal ions to glucose of 21 yields stable suspension of coreshell particles. The condensation deposition of metal particles slowly progresses to yield 23 nm metal shell. With continued stirring of the solution at room temperature, the color slowly potpourrid from black to brownish. Optimized reaction time of 25 min was achieved based on maximum photocatalytic activity of core/shell clusters. AgNPs were also produced in a separate batch using the same experimental conditions.Laser Flash PhotolysisExperiment of nanosecond laser pulse photolysis was performed with 337 nm laser pulses from N2 laser system (Laser pulse breadth 800 ps, intensity 5 mJ/pulse). Unless otherwise specified, all the experiments were performed under N2 purging condition. lookerstate photolysis experime nts were conducted by photolyzing N2purged solution with UV light (two high draw 15 W mercury lamps).Analytical MethodsThe adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of DPA was carried out in a homemade cylindrical Pyrex reactor (50 mL) with a doublewalled coolingwater jacket. UV illumination was conducted utilizing two UV lamps housed over the photocatalytic reactor. In all the experiments, the reactor was fixed 15 cm distant from the light sources. Prior to illumination, equal vividnesss of DPA and photocatalyst suspension (50 mL volumes) were moved(p) in the dark for 15 min to achieve the adsorptiondesorption equilibrium. Then, UVirradiated samples (3 mL) were obtained at fixed time intervals and exposed to an external magnetic field for separation of photocatalysts from the reaction mixture. Sample analysis was done by arrangement the UVvis absorbance spectra and, simultaneously, injecting of 10 L of solution into the HPLC column. The kinetic data are presented as means of tri plicate experiments.Results and discussionCharacterization of the prepared nanoparticlesThe studies of size, geomorphology and composition of the NPs were performed by means of TEM images, FTIR spectra, XRD patterns, UVvis acculturation spectra and magnetization tests. The TEM images of the coreshell clusters demonstrate that these particles have spherical shape with average size of 9.02.0 and 12.02.0 nm, respectively ( solve 1A and 1B). identification number 1B shows that a pale shell was coated on the surface of the black core and the interface between the core and shell is sharp and clear. The surface of the coreshell particle is rather rough. The particle size analysis illustrates that the Fe3O4 particles are coated with silver ( prefigure 1C and 1D).The change of soaking up decimal points in the FTIR spectra indicate that the AgNPs are coated on the surface of Fe3O4NPs (Figure S-1A) (20). The absence of characteristic diffraction peaks of Fe3O4 reflection in the XRD patt ern manifests complete practical application of the Fe3O4 seeds by Ag metal (Figure S-1B) (21). later on reduction of Ag ions, a new strong preoccupation band in the UVvis absorption spectra is detect at 420 nm, which is assigned to the surface plasmon resonance peak of AgNPs (Figure S-1C) (22). The large decrease in the magnetic moment of the Fe3O4NPs later application program with AgNPs is attributed to the presence of nonmagnetic Ag metal in the prepared composites (Figure S-1D) (19).SteadyState PhotolysisFigure 2A shows the changes in the absorption spectrum following the UVirradiation of Fe3O4Ag colloids suspended in deaerated ethanol as a steadystate photolysis. Before subjecting to UVirradiation, the plasmon absorption peak of suspension is seen at 430 nm. It should be noted that the small Ag particles prepared using glucose reduction represent absorbance peak at around 420 nm (19,22). The red shift in the plasmon absorption of the coreshell particles is underage on t he type of the oxide contact layer, refr participating index of the surrounding medium, the volume fraction of shell layer (23), scattering effects and adsorbed chemical species (24).For 15 min UVirradiated sample, the absorption shift attains a plateau with a surface plasmon absorption peak at 405 nm (25). For comparison, no phantasmal shift was observed during the UVirradiation of bare AgNPs suspension in ethanol (Figure 2B).Transient absorption studies were probed using nanosecond laser flash photolysis (Figure S-2A). Notably, the spectral feature of the transient spectrum (Figure S-2A) closely matches with the difference spectrum recorded in steadystate photolysis as shown in the inset of Figure 2A. We arouse also repeat the photoinduced charging and dark discharge cycles repeatedly and reproduce the plasmon absorption response to separated electrons (Figure S-3) (24).Estimation of the amount of Electrons accelerated into Ag shell layerKnown amounts of concentrated thionine so lution (degassed) as a redox couple was injected in small increments into the UVirradiated Fe3O4Ag suspension (24). The absorption spectrum was recorded after each addition of thionine (Figure 3A). The presence of any unaltered thionine as the endpoint of titration is marked by the appearance of 600 nm absorption band. The plasmon shift butt end thus be related to the concentration of thionine added (inset of Figure 3A). From the slope of this analogue plot until endpoint and the net shift observed in the plasmon band, we expect a maximum access of about 35 electrons per Fe3O4Ag coreshell particle (24). The dependence of the plasmon shift and the piece of electrons versus the UVirradiation time is also shown in Figure 3B.We also selected C60 as an excellent probe to investigate interfacial electron vary in colloidal coreshell magnetic systems (24). The absorption maximum at 1075 nm manifests formation of C60 anion (C60-) (Figure 4) (24). The electron ravish yield increase sign ly with increasing concentration of C60 (inset of Figure 4).Photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4Ag particlesThe UVvis absorption spectroscopy and HPLC experiments were performed to follow the photodegradation reaction progress. Figure 5A exhibits the changes in the absorbance spectra of DPA after blacklight irradiation in the absence and presence of the nanocatalysts. Photographs from the solution of DPA before and after its photocatalytic degradation are shown in the inset of this Figure.Figure 5B displays the photodegradation monitoring of DPA by HPLC. The separation method of DPA, intermediates, and products was very similar to those reported in literature (26). By irradiation of DPA with UV light for 40 min, a reduction in the chromatogram at 10.5 min in incidental with the appearance of a new peak at a computer storage time of 9.3 min is observed. The obtained chromatograms suggest higher photodegradation rate of DPA in the presence of the Fe3O4Ag clusters (Figure 5B).The photoca talytic degradation kinetic results of DPA are shown in Figure 5C which can be well described by LangmuirHinshelwood (LH) model (27). The rate constant, the linear plots of ln(C/C0) vs. time was calculated as 0.041 min1 for the coated particles (Figure 5D).After maintaining DPANPs suspension in dark no new peak was appeared in the chromatogram (plots (a) and (b) in Figure 5C). Using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing, Du and Jing showed that oxidation of the aromatic compounds containing a free electron pair on the atomic number 7 atom is increased using a modified Fe3O4Ag magnetic NPs probe (28). Figure S-4A exhibits a Langmuir type adsorption isotherm of DPA (29).The effect of initial concentration of pollutant, pH, catalyst concentration, and shell coating time on the photodegradation rate of DPA were also investigated (30,31). Photocatalytic degradation rate constant of DPA is inversely proportional to its initial concentration which implies that the reaction domi nantly occurred in solution rather than in the catalyst surface (inset of Figure S-4A) (30). The LH equation also was successfully used to describe that DPA adsorbed on the Ag surface is not an important step (32).Capping of Ag shell on the Fe3O4 core was confirmed by checking the stability in an acidic solution (HNO3). At pH 3O4NPs surface (33).Significant shifting (2nm) in spectra for DPA was detected at different pH values. Figure S-4B shows that the adsorption of DPA on Ag surface decreases, but the removal of DPA increases with the increasing pH. At sufficiently higher pH values, the formation of oxidizing species such as the oxide radical anion (-O) could also be responsible for the enhancement (34). The observed results are consistent with the proposed mechanism for the photolysis of DPA in literature (35).Figure S-4C shows the timedependent degradation of DPA at different concentrations of nanocatalysts (36). At nimiety concentrations of nanocatalysts, considerable decreas ing in the photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the low probability of provoking all photocatalysts in solution together with their selfabsorption effects.The photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4Ag clusters initially increases to a peak and then decreases with increasing coating thickness (Figure S-4D), most possibly due to shading (3739), strong scattering and light filtering effect (40) of denser coating. Varying the Ag shell thickness and the refractive index of the solvent allows control over the optic properties of the dispersions (inset of Figure S-4D) (41).After 40 min photocatalytic reaction, coreshell nanocatalysts were stash away by using a small magnet followed by double washing with deionized water for reusing (Figure 6). In the first cycle of sunlight irradiation, 95% degradation of DPA was achieved. However, after 3 recycling reactions, photocatalytic activity of the coated particles greatly reduced to the activity level of bare Fe3O4NPs. Corrosion (38,42,43), oxidation (42,44) or dissolution of the noble metal coating are likely to set up the use of noble metals (Figure S-5A and S-5B).Moreover, the absence of holes in the outer layer of the coreshell particles was investigated. After each addition of known amounts of concentrated carbon dioxide+ solution into the UVirradiated Fe3O4Ag suspension no color change was observed (Figure S-5C and S-5D).A series of ROSs, such as -OH, -O2, -HO2 and H2O2, are subsequently produced from primary active photogenerated holes and electrons (30). 0.1 M isopropanol or sodium azide (NaN3) was added in the reaction solution as scavengers of -OH radicals (45). I ions was selected to scavenge the photoholes and resulted -OH radicals by forming relatively inert iodine radicals (30,46). The obtained pseudofirstorder rate constants with or without the addition of various scavengers are all presented in Table 1.In the presence of isopropanol and NaN3, the pseudofirstorder rate constants reduced from 0.041 min 1 to 0.014 and 0.017 min1, respectively. The degradation rate of DPA with 65.0% yield is contributed by the -OH radicals. Comparatively, the rate constants also decreased very closely to 0.018 min1 after addition of KI scavengers in the reaction solution. Thus, the contribution pct of photoholes in the degradation rate was deduced as 0%. Photocatalytic degradation rate constant of deaerated DPA solution with N2 was roughly stopped, since moved electrons toward the outer layer dont pay off oxygen. Therefore, only 35.0%, of the degradation rates were from other ROSs or direct photolysis of DPA.CONCLUSIONSWe have scrutinized the photoinduced charging and dark discharging of electrons in a magnetic coresilver shell structure. The shift in surface plasmon band serves as a measure to determine the number of electrons accelerated into the metal shell. The charge equilibration between the metal and magnetic semiconductor plays a significant role in dictating the overall energetic of the c omposite. These magnetic coremetal shell composites are photocatalytically active and are practical to promote light induced electrontransfer reactions. The enhanced sunlight photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite could be attributed to a synergistic effect between LSPRpowered bandgap breaking effect and bandgapexcitation effect modes (38,4752). In this photocatalytic system, presence of oxygen for starting the degradation of pollutants is imperative. Exploring the catalytic activity of such composite structures could pave the way for designing novel light gather systems.

The Main Features Of An Oligopoly

The briny Features Of An OligopolyThis comp binglent part of the coursework aims to identify and explain the main economic features of an Oligopoly and also the give away economic theories which influence the charge of a product or service. This part deals with the theoretical aspects of Oligopoly and the latelyr part emphasizes on the practical applications of the theories and oligopoly features.According to last et al (2000), Oligopoly, a type of commercialize structure is characterised by a a few(prenominal) slosheds and more buyers, where the bulk of market supply is in the agree of relatively few vast firms who in turn sell to some small buyers. To describe the degree of oligopoly, concent balancen ratio is often utilized. meanness ratio is the measure of the market sh be of the largest four firms in the sedulousness expressed as a percentage. A low concentration ratio suggests a high level of contest and vice versa for. As at that place are few players dominati ng the industry, each player or an oligopolist is verbalize or promising to be a ware of separates course of actions. The decision taken by one player seems to affect the decision taken by others and strategic pro arrivening by the firms commands to take into account the likely response of other participants (Wikipedia, 2010). For example, a proper game of chess depends on how well you read your opponents moves, similarly in oligopoly strategies are devised based on the moves of competing market firms. The reason for existence oligopoly as stated by cajole et al (1991) is for the achievement of economies of scale. Firms tend to reduce their average comprise of ware by increasing their scale of operation and since the small firms have higher(prenominal) average appeals, they tend to go out of business or be absorbed by the larger ones.The features of oligopoly are-Number of Firms-The very of the essence(predicate) feature of an oligopoly is the number of firms. Even though there are a large number of firms operating in a particular industry, nonwithstanding a handful of firms hold the study dole out between them. interdependency A very distinctive feature of an oligopoly is interdependence. When a very few large firms operate in a particular industry, their activities or dodge scum bagnot be independent of each other. Unlike monopoly, where the monopolist need not worry about the reaction of its adverts as there are none, an oligopolist takes into comity the thinkable reactions of all rival firms. For example, a company considering a scathe reduction of its products may wish to estimate the chances of damage reduction by the rival company and hence starting a price war. dinero Maximization Condition The firms in an oligopoly generally agree to co-operate and act as one monopolist as it generates high gelts (Begg and Ward 2007). This descriptor of formal collusive agreement is called a cartel. An oligopoly maximises profits where the mar ginal tax revenue equals the marginal cost. This is also known as profit maximization condition. worthELASTICUNIT ELASTIC PMC, ACPROFIT maximise OUTPUT O MR Quantity(Source Begg and Ward 2007)Perfect Knowl pungency Oligopolists are said to have a perfect knowl acuteness about their cost and demand functions but a lesser information about other firms (Wikipedia, 2010).Entry Barrier angiotensin-converting enzyme of the main important features of oligopoly also is the entranceway barrier. there are high admission barriers that restrain a bare-ass firm from entering a market. For example, the barriers weed be the economies of scale, access to pricy and complex technology, lower costs for an complete firm, brand loyalty, patented occupation process and strategic action by incumbent firms etc.The slacken below gives the market concentration in different industries.tb_0901tb_0903As discussed earlier, the large few firms form a cartel and lop a price. at a time the members of the cartel agree on the price, they compete against each other victimization non price competition in order to gain the maximum revenue. There are other various ways in which the firms fix the price. One of them being unsounded tacit consent, where the firms agree on a price set by an established leader. This is also known as dominant allele firm price leadership as the price setting firm is the dominant firm in the industry. The other way is the barometric firm price leadership, where the price leader is the one whose prices reflect the market conditions in the around st able-bodied form (Sloman et al, 2010).To fix prices, the producers must be able to withstand the market supply. The other forms of price fixing in tacit collusion is average cost pricing, where producers add a certain percentage of profit on top of average costs and price benchmarking, where firms raise the price only up to a benchmark already set. Price fixing is achieved by the competing firms coming toget her on a platform where they can agree on a common pricing and production scheme thus acting in a manner in which a monopoly operates. This kind of collusion is known as cartelisation. Cartels although banned in many countries, is difficult for the enforcement agencies to gather evidence and penalise the participants. The quantity for the cartel and the man-to-man firm will not be the same as one firm individually will have the scope for further amplification in productivity to achieve a situation where the marginal cost equals the marginal revenue. In such cases firms may decide to go before with excess supply which can lead to a price war and inconsistent revenues to the industry. Even without overt collusion firms in an oligopoly are able to reach a point of profit maximisation when they behave in a manner reflected in Nash Equilibrium (Begg and Ward 2007).2B) draw a bead on to topographic point (DTH) television set system industry in India acting as an oligopoly.India has a supply television population of about 135 zillion of which about 108 cardinal have an access to cable and satellite television (Plugged in, 2010). The positive DTH hired gun base at the end of first quarter in the category 2010 was 23 million ( service TV India Ltd, 2010) which was about just 1 million in the year 2006. Indian DTH industry has seen a flurry of activities in the recent years after a monopolistic reign by Dish TV for a couple of years. It is currently in a state of Oligopoly with the top four operators controlling nearly 80% of the total market. The major players in the market are Dish TV by Zee group, TataSky- a joint venture by Tata and Star TV, broad TV by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Digital TV by Bharati Telemedia and cheerfulness Direct from Sun TV. Since there are only 3 major players in the DTH market, Indian DTH industry is an oligopoly. (Indiadth, 2010)The product offering by the rival firms are more or less similar in spirit with little or no pr oduct differentiation. Amongst all the players, Sun Direct has essentially remained a regional operator who made a late debut in the national scene. The content or the channels are same with all the operators barring few omissions and additions.The DTH industry market helping is as follows.BRANDMARKET SHAREDish TV30%TataSky22%Sun Direct25%Big Tv13%Airtel8%D2H2%(Source http//www.pluggd.in/dth-industry-in-india-analysis-297/)From the data above we can see that Dish TV, TataSky and Sun Direct together hold the maximum market character with over 75%.(Source http//www.slideshare.net/)To confirm the oligopoly, we can use the Herfindahl-Hirschman index or the HHI. It measures the size of the firms in relation to the industry and also indicates the amount of competition between them.Mathematically,download (1) (Adapted from Pass et al, 2000)Here Si = market share of firm i in the market and N is the number of firms. because H = 302 + 222 + 252 + 132 + 82 + 22H = 2246. With this value of H we can conclude that this industry is an oligopoly.Although there is no indication of an overt collusion in the industry, a closer look at their price plan (fig 1.1) can lead us to a strategic or tacit understanding between the players. The market is abuzz with marketing drives to garner market share and the customer is currently loaded with emancipatebies like free installation, free channels and the like. Going by the level of investment and infrastructure the operators need to garner as much subscriber base as possible to be in a profitable proposition. They are however cognizant of the competition and are refraining from a price war. Such behaviour of the operators is feature article of a non-price competition in Oligopoly. This is due to the interdependency of firms in the oligopoly and the strategic behaviour can also be referred to the Nash Equilibrium (Begg and Ward 2007).(Source Slideshare.net/researchonIndia) injury NamePricePlan(inINR)/monthDish TV135.00TataSky150.00Su n Direct115.00Videocon136.00 figure 1.1 (Source Company websites, 2010)Now as in any oligopoly, it has to be support by entry barriers, both endogenous and exogenous. The natural barrier of entry in this particular industry is primarily associated with government licensing and also the saturation of capital investment required. Given that all the DTH operators are already established players in related sectors such as telecom, media it gives them a strategic return in terms of distribution and content. For any new entrant it could pose as a strategic entry barrier.Indian DTH market has incessantly been attracting different players over the years given the increasing number of television subscribers. Although there have been entry barriers, companies like Videocon along with its cutting edge technology entered into the market in the presence of established players. The cutting edge technology proved to be a barrier breaker. Videocon managed to build television sets with set top b oxes which helped it develop its own customer base.