Inside Job Documentary Film Essay

The ‘Inside Job’ film (documentary film) draws parallel views to the referenced text â€Å"Impact on Accounting† of this course coupled with the associated research executed during the past weeks with respect to understanding the cause of the financial crisis. The documentary film zeros in on the contributory factors of the financial crisis such as falling interest rates, securitization of home mortgages and credit default swaps (derivatives). Other stunning contributory factors expressed in the documentary film were greed in addition to the deregulation and an unsupervised financial industry by the Federal government. Snyder (2011) reported that, â€Å"There have been several deregulations in the financial and housing markets over the past 30 years. Some of these include The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board establishing adjustable mortgages, the 1982 Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act establishing a secondary mortgage market, the repeal of the Glass-Stegall Act allowing commercial and investment banks to merge, and the 2004 SECs deregulation of investment banks, allowing investment banks to increase their leverage ratio from 12:1 to 30:1.† (pages 1-16) After researching the cause of the financial crisis, though seemingly insignificant to some, one of the fastening screws that assisted in the great fall with respect to the financial industry was falling interest rates. During the early 2000s the United States economy began to slow down and in an effort to rejuvenate this downward condition the Federal Reserve introduced a stimulation project to cut interest rates to induce customer spending. Investors took advantage of this stimulus exercise as the return on mortgage backed securities was attractive and as a result there was a boost and desire to purchase such securities. Consequently, lending  institutions became very excited as the demand for mortgage backed securities increased and thus the quest began to write more mortgages. Hence, the qualifying standards for loan approvals were done away with allowing a prospective home owner getting approval with ‘zero-down’. The introduction of no payment down increased the likelihood of failure to pay by borrowers and this default risk thereof was disregarded. Another supporting aspect of the documentary film with respect to the cause of the financial crisis was securitization. Historically during the safe age, a home mortgage was a loan contract between the borrower and financial institution which was supported by tangible property used as collateral. Such loans would be held until the full loan obligation has been satisfied in the long term. Conversely to the days of old, financial institutions sought new innovative means to generate income and came up with securitization of home mortgages. In this sense, during the 1990’s, home mortgages were not held to maturity but instead the high risk home mortgages were, bundled, repackaged and resold creating mortgage backed securities whereby income is received when homeowners satisfied their home mortgage obligation. Despondently, when borrowers defaulted on their home mortgages, investors suffered dearly as losses were realized, consequently, financial institutions collapsed and unemployment rose above its usual average rate. Other research has concluded that derivatives also played a chief role in the financial crisis. Derivatives are financial contracts between two parties of which the value can derived with not affiliation to the good or service. For example, a buyer can purchase an option agreement to buy a good or service in the future at an agreed price within a specified time frame. Within the given period the buyer may exercise the right to purchase or chose not to upon weighing the benefits of the option contract with the current market conditions. One type of derivatives that aided in the financial crisis was credit default swaps (CDS) which allowed investors to participate in naked CDS purchases without having legal ownership of the insured property. CDS is an innovative and prevalent derivative which is similar to an insurance contract that permits investors to transfer risk to other parties who are more qualified and willing to bear it, thus making it very attractive risk mitigation tool. CDS became extremely popular and experienced an unprecedented demand up to the latter part of 2007. However, since the derivatives market was not regulated companies such as AIG which sold billions of swaps without collateral or reserves to satisfy potential losses. According to Hobbs (2011), at the end of 2007 AIG credit debt obligation totaled $562 billion which was shockingly ironic that an insurance company would fail to hedge such substantial risk. Charles Ferguson’s award winning documentary film ‘Inside Job’ narrated by Matt Damon surveyed the deregulation of the financial industry and explored how the lack of good ethical banking practices assisted in creating the financial crisis. This jaw dropping documentary in its fearless interviews and prying identified greed and deregulation by the Federal government as principle causes of the financial crisis. At the twilight of 1981 the Ronal Regan administration made the deregulation of the financial industry top priority and the highest order of business in an effort to restore economic prosperity. Froese (2011) stated that, â€Å"The campaign trend of deregulation was followed through by the Bill Clinton and George Bush administration team.† (p. 59-75). According to Maxwell (2011), â€Å"The documentary film sets out to prove the idea by first pointing to the 1980s, when deregulation of the financial industry in the US allowed banks and loan companies to begin taking bigger risks with depositors’ money.† (p.16) The documentary film exposed the recycling of top bank executives being integrated into key government positions even after having full knowledge of misconduct and unethical behavior driven by greed. The greed for lavish lifestyle such as having six airplanes, helicopters, yachts, beachfront homes and penthouses was evident in the documentary film. Apparently, the more money top bankers earned the more they seem to want. The root of this greed was driven by huge compensation and hefty bonuses. According to Ferguson (2010), Richard Fuld the CEO of Lehman Brothers actually was hardly ever seen on the trading floor as he went out of his way to avoid contact with other employees even to the extent of extent of installing a personal elevator that took him to his office undetected. These chief top guns even went to the extent to cheat the government of taxes by understating their  income. Sterngold (2011) reported that, â€Å" Oliver Budde, a former lawyer for the financial services firm Lehman Brothers, has charged that the bankrupt company’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard S. Fuld lied to Congress when stating the amount of his salary and other compensation from 2000-2007. Budde, whose duties included preparing Lehman’s financial statements on executive salaries, says that Fuld understated the amount of his earnings by hundreds of millions of dollars.† (p, 56-59). Under the Regan administration CEO of the treasury, ML Donald deregulated the Savings and Loans which created a platform for unsafe investments by allowing hundreds of financially dead institutions to continue to operate while making more risky loans. Within 10 years hundreds of Savings and Loans companies became insolvent which resulted in 124 billion dollars of tax payers’ money. Greenspan supported Charles Keating’s business plans verifying that they were sound, proficient and without risk. It was later discovered that Keating who owned one of the Savings and Loans companies in California, used investors’ money to support his personal company and eventually went to prison as a result. While on the other hand, Greenspan was promoted appointed as president of the Federal Reserve by Ronald Ragan and was reappointed by Clinton and Bush administration to police the big bucks. It was also alleged that Greenspan received a kickback of 40,000 for validating Keating’s report Keating afloat in the industry. Deregulation continued under the Clinton administration congress overturned the Glass-Steagall Act by passing the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act which facilitated the Citigroup merger. Further, despite the cries to regulate the derivatives industry, Alan Greenspan in addition to other congressmen brought about the Commodity Futures Modernization Act banning all regulation in the derivatives market. Other new theories that developed from the documentary film were economists, credit rating agencies and top executives have all contributed to the financial crisis. It was unthinkable that reputable economists failed miserably to disclose any conflict of interest regarding their economic research report concerning economic trend. According to Ferguson (2010), economist Frederic Mishkin stated in his economic research report that  Iceland’s economy had already adjusted to financial liberalization and that while prudential regulation and supervision was quite strong, however, the banking industry in Iceland exploded shortly after the report. Frederic was paid $124,000 by the Iceland government to write the report even though the report proved to be very wrong. Another economist, Robert Glenn Hubbard former head of President Bush council of economic advisors, when asked whether there is and conflict of interest of economists he avoided the question and stated that most economist are not wealthy people. The documentary exposed him for having an annual salary of $150,000 as a board member of Met Life and that he formally served on the board of Capmark Financial Corporation, a mortgage institution that went bankrupt during the bubble. The documentary film brought the curtains down on credit rating agencies as it provided undeniable evidence of their involvement in the financial crisis . The three credit agencies namely, Standard & Poor, Moody’s, and Fitch misrepresented the credit rating of companies such as Lehman Brother, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Bear Sterns as they were all given credit rating of AA and above just weeks prior to becoming bankrupt. Questions were put to the governor of the Federal Reserve, Frederic Mishkin whether he was aware of excellent credit ratings and as in the past he danced around the question without providing clear answer. In 2008 Frederic Mishkin resigned in the height of the economic crisis and said that this coward move was owed to him reviewing some university book. Investors depend heavily on security rating for decision making. Clearly if a security has been classified as AAA and AA ratings, they appear to be as safe as government bonds. Instead, investors were deceived into investing in insolvent companies as a result of the ratings provided thereof. Continuing, top executives were also woven in the fabric of the financial crisis whereby top Chief Executive Officers walked away with top dollars. It is said that follow the money to solve the crime. The documentary film listed top guns such as Lehman Brothers CEO, Richard Fuld who reaped in 485 million, AIG’s CEO went smiling with earnings of 315 million and Merrill Lynch raked in 161 million of severance bonus. Other culprits named were Bear Sterns CEO and especially Goldman Sachs top executives. Apparently, these top executives had much knowledge of their falling companies and cooked the books so that investors would believe otherwise. What come out of the documentary film was that executives were rewarded for selling subprime mortgage investments as if it was top priority. Below are exhibits A and B and key players in the financial crisis: Exhibit A Major Players identifies in Week 2 Exhibit B Major Players in Inside Job Film 1. Homeowners 2. Financial / lending institutions 3. Wall Street 4. Federal Government 5. Securities Exchange Commission 1. Homeowners 2. Financial / lending institutions 3. Wall Street 4. Federal Government 5. Securities Exchange Commission 6. Economist 7. Credit Rating Agencies 8. Top Executives The new players pulled from the documentary film are economists, credit agencies and top banking executives. Economists were apparently paid handsomely to produce favorable reports of which most did not disclose their connected conflict of interest. Credit rating agencies also provided falsified rating to dying institutions and as a result investors were misinformed and consequently realized losses which could have been prevented. Lastly top banking officials were recycled throughout the government and other top ranking banks. They were driven by greed and  received compensation of up to 485 million dollars. Bringing it all together, I strongly believe that they were all in it together with the object to rape the economy of its finances and so they did successfully without being prosecuted. APA Format References Global Economic Crisis Resource Center (2010). Global economic crisis: Impact on accounting. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning Snyder, T. (2011). How did deregulation and financial innovations impact housing, wealth, and output?. Journal Of Finance & Accountancy, Hobbs, J. (2011). Financial Derivatives, the Mismanagement of Risk and the Case of AIG. CPCU Ejournal, 1-8. Ferguson, C. (Director) & Marrs, A. (Producer). (2010) Inside Job [Motion Picture]. United States: Sony Picture Classics Froese, R. (2011). THE LIMITS OF INSIDE JOB: CRISIS, IDEOLOGY, AND THE BURDEN OF CAPITALISM. Studies In Political Economy: A Socialist Review, (88), 59-75. Sterngold, J. (2010). Who Cares About Another $200 Million?. Bloomberg Businessweek, (4177), 56-59. Maxwell, C. (2011). Inside the crash. Director (00123242), 65(4), 16.

Living as a Christian disciple Essay

Explain how living as a Christian disciple may influence the lives of Christians today. Christianity is an entire way of life. It’s not only a part of your life it is your whole life. It is a sense of being with God. It is not a one way system, but in fact a two way bond. Being a disciple of God gives you a sense of who you are. You have the position of being part of God’s children as well as being a child of your parents. This is an incomparable feeling. A Christian is a person who lives their life daily for God. By praying on a regular basis, reacting positively not negatively with people and being an optimistic person rather than a pessimistic one. Christianity focuses a lot on how people treat others. Christianity believes everyone is equal. Nobody is better than someone else, even if they are richer. A disciple believes Christ is with you at all times. To become a Christian you must try and be the best you can be. An example of this would be the story about the Pharisee and the tax collector, having the best humanity. To develop into a Christian you need to know the principles. You need to live your life a certain way. That means you might have to sacrifice a few things but in the long run you will be rewarded. Again you must know how to deal with people. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Luke 10 vs. 27) A person needs to be willing to give up luxuries in order to gain better things. For instance a Christian must give 10% of their total income to either a church or a charity. But the more essential factor is time. Time is more precious than rubies. Time must be taken out of your day to think about God or even the elderly lady next door who lives all alone. Your attitude towards people is very important. Being a Christian affects what career you wish to pursue. Certain professions are considered unethical and therefore are not allowed. A job such as working in an abortion clinic, you are taking away a life which has a right to live, which is unjust. Another job which gives people grief is a traffic warden. A Christian has an important role to play in the family and in the home. There must be peaceful negotiation and they must always remember that children usually learn from the examples of their parents. So as a parent you must do good things and not bad. You must know how to function in a family. To be a dedicated Christian you are required to visit the church on a regular basis and to pray daily. At church Christians have communion, usually once a week. This is red wine and bread which s also called the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the ceremony in which Christ’s last meal with his disciples is celebrated with bread and wine, the bread symbolizes Jesus’ body and the wine Jesus’ blood. Although some Christians do not believe in going to church for example, Quakers and the Salvation Army. Quakers are Christians who do not have set services or have no ceremonies and do not do repeated rituals. The Salvation Army consider that you should be careful and make sure that ceremonies do not become more important than the meaning of the belief or faith. Also the Salvation Army do not drink any alcohol as when they first started the group alcohol was a serious problem, therefore they are not allowed to have communion as it involves wine. There are many noble Christians who have acted as excellent role models, in the past and in the present day. Some of these famous Christian disciples are Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and many more. I am going to tell you about Desmond Tutu. Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 on the 7th October. He lived in South Africa, a society where coloured people were considered as outcasts, a racist system of apartheid. They had to learn from an early age that their needs were considered less important than the needs of white people. They were not allowed to mix with the white people. For example black children could not go to the same school as a white child and at all times black people had to carry their passbooks to show who they were and if they had a right to be where they were, they also were not allowed to go into cafes or go to beaches and parks. In the street white police officers would look them up and down as if they were criminals. It was hard for children to grow up watching parents and role models being humiliated in this way. Desmond Tutu went to an all black school. He worked willing and was therefore intelligent. He was a kind and gentle boy. At the age of 14 Desmond got Tb. He was put in hospital for 2 years. An English priest called Father Trevor Huddleston visited him every week. Trevor Huddleston had been trying to make the lives of the black people better. He believed apartheid was evil and very unchristian. He opened hostels and nurseries for homeless people o stay in at night. He also defended black people when they were challenged by the police. A life long friendship blossomed between Desmond and Trevor. During his stay in hospital Desmond became more thoughtful and reflective. He had a strong commitment towards Christianity and a spiritual approach to life. Desmond was influenced by humility, gentleness, selflessness from spiritual people like Trevor. After leaving school Desmond decided train as a teacher. He worked as a teacher for a few years but he couldn’t stand there and watch his people suffer. He wanted to do something about it. So he left teaching and became a priest. In 1961 Desmond was ordained as a priest. He was given his own parish church and a proper house in an area of slum housing. It was rewarding work, a satisfying job with people who loved him having him as their priest. In 1962 he was offered to go to London to study for a second degree in theology. When he got there he couldn’t believe that he was allowed to walk freely and not have to check for signs where they were not allowed. He wasn’t searched by police; he didn’t have to carry a passbook around with him. He loved it. After 3 years when he returned to South Africa, he found it difficult being a second class citizen again. From the understanding of the Bible he saw that Christianity stresses that all people are equal and that God wants people to be free. As a Christian he felt it was his responsibility to help black people become equal with white people. Two years later Desmond took a job in England. In 1975 he was given the post of Dean in Johannesburg. If he accepted it then this meant he would have to move back to South Africa. This post had always been held by white men so he wanted to make a change and accepted the post. The cathedral had a racially mixed congregation and clergy. Desmond bought in changes to the worship including shaking hands, hugging and kissing your neighbour on the cheek which made many fell more comfortable. In 1978 wealthier black people were starting to be allowed into a few public places but the community as a whole were kept as second class citizens. In one of Desmond’s speeches he dramatically promised to burn his Bible on the day that he was proved wrong about apartheid being an evil. Another thing Desmond said in one of his speeches was, â€Å"At home in South Africa I have sometimes said in big meetings where you have black and white together, ‘look at your hands-different colours representing different people. You are the rainbow people of God.’ And you remember the rainbow in the Bible is the sign of peace. The rainbow is the sign of prosperity. We want peace, prosperity and justice and we can have it when all the people of God, the rainbow people of God, work together.† In 1984 he was awarded in the Nobel Peace Prize in America. Soon the whole world came to see Desmond as a symbol for the fight against apartheid. In 1986 he was further promoted to Archbishop of Cape Town, the first black man to hold this post. In 1989 F.W De Klerk became president. The ban on ANC and PAC was lifted symbolising freedom for all black South Africans after so many years of suffering. In 1993 exclusive white rule finally ended. The result of the first democratic election was that in 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black South African president. By 1996 there was a new constitution aimed at creating a full racial equality and harmony. The hardest challenge facing bereaved families was not only to forgive those whom had caused their suffering, but to make sure that forgiveness was complete and unconditional as with Christian love. This would mean the new South Africa could grow from strong roots, unaffected by blame and bitterness. I think Desmond Tutu was a good Christian disciple as he helped the black people of South Africa. He bought equality in South Africa which is what God says. He is helping others and spreading the good word of God. He is determined and will not give up when things get tough. Another example of a good Christian disciple is a man called Oscar Romero. He was born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador in 1917. He was a Catholic man. He thought the best way to help people would be to serve God as a priest. He frequently visited prisoners in Gaol and he worked with alcoholics He promoted the activities of ‘Alcohol Anonymous.’ He set up charities to provide aid for the poor and the hungry. Oscar was a respected man. He spoke for the poor, opposed the government, opposed military and opposed rich families who influenced the politicians behind the scene. He was a determined Christian disciple. Romero’s aim in life was too help the poor and hungry and the only way he could help them was by making sure the church get a say in politics. He started at a seminary in San Miguel, in 1930. A few months later he was sent to Rome to complete his theological studies. In 1942 he is ordained as a priest. In 1943 he returns to El Salvador having witnessed early years of the Second World War, in Europe. From 1944 he worked as a parish priest but a few months later he was called by the bishop to work as the secretary of the diocese, a post which he held for twenty-three years. During this time most of his pastoral work focused on the cathedral parish. Between 1962 and 1965 Romero was a largely important priest in the diocese. He was in charge of the local seminary and editor of the diocesan newspaper. In 1967 he was appointed as sanctuary, ‘General of the National Bishops’ Conference,’ and he moves to San Salvador. Then in 1968 he takes up an additional role for the, ‘Central American Bishops’ Secretariat.’ In 1968 the council of Medellin is held in Colombia. In 1970 Romero is made auxiliary assistant bishop in San Salvador. He becomes increasingly aware of the plight of the oppressed and the poor but resists th e notion that the church should be too involved in politics. In 1974 Romero is made bishop of San Salvador. In 1977 he is made Archbishop of San Salvador. It was dangerous to be a Christian in El Salvador. To speak the Gospel message of God’s love for the poor and suffering of the world was to risk persecution. This was a statement the government could not ignore. A person could not claim to be a Christian if he or she ignored the violence against so many in the country or if they ignored the bombings, the illegal detentions, the torture and the callous murders of men, women and children. These murders were seen as a direct attack on the church itself. It was an assault which the Church could not ignore. This is when Romero decided on his course of action. His thinking on religion and politics develops. He sees an increasing need for the church to have a voice in politics and becomes an outspoken critic of injustice and oppression. On the 24th March 1980 Oscar Romero is assassinated. On the 30th March 1980 the, ‘Palm Sunday Massacre,’ took place. He had the most powerful and influential voice of the Church and he was the spokesperson for the oppressed. Romero believed that the Gospels did not see a division between religion and everyday life. In a world of fear and terror, Romero’s preaching of the Gospel message of love and justice was a source of hope for the people. One of the famous things Romero said was, ‘May Christ’s sacrifice give us the courage to offer our own bodies for justice and peace.’ His last sermon, on the Sunday before his death, was very significant. In it Romero made a special request to those with belief in God and those of Christian faith. It was a sermon which many believe cost him his life. In the sermon Romero said, ‘Nobody has to fulfil an immoral law. Now it is time that you recover your consciences and that you first obey your conscience rather than an order to sin. We want the Government to understand seriously that reforms are worth nothing if they are stained with so much blood. I beg, I ask, I order you in the name of God: stop the repression.’ A week after the preaching these words Oscar Romero was assassinated. In the days before the funeral crowds of people flooded into the city. Visitors arrived from all over the world. Not only the Church leaders but also important politicians from many countries were present. Romero had become a respected political as well as religious leader. Nuns and priests were gathered in a very public hunger strike. In protest at the killing of Romero, they were refusing to eat. This showed how great a person he was. There were as many as a hundred thousand people packed in every available space outside the cathedral, waiting for the funeral service. The solemn funeral service began in a dignified manner. During the sermon everyone listened intently to the words of remembrance for Oscar Romero. During his life Romero tried to put such ideals into practice. His religious belief was always a practical matter and his great desire was to see people work together for a better world. Romero shared, with all who would listen a vision of justice in an injustice world. His life and martyrdom are remembered by millions. In a troubled world Romero remains as a sign of hope. Those who killed him may have thought that they would be silencing a powerful voice against injustice in El Salvador. They may have killed the man but the message of justice for all still lives today.

Strategic management (structural industry analysis) Essay

Strategic management (structural industry analysis) - Essay Example 1). Using a model such as Porter's Five Forces goes well beyond simply searching for trends within an industry in that it can help one to develop marketing strategies that are quite effective. "In the Five Forces Model, Porter explains that in any industry there are five forces that influence what happens within the industry: 1. Existing companies, 2. potential new companies, 3. substitutes for products offered, 4. the suppliers, and 5. the customers" (Website Marketing Plan, 2007, p. 1). The overall business environment is constructed from the combination of these five forces. Improvement's to a company's marketing strategies can be made when management studies these five forces and how they relate to each other within their particular industry or even a specific niche within their industry (Website Marketing Plan 2007). One example of a company who may utilize this model includes EBay, which lies within the online auction industry. Their competitive force would include competitors such as UBid and WeBidz, as they offer the same services as EBay. There are a wide variety of potential new entrants, but they hold a great deal of market share due to their vast popularity, so it would take quite a sharp company to overtake EBay in this particular market. EBay's customers would include those who visit the website, whether they partake in auctioning and, therefore, pay fees or merely contribute to the income of EBay through visiting its sponsors' advertisement banners. The supplier's in this market are unique in that they are actually other consumers, as it is a consumer-to-consumer environment. Substitutes for EBay could include things such as variety and thrift stores, yard sales, discount stores, and classified ads. Another popular company that can analyze its marketing strategies using Porter's Five Forces Model would be Wal-Mart, whose main competitors include companies such as Target and Kmart. Their competitors can exist either on ground or online, such as Target.com. Potential new entrants to the market include up-and-coming discount stores of other varieties that carry a wide range of products at low prices. Customers include those who visit Wal-Mart's physical stores, as well as those who visit their website. Wal-Mart has a wide array of suppliers. Whereas they used to proudly sell products that were made in America, marketplace pressures pushed them to find cheaper suppliers, such as companies located in China. Due to recent conflict with imports from China, this could be a large problem for them in the future if they do not adjust that particular strategy to suit the desires of their customers. People can visit a variety of other stores to obtain the same types of products that they cou ld obtain from Wal-Mart, such as mom and pop stores, but the downside would be that they may have to visit several of these types of stores to get what they could get in one trip to Wal-Mart. Competitiveness, Generic Strategy, Effectiveness, and Profit Consumers have many choices today when they go to

Using the two articles and any relevant primary sources, compare the Assignment

Using the two articles and any relevant primary sources, compare the role of youth culture in these two decades. In these two decades, to what degree did youth - Assignment Example This difference was fresh latitude in experience. In addition, the youth experienced an increase in individual liberty, new-fangled communicative nurture, and more room for experimentation. Therefore, this implies that the youth culture played a critical role in altering American history. Only a few youth were interested in imitating the lives of their professors, or in caring immensely for books. In addition, Cmiel also argues that the youth were immensely tolerant in attitude since their schools played a critical part. It is of the essence to say that instructions exposed the youth to the relativism of philosophers and writers who had long prepared the ground for youth’s beliefs and values (Cmiel, 462). Moreover, this fresh latitude in familiarity detached the youth from their parents as well as the American past. The majority of the youth was sent to school rather than vocation. This necessitated adjustments at a time when aged attitudes towards sex, religion, and manners paved way for newer practices such as dating, movies, communal work patterns, and Sunday golf. This implies that this culture adopted by the youth also played a decisive role in altering American history. The youth turned enthusiastically to what was innovative in the culture, and did it with utmost delight and excitement. When the youth in the early twenties altered adult standards of respectabili ty in sexual behavior, and even expanded the possibilities of women’s behavior, they were efficiently directing individuals away from adult norms, generating and approving fresh social patterns (Cmiel 463). Therefore, it is worth mentioning that youth culture played a significant role in altering American history. As the youth opposed prohibition and drank liquor, they were merely denying the exigency of adult norms, rebuffing the perception of a static standard of morality, and questioning the legitimacy of adult laws (Cmiel 464). In adjusting to adult standards, they became

Sustainable marketing plan for Emirates Airline Essay

Sustainable marketing plan for Emirates Airline - Essay Example Emirates Airlines ensures that passengers have the best experience possible while flying, no matter in which class a passenger is flying. Currently, Emirates Airlines has 1,000 flights leaving Dubai every week to six continents and nearly 40% of airline traffic in the Dubai International Airport consists of flights by Emirates Airlines out of Terminal 3. It is also the largest world-wide operator of the Airbus A380. In continuing its growth in the global airline market, a new Airbus Hub will be opening soon to accommodate Emirates’ large fleet of Airbus planes. The Hub will contain shopping and dining areas, first class and business class lounges that lead right on to the planes, and a first-class hotel with both four-star and five-star rooms for overnight accommodations (Emirates Global, 2012). Fig. 1(Emirates Airbus Hub, 2012) In September 2012, Qantas of Australia signed an agreement with Emirates for joint use of the new hub in Dubai, thus opening up new markets for both c ompanies. As part of the agreement, Qantas now moves its current Airbus hub from Singapore to Dubai, providing world-class seamless traveling to all parts of the globe and include it frequent flyer benefits program. This also means far more traffic through the Dubai Hub, providing customers for its shops, restaurants and its world-class hotel, a huge bonus for travellers making very long journeys who would prefer to stay overnight at the hotel instead of just getting onto another plane. While neither airlines has equity in the other, there will be a sharing of benefits such as the network collaboration of coordinated scheduling of flights, ticket sales and a seamless transition from one airline to another for those travellers who need it ( Dubai Hub, 2012). Currently, the Airbus 380 planes are used by seven global airlines: Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern (Waugh, 2012). The marketing plan goal: to align Qantas and Emira tes as major brands names in the Airbus airline industry; to create a buzz as offering the best benefits by flying with either airline; and to induce other Airbus 380 airlines to join in partnership with the Emirates Hub (3Bs). This also benefits passengers who receive special high-value benefits by flying through the Hub; promotes international flying on Airbus airplanes as the most valued way to go; and finally, brings in more profits through customer acquisition, Airbus acquisition to the Hub, and sustainable income with profits seen within the first two years of the program (3BL). Marketing Mix = 2000 Hub Customer Plan The marketing mix for customers in this plan consists of all first class and business class passengers who use the Airbus fleets of the two airlines currently signed to the new Emirates Hub. As part of the acquisition, retention and add-on selling process (ARA), the intention is for first-time Airbus Hub flyers to receive exceptional bonuses when flying through th e Dubai Hub for the first time. This first stage will include a free night at the hotel, based on the flying status of the customer, whether first class or business class. This is a major bonus because people will love the hotel once they have experienced its fine services and

Process of Supply and Value Chain Management Assignment

Process of Supply and Value Chain Management - Assignment Example As the study highlights  the value chain provides an effective way to understand the sources of the buyer value that determines the price, and why a product or a service is substituted by another company’s product. Thus, the strategies can be defined as an internal formation of activities that differentiates a firm from its rivals. In this report the benefits and the risks of undertaking the full implementation of a supply and value chain management to a multi-product manufacturing company will be explained. Furthermore, the examples of strategy implemented by Colgate Palmolive will be assessed. Thus, whether the implementation of supply and value chain management in an organisation will be profitable to the organisation or not will be recognised.  A supply chain concept includes different networked companies with the same objective, such as meeting buyer requirements. Furthermore, it is a mutual agreement between interdependent organisations to work together to improve, manage and control the flow of raw materials and information from the suppliers to the consumers.  The organisations should ensure that the supply chain is an error- free business network which is required to perform activities at all the levels of the production. Thus, it can be stated that the supply chain consists of interdependent organ isations of suppliers and business processes that are needed to be controlled effectively.  ... The prime goal of the company is to use the technologies to create products that will improve the lifestyle qualities of the consumers. Thesis Statement In this report the benefits and the risks of undertaking the full implementation of a supply and value chain management to a multi-product manufacturing company will be explained. Furthermore, the examples of strategy implemented by Colgate Palmolive will be assessed. Thus, whether the implementation of supply and value chain management in an organisation will be profitable to the organisation or not will be recognised. Process of Supply and Value Chain Management A supply chain concept includes different networked companies with the same objective, such as meeting buyer requirements. Furthermore, it is a mutual agreement between interdependent organisations to work together to improve, manage and control the flow of raw materials and information from the suppliers to the consumers. Additionally, it can also be defined as the network of business units that indulge from the initial stages, from procuring the raw materials to manufacturing it and then making the finished products available to the consumers through an effective distribution system. The organisations should ensure that the supply chain is an error- free business network which is required to perform activities at all the levels of the production. Thus, it can be stated that the supply chain consists of interdependent organisations of suppliers and business processes that are needed to be controlled effectively. Therefore, the member organisations are required to know how the materials and information flow all the way through the supply chain, from the initial supplier to the consumers (Vanharanta & Breite, â€Å"A Supply and Value Chain Management

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education Research Paper

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education - Research Paper Example A comparison between the weakest and the strongest education systems can assist in understanding the benefits of a good educational system and provide guidance for the improvement of the weak educational system. It is for this reason that I want to compare the American Education and Saudi Education to understand the shortcomings of the educational system of Saudi Arabia. America is a nation with a very strong educational system whereas Saudi Arabia lacks in this field and it is for this reason that a comparison of the education in the two countries can highlight the factors that need to be improved in the education of Saudi Arabia. The governments in the United States and Saudi Arabia both work extensively for the promotion of the education in their respective countries. Both the countries are known to spend extensively for improving the educational sector. The countries offer free education to students till the school level. Saudi Arabia also offers financial assistance to students for further education. The two countries have similar sets of schools which include the schools of the public sector, the government sector and the option of home schooling is also available. But there are still many differences in the education imparted in two countries. This can be understood by comparing the literacy rates of the two countries. 99 percent of the males as well as the females in the United States are educated. On the other hand, only 84.7 percent males and 70.8 percent females are literate in Saudi Arabia. The two countries have many similarities in their educational systems but striking differences have also been noted. The education system in Saudi Arabia has a strong role of religion and Islamic studies are a compulsory part of the curriculum in the educational institutions in the country. This is not true in the United States as religious studies are not compulsory in most of the educational institutions. The grading system in the two countries is also differen t. In the United States, students are given grades from A to F where A is the highest grade and F is the lowest one. On the other hand, the grading system in Saudi Arabia is from 5 to 1 with 5 being the highest mark and 1 being the lowest. The two countries also have different policies with regard to attendance in the educational institutions. In the United States, there is a compulsion for the students to be present in their schools. This is implemented in primary and secondary educational institutions. This rule is not implied in Saudi Arabia and attendance in primary and secondary schools is not checked with much strictness (Stevenson). Medical education is extremely important for all the countries of the world. There is a sharp difference between the medical educational system and practicing in the United States and Saudi Arabia. The United States has very good medical institutions that excel in teaching medicine and are marked to be the best across the globe. Furthermore, there are many educational programs for the medical health professionals and there are strictly regulated examinations in the country which ensure the fact that qualified professionals enter the field (Dezee et al 521). On the other hand, medical education in Saudi Arabia lacks these qualities. Many new medical instituti

Sociology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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PHP information technology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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The impact of technology on society(electrification(electricity)) Research Paper

The impact of technology on society(electrification(electricity)) - Research Paper Example Since the evolution of electricity is a complex phenomenon, its makeover is done by various personalities at various span of time at different stages. If we look at who identified electricity in an elaborate way, then the credit can be given to Benjamin Franklin who recognized electricity by flying kite on the occasion of lightning. It was in 1752, June 15th that Benjamin Franklin propagated that lightning is the pure form of electricity. He founded through experiment that electricity could pass through metals and this gave way to the great discovery of many electrical appliances and gadgets. 2.1.1 The Phenomenon of Electricity Surprisingly, the electricity as a scientific phenomenon did not gain recognition until the last quarter of eighteenth century. The early civilization to probe in to the discovery of electricity was the Greek personalities. The word electricity itself is connected to the Greek word â€Å"Elektron† or amber as rubbing of amber with cloth produced electri city. The electricity which was once a frightening element of nature, changed in to the most beneficial gift of nature as man discovered its immense potentiality and usability in his daily life. Electricity being a secondary form of energy source is obtained by converting primary sources of energies like coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power and other natural sources. The electricity consists of electrons which are tiny particles of energy and are the smallest unit of energy. These electrons which are energy particle, when passed through metals like copper and iron aids in use of electricity in electrical appliances. However the production and supply of electricity is the most perplexing procedure and capital intensive program, which the industrial sector has ever experienced. The electricity is produced in extensive power plants with the help of huge turning turbines. Here the turbines are turned with the help of steam produced by coal. However, if electricity is produced by water then the rushing of water moves the turbine. The voltage of electricity is increase with the help of transformers which is later passed to the electrical equipments for use. 2.2 The status of pre- electricity period. 2.2.1 Quality of life The quality of life before the invention of electricity was considerably dull and dark. The period prior to the last quarter of 18th century was a duration of strive and struggle due to the absence of electricity. The life during those times was murky and was entirely depended on the dim light of the candle. Unlike 21st century, the age before electricity was limited in luxury and amenities. People were not in a position to take maximum benefit of natural resources and had to struggle hard to conduct their daily life. Moreover, the night life of people were less exciting because as the night fell, people resorted to their homes keeping in mind their personal security and safety. During those times, people depended on bee wax, cow dung and animal fa t to illuminate their houses and other personal and public spaces. 2.2.2. Performing task Before the invention of electricity, all the house hold chores and productive works were outcome of manual labor. People like poets and

The Life of Jonathan Edwards Essay Example for Free

The Life of Jonathan Edwards Essay Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary The Life of Jonathan Edwards A Paper Submitted to Dr. Gregory Tomlin In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course American Christianity CHHI 692 Table of Contents Abstract3 Biographical Outline4-5 Survey of Edwards Life5-18 Work Written By Jonathan Edwards19-20 Bibliography21-22 Abstract Through out Jonathan Edwards’ life he focused on preaching and expressing his views and feelings on how people should live their lives and practice the faith. He was very influential in the first great awakening. He also gave various sermons and wrote multiple books and essays (that influenced many future people and organizations) on how to live life and worship God. Biographical Outline Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703, in Connecticut. There he shared a life with his father (Timothy Edwards, who was a minister in East Windsor, Connecticut), his mother (Esther Stoddard, the daughter of Rev. Solomon Stoddard), and ten sisters. His parents made sure that their children were brought up to know God on a personal level. After completing his home studies (with his parents), Edwards decided (at the young age of 13) to continue his education by attending Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, where he studied divinity. He studied there working on his B. D. for two years. After his graduation, he decided to focus his knowledge in the areas theology. After preaching at a Presbyterian church in New York City for less than a year, he decided to return to college (Yale) to receive his M. A. degree. On completion of his schooling, he joined his grandfather as an associate pastor at Northampton. In July of 1727 he married Sarah Pierpont, and over the years they had eleven children. In the early part of their marriage, Edwards’ grandfather died, and he had to take on the task of preaching, alone. This event began his life as a true preacher. Through out the rest of his life he focused on preaching and expressing his views and feelings on how people should live their lives and practice the faith. He was very influential in the first great awakening. He gave various sermons and wrote multiple books and essays on how to live life and worship God. Edwards was known for his views on women. During his time many people felt women should focus their life in the household, but Edwards felt that they were equal to men, and could also hold important positions in life. This could be preaching the gospel to others and or explaining the fascinations and or discoveries of science (which he also enjoyed). Throughout his life he enjoyed education of not only himself, but also all of the people around him. Survey of Edwards’ Life Edwards’ Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut. He was born to two parents, who were firm believers of God and His power, Timothy Edwards and Ester Stoddard. Edwards father, Timothy Edwards, was a pastor of a church their in East Windsor, Connecticut, and his mother, Esther Stoddard, was the daughter of Solomon Stoddard (a pastor of the church in Northampton, Massachusetts). Edwards’ parents were blessed with 11 children. Among those eleven children, he was the only boy (so he probably had a lot to live up too). His parents, who grew up in the Puritan age, raised him and his siblings in a Puritan atmosphere and upbringing. They were home schooled, while being taught the importance of putting all of your faith into the Lord. After his schooling, at home, was completed, Edwards decided to continue his education by attending Yale College (in New Haven, Connecticut). While he was there he studied various subjects, including science, divinity, and theology, giving him a well-rounded and objective education. During his studies he managed to find extra time to write multiple intriguing essays. He graduated in September 1720, as the valedictorian of his class, with a degree in divinity. Once Edwards completed his college studies at Yale College, he decided to try out preaching. He began his journey at a small Presbyterian church in New York City. There he was a clergyman. He stayed there for almost a year. Then decided to leave for more education. He returned to Yale to tutor others and to continue his education. In early 1727 Edwards decided to join his grandfather at his church (Northampton). There he held the position of assistant minister. Since he was still considered a student minister, between his time ministering, he would spend his extra time studying and increasing his knowledge. Also during the same year Edwards decided to marry his love, Sarah. She was the daughter of the founder of Yale College. Although she was young (the mere age of seventeen), she was devoted to her spiritual love for God. She was truly an inspiration for Edwards and had been since she was 13 years old. Throughout their marriage she was a wonderful wife and friend. She made sure her husband and their eleven children were taken care of in every way. She was a true role model to her children and her husband. In 1729, early within the year, Edwards’ grandfather (Solomon Stoddard) died. Upon is death, Edwards was left with the huge task of taking on the ministry of his grandfather’s church (Northampton) all by his self. This church was a well known and attended church, and was one of the largest in the area. Edwards and The Great Awakening In 1731 Edwards wrote, preached, and published one of his famous sermons. He shared his sermon, which was called God Glorified – In Man’s Dependence, with the people of Boston. This sermon revolved around the topic of Arminianism (stereological thought that involves the Protestant Community, which is based on Dutch Reformed theologian, Jacobus Arminius). Edwards’ main focus with this sermon was to let people know that God gave them the power of faith to help lead them to salvation. In1733 a revival began right there at Edwards’ church (Northampton). By the spring of the next year the revival reached huge heights. Within six months of the revival’s beginning, nearly three hundred people had come to the church to participate. The increased activity there at the church also gave him the idea and the opportunity to study the process of conversion (which he documented in his essay, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton). Eventually the entire revival was documented (by Edwards) through multiple essays, which Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners became the most effective. By the year of 1735, the revival that began with Edwards’ church had expanded. The revival had gone from the grounds of Northampton to New Jersey. With the expansion of the revival, the numbers of doubters grew. There were many people throughout New England who doubted Edwards’ sincerity of God’s Words, and felt that he was leading his flock of believers (new and old) to ultimate damnation. These doubts got so great that some people felt the urge to commit suicide (with a few actually completing the act). These acts and feeling of suicide ultimately ended this revival. Talk of the revival spread all the way to England and Scotland. People in other countries (across seas) were aware of what was going on in America, and they were intrigued. One person, in particular, who became interested in Northampton and Edwards, was George Whitefield. He was an Anglican Protestant minister, who eventually helped spread the Great Awakening to Britain. In 1739 Whitefield traveled to the Thirteen Colonies (the initial British colonies established, between the time of 1607 to 1733, on the Atlantic Coast of North America) on a revival tour. While he was touring he met Edwards’ acquaintance. While in America he preached at Edwards’ church. The sermon was so touching (as he reminded Edwards and his congregation of the purpose of the revival that had occurred earlier) that most of the congregation cried (along with Edwards) as Whitefield spoke. The sermon was so inspiring that the revival came back to life. People remember what the whole point to the revival was, a chance to bring people to God. The sermon also inspired Edwards. This was during the time that he preached the sermon the made him known. In 1741 Edwards went to Enfield, Connecticut, and preached his famous sermon, Sinners in the hands of an Angry God. In this sermon he reminded people of Hell (through vivid imagery and scripture). He felt that this was what the people needed to return them to the path of righteousness. Although there were many people who Edwards brought back to the revival, there were still some who were leery of the movement. Some of these people consisted of conservative Congregationalist ministers. These ministers were leery for various reasons, one in particular were the actions that consumed people during the movement. Some of these actions consisted of barking, crying out, yelling, body movements, etc. In the movement’s defense, Edwards published a work called The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. In his work he stated the reactions of these people were not one way or another the actions of God. Shortly after publishing this work he published a couple of apologizes stating that he was incorrect and that the divine visitation does take over the body (in the writing Thoughts on the Revival in New England). These new views came in part from the actions of his wife during the movement. Regardless of Edwards’ words on body movements and conversion people took notice of the effect that the gospel seemed to have on the people who participated in these revivals. The people who were promoting The Great Awaking took the body movements as true reactions to conversion. Even though many people had taken Edwards’ words that he previously spoken, on the topic of bodily movements and conversion (even though he tried to retract his options and views on the topic), and ran with them, he still tried to let people know that he had changed his position and views on the topic. He preached at his church (Northampton), in the attempt to share and spread his new feelings and to explain why his feelings had changed. During the years of 1742 and 1746, Edwards had a group of his sermons published called Religious Affections. This famous group of sermons expresses his views on conversion. It also described how true conversion occurs and that the only way a person can be saved is if they truly believe, have faith, and accept that Jesus Christ died for man’s sins. Without the previous criteria a person cannot be saved. During the years between 1747 and 1749, Edwards published various works regarding religion and beliefs. A couple in particular regarded a movement in Scotland and David Brainerd. In 1747 Edwards joined a movement that was in Scotland. It was called the Concert in Prayer. After his involvement in the movement he decided to document his experience in his writing called An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth. Then in 1749 another one of his writing was published. This writing involved the conversion and confessions of David Brainerd. During the time in question, Brainerd was living in Edwards’ church (Northampton) and was being attended to by Edwards’ daughter (Jerusha). Rumors were floating around that the two, Jerusha and David, were engaged, but of course there were no documents to back up the rumors. Women and Their Importance Throughout Edward’s life, he tried to instill in the people who surrounded him the importance of a woman. He wanted people to know that women were just as important as men were and that they should work together as a team to help each other. These views were instilled in him as a child. His mother and sisters took care of the duties around the house and helped him and his father throughout childhood. Edwards also expressed is views about women when it came to his wife Sarah. He felt that men and women were equal and promoted gender equality. In his day – to day duties and even his sermons, he promoted Equality. For example, he would stress the fact that The Bible states that Eve is the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20), giving her one of the most important roles of life. There is no one more important than a child’s mother. He continuously focused on various characters throughout The Bible, giving equal considerations to many of the women that it mentions. Some of the names include women like Eve, Sarah, Anna, Mary, etc. He was clearly (and possibly dangerously) a head of his time, with his views on women and equality. His Fascination With Science During this time, many new advances were beginning to surface. People were beginning to look into various areas, like how electricity worked and if and how it could be reproduced and other various things. Edwards took an interest in science early on and decided to broaden his education (which included science) in college. In college he was so interested in how things worked that he wrote various papers on philosophy, optics, flying spiders, light, etc. He basically tried to investigate and observe as much as he could (or that peaked his curiosity). While some people shied away from science, Edwards was drawn to the laws of nature. Many people during this time felt that science disregarded God and religion. While these opinions were circulating, Edwards felt that the laws of nature came from God and were in itself part of His care and wisdom. Since God and science went hand and hand, science did not threaten faith or spirituality. His Later Years During the early years of Northampton, Edwards’ grandfather (Solomon Stoddard) established the church with specific guidelines and rules. One of the more important guidelines was that members of the church must be baptized to participate in different church activities. Events like the Lord’s Supper, was a reminder and a converting ordinance. People who were not baptized could come to the church for sermons, but other activities needed membership and baptism to participate. Problems began to arise there in the church, around 1748, when Edwards began to publicly voice his opinions with his grand father’s views. He felt that church membership should require more criteria. This included things like clothing, entertainment, reading materials, etc. One particular event was when Edwards published a list of people from his congregation that were accused of reading inappropriate reading materials. This list included people that were being accused along with any witnesses that were called. The problem that got the congregation in an uproar was the fact that the list, that he published, did not distinguse between the accused and the witnesses. Everyone on the list was looked at as guilty, in the eyes of anyone who read the list. The people who were found guilty were disciplined for their actions. As a result of the whole incident, the relationship between Edwards and the congregation deteriorated. The situation created tension between him and many of the people within the community. People began to think of him and label him as a trouble maker and no fun. Edwards’ and his church became very unpopular. Many people resented him and very few people wanted to be involved with his church. For many years after the situation with the published names, very few people expressed interest in being members of his church. The few that did show interest, were met with numerous and outrageous qualifications that they refused to follow. Even though many people from all over would come to hear his sermons, his own congregation was not at all fond of him. Since there was so much tension between Edwards and his congregation, the council of the church had to serve as a mediator. Eventually the council and the church felt they needed to deal with Edwards and all of his recent changes and opinions. In this meeting, the council and the members of the church decided to suspend his privileges to preach there at Northampton, and when the vote ended up going to the town meeting, it was also confirmed and Edwards preaching privileges were ended. Although Edwards was no longer a minister there at Northampton, he continued to live there in the town. And he seemed to not hold any ill will regarding the congregation’s final decision. Occasionally the congregation would ask him to come and preach a sermon or two. This process went on until 1751. In the next few years, Edwards was invited to preach in Scotland and Virginia, but he decided to decline. He also chose to decline invitations to a church in Stockbridge and a chance to mission to the Housatonic Indians. He did spend time with the Indians, preaching to them now and then. He also took time to write various books. One in particular was called Humble Relation (Reply to Williams), which spoke on full communion. There were many other writings that involved God and morality. In 1757 Edwards son – in – law (Reverend Aaron Burr), which was married to his daughter Esther and was the son of the future US vice – president Aaron Burr, died and Edwards decided to take his place as the president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University). But shortly after accepting his new position, Edwards became sick and died. Edwards was a firm supporter of the new small pox inoculations. To show his support, he decided to also get the inoculation. Because he was never in excellent health, he developed complications from the inoculation and died on March 22, 1758. His Legacy Edwards was a Calvinist and believed in those views. Edwards and the people who followed him were known as the New Light Calvinist ministers. Some of his followers included Samuel Hopkins, Gideon Hawley, Joseph Bellamy and many others. Most of his followers lived in the New England area, comprising a great population size. His followers also became great citizens, this included US vice – presidents, college presidents, etc. Edwards’s writings and his beliefs were great influential readings during his day and even today. Many laws, rules, regulations, etc. were drawn from his writings. Some of the things Edwards’ writings influenced were the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions missionaries, The Missionary Herald, The Banner of Truth Trust, etc. Works Written By Jonathan Edwards (not inclusive) †¢A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God †¢Charity and its Fruits †¢Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced †¢Concerning the End for Which God Created The World Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God †¢Freedom of the Will †¢A History of the Work of Redemption including a View of Church History †¢The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, Missionary to the Indians †¢The Nature of True Virtue †¢Original Sin †¢Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival in New England and the Way it Ought to be Acknowledged and Promoted †¢A Treaste Concerning Religious Affections †¢Atonement (Governmental view) †¢Colonial America †¢Congregational church †¢Great Awakening †¢Mission House (Stockbridge, Massachusetts) †¢Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God †¢Jonathan Edwards College Argument form Beauty †¢American philosophy †¢List of American philosophers †¢Ivy League Presidents †¢New England Dwight family Bibliography Bearskin, Douglas L. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards, Enthusiast? Radical Revivalism and the Great Awakening in the Connecticut Valley. † Church History 74 (2005): 683-739. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=4hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=19448230. Beck, Peter. â€Å"Fall of man and the failure of Jonathan Edwards. † Evangelical Quarterly 79 (2007): 209-225. http://web. bscohost . com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=25338906. Crisp, Oliver D. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards on the Divine Nature. † Journal of Reformed Theology 3 (2009): 175-201. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=42316446. Duban, James. â€Å"A Reverent and Obedient Evolution: Jonathan Edwards, the New Science, and the Socialism of Henry James Sr. Journal of Speculative Philosophy 23 (2009): 244-261. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl. Miller, Gordon. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards’ sublime book of nature. † History Today 46 (July 1996): 29. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=4hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=9607212980. Wikipedia. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards. † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian).

Factors Influencing Calprotectin Levels

Factors Influencing Calprotectin Levels Several factors have been reported to affect faecal calprotectin levels. Some of these factors have been investigated in this study through the survey. Referring to Figure 3.1, 34% participant are aged between 50-59 years. From this study, a correlation between age and calprotectin level is positive, meaning that, as age of participant increases, calprotectin level increases (p Socioeconomic status is another factor which is thought to impact on calprotectin level. Figure 3.2 shows that 48.86% participants were from medium socioeconomic status. From Table 3.7, the correlation between socioeconomic status and calprotectin level was statistically significant (p The health status of participants was divided in 3 subcategories: healthy, unhealthy, and quite healthy. From Figure 3.3, 66% participants stated that they are healthy while 20% were unhealthy. Referring to Table 3.8, no positive correlation exists between health status and calprotectin level (p>0.05). This implies that health status of the individual does not affect calprotectin level. 47 % participants judged that they were moderately stressed (Figure 3.6). Stress has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of several GI conditions. Stress profile is known to contribute to GI inflammation. From this study, a statistically significant correlation does not exist between calprotectin and stress level (p>0.05) (Table 3.10). This demonstrates that as stress level rises; calprotectin does not increase accordingly, implying that according to the test, GI inflammation is not observed accordingly. This is refuted by findings of another study, reporting that stress is a potent modulator of the inflammatory response in the gut [104]. Among other lifestyle factors which can affect calprotectin level and thus GI inflammation is undoubtedly alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption often results in intestinal damage, mediated by inflammatory processes [105]. Figure 3.7 shows that only 4.55% participants consumed alcohol regularly. Statistical analysis demonstrates no correlation between alcohol consumption and calprotectin level (p> 0.05; Table 3.11). Another study also reported that faecal calprotectin level in active-drinking alcoholics are not significantly different, compared with controls. These results may suggest the absence of a subclinical intestinal inflammation involving neutrophils in the alcoholics [105]. Cigarette smoking is another factor likely to cause GI inflammation and thus, affecting calprotectin level. With reference to Figure 3.8, 20.45% participants smoke. Table 3.12 shows that the correlation coefficient is 0.073, however, it is not significant (p>0.05). There is no linear relationship between smoking and calprotectin level. However, literature suggests that smoking modifies pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines, which can contribute to inflammation [78]. Cigarette smoke and nicotine can aggravate colon and stomach inflammation [79]. However, this study concludes that no correlation exists between cigarette smoking and calprotectin level. Genetic influences can also alter the probability of suffering from GI inflammation. The study reveals that 40.91% participants (Figure 3.9) have family history of GI inflammation. Using the Mann Whitney test, a statistically significant correlation is seen between calprotectin level and family history of GI inflammation (p Literature suggests that GI surgery may have a protective or detrimental effect on GI inflammation. From Figure 3.11, 12.50% participants had undergone different types of GI surgery. The R2 value for GI surgery and calprotectin level is 0.037 (Table 3.16), implying that no linear relationship exists between calprotectin level and GI surgery. There is only 3.7% chance of having a linear relationship between calprotectin concentration and GI surgery. With reference to Table 3.15, it can be depicted that the correlation between calprotectin concentration and GI surgery is not statistically significant (p>0.05). Consumption of different types of food may have different types of outcome on the GIT. Some food can have a protective role on the GIT while others have detrimental effects. Table 3.2 shows that 62.5% participants consume fruits vegetables daily while 50% consume meat dairy products every day. A correlation between consumption of fruit vegetables and calprotectin level is statistically significant (R=0.236, p Referring to Figure 3.12, it can be seen that 65.91% participants took antibiotics in the last 6 months while 34.09% did not. The Mann Whitney test suggests that there is no correlation between antibiotic intake and calprotectin level (p>0.05) (Table 3.18). 4.2 Central obesity and GI inflammation One aim of this study is to determine whether centrally obese males are more susceptible to GI inflammation or not. 44 participants (50%) were centrally obese while 44 (50%) had a normal waistline (Figure 3.4). The BMI of participants was also assessed. From Figure 3.5, it can be concluded that 56.82% participants had normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), 36.36% were overweight (25.0à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤BMIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤29.9) and 6.82% participants were obese (BMIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥30.0). It should be noted that an individual with central obesity does not necessarily mean that he is obese. Centrally obese participants can have normal BMI as well. Using the Spearmans correlation, a statistically significant correlation between central obesity and calprotectin level was not found (p> 0.05) (Table 3.9). Moreover, there is no statistically significant correlation between BMI and GI inflammation (Table 3.9). Calprotectin is described as a novel marker of obesity [106]. Literature suggests that central obesity correlates more strongly with disease states compared with total body fat [7]. Another study reported that faecal calprotectin level is normally elevated in individuals with increased BMI [107]. In addition, obesity-relaed systemic changes can create conditions predisposing to gut inflammation [108]. One study reported that though patients have high faecal calprotectin level, which is characteristic of GI inflammation, they may not necessarily have associated symptoms [7]. This provides evidence that there can be increased inflammatory activity in normal subjects associated with obesity. 4.3 Drug use and GI inflammation The main objective of this study is to investigate drug use and GI inflammation. Referring to Table 3.21, a statistically significant correlation was not noted between drug use and calprotectin level (p>0.05). It should be noted that in this study, none of the participants had calprotectin levels higher than 620 pg/ mL, which is the cut off point for this ELISA kit. This implies that no participant suffered from GI inflammation. With reference to Table 3.5, the maximum calprotectin level recorded is 300pg/mL. The mean calprotectin level is 97.3 pg/mL. Referring to Table 3.4, 10.2% participants consume hypoglycaemic drugs while 9.1% use both hypoglycaemic and antihypertensive drugs. Yet, no correlation was found between drug use and GI inflammation (Table 3.21). With reference to Figure 3.19, 39.77% participants use drugs daily. However, no statistically significant correlation was noted between duration of therapy and calprotectin level (p > 0.05) (Table 3.22). This suggests that duration of drug therapy does not influence calprotectin level and hence GI inflammation. Other factors such as frequency of therapy with a given drug or whether the drug is brand or generic also do not affect calprotectin levels (Table 3.22). One study reported that low-dose aspirin treatment does not increase faecal calprotectin levels, although the use of NSAIDs might cause a rise in calprotectin concentrations due to NSAID-induced enteropathy in patients without IBD [39]. This study shows that aspirin does not increase calprotectin level; however, it also demonstrates that NSAIDs do not increase calprotectin level as no participant taking NSAIDs had calprotectin level above the cut off value. 4.4 Signs and symptoms of GI inflammation and calprotectin level With reference to Figure 3.13, 37.50% of the participants stated that they have suffered from GI inflammation in the past. Among those who have suffered from inflammation in the past, 17.05% suffered from gastritis while 11.36% suffered from inflammation of the intestine (Figure 3.14). Some participants have recently suffered from signs and symptoms of GI inflammation such as abdominal pain. Referring to Table 3.3, it can be seen that 27.3% participants suffered from no signs and symptoms of GI inflammation. Another 27.3% stated that they suffered from diarrhoea, abdominal pain and flatulence recently. These are clinical symptoms of GI inflammation. However, despite this fact, no statistically significant correlation was noted between signs symptoms of GI inflammation and calprotectin level (p>0.05) (Table 3.20). Despite this fact that participants clinically suffered from signs and symptoms of GI inflammation, no calprotectin level above the cut-off point of 620 g/mL (Table 3.5) was detected. Although clinical signs symptoms of GI inflammation were present, the calprotectin level might not have risen to a concentration high enough to be detected by the ELISA kit. This may account for calprotectin levels below the cut-off value. In addition, among those suffering from signs and symptoms of GI inflammation, 29.55% of them ultimately took drugs to alleviate these symptoms (Figure 3.15). Furthermore, Figure 3.16 depicts that among those suffering from signs symptoms of GI inflammation, in 57.95% cases, they were acute while in 13.64% cases, these signs and symptoms were chronic. These two factors might have contributed to the fact that no correlation is seen between calprotectin level and signs of GI inflammation as these drugs might have attenuated the inflammation, if ever present, which could have resulted in calprotectin levels below the cut-off point. Moreover, since the inflammation they suffered from was mostly acute, this might imply that the calprotectin level might not have reached a concentration high enough to be detected by the ELISA kit. 4.5 Calprotectin level With reference to Table 3.5, it can be seen that the minimum calprotectin level recorded was 20pg/mL while the maximum level recorded is 300pg/mL. The table also demonstrates that 15.9% of participants had calprotectin level of 80pg/mL. However, we can conclude that none of the participants suffered from GI inflammation because in no case, the calprotectin level exceeded 620pg/mL, which is the cut-off point for this ELISA kit. Only values above 620pg/mL indicate that GI inflammation is detected. Otherwise for all values below 620pg/mL, it suggests that GI inflammation is absent. Another study reported that the normal range for calprotectin is 52.8-352.9 ÃŽÂ ¼g/mL, meaning that levels of calprotectin above 352.9 ÃŽÂ ¼g/ mL should be considered positive for GI inflammation [109]. This shows that there is inter-kit variation for cut-off points for calprotectin level.

Free Surface Energy of Polymers

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