Public Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Public Human Resource Management Essay Please respond to the following: * Analyze the topics discussed in Chapter 1, with the exception of the laws. Select two topics and discuss two positive effects and two challenges the topic poses for human resource departments in the public sector. Performance Managementfor human resource departments it is important; to utilize the skills, focus and provide incentives for employees that are based on performance to achieve the organization’s goal. Human resource departments need to provide training and programs that are accessible to help enhance members of the organization’s learning with constant changes in policies and procedures. Two challenges posed to human resource departments; the inability to provide essential information to access or evaluate an employee’s performance accurately, Failure to provide quality and satisfactory customers services to connect with a task group with the strategies and plans the organization has implemented. Improvement in Labor Managementfor human resource departments it mean networking and communicating with various industrials and labor force can be a way to improve relationships even though they may not agree on some issues. Implementing policies and strategic plans that will benefit the public and private globally as well as nationally is vital in society today. Challenges posed to human resource departments; a human resource department or union disputing and failing to negotiation and resolve an issue, Trends in the change or advancement of technology and the ability of human resource departments to deal with the change especially in a global labor market. The outsourcings of jobs and employees that perform their jobs without being in a traditional workplace can create challenges for human resource departments when there is less or no communication among staff. Two topics that have an effect for human resources are 1) Recruitment and 2) Training and development. Two positive effects for recruitment is that there is a need to  fill 300k positions annually, and their is a need to attract quality applicants. Two challenges for Recruitment are recruiting qualified applicants, and keeping up with the rapid pace to hire the most qualified applicants. Two positive effects for training and development is that it will allow employees to take advantage of gaining knowledge to increase their chances of getting promoted. It will also allow companies to attract the best employees. Two challenges would consist of the cost for setting up training and development, and the alloted time allowed for an employee to complete neccessary training. Week1-Dq2 Public Human Resource Management in the News Please respond to the following: * From the e-Activities, discuss the current event you reviewed from the selected agency and determine the cause of the issue, noting if the cause was due to neglected public bureaucracies from elected and appointed officials. Discuss at least two results of the issue. Using USA.gov, I chose to investigate the United States Postal Service (USPS) agency. I was aware that this group was in financial strain for some time, but I found it interesting to review some of the latest information regarding key problems and possible solutions. Currently, the USPS operates with about 650,000 unionized personnel. Employees sort, package, transport, and deliver the public mail. Although the organization charges for its services (postage rates, etc), as an agency, much of its budget is subsidized by public funds. In discussing the current situation, the Washington Post reported, â€Å"first-class mail volume [is] plummeti ng as Americans conduct more business and communications through the Internet.† Perhaps what is most important is the fact that this trend is continuing as the USPS reportedly lost $16 billion in the 2012 fiscal year. For this reason the USPS issue has been debated in Congress for years and has recently been one of several key debates for lawmakers during the â€Å"fiscal cliff† dilemma. In the past Congress has had difficulty deciding whether to adopt solutions such as suspending Saturday delivery and limiting other specialty services. Also, there is the question of how much public money should go to USPS employee retirement benefits and labor contracts. To many individuals, this is traditionally seen as a bureaucratic problem; however, personally I do not believe that the problem is purely the result of public  sector negligence. Like many government services, it is more likely that the answer lies in serious reform rather than complete suspension. Interestingly, I located an article about the nonprofit National Academy of Public Administration – that suggested a kind of public/private hybrid approach to fix the USPS’s difficulties. The concept entails â€Å"farming out† much of the behind the scenes process while a federal letter carrier would still handle front-line delivery services. What is apparent is that there are several significant results from this issue including the continuing postal rate increases, the reduction of service (e.g. limited post office hours), and continued legislative debate of whether this public service is vital enough to continue to ask taxpayers to subsidize what seems to be a failing business formula. http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/us-postal-service.shtml http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/think-tank-to-study-privatizing-most-postal-service-operations/2013/01/03/2adc0b08-55ed-11e2-8b9e-dd8773594efc_story.html http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/universal-service-postal-monopoly-history.pdf http://www.gao.gov/assets/210/203772.pdf wk2dq1 Building HRM Capacity Please respond to the following: * Imagine you are the consultant for the agency you selected in the Week 1 e-Activity (you may choose from one of the e-Activities). Assume the selected agency is large but poorly performing in a highly visible public program which did not have performance measures for employees. The public program serves over two million citizens across the 52 states. Propose and provide a rationale for two change strategies to address the agency’s performance. * Propose two methods of performance measures for the department to meet within six months. Provide a rationale for each method. * In week one I selected to analyze the United States Postal Service (USPS). Over the past decade this agency has been under increasing scrutiny regarding operation costs, procedures and personnel. Since last week’s discussion I took a few minutes to speak to my postal carrier in order to gain some perspective on internal communication within the agency. It was  surprising to learn that the departments within the organization are isolated in such a way that – with exception to â€Å"water cooler† talk – most USPS workers have about the same understanding of the agency’s problem as the general public. * * After reading the â€Å"Instructor’s Insight† supplemental article, I started to consider how the USPS personnel might benefit from a more constitutional administrative approach. Like many, I have noticed that customer service (or just simple pride in the job) is severely lacking with many USPS employees. Considering today’s job market, one would assume that individuals would take their work and team management very seriously. One might also say that it appears that some postal workers are immune from accountability. * * This said, one of the strategies that I would implement would be to reform the organizational culture. It should be a privilege to be employed by and serve the American people, while also being trusted to process citizens’ personal property. I agree with Newbold’s (2010) article, in that, public personnel members should pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution through their service. I also feel that department management should be given the authority to make certain that this new attitude sustains. A simple professional attitude change within the organization can lead to greater productivity, and it could be measured in 6-months via public reaction (exit surveys, media reports, increase in sales, etc). * * After reading Chapter 2 in the Riccucci (2012) book, it also became apparent to me that the method in which recruiting and managing personnel could also benefit from change. In the section regarding â€Å"Strengthening Teaching† Klinger (2012) writes, â€Å"†¦transition includes ethical competencies: the ability to balance conflicting expectations like employee rights and organizational effectiveness†¦ (p22)† Balancing job productivity and employee needs is a challenge in almost every industry. Perhaps another solution might be to focus not only on hiring quality personnel, but continually reassessing employee qualities and how it might best serve the organization. * * Individuals can be motivated by compensation; however, exceptional performance tends to stem from passion. My recommendation would be that 21st-century HRM has to be focused on the individual’s strengths and weaknesses and not what the worker’s union requires. This in my opinion is currently a shortcoming of the USPS. Therefore, I would offer a 6-month challenge that involves department managers communicating with each staff members every 2 to 4 weeks – and document at least one unique item that each staff person could offer that would benefit the USPS operation team. I believe that with a slow transition, personality can be infused into traditional staff procedure which will lead to empowerment and greater productivity.

Classification of the Tea Party Movement Essay Example for Free

Classification of the Tea Party Movement Essay The Tea Party movement appears to be a rather unique entity. There is much confusion as to the exact classification of the Tea Party movement. Are they a political party, an interest group, or a social movement? Even after countless internet searches a definitive answer was seemingly nowhere to be found. There are three possible classifications of the Tea Party movement that will be explored. As well as information on which of the three systems would be the more effective route for the movement to take and why that route would be the most effective. This should paint a clearer picture of the Tea Party movement and their actual classification. The first look will be at whether or not the Tea Party is a political party, an interest group, or a social movement. And then at what would have been the more effective approach and why that approach would have been more effective. The hope is that by the end of this, the reader will have a better idea of the Tea Party movement’s position as a social movement and why a becoming a separate political party would have been their most effective approach. Is the Tea Party movement a political party, an interest group, or a social movement? Power and Choice: An Introduction to Political Science defines a political party as â€Å"a group of officials or would be officials who are linked with a sizable group of citizens into an organization. A chief objective of this organization is to ensure that its officials attain power and are maintained in power† (Shively, 2012, p. 251). The Tea Party movement clearly has a group of officials that they wanted to place into power. However, with no centralized leadership and little to no attempt to separate from the Republican Party one would be hard-pressed to argue them as a political party. Also, Ron Paul, who is often referred to as the godfather of the Tea Party movement, is currently running for the republican nomination. The republican candidates are frequently campaigning for the votes of the Tea Party voters. Along with, seemingly every news outlet constantly mentioning how the republ icans are fighting for the Tea Party vote the line between the two parties continue to blur. A Washington Post article states, â€Å"at a 2012 presidential forum in New Orleans in June, (Michelle) Bachmann estimated that the tea party consists of 60 percent republicans, 20 percent independents and 20 percent democrats† (Blake, Aaron â€Å"Tea party democrats do exist.† Washington Post. July 6, 2011. Web. March 7, 2012). This tells me that the Tea Party movement is a branch of the Republican Party that has differing views on some major issues, but still identifies themselves as republicans. Therefore, no, by this evidence the Tea Party movement is not a political party. The Tea Party movement, however, also is not an interest group. According to Power and Choice: An Introduction to Political Science an interest group is an â€Å"organized group of citizens that has one of its goals ensuring that the state follows certain policies† (Shively, 2012, p. 251). Historically groups such as Greenpeace, the National Rifle Association and the Air Force Sergeants As sociation have been classified as interest or â€Å"pressure† groups. These groups use their organization as a means to represent public opinion to government officials. Looking at the definition of interest group one could possibly deduce that the Tea Party movement must be an interest group. Do they want to ensure that the state follows certain policies? Yes. They demand lower taxes, call for the elimination of deficit spending, and insist the government abides by the Constitution and the institution of fiscally conservative policies to eliminate the national debt. Just like with the democratic and republican political parties, the Tea Party movement shares some similarities with interest groups. One could easily consider the Tea Party movement an interest group. Especially if they have read the Encyclopedia definition of interest group, â€Å"also called special interest group or pressure group, any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence publi c policy in its favor. All interest groups share a desire to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their causes. Their goal could be a policy that exclusively benefits group members or one segment of society (e.g., government subsidies for farmers) or a policy that advances a broader public purpose (e.g., improving air quality). They attempt to achieve their goals by lobbying† (interest group (2012) In Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/290136/interest-group). After reading that definition it seems that the Tea Party movement is an interest group, they do fit the definition extremely well. However, there is one other option. The last possible classification to be explored is the social movement. Does the Tea Party movement fit the mold of a social movement? A social movement is defined as â€Å"loosely organized but sustained campaigns in support of a social goal, typically either the implementation or the prevention of a change in society’s structure or values. Although social movements differ in size, they are all essentially collect ive. That is, they result from the more or less spontaneous coming together of people whose relationships are not defined by rules and procedures but who merely share a common outlook on society† social movement (social movement (2012) In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/551335/social-movement). The Tea Party movement came to be in 2009 and 2010 with distrust in elected officials and wanting to remove them from power. They believe that the government has ignored the constitutional order of America (Shively, 2012, p. 309). To a person who is sparsely active in politics, the Tea Party movement may seem to be spontaneous and out of nowhere. But it could be easily argued that the political activist involved carried their feelings for many years prior to organizing the movement. But to an outsider they may have appeared to burst onto the scene. The Tea Party movement seems to be searching for a change in what they believe to be unconstitut ional actions of the United States government, as well as trying to prevent the invasion of constitutional rights. Earlier, it was stated how one could see classifying the Tea Party movement as an interest group. However, after further research they seem to fit the mold of a social movement slightly more. Since the Tea Party movement is a social movement and not an interest group or political party, it needs to be determined which one would have been the best course of action for the movement to take. The best move the Tea Party movement could make would be to become a separate political party. As a political party they would be able to run on a platform consisting completely of their own views. Why attempt to ride the coattails of the Republican Party? If the views differ enough to rally and callout the current elected officials, regardless of party, then new ones. The new party won’t have to worry about being held back by the differing views of the party of which they chose to attach themselves. If the numbers quoted earlier from Michelle Bachmann are correct (60 percent republicans, 20 percent independents and 20 percent democrats) they should have a rather good chance at winning some elections. Mike Gallagher, a Fox News Contributor, stated in a 2009 interview with Bill O’Reilly that, he’d â€Å"happily trade is republican card for a tea party card, if there was such a thing.† Now, obviously this doesn’t state how many hardline Tea Party voters there are, but it says that they appeal to some members of both major parties as well as the independents. Maybe running separately would give them a better chance of pulling more voters from the other parties and uniting their followers even more. After first comparing the Tea Party movement to interest groups, and then social movements and finally political parties, the evidence showed that they are more of a social movement than the other two. The Encyclopedia definition cited earlier was what led to this conclusion. Although it is strictly an opinion, the Tea Party movement would be better served as a political party. This is mainly because they could focus their time and efforts on a campaign consisting of their views. Would they get my vote? No. But at least they would be able to round up all of their supporters into one basket. Works Cited Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). Retrieved March 19, 2102, from encyclopediabritannica.com: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/551335/social-movement Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). Retrieved March 19, 2012, from encyclopediabritannica.com: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/290136/interest-group Shively, W. P. (2012). Power Choice: An Introduction to Political Science. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Gastric Acid Resistant Capsules Are Enteric Biology Essay

Gastric Acid Resistant Capsules Are Enteric Biology Essay Generally, the active pharmaceutical ingredients are delivered using two-piece capsules, which are filled with the drug, capsulated and taken orally. These capsules are made with materials like gelatin, hypromellose etc. The capsules release the encapsulated drug in the stomach by dissolving in gastronomical juices. However, some of the drugs affects the metabolism of gastric juices and are irritants. In these kinds of drugs, post gastric delivery is expected being intact in the stomach. In order to achieve these several investigation lead to development of acid resistant capsules called enteric capsules. Enteric Capsules: The capsules which are designed for intestinal delivery by being intact in the stomach are called as enteric capsules and this property is called enteric property. To achieve the intestinal delivery the capsule must be strong enough to resist the acidic environment in the stomach. Apart from the reason that the capsules may effect the gastronomical metabolism, some drugs require past gastronomical delivery to treat some local diseases like ulcerative collitas, irritable bowel syndrome (Crotty and Jewel, 1992) and to absorb polypeptides in the intestine (Davis, 1990). The endogenous enzymes are less in the colon and the transit time is long which will favor the absorption of polypeptides (Davis, 1992). The capsule dissolution time cannot be determined exactly in the capsules which are released in the stomach as the residence time is highly irregular and depends on the several factors like the size of the fabricated capsule, fed or fasted state of the stomach etc (Wildey et al., 1992b). If the colon is the desirable and perfect place for absorption of therapeutic polypeptides, which are orally consumed then there is a compulsory for enteric capsules which can target the colon release and can withstand the acidic gastronomical juices and state of gastronomical duct (Hardy et al., 1987, Van Den Mooter et al., 1992, Rubin stein et al., 1992, Lloyd et al., 1994). For several decades these enteric properties are delivered to the capsules mainly by coating the hard gelatin capsules using acid resistant chemicals such as anionic polumethacryalates (copolymerasite of methacrylic acid and tither methul methacrylate or ethyly acrylate (Eudragit), cellulose based polymers such as cellulose acetate phthalate (Aquateric) or polyvinyl derivatives such as polyvinyl acetate phthalate (Coateric) ( Ewart T. Cole et al., 2001), hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose phthalate, sodium alginate stearic acid etc. These acidic polymers have very low permeability in their unionized state in low pH environments and when they reach high pH environments they ionize and resulting in increase of the permeability. As a result, the capsule erodes and releases the underlying drug. These kind pH variations can be seen in the stomach and intestine respectively. These enteric coatings showed a great advantage that it is independent of the encapsulated material. This advantage re sulted in the decrease in the extent of research to develop a formulation, which is enteric by nature itself irrespective of any enteric coating applied. Gelatin is the major polymer base for manufacturing capsules for many years. These enteric coatings are applied on the surface of these gelatin capsules. However, due to several considerations alternative materials like hypromellose are opted in some specific cases. Hypromellose has several advantages when compared to gelatin capsules regarding their response towards organic coatings, aqueous coatings, storage, structure etc. Hypromellose capsules over gelatin capsules: Gelatin and Hypromellose are used to fabricate capsules, which can dissolve in the gastric juices of the stomach and release the encapsulated material. Inorder to incorporate the enteric properties to these gelatin and hypromellose capsules different coating technologies are invented and acid resistant polymers are coated. From several years enteric coated hypromellose capsules are of very high importance in dietary supplement industry. Hypromellose is a vegetarian supplement to the gelatin capsules (Ogura et al., 1998). Hypromellose proved their efficiency when compared to that gelatin capsules when regulatory, manufacturing, religious and dietary issues are considered. Previous studies proved that the hypromellose is more capable in case of polymer adhesion. Gelatin capsules when coated with organic polymers they are very sensitive and embrittlement of the shell material is resulted (Murthy et al., 1986). The gelatin surface is very soft and adhesion of the coating material require some friction on the surface of the of the capsule body which is which is less in case of soft gelatin capsules. So enteric properties of these gelatin capsules are not up to the mark (Thoma and Bechtold, 1992). Secondary techniques like application of pre coat are required to coat these soft gelatin capsules. The interactions between the organic polymer and gelatin surface are controlled by applying a pre coat on the surface of the capsule. However, application of precoat is highly time consuming and costly process. Considering the ecological impact of organic coatings, aqueous coatings are preferred (Cunningham and FEgely, 2001; Wheatly et al., 1997).. These aqueous coatings make the gelatin capsules more sensitive because of aqueous solubility of gelatin. Hence the processing time is very long for aqueous coating of the gelatin capsules resulting in high fabrication costs. Hypromellose are advantageous in case of aqueous coatings when compared to gelatin capsules. For hypromello se capsule sealing of body and cap is required prior to coating to restrict the leakage of the encapsulated material through the merging part of the body and cap of the capsule. This sealing can be done manually using gelatin solution (Felton et al., 2002). Liquid encapsulation micro spraying technique can also be used for sealing the capsule. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of gelatin and hypromellose capsules, hypromellose can be effective to deliver enteric properties to the capsules. Development of formulations using hypromellose as the base polymer and enhancing with other acid resistant materials can yield better results. Enteric hypromellose capsules: The technology of enteric coating has undergone through several fundamental improvement in recent years due to their potential advantages and ease. Several promising technologies like sugar coating technique, film coating process using organic and aqueous solvents are designed. The process of application of enteric coating has several steps which involve lot of labor and time ultimately effecting the economics of fabrication. Apart from the coating process proper attention should be taken such that the coating materials is capable enough to adhere and coalesce on the substrate. The coating material must be able to loose moisture immediately so that the core penetration and dissolved coating material can be minimized (Els Mehuys et al.,2004). Aqueous coating cannot be applied to ingredients which are active towards moisture (Mehta, 1996). The coating techniques are effected by several factors such as spraying rate, spraying temperature, pressure, volume and dimensions of the coating equipment (Els Mehuys et al., 2004). Lack of proper attention towards these control variables results in non-uniform coating layer and upscaling. Many other techniques are developed to overcome these disadvantages of the coating process and reduce the process time. Obara et al., 1999 developed a dry coating process. This process involves spraying of dry enteric powder on the capsule followed by curing and drying. Pearnchob and Bodmeir (2003) developed another dry coating process in which they used ethylcellulose as the enteric coating material. Holroyd (2004) developed another process called Phoqus Process in which an electric field is created to induce partial positive and negative charges to the capsule and enteric material, thus resulting in adhesion due to electrostatic attraction between the compounds. Though several innovations are m ade in the field of enteric coating all the process require supply of energy in the form heat or electricity is required. Even though several promising innovations are made to overcome the defects of the coating process, still these coating process proved to be disadvantageous in large scale production. The main impacts of coating process during large-scale production involve brittle capsules, environmental pollution, safety, cost of the process, process time etc. This will induce extra cost in fabrication of capsules when manufactured in a bulk scale. A formulation designed which has enteric properties inherent can solve the extra cost and time due to enteric coating of the gelatin or hypromellose capsules. The previous studies showed that hypromellose shows some inherent enteric properties. Thus by enhancing these properties by using acid insoluble compounds like sodium alginate in the formulation itself can exhibit enteric properties. So additional coating can be prevented by optimsing these kind of formulations. Enteric formulations using hypromellose as base polymer: Certain formulations using hypromellose as base polymer are designed in which the HPMC acts as bulk film forming material. A gelling agent is added to the formulation like gellan gum such that it performs gelation action and help hypromellose to develop a solid structure and hold its structure firmly during moulding of the capsules. An acid insoluble tertiary polysaccharide (sodium alginate) is added to the formulation to induce and enhance the enteric characteristics to the formulation. Some pharmaceutical excipients such as lubricating agents (polyethylene glycol) , chelating agent (EDTA) and tonicity agent (Sodium Chloride) are added to the formulation. By considering all the above stated materials following formulations are designed: FORMULATION HPMC % W/W GELLAN GUM % W/W SODIUM ALGINATE % W/W NACL % W/W EDTA % W/W PEG % W/W 1 19 0.1 0 0.1 0.1 5 2 18 0.2 1 0.2 0.1 5 3 17 0.2 2 0.2 0.1 5 4 15 0.2 5 0.2 0.1 5 5 15 0.2 7.5 0.2 0.1 5 Impact of formulation and process variables on the drug release: Formulation variables: Polymer Base: Hypromellose is used as the polymer base material. There are several grades of HPMC that are commercially available. Generally different kinds of hypromellose is due to variation in the content of hydroxypropyl and methyl groups present in HPMC. In the present case rapidly hydrating grade hypromellose is used. The viscosity of the hypromellose depends upon the composition of hdroxypropyl group and methyl group. Improperly hydrated results in dose dumping as the gastric fluids can easily penetrate into the capsule (Dow pharmaceutical ecipients, 1986). The viscosity of the polymer effects the mouldability of the formulated polymer base into capsule. Hypromellose also decides the mechanical characteristics of the capsules. Hypromellose layers with high viscosity have a greater capability to withstand the diffusion of gastric fluids into the encapsulated material thus help in extended release of the drug (Nellore et al., 1998). Higher viscosity hypromellose will reduce the swelling prope rties of the capsule thus resolve the capsule separation problem. Hypromellose (C32H60O19) Gelling agent: Gelling agent like gellan gum is used in this formulation. Gellan gum is of very high importance in pharmaceutical industry in producing oral dosage forms like gels and capsules (Kubo W, Miyazaki S et al., 2003). Gellan gum shows effect on the release of the drug so it is used for controlled or sustained release (Alhaique F et al., 1995). Hypromellose in the presence of a secondary polysaccharide like gellan gum have the capability to forma strong structure and retain the structure during mouliding of capsule. The compounds containing aldehyde groups can combine with gelling agent like gellan gum to form cross links making the capsule insoluble (Digenis GA et al., 1994). Gellan gum is categorized based on the proportions of polysaccharide, the percent of o-acetyl substitution of polysaccharide and protein content. Gellan gum with high acyl condition has to selected for this formulation because gellan gum with high acyl content is capable of formation of soft, elastic and non brittle gels. On the other hand gellan gums with low acyl forms brittle and non elastic gels (Kelco Biopolymers, Gellan Gum for Pharmaceutical Applications rev. 10/99, 2004.). Gellan gum induces temperature dependent gelation. This gelation is caused due to series of activities in the order of formation of double helical junction zones and then gellan gum aggregation of these segments resulting in formation of three-dimensional structures by complexation and hydrogen bonding. The structure of deacetylated Gellan Gum The variation of amount of gellan gum in the formulation effects the gelating nature of the polymer base. The hypromellose and gellan gum has a biphasic nature. The percentage of gellan gum will result in phase change. Stabilizing agent: Sodium alginate is used as the stabilizing agent in these formulations. Sodium alginate acts as the tertiary polysaccharide. Sodium alginate imparts its acid insoluble properties to the hypromellose formulation thus making it enteric. Sodium alginate also acts as gelling agent. The amount of sodium alginate effects the gelation and acid solubility properties of the capsule. Sodium alginate Addition of plasticizer: Addition of plasticizer to the formulation decreased the water absorbing nature of the capsule. The major obstacle is the capsule separation due to the swelling of the capsule by absorbing water. Poly ethylene glycol (PEG) is used as the plasticizer to decrease the water absorbing nature of the capsule. Excess of PEG resulted in formation of brittle capsules and also effects the dissolution properties of the capsule. Addition of lubricating agent: Lubricating agent is added inorder to facilitate the dipping process. Addition of lubricating agent like PEG helped in easy removal of the capsule from the dipping pin. In absence of lubricating agent the capsules deformed while inverting from the dipping pin resulting in irregular shaped capsules. Addition of swelling agent: Addition of swelling agent is done inorder to achieve differential swelling between cap and body of the capsule to prevent capsule separation. Swelling agents are added in such a manner that swelling of body of the capsule is more when compared to that of cap. This will result in tightening of the capsule and can restrict the capsule separation. Process variables: Capsule size: Capsule size has a major effect on the release rate. For different capsule sizes with same aspect ratio and constant volume, the release rate decreases with increase in size of the capsule. This is due to the change in the surface area. The diffusion pathways are longer in longer capsules when compared with that of smaller ones. So the drug release with respect to time is much larger in smaller capsules when compared to longer ones (Siepman et al., 1999b) Capsule shape: The surface area of a capsule depends on the shape of the capsule. The capsule which have high surface area for a constant volume has potential exposure to the acidic environment in the stomach and the drug release rate is high. Capsules with near spherical shape have less surface area compared to other shape (Rekhi et al., 1999) These kinds of capsules are recommended for controlled release characteristics. Variation in the aspect ratio of the capsules can effect the drug release. By varying the aspect ratio of the hypromellose capsule the drug relase can be modified (Siepman et al., 1999b). Moulding temperature: Viscosity of the polymer base changes with temperature. At higher temperatures, the viscosity of the polymer base is less, so when the dipping pin is dipped in the polymer base at higher temperatures the thickness of the polymer attached to the pin is less due to the lower viscosity. So by altering the moulding temperature the thickness of the capsule can be controlled. Capsule Thickness: The generally assumption is that the encapsulated material release is through the capsule wall. So a thicker wall can control the release and slow the drug release. Thicker wall can also withstand drastic acidic condition in the stomach. Apart from the dissolution rate, the capsule thickness also effects the structure of the capsule. Dissolution of the capsule highly depends on the thickness of the capsule. Capsule thickness effects the swelling properties and mechanical properties of the capsules like strength, puncture force etc. The capsule thickness is controlled during the moulding of the capsules by proper attention to viscosity and temperature of the hypromellose polymer base. The dipping can be dipped twice or thrice according to the target thickness if required. Mechanism of drug release in hypromellose and gelatin capsules: The solubility of gelatin and hypromellose capsules in aqueous media is different due to difference in their permeability characteristics. This has a great effect on disintegration and drug release mechanism in both the materials (Nagata, 2002). The drug delivery is due to absorbance of water and hydration of the capsules by which the capsules dissolve and release the encapsulated contents. Gelatin dissolves in the fluids at body temperature. Further decrease of temperature ( Comparative studies of dissolution of hypromellose and gelatin capsules revealed that the dissolution of HPMC is independent of temperature but gelatin dissolution is highly dependent on temperature of solution. The release characteristics of HPMC showed that the drug release takes three times the time required for the drug release from gelatin capsules (Chiwele et al., 2000). Hypromellose capsules results in extended release of the drugs. Dissolution is only effected by first breakage of the capsule and start of release of the drug. Once the drug starts to release, the release does not depend on the capsule material. The dissolution studies proved that the HPMC capsules have longer lag time (Honkanen et al., 2001). The first rupture in case of HPMC takes long time but once the rupture takes place, the capsule disperses uniformly through exposing the drug completely to dissolution media. Gelatin capsules splits near the ends and dissolution takes place through the ends of the capsule s for a long time (Podczeck and Jones, 2002). The dissolution characteristics of gelatin capsules are almost same for all the capsules as the sources for gelatin is almost same from all the providers. In case of HPMC, each provider has its own formulations patented and specific characteristics are delivered for their gelling systems. The diffusion of gases through HPMC capsules is more when compared to gelatin capsules. The gas diffusion occurs through the gap between body and cap of the capsule, the sealing between cap and body of the capsule is weak in HPMC capsules when compared to that of gelatin capsules.

My Utopian Society Essay -- My Vision for America

The Utopian land is divided into two main terrains: farmland and cities. The farmlands, of course, are where most of the country's resources are produced. The services of the economy, smithing, carpentry, clothmaking, etc., are mainly produced in the cities. Iron is the only resource which must be imported abundantly. All of the resources, except iron, that the nation requires, it produces on its own. The Utopians live a very simple lifestyle. They work, and in their spare time play games, read, and socialize. Other forms of entertainment, such as gambling and hunting are looked down upon. They only eat what is necessary, and their houses are built simply and furnished only with what is necessary. Thus, their consumption is very low. Utopians do not need material possessions for happiness. Happiness for them comes out of living an honest life and working hard to produce for themselves and for the entire nation. Â   All Utopians work. There are no rich people, deadbeats, or other people who go through life not working. Most people prefer to work and live in the city, but the work on the farms must be done as well. So, there is a rotation: everyone gets a turn to live and work in the city, and then must live and work on a farm for period of time. Since everyone must do this, there is no complaining from anyone. They see working on the farm as fulfilling their duty to the nation. Â   Because of the low consumption and the hard work put in by all people, the work day in Utopia is only six hours. They work only six hours a day, and still there are great surpluses. The surpluses are not uniform in each region, because many uncontrollable factors can affect production. Most regions have surpluses, but those that have s... ... with that. Â   I believe that this society, at least the economic aspect of it, would be possible to attain. However, I believe it cannot happen with our entire world. More made a point by putting Utopia on an island in the middle of the "real world": there is no way to apply Utopia to the "real word". In order to create a Utopia like this today, we must take very young children and raise them apart from society. If we do this and teach them about the society we are trying to create, I believe their reason will make the Utopia a lasting one. But if we try to create this Utopia over the whole Earth, we will fail miserably. The world is filled with billions of people who have been raised in our current society, and it is human nature to resist change. The economic situation of More's Utopia is possible, but only in a situation very close to the one in his book.

The Importance of the Warrior Class Exposed in Funeral Oration of Peric

There are two important matters that the "Funeral Oration of Pericles" proves, these two matters are, the great respect that Athenians have for their warrior class and how the Athenians were exceedingly proud of their city and its customs. The following paper discusses the way of life of Athenians and how the Funeral Oration of Pericles influenced it. It is a well-known fact that the Athenians had a great deal of respect for the warrior class and believed them to be among the top members of their society. The warriors were seen as the top portion of their classes. They are classified as hero's and/ or idols. The Athenians were also extremely proud of their city and its traditions. To the people of Athens their country was at the top and there was no other country that could be superior. The purpose of the funeral oration was not only to respect the departed but also to reward the citizen's national pride and their passion to defend their country. The oration was a eulogy that focuses on the prominence of Athens and her ancestors. A member of the family gave the eulogy, generally it was a son if possible. It was required by the law for the dissertation to have some necessary components. The speech had to be in regard to the lives of both the deceased and the ancestors of the deceased. At the end of the eulogy that Pericles gave he spoke in reference to the soldiers and the ancestors of Athens. Although it seemed that he was not sure if he had an impact on the people and he was unsure as to if he had been able to get through to the citizens of Athens. He states, "My task is now finished. I have performed it to the best of my ability, and in words, at least, the requirements of the law are now satisfied." (Thucydides, 109) ... ... die for their country and it's people. Athenians set a goal for themselves, they wanted to love and shield their state in all ways possible and they wanted to choose the most honourable way to die, that being during battle. The reason this way of death is seen to be so honourable is because it showed that the soldiers fully loved their country and it meant that they had completed their goal. "And where the rewards for merit are greatest, there are found the best citizens." (Thucydides, 109) In conclusion, it can be said that the Funeral Operation proved how important and significant the warrior class was in Athens and how the people of Athens had a great respect for their city and it's customs. Works Cited Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War. Web 6 April 2015 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0200%3Abook%3D2&force=y

Sugar :: essays research papers

Most sugar somes from sugar cane, about 55%. Sugar cane is a kind of grass that grows to the height of about 16 feet. It can onlt grow in tropical regians near the equator. It is usually cut by hand witha machete. It is then taken to prossecing plants to be refined. They statrt by pressing the cane to extract the juice, and then boiling the juice until it begins to thicken and sugar begins to crystalliz, then spinning the crystals in a centrifuge to remove the syrup, producing raw sugar. They then ship the raw sugar to a refinery where it is washed and filtered to remove remaining non-sugar ingredients and color. Beet sugar processing is similar, but it is done in one continuous process without the raw sugar stage. The sugar beets are washed, sliced and soaked in hot water to separate the sugar-containing juice from the beet fiber. The sugar juice is then purified, filtered, concentrated and dried. Sugar types are defined by their crystal size. "Regular" is the sugar found in everyday homes and kitchens. It is the white sugar called for in most cookbook recipes. The food processing industry describes "regular" sugar as extra fine or fine sugar. It is the sugar most used by food processors because of its fine crystals that are ideal for bulk handling. Fruit sugar is slightly finer than "regular" sugar and is used in dry mixes such as gelatin desserts, pudding mixes and drink mixes. Fruit sugar has a more uniform crystal size than "regular" sugar. The uniformity of crystal size prevents separation or settling of smaller crystals to the bottom of the box, an important quality in dry mixes and drink mixes. Bakers Specials' crystal size is even finer than that of fruit sugar. As its name suggests, it was developed specially for the baking industry and is used for sugaring doughnuts and cookies. Superfine, Ultrafine, or Bar Sugar, has the smallest crystal size is the finest of all the types of granulated sugar, and it great fo r drinks, like coffee, tea, and lemonade because it disolves so easily.

Academic Streaming Debate

Good evening chairman, ladies and gentlemen. The topic for our debate is that we should ban academic streaming in schools. We the negative team believe that this should NOT happen. Before I get into the topic at hand I would just like to rebut some of the opposition’s points: Our first speaker Nevin has already stated the academic benefits of streaming, and now I would like to focus on the social benefits. Today I will be talking to you about how streaming can positively affect students self-esteem and also their motivation.Now to my first point: A student’s low self-esteem has a significant impact on almost everything he or she does, it effects the way they interact with others, the way they engage in activities, and as Dr. Ken Shore’s, Classroom Problem Solver states, even has a marked effect on academic performance. Even as the affirmative team may say, that streaming labels students, causing them to have low self-esteem, this is not the case.Even in mixed abi lity classes students know where they stand, if they are excelling or even if they are struggling they will know how they are doing if it’s from test grades or just from observing the classroom. In comparison to streamed classes where Professor Liu Woon Chia has proved through examinations that streaming is beneficial as it has a ‘big fish in a little pond’ effect. Secondly streaming helps motivate students as it increases the level of competition between the students.In a class, which has a mixed group of students, the smart student always comes first in the class. He does not have enough motivation to improve himself. He has to have self-motivation, which is sometimes hard to find. However, if he is in a class of smart students, he works hard because of the competition other students give him. This has the same effect to all students no matter of what academic ability.This effect keeps all the students academically improving, in contrast to a mixed-ability clas s where the students could stay stagnant, as there is very little or too much competition. So chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, I conclude that academic streaming should not be banned as assigning students to classes according to academic performance helps motivate students to achieve there very best as well as the fact that streaming is good for a students self-esteem as it will not make them feel as they are struggling and will push them to achieve their personal best. Thank-You.