Gelatin cryogel sheets (5%) were synthesized using...

Gelatin cryogel sheets (5%) were synthesized using glutaraldehyde as the cross-linker. The aldehyde groups of glutaraldehyde form covalent imine bonds with amino groups of gelatin. Initially different concentrations of gelatin were used (4%, 5%, 6% and 8% respectively). On physical examination of the cryogels produced with these concentrations, it was observed that at higher concentration of gelatin polymer (8%) the rate of polymerization was very fast and hence cryogel sheets formed were not proper. As the percentage of gelatin was increased the amount of cross-linker required was low i.e., the amount of cross-linker required decreases with increase in monomer concentration. Increase in polymer concentration also leads to less elasticity†¦show more content†¦Decrease in glutaraldehyde cross-linker on increasing the polymer precursor might be happening due to the increased probability of colliding polymers and cross linking agent in this unfrozen liquid microphase where all chemical reactions take place. More probability of colliding might be decreasing the amount of glutaraldehyde required to crosslink polymers for gel synthesis. It was also observed that if the amount of glutaraldehyde used was more than the optimum concentrations (Table 1.1), the gel formed lack porous network and were tough and brittle. When the glutaraldehyde concentration was reduced and kept lower than the optimized one, the gels were weak in mechanical strength. This observation suggests that there seems to be some competition between the nucleation process which takes place in frozen regions and gelation process which takes place in unfrozen liquid microphase. When the concentration of glutaraldehyde was lower than optimum, nucleation process dominates the gelation process and the gels formed were weak due to large pores and less polymer wall formation by cross linking of polymers. When glutaraldehyde quantity was taken more than optimum, gelation dominates the nucleation proc ess and the gels formed were without any pores and were brittle. Figure 1.1A shows the digital images of optimized gelatin sheets. Figure 1.1B and 1.1C shows that at an optimized polymer and cross-linker ratio

Causes And Treatment Of Obesity - 3493 Words

Abstract Obesity has been describes as one of the most serious medical conditions that is making its way into the lifestyle of our young generation, our future. Childhood obesity has become a concern because it is this that often leads to later health problems in adulthood such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and arthritis, stroke and sleep insomnia, ( Herbert A., 2006), obesity can also affect the mind where it can lead to depression as well as poor self-esteem. There are various factors which affect obesity and overweight, but there are numerous precautions and steps that can be taken in order to reduce the chances of becoming either or both. This paper will identify the different factors which lead†¦show more content†¦In the United States there’s and estimate of, 66% of adults that are considerably overweight while 32% of adults are obese(Wang, Youfa, et al., 2013). There are nearly 22 million children that are overweight and of the 22 million, 5% are considered clinically obese (Moreno, Luis A., et al.,2011). The trend of obesity has stretched to a triple expansion since 1980(Wang, Youfa, et al., 2013). The national estimates have been made and if these trends continue, for the United States, projecting into the future, by the year 2030 , 86% of people will be considered overweight , while 29.7% of children also will be overweight, and 51% of people will be obese ( Ogden, C. et. Al, 2012) . A 20% increase in 15 year is both concerning and terrifying. Adolescence is a period where there are various changes in our physique and our bodies start to develop and mature. This is a crucial period affecting body weight. Also in comparing the different genders, the percentage of obese/ overweight girls is higher than males. Along with increasing our fat intake we decrease the sustainability of the earth and affect many environmental factors such as land usage by livestock which contributes to the food we eat. Factors Influencing Obesity There are a number of factors that contribute to having excess fat or weight in the body. Most times these factors combine and they increase the risk of becoming obese. The known main contributors to becoming

Peripheral Corporate Social Responsibility

Question: Discuss about the Peripheral Corporate Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction The ultimate goal of any particular business organization is to earn the maximum amount of profits by increasing the number of sales or by having a higher profit margin. However, the recent changes in the global market in context of the rising competition have generated a series of social as well as environmental issuesthat has compelled the industries to adopt certain remedial measures to overcome the harm caused. In this regard, the industries have adopted the concept of corporate social responsibility that may act in the best possible ways to benefit the community and environment along with the employees and the industry. The following project also aims to discuss the evaluation of the cost per student of delivering a degree program and the advantages and disadvantages regarding the same. In the words of Biao (2013), every particular organization engaged in conducting the various kinds of business needs to access as well as evaluate the numerous aspects of the business operations in order to ensure the success of the organization. The aspects that are required to be evaluated involve the quality of the goods and services offered for sale, efficiency of the business operations, management of the various costs involved in the business and many others. The main source of fund for the numerous operating universities is the fees charged from the students on account of the various courses offered. According to Habib Hossain (2013), it is quite difficult for the universities to manage and regulate the aspect of the income side in their budget and therefore they require managing the budget of the cost side. However, a number of universities have formed a collaboration with similar other universities in order to manage the allocation of cost in context of the various courses of study. In light of the recent hike in the indirect costs incurred by the universities, a number of such universities have adopted the Activity based costing approach to efficiently manage and allocate the cost involved in each particular course of study. As stated by Ruiz-de-Arbulo-Lopez, Fortuny-Santos Cuatrecasas-Arbs (2013), under the system of Activity based costing approach, the universities manage to identify the various courses performed or offered by the university and then allocates the indirect costs incurred to the relative courses. Thus, the activity costing approach helps to establish the relationship between the courses and the costs of the courses along with the profits generated through them. The following system of costing is used basically for target costing wherein the costs are to be assigned to a particular task line. This in turn helps in the formation of better strategies for deciding the various courses prices of fees. Hence, the universities may switch from the traditional costing approach to the activity based costing approach in order to calculate the per student cost of delivering a particular course or degree program. In the words of French et al. (2013) as the stated system will enhance the efficient allocation of the various costs incurred in the degree course, it will be easier for the universities to understand how much indirect cost is incurred in each individual degree course. This is turn will enable the universities to decide the cost of the degree courses to be charged in the form of course fees from each particular student. The method of calculating the cost per student of the degree courses involves a series of cost allocation processes that may be determined as follows: Identify the costs: According to Tibesku et al. (2013) the basic step of activity costing involves identifying the costs that the universities require to allocate in the individual degree courses. It is essential to fully determine the cost of the distribution channel and ignore the costs that are non-essential in order to reduce the wastage of time in the allocation of costs. Load the Secondary costs: As observed by Stefano Freitas (2014), the contents of the university secondary costs primarily involve the computer services, administrative costs and many other similar costs. The following costs are allocated to the degree courses they most certainly relate too. There are several secondary costs involved thereby depending on the nature of the degree courses offered by the universities and their efficient allocation. Allocate the costs from secondary to the primary cost pool: As stated by Thompson (2016), the universities require making use of the efficient activity drivers to significantly allocate the secondary costs involved along the primary cost pools of the individual degree courses in order to determine the cost per student of the individual degree program. However, there are certain difficulties in the implementation of ABC costing system. The setting up of the activity based costing system may be costly or expensive for the universities. It can also be very time consuming and lead to the wastage of time required in understanding the approach and implementing the same. In the words of Huynh, Gong Huynh (2014), the allocation of the various costs requires breaking down each individual activity to identify the individual components of costs of the degree programs that may take a lot of time. Besides, the process of activity costing may utilize the entire resources of the university as it requires to collect all the data and information, measure it and allocate it efficiently. Further, the following system also requires the involvement of the data inputs from the multiple university departments and the priorities of the departments may be higher than following the costing system. According to Barsky CatanachJr (2013), it indicates that involment of a larger number of departments pose a higher risk that the provided data may fail. However, the stated problem may be overcome by designing the costing approach for only the required information. In addition to the above, the system of activity costing may turn out to be beneficial only for the universities a large number of degree courses as this system is most certainly usable in case the cost accounting is difficult to ascertain. In the words of Huynh, Gong Huynh (2014), the activity costing approach is preferable only in complex degree programs environment of the universities. If any particular university is not operating in such environment then it will not be profitable for them to spend its resources in the installation of the activity based costing. The adaptation of the activity based costing method by the universities may enhance the business proceedings of the same. According to Tibesku et al. (2013) it helps the universities in allocating the cost per degree course and thereby helps to determine which degree course in producing the maximum benefit for the university and which particular degree course requires improvement. The following system of costing is also usable in the identification of the non adding value activities. In the words of Biao (2013),this in turn may help the universities in the better allocation of the resources in the degree courses that are more efficient and profitable to the universities. The implementation of the stated system may also contribute towards the improvement of the universitys business processes. Apart from this, the activity based costing also helps the universities to identify the unnecessary costs and the wasteful degree courses offered that are failing at generating the profits. The data and information collected in this system facilitate the productivity of the financial resources of the universities. The following data and information collected through this system may also help the government in the decision making of funding the universities lacking in the subsequent resources. This may further help the benefit the universities in fixing the price of the degree courses charged from the students that may be expensive in terms of facilities provided. The universities may also be able to do a better allocation of the scarce resources via activity system of costing. Above all, the use of activity based costing may help the universities in improving the service quality of the degree programs. Corporate Sustainability: The concept of corporate sustainability has the base in maintaining a sustaining relationship among all the consumers in the market and the employees of the organization. Complete emphasis is provided on the social, environmental and cultural aspects and the impacts of business on the significant aspects as mentioned. Taking responsibility to lower impact on the environment and contribute towards the cultural and social development of the society can imbibe corporate sustainability in any business. Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility The basic meaning of a companys corporate social responsibility of CSR highlights the efforts undertaken by the companies in terms of the business practices that may benefit the various sections of the society and safeguard the environment. According to Korschun, Bhattacharya Swain (2014),the CSR of a company may include making donations or charity to numerous causes or NGOs so as to contribute towards the upliftment of the various sections of the society. Along with the society the environmental aspects are also considered in the concept of CSR. The companies take necessary steps such as recycling and reusing the materials required in the process of production to minimize the amount of waste disposal and the environmental degradation that follows. In the words of Chin, Hambrick Trevio (2013), the concept of CSR can be generally understood as a course of action that helps the companies operating in a specific industry to derive the best possible balance between the economic, social and environmental importance. The concept of the CSR adopted by the numerous companies may broadly be classified into the following heads: Environmental Efforts As stated by Servaes Tamayo (2013), the basic aim of the companies for applying the CSR concept along with the other business concepts is to protect and safeguard the environment along with initiating the recovery of the damaged caused. The bulk of wastage generated in the production activities of the companies contains huge amounts of harmful gases and a huge quantity of carbon and non biodegradable materials. The non biodegradable wastage is not possible to decompose hence the companies follow the concept of recycling and reusing these materials to produce fewer waste products. The harmful gases released in the process of production are also contained and passed through various filtration processes to minimize the impact. As opinioned by Brammer, Jackson Matten(2012),these methods are not only beneficial to the society and environment but are also helpful in the sustainable growth of the companies and the industry as a whole. Volunteering Philanthropy The concept of CSR also involves making subsequent contribution towards the social causes undertaken by the various NGOs, government or the company itself.In recent times, a number of companies are making donations and charity towards women empowerment to uplift the society. This involves providing the basic necessities to them along with the education facilities to benefit them in the long run.This induces the scope for companies in the expression of their contribution and concern regarding the social issues. The philanthropy measures are not expected to generate any form of return to the companies. These contributions are solely made to implement the social welfare of the country regardless of the benefit that may be derived. Ethical practices of Labor The intuition of the CSR concept in the workings of the company also includes following the ethics concerning the work environment. This involves the fair treatment of the employees that may benefit the overall happiness of the employees. According to Saveanu et al. (2014), the ethical practices bring a strong sense of belonging among the employees and deepen their sense of loyalty towards the firms. Besides, the involvement of the employees in the philanthropy work done by the company further makes them feel being a part of doing a greater good. Such employees are more likely to stay longer in the company and are witnessed to be more satisfied in their day to day workings. The main benefit derived by the companies from the concept of CSR is the maximization in the amount of profit generation. The following benefits attained through CSR contribute towards the maximization of organizational profits. Enhanced Reputation The concept of CSR is said to provide substantial benefit of profit maximization to the various companies. First and foremost the CSR concept enhances the goodwill of the firm. As and when the concept is followed by the companies, a simultaneous advisement is made by the companies regarding this via different media platforms. As stated by Calabrese et al. (2013), this improves the brand image of the companies and the consumers are simultaneously attracted towards the goods and services offered by such companies for the purpose of sale. This in turn will increasethe sales of the company as w result of which the profit generating capacity will also increase. Further, the cost of advertisement incurred by the company in huge amounts can also be saved as the CSR activities help in cutting down the expensive costs of advertising and generating free publicity of the company. Improved access to Capital Further, the concept of CSR helps the companies to have an improved access to the market and capital sources. According to Morgeson et al. (2013),the investors also pertain to the outlook of the CSR factors and tend to make investments in the companies that are more socially responsible and are striving to meet the environmental protection standards. The investors are more likely to exclude the companies that are not following the concept of CSR from the investment selection process. The CSR policies are helpful in developing the organization stature of the companies in the eyes of the investors and hence increase the possibility of having an improved access to the sources of capital. This will initiate the expansion of business reducing the cost and thereby increasing the profit margin of the goods and services offered for sale. Productive Employees The companies following the concept of CSR tend to induce a positive impact among the workers of the company thereby developing their work efficiency and quality of work done.In the view of Brammer, Jackson Matten(2012), the increment in the motivation as well as the commitment of the employees in turn increases the productivity of the company and thereby the company can attend more number of consumers leading to an increased profit. Content Customers The improved brand image helps the company to gather more number of consumers. They are also likely to share their views regarding the company with their family and friends which may spread the goodwill of the businesses. According to Moser Martin (2012), this may increase the loyalty of the consumers towards the firm and thus the buyers may refrain from switching to the products offered by the other companies. A larger number of consumers directly impact the number of goods sold. The increase in the sale of products may affect the profits earned by the company positively. In addition to the above as stated by Aguinis Glavas(2013),the use of the CSR policies in the day to day workings of a company also help in having a good governance on the economy, improves the working conditions of the firm, enhances the quality of employee and community relation and helps to create a gender balance in the business organization. All of these combined together help a company to consistently improve in its objective of profit maximization in a direct or indirect way. Conclusion The following piece of essay was aimed at identifying the concept of Corporate Social responsibility of CSR and analyzing the different aspects of the same. Here, the researcher has provided thorough explanation of the basic concept of CSR from the perspective of a business organization. The benefits derived by the companies by implementing CSR have also been stated along the impact of these on the profit generation capacity of the same. The researcher has influentially proved via a brief explanation the ways in which the implementation of CSR by the firms increases the profit collected by the companies. Further, the benefits of CSR in context of the social and environmental welfare have also been discussed. In addition to this, the methods of calculating the cost of the individual degree courses have also been identified that may help the various universities in the decision making process. References: Aguinis, H., Glavas, A. (2013). 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