Essay --

Yike Cao PHIL 100 Dr. Hass 10/8/2013 3. For what reasons did Socrates refuse to escape from prison? Do you agree or disagree with his decision? Defend your answer. In 399BC Socrates was sentenced to death on account of corrupting the youth of Athens. By this, the authorities claimed that he was teaching the youth to question what was commonly taught to them about religion, gods and goddesses. This was coming at the end of the Peloponnesian War, which was believed to have been a mark of Athena’s (patron Goddess of Athens) fury at her people. The people at the time believed that Socrates’ teachings would only have angered her further and so they arrested Socrates and eventually sentenced him to death. In this essay, I will explain the reasons why Socrates refused to escape from prison, and why I think he should not have accepted the death penalty. After reading Plato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates, it seems that Socrates was given a choice of punishment, but he refuses to take the charges seriously and claimed he was not afraid of death and thus was forced to drink hemlock. Socrates accepted his punishment saying that no one knows what death is like, it may be better than this life and that in death his soul could be free amongst other great souls and he could continue his questioning and search for knowledge there. Socrates claims that he is right to submit to his punishment. One reason he gives is that although he has this escape route, there would not be a great deal of point. He would be unable to continue his search for knowledge in Thessaly as, firstly, he may face the same charges for corrupting youth there or the Athenian authorities could easily find him there. He thought that people would be more interested in how ... ...you have the opportunity to continue living (even if your life is not going to be the same as it was before), and that life should be the most important and sacred thing. Therefore, under the eyes of the law he was right to submit to his punishment but it seems wrong to me that he chose death when he could have chosen life. Even though many people may argue that Socrates should not have escaped; Socrates was an old man and would have died anyway. He would rather become a martyr who highlights the problems with Athenian democracy than seem like a coward and escape. In another word, Socrates’ sacrifice was necessary in order to highlight the injustices of society at that point in time. But I still believe that Socrates should have at least fought for his life and not just submitted so readily to his punishment. The end result could still be the same, or even better.

Impression of the Culture Essay

Prior to working in government, I worked in the private sector. In comparison of the two cultures, I realize that politics exist in both cultures and it is a game that I really do not like to play. My impression of the two cultures leave a lot to be desired in the sense that I am one who is not afraid of hard work; I am always committed to the job. However, working in the private sector gave me a greater sense of satisfaction: I could prioritize my work and get things done; there was less bureaucracy. I could determine what was good for the organization, share it with my management who respected what I brought to the table and implement a cohesive strategy that would benefit the organization. Working in government you have to be prepared and committed to the policies that sometime prevent you from completing your job.(i.e. public interference and internal obstacles) in addition to working with people who do not share the same ideals as you. The government mentality of being a paper pusher was a concept that I fight with myself constantly about. My first few years in government, I went above and beyond what was expected of me because I did not like the feeling of being â€Å"unresponsive†. Working in government I now see what the mentality is all about. I as an individual am not a paper pusher; I am a results driven hard worker who wants to see the results of my hard work; however, being in government you do not control what gets accomplished by your work ethic’ you only control what is expected of you: meaning â€Å"I do what I am supposed to do† however what road the journey takes does not depend on me it depends on who is going to benefit from the fruits of my labor. The positive side of the two cultures: Private Sector gives you room to grow based on your commitment to work, There is less beauracy to deal with and most are working toward the same goal. In government, when you are given a task, th e positive side is that you know it is for the good of the mass and you can envision the end result.

Hamlet has been read by various critics as dramatically Essay

Revenge tragedy was a popular theme when Shakespeare began his play writing career. The central feature of each revenge play was a hero who sought to avenge a wrong in a society where the law was unreliable. â€Å"Hamlet† is usually described as a revenge tragedy. The revenge in Renaissance drama emerged as a dominant genre. By modifying material sources Shakespeare was able to take an unremarkable revenge story and make it into one with fundamental themes and problems of the Renaissance. The Renaissance is a vast cultural phenomenon that began in 15th century Italy with the recovery of the classical Greek and Latin texts that had been lost in the middle-ages. â€Å"Hamlet†, by Shakespeare, uses the traditional conventions which an Elizabethan audience would have expressed interest in because of their moral and social implications. Kyd’s best known play † The Spanish Tragedy† was the most influential tragedy of the Elizabethan period inspired by the tragedies of Seneca, both of which served up a rich diet of madness, melancholy and revenge. However â€Å"Hamlet† has outlived most revenge plays and is still immensely popular. Vengeance was forbidden in the Elizabethan era as it was thought unethical and sinful because it could consume a person, erasing within them any sense of moral justice. This thought preoccupies Hamlet for much of the play. An Elizabethan audience would have sympathised with Hamlet’s attitude towards revenge and the tension of having fundamental Christian beliefs about mercy contrasted with the human impulse for revenge. To kill a king or queen who was protected by the divine aura of kingship was seen as an act of treason. However vengeance was also seen as an honour which had to be satisfied. Although an Elizabethan audience would have had prevailing Christian beliefs about mercy juxtaposed with secular view points in tune with human impulse for revenge, a modern audience would empathise with â€Å"Hamlet† as a revenge hero due to the 20th century concept of the â€Å"just war† theory, which states that war can only take place under certain conditions e.g. when all forms of peaceful negotiations have failed. In â€Å"Hamlet† soliloquies are used to reveal Hamlet’s innermost thoughts reflecting his contemplative character, a convention that an Elizabethan audience would have understood. Hamlet’s melancholy is a leading factor throughout the play; his soliloquies give us a more in-depth perception as to what he is thinking. We can not read minds and in theatre, it is important for us to have this insight into the characters mind as away of understanding motivations. In Hamlet’s case, we are aware of this from the beginning. Hamlet is extremely distraught by the death of his father and the incestuous union of his mother and Claudius: â€Å"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable Seems to me all the uses of the world! Fie on’t, ah fie, ’tis an unweeded garden† This statement is dramatic in that he is using the unweeded garden as a way of metaphorically speaking about our world that is full of ailment and repulsiveness as opposed to a weeded garden which would represent order and contentment. Although an Elizabethan audience would have accepted Hamlets hesitation, a modern audience would accept and understand the feelings expressed in Hamlet’s soliloquies. Hamlets passionate first soliloquy provides a striking contrast to the controlled dialogue he must exchange with Claudius and his court. The primary function of the soliloquy is to reveal to the audience Hamlet’s melancholy and despair at the time he is presenting the soliloquy. A modern audience would realise that Hamlet is â€Å"a mere Prince of Philosophical Speculators who would not feel at home in an incestuous tomb of politics†ithus delaying this actions to avenge his father’s death. William Hazlitt also states that Hamlet â€Å"is not a character marked by strength of will or even passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment†i. This marks him out as â€Å"a misfit in a treacherous world†. The world in which Hamlet is living in is claustrophobic full of deception, spying and greed. Brannagh’s interpretation of â€Å"Hamlet† presents this idea effectively through the use of mirrors in the Great Hall, behind which people spy on one another. Hamlet himself notices that Elsinore is a prison rather than a sanction: â€Å"Denmark’s a prison world†¦ in which there are many confines Wards and dungeons†¦ † In a disjointed outpouring of disgust, anger, sorrow and grief, Hamlet explains that, without expectation, everything in the world is either futile or contemptible. His speech is saturated with suggestions of rot and corruption, as seen in the basic usage of words such as â€Å"rank† and â€Å"gross†, and the metaphor associating the world with â€Å"an unweeded garden†. The nature of the his grief is soon exposed, as we learn that his mother, Gertrude, has married her brother-in-law only two months after the death of Hamlet’s father, believing that her display of love was a pretense to satisfy her own lust and greed. Shakespeare employs the use of juxtaposition and contrast to enhance Hamlet’s feelings of contempt, disgust and inadequacy. Another juxtaposition in the soliloquy is Hamlet’s use of Hyperion and a satyr to denote his father and uncle, respectively. Hyperion, the Titan God of light, represents honor and virtue, all traits belonging to Hamlet’s father. Satyrs, the half-human and half-beast companions of the Wine-God Dionysus, represents lasciviousness and overindulgence, much like Hamlet’s uncle. It is therefore no wonder Hamlet develops disgust for Claudius. An important contrast in this soliloquy is seen in Hamlet’s self-depreciating comment; â€Å"But no more like my father Than I to Hercules† Hamlet’s comparison of himself to the courageous Greek hero indicates his developing lack of self worth, a theme focused upon in the second soliloquy. In addition to revealing Hamlet’s plot to catch the king in his guilt, Hamlet’s second soliloquy uncovers the essence of Hamlet’s true conflict. Hamlet is committed to seeking revenge for his father, yet he cannot act due to his revulsion towards extracting the cold and calculating revenge. Determined to convince himself to carry out the premeditated murder of his uncle, Hamlet works himself into a frenzy. He hopes that his passions will halt his better judgment and he will then be able to kill Claudius without hesitation. But Hamlet fails to quell his apprehensions and can not act immediately. The traditional revenge hero would be seen, by an Elizabethan audience, as one who sought to avenge a wrong in an unjust society. Hamlet reflects the Elizabethan views of revenge with his determined heart during the second soliloquy. The soliloquy leaves the reader feeling that Hamlet will keep his word and that revenge will certainly follow in the flowing act. However, Hamlet’s determination begins to deteriorate as the play progresses suggesting Hamlet’s ambivalence of avenging his father’s death, through phrases such as â€Å"o cursed spite that even I was born to set things right†. From this point onwards Hamlet fails to carry out the avenger’s role, which would have defied an Elizabethan audience’s tradition. Shakespeare intentionally defies the traditional conventions because he wants to show that Hamlet is different. However, Hamlet gains sympathy from the modern audience rather than loses sympathy because a modern audience might be more interested to consider how many uncertainties our lives are built upon and Hamlet’s psychological motivation. Unlike Hamlet’s first two major soliloquies, the third and most famous speech seems to be governed by reason and not frenzied emotion. Unable to do little but wait for completion of his plan to â€Å"catch the conscience of the king†, Hamlet sparks an internal philosophical debate on the advantages and disadvantages of existence, and whether it is one’s right to end his or her own life. Hamlet must find the appropriate analysis in his situation, however finds himself shifting back and forth between consideration of whether action or inaction is better. In terms of Hamlet’s analysis, the two issues are closely related. Yet, his words in Act 2 Scene 2 highlight his understanding that man’s nobility transcends the notion of revenge: â€Å"What a piece of work is man! How noble In reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express And admirable, in action†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † He has a public obligation to do right by Denmark, but this should not be done morally unless it is done in good will. It can therefore be said that Hamlet’s deepening grief is blinding his sound judgment and fogging his path for acceptance of his misgiving. As a result Hamlet begins berating himself with words such as â€Å"ass† and â€Å"scullion†, for failing to carry out his duty as an avenger, even though he has real reasons for revenge. Hamlet is hypersensitive. Everything that has happened to him has made him intensely self-aware and ready to be self-critical. Although an Elizabethan audience would not have accepted Hamlet’s hesitation, a modern audience would accept and understand the feelings expressed in Hamlet’s soliloquies because hesitation is natural in humanity. The soliloquy ends with Hamlet planning to â€Å"Catch the conscience of the king† through a play. Thrilled that his scheme will help prove that Claudius killed his father, Hamlet experiences a sudden surge of confidence. The word â€Å"conscience† has more significance than it may seem. It can be read as a conflation of Hellenistic and Roman with Christian influences extending the apostle Paul into Shakespeare’s time. Going well beyond a guilty feeling, it points forwards and backwards providing guidance to action. Hamlet’s last soliloquy is crucial to our understanding of his character development. By the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet brings to a halt his solemn contemplation on the immoral act of murderous revenge, and finally accepts it as a necessary duty. It is not that Hamlet has presented a solid and reasonable argument to convince himself of his terrible responsibility: rather he has driven himself to the conclusion with intense and distorted thoughts. Hamlet accuses himself of forgetting his father in the â€Å"bestial oblivion†, yet he thinks his problem could be â€Å"thinking to precisely on the event†. More ever, although Hamlet has seen Fortinbras only a moment earlier in the play, and knows nothing of his true motives for going to war, Hamlet convinces himself that he is fighting to protect his honor. Part of Hamlet realizes the idea of such a conviction, however illogical and futile, he focuses on the image of Fortinbras courageously leading his troops. Hamlet’s reason, the part of him that has been dominant throughout the play; the part of him that questions the â€Å"honour† in murder and revenge, this time cannot provide a rebuttal. Hamlet is overcome by his obligations to enact revenge. Hamlet was once greatly distressed over having to exact payment for this father’s murder, even though the reason for such revenge was weighty. Now, Hamlet commends the idea of the â€Å"imminent death of twenty thousand men†. Laertes, Fortinbras and Hamlet are all sons seeking to avenge a wrong in an unjust society. Laertes displays an impulsive reaction when angered. Laertes’ imprudent actions are motivated by fury and frustration, giving little thought to action â€Å"I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father† This provides an insight into Laertes’ mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. In contrast, Hamlet looks for certainty, through contemplation, before taking action, seeking a right without tainting his mind. Likewise, Fortinbras is an obvious contrast to Hamlet, though his situation similar, as a man of action. Hamlet himself notices the contrast: â€Å"†¦ tender prince, whose spirit with divine ambition puffed Makes mouths at the invisible event†¦ † Laertes is fast to act. He wants to revenge and he wants it immediately. His actions are rushed, allowing the possibility of manipulation by Claudius. He cannot let his natural feelings rule his will. He only thinks about his consequences after he has performed. This is evident at the end of the play when he asks for Hamlet’s forgiveness when he says â€Å"I am justly killed with mine own treachery†. He is too willing to believe the king’s version of events, thus Claudius uses Laertes anger for his own benefit. Laertes only wants revenge and is not concerned with punishment. Shakespeare makes these contrasts to highlight Hamlet as a stereotypical â€Å"weak avenger†, but an infinitely more interesting and complex character consumed by the moral complications of revenge, which reveal him as a hero blesses or cursed by the power of individual thought as opposed to a hero who follows unthinkingly the revenge tradition. An Elizabethan audience would see â€Å"Hamlet† as a weak avenger with a â€Å"fatal flaw† and a propensity to think too much, therefore not keeping within the dramatic conventions, which would have been greatly appreciated by an Elizabethan audience. However, a modern audience may sympathise greatly with Hamlet’s inability to abandon or fulfill his role because making an epic decision is rarely straightforward. It seems that Shakespeare wants to present Hamlet as a tortured soul, influenced by Christian beliefs. The dilemma â€Å"Hamlet† faces is in some ways the dilemma faced by civilized man at large, William Hazlitt supports this view by stating that â€Å"Hamlet is one of those plays that we think the most about because it reflects on human life†i. Bibliography – Hamlet: Cambridge School – Shakespeare & criticism : F. E. Haliday – Characters in Shakespeare’s play- Hamlet: William Hazlitt

Performance Management Plan Essay

Good afternoon Traci, after assessing the current status and future needs of Marylee Luther’s construction company and taking some notes from your conversation with her the other day we have compiled a performance management framework that we believe will integrate the company’s goals to its strategy while making the growth move from Michigan to Arizona and staying consistent with the organizations current revenue and employee growth projections over the next year. We will briefly outline this performance management plan as it pertains to the categories of alignment of the performance management framework to the organizational business strategy, organizational performance philosophy, the job analysis process you will complete to identify the skills needed by employees, methods used for measuring the employee’s skills, process for addressing skill gaps, and an approach for delivering effective performance feedback. The framework that has been chosen for the organi zation will ease the growing pains of adding 20% more personnel (130 people) over the next year. Performance Framework Organizations with the revenues and personnel comparable to Mrs. Luther’s construction business have made the move to all inclusive software systems in order to handle the monitoring and scheduled maintenance of both operational and employee performance metrics which allow managers to make real time changes that save time and money for the organization. We recommend WebFOCUS performance management framework or (PMF). According to â€Å"Information Builders† (1996-2013), â€Å"PMF is a comprehensive, fully integrated, out-of-the-box solution that fully supports any existing performance management methodology, such as balanced scorecard (BSC). It comes complete with all the functionality and tools companies need to efficiently and effectively set and communicate strategy across the organization, define related metrics, and involve all stakeholders in monitoring and measurement – all from a single, intuitive, easy-to-access, browser-based environment.† Read more:  Growth Performance Management The PMF software has such features as †¢Performance management data models †¢Pre-built dashboards, scorecards, and reports †¢More than 500 pre-packaged metrics for common industries and business functions †¢Strategy mapping to visualize and communicate strategy †¢The ability to manage performance and risk together †¢Mobile alerts †¢In-depth analytics †¢Link scorecards to operational reports The WebFOCUS framework software will be a good fit for the organization due to the fact that the software will give the organization the ability to maintain consistency and allow for growth in every area of the business. Performance Philosophy In order to facilitate the solidification of the performance framework with the organizations new performance strategy, we have chosen a proven philosophy that encourages the simultaneous improvement of both technical and social aspects of the company through aligning the organizations strategy with its goals and clearly incorporating each employee into a definable part of the business. Core principles are developed as guidelines for members of the organization to operate under to stay in line with the business goals. Here are the principles that should be focused on moving forward. †¢The strategy and goals of the organization are clear to all members of the organization and are an integral part of everyday operations †¢The employees are treated as the organizations key assets and are provided with the training, skill development, and resources to succeed while fulfilling the organizations strategy †¢Work is designed around teams to accomplish the goals of the business as a whole †¢Job processes and structures are streamlined to support a focused part of the organizations strategy †¢The management team is present to provide operational boundaries, resources for tasks and guidance when needed †¢The organization will always exceed the expectations of its customers Identifying Employee Needs Given the fact that construction workers are out on job sites most of the day and cannot voice their needs or concerns when they arise, we recommend a system of top-down check ins daily where managers will have mobile conferences with site supervisors after having team meetings that morning on the different job sites. This will help move any employee needs or issues up the management chain faster. To add to that process management will have quarterly one-on-one meetings with all employees to address any needs and guide in filling any performance or skill gaps that will later be scheduled for improvement. Measuring Employee Skills Using the WebFOCUS software, we recommend having employees taking an online test that can be done at work or home that will identify each employee’s skills and strengths and will put those into a database that measures standards to each job and where that employee excels or falls short in that job and the construction industry. The new software will also keep the company goals and focus for both Michigan and new Arizona facilities simultaneously. Addressing Skill Gaps Construction employees are notoriously hands on people so after a proper skills assessment test to identify strengths and weaknesses in that employees current position we recommend a one-on-one meeting between that employee and their manager where a training map can be discussed and implemented over a three month period which will consist of both online and on-the-job training to bring the employee up to industry standards for their respective position. The training will be monitored by site supervisors and progress will be logged and relayed to upper management. Effective Performance Feedback Performance feedback is essential to both the employee as well as the company so we recommend a system of open communication and full disclosure as they pertain to current and the projected 20% new employees over the next year for the company. The process will consist of the manager clearly conveying their expectations of said employee at the point of hire, informing that quarterly one-on-one meetings with the manager will be held to make sure that employees performance goals are being met, and address any issues or concerns that arise. The process for the yearly performance feedback reviews will consist of a clear ranking system based off of the managers previously stated expectations of that employee, social and technical compliances for that employee, and will give an overall score that will dictate any compensation raise or bonus. The day of the performance feedback the employee will receive a printed out copy of the feedback an hour before their actual meeting with management. This will allow the employee to work out any emotions or feeling within themselves first so that the meeting with their manager can be conducted with fresh eyes and ears. The manager will not address any issue with compensation or wander off topic during the feedback and new goals and expectations will be discussed and implemented from that point. Conclusion The information that has been given in regards to Marylee Luther’s construction company warranted a completely all inclusive software system to be able to make assessments and organize information regarding the business and employees. We feel that the WebFOCUS software chosen for her company will streamline processes and expedite growth as they expand to the Arizona market and provide flexibility for the managers to use in new ways moving forward in both states respectively. We believe that the process changes recommended towards employee relations will empower the employees to expand their own knowledge and foster a sense of accountability and ownership that will ultimately take the company and employee to the next level. References Information builders (1996-2013). Retrieved from http://www.informationbuilders.com/products/webfocus/webfocuspmf The center for organizational design (2012). Retrieved from http://www.centerod.com/high-performance-philosophy/

The Irony in Trifles

Heather Brown Professor Evermind English 1302 2 March 2012 The Irony in Trifles The play Trifles written by Susan Glaspell is set in the nineteenth century. A trifle is a thing of little value or importance, so in the play Trifles the irony of the story is quite humorous. In this time period women were not treated as equals, men believed women did not have as much intellect as themselves, and treated them accordingly. With this in mind the irony of the play revolves around how much better the women were at finding clues and a motive to the murder committed by Mrs.Wright then the men, and how condescending they are of the women. Trifles takes place at a crime scene investigation where a group of men are searching for clues to a murder, and two women who came to get things for the woman who was in jail. As the group of guys began searching for clues to help them charge Mrs. Wright for murdering her husband, the reader begins to see the way men view women in this century by their critic ism of the cleanliness of the house, and referring to kitchen things as unimportant.The irony in this is that the woman start seeing clues in the kitchen, such as all the half finished tasks and a cabinet with a broken bird cage in it. As the play continues the group notices an uncompleted quilt in the living room. The women start discussing how Mrs. Wright was going to finish the quilt: knot it or quilt it; and the men laugh at the women for worrying about something so simple, but ironically the women find another clue inside the quilting basket.The most ironic part of the play is that the two women find the major clue, a dead bird strangled the same way Mrs. Wright's bird was, and the men who were unsuccessful at trying to find clues to the murder were unable to find a single clue or motive left the house still puzzled about the murder. Irony is a tool that can be used to entertain a reader with its great comedic value, and Trifles does this in a unique way that epitomizes the ant i-femninistic views of the nineteenth century.This is a type of humor that readers are able to connect with thanks to the emergence of feminism. Outline Thesis: With this in mind the irony of the play revolves around how much better the women were at finding clues and a motive to the murder committed by Mrs. Wright then the men, and how condescending they are of the women. I. Introduction A. trifle is a thing of little value or importance, so in the play Trifles the irony of the story is quite humorous. B. his time period women were not treated as equals, men believed women did not have as much intellect as themselves, and treated them accordingly. II. Supporting evidence of the irony A. Women find the clues in the unimportant kitchen things. B. Women found the motive in the quilt basket. C. The men are still confused as to the entire murder. III. Conclusion A. is a tool that can be used to entertain a reader with its great comedic value, and Trifles does this in a unique way that e pitomizes the anti-femninistic views of the nineteenth century.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Niobium Pentoxide/Carbon Nanotubes Composites

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Niobium Pentoxide/Carbon Nanotubes Composites Introduction In the last few years, a range of energy-storage device applications has expanded from portable electronics to large-scale energy storage systems, including renewable energy storage and electric transportation [1,2]. To fulfill the energy and power density requirements for energy applications, many researchers have given attention to the synthesis of nanomaterials based on oxides due to their chemical, physical, optical, and electronic properties [1–4]. In this way, niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) is a promising candidate because of its semiconductor properties with a band gap of ~3.4 eV, n-type, low toxicity, surface acidity, and good chemical and thermal stabilities [3,5–8]. It has been demonstrated that Nb2O5 can deliver high power through a mainly pseudocapacitive reaction of Li-ion (Li+), which could occur not only at the surface but also in the bulk of the Nb2O5 nanocrystals in non-aqueous Li+ electrolyte [2,9]. Moreover, the intercalation pseudo-capacitive behavior was highly dependent upon the presence of a crystalline structure, where amorphous and pseudo-hexagonal (TT-Nb2O5) exhibited lower specific capacitance values than the orthorhombic (T-Nb2O5) phase, however, nanoparticles aggregation is inevitable due to the high calcination temperature (>600  °C) for the orthorhombic phase formation of Nb2O5 [10–17]. Nonetheless, the application of Nb2O5 has been hampered by low bulk electrical conductivity (~3.4Ãâ€"10-6 S.cm-1 at 300 K) and by the difficult control of the ideal crystal structure [3,10,11]. Therefore, when T-Nb2O5 nanocrystals were fabricated into a relatively thick electrode, the power performance would be limited due to the impaired mobility of electrons. A possible effective method to improve these adversities in Nb2O5 is through of surface modifications (e.g., carbon coating), which could expose more redox active nanoparticles to the electrolyte as well as greatly i mprove the electronic conductivity [1,3,11–13]. It must be noted that the introduction of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) networks can enhance electron transport of the Nb2O5 and further improve the rate capability. Physical mixing of MWCNTs and Nb2O5 nanoparticles can fabricate composite with improved conductivity, but this type of mixing fails to fulfill a good interfacial interaction between the MWCNTs and Nb2O5 [3]. Wherefore, soft-chemistry methods like oxidant-peroxo method matched with hydrothermal treatment and heating by microwaves could be a promising alternative for niobium synthesis, mainly because it is performed at low temperatures which avoids the elimination of the hydroxyl groups in as-formed surfaces resulting in a material with high surface area and greater number of acid sites [6,18,19]. In addition, carbon materials have a good microwave radiation absorption, which facilitates the interaction with other particles [20]. The use of niobium oxides for energy storage devices is already well known and exploited [21] but its performance is only obtained by a hybrid supercapacitor based on lithium intercalation processes [21] where high values of energy and power density are obtained. These intercalation processes require the application of potentials between 1 to 3 V vs. Li/Li+, a careful and humidity-free assembly scheme and non-aqueous electrolytes [16]. In this work, niobium pentoxide with different structures and morphologies were grown onto the surface of carbon nanotubes were synthesized by MHS. Moreover, we evaluated some electrochemical properties of electrodes with high mass loading on Ni foam current collectors (Fig. 1) using aqueous electrolyte, which brings the material closer to real and practical applications. Methods The acid functionalization on the MWCNTs was performed to create functional groups through a controlled functionalization of the nanotube walls, which allowed the anchoring an d growth of the Nb2O5 nanoparticles. This functionalization is accomplished by exposing the MWCNTs in a concentrated HNO3/H2SO4 (1:3) as described by Goyanes, et al. 2007 [22]. Nb2O5 nanoparticles were synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method followed by a heat treatment. The sample preparation started with the dispersion of the 50 mg of functionalized MWCNTs and 100 mg of SDS (1:2) in 100 mL of distilled H2O in an ultrasonic bath. After dispersing, 2 g of (NH4[NbO(C2O4)2(H2O)2] ·nH2O) and 1.6 mL of H2O2 were added under ultrasound frequency. The solution was ultrasonicated continuously for 30 min and then poured into a Teflon vessel reaching about 50% of its volume, the autoclave was sealed and heated in the microwave equipment (Electrolux, MEF41, Brazil). The synthesis was performed with amendments according to Marins, et al., 2017 [23], where the temperature was set at 160  °C during 30 min, under a constant pressure of approximately 6 kgf cm-2 using 2.45 GHz microwave radiation with a maximum output power of 1500 W. Temperature and pressure during synthesis were monitored and controlled with the aid of a shielded thermocouple inserted directly into the vessel and with a pressure transducer sensor connected to the vessel [5]. After cooling at r oom temperature, the obtained powders were washed and centrifuged at 5000 rpm six times with distilled H2O to remove unreacted reagents and surfactant. The washed powder was over dried with no air circulation at 50  °C for 48 h. This sample was identified as CNT+TT-Nb2O5. To obtain the samples under heat treatment, part of the powder was heated in a furnace (FT-1200 1Z, Fortelab, Brazil) at 400  °C for 120 min and 650  °C for 180 min with a heating rate of 10  °C/min under nitrogen atmosphere aiming to get the orthorhombic phase [12,22]. After cooling at room temperature, the powders were stored in an oven with no air circulation at 50  °C and identified as CNT+T-Nb2O5. PVB solution in ethanol was added to the mixture in the electrode preparation. The PVB content in the slurry was 3% of the total mass of Nb2O5 and MWCNTs to each sample. The obtained slurry was used for the impregnation of Ni foam current collectors with area of 1 cm2. The active mass loading was 32 mg cm-2.

Use book content to explain 5 video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Use book content to explain 5 video - Essay Example These organizations adopt different strategies to manage respective production operations. Notably, quality control and technology are the most common things among the five videos (Russell and Taylor 54). In the video on how to make Jeans, quality control is very prominent. The making of jeans includes choosing the fabric, designing patterns, and tailoring. Manufactures enhance the quality of denim jeans by choosing unique textiles and high quality fabric for denim and pocketing since denims are seemingly too thin. As such, they chose â€Å"jeans-grade" denim that guarantee high quality denim jeans. Cotton is a high quality material for denim jeans. The fabric distinguishes denim jeans from other off-the-rack jeans. The manufactures washes and dries the fabric to make it easier to work with. The process also ensures that finished denim jeans are fitting. The process also entails roughening up which adds quality to the jeans. The manufactures use modern technologies to trim and design patterns for the denim jeans. In the video on how to make skateboards, quality control is supreme. The manufactures use high quality materials that include veneer, tie bond glue, router of rasp, and molded press. Notably, veneer defines a hard rock maple that prevents the skateboards from vibrating. Moreover, the hard maple made from oak wood prevents the skateboard from breaking since it is strong. On the other hand, the tie bond glue guarantees a strong bond thus creating a durable skateboard. To add on quality, manufactures adopt a specific arrangement of venners. The venners follow one another in layers that include the Face, Core layer, Cross band, Core layer, Cross Band, Core layer, and a final Face. The molded press enhances compatibility of the skateboards. In the video on how to make cosmetics, it is clear that quality is supreme. The process of making cosmetics includes ingredients that must have the approval of the FDA. It involves color additives that