Wednesday, November 27, 2019

General Belisarius - Byzantine Military Hero

General Belisarius - Byzantine Military Hero This profile of Belisarius is part ofWhos Who in Medieval History   Byzantine Military Hero Being the leading Byzantine general during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. He won significant battles against the Persians and Ostrogoths, suppressed the Nike Revolt, and served his emperor with unstinting loyalty. Occupations: Military Leader Places of Residence and Influence: Byzantium (The Eastern Roman Empire) Important Dates: Born: 505Takes back the city of Rome: Dec. 9, 536Died: March, 565 About Belisarius: Belisarius served in Justinians bodyguard and earned a command in his mid-twenties. After distinguishing himself in several battles against the Sasanian Empire, he returned to Constantinople, where he quashed the Nike Revolt. Next he scored notable victories against Germanic peoples in his quest to win back Italy for Justinian. His subsequent successes against the Ostrogoths were overshadowed by political difficulties. He fell out of favor with the emperor and only his wifes friendship with the empress saved him. His later years were spent in relative peace. Find out more about the generals life and achievements in your Guides Concise Biography of General Belisarius. Myths About Belisarius: A great deal of misinformation was generated about Belisarius centuries after his death. One notable story had him blinded by Justinian and wandering the streets as a beggar. There is absolutely no truth to these stories, but they have served as the basis for epic tales, novels and plays. More Belisarius Resources: Concise Biography of General BelisariusGeneral Belisarius on the Web BelisariusConcise overview at Infoplease.Gothic War: Byzantine Count Belisarius Retakes RomeComprehensive overview of the Byzantine generals attempt to retake the city of Rome from the Goths, by Erik Hildinger at Military History magazine, online at TheHistoryNet. ByzantiumMedieval WarfareMedieval Military Leaders QuizChronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2007-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is  not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/bwho/p/who_belisarius.htm

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Light and calculate refractive Essays

Light and calculate refractive Essays Light and calculate refractive Essay Light and calculate refractive Essay In this experiment, a mechanism is prepared to observe the refraction of light and calculate refractive index of water according to the data taken from the experiment. Refraction means the bending of a wave resulting from a change in its velocity as its moves from one medium to another. Since the frequency of a wave cannot change, independent of the source changing its frequency when it originally emits a wave. This change in wave velocity must result from a change in its wavelength in the second medium. [1] As shown in the diagram, when the waves encounter an oblique interface, both their direction and wavelength change. In the instance illustrated, the wavelengths shorten and the reflected rays â€Å"bend toward the normal† as the wave enter the shallow or slower medium: To quantify the degree of refraction, a dimensionless quantity called index of refraction (n) is introduced. Since the refractive index (optical density) of air is equal to 1 (, refractine index of water is equal to sine of angle of light in medium of air ( over sine of angle of light in medium of water (. That’s why slope of the graph vs gives the approximate value of refractive index of water . Figure : Graph of vs Since is proportional to , the graph which is given above is linear. According to the graph above, slope of best fit line gives the experimental value of refractive index of water, slope of worst line with greatest slope gives the maximum value of refractive index of water and the worst line with least slope gives the minimum value of refractive index of water in this experiment. Uncertainty of refractive index of water : Percentage error calculations: CONCLUSION EVALUATION In this experiment, refractive index or in other words optical density of water ( is aimed to be found by the help of parallax method. When an ultrasonic wave passes through an interface between two materials at an oblique angle, and the materials have different indices of refraction, both reflected and refracted waves are produced. [3] It can be also told that when any wave strikes a boundary, some of the energy is reflected and some is transmitted or absorbed. [4] This also occurs with light, which is why objects seen across an interface appear to be shifted relative to where they really are. Because, when two or three dimensional wave travelling in one medium crosses a boundary into another medium, the transmitted wave may move in a different direction than the incident wave as shown in the figure below. This phenomenon is known as refraction. For example, if you look straight down at an object at the bottom of a glass of water, it looks closer than it really is. Another good way to visualize how light and sound refract is to shine a flashlight into a bowl of slightly cloudy water noting the refraction angle with respect to the incident angle. Figure : Refraction of wave passing a boundary Refraction takes place at an interface due to the different velocities of the acoustic waves within the two materials. The velocity of sound in each material is determined by the material properties like density for that material. In optics, the ration of the speed of light to the speed (v) in a material is called the index of refraction which is shown with â€Å"n†. Refractive index is also defined as; Snell’s law of refraction describes that when light passes from one transparent medium into another with a different index of refraction, part of the incident light is reflected at the boundary. The remainder passes into the new medium. If a ray of light is incident at an to the surface, the ray changes direction as it enters the new medium. This change in direction or bending is called refraction. Figure : Light refracted passing from air into water Figure above shows a ray passing from air into water. Angle ? 1 is the angle the incident ray makes with the y-axis which is perpendicular to the surface and that angle ? 1 is called the angle of incidence. Angle ? 2 is the angle that the refracted ray makes with y-axis and that angle is called angle of refraction. The angle of refraction depends on the speed of light in two media and the incident angle. Snell’s law declares that; (where n: refractive index of the medium) According to that equation is the angle of incidence and is the angle of refraction. It is clear from the equation above that if than, . This equation of Snell is also known as law of refraction. In the experiment, a straight line is drawn at the middle of the paper and upside of the line is marked as medium of water and downside is marked as medium of air. A transparent semicircular container is put in the part of the medium of water. At last needles are sanked into the paper as shown in the figure below and angles with y-axis are measured. Figure: Mechanism of the experiment In order to find the refractive index of water ( Snell’s law of refraction is used. In the equation refractive index of air ( is taken 1. 00. [5] By using the slope of the best fit line in the graph of vs , refractive index of water is found out to be 1. 331. Maximum value of refractive index is found 1. 400 with the worst line of maximum slope and minimum value is found 1. 251 with the worst line of minimum slope. Uncertainty of the measurement is 0. 074 with the formula of . Furthermore, in 0th trial angle between y-axis in both medium of water and air is 0 °. That means the angle between x-axis is 90 °. There is no refraction just because of the light is perpendicular to x-axis. During the percentage error calculations literary value of refractive index of water is taken 1. 334 (i. e 4/3). [6] So the percentage error is calculated with the formula of and it is found 0. 2 % which is really low error. Difference between expected value (1. 334) and experimental value (1. 331) is 0. 003. The results of the experiment is not different from the expected value of optical density of water. In the graph of vs , the best line passes through point â€Å"0†, that shows there is no systematic error in the experiment. In addition, best fit line of the graph passes through all error bars, that shows there is no random error as well. Furthermore, there are some limitation which affects the results of the investigation. Firstly, the amount of water in the semicircular container is very important. The container should be full of water and there shouldn’t be any empty place in the container. Because it can affect the observation of refraction in water. Thus, adding more water to the container to make observations better can make the observation more effective. Another error source can be the thickness of the semicircular transparent container. In this experiment refraction of light between two different media is observed. However, wall of the container is another medium. That’s why, the thinner the semicircular container is, the more effective the results are. So using a thinner transparent container can be a solution for that limitation. Moreover, using thinner container can be helpful for the observer who looks from the medium of air to see the needle. On the grounds that thinner wall of container makes the observations easier for the experimenter by creating a clear visual material. The temperature of water is an important factor which affects th results of the experiment. Because of that, refractive index values are usually determined at standard temperature. A higher temperature means the liqiud becomes less dense and less viscous, causing light to travel faster in the medium. This results in a smaller value for the refractive index due to a smaller ration. A lower temperature means the liquid becomes denser and has a higher viscosity, causing light to travel slower in the medium. This results in a larger value for the refractive index due to a larger ratio. In addition, refractometers which are laboratory or field devices for the measurement of an index of refraction usually takes measurement for standard temperature (298.15K/25 °C). That’s why, making experiment at standard temperature gives better results. Moreover, refractive index of vacuum which is a measurement of standard temperature is taken used during the calculations. Therefore, during the experiment paying attention to the temperature and trying to make it constant at 25 °C makes the results better. Another limitation is the thickness of the needles. Using thick needles can be misleading for the results of the experiment by affecting observations of refraction. So, thinner needles can solve that error source.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ethical Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Decisions - Essay Example The economic and social conditions surrounding us continuously evolve, new technologies are developed, and new products are introduced; above all, the social infrastructure is continuously being built and renovated, and the institutional arrangements concerning education, medicine, culture, and other fields are constantly changing. In the face of these complications, it seems almost impossible to reach a consensus about the intrinsic meaning of sustainabiliy with respect to the natural environment. Nuclear power, atomic weapons, gene engineering, genetically modified food and water pollution will cause great problems for future generations "unable to cope with these threats" (Lomborg 2001, 87). Out duty is to minimize harmful effect of modern technology and progress on our children and save out planet from dying. Our duty to people in the past is to remember their achievements and contribution to science, culture and economy which had a great impact on historical development and curr ent progress. Our duty is to value and keep their information and major achievements. Cultural and scientific heritage of the past should be kept because it impossible to render and reconstruct masterpieces and scientific knowledge. Children remain the prime source of old-age security, allowing many elders who can no longer work to achieve the cultural ideal of sitting by the fire and having food brought to them. 2. There should be a general statement of 'human rights' because all people are equal and should be equally treated in all countries across the world. The place of the individual is important as there is recognition of the normative and legal importance of protecting human rights over states' rights. All people around the world should be fairly treated according to the essential rights of man. The 'global human rights' should include such concepts as freedom, liberty and universal justice. Justice must be approached in practical terms that address the contradictions and complexities of the present-day world. These inquiries find relevance in contexts in which the pursuit of justice is a matter not of an imagined or desired future, but of an all-too-real present replete with dilemmas and risks. The main feature of justice is the pervasive need to find a balance between contradictory pressures. "Each individual aspect needs to be interpreted from the perspective of justice to assess wh ether its promise and performance is to be viewed positively" (Chandler Herman 2002, 51). Liberty and freedom is important because rights entitle people from one countries or social groups to equality with other social group or nationality. People should have universal rights such as freedom of movement, the right to take part in public affairs, directly or through elected representatives; and the right to free choice and practice of religion. Freedom means absence of restrictions and compulsion imposed on a person. The concept of freedom coexisted with the idea of liberty, which in effect relegated most dimensions of justice to the internal relations between state and society. With the separation of church and state that accompanied the rise of the modern state, the notion of freedom assumed a specifically and predominantly secular character that could no longer be interpreted merely as an extension of religious thought. These universal human rights should be introduced on the global scale because all

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Construction Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction Economics - Essay Example 2.0 Basis of the Report and Assumptions The report is based on the relevance of cost benefit analysis in determining the feasibility of a project. It is assumed that the developer is aware of the prevailing market rates but is not conversant with the costing strategy that can match the rates. The essence of this report is therefore to recommend the actions on whether the project is viable or not depending on the cost benefit analysis results (Schmitt, B., 2007). 3.0 Site Location Information The construction site is located in London, towards the south east of England. It has a conglomeration of retail constructions, residential and commercial properties. The environment is well developed and the area has easy accessibility to the center of London City. The plan is to have the ground floor as a shell for tenants who intend to rent to fit them out to their suitability. The rest of the floors will be for multipurpose businesses. Figure 1: Rental Units in the Commercial area Figure 2: R ental Units in the Residential Area 4.0. Market Conditions Affecting Value The construction site is in a prime area. The demand in the area for real estate properties is so high in the area pushing the cost of acquisition and development of the plot to go up. ... assessment, the competition from other developers in the area could be a challenge however setting competitive rates will be advantageous to the business (Schmitt, B., 2007). Also the inflation rates in the real estate property market could be a challenge however with the stability in the market the rates could be manageable to the stakeholders. Using the same assumptions, the future demand may be unbearable but the value of the project may be a great advantage to the stakeholders in the future. The high demand for land in the area and the continued rising rates is propelling the already high costs. 5.0 Developers Budget 5.1. Development Cost The cost of development at the present market value covers the cost of acquisition of the site together with the cost of labor and construction materials. The budget for the development is as follows: Demolition: ? 150,000 Planning costs and fees, including s.106 agreement – upgrading infrastructure: ? 250,000 Site surveys: ? 25,000 Const ruction costs: Infrastructure: ? 273,000 Landscaping: ? 15,000 Structure: ?1,100/m2 Extra for office floors: ? 550/m2 Extra for residential floors: ? 650/m2 5.2. Expected return Out of the budget, the return from the rental units will determine whether the expenses are higher than the earnings or less. The present market rates for residential property units will earn about ?500 per month, coming to about ?6000 per unit per month. For the 7 rental units available, the total earning will be ?42000 per year. For every office unit, the project will earn about twice that of residential units, which is about ?84, 000 per year. Parking will be expected to earn about ?10000 per year, making the total annual revenue a consolidated estimate of about ?136000 per year. With the continuous growth in market

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Enterprise Strategy Essay Example for Free

Enterprise Strategy Essay This type of business structure that is E-business is more common in the developed countries than in third class countries; to sell products customers in the comfort of their homes is widespread in these countries, so Forejustin Passman the founder and general manager plans to make widespread this type of business even in a developing country, Botswana. 1. 0 THE entrepreneur 1. 1 The motivation for starting the business Pull factors are exploiting opportunity and a financial incentive whilst the push factor that led him to open the business was threat of unemployment. The pull factors He was pulled into this business because he wanted to exploit an opportunity to sell gadgets such as tablets i. e. Apple’s Ipads, Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes amp;Nobles’ the nook. Consequently he decided to open Group Little, a predominantly virtual company, having little physical presence and high internet presence. After a market research he realised that most gadget stores in Botswana undermine internet trading and he decided to exploit this opportunity. Citing most gadget stores are set up according to a strategy and are purposely designed to make customer experience as pleasant as possible but their websites normally do not have a similar strategy applied to them, as the sites are normally a glorified business card that does not engage visitors and in some cases even harm the business image. Mr Passman was also pulled to gain financial incentive he paid meticulous attention to primary research in order to weigh the benefits, the cost and opportunities of his approach. The push factors The threat of unemployment is the only push factor that influenced Forejustin to start his business. At age 18 he performed poorly in his A-level results which caused him to fail to pursue a business degree at university, other than compromising and pursuing other degree programmes that he lacked interest in he decided to re-sit some examinations. Whilst in wait for examination results he did not want to be considered to be part of the unemployed so he started his company Group Little. 1. 2 Forejustin Passman’s character traits Proactive- he is one of the few people who do not believe in luck, he seeks after opportunities other than wait for them to present themselves to him. He is also quick and decisive, when faced with the dilemma of whether to go into just conventional retailing he decided and to have the virtual retailing, where he has limited physical presence and a fully-fledged internet presence. His logic behind such a decision being that the internet is a necessary portal for success in the 21st century business and beyond. He is regarded by some a restless while he considers himself easily bored because as he says he is easily diverted to the most recent market opportunity. He is especially known as a man who acts and then learns from the outcomes of his action, and thus far his upbeat approach has worked positively to advance the company. Visionary- Mr Passman has and had a clear vision for Group Little; for it to become a household name in virtual companies of Africa and to be an expert in Africa’s virtual market space. He wants Group Little to be benchmarked by any international company exploring to invest in the virtual market place of Africa. Now this visionary flair has positioned him to be always at the right place at the right time and being able snatch opportunities within his vision. 1. MR Passman’s personality type Mr Forejustin Passman is certainly spontaneous. Spontaneous because most of the things he does, he does instinctively. This matches positively with his proactive character trait mentioned previously in section 1. 2. He is a creative, lively and open-minded person. His humorous nature disposes a contagious zest for lif e. Forejustin’s enthusiasm and sparkling energy inspires the team to work harder, his strengths therefore are creative problem solutions, discovering new ways and opportunities, the conceptualization of new ideas on one hand, but not so much his concrete implementation on the other. To compensate for this weakness he has staff of capable colleagues that takes over his concepts and runs with them. Spontaneous is the best classification of Mr Passman, other than classifying him as an introvert or extrovert which is a widely used approach of personality type definition, which in some cases is limiting to define peculiar individuals as Mr Forejustin Passman. 1. 4 Decision making and leadership style Decision making style Forejustin Passman’s decision making style is conceptual. He has high tolerance for ambiguity in that even when he was not sure how Batswana will respond to an e-business he still went on decided to do what he planned. He has a broad outlook in business, with the resident of truth being not enough Batswana are connected to internet currently, he deemed it fit to go ahead because most industries around the world are adopting e-business and even though Botswana is still lagging behind the time is eminent for her as well to join in. His conceptual decision making style is also evident in that he has found a creative way to solve the local problem of segregated demand and supply. Where people in difficult to reach areas have a high quantity demand of some products from businesses yet they cannot reach those businesses to be supplied with what they demand, so he decided the customers will shop in the comfort of their own far away home and he will deliver the products to them. 1. 5 Leadership style Laissez-faire style, he is a leader who has consciously made a decision to pass focus of power to the outsourced employees. He considered since the workforce is already talented and qualified to do the job they must be able to positively exercise judgement to respond to issues. Mr Passman simply sets out the targets and deadlines afterwards he charges the taskforce to do the work that is at hand, he is not very interested in how they do the job he just wants the work to be done in due time. Some have criticised his type of leadership saying he is risking the success of his business by delegating power the employees but according to him this type of environment breeds creativity, and that is what he wants from his team, creative ways to solve problems, which is a direct match to his decision making style he wants them to think like him. 1. 6 Mr Forejustin Passman’s role within the business Forejustin oversees the review of Group Little’s corporate strategy, looks for market opportunities, acquires strategic assets and protects Group Little’s existing competencies. As this organisation is relatively small, Forejustin has adopted this multidisciplinary role. His acquisition of strategic assets is done in order to solidify their position in the market, he cites sometimes organic growth is too slow for the company’s vision therefore acquisition of some assets provides an impetus to desired growth. The staff The majority of his staff is outsourced, the employees are highly knowledgeable about internet business. Being a cheerful entrepreneur he advocates for a cheerful workforce because he believes if employees are happy that drives up productivity which in turn brings healthier profit margins. 1. 7 Entrepreneurial networking Forejustin’s decision to effectively network sprung up in the beginning stages of his business, he wanted a trademark for Group Little and he just happened to remember months earlier he sent his broken computer to some young technicians; one of them named Kabelo had recently graduated from a creative arts university of Limkokwing where he studied graphic designing. He had saved his contacts in case he needed computer help but his contact wound up birthing more than just computer solutions but also a trademark for his business. This was a highlight to Forejustin that networking especially informal networking is a tool for success, his response; * He strikes conversations with strangers, to get any bit of information he can, exchanges contacts with such an individual and then regularly contact that individual until they establish a network that can provide him relevant business information, advice and support services. Chats with movers and shakers of different industries in order to get some referrals and leads. Mr Passman’s formal networks In this the entrepreneur is lacking. He has not signed up to any formal network which means his chances for collaborative opportunities with others are diminished. It is highly unlikely for him to form new business relationships and lastly it is slow to solve problems because there is no access to a si gnificant number of possible solution providers as emphasised by Kay (2010). His professed inhibitors to formal networking are high membership fees of some formal arrangements. He also attributed inflexible structured timetable for some of these formal networks as a major impediment for him join as he prefers groups that are open where he can come on casual ‘drop in’ basis. But considerations are still being made to join the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) network an outlet that informs and organizes exhibitions for small enterprises. 1. 8 Innovation There a certain drivers of innovation that prompted Forejustin Passman to pursue e-business and figure a, is quite very useful in illustrating that. Source: Sheth and Ram (1987) Figure a Because of technological advances, after the internet boom he realised he needed to adopt an approach in business which matches the changes in technology. The change in technology alters the business environment. This then means that threshold competencies and basic resources are redefined, he implication to Forejustin’s company is, whatever used to be basic necessities of successful trading is now redefined to fit the current robust and continually changing business environment. Group Little’s business environment is no longer just about having the right gadgets, it is also about close interaction with customers and widespread, effective marketing therefore Mr Passman had to approach service delivery differently. Competition for selling gadgets has intensified, with Incredible Connecti ons, Hi-Fi, Game and other gadgets stores exerting pressure, Group Little had to distinguish itself by going online. Understanding that service delivery is directly related to the customer’s psyche he found it fit to offer technological products in a technological platform such as the internet which sends a message to customers of technological proficiency. He also had to innovate since customer needs are frequently changing consequently he had to effectively address them. The weakness of his innovative approach Even though innovation is commendable and obtaining ideas from the international front is encouraged it is evident Forejustin Passman has failed to address the contextualization of this worldwide trend. His payment outlets for instance should have been modified to fit the traditional payment outlets other than just adopting the internationally proclaimed payment system PayPal. 2. 0 The enterprise 2. 1 Business strategy According to Meyer (2010) strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term. General enterprise strategy Emergent strategy is Group Little’s adopted strategy. Having considered the high turbulence in the industry he trades in Mr Passman decided to use this approach to guide his business. This strategy has been adopted since this industry is uncertainty and innovation based. It allows frequent feedback on the business environment which in turn permits reallocation of resources to address any information that is received about any changes in the business’ external environment. Operations strategy Figure b Source:ibbusinessandmanagement. com(2012) Using Michael Porter’s generic model figure b above, Forejustin has opted differentiation operational strategy. In this strategy unique attributes that are valued by customers and which are perceived to be better than the gadgets of the competition are intensively adopted by Group Little. This company has the following internal strengths to make this differentiation strategy successful; * Highly skilled and creative development team. * Strong sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths of the gadgets The risks linked with this strategy include imitation by competitors and changes in customer tastes. In addition, a range of firms pursuing focus strategies may be able to achieve even greater differentiation in their market segments. 2. 2 E-business As Group Little is a typical example of an e-business it is quite instructive to use the SWOT model to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats this organisation it has; Strengths Global reach to marketing. Since the web is an international platform Group Little’s marketing is not just limited to local media and advertising opportunities it spreads out to other regions. There is improved customer interaction. The customer and the enterprise meet in the comfort zone of the customer, therefore the customer can openly offer ideas, orders and even complaints all this will better Group Little’s service delivery. Weaknesses Security; customers are always concerned with the integrity of their payments, most shy away from revealing confidential bank information in the web, which costs Group Little significantly. The other weakness is the customer has no idea of the quality and physical condition of the gadgets; it is very common for discrepancies to exist between what sites advertise and the actual product. Opportunities New technologies surfacing could open up internet accessibility in Botswana which will be advantageous to Forejustin’s company since the critics’ argument pivots around this matter. Group Little also has prospects on cutting down local competition. As local competition has not adequately used the online trading space which can give Group Little an online competitive advantage if Forejustin Passman chooses to invest significantly to develop this area. Threats Fraud; given that there are some individuals that are out to deceive for financial gain are always Mr Passman’s concern, they may fake Group Little’s website and deceive the customers. Changes in law and regulation are always a threat. Regulatory authorities to protect customers from fraud they may place laws and regulations that will stifle Group Little’s competitiveness. 2. 3 Organisational culture This has been defined as, a system of shared actions, values and beliefs that develop within an organisation and guides the behaviour. This is as cited by Uhl-Bien et al. (2010). Forejustin Passman has directed Group Little culture, one of the shared values is the ‘no Sunday policy. ’ In this Forejustin has reflected his Christian beliefs and his philosophy of people before profit into the corporation’s culture. His belief in God prompts him to keep the Sabbath which to him is Sunday and his people before profits philosophy leads him to protect their wellbeing by giving them rest on Sunday. Any order placed on Sunday is attended on Monday by rejuvenated and more productive employees. This has its obvious disadvantages such as foregone sales but Mr Passman believes his policy is beneficial to all parties involved. When work is on between Monday to Saturday the team is relaxed and open, this as Forejustin says allows for conception of creative ideas. Any facet that stifles creativity is minimized be it the tangible such as tables or chairs or the intangible aspect like a mental attitude that stigmatizes mistakes. This culture solves two important issues external adaptation, which deals with reaching goals; how to reach those goals and if members have developed this freedom to make mistakes they can effectively guide their day-to-day activities. It also solves the issue of internal integration, members can easily merge and share ideas when mistakes are not stigmatized and this leads to greater productivity. . 4 Critical success factors of his business Branding Forejustin’s Group Little has to create a brand that appeals to the African technologically adept. Now as asserted by Perry (2009) a brand is more than just a corporate symbol it is an intangible asset that provokes emotional responses from individuals which presents a sustainable competitive advantage. This entrepreneur must position his company’s brand to be able to leverage from being one of Botswana’s few companies that are committed to successful internet trading. Little is known of Group Little but this is an incentive not a deterrent because the brand can be driven in any direction that Forejustin sees proper to execute his vision. Even though his company was registered with the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property in 2009, not long ago every product and or service he introduces must align to the strategy of the company; he has to monitor Group Little’s identity, as the perception portrayed to customers over these few years is the one that affords the company to leverage on the brand premium. Realising that the company’s brand was its critical success factor efforts to protect his brand symbol from infringement were undertook; he decided to copyright the brand symbol. Distribution Comprehending their need for effective systems, Group Little has rationalized their distribution systems to enhance performance of their products. As an attempt to enhance the logistics execution and capabilities Mr Passman decided to form a synergy with Botswana Couriers. This he decided to do in order to quicken delivery of the gadgets sold, in contrast to sending the orders via Botswana Post with their renowned incompetence he decided to solidify his distribution by having an exclusive agreement with Couriers. As Meyer (2010) asserts exclusive distributor agreements will constitute a major impediment to the distributors if the distributor wants to switch from the commitment. In this synergy Group Little is offered discounts because of the volume of gadgets it trades around the country and basic efficiency in the distribution of the products is greatly enhanced. Technology It seems obvious yet still noteworthy that Group Little has technology as their trading platform has to remain on vigilant and aware of new technology developments. Most gadgets they sell use mobile applications, applications are pieces of software that are designed to fulfil a particular purpose, for Group Little that purpose simply is to make easy access to its website’s content and increase sales, therefore Group Little is in the process of having their own application. The entrepreneur has looked at engaging a company named Bright labs which operates in Tlokweng for the development of Group Little’s very own mobile application this will enable those who have bought these gadgets to also download the application and then browse for more products from Mr Forejustin Passman’s Group Little. 2. 5 Conclusion Forejustin Passman’s Group Little’s performance has been average, but if he can put measures in place to direct its strategy the company will realise its potential to become a benchmark e-business in Botswana and even in Africa. He simply needs to re-assess who he is and what Group Little is, a point of focus (the target market to approach, how he is going to approach that market). In addition he is required to solidify his networks as this is one business competence he has ignored and it will ultimately cost him and his business from growing from being a small medium enterprise to being the envisioned benchmark multinational. Contextualisation of Group Little’s business model also can provide an impetus its success as well, Mr Passman shall consider adopting traditional transaction means in order not to inhibit his business from reaching every possible customer. Bibliography Books 1. Meyer, R, Wit, B, (2010), Strategy-process, content, context an international perspective, 4ed, Hampshire: Cengage learning EMEA 2. Perry, B, (2009), Enterprise operations, Oxford: Cima publishing 3. Uhl-Bien. M, Schermerhorn J. R. , Hunt . J G, Osborn R. N, (2010), Organisational behaviour, Hoboken: John Wiley amp; Sons 4. Kay. F, (2010), Successful networks, London: Kogan Page 5. Yves, L, Goz, G. H, (1998), Alliance Advantage-The art of creating value through partners, Boston: Harvard business School Press. 6. Sugars. B, (2012), Super Size your sales, the entrepreneur, August, p. 2 7. Bessant J, Tidd J,(2011), innovation and entrepreneurship, 2ed, Sussex: John Wiley and sons 8. Moon. R, Gee. S, (2012), Creating business opportunity, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan 9. Mullins L. J, (2010), management amp; organisational behaviour, 9ed, Essex: Prentice Hall Websites 10. Multiply (2012): Spontaneous idealist [online] Available from: http://mirau. multiply. com/jour nal/item/116/My-Personality-Type-Spontaneous ,[ accessed 14 December 2012] Appendix Personal reflection Studying real entrepreneurs and real companies always equips I as the student beyond lecture content. The study of this enterprise and Mr Forejustin Passman was a delight because I got to know interesting real aspects about business, I have learnt when in real business some academic theories will have to be set aside and suspended to deal with the challenges of real business. The more I researched I understood what differentiates successful entrepreneurs and unsuccessful entrepreneurs and that content I learnt were not part of the assignment requisite but I did learn This module lectures are also noteworthy, I figured this was a reiteration of Enterprise anagement I did in my second year, so lectures consisted of emphasis of year two material. Even though the material is more or less the same as of second year the assessment was interestingly structured, it was strategic rather than operational that seems like an obvious comment but this has really marked the difference in our approach. We were no longer just reporting facts, concepts and academic theories we had to apply and use our groomed understanding to critically analyse the business case.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Consequences of Nick Carraway as Narrator of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The

The Importance of Nick Carraway as Narrator of The Great Gatsby    In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald critiques the disillusionment of the American Dream by contrasting the corruption of those who adopt a superficial lifestyle with the honesty of Nick Carraway. As Carraway familiarizes himself with the lives of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Jay Gatsby, he realizes the false seductiveness of the New York lifestyle and regains respect for the Midwest he left behind. "Fitzgerald needs an objective narrator to convey and prove this criticism, and uses Carraway not only as the point of view character, but also as a counter example to the immorality and dishonesty Carraway finds in New York" (Bewley 31). Fitzgerald must construct this narrator as reliable. Due to the nature of the novel, the reader would not believe the story if it were told from the perspective of any other character. Fitzgerald cannot expect the reader to believe what the immoral and careless characters have to say, and he spends so much time establishing them as such. Thus, Car raway is deemed narrator and the reader trusts him. As the practical character in the novel, Carraway is not rash; he is not swayed by the greed and alcohol as some other members of East and West Egg society are. He proclaims, "I have been drunk just twice in my life" (Fitzgerald 33). Fitzgerald constructs Carraway as a follower, not a man of action. He observes Gatsby's parties, never fully experiencing them. He observes the moment before the kiss between the starlet and her director, although Fitzgerald never details the physicality of his relationship with Baker. He observes the affair between Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, but he never confronts Tom Buchanan, nor does he e... ...y to tell the story, but also to critique the mass disillusionment with the American Dream. Carraway's honesty makes him ideal to represent all that the Buchanans lack and legitimizes his admiration of Gatsby. No reader would consider the full impact of Fitzgerald's themes had less attention been given to the creation and execution of the character of Carraway. Works Cited and Consulted: Bewley, Marius. "Scott Fizgerald's Criticism of America." Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1983. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992. Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Extremes. New York: Pantheon, 1994. Raleigh, John Henry. "F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Trilling 99-103. Trilling, Lionel. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 13-20.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Sentrong Sigla

â€Å"All the evidence that we have, indicates that it is reasonable to assume in practically every human being, and with certainly in almost every newborn baby, that there is an active will toward health, an impulse toward growth, or towards the actualization. † -Abraham Maslow Introduction Department of Health or the Kagawaran ng Kalusugan is the principal health agency here in the Philippines. The department is responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services to all Filipinos through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of providers of health goods and services.DOH has three major roles in the health sector: (1) leadership in health, (2) enabler and capacity builder, and (3) administrator or specific services. The DOH’s vision is to be the leader of health for all in the Philippines, and its mission is to guarantee equitable, sustainable and quality health for all Filipinos, especially the poor, and to lead the quest for excellence i n health. While pursuing its vision, DOH adheres to the highest value of work such as: integrity, excellence, compassion and respect for human dignity, commitment, professionalism, teamwork and stewardship of the health of the people.Because of the department’s dedication in guaranteeing equitable, accessible, sustainable and quality health services for all Filipinos, especially the vulnerable group, the department has formulated different programs to ensure quality health services and one of them is the Sentrong Sigla Program. Sentrong Sigla The Department of Health’s (DOH) Quality in Health (QIH) Program seeks to institutionalize Continuous Quality Improvement or CQI in health care in order to create health impact in terms of health promotion and disease prevention control.Sentrong Sigla Certification has been identified as one of the components and strategies of this program. The quality standards cover total systems quality for outpatient care and public services g raduated into three levels. This quality standards list (QSL) covers the basic certification level or Level 1. The next higher levels of specialty award and award for excellence, Levels 2 and 3 respectively have their own standards lists. Aside from the QSL, other tools available for use of the health facility staff are the Supervisory Forms (SF) and the Facility Certification Form (FCF).The Birth of Sentrong Sigla Quality Assurance Program (QAP) Goal: To make DOH and LGUs active partners in providing quality health services. Key Strategies: 1. Certification / Recognition Program (CRP) 2. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) In 1999, QAP was renamed the Sentrong Sigla (â€Å"Center of Vitality†) Movement (SSM). Sentrong Sigla Movement Goal: Quality health – quality health care, services and facilities. Objectives: Better and more effective collaboration between DOH and LGUs.Where DOH: serves as a provider of technical and financial assistance package for health care. L GU: serves as prime developers of health systems and direct implementers of health programs. Specific Objectives: * Institutionalization of quality assurance * SS certification targeting 50 % of health facilities in 2003 and 60% in 2004. Pillars: * Quality assurance * Grants and technical assistance * Awards * Health promotions Phases: Phase| Period| Standards| I| 1998 – 2000| Input Quality | II| 2001 – 2004| Process Quality|III| 2005 – 2010| Outcome or Impact Quality| Guiding Principles for Sentrong Sigla Movement To ensure that Sentrong Sigla remains focused on its quality goals and objectives, the following guiding principles are hereby adopted: * Recognition for achieving good quality shall be the main incentive in SS certification. Advocacy and social mobilization activities should be used to enhance the value of prestige and recognition. Other incentives shall not be overemphasized and should only be secondary to recognition. * Quality improvement is an un ending process.SS certification should promote the continuing drive for ever – improving quality by providing multi – tiered and progressively higher quality standards. * SS certification shall focus on core public health programs that have been proven to be most cost – beneficial to the people such as child health, maternal care and family planning, prevention and control of infectious diseases and promotion of healthy lifestyle. Public health programs are best integrated, synergized and synchronized to achieve maximum health impact. Quality improvement is a partnership that empowers all stakeholders. In SS, communication between the DOH and the health facilities to be certified shall be open and shall be based on mutual trust and transparency. All quality standards and the methods by which these shall be assessed shall be openly shared and discussed to ensure clear understanding and strong commitment by all concerned. * In the same spirit, roles, responsibilit ies and contributions shall promote appropriate counterpart and reciprocity. To ensure even distribution of quality health services, DOH assistance shall be purposive, targeting to achieve quality improvement in health facilities that have been identified using carefully selected health priorities and health needs. These should include health facilities in far – flung and underserved areas, in congested urban centers or in marginalized communities. * To ensure objectivity and broad, varying perspectives, SS assessment shall involve partners in health from non – DOH units such as other government and non – government units agencies.They shall be encouraged to actively advocate for and give support to SS. Sentrong Sigla Certification Phase I Phase I of the certification component started in mid – 1999 and extended until 2002. Sentrong Sigla seals were given to health facilities that met at least 80% of the standards. By mid – 2002, 44% of health cent ers, 13 % of district and provincial hospitals, and 1 % of BHS have been certified Sentrong Sigla. Additional national awards were given to several health facilities, the prize for which included P 1 Million for health centers, P 3 Million for district hospitals and P 5 Million for provincial hospitals.More than 135 Million pesos have been awarded to these facilities. The Sentrong Sigla certification during the first phase was successful in terms of promoting interests and participation of local government units in raising the quality of health care in public health facilities and in generating additional support from local chief executives for health and channelling local resources to fund basic equipment, amenities and supplies of local health facilities.The strategy also confirmed that a mechanism that recognizes good quality health services is a powerful tool to maintain DOH leadership in health, with high potential for eventually creating health impact through more effective an d better quality public health programs. Valuable Lessons during Phase I * The realization of the need for total systems quality standards that combine simple yet basic input process and output standards. While the health facilities met input – only standards in Phase I, SSM itself had to be positioned as a total quality movement.Thus, consumers will equate SS with total quality. â€Å"Input only† certified health facilities would raise doubts on the SS seal as a certification of genuine total quality. Changing the standards over the years, as originally planned, was difficult to implement. Besides, The LGUs preferred a stable core of total system quality standards. * The importance of careful selection of incentives. While it is important that incentives be attractive, these should also be appropriate, sensible and sustainable.During SS Phase I, monetary rewards were too much focused. This generated unprecedented interest but distracted the LGUs away from the real qua lity objectives of SS. The quest for the million peso prize led them to skip the capability – building step which was really the most important step in the process. * The need for changing procedures to provide adequate time for crucial processes like the internalization of the quality standards by the Local Chief Executive and is local health staff, the provision of supportive technical assistance by the DOH and other quality improvement activities prior to formal assessment. There was also need to provide multiple, progressing quality standards to drive continuing quality improvement. Formulation of the Philippine Quality in Health Program and the Transition into SS Phase II In 2001, with the change of DOH administration, the effort to raise quality of health services was intensified, leading to the expansion of concern for quality beyond the DOH – LGU interaction level into the entire health sector.Other instruments and interventions that can drive quality higher, s uch as mandatory licensing and the accreditations and payment scheme of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) were included. Other efforts of professional societies were also acknowledged and incorporated, resulting in the more integrated Philippine Quality in Health Program AO No. 17 – B s. 2003, replacing the Sentrong Sigla Movement. The certification strategy of the â€Å"movement† – The Sentrong Sigla Certification – remained an important strategy in the accreditation approach of the broader Philippine QIH Program.To harness the full potential of the SS Certification in achieving its quality goals and objectives, basic modifications were adopted for SS Phase II (2003 – 2007) in terms of revised quality standards, procedures and incentives scheme. Goals: As one of the accreditation strategies in the QIH Program, Sentrong Sigla Certification has the same long term and intermediate goals as the Philippine QIH Program: Long – Te rm Goals:To institutionalize within the health sector the leadership processes, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and organizations that will generate Continuous Quality Improvement in health care thus creating health impact in terms of health promotion and disease prevention and control. This goal is a process and systems goal, fully recognizing that the quest for better quality health care and services is a continuing or unending process. This is also an expanded goal, aimed to cover the entire health sector, not only the public health or government sections of the sector. Intermediate (5 – year) Goal (2003 – 2007)To improve the quality of health care in outpatient health facilities, hospitals, and the public health services in the communities. In specific terms, this goal will be carried out by establishing specific quality criteria and by targeting (a) to raise the average quality of out – patient care, hospital care and community / public health care; and (b) t o reduce the variation around the average quality of care among these different categories of providers and services. Specific Goal: To improve the quality of outpatient health care (public and private) and of public health services in communities.For 2003 – 2007, SS will put emphasis on improving the quality of services in local government health facilities and of public health services in communities. Objectives for 2003 – 2007, Phase II Sentrong Sigla Certification has the following objectives for 2003 – 2007, Phase II: By 2007, 1. To establish an efficient systems of providing technical and other forms of assistance to outpatient health facilities, of assessing health services against established criteria, and of monitoring key indicators in the Ss certification process. 2.To progressively raise the average quality of public health services through recognition of successful attainment of quality standards: * At least 50% of health centers in the country succ essfully meet the revised SS Phase II Basic Certification (Level I) standards. * At least 20% of Level I certified health centers successfully meet SS Phase II Specialty Award (Level 2) standards for all four core public health programs (child care, maternal care / family planning, prevention and control of infectious diseases, and promotion of healthy lifestyle. 3. To raise public awareness of, public support and demand for, and client participation in SS certification of their health services and facilities. Overall Certification Process The quality standards cover total systems quality for outpatient care and public health services graduated according to the following levels: Level| Category| Description| Level 1| Basic Certification| Minimum input, process and output standards for integrated public health services for 4 core programs, facility systems, regulatory functions and basic curative services. Level 2| Specialty Award| Second level quality standards for selected public h ealth programs (includes other health programs in addition to Level 1 core programs) and facility systems. | Level 3| Award for Excellence| Highest level quality standards for maintaining Level 2 standards for the 4 core public health programs and Level 2 facility systems for at least 3 consecutive years. | All the local health centers and rural health units are qualified to apply for Level I certification. Only those that passed the Level I can go to Level 2; only those that passed the Level 2 can proceed to Level 3.The certification process starts with participatory self – assessment at the local health facility level assisted by the DOH Representative to the area. Then, for a period of about 3 – 6 months, depending on the deficiencies noted, the local health facility will have to improve its systems and services to meet the quality standards for the appropriate level. DOH Representatives and other regional technical staff shall assist the LGU in this transformation process, providing appropriate technical packages and other assistance as needed.Multi – sector Regional SS Assessment Teams that have been trained and certified as assessors shall conduct formal assessments using the appropriate Facility Certification Form. These teams will then recommend the certification of health facilities that successfully meet the standards criteria. Major Steps for SS Certification Step 1: Orientation and invitation. Step 2: Self – assessment by LGU. Step 3: Provision of technical assistance. Step 4: Formal assessment for Level 1, Basic Certification.Step 5: Maintenance of Level 1; working for Level 2 certification. Step 6: Formal assessment for Level 2 certification. Step 7: maintenance of Levels 1 and 2; working for Level 3 certification. Step 8: Formal assessment for Level 3 certification. Step 9: Maintenance of Level 1, 2, and 3 | The above strategy is designed to promote the continuing progression of health facilities towards higher qualit y levels. The pace of progress towards higher levels depends on the motivation of the health facilities.However, should health facilities not actively apply for certification into the next higher levels after 2 years, renewal of their SS certification status would be validated by Regional Assessors every 2 years. The following is the recognition scheme: Level| Recognition| Level 1Basic SS Certificate | SS seal, individual recognition| Level 2Specialty Award| Specialty banner, individual recognition, others| Level 3Award for Excellence| SS trophy, individual recognition, media exposure, others| Levels 1 and 2 recognition shall be conferred by the DOH through its CHDs.Recognition for Level 3 Award of Excellence shall be given at the national level. Matching grants shall be a mechanism to provide assistance to LGUs to achieve basic SS Certification and to continue to attain higher levels of quality. Region – specific procedures to assess needs and motivation shall guide prioriti zation of such grants. Facilities that did not progress into higher level certification after 2 years, but maintained their current certification status based on Regional validation, shall be given stickers confirming the renewal of the validity of their SS status.Validation shall be done every 2 years. There shall be no other incentives for mere renewal of SS status. Grants for technical assistance towards attaining higher level quality, however, may still be granted by the respective CHDs based on thorough assessment of the needs and the commitment of the health facility. The SS Certification Flow Chart Procedures 1. 0. Technical Assistance 2. 1. Self – assessment and planning This process is participatory involving all key staff of the health facility, other units of the local government and the local executive.The DOH Representative to the area is the primary technical assistant of the DOH. He / She shall ensure that the LGU has all the necessary documents and materials n eeded for the certification and that all key LGU staff understands the standards and processes involved. The DOH Rep shall either provide actual technical inputs or tap other regional resource person and technical services to assist his / her LGU. Based on the QSL, The LGU, assisted by their DOH Rep, shall conduct a system and services analysis and shall formulate a plan, synchronized with the DOH Rep‘s assistance plan, to achieve the standards in the QSL. . 2. Designing and providing technical package Based on the improvement plan, the DOH Rep shall provide the technical inputs and packages. 2. 3. Systems improvement Improving the quality of systems, such as logistics and information systems, are better facilitated through field exposure in facilities that demonstrate model systems or by bringing in resource persons knowledgeable in systems analysis and systems improvements. These special arrangements are possible through the DOH Rep and regional TA teams. 2. 0. Assessment 3. 4.Quality Standards for SS Phase II Level 1 (Basic Certification) The 78 SS Phase II Level 1 standards are organized into 4 sections: integrated public health programs, facility systems, regulatory functions, and basic curative services. Integrated Public Health Programs. Only four â€Å"core† public health programs are currently included in Level 1 Basic Certification in order to focus the services on the most crucial public health priorities in child health, maternal health and family planning, prevention and control of infectious diseases especially tuberculosis, and the promotion of healthy lifestyle.Integration is stressed to emphasize the need to combine similar and related interventions, such as child targeted programs like EPI, CDD – ARI, nutrition and others, infection prevention and control interventions, maternal care and family planning, and healthy lifestyle approaches. Integration is achieved by ensuring that facility – based services are reinforc ed by well – planned and well – coordinated, synergistic home – and community – based activities. The synthesized protocols emphasized â€Å"proven† interventions, excluding experimental interventions not yet proven to be cost – beneficial or effective such as the syndromic approach to STD.Note that for Level 1, the program selected is maternal care and family planning, not Women’s Health. This is because there are many developmental and experimental areas in the expanded field. Women’s Health and other programs not in Level 1 Basic Certification are to be included in Level 2 SS. Facility Systems. These standards include systems and services that cut across various programs and support all health facility services. These include planning and budgeting, human resources development, management and health information systems, logistics system, referral system and community systems.Regulatory Functions. Regulatory functions include two aspects: compliance of the health staff with health laws and the performance of the responsibilities of the local health staff in the enforcement of these health laws. Basic Curative Services. The standards refer to routine history – taking, physical and laboratory examination, and systematic assessment of these signs and symptoms. 3. 5. Quality Standards for Level 2 and 3 ideas and direction These standards are still being developed.The concept for Level 2 Specialty certification is to define program – centered higher level quality standards for selected programs. The programs include the four core public health services in Level 1 and other programs that include developmental components, for instance women’s health or reproductive health. Level 2 standards would also include higher quality systems standards. Level 3 standards would be very much like Level 2 standards with emphasis on maintenance of these high quality service levels. 3. 6. Tools for Measur ing SS Quality StandardsAs in any certification process, accurate measurement of the attainment of the quality standards is difficult. The methods of measurement used in SS include direct observation, records reviewand interview of health staff and clients. Of the total 78 standards in the QSL, 53 shall be measured using the Facility Certification Form (FCF). The rest are measured by suing the Supervisory Form, which in turn is also verified through the FCF. Facility Certification Form. The measurement methods include mostly simple direct observation, short review of records and short interviews with either staff or clients.Supervisory Form. These are taught to the health facility supervisors, mainly the nurses or physicians. The methods included in the SF are the lengthy and more highly technical observations of actual patient care, the more thorough review and analysis of records, and the more detailed interview of staff or clients. The records of the supervisory activities, in tu rn, are those assessed by the SS Assessor. 3. 7. Scoring The scoring system puts more weight on the integrated public health services and facility systems. The â€Å"must have† standards are those listed in the FCF. Nice to have† standards are either in the supervisory form or in the discretionary list for SS assessors. 3. 8. Training and certification of assessors To prevent bias and too wide variation of judgement between assessors, only duly trained assessors will be certified to conduct assessments. Assessor Field Supervisors recruit, train and recommend certification / renewal of certification of assessors in the field teams under them. Advocacy, IEC, and Social Mobilization The table below is the media communication plan for SS listing the basic messages and target groups.National advocacy activities will focus on wide tri – media popularization of the SS seal and its symbol. Regional advocacy will focus on raising the commitments of local executives to SS and the awareness and demand for quality services among the communities. Target Audience| Messages| Scope: Media| General public(including politicians) | What is SS? What is the SS seal? What are the SS standards? What facilities have to meet these standards? What are the general benefits of having SS certified health facilities?What can you do to demand for SS certification or help / support the program? | Nationwide: multi – media| Health staff(LGU, DOH, private health sector)| Reinforce the value of quality in health care. What are the updates on SS? (revisions, etc. )What are the specific benefits of being an SS certified facility? Using the revised SS certification processes, how can the health facility become SS? What are the specific and relevant guidelines for LGU action? | By region & LGU: sales conferences, symposia, meetings, handouts, manuals. | Monitoring, Research and EvaluationThe quality level of each health facility, including the deficiencies of those not ye t SS certified, are monitored to detect the increasing average quality level and the needs for assistance. Research is used to develop improved quality standards program components and training packages and top evaluate the SS achievements. Organization and Functions The National Sentrong Sigla Certification Committee (National SSC Committee) sewrves as the multi – sector body that oversees policy recommendations and coordinates the various activities of SS.This committee also assesses the performance of the various subcommittees and DOH units involved in the implementation of the strategy. The subcommittees of the National SSC Committee with their respective functions are as follows: * Sub – Committee on Standards and Procedures 1. Develops and recommends standards and procedures for Sentrong Sigla certification, as well as basic messages to various stakeholders, through multi – sector consultation and pilot – testing and taking into consideration other quality initiatives and accreditation programs of other agencies in the country. 2.Develops and disseminates guidelines on SS implementation to DOH staff at all levels. 3. Coordinates training of various stakeholders on standards, procedures and basic messages. 4. Performs other functions as relevant to the development and dissemination of standards and procedures in SS. * Sub – Committee on Technical Assistance and Monitoring Assists the DOH Regional Offices / CHDs in the following functions: 1. Dissemination of SS standards, procedures, guidelines, and basic messages to the other members of the health sector such as the local government units (LGUs) and private practitioners, among others. 2.Development of training assistance packages, systems and tools that will facilitate the attainment of SS standards. 3. Coordination of various sectors involved in the SS quality assessment of health facilities. 4. Development of monitoring tools and performance indicators and analysis o f the SS results of the database for all health care facilities (certified and not yet certified). 5. Monitoring of the achievement of identified SS program indicators of performance. 6. Identification and coordination of grants and projects that will facilitate the SS certification of target health facilities and systems in the country. . Other functions necessary to assist the LGUs and other members of the health sector in attaining SS quality standards. * Sub – Committee on Advocacy and Awards 1. Designs and recommends revised, graduated incentives scheme that puts emphasis on excellence rather than monetary incentives. 2. Identifies and mobilizes funds and partners in order to deliver these incentives. 3. Develops projects to facilitate SS certification of target health facilities and systems and performs the necessary processes to get these projects approved and implemented efficiently. 4.Advocates for multi – sector participation in the SS program based on the ba sic messages developed by the Standards and Procedures Sub – Committee with emphasis on the quality improvement benefits to different sectors involved. 5. Performs other functions necessary to make the SS incentives focused on the excellence and to sustain interest and participation in the certification strategy. Functions of the DOH Regional Offices / CHDs in SS Certification In addition to the technical assistance functions mentioned under the Sub – Committee on Technical Assistance and Monitoring, the DOH Regional Offices shall: 1.Organize Regional SS Assessment Teams and SS Technical Assistance Team. 2. Advocate for SS certification within their respective regions. 3. Identify and mobilize resources and partners to help enhance the attractiveness of the SS incentives scheme without putting too much emphasis on monetary or material rewards. 4. Develop regional projects that will promote and facilitate SS certification and active partnership. 5. Perform other functio ns as necessary to implement SS certification and quality improvement activities within the health sector.National Structure for Sentrong Sigla Certification Regional Structure for SS Certification Financing SS activities are funded from multiple sources. The BLHD provides funds for SS national operations, including national advocacy and the activities of the National SSC Committee. Regional Health Offices provide the funds for regional operations including regional advocacy, matching grants and other rewards such as the SS seals, certificates and trophies. BLHD may augment the funds of regions that seek financial assistance.BLHD, in coordination with DOH financing units, monitors selected financial indicators for SS certification such as funds allocated and disbursed at all levels, including counterpart funds from LGUs. Future Directions SS Certification is expected to further develop in many directions. The quality standards are expected to reflect higher levels of quality and oth er changes through the years. Assessors and TAs will have to be retained as these changes are incorporated. New programs and new or revised protocols may be added in the â€Å"core† list. Future standards may be developed to cover other units in the LGU and the community.Within 2007, initiatives shall include preparations for expansion of the coverage of SS certification into private outpatient health facilities and the development of Level 2 and 3 standards. In the future, it is also expected that the Licensing requirements would eventually absorb the â€Å"safety† standards currently in SS. PHIC – developed standards for hospital services are expected to become the SS standards for hospitals. Definition of Terms 1. Quality – degree of excellence or desirability of a product, usually measured in relation to conformity with given standard. 2. QualityControl (QC) – set of functions designed to insure quality in manufactured products by relying on pe riodic inspection of finished products, analysis of results of inspection to determine causes of defects and systematic removal of such causes. 3. Quality Assurance (QA) – set of functions designed to insure quality in manufactured products by preventive or pre – emptive removal of potential sources of defects through constant improvement of production technology, engineering design, materials, processes, equipment and workmanship. 4. Quality Management (QM) – the organization – wide pursuit of quality. . Quality Improvement (QI) – the broad all – encompassing generic term for processes involve in the continuing pursuit to improve quality. 6. Performance Improvement – a type of QI focused on the systematic and continuing improvement of organizational performance in order to achieve total quality. 7. Total Quality Management (TQM) – the pursuit of quality that involves not just the production organization but also its clients an d customers, suppliers and sub – contractors, competitors and oversight agencies in the market, and all other stakeholders in the community. 8.Total Quality – the ultimate goal in improvement which involves doing the right thing right the first time and all the time while meeting the needs of internal and external stakeholders and customers. 9. 1998 Quality Assurance Program – refers to DOH quality program formulated in 1998 that is focused on improving the DOH – LGU partnership to provide quality health services. The QAP started the certification and recognition strategy for improving health services in health centers, rural health units and baranggay health stations. The Sentrong Sigla Movement replaced the QAP. 10.Sentrong Sigla Movement – the term used in 1999 to refer to the 1998 QAP. The SSM is essentially the same as the 1998 QAP, with some minor revisions like the inclusion of local hospitals in the certification and the listing of 4 pillar s to support the process. This term was also used to refer to other quality – related concepts such as the quality improvement philosophy, the multi – sector nature of CQI, and the value changes in CQI. The Philippine QIH Program replaced the SSM. 11. QIH Program – refers to the Philippine Quality in Health Program, the current quality improvement program (AO 17 – B s. 003) that replaced the QAP and the SSM. The QIH has expanded the scope of the quality initiatives to involve the entire health sector, not only the DOH and the LGU services, and now includes the licensing and other efforts such as accreditation by PHIC or other professional societies in its strategies. 12. Sentrong Sigla Certification – refers to the strategy of assessing health facilities against established health services criteria and recognizing those that successfully meet the criteria. The certification process is expected to lead to changes in the health facility when they str ive to meet the criteria. 13.SS Quality Standards List (QSL) – the list of basic SS criteria to be met by health facilities. In SS Phase II, the QSL for Level 1 certification includes input, process and output criteria. 14. SS Facility Certification Form (FCF) – the form that is used in the formal assessment of health facilities. The FCF contains standards that will be measured by the SS Assessor and the method by which these will be measured. It also works as the scoring sheet. 15. Supervisory Form (SF) – the form used by the health facility supervisor (the nurse or the physician) in assessing the capability of his / her health staff, usually midwives.This contains the standards that are measured mostly through direct observation of provider – client interactions and in depth review and analysis of records. 16. Inputs – the resources needed to provide care or services such as staff, equipment and supplies. 17. Processes – a series of activi ties or tasks. 18. Outcomes – the result of the processes. Conclusion In 2001, according to the World Bank, â€Å"The quality of service varies between different types of health facilities with the facilities providing better quality of service to be more heavily utilized by the individuals from the higher income groups.Public health facilities such as the rural health units and barangay health stations are generally perceived to provide low quality health services. Few have emphasized the quality of services and most systematic efforts to improve based on findings about the delivery process have been limited to health facilities with adequate resources. † Everybody deserves to receive quality health care. Whether you came from the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich, there should be a same level of quality care. Sadly, here in the Philippines, the quality of health care services and management system has been widely deficient.With this in mind, quality impr ovement in health system needs to be organized systematically to bring about genuine health systems reform. We should change the general perception that the Philippines have fragmented planning, funding, and management of the quality initiatives. And in order to achieve this – thus achieving quality health care – there should be coordination and collaboration between the government, NGOs, and the community. And it shouldn’t stop there. In order to achieve excellence in health services, it should be remembered that the quest for quality health care is continuous.Honestly, I’m not really aware what Sentrong Sigla Movement is. I don’t know what it is for, how was it being implemented, etc. Because of the limited knowledge I have, and the lack of information and resources, I have decided to visit DOH and ask for information. I have learned that the Sentrong Sigla Movement has been stopped in the year 2007, and only reached the Level 2 where trainings h ave been conducted but there was no implementation. It is stopped because of the PHIC Bench Book, where it is just the same as the Sentrong Sigla Movement, because the DOH also included most of the inputs in the said proposal.Unfortunately, it is still not being implemented, thought it has been revised and just waiting for the sign and review of the Secretary of DOH. I guess, the lack of funds has a major impact why an important program such as Sentrong Sigla was being stopped. But I am sure that there will be always a quest for excellence in providing health care services. I wish that there will come a time that it will not matter if you’re in a public or private hospital for they are providing same quality care.Nevertheless, we should remember that the success of quality initiatives lies in producing change the way people and organization work rather than concentrating standards and measurement alone. Bibliography * Cuevas, F. P. , Reyala, J. , Borja, V. , Serafica, L. , Ma nlangit, C. , Mendoza, M. T. , Ramos, L. , Ruzol, C. , Soliman, R. , Aricheta, J. , Garfin, A. M. C. , Niola, R. , Bocobo, M. , Hipolito, H. (2007). Public Health Nursing in the Philippines 10th Edition. * http://www. doh. gov. ph/sentrong_sigla

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Human Body: Health & Disease †Pneumonia Essay

Pneumonia is a serious infection or inflammation of your lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has trouble reaching you blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your body cells can’t work properly. Because of this and spreading infection through the body pneumonia can cause death. Until 1936, pneumonia was the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Since then, the use of antibiotics brought it under control. In 1997, pneumonia and influenza combined ranked as the sixth leading cause of death. Pneumonia affects your lungs in two ways. Lobar pneumonia affects a section (lobe) of a lung. Bronchial pneumonia (or bronchopneumonia) affects patches throughout both lungs. Pneumonia is not a single disease. It can have over 30 different causes. There are five main causes of pneumonia: bacterial, viruses, mycoplasmas, other infectious agents, such as fungi – including pneumocystis and various chemicals. Bacterial pneumonia can attack anyone from infants through the very old. Alcoholics, the debilitated, post-operative patients, people with respiratory diseases or viral infections and people who have weakened immune systems are at greater risk. Pneumonia bacteria are present in some healthy throats. When body defenses are weakened in some way, by illness, old age, malnutrition, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacterial can multiply and cause serious damage. Usually, when a person’s resistance is lowered, bacteria work their way into the lungs and inflame the air sacs. The tissue part of a lobe of the lung, an entire lobe, or even most of the lung’s five lobes becomes completely filled with liquid (this is called â€Å"consolidation†). The infection quickly spreads through the bloodstream and the body is invaded. The streptococcus pneumonia is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. It is one form of pneumonia for which a vaccine is available. Symptoms of the onset bacterial pneumonia can vary from gradual to sudden. In the most severe cases, the patient may experience shaking chills, chattering teeth, severe chest pain, and a cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucus. A person’s temperature may rise as high as 105 degrees F. The patient sweats profusely, breathing and pulse rate increase rapidly. Lips and nail beds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patient’s mental state may be confused or delirious. Viral pneumonia which is half of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by a virus. More and more viruses are being identified as the cause of respiratory infection, and through most attack the upper respiratory tract, some produce pneumonia, especially in children. Most of these pneumonias are not serious and last a short time. Infection with the influenza virus may be severe and occasionally fatal. The virus invades the lungs and multiplies, but there are almost no physical signs of lung tissue becoming filled with fluid. It finds many of its victims among those who have pre-existing heart or lung disease or are pregnant. The initial symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as influenza symptoms such as fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is increasing breathlessness; the cough becomes worse and produces a small amount of mucus. There is a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips. In extreme cases, the patient has a desperate need for air and extreme breathlessness. Viral pneumonias may be complicated by an invasion of bacteria, with all the typical symptoms of bacterial pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia is caused of somewhat different symptoms and physical signs. Because the course of this illness differ from classical pneumococcal pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia was once believed to be caused by one or more undiscovered viruses and was called â€Å"primary atypical pneumonia.† Identified during World War II, mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living agents of disease in humankind, unclassified as to whether bacterial or viruses, but having characteristic of both. They generally caused a mild and widespread pneumonia. They affected all age groups, occurring most  frequently in older children and young adults. The death rate is low, even in untreated cases. The most prominent symptom of mycoplasma pneumonia is a cough that tends to come in violent attacks, but produces only sparse whitish mucus. Chills and fever are early symptoms, and some patients experience nausea or vomiting. Patients may even experience profound weakness which lasts for a long time. Other kinds of pneumonia are pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is caused by an organism believed to be a fungus. PCP is the first sign of illness in many persons with AIDS. PCP can be successfully treated in many cases. It may recur a few months later, but treatment can help to prevent or delay its recurrence. Other less common pneumonias may be quite serious and are occurring more often. Various special pneumonias are caused by the inhalation of food, liquid, gases or dust and by fungi. Foreign bodies or a bronchial obstruction such as a tumor may promote the occurrence of pneumonia, although they are not causes of pneumonia. Rickettsia (also considered an organism somewhere between viruses and bacteria) caused Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, typhus and psittacosis, diseases that may have mild or severe effects on the lungs. Tuberculosis pneumonia is a very serious lung infection and extremely dangerous unless treated early. Treating pneumonia if you develop pneumonia, your chances of a fast recovery are greatest under certain conditions: if you’re young, if your pneumonia is caught early, if your defenses against disease are working well, if the infection hasn’t spread, and if you’re not suffering from other illnesses. In the young and healthy, early treatment with antibiotics can cur bacterial pneumonia, speed recovery from mycoplasma pneumonia, and a certain percentage of rickettsia cases. There is not yet a general treatment for viral pneumonia, although antiviral drugs are used for certain kinds. Most people can be treated at home. The drugs used to fight pneumonia are determined by the germ causing the pneumonia and the judgment of the doctor. After a patient’s temperature returns to normal, medication must be  continued according to the doctor’s instructions, otherwise the pneumonia may recur. Relapses can be far more serious than the first attack. Besides antibiotics, patients are given supportive treatment such as: proper diet and oxygen to increase oxygen in the blood when needed. In some patients, medication to ease chest pain and to provide relief from violent cough may be necessary. The vigorous young person may lead a normal life within a week of recovery from pneumonia. For the middle-aged, however, weeks may elapse before they regain their accustomed strength, vigor, and feeling of well-being. A person recovering from mycoplasma pneumonia may be weak for an extended period of time. In general, a person should not be discouraged from returning to work or carrying out usual activities but must be warned to expect some difficulties. Adequate rest is important to maintain progress toward a full recovery and to avoid relapse. Remember, don’t rush recovery! Preventing pneumonia is possible, because pneumonia is a common complication of influenza (flu), getting a flu shot every fall is good pneumonia prevention. Vaccine is also available to help fight pneumococcal pneumonia, one type of bacterial pneumonia. Your doctor can help you decide if you, or a member of your family, needs the vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia. It is usually given only to people at high risk of getting this disease and its life-threatening complications. The greatest risk of pneumococcal pneumonia is usually among people who have chronic illnesses such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disorders, sickle cell anemia, or diabetes. Are recovering from severe illness, are in nursing homes or other chronic care facilities, and are age 65 or older. If you are at risk, ask your doctor for the vaccine. The vaccine is generally given only once. Ask your doctor about any revaccination recommendations. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or children under age two. Since pneumonia often follows ordinary respiratory infections, the most important preventive measure is to be alert to any symptoms of respiratory trouble that linger on more than a few days. Good health habits, proper diet and hygiene, rest, regular exercise, etc., increase resistance to all respiratory illnesses. They also help promote fast recovery when illness does occur. In my conclusion, if you think you have symptoms of pneumonia, call your doctor immediately. Even with the many effective antibiotics, early diagnosis and treatment are important. Follow your doctor’s advice. In serious cases, your doctor may advise a hospital stay. Or recovery at home may be possible. Continue to take the medicine your doctor prescribes until told you may stop. This will help prevent recurrence of pneumonia and relapse. Don’t wait, get treatment early!!! Support organizations to get help is: American Lung Association; contact number 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) to speak with a lung professional or email address: info@lung.org The American Lung Association provides programs of education, community service, and advocacy. Some of the topics available include asthma, tobacco control, emphysema, infectious disease, asbestos, carbon monoxide, radon, and ozone. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); contact number 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636); email address: cdcinfo@cdc.gov or web address: www.cdc.gov. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC works with state and local health officials and the public to achieve better health for all people. The CDC creates the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – by promoting health, preventing disease, injury and disability, and being prepared for new health threats. Works Cited Web MD – Better Information. Better Health. Pneumonia. 6 March 2013. Web. 5 June 2014. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Mayo Clinic Staff. Pneumonia. 21 May 2013. Web. 5 June 2014. Healthline Networks. Health Reference Library. Pneumonia written by Bree Normandin. 7 August 2012. Web. 5 June 2014

Friday, November 8, 2019

zora neal hurston essays

zora neal hurston essays In her 1928 essay, How It Feels to be Colored Me, Zora Neale Hurston meticulously understates the hardships of being black. Among many occupations held by Hurston, she was that of an anthropologist who studied the origin, behavior, social, and cultural development of humans. Hurston was not justifying the stereotypes of being Colored. Throughout How It Feels to be Colored Me she provides opportunities to use being Black as a method of empowerment as opposed to an aspect of tragedy. Hurston illustrates how she used whites for entertainment just as they did her; she points out the power and beauty of womanhood outside of race, and later states the controversial theory that slavery was the price paid for civilization. During a time when Blacks would hardly approach white people, Hurston found it most amusing to not only entertain them but to be a recipient as well. Hurston was immerged in a Negro community so white tourists were quickly noticed when traveling. Rather than cautiously watching them from a distance, as the majority did, Hurston delighted herself in being the head of the welcoming committee. She would wave, salute, sing and dance around on her front porch, which she refers to as her gallery seat, until she engaged the tourist in play. She found them intriguing, and her performances intrigued them. They were intrigued in several ways to the less than thirteen year old. These white tourists enjoyed, even rewarded Hurston for her joyful tendencies. While the Negro community condemned her for her outgoing antics, white tourists would give her silver for her performance. The white tourists may have used Hurston for their entertainment. To watch a young, vibrant, outgoing Black c hild prance around, singing, dancing, and surveying them could tend to be amusing. In retrospect, Hurston must have felt quite excited holding the center of the national stage, with s...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Historical character Essay Example

Historical character Essay Example Historical character Essay Historical character Essay Arthur Miller was a playwright who dealt with many issues and themes. His play The Crucible involves a comparison with McCarthyism in the form of the Salem Witch Trials. McCarthyism came about when a politician named Joseph McCarthy tried to cover up his views of an anticommunist policy by using scapegoats. In this play, a girl named Abigail accused almost the whole town of witchcraft. This happened because in her own cunning way she turned the accusation against her, which was created when some girls in the town become ill while conjuring spirits, and used a scapegoat to avoid being hanged. Abigail was the leading figure in both Millers play and real life. Her role in the community was the niece of the village reverend. She appears to be deep and dark minded but intelligent girl who with her age has the power of innocence. Abigail is the leader of this movement as the public hung on to her every word and believed everything she and the rest of the girls say. She knows that she has power and is not afraid of using it to satisfy her needs. The rest of the towns-people see her as a saviour coming from the Devil to rid the world of the witches. The girls and Abigail, however, know that it is just a trick to avoid punishment. As Abigail was the ringleader of the group, she is the first one to use a scapegoat in the form of Tituba. We first see this when Abigail is blamed for the dancing yet quickly turns the blame to Tituba, another servant. When Tituba enters the room Abigail is quick to notice that she could use her as a scapegoat. The fact that Tituba is a black slave from Barbados makes her an easy target, as the people in the room at the time will not believe her innocence over Abigails. This is because they were a racist society. For this, she was easily believed to be under the power of the devil. The reasons for starting all this was cold hearted revenge. The purpose for this might have came from her earlier childhood. She says I will come to you in the black of some terrible night And you know I can do it: I saw Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night. Her violent and traumatising past may contribute to her actions that took place and her attitude towards using life to get her way.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Sovereign Funds Investment in Qatar and Dubai Term Paper

Sovereign Funds Investment in Qatar and Dubai - Term Paper Example Due to SWFs importance gained in the recent times many researches are being conducted in order to deal with the concerns and problems identified in its current position and in the expected growth that is to occur in future. Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and Investment: Sovereign funds investment is a government owned and controlled investment fund. Such an investment fund is called Sovereign Wealth fund (SWFs). There is no one accepted definition of SWFs; however these funds are usually funded by fiscal (government) surpluses or foreign exchange reserves. The sources of foreign exchange reserves could be profit and surpluses from exports of commodities and other means like investment in international markets. Government is involved in various revenues generation activities, the revenue obtained can be invested within the country or sometimes it is invested in foreign countries. The investment of these funds is put up in foreign financial assets like stocks and bonds of different inte rnational companies. (Truman, Edwin.M. 2010) Establishment of Sovereign Wealth Funds in Qatar and Dubai: About 60% of the SWFs were formed after 2004 when the oil and gas sector faced a sudden boom and the countries involved in exports of these commodities piled up large reserves of foreign exchange. ... Qatar’s SWF is known as ‘Qatar Investment Authority’, established in 2005; while Dubai’s SWF is called â€Å"Investment Corporation of Dubai†, established in 2006. The total funds of Qatar Investment Authority and Investment Corporation of Dubai are 70 and 82 billion dollars respectively in 2009-2010. (Truman, Edwin.M. 2010) Structure of Sovereign Wealth Funds in Qatar and Dubai: The Persian Gulf countries dominate global SWFs. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar combined accounts for more than half of the world’s assets. Researches show that regardless of countries have a current account deficit or surplus, SWFs are generally associated with countries involved in exports of oil, gas and natural resources and have piled up large foreign exchanges due to these exports. Qatar and Dubai invest most of its foreign exchange reserves directly in SWFs international assets and therefore do not have large reported foreign exchange reserves. These coun tries buy dollars and invest in SWFs internationally rather letting their exchange rate appreciates. Oil sales being dollar- denominated has made it easier for the gulf countries. This leads to drop in the value of dollar due to excessive dollars in the market which results in preserving the value of SWFs when expressed in local currency terms. In 2008 UAE reported US$ 751 billion in its SWF international assets and only US$ 32 billion as foreign exchange reserve while Qatar showed US$ 70 billion in its SWF international assets and only US$ 10 billion as foreign exchange reserve which showed their positions relatively low on foreign exchange to GDP ratio in comparison with countries which reports large amount of

Friday, November 1, 2019

Radioisotopes in Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Radioisotopes in Medicine - Essay Example There are neutrons found in the nucleus. These are the neutrons which give an element a radioactive status. Unlike the protons, these neutrons are found in the different number of different at atoms of the same element and based on this difference in the number of neutrons the isotope status is acquired by an element. The sum of protons and neutrons in an atom is called its atomic mass. So atomic number of all atoms of an element is the same but atomic mass could be different (Medical isotopes). There are some elements which decay and are converted to isotopes that posses the properties of unstable isotopes; examples are uranium and thorium. The same isotopes can be generated artificially when it does not exist naturally in some elements. This is achieved by a combination of protons and neutrons. These radioisotopes can be obtained through a variety of ways but the most frequent way of producing radioisotopes is by neutron activation in a nuclear reactor. There are two major outcomes which give radioisotope status to an element, either by gaining a neutron and making an atom neutron rich or by gaining a proton and resulting in proton rich atom. The unstable state of a radioisotope is converted to stable one by the emission of alpha or beta particle with some energy release in the form of gamma rays. In fact, this is radioactive decay of that atom. In medicine, these radioactive products are termed as radiopharmaceuticals (Medical isotopes).   Around the first decade of the last century there had been some initial, discussions on the issues of radioactivity and radioisotopes like thorium and ionium. Most of the radioisotopes which are in more frequent use today were discovered during the third decade of the last century. Radioactive isotopes like, iodine-131, cobalt-60, technetium-99m and others were discovered during a short period of three years (1938-1941) (Radioisotopes for diagnosis and treatment).   Till mid-seventies of the last century there was not much development in the field when some newly discovered radioisotopes along with technetium-99m revolutionized the field of nuclear medicine when technetium-generator made it practical to convert inactive pharmaceuticals to be labelled on the hospital premises (Radioisotopes in medicin). In 1980s, gamma cameras performance was improved through computer integration which helped in enhancing the processes and eventually the quantification of the radioactivity emitted. (Radioisotopes in medicin). Around the last decade of the last century the image quality as well as details were made improved with the help of single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) systems. Radioisotopes utilization in Medicine   Radioisotopes have been utilized in medicine very extensively for preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic purposes.