Mhp Nursing Shared Governance Essay

What is Shared Decision Making †¢ Point of Service Decision Making – where staff who perform the work participate in decision making affecting their environment †¢ A 30 year old decision making model meant to give equal voice to nurses †¢ A decentralized style of management that creates an environment of empowerment Shared Decision Making A Journey Not a Destination We TO They Why Shared Decision Making †¢ Essential to achieving the best patient outcomes by giving nurses control of their practice – they know best! †¢ Recognizes the power already present in a role and allows that power to be expressed legitimately †¢ Builds autonomy into the profession Shared Decision Making – The Process A dynamic process that is centered on 4 critical principles of fully empowered organizations: Partnership Accountability Equity Ownership Operational Definitions †¢ Partnership – nursing staff and leadership work together at the unit and system level to move practice forward and achieve the best outcomes †¢ Accountability – staff and managers share ownership for the outcomes of our work and are answerable to our colleagues, the institution and the community we serve Operational Definitions †¢ Equity – Integrating roles to achieve outcomes; everyone contributes within the scope of their role as part of the team †¢ Ownership – Everyone must realize that success is linked to how well they do their jobs Shared Decision Making Our Model Professional Advancement Council Administrative Council Safety First C rd oo ina tin g Quality & Safety Council Cou ncil Unit Patient Research & Evidence Based Nursing Practice Council Great Place to Work Professional Nurse Council Family Community Clinical Excellence Councils Coo Education Council rdin atin g Cou ncil Think of yourself as a Patient APN Council Research Council Financial Strength CCHS Shared Decision Making Councils †¢ Quality & Safety Council †¢ Research & Evidence Based Nursing Practice Council †¢ Education Council †¢ Professional Nurse Council †¢ Coordinating Council Education Council ï‚ § Collaborates with unit and system councils to identify educational needs, develop educational priorities with appropriate time lines and determine resources for all education impacting the Department of Patient Care Services ï‚ § Disseminates approved educational strategies to unit leaders and support staff ï‚ § Develops and maintains a communication network between unit and systems councils Research & Evidence Based Nursing Practice Council ï‚ § Promotes the spirit of inquiry in clinical nursing practice ï‚ § Evaluates the literature in order to use best practices to transform clinical practice at the point-of-care Quality & Safety Council ï‚ § Provides planned, systematic and collaborative approaches to oversee and direct quality and safety relating to the nursing process, functions and services provided. ï‚ § The council’s scope includes performance improvement and safety measures throughout the Department of Patient Care Services Professional Nurse Council ï‚ § Works to enhance the professional image of nursing within CCHS and the community ï‚ § Supports the spirit of the professional advancement program ï‚ § Identifies and supports implementation of recruitment and retention strategies Coordinating Council ï‚ § Provides overall coordination of the systems councils. ï‚ § Reviews the system strategic plan and adopts the plan for the Department of Patient Care Services and the nursing Shared Decision Making structure. ï‚ § Serves as the portal for other departments or disciplines requiring assistance with the Shared Decision Making structure of nursing. Problem Solving The Old Way †¢ Problem identified by staff and communicated to manager †¢ Manager may or may not have asked for feedback about solutions †¢ Manager made final decision or had final authority for approving a solution Problem Solving The New Way †¢ Staff identify issues and communicate them to the unit council †¢ Unit council formulates a response and communicates this to staff †¢ Staff provide feedback via the comment form. How Does The New Way Work †¢ Unit Council: ï‚ § Collects Data ï‚ § Develops a proposed plan using evidenced based practice ï‚ § Develops a time line ï‚ § Presents Plan for Feedback (Open Comment) ï‚ § Revises Plan Based Upon Feedback ï‚ § Forewards plan to system council, as needed How Does The New Way Work †¢ Unit Council: ï‚ § ï‚ § ï‚ § ï‚ § Implements Plan Evaluates Outcome Report Results to Unit Staff Seeks staff feedback, formally and informally on council’s performance How Does It Work – Problem Solving Methodology †¢ Identify an Issue or a Problem †¢ Gather Data †¢ Design a Solution †¢ Obtain Feedback †¢ Finalize a Proposal †¢ Implement †¢ Evaluate †¢ Report Increased Incidence of Pressure Sores Problem Unit Problem: Unit Council Problem Solving Model Results: Positive Outcomes System Level Practice Research Problem Coordinating Operations Education Problem Solving Model Results: Positive Outcomes Nurse Manager’s Role †¢ Create a climate that is actively supportive and not just tolerant of shared decision making †¢ Facilitate a leaning environment for staff growth and comfort with shared decision making †¢ Support â€Å"release time† for staff to participate in shared decision making activities Nurse Manager’s Role †¢ Share with staff your knowledge of leadership and help staff to minimize implementation barriers †¢ Commit to the â€Å"New Way† Role of Unit Based Council Chair †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Set meetings Develop the agenda Move council to consensus Ensure members participate (per charter) Facilitate group assignments Ensure consensus for decision making Call emergency meetings, as needed Mentor Chair-elect Benefits of Shared Decision Making †¢ Increased Staff Nurse Satisfaction (increased autonomy, increased control over practice, improved communication between nurses, physicians and administration) †¢ Improved Nursing Retention ($90,000 to replace an RN – 2006 Advisory Board) †¢ Improved Patient Safety Outcomes Benefits of Shared Decision Making †¢ Improved collaboration and team Building †¢ Improved quality of care and clinical effectiveness †¢ Increased staff confidence, personal and professional growth †¢ Development of new knowledge and skills †¢ Increased professionalism and accountability Requirements for success†¦. †¢ Place the Patient First and focus on providing the best care possible †¢ Trust and respect is essential †¢ Communicate openly and honestly †¢ Embrace change and strive for improvement †¢ Staff and managers hold each other accountable. †¢ Organizational support of accountability in the performance appraisal process Final Thought Shared decision making is a journey, not an event. It is not achieved overnight, and there is no conclusion – no point when it is fully in place. It only provides a foundation for further growth. Tim Porter-O’Grady

Isolated figures denied Essay

‘Isolated figures denied the fulfilment they crave by forces that appears to conspire against them’. To what extent is this true of the characters’ lives from your understanding of The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion? This short story is based on two love triangles, at the apex of both being Phyllis, a secluded young woman who lives alone with her father, a failed doctor in an isolated farmhouse outside Weymouth. It is described as an â€Å"obscure island nook† which encapsulates the fact that there was no fresh work for the failed doctor, Phyllis’ father. One day Richard Gould, a failed businessman, turns up at her door and after a short courtship asks for her hand in marriage. The father immediately accepts this offer as he gets the impression that Gould is of higher social status than him and as the sole benefactor he would profit from their marriage. However, his intentions were well made and although convenient, Gould’s act had forced her father into a mistaken calculation. In his pursuit of illusions, he misses several points, such as the fact he had made her father’s acquaintance before he made hers, giving the impression that he was looking in desperation for a bride. Despite of first impressions, Gould is, in fact, â€Å"poor as a crow† but he gives an impression of having class status. The marriage arrangements were not based on love but were simply a convenience, which results in it being for material security rather than a romantic affair. Gould is then forced to leave to for Bath, an excuse about his father covering up his â€Å"pecuniary condition† leaving Phyllis bemused. The date of his return passed and winter arrived. This change of season is a metaphor, which represents the colour of Phyllis’ mood, described now as â€Å"lonely in the extreme† as she had no knowledge of why her husband to be had delayed his return. The change back to spring represents a change in Phyllis’ fortunes. Although Gould had kept in contact with her through â€Å"regular yet formal† letters, there was still an uncertainty in her condition. Phyllis’ loyalty however did not waver, which is meant to represent the passivity of women at that time in a male-dominated society. At this change, however, a new influence invades her life, which â€Å"charged all youthful thought with emotional interest†. This is the presence of the York Hussars, a military regiment taken from Germany to serve in Britain. They were renowned for their â€Å"foreign air and mustachios which drew crowds of spectators wherever they travelled† which shows Hardy’s evident eye for detail that appears time again throughout the story. Phyllis was sitting on top of a wall at the base of her garden, apparently a favourite spot for her from childhood, when she sees an alien figure walk up the path. One of the soldiers from the Hussars camped nearby was walking up the path, with the manner of â€Å"someone who wishes to escape company†. He is in contrast to the splendid men who usually are the visual front to the Hussars and it seems as though this soldier wished to escape the rigours of military life. The soldier notices Phyllis on the wall, who was dressed in â€Å"white raiment† typically the colour of innocence and inexperience. She is captivated by him and falls in love at first sight. After a few days of this they start talking. She finds out his name is Matthaus Tina and how he was forcibly removed from his home to join the army and had quickly reached the rank of corporal. He was well educated and had soon proved himself in the strongly class-based society of the army. These â€Å"interviews† occurred on a daily basis; soon the conversation spread to his life at home and his longing for his mother. Hardy introduces a scholarly influence by comparing her pity of him to that of Desdemona, a character from Othello, a tragedy by Shakespeare. This is an apt comparison, as the piece itself will eventually turn into a tragedy full of mistaken judgements, well-intentioned actions and undeserved misfortune. The wall is a metaphor for the boundary between them; it is described as being in disrepair, which indicates the unstable base for their romance and the lack of unity. All through the story this wall remains between them until finally when Phyllis attempts to break free. She learns that although the regiment appears happy in fact it was â€Å"pervaded by a dreadful melancholy† powered by a longing for the return for their home showing a background of natural prejudice. This need was driven for a hatred of their English officers and English attitude in general. Matthaus is said to suffer one of the worst from this â€Å"home-woe† and Phyllis pities him but still declined any form of physical contact or even permit him to cross the boundary line of the wall. Coincidentally news reached Phyllis of Gould through the village of how he only had a half-understanding of their current arrangements and that it was still not finalised. Now as this was still a rumour, it would be indecent of Dr. Grove to approach Gould but it overshadowed all previous thoughts of marriage. This rumour was also backed up with the fact that Gould’s letters had become more infrequent. Phyllis’ â€Å"heart sank within her† as she recognised the fact that her engagement had come to nothing. Despite of this father had noticed her attachment to Matthaus, he warned her not to go outside the boundary in her purpose of pursuing him, effectively making her a prisoner of her own home. However, she had no intention of leaving the garden however and the meetings continued as before. Then one evening an unforeseen accident destroyed her plans said to be decided by â€Å"fate†. She had been delayed by chance and Matthaus waited at the gate for her. The time he was due back in camp came and went but still he stayed. When she finally met him he was extremely late and on his return she heard that he had been stripped of his rank. The tragic consequence of this was that the chances of her father letting her marry him if Gould did not materialise had been slim but now they were practically nil. It was at this point that she makes one of the greatest decisions of her life. Matthaus had suggested that he was planning an escape from the army with several close companions and return to Germany and his mother. At first she seems amazed but then uncertainty steps in â€Å"I fear I am ruining you and your prospects†. However eventually she was persuaded but questions their route to freedom and how they propose to achieve it. Their scheme included stealing a boat and crossing across the channel to France. Here they would hike to Germany using their army wages to buy food and shelter. He asks to meet her just off the highway (symbolic of a turning point in her life) from where they should flee. He tells her that a friend of his, Christoph would also join them along with two others not named but who detested British authority. Coincidentally when she returned home, however, she found out that her father had spotted her with Matthaus. A confrontation occurred but her father had already decided she should go to her aunt’s to resist the temptation. He had still not given up faith on Gould, as he believed it was in best interest for her to marry him showing a paternal domination of his family. Her heart died within her as she heard this news and the house became like â€Å"a prison to Phyllis†, so she let her mind fly to the prospects of Matthaus’ scheme. Her confidence in Matthaus was fulfilled. On her return, she arranged to meet him at a junction off the main road the following week and when the time arose she waited just off the road hidden in a position where she could see any passers-by. The symbolic junction of the main road represents another turning point in Phyllis’ life where she has an option of which path to choose. She then hears a carriage come down the hill and stop nearby and as fate would have it Humphrey Gould, long awaited, stepped out. The carriage came down the hill as though Gould was lowering himself to Phyllis, in terms of class status. He talked to the driver about a present he had bought for Phyllis and he admits to treating her â€Å"rather badly†. In a rush of indecisiveness, Phyllis tries to make up her mind; should she be loyal to her father and Gould and return home or follow her instincts and leave to a new life. This again represents Phyllis’ lack of decisive action and passivity of women at that time and this concept is repeated several times throughout the story. At this point Matthaus climbs over the gate behind her and â€Å"presses her to his breast†. This is the first time that the metaphorical boundary of the wall has not divided them in their relationship. Phyllis left with them and after a long night of travelling to the coast they meet with the friend, Christoph, just before sunrise. At this point Phyllis makes her final decision and they separate for the last time on a hill overlooking the sea, dooming their relationship itself a metaphor as the sea represents freedom and this is simply describing how close she has come yet as it is dark she is still blind to it, her future an uncertainty. After she returns to her house, she finds Gould with an expensive gift – a looking glass which â€Å"won Phyllis’ admiration† and until that point she had regretted leaving Matthaus. However, things were to take a turn for the worse tragically after Matthaus had left. She finds out that whilst he had been away he had met a new lady, who would be a much better choice as she came from the same upper class background as Gould yet another example of class distinction which was obviously very powerful at that time. This shows how the value of money dictates Gould’s priorities. It is an irony that she finds this out on that day, as she would then not have hesitated to run away with Matthaus. Phyllis was shocked at this because she viewed Gould as a person who would confide every last detail of truth with her judging by the information in his letters. She retreated to the only place where she could be alone – the old wall-where she dreams about what her life could have been like had she taken the other route. One morning those dreams are brought to an abrupt halt. On a morning described as being â€Å"broke in fog and mist† behind which the faint outlines of tents and the camp were visible from the wall and this is against the permanence and regularity of the natural landscape. The mood is also set in an almost slow-time as Hardy describes in minute detail the landscape, such as â€Å"every blade of grass was weighted with little golden globes†, an image captivating the idealistic morning. As she watched in â€Å"melancholy regard† she sees a procession led by an English colonel, who represents the cultural background of Anglo – German hostilities. Two prisoners are led in front of a firing squad, clearly Matthaus and Christoph. After a prayer, they were executed in front of the entire regiment and their bodies ordered to be turned out of their coffins as an example to the men by the English Colonel, resented by the men. Tragically it turned out that they had stolen the boat as planned, and at first sight of land thought it was France and went ashore. It turned out it was Guernsey and the men were arrested and sent back to England so it was ironic that this mission that this mission seemed doomed to failure. It was simply undeserved misfortune they had arrived in the wrong place and a fault in navigation. On arrest, they had sacrificed themselves for the two other comrades by claiming to be ringleaders. Whilst the others had received a flogging, the punishment for desertion was death and so this order was carried out. As a consequence Phyllis symbolically died of a broken heart and was buried near where the two men lie. The idea of the love triangles that was stated at the start of this essay are the heart of the story. At the centre of both is Phyllis but on one is Gould and Dr. Grove her father. On the second is Matthaus and his mother, who Phyllis longs to be with. This story is an example of the number of external factors that can shape peoples destinies in life. It shows how chance events, such as Phyllis sitting on the wall at the time of Matthaus’ arrival along with tragic circumstances that arise, can affect the course of change. The idea is that we are powerless to control our destiny, and seeming coincidences may appear to be pre-ordained but fate is out of our control.

Diverse Practices in Business Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diverse Practices in Business Culture - Essay Example The criterion to use diverse practices is successful only when a firm is able to ascertain in what context they would be beneficial for them. The cross-cultural training has been given to students so they can understand the differences among cultures and hence, can adapt global business practices acceptable for all. Hofstede’s framework of cultural dimensions in a workplace has been considered an adequate system to ascertain, what kind of diverse practices would work in a specific region and how can a foreign company can sustain in a different culture without conflicting with their diverse cultural values. Hence, modernization and convergence have already affected the diversity of different cultures, with the domination of western capitalists the culture at the workplace is considered as a universal culture. Nevertheless, one needs to learn in what amount diversity would be acceptable in conflict with the national culture. Since national culture directly influences job performance, therefore, its effects can increase and decrease according to the nature of the job. Consequently, cultural norms if taken into consideration while formulating workplace norms results in fruitful outcomes. Afterwards, diversity does not become a cause of emotional turmoil instead it becomes acceptable even in diverse cultures without resistance.

Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Coursework Example The histogram has got two peaks; therefore we can conclude it is bimodal. The data is not normally distributed, judging from the fact that the histogram is not bell shaped. If we disregard one of the peaks, say the one to the left since it does not have a lot of points around it, then the data would be extremely skewed to the left. From this histogram, we can observe that the mean lies between the two peaks, while the median lies much to the left. However, there appears to be no outliers in the data as none appear clearly on the histogram. The histogram is approximately bell shaped, which point to the fact that the data is approximately normally distributed. The existence of one peak shows that the data is uni-modal, while the median and mean lie around the peak. To the right of the histogram there appears several outliers (values largely spaced from the rest). For this data, the mean does not properly explain the histogram because of the bimodality feature of the data portrayed by the histogram. The standard deviation is fairly large, and equally fairly explains the great spread of values in the histogram. For this data, the mean lies around the peak of the histogram, and this is clearly around 20. The standard deviation is also small compared to the mean, and from the fact that the data are normally distributed , and most values close to the mean and the median, the low standard deviation is

Economics of Construction is the class... i need a 3 page paper on Essay

Economics of Construction is the class... i need a 3 page paper on Describe the federal reserve system and the various ways it effects the market economy - Essay Example The V and Q are fixed so that any change in M causes a proportionate change in P. To control P, it is therefore necessary that M be brought under control. Any policy with respect to this is known as monetary policy. Amongst various instruments available with central bank are interest rates, reserve requirements, interventions in the credit market and so on. These instruments are used to influence the demand for liquidity and, thus, M could be controlled. In fact, Federal Reserve uses several policy instruments to reduce the adverse effects of fluctuations in income. An important instrument used to influence money supply is interest rate, which is signaled by Federal Rate. In the transaction motive for money, there is an inverse relationship between opportunity cost of money that is interest rate and demand for liquidity. As such, if Federal targets inflation, it would have to increase interest rate so that liquidity is removed from the system. Any increase in interest rate would induce people to part away liquidity and thereby bring about stability in the price level. Second mechanism operates through credit market. It is assumed that borrowing from credit market finances entire investment spending. Credit expansion is an important mechanism for money creation; thus, if credit expansion is controlled, money supply can be controlled and so price could be controlled. Federal could use interest rate directly to influence credit creation. A necessary and sufficient condition for investment to take place is that marginal efficiency of capital, measured by rate of return, should be at least or equal to cost of capital, given by interest rate. With every increase in Federal rate, the Federal Reserve indirectly increases cost of capital such that the basic condition for investment spending gets violated. This reduces incentives for private investment resulting is lack demand for credit. Similarly, if the economy has slowed down, they could reduce

Sleepy Inn Mote Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sleepy Inn Mote - Case Study Example This is a mistake because guests should be getting breakfast in their rooms. The results of the study have also not been taken seriously by Huang which is giving great insight about the visitors. Lack of marketing is one of the biggest shortcomings in the strategy of Sleepy Inn Motel. Signs and Brochures are not nearly enough and more should be done in this regard. Below we will step by step evaluate the present strategy of Huang and will suggest what should be done. In the end the decision Huang should take will be given based upon our discussion. Firstly Sleep Inn Motel should look closely to the research findings given by regional tourist bureau. The low cost approach of Sleepy Inn Motel is the main problem. The findings clearly state that only 13 percent of the visitors have family income of less than $27,000 per year. This makes perfect sense because if a family is earning less than $2250 a month then probably they will be looking for a new job rather than a vacation. The low co st approach of Sleepy Inn Motel is not working because customers do not want lower costs only. They also demand services which the motel is not providing. People who come on vacations want to enjoy and have fun. They may be price conscious but still they want to enjoy. A motel that is offering basic services and no food, except breakfast, is not something people would want. This is why many people return from the parking lot of Sleepy Inn Motel. The services are not appealing the customers and that is why they do not want to stay in the motel. Restaurant is a need for guests because they come back to the motel for the night. The findings of the research reveal that more than 66 percent of the visitors stay in the same area at the same location for more than 3 days. This is an amazing insight for the Sleepy Inn Motel. Huang is not investing in a restaurant because he feels that that it will cause more problems than benefits but this will not be the case in reality. When visitors will return to their rooms they would prefer having dinner after they are fresh and cleaned up. This is an opportunity Huang can avail and can increase motel’s profits. Study also reveals that 78 percent of visitors were conscious about their choice of accommodation. This means that they do not just find a resort by chance and stay there, rather they actively search for a good place to stay. This is another reason why Huang should invest in services at his motel. Huang was under the impression that guest could find their way to the motel themselves but he is actually wrong. Visitors need advertisements to know about the motel and the facilities it has to offer. This is lacking in the Sleepy Inn Motel and because of that potential guest return from the parking of the motel. There are also 40 percent of visitors who reserve the rooms in advance. Sleepy Inn Motel is currently not even targeting these 40 percent visitors. The motel does not have a site nor is it marketing its motel t hrough tourist magazines or sign boards. The services of the motel are not worth remembering so customers are also not telling other potential customers about the motel. All in all there is not marketing done by the motel and it is hurting the business of the motel (not saving costs). 68 percent of guests are also couples according to the study and this information can also be used to design services that suit guests. For example double beds should be kept in rooms and there should be a small closet as well. Moreover everything

Environmental Issues and Elasticity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Issues and Elasticity - Essay Example Specific terms such as elastic versus inelastic demand, perfectly elastic versus perfectly inelastic demand are used in classifying the demand curves. Other types of elasticity include: Cross-elasticity of demand, Income elasticity of demand and Elasticity of price expectations. This assignment seeks to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the concept of demand elasticity, determinants of elasticity plus the importance of elasticity in business; in order to gain an understanding of the concept of elasticity. Keywords: Elasticity, Demand. Price elasticity of demand is an assessment of how much the quantity demanded varies when the price of the good changes. The terminology, price elasticity of demand is occasionally reduced to elasticity of demand/demand elasticity or simply put as elasticity. The price elasticity of demand regularly alludes to a distinct demand curve or demand schedule like the global demand for fossil fuels. The price elasticity of demand is plainly enumerated by the n ext formula: Price elasticity of demand is the percentage change in the quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price (Taylor & Weerapana, 2012). Price elasticity of demand= Percentage change in quantity demanded Percentage change in price Every one of other factors that influence demand is seized at a constant when calculating price elasticity of demand. ... it is a unit-free measure, since it uses percentage changes in price and quantity demanded (Taylor & Weerapana, 2012). In contrast, Income elasticity of demand refers to the percentage in quantity demanded of a good associated with the percentage in income of the consumer; other factors such as price of other related goods, price of the commodity, preferences of the consumer remaining constant. Income elasticity of demand is measured using the following formula (Jain, 2007): Income elasticity of demand = Percentage change in quantity demanded Percentage change in consumer income Cross elasticity of demand refers to a measure of a change in the quantity demanded of good Y, as a result of a proportionate change in the price of good X. This scenario is evident when a change in the price of one good can cause a change in the demand of related goods e.g. a change in price of tea ordinarily causes a change in demand for coffee. Cross elasticity of demand is measured using the following for mula (Jain, 2007): Cross elasticity of demand= Percentage change in quantity demanded of good X Percentage change in price of good Y The law of demand states that a fall in price of a good raises the quantity demanded. The price elasticity demand for any good measures how willing consumers are to buy less of the good as its price rises. Since the demand curve reflects many social, economic and psychological forces that shape consumers preferences, there is no simple, universal rule of what determines the demand curve (Stonecash, 2011). The degree to which the demand is price-inelastic or price-elastic depends on the following factors, which differ among consumers and products: (a) How many substitutes there are for a product-

Why I want to attend law school Personal Statement

Why I want to attend law school - Personal Statement Example However, it was only after I faced a lot of hardships in life did I realize the importance of education and that it alone can help in the betterment of an individual. I then completed my schooling and learnt some office skills before I decided to enroll in a law career. After I enrolled in the Department of Paralegal studies at Everest College in Dallas, my heart was set on becoming an attorney and to help people in hardship. I was eager to learn everything in all areas of law and also worked hard in my program. Even before I attended formal education, I had a strong desire to help the poor and the needy. In my second year of college I was offered an externship position in the law office of one of the adjunct professors whose primary areas were criminal defense and family law. When I took the externship, I learnt that the office provided several pro bono legal services to the poor and during my tenure I assisted my professor in preparing legal documents of his indigent clients in cas es such as divorces and other marital issues, landlord/tenant disputes, child custody issues. I spent extensive hours reading the client case files, researching and writing briefs and preparing the cases for the court hearings.

Business law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business law - Case Study Example He did not go to them to cause him injury and pain. If these three people had been more vigilant, they would have realized the impact of the adhesive they would on his body. The surgeon was particularly negligent when he had the realization that the insulating layer would cause harm but did nothing about it. Karl must therefore ask the three people through his claim to account for their stewardship and the pain they caused to him. Claim of employing the wrong people can also be laid against the hospital. This is because the hospital is the employing agency for the three people who put Karl’s life at risk. If the hospital officials who were in charge of recruitment and placement had been proactive in their duty, they would have known the kind of practitioners the three persons are. Claim could therefore be made for the refund of Karl’s money and any extra amount to cater for the pain he is presently going through and the pain he is likely to suffer in the future. On the part of the manufacturers, Karl can contend that the company leaving out an insulating layer from the pad. This act amounts to negligence of duty on the part of the manufacturers. The applicable defenses can work for the surgeon, nurse and anesthesiologist is that they needed to rely on the ECR to get the surgery completed and that the major cause of the injury was the absence of the insulating layer and not necessarily the adhesive

Financial Case Study Analysis and Excel Work Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis and Excel Work - Case Study Example There are some factors that should be considered with regards to the profitability, the future inflation rates and the competitors in the market. The company should ensure that before it sells out, the profitability issue will be included in the part of goodwill which will add on the valuation price. The workers of the company are underpaid so as to cut on costs of the company. That may not be the trend in the future because the workers may form a labor union that will fight for their rights. That means that the profits will reduce in the future if the workers demand for a pay rise. The person or persons who are interested in the purchase of the company should therefore consider that fact because it will affect the future profitability of the company. The sales volume has increased as a result of as number of factors. The sales volume has increased because of the great advertising skills that have lead to brand loyal for the company. The brand loyal usually makes repeat purchase and that adds on the sales volume and profitability of the company. The sales volume has also increased as a result of the diversification of the company. Therefore, in the valuation of the company, the investment that has been made in the advertising and diversification of the operations should be considered. The company should ensure that such money ploughed in such ventures is recovered. The costs of the company are increasing at a reducing rate over the years. That shows that the efficiency of the company has been increasing over the years. The efficiency may be as a result of improved processes, improved equipment and motivated employees. All the above factors happen at a cost and that cost should be considered in the valuation of the business. The valuation should ensure that the company does not result at a loss. The brand loyal adds on the profitability of the company. That shows that the company has a good reputation among the customers. The

Innovation Prowess Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth Essay Example for Free

Innovation Prowess Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth Essay Innovation management Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative management is a strategy in which a company manager utilizes all the available resources and develops a working community where ingenuity and innovativeness work together with practicality in order to formulate reforms. Today’s fast changing business environment calls for innovation management which will help companies to achieve their long term objectives. Innovation management will help companies to maintain competitive advantage. Long term sustainability of a company may be determined by its ability to expertly direct innovation assets to address a swiftly changing economic and market setting. Innovation management includes the activities, decisions and practices that propel an opinion to realization for the rationale of breeding business worth. This paper is about software development by Samsung Company. The Company has come up with an advanced wireless disk drive that is the champion in the Google industry (Day, 2013).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung unlike Apple reveal good consumerist skills in the course of innovativeness. The Company usually manufactures differentiated products that ensure that consumers choose from variety of Samsung devices. For example, Samsung products are of high quality with OS and software thus thriving well especially in OS and android market. Samsung have advanced strategic capacity which enable them hang about as the greatest threat to Apple. For example, their marketing strategies are outstanding. They augmented their cost of advertisement from $78 million to $401 million. In addition Samsung association capability is first-class. They exceedingly believe in providing people with opportunities to excel. They slot in the five hub values in every action taken which enable them to prosper. They are dedicated in ensuring that they are socially and environmentally liable wherever they are operating from (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation management is very important owing to the fact that Samsung Company have to work under tight budget and the increased demand from the customer who prefer high quality products and services at affordable prices. Innovation management emphasizes on production of new technologies, products and services. Samsung is also known as the giant electronic maker, it is planning to launch the advanced wireless disk drive to the android users. The advanced disk drive Crystal Disk Mark chronological read and writes scores of 300MB/sec and 250MB/sec are around three times as fast as the swiftest hard disks from any other company and the disk’s LaCie’s small-file scores are excellent: its 300KB and 250MB/sec write and read results of 700MB/sec places the advanced disk drive at the front line. The advanced disk drive is expected to be more durable as compared to other disks. Durability is more important than speed and capacity. Ide ntifying and implementing investments repetitively and effectively make up the vital purpose of innovation management. Various decisions that are prepared in Samsung Company affect the succession and eventual success of superior ideas. New innovative ideas must be aimed at solving an existing business problem or growing an opportunity (Ernst, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Successful innovation management in Samsung Company follows the following guidelines; first, whether the potential innovation is aligned with the company’s strategy. Second, how the proposed change will add value to the customer. That is how the advanced wireless disk drive will add value to the customer, the third guideline is the amount of investment that is required and whether the investment will generate good returns. Whether the advanced disk drive will attract more customers? Forth, the possible impact of innovation to the current business and whether it would affect the existing returns. Also, the time frame for the effect to be realized and the impact to the business, how the innovation will alter or disrupt current markets; whether the new idea will generate additional revenue or reduces operating costs, the other guideline is how the latest innovations improve existing or build up new obstacles to competition and finally whether there is an effortless access to the competencies required to apprehend the new idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new strategy that Samsung Company should slip in when launching the advanced wireless disk drive is pricing strategy. They should employ customer-based pricing. Samsung Company is well-known for hasty production of differentiated products thus penetration pricing will work best. The purpose of penetration pricing is to enlarge market share of the product. Samsung Company by the use of penetration pricing will be able to raise prices once they penetrate the market. The new strategy will draw many customers to buy the wireless disk drive and other products. The long term gain is that Samsung will accomplish a higher market share as compared to other rivalry companies in the industry. Samsung products are somewhat differentiated and owing to price inelasticity of demand in the market; this new strategy will work best for Samsung. This will be a very competitive tool for Samsung as they launch the advanced wireless disk drive and other inn ovative products. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/aboutsamsung/Samsung Company is conversant that innovation management requires an innovation framework that will enable effective and repetitive change which will increase the capacity of the company to generate high quality goods and services. Innovation encourages the need for rapid change and rejuvenation, potentially affecting all sectors of a company. Samsung does not engage its workers in long working hours like Apple and Google since they believe in innovativeness. Transform is usually opposed which calls for necessary rewards and incentives to endorse the required innovation. The weekly meetings and workshop with the team of 8 members will be very significant since it will help me to diagnose the hindrances to innovation in the company (ArguÃÅ'ˆden, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The workshop and meetings will be exceptionally useful in understanding how verified framework to make the company more inventive. The workshop and weekly meetings will help us to find out examples of appropriate practice in innovation management and compose an action plan that will boost the innovation performance of the company. The other chief benefits of holding weekly meetings and workshops in Samsung Company include; gain awareness of how to develop excellent ideas that focus on adding value to the customer. For example, Samsung is planning to launch the advanced wireless disk drive and other products such as Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. Samsung operates under the philosophy of ‘people first.’ Second, help to gain self-assurance to manage the company’s assortment and shield the most innovative ideas. Third, help people to gain capacity to borrow ideas from chief management team for the company’s innovation acti on plan. Third, help individuals to gain ability to endorse an organizational culture that embraces creativity and innovativeness. It also helps to increase the alertness of apposite application of strategies so as to improve company presentation. Finally, help to build up confidence to communicate about the need for innovation and how to achieve it (Chang, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new idea of advanced wireless disk drive must offer competitive advantage to attract new clients, maintain existing clients and cut-down the production cost with an aim of maximizing profits. Innovation is not hard but it is a complex process which involves change. Change on the other hand necessitates learning. High improbability and likelihood makes innovation management very complex, since it calls for the learning speculation to be concentrated on the areas of alteration that represent the highest possibility or uncertainty for gradual sustainability and intensification of the company. For more than 70 years, Samsung has focused on advancing the world through diversification that has led to advanced technology fashion, skyscraper, hotels, medicine, petrochemicals, semiconductors, finance and plant construction. Samsung Electronics lead takes the top position in the global market in high-tech digital media and electronic manufacturi ng. Through innovative, reliable services and products, talented personnel, collaboration with customers and other stakeholders, and responsible approach to business and global citizenship, Samsung is moving the world in imaginative new commands (Bessant, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several external and internal triggers facing Samsung Company; however, there are many potential solutions to these problems. Three pillars of innovation must also be considered in development of innovation framework. These pillars include strategy, competency and management. Innovative competency of the company will depend on the set of capabilities and the history. Samsung main objective is making a better world through innovation. Powerful framework is based on commitment and competence which will help the company to propel forward. As the company manager it is vital to come up with strategies in the resource allocation. The strategies will also be significant in improving the existing processes and products, finding adjacencies and discovering totally new markets. A competent firm is required to manage its innovation in an appropriate manner. Samsung have to be hasty in its production so that it can cope with competition from Apple and Google. People everywhere, regardless of their earnings; desire to use superior and innovative products. Thus Samsung Company has to come up with strategies to make their products more affordable to the customers. People have different tastes, budgets, preferences and lifestyles. Through provision of innovative products that offer value for money, the company will meet different needs of the clients all over (Ghemawat et al, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The diversification strategy should focus on ensuring that the new product gives the customers confidence that the product will deliver on its promise so that they feel their money is spent appropriately. Improving brand quality will make business sense and enhance the company’s capacity to improve the lives of the low-income customers. The Samsung Company has the necessary resources, skills and the will to produce high-quality products at a lower price which meet the customer’s demands. Samsung Company must to come up with innovative strategies such as diversification strategy since the competitors are not willing to move back from breakthrough designs, very responsive and mass customizing variety strategies among other strategies that enhance production of superior products (Kenny, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The innovation team will be of great importance since they will help in generation of a set of innovation activities which amalgamates the activity into a regular cycle of running the company. The following phases in innovation management will assist Samsung to amalgamate the set of innovation activities in order to realize a fruitful end (Trauffler et al, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They include: Setting the objectives for the process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation is all about change and starts with a goal in mind. The major problem is developing a strategy that will ensure provision of quality products at affordable prices which will attract more customers as well as retaining the existing customers. The team of innovation management has come up with diversification strategy that solves this predicament. Once the goal is identified, it will be discussed by all the members in the problem solving team. I am the leader of the team being in charge of other 8 members. These individuals are professional functional areas. The team will have weekly meetings and workshops where they will provide feedback and suggestions regarding their personal experience with the company’s product and services. I will be the leader of the team and I will oversee all the parts of the process from the beginning to the end (Hill, 2012). Cooperation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an innovation team in Samsung Company we will work together so that rather than raising separate ideas, we can amalgamate them and develop a collaborative solution. This will be achieved through the weekly meetings and workshops. I have great experience as a manager in the company thus there is no need of hiring a trained business coach to facilitate the discussions. In addition, the prosperity of Samsung Company can be attributed to the uphill struggle and proficiency of its employees, whose mutual efforts boost the company’s competitive advantage and speed up innovation. It is also doubtless that the previous success would have been impractical without the intense interest and packed support from all stakeholders. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ Combination of ideas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The team highlights the ideas, and then they select the most suitable ones and then evaluate to see whether they can be combined to come up with an excellent idea. In deed, bold ideas will be complementary to each other and will combine to a better result. The whole result is likely to intensify with every member contributing to the process. The success of this combined ideas require representative from every stakeholder in the process. This is because these stakeholders are experts and have crucial information that individuals from other departments could not raise. As the team leader I will ensure that every angle of innovative process is covered. The business idea is to develop an advanced wireless disk drive. Evaluation of Innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a very crucial aspect of innovation management; however, it is usually ignored. When the most suitable ideas are fine-tuned, combined, and polished they should be subjected to peer review for evaluation. This will ensure the efficacy of the idea of advanced wireless disk drive. Deprived ideas will be identified in the evaluation stage before Samsung commits its funds, time and resources to them. Evaluation stage will also help the team to select idea with great potential from the other ideas that seem to have equal chances of success. This is the stage where the innovation team can alter the strategy of innovation with a lot of ease as compared to later stages. The stages after evaluation stage are more costly and thus require a lot of caution. The advanced wireless disk drive will enable customers to; access their Media Wirelessly, stream media wirelessly to Tablets or Smartphones among others, customers can also stream to up to 4 diverse devices concurrently, the drive also can operate the disk drive as a moveable DVD Writer and finally the wireless disk drive can as well be paired with Samsung Smart TV. The advanced disk drive is the quickest of all other wireless disk drives. Testing the ideas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the innovation team identifies the potential idea, in this case developing an advanced wireless disk drive, they will test it so that they can identify the weak areas that require development. One of the most common method of testing service delivery or product quality is creation of test group. This will enable the innovation team, the customers, and the investors to familiarize with the new product in terms of its functioning and the necessary changes to be made to improve the product. The strategy is to ensure that the product raise interest as well as generating more orders. Customers will get interested to the high-quality products such that they will order more products from the company. Execution of the innovation implementation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the idea of advanced wireless disk drive passes through the testing process, it can be further modified and changed until it is ready to be implemented as a component of the company offerings. The execution of implementation is unique for every business. Unless the idea of advanced wireless disk drive calls for alteration of marketing strategies, then this step for innovation management process should be basic for the company. It will be effortless for Samsung Company to move from testing of the product to the execution if the new product were able to create interest and generate orders in the testing stage (Zacharias, 2011). Assessment of Innovation Life-cycle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is the step that follows after the execution of the business idea. Implementation should be closely monitored and assessed regarding the targets to be set. If the target is unattainable, the idea will be turned down calling for developments. Customer is always considered in the execution stage, the team will design measuring systems which can measure the value added to the customer through application of new strategies. Samsung work under the philosophy of ‘people first.’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next step after assessment is starting again, identify new strategies, solutions and inspirations and taking them through the cycle until the company come up with appropriate strategies that ensure value is added to the customers. Over the last two decades, Samsung Electronics utilized a series of turn around strategies that basically altered the approach of managing Samsung Company. The employees will be forced to learn from the new speed. Creativity calls for speed in the processes, inventory turns, functions, data access and market response. The style of management which includes control and command is obsolete and the modern way of business success is accommodating new technologies as well as open leadership styles where leaders consider other people’s opinions. The innovation team has to determine how the problem is defined in order to come up with appropriate strategy. For example, Samsung identified the problem associated to access of media. They decide to solve the problem by developing an advanced wireless disk drive where people can stream at ease. This will help the company to develop and raise ideas based on the need and how to improve the brand while maintaining low prices. Capacity to come up with new ideas should be one of the most crucial priorities in an organization. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation process will also include the Samsung’s internal and external elements. The team of innovation includes eight members who are company employees, customers and other stakeholders in the company. The innovation process will consider the following: Industry and cultural context.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This refers to the environment and culture existing in Samsung Company. Samsung Company main objective is to produce first-rated product and services. The company officials also are very considerate since they respect other people’s opinions. This cultural background has greatly contributed to the expansion of the company since the employees have learnt to work under minimum supervision. The relationship between employees and the supervisors is excellent. The company is also deeply concerned with the future path of the employees and thus provides mentoring, training and essential coursework as well as coaching them. The company is also concerned about the employee’s social life and thus offers flexibility in schedules (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employee’s opinions are also taken seriously so as to involve them in decision making. Decision making is very important and everyone should be involved since decision made will affect every individual related to the company operations. This employee relationship enhances engagement thus workers are motivated and thus will be crucial to company’s performance. Samsung Company recognizes that a company is its people, thus they operate under the value of integrity. Operations in Samsung are guided by moral values which ensure respect, complete transparency, fairness, for all employees as well as stakeholders (Mellor, 2003). Organizational context   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung’s structure is very distinct because although there are representatives in every sector; respect remain paramount in the company. Employees respect their bosses and works under minimum supervision. Moral ethics is fundamental principle in Samsung Company. Samsung Company believes in use technology and innovation instead of control and command. The main goal is to be the best company in product and service. Customer satisfaction is the main objective since Samsung seeks to produce high-quality products while maintaining low prices. Company culture is very crucial since it can shape or break down the company. Samsung operates under team-based culture where employees participate on all levels. Samsung Company’s culture is adaptive and hence has enabled Samsung to outshine its competitors (Haig, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adaptive culture accommodates change which is very essential for innovation management. It is very imperative for Samsung Company to understand its culture since it will learn to shape it according to their wish. The company’s culture has experienced changes due to hiring and replacement of employees. New employees bring new values and practices to the company’s culture. Thus it is vital to access the company culture by listening to comments from suppliers, customers and the employees. The common behaviors and noticeable symbols comprise the company culture. The team should also determine the desired company culture before any change is implemented. Samsung innovation team must find out the appropriate culture that suit the company in its desired future situation. The team will also review the company’s mission, values and vision to ensure that the culture being designed will support them effectively. Samsung Company c ulture is aligned to its strategic goal (Krug, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aligning company culture to the strategic goals includes; developing a strategy that endorses the good things in the current culture and correcting the unaligned sectors, the team should brainstorm developments in the formal laws and daily duties, the team should develop strategic plan of the desired behaviors and actions, the innovation team should communicate the recent culture to all employees, and finally the innovation team should also over-communicate the recent culture and its practices to every individual. Strategic model of innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung electronic main focus is strategic innovation endeavors on product improvement which are usually addition and convey diminutive new significance. Though the aim might be to improve the brand quality it is also good to consider company culture, resources and network. Samsung can avoid diminishing returns from increased competition by creating a new model for the product. The more the innovation team will succeed in advancement of unique features in their production, product and marketing the more the innovation will be. Samsung uses four main areas to come up with a successful new business model of innovation for secure competitive advantage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first chief area is the core strategy which implies how the company will compete. The innovation team will develop core strategy such that it includes the company mission with key objectives such as strategic intent and value proposition. The company can use the strength of the current strategy or consider generating a new one. The core strategy should focus on competitive markets, defining the environment, customers and segment. A strategic core strategy is different from that of the competing firms and builds on the company’s features and strengths. Samsung Launch of advanced wireless disk drive is a significant step that enables customers to enjoy the quickest wireless streaming from SMART hub. Retrieved from http://www.macworld.com/article/1162103/samsung_announces_new_optical_drive_with_wi_fi_connectivity.html   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The innovation team will also focus on strategic resources. Samsung will also highlight the areas that require reorganization and improvement of the existing staff. The team should understand the company’s patents, brands and infrastructure. The company resources are expensive to imitate as they are associated to high cost and thus scare off competing firms. The company should use its strengths to improve competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer interface is the other key factor to consider, where Samsung considers the market and the existing competition. Samsung should identify the type of service, channels and support involved or that it controls with the available one so that they can add value to the product. Samsung innovation team should also use its client’s insight and use every opportunity to improve market understanding and how the market understands the company. Understanding the information requirements of chief customers and their dynamic interaction with the product or company is very important in strategic innovation. Pricing strategies might also be considered since the new product might alter the company’s practices (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Value network is another crucial factor to take into consideration. Samsung should consider the value network from the top to bottom of the value chain. The company stabilizes when it attract more finances and better partnership as compared to its competitors. The rapport between company and its suppliers influence opportunities for faster changes, price and quality of a product. The partners of the company can supply critical solutions and mechanism to the product, or create synergies or symmetries to augment sale. If Samsung innovation costs are projected to be high, the innovation team can consider a coalition even with the competing firm to enhance radical change in the market. The framework of meta-innovation is very important strategy to apply since it challenges the firms to think beyond product quality, markets and processes. Innovation does not necessarily have to be a high cost, but it should be an appropriate idea (Chang, 2008). 4. Knowledge deployment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung is committed to inspire people across the world by developing innovative products, new technologies and creative solutions. Samsung is changing rapidly to cope with the changing world. The company is relentless in innovation and pursuit of discovery thus creating possibilities. The launch of the wireless disk drive among other excellent products has enabled Samsung to be a world-class company. Samsung innovation has enabled advancement in technology, skyscraper, medicine, semiconductors, hotels, plant construction, finance and petrochemical among other significant application that help to push industries forward. Through creation of superior product and services, Samsung struggle to augment the lives of people across the world and ensuring positive change to the world. Samsung believe in power to connect people to what they are today with what they aspire to be in future. Samsung Company is the leader in high-tech digital products such as LCD and color television, EMS micro chip and mobile phones (Michell, 2010). 5. Methods of collaboration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung has taken full advantage as a latecomer and outshined various leading companies by employing a powerful engineering of core technology. Samsung does not engage its workers in long working hours, but it believes in innovation management. Samsung work under the philosophy of ‘people first’ thus they are able to develop products that attract more customers. For example, the wireless disk drive is a very advanced tool that will enable customers to enjoy wireless streaming among other uses. Samsung has never thought of quitting transformation and innovation. History reveals how, Kun-Hee Lee, Samsung chairman is excellent in deciding and forecasting. Samsung is also able to be the world leading company because of continuous development and investment. Samsung also changed from massive imitational production to independent product development based on digital technology. Samsung endeavors to make an integrated world through g lobal citizenship and responsible approach to business as well as collaboration with their customers and stakeholders (Krug, 2009). 6. Protecting innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper explains how Samsung internalization in China helps it secure a competitive advantage. Samsung has three lasting forces namely promotion force, force of internal motivation and organization force. Promotion force is the company and entrepreneurship culture which control strategic decision making and approach of development of a company and determine the character of a company. Force of internal motivation is the capacity in engineering of key technology and its application which forms Samsung’s competence. Organizational force is under scientific management which enables Samsung to execute its strategy. Samsung company management involves innovation in reducing transaction cost as well as innovation in utilizing capital. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ 7. Managing risks: failure and imitation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification is the key strategy that enables Samsung to cope with risk and uncertainty. Samsung philosophy is ‘people first’ which enable them to develop products that align with customer’s needs. Samsung chairman is also excellent in forecasting and deciding power which has greatly helped the company to develop products that attract more customers. Samsung success is not measured in terms of achievement, but how they have improved the lives of the people. Samsung also manage risks by changing rapidly to cope with the changing world. Samsung is a leading company in production of high-tech digital products which are unique. For example, the launching of wireless disk drive is a significant step where customers will be attracted by the drive unique characteristics. Samsung strive to make a better world through innovation, trustworthy goods and services. Samsung utilizes diversification which helps it to produce differ entiated products ranging from LCD and color television, smart phones and EMS memory chip. Customers are able to choose from variety of Samsung products which place the company at a competitive advantage. Samsung also utilizes cost-benefit analysis which helps the company to manage risks and uncertainty. Samsung measure the efficacy of a strategy by testing the ideas mainly through insights from customers, employees or other stakeholders (Kenny, 2009). 8. Commercialization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung products are widely used across the world. Samsung has enhanced the growth of many businesses that use their high-tech products. Samsung strive to make the world integrated through advanced technology, finance, medicine, semiconductors, hotels skyscraper, petrochemicals, and plant construction among others. Samsung is made up of more than 78 distinct companies and joint ventures in an extensive assortment of businesses. Samsung objective is to diversify into medicine, health and biotechnology. Samsung is recognized as the leader in technology and is now ranks as a top 10 global brand. Diversification strategy has also helped Samsung to develop different products of high quality at cheaper prices as compared to products from other companies; for instance, Samsung receive massive sale of smart phones. The company also project that the newly launched advanced wireless disk drive will attract more customers and gain more orders (Arguà Å'ˆden, 2011). References About Samsung. (n.d.). Samsung. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/aboutsamsung/ ArguÃÅ'ˆden, R. Y. (2011). Keys to governance Strategic leadership for quality of life. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Bessant, J. R. (2009). Innovation. London: DK. Chang, S. (2008). Sony vs. Samsung: the inside story of the electronics giants battle for global supremacy. Singapore: Wiley. Day, G. S. (2013). Innovation Prowess Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth.. New York: Wharton Digital Press. Ernst, H. (2007). Innovation orientation, innovativeness and innovation success. Wiesbaden: Gabler. Ghemawat, P., Siegel, J. I. (2011). Cases about redefining global strategy. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Pub..Haig, M. (2004). Brand royalty: how the worlds top 100 brands thrive and survive. London: Kogan Page. Hill, K. (2012). International directory of company histories. Detroit, Mich.: St. James Press. Kenny, G. (2009). Diversification strategy how to grow a business by diversifying successfully. London: Kogan Page. Krug, J. A. (2009). Corporate strategy. London: SAGE. Mellor, R. B. (2003). Innovation management (1. ed.). NÃÆ' ¦rum: Globe. Michell, T. (2010). Samsung Electronics and the struggle for leadership of the electronics industry. Singapore: Wiley. Samsung Receives 49 Awards across Multiple Product Categories at CES 2014. (2014, January 15). Health Beauty Close-Up, 23, 43. (2014). Samsung S5 to feature biometric access control and secure mobile PayPal. Biometric Technology Today, 2014(3), 1.Samsung announces new optical drive with Wi-Fi connectivity. (n.d.). Macworld. Retrieved May 22, 2014 http://www.macworld.com/article/1162103/samsung_announces_new_optical_drive_with_wi_fi_connectivity.html (2007). Samsung does six sigma: A case study on supply chain management. Strategic Direction, 23(9), 15-17. Trauffler, G., Tschirky, H. (2007). Sustained innovation management: assimilating radical and incremental innovation management. Basingstoke [England: Palgrave Macmillan in association with the European Institute for Technology and Innovation Management. Trott, P. (2008). Innovation management and new product development (4th ed.). Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Welcome to Samsung. (n.d.). Samsung. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ Zacharias, N. (2011). An integrative approach to innovation management patterns of companies innovation orientation and customer responses to product program innovativeness. Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag. Source document

Synthesis Techniques for Fabrication of Nanofibers

Synthesis Techniques for Fabrication of Nanofibers Chapter # 02 Synthesis Techniques Introduction The different synthesis techniques for fabrication of nanofibers and nanoparticles will be discussed briefly in this chapter. The selected techniques and the experimental procedure for the synthesis of the nanoparticles and composite nanofibers will be discussed in detail. Synthesis Techniques for Nanoparticles Synthesis method being used for the preparation of nanomaterials is one of the most important factors that affect the different properties of the nanomaterials. There are two major classes of synthesis techniques used for preparation of nanoparticles Bottom-up approach Top-down approach Bottom-up Approach Bottom-up approach refers to the synthesis techniques in which nanoparticles are created from atomic scale to nanoscale. There are different techniques which refer to bottom-up approach Co-precipitation technique Sol-gel technique Wet-Chemical Methods In these methods the precursor solutions with appropriate stoichiometric ratios are mixed together and processed through heating resulting in the desired product. Wet chemical methods are advantageous because the particle size and shape is controllable and also the homogeneity in particle size distribution can be achieved by these methods [ref]. these factors play a vital role in enhancing the different properties of the material such as structural properties, thermal properties, electrical properties etc. The given examples of the bottom-up method are categorized as wet-chemical techniques. In co-precipitation method, the precursor solutions are mixed together and are heated at an appropriately selected temperature. The nucleation occurs precipitates are formed. The by by-products are washed away and the resulted powder is further processed for the different desired characterizations. Both the methods are advantageous in their own ways but sol-gel method is more convenient and efficient method for the preparation of nanomaterials at appropriately selected conditions. Also the major drawback of co-precipitation method is the non-uniformity of particles due to the intense agglomeration during the synthesis [ref] Top-down Approach In top-down approach, the material is processed from bulk state to nano regime by a number of methods. Solid state reaction method is one of top-down methods. Solid-state Reaction Method In solid state reaction method the precursors are directly mixed and ground into fine powder. The powder is further processed through hydraulic press and is pelletized for high heat treatment generally said to be sintering. The sintered pellet is characterized to check the desired properties of the sample. The process occurs at the interface of the solids (precursors) at higher temperature. The appropriate processing temperature and reaction time is selected particularly for the precursors used. At higher temperature, the diffusion of reactants starts causing the reaction to begin. For faster reaction, high surface contact area of the solids and small diffusion distance for the reactant is required which is attained by the well-mixing of the precursors [ref]. Although this is a low-cost method but the major drawback of this method is the non-homogeneity in particle distribution and size. Impurity in desired phase is also introduced during the grinding procedure of the precursors. The desired nanostructure is also not easy to achieve by this process [ref 54]. Sol-gel Synthesis Technique for NaxLi1-xCoO2 (x=0.0,0.5,1.0) Sol-gel method is one of the wet-chemical methods for the preparation of the various nanostructures. The variety of nanostructures can be produced by controlling the various parameters of sol-gel process such as the type of precursors, solvent type, processing temperature etc. the major advantage of the sol-gel process over other methods is the phase purity of the product as well as the homogeneity in the particle size and particle size distribution. This process involves two major steps Hydrolysis Condensation Hydrolysis of the selected metal oxide precursor occurs forming the particular hydroxides. The condensation occurs to form a network of linked hydroxides in the form of dense porous gel. In sol-gel process the precursor solutions are mixed together with a suitable gelling agent in appropriately selected ratio. The solution is then mixed homogeneously and heated until the gel is formed. The temperature is further raise to burn the gel which results in powder formation. The powder is heat treated and characterized to study the desired properties. Experimental Procedure Sol-gel method is used for the preparation of composition NaxLi1-xCoO2 (x=0.0,0.5,1.0). the precursors used are: Li2SO4.H2O (99.99% purity), Cu(NO3)2.6H2O (99.99% purity) and NaNO3 (99.99% purity). The selected precursors were added in appropriate stoichiometric amounts into ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol was used as gelling agent. The molar ratio between the total mass of precursors to the volume of the gelling agent was kept 1:14 to achieve the homogeneity. The solution was initially magnetically stirred at room temperature to get the homogeneous solution. The solution was then heated at 100Â ±2Â ºC until the formation of the gel. The temperature of the gel was further increased upto 150Â ±2Â ºC which caused the gel to burn. The resulted powder was hen processed through hydraulic press to prepare pellets of dimensions 13mm x 3mm. the sintering of the pellets was done at 550 Â ºC for two hours to achieve high phase purity. The flow diagram of the experimental procedure is given in figure 2.1 Synthesis Techniques for Nanofibers There are a number of techniques used to fabricate nanofibers, some of them are mentioned Drawing Template Synthesis Phase Separation Self-Assembly Electrospinning Brief detail of all these techniques is given below Drawing Drawing is the techniqus to fabricate long single nanofiber one-by-one from the droplet of polymer. Following steps are involved in this technique a substrate material is applied a millimeter drop of polymer solution a micropipette is moved towards the drop. When micropipette comes in contact with the drop, it is pulled back with a certain rate. which depends upon the nature of the polymer solution. A long nanofiber is drawn from the liquid. The diameter of the resultant nanofiber depends on the type of the polymer, its composition, drawing velocity and speed of evaporation of the solvent. The major drawback of this technique is that only a strong viscoelastic material that can undergo strong deformation during this process when stress is applied while pulling the nanofiber, can be used in this process. So, choice of material is limited in this process. Template Synthesis In template synthesis, a metal oxide membrane having pores of nanoscale diameter is used. The metal oxide membrane is placed over a solidifying solution. Polymer solution is extruded by the membrane by applying high water pressure over it. Polymer solution after passing through the membrane comes in contact with solidifying solution which converts the polymer solution into nanofibers. The diameter of the nanofibers depends on the diameter of the pores of membrane. Fig. 2.2 show the different steps involved in this process. Phase separation In this mechanism, separation of phases is involved due to the physical incompatibility. Following are the steps involved A polymer is mixed with a suitable solvent Gelation occurs in this mixture The final step involves the separation of phases. One of the phases-which is that of the solvent- is extracted leaving behind the other remaining phase. The remaining phase is the nanofibrous structure. Self-Assembly Self-assembly processing involves the smaller molecules as basic building blocks to build-up the nanofibers. Molecules are spontaneously organized into an individual and stable structure with preprogrammed non covalent bonds. Nanofibers of very thin diameter can be fabricated using this process but it requires very complicated procedures. The low productivity is another limitation of this method. Electrospinning This is the selected synthesis technique for the current research work. Electrospinning is the most efficient and simple technique to produce ultra-thin nanofibers. There are different components of the electrospinning setup which include High voltage source Syringe Needle Metal Collector Schematic of electrospinning process High voltage source is used in this procedure. The positive end of the source is connected with the needle while the metal collector is grounded by connecting it with the negative end of the voltage source. This creates the potential difference between the two ends which accelerates the polymer solution from the needle towards the collector in the form of solution jet. Before the solution jet reaches the collector surface, the solvent of the solution is evaporated and is collected as an interconnected web of the fibers. The polymer solution in the needle is held due to its surface tension, which induces a charge on the solution surface. The charge repulsion and contraction among the surface charge and its counter electrode causes a force that is directly opposite to the surface tension. As the intensity of the electric field increases, the hemispherical surface of the solution at the tip of the needle elongates to form a conical shape called Taylor cone. As the electric field is further increased, the repulsive electrostatic force overcomes the surface tension of the solution and jet of the solution is ejected from the Taylor cone. The ejected polymer solution undergoes instability and elongation process which allows the jet to become very long and thin. Meanwhile the solvent is evaporated from the polymer solution, leaving behind a charged polymer fiber. In electrospinning technique there are different processing parameters which affect the diameter of the nanofibers. These parameters include voltage, needle tip to collector distance, feed rate and the concentration. This method is advantageous over other methods due to its versatility, cost effectiveness and also by controlling the different processing parameters; the dimensions of the nanofibers can be controlled. Sol-gel Combined Electrospinning Technique Combining sol-gel method with electrospinning is the most convenient technique to prepare composite nanofibers.the different precursors involved in the sol-gel technique have different hydrolysis rate which leads to the in homogeneity of sol. To avoid such probles, electrospinning is combined with the sol-gel process. The problem is solved by electrospinning procedure due to the confinement of the different sol-gel reaction stages (hydrolysis, condensation and gelation) withing extremetly small space i-e the spinning jet and the final nanofiber [ref]. Experimental Procedure: Sol-gel combined electrospinning technique is used for the preparation of composite nanofibers with NaxLi1-xCoO2 (x=0.0,0.5,1.0). The precursors used are: Li2SO4.H2O (99.99% purity), Cu(NO3)2.6H2O (99.99% purity) and NaNO3 (99.99% purity). The polymers selected for this purpose were Poly vinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) with a molecular weight of 40,000 g/mol and Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) having a molecular weight of 89,000 g/mol. Polymer Solution Preparation Polymer solution was prepared by firstly selecting the appropriate solvents for the selected polymers. The solvent used for the PVP polymer was Ethanol and that for PVA polymwer was DI water. The molarity of PVP and PVA polymer solution were calibrated as 0.008M and 0.0006M respectively. Both polymers were separately added to their respective solvents and the solutions were magnetically stirred for 1 hour at room temperature. After acquiring the homogeneity, both solutions were mixed together and stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. Precursors Solution Preparation The precursors solution was separately prepared. The precursors were added to their respective solvents separately and magnetically stirred at room temperature. DI water was used as a solvent for Li2SO4.H2O while ethanol was used for Cu(NO3)2.6H2O and NaNO3. 0.2M solutions were prepared for each precursor separately. After acquiring the homogeneous solutions, all three solutions were mixed together and magnetically stirred for 45 min. After achieving a homogeneous precursors solution, the polymer solution was added to it. the final solution was heated and stirred at 100Â ±5Â ºC for 1 hour. The resultant solution was then loaded to the syringe and was further processed through electrospinning. The figure shows the flow diagram of the discussed method

Poisoning In The Home Environmental Sciences Essay

Poisoning In The Home Environmental Sciences Essay Unintentional or accidental poisoning is a significant global public health problem. In 2004, an estimated 346000 people died worldwide from unintentional poisoning.[1]This appears to be an important health threat as it has crucial implications of costs and potential years of life lost. There are various categories of substances that may leads to poisoning and children are usually at greater risk due to developmental incompetencies and their dependence on adults for their care and well-being.[2] According to the report from National Poison Centre(NPC) of Malaysia, a total of 929 cases of poison exposure inquiries were handled by NPC from the years 1996 to 2000. The age and gender distributions are shown in table 1 implicating children younger than 9 years old has the highest incidence of exposure to poisonous substances. As for gender, a male predominance was noted throughout the five year period.[3] C:UserscmhPicturesScreenShot159.bmp Table 1: Age and gender distributions of poisoned patients from 1996 to 2000 Some common substances involved in poisoning cases are pesticides, medicines, household products, detergents and food. From the statistics, it can be concluded that pesticides is the most common substance that leads to poisoning followed by pharmaceuticals and household products.[3] Thus, care must be taken especially at home to avoid exposure to these poisonous substances. C:UserscmhPicturesScreenShot160.bmp Table 2: Distribution of categories of substances implicated in poisonings 1996 to 2000 Throughout the years, there was an increasing trend in the number of poison exposure as shown in Figure 1. The number of poisoning cases showed an increase with an average of 611 enquiries per year. Distributions of poisoning cases are almost the same with the previous years, with the majority cases involving agrochemicals and followed by pharmaceuticals and household chemicals.[2] Figure 1: Number of poisoning cases in Malaysia from year 2001 to 2005 Pesticides There are a wide variety of tools available for pest control in residential environments, including the use of chemical pesticides as well as various non-chemical techniques. Broadly defined, a pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests. [4] Pests are living organisms that bother, injure, or cause damage to buildings, plants, humans, and animals, including pets. [4, 5] Pesticide is used in public health to kill vectors of disease, such as mosquitoes, and in agriculture, to kill pests that damage crops. [4] There are various way to classified pesticides for instant it can be categorized by the types of pests it control, the chemical composition of the pesticides, or by hazard of the pesticides. [5, 6] The most common method of classification would be according to the chemical composition of the pesticides itself as different pesticides may be composed of different chemical compound. The chemical category of pesticides includes organochlorine, organophosphate, carbamate, synthetic pyrethroids, inorganic, organic (botanical and microbial), and lastly the miscellaneous. [6] All of these chemical compound works in different routes in controlling pest as different chemicals may have different mechanism of action. Organochlorine (OC) Figure 2. Chemical structure of organochlorine [7] Organochlorine pesticides are hydrocarbon compounds containing multiple chlorine substitutions. There are four main types of OC pesticides; dichlorodiphenylethanes; cyclodienes; chlorinated benzenes; and cyclohexanes. All share a similar pair of carbon rings, one ring being heavily chlorinated. They are the synthetic organic pesticides that are earliest discovered and used. Their characteristics are broad-spectrum, long residual effect and relatively low toxicity. However, due to their stable chemical nature, they are hard to break down in the natural environment. Prolonged use in large quantities will easily lead to environmental pollution and accumulation in mammals, resulting in cumulative poisoning or damage.   Organochlorine pesticides are therefore banned under general circumstances and gradually replaced by other pesticides. [7] Organophosphate Figure 3. Chemical structure of organophosphate [8] Organophosphate pesticides are synthetic in origin and are normally esters, amides, or thiol derivatives of phosphoric, phosphonic, phosphorothioic, or phosphonothioic acids. They are characterised by their multiple functions and the capacity of controlling a broad spectrum of pests. Organophosphate pesticides (as well as sarin and  VX  nerve agent) irreversibly inactivate acetylcholinesterase, which is essential to nerve function in insects, humans, and many other animals.   They are nerve poisons that can be used not only as stomach poison but also as contact poison and fumigant. These pesticides are also biodegradable, cause minimum environmental pollution and slow pest resistance. Temephos and F enitrothion are examples of organophosphate pesticides. [8] Carbamate Figure 4. Chemical structure of carbamate [9] Carbamates  are  organic compounds  derived from  carbamic acid  (NH2COOH). A carbamate group, carbamate  ester, and carbamic acids are  functional groups  that are inter-related structurally and often are interconverted chemically. Carbamate esters are also called  urethanes. Carbamate pesticides work on the same principle as organophosphate pesticides by affecting the transmission of nerve signals resulting in the death of the pest by poisoning. They can be used as stomach and contact poisons as well as fumigant. Moreover, as their molecular structures are largely similar to that of natural organic substances, they can be degraded easily in a natural manner with minimum environmental pollution. Propoxur is an example of carbamate pesticides.[9] Synthetic pyrethroids Figure 5. Chemical structure of synthetic pyrethroids [10] Synthetic-pyrethroid pesticides are a pesticide synthesized by imitating the structure of natural pyrethrins, which are taken from pyrethrum, the oleoresin extract of dried chrysanthemum flowers. The insecticidal properties of pyrethrins are derived from ketoalcoholic esters of chrysanthemic acid and pyrethroic acid. They are  axonic  poisons and cause  paralysis  of an organism by keeping the  sodium channels  open in the neuronal membranes. The sodium channel is a  membrane protein  with a  hydrophilic  interior. This interior is a tiny hole which is shaped precisely to strip away the partially charged water molecules from a sodium ion and create a favorable way for sodium ions to pass through the membrane, enter the axon, and propagate an  action potential. When the toxin keeps the channels in their open state, the nerves cannot de-excite, so the organism is paralyzed. They are comparatively more stable with longer residual effects than natural pyrethrins. Sy nthetic-pyrethroid pesticides are highly toxic to insects but of only slight toxicity to mammals. A llethrin and Permethrin are examples of synthetic-pyrethroid pesticides. [10] Inorganic pesticide Inorganic pesticide refers to compounds that include heavy metals such as arsenic, copper sulfates, lead, cadmium, and mercury. They do not degrade readily and persist long in the system. Arsenic  works by coagulates proteins, form complexes with coenzymes which is then inhibits the production of ATP. Like cadmium and mercury, it can substitute for phosphorous in some biochemical processes. Mercury  has a strong affinity for sulfhydryl groups (SH) in proteins, enzymes, hemoglobin and serum albumin. The Central Nervous system is affected by damage to the blood-brain barrier; transfer of metabolites such as amino acids in the brain is not properly regulated. Cadmium  affects enzymes responsible for the reabsorption of proteins in kidney tubules. It also affects the functioning of enzymes such as ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase). Cadmium is substituted for zinc as both metals are similar in solution. Arsenic was commonly used as arsenic trioxide (As2O3) or arsenous acid and mercury as mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Inorganic pesticides were often used in powder, paste, or dip form. The pesticide residue stays on the object and continues to be an effective insect killer for a long time. [11] Organic pesticide Organic pesticides are carbon-based compounds that include pesticides such as Naphthalene and Paradichlorobenzene (PDB), two chemicals commonly known as mothballs. Naphthalene and PDB are applied as a solid (in mothball and flake form) and sublimate, acting as a fumigant. The fumes from these materials kill insects and work best in tightly closed spaces. The pesticide residue is expected to evaporate over time. Old collections often smell of these pesticides and it is not clearly understood how long it takes for the chemicals to completely sublimate in the museum environment. [12] Miscellaneous There are wide variety of commercial product of miscellaneous pesticides including 4-Aminipyridine, calcium cyanamide, creosote, endothall, metakdehyde, and sodium chlorate. 4-aminopyridine is a highly toxic white powder used as a bird repellent. It works by making one or two birds acutely ill, thus warning off the remaining birds by cries of dostress.it is toxic to vertebrates. Calcium cynamide incorporated into soil to serve as fertilizer, fungicide, and herbicides. Creosote is extensively used as a wood preservatives, usually by high-pressure impregnation of lumber.it has also been used as an animal dip and disinfectant. Endothall can act as the free acid or as sodium, potassium, or amine salts. It is used as a contact herbicide, defoliant, aquatic herbicide, and algaecide. Methaldehyde is a four-unit cyclic polymer of acetaldehyde which has long been used to kill slug and snails, which attracted to it without the use of bait. Sodium chlorate is used in agriculture as a defoliant, nonselective contact herbicide, and semi-permanent soil sterilant. [13] Pesticides Classified by Chemical Category Category Examples Organochlorines* Aldrin, chlordane, DDT Organophosphates chlorpyrifos (Dursban), diazinon, acephate (Orthene), malathion Carbamates carbaryl (Sevin), propoxur (Baygon) Synthetic pyrethroids permethrin, resmethrin, cypermethrin, cyfluthrin Inorganic boric acid, chlorates, cryolite, diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) Organic (botanical) garlic, limonene, neem, nicotine, pyrethrum, rotenone, ryania, sabadilla Miscellaneous Horticultural oils, insect growth regulators, insecticidal soaps, insect pheromones Table 3. Major chemical classes of pesticides Type of Pesticide Activity Algaecides Control algae in bodies of water, including swimming pools. Antimicrobials Kill microorganisms that produce disease Attractants Attract specific pests using natural insect chemicals called pheromones that confuse the mating behavior of insects. Avicides Control pest birds. Biopesticides Naturally occurring substances with pesticidal properties. Defoliants Cause foliage to drop from a plant, typically to aid in the harvesting process. Desiccants Aid in the drying process of plants or insects, usually for laboratory purposes. Fumigants Produce vapors or gases to control air- or soilborne insects and diseases. Fungicides Destroy fungi that infect plants, animals, or people. Herbicides Control noxious weeds and other vegetation that are growing or competing with a desired species. Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) Accelerate or retard the rate of growth of insects. Insecticides Control or eliminate insects that affect plants, animals, or people. Miticides (Acaricides) Kill mites that live on plants, livestock, and people. Molluscicides Kill snails and slugs. Nematicides Kill nematodes, which are microscopic wormlike organisms that live in the soil and cause damage to food crops. Ovicides Control insect eggs through the application of low-sulfur petroleum oils to plants and animals. Piscicides Control pest fish. Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) Accelerate or retard the rate of growth of a plant. Predacides Control vertebrate pests. Repellents Repel pests such as mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and fleas. Rodenticides Control mice, rats, and other rodents. Table 4. Types of pesticides Pesticide Poisoning Pesticide poisoning occurs after exposure to pesticides. It may occur shortly after a single exposure (acute poisoning) or gradually after repeated exposures over a period of time (chronic poisoning).[17] Acute poisoning presents symptoms like headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, blurred vision, excessive eye watering, sweating and excessive saliva. More severe case of acute poisoning may also lead to changes in heart rate, chest tightness, muscle weakness and twitching, difficulty breathing and walking, constricted pupils and incontinence. In very severe case of acute poisoning, seizures and unconsciousness may occur.[17] Chronic poisoning presents symptoms like muscle weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and remember things, and generally feeling unwell.[17] The type of symptoms, how long they last and how severe they are may vary depending on factors such as the type and concentration of the pesticide used, the type and concentration of the pesticide used, the degree of exposure and the health and age of the person exposed. Many of the potential symptoms are not specific to pesticide poisoning. They may be due to other conditions, such as illness or allergy.[17] Most common pesticide poisoning: Mechanism of action/toxicity and signs and symptoms Table 5 shows most common pesticide poisoning. It is classified according to the class of chemical ingredient contained in pesticide. It also shows mechanism of action or toxicity, sign and symptoms treatment of pesticide poisoning of each class. Class Mechanism of action/toxicity Signs and symptoms Organophosphates Acephate (Orthene) Chlorphoxim (Baythion-C) Chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Lorsban) Diazinon Dimethoate (Cygon, DeFend) Ethoprop (Mocap) Fenitrothion (Sumithion) Fenthion (Baytex) Malathion (Cythion) Naled (Dibrome) Terbufos (Counter) Inhibit cholinesterase leading to excess acetylcholine CNS-anxiety, seizures, skeletal nerve-muscle junctions, autonomic ganglia-twitching, tachycardia, muscle weakness (nicotinic effects); peripheral cholinergic neuroeffector junctions- all faucets on- sweating, salivation, diarrhea, tearing (muscarinic effects); miosis (pinpoint pupils) most commonly, but 15 percent have mydriasis secondary to epinephrine release from adrenals due to nicotinic receptor stimulation. Carbamates Carbaryl (Sevin) Pirimicarb (Aphox, Rapid) Propoxur (Baygon) Timethacarb (Landrin) Other carbamates Reversible cholinesterase inhibition (carbamoyl- acetylcholinesterase [AChE] complex dissociates much more easily and quickly than OP-AChE complex) Cholinergic crisis with all faucets on; CNS depression with coma, seizures, hypotonicity in serious toxic exposures Organochlorines Chlorobenzilate Dicofol (Kelthane) Dienochlor (Pentac) Endosulfan Lindane (Kwell) Induction of hyperexcitable state in central and peripheral nervous system by disruption of normal flow of sodium and potassium across the axon membrane; may antagonize GABA- mediated inhibition in CNS. Seizures, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, paresthesias, incoordination, tremor/twitching following topical treatment for lice/scabies or accidental or intentional ingestion of liquid pesticide. Pyrethrins/pyrethroids Allethrin Cyfluthrin (Baythroid) Cypermethrin (Barricade, Cymbush, Cynoff, Demon) Deltamethrin Dimethrin Fenothrin Fenvalerate Permethrin (Ambush, Dragnet, Nix, Pounce) Remethrin Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemums; pyrethroids are synthetic compounds with longer half-lives; both can produce toxic effects on the nervous system but are not well absorbed and are effectively and quickly detoxified by mammalian liver enzyme systems. The most severe symptoms are seizures, though highly uncommon unless highly exposed (usually through ingestion of large quantities); tremor, incoordination, salivation, vomiting; topical exposure can produce short-term paresthesias, especially of the hands and face; a small portion of the population (1 to 3 percent) is allergic to pyrethrins/pyrethroids-resulting in symptoms ranging from nasal stuffiness to asthma. Bacillus thuringiensis Variety aizawai (Agree, Mattch) Variety israelensis (Aquabac, Skeetal) Variety kurstaki (Bactur, Dipel) Wide range of products derived from several varieties of this organism; highly limited effects on mammalian systems. Mild irritative pulmonary symptoms in some involved in manufacturing process, not in mixers or appliers; theoretical risk of respiratory infection in immunocompromised individuals; single corneal ulceration reported, successfully treated with standard antibiotics; mild gastroenteritis with heavy ingestion. Repellants Diethyltoluamide- DEET (Muskol, Off!, Skeeter Beater, Skeeter Cheater, Skintastic for Kids, others) Mechanism of toxicity unknown. CNS depression followed by seizures; rare unless applied excessively under occlusion; mild skin irritating effects with repeated use; corneal and mucosal irritation; nausea and vomiting with ingestion and, rarely, hypotension, tachycardia with heavy dermal exposureà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Table 5: Most common pesticide poisoning: Mechanism of action/toxicity and signs and symptoms [18] Possible harm of pesticide to the environment On objects, plants or animals: Pesticides can move away from the release site when they are on or in objects or organisms that move (or are moved) offsite. Pesticides may stick to shoes or clothing, to animal fur, or to blowing dust and be transferred to other surfaces. When pesticide handlers bring home or wear home contaminated personal protective equipment, work clothing, or other items, residues can rub off on carpeting, furniture, and laundry items and onto pets and people. [19] Harmful effect on nontarget plants and animals: Nontarget organisms may be harmed by pesticides in two ways. The pesticide may cause injury by contacting the nontarget organism directly. Another way is the pesticide may leave a residue that causes later injuries. [19] Harmful effect from direct contact: Pesticides may harm nontarget organisms that are present during a pesticide application. Poorly timed applications can kill bees and other pollinators that are active in or near the target site. Pesticides may harm other wildlife, too. Read the warnings and directions on the pesticide labeling carefully to avoid harming nontarget organisms during a pesticide application. Drift from the target site may injure wildlife, livestock, pets, sensitive plants, and people. For example, drift of herbicides can damage sensitive nearby plants, including crops, forests, or ornamental plantings. Drift also can kill beneficial parasites and predators that are near the target site.[19] Harmful effects from residues: A residue is the part of a pesticide that remains in the environment for a period of time following application or a spill. Pesticides usually break down into harmless components after they are released into an environment. The breakdown time ranges from less than a day to several years. The rate of pesticide breakdown depends mostly on the chemical structure of the pesticide active ingredient. Persistent pesticides leave residues that stay in the environment without breaking down for long periods of time. These pesticides are sometimes desirable, because they provide long-term pest control and may reduce the need for repeated applications. However, some persistent pesticides that are applied to or spilled on soil, plants, lumber, and other surfaces or into water can later cause harm to sensitive plants or animals, including humans, that contact them. While using persistent pesticides, consider whether their continued presence in the environment is likely to harm plants and animals. Sometimes animals can be harmed when they feed on plants or animals that have pesticide residues on or in them. [19] Harmful effects on surfaces Sometimes surfaces are harmed by pesticides or pesticide residues. Some surfaces may become discolored by contact with certain pesticides. Other surfaces may be pitted or marked by contact with some pesticides. Some pesticides can corrode or obstruct electronic systems or metal. Sometimes a pesticide will leave a visible deposit on the treated surface.[19] Safety Measures of the Use of Pesticide Many types of pesticides are obtainable to eliminate a particular pest and a variety of pesticide formulations are available to the consumers. Thus, it is crucial to choose the correct pesticide in order to control the pest(s) in the house, garden or lawn. To select the more appropriate pesticide for the targeted pest(s), consumer should:[20] Identify the insect, weed, disease, rodent or other pest that one is attempted to control. Consider utilizing alternative nonchemical control procedures if applicable. Purchase the least toxic pesticide product which will eliminate the pest. The pesticide should be purchased in a quantity for immediate use only. Before purchasing and using the pesticide products, consumers should read the label of the product.[20] Pesticides Labels Pesticides should be packed and labeled according to World Health Organization (WHO) specifications. The label should be in English and in local language. It is a legal document which should indicate the contents, safety instructions and possible measures in the events of swallowing or contamination. Table 6 below has incorporated the information provided in the pesticide label.[21] Trade, brand, or product names The trade name is each companys unique market name for the product. Ingredient statement This statement identifies every active ingredient, the percentage by weight for each active ingredient and the percentage by weight for all inert ingredients. Use classification statement The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies every pesticide product either as Restricted Use or Unclassified/General Use. The restricted use pesticides must include a special statement. Under law, only those persons who have been certified and receive specialized training can use these types of pesticides. Generally, most pesticide products used in and around the home setting are Unclassified/General Use pesticides. Name and address of manufacturer Emergency telephone number Registration number The EPA registration number indicates that the pesticide product has been registered and thats its label has been approved by the EPA. Signal words and symbols These words and symbols provide the user with an indication of the relative acute toxicity of the product to humans and animals. The statement keep out of reach of children must also be printed on the front panel of the label. Signal words Indication On the Products Caution Slightly toxic either orally, dermally, or through inhalation or cause slight eye and skin irritation. Warning Moderately toxic either orally, dermally, or through inhalation or cause moderate eye and skin irritation. Danger Cause severe eye damage or skin irritation. Danger (with poison and the skull crossbones symbol) Highly toxic by any route of entry. Precautionary statements Statements to help applicators decide what precautions to take to protect other persons or animals who may be exposed. Statement of practical treatment First aid treatments recommended in case of a poisoning. In addition, instructions for physicians and medical personnel may be included. Environmental hazards Usually only for the restricted-use pesticides.Statements can indicate that a product is especially hazardous to wildlife and include common sense procedures to avoid contamination of the environment. Physical or chemical hazards Describes any special fire, explosion, or chemical hazards the product may pose. Restricted entry level (REI) Provides information on the duration of time must pass between the last application of a pesticide and when people can reenter a treated area. Storage and disposal General instruction for the appriopriate storage and disposal of the pesticide and its container. Directions for use Provides instructions concerning the method employed to use the product, the type of pest to be treated, the application sites and any application equipment to be usedTable 6. Pesticide Label Information [20] In Malaysia, in order to facilitate the consumers to understand the level of toxicity of the pesticide products to human beings, there is a colour band indicating the toxicity class at the bottom of the label. The Malaysian Pesticide Board has classified all the registered pesticide into four classes (colors) according to their level of toxicity to human beings. http://www.mantegroup.com/images/ControlsPesticidesClasses.gif Figure 6: Classification of Pesticide Products by the Malaysian Pesticide Board. The indication of each class ( colour bands) are as follow: Class Colour Band Toxic Level Class 1 Black band for Class 1a Red band for Class 1b ( Both with a skull and crossbones symbol) Highly poisonous. Only used by trained personnels. Class 2 Yellow band. Poisonous Class 3 Blue band. Harmful Class 4 White band Least toxic group Table 7: Indication of the toxicity of each classes of pesticide product with their respective colour bands.[19] Protective Clothing During Pesticide Application The type of protective clothing and equipment needed depends on the pesticide being used and the extent of the pest elimination plan (size of the garden or lawn). Users should refer to the personal protection equipment (PPE) on the label for selection of protective clothing and equipment.At a minimum, consumers should have the following protective items while handling pesticide:[20] Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Proper ways of using PPE Clean clothing Long-sleeved shirt, long trousers or coveralls made of tightly woven fabric or a water-repellant material. Cotton t-shirts or tank tops, shorts and sandals are unsuitable as they do not provide adequate protection during pesticide application. Rubber gloves Unlined and without a fabric wristband. Shirtsleeves should be worn over the gloves to prevent the spills from running down inside of the glove. Waterproof boots Pants legs should be worn over the boots and not tucked inside. Waterproof hat If required. Eye protection Safety goggles should be worn if needed. Dusts mask or cartridge respirator If required. Table 8: Proper ways of using personal protection equipmentUser Image: An appriopriately clothed pesticide user. (Image taken from: http://web.extension.illinois.edu ) Safety Measures While Handling Pesticides Generally, during pesticide application, the product might possibly enter the body via oral route, inhalation or dermal exposure. For oral exposure, user may ingest the pesticide through the mouth. For inhalation exposure, user may breathe in pesticide vapours, dust or spray particles. On the other hand, pesticide may also be absorbed into skin via dermal exposure to the product. Thus, it is essential to practice safety measures while handling the products in order to lower the risk of exposure to the pesticide.[20] Mixing During mixing, fill the spray tank about half full of water before adding in the chemical. Then, measure the recommended amount of chemical accurately according to the label instructions. Finish filling the spray tank with the correct amount of water, being careful not to spill or splash the mixture. All measuring utensils such as cups and spoons, containers and application equipment should be specifically marked and kept at the same place where pesticide are stored. After each use, the utensils should be washed thoroughly.[20] Use safe practices. Do not splash. Pour with care; illustration (37 Kb PDF file) Image: Proper technique in mixing pesticides (Image taken from: www.stewardshipcommunity.com ) Application of pesticides Upon using, the discharge from the sprayer should be directed away from the body. Leaking of equipment should be repaired. Organophosphorus and carbamate compounds should not be applied for more than 5-6 hours a day and the hands should be washed after every pump charge. Users should guard against the drifts of pesticide sprays or dusts by performing the application when there is no wind as some chemicals may drift in considerable distances if the right conditions exist. Users should not eat, drink or smoke while applying pesticides.[20] Spillage of Pesticide Upon spillage, users should clean up the spill immediately by using absorbent material such as sawdust, soil in order to soak up any spillage. The spillage and contaminated waste should then be collected and put into a bag or container and to be disposed accordingly.[21] Storage and disposal of pesticides Storage of pesticides in quantity by certified applicators, wholesalers, dealers and retailers must comply with the following: All pesticides stored in quantity must be stored in securely locked well ventilated rooms, well away from all food or feed items. The pesticides should be stored in such manner as to prevent fumes from contaminating food or feed. Pesticides should be separated during storage, preferably in bins, depending upon the type of pesticide. Each type of pesticide, i.e., herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc., must be stored separately from each other.<