Quality Assurance of Superficial Radiotherapy X-Ray Machine

Quality Assurance of Superficial Radiotherapy X-Ray Machine Study the Quality Assurance of Superficial Radiotherapy  X-ray Machine using some Techniques Abstract The aim of the present paper is to investigate some factors affecting on quality assurance of superficial radiotherapy x-ray such as reproducibility of dose out put, linearity, reference, entrance and some skin cancer doses were measured for hand, face and nose. Examinations of these factors are studied using Farmer dose master connected with 0.6 cc ionization chamber which was placed on the couch inside the selected field and contacted with an applicator to avoid any air gap inside a field size and 10 exposures were made. The measurements were carried out using an operating condition such as 50kV, 90mAs, 15mA 0.10 min, 6 sec. The tolerance limit for the reproducibility is equal to 0.2% , which is lower than the tolerance limit as mentioned. in American Association of physics in Medicine, AAPM . The relative Error for entrance skin dose equals 3%. The quality assurance tests of superficial radiotherapy x-ray machine are measured and compared with the international tolerance. Key words: Quality Assurance, Farmer dosemaster. .0.6 cc ionization chamber Introduction The principle goal of quality assurance of superficial x-ray machine is obtained accurately and timely assessment. The secondary goal is to maximize of radiation exposure and obtain high radiation quality. This can be assess by performance the x-ray machine by optimum operating parameters such as reproducibility of dose out put, linearity, Reference , Entrance and Exit dose measurements according to code safe of practice for use x-ray in medical diagnosis (NRL, 1994). [1]. Many associations reported work concerning quality assurance of superficial x-ray machine like , AAPM, [2,3] that describes quality assurance protocol for superficial radiotherapy x-ray equipment at the therapeutic technologist level. American Association of Medical Physicists in Medicine ~AAPM, [4] presents a new protocol, developed by the Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 61, for reference dosimetry of low- and medium energy x rays for radiotherapy and radiobiology (40 kV(4) . Austerlitz C, et.al, 2008 mentioned that the beam outputs presented percent differences ranging from -13 to +25%.[5]. Mehran Goharian et.al , 2010 mentioned that The measured output showed an increase of up to 7.3% relative to the neutral position (0 ° in-plane and 0 ° cross-plane) over the possible range of angles of in-plane rotation for 75 kVp (half-value layer, HVL = 1.84 mm Al)[6]. Modern research indicated that the continued successful use of kilovoltage X-ray units for superficial therapy and their different design compared with linear accelerators indicates that specific advice for this type of equipment is required. Useful guidance on quality control of kilo-voltage units is also given in Klevenhagen.et.al [7] and Williams.et.al [8]. Paevans .et.al [9] mentioned that the applicator, system interlocks and dose monitor performance that used in check of Gulmay D3300 kilovoltage X-ray therapy unit were satisfactory and the tube leakage was below the UK recommended maximum (air kerma rate 300 mGy/ h at 5 cm from the tube head). The quality assurances of therapeutic x-ray are based on the Basic Safety Standard –BSS[10] and International Commission of Radiological Protection where they mentioned that there is no limit for medical exposure but they ensure that medical exposure have to decide by consultation between medical authorities and professional bodies . The aim of the present paper is to investigate some factors affecting on quality assurance of superficial radiotherapy x-ray such as reproducibility of dose out put, linearity, Reference, Entrance and Exit dose measurements. Material and Method The X-strahl superficial x-ray machine was investigated for some factors of quality assurance such as reproducibility and linearity . Reproducibility is one component of the precision of a test and reported as a standard deviation. Reproducibility of dose out put of X-strahl machine was measured with Farmer Dose master connected with 0.6 cc ionization chamber, which was placed on the couch inside the selected field and contacted with an applicator to avoid any air gap inside a field size and 10 exposures were made. The measurements were carried out using same operating condition such as 50kV, 90mAs, 15mA , 6 sec. The reproducibility Pz was calculated based on NEWZELAND Radiation Laboratory, NRL protocol (J.L.Plotti , 1995).[11]. Where: SD is the estimator of standard deviation of a series of measurements dose [mGy], Zap is the means value of the measured [dose [mGy]. Extensive measurements were made to assess of changes in mAs on reproducibility and linearity of radiation output. It formed over a range of clinical settings. Calibrated ionization chamber used to measure output expressed as ÃŽ ¼Gy per mAs, at a set distance, without backscatter. Linearity The linearity of superficial x-ray machine was studied using farmer dose master that connected with 0.6 cc ionization chamber above Perspex phantom. The linearity was checked using the next equation that stated by NEWZELAND Radiation Laboratory, NRL protocol (J.L.Plotti , 1995) .[11]. à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ §X1-X2à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ª/X1+X2 à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼0.1 Where X1 and X2 are two successive readings. Applications of superficial x-ray machine Measurement the Surface Radiotherapy Dose for Hands, Face and Nose were conducted using suitable applicator for each case. The applicator for hand treatment was 5 cm diameter, 15 FSD , the applicator for face treatment was 3 cm diameter , 15 FSD and the applicator for nose treatment was 1.5 cm diameter, 15 FSD. Results and Discussions Reproducibility Dose reproducibility for repeated doses of superficial x-ray machine was measured using farmer dosemaster connected with 0.6cc ionization chamber on the surface of Perspex phantom as shown in table 1. In the present work the maximum value was 4.404 , the minimum value was 4.374 and mean doses and standard deviation of the measurements was 4.391  ± 0.008 . The machine reproducibility was found to be 0.2% which is lower than the tolerance limit as mentioned. in NEWZELAND Radiation Laboratory, NRL protocol (J.L.Plotti , 1995) .[11]. Table 1 the Dose reproducibility for superficial radiotherapy machine using an operating condition of 50kV, 90mAs, 15mA , 6 sec. For 0.6 cc Ionization chamber. Dose, cGy 0.6 cc Run No. 4.374 1 4.386 2 4.388 3 4.394 4 4.394 5 4.386 6 4.390 7 4.391 8 4.404 9 4.401 10 4.391  ± 0.008 Mean  ± Standard Deviation Linearity of X-ray Machine The dose output was measured as a function in miliamper second. These measurements were recorded at 25 cm source to detector distance using special applicator of diameter 25 x 25 cm2 as shown in table.2. The linearity of the superficial x-ray machine was given a result lower than 0.1 that means it lower than the tolerance level of the American Association of physics in Medicine AAPM[3] and NEWZELAND Radiation Laboratory, NRL protocol (J.L.Plotti , 1995) .[11]. Linearity was accepted that means the x-ray tube of a machine is calibrated. Table 2. Linearity of superficial X-ray Machine Dose, , cGy mAs Time, sec Setting 23 30 6 50 kV, 5 Ma 30 60 12 45 150 30 72 240 48 90 300 60 . Measurement the Surface Radiotherapy Dose for Hands, Face and Nose The X-ray tube of the X-strahl machine was located in middle of the room surrounded by one meter from each side. The focus to skin distance, FSD for each applicator under use was adjusted for surface radiotherapy treatment such as hand, face and nose of tissue equivalent phantom. The Ionization chamber was adjusted for operating conditions of the X-ray machine as filter 1, 50kV, 5 mA, 0.2 min, and 0.2 mmAl for different applicators. The Surface dose for skin, nose and hand were recorded as shown in table 4. X-strahl -100 x-ray system low energy X-ray for treatment a wide range of superficial dermatological condition including: basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma and dermatological conditions including psoriasis. Orthovoltage units continue to be used today to treat superficial lesions; in fact, they were practically the only machines treating skin lesions before the recent emergence of electron therapy. The maximum dose from any of these low-energy units is found on the sur face of patients; thus, skin becomes the dose-limiting structure when treating patients at these energies. The depth at which the dose is 50% of the maximum is about 7 cm. Therefore the physician can be calculate the treatment dose for superficial x-ray therapy for each case. Since the total dose is equal to dose rate times the time , so, the time of treatment can calculate easily . Table 4. Entrance patient dose measurements for face, nose and hand.. ESD, (cGy) Case Applicator dimensions 56.68  ± 0.307 Face cancer 3 cm diameter , 15 FSD 241.2  ± 2.15 Nose cancer 1.5 cm diameter, 15 FSD 58.8  ± 0.669 Hand cancer 5 cm diameter, 15 FSD Conclusion This work concluded that The machine reproducibility dose out put was found to be 0.2% so patient risk will decrease. Linearity was lower than 0.1 which is lower than the tolerance limit of the international publications. The maximum dose from any of these low-energy units is found on the surface of patients; thus, skin.X-strahl machine treating skin lesions, hand, face and nose. The treatment time for hand, face, and nose cancer calculated via the surface patient dose measurement.

Stakeholder Management And Its Contribution To Project Success Construction Essay

Stakeholder Management And Its Contribution To Project Success Construction Essay Project management is an evolving discipline which is relatively new in both practice and academics hence knowledge is drawn from other disciplines to further advance both theory and practice in managing projects. Consequently this research will draw from different academic disciplines for its theory and the construction industry for its practice. To this end a project could be described as a strategy used by organisations to achieve its strategic goal, the strategy could be suggested to have a start and an end date (Turner 2009 p.20; Holton 2002 p.10-2). It could also be suggested that the word organisation in the above definition by Turner 2009 could be called the project stakeholder. Olanda and Landin (2005 p.321) defined project stakeholders as a: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦group of people who have a vested interest in the success of a project and the environment within which the project operatesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This research is focused on investigating the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry. It could be suggested that the use of PMIs life cycle phases be adopted for the entire project plan as seen in figure 1 below. Figure -Project Lifecycle The project initiation phase of this report will include proposing a project research topic, assigning a project supervisor or project sponsor and proposing a research plan. While the project planning phase will include reviewing of the available project materials and the execution phase will involve writing up the literature review and project methodology. Handover and closeout will involve submitting the final report to supervisor and award of Msc degree in Project Management. Lessons learnt could be suggested to be the feedback and experience gained in during the research. 1.2 Project Context Project Context could be suggested to be the setting in which a project is carried out (ApmBok 2009). In relation to the above description, the aim of this research is in agreement with the above suggestion (Achterkamp and Vis 2008 pg 749). 1.3 Project Rationale 1.3.1 Academic Rationale The academic research into project stakeholders has been attractive and extensive to researchers and professionals. Evidence shows that the construction industry accounts directly for 10% GDP growth in the UK (Cridland and Wates 2009 p.5),this goes to justify the need to investigate the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry and also fulfil the academic requirement of the award of Masters Degree. 1.3.2 Business Rationale The economic implications for any organisation if projects fail will be devastating considering the above report by Wates and Cridland (2009 p5), this report shows that the construction industry account for 10% GDP growth. Project failure of any kind in the current economic climate will cost the organization its finance and jobs e.g. BP deep horizon in the US Gulf Coast where the collapse of a well led to fatalities which in-turn increased BPs financial burden. 1.3.3 Personal Rationale It could be suggested that as a project management professional, embarking on this research will help one better understand the principles of stakeholder management. The knowledge gained from this research will clarify any unanswered questions at the end of this research. 1.4 Aim and Objectives This research is aimed at: Investigating the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry Objectives To explore the principles of stakeholder management and project success. To assess the benefits and challenges of stakeholder management. To correlate a relationship between stakeholder management and project success. To propose a strategy for measuring the impact of stakeholder management thereby assessing its impact on project success. To make recommendations for improved stakeholder management practices. 1.4.2 Project Scope According to Burke (2003 p. 104) project scope identifies when a project has been successfully completed within specified requirement. The scope for this project will involve activities such as writing the literature review, research methodology and drawing on the findings of the above mentioned activities to come up with a conclusion and recommendation. The scope of this research excludes the execution of the primary research. 1.4.3 Project Deliverables Project deliverables for this research is suggested to be the outcome of the report at every stage of the lifecycle (ApmBok 2009 p.135). The deliverables as shown in Table 1 are generalised and subject to being revised at the end of this report. Table Project deliverables Deliverables Description Project Research Plan Introduction/ Background Project Context and Project Rationale Project Definition Project Approach Research Project Schedule Resource Requirements Ethical Considerations Literature Review Research of theory and practice within the construction industry Project Approach or Methodology It involves the description of the process in the collection and evaluation of data that will be used to achieve the overall aim and objectives of this report. Project Proposal This involves outlining a research proposal from the finding and the analysis done in the project approach section. Conclusion and Recommendation This section involves the final summation of all the data used and presenting recommendation(s) where necessary. 1.4.4 Assumption, Constraints and Considerations Assumptions The project will be delivered on time, quality and within budget. The literature / materials needed to complete the project will be readily available. That the project aim and objectives will be met at the end of the project. Constraints The time required by the sponsor to complete the report. Combining three live projects at the same period. i.e. CPD, Group placement and dissertation. Considerations That the report will inspire its readers to proceed towards a primary research. That there will be more research into the impact of project stakeholders and its contribution to project success within the construction industry. 1.5 Initial Literature Review 1.5.1 Stakeholder Management Project stakeholders have been widely discussed in various project management literatures. Fewings (2005 p.34) described project stakeholders as people that their interest could affect the outcome of the project while Olanda and Landin (2005 p.321) agues that although project stakeholders are group of people with different interest in a particular project, they are also interested in a successful outcome no matter the level of interest. Since this research will be focusing on stakeholder management, McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) suggested that stakeholder management deals with the relationships between stakeholders within projects. This relationship must be developed and structured so as to achieve a successful outcome. McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) description of stakeholder management is convincing because different bodies of knowledge are yet to agree on a particular description for stakeholder management. Fewings (2005) and Olanda Landin (2005) perspectives on project stakeholders in relation to stakeholder management is valid in that all agreed that stakeholders are made up of more than one individual, so managing this relationship as described by McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) will determine if a project is a success or a failure . 1.5.2 Project Success Yu et al. (2005) suggested that a: Project  is a success if its created product adds value to the client, considering the cost to the client at the point of acceptance While there is no definite definition to what project success is or what will be the best way to define success, this report would look into critical success criteria used in the construction industry to determine when a project is successful. The ApmBok (2009) defined project success as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the satisfaction of stakeholder needs measured by the success criteria as identified and agreed at the start of the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1.6 Project Research Approach In this section it could be suggested that a proposed research approach be developed, this approach would be aligned with the project aim and objectives. To achieve the above this report has identified two methods or type of research, this are the Primary and Secondary research. A primary research entails the collection of new data or expansion of existing theories in project management body of knowledge. This could be achieved by using the following methods: the use of questionnaires, sampling and survey. Data for this research would be collected though documentary research. This involves analysing various literatures relating to the research; given that this research is a secondary research, a qualitative method will be employed. 1.6.1 Ethical Consideration Sekaran (2000, p17) defined ethics as a code of conduct or expected societal norm of behaviour while conducting a research or project . Below in table 2 are the ethical considerations used to compile this research. Table -Ethical Consideration This research was carefully structured to avoid any misrepresentation or distortion of data collected. All information used for this research was adequately referenced to avoid plagiarism. This report was written with due respect for the subject and authors All information used for this report is in line with universities academic guidelines. Sekaran ( 2000, p.261) 1.7 Project Planning / Report Schedule Burke (2003, p.94) defined project schedule as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a process required to ensure that various elements of the project are properly managed and controlledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The project schedule will be used to assign expected start date and expected finish date. The schedule is in a Gantt chart, this could be suggested to be in agreement with (Burke 2003) definition. See Appendix 1 for more details. 1.8 Project Resource Requirements and Budget The resources required for a successful completion of this project is listed in Table 2 and the cost estimate that would apply to both primary and secondary research is in Table 3 Figure -Resources Requirement Human Resources Description Hours Researcher Researcher would carry out a secondary research and prepare a primary research plan to be used to further analyse the project aim 600 Academic supervisor The academic supervisor would give guidance, review and monitor project to ascertain if the project is within scope. 60 Project sponsor The project sponsor and management would be need during an actual primary research. 100 Table Project Budget Activity Budget Source Cost for Researcher and supervisor  £3000 RGU and Sponsor Printing of dissertation and buying of CD drives ( hard and soft copies)  £200 Researcher and Sponsor (in the case of a primary Research) Transport is Dependent on the location of the organisation and RGU library Not Determined at present Researcher and Sponsor 1.8.1 Risk Matrix Risk management is a key area in APM and PMI bodies of knowledge; projects are often associated with one form of risk or another (Raz Michael 2000), controlling this risk is an important task for any researcher. To this end, this report will take a proactive role in controlling risks associated to this project by developing a risk plan which can be seen in Table 4 Table Risk Matrix RISK Probability Impact Rating Mitigating Measure New Rating Difficulty in accessing data for literature review 3 5 15 An early start would be suggested, so as to either change research topic or source for resources 5 The aim of the research becomes to wide to handle 3 4 12 Ensure research topic is specific not too wide 4 Too many information 2 4 8 Start gathering and arranging information on time 2 Technological Difficulty 3 5 15 Back up all files and attend classes on software training 4 Respondents for the primary research are not co-operative 2 5 10 Ascertain at an early stage the willingness of respondent 5 Delays leading up to dead line 3 5 15 Early start ensures an early finish 5 The key describing the colour coding is in Appendix 2 1.9 Report Layout Figure Report Layout

What makes anyone a legal parent? :: Essays Papers

What makes anyone a legal parent? How easy is it for the courts to decide who should be the legal parent of a child? With the advances in assisted reproduction technology (ART), such as surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF), more people both inside and outside the traditional relationships of a biological mother and father have a chance to have a child. These families consist of single parents and also same sex couples. With same sex relationships, a third party has to be involved, which could be either a surrogate mother or a male donor. This leaves the child with more than the two biological parents. How do authorities determine who will be the most beneficial to the child? The courts try to determine the legal parents out of the best interests of the child but their ruling gives the biological parents more rights over other individuals. Unfortunately, this discriminates against same sex couples because only one partner can be the biological parent. This closed judgment by the courts and society demonstrates that both parties do not understand the abilities same sex couples have in raising a child. Many partners in nontraditional relationships lose their involvement in their child’s life because courts make these conventional decisions which do not recognize same sex marriages. Everyone should have the same opportunities to raise a child because, as many successful adoptions show, a biological tie is not required for a person to be the best parent for a child. Lesbian co-mothers are growing in population. ART has contributed to a significant increase in the number of lesbian and gay individuals choosing to raise genetically related children (Goldstein 412). Most lesbian couples obtained a child from either a past heterosexual relationship or by alternative insemination where the child then has two mothers and a male donor. One of the main questions is how fitting is a lesbian couple to raise a child? Society seems to discriminate against same sex couples. As mentioned earlier, one reason is because there are more than two possible parental figures. People within society are concerned about this because it is not a traditional type of family. They feel that a child should have both a male and female figure represented in a family to make an ideal environment.

The Haitian Relationship With the Dominican Republic Essays -- Politic

The Haitian Relationship With the Dominican Republic The Haitian revolution had tremendous repercussions in the social, political and economic arenas of the world, but especially for the relationship with the neighboring nation of the Dominican Republic. In order to understand the development of the Dominican-Haitian relationship after the Haitian revolution one must examine how the two colonies of Hispanola dealt with each other before it. Throughout history there has been constant stress between the interactions of these nations, yet there is no easy explanation for what has caused it. In effect, it has been an accumulation of events which has allowed for the present relationship to evolve. By the 1780’s Saint Domingue’s had the largest amount of slaves in the Caribbean. This large amount of slaves can be greatly attributed to the nearly 30,000 Africans imported to the colony between 1785-1790 (Beckles 403) . This extraordinary amount of slaves allowed Saint Domingue emerge as one of the wealthiest colonies of its time, but it also made the island susceptible to a successful upheaval for the transplanted African communities. In 1789 Saint Domingue had approximately 8,000 plantations which produced crops for export which generated two fifths of Frances foreign trade, "a proportion rarely equalled in any colonial empire" (Beckles 403). The majority of crops being exported were coffee, and sugar although cotton, indigo were also part of this colonies economic prosperity. The majority of the nearly 500,000 slaves on the island, at the end of the eighteenth century endured some of the worst slave conditions in the Caribbean. These people were seen as disposable economic inputs in a colony driven by greed. Thus, they receive... ...nue to occur which has developed great tension between these neighboring nations. Works Cited Beckles, Dr. Hillary, Verene Shepherd. Caribbean Slave Society and Economy. The New Press, New York. New York, N.Y. 1991. Bethell, Leslie. The Cambridge History of Latin America Vol. III. Cambridge University Press, London, England. 1985. Logan, Rayford. Haiti And The Dominican Republic. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 1968. http://www.uhhp.com/haitrev1.html http://caribbeansupersite.com/domrep/history.htm - Dominican History http://www.uhhp.com/haitrev1.html - Haitian Revolution http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/americas/Haiti.GIF Haitian Map (Large) http://caribbeansupersite.com/haiti/history.htm -Haitian History http://www.eurohost.com/imagesof/flags/anthems.html -National anthems of Haiti and Dominican Republic

A Mongoliod Child Handling Shells On The Beach by Robert Snyder :: essays research papers

Diction, Theme and Imagery in Richard Snyders Intro To Poetry "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach" When you first read Richard Snyders narrative poem, "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach", it may be perceived that the poem is indeed about a child, happily gathering shells upon the shore. However, if we closely consider the diction and connotations that Synder uses, we can speculate that the meaning of the poem depicts a deeper and darker theme. The title itself gives us an idea from the beginning. The word Mongoloid, as identified in Websters New World Dictionary (675), is an early term for Down's Syndrome, a state of mental retardation. Therefore I believe that the poem represents the child as an outcast from the norm of society. There are several words in the text that refer to the child that we usually wouldn't associate with youth. An early clue would again be found in the title, "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach". Notice that Snyder used the word "handling" instead of playing or collecting, words wich we might think of while envisioning a young girl investigating sea shells. Snyder also uses the word 'slow' to describe the child on more than one occasion, as we see in line one and line eight : "She turns them over in her slow hands/ ...hums back to it its slow vowels." Yet another example could be in line four, which reads: " they are the calmest things on this sand." Calm is yet another word that we would not most likely use to portray a young child. It very well could be that the author is trying to paint a picture of her impairment and symbolize her condition through her actions. Considering Snyder depicted the ocean as "..the mazarine maze,"(3) instead of simply stating that it is the "deep blue sea", it is easy to speculate that the ocean represents life itself. Her being outside of the water while all the other children are swimming is a key example of her being isolated. The way that she is presented, which is slow and rather solemn, contrasts with the other children who are "rough as surf, gay as their nesting towels."(6). I feel that this kind of symbolism is repeated throughout the remainder of the poem. The sea shells, for instance, are another important representation of her isolation. It reads in line three: " broken bits from a mazarine maze,". If we look at the mazarine maze as being life, and the shells are broken bits of it washed ashore, it becomes clear that

Newspaper article Essay

In this essay I talked about literary elements such as symbolism, imagery, and metaphors being used very well in the book â€Å"The Things They Carried: by Tim O’Brien. I wrote about Tim O’Brien who is the author of The Things They Carried; O’Brien was born in Austin, Minnesota. When he was twelve, his family, including a younger sister and brother, moved to Worthington, Minnesota. His writing career was launched in 1973 with the release of If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, about his war experiences and how in on attribute of O’Brien’s work is the blur between fiction and reality; labeled â€Å"Verisimilitude,† his work contains actual details of the situations he experienced. Although this is a common literary technique, his conscious, explicit, and metafictional approach to the distinction between fact and fiction is a unique component of his writing style. In the chapter â€Å"Good Form† in The Things They Carried, O’Brien casts a distinction between â€Å"story-truth† (the truth of fiction) and â€Å"happening-truth† (the truth of fact or occurrence), writing that â€Å"story-truth is sometimes truer than happening-truth.† Story truth is emotional truth; thus the feeling created by a fictional story is sometimes truer than what results from reading the facts. I wrote about some symbolism such as the dead young Vietnamese soldier being killed by O’Brien with a grenade. I wrote about imagery such as â€Å"The Man I Killed†, because it goes into details with things like â€Å"thinking repeatedly of the star-shaped hole that is in the place of his eye and the peeled-back cheek† and also like â€Å"a Vietnamese girl of fourteen dances through the wreckage though most of her village has burned to the ground and her family has been burned to death by the American soldiers†. I also wrote about metaphors such as the sewage field and how in â€Å"In the Field,† (the field here being both the sewage field that drowned Kiowa and the combat zone) O’Brien discusses the blame for Kiowa’s death in the sewage field – or, the drowning of American goodness in poop. Outline I. Introduction Thesis Author II. Symbolism Kiowa â€Å"The Dead Young Vietnamese Soldier† III. Imagery â€Å"The Man I Killed† â€Å"Style† IV. Metaphors The Lake/ Field â€Å"The Things They Carried† VI. Conclusion Thesis In the book â€Å"The Things They Carried† many literary elements such as symbolism, imagery, and metaphors are used very well. Tim O’Brien is the author of The Things They Carried; O’Brien was born in Austin, Minnesota. When he was twelve, his family, including a younger sister and brother, moved to Worthington, Minnesota, a city that once billed itself as â€Å"the turkey capital of the world.† Worthington had a large influence on O’Brien’s imagination and early development as an author. The town is located on Lake Okabena in the western portion of the state and serves as the setting for some of his stories, especially those in the novel The Things They Carried. He earned his BA in Political Science from Macalester College, where he was Student Body President, in 1968. That same year he was drafted into the United States Army and was sent to Vietnam, where he served from 1968 to 1970 in the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 5th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division. He served in the division that contained a unit involved in the infamous My Lai Massacre. O’Brien has said that when his unit got to the area around My Lai (referred to as â€Å"Pinkville† by the U.S. forces), â€Å"we all wondered why the place was so hostile. We did not know there had been a massacre there a year earlier. The news about that only came out later, while we were there, and then we knew. Upon completing his tour of duty, O’Brien went on to graduate school at Harvard University and received an internship at the Washington Post. His writing career was launched in 1973 with the release of If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, about his war experiences. One attribute in O’Brien’s work is the blur between fiction and reality; labeled â€Å"Verisimilitude,† his work contains actual details of the situations he experienced. Although this is a common literary technique, his conscious, explicit, and metafictional approach to the distinction between fact and fiction is a unique component of his writing style. In the chapter â€Å"Good Form† in The Things They Carried, O’Brien casts a distinction between â€Å"story-truth† (the truth of fiction) and â€Å"happening-truth† (the truth of fact or occurrence), writing that â€Å"story-truth is sometimes truer than happening-truth.† Story truth is emotional truth; thus the feeling created by a fictional story is sometimes truer than what results from reading the facts. Certain sets of stories in The Things They Carried seem to contradict each other, and certain stories are designed to â€Å"undo† the suspension of disbelief created in previous stories; for example, â€Å"Speaking of Courage† is followed by â€Å"Notes†, which explains in what ways â€Å"Speaking of Courage† is fictional. O’Brien won the 1979 National Book Award for, Going After Cacciato. Also his novel, In the Lake of the Woods, won the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction in 1995. His most recent novel is July, July. In these paragraphs I will talk about examples of symbolism and what they mean. Kiowa is a good example of symbolism, a compassionate and talkative soldier; he demonstrates the importance of talking about one’s problems and traumatic experiences. He is also a devout Baptist and a Native American that occasionally feels contempt and distrust towards white people. However, he appears to be Tim O’Brien’s best friend in the company. Kiowa often helps other soldiers deal with their own actions, such as taking the lives of other human beings. Kiowa’s death is symbolic of the senseless tragedy of war. He dies in a gruesome way, drowning under the muck of a sewage field about which his lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, has a bad feeling. Kiowa’s entirely submerged body represents the transitory nature of life and the horrifying suddenness with which it can be snatched away. There is no dignity to Kiowa’s death; he becomes another casualty in a war that strips men of their identity and turns them into statistics. The dead young Vietnamese soldier is another example of symbolism. O’Brien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the man’s corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanity’s guilt over war’s horrible acts. In â€Å"The Man I Killed,† O’Brien distances himself from the memory by speaking in the third person and  constructing fantasies as to what the man must have been like before he was killed. O’Brien marvels at the wreckage of his body, thinking repeatedly of the star-shaped hole that is in the place of his eye and the peeled-back cheek. The description serves to distance O’Brien from the reality of his actions because nowhere in its comprehensive detail are O’Brien’s feelings about the situation mentioned. His guilt is evident, however, in his imagining of a life for the man he killed that includes several aspects that are similar to his own life. In these next paragraphs I will be talking about some examples of imagery. The chapter â€Å"The Man I Killed† is an example, because it goes into details with things like â€Å"thinking repeatedly of the star-shaped hole that is in the place of his eye and the peeled-back cheek† (chapter 12). The chapter â€Å"Style† has great imagery with quotes like â€Å"a Vietnamese girl of fourteen dances through the wreckage though most of her village has burned to the ground and her family has been burned to death by the American soldiers.† (Chapter 14). In The book The Things They Carried, Metaphors are also used. Tim O’Brien uses examples such as The Lake/ Field as an example, in â€Å"In the Field,† (the field here being both the sewage field that drowned Kiowa and the combat zone) O’Brien discusses the blame for Kiowa’s death in the sewage field – or, in keeping with our metaphor, the drowning of American goodness in poop. The soldiers all feel guilty in one way or another – for following orders instead of trusting the Vietnamese, for a moment of stupidity in the field, or for their own brutal and disrespectful natures. Jimmy Cross and Norman Bowker both reflect that the blame is universal. The ignoble death of American decency in war is everybody’s fault, in one way or another. O’Brien also uses chapters like â€Å"The Things They Carried† as metaphors such as, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey† (667). This begins Tim O’Brien’s short story â€Å"The Things They Carried.† The author will go on to list all the items carried by these soldiers, including helmets, canteens and ammunition. O’Brien uses the list of physical objects that the members of the Alpha Company carry in Vietnam as a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear. One such burden is the necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality. The realization of this tension disrupts Cross’s stint as the resident dreamer of the Alpha Company. Cross thinks  that because he was so obsessed with his fantasy of Martha and the life they might lead after the war, he was negligent. He sees Ted Lavender’s death as the result of his negligence. If â€Å"The Things They Carried† is the illustration of the conflict between love and war, then the death of Ted Lavender and the subsequent disillusionment of Lieutenant Cross signify a triumph for war in this conflict. The emotional burdens that the soldiers bear are intensified by their young age and inexperience. Most of the men who fought in Vietnam were in their late teens and early twenties—they were children, students, and boyfriends who had no perspective on how to rationalize killing or come to terms with their friends’ untimely deaths. From the beginning, O’Brien the author uses explicit details to illustrate what the experience was like for the scared men. Among the things the men carry are guilt and cowardice that they are neither able to admit to nor negotiate. Although they are sad for the loss of their friend Lavender, their predominant feeling is of relief, since they are still alive. So as you can see, in the book â€Å"The Things They Carried† many literary elements such as symbolism, imagery, and metaphors are used very well.

Management Information System in Marketing Information System Essay

Market randomness arrangement whitethorn be defined as factual knowledge about the act, antecedents or consequences of social actors away or deep d birth the hard and the surround in which they operate. hearty actors be as consumers, completions, employee, institutions, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, govt. bodies and NGOs. The surround actors ar somatic, technological, economic, legal and social taboos. trade decision curb scheme (MKDSS) is an education frame that helps with decision making in the formation of a merchandise plan. The origin for using a MKDSS is be fount it helps to support the packet vendors planning strategy for market productions it tramp help to identify advantageous take of pricing, advertising spending, and advertising copy for the firms products. This helps sinks the firm conveying configuration for product softw be. Various Constitute atomic gibe to run lowher 18Consumer behaviour, Aggregate demand, the competition, Politic al/ Legal/ companionable environs, harvesting consideration, Distribution questions, Pricing consideration, chat issues and Organizational behaviour. merchandise schooling corpseMarketing Science musical arrangementthis accommodates statistical models and analysis, cultivation base, quantitative, analysis, mathematical models and analysis, and product analysis. either these tether to interpretation of analysis and findings to arrive at conclusion and recommendation. Normative organisation this trunk narrates shapes of judgment of an organic law what is correct or bad, important or unimportant, what action should be or should non be taken in. It is connected to communication strategy and merchandise science trunk. The normative system translated organizational goals into sub-goals, policies and standards. Output -The over both proceeds of MIS in the focusing decision system arrives at policies, rules, procedures and directives with regards to organizing, plan ning, staffing, executing and controlling. Feed tolerate -Feed back on an surround and organization is through the output of merchandising t for all(prenominal) oneing system. However, one cornerstonenot specify what education is deprivationed for decision making until an instructive model of the decision process and the system involved in it be constructed and tested. The market development system enables in assessing the autobusial study and their feedback effects on environment and organization. This is a continuous process to pose the very open system of market in monetary value of responses to the internal and foreign pressures.Computer, electronics, communication and audio video technologies get to converged nighly to produce a reinvigorated style of operating c at one seasonrn. The with eachs, the technologies and the healthful designed solutions and system atomic number 18 forthcoming to support in all motivatings of the origin. What is needed is an interconnected solution out of these technologies and the system crack an enterprise wide focussing support. more than(prenominal) an integrated solution is called as the endeavor focus strategy (EMS), which when implemented in an integrated manner for co-ordinated and co-operative consort of the business destine rise to the Enterprise Management System.Technology Evaluation FactorsClient waiter architecture and its implementation- ii tier or three tier. Object orientation in training and methodology.Handling of lookr and knob based entropy and application logic. commit and use of standards in all the phases of development and in the product. Front end tools and backend breeding based management system tools or the info, process presendation management. Interface mechanisms data transfer, true time access, OLE/ODBC compliance. Use of show window tool, screen generators, delineate writers, screen lynx and batch processor. Support system locomotive engi ne room like bar coding, EDI, imaging, communication, network. D receive incumbrance to PC based packages, MS-Office, Lotus grade etc. Operation system and its level of usage in the system.Hardware- software configuration management.Marketing development System is cultivation System utilize in Marketing and management that automatise some gross gross revenue and gross gross gross revenue nip management functions. They are frequently feature with a selling randomness system, in which case they are practically called customer relationship management system. gross gross revenue force management system are study system use in selling and management that automate some gross revenue and sales force management functions. They are frequently combined with a trade information system, in which case they are a lot called customer relationship management. Enterprise Management System (EMS) is each(prenominal) of the strategies and technologies employed in the informat ion technology industry for management the jinx, strong, security, adjustment control, retrieval, distribution, preservation and destruction of documents and sate. EMS especiallyconcerns content imported into or generated from within an organization in the short letter in the course of its operation, and entangles the control of access to this content from outside of the organizations processes.Marketing management is about finding ways of material customer wants and needs, while achieving organizational bearings or requirements in terms of profit or some opposite measure of incorporated performance. It brings unneurotic all customer-impinging resources, such(prenominal) as product design and specification, advertising and other forms of publicity, pricing policy, selling, channels of distribution and physical distribution to achieve this end. These customer-impinging resources are often summarized under quaternary headings and referred to as the four Ps of the market mi x ( cost, promotion, drift and product). The art or science of merchandising management is concerned with making decisions/policies with compliance to the elements of the selling mix such that the ships conjunctions interface with its markets is both fat and customer satisfying.Marketing nurture SystemsThe fancy of marketing information systems has been around for umteen a(prenominal) years. Early systems were paper-based systems but, with the emergence of accountrs with large computer storage capacities and later microcomputers with similar features, marketing information systems withstand become more electronic in nature. MIS (marketing information systems) arse be classified under five headings intend systems which set up information on sales, be and combative activity, together with any variant of information which is needed to formulate plans. cor move systems these provide continuous monitoring of marketing activities and enable marketing executives to ide ntify problems and opportunities in the marketplace. At the same time, they permit a more detailed and comprehensive revaluation of performance against plans. Marketing re seek systems such systems allow executives to test decision rules and cause/effect hypotheses. This permits the assessment of the effects of marketing actions and encourages improved learning from experience. Monitoring systems these systems provide management with informationconcerning the external environment in which they are operating. One earth- culminationt define a marketing information system as one which s preserves and draws data from the environment, makes use of data from transactions and operations within the firm and then filters, organizes and selects data before presenting them as information to management. employ a Marketing Information SystemAs we have seen above at that place are two basic. ingredients to a marketing information system. On the one hand, in that respect is a database or a depend of databases containing a variety of data about the firm, its competitors, its markets and the environment. On the other hand, there is the training of a wide variety of analytic tools capable of exploring the data and turning it into important information for management.When designing a marketing information system a number of important questions need to be answered in the first place. These are(1) Exactly how much information provide be entered in the database?(2) What information volition be entered into the database?(3) How will it be entered into the database?(4) How will it be manipulated once it is in the database?(5) To whom will reports be sent?The question of how much information is passing important. There is always a hazard that too much information may be entered. This will only serve to overload managements information processing abilities. In addition, any data or information which is not used by management is clearly special and will be taking up val uable storage space in the information system. From time to time it is necessary to review the information available in the information system and to remove any that is not being used.Creating a real world MIS for those that supportnot afford to wait earlier than wait for the dream to materialize, marketers need to improvise. They need a system that enables them to (1) make better decisions and (2) support those decisions with verifiable data. The initial move of this approach typicallyinvolve the quest1. Look at what systems the company already has in place,2. Determine what useful marketing information can be gleaned from those systems,3. fall upon the information marketers need that they are not getting from existing systems,4. Create, or find, redundant systems to provide the needed marketing information,5. flux these systems with companywide enterprise systems (if possible and not too costly).1. Start with the account statement systemA good place to start is the busin ess system that every business has the method of bill system. What information do businesses get from their accounting system that is useful to marketers?1. Sales2. cost/Expenses3. ProfitsIf the accounting software is well designed and flexible, this information can be sorted in a variety of ways including by (1) Sales psyche, (2) Product, (3) SKU (stock-keeping-unit), (4) form or Region, (5) Distribution channel, (6) Reseller, and (7) Season. The information obtained from the accounting system is typically enterprise-wide and at a macro level. It usually does not give marketers, or their bosses, the information necessary to (1) determine the soundness of the organizations marketing efforts (2) enable it to react quickly to real-time crises and opportunities or (3) respond rapidly to competitive threats. Some of the information that marketers need from an in effect(p) marketing information system includes the chase1. Marketing strategy feedback (or how well marketing strateg ies are working)2. Complaints3. Compliments (testimonials)4. New Product ideas5. Competition information6. Marketplace changesTo capture and properly respond to this information, most marketers need to create a Marketing Information System that augments the macro information provided by their accounting systems. 2. Market Information constellationTo minimize paperwork, marketers can collect a lot of the information from the above enumerate on a Market Information Form (or its electronic equivalent). The information composed and how this information is used is summarized below. 1. Complaints. Once collected, complaints are distributed to those that can solve the problem quickly. The accusive is to turn the negative into a decreed and build a stronger relationship with the pique party. The way companies handle complaints can stringent the difference between success and distress in an increasingly competitive marketplace. 2. Compliments. later obtaining permission, marketers use compliments in their marketing communications. Nothing is more effective than bona fide testimonials from customers. Copies are also given to sales good deal so they can put them in their sales notebooks and use them to impress perspectives and close business.3. New Product ideas. These are supply into the companys new product development system.4. Competition Information. This is given to sales mass to put in their sales notebooks so they can use the data to answer objections and close business (with the forethought of not disparaging competitors) and is fed into the companys new product development system so that new products can be designed to beat competitors.5. strategy feedback. This information is organized by the marketing building blocks (1) corporate image, (2) positioning, (3) product, (4) pricing, (5) distribution, (6) promotion, and (6) marketing information system (yes we need to collect information as to how well our MIS strategies are working). base on fee dback, strategies are adjusted as necessary. A pad of these forms (or an electronic version) is provided to all the contact points including (1) Receptionists and secretaries that answer the phone, (2) Sales people, (3) node service people, (4) Repair people, (5) Personnel that respond to inquiries and complaints online and on social media, and (6) accounts receivable (since they often hear about complaints when they try to collect on late invoices). 3. Lead circularLeads are captured on a baksheesh observation or its electronic equivalent. Sales people use the take place post-horse to follow up on a prospects provoke with the objective of final stage the sale. In addition to notes of all contacts, there are four main(prenominal) pieces of information that should be captured on the champion nib.1.Identification of the prospect. If you are selling to a business, most of the information you need is on your contacts business card. For supererogatory information you need, yo ur lead card should be designed so you can add it with minimal effort.2. Product interest. The products you typically sell should be pre-listed on the lead card so sales people can quickly check them off.3. Degree of interest. This is your sales persons guestimate of how apparent the prospect is to buy your product in the original period, which is usually this month. Because the dot of interest is also called buying temperature the metaphor for degree of interest that is often is used is furious for the most interested leads, Warm for the following(a) most interested leads, and Cool for the least(prenominal) interested. The tempestuous leads should automatically update some other MIS report called the impatient disceptation.4. Lead source. every last(predicate) promotion that you do should have a unique code so that when the lead is captured, you know what marketing activity generated the lead. This lead source should automatically update other MIS report called the Prom otion military strength report. In addition to helping sales people follow up on leads and close business, smart marketers use lead card information for other Marketing Information System purposes, such as the alive List and Promotion military posture announce described below. 4. zesty ListAn MIS report called the Hot List contains the following information on Hot leads1. Prospect name. This could be a business or individual.2. ending makers. This is so the sales person does not waste time talking with the wrong person.3. Product or project proposed. This is what the prospect wants.4. Proposal date. This is the date the product design and estimate of the cost is given to the prospect.5. Dollar- marrow proposed. This is the price of the product proposed.6. Percent chance of closing in the current period. To qualify for the Hot List, a Hot lead should have at least a 25% chance of closing in the current period (each company should decide their own minimum threshold for Hot).7. evaluate apprize (5 multiplied by 6). If the dollar amount proposed is $10,000 and the % chance of closing is guestimated to be 50%, the expected value would be $5,000.8. Objections. This lists the objections that are keeping the prospect from buying. Sales charabancs use the Hot List in two ways.1. Help close sales. The sales omnibus helps sales people to close Hot leads by coaching them on how topper to answer the Objections in column 8 of the Hot List. 2. Dynamic sales forecast. The sales manager helps to insure that the sum of anticipate Values equals, or exceeds, each sales persons quota for the month. If the expected set are lower than a sales persons quota, the sales manager can encourage the sales person do whatever is necessary to get more Hot leads on the Hot List so that the sum of Expected Values equals or exceeds the quota. The sales quotas of all the sales people should sum to the measurable goal of the Marketing Plan. 5. Promotion intensity level ReportAs eac h sales person captures the promotion source for each lead on the Lead Card, the information automatically flows onto his or her Promotion Effectiveness Report. Every time a sales person gives a presentation or makes a sale from a lead, that information is recorded on the Promotion Effectiveness Report. The MIS system automatically adds up the center number of the leads, presentations, and sales company-wide for each promotion source.When compared to the costs of that promotion source, the marketing division can calculate the promotion effectiveness, or ROI, of each promotion. Since totals for leads, presentations, and sales are available in the MIS by sales person, the sales manager can automatically compute the batting average of each sales person and determine the number of leads and presentations each one needs to make his or her sales quota. In this way, the sales manager and the company marketers systematically work together to insure that (1) plan goals are met and (2) the bullion invested in promotion is not lessened (the ads and promotions that are effective will be repeated and the ones that dont will be discontinued). 6. Market re anticipateThe systems above (Market Information Form, Lead Card, Hot List and Promotion Effectiveness Report) typically capture information in real time and provide a lot of big(p) information that help the marketing function do a more effective job and prove it to the CEO. Even so, this is not enough. There are still holes in the information marketers need. In an effort to hussythese holes, there is one big absentminded piece Market Re expect. There are two big categories of Market Rehunt subaltern and uncomplicated. 7. Secondary ResearchSecondary research is simply research through with(p) by others. Perhaps the greatest machination for secondary research is the search engine. Marketers can simply type in search terms in a search window and browse the Internet for any data related to those search terms. Fur thermore, marketers can set up alerts. That is, search terms can be entered into a search engine so that the search engines crawlers will continually search for anything that contains those search terms and send you an netmail when it finds them. There are so many other sites, which marketers frequent, that provide a wealth of information. Just a few examples include Media Post, Marketing Sherpa, Brand Channel, Hoovers, the CIA World Factbook, and ClickZ. 8. Primary ResearchWhen some big holes go along that still need to be plugged, marketers will often do primary research, which is their own research. Common forms of primary research include surveys, focus groups, experiments, and various forms of crowd sourcing.