Managers Duties in Terms of the Four Functions of Management Essay

Managers Duties in Terms of the Four Functions of Management - Essay Example When we say the word planning, we are referring to defining objectives and goals for the organization and then formulating a path of action for their achievement. As far as I have seen, this HR manager is pretty much involved in employees’ planning such as how many employees need to be hired in the coming quarter and how and what kind of training should be given to the existing employees so that they are better able to contribute towards that attainment of organizational goals. Â  The organizing function of management refers to the arrangement of sources and people for the attainment of goals and objectives (Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, 2009). The HR manager is usually seen involved in the division of work so that the goals can be achieved in an organized and clear manner. For instance, if a new project is announced, after designing a recruitment plan, he would assign for himself, HR officers and admin person different tasks such as giving advertisement in newspaper, writing job descriptions, defining a career development plan, identifying training needs, sorting resumes, making interview calls such that the process be carried out systematically. Â  Leading is all about having such an influence on the employees which acts as a motivator for them. This HR manager is keen in communicating with his subordinates on a day to day basis. He discusses problems and their solutions, counsels, motivates and guides them as well as educates them on appropriate behavior. Â  Controlling as a management function means ensuring that all efforts towards goal achievement are being properly carried out. Our HR manager keeps a check on employees’ performance and behavior and corrects them where necessary. Â  The HR manager seems to be carrying out the four management functions effectively.

Application of Management Functions to a Case Study

Application of Management Functions to a - Case Study Example As a new manager, I would choose planning to guide me in the management of the hospital. In any business or an organization, entity that focuses on growth and offering quality services to their customers planning is essential (Kerzner, 2013). According to Kerzner, (2013) planning is one of the basic management functions; it involves the use of the available resources to ensure maximum production of goods or solving of peoples wants and needs. Planning ensures maximization of the resources available for production. Additionally, it ensures that the economies of scale are optimized to ensure growth of the organization. Since the merging brings together two entities with different philosophies and way of doing things, planning will be essential to adopt them into our ways of doing things. Additionally, we have to absorb some of the staff who was working in the small hospital. Absorbing the staff can only be possible through effective planning (Kerzner, 2013). Further, Johnson (2013) stated that planning ensures that our goals are clearly set to prevent any conflicts of interest in the newly merged hospital. I will ensure that the goals outlined clearly by writing and follow up to ensure, all the responsible people work hard to ensure the realization of the goals. Additionally, it can come up with a proposal by which the hospitals goals are pinned on all notice boards of the entire hospital. A goal also doubles up as the objectives of the hospital. Objectives are the laid down principles that act as a guide to every organization success. The success of any organization is measured through; the achievements are compared to the set goals. After the merger of the two hospitals, my main goals will include. To increase the number of staff, to start an expanded laboratory facility and to come up with a new registry that will be holding all the records of patients and their affiliates. Secondly, planning shall be essential in my efforts in setting down of

Dravid Luis and His Oppinions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dravid Luis and His Oppinions - Essay Example According to the paper the number of estimates that he has obtained seems to be a little low considering that worth of the equipment that is being evaluated amounts to millions of dollars. Or he can consult another accountant regarding alternative options that may be offered to Jimmy Westfield to settle their difference in evaluating the worth of the equipment. As the discussion stresses utilitarianism is basically the greatest happiness principle which holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness or pleasure and wrong if they tend to produce pain. Â  However, it is important to note that there are two kinds of utilitarianism- act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. In act utilitarianism the consequence of the act should produce the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people while rule utilitarianism means that we should act so that the rules governing our action produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. With utilitarianism as the ethical framework, we now analyze Dravid Luis’ going along with Jimmy Westfield’s desire to record the equipment at net realizable value.

Application of Management Functions to a Case Study

Application of Management Functions to a - Case Study Example As a new manager, I would choose planning to guide me in the management of the hospital. In any business or an organization, entity that focuses on growth and offering quality services to their customers planning is essential (Kerzner, 2013). According to Kerzner, (2013) planning is one of the basic management functions; it involves the use of the available resources to ensure maximum production of goods or solving of peoples wants and needs. Planning ensures maximization of the resources available for production. Additionally, it ensures that the economies of scale are optimized to ensure growth of the organization. Since the merging brings together two entities with different philosophies and way of doing things, planning will be essential to adopt them into our ways of doing things. Additionally, we have to absorb some of the staff who was working in the small hospital. Absorbing the staff can only be possible through effective planning (Kerzner, 2013). Further, Johnson (2013) stated that planning ensures that our goals are clearly set to prevent any conflicts of interest in the newly merged hospital. I will ensure that the goals outlined clearly by writing and follow up to ensure, all the responsible people work hard to ensure the realization of the goals. Additionally, it can come up with a proposal by which the hospitals goals are pinned on all notice boards of the entire hospital. A goal also doubles up as the objectives of the hospital. Objectives are the laid down principles that act as a guide to every organization success. The success of any organization is measured through; the achievements are compared to the set goals. After the merger of the two hospitals, my main goals will include. To increase the number of staff, to start an expanded laboratory facility and to come up with a new registry that will be holding all the records of patients and their affiliates. Secondly, planning shall be essential in my efforts in setting down of

Poetry College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetry College - Essay Example People were kidnapped or trapped in a manner to be tortured only to attain the money. Stealing, robbery, theft were increasing day by day. It was not only suffering in life but terror of slaughtering getting high to its peak. Blacks were suffering from the injustice of Whites, poor were suffering from the miseries country facing due to the colonizing, Children were killed, a totally a horrifying condition was being seen in the country which was only be settled down by changing the thoughts of mind and soul. Many of the authors and poets in addition with the politicians and government tried psychologically to eliminate the major crimes like, terrorism of slaughtering, racism, tortures and literate people from the sufferings and miseries faced by the country due to diasporas and colonized. Margret Atwood, one of the famous Canadian writer known for her novels, but is a good author and writer to brief poems, articles, short stories and few she worked for television and movies as well. She was born in Ottawa, Ontario on 18 November, 1939 and started her writings since she was young. She qualified herself in English literature and taught English for some time in University of British Columbia. She was near to nature and wrote many poems and novels about the environment, personalities, and natural world. Moreover, she was a fervent writer for the kids and though wrote many poems and short stories for them. She was a keen observer and wants to participate herself in the efforts to make the country hygienic to breath in freely. She enthusiastically wrote many short stories and poems to tell the world and the people of her country what they are suffering with and morally help them to eliminate the crimes. "Footnote to the Amnesty Report on Torture" was written in 1978. It wa s a poem compiled in simple English explaining the conditions of the torture chamber along with different shocking and horrifying images in the poem about the torture chamber showing the harsh features of politics. She from the very first stanza clarified the view of the torture chamber by resembling it with something very worst. She made the readers imagine that it neither resembles the dungeon with cob webs, nor it reminds you of opera sets which are being fully designed but by words the dangerous one. It actually looks a lot like to a dirty, grimy, smutty and unclean railway station. However, this railway station is being cleaned every time by a hooked man but still it smells stinky as if it's a hospital with the smell of antiseptics and spirits. These stinky smells are in cooperated with the smell of blood. Her simile for the smell of the blood is equivalent to the one rising from the butcher's shop. She in her following stanza of the poem mentions the briefs about the man working there as a sweeper, cleaning floors all the time. This man cleans all the remnants spread all over the chamber the previous night. The torture is so harsh that people who are brave they forgets their bravery, innocent people may die, their torn fingers, or may hacked tongue are thrown away. To this all that cleaning man is grateful that e has this job to clear vomit, covering the dead bodies or collecting fingers rather than breaking or killing somebody. The words, Margaret Atwood used in the poem "Footnote to the

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald Essay Example for Free

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald Essay Many characters in the Great Gatsby parallel to Fitzgerald life. For example, Daisy, the women Jay Gatsby has been basing his whole life on, is similar to Zelda Sayre, who would not marry Fitzgerald at first because of his lack of success. Gatsby and Fitzgerald both met vital women to their lives at dances, and both while they were stationed at camps in the army. Gatsby met Daisy at Camp Taylor in Illinois, where they danced and fell in love. However, after Gatsby went off to war, they never got back together again. Fitzgerald met his wife, Zelda, at Camp Sheridan in Alabama. Instead of going off to war (his regiment was ready to go to Europe, but the Armistice came before they could leave the States), he went to New York to get enough money to marry Zelda. In the movie version, Daisy tells Gatsby that Rich girls dont marry poor boys. This line was taken straight out of Fitzgeralds life. The father of his first love, a young woman by the name of Ginevra King, supposedly told him that after Fitzgerald asked for Ginevras hand in marriage. The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgeralds most renowned book, and still one of the most read novels in American literature. A book with this much success was obviously was a product of great influence. The Great Gatsby draws many extensive parallels between F. Scott Fitzgeralds life and this novel. These similarities range from basing characters off important people from his personal life to interweaving intricate love relationships he went through into the novel to recreating the American Dream. The book comes as a direct result of many of the events in Fitzgeralds early life. First off, are the most noticeable parallels, the character he chooses. Fitzgerald parallels himself in two of the main characters in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway. Nick represents Fitzgeralds passive, or indecisive, and observant characteristics. On the other hand, Gatsby shows Fitzgeralds passionate and active attributes.

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Ioannis Tolios â€Å"Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI† Introduction One of the most significant non-invasive imaging modalities applied both in research and clinical diagnostics cis Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Its widespread use is partially based on its characteristic to visualize tissues with high resolutions in 3D and its ability to provide anatomical, functional and metabolic tissue information in vivo (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). In an MR image, the basic contrast mostly derives from regional differences in the intrinsic T1, T2 relaxation times, except for local water content differences. T1 and T2 relaxation times can be selected independently to have a commanding influence on image contrast. Nevertheless, a sensitive and accurate diagnosis cannot always be feasible, due to the fact that the intrinsic water, T1 and T2 contrast values are modified and become very often limited by tissue pathology. Consequently, the need for enhanced image contrast led to the growing use of intravenously injected MRI contrast agents, wh ose use although violates partially the non-invasive character of MRI brought about significant benefits. Combining MRI and contrast agents (CA) increases the possibilities to image inflamed tissues in pathologies, such as arthritis, atherosclerotic plaques, and tumor angiogenesis (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). Definition of DCE-MRI A technique which combines MRI and contrast agents is Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). According to Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014), â€Å"DCE-MRI analyzes the temporal enhancement pattern of a tissue following the introduction of a paramagnetic contrast agent into the vascular system. This is accomplished by the acquisition of baseline images without contrast enhancement, succeeded by a set of images acquired over time (usually over a few minutes) during and after the arrival of the contrast agent in the tissue of interest†. A time intensity curve (TIC) for the tissue is generated by the acquired signal, as it can be seen in Figure 1. In a TIC, the response of the tissue is represented in enhancement values to the arrival of the contrast agent. Specific physiological properties that are in association with the microvascular blood flow, including tissue volume fractions, vessel permeability, and vessel surface area product, can be extracted by analyzing a TIC (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 1: An example of a time intensity curve obtained from a tumor metastasis (Bonekamp Macura, 2008). All variations of DCE-MRI studies are relied on a rather plain fundamental principle: the MR signal intensity of a tissue is modified, when a paramagnetic particle (contrast agent) penetrates and spreads over through the tissue, based on its local concentration (Gordon, et al., 2014). MR images of a chosen region of interest (ROI) are obtained in time intervals of few seconds before, during, and after the intravenous injection of a contrast agent. Each obtained image represents one time point, and each and every pixel in a set of images produces its own intensity curve. After the injection of the CA, the signal intensity varies at every time point (is related to the concentration of the CA in the tissue) based on tissue parameters, including vascularization, vessels’ permeability and surface area product, and in this way parametric maps of particular microvascular biomarkers can be extracted. Furthermore, by using suitable mathematical models absolute values of the aforementioned parameters can be estimated. These parameters usually reflect a compartmental pharmacokinetics model demonstrated by CAs, which are allocated between the intravascular and extravascular spaces as it can be seen in Figure 2 (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 2: Toft’s compartmental model for calculating DCE-MRI quantitative pharmakokinetic parameters (Verma, et al., 2012). DCE-MRI techniques Currently, two DCE-MRI techniques are defined based on its registration and the origin of the extracted signal. As MRI is highly sensitive to small concentrations of paramagnetic materials passing through a tissue, there are two different physical-chemical properties (Gordon, et al., 2014). Relaxation effect T1, T2 tissue relaxation times are reduced when a diffusible contrast agent is used. Positively enhanced T1-weighted images are generated, when this effect is used and the studies evaluating this effect are characterized asDynamic Contrast Enhanced(DCE)-MRI,T1-W DCE. Susceptibility effect When a paramagnetic contrast agent is located in the intravascular space of a tissue and its magnetic susceptibility is much higher than that of the surrounding tissue water, local magnetic inhomogeneities between the intra and extravascular space emerge, which generate negative enhanced T2 or T2* weighted images during the passage of the CA through the capillaries. Studies depending on this phenomenon are characterized asDynamic Susceptibility Contrast(DSC)-MRI or T2*-W DCE. Image Acquisition Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that the method of quantification to be applied depends on the number of the measurements, which are required in order to obtain the data; thus, the measurements include: I. Creating a map of pre-contrast native T1 values, which is necessary in order to calculate the CA concentrations. II. Acquiring heavily T1-weighted images, prior and following the Contrast Agent introduction. In this case, high temporal resolution is needed in order to have the ability to further characterize the kinetics of the contrast agent’s entry and exit of the tissue. Typically, 3D image sets are acquired sequentially for 5–10 minutes every few seconds. The ideal for the acquisitions would be to be obtained approximately every 5 seconds, in order to allow the detection of early enhancement. With longer acquisitions (for instance, > 15 seconds), it becomes harder to detect early enhancement. III. Acquisition of the arterial input function (AIF), in order to estimate the CA concentration in the blood plasma of a feeding artery as a function of time. Acquiring the AIF is necessary for almost all quantitative analysis methods and is up to now technically the most difficult part in the data acquisition process. Contrast agents The most regularly used group of contrast agents in DCE-MRI is the low molecular paramagnetic gadolinium (Gd) chelates (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Principally, in Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI, any low molecular weight CAs can be used. (Tofts). The use of contrast agents with high molecular weights leads to lower permeability and lower Ktrans values, since these agents remain in the intravascular space. Using macromolecular CAs the measurement of regional blood volume acquiring scans of low temporal resolution is feasible (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Molecular agent with high molecular weight might be more appropriate for tumor angiogenesis and thus offer better response evaluation to therapy (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). Analysis Methods Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that â€Å"the arrival of CA and thus the enhancement pattern of the tissue depend on a wide variety of factors including vascularity, capillary permeability, perfused capillary surface area, volume and composition of extracellular fluid, renal clearance and perfusion. The analysis of DCE data can provide valuable information concerning the vascular status and perfusion†. Data analysis can be performed using either: qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative approach (Verma, et al., 2012). Qualitative This kind of analysis can range from visual inspection of the images for fast and extreme enhancement of lesions, to the plotting of kinetic curves of signal intensity against time (Gupta, Kauffman, Polascik, Taneja, Rosenkrantz, 2013). The qualitative analysis of DCE-MRI depends on the assumption of rapid and intense enhancement and wash-out as indicator of the existence of a tumor. The tumor vessels are generally leakier and more readily enhanced after the injection of the CA than the ordinary vessels. An early rapid high enhancement after injection is expected followed by a relatively rapid decline compared with a slower and continuously increasing signal for normal tissues during the first few minutes after contrast injection. However, the possibility for an overlap between the natural and the malignant tissues, limit the capabilities of this DCE-MRI approach. Finally, the qualitative approach is regarded as a subjective approach and therefore difficult to standardi ze among institutions, constituting multicenter trials less reliable (Verma, et al., 2012). Semi-quantitative – The semi-quantitative approach also depends on the same assumption as the qualitative approach. On the other hand, in the semi-quantitative analysis various curve parameters are integrated (Verma, et al., 2012). It must be mentioned that depending on the application area, different perfusion parameters are relevant. Nevertheless, some parameters are of general interest for almost all applications. These parameters are acquired to characterize the shape of the TIC, including the time of first arrival of the CA, peak enhancement ( PE the maximum value normalized if the baseline is subtracted), time to peak (TTP the timepoint where peak enhancement takes place), integral (the area between the baseline and the curve, indicating with PE if blood supply is reduced in a ROI), mean transit time (MTT – the timepoint where the integral is bisected), slope (the curve’s steepness during wash-in phase, downslope (the descending curve’s steepness i n wash-out phase ) and wash-in and wash-out curve shapes (Figure 1, Figure 3A). (Preim et al., 2009). Three common dynamic curve types exist in the literature after the initial CA uptake: type 1, persistent increase; type 2, plateau; and type 3, wash-out after initial slope, as it can be seen in Figure 3B and Figure 1. Even though the semi-quantitative approach is used widely in the evaluation of DCE-MRI, significant restrictions arise dealing with the factors contributing to the MR signal intensity (e.g. generalization across acquisition protocols, sequences), which have an effect on the curve metrics (Verma, et al., 2012). Figure 3: A) A typical TIC curve (Preim et al., 2009). B) Differentiation of three patterns of washout phase: type 1 (blue), progressive; type 2 (green), plateau ; type 3 (red), wash-out (Verma, et al., 2012). Factors like the injection rate and the temporal resolution can easily alter the shape of a wash-in/washout curve, creating difficulties in comparison and quantitation. High inter-patient variability is also a factor that can make the definition of threshold values more complex for every parameter that could standardize semi-quantitative approach. However, this approach is relatively simple which makes it even more appealing (Verma, et al., 2012). Quantitative The quantitative approach depends on modeling the concentration change of the CA by integrating pharmacokinetic modeling techniques (Gordon, et al., 2014). Several pharmacokinetic models were proposed, such as by Tofts (Tofts), Brix et al. (Brix et al., 1991). Most of them depend on estimating the exchange rate between extracellular space and blood plasma using some transfer rate constants, like Ktrans(forward volume transfer constant) andkep(reverse reflux rate constant between extracellular space and plasma). â€Å"The transfer constant,Ktrans, is equal to the permeability surface area product per unit volume of tissue.Moreover, Ktransdetermines the flux from the intravascular space to the extracellular space; it may principally represent the vascular permeability in a permeability-limited situation (high flow in relation to permeability), or it may represent the blood flow into the tissue in a flow-limited situation (high permeability in relation to flow). Theveis t he extracellular extravascular volume fraction, andkep=Ktrans/ veexpresses the rate constant, describing the efflux of contrast media from the extracellular space back to plasma. Thevpis the fraction of plasma per unit volume of tissue†, according to Verma et al. (Verma, et al., 2012). In quantitative DCE-MRI analysis, a four compartment model is used for â€Å"tissue†: plasma, extracellular space, intracellular space, and renal excretory pathway (Figure 2). This pharmacokinetic model is applied to the CA concentration changes in the artery (AIF) supplying the tissue of interest, and the CA concentration of the tissue. It must also be noted that due to the fact that pharmacokinetic models require concentration values, signal intensity must be converted to T1 values, because MRI signal intensity is not linear with the CA concentration (Verma, et al., 2012). Clinical Applications of DCE-MRI DCE-MRI has been used for the detection and characterization of tumors in the clinical setting. It also makes the monitoring of tumor treatment and the response to conventional chemotherapy and angiogenic therapies feasible by acting as biomarker (Figure 4). Early tumor detection and treatment affects significantly the survival of patients. DCE-MRI is applied increasingly in a wider range of patients with different kind of cancer, including breast, head and prostate cancer. The method’s quantification ability of characteristics of the lesion microvasculature has stimulated the scientists to use the technique for â€Å"in-vivo staging† of tumors. According to early studies in the field, an evident relationship was demonstrated between large and rapid increases in malignant behavior and signal enhancement in tumors located in prostate, breast, and head. Additionally, important overlapping of contrast enhancement patterns has been noticed between malignant and benign tumor s. Growing accuracy and specificity in the recognition of microvascular characterization parameters is expected to further ameliorate lesion characterization (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). More specifically regarding prostate cancer detection and localization, DCE-MRI contributes to prostate MRI, succeeding higher specificity and sensitivity than T2-weighted MR imaging, and sextant u ltrasound guided biopsy, methods being used widely for the pre-treatment work up and screening of prostate cancer respectively (Choi, Kim, Kim, 2007; Bonekamp Macura, 2008). It has been proven that the multi-parametric approach has improved significantly the accuracy of prostate MRI and has a great future. In a cancerous tissue, the number of vessels and their permeability are increased in comparison with normal tissues. Moreover, the interstitial space is greater. These factors cause significant increase of contrast enhancement parameters, such as MTT, blood flow, interstitial volume. The aforementioned observations are applicable in prostate cancer, too. As it can be seen in Figure 3B, the red curve could represent a prostate cancer with faster and steeper enhancement and faster wash-out than in normal tissues. Figure 4 a-c (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010): a) A patient with prostate cancer. The arrow indicates a low signal intensity focus on axial T2W MR image B) Increased enhancement shown by the lesion on axial T1W DCE-MR image C) fusion of color-coded Ktrans Conclusion The determination of functional microvascular parameters by using DCE-MRI might be instrumental in evaluating many vascular diseases. The potential of the technique to assess the severity of illnesses, to non-invasively and in parallel measure multiple relevant parameters, to study the pathophysiology of diseases, seems to be extremely promising. Even though, the method is known for over 20 years it is still considered immature. This has mainly to do with the significant variations in data analysis and acquisition protocols from study to study. Furthermore, the analysis of the pharmacokinetic parameters is a complex task and computationally expensive, due to the existence of plethora of analysis algorithms (Gordon, et al., 2014). DCE-MRI is restricted in organs with physiologic motion, including lungs and liver, and may not be applicable in some specific group of patients, especially those with renal failure and claustrophobia (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). However, although the extraction of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters is more difficult, compartmental model based methods are more robust than the semi-quantitative approaches, and offer deeper understanding of physiology. Finally, they are not potentially based on the scanning technique, the type of scanner, and individual patient variations ( Gordon, et al., 2014).