A World Class E-Government: Singapore

E-government refers to the transformation of the business of the government such as processes, operations and transactions that is driven by the information technology. This can happen both internally (streamlined government administration procedures for greater efficiency and effectiveness) and externally (simplified, enhanced government-client interaction via online connections) (Tan, Pan & Lim, 2007). Singapore is a small country with a population of about four million with a small market and limited natural resources. Although Singapore’s position as an information gateway in the region has lead it to become a global hub which is attractive to many Multinational National Companies (MNC) (Chan & Al-Hawamdeh, 2002). Singapore is a leader in the electronic governance that has invited worldwide recognition. Singapore’s e-government offers 98% of all government services are provided online for businesses and the community. It is one of the first countries to have the Civil Service Computerization Program (CSCP). The above mechanism was followed by the e-Government Action Plans. These involved implementing as many public services online as possible, adding value to the e-services and providing a one stop service via the internet. Singapore has launched a iGov2010 plan in the aim of bringing the government a greater efficiency by integrating the back end processes of the government ministries and organisations. As per Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) it improves efficiency in terms of utilizing less time, effort and material resources while maintaining a constant level of output. There are two portals offered by the government of Singapore which are namely for the citizens and the businesses. The portal offered for the citizens is known as the eCitizen Portal which is the single entry point for the community to access the services provided by the government and private corporations. The portal is to be accessed by the SingPass which is given to the citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. It is the single online user identification called the Singapore Personal Access. Through this system they can access their own confidential information. Also through the e-portal the community can post any thoughts on issues they are currently facing. For example the extensions of the smoking ban or the country’s national climate change strategy. The portal offered for businesses involves the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS). This is an one stop portal for government registrations and licenses required to conduct business in Singapore. Through this portal the applicant needs to complete only one integrated form for multiple licenses. The system provides consolidated online payment mechanisms for one-time payments for multiple license fees. This system has lead the processing time a business license to reduce from 21 days to 8 days saving businesses more than $2. million annually. Therefore the implementation of IT in the government has lead to an increase in effectiveness and efficiency in providing services to businesses. Another example of such is provided by Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) where the unprocessed tax returns accumulated in the Singapore income tax department resulted in administrative backlogs and dissatisfaction among taxpayers. The e-filing system in the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has lead to greater efficiency in the department and the use of back-end infrastructure to incorporate taxation calculations and regulations has improved its effectiveness. Question 1: Explore the two portals. What are the benefits to both the community and businesses? In Singapore, citizens have quickly warmed up to the e-Government services. Activities such as renewing road taxes and e-filing of income tax returns over the internet are now common among the community (n. a. , 2006). The main benefit for the community is the lessened administrative burdens they have to go through for payments, renewals and other services. The e-Government would lead to an improved quality of information with a reduction in the process time. It would also result in cost reduction for both the community and the ministries. These improved service levels would lead to efficiency where the community operating with the e-Government would be satisfied (Corsi, Gumina & Ciriaci, 2006). Another benefit that is enjoyed is the ability for the citizens to use their mobile phones to interact with the government services. There are many services offered by the e-Government in Singapore that is compatible with the hand held device. For example Housing Development Board and IRAS. Another benefit provided is the use of SingPass to access the individuals own MyeCitizen account. Having this unique SingPass would enable the privacy and confidentiality of the citizens. The users can personalise the portal and they have a variety of channels to choose from such as MyTravel, MyKids and MyCareer. Lastly the ability of the citizens to voice out their opinions is a great benefit for both the government and the citizens. Businesses have also benefited by the services provided by the e-Government. It is an increased efficiency and convenience to deal through the online platform. The offering of the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) allows the applicant to complete one integrated form for multiple licenses. The website provides the applicants with step by step guide which makes it trouble-free for the business to apply for licenses. By the OBLS the processing time of applications were reduced from 21days to 8days. This would be an efficient approach for the business where they can concentrate on other parts of starting up the business without a delay from the government authorities. Question 2: According to the chapter, there are six stages in the transformation to e-government. Which do you think Singapore is in? Why? In order for a transformation of a traditional government to an fully functional online government, there are six stages that are to be completed. These factors are explained in Wong (2000). Stage one is information publishing/dissemination which involves providing information on individual govermental departments by seting up their own website. It allows the community and businesses to choose from a range of services and contact for further assistance. By this activity the, the government departments would be able to reduce the number of phone calls customers need to make in order to clarify requests. Stage two is the â€Å"official†two-way transactions where the customers are able to submit personal information and conduct monetory transactions with individual departments through secure websites. At this stage customers should be convinced about the departments ability to keep the information private. Stage three is the multi-purpose portals. It involves integrating different departments. A portal allows the customers use a single point of entry to send and receive information and to process monetory transactions across many departments. Stage four is the portal personalisation where the customers can customise portals with their desired features. The goverment needs a much more sophisticated web programming that allows the interfaces to be user-manipulated. By the personalisation activity, the government can have a clearer read on the customer preference for electronic versus non-electronic service options. Stage fiveinvolves the clustering of common services where the customers now view the once-diparate services as a unified package through the portal. They tend to recognise group of transactions rather than than the group of agencies. Therefore the government will cluster the services along common lines to accelerate the delivery of shared services. Stage six involves the full integration and enterprise transformation. This is the stage where all departments across the government is integrated with technology. It would bridge a shortened gap between the front and back offices. Singapore’s e-government is in stage six in the Deloitte’s transformation model. E-government in Singapore has carried out Action plans since year 2000 regarding the accessibility, integration and providing value added services with one-stop service via the internet. There iGov2010 plan was launched in 2006 which involves bringing the e-government to a greater level of efficiency. This is to accomplished by back end processes across the entire government’s ministries. Question 3: What could other governments learn from the example of Singapore?  Despite the differences in Singapore and other styles of governments, there are things a country can learn from Singapore’s e-government experiences. Singapore has enjoyed political stability since independence in 1965 and the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been in government throughout that period. Due to the one party government system, there has been little or no disruption of policy implementation, which has enhanced the effectiveness of the delivery mechanism of public services. This stability has created well-organized institutions that help all stakeholders to adopt e-Services. Investments and master plans have leaded the success story of Singapore. For an instance in 2005,, the Singaporean government introduced a master plan to tackle security issues. S$38m (? 12. 3 million) will be invested in this plan to ensure a secure online environment. Incentives for tax-payers who submit tax declarations electronically, extensions of deadlines for those who are willing to declare their incomes electronically and lower fees for people who apply for their passports online are some incentives given by the government to promote e services and thereby an e governance. The social strengths of Singapore have been demonstrated by an educational system that produces a well-educated workforce to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Not only developing its own pool of local talents, Singapore also recruits foreign talents to work in both the public and private sectors. Time saving, convenience and actual monetary savings are the main drives to pull e-Users to e-Services. In conclusion, one country cannot be a model of another country. But any country can be inspired by another. Singapore is a good example for other countries to open doors toward the success.

Favorite Restuarant

My Favorite Restaurant Every year for my birthday we go out as a family to my favorite restaurant, Benihana! For those of you that are ready to have a good time with family or friends this place is definitely the place to go, but it is best to book a reservation ahead of time it isn’t a secret to society. Benihana is an all-time favorite restaurant of mine, with great location, unforgettable entertainment and an excellent menu choice. Benihana is an all-time favorite restaurant of mine because it is located in the heart of downtown, in the midst of all the city lights and city life.When we go to Benihana we park around the block and get a horse & carriage to take us to the door. Parking is free the carriage is extra. This is an excellent idea for any special occasion or just a date night on the town. The location is convenient to any of the major freeways (I-45, I-10 and 59). Aside from the location, Benihana is an excellent place to go for a fun filled night of entertainment. I can assure anyone that after an experience at the original Benihana it will be easy to see why I am declaring it to be my favorite restaurant.Benihana has unforgettable entertainment from the moment you walk in. Walking into the restaurant the guest will be greeted by the amazing aroma of some of the best food, laughter and fun for all! The server will take drink orders from each guest and when they come to bring the drink orders, the fun decorated souvenir glass starts out as a unique conversational piece, as the cook prepares the table for even more unforgettable entertainment. At Benihana the food is not only cooked it's choreographed.The chefs will have you craving for more as they slice and dice and chop your meal before your eyes, very skilled and trained, in the art of entertainment or â€Å"eater-tainment† as they call it themselves. Each table’s personal chef will perform a uniquely amazing presentation as they cook each guest personal favorites. Everything is cooked right in front of the guest on a Japanese style on a hibachi table. The best entertainment is the entertainment your taste buds get from the outstanding menu.The menu has anything from sushi to steak. Everything is fresh no frozen, no canned, no additives! Each guest will be brought a hot towel to clean their hands. Then served a hot onion soup, as well a huge favorite to many; the salad with the Benihana dressing over the top! You can use chop sticks or the regular silver ware, it’s fun to learn how to use chop sticks, and in case you may not know how to use them, the server will be glad to give quick, fun lessons!One of my personal favorite items from the menu is the â€Å"Sea and Meadow† or better known as steak and shrimp, is served to perfection with vegies, fried rice and sauteed bean sprouts over extra more shrimp. Anything from the menu is to die for and all ranges in price from $10. 75-19. 95 not bad for steak, chicken, and shrimp, or lobster and sc allops. Don’t forget to order dessert from the menu, maybe a tempura banana or rainbow sherbet. After dessert the guest have had the most memorable night in a while entertained and full to the brim.For those looking for a new favorite restaurant I would recommend Benihana or even if you are just looking for something outside the norm, or maybe a special someone is having a birthday or anniversary, this is definitely a restaurant that will leave the guest wanting to come back time and time again. Benihana is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, it’s full of surprises, and extreme diner entertainment and everything on the menu is delicious and healthy! Book your reservations and enjoy the experience that will leave a lasting memory and bring home some uniquely designed souvenir cups.

Definition of a Football Fan

Definition of a Football Fan 1st draft Football fans are by definition crazy. They behave insanely; they are insane about the past, and they are insanely loyal. If their team gives away something free, the fans rush to the stadium to get the hat or watever. Football fans just plain behave insanely. Baseball fans go similarly nuts when their favorite teams give away some attractive freebie. But football fans are even worse. Football fans freeze themselves in order to watch their favorite game. In addition, football fans decorate their houses with football-related items of every kind.When they go to a game, which they do as often as possible, the true football fans make themselves look ridiculous by decorating themselves in weird team-related ways. At the game, these fans do the â€Å"wave†more than they watch the game. Football fans love to talk about the past. They talk about William â€Å"Refrigerator† Perry’s 1985 Super Bowl touchdown as though it had happened last week. They still get all exicited about 1988’s â€Å"Fog Bowl†. They talk about John Elway’s final game as though it’s today’s news, though it happened in 1999.They think everyone should be as excited as they are about such old stories. Last of all, football fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice. Football fans never wear their team T-shirts and warm-up jackets everywhere, even to work. Of course, if they have to dress up in business clothes, they can’t do that. Should their beloved team lose three in a row, their fans may begin to criticise their team. They still obsessively watch each game and read all the newspaper stories about it.This intense loyalty makes fans dangerous. To anyone who dares to say to a loyal fan that another team is better, or, God forbid, to anyone wandering near the home cheering section wearing the jacket of the opposite team, physical damage is a real possibility. Incidents of violence in football stadium have increased in recent years and are a matter of growing concern. Football fans really act as if they’er crazy. They behave insanely, they are crazy about the past, and they are too loyal. Final version What is a football fan?The word â€Å"fan† is an abbreviation of â€Å"fanatic†, meaning â€Å"an insane or crazy person†. In the case of football fans, the term is appropriate. They behave insanely, they are insane about the past, and they are insanely loyal. Football fans wear their officail team T-shirts and warm-up jackets to the mall, the supermarket, the classroom, and even—if the yon can get away with it—to work. If the team offers a giveaway item, the fans rush to the stadium to claim the hat or sports bag or water bottle that is being handed out that day.Baseball fans go similarly nuts when their favorite teams give away some attractive freebie. Football farns just plain behave insanely. Even the fact that fans spend the c oldest months of the year huddling on icy mental benches in places like Chicago proves it. In addition, football fans decorate their houses with football-related items of every kind. To them, team bumper stickers belong not only on car bumpers, but also on fireplace mantels and front doors. When they go to a game, which they do as often as possible, they also decorate their bodies.True football fans not only put on their team jackets and grab their pennants but also paint their heads to look like helmets or wear glow-in-the dark cheeseheads. At the game, these fans devote enormous energy to trying to get a â€Å"wave† going. Football fans are insanely fascinated by the past. They talk about William â€Å"Refrigerator† Perry’s 1985 Super Bowl touchdown as though it had happened last week. They describe the â€Å"Fog Bowl† as if dense fog blanketed yesterday’s game, not 1988’s playoff match between the philadelphia Eagles annd the Chicago Bear s.They excitedly discuss John Elway’s final gamebefore retiring. — when he won the 1999 Superbowl and received MVP honors— as if it were current news. And if you can’t mange to get excited about such ancient history, they look at you as though you were the insane one. Last of all, football fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice, often dangerously so. Should their beloved team lose three in a row, fans may begin to react negatively as a way to hide their broken hearts.They still obbsessively watch each game and spend the entire day afterward reading and listening to the postgame commentary in newspapers, on TV sports segments, and on sports radio. Further, this intense loyaly makes fans dangerous. To anyone who dares to say to a loyal fan that another team has better players or coaches, or, God forbid, to anyone wandering near the home cheering section wearing the jacket of the opposite team, physical damage is a real possibility. Bloody noses , black wyes, and brooken bones are just some of the injuries inflicted on people cheering the wrong team hae fans are around. In 1997, one man suffered a concussion at a game in Philadelphia when Eagles fans beat him up for wearing a jacket with another team’s insignia. From February through August, footbalal fans act like any other human beings. They pay their taxes, take out the garbage, and complain aboput the high cast of living. But when September rolls around, the colors and radios go on, the record books come off the shelves, and the devotion returns. For the true football fan, another season of insanity has begun.

What causes income inequality in America today Essay

What causes income inequality in America today - Essay Example Globalization has led to the creation of global companies which operate in different parts of the world. The benefit of operating global companies is that these companies do not only sell goods and services in their host nation, they even sell their goods and services in foreign nations. Even those individuals who work in these global organizations are paid more than what the middle-class and the lower class of the society is paid. According to The Economist, globalization has benefited global companies such as the one owned by Bill Gates and due to this the entrepreneur now owns a corporation that is worth $50 billion (The Economist, 2006). The same article states that people working in global companies such as Goldman Sachs earn an average salary of $500,000 (The Economist, 2006). These statistics show that companies operating at the global level and their employees earn huge amount of money and this has led to the unequal distribution of wealth between these companies and companie s that are restricted to one certain region. The middle class of the society has witnessed a decline in their income levels due increase in the number of jobs that have been outsourced and because of the failure to obtain employment by the children belonging to this class. According to Nytimes people belonging to the middle class perceive that college education can help them earn high but during the period of 2009 the number of unemployed college graduates was 9.2% (Nytimes, 2010). According to The Economist a huge number of white collar jobs such as accounting positions are being outsourced (The Economist, 2006). These findings clearly show that the college graduates who belong to the middleclass fail to attain employment as a result of their jobs being outsourced and due to this they end up earning less than the rich class of the society. The middle class and the poor class of the society experience different reasons of income inequality. The poor class experiences

Political Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political Fiction - Essay Example It can serve as a weapon towards change in a prevailing social system, tackle direct social and political repercussions, and discuss social struggle. Fiction can employ a particular topic and convey meaning and symbol related to an existing social and political system. The significance of fiction in history is not only confined within the realm of literature, but also explores the domain of politics. Fiction is seen to have worked its way in the political domain when Ignacio Salome's novel; Fontamara (1933) became popular upon gaining a favourable opinion of Mussolini's Fascism (Hanne 1994). Likewise, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962) personally authorized for publication by Soviet leader Khrushchev in order to discredit Stalin, is another example of fiction being influenced by politics. However, this connection is not limited to external influencing but extends to the more important functions of fiction and politics - that of the conveyance of meaning and symbol of political phenomena through their depiction of the fiction. Likewise, the realm of politics is likened to a fiction, including all its elements from plot to setting, characters, and scenes. Such is made possible through political representation embo died in the fiction, especially when it is a political novel. The Problems with Political Representation It is from assumptions, biases, and news reports from which political beliefs are normally spring, which makes politics a drama that takes place in an assumed world in which people as spectators, do not directly observe or touch. Politics is a domain that consists of images and models wherein people usually translate the reported news, a task considered a necessary undertaking (Edelman 1995). Edelman says that this translation is seen in an example in which a report about American missiles were launched against Baghdad to punish the Iraqi dictator which creates meaning for everyone's repertoire on the images of images of military actions, Arabs, and how war brings devastation even to civilians. Political phenomena are thus not taken as they are without any political representation involved. More so, political representation is an essential part of how symbols and messages are conveyed, in that in another example set by Edelman (1995), a report about an increase or reduction of welfar e benefits brings images of cheaters and victims, as well as the possible consequences of such increase or reduction in relation to tax rates, and so on. These are examples of political images being drawn on the minds of people caused by attached meanings and assumptions on them. Political fiction often offers direct criticism of a present government, society, or political figure and presents an alternative of a sometimes fantastic reality, to what is being criticized (Edelman 1995). In doing such, political fiction often employs satire like The Simpsons in its depiction of the Western culture. It may be inferred that beliefs about politics and political discourse are products of art in which complex causal connection is drawn. This being said, Edelman states that art is a

Modern Business Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modern Business Research Methods - Essay Example through research. Research is all about fact gathering, relating facts with a focus idea, analysis, drawing conclusion and lastly acting and implementing. Over time, with technology emerging new avenues have been developed to collect data; each and every method of research is suited to particular requirements and factors and is used as per the benefit cost analysis of the situation. Some aspects of the past are studied either by perusing documents of the period or by interviewing individuals who have lived or have experienced during that time. An attempt is then made to study why certain things happened during that time and to explain as to why they happened. The documents that are generally consulted include newspapers, journals and magazines that were published and especially the data government and other private agencies maintain for both commercial and own use. The idea of conducting historical research does not indicate that it is unstructured; in fact, it is systematic process of searching for facts and then using the information to describe, analyse and interpret the past. The purpose of this research is to make people aware of what happened in the past so that they may learn from past failures and successes and to see whether they are applicable to present day problems and issues. It also assists in prediction and testing hypothesis concerning relationships or trends. FOCUS GROUPS: Focus groups are mainly interviews that let open discussion of the topic. They are generally used to develop new ideas. It has an objective and does not generally allow the discussion to deviate from it. People in focus groups openly share their thoughts, feelings, attitudes and ideas on the topic under the discussion. Generally, the focus group consists of 6-10 people at a time and a moderator who is responsible for facilitating the debate. The main advantage of focus group includes that views of many different people are gathered at one place. Since it is less formal than the structured interviews thus participants feel comfortable sharing their perspectives. Some of the drawbacks of focus group include that the views of individual participants are generally influenced by other participants and may indulge in group think. Moreover, it is difficult to gather people in one common location at a time. SURVEYS: This method involves asking the individuals questions which might be open or close ended. Surveys can be orally done or through written questionnaires. It is helpful in gathering primary data through a large number of audiences. The best part of using survey as a method of research is that they can be done face-to-face, via telephone, emails, fax etc. And thus it helps the researcher reach a mass number of respondents to gather information. Surveys can be cross-sectional or longitudinal Surveys are generally done to gather informa

Technology in the classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Technology in the classroom - Essay Example The addition of these technological advancements within the classroom has several benefits and disadvantages associated with it for both teachers and students. Adoption of technology in classroom can help in satisfying different learning needs of different students within the classroom. A classroom comprises of various students who belong to different backgrounds and who prefer to learn in a different manner. According to the left side brain versus right side brain researchers, students who experience domination of the left side brain learn with the aid of artistic materials such as videos (Templeton, 2012). Furthermore, the students who experience right side brain dominance prefer learning through notes and lectures. Technological advancements such as multimedia devices help both kinds of students in learning at the same time. These devices have the ability to exhibit videos that support the students who learn through creative material and these devices can be used to exhibit text in form of PowerPoint slides and this supports the learning of students who prefer learning through texts and lectures. Adoption of technology within classrooms increases the access to information which helps both the student and the teacher population. A survey was conducted by Purcell et al. during the period of 2013 and in this survey the researchers figured out that 92% of teachers use technology such as internet in their classroom to access content over the internet and this content helps them in delivering more information to the students (Purcell et al., 2013). This study clearly explains that internet use can increase the access of information in classroom and students and teachers go beyond basic textbooks to facilitate learning. Inclusion of technology has replaced the use of paper in classroom and this is helping in solving a major issue of excessive cutting down of trees. Lindquist conducted a

Veterans Health Administration NSQIP Program Case Analysis Coursework

Veterans Health Administration NSQIP Program Case Analysis - Coursework Example The benchmark standards were established by understanding and comparing the characteristics of best performers. The major criteria used were health status of patients after medical treatment; The morbidity and mortality rate in 30 post operative days; length of patients’ stay after operation; patients level of satisfaction; surgical and anesthesia techniques used; better supervision of residents in surgical training; and impact of technology and equipment. These benchmark standards were vital issues that reflected health status of patients and thereby, the level of services and impact of technology in surgeries. The program relied on using data comprising of pre-operative patient risk factor; key intra-operative process information; post operative 30 days morbidity and mortality rates; and length of stay. These were critical issues within the surgery that gave vital information about the outcomes of operations. The information collected from the database of surgical outcomes from 123 VAMS greatly helped to improve and improvise operations when the information was used to optimize surgical outcome. The NSQIP or Nation Administration Quality Improvement Program was highly successful that significantly contributed in the improvement of surgical outcome across VAMS. Indeed, while the morbidity and mortality rates were considerably reduced, the length of patients stay was also decreased from 10.2 days to 5 days. The length of stay was deemed important as it illustrated the efficacy of treatment and endorsed patients’ satisfaction. It clearly showed vast improvement in the health status of patients after the surgery, thus reaffirming the importance of new programs in developing an effective healthcare delivery system. Effective communication among the surgeons, nurses, administration and also with the patients was also one of the major factors that contributed to

Living in a big city to living in a small city Essay

Living in a big city to living in a small city - Essay Example l amenities and infrastructure such as schools hospitals and spots clubs, in both big and small cities; there is piped water and electricity because of the high populations and the industries that require a constant supply of these facilities (Brown). The infrastructure in both cities includes good paved roads that are made relative to the size and population of the city to accommodate human and vehicular traffic. This makes it to be easier for the resident to access their offices and homes by either driving or commuting in other ways such as underground trains. On the other hand, it is notable that big cities by virtue of size contrast sharply with small cities albeit on related issues. Take pollution for instance, big cities are likely to have more industrial firms which produce comparatively higher emissions in the form of smoke and water pollutants which result in the residents of big cities suffering more from air and water pollution. This is seen in the smog found that is experienced in many large cities such as London as a result of high vehicular traffic as well smoke produced by the many industries therein (Jarvis). Indeed, many of those who move from big to small cities justify their moving is because they want to live in a cleaner environment with fresher air and clean water. Moreover, the other way in which big and small cities differ is the diversity big ones allow the residents in terms of social experiences, as well as economic opportunity. Many big cities like New York are home to many intentional organizations such as the UN headquarters, as a result, they are more cosmopolitan because of they are a melting point of culture from all over the world. Consequently, in such cities one will have better exposure to foreign cultures and will learn to appreciate the diversity, as well as be squinted with new ideas, and to make connections. Economically, in big cities, employment opportunities are easier to come by because of the many firms, which have

GBST Reading Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GBST Reading Summary - Assignment Example In Amoral Familism, corruption is an aspect involving particularism, wherein providing resources, one believes it is only to those that the person feels obligated to (Harrison and Huntington, 2013), with nepotism as its most expressed form. Majorities of market forms are established on universalism and not particularism; hence, corruption does not sustain such market values. Similarly, corruption is equally attributed to religion and culture, based on the perspective that certain cultural and religious settings influence the occurrences of corruption. For example, from social science consensus, it is evident that religion is a significant determinant of varied secular cultures such as protestant-dominated environments having an increase in corruption compared to those with least domination of Protestants (Umphlett, 1985). Such a point of view is because protectants in contrast to other Christianity denominations believe that the ability to avoid sin is a personal issue, and each has the ability of so doing. The link between Protestants and corruption goes a long way to affect the economic developments of such areas. Considerably, the relationship between Protestantism and perceptions of corruption indicate that such a relationship enhances in the control of per capita income. Such an indication shows that higher corruption-prone areas influences higher economic development of the individuals participating in the corrupt dealings (Harrison and Huntington, 2013), according to the article â€Å"Religion, Culture (Kent, 2008), and Corruption.† In the contrary to â€Å"Amoral Familism,† ties that are most important and significant are those between families, as in a mother and her child. It is considered that such close ties, are the ones most responsible for influencing corruption through elements such as nepotism, and not ties of the

Corporate Strategy - Analysis of Michael Porter Essay

Corporate Strategy - Analysis of Michael Porter - Essay Example Companies were not willing to take risks and venture into path that was not trodden earlier by some one else. In the information technology sector, imitation became inevitable as emerging economies allowed inwards flow of FDI. When multinationals started expanding to low cost countries they had to enter in joint venture with a local partner, which means they had to transfer technology. When firms entered India, they had to opt for joint ventures. While older technologies are transferred through licensing agreement, new technologies or those with fewer previous transfers or where the transferors have little experience with technology transfers opt for FDI (Eapen & Hennart, 2002). Porter further says, in high-tech industries this imitation phase often continues much longer than it should. This is because once the companies become established they do not plan for anything new and do not have any clear strategic. Stagnation occurs, which results in mediocre returns. Companies that come out with fundamental advantages prosper such as Toyota in the automobile sector. The Big Three in the US automotive industry namely, Ford Motor Company (Ford), General Motors Corporation (GM) and DaimlerChrysler (DC) played a prominent role in the evolution of the automotive industry till the 1990s. The industry adopted the lean production technique from Japan in the 1990s. The auto industry is the most globalized in the world and has undergone turbulent changes. The industry has been facing issues such as facing issues such as slow time to market, costly inventories, overcapacity, and low customer satisfaction and loyalty (Deloitte, 2003). The Big Three did not take initiatives to bring about fundamental changes as technology evolved. This allowed others such as Toyota and Hyundai to dominate the world market. Today Toyota is America’s third most admired organization and enjoy a 17.4 percent share of the US retail market (SD, 2007). Toyota has

“White Teeth” by Zadie Smith Essay Example for Free

â€Å"White Teeth† by Zadie Smith Essay In the novel â€Å"White Teeth† Zadie Smith depicts modern society, its values and traditions, hopes and everyday life. This novel is full of different symbols which help to unveil the message of the story and force readers to interpret events and behavior of the characters in a peculiar way. Archie Jones, the protagonist of the novel, a war veteran who tries to overcome depression and psychological pressure caused by war. Thesis Archie likes to flip a coin in moments of indecision which symbolizes his liberation and freedom from social norms and the second chance Life gives to him. A coin symbolizes destiny and fate for Archie. The main change concerns his understanding of the chance and destiny as an invisible hand which rules his life. For Smith, a person has to obey to general rules and law based on traditions and morals. The irony of indecision depicts the gap between expected, traditional, usual things and reality people try to escape. Smith underlines that a coin has double meaning which can symbolize great expectations and hopes, but it can be interpreted as fate and death Archie wants to face. Smith changes this tradition depicting that a coin gives everyone a chance to try his destiny for the worse. â€Å"Solemnly he flipped a coin (heads, life, tails, death) and felt nothing in particular when he found himself staring at the dancing lion† (Smith, 2000, p. 10). Smith leaves it to readers to decide the significance and impact of these manipulations on Archie’s life.   To some extent, symbol of a coin underlines unimportance of life and Archie’s indifference towards death. â€Å"He had flipped a coin and stood staunchly by its conclusions. This was a decided-upon suicide. In fact it was a New Years resolution† (Smith, 2000, p.3). It seems that subconsciously Archie is looking for a death which he has escaped during the war. Smith depicts that this is the most difficult time for all soldiers to come to grips with changes occurred in their society. â€Å"In death as he was in life and all that† (Smith, 2000, p.4). The flip of a coin symbolizes total ignorance of the world and emptiness of the protagonist’s life. Probably, a coin itself is the same thing where a chance determines the destiny of every person. In practice, it is possible and desirable to create new law and values, because new environment forces people to change their personal priorities and morals. It is possible to say that the flip of a coin becomes a kind of religion preached by Archie which influenced life of all people around him. On the other hand, Smith underlines unimportance of the coin which confronted with eternal values and virtues: â€Å"Nor did it lie in gender, faith, their relative ability to dance to a syncopated rhythm or open their fists to reveal a handful of gold coins. The real difference was far more fundamental. It was in the earth. It was in the sky† (Smith, 2000, p. 305). Also, the flip of a coin creates a certain mystery forcing readers to think over the situation and all decisions accepted by Archie. Smith depicts that Life can give â€Å"a chance† to a person to start a new life and overcome tension and depression. Archie meets his second wife the same day when wants to commit a suicide. This situation depicts that â€Å"a chance† determines the life of Archie brining happiness to his wife Clare and future to their family. Smith writes: â€Å"Life wanted Archie. She had jealously grabbed him from the jaws of death, back to her bosom. Although he was not one of her better specimens, Life wanted Archie and Archie, much to his own surprise, wanted Life† (Smith, 2000, p. 6-7). Through the flip a coin the life gives Archie a second chance and â€Å"peculiar† marriage. To some extent, the flip of a coin has afforded readers the opportunity to explore the sense of his unique character and soul at its most profound center. Involved in that is a certain amount of risk and challenge, of tension and attention, a certain pres ­ence that suggests how human beings might become as a people. Heads or tails mean necessity which is used by Archie as an explanation for capacity to seek and achieve the approbation of fellow human beings, and hence to form moral norms and rules of justice as internal and external guides to conduct. It is important to note that indecision does not mean weakness or cowardice of the personality. The flip of a coin unveils true nature of Archie and his world views. War terror and tension have dominated in the society for so long that people are afraid to change something even if their habits are useless. Archie can do nothing but commit himself to laws he finds repulsive if the order of society demands it. Alsana characterizes the human experience as: you go back and back and back and its still easier to find the correct Hoover bag than to find one pure person, one pure faith, on the globe (Smith, 2000, p. 196). This phrase vividly portrays Archie’s thoughts and hopes: the flip of a coin helps him to find his faith and truth of life in a unique and peculiar way which seems strange to all people around him. Smith portrays that a chance plays more powerful role than will or desire directing Archie and people around him. It is possible to say that Life sets certain limits on desires and whishes of Archie, and his role in lives of other characters: Clare and his daughter Irie,   Samad Iqbal and his family. Through the character of Archie and the flip of a coin, Smith goes beyond traditional structure interpretation of life and destiny based her work on imagery and superstition of the protagonist. The flip of a coin unveils that what humans needed is order, and that to achieve it they must rely on their destiny and chance. Archie has to condition to reality using his own way and relying on fate and choice. He can blame nothing but his Life. The whole span of Archie’s development, from the explosive emotions of his youth to the skeptical mysticism of his middle age, is encompassed by the desire to play a game with his life and death. Archie fits very closely in with these ideas; he is a man trapped by a conventional notion of what is right and ‘wrong’. The flip of a coin is liberation from outside world limited by traditions and stipulated norms, low morals and false values. References Smith, Z. White Teeth. Random House. 2000.

Methodologies For Ecommerce And Web Systems Information Technology Essay

Methodologies For Ecommerce And Web Systems Information Technology Essay This paper introduces software development methodologies (SDM) and compares three approaches that are suitable for an e-commerce system. The three approaches of SDM selected in this paper were based on the proliferation of web based information system or e-commerce. Since the popularity and commercialisation of the Internet in the 1990s, software development has been evolving and brought new ways of doing and building software using the web technology environment and tools available. Software development methodology was popularised by the software development life cycle (SDLC) for building information systems in the late 60s. Currently, modern and advanced software tools are being used to exploit the rich resources of the Internet in building systems. The web now offers more complex, distributed, concurrent and connected applications (Surcel, 2009). Web information systems exploit web applications and other non-web components to deliver information and services to other systems and users via the Internet. Traditional SDLC methodologies can still be used in building e-commerce and web applications for the Internet. However, the traditional SDLC approach may not work for different object oriented design methodology for the web,like web site design methododlogy (WSDM), relatioshipship navigational analysis, MacWeb approach, hypermedia flexible modelling, and other object oriented and software engineering pattern approach (Masrek,et.al, 2008). As the web intially sta rted from static pages and eventually to a more dynamic and complex rich information and transaction based application, the software development processes and methodolgies present greater challenges and opportunities to software developers. 2. Software Development Methodologies There have been a lot of software development methodologies investigated by researchers of software systems in the past four decades. Elliott (2004) considered the SDLC as the oldest formalised model for building information systems. According to Silberberg (2006) these prescriptive process models bring useful structure to software development work and provide a roadmap for software teams. The prescriptive models include the waterfall model, incremental process models, rapid application design (RAD), spiral model, and concurrent development models. Agile processes for software development are focused more on the early delivery of software and customer satisfaction. Most of the web-based applications like e-commerce have characteristics that are network intensive, and have a high level of concurrency that is right for agile process models. Agile process models inlcude extreme programming, adaptive software development (ASD), dynamic systems development method (DSDM), scrum, crystal, a nd agile modelling (Silberberg, 2006). 2.1 The Software Development Methodologies in E-commerce Surcel (2009) suggests that IT professionals, web designers, IT managers and executives and all involved in the e-commerce software development must understand how to apply software engineering concepts for e-commerce systems, for better integrate their software with the needs of their business. IT professionals need to establish a methodology that resolves all the problems of e-business applications. Software developers, who understand the concepts of analysis, architecture and design, will have the success in developing the e-commerce systems. The traditional SDLC is not enough to get the job done in e-commerce systems. Building information system is far more different with e-commerce systems because there are distinctive characteristic of the web application like creative design, advertising, marketing concepts and software engineering (Surcel, 2009). According to Coda et.al (1998) The web infrastructure is going beyond the mere distribution of information and services towards the development of platform for generic distributed applications in the world-wide setting. This promising scenario is endangered by the weakness of the current methodologies that support the development of web-based applications. In terms of user participation towards the development of e-commerce applications Fraternali (1999) suggested that applications for the Internet is such domains as e-commerce ..[à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦].. are characterized by an unprecedented mix of features that makes them radically different from previous applications. Terry and Standing (2004) added to this challenge that e-commerce development faces the same demands and risks as any other application development projects. However, the intimate connection of users, customers, vendors and suppliers in the development process makes it more difficult and distinguishing the identity of the users who will the system is larger in scale since it considers the world at large. With the advent of Web 2.0, social networking and media, innovative approach of doing software development methodologies are needed in order to sustain the needs of the growing interests of users on the Internet that is not just doing online transactions but consuming most of the applications and services beyond what is being offered by e-commerce. 2.2 Agile Methodologies Agile methodologies are the best candidates for e-commerce systems that incorporate the innovative and dynamic nature of the web. Agile web development is a development model for web applications that follow the same concept as the agile methodologies. This approach is more efficient and powerful to ensure every piece of functionality is delivered early in the development stage and improves throughout the life of the web application. Agile web development has the following characteristics according to Clark (2008): Iterative and incremental development methods that is aimed to deliver the application at shorter period of time; The production progress is measured based on the complete and tested features during the schedule release of the application; Tasks are broken down into smaller increments that make it more adaptable to some changes; A working application is the principal measure of the development progress. This methodology follows planning, requirements analysis, designing, coding, testing and documentation in parallel during the stage of production process. Customer involvement during the development process by getting their feedback improves the confidence of making changes, error free, and customer-oriented approach. Agile web methodologies also cover the following approaches that are presented in this paper: feature driven development (FDD), adaptive software development (ASD), and dynamic systems development method (DSDM). 2.3 Feature Driven Development (FDD) FDD is a model-driven short-iteration process that consists of five activities was described by Luca (no date) as patterns of play that brings success. The five basic activities of FDD are: Develop an overall model described as the high-level walkthrough of the scope of the system. These are composed of meta-models that are pieces of the model in the domain and combined to form an overall model based on the consensus of the peer review and discussion of the development team. Build a feature list are the ideas generated from the overall model and decomposing the domain into subject areas. Plan by feature is using the list from the second activity to produce the development plan. Design by feature is a design package made from the third activity. Build by feature is the task that generated the completed client-valued function state. According to (Martin, 2003), FDD can be used in web development. However, web development covers a lot of project types and it is dependent to the nature of the project where FDD can be applied. The effective way to get the development process done right is to start it with the FDD approach. FDD understands, embraces, and accepts software construction as a human activity. Process is needed, as is technology, but it is knowing of where to specify what should be done and where what to do. That is the essense of a well-bounded process in recognition of people and thier role in software construction projects, and knowing what needs to be written down (as a process) versus what ius simply delegated to the right role. The patterns of play that brings success (Luca, no date). Almost all projects can use FDD regardless of the size and technology. Defining and mapping the features in a web development project can be described into requirements and specifications. The requirement should establ ish the concise project objective that put everything in place. Then document the specifications that defines the project itslef like, interaction design (frontend and backend), page flow and logic, page wireframes, database schema, class diagrams, and feature list. Features can be described as the the view/add/edit/delete functionality relevant to the users/customer needs. The features are mapped according to the interactions of the screen design. Technical implementation where a specific technology is used to describe business logic of model-view-controller (MVC) to separate data and layers of the interface (Martin, 2003). 2.4 Adaptive Software Development (ASD) ASD software development approach use the continuous adaptation and learning that described the dynamic speculate-collaborate-learn life cycle (Highsmith, 2000a). ASD approach is dedicated to constant change, re-evaluation, and collaboration among all members of the development team and clients. The conceptual notion of ASD was based of complex adaptive systems (CAS) that is designed for complex, high-speed, high-change, and uncertain projects. The change-oriented life cycle has a direct relation to speculate-collaborate-learn concept. Speculate is to have a clear realization of understanding the plan. Speculation is recognizing the uncertainty of the problem that needs to be explored. Collaboration is the giving importance to teamwork that encompasses the development team, customers, suppliers, vendors, and others that is directly and indirectly involved in the process. Learning is the product of acknowledging the course and the result of the development process. The learning proces s is test of knowledge and can be derived from the organizational practices, being committed and adaptive to retrospective and focus group discussions. According to (Arthur, 1996) ASD addresses the economy of increasing returns. The Internet and the dot com markets are characterized by the high-speed, high-change economy(Arthur, 1996). This approach makes the market unpredictable and unplanned developmental process in the normal or traditional way of controlling the project (Riehle, 2001). CAS model as described by (Highsmith,2000a) in software development that explain the world of agents, environment, and emergence is translated to the development organization as the environment; members as agents; and the product as the emergent result of competition and cooperation within the uncertain and unpredictable world of software development (Riehle, 2001). ASD lifecycle has six characteristics: mission focused, component based, iterative, timeboxed, risk driven, and change tolerant (Highsmith, 2000b). In e-commerce projects mission focused projects are guided by the boundaries of the mission statements. Application components are the result that defines the group features. During the iteration cycle the components are developed and the documentation are deliverables which are secondary to the software feature that is needed by the client. Timeboxing are deadlines or fixed delivery times for the iterative processes and project itself. Then this is analysed according to the risks associate during the adaptive cycles. Change tolerance is the ability to view and incorporate change in the process that take advantage of the make it more error-free and compliant with the set requirements (Highsmith, 2000b). 2.5 Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) DSDM is a model that has the resemblance of project management. This model is the convergence of software development and process engineering that makes DSDM a good tool for complex problem solving (Voigt, 2004). DSDM is the best approach for projects that are charcterised by tight schedules and budgets. It is composed of three phases: pre-project, project life-cycle, and post-project phase. The project life cycle has five stages that includes: feasiblity study, business study, functional model iteration,design and build iteration, and implementation. Other software methodologies can be used and allowed to mix with the DSDM practices. The DSDM nine principles are essential in any type of software project and departure from any of the nine principles will have a significant risk of failure. The nine principles are: [1] active user involvement is imperative; [2] teams must be empowered to make decisions; [3] focus on frequent delivery; [4] fitness for business is criterion for accepted deliverables; [5] iterative an dincremnetal development is mandatory; [6] all changes during the development must be reversible; [7] requirements are baselined at higher-level; [8] testing is integrated throughout the lifecycle; [9] collaborative and co-operative approach (Voigt, 2004). To make DSDM successful the nine principles should be followed and the interactivity with the project team, end user as well as the higher management should be realised. Finally, DSDM projects should be decomposed into smaller parts to use iterative approach. Recommended core techniques for DSDM are timeboxing, MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could hav e, Want to have), prototyping, workshop, modelling, and configuration management (Voigt, 2004). Key success factors based on the DSDM experinces of its members from the DSDM consortium are compiled and was published. Most of the key success factors are pointing to leadership and executive responsibilities, that reflects the advance corporate culture that should be practiced. More importantly, acceptance of the DSDM nine principles, commitment of senior management, incremental delivery, esy access by developers and end-users,stability of the team,size and development team skills, development of technology, and lastly supportive commercial relationship (DSDM consortium, 2010). 3. Methodology This study adopted an exploratory approach and search of available published articles and journals on the Internet on the theme of agile software methodologies in e-commerce and web systems. Literature review, survey methods and case studies were selected from the pool of articles and journals. An exemplar of the agile software methodology and its application to e-commerce and web systems was also presented to define the advantages and disadvantages of the selected methodology. 3.1 Literature Review Agile software development returned 1.8 million searched items in Google and 57,200 in Google scholar. The rich resources of agile methodology have been exploited in the 90s and until the present saturation of Internet, e-commerce and web systems. According to Meso and Jain (2006) agile software development methodologies allow organisations to rapidly evolve systems, primarily the Internet and web software development. ASD must be considered in heavy weight methodologies rather than integrating and hacking approaches. Successful web development methodologies (Bauer 2005) are going agile and are best suited to FDD. Bauer was able to get FDD working in his several web development projects and refine the process to come up with successful approach that worked effectively from his experience. His high-level overview of FDD was described in his article that successfully launched completed web projects ranging in size from 2 weeks to 6 months (Bauer 2005). For DSDM (Voigt, 2004) concluded that the model is straight forward based on the best practices, strength in simplicity, extendibility, and has proven successful work in the past and albeit not a solution for all projects. The disadvantages, like other structured methodology has a high barrier to entry, significant cultural paradigm shift is not as fast and cheap. 3.2 Surveys The investigation survey that was conducted by Silberberg (2006) suggests that some applications of agile methodologies were used as a tool to speed up the development process that was being developed under prescriptive approach for organisations that developed their own software. The organisation groups surveyed was in financial services, mining, healthcare, communications, transport and construction that have heavy weight use of software development and the build versus buy approach. DSDM was identified in use in the construction sector, where cost effective and rapid relevant results were needed by most of its users. Another survey made by Lim and Venable (2001) is the web information system survey usage by the Australian Web Site consultants reported that low methodology usage when it comes to applying any web information system methodology. This survey failed to present the value of formal development methodologies. Information systems development in Australia as reported in a survey (Dawson and Gibson, 2007) concluded that there is an increasing research activity and the growing interest in the area of software development methodologies primarily in web-based development, including portal and intranet development. Shine Technologies (2003) conducted an online global survey about agile methodologies to measure the interest of several organisations using the said approach. The survey consisted of 10 questions using closed-ended questions. The survey was available from the Shine Technologies website from November 2002 to January 2003. The survey results highlighted the following: lower costs; better productivity; better quality; and better business satisfaction. Most of the respondents, 95% of them are in favour of the agile methodologies. The most used agile methodologies are the Extreme Programming (XP) with 59%, followed by FDD, scrum and others. 3.3 Case Study DSDM Case study (DSDM consortium, 2010) presents several case studies that were used by organisations dealing with software development activities. A sample case from the DSDM case study The National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) is an online system that tracks how much packaging has been put into the UK market and much packaging waste has been recovered and recycled (DSDM consortium, 2010). This project was able to utilise DSDM and implemented the electronic evidence of reprocessing and doing away with the paper-based process bringing online or web-based approach. The DSDM consortium (2010) has published a method suitability filter covering three areas such as business, systems and technical aspect. Adoption consideration of DSDM can be found in the DSDM manual. The e-DSDM version that is customised for e-commerce and e-business projects are available from the consortium for the public review and reference. 4. Comparison From the gathered literature, articles, case studies and surveys the comparison of the three agile methods (FDD, ASD and DSDM) is based on the following components: general features, adoption of the methodology, and successful implementation to e-commerce and web-based systems. FDD and ASD are the most recognised software development methodologies in software development market while DSDM is recognised for being well documented since the DSDM consortium is in collaboration with the PRINCE2 which is adopted in UK. According to Abrahamsson, et al., (2002) the agile software development method status can be nascent, building-up, and active. The method can be nascent if it has been available less than a year and the no research and experience were identified and reported. Building up phase is a method that is recognised by many of its community of users and publication of the report and research were identified. The active method has been identified in several places, and there is a wide community base of research and reports that publish their experiences and interest on agile methods. DSDM is categorised as active, FDD and ASD belongs to building up status (Abrahamsson, et al., 2002). The general features of FDDs main selling points are the five activities and the short iteration of features. However it falls out of support for visual design, testing and deployment, which does not provide the all-in-one solution for software development. However, it was successful in e-commerce implementations as reported by Bauer (2005) and the FDD community group. ASDs main key points are: adaptive approach, collaboration, and mission-based iterative development labelled as speculate-collaborate-learn cycle. The special features seen in adaptive systems are the emergent creation of order from the interconnected individuals. This methodology covered more discussions about principles rather than software practice. In DSDM main approach is more on the extensive application of rapid application development (RAD). There is an active consortium of experts who stands for the steering of the methodology development. Main features of DSDM is being a true agile method and the nine practices that are innate with the activities that strongly followed by its members. The shortcoming for DSDM is the availability of the resources which is exclusive only to members of the consortium, that makes the use of the model only restricts to its members. 5. Recommendation The strongest candidate for the agile methodology is FDD. According to Bauer (2005) the strongest selling point of FDD is that it really worked on his projects that were refined according to the approach of core FDD methods. However the trade off of not having the complete answer to requirement gathering, visual design, testing and deployment that are significantly needed in the project can be amenable to some by tweaking some of the processes. It is important to acknowledge that doing the way software developers do their job in the software development process without any formal methodologies can be described as shooting the bird in target without the pellet. Software development working teams usually had a history of adopting and adapting from an existing methodology or inventing their own informal methodology. Bauers experience showed FDD had a positive effect since getting everybody on board made their team more responsive to the project that was put in place using FDD. FDD was a ble to provide solutions for their software development issues, constant over-time, over-budget and underestimation of the work required to complete the project that makes worse scope creep, low staff morale, and unrealistic deadlines. With FDD, the solutions are clear from the plan. The reports were excellent, clear and disciplined customer-focused approach. The reduction risk was measured based on the iteration of design and build approach; clarity of requirements, better understanding of building the system; and no wiggle room for decisions. 5. Conclusion The agile methodologies presented in this paper provides a better deal of understanding what approach should be used depending on the type of software development project at hand. For web development or e-commerce system, the traditional software methodologies are not enough to describe the dynamic and complex nature of web systems and its relative activity on the Internet. The nature of software applications running on the web space is simple to develop yet too complex that different technologies are competing with one another. However, the technology is only a tool that has been exploited by the developers themselves. The agile methodologies put more importance on the role of people, its interaction, collaboration, change and adaptive approaches. ASD is primarily much more focused on principles, while FDD is more on simplicity of its five step process and DSDM is excellent in the strong support of its consortium. The agile methodologies are effective in utilizing iterative developm ent and every phase of the development processes has its own unique application that fits the needed development strategy. In summary, the agile methods are more inclined to the people who are working behind the software itself. The person building the software is the main point of how the methodology becomes successful. Human capital and strategic skills that complements the software development process leads the best production of software and ways to improve how to solve the problem in this information age.

The Glasgow Coma Scale Health And Social Care Essay

The Glasgow Coma Scale Health And Social Care Essay There are three types of cord syndromes related to spinal cord injury. These are the central cord syndrome, anterior cord syndrome, and brown-sequard syndrome or the lateral cord syndrome. The central cord syndrome is caused by injury or edema in the central cord usualy in the cervical area due to hyperextension injuries. This results to motor weakness of the upper extremities than the lower extremities. The anterior cord syndrome is caused by disk herniation or compression of the artery that runs along the front of the spinal cord. This causes loss of sensory, loss of pain and temperature but sensitivity to position and vibrations are preserved. The brown-sequard syndrome or lateral cord syndrome may be a result of penetrating injury in the spine or hemisection of the cord. This causes ipsilateral hemiplegia with loss of touch, pressure and vibration also contralateral pain and temperature sensation deficits. Discuss how the Glasgow Coma Scale is utilized in determining neurological status. The Glasgow coma scale is used widely in hospitals to give a reliable, objective way of recoding the level of consciousness of a patient. The GCS has three elements, the eye response, verbal response and motor response. Each has their own grades. For the eye response 4pts for open spontaneously, 3pts to open to non-verbal command, 2pts on open in response to pain and 1pt to no response. For verbal response 5pts for talking/oriented, 4pts for confused speech/disoriented, 3pts on inappropriate words, 2pts for incomprehensible sounds and 1pt for no response. Last for motor response 6pts for obey commands, 5pts to localizes to pain, 4pts for flexion/ withdrawal from painful stimuli, 3pts to flexion in response to pain, 2pts for extension in response to pain and 1pt to no response. 15pts is the perfect score and 3 as the lowest score which indicates that the patient is in deep coma. Discuss nursing interventions related to prevention of injury in the brain-injured patient. To prevent injury for patient that has brain injury the patient must be assessed to ensure adequate oxygenation and that the bladder is not distended. Dressings and casts mast be check for constriction. The side rails must be raised and padded to avoid falling. The bed must also be lowered. Reducing environmental stimuli and to have an adequate lighting. Minimize disturbances during sleep to provide adequate rest for the patient. Medications can be given as prescribed to prevent restlessness. For incontinence catheter can be used. Written assignment Identify risk factors for spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury is an injury due to an unexpected accident. In short everyone can have a spinal cord injury. Still there are some risk factors. One risk factor is if you are engage in active sports or into jobs that requires lifting heavy loads. Another risk factor is for the people who are in the 16-30yrs of age because in these years people are active and many people at these age bracket is now driving and one of the leading cause of spinal cord injury is vehicular accidents. And if you have bone disorder like osteoporosis, this can cause spinal cord injury. List three clinical features of the patient with neurogenic shock. Neurogenic shock is caused by injury in the central nervous system that causes vasodilation as a result of loss of balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic stimulation. This causes low blood pressure (hypotension), decrease heart rate (bradycardia), and reduce venous return which gives a dry, warm skin. Why is autonomic dysreflexia an acute emergency situation? Autonomic dysreflexia is the over activity of the autonomic nervous system. The nerve impulses that are being send to the brain are blocked by a lesion in the spinal cord (at the t-5 level or above) which causes the brain to increase activity of the sympathetic system that results to a rise in blood pressure. The heart then sends impulse to the brain that causes the heart to slow down and the blood vessels above the spinal injury to dilate. But the brain cannot send impulse below the level of injury due to the lesion therefore blood pressure cannot be regulated. This is an acute emergency situation because if not treated immediately this may lead to seizures, stroke and even death. Develop a matrix identifying concussion, contusion, and diffuse axonal injury. Identify clinical manifestations and associated diagnostic testing. Definition Clinical manifestation Diagnostic testing Concussion Injury to the brain that is a result from an impact to the head. Ranges from mild to severe concussion Mild concussion Slightly dazed Brief loss of consciousness Severe concussion Longer loss of consciousness Longer recovery time Other manifestations Nausea and vomiting Blurred vision Confusion Fatigue Short-term memory loss Neurological function tests CT scan Contusion Traumatic brain injury or bruising of the brain because of sever acceleration-deceleration force or blunt trauma Loss of consciousness Lack of motor coordination Memory problems CT scan MRI Diffuse axonal injury This is a diffuse brain injury cause by severe head traumas. As tissue slides over tissue, a shearing injury occurs. This causes the lesions that are responsible for unconsciousness, as well as the vegetative state that occurs after a severe head injury Lack of consciousness No lucid interval Immediate coma MRI CT scan EEG electroencephalogram Discuss the long-term rehabilitation needs of the spinal cord injured patient. Within a group, ask questions regarding nursing care in the rehabilitative phase. For patients who suffered spinal cord injury rehabilitation is needed to restore as much function to the patient. The patient must understand his condition and reduce assistance with activities and let the patient be independent to improve motor function and also to increase the patients self-esteem. Discuss nursing management for the head-injured patient related to nursing applicable nursing diagnoses. Ineffective airway clearance Assess the respiratory status Check the patency of the airway Ensure airway clearance Ineffective tissue perfusion (cerebral) Assess the visual, sensory and motor functions Note for headache, dizziness, altered mental status and personality changes Elevate HOB (10 degrees) and maintain head/neck in midline or neutral position to promote circulation and venous drainage Decrease intracranial adaptive capability Monitor patients neurological vital signs (GCS) Monitor ICP Assess the patients reflexes Decrease environmental stimuli Risk for injury Provide safe environment Raise side rails Lower bed Web output NURSING MANAGEMENT OF ADULTS WITH SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY http://www.dvbic.org/images/pdfs/AANN08_TBIGuide_2-13-09_update.aspx Base on the study that I have read, the neuroscience nurse is the one who intervenes to maintain and manage intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in patience with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The prevention of complications commonly associated with TBI is also involved in the management of care for TBI patients such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), hyperglycemia, and excessive protein loss. In maintaining or decreasing of ICP, this study recommended guidelines. First, an uncontrolled intracranial hypertension leads to an absence of cerebral perfusion and results in brain death thus, the recommended ICP according to the original Guidelines for the Management of Severe head Injury should be at less than 20mmHg (Bullock, Chestnut, Clifton, 1995), as stated in the study. Second, the draining of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) -this decreases ICP. As stated in the study, according to the Brain Trauma Foundation, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care (2000), the first step to reduce intracranial hypertension is through ventricular drainage. As early as 1960, Lund demonstrated that removal of CSF via ventriculostomy temporarily decreases ICP (Lund, 1960). Draining as little as 3ml of CSF was found to decrease ICP by 10.1% relative to the baseline value of 10 minutes in 58 patients with severe TBI (Kerr, Weber, Sereika, Wi lberger, Marion, 2001). Protocols for CSF diversion range from time- dependent (leave drainage open for 5 minutes, then close), CSF-volume-dependent (drain 5cc then close), to continuous drainage (open all the time, closed at intervals to obtain an accurate ICP reading). This is supported by Monroe- Kellie hypothesis stating that a normal ICP can be maintained as one component in the cranial compartment (brain, blood and CSF) increases as long as there is a corresponding decrease of another component- therefore, decrease of one component decreases ICP. Third is not inducing hyperventilation to decrease ICP. Hyperventilation was routinely used to manage severe TBI. Studies done in the 1990s demonstrated the vasoconstriction associated with hyperventilation also resulted in decrease cerebral blood flow (CBF), thus, it is recommended to maintain normocapnia in most patients with severe TBI (Brain Trauma Foundation et al., 2007). Fourth is administering sedation- it prevents ICP increa ses. A study of 17 patients with severe TBI found ICP was significantly higher and there was a significant decrease in CPP with endotracheal suctioning among patients who were inadequately sedated compared to those patients who were well- sedated with proforol (Gemma et al., 2002) According to the study, a randomized controlled trial of 42 patients with TBI found the use of Proforol (rather than morphine) resulted in significantly lower ICPs by post- injury day 3, with less use of neuromuscular blockers, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates and less CSF drainage was required ( Kelly et al., 1999). Fifth is administration of Mannitol is effective in decreasing ICP. Guidelines for Management of Severe TBI, 3rd Edition states, mannitol is effectice for control of raised ICP at doses of 0.25 gms/kg to 1.0 gm/kg body weight (Brain Trauma Foundation et al., 2007). The diuretic effect of mannitol can cause increase Na+ and serum osmolarity levels, this should be monitored at regular intervals . Mannitol is infused via IV bolus through a filter. Mannitol 20% contains 20g of mannitol in 100cc. 80% of 100g dose appears in the urine within 3 hrs. of infusion. Sixth is to elevate head of bed (HOB) 30 degrees to maintain or decrease ICP- this is thought to promote intracranial venous return and increase CSF drainage from the head, resulting in decreased ICP (Fan, 2004). Four controlled studies with sample sizes ranging from 5- 38 patients with severe TBI found significant decreases in ICP with HOB elevations of 30 degrees (Moraine, Berrà ©, and Mà ©lot, 2000; Ng, Lim, Wong, 2004; Schulz- Subner Thiex, 2006; Winkleman, 2000). Seventh is removing or loosening rigid cervical collars- according to the study, it may decrease ICP. These collars may hold back venous blood flow and cause pain and discomfort, elevating ICP. Eight is administering intensive insulin therapy- it may reduce ICP. Hyperglycemia is common in severe TBI and has a negative effect on outcome. A study was con ducted with a result of lower mean and minimal ICPs to those treated with intensive insulin therapy to maintain glucose levels lower than 110 mg/dl than in subjects treated with insulin only when their glucose levels exceeded 220 mg/dl. The ninth is maintenance of normothermia- it may prevent ICP increases. Hyperthermia is prevalent in the TBI population, as high as 68% within 72 hours of injury (Rumana, Gopinath, Uzura, Valadka, Robertson, 1998). There have been no long- term outcome studies in the effect of normothermia in TBI, but a study found an increase in brain temperature was associated with significant increase in ICP; as fever ebbed, there was significant decrease in ICP. In controversial treatments for refractory intracranial hypertension, first is the inducing of moderate hypothermia- it may decrease ICP in refractory intracranial hypertension. There are multiple human studies that have demonstrated decreased ICP with the induction of moderate hypothermia (33-36 degrees Celsius) in patients with severe TBI (Clifton, Miller et al., 2001; Marion, Obrist, carlier, Penrod, Darby, 1993; Polderman, Tjong Tjin, Peerdeman, Vandertop Girbes 2002; Tokutomi, Miyagi, Morimoto, karukay, Shigemori, 2004; Tokutomi et al., 2003). Second is admistering hypertonic saline. Third is the administration of high- dose barbiturates- are thought to suppress cerebral metabolism, reducing cerebral metabolic demand and cerebral blood volume. In maintaining adequate CPP or increasing CPP, first is maintaining CP b/w 50- 70mmHg- optimized cerebral perfusion (Brain Trauma Foundation et al., 2007). Second is administering norepinephrine, it may maintain adequate CPP or increase CPP. Third is elevating HOB 30 degrees- not only it increases venous drainage from head, it also can decrease perfusion. Fourth is CSF drainage- the decreasing volume of CSF decreases total intracranial volume. In preventing DVT, pharmacologic treatment may be safe for DVT prophylaxis. Agency for healthcare Research and Quality recommends use of prophylaxis to prevent venous thromboembolism for at- risk patients. In adequate nutrition, first initiating nutrition within 72 hours of injury- according to the study, it may improve outcomes. It is recommended that patients be fed so that full caloric requirements are met by post injury day 7 (Brain Trauma Foundation et al., 2007). Second is providing continuous intragastric feeding- it may improve tolerance. According to the study, continuous feeding was better tolerated and achieved 75% of nutritional goals faster than bolus feeding in 152 consecutive patients admitted to neurosurgical intensive care units (20% of whom had sustained severe TBI; Rhoney, Parker, Formean, yap, Coplin, 2002). In preventing seizures, administering antiepileptic drugs decreases incidence of early posttraumatic seizures. Guidelines for the Management of Severe TBI, 3rd Edition recommends the use of anticonvulsants to decrease the incidence of post traumatic seizure within the fisrt 7 days of injury when the brain is particularly vulnerable to secondary injury- involves multiple metabolic mechanisms that result from interruption of blood flow and oxygen to undamaged cells, producing anaerobic metabolism, inadequate synthesis of ATP, or cellular acidosis. Then continuous EEG monitoring has been used to identify a 20% seizure incidence with 50% of patients identified as non-convulsive (Vespa Nuwer, 2000) Reference: Nursing Management of Adults with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, AANN Clinical Practice Guidelines Series

The History and Composition of Great Musical Pieces :: Music Musicians Composers Essays

The History and Composition of Great Musical Pieces Music is the most intangible art form. You cannot grasp or hold it, as you can other art forms. It is there for a minute, and it vanishes as soon as the last chord fades away. The great works of music are timeless. They remain with us after all the instruments have been packed away and the players have all gone home, in our heads, playing over and over. We hear them everywhere from shopping malls to commercials, even after their composers have been dead for hundreds of years. However, as technology grows and our lives get seemingly busier in this new millennium, the appreciation for this amazing art form has waned considerably. With digital synthesizers and greedy producers, the music that makes people feel their true existence has vanished. And I, being a devote musician, have grown up with the desire to recreate such music, to give people the chance to get swept off the dance floor and evoke great emotion. In order to do so, I am exploring the history of great musical pieces, so th at the facts behind the composers’ melodies, and their process in creating masterpieces will be as timeless as the music they made. I began exploring the musical world in second grade, when I begrudgingly started piano lessons following in my older sister’s footsteps. What began as a struggle turned out to be an ongoing experience I find in both my exploration of piano and viola (started in 5th grade). I am not a prodigal player, and whether I am a talented composer remains to be seen, but I find unexpected yet comforting roots among the musical world. With each day I learn more about various composers and get to know them and their styles. From Mozart’s pure melodies, Beethoven’s harmonies, to Chopin’s ability to seamlessly modulate from key to key I find finesse, detail and ease. I am fascinated by their abilities to pull a melody out of thin air and embellish it. I feel that I am not the only one gripped by the music composers create; the whole human race enjoys listening to music, whether it is classical, jazz, rap or one of the many other forms of music the world has to offer toda y. Music has always been an integral part of human life. Not only has it followed us throughout our history, but it has its own history.

freedom of speech -- essays research papers fc

â€Å" Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press† -First Amendment, U.S. Constitution. According to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, one of the basic principles our country is based on is the freedom of speech. Because of this, as eras and ages have passed in this still young and growing country, this amendment has had a greater use then stated, as to just insure a citizen of this right; rather it is used and many times directed towards individuals who have suffered great injustices and forms of oppression in the nation and their strive for liberation. However, what speech is such thus uses to reach this liberation and freedom? What hidden phantom is it that can improve the reality of an individual being oppressed and transcend them from injustice in America? The answer is none other than the English language. It is the use of this language, written and spoken, which has altered the subjectivity lived in the past, as well as today. Take for instance the first official document our country based its freedom on, in the The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. This document has laid the foundation of freedom and liberation from past oppression (British injustices)and in this country still existing today. However when viewing this document, one must take careful note of not only the theme of the document, rather the text itself to fully understand the genius and skill put forward in scribing such an influential document. For instance, a couple lines from the top, the author(s) state â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Declaration 1). First should be noticed the type of voice used in this segment of the document. From this passage, throughout the rest of the document, the voice is of plural (or as seen â€Å" We hold...†). With using â€Å"We† rather than â€Å"The individuals of the colonies† or such else, the author(s) intern portray an equal status with the reader, as not only a citizen rather as a peer. A second passage from this document which personifies the use of the English language in the str... ...ng this metaphor, especially in this context, King compares that to church bells and other form of peaceful bells that ring. As a result, seen once again, is this emotional appeal through metaphorical analysis. In conclusion, the English language has and still plays an essential role in the liberation of the past and the oppositions still faced today.. Since the beginning of the nations existence, through the civil rights movements, carrying over till today, the first amendment, with this English language, has proven to be of great validity and importance. It can thus be concluded that the English language is essentially, the speech of freedom! Works Cited Breitman, George Malcolm X Speaks (pp. 23-44), (Ed). Published in 1965 by Grove Weidenfeld: New York, NY. King, Martin Luther: "I Have a Dream"delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

Identities And How They Are Formed Essay -- Sociology

Identities and How they are Formed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From this section of the course I have learned about different philosophies and ideas about how identities are formed. The philosophies that make the most sense to me are the ideas of John Locke, Jean- Jacues Rousseau, Charles Harton Cooley and George Herburt Mead. Also the ideas focused on in my exercise have as well helped me to form an idea where identities come from and what they mean socially.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Locke had the idea that people in a society truly want to live together in harmony and that people are not aggressive by nature. That people are born with a "blank slate" and that anything can be learned. I completely agree with this statement. How people are brought up and what they are exposed to defines their identity and intentions in society. I was brought up by loving parents that among others things taught me to be true to my feelings and to express them truthfully. Jean-Jacues Rousseau's theory about corruption relates to the "clean slate" idea. He stated that corruption come from society. So if one is not influenced positively they may end up corrupt and be a hindrance on society. If a child grows up in a "dysfunctional family" they may be at a disadvantage to a child like my brother who is getting the same social education from my parents and the society we live in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Harton Cooley also touched on the idea of identities. He believed that identities are formed from interactions with people...

Philosophy with Logic

Philosophy with Logic What is philosophy? Philosophy has many questions- Asking the right questions†¦ From Greek word PHILO (Love) & SOPHIA (Wisdom) which means lover of wisdom * PHYTAGORAS, a Greek Philosopher, was the first to use the term Philosophy. * He noted that there are three types of man: a. lover of pleasure b. lover of success c. lover of wisdom * the last, according to him, is the SUPERIOR TYPE. * Wisdom here deals with the principles of things, the first cause of all beings.It deals with an understanding on the meaning of one’s existence and the importance of things around her/ him (Socio, 2007) The chief goal of wisdom is a fundamental understanding of reality as it relates to living a good life. * We might say then, that wisdom is good judgement about complex situations. Consequently, wisdom involves reflection, insight, a capacity to learn from experience and some plausible conception of the human condition (Buenaflor, 2009). Philosophy is a search for me aning and therefore intended only for the rational beings.He who has the why of things can bear almost any how†¦- Victor Frankyl Philosophy uses reason to attain its object. Whatever is one’s state in life, whenever she is and whatever she does she will always be left philosophizing. Therefore philosophy is always present. Philosophy- The science of all things by their first causes as known by the light of reason Philosophy covered all aspects of human knowledge. The early philosophers believed that philosophy is the foundation of all learning in the possibility of a total world picture and in the unity of all truths- whether scientific, ethical, religious or aesthetic.Philosophy as subject sought to provide if not all the answers the, the answers to at least the most ultimate and fundamental questions. Why study Philosophy? The study of Philosophy is very important because it offers students a chance to explore the fundamental questions about human existence and to see exactly what thinkers in different periods have had about the essence of human being. Philosophy can help clarify our thoughts. The clearer a person thinks the more she/he expresses himself/herself and more accurate way of examining and making decisions about life.It is philosophy that digs into the root causes of man’s problems and discovers the true solutions and remedies to human ills. Plato- The Philosopher King Why study Philosophy? Philosophy is one of the best ways of enriching your life, even as it prepares you for life. Philosophy's critical skills offer the best defense against foolishness and falsehoods. Philosophy is one of the most practical subjects in college. Logic helps the students in the following areas: * Interpretation ; Analysis * Abstract Reasoning * Research ; Synthesis * Communications Branches of Philosophy Logic- the science of correct reasoning * Epistemology- it deals with the origin and validity of human knowledge * Metaphysics- it deals with the study of beings and the origin of things. * Theodicy- the study of God in the light of natural reason. (Philosophy of Religion) * Cosmology- the study of the universe from a philosophical viewpoint * Philosophical or Rational Psychology- the study of man not only as a thinking or sensing being but as compose of body and soul * Ethics- a philosophical study that deals with how life should be lived and the means of attaining a meaningful existence. *Aesthetics or Philosophy of Arts- deals with the philosophical study of arts and beauty. It answers the question like What is beauty? Philosophy can also be divided into the following branches called Philosophies of Discipline * Philosophy of Persons- it deals with the study about the dignity of man, truth, freedom, justice, love, death and his relationship with others and with God. * Social Philosophy- it deals with the philosophical study of a society and its institutions. It is concerned in determining the features of the best society as it deals with the study of relationships of the human person. Philosophy of Science- This deals with the justification and objectivity of scientific knowledge. * Philosophy of mathematics- The aim of philosophy of mathematics is to provide an account of the nature and methodology of mathematics and its importance. * Philosophy of Law- This branch of philosophy deals with the why’s of the law. It also aims to guide people’s actions in political community and thereby protect basic interests or rights. * Philosophy of Education- This branch of philosophy provides a philosophical understanding of the issues in education.It deals with the different methods of education and its effects in the learning of the human person. * Philosophy of Psychology- it deals with everyday reflections on ones thoughts and deeds and on the behavior of others * Philosophy of Religion- Study of God from a philosophical viewpoint * Philosophy of History- This branch of Philosophy is an attempt to answer substantive questions dealing with such matters as the significance or possible purpose of the historical processes and the factors fundamentally responsible for historical development and change. Philosophy of Love- this branch deals with the meaning and value of love in the human person. * Philosophy of Culture- This is the philosophical study of all aspects of human life. Its aim is to interpret and transmit to future generations the system of values. * Philosophy of Women- This is also called philosophy of feminism, which refers to the study of the legal and political rights of women, as well as the relationship between the sexes in terms of inequality, subordination, or oppression. What is the basic requirement of becoming a Philosopher? – The faculty of wonder philosophy asks the question WHY? Where did Philosophy originates? West- Greece East- China and India Factors that contribute to the development of Philosophy in Greece * Geography * Invention of Games * Invention of coins * Myths Logic Etymologically, Logic is deduced from the Greek word Logike denoting a treatise on matters pertaining to thought. The term was coined by Zeno the Stoic. St. Thomas Aquinas defines Logic as the art that directs the reasoning process so that man may attain knowledge of truth in an orderly way, with ease and without error.As art, Logic is the tool of all sciences. The Scholastics considered it as â€Å"the art of all other arts† because it is used in every science and in every practical endeavor. As science, Logic studies the logical properties involved in the act of knowledge such as the logic of notions or concepts, the logic of judgement, the logic of reasoning and the logic of science. As science, Logic is a systematized body of logical truths and principles governing the habit of critical thinking and reasoning. History of Logic Zeno the Stoic coined the actual name Logic.He established the rules of argumentation to clarify the nature of c oncepts by using the Prior and Posterior analytics of Aristotle’s logical works. This endeavor degenerated because of the clever rhetoric and subtle persuasion of the Sophists. Socrates refuted the error by vindicating the value concepts in knowing reality. Plato, the most distinguished student of Socrates, philosophized that truth is the same as the ultimate, ideal reality. Aristotle corrected this error. He wrote six treatises on Logic known as the â€Å"Organon† He stated that ideas are mental operations that exist only in the mind.He is considered as the founder of science. Porphyrius wrote the categories of Aristotle known as â€Å"Isagoge’ Boethius translated Aristotle’s Organon and wrote commentaries on the Isagoge. Avicenna and Averroes wrote commentaries of Aristotle’s Organon Thomas Aquinas wrote commentaries on the logical works of Aristotle Francis Bacon wrote the â€Å"Novum Organon†. He introduced the Theory of Induction. John Stuart Mill developed Bacon’s â€Å"Novum Organon† Recently, George Boole founded the New Symbolic Logic . Because of its limited scope of application its popularity declined. Methods of Reasoning Inductive method- where we can obtain universal knowledge by considering the particular ex. Repeated experience of seeing falling bodies towards the ground. We may induce that this is common to all bodies. * Deductive- When we proceed from universal knowledge to particular cases ex. Logic is divided according to the three acts of the mind. * Apprehension * Judgement * Reasoning Simple Apprehension It is the basic operation of the mind or â€Å"the mental processes by which we grasp the general meaning of the thing without affirming or denying anything about it. It is the basic operation of the mind that leads to a concept; ex. man† â€Å"dog† Judgment It is the act of the mind by which we compare two concepts, either they agree or not. If we put concepts togeth er, the end result is called judgement or proposition. Ex. Man Laughs Reasoning It is the act of the mind by which we derive new truths from previously assumed truth. The mind combines several judgments or propositions in order to arrive at a previously unknown judgment; it is called syllogism. Ex. All men are walking Cyrus is a man. Therefore Cyrus is walking. Mental Act External Sign Apprehension Term Judgement Proposition Reasoning SyllogismTerms The term deduced from the Latin â€Å"terminus† is the extramental symbol of an idea. A term is an external expression of an idea. Ideas are mental expressions of external objects. Logical properties of terms * Comprehension of a term- It is the sum total of all the qualities / elements that comprise the meaning of the term; A manifestation of the essence of the object. It is also known as connotation. The comprehension of animal is â€Å"sentient living material substance†. * The Extension of a Term- It is the sum total of the particulars to which the comprehension of a term can be applied.It is also known as denotation e. g. The extension of the comprehension â€Å"sentient living material substance(animal) is birds, mammals, reptiles, birds, mammals etc.. The comprehension and extension of terms are inversely related. The greater the comprehension the lesser the extension and vice-versa | Comprehension| Extension| Substance| substance| Spirits, minerals, plants, brutes,men| Body| Material substance| Minerals, plants, brutes, men| Organism| Living material substance| plants, brutes, men| Animal| Sentient living material substance| brutes, men| Man| Rational sentient living material substance| Men|Classification of Terms I. According to Extension Extension of Terms- is defined as property of a term by which such a term is applied to other things. Terms have three extensions namely Singular, Particular and Universal * Singular Term is an extension of term that stands for a single definite individual or group. It is used to specify the individual or group. It is quantified by: * Demonstrative pronouns- This, That e. g. this book, that boy * The article â€Å"the† connotes a single idea e. g. the cup, the umbrella * Personal Pronouns- I, You, He, my, yours , he ,she Collective nouns- flock, clan, team * Particular Terms-stand for a definite part of the absolute extension. This is applied to a given part of a given group. Particular terms have the following quantifiers 1. ) Indefinite Pronouns and Adjectives- Some, few, many, most, several, not all, etc. e. g. some people, most roads 2. ) Use of Numbers- seven candidates 3. ) Articles â€Å"A† and â€Å"AN† give a particular idea e. g. a saucer, an umbrella Universal terms- stands for every subject signified. This is when meaning is extended to each and every member of the group. The signs of universality are: 1. Universal Expression/Quantifiers- all, every, each, whatever, whoever, which ever, without excepti on, everything, no, no one etc. e. g. Ex. No man is an island; All students of Rogationist College will wear their uniform 2. ) Universal Ideas- e. g. Tomorrow is a new day; Dogs are not cats 3. ) Articles in the Universal idea- e. g. The book has pages; A snake is a dangerous creature II. According to Meaning * Univocal- it signifies the same concept or essence, in (at least) two occurrences of the term e. g. Gloria Arroyo became the President of the Republic of the Philippines; Benigno Aquino jr. s the president of the Republic of the Philippines * Equivocal Term- The term is outwardly or apparently the same but it signifies different concepts or essences. E. g. left (left hand); left ( gone); right (right hand) right (correct) * Analogous term- it expresses partly the same and partly different in meanings ex. Head does not have the same meaning in head of the family and head of a man. III. According to Quality * Positive in form, positive in meaning e. g. life, justice, truth, * Positive in form, negative in meaning e. g. murder, massacre, famine * Negative in form, negative in meaning e. g. mmature, incompetent, dishonest * Negative in form, positive in meaning e. g. immortal, unblemished IV. According to Relation * Compatible- those that can co- exist in a subject examples: wise and good; beauty and brain; rich and famous; tall, dark and handsome; * Incompatible- those that cannot co-exist in a subject. They exclude each other. There are four kinds of incompatible Ideas: * Contradictory- those that express a positive and negative concept. Contradictories are mutually exclusive such that the affirmation of one is the denial of the other. Between them, there is no third (middle) possibility.Examples: legal-illegal; patient-impatient; literate-illiterate; valid-invalid * Contrary- those that express extremes belonging to the same class. Between these ideas, there is a third (middle) ground. Examples: rich-poor; hot-cold; kind-cruel; high-low; beautiful-ugly * Privative- two opposed ideas, one of which expresses perfection, and the other its lack which ought to be possessed. Examples: sight-blindness; truth-error; hearing-deafness; good-evil * Correlative- two opposed ideas that bear mutual relation to one another such that one can’t be understood without the other.They imply each other because one depends the other. Examples: cause-effect; whole-part; husband wife; parent-child According to Object 1. ) Real- it expresses something that has existential actuality, whether positive or negative. Examples: clarity, temperance, scandal, unemployment, chair, table 2. ) Logical- it is used as a conceptual device to facilitate learning. Examples: subject, predicate, classification, division, phyla, genera 3. ) Imaginary- it has no correspondence in reality but is merely a concoction of the mind.Examples: Spider man, flying carpet, darna, talking tree According to Comprehension * Concrete- the term is used to express concrete concepts suc h as those perceivable by the senses or whose referent is tangible. Example: ball, desk, table,brilliant lawyer * Abstract- The term is used to express abstract concepts such as those understood by the mind or whose referent is intangible. The term denotes being, quality, quantity or relationship. It denotes the property of a thing regarded as an entity by itself. Examples: humanity, dullness. Kindness