Cellular System Components

Introduction to GSM Networks Figure 1. 1 is a schematic overview of the main components in a GSM network. The various interface labels are the formal names given to these interfaces. More details about these interfaces are found in GSM TS 03. 02 [26]. The GSM network consists mainly of the following functional parts: †¢ MSC – the mobile service switching centre (MSC) is the core switching entity in the network. The MSC is connected to the radio access network (RAN); the RAN is formed by the BSCs and BTSs within the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).Users of the GSM network are registered with an MSC; all calls to and from the user are controlled by the MSC. A GSM network has one or more MSCs, geographically distributed. †¢ VLR – the visitor location register (VLR) contains subscriber data for subscribers registered in an MSC. Every MSC contains a VLR. Although MSC and VLR are individually addressable, they are always contained in one integrated node. †¢ G MSC – the gateway MSC (GMSC) is the switching entity that controls mobile terminating calls.When a call is established towards a GSM subscriber, a GMSC contacts the HLR of that subscriber, to obtain the address of the MSC where that subscriber is currently registered. That MSC address is used to route the call to that subscriber. †¢ HLR – the home location register (HLR) is the database that contains a subscription record for each subscriber of the network. A GSM subscriber is normally associated with one particular HLR. The HLR is responsible for the sending of subscription data to the VLR (during registration) or GMSC (during mobile terminating call handling). CN – the core network (CN) consists of, amongst other things, MSC(s), GMSC(s) and HLR(s). These entities are the main components for call handling and subscriber management. Other main entities in the CN are the equipment identi? cation register (EIR) and authentication centre (AUC). CAMEL has no in teraction with the EIR and AUC; hence EIR and AUC are not further discussed. †¢ BSS – the base station system (BSS) is composed of one or more base station controllers (BSC) and one or more base transceiver stations (BTS). The BTS contains one or more transceivers (TRX).The TRX is responsible for radio signal transmission and reception. BTS and BSC are connected through the Abis interface. The BSS is connected to the MSC through the A interface. †¢ MS – the mobile station (MS) is the GSM handset. The structure of the MS will be described in more detail in a next section. A GSM network is a public land mobile network (PLMN). Other types of PLMN are the time division multiple access (TDMA) network or code division multiple access (CDMA) network. GSM uses the following sub-division of the PLMN: CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network ? 006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Rogier Noldus 2 CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network To HLR from other PLMN D HLR D C Core network To/from other network MSC ISUP E MSC A BSC Abis BTS Um Um A ISUP GMSC ISUP BSC Abis BTS Um Um Base station system Air interface MS MS MS MS Figure 1. 1 GSM network architecture †¢ Home PLMN (HPLMN) – the HPLMN is the GSM network that a GSM user is a subscriber of. That implies that GSM user’s subscription data resides in the HLR in that PLMN. The HLR may transfer the subscription data to a VLR (during registration in a PLMN) or a GMSC (during mobile terminating call handling).The HPLMN may also contain various service nodes, such as a short message service centre (SMSC), service control point (SCP), etc. †¢ Visited PLMN (VPLMN) – the VPLMN is the GSM network where a subscriber is currently registered. The subscriber may be registered in her HPLMN or in another PLMN. In the latter case, the subscriber is outbound roaming (from HPLMN’s perspective) and inbound roaming (from VPLMN’s perspective) . When the subscriber is currently registered in her HPLMN, then the HPLMN is at the same time VPLMN. 1 †¢ Interrogating PLMN (IPLMN) – the IPLMN is the PLMN containing the GMSC that handles mobile terminating (MT) calls.MT calls are always handled by a GMSC in the PLMN, regardless of the origin of the call. For most operators, MT call handling is done by a GMSC in the HPLMN; in that case, the HPLMN is at the same time IPLMN. This implies that calls destined for a GSM subscriber are always routed to the HPLMN of that GSM subscriber. Once the call has arrived in the HPLMN, the HPLMN acts as IPLMN. MT call handling will be described in more detail in subsequent sections. When basic optimal routing (BOR) is applied, the IPLMN is not the same PLMN as the HPLMN.The user of a GSM network is referred to as the served subscriber ; the MSC that is serving that subscriber is known as the serving MSC. Examples are: †¢ mobile originated call – the MSC that is handling th e call is the serving MSC for this call; the calling subscriber is the served subscriber; †¢ mobile terminated call – the GMSC that is handling the call is the serving GMSC for this call; the called subscriber is the served subscriber. 1 The CAMEL service requirement, GSM TS 02. 78 [12] uses this strict de? nition. The term VPLMN is, however, commonly used to denote any network other than the HPLMN.Introduction to GSM Networks 3 1. 1 Signalling in GSM The various entities in the GSM network are connected to one another through signalling networks. Signalling is used for example, for subscriber mobility, subscriber registration, call establishment, etc. The connections to the various entities are known as ‘reference points’. Examples include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ A interface – the connection between MSC and BSC; Abis interface – the connection between BSC and BTS; D interface – the connection between MSC and HLR; Um interface à ¢â‚¬â€œ the radio connection between MS and BTS. Various signalling protocols are used over the reference points.Some of these protocols for GSM are the following: †¢ mobile application part (MAP) – MAP is used for call control, subscriber registration, short message service, etc. ; MAP is used over many of the GSM network interfaces; †¢ base station system application part (BSSAP) – BSSAP is used over the A interface; †¢ direct transfer application part (DTAP) – DTAP is used between MS and MSC; DTAP is carried over the Abis and the A interface. DTAP is speci? ed in GSM TS 04. 08 [49]; †¢ ISDN user part (ISUP) – ISUP is the protocol for establishing and releasing circuit switched calls.ISUP is also used in landline Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). A circuit is the data channel that is established between two users in the network. Within ISDN, the data channel is generally a 64 kbit/s channel. The circuit is used for the tran sfer of the encoded speech or other data. ISUP is speci? ed in ITU-T Q. 763 [137]. When it comes to call establishment, GSM makes a distinction between signalling and payload. Signalling refers to the exchange of information for call set up; payload refers to the data that is transferred within a call, i. e. voice, video, fax etc.For a mobile terminated GSM call, the signalling consists of exchange of MAP messages between GMSC, HLR and visited MSC (VMSC). The payload is transferred by the ISUP connection between GMSC and VMSC. It is a continual aim to optimize the payload transfer through the network, as payload transfer has a direct cost aspect associated with it. Some network services are designed to optimize the payload transfer. One example is optimal routing. 1. 2 GSM Mobility Roaming with GSM is made possible through the separation of switching capability and subscription data.A GSM subscriber has her subscription data, including CAMEL data, permanently registered in the HLR i n her HPLMN. The GSM operator is responsible for provisioning this data in the HLR. The MSC and GMSC in a PLMN, on the other hand, are not speci? c for one subscriber group. The switching capability of the MSC in a PLMN may be used by that PLMN’s own subscribers, but also by inbound roaming subscribers; see Figure 1. 2. In Figure 1. 2, the GSM user who is a subscriber of PLMN-A roams to PLMN-B. The HLR in PLMN-A transfers the user’s subscription data to the MSC in PLMN-B.The subscriber’s subscription data remains in the MSC/VLR as long as she is served by a BSS that is connected to that MSC. Even when the user switches her MS off and then on again, the subscription data remains in the MSC. After an extended period of the MS being switched off, the subscription data will be purged from the MSC. When the subscriber switches her MS on again, the subscriber has to re-register with the MSC, which entails the MSC asking the HLR in the HPLMN to re-send the subscription data for that subscriber. 4 CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS NetworkTransfer of subscription data to MSC/VLR HLR PLMN-A MSC MS Subscriber roams to other PLMN PLMN-B MSC Figure 1. 2 Transfer of GSM subscription data for a roaming subscriber When the subscriber moves from one MSC service area (MSC-1) to another MSC service area (MSC-2), the HLR will instruct MSC-1 to purge the subscription data of this subscriber and will send the subscription data to MSC-2. 1. 3 Mobile Station The MS, i. e. the GSM handset, is logically built up from the following components: †¢ mobile equipment (ME) – this is the GSM terminal, excluding the SIM card; †¢ subscriber identi? ation module (SIM) – this is the chip embedded in the SIM card that identi? es a subscriber of a GSM network; the SIM is embedded in the SIM card. When the SIM card is inserted in the ME, the subscriber may register with a GSM network. The ME is now effectively personalized for this GS M subscriber; see Figure 1. 3. The characteristics of the SIM are speci? ed in GSM TS 11. 11. The SIM card contains information such as IMSI, advice of charge parameters, operator-speci? c emergency number, etc. For the UMTS network an enhanced SIM is speci? ed, the universal subscriber identity module (USIM); refer 3GPP TS 31. 02. 1. 4 Identi? ers in the GSM Network GSM uses several identi? ers for the routing of calls, identifying subscribers (e. g. for charging), locating the HLR, identifying equipment, etc. Some of these identi? ers play an important role for CAMEL. 1. 4. 1 International Mobile Subscriber Identity The international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is embedded on the SIM card and is used to identify a subscriber. The IMSI is also contained in the subscription data in the HLR. The IMSI is used for identifying a subscriber for various processes in the GSM network. Some of these are: KPN SIM + ME = MSFigure 1. 3 Components of the mobile station Introduction to GSM Networks 5 3 digits MCC Maximum 15 digits 2 or 3 digits MNC MSIN Figure 1. 4 Structure of the IMSI †¢ location update – when attaching to a network, the MS reports the IMSI to the MSC, which uses the IMSI to derive the global title (GT) of the HLR associated with the subscriber; †¢ terminating call – when the GSM network handles a call to a GSM subscriber, the HLR uses the IMSI to identify the subscriber in the MSC/VLR, to start a process for delivering the call to that subscriber in that MSC/VLR. †¢ roaming charging – a VPLMN uses the IMSI o send billing records to the HPLMN of a subscriber. Figure 1. 4 shows the format of the IMSI. †¢ mobile country code (MCC) – the MCC identi? es the country for mobile networks. The MCC is not used for call establishment. The usage of MCC is de? ned in ITU-T E. 212 [129]. The MCC values are allocated and published by the ITU-T. †¢ mobile network code (MNC) – the MNC identi? es the mobile network within a mobile country (as identi? ed by MCC). MCC and MNC together identify a PLMN. Refer to ITU-T E. 212 [129] for MNC usage. The MNC may be two or three digits in length. Common practice is that, within a country (as identi? d by MCC), all MNCs are either two or three digits. †¢ mobile subscriber identi? cation number (MSIN) – the MSIN is the subscriber identi? er within a PLMN. The IMSI is reported to the SCP during CAMEL service invocation. The IMSI may be needed, for example, when identifying a country; countries in North America have equal country code (country code = 1), but different MCC (e. g. Canada = 303; Mexico = 334). 1. 4. 2 Mobile Station Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN Number) The MSISDN is used to identify the subscriber when, among other things, establishing a call to that subscriber or sending an SMS to that subscriber.Hence, the MSISDN is used for routing purposes. Figure 1. 5 shows the structure of the MSISDN. †¢ co untry code (CC) – the CC identi? es the country or group of countries of the subscriber; †¢ national destination code (NDC) – each PLMN in a country has one or more NDCs allocated to it; the NDC may be used to route a call to the appropriate network; †¢ subscriber number (SN) – the SN identi? es the subscriber within the number plan of a PLMN. CC NDC SN 1, 2 or 3 digits Maximum 15 digits Figure 1. 5 Structure of the MSISDN 6 CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network IMEITAC 6 digits FAC 2 digits FAC 2 digits SNR 6 digits SNR 6 digits spare 1 digit IMEISV TAC 6 digits SV 2 digits Figure 1. 6 Structure of IMEI and IMEISV The MSISDN is not stored on the subscriber’s SIM card and is normally not available in the MS. 2 The MSISDN is provisioned in the HLR, as part of the subscriber’s pro? le, and is sent to MSC during registration. The MSISDN is also reported to SCP when a CAMEL service is invoked. One subscriber may have multiple MSISDNs. These MSISDNs are provisioned in the HLR. At any one moment, only a single MSISDN is available in the MSC/VLR for the subscriber. . 4. 3 International Mobile Equipment Identi? er The international mobile equipment identi? er (IMEI) is used to identify the ME [or user equipment (UE) in UMTS network]. Each ME has a unique IMEI. The IMEI is hard-coded in the ME and cannot be modi? ed. Figure 1. 6 shows the structure of the IMEI. The IMEI is not used for routing or subscriber identi? cation. Refer to GSM TS 03. 03 [27] for the type approval code (TAC), ? nal assembly code (FAC) and serial number (SNR). The software version (SV) may be included in the IMEI (‘IMEISV’) to indicate the version of software embedded in the ME.The IMEI is always encoded as an eight-octet string. As from CAMEL Phase 4, the IMEI(SV) may be reported to the SCP. 1. 4. 4 Mobile Station Roaming Number The mobile station roaming number (MSRN) is used in the GSM network for routing a cal l to a MS. The need for the MSRN stems from the fact that the MSISDN identi? es a subscriber, but not the current location of that subscriber in a telecommunications network. The MSRN is allocated to a subscriber during MT call handling and is released when the call to that subscriber is established. Each MSC in a PLMN has a (limited) range of MSRNs allocated to it.An MSRN may be allocated to any subscriber registered in that MSC. The MSRN has the form of an E. 164 number and can be used by the GMSC for establishing a call to a GSM subscriber. An MSRN is part of a GSM operator’s number plan. The MSRN indicates the GSM network a subscriber is registered in, but not the GSM network the subscriber belongs to. Figure 1. 7 shows how the MSRN is used for call routing. The MSRN is not meant for call initiation. GSM operators may con? gure their MSC such that subscribers cannot dial numbers that fall within the MSRN range of that operator. 1. 5 Basic ServicesAll activities that may b e done in the GSM network, such as establishing a voice call, establishing a data call, sending a short message, etc. , are classi? ed as basic services. In order for a subscriber to use a GSM basic service, she must have a subscription to that service. 3 The handling of a basic 2 GSM subscribers may program their MSISDN into the phone; this has, however, no signi? cance for the network. 3 Exceptions are Tele Service 12 (emergency call establishment) and Tele Service 23 (Cell Broadcast). Subscribers do not need a subscription to these Tele Services to use them.Introduction to GSM Networks 7 return MSRN request MSRN HLR VMSC MSRN GMSC incoming call MSISDN Figure 1. 7 Usage of MSRN during call establishment to a GSM subscriber service is fully standardized. Hence, a subscriber may use a basic service in any GSM network she roams to, provided that that basic service is supported in that network. The HLR will send a list of subscribed basic services to the MSC/VLR, during registration. When a GSM subscriber initiates a call, the MS supplies the serving MSC with a set of parameters describing the circuitswitched connection that is requested.These parameters are the bearer capability (BC), low-layer compatibility (LLC) and high-layer compatibility (HLC), as will be described below. The MSC uses the BC, LLC and HLC to derive the basic service for this call. The rules for deriving the basic service from LLC, HLC and BC are speci? ed in GSM TS 09. 07 [55]. The MSC then checks whether the subscriber has a subscription to the requested basic service, i. e. whether the subscription data in the VLR contains that basic service. If the service is not subscribed to, then the MSC disallows the call. The basic service is not transported over ISUP.When a CAMEL service is invoked, the MSC reports the requested basic service to the SCP. The SCP may use the indication of the requested basic service for call service processing. Examples include: †¢ video calls may be charged at a higher rate than speech calls; †¢ for data calls and fax calls, the CAMEL service shall not play any announcements or tones. Basic services are divided into two groups: tele services and bearer services. 1. 5. 1 Tele Services Table 1. 1 provides an overview of the available tele services (TS); see also GSM TS 02. 03 [3]. 1. 5. 2 Bearer Services Table 1. provides an overview of the available bearer services (BS). The two bearer service groups are sub-divided into a variety of bearer services with different characteristics. Refer to GSM TS 02. 02 [2]. 1. 5. 3 Circuit Bearer Description Bearer capability, low-layer compatibility and high-layer compatibility are descriptors of a circuitswitched (CS) connection. When a GSM subscriber initiates a call, the BC, LLC and HLC are transported from MS to MSC over DTAP. The MSC includes the parameters in the ISUP signal to the destination. These parameters are also reported to the SCP during CAMEL service invocation.That enables a CAMEL service to adapt the service logic processing to the type of call. Figure 1. 8 shows the relation between LLC, HLC and BC on the DTAP and the corresponding parameters on ISUP. 8 CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network Table 1. 1 Tele service 11 12 Tele services Description Telephony Emergency calls Comment This TS represents the normal speech call The emergency call uses the characteristics of telephony (TS11), but may be established without subscription and bypasses various checks in the MS and in the MSC This TS relates to receiving an SMS.This TS is not sent to the MSC/VLR. When an SMS is sent to the subscriber, the HLR checks whether the destination subscriber has a subscription to TS 21 This TS relates to the sending of an SMS This TS relates to the capability of an SMS that is sent as a broadcast SMS This TS relates to the capability to establish a speech and fax (group 3) call This TS relates to the capability to establish a fax (group 3) call This TS r elates to the capability to participate in a group call as speci? ed in GSM TS 03. 8 [35] This TS relates to the capability to receive a voice broadcast as speci? ed in GSM TS 03. 68 [35] 21 Short message MT 22 23 61 62 91 92 Short message MO Cell broadcast Alternate speech and fax group 3 Automatic fax group 3 Voice group call Voice broadcast Table 1. 2 Tele service 20 30 Bearer services Description Asynchronous data bearer services Synchronous data bearer services Comment May be used for asynchronous services from 300 bit/s to 64 kbit/s. May be used for synchronous services from 1. 2 to 64 kbit/s.This BS may be used, amongst other things, for multimedia services such as video telephony. 4 DTAP (GSM TS 04. 08) Low layer compatibility High layer compatibility Bearer capability MSC ISUP (ITU-T Q. 763) Access transport [low layer compatibility] User teleservice information User service information Figure 1. 8 Transfer of LLC, HLC and BC through DTAP and ISUP †¢ Low-layer compatib ility – the LLC is transported transparently between the calling entity and called entity; it may be used by the respective entities to adapt codecs for interworking purposes.LLC describes mainly characteristics related to the data transfer. 4 3GPP Rel-7 may include a dedicated bearer service for video telephony. Introduction to GSM Networks 9 †¢ High-layer compatibility – the HLC is also transported transparently between the calling entity and called entity; it is used to describe the requested service, such as telephony, Fax, video telephony, etc. †¢ Bearer capability – the BC describes the characteristics of the 64 kbit/s circuit requested for the call. 1. 6 Supplementary ServicesSupplementary services (SS) in GSM are a means of enriching the user experience. An SS may, for example, forward a call in the case of no reply from the called party, bar certain outgoing or incoming calls, show the number of the calling party to the called party, etc. In o rder to use an SS, a GSM user needs a subscription to that SS. The subscription to supplementary services is contained in the HLR and is sent to the MSC/VLR during registration. The supplementary services are fully standardized.A GSM subscriber can therefore use her supplementary services in any GSM network, provided that the network supports these supplementary services, and have the same user experience. Table 1. 3 SS group Line identi? cation GSM supplementary services Supplementary services Calling line identi? cation presentation (CLIP) Calling line identi? cation restriction (CLIR) Connected line presentation (COLP) Connected line restriction (COLR) Calling name presentation (CNAP) Call forwarding – unconditional (CFU) Call forwarding – busy (CFB) Call forwarding – no reply (CFNRY) Call forwarding – not reachable (CFNRC) Call de? ction (CD) Explicit call transfer (ECT) Call waiting (CW) Call hold (CH) Call completion to busy subscriber (CCBS) Multi- call (MC) Multi-party call (MPTY) Closed user group (CUG) Advice of charge – information (AOCI)Advice of charge – charge (AOCC) User-to-user signalling – service 1 (UUS1) User-to-user signalling – service 2 (UUS2) User-to-user signalling – service 3 (UUS3) Barring of all outgoing calls (BAOC) Barring of outgoing international calls (BOIC) Barring of outgoing international calls except to the home country (BOIC-exHc) Barring of all ncoming calls (BAIC) Barring of all incoming calls when roaming (BICROAM) enhanced multi-level precedence and pre-emption (eMLPP) GSM TS 02. 81 [13] Name identi? cation Call forwarding 02. 96 [24] 02. 82 [14], Call offering Call completion 02. 72 [11] 02. 91 [22] 02. 83 [15], 02. 93 [23], 22. 135 [69]a 02. 84 [16] 02. 85 [17] 02. 86 [18] 02. 87 [19] Multi-party Community of interest Charging Additional information transfer Call barring 02. 88 [20] Call priority 2. 67 [10] a For the multi-call service, there is no GSM TS a vailable, but only a 3GPP TS (22. 135). 10 CAMEL: Intelligent Networks for the GSM, GPRS and UMTS Network Supplementary services may be provisioned for an individual basic service or for a group of basic services, e. g. a subscriber may have barring of all outgoing calls for all tele services and all bearer services, except SMS (tele service group 20). Such a subscriber is barred from establishing utgoing calls (except emergency calls), but may still send short messages.Some supplementary services may be activated or deactivated by the user. Examples include call forwarding and call barring. An operator may decide to bar certain subscribers or subscriber groups from modifying their supplementary services. Table 1. 3 shows the Supplementary Services. They are combined in service groups. Subscriptions are per individual Supplementary Service. The right-most column indicates the GSM technical speci? ations (TS) that specify the service requirement for the respective Supplementary Servi ce(s). The chapters on CAMEL Phases 1–4 describe the interaction between CAMEL and the various supplementary services. Not all GSM networks support all supplementary services. Many of the supplementary services in GSM have equivalent supplementary services in ISDN. The ISDN supplementary services are described in ITU-T recommendations. GSM TS 02. 03 [3] describes how the supplementary services may be activated, deactivated and invoked.

An Analysis of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Essay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgeraldon May 1922. It was later adapted into a movie in 2008. The story is one of its kinds as it is about a person named Benjamin Button who is born with a body of a dying man in his 80s. As the story progress, Benjamin finds out that his physical states are becoming better as he grow. The story mainly focuses on Benjamin’s life particularly on his relationships where he has to go through a lot of conflicts of life. In the resolution, it ends with Benjamin who is also a baby, breathing on his last breath. There are a lot of symbols depicted in the story particularly in the 3 hour movie version which contains symbolisms such as the hummingbird, the clock in New Orlean’s Train Station, the 7 lightning strikes, and Lake Portchartrain. The first symbol is the hummingbird. The bird symbolizes two things which are Benjamin’s life and concept of eternity. Looking at the nature of the bird, it is extremely small in size and in fact, it is the smallest bird in the world. They are very petite and fragile that a single squeeze by a human can instantly kills it. The bird is rarely found because they do not fly in groups. Plus, this is the only kind of bird that has the ability to fly backwards. To relate on the story, the hummingbird appears itself two times; at the sea where Captain Mike Clark dies during the war and outside the Hospital window during the Hurricane Katrina when Daisy is on her deathbed. What makes it ironic is the fact that hummingbirds would not possibly survive in those kinds of events because they are physically weak. The bird cannot fly for too long nor handle rough winds. But they are different in the story. This is why the hummingbird symbolizes Benjamin’s life. Although he is born wit h a body of a dying man, brittle bones, wrinkled skin and even the doctor Queenie called for says that he will die very soon, it never happens. Benjamin keeps on growing strong and moves forward. Moreover, the hummingbird’s ability to fly backwards describes the way Benjamin’s life moves, backwards. Furthermore, Captain Mike Clark has a hummingbird tattoo on his chest. When he was a kid, he dreams of becoming an artist but his father never supports him, saying that he must continue the father’s legacy of being a sail man. It is mentioned in the story where he tells Benjamin about the significance of hummingbird. The wings of a hummingbird look very  much like the symbol of eternity, ∞. Eternity is the idea of life that never ends. Benjamin knows that he is the only one of his kinds and sooner or later, his story will die along his death. Thus, in order to retain his story, he writes a diary and passes it to Daisy so that his daughter will have it. By doin g that, his life may end but his journeys will remain for eternity. Next is the clock in New Orleans built by Monsieur Gateau. He made the clock to tick anti-clockwise because he wants it to be a reminder for all to never forget about the fallen heroes of World War 1. Gateau’s only wish is to turn back time so that he can have his son back who died during the War. The movement of the clock has 2 symbolisms. One is the same symbol as the hummingbird’s ability to fly backwards. The clock is a symbol of Benjamin’s physical state in his life where his body starts from old to young. Another symbol for the clock is that it symbolizes fate’s dominance over life. For Gateau, he is afraid that life is moving by him. He could not accept the reality that his son is no more to be found. It pretty much kills him on the inside that results him to exile from the country. This goes the same towards Benjamin life, no one would wish themselves to be abnormal like him but the thing is, there is no control over it. People can only accept how things go and move on. Another example is Daisy’s car accident, she is capable, talented and has a bright future career in ballet but one accident changes all of it. It is very clear that every action people do, every hard work they put in, every words of prayer they say will eventually depends on one’s own absolute fate. This indicates that people do not have the power to control the future, they can only plan and organize it and leave the rest to fate. Plus, it also questions people whether they are using their time wisely or not because clock never stops ticking. To relate back on Gateau, his action of making the clock from turning how it is supposed to turn (clockwise) can be considered as an act of denial towards fate. The third symbolism found in this story is the lightning that strikes Mr Daws seven times. Mr Daws keeps on saying the same thing to Benjamin as he recalls how he got struck by lightning seven times. The symbolism that can be related to this is the number of lightning strikes Mr Daws get; seven.  This is a symbol of sin a, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. A person can only be in the stage of integrity or despair if he is living in a retirement house, waiting for his death as referred to Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development because old people tend to review their life and reflect on what they have done. Mr Daws could most probably be in despair; regretting actions that he had done in the past. He once mentioned to Benjamin that he is blinded because of one of the lightning that struck him. But the truth is his eyes were never blinded. This shows that Mr Daws is not saying that lightning literally strikes him 7 seven times, but he is just reminiscing about his re grets in life. It shows how much pain and regret he is in that he would not mind it if lightning would ever strike him. Another symbol that has the same meaning as the lightning strikes is the lake Benjamin’s father usually goes to when he was a kid; Lake Portchartrain. Benjamin knows about the existence of this house when his father told him about it. Despite feeling hurt of being abandoned when he was a child by his own father, he brings his father to the lake. This is his way of showing that he forgives his father’s wrongdoings toward him. There at the lake, they do not do any talking, there is only silence as they watch the sunrise. There is a big difference between the ending of Mr Daws and Thomas Button. For Mr Daws, he leaves the world feeling regret while Thomas would surely feel his life as positively integrated because he finally gets to be with his only son, Benjamin whom he thought would never forgive him. In my opinion, the story is very heartwarming. It can open anyone’s heart just by reading or watching it because that was the feeling I felt when I finished watching the movie version. Not only it carries a lot of moral values, the issues depicted in it are very significant for someone to realize the importance of time management. The best moral value that I managed to get from this story is that we must be thankful for the life we have and the things we have today because all of these may never be the same tomorrow. As a conclusion, people must know their purpose of life so that they would not waste it like how it is depicted in this story.

GLO-BUS: Developing Winning Competitive Strategies

GLO-BUS Developing Winning Competitive Strategies Welcome to GLO-BUS. You and your co-managers are taking over the operation of a digital camera company that is in a neck-and-neck race for global market leadership, competing against rival digital camera companies. All digital camera makers presently have the same worldwide market share, although shares vary by company across the four market regions – Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America. Currently, your company is selling close to 800,000 entry level cameras and 200,000 multi-featured cameras annually.Prior year revenues were $206 million and net earnings were $20 million, equal to $2. 00 per share of common stock. The company is in sound financial condition, is performing well, and its products are well regarded by digital camera users. Your company’s board of directors has charged you and your co-managers with developing a winning competitive, marketing strategy, one that capitalizes on growin g consumer interest in digital cameras, keeps the company on the ranks of the industry leaders, and boosts the company’s earnings year after year.Some Background Information Your company began operations five years ago and maintains its headquarters in Lisle, Illinos,USA. It assembles all of its cameras at a modern facility in Ha Noi, Vietnam and ships them directly to cameras retailers (multi-store chains that sell electronics products, local camera shops, and online electronics firms) located in Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America.The company maintains regional sales offices in Milan, Italy; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Toronto, Canada to handle the company’s sales and promotion efforts in each geographic region and help support the merchandising efforts of area retailers who stock the company’s brand. Retailers endeavor to maintain ample inventories of camera models in their own stores and warehouses to satisfy shopper demand. S easonal Production and Seasonal Demand. Camera demand is seasonal with about 20 percent of consumer demand coming in each of the first three quarters of each calendar year and 40 percent coming during the fourth quarter holiday season.Retailers place orders for digital cameras roughly 90 days in advance of expected sales, so as to have ample numbers on hand to satisfy camera buyer demand in the upcoming quarter. Thus, during Quarter 1 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 2; during Quarter 2 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 3, during Quarter 3, they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in the peak holiday season fourth quarter; and in Quarter 4 they order the number of cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 1 of the following year.Assembly and Shipping. The company has a staff of people engaged in new product R&D, engineering, and design; this group has the capability to develop new and improved camera models as directed by top management. Once co-managers settle on the desired specifications and performance features for the company’s line-up of camera models, the needed parts and components are obtained from suppliers having the capabilities to make deliveries to the company’s Ha Noi assembly plant on a just-in-time basis.Cameras are assembled by four-person product assembly teams at well equipped workstations. Shipping department personnel ready retailer’s orders for shipment and stack them on the loading dock for pickup by independent freight carriers. The cameras are delivered anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks later, depending on a retailer’s location and the means of transportation. The cost of boxing the cameras, packaging them for shipment, and freight averages $3 per camera. Many countries have import duties on cameras.Import duties in each of the four geographic regions currently average $5 for entry-level cameras and $10 for multi-featured cameras. Import duties are subject to change in upcoming years. Competitive Efforts. To capitalize on advances in digital technology and keep its cameras appealing to consumers, the company from-time-to-time introduces new and improved models, adds performance features, restyles its camera bodies or housings, and upgrades the internal camera software.Aside from company efforts to make its cameras lines appealing and competitive with those of rival companies, the company’s sales volume and standing in the marketplace is affected by the prices at which it sells its cameras to retail dealers, advertising expenditures, the number of retail dealers it is able to attract to carry its brand, the number and length of quarterly promotions, the size of the price discounts offered to retailers during these promotions, the length of the warranty periods on its cameras, brand image and reputation, and the caliber of the technical support provided to its digital camera users.Stock Listings. The companyâ €™s stock is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in the United States and on several other stock exchanges. The closing price in Year 5 was $30 per share. The company’s financial statements are prepared in accord with generally accepted accounting principles and are reported in U. S. dollars. The company’s financial accounting is in accord with the rules and regulations of all authorities where its stock is traded.The World Market for Digital Cameras The industry your company competes in consists of 4 companies. All companies are on an equal footing from a global perspective, but there is one essential difference in the competitive positions of the rival companies – the percentage of cameras being sold in the four geographic regions (Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America) are not identical from company-to-company as follows:Percentages of Company Sales Volume in (unit sales) North America Europe-Africa Asia-Pacific Latin America Yo ur Company 40% 30% 20% 10% Competitor A 10% 40% 30% 20% Competitor B 20% 10% 40% 30% Competitor C 30% 20% 10% 40%In effect, each company presently has a strong market position in one region, intermediate market positions in two regions, and a weak market position in one region. So there are market share differences among the companies in the industry within each geographic region of the world camera market. In upcoming years, company managers can undertake actions to alter their sales and market shares in all regions, opting to increase sales and share in some and to decrease sales and share in others. Market Growth.The global market for digital cameras is projected to grow 8-10% annually for the next five years (Years 6-10) and then to grow at a slower 4-6% annual rate during the following five years (Years 11-15). These projected growth rates apply to all four geographic regions and to both entry-level and multi-featured cameras. However, in any one year, the growth rate in each r egion can deviate from the 9% average for Years 6-10 and the 5% average for Years 11-15 by as much as 1% in either direction, with different size deviations for each region. The same goes for the projected growth rates for entry-level and multi-featured digital cameras.Hence, there is an element of uncertainty surrounding just where within the 8-10% range and the 4-6% range the growth rate for a particular year will actually fall, for either a given geographic region or a particular type of camera. Ratings of Digital Camera Performance and Quality. The World Digital Camera Federation, a well respected affiliation of camera industry trade groups and camera experts, tests the performance and quality of the camera models of all competitors and assigns a performance-quality or P/Q rating of 1 to 5 stars to each company’s entry-level camera line and multi-featured camera line.Currently, both the entry-level and multi-featured camera lines of all competitors have a 3 star P/Q ratin g. Spirited competition among rivals is, however, likely to result in different P/Q ratings in the forthcoming years. Digital Camera Retailers. Worldwide, there are some 50,000 retailers of digital cameras scattered across the world; each of the four major geographic regions of the world market has 12,500 retailers, some of which are multi-store retail chains (100 per region), online electronic retailers (400 per region), and local camera shops (12,000 per region).Retailers with store locations that also sell cameras on their websites are not included in the online category. Multi-store chains account for the biggest percentage of entry-level camera sales, with online retailers second; local camera shops account for the biggest share of multi-featured digital camera sales, with online retailers second. Retail markups over the wholesale prices of digital camera makers run 50% to 100%; thus an entry-level digital camera wholesaling for $160 could retail for $300 or more and a multi-fe atured camera wholesaling for $360 might carry a retail list price of $700.Such markups give retailers the latitude to put digital cameras on sale from time-to-time at 10% to 20% off regular price and still make a decent profit margin. Retailers typically carry anywhere from 2-4 brands of digital cameras and stock only certain models of the brands they do carry, but in all four geographic markets there are around 20 ‘full-line’ camera retailers that stock most all brands and models. Chain store retailers are drawn to carry the best selling brands and mainly stock entry-level cameras.The makers of weak selling camera brands have difficulty convincing major retail chains to devote display space to their models. Local camera shops and online retailers are, however, more amenable to stocking and promoting low-volume brands, especially those with above average P/Q ratings and respected brand images. Local camera shops and online electronics retailers devote much of their mer chandising effort to multi-featured digital cameras because of their bigger profit margins.In the multi-featured camera segment, local camera shops enjoy an advantage over online retailers because many multi-featured camera shoppers prefer to â€Å"touch and try out† the functioning of the multi-featured cameras they are considering and seek out the opinions of camera savvy personnel in local camera shops before finalizing their purchase. In choosing which brands of multi-featured cameras to carry and feature in their local ads, local camera shop owners put a fairly heavy weight on P/Q ratings, warranties, brand image, and the number, length, and price discounts of manufactures’ promotional discounts.Online retailers use essentially the same criteria in deciding which multi-featured camera brands to give top-billing and search priority on their websites. Digital Camera Buyers. Digital camera shoppers are generally quite knowledgeable; many do extensive Internet researc h to educate themselves about the features, performance, and prices of competing digital camera brands and models. The World Digital Camera Federation’s much publicized P/Q atings are trusted by camera shoppers; its frequently visited website has detailed information concerning the results of its performance tests and the basis for its P/Q ratings of each camera brand. Both camera makers and online electronics retailers have extensive information on their websites about currently available models. Numerous websites and publications review new and improved camera models as they are introduced by manufactures.The buyers of entry-level digital cameras are considerably more price sensitive than multi-featured camera buyers and many do comparison shopping on price in selecting which brand to purchase. The purchasers of multi-featured cameras are much more particular about camera performance and picture quality. Many price sensitive consumers shopping for their first digital camera are inclined to wait to make a purchase until electronic retailers have special sales promotions and offer entry-level camera models at sizable discounts off the regular retail price.It is common for camera retailers to also have special sales promotions for overstocked multi-featured models. The Competitive Factors That Drive Market Share Competition among rival camera makers centers around 11 sales determining factors: – How each company’s wholesale selling price (for both entry-level and multi-featured cameras) compares against the corresponding industry-wide average price in each geographic region. – P/Q ratings. – The number of special promotions each quarter. – The length of the special quarterly promotions (in weeks). The size of the discounts off the regular wholesale price during these promotions. – Advertising expenditures. – Product selection, as measured by the number of models in each line of cameras (entry-level and mul ti-featured). – The number of retailers carrying the company’s brand. – The length of the manufacturer’s warranty period. – The ease with which users of a company’s digital cameras can obtain responsive technical support when they encounter difficulties. – Brand reputation among buyers and retailers.With these 11 competitive determinants of sales and market share in play in each camera segment in each geographic region, you and your co-managers have many options for crafting a strategy capable of producing good profits and return on investment and keeping your company in contention for global market leadership. For example, you can – Employ a low-cost leadership strategy and pursue a competitive advantage keyed to having lower costs and selling your digital cameras at lower prices than rivals. Employ a differentiation strategy that sets your company’s digital cameras apart from rival brands based on such attributes as a higher P/Q rating, more models/styles to select from, and such marketing attributes as more advertising, longer warranties, more promotions, better technical support for owners of your digital cameras, or a bigger network of retail outlets carrying the company’s brand. – Employ a more value for the money strategy (providing 4-star digital cameras at lower prices than other 4-star brands) where your competitive advantage is an ability to incorporate appealing attributes at a lower cost than rivals. Focus your strategic efforts on being the clear market leader in either entry-level or multi-featured cameras. – Focus your company’s competitive efforts on gaining sales and market share in those geographic markets where your company already has high sales and deemphasize sales in those areas where your company has a comparably low market share or where profit margins are relatively low. – Pursue essentially the same strategy worldwide or else have regio nal strategies tailored to match the differing competitive conditions and actions in North America, Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Focus your company’s competitive efforts on those regional markets where sales are highest or most profitable and either deemphasize or withdraw from one or more geographic areas where market share is low and/or profit margins are small. Thinking Strategically: The Importance of Trying to Out-Maneuver Rivals Making Decisions. The following areas should be the basis of your decision making process. They are as follows: Product Design Marketing Assembly Compensation, Training, and Labor Force Special Order Bids Social Responsibility and CitizenshipFinance What Your Board of Directors Expects. The Board of Directors has given you and your co-managers broad strategy-making and operating authority to pursue the achievement of performance objectives, subject to two primary constraints: (1) Your company may not merge with another company ; the Board wishes the company to remain independent. And (2), company co-managers are expected to comply fully with all legal and regulatory requirements and to conduct the company’s business in an ethical manner. Good Luck. R. G. Revers PhD

Development of Miami city Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Development of Miami city - Research Paper Example The president did not like the controller tower to be destroyed, so it was left till now in the campus compound. This tower was later star as Florida international ivory tower. With an increase in number of students who wanted to pursue education, it called for the establishment growth in terms of facilities and structures. Presently, Florida international university is considered to be among the first and largest university in United States of America. However. This was characteristic to as far as it was able to produce good students who were experience to work. FIU produced elite who was able to meet the demands of employers.The group looked or worked to meet the demands of its client (students); therefore, spirits of entrepreneur were born in the institution, this lead to the establishment of some new technique that related to management and business. The school was officially opened in 1972 with five thousand six hundred and sixty seven students. The institution provided a variet y of faculties both full time and part time.Later in 1976, Hartod Crosby was elected to be the next president, accepting to benefit the basis for three year period interim. During his leadership, the company expanded and opened a north campus. The president made numerous progresses to the university, such as implementing new programs that made individual students perform better. In addition, some courses within the hospital were looked into, for example, the program the president made with the Latin America and Caribbean.

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Freedom of speech and freedom of the press - Research Paper Example That kind of investigative journalism is correct and appropriate when supported with documents, interviews and other primary sources. However, it has been the scenario that journalist exaggerate such scandals tainting public image of those people involved. There is no proper investigation done or factual accuracy and relevance of the information to the society put into consideration. (Stephens, 2007) Media have epitomized the freedom of the press at the expense of national as well as global security. For example in many cases, media have used terrorism reports to attract audiences. There has been no consideration of the victims of terror attacks but as long as the information hit the headlines. The media have been used to meet the objectives of terrorists such as gaining publicity for their activities, frightening populations and gaining members (Kellner, 2014). In conclusion, use of sensitive or controversial information to attract large audiences has adverse effects to the society by reporting information which only make a considerable story or which can hit the headlines without regard of factual accuracy or social relevance. There is misinterpretation of exaggerated information and diversion of people’s attention from relevant issues of the society to insignificant

Computer technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Computer technology - Essay Example Computer systems consist of both software and hardware. The hardware components are tangible components of the system: main memory, CPU, peripherals such as monitor, video display etc (Gookin 2006). Software part is the set of instructions that define what the actions of the computer hardware (Alagar and Peryasammy 2011). Typically a computer requires both the system software Minimum user requirements Fred, Barry and Jane need a Single PC for their gaming needs. Frankly, there are no many options for a PC with the minimum requirements they desire that can go for the price in their budget estimate of 350. For a gaming PC no existing integrated graphics acceleration cards can handle the processing requirements of the game. In this case a graphics processor that is dedicated will still be required. OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7 Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 GHz RAM: 2GB Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher. Graphics card memory: 512 MB Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version Fig. 1 Complete desktop computer The retailer has the option of making a choice between several brands, manufacturers of computers; Dell, Hewlett Packard and IBM. In my assessment I would recommend a machine that is high performing with the functionality that can well fit the gaming requirements. Since the budget constraints the selections, the best option is to go for the components that are most important in supporting gaming requirements. The computer features most essential for a gaming machine are; processor, graphics card, internal memory and hard disk capacity. Compromising on other desired features such as sound will not harm the game and the advantage will be the cost cuts. Justification Quad-Core Processor Though lesser processors such as dual-core are cheaper and within the budget, the ability of a quad core to s upport a larger number of tasks at the same time is a must for serious gaming. This is a good processor will help the computers to run effectively. The processor is the brain of the computer and controls most of the work done by the PC. For gaming requirements, multimedia multitasking, for example video recording while browsing will give a more pleasant experience. Processors are generally defined by their speed - in megahertz (MHz) or in gigahertz (GHz) - and it relates to the number of operations they can perform per second. The higher the value, the faster the PC will perform and the more expensive it generally is. I will recommend the Quad-Core AMD Opteronâ„ ¢ Processor with Direct Connect Architecture are designed to deliver industry leading power efficiency, optimal virtualization, outstanding performance, and low TCO - all within a consistent footprint and thermal envelopes. Fig. 2 Central processing unit AMD Phenomâ„ ¢ X4 Quad-Core Processors is a true quad-core perfor mance for the way gaming multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications that will be needed in the near future. Stable commercial AMD Phenomâ„ ¢ X4 quad-core processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. In addition, the processor comes with unique features for energy efficiency ‘AMD’ (2011). Random Access Memory (RAM) The computers will need about 4 gigabytes of memory so that they can run

Nursing Informatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Informatics - Essay Example The affiliation of the sponsors are outlined in the copyright section where the website delineates affiliation to credible sources such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version, A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, Patient Education Institute, Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, ORLive, HealthDay and Reuters, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There isn’t a link identified that will allow the user to contact the author however, Medline Plus has provided a contact form to answer users’ queries and if user’s browser does not work with forms, alternative emails and phone number are provided to communicate queries directly to the customer service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Funding. Most of the content of Medline Plus website is available at no charge. That is because the primary purpose of Medline Plus website is merely educational and not to sell product or service. Commer cial funding is not stated in the website but in the disclaimer section, it has been stated that the U.S. government provides fund for the website. Some advertisements are present in the website but Medline Plus makes sure that advertisers follow the advertising policy of Medline Plus by clearly stating the difference between content and advertising. Advertisers or sponsors must not play a role in selecting or editing information (Medline Plus, 2011). Advertisements and directories of health professionals, services, and facilities might be included in the website but Medline Plus does not recommend or endorse these services. In addition, any potential conflict of interest with the users will exclude linked organizations and Web sources from the... This essay discusses the connections between profesional nursing work and an Internet source named Medline Plus that is a most common and helpful today for health care employees. It is stated that some nurses prefer the Internet in answering clinical questions and searching for updates in the field of health care. In this case, nurses who are often using Internet searches are encouraged to develop a list of trusted health-information websites known for credibility. Several advance skills are necessary to evaluate and appraise a health-related website as well as a criterion guide to ensure the quality of websites being accessed routinely. The researcher develops the website critique which will be evaluated the Medline website in terms of source, funding, and validity. Medline plus caters links to different sources which specified individual authors of various specific articles. Medline Plus is being sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Most of the nurses around the globe vi ewed Medline plus as a credible source of information due to the reason that the information. The researcher also uses The Thede and Sewell criterion in critiquing a Website that is a very important tool not only for the health-allied professionals but also to the general users. The researcher then sums up that this website offers safety and security of information of users, credibility of author, protection of users’ interests, updated information free from biases, and preservation of users’ privacy.

Personal Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Personal Narrative - Essay Example We only moved to Hong Kong soon after my father secured a job as an accountant. After saving for a while, he was able to open a restaurant business for my mom. Luckily, for me, I began going to international school. Living with my parents in the modem and developed city provided me with an opportunity to learn so much about business and were probably one of the reasons why I developed interest in business. I recall vividly how my father could take me along in his business trips. In these trips, we always met high profile people with whom they conducted business. Whenever we came back from the trips, I could tell my mum about the fascinating experience I had. She always reminded me that in order to be like my father, I first had to work hard in class. As time moved on, my interest in business grew. This was partly because of the business trips that my father took me, and my mother was an entrepreneur. Our house was always full of business talk. Upon realizing my interest in business, my parents supported me and that created a self-belief that I could actually grow to become a great businessperson. By the age of 13, I remember I could accompany my mother to her restaurant during my vacations. While with her, she delegated some duties to me. For instance, she always asked me to welcome clients, a task I performed graciously. With time, I was assigned even bigger roles. Another reason that made want to be an accountant was to help people set up their businesses. My thoughts were that accounting was the best field any person could want to study, with all these decision and encouragement I decided to study overboard for a better future. Everything was in my plan before I came to America, then I had an encounter that forever changed my career aspirations. After my college orientations had been finished, I started choosing my classes for the first quarter. I realize most of the prerequisite courses did not

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The Fall of The House of Usher- by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example It is shown in the characterization of Roderick, symbolism of the house, and first person point of view. b. The ventral striatum is a section of the brain that is mostly associated with rewards. Furthermore, this section of the brain is vital to learning processes. This part of the brain is largely stimulated by love and affection for close friends and relatives. Human brains subjected to lonely environment display less activity in this region when shown or told interesting things or stories respectively. They lack interest and do not enjoy these moments instead get distracted by other things. c. According to Poe, the narrator tries to cheer up Roderick Usher by reading him a medieval romance story. The narrator says, â€Å"I will read and you listen.† He loudly reads Mad Trist by Sir Lancelot Canning. As he reads, he gets distracted by unnecessary noise from Usher. Roderick is not interested in the story and is fantasizing and muttering to himself. d. Through this scene, readers learn of the detrimental effects of loneliness to Usher’s mind. Usher, who once loved and enjoyed romantic stories and books, does not show any interest in the narrator’s story. He does not find the story interesting because of his brain condition. His brain condition is as a result of social isolation and loneliness. Additionally, his habit of staying indoors with her sister Medline has led to the activation of Ventrium Striatum. Due to activation of this hormone, Usher’s interest and love for various things disappeared. As a result, he prefers to do other things that are not interesting to ordinary human beings. Consequently, people should look for friends to enjoy life and the existing impressive things. Having enough friends and company that engages the brain on a daily basis leads to avoidance of such peculiar medical conditions. The brain remains healthy and functional. c. Poe validates

Living Through the Pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis Essay Example for Free

Living Through the Pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis Essay As I sit next to my sister, Natalie, she seems saddened as she tells the story that started her difficult journey of dealing with a lifelong disease. As she describes it, â€Å"At the young age of 13, when my girlfriends were thinking about an upcoming 1950s-genre sock hop, I found myself in a Milwaukee back brace to treat a curvature of my spine called scoliosis. The brace keeps the spine virtually immobile. It held my head in alignment with metal bars, clear down to a plastic mold over my hips. I wore the brace for two years and the kids in my school would ask if I had been in a car wreck. I later started high school in new Nike tennis shoes and the awkward metal brace. When I was a sophomore, I developed a severe bowel inflammation episode which the doctor thought was bacterial dysentery. It was awful, and little did I know that this was the start of a series of problems that are all part of a chronic disease. About two weeks later, I developed painful swelling in my right knee. It was severe enough to require removal of an unusually large amount of synovial fluid. A few days after the right knee seemed to heal, the left knee swelled up. The same pattern continued for the next several years and the doctors said it was just arthritis. I then developed an eye infection called iritis in my right eye. It was so severe that it needed daily cortisone injections for 10 days, eye drops and resting in complete darkness. For the next four years, I experienced severe hip (sacroiliac (SI)) pain that made walking difficult. A pelvic X-ray was taken, which showed fusion in one of the SI joints. I was tested and found positive for the HLAB27 gene. The rheumatologist changed the diagnosis from arthritis to a definitive Ankylosing Spondylitis which is a debilitating, painful disease, without a cure, that would continue to worsen throughout my life and would most likely end with me crippled and in a wheelchair† (Rasmussen, 2010) Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a ruthless, genetic disease that makes life very painful and difficult for those affected by it. AS affects as many as 2. 4 million people in the US today, which is more than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. Scientists are currently attempting to find out what this disease is, how it is contracted, and what can be done to help those who have AS manage their pain, avoid further bodily damage and hopefully find a cure. Pathophysiology: Ankylosing Spondylitis Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is when the body’s natural immune system, that is supposed to fight against germs or foreign cells that enter your body, mistake its own healthy cells as being invaders and attack them. This can affect any part of the body or many parts of the body at the same time. In the case of Ankylosing Spondylitis, the immune system attacks its own cells causing arthritis of the spine, sacroiliac (hip) joints and can cause inflammation of the eyes, lungs, and heart valves. It varies from intermittent episodes of back pain that occur throughout life to a severe chronic disease that attacks the spine, peripheral joints and other body organs, resulting in severe joint and back stiffness, loss of motion and deformity as life progresses. Signs and symptoms The beginning physical signs of AS usually start to appear in late adolescence or early adulthood (ages 17-35), but the symptoms can occur in younger children or much later in life as well. The first symptoms of AS can include frequent pain and stiffness in the lower back and buttocks, and symptoms come on gradually over the course of a few weeks or months. At first, discomfort may only be felt on one side, or alternate sides. The pain is usually dull and diffuse, rather than localized. This pain and stiffness is usually worse in the mornings and during the night, but may be improved by a warm shower or light exercise. Also, in the early stages of AS, there may be mild fever, loss of appetite and general discomfort. Many people with AS also experience bowel inflammation and iritis or uveitis (inflammation of the eyes). About one third of people with AS will experience inflammation of the eye at least once. Signs of iritis or uevitis are: Eye(s) becoming painful, watery, red and individuals may experience blurred vision and sensitivity to bright light (Van der Linden S, 2009). Varying levels of fatigue may also result from the inflammation caused by AS. The body must use extra energy to deal with the inflammation, thus causing fatigue. Mild to moderate anemia, may result from the inflammation, which can contribute to an overall feeling of tiredness. In a minority of individuals, the pain does not start in the lower back, but in a peripheral joint such as the hip, ankle, elbow, knee, heel or shoulder. This pain is commonly caused by enthesitis, which is the inflammation of the site where a ligament or tendon attaches to bone. Inflammation and pain in peripheral joints is more common in juveniles with AS. This can be confusing since, without the immediate presence of back pain, AS may look like some other form of arthritis. AS is more common in young men than in women. Typically, 1 in 200 men have AS, whereas 1 in 500 women have the disease. The symptoms or pattern of the disease are different in women. Quoting Dr. Elaine Adams, Women often present in a little more atypical fashion so its even harder to make the diagnoses in women. For example, some women with AS have stated that their symptoms started in the neck rather than in the lower back† (Adams, 2010). The pain normally becomes persistent (chronic), is felt on both sides, and lasts for at least three months. Over the course of months or years, the stiffness and pain can spread up the spine and into the neck. Pain and tenderness spreading to the ribs, shoulder blades, hips, thighs and heels is possible as well. Advanced AS sufferers eventually experience lack of spinal mobility due to spinal fusion. Spinal fusion occurs when damage to the joint and surrounding bone causes calcium to build up which acts like a cement to keep the bones from grinding together. Fusion eliminates the pain caused by the bones grinding together, but creates the complication of limited flexibility or immobility. Diagnosis There is no direct test to diagnose AS. A clinical examination and X-ray[-0] studies of the spine, are the major diagnostic tools. A drawback of X-ray diagnosis is that signs and symptoms of AS have usually been established as long as 8–10 years prior for changes to be seen on a plain film X-ray, which means a delay of as long as 10 years before adequate therapies and treatments can be introduced. Options for earlier diagnosis are tomography[-1] and magnetic resonance imaging[-2] (MRI) of the sacroiliac joints, but the reliability of these tests is still unclear. Also, MRI can be cost prohibitive (Thomas E, 1998, pp. 343-7). A physical examination by a doctor or rheumatologist is necessary in properly diagnosing AS. The examination would entail looking for sites of inflammation, and checking for pain and tenderness along the back, pelvic bones, sacroiliac joints, chest and heels. Other symptoms and indicators are also taken into account, including a history of iritis or uveitis (inflammation of the eye), a history of gastrointestinal infections (for example, the presence of Crohns Disease or ulcerative colitis), a family history of AS, as well as fatigue due to the presence of inflammation. The Schobers test[-3] is a useful clinical measure of flexion of the lumbar spine performed during examination. Ankylosing Spondylitis is considered a genetic disease and studies have linked AS with a genetic marker called HLA-B27. However, testing positive for this marker is not a guarantee that a person will contract the disease. Approximately 90% of AS patients carry the HLA-B27 marker but 10% who exhibit AS disease characteristics do not. The association between AS and HLA-B27 varies in different ethnic and racial groups. 95% of people in the Caucasian population who have AS test HLA-B27 positive. However, only 50% of African American patients with AS possess HLA-B27 marker. Therefore, 5% of Caucasians and 50% of African Americans who have AS do not carry the HLA-B27 marker. In 2007, a collaborative effort by an international team of researchers in the U. K. , Australia and the United States led to the discovery of two genes, ARTS1 and IL23R[-4], that also contribute to the cause of AS. The findings were published in the November 2007 edition of Nature Genetics, a journal that emphasizes research on the genetic basis for common and complex diseases (Brionez TF, 2008, pp. 348-91). Together with HLA-B27, these two genes account for roughly 70% of the overall incidence of the disease. Treatment with Medications There are many medications available to treat AS and its symptoms. Depending on the stage of the disease and its rate of progression, different medications are recommended. People respond to medications with varying levels of effectiveness, thus it may take time to find the most effective medication for treating someone with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) NSAIDs are the most commonly used class of medication used in treating the inflammation and swelling associated with AS and thus reduce pain and stiffness. For example, Ibuprofen is a generic NSAID and is found in over-the-counter pain relievers such as Advil and Motrin. They commonly come in tablet form and are taken orally. Sometimes high doses of NSAIDs are needed to maintain relief from the symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis. This can pose a problem in that NSAIDs can cause significant side effects, especially in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, intestines, etc. ). NSAIDs can cause reduction in the protective mucus in the stomach, which can cause stomach irritation. In time, this can lead to heartburn, gastritis as well as ulcers and even bleeding. People can take other medications, such as antacids, to neutralize or prevent the production of excess stomach acid or take drugs to help coat and protect the stomach and help restore the lost mucus. According to Spondylitis Association of America, there is a different class of NSAIDs known as COX-2 inhibitors (or COXIBs) have helped some patients reduce the risk of gastrointestinal complications associated with traditional NSAID therapy. An example of a COXIB is Celebrex (Celecoxib), which is still being used to treat spondyloarthritis. Others, such as Vioxx, were pulled from the market because of potential cardiac side effects (SAA Medication Treatments, 2009). Although NSAIDs are commonly the first line of medications used to treat Ankylosing Spondylitis, sometimes they arent enough to control the symptoms. NSAIDs may only be partially effective or the side effects too severe to continue their use. In this case, a doctor may prescribe one of the following medications: Sulfasalazine Sulfasalazine is one type of medication that can be helpful to some people with this severe disease. It is known to effectively control not only pain and joint swelling from arthritis of the small joints, but also the intestinal lesions in inflammatory bowel disease. It comes in tablet form and is taken orally. Side effects are relatively infrequent, but can include headaches, abdominal bloating, nausea and oral ulcers. Rarely, someone being prescribed this medication can develop bone marrow suppression, which is why it is important to regularly monitor blood counts. Methotrexate Originally developed to treat cancer, this chemotherapy drug is widely used and often very effective for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. When prescribed for treating Ankylosing Spondylitis, it is given in much smaller doses. Methotrexate can either be taken via a self-injectable shot, or orally in tablet form. When taking methotrexate, it is also necessary to take the vitamin folic acid in order to help suppress possible side effects. Oral ulcers and nausea are the most common side effects, but can be minimized by taking folic acid. Because of other potential serious side effects, the frequent monitoring of blood counts and liver tests are required. Methotrexate lowers the ability for patients to fight infection. Therefore, patients taking it should avoid contact with those who are ill. Corticosteroids Corticosteroids such as prednisone can be effective in relieving the inflammation of AS, but the side effects of long-term use can be very severe. Corticosteroid injections into the inflamed joints can provide temporary relief of the pain caused by arthritis or bursitis. In instances of Achilles tendonitis, such injections are rarely, if ever used because of the risk of rupturing the Achilles tendon. Also, the usefulness of corticosteroid injections to relieve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis (heel pain) is not clear. Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha inhibitors AS patients produce too much of an inflammatory substance called Tumor-Necrosis-Factor alpha (TNF-a). TNF-a blockers are biologic medications that have shown great promise in treating AS by binding the excess TNF-a, thus reducing inflammation. TNF-a blockers slow the progress of AS in the majority of clinical cases, helping many patients receive a significant reduction, though not elimination, of their inflammation and pain. They have been shown to be highly effective in treating the arthritis of the joints and the spinal arthritis associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Examples of TNF? [-5] blockers are: Enbrel (etanercept[-6]), Remicade (infliximab[-7]), Humira (adalimumab[-8]) and Simponi (Golimumab). Besides the often high cost of over $600 per injection, the most serious known side effect of the TNF blockers is the fact that these drugs increase the risk of infections, especially tuberculosis. Thus, a TB test is usually required before starting any of the TNF therapies. Patients taking the TNF medications are advised to limit their exposure to others who are or may be carrying a virus (such as a cold or flu) or who may have a bacterial or fungal infection. A very rare possible complication is increased frequency of cancer, especially of the blood, such as leukemia or of the lymphatic system as in lymphoma. (SAA Medication Treatments, 2009).

Constructing Flyovers At Sri Lankan Traffic Jammed Areas Construction Essay

Constructing Flyovers At Sri Lankan Traffic Jammed Areas Construction Essay An efficient transport network is the backbone of a healthy economy. As SriLankans most of our productivity is lost due to the inefficient and congested road network. One of the recent additions for traffic management and to alleviate congestion in colombo city and its suburbs has been the introduction of flyovers at important intersections of the main road corridors. The main function of a flyover is the separation of conflicting traffic movements thereby minimizing conflicts by using the vertical space. Therefore, it is assumed to cause less impact to the adjacent properties and the existing infrastructure. However, this depends on the type of flyover and the traffic pattern at the junction. 2. The efficiency of the recently introduced flyovers in the suburbs of the city of colombo can be tested by comparing before and after conditions of important traffic engineering parameters. It is also important to analyze the congestion level at the intersection and its significance compared to the entire road system. Basically the speed and the system capacity can be compared as main considerations to test this at a particular location. Moreover, the benefits and cost of a flyover against other reasonable and alternatives to obtain a similar result should be taken in to consideration and evaluated. In this research has attempted to compare the economic benefits of introducing flyovers against other short term and long term alternatives. The possible solutions available both from traffic and transport aspects are also widely discussed in my research. 3. The first of the series of large scale flyovers introduced to Sri Lanka recently are located across main railway lines in and around colombo. The first of these was a concrete cantilever type flyover in Ragama. This was constructed in 1996 in order to avoid the delay caused by the railway gate closures at the main line. A second flyover was completed along the baseline Road area. Dematagoda which was also across the main railway line in year 2000 to prevent the stagnation of vehicles on the Base line road. This was a 6 lane viaduct (culvert) type concrete structure. The 3rd flyover, which is a steel structure, was constructed in 2008 at Kelaniya within a record period of just 66 days; this was also to avoid the delay from the main railway line across the colombo-Kandy Road. The main purpose for the construction of all these flyovers was to reduce delays caused to vehicle traffic due to the closures of rail gates and reduction of accidents. 4. The latest flyover was constructed at Nugegoda junction in 2009. This is the first flyover at a road intersection, constructed in order to reduce intersection delays in Nugegoda. This too is a steel structure. 5. From the above details we could basically divide flyovers in SriLanka in to two main categories, a. Those across railway lines (railway overpasses) and b. those across road intersections resulting in grade separations. 6. The comparisons of key performance factors such as speed, safety, and economic cost with or without the flyover can be analyzed for both categories. Also, the economic viability of each category could be tested by comparing the cost and the benefits of the design life of each flyover. Selection of the type of flyover and its design are also of interest. In this respect, the comparison between cost, life time, possibility of land use, space utilization as well as the visual and function impacts on the area would be considered as being relevant decision making parameters for the selection of the type of flyover. CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY AIM The aim of this research is to identify and analyze the issues related the construction of flyovers at the traffic jammed areas in colombo district, How to improve finds the achievements and drawbacks being available in the flyovers. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 2. The growth of population, economy and as a result of the prevailing economic policy, the number of motor transport is increasing daily but the road network has not developed in such a manner to cater for the increasing requirement creating a great impact on the growth of our economy. Similarly the inefficiency of public passenger transportation combines together with this, as it is the mode of travel used by the general public for day to day activities. 3. Moreover Improvements to Public Transportation can reduce traffic congestion by attracting car and other motorized users to bus and train transportation hence can contribute to the economy in long term by reduce fuel consumption, efficient use of road and vehicle fleet, reduced accidents, etc. Increasing of private motorized vehicles by widening and improving more capacity to it will create further problems to the traffic environment in future. Hence, the concern of more tax and quota system to reduce vehicle ownership will help to reduce the vehicle growth rate. But at the same time government should improve public transportation to satisfactorily for the convenience of all users. 4. On the other hand very expensive infrastructure will negatively impact to the economy of a country as they lose the power for expenditure to other important needs at the same time hence the inflation rate would be unbearable if they are already have economic crisis. Therefore, injection of local funding to huge infrastructure which will produce marginal benefits is a waste for a nation. However, the flyovers also can be constructed using reinforced concrete structures too at lower cost than steel structure presented at placed in Colombo these days. THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 5. It is hypothesized that construction of flyovers at the traffic jammed areas as this is the best remedy for the issue, in this context there is no such requirement for add more kilometers to our road network. SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH 6. This research paper examines the lapses in the road network, one of the most recent traffic management methods, Improvements to Public Transportation can reduce traffic congestion and public passenger transportation at present, on its maintenance and existence, and how it affects the economy of our country and the ways available to overcome the problem effectively. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 7. The data for the research is collected both from primary and secondary sources. Primary data The Primary data has been collected from 40 samples in colombo district. Secondary data The data required for the research collected from the secondary sources with relevant Books, RDA/UDA Specialized personals and the Internet utilized. LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH 8. My Limitation is Primary data was collected mainly from questionnaires, it is assumed in the information is 100% correct. Forty consumer of flyover were selected for the study. This also is a limitation in the generalization of the result. GLOBAL EXPERIENCES WITH FLYOVERS 1. Flyovers have been assumed to be an ultimate solution for traffic congestion in the congested cities of developing countries. Large number of flyovers has been constructed in our country in last few years. However, the actual performance of such flyovers is debatable when considering the overall impact to other transport functions such as pedestrian facilities, visual aesthetics and business developments in the locality. There is a strong public perception that flyovers have solved or will solve traffic problems in metropolitan areas.   Therefore, there is no apparent resistance from the public, media, politicians and administrators when flyovers are constructed.   The only resistance comes from the few that are adversely affected, for example, owners/tenants of business establishments, residents and civil institutions.   In response they are often criticized for not being socially conscientious and for being anti-development  since they usually cannot justify their own re asons from a professional point of view and there is no support for them even if hundreds of thousands may even suffer from the adverse effects of such developments.   The position that the interests and convenience of society at large over the inconvenience or losses to a few are often ignored in many countries.   There appears to be no counter to such arguments since there is indeed some logic and truth to it. 2. It has in fact been shown that the convenience of a flyover mainly occurs only during the non-peak hours of traffic flow.   For example, during non-peak hours well-designed at-grade intersections like those in all present flyovers are doing fine as it is only in peak hours that flyovers have a slight advantage. The convenience is also felt only in 2 directions of traffic flow out of a possible 12 directions at an intersection.   These misconceptions have had a great influence on the publics mind that flyovers indeed solve all traffic problems at intersections.   Only in-depth analysis and engineering computations can counter this influence.  For example, our country and in developing countries are examining possibilities of introducing toll systems to recover the huge cost of these flyovers. However there are difficulties in implementing such methods due to the lack of space for toll booths and also the difficulty of imposing this to the users who only have marginal benefits from a single facility within the overall road infrastructure. 3. The experience of our country and in developing countries is that flyovers have not given the anticipated benefits for developing cities. Moreover this has been considered as a threat to the urban architecture as well as the accessibility within the city. Common complaints regarding flyovers are the negligence of public transport, transit facilities, and pedestrian facilities. STUDY AREA 4. In the colombo suburban area there are four flyovers of recent origin. The three (04) railway flyovers namely at Dematagoda, Ragama, Dehiwala and the recently constructed at Pattiya Junction in Kiribathgoda are included in this study Figure 01. The Nugegoda flyover is at a road intersection. This too is included to be discussed separately. The data required for the research collected from the secondary sources with relevant Books, RDA/UDA Specialized personnel and the Internet utilized. ANALYSIS 6. The analysis is carried out under two categories namely flyover performance at road intersection and flyover across the railway lines. FLYOVERS AT ROAD INTERSECTION 7. The travel time data of all the turnings including the through traffic on the flyover at Nugegoda intersection were used to calculate the average (daily average) speed and delay at each approach of road links (Figure 02). Figure 02: Travel Time Survey at Nugegoda Intersection with Flyover 8. The average two way traffic flow speed on each 100 meters segment of all four road approaches (up to 2km) of the Nugegoda flyover. The average speed of road links other than on the flyover includes the signal delay too. 9. It was observed from the above analysis that flyovers at railway crossings give higher benefits when compared to that of road intersections. The comparison of basic values indicates that concrete flyovers are better than that of steel structures. This is evident when the life time and the maintenance of the two types of flyovers are compared. Even though the economic analysis was done for 20 years, the concrete structures can last for more than 50 years without many repairs on it. Therefore the benefits of concrete structures are much more than those indicated in this analysis. 10. The flyover at Nugegoda intersection designed for 20 years. According to the travel time survey data, this flyover indicates the lowest savings. It also has the highest per lane km cost. However, the signalization with improvements to approach links of the intersection as an alternative to the flyover indicates very well. 11. It was observed that the flyover or signalization alone does not solve the traffic congestion at an intersection but that it also needs capacity improvements of approach links for an improvement at that intersection. It can be observed that most of the intersection approaches are often blocked by parked vehicles and other activities such as uncontrolled pedestrian movements and temporary businesses on the walkways. Therefore it is often seen that the existing road infrastructures in urban areas are not properly utilized. The capacity of road links and the intersection can be improved by enhanced traffic management strategies. NEW FLYOVERS PLANNED BUT LACK PROPER PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS 12. It has come into the notice of the Srilanka that in order to improve the transport system the Srilanka government has planned plenty of routines. Integrated multimodal transport system, will play a prominent part in offering an effective public transport service and hopefully will reduce private vehicles. 13. All in all, the main focus is on the development of more roads and more effective mass transportation. Though, there is no emphasis on the common man- the pedestrian- and his requirement for safe problem free movement space. 14. There is no doubt in my mind that with steady increase in the numbers of cars and footpaths, pedestrian space in the colombo city has become increasingly marginalized. In other word, the footpath was meant to be a place for the common man to walk upon and did not belong to the owner of plots adjoining the access road. 15. Theoretically speaking, roads have been widened in Srilanka and flyovers have been built in all the major cities of the country without offering safe and convenient facilities for pedestrian to cross over. The requirement for adequate pedestrian space is an absolute must especially in places where large number of people gets together such as in neighborhood markets and shopping centers specially Dehiwala. 16. Unfortunately, here also, the focus seems to be on providing for the movement of vehicles and the parking of cars. Shoppers dodge their way around moving cars, three-wheelers, motorcycles and accidents are frequent and common. Despite this traders have continued to resist the pedestrianisation of shopping streets fearing loss of business. TRANSPORTABLE ROADWORK TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM TRAFFIC-RELATED Low-cost traffic signal system for one-way alternating traffic. Easy to control, clearly organized at a glance. Universal in use with power cable, Telephone cable and others. All signal heads uniformity and simple. MODES OF OPERATION: Automatic fixed time mode Automatic green time extension Automatic green on demand All-red in cable and radio mode Manual operation from every signal head possible in cable and radio mode FLYOVER CONSTRUCTION 17. Recent traffic counts have shown that there are in excess of 30,000 vehicles using the roundabout daily at colombo area. The straight-through movement between the east and west sides off the South Ring Road was the highest recorded traffic movement at the roundabout and represents approximately 40% of the total traffic using the roundabout. There was an urgent need for grade separation. 18. Effective traffic management throughout the duration of the project was vital as the same volume of vehicles used the roundabout during construction as they did before construction. From public opinion, traffic management was put in place effectively and major delays were rare. CHAPTER FOUR IDENTIFY MAJOR ISSUES AND DIFFICULTIES UPLIFTING EXISTING ROAD NETWORK AND IDENTIFY EFFECTS SUPPLY AND DEMAND WIDENING WORKS UNDERWAY ON THE WAY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LANES. 1. Congestion can be reduced by either increasing road capacity (supply), or by reducing traffic (demand). Capacity can be increased in a number of ways, but needs to take account of hidden demands otherwise it may be used more strongly than anticipated. Critics of the approach of adding capacity have compared it to inducing demand that did not exist before. Reducing road capacity has in turn been attacked as removing free choice as well as increasing travel costs and times. INCREASED SUPPLY CAN INCLUDE: Adding more capacity at bottlenecks (such as by adding more lanes at the expense of parking/harden type shoulders or safety zones, or by removing local obstacles like bridge supports and widening tunnels) Adding more capacity over the whole of a route (generally by adding more lanes) Creating new routes Traffic management improvements REDUCTION OF DEMAND CAN INCLUDE: Vehicle parking or non parking restrictions. Vehicle park or no parking (Ride) facilities allowing parking at a distance and allowing continuation by private and commercial transport or selected lane. Reduction of road capacity to force traffic onto other ways and modes. Road entering fees (Southern highway) charging money for access onto a road/specific area at certain times, congestion levels or for certain road users. Road reserve area, where regulatory restrictions prevent certain types of vehicles from driving under certain circumstances or in certain areas. Rule/Policy approaches, which usually attempt to provide either strategic alternatives or which encourage greater usage of existing alternatives through promotion, subsidies or restrictions. TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 2. Global positioning system (GPS) devices are used to determine global locations points, which are measured and recorded as Longitude (E), Latitude (S), and Elevation/Altitude (meters above sea level). Anyway before commencement of a GPS survey must be required checklist. Traffic monitoring, via radio, GPS or possibly mobile type phones, to advise road users. Fluctuate type message installed along the roadway, to advise road users. Navigation or clear identifying system possibly linked up to automatic traffic reporting. Traffic monitoring / analyzing permanently installed, to provide real-time traffic counts. Road traffic monitoring/Analysis, to provide information on highway. Computerized highway system, a future idea which could reduce the safe interval between cars (required for braking in emergencies) and increase highway capacity by as much as 100% while increasing travel speeds. Parking area and guidance with information systems providing dynamic advice to motorists about free parking. Active vehicle controlling (Critical situation) system hard area (Parking, bus halt) as an extra traffic lane, it uses CCTV and monitor the traffics use of the extra lane. OTHER ASSOCIATED 3. Other associated are, School time (Start/End) arranged to avoid busy time traffic. Driving behavior promotion and enforcement moreover driving practices, frequent lane such as security or school hrs etc changes can reduce a roads capacity and exacerbate jams. Visual/Sound barriers such as horn CGR gate bell ringing etc; to prevent drivers from slowing down out of curiosity. Condition of speed reductions, showing speed limit, humps etc with lower speeds allowing cars to drive closer together, this increases the capacity of a road. 4. Moreover where space-efficient vehicles, usually motor bike, three-wheels and cars ride or drive in the allocated space between cars, buses, and trucks specially peek hrs. This is however illegal in many countries as it is perceived as a safety risk. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES DURING THE FLYOVER Acceptable and accepted only rail borne modes can in practice get people out of cars. Smooth no violent movements vertically, laterally, or backwards/forwards. Comfortable Re-assuring tram lines (New proposal year 2009 but not succeeded) give confidence that service operates. Safe many times safer than vehicle travel. Speedy short journey times can be achieve. Compatible with pedestrians in pedestrianised areas. Clean and green enhances the environment no emissions at street level. Avoids traffic congestion through segregation and priority. 5. Roads including highways with grade separation generally allow traffic to move freely, with fewer interruptions, and at higher overall speeds; this is why speed limits are typically higher for grade-separated roads. In addition, less conflict between traffic movements reduces the capacity for accidents. Motorways, though having higher average speeds, usually have much lower accident rates per distance traveled than roads which are not grade separated. 6. However, grade-separated junctions are very space-intensive, complicated, and costly, due to the need for large physical structures such as tunnels, ramps, and bridges. Their height can be obtrusive, and this, combined with the large traffic volumes that grade-separated roads attract, tends to make them unpopular to nearby landowners and residents. New grade-separated road plans can receive significant opposition from local groups for these reasons. 7. Rail-over-rail grade separations take up less space than road grade separations, because shoulders are not needed, there are generally fewer branches and side road connections to accommodate (because a partial grade separation will accomplish more improvement than for a road), and because at-grade railway connections often take up significant space on their own. However, they require significant engineering effort, and are very expensive and time-consuming to construct. 8. Rail-over-road grade separations require very little additional space because no connections need be built, but require significant engineering effort and are expensive and time-consuming to construct above. 9. Many closures from 1990 to 2010 happened, and many people thought that it was the beginning of the Colombo, Galle, Kandy vehicles, but the situation changed after 1990. Large number of automobiles started creating pollution and smog. High rising of petrol diesel in international market also thought people that petrol running automobile is far worse than electricity driven street rail. ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE 10. Under this topic road infrastructure can be improve under this conditions, Grade or type separation, using bridges (or, less often, tunnels) freeing movements from having to stop for other crossing movements. congested motorway-type roadway. Reducing junctions (1) Providing through lanes that bypass junction on-ramp and off-ramp zones (Except highway access) (2) A grade access road, roads that limit the type and amounts of way along their lengths. REVERSIBLE TYPE LANES 11. Considering the day today, certain sections of highway operate in the opposite direction on different times of the day or days of the week. SEPARATE LANES 12. Separate lanes for specific user groups, Public bus ways, Pedestrians (High occupancy vehicle lane) URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN 13. Urban planning and city planning (UDA/NHDA planning) practices can have a huge impact on levels of future traffic congestion, though they are of limited relevance for short-term change. Grid type plan (Interconnect system) including road network geometry, rather than tree-like system which reduce local traffic, but increase total distances driven and discourage walking by reducing connectivity. Zoning laws that encourage development under mixed type, which reduces distances between residential, commercial, and recreational destinations (and encourage cycling and walking) The development is residential and commercial areas designed to maximize access to public transport. THOUGHTS ON URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN 14. A well-developed transportation system plays a great role for any country of the world to develop and it remains so for our country also. The country has developed up to a certain extent throughout the time but the transportation has not, to cater for the increasing demand. On our journey for development this has to be the primary area to be considered. It is not only a responsibility of the government but also depends on the attitude of the people. The government also has the responsibility to put a genuine effort for this other than going only for political achievements and thereby should give priority for the development of this area. 15. When I made the interview RDA and UDA expertise they are said that we have done researches and given most economical and the feasible methods to develop this area but we dont know how it is going to be done due to non availability of funds and facilities 16. The above economic analysis is carried out considering only the volume of transport savings based on a travel time survey at each flyover location. A comprehensive study could have been carried out to test the situation more accurately if the respective data sources had been available. 17. However, this is a good strategy for eliminating the delay at railway crossings as a long term consideration. Also the concrete flyovers across railways are more economical than the steel bridges constructed in a very short period. CHAPTER FIVE ANALYSIS 1. My Analysis was done in the area of Nugegoda, one of the closest towns to the Colombo city. Questionnaire was prepared and distributed among all age groups. The sample size is 40 personnel and all responded with their identity. Figure 01 2. My 2nd observation was made to find out how many people (from 40 personnel sample) are using flyovers and how often they use it. According to Figure 02 it has been observed that more than 65% persons are using flyovers daily and they feel the difference between the previous and the current situation of the time saving. Figure 02 3. My 3rd observation was made to find out who are the majority using this flyovers. It has been observed that there is more than 60% personnel are the users of public transports. Following details in Figure 03 were taken according to the observations made. Figure 03 4. My next observation shows in figure 04 and Figure 5, Average serving time per a journey Vs person. According to chart it says that the actual time period is very less comparing before situation. According to research 90% time saved. As a result air pollution, Diesel/petrol consumption, Police man power, Vehicle wastage etc minimize proportionally. Figure 04 Figure 5 Finally, during the research, my hypothesis was proved, because the majority stated that construction of flyovers where the traffic jammed areas are the best remedy for the issue. CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO OVERCOME THE CRISIS 1. In order to minimize the city traffic congestion, the authorities have only handful of options. The highly effective solutions practice in other countries as follows.. a. Controlling traffic using methodical light system, b. Directing traffic through one direction of the full carriageway. c. Controlling traffic with the aid of authorized personnel (police men) d. Construction of flyovers. In Sri Lanka the respective authorities has constructed six flyovers at highly congested areas in Colombo suburbs. These locations were selected according the statistical surveys carried out by the experts in this field. However, it is inevitable that this effort has not succeeded in few locations as anticipated. Hence, during this research, I developed an argument to justify that the construction of flyovers are the best remedy for this issue by obtaining the opinion from the general public as my target group. This is the target group for early surveys carried out by the RDA in conjunction with University of Moratuwa to justify the construction of flyovers in Colombo suburbs as well. 2. A well developed transportation system plays a great role for any country of the world. The country has developed up to a certain extent throughout the time but the transportation has not sufficient to cater for the increasing demand of Road network. The construction of many flyovers in our most needed area, responsibility of the government but also depends on the attitude of the people especially all drivers and pedestrians. The also should give their fullest support to the current rules and regulations. 3. During the research, my hypothesis was proved, because the majority stated that construction of flyovers where the traffic jammed areas are the best remedy for the issue. 4. After carrying out a survey and analyzing the data, the following are the details of identified benefits and summarized as follows. Avoids traffic congestion through segregation and priority Speedy shortens journey times Smooth no violent movements vertically, laterally, or backwards/forwards Comfortable Compatible with pedestrians in giving pedestrianised areas Reduces the capacity for accidents 5. Moreover in this survey and analyzing the data, the few limitation and barriers identified as follows; Complicated, and costly, due to the need for large physical structures and for maintenance Their height can be obtrusive. c. Require a significant engineering and time-consuming to construct. 6. It has come into the notice of the urban planers that in order to improve the transport system a multi modal approach should be made. All in all, the main focus is on the development of more roads and more effective mass transportation. Priority should be given to the commuter and his requirement for a safe problem free movement space. 7. Finally, according to collected primary/secondary data. Following actions can be taken to minimizing traffic jammed. Without any delay some facts are presently available and not to standard. Banning of All On-Street Parking for Vehicles in City Limits Traffic Signal Lights Introduction of Substitute Roads to Main Roads Widening of roads Restriction of Slow Moving Traffic and Heavy Vehicles During Rush Hours Separating Pedestrians from Active Traffic Flow Proper maintenance of roads- specially culvert and rainy period road situation required quickly repairing system Creating driving discipline presently available new driving licence card entering system Implementation of New Highways Connecting Main Cities of The Country Electronic Traffic Monitoring Systems for Main Cities specially actual road jammed persons rules violated persons capturing part Discouraging Individual Vehicles Entering Cities (Peak hours container, tractor etc) Bus Stands (Required up lift and move to main road) Construction Work (Required combined worked force (RDA/UDA/CEB/NWSDB) 8. During the last decades the country has developed immensely; therefore the alternative methods to control traffic congestion are highly essential because of the increasing of the vehicles. The government also has the responsibility to put a genuine effort for this other than going onl