Siebel Forced-Ranking System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Siebel Forced-Ranking System - Essay Example In a sense, force ranking is a more truthful way of implementing performance management. Managers are forced to differentiate talent and the process of forced ranking also forces managers to spot and champion talent. Since the forced-ranking system requires that criteria for ranking need to be set first and foremost, the system also provides information that conventional performance appraisal systems cannot. The deliberations among managers in determining criteria help them define and understand what are important for success of the organization. Subsequently, knowing the criteria that managers use to appraise performance increases the probability that employees will adjust their behavior in order to succeed. A forced-ranking system can also provide an independent verification of performance appraisal data. Significant variations in the talent data provided by the performance appraisal system and the data provided by the forced ranking process should be worth delving into. Better performing employees may be motivated by a forced-ranking system because they feel appreciated and not treated in the same way as underperformers. In terms of teamwork and collaboration, forced-ranking may also have a positive effect, because those who do not want to cooperate with the team or in a collaborative effort are eliminated. Organiz Organizations implementing forced-ranking may be attractive to high-quality job applicants who would see such a system as one where their contributions would be recognized and rewarded and would therefore be eager to work for the organization, thereby improving the overall quality of the applicant pool. Company investors may view a forced ranking system as management's commitment to accountability and to operations efficiency. Cons May be unfair to people performing at an acceptable level, with attendant legal repercussions in terms of human rights. May create an unhealthy star-cult culture. It may not possible to continually improve the overall potential of a workforce by removing the bottom dwellers and replacing them with better employees. As standards are raised, it would be more difficult to find applicants to replace those that have been removed. A job applicant who is aware that an employer uses a forced ranking system may feel that such a culture would be stressful or risky, and not consider the organization, causing the loss of high-potential applicants. Shareholders might not agree with a forced ranking system because of potential lawsuits or other negative consequences. Some companies using forced ranking have become embroiled in discrimination lawsuits brought by employees upset over dismissal or lower pay (Levinson, 2003). The system may create a dysfunctional, hypercompetitive work environment where employees refused to collaborate with one another, such as hoarding knowledge or hoarding customers,

Troubleshooting Common Diesel Engine Problems Essay Example for Free

Troubleshooting Common Diesel Engine Problems Essay Engine wont start Is the fuel fresh? If untreated fuel is more than a month old, this fuel will start to break down and engine stalling (in addition to fuel system component gumming) can result. Thats why its important to either drain the gas from your outdoor power equipment before it sits idle during the winter, or add a fuel preservative/stabilizer to the fuel. To prevent the fuel from going stale purchase a replacement Fresh Start Fuel Cartridge for your Fresh Start Fuel Cap, OR purchase our Advanced Fuel Treatment and mix the prescribed amount with your gasoline. Even better, keep a gas can solely for your outdoor power equipment filled with gasoline treated with our Advanced Fuel Treatment. That way, you will always have a supply of fresh, treated fuel used specifically for your outdoor power equipment. If youve got stale gas in your equipment, drain the gas from the fuel tank completely and dispose of it properly, following your local municipalities regulations. NOTE: In most cases, this older fuel can be added to your cars fuel tank with no harmful effects. Sometimes removing the old fuel and replacing with fresh, treated fuel may just solve the problem. If not, drain the old fuel and spray the inside of the fuel tank and carburetor with some carburetor cleaner. Finally, remove any sediment from the fuel tank and add fresh, treated gas. Another thing to consider is that certain equipment manufacturers place a plastic packing plug between the gas cap and gas tank. In order for there to be proper venting, ensure that this plug is removed. If stale fuel is not at fault, next look at the ignition system. Did the engine suddenly stop after striking an object? If so, you likely sheared the flywheel key, which upsets the engines ignition (spark) timing. Engine Runs Poorly Is the oil level low? When you pour fresh oil into the crankcase, its a golden or amber color. Gradually, the heat, dirt particles and agitated air in the crankcase cause the oil to darken. Dark oil is not only dirty; it has also lost much of its ability to coat and protect engine components. Manufacturers recommend  changing the oil in your small engine after every 25 hours of operation. For a new engine, youll also need to change the oil after the first five hours of operation. New engines require this extra step to flush out small particles that accumulate naturally during the break-in period. Hours of use are just one factor in determining how often the oil should be changed; the amount of wear and tear is equally important. Just like the oil in a vehicle operated in extremely dirty or dusty conditions or at high speeds, the oil in a lawn mower or other small engine breaks down faster under tough conditions, such as wet grass, heavy dust, high temperatures and rough or hilly terrain. Avoid overfilling your crankcase. Too much oil can cause the same type of engine damage as not having enough. Air bubbles form in the oil, reducing overall lubrication. The resulting friction and metal-to-metal contact can cause premature part failure. Excess oil can also burn in the cylinder, producing smoke and leaving carbon deposits. Engine Wont Start A no-start condition is one of the most frequently encountered engine problems. If there is a clicking noise but the engine does not crank it generally indicates a battery issue. An engine that cranks but will not start is indicative of a fuel or ignition problem. Common reasons an engine wont start: Low or discharged battery Corroded or loose battery cables Starter motor relay failure Ignition switch failure Defective fuel pump Clogged fuel filter Service Engine Soon Light The Service Engine Soon light is designed to illuminate whenever a fault is detected in any of the sensors attached to the emission, engine, or powertrain controls. The purpose of the service engine soon light is to alert the driver to a potentially serious fault that requires repair. Blue exhaust smoke along with the service engine soon light may indicate a fuel  system fault caused by an engine oil leak. An ASE certified mechanic can retrieve the trouble codes from within the onboard electronic control module and determine the specific cause. Frequent service engine soon light causes: Loose or missing gas cap Spark plugs or wires that are worn out or damaged Electronic control module failure Defective distributor or coil packs Emissions control fault such as the oxygen sensor Fuel quality issue Overheating Overheating is most generally caused by a low coolant level. A quick check of the coolant overflow reservoir will indicate if coolant is leaking. Most cars are equipped with temperature gauges or warning lights that will alert the driver to an overheating issue. Frequent overheating can cause serious and expensive engine damage. Proper maintenance of the cooling system is vital in order to maintain the quality of the coolant and to make certain the cooling system is in good operating condition. Additionally, a cracked head or blown head gasket can also cause overheating, coolant loss and white exhaust smoke, which may indicate the need for engine repair. Common reasons for overheating: Faulty thermostat Dirty or low coolant level Non-functioning cooling fan Kinked or broken radiator hose Internal or external coolant leak Defective radiator cap Dirty air filter The Most Common Small Engine Problems Many owners of small engine vehicles such as lawnmowers, golf carts, motorcycles and snowmobiles make the costly mistake of replacing their engines or entire vehicles simply because they believe the engine is beyond  repair. That is rarely the case, and what many small engine owners dont realize is that replacement kits are easy to use, cost effective, and can get your old mower or motorcycle running like new again. The first thing to do when considering a small engine replacement kit is to identify what is wrong with your current engine. Problems fall into two basic categories; failure to start and problems running after the engine has started. Just because your engine wont start doesnt mean it is dead. There are a number of reasons an engine might not start. There may be fuel line problems. Make sure you check to see that the fuel tank is full, that the fuel is fresh, and that the shut-off valve is closed. The fuel line or inlet screen could also be blocked or the fuel tank cap c ould be clogged. These are basic fuel line problems that can easily be remedied with replacement and repair kits. Carburetor problems are another reason an engine might not start. The carburetor could be blocked or the engine could be flooded. There might be problems with the spark plug or the choke on the fuel bowl could be set too high. These are also relatively easy problems to fix with the appropriate instructions and equipment. Another obvious cause for a dead engine is an ignition problem. A number of things could be wrong with the spark plug; its contacts could be dirty, the plug gap could be set incorrectly, the lead could be faulty, or the kill switch could be shorted. These all require basic replacement or repair and are a snap with a proper kit. If you have a compression problem in your small engine you would want to check the valves, pistons, cylinder, or connecting rods. These could be dirty, stripped, or otherwise damaged, and would prevent the engine from starting properly or at all. Many small engines will start correctly but have problems running properly. These can pose more danger to your vehicle than an engine that simply wont start. If left to themselves, simple problems such as overheating and emitting smoke can eventually ruin an engine and require a full-on replacement. Overheating engines can be dangerous for a vehicle as well as its operator. Lack of oil is one of the most common reasons for overheating, as is a dirty engine. Beyond that, there may be shrouds or cooling fans missing within the engine or the gasket could be leaking. The fuel mixture might be too lean, another carburetor problem. Simply cleaning or replacing the fuel tank vent and fuel tank screen can also help reduce the chance of your engine overheating. Fixing overheating problems yourself  with replacement or repair kits is much less expensive than taking the engine in for repairs or simply buying a new engine. If your small engine is emitting smoke you might think you need to replace the engine or vehicle. Not likely. If the engine is emitting blue or white smoke then it is probably burning oil. If it is emitting black smoke it is most likely a problem with a carburetor. If it is neither the carburetor nor an oil leak, then it might be the air filter. A plugged or dirty air filter can cause an engine to smoke. A knocking engine is a loud and obvious indicator that something is wrong with your small engine. If your engine experiences knocking it may indicate an excess of carbon in the combustion chamber, which would require you to clean carbon from the piston and head. The flywheel might also be loose, and should be replaced as needed. Another reason for engine knocks is a faulty spark plug lead, easily tested, repaired and replaced with the appropriate replacement kit. Speaking of spark plugs, a small engine might run poorly if the spark plug repeatedly misses under load. This could be caused by any number of things, including a faulty spark plug, faulty breaker points, an incorrectly set carburetor, or a weak valve spring. All these problems can be repaired at home with a specific repair kit. It may be tempting to simply buy a new small engine vehicle or tool when the engine starts to give you problems, but it is hardly cost-effective and doesnt guarantee you wont run into the same problems a few months down the road. Small engine replacement and repair kits are affordable, easy to use, come with the most advanced technology, and most are back by a warrantee. And with todays economy the way it is, buying a new vehicle when your engine experiences problems is silly. Fix the problem yourself with a detailed replacement kit. It just makes sense. Engine Problems Bad fuel mix A bad fuel mix can occur in several ways: †¢You are out of gas, so the engine is getting air but no fuel. †¢The air intake might be clogged, so there is fuel but not enough air. †¢The fuel system might be supplying too much or too little fuel to the mix, meaning  that combustion does not occur properly. †¢There might be an impurity in the fuel (like water in your gas tank) that makes the fuel not burn. Lack of compression If the charge of air and fuel cannot be compressed properly, the combustion process will not work like it should. Lack of compression might occur for these reasons: †¢Your piston rings are worn (allowing air/fuel to leak past the piston during compression). †¢The intake or exhaust valves are not sealing properly, again allowing a leak during compression. †¢There is a hole in the cylinder. The most common hole in a cylinder occurs where the top of the cylinder (holding the valves and spark plug and also known as the cylinder head) attaches to the cylinder itself. Generally, the cylinder and the cylinder head bolt together with a thin gasket pressed between them to ensure a good seal. If the gasket breaks down, small holes develop between the cylinder and the cylinder head, and these holes cause leaks. Lack of spark The spark might be nonexistent or weak for a number of reasons: †¢If your spark plug or the wire leading to it is worn out, the spark will be weak. †¢If the wire is cut or missing, or if the system that sends a spark down the wire is not working properly, there will be no spark. †¢If the spark occurs either too early or too late in the cycle (i.e. if the ignition timing is off), the fuel will not ignite at the right time, and this can cause all sorts of problems. Many other things can go wrong. For example: †¢If the battery is dead, you cannot turn over the engine to start it. †¢If the bearings that allow the crankshaft to turn freely are worn out, the crankshaft cannot turn so the engine cannot run. †¢If the valves do not open and close at the right time or at all, air cannot get in and exhaust cannot get out, so the engine cannot run. †¢If someone sticks a potato up your tailpipe, exhaust cannot exit the cylinder so the engine will not run. †¢If you run out of oil, the piston cannot move up and down freely in the cylinder, and the engine will seize. Small Engine Problems And Simple Solutions Failure to Start There are a number of reasons a small engine might not start properly: Fuel line problems: Check to see that the fuel tank is full, that the fuel is fresh, and that the shut-off valve is closed. The fuel line or inlet screen could also be blocked or the fuel tank cap could be clogged. Carburetor problems: The carburetor could be blocked or the engine could be flooded. There might be problems with the spark plug. Check the choke on the fuel bowl as well it could be set too high. Ignition problems: The spark plug contacts could be dirty, the plug gap could be set incorrectly, the lead could be faulty, or the kill switch could be shorted. These all require basic replacement or repair and are a snap with a proper kit. Compression problems: Check the valves, pistons, cylinder, or connecting rods if you suspect a compression problem. These could be dirty, stripped, or otherwise damaged, and would prevent the engine from starting properly or at all. Problems Running Problems running properly can pose more danger to your vehicle than an engine that simply wont start. If left unfixed, constant overheating or smoke emission can eventually ruin an engine and require a full-on replacement. Overheating engines: Lack of oil is one of the most common reasons for overheating. So is a dirty engine. Beyond that, there may be shrouds or cooling fans missing within the engine or the gasket could be leaking. The fuel mixture might be too lean, another carburetor problem. Cleaning or replacing the fuel tank vent and fuel tank screen can help reduce the chance of your engine overheating as well. These are all fixes that you can do yourself or with some simple repair kit that will cost far less than a new  engine. Smoking: If the engine is emitting blue or white smoke then it is likely burning oil. If it is emitting black smoke it is a problem with the carburetor most likely. If it is neither the carburetor nor an oil leak, then it might be a clogged or dirty air filter. Knocking engine: If your engine experiences knocking it may indicate an excess of carbon in the combustion chamber, which would require you to clean carbon from the piston and head. The flywheel might also be loose. A faulty spark plug lead could cause engine knocking. This can be easily repaired or replaced. Spark Plug Misses: This could be caused by any number of things, including a faulty spark plug, faulty breaker points, an incorrectly set carburetor, or a weak valve spring.

Immigration Reform Essay example -- Immigration US Policy

â€Å"We are nation of immigrants. Some came here willingly, some unwillingly. Nonetheless, we are immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants, one, and all. Even the natives came from somewhere else, originally. All of the people who come to this country come for freedom, or for some product of that extraordinary, illusory condition. That is what we offer here—freedom and opportunity in a land of relative plenty.† (Middletown Journal 2005) We have created the land of free. Nonetheless, there have been a number of Immigration Acts in the United States. The first one was the Naturalization act of 1790. Then the immigration act of 1965 passed, and immigration restrictions applied to Mexican Immigrants for the first time. Nearly 30 years later in 1986, the immigration Reform and Control Act was, created which granted amnesty to immigrants that had lived in the United States before 1982. Nevertheless, this later act made it a crime for employers to hire undocumented immigrant workers. In order to create a successful Immigration Reform Policy, the government has to consider several socioeconomic areas including border control, worker programs, education, and the economy. â€Å"All the elements of this problem must be addressed together† (Bush 2006) Who is controlling our borders? We must secure our borders to prevent illegal crossing. The United States recognizes illegal immigration, has been an issue for decades. Creating a successful Immigration reform policy will decrease illegal crossings. In addition, implementing more experienced Border control officers; will decrease the use of military personnel. In addition, allowing military personnel to secure our Nation not just the Mexican borders. The new policy will a... ...itehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060705-6.html Bush, President George (2006/06/15). President Bush Addresses the Nation on Immigration Reform Retrieved July 36, 2006, from Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060515-6.html Bush, President George (2006/05/15). Fact Sheet: Overview Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Retrieved July 31, 2006, from Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060515-7.html Civil Rights Org. (20060529) Senate Approves Sweeping But Flawed Immigration Reform Bill Retrieved July 31, 2006, from Web site: http://www.civilrights.org/issues/immigration/details.cfm?id=43795 Gale, Thomas. (June 8, 2006) Senate passes immigration reform bill with vouchers for ESL, civics classes In Report on Literacy Programs, 18, p75. Retrieved August 20, 2006, from InfoTrac OneFile via Thomson Gale:

Inner Journeys Essay

What extent has studying the concept of inner journeys expanded your understanding of yourself individuals and of the world? Inner journeys are about the process in which we move from naivity to maturity. In this proccess we learn new things about ourself that help us grow and become wiser and better people. The texts cosi by louis Nowra, the film groudhog day and the poem the road not taken all depict journeys of the mind and spirit which open up a greater understanding of the sense of self. In cosi louis nowra presents the inner journey of lewis, a young first time director who is hired to direct a play to bring the inmates of an asylum ‘out of their shells ‘. At the begining of the play lewis is indecisive in his understanding of others, uncertain of his opinions and unconfident of his own abilies. Diresting cosi fan tutti with emotionally and mentally handicapped people is the catalysts for lewis’ own emotional and mental maturity. As a metaphor for the world the charred theatre represents the challenges that will confront lewis. The characterization of lewis is established by the realism that of his language when he initially states † i need the money. However this realism is threatened when both nick and lucy leave him alone to deal with the inmates. lewis’s growing fear and uncertainty is emphasized through Nowra’s stage directions. Gradually as lewis spends more time with the patients like when he like when he lies about cherry â€Å"thats why she spends so much time in the toilets in order to keep the production going he starts to see the value it has for them. Lewis also changes his attitude toward love and fidelity. This evident in the contrast when he says † loves not so important nowadays† to now saying â€Å"without love the world wouldn’t mean much†. Nowra uses the play within play within play structure to emphasize the importance of love and fidelity. The opera cosi fan tutti functions somewhat as a mimetic device as it becomes a reflection of lewis’ relationship with lucy and his realisation that fidelity is an essential part of love. The inner journey that allowed lewis to gain this insight has been a product of his relationship with the mental patients. Finally lewis develops personally as a a director. Initially conveyed as a timid character, evident as roy talks over him, he learns to control and direct as he gains the respect of the mental patients. The film groundhog day starring bill Murray show’s the Inner journey of Phill as he is trapped in a recurring day. Through the brilliance of the plot we can observe as he deals with his unique predicament. We see how he struggles to find meaning and purpose in life. Each day he experiments with new thoughts and behaviors and he learns what works and what doesn’t. Any change that occurs must be inside him because only he can change. All the other characters repaet eaxcly what they did the day before. This shines an intense light on Phils abilty to change himself. Over countless days he learns that what pleasure he thought would make him happy have failed to, and he has to accept his old self has completely run out of steam. From this he is forced to place all his attention on changing the way he interprets the world, on his personal reality by changing his attitudes, values thoughts and feelings. like lewis he literally recreates himself becoming a mature. loving and giving person. His journey proves that inner change is the key to personal growth and happiness. The road not taken by Robert frost uses a metaphor of traveling to explore our chooses in life. It depicts the difficulty of making choices available and presented to people. Frost traces the way we make decisions, enjoying the options life has to offer us yet he also acknowledges that we cannot realistically do everything that is presented to us. The first person perspective instantly brings the audience close to the experience being recounted. The use of ‘i’ establishes the personas personal dilemmas as his journey brings him to â€Å"two roads diverge in a yellow wood†. â€Å"Two roads† and yellow woods are metaphors for the choices he confronts. Rhyming creates a flow to the piece while the rhythm forces us to pause effective for thinking what the persona is contemplating. Stanza 1 shows that persona is ‘sorry i could not travel both’ roads and show that life’s journey requires chooses that exclude alternatives. The second stanza shows that the choice has been made. The use of the language â€Å"As just as Fair and † Perhaps suggests both roads are equal. However there is slight confusion of the personas choice, conveyed in ‘perhaps the better claim, really about the same’. At the time of his choice he believes it was a better claim than the other. Later he thinks there much the same. In the third stanza, the exclamation ‘ oh I kept the first for another day†! suggests the optimism of being able to retread ones steps and take life’s journey by a different route. But the use of the conjunction ‘yet’ he later says ‘ I doubted if i should ever come back’ which suggests that after taking one route, That’s the route he has to live by, it is a choice he has made in life. Finally in the last stanza the pause suggests regret. The persona is now not sure if he took the better route but this decision is one we have to make in life and we have to life with the consequences and hopefully learn from our past experiences. The poem suggests that inner journeys are irreversible and the choice we make define the person who we become and our understanding of life and the world. This idea is similar to lewis experience where his decision to direct Cosi fan tutti moulds him. Through a close analysis of the three texts Cosi, The film Ground hog day And the poem the road not taken by robert frost that convey the ideas that an inner journey forms as a response to life’s changes and particularly the climatic moments which force a spiritual, mental and emotional re-evaluation of values of priorities.

KMART The New Forms of Discount Stores

Kmart was formed in the late 1950's to challenge new forms of discount stores. They are a descendant of an organization Sebastian S. Kresge. The average Kmart store is around 100,000 square feet. In 1987 Kmart was the largest discount retailer in the United States. They currently have 2,223 stores and last year they had over $25 billion in sales which is nearly double that of Wal-Mart. In 1991 they opened their Kmart superstores. The superstore is a 150,000 square feet and is expected to gross $40 to $50 million dollars in revenues. It will also remain open 24 hours a day. One symptom is that Wal-Mart has lower prices than Kmart which makes them very hard to compete with. Kmart has to try to get out of the really urban areas so they can compete more realistically with Wal-Mart. They need to keep their appearance and service above par or this also will result in problems. Kmart's biggest problem is obviously the widespread of Wal-Mart all over the United States. They have to find a way to compete with Wal-Mart's regional distribution centers. These centers ensure the Wal-Mart customers that they are going to get the best product for the best price. Since Kmart does not have these centers they still need to pay all of the fees that deal with shipping and handling. Kmart needs to do something quick. In a recent survey 49% of people said that they would drive right past a Kmart to go to a Wal-Mart. The average Wal-Mart customer visits the store 32 times in a year, meanwhile the average Kmart customer only visits 15 times in a year. They have to be in financial trouble since they are getting pressure from vendors to pay their bills on time. Kmart needs to find a certain area that they are better at then Wal-Mart. They are not going to be able to beat their prices so they have to provide better customer service. They have select a specialized department that they can dominate and at least take away a little of the business from Wal-Mart. For example develop a top of the line auto care station for tune ups, inspections, oil changes etc. They have to research and find rare products that Wal-Mart does not carry. If it is at all possible try to lower their prices so that they provide more competition for Wal-Mart. Kmart needs to develop a way to get their products for a lower price. As already said they should come up with an idea similar to Wal-Mart's regional distribution centers. They also need to develop physical distribution management. I think if they use the idea of regional centers it will greatly increase their product flow.

Compare and Contrast the Philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx

Compare and Contrast the Philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx In the idea of human nature; origin of state, the nature of government, the rights of regulation can be drawn as the reflection of insightful philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx. By understanding this within the context of human nature, we can see their ideas play to how they perceive a modern philosophy. Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto illustrates the desire to build "a society without economic classes". John Locke's Political Theory claims the establishment of natural rights which will assist protest against unjust rulers. Thomas Hobbes's most famous publication, the "Leviathan" defines a government which unifies the collective will of many individual and unites them under the authority of sovereign power. Although the three philosophers desire the same result through their theories, its practices and use have indicated that there are difference and similarities both present. All are saying that there should be absolute government, but their areas of specializat ion are different.English: Thomas Hobbes ÐÅ"Ð °Ã ºÃ µÃ ´Ã ¾Ã ½Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸: Ð ¢Ã ¾Ã¯ ¿ ½...Karl Marx and Thomas Hobbes both agreed on the theory of collectivism over individualism. Marx is more quantitative and calculative in his reasoning, while Hobbes's theories are based on natural laws. The contradiction between Marx's and Hobbes's concepts of material wealth is that -"Modern society view men to compete with each other for material goods and that is just. Humans do not live in isolation but work to achieve together a society that turns a blind eye to what is alienating man from his nature" (Marx). On the other hand, Hobbes argued that "Rights of liberty, property can be transferred from one person to another by means of legal contract. Human beings are naturally selfish, therefore they are always in the state of conflict of 'war' with each other, unless they are forced to obey a sovereign authority or governing power." Though, differences between the...

9 Forms of the Past Tense

9 Forms of the Past Tense 9 Forms of the Past Tense 9 Forms of the Past Tense By Mark Nichol Multiple variations of past tense that employ regular verbs occur in English. Explanations of the distinctions follow. Note that each section includes examples of positive-declarative, negative-declarative, and interrogative forms. 1. Simple Past A sentence in the simple-past form describes an event that occurred in the past: â€Å"They agreed with us.† â€Å"They did not agree with us.† â€Å"Did they agree with us?† Notice that in the first sentence, the verb form of agree is in past tense, but in the other examples, did does the heavy lifting of indicating the tense, so agree remains in present tense. In almost all other variations of past tense, the form of the verb â€Å"to be† and the participle retain the same form regardless of the type of sentence. 2. Past Progressive (or Past Continuous) Past-progressive statements and questions describe something that began in the past and continued to occur for a time before stopping: â€Å"They were agreeing with us.† â€Å"They were not agreeing with us.† â€Å"Were they agreeing with us?† 3. Past Perfect This tense form applies to events that began at a time preceding a period in the past: â€Å"They had agreed with us.† â€Å"They had not agreed with us.† â€Å"Had they agreed with us?† 4. Past Perfect Progressive (or Past Perfect Continuous) Sentences with this tense form describe something that occurred in the past and continued to occur after the fact but in the present is no longer occurring: â€Å"They had been agreeing with us.† â€Å"They had not been agreeing with us.† â€Å"Had they been agreeing with us?† 5. Past Habitual A sentence written in past-habitual tense describes an occurrence that once occurred continuously or repeatedly: â€Å"They used to agree with us.† â€Å"They used to not agree with us.† (This formal usage is awkward and seldom used; we are more likely to write, â€Å"They used to disagree with us.† An informal version of the sentence, more likely to be used if no direct antonym like disagree is available for a given sentence, is â€Å"They didn’t use to agree with us.†) â€Å"Used they to agree with us?† (This formal usage is rare. The informal form, much more common, is, â€Å"Did they use to agree with us?†) 6. Time-Specific Past Habitual A variation of the past-habitual tense includes a specific time frame: â€Å"Before, they would agree with us.† â€Å"Before, they would not agree with us.† â€Å"Before, would they agree with us?† 7. Past Intensive A sentence in the past-intensive form describes something confirmed as having occurred: â€Å"They did agree with us.† â€Å"They did not agree with us.† â€Å"Did they agree with us?† 8. Future in the Past A future-in-the-past construction describes something that was supposed to have occurred after a time in the past: â€Å"They were going to agree with us.† â€Å"They were not going to agree with us.† â€Å"Were they going to agree with us?† Past Subjunctive This form is not numbered, because it is not, despite its name, a type of past tense, but it is identified here to make that point. A sentence formed in the past subjunctive describes a counterfactual event: â€Å"If they were going to agree with us, they would have told us by now.† â€Å"If they were not going to agree with us, they would have told us by now.† â€Å"If they were they going to agree with us, would they have told us by now?† 9. Past-Perfect Subjunctive Sentences with this subjunctive form, by contrast, do have a past-tense sense: â€Å"Had they agreed with us, they would have told us by now.† â€Å"Had they not agreed with us, they would have told us by now.† â€Å"Had they agreed with us, would they have told us by now?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Email EtiquetteQuiet or Quite?

5 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam

5 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam Youve successfully made your way through law school and now youre one two-day test, the bar exam, away from becoming a lawyer. The first piece of advice: celebrate your JD quickly and then move on to bar exam prep immediately after graduation. Time is ticking. Here are five more tips to help you pass the bar exam. Sign up for a Bar Review Course You may wonder why after three years of very expensive schooling you are now expected to pay even more money to learn what you thought you were supposed to be learning during law school. But now is not the time for you to worry about the cost of bar exam prep. Be as economical as possible, by all means, but think about what it would mean to you, financially, to fail the bar, face employers without a license to practice law, and have to pay to take the bar exam again. If you are really strapped for cash, there are special bar exam loans available exactly for this purpose. Why sign up for a bar review course? Well, those who take bar review courses have great passage rates for a reason- the course employees study and analyze exams so they know what examiners are likely to test on and what they are looking for in answers; they can steer you to hot topics and train you how to deliver the right answers, and that is what is most important during the bar exam. Yes, you need to know and understand the fundamentals of the main areas of law, but all the legal knowledge in the world wont help if you dont know how to frame your answer as the graders want to read it. Tell Everyone You Know Not to Expect to See You for Two Months Thats a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Do not plan on doing anything else during those two months between graduation and the bar exam except study. Yes, you will have nights off and even whole days off here and there, which are essential for relaxing your brain but dont schedule work, planning of family events, or other serious obligations during the two months before the bar exam. Quite simply, the bar exam should be your full-time job during those months of studying; your promotion will come when you get the results that you passed. Make a Studying Schedule and Stick to It Your bar review course will most likely provide you a recommended schedule, and if you manage to abide by it, youll be doing well. The main subjects tested on the bar exam will be the same basic courses you took the first year of law school, so be sure to dedicate huge chunks of time to Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Property, and Civil Procedure. States vary as to the other subjects tested, but by signing up for a bar review course, youll have the inside track on those as well. A very basic bar exam prep study schedule can set aside a week to study each topic, including practice questions. That will leave you two weeks to devote time to trouble areas and to more nuanced areas of law that might be covered on your states bar exam. One tip here on studying: think about making flashcards. In the process of writing them, youll be forced to condense rules of law into short snippets to fit on a card, exactly as youll need to provide them in bar exam essays- and they just might sink into your brain as you write. Take Practice Bar Exams A large part of your preparation time should be spent taking practice bar exams, both multiple choice and essays, under exam-like conditions. You dont need to sit down and take an entire two days every week to take practice bar exams, but be sure you are doing enough multiple choice questions and essays so you have a good feel for the exam structure. Just like when you were preparing for the LSAT, the more comfortable you become with the test and its format, the more youll be able to concentrate on the material and getting the answers correct. Start doing practice questions even as early as the first week of studying; no, you wont get everything right, but if you pay attention to what you got wrong, those principles are likely to stick in your head even more than if you had simply tried to memorize them through studying. And, as an added bonus, if the questions were included in bar prep materials, they are also likely to be similar to those that will appear on the bar exam. Think Positively If you graduated in the top half of your law school class, chances are extremely good that you will pass the bar. If you graduated in the next quartile, the likelihood that youll pass is still pretty good. Why? Because bar exams, no matter what state, test your competence to be a lawyer and not how great a lawyer you will be- and that means you need only earn a solid C on the exam to pass. If youve passed law school, theres no reason you cant pass the bar exam on the first try. This doesnt mean you should rest on your law school accomplishments and assume youll pass, of course. You still need to put the time and effort into learning and applying the materials, but the odds are in your favor that youll pass. Most states have higher than 50% pass rates. Remember those numbers when stress starts setting in. Just remember that it will all be over in mere weeks. With the right bar exam prep, youll never have to go through it again.

Media Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Globalisation - Essay Example The usage of facts and figures has been excellent here and the writer has not stepped back in accepting the fact that the Japanese television industry is highly influenced by the American industry. Then the trend of the Japanese television industry has been explained. The trend shifted towards more television shows from movies due to the huge boom in the popularity of television serials (Chun, 2006, p.368). Though American influence was present but since 1980s except some television serials imported from America others haven't fare well in Japan. American movie culture is still quite famous and people enjoy watching movies produced in Hollywood. The fame of television series' led to a decline in the movie audience and this lead to more filmmakers turning towards television industry, which only led to an increase in the popularity of television serials (Blumenthal et al, 2006, p.592). The importance given to a television serial is on the basis of its local touch that is the viewers do n't really care if the serial is a copy from some other television industry what they really care about is the 'Japanese odor' in the serial. The solution to this situation was to import television shows from different industries and run them in Japan adding a local touch, which proved to be quite successful in the end. One of the example of such television show mentioned by the writer here is 'Who wants to be a millionaire'. The success rate of this show in Japan was huge though it was an imported show but the cultural touch relevant to Japan that was given to it proved outstanding. The Japanese version is mostly the same as of the version running in Britain but with some amendments like the appearance of celebrities as challengers. The draw back that this article has here is the mentioning of an international television show being popular when the writer himself mentioned that locally produced television serials are more liked by Japanese people. To level out this effect the write r than discusses a show that was imported from America but failed to make its mark in the Japanese television industry, the name of the program is 'Survivor'. The cultural products that Japan exports are called culturally odorless as they do not depict any cultural theme of the country. It is in this context that the Japanese is called Mukokuseki which means something or someone lacking any nationality. Now the writer directs his attention towards the television serials that are being exported from Japan. The interesting fact here that the writer mentions is the number of programs being exported by Japan is far more than imported. The writer also discusses the point raised by many critics who say that the largest shareholder of Japanese exported programs is animation and cartoons. This point is further supported by the fact that the writer presents, the fact is that animated programs produced in Japanese only consist of 1 percent of the total animated programs being produced by Japan confirming that they are being produced to export. The animation producers do not portray Japanese culture in the cartoons and games because they think that this is better for these programs as they are for export. (Gomery & Hockley, 2006, p.142) By glocalizing, the Japanese are buying highly prominent program formats in the West and then localizing them according to the tastes of the Japanese. The author points that the format business is considered as a highly effective and

Do men make better managers then women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Do men make better managers then women - Essay Example This essay starts by explaining why men earn more income than women. Women don’t even work because they don’t have any chances to get a job. Therefore, people can’t judge whether women could be good managers or not depending on this assumption. Secondly, it will give an example of women who are able to open their own businesses by themselves would be shown with a case of successful businesswoman named Martha. The final parts of essay will introduce concluding ideas about different perspectives on job criterion depending on characteristics between the genders. Until middle of the18th century, before the start of industrial revolution, most of the occupations were relative to agriculture, livestock and fishing-related industries. (Lambert, 2013). Therefore, those types of jobs required relatively strong physical abilities than sophistications so it could be assumed as unsuitable for women but attractive for men. For that reason, most of men tended to be breadwinners who earned money for their living, and naturally women did housework and took care of their babies at home. Thus, most of establishments and rulers were men, and they ignored women’s abilities since people have regarded women, as they were not able to work like men in workplaces. Hence, it was more and more difficult to earn money for women by themselves, and if women involve in working places, their working efficiency cannot be equal to or better than the men’s, so they have paid lower wages than men’s have. Eventually, doing housework gradually became ste reotyped to women. This meant that men moved away from chores related with house. For those reasons, there were almost never women managers in the world. Understandably, it was impossible to make a judgment that which gender possesses better management skills. However, as time passes, the types of jobs get extremely varied from physical production and supply focused works to social and ethical concerned works. This

Global Macroeconomic Imbalances as the cause of the crisis Essay

Global Macroeconomic Imbalances as the cause of the crisis - Essay Example This assignment seeks to present the various views of researchers with regards to the fact whether the micro-economic imbalance account for the main cause behind the crisis. The economic researchers have been increasingly involved in providing the basis and context for the occurring of the global financial crisis. Richard Portes have been particularly active in the media for his research on the origin as well as the implications of the recent credit crunch in the world economy. Richard has identified the main root and origin of the financial crisis as the world’s macro-economic imbalances which were responsible for bringing about huge inflow of capital across borders. This phenomenon was particularly overwhelming for the sophisticated financial systems present in the United States and the United Kingdom which was consequently responsible for the creation of asset price bubbles. This was also responsible for provoking ‘search for yield’ which with the support of th e credit rating agencies resulted in the creation of ‘toxic assets’ in the economy. Moreover during the break of the crisis coordination from the Central Bank was inadequate or not sufficient. This was considered to the main reason behind according to inference of Richard Roberts. He has also proposed a suitable solution to the problem as identified as above. His suggestion to the world economy was to deal with the macro-economic imbalances and also the remove the weaknesses of financial regulatory system. According to him the combined impact of the two solutions simultaneously would be the solution to the financial crisis (London Business School, 2008, p.1). Critical Assessment Following are some of the findings of the London Business School. The Russian Default occurring in August 1998 and the near death experience of LTCM was one of the main causes of imbalance in the financial markets. There were pervasive fears across the global economy during the month of Septembe r in the same year and by the beginning of October the US Treasury became liquid to a certain extent. This resulted in the fall in the dollar by about 15% in relation to the Yen in three

Literary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Literary Analysis - Essay Example The transformation of Oedipus from a quester to sinner in the play can be seen as a dramatic device to reveal the tragic flaw, hamartia, of the protagonist. From a man who was in search of his true identity, Oedipus ends up being the King of Thebes where he remains unaware of the very horrors present in his life, from which he was trying to run away. Even though it can be argued that the sins committed by Oedipus can be the outcome of his ignorance, the years he spent in Thebes without any effort to find out the people whom he came across in the life he chose shows the extent to which he was blinded by power. In fact, the moment he became the king of Thebes distanced him from his search for identity. Tiresius’s accusations from the perspective of Apollonian reasoning and piety explore the irrational and irresponsible actions of Oedipus which were once considered heroic. When insulted by Oedipus for his blindness and alleged inability to foresee the future of Thebes, Tiresius retorts: Oedipus can be seen as belonging to that aspect of Greek culture which operated on the pragmatic aspects of life which included action at the expense of introspection though the element of piety was a major element in their day-to-day existence. In a broad analysis, it is possible to analyze Oedipus as a Dionysian representation in Greek terms, exhibiting sudden action, excesses, violence, ruthlessness, and so on. The Apollonian representations, on the contrary would depict contemplative action with due emphasis on intelligence over impulse. Terry Eagleton, in his Holy Terror (2005) observes how in Sophocles’s Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus â€Å"is transformed into a tutelary deity, protecting the citizens of Athens from assault† (15) and states that the Dionysian impulse for violence is normally a reaction to â€Å"lack of piety† (Eagleton, 16). In Oedipus the King, the question of morality is not strictly the concern of its

Based Occupational Therapy for Adolescent Children Research Proposal

Based Occupational Therapy for Adolescent Children - Research Proposal Example Some agencies are starting to get involve in the public information campaign on various drug prevention and control programs whereby it adheres to the idea of using social influence and role playing to discourage adolescents from starting drug use and encourage them to refuse drugs in the future and consequently improve children's social health status. Historically, human infants are born without any culture. There must be transformation by their parents, teachers, and others into cultural and socially proficiently animals. The overall process of acquiring culture is referred to as socialization. During socialization, people learn the language of the culture they are born into, so as the roles they are to play in life. For instance, girls learn how to be daughters, wives, sisters, friends, and mothers. In addition, they learn about the occupational roles that their society has in store for them. People also learn and usually adopt culture's norms through the socialization process. Norms are the conceptions of appropriate and expected behavior that are held by most members of the society. While socialization refers to the general process of acquiring culture, anthropologists use the term enculturation during the socialization process to a particular culture. Early childhood is the period of the most intense and the most critical so cialization. It is then that we acquire language and learn the fundamentals of our culture. It is also when much of one's personality takes shape. But, note that if one continue to be socialized throughout lifetime. As people age, we enter new statuses and need to learn the appropriate roles for them. We also have experiences that teach us lessons and potentially lead us to alter our expectations, beliefs, and personality. For instance, the unpleasant experience of being raped would tend to cause a woman to be distrustful of others. According to Stoffel and Moyers (2004), individuals with problem on substance abuse are often referred to occupational therapy with the help of professional that deals more on self care, productivity through purposeful activities to help achieve the client's full recovery. Occupational therapy is a therapeutic activity or workshop that provides real life experiences to enhance individual's personality uplift self and has a meaningful life by means of rehabilitation. The major role of occupational therapists is to help the client become a successful member of the society again by allowing individual to develop a healthy lifestyle and participate in therapeutic activities (Gerrie ter Haar and James J. Busuttil 2005). Gordon (2003) stated that individual should change old habits by learning new skills and living a balance life that changes addictive behaviors to positive lifestyle, which uniquely outfitted to occupational therapy. Occupational therapy teaches skills to establish individual's role in the community. The purpose is to help individual balance responsibilities through learning effective coping strategies can communicate effectively and can be able adjust to stressful

Literary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Literary Analysis - Essay Example The transformation of Oedipus from a quester to sinner in the play can be seen as a dramatic device to reveal the tragic flaw, hamartia, of the protagonist. From a man who was in search of his true identity, Oedipus ends up being the King of Thebes where he remains unaware of the very horrors present in his life, from which he was trying to run away. Even though it can be argued that the sins committed by Oedipus can be the outcome of his ignorance, the years he spent in Thebes without any effort to find out the people whom he came across in the life he chose shows the extent to which he was blinded by power. In fact, the moment he became the king of Thebes distanced him from his search for identity. Tiresius’s accusations from the perspective of Apollonian reasoning and piety explore the irrational and irresponsible actions of Oedipus which were once considered heroic. When insulted by Oedipus for his blindness and alleged inability to foresee the future of Thebes, Tiresius retorts: Oedipus can be seen as belonging to that aspect of Greek culture which operated on the pragmatic aspects of life which included action at the expense of introspection though the element of piety was a major element in their day-to-day existence. In a broad analysis, it is possible to analyze Oedipus as a Dionysian representation in Greek terms, exhibiting sudden action, excesses, violence, ruthlessness, and so on. The Apollonian representations, on the contrary would depict contemplative action with due emphasis on intelligence over impulse. Terry Eagleton, in his Holy Terror (2005) observes how in Sophocles’s Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus â€Å"is transformed into a tutelary deity, protecting the citizens of Athens from assault† (15) and states that the Dionysian impulse for violence is normally a reaction to â€Å"lack of piety† (Eagleton, 16). In Oedipus the King, the question of morality is not strictly the concern of its

Port Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Port Management - Case Study Example Santos is considered to be a good harbor for ships, fishing and trade purposes. (The ports of Brazil, 1942) The Santos port approaches to increase the rate of exports by cheap means of transport. It enhances the trade by providing a track to the countries linked with the Atlantic Ocean. It has its origins associated to the coffee trade. It also facilitated to advance the sanitary situation of the region. It also played an essential role in the industrial growth of the State of So Paulo and of the entire Brazil. The Port of Santos is situated in the town that has the same name in the coast of southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. It is the port that transported most of the goods to the Arab countries in the year 2005. Goods worth at US$ 2.1 billion moved across the terminal heading towards the Arab countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In conditions of quantity, shipments reached 5.3 million tons. There are 64 private terminals at the Port of Santos and total area is 7.7 million square kilometers. It gave refuge to 44.7% of the Brazil's exports to the Arab states, which made a sum of US$ 4.7 billion up to November, 2005. (Edgar Rodrigues; Clifford Harper, 2005) The chief commodity to export i... It is also a chief transshipment port for good and commodities created in all the Southern cone countries (Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay). For instance, in the past, Santos went beyond Buenos Aires as Latin America's second-largest manager of containers. Land access and division within the ports are two important issues. The port is provided by quickly to be finished toll road that supplies high powered, quick access to So Paulo. Just about 90 % of the export and import cargo is conceded or from the port by trucks. There are Five railway companies, under allowance since 2000, serve the port. The port had an aim of covering 10 million tons of load carried by rail at the end of 2002, an ambition that was met. Investments of rail facilities in the port possessions and use of concessions have radically improved the efficiency of rail car use. 20% of container traffic from the port is controlled by rail, around twenty thousand TEUs per month. Rail investment in infrastructure on port possessions is a significant factor of increased access to the port. With no corresponding investment in rail infrastructure In further elements of the state, however, the use of rail for shifting goods also from the port will be limited. Projects are being generated that will permit leasing of rail infrastructure for private workers, created investment dollars. Rail services, in amalgamation with inland water barge, symbolize a significant access mode for agricultural commodities, particularly soy. Other policies have been used to develop the port's efficiency. The port is maneuvered twenty four hours a day with a twenty four hours reservation method for trucks due to overcrowding on the local road system, and port organizers are

Immune System and New York Essay Example for Free

Immune System and New York Essay HIV And Its Effects Elizabeth Grundy Psychology 102 Dr Peggy Peach October 10, 2001 HIV And Its Effects 2 HIV AND Its Effects The effects HIV has on a person, symptoms, risks, history and prevention will be explained. HIV is on a rise among sexually active people. According to Packer (1998), HIV, the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a member of a family of viruses. The first member HTLV-I and related to STLV-I researchers believe they both have a common ancestor in Africa. (P.13). This will be explained in the following questions: 1. What are the symptoms of HIV? 2. What are the risks to getting HIV? 3. What is the history of HIV? 4. What is the treatment for HIV? This research paper on HIV will be focused on these four questions. 1. What are the symptoms of HIV? According to Nash (1997), when a person infected with HIV has symptoms such as fever, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue, and lymphadenopathy (persistent, unexplained swelling of the lymph nodes), but no opportunistic infections (illnesses that healthy immune systems fight off) or Kaposis sarcoma, he is said to have AIDS-related complex (ARC). The acronym ARC is not used as frequently as it was in the early years of the epidemic. AIDS is now thought of in term of a HIV continuum. It begins with HIV-positive diagnosis in a person who is not experiencing any symptoms. It continues to a symptomatic stage in which the person has opportunistic infections, HIV and Its Effects 3 andKaposis sarcoma, or any of the conditions previously used to define Arc, and the HIV-positive continuum ends with full-blown AIDS diagnosis (p.22). 2. What are the risks to getting HIV? According to Nash (1997) No one is safe if his or her behavior is not safe. You do not get HIV because of a group you belong to; you get HIV from exposure to the virus. HIV can be contracted through unprotected sex with an infected person, by sharing needles when using drugs, or by tattooing or piercing body parts with a needle that has been used on an infected person. (P 24). According to Draimin (1995) the four common most ways HIV can get into the  body, Dirty needles used to inject drugs, unprotected sexual intercourse, mother to fetus or new-born baby, and blood transfusion. (P.11) HIV is transferable through any kind of sexual contact: heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. The means of transferring the virus is unprotected sex. The safe guards against contracting HIV are to have sex only when you are ready, to know your partner, and to protect yourself from possible infection every time you have sex by using a condom. The HIV virus, like some other viruses cannot live outside the body. It is killed by air. HIV requires a warm, wet place to live and be carried only in blood, sexual fluids, and possibly saliva. Sexual transmission of HIV means that the virus goes from fluid to fluid (semen, vaginal, and blood). The virus has to pass from fluid to fluids to stay alive. (Pp25-26) 3. What is the History of HIV? HIV and Its Effects 4 Hyde and Forsyth (1 996) In 1981, when the first mysterious cases of an unusual type of pneumonia began to appear, scientists have accumulated a large body of knowledge about HIV. The first alarm sounded before aids even had a name, when doctors realized that some formerly rare diseases were becoming common among homosexual men in the United States. The first well-documented cases of what was later called AIDS were found in San Francisco and New York in 1981. A young gay man in San Francisco was found to be suffering from severe fungal infection to which he had little immune reaction. In fact, his immune system did not respond to any disease. Then he developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), a type of pneumonia that is caused by a parasite. This disease is usually found only in severely malnourished individuals or people whos immune have been impaired by drugs such as those used in treatment of cancer. (p.56) According to Nash (1997) In 1982, three non-drug -injecting heterosexual men with hemophilia A developed AIDS and were reported to CDC. Hemophilia A, a blood -clotting defect, requires transfusions of blood-clotting factors derived from whole blood. (p.29) In June 1981 the first report of what AIDS, published by CDC described the new disease as a collection of characteristics symptoms among various population groups. It was a narrow definition, involving the presence of one or more opportunistic infections or cancers, and signs that general failure of immune system had occurred. (Nash, 1997) 4 What is the treatment for HIV HIV and Its Effects 5 According to Nash (1997) AIDS symptoms typically takes years to develop after the initial infection.  Scientists are researching what they call immunotherapy. Vaccines to prevent or stop a disease from taking hold; immunotherapy intervenes before symptoms arise and rids the body of infection. Management drugs have come out such as; Azidothymidine (AZT), this is the first of its kind. It interferes with HIV reproduction inside the cell; it slows the process of AIDS down. An HIV- positive person who takes AZT before AIDS symptoms appear lives longer than those who did not. Dideoxycytidine (ddC) and dideoxyinosine (ddI) offer another approach to combine therapy. Death rates are lowered when ddC and ddI were taken in combination of ddC and AZT or ddI and AZT then those patients who took AZT alone. Ampligen-, which did not help the patients when administered, alone-used in combination with AZT increase the effectiveness of both drugs. Epivir (3TC) became the first new initial therapy since AZT. The combination therapy of 3TC and AZT lowered the amount of HIV in patients and boosted their immune system. Invirase (protease inhibitor) is designed to cripple an enzyme vital in late stages of HIV reproduction, which is used in combination of other anti-HIV drugs. They reduce the levels of the virus in some people and increase the number of immune cells in some patients previously depleted by the virus. In 1996 Ritonavir, another protease inhibitor was also approved. HIV and its effects on those we know and love are about learning to manage the illness. People need to practice safe sex and to and to pay attention to safe behavior. HIV and treatment have come along way. Medical science has along time to go before a cure. HIV and Its Effects 6 References Packer, K. (1998). HIV Infection The Facts You Need To Know. New York: Venture. Draimin, B. (1ed)(1995). Working Together Against AIDS. New York: The Rosen Publishing group. Nash, C. (1997). AIDSs Choice for life. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. : Hyde, M., Forsyth, E. (1996). AIDS What Does It Mean To You? New York: Walker.

Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases

Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases 1. Introduction 1.1. Present Scenario Internet is the latest and the most powerful innovation of mankind. In present era of internet we used computer technology to solve our many problems. Today in every field we use computer technology from education, business, social networking to order a dinner or health check-up. Nobody knows from when human are start using medicine for cure themselves from illness. Many years ago when uncivilized human are lives in cave, deep forest they used various tree, plants leaves as medicine. They give their knowledge to the next generation. There is no MBBS doctors are available at that time. The anytime anywhere availability of Internet has made a great impact specially in-terms of reaching customers and making themselves aware of ones products base and services. (Roche, 2010) Going back 15 or more years, when hardly anyone had access to the internet; you would have had to go out to find a doctor for solving your health problems. But now, that the internet is available to many people, so people can visit a virtual doctor clinic. In todays modern society we have MBBS doctors, thousands of medicine for thousands of diseases. If we feel sick, we go to the doctors clinic and doctor diagnosis us, then prescribed some medicine and after taking medicine will fine within few days. But if you went out from your city or you go someplace, where you get sick and you dont have any doctor nearby. What you do then? In Africa there is only 1 doctor among 5000 people. Presently, Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. There are many places where people are dying because of some common diseases. Just some common medicine can help them. Now if I asked you What if you could visit a doctor, any time of day or night, without leaving your home and that doctor could review your history, diagnose your problem and also give you prescription? Now you are thinking how is it possible? Ok you need just an internet connection and computer and Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases onlinesoftware will do it for you. 1.2. Topic of the Project The Project is titled â€Å"Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases†. It will be a generic software package for a medical clinic. The system will be able to act as a web-based solution for medical symptom checker. It will prove to be asset for both the doctor as well as their patient. 1.3. Targeted Audience Target audience or user is one of the main concerns on how and why a system is been developed, who is going to use this system. The target users of Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine have been categorized into three types. 1.4. Problem Context Internet enthusiastic people want to use internet to solve their medical problems. But there is no good local site that can provide this kind of facility. This kind of website is perfect for them who dont have time to visit a doctors clinic for minor Where doctor is unable, we used this kind of technology to help people. Presently, There are only 54 doctors per 100,000 peoples in Africa. Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. In this country this kind of system will help people if it can be implemented. . 1.5. Rationale behind the System The following has highlighted some of the most common benefits of the â€Å"Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine† Because of the existence of the identified problems, there is a need for such project. This project consists of some on-line web application which provides guides to the patient. The system will be using advanced algorithm to design a virtual medical agent. The benefits gained from this project are: User can contact with doctor easily from their home or office. Doctor can easily manage their patient. Patient can gain medical knowledge from using this system. Smart Symptom checker can help patient anytime. 1.5.1. Proposed Solution Ø Patient who have some knowledge of using internet doesnt need to visit to doctor for common diseases life fiver, Pain, stomatitis etc. Ø It also helps community and skilled health workers, supported by automated assessment and treatment protocols, can rapidly expand the delivery of health care in developing countries Ø The spread of mobile phones and web services makes new models of healthcare delivery possible at everyones hand. Ø Proven technology will allow developing countries to leapfrog the knowledge gap between doctors and patients Ø User can learn about healthcare tasks from this system. Ø Doctor doesnt need to remember all the name of medicine and their purpose. Doctor can find details of a medicine just a click of a search button. Ø Ground-breaking but proven technology allows rapid development, review, and updating of complex automated guidelines by medical professionals without it intervention. 1.6. Benefits of the System Development and Implementation of such a system will bring in a lot of benefits for the business, its employees and its customers (both current and potential). These benefits can be classified into Tangible and Intangible which are discussed in details below:- Ø The system help doctor to make faster diagnosis. Ø Using medicine search engine doctor can get any medicine information with in a second. Ø Various medical tools like BMI calculator, symptom checker etc. will help doctor as well as patient to solve their problems easily. Ø System administrator can easily manage the system using content management system. Ø The system will use roles and permission levels, to maintain confidentiality of private data of administrator, doctor and patient. Ø Patient can use chat services to chat with doctor. Ø The presence of certain services offered by the system on the mobile web will also ensure that the system can be accessed from anywhere anytime. 1.7. Challenges Involved Developing a system such as this will involve a host of challenges for the developer. The major challenges can be classified under:- 1.7.1. Domain Challenges: Ø Data Gathering and Domain Analysis: Due to the developers unfamiliarity with the work-flow and the processes followed in the online Symptom Checker it will become a challenging task to develop awareness about the medical service domain. Ø Implementation of Customizability: The biggest challenge of developing a system like this is its implementation itself. There is high percentage of risk involved in development and implementation of a system like this. The main challenge is to understand the base concepts involved in designing and developing Smart Medical Diagnosis. The developer will also need to follow a modular and object oriented approach in developing this system for enhancing reusability, abstraction, encapsulation and polymorphism. Ø Content Management System (CMS): Understanding and Implementing a CMS integrated with a system like this will require the developer to design the complex architecture of the system in prior so that his/her concepts are clear regarding the control flow of the system and no module infringes each other. This will also require him/her to study existing CMS such as Joomla and Drupal and understand their architecture and working. Ø Database Designing and Normalization: Designing a database for a generic customizable system like this is challenge in itself. The fields and data types of the table along with the tables itself are not fixed or pre-defined. The developer needs to code keeping in mind user customization may need to create these database objects dynamically and hence needs to keep a scope for their creation and modification. Apart from this, there needs to be a big centralized database, which is capable of storing large amount of data and about a large number of entities. The relation between these large numbers of entities will be needed to be figure out and a complex normalization has to be implemented in designing a database like this. Ø Implementation of 3-Tier Architecture: In order to enhance scalability, performance, reliability and robustness of this system, the developer will need to implement 3-Tier architecture for developing this system which is a challenging task keeping in mind the size and complexity of the systems database. Ø Algorithm for Customizing the site and Symptom Checker: The developer will require to showcase solid understanding for logics and algorithms in order to develop the module where the administrative users can add or edit new pages, new symptom option where he/she will be able to add its name description along with the algorithm that will be followed for generating a definite result. 1.7.2. Technical Challenges: PHP: The system will require the developer to use advanced PHP functionalities like Personalization, Forum, Blog and Emailing which will be used in various modules of this system. Develop a PHP base application is harder as compare to develop same application in ASP.NET using visual studio. Visual studio generates code for you debug for you and its also save time. But PHP is challenge as compare to asp.net. Cause PHP doesnt have any IDE and very code you need to write it down in a text editor. Finding an error is also a head ace. But for learning purpose PHP is great. Thats the reason I chose PHP as main web development language. Web Based system: Making an interactive web based system is difficult. Implement a dynamic web site is harder than making a desktop application. We need to take care of network, client server, band width to make project successful. AJAX and JavaScript / jQuery: For designing an intuitive and dynamic interface so that users have a rich experience availing features like data entry assistance, error prevention, etc. The developer needs to have in depth knowledge of AJAX as well as JavaScript or jQuery. Implementation of AJAX is not easy task for a developer who is new to web development. I just know little PHP and HTML. It will be a challenge for me to implement Ajax in this project. AJAX makes web application fell like a desktop application. CSS: Most people who are new in web development cant able to understand how to lay out a page. They just try to drug and drop div, table using Dreamweaver or any HTML design tools with underrating the advanced concept of CSS. And ended up with Advanced Database Concepts with MYSQL: For designing such a complex database that the system requires the developer needs to have a concrete understanding of database concepts like Normalization, Query Optimization, Views, and Permissions. He/she should also require familiarity with MYSQL. MOBILE OPTIMIZATING : For optimizing the web application for mobile phones and handheld devices the developer needs to have extensive skills in WML, mobile web as well as an understanding of how to integrate WML with server side scripting technologies 1.8. Goals behind developing the System 1.8.1. Project goal â€Å"When people are sick, they must make critical decisions about when and where they should receive healthcare. Unfortunately, most people lack the medical knowledge needed to make these decisions safely. Online smart diagnosis is powered by a computer program that performs symptom triage. The goal of symptom triage is to decide when, and where, you should seek care when you have symptoms. Symptom triage does not replace a physician evaluation or make a diagnosis.† 1.8.2. Academic Goal Ø To recall and analyse and implement the understanding and concepts learnt in the complete course curriculum through various modules as well as on individual level and implement all of it in order to come out with a complete computing project of industry standard Ø To document and publish the deliverables professionally following the standards followed in industry. 1.9. Objectives of the System 1.9.1. Project Objectives Ø To come up with a complete automation solution for online symptom diagnosis. Ø To keep the design, architecture, implementation flexible so as to allow customization by the system administrator. Ø Optimize information presentation and service interface according to the capability of the device requesting it. Ø To use communication channels apart from HTTP like Email, SMS and WAP for supplying quality information and services to customers and company employees. Ø To ensure that the web is bug free and that it runs equally and efficiently on all browsers and platforms 1.9.2. Academic Objectives Ø The prime objective is to learn nitty-gritties of project management and project development lifecycle, implementing it in developing the system and gaining experience in it. Ø Learn Content Management System (CMS) Ø To learn and apply the various Web Development Methodology and Human Computer Interaction Design Principles to the system design. Ø Web accessibility Ø To learn and master the advance features of PHP, MYSQL and associated technologies. Ø To learn the internal work-flow and procedures that is followed medical diagnosis. 1.10. Success Criteria To determine whether the project is a success or a failure parameters such as the quality of application developed as well as the quality of project documentation will be analysed. The quality of application will include the degree to which requirement was fulfilled, the degree of user-friendliness of the system as well as the ability to run swiftly, consistently and error-freely on multiple browsers. 1.11 Scope and Functionalities of the System Scope limits the project. It defines where in the project the developer should call it stop. It determines to what extent the system will support functionalities and beyond what the system facilitates no feature or functionalities. 1.11.1. Functionalities to be implemented The functionalities to be incorporated into the system which in turn will decide the scope of the system have been classified into 3 categories on the basis of their complexity and exclusiveness. They are:- 1.11.1.1. Core Functionalities:. Ø Symptom checker is an automatic smart software agent that can ask question to patient about their problem and it analysis the problems and diagnosis the debases of the patient Ø Chat Services Patients can text chat with doctor. Ø Forum User can create, post delete thread in forum Ø Messaging User can send message to each other Ø CMS(Content management System) Admin can create update and delete pages. Ø Medicine search engine Doctor can use medicine search engine to know about works of a particular medicine Ø Registration of Doctor And Patient . Ø Patient Can upload his/her medical history. Ø Secure and configurable user access through individual user logins and passwords. Ø Users can change their password. 1.11.1.2. Enhanced Functionalities: Ø Design the virtual doctor using artificial intelligent Ø Video chat service Ø Create user blog Ø Full Mobile based services Ø Full customizing user profiling. 1.11.1.3. Special Functionalities Ø Various tool boxes for doctor BMI Calculator, BRM calculator, Body fat calculator. Ø Voice chat and VoIP 1.11.2. Scope of the Project This projects main aim is to give perfect medical information to the user through internet. It will save time and money of both doctor and patient. The patient who dont have the time to visit the clinic of the doctor for some common issue they can use this system. This kind of system already in market like virtual doctor, WEB MD, Online health, but none of them works on mobile platform. As Smart Medical Diagnosis also works on mobile platform, anyone with wap enable mobile with GPRS, EGDE or 3G can access his web services and get information about medicine and diseases. 1.11.2.1 Scope Limitation Ø Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases is an online application. Without internet this system doesnt work Ø WAP Based mobile not able to display the webpage Ø chat required high speed internet connection Ø Symptom checker may be diagnosis wrong if patient give wrong input Ø Serious medical problems cant be solved using this system Ø Only some common diseases can be diagnosis 1.12. Feasibility Study By the means of feasibility study one can find out if an information system project can be done, and if so, how. A feasibility study should answers the following question: Ø Whether the project can be done; Ø What are alternative solutions? Ø What are the criteria for choosing among them? Ø Is there a preferred alternative? After a feasibility study, a decision is taken on the go ahead/no go of the project. There are a many types of feasibility study that are used for analysis of Information System. In this project the developer has restricted the feasibility study to Technological Feasibility Study and Schedule Feasibility. 1.12.1. Technical Feasibility Study The technical feasibility study compares the level of technology available in the software development firm and the level of technology required for the development of the product. Here the level of technology consists of the programming language, the hardware resources, Other software tools etc. (All About Information Technology) In this project the hardware and software required as the application will be deployed on a apache server, PHP 5.3 With ZEND Framework and mysql 5 Server will not be big ask at present scene. On the Client End the application just requires any current java script enable web browser. 1.12.3. Operational Feasibility Study Operational feasibility study tests the operational scope of the software to be developed. The proposed software must have high operational feasibility. The usability will be high. It is basically used to analyse whether the system will be used if it is developed and implemented. Whether there will be resistance from users that will affect the possible application benefits? Data gathering methods such as questionnaire and interviews have been incorporated in the development plan to ensure all user requirements are collected well in hand to develop the system. We also provide help manual to better understand the tystem. 1.12.3. Schedule Feasibility Study Schedule Feasibility is an assessment whether the project will be able to complete on time. Since the project deadline is fixed i.e. 32 weeks. Each project phase time-line has been established with certain milestones also including some form of deliverables like PPF, PSF and Mid-Point the project-schedule is realistic and well within reach if the established schedule is followed precisely. 1.13. Major Project Deliverables Final Year Project Documentation Page | 18 Draft Proposal PPF Ethical Form PSF log sheet Hard copy Soft copy Final Year Project Documentation Page | 18 Start date: 27th July 2010 Duration: 31 Weeks End date: 20th March 2 Planning (total 18 days) Work Breakdown Structure Schedule and Time Estimation Critical Path Method Interviews Gantt Chart Project Proposal Form Weeks -2.5 3 Analysis (total 49 days) Identify project specifications Project Background Resources required Techniques to be learnt Goals and Objectives Determine System Functionalities Identify scope of research Project Specification Form Investigation ad Research Programming Human Computer Interaction Multimedia Design Principles User requirements Drifting Analysis User Profiling Domain analysis System analysis Risk analysis Weeks -7 4 System Design (Total 49 days) Tasks: Navigational Design Story Boarding Process Diagram Abstract Interface Design Screen layout Content Design Interactivity Design Functionality Design Midpoint Interview Weeks -7 5 Implementation (Total 28 days) Code generation Module Integration Weeks -4 6 Testing and Evaluation (Total 35days) Test Plans Unit Testing Integration Testing System Testing Critical Evaluation Weeks -5 7 Project Ending (Total 35days) Submission of the finished product Presentation Weeks -5 2. Problem Description When people are sick, they must make critical decisions about when and where they should receive healthcare. Unfortunately, most people lack the medical knowledge needed to make these decisions safely. Online Smart Diagnosis is powered by a computer program that performs symptom triage. The goal of symptom triage is to decide when, and where, you should seek care when you have symptoms. Symptom triage does not replace a physician evaluation or make a diagnosis. Over the past 12 years, healthcare professionals in the U.S. government and major managed care organizations have used the program extensively, proving its effectiveness. Like FreeMD.com improves medical outcomes by helping consumers determine the most appropriate time and place to receive care from a healthcare professional. (How it Works) With so many options for care today, its becoming more important for you to know where you should get care when you develop symptoms. Choices include: Emergency Room Urgent Care Center Physician Office Physician eVisit (via the web, e-mail, or phone) Dentist Office Nurse Retail Clinic Your choice on where to get care is important because not all of these locations are equipped to treat all health problems. If you make the wrong choice, you risk delaying your diagnosis and treatment. A wrong choice could also lead you to over-pay for the same care you could have received in a less expensive setting. Online Smart Diagnosis was created to safely direct you to the right location: where you get the care you need, without paying more than you need to. Online Smart Diagnosis performs a medical interview, just like a real doctor. During the interview, you answer questions about your symptoms and past medical history. Online Smart Diagnosis is designed to be fast (average encounter time is less than 2 minutes), so you get help fast! At the end of the process, FreeMD.com generates a report that provides the following information: What might be causing your symptoms? When should you see a doctor? Where should you seek care? What kind of doctor should you see? What should you do to care for yourself? There are many palaces in the world where you cant find a single doctor. There are only 54 doctors per 100,000 peoples in Africa. Presently, Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. In many parts of the world, far too many children and adults are dying unnecessarily from easily treatable diseases. In a world where many of us take basic healthcare for granted, one in six children in Zambia will still not reach the age of five. Too often this problem is simply due to the lack of access to effective primary healthcare. Whether it is the huge distances to health centres and lack of transport, the lack of doctors in many regions, or the simple shortage of resources such as medications, very often easily treatable conditions are left until it is too late. From above information we can say, there is a desperate lack of primary healthcare available to rural communities in many parts of the world due to their geographical isolation, shortage of doctors, and lack of resources. The Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases Project is an innovative new venture that aims to use mobile clinics and internet to save lives. 3. Literature Review Development of successful project starts with a solid and deep Research. Thus, Research will be an on-going process throughout the project. Researches need in every phase let it be planning, user interface designing or anything and especially when you are in process of building comprehensible website. The research area will also consist of the development process model which will be used for the project. Getting good hands on programming languages and mastering back-ends will also be a challenge and research work. For developing this project I am going to flow Web Engineering model. I think this is the best model to make web based project. 3.1. Web Engineering and WebE Process model: As Web-based systems play increasingly important roles in a number of applications, the demands placed on these systems and their complexity have also increased significantly. Also, there is growing need for improved quality, performance and availability of Web-based systems as we are now more dependent on Web-based systems than ever before. But, most Web-based systems are poorly developed in ad hoc manner and hence they exhibit poor performance and are susceptible for major failures. Web-based system development, in most cases, lacks rigour, systematic approach to design, disciplined development process and quality control and assurance procedures. Hence, there is growing concern about the performance, quality, integrity, maintainability and scalability of complex Web based systems. Web engineering advocates a process and a systematic approach to development of high quality Web-based systems and aims to bring the potential chaos in Web-based system development under control and enha nce scalability, maintainability and quality. It is a rapidly emerging as a new discipline for successful development and deployment of large Web-based systems in a range of applications. Web Engineering is an evolving development methodology dedicated to the development of superior Internet and Web Applications. It advocates a standardized process and follows a systematic approach. (S. Murugesan, Y. Deshpande, S. Hansen and A. Ginig, 1999) Web engineering principles and approaches can fix the issues related to web development methodology gaining complete control over the process, minimizing risk and improving the quality and maintainability (Ginige Murugesan, 2000) Web Engineering Activities Successful Web-based system development and deployment is a process, not just an event as currently perceived and practiced by many developers and academics. Web engineering is a holistic approach and deals with all aspects of web-based development, starting from concerting and development to implementation, performance evaluation, and continual maintenance. (Suh, 2005) (Suh, 2005) Web Engineering Development Process: Reasons behind choosing the WebE process model Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases :going to be a web based project and as developer have chosen web engineering model, it would be easy and profitable to follow the process model suggested under the web engineering. The WebE process model is deliberately developed for the web applications and it addresses the specific needs of a web application which differs from the traditional software and is not addressed by the traditional software methodologies, too. Developers system is a web based system and would have a feature that can be looked after only by a dedicated web process model and thats why I found WebE useful. Take time to understand the business needs and product objectives, even if WebApp details are vague. Describe how users will interact with the WebApp using a scenario-based approach Develop a brief project plan. Spend time modeling what you are going to build 3.2 Academic Research Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine is a project where research is going to be very crucial. I have contact with doctor for gathering information. Some of friends who are medical student are going to help in making the database. There are already some system are on the market. From this kind of system I can learn, how I can make this kind of system. Academic Research means extracting information from others hard earned experiences like going through books, journals, paper presentations and other published materials. My project has multidirectional requirements Medical Since this project deals with Medical, patient and so I will need to go through various Medical books so that at least I should have an idea how can I make a virtual medical agent. Patient I have to understand what a patient want from a doctor. What kind of patient should able to use this kind of system? Software Engineering Techniques Web engineering , Mobile WEB technologies Network and Internet Databases there will be a huge use and requirements for databases, since everything will be stored at backend. So I will need a secure, big database Reports generation Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases 1. Introduction 1.1. Present Scenario Internet is the latest and the most powerful innovation of mankind. In present era of internet we used computer technology to solve our many problems. Today in every field we use computer technology from education, business, social networking to order a dinner or health check-up. Nobody knows from when human are start using medicine for cure themselves from illness. Many years ago when uncivilized human are lives in cave, deep forest they used various tree, plants leaves as medicine. They give their knowledge to the next generation. There is no MBBS doctors are available at that time. The anytime anywhere availability of Internet has made a great impact specially in-terms of reaching customers and making themselves aware of ones products base and services. (Roche, 2010) Going back 15 or more years, when hardly anyone had access to the internet; you would have had to go out to find a doctor for solving your health problems. But now, that the internet is available to many people, so people can visit a virtual doctor clinic. In todays modern society we have MBBS doctors, thousands of medicine for thousands of diseases. If we feel sick, we go to the doctors clinic and doctor diagnosis us, then prescribed some medicine and after taking medicine will fine within few days. But if you went out from your city or you go someplace, where you get sick and you dont have any doctor nearby. What you do then? In Africa there is only 1 doctor among 5000 people. Presently, Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. There are many places where people are dying because of some common diseases. Just some common medicine can help them. Now if I asked you What if you could visit a doctor, any time of day or night, without leaving your home and that doctor could review your history, diagnose your problem and also give you prescription? Now you are thinking how is it possible? Ok you need just an internet connection and computer and Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases onlinesoftware will do it for you. 1.2. Topic of the Project The Project is titled â€Å"Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases†. It will be a generic software package for a medical clinic. The system will be able to act as a web-based solution for medical symptom checker. It will prove to be asset for both the doctor as well as their patient. 1.3. Targeted Audience Target audience or user is one of the main concerns on how and why a system is been developed, who is going to use this system. The target users of Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine have been categorized into three types. 1.4. Problem Context Internet enthusiastic people want to use internet to solve their medical problems. But there is no good local site that can provide this kind of facility. This kind of website is perfect for them who dont have time to visit a doctors clinic for minor Where doctor is unable, we used this kind of technology to help people. Presently, There are only 54 doctors per 100,000 peoples in Africa. Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. In this country this kind of system will help people if it can be implemented. . 1.5. Rationale behind the System The following has highlighted some of the most common benefits of the â€Å"Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine† Because of the existence of the identified problems, there is a need for such project. This project consists of some on-line web application which provides guides to the patient. The system will be using advanced algorithm to design a virtual medical agent. The benefits gained from this project are: User can contact with doctor easily from their home or office. Doctor can easily manage their patient. Patient can gain medical knowledge from using this system. Smart Symptom checker can help patient anytime. 1.5.1. Proposed Solution Ø Patient who have some knowledge of using internet doesnt need to visit to doctor for common diseases life fiver, Pain, stomatitis etc. Ø It also helps community and skilled health workers, supported by automated assessment and treatment protocols, can rapidly expand the delivery of health care in developing countries Ø The spread of mobile phones and web services makes new models of healthcare delivery possible at everyones hand. Ø Proven technology will allow developing countries to leapfrog the knowledge gap between doctors and patients Ø User can learn about healthcare tasks from this system. Ø Doctor doesnt need to remember all the name of medicine and their purpose. Doctor can find details of a medicine just a click of a search button. Ø Ground-breaking but proven technology allows rapid development, review, and updating of complex automated guidelines by medical professionals without it intervention. 1.6. Benefits of the System Development and Implementation of such a system will bring in a lot of benefits for the business, its employees and its customers (both current and potential). These benefits can be classified into Tangible and Intangible which are discussed in details below:- Ø The system help doctor to make faster diagnosis. Ø Using medicine search engine doctor can get any medicine information with in a second. Ø Various medical tools like BMI calculator, symptom checker etc. will help doctor as well as patient to solve their problems easily. Ø System administrator can easily manage the system using content management system. Ø The system will use roles and permission levels, to maintain confidentiality of private data of administrator, doctor and patient. Ø Patient can use chat services to chat with doctor. Ø The presence of certain services offered by the system on the mobile web will also ensure that the system can be accessed from anywhere anytime. 1.7. Challenges Involved Developing a system such as this will involve a host of challenges for the developer. The major challenges can be classified under:- 1.7.1. Domain Challenges: Ø Data Gathering and Domain Analysis: Due to the developers unfamiliarity with the work-flow and the processes followed in the online Symptom Checker it will become a challenging task to develop awareness about the medical service domain. Ø Implementation of Customizability: The biggest challenge of developing a system like this is its implementation itself. There is high percentage of risk involved in development and implementation of a system like this. The main challenge is to understand the base concepts involved in designing and developing Smart Medical Diagnosis. The developer will also need to follow a modular and object oriented approach in developing this system for enhancing reusability, abstraction, encapsulation and polymorphism. Ø Content Management System (CMS): Understanding and Implementing a CMS integrated with a system like this will require the developer to design the complex architecture of the system in prior so that his/her concepts are clear regarding the control flow of the system and no module infringes each other. This will also require him/her to study existing CMS such as Joomla and Drupal and understand their architecture and working. Ø Database Designing and Normalization: Designing a database for a generic customizable system like this is challenge in itself. The fields and data types of the table along with the tables itself are not fixed or pre-defined. The developer needs to code keeping in mind user customization may need to create these database objects dynamically and hence needs to keep a scope for their creation and modification. Apart from this, there needs to be a big centralized database, which is capable of storing large amount of data and about a large number of entities. The relation between these large numbers of entities will be needed to be figure out and a complex normalization has to be implemented in designing a database like this. Ø Implementation of 3-Tier Architecture: In order to enhance scalability, performance, reliability and robustness of this system, the developer will need to implement 3-Tier architecture for developing this system which is a challenging task keeping in mind the size and complexity of the systems database. Ø Algorithm for Customizing the site and Symptom Checker: The developer will require to showcase solid understanding for logics and algorithms in order to develop the module where the administrative users can add or edit new pages, new symptom option where he/she will be able to add its name description along with the algorithm that will be followed for generating a definite result. 1.7.2. Technical Challenges: PHP: The system will require the developer to use advanced PHP functionalities like Personalization, Forum, Blog and Emailing which will be used in various modules of this system. Develop a PHP base application is harder as compare to develop same application in ASP.NET using visual studio. Visual studio generates code for you debug for you and its also save time. But PHP is challenge as compare to asp.net. Cause PHP doesnt have any IDE and very code you need to write it down in a text editor. Finding an error is also a head ace. But for learning purpose PHP is great. Thats the reason I chose PHP as main web development language. Web Based system: Making an interactive web based system is difficult. Implement a dynamic web site is harder than making a desktop application. We need to take care of network, client server, band width to make project successful. AJAX and JavaScript / jQuery: For designing an intuitive and dynamic interface so that users have a rich experience availing features like data entry assistance, error prevention, etc. The developer needs to have in depth knowledge of AJAX as well as JavaScript or jQuery. Implementation of AJAX is not easy task for a developer who is new to web development. I just know little PHP and HTML. It will be a challenge for me to implement Ajax in this project. AJAX makes web application fell like a desktop application. CSS: Most people who are new in web development cant able to understand how to lay out a page. They just try to drug and drop div, table using Dreamweaver or any HTML design tools with underrating the advanced concept of CSS. And ended up with Advanced Database Concepts with MYSQL: For designing such a complex database that the system requires the developer needs to have a concrete understanding of database concepts like Normalization, Query Optimization, Views, and Permissions. He/she should also require familiarity with MYSQL. MOBILE OPTIMIZATING : For optimizing the web application for mobile phones and handheld devices the developer needs to have extensive skills in WML, mobile web as well as an understanding of how to integrate WML with server side scripting technologies 1.8. Goals behind developing the System 1.8.1. Project goal â€Å"When people are sick, they must make critical decisions about when and where they should receive healthcare. Unfortunately, most people lack the medical knowledge needed to make these decisions safely. Online smart diagnosis is powered by a computer program that performs symptom triage. The goal of symptom triage is to decide when, and where, you should seek care when you have symptoms. Symptom triage does not replace a physician evaluation or make a diagnosis.† 1.8.2. Academic Goal Ø To recall and analyse and implement the understanding and concepts learnt in the complete course curriculum through various modules as well as on individual level and implement all of it in order to come out with a complete computing project of industry standard Ø To document and publish the deliverables professionally following the standards followed in industry. 1.9. Objectives of the System 1.9.1. Project Objectives Ø To come up with a complete automation solution for online symptom diagnosis. Ø To keep the design, architecture, implementation flexible so as to allow customization by the system administrator. Ø Optimize information presentation and service interface according to the capability of the device requesting it. Ø To use communication channels apart from HTTP like Email, SMS and WAP for supplying quality information and services to customers and company employees. Ø To ensure that the web is bug free and that it runs equally and efficiently on all browsers and platforms 1.9.2. Academic Objectives Ø The prime objective is to learn nitty-gritties of project management and project development lifecycle, implementing it in developing the system and gaining experience in it. Ø Learn Content Management System (CMS) Ø To learn and apply the various Web Development Methodology and Human Computer Interaction Design Principles to the system design. Ø Web accessibility Ø To learn and master the advance features of PHP, MYSQL and associated technologies. Ø To learn the internal work-flow and procedures that is followed medical diagnosis. 1.10. Success Criteria To determine whether the project is a success or a failure parameters such as the quality of application developed as well as the quality of project documentation will be analysed. The quality of application will include the degree to which requirement was fulfilled, the degree of user-friendliness of the system as well as the ability to run swiftly, consistently and error-freely on multiple browsers. 1.11 Scope and Functionalities of the System Scope limits the project. It defines where in the project the developer should call it stop. It determines to what extent the system will support functionalities and beyond what the system facilitates no feature or functionalities. 1.11.1. Functionalities to be implemented The functionalities to be incorporated into the system which in turn will decide the scope of the system have been classified into 3 categories on the basis of their complexity and exclusiveness. They are:- 1.11.1.1. Core Functionalities:. Ø Symptom checker is an automatic smart software agent that can ask question to patient about their problem and it analysis the problems and diagnosis the debases of the patient Ø Chat Services Patients can text chat with doctor. Ø Forum User can create, post delete thread in forum Ø Messaging User can send message to each other Ø CMS(Content management System) Admin can create update and delete pages. Ø Medicine search engine Doctor can use medicine search engine to know about works of a particular medicine Ø Registration of Doctor And Patient . Ø Patient Can upload his/her medical history. Ø Secure and configurable user access through individual user logins and passwords. Ø Users can change their password. 1.11.1.2. Enhanced Functionalities: Ø Design the virtual doctor using artificial intelligent Ø Video chat service Ø Create user blog Ø Full Mobile based services Ø Full customizing user profiling. 1.11.1.3. Special Functionalities Ø Various tool boxes for doctor BMI Calculator, BRM calculator, Body fat calculator. Ø Voice chat and VoIP 1.11.2. Scope of the Project This projects main aim is to give perfect medical information to the user through internet. It will save time and money of both doctor and patient. The patient who dont have the time to visit the clinic of the doctor for some common issue they can use this system. This kind of system already in market like virtual doctor, WEB MD, Online health, but none of them works on mobile platform. As Smart Medical Diagnosis also works on mobile platform, anyone with wap enable mobile with GPRS, EGDE or 3G can access his web services and get information about medicine and diseases. 1.11.2.1 Scope Limitation Ø Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases is an online application. Without internet this system doesnt work Ø WAP Based mobile not able to display the webpage Ø chat required high speed internet connection Ø Symptom checker may be diagnosis wrong if patient give wrong input Ø Serious medical problems cant be solved using this system Ø Only some common diseases can be diagnosis 1.12. Feasibility Study By the means of feasibility study one can find out if an information system project can be done, and if so, how. A feasibility study should answers the following question: Ø Whether the project can be done; Ø What are alternative solutions? Ø What are the criteria for choosing among them? Ø Is there a preferred alternative? After a feasibility study, a decision is taken on the go ahead/no go of the project. There are a many types of feasibility study that are used for analysis of Information System. In this project the developer has restricted the feasibility study to Technological Feasibility Study and Schedule Feasibility. 1.12.1. Technical Feasibility Study The technical feasibility study compares the level of technology available in the software development firm and the level of technology required for the development of the product. Here the level of technology consists of the programming language, the hardware resources, Other software tools etc. (All About Information Technology) In this project the hardware and software required as the application will be deployed on a apache server, PHP 5.3 With ZEND Framework and mysql 5 Server will not be big ask at present scene. On the Client End the application just requires any current java script enable web browser. 1.12.3. Operational Feasibility Study Operational feasibility study tests the operational scope of the software to be developed. The proposed software must have high operational feasibility. The usability will be high. It is basically used to analyse whether the system will be used if it is developed and implemented. Whether there will be resistance from users that will affect the possible application benefits? Data gathering methods such as questionnaire and interviews have been incorporated in the development plan to ensure all user requirements are collected well in hand to develop the system. We also provide help manual to better understand the tystem. 1.12.3. Schedule Feasibility Study Schedule Feasibility is an assessment whether the project will be able to complete on time. Since the project deadline is fixed i.e. 32 weeks. Each project phase time-line has been established with certain milestones also including some form of deliverables like PPF, PSF and Mid-Point the project-schedule is realistic and well within reach if the established schedule is followed precisely. 1.13. Major Project Deliverables Final Year Project Documentation Page | 18 Draft Proposal PPF Ethical Form PSF log sheet Hard copy Soft copy Final Year Project Documentation Page | 18 Start date: 27th July 2010 Duration: 31 Weeks End date: 20th March 2 Planning (total 18 days) Work Breakdown Structure Schedule and Time Estimation Critical Path Method Interviews Gantt Chart Project Proposal Form Weeks -2.5 3 Analysis (total 49 days) Identify project specifications Project Background Resources required Techniques to be learnt Goals and Objectives Determine System Functionalities Identify scope of research Project Specification Form Investigation ad Research Programming Human Computer Interaction Multimedia Design Principles User requirements Drifting Analysis User Profiling Domain analysis System analysis Risk analysis Weeks -7 4 System Design (Total 49 days) Tasks: Navigational Design Story Boarding Process Diagram Abstract Interface Design Screen layout Content Design Interactivity Design Functionality Design Midpoint Interview Weeks -7 5 Implementation (Total 28 days) Code generation Module Integration Weeks -4 6 Testing and Evaluation (Total 35days) Test Plans Unit Testing Integration Testing System Testing Critical Evaluation Weeks -5 7 Project Ending (Total 35days) Submission of the finished product Presentation Weeks -5 2. Problem Description When people are sick, they must make critical decisions about when and where they should receive healthcare. Unfortunately, most people lack the medical knowledge needed to make these decisions safely. Online Smart Diagnosis is powered by a computer program that performs symptom triage. The goal of symptom triage is to decide when, and where, you should seek care when you have symptoms. Symptom triage does not replace a physician evaluation or make a diagnosis. Over the past 12 years, healthcare professionals in the U.S. government and major managed care organizations have used the program extensively, proving its effectiveness. Like FreeMD.com improves medical outcomes by helping consumers determine the most appropriate time and place to receive care from a healthcare professional. (How it Works) With so many options for care today, its becoming more important for you to know where you should get care when you develop symptoms. Choices include: Emergency Room Urgent Care Center Physician Office Physician eVisit (via the web, e-mail, or phone) Dentist Office Nurse Retail Clinic Your choice on where to get care is important because not all of these locations are equipped to treat all health problems. If you make the wrong choice, you risk delaying your diagnosis and treatment. A wrong choice could also lead you to over-pay for the same care you could have received in a less expensive setting. Online Smart Diagnosis was created to safely direct you to the right location: where you get the care you need, without paying more than you need to. Online Smart Diagnosis performs a medical interview, just like a real doctor. During the interview, you answer questions about your symptoms and past medical history. Online Smart Diagnosis is designed to be fast (average encounter time is less than 2 minutes), so you get help fast! At the end of the process, FreeMD.com generates a report that provides the following information: What might be causing your symptoms? When should you see a doctor? Where should you seek care? What kind of doctor should you see? What should you do to care for yourself? There are many palaces in the world where you cant find a single doctor. There are only 54 doctors per 100,000 peoples in Africa. Presently, Kenya has slightly more than 5,000 doctors. In many parts of the world, far too many children and adults are dying unnecessarily from easily treatable diseases. In a world where many of us take basic healthcare for granted, one in six children in Zambia will still not reach the age of five. Too often this problem is simply due to the lack of access to effective primary healthcare. Whether it is the huge distances to health centres and lack of transport, the lack of doctors in many regions, or the simple shortage of resources such as medications, very often easily treatable conditions are left until it is too late. From above information we can say, there is a desperate lack of primary healthcare available to rural communities in many parts of the world due to their geographical isolation, shortage of doctors, and lack of resources. The Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases Project is an innovative new venture that aims to use mobile clinics and internet to save lives. 3. Literature Review Development of successful project starts with a solid and deep Research. Thus, Research will be an on-going process throughout the project. Researches need in every phase let it be planning, user interface designing or anything and especially when you are in process of building comprehensible website. The research area will also consist of the development process model which will be used for the project. Getting good hands on programming languages and mastering back-ends will also be a challenge and research work. For developing this project I am going to flow Web Engineering model. I think this is the best model to make web based project. 3.1. Web Engineering and WebE Process model: As Web-based systems play increasingly important roles in a number of applications, the demands placed on these systems and their complexity have also increased significantly. Also, there is growing need for improved quality, performance and availability of Web-based systems as we are now more dependent on Web-based systems than ever before. But, most Web-based systems are poorly developed in ad hoc manner and hence they exhibit poor performance and are susceptible for major failures. Web-based system development, in most cases, lacks rigour, systematic approach to design, disciplined development process and quality control and assurance procedures. Hence, there is growing concern about the performance, quality, integrity, maintainability and scalability of complex Web based systems. Web engineering advocates a process and a systematic approach to development of high quality Web-based systems and aims to bring the potential chaos in Web-based system development under control and enha nce scalability, maintainability and quality. It is a rapidly emerging as a new discipline for successful development and deployment of large Web-based systems in a range of applications. Web Engineering is an evolving development methodology dedicated to the development of superior Internet and Web Applications. It advocates a standardized process and follows a systematic approach. (S. Murugesan, Y. Deshpande, S. Hansen and A. Ginig, 1999) Web engineering principles and approaches can fix the issues related to web development methodology gaining complete control over the process, minimizing risk and improving the quality and maintainability (Ginige Murugesan, 2000) Web Engineering Activities Successful Web-based system development and deployment is a process, not just an event as currently perceived and practiced by many developers and academics. Web engineering is a holistic approach and deals with all aspects of web-based development, starting from concerting and development to implementation, performance evaluation, and continual maintenance. (Suh, 2005) (Suh, 2005) Web Engineering Development Process: Reasons behind choosing the WebE process model Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases :going to be a web based project and as developer have chosen web engineering model, it would be easy and profitable to follow the process model suggested under the web engineering. The WebE process model is deliberately developed for the web applications and it addresses the specific needs of a web application which differs from the traditional software and is not addressed by the traditional software methodologies, too. Developers system is a web based system and would have a feature that can be looked after only by a dedicated web process model and thats why I found WebE useful. Take time to understand the business needs and product objectives, even if WebApp details are vague. Describe how users will interact with the WebApp using a scenario-based approach Develop a brief project plan. Spend time modeling what you are going to build 3.2 Academic Research Smart Medical Diagnosis for Common Diseases with Medicine Search Engine is a project where research is going to be very crucial. I have contact with doctor for gathering information. Some of friends who are medical student are going to help in making the database. There are already some system are on the market. From this kind of system I can learn, how I can make this kind of system. Academic Research means extracting information from others hard earned experiences like going through books, journals, paper presentations and other published materials. My project has multidirectional requirements Medical Since this project deals with Medical, patient and so I will need to go through various Medical books so that at least I should have an idea how can I make a virtual medical agent. Patient I have to understand what a patient want from a doctor. What kind of patient should able to use this kind of system? Software Engineering Techniques Web engineering , Mobile WEB technologies Network and Internet Databases there will be a huge use and requirements for databases, since everything will be stored at backend. So I will need a secure, big database Reports generation