Whale Rider. Movie and the book, which one is better Essay

Whale Rider. Movie and the book, which one is better - Essay Example Whale Rider is yet another book that has been taken by the screen industry, and morphed into a movie. Yet, there is little that can be complained about. While the book itself is powerful, the changes made to create a movie from the story bring it to life, making it a story of power and a happily ever after for those who watch it. Everything comes out right, and everyone learns a powerful lesson. While many would argue that all movies should stay loyal to the text they are inspired by, many are just that, only inspired. The story stays enough the same that people recognize the link, but the story being told is different. In those cases, it does not seem logical or reasonable for the movie to strictly follow the book. In many cases (such as Jurassic Park) it does not make sense, as the book has scenes and moments that either cannot be portrayed cinematically, or that draw from the primary plot, and damage the story. Movies are limited in both time, and in their ability to accurately portray everything that a book can get across, and the same is true in reverse. Where a movie portrays emotion, a book might share each character's innermost thoughts, which is hard to do on a large screen. So it becomes necessary to change the story enough that it will be successful cinematically, but also still follow the story.

Music and Cognitive Functioning Essay Example for Free

Music and Cognitive Functioning Essay Music is an art form and one of the most popular media utilized to convey ideas, views, and emotions. It plays various, significant part in everyones life. It can calm one’s mood and emotion. It can relax a person’s tensed body. However, it can also hype and motivate people. Music is also a means that we can use to express our ideas and messages. It can also be an extension of our personality and a manifestation of our identity. The type of music that we listen reflects what kind of person we are. It is often suggested to pregnant women to listen to classical music for it is believed that listening to classical music stimulates the babys activity inside the mothers womb. It is also believed that listening to music by pregnant women increases the probability that their child will be intelligent. Some students can also study their lessons well while listening to music. The melodies and tunes make the environment conducive to learning. They tend to absorb and understand their lessons well while they are listening to their favorite songs. This idea poses the possibility of enhancing peoples cognitive capacity through music. Thus, this paper aims to discuss the relationship of music and a persons cognitive capacity, and whether music increases a person’s intelligence. Music Music is an art, a craft, and an organized representation of sounds, silence, notes, and melodic tunes subjected in a time framework. Music includes a wide array of activities. It could be in the form of a mother putting her child to sleep through a lullaby, a group of kids singing their favorite nursery rhyme, a rock band playing their heart throbbing hits, or simply a person humming unconsciously (Miller 3). Music is a succession of arranged tones that produce a rhythm (Miller 3). This definition does not cover the characteristics of music, but it covers the description of the different genres people may be affiliated with. Music is relative and subjective. It conforms to the taste and preference of the person. Music lessons taught us that music is comprised of notes, staffs, pitch, and voice. These are the superficial discernible characteristics of music. These are the things you will learn in your music class. Music has different forms in various cultures, and it is experienced by individuals through different ways. Music has two subdivisions based on culture. These are the â€Å"high culture† and â€Å"low culture† types of music. High culture music is eminent in U. S. and Europe. This type of music includes the music of the western world formed during the different periods—Classical, Baroque, and Romantic, among others. It is considered as the art music and is performed in the concert halls and churches. It is treasured by people in the conventional music industry. The other type of music includes the contemporary kinds of music like jazz, blues, country, rock, pop, etc. Nowadays, the distinction between the high and low culture of music is widely accepted for it separates the quality of music of better quality, more advanced art music from the music played in the nightclubs and dance halls. Music and Intelligence People always look for ways and means to increase their intelligence. This is inherently true for parents, especially the first-time parents who want to practically boost the cognitive functioning of their children. There is news proliferated by the media that the music of Mozart can actually make a person smarter. Due to this evidence, some educators and policy makers even suggest that playing Mozart’s music in elementary schools should be mandated (Nairne 346). Everyone has been bestowed a gift to excel in different fields. Everyone has his or her own discernible characteristics that enable him or her to take on tasks. However, it was believed that people with high musical aptitude possess low academic aptitude. Nevertheless, in reality, there is no clear correlation between musical inclination and affinity and the academic performance or ability of a person (Gordon 22). Recently, there has been a media fuss questioning if the involvement in music makes a person smarter. There is a significant query of whether there is a â€Å"Mozart effect† if a person is involved in music. Does music enhance a person’s cognitive capacity? There are various studies reporting that music increases learning capability, while other research conducted shows otherwise. Hence, this only shows the limitations and the discrepancy in studying the impact of music on cognitive ability (Crowe 143). The researches conducted regarding the relationship of music and cognitive skills fall under music cognition. This particular field of study involves examination of the different aspects of cognition, including how music is processed by its listeners. It seeks to understand the underlying processes over the standard practices of analyzing, composing, and listening to music. Music has a significant impact on the brain processes. Learning is a complex process that cannot be reduced to a simple human process or experience. In learning, the development of a particular ability will enhance the abilities of a person (Crowe 143). There are really no sufficient analyses on the cognitive effects of long-term exposure to music and passive listening of music on intelligence. The most celebrated short-term effect of music on the increase in intelligence was the interpretation of the 1993 Mozart Effect study. Researchers claimed that 10 minutes exposure to compositions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart could increase general IQ scores by 8 points (Brown and Volgsten 137). However, there are claims that the study lacks sufficient evidence that exposure to Mozart songs actually render the improvements on the cognitive functioning of an individual. An interesting article that was written by the proponents of the studies on Mozart effects states that there are other types of music which render similar effects, such as folk music, minimalist music, and other types of music that cause relaxation. They also compared the tests of their participants and saw no particular difference on the results on the tests which required remembering numbers and general tests of intelligence. Yet, the Mozart effect manifested in tests which required recognizing visual patterns and mentally rotating objects. The researchers, therefore, concluded that the exposure to Mozarts composition only affects the persons spatial-reasoning abilities (Miche 16). Mozart songs may result in improvement for its omnificent and innovative schema. These songs activate the part of the brain which controls our spatial-reasoning tasks. Thus, this suggests that the persons involved may feel so relaxed and in a good mood, which allows them to perform the reasoning tasks better (Nairne 346). Furthermore, listening to Stephen Kings stories could also render Mozart effect, for the listeners find it enjoyable and entertaining. It relaxes them and enhances their spatial-reasoning skills. On the other hand, a study was conducted exposing participants to slow and sad selection of classical music, and significant findings failed to produce the Mozart effect. It greatly suggests that it is indeed the setting of the mood and arousal that are responsible for the improvements of the spatial-reasoning abilities of people (Nairne 346). The numerous studies mentioned earlier in the text only shows how psychological findings could be inaccurate and misused by the popular media. Although the various studies present valid findings, the improvements on the people’s abilities attributed to music were relatively minute and merely focused on a particular part of brain functioning. There are no stipulated evidences that suggest listening to Mozart or Stephen King produce lasting increase on the general intelligence. However, there may be ephemeral effects on the level of intelligence of a person. For instance, consuming anything that will make a person feel good and light would render the same improvements discussed by the researchers of Mozart effect. Thus, relaxing music makes one feel better about performing tasks, but it does not make hi or her smarter in any way (Nairne 346). Conclusion Music plays a significant role in everyones life. It is a tool for expressing our ideas and messages through the lyrics, melody, and rhythm of a song. It is an extension of our personality. We manifest ourselves—the kind of people we are—through the genre of music we listen to. Music inclination and intelligence have no significant correlation. There is a celebrated study which created hype in the media that exposure to Mozarts composition have a significant increase on the general intelligence of a person. The Mozart effect is a study conducted which concluded that exposure to his music activates the brain functioning which controls the spatial-reasoning abilities. Another study conducted suggests that using slow and sad classical compositions to increase cognitive capacity. However, these types of music failed to render similar effects as the impact of Mozart’s songs. It therefore concludes that anything that makes you feel good and relaxed can make you perform a task better. Works Cited Brown, Steven and Ulrik Volgsten. Music and Manipulation: On the Social Uses and Social Control of Music. New York: Berghahn Books, Inc. , 2006. Crowe, Barbara J. Music and Soulmaking: Toward a New Theory of Music Therapy. Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. , 2004. Gordon, Edwin E. A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, Inc. , 2003.

Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy

Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy Many academic and non-academic writings tackled the issue of Brexit from different angles. The focus will be one important aspect of Brexit; that is the economic part; i.e. the effect of Brexit on the economy of UK after being outside the EU. The UK, government’s White Paper (Department for Exiting the European Union) suggests headlines of taking the UK out of the EU. In this White Paper, the aspect of the economy is covered on different headings such as protecting the rights of the worker and securing free trade with European markets (The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdom’s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union, 2017). It reflects how important this issue is for the UK government, as well as for all UK people. What is clear that there will be many positive and negative economic implications for both parties EU and UK after Brexit! This essay sheds light on two main issues related to the UK economy after Brexit. First, the signal market, the definition, the status of UK in the signal market after leaving EU, the expected scenarios. Second, the economic relationships between the UK and other countries of EU. The expected options mentioned here are based on the current relationships between the EU and some countries that are not full members of the EU. To start with, what is the meaning of the Single Market? According to European Commission website, Single Market indicates the EU as one territory that has no internal borders or any other controlling complications that lead to the free movement of booth services and goods (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). According to the same source, single market has great benefits. It encourages competition and trade, increases efficiency, promotes quality, as well as helps in cutting the prices. In addition, the same source considers the European Single Market as one of the EU’s ultimate accomplishments that powered the economic growth and made the everyday life of European businesses and consumers easier (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). On the other hand, UK is playing a major role in the single market. Thus, by leaving this market, UK can direct this budget to a new direction that suits its economy better. The UK is ranked in the top five economies in the world, after United States, China, Japan and Germany (Bajpai, 2017). After Brexit, Bajpai expects the raking of the UK to decline and that UK will be ranked the 7th, taking the place of France (Bajpai, 2017). Dhingra and Sampson in their article Brexit and the UK Economy, claim that after leaving the EU, the UK will no longer be constrained by the EU’s external tariff. On the other hand, the UK can set its own MFN[1] tariffs on imports. The UK could adopt to reduce its import tariffs below the levels of EU in order to lower import costs for UK consumers and companies. This will result on increasing the competition played by businesses run in the UK (Sampson, Dhingra and Sampson, 2017). In addition, the same article, states that there is a limited scope for further tariff decreases. According to the World Bank, the tariff rate of the EU (applied and weighted mean for all products) is 1.5% (Word Bank, 2017). Also, if UK goes for this it will require more harmonising polices, regulations or product standards across countries. Achieving this level of business requires international agreements with different countries. The overall effect of Brexit is still estimated to be negative (Dhingra and Sampson, 2017 4-5). These circumstances make it very difficult for the UK to reduce tariff rates, yet possible.    The second essential issue in the UK economy after Brexit is the economic relationships between the UK and other EU countries. Clarke, Goodwin and Whiteley in their book Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, suggested three scenarios regarding the relationship between the UK and other EU countries. They based their expected scenarios on existing relationships between the EU and non- member states. First scenario, ‘Norwegian’ option, where Norway is not an EU member state but has full access to the single market, which is called European Economic Area (EEA), where Norway has to pay for this privilege by contributing to the EU budget as well as accepting free movement of labour. In other words, UK can leave EU and pay to access EEA. The second option is based on a mutual agreement with EU, like Switzerland and Canada. A Comprehensive Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada made it possible to lowers tariff barriers, coordinates trade arrangements and encourages cooperation, yet does not include free movement of labour. The third and last option is, World Trade Organization (WTO) that is arising from trade agreements negotiated by the World Trade Organization over many years between a massive number of countries that are aiming to shrink tariffs and other obstacles to trade (Clarke, Matthew and Paul, 2017: 176). The report UK trade options beyond 2019, published by House of Commons, International Trade Committee suggests some of the above-mentioned scenarios. The report mentioned some options that the UK might have after Brexit. First, â€Å"No deal†-trading under WTO rules alone. Second, â€Å"No deal†-Trading under WTO rules alone. Third, UK Free Trade Agreements with non-EU countries. For each option, there are details about the expected sequences (Committee, 2017). The international ranking of UK economy might go backward at the first couples of years after Brexit until the government makes new trade agreements with different counties and organisations around the world. Afterwards, the UK economy might go better or worse than before. All the above-mentioned ideas are uncertain. It is very clear that the government is working hard to leave the EU will minimum loss possible. No one can tell the exact actions taken by both EU and UK until the negotiation is over and both the UK and the EU sign the final leaving agreement. Bibliography: Bajpai, P. (2017) The World’s Top 10 Economies | Investopedia, 07-07-2017. Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/022415/worlds-top-10-economies.asp (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Clarke, H., Matthew, D. and Paul, C. (2017) Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union. Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316584408.009. Committee, I. T. (2017) UK trade options beyond 2019. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmintrade/817/817.pdf (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ‘Brexit and the UK Economy’, A series of background briefings on the policy   issues in the June 2017 UK General Election, p. 13. Available at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/ea040.pdf (Accessed: 9 October 2017). Sampson, T., Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ‘Brexit and the UK Economy Swati Dhingra and Brexit and the UK Economy’, (June), p. 14. The European Single Market European Commission (2017). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market_en (Accessed: 10 October 2017). The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdom’s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union (2017). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union-white-paper/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union2#strengthening-the-union (Accessed: 11 October 2017). Word Bank, T. (2017) EU Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%). Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.TAX.MRCH.WM.AR.ZS?end=2015locations=EUname_desc=truestart=2010 (Accessed: 13 October 2017). [1] MFN: most favoured nation

Mithraism Essay -- Cult Religion Rome Roman

Mithraism Mithraism is the ancient Roman mystery cult of the god Mithras. Roman worship of Mithras began sometime during the early Roman empire, perhaps during the late first century of the Common Era (hereafter CE), and flourished from the second through the fourth centuries CE. While it is fairly certain that Romans encountered worship of the deity Mithras as part of Zoroastrianism in the eastern provinces of the empire, particularly in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey), the exact origins of cult practices in the Roman cult of Mithras remain controversial (see below). The evidence for this cult is mostly archaeological, consisting of the remains of mithraic temples, dedicatory inscriptions, and iconographic representations of the god and other aspects of the cult in stone sculpture, sculpted stone relief, wall painting, and mosaic. There is very little literary evidence pertaining to the cult. The Deity: Mitra, Mithra, Mithras Mithras is the Roman name for the Indo-Iranian god Mitra, or Mithra, as he was called by the Persians. Mitra is part of the Hindu pantheon, and Mithra is one of several yazatas (minor deities) under Ahura-Mazda in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Mithra is the god of the airy light between heaven and earth, but he is also associated with the light of the sun, and with contracts and mediation. Neither in Hinduism nor in Zoroastrianism did Mitra/Mithra have his own cult. Mitra is mentioned in the Hindu Vedas, while Mithra is is the subject of Yashts (hymns) in the Zoroastrian Avesta, a text compiled during the Sassanian period (224-640 CE) to preserve a much older oral tradition. Possible Eastern Origins of the Roman Cult The precise relationship between the Roman cult of Mithras as it developed during ... ...umont, F. Textes et monuments figurés relatifs aux mystères de Mithra. 2 vols. Brussels, 1896, 1899. Cumont, F. The Mysteries of Mithra. Trans. T. J. McCormack. London, 1903, reprint New York, 1956. Hinnells, J., ed. Mithraic Studies. 2 vols. Manchester, 1975. Merkelbach, R. Mithras. Königstein, 1984. Renan, E. Marc-Aurèle et la fin du monde antique. Paris, 1882. Stark, K. B. "Die Mithrasstein von Dormagen," Jahrbücher des Vereins von Altertumsfreunden im Rheinlande 46 (1869): 1-25. Swerdlow, N. "Review Article: On the Cosmical Mysteries of Mithras," Classical Philology 86 (1991): 48-63. Turcan, R. Mithras Platonicus. Leiden, 1975. Ulansey, D. The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries. New York and Oxford, 1989. Vermaseren, M. J. Corpus inscriptionum et monumentorum religionis mithriacae. 2 vols. The Hague, 1956, 1960.

The fashion industry should not feel obligated

The fashion industry should not feel obligated to use plus sized models in their campaigns. Do you agree? BY sashays The fashion industry should not feel obligated to use plus sized models in their Women these days are constantly bombarded with advertisements and campaigns telling them what they should wear, what they should eat and how they should portray themselves. It has become a race to try and achieve a size zero look because women feel as if it has become the new norm. That is why, I believe the fashion industry should be obliged to use plus size model. A plus size model is a model who is a US size 8 or above.Even though these models are described in the â€Å"plus† category, making them appear to be an outcast, what is ironic is that the majority of women will fit into this category. Therefore, I agree that fashion industry should be obligated to use plus size models. There are three reasons why: firstly, to stop increasing the social pressure on first world women to h ave the ideal body image; secondly; prevent psychological effect on women in trying to maintain an ideal body image; thirdly, the potential increase in business. To begin with, the expectation for women to mirror the body image of a model has come omnipresent.You find them in fashion magazines, TV shows, fitness programs and even Barbie Dolls. Women, especially teenagers look at these icons as role models and have been manipulated by society into thinking they must look a certain way and weight a certain amount to fit in. It is the fashion industries to blame for this, because by using impossibly thin models in almost every campaign it is putting pressure on women to look perfect. However, women cannot attain these perfect bodies because not only have the images been altered but are unnatural and simply unachievable.Due to this, women now days are lacking confidence as they feel self-conscious about their body. In a recent survey done by the National Institute on Media and the Famil y in Washington, it was found that 40% of girls from ages 9-10 are dissatisfied with their weight. This suggests that the distressing and impairing body image concern seems to be becoming more prevalent at a younger and younger age. Furthermore, according to CDC, 20% of the teenage girls' suicide cases in USA are due to bullying about someone's weight. This clearly highlights the negative effect y Just using skinny models is having.The society has become superficial as it measures beauty in size. It is crucial that fashion industries are forced to use plus size model in order to change society's view of beauty. It is not right to put pressure on women to distort their healthy bodies too feel accepted. In addition, not having plus sized models in campaigns causes women to suffer from harmful effects as they try to replicate images of a zero size model. In a recent survey, it was found there are up to seventy million individuals worldwide who have an eating disorder, and of hem 90% ar e women between the ages of twelve and twenty-five (US Mental Health Administration).Some women have become so desperate to lose weight that they turned to starvation developing bulimia and anorexia. However, it is not the skinny models to blame for this, because they also suffer from these conditions. Even models feel pressurized to stay skinny and many models starve for days before a runway until they can barely keep their eyes open. Kristin Clement, former Vogue editor revealed that some models had turned to dangerous methods such as eating tissue. Yes, tissues. Models eat this dehydrated, bleached paper in order to become â€Å"Paris thin†.If this is not stopped it will not be long until all women struggling with weight loss will try this to. Have we become this inhuman that being skinny is more important than life? Hence, I believe it is vital for fashion industries to use plus size models to promote more healthy living and prevent unnecessary deaths. Finally, by using p lus sized models there would be an increase in business. The average plus size model ranges from size 8-14, they are not fat, they are healthy. A study done Warwick Business found that adverts and campaigns which predominantly feature skinny models are more likely to discourage sales.H have currently begun using plus size models for their swim suit campaigns. CEO Karl – John Person said he feels â€Å"irresponsible with the type of female body image being portrayed† and now is committed to market and encourage diverse body types. This has begun to influence many more women to feel confident about their body. According to the Business Insider, those who are labeled as plus size account for 67% of the apparel arching population, bringing in retail revenue of nearly $16 billion Just in US every year.This indicates clothes for plus sizes have become very important in the market. Furthermore, many stores have begun using plus size mannequins. By displaying larger mannequins , not only do women see how the clothes would fit their shape but they would also feel more confident due to the increase in publication of the plus size within the fashion industry. Hence are likely to purchase more. Therefore, I believe there fashion industries should use plus size models because here are many positive outcomes.However, some people may argue that many people are naturally really thin, but only 5% (SCUD) of the women have the skinny model body, the majority of the other 95% will resort to unhealthy living conditions. You may also argue that it's a models Job to look extremely skinny, however would you let your daughters risk their well-being for a moment of fame? Does that really make it okay? Even though plus size models have made a massive stride in obtaining respect in a business that demands skinny; resulting in more full figured women to race the high fashion magazine covers and to walk the main stream fashion shows.The portrayal that thinner is better is stil l deeply engraved in society. This is putting pressure on women to be someone they are not and resulting in harsh life threatening disease such as anorexia. There are countless advantages on having plus size models in the industries from benefits in business to benefits in well-being. Therefore, we need to do something to change the craving for the unrealistic body image. Plus size models do not promote obesity, they reflect reality.

Learning Chinese with Skritter

Learning Chinese with Skritter In many regards, learning Chinese is much like learning any other language. This means that some apps are universally useful for learning languages, including Chinese, such as general flashcard apps like Anki or those that put you in contact with native speakers like LinqApp. However, any service, program or app that target language learners, in general, will inevitably miss some things, because Chinese isnt 100% like other languages. Chinese characters are fundamentally different from most other writing systems and require a unique approach and tools specifically designed for learning characters. Enter: Skritter Skritter is an app for iOS, Android and web browsers that offers the same functions as most other flashcard programs (spaced repetition, for instance), with one, important exception: handwriting. While there are apps that allow you to write characters on the screen of your mobile phone or using a writing tablet for your computer, Skritter is the only one that gives you corrective feedback. It tells you when youre doing something wrong and what you should have done instead. The most important advantage with Skritter is that writing on screen is much closer to actual handwriting than many alternatives. Of course, the best way to learn to write by hand is to have someone check your handwriting manually all the time, but this is impractical and would be prohibitively expensive if you hired someone to do it for you. Skritter isnt free either, but it allows you to practice as much as you want and is always available. There are several other advantages: Skritter keeps track of stroke order for you, so just by using the app, you will quickly learn the correct stroke order of characters and character componentsActively writing characters is a much more efficient way of reviewing characters than just looking at them or doing multiple-choice questionsUse mnemonics to remember characters and words - There are many mnemonics included (created by other users) and you also have the option of creating your ownIts practical since you need nothing except your phoneSkritter also tests your tones, definitions, and PinyinSkritter includes vocabulary lists for most textbooksWriting on-screen is more fun with feedback than without You can see an official trailer for the iOS app here, which shows how Skritter works in general. the web browser and Android apps dont look exactly the same, but generally speaking, they work the same way. If you want to know more about Skritter, you can check out a longer review here: Boosting your character learning with Skritter. Getting More out of Skritter if youve already started using Skritter, I suggest you make a few changes to the settings to get more out of the app: Increase the stroke order strictness in study options - This enforces correct stroke order and wont allow you to continue reviewing unless youve given the right answer.Turn on raw squigs - This is much closer to real handwriting and you dont fool yourself into believing that you know things you have actually forgotten.Study regularly - The best thing with mobile learning is that it can be done anywhere any time. Use the small gaps in your schedule to review a dozen characters.

WSPU Founded by Emmeline Pankhurst

WSPU Founded by Emmeline Pankhurst As founder of the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903, suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst brought militancy to the British suffrage movement in the early twentieth century. The WSPU became the most contentious of the suffragist groups of that era, with activities ranging from disruptive demonstrations to destruction of property through the use of arson and bombs. Pankhurst and her cohorts served repeated sentences in jail, where they staged hunger strikes. The WSPU was active from 1903 to 1914, when Englands involvement in World War I brought womens suffrage efforts to a halt. Pankhurst's Early Days as an Activist Emmeline Goulden Pankhurst was born in Manchester, England in 1858 to liberal-minded parents who supported both the antislavery and womens suffrage movements. Pankhurst attended her first suffrage meeting with her mother at the age of 14, becoming devoted to the cause of womens suffrage at an early age. Pankhurst found her soul mate in Richard Pankhurst, a radical Manchester attorney twice her age whom she married in 1879. Pankhurst shared his wifes determination to acquire the vote for women; he had even drafted an early version of a womens suffrage bill, which had been rejected by Parliament in 1870. The Pankhursts were active in several local suffrage organizations in Manchester. They moved to London in 1885 to enable Richard Pankhurst to run for Parliament. Although he lost, they stayed in London for four years, during which time they formed the Womens Franchise League. The League disbanded due to internal conflicts and the Pankhursts returned to Manchester in 1892. The Birth of the WSPU Pankhurst suffered the sudden loss of her husband to a perforated ulcer in 1898, becoming a widow at the age of 40. Left with debts and four children to support (her son Francis had died in 1888), Pankhurst took a job as a registrar in Manchester. Employed in a working-class district, she witnessed many instances of gender discrimination- which only strengthened her resolve to obtain equal rights for women. In October 1903, Pankhurst founded the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU), holding the weekly meetings in her Manchester home. Limiting its membership to women only, the suffrage group sought the involvement of working-class women. Pankhursts daughters Christabel and Sylvia helped their mother to manage the organization, as well as to give speeches at rallies. The group published its own newspaper, naming it ​Suffragette after the derogatory nickname given to suffragists by the press. Early supporters of the WSPU included many working-class women, such as mill-worker Annie Kenny and seamstress Hannah Mitchell, both of whom became prominent public speakers for the organization. The WSPU adopted the slogan Votes For Women and selected green, white, and purple as their official colors, symbolizing respectively, hope, purity, and dignity. The slogan and tricolor banner (worn by members as a sash across their blouses) became a common sight at rallies and demonstrations throughout England. Gaining Strength In May 1904, WSPU members crowded the House of Commons to hear discussion on the womens suffrage bill, having been assured in advance by the Labor Party that the bill (drafted years earlier by Richard Pankhurst) would be brought up for debate. Instead, members of Parliament (MPs) staged a talk-out, a strategy intended to run down the clock so that there would be no time left for discussion of the suffrage bill. Infuriated, members of the Union decided they must use more drastic measures. Since demonstrations and rallies were not producing results, although they did help to increase the membership of the WSPU, the Union adopted a new strategy - heckling politicians during speeches. During one such incident in October 1905, Pankhursts daughter Christabel and fellow WSPU member Annie Kenney were arrested and sent to jail for a week. Many more arrests of women protesters- nearly a thousand- would follow before the struggle for the vote was over. In June 1908, the WSPU held the largest-ever political demonstration in Londons history. Hundreds of thousands rallied in Hyde Park as suffragist speakers read resolutions calling for the womens vote. The government accepted the resolutions but refused to act upon them. The WSPU Gets Radical The WSPU employed increasingly militant tactics over the next several years. Emmeline Pankhurst organized a window-smashing campaign throughout Londons commercial districts in March 1912. At the designated hour, 400 women took hammers and began smashing windows simultaneously. Pankhurst, who had broken windows at the prime ministers residence, went to jail along with many of her accomplices. Hundreds of women, including Pankhurst, went on hunger strikes during their numerous imprisonments. Prison officials resorted to violent force-feeding of the women, some of whom actually died from the procedure. Newspaper accounts of such mistreatment helped to generate sympathy for the suffragists. In response to the outcry, Parliament passed the Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act (known informally as the Cat and Mouse Act), which allowed the fasting women to be released just long enough to recover, only to be rearrested. The Union added destruction of property to its growing arsenal of weapons in its battle for the vote. Women vandalized golf courses, railroad cars, and government offices. Some went so far as to set buildings on fire and plant bombs in mailboxes. In 1913, one Union member, Emily Davidson, attracted negative publicity by throwing herself in front of the kings horse during a race at Epsom. She died days later, having never regained consciousness. World War I Intervenes In 1914, Britains involvement in World War I effectively brought about the end of the WSPU and the suffrage movement in general. Pankhurst believed in serving her country in a time of war and declared a truce with the British government. In return, all imprisoned suffragists were released from jail. Women proved themselves capable of performing traditional mens jobs while the men were off at war and seemed to have earned more respect as a result. By 1916, the fight for the vote was over. Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act, granting the vote to all women over 30. The vote was granted to all women over 21 years of age in 1928, only weeks after the death of Emmeline Pankhurst.

Books are better than computers Essays - Computer, Internet

Books are better than computers Essays - Computer, Internet Books have not destructed Hitherto. While there were not any technologies; students were successful and also creative. Teachers and scientists are the most certify example. Indubitably they survived with books. Even so there are people who think that computers are better than books. Have they ever thought how did they get these sorts of technologies simultaneously? Books are the containers of the knowledge that have helped human to get to the highest range of develop. To think genuinely, books are better than computers. The first reason why books are better than computers is that some of books have Historical antiquity. These books are transferred many valuable information. It is obvious that past generation survived with books and books are attested it themselves. Now these books maintain their history alive. For instance Muslims holy books Quran, Catholics holy book Bible are mentioned. Another reason why books are better than computers, is that nowadays people survive with and lean to books as they have the reliable sources so that right information. it is manifest that first the customers buy the computers there are not any information into it before they access to internet. It is internet that makes the Computers a useful appliance. Computers are useless because they will not work while there is not electricity. This is true even for laptops. Although they have battery, their battery would go out of charge while using them. Imagine students have to find some information thus made a decision to search it in internet (not computer). There is lots of different websites and the information of each website is differed to other websites, which most of them are just opinion. These students have to search a lot to find the right information but books have right information and it does not waste your time. If students use computer to search for information, in the websit es there are lots of advertise such as games that make them to paly it. Have students ever heard about Congress library which is the largest in the library? The last reason why Books are better than computers is because it is more valuable than computers, because it does not take minutes to load. People can easily take it with them any where. To demonstrate, if someone wants to go to overseas, and there is no internet so how she would do her work or research whatever she deal with, especially for students. Hence it is definitely an easy way to take books that people need them and deal with. As well, it does not require internet. The most important job of every school is the teaching of reading books (not computer screens). The second most important job is teaching speaking and writing, particularly writing by hand, not typing on a computer. If students are able to read books therefore they can easily read or type on the computers. In conclusion, it is obvious that books are better than computers. They were the most reliable thing to past generation, now to present generation and certainly future generation. Books are always available for us to take advantageous of their valuable information.

The Target Population Assignment-Phoenix, Arizona Essay

The Target Population Assignment-Phoenix, Arizona - Essay Example The median age of this area is 32.2 years old. The target customers that I have chosen fall between 25 and 59 years old. The total population between 25 to 60 years old is 702,301, and its percentage is 48.6% out of 100%. The total population of female is 671,176 and the population of male is 649,285. This implies that the targeted population constitutes 48.6 % of the total population. This figure is quite large and it can sustain the business of a restaurant. The educational attainment of most people in Phoenix, Arizona is mixed. Some people have gone as far as college but they have no degrees. Around 23% of the people reached high school. Only 15.1% of the population has got bachelor’s degree. These statistics are likely to have a bearing on the behaviour of the targeted consumers towards the products and services going to be offered. Most people in Phoenix, Arizona are doing management, professional and related occupations. Also, around 177,600 People in Phoenix, Arizona are sales and office occupations. Only 0.3% people are doing farming, fishing and forestry occupations. A critical analysis of the population statistics for Phoenix, Arizona shows that the area presents good opportunities for establishing restaurant business. The total population of the whole area is 1, 321, 045 and the targeted population is between 25 and 59 years constituting about 700 000 of the total population. What is encouraging about the statistics presented is that about 66% of the targeted audiences go to work and only 3,7 % is unemployed. On average, the level of income of the targeted consumers for restaurant business is above average and this can sustain business. There are positive indicators that show that the welfare of the people in this area is not very bad and new business initiative including a restaurant can be

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance Assignment - 1

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance - Assignment Example Examples of countries that Nike Inc. imports the products from include those in parts of Asia and Taiwan. These products are imported to the United States after which further processing is carried out before exporting them to international markets. These processes involve strategies and marketing processes worth researching. This paper discuses import and export strategies of Nike Inc. that has made it successful in its business gaining fame as a leading multinational company in the world. Table of Contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 4 Import and export strategies 4 Labor specialization 5 Global competitive rivalry 5 Diversification of operating risks 5 Trademarks and patents 6 Product’s Market Potential 6 Brand image and reputation 7 Consumer preference in receiving country 7 Technical innovation 8 Evaluation, promotion and product authenticity with consumers 8 Compliance to the code of demeanor, native laws and ethics 9 Concentration of retail market share 9 Tax laws a nd unexpected Tax liabilities 9 Conclusion 10 Perspectives on international trade and finance Introduction International trade consists of exporting and imports. ... This paper mainly borrows the ideas of import and export strategies form Nike Inc. of the United States of America. Import and export strategies Domestic producers in a foreign country produce goods for export. The export of these goods normally involves permission from custom authorities in the producing country as well as the consuming country. There are many import and export strategies having differing level of risks and legal requirements. In order to get an insight into these strategies it is worthwhile discussing import and export processes. Import processes are of two types. These include: Trade and consumer goods and services Intermediate services and goods that form part of the consumer’s source chain. There exist three categories of importers: Those who seek for a product to import then later sell the same product. Importers who source for products at cheaper prices â€Å"Importers using external sourcing as part of their supply chain† (Zampetti, 2006). Labor specialization It is worth noting that importing products has advantages such as labor specialization which makes export to and import from countries efficient than manufacturing all products within a country. â€Å"A good example is Nike Inc. that buys shoes form foreign companies in Asia, Taiwan, Korea and China† (United States, 2007). Nike Inc. does so because companies in the aforementioned countries have the ability to manufacture shoes that are of high quality at low cost than they can do as Nike Inc. Global competitive rivalry Companies all over the world always compete for market superiority. â€Å"This competition spurs companies and industries to import goods of higher quality at a lower cost for purposes of

Learning Theorie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning Theorie - Research Paper Example This learning theory then is closely linked to pragmatist philosophy, as they both articulate the world in this constructive lens. There are a variety of ways that constructivist learning theory can be implemented in training. The extent that constructivism can be implemented in learning is dependent on the extent that it is embraced by the instructional designer. In this way radical constructivists believe that all knowledge should be instructed through these methods. Still, in most use constructivism is implemented as a means of instructing higher order thinking skills. In these instances, more traditional instruction methods face great challenges in encapsulating the varieties of information. Specifically, constructivist techniques rely largely on shared interactions between students. In this way students’ divergent understandings of subject matter are integrated into a construction of reality. In other instances, students engage in applications of knowledge that simulate real-world situations; in these instances, the students’ interaction with the real world situation contributes to their know ledge

The Reasons for the Civil War in China Between the KMT and CCP Essay

The Reasons for the Civil War in China Between the KMT and CCP (1945-49) and why the CCP Won - Essay Example Although the Communists got permission to be part of the KMT in small numbers, Chiang started a purge of communists since he abhorred the Soviet interfering in Chinese political affairs. This eventually led to the Chinese civil war (Eastman 11). Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, which was the final ruling Chinese dynasty, China fell into the control of a number of significant, as well as lesser warlords within the era of the Warlords. Therefore in order to trounce these warlords, who succeeded in seizing control of the greater part of Northern China, it was necessary for the anti-monarchist, together with the national unificationist Kuomintang party, along with Sun Yat-sen, who was its leader, to seek the assistance of foreign powers. The efforts of Sun Yat-sen in obtaining assistance from the Western democracies bore no fruits these led to him seeking help from the Soviet Union in 1921. In favour of political convenience, the Soviet leadership instigated a dual pol icy for supporting for both Sun, as well as the newly founded Communist Party of China that subsequently instituted the People's Republic of China. This resulted in the struggle for power within China between the KMT, along with the CPC (Eastman 25). ... in the reorganization, in addition to the consolidation of, the KMT alongside the Communist Party of Soviet Union, leading to the CPC uniting the KMT, thereby developing into the First United Front. This is the same year that saw Sun Yat-sen sending Chiang Kai-shek, who happened to be one of his lieutenants to Moscow for some months' military, as well as political study. By 1924, Chiang got promoted to head Whampoa Military Academy, then later rising to fame as Sun's successor, thereby heading the KMT. The Soviets offered the majority of the studying items, organization, in addition to the equipment comprising, of munitions for the academy. Apart from that, the Soviets also offered education in various methods for mass mobilization. This assisted Sun Yat-sen in raising a number of devoted troops, with the intention of defeating the warlords militarily. On the other hand, CPC members also got the opportunity of joining the academy with the majority of them becoming instructors. Howeve r, the communist members got the opportunity of uniting the KMT on the basis of an individual. At that time, the CPC was still exceedingly small, having only 300 members in 1922, and in 19925, only 1,500 members while the KMT had 50,000 members in 1923 (Eastman 54). The split of KMT and CPC In the beginning of 1927, there was rivalry between KMT and CPC leading to a split within the revolutionary positions. The CPC, along with left wing of KMTmade a decision of moving the KMT government’s seat to Wuhan from Guangzhou, where the influence of communist was strong. However, Chiang, together with Li Zongren, whose armies conquered warlord Sun Chuanfang, progressed eastward towards Jiangxi. As a result of the leftists rebuffing Chiang's demand, Chiang condemned the leftists for going against

What Customer Service Means to ME Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

What Customer Service Means to ME - Term Paper Example I immediately logged into my checking account to see what it was referring to, and to my shocking surprise, there was a check scheduled to be sent to PSE&G for $19,589.00 for Novembers billing statement. So I immediately tried to edit the error to the correct amount of $195.89, but the online bill pay would not allow me to correct the error. So I then contacted the customer service at Bank of America to assist me in correcting this error or cancel it. After speaking to several customer service reps, I still got the same answer from each one, â€Å"sorry you had plenty of time all week to correct it, and it is now in the system and will be processed†. So then I called the customer service dep’t at PSE&G to explain what’s happening and see if they can help stop this train wreck. Well, guess what, I practically got the same responses from their customer service reps, but with even a bigger attitude. They told me â€Å"well when we get the check, we’ll going to process it because it’s our money†. Now this is after they’ve confirmed that the bill was only for $195.89. So after being on the phone with both companies for about 3 hours total on a Friday night, I immediately stopped all of my current transactions for the rest of the month with the online bill pay system. ... But he did tell me â€Å"don’t worry about it, I can see it’s an simple error, and it’ll be rejected because you didn’t have enough funds to cover it - it’ll just bounce back to them for insufficient funds. You should keep an eye on the account to inform us when it was submitted for payment†. Well I did just that, I kept my eye on my account every day the following week to see when it get submitted for payment. The check was schedule to be sent out that following Monday December 3rd, and the check was submitted by PSE&G that same day. So I called the branch manager concerning the check, and he informed me that he already bounced the check back to PSE&G for insufficient funds. He also told me to look for it again for the 2nd submission for payment, so he can do the same. That Wednesday, PSE&G submitted it again for the payment, and the branch manager did what he promised to me would do - send it back for insufficient funds. So now I’m r elaxing the train wreck has been avoided, but was it? Come Friday, I get a call from the central office of Bank of America, that they have started proceedings to collect on an outstanding balance of insufficient funds for a check that was deposited and processed a 3rd time by PSE&G, and they demand payment or else. Now I’m in shock, amazed and very pissed off with what was just said to me by some numskull who doesn’t have any common sense to review what’s been going on. So I gave him a few choice words and told what I think of him and the bank because it’s obvious that one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing, and that there weren’t any note, warnings or flags posted to my account for these Moran’s to stop

Case Study about Tourism in Kuala Lumpur Term Paper

Case Study about Tourism in Kuala Lumpur - Term Paper Example Is it to explore the new countries and the historical monuments? Or, to get rid off from the daily hectic life? The tourism industry generates many business opportunity for the citizen of the country, it also generates different employment opportunities which leads to the improvement of the GDP. For the Asian countries the Malaysia has been one of the main tourist destinations and Kuala Lumpur has always been the main attractions in Malaysia. There are many diversified tourism have shown up in the recent advancement of the tourism industry and few of the most promising kinds are Wine tourism, medical tourism, education tourism and job tourism. The new paradigm of tourism industry has emerges with a brand new look. And for this enormous effect of the tourism the globalised world will hire more people to sustain the high quality services for the tourism. 2 The Expectation Theory plays a vital role to understand why people love tourism. This theory portrays that the social behavior and the communication are very much influenced by people’s expectation about the behaviors of other The tourism has grown from the psychological pursuits of few privileged individuals to a mass. The tourism has become the mass movement to discover the unknown.5 Kuala Lumpur is having the rich natural beauty and dense forest, advanced education structure, ultimate shopping experiences, the rich cultural historical values and obviously the ultimate business opportunity. Culture: The culture is one of the important socio-economic factors in the Kuala Lumpur for the success of its fabulous tourism industry. The Kuala Lumpur is the cultural center of peninsular Malaysia. The art style has a rich cultural attachment in Kuala Lumpur 6. The main dominating cultures in Kuala Lumpur are Malays, Chinese and Indians 7. There is a great barrier of the present as far as the religion in concern. However, the effect of Islamic ideology has become the central element in the Malay

The Reasons for the Civil War in China Between the KMT and CCP Essay

The Reasons for the Civil War in China Between the KMT and CCP (1945-49) and why the CCP Won - Essay Example Although the Communists got permission to be part of the KMT in small numbers, Chiang started a purge of communists since he abhorred the Soviet interfering in Chinese political affairs. This eventually led to the Chinese civil war (Eastman 11). Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, which was the final ruling Chinese dynasty, China fell into the control of a number of significant, as well as lesser warlords within the era of the Warlords. Therefore in order to trounce these warlords, who succeeded in seizing control of the greater part of Northern China, it was necessary for the anti-monarchist, together with the national unificationist Kuomintang party, along with Sun Yat-sen, who was its leader, to seek the assistance of foreign powers. The efforts of Sun Yat-sen in obtaining assistance from the Western democracies bore no fruits these led to him seeking help from the Soviet Union in 1921. In favour of political convenience, the Soviet leadership instigated a dual pol icy for supporting for both Sun, as well as the newly founded Communist Party of China that subsequently instituted the People's Republic of China. This resulted in the struggle for power within China between the KMT, along with the CPC (Eastman 25). ... in the reorganization, in addition to the consolidation of, the KMT alongside the Communist Party of Soviet Union, leading to the CPC uniting the KMT, thereby developing into the First United Front. This is the same year that saw Sun Yat-sen sending Chiang Kai-shek, who happened to be one of his lieutenants to Moscow for some months' military, as well as political study. By 1924, Chiang got promoted to head Whampoa Military Academy, then later rising to fame as Sun's successor, thereby heading the KMT. The Soviets offered the majority of the studying items, organization, in addition to the equipment comprising, of munitions for the academy. Apart from that, the Soviets also offered education in various methods for mass mobilization. This assisted Sun Yat-sen in raising a number of devoted troops, with the intention of defeating the warlords militarily. On the other hand, CPC members also got the opportunity of joining the academy with the majority of them becoming instructors. Howeve r, the communist members got the opportunity of uniting the KMT on the basis of an individual. At that time, the CPC was still exceedingly small, having only 300 members in 1922, and in 19925, only 1,500 members while the KMT had 50,000 members in 1923 (Eastman 54). The split of KMT and CPC In the beginning of 1927, there was rivalry between KMT and CPC leading to a split within the revolutionary positions. The CPC, along with left wing of KMTmade a decision of moving the KMT government’s seat to Wuhan from Guangzhou, where the influence of communist was strong. However, Chiang, together with Li Zongren, whose armies conquered warlord Sun Chuanfang, progressed eastward towards Jiangxi. As a result of the leftists rebuffing Chiang's demand, Chiang condemned the leftists for going against

Case Study about Tourism in Kuala Lumpur Term Paper

Case Study about Tourism in Kuala Lumpur - Term Paper Example Is it to explore the new countries and the historical monuments? Or, to get rid off from the daily hectic life? The tourism industry generates many business opportunity for the citizen of the country, it also generates different employment opportunities which leads to the improvement of the GDP. For the Asian countries the Malaysia has been one of the main tourist destinations and Kuala Lumpur has always been the main attractions in Malaysia. There are many diversified tourism have shown up in the recent advancement of the tourism industry and few of the most promising kinds are Wine tourism, medical tourism, education tourism and job tourism. The new paradigm of tourism industry has emerges with a brand new look. And for this enormous effect of the tourism the globalised world will hire more people to sustain the high quality services for the tourism. 2 The Expectation Theory plays a vital role to understand why people love tourism. This theory portrays that the social behavior and the communication are very much influenced by people’s expectation about the behaviors of other The tourism has grown from the psychological pursuits of few privileged individuals to a mass. The tourism has become the mass movement to discover the unknown.5 Kuala Lumpur is having the rich natural beauty and dense forest, advanced education structure, ultimate shopping experiences, the rich cultural historical values and obviously the ultimate business opportunity. Culture: The culture is one of the important socio-economic factors in the Kuala Lumpur for the success of its fabulous tourism industry. The Kuala Lumpur is the cultural center of peninsular Malaysia. The art style has a rich cultural attachment in Kuala Lumpur 6. The main dominating cultures in Kuala Lumpur are Malays, Chinese and Indians 7. There is a great barrier of the present as far as the religion in concern. However, the effect of Islamic ideology has become the central element in the Malay

If the North Were the South, Same Thing Essay Example for Free

If the North Were the South, Same Thing Essay Ricardo Arjona is one of the most renowned Latin American singers. He is characterized for his socially conscious and heartfelt folk ballads and rock tunes. In addition, he also plays a variety of styles that combine traditional South American folk music with rock, hip-hop, and classical music, Arjona sings about subjects ranging from faded love to social inequities. In 1996, Arjona wrote the song “Si el Norte Fuera el Sur” (If the North were the South), in which he expresses a subjective, yet truthful point of view of what the North American culture is; and how it could change if we exchange places with the South. In this song, Arjona uses many literactully techniques such as irony and analogies; Arjona also adds a type of hardcore rock and an interesting use of the electric guitar. There are many literally elements that this song has, but the main element is the plot or theme of the song, which is pretty straight and to the point. “Si el Norte Fuera el Sur” (If the North were the South)Â’s main plot is a story of how the North could experience all the social struggles that the South Americans countries have to deal with, if as the songÂ’s title suggest “. “Si el Norte Fuera el Sur” (If the North were the South). The main plot is divided into three stages; the first stage is the introduction, in which Arjona gives a subjective opinion of what the North really is all about. Then, he moves to the second stage or the body of the song; during this stage Arjona mentions a series of well known North American personages and situations that help him establish his exchange of geography. Finally, the third stage or conclusion is when Arjona really say what the bottom line of all this is; the fact that nothing will really change. Ricardo Arjona is well known for the rich content of literally elements in his lyrics, especially for the touch of irony and analogies. “Con 18 eres un nià ±o para un trago en algun bar, pero ya eres todo un hombre pa la guerra y pa matar.” (With 18, you are only a boy for a drink in some bar, but you are already a man to go to war and to kill), this is a perfect example of an irony of living in the United States, in which at the age of 18 you cannot legally drink, yet you are allow to receive combat training to kill someone.  In the songÂ’s chorus, Arjona says “al diablo la geografia se acabaron las fronteras” (The hell with geography, there arenÂ’t any borders left), the truth is that borders still exist, but he wasnÂ’t talking about a literally border; Arjona used this analogy to tell us that we are the same and that our geographic position doesnÂ’t mean anything. Ricardo Arjona with his unique style and use of musical instrument; he has put a type of hardcore rock rhythm, which is use to make an impression in his listener. In this song, Arjona utilizes an electric guitar, and a trumpet, with the drums on the back. The rhythm started slow tempo, but strong as if he was upset with the ironies in the North. Then, the tempo began to run faster; the drums and the trumpet were sort of creating an atmosphere of excitement, it makes you feel as if you were a protestant of social inequalities. Finally, he concludes with a slow and heavy electric guitar melody, where he then stop for at least 3 seconds and concludes with the words “Si el Norte fuera el Sur, seria la misma porqueria, yo cantaria un rap y esta cancion no existiria.” (If the North were the South, it would have been the same crap, I would be singing a rap and this song wouldnÂ’t even exist). References http://www.satyamag.com/may03/carter-long.htmlhttp://www.answers.com/topic/ricardo-arjona

Poultry Farm: Internal and External Analysis

Poultry Farm: Internal and External Analysis Contents (Jump to) Introduction History of Poultry Farm Vision and Mission of Poultry Farm Porters Five Forces Analysis of Poultry Farm PESTLE Analysis of Poultry Farm SWOT Analysis of Poultry Farm Strategic Objectives of Poultry Farm Implementations and Control Conclusion and Recommendations References Executive Summary: Al-Ain Poultry Farm was formed in 1981 and at present it is United Arab Emirates number 1 chicken supplying company. The headquarters of the company is situated in Al-Ain while shops that sell their product are spread all over the country. Other main offices are in Abu-Dhabi and in Dubai.the company deals in chicken and egg products and the consumption of chicken products and other poultry products are very high in urban areas. In external environment, the service of the supplier is quite satisfactory. There are various competitors presents for the Al Ain poultry farm. The names of competitor are like al Rawdah, al Khazana, and Tasil etc. There is also big threat of new entrant in the industry. Sometimes the customers try to do bargaining but the Al Ain poultry farm mostly prefer fixed pricing method so there is no chances for doing bargaining. There is huge impact of the political, legal, and economic, social, ethical and technological issued on the company. Internally, there is a facility for communication with the customer like getting information about the quality of the product; packing information etc. The leadership is managed by the general management in the Al Ain poultry farm company. The image and reputation of the Al Ain poultry farm among the customers is good. So the customers are widely attached with this farm company. If there are any new entrances then it is not severely affected. There is lesser impact of the import product on this company. The company faces a throat cut competition. There are two kinds of risk which is faced by the poultry farm: Production risk and price risk. The strategic objective of the company comprises of deciding the scope of the farm, and gives the knowledge to the members of the farm Talking about the grand strategy, the Company wants to make stability in its growth and profits and thus the company adopts stability strategy. Also For making growth, the company has diversified itself. Introduction: Strategic management is nothing but drafting, implementing and cross checking of various decisions which shall help the company in achieving its long term goals. It specifies the aims and objectives of the organization. It helps in formulating various policies for achieving the companys objectives. Strategic Management is an ongoing process. It is used to evaluate the business as a whole and to assess its various individual processes. Strategic management includes assessing processes on a regular basis. Al-Ain Poultry Farm- History Development Growth: Al-Ain Poultry Farm was formed in 1981 and at present it is United Arab Emirates number 1 chicken supplying company. It is famous for providing the highest quality meat and eggs in the United Arab Emirates as of now. It strives to provide the best and the most healthy chicken at the best possible price to the people of United Arab Emirates. The company has always been committed to this cause and they will always continue to be committed to it. Al-Ain Poultry Farms many types of chicken and they are also providing various varieties of eggs. The headquarters of the company is situated in Al-Ain while shops that sell their product are spread all over the country. Other main offices are in Abu-Dhabi and in Dubai. All key issues are decided upon by the chairman and by the board. Operational issues, managerial works and financial issues are take care by the general manager. A lot of technical machines are being used in the poultry farms for the best results. All such machines come under th e head technical manager. Moreover there are many individual departments which take care of topics like sales and maintenance etc. There is a separate consumer care department which is also basically responsible for the sales and sales related issues. Financial departments are divided region wise throughout the country. The general manager is basically responsible for day to day working of the company. (farm A. A., 2010) In the last two decades there has been tremendous growth and development in the United Arab Emirates. Due to this there has been tremendous growth in the poultry sector of United Arab Emirates. The eating habit has changed a lot in United Arab Emirates. More than 3/4th population of United Arab Emirates is currently residing in urban areas. The consumption of chicken products and other poultry products is very high in such urban areas. There was a time when most eggs and chicken products were imported in the United Arab Emirates. It was somewhere in the mid 90s that local producers of United Arab Emirates were finally able to meet the chicken and poultry requirements of the country. At present there is hardly any import of eggs or any other poultry products. Al Ain poultry aims to be the leading poultry product suppliers in the United Arab Emirates; they aim at increasing their shareholders worth and serving the society by providing high quality chicken and related products. People a t Al Ain have made public health their first priority. At Al-Ain it is believed that success can be achieved through innovation and by maintaining quality of products. Al Ain has a highly trained inspection force which ensures the quality of the product is maintained while production. (2010) Vision and Mission The Al Ain poultry Farm Company the number one company in UAE. It is located in Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Before the establishment of any poultry farms in UAE all frozen chickens and eggs were imported. Then number of poultry farm came into the market. This makes UAE self dependence country and it is estimated that the value of eggs and the fresh chickens consumed in the year 2003 were stood at 400 million circa Dhs. During 1996 the Al Ain took an importance place among the poultry farm market in above mentioned location. It has various competitors like al Rawdah, al Khazana, and Tasil etc. (farm A. A., 2010) Their main mission is supply of the best quality and service with the growth of the shareholder value. But with this they serve the best quality of chickens to the customer because they do not want to play with the health of the customer. Their mission is also to bring satisfaction among the workers. For this purpose, the leadership in the company is held by the Mr. Abdullah Khamis Amer (general manager) he has the quality of dealing with looses and success and also the ability to motivate the employees. To provide best quality of food, the appointed a technical manager named as Dr. Khalid Mohd Abd El Monem. He is responsible for the developing and maintenance of the technology for example the freezer facility for the storage etc. Companys mission is also to earn more profit on lesser cost, to provide all necessary information to the customer, and also take their feedback. This is done by sales and marketing team whose responsibility is given to Mr. Fathi Belail. Thus they want to achieve the belief of the customer with superior quality, product innovation and operation and service efficiency. Their mission and vision are:- Public health on their first preference High inspection in the company Give assurance about their working policy to the customer Make relationship between the Al Ain poultry farm and their customer Maintaining and developing the relation with their processors Supply of only superior quality of product Giving the facility of education, training and development to all employees. A good leader who can develop motivation and can give support to the employees so they can achieve their potential. The employees who can make coordination with the ethical standard and can take responsibility for their work. (AlA101) External environmental analysis The growth of Al Ain poultry farm depends heavily on the external environment in the last two decades. The five force model of the company is as given below:- Porters five force model: Bargaining power of suppliers: The service of the supplier is quite satisfactory. They do not import any chickens from out of the country. So its give benefits in getting discount due to be domestic suppliers. Delivery on time, good quality of chicks and eggs, helps the Al Ain poultry farm company in winning the trust of the customer. Competitor There are various competitors presents for the Al Ain poultry farm. The names of competitor are like al Rawdah, al Khazana, and Tasil etc. Not only the domestic competitors but the company also faces competition from the abroad. Brazil is the aggressive player in UAE chicken markets. The main markets of Brazil are Yemen, UAE, and Saudi Arabia etc. All competitors have adopted approximately same price policy and quality of product so to compete with them is todays time has become more difficult. Threat of new entrants As we see that there is a lot of scope for growing poultry Farm Company. So there is also big threat of new entrant in the industry. The recent new entrances in market are Ain Quide, Al Surk etc. There business is also expended and they are also keen to establish themselves as the best company. Threat of substitute product It is not compulsory that the customer will only prefer chickens in their food, there are lots of substitute for the products of the company. If people are conscious about their health and they can choose vegetarian food and in non vegetarian then can prefer fish, mutton or any others. Bargaining power of customers The customers are also main factor in the external environment. They are educated, so they want to take all information before getting the delivery. In Al Ain poultry farm there is communication network so that they can communicate with the customers. Sometimes the customers try to do bargaining but the Al Ain poultry farm mostly prefer fixed pricing method so there is no chances for doing bargaining. PESTLE analysis: (P)olitical environment The political system is prevailing in a countrys policies and control of business. An honest, efficient and stable political system is become essential factor for the development of any country. In UAE there are three main vital institutions: executive or government, legislature and judiciary. Among the there the legislature is the most crucial political factor which impacts the al ain poultry farm because it includes powers such as policy-making, law making, budget approving mirror of public opinion. (E)conomic environment The three economic factors which effect al ain poultry farm are capitalism, socialism and communism widely. The al ain poultry always want to be in competition with others. Their profit and wages system are based on the ability and willingness to work. There is also a policy so that any owners can divest his capital form the profits. The workers are also free to select an employer and site. Like workers al ain poultry farm select the managers on the basis of their ability. They are also free to make any decision. There are also a limited competition and profits, wages etc fairly in relation to efforts. The company also encourages workers for employment. Generally economic environment consist those factor which bear the functioning of a business. In case of al ain poultry farm the economic system comprise price and distribution controls, per capita and national income, population, financial and fiscal sectors, infrastructure etc (S)ocio-cultural environment There are certain social factors which are beyond the companys gate. These factors include attitude to exalt, family, marriage religion, education attitude to people toward the work and ethics. Some time due to this factors the demand of the al ain poultry farm grew and sometime its falls. (T)echnological environment Technology environment exerts significant influence on business. The impact of technology on the business can be seen as companys product, services, markets, suppliers, competitors, distributors, manufacture etc. Due to technology environment the al ain poultry farm got the continuous growth from last few years. It is also helpful in increasing quality products. The al ain poultry farm has more capital demand, rise of productivity, more emphasis on R&D, and pressure to become more professional etc. (L)egal: The company is also largely affected by industrial and animal related laws. The company is also prone to any sue in commercial court regarding quality of food material. (E)thical: Ethical factors are concerned with the social responsibility part of the company. The poultry farm has some ethical rules to follow regarding maintenance of animals. For example, the company has to maintain proper safety and neatness level in farm etc. Value chain: The value chain consists of the process of value addition in the products of the company. In Al Ain poultry, the value is been added at every stage of production. The company has large farms and number of hens producing eggs. The company maintains large farms and thus feed the animals so that they can produce eggs and meet which are the key products of the company. The company also adds quality to its products by the mean of proper and regular quality check of the products produced by the farm. At each stage of production, proper documentation is done in order to maintain proper accountability of the system. The company is also planning to go for ISO 9001 implementation to increase the quality of the products and to add more value in it. Internal analysis The internal factors consists the factors which are inside the company. The internal factors of the Al Ain poultry farm are:- Products and service This includes inventory management, product modification, and product transportation of Al Ain poultry Farm Company according to the customer needs. Not only the products, this also includes the Al Ain poultry farm companys sales services, promotional for the product, packing, handling of return product and customization. Communication flow There is a facility for communication with the customer like getting information about the quality of the product, packing information etc. Payments system This includes billing for the customer, caring of special customer orders, order frequency, credit cheques and others. Leadership The leadership is managed by the general management in the Al Ain poultry farm company. The general manager looks for various operations like: general, technical, marketing and financial management performance etc. Employees The employees are the backbone of the company and so only skilled labors work here. A satisfactory environment for the working, facility for the coach, support and motivation, giving education to employees, co-operation between the employees and the Al Ain poultry farm company, giving promotion for their work etc are also available in the company. SWOT analysis If we want to analysis any company then the simplest method will be the SWOT analysis. This stood for strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. The information provided by the SWOT is helpful in matching the resource and capability of the firm in the todays competitive advantages. The Al Ain poultry farms SWOT analysis is as following:- (S)trengths The strength part shows that how the company is capable in using its resource as per their capability. The strength of Al Ain poultry farm is: The Al Ain poultry farm company is the 1st poultry farm company in the whole UAE. The image and reputation of the Al Ain poultry farm among the customers is good. So the customers are widely attached with this farm company. If there are any new entrances then it is not severely affected. They used different cost for the different products so that every kind of customer is attached with the company. They have used versatile technology. They used new technologys freezer for the storage of the chickens, water resource, method of disposal for the dead birds, preventing them from the dieses and their communication network is so strong so that they can communicate with the customer in easy way. There is lesser impact of the import product on this company. (W)eakness Every company is not capable to its goals because there always remains some weakness in the company. The weaknesses of Al Ain poultry farm are:- They faced a throat cut competition. Its true that they are the 1st poultry farm company in whole UAE but due the competitive environment any little mistake can bring a big problem. The whole business depends only on the chicken products. There is a little bit work in egg products but more than 80 part deals in chickens. The distribution channels are also weak. Sometimes its happened that the delivery of chickens did not reach at the right time and the company bears both cost and morale loses. (O)pportunities In simple language the opportunities shows the future, means what will be condition of future for our company. It answers that is there any chances for getting profit or losses. The opportunities for the Al Ain poultry farm are:- The main reason for growth of any poultry farm is because chickens are considered to be healthy protein diet. There is an increment in the standard of living of the customer and if we look the environment of the UAE then there is also growth in non vegetarian people day to day. As a result the demand of chickens is also increased. Day to day new technology is developed, so now they can store more and more chickens, can bring new quality of food with taste. Competition is increased and so the company has became more conscious about the quality and will try to reduce the cost. This will be beneficial for the both Al Ain poultry farm and the customers. They can get more skilled labor that will create a good environment within the company and can make cooperation with their leaders. (T)hreats The threats refer to the current problem which they are facing. The Al Ain poultrys farm threats are:- There are two kinds of risk which is faced by the poultry farm: Production risk and price risk. Now a days bird flu is spread in the birds, so in this kind of environment it is more difficult to make a quality product. There are lots of competitors, both domestic and foreign; they are facing competition from the other country also. There are lots of substitutes. Due to the substitutes the competition has increased. Thus the SWOT analysis shows the positive and negative side of the Al Ain poultry farm. Strategic objectives Strategy means making long term direction, taking decision, and allocation of resource. Basically we take three kinds of decision in strategic objectives. What, for whom and how can we do so the companys objectives are decided in strategy. Practically speaking, now days the poultry farming has became successful in global market. Thats why the Al Ain poultry farm access to market and specialized inputs with the financial support. So the key strategy of the company is to maintain the supply and ownership of the birds, the whole processing and wholesaling should be the as per the meat hygiene act. The standard of this act are: The transport of meat as per the human consumption Hygienic production Premises processing meat according to the human consumption As we know that this farm also deals with eggs so it operates it under the regulated system and it is the responsibility of managers for the finding markets for their food. The strategic objectives are:- To decide the scope of the farm, and give the knowledge to the members of the farm. All practices are done after the considerations of birds welfare. The poultry covers the topic like lighting, ventilation, health, food protection and management practices. To give assurance about the safety of managers, workers and visitors. Monitoring of various nutrient, impact problems and after that remedial action is taken. Possible business model of the company with the consideration of neighborhood competitors. Effect of the import of chickens on the domestic production. Increasement in the value of domestic product and reduce the import dependency. The poultry farms importance in the customers with more diversified and reasonable price. Knowing the link between productivity and income generation. To reduce impact of the uses of meat and to insure that there is no impact on the natural cycle. (Hill, 2009) Generic strategic There are three kinds of generic strategies for the maintenance and achievement of competitive advantages: Cost leadership, differentiation, focuses strategy. If we see at the Al Ain poultry farm then conclusion is that Al Ain poultry farm has adopted a differentiation strategy. Because as we know the Al Ain poultry farm focuses on the different kinds of chickens product and each products has its attribute so it charge the price according to the products feature. The reasons for adapting to this strategy are By this they make brand loyalty among the customer form the rivals. There are all kinds of products according to the customer need so every customer is attached with the particular product. Not only for the feature there is also differentiating in the pricing so that every level of the customers is attached. For managing the supplier also. Why? Because if any supplier charges higher value for the material then it can be managed in any other product and this is possible only when the farm is diversified in chicken products. There is also a benefit from the side of the customers. There will be large number of buyers and we know that if there is large number of buyers then their power for negotiation will be low due to price fixation and low alternatives. If there is any new entry then there will be negligible impact on the customer loyalty. Thus for all above the reason the company has adopted the differentiate strategy. But the company also deals in eggs with the chickens so for that company follows the cost leadership strategy which brings the ability to compete with competitors and bring attraction of the customers and reduces the defect rate. (farm A. A., 2010) Grand strategic A record production in poultry and meat industry last year shows that various poultry farms have work harder for the growing consumption need. For the production of chickens the poultry farm has adopted grand strategy by the trade organization. A grand strategy involves the essential action for the long term plan and to achieve its major objectives. So we will analyze the Al Ain poultry farm companys grand strategy on the bases of market, diversification, product, organizational development, strategic etc. After the analysis of its corporate and generic strategies, we will discuss the grand strategy on the three levels Growth strategy Retrenchment strategic Stability strategy For making growth, the company has diversified itself. For that it does innovation, changes its received and takes the feedback of the customer and also they provide different variety of chickens. If there is any failure in the receipt then they adopt accordingly. This strategy built willingness in the company to try new things. The company is also trying for the new market for its product. (farm A. A., 2010) The company wants to make stability in its growth and profits and thus the company adopts stability strategy. The Al Ain poultry farm company do the research only on the new product. The research is done on the quality and the price. They do not change the existing products and price policy. There is no retrenchment strategy followed by the farm company because they do not want to make any reduction in their business activity. Implementation and control After all this analysis about the external and internal environment and the various strategies, objectives of the Al Ain poultry farm in UAE we can say that the poultry farms in UAE are growing day by day. The company has implanted all those objectives and strategy, keeping in mind things like the impact on the environment, what is the government strategy for the poultry farm, the customer view and the cooperation of the staff and top management. Thats why the production increased by 25 % in comparison to last year and the market share of Al Ain poultry farm is also increased by 20 % in UAE. The various implementations and way they are controlled by the both management and government are mentioned in following:- Water supply The chickens are preceded in adequate water supply, clean and cool with the better quality. The water is needed in the farm for fire protection and shed cooling. Except this the hatched chicks should also access water within the 72 hour. The Al Ain poultry farm has a reserve capacity minimum of one day. Vehicular access The transportation policy of the farm is made after the consideration of traffic, delivery vehicles, road works etc. The funding of transportation needs the negotiation of developer, local council and transport development. Noise, electricity supply The supply of the electricity is at minimum cost and as per the requirement. But due to the large level of a poultry farm they get three phase of electricity supply. There is noise when the farm is established and due the various birds and this is controlled by the environment protection policy. Buffer distances Sometimes it happens that due to water quality, dust and noise, odor and management policies, some places are affected. So there should be a buffer distances maintained between the farm and impact area. All activity is done for the omission of this kind of practices and dourness. The control on the disease is also an issue. So there is a distance between every poultry farm which is approx 100 meter. Site selection and development They have selected the site after the consideration of distance of the market, environment and the government regulation. Water management Water management includes Disposal of dead birds: there is an arrangement of disposal of dead birds without any harm to the natural environment. Sometime they face the problem of contamination of surface water and ground, odour problems and fly infestation. But they follow the EPA recommendations like freezing of dead birds so that ordure problem can be reduced, and the disposal is done in the licensed water etc. Disposal of waste eggs: the eggs are disposal by the composting, rendering the byproduct plan which are environmentally sound. Recommendations and conclusion After the analysis about the various parts of the Al Ain poultry farms we can be say that no one is perfect and neither the farm under consideration. In SWOT analysis we have discussed the problem faced by the company. So there should be actions against them. According to us the following action should be taken by the Al Ain poultry farm:- As we see that the company mostly deals in cash, so there can be credit facility available to the customers. The company should allow the credit card etc for the payment. The Al Ain poultry farm company deals only in two products Chickens and eggs. So the company needs to diversify itself. It can diversify by the two ways: expansion and launching new products. As we see that the business of the Al Ain is only in the three major cities of the UAE so it should established its business in more cities and it should also launch vegetarian food along with this chickens and eggs. As many times its been seen that due to lack of inspection and monitoring the birds gets spoil, and they used them without checking them. So there should be regular and proper inspection. It will be good if there is a monitoring system on daily bases. The Al Ain poultry farm disposes the dead bird in the nearest places, which is also harmful so the disposal of dead bird should be approx 1000 meter far from the company sites. The quality of chickens should be checked. The uncooked chicken should be store in the refrigerators. There should be prevention action from the various dieses like the flu etc. References: Al Ain farm. 2010. Welcome to Al Ain poultry farm. [Online](Updated on Jan 2010) Available at http://www.alainpoultry.com/ [Accessed on April 30th, 2010]. Al Ain farm. 2010. Mission and Values. [Online](Updated on Jan 2010) Available at http://www.alainpoultry.com/main.asp?id=3 [Accessed on April 30th, 2010]. Al Ain farm. 2010. Shops and maps. [Online](Updated on Jan 2010) Available at http://www.alainpoultry.com/main.asp?id=5 [Accessed on April 30th, 2010]. Hill, Charles Jones, Gareth. 2009. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. 9th Edition : Cengage Learning Hemodynamics: Blood Flow Hemodynamics: Blood Flow Introduction Hemodynamics is the study of blood flow across the body and forces affecting it, often measured using various methods that are either invasive or noninvasive. Hemodynamic monitoring is necessary for making timely patient assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decisions in case of cardiovascular malfunctions and imbalances caused in the amount of blood ejected by the heart. There are several invasive methods for monitoring blood flow like Thermodilution, Dye dilution and Fick methods. These methods are usually confined to hospitals and clinics with people having specific skills perform, also, these methods are associated with complications like infections, hemorrhage, arrhythmia etc. Impedance Plethysmography techniques which use the changes in electrical impedance over body surface for measurement of changes in the tissue volumes can be used to study hemodynamics. Impedance Cardiography (ICG) is a noninvasive and flexible method of calculating cardiac stroke volume providing information that is similar to invasive monitoring at low cost and risk. While invasive monitoring is done in pre-operative situations on patients already suffering from cardiovascular problems which involves catheter insertion, ICG can be performed on people any time for monitoring hemodynamic parameters that will help in diagnosis of problems occurring in near future. There are multiple ways of monitoring hemodynamics through ICG of which Thoracic Electrical Bioimpedance (TEB) is a basic variant that involves placement of electrodes on the root of the neck and at the cartilaginous section at the lower end of the sternum which is not attached to any ribs. The volume of blood flow varies during every cardiac cycle almost periodically. This changes the electrical impedance in thorax region. Negative time derivative of the measured impedance is called impedance cardiogram. Research in the field of Impedance Cardiography started with the study of flow of fluids in body, especially in cardiac area using Impedace Plethysmography techniques since 1940s [1Bonjer]. By early 1970s Using ICG for calculation of cardiac parameters like cardiac stroke volume came on track [2Cooley]. Several comparative studies are done in the field between non-invasive ICG and invasive methods like Thermodilution which shown promising results in favour of ICG [3 Nechwatal, 4Denniston].In [5Quesnay] they discussed the implementation of ICG on subjects with heart diseases and while they were performing exercise. Results have shown that cardiac parameters measured during these tests are reliable and mostly accurate. With improvement in technology in ICG, wearable devices or garments are being designed for facilitating long term recordings and provide comfort to the patients or test subjects [6JUAN]. Since the inception of impedance cardiography there has been an increase in the reli ability of the technique and improvement in measurement of cardiac parameters [7Greenfield 13Dilek]. Measurement of ICG requires the subjects to lay in a supine position without any movement to cancel out the artifacts that are caused due to other body signals which lead to unwanted changes of the signal recorded and make the patient uncomfortable. Presence of these artifacts makes it difficult for the people reading the signals and also affect the diagnosis leading to results that are inaccurate. These artifacts have to be removed before monitoring the signals to take correct decisions through filtering. Most of these artifacts are non-stationary in nature and cannot be predicted. Artifacts that are prominent in TEB include those varying with the changes that occur in surroundings like power line interference which makes base line of the original signal to change and with the movement of patient. Some artifacts occur from inside our body like Respiratory artifact that is prominent in ICG .Often patients are required to hold their breath to cancel out this artifact, but it is shown in [5Quesnay] that this may affect the stroke volume parameter. There are also others like Motion artifacts and Electrode artifacts which bring changes to the signals that are unwanted. Filtering methods for processing the artifacts are either adaptive or non-adaptive. Since the artifacts that are to be processed in the signals obtained are ever changing in nature, non-adaptive filters that have linear transfer functions doesn’t provide good results in the process. Whereas time varying potentials can be detected using adaptive filtering techniques whose filter specifications change at every step. In [14Huang] they used LMS algorithm based adaptive filter for cancellation fo motion artifacts and got satisfactory results. In [15Allan] Allan et.al used a scaled fourier linear combined (SFLC) technique is proposed for filtering noncorrelated noise in ICG. They have succeeded in proving that their proposed method could remove noises that are not in synchronization with heart rate. In [16Dormer] used SFLC-RLS filter which shows improvement in performance compared to SFLC-LMS filter used in [15Allan]. [17Pandey] used LMS based adaptive filtering to remove respirator y artifacts in Impedance cardiogram signal. In this paper we discussed application of Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm and its variants Normalized LMS (NLMS), Time varying step size (TVSLMS) Adaptive step size (ASLMS) and Constrained stability LMS (CSLMS) in ICG signals for artifact removal. Along with these algorithms, signed regressor form of these variants which decreases the number of computations are also used. The artifacts that are considered in this paper are Power Line Interference (PLI), Respiratory artifacts, Motion artifacts (MA), Muscle artifacts. Section II describes the filtering techniques that are used on ICG signals in brief. Section III provides the information on data acquisition using VU-AMS device. The results and discussions of the techniques used are given in section IV followed by conclusions. Adaptive Filtering Techniques LMS Invented by Widrow and Hoff in 1960, Least mean squares algorithm is a category of adaptive filters that adapt based on current value of error signal. Input to the LMS algorithm is a signal that needs filtering and a desired signal as reference, LMS is an iterative technique that minimizes the Mean Square Error (MSE) between these two signals. Low complexity is a significant feature of LMS algorithm which made it as a benchmark for other adaptive filtering algorithms. The process of filtering using LMS involves the following steps, Compute the output from the filter using inputs. Estimating the error between the output signal and desired signal. Changing the tap weights of the filter according to the error obtained above and a constant step size. The above steps are executed iteratively to reduce the error between filter output and desired signal. Filter will be of length L, each time L samples from the input signal will be processed at a time in each step until entire samples are processed. Let x(n) be the input of the filter and d(n) be the reference signal. Input is taken from a sliding window over the input. For every step the window slides over required number of samples. Let y(n) be the output from the filter and w(n) is the weights of the taps, these weights can be different for every tap. u is the step size which is a constant. LMS algorithm can be summarized in the equations below that are in accordance with the steps above, For the first iteration arbitrary tap weights are assumed and filtering is started. After a few iterations the weights adapt in accordance with the error signal to give desired signal as output. Step size is a main factor that influences weight update equation. If the step size is too small, the convergence of the signal will be too slow and filter requires more memory. If the step size is too high, convergence rate will be faster but there will be information loss. NLMS The convergence of output towards desired signal depends on weight update equation. Tap weights that are updated are directly proportional to the present inputs. If the future inputs to the filter vary greatly with the present inputs of the filter, there will be an increase in the error signal. To solve this problem the step size in weight update equation is normalized with squared Euclidian form of input vector. The weight update equation of NLMS technique is written as, Here b is a small constant added to avoid difficulties in case of small x(n) values. NLMS method can achieve faster convergence when compared to LMS. Since the step size of these filters does not change much, these are considered as linear filters which give linear output for linear input. CSLMS This method is an improvement of NLMS algorithm to achieve faster stability conditions. Constrained Stability LMS method is described by the equations that follow, Where and . A positive constant of small value in the denominator helps preventing problems when value of x(n) is too small. Here the value of error and input in weight update equation not only depend on present value but also previous value, unlike LMS and NLMS where the dependency of weight update equation is more on present values than all the past values combined. TVSLMS Step size in the weight update equation decides the convergence rate of the filter. It is fixed for the filter depending on the input signal, desired signal and required convergence rate. If the input signal is varying with time in an undetermined way, it is difficult to set the value of step size. So, time varying step size method of LMS is proposed. The time variance of step size is determined by a decaying factor. TVSLMS method is described by the following equations, The step size at each step can be varied according to the following function, Where is the decaying factor and C, a and b are positive constants that will determine the value of decaying factor. At each step the decaying factor is multiplied with initial step size. This method can achieve faster convergence rate compared to LMS algorithm with constant step size and also can remove the artifacts effectively. ASLMS In an environment that is not stationary a gradient noise is added to the signal. In such case the value of tap weights change in random fashion instead of terminating on Weiner solution. To overcome this problem Adaptive step size algorithm is proposed where a fourth step is added to the LMS method which resembles the weight update equation. Step size of the filter is updated at each step as, Here is a small positive constant and y(n) is defined as the partial derivative of tap weight vector with respect to step size parameter at a sample or iteration. ASLMS attains faster convergence rate since the step size of next iteration depends on the input and error at current iteration, unlike TVSLMS algorithm where step size of present iteration depends on the initial step size. Signed Regressor form In the methods discussed in this section, from LMS to ASLMS the performance of filters increased with decrease in convergence rate but the computational complexity increased gradually. This will result in delay of attaining desired results. To regulate the problem we use signum function to find the polarity of input signal in weight update equation [21Eweda]. By using signum function to input signal we take into consideration only the sign of input signal as shown below, The signum function is given as, The methods discussed above in their signed regressor form have slightly inferior convergence rate and steady state error. But as the mean square error drops the filter speeds up with reduced computations. Simulation and results ICG signals are acquired through VU-AMS (Vrije Universiteit Ambulatory Monitoring System) device under supervision of expert handlers. This device is used for recording ICG signals many a times and provided reliable outputs [18Gonneke- 20Annebet]. Signals are acquired from 19 subjects for a period of 30 minutes. Digitized signals are recorded at 360 samples per second. First 4000 samples of each ICG recording are used for simulation. References Bonjer FH, van den Berg JW, Dirken MNJ. The origin of the variations of body impedance occurring during the cardiac cycle. Circulation. 1952; 6:415-420. 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