Saturday, August 31, 2019

Lakme Cosmetics Essay

Lakme is one of the cosmetic brands of the Unilever Bangladesh Ltd offers to the target market. The survey has been conducted to know cognitive components, affective components and behavioral components of the consumers in Dhaka city. Our sample size is 50. These respondents are from different professional such as Student, Housewife, Private Service holder, Public service holder and other professions. Among 50 respondents, 31 or 62% respondents are from the age of 16 years to 25years, 16 respondents from 26 to 35 and 3 respondents from 36 to 45 years and 31 respondents from 16 to 25 years use lipstick, 16 respondents from 26 to 35 years use lipstick and lastly 3 respondents from 36 to 45 respondents use lipstick. Maximum respondents are from lower higher class. According to our research 50% of the total respondents go to beauty parlor once a month, about 12% of the respondents go twice a month, 18% of the respondents go twice a week, 6% of the respondents go once a week, 7% of the re spondents go not in fix time interval. 36% of the total respondents watch TV or movies. In case of buying habit 54% of the respondents buy lipstick once a month, about 18% of the respondents buy lipstick twice an month, around 12% of the respondents buy lipstick twice a week and 16% of the respondents buy lipstick in different occasions. The respondents are a bit colorful, Organized, Moderate stylish, changing oriented, a bit youthful, somewhat rational, a bit formal, like to dominate, little bit calm. The schematic memory of the lakme is quite positive. Respondents perceive the lakme lipstick as Hygienic, Modern Outlook, Long Lasting, Fascinating, Bright, Color, Elegance, Distinct, High Price, High Class, Prestigious, Assured Quality, Fantastic, Satisfaction, and Best Quality. According to perceptual mapping Lakme has a strong brand image than Revlon and Loreal. Since weighted mean of lakme is 0.326 and the weighed mean of Revlon is 0.562 Lakme is closer to Ideal brand than Revlon and thus attitudes toward Lakme lipstick very favorable than attitudes toward Revlon lipsticks. Lakme has favorable emotion towards its lipstick. As per our research about 54% of the target market use Lakme and most of them will buy it next time. So it reveals the positive behavioral components of attitude in the mind of the consumers. Finally Lakme can change the cognitive attitudes by changing belief, adding belief, shifting importance  and changing ideal and through classical conditioning, mere exposure lakme can change the affective components of customers. And operant conditioning needs to alter behavioral components of the consumers. Background of the Report: Our course instructor Mr, Farhan Faruqui has recommended us to prepare a report on Lakme which will be regarded as the term paper for the Spring 2008 semester on the 7th April 2008. The report was supposed to find linkage among real-life advertisements by Lakme lipstick and the theories taught in the classes of the course of Consumer Behavior. Statement of the problem: the report will try to answer the following questions: †¢ Is Bangladesh Unilever Ltd, applying the theories of Consumer Behavior in their Marketing activities? †¢ Are the methods effective? †¢ Do the consumers like their marketing activities? †¢ What is Lakme lipstick’s position compared to other brands? †¢ What else Unilever Bangladesh Ltd could do to ensure future success? Statement of Purpose: the report will serve the following purposes †¢ Defining the practical application of theories of consumer behavior evident in Lakme lipstick’s marketing activities. †¢ Explaining the effectiveness of Lakme lipstick’s marketing activities. †¢ Presenting a total picture regarding consumer feedback and responses. †¢ Describing lakme lipstick’s position in the market. †¢ Proposing few suggestions for lakme lipsticks that will ensure long-term success for Lakme. Scope of the report: this report has been prepared with in the following parameters †¢ The Report covers the marketing activities for Lipstick offered by Lakme by Unilever Bangladesh. †¢ Throughout the survey, emphasis was given to female members of the market. †¢ The Report is primarily based on customer feedback derived from the survey which might not represent the actual information due to sampling error. †¢ The survey is  conducted in the Dhaka city as well as other developed cities. Methodology: this marketing report has been prepared based on primary data. This is basically a qualitative analysis. We have chosen non-comparative scaling technique because we wanted to measure the influence of each and every factor. Only by Non-comparative scaling technique we can do that. And among two types non-comparative technique we used itemize technique and between three itemize techniques we took Likert scaling for Affective components and semantic scale for cognitive components which range from 1 to 5 point scaling. Then after screening we have finally set sets of questions in our questionnaire. Our target population has been the female of Dhaka city and other developed cities in Bangladesh. We have chosen probability sampling. We are four members in our group. As we have been assigned to collect data, we have gone to the target market and got the questionnaires filled up by the females. And to analyze to data we use SPSS application. We analyze data by frequency distribution, different types of diagram and multiple variables comparison. Limitation: Like every research it has also some limitation. Among them time is the most significant constraint that affected our research very much. Within this short time it s was quite impossible to make this sort of research. We had only around 15 days to prepare a research which is quite impossible. Among the other constraints next significant was target market who was reluctant to fill the questionnaires. The product has been a low-involvement one so target market has been reluctant to answer them. There has been a lack of co-ordination among the group member. May be data does not represent the actual population. Organizational Background: This segment will provide a short description concerning the Unilever Bangladesh ltd. The segment will include the following topics- company background, mission statement, company objectives, company location. Company Background: The origin dates back to 1964, when the first Manufacturing Operations were set up as a part of Lever Brothers Pakistan operations. After independence, it was incorporated as a separate Company under the laws of Bangladesh. Later on the Company diversified into different categories. Unilever is a multinational company but for our term paper we are interested in Unilever Bangladesh Ltd. Over the last four decades, Unilever Bangladesh has been constantly bringing new and world-class products for the Bangladeshi people to remove the daily drudgery of life. Over 90% of the country’s households use one or more of Unilever’s products. Unilever Bangladesh conducts their operations with honesty, integrity and openness, and with respect for the human rights and interests of their employees. They will similarly respect the legitimate interests of those with whom they have relationships. Unilever companies and their employees are required to comply with the laws and regulations of the countries in which they operate. Employees: Unilever is committed to diversity in a working environment where there is mutual trust and respect and where everyone feels responsible for the performance and reputation of their company. They will recruit, employ and promote employees on the sole basis of the qualifications and abilities needed for the work to be performed. They are committed to safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. They will not use any form of forced, compulsory or child labor. They are committed to working with employees to develop and enhance each individual’s skills and capabilities. They respect the dignity of the individual and the right of employees to freedom of association. They will maintain good communications with employees through company based information and consultation procedures. Unilever Operations in Bangladesh provide employment to over 10,000 people directly and through its dedicated suppliers, distributors and service providers. 99.5% of UBL employees are locals and they have equal number of Bangladeshis working abroad in other Unilever companies as expatriates Consumers: Unilever is committed to providing branded products and services which  consistently offer value in terms of price and quality, and which are safe for their intended use. Products and services will be accurately and properly labeled, advertised and communicated. Shareholders: Unilever will conduct its operations in accordance with internationally accepted principles of good corporate governance. They will provide timely, regular and reliable information on their activities, structure, financial situation and performance to all shareholders. Business partners: Unilever is committed to establishing mutually beneficial relations with their suppliers, customers and business partners. In their business dealings they expect their partners to adhere to business principles consistent with their own. Community involvement: Unilever strives to be a trusted corporate citizen and, as an integral part of society, to fulfill their responsibilities to the societies and communities in which they operate. Public activities: Unilever companies are encouraged to promote and defend their legitimate business interests. Unilever will co-operate with governments and other organizations, both directly and through bodies such as trade associations, in the development of proposed legislation and other regulations which may affect legitimate business interests. Unilever neither supports political parties nor contributes to the funds of groups whose activities are calculated to promote party interests. The environment: Unilever is committed to making continuous improvements in the management of their environmental impact and to the longer-term goal of developing a sustainable business. Unilever will work in partnership with others to promote environmental care, increase understanding of environmental issues and disseminate good practice. Competition: Unilever believes in vigorous yet fair competition and supports the development of appropriate competition laws. Unilever companies and employees will conduct their operations in accordance with the principles of fair competition and all applicable regulations. Business integrity: Unilever does not give or receive, whether directly or indirectly, bribes or other improper advantages for business or financial gain. No employee may offer, give or receive any gift or payment which is, or may be construed as being, a bribe. Any demand for, or offer of, a bribe must be rejected immediately and reported to management. Unilever accounting records and supporting documents must accurately describe and reflect the nature of the underlying transactions. No undisclosed or unrecorded account, fund or asset will be established or maintained. Mission Statement: â€Å"Our mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.† This is the mission statement of the Unilever Bangladesh Ltd. Brands: Unilever Bangladesh has several brands in the market. Those are Wheel, Lux, Lifebuoy, Fair & Lovely, Pond’s, Close Up, Sunsilk, Lipton Taaza, Pepsodent, Clear, Vim, Surf Excel, Rexona, Dove, Vaseline & Lakme. Type of business: Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company with local manufacturing facilities, reporting to regional business groups for innovation and business results. Constitution: Authority of the conducting the company is still in hand of Unilever. Unilever owns 60.75% of the total share and Bangladesh government owns 39.25% of the total share Objective: Their purpose in Unilever is to meet the everyday needs of people everywhere – to anticipate the aspirations their consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services which raise the quality of life. Their deep roots in local cultures and markets around the world are their unparalleled inheritance and the foundation for their future growth. They will bring their wealth of knowledge and international expertise to the service of local consumers – a truly multi-local multinational company. Their long-term success requires a total commitment to exceptional standards of performance and productivity, to working together effectively and to a willingness to embrace new ideas and learn continuously. They believe that to succeed requires the highest standards of corporate behavior towards their employees, consumers and the societies and world in which they live. This is Unilever’s road to sustainable, profitable growth for their business and long-term value creation for their shareholders and employees.. Company Location: The company has a Soap Manufacturing factory and a Personal Products Factory located in Chittagong. Besides these, there is a tea packaging operation in Chittagong and three manufacturing units in Dhaka, which are owned and run by third parties exclusively dedicated to Unilever Bangladesh Target Market Parameters: 1. Demographic Factors: Demography is the scientific study of characteristics and dynamics pertaining  to the human population. The characteristics encompassed by this study include size, growth rate, density, vital statistics, and distribution of a specified population. Demography is widely used for various purposes and can encompass small, targeted populations or mass populations. The target market can be divided based on demographic variables. Demographic variables encompasses various aspect of an human such as Age, Gender, Family size, Family lifecycle, baby-boomers, Income, Occupation, Education, Ethnicity, Nationality, Religion, Social class etc. To be successful as marketer one must understand the demographic factors of the population. 1.1: Age and Sex: Normally consumers’ needs and wants change with age. There are certain types of products which attract different types of aged people as well as different sex. There some product which attract male people and there are some products which get the attention of female people. In the same one there are some products which get attracted by the mature people and there are other types of product which attract the child. Therefore products like Lipstick attract the female people or segment. In case of Lakme lipstick the target market is urban female and other developed cities like Dhaka, Shylet, Chittagong e.t.c. although the targeted age is somewhere between 16 years and 45 years. It may be seen that male are buying the lipstick but the ultimate users are female. As a result our majority of targeted respondents are female. The proportion of the male and female respondents in the survey is like this. Figure1.1: Gender analysis According to Figure 1.1 the majority of the respondents are Female. Among 50 respondent female is 43 in case of percentage about 86% of the total sample. So from this Figure 1.1 it can be understood that the survey has been got answered by right people. Figure 1.2: Age analysis Figure1.2 is showing the age structure which has been used for our survey. Among 50 respondents, 31 or 62% respondents are from the age of 16 years to  25years, 16 respondents from26 to 35 and 3 respondents from 36 to 45 years. These respondents will give us the information about Lakme lipstick. They will inform us about Cognitive component, affective component as well as behavioral component of the Lakme lipstick. They will differentiate the lakme among the various lipsticks. Form their responses we will be able to understand the various aspect our research topic. Figure 1.3: Frequency of Brand According figure 1.2 among 50 respondents, 31 respondents from 16 to 25 years use lipstick, 16 respondents from 26 to 35 years use lipstick and lastly 3 respondents from 36 to 45 respondents use lipstick. So here we see the prime customer of lipstick is the people who fall in the range from 16 to 25. so Unilever Bangladesh Ltd should pay more attention on this segment as well as the segment range from 26 to 35. 1.2: Occupation: the purchasing behavior depends on the occupation of the individual. For our research we are simply interested about public service, private service, student, Housewife and for making our questionnaire non force we have kept an option blank. Figure 1.4: Occupation analysis Among 50 respondents, 25 are students, 17 are private service holders, 5 are public service holders. 1 is housewife and 2 are others. In case of percentages about 50% of the total respondents are students, 2% are housewife, 34% are private service holders, 10% are public service holders and 4% are from other occupation. So we have targeted the right people who generally use or buy lipsticks. The Unilever Bangladesh Ltd needs to be  serious about customer like student because this is the big portion of the lipstick users. Students basically use or buy lipstick frequently. They are the main customer of the lipstick. The Unilever Bangladesh Ltd has other potential segment like Private Service professional and public service professional to pay the attention. Because this second and third highest portion of the target market. These segments would be a profitable one for Lakme. Figure 1.5: Brand according to occupation According to above table 25 students use lipstick , 1 housewife uses lipstick, 17 Private service holders use lipstick, 5 public service holder use lipstick and 1 respondent from other profession use lipstick. So Lakme should seriously consider the segment of student since it is the main target market, the private service professionals as it is a great potential segment for Lakme and public service professionals. 1.3: Social Gathering: the respondents of the target market are generally do not like to attend the social gathering very often. Figure 1.6: Social gathering According to our research about 44% of respondent are generally attend the social gather once a month, around 34% of the respondents attend social gathering twice a month, 10% of the respondents are attend different time, 2%, 2% and 8% of the respondents attend the social gathering once a week, more than 4 a month and less than once a month respectively. Since they do not attend the social gathering the Lakme can organize a informal chats or road show with its target market to get the feedback and to spread the positive attributes of Lakme lipstick to others. 1.4: Income: Purchasing ability depends on the individual income. People tend to buy more who has very high income. It is proven that higher class of the society buys more than another. In our survey there are 16% respondents have the income 40000 and above, 24% respondents have the income between 30000 to 40000, 30% respondents have the income between 20000 to 30000 and 14%, 14% and 2% of the total respondents have the income somewhere between 10000 to 20000, below 10000 and no income respectively. Figure 1.7: Distribution of the income According to figure 1.6 among 50 respondents, 8 respondents have the income of 40000 and above, 12 respondents have income between 30000 to 40000, 15 respondents have the income between 20000 to 30000, 7 respondents have the income between 10000 to 20000, 7 respondents have the income less than 10000 and 1 respondent does not have any income. Figure 1.8: Buying behavior according to income The individuals have the income 20000 to 30000 are very much eager to buy lipstick The target market who have income 30000 to 40000 and above 40000 are also interested to buy the lipstick. So Lakme should maintain the customer segment of who have income between 20000 and 30000 and also to influence the segment like who have income between 30000 and 40000 and above 40000. Leisure: Member of the target market does have variety in their leisure time. They just make them busy with numerous activities which they do often. Figure 1.9: Leisure activities According to figure 1.8 most of our target markets spend their time at home during the leisure time and some of them tend to go out in the leisure time. From above frequency distribution it has been found that about 36% of the total respondent watch TV or movies during the leisure time, about 16% of the respondents go to parties or concerts at leisure time, 2% play computer games, 10% of the respondents read story books at the leisure time, 6% of the respondents play outdoor games, 12% of the respondents hangout with their friends, 12% of the respondents read newspaper at the leisure time, 2% of the respondent travel at the leisure time and 2% of the total respondents do other thing during the leisure time. it is clear that most of the respondents enjoy their leisure time by watching TV or movies. So TV and electronic media has become main source of entertainment of the target markets. As Television has become the main source of entertainment at leisure time, Marketer can easily reach the target market. Newspaper can be an effective to reach the target markets. Unilever Bangladesh can publish or put their advertisement into those Television and Newspaper to efficiently manipulate the target markets. Going beauty parlor: Every one likes to be looked beautiful. In case of female this statement is the most appropriate one. The female segments like to go to Beauty parlor.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Interview with a preschool teacher

She was able to give me more Insight on what Is deed to be done to become a teacher and what Is required of her. The person that I interviewed was Ashley Humphreys. She is a lead teacher and the administrator of the united Local Head Start Preschool program that is operated by the Community Action Agency of Columbian County. This is her first year teaching with the program. Before she could become a teacher had to get her Bachelor degree and her preschool license. She graduated from Kent State University in May of 2013.While she was working on her degree she had to do student teaching. She was able to complete it at the following schools: South Range in kindergarten, Southern Local in kindergarten, and United Education Service Center Preschool. Along with having to get her degree Ashley is required to have twenty hours per year in continuing education hours. She also is required to be certified in CPRM and first aid. Ashley has a lot of duties for being the lead teacher and administr ator.As a lead teacher her duties include: making lessons plans weekly, maintaining contact with parents, keeping the children's file updated, entering notes into Teaching Strategies Gold (TTS), riding the bus to either pick up or drop off students, and much more. Administrator requires her to keep all the staff files up to date, maintain safety logs, maintain ratios at all time and much more. A normal day for Ashley would be arriving to school by seven every day. Her While waiting for the students to arrive Ashley is getting everything ready for the day ahead.She would either getting things ready for small groups, get the music ready for the day or she might be cleaning up anything that might be still laying around from the day before. Once her eighteen students arrive at eight A. M. She lets them play with table toys for about ten to fifteen minutes. Breakfast is served at eight fifteen. Once the children are done eating breakfast the children go to centers and are called to brush their teeth while they are playing in center. Once centers are done the children come to the carpet and then do music and the calendar.Once the students have completed those activities they go to small groups. This is where Ashley has each group set up and they are set up to help meet the individuals needs of each child. The individual's needs are indicated on the lesson plans. After small groups the children go back to the carpet and Ashley or her assistant will read a book o the children or have a group discussion over the project they are working on. Lunch will be served then gross motor and then it is time to say goodbye for the day.Ashley loves working with the children. She loves that she can enhance the lives of the children. She enjoys her co-workers. She loves that she has co-workers that think on the same page. It makes it easier when planning activities for the children. Even though Ashley loves her Job there are things about her Job that she dislikes. There are several things that she dislikes about her Job. One of the things she dislikes is owe the laws are changing and it is hard to keep up with the changes.She also dislikes that she is having a hard time find a Job, in a Public school, within her hometown or close to her home. If she would be able to get into a public school she is finding out that her pay rate could be based on test scores. If her class would get lower score on state testing then she could get a pay cut. The only thing that Ashley dislikes about working for Head Start is they pay you very low for all the work they require from you. There are not enough hours in the day to complete everything they sky of you.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Nursing Emergencies

You are an RN (Registered Nurse), and driving on a parkway. You see an automobile collision with serious injury. Should you stop and perform first aid?Yes, as a registered nurse and as a human being, I am obliged to stop and perform first aid should I see an automobile collision with serious injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients’ family members. This definition shows that there is also the public included among the responsibilities of registered nurses. Nurses have for many years been awarded the top ranking in opinion polls about which occupations are most trusted by the general public.Some people might opine that nursing duties only relate to clinical settings and they tend to focus only nurse-patient relationship. Duties of the nurse exist only within the parameters of the hospital. Some might even argue that such intervention in roadside emergencies can get a nurse into legal complications. But then, nursing is a profession that the public depend on for support and care especially in emergency situations.Historically, nurses have been associated with emergency responses. In early times, even though nurses were not as much educated and trained as the nurses of today, they offered their nursing services with great dedication and motivation. They were known for their self-sacrificing nature and offering a human touch that says â€Å"I care.† Nursing history is replete with examples of nurses who have knowingly incurred great risk in order to care for those in need of nursing or to contribute to the advancement of health science. In the United States, the Civil War is cited regularly for the role of volunteer nurses and for the stimulus it gave Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross, wh ich she eventually accomplished in 1881 (Williams, 2003). That humane touch has been characteristic of the nursing profession.The first plank of the Code for Nurses states â€Å"The nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.† This central axiom of respect for persons directs the profession (ANA, 1994). The nurse is not at liberty to abandon those in need of nursing care. According to Gebbie and Qureshi (2006), â€Å"The fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions†. This means, a registered nurse is obligated to attend to the wounded person in a roadside emergency.According to the Code for Nurses, nurses may morally refuse to participate in care, but only on th e grounds of either client advocacy or moral objection to a specific type of intervention. As applied to nursing, a moral obligation exists for the nurse if the following four criteria are present: The client is at significant risk of harm, loss, or damage if the nurse does not assist; The nurse's intervention or care is directly relevant to preventing harm; The nurse's care will probably prevent harm, loss, or damage to the client;The benefit the client will gain outweighs any harm the nurse might incur and does not present more than an acceptable risk to the nurse (ANA, 2006). In the case of the roadside accident, the victims need to be attended to by a healthcare professional. Prompt medical attention by the RN can make a difference between life and death. Moreover, there is no personal risk. Hence there is a moral obligation on the part of the nurse to attend to the victims.Society has come to rely on nursing and to expect that it will rise to the health demands of virtually any occasion. The only problem registered nurses encounter during such roadside interventions is that they may be forced to take decisions beyond those they are qualified for. But then, they can be protected by the Good Samaritan Doctrine which is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued for ‘wrongdoing.’ The purpose of this doctrine is to prevent people from refusing to help for fear of legal repercussions if they make mistakes in treatment (Neumann, 2005).The practice of the professional nurse extends beyond the confines of the immediate setting where the nurse practices to the broader environment (AU, 2006). According to a survey of many nurses all respondents claimed to have medical assistance and would do so again, but about half of them would not do so unconditionally. However, no respondent has experienced legal complications from providing medical help though they had â€Å"heard† or â€Å"read† of such cases. Thus, it is the moral obligation of a registered nurse to help any accident victim in an emergency situation.Critique of Journal Article:Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. in the article titled â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies† (September 30, 2006) reviews the beginning of emergency nursing as a specialty. The authors also discuss the 21st century expectations about nursing during unexpected disaster situations and various nursing roles related to emergency care. The article is detailed and has many links to related articles.The article says that both paid and volunteer nurses have played a huge role historically in fighting epidemics, HIV and AIDS. Later, nurses became known for their wartime services. By the middle 20th century, emergency rooms came into being. Today, emergency care has become a nursing specialty. The authors then point to the growth of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Co mmittee.The role of the nurses in local public health emergencies is highlighted. The authors conclude that nurses have been key players during various emergency situations in the past. In the future, any kind of emergency in the community can impact the public's health and nurses are needed for prevention, surveillance and response of every type.At the end of the 20th century, national thinking about emergency preparedness led to two important developments: identification of the key competencies needed for effective emergency response, and increased attention to planning for and practicing emergency response. The authors point out that it was necessary for nursing to identify the core abilities needed to become a part of an emergency response team and perform well. Therefore the UG nursing curriculum was adapted by the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education (INCMCE) to assure communities that their professional nurses were competent to respond when needed.The a rticle includes tables that list the competencies for public health workers, and the currently available emergency response competency sets applicable to nursing and the sources from which these data can be accessed in their entirety. Today, it has been recognized that there needs to be an inter-agency, interdisciplinary response, and that nearly all emergencies have potential health consequences. The authors conclude that nurses will continue to be key players in the local and national level emergency response as we move through the 21st century and that the fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions.The article is written in chronological sequence and is highly informative. The authors discuss present day trends in detail in the context of the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina. The included tables and references prove to be very useful in understanding the competency sets needed for emergency responses. This article underlines the need for competency in emergency response. This means nurses should be given better basic and continuing education and should be trained to meet such emergency situations through hospitals, public health centers, and community drills. Bibliography:Internet Sources:U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses. Occupational Handbook. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htmAU (2006). School of Nursing: Our Philosophy. http://www.nursing.auburn.edu/about-us/our-philosophy.htmlWilliams, Robyn (2003). ABC Radio National Broadcast: The Ethics of Nursing in the Third Reich. Adelaide Institute.Print and Journal Sources:Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. (September 30, 2006) â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies†OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. #11 No. #3, Manuscript 1. Available: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/t opic31/tpc31_1.htmANA (1994). Ethics and Human Rights Position Statements. Risk versus Responsibility in Providing Nursing Care. http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/position/ethics/etrisk.htmANA (2005). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Center for Ethics and Human Rights. http://www.ana.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.htmNeumann, Karl (2005). Are you a Good Samaritan. News Share. Nov/Dec 2005. http://www.istm.org/publications/news_share/200512/samaritan.aspx

Compare and Contrast Two Types of Business Ownership Term Paper

Compare and Contrast Two Types of Business Ownership - Term Paper Example The owner of a sole proprietorship type of business only needs to register his/her name and get a good location, and the business can begin after this process. He is fully liable for all the debts and profits incurred; if a sole proprietor gets into a financial crisis, the creditors can sue the owner of the business, and if this lawsuit is successful, the business owner will pay all the debts. Sole proprietorship has no entity separate from the owner; this means that if the business owner signs a contract, it will only be under his name. Advantages of a sole proprietorship business include the facts that formation of the business is quite inexpensive and easy, carrying very minor formalities since it involves only one person. Employment tax is not charged on sole proprietorship types of businesses and owners exercise a lot of freedom since they may â€Å"freely mix business and personal assets† (Spadaccini, 2007, p.5). However, despite being the easiest type of business to sta rt, sole proprietorship has a number of disadvantages. These include the facts that sole proprietors cannot raise capital by selling interests from the business, business liabilities and other personal liabilities for debts and losses are unlimited, and it is quite impossible for the business to continue, if the owner passes away. Sole proprietorship can either be terminated by contract or if the owner dies. In case the sole proprietor gives up the business, sells it, or passes away, the existence of the business ceases (â€Å"Types of Business Ownership,† n.d.). Spadaccini defines partnership as â€Å"a business organization formed when two or more persons or entities come together to operate a business for profit† (2007, p.5). Partnership can be formed through... This report stresses that the partnership type of business ownership has a number of advantages. This comes from the facts that, just like sole proprietorship, the kind of business is very inexpensive and easy for the partners to start, since they are able to consolidate their resources together. The business involves very minor formalities and does not hold any annual general meetings. Taxation is very fair on partnerships involving small businesses, and the business is free from charges such as minimum taxes that are usually charged on Limited Liability Companies and corporations. The author of the paper talks about partnerships which have a number of disadvantages. These include partner’s subjection to unlimited personal liability, which is very common, except in cases where the partnerships and liabilities are limited. Partnership types of businesses also experience disputes from time to time arising from differences among the different partners and finally â€Å"Individu al partners bear responsibility for the actions of other partners†. There are various similarities and differences between sole proprietorship and partnership types of business ownership. This essay makes a conclusion that sole proprietorship and partnership types of business ownership share a number of similarities. However, the ways in which both businesses are formed and the way they operate are different.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Acquisition Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Acquisition Reform - Research Paper Example Now, it is evident that there exists mutual dependency between the US military and the economic performance of this country. In this context, it becomes logical to evaluate the eminent relationship between them. Therefore, the defense department depends so much on the economic sector of the American population. The military’s economic dependency is depicted in the budget allocation and on other aspects like military logistical acquisition. Based on these facts, the US government has seen the need to blend these two sectors together to harmonize their dependency on each other. This led to the formulation of the acquisition reform program (Hanks, 2005, p.234). Acquisition reform is an exercise meant to integrate the United States military with the civil business practices. The US department of defense acknowledged the need to integrate the civil industrial sector with the military. The economical production of the US had direct relations with the military in terms of logistics p roduction and supply. From the late 1980’s through 1990’s to the present times, the US department of defense has undertaken numerous exercises meant to develop an optimal program to integrate these two sectors. The goals of the reform exercise are aimed at streamlining the performance of the US military by initiating close relationship between the civil logistics producers and the defense department.... These deliverables were to provide an insight into the objective purpose of the acquisition reform process. The main objective of the reform exercise is for the civil economic sector to respond efficiently to the military needs. Based on this goal, the project designers saw the need of integrating the national industrial base into the military systems (Lorrel & Graser, 2005 p. 70). In this case, the Department of Defense considered adopting the ideal customer processes in their relationship with the US industrial sector. Since the program’s inception, the numerous modifications are aimed at focusing on the long-term emphasis of the business problems and solutions of the military. Some of the projected deliverables is meant to encourage commercial industries to work with the defense sector. Based on this underlying objective, every acquisition reform process is aimed at considering the policies, behavioral or cultural changes and the business values that will facilitate the ach ievement of the reform goals (Dirk, 1994 p. 38). Now, it is clearly understood that the main aim of the acquisition reform program is to address the issue of commercial relations between the military and the industrial sector in terms of logistical supplies and service provision. Before this program, there was an inherent problem in the military concerning the economical processes of acquisition and usage of military equipments and services. The producers of these equipments and providers of the services were the major stakeholders in the US civil industrial sector. Therefore, the masterminds of this program aimed at articulating the procurement practices of the defense department by blending the concepts of commerce and the consumer

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Marketing Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing Mix - Essay Example The basic purpose however is to make a sale during all this while on the part of the marketing team coming under the organization’s umbrella. The elements of the marketing mix might not be applicable to every organization or product since there are discrepancies in the understanding of each and every product. However on the condition that all of these 4P’s create value for the end user is something to understand from. The 4P’s basically outline the exact basis for the know-how related with the product as the product itself is discussed which includes the brand mark or the house mark as well as the symbol. (Lazer, 1971) The aspect of price includes whether or not this product is sold in line with the industry’s other competitors or it is skimmed to a high price right at the very beginning of its induction in the market. At times, this product could be penetrated at a low price so as to ignite more sales but then again it could backfire since the product can have bad reputation and be considered of low value and hence a negligible brand image is conveyed nonetheless. Place is the distribution aspect rel ated with that product where the product is made available for the right target audiences. This includes the retail outlets, stores, mobile vans, corner shops and just about any place where it could be purchased from. It can even include the Internet since a lot of online sale is being done through it and hence could rightly be termed as a point of sale for the eventual end consumers. The promotional aspect, the last P amongst the 4P’s is related with marketing communications, which not only takes advertising, sales promotions and personal selling into its fold but also the aspect of word of mouth communication, with or without the creation of the opinion leaders and quite rightly so the public relations tenet. Now we move on with the aspects of the marketing mix in relation with each other. If there is no product, there would

Monday, August 26, 2019

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Project management - Essay Example Interaction between departments tends to favor relationship creation between various interfaces and hence bolsters chances of project success. Worker motivation determines employee commitment to the project’s overall aims and objectives. The more committed the employees, the greater the effort input to the project and its success. Moreover, the planning process for projects should involve as many vertical levels and interfaces as possible. The involvement of various project elements in planning allows a greater understanding of the overall picture and solicits appropriate cooperation. The involvement of various elements in the project environment in planning also ensures that realizable deadlines and costs are provided. In order to gauge the success of the project at any stage, performance evaluation needs to be carried out at various levels. Effective performance evaluation allows the project managers to adopt effective strategies for coping. Rewards must also be provided con summate with project objectives. Any organization that plans to transform its culture from adversarial to cooperation needs to take into account a pervasive vision that allows for various elements in the organization to participate, tolerate and cooperate together. Employees must be motivated to help each other out and there ought to be a reward system to encourage such designs. Moreover, policies regarding hierarchical communication, authority and responsibility need to be clearly defined for effective and accountable action (Project Management

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 Research Paper - 1

Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 - Research Paper Example Smith (2008) pointed out that â€Å"teenagers have not developed the cognitive, social, and psychological mechanisms that are needed to make thoughtful and logical decisions about alcohol use† (Smith). In other words, people below the age of 21 may not be able to take sound decisions in their life and therefore they should not be allowed to drink. At the same time, many people argue that if an 18 year person is wise enough to elect political leaders, then he should be allowed to take drink at the age of 18. At 20 years old, an American can drive a car, buy cigarettes and pornography, vote for the next leader of the free world, and even die for his or her country by enlisting in the military. But that same person cannot order a beer with friends while watching the game at a sports bar. Because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, some Americans can put themselves in front of terrorists with machine guns, but not a Heineken† (Blanche). In short, legal drink ag e is a controversial topic in America at present because of the various dimensions attached to this topic. So many arguments were cited in favour and against the lowering of drink age in America. In my opinion, drink age should not be lowered under any circumstances since lowering of drink age can generate so many social, physical and mental problems not only to the drinker but also to the family and society in which he belongs. Seaman Barrett (2005) in his article "How Bingeing Became the New College Sport" argued in favour of lowering drink age from 21 to 18 in America. He has cited many reasons for his argument. â€Å"Pregaming is a common thing in American college campuses which came into existence in the 1990’s. It usually involves sitting in a dorm room or an off-campus apartment and drinking as much hard liquor as possible before heading out for the evening's parties† (Seaman). Parker (2007) also supported the arguments of Seaman. In his opinion, â€Å"because of the ban, instead of drinking in bars or restaurants where there is supervision, it's happening in dorms and dark corners† (Parker). One of the major arguments cited in favour of lowering of drink age to 18 is that non-availability of drinks through legal channels may force the teenagers to get it from illegal sources. Supporters of these arguments are of the view that drinks from illegal sources could be more dangerous and poisonous than the drinks from legal channels. â€Å"Over 80% of adults believe that it is easy for people under the age of 18 to access alcohol in pubs and off-licenses† (Morrissey). It is a fact that antisocial elements can exploit these teenagers for various purposes. However, in my opinion, these arguments are illogical. It is the duty of the government to take necessary actions to punish those who supply liquor illegally. It is meaningless to lower the drink age instead of prohibiting illegal liquor supply. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning†(Alcohol Alert). Teenagers during their developmental stages many not be able to take sound decisions. They are not matured enough to take wise decisions for their

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Culture - Essay Example Observing the night skies could have also been used by the ancient Chinese as a guide like how travellers depend on the North Star. Earliest records of stars were found carved on bones and shells. One very significant record made by ancient Chinese astronomers was that of a solar eclipse in 2136 BC, the first human record of a solar eclipse in the world found encrypted on a bone. In 2006, a stone carving of what is believed to be the Big Dipper was found by Wu Jiaca in Inner Mongolia and is predicted to have been carved in 4000 BC. The position of the carving was on the north side of the stone, pointing to the direction of the said constellation. Carvings and maps of the stars by ancient Chinese astronomers were found by some European at Dunhuang, a major resting place before travelling into the western deserts. It was speculated that the maps were used by the travellers to guide them along the Silk Road. The maps dated to 700 AD and contain 1,350 stars arranged in the manner on how one sees the horizon. The oldest star map known in Chinese history dates back to the Warring States Period (403-211 BC). It was made by Shi Shen and was already been missing. Other maps were at the Ancient Beijing Observatory and the International Dunhuang Project of the British Library. The long years of watching the moon, stars and the sun by the ancient Chinese astronomers led to the birth of the Chinese calendar. Observation of the sun, the moon and the stars is very important in predicting the reoccurrence of an event. The first Chinese calendar was said to be lunisolar or based on both the lunar and the solar cycles. The Huangdi Li, Zhuanxu Li, Xia Li, Yin Li, Zhou Li, and Lu Li were some of the earliest formal calendars accepted. There was an estimated 102 Chinese calendars that have been developed and revised from the Xia dynasty (2070-1600 BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1645-1911) until finally the Chinese

Friday, August 23, 2019

650 questions 3 and 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

650 questions 3 and 4 - Assignment Example This method is the best since it considers the time value of money, incorporates all the future cash flows, and has clear criteria of how to decide whether to invest in the project. (Drake & Fabozzi, 2002) Besides, the rate used in discounting is the cost of capital which can be determined with certainty rather than being assumed. Drake & Fabozzi (2002) further underscores that in as much as the internal rate of return (IRR) is a good way of making an investment decision; it is a bit complex and sometimes results into conflicting results. IRR measures the expected rate of the investments that is made by an investor. In instances that the cash flows are both negative and positive, IRR has led to the determination of more than one rate of return thus making it difficult for an investor to make informed and profitable decisions. It should however be noted that in as much as the modified internal rate of return (MIRR) can be used where IRR is improper, MIRR is more complex and cannot be easily understood by those without financial knowledge. NPV thus remains a simple method of making investment appraisal that will certainly help maximize shareholders returns. To ensure that the limited resources are placed in the most profitable investments, the need for capital budgeting cannot be overemphasized. The use of the various investment appraisal methods have been exploited to help make capital budgeting decisions. Most importantly, NPV approach has been lauded as the best method of helping make capital decisions. Nonetheless, NPV alone is not sufficient since other important decisions affecting projects profitability cannot be easily determined by the use of this approach. Sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations have further been used to analyze the returns arising from investment portfolios. When using sensitivity analysis in making capital decisions, investors get to determine the extent to which a change in a specific cost

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Tuberculosis & Antibiotic resistance Essay Example for Free

Tuberculosis Antibiotic resistance Essay Tuberculosis (TB), also known as consumption, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). TB is the leading cause of death in the world among reported deaths caused by a bacterial infectious disease. The disease affects 1.8 billion people per year, which is equal to one-third of the entire world population (Todar). Pulmonary tuberculosis accounts for the majority of the TB cases in the United States (Todar). Bovine tuberculosis is another infectious form of TB caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (Tortora, Funke, and Case 690). M. bovis is the etiologic agent of TB in cows and rarely in humans. Both cows and humans can serve as reservoirs. Humans can also be infected with M. bovis by the consumption of unpasteurized milk. This route of transmission can lead to the development of extrapulmonary TB, exemplified in history by bone infections that led to hunched backs (Todar). M. bovis accounts for only 1% of TB cases in humans in the United States. Another bacterium associated with TB that forms in patients with the late stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is Mycobacterium avium-intrecellulare (Tortora, Funke, and Case 690). According to Todar, M. tuberculosis is a fairly large nonmotile rod-shaped bacterium distantly related to the Actinomycetes. The rods are 2-4 micrometers in length and 0.2-0.5 um in width. Many non-pathogenic mycobacteria are components of the normal flora of humans, found most often in dry and oily locations. M. tuberculosis is an obligate aerobe. For this reason, in the classic case of tuberculosis, MTB complexes are always found in the well-aerated upper lobes of the lungs. The bacterium is a facultative intracellular parasite, usually of macrophages, and has a slow generation time, 15-20 hours, and a physiological characteristic that may contribute to its virulence. Todar also states that the cell wall structure of M. tuberculosis deserves special attention because it is unique among procaryotes, and it is a major determinant of virulence for the bacterium. The cell wall complex contains peptidoglycan, but otherwise it is composed of complex lipids. Over 60% of the mycobacterial cell wall is lipid. The lipid fraction of MTBs cell wall consists of three major components, mycolic acids, cord factor, and wax-D. Mycolic acids are unique alpha-branched lipids found in cell  walls of Mycobacterium and Corynebacterium. They make up 50% of the dry weight of the mycobacterial cell envelope. Mycolic acids are strong hydrophobic molecules that form a lipid shell around the organism and affect permeability properties at the cell surface. Mycolic Acids are thought to be a significant determinant of virulence in MTB. Probably, they prevent attack of the mycobacteria by cationic proteins, lysozyme, and oxygen radicals in the phagocytic granule. They also protect extracellular mycobacteria from complement deposition in serum (Todar). TB has many structural and physiological properties that have been recognized for their contribution to mycobacterial virulence and pathology (Todar). According to Tortora, Funke, and Case, an important factor in the pathogenicity of the mycobacteria, rod-shaped bacteria with waxy outer coats (NIAID), probably is that the mycolic acids of the cell wall strongly stimulate an inflammatory response in the host. In the initial stage there are no symptoms of the disease but the infection is present when tubercle bacilli reach the aveoli of the lung and are ingested by macrophages and also some evade ingestion, and therefore, survive. In stage two, the tubercle bacilli multiply in the macrophages causing a chemotactic response that brings additional macrophages and other defensive cells to the area forming a surrounding layer and in turn an early tubercle. The surrounding macrophages are not successful in destroying bacteria but release enzymes and cytokines that cause lung damaging inflammation. During stage three, symptoms of the disease appear as many macrophages die, releasing tubercle bacilli and forming a caseous center in then tubercle. Many of the tubercle will remain dormant and serve as a basis for later reactivation of the disease. The disease may be arrested at this stage, and lesions become calcified. In stage four of infection, symptoms of the disease appear in some patients as a mature tubercle is formed. As the disease progresses the caseous center enlarges in a process called liquefaction. When the caseous center enlarges, an air-filled tuberculous cavity is formed in which the aerobic bacilli multiply outside of the macrophages. In stage five, liquefaction continues until the tubercle ruptures, which allows bacilli to spill into a bronchiole and then disseminate throughout the lungs and into the circulatory and lymphatic systems. These five stages are how the disease progresses when the defenses of the body fail. In most healthy individuals,  the infection is arrested, and fatal TB does not develop (Tortora, Funke, and Case 689).

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Sanctuary Essay Example for Free

The Sanctuary Essay The author of the publication is Elif Batuman. The article’s title is the Sanctuary published in December 19th to 26th in the year 2011. The origin version title is the Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean. It was about the world’s oldest temple built 11,500 years ago at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. Batuman embarks on a pilgrimage to the Gobelki Tepe temple where she finds much ancient memoirs concerning the way of life of the Neolithic man. She tries to analyse the Neolithic man, but her experience is quite captivating to the reader. The explanations that Batuman offers to regard the different remnants of the Neolithic man are quite convincing. She offers both scientific and biblical explanations for the existence of the evidence as presented by the remnants of the Neolithic man. Batuman has many questions regarding the way of life of the people who lived during the era. In her quest to seek a broader understanding and the way of life and origin of these people; she visits the excavation site where archaeologists are trying hard to unearth the finer details of the Neolithic man existence. There are many artefacts that she finds intriguing and has many questions concerning the animals and human sculptures that exist in the cave. She further tries to gather information from the local residents and raise questions to students and observes every detail and tries to analyse the situation in a logical manner. Batuman feels that these sculptures must surely represent the way of life and the thoughts of the Neolithic man but figures out that the Neolithic man must have had a connection with the Christian biblical origin of man. Batuman further cites many examples about the people from the bible like Adam and Eve, Abraham who are believed to have been among the first generations of mankind on earth. The remnants that are being unearthed from Gobelki Tepe are quite scary to an observer. Snakes, scorpions and other wild animals are naturally dangerous but were part of the creation that the Neolithic man had to contend with. Batuman feels that the men who had their penises exposed were trying to show the importance of children and that they were fertile. Towards the end of the story, Batuman says that Abraham wanted children in order for them to assure him of the continuity of the generation. Batuman tries to convince the reader by providing reasons as to why the Neolithic man became extinct. She feels that there were chances of an occurrence of a natural calamity that wiped out the Neolithic generation. The fact that people lived together with animals could have contributed to a disease outbreak or a natural calamity that wiped out the generation. Batuman further trusts her instincts that she is most likely to be a descendant of the large Neolithic man who is preserved in the museum. This can be somehow convincing to the reader because, sometimes human beings have been proven to have instincts, which guide them to some important discoveries. Elif Batuman tries to relate the Gobelki Tepe temple to the sacred nature of the Neolithic man. The man had a reference for a supreme being who was in control of mankind. The supreme God was recognized for his providence to the people. Among the fundamental things provided were children and food. However, she admits that the sculptures of animals may have been made in order to display a different message altogether. Batuman feels that the hunters should have done some sculptures or paintings in the caves that show hunting scenes. The message that the Neolithic man was trying to put across therefore may need further research in order to try and determine what the real meaning of the sculptures and animals could be.

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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