Signal Processing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Signal Processing - Research Paper Example One of these digital signal processing techniques is adaptive filtering. Adaptive Filters Haykin (2006) defines an adaptive filter as a system which is self-designing and reliant on a recursive algorithm for its operation. This feature enables an adaptive to satisfactorily perform in an environment where there is scarce or no knowledge of the applicable statistics. Diniz & Netto (2002) observe that an adaptive filter is used when either the fixed specifications are not known, or these specifications cannot be met by filters which are time-invariant. Adaptive filter’s characteristics depend on the input signal and such filters are time-varying because their parameters continually change so as to satisfy a performance requirement. The two main groups of adaptive filters are linear and nonlinear. According to Stearns & Widrow (1985), linear adaptive filters calculate an approximation of the desired response by utilizing a linear permutation of the available group of observables t hat are applied to the filter’s input. Nonlinear adaptive filters are those that depend on the input signal and their parameters change continually. Also, adaptive filters can be classified as supervised and unsupervised adaptive filters. Supervised adaptive filters apply the presence of a training series that gives different outputs of a desired ouput for a particular input signal. The response that is desired is compared against the real output due to the input signal, and the error signal that results is used in adjusting the filter’s free parameters. Unsupervised adaptive filters perform alterations of their free parameters without the requirement for a desired response. Such filters are designed with a group of rules that enable it to calculate the input-output mapping with particular desirable properties (Sayed, 2003). Adaptive Filtering System Configuration Drumright (1998) establishes 4 major types of adaptive filtering configurations. These include adaptive no ise cancellation, adaptive inverse system, adaptive system identification and adaptive linear prediction. Algorithm implementation in all these systems, but the configuration is different. They all have the same general characteristics which include: an input signal x(n), a desired result d(n), an output signal y(n), an adaptive transfer function w(n) and an error signal e(n). e(n)=d(n)-y(n) The adaptive system identification determines a discrete approximation of the transfer function for an unknown analog or digital system. A similar input x(n) is applied to both the unknown system and the adaptive filter and the outputs are compared. The y(n) of the adaptive filter is subtracted from that of the unknown resulting in an error signal e(n) which is used to manipulate the filter coefficients of the adaptive system. In the adaptive noise cancellation configuration, an input x(n) and a noise source N1(n) are compared with a desired signal d(n) which comprises of a signal s(n) corrupted by another noise N0(n). The adaptive filter coefficients adapt to cause the error signal to be a noiseless version of the signal s(n). The adaptive linear prediction configuration performs two operations; linear prediction and noise cancellation. Finally, the adaptive inverse system models the inverse of the unknown system u(n), an aspect which is useful in adaptive equalization (Drumright, 1998). Conclusion Just as discussed above, the classical applications of adaptive filt

Sources of Funds for Businesses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sources of Funds for Businesses - Assignment Example Owners’ investment: - This is funds generated from the owner's savings, they are pillars of many small businesses.   Owner’s investments are used in most cases where your business doesn't have the assets to invest. Retained earnings:-This source of funds is only obtainable for a business which has been in operation for more than one year. It’s an easy source of internal funding because this is when returns made are reinvested back into the business. It’s a medium to a long-term source of funds. Debt Collection: - A business can increase its funding by collecting debts from their debtors, however not all business has debtors thus this form is not applicable to all businesses. It’s a short-term source of funding a business. Bank Overdraft:-This is where a financial institution permits an entity to take out additional cash than it has in its savings. This means that a company may still write cheques even with no money in their accounts. It’s a short-term source of funds and can be very expensive if used over longer periods (Gregoriou, Kooli & Kraussll, 2007). Hire Purchase:-This technique allows a business to get assets without the necessity to pay larger amounts. Involves paying the first deposit and even payments for a certain period; it’s a medium-term source of funds Mortgage:-This is a credit held on the property, payable in installments over a particular period of time usually 25 years. After the final payment, a business will officially own the property. It’s a long-term source of funds. Corporations can rely on both internal and external sources of funds because both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, many corporations today rely on external funds due to the following reasons Most business needs finances to grow. Even companies with greater returns cannot rely only on reinvested earnings to finance their operations. Hence, a business is required to secure bank loans, partner with other companies or any other way to raise external funds. (Smart, Megginson & Graham, 2010).  

NHS: History of, and Modern Day

NHS: History of, and Modern Day Introduction Early approaches to health in the UK generally saw it as the responsibility of the individual to seek and pay for health services. However, we can see the emergence of government involvement as early as the late 1700s as Britain was emerging as an industrialised nation. This new age of wealth brought about medical advances but symptomatic of the laissez-faire (leave alone) attitudes of the time, nothing much was done about public health until the Cholera outbreak of 1831 which made government intervention essential. It took the deaths of over 100,000 people in four cholera epidemics between 1831 and 1866 to get the British government to take action to improve public health in the cities. Social reformers began to survey the living conditions of the poor and 1842 Edwin Chadwick published his Report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain which concluded that the life expectancy of people living in the cities was about half of that living in the countryside. This was due to various forms of epidemic and endemic as a result of mainly overcrowding and the lack of drainage, ventilation and proper cleansing. Change was slow as the report offended many influential groups including water companies, corporations and public figures and the government disassociated itself from the report. Initial public health acts failed, however, after the second outbreak of Cholera in 1848 the first Public Health Act was passed which allowed Councils to set up a local board of Health if 10% of the rate payers agreed. Further public health acts were passed in 1872 and 1875, the latter completely changing public health as it forced councils to take action which included providing clean drinking water and proper sanitation. This was when we saw a concerted effort by the government to intervene in public health. Early hospitals were part voluntary, where the standards varied, and there were Local Authority Hospitals, which were developed from the workhouses. There were also Teaching hospitals, which were the best, but these charged fees. Most of the population paid for care they needed, although some were covered by national insurance. The services did not include dental care, ophthalmic services or hearing aids, specialised treatments and did not cover non insured family members. In 1942 the British economist William Beveridge produced his Report on Social Insurance and Allied Service, later known as the Beveridge report. It listed five basic problems in public health: idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor and want and proposed a scheme to look after people from ‘the cradle to the grave. Later in 1948 we saw the beginning of full government responsibility in the form of the National Health Service Act when the people of Britain were provided with free diagnosis and treatment of illness, as well as dental and ophthalmic services. Formation of the modern NHS In 1980 the DHSS published the Black report which concluded that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state, there were widespread health inequalities. It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was poverty and it stated that the death rate for men in social class V was twice that for men in social class I and that gap between the two was increasing. This report led to an assessment by the World Health Organization of health inequalities in 13 countries. The situation did not improve and in 1992 the government published the Health of a Nation, which listed numerous targets to improve public health. Approaches under the Conservative and New Labour governments saw an attempt to shift responsibility away from the state back towards the individual. Margaret Thatcher was unsure how to tackle the NHS in the 1980s, as it was so popular with the public, but eventually decided to follow her principles that she had followed on other policies, that of internal competition. The NHS was in real crisis at the time and it was felt by many that it had created aculture of dependency. The government wanted to transfer the emphasis from ‘dependence to ‘independence, by ending the benefit culture. The government believed that the NHS should be for the poorest and they actively encouraged the public to make their own provision with regards to their own health and insurance, either through company or private cover. These right wing think tank policies continue with the new Labour government in 1997 and this set about to fragment the NHS with autonomous foundation trusts. Tony Blair did not want to dissolve Conservative reforms and was attracted to use incentives to kick start the modernisation of the HNS. He was determined to boost spending to the EU average and opposed to traditional socialist values, he believed that reform needed to be in partnership with the private or voluntary sector. Waiting times were not falling and he wanted the patient to have a choice of which hospital or which doctor to treat them under patient controlled care. He states ‘I need to know how to increase the role of the private sector in health (Seldon: p44). Against much hostility within the Labour Party on 19 November 2003, the bill was passed for the formation of self funding Foundation Hospitals. These hospitals are independent legal entities which can opt out of government guidelines. Critics argue that the top hospitals are attracting investment and more money, therefore creating a two tier system. Structure of the NHS in England http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:QzBfNynbBC8w8M:http://www.hygicare.co.uk/images/hygi/clients/nhs_logos200x200.gif The NHS is divided into two separate sections. The first is primary care which is initially the first point of contact for most patients. The services are delivered by a large range of independent health care professionals such as GPs, dentists, pharmacists optometrists and podiatrists. Secondary care can be either elective care or emergency care. Elective care is generally specialist medical care or surgery, typically following a referral from a primary health care professional such as a GP. There are also tertiary care services which offer specialist care, such as hospitals for sick children. The Department of Health is responsible for running the NHS, public health and social care in England. This organisation provides organised direction, secures resources as well as setting national minimum service standards. The NHS Executive is part of the Department of Health with offices in Leeds and London and eight regions across the country. It supports Ministers and provides leadership and a range of management functions to the NHS, while the regional offices make sure national policy is developed in their own areas. In October 2002, 28 Strategic Health Authorities were created to manage the NHS at local level and act as a link back to the Department of Health. The role of the SHA is to support the local health service in improving performance, integrating national priorities into local health plans as well as resolving any conflicts between local NHS organisations. SHAs also monitor the performance of Primary Care Trusts and ensure that they meet their specific targets. The number of SHA was reduced in 2006 to 10 in order to provide a better service. There are 147 Primary Care Trusts in England, each charged with planning, securing and improving primary and community health services in their local area. They work strongly with patients, the public, GP practices to deliver these healthcare services. PCTs are allocated 75% of the NHS budget to fund services and are accountable to their local SHA. Primary Care Groups are there to improve the health of the population and they bring together GPs, community nurses, managers, social services, local communities, Health Authorities in partnership to improve services and the health of their community. NHS Trusts employ the majority of the workforce in the health service. Most of their income is generated from Primary Care Trusts and are mainly self governing, but accountable to SHA. They have to deliver results and if they dont their agreements can be withdrawn. The main types of trust are as follows. 1. Acute Trusts There are 168 acute trusts and they manage hospitals to make sure there is quality health care. They employ the vast majority of the NHS workforce. 2. Care Trusts These Trusts are organisations that work in both health and social care. They are set up between local authorities to enable close integration and benefit the local community. They usually concentrate on specialist mental health and older peoples services 3. Mental Health Trusts There are 60 Mental Health Trusts in England which provide specialist mental health services in hospitals and the local community. 4. Ambulance Trusts There are 12 Ambulance Trusts in England providing patients with emergency access to health care. 5. Childrens Trusts These are run by the local government and offer an integrated service for children. 6. Foundation Trusts There are currently 122 Foundation Trusts which are non-profit making organisation owned by members of the local community. These Trusts remain within the NHS and its performance inspection system. One significant change was in 2003 when The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) was set up. This is an independent body which collects information from the public so that they can be involved in health care. It represents public views on healthcare matters and provides advice and support to patients wanting to make a complaint about NHS Services. Private Health Care In an affluent society like Britain with an individualist culture, there has been increasing private health care in the UK since the 1980s when the conservative government introduced ‘market orientation in which there was compulsory tendering for ancillary services such as catering and laundry. By 1985 private contractors undertook 40% of all ancillary services. Private health care has been actively encouraged by the government to ease the burden of the NHS and although there has been substantial expansion, it only accounted for 18% of the total spending on health care in 2005. Around three quarters of those using private health care pay for it by health insurance, usually by their employers. The amount of people with private insurance has increase from 2.1 million in 1971 to 7 million by 2003. Some sorts of treatments like cosmetic surgery are only available through private medicine and there is also a tendency for people to make one off visits for minor operations to avoid lo ng waiting times with the NHS. Patients generally get better treatment for private health care and competition between companies improves the all round service. One of the major downsides is that more affluent areas attract better hospitals and services and it the lower social groups that require more health care. People that do not have the expertise about health sometimes may be persuaded under private health care to undergo operation they do not necessarily need. The private sector is made up of different types of company, the largest ones being PLCs, companies like BUPA which carry out approximately 850,000 operations each year. Another sector is smaller private limited companies and organisations such as Podiatrists and Physiotherapists. Voluntary, alternative and complementary medicine There has been a growing popularity of alternative therapies to challenge medical pre-eminence and is estimated that a fifth of the population has used some form of alternative medicine. These include professionally organised therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy and hypnotherapy and alternative disciplines such as kinesiology and radionics. Voluntary services are those which are considered not profit making and are registered charities i.e Age Concern and Mencap. They do not cover all localities and only a few are involved in the direct provision of health care. Relationship between the different types of health care Private health care often fails to care for those who need it the most, the poor and the elderly and private health care systems which are in competition with each other tend to be less efficient than the NHS. In 2002 the new labour government continued to use the private sector in conjunction with the NHS services to expand capacity, increase access and promote diversity in the provision and choice of health services (Department of Health, 2002). The NHS has pay beds which are rented out to the private sector, although these often cost more to service than the money they raise. While most patients seek conventional medicine and receive treatment from the NHS, some alternative medicine has been recognised by the medical profession. These services have been incorporated into medical practices and treatments such as osteopathy and acupuncture are now available to NHS patients. Voluntary groups contribute to care in the community and can make improvements to peoples lives, yet the ‘mixed economy of health care and the boundaries of responsibility are not always clear. Conclusion Originally the HNS was set up to be free at the point of entry and it has stayed largely unchanged for over 30 years. Since the 1980s ‘internal market, changes have taken place and new labours reforms set up Foundation Hospitals and actively encouraged the private sector. In the future there will be undoubtedly further expansion of primary and preventative health care and more commercial involvement and expansion of the private sector. References: Childs, D. (2006) Britain since 1945, 5th Edn, Routledge: Oxford. Giddens, A. (2006) Sociology, 5th Edn, Polity Press: Cambridge. History and Policy, (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.historyandpolicy.org/papers/policy-paper-14.html (Accessed 19 Nov 2009). Marrie Barrie, A., and Yuill, C. (2008) Understanding the Sociology of Health, an introduction, 2nd Edn, Sage: London Nettleton, S. (2008) The Sociology of Health and Illness, 2nd Edn, Polity Press: Cambridge. NHS (2009) [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/aboutnhs/Pages/Authoritiesandtrusts.aspx (Accessed 22 Nov 2009). Science Museum. (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/publichealth.aspx. (Accessed 17 Nov 2009). Seldon, A. (2007) Blair Unbound, Simon and Schuster: London. Skyminds. (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.skyminds.net/politics/inequalities-in-great-britain-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries/the-thatcher-years-the-individual-and-society/ (Accessed 17 Nov 2009). Taylor, T., and Field, F. (2003) Sociology of Health and Health Care, 4th Edn, Blackwell Publishing: Oxford.

Braveheart Essay example -- essays research papers

It has been said that the best things in life are worth fighting for. In the movie Braveheart starring Mel Gibson this thought is the basis for the whole movie. This film was based on the real life story of Scotland's rebellion from under English rule in the thirteenth century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Wallace, played by Gibson, was a son of a common soldier. He desired nothing more in life than to move back to his homeland years after his father's death and to start a farm and a family. Wallace's plans are drastically interrupted when the English lord of the land kills his wife in order to get to him. Instead of making him weak, the murder of his wife prompts William to begin a rebellion of English rule. He inspires thousands of Scotsmen to fight the English soldiers for their freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This movie is an incredible display of the ability of a country to fight against oppression from evil. Mel Gibson does a wonderful job playing a character who fights with passion for his country and for the memory of his wife. It is uncommon to find a movie where the main character fights with as much feeling and emotion as William Wallace does. He is an intelligent man and would not have fought in a war unless it was for a meaningful cause. Before the death of his wife he is approached by some of the villagers to fight against the English but refuses to because he doesn't feel it is necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &n...

Shanker’s Article on The Real Victims

Albert Shanker for 25 years was the columnist for â€Å"Where We Stand† in the New York Times and also president of the American Federation of Teachers. His article on the Real Victims addressed the need for alternative programs to resolve violence and disorder in schools. He agrees with Education reformers about setting high standards for students to achieve. But its worthless Shanker argues if students are continually in fear of a stray bullet hitting them or classes ruled by disruptive students. Shanker opens with an example of school violence, how it terrified one student witnessing the stabbing of another student. Fearful of herself being stabbed too, the girl dropped out of school but managed to earn a GED and further her education into college. Not many could follow the footsteps of this successful girl Shanker warns. Many students he states are scared and disarrayed and lost to school and learning. He gives an example of disruption and how if not equally more damaging it is when compared to school violence. If there is one student that is disruptive in a class then the teacher†s time will be spent on trying to contain this student rather than attend the many who want to learn Shanker states. As a consequence Shanker concludes this will wreck the concentration of the many learning students in that class. There is a high level of tolerance for this kind of behavior he states, and school officials seem to be at a loss. Shanker claims that students carrying guns or drugs or who have been violent to other students have simply been transferred to another school, and those students who are chronically disruptive seem to deserve more tolerance. He states that little is done to kids who keep others from learning. As a result of this failure to remedy the problem Shanker observes that parents that are very much aware of the situation go for vouchers and tuition tax credits. Hoping that by placing their children in schools that do not tolerate violence or disorderly conduct will shield them from it. Many education experts he points out argue that our first responsibility is to the minority of violent and disruptive kids. These kids they claim have a ‘right† to an education and that they deserve to stay in class too. He refutes this point by addressing the rights of the rest of the students making the majority of the class. Those he claims that are ready to work and willing to learn. Why he questions would we want to threaten their security and education. Shanker defends himself that he does not want to put the violent and disruptive children on the streets rather; he wants to see a change in the system. A system he urges that does not surrender the vast majority of willing and learning children for the few and violent children. A consequence of not finding an effective remedy to the system of things is that children with impressionable minds will learn the wrong lessons Shanker claims. To support his reasoning he gives an example of a child committing violence against another. The by-standers watching this happen are positive something bad will happen to this violent student. To the surprise of the children, the teacher gets in trouble for reporting the incidence. Children†s sense of right and wrong fades, a bad lesson taught and a violent child is automatically made a leader for the rest to observe and follow Shanker concedes. Shanker argues that the system is irrational and this is why irate parents demand vouchers and tax credits, anything that could save their children from the few violent children who take hostage the educational system. Rather than the majority of wiling and learning students move out, why not move the few aggressive and troublesome students, Shanker concludes.

Henry Moseley

Henry Moseley: An Annotated Bibliography Todd Helmenstine (November 23) November 23 Science History. Retrieved from: http://chemistry. about. com/od/novemberinscience/tp/november23history. htm In this short analysis of Moseley’s accomplishment, Helmenstine basically summed up the most important facts about Henry Moseley and his discoveries. He shows how Moseley proved that the element’s atomic number is more important than the element’s atomic weight. This proved to be important because back then, â€Å"atomic number was just a number indicating the element's position on the periodic table and not a measurable quantity. Although the facts are short, it is a quick outlook of Moseley’s accomplishments. The information found here is safe to use because sites such as About. com do not make up any of their facts. Henry Moseley (2012) Retrieved from: http://www. famousscientists. org/henry-moseley/ This biography has far more information than the previous one. It goes deeper into Moseley’s life instead of just giving general facts about him. The author goes in chronological order by stating his early life, his middle life which includes his discoveries and accomplishments, and his life when he’s older.It goes into more detail by giving the names of his discoveries such as Moseley’s Law which happens to be the systematic relationship between the atomic number and wavelength. The biography also explains that if he had not died in war, he would have contributed even more about the atomic structure and possibly winning a Nobel Prize. † This biography is up to date, and seems to be reliable due to the wide range of other scientists. Heilbron, J. L. (1974). H. G. J. Moseley: The Life and Letters of an English Physicist, 1887–1915. Berkeley: University of California Press. Retrieved from: http://www. hemistryexplained. com/Ma-Na/Moseley-Henry. html In this analysis of Moseley’s life/ discoveries, more fac ts are being shown. For example, it shows that there was a research group composed of Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, Hans Grieger, and of course Henry Moseley. All of these scientists made important discoveries, but Moseley wanted to further investigate x-rays. The author suggests that the way Moseley did things was a â€Å"classical example of the scientific method. † The article is very excellent and seems very reliable, and it seems to have gathered information from various sources.Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley from World of Chemistry. (2005-2006) Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. Retrieved from: http://www. bookrags. com/biography/henry-gwyn-jeffreys-moseley-woc/ Other than just saying what Moseley experimented, this biography actually explained in detail what he did exactly with the x-rays. It also explains the reason why Moseley knew why atomic number was far more important than the atomic weight. The main difference is that the variati on in atomic masses between adjacent elements is never consistent, whereas the variation in nuclear charge is always precisely one. This statement is one of the most important ones because this is basically his whole discovery. The information is quite old, but it has all the same information as other reliable sites. The University of Oxford (2011) The Story of Moseley and X-rays. Retrieved from: http://www. physics. ox. ac. uk/history. asp? page=moseley Although some of the information has already been mentioned in other various sites, what many of them lack is a visual of Moseley’s experiments, and that’s exactly what this biography has. The visual portrays his experiment in exact details and all the results that came from it.Although â€Å"there was no explanation for these multiple lines (and several other weaker lines not shown on Moseley's diagram) and this had to await the discovery of the spin of the electron and the quantum theory, as did the slight departure s from linearity. † This shows that sometimes even the scientist that is conducting an experiment can be confused or have the lack of knowledge of something. The article found here is a year old, so the information is still valuable, and the source from which it came from is valuable.