ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Problems Macro The major problem to address at the macro dimension is how to restore and increase the profit margins and restore the declining market position of the company. It is known that a drop in profit margins of a company leads to loss of reputation and consequently, the customer base reduces. The Space Electronic Corporation needs to respond to these changes by checking all the possible reasons for the decline. One of the possible causes is the increase in competition. The threat of competitors in the market arena is an issue that needs to be addressed effectively before the company runs out of operating capital. Reduction in market position and company’s profits are delicate issues that should be wisely addressed. Micro The company’s vice president of finance, Oliver Whittier, is concerned about the increased overheads and the current drain in the company’s profits (Brown, 2011). The increase in sales and the decline in profits of the company show that there is a major problem in managing the company’s overheads and general expenses. It is therefore important for the company to cross-check its financial management. This is because, under normal circumstances, the profits of a company increase with the increase in sales. The other problem in the company is the probability of losing the two contracts. Ted Byron, the marketing vice president, holds that the probability of winning the contracts is low (Brown, 2011 pp. 417). Causes One of the major causes of the current situation of the company is the separation of R&D from the entire organization. It is well known that for a business to flourish, it has to invest heavily in its research and development. Space Electronic Corporation has failed by isolating this important aspect of growth towards the success of an organization (Brown,2011). The decline in profit and market position could also be caused by other reasons such as low productivity of the workforce. This means that the company should look at all areas of the organization in order to find a lasting solution to the current problems. Failure to counter competition aggressively could also be a cause of the problem. Systems Affected There are several systems that have been affected in the case. The major ones are technical, managerial, goals and values, structural, and psychosocial systems. In terms of goals and values, the company is pessimistic about winning the contracts. Optimism is one of the key drivers in the success of any organization. The managers need to be optimistic about the risks they take and apply the necessary measures towards the prevention of potential risks. Since this company deals with electronic solutions, maintaining the best technology should be at its frontline goals. This means that competitors have more improved technologies. The rise in the company’s overheads shows that the company has not employed the best technology that would ensure low overheads. The technical operations of the company should be enhanced to ensure that each unit of sales produces a considerable proportion of profit. The company should invest in cutting-edge techniques for cost reductio
Social contract theory is extensively associated with modern moral and political theories. It holds that one’s actions are moraly right because they are allowed by the rules that rational, free, and equal people agree to confine their lives to on the basis that others live by the same rules (Shafer-Landau, 2014). This means that an individual’s political and moral duties depend on a contract operational within the society – a position which is strongly defended by Thomas Hobbes (Shafer-Landau, 2014). As such the theory delineates that the scope of the moral community is dependent on a state of nature that is equated to anarchy (Shafer-Landau, 2014). Therefore, the community has no social goods since there is nonexistent social cooperation to facilitate their production. Nonetheless, the theory is objected to on the basis that it is underpinned by fictitious concepts. This is because of the lack of an actual contract. The objection holds that in such a case, there never was an existent state of nature, which means that an explicit covenant was never used to get out of the given state (Shafer-Landau, 2014). This reflects on the worthiness of the theory’s primary ideas as it devalues the different scenarios forwarded by Thomas Hobbes and even the famous prisoner’s dilemma. Nonetheless, the objection is still heavily relevant as the theory in essence explicitly lacks an agreement. However, even though there lacks a physical signed contract, the theory advances the notion of an implicit one. As such, most human beings enter into a virtual agreement willingly whenever they participate in societal activities and enjoy the given benefits (Shafer-Landau, 2014). Additionally, even if the covenent is non-existent, the formation of a social contract would still be in the best interest of human beings (Shafer-Landau, 2014). This would justify the need for the state of nature and the desire to abide by morality dictated within such societies. Reference Shafer-Landau, R. (2014). The fundamentals of ethics . Oxford University Press.
Introduction Shakespeare’s Othello is a play that touches upon the issues that have not lost their relevance throughout the centuries. While in developed countries nowadays, racial and gender inequalities are widely criticized, they are considered the norm in the Venetian society of Othello . Shakespeare challenges these norms, mainly through his portrayals of Othello and Emilia. Overall, Shakespeare’s ideas make Othello a play well ahead of its time. Brabantio’s Case as an Example of Shakespeare’s Anti-Racism Numerous characters throughout the play demonstrate implicit racial attitudes, and Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, is one of those. In Act 1, Scene 2, he expresses his disbelief in the genuineness of his daughter’s feelings for Othello and states that the latter must have seduced her using some sort of magic. Witchcraft practice was considered a serious offense in medieval Europe; hence, Brabantio’s accusations are indicative of his extremely negative perception of Othello. Brabantio concludes the scene with the phrase “for if such actions may have passage free, Bond slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be” (Shakespeare 23). His racism is most evident when he expresses his disgust for Othello’s appearance at the Duke’s palace, angrily exclaiming “to fall in love with what she feared to look on!” (Shakespeare 30). While many characters in the play make brief remarks, which are indicative of their racial attitudes, Desdemona’s father is the most persistent in his ignorance. For Shakespeare, Brabantio’s views are representative of the racial prejudice of the society in general, rather than of his personal feelings towards the protagonist. Othello, telling his story of falling in love with Desdemona, states that “her father loved me, oft invited me” (Shakespeare 32). It proves that Brabantio does not hate Othello, but he can not see him as an equal and definitely can not fathom his daughter loving someone like him. His denial most likely comes from his upbringing and conservative values. As Desdemona’s father can be considered the voice of the conservative elites in Venice, Shakespeare’s portrayal of this character can shed light on his take on racial issues. Two-character juxtapositions can help to understand the author’s position. Brabantio can be compared to Othello as they both present their points to the Duke. A less obvious, but equally important juxtaposition is the one between Brabantio and the Duke. Much like Desdemona’s father, the Duke belongs to the ruling class of the society, but he exhibits an entirely different attitude and behavior. From the moment Brabantio enters the palace, he can barely control himself, interrupting other speakers and throwing repetitive accusations at Othello (Shakespeare 28-30). His argument lacks logical reasoning and is based purely on his perception of race. On the other hand, Othello’s story is cohesive and believable; he is humble and respectful of his opponent. Moreover, he express
Introduction Naturally, conventional polymers e.g. rubbers have long been used for their poor conductive properties as insulator. However, post-1970s, its usage has transformed from being an insulator to a conductor after the discovery of polyacetylene. Today, since polyacetylene, conductive polymers e.g. poly (aniline), polydialkylfluorines, Polythiopene and poly (phenylenevinylene) or PPV have continued to dominate the market. Specifically, PPV continues to enjoy wide usage as an important component in the manufacture of OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) which in turn form the basic components in electronic display screens. In this article we feature the synthesis, characterization, the structure-property-performance and the application of Super Yellow Poly (phenylenevinylene) or SY PPV. Synthesis PPV is a common conjugated polymer with excellent electroluminescence properties that can be manufactured and commercialized “as important components in full-color flat panel displays” (Mikroyannidis 90). As such, in this article we explore the synthesis of SY PPV, a derivative of PPV, using 2-bromo-1, 4-xylelyne diacetate as a precursor element. In order to understand the process involved in the synthesis of SY PPV, a schematic presentation of the steps involved and their intermediate products are shown below (Scheme 1). Importantly, this process explores an archetypal Suzuki coupling reaction in its initial process to synthesize two analogous compounds including 2-(3-(3′, 7′-dimethyloctyloxy) phenyl)-1, 4-xylylene diacetate (compound 2) and 2-(4- (3′, 7′-dimethyloctyloxy) phenyl)-1, 4-xylylene diacetate (compound 5). The reagent used to spark this reaction is 2-bromo-1, 4-xylelyne diacetate (compound 1) in presence of phenylboric acid. The two compounds (2 and 5) then undergo a reduction process in presence of LiA1H4 to form two other matching products of 2-phenyl-1, 4-xylylenediols denoted as compounds 3 and 6 in the schematic diagram below. A subsequent reaction with SOCl 2 yields other twin monomer compounds (4 and 7). These two monomers plus another monomer- 2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-bismethychlorobenzene (compound 8) are then subjected to a copolymerization process to yield SY PPV. Of note, the molar feed factor for monomer 8 is always kept at less than 2% to avoid undesirable effect that includes a decrease in electro-luminous (EL) efficiency. (Mo et al. 1192). Characterization For this conductive polymer we investigate its electroluminescent properties. As such, polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) combined with “structure of ITO (indium tin oxide)/PEDOT: PSS (poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiopene): poly (styrenesulfonate))/emission layer/ Ba/Al was fabricated to inspect the electroluminescent properties of SY PPV” (Mo et al. 1193). As it has been portrayed in the figure below (figure 1), the electroluminescence band of this conductive polymer exhibits a small red light shift relative to photoluminescence (PL) band. Moreover, the trend of EL assumes a bi-peak shoulder with the highest peak at 552 nm while the lowest peak coincides with the 528 nm mark. This behavior
Introduction Nowadays, more and more people in the West come to realize that the currently enacted correctional paradigm does not fit for the task of combating crime. The reason for this is thoroughly objective: the dramatic rise of the incarceration rate that has taken place through the last few decades in most Western countries did not result in improving the overall criminological situation, in the factual sense of this word. Quite the contrary, there appears to have always been a positive correlation between the adoption of the “tough on crime” policies (behind the rate’s growth), on the one hand, and the process of many large cities in North America and Western Europe becoming increasingly crime-ridden, on the other. The US and the UK stand out particularly illustrative in this regard. For example, according to Pfaff (2016), “From the mid-1970s to 2010, the U.S. prison population steadily and relentlessly rose from around 250,000 to 1.6 million; the incarceration rate from around 120 per 100,000 to 510 per 100,000” (p. 951). As of today, the prison population in this country has grown to be over 2 million. The issue in question concerns the UK as well, “The prison population in England and Wales… has increased by over 30 percent compared to 10 years ago, and is nearly double that of 20 years ago (the highest in Europe)” (Ryan & Ward 2015, p. 107). There are two discursive implications to the above-stated. First, it will be appropriate to refer to the described situation in terms of a “penal crisis”, just as it is being done by several contemporary criminologists and social scientists. Second, there is good logic in assuming that this crisis has been induced by the adoption of Neoliberalism as a quasi-official ideology in the US and the UK during the early 1990s. This paper will explore the soundness of both hypothetical suggestions at length while outlining the issue’s most problematic aspects and arguing that there is a well-defined economic rationale to it. It will also be argued that the dramatic growth of the incarceration rate in the US and the UK is best assessed from the Marxist sociological perspective (Bichler & Nitzan 2014). The rise in the number of prisoners in Western countries As one can infer from what has been said earlier, there is a certain paradoxical quality to the fact that the prison population in the US and the UK continues to expand rather exponentially. The reason for this is that such an observable trend is inconsistent with the Neoliberal assumption that the proper functioning of the “free market” economy and the continuation of social progress are two closely interrelated categories (Ward & Green 2016). After all, the very notion of “social progress” presupposes that as time goes on, more and more people grow intrinsically motivated to act in a socially appropriate manner, which in turn is supposed to result in reducing the number of inmates in jails. Also, under the condition of social progress, the practice of sentencing convicts to do time in jail is supposed to serve the
The Western movie genre, the main characteristics of which are guns, horses, and cactuses, presents violence that also relates to women and minorities and affects their portrayal in various films. In many senses, females and minorities are victims of gangsters and are treated as objects having no chance to protect themselves. Even though some films are rather brutal and bloody, their consideration helps to understand the life of those times as well as how violence influenced the depiction of the identified populations. Considering the general brutal atmosphere of the Western movie genre, females and minorities were depicted specifically. Namely, the typical female image may be identified as follows: a saloon girl who handles guns quite well and is quite aggressive sexually. It seems that to protect themselves many women had to act in such a way. At the same time, the mentioned description helps male characters in designing their actions and making decisions by using the marginal roles of women. For example, Helen Ramirez in High Noon is a vivid representative of such women who had to exist at the fringes of society as victims of violence. Another example that is quite essential to point out refers to Dallas in Stagecoach characterized as a blond prostitute. Here it is possible to note an inversion the director of the film creates to convey his message to the public. In particular, since Dallas moves to the other city to start a better life and helps the woman to give birth to her baby, the viewers empathize with her. Thus, the film shows that despite being a prostitute and rather harsh conditions, a female may change her life in the West. The violence regarding women and minorities was primarily used to promote the fake ideals of manhood and subdue the mentioned populations. In the film McLintock! , there is the theme of domestic violence when the husband punishes his wife corporally in response to her request for divorce. A similar approach of men towards women can be observed in Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and High Plains Drifter . In particular, there are knight fights and sexual innuendo towards women. Furthermore, male neglect towards females may be traced in Paint Your Wagon where Pardner shares a woman with his friend just to have some fun. Thus, it is possible to understand that women and minorities were perceived by males as something belonging to the lower class that is clearly reflected in the mentioned films. Perhaps, the most violent film in the given field is The Wild Bunch where violence is in every sequence as a symbol of survival. Here the gangsters shoot and treat women and minorities as objects, thus following their own way of life. As for the minorities in the Western genre films, one considers Native Americans and African Americans as such, yet other minorities are also presented. For example, in Colorado Territory , Wes McQueen, the main character, meets the accomplices of the future robbery of the train, among which is Colorado Carson, a runaway part-Indian girl, who sees in him the man of he
The history of America is characterized by individuals who played very significant roles in realizing the American dream. As I will point out in this essay employing the question-answer format, these individuals’ past experiences helped a great deal in shaping their personalities. What techniques did Henry Fold incorporate to turn his small automobile company into the giant Ford Motor Company? Despite being born to a farmer and eventually dropping out of school at the tender age of fifteen to work on his family’s farm and finally moving to Detroit to pursue his interest in mechanical work, Henry Ford defied all odds to become an apprentice in his trade and eventually built the mainly famed Ford Motor Company. Ford’s ability in strategizing is quite evident since after losing investors for spending eighty-six thousand dollars on a car that could not be sold, he majorly capitalized on the vehicle’s performance, which enabled him to acquire more investors and eventually to propel his company to greater heights ( Nash 225). Ford’s improved mass production method was another technique that he employed to enable him to enhance the company’s proceeds. This also proved to be a worthy venture since it helped him to reduce both the cost and time of production from fourteen hours to an hour and a half. This state of affairs hence enabled him to retail his vehicles at relatively lower prices than his competitors therefore increasing his sales and the company’s general turnover. What traits enabled Henry Ford to become the greatest industrialist of the early twentieth century? Resilience and determination come out quite strongly as Ford’s most significant traits since, despite all the hardships he had encountered while growing up and some of the failures he encountered while setting up his company, among other setbacks, he was never discouraged or demoralized. Ford was a key proponent of the fact that there are two ways of making money; at the expense of others and by service to others; the first method does not make money, does not create anything; it only gets money and does not always succeed in that (Nash 231). The second way pays wise to maker and user, buyer, and seller; it receives b
Introduction Communicable diseases are infectious diseases transmitted from one person to another. One such disease is the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that had an outbreak in China in 2002. This paper will discuss issues regarding SARS out break, the epidemiological indicators, epidemiological data analysis, as well as modes of SARS transmission. SARS Outbreak There was an outbreak in China in 2002; country delayed in submitting the initial report to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was only after continued pressure and numerous cases that PRC notified WHO, and even so, the country disclosed information about the provinces of Guangdong only as it was believed that the disease had its origin there. This led to international criticism and the government changed its perspective, allowing the press to release information concerning the disease and conduct supervision (Wong and Zheng, 2005, p. 123). Epidemiological Indicators of SARS SARS is a viral disease and the virus responsible for its transmission is known as coronaviruses. The main epidemiological indicators are mortality, morbidity, and surveillance. According to Webb (2005, p. 77), Surveillance refers to “continuous assessment of the occurrence and distribution of diseases as well as other conditions of ill health, and their causes for effective control and prevention.” Surveillance entails gathering of information, analyzing it and interpreting relevant information and the subsequent dissemination of such information to the parties. Surveillance may be active, passive or sentinels systems. Mortality refers to number of death per certain period. Infant mortality rate is mostly witnessed in the cases related to SARS; high infant mortality rate shows that the environmental conditions are unconducive and there are health needs that need to be addressed (Maurer and Smith, 2005, p. 165). Morbidity refers to an ill health incidence and it can be measured in several ways; morbidity rate shows a proportionate comparison of those people who are sick to the healthy ones. Analysis of Epidemiological Data on the Outbreak In data collection and analysis of SARS outbreak, there is a process to be followed in order to determine the cause and severity of the disease. First, an electronic patient database is kept in a central control position and all patients suspected to have the infectious SARS should be entered in the database; in the case of SARS, a SARSID (SARS Integrated Database) was created. After database creation, the case is defined and analyzed for clinical symptoms. According to McLean (2005, p. 62), World Health Organization (WHO) defined the case in two ways; first, any person found after 1st November 2002 to have a cough, difficulty in breathing or high body temperature and had an exposure(s) ten days before onset of symptoms. Second, anybody who had died after the same date had exposure before onset of symptoms, the cause of death was acute unexplained respiratory illness, and no autopsy wa