ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Central banks normally control the interest rates through participating in the open market operations. A reserve bank would influence the state’s economy by either purchasing or issuing the government with marketable instruments (Elton, Gruber & Brown 2006, p. 64). By selling, the central bank lowers the price of the marketable instruments in the open market. This leads to reduced interest rates of commercial banks and that of the entire economy. Similarly, the central banks may reduce the interest rates at which commercial banks borrow loans from central banks. This implies that commercial banks will respond by issuing loans to the public at reduced interest rates. In addition, the central bank may impose a ceiling on the interest rates above which the commercial banks would not be allowed to offer loans to the public. Generally, interest rate is one of the monetary policies that are used to control various economic variables such as inflation rates and investments. The Indian Central Bank raised its interest rate in an attempt to improve the GDP growth in the year 2011. The central bank of India enhanced the benchmark repo rate by 0.025%. The interest stood at 8.5% as at mid October 2011. This move was essential since it would have seen the inflation rate contained within the accepted levels. According to the Reserve Bank of India, setting the interest rate for commercial banks gives guidance to banks as regards to the upcoming period (Currie 2011, p. 87). The interest rate of 8.5% was imposed with an expectation that inflation rates would decline in December 2011 and subsequently maintain the fall to 7% at the end of March 2012. According to the July Quarterly Review, the central bank of India had projected that the Gross Domestic Product would experience a growth of 8% for the year 2011 and 2012. Nevertheless, the September Quarterly Review indicated that the risk to the projected growth was declining. Many financial analysts claimed that based on the changes taking place in the economic environment, the downward baseline projection of Gross Domestic Product growth was expected to hit an average of 7.6% in 2011-2012 financial year. Bank of England was keen to ensure that the interest rate was maintained at sustainable levels to allow the economy of England keep off from the disasters associated with the European economic crisis. As at August 2011, the monetary policy committee of the Bank of England maintained the base rate at 0.5%. However, it made no changes on its quantitative easing plan. The economic analysts of the UK claimed that interest rates would not probably rise until the following year that is, 2012. This was expected to occur following the signs of inflationary pressures, which were to hit the peak. The inflation rate had dropped to 4.2% at the end of June. Although there were possibilities that utility bills had t
Introduction: The Deadly Breath of the War Among all controversial issues that the humankind conceal sin the folds of time, the history of was must be the most biased one. Caused by certain political issues and demanding enormous blood-shedding to satisfy its thirst for cruelty, war is the most despicable and disgusting invention of the humankind. Nevertheless, a part and parcel of evolution, wars do occur even in the most advanced countries on a variety of premises, not to mention the clash of cultures and the resulting conflict that occurs as two countries of different stages of development are at war. Because of the complexity of the political, economical and personal issues that mixed in the course of the notorious Vietnam War, the latter can be posed not only as a conflict between the two states, but as a conflict between the two cultures, political forces and the visions of the reality, both political and civil one, which requires thorough considerations. Providing sufficient food for thoughts, the events of the Vietnam War are quite hard to analyze from the bird’s-eye view of the present days, yet offer an enticing material for exploration that allows to learn more about the political affairs of the USA, the motivations of the 1967-68 Congress and the President and make certain conclusions about the policy of the United States. Analyzing the viewpoints of an ordinary soldier and a civil citizen who witnessed the Vietnam War, one can demonstrate the differences in the visions of the two and offer reasonable explanations for the phenomenon. The Matter of Honor and Courage: In the Eye of a Soldier There can be no possible doubt that, to realize what the war is, one has to see the horrors and the destruction of the armed conflict with his/her own eyes, which the author of the book, Frederick Downs [1] , demonstrates quite well. With the help of the most realistic descriptions and the vivid pictures of woes that soldiers had to take in the course of the battles, the author makes the people sink into the mind of the man with the gun. It is quite important that the author portrays both the elements of the relatively calm and peaceful environment – if anything in the front line can be calm and peaceful – and invites the reader into the mind of his own –
Summary The article by Quarantelli and Dynes (1977) discusses the topic of social crises and disasters; it summarizes the related literature published during the 1960s-1970s. The authors focused on studies where the term “disaster” denoted social phenomena, omitting the literature pertaining to “natural hazards” or technological catastrophes; an attempt was made to concentrate on omissions and problems ignored in publications (Quarantelli & Dynes, 1977). Quarantelli and Dynes (1977) observe that there had been several attempts to generalize and codify existing findings on disasters; several such studies are mentioned. Most codification attempts are stated to have a severe drawback, i.e. being based on data that only pertains to a single set of events, which considerably limits these generalization efforts; however, despite this, different generalizations based on different disaster events often come to very similar conclusions. It is highlighted that although social psychological emphasis had tended to dominate in sociology earlier, the disaster studies of the 1960s-1970s mainly focused on social organizational issues. This is viewed as positive, for the causes of disasters were sought in the social structure and conditions, rather than only in psychological characteristics of people. It is noted that groups rather than individuals were used as basic units for disaster studies; however, there existed several problems related to this fact, such as the difficulty to define the boundaries of certain social groups, making it hard to choose methods of study, as well as to pinpoint the object of study itself. Also, small (in size) groups lack formal structure and the “division of labor,” which further complicates their study. Another difficulty is related to the fact that disasters are often addressed by groups that emerge because of that disaster (Quarantelli & Dynes, 1977). The authors summarize that disaster research often concentrates on systems addressing the disasters; these studies utilize approaches related to collective behavior and complex organization. This led to an emergence of a link between collective behavior and complex organization studies (Quarantelli & Dynes, 1977). Quarantelli and Dynes (1977) also highlight that the pre-disaster period is often viewed as a source of post-disaster events by researchers; this principle of continuity is stated to seem to apply both to individual and social behavior. Additionally, Quarantelli and Dynes (1977) summarize that many studies tend to concentrate on long-term outcomes of disasters, both functional and dysfunctional; it is stressed that while previous research only focused on adverse outcomes of disasters, the reviewed studies also highlight some of their positive consequences, such as increased solidarity of victi
Questions to appraise a nursing research for practice Evidence-based nursing research poses the need for clinical nurses to make use of the best research to facilitate effective decision-making. To use efficient research, the nurse must ask a well-designed question when appraising nursing research for practice (Boswell & Cannon, 2011). The first approach in asking the research question for appraisal of clinical practice involves determining the type of question, whether background or foreground; this is integral in determining the resource to be used in critically evaluating the appraisal for nursing practice (Burns & Grove, 2010). The first question relates to the reliability of the evidence collected in terms of the time of its collection and the method of data collection. This is vital when critically appraising nursing research practice because it is essential in determining nursing research trends. The second question relates to the validity of the evidence collected in terms of the accuracy of the collection methods and the participants. Validity is an important aspect of nursing research that should not be ignored because it is used to ascertain the study’s value. The third question relates to the limitations associated with nursing research. This is because limitations influence the research outcome and should be taken into consideration when appraising evidence-based nursing research. Reader objectivity in critiquing a nursing research It is arguably evident that critical research warrants the need for a stance. This implies that the underlying issues associated with bias, positionality, reflexivity, and prejudices are pertinent when undertaking critical research. The consensus from all the researchers in all fields is their disagreement with bias. However, there is less unity regarding how the concept of bias in research is understood (Burns & Grove, 2010). For instance, it is common for researchers to cite accusations and methodological flaws regarding bias in research that has adopted a moral standpoint, or rather, research that indicates its side. Researchers that oppose the aspect of moral or political standpoint when conducting research believe that value-free research is a possibility. As such, they consent to the view that any influence that the researcher’s values place on the design of the research and findings is considered as a bias that needs correction. This is not the same case for researchers who clearly indicate their moral and political standpoints. When undertaking critical research, reflexivity can be viewed as the steady awareness and individual assessment of the researcher regarding one contribution and how the researcher can influence the research and subsequent findings. The concept of reflexivity is important, but its application in the context of research is debatable. Reflexivity primarily entails the explicit self-consciousness of the researcher (Ruane, 2005). The implication from this view is that researchers have to con
The Persian empires form today what is known as contemporary Iran. The Medes are known to have laid the foundation of Iran as a nation and as an empire. They’re also responsible for establishing the first Iranian empire, which was the largest until Cyrus the Great merged the Medes and Persians empire forming what was known as the Achaemenian Empire. The Persian empires were made up of four major dynasties: Achaemenid, Seleucids, Parthian and Sasanid. Reason for rise of Persian empires One of the reasons why the Persian empires rose was due to some of the leadership skills attributed to the leaders. For instance, Cyrus the great was known for his tolerance. He accepted different cultures within his empire and allowed its citizens to practice them. The Greeks called him a law giver while the Jews referred to him as anointed by the Lord. Through more benevolent policies, he was able to reunite his subjects to Persian rule thus his empire was able to remain stable for a long time. Darius the Great on the other hand established a government model that later on became a model for other future governments. He also established a tax collecting system, allowed his citizens to observe their religions and customs, built a system of roads that’s still used today and established a complex postal system. The system of governing was centralized in such a way that a certain amount of autonomy in the form of a satrapy system was allowed. A satrapy can be defined as an administrative unit that was created on a geographical basis. For instance, the governor under the Persian political system was allocated a province under the ancient Persian monarchy. This consisted of 23 administrative divisions. Additionally, a system of spies and surprise audits prevented any local rebellion. Another factor that ensured the Persian empires remained united was their level of tolerance. The citizens were allowed to practice their religions and customs without any restrictions. Legal codes were also implemented to protect the minority. Good infrastructure was one key factor that facilitated trade in the empires and beyond. This helped to maintain a source of livelihood for the empires as well as cater for their basic needs. Challenges One major challenge that faced the Persian empires and perhaps a factor that contributed to their downfall was the high number of population. The population consisted of 35 million people who formed different ethnic groups. It is believed that there were 70 different ethnic groups in the existing empires. This made it difficult to rule as the population consisted of different cultures and religions, as well as people who spoke different languages. Organization and governance in the empires contributed a lot to their decline. For instance, towards its end, the Parthian empire’s disorganization had loosened and the last king was defeated by one of the empire’s vassal peoples. Social stratification also contributed to the fall of the emp
Courtrooms are places where judges preside over trials and hearings and on certain occasions with a jury, on matters pertaining but not limited to estate, juvenile, adoption, divorce, custody or marriage issues. The two mentioned courtroom participants are the generally thought of when one is attending a civil or a criminal trial. However, there are a number of other participants such as the plaintiff, bailiff, defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, defendant, witnesses, deputy sheriff, court reporter and a court clerk. Each of these participants has differentiated roles and responsibili
Introduction to CRM and its benefits to an organization Customer relationship management (CRM) is a business strategy that is designed to facilitate the company’s interactions with its clientele and potential customers. The strategy is intended to increase profitability by maximizing on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. CRM has outlived the perception that people had of it before, that it was simply a software, and has evolved into a customer centered philosophy that is used in the whole organization. A successful CRM is dependent on a people, a company’s business process, and appropriate CRM technology. For a CRM strategy to be successful, everybody within the company must support it (Burrows, 2001, para. 3). Bolstering of a company’s CRM calls for reengineering of business processes where questions related to how the process can better serve the customer are asked. Companies must come up with the right technology that can help drive the improved process. Nevertheless, employees must be provided with the best data. If any of the listed foundations is not properly anchored into a company’s strategy, chances are that the entire CRM will crumble. CRM has myriad benefits including its capability in helping concerned business departments to learn more about its customers’ needs and behaviors. With this information, a company can develop a very strong relationship with its customers. This enhances the success of the business. CRM uses people, processes, and technology to get to know people’s behavior and value. This insight helps in enhancing service delivery, call center efficiency, and improved customer profiling. This helps in increasing the profitability of a business. Other benefits of CRM include helping in developing better communication channels within a company. With CRM, data containing customer information and order histories can be collected and this information can help in enhancing customer satisfaction hence profitability. The data can also be used in creating the profile of each and every customer (Burro
Financial Statement Analysis Zimmer Biomet Holdings has a cash ratio of 1.99. This means it can use its current assets to pay for its current liabilities. The company can thus be extended credit as it can use its current assets to pay about twice the value of its current liabilities (Delen, Kuzey & Uyar, 2015). The company had a cash ratio and quick ratio of 0.31 and 1.03, respectively. This shows that the company has a low liquidity level. It had a 2.37% return on assets. It recorded a negative return on assets of 0.65%. Its return on equity was -1.10%. This can be attributed to the impact of the covid 19 pandemic, which resulted in lower sales. The pandemic also led to a contraction of its available cash flow from $ 1063 to $ 975. In the previous year, the company made a pretax profit, and thus its earnings per share were 9.60%. The sales of Zimmer Biomet Holdings are expected to increase, indicating a return on equity over the next 5 years. In 2019, the company has a high price-earnings ratio of 27.70 and a low price ratio of 18. This shows that the company will have higher profitability ratios in the future. Despite the pandemic’s impact on profitability and sales, its net debt to capital was relatively moderate at 36.2%. This is a manageable debt-to-capital ratio as only a third of the company’s capital can be used to service the debt. This means that the company’s capital can be used to meet its debt obligations. Its debt leverage was 3.9 times. The capital structure of Zimmer Biomet Holding is relatively stable. Its total debt to total equity is at 69.04%, while its total debt to total capital is at 40.84. Its long-term debt to equity and long-term debt total capital are at 64.33 and 38.05 respectively. The company has an interest coverage of 3.84. The capital structure and credit worthiness of the company are stable compared to its efficiency, liquidity, and profitability ratios. The company has low financial efficiency ratios. Its total asset turnover is at 0.29, while its receivable turnover is at 4.99. Its turnover has been declining over the years showing that the company is not utilizing most of its assets to increase sales. Zimmer Biomet Holdings has high profitability potential. Through the development of quality medical equipment and expansion of its market base, ensuring increased sales, it will be able to continually make profits. By ensuring that its manufacturing firms are meeting all the set standards and investing in new technology, it guarantees increased profitability too many of its rival firms in the next few years. The major weakness in Zimmer Biomet Holdings is the unstable sales revenues. Even though it has implemented policies and is developing products to ensure its sales are higher, lower sales are negatively impacting its profitability. Over the next years, it is also expected to be underperforming compared to its competitors in the industry. This translates to lower profits, dividends payouts, and earnings per share to the company’s shareholders compared to its rival firms. The aver
Data science is the discipline that studies the life cycle of digital data from appearance to use in other fields of knowledge. It involves researching and analyzing substantial amounts of information and is focused primarily on obtaining practical results. The definition suggested by Os Keyes presumes that this science is the reduction of humanity to something that can be counted. This perspective is engaging in a way that Keyes’s perspective opposes the standard definition of data science. Perhaps, her expression implies that everything in this world could be measured since the discipline is concerned with countable objects and quantitative analysis. There is also an assumption that data science systems want to devour everything possible, including a human’s life, and quantify it. Finally, when it comes to the decision-making process, the systems eliminate the human factor, excluding individuals, thus making it inhumane. Numerous standardized tests are based on an algorithm that does not allow people to express their opinions. Typically, they are multiple-choice credits where one should choose the right answer. One mistake and one is at a point of no return. It means that systems only accept correct data, not allowing a human to err. As a result, humanity is accustomed to giving the right answers when necessary and at the same time being afraid to say something that will not be automatically approved. On the other hand, data science is vital in areas where mistakes should be avoided. For example, in healthcare, workers use different electronic systems that assist them in choosing the proper treatment and its dosage. Medication errors occur due to human factors mainly, for instance, when professionals forget to check the expiration date of a drug. Meanwhile, the system will suggest which pharmaceutical is better for the patient and ensure it is not expired.
Abstract The present case study explains carbon policies introduced by Norway and Denmark – two European countries that have always been on the forefront of environmental change. Carbon taxes concern legislation whose main purpose is the reduction and eventual elimination of carbon emissions. Since the 1990s, both Norway and Denmark have been introducing carbon taxes that serve as incentives for fuel users to make a switch to alternative energy sources and, therefore, tackle pollution and delay climate changes. The dynamics of carbon policies development and their impact in the chosen countries fit the Environmental Kuznets Curve model. According to the said model, economic growth is needed for scientific, technical, and social advancements that will help to solve environmental issues. As the data analysis has shown, Norway enjoyed steady GDP growth in the 1990s, which coincided with fewer emissions. In the 2000s and 2010s, the country stagnated economically and was unable to decrease the carbon footprint. Denmark, on the other hand, has made more progress, and economic growth has brought about a decrease in CO2 emissions. Introduction A carbon tax is defined as the type of environmental legislation that seeks to impose limitations on the burning of carbon-based fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. The rationale behind introducing carbon taxes is extremely clear: uncontrolled and excessive combustion has been found to be destabilizing and destroying the climate. Comprehensive legislation might be the only feasible solution that would make users of carbon fuels pay for the climate damage. If a country decides to set the tax high enough, it turns into a powerful monetary disincentive that has the potential of leading the much needed change. Faced with increased expenses, companies might as well contem