ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
FASB has prescribed new rules under Financial Accounting Standard 123(R) Share-Based Payment (FAS 123(R)), repealing the intrinsic value method of accounting prescribed by the original standard FAS 123, for accounting and reporting of employee stock options. The rules have been made applicable to both public and non-public companies. Application of the Rules As per the requirements of the accounting standard, the employer who issues equity instruments such as share, share options or similar other instruments, has to recognize the cost of such compensation in the books of accounts. The cost of compensation shall be taken as equal to the fair value of the stock as on the grant-date as the stocks vest on the employees. The stocks shall be deemed to vest on the employees as they perform the services to the company necessary to earn the instruments. The fair value is computed based on the observable price of such instruments if an observable price is available. In case there is no observable price available, (which is normally the case in respect of stock options awarded to the employees) the fair value can be determined on the basis of a recognized option pricing model such as a lattice model (Hardesty, 2006). A closed form model such as Black-Sholes-Merton can be used for valuing the stock options. Although there is no prescription of the option pricing model to be used in this case, majority of the companies use Black-Sholes-Merton model or valuing their stock options. “An employer recognizes compensation cost only for equity instruments that vest, and only over the vesting period.” (Hardesty, 2006) Compensation cost is determined based on the fair value of the award at grant as reduced by any amount paid by the recipient and the corresponding amount is credited to the capital. The date of grant shall be reckoned as the date of the mutual understanding of the terms and conditions underlying the award on obtaining the necessary approvals. Compensation cost for full value stock options shall be determined based on the market value of the underlying stock as on the date of the grant. Dividends if any paid during the vesting or performance period do not qualify as additional cost of compensation. In case the underlying awards are subsequently forfeited and the dividends are not repaid by the recipient then such dividends shall be added to the cost of compensation. Recognizing Compensation Cost Where the cost of compensation is accounted based on the fair value of the stock option, the amount shall be amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Statement 123 (R) has introduced a concept of “requisite service period” for determination of the period during which the compensation cost should be recogni
The Overview of the Model Initially developed in the late 1960s by Ronald M. Andersen (a professor of health services) as a theoretical model, the Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Care Utilization has been used to explore individual and contextual characteristics that may facilitate or impede health services utilization in a much broader orientation than most other models (Bradley, Curry, & Devers, 2007). In most general terms, the model aims to identify the factors that may trigger the necessity of using health assistance. The model relies on the assumption that the use of a wide range of health care services (including both in-patient and home care) is conditioned by the major factors:  1. predisposition aspects (e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, beliefs about treatment, health habits, etc.);  2. enabling factors (access to health care, the general state of health in the community, the attitude of family members to treatment and their support, etc.);  3. needs (encompassing both real needs for medical assistance and perceived ones) (Babitsch, Gohl, & Lengerke, 2012). This framework was further developed and several alterations were introduced. In its most recent form, the model covers the whole process of treatment starting from the patient’s previous experience in health care and ending with long-term outcomes as the ultimate goal of any medical intervention. A feedback loop has been integrated into the latest version of the model. It deals with the ways the experience may affect the patient’s previous needs as well as his/her views of health care. It allows identifying the direction of the changes produced in the patient’s characteristics and his/her immediate environment. The Anderson’s Behavioral Model will be subjected to other improvements, which are going to include genetic factors that can influence treatment methods and assist in predicting its outcomes (Andersen, Rice, & Kominski, 2011). Use of the Andersen Behavioral Model for Health Care Research The Behavioral Model is popular among health care researchers and has often been used in studies conducted in the US and the UK. Many authors who attempt to do systematic reviews of different aspects of medical trea
A freemium strategy is a company’s policy when it provides some services for free, while for a premium version, customers have to pay. Freemium could be a successful strategy and bring high income. However, to benefit from it, a company has to meet certain requirements:   * a service should have a low-cost price;   * the potential audience of users should be wide;   * the product’s value does not decrease in time;   * the value of a product increases with customers’ audience increasing;   * a company’s product should attract and retain customers;   * a company should have an additional source of income. Based on this information, two companies that successfully and unsuccessfully used a freemium marketing tool could be compared. MailChamp Company is an email marketing service that allows sending emails to a list of customers. Ning is a company that provides an opportunity for other organizations or private users to create their own social networks. Both organizations tried to introduce a freemium marketing tool into the practice. The MailChimp Company was successful in it, while Ning failed. Both companies business is based on internet technologies. Therefore, the approximate costs of their services should be similar and rather low. Both companies’ stuff number is also similar. It means that both organizations did not require additional costs for salary. The value of both products does not depend on the number of customers. Even in Ning’s case, the customers’ audience does not play a significant role because the company created “private” social networks, not global ones. Thus, in these points, MailChimp and Ning were similar. According to the additional sources of income, no information about companies’ positions is available. It could be supposed that the difference in the potential customer’s audience exists. The product of the MailChimp Company is much more popular than the service of Ning. It results in a higher amount of free users: 85,000 of MailChimps users in comparison to 17,000 of Ning users. This factor might be crucial for the freemium strategy application. It was stated that for this management tool’s success, the audience should be high and better calculated in millions. The service of MailChimp is in-demand, especially in the condition of e-mail marketing growing popularity. It could be claimed that this service would be used repeatedly. The value of this product does not decrease in time. On the other hand, the demand for private networks is not that high. After creating one network, a customer doubtfully will create another one or pay for additional services. Another possible Ning’s problem is the inability to distinguish free and paid services. MailChamp limited the number of e-mail receivers for free users. The company’s position is well-determined. However, it probably was not that easy to perform this division in social networks. It could be concluded that the main difference between companies is the product’s characteristics. Initially, MailChimp provided more demanded service. The company had a higher amount of current and potential use
Germ theory proved to be revolutionary for healthcare in the United States since it produced insight into the origins of diseases and provided further support for the scientific method. Contemporary doctors and scientists understood the potential applications of the theory. As explained in the assigned readings, germ theory found many supporters, but its promise remained unrealized until the development of new drugs in the 1930s-1940s, such as antibiotics (Warner & Tighe, 2001). However, some researchers believe that germ theory was not a revolutionary new approach to treating and studying disease, but rather an improvement of the previous way of thinking about illness (Leavitt, 1992). As explained by Leavitt (1992), “the search for microorganisms took place in a context that was characterized by broad social concerns” (p. 609). Perceptions of moral responsibility made population health the focus of most healthcare activities, and care providers and scholars took steps to disseminate knowledge benefitting multiple populations. When germ theory was developed, it fit into the existing context of public health by enhancing doctors’ understanding of origins of illness, and thus was viewed mainly as a source of powerful knowledge that could help to address broad population health concerns (Warner & Tighe, 2001). Consequently, the two strains of thought merged, causing a change in public health campaigns. Whereas 19th-century campaigns focused more on hygiene, 20th-century public health activities focused on popularizing and domesticating germ theory (Leavitt, 1992). In this way, the unique context into which germ theory was born shaped health professionals’ response to it and its use in public health promotion. As a result, germ theory made a significant contribution to the development of medicine as a whole, as well as to the well-being of people in 20th century.
Failure Analysis and Forensic Metallurgy One of the most mysterious events in the history of the U.S. navy was the explosion of The U.S.S. Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. It happened on February 15, 1898, and had severe consequences for the country (Ross, 2002). More specifically, it led to public outrage because of the numerous victims and, consequently, the beginning of the Spanish-American war. The most significant condition, which contributed to this reaction, was the fact that The U.S.S. Maine was a 6,682-ton battleship viewed as the best among others (Ross, 2002). Meanwhile, the perception of Spain as an aggressor stemmed from the assumption that the ship was destroyed by a Spanish mine. Even though the conflict between the United States and Spain lasted only six months and resulted in the former’s victory, the circumstances of the matter remained unrevealed for many years. Various investigation teams attempted to learn the truth about this occasion, but most of them fail because of the lack of expertise complemented by specific external factors presenting major obstacles in this regard. The Initial Investigation and Two Versions At first, the investigation team consisting of Captain William Sampson and four naval officers developed two ideas of why the explosion happened. They were a terrorist attack of Spain struggling with revolts in Cuba and a tragic accident due to mechanical problems of the ship (Ross, 2002). Nevertheless, the investigators decided that the version with a Spanish mine was more probable, and the examination of the wreckage was primarily intended for confirming this stance. Moreover, there was much pressure from citizens and the government, and the former’s anger contributed to this opinion. In addition, the divers selected for the team did not have any experience in investigating similar events, and their knowledge did not allow giving a clear picture of this occasion. The gear was also limited by the technological development of the time, and they could not see farther than 18 inches (Ross, 2002). Their conclusion was based on a flap of metal from the ship painted green, which was the evidence of its belonging to it. The investigators decided that only a Spanish mine could push it with such force inwards, and this fact was sufficient for them. The Second Attempt to Investigate the Case The above stance was incorrect due to the limits of time and pressure, but the investigation continued only thirteen years after the explosion. The remains of the battleship were still in Cuba and supposed to be removed from the place, but the U.S. government insisted on additional examinations (Ross, 2002). The new team was led by William B. Ferguson, and their efforts were better coordinated and, therefore, more efficient than those of Sampson’s officers. Thus, they started with correctly identifying the parts of the ship, taking pictures of the wreckage, and making accurate diagrams (Ross, 2002). They also found a new detail, which was a flap of steel bent inwards, which they called section 1. In this way
Scope and Purpose of the Clinical Practice Guideline Being one of the most common bacterial infections, the urinary tract infection (UTI) affects a large number of people, causing further health complications and leading to an overall drop in the quality of life among the patients (Prakash & Saxena, 2013). A recent study on the subject matter addressing the specifics of catering to the needs of women with an uncomplicated UTI, the paper by Hooton (2012) sheds light on the nursing strategies that must be considered when facing the problem in question. Although the scope of the paper is quite small, addressing the issue of a thirty-year-old female patient, the purpose thereof can be deemed as rather broad. Specifically, the paper is aimed at determining the tools for managing recurrent episodes of UTI, as well as designing the framework that will help tend to the needs of patients with UTI in the most successful manner possible. Furthermore, the author narrows the study down to analyzing the complications related to the recurrent instances UTI, especially recidivism, which is the case in point. Apart from elaborating on the concerns regarding the application of the necessary strategies to managing the needs of patients with UTI, Hooters also touches upon the issue of pyelonephritis; however, the author does not differentiate between the two diagnoses, providing the same combination of nursing strategies to manage the problem. Instead, he offers a general method of treatment, including the use of nitrofurantoin monohydrate macrocrystals (the firs-line therapy stage) and Fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin) (the second-line therapy stage) (Hooton, 2012). Stakeholder Involvement The stakeholder engagement level of the paper can be viewed as moderate. The paper was designed to promote awareness about the possible treatment methods primarily among nurses, which means that they are likely to be among the key stakeholders. Describing the means of managing the disease, the authors of the article contribute to the stakeholder engagement considerably, since the paper offers an extensive analysis of the available treatment methods. As stressed above, the paper is aimed primarily at managing the issue of the UTI recidivism in women aged 30. Therefore, the identified population can be considered the key stakeholders. It could be argued that also mentioned the issue of disease prevention, the paper could address the needs of a slightly younger population, providing them with the required precaution strategies for preventing UTI development. Similarly, slightly older women could consider themselves as the possible target audience since the article helps locate the means of managing UTI at its later stages. However, these are women in their 30s that the article targets primarily at: “Acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis is much less common than cystitis (estimated ratio, 1 case of pyelonephritis to 28 cases of cystitis),7 with a peak annual incid
Introduction The merger is bringing together two or more entities and making them one big entity. The act of merger can be made possible through one entity purchasing the other, or two entities pooling their interests together as they agree. The exercise of merger does not create a new entity like what consolidation does. The merger is known to play a great role in the corporate business world (Depamphilis, 213). Every day in the business news globally, various investors are seen arranging for mergers and acquisition transactions. Such transactions are meant to come up with larger business out of small ones. In most of the newspapers business sections, it is obvious that a headline of a merger transaction would be found. Merger and acquisition transactions are mostly big, dealing with millions or sometimes billions of dollars, and that is why they are taken so seriously (Tammy 46). It is so evident that the merger and acquisition strategies are taking the headlines of the business world. Statement of purpose: “The main purpose of this essay is to know why there are more and more merger and acquisition transactions all over the world day by day.” The importance of a merger transaction The merger transaction is associated with several benefits, and that is why it has become a common practice of succeeding in business (Bragg 263). To begin with, when two companies decide to merge, there is always an increment of the combined shareholder value. The one big company created possesses a large share above the combination of the original companies. A company with a large share in the market has a strong financial base that places it at a competitive edge compared to rest in the market. There are other major changes that take place when companies enter into a merger. The corporate culture, managerial practices, business vision, and the main ways of operation have to take a new look (Hitt 315). These changes come as a result, only individuals who are capable of adopting the change would have a chance to remain in the new company. This act leads to the need of the new company to streamline the human capital, maintaining only those employees who prove to be competent in the business. Another major benefit of a merger transaction is for the big company to acquire the most effective technology. Currently, there is a high advancement of technology, and every company has to adopt the new technology, for it to prosper in the market. Most of the companies are merging with technology focused firms that are related to their operations, to be placed at a competitive edge (Halibozek 202). Through the adoption and application of new technology in companies, aggressive product development, and reduced cost of operations would be realized. In the current business world, any company would be required to operate aggressively, to compete successfully with the rest in the market. When two or more companies decide on mergers, there is an increase in market dominance and growth opportunities (Wendy 64). Through utilizing the opportunity of increased market share, the company would be in a position to raise more capital in a cost-efficient manner. For instance, in
Executive Summary This report will put in place an operational strategy for the turnaround of the Starbucks Australia segment after a widespread closure of stores. The report analyses the competitive environment of the company and come up with the possible solutions to the problems of Starbucks Australia. The report will also address the long term survival strategy for the Starbucks Australia so as to meet it meet its global market leadership and great customer experience targets. All the proposed solutions in this report will be in line with overall global management strategy for Starbucks Corporation. Global Coffee Industry The global coffee industry has been experiencing crisis of low coffee prices and generally low profitability in the whole value chain. This has led to coffee farmers mostly small scale entrepreneurs in central and South America to incur losses yet they are supposed to be breaking-even. The evident lesser process of coffee were as a result of high supply of coffee in the market. With this excess supply, quality of the green coffee went down. This not only posed problems to the producers but also industry players including Starbucks Corporation which is a global leader. With cheap and low quality coffee in the market, competitors of Starbucks capitalized on this so that in the long run there were low sales on Starbucks stores. Several challenges also accompanied this internal coffee crisis; consumers felt that they had less significant benefits in the whole coffee value chain. This structural problem needed the whole industry players to put together an industry strategy to check on the glut and increased quantity of defective coffee in the market. Starbucks Growth strategies Starbucks being the worlds’ premier roaster and retailer of coffee has had a long term strategy of being the global leader in the coffee industry. The company’s’ growth strategy has enabled the company to spread to over 50 countries as indicated in their 2009 financial report. The company has achieved this position as a global leader and respected coffee brands through their good business plan of the store level efficiency, being innovative in their products, strategic channels of distribution, great customer experience in the retail stores and building of strategic linkages through licensing of different stores and joint ventures. Starbucks corporation actually appreciated the strategic management strategies for increasing the shareholders value though, like any other multinational it has experienced different challenges in several locations which in the past has even worsen to an extend of downsizing by closure of seve