ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The American Sign Language has existed and has been used for quite some time now. It is said to have originated from Europe. One of its historical accounts states that it started in Italy. Literature also shows that a French man by the name Abbe De L’Epee constructed the earliest structure of sign language that was later on adopted and used by Americans (Lane 5). Like in many areas of the globe, families with deaf and dumb children have always used sign language to speak to their children. The sign language is also taught in schools for the deaf all the way from early grade schools to secondary schools and in institutions of higher learning. Description In the olden days it is believed that the sign language originated from families that were deaf and also had deaf children so their finger spellings were special signs of motion that indicated normal actions. The finger spelling was not well structured like the modern day one. In the old days the deaf moved their fingers to show an intended action. They did this so that they could understand each other well. Linguistics also shows that the language was more of mimicry of actions. They showed crude actions that had no order and orientation. They were also symbolized activities that were going on in the physical world. The signs had no clarity to inexperienced observers (Padden and Humphries 13). On the contrary modern sign language is said to be more organized, more regular and well balanced. It can at least be understood on small scale by people who have not taken sign language courses. In addition, it can easily be comprehended. The current sign language finger spelling uses hand shapes to represent letters that stand for different meanings. The deaf and dumb also move their hands and fingers in a way that not only denotes actions but also names of things, directions, height, confirmation or approval and gender among other things through motioning their hands and fingers. It is noted that current sign language also includes symbols taken from the conversion of English words that have been finger spelled. The ancient and modern way of finger spelling are similar since both of them involve movements of hands, communicate intended actions and both use gestures. The old one-handed alphabet as has been said was not well organized while the modern day one-handed alphabet shows shapes that stand for different letters that mean different things. Currently, different numbers of fingers placed in a particular way are used to spell different words. For example, in spelling yes, three fingers are motioned from the hand shape of Y to E then finally to the hand shape of S (Mortensen 25). Numbers also have unique ways of finger spelling. For example, two closed fists together symbolize the number ten while two fingers denote the number two and so forth. Apparently the finger spelling for numbers between one and ten is usually not hard to understand and can be comprehended by anybody. I
Introduction In the 19 th century, an Australian monk by the name Gregor Mendel carried out experiments on garden pea in an attempt to study the concept of inheritance and hybridization. He was keen on a number of contrasting traits that occurred in garden pea such as short and tall, round and wrinkled or color such as yellow and purple. From his experiments, Mendel derived two laws that are used up to date to describe genetic inheritance. His first law was referred to as the law of segregation where homologous alleles segregate during the process of meiosis and his second law was the law of independent assortment where genes coding for different traits are inherited independently of each other. The objective of this experiment was to examine the different traits exhibited by corn seeds and use them to study Mendelian genetic crosses. Materials required The materials required for the dihybrid cross include corn seeds with different colors of yellow and purple and also displaying different seed shapes. Procedure First, a table containing all the possible phenotypes that can be obtained from the seeds is prepared. Seeds are then sorted out on the basis of their color and shape and the obtained data recorded adjacent to the respective phenotypes. The procedure is repeated until all the phenotype groups are filled. From the information given, the value of x 2 for each experiment can be determined. Experimental Data Fill in the tables below with your observed data, calculate the expected result according to your hypothesis. Determine the Χ 2 value for each experiment, and use the table of probabilities to accept or reject the null hypotheses. Dihybrid cross. Phenotypes       Observed  Expected  d = o – e  d 2    d 2 /e                  (o)       (e)                                Purple Smooth    234       407       -173       29929  74     Purple Wrinkled  278       136       142        20164  148    Yellow Smooth    102       136       -34        1156   9      Yellow Wrinkled  109       7         102        10404  1486   Total            723                                   1717    Χ 2 value in box Results Χ 2 = _1717____ degrees of freedom: 3_____ Range of probability: ______________ Accept or reject null hypothesis? ___REJECT_______ Discussion In dihybrid crossing, two alleles are examined at any single time for example the allele for seed color and that for seed shape. Chi-square test is a mathematical method used to compare the experimental results with the expected value and ascertain whether it supports the null hypothesis or not. If the chi-square value is small the hypothesis is accepted but if the value is large then the hypothesis may be rejected and for this case the null hypothesis was rejected because the X 2 value was very large. Conclusion
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Conducting cross-cultural communication in the context of the global economic environment is a challenging task. Because of the necessity to take into account a vast range of culture-related factors to avoid cross-cultural conflict, organizations need to carry out a comprehensive comparison of states participating in international interactions (Wilhelm & Chaichompoo, 2015). Created by Geert Hofstede, the Cultural Dimensions Theory and corresponding tool facilitate identifying differences and similarities in the cultural characteristics of different countries. Thus, they provide the opportunity to develop trust-based relationships and avoid cross-cultural clashes (Özdasli, Penez, & Koca, 2016). Chart Analysis Figure 1. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (“Compare countries,” 2018). As Figure 1 shows, a vast number of differences exist across the key dimensions among the United States, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and China. For example, the level of indulgence varies significantly among the different countries, with Mexico showing the highest rates and China having the lowest. The levels of indulgence are also significantly different in the identified states. For example, Mexico and Saudi Arabia tend to avoid uncertainty quite often, whereas the United States and China are less concerned with the specified issue. The results of the comparison also show notable points of contact among the various states. For instance, power distance is equally high in all countries except the United States, where it is moderate. Uncertainty avoidance, in turn, reflects similar levels in all countries. By focusing on qualities held in common such as power distance and masculinity, the United States, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and China will be able to identify common ground and build a constructive dialogue. Implications of Communication The outcomes of the analysis indicate the existence of a strong need to introduc
The modern society has a great need for educated people who will be able to promote its development and contribute to the evolution of various significant phenomena. That is why the increased importance of education and the high level of demands of young specialists could be considered the main trend of the modern world. The rapid changes in the behavioral patterns and the blistering development of technologies conditioned the necessity to reconsider outdated approaches and initiate the change process to attain success. Moreover, the process of educator preparation became crucial under the modern conditions as it guarantees the high level of the acquired knowledge and the great level of competence ( History of CAEP , n.d). In these regards, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) could be considered an important organization that guarantees the significant improvement of the educational sphere and contributes to the shift of priorities towards new and innovative education ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d.). CAEP performs an important function and tends to engage numerous specialists in various activities aimed at the improvement of the competence ( Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting , n.d.). Yet, CAEP is concerned about excellence in educator preparation. The given aspect is crucial for modern society as it contributes to its development greatly. That is why its activity is closely related to the significant improvement of the state of the given sphere. The organization also promotes excellent educator preparation “through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning”. ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d., para. 5) This mission results in the establishment of certain goals needed to attain success and guarantee a high level of competence. Besides, there are also six strategic goals. First, CAEP tends to raise the bar in educator preparation by promoting high standards that rely on evidence-based measures of performance ( Vision, Mission, & Goals , n.d). Second, CAEP also supports educators in their desire to align continuous improvement and facilitates the given process. Third, the organization also tends to promote innovations and create the conditions beneficial for the research activity. Moreover, it increases accreditations value by introducing important shifts to the whole program. CAEP also model excellence and suggests various ways to accreditation ( About the CAEP Standards for Advanced Programs , n.d.). Finally, it conditions the significant improvement of various practices. Analyzing the given goals, one realizes the great importance of the given organization and its contribution to the evolution of the sphere of education. Besides, the CAPEs functioning is organized in accordance with certain standards that guarantee the
Introduction Police agencies across the world exist to maintain law and order and the question of whether raising police strength will reduce crime is debatable. Increasing police strength may reduce crime but on the other hand, crime can also bring changes to police strength (Blumstein & Wallman, 2006 p 334) and this is due to layoffs or hiring that may be dictated by crime trends. However, hiring or laying off police officers has however not deterred crime from happening the world over. In the United States, crime is widespread from the urban centers to the countryside. Jefferson County, Alabama The metropolitan county of Jefferson in the State of Alabama reported the highest crime rate compared to other counties of the state in the year 2008. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, the county reported 637 violent crimes, five murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases, 62 forcible rape cases 282 robbery cases and 288 aggravated assault cases. These statistics exclude minor offenses like those associated with traffic. All these criminal cases happen against a backdrop of 705 total law enforcement employees in the county. Of these, 547 were police officers while 158 were civilians (FBI, 2008). According to the United States Census Bureau, Jefferson County was the most populous in the state with 662047 people in the year 2000. The population in 2009 had risen to 665027 people. That gives a police to population ratio of roughly one police officer to 1210 people. It’s important to note that the county has the highest number of law enforcers in the state probably due to the high population. Most police departments report police to the civilian ratio of between 1.5 to 2.2 police officers per 1000 residents. In the city of New York for instance, the ratio of police to civilians is one police officer to 218 residents. Probable reasons for high rate of c
Considering sacrificing the personal wishes for the sake of love the ultimate manifestation of true love is typical for the majority of writers, poets, and painters exploring the romantic themes. However, Paulo Coelho has managed to amaze the readers with a wholly new approach to exploring the nature of love and describing its role in the person’s life in his famous novel The Alchemist . Coelho demonstrates that while the love demanding the sacrifice of one’s dream is not true, the genuine love serves as a stimulus for living out the Personal Legend and achieving the happiness. The first lesson the reader learns about love while reading The Alchemist is that the wrong understanding of this feeling often becomes an obstacle on the way to the person’s pursuit of self-realization. The author shows that untrue love can stop the person from living the life full of meaning, which is essential for discovering the purpose of one’s. This step is crucial for the person’s ability to move to the next level of self-development. However, the author shows that the problem is related to people’s perception of love, not the feeling itself. Coelho demonstrates that true love cannot prevent the person from realizing his/her dreams through the words of the alchemist: “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love… the love that speaks the Language of the World” (Coelho 67). The main protagonist feels the temptation to leave his Personal Legend because of the feeling of affection towards a woman two times: after meeting the merchant’s daughter and after he falls in love with Fatima. Though Santiago is not bounded with the merchant’s daughter by serious feelings, after meeting her he feels the desire to lead a purposeless life: “He recognized that he was feeling something he had never experienced before: the desire to live in one place forever” (Coelho 3). After meeting Fatima, the described desire appears to dominate Santiago’s plans one more time with even bigger power. Falling in love with Fatima motivates him to stay in the oasis and refuse from living his dream. The Alchemist tells the boy that such decision will lead to the unhappiness of both Santiago and Fatima as he will regret refusing from a dream, and Fatima will feel the guilt for forcing him to do it. In such way, Coelho teaches the reader that refusing from a dream for the sake of love is the severely wrongful act. Though Santiago manages to overcome the temptation to leave his dream because of the affection and love towards a woman, the reader gets a clear impression that sacrificing one’s dream for love can be an obstacle on the way to one’s happiness and purposeful life. Such position is unique in regard to world literature, as most writers describe the sacrifice of one’s dreams and wishes for the sake of love as the
This essay offers a reflective insight of a group that I worked with in the past in some class assignments. It is worth to mention that the formation of the group was triggered by various issues. In any case, the set goals were attained by the end of the group work. This essay has highlighted both the leadership experiences and the performance of the group. In addition, the manner in which the group was organized, operations as well as weaknesses and strengths have been reflected in the essay. At the beginning of the session, I was assigned the duty of co-leading a team of ten members. We were to undertake some capacity building and training on how to execute social services within a community. At first, the task did not seem to be challenging at all. All the members of the team were made up of both males and females who had volunteered to participate in a community outreach program. Although nobody was forced into this outreach program, we started realizing that the team required individuals who were at least trained in that area. Hence, some members were to be taught how to carry out community services including ethical considerations. The group mainly aimed at equipping members with adequate skills and competences needed for the program. Moreover, team building among members was also given priority. Needless to say, reaching out for the community required a collective effort and therefore, no single team member would have achieved it (Barczak, Lassk & Mulki 2010, p.335). All the volunteering members of the team availed themselves punctually whenever there was a training and capacity building session to attend. Indeed, the size of a group matters a lot when it comes to performance. When a group is exceedingly large, it becomes more challenging to manage. Hence group efficacy is highly compromised since some members might feel that their tasks can be performed by others. I was able to foster cohesiveness among the team members. The group aimed at being proficient in offering social services after the training. Some of the functions which members of the team were supposed to accomplish included creating awareness on community hygiene and improving standards of education. In order to choose a useful program activity for the team of ten members, various areas of concern within the community were assessed in terms of need (Kotlyar, Karakowsky & Ng 2011, p.667). From the survey, we came to realize that community health and environmental hygiene were two most critical areas that needed urgent attention. However, some members noted that they had little interest in these two areas. For example, some of them suggested that they were more interested in entertainment matters. Cases whereby group conflicts emerge are common especially when making specific decisions (Schein 2004, p.87). In spite of such differences, groups are supposed to remain cohesive and pursue a common agenda as set out in the initial objectives of
Introduction The health and social welfare aspect of any given society determines its prosperity. According to Castles (2002), some commentators argue that the burden of an ageing population may strain government spending, thus, causing a crisis. In this light, governments need to formulate and execute health care policies that pursue the improvement of the general population’s health status in the wake of an increase in chronic illnesses including cancer, arthritis, and diabetes among other disorders. The United Kingdom (UK) has shown interest in developing social policies that seek to improve the people’s welfare especially the health element. Through the efforts of the National Health Service (NHS), the UK has implemented several policies that depict the government’s intention of providing an effective health and social welfare system. The NHS is responsible for the community’s health in the UK through the provision of broad services ranging from children check-ups to cash benefits for the elderly and the disabled. Recently, the UK has experienced considerable cases of coronary heart diseases, cancer, stroke, and liver diseases that prompt the intervention of the NHS. Coronary diseases in the UK account for the leading cause of death in the society, thus, affecting the welfare of the people negatively. Therefore, for the sake of reducing the prevalence of such conditions in the UK and especially Scotland, the introduction of a free NHS welfare program is a brilliant idea that if implemented would improve the society’s health position significantly. However, the NHS faces challenges including high government spending, access controls inefficiency, and substandard health care services that could undermine the successful implementation of the free NHS welfare policy. In this light, this paper will conduct a policy memorandum that focuses on the access control issue that has the potential of undermining the implementation of the free NHS policy by incorporating theories such as neo-liberalism, feminism, and communitarianism. The Problem Affecting the NHS in the UK Several challenges undermine the effective functionality of the NHS amid its remarkable achievements in bolstering the health and social welfare of the British people and foreigners. Notably, the NHS offers a range of free medical services applicable at the point of use including emergency treatment and doctor visits among other areas. However, accessing
The topic under discussion is the analysis of the novel and the similarly named film version Ghost World. The paper deals with the main themes revealed in both versions and the ways of their expression. One of the main themes, which is common both for the graphic novel and for its adapted film version, is the life of teenagers in a post-graduation period. Every person at least one time in his or her life comes across the situation when it is necessary to make a choice concerning a future occupation. This period is characterized by a feeling of anxiety and uncertainty caused by changes in daily life. After graduating from school, the world is perceived in another way. Daniel Clowes has made an attempt to express all these doubts and hesitations on the example of the main characters of Ghost World. The main characters of the novel are two girls Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer. They have just graduated from school and have their last holiday. They live in a small and rather dull provincial town. All their entertainments are TV and fashion magazines. Suffering from boredom, the girls like to gossip in a local diner named Angels and to mock its visitors (Clowes 10). Enid has made a decision to enter a college, while Rebecca is going to become a waitress. This fact makes the girls think that sooner or later, their careless life will come to an end, and their previous relations will be damaged by adulthood. On the contrary, in the film version, Enid stays home without any plans for the future (Ghost World). It must be admitted that emotions from watching the film version and the impressions from the novel vary greatly. At the same time, both versions have managed to express the one common idea. The girls realize the fact that everything has changed in their life, but they do not want these changes. It goes without saying that there are a lot of differences between the versions. First of all, the perception of the two main characters is different. In the comic novel, the leading role in the relationship between these girls belongs to Enid, while in the film version, she relies upon Rebecca. Moreover, some additional characters which have been absent in the novel are implemented. They are Seymour, who does not exist in the original version, as well as the art teacher Roberta Allsworth and the loiterer Doug. These changes have caused certain differences in perceptions of two versions. In the adapted version, the attention is focused on the relations between Seymour and Enid, rather than on the relations between the girls. The image of Enid in the original comic version is rather negative. She is constantly playing tricks on surrounding people like Bob Skeetes or Bearded Windbreaker who have never done any harm to her. She acts in such a way just for an entertainment. She criticizes and mocks practically everybody from her surroundings. As a result Enids evil temper isolates her from her friends and causes her loneliness. At the same time, a reader has no intention to sympathize Enid. In the original version, she is