ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Health insurance has become an important form of security in the modern world. In a country like the United States, health insurance is sought part of being a US citizen and has become a basic necessity for the population. With this thought, there are still millions of people that are uninsured and form one of the biggest social and public sector issues today. Solutions to this problem come in all forms but only a few can be logically implemented, accepted, and benefit all parties. Solutions There are several planned, proposed, and potential solutions to the issue of uninsured people. These are mainly different ways of covering the uninsured and vary in cost, philosophy, and methodology. Some of these are discussed briefly as follows. The basic idea is to provide health benefits and insurance for all Americans. This can be done only when there is willingness and participation from all influential actors including the healthcare provider and the patient. Controlling costs will result in efficiency and a greater share that can be used on the solutions to this problem through proper managerial practices and infrastructure. This can also be done by the simplification of the administrative side of the healthcare sector. Finally, affordable solutions for both the public and the private and public financers are the key to proper implementation and running (Battista). One of the basic solutions is to use the federal funds to cover uninsured people several hundred percent below the poverty line. This will redirect a chunk of the federal funds towards healthcare expenditure, which is the only problematic aspect although it would somewhat lower the uninsured population. High deductible health insurance is another solution that will help the uninsured through healthcare savings accounts and will use taxes to fund coverage solutions. Another basic but large-scale solution is a single large pool of healthcare that all US citizens will be a part of, which will be publically funded. Another small-scale solution with limited effects would be to mandate employers to provide health insurance to employees that work for a certain amount of time during a week. Like these, several other solutions have been proposed by experts but only a few can be applicable. (Healthcare coverage in America: Understanding the issues and proposed solutions). Present solutions Currently, few of these solutions are being implemented. That does not mean that nothing is being done about the uninsured issue, just that the current solutions are a little different than the ones mentioned above, which seems ideal (Kennedy).
Financial planning and control is a significant process in business, whose main aim is to offer focused guidance on organisational performance and management. We need to define these terms separately, for perfect understanding of the concept. Financial planning refers to the projection of assets, income, and sales through an approach which has been based on alternative marketing and production strategies, and the determination of the various resources that would be required to reach those business projections. On the other hand, financial control is the phase upon which the overall implementation of financial plans takes place. Financial planning and control offers internal as well as external guidance to the overall planning and steering of corporations. More importantly, the concept also plays a significant role in providing key corporate information to stakeholders and other participants in a business. The concept of financial planning and control is associated with various corporate functions. For instance, it offers guidance in planning, administering and observation of value development in corporations through important financial aspects which include; cash flows, income statements and balance sheets. The other function of financial planning and control is to offer external guidance on corporate affairs to stakeholders, in order to enable them to have full access of appropriate economic and financial performance of a corporation (Jones 1986). This way, the stakeholders are able to assess and rate the creditworthiness of the organisation in a perfect way, thus facilitating control capabilities and statutory compliance. This report examines the concept of financial planning and control as it is used by GCC organisations. In order to bring out a strong argument about the use of financial planning and control in GCC organisations, we first of all need to understand what GCC organisations are. GCCs are some type of organisations whose activities are team oriented. This form of structure plays a key role in ensuring there is flexibility in allocation of responsibilities and tasks, as well as efficient decision making in all areas of business concern. Basically, GCCs don’t serve as single contact points for communication between key players in the network, but also as a significant interface towards suppliers and external customers (Rudberg and West 2008). Through this perception, it would be obvious that GCC organisations should try to provide quality services all units of the network. In that regard, it would be important for any GCC organisation to adopt the idea of financial planning and control in its business plans, among other important approaches. As it would be observed, GCC organisations are associated with many benefits that have been realised through constant application of the process of financial planning and control. These benefits are divided into three main categories which include; supply chain measure, reduced costs and increased efficiency, and improved service and quality. Under th
Introduction The legendary Panama Canal is a shipping canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean forming the basis for global marine trade. Its origin and construction can be traced from Sir Charles I of Spain who originally planned the initial survey for the canal’s path through the cape of Panama in 1534. However, his proposal was followed with three-century dormancy before its edifice began at around 1880s by the French Companies. Panama was built in ten years starting from 1904 to 1914. Essay Body It is considered as one of the greatest and most hectic engineering assignments the world has ever witnessed; the canal is also voted as one of the seven present wonders of the world by the Society of Civil Engineers in the United States of America. It is important to note that the Panama Canal was built in two phases with the first phase composing of French engineering companies that worked for about twenty years from 1880 and stopped due to disease attacks, financial constraints and many more; the second phase was picked up by the America who saw its completion by 1914. Its official construction process started by the signing of treaties between the New Granada (currently renamed Colombia) and the United States in 1847; that gave the United States a transit passage over the cape of Panama guaranteeing Panama’s impartiality and distinguishing Colombia’s sovereignty. This was followed by the contracting of a French Company known as the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique, led by Ferdinand de Lesseps (builder of Suez Canal) in March 1881. They immediately went bankrupt and decided to allow their French counterparts known as the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama to proceed on with the work from October 1894. Only four years later, this company incurred unbearable losses and succumbed to a lot of frailties that saw them unpredictably end their operations by late 1889. The company loosed around 287 million United States dollars and about 20,000 lives in the practice. However, ousting them was a daunting task as they already acquired extensive holdings in America including, 2,000 buildings, Panama Railroad, equipment, and land that they considered to be worth 109 million US dollars that had to be compensated. Fortunately, after the appointment of Rear Admiral John Walker as the head of construction Commission, he assessed their holdings and estimated them as worth 40 million United States dollars only. This situation led to several conflicting ideas, especially between the French and American government, leading to a negotiation between the two powers to reach amicable solutions. The American camp led by John Walker reacted by proposing that they were no longer interested in the Panama route and were planning to build an alternate Nicaraguan canal; this forced the French camp to express their weakness by revealing that Russia and Great Britain would offer the funds that would see the c
Introduction Although there has been a remarkable improvement in health care quality, health disparities, especially in chronic disease burden, continue to persist. Interventions to decrease these gaps need to occur at the local level. Community-based research projects can help identify and address the root causes of health disparities, especially in rural America. This paper examines the role of the Federal Collaboration on Health Disparities Research (FCHDR) and identifies the collaborative strategies for reducing these inequities, their implementation, and intervention development challenges. Federal Collaboration on Health Disparities Research Efforts by the FCHDR to improve health are evident in its integrated approach to the reduction of health disparities. It has mobilized scientists, federal officials, and state and local stakeholders to establish the built environment workgroup to identify socioeconomic variables linked to poor health outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities (Hutch et al., 2011). Examples of such determinants identified by FCHDR are community factors (housing and food access) and family/individual components (dietary intake). It has also worked collaboratively with various entities to develop “policies, tools, and practices” for reducing health inequities (Hutch et al., 2011, p. 592). Examples include the Livable Communities Initiative and the Brownfields Cleanup that create pedestrian-friendly communities to improve air quality. Other community-focused strategies include faith-based and school-based provider-led educational programs (Walton-Moss et al., 2014). FCHDR has also worked collaboratively with partners to disseminate evidence-based research addressing issues causing health disparities. An example of such studies is the Irvine-Minnesota inventory. Strategies in Community and/or Clinical Practice I have observed the use of community-based participatory research to empower individuals and address health disparities. The strategy entails collaboration among local medical centers, schools, churches, and community organizers, among others, in health education, capacity building, dissemination of findings, and policy enforcement. For example, recently, a public health department of a university started a smoking cessation project using a media intervention. The researchers used local television and radio channels to mobilize support for the program and tackle health inequalities related to behavioral factors (Hutch et al., 2011). Thus, social action can be used to modify risky behaviors in the community, including smoking and dietary habits. In clinical practice, I have observed clinician-led (community health workers or CHWs) diabetic education to promote four behaviors
Overview When a child obsessed with a particular challenging behavior comes into the limelight of the family and school environment, parents and teachers often find themselves at a loss, sometimes completely incapable of turning things around or assisting the child to behave suitably. Often they encounter feelings of frustration, stress, and defeat (Kaiser & Rasminsky 3). Some of the challenging behaviors observed in elementary level children include attention seeking, low self-esteem, withdrawal, aggression, and refusal to cooperate. This paper, however, will concentrate on aggression as a challenging behavior, basing the discussion on comprehensive research and interviews conducted on two teachers of elementary-level children. Aggressive behavior among children is largely conceived as a byproduct of insecure parent-child attachment especially during the first years of the child’s life, though current research reveals that aggressiveness may also be exhibited due to some innate predispositions (Kaiser & Rasminsky 6). From the interviews, it was noted that children with aggressive tendencies have a high risk of school failure, rejection by peers, expulsion from pre-school programmes, and mostly develop punitive and unpleasant contacts with teachers and parents respectively. In the absence, of proper correctional interventions, their adult lives are likely to be characterized by violence, unemployment, depression, and substance abuse. According to the interviews and research, children who are more likely to engage in violent behavior exhibit other characteristics such as severe learning disabilities, aloofness, visual or hearing impairments, socialization difficulties, and sleep disturbances (Male 163). Other indicators, according to Male, include “…attention seeking, demand avoidance, communication problems, stress, interference with routines, and provocation” (163). A common misconception of this behavior is that children are always conscious of what they are doing and, therefore, deserves to be punished. Intervention Strategies Although many teachers report feelings of frustration, upset, exhaustion, anger, and stress when dealing with aggressive children, it is imperative to develop a framework that will utilize problem-solving and understanding capacities to assist the child out of the problem (Male 168). According to the interviews, separating the child from the problem and attempting to comprehensively understand the issues hidden beneath the problem so as to offer practical solutions to the child works in many instances. Research has demonstrated that aggressive behavior can effectively be prevented when teachers work to comprehend the risk and protective aspects in the minors’ lives and develop a responsive learning environme
The NASW Code of Ethics that is used by social workers emphasizes that every professional must reveal cultural competence in practice. That is why I agree with the fact that being a student body, we must pay enormous attention to this concept (NASW Illinois Chapter, 2014). It is important for us, as for social workers, to provide our clients with the assistance that is aligned with their beliefs and ideas so that their condition improves but not worsens. The representatives of various countries have different cultures that reveal their background, which was influenced by numerous factors. That is why it is impossible to treat all of them in the same manner. Understanding how culture influences people’s behavior, attitudes, and decisions, professionals obtain an opportunity to approach every client so that he/she accepts assistance and does not resist it. Outstanding professionals underline that “social workers must remember that the ultimate goal of any social work intervention is to serve, not to colonize” (“Culturally grounded methods,” n.d., p. 278). It means that if a person’s views based on his/her culture do not coincide with the ideas of a social worker, one should not try to alter it but should develop an intervention that can satisfy the client’s needs and demands. In this way, the representatives of the individualistic cultures who generally believe that it is shameful to ask social workers for assistance should be taught that there is nothing bad in such consultation, and their intervention should be based on the individual work. In other words, a person should be taught of how he/she can improve the situation without no or at least limited additional assistance. On the other hand, the representatives of the collectivistic cultures are usually more willing to accept those services that are focused on the cooperation with family members and friends so that they feel more comfortable. In addition to that, churches can be considered as providers of assistance on physical and spiritual levels, which is similar to the job social workers do. Of course, not all people are spiritual, but those who often feel better if they approach churches instead o
The right to vote is a fundamental prerogative of a democratic nation. However, according to King and Ebrahim (2), significant segments of the U.S. population have been facing discrimination in exercising this right. One of these groups includes people with mental retardation, who are subject to unfair restrictions in exercising their franchise. Majority of the Americans with mental disabilities have been denied the right to vote on basis of inaccessibility to polling locations and discriminatory rules and procedures. The case law bars mentally retarded people from voting by terming them “idiots”, “insane,” or “lunatics” ( Field and Sanchez 9). Their incapacity and incompetence to vote are determined by a court of law (Brakel et al 21). However, the case law does not precisely determine the extent of incompetence to vote. Neither does the federal law nor the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sufficiently protect their rights to vote (King and Ebrahim 3). In my opinion, local registrars should neither use prejudice nor discrimination during the evaluation of prospective voters to deny people with mental disabilities their franchise to vote. Some mentally retarded persons exhibit a high degree of intelligence and capability to vote, and hence, they should be allowed to vote provided they are registered U.S citizens who are above 18 years and not under felony conviction as stipulated by the constitution. They should be given fair treatment just like any other voter. They do not need to undergo any intelligence test, know how to read and write or be aware of the platforms of candidates and their political parties. If people with mental retardation were allowed to vote on their own, the majority of them would make a correct decision more often than a wrong one. However, those under guardianship or conservatorship should be closely monitored during the voting process to ensure their choice is not predicted for them; otherwise, it would bring into governance a system of administration that is either authoritarian or unfair to the majority of its citizens. Works Cited Brakel, James, et al. The Mentally Disabled and the Law. 3rd ed. Chicago: American Bar Foundation, 1985. Print. Field, Martha, and Sanchez Valerie . Equal Treatment for People with Mental Retardation: Having and Raising Children. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1999. Print. King, Michael, and Ebrahim Roufeda. “Voting Rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act: Are People with Intellectual or Psychiatric Disabilities Protected.” DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center , 2007. Web.
Introduction Good leadership is crucial for the success of any organization. Leadership motivates and provides direction towards achieving a group’s objectives. Being an effective leader is, in itself, a major challenge for most individuals. Various leadership theories and styles have been developed to explain how leaders can become instrumental in directing their teams towards victory. Leaders who are conversant with several headship styles, together with how to apply them to correspond with their personality and organization tend to stir their followers towards positive results. Of particular concern is the emotional intelligence concept, which is rapidly gaining recognition as an effective tool for stimulating the best performance. The ensuing discussion is an account of how I noted leaders using emotional intelligence and leadership styles to spark positive results from tutors/volunteers at 826LA during my CBL fieldwork experience. Moreover, it provides an account of a personal experience I have had when teaching students math. The goal is to show how I applied various leadership styles to help them in achieving their full potential. CBL Fieldwork Experience at 826LA My CBL fieldwork experience involved working with a team of active volunteers at 826LA, where we were majorly assisting students in working on their school assignments to improve their study performance. As a group of ardent helpers, we worked closely with 826LA’s employees who trained us on how to perform various tasks within the programs. My workstation was at The Echo Park Time Travel Mart. In the neighboring schools, I had a one-on-one encounter with children where I would help them with their studies (Haan 18). To accomplish my tasks, the staff members coached us on various leadership styles that would help us to work effectively with the children. During this training, I learned not only important leadership skills to assist as an individual but also observed several leadership styles that helped the staff members to get the best performance from the team of volunteers. 826LA is a subsidiary of 826 National, a non-profit organization, which offers tactical leadership, management, as well as appropriate resources. As an 826 center, it is committed to assisting minors between the age of 6 and 18 to advance their writing skills and support teachers in motivating their children to progress in their studies. The organization believes that the potential of young people can be boosted through personalized attention and focus on their writing skills. This emphasis creates a better future for learners. Moreover, 826LA notes that writing not only helps youngsters to express their voice to the world but also creates a feeling among the children. To achieve its objective, the organization runs a number of programs such as drop-in tutoring, workshops, as well as in-school tutoring. In the organization, I worked with several volunteers and interns who are selected annually to assist children through the
Though many researchers claim that dispositional personality theories are limited to the descriptive principles and do not suggest an explanation of how the traits of an individual influence his/her behavior, it is necessary to analyze the strengths and limitations of this theory applied to the evaluation of Sarah Palin’s behavior. As such, it is necessary to mention that the personal traits of an individual cannot be the only features shaping the behavior. As suggested by McCrae and Costa (1996), “Personality traits may have genetic or environmental origins, but whatever their source, once established they characterize the individual, not the situation” (p. 57). Thus, when Sarah Palin finds herself in different situations, she may demonstrate implicitly or explicitly the traits of her personality regarding the same topic. This is the limitation of dispositional personality theories because behavior depends on other factors than just personality traits. At the same time, the strengths of dispositional personality theories include applying to various types of traits and behaviors. For instance, such a trait of Sarah Palin as agreeableness is used to persuade people in her pro-life position as opposed to her position concerning the invasion of Iraq and the necessity of limiting the nuclear potential of North Korea. Though her political views may mismatch her personal views in daily life, the dispositional personality theories can be easily applied to her to infer that she can be supportive and cooperative if she uses her agreeableness. So, Sarah Palin is a good example of the application of disp