ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Jackie Robinson was an outstanding baseball player. With his talents for the game, his impressive achievements, and the records he set over his ten-year career, he would have certainly made it into the history of one of America’s favorite sports. However, he was more than just a high-scoring sportsman. Years before the Civil Rights Movement, Jackie Robinson courageously opposed racial segregation and discrimination, contributing greatly to the struggle for equal opportunity and becoming a national hero. Robinson was born in 1919 in Georgia and grew up in Pasadena, California. He discovered his pronounced aptitude for sports early, playing football, basketball, baseball, and other games at school. He had three older brothers who always supported him and encouraged him to pursue a career in sports (Falkner). However, in 1942, Robinson was drafted into the US Army. The army was segregated during that time, but throughout his service, Robinson challenged the injustice with bravery. In 1944, he was court-martialed for defying orders to sit in the back of a bus. This act resembles the same famously brave deed of Rosa Parks, but it happened eight years earlier. The court eventually decided that the order violated US Army regulations, and Robinson was acquitted (Robinson and Kerry). After being discharged, Robinson started playing baseball in Negro leagues and proved to be a very promising player. By 1946, he was already playing for a minor league team, the Montreal Royals, in Daytona Beach, Florida. While in Florida, he was not allowed to live in the same hotel as his teammates, so he had to stay at the house of a local African American (Robinson and Duckett 41). That year, Robinson became the first black player to play against a major league team, the Dodgers, and the following year, he broke the baseball color line by joining this team. In 1947, at the age of 28, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Before this, since the 1880s, black people had been excluded from Major League Baseball. Although this so-called color line was not an official written rule, it had been there for 60 years as a symbol of segregation. Robinson played for ten seasons until 1956, demonstrating outstanding achievements, new techniques, and innovative game strategies. David Falkner has called him “the father of modern base-stealing” (171). At that time, even as a major baseball star, Robinson still had to face racism and bigotry. Dodgers President Branch Rickey wrote that Robinson repeatedly received “hate letters and death threats” and was “the target… of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes” (Robinson and Kerry). Karl Erskine, a for
Introduction McDonald’s corporation is the world’s leading retail chain of fast food restaurants serving many customers in about 118 countries (Duchac, Reeve & Warren, 2010). The company reports high profits from the business, thus yielding substantial revenue for stock investment. Just like other successful companies, McDonald’s attracts investors by allowing stock investments as a way of diversifying and increasing its turnover. The business ensures the reporting of stock investment in the financial statements through various transparent ways at the end of every trading period. The proper recording of McDonald’s stock investments aims at maintaining the business’s good. This paper focuses on the reasons why McDonald’s would invest in stocks as well as debt securities. Discussion Considering the notable dividend yield, impressive profits, and strong cash flows, McDonald’s consistently reports its stock investment in the financial statement. The provision of financial statements is a requirement by law and the businesses’ many investors. Investors rely on the information to make informed decisions regarding their investments. The skilled professionals in McDonald’s utilizing cash flow statements, income statements, and balance sheets show the performance of the corporation in stock investment (Duchac et al., 2010). The reports on the financial statements indicate changes in performance of the stock investment as well as the financial position of the company. Cash flow statements show the inflows and outflows of transactions, as well as amounts to indicate the net cash flow that shows the financial performance of the company. In addition, balance sheets indicate the financial situation of the company in terms of its assets and liabilities. This strategy is useful in drawing income statements that show the profitability of the company’s investment. The reporting of the performance of stock investment in the financial statement is vital for prospective investors, because they require the information to decide on the viable areas for investment. The McDonald’s corporation includes stocks and debt security investments in its portfolio due to the crucial benefits that accrue from them. Investing in debt securities such as bonds is more reliable compared to equity securities (Duchac et al., 2010). They are safer since the lender gets the principal amount upon maturity of the term. Through this str
There has been a serious shortage of liquidity in world markets after the US subprime mortgage companies were forced to write off unpaid mortgage debts. Mortgages have consequently become more difficult and expensive to arrange for. Macroeconomic uncertainties in the money markets have grown considerably which have started to be felt in the housing markets in the UK. Several mortgage companies suffered substantial losses in view of their mortgage advances becoming inappropriate. People were unable to repay the mortgages and they defaulted in large numbers thus leaving the banks with huge losses. With large-scale defaults on mortgages, house prices began to decline and such a pattern further compounded the losses of banks because the resale value of properties became lesser than their mortgage values. In the UK, housing prices have been falling constantly since the beginning of 2008 and as per the nationwide Halifax Index, housing prices have started falling on an annual basis in real terms. There is a wide variation in the UK housing market in terms of prices prevailing in different cities and regions. Affordability is not expected to improve due to the cooling down of the housing market in the UK primarily because house prices had increased by almost three times during the last ten years. Therefore prices will have to fall substantially in order that they become affordable for average households. The credit crunch has in particular adversely impacted first-time buyers because of tighter criteria being implemented by lending institutions. The level of investments will reduce in the development of new flats due to the credit crunch and there will be increased availability of vacant units with the changing nature of demand thus reflecting excess supply in regions such as Manchester, Leeds, and Nottingham (John Muellbauer, 2009). Developers will have to change strategies in focussing on areas where demand is still strong and there will be a visible change in the types of property being developed with the emphasis being made on family housing. Market activities being present at low levels, the number of transactions will decline by about 25% in the current year (CBRE, 2008). There is expected to be a long-drawn imbalance in demand and supply due to unmet housing demand and demographic projections of increased household formations. There will be cyclical volatility with a decline in outputs although demand will increase in certain segments due to a higher rate of migration in specific regions. The effect on the housing market will largely be dependent on the length of the economic downturn and stability in employment patterns. Hence it becomes imperative for UK cities to plan strategically in shaping local markets that result in delivering a housing plan which can bring about equilibrium between demand and supply. The house building targets are now threatened because reduced turnovers in the sale of new houses have adversely impacted building activities. Th
Critical marketing has recently become one of the most popular objects of research and analysis. With the growing body of marketing literature and increased relevance of marketing strategies in business, more scholars are willing to reconsider the relevance of the most popular marketing concepts and advance the role of ethics in strategic marketing. In this sense, critical marketing is believed to be intended to challenge the existing status quo and promote a more objective view of the postmodern marketing realities. Yet, the meaning of critical marketing is not as comprehensive as it may seem. On the one hand, researchers need to re-evaluate the intent and approaches of critical theory in the marketing field. On the other hand, critical marketing requires a stronger emphasis on application. Despite the growing body of critical marketing research, the exact meaning of critical marketing remains extremely ambiguous; one of the greatest problems facing critical marketing is that its findings are rarely translated into practical applications, being used mainly to criticise old ideas rather than propose new ones. Critical Marketing: Defining the Boundaries Critical marketing is a popular object of scholarly analysis. Different researchers proposed their vision of critical theory in the marketing field. Hastings and Saren (2003) suggest that critical marketers follow the traditions set by Arnold and Fisher, famous reconstructionists, and use diverse approaches to question marketing processes and outcomes. These approaches may include but are not limited to feminism, sustainability, ethics, and discourse analysis (Hastings & Saren 2003; Hastings, Angus & Bryant 2011). In terms of marketing processes, critical theory covers the ideology and assumptions underlying the fundamental marketing theories, the methods and models of doing marketing, and the relevance of various marketing ideas and concepts (Saren & Hastings 2003). Critical theory is also used to re-evaluate the outcomes of numerous marketing activities, ranging from advertising and customer loyalty schemes to the role played by marketing in the most complicated social processes, including commodity fetishism and social exclusion (Saren & Hastings 2003; Stone & Desmond 2007). In most cases, critical marketing involves an ethical perspective and takes a pro-social stance. The philosophy behind critical marketing is so complex that it is difficult to describe it in a few terms. More often, critical marketing is claimed to be closely affiliated with critical management, thus bearing the features of methodological pluralism, reflexivity, and denaturalisation (Tadajewski & Brownlie 2008). Simply put, critical theory in marketing provides broad spaces for the use of diverse methods of analysis and, at the same time, fosters reflexivity and examination in the most problematic aspects. One more feature of critical marketing, namely, non-performative stance, requires more detailed examination (Tadajeswki & Brownlie 2008). This feature implies that critical marketing is more theoretical than p
If you’re writing a paper about Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart essay examples are a useful source of inspiration. You can find one such example here! The Tell Tale Heart is a short story about a nameless narrator who commits murder. The narrator kills an old man who had a blue vulture like eye that made the narrator very uncomfortable. He plans the murder, executes it, and hides the body of the old man in the floorboard. The story falls under the gothic genre (Snodgrass, 2005). The story falls under the gothic category because it is a horror story that tells how a young narrator kills an old man in cold blood and dismembers his body in order to conceal his crime. The killer claims he is sane and goes into details to explain how he executed the murder. However, when the police came to the Old Man’s house he gives himself away to the police because he hears the heart of the old man beating behind the floorboard and this incident may suggest that the narrator is in fact insane. The author of the story is Edgar Allan Poe an American author who was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts. His parents David and Elizabeth died before Poe celebrated his second birthday. After their death, he lived with John and Frances Allan, a childless couple. His childhood was sad, he experienced death of his loved at a young age, and the deaths influenced his works, which have the theme of grisly deaths (Meyer, 2000). Poe’s s misery and suffering reverberates in his works and in popular culture today long after his death. Poe’s story is culturally significant as it shows how the society was during his time. The people were beginning to have an interest in moral insanity (Bynum, 1989). For instance, it is difficult to tell why the narrator killed the old man at the end of the story was it insanity
Introduction The problems of changes in the cognitive functions of the brain over time are one of the leading causes of depression, delirium, and dementia in older adults. Dementia can subsequently develop into Alzheimer’s disease, which is incurable, as well as in Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2018). This paper aims to present a summary of what was learned during Week 1 and Week 2 and discuss how this information may help in providing healthcare for older people. Main body When treating Alzheimer’s disease, the correct diagnosis is critical, since in the early stages, its symptoms expressed in memory problems and decision-making, can sometimes be attributed to other conditions. Early changes can begin 20 years or more before diagnosis (“Inside the brain,” n.d.). In the middle stages, symptoms may include serious memory problems, and the inability to navigate in space. At later stages, a person completely loses the ability to recognize loved ones and the opportunity to take care of themselves. The disease is caused by the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques formed after the sudden death of nerve cells. Experts in neuroscience who are researching the problems of the aging brain are now working to identify various trends associated with reversible and irreversible brain changes. For example, specialists have found that cognitive changes in the brain of healthy older people are reversible through cognitive exercise (Chiu et al. 2017). Nonetheless, scientists have not yet clarified why the nerve cells start dying. The above information is beneficial in terms of working with older patients. In particular, understanding the reasons why older patients are more prone to depression helps to reduce the level of anxiety towards the patient by the caregiver. Timely medication or psychotherapeutic treatment of depression is also critical, since patients may not detect it and usually associate its symptoms with other circumstances. It is also extremely informative that for older patients with depression, psychotherapeutic treatment, such as behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy, may be more effective than drug treatment. Conclusion Thus, the summary of the main points learned was presented as well as a discussion of how this information may help in providing healthcare for older people. The most common diseases associated with changes in cognitive functions of the brain are depression, d
The Guantanamo-Bay A preliminary, the Guantanamo-Bay was used as a naval base, but it was later subdivided to host the combatants’ detainees. There have been long trials periods in the camp since its establishment, depicting poor and unjust decisions by the military commission. However, due to the overwhelming torture in the detention camp, human rights and the global society have raised concerns. Some of the combatants who were arrested in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries are still detained without any update on when the trials will be done. Due to the long stay at the detention camp, some of the detainees tend to take away their life due to lack of an alternative option (Savage, P. 1). In connection with the Guantanamo-Bay issue, the British government came out clearly stating that they are not pleased with the torture situation on the Bay. However, despite the slow pace of performance and the willingness to compensate the victims of torture during the long period of trials, the U.S. still feels that it is unsafe to authorize the trials in the U.S. The involvement of Russia in the issue led to the reemergence of Clinton into the issue to clarify the best way forward towards achieving a permanent solution. The US being the overall authority on this matter, the final decision is still not yet reached. Other investigators argue that it is better to detain the victims till the entire terrorist shall have become extinct. This means that it is not with full authorization that Americans will accept to relocate the trial scene (Davidson and O’Keefe, P. 1). Protection of the human rights From the Geneva Convention, everybody including the prisoners has their fundamental rights lawfully, despite the opposition towards the terrorist groups and organizations stated in the Fifth Amendment. The frequent suicidal cases raise concern regarding the lives of other remaining prisoners. On other hand, the Amnesty International requests on the closure of the Bay have been turned down likewise the European Union and the United Nations. It is surprising that despite the sufferings at the Bay, the judicial system concerned is relaxed in the quest to free the detainees due to the adjustment in accordance with the US supreme courts’ decision. Following the long struggle at the Guantanamo Bay, President Obama has reiterated that he plans to close down the detention camp and the detainees be taken for trials in the United States New York federal court before the end of his first tenure in office. The policy that would lead to a compromise over the Bay is under draft with an aim of coherent closure of the prison (Davidson and O’Keefe, P. 1). However, the relocation of the trials to the US would allow the friends and relatives of the victims of terror to have first-hand information, witnessing live convictions within New York where most of the victims lost their lives. Additionally, other options for the trial of the combatants are, f
Introduction. Facing the End of an Era: Pfizer, Inc Moving in the fast lane with the currently developing world is quite an uneasy, though doubtlessly rewarding task. Because of the changes which the economical society and the world market are undergoing, companies are forced to change their strategies to adapt to the new conditions, as well as withstand the increasing competition. One of the most graphic examples of the given phenomenon, Pfizer Inc., was forced to change its marketing strategy to adapt to the current standards of marketing. However, according to the case study, despite the changes, the company is still in a losing position. Unless new ways of development are suggested, the company is bound to face certain difficulties; however, reconsidering the current marketing strategy, one can possibly suggest new means of boosting the company’s success. A Description of the Target Market: When the Supply Meets the Demand To assess the efficiency of the changes which Pfizer Inc. has decided to apply to increase their revenues, the target market which the company aims at winning must be considered. Once the target audience is defined, it is considerably easier to analyze their demands and come up with peculiar propositions. It is obvious that the company aims at delivering products for the people of middle and high class, offering the medicine which is rather expensive, yet innovative and efficient: according to the case study, the key goal of the company is “to persuade medical professionals the world over to make Pfizer drugs the treatment of choice for their patients’ aches and pains” ( Case 2–1. Pfizer, Inc ., n.d., 156). Thus, it is clear that the company’s target market is the people who suffer from the diseases which require rare and expensive medicine. However, according to the report, the company has decided to change the given niche – rather unwillingly, though – to another one. “Normally a new entry creates new interest in the market. That doesn’t seem to be happening here” ( Case 2–1. Pfizer, Inc ., n.d., 157), McKinnel says. However, the company y seems to keep to their blockbuster strategy, which means that the current trend to offer medicine for “the diseases that remain without satisfactory treatments” ( Case 2–1. Pfizer, Inc ., n.d., 157) seems to be the current niche. Analyzing the above-mentioned, one has to say that the key problem of the company is that they are hesitant about their further course. Although the old strategy has been used to death, Pfizer Inc. still cannot change its course because of the success of the previous strategy. Therefore, the company ne
Introduction The product development of the private trend fully depends on the matters of the product position, and the market concentration in the particular sphere. It is necessary to mention, that there are numerous factors, that influence the following development of the product, and it relates not only to private labels but to every if it is not only the production of prime necessity. The Trends of the Development The trends of the development, which are generally attributed to the labels, may be different, but in general, they are divided into three groups:   * Failure   * Staying comparatively competent   * Success It is not necessary to define these trends, but it should be stated, that the way, which the trademark will go depends on the following components:   * Presentation and price quotation   * Agreement to supply private label   * Design of packaging   * Production   * Delivery to customer   * Advertisement   * Vends policy of the company If at least one of these factors is not included in the policy or has not succeeded in the realization, there will not be a success in the further development, until corrected. The companies and corporations aim to try as many mechanisms to grow as possible. But it is often rather difficult for a private label to gain new customers, as the central part of the market players have been already conquered the sector, and the retailers prefer dealing with the checked and reliable providers and manufacturers. This statement is about both small and huge private companies. While there is a huge number of companies, that prefer focusing solely on their proprietary brands, many other companies have realized the immense potential incomes that may be gained from promoting the private brands. Despite the numerous difficulties of the initial advertising, if fixed in the market niche, it is featured by higher incomes. Retailers’ attitude towards private labels is revealed by the fact that they aim to get the maximum profits, but they are reluctant to deal with innovative brands. Nevertheless, the rate of private labels in the supermarkets is 86%, and it is forecasted, that this rate will three to five percent increase in the following year. However, the weak points are evident in dealing with private labels. (Michman, 2008) These manufacturers are more subjected to threats if the national financial situation is not stable. It is closely connected with the fact, that private manufacturer rarely produces the whole spectrum of the goods, required for the production (packaging, some parts of special materials), and the link with the supportive manufacturer (if private too) may be lost during the crisis. That is why the retailers deal only with reliable manufacturers, who also may afford to reduce the wholesale price. Conclusion In the conclusion it is necessary to summarize, that the trends of private label development may be different, however, often dependent on the particular factors, that should be realized as perfectly, as possible. As for